Taking off is Optional

Nathan Ames. 45. Owner. Mechanic. [[ closed rp account for Merrock ]]

[nathanxames]

NATHANIEL KASPER AMES (he/him). OWNER. MECHANIC. 45 years of age. July 27, 1980. Married.

Born and raised in Merrock. Left town after high school and returned home for good in 2020, numerous visits in between. Owner of Rocky Ridge Hardware. Sometimes helps out at Takato's. Former Naval aviator, and NASA pilot and engineer. Knows a thing or two about the how-to behind things that fly and flying fast. Lives in the suburbs with his family. Proud father of Skylar, Alina, and Micah. Friend of Ace and Levi. Youngest of three.

STATS 🛩 TIMELINE 🛩 BACKGROUND ( GROUP BIO ) 🛩 NAVIGATION

closed roleplay account for Merrock

[joshlane]

Letting out his own loud laugh at Nathan's 'plan' to take over his job, he rolled his eyes playfully over towards his father in the back of the tent, entertaining a group of his friends with some tale about a long bike ride as a young man. Eons ago. Josh hoped that he could be just like that when he hit his father's age. "You'd last about a week before you were begging me to come back from the dead and handle him," he promised with a knowing grin. Swirling the drink at hand, he took a sip and nodded his head, "this one is okay. Maybe she just likes me more than you?" he asked as he waved to Nathan's daughter with a warm smile, watching her take off across the crowd of people mingling at the Spring Fling. "No," he said as he turned back to Nathan, taking another sip of his coffee, "it would make you a realist. A few years ago, I might have been more optimistic. But seeing the lengths that they're willing to go to get what they want... I don't know. I don't think you'd be wrong to think that at all." Which meant, of course, that they had to fight even harder to get what they want. Or, more accurately, against what they didn't want. "Pretty sad, isn't it? Especially after doing so many good things. It kind of cheapens all of the effort that they put into the town, if it was all to just build up to this mess."

[nathanxames]

Nathan took a glance at towards the back of the tent at Josh's response before letting out a chuckle and nodding. "Eh, most likely." He took a sip of the drink he had and more than glad than this time it really was coffee. He placed the cup on a table nearby and watched until he couldn't see his daughter anymore before saying, "You know, for the moment, I wouldn't be surprised. She recently asked me if she can hang out at the garage for the summer. Told her that she should ask you first. Might be her way of bribing you," he said the last part with a small nod towards the coffee in Josh's hand as he let out another chuckle. He then let out a sigh, thinking about how much things seemed to change since the news came out. Things were calm when the year started. "I wish it never crossed my mind, to be honest. I tried to be a little optimistic, trying to think that maybe, just maybe, some good will come out of the resort if it can't be stopped, which I still hope we can stop it. But somehow it just hard to be optimistic." He watched other booths that he could see from where he was sitting, seeing people came out to support each other. Maybe they could make it happen again next year when they weren't trying to outbid the Benefactor. "Yeah. It is sad. I don't think I've talked to anyone that is particularly happy with the Benefactor at the moment. Just because of one decision. I want to say it's a bad decision but bad or not changes depending on who you ask."

[estherquinn]

"Good dog," she said with a laugh. Esther wasn't all that sure that dogs should eat butterflies, come to think of it -- sometimes they weren't so good for their digestive systems, all that bright coloring normally indicated some sort of venom, in her experience. "Probably for the best to stick with bones and those… what do they call them, pup cups? The little cups of whipped topping they get at coffee shops?" That would probably be the treat of choice for most dogs, vs. a butterfly that definitely wasn't going to taste all that good. "Yeah, no kidding. I was down in Massachusetts during the winter, and we absolutely dealt with a lot of snow and cold, probably too much. It was a bit of a relief to come up here and see spring settling in." Green grass, flowers on the trees, things just seemed brighter and happier and warmer all the way around. "Of course," she replied with a grin, "I figured the news would get around sooner or later, no one in this town can keep secrets." Then again, it wasn't really like it was much of a secret that Esther was back. Or a scandal, for that matter. "For good," she said with a definitive nod. "I'm staying with Elise while I do some house hunting and helping my uncle with this place," she gestured over her shoulder at the funeral home, "it feels good to be back."

