"even broken wings can fly away"

[alittlevnsteady]

closed starter for @kaleidoscopelitskies​ (raul)

was there a storm coming? yes. should enzo be inside the bakery instead of out in the snow? also yes. but they needed a break from the hot ovens, and spending a few minutes outside seemed like a good idea. flopping down into the snow, enzo notices someone approaching the bakery, waving them over. “c’mon, join me for one snow angel. then we can go back inside and warm up. hot cocoa’s on me!” 

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

RAUL

raul had decided to take clementine out on a walk to enjoy the snow while the weather seemed to be calm, calmer than before, and also because he didn’t really like what was happening in his home right now. but, really, what was he going to do about it? nothing. he would never kick someone in need out, nor would he ever tell ravi he couldn’t have a friend over, but he just didn’t feel comfortable with the chaos being around clementine. the distraction in the snow helped clear his mind, though, and so did the sight of clem playing in it. as soon as they stumbled upon the guy making snow angels clementine wasted no time in joining him as well. “i can’t say i’ll be any good, i can’t remember the last time i tried to make a snow angel. but, why not?” he chuckled, laying on the snow covered ground beside clementine. “the one who makes the best snow angel gets cinnamons rolls on me!” he laughed. clementine began to sprawl around in an attempt to make an angel fast because of course she was eager to get to the hot cocoa and cinnamon rolls. “i’m raul, by the way. this little fiesty one is clementine! it’s a pleasure to meet you!”

[lonclyroad]

closed starter for @kaleidoscopelitskies​ (kenji) 

as the storm worsened, delia’s got more and more busy. at least keeping busy kept zane;s mind off of other things, things he didn’t really want to be thinking about right now. he could feel the mild panic in the back of his throat, swallowing it back as he moves to another table to take some orders. “welcome to delia’s…let me know if i can get you anything.” zane says, pausing when he finally looks up from his notepad to realize he’s staring at kenji, an amused chuckle leaving his lips. “we really gotta stop running into each other like this.” 

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

   kenji was mentally unstable at the moment despite looking like he had everything put together. he came to delia’s when he was able to escape his place, mainly to search for andrej, but he hadn’t seen any sight of his brother.  as he was already here he decided to stick around for a cup of coffee, plus he needed a moment to gather his thoughts. he didn’t even know why he was pretending to read the menu when he knew all he was ordering was a black coffee, like the last time he was here, but he decided to play the part of a normal person to the best of his ability. kenji’s attention only drifted from the menu when he heard zane’s voice, glancing up to meet the other’s gaze with a soft, playful smirk, “oh, but where’s the fun in that?” he silently reminded himself to bring it back and not accidentally make the other feel uncomfortable. “i’ll have a black coffee, the usual. more importantly, how are you? are you okay? if you guys need any help i’ll be happy to help out. i’m not much of a baker, but, uh i can whip up a good cup of coffee or wash a dish or two.”

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

shredmytapestry​:

RAVI.

i always think of you, raul. ravi thought sweetly as he nodded at raul’s words. it was true, they were constantly thinking of raul. from the pictures they received while at work to every memory they’d created over the years. raul was sweet and thoughtful and even this dinner alone, ravi was sure he’d never be able to get it out of his head. something at the back of his mind kept insisting this was more than a friendly thing. this was much like the picnic he’d set up for grayson and well… even if it was platonic, the gesture was very romantic and they knew that. besides if raul was dropping hints… ravi wouldn’t even know what to do. they felt past the point of hints. it was time for big grand gestures. but was this a big grand gesture? ‘you know i adore you so much, raul. so, so much.’ ravi said with a smile as he pulled his arms away and gave raul the space to finish cooking. ‘oh no, nothing like that. he’s so in love with andrej, it’s insane. i still have my little crush but it’s nothing. i like being friends better, so no.. no feelings. and no one for clem to call uncle, sadly. but if there was that’d mean i’d have to move out and i would be so sad about that. speaking of all that, uh, are you seeing anyone? or like, interested in it?’ 

he let out a soft breath as their heart raced in their chest. the question was asked as casually as they could muster but it was anything but casual. they took their seat beside raul and felt their smile widen. ‘okay, you can be my distraction. you know you’re my favourite person, of course you can be my distraction. a loud movie and wine, sounds like a perfect night.’  they picked up their wine glass to clink it with raul’s, their mind racing to what dinner or more could possibly mean. but whatever it is, ravi didn’t need to know any more words to know he was all in. ‘shall we eat? it smells absolutely delicious.’

  RAUL

 thirty years of masking what he truly felt had made raul quite the professional actor in a way. he had learned a long time ago how to master the act of keeping a casual  expression even when he wanted smile or frown a little too much.  it was selfish but hearing that things with grayson would only remain platonic made raul happy, so much so, he couldn’t help the way his smile grew a little more as ravi mentioned their thoughts on it all. so they really only wanted to be friends with grayson? was it foolish for raul to keep hope alive even after all these years? perhaps. but ravi would be raul’s always, there was no way of loving anyone else for him, they had his heart and soul entirely. it wasn’t until ravi asks about his love life that raul’s mind snaps back from the small fantasy he had unintentionally let himself wander to, “hm?” he cleared his throat, casually returning to fixing the table again, “me? oh, um...kind of. i mean, uh,” he softly chuckles, shaking his head a little, cheeks flushing slightly, “well it’s a little embarrassing, but, i haven’t gone on a date with a stranger in...whew...well, a while. life kind of took a different road for me after clementine, you know? most of the years i probably would’ve used dating around i spent taking care of her, but i wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.  as a result, however,” he pulls out ravi’s chair for them to sit, “the entire dad thing has made me a rather awkward person to flirt with, or be flirted with. i’m not sure these old bones have really got it anymore.”

