Vanity

[morganabcudelaire]

Her heart ached as she gazed at her son, shattered by her absence. She fought to control her emotions, clutching her chest in an effort to steady her emotions. Her gentle smile softened her anxious features as she whispered, "I'm not a dream, Gabe."

She understood his incredulity at seeing her before him. "I was never gone, Gabe, but watching you mourn for me… a part of me wondered if it would have been easier," she confessed, her smile fading as she felt the weight of causing her children to suffer without her.

"I'm deeply sorry, Gabe. I couldn't bear to risk causing you and Joey pain," she said earnestly, regret weighing heavily in her voice. "Gabriel, I've longed to be with you." She gently caressed his cheek still, holding him so he could take a good look at her.

"I'm here to stay, and I'll never allow anyone to hurt you ever again, not even myself."

[gabriel-baudelaire]

That's exactly what someone from a dream would say, Gabriel wanted to argue stubbornly, but he couldn't. His mother, someone he thought was dead for so many decades, was alive and well. Well, as alive as a vampire could be. But she was here, standing in front of him, telling him she was always around.

"It would have been easier. You should have been around, for both of us." This argument no longer made any sense. She could apologize to him for as much as she wanted to, but nothing would change the fact that Morgana wasn't there to see her sons grow up. Nothing would change the fact that both Gabe and Joey suffered for so many years.

But none of it mattered. Feeling her caress his cheek was enough for Gabe to break down, tears threatening to appear in the tough big-city-lawyer's eyes. He didn't care, however. "You were dead. Gone." His voice cracked as he ran out of arguments, repeating the same thing over and over again.

There was only so long that Gabe could stand back. Dropping his guard and potentially making a huge mistake, the man stepped forward, wrapping his arms around his mother. It felt surreal, an old dream come true, but her scent was the same, it really was her. And even if this was some wicked set up or a terrifying nightmare, Gabriel didn't care, simply happy to hold his mother for a moment or two.

[werewolfroman]

“Thanks for your keen observation,” Roman remarked as he glared at his brother.  There was so much anger filling the air between the two and Roman didn’t even remember what happened that fractured their relationship.  Yet, Gabriel opened his mouth once and the wolf found himself with his right hand balled into a fist ready to swing it at the younger Baudelaire.  “Not really any of your business Uncle Gabe on how I raise my children.”  As his brother responded there was a slight laugh in disbelief.  “My son is a straight A student who wants to work with NASA.  He doesn’t get in trouble.”  

The next part of Gabriel’s sentence pissed Roman off.  “First shithead, he lives with his mom.  Second, you got something to say about my place?  Not all of us can be rich pricks like yourself.”

[gabriel-baudelaire]

Gabriel was here to do good, he was here, in this town, to potentially amend things with Roman, and yet, as they stood face to face, he couldn't help but bite back, be the same stubborn bastard he always was. The way the other's hand balled into a fist didn't go unnoticed by Gabriel, and yet, he couldn't helpt but smirk. "Down, boy. You don't want to start that." His new strength was still something that Gabe was testing out, and whilst he knew better than to go punching everyone, he still couldn't stay silent. "He's a teenager, and he's your son, he's preset to get into trouble. Besides, it clearly fucking is my business if I'm the one picking him up from the middle of nowhere."

His mom? That didn't make sense. As far as he was aware, Roman and Carina weren't the perfect couple, but they loved each other. It was one of those things that he had once adored about his brother. "You and Carina live apart separately now?" Whilst he should've taken the insults and bitten back, the sheer shock threw Gabe off for a moment or two.

[ignislupinotuumdaemonium]

"And fortunate," Zita adds. She wondered if divorce was in the future. Not that It cared one bit. It couldn't stand being married. It wanted the freedom to do anything & anyone. And he wasn't satisfying enough, to tell the truth. She raised an eyebrow at his smile & cocked her head to the side. "And what do you think he need? The parasite is already gone..."

[gabriel-baudelaire]

"I think you should shut the store down for a little bit. Half an hour, perhaps?" Gabriel offered casually, despite the same prominent smirk on his face. He could spare some of his very expensive time, especially for someone like her. "I promise I'd make it worth every single second."

[morganabcudelaire]

"Indeed," she softly uttered, allowing the weight of each word to permeate the air, embracing the solemn truth and the heavy burden of betrayal that followed.

"I am your mother, Gabe, Gabriel." With tender care, she ran her fingers along his cheek, just as she had in his troubled childhood, soothing him with the same gentle touch that once dried his tears.

"I am your mother," she reiterated. "I was turned into a vampire when I was on the brink of death. I wandered as one for a considerable span of time before I finally felt secure enough to reach out and reconnect with you."

