#(. marcus .)

[justjaderp]

@tckingflight​

Allegra pulled Marcus’ shirt over her head, biting back her question about his family. He never really talked about them with her, and she never asked. Mainly because on the rare times he did mention them, his words seemed to be laced with bitterness. She figured if he wanted to talk about it with her, he would. She didn’t want to force anything out of him.

“Well, summer break is a couple of weeks from now, so don’t wait too long to ask them,” Allegra pointed out as she tucked his shirt into her pants to make it look like the over-sized shirt was an intentional styling choice. She also pulled her long hair into a ponytail with the hair tie she always kept around her wrist and washed the muffin batter off of her face.  

“Okay, I’m starving, so it’s off to the caf we go,” she exclaimed as she skipped out of the bathroom and stopped right in front of Marcus. “Hopefully the food isn’t shit because I don’t have time to go out and eat today. I have three finals on Monday. Yeah…three. You heard me right.”

“I’ll ask tonight or tomorrow, promise,” Marcus assured her with a chuckle, amused and touched by her eagerness. He was surprised that Allegra wanted him to tag along, that anyone would want to spend that much time with him in a small space, but he was touched just as much as he was surprised.

Moments later, Allegra had rejoined him and it took Marcus a moment to recognize his shirt with how she had styled it. “It looks better on you.” He told her honestly, feeling a bit of heat flush his cheeks at the rather forward compliment that had slipped past his lips unintentionally. “Oh, yeah- let’s go. I could eat an entire cow.” He told her, with a smile before scrunching up his nose as they exited his room and stepped into the hall, the dorm door closing and locking behind them. “That sounds gnarly. I plan on camping out in the library starting Monday with a few classmates to study for my Poli Sci finals. I finished my final composition for my violin course only yesterday.” He explained as they walked the familiar path towards the large caf at the center of campus.

[justjaderp]

Starter for @juleswriites​;

Love your job and you’ll never work another day in your life.

That was the saying, right?

Marcus had joined the FDNY over 6 years ago, right out of college. He had gotten a degree to make his parents happy, with a major in Poli. Sci. that he would never use a day in his life, but then had immediately begun to pursue a career that he knew would give his life true fulfillment. Firefighting. With EMT training to boot, Marcus wanted to be a man that could make a difference. He wanted to be someone that tried to better a shitty situation, whether that be putting out a structure fire, helping a cat out of a tree, convincing someone into rehab after arriving on the scene of an OD, or whatever else he could do.

He knew that all he wanted was to make a real change. So, he never worked a day in his life. He just lived it. More than half of his nights were spent trying to catch a wink or two in the dorms of the firehouse between calls, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Frankly, being single as he was, there was no real reason for him to spend much time at home outside of seeing his cat.

Now, he was taking a short lunch break which usually consisted of him warming up something in the firehouse’s microwave, but it was a Wednesday. Wednesdays meant that his favorite food truck was in Central Park and that was not something he was willing to miss. Still dressed in his usual department-given t-shirt, Marcus was taking his usual route through the park when he caught the glimpse of a situation out of the corner of his eye. 

Pausing along the edge of the sidewalk, Marcus watched as a young woman with dark hair, most likely around his age, reached up towards the branches of a tree. Her expression alerted him to the fact that she was in obvious distress which was what had caught his eye to begin with. Without further consideration, Marcus began to head her way, weaving to avoid the park-goers that were laid out on blankets in the grass. As he got closer, he could finally see what, or who, the woman was reaching for. His eyes widened and he picked up the pace as he spotted the young child clinging to one of the branches. 

Coming up behind the young woman, he heard her pleading with the child to scoot back down the branch or to let go so that she could catch her. Her voice was strained, sounding like she was just holding back the panic she obviously was feeling. “Excuse me, ma’am. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to get involved, but I saw what was going on and... do you need help? Will you let me help?” He asked, keeping his tone as low and steady as possible. He didn’t want to startle the woman, nor did he want to draw unnecessary attention to the situation and inadvertently embarrass the woman, who he assumed to simply be a younger mother with an adventurous child. 

