have you seen ( Valentine "Vale" St. Clair )? They look a lot like ( Nick Robinson ). The ( 31 ) year old ( former pianist ) is so ( focused, resolute, deliberate ) but I heard they can also be really ( bitter, impulsive, cynical ). Can you believe theyâve been in town for ( 2 years )?! They live in the ( Port Carroll ) neighborhood and kind of remind me of ( slender fingers on piano keys, soft music, bitter tears, starless sky ). If I was asked, Iâd guess that they were ( the virtuoso ) in their yearbook for the class of ( 2013 ).
About Vale
Name: Valentine Mallory St. Clair
Age: 31 years old
Birthday: February 14
Sign: Aquarius
Handedness: ambidextrous
Residence: Port Carroll
Sexuality: biromantic homosexual
Relationship status: single
Occupation: former pianist; owner of Harmonic Resonance
TW: hate crime, assault
Born on Valentine's Day in Portland, Maine, Vale's parents weren't subtle when it came to naming him
Vale only lets a select few people call him Valentine; otherwise, he hates it
From a young age, it was pretty clear that Vale was exceptional. Incredibly intelligent, he was advanced for his age almost from the start. This was especially true when it came to music
Vale started teaching himself the piano as soon as he could read and understand sheet music when he was 6. Recognizing this, his parents enrolled him in piano lessons
It wasn't long before Vale was blowing the rest of the music students out of the water, and not much longer before he could hold his own with his teacher. Before he'd even entered middle school, Vale's teacher recommended to his parents that they seek an even more advanced teacher because Vale was extraordinarily gifted. So that's what his parents did
By the time he was a teenager, Vale was at the top of his game. He was accepted into Juilliard early and excelled there as well, and he only got better.
After graduation, Vale remained in NYC. He became one of the youngest members of the New York Philharmonic, quickly rising in the ranks even then. It seemed like Vale's rise to becoming a world-class pianist couldn't be stopped; it was an inevitability
It turned out that nothing is certain, as Vale learned one rainy night while walking home with his boyfriend. A group of men saw them and correctly surmised their relationship, and they attacked them both with hate in their hearts. Vale's boyfriend ran (to get help he said, though Vale noted no hesitation on his part), but Vale wasn't so lucky
After the brutal attack, Vale could barely move, and by the time the police found him lying on on the cold sidewalk, alone and wet from then rain, he was barely conscious
When Vale woke up in the hospital, he knew something was wrong immediately: his right hand was covered in a bandage, and he couldn't move it. He couldn't even clench his fingers, not even a little bit
That was when the doctors explained: his hand had been injured in the attack, and it wasn't just broken. There was severe nerve damage, and even with surgery, his hand would never be the same
Vale had the surgery, and eventually he regained most of the use of his hand. But he would always have a tremor, which was worse when he tried to focus on precise movements (as well as in other cases such as when he was stressed or upset, as he often was these days), and even when the tremor abated, Vale realized he no longer had close to the dexterity that he had before; he could no longer play the way that he had
His future shattered, Vale became distant and bitter. He never forgave his boyfriend, and he ignored his friends, hiding out in an apartment he could no longer afford. He moved back to Maine for a bit, but he couldn't take the way his family and everyone else he had known his entire life looked at him now, like he was broken. He needed to get the hell out of there
The solution came from Vale's grandmother, a former actress. She was retiring to Europe, and she offered Vale her opulent mansion in Port Carroll. She said he was just "watching it" for her, but Vale knew the truth when she told him he could make any changes he wanted. This felt a little like pity but mostly like love, so Vale accepted. Within a week, he had moved to Carroll, living alone in a huge, lonely mansion
The one condition for his grandmother's gift was that Vale do something with his life. So with help from her (Vale really did owe her a lot), he opened a musical instrument store in Port Carroll called Harmonic Resonance. It's sometimes difficult for Vale to be among budding musicians, especially pianists, but this is the only thing he knows how to do. What else could he do with his life?
Wanted connections:
Employees: these are people who work for Vale at the shop
Former friends/coworkers from NYC or Maine: people Vale knew in his old life
Ex-boyfriend: the man who - in Vale's eyes - left him alone on the streets of NYC, though maybe there's more to the story
Roommate(s): this is a little more complex because it's not Vale advertising spare rooms or the guest house for rent. This would more be people he's come to know in town who could use a place to stay
Evie startled just enough to crack one eye open, the corner of her mouth lifting when she realized the voice belonged to someone and not her own overactive imagination. She tipped her head back to look at him, sun making her squint a little before she smiledâeasy, warm, the kind that came naturally to her. â Is this your spot? I guess I accidentally crashed your secret headquarters. â Her gaze drifted back to the water, fingers absentmindedly drawing a line through the damp sand beside her. â Sorry about that. â There wasn't much apology in her tone though, more playful than guilty.
