baby love

i see the crystal raindrops fall, and the beauty of it all is when the sun comes shining through, to make those rainbows in my mind

[teddyoswald-blog]

( ☀ || fletcher walsh )

“Oh c’mon, it couldn’t have been that awful! I heard worse today.” The boy exclaimed, believing that it wasn’t the worst, but not the best as well. Fletcher had a short attention span, so staring straight into the sky didn’t exactly catch his attention like the other people standing around. “Why?” He asked, glancing over at his pal, ignoring his daughter tugging on his shirt, yanking it in every direction possible.

“I’ve been lucky enough to avoid all of the puns up until now, so the bar is pretty low for eclipse puns at this point. I was expecting more from you, Fletch...” Teddy feigns disappointment, shaking his head and letting out a deep sigh. He hadn’t interacted much with other people today, so he had managed to fly under the radar of hearing any bad jokes. But, he had plenty of them up his sleeve, and Teddy might’ve as well used them on Fletcher. Teddy cracked a full smile as he gave the punchline, “Because, the dog was too Sirius. Get it?” Okay, so maybe that was more of a general space pun. But, Teddy was glad he finally had the chance to use the joke on anybody.

[teddyoswald-blog]

( ☀ || kordillia love )

Kordillia couldn’t help but snort softly through her nose in laughter at Teddy’s comment, glancing over at him and grinning. This job was actually way easier than she had expected it to be, which was a shame considering it was a one time gig. All she had to do was watch the arts-and-crafts table and make sure nothing too out of hand happened. The parents did most of the work, the biggest sacrifice was that she got covered in glitter, and there was free yarn for her to mess with.

 So here she was, perched on a stool and knitting away, throwing Teddy a look.

 “Well, it takes a paste-eater to know a paste-eater,” she said, smiling a bit. “But I think he’ll probably be okay. They make that stuff non-toxic nowadays. I mean, I can kind of see the appeal. Glue is fun. Did you ever do the thing where you covered all your fingers in it, let it dry, and then peeled it off?”

Teddy continued to observe the child, who seemed quite pleased with the glue and flour mixture that they were chewing. Just thinking of the texture and taste made Teddy a bit nauseous, it had been a hot minute since he’d even thought of tasting something meant to be inedible. “Very true, in my day I was definitely eating glue that was toxic. Maybe the flour in the paste mix balanced out the toxicity?” He suggests, shrugging his shoulder. “I mean, I hope he’ll be okay, he seems to be mighty hungry. I would be willing to buy him something from one of the glue trucks if it would keep him from eating that stuff. He really should learn the wonders of real food.”

“Peeling dry glue off my fingers? I don’t think that I’ve ever done that, but I’ve for sure made hot glue dollops that I would squish down to imprint my fingerprint. Now, that was the life.”

[teddyoswald-blog]

( ☀ || orion marion )

Sometimes it was a good thing to be fairly invisible and not know many people. It made it slightly easier to walk around places like fairs. Though the crowds made her anxious, she also enjoyed visiting them. As a child, Orion has always been creative, both in her crafts and simply her imagination. She spent hours making up stories to tell to her younger brother – allowing him to be the main character in most of them. She could also often be found with a box of crayons or with paint, usually drawing cats and flowers and rainbows. She’d been a happy and careless child, until the age of four. After that, she’d tried to stay that person, but she’d never found them again.

The smell of paint still comforted her and part of her wanted to get back into either drawing or painting or something that could keep her hands busy when she was feeling too fidgety to read books. So she’d found herself at an arts and crafts fair, where she could feel incompetent and small just by looking at other people’s talent, but also get lost in worlds those people had created on paper and from various other supplies. 

She wasn’t even particularly paying much attention to the rest of her surroundings – which was a good thing, because at least she wasn’t aware of how many people were around her or possible strange looks. That was, until a voice sounded from beside her and her attention shifted to the child the stranger appeared to be talking about.