    he takes his seat next to ravi, looking over at them as they spoke, lifting his glass to clink with raul’s wine glass. “however, that doesn’t mean i’m not interested in the idea of dating, or in someone.” he admits, taking a sip of wine, his gaze focused on ravi the entire time. “perhaps part of the reason i haven’t dated isn’t just clementine, but because i’ve been in love for the past, oh, thirty something years with someone.” there. he had said part of what he had been dying to tell ravi, and it felt good. the world didn’t come crashing down, ravi wasn’t (so far) running for the door, and it seemed like things were okay. maybe the other understood the hint, perhaps they didn’t, either way, raul had no intentions of stopping there. “let’s eat! i’m happy it smells delicious. i had our usual take out spot on speed dial just in case.” he lightly joked, laughing a little. a couple of seconds go by as he lets ravi enjoy some of the food, even though raul was also eating, his mind kept circling back to ravi. “call me crazy, ravi,” raul begins, casually cutting one of the shells in half with his fork, “but i don’t think i’ll be asking anyone on any dates any time soon. i’m quite happy with what i’ve got going right now. i have my daughter,” he continues to play with the shell on his plate a bit, nerves creeping up, “ and you. what else could i possibly want? i’ve got everything i’ve ever needed right here next to me.” finally, he looks over to meet ravi’s gaze, “everything i’ve wanted for over thirty years, ravi.” he lowers his fork now, slowly pushing the plate away, and without another thought or word, raul closes the small space between them by capturing ravi’s lips with his own. he didn’t hesitate to deepen the kiss either, wanting to savor every stolen second that he could. leaning back a bit after their lips part, he lets out a soft sigh, his eyes remained focused on ravi’s gaze, “i wish i could be sorry for that, but i’m not. i’ve been dying to do that for a very, very long time. i am sorry if it made you uncomfortable, though...”

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

HARRY REYNOLDS ( HE/HIM ) is a CIS MALE, FORTY SEVEN year old SCHOOPS OWNER who has been living in Moorbrooke for HIS WHOLE LIFE. They were born on OCTOBER 30th and right now, they are currently residing in ELMSETT GREEN. It has been said that they look suspiciously like TOM HIDDLESTON and if they had to choose a song to describe themselves, they would choose GOLDEN by HARRY STYLES. 

harry grew up in moorbrooke, maine to a very laid-back, loving family who was very well off financially. despite the riches he had been blessed with, harry never acted any different than your average person, and he never flaunted his money like most of his upper-class friends would do. harry was a simple person who enjoyed the simple things in life, like having ice cream everyday at schoops after school with his friends from public school.

unlike most of his upper-class friends, harry begged his parents to let him attend the public schools in moorbrooke versus getting shipped off to boarding school like the rest of their friend's children were doing, and of course, they agreed with almost no hesitation. all he had to do was keep up a perfect grade point average, which he did. in school, he didn't struggle with making friends, though it probably helped that he was naturally flirty and charming.

in all of that, harry met ginny. for him, there was an instant heavy attraction. she was incredibly smart, brilliant even, with looks to kill and eyes that stole his breath away. it didn't take long for him to begin flirting with her, trying to find out what she liked, discovering ways to make her blush until he eventually got the honor to call her his girlfriend. and then later on down the road, his wife, the mother of his children.

most of his friends thought he was crazy to marry at such a young age, but harry didn't care what they said. she supported him, including his dreaming of owning the schoops ice cream parole one day, and in return, he did the same. those who knew him and ginny knew that the love they shared was pure. (tw: infertility mention) - as their marriage progressed and the two began to talk about expanding their family, they quickly realized ginny could not get pregnant, which never made harry love her any less. soon they were adopting their first child together named tbd. their next two children were via surrogate using harry's dna. james was born, and three years later came ada. their last addition to the reynolds family was their adopted son albus. several pets were also brought into the picture throughout the years. (end tw)

( tw: death mention) five years ago, tragedy struck the family when they lost their youngest, albus. the loss of his song was devastating for harry, but he never fully let himself cope with it. shortly after losing him, harry realized he needed to quickly learn how to cope and push forward because not only did his kids need him, ginny needed him. while he helped her pick up the shattered pieces as much as possible, he also balanced being as best of a father to his kids as he could be. despite the entire incident being an accident, harry can't help but get sad from time to time whenever he spends too much time with james. (end tw)

throughout this entire experience, harry was also learning things about himself. for a while, he battled with himself on what he was feeling. he would tell himself that his feelings for ginny were shifting only because of everything they were going through after albus and that he needed to remain focused on being the best husband and father he could be. but it was hard to find the way his heart ached whenever he'd see a movie with a kissing scene with two guys. deep down, he knew that's the love he wanted. as much as he adored ginny and loved his family to pieces, he wanted a divorce to be able to live his true self freely. but then, when he was alone with ginny, he realized he could never ask her foor a divorce. she was his best friend, if not his soulmate like he once thought, at least his platonic one, and he knew he could never do anything to hurt her or the family they had raised together for all these years.

when he isn't at home, harry is happily caring for the schoops ice cream parole. he's in love with his job and treats his employees as if they were part of his family. he's constantly coming up with different flavors that he loves to get ginny to try to see if they are any good. as silly as it sounds, he hopes to be able to pass the shop down to one of his kids, if not both.

