Disappear Here

Quinn Cameron || Mechanic || Werewolf || Thirty Three || Former Drifter with a past he's running from

[rafinova]

Date: May 30, 2021

Location: Balcony off of the ballroom

Time: ~6:45-7PM

The balcony had a much needed breeze that the lamia had been craving thanks to the heat from the stuffy jacket he’d worn tonight. It was funny, he could work all night in layers any month out of the year but not be bothered by sweat pouring down his face, arms wicking it away, but now that he was on a date he was paranoid about anything out of the ordinary. Nik had tried to remove the white jacket but if Rafi gave in this late in the game, he would have to admit defeat to the werewolf, so instead he just unbuttoned the top two buttons of his sleek navy button-down. 

Once left alone, shoulder leaning against the wall, he hated to admit he needed to smoke, but it was prohibited where he currently stood. His fingers thrummed on the jacket pocket where his cigarettes were secured, but other than that Rafael seemed rather calm and emotionless. 

One of his ex co-workers waltzed up to the lamia and started chatting his ear off, a man with long, straight black hair. When approached by someone who must’ve recognized one of the two men, for they asked about refreshments, Rafi quickly shook his head. “I am not working tonight, you’ve got to order at the bar, and it’s not complimentary this year. Besides, I’m sure many of the townsfolk are grateful the calories are a little harder to consume at this event,” he joked drily, not quite smiling. “With everyone getting tailor-made suits and dresses, I hear it’s been like Bridezilla the last few weeks.” Nikolai, thankfully, had gotten Rafi’s clothes for him as he worked his usual shift. 

[quinn-cameron]

Quinn hated all of this. He hated dressing up and going anywhere that wasn’t work or heading back home. In all honesty, he had no idea how he had found his way here, but he knew it was something Aalis probably would have wanted and he would pretty much steal the moon for her if it was something she wanted. It was why he was currently standing in a place he didn’t even understand. 

“Why do people need so many rooms” Quinn grumbled as he looked for a way to get some air. If it wasn’t the suit that was stifling the fact interacting with other people seemed to turn his mood a little more sour over the course of the night. The werewolf quickly looked for an exit only to see the balcony as the closest source to get some air. He walked out grabbing a cigarette from his pocket only to realize his lighter was gone. He probably left it in his car or something. He grumbled again at the thought of having to walk through people again. 

Quinn turned though as soon as he heard a voice and had no idea what the other man was talking about for a moment. “ Wait what?” He asked, still checking his pockets. “ Yeah it’s too much in there. You got a light?” He asked realizing it was pointless to keep trying to look. 

[quinn-cameron]

nora-bernstein‌:

Nora felt something strange creeping up from within at the sight of that smoke column rising. She was a fire nymph, the spark of life and vibrant power from her element had always been something that she held close to her heart, it was a part of her… but her relationship to fire had changed a lot since her father’s corpse was taken out from within embers and ashes. “I can’t fucking believe this keeps happening” she muttered through gritted teeth, loosening her grip around her backpack’s strap after taking notice of just how hard her fist was wrapped around it. The nymph glanced at Quinn after he spoke, considering his words very seriously. “Knowing the Council, they’ll let this slide again” she mentioned with evident disdain. The arsonists had been periodically striking again and again for months and no real measures had been taken to prevent such attacks from happening or to apprehend those who had caused so much damage already. “If we want to get shit done I guess we’ll have to do it ourselves” she said with a light nod, waiting for his response. Quinn was a good friend and she knew he had her back she wasn’t sure if he was willing to take this particular risk.

Quinn had a tendency to do things without thinking. It was the reason why every mistake had happened in his life. His impulse issues got people killed which was why he was often alone. However, now here he was with one of the few people in his life he honestly trusted beyond a measure of doubt. Nora had been through hell lately and Quinn could relate to that fact well. He’d help her out because of what had happened the last bad fire there was and because she was his friend. Because he wanted those assholes to stop too. “ Councils are  not really the get their hands dirty kind of people.“ He grumbled for a moment before heading in the direction of the fire. “ We’d better hurry. Maybe we can catch who it is. ”

[aalis-volkova-deactivated202008]

When We Collide || Aalis and Quinn

[quinn-cameron]

aalis-volkova‌:

Aalis knew Quinn must be feeling like she swooped in and upturned his life. She had never wanted to cause him any pain and she was still frightened that he might not want anything to do with either of them. He was a drifter after all and she supposed having a daughter would be a bit of a hindrance to that lifestyle. But nonetheless she wanted to give him the option; he had as much of a right to be in Inny’s life and she did and she wasn’t going to take that away from him.

“No she didn’t say anything but she spent most of her free time hiding up a tree with her thinking face on,” she recalled aloud, a little smile on her face at the thought. Yet another similarity with her father: an affinity for the outdoors. The smile morphed into a soft laugh and she raised her shoulders into a shrug, “I just followed the steps you taught me”. Her gaze moved back to his face at his observation, “Yes… she does… and your hair and definitely your height!”

