Ryker Presley

"I was like a patient who cannot tell the doctor where it hurts, only that it does." — K.H, And the Mountains Echoed

[preslcys]

drnicholasward‌:

Of all the reactions Nic had gotten throughout the years of his random outbursts in response to the dead–a smile and rather pleasant mannerisms hadn’t ever been one of them. “What?” Nic had spent so much of his life thinking he was alone, that there wasn’t anyone he knew that could do what he did, that he’d stopped hoping. When he was younger, and thought there might be other like him, he had always imagined it would be a more monumental moment. Not a freakout in a back alley, with a bartender and his ghost. If that is what the man was saying. “What do you mean—’like you’?”

Tilting his head slightly in confusing, Ryker had the minor fear that he was wrong at the other's question but pushed that thought away either way. The man had clearly seen his ghost, had seen them talking and acknowledged it, yet the other's sudden confusion had him at lost of words for a moment. Before their own ghost cleared their throat, ever reminding Ryker that he needed in fact to answer. “I meant a -- I meant a psychic? Freak? Medium? Someone that can see and hear the dead...?” He offered with a half shrug a statement that came out more like a question. Turning around for a second to make sure no one else was around besides the three of them before turning back to the man. “I don't really know what they call us these days -- you are like me, though. Right? I just didn't imagine all that.”

[preslcys]

lilydanvcrs‌:

There weren’t many who knew what it was like within the building with the lights off and pure emptiness. Even to Lily, it seemed eerie. Remembering the first time she was left alone for manager duties, the girl almost visibly shuttered. While she didn’t exactly want to be alone in the building while she prepped the day’s paperwork, Lily had to wonder why Ryker was so willing to spend his entire day working at the bar. Narrowing her eyes at him, Lily placed the keys on the counter before turning back to him. “I wouldn’t mind another set of hands helping around, but may I ask, why? You don’t have anything better to do?”

“I'm offended that you would assume I'm here out of pure boredom.” He gave with a laugh, trying to shake off the uneasiness feeling as he began moving around the place to get it ready in time for opening. “Really though I just -- I have an appointment... date?” He still didn't know what to call the meetings he had when offering to host for dead relatives of strangers. But he knew that having to do certain activities late after work left him far more drained than previously anticipated. And Ryker just wanted to go through the whole ordeal without feeling like the dead himself. “Is only a one time thing only, I promise. I just need to be off early tonight.”

[preslcys]

— Availability: mini-self para — Triggers: suicide mention, death mention — Timeline: three months before arriving on Verth Hollow

                  “you promised you wouldn’t leave me.”

Ryker looked away from them, the heel of his palms pressed against his eyes. In hopes that if he pressed hard enough they would go away, that they would vanish. They had been dead for who knew how long now, but every night the ghost of them would hunt him and taunt him, reminding him of what he’d lost of what had left him like everyone else in his miserable life. They wasn’t there anymore, he knew this. After their death, the ghosts and entities had come back ( more like become visible again ) but theirs hadn’t. Theirs had been the only one to this day that he had asked for, prayed even but still wouldn’t appear to him. Instead he got this, his own mind playing games of him. Reminding him they had left him, they had choose that horrible path instead of him, instead of their life together. Ryker was selfish and angry, the man knew in the morning he’d feel terribly for the feeling of hatred that seemed to settled in his now hollowed chest. But right now he couldn’t feel anything else but anger and hate, anger at them for leaving. For leaving him.

The man turned around and granted they weren’t there anymore, they hadn’t been there to begin with. It had been just his mind like every other night after they died. Yet he found himself talking, saying words to where he’d seen them moments prior. To the spot they should be, instead of six feet underground. “ You’re the one that left me. ” Ryker’s voice was incredibly low, as if afraid to wake up someone that wasn’t there. “ It was supposed to be me and you… but you left me. You chose the easy way out, you coward. ” The words felt like daggers to his own heart. Ryker had thought of this many times, of doing just the same. Of ending the miserable life he have had and sparing himself from many miserable years to come. But he hadn’t, he’d stayed for them – he’d stayed with them. But not everyone was the same. Apparently he could take years and years of abuse and ghost and demons haunting him. But they couldn’t.

More than hating them for leaving the man hated himself for not noticing. For not realizing there was something wrong to begin with. He’d been so self-centered he hadn’t realized how much his partner was suffering and going through. And in the morning he would understand that but now he was just angry, just so angry. “ Why did you leave me? – why? ” The words echoed in the now too big room and came back at him as some sort of punishment. He’d like to believe they didn’t commit suicide, they would never. He knew them - and they would never go that way. He’d like to believe that someone else had done it, something else. But it seemed irrational when all proof pointed that it had been themselves. And he hated himself for not arriving earlier, for taking five more minutes. Those five more minutes would hunt him damn well until his days were over.

