blue skies & sunshine

▬ DANIEL FOWLER hazel, the bakery owner ♡ ♡ ♡ hope's papa

[danxfowler]

smatua‌:

“I don’t know if Hope’s endorsement would be a good or bad thing. Maybe she really just wants to pawn you off on people because she’s tired of hearing your ‘dad talks’,” Solomon teased, taking another bite of Daniel’s pity croissant. God, that man was a genius in the kitchen. Mouth full, Solomon replied, “I dunno yet. Probably going to a few parties. Putting very little effort into my costumes and getting wasted. The usual. What about you? Can Hope still go trick-or-treating?”

“hey!” daniel points to him, trying to sound indignant, though he laughs through it, ruining the whole effect. “that may be true but they’re effective! and i read a ton of books on education to master them!” he tells solomon, the last not being an actual joke even though it sounds like one. while recovering, daniel had limited access to entertainment and he actually read books on how to raise a kid. “sounds like you’re gonna come back and order more of these after that,” daniel says, referring to the getting wasted part. “yeah! i’m making buying some, making some. make sure to have some candy, i know where you live.”

[danxfowler]

hcrdloves‌:

eddy looked over at daniel when he admits that he hasn’t had a day off in ages, his mind already a mess of worry for his friend, but also filled with ideas for what they could do if he did manage to score himself some free time. sure, they were working fathers with important things to do, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have a little fun for themselves sometimes. eddy wasn’t sure he would’ve been able to survive the past year had it not been for what he deemed self-care — though that mainly consisted of late-night hookups and greasy diner food. “we need to change that, man. get you some time off, let loose a little,” he said, “you deserve it more than most.”

daniel doesn’t always admit that he sacrificed fun for his duties, always the first to rush in and say that there’s nothing like it happening. it’s even rarer for him to admit the reason behind it. he was a problematic kid, too worried about having fun and finding his story, whatever that means. it brought nothing but trouble to him and everyone around it so if he’s honest, daniel feels a little guilty on the prospect of having fun as if he’s undeserving of it. he still has long ways to go when it comes to making peace with his past and the person that he used to be. it’s not unlikely of him to bury himself in work or other responsibilities to run away from anything that resembles self care.  and he knows- knows that it’s not a healthy way to go about his life, but he feels he took too much already and it’s time to give. for the past almost-eleven years. it feels weird to have eddy tell him that he deserves then and he deflects it, with a half-hearted laugh and a scratch to the back of his neck. “yeah, i guess-” he says. “though, really, i’m in. i haven’t been out in a very long time except for a few dates so i’m rusty,”

[danxfowler]

smatua‌:

“Don’t lie to me, Dan the Man, I’m not some kid,” Solomon replied hotly, though his expression softened as Daniel continued. He couldn’t articulate it, even himself, but some small bout of relief did unfurl in his chest knowing that Daniel did care. It warded off some of the tension that seized every part of him since the flood. He couldn’t show it though. Solomon chuckled, and a small groan escaped him. “All right, thanks for the Dad pep talk. Can we talk about something else now?”

“yes, any time, kid,” daniel says with a smile. “i’m actually very good at those. it’s like ted talks but dad talks. talk to hope, she’d love to share audience with someone else,” he jokes. though, really, he thinks hope might agree with company. daniel never saw himself becoming the kind of dad he is today - desperate to please and do the right thing and very insecure. though, he never saw himself becoming a dad at all. he sees a bit of the same attitude here, trying to do the right thing but having his insecurities nag at him. that’s why, when solomon suggests the change of subject, he jumps right in. “yes, okay. halloween. what are you doing?” 

[fawnlockwood]

( @danxfowler​ ) One leg tucked under the other’s thigh, Fawn held her chin in one of her hands, elbow resting on the table; her mom would have lectured her about her impolite posture if she’d been present. She doubted it would bother anyone around her much, but her mom’s voice was still in the back of her head. It always was after a meeting, though, so she’d gotten good at ignoring it. Resisting the urge to bite at her thumb nail, Fawn said to her companion, “I know we aren’t supposed to talk about shares outside of the meetings, but that last one…” She whistled. “I’m still thinking about it. I didn’t know people actually boofed. What real person has ever boofed?”

