running from my shadow

Mark de la Cruz Security at Baycourt Management Citizen of Harbour Pointe

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Furry Friends | Wayne & Mark

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summermemory‌:

It fills him with a strange kind of pride, knowing he made this newcomer laugh, even though he doesn’t even know his name. As hard as he tries to hide the smile that breaks out across his expression, it’s infectious to Wayne, who responds with a beaming grin of his own that reaches all the way up to his eyes.

“Aw, they’re no trouble at all. Trained ‘em myself, too. They keep the coyotes off my property.” He realizes it probably makes little sense unless he explains, elaborating although he’s already well aware he’s starting to ramble. When it comes to his pets, he just can’t help himself. “My horses get spooked when they hear coyote screams. ‘Specially the mama’s still nursing their babies. Sometimes they get brave and try snatching up my chickens.”

Wayne’s not at all surprised that Caesar’s taken up residency on the sand underneath the stranger’s hand. His dog is pressed up against his jeans, panting away in the summer heat, and the other canines in the shallows have returned to playing now that they’ve decided he isn’t a threat. He’s silently thankful none of them have started getting jealous, although Caesar looks like he’s about ready to go home with the man beside him. “You pet him, so now he’s going to love you forever. I’m Wayne, by the way.”

Everything he says rings true to life, and Mark can feel it in his bones. The howls in the distance. The nickering horses tossing their heads and prancing nervously through the pasture. The way Mark would nervously triple and quadruple check to make sure each chicken was in the henhouse before he closed it up at night.

When was the last time he spoke to his father?

“I guess somebody has to,” he says with a dry chuckle at the comment about the pooch. He kneels down in front of him and gives a more enthusiastic petting.

“Mark. It’s good to meet you, Wayne. You got a farm around here or something?”

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Breaking and Entering || Sage & Mark

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lilwp‌:

“Aw boo” Sage stuck out her bottom lip and poked his cheek with her finger, “Live a little, babe. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Besides,” She began as she pressed the button to the elevator, “It’s not like you have anything to guard. It’s just the two of us, and I locked the door behind me.” A free smoke and a good looking dude. Lady luck was smiling down on her tonight. Now if only she could get him to drink with her, then it’d be a party.

“But, hey, if you really don’t want to then you do you. I can’t say I won’t judge you for being an absolute pussy though.” She said as she stuck out her tongue at him.

When the elevator arrived she led him inside.

She took her arm from around him and leaned against the elevator wall. “It’s your lucky night. I’ve broken in a few times, but I go to other places more often. Abandoned buildings are my favorite but I like to go there with friends, yaknow. But this was pretty spur of the moment so I decided to go somewhere closer.”

Damn, she really liked peer pressure, didn’t she? Like a teenager. Mark had lived through enough school, and the shit that happened in the seedier corners of the entertainment business was enough to put him off giving into things like that for a lifetime.

“There’s better things to do with a pussy than to use it as an insult,” he said as he rolled his eyes, hitting the button to take them toward the roof. “Can’t say I’m surprised you haven’t gotten close enough to one to find out, if you act like this all the time.”

He pulled out his phone to check the time as the elevator brought them smoothly upward. “So no friends tonight, huh? Are you shopping for new ones or just feeling lonely?”

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Ambush || Popuri & Mark

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popurincess‌:

“No! No! You’re not allowed to talk!” Popuri shouted as she pointed at him, “I’m not done yet!”

“You hurt my cousin too much! You hurt her and she isn’t getting better! You broke her heart and it’s still broken! She thinks it’ll be broken forever but I know it won’t. She’ll find someone. Someone a million times better than you! Which won’t be hard. Any man is better than you. You’re the worst man alive! No! The worst man ever!”

“You’re vile. Get out of this city.” She quickly pointed to her side, “You don’t deserve to be in the same city as Muffy!”

Sickness spread through Mark’s gut. After everything he had said to Muffy, everything he’d done to apologize to her, was...was she spreading things about him now? He thought they had an understanding. He thought she knew and forgave him and...

God, maybe he was wrong all along.

“I’ve talked to Muffy,” he said through a choked voice, staring at the ground. “I-I know that...I know how it seemed, but I...”

What should he say when she was right? He was the worst man alive. Every man was better than him. No other man would’ve let what happened to him happen. They would’ve found a way to drag that man down to the pits of hell and keep their girlfriend safe.

