The Elegant Charmer

"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." -Helen Keller

[ariamygawd]

I need to not be a hermit.

[ariamygawd]

But you have to agree to this. A pet is a lot of responsibility, Gar.

[garnetclark]

Is the um, care and keeping of a hermit crab simple?

[ariamygawd]

I need to not be a hermit.

[ariamygawd]

Perfect. Now you have to wean yourself away from this anxiety. And this is why I’m getting a hermit crab. You’re getting one too, because it’s the same one, and we’re going to have pet parties.

I’m kidding. I just think they’re cute.

Sup?

[garnetclark]

Pet parties? Our little hermit crabs can party together?

They are rather cute, I will give you that. Oh, not much, what about you?

[ariamygawd]

I need to not be a hermit.

[ariamygawd]

In the shell? It’s a bit crowded…

[garnetclark]

I’m being kicked out of the hermit shell- the ultimate hermit status.

[ariamygawd]

I need to not be a hermit.

Unless somebody wants to split custody of a hermit crab with me.

[garnetclark]

Ah, I think I'll take up room in that other half.

[phvebetonkin]

[dsicons-deactivated20190723]

[kattarra]

[allisaacc-blog]

[freshgypsy]

Visit Original Link

[garnetclark]

How long can we keep this up?

[derekdeservesbetter]

[garnetclark]

A Series of Drabbles- #2

Note: These are completely of my making and have not been discussed or plotted, they are simple drabbles that have popped into my head, and I just needed an outlet from the feels. If anyone has anyone disagreements or would prefer it to be taken down, that’s fine as well. I’m really just trying to get my feels out, okay?

A twelve-month tour, Rhys had served. And as of yesterday, it had ended. Denise Locker and Garnet stood in the middle of the airport, hundreds of people going past them. His plane was set to arrive at 2:17 PM- it was currently 2:10. Garnet was beginning to become anxious- not because she thought the plane was going to come in late, or there was a delay, but just to see him. The last time Garnet had seen him was three months ago, when he had taken his twenty day R&R, it finally being granted to him after 270 days across the sea.

Denise grabbed Garnet’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “Calm down child,” she smiled, amused by her daughter-in-law’s nervousness. Garnet weakly smiled back, squeezing her hand back. Looking back down at her phone, the time read 2:15. She bit her lip, pulling down on her shirt. Denise clicked her tongue, laughing again as she put an arm on Garnet’s. “Stop that, you’re going to drive yourself mad before he even gets here.” Garnet nodded sheepishly, reddening.

“Flight 1055 has now arrived at Terminal 2A,” the loudspeaker announced, Garnet’s eyes widening, her stomach fluttering a bit. He was here. He was finally home. Over to the terminal they headed, Garnet’s steps a bit faster than normal. She felt sweaty, hot, as if someone had turned up the temperature a few notches. The doors to the terminal opened, but no one came out yet- they still had to be retrieving their items and such. But finally, the quiet noise of the passengers on the plane drifted and became louder as they moved through the terminal. Garnet almost felt as though she could get sick, but her eyes remained locked on the terminal’s gate for Rhys.

And finally, his strong figure emerged from the gate- he was the first person off the plane. His face was twisted, looking all ways for his wife and mother. He was still in his uniform, from the boots to the bag slung on his shoulder. It was different from the last time she had seen him- it wasn’t a rush to cram the nine months he had spent away into twenty days. No, this time he was home. He was finally home. All of Garnet’s nervousness faded away as their eyes locked, and she unconsciously dropped Denise’s hand as her feet carried her towards him. Rhys dropped his bag and took a few steps towards her, Garnet having already got to him. Their bodies slammed together, Rhys picking her up and swinging her as they embraced. “Too long,” she murmured into his ear, her arms draped around his neck. Rhys smiled brightly, kissing her. The crowd of people witnessing the solider and his love reuniting began to clap, clapping for serving his country, clapping for him being safely returned home.

Their moment came to a halt as the initial haze of euphoria cleared a bit, each other’s senses coming back. Rhys blinked a few times, his eyebrows furrowing as he finally picked up something was different. Garnet’s heart nearly stopped as she swallowed the lump that had arose in her throat. His hand slowly, painstakingly slow, trailed down Garnet’s side, resting on her stomach. Her loose shirt hid it for the most part, but once it was detected, there was a small, but unmistakable bump. Garnet’s face flushed, putting her hand on top of his. “Gar…?” Rhys started softly, his eyes wide with surprise. Behind his blue eyes Garnet could see the gears turning, taking in everything- her rounder face, the slight weight gain, and if course, her baby bump. “Three months,” she mumbled, “I’m three months along.” Rhys stared at her incredulously, Garnet praying to dear God he was alright with this. It hadn’t been… planned or anything, it had just happened during his twenty days before he had to go back. She suddenly was hit a week after he left with what she thought was a virus… Until it became almost a regular thing. Finally, after denying it for a some time, Garnet took a pregnancy test. It was positive.