[danxfowler]

meetings usually take a toll on him. he wonders - wishes - that one day it becomes less emotionally challenging. it’s easier, however, when he can share the company of others that understand the feeling. not only to talk about the recovery per se, but also. well, about boofing, he guesses. daniel huffs a laugh at fawn, nodding in agreement. “i know, i know,” daniel says. the story struck him odd too. “i always thought that was a legend, yknow? created by the media to make some fuss about it,” he tells her, shaking his head in disbelief. he thinks about it, though, concedes. “but to be fair, according to his story, seems to be effective. and he’s brave. imagine having to admit to a group of people you’re addicted to boofing.”

[dianaxalvarez]

“Do you think it looks okay?” Diana bit her lip, turning to Dan for reassurance. She had adorned the play room in the children’s wing of the hospital for their planned Halloween party with decorations she had picked up from the dollar store, and her options had been fairly limited. Shiny, paper bats hung from the ceiling, and orange and black paper chains were draped all over the place. Paper cups and plates with dancing skeletons and grinning pumpkins printed on them were neatly stacked, ready for the kids to join them for the celebrations. “I checked the hospital’s decoration box, but it was mostly dented baubles and molting tinsel. Do you think you can spruce things up a bit while I gather up the kids?”

@danxfowler

[danxfowler]

“yeah, looks awesome,” daniel replies. he takes a step back to look around the play room. though the children haven’t yet arrived, he already feels a sense of accomplishment. it’s a simple, definitely not the most extravagant decorations - he brought some extra ones himself - but he hopes that the children will have fun anyway. he has fond memories of this time as a kid, his parents and his sister making sure that halloween never went unnoticed. it’s something he failed to cherish while he was a teen, however now, in his thirties, he can’t appreciate it more. so he’s happy to share some of the spook and the magic with these children who can’t celebrate the holiday otherwise. excited, even. one might say he’s doing it more for herself than for the kids, seeing as he’s smiling brightly and dressed in an obnoxious dragon onesie. he nods at diana and lifts the bag he brought with him. “yep! though, really, you did a great job. they’re gonna love it,”

[danxfowler]

hcrdloves‌:

“honestly, i’m pretty sure sofia has a whole garbage disposal unit as a stomach. kid eats anything,” eddy chuckled softly. anything besides her fucking vegetables, he didn’t add, but that was a given. what kid liked their vegetables? eddy wasn’t convinced that even he liked them most of the time. he looked over at the two girls coloring fondly then, glad they seemed to get along just fine despite the age difference. “oh, they’re gonna run wild tonight, they always do,” he grinned then, “they know how to keep us old guys on our toes, at least.”

daniel chuckles, nodding amusingly at eddy. it’s nice to know that one part of parenting is going smoothly for him. “well, ain’t you the lucky one,” he jokes, leaning over the kitchen counter. he groans just so at the change of subject and dramatically stretches his arms over his head. “oh, they sure do,” he says and scratches the scruff on his jaw, looking thoughtfully towards the two of them. daniel never regrets spending all the time he has with hope. however, he has to admit that having a kid transformed him in some sort of hermit. he would cater to hope’s every need and then be off working and then therapy, and then- “man, i haven’t had a day off in ages,” he thinks out loud. 

[danxfowler]

smatua‌:

“You don’t have to give me pity croissants,” Solomon said as Daniel went for the pastry, but he didn’t protest either. He paired his thin smile with a shake of his head, watching him over the counter. “It’s all right. Thanks. For worrying, I guess. But I’m fine. I just kind of want to forget about it, there’s not really anything to do at this point, not that I can see.” It only contributed to his hopelessness. Nothing to do, no way to make the others repent, nor to stop his chest from caving in every time he thought back.

“hey, they’re not pity croissants,” daniel retorts. it is not pity, not quite. rather, he feels sorry that he might’ve pushed solomon too far. “they’re apology croissants. i didn’t mean to... pressure you into talking. so, yeah, i’m bribing you, if you think about it,” he says, trying to soften the mood between them yet again. solomon is a good person. daniel wouldn’t have hired him and put up with his antics if he didn’t think so. he nods at him, takes a deep breath. “okay. just remember. you are a good kid and though there are those people, there are people like me who see the best in you,” he shrugs. “just so you know.”