Despite it being summer, there was a chill in the late afternoon air. Which was why she put the jacket on in the first place. But she had to admit, she was surprised he noticed it, “Yes it is; it’s one of my favourite things,” she admitted to her, her fingers tugging on the sleeve. “A lot of your things became my favourite things,” she admitted as she looked at the ground for a moment, suddenly feeling vulnerable. But what he said next made her snap her head up to him, “You came back? God, I always wanted you Quinn; I doubt that will ever change,” she admitted to him, suddenly feeling as though she was a lot closer. She nodded at his question and smile, “Well her full name is Quinn but she’s been mostly known as Inny from a few days old”. It was then that she saw it in Quinn, managing to look past the bareness of his chest to the pendant around his neck. She slowly moved forward the last step that kept her out of reach from him and reached up with her bracelet clad hand, touching it. It was the St Christopher she had given him. “You kept it,” she whispered, bringing her eyes up to meet his.

The more Quinn stood there the more reality came crashing in. The interaction at the garage seemed almost unreal now. Like it had only happened in a dream and his reality was them discussing the fact her was a father. A father to a child whose entire life he had missed. He was never gonna get any of that time back nor could he ever fix how things had gone. It hurt a bit that he spent ten years unaware he had a family cause if he knew he would have tried to at least show up sooner. At least tell her he was trying so she knew for a fact Quinn hadn’t given up. It was too late though. He was always too late when it came to things in Aalis life.

A smirk fell on his face though at the mention of Inny’s behavior. It was clear she was very similar to himself to a staggering degree. “Hmm reminds me of someone “ He replied glancing back at his work and suddenly really embarrassed by the fact there was a pile of broken wood he destroyed earlier when he was mulling things over. “ You’re pretty good at tracking now. “ He nodded before the image of his daughter had flooded his head and she was right. The features were hard to miss. “ must have been hard to see me “ Quinn wasn’t sure why he said that cause he didn’t know how he meant it. Was it because he hated himself over this and wasn’t sure how Aalis felt or because if he had a visual reminder of her everyday he’d be in pain over missing her. He wasn’t sure but he knew it couldn’t have been easy.

Quinn couldn’t remember where he got his jacket. He was pretty sure he had stolen in from one of the houses he lived in for a brief period. But he couldn’t be sure. That time seemed so far away now. “ I didn’t think I left so much behind. When I left I didn’t have a lot of time to grab things. I had to hurry. I left a letter but I figured me leaving had been too much” He admitted unsure why he was being as open as he was. There had been a part of Quinn that was bitter she hadn’t tried to find him over the years but when he saw her face he realized nothing about her could ever make him bitter. His heart was thumping in his chest at the mention of always wanting him. It was because he had never gave up on her. He remained faithful to her up until the moment he realized she had left and then had a year he would have otherwise not wanted to remember anymore. “ About three years ago. I went to the house. I didn’t expect you to wait around for me but-“ His words fell from his mouth before then could come out. He didn’t want to finish the thought cause Quinn was admitting then that he had hope for so long. He still wanted Aalis but did she want him the same way. “Inny. Okay” he repeated back. He didn’t know his real name but he knew Quinn was somewhere in it so it was good at least she picked part of his legal name if he really had to sit and think about it. Suddenly Quinn felt very exposed. He didn’t mind being shirtless usually. He was usually alone and when he wasn’t people were often too afraid to ask questions. However now it clicked it that Aalis could see all of his scars. He knew he was pretty damaged but that didn’t mean he wanted Aalis to see how hard life had been. He was far more world weary and tired and if showed. It wasn’t his appearance she was commenting on though but the fact he still wore the st Christopher she got him. “You gave it to me” he replied back. He’d treasure anything she gave him. However Quinn paused at seeing her wrist and the fact she still wore the gift he had give her . He glanced at it for a long time before pulling her hand up to kiss her wrist. He wanted to kiss her for so long that this would have to do. Reality kicked in though and he pulled her hand away and looked apologetic “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have done that “

[quinn-cameron]

bradley-bradshaw‌:

Brad leans against the tree trunk, his legs dangling down from the branch he sits on. With Terrance’s under repair, he doesn’t have much to do around evening. Taking care of gardens and farms in town is usually done by afternoon… So he is just chilling in the woods, hanging out with his friends. He takes a bite out of the apple, throwing pine cones to play with one of the squirrels (he calls them Snickers). Hearing a voice calling him, he wraps his legs around the branch and hangs down. He finds the neighbor werewolf there, standing upside down– although that has to do with Brad hanging down from the tree. “Hey, Quinn! How’s it going, man? It’s been a while.” He asks. “Do you want some apples? Or, uh, Terry made some pesto yesterday if you want a jar?”

Quinn had to admit he didn’t like to share any space near anyone, but if he had too Bradley was probably the person he would pick to socialize with. They seemed to have similar ways of living in nature and it was one of the few thing’s he could see eye to eye with. He hadn’t expected to see the guy hanging from the tree though when he picked up his scent. “ Yeah, I’ve been finishing up stuff and the shop is open again, so I’m glad to be working again. “ he hated not building or fixing things so he was glad the mechanics shop was back in order. He was also the type to never turn down any food offers so he nodded at the suggestion of apples. They guy still ate like he lived in the woods under a tarp sometimes. “ Pestos for pasta right?” He asked glancing back at his neighbor. “How long you been up there?”

[quinn-cameron]

Location: The woods Date: May 9, 2021 Time: 5:00PM

Quinn had finished building the patio to his house and needed a little time away from staring at tools and the deck. The werewolf decided the easiest way to do it was with just taking a walk in outside his property. He wasn’t the type to go into town and socialize. Quinn was the type who could go weeks without talking to someone else so he wanted to avoid seeing people if he could help it. However as he walked by the familiar path outside  and past his land he picked up the scent of someone else. “ Brad?” He asked looking around to see if he could find the young man in question. 

