Sugar and Spice

Faith Rose McKay ! 18 | Senior at Broadripple Academy | Melleray Proud 

[faithfullymckay]

jocelyn-conway​:

“Oh shit, it’s my lucky socks,” Joss announced to nobody in particular, realising for the first time what it was that had been stolen from her. It seemed like just about everybody at the Retreat was missing one thing or the other and for a while, she’d thought she had been spared the angst but now she was realising that just like her peers, she’d been robbed of something strange. “They took my lucky socks,” she reiterated, lifting up her mattress to make sure there wasn’t anything stashed away under there to fool her. “That’s so fucking weird,” she was mostly talking to herself but she was sure that anybody that overheard her could agree that stealing a pair of used socks from somebody was strange. She wondered if they knew by now that they were lucky because she hadn’t washed them for seasons and only wore them for special games and competitive events.

Faith was firmly of the belief that this was not a funny prank. Of course Faith rarely saw the humour in pranks, but she could at least turn a blind eye to the ones that were harmless but this...well this was mean, and it was stealing from people. Even if it was stealing nonsensical things that nobody would miss in theory. “Language,” The blonde chastised as she entered the room, clearly looking for her own missing belonging if the way she reluctantly knelt down onto room four’s dirty floor was anything to go by. “Have you seen a green scrunchie anywhere?” She asked, having hopped from room to room hoping that the thief had dropped in during their way out. She really didn’t want to have to search the surrounding woods for it. 

[faithfullymckay]

revelaare​:

aleksei enjoys getting a reaction out of people for his habits, whether they be positive or negative. the latter probably a little more enjoyable, especially when they came from faith. queen christian, mother teresa herself. the stern expression across the blonde’s features bring a grin to hang across aleksei’s lips. “hello darlin’.” he replies, cigarette dangling lazily from his mouth, frame lumping back against the wall. “the good lord is yet to strike me down for it.”

The enjoyment that the boy was seemingly getting from irritating her didn’t do anything to help Faith’s horrified stare. “Take it out,” She insisted desperately, her head quickly turning from side to side as though if a staff member stumbled across them she would somehow be implicated despite the obvious innocence on her part. “And don’t call me that,” She added as an afterthought, he did not get to called her darlin’ while he was blatantly disrespecting the school rules and own disapproval. She wasn’t exactly hoping that Aleksei was struck down, that was decidedly unchristian, but she wouldn’t opposed to some divine intervention in helping her classmate learn his lesson.

[faithfullymckay]

fikkir-isilay​:

“No, Faith, absolutely not,” Fikkir spoke as she pressed the sole of her sneaker to the edge of the oversized ornament, stopping the blonde before she dragged the object into one of their new bedrooms. “I have so many objections to this, I don’t even know where to start,” she expressed in an exasperated manner, “Actually, I do- that thing is covered in dust and spiderwebs, and I don’t see any spiders yet which means they’re probably on the inside, waiting to crawl out at night,” goosebumps formed on the surface of her skin at just the mere thought of it, “ Allah aşkına, Faith, I am telling you, I am not sleeping with that thing anywhere near my bed- not unless you hose it down from all sides. You can choke on spiders in your sleep in the name of Jesus Christ if you want to, doesn’t mean we should all have to,” she was usually pretty tolerant when it came to Faith’s weird shit but after moving into the cabins, Fikks’ patience was understandably wearing thin, “Push it back to whatever horror movie set you got it from,” she instructed bluntly, she’d really meant to say please in there somewhere but it had fallen away somewhere in the interim.  

Faith and Fikkir were...well there wasn’t really a label for it. Friends one day, adversaries the next. Teammates on the field, opponents when they were off it. Still, she had missed the other girl as much as any other Broadripple student during her time away. However, it seemed that niceties would have to wait. She didn’t drop the cross from her hands, adjusting her posture so she was standing tall as she prepared to argue. “I’m going to dust it down first!” She protested, a little offended that anybody would think that she, Faith McKay the resident clean freak, wouldn’t refurbish her newly beloved decoration before she hung it on the cabin’s walls. “I found it down the hall, the volunteers mustn’t have had an opportunity to look through all the rooms before we got here,” This was not a battle that she was going to let Fikks win, not when she’d already dragged the thing halfway down the corridor with no help. “It will keep us safe,” She insisted, pushing the wood against the shoe that was currently acting as a stopper. What exactly they needed to be kept safe from? Well sin of course.