“… Do you think we should find the parents?” She wondered out loud, a frown on her face, before she realized she was actually talking to someone. Her cheeks flushed a dark red color and she pointedly kept looking at the child. “I– I mean, that stuff could be… poisonous, right?”

Teddy took another lick from his popsicle, keeping it from melting, as he listened to the other’s comments on the paste-eating culprit. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to decide if maybe it would be the best option to find the kid’s parents. But ultimately, he decided that the paste couldn’t do much harm here.

“Eh... I think that he’ll be alright. I mean I ate tons of paste when I was, like, four. And look at me, I’m a Harvard graduate now.” He laughs, “I think it’s just that non-toxic Elmer’s glue and some flour. It should be fine if someone doesn’t eat the entire jar on their own. Then we call the parents. If it’s just a handful... or two.”

[teddyoswald-blog]

( ☀ || eva robertson )

“yes, the waitress” eva chuckled softly, afraid she had interrupted something “i am from dixon bend” the blonde bit her lip lightly trying not to take it as an offence since it was true either way “i want to move out my mother’s place” eva added, trying not to give too much information about her reasons, she didn’t need the judgement. “i was looking for somewhere else, maybe?”

“Then the next place I’d suggest to get away from Dixon Bend is definitely Cohen Point. It’s a lot less like old Hickory Creek, though. If you’re looking for someplace with the small town charm, then you could maybe find someplace special in Dixon Bend,” he suggests, it was a strange thing to remember when Cohen Point was nothing but an older beach area of Hickory Creek. Now, it had the most bustling business of anywhere else in the town. “It might be a nice place to start if you don’t think you’re ready to take on the full rent of a house in Hickory Square...” Teddy ponders a moment, feeling like he’s being unhelpful right now, “How far away are you trying to get from your mother’s place?”

[teddyoswald-blog]

( ☀ || ashton hewitt )

“Red, white. Sweet or dry. That’s about all i’ve got ta’ offer the world as far as wine knowledge goes. I think it’s interestin’ at least, all the talk a’ undertones and notes. The aroma. Aging, an’ all that. It’s just never been my expertise. Ten bucks says though that if I go out ta’ eat and take a bite of a burger I can tell you every spice used in it’s preparation.” Ashton laughed, smiling with some genuine relief that he was far from the only one oblivious on the matter. Though, that might be slightly rarer of a pool of people if he began asking other chefs. “Revoltin’? Can’t say I agree with ya’ there. Everyone has their own tastes though. Can’t anyone fault ya’ for that. Especially when it comes to alcohol, yeah? One of the better things ta’ not have a taste for i’d say. There’s too many people that can’t hardly function without the stuff.” Ashton wasn’t much of a drinker himself, but socially he did like to sit at the bar and have a few craft beers now and then. 

“Oh, I know food, especially burgers. Set a plate of fries in front of me and I can tell you the exact farm the potato came from... Well, maybe not that specific... So it seems you and I have similar tasting talents, except you’re a bit more advanced than me in the wine department. Do you know what kind we’re drinking right now? I mean, am I supposed to be tasting undertones of something or other?” Teddy asks, swirling his cup around as he’d seen others in the wine tasting group do earlier. The liquid was still as uninteresting as it had been before, even with the added effect of the whirlpool gathering in the center. “It’s too bitter, y’know? Even when I’m trying champagne which is supposed to be sweet, all I taste is the bitterness. Perhaps, I have a sensitive pallete,” Teddy, in the last couple of words, imitates a french accent. “I agree with you, man. I don’t really go to any of the local bars, or drink much at all.”