@bradley-bradshaw​

[aalis-volkova-deactivated202008]

When We Collide || Aalis and Quinn

[quinn-cameron]

aalis-volkova‌:

It look everything in Aalis not to almost grimace at Quinn’s greeting. She has worked herself up to actually speak to him about Inny so much, she had forgotten to even say hello. Then again, it was most likely that if she started with small talk then she’d bottle it and run away. Not ideal. She couldn’t say she was too surprised when he told her he already knew about Inny since she had been acting like a dog in a full moon the last couple of days. “I assumed as much,” she settled on for now. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as she tried to decide how to proceed. “yes, that’s why I’m here. Sorry for just showing up but I figured coming to find you here was the best way. She is your daughter Quinn… in more than just blood.” 

 Aalis’ head snapped up when he apologised to her, making her frown. In some ways she had absolutely no idea why he was apologising to her; he left because he had to and she had assumed that maybe he would have found his way back to her. Perhaps he didn’t manage to do that but she had never been angry at him. She pulled the sheepskin jacket she wore closer to her body; it was Quinn’s and she hadn’t actually thought about it when she put it on but it was one of the coziest things she owned. The apology propelled her to step forward, only to stop after a few steps, needing to pull herself back in line. He probably didn’t want to be comforted by her… not anymore. “There’s nothing to be sorry for Quinn. You left because you had to and I waited for you but I’m not angry. I’m just sad I didn’t have any way to contact you about Inny so you at least knew”. That had been what upset her the most; she never managed to tell him about Inny.

Being overwhelmed seemed to be a feeling Quinn was experiencing constantly the last few days. At every turn he felt like more things just kept dropping in his lap and while they weren’t bad things by any means it was still a lot to process. It was hard because every time he looked at Aalis all he wanted to do was forget any of the confusion in his head and go back to how they were. Go back to the feeling of having her in his arms.

“Did she say anything?” Quinn asked as he glanced up from his work. It was hard for him to keep his gaze on her face without breaking. The more he tried to deny it he more reality pushed in only to remind him how much he missed her. “ i try to stay hidden out here but I always figured if anyone could find me it’d be you” He smirked before glancing back up. “ We have the same eyes “ He grumbled

It was when he looked back up at Aalis that he noticed the jacket. It was his old jacket that he left behind. He didn’t have enough time to grab all his things that night and it was becoming clear what he left behind hadn’t been thrown away. Between the jacket and the the book he saw his daughter hold he was still somehow around. He didn’t understand why since he never considered himself worthy to remember. “ is that my jacket?” Quinn asked as he finally turned fully to face Aalis. His heart was thumping in his chest as he took in how they were close again. There was too much going on in his head but when he’d look at Aalis it all seemed to go away. Like there had been nothing bothering him at all. “ I should have come back sooner. I should have tried more. I didn’t think you wanted to see me. When I came back I think it was too late. “ Quinn replied not realizing he let more slip than he had wanted to. He made a face clearly confused when she said she didn’t have a way to contact him. He had left a way but it was then he realized that his letter had never made it too her and it made Quinn realize that whatever bitterness he may have felt had been misplaced and it made him feel even worse about it. “ her name is Inny ?”

[quinn-cameron]

nora-bernstein‌:

Date: Friday, April 30th, 2021 Time: 8:12 pm Location: Asmodean Autos

@quinn-cameron​

The workshop had closed a few minutes ago and the nymph was out in the back, gathering her things from her locker and throwing on a jacket. The whole day had been quite gray with a threat of mild rain, though not a single drop had fallen from the sky yet. With any luck, it wouldn’t rain on her way home, because she hadn’t packed an umbrella in her backpack. “See you tomorrow!” she called out as she made her way out to the street. Nora stopped on her tracks just as she stepped out of the building, noticing that in the distance a smoky column that was a few shades darker than the sky was rising up. She felt a presence close by and turned to see Quinn coming out of the workshop. “It looks like smoke, doesn’t it?” she asked quietly as she looked in the direction of what she thought was another fire. Another arson.

Quinn gestured a wave to Nora as she was heading out. He was on he way out too, but wasn’t gonna ask for her to wait, since that wasn’t usually what he did. However, when he walked out, throwing his jacket on he noticed Nora had been standing in one spot and felt something strange creeping up in the air. “ Shit” He grumbled as he caught sight of the smoke. “ Fucking assholes” Quinn muttered again knowing it had to be those same people. “Might be enough time to catch them this time” He thought out loud already making up his mind on what to do about the situation. He knew how Nora had been coping with everything and what she had lost and was there for her if she needed him. 

[quinn-cameron]

aalis-volkova‌:

“Well luckily I don’t need to worry about any of that quite yet… seems like a lot of hassle,” she smiled then, a lopsided as she thought about all of that. Right now, reading about love was more than enough to deal with. She always read about how when you find YOUR person, that’s it. No one else would ever compare and although loved her Papa, she wondered if that was the case with her mom since she had been in Ilya for over a year and she had never been on a date or so much as glanced at a man. She nodded at what he said and nodded, “Some people would say it’s stubborn,” she mused, recalling her grandmother’s voice when she was around four. Somehow it always stuck with her.