[nathanxames]

"Pup cups," Nathan said with a nod. Those would definitely be a whole lot better than insects. Thankfully both of his dogs were properly trained that the chance of them suddenly eating random butterflies, or anything that wasn't directly given to them, were slim. "This guy would prefer cooked chicken than colorful butterflies anyway. He just wants to make new friends, and failing miserably," he let out a chuckle as he reached down and gave Ace scratches on the back of his ear. "Yeah. Things finally feel less doom and gloom. With everything that's been going on with the Benefactor lately, we definitely need less moody weather. I don't know if you've heard?" It would be a surprise if Esther hadn't heard about it but it was better to check first regardless. "That's very nice of you. You might want to be careful that your uncle doesn't suddenly decide to retire and let you handle the funeral home," he joked, feeling a little familiarity with the sequence of events. His parents waited a year before handing the store over to him. But before that happened, while he spent most of his time at Takato's, he did help occasionally at the store after he moved back to town.

[mariah-h-kenmore]

Mariah's eyebrows rose as she shook her head. "No, not at all. I want to help improve, renovate, and restore the buildings that the town already has. There are so many abandoned buildings downtown that could easily be restored with the right people, ideas, and tools. I want my firm to help with that and anything else that the town needs." she explained. That had been her original idea when she thought about opening the firm. She knew it could grow to do many other things, but at it's core it would be there to help others succeed in Merrock. "Thanks. I need the pep talk sometimes. I may call you in the future to hear it again a few more times." she chuckled softly.

She chuckled softly with Nathan and nodded. "I really do think I made the right choice moving the twins and myself here. I've been very happy living here and we've only been here one year. I think the twins have too. I mean, we didn't live near the beach before. We just visited in the summer, but now we can go down to the beach whenever we want to and they think that is pretty cool." she grinned. "Don't worry. I won't spill your secret to your parents." She held her smile as he spoke about tourists, but the corners dropped a little. She really was not interested in more tourists coming to Merrock. It would just bring more complication to her life just when she was beginning to relax. "No, I agree. The tourists we have right now are all the ones we need. Sometimes, I wish we could just build a gate and close it around Merrock when we all think we've had enough of tourists from outside. That might sound really mean, but I know some of us are thinking it."

"I could...do that. That would be more professional wouldn't it?" Mariah said chewing her lip slightly before their food was placed in front of them. She thanked the water before starting to prepare her food to eat it. "I agree! I can't kill a building, but I can definitely kill an entire flower or vegetable garden. I'm not sure which kind I committed to. What kind of things were you instructed to put in your garden?" she teased before starting to eat her food.

[nathanxames]

"See? You want to restore abandoned building, not build shiny new resort. Worlds different already between you and the Benefactor," Nathan said with a smile. In his opinion, that would make the town a whole lot better than bringing in tourists with resorts. He then let out a chuckle as he gave a nod. "I'll make sure my phone stays on then, just in case."

"I'd say that you really do make the right decision to bring the twins here but I'm biased. I grew up here in town and the Benefactor wasn't around then. I think I turn up okay," he laughed. He supposed there were pros and cons to the Benefactor's arrival, some things in town started changing slowly but for the most part the changes weren't too bad. Obviously and unsurprisingly there were people who were sceptical about their motives. "I appreciate that. My parents don't need more things they can use against me," he chuckled. He then let out an understanding smile about stopping people from coming to town. It did sound mean, and might be a bit excessive, but if the resort really did get built, he couldn't say that he'd be surprised if someone wanted to block access to it. "I mean, there are ways to discourage more tourists from coming. Not sure those ways would be beneficial in the long run but hey. Hypothetically," he shrugged.

He let out a soft laugh when Mariah agreed to sending email as to make it more professional. "It does. But don't worry about it. Whichever method that is easier for you. As long as you're not sending it via the fax machine. I don't have one of those anymore," he gave a small grin before taking a piece of fries and a popping it in his mouth as he tried to recall the things he did for the garden. "We planted a couple of fruits and vegetables last year. Won a battle with Micah to get him to eat more veggies because he actually helped grow them." He shook his head slightly in amusement. "My wife is thinking of maybe adding new flowers this year but we'll see."

[kennedyxwarren]

One of Kennedy's favorite parts of the booth was seeing the creations that came from it. The carefully curated arrangements, or the ones she gave gentle guidance on in case anyone was unfamiliar with them. Whichever it was, she watched carefully from her spot, happy to give feedback or praise wherever it was needed. Turning her head as she noticed a younger pair working on a bouquet, their father, she presumed, nearby. Their creation was unique, to say the least. When asked about the black flowers, Kennedy's brow raised ever so slightly, catching the other's eye. "I don't think we have any, but I have some different hues of hyacinths? Maybe we can include a few to balance everything out."

