just a lost boy

not ready to be found. thomas adley, prince of england.

[rosamieaquino]

Screams were ringing out through the night as people started to realize what was going on but Rosa couldn’t move. Every time she went to pick up her feet she would see another person that she had seen almost everyday joining ranks with what she could only assume was the rebellion and each time she would flash back to another moment of the six months she had been held captive. Tears pricked her eyes, panic filling her chest as any hopes of getting away were quickly dashed, and it was getting harder to breath as the chaos resumed around her. “This can’t be happening again.” She choked the words out, her eyes flitting all around her to confirm that there was no escape. This was it. Somehow she had known her last brush with these people would not in fact be the last and all she hoped was that they would kill her this time instead of torturing her for months on end. “Please…please don’t let them be here. Just let this be a dream.” 

[thomasadley]

Thomas had been looking for his sister, frantically, but instead had seen one of the other important women in his life- and Rosamie looked petrified. He took a breath, and tried to swallow his fear. “Hey, hey, hey,” he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. His voice was leaps and bounds more confident than he felt, comforting her through his own panic. “It’s okay, Rosa. We’ll be okay, I promise. There’s just... there’s no way we won’t be, we were sent here to keep us safe-” but he faltered. They obviously weren’t as safe here as they’d been led to believe, but if there had ever been an upside to being a royal, in this moment, it’d have to be the overprotective parent factor, right? 

[thomasadley]

@miaadley​

“I should have known I would find you by the snacks,” Thomas said teasingly, gently nudging his sister with his elbow, even as he was choosing food for himself. It was very on-brand for the English siblings to go straight for the food, especially at an event like this one where many of the activities were based around physical activity. 

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever, Mia. Are you free right now?” 

[thomasadley]

ofbuchananisms​:

.

“That might be a big help, thank you. I’ve got a co-worker who likes to use my stuff without asking and then refrains from returning it. I’m hoping it’s the case because these tools are a pain to replace.” And she’d be footing the bill. While it didn’t seem like much, Poppy was a rather frugal person. Whatever didn’t need to be spent went into savings. 

"That's unfortunate," Thomas said sympathetically. Not that he could relate to the exact scenario, but growing up with a sibling had at least given him the experience of having his things borrowed without permission, some of them never to be seen again. "Where have you been working today? We'll start there," he suggested.

[thomasadley]

rosamieaquino​:

“Well, I’m glad you had someone there to keep you level headed. I, unfortunately, did not do the same.” She shrugged her shoulders, her cheeks taking on a slight tinge of red at the very thought of her freak out. She could have been worse, yes, but she probably hadn’t helped things. “I don’t think I’ve met Eamon. The name sounds familiar though.” 

Rosa bit into her bottom lip, the comment making her heart skip with the slight panic that ran through her. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.” It was good to her, she enjoyed it immensely, but this was the man she was meant to spend the rest of her life with and he was getting a small preview of her taste in decoration. That meant something. “I’m sure you’re not useless. Maybe we both just need to venture out and learn. We could find something we’re great at.”

His brow furrowed in concern as she spoke. "I'm sorry. I hope it wasn't too hard on you," he said with a grimace. "Eamon is a good friend of mine, he's one of the Irish princes. You would probably like him, he's a good guy."

"It is!" Thomas quickly reassured her. "It really shows who you are, my room is so boring in comparison." He considered it for a moment. "You're probably right," he conceded, "but until that day comes..." he trailed off with a shrug.

[thomasadley]

eamono-rourke​:

“Right…of course…” Eamon murmured, staring at the device. He was probably lucky the power was out, and the absurd idea that someone wouldn’t notice it seemed to become more and more alien. The whole situation did. “Surely it should’ve been their top priority? How many light fixtures have fallen victim to our hands? They definitely didn’t account for anyone drunk and tall.”

"Well, not all of us are tall," Thomas pointed out, gesturing to himself. "Maybe this place was designed for the vertically challenged. But who knows how many light fixtures have fallen prey to giants like you," he added, in faux mourning. "Speaking of light though, I don't suppose they'd have any candles in here?"

[thomasadley]

huntercrawfcrd​:

.

Hunter nodded gravely at the statement. Hell if he knew what Thomas was saying. Hunter had been the third party to his sister’s future as a queen ever since he was born. And as such, he had always seen the situation with humor, despite her obvious discomfort. Now he seemed to be in her shoes, and suddenly all the things he’d snickered about while they were growing up seemed to weigh upon his shoulders. The Canadian scoffed at the question straightforward question, and instead of offering an equally direct response, he chose to be evasive. “You know your sister better than I. How do you think she finds this?” he gestured around with an idle hand. 

