aperture lets the light in.

wannabe merrockite, lover of life, proud cat dad.

[fionnoconnor]

₊˚⊹♡ fionn o'connor. antique picker at polished brass market. cat dad. taurus. infj.

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[fionnoconnor]

TASK #33 merrock to fionn is starting afresh, and falling in love again. merrock is making a new family, and enjoying what makes him uniquely him. merrock is home.

[xjoellasuh]

“They’re the masters of our universe,” Joella said, laughing. “But they are the only ones I want to rule my life at this point, honestly,” she hummed. “Cats are the only ones that deserve it,” she watched Barry for a moment. “You’re king of the world, aren’t you?” She spoke to the cat. “Give ol’ Leo a run for his money,”

Looking at Fionn again, she turned a bit. “You know how they say our pets reflect us somehow? Yeah, my two biggest attributes. I’m dramatic and I like to eat. They’re literally just my children,” she laughed, before holding her free hand out to Barry to sniff. “Sorry, I don’t have any treats on me today, but next time,” she winked at the cat.

[fionnoconnor]

fionn watched the exchange with a faint smile, arms loosely folded as barry regarded her outstretched hand with all the seriousness of a creature considering a very important decision. “ ah, he'll remember that, ” he said mildly. “ you've made a promise now. ” barry gave her hand a brief, approving sniff before promptly losing interest again, tail flicking as he turned away.

“ king of the world might be a bit modest, actually, ” fionn added. “ i'm fairly certain he's got plans beyond the shop. our neighbours have told me he's been spotted looking in their bins. ”

his gaze drifted back to joella, the hint of amusement still there. “ i’m not sure what it says about me, then, ” he went on, considering it for a moment. “ i’d like to think i’m not quite that difficult to negotiate with. though, i suppose that depends who you ask. ”

[reese-allen]

alle'd spent the better half of the night battling the old clock that kept signalling hours off beat in the attic, completely losing track off time until the first birds started chirping at dawn. at the polished brass market now, not quite sure if this was even the place to go, she clutched a mug of coffee she brought from home and leaned on one of the vintage tables.

she narrowed her eyes, delighted at the sight of the cat winning.

"i've found you can't negotiate with employees. they smell weakness, you know. gotta be ruthless, cut back on milk n' all that."

the clock made its horrific sound again, instant coffee nearly spilling from the mug, and she sighed - looking, tiredly, at fionn. "can you help me fix or kill this thing?"

[fionnoconnor]

“ ...sounds like a true survival strategy. where have you been all my life ?? ” he asked, although his eyes refused to meet barry's at even the thought of delaying milk. his gaze shifted back to her, taking in the coffee, the tiredness, the general air of someone who had been fighting a losing battle for far too long.

“ although i think you might be past negotiation at this stage, ” he said, dry but not unkind. “ with the clock, at least. the cat’s a lost cause entirely at this stage. ”

barry, as if in agreement, flicked his tail and settled more comfortably where he was.

fionn pushed himself away from the counter, moving a little closer to inspect the thing in her hands. “ let's have a look, ” he added, tone softening slightly. “ no promises on miracles, but i can usually tell if something wants fixing…or putting out of its misery. ”

a brief glance back up at her. “ how long's it been tormenting you ?? ”

[nathanxames]

Nathan did stop a few feet away as he approached the counter, not so much because he got concerned. It was just an interesting and yet very familiar scene.

"I wasn't going to say anything," he said when Fionn eventually noticed him, giving the other a smile. "Your, uh, boss? looks unimpressed."

He didn't have any cat. His siblings did though and he had yet to witness any of them winning any arguments against them. Or with the dogs for that matter.

"You need to share your tricks though if you manage to really win the argument. I know a couple of cats that I occasionally need to have a negotiation with."

[fionnoconnor]

fionn glanced toward where barry had perched himself, taking in the distinctly unimpressed look before letting out a soft huff of a laugh. “ ah, yes. management is rarely pleased. ”

he shifted his weight slightly against the counter, the corner of his mouth tugging upward. “ i'd like to say i win the odd argument, ” he added, “ but that would be giving the wrong impression entirely. ” a brief pause, his gaze flicking back to nathan. “ it's less a negotiation and more…learning when to concede gracefully. ”

he gestured vaguely toward the cat. “ he tends to take anything else as a challenge. though if you're looking for advice - ” he tilted his head slightly, tone dry, “ - lower your expectations early. saves a lot of time. us mere humans will never win. ”

[dominicdasilva]

"No?" Dominic questioned, head tilting for a moment as he contemplated just how true that was. It had certainly looked as though he had been from the very moment he'd stepped into the store. "Could have fooled me. Looks like Barry certainly knows who's boss." And it certainly wasn't Fionn in that moment. He took a moment to let that sink in, glancing at a nearby shelf to give the other man a moment. "Should I ask what it was about?" he mused with a light chuckle.