[nathanxames]

Nathan gave a smile in thanks and gratitude at the help. He tried not to tell them which flower they should or shouldn't use, wanted them to be proud in their own creation. But maybe he should've intervened a little earlier. "Which one will you suggest?" he asked. "My kids here want to create a bouquet for their mother. They, uh, want to include as many colors they can find," he added, which Micah then cut in to ask why there was no brown flowers. "I think it's because brown isn't bright enough," he responded, which probably was not the correct answer but seemed that it was a good enough an answer for his son. "How about purple?" he suggested to the two, which they seemed to agree on before turning back towards her to ask about purple flowers at the same time. "Sorry," he said as he apologized for his kids.

[joshlane]

"You would think so," he reached for the coffee for a grateful smile, knowing that it was exactly what he needed to sit through another few hours of Fling fun. It wasn't that it was hard work, manning the Takato's booth. They just took money and handed people tickets, but still. Long days. Watching Nathan's face as he took a sip and winced, he tapped the lid of the coffee, "is this poison?" he asked, a teasing lilt to his voice, although... he was kind of hoping it wasn't the start of some sort of coup to overthrow the boss. "No, no, hey," he held up his free hand and shook his head, "trust me, I get it. I'm the same way. I think that we're going to raise a lot of money here. But I'm not naive enough to think we're going to put it in the bank after this weekend and make a purchase. We're still going to have a lot of work to do, going to have to do a lot of begging for donations, more events like this... but. Like you said, it would make them look awful to continue on like all of this doesn't mean anything."

[nathanxames]

Nathan let out a laugh when Josh asked about the content of the cup. "Oh, that's an idea. I think I'm about ready now to be your dad's work partner," he joked before shaking his head. "That one is coffee. Probably. This one is most likely Skylar's current favorite tea based drink. I'm not exactly sure what's in it other than it's definitely not bitter," he replied and as if on cue, his daughter returned with a grin, traded her cup with the one in his hand and with a quick 'bye, Mr. Lane', disappeared back into the crowd. This time he opened the lid first to check that it was indeed coffee. "Will I sound terrible if I say that I wouldn't be shocked if they're not changing their mind?" he said as he put the lid back on. "Thick skin, can't be where they are if they don't piss off a person or two, kind of thing. But, at the same time, I'd like to think someone who chose to live in a small town like this wouldn't be that cold. Somehow I just didn't get the feeling that they were —in the word of my eleven-year-old— heartless."

[bryanxlawrence]

Bryan stuck his head out from over the counter to check what Nathan was pointing at. “You got it,” he said, jotting it down on the pad paper. “Anything you want to add to it? We’ve got tofu, chicken or beef,” he nodded towards the next menu that was hanging up, then grinned. “Been here since morning, actually… I could use a break. Let me get those noodles for ya first,”

[nathanxames]

Nathan thought about the options for a moment, thinking about what he was feeling more then. "I'll go with chicken," he told Bryan. Then he gave a smile and a nod. Not that crowded at the moment around the food truck, the man could use a short break. "Sounds good," he said and waited for the food. "How's the crowd here? I mean, it's not that many right now, those that has games and prices are the ones a bit crowded at the moment but they need to recharge eventually," he grinned.

[nathanxames]

"With how this Spring Fling turns out, there's no way the Benefactor doesn't see that this town really doesn't want a resort, right?" Nathan said as he handed the other man a cup of what he hoped to be coffee from Cobblestone. Skylar just dropped them off, along with some pastries for all of them to share. He took a sip from the cup he took and winced slightly. Not coffee. Wrong cup. "Wouldn't be a good look on them if they keep going ahead with their plans," he continued. "And before you accuse me of being pessimistic that we won't be able to raise enough money, we are against someone who's been spending a whole lot of them in one place in the past, what, two decades? I'm hopeful we can, I believe we can, but still."

[nathanxames]

WHERE: DIY Flower arrangement, Spring Fling, downtown WHO: Nathan and @kennedyxwarren ‌

Nathan tilted his head as he watched his two youngest trying to arrange the bouquet that they wanted to give their mother. Skylar was in charge of distracting Mom and practically dragged her to the other side of downtown. He wasn't sure the colors quite matching each other, nor was he sure if they were choosing the right flowers. But coming from the kids, it was the thought that counted. He was taken a bit off guard when Alina suddenly asked where were the black flowers. "Um… I'm not sure," he said and gave a look towards Kennedy, asking for a little help.

[nathanxames]

WHERE: Food truck, Spring Fling, downtown WHO: Nathan and @bryanxlawrence

"Can I get one of these and make it a bit spicy?" Nathan said, pointing at one of the noodles menu that was displayed on the food truck. All of his kids had eaten and left to wander around downtown, trying all the games and in the case of Micah hopefully not trying to provoke anyone with his questions about the Benefactor. People wanted to have a bit of fun this weekend. "Have you left the food truck yet today?"