Canting his head to the side, he considered the man’s words, making a mental annotation on bribery. “Anyone who might be particularly susceptible?”

“That isn’t what I asked,” Thomas muttered under his breath, but he didn’t press the issue. He didn’t want to upset his sister’s betrothed, and by extension, upset his sister. “I think she wants what’s best for England,” he said- a non-committal answer if there ever was one, but the English siblings had yet to really discuss Mia’s betrothal. “And she may still be making up her mind about whether or not this marriage is what’s best.” 

“Well, Gio, when he’s not with Mia,” Thomas replied. “And there’s this one guard... Nicholai, maybe? He’s large and Russian, at any rate, and he’s usually willing if you promise him baked goods from Bake My Day in the village.” Not that the English prince had been spending much time in the village as of late. “If you’d ever like some company...” he trailed off, somewhat unsure. If Hunter and Emilia weren’t getting along- and it didn’t seem that they were- would it be odd for him to spend time with Hunter?

[thomasadley]

matthias-meijer​:

“Unfortunately, what you’ve heard is what I’ve heard.” He had looked back down at the documents in front of him, content to leave the conversation where it was until Thomas spoke of England’s support. He looked up once more, the idea of bringing other countries into this starting to really hit him which made the whole thing even more real. “It’s all rumors right now, Thomas. I don’t even know where they started and it’s so hard to get information all the way out here. Especially when it seems like someone is avoiding me.” Which worried him more than the rumors. If his father didn’t want to talk to him then it made him believe that something was definitely wrong.

Abandoning the work, he gestured for Thomas to join him if he wanted. His mind was too jumbled to concentrate now. “If you have any concrete thoughts or ideas I’m all for listening to them.”

Thomas frowned sympathetically. He’d never understand the pressures that the crowns faced- doubly so since he was now betrothed to another spare, and in this situation he couldn’t imagine the Dutch prince was having an easy time of things. He accepted the non-verbal invitation, moving to the seat across from the Matthias. “I didn’t realize that you didn’t have any more information than the rest of us,” he admitted. “That must be frustrating.”

“Have you spoken to Ivan about this? It may be easier for him to get information, since we’re in his country. Maybe he knows more,” he suggested, though his tone was far from hopeful. “That’s... about the only idea I have, I’m afraid.” 

[ofbuchananisms]

A tool couldn’t grow legs and simply walk out of her toolbox, could it?

Poppy had spent the better part of her week looking for her multi-use screwdriver, as well as her pocketknife. If it was someone’s idea of a sick joke, she certainly wasn’t laughing. If it was someone who had borrowed the tools without asking and/or lost the items, she certainly would give them a stern talking-to. She hadn’t come to realize just how much she’d grown to depend on said tools until they weren’t in her possession. 

“Excuse me, do you have a moment to help a girl out? I seem to have lost my One-Hand Trekker pocketknife and my multi-use screwdriver. I keep them both close by and they’ve disappeared. Some people have a nasty habit of borrowing without asking and forgetting to return them. If you do, you’ll have my eternal gratitude,” she almost begged someone walking by.

[thomasadley]

Thomas had been on his way back to his room after lunch when he stopped in his tracks by a rather upset voice.

The blank stare he’d given her had probably given away the fact that he had absolutely no idea what the woman was talking about, but for good measure, he said; "I honestly wouldn't know them even if I'd seen them, I'm sorry."

"I could help you retrace your steps?" he offered. "Where did you last see them?"

[travelingstrawberry]

BRIDGERTON 

you are my most favorite brother

[thomasadley]

@miaadley

[circedelfino]

The soil beneath her knees had sunk into the fabric of her pants almost immediately, but that didn’t stop Ondine for anything. She was perched in the center of the patch of flowers, a small clearing created after just a few visits to care for them. In her lap was a small notebook, opened up to a page that was nearly full with doodles. Without a clue as to when she started taking notes about the plants and flowers she worked with, Ondine found that it was best to uphold tradition now, the task becoming a hobby more than anything, and a beneficial one at that.

She’d been so caught up in what she was doing, however, that when a figure appeared over her and cast a shadow across the page of her notebook, she fell backwards in a fright. “Sh—” she hissed, palm flat against the soil as she looked up at the figure that had joined her. “Sorry, sorry,” Ondine began, taking in a steady breath. “I didn’t hear you coming.”

[thomasadley]

The weather in Khatanga had finally warmed somewhat. And after the avalanche, the castle had begun to feel claustrophobic, so Thomas had found himself spending more and more time in the gardens just to get out of the confines of the castle walls. 

He had a book in one hand, a thermos of tea in the other, and a reluctant guard trailing behind. And as he approached a certain quiet section of garden, he realized he wasn’t alone at nearly the same moment the woman did. “No need to apologize, my fault,” Thomas replied with an apologetic grimace. “I wasn’t expecting anyone to be out here. I can leave, if you’d like.” 

