𝑾𝑯𝑰𝑻𝑬 𝑹𝑶𝑺𝑬𝑺

ELIJAH FALVEY ❝   Grief is perhaps the last and final translation of love. This is the last act of loving someone. And you realize that it will never end. You get to do this to translate this last act of love for the rest of your life.

[elijahfalvey]

QUICK LINKS ❪ BIOGRAPHY CONNECTIONS PINTEREST ❫

FULL NAME: Elijah Ray Falvey.

NICKNAME(S): Eli, EJ by family & close friends.

AGE & DOB: 42. November 8th, 1982.

GENDER & PRONOUNS: Cisgender man. He/him.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Bisexual.

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: In a relationship with Nilay Bailey.

OCCUPATION: Producer. Owner of MOREMUSIC studio.

HOMETOWN: Cardiff, Wales.

PREVIOUSLY LIVED: Los Angeles, California - 2006 to 2020.

TIME IN BLUE HARBOR: 2000 to 2006, 2020 to present.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Deer Park.

FACECLAIM: Tom Ellis.

TLDR ❪ TRIGGERS: CAR ACCIDENT DEATH DEPRESSION GRIEF ❫ Elijah was born to two musically inclined parents in Wales, who inadvertently passed on their passion of song to their firstborn son. Gifting him with three other siblings in the span of seventeen years, their family moved to Blue Harbor during the summer before his first semester of college. There he met Harrison Morrey and joined his latest passion project, an indie rock band named Amethyst. From there, the rest was history: they landed themselves a record deal, moved to live the lavish rockstar life in Los Angeles, and continued to make music and gain popularity the next near two decades. All the while, Elijah was struggling with his inner feelings for Harrison; he'd realized he fell in love with him but couldn't tell him in fear of complicating things more than they already were. In June of 2019, the band were en route to their last stop of their tour in LA when they all suffered through a gnarly car accident. The only one who didn't survive was Harrison, and the band's name died with him. Elijah fled his fellow members, haunting memories, and his feelings as he moved back to Blue Harbor in an effort to heal. He soon met Nilay Bailey, formed a relationship with her, moved into her stunning house in Deer Park, and had a beautiful daughter named Rhiannon — named after the Welsh goddess and one of his favorite Fleetwood Mac songs. To this day he's still trying to navigate grief and all the surprises life happens to throw at him.

[elijahfalvey]

WHERE — MOREMUSIC Studio.

WHEN — Sometime in the morning. Pick a date, since this is late!

WITH — Dahlia Young ( @dahliayoung ).

Meticulous isn’t exactly a word that can be used to describe Elijah, at least not in terms of his everyday life. In fact, he considers himself to be the complete opposite — loses track of his most important belongings on an embarrassingly frequent basis, needs help from Hattie more than he’s willing to admit in order to ensure all the correct ingredients get measured out for breakfast, can hardly reply to a message in the family group-chat with coherency, so on and so forth. The list’s endless, really. It makes it almost funny, the way his attitude completely shifts as soon as he enters the studio; when he’s here, meticulous might as well be his goddamn middle name. No room for oversight, double-bookings, untuned instruments. That sort of thing. It’s worse when he has new talent, and for what reason? He doesn’t know. Maybe because he wants to impress them. Maybe because the element of the unknown keeps him on his toes — how he’s not quite sure how the day’s gonna go, working with someone he never has before. He wants to control what he can control, if he has to guess. He’s been toying with the wires in the live room for the past ten minutes or so when there’s a quiet knock on the door and his eyes shoot to the time on the wall. Ten o’clock, nearly on the dot — when the day’s client’s supposed to show. He hurriedly completes his frantic organizing and barrels to the front, passing a ‘thank you’ to his employee along the way for letting him know. A smile’s plastered on his face within seconds, and he hopes it doesn’t look as disheveled as he’s come to feel, “Ah, hello! Welcome to the studio — Ms. Young?” He crosses the distance and holds out his hand invitingly for a shake. “Elijah. It’s lovely to finally meet you. I, uh — I’m afraid emails aren’t exactly my strong suit,” he laughs. “In person’s much better. Are you alright? Do you happen to need anything before I take you in?”

[elijahfalvey]

WHERE — Eddison Recreational Park.

WHEN — Late afternoon. Pick a date, any date!

WITH — Winnie Caldwell ( @elowengrace ).