[faithfullymckay]

damianfitz​:

“I figured as much,” Damian admitted. Because he was very tight-lipped about his situation with Faith in his own home as well, which explained his mother’s invitation to the blonde that afternoon at church. "Don’t apologize, it’s… it was fine.” It was confusing but after piecing things together on his own, Damian did whatever he could to make the situation easier on Faith’s end. He didn’t want her having to discuss something with her parents that might have been emotionally taxing, so he showed up to spend time with Mr. McKay whenever he couldn’t successfully decline an invitation with this excuse or that. It was painfully awkward having to pretend things were fine, but Damian figured he could use his abilities to pretend for good for once - if only to make things easier for Faith. “And don’t be silly, you’re his daughter. He definitely missed you more than he missed me.”

Damian smiled at the memory. It warmed his heart to think about it. Faith’s commitment to their friendship was truly unwavering, even when they were so little to really understand what it meant to show up for each other the way they did. It made Damian feel silly to think that there was a point in his life where he thought he couldn’t tell her something about himself. Then again, he still had difficulty coming to terms with that part of himself. How could he even begin to explain it? At this point, he was just trying to forget it completely but there was definitely a lot of setbacks to making such a drastic decision. Setbacks Damian was suffering for in silence, but he felt like it was suffering he deserved anyway so it was fine. He’s been putting his energy into more productive and easily discussed things, like the gym. He was practically in the best shape he’s ever been in to be honest. But he couldn’t lie that it was difficult, like if he wasn’t careful something would snap just beneath the surface. So he was just being very, very careful.

“Well, I have a car now,” he shared with something of a sheepish grin. “I finally got that Aston Martin I’ve been eyeing for ages.” For all of Damian’s odd interests, liking cars was one of the most traditional interests he had. He had an entire Pinterest board dedicated to some of his favorites. “So you don’t need to worry about catching the train home anymore….  and… Kat and I are speaking again, so that’s really, really good.” It hit him very quickly that there wasn’t much news he had to share with Faith that wouldn’t drastically worry her. “I, um… it’s been pretty difficult since you’ve been gone. Even worse with Izzy and Maggie absent without explanation… so I’ve been… errr, exploring?” Was that the right word? “Let’s just say I’ve found friendship in rather unexpected places while you were away.” Very unexpected places.

Faith smiled, not bothering to argue that her parents adored Damian just as much as their own children. She didn’t need to, she was sure that her best friend was already aware. She just hoped that he knew how grateful she was that he’d pretended nothing was wrong. Neither of them would have wanted words of their disagreement getting back to their parents, but she couldn’t of imagined having to actually face the Fitzgeralds and act like nothing had happened. “Still, thank you,” She had promised herself she would verbalise things from now on, not that she had ever had a problem keeping her mouth shut - if anything she was a rambler. She figured that if she continued to tell him everything, perhaps Damian would find it easier to do the same with her.

Setting aside the big secret small side of Damian that Faith didn’t know, she was pretty much an expert on the middle Fitzgerald child. They shared childhood memories, had inside jokes and most importantly she knew how long the teenage boy had been salivating over the thought of this car. She didn’t completely understand his fascination, but she knew that it was important to him and so she almost jumped for joy. She hoped that the gift had at least gotten his mind of her being halfway around his world on the day she’d never missed before. At least their journeys home would be more comfortable now. “You got the car!” She cheered, her eyes widening with glee as she began her usual rambling, “Have you gotten seat covers? Mats? What about one of those little air fresheners?” 

If she had been excited about the car that she had very little personal attachment too, it was nothing compared to how she felt about the news that Damian and Kat had seemingly resparked the flame she had always insisted was there. “You are Katherine are speaking,” She repeated, the bite of her lip doing little to stop her growing grin, “Speaking like we speak or speaking.” Of course she meant it in the most innocent way possible, she didn’t need to know too many details, but it did nothing to halt her excitement at the possibility of her friends finally becoming a proper item. The happiness wavered slightly at the additional mention of their friends, even more so at the idea of her friend’s exploring. “You replaced me?” Her tone was teasing, but she was fighting off the urge to pout. Of course she knew it was childish, she had been away for a long time, but she couldn’t help but worry that he’d found somebody to take her place. And who exactly that was.

[hcnnakim]

— broadripple academy presents: S. W. A. T.

a group of students dedicated to organizing fun activities for other students who choose to stay on campus during the weekend.

featuring: @faithfullymckay, @damianfitz, @simplyelena, @ohno-iso, @orioncarlson

[kateausten-deleted-deactivated2]

Come on, cheer up, it’s nearly Christmas! The most wonderful time of the year!

[faithfullymckay]

damianfitz​:

Damian took a deep breath, nice and slow, to help settle his emotions. Though what really calmed him down was the tight squeeze Faith gave his hand. He smiled at her, something more genuine this time, a silent thank you for being around because he wasn’t sure how much longer he could have gone carrying it alone, burying it deep within himself with the hope that one day he might just forget without having to properly grieve the loss of some of his closest. He gave her hand a squeeze in kind before letting her have it back, letting Faith know he was okay now with a slight nod of his head. Perhaps later, he thought. They’d talk about it later. One thing at a time. They had next to nothing to do out here and one of the things he missed doing the most was talking to Faith. He was sure they could get away from prying eyes to properly discuss the mysterious disappearance of their friends later. Over a nice stroll since there was no shortage of land for them stride upon at the Retreat.