She shifted over just enough to make it obvious there was plenty of room if he wanted it, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as the breeze immediately tried stealing it again. â Evie, â she offered in return. A soft laugh escaped her before she glanced at him again, catching the faint tiredness hanging around his eyes, unless she was imagining it, she knew that look though. â Rough day? â
Vale looked out at the water as the woman noticed him. It really was his spot, but he was going to have to share it. âItâs my spot in so much as any piece of public land can belong to anyone,â he replied, picking up a piece of driftwood and throwing it out into the ocean. As he did so, his hand shook, his tremor choosing that moment to make an appearance of course. Vale clenched his hand into a fist to stop it. âMaybe Iâm the one crashing your place,â he considered. âI havenât lived in town very long, after all.â There were probably people other than the two of them who called this spot their own. Shrugging, Vale replied, âDonât be sorry. Iâm not.â He had meant for the comment to come out vaguely playful, but that wasnât really one of Valeâs strong suits.Â
Looking back at the woman- Evie her name was - Vale noticed the way she made room for him. It hadnât been something heâd intended to do, joining her there, but it felt rude not to now. So leaving his flip flops where they lay in the sand, Vale walked over to Evie and sat down, knees bent, looking out at the water. And he couldnât help but laugh at Evieâs question. âThat obvious, is it?â He laughed again, though it sounded mostly just tired. Nodding, he told her, âYeah, it really was. Though how often do you have to have rough days for them to just become the norm?â That had been a little too real, but heâd said it now. Looking back at Evie now, Vale added, âThat was mostly rhetorical.â Though maybe she understood him more than heâd thought - it seemed like she might have had a rough day too.Â
"That's my name, don't wear it out." She chuckled back, brows rising as he went in to explain the funny little coincidence. "That is quite the name for a shop. What you sell there, Valentine. A nice babe, by the way." She reassured as she busied herself with getting them set up to boost her poor green Jeep. Brows rising a little higher with his near slip, Harmony didn't mention it, though, choosing instead to pretend like she'd never heard it at all. "Oh, it'll work just fine. As long as it's running almost any car would."
Making sure he was paying attention, she explained while she went. "First, ref to dead positive." She held it up with a shake before attaching the clamp to her battery. "Then red to live positive. Then black to good negative and the other end..." Making her way to her car she clipped it to the metal of the engine mount. "It's gotta be on metal, though. That's your ground. Okay, you can start yours up now."
Laughing a little (though with little humor), Vale replied, "Yeah, it's kind of a mouthful. I thought it sounded...like, sort of transcendental. But sometimes I think it just sounds pretentious." He supposed he could change the name now - he owned it after all - but Vale had no idea what he'd change it to. "Maybe it sounds less pretentious if you know I sell musical instruments there...or maybe more pretentious, I don't know." He didn't feel like Harmony was making fun of his name, so he didn't correct her on using the full version. Usually he didn't love being called that, but he didn't feel like causing any tension, not after the day he'd had.
Despite the fact that this hadn't been in his plan, Vale found himself actually watching Harmony closely as she showed him what to do. This felt like something he should probably already know. What she was saying didn't make a ton of sense to Vale, but because he was watching her do it, he felt like he had something of a handle on it. Nodding, Vale went to his car and climbed in, turning it on. After putting down his window, he stuck his head out and asked, "Now what?"
Evie had gotten good at finding the places where the world could forget about her. Not the crowded beaches filled with laughter and music, not the ones where people came to be seen. She needed somewhere quieter. Somewhere the waves were louder than everyone elseâs voices, especially her own, where the wind could carry away the thoughts she didnât want to admit she had. So sheâd disappeared for a few hours.
No excuses. No teasing. No pretending she wasnât tired. Just her and the waves. The small stretch of beach sheâd found was nearly empty, the sand cool beneath her as she settled down near the shoreline. The ocean reached out slowly, almost cautiously, letting the thin layer of water creep closer with each passing wave until it finally brushed against her toes. She didnât move. Evie sat with her arms wrapped around her legs, chin resting against her forearms as she stared out at the endless water. The sun warmed her skin while the breeze tugged gently at her hair, carrying the scent of salt and reminding her that there were still places in the world that werenât loud.
Places that didnât demand anything from her. Her eyes slipped closed. And for a few rare moments, she allowed herself to just exist. No jokes to hide behind. No sarcasm ready on her tongue. No flirty little quip. No need to be the person who could handle anything thrown her way. Just Evie, sitting in the sand, listening to the waves roll in and out. A quiet breath left her, almost a laugh, as she shook her head slightly at herself.
