down home

christopher marshall. 35. father. bartender @ hopped fox brewery.

[devotcdchris]

kennedyxkelley​:

Kennedy felt feverish yet fatigued from the string of bad decisions that transpired the night before. Beer before liquor, ever sicker. Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear. How could she forget such an important lesson from the quixotic Harlow duo. She picked at the sandwich that Billie packed her this morning on her lonely trot to the theater. Today was her off day but she needed to collect her check. Her feet dragged along as she avoided the rocks that scattered across the walk way. Her bike was out of commission forever and she would rather cut through the park for sun. Plus, who could pass up the possibility of getting a few stray licks from the pups that roared the field. Swept up in her thoughts, she hardly noticed her wallet falling out of back pocket of her jeans; not that mattered. She didn’t have much in their beside her ID and her heavy sinking NA chip. 

Kennedy swallowed hard on her sandwich at the carrying sound of his voice. “Mmh,” she pivoted on her heels to take in the bright eyed man who held out her wallet. “Well thank you,” she mumbled before swallowing. “It definitely wouldn’t have been anyone’s lucky day. I’ve got no money they can use in it.” Kennedy scoffed with a soft smile. “Thank you though so picking it up.” 

✧

Chris gave a small chuckle as she spoke, handing the wallet back to the young women. “At least you won’t have to bother getting your papers done again. It’s my pleasure.” A quick thought passed through him, as he felt that he vaguely recognized her from somewhere, but he turned to glance at May and make sure that the little girl was still jumping around. “Well...” he trailed off, eyes still on his daughter.

[devotcdchris]

catalinaperz​:

Catalina despised the times she had to wake up in the wee hours in the morning to crawl out of the male’s bed. It wasn’t only due to fatigue, but the inability to leave the comfort of his bed. There was something about sleeping next to him that she loved. He’d reach for her in the middle of the night and while she was never sure if it was her he was reaching for or the ghost of his wife, she liked to remain in denial. “That’s good,” she smirked, flashing him a knowing smile. When she placed the baked goods on the counter and opened it, her eyes drifted towards him and his eggs. “Smells delicious.” She hadn’t had anyone cook her breakfast in a long time before she met Chris. It was a little concerning how much she had gotten accustomed to it. Tearing a piece of cinnamon roll from the box, she popped one bite into her mouth before extended the other towards him. “I got them at the bakery we saw and wanted to try out. Tell me what you think.” Her hand hovered in front of him so he could take it with his fingers or lean forward and bite it. A small smile crept upon her face as her attention returned to the eggs he was cooking. “That’s good. I had an early morning but the caffeine is good.  — Scrambled, please.”

Chris couldn’t hold back the small smile that formed on his lips as Catalina’s hand extended the cinnamon roll in front of him. Her little gestures always made him feel cared for, something he missed since Beatrice’s passing and, while he enjoyed being a good father and caring for May, it was comforting to feel it from someone else. This, however, he was not ready to admit to himself. He bit into the pastry, and gave a satisfactory moan as he swallowed it down. “Hmm, nice. That glazing is unparalleled, May’s gonna love it.” He scrambled the eggs in the pan in front of him, and as soon as they were fluffy enough he served them on a plate and shoved it towards Catalina, turning his back to her as he went to open the fridge.  “Ah yeah, you do wake up early.” He knew why. “Maybe you should sleep in tomorrow, get some rest,” the sentence left his mouth without much thought, but he paused as he grabbed the bottle of orange juice in front of him. If this ended like last night, or the night before that, or even the one before that, was he inviting her to sleep in at home? They’d never really talked about it, and it was some sort of silent agreement. He’d never really told her to leave so early, and he felt bad that she felt like she had to, especially given the fact that she was always there for him. For him and May. She was definitely a good presence in the little girl’s life. He shrugged to himself and turned around, closing the fridge behind him. “May! Breakfast is ready, get in here!” He called out, before turning back to Catalina and asking, “Would you like some OJ with your eggs?”

