dust to dust

christopher briggs - listen, i'm not entirely comfortable being human

[gloomqueen-iris]

Iris began clapping excitedly, looking down at the three year old to notice that she was doing the same. Ava walked a little ahead of them, only a few feet obviously, considering how over-protective she was, and Iris placed a hand on Chris’ back as she leaned her head to rest on his shoulder. “Mhmm.” The brunette hummed, her head tilted up and eyes focused now on the blonde, this position being their trademark one. She knew she’d lost it now; whenever she did this she had a hard time pulling her eyes away, something she realised early in their strange, initial relationship. The more she thought about the house free of children (no offense, Ava), the more her mood after the long shop was improving. Then, when she remembered the sticky-date pudding she’d got from the store, she swore her smile couldn’t have gotten any bigger. “You know, Christopher Briggs,” Her voice hushed to a whisper that only he would hear, “I kinda love you.”

[christopherbriggs-blog]

The promise of desserts had always been the way to Iris' heart. "Glad to hear you're not just in this for my money and my penis, Iris Winters-Briggs." Dragging his gaze away from his daughter - he'd never admit it, but he was just as protective as Iris, he simply showed it in different ways - Chris' eyes found his wife's. These were his favourite moments, minus Ava's tantrum, of course. It was easy. They were happy. Iris was happy. She was exhausted, but she smiled more than she smirked. And so did he. "Love you. Kinda." Christopher pressed his lips to hers, twice, and then after a moment's pause, a third time - he'd never been able to kiss her just the once. He would have continued, had he not seen Ava picking up her pace and changing direction from the corner of his eye.  "And we've got a runner." he stated with a laugh, "I'll go grab her." 

[gloomqueen-iris]

"Nope." Iris gave a false smile in his direction, but she looked tired. "Ava, is that true?" Brown hues locked on blue ones once again after Chris had finished the story. All she got was a sniffle in reply, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She knew it was, then. "You know that every shopping trip you only choose one treat, not two. And you know we don’t like to see you cry. Okay?” Ava’s expression didn’t change in response to her stern tone, in fact, just as Iris took her hand and went to stand up again she started to let out a sob. Before she had the chance, Iris desperately cut in as a last-resort, “But hey, we can get an ice-cream from McDonalds on the way home if you want. If Daddy says so.” Now her eyes met her husband’s, silently pleading along with Ava’s doe eyes which were doing the exact same.

[christopherbriggs-blog]

Chris had known Iris long enough to be able to tell the difference between her true smiles and the ones she glued on for the benefit of others. And the truth was, when she used the latter, he'd do anything to make the smile turn genuine. Including agreeing to whatever she wanted to do. "Just because you're pregnant and you'll make me sleep on the couch if I say no to buying you food."  He ran a hand through his daughter's curls before sliding an arm around his wife. Ten years later and he still looked at her as if she'd put the stars in the sky. Perhaps even more so than he did back in his early twenties. Who would have thought? "You want me to get Pipes to watch Ava later so you can rest and/or eat your weight in desserts?" 

[gloomqueen-iris]

Placing the cup of what used to contain hot chocolate into the bin, Iris frowned when she saw the scene in front of the toy store— becoming a mere one against the bigger audience her husband and child had attracted. “Chris?” Iris questioned, glancing at him momentarily before focusing on the little girl, kneeling so she was eye-level with her daughter and wiping her tears away. “Shh, baby, what did Daddy do?”

[christopherbriggs-blog]

Dropping his daughter's hand so she could run to her mother, Chris sighed once again. He crossed his arms against his chest only to unfold them moments later in order for him to hold Iris' shopping bags. "Hey, don't blame me. Her terrible twos are lasting another year." Probably because Iris babied her too much, though he didn't add that to avoid an argument in a busy mall. "I just bought her candy, now she wants me to buy her toys. I said no, and I'm very tempted to fling her over my shoulder kicking and screaming and walking out of here. But you're not going to let me do that, are you?" 