[gabriel-baudelaire]

This wasn't right. He knew his mother was gone, he had grieved her, he had dreamt of seeing her again one day. He spoke to her in his dreams, wishing that there could come a day when he could simply tell her about his day in person. That day never came, and it wasn't bound to happen; so to see her standing here, looking the same as the day he lost her, was surreal.

Gabriel wanted to argue but his words were left stuck in the back of his throat as Morgana's hand went up to his cheek. It felt surreal, getting to experience that painfully familiar touch once more. He had sworn he had forgotten all of it, but as he melted into his mother's touch, almost leaning into it, he was reminded of the memories he didn't know he had.

"You're a dream. This can't be real." He still wasn't willing to face the reality, even if all the signs were there. "I know you're-" And it hurt to say that she had died all those years ago. Here he was, a man over fifty years old, reduced to the mentality of a child who had missed his mom. "You made us believe you were dead."

[morganabcudelaire]

In a quaint, tight-knit town where gossip spread like wildfire, Morgana had mastered the art of hiding in plain sight for many years. However, now she had finally returned, hoping to mend the broken bond with her sons. She was well aware that winning over Roman would be an uphill battle, but she held onto the hope that Gabriel, who had always been her confidant, would be more receptive.

"Morgana Baudelaire," she declared with a touch of vulnerability evident in her voice as she observed Gabriel's initial response. She could perceive the astonishment reflected in his eyes.

"Gabe," she murmured softly, taking in the sight of her son whom she hadn't seen in decades, "how have you been?" She was a ghost from his distant past, and she longed for a chance to bridge the chasm of time and separation between them.

[gabriel-baudelaire]

"No." Was the first thing that came out of Gabriel's mouth as he continued to stare at the woman. She matched his memory of his mother perfectly, down to the same shade of her hair and the sparkle in her eyes. Even the tone the woman used on him made him pause and react in a way he didn't really react anymore, almost made him want to straighten up and stand a little better.

"No. You're not. You're not my mother." That had to be some sick joke. And yet, at the back of his mind, he kept thinking that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't. Weirder things have happened in his life, but to think that the woman standing in front of him was his mother was unbelievable. She was dead, she died a long time ago. She missed him and his brother growing up, she missed seeing them fall apart, and... would any of that had happened if she was around? Would they have been different?

He couldn't think about it. Gabriel simply shook his head, standing still as he watched the woman he craved to know was his mother. "You're not my mother." His tone was a little softer now. "You don't get to approach me like that."

[morganabcudelaire]

Nice to see you again, Gabe. Gabe & Morgana

She felt a pang in her heart as she watched her beloved child growing up so quickly, knowing that she had missed out on so many precious moments. But she understood that this was a difficult situation she needed to confront head-on. When she caught sight of Gabe, a surge of emotion brought tears to her eyes.

"Gabe," she murmured softly. He didn't seem to hear her. "Gabe!" He appeared lost in thought, completely unaware of the approaching car. Without hesitation, she sprinted toward him and pulled him back just in time. If her heart were still beating, it would have been racing, but it remained perfectly still as a vampire.

"Don't do such a thing!" She said, her voice harsh, like a mother's would. "Do you want to get yourself killed!"

@gabriel-baudelaire

[gabriel-baudelaire]

Whoever said that living in a small town was easy was an idiot, and clearly wrong. That was the least that Gabe thought as he attempted to figure out everything he needed in order to open his own practice. It wasn't just that; adapting to different paces, to different experiences was difficult, and if it wasn't for the man being ridiculously stubborn, he knew he would have moved back to NYC almost immediately. But giving up meant hurting his own ego, and Gabriel could never do that.

He was so lost in his own thoughts, already planning on ways he would tell off his assistant that he didn't even realize that someone was calling out his name. Not many people were willing to call him Gabe in the first place, not with his status, and it was certainly one of the reasons he wasn't paying attention. His mind was quickly brought back to reality when someone pulled him back onto the pavement. What made him freeze, however, was the painfully familiar stern voice. It was the kind of voice he only heard briefly in dreams, more like a whisper, something he sometimes doubted was real in the first place.

"Who the hell do you think you-" Gabe was quick to react as he turned around, ready to lash out at the stranger, only to be met by a face he saw in his dreams. Even then, it felt like that face he knew was distorted, messed up by the various memories he could no longer recall properly. Still, the man froze, his own face turning pale as he stared into his mother, just as young as the day he lost her, his mouth open to finish the sentence stuck in his throat.

[ignislupinotuumdaemonium]

Zita chuckled softly at his words with a shake of her head. "Parasite is gone," she joked as she watched her husband walk away from the building through one of the windows. She looked at the male and raised an eyebrow before walking over to the croissants. She picked the biggest one out, placing it in the warmer. "What do you need?"

