courage, dear heart

HARPER SATO she/they | 25 | cape may ❝ i myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions. ❞

[grayscollins]

Darling @harpersato, For the inevitable moment when you feel peck-ish but cannot possibly be bothered to get a full meal. The best part is, the snacks are yours and yours only. There will be no one to fight you for the rights to the last crunchie (though I wouldn't mind indulging in a piece of the mars bar.)

The second gift? Felt suitable. Do not ask how much it was, it doesn't matter.

To another rotation around the sun, happy birthday to my anchor.

Love, Gray

[harpersato]

[harpersato]

Happy Birthday Harper.

Enjoy your day off. Thanks for all you do.

xx - lucy.

[harpersato]

obligatory bday thirst-trap, feat. comments from @grayscollins + @brodiesato

[lilycarvalho]

where: Lily's Estate in Cape May Point with: @harpersato

L: Where are you right at this moment? H: pacing my apartment. L: Why? H: you know all those times you offered to help me find decent clothes and makeup and i politely but repeatedly declined? welllll i sort of maybe need your help finding a birthday outfit that'll make certain eyes fall out. L: *drops pinned location* H: are you in Cape May????? L: Guilty as charged, see you soon. (:

Truthfully, Lily would have told Harper sooner that she'd landed for the summer in Cape May but after all their texting tag, she felt this method was just too fun to give up. It'd been a while since she'd sequestered in the quaint beach town in New Jersey, usually she'd opt to go to the Hampton's, or even somewhere out West, but the Cape was more for business rather then leisure. She turned to face the massive walk-in closet that was some key things, mainly a small chunk of her wardrobe. As she hung things up little by little, she heard the doorbell ringing and her staff were diligent to greet Harper who she could hear from the foyer. Lily walked over to the alcove of her spiral staircase, eyes locking with the woman with glee. "Bet you thought I was somewhere in Bali huh?"

[harpersato]

Upon learning that Lily was not only back in the country but in Cape May, Harper practically sprinted to meet her, though not before briefly stopping at Bella Vida and grabbing an assortment of fresh pastries. It had only been seconds after ringing the doorbell that they were greeted by a group of her staff members, all of whom had been quick to extend a series of cheery and cordial welcomes, a sign as indicative as any that they had indeed arrived at the correct place. Not one to show up empty-handed, they began shuffling through the contents of one of the paper bags, offering a pastry and a smile to each of the staff members who greeted them. They had been quick to decline, but Harper was nothing if not insistent, and by the time Lily called down to her, the group had been making lively conversation over blueberry scones and hazelnut croissants. “Babe, if I tried to keep tabs on your whereabouts, I’d be in a constant state of vertigo,” they quipped, bidding farewell to the group of staff before bouncing up the staircase and wrapping their friend in a long and tight embrace – a Harper hug, as others in their circle had dubbed it. After exchanging their usual long-winded pleasantries, Harper eventually followed Lily into the walk-in, eyes widening at the sight of clothing laid out upon the island. A far cry from the limited contents of their wardrobe, and Harper realized the enormity of the task before them. But if Lily was willing, they would be, too. Besides, this was important; as their friend had repeatedly mentioned, you only turn 25 once. “So, where do we begin? The dresses? The shoes? The oversized t-shirt and vintage high-top sneakers you’re keeping hidden from me?”

[hopperjane]

I used to have all the answers, but now I don’t…I don’t know anything at all. That’s called growing up, kid.

[harpersato]

@brodiesato

[drummerjimmyblaze]

Watching Harper, Jimmy nodded and then sat down on the couch. He watched as they walked to Brodie's room and went inside. Keeping an eye on the doorway, Jimmy leaned back and rubbed his temples. He knew what happened at the carnival, heck he was there and tried to calm Brodie down at the time. But Jimmy didn't understand what Harper and Brodie were going through, he and his sisters were close and never had anything like this happen with them.