[preslcys]

@drnicholasward​:

Nic didn’t spare a minute getting out of there as fast as he could, the familiar panic building up in his chest and making it hard to breathe. He’d messed up in there, slipped like he hadn’t in a long time, and he didn’t know what that guy knew, or thought, or saw, but Nic didn’t want any part of it. He got to the end of the street before he needed to stop and bend over, resting his hands on his knees as he forced air into his lungs. He hadn’t had a panic attack in a long time, but he knew the tell-tale signs and didn’t fancy shutting down in the middle in town. He figured that would be that, before he heard the man calling after him, and appearing next to him only a few minutes later. Letting out a soft groan he straightened up and very pointedly didn’t look at the ghost standing just over his shoulder, “Dude, what do you want? Can’t a guy have a freak out in peace in this town?” Nic figured if he could spin it that he was just high strung and just on this edge of crazy, he could be left alone and head home to go stick his head in the sand. He almost missed the ghost’s next words, but he didn’t miss the man’s reaction to them and Nic couldn’t stop his eyes widening at the vehemence and the way the ghost reacted to them. He felt himself speaking up for the spirit before he could stop himself, “You shouldn’t talk to them like that. It’s rude.” Internally wincing he scrubbed a hand over his face and looked away, “Look, just–ignore I said that, ignore my freak out, just–ignore you ever saw me, alright? That way we can both go home and move on with our lives and be happy.”

Ryker almost felt bad at the moment he heard the other talk, taking a step back with raised hands. Shouldn't have followed a stranger just based on his dumb suspicious that they were too like himself, yet here he was. After all the man was never known for making good decisions. The apology now long gone and replaced with an — oddly enough — knowing smile, as the other basically acknowledges both him and the ghost. And Ryker can't help the smug smile that forms across features. He shouldn't be this excited to be honest, but the fact that this person was like him? Was a pleasant surprise he never thought to be possible. “Trust me, they don't mind.” But just as he says it, he can feel the uneasiness from the ghost next to him. There is the need to apologize for their lack of sympathy tonight but he finds is not as important right now as it getting to know this person. “I'm Ryker -- and honestly I don't want to pretend it didn't happened.” He admits with a shrug. “Sorry if I scared you for coming onto you like that -- I just never knew there were others like me.”

[preslcys]

lilydanvcrs‌:

Normally Lily was the first to be at the Dusk Til Dawn bar as she was, after all, the manager. The bar normally opened by noon, but she allows her workers to come in an hour early to prepare for the day … depending on the day. Walking to the building, Lily noticed a familiar face by the entrance, she assumed waiting for her. “Presley,” Lily greeted with a smile, the keys in her hand to open the door. “You’re here rather early, please don’t tell me you’re quitting before your shift.” | @preslcys​

Ryker was lightly startled by the other's voice, having zoned out as he simply waited for her to arrive. He was here before his shift - way earlier to be exact, but he was just hoping he could get away with an early shift and therefor get home early, "You know I'd never would quit before a shift." He gave in response with a smile, "I'd just text you my resignation letter instead." With a joke Ryker followed her right into the bar. Feeling eerily calm this early during the day. "Actually though, I was hoping you'd let me take the after noon shift today."

[preslcys]

drnicholasward‌:

If Nic weren’t exhausted, and already stressed from an incredibly long and arduous day, he wouldn’t have slipped up. He’d worked so hard, for so many years, to ignore the ghosts and spirits when he was out and about. But the second the man spoke, Nic’s eyes widened and he instantly looked at the ghost in surprise, before looking back at the bartender. “What?” He could feel his heart rate elevate as not just the bartender stared at him, but the ghost as well, and he started to shake his head in fear and confusion as they seemingly spoke to each other. “No–no, what? I can’t–see. See what? See nothing? I don’t see you–I mean, it–I mean, nothing. I don’t see anything, and its definitely time for me to get going. See you again sometime.” Or never again, if Nic had any say about it. And with that he turned on his heel and headed straight for the front door.

He watched in surprised as the other stumble over his words, before basically running away. If the whole situation had been different Ryker would've found it incredibly funny. Instead he found sad -- the other's action confirming his and the ghost's fears. This man was just like himself. After a few moments thought Ryker turned back to his coworker and called out . "Talbot, cover for me." Before he was stepping away from the bar and heading outside to find this stranger. The fact that there was someone else like him picking his interest. Presley, don't do this. He heard their ghost said as they stepped onto the street. Trying to ignore them for  a second while the tried to follow this person without seemingly looking like a creep. "Hey, man wait up." Ryker called out as he jogged towards him, stopping only when he was a few steps away from the other. "I don’t want to scare you or anything but that was really freaking weird.” He opted for saying instead, having a feeling if he mentioned the ghost stuff again the other would simply run away. But of course it wasn’t that easy when his own ghost stayed glued to his side, saying in almost a mocking tone. Really smooth there, Presley. “Will you just shut up for once?” He found himself snapping back too quickly and too loud.