[mackievanstan]

Michael B. Jordan Plays With Puppies While Answering Fan Questions

[mechanicvl]

harley balanced the pirate hat atop his head as he sifted through the racks for more discarded costume pieces. thrifting was already one of his favorite pastimes, but with the combination of halloween, he never wanted to leave the store. in addition to the pirate hat he was wearing, he had a pile of other finds slung over his arm – a petticoat, a neon yellow cape, a seashell bra,  a hockey mask that he hadn’t found in the costume section but definitely looked creepy enough to belong there, and other things that had caught his attention. it was a precarious pile that, when he suddenly turned and bumped into someone (read: stepped on their foot), predictably slipped free of his arm. “shit!” there was a tinny clank that may or may not have been the shells hitting the floor. “you good? oh, fuck, did it break?”

[danxfowler]

daniel isn’t a big fan of shopping though he must admit halloween makes it all more exciting. he has this plan with diana to throw a halloween party for the children there and he can’t go without a good costume. besides his costumes, he is looking for fun decorations and maybe some pieces of costumes that are easy to bring for the children. it seems such a shame for them to miss on the holiday and daniel really wants to see it that the event is exciting for them. they might not be able to go out for trick or treating, but he can bring the trick or treating to them. he has a shopping basket with a few items and is positively distracted until something - or someone, to be more specific, snaps him back to the real world. “ouch!” he exclaims, stepping back and then looking back to harley. “good i’m fine,” daniel says, before crouching to get the... seashell bra? he raises an eyebrow. “uh, doesn’t look like it, i think you’re good”

[danxfowler]

tl-writes‌:

     tate scrunched up his nose and slightly frowned at his suggestion, nodding though because he knew he was right. he’d been trying to do that, but he just found himself stumped. “what would you do?” 

the question takes him by surprise. see? again, not equipped for this. daniel sighs, really pauses to think about it. “well, if this person is now my friend,” he starts, “i guess i would go. it would feel awkward, sure, but not unbearable if i see them only as a friend. i wouldn’t want to potentially upset a friend on their wedding day.”

[danxfowler]

siderii‌:

— Ira gave Daniel a look, the not my fault Hope’s the boss, and shrugged. “It was actually soothing,” he admitted, “I almost dozed off.” Hope was continually asking if he’s okay or if he’s falling asleep, she was attentive. “I look…?” He pressed on, grinning. They can’t roast one another at the moment, with Hope listening closely. And yeah, Hope was giving Daniel the eyes. “We’ll go with beautiful,” Ira said, chuckling, “graceful was a tad too much.” Making a gesture towards Hope’s room, Ira bowed slightly.

“Oh you most certainly have a flower crown, my friend.” He added with a grin. Hope made sure that her dad gets the prettiest and flower-iest crown. Man, is Dan in for a treat. “Hope?” He said to Dan’s little girl, smiling. “Will you do us the honor of presenting the flower crown to your dad?” And then to Dan, Ira adds, “You should probably close your eyes and sit down—floor’s fine.”

daniel puts hope down in order to let her run towards her bedroom to get the flower crown. uh-oh. he looks at ira as he talks and he knows, he just knows that the most obnoxious of their creations is going on his head. it’s not his first rodeo - or should he say, it’s not his first tea party. he knows that hope tolerates nothing but perfection. she made him suit up in one occasion for god’s sake. he shakes his head ira when hope can’t see, a false moping expression on his face as they walk down the hallway before laughing again. 

“i can’t wait!” he says, getting into his character. it takes a bit of time for him to sit, hope not being able to decide soon enough where she wants him. when he finally does though, he closes his eyes. he hears his child’s giggles and her whispering things to ira (oh god) and a louder, “no peeking, papa!” before he feels the flower crown on his head. it’s just slightly uncomfortable, which is better than he expected. “can i look now? do i look gorg or what?”

[danxfowler]

maiaorion‌:

“Valentine’s day isn’t that bad, I actually don’t mind it and I still stand by what I said so yes but I need the money.” Maia said finishing up on the counter.

“that’s because you haven’t got the ones that scream at you ‘cuz you got the wrong shade of pink on the frosting,” daniel shivers, recalling a particularly bad encounter when his father was still leading the business. “i got you kid. we got plenty of work so no need to worry about that.” he gets the bowls of the mixers then, hands them to maia. “speaking of, can you wash those for me? i’ll clean the actual machines,”

[danxfowler]

smatua‌:

“I’m fine,” Solomon repeated again, his voice and face growing hot when Daniel rebutted him. His expression narrowed, growing hostile, as a reaction, but he quickly caught himself and straightened his face. He kept his features as neutral and relaxed as possible, but tension still set in his jaw as he responded. “What is there to talk about? Obviously, it sucked. I’m not going to say it didn’t suck. But it happened. It’s over. There’s nothing left to say.”

daniel can see in solomon’s change of expression and his dry response that he pushed the kid a bit too far. he thinks he’s trying to do something good for him and his eagerness to help makes him blind to the fact that solomon doesn’t have to talk to him about it. so he sighs, puts his hands up just so. “okay, okay. it sucked and it was unfair and i’m bringing you another croissant,” he says, trying to diffuse the situation. daniel doesn’t mean to add mad at his former boss to the pile of things the boy has to deal with. “it’s on the house. sorry for pushing, kid. i just worry, it’s what i’m programmed to do.”