“Don’t worry, I mentioned you were… um, stressed.” Small white lie. To his mother, not Faith. He had also gestured to his lower abdomen that day, trying to play off Faith’s hostility as a ‘time of the month’ problem. It seemed to do the job in getting his mother to brush it off and not ask anymore questions, which was excellent because he wasn’t quite sure he’d survive having to explain the fallout he and Faith suffered. “As long as it was from you, I’m sure she’d love it,” Damian assured. Faith held that much favor with his mother. 

Damian listened intently as Faith caught him up on her adventures in Malawi, even chiming in with an “oh, that’s lovely” when Faith mentioned she got the pleasure of seeing some babies be born. It sounded like Faith got everything she could want from the experience, and he was deeply gladdened by that. Faith deserved to have a good and fruitful time after everything that happened. He blinked in surprise when Faith held out some crafted bracelets for him, abandoning the task of helping fit the sheets onto his mattress to take a closer look at them. “Oh, Faith. You– you didn’t have to.” Though the light in his eyes and his soft smile showed that he was incredibly appreciative of the gesture as he took the bracelets in his hands. Even with so many miles apart and countless of days not speaking to each other, she still remembered his birthday and cared to make him something. It warmed his heart, truly.

“They’re perfect. Thank you so much.” You’d think Damian was receiving some one-of-a-kind gold brick but to him, it might as well have been. It was his first present from Faith since they’ve made up, it was automatically the most important thing he’s received this year. He slipped one of the bracelets – the one of the most red on it, obviously – over his left wrist, resting it right beside the one he had made on a mission trip himself… with Izzy. He stared at the two accessories side by side, running his thumb over them, failing to settle the emotion bubbling in him that made his eyes watery. “I’ll never take it off,” he told Faith once he’d tore his gaze away from it. The rest of the bracelets he slipped into his pocket; he’ll be sure to keep them safe in his travel watch case later.

“So, my turn I suppose… anywhere specific you’d like me to begin?”

“I didn’t tell them you know,” The words came out so fast that they almost jumbled together. Not in the way that happened when she was excited and eager to get her words out or how sometimes she was hard to understand because her voice got a little higher pitched when she was neurotic. Not it was like she was spitting out the words because Damian needed to know. She wanted him to understand that even if they hadn’t been talking, if she had all but denounced their friendship, she hadn’t spilled his secrets because she still cared for him too much. “So I’m really sorry if my dad asked you to watch football when you were home, he didn’t know there was anything wrong with us. Truth be told, I think he missed you more than he missed me.” Yes Joshua had greeted his daughters with big hugs - just as tight as his middle child’s, that’s where she had gotten it from - when they’d landed but everybody knew that he had a soft spot for her best friend. He had the same fondness for Damian as his mother had for her. She thought he rather liked the male company in his house full to the brim with girls.

She gently tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes glistening over as she began planning out what she would send to convey her apologies. She was quickly snapped back to the present as she handed over her best friend’s belated birthday gift. “Don’t be silly, of course I did. I’ve never missed your birthday before, not even your eighth one!” She’d had chicken pox and was told under no uncertain circumstance could she attend the lavish party that the Fitzgeralds were throwing. She hadn’t really cared about the party, as much as she enjoyed them, but what she had insisted upon was her mother driving her to their house beforehand with the agreement that she could wave at the birthday boy through the window and leave his present on the doorstep to be properly sanitised. She’d never missed his birthday before, and never planned to again, so although she wasn’t there physically for the first time ever she hoped his new bracelets would remind him that she’d been there in her heart.

The tears seemed to well up automatically as she watched Damian’s focus on his older woven bracelet, her heart immediately sinking as she was once again reminded of their missing friend. She reached up to quickly wipe them before the fell. Happy day, today is a happy day, she reminded herself, reaching for the duvet and its cover to distract herself from any sad thoughts. They could be dealt with later, right now she wanted to hear all about what had happened at Broadripple while she’d been gone. “Start with you,” She insisted, desperate to know what he’d been doing in her absence.

[faithfullymckay]

lucygson​:

Lucy had to drop the cross in the middle of the hallway because it was too heavy to not take a break. She had stuffed her art case behind a bush to collect later. She was in too deep now, she would just have to try her best to make sure that Faith still believed her, purely so she didn’t er- lost her faith. Lucy may have been a bit of an asshole but she wasn’t a total asshole. That felt like a very important distinction.