[devotcdchris]

LOCATION: Ethel Lee Park FOR: Open // @madison-starters​

Pale green eyes scanned the playground, paying close attention to the lively six year old running from one playset to the other, ears filling with the sound of high-pitched yelps and childish laughter. Had he not been looking, the wallet that fell to the ground just a couple of feet from him would not have called his attention at all, but it did and its owner didn’t seem to notice. With a quick glance back to his daughter, Chris swiftly got on his feet, picked up the wallet and called for the other person, “Excuse me, you just dropped this on the ground. Doesn’t seem like somethin’ you’d want to lose,”

[devotcdchris]

➪ closed starter for @sabrinaelliott​

Tatiana’s café was the perfect spot to meet with his newfound friend, or whatever it is she was at this point. He remembered when they’d cross paths in the school corridors and she would stare daggers at him. He was older and his reputation preceded him, so his encounters with her back then were no surprise. That being said, despite her shy demeanor she was not unknown to him. He’d heard about the smarty pants that every teacher talked about while he was being held back in detention or in an office. He’d resented her, quietly, from his own little corner. There weren’t many people he didn’t resent back then, pent up anger and frustration were all that kept him going. Now, however, he’d come back to Madison a brand new man and a decade of change behind him. They’d bumped into each other and caught up a couple of times, brushing off any fundamental differences with banter and teasing remarks. “I’m glad you made it,” Chris let out, approaching the table Sabrina was sitting at, “Didn’t think you’d be so early, or I would have come a few minutes before you.”

[luvbey]

i just want to sit in front of the ocean for a little while

[devotcdchris]

katrinalunaaddams​:

Location: hopped fox brewery When: Whenever (day/night) @madison-starters​

How a small town such as this one was throwing her off, Katrina Addams didn’t know. Sure, she’d only been here a few weeks so far but the woman was used to learning a hundred things at once in less time. Regardless, she knew it was time to go out and continue exploring-alone.

But what a mistake that had been. Whether it was her fault from moving too quickly in a slow paced town, or the other’s fault for whatever reason, Katrina’s movement had caused the drink to fall on the others outfit/table/floor. Automatically, out of frustration and embarrassment, Kat covered her face and then quickly looked at the unfortunate soul; their outfit was ruined or at least not as dry as it once was. What a damn klutz Katrina. Like really, come on! Katrina could handle taxis and nonstop commotion all around her in big cities; so why the hell not a towns bar such as this one? “Shit! I am so so sooo damn sorry! Please, let me….um, I’ll pay for the damages or buy you another drink. This is Hopped Fox Brewery right? I mean I know the sign said so outside but…just making sure you know?” The last question wasn’t necessary but Kat needed to keep her lips moving and saying whatever came to mind first. The woman let out a shaky breath, shaking her head adding, “Again, I’m so sorry about that….” she gestured to where she had caused a large spill and knew tonight shouldn’t have been one for going out.

Chris’s shift had been a little slow, he rarely left his spot at the bar but did so a couple of times to wipe down messy tables, keeping himself busy. He wiped one last table before new customers could sit and he walked back towards the bar, empty glasses and wet rag in hand. His eyes were still scanning the room, making sure there wasn’t anything else he could do while he was at it, and he was too distracted to notice the woman’s sudden movement and avoid it. Just like that, his shirt was drenched, but he’d luckily still held onto the empty glasses. At first, frustration began to bubble up inside of him, but the woman’s sincere confusion and apology calmed him down. “Woah, woah, ma’am, please, no need to worry. I’ll dry off in a second. It’s good to keep a change of clothes nearby when you work around alcohol,” he tried to calm the tension with a small smile, and quickly set the empty glasses on the bar top next to them as he listened to her and remarked, “You’re not from around here, huh?” He knew Madison like the back of his hand, but having been gone for a decade, he definitely understood feeling out of place, and he could sense her discomfort. “How about after I get changed I get you another drink, on the house? Looks like you might just need it right now.”

[devotcdchris]

nicolaxdeluca​:

special delivery - @devotcdchris​

Nicola had been walking down the street when her eyes lifted up to see Chris only a few feet away. “Marshall!” She called out with a little laugh as she picked up her pace to close the distance between them, finding herself slightly walking after him down the street until she finally got close enough to gently take him by the arm. She laughed as she lifted her eyes up towards him. “Please tell me that your hearin’ wasn’t the first thing to go in your old age,” she teased, knowing full well that they were the same age.

Some days, when he was off work and May was at school, Chris found himself with little to do or to keep him occupied. This was one of those days, and he decided that a nice stroll around town would distract him for a bit. He knew that otherwise, he’d get into the routine of watching too much television, like his dad did. Chris had recently treated himself with a brand new pair of wireless earbuds, and casually toured the streets with music in his ears and nothing but the thought of how beautiful the day was on his mind. Distracted in that sense, he hadn’t heard Nicola call out for him, or even noticed her until she grabbed his arm. Pulling his earbuds out and stuffing them into his back pocket, his sheepish smile turned into a genuine grin as he greeted her, “Luca!” He exclaimed back, nostalgic at how this newfound familiarity reminded him of his youth. “I wasn’t payin’ much attention but I’ll say, if either one of us loses hearin’ first it’ll be you!” He gave a chuckle before adding, “How’s your day been? Any trouble goin’ on I can join in on?”