[justjaderp]

starter for @juleswriites

“I never thought I would see the day that you were late for a meal.” Roman drawled as Marcus all but fell into his seat at the Head Table on the other side of Shane. The Hufflepuff librarian was obviously ruffled, his usually messy curls were completely out-of-control and his mustard yellow cardigan sat on his shoulders a bit crookedly. 

“I don’t even want to talk about it.” Marcus all but sighed as he reached to first pour himself a glass of cold pumpkin juice before beginning to pile his plate high with whatever food was within arm’s reach. Roman watched him for a moment, taken aback by the younger man’s dismissal as Marcus was typically a chatterbox to end all chatterboxes once you got him going. Glancing over to the blonde witch that was in between him, Roman raised a brow that so obviously asked her, ‘are you going to do something about this?’ before looking back over to Marcus who was now stuffing his face as if he had not just run in late for the first time in the few years that they had all worked at Hogwarts.

“Any special announcements I missed?” Marcus asked once he had swallowed his first few mouthfuls of dinner, though Roman was fairly sure that he hadn’t even chewed them, instead scarfing them down like a rabid wolf.

[justjaderp]

starter for @juleswriites ; based on this;

“Gizmo, rester.” Marcus requested from his giant of a service dog. Watching as the Bernese Mountain Dog half-heartedly flopped across the grass along the side of the road after Marcus had unclipped him from his safety harness and let him escape from the back seat. He had unclipped him only moments before he had climbed out to check on what exactly had made his car decide that now, on the side of a small road leading into a random small town in the middle of a state that Marcus was only half-sure he was still in, decide to call it quits.

Looking at the engine under the hood of a car that was definitely not his first choice, but was bought under the insistence by his father that if he was going to drive a large vehicle then it would at least be one that other people would still admire, the lack of knowledge that the young man had of cars and how they worked was cemented for him. It seemed like the joke was on his father though, since despite the Mercedes symbol on the front of the black G Wagon, it still decided to crap out.

“This is way out of my league.” Marcus told his dog, watching as the animal cocked his head to the side at the sound of his voice. It was a reassuring gesture, one that let him know that even if no one else was, Gizmo was listening to him. “I should have stayed home.” He lamented, even if he didn’t really mean it. Frankly, Marcus would take being stranded on the side of the road over being trapped in his father’s house any day. After all, it had taken months of persuasion for him to even be able to convince his father that driving across the country would be good for their family’s image. All Marcus had to do now was keep up the appearence of the beloved congressman’s son who was traveling to truly find himself and understand the people of their great country. When Marcus eventually decided that he wanted to take his travels overseas, he knew that he would have to find a different way to spin it, but that was a problem for another day. Right now, a few instagram pictures and videos sent to his father for the man to post on his own social media accounts and website, and Marcus was able to take his car and go without his father reporting it stolen.

It only took 22 years for Marcus to squeeze a bit of freedom for himself out of life and he was well aware that getting a degree in polisci a month prior had more than helped his case. It had taken that month for his travels to hit their first harship as well and honestly, Marcus was proud of himself for it not having happened before then. Now deciding to abadon the engine, Marcus sat on the front bumper of his vehicle as he struggled to get his cellphone to pick up at least a hint of service.

[justjaderp]

Starter for @juleswriites

Collapse of a world came faster than anyone could have ever predicted. Sure, TJ had grown up with movies and shows about an apocalyptic situation ruining the Earth and the human population like anyone else. He had always scoffed at the struggling survivors, turning to his friends as they joked about how much better they would do in that situation, about how they wouldn’t take the risk of outsiders and kill threats off with no hesitation. It was something easy to talk about because to them, it wasn’t a possibility. It was fiction through every definition of the word.

Until it wasn’t.

It started with strange news reports, reports that TJ ignored when walking by the television set in the locker room dedicated to his college team. He would throw an arm around the shoulders of Jared without hesitation, joking about bath salts and their effects. It turned into something bigger, into his coach demanding that his players go home. That the university was closing until further notice, so the small town boys loaded up TJ’s Jeep and tried to pretend like they both weren’t on edge about the people rushing from cities around them. It turned into their cellphones being all but useless. The service wasn’t out as it still showed up on their screens, but it definitely wasn’t working and none of their calls were going through. It turned into them having no way of reaching their families.

