flames;

henry o'hara. 34 years old. northport native. lakeview heights. ex-soldier. carpenter.

[henryohara]

& WINTER:

“Oh yeah?” Winter began curiously, “Do you mind if I ask what you do?” Plenty of people were self employed and Winter often wondered how they got there. She was at the whims of various companies, so people who managed to start businesses, or work for themselves, as Henry had said, always interested her. It was a big reason why she was so stoked to invest in Brady’s company. “I think so,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief. “It’s just - you know, I’d hate to bore you with my endless voice acting talk,” she chuckled. With a snort, Winter inclined her head. “Nah, we may complain and moan about it, but we totally appreciate it. At least I did. Still do, even if my brothers aren’t in town with me. It’s pretty cool that you and your sisters still get to hang out.” She missed her brothers often, though the years away had soothed the worst of the ache. “Of course not though,” she teased, shooting him a joking wink, “Built in chauffeur right?”

         “I built furniture. Tables, shelves, chairs... take your pick. Haven’t been doing it for a long time, but it’s working out well so far.” Better than Henry had expected. When he started making stuff for his own house, he never thought there’d be people who wanted the same or similar pieces made by his own hands. Now it was how he paid for his life, and he surely wouldn’t complain about that. Being his own boss was actually pretty good for him. “Hey, it’s fine. So far you haven’t really bored me, so I think you’re doing good,” he smirked, winking at the other. “I bet. I hated being away from my sisters, so now I’m happy we’re in the same place again. Makes annoying them and protecting them a whole lot easier,” he grinned. “Where are your brothers now? Far away?”

[henryohara]

& TANNER‌:

“Apparently. Welcome to life in New Hamltion.” Tanner stated with a shake of his head. “I wouldn’t say it’s something you should wish on yourself either, trust me. That’s why I keep telling you where you are in Lakeview? You have it made if you ask me.” But on the other hand, he did get to travel around a good deal of the time to the other sections anyway, even better when finding a dedicated colleague such as Henry. “Again everyone in town should just take your lead. You might have more of a schedule coming up though, but…I’ll double check, end of the week should be good?” 

        “Ah, thanks. I’m happy to hear from someone who knows a thing or two about this that I’ve picked the right place to live.” When Henry returned to Northport, there hadn’t really been a question for him where to move. He always loved nature, and he didn’t feel like living in a house where there were constantly people going in and out, or just passing by. He needed some silence, some space. And he was happy with what he got. “I’m not going to complain about that if it happens. But yeah, as of right now end of the week sounds pretty good to me. I should be able to make that work.”

[henryohara]

& JORDAN‌:

“Well, it gives me the impression that you like me just a little bit.” She said as she pulled her finger and thumb from one another to emphasis how much he could like her. “Or that you’re greedy because you don’t want to share.” With a small smirk at his next statement, she nodded her head since she knew he was anything but greedy. She got the impression that he was the type to take off his own clothing if needed. Turning around to peer at him from the kitchen, she nodded her head. “I don’t want to go through your things. So sure.” The brunette told him, awaiting for him to lead the way before she followed him into this winter garden he spoke so highly of.

         “What about all of this has given you the impression that I don’t like you?”, Henry questioned with arched brows, as he was pretty damn sure he’d done a poor job at hiding the fact that he liked her. “I think greedy is the word that applies her,” he added teasingly, as if her first guess hadn’t been right at all. “It’s not like I have anything to hide, so you’re good with going through my stuff,” he grinned, but joined her in the kitchen anyway. It took him a moment to find the beer, two bottles in hand he then gestured for her to follow him through the living room and to the back of the house, where big glass walls gave perfect view of the small pier attached to his house, as well as the view over the lake. “What do you say? Pretty good, isn’t it?”

[henryohara]

& SPENCER‌:

Standing in front of the specialty imported chocolates, Spencer was like a kid in a candy shop in this, well, candy shop. When things were a little too stressful at the shop, which was fairly often when her boss was on one, Candy Boulevard was her happy place. This was her second trip to the candy store this week, but the indulgence was necessary and always worth it. “Don’t tell me buy two, get one free,” she warned the sale tag above the Belgian chocolates as she noticed it.