There was a moment’s consideration for what he said since she didn’t really know what to say to him. She wished she could just tell him to go and talk to her mom and sort everything out, but she couldn’t say that without revealing she knew who he was. She chewed on her bottom lip and then spoke, “Well have you tried lately? It doesn’t hurt to try one last time,” she tried to add the statement so he didn’t feel like he actually had to reply to her. It seemed to be a pretty intense conversation for them to be having so she was glad for the slight lightheartedness at the end. “Damn… maybe they hired wrong after all”. A quick glance at her watch alerted her to the fact she needed to head home. “I gotta go,” she told him as she stood up and put her things in her backpack. She was ready to just walk off but turned to face the blue eyes that had been given to her, “Maybe see you around,” she turned and headed off before she asked something she would regret; it was up to her mom and him to speak about what happened in the past.

“Yeah you shouldn’t force anything. You’re a little young to be waiting for some great love to hit” he joked but it hit him that he was also saying this from a protective standpoint too. This was his daughter and he now felt a sense to protect her even if he didn’t know her. He wanted to though. Quinn had no family for what he knew they were all dead. He had no blood, no name and no history. With aalis he had a lot of that. There was also the fact that maybe she didn’t want him to know about their daughter. He wondered why she hadn’t said anything when they met up. “ there’s nothing wrong with a little stubbornness otherwise you let people push you around. And no one wants that in their life “

Quinn was taken by surprise with her comment. He felt like this was too intense of a situation to discuss with the girl he believed to be his own daughter. What was he to say? That he was still hopelessly in love with her mother but wasn’t sure if it was mutual? “ I worry that the door is closed. That they moved on. “ he muttered more to himself than to the girl. He hadn’t moved on. He spent a year living like he had no future because he was trying to move on but in the end he was only killing himself. “ That’s the scary thing isn’t it? Thinking that it’s the last time. ... Maybe you’re right” he debated before shrugging. He took a step back messing with the pack of cigarettes in his pocket, knowing he had to smoke soon. He was overwhelmed and stressed out and on top of it all his confusion only grew. “ You still have time to train. You’re a pretty good investigator “ He joked before nodding his head. “ Yeah see you round” He replied as his slight southern accent seemed to pop out more. He needed a moment to really think about what had just happened and it would take a lot to process things. He wasnt sure if he was mad, shocked or understanding at what had been dropped in his lap. All he knew was he needed time to deal with it

[aalis-volkova-deactivated202008]

When We Collide || Aalis and Quinn

[quinn-cameron]

aalis-volkova‌:

Aalis stood there in the relative silence, listening for any signs of life close by. She did hear some but not the type she was looking for; a squirrel angrily protesting about something, a bird whistling overhead and the rustle of what she was sure was a rabbit in the undergrowth. Just nature. She had never been much of a fan of walking in nature when she was young, always having somewhere to be or something to do but after having Inny, it was something she came to love. She wondered if it had something to do with her having given birth to a child that was half Quinn; things were rubbing off on her. In a way she was glad for it because it meant that she kept more of him within her.

The sound of a voice cutting through the calls of nature, brought her out of her daydream with a jolt. It was now or never. She felt the fight or flight response in her make itself known and she had to decide what to do; face the issue or just run back in the direction she came and try to never deal with it. The latter seemed like a good option but she wasn’t going to be the one to leave. She took a deep breath and made her way over in the direction of his voice, seeing him come into view.

She sucked in a breath at the sight of him. He was so much broader now and it made him look like he had grown three inches in the last 10 years. His muscles made him look as though he had been chiseled from marble and she had to do her best not to let her eyes roam too long as she drank him in. The scars were next; a mixture of newer pink ones and the silvery shine of the older. She felt a pain in her heart and all she wanted to do was run to him, wrap her arms around him and kiss him until the memory of the pain caused by them left. But she couldn’t. She finally met his eyes properly.

“We need to talk Quinn.”

Quinn had to take a moment before he could look up at Aalis again. The last time he looked at her he was instantly thrown back to what they had before only for some of the heartache to come back. What if this kept happening every time they spoke? He would believe he had hope only to be hit in the head with reality. Eventually he put down what he was working on and looked at Aalis. Of course the minute he saw her his heart was thumping in his chest. She was always beautiful to him now matter what.

He sort of regretted not cleaning up the mess of wood that he had thrown in a pile after having a momentary breakdown hours before. He was still adjusting to things and it was gonna take time but he was in a better place than he was earlier that day.

“ hello to you too” Quinn replied raising a brow at the fact she just went right into what he assumed had to be about their child. Either that or she came all this way for something else. About what, he didn’t know. “ I already know about her Aalis” He nodded as he glanced back at her face. His tone wasn’t remotely upset in how he addressed things. In many ways Quinn mostly seemed tired. He’d gone through everything in his head and exhausted himself. What he was left with was the remnants of confusion and guilt. Two things that made him want to just hideaway again. He didn’t know what to say. He wanted to ask why she hadn’t brought up their daughter when the last met, but deep down he knew he wouldn’t have been able to handle it yet. It was clear he wasn’t even handling it well now. Even if he appeared calm. “ That’s why you’re here right?” He asked unsure what to do other than keep his replies short. Unfortunately the ten years of guilt for not coming back sooner reared it’s head in and decided to make itself known. “I’m sorry” he simply stated knowing it wasn’t enough or what exactly he was apologizing for but he knew he owed her it. He owed it for leaving and taking seven years to come back, for leaving her alone pregnant and for just seeming so distant right now.