[rp-meme-glaceon]

Unusual questions for your muse

🛌- Does your muse prefer to sleep under many layers of blankets or only under a few? 🎀- Does your muse like to accessorize? What are their favorite pieces of accessories? 🎐- Does your muse like to collect/hoard anything? 🛋- Does your muse like to have company over? 📱- Is your muse the “oversharing” type? 🐰- Does your muse prefer soft, plush textures or smooth and glossy textures? 💎- Is your muse drawn to things that sparkle? 🔖- Is your muse a daydreamer? What do they tend to think about? Have they ever caught themselves while lost in thought? 📰- Does your muse like to read the news? 📇- Is your muse a gossiper? 🕹- What does your muse do to occupy themselves when bored? 🏚- Does your muse like to explore dangerous places? 🌋- Has your muse done something stupid and not regret it? ⛪️- Does your muse enjoy attending churches they don’t belong to? 🛣- Is your muse considered a wanderer? 🐺- Would your muse consider themselves a lone wolf or a social butterfly? 🤝- Does your muse forgive others easily? 🖖- What “Fandoms” would your muse belong to? 🎖- Does your muse enjoy praise? 🎟- Do they like “so bad it’s good” movies? 🎠- Does your muse like amusement parks/carnivals/festivals? 🏝- Could your muse survive on an uninhabited island all by themselves?

[teddyoswald-blog]

The most exciting event during the Burning Boat Festival had always been the arts and crafts fair, for Graham. It might’ve sounded childish, but there was something about the smell of craft paste (which he’d definitely taken a taste of at least once in his life), the lively chatter between the children and adults alike, and the several activities to do during the day. A fond memory of his parents bringing him when he was younger came to mind. It was a nice day, his dad had hoisted him onto his shoulders, his mom holding an ice cream cone so Graham wouldn’t let it slip from his tiny, chubby hands, the family giggling together and finally happy. Graham held a popsicle in his hand, the color staining his tongue. Teddy stared at one specific kid who had dug out a glob of paste to gobble up, kind of a horrifying sight to be quite honest.

“Do you think that kid knows that you really shouldn’t eat that stuff?” He asked aloud, eyebrows knitting together at the sight. “You know what, I probably shouldn’t even ask that, I was a kid once, I’ve had my fair share of eating art supplies and sand.”

[0fpeaches-deactivated20200420]

Lucille sat on the beach, bare feet burrowing deep into the sand. She hadn’t long moved to the town, so when she’d heard about the event for the eclipse, she quickly made her way over to the beach. It was strange for her to be so far from home on her own but it was something she’d have to grow accustomed to. This town was her new home, and she couldn’t be happier to be in new surroundings.  Still, she couldn’t get over the feeling of being so alone. Loneliness was something she’d grown used to in her teenage years, she’d struggled with her social skills a lot as a youth so she found herself to be alone more often than not. Although she definitely became more outgoing and bubbly as the years passed, she still had her moments of shyness and social awkwardness. Lucille wanted to know people here, she wanted connections and wanted to have people to talk to. Her new job definitely made it easier to be social with other members of the public, but each person that came in for a piercing went as quickly as they came.  She sighed, nimble fingers running through the sand beneath her.  “I don’t think I’ve seen an eclipse before, or perhaps I have and I don’t remember…” She spoke, not really sure if anyone around her had actually heard her words.

[teddyoswald-blog]

Teddy smiled, he was standing, his flip flops carrying a heavy amount of sand - the crystals could be felt between his toes. But he didn’t mind sand in his shoes, or at least right now he didn’t mind it. He was completely distracted by the eclipse happening above him. Through the glasses the sun appeared orange as an orange dot. The shadow hadn’t really begun to cover it, not just yet. There was still some time before it would be engulfed. “The last visible North American solar eclipse to happen was in May of 2012, I believe,” after being holed up in the town hall working with the paper work surrounding the eclipse events, Teddy had discovered more than necessary on just what eclipses were. He was almost tired of all the information that had been flooded to him, but the pay-off of looking at the actual eclipse made all the work worth it. “So, that means you might have seen one in your lifetime.”