[fionnoconnor]

fionn let out a quiet breath through his nose, something between a sigh and a reluctant laugh. “ ah, he likes to give that impression, ” he said mildly, glancing toward where barry had since made himself scarce. “ although, don't let that cute face fool you. he is a very cutthroat businessman. i like to think i'm the good cop out of us two. ” he rested a hand against the counter, considering the question for a moment longer than strictly necessary. “ i was attempting to explain, ” he went on, “ that the counter is not, in fact, a suitable place for him to sit. particularly when there are more fragile alternatives available. of course, he disagreed. quite firmly, as you might imagine. ”

[elisequinn]

"Aw, let him think people are coming to see him, he's a cute little guy, right?" She craned over to look at the sweet and cute cat in question. Truthfully, she was a bit biased. "He was winning a bit."

She shrugged, looking over at him. "Or you're trying to sell me something that you can't move." Her mouth quirked into a smile. "I'll revisit it after I've looked at everything."

[fionnoconnor]

fionn was still deeply impressed with how his companion always managed to win over everyone's hearts, probably easier than he ever could. “ i'd like to say he's the looks and i'm the brains, but he's two for two. i guess i'm just here to supply the treats. ” and fionn wouldn't change a thing. “ but that's equally as important. ”

“ as if i would do such a thing !! you wound me !! ” fionn placed a hand over his heart, a smile forming on his lips in a self-deprecating manner. of course elise knew him better than most of the regular customers he had the pleasure of meeting. “ i'll be here if you need me, trying to teach the importance of teamwork to a colleague who prefers to be alone, until his presence is bought by food. ” he paused. “ now that i think of it - maybe i should be the one learning from him. ”

[jaceeverett]

Jason's eyes drifted up to the board, the photos of Barry, the hard work that Fionn had put into it… and it took everything in him to not laugh at least a little bit at the sight. Because truly, Barry probably was the employee of each month, until it came to doing the heavy lifting. But he supposed Fionn could still take credit for it, as the owner of Barry. Or keeper of him -- he knew better than to think that animals had owners. It was almost always the other way around.

"Oh, she runs the entire state park with an iron fist, trust me," and the funny thing was, for as much as Jason joked around, he actually did mean it. Ghost had very quickly learned each trail, each twist and turn… who to beg from when she wanted an extra treat or two. Or half a bag. "I'm surprised that the girls up front haven't made her a little uniform yet, to be honest. I'm moving up to park manager in a few weeks, maybe they'll just give her my old job as ranger."

Watching Barry with a small smirk on his face, he shook his head, "I'm sure that every time your manager hears the gently tinkling of two invaluable glass vases knocking into each other because Barry got adventurous, a very real chill runs along their spine." But in all honesty, Jason found it endearing. The cat didn't actually do anything wrong, he made for a good conversation piece… and it was fun, to be honest. "It's the thrill of knowing you're going to have to pay for all of the broken things, isn't it?"

[fionnoconnor]

fionn’s brows lifted slightly at that, something softer settling into his expression. he could believe, and it almost made him feel safer knowing ghost was keeping him safe. “ park manager, is it ?? ” he said. “ that's not nothing. congratulations. Just don't let it get to his head. i've learned the hard way. ” his gaze flicked briefly toward the board again, then back to jason. “ though it does sound like ghost's been doing most of the work already, ” he added, a faint hint of amusement there. “ you might just be making it official. ”

at the mention of the vases, he let out a low hum, glancing toward a particularly fragile shelf as if reconsidering every life choice that had led him here. “ you say that like it's hypothetical, ” he replied. “ i've seen that look. i'm fairly certain it takes years off their life. i'm surprised they haven't wanted to sue me for psychological damages. i must be pretty okay to keep around. ”

a pause. “ and for the record - ” he nodded toward where barry had disappeared, “ - he's yet to actually break anything. ” another beat, just long enough to suggest he didn't entirely trust that streak to hold. he exhaled lightly, leaning back against the counter. “ it's more…a constant, low-level sense of impending financial ruin. ”

[xjoellasuh]

Joella adjusted her bag on her shoulder as she entered the area. She glanced over at Fionn. “Of course,” she smirked. “And I was not expecting your cat to respond back,” she said, before starting to browse.