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Breaking and Entering || Sage & Mark

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lilwp‌:

“Of course I didn’t break the lock. The only thing I break is hearts, sweetie.” Sage smiled at her absolutely sick quips.

Was she about to go hang with a security guard? A lawman? Maybe not laws this was just a building. A ruleman. He seemed pretty chill. Maybe he was just a ruleman for pay.

“Yeah,” She reached into her bag and pulled out a half full bottle of whiskey, “You drink?”

She let out an over dramatic gasp, “I was about to go to the roof too. What a coincidence.” She actually was going to the roof that wasn’t a lie.

“Guess its a date.” She said as she threw her arm that wasn’t holding the bottle around the man’s shoulder and began walking to the elevator. This turn of events was bound to make her night exponentially more entertaining.

At her quip, Mark fixed his gaze on her, making it clear that it was a very bad pun and that she should be extremely disappointed in herself, but it didn’t seem to make much difference.

“Well, I can’t exactly drink on the job, can I?” Mark drawled as they began walking. Being touched wasn’t really what he’d signed up for, but it didn’t exactly seem like he could stop her at this point. She was practically dragging him toward the elevator, and he wasn’t going to pull away. She could still be dangerous.

He highly doubted it, but...

“Do you do this a lot? Break into the tower? Or is it just my lucky night?”

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Collision || Julia & Mark

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petshopbeauty‌:

“Is that a promise? I’ll sign up right now.”

She leaned in, smiling. Even if it wasn’t a promise, she was going to treat it like so. It was too interesting of a fact about him to pass up the opportunity. Her curiosity was stirring and the need to see him dancing was quickly moving to the top of her list.

“Never be happy might be a stretch, but what girl didn’t dream of getting lifted like that? It was romantic and a sign of trust. It was relationship goals. It still is!”

She laughed. Julia used to often dream of what her own perfect relationship would be like built around trust and romance. Occasionally she still did, but it was no secret to her that it could be years before she found the perfect match she used to think of - her soulmate. Until that time, however, her job and dogs were enough to keep her happy.

“Who knows, it might happen one day.”

“It will.” Mark’s smile only widened. “It totally will. You’ve just gotta keep believing it and hold out for a guy worth your time, yeah?”

The food was gone, and a glance down at his watch told him he didn’t have any time left to waste. A pity, really. This girl, he liked how vivacious and bright she was and how she made him feel like he could take on the world, if he wanted to. Like he could go back to dancing or something.

Just a shame that he wasn’t worth his salt and couldn’t ask for her number or something.

“Hey, uh...I-I’ve gotta run, but...” He looked up at her, clear regret in his eyes. “It, um, I really enjoyed talking to you. You made my day a lot better. And I’m sorry about the food again, like, that was just...awful.”

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Ambush || Popuri & Mark

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popurincess‌:

He was tall. He was big. Popuri had seen pictures of him so she knew he was tall, but in person it registered with her. She stared at him in silence. She was scared. He could easily break her. Maybe she shouldn’t have done this. But, she hadn’t actually really done anything yet. She could still run and get away and never have to deal with this big, scary man ever…

But she thought about Muffy. She thought about all the times she’d called Muffy and she could tell she’d just been crying. About how hopeless Muffy became after he broke her heart. And she got angry.

Popuri felt all her rage come back.

“You’re the worst, you know? You’re the actual worst. You’re a monster! You’re disgusting and you deserve only bad things to happen to you for the rest of your life!” She shouted.

Oh. Oh.

Every word hit him like a blow to the face, and he stared at her with a furrowed brow and...and took it, like he deserved.

Had...the gossip finally started getting around? Had the casting director done what he swore he’d do and rip Mark’s reputation to shreds? Disgusting, the girl said, and Mark winced as if she’d slapped him, looking down at the ground and finding it hard to breathe.

No, he already knew he was disgusting, but...but who else knew? How had it gotten around so quickly that this random anonymous girl knew? In a tabloid, maybe? Some message board online?

“I-I...”

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Beach Bum || Rachel & Mark

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coldbrewbae‌:

Rachel shifted so that she could face Mark better, conversation being much easier when facing one another. The topic of body mods was such an exciting one for Rachel, as she had an entire pinterest board filled with things she wanted to add to her body. 

