fighting spirit

The name's Tucker James McGraw, but 'ya can just call me Tuck. Twenty years old and originally from the Lone Star State. I like Star Wars, making phone calls, acoustic guitars, sweet tea and good barbecue. Oh, and I'm the big brother to a little girl named Dixie. People've been telling me I think a little too much for my own good, but thinking's good for you, ain't it? [not the fabulous cole pendery, just a rp blog]

[tucksxeverlasting]

So, today has been a pretty interesting day.

I had lunch with my auntie, who insisted that I become a doctor because "doctors make a million dollars after every surgery" and "people come to you, you don't have to beg people for a job". I just had to sit there and nod. According to her, I must also lose weight and woo boys, but only "boys who have a lot of money and big houses". It was a pretty uncomfortable experience. I also had custard mooncakes and spit out lotus paste ones, because those things are absolutely gross and custard mooncakes are so much better, and listened to my mom's lecture about how I must follow the ten commandments. I also bought a really cool Sylvester sweater from Cotton-On AND I WANT IT TO BE COLD SOON SO I CAN WEAR CUTE SWEATERS!!!

Overall, a pretty weird Sunday.  

ANYWAYS, I've actually accomplished a lot today! Woo! I finished all my replies! I'm going to try to write some prompts/drabble on both Tuck and Maddy, but those are probably going to take a while. I've also kind of been neglecting Maddy lately because Tuck has a lot of interactions going on, but if you would like to plot something with Maddy, check out her connections page and we can figure something out! I would love to have more plots for her. If you would like to plot with Tuck, you can check out his connections too! 

I'm also considering going back to 1x1 roleplaying because I really miss it but I don't have time and it makes me sad.

Alrighty, then! Hope you guys are all having a great morning/afternoon/night~ 

[adriengracerp-blog]

'Yeah! 'cuz the Cap, see, he's real cool, but he's like… Perfect. I ain't gt nothin' against his build, but I mean, he ain't got flaws, an' you're kinda hard pushed to find an Avenger as human as Star Lord, 'cuz they all got problems an' shit. An' also, like, the Guardians get the adorable factor 'cuz have you fuckin' seen Groot?’

'True, true. Never did actually manage to pick I mean— both're pretty damn hot. Also, she's bald, an' it's kinda cute, an' kinda what the fuck so it’s a pretty tough choice there. Man! See, Apollo, I found like, a couple month ago, ‘cuz I tripped over this box an’ there was this tiny skinny puppy, right? But he’s doin’ good now. An’ then the other day, I walk through, like, Wal-Mart or some crappy place like that, an’ I fuckin’ see Marley & Me. I thought it was a happy doggy film. Fucked up, it’s fucked up. Me neither, but I wanna see it again fi it is— an’ theatres ain’t that bad, it’s a darkened room. You can suck it up ‘fore the lights go back on! C’mon, c’mon, you gotta tell me you’ll try see it in cinema.’

[tucksxeverlasting]

"Yeah, that's the good thing about Star-Lord... He's actually, really human. You can kind of connect with him better, and... That's nice. He's kind of a troublemaker, and he doesn't always know what to do, but... He's still a superhero, and that's kind'a neat. And, yeah, I have to admit... I did see the trailers for it, and Groot... I can't believe I'm using this word, but he is pretty adorable." 

"Eh, one of the most difficult decisions of life, right? Yeah, I mean, we got Tex because one of our neighbors' dogs had a whole lot'ta puppies, and there was this tiny one that my sister really fell in love with, so we adopted him. He's pretty cute, though, 'cause he's this tiny pomeranian but he runs faster than both of us, so I ain't complaining. He's a part of the family now. And, yeah, Marley and Me was... Well, it was just all over the place. I dun'no, that ending definitely wasn't very happy. It messed me up, man. It's a movie that you see once, and you probably never want to see again. And, well, I mean, if I can find a movie theater that's showing it, then... Sure, I'll go see it in the theater. I mean, there's nothing quite like seeing a movie in 3-D, right? The first one had some amazing effects; you literally felt like you were flying with Hiccup."

[adriengracerp-blog]

'Fuck yeah, he is! He's all like pew pew pew an’ he aint’ a goodie-goodie like the Justice League or the Avengers or nothin’. I mean, Iron Man is pretty cool, ‘cuz he ain’t a goodie-goodie either, but the rest of the Avengers are pretty naff compared to the Guardians. Deadpool! Deadpool is the greatest. I wanna movie from him ‘cuz it’d be dead-cool! Geddit? Deadpool, dead cool.’

'Chris Pratt is good. An' you get to see his abs, which, like, nobody is complainin' 'bout. I mean, the whole thing is, who's hotter, Star Lord or Gamora? An' then there's Nebula but she's also pretty scary. Which, fair enough, if you're into it, but really? Marley & Me is soul destroyin' an' it makes me paranoid 'bout our Apollo. For real. Oh my god, How To Train Your Dragon was amazing an’ also real bad because it made me cry. You ain’t seen it? You can’t ait for a DVD release man! That’d take forever, holy shit.’

[tucksxeverlasting]

"Yeah, well... My favorite superheroes growing up were Captain America and Spiderman, 'cause I thought they were really neat, but Star-Lord is pretty kick-ass. He's got a really interesting backstory, and he's human, and he ain't perfect, which makes him relatable... He's real great. Oh, gosh, Deadpool! If they make a movie for him, that would be sick. And, hah, Deadpool, dead-cool. That's a pretty good joke, man." 