[gcnegreer]

when: early evening where: somewhat deserted hallway in the fortress who: open 

She’d always been curious. Greer would like to have said adventurous, but that would be a stretch even for her. Either way, the princess had a tendency to wander. Maybe it was habit from formative years following Duncan around various castles and estates as he explored - a wish to be more like him. Lately, it was far more likely that the princess was seeking out solitude, a place to hide from the crowds and eyes and fear. She had a book with her, some first edition of Scottish folktales she’d somehow convinced the Royal Archivist back in Edinburgh to part with, and had spent a fair amount of time searching for the perfect window nook - secluded, but where she could still see the sky.

Only now, Greer was hopelessly lost. 

The princess had refused to admit this for quite some time, continuing on in her wandering and occasionally stopping to read a few pages. But the windows were now dark and the chill that crept along the glass too sharp to ignore. Greer felt the first echos of panic - the tension in her jaw, tightness in her chest, the way her skin seemed to prickle and crawl as if it were a rubber band stretched too far. She stopped, leaning back against a wall and closed her eyes. Nails digging half moons into her palms, she took several shaky breaths before realizing she wasn’t alone. 

“Hello?” A hint of panic to her voice before she relented, no one who didn’t belong here could get in, right? “Forgive me, I got a bit lost. I haven’t been here long.” 

[thomasadley]

It was rare for Thomas to be wandering the castle halls after dark- unless it was to raid the kitchen with his sister. But tonight he’d lost track of time while reading in the library. On his way back, with a book tucked under his arm, he turned down a hallway and heard a voice. 

The accent immediately piqued his interest, and with her next words, Thomas recognized his cousin’s voice. “Greer? It’s fine, it’s just me.” Thomas approached her, and as he did he took his hands out of his pockets and raised them to shoulder height, palm out, as though to show her that he didn’t mean any harm- not that she would’ve assumed that he did, but she’d sounded... anxious. 

“Where are you trying to go? I’ve been here for what feels like eighty years, I’m sure I could help you find your way around.” 

[thomasadley]

eamono-rourke​:

Eamon couldn’t help but stand there staring at the fixture in his hand, clinging to the wall by only the electrical wires that connected it. Thomas’ laugh caught him off guard and he quickly cleared his throat, trying to unsuccessfully shove it back into place. “They won’t really notice, right?” He asked as it fell out to dangle by the wires. Suddenly he couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up through his own lips, hard enough that he had to lean against the wall for support. “Fuck, they can manage massive metal panic doors but not a decent light?”

Thomas tried to contain his laughter, but seeing Eamon try to replace the light fixture broke his resolve entirely. “Oh no, it looks good as new, they’ll never know.” He looked from his friend back to the light fixture hanging out of the wall. “They didn’t expect a bunch of dignified young royals to be trying to yank stuff out of the wall, I guess- weird, they really should’ve anticipated this.” 

[thomasadley]

eamono-rourke​:

If Eamon hadn’t been so beside himself with panic he probably would’ve laughed at Thomas’ attempt at reaching the light. Instead he simply nodded, and made his way over to where the English prince was situated, pausing as he reached up. “How about you look down there and I grab up here?” He suggested, before tugging a little less than gently at the sconce. For a split second as he felt a shift he thought that he had been successful, but then it gave way as the entire thing came out of the wall. “Oh…whoops.”

He was looking at the baseboards, tentatively poking at them, but a noise drew his attention and he looked up to see Eamon, holding a light fixture in his hand. Despite the dire situation, Thomas couldn't help but laugh in shock as his friend ripped the sconce clear off the wall. "Eamon!" he exclaimed, chidingly. "You're lucky there was an avalanche, otherwise they'd know for sure it was you wrecking the place."

[thomasadley]

miaadley​:

“No! You shouldn’t do this for your birthday,” Mia suddenly protested. Putting her small cake down, she grasped Thomas’ face between her hands and forced him to look at her. “You need to do something a bit more outrageous that’s totally out of your comfort zone,” she decided. “I’ll throw you a party that mirrors a club! Yes, that’s exactly what i’ll do.” 

“It’s not as though you ever went to a club with me when i asked and I think that sort of experience could do you good, even though it’s something i’ll throw together.” Yes, that’s exactly what she’d do. “But for now, we can just celebrate me,” Emilia laughed.

Mia's intensity about the party had him stifling a laugh- it was just so like his sister to be so serious about something like this. He nodded solemnly, though he hoped Emilia would forget all about this by the time his birthday rolled around in September. "I'm sure if you're the one organizing it, it will be fantastic."

