Silvia sat at a table alone in Cuppa Joe Cafe, revising the recording of the daysā rehearsal. She had both headphones in, her face staring at the paper on the table before she that had her messy handwriting scribbled all over. She scrunched her face a bit when she heard one of the students hit the wrong note. It was always a stressful season, she had to make sure everyone was on key, no one forgot their words, the lighting was working, the props were being made, costumes altered, and to top it all off she was quite the perfectionist. Silvia let out a groan, āI donāt know how many times Iām going to have to correct that note for her,ā she muttered to herself as she paused the audio and pulled her headphones off, rubbing her forehead in frustration.
Itās impossible for him not to pretty much gawk at the woman from the very close proximity of where heĀ ās seated just a table away, studying her sculpted but still feminine features like sheās a piece of architecture from one of the classes he used to take. And when she speaks, itās only then that he snaps out of his near-stupor.Ā āNo, I wasnāt staring,ā he says, straightening his back in his seat.Ā āThere was just... a huge ass bird at the window. Itās gone now. Whatever.āĀ
Vince resists the urge to roll his eyes at Loganās explanation, though he doesnāt really know what he was expecting. A serious explanation? No. that wasnāt really Loganās thing.Ā āYes.ā He finally admits, turning to meet the other manās gaze with his, tongue running over his lower lip nervously.Ā āThe way things ended between usā¦I donāt see why youād want to see me. Or come in, I suppose.ā Perhaps he really had been curious as to see whether or not he still lived where he did, or perhaps Logan really did just want to see his sons. Whatever the reason, it left Vince feeling confused, awkwardly bouncing on the balls of his feet as he falls silent again, letting out a sigh.āSo youāre just passing through Crownsville then?ā He finally asks, his voice quiet.Ā
āYeah, well...ā He shrugs it off because he does know the reason why heās here, why he didnāt end the conversation five minutes ago, only that itās between himself and his conscience. He stuffs his hands in the inside the pockets of his jacket, suddenly feeling too exposed, too vulnerable for his liking. This is Vinceās territory; this isnāt a busy coffee shop or a crowded airport where he could just disappear behind doors and pretend he never saw him in the first place, and frankly, he feels quite bare.Ā āVisiting family,ā is what he says, and itās probably the first thing heās told him in the past couple of minutes that isnāt laced with his trademark juvenile humor because itās mostly true.Ā āMy grandparents live here, remember? Got too much pension they donāt know what the fuck to do with so theyāre inviting the prodigal grandson over. Lucky me, I guess.ā He huffs out a small chuckle.Ā āWhat about you? What are you, uh... what are you doinā these days? Still tryinā to predict the future from your magic ball?ā
She raised a brow at him,Ā āWell, I try my best to balance the flavors so the lime doesnāt overpower it but neither does the sugar. Long, long nights of perfecting the recipes.ā Katherine grabbed one of the cupcakes with the serving napkin and placed it into a little baggy for him.Ā āI do. I get up at the earliest hour and I try to bake as many pastries as I can manage to, to ensure freshness. Itās a lot of work but, the look on my customersā faces when they take that first bite is so satisfying. Can I get you anything else? Perhaps youād like to stay for a coffee?ā
āMade with TLC,ā he mutters, glancing up briefly at her before standing up to his full height. He doesnāt know her, and this is perhaps the first time heās ever been to this store, but immediately, he senses something likable in her. Maybe itās the way she speaks so proudly about her work. Or how she doesnāt immediately say that sheās married or has a boyfriend even if there might be some flirtatious undertones in his words. Somehow, he appreciates that.Ā āWhoa, slow down, I havenāt even gotten your number yet,ā he quips.Ā āBut yeah, sure. Iād love some coffee. What time do you close, anyway?ā
Vince canāt even begin to wrap his mind around whatās happening right now. He never thought in a million years that Logan would be standing in his living room again. He couldnāt quite put his finger on exactly how he was feeling in the moment, equal parts nervous and confused and something else he couldnāt place.Ā
Taking a breath,, the older man takes a moment to look at Logan, to reallyĀ look at him. He looks good, but thatās no surprise. He had always looked good. The question about his boys takes Vince by surprise, though it really shouldnāt Logan was always good with them.Ā āTheyāre playing in their bedroom.ā He finally says, his voice quiet.Ā āWhat are you doing here, Logan? I know itās not because you suddenly missed my kids.āĀ
The question comes around once again, and he canāt blame Vince for being skeptical about the reason why heās here. The real reason, anyway, but hell would freeze over before he would say it out loud, much less admit it to himself. Yes, heās back after checking himself into rehab for the second time in three years because heās a pathetic loser who wants control over everything and everyone but canāt even look after himself enough to stay alive. Heās a walking disaster, and heās already bringing storm warnings just being in the same room as the man he once loved but whose heart he broke. And so itās only fair that he feels a tinge of sadness that Vince doesnāt even ask if he wants to see the twins. Heās lost that privilege a long time ago.
