petals ground between gears

part of Icaria rpg. Sebastian's blog is here.

[gearsandvines]

latinoblood‌:

“That’s very noble.”

The demigod helped the way that he could charity institutions, he donated as much as he could to them. He still had the money from when he used to be a boxer, and he gained a lot, because he got popular really fast. He saved the money and just spent it when there was an emergency, or when it was a holiday, and he helped different charities, by donating a good amount of money for them. He was someone that enjoyed helping people, there was a reason why he became a firefighter and that was why, so he could make a difference.

“Getting drunk sure helped me a lot to go through some situations, so I can’t exactly blame you for doing the same.”

“Why’re you here talking to me instead of enjoying the party?”

The words were definitely rude, but Micah wasn’t in the habit of caring about how he came off to other people. He was the way that he was, and people were going to react to his bluntness in whatever way that they wanted to. Some people took it better than others and the drunkenness was definitely not helping his tolerance for the strangers all around him. Eduardo seemed nice enough; he was wondering what the guy was doing here instead of enjoying his night with the rest of them.

[gearsandvines]

reiignes‌:

—  FOR a second, reigne regretted her choice of footwear for the night, the thin structure of stilettos hindering her from speed walking. the sound of his seat scraping against the floor signaling that he had gotten up, caused her to squeal as she tried to gain distance, holding in a fit of giggles. she knew the possible consequences of what she had done but also considered that the pros outweighed the cons, only doing so with the best of intentions for him. “okay, okay, wait a minute,” opting to shield herself behind a chair, giving up on the idea that she’d be able to run away, “before you throw me across the continent, can you at least give it a shot?” mustering up her best pleading eyes as she concealed a mischievous smile, “and if turns out to be as bad as you think it is, then i will personally leave you alone for the next three business days.”

“...I will stay,”

He acquiesced after a moment, eyeing her with nothing but pure exasperation written all over his face. It was only the knowledge that she’d had good intentions that kept him from simply walking out the door and back to the comfortable isolation of his apartment. That and the fact that the auction was for charity- he wasn’t a complete jerk. Not enough of one to walk out on something that was for a good cause if they were depending on the revenue they’d get from his participation. But Reigne... Reigne had to be punished somehow. And as he eyed the space over her head, he had the perfect way to do it.

Micah ducked and wrapped his arms around her waist, hauling her up off the floor and over his shoulder. He might not have been fast, but he was definitely strong after a lifetime of manual labor.

[gearsandvines]

luciferpens‌:

Jasmine couldn’t help herself. She never really could. When she saw someone looking down or uncomfortable it became her life mission to try and help them. So, she grabbed a plate of yummy finger food, placed on her sweetest smile and made her way over to Micah. “Hello!” she said with her trademark happy cheer, “Want a snack?” she offered before taking a seat nearby the man, the plate of food balanced on her fingertips.

Even over the din of the room and the music the DJ was playing at far too high of a volume, he could hear the chipper tone in her voice. Micah wasn’t too great at handling happy people even at the best of times- his generally short answers and blunt nature tended to come off as rude to them, meaning any attempt at interaction was doomed to fail. And this was absolutely not the best of times. 

“Nope.” He said, the harsh tone of voice softened a bit by the truly staggering amount of wine he’d had to drink.

[gearsandvines]

latinoblood‌:

The auction, he completely forgot about it, he didn’t think that he would be part of it, even if he was single.

He can’t imagine him doing something like that, because he was always a very shy guy, even if it may not seem like, he was really shy in some situations, and that would definitely be one of them, “She signed you up for it without you telling her that she could do it?” he asked him, he would be upset with his friends if they did something like that, and would still not be part of it, “I think that if you don’t want to do it, you’re still not obligated to do it though,” he pointed out, “But if the money is going to charity, you should be part of it, as it will be for a good cause and all that.”

“S’why i’m still here.”

Micah momentarily shoved himself up from his chair long enough to snag a wine glass from a passing waiter, eager to make even more headway into forgetting the night completely. As someone who drank on a pretty regular basis, it was going to take a lot more than some glasses of fancy wine to get him there, but damned if he wasn’t trying. It was all he felt like he could do at this point, at least until the organizers announced that the auction was starting and that he was needed onstage. With any luck, no one would bid on him and he could go home the instant it was over.

“Hopefully I get drunk enough to forget the whole thing.”