[annabelweldon-deactivated202104]

“A’ight, I have ta’ admit I don’t know much about wine.” A small humble chuckle parted his lips, leaning against the edge of one of the clothed tables set up for the tasting. “It’s lucky I can even tell ya’ which ones are a blush or a red. Guess this is as good a chance as any ta’ start learning.” Ashton was admittedly a bit relieved to get a break from having to help with the diner’s participation in the Taste of Hickory Creek festivities. One of the disposable tasting glasses in hand, he’d given the light red liquid a peculiar look over before taking a slow sip. At least knowing enough as a chef to know better than to just straight shoot it down. 

[teddyoswald-blog]

Teddy had never been a wine person. Or an alcohol person for that matter. The strange liquids tasted too bitter, and when he had a phase of going to high school parties and getting drunk the nights only ended one way - bad. He was forced by his grandmother to go to the wine tasting and bring her back a good bottle of... Was it pinot noir or pinot grigio? It was a pinot, and that’s all he knew. Graham listened to the other talk to him as he took a sip of the wine he’d been given - some kind of white. “Trust me, I know the last thing about any alcohol. Seriously, the most I could tell you is the difference between a red and a white.” Teddy chuckled, setting down the small disposable glass of the white he was duped into trying. “To be quite honest, I don’t get the whole, ‘undertones of raspberry’ or ‘hints of cedar from the barrel and coffee.’ All I know is that the taste of this stuff is kind of... Revolting.”

[teddyoswald-blog]

( ☀ || fletcher walsh )

Fletcher nodded his head, listening to what his pal had to say. He took an occasional glance at his baby before smiling at his baby girl. A thought popped into his mind, perhaps he should tape the glasses to her face–but on the other hand that might make him a bad father and look a bit odd on a baby. Fletcher didn’t see much interest in the moon–other than what they did for the ocean with tides and what time is great for reproduction, but that was it. Astrology never tickled his peach in the way that it must of struck others. “How did the space man cut his hair? Eclipse it.” Fletcher gave Teddy a cheeky smile, knowing that the joke was awful. Linden started to laugh, it always made Fletcher feel better–even if he knew she never understood a word he spoke. 

Teddy slaps his forehead with his palm, a groan, and an agonized smile tugging at his lips. “That... That was horrible, Fletch. Terrible!” Teddy exclaims, removing his hand from its spot covering his eyes. Nonetheless, Teddy still chuckles a bit at the horrible joke. Looking back up at the sun, of course through his glasses, and choosing to pretend as if the joke hadn’t phased him a bit. The sun is now almost completely covered by a shadow, a sliver of orange light peeking out. After seeming completely awe-inspired by the eclipse, he turns slightly to the side and mumbles, “I’ve got one for you...” His lips forming a smirk, “Why did the dog constellation never laugh at a joke?”

[fletchwr-blog1]

Fletcher bounced Linden on the side of his hip, wearing a pair of glasses on his face. “Do you know if it is safe for babies to wear these glasses? Do you also think they’d look at the sun?” The boy questioned, furrowing his brows, concerned for his baby’s well being and being a clueless father. “Should I just take her home–what if she explodes?” A slight panic takes over the boy’s body as he glanced around. “I only came here to see the moon and to tell a bad joke–do you want to hear it?”

[teddyoswald-blog]

The sun was already halfway covered in a shadow, and through the eclipse glasses it appeared like an orange slice. Teddy turned away from the sun, sliding his eclipse glasses down his nose to face his childhood friend. “As long as you keep them from falling off or from her pulling them down, she shouldn’t burn her eyes. They’re meant to generally help people avoid directly looking into the sun. So, babies should be fine! It might even protect her from just looking straight up if she didn’t have the glasses,” he shrugs a bit, remembering an article he’d read earlier in the week on eclipse glasses. Everyone had been eclipse crazy, but Teddy’d just been wishing for the event to be over with. The word ‘eclipse’ was seemingly everywhere, even in a small town like this. “And now that you know your kid will most likely be safe, what’s the joke?” Teddy tilted his head to the side curious as to what punny joke, probably in relation to the eclipse, would be coming up.