[christopherbriggs-blog]

Chris let out a long, overdramatic sigh as his daughter attempted to pull away from his grasp, her foot stamping on the floor with frustration upon hearing the word 'no'. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried, unsuccessfully, to pull him towards the toy store. "Why can't you be cool, calm and collected like your daddy, huh? Would that be so hard? Do you want to try being cool? It should be easy, Ava, it's in your genes." 

[christopherbriggs-blog]

CHRISTOPHER BRIGGS - 33 - FC: (YOUNGER) BRAD PITT

Married to Iris Winters-Briggs.

Father of three year old Ava Winters-Briggs.

Father-To-Be of Fetus!Winters-Briggs (sex unknown) 

Lives in Queens, New York City.

After graduating, Chris became a registered psychiatrist at the Manhattan Briggs & Son practice, but - never being one for tolerating the emotions of others - Chris soon learned to despise his job, though he stuck to it up until his father's death, simply to please him. 

Chris was devastated after his father's death, and quickly slipped back into a pattern of drinking his feelings away. That is, until Iris announced that she was pregnant with their first child. He quit drinking excessively, he quit smoking, and he stepped away from his psychiatrist position and became the manager instead. 

Mainly kept in touch with Andrew (of course) Holly, Piper and Juliet. 

WILL ADD MORE TO THIS SOON OK

[christopherbriggs-blog]

(piper) [Text]: hey babe. how's the hangover?

[Text] Fuck off. 

[piperfritz]

[Text]: That bad?

[Text]: Good thing I have Advil. If only I had someone to share it with…..

[christopherbriggs-blog]

[Text]: I feel like my head isn't attached to my beautiful body. And I woke up in a bathtub.  [Text]: What I'm about to say might shock you: this isn't my first hangover. I'm loaded up on Advil. Thanks, though.

[christopherbriggs-blog]

(piper) [Text]: hey babe. how's the hangover?

[Text] Fuck off. 

[gloomqueen-iris]

[ closed. ] // christopher&iris

[gloomqueen-iris]

Chris’ answer had her lips lifted into a small, almost nonexistence smile, but a smile nonetheless. She hadn’t done that since her birthday and whether it was because no-one had tried to make her smile since then or it was something to do with Chris was undiscovered. 

Iris didn’t have to think for more than a second. “Oh, man. Trevor Morris. He was just as sleazy as his name, yet strangely my total fifth grade crush. Not so much after the kiss. Okay. Best high school experience? If any.”

[christopherbriggs-blog]

Christopher grimaced slightly upon the mention of the boy's name. "I can't believe Tiny Winters didn't have enough sense to stay away from someone called Trevor Morris. At least your taste in men is impeccable now. I mean, look at me." Somehow having the urge to actually tell Iris about his youth rather than laughing off the question, Christopher began his tale, but not before informing her that she should be honoured that he's telling it to her in the first place. "I wasn't always the handsome devil I am today. It's hard to believe, I know. In my freshman year I had long, flat hair down to my neck- not a good look on me. And I had a tendency to buy sweater vests, because my Dad wore them when he went golfing and I always wanted to be like him. Bad decision - to this day, I still have no idea how he managed to get someone like my mom." She always said that internal beauty is the only kind that counts, he almost added - but he never talked about his mother, so he changed the path of his anecdote in order for it to stray away from her. "Long story short, I went through a growth spurt on summer vacation, I decided to cut my hair, whiten my teeth and stop dressing like my father. I went back to school, I was invited by a cheerleader to the party where I then lost my virginity and I soon learned how to smirk my way through life with a little help from my good friend, alcohol. Plus, I actually liked high school - but maybe that was because I paid a prep to do all my work for me." He looked at Iris, and as if reading her mind, he added: "No, you can't see pictures. So stop imagining me with long hair and answer your question: the time or place you were most happiest?"

[julietfoley]

Juliet: So I’m your girl now? 

Juliet: Never call me insane. Are you kidding? Please. You look at her like she’s the only person that matters.