āIām hereĀ ācause you invited me inside,ā he says, cheekily, but tries to keep a straight face as he does. He could never take anything seriously.Ā āVisiting my grandparents and was in the neighborhood. I told you. Is that so hard to believe?ā
Katherine chuckled shyly, she could feel her cheeks heat up with embarrassment. She shyly made her way back over to behind the display case and tucked her hair behind her ear, āI am! Theyāre the last ones of the day. I have chocolate, Vanilla, Red Velvet, Peanut Butter, and Key Lime,ā she replied.
Thereās a hint of a smirk that forms on his lips when he notices her flustered reaction, more because heās able to elicit that response from her than anything.Ā āKey Lime,ā he repeats, lowering himself so that heās hunching forward slightly to get a better look at the cupcakes.Ā āNot really a fan of lime on pastries. Looks good, though. You make these yourself?ā
Itās almost absurd that Logan implies that Vince wouldnāt have moved on since their breakup years ago, and it takes all that the older man has to keep from rolling his eyes, shutting the door behind Logan after he steps inside.Ā āI suppose I am.ā He murmurs, moving to put Gia down in her swing instead, fiddling with the straps a few moments longer than necessary before turning to look back at the blonde, lips pursed slightly. He doesnāt really know what to say, realizing that inviting his ex boyfriend inside might not have been the best of ideas. Itās too late to take it back now though, with Logan already inside.
āA jacket?ā Vince echoes, brows knitting together for a moment If Logan had left a jacket, it was probably long gone by now.Ā āI have no idea, to be honest. You know where the coat closet is though if you want to look.āĀ
He stands completely still, more out of keeping to his own personal space than out of reverence for Vinceās home until the other male returns his attention to him. This isnāt exactly the scenario heās pictured (out of dozens, now that he thinks about it) when he imagines meeting Vince again. In his fantasies, heās a successful architect, which he gets to brag about when Vince runs into him at a club in the city, along with whoever his new arm candy would be at that moment that Vince ends up dying of jealousy. Or heās at the airport, hurrying to catch his flight to Paris when his mother finally invites him to live with her, and Vince chases him towards the terminal where he admits to having made a mistake in letting him go. But assessing things from where he is now, he realizes that 1) Vince probably isnāt the type to go clubbing at this point in his life; 2) His mother hasnāt called him in about a year and; 3) Heās now standing in his ex-boyfriendās living room pretending heās lost a jacket just so he can stay for a bit longer.
āForget it,ā he says, not wanting to seem even more pathetic than he already looks, the image of rummaging through the guyās closet for an imaginary item making him cringe internally. Heās gained a smidge of self-control over the years.Ā āIt looked better on you, anyway. Or whatever.ā He shrugs, shifting his weight on one leg as heās been standing for a while.Ā āThe boys around?ā He looks over the room and tries to see if thereās any sign of the twins.