It seemed that someone had found his spot. Okay, so he hadnât been here long, definitely not long enough to claim a spot, but Vale had come to think of it as such. It was an area of beach a bit off the beaten path, and while sometimes Vale had seen people distantly in the area around it, this was the first time he was seeing someone actually in his spot itself. Itâs not your spot, man, Vale told himself. He sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. What was he going to do now? This was where Vale came to clear his head, and he really needed that today. The only alternative would be to go to the bar, and Vale didnât want to do that today; he still had a headache from last nightâs bender.Â
So really there was only one thing for Vale to do: he walked closer, moving to the area near the woman and looking out at the water. Should he say something? That was something he wondered, and eventually he wondered this long enough that it felt weird not to say something. âNice spot, hmm?â Vale said. He slipped his flip flops off and let his toes sink into the sand, grounding himself. He sighed again, turning to the woman now. âIâm Vale,â he said. âI didnât think anyone else came here.â
"Oh my goodness, would you? You'd be my actual hero. I swear, I'd never hear the end of it if I had to put out the bat signal again." Chuckling with a little bashfulness at the embarrassment of the situation, she nodded her head that she'd wait. Sliding from the drivers seat, she pulled the lever to pop the door before letting the door close behind her while she headed around to give the engine a little peek of the outside world.
Everything looked okay, she'd been slowly replacing bits and pieces as her savings (and her uncles discounts) would allow, but that dang battery was going to put her back a pretty penny no matter what. Brows lifting high a smile of gentle amusement crossed her face as she waved off his concern. "Name's Harmony, and don't you worry. There's no better time to learn than the present, so why don't you pop that hood of yours while I get the jumpers and let's see what you're working with."
âHarmony,â Vale repeated, and then he chuckled. But he realized how that might look, so he explained, âItâs not that your name is funny. If anyone should be getting laughed at for their name here, itâs the guy named Valentine. Itâs just that my shop is named Harmonic Resonance. Itâs a coincidence is all.â His cheeks pinked slightly at this, but he was able to focus on this new skill he was apparently learning today. All this because he had needed a drink (which he still did, and badly at that). Maybe he needed to start drinking at home. Well, more than he already did.Â
After Vale had popped his hood, he watched Harmony inspect his car. âIt should be okay,â he told her. âItâs new. My gra - I mean, I just bought it.â Vale had almost said that his grandma had bought this car for him, which was true, but it wasnât something he wanted to admit to a stranger. But it had been one of the many ways sheâd tried to help Vale get a new start. He didnât like owing her something (not that sheâd ever expect repayment), but he wouldnât be here forging a new life without her. âIs this a hard process?â Vale asked. âIs it dangerous?â He had no idea what went into jumping a car.Â
The unexpected knock at her window had Harmony giving off a sharp yelp as she jumped about right out of her skin. "Oh, oh my goodness you scared the bjesus out of me." Speaking on the back of a relieved sigh, hand resting over the furiously beating heart it had flown to. Didn't help that the guy was smiling at her in a way that almost made it seem like it was painful to his face.
"Oh, um... yeah." Shaking herself back to the moment, she let her hands rise and fall back onto the steering wheel. "This old girl has been a little saucy as long as I've had her." Not that that helped her now. "You wouldn't be able to give a girl a boost would you?" For a guy who had an air about him that said 'resting bitch face' he was pretty cute at least.
It was pretty clear that he had scared this woman, and Vale did admittedly find that pretty amusing. But he managed to keep from smirking. âSorry, wasnât my intention,â and that at least was actually true. He ran his fingers through his hair, giving a little sigh. It was clear this woman needed help, but he really wanted that drink. âUhâŠwell my car is actually parked near here. I could bring it over.â Vale had been planning to take an Uber home as he definitely wouldnât have been in any condition to drive after his time at the bar. Heâd offered though, and now he needed - and wanted - to follow through. âGive me two minutes,â he told the woman.Â
A few minutes later, Vale was there with his car, parked facing the womanâs. A little embarrassed, he admitted, âIâve never had to do this before, so youâll have to walk me through it. Iâve only had my own car for a couple of years now, which is embarrassing when youâre 31 I guess. But I didnât really need it in the city.â Not wanting to keep calling her âthe womanâ or âthe strangerâ in his head, Vale added, âBy the way, I didnât catch your name.â He knew she hadnât offered it, but he didnât want it to sound confrontational.
You keep looking at me? Zach blinked in confusion. Well, he was looking at the guy, sure, but only because he had to make sure the guy wasn't looking at him! Oh god, this made his head ache... Zach shook his head and took a sip of his water, hoping the man would go away and his non-verbal response was enough but...-
"Not on purpose, sorry," he said, after a moment, just to assure the guy that he wasn't some creep. "I thought you were staring." Thought? He was staring! And now Zach was explaining himself?!