Seeing the sale as a sign from the fates, she tossed six different flavors of her favorite brand into her basket and moved on. “I still think my favorite part of being an adult is how much money I can spend on chocolate now,” she admitted to the person next to her as she passed by. “Don’t tell my mother.”

        Henry had to admit that he’d developed a bit of a sweet tooth ever since returning from war. He didn’t know where exactly it came from -- maybe from the abstinence he’d endured over such long periods of time? Either way, now he could easily indulge in chocolate, and found himself stuck in Candy Boulevard once more that day. Eyes scanning over the different chocolate labels, he momentarily glanced sideways as a voice caught his attention. Looking down at the woman’s basket, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t worry, your secret’s save with me. But it looks like you know a thing or two about chocolate? Because I can’t decide between the salted caramel one and the crispy nougat one. What would you pick?”

[henryohara]

& JORDAN‌:

“Oh, is that what you want? Do you want me all to yourself?” She echoed back with a grin placed upon her lips as she folded her arms over her chest. “I have no problem with that, but you do know that old saying where sharing is caring, right?” Her brow rose, bitting her lower lip slightly as she began to view the male in a much different light. With every taunt she sent his way, he was always so quick to throw one back at him. “Well, if you play your cards right, you might not have to wait long.” The brunette mumbled over her shoulder as she explored more of his home, listening as he picked up his phone and began to dial. “Anything but pineapple. Apart from that I’m quite easy.”

          “What kind of impression does it make if I say yes now? I don’t care, I’m already sharing everything with my dogs, I don’t need to share this too,” he winked. “That old saying can be applied to everything else in this house.” Of course, Henry was mostly joking. But it came easily to him here, and so he wasn’t complaining. Her words were enough to make him smirk even more, but he tried to focus on ordering them some pizza first. Once that was done, he put his phone down on the coffee table. “You need help with the beer?”, he questioned, leaning against the couch as he waited for her, ready to lead her into the winter garden to enjoy the view over the lake. “Pizza should be here in about half an hour.”

[henryohara]

& WINTER‌:

“Job keep you busy?” she asked, genuinely curious. “I don’t have as much time to play them now like I used to but…I don’t know. I enjoy them, at any rate.” She had some trouble playing things she was in, considering it made her critical of her own performance, but still. Huffing out a laugh through her nose, Winter held up a hand. “I’m sorry, I tend to…talk a lot about my work. Exactly though. More content means more work for me, which is really nice.” She left it at that, getting the sense that he probably wasn’t interested in listening to her prattle on. “They most definitely do,” Winter agreed with a grin. “I guess it really just be in your guys’ biology or something. I can only speak for myself but…I think younger sisters secretly enjoy that part of it. Means no one can mess with us, really.” Winter had loved it in high school, at any rate. 

        “That’s not an excuse I could use, I work for myself, so I have my own hours in hand. I’ve just -- I don’t think video games will ever be very high up on my priority list.” Especially not any games that involved shooting and war. He’d had enough of that in his life, and he figured it would hit too close to home as well. “Hey, don’t worry about it. If you talk a lot about your work it means you like it. And that’s the most important thing there is, right?”, he smiled, giving her a reassuring nod. “Oh, I’m pretty sure it’s in our biology. And if you guys didn’t enjoy it, then we’d be wasting a lot of time. I know you don’t always say it, but I can see it in my sisters’ eyes when they like it. And I don’t think they could ever complain about me driving them around.”

[henryohara]

& JORDAN‌:

“That’s greedy of you. What if I’m an amazing cuddler as well and you’re preventing the dogs from experiencing that.” The brunette said with a wink before slowly stepping back as she believed the male would want full function of his arms again without her being wrapped around him. “Ah, I take it that you’re a visual learner. I’m sure that I can show you a thing or two about what that means.” She grinned back at him in turn. With her foot tapping onto the ground softly, she couldn’t help but feel relieved that he chose for them to stay here. Somehow, she felt too comfortable to wander out in a crowded bar. “I’d like that. I’m also easy with food but I do have a fondness of pizza. I’ll just throw that out there.” The woman said as she began to move towards the kitchen where she assumed the beers were.