She couldn’t resist one last prank, though. She rolled her eyes back and pretended to stumble around until she slumped back on the wall, pretending to be possessed for a moment. She looked at Faith and smiled, “It’s fine. From one Lucy to another-” it was a rather nice coincidence that Lucifer shared part of her name, “-we agreed that we’re good. No hard feelings, he just got misplaced. He was trying to possess someone that used to live here.” She stood up properly and picked up the cross, “Ta-da.” She held her breath, hoping Faith didn’t notice the paint job.

Faith immediately clutched at her blouse, hand landing just over her heart, as she took a good look at Lucy. Surely not...surely she wasn’t actually possessed. She took another step back, despite having left a good distance between her and the other girl she was suddenly feeling all too close and wishing she’d stayed in her room, she began silently reciting The Lord’s Prayer in her head. In the short time that it took Lucy to finish her final prank, and therefore supposedly exorcise herself, Faith was already on her second hallowed by thy name.

Gasping as Lucy began to talk again, she tried to remain calm but it was obvious that her eyes were full of suspicion as she gave her classmate a quick evaluation. She seemed to be fine...but then so had her cross and then it suddenly had an unholy symbol carved into it. She decided that staying back for now would be a good idea. Her eyes narrowed as she peered at the wood, this time sans carving. It seemed that she was in fact fooled by the paint job, which should surprise nobody given the fact that she’d been convinced it was cursed in the first place. “You did it!” She clapped with glee, her reflexes meaning that she forgot her newly enforced distance rule and rushed forward for a hug. Luckily for Lucy, she caught herself before she could throw her arms around the other Senior in an uncomfortably tight hug, and instead held up her hand indicating a high five.

[daily-misfits]

[faithfullymckay]

hvneyxbea​:

Location: campgrounds, outside the main hall Time: mid-afternoon

@ba-central​

“Do you think they have a vegetable garden here?” Honey Bea asked to the nearby student as she leaned down to press her hands against the dirt. It was firm, but it had some moisture in it. This wasn’t the worst soil for farming, and the cook could probably grow some great root vegetables. But looking around, she didn’t see anything that resembled a garden which made her start to questions the kinds of food they be preparing for breakfast and dinner. She was not a canned veggies kind of girl, that was for sure. “I don’t think I’ll be able to eat much here.” She said with a sigh, hands coming up to curl around the bill of her baseball hat, a nervous habit she had picked up over the years. “You think the Sisters would look at me weird if I sneak a bunch of food back from campus? Or will I just have to eat a big lunch?”

The months away had done wonders for Faith’s ability to brainstorm SWAT activities. She had six months of great ideas built up, and of course neatly jotted down because her beloved planner had made the trip across the globe with her, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t open to other people’s ideas. Even if they weren’t technically offering them up as suggestions. Like Honey’s vegetable garden for example. “From what I’ve seen there isn’t one, but that doesn’t mean there couldn’t be,” She started, her mind filled with ideas of how such a thing might work, “We could do one for the Junior cabin and one for the Seniors. Oh and like chore wheel, but for making sure they’re properly tended to. We could work on our team work skills, and maintaining a garden is a great way to learn some responsibilities.” Besides, it would mean that Honey wouldn’t have to sneak snacks in from campus.

[faithfullymckay]

maximoe​:

   FAITH OFTEN SPOKE his name with the careful disdain of a middle aged woman asking to speak to the manager. He never let it affect him though, ivory teeth flashing brightly despite the coldness of her own smile toward him. The weight of the cross hardly registers to Max whose far too enticed by the look of horror slowly rippling through the blonde’s features as she pieced together what exactly he’d accused her of. “Right, riiiight,” the male repeated mockingly. “Africa.” Truth be told he had only been joking but her overreaction can’t help but lead Max to believe he hit a little too close to home.    Had Faith McKay actually gotten pregnant? How hilarious. “Kinda funny how the phrase ‘in africa’ has exactly eight letters in it. Is that a hint Faith? Are we speaking in code?” Max leans forward to ask the question. He barely speaks above a whisper, dark hues meeting ocean ones across the crucifix. “Now that I’m thinking about it eight months is long enough to bring a child into the world.” Who would have gotten Faith knocked up though? Sure, she was hot but not hot enough to risk a shotgun wedding. He didn’t know much about the McKay family but he wouldn’t put it past them to be a “marry our daughter for knocking her up or else” type. Before Max can say much else on the matter Faith’s moving, forcing him to pause his interrogation long enough to steady his grip on the cross and move with her. “My bad, would you rather I call it making love? Is that what you and the baby’s father did?”   Maximo almost can’t get his next words out without laughing. “Your dedication to making sure another ‘accident’ doesn’t happen is really honorable, Faith. Cabin two is lucky to have you.”