[devotcdchris]

catalinaperz·:

@devotcdchris·

Catalina opened the door after she’d rapped her knuckles against the wooden door to signal her arrival. A wink was sent to the child on the couch who ran up to give her a hug. “Hey, princess — where’s daddy?” she asked in the crown of the child’s head as she placed a kiss there. When she pointed to the kitchen, Cat continued her way there and smiled at Chris. “Good morning.” The truth was, she had seen him in the wee hours of the morning after she’d slid out of his bed and returned to her own room. Placing some baked goods on the counter, she moved behind it to grab a cup of coffee that had been recently brewed. “Did you sleep well?” she asked as dark hues fixated on him whilst the mug was risen to her lips. Without his daughter around to witness the exchange, she got a little more brave and stepped closer. 

Sunlight poured in through the curtains and Chris had been blissfully enjoying a moment’s rest in the comfort of his bed before the door flew open and May came rushing in with gleeful cries to wake him up. “Hey honey, why don’t you go watch some TV while I get breakfast ready?” Obedient as she was, and excited to watch her favorite cartoon, the little girl had scurried back out more discreetly than she’d come in. The father had slipped a white shirt on as he tiptoed out of his room, and he started cooking pancakes for breakfast. He had her on the back of his mind— the night they had spent together. He didn’t have time to think before he automatically heard her voice ask him that. “Yeah. Slept like a baby,” he automatically replied. He knew she’d woken up early, and another piece of him, long gone now, would have gotten breakfast for them in bed. Instead, she’d rushed her way back home hours before May had even woken up to have baked goods ready for them on the counter. “Cinnamon rolls?” He was surprised, but played it down, unwilling to show her just how much he truly thought about her, “I slept alright. How would you like your eggs?” He let a short smirk show, his spatula flipping half of the fried egg he was cooking over.

[devotcdchris]

Full Name: Christopher Henry Marshall

Gender: Cis Male

Date of Birth: March 12th, 1985

Age: Thirty-five

Place of Birth: Madison, Georgia

Current Residence: Madison, Georgia

Occupation: Bartender @ Hopped Fox Brewery

Relationship Status: Widowed

Sexual | Romantic Orientation: Heteromantic I Heterosexual

@madison-intros​

(tw: mention of death)

As a teen and into young adulthood, Christopher was a wild card, and often got into trouble for his different antics. He was known for getting into fights and partying maybe a little too much. However, after moving to Texas and meeting Beatrice he calmed down. Starting a family and settling down, he showed a responsible side that few would have believed he ever had.

Christopher was married for 10 years to his wife, Beatrice, before she died in a car wreck on her way home from work. Following this, him and his daughter, May, packed up and moved from Texas back to his hometown in Madison, Georgia.

Christopher has a lot of emotional baggage and is still affected by his wife’s passing. The day of the accident he was supposed to pick her up but was unable to because of work. He still feels guilty in a way for what happened and feels like somehow, if he’d been there for her things would have been different.

He used to work corporate and was a workaholic, but moving back to Madison he chose to find a job that he enjoyed and wouldn’t consume him as much as his past one did, so that he could be there for his daughter and make up for the time he was too busy at work to really enjoy seeing her grow up.

While he used to be very social, he’s become slightly more reserved since Beatrice’s passing. That being said, he’s a very loyal friend and likely reignited old friendships in Madison, even keeping some close friendships from Texas (@catalinaperz​)

WANTED CONNECTIONS:

Siblings: Christopher has an older sister and a younger brother, they’re very present for him and May around Madison and have helped them out a lot.

Childhood best friend: Someone who’s known Chris since they can remember. They’ve reconnected and are inseparable friends, they maybe share a hobby or two (like fishing or something)

Old friends: Anyone close in age to him who would have known him in High School

High school adversaries: Since Chris may have butted heads with more than a few people during his wild years, there’s likely some people who remember him for that. Maybe they still resent him, or maybe after years apart and time to grow they’ve reconnected and started to get along together!

I might add more ideas here but I am always open to plotting and forming new connections for him, so hit me up anytime! <3

Thank you for reading!