Malachi "Mal" Loring

One and only heir to the Loring fortune.

[mploring-blog]

Text

Zoey: You show great faith in my baking abilities, which is flattering, but probably ill placed. I've set the fire alarm off three times this month.

Zoey: Me and the firemen are tight now...

Mal: Ah, see, I learned how to resolve that particular issue by popping off the batteries.

Mal: ... I'm kidding. Please don't do that. But anyone can learn how to bake anything with a combination of patience and practice.

[tayloshnao-deactivated20210906]

Once she felt the cold breeze on her face, Harley allowed herself to take a deep breath and calm down. They were free, far away from the creep inside of the bar. Her eyes moved to the ground while she walked, listened to the sound the city made before her attention returned to him. “That’s probably the understatement of the year, but yeah, something like that.”

[mploring-blog]

“I’m very sorry to hear that.” Once again, he was silent, with only the sound of their footsteps being made. What was proper etiquette for a time like this? He was at a loss, but the small grumble in his abdomen cued in an idea. "Perhaps you’d like to get something to eat? Food usually helps, and— well, in the case that you’ve already had dinner, we can get dessert. I don’t anticipate myself being half as awful as the companion you just left back there.”

[emiliotill-blog]

“Well, it depends. Not that I don’t want your business, but I feel like a more general snacks kind of gift basket might be more appropriate- are you a salesman?”

[mploring-blog]

“Not quite a ‘salesman,’ however. I mean, I work in the family business, but more with investors and the like. More recently, I’ve acquired a few properties in town, so I had this idea of sending a little something to those who become leaseholders. Although you do have a point. I was just hoping for something a little more vibrant than plastic packages in a basket— although you can never really go wrong with food, can you?”

[norayoxng-blog]

“I better not tell you then,” said Nora with light laughter. She was childish enough to remain atop the wall until Mal would either walk away and leave her, or give in and join her. Of course she was hoping for the latter now that they were both finally in the same town again, but she also knew just how stubborn he could be. The puppy dog eyes were really her final shot. Which only made her grin bigger when he gave in and climbed up to meet her. “Thank you.” She said and chuckled, jumping down onto the grass on the other side. She wasted no time, but quickly headed for the pool, pulling her dress over her head on the way before she jumped in and waited for Mal to join - or to object again.

[mploring-blog]

“Now hold on a second,” Mal replied, promptly pausing at the fourth button down his shirt. Although she had been all too eager to dive in, as evidenced by how he hadn’t even noticed her stripping down, he was still filled with plenty of hesitation. His next words echoed with familiarity, as though he had — and he did — spoken them time and time again in the past. “I think you should tell me. The better informed I am, the more adequately prepared I can be should this little stunt go up in some kind of flood.” Crossing his arms, he squinted his eyes lightly and asked— even if he was already certain to the answer, “Are you a frequent... Guest of this particular residence?” 

[tayloshnao-deactivated20210906]

Harley glanced at the handsome man that had come up with an excuse to get her out of there fairly quickly. Her hand tightened around his as she slowly slid from her stool and nodded in agreement as if she remembered. “Yes. I totally forgot about that.” Her head then turned to the stranger as she waved halfheartedly. “Nice to meet you… asshole.” And with that, she turned and headed towards the exit with Mal.

[mploring-blog]

Mal remained quiet as they hastened away from the dumbstuck man and weaved through the restaurant crowd. Although this was hardly what he expected for a quiet dinner out, he found very little reason to complain. It was only upon feeling the cold breeze outside that he opted to clarify the situation. “So,” he began quietly, “it’s not quite in my nature to prod into strangers’ lives, but given the circumstances... Rough night?”

[norayoxng-blog]

“I know they do, but I also know these particular people won’t be home until Sunday afternoon, and I also know those security cams are just for show - to scare people away,” said Nora and smiled playfully down at Mal. “Come on! I promise it’ll be fun, okay? And I promise you won’t get in trouble… Just trust me?” She pleaded and combined a pout with puppy dog eyes.

[mploring-blog]

Mal silently ran his lower teeth across his upper lip as Nora voiced her plea. He was adamant on resistance; that particular life was years ago. He wouldn’t budge one bit— or at least, not until the expression across her face. “I can’t tell what’s more concerning. The fact you know details of this family’s private life or how...” He stopped and let out a huff, then joined her movement atop the fence. “Move. Quickly. I mean, carefully too, but quickly.”

[clairescxtt-blog]

“Please tell me you found my keys? I’ve been retracing my steps for the past hour, and… Well I’m only a couple of steps away from having to call the lock smith and since I already did that only two weeks ago - I really don’t want to do it again. So, uh… Did you find them?”

[mploring-blog]

“I was about to suggest that, given the fact we have the same unit layout, we could practice picking the lock of my door, then transfer the knowledge of such a skill to yours.” Mal said this with a stern expression, but this quickly broke when he raised his hand and shook the metal in it. “But I suppose this would be an easier solution, wouldn’t it?”