“Yes, Africa,” Faith’s insistence wasn’t really helping her point, but she continued on regardless, “I have pictures. And I’m sure some of the little girls will write me letters. We really bonded.” There had to be something that she could say that would stop Max in his path before the whole school somehow found out about the ridiculous rumour his teasing would no doubt start. Yes, Faith had found it very hard to miss Maximo.

She shook her head vehemently, using all her will power to fight the urge to push the crucifix between them so hard that the boy might topple over. That type of aggression was usually only seen from the blonde while she was on the hockey pitch, but apparently he had a way of pushing the right buttons to make that explosive side come out. But it wouldn’t, she would suffocate the anger with happy thoughts and smiles if it killed her. Besides, she wasn’t sure it was very godly to run somebody through with a crucifix. “No,” She all but spat out, ready for this conversation to be done so she would never have to speak of it again, “It is not code. And I was gone for six months. In Africa. On mission. I was building a hospital wing while you were here making up silly rumours like this one.”

It was safe to assume that Faith hadn’t had sex. If it wasn’t obvious enough given her general personality and her status as founding member of the disbanded chastity club, the way she blanched at the accusation that she had lost her virginity before marriage was yet another clue. “I did not...do that. No matter what way you put it. There is no baby, there is no father. My purity is very much intact Maximo!” She let out a huff of hot breath through her nostrils. “There was no accident. And even if there was, that is not what I am doing, I’m just trying to brighten the place up a bit. Nobody needs me to stop them doing that because nobody would want to do that anyway. Not here.”

[faithfullymckay]

connyr0​:

“ yeah that’s true, pretty lucky they had this place available for us, ” he agreed, though he wasn’t sure if he totally agreed if it was lucky or totally, totally weird. he was still deciding and honestly the giant crucifix in an old room. he nodded as she listed off different things that had been in the room, it all seemed very normal. interesting, and he’d definitely want to check it out, but one thing at a time. “ i mean, maybe it’s the nighmore guys’ stuff and they just didn’t have time to clear it out, ” he said, though that wouldn’t stop him from going through it, it would just stop him from spreading it out to the occupied rooms. “ i wonder what this place looked like before, you know. ” he thought aloud, wondering if everything was already packed up and ready for them, or if it had been in a state of disarray that really had to be cleaned up. he looked down to the cross, back out to faith, and back down to the cross again, when she asked what he thought. “ um, i don’t know, ” he said, buying himself a couple more seconds to think. “ anywhere else it might be in a walk way, and like, outside, there’s possibilty of water damaged. i think it’s good, ” mostly he just didn’t want to lift it again, he’d never imagined the literal weight of jesus on the cross, but it had certainly been heavier than he’d thought.

“The nightmore community has always been so good to us.” Faith thought of all the business owners who accepted their school points as forms of payment, and the locals who had been generous enough to help her when it came to SWAT activities. It was absolutely no surprise to the girl that they had helped out again in the school’s time of need. And she was just thankful she didn’t have to go back to the literal plague that was apparently nesting in their dorms. “I don’t think so, it all looked pretty old and dusty.” Although she hadn’t exactly considered it before Conny had pointed out the possibility so perhaps it was worth another look in the hidden away room. “Maybe we could look together?” She offered with a kind smile. It seemed that agreeing to move one holy artefact and expressing interest in the recently discovered room was about to earn Connor a whole afternoon of decorating with Faith. “Well if I have it my way while have this place looking as good as new in no time,” That was optimistic even for her, but God loved a trier...and he loved a doer even more. Rubbing her lips together, Faith turned her attention back to the cross. Her head tilting from side of side, eyes narrowing as she inspected it from all angles. “I suppose that will do,” She conceded, “At least from here everybody will be able to enjoy it.”

[faithfullymckay]

damianfitz​:

“Don’t worry, you weren’t the only one,” Damian replied innocently, intending to make Faith feel better about things but he quickly realized what saying that just steered them into. A topic he’s avoided since its occurrence. Or at least spent the absolute minimal amount of time discussing despite it taking an obscene amount of his brain space. “You, um… you know, right? They– Isacco and Magdalene, they’re…” His chest got that tight feeling again, face immediately growing warm. His body was acting up and he didn’t like it. Damian clenched his jaw in an effort to get a hold of himself, taking a second to get a grip on his bearings before inhaling a breath through his nose and speaking again. “They’re– they’re no longer,” he tried again but found the way tears pricked at his eyes largely uncomfortable and disrupting. “I don’t know where they are,” he finally managed to push through gritted teeth.