"That's another reason for me to go see it! I mean, Chris Pratt versus Zoe Saldana... He's got some pretty stiff competition. Yeah, I dun'no... I mean, Karen Gillan, she's pretty and all, but Nebula... I dun'no, the cyborg prosthetics are really kind'a scary. Oh, yeah, I mean... Tex's still just a pup, but after we watched Marley and Me... Well, my sister was cryin' and askin' me if Tex would die someday, and I had to tell her that he would, someday, have to die. It was sad, man, really sad. I mean, I didn't want to lie to her, so... I had to tell her. Man, that broke my heart. Well, I don't know if it's still in theaters... So, I guess I kind of have to wait for the DVD. I mean, there are some pros to watching it on DVD... You cry in the privacy of your own living room, rather than in a very public movie theater." 

[tucksxeverlasting]

never grow up ✈ lea and tuck

[lea-the-lovely-blog]

Lea had gown up a fighter, he teachers always chastising her for begin to violent. It started back when she was just in first grade, where she began to play sports with the boys instead of chat with the girls. She started with basket ball, going out on the court and evading anyone who came near her when she had the ball and chasing the other team when she didn’t. after a while that grew boring, so she turned to soccer.  She would slide out onto the field with the wind in her hair and adrenaline pumping through her. she would ram her opponents, knocking them to the ground then leaving them behind as she dashed to victory. 

It got worse after sports weren’t enough. Perhaps Lea had some pent up anger from her lack of a father figure, but no one could really diagnose why she was the way she was. It seemed most likely that she just wanted to be a hero. Whenever she saw someone being bullied, no matter what she’d interfere. She pull the bully away and threaten him and if he fought back, so would she. In three years she got four black eyes, six broken eyes, eight suspensions and was expelled twice. But she always left being hailed as a savior. 

This all continued until Henry came along. Her step-father knew as soon as he met her that she was a fighter. He could recognize it in her because it was like looking in an mirror. He taught her how to control her anger, channeling it into karate and fencing lessons. She soon rose to win the Regional Fencing Championships. Until she was fourteen she practiced and practiced getting better and better and her rage growing dimmer and dimmer. 

Everything changed when she met her biological father, she was pulled into a life of chaos where rage was necessary for survival. the knife fights in the alleys of New York were what really trained her. She learned how to read faces, how to sense the fear. She could find the weakness in anybody and exploit it. She knew to use her surroundings and she knew most importantly to leave your enemy dead. They can’t get back up and go another round when their dead. 

Even after she escaped that life, the fighting never stopped. She went to work at summer camps, training the littleun’s how to handle a sword. She taught them how to block and parry. The only thing she was better at then sword fighting was teaching others to do it. this was the plan here. She’d teach this kid how to kick ass. 

"Whoa there, don’t back down. If someone surprise attacks you, don’t ask questions, assume their the enemy and fight," she grinned, but not in a smirky condescending way, her smile portrayed happiness, excitement and encouragement,everything she was feeling at the moment.  "I could’ve been here the entire time or I could’ve just shown up, doesn’t really matter, I’m here now. So you wanna go or what?"

She swung her sword around lazily, spinning it easily in her hand, she paused for a minute, tying her hair up into a ponytail, “Tell you what, I’ll give you an incentive, Make it fun for you. If you play me I’ll buy you the saber and if you beat me I’ll buy you anything in the store. Even one of those minicars.”

She was ready to do this. 

[tucksxeverlasting]

"Uh..." Tuck started, unsure of what to say in response. Of course, he had never been in this kind of situation before; this definitely wasn't an everyday occurrence. Growing up in Keller, kids liked to ride bikes and jump in rivers, not wield swords and fight with lightsabers. It was a normal, All-American neighborhood - not too poor, but also not too rich. Sometimes, the neighborhood kids fought and punched and kicked each other on street corners, but they would never have enough pocket money to buy a sword and actually use it. Plus, he wasn't the type who engaged in those fights - he wasn't a bully, but he wasn't one of the bullied either. He was somewhere in the middle - a bystander, really - and even if someone did try to throw a punch at him, he had the scariest step-father on the block. They never got near him; Rhett Abercrombie was a pretty intimidating man. 

Really, though, this was a lot to process. Tuck wasn't usually one to just do things spontaneously; he liked to think and process things and weight the positives and negatives and make sure that everything was okay. He was cautious and anxious, always planning things out in his mind, and it wasn't like him to just agree to have an impromptu sword fight with some girl in the middle of the Star Wars aisle in Toys'R'Us. He definitely wasn't the kind of person who would put himself in the line of danger just 'because'. He didn't even know this girl! How was he to know whether or not she was going to hurt him? She was expecting him to make this decision on the spot, but Tuck needed more time to process all of this. 

"I don't think I can even fit into those minicars... I probably was too big for those things ten years ago." Tuck remarked sarcastically, biting his lip as he looked down at the lightsaber in his hand and back at the girl's face. She seemed pretty serious - especially because she was saying that she would buy him anything in the store - and besides, he kind of wanted this lightsaber. Sure, he didn't have the money for it, but it would be pretty nice to have it in his collection of Star Wars memorabilia. If he won, maybe he could ask for one of those huge boxes of crayons for Dixie or the Adventure Time-themed Monopoly or something. There were a lot of cool things to buy at Toys'R'Us, none of which he could really afford. Plus, what was the worst that could happen? It wasn't like he was going to die in a pretend sword fight; he might as well just go for it. When else was he going to have this opportunity? The worst that could happen was that he lost and never saw this girl again - and, honestly, that was fine by him. If they saw each other again, that would be cool, but if they didn't, then that was okay too. 