A warm collection of autumn leaves crunch underneath Elijah’s feet as he begins to cut across the well-kempt grass of Deer Park Park, en route to the familiar playground within it where he’s been told Winnie and the girls are — hopefully — burning off some energy. By the sounds of it, that expectation isn’t exactly wrong; decibel-breaking screeches fill the air that make him laugh, if anything, because he knows that they belong to Rhiannon before he can even see her. There’s a long pause, about fifteen seconds or so, and the screeching begins again. Probably on the slide, he thinks to himself. The toddler’s favorite park activity when shoving rocks in her pockets isn’t an available option. A few more hurried steps tell him that he’s right: Rhiannon’s perched at the top of the plastic slide, babbling nonsense before she throws herself down with another screech. She tumbles to the ground, a mess of tangled curls and uncoordinated limbs and sprints to the steps to repeat herself. He debates between intercepting her or saying hello to Winnie first, but it seems that Hattie’s carved a third choice out for him as she barrels excitedly into his legs. “Ooof — jeez, Hats. Nearly ran me over, you’re so fast.” He didn’t budge much, in truth, but the statement makes her laugh regardless, which is all he can really ask for. She grabs onto his hand and begins an elaborate ramble about everything she’s been up to while he’s been gone and he tries to listen as intently as he can while also guiding her a bit closer to the others by the playground. As Rhiannon catches sight of him, she screams for him to watch her go down the slide instead and he turns his head to Winnie nearby. “I don’t suppose I want to know how long you’ve been standing here watching her slide, do I?” he chuckles, his tone laden with appreciation, “Thank you, by the way. I’m sorry I was so late, the traffic’s abysmal —” Rhiannon slides, screaming for what is undoubtedly the umpteenth time, “— Were they alright? No tears and bloodshed this time, I hope?”

[kwistowee]

Tom Ellis as Will Rush ➥ Rush 1.01

[hvneymelons]

DEE: That's adorable. She has got some guts! I could never. DEE: You should have taken her! And the house of mirrors I hear is also popular with the little ones. DEE: Absolutely. I'll take a look online and see when they have any guided tours and activities! DEE: I am definitely a ketchup and mayonnaise girly unless it's a chili dog, and which case it needs neither! DEE: [...] DEE: Is that something you'd find comfort in discussing? DEE: I'm not due back for a pretty long while

[elijahfalvey]

ELIJAH: She really does! I would say takes after her mother, but I don't think she's particularly thrilled about it either. ELIJAH: You're helping a ton with the recommendations, thank you! I know they'll be very happy to see you, spend some time with you and all that. ELIJAH: Mayo? ELIJAH: Questioning a few things about our friendship, Dee, I can't lie.

[ ... ]

ELIJAH: Um, I don't really ... talk about it, at all, if I'm honest. It's complicated. ELIJAH: Thank you for telling me, though. If I hadn't already known I would have appreciated it.

[doctornilayxaksoy-esfahani]

NILAY: Babyyyyyy 🥹 I love you so so much.❤️❤️❤️ NILAY: { 1 Photo Attachment File } NILAY: Good, because our parents offered to take the girls out to dinner and a movie tonight. I shall be eagerly waiting.😘

[elijahfalvey]

ELIJAH: Eagerly huh? ELIJAH: Maybe i can swing leaving early.. ELIJAH: Dont see how im supposed to bloody focus anyway. U kill me

[doctornilayxaksoy-esfahani]

NILAY: Babyyyy 🥰 Almost, I just have a few finishing touches then it should be ready to be uploaded tomorrow. I can't believe how much my editing skills have improved since I started. That's good! Though I was hoping that it wasn't, that maybe you could've been able to come home sooner... I got some new things in the mail that I wanted to share with you. 🥺 But... I suppose giving you some sneak peaks shouldn't hurt *too* much... NILAY: { 1 Photo Attachment File } NILAY: What do you think? NILAY: { 1 Photo Attachment File } NILAY: Shoot, I almost forgot... You're more of a purple lover, aren't you?

[elijahfalvey]

ELIJAH: it shouldnt be a surprise. Ur good at everything U do ELIJAH: ❤️❤️❤️ ELIJAH is typing ... ELIJAH is typing ... ELIJAH is typing ...

ELIJAH: Ill be home on time.

[doctornilayxaksoy-esfahani]

📱𝚃𝙾 — 𝙼𝚢 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝❤️

NILAY: Okay, I know that I say this about every video, but I really and extremely believe that this just might be my best one yet and I can't wait to post it on my channel and the little tiny videos associated with it on Instagram and Tik Tok.🥹 How's everything going with work? Is today better?

🏺@elijahfalvey

[elijahfalvey]

ELIJAH: U do say it about every one. but its the truth 😉 I cant wait to see it. is it almost done? ELIJAH: work is good! a lot better. Busy busy busy. I have someone blocked in for recording after lunch, it might run a bit late. ELIJAH: But i can pick something up for U on the way home? did U want anything?

[hvneymelons]

DEE: Scary films! DEE: I'm glad to hear everyone's doing well, though. I can't wait to see the babes again! DEE: Do let me know when you guys have some time off and we plan something? DEE: A little field trip of some kind. Maybe the butterfly conservatory would be fun for them. DEE: Nothing too crazy. There's a hot dog truck in front of the hospital today and I'm trying to get some before they are escorted away! DEE: Oh! Been meaning to say DEE: I ran into Roman a few weeks back. Did you know he was back in town?