[forevertouched]

closed starter for @kaleidoscopelitskies​ (raul)

Maybe it was a little early to be shopping for Valentine’s Day, but Remy always liked to get a head start on things. He wasn’t exactly sure what to get Leo - it had been so long since they had celebrated together, and honestly, he was afraid of being too enthusiastic about it. Which was how he ended up at the town’s record store, idly thumbing through the classic rock section. “Do you have any recommendations? I’m looking for something for my husband, but I’m not exactly sure what he’d like.” 

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

RAUL

   soft music played over the speakers, filling the store with the sound of the beatles: rubber soul album. it was a relatively slow day at the record shop today, and raul’s managers both had to call off today, which meant he would be here all day and night,  not that it really bothered him; clementine always loved nights at the record store. as the tiny golden bell above the entrance door rang, signaling someone had entered the shop, raul looked over in the direction of the door, “welcome to dolphin records!” a huge grin came to his lips when the other asked for some recommendations, man, he loved giving those out. “hm. well, let’s see, does he have a particular music taste, or is he the type of person who listens to pretty much anything?”

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

shredmytapestry​:

RAVI.

ravi always knew he’d end up back in moorbrooke eventually, he especially knew it when their favourite people in the whole world moved back. raul and clementine were the reason he’d applied to moorbooke for his phd program. ravi had already made up their mind to move back even if he didn’t get in. thankfully he did so now he could help out with expenses and spoiling clementine (and raul, honestly). he took his position as a godparent very seriously. so seriously that he’d helped raise clementine all these years, he even had savings accounts set up for her future. even when raul had insisted that wasn’t what being a godparent was about, ravi didn’t care. she felt like she was his and he was hers, and though they weren’t her dad, they were still a godparent and would put their life on the line for her. 

deep down he knew he loved her so much more because all this time, he loved her father. he’d been in love with raul for as far back as he could remember. sometimes it was platonic and sometimes it was really not. but thirty years had passed and if it hadn’t happened now, there was likely no hope for it ever happening. plus he didn’t even know if raul liked him back. which now just felt so silly to ask, because he didn’t just like raul. he loved raul because they were certain he was their soulmate. this life was the one he was meant to live, here with raul and clementine and even if it didn’t involve all the things a relationship would give, it was always more than enough. 

ravi received the text to grab bread after work and he replied saying they would. so after work they went to the grocery store to pick up bread, and some snacks incase they’d have a movie night tonight. although, it was a school night so maybe it could’ve waited but he wanted to bring raul’s favourite candy. they made their way home and unlocked the door to raul and the most romantic dinner in the background. ‘um.. wow. hi!’ they were speechless, but it didn’t take long for them to shut the door and walk inside with a smile. ‘this is so sweet, raul. completely unnecessary because you let me live here with you and also i love both you and clementine with all my heart so it’s hardly anything to deal with.’ ravi sniffed the air and sighed happily, his mouth salivating at how good it all smelled. ‘yeah, i’ll forgive you. we’ll just put the bread in the freezer. i brought some snacks for our next movie night! can i help with anything? fuck, you even brought flowers… and candles. i wish you told me so i could bring you something. fancy chocolates or something, i just brought you two dollar m&ms.’ he let out a shy chuckle and looked over at the set up again. this couldn’t be a friendly thing, right? maybe this was the sign he’d been waiting years for, but it seemed so surreal. so in his reach, but ravi was so scared of ruining such a good thing. ‘thanks for this, raul. really, thanks. i needed this after everything with andrej and grayson. i really just needed a lovely night at home with you.’ ravi met his gaze and quickly wrapped his arms around raul from behind as he scooped their food out. it wasn’t a long embrace, but he still found a moment to nuzzle their head into raul’s neck. 

RAUL

   ravi’s reaction was everything to raul; he couldn’t help the wide smile it brought to his face. this was far from a friendly dinner date set up; even if he didn’t say it out loud, raul secretly hoped ravi would pick up the signs one day. “you’re absolutely perfect, ravi. there’s nothing i need help with because everything is pretty much done! it’s just serving up the food now. plus, you said it yourself, you need this.” the comment about the m&m’s made him softly chuckle, “what’s the point of fancy chocolate if it’s not my favorite? i love the m&m’s. thank you for them, and for thinking of me while you were out, that’s..really sweet.” the gesture turned his stomach into little knots that twisted and turned within him, causing him to get a little nervous but in a good way. “well, i had to buy new flowers! how could i pamper you with old ones? only the best for you, my friend.” friend. the word always felt so bittersweet on his tongue whenever he’d let it slip, if only because even though he did consider ravi a close friend, he loved him beyond the feelings of friendship. if it were up to him, they would be married by now. except he had no idea if the other felt anything for him beyond that of friendship, and after all these years, raul highly doubted it.

   for the most part, it could be easy to pretend like he wasn’t aching to love ravi in every possible way, especially when the two were snuggled up watching movies in his room when clementine was asleep, but then there were nights he couldn’t resist to caving into what he desperately wanted. as he felt ravi’s arms wrap around him, an involuntary chill ran up his spine, causing him to grip onto the tray of shells a little more tightly, letting out a  breathless chuckle, “ravi,” he whispered, gently setting the tray on the stovetop, leaning back a bit, “you know how ticklish i am.” he turns to give them a soft smile, chewing on his bottom lip for a sec, before turning back to force his attention on the shells before him. “um, well,” he clears his throat as he begins to set up one of the plates for dinner, “i’m sorry to hear things are still kind of stressful with the andrej and grayson situation. do you, uh, think you’ll be taking things further with grayson? that platonic picnic of yours didn’t stir up any old feelings? i just gotta know if clem should be calling him uncle grayson now,” raul light-heartedly joked, laughing a bit, careful not to let his slight jealousy slip. it was an uncomfortable feeling, jealousy, but the little bug often bit him whenever ravi mentioned another person’s name they were romantically interested in. he longed for the day that one of those names would be his own.