[danxfowler]

hcrdloves‌:

“i cannot guarantee they’ll be good, but i’ll give it a shot,” eddy chuckled, making his way back over to the stove to make sure he hadn’t burnt anything yet. cooking had never exactly been his thing, but with a whole child to keep alive now, he knew he couldn’t exactly survive on beer and take-out burgers alone. he looked up and smiled at dan when he asked how he was, glad for the man’s care. it was hard to meet people who actually cared these days, he thought, but dan had always been genuine with him. “i’m doing okay now that sofia’s better,” he said, sneaking at glance at the two girls chatting and coloring at the dining table, “i mean, i’ve been stressed as hell about this, but mostly just about trying not to kill us all with my cooking.”

“c’mon,” daniel says at eddy’s self deprecating comments. “i bet you’re a better cook than you give yourself credit for. if you can feed a child, you can’t be that bad,” he states, knowing just how much children can be picky about their food. he himself had a bad experience with hope at age six because suddenly everything on her plate looked back. thanks to grandma annelise they were capable of working something out and hope eats fairly well now. so, to be fair, any food that children won’t toss to the other side of the room is good good. “i’m glad you’re feeling good, though, man. and sofia! so glad to see her back. i hope the two of them don’t cause too much damage tonight,” he jokes, though he is sure to keep an eye on the two girls because despite humor, it’s not such a remote possibility. 

[sparkleshineeva-archive-deactiv]

Quesadilla || Belated Birthday Party||

[danxfowler]

sparkleshineeva‌:

“We’re twinning!” Eva squealed. “I’m glad you’re here, everyone is gathering over there.” She showed him to the small gathering of people in her backyard. “Thanks for making my cake! It looks amazing and I can’t wait to eat it.” She wasn’t sure exactly who made her cake but it came from the bakery so it was a general thank you to everyone who helped out.

hope giggles at that, absolutely delighted to be twinning with the birthday girl. she twirls to show off her green dress, eager to ask eva what she thinks of it. daniel thinks it’s lovely, for his part, and he’s got a smile on his face the whole time. “i’m glad you invited us! thank you, by the way,” he tells her with a smile. “and yeah, no problem! i got some people to help me, we all wanted to make something extra special for one of our favorite customers,”

[danxfowler]

roxcruz‌:

Bleary-eyed and in a state of disarray, it’s obvious to everyone who spots them where Ro has been that night and what they’ve been up to. They didn’t mean to go so hard, so often. It all just happened. They was a slave to their whims, and right now, their whims were telling them that a large coffee and a muffin were exactly what they needed right now. “Laaaaate night,” they responded, a lazy grin crossing their face. “S’okay, though. I don’t have to be at work until 4. I got time.” 

sometimes, daniel supposes that he is a bit paranoid. at least when it comes to anything involving alcohol consumption. he knows most people can drink unholy amounts without going down the same path he did, however, he can’t see it and not cringe at it. he noticed that ro coming to the bakery smelling like whatever they had at night was becoming more like a tradition. it worries him, being somewhat familiar with ro’s story, but he decides that it’s not his place to pry. not yet. “sounds like you need a cup of coffee,” he tells them, already grabbing a cup. “think you gonna be able to rest till then?”

[danxfowler]

tl-writes‌:

     “it’s not out of spite, no-” tate said, shaking his head a lot. “he wouldn’t do that. we’re still friends, y’know? like, we still talk a good amount on the phone and i know how much he loves this person… he probably really wants me to be there just so we can all celebrate.” but that didn’t mean it still didn’t hurt, just a little. “it just feels weird.” 

with every word tate says daniel feels less and less like he should be giving advice on the matter. he can’t think of a similar situation to empathize better with the boy. he can, of course, but that’s in the field of imagination and not true experience. “well,” he starts, “then i think you gotta ask yourself what’s gonna bother you more. not going and missing the celebration or going and feeling weird.”