Letting out a sigh, he started to roll up the sleeves of his button-down shirt and replied with, "Alright, okay, I'm up for the challenge. Let's do this."

It was worth a try, at least. When else would he be able to engage in a lightsaber fight with a random stranger in the middle of the Star Wars aisle at Toys'R'Us? Sure, he wasn't spontaneous, but that didn't mean that he didn't take advantage of good opportunities when they came at him... And this, this definitely was a pretty cool opportunity. 

[hellomissowens]

Atomic Dog | Tucker & Harmony

[hellomissowens]

Harmony was a dog lover, through and through. Animals in general, perhaps. Domestic animals were great company, good companions, and seeing happy pets with happy owners made her pretty happy as well. Harmony was an empathizer like that. It wasn’t uncommon for her to go up to dogs especially when they passed by. Dangerous in some instances, but she had a way with animals. Just like people, Harm could read animals.

One of her biggest pet peeves though, were people who couldn’t read their own pets. Dogs, mostly. She watched as the boy ahead of her walked his small dog. This dog was rambunctious, bouncy. Like any Pomeranian, to be honest. As she watched the boy unleash the dog, in this open park, Harm kind of hesitated. Quickly, she looked around, hoping there were no bigger dogs around. For all she knew, this dog could’ve gone after another.

After seeing no other major problem insight, she watched the dog steadily run in her general direction. Where it was going, she had no idea. But she stayed calm, hoping that if she caught it off guard, she could help the boy capture his dog. Harmony immediately opened her notebook to block this dog, which did stop it and it slowed down in front of her. She took a deep breath and scooped the pup into her arms. “You’re fast!” Harm told it with a smile on her face.

She could’ve waited for the boy and his sister to approach her, but instead chose to just head in that direction. It was the way she needed to walk home anyway. About halfway in front of the pair, Harmony lifted her arm. “Looking for someone?” She asked rhetorically, laughing some. The situation wasn’t funny or anything, but the woman figured the stress they felt in that moment. She herself witnessed her own dog run from her. It wasn’t fun.

Right in front of the boy, Harm held the dog out some he can re-clip the leash to the collar. “You’re probably thinking that was a bad idea, huh?” She asked, again rhetorically, as she carefully set the dog back onto the ground. Straightening her body, she stood a little bit taller than him. “Where’re your parents?” She wondered, as the boy appeared pretty young, as did his sister. “Shouldn’t they be out here walking your puppy with you?”

[tucksxeverlasting]

"Tex! Tex!" Dixie cried out, cupping her hands over her mouth to amplify her voice. Still, the little pomeranian was not within earshot; he was not able to hear Dixie's desperate pleas. Turning to face her older brother, the questions began pouring out as she asked, "Tuck, what if we lost him? What if he doesn't come back? What if he was eaten by a hyena or a deer? What if somebody tries to kidnap him?" 

"It's gon'na be fine, Dixie. Don't worry, we'll find him." Tuck replied reassuringly, squinting his eyes and scanning the park in an attempt to pinpoint where their pup had run off. Tex was really small - only about nine pounds and just a little ball of cream-colored fluff - and he knew that it would be pretty hard to spot him. But there he was! A couple of meters from where they stood, Tex had stopped right in front of a dark-haired lady! He began to sprint towards them, Dixie following close behind him after realizing that her big brother had found their dog. 

"I'm really, really sorry 'bout him..." Tuck started, trying to catch his breath as he stopped in front of the woman who was holding Tex. Damn, he was really out of shape. Placing his hands on his knees, he explained, "He's usually pretty good 'bout not running away from us, but I guess he saw a butterfly or smelled ice cream or somethin', or maybe he just really likes you. He's only a couple months old, he's still a pup, but he's real harmless... I shouldn't have unclipped him, though; that was real stupid of me. He's really fast, I can never catch him." Tex was quite the unpredictable dog, after all. Most pomeranians were. One moment, he could be passed out on Tuck's lap, and the next moment, he was running around the apartment, chasing after a bumblebee. It was all ups and downs with Tex and no in-betweens, but Tuck didn't regret adopting him, not one bit. He made life more interesting, and besides, he was now a part of their family. Their life without him wouldn't be the same. 

"Actually, ma'am, my dad's currently in-" Dixie started before Tuck quickly cut her off, re-clipping Tex's leash onto his collar as he explained, "Um, the situation's really kind of complicated, but... It's just me and Dixie now." Honestly, he didn't want to go over all the details - this woman was a complete stranger - and besides, she probably wasn't interested in the details. Dixie's father was in prison for life, his father was God-knows-where, and their mother had been murdered and was lying in a grave back home in Texas... Yeah, explaining that whole mess was a great way to introduce yourself to someone new. He was now Dixie's legal guardian, had been since he turned eighteen, and despite his baby face, he was actually twenty years old, turning twenty-one in February. People always thought that he was still in his teens. Did he really look that young? 

