Hunters
Written by Jasmin.
48 posts.
22 years old.
crushin'.
I am Male.
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Post by Alex Harper on Dec 3, 2015 20:00:09 GMT
For lack of a better phrase- it was D-Day. Stephanie was coming today, the girl he'd grown strongly attached to who had then blink vanished off the face of the earth without a trace. His mind had been whirring for the past week wondering what she wanted to tell him now, why now she was coming back to him. Was she though, was she actually coming back to him or was this her saying goodbye properly? It had been a cold morning, mist hanging in the air, if it had dropped a few more degrees, Alex was certain there could have been frost. The house smelt of gingerbread (Rose's doing) and beneath that peppermint candles (his mother's doing). He'd been pacing all morning after having spent very little and any time he didn't spend asleep he was restless, constantly tossing and turning before at half five he'd given up and gone for a run. That run had been short lived, after driving to the preserve in darkness which covered every inch of the horizon, he'd pulled up, ran for five minutes before stopping and turning back around. His head was too busy to focus on even putting one foot in front of the other without tripping on a tree root and falling over.
The drive home he'd taken slowly, radio off, eyes glued to the road, it would be just his luck to get into a car crash now. When he'd arrived back home he'd been surprised to find Natalia awake, sat on the stairs, a mug of coffee in her hands, he'd met her eyes almost unintentionally. What he saw there surprised him; she looked worried which was rare for her to project towards other people. "I'm okay." He'd told her before she could ask a question and then he'd slunk off to the kitchen without saying anymore.
If Stephanie would just hurry up that'd be great, the waiting was agonizing. His family had gone out a couple of hours ago, heading off to the mall although a few minutes ago, Alex was sure he'd heard Natalia's car enter the garage. At that point though he was so involved in his own issue that he didn't bother to go investigate. One last walk around the living and almost on cue, the doorbell rang. The sound was what he'd been waiting for all day but for someone reason it spooked him and he froze before cursing himself for being so stupid and hurrying off to the door. Taking a moment to release a slow breath, Alex unlocked the bolt on the door before pulling it wide open. There she stood right in front of him like an angel from the ashes, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her but then he realised. She wasn't alone. In fact, right behind her in a baby's car seat was, would you believe it, a baby. Oh fuck. His eyes were glued to the child, trying to notice himself in it's face, in it's hands but Stephanie was in the way. "Alex- hi." Head snapping back in her direction, Alex felt wobbly on his feet but managed to raise his hand in greeting. "I can explain... I can tell you everything but you have to promise you'll help me."
So, here's the story. When Stephanie cut off contact with Alex she was already 3 months pregnant without clocking onto it which to Alex sounded ridiculous; how could you not know? Still, he hadn't questioned her logic on that. The baby was definitely his, she hadn't been seeing anyone else. The baby- Elena- was 7 months old as of last week and was apparently as good as gold with Alex's smile. "Why didn't you tell me?" Alex had asked, struggling to come to terms with everything she was saying. She was embarrassed she'd told him and hadn't known how to fix the gap she'd torn between them. She wished she'd let him know but now it was too little too late. Alex couldn't be a farther, 5 year old him had been terrified of baby Rose. Yet clearly he was. "Alex, the help i want from you is to take care of Elena for a while. I have a new job up in Washington; I can't take her with me since I'll be working all the time and though it kills me, I'm leaving her with you. With her farther because you two have a lot of catching up to do. I'll be back in a couple of months and you can call me as much as you want... but I'll be leaving now. I'm so sorry Alex." "What?! You're leaving me with a child I didn't know about and you expect me to say okay?" He was panicking, his hands were shaking he'd never felt so desperate. "Steph, I can't... I'm not dad material, not yet anyway!" He was yelling, he couldn't help it and oh god, the baby was beginning to cry. "See! She's already crying... please... Stephanie, no." Stephanie's eyes were brimming with tears to as she picked up the handled on the baby seat and offered it towards him like a bloody picnic basket. "I'll cal you tonight. Just try a few hours with her; see how that works out. Alex, I am begging you for your help, I need this job." Stephanie, raised her shoulders, straightening out her back as if bracing him for a blow, "if you can't do this for me I will never speak to you again and she will never, ever know about her piece of trash dad." Suddenly, to Alex the idea that the baby wouldn't know him was an aching pain and he had to accept. How quickly the feeling overcame him was startling. Taking the baby from here he finally got to look at her and although she had only just stopped crying, Alex had never seen a sweeter thing. How could it be his but more importantly how was Stephanie so calm? "Okay.. so, um, I'll go get the rest of her things." With that Stephanie hurried to the car and a moment later she was struggling with a suitcase and a box. Setting down the car seat inside the door, Alex went over to help her and moved the suitcase and box inside too. Stephanie was pressing her lips together, bouncing on her toes slightly. "I know that you probably still have questions for me," yep, thousands, "but if I don't leave now I'll miss my flight." With that the blonde leaned forward and pressed a kiss against his cheek, "goodbye, Alex. I believe in you and I know one day we'll be a happy family." Alex wasn't so sure about that last part but she was back in her car before he could say as much.