After a few minutes he heard footsteps and snapped back to the present. Getting up and jamming his hands into the pockets of his jeans, he watched as Harper made their way back into the living room. "You don't owe me anything" he shook his head and continued, "and of course I'll keep an eye on him. Always." He said with a small smile. "

[harpersato]

Shuffling the belongings within their arms, Harper paused to take a final glance at the apartment, refraining from their desire to wax sentimental about all the memories this space contained. They didn’t know when they might be back again, and what the circumstances of their return might entail. She had hoped all of this would lead to a positive outcome, but, in recent days, had started anticipating the alternative, knowing all of this was very unprecedented territory. “You and Johnny stay out of trouble, too! Don’t think I don’t know what goes on with you bartenders after-hours,” Responding with a smirk, they started towards the entrance of the apartment, though not before placing a quick kiss to Jimmy's cheek in farewell, before exiting towards the front door with a wave. "See you around, Jimbo."

END.

[grayscollins]

In the deepest depths of his heart, he knew that could go on and remain in the perfect utopian bubble he had built with Harper. They could forgo the conversation, focus on his grand acts of gifting and service because in truth he had wanted to win his favor back into Harper's good graces after thinking he'd been in the bad parts of them. But now, he couldn't help but feel the same pit that he'd felt since the night of the fight, while battling with the urge to just stay close, every voice in his head screaming at him to not pop the bubble. But knowing that Harper was not a one-off, knowing that there was a very real sentiment that she was it for him, he had to trudge through the uncomfortable, despite knowing they were trying to move the conversation along.

"Can we sit?" Grayson asked, chuckling still at their sentiment with a longing sigh. Once they were able to, Grayson focused on their intertwined hands and stood firm in his decision to parry the conversation back to where it needed to be. "About the note, Harper," He began. "I just wanted to give you my apologies. You deserve that, and I can't not give it to you because I should have walked away, and no matter how much of an absolute twatbag he might be, he's still your brother. And I know how important he is to you." He continued, digging through her pocket to find a newly reconstructed bracelet. It was missing quite a few of the original beads but it was nothing that he couldn't improvise. "Juno sniffed around the sites and led me to these fragments. I figured eventually someday you might want them back."

He sat with the stillness of the moment and pushed forward once more. "Harper, there's going to be quite a few obstacles we'll have to face going forward if we continue to choose each other. And it'll be hard and I can toughen up to roll with the punches, but the last thing I want is for you to be in the crossfire of anything that might be tailored to just associating with me." He looked over to her then, gently caressed her face as he said, "I'd be mad not to choose you, so I will stay utterly mad in being with you. I don't care about titles, I don't care about semantics, I just care about you."

[harpersato]

Under most circumstances, Harper would find themselves unsettled in moments of silence, wanting to fill the space with their usual commentary or quaint observations. Anything to minimize the forthcoming tension, or avoid a topic of conversation they just weren’t ready for. But there was none of that here. At least not with him, not tonight. That wasn’t to say there wasn’t a great deal of apprehension on her part; the tightening grip she maintained around his hands had been evidence of that. Still managing their thousand-watt smile — it was practically impossible not to, now that Grayson had returned — Harper eventually nodded in agreement, quick in their movements to sit beside him on a nearby bench. 

“Well, if there’s anyone who knows about twatbag siblings…” Harper began in an attempt to lighten the mood, knowing the dynamic that Grayson shared with his siblings was as complicated as hers with Brodie was becoming. They were still unable to speak of the latter; the impact of her brother’s absence in recent weeks had been profound, one that was as painfully obvious as it felt. And then, upon realizing what it was that he pulled from his pocket, and the level of effort that necessitated its reconstruction, they weren’t able to speak at all. One hand clasped over their mouth, using the other to run a finger across the beads, once he fastened the bracelet around their wrist. “You don’t have to apologize, and you certainly didn’t have to do all of this. Grayson, I’m…” Unable to quantify in words just how much this meant to her, they opted instead to wrap their arms around him, forehead resting on his shoulder, in their attempt to express what words could not. 

As Grayson continued, Harper initially suspected this might be the start of a goodbye speech, and their body jolted backwards in response. But upon realizing that was not the message he was trying to convey, they moved closer again to return his gesture, extending their hand and placing it upon his cheek. The sentiments he shared had been equally true for her. Up until now, labels always seemed to be a pointless formality, ones she felt were hardly warranted where the two of them were concerned. But things were different now, and if they were going to do this, if they were going to commit to this, she wanted to do right by him, and for him. “What if I said I wanted one?” Fearing she had been a bit too forward with her intentions, they were quick to clarify. “Not that I need a title, or for us to label our… I just.. I care about you, too, Gray.”  