   turning with both plates in his hand to set them on the table. he meets ravi’s gaze, “i hope that entire situation eases up soon, though. i hate seeing you so stressed. in the meantime, let me be your distraction.” he offers, setting the plates down on the table. one in front of the other before turning to meet ravi’s gaze, smiling warmly at them, “however that may be, dinner, or more,” he lets the words hang in the air for a brief second, “like a spontaneous movie night tonight? clem won’t be home until tomorrow, so it’s pretty much a free for all for what movie to watch, and we don’t have to keep the volume low.”

[unfinishedmxn]

Callum was never one to think that the mundane was exciting. His job made things like carpool and doing the laundry seem like nothing.  However, there was one fire 6 year old with fire red hair that always seemed to make everything much more exciting. Even now as he shopping for food with the little run tucked into his side as he carried her around the store answering the million questions she had was amazing to him. He put her down for a second telling her not to wander off far before reading the back of the two different brands of mac and cheese trying to figure out which would be better for the duo. “Bridigette O’brien put that candy down just cause im not looking at you doesn’t mean i can’t see you,” He told her as he put one of the boxes in the cart and walked over to where she was, “Hey watch where you’re going” He told the pouty kid as they bumped into someone. “Sorry about shes mad i made her put back the kit-kat” 

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

RAUL 

  raul had been out on a mission for mac and cheese ingredients, as clementine decided she wanted mac and chicken nuggets for dinner tonight. which normally wouldn't be an issue if he hadn't already bought all the ingredients for homemade pizza because they were originally supposed to have a pizza night, but he was used to making last-minute grocery runs by now, and he was happy to do whatever it took to see her face light up. and that's how he found himself stuck staring between a block of cheese and a bag of shredded cheese. he couldn't decide which he wanted to use for tonight's cheese sauce, nor could he decide if it made a difference on which he used; no one said he was a professional chef. his attention was stolen from the block of cheese, given to the little human who bumped into him, an instant warm smile appeared when he saw the little girl. "hello there," he greets before looking up to meet her father's gaze, his warm smile growing. "ah. i know the feeling all too well. my little one decided to switch up dinner plans on us today, so now here i am trying to decide if i should get a block of cheese or shredded cheese for mac and cheese. is there a difference? will it really matter if i hand shred the cheese?”

[kaetastrophesgifs]

sean teale - instagram stories

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

location: their apartment time: evening hours for: ravi ( @shredmytapestry )

RAUL

   the idea to plan a surprise dinner for just the two of them, himself and ravi, didn’t strike him until clementine mentioned wanting to go to a friends house for a little after school. he spoke to the mother of said friend who then suggested the sleepover and even offered to take clementine to school in the morning; luckily for clementine, raul had known this parent for a couple of years and did trust them with his treasure. so, after he wished clem a good night and reminded her to call if she needed anything, raul quickly set to work on arrainging things for tonight. he had texted ravi to stop by the store for some bread, if only to buy him more time just in case he fell behind. but that was all he texted ravi. he didn’t bother warning the other that they would be spending the evening with just him, little surprises like this were something raul enjoyed doing for ravi as often as possible. 

   if he stopped and let himself think about it he would realize it wasn’t entirely because he was trying to show how appreciative he was that ravi had always been so good with him and clementine. maybe at first it was but the longer ravi lived with them, the less it became about that and the more it became about the fact that raul enjoyed the idea of this being their family routine. tonight he was cooking home made stuffed shells with some garlic bred with the garlic spread being one he made up on his own. he had two glasses set up awaiting the red wine in the center of the table and the lights were dimly lit. so as to throw off any romantic vibes, not that raul really wanted to throw any of them off, he casually left the tv on in the living ‘just in case we want to watch something while we eat’ as he would say. really it was to distract any suspicion from the candles lit in the center of the table or the way he casually bought a new bouquet of flowers for the centerpiece tonight. 

    as the door opens raul smiles with the bottle of wine in his hand, “welcome home, ravi! surprise!” he lightly chuckled, filling the glasses half way, “clementine is spending the night at a friends tonight. so i figured, because you deserve to be spoiled as much as possible, i know it can’t be easy dealing with us, i wanted to make you a nice dinner.” he walks over to check on the stuffed shells, taking them out, “i hope you’re in the mood for some stuffed shells. i’m sorry about the bread, by the way, because we don’t actually need it. i just needed to buy some time to let the shells finish so they would be ready right when you got home.” he turns to look at ravi, offering an apologetic smile, “will you forgive me?”