Artie picked the book down after he slid it across the counter, her eyes scanning over it quickly before placing it to the side.Ā āWell Iām afraid weāre not really supposed to do returns unless thereās proof of purchase..ā Her gaze lifted to the man.Ā āMy boss isnāt here today so I can offer you an exchange? Thatās the best I can do, sorryā¦ā
He rolls his eyes and lets out a huff in frustration, staring at the book as he tries to come up with something charming out into the predicament heās found himself in.Ā āListen, Iām sure youāve had people try to force you into things youād really rather deal with alone,ā he begins, now hunching over the counter with his forearms flat on the surface.Ā āI mean, youāre working at a bookstore, I imagine this is either something youāre only using to pay for some bigger dream, and youāve got people giving you crap for working towards that. Or this is exactly where you want to be and youāve got people on your back for working here.ā He smirks slightly, hoping heās striking some sort of chord with the girl.Ā āEither way, you get me, right? So I can get rid of this goddamn book and get money for it?āĀ
hi, itās frankie aka @milesheppardā & i literally just realized now that my fcs are timmy and armie and iām laughing at myself. ANYWAY, this is a hundred years too late but hereās a brief intro on logan. iāve played him before (a couple of times w/ different faceclaims, but was primarily armie) and he was a lot of fun so iām bringing him here! some info:
[Ā armie hammer, thirty two, cismale, he / himĀ ] ā hey, I just saw [Ā logan quinnĀ ] walking down the streets of crownsville. theyāve lived in town for [Ā two weeksĀ ], and you can catch them around town working as an [Ā unemployed architectĀ ]. I hear theyāre known to be [Ā sociableĀ &Ā adroitĀ ] and [Ā facetiousĀ &Ā hedonisticĀ ]. if asked, they would say their aesthetic would be [Ā iced coffee,Ā mint candies,Ā aftershave,Ā t-shirts underneath suit jackets,Ā pomade collections,Ā aviator shadesĀ ].
drugs tw !!
as you can tell, the above aesthetics can be found in every Douchebag Starter Pack bc thatās precisely what he is.
not that he means to, heās just got this loud, unapologetic personality thatās not reallyĀ meanĀ per se, he just couldnāt rly care less about anyone else. heās v egocentric and needs to be the center of attention 24/7 or heās gonna find a way for all eyes to be on him.
he grew up in manhattan to a family ofĀ tycoons and entrepreneurs that dominated a number of industries over a series of generations under oneĀ large corporation, Quinn Prime Holdings, LLC (or known simply as Quinn Prime). heās the only son of isabella fischer, a fashion designer to the stars, and daniel quinn so naturally, heās expected to take some major part in their business empire.
he has a younger sister and older sister, the latter of which wouldāve been much better suited for the job, but she was cast in loganās shadow bc.........well for some reason, logan was the golden boy and everyoneās favorite.Ā
he never saw himself tied to their empire, but he enjoyed the attention and how everyone was putting him on a pedestal p much so he was like yEAH U CAN COUNT ON ME IāLL CARRY THE TORCH FAM. but heās like.....the most unqualified person for the job, if only bc his work ethic isĀ shitĀ and heās the least business-minded person in their family. heās great at social gatherings, can be charming when heās not is usually shithead self, but even when he needs to put his mind to it, he canāt be a good businessman to save his life.
his parents divorced when he was ten years old and while he maintained relationships with both of them, his mother moved to france to further her career in fashion so he stayed in america with his dad. heād see his mom whenever she was in the country tho and theyād go to her family house in the hamptons andĀ hang out w her famous clients andĀ all that rich white people jazz.
always had a knack for drawing, would help his mother sketch some of her clothes for fun when he was a kid, some of which she actually drew inspiration from for her designs. it was actually her who suggested that he could probably get into architecture if he wanted, but then there was that dominant part of his brain that still kind of wanted to push himself into getting into his dadās business bc he thought it would be moreĀ fulfillingĀ somehow to be a part of something rly huge. and his dad already expects him to take over one day so drawing just became a past time of his.
they had the money, so his dad sent him to harvard business school where he had to pull a few strings for it toĀ actuallyĀ happen since he was still somewhat underqualified, tho he wasnāt a bad student.
itās college and its logan soĀ of courseĀ he had to be in a frat lmfao he would never pass up the opportunity to be a venerable asshole and use his frat as aĀ ābadgeā to get away with anything, along with his fatherās money. he slept with p much every guy or girl he wanted, would attend as many parties as he can in a week, was living the high life (literally and figuratively), didnāt care about the consequences.