[preslcys]

drnicholasward‌:

Nic lifted his shoulder in a shrug, and forced his gaze away from the section of wall the ghost had disappeared and back to the bartender. “Not a lot of good days in the morgue.” If Nic hadn’t been looking at the man, he never would’ve noticed the ghost come back through the wall, and the way that the man’s attention strayed back towards them. He never would’ve seen the way the bartender seemed to see the spirit, and not just see but see the spirit. In the same way Nic did. Pausing from from his slide off of his stool, leaving the still full glass where it rested, he couldn’t stop his gaze from straying towards the ghost once again, “Maybe you’re right….”  Because there was no way this man could see the ghost, not like Nic could…no one ever could. He was just tired, that was it. Scrubbing a hand over his face and pulled his wallet out, and dropped a few bills on the counter, “I’ll just–get out of your hair, alright?”

The way he easily agreed to what Ryker had offered was something to tip off. Yeah, the man could simply be tired and wanting to head home after all. But Ryker was already guessing there was more to it than that, and if the still full drink at the counter meant anything to go by, was that he was right and this stranger could see the dead just like he did. What could possibly make him reach that conclusion? He’d blame it on the lack of sleep and the slight frighten look on the other - and with a sigh, he made a bold move; hoping he was wrong. “Did you see it too?” He regretted the question almost as soon as it left his lips. For all Ryker knew, no one else had his abilities, and this could be just be another case of mistaken a drunk customer for a psychic like himself. But he really couldn’t help it. Ryker awaited an answer and as he did, the ghost appeared again, standing a little more behind him this time than on his side. Can they see me? It asked, and Ryker rolled his eyes in slight annoyance before muttering a “Not now.” Hoping the other wouldn’t catch onto that if they were in fact, not like himself.

[preslcys]

drnicholasward‌:

Nic wasn’t really a bar guy. He liked a drink or two after work, but usually in the comfort of his own home, where he didn’t have to worry about keeping all of his internal thoughts at bay. But it had been a particularly rough day at work, and the last thing he needed was to be alone with his own thoughts at home. Children were always the hardest for him to see both on his table, and in their ghostly forms. He’d finished up, and immediately walked into the first bar he found in town, only having been there a time or two before, hoping he would left to his himself. Only to find, after he’d ordered and gotten his glass, that there was a spirit trailing behind the bartender. Nic tried not to stare, but he was so tired from his day, he couldn’t stop his eyes from falling on them, every time his thoughts wandered. They’d died a violent death, but–so did so many others Nic saw every other day. When the ghost disappeared, he took a long breath and tried not to tense up as he noticed the bartender come his way. He couldn’t quite help the slight flinch at the mention of ghosts, and let his gaze fall to his still full glass of alcohol, “Nah, just had a long day.” Nic figured that’d be that. Bartenders didn’t often have a lot to say to him, he wasn’t a ‘bare-your-heart’ kind of guy, but the longer he stood there, the more Nic felt his gaze slip over the bartenders shoulder, subconsciously looking for the ghostly form that had trailed the guy everywhere that night.

Ryker huffed out a laugh, not really believing a word the man was saying. For one part, he hadn’t met anyone else like himself that could see or hear the dead. But then again, his partner’s ghost had sense him looking and Ryker could swear he was still looking at the previous spot they had been. "Bad day at work, I assume.” He offered, trying to feign a look of interested before he followed the man’s gaze. Definitely looking right at where the ghost had been moments prior. Just as if being summoned as soon as Ryker had turned, the ghost came back - locking eyes with him. And the man tried to shake their head discreetly as possibly, whispering a soft Go. Before turning back to the man and adding, “Maybe you should just head home instead?”

[glorianas]

Open this closet since we got access to the attic here

[preslcys]

— Availability: closed for @drnicholasward​ — Location: Dusk till Dawn Bar

They are definitely looking at me, Presley. The ghost of his dead partner whispered before going through the damn wall and leaving him alone to deal with humans. Ryker hated when they did that, never quite getting the hang of it. But he guessed he would do so too if it could get him out of situation like this one. His own gaze drifted back to the man who not for the first time that night, had been staring to where the ghost had been moments prior. With a heavy sigh Ryker approached him, “You okay there, bud? You seem like you’ve seen a ghost.” He gave with a laugh, to hide the truth behind his statement.

[deanwinchestar-deactivated20211]

[daenerya]

#a sweet, injured boy

[secretsandgreeneyes]

2.07 | The Usual Suspects

[stilinski-ortiz-deactivated2019]

[teotfw18]

I was never Alyssa’s protector. She was mine.

[the-book-diaries]

I was like a patient who cannot tell the doctor where it hurts, only that it does.

Khaled Hosseini, And the Mountains Echoed (via the-book-diaries)

[t-hy-lla]