[elijahfalvey]

ELIJAH: Yeah, Hats has been obsessed with them lately. She wants to run through the haunted house this year and everything. I don't know where it came from. ELIJAH: They would both love the butterfly conservatory, though! We haven't gotten the chance to go yet on our own, so I'm sure it'll be fun! ELIJAH: I'll definitely let you know. ELIJAH: Sounds pretty crazy to me, by the way. Ketchup or mustard?

[ SEVERAL MINUTES PASS ... ]

ELIJAH: I did, yeah. I saw him a couple of times. ELIJAH: We're not ... speaking, exactly.

[rachelxhanarchived]

"Oh? Which of the kids is Wednesday?" Rachel asked, having not checked her social media to see if there had been a photo taken of the family. IF it were another time she might have asked to come over to their house to be the one to take photos or even just go together in some capacity or even agree to meet up at some point. This was very odd territory to feel like she was in. Was it something with Eli? Was it something with Nilay? Rachel didn't think she'd said or done anything to upset Nilay, but was Eli trying to save face or protect his girlfriend? She had a feeling it all surrounded the karaoke conversation, but she couldn't figure out the exact reasoning.

The way that he so immediately told her that he was not avoiding her made her wish that was true. She waited patiently for him to correct it, because it wasn't fair to try to act like he wasn't ignoring her. He very much was. Rachel had definitely felt hurt that he hadn't reach out on her birthday, she had definitely felt lonely and unacknowledged in a sense. It felt like the effort wasn't there even a little bit. It was nice to receive that apology. "Thank you, I guess again I'm just still confused. I mean you've been icing me out since before my birthday. You barely text me back, you never ask to hang out, you don't even let me know when we're going to be at the same things. It feels like something is wrong and it feels like somehow you're upset with me and I really would love to fix it, but you're a piece of IKEA furniture that I wasn't given the pamphlet for right now." She missed him a lot and loved him a lot and if he needed space from her for whatever reason, she wished that he would just tell her that. Anything felt better than feeling like she was being actively avoided. It stung on a whole different level. Especially when it was Elijah who she thought the world of. "I miss you a lot, Eli. And you know I love you and care about you so much. I want to know what to do."

[elijahfalvey]

“Hattie,” Elijah answers lamely, ignoring the pang that surges through his chest at the simplicity of his response — or, rather, the fact that it wouldn’t have been so simple only a mere few weeks ago. Back then, before their conversation at the karaoke bar, before he learned about Toni’s budding friendship with the woman before him, he would’ve gone into every last detail of their Halloween night thus far. How they chose the costumes, how Rhia nearly sobbed herself silly at the sight of his nearly bare face, how Hattie insisted on participating in the haunted house this year. Not to mention, how the older girl called him dad for the very first time, amidst the fog and adrenaline — something that he’s still trying to process, even as he stands here now. Something he would love to tell Rachel, if only they were on better terms. It’s ... undeniably sad, how quickly things changed, but he ...

Well, he’s stubborn. And even if he may not be upset with Rachel, per se, he does fully stand by how her choices make him feel. Even if he knows, deep down, that he needs to be more reasonable than this — call her on her fucking birthday, at least, for God’s sake — that train of thought doesn’t necessarily stop him from doing the unreasonable thing first. Hasn’t stopped him before, he thinks.

He’s become rather skilled at avoiding her gaze, just as he’s become skilled at avoiding her altogether. His eyes focus on the leaves easily crunchable beneath his feet and he sucks on his lower lip as she begins to speak, unsure of where to go from here.

On one hand, he can tell her — tell her about Amethyst’s end, about Toni, about how he’s learned to be so good at running by running from him first. She’s given him an excellent opening for it, after all. But on the other, he knows that he can’t. It would contextualize a lot of his behavior, sure, but there’s ... pieces of the story that he refuses to say, and he’s afraid that if he dives into his mind just a little bit that the journalist in her will ruthlessly rip out the rest. Easy in theory, solving this whole mess is, but damn near impossible in practice.

He sighs, as if that’s anywhere close to an answer. “I’m sorry,” he repeats, equally as lame as the last time he’s opened his mouth. “I just — I ...” The toe of his dress shoe scrapes against the ground, like he’s not quite aware of what to do with himself. “I haven’t really felt like talking. Just in general.” It’s half a lie, but half of the truth — the closest he can allow himself to get to the full spectrum of how he feels. “Been a weird couple of weeks.”