[aalis-volkova-deactivated202008]

When We Collide || Aalis and Quinn

Aalis had spent the few days being unable to get Quinn off of her mind. She knew she had so much to tell him, mainly concerning Inny; their last meeting would have been a bit much for the first time they saw each other again after so long. It was impossible for her to ignore that Inny was also acting strangely; like she was on edge and scared to tell her something, which had never happened before. Worry was a big emotion but also a feeling in the pit of her stomach as to what was bothering her. Had she seen Quinn? She knew their daughter wasn’t stupid; she’d have been able to piece it all together from the photograph she gave her and the stories. And if Inny knew… well that probably meant that Quinn also did. She was going to have to tell him. Today if possible. With Inny at school and going to a friend’s for a sleepover for the night, it was the perfect time for her to go and find him.

She knew he was building a place in the forest so with that information, and a quick innocent enquiry at the local hardware store, she was on her way through the forest in the general direction of where the build seemed logical; by a river or stream, on higher ground… far enough from town not to be bothered but also close enough to be within walking distance. And that train of thought led her to pathway she was walking up, noting the truck tracks in the leaves and dirt. Soon enough the trees thinned out and she was met with the site of a log cabin that looked to be mostly completed; though she wasn’t a builder so she couldn’t say for sure.

She came to a stop, hugging herself as she stood and nibbled on her bottom lip. She just needed a little bit of courage. Hopefully the bottle of vodka clinking in her bag would provide that later. Also in her bag were photos of Inny throughout her childhood that she thought he might at some stage want to see.  A deep breath later and she finally opened her mouth. “Quinn? Are you here?” she called.

@quinn-cameron​

[quinn-cameron]

If Quinn thought he was a wreck after seeing Aalis again he was even worse after the reveal that he was in fact a father. He thought he was just seeing things. Wondering if it was all in his head and he was just seeing what he wanted to in that moment but the more he thought about it the more it made sense. She looked so much like him, acted like him and then there was the book she had. When she had gone to leave he noticed it still had the name on the spine of the library he stole it from about fifteen years ago. She had to have been his kid which meant that he had left Aalis alone with a child for ten years. That was a whole other thing he was dealing with. At first quinn believed he was just coping with the fact the love of his life was back and he wasn’t over her. Deep down he knew he never would be but seeing her again really drove home the fact she was the one. Then there was the fact he wasn’t sure she felt the same way. He told himself for a while that was the case. She had been gone when he came back for her so it was clear she could have moved in. Her current last name proved to be the evidence. However how did she stir up the feelings in his chest if she didn’t feel the same way. This was enough to deal with. Now he had to process having a child.

Quinn honestly felt like such an asshole in general for not coming back sooner but knowing he left behind a child. He would have hated himself if her were in either of their shoes. That was when the guilt set in and the door he was currently working on became a pile of tore apart wood. It was almost impossible to work now because every time he thought he had his mind clear the guilt would trickle back. About how he had left Aalis. How he had left a daughter. How he was never going to fix any of this and how maybe she was better off without him. The guilt was mixing in with his earlier confusion and it left him a bit of a mess.

Eventually after destroying a door and part of his porch Quinn finally found some clarity. He knew he wanted to do the right thing and he knew he needed to eventually calm down and stop avoiding Aalis. He had to at least address everything in his head. However, he hadn’t expected having to address it so soon. As soon as the familiar sound of Aalis voice hit the air, Quinn visibly stiffened. He hadn’t expected her to show up and find him in his hideaway. The point was to stay hidden but of course if anyone could find him it’d be Aalis.

“ over here” He replied. His voice rough from spending very little time talking the last couple of days since he had been working in by himself. He didn’t move from his spot since he was unsure what to do. He was also completely oblivious to the fact that he was going to see her completely shirtless and if he was thinking more clearly he would have tried to cover up in order to avoid her having seen the scars he accumulated over the years. He didn’t need to give her anymore proof that life had been rough on him

[quinn-cameron]

aalis-volkova‌:

Inny listened quietly to him talking about The Great Gatsby; it was so clear how much he had thought about the book and she suspected the amount of times that he’s read went far beyond the amount of times she had. And it showed. But what really made her stop to think was the fact they both seemed to be into the same sort of thing. He really seemed like he was her dad; not just based on how similar they were to look at but also in personality too. Inny realised she had stopped talking for longer than she had intended and cast her eyes back to him. “Yes, I feel like its a warning more than anything else… what not to do. Obviously I don’t know a lot about love but I don’t think I’d want to do it like that. I’d want to do it like my mom… love someone so much that they’re always with you, even when they’re not,” she nodded to herself, satisfied with her answer.

