found himself in the forest

Bryan Garrick. 35. Werewolf. Deputy. I’ve got this sentimental heart that beats, but I don’t really mind that it’s starting to get to me now.

[bryangarrick]

harper-clarke:

“No, but I don’t see a reason to gain friends for the purpose of staying on the good side of things”, Harper explained in a soft, collected manner. “I don’t have anything to hide, and if I would have I don’t think you would gain much out of being friends with me, Mr Garrick. I’m not as out there as you are, but I have the respect of many in this town and that’s all I really need. You look like a sensible man, however, so don’t think I’m putting you down or anything – I just don’t like playing games.” He had never had a reason to be involved in a police matter, not even when it came to the other victims that had rolled through the hospital for storage after their last breath had been stolen from them. It wasn’t part of his routine but he wasn’t going to let Bryan take him for granted. He may be a kind, thoughtful soul but he wasn’t stupid. “No, it’s not all I remember but that’s all I gave you since you asked when, not what. I’m under no obligation to give you information I’m not fine sharing, but I’m not going to keep it away from you either.” Harper fell into silence, his chest rising with a nervous fear that filled his stomach with an annoying tingling sensation. What he was about to tell Bryan wasn’t part of something he wanted to share with the world, it had after all been a failed attempt to reach out to Rhi and sort out their current connection to one another. Things had grown tight between them, he hadn’t meant for her to take it the wrong way. “There’s really no need to threaten me with your co-workers. Do I look like I’m putting up a fight here? I want to find Rhiannon just as much as you do but… I know this next part isn’t going to be in my favor. Uh… I approached Rhiannon to… to um–” His stare flickered, fingers playing with the edge of the table. “I do dumb things when I’m drunk and I sort of thought New Years would be a great time to tell her how I felt about her. I guess she got a little shocked, she’s been… acting strange for almost a month prior to this, especially to me, so I just wanted to sort it out between us but she took off before I had a chance to explain myself and my reasons, and that’s the last I saw. I went home only minutes later, I don’t know where she went.”

Bryan couldn’t help to give the poor man a sad smile, clearly he had no idea what kind of trouble he was in. It wasn’t Bryan setting the game, but he had to play the rules as the best as he could without going against to all he knew was right. And with how much Katherine was having a hand in processing Harper, he had a feeling that he would be tested. “Not threatening, only giving you a better sense of what kind of trouble you’re in, Mr. Clarke. I know you think you haven’t done anything wrong, but only way you can convince us of that is if you cooperate. Good to know.” Settling down on his chair, he sipped his coffee, keeping his expression neutral as Harper described what happened that night in question. Slightly grinding his teeth, Bryan could almost hear Elena cussing hijo de su puta madre from the other side of the glass as he confessed to wanting to set things right with Rhiannon. And hell, he would have too if he hadn’t seen how scared and confused Harper was. “How did you set things right? I know this hard for you, but the more details you give me, the sooner we can find her or help her if she needs help.” He replied calmly, casting a glance at the mirrored window. From Bryan’s experience, missing girlfriends were usually caused by jealous, violent boyfriends, a personal and intimate crime that didn’t fit the M.O of the murder. And sure, Bryan might have believed that Harper was good for it, but he also knew Rhiannon was a skilled fighter, best of her kind if he believed the rumors. Killing a fae was harder than it looked, not to include one that knew her way with a weapon, and with the search of the Clarke’s property, it was clear the man wasn’t much of a skilled mage. Maybe Rhiannon didn’t want to be found. “I’m guessing you and Ms. Lewis were romantically involved, she must have said where she was going. Lulu Rivers says she would have told her if she left Ashbourne so if she didn’t tell Lu then maybe she said something to you.”

[sabinedevereux-deactivated20161]

Devil’s Spoke || Saby and Bryan

[bryangarrick]

sabinedevereux:

There he went with those compliments again, sending odd little shivers down her spine and making her very glad that she was far too undead to be able to blush at them as well. She wasn’t bad looking, she knew that much, but she certainly wasn’t a pretty little nightingale. Compared to him she was little though, so she would give him that much. “It’ll keep you from getting shot at by a hunter too, I suppose. Given how often you get into trouble out here, that’s worth something.” Saby admitted, staring at him curiously from her perch in the tree above. His eyes were somewhat green, she realized. More hazel if you were going to be picky, but definitely with flecks of green as well. His features seemed harsh without a smile to soften them, but it was rare that you saw him without one, in her experience. Or perhaps it was only rare for her, but she didn’t know what to make of that. A question bubbled up to the surface of her mind and down to the tip of her tongue as she stared at him, and after a moment of biting it back, she let it loose for the sheer hell of it. “Do you actually think I’m pretty and a sight for sore eyes? I mean, you always have a kind word for everyone you run into, it seems like, but why me?” The look she gave him was curious and far less guarded than she normally would have been around anyone else, but perfectly sincere. It was better to get to the bottom of this whole blushing situation now while she had the chance and the opportunity. “I haven’t seen anyone out here but you, unfortunately. And it’s Saby, not Miss Devereux. For you at least.” She glanced at the empty branch across from her own, then back at Bryan, and offered him a giddy, genuine smile. “Suppose you could come up here and stand guard with me though, but I was always told that wolves can’t climb trees. Care to prove me wrong?”