[doctornilayxaksoy-esfahani]

Nilay's had a fear of the future. Ever since she was little, she didn't trust it. How unpredictable it was, how it was filled with the unknown, how things could change—for better or for worse—all within the blink of an eye. Being in the foster system, the future had been full of false hope. The hope that her current fosters could end up adopting her; The fear that her current fosters could end up adopting her. It was uncertain. And, for Nilay, that uncertainty has always struck her heart and make it stop cold. The past, however, was comforting. Everything has already happened, and when discovering something new about it, that sensation is exhilarating. Though… In many ways, past and future were two sides of the same coin. Yet she had her preference.

Or… Well, perhaps she's become more warm towards the future. Sure, she wasn't naive to put her complete and unadulterated faith in it. No, that wasn't it at all. But… To have Elijah and the girls in her life… She has a reason to look forward. To look at the future and not be entirely scared of what the next day could bring, but to be excited. If she could tell her past self about what her life was like right now, she knew that her old self wouldn't believe it. It sounded like a beautiful dream. And, now, it was one that she cherished every single day. Especially when it means that she's been able to bear witness to the love that Elijah and Hatshepsut have developed together.

There hasn't been any pressure on Hattie to define what the musician is to her. Even though Nilay was able to see the growing familial bond between them, it was ultimately up to the two of them as to what that bond truly was, and even more so up to the girl. All she knew was that Hattie currently wasn't too interested when it came to her biological father, who he is, or where he is. Because she had her EJ. And that was more than enough for her.

Though, she knew that reminding Eli about his father capabilities and how much he has grown over the years, how truly wonderful of a dad that he is, was something that he needed, whether it was about Rhia or Hattie or both. While she didn't hold what happened against him, she thought back to his reaction after learning about her pregnancy with their daughter. How it all stemmed from fear and lack of self-faith from the man. Reminding him of what a terrific baba is his, was truly the least she could do.

The curator couldn't hold in her own laughter at Hattie's squeal being picked up. While she remembers the promise, it was apparent that this was what Hattie needed. Especially after she happily held on tightly to the man. There was truly no way that she was letting go of him nor that he'd be able to let her go. Then again, she doubt that either would be the case anytime soon. "Let's go!" Hattie says excitedly, regaining a bit more of her courage now.

G-d, if they had Rhia and the cats and had been anywhere else, this would be the definition of perfection. Of home. Her, Elijah, and their family. It was everything she ever wished for and more. Snickering softly, she looped her hand around his arm and her free hand rested on Hattie's back. "I wouldn't dream of ever letting either of you go," she says, placing a kiss on each of their cheeks.

📜@elijahfalvey

[elijahfalvey]

Elijah’s nerves settle as Hattie’s arms wrap tightly around his neck, as she relaxes into his grip; he feels much more comfortable to continue on like this, both because he can now physically protect her from the fear a hell of a lot better and because it’s clear she’s gained a bit of a confidence boost in this position. Nilay seems less apprehensive at his side, too — at least for the moment, while there’s no immediate threat around them — and it’s all he can really ask for, this split second of contentment. Calm before the storm, he supposes, because he can’t imagine the remaining rooms to be any less frightening than the ones they’ve already conquered. This haunted house is one of the best in the state, after all. Or so he’s heard. A fact he’s actively trying to push out of his mind, for Hattie’s sake.

“Let’s go,” he repeats with matching enthusiasm, also for her sake, making sure the little girl’s as secure as possible in his arms by interlocking his hands underneath her frame before he starts to continue on.

It would’ve been funny, if Hattie was absent from the equation, the way his heart immediately drops at the sight of what’s ahead. Lack thereof, rather, because fog’s all he can see; it envelopes the room thickly, filling the enclosed space and completely impairing his vision. He moves slower, so as to not bump into anyone else, simply trudging forward. There’s a certain point where maniacal laughter bounces off the walls, and he can’t quite tell if it’s another pre-recorded audio triggered by a motion sensor or if it’s coming from someone physical nearby. He hopes for the former. Also hopes that the end of this portion is near, but that seems less likely somehow — because he swears they’ve been in here for minutes, doing nothing but walking.

“Jesus,” he complains under his breath, cranes his neck around to see if there’s anything he can see yet. Predictably, the answer’s no, and he continues, “Might have better luck just shutting my eyes completely at this point —” He can feel the presence of someone looming over his shoulder and presumes it’s Nilay for no more than a second, what with her arm looped through his own, until he realizes it’s the opposite shoulder he feels such a presence. He turns to find one of the actors, dressed in full clown garb and terrifying makeup, mere inches away from him and he instinctively flinches away. “— Oh, bloody hell! That’s fucked up!” he swears, sidestepping as far as he possibly can with the train of his family attached to him.

Ironically enough, almost directly into a second clown, that’s merely been waiting for the perfect opportunity to make their presence known.

[jacklynchh]

“Peaceful? Um. Yeah, I guess so. Sometimes. Depends on where I'm working. One of my clients has a really energetic dog that likes to get involved by digging... usually in the beds I've just planted. Makes life a little harder.” Therapeutic was a better word to describe it, though he kept that thought to himself. It strayed too close to exactly what they'd been dancing around. “Keeps me fit at least.”