She wasn’t sure what to say to him to begin with when he spoke about not being very lucky. She was only ten; she couldn’t offer him life advice because she hadn’t lived very long. “You don’t know unless you try,” was what she felt was a suitable answer to give him. Her mom had always told her to keep trying until you’re satisfied you can do no more. Fair enough she mostly said that about school but the idea was there. She actually laughed at what he said next before nodding, “They start us young now and you were my first assignment,” she grinned before shaking her head and picking up her book again, letting the old worn pages fall open at a random annotated page. She thought about beginning to read but all of a sudden she was aware of the photograph that held the page she was on so instead, she closed the book again and reached for her Diet Coke. It was hard act like she wasn’t sitting in front of her father. She wanted to ask him a million questions and yet, nothing was coming out.

“ I think there’s a lot of books out there that are warnings what not to do about love that are disguised as romance” Quinn explained as he glanced over to her again, finding more similarities every time he looked at her face. Her words also seemed to echo in his brain and he didn’t know what to do with them. If her mom was who Quinn thought it was did it mean Aalis was thinking of him all those years? That seemed too good to be true though considering. He had seen her last name. Even though he could have maybe assumed the phone call was to the girl in front of him there was still questions he needed answered. Things a ten year old probably couldn’t give him. “ Sounds like she had a good way to go about it. Very romantic” he nodded thinking that really did have to be Aalis she was discussing and smiled at the thought.

The more Quinn listened the more the girl was filling in the gaps in his brain. There was no way this kid could be related to him but he was having a hard time not seeing the resemblance. She looked staggeringly like him. The eyes were the biggest giveaway but it was the subtle things like the smirk or the way they could stare into you. It was uncanny. And he wondered why he hadn’t seen it instantly. He was brought back into reality at her comment and realized what conversation was happening and he shook his head. He didn’t want to act like he didn’t care because the truth was he cared too much and it was why he was avoiding running into Aalis again. If he saw her he’d forget everything that was making his head spin. “ Maybe. What if every time you do try for something nice you’re too late? It can become disheartening after a while” he replied more so about everything he had done in his life hand not just the situation with Aalis. It was clicking in and registering that if he was right about everything the girl in front of him was his. He had a child with Aalis that he didn’t know about and inside he was panicking. Completely unsure if he was right or had finally gone completely mad. But he couldn’t ignore the signs and the fact that her copy of the book she had was very familiar. If he opened it would he have found his own scribbling in the pages? He was pulled again from his thoughts and realized there had been another conversation and he smiled a bit at hearing her laugh.At least one conversation wasn’t making his head spin.” Probably shouldn’t be telling me that sort of thing. Your friends at the FBI might not catch me since you leaked that information” He smirked but inside his chest was hurting. He knew. Something inside of him told him this was his daughter and he really needed a cigarette or something to process this.

[quinn-cameron]

aalis-volkova‌:

This hadn’t been the first time that Inny had read The Great Gatsby; she had probably read it more times than she could count on her hands. Every time she felt as though she found something knew to take note upon and it was only as she got a little older and watched the movies based on the book, she realised just how misguided many of the characters were. There had been times when Inny had questioned if her mom was doomed to follow a similar path of holding out for someone she loved, or moving on from someone she loved. It seemed no matter what, there was no way to win. And she wanted her mom to win, to actually be happy. “They sorta fell apart trying to put the other together again,” she mused after a moment, noting she probably had read too many classics. She nodded along with what he said “Being foolishly in love isn’t always bad, from what my mom says. But to the point of Gatsby would be a problem”.

Inny had a give him a half smile at he said about her being invasive and she shrugged. “You’re the one who mentioned genuine love like you’ve know it; I just wanted to clear it up,” she countered before adding, “I’m sure you could get that back if you tried”. She wasn’t saying it to make him angry or to make it seem like she didn’t think he had in the first place, but more because she didn’t want him to give up on her mom. She wanted to tell him that she was still waiting on him. But how could she without telling him so much more? “No one? That sounds exactly like a person that the FBI would take an interest in,” a smirk moved over her mouth as she tilted her head to the side to observe him again. It really was her dad.

He knew the book well and while he hadn’t read it in a long time he knew so many of the quotes and phrases well. Back then he’d probably scribble in the pages about it being sentimental garbage or unrealistic or even just plain obsessive. Now that he was older and experienced love and heartache from it he understood some aspects to it more. He was hoping not to end up the way Gatsby did but he knew he wasn’t that close to the character to end up in a swimming pool. He nodded his head before letting out a sigh. “ I think at a certain point they realized they could relive the past. Too much had changed and trying to fit something into a shape it wasn’t built to fit is sometimes a persons undoing too. He realized she was never going to accept him regardless of what he had and that she wasn’t going to live up to the image he had of her. Unrealistic expectations. “ Quinn muttered. He didn’t have any expectations with people so he couldn’t actually relate to this whole high standards thing but he understood seeing it in others. “ she does have a point because love is kind of foolish “ He nodded. “Gatsby is digging yourself into a hole you can never get out of and can never satisfy. It’s something screwed up”