“Why you?” His voice sounded so strange to his ears as though he couldn’t breathe properly and he might have questioned it if her questions hadn’t brought a scarlett fever to his cheeks. Thank the heavens that none of his sisters were around or Sabine would soon find out their pet name for him. Tomato Face. And that was something he preferred to avoid at all cost. Rubbing the back of his neck, he had to look away from her, shyness suddenly striking him into a wordless fool. Though, her curious doe eyes making the fluttering of his heart jump to a twisted jerk, soften him into a bubbling idiot. “I don’t actually.” He sputtered. “Honestly, pretty can’t sum up what you are. I think you’re the loveliest woman I’ve ever seen. I keep trying to think of other things that might be just as beautiful and don’t know why I called you a nightingale when you’re more like the moon. But the moon or not, you deserve to be treated you with respect and kindness. And I be a fool if I treated you any other way.” He said breathlessly, noticing how fast he had been sputtering, hoping he hadn’t put his whole foot in his mouth as he tended to do. “I just mean that I don’t really have an answer as to why. Only that I don’t like the idea of not being your friend. Being your friend means that I can always have a moment to talk to you. At least, I hope you let me a moment.” He added bashfully, realizing how ridiculous he sounded like, nothing like a deputy and beta should sound like. Bryan didn’t know why she had this kind of effect on him, but by the hammering in his chest, he had a feeling he will continue to be a big loaf of nerves around her. Her sudden childish glee brought a sudden sigh as he beamed back at her. “Who has been spreading rumors about my kind? You better set them right the next time you see them. Just insulted my kind that’s what they did and I can’t let you go believing that nonsense.” Bryan stressed, eager to show her what a good climber he was, pushed his current assignment aside and steadily anchored his foot to support his weight in a sturdy gnarl of the tree’s trunk. Normally he would have been up in that tree sooner and done it with as much grace that one could have while climbing up a tree, but knowing that Saby was looking at him didn’t help his concentration. With a few scrapes on his hands and chin, that soon healed as he settled himself down the opposite branch from where Saby was. “Hi,” Bryan mustered, weakly smiling at her as he steadied himself while looking down to the ground, sensing that shifting his weight one way would cause him fall straight down onto his face. “Do you really think my jacket is awful? Nick made fun of it too, but he always makes fun of me for this sort of thing. Can’t seem to know or keep up on what’s hip nowadays.”

[bryangarrick]

dakota-lowe:

“That something being the clock. I can’t even begin to explain how excited I am to go home and get to bed.” She scratched her forehead to conceal her expression for a split second, knowing that Bryan would have been able to see through her lie just by looking into her eyes. “You know I love you Bry, but you’re beginning to sound like a broken record. Always appreciated, though.” Mustering her most authentic smile, she quickly turned her attention back to work in order to change the subject. “So, what can I get you? This one’s on me.”

“That’s both of us, I’ll be sleep before my head hits the pillow. Meyer isn’t working you too hard, is he?” Bryan grumbled, toying with one of the bar coasters Meyer made everyone used, biting his tongue back from pointing out he could tell she was lying through her teeth. “It’s my job to worry and I’ll keep worrying till I breathe my last breath. Even if it nags you, Dakota, I only want the best for you. Before I forget, I got here your Christmas gift, a bit late. Sorry about that.” Laying a small bundle, wrapped up neatly in a red wrapping with white snowflake and a gold bow, on the bar table and slide it closer to her. He hadn’t known what the heck to give her, with how special Dakota was to him, he just had to give something to show her that. And as he was shuffling through the photographs of the early years of living in Ashbourne, he stumbled across one of himself giving a young pigtailed Dakota piggyback while her father, beside them, smiled broadly into the camera. It seemed wrong to keep so making a wooden frame to hold the picture, he wrapped it up and carefully scribbled Dakota’s name on the tag.“I’ll have a Shirley Temple, I got to drive both of us home and I won’t be doing anyone a favor if I get reckless. Can I have three cherries? Please?