From behind him, Alex heard Natalia approach, ah, so she'd been here all along. "So, I guess I'm an aunt then. Do you want me to congratulate you or not?" Alex pushed the door shut glancing down at the new things in the hallway including the baby. "No, I want your help."
That afternoon, Alex was stood outside, waiting for his friend to arrive with a baby crib that he had (Alex would buy a new one at some point but the thought of going shopping now wasn't one he was keen on) since his friend could never remember which house was his. Natalia was going to explain the situation to their family, Alex didn't know what to say to them. It was then that someone came down the road on a bike and they seemed to be struggling with steering it as a moment later they were nearly falling onto the Harpers' front lawn. "Hey, you okay?" Alex asked, approaching them and offering them a steadying hand.
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Human
Written by Megan.
75 posts.
21 years old.
bi bi bi.
I am Male.
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Post by Maddox Kane on Dec 4, 2015 23:07:43 GMT
It wasn’t meant to turn out like this. Never, in a million years, a million nightmares, had he imagined this would turn out to be his fate. He always figured he’d amount to nothing more than a shadow dwelling lowlife, when you grew up in the mess he did, you never really expect much more out of yourself, no matter how hard you try, but this? This wasn’t quite in the plans.
He could still feel her blood on his hands, cloying and staining more than just his clothes. It dripped, no longer thick and clotting as it mingled with the sweat pooling in his palms, onto his pants, the ground, back onto her body, his memory. Imprinted, and not in the good way Stephanie Meyer portrayed, there was no smoking hot werewolf trying to get in his pants after one longing stare, quite the opposite, on his mind, tainting it with the image of a young woman taking her last breath. He’s never washed his hands this much before, and yet, it was still there. He could see it, painting everything he touched, soiling everything he saw. He could smell it, overwhelming and tangy, the scent of metal, of copper lingering- and Jesus, how much Lysol does a guy have to buy to get rid of it? Why can’t he get rid of it?
It wasn’t even his fault! Why did he feel so guilty? He’d done all he could, what else could he do? He wasn’t a doctor, god, he could barely even put a Band-Aid on right, so how in the world was he supposed to save this woman? How could this have fallen into his hands? How was he supposed to accept this? How could he?
When he’d ran from home, because staying had never been an option, it was in search of something better. Not by much, he was well aware he’d never have a golden life- too many trust issues, not enough money. He hadn’t tricked himself into believing there’d be a two-story house for him on the Golden Coast with a woman, or man, he wasn’t necessarily picky, even if he figured that should bother him some, waiting for him, promising love and health and whatever other mumbo jumbo crap they try to sell in those too expensive, overdone rom-com movies. The guy had no silly dreams in mind, so settling into a motel just off the main part of town and getting a minimum-wage job at a café was fine with him. He was content with what little he had, because he’s never had more, he had no idea what he was missing.
But when one night he’d left his motel room, just to get the bag of drinks out passenger seat, can’t eat that Chinese take-out crap drowned in sodium without some carbonation to wash it down, ya know? It was supposed to be quick, a dash out and then back in so he wouldn’t miss his movie, but when has life ever been easy for him. His name was Maddox, for Christ’s sake, do you even understand how hard it was to grow up in the roughest part of town with a name like that? Hard. Very hard. He doesn’t even like to recall the one time he’d gone to a party. He was like, maybe seventeen at the time, first, and only, time going to one of things and over the music, which was absolutely deafening and from some emo, pop playlist they refused to change, he had tried to introduce himself to a girl he’d crushed on since third grade. Long story short, she’d gone around calling him ‘Mad Dog’ from there on out. He doesn’t even think she ever learned his real name. Yeah, he’s just gone as Max from then on out. But that doesn’t particularly matter now. He’d been halfway in his car, bent over the driver’s seat because the passenger handle didn’t work from the outside, and why bother paying to fix it if he never had a passenger, when a scream broke the stony silence of the evening.
Like that, his life was upturned.
Two girls had been sprinting his way, a dog at their heels and a wolf not too far behind. He wasn’t naïve enough to think this was a freak accident, some stray mutt with rabies jonesing for a snack- sadly. No, ever since some half-naked (and only in that state of dress because he stole Max’s only clean pair of boxers) guy scolded him into silence after he’d watch the man shift from a wolf into, well, a man, he’d been aware that werewolves were apparently a real thing. So when he saw this? His world flipped on end.