As a cat mom herself, she always talked nonsensically to Blanche and Lorelai, both of whom would look at her before wandering off. She had a tendency to tell them about her shifts and the latest gossip. It was funny, because after a while they’d come back and demand attention.

“You know the rules,” she said with a hum, holding up one of the items in her hands and studying it. “Where they fits, they sits. Doesn’t matter if it’s a bowl or your face. They’ll put they’re furry butts anywhere,”

[fionnoconnor]

fionn glanced over at her, a faint smile settling in as he followed her line of sight towards the items. “ mm. i've learned that the hard, ” he said. “ there's not a surface in here he hasn't claimed at least once. ”

as if on cue, barry hopped up onto the counter again, settling himself squarely in the middle of a stack of papers. fionn didn't even bother to look surprised, but was thankfully there wasn't a flurry of paperwork scattered around the room. “ you see ?? he's convinced he owns the place.”

his gaze flicked back to her. “ sounds like your two have a similar way of thinking ?? at least they're putting us in our rightful places. ”

[elisequinn]

"Oh please, the best of us have been there," Elise greeted with a wry smile. She wouldn't dare admit that her life was ruled by four cats of her own and she certainly lost most of the arguments, imagined or not.

"You can continue your argument," she said, lifting a small plate that had been put out for display. "I enjoy some eavesdropping with my antique shopping, it makes for a full and interesting day."

[fionnoconnor]

fionn let out a soft huff of a laugh, shaking his head. “ careful now. he'll start expecting an audience if word gets out. ” he leaned his weight back against the counter, his gaze flickering back toward barry briefly, who had already lost interest in the conversation entirely. “ and i wouldn't want to give the impression he's winning, ” he added, as a smile grew on his lips. “ we both know it would go straight to his head. ”

fionn nodded toward the plate in her hands. “ that one has been here for a while. seems to be waiting for the right person. ” a beat. “ maybe that's you. ”

[jaceeverett]

Jason's home was finally starting to feel like home; he was beginning to decorate, which was a foreign concept to him. When he had lived in the camper, 'decorations' had consisted of a few potted plants, some herbs that he had grown in the window, a couple of family photos stuck to the fridge with a magnet. Now, he had a house. With bedrooms. Tables… end tables. And it looked a bit spartan for a long time, until he decided to change it.

But rather than buying brand new junk that wasn't going to last, he had taken to filling his home with old things. Interesting things. Finding old art work, afghans to hang on the backs of his chairs, things that maybe no one else wanted, but Jason did. Which meant another afternoon of browsing that antique store after his shift at the park.

"Mm, no, I heard you," he said without missing a beat as he approached the counter, running a hand back through sandy blonde hair, "that's the problem with your best co-worker also being a pet, they insist on having the last word for some reason. And they never listen. My Ghost is the same way," except Ghost was a husky, and loud, and loved reminding Jason of that. Still, he directed his attention to the cat with a lopsided smile. "Hi, Barry, hope this guy isn't making you work too hard today."

[fionnoconnor]

admittedly, fionn felt a wave of relief at the sight of jason standing in front of him. he was well aware that jason's preferred staff member was barry, even if he had tried to win over the other man's affections with cups of tea.

“ i think being called employee of the month for the last year has really gotten to his head. ” fionn's eyes glanced up at the makeshift board with different photos he had taken of barry in the shop. he was quite pleased with his own hard work, surprised that his manager hadn't asked him to take it down. “ i still need to meet ghost, by the way. i can already tell he's a far better worker than you and i combined. ”

almost as if on cue, a hoarse meow came from barry, who walked away from fionn. the traitor was telling on him. “ that's very interesting coming from the man who nearly broke a mirrror today !! ” and those seven years of bad would surely transfer to fionn. “ i hear talking to your pet is a very healthy way of getting through the day. maybe not having said cat in a room full of expensive antiques. i guess i live on the edge. ”

[a7estrellas]

ANDREW SCOTT attends The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion

[fionnoconnor]

who: fionn & open !!where: polished brass market when: 21 april, in the afternoon

✐ᝰ. fionn lingered near the counter, sorting through a small pile of mismatched items that hadn’t quite found their place yet.

“ i'm just saying, ” he went on, lowering his voice. “ if we're going to coexist as professionals, there has to be a baseline level of mutual respect. i don't come into your - well. everything is technically your domain, but that's beside the point - ”

barry blinked at him - slow, unimpressed, entirely unmoved.

it was then that fionn heard the footsteps of the approaching customer. of course the first customer of the day appeared now. he straightened immediately, hands smoothing down the front of his shirt as though that might undo all of that, and waved...for some reason.

“ ...i was not, ” he added, with forced composure, “ losing an argument with my cat. ”