unrequited

[survivcal]

open.

“ hey excuse me, have you seen this boy? he’s about yay high, can be occasionally hyper active… ” strangers passed her on the street like nothing, like a child hadn’t been missing, as if she hadn’t spent all of the money in her pockets printing out copies of a photo of her cut out family picture in her wallet, mike’s face the only one visible. the only one she needed to find. the more people passed her, the more she became frustrated to the point where now, she had been approaching strangers. “ listen, spare me the i don’t have time to help you out with a very serious matter bullshit, i’m looking for my brother and i can’t find him. not to mention he’s a minor so if you don’t help me out with at least a yes or no, you’re going to hell. ”

[ofmoodisms]

faces passed. dozens of faces that laurie didn’t recognize. granted, one isn’t necessarily supposed to know every face that they pass on the street - unless he were back in his intimate town in massachusetts. it was only, he had thought there would be a reason for him being in this strange place. one of those reasons being that he was meant to meet all of his long lost connections in the town of cherryville. to make up for lost time, face his past head on, something. but that wasn’t the case. he knew only few... though those few admittedly represented a lot. walking onward with his hands shoved in his pockets, laurie’s brow furrowed as he heard the voice of a girl ahead of him. he watched as she tried to capture the attention of the others that passed, but to no avail.  well, now she’d gained one person’s interest. taking in her abrupt words, he gave a quick shake of his head. “ i’m likely going to hell anyway,” he began, pausing to take in her demeanor once more. “ what’s this about your brother? he’s missing?”

[ofmoodisms]

jefleuris‌:

it had been a long week at the spectator, story after story being submitted - some worth something, some that were just ridiculous to even be acknowledged. a hefty theft from a watermelon field, leaving three-fourths of the harvest gone. newsworthy. local man finding a penny from 1914. who would read something like that? resting his head in his hands, nate flipped through the menu, needed some kind of sustenance. his eyes stopped on the sante fe skillet, pointing to the menu like a child, as the waitress jotted it down and stalked off to the back. glancing up from his work, his stare locked with another gentleman’s briefly. saluting two fingers as a greeting, a small grin formed on his features. some habits he picked up from the captain were too hard to quit. 

“hey, can i ask you a question?” he spoke, using this uncomfortable moment for something nate was able to work with. “man finds a coin made in 1914. newsworthy for cherryville, or not? and if not, how fireable is this reporter?” a defeated chuckle leaves his lips, his head falling against his hands. 

laurie didn’t know that uttering a single “oh” was enough to invite another person into a conversation. if anything, the word had escaped him as an attempt to brush off the awkwardness of the situation. both men locking eyes by accident - he felt like he had to react somehow. but now a conversation had started, and he felt obliged to continue it. “ alright,” laurie answers him, falling silent as the man begins to rattle off his question. however, it isn’t long before laurie is furrowing his brow. a coin from 1914. the idea of it both baffles and intrigues him, though he wants to scoff at the man and call his bluff. except, as the seconds pass by, he becomes aware that the mentioned coin could very well be a real thing. the thought fills his mind, nearly causing a knot in his throat as it’s followed by another idea. the date of the coin would have been one from the future in laurie’s case, but considering all that’s been going on around him… could this coin be from the past? “ what year is it?…currently?” laurie asks slowly, leaving the man’s own question unanswered as he looks up at him. 

[cftulips]

beth bit her bottom lip unsure before nodding her head, working up the courage to move over to laurie’s booth, sitting opposite him. he still looked the same as before but he was older, more mature: she wondered what he had been through after leaving to go overseas, following jo’s refusal to his hand in marriage. “theodore laurence, don’t you lie,” though she playfully scolded the older boy, she smiled warmly at him. they may have not been close compared to him and jo but she still considered him part of her family. “what would your grandfather say?”