[bryangarrick]

harper-clarke: 

Harper wasn’t going to lie. Every since he had woken up at January first, no part of him had been at ease. His birthday had thankfully been celebrated the day before along with the new year, it had always been like that and it wasn’t about to change any time soon. However, the problem hadn’t been him turning 29, it had been the sole case of Rhiannon Lewis and the thoughts he was more than sure he had shared with her that night. She hadn’t taken it with bliss, joy or any other happy synonym – she had simply excused herself from the scene and left him standing in that corner all alone. What had it lead to? Loss of contact, for one. He had tried to call her, text her, everything in his will to beg her for forgiveness – but nothing. It hadn’t been until someone from up at the station had reached out to him and told him Rhiannon was missing that the dots had come falling into place. She was missing… and for some reason he hadn’t been able to shake away the knowledge it was because of him, and him only. He hadn’t done anything to her, of course not, but he knew rather well he must have been one of the last people for her to speak to; and that was one of many reasons for his heart to be rushing like a wildfire in his chest the moment the door swung open and a robus looking man came walking inside to greet him. Harper didn’t speak, lips thin as a line and his eyes staring at the man with humble confusion. They hadn’t let him in on anything besides that they needed to question him regarding Rhi’s disapperance, and to be frank… he wanted answers as well. “I have plenty of friends, Mr Garrick, you have no reason to hold me down at the moment. No one does”, he spoke back calmly. “I saw Rhi sometimes after midnight on New Years. I can’t remember the exact time, I’m afraid… I was pretty intoxicated.” It put him to shame to admit such a thing, it wasn’t like him to drink as much as he had that night but what was done, was done. “I really don’t remeber much at all.”

“Then I gather you have friends in the precinct? Well, one more ain’t going to hurt, is it?” Bryan smiled at him, not minding that his offer of friendship had been turned down, figuring it was only normal to be suspected by Harper.  Besides, if Bryan were on the other side of the table, he too wouldn’t be jumping at gaining another friend.  As he listened to Harper’s recount of the night in question, he jotted down every word and made his own notes on the side. Doodling fireworks on the corner of his notepad as he thought over what Harper told him. It wasn’t much and knowing that either Elena or Nick was behind the double sided mirror, he better get everything he could from him before they barged in and act the ‘bad cop, good cop’ routine on him. “That can’t be all that you remembered. You’re sitting here because people think you have something to do with Ms. Lewis’s disappearance. Hell, I doubt there’ll be a trail when my bosses tell me it’s a shut and close case.” He sighed heavily as he leaned back in the chair, rubbing the exhaustion from his eyes with the back of his hand. With the way Ms. Irving was involved, he had to admit it was difficult doing his job and staying impartial. “You got to tell me what happened that night if you want me to help you, Harper. People saw you and Ms. Irving together and from what I can tell, you got no alibi. So either cut to the chase and help yourself or Elena can come in and she isn’t going to be offering you any donuts.  Is there anything she said that night that might help us figure out where she is? Anything at all?”

[bryangarrick]

dakota-lowe:

Dakota wasn’t sure how long she’d been absentmindedly fiddling with the same cup behind the counter, but it had to be a while considering how deep in thought she’d been. Whoever was now speaking to her had had to repeat themselves quite a few times to pull her out of it, and finally get her to set the glass down. “Sorry, I was just- Can I help you?”

"If I knew any better, I’d say you have something on your mind, Dakota.” Bryan leaned on the bar table, smiling thoughtfully at her. He had told himself it was normal how sad she had been as of late, the pain of losing one’s father took time to heal. He knew that, but he that didn’t mean he was getting any less worried. “You can count on me, Dakota. Especially if there a hoodlum bothering you. I know I swore to protect and serve, but I won’t blink to twice to ruff some jerk up for you.”

Devil’s Spoke || Saby and Bryan

[bryangarrick]

sabinedevereux:

Half the town was closed up in some sort of macabre ‘holiday’, supposedly so they could respect the wishes of the police force and help them search for the missing councilwoman. Saby hadn’t been inclined to go along with that kind of peer pressure, but after two hours of alternating dead silence in her shop and having to listen to more panicked gossip from her few customers than she had ever wanted to hear, she gave in. It was easier just to close things up and drive home, her stereo just loud enough to block out any signs of life on the streets outside. Unfortunately, it also meant that she had absolutely nothing to do with her time, as all of the things that really needed doing were back at the shop. Another hour of idling around her house led her to decide to lock up and take a walk in the woods to give her mind some sort of occupation. Walking had always helped her think anyways, and she found that she had quite a lot to think about these days. She was safely nestled up in the crook of one of her favorite tree branches when one of those things came walking into her line of sight, looking exhausted and far more grim than she would have liked to ever see him. Not cold though, despite the frigid air, but supposedly that came with the territory when it came to werewolves. She could just let him pass by, but…well, she supposed she was actually in need of company after all. Bryan was less than ten feet away when she decided to speak up, a smile working its way onto her lips at the sight of him. “You know, I’ve never seen a wolf in an orange parka before. With fake fur on the hood too, you should be ashamed of that addition, Bryan Garrick.” Saby teased, sitting forward slightly so he could see her better from his vantage point. “Why are you freezing your tail off out here? I thought you’d given up nature walks after the last time.”