[gearsandvines]

tcthestarss‌:

He looked so miserable. Hero was curious as to why he came if he didn’t seem to be having any fun. There was a part of her that told herself to keep away and to not bother him. Yet there was another part that wanted to check on him. “Hey,” she mused softly, giving a gentle smile to the masked stranger. “I was wondering if you’d like to share some of these desserts with me? I accidentally added too much that I thought I could handle.” Thinking it through, the daughter of Calliope added, “We don’t… have to talk if you don’t want to. I just wanted to see. I heard that the brownies are really good.”

A girl stopping in front of him with a plate of deserts and a soft smile was really not the outcome he was expecting for his brooding session. Micah was used to most people leaving him the hell alone when he got like this, with only a few notable exceptions. He didn’t recognize the girl in her mask, which meant absolutely nothing- odds were, he wouldn’t have been any more thrilled to see her if he did know who she was. But he wasn’t in the business of being a jerk with no reason and she’d obviously come over to try and do something nice for the guy who looked like he wished he could vanish into thin air.

After a moment or two of staring at her, he cocked his head to the chair beside him, giving his silent permission for her to take a seat next to him. 

“Thanks.”

[gearsandvines]

latinoblood‌:

That clearly answered his question, but what confused him, was why he was there if he didn’t enjoy parties, did his partner drag him there? Or maybe just a friend that didn’t want to go alone. Either way, he thought that he shouldn’t be there if he didn’t enjoy it, “Why did you decide to come?” he asked, his tone was not a snarky or rude one, and he made sure that the other would notice that he wasn’t trying to be hostile, he was just asked why he was there, if he didn’t like it. He would have gone too, if he didn’t, if his girlfriend insisted him to.

“My... acquaintance,” He started, unwilling to call her a friend in this exact moment. “Insisted I come. Turns out she signed me up for the auction.”

And that should have been enough to make him walk out of the ballroom and never look back, consequences for bailing on the auction be damned. But it was supposed to be for charity, and damned if he wouldn’t feel awful for backing out of something like that. Micah could put up with one night of awkwardness with whoever was unlucky enough to win him in the bidding if it was for a good cause, but what he really resented was the choice to do so being taken away from him. So here he was, wallowing in his anger and annoyance, with an empty wine glass.

[gearsandvines]

reiignes‌:

— BROWN orbs widened though she did not receive the action with any aggression and instead, a continued challenge. “micah, cuidado. i’d like to keep my hand, if you don’t mind,” an exaggerated tone evident, pulling her wrist away. a variety of possible scenarios flashed as she thought about what to say next and in a rushed tone, “don’t worry about it so much, i just entered your name for the auction- no big deal. prepare a line or two in case they make you say something, okay? alright, i gotta go, um, get more drunk or something,” hoping that she had said it quite fast enough to not leave any room for protests before getting up in hopes to make a beeline for the drinks.

She- She didn’t. She wouldn’t.

“You-”

But as soon as he thought those words, he knew for a fact that they weren’t true. Reigne very much would. She was very dedicated to making sure he got out, met new people, and spent time with things that didn’t have screw or metal plating. Usually he begrudgingly appreciated that about her: most people had balked at his personality by now, realizing well before this point that he wasn’t about to melt into a cuddly teddy bear the instant they showed him kindness. But this was something different entirely from her morning knocks on his door.

“Get back here,” Micah all but growled, heaving himself up from the chair as fast as he could manage. Reigne was usually much faster than he was, but there were people in the way and this time he had a score to settle.

[gearsandvines]

reiignes‌:

— AT this point in their friendship, reigne was used to all of micah’s retorts and protests that they would go over her head every time. she was still respectful of their boundaries but always challenged how far she can press his buttons. “you’ll find out soon enough, mi amor,” and as a way to reassure him and make him stay long enough for the actual auction to begin, she added, “and after that, you get to go back to working on your project,” of course, she knew that this may not be the case but she also knew she had to say whatever she had to. she continued to fix some pleats on his shirt, discreetly making sure that he would be nothing but the best for his stage time.

He squinted at her in confusion as she fussed over him, smoothing out the shirt he’d worn for the evening. Reigne wasn’t usually that concerned with how he looked in public as long as he was at least somewhat clean and decent. Micah thought he’d hit both of those points tonight, so her attention was a little strange. And there was what she’d said- ‘He’d find out soon enough.’ Like there was something that she’d planned for later that she wasn’t telling him. He began to get a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and he reached out to grab ahold of her hand.

“Reigne. What did you do?”