They drove through their familiar town with tension locked in their forms. The usually bustling town square that was now silent, sending an ice pick of fear into TJ’s stomach as he turned onto his friend’s street, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white.

He needed to get home- he could feel it in his stomach. He needed to get to his sister, but he knew that Jared felt the same. Hell, TJ felt the same about Jared’s sister. He wanted to make sure Roxy was okay, but his pounding heart let him know that Valerie wasn’t.

“Something’s wrong, man.” TJ said voice low as he pulled the Jeep to a stop along the curb outside of the Kincaid residence.

Perched on the sturdy railing, Marcus let one of his sneaker clad feet bounce softly off of the wood of the gazebo as he watched Roxy down at the pond’s edge. It wasn’t too late in the day, the pair had plenty of sunshine left to hang out in while simply trying to pass the time now that their school had let out early and all after school activities and clubs were cancelled for the day.

“My dad thinks that this is a ploy to garner crowd-funding towards rabies research.” Marcus said, shaking his head as he adjusted his glasses that were perched on the bridge of his nose that day. He woke up late that morning and couldn’t be arsed to mess around with contacts. “That its a media sham or government cover-up is also two of his thoughts on the matter.” He added, not sounding convinced by either of those theories either.

All that had been on the brunet’s mind since the news reports began to flood in and their school had been let out by teachers who were avoiding any and all of their questions, was what in the hell could be going on. He had a thirst for knowledge a mile wide and being left in the dark was killing him- not to mention scaring him as well. Focusing on the peaceful air that surrounded the pond on the property, Marcus sucked in a deep breath, rolling his shoulders before hopping off the railing and down onto the soft earth below.

[justjaderp]

For @juleswriites; based on this

It was always exceptional how quickly a day could change. Not that Marcus had much experience with days outside the normal cycle that was his life that he had come to accept. No, the brunet had fallen fairly deep into the pattern in which he existed. Weekdays were spent at school braving the scape that was the local education facility- a building and environment that he, along with the other high school aged members of his pack, shared with the locals.

Surprisingly, though his pack was the second largest on the continent, the generation that he fell into wasn’t large enough to fill the school on their own. It was of no concern to the young Were though. His pack members stuck to themselves and the humans, intuitive creatures that they were, knew better than to mess with any of them outside of fairly common, but always casual flings. There was an obvious divide within the school, and thanks to the power that werewolves exuded like a second skin, they were at the top of that food chain.

Most teachers, including the principle, were members of the pack that Marcus was a part of- a pack that he would come to run the day he turned twenty and his father stepped down as Alpha. This helped the balance drift in the pack’s favor as well, but it wasn’t something the unusually kind-hearted brunet tended to take advantage of. Tended being the key-word.

Days changed fairly quickly.

The morning was slightly cool as Marcus stepped out of his sleek sports car, the vehicle being a gift from his father for his latest birthday. It was something that was flashy and elegant and was nothing less than what everyone had expected for their next Alpha to drive. “You should talk your father out of making me run the perimeter after school.” A deep voice requested from the passenger side of the car as Marcus pushed his door shut, looking over the top of the vehicle to his raven-haired best friend and future Beta.

“You have as good of a chance as I do, Alex.” Marcus told the other Were, locking his car with a beep and smiling brightly as a few members of the pack began to wander their direction. It was an occurrence that the future Alpha was used to and actually enjoyed. The presence of an Alpha was soothing to the average pack member, it provided a sense of security, and it was a sensation that the sociable brunet was happy to provide.

“I have a date with that blonde from Spanish later.” Alex explained, continuing as if Marcus hadn’t spoken and as if there weren’t a high number of extremely sensitize werewolf ears listening to him. The future Beta had little to hide or to be ashamed of. “Kiara?” Marcus asked, trying to pull up the blonde’s face in his mind’s eye and failing- her name however he knew.

“Sure- the one on the volleyball team, wears spandex to class.” Alex elaborated, pulling a snort of amusement from Marcus as they entered the building with more than a few pack members trailing along behind them. Moments later, two other young men fell into step with them. “Alpha.” They both greeted, their beings nearly identical down to their dark ginger roots and Marcus offered them both a kind smile. “Hey, Jason, Jonathan.” He greeted, the twins being the eldest sons of his father’s third in command. Marcus had grown up shoulder to shoulder with the three Weres next to him.