They were on a wild-goose chase for any sign of Rhiannon Lewis in the woods. At least that was the recurring thought running into his head after a few hours of combing the Ashbourne woods without a single blip of a scent of her. Yet he got his orders and he wasn’t one to slack off on the job so he kept his search, keeping tabs on other officers searching the woods few miles away while munching on the ham sandwich he packed earlier that morning. Something wasn’t right about the missing councilwoman. Ms. Irving and the town’s newspaper were damn sure that one Harper Clarke had something to do with her disappearance and rest of the murders. However, in Bryan’s humble cop opinion, the councilwoman’s disappearance didn’t quite fit with the rest of the murders. Unfortunately, yet unsurprisingly with how scared the town was, he seemed the only one that wasn’t ready to tie the noose around the man’s neck. Figuring he still got a few more kilometers till lunch time and  a break, he kept trudging through, keeping both his eyes and ears sharp for anything out of the ordinary and his wolf nose keen on finding a wiff of Ms. Lewis. Wasn’t long after his last call in to Elena when he was startled by the sound of his name being called by a tree, nearly stumbled over his feet as he turned sharply to wear the voice sang from. “Don’t mind looking like a fool if it helps me be spotted by a pretty nightingale in a tree.” Bryan called back, already grinning from ear to ear by the familiar sound of her voice. As he craned his neck while trying to spot her while he inched closer to where he suspected she was watching him. “Besides, my momma said the orange brought out the green in my eyes. And what kind of man would I be if I didn’t wear the clothes that my momma gives me?” And when he finally got a good look which branch she was perching from, Bryan gave a low laugh, shaking his head, not at all surprised to see her that high up in the tree. Entirely forgetting how dog-tired he was from the trekking the forest terrain, he nearly bounced out of his skin from how happy he was to see her. “Well, Ms. Devereux, you sure are a sight for sore eyes. Hate to tell you, but I got too much wolf in me to stay out of these parts. Doubt I can become cilivized, anyhow. But if I got to be honest, I am keeping a better eye on the ground, don’t really want to get myself tangled in a bear traps again. I’m actually on police business. You haven’t seen Ms. Lewis walk on by, have you?” 

[bryangarrick]

moira-lance:

“Wait no, I don’t understand.” Moira looked up from the book she’d been reading on werewolves to the person next to her. “They have to kill someone to become the werewolf? Why?”

Surprised to see whom he could only assume was Clary’s cousin, he stopped in his tracks as he entered through the Lance’s kitchen door. And before he could say hi, she drew his attention to the book she had been reading. With a sigh, he took a peek at the book and shook his his head. “Now that’s one outdated book, Clary’s cousin. You are Clary’s cousin, are ya? Or else I just broke about three laws in the past five mintues.”

[bryangarrick]

Standing at the two-way mirror, with his arms crossed, scratching his beard while piecing all the evidence they had together. Bryan couldn’t figure it out. No matter what way he looked at it, his gut told him one thing. Harper Clarke didn’t do it. And if he did do it, he wasn’t the mastermind behind all of it that the town was so adamant about. The man barely got to his cell with all the huffing and puffing he did to get a gasp of air. Yet Katherine was so damn sure it was him and it wasn’t smart to go against her. Taking two cups of coffee, a box of donuts, and the case file under his arm, figuring no one on the force had bothered to offer him something since they picked him, he entered the interrogation room and sat down in front of him before setting the cup in front of him and sliding the box his way. Before saying a word he took a sip of his coffee and gave a  with his eyes closed. “Damn good coffee. I’m Deputy Bryan Garrick, I need to ask you a few questions and I hope you’ll answer them truthfully because I got to be honest right now, I’m the only friend you got at the moment.” Talking as though they’ve known each other for years, Bryan sat back in his chair, flipping the folder open to read up on who and what Mr. Harper Clarke was. “Mind telling me when the last time you saw Rhiannon Lewis?”

[katherineirving-deactivated2016]

Delilah || Bryan and Katherine

[bryangarrick]

katherineirving:

“This way please, Deputy Chief Garrick. Don’t mind my husband, he’s just nosier than is good for him.” Katherine said smoothly once she had extricated herself from Antonio and guided Bryan away from his volley of fresh complaints, ranging from a rant about Alistair Stone to a diatribe against whomever had burned down his ‘hermosa rosa’s’ house. She had tried her best to prepare ahead of time, to trick him into leaving the house before the appointment Bryan had made to speak with her, but it hadn’t worked in the slightest. Luckily there was a stout lock on the door of the room she had claimed as her study once she had been forced to move in with her husband, and she slid it into place gratefully once she had directed the werewolf to take whichever chair suited his fancy. “I have told him to leave Mr. Stone’s garden alone. Numerous times. So don’t listen to his bitching, and I know you’re swamped, so I take no offense from your department not finding who set my house aflame yet.” Katherine took a seat on the sofa opposite the chair he had chosen with a muffled thump, a hint of exhaustion obvious in her expression as she looked at him. “Now, you requested to speak to me, but you neglected to give me the details as to why we needed to meet. The door is locked and this is about as private a place as I have right now. So spill them, please.”