Quinn was stuck on his thought now noting the girls personality more so now that he realized there was a similar quality. They both had a tendency to evade questions and question people the same way. It was how Quinn functioned because he had it instilled in him to always be apprehensive around others and to never give too much of yourself away. He could see how careful she was with her words as well. Even if she blurted out things.He could also relate to not having a filter work. “ Didn’t say I did, officer. But that’s a fair assessment. “Quinn smirked glancing at the kid noting how clever she seemed to be but swore she couldn’t be any older than ten. He shook his head at the mention of getting the love back he had lost. Over the years Quinn had gone back and forth over whether or not he was able to have Aalis back in his life and every time he thought he was close something happened. It was his own inability to get out of trouble, or being too late, or throwing up the wall as soon as he doubted if she was single. Maybe he wasn’t one of the lucky ones. “ I accepted a long time ago that I was lucky to have that once in my life. I’m not the luckiest person so I’m not sure how that would turn out “ Quinn shrugged not wanting to dwell on his thoughts from the last couple of days with a kid. His mood shifted slightly at the FBI question and he smirked again. “ is the FBI hiring ten year olds? You got some big case to track down some guy in a picture?” He joked but then noticed her expression again. The way she would smirk and tilt her head in a questioning manner. It hit him he had said ten years old when he had never actually asked her that. And then there were her eyes. The only time he had seen eyes like her was when he’d catch his own reflection. If anyone had a photo of him it was Aalis. The pieces were coming together but Quinn wasn’t sure how to process the answer .

[quinn-cameron]

Listen Here
Nightcall-Kavinsky “There’s something inside you It’s hard to explain They’re talking about you, boy But you’re still the same”
Livin’ On The Edge of The Night-Iggy Pop “ I’ve made my bed but I can’t risk my head While I still swim with sharks Everyone needs something Sometimes they don’t know why But so much good’s been misunderstood In the blink of the eye 
Spanish Sahara- Foals I’m the fury in your head I’m the fury in your bed I’m the ghost in the back of you head”
Bad Dreams- Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson “ If it gets too close If it gets too much I’m scared I’ll disappear “
Warrior- Chloe & Halle “Oh my darling, I’ve been missing You for quite some time So I’m gonna lift the oceans Just to see your eyes “

[quinn-cameron]

aprettyfineday‌:

Where: Lethe City Hall  When: January 3, 2020

Comedy, as they said, was all in the timing. So were unexpected visits. It wasn’t like that “council” Quinn had mentioned had a website, an email, a phone number. Hell, he’d have settled for a fax. Wasn’t that he was nervous, exactly. Not exactly. J.T., he’d always had plenty of imagination - but he couldn’t picture Lethe, or the people who’d be waiting there. From what Quinn said, this town was touchy, and different. Touchy, as in, you had to go through some sort of interview to be left alone to do your business. Different, as in the kind of different that should be able to help him out with his little problem, hey? That’s what he’d heard. And that’s all he needed. A quick fix. Then he’d be on his way.

First, though - City Hall. That’s what he’d been told, so. He’d do it right, no fuss, no trouble. The walk in from the nearest Greyhound stop had been long, and, honestly, a little too reminiscent of that hike that started all this in the first place. Tall, looming trees, a fogged up blue-grey sky. After that stroll down Memory Lane, the sight of a bizarrely average town was almost welcome. Almost. Kind of eerie, in its own way. Too normal, right. A normal square. A normal hall. A normal receptionist who smiled in a thoroughly normal way, and had him take a very normal number, so he could wait in a totally normal foyer. For what he had to assume, by the general atmosphere of sour exhaustion, was a painfully normal amount of time. A while, that is. A long while. Made longer by that… funny tension, to the air. Wasn’t just him. The whole place was off, somehow. People talking too low, too tight. A character sketch of nerves, rubbed the wrong way. Whoever, whatever, was waiting past that desk couldn’t be so bad. Could it?

J.T. sighed, eyeing his phone’s last nine percent of battery. Should probably save that. For finding someplace to stay, tonight. Podcast off, earbuds stowed, he started circling back around the hall. Again. For what felt like… he’d lost track. Pack hanging heavy over his shoulder, J.T. paced, turned. Paused, then pushed himself just, just barely, into the eyeshot of somebody who didn’t look as lost as he was. Or as entirely in a rush as those run-haggard secretaries. “Ah - hey, there. Sorry to bother you,” he started, with a short wave. “Don’t suppose you’ve got a sec to spare for helping out a… tourist?” Yeah, sure. A tourist. 

Quinn rarely spent time in town unless it was work related but he had to stop at City Hall for something relating to the paper work for building his house in the middle of the woods. He really hated leaving any sort of paper trail to his existence. It meant that there was a way for his past to eventual catch up with him and now that he wanted to stay in one spot, he knew it was important to lay low. Now that he knew for certain Aalis was in town he couldn’t risk it. The werewolf walked out of an office and started heading for the exit, until a familiar voice made him stop in his tracks. 

He didn’t make friends usually. It was another thing that left a trail in his life, but for how long and lonely his existence had been up until the past couple of years there were a few faces that had been memorable. Two out of the three now were in town. It was clear moving here had been some sort of beacon. “ J.T?” Quinn replied chuckling a bit at his question. Maybe he just hadn’t realized it was him. Quinn did often have a habit of making himself scarce even if he was friends with someone.” You got here fast. It go okay in there?” 

[quinn-cameron]

aalis-volkova‌:

Inny had spent a long time studying that picture of her parents. It was the only one she had ever seen of the two of them together… and the only one of her dad ever. She was trying to tell herself that she was perhaps just wanting to see him in this man. But no, there was no doubt in her mind that this was him and she doubted her mom had any idea. Maybe all the times she had noticed how sad she had been would be worth it if he was here now. Fairytales didn’t really exist though… not really.