Rhys, who had gone blank for a few moments, looked up to his mother who was standing now only a few steps away, and back to Garnet. Suddenly, a large smile spread across his face. He ran his hand over her swollen stomach gently, before cupping the side of Garnet’s face and kissing her passionately. Her worry dispersed; this was Rhys’ child. Their child. All of the emotions that had been boiling inside of her suddenly erupted into one, happy outlet as she smiled. “We’re having a baby,” Garnet said, kissing him again. Rhys held Garnet’s hand tightly as his mother finally approached them. She smiled, her lip quivering as she tried to remain strong, as she had for all these years. “Look at you Rhys,” Denise started, embracing her son, “Your father would be so proud.” She pulled Garnet into the embrace, the three of them staying like that for a while, almost as if time had stopped to let them enjoy the moment. They pulled away with a laugh as Denise began to comment how her nice home cooked meal for them was going cold.

Rhys slung his bag back over his shoulder, grabbing Garnet’s hand before following his mother to the car. “A baby…” He murmured, a bit dazed by the information. Garnet reddened, nodding. “I don’t know how to be a dad,” Rhys continued softly, his eyes flashing with worry. “And I don’t know how to be a mother. But… We’ll figure it out,” Garnet replied, looking up at her young husband. “You’re… You’re okay, right? With this? I… I should have told you, but I didn’t want… I didn’t want you distracted or anything out there, or if it um, if there had been any complications…” Rhys shook his head, looking down at Garnet. “I want this Gar. I want all of this, I want you, I want our child…” He placed a hand on her bump, “I love you. You’ll be a great mom. I’m just worried about…” Rhys trailed off, his fingers running over Garnet’s stomach. Garnet touched his cheek, drawing his attention. “I love you too. You just don’t see yourself clearly Rhys, you never have. You’ll be… You’ll be great. We’ll both make mistakes, but it happens. It’s okay.” His worry faded away for the time being, his smile returning. Rhys’ eyes sparkled devilishly as he suddenly scooped Garnet into his arms, kissing her once more. “Damn it, I love you,” he laughed against her lips as she hungrily attacked his. Denise was already in the car, smiling at the young couple. “Rhys, you’re gonna make poor Gar starve,” she remarked as the two clambered into the back, “And I’d reckon now she might just be able to match your appetite, eatin’ for two.” Garnet flushed, burying her face into Rhys’ shoulder as they laughed, intertwining his fingers with her’s.

It would only be later that night, after the lasagne was eaten and Rhys and Garnet had long left Denise’s home would they share their first few moments alone. He was finally able to talk about what he had seen, the horrors, the bloodshed, the good men lost in battle. Maybe it was good, having a psychologist as a wife. She knew what to say, what to do, or maybe it was just because she knew how to comfort her love. They laid together that night after both of their tears had dried, just… holding onto each other. Garnet’s hand caressed his skin as his own explored her changing features. Her parents had been long out of the picture, and Rhys was all she had. Garnet and Denise conversely, were the only reasons why Rhys continued to fight for freedom, for safety- to keep them safe, out of harm’s reach. They kept him sane at night, and pushed him on, day after day, thinking of finally coming home. But now there was going to be someone else, someone to keep him home. Rhys and Garnet fell asleep that night, her safely in his arms and his hands on her bump. It was scary, thoughts of the future, but they had each other. It would be alright.

[garnetclark]

A Series of Drabbles- #1

Note: These are completely of my making and have not been discussed or plotted, they are simple drabbles that have popped into my head, and I just needed an outlet from the feels. If anyone has anyone disagreements or would prefer it to be taken down, that’s fine as well.

They come to the spouse first. The spouse before the parents, the spouse before any other next of kin. They come to the spouse first. Garnet sat on the couch, the same soft and worn brown couch that they had purchased a few years back when they had first originally moved in together. She stared straight ahead, unblinkingly, twirling the ring on her left hand. She had already taken off from work, and they were more than understanding. She might not come back the rest of the year. She didn’t know when she could move. If she could breathe. Garnet felt as if someone was suffocating her, slowly stifling her until there was nothing left.

She hadn’t even noticed when the car pulled up last week, to be honest. Sitting at the dining room table, Garnet had one hand on her laptop, typing away furiously while her nose was stuck in book, researching depression in children for her graduate class later that night. He had been gone just over four months, deployed straight into Iraq on his first tour. They wrote to each other, Skyped with each other, utilizing any ways and means of communication between the young couple. Garnet had taken to visiting his mother every Sunday for dinner, chatting and enjoying each other’s company. She knew how it felt, Denise. For him to be halfway across the world.