An absentminded finger ran the rim of his glass and his eyebrows rose. Jack let out a low whistle, obviously impressed. It made sense. He looked like a musician, as much as one could, at least in Jack's estimation. Admittedly, he hadn't met many musicians in his life. Unless you counted his cousin Darryl, who played the banjo of all things. A quiet chuckle left him. “Yeah, this town's full of surprises. I didn't know it had all that much of a music scene.” Then again, it wasn't like he ever went out. Under a rock was his permanent residence. “What, uh, what kind of music do you make?”

➥ tagging @elijahfalvey

[elijahfalvey]

“You’d think people would bring their pets in if they knew you were coming ‘round,” Elijah said, sparing no more than a snort for the lack of common sense. Other than the pesky dog, though, he had to admit that the gig didn’t sound half bad on the surface. There was a moment where he allowed himself to ponder what he would’ve been up to had music not fallen into his lap — perhaps he would’ve done something physical, like Jack, he thought — but it passed, all washed away, with another swig of his drink. “You enjoy it, though? Maybe, uh — besides that bit? I guess that’s what matters.”

He couldn’t control the way his lips twitched into a smile at Jack’s low, impressed whistle. There were often times where acknowledgement of his craft came hand in hand with recognition, and recognition was a hell of a messy — admittedly unwanted, at points — can of worms to crack open, but he knew that wasn’t what was happening here. Hoped, anyway; he really didn’t want to re-evaluate the lens in which he viewed their acquaintanceship, figuring out that he may have known who he was after all. Thankfully, his suspicious, or lack thereof, only got confirmed by his next line of questioning. So, he didn’t know. Thank God. “Oh, yeah. Well, I mean, Chicago’s got a pretty strong music scene. Lots of people tend to trickle over, I suppose — actually, that’s what my parents did,” he shared, “Um — rock, though, mainly. I’d say that’s my specialty, but, y’know, I try not to limit myself too much by genre these days.”

[lucifergifs]

TOM ELLIS photographed for Man About Town AW21 Issue

[doctornilayxaksoy-esfahani]

While Nilay knew that Eli's banter with the girls was typically all in fun and that him teasing them came from a place of love, she also knew that he would dial back if needed be. And while she didn't like having to glare at him, she appreciated him recognizing what it meant. That he would heed her warning. Their girls were tough, after all. They were both so strong and brave and miraculous. But… They were still, at the end of the day, little girls. And sometimes, it was too much. Yet, if there was one thing about Eli, it was that he would never continue something if he knew it was truly upsetting them. If they were genuinely hurt and upset about something.

Nilay reached up with a free hand to rub his back, using that as a way to thank him for understanding that their girl needed a moment from the tomfoolery. In retrospect, she did feel in awe with the whole thing and how everything has come out. Everyone who took part in the manor has done a marvelous job, and the curator knew when to give credit when it was due. But, she also appreciated having a moment to breathe and take a break.

Though, it was a bit hard paying genuine attention to everything when she could tear her eyes away from Eli and Hattie. How they both became so enamored by the room and all the details. The girl was so much like Eli, it was indescribable. She wondered if the musician had caught onto that as well. If he was noticing how utterly entranced Hattie was with everything and if it reminded him of himself. If that made him feel proud. If having that similarity tugged at his heart in happiness.

Yet, those musings were cut short as Hattie was scared. And the urge to protect her from everything and anything ran through her body like blood in her veins. Realistically, she knew that she wouldn't be able to. That it was all a part of life. But she hated that fact. She wished that their girls could spend the rest of their lives unaware of all of bad and fearsome in the world. But… It was equally dangerous to be ignorant of those things. Even though it pained her.

Hattie nervously looked up at Eli, playing with ends of her sleeves as she tried to calm down. Deep down, she wanted to wanted them both proud, but especially EJ. He was the closest thing she had to a father, after all. While she knew that his love wasn't conditional, she still wanted to do what she could to make him proud of her. She could only nod quietly at his words, even though, admittedly, she couldn't at the moment. "I-I am…? You are?" She looked back at Nilay, her wide eyes asking if that was even possible. Smiling, her mother crouched down behind her. "I'm scared, too," she said, tucking a loose strand of hair that had come out of one of Hattie's braids behind her ear. "But I'm also tough. And EJ and I will be right by your side every single step of the way, no matter what you end up deciding. I promise: you are still our tough little girl if you choose to leave. We're so proud of you, scarab. Always."

Hattie's lips pressed together in thought, but she giggled at the poke and looked back at Elijah. Thinking for a moment, she soon nodded. "I… I want to keep going. Just… Promise you both won't let go of me?" Nilay hugged her daughter, kissing the top of her head before resting her cheek against it. "I wouldn't even dream of doing so," she promised. Looking at Eli, she took one of his hands before mouthing, You're a good baba.