          “If you’re an amazing cuddler I want you all to myself,” Henry clarified, a wide grin etched into his features. “There’s no sharing with my dogs then. They can cuddle with each other.” He chuckled softly, shaking his head as he looked at her. “I can’t wait for you to show me then,” he winked playfully, before pulling out his phone. He was momentarily distracted by watching her walk into the kitchen, his heart warming up at the fact that he acted as if she felt comfortable already. He eventually pulled his eyes away, trying his hardest to focus on ordering them some food. “Pizza shouldn’t be a problem. That’s one of the only things they deliver here,” he laughed. Lakeview Heights didn’t have as many delivery options as other parts of town, but he knew which ones were good. “And what kind of pizza girl are you?”

[henryohara]

& WILLIAM‌:

He watched his friend as he took a sip of his beer. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Henry, it was just the way Henry worded it. ‘I think I’ve been pretty good.’ ‘I don’t think I have much to complain about.’ He braced himself against the bar, pausing for a second before he replied. “You think so?” he asked, taking another sip before continuing. “I dunno if it’s just me getting antsy from being in one place for longer than I was used to in the army, or what, but I’m- I just kind of feel like I don’t know what I’m doing with my life anymore.” he admitted with a shrug. Will definitely wasn’t one to share about his feelings like this, but having served a couple tours with Henry, Will felt like he might just be the only person who understood. 

        Henry glanced up at William, knowing exactly what the other played at. “I think so. It’s hard to know these days.” It was hard to know all the time, actually. Even when Henry thought he had a good day, he could wake up in a cold sweat with a racing heart, the scar on his chest hurting as if the bullet just hit him a few seconds ago. The other’s words hit close to home, even if the furniture building had helped with feeling useless. “I know that feeling,” he reassured the other, then gave a shrug of his shoulders. “I don’t know, it’s gotten better for me lately. Maybe it’s the dogs, maybe it’s the work, I don’t know but... in the last two months, I’ve started being very happy to wake up in the same bed every morning.”

[henryohara]

& TANNER‌:

“I might prefer that. It seems the only vibe I have is to run into arguing couples all the time. The joys of the Heights.” Tanner rolled his eyes, although business was booming there, that he had to admit. “Thanks. It’ll take time, but I don’t really have any plans of leaving any time soon.” He shrugged, knowing that even despite recent developments in his life, up-rooting remained the last thing on his mind with everything he’d ended up building for himself. And the fact that a fellow native had his support made a significant difference. “It’s a deal then. — Yeah? I mean, I’d rather get there before tourists run it over too. Do you have a good day on your schedule?”

         “You only ever run into arguing couples? Can’t say that happened to me all that often yet.” Or maybe he just never noticed -- Henry wouldn’t put that past himself as a possibility. “Good. I’d hate to see you go man,” he grinned, giving the other’s shoulder a small clap. He’d truly enjoyed Tanner’s company, and he was certain that Northport could only look up thanks to his words. He was unable to hold back a laugh at Tanner’s question though, shaking his head. “Are you seriously asking that right now? I don’t have a schedule. Name me a day, and I’ll be there.”

[henryohara]

& JORDAN‌:

The hug had rattled her a little more than intended, mostly because she was surprised by how much she’d needed it. While the idea had been fun to toy with when offered, she hadn’t expected how difficult it would be to let go and step back. “I think you’re right up there in the amazing category. But I haven’t cuddled with the dogs yet so they may outrank you.” She winked at the male before stepping back and tucking a strand behind her ear. “Well, I’m glad I could soothe any worries you had.” A wiggle of her brow was sent his way, and she could only shrug at his echo of her words. “I said that I could, or maybe that I would, either way there’s no way of taking it back now. So yeah,  I guess that thought crossed my mind once or twice.”

          “Okay, I won’t let you cuddle my dogs then. I don’t want anything but first place,” Henry grinned, a bit of his competitive nature shining through. He always was someone who wanted to win, otherwise he probably wouldn’t have made it very far in the army either. “Alright, then maybe some time you can show me what exactly that’s supposed to mean,” he teased her, almost a little sad when she pulled completely out of the hug. Clearing his throat, he pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans, looking around the room for a moment. “Okay, so I know we were supposed to go for a drink, but I’m pretty sure I still got beer in my fridge. How about we order some food and just get comfortable in the winter garden? I swear, the view on the lake is better than what any bar has to offer.”