[tucksxeverlasting]

high school never ends ✈ tennessee and tj (tuck)

[tennesseexarcher-blog]

Blue eyes swept across the park. Leaning against his bike, Tennessee took a bite of the ham and cheese sandwich in hand. The boy was clad in his navy suit (minus the tie and the blazer, which had been haphazardly thrown into his messenger bag as soon as he left the venue), the fanciest outfit he had which he wore only when attending formal events. He had photographed an engagement party today. The party’d taken place outside—and what a smart decision it was. The weather wasn’t too hot nor too cold, sunlight beating down on them but the cool breeze making it bearable. The engaged couple looked gorgeous and so, so happy that he couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy as his fingers busily snapped more pictures of them. The love and happiness were so evident in their faces, radiant and clear. He envied them—for they were truly happy, and to form that kind of connection with another human being was unimaginable to him. Several people’d begun to take their leave around mid-afternoon. So after tossing a congratulations at the couple who hired him, the nineteen-year-old had hopped on his bike. He wasn’t there to mingle and socialize. His job was to document, and it had been done. He took another bite of his sandwich, licking off the dressing on his bottom lip.

It seemed that summer was slowly coming to an end, winding down its heat to cooler evenings. Towards this he had mixed feelings. Although he was used to the heat, Tennessee didn’t like summer, yet the fact that winter was coming left a weird emptiness inside him. End of summer meant start of a new school year. He was going to be a sophomore. How weird was that? It seemed like mere months had passed since his first day at college, fresh out of high school, all nerves and tensed shoulders. New classes, new people, new environment, new everything. Everyone went through that “Awkward Freshman” phase where they struggled to adjust to college life—staring at the campus map, hesitatingly saying hello to a classmate, and being ambushed by enthusiastic club members on the prowl for recruits. Although Tennessee was now a seasoned campus veteran, he did miss the simplicity of high school. College life was sometimes too hectic to handle.

It was with this strange nostalgia that the boy scrutinized upon a familiar figure. He frowned in concentration; the distance was making it difficult for him to distinguish the guy’s face. Holy shit, could that be him? Disbelief coloring his features, Tennessee called out, “TJ?”

In high school, no one had called TJ by his real name, Tucker. He didn’t know why. The fellow Texas-born was a year older than him, and everyone was calling him TJ when he, fresh meat from Galveston, first stepped into the school. Oddly enough, a guidance counselor was through whom they had met. The younger boy still remembered their first meeting. His fourteen-year-old self standing in front of the counselor’s office, cynical and disinterested, almost glaring the then-nameless sophomore he was supposed to make friends with.

[tucksxeverlasting]

What a blast from the freakin' past. 

Tuck honestly hadn't had a whole ton of friends in high school. Most of his time back then had been spent just trying to get through life without collapsing. He was practically an orphan, he had a little sister who didn't know what the hell was going on and he was living in a brand new state with an aunt and uncle and cousin he barely knew. Honestly, it was a lot to take in. He spent all four years of high school feeling like a fish out of water, barely staying afloat, and struggled to find his place at TC Williams. Sure, he did pretty well in his classes and people knew his name and face - he was the mysterious new kid from Texas, after all, and that alone had a certain appeal - but he didn't really have a circle of friends from high school like most people he knew did. In fact, he hadn't seen most of his high school classmates since graduation day; he didn't really bother going to high school reunions. Who was there for him to see and catch up with? Tuck hadn't even gone to his senior prom; there was really no point. 

Still, if the boy had one close friend during his time at TC Williams, it was most definitely Tennessee Archer. They were practically forced to become friends - both of them were slightly antisocial Texans with tragic backstories, and if that couldn't get them to become friends, then what could? That was the counselor's trail of thought, at least, and her thinking was actually kind of right. He could still remember how their first meeting went in his sophomore year - how Tennessee had spent the first five minutes just glaring at him and how their counselor, a chirpy old lady named Ms. Fenway, had made them shake hands. Both of them didn't like talking about their pasts, which suited Tuck just fine. At the time, Tuck didn't really want to talk about his past; he wanted to completely forget about the pain and bottle it up inside. It was much better that way. He just wanted to have somebody to sit with in the cafeteria, and Tennessee fit the bill. They didn't have to share their deepest, darkest secrets or cry about their mothers; they just asked each other vague questions and quickly ate their lunches. That's how it worked back then.

"Hell, it's been a real long time since anybody's called me TJ." Tuck remarked, shaking his head as he walked up to the familiar-looking brown-haired boy, dragging Tex alongside him. He had taken on a different nickname in high school as a way for him to start his life over, to let go off the past and make room for a new future. Only after high school ended did he realize that his new nickname didn't change squat; he was still the same person, and a change of nickname wasn't going to change his past. By the time his freshman year at Virginia Tech rolled around, he went back to introducing himself as Tuck, and TJ became a thing of the past. Gesturing for the little pomeranian to sit at his feet, a hint of his natural Texas drawl returned to his speech as he added, "'Ya still live 'round town, or are 'ya just here visitin' for the summer?" If he had stuck around in Alexandria, then it was a real wonder that Tuck hadn't seen him in three years - Alexandria was a pretty big place, but it wasn't that big. 

[adriengracerp-blog]

'Yeah! Man, Star Lord is like, my hero. So cool! Seriously, do it— you gotta see it. Jus’, like, pick her up, an’ take her in. If you’ve seen the same film like 5 times, she kinda owes it to ya, right? The soundtrack is so good. Awesome Mix Vol. 1!’

'Eh. I seen sadder, yk'now? Kinda saw it comin', y'don't get 'One Sick Love Story’ as a tagline without a super sad bit so maybe that’s just a big clue, y’know? Have you even seen Marley & Me? That one killed me. Oh, an’ How To Train Your Dragon 2. Fuckin’ hell, that ones a kids film an’ it’s just… No. Just no.’