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

RAUL MEDINA ( HE/HIM ) is a CIS MALE, THIRTY-ONE year old DOLPHIN RECORDS OWNER who has been living in Moorbrooke for HIS ENTIRE LIFE. They were born on DECEMBER 28th and right now, they are currently residing in REDGRAVE GROVE. It has been said that they look suspiciously like SEAN TEALE and if they had to choose a song to describe themselves, they would choose SWEETNESS by JIMMY EAT WORLD. 

tw: death mention, car accident mention, drug mention (kinda not really lol)

aanya and ricardo medina were married two years before they had raul medina, the eldest of the two medina children. the medina family was always a very laid-back kind of family. as long as both children were doing well in school, nothing lower than a B, they were pretty much free to do as they pleased within reason. it was a perk that raul had always taken full advantage of; plus, it helped that he also loved school. from a young age, he loved learning, and he was quick to pick things up. he was speaking at a much earlier age than most baby's did, and even in kindergarten, he was asking questions that a second or third grader should've been asking. he was a curiosity to his teachers and a proud example for his parents, but all in all, he was just raul.

despite how he could excel in school, that never stopped him from going a bit overboard with gaming, comics, science fiction television, crime podcasts, and so much more stuff that he loved to indulge in whenever there was a moment. sometimes he would stay up all hours of the night going hard on a new level of call of duty with some mates, screaming so loud, he'd sometimes wake up his parents and then get a light scolding to get off the game and get rest. but when raul wasn't diving into games or books, he visited the local record shop in town. nothing fascinated raul more than music and its history. after school, you could often find him hanging around dolphin records.

as much as he loved his life in moorbrooke, raul often thought about what life outside the town was like. he dreamed of a day he'd get the chance to get up and leave. during his college years, his second year to be exact, he met someone who kind of made him feel like he had left moorbrooke in a way. she captivated him from the beginning with her dazzling smile and warm gaze; it was safe to say that raul was a goner. unlike him, she had come from london and had traveled to plenty of places. egypt, paris, turkey, everywhere he could only dream of going. they would spend hours just talking about her trips around the world, the best and worst parts of it all, and she would often ask him questions about himself too. even though they had an off-and-on relationship after they turned twenty-two, they never had any ill feelings towards each other.

at the age of twenty-five, everything for raul changed in plenty of ways. both his parents passed in a terrible car accident during winter, it was all over the moobrooke paper, and that same year he found out his girlfriend (then off) was pregnant. it felt like he barely had a chance to process his parent's death before he had to put on a happy face and suddenly accept and focus on the fact that he was about to be a father. as stressful as it all felt, raul did not stop working hard for a future that could be bright for his family to be. what he didn't realize, however, was that his partner did not share the same vision. the moment little clementine was born and able to be taken home, raul awoke the following day to a crying baby and a letter from the mother stating how sorry she was. she had noted in the letter that her feelings were deep for her friend april. for that, he was no upset with her; he was upset that she could abandon clementine the way she did.

picking up his broken pieces, raul quickly stepped into his new father role. he had ZERO idea of what he was doing, but the man tried. it wasn't all bad. in all of this, raul had a good friend who helped him throughout everything (CONNECTION FILLED BY RAVI MUDRIK). even if sometimes clementine's piggy tails weren't precisely the same level, she was a happy little kid, and he wouldn't change anything for the world. not even losing her mother, though he'd always feel guilty over that.

NOW he lives in the house he once shared with his parents. clementine is seven and attends the local moorbrooke elementary school. he went on to own the dolphin records store he had grown to love so much as a kid. as the owner of the store, he's very laid-back, not even caring if his employees smoke a joint or two in the back, and he treats the store and his employees as if they were part of his family. clementine can sometimes be seen hanging around the store whenever he can't find a babysitter for her, too, and it seems as if she will also be following in his footsteps of taking on the business.

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

jacksonledger​:

squid ink didn’t typically open till around 10am, but the crew had appointments around that time and jackson was on a mission. after staying up till an ungodly hour before falling asleep for about two, jackson was once again up around 7am and found himself too fidgety to fall back asleep. there was someone on his mind heavy, and quite frankly, jackson believed he was going a little nuts because of them. after taking his daily medication with a tall glass of water, he made his way to the tattoo shop. after turning the lights on, he walked into to kenji’s tattoo room and sat down with his sketch pad opened to the silly doodle of a llama with sunglasses on a lighter, the flame bright. to make it even more personal, jackson was sure to draw a realistic lit joint in the llamas mouth. “kenji! what’s up, dude?” he said with an enthusiastic grin on his face. at his friend and co-workers question, he nervously chuckled, feeling a slight twinge of guilt for dragging him into the chaos. “yeah, sorry about that. if it’s any consolation, i’ll order you breakfast and throw in a benjamin for your troubles,” he remarked, picking up the sketch pad and handing it to kenji. “so, i was hoping my best artist could do me a solid and tattoo this on me, por favor.” jackson gave his most charming smile at his friend. “i know it’s odd and you’re allowed to ask two questions about it.”

KENJI   

   at jackson’s offer of buying breakfast, everything was instantly okay in kenji’s world again, not that he was seriously upset for being here, to begin with. “keep the benji, i just want the food,” he laughed, walking over to reach for the sketch pad, looking down at the drawing as jackson spoke. it took him a second to fully register it was a lighter, which then caused him to look up at jackson with a teasingly annoyed look, “you woke me up for a fuckin’ lighter tattoo? you owe me lunch, too, just for that.” jackson could’ve woken him up for a tattoo of a rock and kenji would’ve done it anyway, he really did just enjoyed being a little shit with the other, it was the type of friendship and work relationship the two naturally had. now he hadn’t known jackson long, but he had known him long enough to know that if he were given the option to ask two questions that jackson would have to answer honestly, then he would have to dig around for a way to word them, so the other did give him the answer he wanted and didn’t find a loophole. but, what was kenji curious about when it came to this tattoo? one question felt a bit obvious, so he asked that first, “okay. i’ll ask my next question after you answer this one. question one,” looks over at jackson with a slight smirk, “who inspired this creation? and don’t come to me with ‘oh i saw this in a dream’ kind of an excuse either, because, i know damn well you would not have woken me up this early for that.” actually that’s very much something that could’ve happened, kenji didn’t knock anything out of the window when it came to jackson, but he was trying to cover all loopholes for the other to get through.