his father was an alumnus of harvard business school, so besides his money, he had connections to talk into keeping his kid in the program. it was embarrassing for him, but he wanted to keep the legacy alive even if loganās totally the wrong person for the job.
the truth was he was just not happy with what he was doing or what he was supposed to do after. he was miserable attending classes so he figured he could spend hisĀ āmeantimesā getting wasted and high off his ass, which kind of made him develop a cocaine habit that he claimed to have gotten under control, but..........lmao.
he had a few semesters left when harvard introduced architecture as an undergraduate program, and after some long deliberation, he started enrolling at some classes with his fatherās money, but without his knowledge. it was only a matter of time when his father heard from one of his ~professor friends that logan dropped out of all his business classes and that p much led to this whole ass argument which turned into a heated fight which brought out some skeletons in the closet and some words that have been unsaid for a while to be thrown in loganās face, which led to his dad pulling him out of harvard altogether in the middle of the semester
so yehhh out of 3 offsprings, only 2 were in the running to be americaās next top trust fund baby and logan was cast off to the side as the prototype to his smarter, much more capable,Ā generally all-around betterĀ older sister and that sort of gave logan the mentality thatās likeĀ āIāM A LOSER ??? THEN IāLLĀ BEĀ A LOSERā and lemme tell ya he wore that badge with pride.
basically if youāve watched prometheus, logan is the michael fassbender to his older sisterās charlize theron.
so yeh he became the poster boy for a harvard dropout with too much money to spend and no parent figure to properly guide him. his drug habits in college only worsened, which led to him suffering from a near cocaine overdose back in 2015, after which, his father shipped him off to a rehab facility in atlanta where his grandparents were living in a nearby town called crownsville, and they would visit him every now and then.
once he got out, he spent some time in crownsville, and was around for a few months to try and get his shit together. his grandparents were making valiant efforts to help him back on his feet since his father p much gave up on him and his mother seemed to be busy w her career in paris that she hasnāt come home in a few years. with their pension money and some savings, they were able to pay for his tuition to study architecture in new york, where he also worked part-time in some odd jobs and that kind of grounded him a bit. just slightly. heās now more familiar w the harsh realities that the upper 1% like his family would probably never have to go thru but like........he was born w a silver spoon in his mouth so thereās still that lil spoiled brat inside of him somewhere.
he finally finished his degree in architecture just recently, but he also started getting withdrawals and eventually relapsed. this time, it was him who voluntarily admitted himself into the same rehab facility and heās only just got out for about a month and is back in crownsville, living at a shitty motel bc he canāt swallow his pride to accept his grandparentsā invitation to stay w them.Ā
PERSONALITY-WISE: heās v carefree, like 98% in a negative way bc he just does not care about the consequences of his actions. at all. he does what he wants and takes what he can get. he was raised coddled by his parents until they werenāt, so heās stuck in that phase where babies will cry and cry until theyāre picked up from the crib and make messes he thinks ppl will clean up after which is........like v weird for a 30-something man. heās v sociable, and if you show up at his door at 2am asking him to go dancing, he will most certainly do just that. heās loyal to his friends, but v cold and unforgiving and really fucking petty at the people who wrong them, or himself, even if he deserves it sometimes lmao
āYes? I live here?ā Vince is confused by the thought that he wouldāve moved, though itās not really like he and Logan had kept in contact after their break up.Ā āSo you justā¦showed up at my house hoping someone else lived here?ā It doesnāt really make sense, but Logan did what Logan wanted, he always had.Ā āUm, come in? Donāt justā¦stand there.ā Motioning the blonde in, he bounces Gia in his arms, trying to keep her from getting too fussy.Ā āDid you want something?āĀ
He doesnāt notice the child in his arms, not right away, but when he does, the words fail to form in his head. At least, not properly.Ā āAnother?ā he says, like a chimpanzee just beginning to learn how to speak.Ā āReally, Vince, youāre just full of surprises, arenāt you? Who wouldāve thought, really.ā Thereās a thought submerged in his words that he doesnāt want to acknowledge because it would mean that heās found someone else in the wake of him. And he doesnāt want to show that heās bothered by it, heās always been bothered by it, after all this time, but now the man is in front of him and he doesnāt seem to have aged a day and he looks goodāgod, he looks goodāand none of it dares to be said out loud, let alone be shown in any gesture, so he keeps his feet firmly on the porch, declining the invitation to come inside.