His hands on his hips, head bent low as he minded what the excited vampire had to say. Bryan might have heard Katherine guiding him into her office if it hadn’t been for been for Antonio chattering away about what he thought the deputy should do about the ‘Stone cabron.’ Despite knowing well enough the situation between Alister and Antonio, Bryan was a patient man and he didn’t mind listening to Antonio rattled angrily on about his arch enemy. However, without Katherine intervening, he probably wouldn’t have been able to slip away any quicker. “That’s alright, ma’am. Doesn’t feel like a Wednesday if I don’t get an earful from Antonio or Alister, anyhow. Besides, I always rather they chew my ear off then get in another altercation.” He responded with a good-natured smile, shrugging his shoulders as to brush away any inconvenience Katherine thought he had.“I won’t be taking much of your time if you have something to do or anywhere to be. I know you’re a busy woman, Ms. Irving.” Clearing his throat as he shuffled his feet to the chair he was offered and sat down,  he squrimed in the chair, trying to get as comfortable as he possibly could, but it was hopeless with his stature. “You must have heard that Rory- Aurora dropped by my office the other day, she’s scared the badges off some of my men.” He gave a soft chuckle at the memory, yet quickly coughed back the rest of his laugh, noticing her worn look. “Ahem, I have a younger sister myself and well, I thought I better set you at ease. Don’t plan on sending her off on an assignment if you’re worried about that, but she’s unbent on helping.”

[bryangarrick]

dakota-lowe:

“I just thought you’d make an exception for me. You know I hate surprises. Gifts too, generally.” Dakota sighed, knowing she was unintentionally sucking the joy out of something that was supposed to be cheerful. Usually, she could paint on a better front than the one she had on right now, but the grip she held on her facade was loosening by the second now that the holidays had come around. “Just that she’s an intense flirter. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s not exactly my type of person either.” She was still steps ahead of him at this point, barely glancing back as she spoke. It was easier to pretend when eye contact wasn’t involved. “Doesn’t look like there’s much here for me to do aside from eating, which I’ve already done.” She pressed her lips together, stopping for a second to scratch her forehead. “So… I might get out of your hair and head out.”

At her sigh of disappointment, Bryan’s lip twisted into an amused smile. Never in his life had he had someone tell him they hated gifts and yet Dakota wasn’t a fan, something he knew since he met her, but that wasn’t going to stop him from giving her something every now and then. Blinking in surprise, he stopped in his track for a moment before jogging up to catching to Dakota. “Flirter? Ms. Deveraux has never flirted with me... I suppose I am not to her liking.” With a sigh, he tugged down at his beard, the itching becoming unbearable at that point. “I was hoping you’d stay a bit longer. I know Chloe been asking for you all day. Can’t even stay for a cup of hot cocoa?” Bryan asked, his hopeful tone deafening and eyes round in But she had that determined look at that face that reminded him of stampeding bull, heading straight to its target. “Alright, call me when you get home, Dakota. Second thought, let me get Quinn to walk you home since the boy is probably only getting himself in trouble.”

[bryangarrick]

sabinedevereux:

Somehow such glowing praise coming from Bryan made her insides squirm, perhaps it was because she knew damned well that he meant every word of it with the kind of intensity that would make anyone blush. “Oh? I’m amazed that they haven’t introduced themselves yet, half the town knows them by now. They’re the other third of the Shadow Council. Dark curly hair, cheekbones that could cut glass, can’t keep their mouth shut to save their life..” Saby rattled off, as it as easier to switch subjects than accept the praise offered her way. His next compliment only made her even more glad that she couldn’t blush any longer, but when he told her that he had told the whole pack about her saving him from that bear trap, well, that was the kind of outlet she could use to get away from all of the compliments. “Bryan, you didn’t have to do that. Really, really didn’t. I don’t want you to put yourself on the line for me, you know how that pack is about vampires. You don’t have to…” She said quickly, flustered and flabbergasted by the fact that he would dare do such a thing. “To compromise your standing with the other wolves for me. It’ll just get you hurt, won’t it? And it took long enough to get the blood out of my tiled floor last time.” Oh jesus, she didn’t know what to do with all of this flowery talk of his. The worst thing about it was that it was so sincerely meant, that and the fact that she could see his cheeks flushing slightly behind the cottony beard that he was wearing. Why did he have to say those kinds of things to her? She didn’t know how to handle them other than changing the subject or leaving the conversation, but she didn’t want to be that rude to him either. “You were hallucinating from the blood loss then. “I’ll be home by seven thirty, if you’d like to stop by then. If you um…if you haven’t eaten by then you’re welcome to stay a while, I can order from that Thai place on Brewster Street again.”