[tayloshnao-deactivated20210906]

Harley had been on horrible dates multiple of times in the last few months, but this one, he took the cake. “Listen, this was a mistake. You must have really… hmm.. misunderstood what I was saying. I have a someone.” The mechanic panicked, and without really looking at the passerby, she leaned out to grab their hand. “This is them – my significant other – right, babe?” Her hand squeezed around the person, only then looking up at them with a pleading look. 

[mploring-blog]

“I, ah...” Mal’s voice immediately trailed off as he remained wide-eyed. After a brief glance at the equally perplexed man nearby, he looked back at the woman who had gripped onto his hand. “Sweetheart,” he enunciated loudly as to hide his uncertainty to the situation, “I’ve been looking all over for you. The cab’s outside waiting for us. Don’t want to be late.” Then, he stepped sideways and tugged gently for her to follow him out.

[mploring-blog]

Text

Zoey: I think I might have just been punked.

Zoey: Is there, or is there not, a really amazing French bakery in North End down some sketchy alleyway?

Mal: I can ask an acquaintance of mine, but I'm afraid it's more likely you've been lied to.

Mal: You may be better off (perhaps safer off too) baking your own goods.

[aaron-pierce]

“If you’ve come to ask me when the next Belamy Rie novel is being released, the answer is fuck off. If you’ve come to ask me about my sister, the answer is a double fuck off. And if you’ve come to tell me I’m the scum of the earth, I’m already well aware, thank you, and you can now, kindly, fuck off…” 

[mploring-blog]

“Is there a fourth option for miscellaneous?” After running a hand across the back of his neck, he motioned downward. “I ah, I accidentally dropped a few of my papers, one of which is currently settled under your foot... So my apologies for the clumsiness, but could I please inconvenience you for the slightest half-second to retrieve it?”

[norayoxng-blog]

“Come on, just live a little! No one’s home and it’s not like we’re breaking and entering - we’re just… Entering.” Nora smirked and looked over her shoulder before she stopped and started to climb the fence to a home in Kingsgate. “Besides, we have a good reason: we’re hot and they have a pool to cool down in.”

[mploring-blog]

“Nora, please,” Mal pleaded as he tugged lightly on the fabric of her shirt. “Might I remind you that this isn’t Beverly Hills? People in this town actually live in their very expensive, very highly-protected homes... And this isn’t quite what I had in mind when you told me that I needed to take a break. Please come down from there; this isn’t relaxing in the slightest!”

[emiliotill-blog]

“We absolutely do,” Emilio said, doing his best to put on a professional face. He got tipped fucking great, if it was a big event, for a Kingsgate kind of crowd- and if not, he loved the rush and adrenaline from deliveries. Anything could go wrong at any moment. “Can I ask what kind of event is being thrown?”

[mploring-blog]

“Fantastic,” Mal replied, finally looking at the man who had greeted him and returning a courteous smile. Taking steps closer, he shook his head and continued, “No events for now, but I was thinking that perhaps— well. Would you mind if I asked your opinion on something? Do you think it would be unusual to purchase flowers for clients? Sort of like a token of gratitude for their business and such.”

[misscatarinarose-deactivated201]

For Old Times Sake || Cat & Mal

@mploring

Catarina was still a little shocked that she and Mal had moved to Lanford. Not only was she a big city kind of girl who had never imagined herself in a small town, but she never would have thought that an old family friend would be moving to the same town from across the country. As shocking as it was, it was also nice to have a familiar face around, and she had quickly offered to help him move the remainder of his belongings into their rightful places. 

Catarina thanked the babysitter one more time before closing the door behind her and heading down the stairs to the lobby. The day was nice, sunny but not too hot, as it often got towards the end of summer. While Cat was still getting used to the peacefulness of Lanford, she had to admit that there was a certain charm to living in a smaller town. The woman was surprised with how close their two buildings were, Malachi’s only being a few blocks away, and a very easy walk. Coming to the front of the building, she looked at the register before typing in the code that would call his apartment and waited as it rung. 

[mploring-blog]

"Hm?” Mal rubbed a palm against one of his eyes as a loud ring resounded from across the room. It took half a second for him to realize that he had fallen asleep on the floor whilst attempting to unpack— the umpteenth time this week alone. This shame only grew upon remembering why his buzzer was on, and prompted him to hasten his groggy movements up and toward the box nearby. After clearing his throat, he thumbed one of the buttons on the panel and spoke up. “Please come on up! I’ll leave the door open.”

As soon as he keyed the appropriate sequence, he moved quickly to unlock his door and tidy up even the slightest bit. He estimated approximately two minutes to make himself look moderately presentable, most of which was spent in front of the mirror. After all, his living space was already quite lacking; no need to have his physical appearance be the same. “Good evening,” he called out loudly the instant he heard footsteps coming in, “Glad you could could make it. Terribly sorry for the mess... Unless you ah, unless you prefer the cluttered style accentuated with copious amounts of cardboard. One of my clients mentioned it’s been a growing trend as of late.”