“How’s it hanging, Tweedle-dipshit and Tweedle-dumbass?” Alex added to Marcus’ greeting, never passing up the opportunity to mock the twins. “Ask your mom, Fuentes.” Jon quipped back without missing a beat, neither of the boys’ tones holding any heat. “Or his sister.” Jason added with a smile, hopping out of the way as Alex swiped at him with a growl rumbling from his chest. Marcus shot his second a look to cool it and the boy complied immediately.

Reaching his locker, Marcus leaned against the cool metal of the one beside of his as he began to twist in his locker combination. He had reached the second spin of the knob when his heart suddenly picked up pace in his chest, his entire body becoming hyperaware in a way that immediately had the brunet assuming that there was some sort of danger around. Straightening up, already dark mocha eyes became that much darker as they scanned the halls, a scent that intermingled with the flood of werewolves and humans alike hitting him like a wrecking ball to the face.

“What’s up, Marky?” Alex asked, his voice a low growl as he immediately picked up on his Alpha’s change in body language. The twins stiffened as well, their tall forms tensing as they prepared themselves for whatever had upset Marcus, but already the brunet was moving away from them. “Marcus?” Alex called after him, half of the population within the hallway going quiet as they picked up on the odd behavior of their pack leaders.

It was like Marcus wasn’t in control of his body as he made his way down the hallway, a pathway opening up before him as he strode down the length of it. Even humans bowed away from the power that an Alpha exuded. He cast his head about like a tracking hound, his eyes dark as he followed whatever the source of the scent was without rhyme or reason. No matter what he wanted to do- the young man was powerless to his predator instincts for one of the few times in his life.

“Marcus- wait up!” Jason called from behind him, but the brunet wouldn’t be stopped even as he pushed his way into the front office, stopping short at the sight that greeted him amongst the comfortable well-lit room. He knew that the eyes of the receptionist were on him as he stood frozen in the doorway, his eyes fixated on the only thing in the room that mattered- a blonde girl.

She stood amongst the suddenly drab looking office like a beam of sunlight and Marcus found that he couldn’t exactly remember what he had been doing before he saw her. He couldn’t remember where he was- he could barely remember his name. A low growl rumbled through his chest, the sound feral and possessive as he took a deep breath in through his nose and his thoughts were confirmed by his wolf.

“Mine.”

[justjaderp]

Starter for @sacredjulesrp

Lights flashed, bass tempted the speakers of the venue to blow out just as the opening band wrapped up their set and Marcus laughed at the sight of his friend clinging to his side. Though she was clung to him, Dom’s eyes were fixated on the stage like the messiah had just stepped out onto it and announced that she was going to single-handedly be saved. To put it lightly, the woman was thrilled to be there.

“They were pretty good!” Marcus called over the crowd and the pre-recorded tracks that were now playing over the speakers as the main attraction of the evening prepared to step onto the stage. The brunet had been to enough concerts to know that the transition could take anywhere from a couple of minutes to a full hour depending on the artist. “Good? Marky- for fuck’s sake, what does it take to please you?” Dom questioned, sounding exasperated with the young man as she registered what he had said.

Smiling wide, Marcus took in the sight of the woman in front of him, dark eyes sweeping along the grey hues of her hair and the lighter grey of her eyes before he shrugged. “I said they were good!” He defended himself, knowing that his friend was often frustrated by his music tastes. He also knew that if she had a choice in the matter, and if her soulmate, Kara, had been in town, then he wouldn’t have been dragged along to the concert in the first place.

“Well, if they were only good then I need to warn you that you’re going to be blown sky high once TBD gets out here.” Dom said, her words confident of the fact that not even Marcus could discredit the talent of her favorite band. “I’m sure they’ll be great, Dom.” Marcus replied, his words sounding more patronizing than he intended and the woman opened her mouth to retort sharply, but instead her words turned into a scream as the lights cut out before the stage lights rose once more, signaling the real beginning of the show.

“Marcus, it’s them!!!” Dom screeched in the young man’s ear, all but climbing up his form for the chance to have a better look though their floor seats were fairly impressive as it was.