[teddyoswald-blog]

( ☀ || lydia palmer )

Started now, Lydia couldn’t stop laughing, especially once Lucy started patting her face like she thought Lydia was upset. 

“Oh my god,” they gasped. “That was beautiful. Prize winning performance, truly. For a second there, I was sure you were going to quote Twilight.” They laughed again. “I have no idea how you’ve managed to convince all those Town Hall people that you’re a serious person.” They were joking, of course. Teddy had shown them time and time again his passion for law and politics. 

“You better be. I might bring notes so we can do it for real. Maybe even discussion questions,” they told him, only partially kidding. “I mean it would only be fair considering I accidentally spoiled part of Big Little Lies for you.”

They rolled her eyes a bit. If Teddy wasn’t there, it wouldn’t be because he didn’t wake up. They were both such morning people, it was how they had bonded after all. Morning after morning, they’d sat a couple tables away from each other  until the morning they’d caught each other’s eye while they were both laughing over their poor barista. Every couple of seconds the poor girl, slumped against the counter, would fall asleep and then jerk back awake. Lydia had been trying to smother their giggles when they saw the boy across from them laughing too. Ever since then, they’d been sharing a table. 

Teddy holds his abdomen once he starts bursting into laughter as well. He takes a moment to bow at the Palmers a great big smile across his lips. He’s trying to hold in the laughter as he feigns a stereotypical high-class actor voice, “You know, I never thought I would be here, getting this Oscar. I’ve come a long way from the child I once was. I’d first and foremost like to thank Lydia Palmer, for encouraging me to only take up roles in vampire films. It was my dream to become the next Dracula not just some teen vamp-dream-boy.” Teddy’s speech concludes with him bursting into laughter again. His temptation to laugh finally urged by Lucy’s little hand patting at Lydia’s face. A gesture too funny to hold in even the smallest giggle. Once he’s stopped cracking up and clears his throat he gives a very serious look, tipping his head to the side a bit.

“Oh, I can be so serious. Whenever I want to be. I’m like the most serious person in this entire world.” He adds, his voice blank and monotone. Though he could act like it, most of the people in the town hall knew that he wasn’t as serious as he made himself out to be. In fact, so many of the people grew up with him and knew what a goofy little kid he once was and what a flirt in high school he used to be.

“Please, please bring discussion questions. I kid you not, I will prepare a notebook of discussion points and symbolism I think need to be addressed. This is so happening, dude!” Teddy responds excitably, his hands waving around as he talks. “I still have yet to finish what’s there. You spoiled it so hard that I don’t think I can bring myself to watch it. The surprise feels ruined, my raw moment of reaction is no longer possible,” he pouts after the reminder that the show’s been spoiled for him. Teddy, although not a TV watcher, was prone to catch up on the things that Lydia had suggested for him. He never had many suggestions for him, mainly all he would talk about is the latest season of Hell’s Kitchen.

[mayorhastings]

           Closed              &.  @teddyoswald

bev had little regard for the time of day. let it be when the sun was freshly waking or the moon was greeting the world as it was cast in sleepy darkness, bev was never so relaxed as when she was at her desk. she let her fingers drum gently against her desk, her eyes scanning a legal document with careful scrutiny. lips pursing gently, she let her eyes wander up, surprised to see that it was still day and fairly early, the sun only just starting to drop from its high perch in the sky. her finger fell to a button on her phone, “oswald. come in here for a moment,” he said softly, her tone carefully chosen and easily bred to be without frustration and hanging on an almost inhuman state of calm. 