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

lonclyroad​:

taking a knife to the muffin he bad brought, zane cuts it in half, pushing the rest towards kenji. “you’re sharing this with me, by the way. i hope you like chocolate chip.” which was really a rhetorical statement, because who doesn’t like chocolate chip? zane had been known to take a baked good or two to go after his shifts, especially the chocolate chip muffins. though he wasn’t much of a baker, he did enjoy a baked good or two. 

maybe it was a bit…dangerous to be sitting across the table sharing coffee and a muffin with one’s ex after basically not speaking for a long time, but then again, zane was a glutton for punishment. still, he tries to distract himself by breaking a piece off the muffin, chewing on it slowly. though all that does is make him choke in surprise when kenji says he looks good, coughing quiet and quickly taking a sip from his own mug to wash the bite down. “uh, sorry. went down the wrong way.” he mumbles half convincingly, shaking his head. “that’s, uh, really nice of you to offer. i wouldn’t wanna do that to you though. you deserve to be paid for your work.” the brunette adds, his gaze moving between kenji and his mug, not quite wanting to look him in the eye. “and thanks. i mean, maybe it’s a little weird, but who doesn’t like a compliment, right?” zane asks, cracking a smile. “i guess moorbrooke is. i mean, it’s the only place i’ve ever lived.” kenji knew that. there was a lot they knew, and he guessed, didn’t know, about each other. a lot of things had changed since they were together, but a lot of things were the same too. “not that much, really. been through a few jobs…landed here a few months ago. i’m not that exciting of a person, really.” zane shrugs, pausing to sip from his coffee again. “what about you? besides the fancy new job. which is pretty cool, if you ask me.” 

KENJI

   “who doesn’t like chocolate chip?” kenji lightly chuckled as he reached for his half of the muffin, offering zane a warm smile, “thank you. it’s an honor to share this muffin with you, especially because its chocolate chip.” for a second it felt like everything was normal between the two of them as if their past didn’t exist, and kenji briefly lost himself in the normality of it all. when he first entered the cafe, the last thing he expected was to be sharing a muffin with his ex, he half expected zane to walk away from him, yet here they were. it was funny how the universe worked sometimes. 

   then again, perhaps it was terrible for the universe to allow this moment to happen. that thought only further cemented itself when he saw zane’s reaction to his compliment; clearing his throat a bit, he tries to distract himself by taking a sip of his coffee, and in a way, it also allowed him to partially hide from the other for a second. “mmm.” a soft hum in response to zane’s apology, giving a little nod, as he continues to take his sip. and just like that the feeling of normality vanished and once again kenji was brought back to the reality around him. “don’t worry about the money,” he gently reassures, “seriously. it’s cool. look at it this way; if i wanted payment, i would’ve offered you a discounted price and not for free. like i said, the offer is there if you feel comfortable. if not, it’s also okay; it doesn’t expire.” he offered zane a warmer smile, lightly laughing at his comment about the compliment, “yeah, it’s pretty weird, there’s no doubt about it. i’m glad it’s not weird enough that it has you running for the hills,” he admits, clearing his throat a bit, lifting the mug for another sip of coffee. as he listened to zane, he was mixed with feelings. part of his was happy to hear the other seemed to be doing good, way better than when they last were together, and another part was sad that he was right in thinking that ending things with zane was the best decision he could’ve made for the two of them. it was selfish that he didn’t really give zane much of a choice in the matter, and here he was sharing a muffin with him; god, kenji hated himself. “i’m happy for you,” kenji replies, honestly, “ it sounds like you’ve been much better since we last spoke. that’s awesome. not to mention, this place seems like a pretty great place to work at.” he lets out a small sigh when the question is tossed back at him, giving a little shrug, “i’ve been okay. i’ve been hunting andrej down, finally found him, now it’s just a matter of rebuilding our bond. he’s so fuckin’ stubborn.” he paused for a second, looking at zane, “i know i have no right to ask you of anything, but, do me a favor? will you please keep an eye on him while you’re around? if you see him acting weirder than usual, um, i still have the same number, please don’t hesitate to give me a call. i worry about him; even if he likes to think i hate him.” if anyone understood kenji and his family problems, it was zane. after all, zane had lived in his room, and he had been there to hear the way his parents treated kenji, the way they continued to scream about andrej, and even when he’d be thrown in the basement. he hated it. he hated that he had allowed zane to be around any of it. “also,” a playful smirk plays on his lips, “if you think my new job is so cool, why don’t you stop on by the shop, hm?” he couldn’t help himself, he was partially joking with and partly teasing the other now. “if not for a tattoo then for a behind the scenes tour. i’ll even let you tattoo one of our fake arms, so you kind of get a feeling of what it’s like if you’re up for it.” and then, for whatever reason, the words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop himself, “it’s honestly the least i could do for being the worlds biggest asshole to you. which, by the way, i’m...really sorry about. i know it doesn’t make up for it, but...i am very, very sorry...”

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

for: elijah ( @philcscphies​ ) location: outside blue swallow motel time: whatever time your heart desires!