📜@elijahfalvey

[elijahfalvey]

Elijah’s been in Hattie’s life for the better part of four years now — going on five, actually, which tugs at his heartstrings when he thinks of the three year old toddler that she used to be when they met — but despite that, she’s still finding new ways to amaze him every single day, it seems. Like now, in the sense that she’s facing a difficult challenge head-on and still insisting that she’s strong enough to make it through; even if she may just be telling herself that in order to impress them, to make them proud, he’s proud of her nonetheless. He would be, regardless, even if she decided to turn around and run straight out the door at the first sign of fright — because trying at all certainly shows courage, too — but there’s just something about her continued tenacity that’s admirable, wherever it comes from.

Her mother, surely. It’s almost strange how he feels as if he’s staring at a miniature carbon copy, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Biological father be damned, Hattie’s all Nilay, he thinks. From her larger-than-life attitude, her incessantly working brain, and even down to the physical features that she’s slowly growing into; he’s always said that they’re twins, mainly in jest, but he sees it now more than ever.

“Anne’s right,” he repeats, because he can’t really think of a way to say it better than that — Nilay’s hit the nail on the head, and Hattie seems to absorb her promises effortlessly. He doesn’t really think he’s done anything special, not really. Just reminded the little girl that all the feelings inside of her body can coexist. So when Nilay mouths the compliment in his direction, his first instinct is to brush it off.

Perhaps it’s the insecurity that looms inside of him, even still, about his capabilities as a father — or perhaps it’s the fact that on a nitpicky technicality, he’s not Hattie’s father, but he finds it hard to accept in that regard. He knows it’s silly, though. Knows it won’t do either of them any good if he argues on it. Which is why he doesn’t brush it off, and instead flickers a bashful smile in Nilay’s direction. Thank you is on the tip of his tongue, but another gaggle of people attempt to step around them to move forward into the next room, so he redirects his attention before he can really say it. He hopes she knows he does mean it, deep down.

“Right, then,” he starts, “You ready to see what’s next, kiddo?” He stays level with her for no more than a moment before he moves to stand, letting go of both of their hands in favor of swooping Hattie up in one fluid motion. His arms lock underneath her for support and he laughs amusedly at how she squeals in surprise.

He knows he said he’d wait to carry her when she really needs it, but he figures — if she’s already scared now, might as well take the initiative. Maybe being above the ground will help, anyway, in the upcoming rooms. Make them a bit more digestible for her. “C’mon, Anne, you hold on too,” he urges gently, sticking out his elbow to Nilay, waiting for her to loop her hand through the gap, “No one’s letting go on my watch.”

[rachelxhanarchived]

Rachel had good friends, she had a pretty okay time of chatting with people and felt like it was easier that way to make friends. However Rachel only had a handful of extremely close friends. And up until rather recently, she had thought Elijah would be in that category for the rest of their lives. She had thought they'd cared and loved each other unconditionally and had been confused when that had changed for him. It hadn't been because he'd become a father, she didn't think at least. Because she loved Rhia and Hattie too. It still felt like he was not wanting anything to do with her and it hurt most that her birthday had just passed and he wasn't anywhere to be found that day.

She wondered what she had done so wrong? And even though she wanted to ask him about it, she felt like at this point he would just leave her on read if she asked via text, which was the only way that she had barely heard from him. Rachel seeing him was merely by accident since it wasn't like he had divulged that information to her.

"Hi. Are you Gomez Addams? I like it. My night is okay. Other than all my muscles in my body being sore from tensing up so much in that haunted house." Rachel tried her best to answer questions normally and try to act like Eli and her were still chatting regularly. That was until he mentioned her being a year older and she couldn't help but let out a small sigh. It would be easier just to let it out rather than pent it up any longer. "It's...I mean it would be better if my best friend would tell me why he's avoiding me like the plague?"

[elijahfalvey]

It’s not that Elijah’s particularly upset with Rachel. Not really. After all, he’s known her for years, and he’s known that she’s the exact kind of woman that anyone would be lucky to be friends with. She’s kind, personable, caring. He doesn’t have to think much to realize that it’s no wonder she’s landed on Toni’s radar. Fucking hell, he’d even go as far as admitting that it’s the same circumstance the other way around. Toni’s equally all three of those things. Or was, anyway — the Toni he knew, once upon a time. It’s a fair match, he concludes, but he supposes he’s still just — confused, more than anything. Less about the how, because that makes sense, but the why. Why Rachel wants to be friends with Toni, knowing Amethyst’s end, knowing that Elijah isn’t.

He doesn’t think about the possibility that she doesn’t know, doesn’t even allow himself to rationalize it in his head, because there, everyone knows.