So it seemed this was a misunderstanding, unless the guy was lying, but Vale thought he seemed pretty sincere - he seemed genuinely confused by this whole thing. Looking back over his shoulder, Vale thought about his line of sight to the guy who was still behind this stranger, watching their interaction, and he groaned. "Fuck," Vale muttered under his breath as it all came together. "Listen, I'm sorry about that," Vale told the man. "I was actually staring at the guy behind you - no, don't look! - but I understand how it might have seemed." Vale didn't like to apologize, but he would do it if he were really in the wrong, like he was now. "I got kind of confrontational just now, didn't I?" He smiled, trying to lighten the mood, but it didn't feel like it was working.
Behind this stranger, Vale saw that the man was still watching them, though he seemed far enough away that he hadn't heard their conversation. "So I need to ask you a weird favor, which I know is pretty shitty since I just was all 'why are you staring at me?' and everything," Vale said. "I need you to pretend you know me." His hookup was looking like he was about to come over here, and Vale couldn't have that. "That guy behind you...he is very good in bed but also pretty clingy it turns out, so I need to an excuse to avoid him. I'll buy you a drink in appreciation." His hookup (seriously, what was his name again?) was still staring, putting down the weights he'd been using, and Vale knew he was going to come over. "My name is Vale by the way. So...what do you say?"
Sliding the key into the ignition of her old Jeep, the fresh paint job her Dad had sprung for for her birthday belied the age of the vehicle, but the sputtering of it's engine did not. Neither did it's groan of resignation as it refused to start altogether. "Come on, baby..." She urged as she gave the key another unresponsive turn with a sigh that came from deep in the very depths of her soul. "Fucking battery." Forehead falling to rest on the steering wheel. The last thing she wanted was to have to call her dad again, or Jesse for another jump. Maybe the time had come for her to bite the bullet and dip into her savings for a new battery.
Vale was headed into The Silver Bullet because he really, really needed to get shitfaced tonight. Work had been rough. It wasn't that he'd dealt with anyone particularly rude or anything, it was just...he'd met someone who reminded Vale of himself before everything fell apart. The girl had a bright future ahead of her if she stuck with the piano, and Vale hoped she would, even if he also felt unfairly bitter about it. He hated when he got like that, especially about young talent, so Vale needed to just forget about everything for a few hours.
But as he was walking toward the bar, he saw someone trying - and failing - to start her car. He was going to ignore it - he really needed that drink - but just as he was opening the door, Vale stopped. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath, letting the door swing closed again. Instead he headed over to the car, knocking lightly on the window. "You good?" he asked, trying to smile, though it felt weird on his face. "Sounds like your car has seen better days." He said all of this through the window, and because Vale realized he was a stranger to this woman, a total unknown, he offered, "My name is Vale by the way."
//anywhere, anytime. can be #gchqfourth but doesn't have to.
sorry but it doesn't talk and it doesn't approach people, so I'll make your muse stare at my muse, and my muse stare at your muse until both parties feel uncomfortable.
How many times had someone followed him around thinking he was his brother? Way too many, especially before Eric got a shorter haircut and Zach decided he liked his curls blue. Actually, even before that, the twins started wearing spectrum opposite clothes too.
And yet, he still got that confused look sometimes, when someone seemed to wonder where they knew him from. Unless they were a gamer. Gamers recognized Zach and for them, he was a bit of a celebrity. One guy even asked if he knew that he looked a lot like that actor.
Truthfully Vale wasn't looking at the guy. He was looking past him at the guy behind him, someone Vale had...had a lapse in judgment with the other night. He'd been feeling sorry for himself at The Silver Bullet (no surprise there, that was pretty on brand), and one thing led to another, and...well, he'd woken up in a house in The Cove that he had never been to before. That was all well and good, Vale was no stranger to hookups (even ill-advised ones such as this), but what made this one worse than usual was the fact that this guy would not leave him alone. Usually Vale didn't give out his number, but he must have in his drunken state (or maybe the guy was a hacker or something; that would be his luck). Regardless, now Vale had to figure out how to get this guy off his back. So that was who he was staring at.
But then, standing there in the gym, Vale noticed someone else staring at him. The guy looked vaguely familiar, but that didn't matter because Vale was in a mood, and he was going to figure out why the hell this man was giving him that look. Plus...it would give him an excuse to avoid...shit, what was his name again? You've got to stop drinking and making bad choices, Vale thought, though he knew he wouldn't. Walking over to the guy, Vale asked, "Can I help you with something? You keep looking at me."