[emiliotill-blog]

Emilio stood at the counter, a bit bored– it’d been slow, and all he had left to do for the day (a six five hours of double shift, since the night manager called out) was to dust and tidy up- his least favorite activity. He was working hard at building up a rubber band ball, officially big enough that it fit nicely in his palm, when he glanced and saw someone headed for the door. After a quick moment of panic, he stood straight and lobbed the ball behind him, hearing something crash just as the door opened. 

“Uhm– welcome! How can I help you?” 

[mploring-blog]

The instant that Mal stepped into the shop, his eyes widened to the array of colors. He had seen the most remarkable of gardens tended to perfection, but had rarely seen similar vibrance in smaller, enclosed places. “Good afternoon, sir,” he responded while stepping closer toward a selection of reds and yellows. “Do you happen to make deliveries?”

[isabellamaxwell-deactivated2016]

Leaving a client quicker than she’d expect. Normal. Leaving a client cause his wife came home and she was basically half dressed, running through a gated community to not get caught by said wife? An absolute first. Not paying attention and running into someone while half dressed and running away from someone else? The second, even more awkward first of the day. “Shit - I am so sorry, I swear I am half as insane as I look right now!” she quickly apologized, holding her scrunched up dress in front of her to somewhat cover herself up. 

[mploring-blog]

The instant that Mal caught the briefest glance of bare skin, he focused on  his attention on the face of that who had just bumped into him. Perhaps he could have been upset with the collision, but having focused intensely on his cellular device made him equally as guilty. Still being mindful of the individual before him, he nodded once, then began to slip off his dark blazer. “Right. It’s fine. No questions here— well actually, no. Just one question.” Then, Mal moved a hand forward, offering his coat. “May I be of assistance?”

[riley-m]

“Good. You need to have a deep connection with a TV show. It changes your life, and it makes you want to die, but you keep watching it anyways.” Maybe she was too connected to it, but at the same time, she wouldn’t trade it for anything. Maybe she had a problem. 

As he grabbed it from her, she couldn’t help but smile. She half expected him to not take it, but he did, and she was a little too pleased. Before long it was on him, and she had to cover her mouth to hide the smile, but the muffled laughter gave her away. “Oh my god.” She got out between laughs, “I didn’t think you’d do it, but look at you, wearing it.” She chuckled, “It’s like one of those shirts that shows off your midriff.” She grinned, “It looks hotter on you than it did on me.” Riley said with a nod, “And it’s also probably 5 sizes too big now.” 

[mploring-blog]

“Unfortunately, midriff-baring is just a tad too daring for the likes of someone with my physicality,” he declared as he continued to pull down on the ever-rising sweater. He feigned dejection with a sigh, but such was really to cover the silly amusement that was spreading across his lips.

“Isn’t that a popular trend nowadays? Oversized sweaters that are as comfortable in bed with fuzzy socks as they are fashionable in the streets with boots?” If he thought the process of putting on the cloth was awful, removing it proved to be an utter nightmare. Mal moved slowly as to not rip it apart, as he retorted back, “I’m certain there’s another one on the rack somewhere. We can even match, if you’d like.” 

[oliviaofeaston-deactivated20180]

Olivia laughed in amusement smiling as she thought over her options again. She really did want the endeavor to work out because there really wasn’t a secure back-up plan in place since she was working on impulse.She had already talked herself out of it before so doing it again would be a mistake Olivia was sure of it. “It’ll work out…It has to.” She said simply as she gave him a nod. “Yes, I’m an organized mess owner. That’s actually the best way to describe it. Oh, good I’m not the only one then.” She said with a playful sigh of relief as she stopped in front of the building he announced to be his and possibly hers. 

She watched from behind and followed his lead, hands stuffing themselves into the pockets of her dress ready to address her potential destiny. His last sentiment made her laugh as she walked further into the barren room. The blonde stopping in the middle of the room as she looked around trying to picture the setup she had in mind. Lips pursing slightly as she turned back to face him after a few moments of silence. “A cardboard sitting area would look nicely over in that right hand corner don’t you think?” One hand sliding out of her pocket as she pointed towards the corner with a soft smile. “I like it. I see the potential…Mhm.” She trailed off still mapping things out in her head with a soft nod of her head.

[mploring-blog]

Flicking the switches at the end of the room brought more light to the bareness of the room. As he stepped back and inched closer to the blonde, he let out a soft laugh and nodded. “Cardboard is a very modern style, and from my experience it’s also very conveniently easy to move around should you wish for a sudden change. In addition to that, perhaps you could accentuate with a bubblewrap carpet of sorts. Add a little pop to the atmosphere.”

Truthfully, there was little else to note of the space besides the fact that it was available. Had he been in town longer, he would have made some effort to add actual decor, making it simpler for interested parties to see the possibilities. Perhaps that made him all the more determined to ensure a satisfactory deal. “If you don’t mind, please refresh my memory. What was it that you wanted to use the space for?