When there was a knock at the door, Garnet was pulled from her computer after quickly typing away her last thoughts, still holding onto the thick book and the page she had been on. The same book dropped upon opening the door- it was hard not to know why they had come. A week, it had been. A week since the news had come. “The Secretary of the Army has asked me to express his deep regret that your husband, Rhys Locker was killed in action in Iraq on October 14th…” The words still echoed in her head. How their camp had been attacked, bombed, and went up in flames. The bodies that were still in mainly one piece were still being recovered, but everyone at the scene had been declared dead. There was an ongoing investigation into the event, and Rhys was assumed to be dead, his body lost forever in the attack. “The Secretary extends his deepest sympathy to you and your family in your tragic loss.”

It was her birthday today. She was twenty-three as of 8:19 this morning. Not that it was acknowledged. She hadn’t been sleeping. She hadn’t been eating. Just… sitting. By herself. Crying. And crying. Garnet found it nearly hard to believe there were any more tears to cry, but there were. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, she could barely look at Denise Locker without bursting into tears. She had no concept of time, all she knew was… He was gone. Her husband. Her love. Rhys was everything. And just like that—

A knock at the door made Garnet blink, though it didn’t make her move. She wasn’t getting up. She refused. She couldn’t. But the knocking continued, and continued, until Garnet worried it could be an emergency. Slowly getting up, Garnet made a note to get a pain reliever for her aching head after talking to whoever was at the door. Unlocking and opening the door, Garnet squinted from the sudden bright light, rubbing her red eyes and looking down at the ground, waiting for her eyes to adjust. Blinking, Garnet’s eyes registered a pair of dirty boots on her doorstep. Slowly, blankly, her eyes trailed up. Her hazel ones met a pair of familiar blue ones.

“Hi,” He started, and her chest began to ache. Garnet fell to her knees, the tears uncontrollably running down her cheeks. “I can’t do this anymore,” she cried, burying her face into her hands, “I know how this dream ends. I’ve had it every time I fall asleep. Go away. Please. It already hurts so much. Why tease me with delusions? I… I can’t do this. He’s not coming back.” The squeak of his boots told her he had knelt down besides her. “I’m here Gar. I swear,” he murmured softly, “Go ahead. Touch me. I’m real.”

Garnet shakily looked up, every other breath a sob. Why was her mind playing these games? This was all too painful. Taking in the sight before her, she noticed some slight differences from her other dreams. His left arm was in a sling and the side of his face was cut up and bruised. His face was inches from her’s, and she had to disappate this all as soon as possible. The quicker she came back to reality and woke, the quicker she could move on. That was a lie, but it was what Garnet had told herself as she raised her hand and touched his cheek. It was warm.

Her eyes widened, and her other hand frantically flew to the other side of his face. He winced a bit from her grasp on his bruised face, but smiled. “Hi,” he tried again. Garnet began to bawl, throwing her arms around him. “Rhys,” she sobbed, hugging him tightly, afraid if she let go he would disappear. He gave her a one-armed hug, burying his face into the corner of her neck. “God, I’ve missed you,” he choked out, picking her up with ease despite the lack of two arms.

Garnet pressed her forehead to his, tears of happiness now running down her face. “I thought— I thought…” She couldn’t even get the words out. Rhys swallowed, closing his eyes for a moment. “I-… There was a commotion. Outside, back on the street. Me and two other guys ran out to go try to help whatever was going on when—” Rhys broke off, shaking his head. “There was an explosion, and the three of us were buried under the rubble a little ways off from camp, knocked out. They hadn’t known to come look for us… Some random family took us in, dug us out. They felt it was the least they could do for us, after we protected them. We were there… maybe five days I guess? Finally we went back to the camp after we could walk, and… We saw what had happened. They got us medical attention, then sent us on the first plane home after explaining to us what they had told our families..” He trailed off, wiping her tears away with his thumb.

“I’ve already gone to see mama. I thought I’d see her first and explain everything… so I could spend the rest of the day with you…” Rhys tilted her chin up, his own eyes brimming with tears. “Happy birthday, Gar.” He leaned in, and Garnet hungrily sought out his lips, small sobs escaping her. “I love you,” she whispered tearfully, “I love you.” Rhys kissed her again, “I love you too.”

[jennyburton-deactivated20190119]

[builtonhopes-blog]

[zoe-waite]

I thought why not, you know?

[garnetclark]

Why not to France? My… I’m so glad you’ve um, d-decided to go. It will be amazing, I’m sure.

[zoe-waite]

I think I’ve decided to go to France this summer.

…Maybe. Possibly.

[garnetclark]

That's incredible!

[verablake98]