[ofmoodisms]

relief floods over him as she takes a seat across from him, bringing him to turn to face forward so he can properly see her. the familiar face in front of him causes him to breathe easier, to release his shoulders. though he’s still bewildered, he’s willing to brush away the feeling for the moment. after all, he’s still not entirely certain if this is just the workings of his own mind - so why not relish in it?  her words cause his grin to further before he chuckles. “ he’d likely scold me too,” laurie confirms, sliding his menu over to her. “ i can assure you that you were always his favorite, though. that’s a much higher honor.” laurie’s smile almost becomes sad as he glances downward, his mind filling with thoughts of his grandfather. it is isn’t the first time he has thought of him since being here, and it’s sure not to be the last. but it’s a thought that he needn’t dwell on now. “ so, tell me. how are you liking it here? “

[cftulips]

“you should have seen jo’s reaction last night when she saw me. i hated that i ever put her through so much pain,” beth sighed, her words quiet before her eyes widened as she heard the next things to leave the male’s mouth. “oh, you don’t have to do that, laurie. i don’t wish to impose on your time,” the second youngest march bowed her head slightly as she looked back down at the book she had laid on the table. “i know i am not the march sister you would prefer spending time with,” there was no accusation in her voice as she smiled knowingly. 

[ofmoodisms]

laurie presses his lips together and nods at beth’s mention of jo. he knew and had known how deeply jo cared for beth throughout the years. when he had heard of the news of beth’s passing, he felt pain from the loss, but a deeper pain for jo’s sake. the memory of it all makes him incapable of properly answering her. “ i insist,” he tries again, gesturing to the seat. though he knows there are other march sisters that he had been closer to over the years, there was no way that he couldn’t have been fond of beth. not in any way other than pure innocence and friendship, but he still cared. besides, she had done a lot for even his grandfather, to which laurie would always be thankful.  “ don’t tell the others, but you’ve really always been my favorite march sister,” he states playfully, providing the upturn of his lips.

[ofmoodisms]

stcrryskys‌:

beth smiled shyly at the boy before looking away. she had never felt comfortable with direct eye contact and even though she knew laurie and was comfortable around him, it was a hard habit to break, “yeah. i am not exactly sure why,” she spoke softly. if laurie was confused about her appearance, imagine how beth felt. she remembered everything that had happened to her and she knew she shouldn’t be here at all. “i’m just going to take this as some sort of miracle i would rather not question or be ungrateful for,” no malice in her tone as she smiled kindly.

his stomach is turning - though, he’s unsure whether that’s due to joy or indifference. of course one would give anything to see someone they deeply care for somehow brought back to life. however, he can’t help but feel as though this is also some twisted game. how can somehow who had left just suddenly and miraculously be... back? staring at her, laurie wonders if beth even knows the answer to that question. he can’t bring himself to ask further questions, though, as he catches the expression worn on her face.  “ then i’ll be grateful for it too, “ he declares with a nod. and despite the thoughts swirling around in his head, he still stands before acknowledging the empty seat across from his own.  “ would you be opposed to me buying you some... “ he pauses, at a loss for what the time could be. “ lunch,” he finally manages, figuring it’s a safe choice.

[ofmoodisms]

derelictsouls‌:

letter-locked away in a treasured memory of their shared past, slipped out with lower spirits that forced on a wondrous smile at the union of sister and friend. it had admittedly been a wonder to her, yes, that amy and laurie had let their hearts blend together during the trip she had always imagined would be her own, but the smiles and words of blessings had struggled to rise at moments. it had been a while since that moment, and the heart of jo was always able to give way for the happiness of her family in the end, such as it had done for meg, desperate as she had been for her to not wed. since then, things had changed further for her, finding her own happiness in numerous ways, until the sharp adjustment of time that stole her away to cherryville. where she missed the sisters who had not made themselves present, missed the comfort that was her friend ultimately, uncomfortable as some of their moments in recent years had been, they had both chosen and changed. walking through a diner, looking to grab some food and scribble down further musings of ideas that had struck her, there had never been the expectation of that face. it hadn’t hit at her at first, and then it did. “oh, indeed,” eyes meeting with his own, the normally rambling jo struck with a silence for a moment, taking the sight in. “teddy laurence! always following the march sisters some place or another,” brighter expression vivid across animated features - past aside, he was her friend first and foremost, and she couldn’t help but want to see him. 