Instead, his lips twitch into an uncomfortably forced smile. He thinks about the small talk, or rather how he can find his way out of it, and says, “I am. Uh — Morticia’s by the car with Wednesday.” A hand lazily points towards the direction of the parking lot before he takes a much needed drag, smoke curling in the air around him. He doesn’t wait too long before taking another one, though he nearly coughs at the tone of Rachel’s next words. “He’s not,” he denies, far too quickly, before he actually lets the breath out of his lungs and tries again. “I’m not.” His eyes find the ground while his fingers flick ash towards his feet, sheepishly. He is. It’s, unfortunately, blatantly obvious. “I’m sorry,” he settles on, “I should’ve called on your birthday.”

[evigh3t]

their hazel eyes gleamed, and jasper continued to nod along to elijah’s response. “bigmouth strikes again, barbarism begins at home … ” they could go on all day about their favorites, the b-sides that deserved their own place amongst the singles that roared through the british indie scene. it was evident that the boy could be taken out of manchester, but manchester couldn’t be taken out of the boy. they were practically leaning halfway over the counter by the end of the other’s words. “no kidding?! i would have given anything to see that. i’ve seen morrissey and johnny marr live separately, but i think they hate each other a little too much to ever hope for a reunion.”  but some things were best left sacred. he wondered if his siblings would have been better that way, remaining fractured in separate parts of the world. for the most part, jasper was shielded from the worst of it; they didn’t seem to know about the cracks that ran deep throughout the finch family tree, the breaks in the branches, the roots that were rotting. the youngest of the four had a good heart, a pure heart — those that displayed him kindness were the ones that were granted access to it. good things came back around. when karma finally caught wind of the timid librarian, he was long overdue a heaped helping of good luck.  “it was nothing, really. it pays to have friends in high places. i’m sure you would have done the same for me.” in actual fact, jasper wasn’t sure at all. they had been used to unkindness their entire life, people making fun of their mannerisms or thinking the librarian was strange due to a few easily-ignored differences. “it’s on the way out. you can’t miss it. it’s pretty empty, really, so any top up would be really appreciated. maybe … ” jasper’s eyes followed elijah’s gaze, flitting to the girl huddled over the back of a movie case, “ … maybe that means you can stay a little while longer. talk about music. do you play yourself?”

[elijahfalvey]

A smile begins to curl at the edges of Elijah’s lips as Jasper can hardly contain their excitement — which is all too similar to how he remembers feeling, at the time, back when his parents casually tried to rub the event in his face as a teenager; he was old enough to feel every ounce of jealousy, then, and still drones on about how it was cruel to even mention to this day — though it twitches reflexively as they continue on. He wants to laugh, because ain’t that the truth, but he can’t will himself to; the statement, oddly enough, hits weirdly close to home. I think they hate each other a little too much to ever hope for a reunion.

Briefly, he wonders if that’s how Amethyst’s fans feel. Wonders if there’s fans out there like Jasper is to The Smiths, all too aware of the fact that the remaining members can hardly exist within the same town as one another, let alone the same room. Wonders if there’s some out there that are blindly holding out hope, instead, for something that’ll frankly never happen. God, they really succumbed to a fucking stereotype, haven’t they? He doesn’t allow himself to linger on the thought for long, however. Simply nods and says, “Yeah. I, uh — I can imagine. Bet it was still quite neat, though.”

He finally catches sight of the box near the exit and makes a mental note to toss something in on their way out — and Jasper’s not wrong, even if unspoken, it’ll likely be awhile, if Hattie’s intense inspection of the film section is anything to go by. Another five minutes at least, and that only accounts for the time it’ll take her to pick out her first choice, never mind how long she’ll spend doubling back to ensure that she’s really, really sure, as she often likes to say. Much like her mother there too, he thinks — ever meticulous. “Oh, yeah — it’ll be a bit. Her turn to pick the film tonight, I’m afraid, and she takes her choice very seriously. Like she’ll never be able to watch another one again kind of serious,” he remarks, and there’s nothing but traces of fondness in his tone. He turns back to Jasper, practically unable to pass up the opportunity to chat some more about what he’s truly passionate about. His expression’s a tad sheepish as he answers, “I do. Been playing for most of my life, actually. It’s like a — runs in the family sort of thing. I’m a keyboardist. How about you? Do you play?”

[doctornilayxaksoy-esfahani]

"It absolutely does not!" Hattie argued back. Her brows were furrowed and her arms trying to cross over her chest in a pout while still holding onto the two's hands. Nilay softened as she watched her. "Okay, love, okay—it doesn't count." Glancing back at Eli for a second, she leaned down to kiss the top of Hattie's head before standing upright. While it hadn't been intentional, she felt bad for scaring the poor girl. After all, she has spent eight years doing everything she could to protect her daughter; Scaring her had never been something she wanted to do. So while it'd been accidental, and not by her own accord, she felt bad for doing so anyways.