“Yeah! I always want to get something new whenever I see how nice it looks on someone else!” She laughed at her own vulnerability to nice aesthetics. “I want to get a nose piercing, some more ear piercings, some tattoos… So many fun things~” She could daydream about it all day. “I definitely want a tattoo of peonies, since those are my favorite. I don’t know exactly what I want for the other tattoos, though. I just know I want them!”

Oh, she was definitely an addict now. Mark grinned and glanced down to try and hide it - he didn’t want her to think he was making fun of her or anything.

“You’re gonna end up covered in sleeves and shiny things,” he teased. “Though I can’t think of anything better than that. Always thought about getting my septum pierced, but I don’t think it’d be quite right for my face...”

Did it matter anymore? He could do anything he fucking wanted, and nobody could stop him. Being a security officer wasn’t exactly a job he had to look incredibly clean cut for - and holes healed up, depending on their size.

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Furry Friends | Wayne & Mark

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Even if the stranger in front of him doesn’t know anything about dogs, his willingness to learn about them makes Wayne perk up visibly. All good mood and no trace of concern, he can hear the whine starting to build up in Caesar’s chest, and in an effort to avoid a crying dog he lets his arms slip from his chest. His dog is immediately taking advantage of the opportunity, tail wagging, meandering towards Mark with a bounce in his step before sniffing at his jeans.

“That’s Droolius Caesar, and he’s a Mastiff.” Wayne’s a little embarrassed that his dog is so eager to meet him, trying to shift his furry head under Mark’s hand for pets already. “The husky is Salvador Dogi, the big white one is a Pyrenees, and her name is Rosa Pawks. The one beside her is a Newfoundland, he’s Orville Redenbarker. The Great Dane is Jabba the Mutt, and the St. Bernard is Bilbo Waggins.” 

He doesn’t honestly expect him to remember all these names and breeds, but he’s always talkative when it comes to his dogs, aware at this point that he’s probably rambling and this new person most likely doesn’t care too much about getting to know them. “Brought ‘em all into the world myself. ‘Cept Bilbo and Rosa, they’re rescues. All of ‘em have big personalities, but they’re real obedient, so if they cause you trouble just tell ‘em to get and they should leave you alone.”

Those...names. What the hell.

Mark presses his fist to his lips, trying to hide his smile and snort, but it can’t be helped. He’s always had an expressive face, and it shines through in his eyes. As embarrassingly as they’re named, the dogs all seem happy and eager for attention, and since one of them - Caesar, he recalls - is nosing at his hand and drooling all over the sand, he settles for scratching the top of his head enthusiastically.

“Can I ask why on earth you adopted an entire pack of dogs?” he asks in good humor. “Seems an awful lot to take care of.”

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Activity Check 8/25 - PASSED

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Furry Friends | Wayne & Mark

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Wayne was busy trying to angle his head away from his Mastiff’s kisses when he heard a voice somewhere behind him, turning slightly to face the stranger with a bit of embarrassment present on his features. He knew well the laws regarding dogs kept on leashes in his hometown, but how did he expect them to enjoy themselves if they were tethered to his hand the whole time? If you loved it, set it free.

“Ah– sorry, sorry.” He’s genuinely apologetic about having them run a little wild. Three more dogs– his Husky, Great Pyreness and Newfoundland– have stopped playing in the shallows at this point, watching their owner interact with a new person with curiosity and wariness. Wayne is pushing his Mastiff off his body and onto the sand beside him, but he’s sitting up with his arms around the dog’s chest, a protective barrier to keep him from trying to sniff the newcomer. “I’m just fine, thanks for askin’.”

He feels a little sheepish now, hoping this friendly face isn’t too put-off by his animals roaming free. Wayne knows they must look intimidating grouped together like that, but his dogs are all watching him carefully, waiting for the go-ahead to come in and meet someone new. “They’re real friendly. Well-behaved too. But I can put them back on the leash if they make you nervous.”

Mark...isn’t sure how to respond, really, seeing these enormous and beastly animals all gathered around in the distance watching him. Is there something malicious in their eyes? Or curiosity? “I don’t know anything about dogs,” he confesses, but there isn’t fear or discomfort on his voice. Just a statement of the facts. “As long as they don’t, uh...do anything aggressive or whatever, I guess you don’t need to leash them.”

He thinks briefly of Julia and her two dogs and how they seem to watch her like she put the moon in the sky herself. Warmth spreads through his chest, and he forces it away as quickly as he can.

“What are their names? Their...types?” Was there a better word for it? Probably.