[gearsandvines]

reiignes‌:

— HER hopes of recognizing a familiar face as she scanned the room were about to get disappointed but as soon as reigne’s eyes landed on micah, a laugh escaping her lips followed, excitement out of mischief bubbled inside her knowing she had entered him into the auction without his knowledge. the light pink satin of her dress flowed as her heels immediately trotted over to the corner where he was sat, “you ready for the auction?” she hinted with the same mischievous smile, straightening out the fabric of his shirt that rested on his shoulder.

“Why am I even here?” He deadpanned, taking a rather large sip from his glass of wine. Reigne looked wonderful in her dress and Micah raised his eyebrows at her appearance, the only acknowledgement of how good she looked that she’d get. He was too annoyed at the whole situation to extend any sort of olive branch. “You said I absolutely had to show up, but there’s nothing here.” He didn’t care about the auction in the slightest and she had to know that. It was odd that she’d ask him about it.

[gearsandvines]

latinoblood‌:

Food, booze, and music, was an amazing combination, which was exactly why, he always loved parties. He used to spend so long at night clubs before he started to date Hero, he still went to them sometimes, but not alone of course. Whenever he went, he went with his girlfriend, not because she didn’t let him, but because he wanted to go with her, he didn’t think was fun without her. He was having a good time at the masquerade, but he noticed someone that didn’t seem to share the same sentiment, “Not a fan of parties?”

Looking up at the masked man standing in front of him, Micah grimaced and raised the glass of wine to his lips. He knocked it back like it was a shot of whiskey, clinking the edge of the glass against the cheap, plastic dollar store mask he’d worn for the evening. The only way he was going to get through this was being rip-roaring drunk, so drunk that he could blink and wake up in his own bed the next morning without any memory of the previous night. He’d been informed that someone had entered him in the auction without his knowledge, the final nail in the coffin.

“If you have any mercy, you’ll kill me.”

He was only half-joking.

[gearsandvines]

He didn’t even know why he was here, honestly- Micah wasn’t the partying type, and large crowds of people made him uncomfortable. But there he was, sitting in the corner of the ballroom in his cleanest shirt and the shoes he wore when he needed to meet clients in person, clutching a glass of wine like it was his only lifeline to the outside world. Anyone would be able to tell he was uncomfortable being there just by looking at him, shifting uncomfortably in his seat and grumbling to himself.

[melrosec]

It felt so Count of Monte Cristo, so Phantom of the Opera, so 90s masquerade romantic movie, that Melrose was thoroughly enjoying himself. There was a kind of freedom with the mask; somehow, it felt like it gave him permission to be more ‘out there’ and start conversations and meet people when usually he’d stick with the people he knew, or wait until someone said something to him. Tonight, he was going to have fun. And fun just meant saying hello to absolutely everyone.

And fun also meant: changing his voice to an American accent.

“Absolutely amazing, isn’t it? Absolutely marvellous!” Okay, so even with the accent change he was still very much himself. “Did you know, masquerade balls actually began as a Carnival season for Christians in the middle ages. It would be a party they’d hold before their fasting season, and the word 'carnival’ is actually derived from the Latin 'carne vale’ which means 'farewell to meat’. Fascinating!”

( @icariastarters​ / event starter / open to all !! )

[gearsandvines]

Parties such as this were absolutely not Micah’s scene- nothing in him wanted to be at a large gathering of people such as this, seated at a table in the corner with absolutely no intention of rising from his chair for the rest of the night. There were better things he could be doing with his time than watching his fellow demigods get drunk and realize how free they felt with their faces obscured. A prime example of it was in front of him now, chattering excitedly about the origins of the party.

A very familiar, though strange, voice was coming from underneath the mask and he squinted behind his own, studying the form in front of him.

“...Melrose?” The man asked, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. The form in front of him absolutely looked like Melrose, and the words certainly belonged to his friend: such informative word-vomit really couldn’t be coming from anyone else that he knew. But that accent was nothing he’d ever heard come from the bookstore owner and he squinted, wondering exactly how much the man’d had to drink.

[gearsandvines]

melrosec‌:

Melrose fought a smile at the short glare that was shot his way, not at all fazed by it, though he allowed himself to show a little apologetic smile when Micah cleaned his hands. 

“Oh, I was just thinking we could catch up. Would you mind if I walked with you to your apartment, at least? Give this the whole test drive,” he said, patting the handles of the bike. “And then I’ll leave you afterwards. I ought to get back to my work as well but…we’ve both been terribly busy the past few weeks and…I dunno, I feel like there’s much to talk about. What with the island getting a lot of new people, I’ve been wondering what’s going on out there.”