At the mention of the Shadow Council, his lips tighten to a thin line as he looked down to the ground as he nodded. “Well, that solves why I haven’t met them. Shadow Council haven’t given much of a reason to trust them to get friendly with them.” He replied simply, clearly unaware of who he was talking to. At her dismay chatter, Bryan raised his brows in quizzical thought as to how he was undermining himself. She saved his life, he wasn’t going to just forget about that. “Why not? Some of them found my trail of blood anyway, so I had to explain to them what happened. Don’t really like keeping things from my pack anyhow.” As she grew agitated and he rightly couldn’t keep up with everything she was saying, he softly hushed her, “Sabine, Sabine, it’s alright.” He said quickly, cupping her hands into his, gently rubbing them to soothe her anxiety over him, growing angry with himself for saying whatever he said to cause her to be upset. “This ridiculous feud our kind have against each other has got to end. And I assure you, I much rather compromise myself in order to give you the recognition of saving my life. Besides, doubt my getting rescued by my knight and shining armour won’t cause much of a fuss when Meyer has got himself engaged to a pretty vampire.” It was important she understood he wasn’t like past wolf leaders, he didn’t know quite why when she hasn’t given him a reason to believe she didn’t trust him. “I hope you know that Meyer and I are not like most wolves. You happen to be a vampire, so what. I happen to get fleas sometimes when someone in the pack takes being a wolf a bit serious.” With a big smile that reached his eyes, he let his hand slid against her own. “You’re my friend which makes you a friend of my pack. We’re shaking hands so can’t go back now.” As they shook hands, he studied her face, hoping he could, at least, give her some peace of mind. “Hm, you might be right there, but I didn’t imagine how I felt when I felt them. I might have hallucinated you were an angel, though. I figure it’s how pretty you are. In some way, you were an angel.” 

[bryangarrick]

dakota-lowe:

“Maybe not all presents, depending on what it is.” She nudged at him playfully, her eyes suggesting that she was downright curious as to what on earth he’d gotten for her. In actuality, Dakota didn’t really care much for gifts, especially now that she wasn’t really feeling the holiday spirit. But Bryan had been so hellbent on trying to ensure that she was enjoying the occasion, that it felt wrong to deny him the pleasure of giving her a present. “Yeah, okay. Now that you need me as a human shield, you say that.” She laughed while striding forward, determined to get through as many of the stalls as quickly as she could. “I haven’t met her yet, but I’ve heard a thing or two. Should I be scared?” Although she wasn’t looking at him directly at this point, Dakota could feel his gaze on her, scoping her out as if trying to decipher her thoughts. That was disheartening, but expected all the same. It was all anyone did when they were around her these days. “Thanks.”

With great determination and thoughtful planning, Bryan had carefully chosen Dakota’s Christmas present. Hoping that she would love it, he had to admit he was stalling in giving her the present, fearing that perhaps she wouldn’t care for it. Not so soon after her father’s death. “If you’re expecting me to tell ya before you get it, you’ll be sorely disappointed. That’s not how Christmas works.” Bryan answered firmly, he took gift giving seriously and even Dakota’s poking won’t make him budge from not telling her. Making a sound that was a mixture of a snort and a huff, Bryan rubbed the back of his neck, clearly not seeing the humor in Lulu’s determination in making him feel uneasy around her. “I have a feeling there is no human shield to stop that woman.” Feeling quite rushed by the smaller woman, he craned his neck as they passed each stall, puzzled as to what the rush was all about. “There isn’t one mean bone in her if that’s what you’ve heard. Don’t know how there can be after she saved me when she had no obligation to do so. What have you heard, little Dakota?”

[bryangarrick]

sabinedevereux:

The fact that he thought he would be annoying her by saying hello made her frown, it was a rather paltry excuse on one hand, but on the other it was exactly the kind of thing someone as softhearted as Bryan would actually believe. She knew enough about him for that conclusion to be very likely indeed, and it was an odd one, all things considered. He was an important person in the town hierarchy and he had a handsome face, so why would anyone be annoyed by having him cheerfully say hello? “Cameron is in charge of most of this, you wouldn’t have been in my way. Or bothering me.” She said matter of factly, noting the fact that he was blushing under his fake beard. Why did he do that so often around her? He got tongue tied too, and though she knew the possible reasons why, they weren’t ones she would have applied to herself. She wasn’t that good looking, she was rude to anyone she didn’t feel like talking to, and…and he’d bought her a Christmas present, which blew away any words she was going to use to reply to him like so much dust. Instead she just gaped at him for a moment, her mouth open slightly and her eyes wide. People didn’t buy her presents, with the exception of Cameron and Orion. And they certainly didn’t blush when mentioning it. “I um…any decent person wouldn’t have just left you out in the woods, Bryan. But I’m glad it helped, the wound cleaning and the uh..the hand holding.” She spluttered, suddenly very glad that she was far too dead to blush the way that he had been. “Even though they’re pretty cold. But of course, you can drop by if you’d like. I’m going home after this though, not to the shop. You’re welcome there as well.”