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Furry Friends | Wayne & Mark

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@fcrgottendreams

What better way to spend a summer evening than on the beach, with the ones he loves the most? Wayne had asked for a day off ahead of time specifically for this purpose, dragging all six of his dogs out of his house and into the salty ocean to cool them off. The majority of his dogs were long-haired, and what better way to keep them from overheating than bringing them outside to swim for a few hours?

Even his animals seemed to appreciate it, snapping at passing waves and doggy-paddling through deeper reaches. Wayne kept a close eye on them from the shoreline, sitting comfortably on the drier sands, cowboy hat left behind and the sun beating down on his bare shoulders. Just as he was beginning to relax, letting his eyes slip shut under the sun’s warm rays, he’s pushed back into the sand by a 100 pound Mastiff, practically thrown to the ground under his weight and letting slip an “oof”.

That sound delves into laughter as his boy starts licking at his face, still drenched with seawater and intent on sprawling out on top of Wayne despite it. The mailman doesn’t try to push him off, but he groans under his weight, hand petting through newly shaved fur while muttering “Jesus, Caesar, I should be feedin’ you much less…”

The last thing that Mark expected to see when he came onto his front porch was an entire pack of wild dogs running ragged a dozen feet from his front door. One of them dove on top of a man, vigorously-

No, wait...no assaulting. Licking and loving on him, or something. Did the man know the dog? He didn’t appear to try and shove it away. Maybe so, then - either that or incredibly easy going.

Did...did he know...all the dogs?

With so many questions rushing through his mind, Mark padded through the sand on bare feet, as if he wasn’t wearing jeans that were going to get absolutely filled with granules. “Excuse me, are you okay?”

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Smoke Break || Sebastian & Mark

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runningonjavascript‌:

     “I work with them.” He looked exasperated, taking another drag. “Every time we get done with a big project the team likes to go out and have a few beers to celebrate. I’m just not the social drinking type.” He leaned back, digging his heel into the floor. 

     “I usually don’t go with, but they specifically came here so I could join them.” He wished people would just get the hint that he wanted to be left alone and to go home. “So here I am. What’s your story?”

His story? Oof. How much did he want to share? He took a second too long to reply, still staring at the group inside and hoping that might cover for him.

“I work security downstairs. Awkward hours. About to go in until past midnight, but I got here a little early, so...dinner first, I guess.” He looked at Sebastian with a faint smile. “You’re welcome to ignore them and hang out with me until I’ve gotta head out.”

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Beach Bum || Rachel & Mark

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coldbrewbae‌:

“Oh, that makes sense.” Despite the perfectly scholarly source of Snooki being referenced (Jersey Shore and the reunion season both being a guilty pleasure for Rachel) the words Mark spoke were something to think on. “No, no, you’ve been a big help. I don’t know a lot of people who would know even a little bit about this stuff, so it’s nice!”

“Eh, yeah…” She remembered when she got the piercings done in some tattoo parlor. It had been on a drunken whim with some friends, and the guy was more than happy to get the money and see some boobs. “But no pain, no gain, am I right?” Rachel chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. “Plus, I like em, so it’s fine. I immediately liked how they looked after I got them.”

The last thing he needed to do was suggest that he knew a lot about that stuff, so he let the subject go, instead focusing on making sure he was well covered by the lotion.

“I know that feeling. Thinking about getting something else done sometime. Maybe a tattoo too.” Anything to reinforce the idea that he’d never be getting back into the entertainment business. An empty canvas had a far easier shot getting in than someone who had to have holes and pictures covered up while on screen playing a far less alternative role. “It’s addicting, isn’t it? Do you have something else in mind you want too?”

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Breaking and Entering || Sage & Mark

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lilwp‌:

“Oh. Yeah I picked the lock that’s why it’s not locked anymore.” Sage replied, pointing with her thumb back at the door. “I broke in.”

She hadn’t expected to be caught so quickly. Hopefully he wasn’t going to kick her out that would ruin her whole night. She’d have to go drink in her house or something, which was super boring compared to what she’d planned for tonight.

“Are you like, the security guard or something? Gonna arrest me? Gonna handcuff me, daddy?” She said crossing her arms and smirking. She doubted he would. He didn’t seem too serious about her being here, unless he was too surprised to do his job. Had he never dealt with a break in? Awww was she his first? How cute.