[drummerjimmyblaze]

Jimmy looked down at the broom and noticed there was still a tag on the handle. He looked down at the floor and kicked his foot aimlessly. "Oops, but hey gotta give a guy credit for actually trying to clean this place up" he swept his arms around. He missed having Harper around, she was like a surrogate sister to him. He missed his real sisters, both his older sister and his younger sister and Harper helped to fill that void. He wanted to ask her to stay and hang for a bit but he could feel the tension in her voice and in the air. "Harps, you know you could talk to me right?" He said as he set down the broom and watched her as she entered Brodie's room. "And yeah, I promise I won't tell him," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. He hated lying to his friend but he also hated seeing the Sato siblings fight.

[harpersato]

“Fair enough, that’s more than I can say for heckle and jeckle,” Harper conceded with a shrug, before heading into Brodie’s bedroom to collect the items she came for. First grabbing their pile of outfits scattered across the shelf of his closet, and sweeping up a handful of their favorite vinyl records, all of which had been scattered across the windowpane. They were about to grab the multi-colored photo frame upon his nightstand, but after gazing upon the photo it contained — the pair of them in stitches over something, a moment of pure contentment between them — ultimately decided to leave it in its place. 

Heading back into the shared living space, they considered the question that Jimmy had posed to them. “Of course I do. But everyone saw what happened that night, everyone. And as far as Brodie and I are concerned, well… What else is there to say?” In a word: plenty. There was plenty to say. But what good would come of it now? “I owe you big, JB. But I need to ask you one more thing: will you keep an extra close eye on him for me? Please?” 

[ishaanpostsstuff]

⤷ open to: f/m/nb - feel free to assume connections or come plot ! ⤷ based on: there is a minor fire at the location they were at and end up being asked to evacuate the building/store/restaurant/etc. Bonus; it's raining. ⤷ tag: @capemaystarters

A short series of cursed rolled off the brit's tongue as himself and a couple others had been hastily booted out of the vacinity. Firetrucks were now blocking off the main street, Ishaan now thankful that he had opted to walk from his place to this very location, even through this rainy weather.

Looking off to his right, he noticed a familiar presence shaking like leaf. Hesitant at first, the professor pushed his spectacles further up the bridge of his nose before approaching them with careful steps.

"hey..it's probably not how you thought your evening would turn out but maybe we could grab a cup of tea and get you somewhere warm, at least? It's on me"

[harpersato]

It was both impressive and mind-boggling, how Harper continually managed to find herself in situations like this. Never a dull moment, though that would be putting the events of the evening incredibly lightly. It had all started innocently enough; attempting to kill some time before The Starlight and her Captain would be returning to the docks, they had taken to the retail district, hoping to grab a quick bite before browsing a few of their favorite shops. Stopping in one of their usual spots, they had placed their usual order and conversing with a pair of baristas when it happened — the cafe quickly burst into a cloud of smoke and screaming patrons, and Harper was nearly trampled by the masses in their frantic attempt to flee the premises.

Despite offering every assurance that they were fine, the emergency personnel had been insistent on checking her over anyway. A pair of EMTs had just finished taking her vitals when she saw him, and they couldn’t have departed from the back of the ambulance fast enough. “Shaani!” Harper yelled in their direction, practically tripping over themselves in an effort to greet their friend. “I’m not sure I’m entirely keen on that idea. I mean, the last time I tried to get my hands on a vegan grilled cheese and a boba tea, look what happened,” they shrugged with their usual non-chalance, hoping their emphatic arm movements might distract him from their shivering frame. “We are so close to the pier, and dressed appropriately for the occasion now, on account of the rain, why don't we go for a quick swim instead?”

[grayscollins]

It was the unspeakable sound of grief paired with undertones of relief that Gray couldn't quite wrap his mind around. The relief should have been squared away, he'd left a note primed at Harper's door explaining in detail how he wanted to have a discussion on what happened, how he was prepared to make reparations on her request, whatever it was she needed for him to process, he'd do just that. But days after the incident, he found himself wondering if he simply should have knocked on their door, gotten it out of the way before the charter that had him at sea for two weeks. Instead, he got by with just throwing himself in preparations and that was before he'd fixated on fixing pieces of a bracelet that he knew all too well. Why he'd found it in shambles via Juno's sharp senses? He'd never know. Not until he asked.