[teddyoswald-blog]

Teddy sat at his desk, twirling a pencil around his fingers. A habit he had developed when he ran out of things to make him truly busy or at least appear busy in front of his superiors. He was an honest-to-God hard-worker, but he often overworked himself, which lead to the stack of documents on his small desk piling up then quickly disappearing. But, in the town hall it was a never ending flow and replacement of the documents he had just finished editing, organizing, or finalizing. Today, he had just finished his most recent stack, and was sure there was nothing left to do for the rest of the day. A haze of spinning office supplies and drumming on the table with pencils seemed to be his fate for the remainder of his shift. It broke him out of his muddling when the intercom played through his desk. A look of shock appears on his face, which leads to him clearing his throat to sound somewhat professional, “Uh, sure. I mean, yes, ma’am. I will be in, in a jiffy.” He removes his finger from the button on the office phone, raising from his chair cautiously. His steps are quick as he totters his way over to her office door. The opulent feeling Teddy first felt opening the doors to the mayor’s office has never changed for each time he enters. The heavy feeling of the gold double door handles, the slight swooshing the large oak doors make as they swing open, how a holy light seems to radiate from the inside of the room. It’s all awe-striking, and removes a bit of the leftover nerves Teddy feels in meeting with the mayor. She looks so calm looking at her desk, and for a moment he wonders what documents she’s looking over. Did she call him in because the documents have something to do with him? A bit of color drains from his face as he speaks to her, “Ma’am, you called for me? May I inquire as to what I’m needed for?” Way over doing it, Teddy, he thinks to himself.

[lacyarmstrong-deactivated201710]

eva had taken the day off her job at hideaway to look for an apartment for her sister dahlia and herself to live, without their mother. she expected some place in dixon ben or cohen point since she knew the places were cheaper there but anywhere would do, she just needed to get away from her mother. “hi” she smiled running into the familiar face wondering if they knew of any cheap places around. “sorry to be so straight forward but do you know of any cheap places around?”

[teddyoswald-blog]

“The waitress,” Teddy blurts out unintentionally, surprised a bit by the unanticipated interaction. He shakes his head to break himself back into the reality of what the other is saying. Graham had never stopped to think over the realty in Hickory Creek, aside from keeping an eye on his old house in Rose Acres. It never occurred that he’d have to move to anywhere other than the house he lived in currently, so he didn’t keep tabs on the prices of places. He knew that they had recently made the gentrified addition of Cohen Point which might have cheaper apartments. But, if you were in Hickory Creek, you’d know for sure that the cheapest place anywhere was Dixon Bend. He looks up, it’s like he's looking into his brain and trying to pull out some cache of information. “Uh, maybe someplace in Dixon Bend. It’s not the most adequate living situation, but I’m sure you could find something with running water and a stove for a couple hundred a month.”

[teddyoswald-blog]

( ☀ || charlie mcgreggor )

Charlie hadn’t been expecting anyone to answer, so when another voice spoke up and he heard the sound of someone rushing over, he looked up with a start. “Oh, uh, thanks,” he said, lifting the crate with the other man’s help and standing back at his full height. The comment about his oxfords made Charlie smile a little, glancing down at the shoes in question. “Seems like you’ve got some lucky shoes. I could’ve used a pair of those about thirty seconds ago. –You didn’t actually get hurt, did you?”

“Yeah, they were my grandpa’s. They keep my feet protected from most dangers. Probably wouldn’t help if there was a bomb blast or if someone deliberately stabbed into my toe. But, I don’t know of any toe-stabbers or shoe-bombers in Hickory Creek, do you?” Teddy jokes, his smile becoming wider. “You can’t tell me you don’t have a lucky... something. It doesn’t have to be shoes, but you’ve got to have something that gives you luck, right?” The crate was heavier than Teddy had expected, even for having some of its contents lost to breakage. He held on being careful not to be poked by some remaining glass shards on the bottom. He had a very low pain tolerance when it came to getting cut or pierced, so if he had been hurt at all by now, he would’ve been whining like a baby. “I’ve been left unharmed, can’t say the same for you, though. Did anything happen to you? I mean, you were in a closer proximity to the glass in question when everything happened.”