"I'm not sure about it doing me good, but we'll give it a try." He smiled. "Yes, of course! It's your birthday, this is about you. How's your day been so far? Gotten a lot of presents?"

[matthias-meijer]

Everything was chaos once again in Matthias’ life. With all of the rumors swirling around about his country possibly engaging in war with the Russians he was in a slight panic. Not only was war the last thing he wanted for his people but what would that mean for him, Kat, and Maggie when it came to staying in Khatanga? Yes, he and Ivan were trying to work on something but it was slow going at the moment as they wracked their brains for a solution both of their parents would approve of and in the mean time he felt lost. Papers were strewn over the table he was sat at in the village, Honey Brews seeming like a nice place to be able to concentrate in. But the chatter around him was catching his attention and Matthias was finding it hard to ignore. A particular statement caught his interest and he looked up from his work to lean towards the person at the next table. “Do any of you even know what you’re talking about or are you just content with spreading lies around until this whole things dies down?” 

[thomasadley]

Though he was a spare, Thomas had an avid interest in politics, and his desire for more information about the rising tensions between The Netherlands and Russia had led to many discussions about it, and hearing a lot of conflicting information. This particular day, he was in the coffee shop, and when a villager had asked him what he knew about the rumours, he'd told them what he'd heard- that Russia and The Netherlands each seemed to be gearing up for a skirmish.

The conversation was interrupted, however, and when Thomas looked to see who'd spoken he could feel himself flushing, embarrassed to have been caught gossiping. "I'm sorry. I was only discussing what I've heard." He took a sip of his tea, and turned towards the Dutch prince. "If you have any accurate information, I would love to hear it. As far as I know, my country will be supporting yours if this escalates."

[thomasadley]

rosamieaquino​:

Not even noticing his discomfort with her proximity to him, Rosa’s smile softened slightly as he spoke of being shaken up. She could most definitely understand that. “Where were you when it hit?” She asked, coming out of her closet while she pulled a pink leather jacket on over her new outfit. “I got pretty lucky too. I was pulled into the ballroom when it happened and luckily there was no damage, we were just stuck.” 

The Filipino watched him closely as Thomas took a look around her home away from home. She almost cringed when she realized how someone could perceive this space as a child’s bedroom but hopefully she was just seeing it in a negative light right now because she was worried about what he would think. Books lined one of the far walls, all kinds of romance split into different categories like you would find in a library, the shelves built in as she had requested. White furniture filled the space, including the white chairs in a designated seating are with a tv, and pink accented most of the place. But her canopy bed, though more elegant than a child’s and far bigger, was what she was mostly worried about. It just screamed spoiled princess. “That’s basically all I’ve got going on right now. Just trying to help out as much as I can. I don’t have a lot of skills that would help in this situation though. Unless there’s some crafts that need to be done.”

“I was in the music room. No real damage there, either. Eamon was there, I think we helped keep each other calm, sort of.” In truth, Thomas was fairly sure that he and the Irish prince had both been anxious through the entire ordeal. 

“This room suits you,” Thomas commented, looking at the bookshelves that lined the wall and remembering when she’d first come to Russia, with luggage full of novels. “I’m in the same boat. I’m... rather useless, in terms of practical skills,” he said with a shrug. 

[thomasadley]

rosamieaquino​:

The knock on the door had been unexpected and Rosa had taken her time in answering after glancing at herself in the mirror. Sleep had been hard to come by and she suddenly wished she had taken the time to do something about how exhausted she looked as she saw Thomas standing before her. The princess ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to make it less unruly before she abandoned the task and moved forward, wrapping her arms around his neck.

It was probably the closest she had been to him since their engagement had been announced but all of the awkwardness had melted away with the relief that filled her at seeing he was indeed okay as she had been hearing. “You don’t have to apologize.” She pulled back, giving him a warm smile. “I could have come to see you. Things have been crazy around here. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Realizing he had asked about tea, she nodded as she backed into her room again. “I would love to have tea, just give me a second to get dressed because I look like a drag right now. Come on in.” With that, she turned and walked briskly into her closet to find something suitable.

“Oh!” The sudden physical contact took him by surprise, but after a brief moment he returned the hug. It was a comfort, really, a reassurance that she really was alright. Even so, it was a bit of a relief when she pulled away. “Shaken up, but okay- at least my room survived, I’m luckier than some.” 

“You look fine,” Thomas countered, but stepped into the room anyway. His eyes roamed over the space- he felt a little guilty for being so nosy, but a person’s bedroom could say a lot about them, and he was curious. “What have you been up to? Aside from the... avalanche, of course,” he called out, so Rosa would be able to hear him from her closet. He glanced around the room, unsure if he should sit down without having been invited to do so.