[tucksxeverlasting]

"Got'ta admit, Star-Lord is pretty awesome, based on the couple'a Guardians comics I read. Kind'a want to see what they did with him, to be honest. I mean, Chris Pratt is great on Parks and Rec, and I heard that his performance as Star-Lord is awesome too, so... And yeah, guess she kind of does owe it to me now. I've seen her choice of flick five times, might as well go see my choice before it stops running."

"Oh, God, Marley and Me... Got'ta admit, that ending was really depressing. I may have shed a tear or two when I saw that. And I've heard about How To Train Your Dragon 2 having a really sad plot twist, but I haven't gotten the chance to see it... Maybe I'll watch it when it comes out on DVD." 

[jinsootravels-deactivated201412]

"Uh… yes." He smiled slightly. "I am brand new I’m afraid, and I do move around quite a bit. I have to travel for my job so I’m never really in one place for months at a time or hardly ever when we’re in the swing of things and really busy. I’m actually on…uh… on a bit of a break right now. I did a season’s worth of filming and then we’re taking about half the airing time to do vlogs and extras and then we start all over again. I’m taking a little bit of um…" Personal break? "A little bit of time to get used to the area and settle in and get my house set up and then I’m off to do a travelog of the entire East coast which should take a bit of time. I’m not really sure if I’ll ever be on board with the whole ‘settling down’ thing." Not after last time. "But this is a very nice place as far as I guess ‘base camp’ goes." Sliding his hands into his pockets, he looked down at his shoes, tilting his head to the side in thought and contemplating how best to answer the question of what he was looking for.

"I suppose I’m looking for a combination of things. Restaurants for certain, I’m always ready to explore the best places. And a park would be nice." He smiled. "I used to live near a little park and would go walking there every day after work, so I would really like to start doing that again. Other than that I don’t really leave the house a lot." He shrugged. "I’m not the world’s most exciting person or anything like that, I like to live quietly and keep to myself for the most part. The dog would really like getting out on a regular basis though, even if I’m not much of a fan."

[tucksxeverlasting]

"Well, ain't nothing wrong about that. It must be pretty cool to move around a lot; you see lots of different places." Tuck replied with a shrug, a small grin forming on his lips. He had only ever lived in two places - Keller and Alexandria - and though he had been to other places, he had always been a pretty stable guy. There was a part of him that wanted to travel the world and see different places, but there was also a part of him that wanted to stay where he was - it was better for Dixie, after all. She liked Alexandria, and really, it was the only place that she really knew. Tuck didn't want to pull her out of the comfortable environment... Until she finished middle school, at least. Still, a boy could always dream, and maybe, he would go all around the world, one day, if things worked out. "Yeah, y'know, settling down isn't for everybody, definitely... Some people just like to move around. But having a home base, well, that's kind of important, at least for me. I like knowing that I have a home that I can always go back to." He really liked stability, after all. His childhood had been so crazy, and now that things had settled down, he wanted it to stay that way.

"Well, there's a couple of good joints 'round town. What are 'ya looking for, exactly? Diners, Mexican, Asian, Italian? Lot'sa places in Old Town that are pretty good." Tuck asked curiously, raking his mind for the names of his favorite places. Alexandria wasn't exactly a food haven, but it was pretty reliable. Nothing was truly extraordinary, but nothing was downright awful either. Besides, there were a couple of great options 'round town, you just had to look hard for them. "And, yeah, parks... Fort Ward Park is our favorite; the dog loves running around there and my sister's ballet studio is pretty nearby. It's got a great walking trail, and there's a little dog park that's kind'a nice." Then, letting out a chuckle, he nodded, replying with, "Yeah, you and me both, man. I don't really go out much either, to be honest. Parties and bars and clubs... They've never really been my thing. I've got'ta be home at a good hour to put my sister to bed and make sure she stays there." 

[adriengracerp-blog]

'Man, I ain't even seen Guardians of the Galaxy that many times, an’ that was way, way better’n the Fault. Seriously. It had, like, a talkin’ tree, an’ Drax the Destroyer, an’ freakin’ Star Lord! For real, the Guardians are the best. You’re watchin’ the wrong movies. I mean, unless you’re into all that shit that makes you wanna cry until you ain’t got anythin’ left. I don’t know. Maybe you are. But that’s weird, an’ you’re damn right it’s unhealthy!’

[tucksxeverlasting]

"Yeah? I haven't seen Guardians yet because Dixie keeps on insisting on the Fault... Though, I have to admit, it does look really kick-ass. I might try to convince her to go see it the next time we head over to the movies. I've heard that it's got an awesome soundtrack."

"Okay, y'know, usually, I'm not one to cry at movies... It ain't really my scene. I save the tears for moments where I really need them. But this movie... It's just, you can't help it! Everybody cries! I'm sounding like a real sap, but it's true. And, heck, I hate feeling like this, but apparently my little sister likes it, so... Yeah, I guess I just have to suffer through it." 

[tucksxeverlasting]

never grow up ✈ lea and tuck

[lea-the-lovely-blog]

Lea had always been a total geek. Her entire life had been candy coated with realms of fantasy and science fiction. Generally she didn’t bring it up, she felt no need to point it out about herself, but she didn’t hide it either. The first parts of her life was wrapped int he magic of fairies. Making houses out of twigs and leaves for the little winged women was Lea’s favorite activity as a five year old. Actually, Lea though, she might still have some of her Guide to Fairies books back at her old house in California. Throughout elementary school it was magical girls, Sailor Moon, Winx, and such. She had been convinced that she was secretly a dream goddess who could put people to sleep with her mind. 

Middle School was a time where she retreated even further into her delusion, Lord of the Rings was her salvation. The worlds of fantasy with orcs and sorcerers was entirely immersing. Their was one blonde elf in particular that caught her fancy.