[teddyoswald-blog]

( ☀ || william cavendish )

Will grinned at the sight of Teddy sipping on his tea – as an Englishman, he appreciated anyone who enjoyed their tea as much as he did. Accepting the other’s offer, Will sat down in the chair across from him, setting down a thick file of papers and his laptop on the table. “Well, I had these papers to grade but,” he looked pitifully at the stack of papers, “they can wait. They’re not due back until next Wednesday anyways.” Turning back to him, Will shook his head, grimacing. “Too much of the same thing. I need to get away or something. Feeling… claustrophobic.” He felt comfortable revealing his emotions with him, even if he was vague about the reason behind it. “How about your internship? Going well, I presume?” 

Teddy was impressed by the stack of papers. He knew he couldn’t be a teacher, especially if they had to read through redundant essays of students. He assumed he might get lazy and give everyone at least an A for effort after a while. “You have to grade all that? It’d give me a headache,” he admitted, giving a dejected look to the folder of papers. “What did you make them write about this time, Professor Cavendish?” Teddy inquired. “Internship is going well, the mayor is a bit intimidating... I almost got employee of the month last week. It was a tight race between myself and the receptionist.” Teddy explains, “I obviously should have one. But, I’m quite sure the employee of the month system is rigged. Otherwise my incredible wit and strength would have taken the win. I’m still shooting for next month. I definitely think I’ll be able to completely remove the competition next time,” Teddy flashes a mischievous grin.

[teddyoswald-blog]

( ☀ || lydia palmer )

“Oh my god,” they laughed at his terrible vampire impression. “I take it back, you would make a terrible vampire.” Suit or not, he could still make them laugh like an idiot. Most people only got their carefully rehearsed laugh but Teddy had once witnessed them actually spit their coffee while laughing at something he said so they weren’t really worried. It’d been just over a year now that they’d gone from sitting at opposite tables across the diner to using the same table and Lydia had never regretted it once. 

“I’ve only had a chance to read the prologue so far because this one,” she said, tipping her head to indicate Lucy, “kept demanding my attention but I really like the writing. It’s still a bit more serious than I prefer but it’s interesting. A little off the wall.  I hope you’re ready for a whole morning long discussion on it though when I finish it.”         

They tugged Lucy’s hand carefully out of her hair before asking, “You’ll be there tomorrow, right?”

“What? You’re taking it back now, Palmer?” Teddy pouts, his arms crossing over his chest, “I was kinda hoping the vampire thing would work out if I failed with the whole political career.” He laughs along with them, though, a smile taking over the pout. Lydia’s laugh was infectious and it always felt like if you didn’t laugh along you might be missing out on something unknown, like a secret club. “Here, let me try out the vampire thing one more time. I promise this time I’ll prove to you that I am a blood-sucking maniac from Transylvania, okay?” He dramatically cleared his throat, and ran his hand over his face quickly muttering the words, “And... scene.” He put on his best Transylvanian accent again and created a more mysterious look by narrowing his eyes and upturning his lips into a slight smirk, “You are too late. My blood now flows through her veins. She will live through the centuries to come, as I have lived.” It’s one of the only quotes he can remember from the movie, a classic that his grandmother had made him watch when he was young. Although the movie was from the thirties, it still scared him to this day since he was so young when he first saw it.

Teddy nodded along as she spoke, understanding how the book may be too serious for her personal tastes. They often were able to share similar tastes, though. “Hopefully Lucy will allow you to read long enough for you to finish the book,” Teddy jokes, looking to the child. “Oh, I’m absolutely ready for the morning of conversation over it. I can’t wait when you’ve read it all so that I won’t have to painstakingly resist the urge to spoil the best parts of the book.”

“I will probably be there tomorrow, if I can bother to wake up on time,” Teddy jokes again, full well knowing that he always gets up at the same time each morning. A habit he’s harbored since his teenage years.