Without Nick around to help him keep his thoughts to himself, Bryan didn’t rightly trust himself to hold a conversation with anyone. Especially someone like Sabine. Not that she has ever said she minded his babbling ways, but he want to keep on being her friend and one way he knew that could happen was keeping himself from annoying her much. “Cameron? Can’t say that I know him. Well, you both did a great job. I mean it, we all needed something to lift up our spirits and something to smile about. You gave us just that.” For once, it seemed like she was the one was tongue-tied, making him completely forget how awkward he had felt around her earlier. Unsure as to what he had said to make her speechless, he struggled to say something. Anything to ease both of them.  “You look nice today!” He finally blurted, growing conscious as to how he must look in this Santa outfit. Being it was a smidge tight on him, he could only assume he looked like beef jerky. Glad that she finally seemed to forget whatever he had said, he smiled down at her, his shoulders relaxing in relief. “Decent or not, you were the one who helped me and that is all that matters to me. You probably guessed I was scared, holding your hand helped me more than you stitching me up if I have to be honest. I told everyone in the pack about how you saved me. Even drank in your honor, so don’t be surprised if they nicer to you. You rightly deserved that respect, Sabine.” Though he had told every pack member about his being saved, he was much too of an optimist to think they would start accepting any vampires into their circle. Even Clary’s soft influence on them wasn’t strong enough to tackle their stubborn prejudices. “Are they? Didn’t notice much now that you mentioned it. Actually, I swore I thought snow was falling on my face when you... when you were trying to wake me up.”

[bryangarrick]

dakota-lowe:

The hug was comforting as always, and Dakota reveled in it, even allowing a smile to spread across her face. It was an inevitable notion when it came to Bryan, who possessed the odd ability to make her feel better by just being around. But today was harder than most, leaving her grin to falter more quickly than usual. “I’m a bit old for presents anyway.” She scrunched her nose at him before allowing her gaze to fall to the floor, unwilling to look him in the eye in case he happened to notice her bad mood. It was written all over her face and in her body language, but anyone close to her probably could’ve guessed that she wasn’t exactly going to feel peppy this time of year. “Okay, okay. So long as I’m not intruding or anything. I’m sure there’s still a lot of kids around here that would love to see you and all.” Being dismissive with him was always a difficult task, but it was necessary if she didn’t want to prolong her stay. “Way better than last year, don’t you think?”

His momma would say that her son had been born with his heart already sewn into the sleeve of his onesie, always a grin on his face and doing the best that he could to make the people around him happy. And with Dakota always being a serious soul, he had his work cut out with her, but it sure was good to see her smile. “Well, good thing I kept the receipt for you present. Real shame you’re so old now for presents.” Bryan teased her, scrunching his own nose back at her before placing his large palm over her head to ruffle her hair up. “Dakota, don’t ever think for one second you are ever intruding on my time. I will always make time for you, don’t doubt that for a second. Besides, with you here, I got someone to protect me from Lulu’s flirting.” His joyful expression dropped just slightly as he caught the dismissive tone coming from her, his brow wrinkled in thought as to how to go about asking if she was alright. “It is, Saby did a great job organizing the whole thing. Heck, I can’t think anything wrong with it. Just hope she’s enjoying it as much as the rest of us. Here, you can have my last apple tart.” He handed the napkin cover tart to her while trying to cover up the longing look on his face.

[bryangarrick]

dakota-lowe:

In spite of her friends attempts to make this Christmas Dakota’s best, she couldn’t help but feel as though things had shifted. Ordinarily, she would have been reveling in the spirit of the holiday, and thriving during the annual fair. But not having Evan around proved as a constant reminder of her new life without him, and how odd it felt to be going on without him. They’d always spent Christmas together, her father forcing himself out of bed rest during those last few years to come to the festivities. But now he was gone, and Dakota was more alone than ever, even if she did have the most amazing friends int he world to spend her day with. But it certainly wasn't the same. Wandering around aimlessly, she’d only spotted Bryan by chance. She could recognition him immediately, and her thoughts briefly flashed back to him in the same dress back when she was a child. Oh, how things had changed since then. Walking closer towards him, she waved and planted on her most convincing smile, looking him up and down while doing so. “This never gets old, y’know. Over a decade’s passed and I still love it.” She tugged on his hat before giving a shrug of her shoulders. “It’s okay. I haven’t really seen much of it yet. What about you, Saint Nick? Enjoying yourself?”