NICO​

   nico stood outside of the blue swallow motel, a cigarette tucked between their lips, puffing away their anxieties over a joint. things had been heavy for nico as of late, if only because they let themselves become their own personal nightmare and nothing, absolutely nothing, they had done was making it better. all nico had managed to do was reach out to people that didn’t really seem to want to be bothered by them; even the one person who understood him the most, andrej, didn’t want to be around them. and at one point, it’s not like nico didn’t know it was going to happen in roswell too; eventually, everyone would grow at some point grow tired of them, they would outstay their stay, and they would have to accept that this was just the way things were for them.

   letting out a soft sigh, also exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, they lean their head back to rest against the motel wall. the sound of footsteps, however, caused them to lazily shift their head to the side to see who was coming; it was a little surprising to hear someone approaching for some reason. when he realized who it was, nico internally began to panic, constantly feeling slightly on edge whenever elijah was around, if only because they didn’t want to look like a complete mess to him. and if there was anyone that could call them out on their bullshit, it was elijah. yet despite all that, nico was curious to know what brought the other out here today. “elijah, hey,” they warmly greet, offering a half-smile, taking another hit of their joint, “are you lost or something? i can’t imagine you’re here for the motel. unless you are. fuck.” they look down at the joint in their hand, “s-sorry.” maybe if nico didn’t look at the other it would give their heart a moment to slow down from nerves, it’s not like they were high on anything besides the joint right now, they needed to learn how to relax. “uh. i’m going to shut up now.”

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

for: andrej ( @candydrippings​ ) location: outside of delia’s cafe time: whatever time andrej gets off his shift (pm)

NICO

   nico sat in the alleyway behind delia’s cafe, patiently waiting for andrej to finish his shift. they had been here for a couple of hours, already having smoked one too many cigarettes; honestly, they had hoped the other would need to throw the trash away or something at some point, and nico could steal them for a moment then. instead, they ended up waiting for the entire shift, and now there seemed to be just a few minutes before they could finally approach him. nico didn’t come in with any ill feelings, nor did they come with intentions of causing a scene or fight; they simply wanted the answer to one question. see, things with andrej, for nico, they were different. andrej understood nico on a level that they knew no one else in moorbrooke could, and for nico, andrej was kind of like his mentor too. even though andrej had never done anything to give nico the impression that they were a burden to him, it didn’t stop their mind from constantly reminding them that even with andrej, things were temporary. because nothing good for nico ever lasted, and no matter what, to nico at least, andrej was good for them. which is why they found themselves here right now.

   reaching into his pocket for another smoke, there was no way he was going to get through this without smoking something; they light it up as the door to delia’s cafe opens. letting out a soft exhale, nico briefly braces themselves for the worst before stepping from behind the alleyway to meet andrej in the front. honestly, nico didn’t really think about how they could accidentally startle someone when you randomly come out of a dark alleyway without making much noise. “hey, andrej,” he casually greets, offering a little friendly wave, “look, sorry i came to bother you.” suddenly being this close to the other had nico’s insides twisting and turning in a way they really couldn’t quite express, was it nerves, was it something else, they couldn’t begin to explain it. everything was different while at the same time nothing had changed, and nico was still trying to process how that could be possible. still, that one question nagged at him, “i just want to know one thing, and then, i promise i’ll leave you alone forever after that.” a small sigh leaves their lips as they take a small step closer to andrej, “do you hate me now?”

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

for: riley ( @devereuxs​)

NICO

   nico wasn’t doing too hot. they had been going through a lot, and there wasn’t a person they could turn to. the one person they would typically turn to, andrej, felt so disconnected from them as of late that it almost felt like they were strangers with one another. despite what had happened when he last saw andrej, though they tried not to think about that. it wasn’t that they regretted what had gone down; it was more like they felt like they should’ve never crossed any lines in their friendship, but it was too late for that now. things only got worse for nico after that, they couldn’t stop the dark thoughts that plagued them, and they continued to stay out later. tonight they found themselves in brinie bar over a decision made under the influence and pure impulse.

   as they entered the bar, their eyes instantly scanned the ground to see if anyone they knew could be around, but they didn’t see anything. for some reason, finley, their roommate, came to mind right now. and a string of guilt hit them, knowing the state they found themselves in, higher than a kite, and being out instead of just going back home and sleeping it off. more importantly, stopping everything entirely. the guilt would normally get most people to turn around walkout, but with nico, it only made him quicken his pace to the bar. as they approached it, they offered the bartender a warm, friendly smile, “hey, how’s it going?” they take a seat, quickly beginning to play with the rubber band he had around on wrist, “could i please have whiskey neat?”

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

for: mickey ( @brkenpapercts​ )

NICO

   nico sat on mickey’s couch, smiling at the kitten in their lap; they had been coming over to visit the other a bit more lately. it wasn’t so much for the kitten anymore as it was for the company mickey provided them with. when they were here, it almost felt like they didn’t have to do drugs to make it through the day, but that feeling left as soon as they stepped foot out the door. today, however, nico had woken up with a desire to be clean for as long as possible. somehow. so they came by mickey’s after holding out all morning because they would’ve felt horrible if they would’ve woken up the other; they finally made it here around noon. “thank you for not turning me away, m-mickey. you’re a-always so nice to me.” something nico had failed to do was inform the other he was coming over today; they just sort of showed up with two cups of coffee in their hands and a friendly smile. they said they had come to visit the kitten, even having brought it a little treat they had tucked in their pocket, but really they were here for mickey. somehow, someway, they hoped they could spend more than just an hour or two here today.