[henryohara]

& JORDAN‌:

“I’ll probably have to test that out for myself,” the girl began and the male had seemed to have the same idea given that his arms had opened up even before she finished. Without hesitation, the brunette stepped forward and crossed the space between them to give him a hug. While the extent of their time together had been spent in front of a bar — she’d already told him more than she had most people. As she pulled away to peer up at him, her hands remained at his side and a laugh escaped her lips. “You’re better than you think you are and we’ll be both rusty.” The truth was that she was probably as rusty as he was, if not more. “I mean, I have a set of eyes. I’m sure I’m not the only girl who’s ever thought about climbing you like a tree.”

       The smile on Henry’s lips curled up a bit further when she moved in towards him, and the moment she was within reach, his arms wrapped around her in a gentle embrace. It wasn’t often these days that he got to hug someone who wasn’t family, and he had to admit it was a nice feeling. “So? What do you say? An amazing cuddler, right?”, he asked, his voice quiet a she grinned down at her. “Ah, thank you. I feel so much better about myself now. We can just be rusty together.” Pulling his head back a bit further, he arched his brows, unable to hide an amused smirk. “Oh, really? You want to climb me like a tree? I have to say, I haven’t heard that one before.”

[henryohara]

& IVY‌:

    “I do have a scar, right on my hip from one of the burns, its tiny nothing major but I know where I’ve been thanks to it.” She joked. “But yeah that’s just one of many, I’ve always been too adventurous, never too careful.” Ivy shrugged, her impulsive and distracted nature always took the best of her, but at least it made for good stories. “Oh you have no idea, I should be on hazard walk or something of the sort, I’m a danger to this society.” She tried to keep a straight face as she spoke but failed, her laugh erupting loudly. 

      “You have a scar on your hip because of that? Wow. Impressive,” he said jokingly, folding his arms over his chest. “That’s good though. Being too careful just means you don’t get to explore anything in this world.” Henry had always been someone to go all out, to do whatever he wanted to do, no matter how dangerous it might be at times. “You’re a danger to society? Oh come on, it can’t be that bad. You’re exaggerating now.”

[henryohara]

& JORDAN‌:

“Well, I’m going to have to get in on that as soon as possible.” She said with a small smile as she looked at both the dog and the male. “You all look quite cuddable.” Perhaps she was venturing a little too far, but since he’d started with making her ask him on a date — she felt there was no problem with opening that can of worms a little further. “No, no. I’m just saying that you could have told me you wanted me to ask you on a date before because I would have regardless of you making me a table. So, you’re right, it would have been unbelievable.” After all, the sheer sight of the male had most women double taking. She’d be foolish not to realize how good looking he was — as well as how capable he is with his hands.

         “We don’t only look like it, we are very cuddable,” Henry grinned, opening his arms as if ready to go in for a hug. He had never been afraid to show said softer side, growing up with three sisters on a farm surrounded by animals, it was hard not to let it get to you. Plus, she did make it sound like she could need a hug. Who couldn’t these days? At her words, he shrugged, almost a little embarrassed by it. Henry couldn’t even remember the last time he’d tried to get anyone to go on a date with him -- probably some time on leave from the army -- and it was hard to judge whether she would be up for going out with him or not. “Well, let’s say my flirting skills have become... very rusty. I didn’t want you to break my little heart, you know,” he said teasingly, managing a crooked smile. “But good to know you would have gone out with me regardless of the table.”

[henryohara]

& DYLAN‌:

Dylan giggled. Most people she encountered hated cats – it was a common reaction, but Dylan personally didn’t mind them. Still, Dogs were overall idea pets and a great help in general; she doubted a service cat would be of much use.” Really? That would be awesome!” Her pitch elevated. “ I work at the shelter and I bring her along but sometimes the dogs are so sick or they’re in and out so often that she doesn’t have any real friends.” Dylan was excited, eager as she pulled out her phone, ready to exchange numbers. “Well, yeah… At least until I win the lottery and buy a huge house where I can take in all the special needs dogs and senior dogs that don’t always get adopted.” She grinned as sh handed Henry her phone.” That’d be the dream, right?”