But Harper clung to him as if letting go would have him dissipate into smoke and all he could do was hold their frame as close to him as he physically could get them to. Paired with soft shushes and gently caressing her hair, he simply nodded and said, "Yes I left you a note before I left and I had Iris watch over Juno while I was away. I have no intention of leaving the states, not for some time anyway, and if I was going to consider it," He began, tilting their face up, "You would of course be the first to know, in person, as you deserve to know." He pressed his forehead against Harper's and swiped away any stray tears that remained, waiting for the emotions to run its course. "I know I left it on your mat, I didn't swipe it back unless..." He sighed then, pulling away as he considered the options. "Unless someone else swiped it before you got to it."

[harpersato]

“Of course you left me a note,” they nodded, without a single hint of disdain or hostility as they acknowledged his confession. The only apparent sentiments were a profound sense of relief at his return, and the familiar and ever-growing desire for his presence and companionship. The same could hardly be said of the person they were sure confiscated the letter — likely incinerating the envelope and its contents with his favorite lighter, if she knew them at all. And judging by Gray’s response, he had likely drawn a similar conclusion. But that would be another conversation for another time; Harper would make sure of it, one way or another. Right now, she was resigned to make the most of their time together, equally adamant in their refusal to allow this discovery to ruin their time together. 

Desperate to move the conversation forward, Harper indicated towards the bouquet, practically beaming at the sight of the oversized floral arrangement. Their gaze had soon returned to Grayson, hands moving from their placement around his shoulders in a downward motion, until their fingers were interlocked with his. “Now, let’s see what we have here: a bouquet of my favorite flowers, my favorite jumper of yours, and, unless my sense of smell deceives me, a dash of that vanilla ginger cologne of yours, which you know is another one of my absolute favorites?” They asked with a wide and knowing grin, pulling him from the middle of the stock room to the entrance of the back office. A space that offered space, privacy and discretion, should any of those needs be warranted. “If I didn’t know any better, Grayson Collins, I’d say you were trying to have your way with me.”

[drummerjimmyblaze]

Jimmy took out his air pods and placed the broom down. "I have the day off" he said coldly, more so than he intended. Being caught in the middle of a sibling fight was nothing new to him. Though said siblings used to be his own. This time, being caught between siblings who are also both your friends is even harder. He didn't want to betray Brodie nor did he want to betray Harper. He was stuck in the middle and didn't want to upset either sibling.

"I was trying to clean up. It seems as if it's been a while since anyone did so," he said as he wiped the top of a shelf and noticed how dusty his hand was. "What are you doing here? I mean, it's good to see you. Miss you around here" his voice softened. Harper reminded him of his own younger sister whom he missed a ton.

[harpersato]

“A while? JB, the price tag is still on the handle,” Harper mentioned, pointing an index finger towards the small paper still dangling from its tip. Eyes rolling their eyes in an effort to mask their amusement at his cleaning efforts, though they suspected the gesture did little good, a smirk quick to make its way across their features. Nearly forgetting themselves for a moment, Harper was compelled to ask if he wanted to take a cleaning break, in exchange for a few rounds of Dead by Daylight. But their recollection was quick to return, and they stopped themselves, remembering what had brought them to the apartment in the first place. “Nothing you need to worry about. It’s like I said, I’ll be out of your way and out of the apartment in no time.” Hand placed upon the brass handle of Brodie's door, they turned to face him once more, hoping he would accept the plea they were about to offer. "Don't tell him I was here. Please?"

[harpersato]

Who: Heather Du Pont-Moreau | @heatherdupontmoreau (closed) Where: Du Pont-Moreau Household | Cape May Point

It had been three days since Harper had arrived at the Du Pont-Moreau household, following the events of the ill-fated carnival. With no sign of Grayson and no interest in encountering Brodie, they had taken refuge in the arms of their best friend, puffy-eyed and rosy-cheeked and as they arrived on the steps of the sprawling estate. They had done very little since then, apart from the occasional meal and trip to the bathroom, both at Heather and AJ’s insistence. Had it been up to Harper, they would have remained in their perpetual state of slumber indefinitely. If only they should be so lucky. 