Juliet: Except for that Piper chick’s boobs.

[christopherbriggs-blog]

Christopher: Don't dwell on it. Christopher: You're delusional. 

[gloomqueen-iris]

[ closed. ] // christopher&iris

[gloomqueen-iris]

Resting an elbow on the sofa and holding her ear in her hand, she moved her head to the left to look across at Chris. She considered the question— or rather, pre-question, as he put it, before she answered. “No rules. A simple ‘pass’ can suffice, if you can deal with maybe being bullied for chickening out.”

"Question number one," Iris started, moving now so that her legs were crossed Indian-styled and she was facing him fully, despite feeling self conscious given her current state. "We’ll start with the deep stuff, just to get it out of the way… What’s your favourite colour?"

[christopherbriggs-blog]

"Shit...way to stab me where it hurts." With a hand to his heart, Chris made himself comfortable; legs on the coffee table, back sinking into the sofa cushions, his right arm positioned at an angle behind his head. "I'm getting emotional just thinking about it. Black, probably - to match my soul. Maybe dark grey, to signify that there's a small part of me that isn't rotten to the core." He turned slightly to face Iris, his eyes going straight to hers rather than studying her bruises. "Something easy...first kiss?"

[gloomqueen-iris]

[ closed. ] // christopher&iris

It was during the middle of whatever program was on that Iris, who had visited Andrew’s apartment “to see Andrew”, but really to see Chris, realised something. She knew every inch of Chris’ body, but not that much aside from that. Interrupting the show neither Chris or Iris were paying attention to, Iris raised, “Let’s play twenty questions.”

[christopherbriggs-blog]

If it was any other time - in other words, if Iris had not been attacked - Chris would have smirked, and replied with something along the lines of 'for every question answered, we have to take off an item of clothing.' Instead, he simply muted the television and raised his brow. "What happens if we don't want to answer one of the questions? And before you suggest it, that's not my first question, Winters. That's the pre-question question. It doesn't count." 

[julietfoley]

Juliet: Please. You’re totally in love with Iris.

Juliet: Btw, if you crush her like Valerie did, I /will/ rage war on your blonde head.

Juliet: Actually, yes. I’ll have you know I dumped beer on my ex at the bonfire and told her to fuck off. In so many words.

[christopherbriggs-blog]

Christopher: We're friends. You're insane.  Christopher: I don't think it's possible to crush someone when there's a mutual lack of feelings.  Christopher: That's my girl. 

[piperfritz]

Piper listed them all, everything from Accounting to Psychology and Music and everything her college had to offer that she remembered off the top of her head. Her voice was completely monotone. “I mean, all that’s fine for people who are into it. I’m just- y’know, not.”

[christopherbriggs-blog]

"Do you want to go to college? You don't have to - people say you do if you want to get anywhere in life, but it's bullshit."

[undeadwrites-deactivated2015122]

x ;

❝You’re in love with him, and he’s in love with you, and it’s like a goddamn tragedy, because you look at him and see the stars, and he looks at you and sees the sun. And you both think the other is just looking at the ground.❞

i r i s   w i n t e r s   a n d   c h r i s t o p h e r   b r i g g s.

[piperfritz]

"Flirt with girls?" She answered, only half-joking. "I burnt toast the other day, gorgeous. My skills are limited." She paused. "There’s always prostitution, you know."

[christopherbriggs-blog]

"You can always fall back on that. What are your options? Major-wise." 

[julietfoley]

Juliet: To Iris, maybe.

Juliet: Ugh, not my fault you met me at a low point.

[christopherbriggs-blog]

Christopher: What?  Christopher: Are you over your low point now?

[julietfoley]

Juliet: Correction, I don’t love you. Adam will probably have alcohol but you can if you want. I don’t plan on crying.

[christopherbriggs-blog]

Christopher: Don't be so harsh. I'm very loveable. I'm bringing tissues anyway, I don't think you ever plan on crying. It's just your natural state.