Highschool was an entirely different realm, one filled with genetically enhanced soldiers, billionaire playboy philanthropists, and green rage monsters. Also X-Men, lots of X-men. Lea had even dressed up as Shadowcat for halloween sophomore year. 

College was time to mature, so Lea moved on to more adult subjects, like Greek Mythology. Her life because wrapped up in the world of gods and monsters and even now that hadn’t faded. 

Being in a Toys’ R’ Us was like being punched in the face by nostalgia. The smell of sugar and new plastic wafted through the perfectly cool overly filtered air. Lea waltzed through the aisles. She had originally come here to get the new Legend of Zelda game but somehow the entire sore beckoned her to stay longer. Something deep deep in her subconscious Lea had embedded an instinctual yearning to browse every aisle of a store that sold toys. 

When Lea came upon the Star Wars aisle she wasn’t particularly fascinated; having never gotten in to deep into this realm. She was more of a Trekkie herself, but she still had a ton of respect for the franchise. Although she wasn’t interested in the merchandise, something else kept her there, a young guy dancing around before her. He swung around the lightsaber with fervor and excitement. 

Lea didn’t even think, maybe it was all her training, but she knew she had to engage in a sword fight. She strutted toward him, his back still turned, grabbed a green light saber off the rack, activated it and blocked his strike. 

"You have much to learn young padwan," she cooed, before circling her blade out around his to get into a proper parry position. 

[tucksxeverlasting]

Tuck was, by no means, a professional sword fighter. In fact, he wasn't really much of a sword fighter at all. Sure, he liked playing around with lightsabers and acting like he knew what he was doing, but he was never going to try to have a lightsaber fight with anybody serious. That just sounded terrifying to him. Growing up, he was always kind of scrawny and skinny - he still was, to a certain degree - and even though he now had some muscle, he was still quite lean. That's why it was so easy for Rhett to pick on him - he couldn't find back. Even when he had wanted to hurt Rhett and kill him, his tries at the older and more muscular man didn't pack much of a punch. Whenever Tuck tried to fight him, Rhett would just fight back a million times harder. There wasn't much he could do about it. 

Since his mother's death, he had learned how to fight a little bit and knew how to defend himself. He didn't want a repeat of what he had let happen with him and Rhett. There was only so much he could do as kid, but now that he was older and stronger, he could do something about it. He had dabbled in judo, tried fencing for awhile, somehow made it on his high school's wrestling team in his sophomore year... But, at the end of the day, Tuck just wasn't built to be a fighter. It just wasn't in his natural DNA. He didn't have the natural upper body strength, nor the bone structure to support it. 

Still, that wasn't going to stop Tuck from trying to fight with a lightsaber. There was no harm in trying, right? He swung his lightsaber around that aisle, doing his best not to knock anything down, acting as though he was fighting against an imaginary enemy. The enemy had Rhett's face, his hard eyes and chilling smirk, and it just made Tuck's swing even harder. He wasn't even aware of his surroundings anymore, he was focusing on the fight. The enemy was obviously stronger than him, but he wasn't going to let the enemy win, not this time... Not ever again. Tuck was smarter than his enemy, after all. He was so entrenched in this fantastical adventure, so focused on it that it would take a lot to break his concentration.

Something like someone joining in on his one-sided sword fight.

"Oh, okay, woah there!" Tuck exclaimed as the brunette girl's blade hit his, immediately lowering his lightsaber upon contact and taking a step back. He hadn't even noticed her enter the aisle; he had been so focused on swinging his lightsaber around that he was completely oblivious to the world around him. This was what happened when he became so focused on something, he just shut out the entire world. Holding his lightsaber in one hand, he tilted his head slightly, a hint of embarrassment hanging on to his words as he asked, "Wait, uh... I don't mean to be rude, but when did you get here? I thought I was here all by myself..." He wasn't expecting to find his sword-fighting partner in the Star Wars aisle at Toys'R'Us, after all. He wasn't expecting to find a sword-fighting partner at all. 

[let-the-bands-take-c0ntrol]

[mikavolkova-deactivated20160608]

"And you watched a depressing movie five times… why? Are you a masochist or something? I’m not judging, just curious."

[tucksxeverlasting]

"Uh... Well, I'm not a masochist... I mean, at least I don't think that I'm a masochist... But, it's got some really sad parts, but it's also got some kind of happy parts, and... It's a good movie, I swear! And, plus, I'm not going to see it alone. That would be really sad. I always go with my sister." 

[hellomissowens]

"Yeah! I mean, she could find something more taboo, which would never be good. At least it’s a story about family and helping others through love. You know? It’s not so terrible."

"Aw, you sound like a fun brother. My older brother despised that stuff, the only place he’s ever taken me, and we were pretty young, was to some county fair. That was a long time ago.”

[tucksxeverlasting]

"Yeah, it's not so terrible. I mean, there were some parts about it that were a little... Inappropriate for an eleven year old, but at least, she's not dragging me to Magic Mike or The Purge or anything like that. It could be a lot worse."

"Well, hey, I try my best. I'm not always 'cool' brother, but I try to be a fun brother. I just want to make sure she's safe, y'know, that she's happy. I mean... Things haven't been easy for us, so I try to make up for it the best I can." 

[mikavolkova-deactivated20160608]

"The what? That sounds like an astrology-heavy movie, to be honest, like a love story between a virgo and an aquarius and they can’t be together because their signs don’t match… I’m a water sign, you’re an earth sign, this will never work!”