There was little harm in indulging the other man, Micah supposed- he was heading home anyway, and while he’d never say it aloud or to himself, Melrose’s company could be almost pleasant most of the time. The handyman gathered up his tools and fell into step beside the other man, indicating his agreement to the idea with a slight nod of his head.

“Too many new people,” He grumbled, shoving his free hand in his pocket.

Besides; he had something he needed to get off his workbench. It’d been a month since he started working on it and he wasn’t really sure what else he could do for the project, other than give it to his intended owner. It’d been an interesting idea that Melrose had floated past him once upon a time, one that had born productive fruit.

[gearsandvines]

reiignes‌:

— “YOU see, the sun’s already doing you so well,” Reigne teased, short brown locks flopping about as she continued to stroll down in the same bouncy manner and admitted, “full disclosure, I have no idea where I’m going.” Though she’s had her fair share of adventures around the island, it seems as though it finds a way to make new paths every day. Normally, the young woman would be extra cautious when going on walks in unfamiliar territories but that was not the case today as she felt completely safe with her companion. “I would race you but we both know I’ll win,” she teased once more, a slight tinge of desire to have real competition brewing inside. “Anyway, what project were you working on that’s got you all cooped up indoors?”

”I think if we keep heading this way, we’ll hit the cliff above the beach.”

If Micah had been in a better mood, he might have sped up a little, just to tease her with the prospect of the race she so clearly wanted. The one and only time he’d indulged her, she’d blown him completely out of the water- the expected result, of course, given that he spent most of his time moving only his hands for hours on end.

“A pneumatic book re-shelving system for a library.”

It was an interesting idea, books that could sort themselves into their places automatically without librarian interference. Micah was only one of the designers competing to win the contract, so his sketches were preliminary and rough, but he was fairly convinced he could get it done with few structural changes to the building, which was always a bonus.

[gearsandvines]

elainhughes‌:

“Six sides, more room for plant boxes!” Elain raised her eyebrows in hope. She thought about how it may have seemed like a stupid idea to the man who was helping her, but his smile made hers grow. “Perfect! So, how do we get started?”

“Hm. Gotta draw a blueprint first. Have to order more materials too, only have enough for this one,”

He gestured around him, eyes roving over the sheets of glass waiting to be hung in place one he was finished securing the frame. There was a pile of plywood resting next to them and he pursed his lips as he stared at them.

“You can start making the plant boxes now, if you want,” Micah allowed, gesturing to the wood.

[hiqhflying]

pouring himself a glass of wine and raising it to his lips, matthias turned his icy blue eyes back to micah. karine was in bed at home, her nanny available if she woke up and needed something. “so, how’s it going?” he asked, nodding to the work-in-progress dollhouse that was sitting behind micah. “did you figure out that garage door?”  /  @gearsandvines​

[gearsandvines]

Crouched on the floor next to the playhouse, Micah motioned for Matthias to come closer. It had taken a tricky bit of finagling to hide the wires needed for the automatic garage door, and the trigger for the opening and closing of the door was even worse. He’d finally rigged it perfectly though, and silently the young man pressed down on one of the plastic plants standing decoratively in front of the house. The pressure plate he’d placed underneath sprang to life, and the door opened with a quiet whirring.

[gearsandvines]

reiignes‌:

— “UGH,” she groaned as a response to his question, “yes, you do.” Reigne had already expected her companion to protest one way or another so she was ready to block any sort of argument. Had this been any other person, she would not feel comfortable at all simply barging in like this but Micah was different, and Reigne could not be any more grateful for that.

“Hmm, I’m thinking we go…” she began already out the door with energy bursting through the seams, turning in all directions to see the various paths they could go to, “this way,” finally pointing away from the city center. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she linked her arm with his, “Vamos.”

Micah changed quickly, not bothering with things like privacy or modesty in the face of this intrusion upon his life. He knew from experience that if he dragged his feet, Reigne would have absolutely no problem with taking his tools and holding them hostage or threatening to steal whatever he was working on until he took a break. He absolutely didn’t understand her insistence on getting him up and out of the house; he didn’t even understand why she continued to pester him in the first place. It was a mystery he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to fully solve.

Arm stiff and solid in her grasp, the architect allowed her to pull him away from the apartment building with a sigh. It was best to indulge her now, rather than risk her interfering later, during a more crucial time crunch. The bright light outside made his eyes sting and he squinted in annoyance at her chosen direction, mentally running through all of the options for where she was taking him.