āNah, I was just lookinā around. Like I said, I was in the neighborhood, and I was curious if you moved or whatever.ā He shrugs, trying to appear indifferent. Eyes discerning the young child, he sees most of Vinceās features in her, and a someone else, but heād rather not think about who. Thereās no question that itās his, though, heās sure about that.Ā āOn second thought,ā he begins, almost absent-mindedly.Ā āDid I... ever leave a jacket here or...? I think I lost it, the maroon one. I dunno, couldāve lost it somewhere else, but wouldnāt hurt to look, would it?ā Heās owned no such thing, but heāll admit he wants to be around Vince over his dead body.
It had been quite the busy day for Katherine, and as it reached closing time and people began pouring out of The Mad Batter, she decided it was time to have some self indulgent fun. She made her way over to the record player and switched the current record from Dream A Little Dream Of Me by Ella Fitzgerald to Easy Living by Billie Holiday, another one of her favorites she enjoyed playing. She closed her eyes as the soft piano began playing and swayed back and forth waiting for the lyrics to start.
She made her way back over to the counter top where she started to clean up, and sing along to the lyrics. The blonde had completely forgotten that she hadnāt locked the door and jumped when she heard the little bell above it ring. She cleared her throat and rushed over to the record player to stop it,Ā āIām so sorry about that, I forgot I hadnāt locked the door.ā
He smiles at the sight of the blonde woman seemed to be a little lost in her own world, unaware of his presence until he acknowledges her.Ā āOh, no, donāt stop on my account. Iām personally a fan of Miss Holiday,ā he says with a quiet smile.Ā āYou still sellinā those cupcakes?ā He gestures to the baked goods behind the display case.
Artie had spent most of her day either lounging about the counter or returning books to their rightful places. She liked working in the book store, it was usually peaceful unless a rowdy bunch of teenagers came in to mess things up. She had her back to the front counter as she labelled a few new books, completely lost in her own world as she placed one to the side and grabbed another. She didnāt realise there was another person in the store until she heard someone set something down on the surface behind her. She turned quickly, an apologetic smile on her lips. āSorry, I hope you havenāt been standing there for too longā¦ā
Marching into the store with the same arrogant air he usually carries around him, he goes right up to the counter and rings the bell hurriedly. Once heās greeted by the clerk, he removes his sunglasses and slides the book over towards her, gesturing at the title with his shades.Ā āYeah, hi, I was wondering if you accept returns without a receipt? I got this book as a gift but I donāt really plan on reading it, so.ā The 30-Days Sobriety Solution, as the title suggests, isnāt a very appealing idea to him.
max sat himself, things had gotten a bit much for him today but as much as he was enjoying his time making new friends in crownsville, it was still new to him. hāed been here a week, if even that and he was finding it extremely difficult to fit in and enjoy himself other times. but he was sitting alone, his back against the wall as he listened to music and read his book.
With his phone having just died in his hand, heās now staring at a blank screen in the middle of texting this guy heād been trying to flirt with, and he lets out a frustrated groan. Heās hot and bothered and in public, anxious at the thought of weather or not the guy thinks heād lost interest in him. Looking around, he quickly approaches the first person he sees.Ā āKid,ā he says, trying to call his attention from a considerable distance, and repeats his greeting once heās closer.Ā āHey, kid, you got a charger I can borrow?ā
Itās another normal day at the Gagliari household - Matteo and Rafael are playing together in their bedroom while Vince is feeding Gia, laughing along with his daughter as she tries to avoid taking another bite.Ā āCāmon, sweetie. Just one more.ā He coos, smiling when she accepts the bite of food.Ā āThatta girl.āĀ
After cleaning her up, Vince picks his daughter up, holding her in his arms as he moves towards the living room to get a toy for her to play with. Itās then he sees someone standing at their doorstep out of the corner of his eye, which is a little strange because he doesnāt remember inviting anyone over, but maybe itās someone whoās lost and needs directions or something. So he goes to open the door, only to find a surprise on the other side, and not a good one.