the race and ache in his heart is indescribable as he stares at his old friend. his last uttered word still hangs from his lips as he locks his eyes to hers, causing his expression to reflect one of muted shock. leave it to the woman standing before him to pull a wave of memories through his mind - one’s filled with laughter, adolescence, fondness, heartache, loss, resilience. however, regardless of what had passed between them throughout all those years, a smile still falls on his face as he takes her in now.  “ jo march, “ he says, his pleasant surprise reflecting in even his voice.  the corners of his lips lift further as he hears her speak his own name - her use of his nickname striking his heart further. she was the one who had given it to him and the only one to use it since. there was a time he had grown indifferent to it as they took their time apart, but hearing it now is his first moment of solstice since he arrived in cherryville. he laughs at her joke, not at all surprised that she managed to slip in a bit of teasing within their first few seconds together.  “ well, you know i’ve always longed to be the fifth march sister, “ he states back, chuckling again through a closed mouth smile. his entire inner being is vibrating, causing his leg to gently bounce under the table. he’s unsure whether that’s due to his remaining uncertainty around her - which he still loathes - or his overall jitters from being here.  “ would you care to join me? “ he asks, gesturing back to the other side of the table. the only thing he is sure of is that he wants to hold onto this meeting with his old friend as long as he can. 

[ofmoodisms]

stcrryskys‌:

beth had been in a sort of daze the past few days since coming back to life and returning to the land of the living. everything was so different in the town compared to what she was use to and find everything around her absolutely fascinating. finding modern clothing, she found the enjoyed the floral designs of dresses and cardigans. both eyebrows raised in pleasant surprise as she saw the familiar boy a few booths down; debating whether she should get up and go over to see him. playing with the bracelet on her wrist, beth gave laurie a shy, kind smile, “i don’t work here but i am sure if you ask nicely, they will come over,” she called out softly from her booth.

laurie can’t fully believe, or maybe just comprehend, what he’s seeing. perhaps it’s a result of his caffeine addiction going unfed, but this feels too real to be any sort of hallucination. of course, as he arrived and became accustomed to this new town he hadn’t expected to see the one and only beth march in front of him. however, he hadn’t expected to see her anywhere. but really this whole cherryville experience has drove him to confusion and loss as he’s been trying to find his footing and understanding anywhere. and yet he finds himself asking the same question that has been echoing in his mind from the beginning. how is this possible? “ beth... ” he begins, his mouth falling open as he stares at her. “ you’re here. ”  and she’s being pleasant as ever. leave it to beth march to completely stun him and then kill him with kindness as she always had. “how?” he begins again. “how are you here?”

[ofmoodisms]

caffeine headache. that’s what he undoubtedly had. skipping his usual coffee fix that morning had done him no favors, and he had done it knowingly. only, he hadn’t known - at the time - where the best place to grab a decent cup would be. after asking around, he figured his best shot would be this diner everyone was keen on. now he’s standing outside of it, his hands shoved into his pockets as he stares up at the illuminated sign. though he has his doubts, he decides it’s as good an option as any. within seconds, he’s pushing through the doors, hearing the typical chime of a bell announcing his presence. head down, he moves to sit at a nearby booth, selfishly taking up a full table to only himself. he’s not in the mood to sit at the counter, feeling as though it would leave him in plain sight - whatever that could mean. his eyes now scan the diner’s menu as he clicks his tongue, knowing fully well he has no appetite, but still going through the motions. “ black coffee. that’s all i’m asking. ” he turns around to try and catch the ideas of a member of the wait staff, but finds himself locking eyes with a certain individual. “ oh. ”