Disappointingly. He didn’t know where they were. He didn’t know why they left. Or what exactly even happened. He just knew that one day they were there and the next they weren’t, and he felt largely lost. He was angry. He felt betrayed. He also felt like a terrible friend more than anything because he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Was he just a terrible friend? So concerned with only himself? All evidence pointed to yes, and that pained him to come to terms with. He thought of what happened with Faith, Jay, Izzy and Maggie, even Ezra. Gwen. Okay, stop right there, he thought. He most certainly wasn’t letting himself get into that now. He couldn’t if he wanted to be present and in the moment with Faith.

Damian did his best to force a smile for the blonde, happy to let her take the lead with his sheets. “She’ll be so glad to see you again, you know,” he shared as he moved toward one side of his bunk, preparing to help fit one half of the mattress with the linens. His mother regarded Faith very highly, a major feat considering how very particular Diana Fitzgerald was about things. It was no secret that if she could choose a partner for him, her first and perhaps only choice would be Faith Rose McKay. “Would you like to go first? I’m sure mine could wait.” In fact, he wasn’t sure what he was thinking saying he had so much to tell Faith. He did have much to tell her but only a small portion of it felt palatable to share. But no more lies, right? He’d just have to ask Faith how honest they intended to be with each other now. More for Damian’s sake than Faith’s since he’s almost absolutely certain Faith has never lied or kept anything from him their entire friendship.

“I...I know,” Faith’s words were choking on her hurt, beats of silence following her confirmation as she tried to think of something to say. “I knew that they had...that they weren’t here anymore, but I didn’t really think about it.” Out of sight, out of mind. When she was halfway across the world she could ignore it, pretend that Izzy and Maggie were still at Broadripple, taking over her chastity club duties and cheering at Damian’s swim meets. However, now that she was back she had to let go of that wishful thinking. It had become painfully obvious that she had not dealt with her feelings on the matter, as though simply ignoring the problem would mean that they’d be there to greet her when she came back from her travels, because her heart felt as though it was constricting at the very realisation that none of it was true. They were still gone and six months away hadn’t changed that.

Faith liked to think that she knew Damian better than she knew anybody else. Of course there was the small dent in her theory given she had failed to recognise his lies, but she definitely knew when he was faking a smile. She didn’t say anything, she didn’t want to point it out - if he wanted to talk about it he would. What she did do was shift the packages bedding into one hand, her other reaching out to grab his and squeeze tight. It was a simple gesture on that said I’m here, without words. She just wanted him to know that she was there, right there and ready to be the better friend that he deserved.

She let go after a moment, immediately pulling the sheets out of the wrappings and setting to work. “I have missed her. Not as much as I missed you, but a very close second. I do still feel awful about how I spoke to her at mass,” She chewed her lip as she thought of her own awful behaviour. With both sets of parents unaware that the two had fallen out, last time they’d been home Faith had uncharacteristically snapped while declining an invitation to Sunday lunch at the Fitzgerald house (she still cringed at the thought, I said no thank you Mrs Fitzgerald - honestly how ungrateful she must have sounded). "Maybe I should send her some flowers. Oh, or an edible arrangement.” She seemed to have perked up at all the ways that she could send her apologises, because she momentarily stopped slotting the bed sheet into place around Damian’s mattress as she began to babble, “Oh Damian it was so wonderful! We built a new maternity wing for the hospital, and I even got to see some of the babies be born! It was so magical to know that I’d helped them get a better start in life even just a tiny bit. And we did bible study! And some crafting- Oh that reminds me!” She reached into the side pocket of her skirt, pulling out some handwoven bracelets to hold them up to her best friend. “For your birthday! I know it’s not much, and it’s almost nothing compared to usual, but some of the little girls helped me make them.” She still felt horribly guilty that she had missed the day for the first time ever, but perhaps this was the first step towards resolving that.

[faithfullymckay]

lucygson​:

Lucy raised her eyebrows, unsurprised by Faith’s reluctance but still genuinely shocked that she could believe such a stupid prank. She decided she wouldn’t be confessing any time soon. She didn’t understand why people were so horny for confessions, if she told the truth she would only feel more guilty. “Positive. I’ll try my best to bring it back in one piece but no promises.”

It took nearly five whole minutes to haul the cross out the front of the building, undeniably getting some funny looks along the way. She quickly went back to retrieve her art supplies, worried they’d be stolen. Inside she found some brown paint - which didn’t quite match but it would do - and some very old sandpaper. She sat down on the ground outside the cabin and tried to rub away the mark with all her might. The sandpaper started to crumple in her hands when half of it was gone so she resorted to just slathering on a shit ton of paint and hoping for the best. She sat there awkwardly blowing on it so that it would dry and put on another coat of paint. Ten minutes later she was dragging the cross back into the hallway.

At this stage it should come as a shock to nobody at Broadripple that Faith was slightly more gullible than most, especially when it regarded anything to do with her personal beliefs. Of course she would accept that a demon was inhabiting the old crucifix that she had found and attempted to restore, there was nothing logically to refute it when her supposed evidence was right there etched into the wood. And so she nodded at Lucy’s assurance, before quickly scampering off to her room.