[tucksxeverlasting]

"Y'know, that actually makes a lot of sense. Hell, that was kind of  my impression of it before I saw it for the first time. I'm sure that your idea would make a really hilarious movie, but... The actual Fault in Our Stars movie is much more depressing." 

[hellomissowens]

Atomic Dog | Tucker & Harmony

The first day of school. Not just for her, teaching wise. Harmony had taught many students, she wasn’t inexperienced by any means. If anything, she was proud of her knowledge. The students she met in Ireland gave her plenty of advice, the students she met in Washington gave her a lot of insight, and the students she met in Montana had a lot of feedback for her. There was no ‘inexperienced’ level. People, her co-workers, didn’t doubt her. They smiled as they passed to reach their classrooms; they wished her luck and told her to call if she needed help.

The first class of school wasn’t as daunting as she would have presumed. In movies, they depict horrible teenagers with low attention span. In real life, these students were completely different. Harmony waited for that last bell to ring before closing her door. In her room, it contained twenty-six Sophomores. That wasn’t a bad number at all. They were tired, but quiet. She allowed them to eat their breakfasts, ask questions, and they all openly introduced themselves. She did the same back for them. The first class and first day weren’t what they were told to be.

Her next four classrooms hadn’t changed in attitude much. The last class of the day, of course, was more rambunctious since it was closer to the end of the day. Nothing she didn’t handle with a proper ‘calm down’ and ‘remain in your seat’. Once that class had ended, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Now do this for another eight or nine months or so,” A teacher next door said, interrupting Harm’s quiet time. She laughed breathlessly and nodded. The teacher disappeared into the busy hallway, and Harmony took her time cleaning up and collecting her school materials. It was an easygoing day, and she hoped for it to remain that way.

Outside, she waved a few of her students goodbye, an ‘I’ll see you tomorrow’ nod before heading home by foot. Luckily for her, the school wasn’t atrociously far in distance. It was maybe a three or four blocks away, and if she cut through the plaza/park it did save her time. Harmony didn’t think she’d need to use that shortcut often but figured today would be nice to. It was beautiful out in Alexandria, why not check out a chess game or watch the smaller children playing? Arriving into the plaza, she glanced around. “So quiet,” She murmured to herself, notebook in hand.

Well, quiet until she noticed some struggle ahead. Creasing her eyebrows, she placed a hand on her forehead. Was that kid okay?

[tucksxeverlasting]

The first day of middle school was always stressful, and for Dixie Abercrombie, everything had to be perfect. For her older brother, Tucker McGraw, on the other hand... The whole experience had just been extremely tiring. Nothing about it was perfect. 

There was so much to worry about - she was scared about not being able to make any friends, how hard her classes would be, the crazy schedule and the mean teachers. Tuck understood what she was going through - middle school was a pretty scary time for him, after all, and Tuck would not want to go back that place. Dixie had to have the right outfit, the right backpack, the right stationary, the right locker accesories... Heck, they even had to leave the house at the right time! She had him drop her off across the street - apparently, it was too "embarrassing" to be dropped off at the gate. She still kissed him on the cheek before running off to the schoolyard, but, still... He wasn't going to lie, it kind of hurt. No longer could he drop her off at the gate, or bring her to her classroom and talk to her teachers before the day started - she wanted to go on her own, meet up with her friends and catch up with them. He understood where she was coming from, but the whole experience was bittersweet - his little Dixie was growing up. 

After getting home, Tuck made a couple of calls, sold insurance to a handful of people and was hung up on by twice that amount, and pretty soon, it was three o'clock. Tucking Tex under his arm, he jumped into his car and drove down to George Washington Middle School, making sure to get there by 3:15, 5 minutes before the school bells rang. Again, Tuck had to park the car across the street and wait for Dixie to cross the street and get in the car - he couldn't stand at the gate, as he had done when she was in elementary school - but she got there soon enough, kissing Tuck on the cheek and buckling herself in before she began to babble about her day. She had a great homeroom teacher, she had her best friend, Ellie, in almost all of her classes, there was some cute kid named Tyler in her English and Math classes... Overall, it sounded like she had had a pretty fantastic first day of middle school, and he was happy.

He then drove over to the local park; he had promised Dixie that they would get ice cream from one of the vendors, and Tex also needed a walk to tire him out. The park was a nice place - relaxing and calm, Tex could even be left off leash there with little problem - plus, the ice cream man had the best ice cream sandwiches in Alexandria. Since it was only the first day, Dixie didn't have too much homework, so Tuck figured that it would be alright. As long as they didn't spend the entire afternoon there, it would be okay.

But, as always, something was bound to go wrong. Just as he unclipped Tex's leash off his collar, the tiny pomeranian began bounding straight ahead, soon running off so far that Tuck couldn't even see him anymore. For such a tiny puppy, Tex ran real fast. There was no way Tuck or Dixie could keep up with him. Why did he let him off-leash in the first place? 

"Tuck... Tuck! I think Tex just ran off. Where is he? I can't see him anymore!"

Only then did the panic truly set in. 

[tucksxeverlasting]

never grow up ✈ lea and tuck

There were only four things that Tuck would make sure to save if their apartment ever caught on fire - Dixie, Tex, Avery and his extensive collection of Star Wars memorabilia. 