[jj-hayes]

STATUS: CLOSED (@nathanxames)

LOCATION: JJ's home, Suburbs.

It was JJ's day off. He had left Mia with his parents for the day and figured he would finally put up the backyard swingset that he had bought for her. He had laid out all of the pieces on the ground and had read through the instructions manual from cover to cover. But after several unsuccessful attempts to put the swing together, he decided to give up and text the only person he knew could save him from his dilemma. "I tried to follow all the instructions, I swear. But the screws don't seem to fit, and I was really hoping to put this together before I have to pick Mia up from my parents," he explained to his friend as he turned over to him. "Please tell me you know a thing or two about putting together a swingset. I didn't know who else to call."

[nathanxames]

"Did you really just ask me if I know a thing or two about a swingset?" Nathan said as he approached, a little bit amused when he finally figured out what kind of help his friend needed. He was somewhat expecting to see a different kind of swingset than the one he'd put up some years ago. But, seeing the parts and pieces that was laid on the ground, that didn't look that different and shouldn't be hard for him to figure out. Hopefully. Even he knew sometimes the simplest thing could be the hardest to figure out. "Between the two of us, we should be able to figure out a swingset before you need to pick up Mia," he replied, giving all the pieces a once look over, including the possibly problematic screws. "You made sure they went in straight, right? The screws?"

[treywright]

"Would be a weird thing to not have in a store like this, right?" Trey joked. "Unless they start buying up your stock to build that fancy resort." He grimaced. "I just don't see people, for instance, going in as a group to buy duct tape, though that could be wise."

[nathanxames]

"I don't think my whole stock is enough if they want to use them for that resort," he said, tone changed slightly, not even trying to hide his annoyance. "So, don't worry, I have enough in stock for you and your future fence repair," he grinned, internally shaking that resort plan out of his mind. "It would be wise, if they want a discount," he chuckled. "But, no, that has yet to happen. I've yet to meet an individual that need that much duct tape at once. Packing tapes though, yeah."

[amberstevenson]

Amber cast a glance toward the child in question, nodding her head in a knowing manner. "You're right," she responded. "They definitely don't need to know. It's a case of do as I say, not as I do." Wasn't it always when it came to children or any age, though? She tilted her head for a moment, a bemused smile crossing her features. "You've got me curious about it now, though," she commented. As they continued, she nodded her head, gaze shifting back to the ice. "I'll be okay."

[nathanxames]

"That is most definitely the case," Nathan agreed with a firm nod. Was it fully fair, not really. But they could mess up some other way. And they would. "I…will never tell. Not with these many small ears around, even when they're not my kids," he replied with a laugh when Amber said that she was curious. "And if anyone tells you that I snuck out late at night to go to the cliffs often, they're definitely lying," he said, lowering his voice so no kids nearby could hear, before letting out a grin. "You sure?" he asked as he stepped onto the ice.

[estherquinn]

"Oh, good," she let out a relieved laugh, nodding her head when Nathan said that he hadn't said anything important, not wanting to come across as rude. She could remember him -- older than her, quite a few years ahead in school, but still familiar. In that way that everyone was when you lived in a small town. "Please, don't worry about him," she grinned as she looked down at the dog between them, "unless he ends up chomping down on one of those butterflies, he's cute enough that I can forgive him!" Although if he did end up eating one of her new winged friends, she might have been a little concerned. And definitely sad. "Maybe since it's early in the season, he's not used to seeing brightly colored insects flying all around?" she asked with a teasing smile, even if there probably was some truth to it -- they caught everyone's attention, whether they were human or canine, and it was hard not to see why. Truly, they stood out after such a long winter season. "Can't blame a guy for being excited at the thought of warm weather and all that comes with that."

[nathanxames]

Nathan let out a smile when she looked relieved before letting out a laugh. "Oh, no. Scares the hell out of them, maybe. Butterflies aren't part of his diet, thankfully." He would be concerned if Ace was suddenly eating insects. He'd never seen him do it since the dog joined his family. "It's not impossible. We're due for a little bit of color. Felt like winter went on forever," he chuckled lightly. His family was already planning on what plants and flowers to grow in the garden once the weather changed. "No, I can't say I blame him. He likes it better when it's not close to freezing. Old guy and his old problems," he grinned slightly, and he could've sworn Ace was judging him with his looks for calling him old. "I heard you're back in town. And by that, I mean my parents heard it from others and they randomly brought it up unprompted," he gave a small shrug before smiling. Small town. News travelled fast. Gossip travelled faster. Whether they were accurate or not was a different matter entirely. "Back for good or just for a visit?"