[gabriel-baudelaire]

"How convenient." For me, Gabriel wanted to add, but he opted to be less of an ass at this time of the day. Besides, he had plenty of opportunities to be a cocky bastard that he struggled to step away from. So when Zita questioned him, Gabe leaned a little against the counter, his charming smile as always present on his face. "I was thinking more along the lines of what you'd need. Time away from parasites, perhaps?"

[justjohnbeckett]

Location ➠ Acacia Heights Country Club Status ➠ Closed to Gabriel (@gabriel-baudelaire)

A sense of the fundamental decencies is parcelled out unequally at birth.

These words of Fitzgerald intrigued John just under a century ago, and somehow stayed in his mind as Acacia Heights was built up, brick by brick. The type of person attracted to membership within his country club were given a great number of things at birth, decencies dead last on the list, although he still met with each one of them in turn, bestowing the welcome all believed they deserved. He moved easily among the morning's golfers, composure forged long ago in the years since he became a vampire, contenting himself with the mingled pique and pride that it was he—a farm boy born to nothing yet destined for the full monty—was the man providing such luxuries.

And speaking of members embracing luxury...

"Good to see you, Gabriel," said John, ignoring the caddie straightening up importantly now with his boss nearby. "I hear you're playing well today. No mulligans yet, I hope."

[gabriel-baudelaire]

Gabriel was still learning the ropes of living in a small town, as weird as it sounded.

He was used to the never-ending chaos, it was part of him, part of his lifestyle. He was used to being able to leave his apartment in the middle of the night and get whatever he wanted. He was used to a city that never slept, not a town that hadn't even gotten up.

Still, the man tried taking up hobbies that he wasn't big on back in New York, even if they were appropriate for his lifestyle. The kind of lifestyle where he could just relax, show off the wealth he had worked hard to obtain, even if he wasn't used to it. Nevertheless, here Gabriel was, trying out golfing, his swing maybe just a little too strong - his abilities after coming into the town still taking time to adjust - when his misery was paused at the sound of someone else approaching.

"John," he nodded his hello at the owner of the place before looking back at where the ball had landed. "Wouldn't call it well yet. I've already broken two of golf clubs I've brought."

[milvimurray]

Milvi was in a way thankful for him scaring him, there was nothing worse than bumping in to somebody. She had it happen to her plenty of times while holding coffee that had spilled a few times on herself, so she wouldn't want to do it to anybody else. "Yeah I guess that being scared is the better option in that case. I'm really sorry about almost walking in to you. I should have been paying more attention."She apologised before nodding her head in reply. "Yeah, I'm okay, just getting confused over my stupid grocery list. I feel like they moved things around since the last time I was here."

[gabriel-baudelaire]

"But you didn't, so you're good. Don't worry." Gabriel assured her. It would have been almost too easy to react negatively and flip out on her, tell her that she somehow almost ruined his expensive suit, but that was no longer him. "Don't they do that, though? To fuck with their customers and to get them to buy random nonsense that they don't need? I would never go down this aisle if they didn't do that." Then again, he wouldn't go into the store in the first place but it was kind of nice to try and make someone else feel better.

[werewolfroman]

Not often did Roman receive visitors on his property without some notification ahead of time, so when he heard the door his dog started going wild jumping up at the door as he barked.  “Get back,” he groaned, trying to ease the dog back.  When he opened the door to see Dario and his younger brother.

Roman opened the screen door, “get inside Dario and go to your room.”  The wolf stated in a stern voice, unsure what was taking place but feeling anger fill his veins.  “Dad, can I,” before the teenager could even say anymore Roman went into a strict father mode, something he has yet to do with his youngest.  “Do not make me say it again, go to your room now.”  While Dario grumbled as he walked inside and went down the hallway, Roman slipped outside onto the deck to speak with Gabriel.

“Do you make it a habit to pick up strange kids?  Because if so, I think I might have to call the cops.”  The man could feel his face turning red.  It had been decades since he last saw his kid brother and the two did not part on good terms.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

[gabriel-baudelaire]

"That's your kid? Isn't he old enough to be your grandchild?" Gabriel asked in disbelief as he observed the conversation between the two. Thirty years of no communication and he couldn't help but be a dick towards his older brother. Bad habits were hard to get rid of, after all , especially when he was perfecting them for so long. Still, rather than simply walking away, Gabe remained there, even taking a step back to face his brother as the other stepped outside. He was here to make amends, kind of, even if it hadn't been the plan for tonight.

"You got a habit of letting your children wander around the streets so late in the evening?" Gabriel queried back, not one to just back away with ease. And whilst he tried his best to approach this in a calm manner, a sarcastic smirk still appeared back on the lawyer's face as he crossed his arms. "I'm keeping who appears to be my nephew outta trouble, dickhead. That's way more than you're clearly doing- then again, if that's where he lives, I don't blame him for hanging out anywhere but here."

