#harrison 001

[cagenewman]

CONT'D FROM HERE.

"Colton wasn't much of a dress up kid, unless he was dressing up like Tony Hawk or Matt Hoffamn or something, he was super into skateboards and BMX, even if I didn't let him chase those dreams," he laughed as he said it. A little kid really didn't have much of a place on a BMX ramp, or in the skate park. Not until he was older and could handle himself, and now there was no stopping him. "But I think it's a good idea. Then if they come up with ideas for things they want to dress up as, you can always add to it as you go along, right? Pick up some new outfits, make their dreams come true. Although I don't doubt that they have lots of cowgirl wear, either. Probably hats, boots and fringe galore, right?" It was a necessity, growing up on any kind of farm.

"Nothing wrong with that," he let out a soft laugh. "We didn't have horses growing up, although we grew up riding at the ranch. But all sorts of other animals, sure," and they were always spending time on the farms that their relatives owned, or visiting friends who had farm animals. "I've got a bunch of ducks and chickens right now, someday might look into getting some more, but I figure it's better to keep it small until I have the time to do it right." @harrison-ryan

[capthayes]

who: @harrisonhayes where: midtown restaurant

Sierra Hayes had expected a quiet lunch, a rare moment of peace squeezed between the demands of her firefighting duties. Her mother had suggested the Sapphire at first, but she didn't want the possibility of running into her dad or any of his old mates in a boujee restaurant. They opted for a place in midtown, near her fire station. The undercurrents of family dynamics swirled more tumultuously than Sierra could have anticipated as she stepped into the diner, greeted by the too-familiar chime of the entrance bell.

The sight that met her was not the presence of her mother, but the all-too-familiar figure of her brother, Harrison, whom she hadn't spoken to in years. The air thickened with unspoken words and past grievances as their eyes met—both had arrived early, and both had been unaware of the other’s invitation—or that they were both there to meet their mother. "H-Harry, hi—" she greeted, her voice a careful blend of surprise and a hint of reluctance. "It's—It's been so long." It had been so long she wasn't even sure he had been living in town still.

[joshlane]

CONT'D FROM HERE.

"This time of year, it's either junk or the most important piece of mail you'll ever opened," he teased with a good-natured smile. Or catalogs. Josh had an awful lot of catalogs that arrived in the mail, and an awful lot of pieces that he didn't feel the need to open or keep around, either. But the Christmas cards that he got in the mail ended up being priceless; those got put up around the house, shown of on the fireplace mantle, and he would have been sad to miss out on receiving those.

"The pony express?" Josh asked with a laugh, "you never know, maybe we'll end up going back to it someday. Probably use a couple of moose to pull a cart around here, though," not that they didn't have the horses to do the work, but. Moose in Maine just seemed to be a good fit, the more he thought about it. "I'm glad that it wasn't terribly important, though."

Glancing past Harrison as he heard the noise, he felt his face light up with a smile. "Don't worry about it, seems like he's just a chatty little guy. Kinda cute, too." @harrison-ryan

[cagenewman]

CONT'D FROM HERE.

He really was this farm boy, a guy that grew up away from the city and town really. That has fun with what was around him. That he had good time just running around with the farm animals and riding a horse. He worked from a young age too, everyone had to lend a hand around the ranch and it was normal. But he did remember he had a couple toys mostly trucks and cars and action figures at the most. He made a face “I’ve seen that they they are young… no dressing up much yet” he wasn’t ready for them to become that age. To have reason to go out and dress up. “But maybe it will be nice they do have clothes and stuff they like to dress up in for fun like the princess thing” he looked at the row of dresses they had. “it’s not easy like I have brothers and was always outside doing stuff not knowing what girls…like and do” he had his sister but he was about ten years older then her so he wasn’t at the age that really cared what she liked when she was younger.

Harrison knew he was at the age he could have full on adult as hid kid and teenager. but the fact he hadn’t had any of his own wasn’t what he planned but it was how life worked out. But he was happy to raise his nieces even know it was hard with them being young.  “I wouldn’t to much better with a boy or teenager...” for sure since he was pretty clueless on what was cool or not. “They do have dolls and barbies... toy animals” he named a few he knew he saw around the ranch house.  “Yes, but really they pretty much have two of their own already....” one being a pony and one being a full sized horse.

"Not to be the bearer of bad news, but… it starts young," he shook his head when Harrison mentioned the girls being too young to dress up, knowing that while it seemed like he had years and years, those moments crept up, regardless of how much you tried to stop it from happening. "But having like a trunk of dress-up clothes might not be a bad idea, either. Could buy a few things each holiday until they have a whole wardrobe of things to wear, makes for a fun night of make believe, you know?" he gestured towards the dresses. "Could even get some other outfits. Doctors, firefighters, cowboy, which might be right up your alley." Honestly, not having a lot of little girls in his life, he might have just been going by why Clem had liked, or what he could imagine Rosalyn being into, but it was at least something.

"You might," he let out a half laugh, lifting one shoulder, "sometimes you don't know what you're capable of handling until you're handling it. That's what my dad always told me," and for the most part, it had rung true throughout his life, and throughout the struggles and good times with Colton, too. "Ah, well… I mean, the real deal is obviously pretty exciting, but. Sometimes it's fun to have the toy sized ones, too. Do they ride, or are they a bit too young for that?" @harrison-ryan

[cagenewman]

CONT'D FROM HERE.

"Kids love 'em," Cage laughed, picking up one of the toys and turning it the right way again, so that it stopped talking to all the other toys on the shelf. Obviously, it was assembling its minions to become even more of a nuisance and neither one of them wanted to deal with that. "I remember growing up and wanting Legos and building sets, or those cool car sets that you put together yourself, but… if they enjoy them," he shrugged one shoulder before snorting, "also, I don't think anyone knows what they are, that's part of the mystery, I guess," he stepped aside once the toy was finally quiet.

"That's tough. I'm a boy dad and Colton was always interested in toy cars and video games growing up. Bikes, too." Buying for girls was a little bit different, and he wouldn't have even known where to tell Harrison to start. "I take it as you're out shopping for your nieces?" He knew that the other man probably had his work cut out for him, plenty on his plated when it came to Christmas time. "I'm trying to think of all the stuff my sister was into at that age, but I just kind of remember Barbies. Are they into that?" @harrison-ryan