[estherquinn]

WHO: essie & open!

WHERE: downtown merrock.

WHEN: may, 2026.

It was funny how you never really forgot some things about the place that you grew up. Even though Esther had only left town for eight years -- and had visited frequently -- she had been worried that coming back would feel foreign, that things would be new, she'd feel lost or out of place. Not so. Instead, it had felt a bit like getting back on the bike, puzzle pieces falling into the exact places that they belonged. She had settled into part-time work at her sister's business, worked hard alongside her uncle when he needed her help, and filling her free days with remembering every inch of her hometown. That particular afternoon, that concept meant standing just outside of the funeral home that she had dropped lunch off at and watching one of the flower boxes and a rather vibrant butterfly on a zinnia, trying to figure out what sounded good -- a light lunch along the coast at Fresh? A drink at Evolution? She hadn't even realized someone was speaking until they stepped more into view, startling a little as she let out a laugh. "Oh my God, sorry, I was completely zoned out. Did you say something?"

[nathanxames]

"It's all right. I wasn't really saying anything important," Nathan replied with a soft chuckle. "I was just asking if you're okay and apologizing for him," he pointed his finger towards the german shepherd that was now, finally, remaining still next to him. The dog had been trying to scare off the butterflies, either that or trying to make friends with them, Nathan wasn't completely sure since Ace looked somewhat sad that they flew away. When he saw that there was someone who seemed to be fixated on a butterfly that hadn't flown away, he tried to pull Ace back before he could ruin someone's day. "He seems fascinated with butterflies at the moment for a reason that I cannot yet figure out. He usually ignores them. I don't think the butterflies like the attention."

[treywright]

"No, no I do not, for the sake of you, my wallet, and everyone's sanity," Trey joked. It would end very badly, that's for sure. "I think I already have a hammer, I'm not that level of useless, but I could do with some nails, I have a fence that needs speaking." He stopped, thinking over the offer. "Who buys five rolls of duct tape?"

[nathanxames]

"Probably for the best," Nathan agreed with a chuckle. No one would really win even if someone won that bet. "Good to know. We have plenty boxes of nails, can definitely help you with that." He let out another chuckle when Trey asked who bought that many duct tapes. "No one. At most, someone would buy two. Hence, the discount offer," he grinned.

[mariah-h-kenmore]

"Good to know I will have to deal with them in this stage for a while yet." Mariah chuckled softly. She took a deep breath as Nathan explained how the people in town could potentially receive her new business. "It's definitely bad timing, but you're right, the town has been very welcoming since I've come a year ago so I'm hoping they will receive my new business just as warmly as well." she nodded softly.

Mariah took a sip of her water as Nathan explained more about his opinions on tourists and the Benefactor's plan. More tourists made her very nervous. It would bring more notoriety to the town and that could interest Jonas and his family. That was the last thing she needed right now. Especially with her business and the twins getting so used to things here in Merrock. "I have to admit that I do like the small town vibe. I mean, it's what made me want to come and live here. I like how quiet and close knit the town is. I'm afraid that tourists will change that and make it a place to see. I don't know that it will end well for the town."

"I'll have a list to you probably tomorrow. Probably a text if I'm being honest." she grinned. It was the easiest and fastest way that she could talk to people now that she was busy with the business. "I really think that I'm going to kill everything and horribly disappoint Lena. Do you have a garden or something like that at your house?"

[nathanxames]

"Unlike the Benefactor's plan, I doubt you plan on taking over one section of industry and potentially make the existing ones struggling for visitors." Which could happen if the Benefactor really went through with the plan. Most tourists would go to the one with modern convenience instead the ones with the small town charm. "I have no doubt they'll receive your firm with open arms," he said with a smile, more than certain that the locals would be welcoming to her new business.

"I do too. I asked my parents once why they chose to live here when their workplace was two towns over. They just said it felt right. And, never tell them this because I will never hear the end of it, they're right." Nathan let out a small chuckle as he said the last part but he meant the words he said. Ever since moving back to Merrock, even though he couldn't fly as often as he would've liked anymore, it felt right. "The amount of tourists we do have at the moment, I think they're the right amount," he said with a nod.

"Why not just send me an email," Nathan joked as he grinned back. He paused for a moment as the waiter arrived with their foods and thanked them. He then let out a wince when he was asked about having a garden. "We do. And while technically I have hand in creating the garden, all I do is follow directions," he chuckled. "Jet engines are a lot easier to figure out than a garden."