Harper was slow in waking from their nap, initially trying to ignore the tugging motion they felt at the foot of the bed. Despite their groans and the blanket they tossed over their head, the frequency only increased, stopping only when they eventually moved into an upright position against the headboard. Rubbing at their eyes, they eventually noticed a small dress placed at the foot of the bed, as well as the blonde sitting beside it. “No, Heather, no,” they whined, clutching at a nearby pillow in an attempt to cover their face with it. “I don’t want to go anywhere. You should go, have a great time, really. But not with me. No. I’m not leaving this bed.”

[grayscollins]

Coming back from an impossibly long charter, Gray had officially put in some personal time something he hadn't done in ages. Was it from properly wanting to get rest? Partially. Was it because the charter itself shouldn't have been that long and he truly did not know how the rich was able to get away with this? Also partially. But did the charter pay him handsomely on top of tips? Absolutely. Even with all of the drama on the boat, he and his crew had come out mostly unscathed and on top. The reprieve back on land though was much needed, and Grayson knew who he desperately needed to see, except they'd never shown up at the dock as anticipated.

That was fair enough, perhaps Harper had picked up more shifts and surely he'd see them in passing at the apartment. But a knock never came to his door and it seemed they never crossed in the hallway as often as they had before he'd left. Juno even seemed confused as to why it was just the two of them again instead of three. Harper's absence felt as crippling as it had the day they left on the plane back to America. Was it something he'd said in his note? He wanted to make amends for what had happened, wanted to apologize for stooping to the level of violence with Brodie (even if the fucker deserved it). But his instructions had been clear, he wasn't leaving but had an assignment for work. He wanted to touch base with them, and that he would miss them immensely.

Maybe that part was a bit too strong? Maybe they truly were pissed about him going toe to toe with Brodie, but either way, he had to make amends. With a bouquet made up of some their favorite flowers and a freshly reconstructed bracelet in his pocket, he set off to potential places where he could find them. He'd managed to slip in the door thanks to Lucy despite the fact it was after hours, and as he waited in the back room, he suddenly felt unease. What if Harper hadn't wanted him to do this at all?

But then, as his eyes finally locked on their own, the range of emotions said it all. There was disbelief, something had happened but he couldn't quite place it, he was even more confused once they'd mentioned he'd came back as if he had left. Which he had but not for good, it'd said so in the note! "Darling... of course I am where else would I go that's not near you?" He questioned. "I... I thought that you didn't want to see me, I'd left a note at your flat before I left for charter we just got back a few days ago." Dropping the flowers, he enveloped them in his embrace, "Where else would I go?" He said again. "Nothing could keep me from you."

[harpersato]

Perhaps it had all been a matter of inconvenient timing. A prolonged and almost comical misunderstanding between the two of them. This certainly wouldn’t have been the first instance, and, if the last few weeks had been any indication, it probably wouldn’t be the last. But then he made mention of the note, one they had never received, and things immediately started to make a lot more sense. Why the endless number of phone calls and text messages had gone unanswered. Why the packages they left outside his apartment — an engraved tea box from a shop they frequented in Oxford, and three packages of peanut butter biscuits for Juno — had gone untouched, until Harper brought them back into their apartment and hid them away at the bottom of her closet. They would deal with all of that later, but for now, their focus would remain solely on Grayson. Where it should be. Where it always was, despite their abysmal efforts of pretending otherwise.

“Me? Not want to see you? Why would I ever not want to see you, Gray? You’re my…” Harper paused, realizing the two of them never had the chance to have that conversation. Something they would likely be revisiting, once all of this had been properly squared away. “I thought that maybe you decided to go back home, after all. Or that something that happened to you out on the water, there are storms and undercurrents and…” The mere thought of such a thing had been unthinkable, and, even though he was clearly safe now, the idea of any harm befalling Grayson had sent them into a spiral. Face pressed upon his chest as hands clutched the fabric of what had quickly became a tear-soaked shirt, Harper failing completely in their effort to keep their emotions in check. “You… you left me a note?” 