Once through the door the blonde couldn’t seem to sit still as she waited for the all clear. First trying to settle onto her bed, she wiggled around for a few moments before she was back on her feet again. She tried cleaning the place up slightly, but the downside to her hyperactivity meant that making her space neat had been the first on her agenda so tidying was limited to moving a few of her knickknacks back and forth into her preferred positions. Finally she settled for pacing until she heard the unmistakable sound of wood being dragged along the cabin floor. Bounding down to the entrance, she hadn’t caught her breath - and had barely allowed Lucy to catch hers - when she asked, “Well? What happened?”

[faithfullymckay]

connyr0​:

of all the words in the world, connor never thought the words ‘oh sister michael didn’t find it, ” would be the ones to strike fear into his heart like they did when faith said them. for the millionth time during this interaction he was at a bit of a loss for words. “ yeah, i’m not sure. everything seems to be a bit backwards here. ” was all he could really muster without revealing that he didn’t quite believe the crucifix in the entrance wouldn’t be all that comforting. he continued moving, leaning it against the wall once it seemed to be the sort of position faith wanted it. “ what else was in the room? ” he asked, keen to talk about – well, just about anything other than the topics they’d already covered. faith and the crucifix, nicknames, whether the crucifix was useful, they were all write-offs.

“They were probably just a little rushed to get it done. It was so nice of them to help fix it up for us coming.” Even if she was currently trying to spruce the place up more, Faith acknowledged that Nightmore’s local had done more than enough. After all, the impression she’d been under was that the cabins were practically inhabitable, so she couldn’t imagine what they had looked like before the volunteers had gotten their hands on them. "I saw a couple of paintings, some old ornaments.Oh and I think there were some rugs in the corner, I was going to see if they could go into the bedrooms,” Apparently she had turned into Mr Kate since setting foot into their new home, “It was pretty dusty in there though.” Her hands on her hips, lips pursed as she looked over the crucifix’s new position. “What do you think?” She asked, turning both her body and attention to Conny, “Maybe it needs to be more central? So everybody can see it right away.”

[faithfullymckay]

nicodigiovanni​:

“A little?” Domenico raised his eyebrows, smiling playfully. “I see that being away hasn’t done anything to your humility.” He grinned again, shifting his balance so that he could get a better grip on the icon of their lord and saviour. “I’m sure that they will love it.” Yeah… of course.

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil…” And then? Well, he didn’t remember the exact quote, but whatever, it’d do for now. “Not to sound overly dramatic, but I think that this camp fits the description pretty well.” He joked. Well… Maybe they weren’t in a valley, but sometimes it did feel like the ‘shadow of death’ was actually there. No biggie, he was sure that he would get accustomed to it. Besides, it was scenic and as a horror movie buff, he could definitely appreciate it.

“So where exactly are we carrying our lord today?” Hopefully not too far. Although he kinda had the impression that it was going to take a while.

“Awesome.” There was perhaps a hint of envy though in his voice, one that he did his best to conceal with a smile. Yep, himself he had never left the States, way too expensive and certainly he wuldn’t have done it play ‘saviour’ even if he could. “Well, you also did have plenty of people that missed you here, you know?” This time the smile was perhaps a bit more genuine. “I’m sure that you had a lot of adventures down there too, am I right?”

“By the way, coming to the bonfire tonight?”

“Well like I said, those kids - the whole village really - they were so happy with so little, it just really made me evaluate how much I take for granted.” That didn’t mean that she wasn’t beyond thankful for her first truly hot shower in half a year, she’d practically leapt into it as soon as she’d gotten back from the airport.

“For thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23, verse 4,” It should come as no surprised that Faith had been able to finish Nico’s forgotten quote. Of course she was unaware that most people were more familiar with the Gangsta’s Paradise version. “I suppose,” She hadn’t really thought of it, she couldn’t deny that the younger boy was perhaps right, “But I believe it is just a challenge, to prove that we have faith in his plan. There are much worse challenges in the scripture, I mean at least we have shelter and each other.” Although even she would admit that the plague of insects and the subsequent move to new land did feel a little biblical.

“The front entrance,” She answer promptly, still cheery despite the weight that rest on her tired arms, “Then everybody can see it, enjoy it.” As if there was anybody that was going to like it’s presence as much as she did. “Oh it was wonderful,” She repeated, already reliving her fond memories, “And we were so lucky to go. Uncle Dave had to pull a few strings, they were just about ready to leave before we showed up.” But that had been dire circumstances, after the odd disappearance of her friends, Mr and Mrs McKay hadn’t been eager for their middle daughter to stay at Broadripple. Not while that was so fresh. "Oh don’t be silly,” She said with a shake of her head, although the small smile that appeared at Nico’s words hardly screamed modesty, “I’m sure nobody even realised I was gone.” She was a little desperate for him to correct her, but that was hardly a sin - who didn’t want to be missed?

