#;starters

[toprotectandscrve]

It wasn't unusual to find Jasper indoors, cleaning and tidying things technically below his professional station as a way to keep busy when the Hero monarch was away and not desiring his service. When he found himself alone, it wasn't unusual for him to sing as he did so.

"—A butcher boy I loved so well He courted me my life away but now with me, he will not stay. I wish my baby, it were born and on my arm-"

He hummed pleasantly, forgetting some of the words of the old Knotholian tune, as a priceless vase was delicately wiped down by his practiced hands. Quickly finished, he casually moved those hands to his hips to inspect his work, humming, nodding, before turning to exit the room and... well, find something else to do.

"—that the world may know, I died for love— Oh!"

Clearly startled and embarrassed to find himself being observed, the old man clutched his thrumming chest and stumbled backward, nearly bumping right into the beautiful work of art he'd just cleaned. "Oh, excuse me, I didn't realize you were there!" (Obviously. Well, now he understood why people complained about servants sneaking up on them all the time...) "Um, did you need anything or were you just... looking around?"

[defendingtheice]

//ext. sun deck, upper floor - night. @angstfactory (claude)

Has Ash mentioned he wasn't a party person? He'll mention it again, to himself, quietly, flashing smiles to random faces he's never seen before feeling his social battery depleting fast, having reserved those for his friends first and foremost. It was weird pulling up to this side of Carroll, he wasn't familiar with it at all, driving in felt like he was driving in elsewhere, like Hollywood or something, living in the small town part of the small town it was easy to forget there was a bigger part of Carroll, where the elite get to call a small town home too. "Guess it's kinda cool to see it.." Ash muttered to himself and sucked in a deep breath of the cooling night air, happy for the wind to hit his face after being stuck indoors for awhile. He sent March a quick text before keeping his gaze up to the stars as the night darkened, folding his arms on the railing as he sat on one of the lounge chairs on the deck. Peace and quiet, it was a good choice. He went upstairs for a quieter part of the house to escape for a bit, and guess he wasn't the only one with the idea.

"Hm?" Ash slightly turned his head that was still resting on his folded arms on the rails, turning to see an all too familiar face. After so many years of avoiding each other, once they gave in just one time, it felt like the floodgates opened, fate letting them meet time after time again. "Need a break too?" Ash lolled his head back out to the view, lightly patting on the lounge chair next to him for signal to Claude that it was fine to join them. "I was probably gonna get a headache staying in there for too long."

[defendingtheice]

//int. robshaw home - morning. @aggierobshaw

"Do you really need my help getting ready?" Ashton couldn't hold back the yawn that had been threatening to spill out, he sat on her chair in her room, swiveling left and right as she was looking through clothes. Or well, rather he was the only other friend not involved in getting the carnival set up that morning to be free to help. Despite the light unserious grumbles, he was over here in a heartbeat the moment Aggie called him, apparently having an hour to get ready before Fitz picks her up or something. "Remember it's spring, and it's pretty sunny today so don't bundle up too much," he had already checked the weather, as useless as he was with any form of styling, he could at least give her practical advice, "you'll be fine, it'll be a fun date for you guys," he paused before she could give him a look, "..I'm not third wheeling."

[tomas-devisser]

//int. community center - day. chuck @apocafics

"I'm so sorry I'm so sorry I'm so sorry!" Tomas stumbled forward when he lost control of the menace of a kitten, antsy and nervous in a new place, he tried keeping her in a comfy box that could act as a bed and home now that the bread within them was distributed. The kitten instead had snuck put when tomas wasn't looking and found a new friends to greet and be with instead. "C'mere Appel..." he grumbled with a light pout, demand easily ignored by the sass of that cat. "She's just um.. really curious right now, sorry.. um I can- take her off your hands." The kitten mewled back in protest, nuzzling into everything she could find. "She's very gentle though -I promise," Tomas sighed, "just can't sit still... though um- I guess no one really can in these-- circumstances."

[tomas-devisser]

//int. community center - day. teddy @eatabug

"Um.. let's.. get these over there," Tomas softly chirped to Teddy with a box of bread in his hands, this wasn't how they thought their morning was gonna go when they were up baking, Teddy had been finding his place in the kitchen too over time, and it felt like a good day today, guess Tomas doesn't exactly have the best instincts for when disaster was going to strike. Still, everyone in the bakery was still under his care and he was simply glad to have been able to ensure they were all safe. "We could use the flour we brought to make something if this- this lasts more than we hope," Tomas was visibly wracked with stress, convincing the peacekeepers to help him and his team transport all their bread stock baked for the day, and then some on flour, considering they might just spoil anyways if they left them there, might as well give them some use if there isn't gonna be any business to be made with them.

Tomas placed the box down to start unloading the trays of bread and pastry, "I spoke with the people in charge um.. we can distribute them for meals today, do you think it'll be enough? What if they don't want bread.." he mumbled at the worry of it all. But looked up to Teddy as well with concern, "-are you okay? Sorry I- I haven't even asked yet, is your family here?"

[ashryder]

//int. afterglow compound - day. jasper @eatabug

This was a situation alright, being stuck in the compound itself after dedicating half his life here was not a good feeling, and yet it was also sickly nostalgic, Ash hated that conflicting feeling. But most importantly they got here safely, better here than stuck in his car in between the city and the compound, death would sooner find them than anyone else, so he really can't be picky. He found familiar enough faces to feel better about their predicament, faces he could trust even. Jasper was one of those faces. "Hey, got us at least something warm to drink," Ash came back to his friend, who was helping looking after Dawn for a second while Ashton sought out the compound's game plan for emergency shelter protocols for the non residence stuck here.

He sat down beside Jasper handing him a cup of tea that he knew where to get, too familiar with the compound. The German shepherd curled up by their sides, calming down since this morning's instincts now that they were in shelter. "You okay? It sounds like they're still sorting out arrangements but.." Ash trailed off with a shrug, "who really knows how long we'll be here. Rather the shorter the better."

[defendingtheice]

//int. olympic village dining hall - morning.

@angstfactory (neylani)

Ash grinned when his phone lit up Aunt Lani calling him, surely annoyed by the nomination, but he even nominated Ruth as a joke, it's a whole family affair at this point. He picked up the phone while he was having breakfast, a smug smile that he couldn't wipe off greeted her on facetime, "how's the title of bachelorette feeling today?" He knew he did this to her, worth it, even if he was nominated back by her this year, all in good fun for charity and for the kids.