[harpersato]

Who: Grayson Collins | @grayscollins (closed) Where: Love Saves The Day | Downtown Cape May

Shutting the drawer of the recently-balanced register, Harper was planning to reorganize the back office before calling it a night. Not a necessary task, given that the vintage store had already closed for the evening, but one that would ultimately prove beneficial, as the peak retail season was quickly approaching. They weren’t in a particular rush to head back to the apartment, and this seemed as perfect of an excuse as any to direct their focus elsewhere. 

Gripping the oversized door-handle of the back office, Harper hadn’t expected to see anything other than the usual pile of inventory boxes and merchandise shelves. Certainly not Grayson, standing in the center of the room, appearing to look as surprised and astonished as they felt. Coming to an abrupt halt at the sight of him, the relief that gripped her was palpable. For the first time in weeks, they could breathe easy, unburdened by the grief that followed Grayson’s departure, or the fear about what might have become of him out on the water. He was here. He had returned to her. Just as he always promised he would. Right now, as far as Harper was concerned, nothing else mattered. 

Taking a few steps toward him, slow and precise in their movements, as if trying to commit every part of this moment to memory. The smell of the bouquet in his hand, the sounds from the vinyl playing overhead, the all-consuming sensation as their eyes remained interlocked. “Gray, you’re… I tried to… I thought…” Pressing their hands to his cheeks, an attempt to further ground themselves in the reality of this moment, before all but collapsing into his arms. “You came back.” 

[drummerjimmyblaze]

Location: The apartment shared by Jimmy, Brodie, and Johnny

Closed starter for: @harpersato

With Brodie and Johnny out working and Jimmy having the day off, he decided to do some deep cleaning. Having 3 young men living in an apartment together, it wasn't always the cleanest or tidiest of places. So Jimmy dug out the broom, the mop, and the vacuum cleaner as well as some window cleaner, garbage bags, and paper towels. He put on his airpods and picked a Playlist that always helped to pass the time whilst cleaning. He was just in the middle of a fake guitar solo using the broom as the guitar when he noticed a young brunette walk in. "Holy shi- Harper you scared the shit out of me" he said with a chuckle and took out his air pods and paused his music.

[harpersato]

This had been the longest Harper had ever gone without speaking to Brodie. No calls, no visits, not a single word had been uttered between them since their exchange at the carnival. In the days that followed, their silent treatment had also extended to his roommates, merely on account of their association to the older Sato sibling.

Upon arrival to the building, Harper expected to find an empty apartment, filled with its usual clutter of Monster cans and pizza boxes. She had found neither, instead encountering Jimmy in the living room, wildly swinging the broom in all directions. They had hoped to slip by him unnoticed, but the door slammed shut a little too quickly, and her presence was made known almost immediately. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be working?” Harper inquired, their tone a bit more derisive than was warranted, at least where Jimmy was concerned. “You know what? Never mind. Just go back to… whatever it is you're doing. I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”  

[surfscraped]

STARTER :  OPEN @capemaystarters​​​ ! LOCATION : the beach !

                   kai woke with a start, feeling something pelting her face. wincing at the scratchy feeling against her skin as she wiped at her eyes, she cautiously opened them to see a small child staring at her.  ❛ um, ❜ she plastered on what she hoped looked like a smile.  ❛ hi. ❜  apparently that was enough to make the child giggle and run away, presumably back towards their family. well then. finally she sat up, looking around to find her belongings neatly piled together next to her skateboard and a quick glance at her watch told her it was almost noon. as she looked around at the crowds that had formed on the shore, she locked eyes with someone who was sending her a questioning look.  ❛ what ? do i have something on my face ? ❜ she joked, knowing full well she was a sight to see with her face and morning hair covered in sand.

[harpersato]

Arriving to their usual spot, Harper had been trying to determine what their impromptu beach day would entail, and if this location would prove the most optimal for their time on the waterfront. Before they could determine what spot might offer the best view, or see if The Starlight had returned to its usual place among the docks, they noticed an equally intriguing sight: Kai, waking from what appeared to be an unplanned slumber, with a small child bolting in the opposite direction. 

Never one to restrain their emotions, Harper practically fell over in response to the hilarity that had just ensued, doubling over in laughter as they reached their friend. “Oh, just that wonderfully candescent smile of yours,” Harper grinned, extending one hand to wipe at the sand speckled across her cheek, and the other to clear the grains sprinkled among the tips of her hair. “Got room for one more over here, or have I interrupted something between you and that little friend of yours?”