   “so, um, i was wondering,” they clear their throat a bit, looking from the kitten over to mickey, “i-if you’re not busy, um, w-would you be interested in hanging out f-for a bit today?” it took a lot of strength from nico to not begin to try and backtrack on his offer by saying things like ‘it’s okay to say no’ or ‘if you’re busy i’m sorry’ because they did this so often. instead, they turned their attention to the kitten again, leaning in to press a gentle little kiss on its head, “also, have you named this little guy?” if they focused on the kitten, maybe it wouldn’t seem so obvious that they were trying to hang out with mickey, perhaps it would all look like it was all supposed to be for the kitty. truthfully, nico didn’t think the other cared to be around them; otherwise, they would’ve been a bit more honest with their intentions and also probably already reached out for help in some way or another.

[kaleidoscopelitskies]

candydrippings​:

It was tiring being a burden all the time and Andrej knew that was precisely what he was. He wasn’t a brother, he was just a burden and he knew that every time he came to Kenji in this state, it just hurt him more and more. What was worse was the fact that he HAD been doing well, he was sober and happy enough and he felt as though he was finally getting the hang of it all. His mental health was better than it had been for years and in return, it meant he could handle his addictions ten times better. But the last few weeks had sent him back down on that spiral and here he was, dumping it all onto his brother once again. It really was like nothing had changed. He didn’t really want whatever tea or whatever Kenji was making for him but it wasn’t as though he would throw it back in his brother’s face when he was just trying to be accommodating. Already he was getting antsy and fiddling with anything he could find to give his hands something to do. He realised Kenji was looking at him and he caught his eye, giving him a hard look before trying out a small smile, but it didn’t really seem to be working. All he kept thinking was that Kenji probably hated him right now and did want him to leave but was just far too polite to say that out loud. 

He snorted again and then half-shrugged. “God, I am so fucking tired of people saying shit like that to me. We both know I’m a shitty person, we can stop pretending otherwise now. I’m tired of all the bullshitting and false pretences. I’m a grown man, I can fucking take it.” Maybe he didn’t act like a grown man half the time but he had a hard exterior now considering all the things he’d been through so he could take the harsh truths. After all, he’d gotten them from Grayson now so he may as well add Kenji’s to the list. He took the tea that was put on the side and drank a mouthful of it, swearing as it burned his tongue. He immediately put it down and then brought his knees up to his chest, hoping he didn’t look as jittery as he felt. “At least you’ve had good times, I was worried that – I don’t know – worried that you hadn’t been happy at all.” Like me, he wanted to add. But wasn’t that a lie? Andrej HAD been happy, at least he thought so. There were happy memories in Moorbrooke with Emmett and Grayson but now they just left him feeling sour. “You don’t need me to be happy, don’t say, that shit, Kenji. I don’t want to hear it.” Maybe it was selfish but he just didn’t. He wanted to think that Kenji had been better off without Andrej because surely he had been? “I don’t know why I came here. Maybe it was just instinct to come to you whenever I’ve fucked up every inch of my life and fallen back on bad habits. Maybe I’m just used to you cleaning up my shit and then waking up in the morning feeling guilty as hell but never changing anything about the way I am.” How did he explain to Kenji that he’d once again fucked up every part of his life?

KENJI

   "you're not a shitty person." kenji repeated, "i'm not going to sit here and lie to you. if there's one thing i've only ever been with you, andrej, it's honest. i would appreciate it if you considered that. because despite everything, i don't find you to be a shitty person for any of it, i've never once blamed you for any of it. i love you so much, man. i know you don't believe me, it's fine, but it's my truth." he hadn't meant to come off harsh if that's even how he came off, but he refused to sit here and let his brother take anymore guilt. at least to kenji, he felt like everything had been his fault. his mind will always go back to that night in their room and how he should've tried harder to keep him inside. how could he blame andrej? he should've been the good influence, but he wasn't; in his heart, he truly believes he's let andrej down. tonight, when he opened the door and saw the state andrej was in, kenji had been prepared for almost anything to come from andrej, except a smile. instantly kenji offers a warm smile, his shoulders lowering a little, the defenses he had up lowered slightly. and even if it was probably not intended to be a kind gesture, kenji took it as one when the other drank the tea; he appreciated that they hadn't rejected his hospitality. 

   "i'm sorry that you don't want to hear it, but it's the truth, andrej. for me, life without my brother, it's been hell. the good times i've had are so fucking minuscule compared to the days of hell i've lived since you left. i'm not saying that to make you feel bad, i don't mean to do that if that's what this makes you feel, it's just, well, like i said, it's my truth." and just like that, he couldn't stop himself from talking, not that he really wanted to, he was tired of being quiet, "because when you left, andrej, things never got better. they got worse. everything got so much fucking worse," his eyes lower to look at the ground as he spoke, flashbacks playing his mind, "and my time down there got longer. days turned to a week, maybe longer, i can't even tell you because everything becomes so blurry in the dark. and when i’d try to leave it was like they knew all the things to say to keep me there. i...hated myself for a very long time. and the thing about it all is, it's not even the lashings that hurt anymore; it wasn't being forgotten down there; it was the fact that i didn't have you there after to come back to. i didn't have my best friend there to talk to anymore, to cry to, or just be with. i had to go back to a cold room that was filled with nothing but bittersweet memories and your laughter. it sucked. i missed you, and i had no idea how i could reach you. but, i had to try, you know, i had to try to find you again. even if you don't believe me or care, i need you in my life. i really, really do. nobody gets it, you know? i'm not giving up on my brother, the one person who does get it." he lets out a small sigh, looking up at andrej again, "talk to me. please. what's going on? what's fucked up? maybe we can find a way to fix everything together."