He had always been a fan of Star Wars; it was practically in his DNA. Tuck and his mom would often spend their afternoons watching the Star Wars film on VCR. Tuck became very good at rewinding the tapes; sometimes, they'd watch A New Hope fives time in one day. Just like his mother, he felt an almost instant connection to all things Star Wars. He had a R2D2 lunchbox, a Stormtrooper backpack and a pair of Star Wars sneakers. He had lightsabers, and Star Wars Lego sets, and books about the Star Wars universe - almost everything he owned was Star Wars themed. His obsession continued on, even when Star Wars wasn't considered 'cool' anymore. It just couldn't be stopped. 

Even as an adult, Tuck could never get over his love for Star Wars. Whenever he saw something Star Wars-related, he usually bought it. His room was filled with Star Wars memorabilia, both vintage and new. When he and Dixie went to Toys'R'Us to buy a new Webkinz stuffed animal or Littlest Pet Workshop playset, he would usually come out of the store with a new lightsaber of his own. It would often be the highlight of his week. So, even though Dixie was now too 'old' for toys and Toys'R'Us, Tuck would sometimes still visit Toys'R'Us, under the pretense that he was buying a gift for his sister. Really, though, he came to play around with their new selection of Star Wars toys, swinging lightsabers and trying on the Stormtrooper masks for size.

So, here he was again, walking into the Alexandria Toys'R'Us as nonchalantly as he could. He waved at one of the cashiers - they knew him pretty well, of course - and strolled to the aisle he loved so much - the ever-so-amazing Star Wars aisle. Since a new instalment of the franchise was coming out next year, and though he was skeptical about the new movie, it did allow for more Star Wars stuff to be put on the shelves, including a type of lightsaber that could change color from blue to red.

Tuck wasn't intending on buying anything - these things were way too expensive for his budget, and Dixie had told him that she needed new ballet shoes because her current pair was wearing out - but there was no harm in playing around with the toys, right? He had to try this thing out at least once. The lightsaber was fairly easy to find, hanging on a hook in front of the aisle, and thankfully, since it was early afternoon, nobody else was in the store... Or, at least, nobody he knew. If anybody he knew actually caught him doing this, he would never be able to live it down. Reaching out for the lightsaber, he held it in his hands for a moment before giving it a swing like one would do with a golf club.  

This was his dirty little secret: he was twenty years old and he still loved playing with Star Wars lightsabers.  

[jinsootravels-deactivated201412]

"Jinsoo." He smiled a little, reaching out to take the other’s hand but still bowing his head out of politeness. It was just habit now. His coworkers often laughed at him, teased him by saying he was too socially inept to pick an appropriate gesture so he just did both about half the time. "Nice to know I’m not alone either. In uhm… in more than one sense of the word. I’m uh… kind of new to being here. I haven’t had time to look around the city or, I don’t know, familiarize myself with anything but my apartment. If you …" He pursed his lips,slightly embarrassed by stumbling over words when he spoke aloud. "If you know any decent places to go or things to see or do, I’d actually be really grateful. You’d think I’d have a travel routine down to a science." He smirked a little with a shrug, letting the other young man’s hand go. "It’s a little different when you’re permanently moving."

It didn’t seem to matter how much of the world he’d seen, how many new people he met, or how often he had to pretend to be sophisticated and charming and graceful. It felt like it was really his first time away from home in a childish sense, knowing he probably wouldn’t be back… well he couldn’t really say when he would be back. He couldn’t say if he’d ever be back. He supposed it was just the reality of running away, feeling as though your entire life was turned on its head. And naturally, no amount of faux preparedness could stop the nervousness or the sense of just not really belonging anywhere yet. The one place you thought you did belong you can’t go back to, no option left but just to put on your brave face and stare head-on into the unknown.

It was comforting, in some small way, that he knew someone else in the city, even superficially. He was at least a little relieved, and in equal measures a bit sad, that he hadn’t been followed by anyone he knew. It was easier to drop the strong facade when he was alone and let himself bask in everything he was feeling, the deep running melancholy that he’d been forcing to the back of his mind for… well it seemed like an eternity now. He didn’t have to reassure anyone it would all work out, or be okay, or even really that he himself would be okay. And that was selfish, but… it was nice. Alone without being alone. He could probably get used to that.

[tucksxeverlasting]

"Yeah, it's nice to meet you, Jinsoo." He responded with a small smile and a curt nod, taking his hand away and stuffing it back into his pocket. Tuck had gotten better since high school, but there was still a hint of awkwardness in him that just didn't go away. He was still very young, after all, and people always commented that he looked younger than he really was, with his baby face and rounded features. That's why he had tried to grow a beard once - never again. That was a really terrible look, even though it did make him look a bit older. Really, though, it was hard for him to act 'professionally', especially in body language; it just felt unnatural and stiff. Maybe, that was why his job as a call center agent suited him so well; his customers never had to see him and his awkward stance. 

Nodding his head, he added, "So, you're new to town? You move around a lot? Where are 'ya originally from? I mean, I've been living here for seven years now, so I know a couple places 'round town." When he first moved to Alexandria as a teen, he didn't think he would have liked this place at all... But now, he actually really liked it a lot. Honestly, Alexandria had kind of grown on him. Keller was always going to be home to him, but Alexandria was slowly becoming a pretty close second. Alexandria was the only true home that Dixie had ever known, and slowly, it was becoming his home-away-from-home too. It would probably never be a place he could call home, but at the very least, he wasn't dying to run back to Keller any time soon. "What are you looking for, exactly? Restaurants? Comic book stores? Parks? Recreation centers? Shopping malls? Historic monuments? Alexandria's a pretty crazy place; there's quite a bit to see and do, and it's a pretty good place to settle down."