[tlj1988]

[ignislupinotuumdaemonium]

It wasn't hard for her to recognize Gabriel by face & voice. She was familiar with most faces in the town. "Me? No," she gasped. She shook her head. "I'm fine. Just a parasite issue." The second part was more so mumbled but it was no shock if he heard it. "Something I can get you this morning?"

[gabriel-baudelaire]

"In this bakery? Better get them out before they impact the bakery - or you." Perhaps Gabriel's statement had more meaning to it than he was willing to admit right now, but the man always enjoyed a decent play of words. In an odd way, it was part of his job anyway. "Maybe a moment of your time? And then a usual croissant would do just fine, too."

[gabriel-baudelaire]

where: Roman's place with: @werewolfroman

Gabriel was trying to do better, trying to be better. Thirty years of the bad choices that brought him fortune and success were difficult to just ignore, but the man was trying. He was trying to actually help others, to stop and listen rather than disregard everyone. He tried to bite his tongue and be less of a dick to total strangers and those who knew him. He was even trying to build decent relationships, rather than ones that lasted a night or benefited only him. Gabriel had a long, difficult road in front of him, but he was trying.

Trying came in small steps, such as stopping in front of a lone kid walking down an empty road in the middle of the night. He couldn't be older than fifteen, and even that was a stretch, but clearly, he had to be up to no good. What teen was just casually out and about innocently, so late at night? Talking the kid into driving him home was almost too easy, and not that much later, Gabriel's Cadillac was pulling into the outskirts of the city, standing out like a sore thumb. After checking if this was definitely the right place - 'better than going home to mom's', according to the kid- Gabriel got out, inspecting the place with plenty of reason to doubt the other's words.

Nevertheless, still wanting to do good, he insisted on walking the kid over to the front door and knocking, wanting to make sure that he was dropping him off with an actual guardian of his, and not some friend to save face. After all, he knew the tricks himself, trusting that even so many years didn't change the classic ways teenagers attempted to get out of trouble.

[ignislupinotuumdaemonium]

open | location: black magic bakery

"Just get the fuck out!" was a predecessor to a medium-sized, silver mixing bowl being thrown. Missing its target, it fell to the floor loudly. Ye Xian & her husband had once again, gotten into a screaming match. It was a challenge who could be the loudest, not who was right, at least not anymore. She never listened & he knew it but that never stopped him from trying. But his persistence annoyed her. Why wouldn't he give up & accept defeat? Whatever wife he knew & loved was long gone. He'd walked out, saying something that went in one ear & out the other. Unfortunately for this occasion, it was in the back of the bakery. With all the stoves & ovens, bowls & plates, baking ingredients, & knives. "Lucky I didn't stab the bastard," she mumbled to herself.

The front bell went off a minute later & Ye Xian groaned to herself. She couldn't have a minute of peace. Walking out, she plastered a smile on her face. Clearly, it was fake. "Welcome in! Hope you weren't waiting here too long." And hopefully, been deaf for the past 30 minutes? "What can I get you?"

[gabriel-baudelaire]

"I'm fine waiting." Not really, but Gabriel was willing to make time for certain people sometimes. Besides, he had some time to himself despite his busy schedule of slowly setting up his own company - minimal, but time nevertheless. The smile on the other's face was obviously fake, but it didn't stop the man from smiling himself, being his usual charming self. "Some of your time, ideally. You look like you're ready to hit someone with something sharp."

[milvimurray]

Milvi was thankful to finally have some time off, she had been covering others shifts and she had felt like she hadn’t had a proper day off for a few weeks, but that wasn’t the case. Safe to say that she was quite tired and instead of catching a few extra hours in bed, she decided to go grocery shopping. She had scribbled down a quick list and made her way from her place to the grocery store, mumbling to herself while looking down at the sticky note she used for the list, making sure that she had gotten everything down and ready when she felt a sudden hand on her shoulder, causing her to let out a quick yelp. “Oh my goodness don’t do that to somebody, especially when they aren’t paying attention!” She raised her voice a little, turning on her heels to find out who had scared her.

[gabriel-baudelaire]

Gabriel didn't often do his shopping; back in New York, he had people who did it for him. Granted, he still had people who did his cleaning, his daily tasks for him, but part of his so-called redemption was stepping down and going back to the basics, and that included ironing his shirts or getting his shopping done every once in a while. Still, all of it was uncommon, and Gabe visibly struggled, much to his annoyance. So, seeing someone equally as lost in their own shopping list was almost a relief - until she came this close to walking right into him. "It's either that or walking right into me, pick your poison." He stated, taking a moment to remind himself to behave. "You good?"

[justaholesir]

HUGH JACKMAN as Drover Faraway Downs (2023) + Australia (2008) dir. Baz Luhrmann