She relaxed against Eli's touch. "I'm okay," she whispered, softly kissing him before giving him a gentle smile. His touch always made her feel better. No matter what was going on. And g-d, watching him do all he could to protect Hattie from getting scared and trying to take the brunt of the scares could only make her love him more and more. Even though she could detect some slight amusement over the situation, which she will certainly get back at him for later on.

Alright, the Egyptologist thought to herself. You've been through scarier things than a 'haunted house' full of actors. Pull yourself together. With a clearing of her throat and a shake of her head, she soon rolled her shoulders backwards and straightening her posture up. It was all just pretend. Nothing was going to hurt them: Hattie, Eli, and herself were safe from any and all harm. They were going to be okay.

But now… Onto the next room, which the musician soon began to lead the way again. Nilay had noticed the lightening before anything, and then they entered the room. She quietly muttered a curse in Egyptian Arabic beneath her breath, scooching closer to Eli and Hattie. "This is insane, my g-d," she whispers to her partner.

The decorations were gory and unsettling, scattered all about the room with equally horrific paintings on the walls. The skeleton, though, seemed the most harmless. Which left her narrowing her eyes at it the most whenever she wasn't looking at Hattie. She had noticed her daughter's face dropping once they entered the room, how she gasped softly and squeezed their hands a little yet continued on bravely.

Yet it was the skeleton and the screams in the room behind them that got her. She had moved to it to get a closer look and shrieked as it jolted towards her, the girl quickly turning and hugging Eli's leg. "I-I'm okay! I'm okay!" Was she trying to reassure them or herself? Nilay wasn't sure. Yet it had shattered her heart hearing her make such a sound. Hattie's shriek had scared her more than any animatronic or actor ever could. "Baby, hey, baby." Nilay moved to her, placing her hands on her shoulders and rubbing her shoulders in slow, calming motions with her thumbs. "Maybe we should leave. I'm sure they'd understand," she said. Hattie, however, quickly shook her head before piping up. "N-No, I'm good! I want to continue, anne, EJ. Please… I want to continue."

📜@elijahfalvey

[elijahfalvey]

Elijah knows the look that Nilay’s shooting his way all too well; however brief, it’s a warning glare, the best indication — besides the little girl’s rather obvious body language — that he’s taken his banter with Hattie just a minuscule step too far, that she’s actually beginning to get upset. As much as he’s always loved to tease her about anything and everything that he can think of, and as much as she’s usually game for playing along, he’s never wanted to hurt her feelings. And while she’s surprisingly a pretty tough cookie, especially for her age, she’s still seven. She still gets wound up when her buttons are being pushed, regardless of who’s the one pushing them, and she’s still prone to a little tantrum here and there.

She’s obviously reached her limit, at least for the moment, and his eyes pretty much say it all — that he’s gonna back off from proving his point, now, and instead focus on making sure that no other pesky actors crawl out of the woodwork to scare them as Nilay’s trying to regulate. Thankfully, they both seem to come down rather quickly, but it’s a short-lived victory as they’re onto the next; and it’s cool, he has to admit. Probably took a long time to set up, too. He doesn’t know why he’s so focused on these details — maybe it’s the performer that lives dormantly inside of him — but someone’s gotta appreciate them, he supposes.

He wonders if Hattie’s thinking the same thing as she stares at the skeleton in the corner of the room. Her eyes are filled with such wonder, he wouldn’t be surprised, but unfortunately he can’t linger on that thought for long. As the pre-recorded gibberish spills out of the animatronic’s mouth, and as Hattie jumps backwards to cling onto his leg, he startles, too, and his hand rests gently on the girl’s shoulder. The scream she lets out breaks his heart a little, and he has to remind himself that this is just collateral damage — that she’s fine, in the grand scheme of things, if not a little traumatized.

As much as they want to — or as much as he knows Nilay wants to, rather — they can’t shield her from these experiences forever. She’s gotta learn on her own what she can and can’t handle. So as she insists, rather heavily, that she doesn’t want to leave, he has no choice but to believe her. There’s a part of him that’s sure she’s just saying such a thing because she doesn’t want to disappoint them after dragging them all the way here, but she has to know that how they feel doesn’t matter, right? Has to know that they’ll do anything for her so long as she’s happy — stay, go, whatever she wants.

“Hey,” he says, his tone gentle and soft as he lifts the fabric of his pants so he can crouch properly in front of her. Others that entered behind them are stepping by, sparing them curious glances, but he doesn’t care. He looks at Hattie with sincerity and continues, “Remember what I said outside, yeah?” He wouldn’t be surprised if she’s forgotten his offer simply out of determination to get through, or out of spite because he’s teased her. “I know you’re tough, bug, but — you’re allowed to be scared, too. You can be both at the same time.” He pokes her shoulder. “I’m scared,” he admits, “And I’m tough. So it’s okay if you want a little help, alright? We can keep going, but just — think about that.”