Inny moved her head back up to look at him when he spoke and she tilted her head to the side as she considered this side of the argument. She wanted to ask him if would have let someone go or if he would have held on but despite what her mom had told her about him, she was scared the answer he’d give her might not have been the one she wanted. She felt as though the book had eyes and they were burning a hole through her; all the notes and annotations in the margins seemed so much more meaningful now she was in front of the man who made them. “Maybe they both were fools then,” she answered, not sure if she believed that completely but she felt the need to say it anyway. She paused for a second when she heard him speak of love and she couldn’t stop herself from speaking up, “Have you? Known genuine love?” She couldn’t have been surprised he asked who her mom was but it made her a little more defiant in that sense, wanting to protest her. “Who are you ?” she countered, making it clear that she didn’t know who he was (even if she did).

The more she spoke the more Quinn started to feel like he really knew this girl. There was a familiarity to her that he hadn’t expected to notice when he stopped but the more he stayed the more little actions and mannerisms presented them-self. It was honestly getting a little frustrating but he was gonna put it together.

When Quinn was younger he would have never entertained the notion that his life would have had any similarities to The Great Gatsby. He believed he was smart enough to not try to hold onto someone for so long yet here he was still in love with the same person he had been ten years ago and he didn’t know if he had a dog in the fight. He wast some millionaire now but he had acquired a lot of money through various means and while a lot of it was through hard work and never spending anything he couldn’t claim he was completely innocent in how he acquired others. So there were the similarities to Jay but he he told himself they were still completely different. He was pulled out of his thoughts by her question and raised a brow. They were both fools, he couldn’t argue with that. “ Yeah they were. Complete fools trying find something that isn’t there. And trying to live lives they think will make them happy but it only leaves that hole inside. “ He paused for a moment knowing currently the life he lived had always had a hole in it, but he was doing it so he didn’t recklessly get himself killed. “I don’t necessarily think being foolish is a bad thing though. Not all the time at least. It’s what you do with that mindset that makes the difference. love can very easily turn to obsession, specifically in their case and that’s toxic. “ Quinn explained. He was never gonna make a case for Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, but he wasn’t going to just act like his own past had no effect on who he was now either.

It was almost as if all the air had been knocked out of him at her question about love. Yes, he had been in love. Was still in love, but knew there was a chance he had been holding onto something for far too long. How do you say that to a kid you don’t even know? Quinn raised a brow giving a bit of a face as he nodded his head. “That’s a little invasive but yeah. I have once. It was incredibly genuine. “And he didn’t realize it would only have lasted a short time and he’d spend the next seven years trying to get back to her, followed by a year of going off the rails to who he was now. He tilted his head and looked at her with a smirk when it came to the defiant response. He couldn’t help but chuckle at that“ What are you, the FBI with that question? I’m no one “ He replies shrugging a bit. It was then though that it clicked through her response who she reminded him of and it was himself.

[andsowewalkalone-deactivated202]

[quinn-cameron]

nora-bernstein‌:

Nora smiled a little at his response. Her friend wasn’t a social buttlerfly but the fact that she could call him ‘friend’ and that he thought of her in the same way was pretty damn special. “Come on, your magnificent self couldn’t be regular” she stated back in a more light-hearted manner before the nymph also turned a bit more serious. “Thank you, Quinn. That really means a lot” she told him, softly smiling at him, truly grateful for his support and his willingness to be there for her. Her eyebrows rose a little and her smile was subtly turned more playful “Fair warning. I’m going to hug you now”. And she went ahead to do just that. Quinn might not be as much of a hugger as she was, but it was a way in which the nymph showed her appreciation for those close to her and so the werewolf was going to have to accept that for a few seconds.

She ended up nodding along his words, agreeing with them fully. She definitely didn’t want to feel stuck. She had already felt pretty damn stuck in the first few weeks following her dad’s death and it was the most suffocating, exhausting and distressing feeling ever. Living through the pain was the only way, even if the process was rough. “I don’t have the whole context and I obviously can’t know how this history with your ex affected you, both positively or negatively,” the nymph began, offering an empathetic smile “but life’s too short to not tell others how we feel about them”. Her dad’s death had made her rethink certain things, relationships mostly. Nora had even gone ahead to confess her feelings for Damien little after her father died. “If you think it’s an option, have a chat with your ex. You don’t have to dump everything on her if you don’t feel like it, but at least you might find out if there’s still a chance, if it’s actually not too late”.

The werewolf raised a brow at her comment. She had a point, he was far from regular. He assumed those he considered friends now would have a shocked reaction to how he looked and lived a five years ago, None of them had a regular existence.” I assume this is a compliment. “ He smirked before nodding his head at her next comment. He was bad with thing’s like this,because in all honesty Quinn didn’t think high of himself to warrant thanks from others usually. Getting a hug was more shocking, but he accepted Nora’s gesture and wrapped an arm around her. He was perfect but he was trying to be a good friend. “Thanks for the warning. “

He wasn’t sure how the conversation had turned to him, and Quinn had a hard time talking about himself, but if Nora wanted to move on from such an upsetting topic, he’d respect her wishes. “ It’s been nearly ten years. It’d be understandable if she had moved on” Quinn  replied trying to be realistic about thing’s.He hadn’t moved on n his own life but he had every intention of returning, he just had a horrible concept on time. “ I don’t think I’d dump information on anyone in general, but maybe talking would be good again...eventually.  It ended weird”