āUh.ā Eloquent, Vince. The older man thinks, shaking his head at himself.Ā āLogan? What are you doing here?āĀ
Heās normally quick to think on his feet, always has something snappy to say in response to anything anyone ever asks him, but his brain draws a blank, and heās left with a gape between his lips that makes him look like a perfect impression of a goldfish with the stare of a deer caught in headlights. āVince,ā he says his name to try and bring himself back into the present. He stands there, slipping his hands into the front pockets of his cardigan. āI was justā¦ around the neighborhood. Didnāt really think anyone lived here, still. Thought youād probably come back to the circus life,ā he says, words unfiltered as they come straight from his brain to his mouth. āYouāre still here.ā It comes out matter-of-factly, and with some condescension he purposefully makes evident. Big talk for someone whoās been readmitted to rehab a couple of months ago.
āYeah, Iām sureā Brockās eyes narrowed as he looked over at the other male who was coming across as condescending. Sure, the other male had the height advantage over him, but that didnāt dissuade Brock.Ā āConsidering this was my Dadās shop until a few years ago, Iāve been around for a bitā he laughed, trying one last time to lighten up the vibe between them.
āI see.ā He runs his tongue over the inside of his cheek as his eyes continue to scan across the room despite having just confirmed that the person heās looking for never worked here.Ā āWell, too bad.ā He returns his gaze towards the boy, giving him a short nod.Ā āIāll probably just get a nice, clean shave since here Iām here, anyway.ā
The barber looked over at the other male who seemed to be mistaken. He shook his head and let his hands rest on his hips,Ā āNo, man, Iām sorryā he laughed,Ā āHasnāt ever been a Quentin who works hereā he explained, his eyebrow cocked. He was curious as to what the other male was looking for with this Quentin.
With a slight tilt of his head, a crease forms between his brows. āYou sure?ā His inflection rises when he tries to confirm and sizes him downā he couldnāt be any older than twenty-five.Ā āHow longāve you worked here, anyway?ā
Two weeks already seems like forever to him, especially when heās not really done much over the course of that period, and so itās mostly boredom that brings him here. Here is standing outside somebodyās house, just outside the driveway where the mailbox is, and the name engraved on the metal makes it clear to him that he never left. And he is five feet and seven inches of a man he thought he loved but whose name he utters in nothing but curses. Loveās a strong word for it, anyway. Now that he thinks about it, it was probably the same kind of boredom that drew him to the guy all those years back. This is probably what everyone calls the full circle.
His fingers trace along the embossed letters, as if heās trying to relieve Vinceās presence through the sense of touch, and doesnāt notice the front door opening until he does, and by then, itās too late for him to dive into the bushes and hide.Ā āFuck,ā he mutters under his breath, frozen in place.
seori was working, her hand rested on her lap. sometimes it was difficult to keep her hand away from her belly, but nobody knew yet, especially her dad, butĀ her other hand had placed the flower crown on top of her own head and she smiled to herself. today had been pretty slow and their wasnāt anyone really coming in so sheād made her own crown out of boredom, not hearing the bell above the door going.Ā
Yes, heās been in Crownsville for two weeks and still hasnāt paid his grandparents a proper visit besides having lunch when they picked him up from the airport. Heās insisted on staying at a B&B, partly because heād rather not have his every move watched like thereās a surveillance camera he doesnāt know about, and mostly because heās really not up for a conversation. Still, itās been long overdue, which is how he finds himself in the floral shop with the intention to pick the most beautiful, most expensive flowers that could compensate for the silence.Ā āKnock knock,ā he greets the store clerk, whoever that is, though itās only him and a young girl in the room.Ā āWhose dick do I gotta suck to buy some flowers around here?ā