The second he recognized those doe eyes, he bounced towards her, swooping her up into one heck of a bear hug, her feet dangling a few inches off the ground. Before ruffling her hair up, he gave her head a kiss then he gently settle her down to the ground. Bryan was more than happy to see her, he was ecstatic. Despite all the mayhem Holidays bring, having been so close to death’s door made him grateful for what he had. Especially his love ones, Dakota being one of them. “Remember, it’s not too late to give you coal for that.” He warned her with a grin, tugging his hat away from obscuring his vision. With all the heartache she had to go through this year, Bryan was happy she was here, among the living, taking one step at a time. He had a feeling the smile wasn’t one that was all together real, but he wasn’t going to start pushing her with questions on she was. His beaming smile grew softer as she asked if he was enjoying himself, giving a sigh as he stroke his fake white beard. “Let me be your guide, I keep getting more than my fair share of free cookies and I need a helper to eat them up. I love it, Saby did a great job planning it on though she isn’t one to do a crappy job.”

[bryangarrick]

sabinedevereux:

It was all running rather smoothly, considering the hurdles they had jumped to get the fair going in the first place. Katherine had decided to throw a few extra in their path just to piss her off, but luckily she had a few favors left to call in, and they got their permit eventually. Late, but eventually. People were bustling through Keller Street Square, pausing to watch the glassblowers in the middle of it, and there hadn’t been any screams of terror to mess things up either. For an Ashbournean event that was quite something, and Sabine even had the hint of a smile on her lips as she walked through the crowds. It grew in size when she saw Bryan, healed up from their last encounter and dressed up as Santa Claus, though she couldn’t remember the last time she saw a Santa with so many muscles visible under his jacket. “Haven’t you? Shame on you, Bryan Garrick. I’ve been here since dawn and I’m not exactly difficult to spot.” Saby teased him, though she was grinning all the while, even after she spotted the crumbs in his candy floss beard. She sighed dramatically as she reached up to brush them loose, shaking her head at his nonsense, even if she rather enjoyed it all the same. “You’re all over crumbs, by the way. Or were. You’re welcome.”

The cheerful grin grew from under his beard as his friend turned to him with a smile of her own. With a serious shake of the head, ready to correct her on the assumption that he would willingly ignore her. “I never said I didn’t spot you, it’s real hard not to pick you out of the crowd. I would have said hello earlier, but you looked busy that’s all. Thought I would just get in the way if I bothered you.” Sensing he was being teased, Bryan felt himself growing warmer underneath the white beard that luckily hid most of his face despite itching his nose. “Thank you.” He chuckled in embarrassment, seemed like he was thanking her a hell of a lot recently. Not that he minded, but he must have seemed like a clumsy fool to her. “I couldn’t pass up the apple tarts, I guess I got a bit excited over them. Speaking of excitement, I have something for you. Just something to thank you for everything and especially being there when I needed to hold someone’s hand.” Bryan shifted his weight, building up a bit of a sweat which could explain by his Santa outfit. However, it didn’t explained much of the increasing palpitations in his chest. “May I drop by later and give you your gift?”

[bryangarrick]

"Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas everyone!" The giant Santa cheered as the children followed closely behind, the sound of pitter patter following where ever he went. Every year, no matter if he was sick or how tired he felt after a long week of work, he dressed up as the town's Santa, ready to spread the holiday cheer and give the children something to look forward to. Following the tradition as it should be followed, Bryan, dressed in his Santa outfit, sat on a Christmas throne in front of the town's center's Christmas tree, Children lined up, anxious to take a picture with him and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

However, that also meant Ms. Rivers wanting a moment with Santa. Her moment always turning into hogging his lap for a good ten minutes before Bryan needing to gently push her off his lap. It took some convincing, but after a reluctance promise to take her out on a lunch date (he'd bring either Elena or Nick along as his protective buffer), he finally convinced her to free up his lap. Yet the quick peck on her cheek that she offered didn't quell her dramatic exit, stomping away with a huff and a warning to keep his promise.

With a relieved sigh, Bryan slump back, mighty glad that for the moment no one else was waiting in line, giving him some time to stretch his limbs with a walk around the festival. Sniffing the air, he could smell Clary Lance’s famous apple tarts calling his name, grabbing one or three, he munched on them. Unaware that his white beard was covered in crumbles, Bryan moved around the festival, with a tart in one hand and the other free to wave at everyone. Suddenly a person caught his eye that he was sure he hadn’t wished a Happy Holiday to. “Ho, ho, ho! I haven’t wished you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. How are you liking the fair?” He asked, wondering if they have figured who was behind the beard and red polyester.