She nodded, the smile on her lips growing as she thought about the bonfire. She was going to make sure that it was fun...although as if the crucifix they were currently dragging down to the entrance wasn’t enough proof, Faith had very different tastes to her classmates. “I can’t wait. I really have missed seeing everybody. Who doesn’t love a good campfire?” So long as it was all feel good songs and s’mores, no need for any drinking or ghost stories.

[faithfullymckay]

damianfitz​:

“Never in my life would I ever describe you as that.” The thought of it was abhorrent and honestly superbly unrealistic. Faith? A garbage best friend in any way? Impossible. “I… I have trouble telling people certain things, that’s on me,” is as comfortable as Damian’s gotten when it came to talking about his issues. He couldn’t really stomach explaining it in detail without wanting to fall to his knees and wail so he didn’t. He just hoped it would be enough because it honestly took a lot for him to even say even that much.

Damian wouldn’t describe himself as an emotional person per se – though a lot of people might disagree – but he just couldn’t help himself and teared up just a bit again when he heard the words God made me with you in mind out of Faith’s mouth. After all this time and everything that’s happened, she still believed it. She still believed in them. It was a kindness he didn’t deserve but was utterly grateful for.

“How could I forget?” Damian said with a smile. Though it’s been years, he still didn’t have the heart to tell Faith she may have (read: absolutely have) misconstrued the way Sister Michael meant the phrase. “You have always been the biggest light in my life,” he admitted with a soft chuckle. “I can’t wait for all the things we’ll do.” And he was sure with their time apart, Faith probably already had many ideas in mind.

I don’t deserve you, he thought but didn’t say out loud as he held her. But he was willing to try. He was willing to try and do everything he could to be deserving of Faith’s friendship if she wanted his, despite how dangerous it could be with his innate tendency to want to hide imperfect or ugly things. But he was working on that. He was. It was just something that was easier said than done unfortunately. Though to get this back, his very best friend, his other half, he’d do his absolute best to fight his worst habits and squelch them.

“I have so much to tell you,” he announced when he finally pulled away from the blonde. Because he was sure catch-up was of the highest – well, second highest after a long awaited hug – importance on the undiscussed but understood Damian and Faith reunion itinerary. “But first, would you like to help me fit sheets on my bed?” He referred to the linens he just barely managed to toss on the mattress before Faith launched herself at him. To anyone that might have been strange, but Damian knew Faith would love such an activity. No one found pleasure in home-making activities quite like Faith McKay did and Damian loved that about her even if it meant that he had to subject himself to tasks that were normally well out of his sphere of expertise in the past.

Faith couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the edge of her mouth, comforted by Damian’s words. She had worried. He might have been the one to lie, but she had been the one that had chosen not to forgive him, promised that they could never be torn apart and then ripped them to shreds when she was hurt. Looking back she wasn’t sure that had been fair. Besides, there was something she needed to apologise for. “I’m sorry I left,” She had to swallow down the lump in her throat to continue on, “I shouldn’t have just abandoned you like that. Not with...not with everybody else leaving. Oh Damian, I didn’t even say goodbye.” She couldn’t bring herself to directly talk about Izzy or Maggie, that pain was still too raw, but for months she had felt guilty about leaving her best friend all alone - leaving without telling him just like their other friends had.

It might not have seemed like it recently, what with them not talking and Faith all but renouncing their friendship before she’d left, but she’d never stopped believing in Damian. Not really. She’d been angry, heartbroken, but deep down she knew that he was a good person. That they were meant to be part of each other’s lives.

“And you’re mine.” It was true. Perhaps her best friend wasn’t quite as perky as her, although that might have been for the best, but that didn’t mean that he was her own personal ray of sunshine. She only had to think of Damian, one of the many fun memories they had shared or all of the times he had made her so happy that she felt like she might burst with joy, and her bad days suddenly became good. When she’d missed him, and Broadripple in general, during her mission that was all she’d needed to get her through. And boy had she missed him.

She immediately missed the hug, but she always did and there was so much more on the agenda. Damian was absolutely right, she wanted to know everything she had missed. “I can’t wait!” Her excited words accompanied by her hands clapping together, “And I want to tell you all about Malawi. Oh Damian, it was so wonderful!” As if the impending gossip wasn’t enough to make her want to jump up and down on the spot, her grin practically split her cheeks in two at her friend’s offer. “I thought you’d never ask,” Faith replied happily, her hands already reaching for the discarded packaging, “Diana always had such good taste.”