What a...remarkably astounding response. Mark wasn’t even sure how to react to it. He pressed his lips together, thinning them, if only to hold back the temptation to burst out laughing.

Well, she was cocky, he’d give her that.

He made a strangled sound at what she called him - daddy - that was him aborting the laugh that suddenly rushed forward, turning it into a snort as best as he could, then smoothing his face into something flat and emotionless again. “Well. If you haven’t stolen anything, there’s no reason to arrest you, huh? You didn’t break the lock, you just picked it.”

A lazy excuse, and he knew it - but he was curious, interested to see what the hell else she was planning on doing.

“You smoke?” He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. “I was about to go to the roof for my break. Can’t exactly leave you here all by yourself.”

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Activity Check 8/11 - PASSED

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Burn It All || Muffy & Mark

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loveydoveymuffy‌:

•｡ ❀ 𝒜ll of this was almost too much to bear - from the truth unveiling itself to her true colors being revealed, the façade she constructed was collapsing before the eyes of everyone in the restaurant. She was the embodiment of a walking travesty departing to the balcony until the strength she believed in herself to have diminished to weakness - clinging to the railing as her pitiful tears continued to fall, much like she was.

𝓜uffy had never expected Mark to catch her when she fell again; yet, contrary to her belief, here she was in his arms - held in the touch she used to crave so much after he had left. Within that moment, it was almost as if nothing had changed between the two of them - except for that the fairytale she dreamed of with this man would never come true. For everything had changed.

“𝓑ut you were everything to me.” Muffy raised her head from his damp shirt, lifting her gaze to look into his melancholic eyes - peering through the window to the despair that has haunted him for the past three years. And she had casted a blind eye to it. “You were all I needed - all that I wanted. Did you not see that?” 

𝒯o say that she stopped loving him would be a blatant lie - he will forever have a place in her heart… but could she say the same for him after everything she had said and done to him?

“𝒫lease… do not be sorry. It wasn’t your fault - it was his fault. You… never deserved that.” It was easier said than done - she would know - but the distraught young woman hoped that he could hear the sincerity in her voice.

Did she feel guilty? No, he couldn’t let her feel that way. He couldn’t let that man win by controlling her emotions even this far out of the game. Mark’s emotions? He’d accept that. He knew now that he was weak - he hadn’t been able to fight for Muffy, much less himself. He was filth in the eyes of so much of the world. He deserved to feel like shit. Not her.

“You and me both know you deserved more than me,” he said softly - a whisper. “You had a career ahead of you. You had friends to take care of you. You couldn’t just...just wrap your life around me and my failures, sweetheart.” An old endearment. He regretted it the second he said it, pinching his lips thin to try and hold back his apology. She was still sweet - why should he take it back? “I was blacklisted. I couldn’t let that happen to you. Not when you had so much you were dreaming of.”

He didn’t let her go. He held her still, trying to feed his own strength into her, even if it left himself exhausted in exchange. She deserved it.

Even if she was wrong about it being his fault. He’d always carry the guilt for the fact that he hadn’t done more - that something about himself had made him seem like easy prey for the casting agent. It had been his own failing - and he knew it.

“It’s past. It’s over and done with. I just...needed you to know it wasn’t you who did something wrong. Never you. It was me. Please never think you did something wrong.”

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Ambush || Popuri & Mark

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popurincess‌:

Popuri was getting used to the city. She was able to walk around a few familiar areas by herself without getting lost. She’d gotten take out from a local restaurant and was heading back to Baycourt. She could’ve gotten something in Baycourt but that’s eating the same thing over and over and super boring.

She noticed someone as she walked. Was that? She recognized him. Mark. The jerkface who broke Muffy’s heart. Who made her cry. Who made her hopeless about love.

Popuri felt her body fill with rage. She stomped up to him. “Are you, Mark?” She needed to make sure before she started ripping into him.

Glaring down at him, she crossed her arms and tapped her foot waiting for the answer.

Being pursued in the middle of the sidewalk was something Mark was...mildly familiar with. He’d been in theater. He’d been in commercials. He’d been on a damn pilot, for God’s sake. Whether he liked it or not, his face had some staying power, no matter how long he stayed out of the industry.

But something about the angry girl above him gave him pause. He hesitated, slowly standing up from tying his shoes. Had he done something recently to offend someone? Said something upsetting? He couldn’t imagine. It had to be a mistake.

Mark was a common name, right?

“I am,” he said hesitantly. “Why?”