        “Really, yeah. These three can never have enough friends, they jump at the sight of every dog on the street. Having a constant friend would be nice. And what better thing is there than dog play dates?” Henry grinned, happy to see her be so excited about the prospect of letting their dogs play together. “Yeah? That sounds like an awesome plan if you ask me. I’d love to fill my house with even more dogs too,” he chuckled. Pulling out his own phone at the sight of hers, he opened a new contact and held it out for her so she could type her number into it. “I think there’s no better dream than a house full of dogs, if you ask me.”

[henryohara]

& JORDAN‌:

“Mhm, as if you don’t know.” The brunette teasingly gave him a pointed look as she paused in the middle of the room and watched him curiously. “I’m still trying to find one of those. I kind of have the habit of going for the wrong thing. It’s always the wrong one night stand or the wrong bottle of beer.” She said with a smirk before shrugging her shoulder, divulging a little more than she should have. However, it was a relationship she had with him ever since they’d found themselves rubbing elbows at some dingy bar. “Well, then, you have yourself a deal.” The petite brunette said as she walked up to him and extended her hand. “I could have asked you either way. Just so you know, whether I like it or not.”

          “I didn’t until now,” he grinned. “And if you need some advice, I say a cuddle with my dogs does the trick. So if you ever need another one of those, they’re waiting here for you to give you that.” Henry was one to talk though. He also ended up at the wrong bar with the wrong beer quite often, but he knew if it weren’t for his dogs, his work and this house, it would be even worse. As she walked closer, the grin on his lips widened, and he took the hand she extended towards him. “Deal. And what, are you saying you don’t want to go on a date with me? Kind of unbelievable.”

[henryohara]

& TANNER‌:

“Because your dogs somehow don’t mind me. Not many do.” Tanner mused with a nod. “Thanks. I’ll have to let you know. It’s going to have to be section by section, we’ll see.” But he’d take any opportunity to speak about potential, upcoming projects, and more than appreciated Henry’s genuine interest in them. His friend worked hard himself and deserved just the amount of credit for his carpentry work in his opinion. “Sounds like a deal. I’m holding you to those statements then. You’ll be the carpenter I’ll ask of course.” And he instantly agreed with the following statement regarding the beach. “I hear you. Any opportunity for a break from the Heights, I’ll take it.”

       “They like you, you must be giving off a special vibe. Or you smell like sausage all the time,” Henry teased the other, a wide grin on his lips. “Of course. Going section by section is probably the smartest thing to do. But I can’t wait to see what you do with the place.” Henry just thought Northport deserved to be the best-looking town out there, and he had faith in Tanner to be able to do just that. “You can hold me to it. Whenever you want me, I’m your man.” He then hesitated for a moment, before he added, “You know, we could always go together some time. That’s always more fun than being on your own.”

[henryohara]

& WINTER‌:

“Really? Don’t play a lot of them, I’d guess?” It wasn’t so surprising. Winter had met plenty of people who had no interest in any form of gaming, as much as it blew her mind. “Oof, I wish,” Winter laughed, rolling her eyes, “That would make me a lot more money than what I do. No, I actually –,” she dropped her voice, making it smoother, deeper, “ – voice Jaina Proudmoore.” She grinned, shrugging a shoulder. “It’s one of their more prominent characters. She got a lot of content this last expansion.” She had a feeling her words would go over his head, but it was still nice to talk about. With a soft smile, Winter nodded. “I think it might be. My oldest brother’s still in California, but he calls me at least once a week. My middle brother sends me letters, and somehow I still feel like he’s aggressively trying to protect me from an ocean away.” She didn’t even know where he was stationed, but Winter knew he was somewhere in the Middle East. “Somehow, I don’t think it has,” she assured him, “They’ll get bored of me in a second and come begging to you for attention, I’m sure.”

         “Not really, no. I’ve never had the... time for it.” He’d always worked on the farm with little time for something like playing video games, and then when he joined the army, there was no possibility to play anything like an online or video game. That’s why her words just caused him to raise his brows, as he had absolutely no clue what she was talking about. “Okay...?”, he said slowly. “Well, that sounds good. When she got more content, it means more work for you, right? That’s awesome.” That much he understood, and he figured working in that field it must mean something good that she was voicing a prominent character. “Ah, see? Protective older brother gene. They have it, too. It’s a thing,” Henry grinned, unable to hold back a laugh. “Let’s hope so. I don’t know what I would do without these three.”