It happened in a blink of the eye. The wolf lounged. The taller of the two threw herself into the line of fire, shooting twice, and both of them went down. A bloody mess, and Max couldn’t tell what trail of red belonged to who, the blood mingling on the cracked concrete. Blood on his hands, blood on his clothes, blood on his mind. It hasn’t stopped. It’s only been a week since the incident, and he didn’t think he’d ever get the stench off his clothes- he couldn’t exactly afford to toss them out.
A week later and Bobbi Starr was dead. Louly Summers was a lingering presence in his life. Half of him was convinced it was just so she could keep an eye on him, make sure he didn’t do something stupid after having someone die in his arms, but part of him figured it was because she had nowhere else to go. A nobody like himself, and nobodies have to stick together- or something, he doesn’t do poetry or quotes or really anything well.
A week later and Bobbi Starr was six feet under. Max was a lingering presence at the back of the crowd, dressed in faded black jeans and a black button-up, missing three buttons. He wasn’t important enough to have a seat, or even to say anything, but it felt wrong to not pay his respects. To thank her one last time for giving her life for someone else. Bandit sat at what he assumed was her father’s feet, whining and clawing at the ground to get closer. It was heartbreaking, and it was what made him flee the scene. He could only take so much.
A bike was what he had been downgraded to, his car having broken down not too long after he did, and much like his clothes, getting a new one was not an option- fixing it not even in his price range. So a bike, totally not stolen from the bike rack at the high school, was his new set of wheels- and he couldn’t even complain. He was fine with the exercise, and the weather was decent enough for it to be bearable. Really, the only downside was the odd looks he got, being a twenty-one year old male on a pale purple bike.
And that wasn’t why he was crying, the bicycle unsteady under his hold. He wasn’t that great at riding it in the first place, his mother never thought teaching her son how to ride a bike was essential and he’d been reduced to watching a YouTube video on how to work the freaking thing, and adding tears blurring his vision to the mess didn’t exactly make his ride a stable one. So when he was nearly toppling into someone’s yard in a tangle of metal and legs, it didn’t surprise him- but catching himself just before he fell sure did. Righting the bicycle between his legs, Max dragged the back of his hands across his face, willing the tears away as a man approached him, offering him a raised hand.
He squinted at it for a moment, half convinced the guy was just going to push him over, because that’s just something that would happen to him, but when that didn’t happen, Max just shook his head. Honesty is the best policy? Even if it is a stupid one. “No,” his voice was weak, and he didn’t even know why he was bothering to tell this guy this, since when did he talk to anyone about his feelings? This whole death mess has completely screwed him up. “Uh, funeral,” was his explanation, fingers working at rubbing the tears into his cheeks, and god, he knew he looked pitiful, “Sorry.” Sorry? For what? Almost falling on this guy’s lawn?
Max was a mess.
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Hunters
Written by Jasmin.
48 posts.
22 years old.
crushin'.
I am Male.
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Post by Alex Harper on Dec 7, 2015 19:04:33 GMT
The guy, whoever he was had evidently been crying. Hmm, interesting a cheeky grin and good-hearted chuckle probably wouldn't work hear and frankly those were Alex's moves. Wow, okay, for some reason Alex had just expected him to lie, that's what strangers tended to do, right? Particularly after what could be classed as an embarrassing incident but evidently not with this guy. Dropping his hand, Alex looked away from the guy's face taking in his outfit, black now seemed right for the fact that he'd been to a funeral. "Eh, no need to say sorry. Happens to everyone." Although normally when you were 6 and not 20 something but hey, each to their own.
Alex was certain he should do something to help him, that was the right thing to do. Still, Alex wasn't too sure if a) he'd want Alex's help and b) what to actually offer him. He supposed a warm drink was a start right? "Hi, okay, so I'm Alex," and you're clearly broken he thought to himself but the guy probably had some other name. "Do you want to come inside for a drink? I promise I don't bite." Well, Alex didn't... Natalia on the other hand, that was a whole other story. Despite that though, Natalia had seemed at ease with Elena like some natural instinct just kicked on inside of her- it was odd to watch. Natalia was normally so hard, Elena was all soft and a baby with no idea of how the world worked.
(This reply is super short I'm sorry</3)
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Human
Written by Megan.
75 posts.
21 years old.
bi bi bi.
I am Male.
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Post by Maddox Kane on Dec 8, 2015 16:55:39 GMT
This wasn’t a typical day. God, it hasn’t been a typical week. Normally he’s closed off, a diary under lock and key. Silent smiles and stern nods. This? This crying and chick flick moment crap? This wasn’t Max, not even close- but hey, having a police officer die in his arms kind of changes a guy. At least for now. He hoped this storm would blow over soon enough and he can just go back to being a blank slate rather than painted in various shades of blues and black. This was just sad, and he mentally spited himself for being an idiot and spilling his sob story on some stranger.
Get a grip, kid.
Dragging his hand even harder against his cheeks, he willed away the tears and the splotchy redness they left behind. He almost laughed at the guy’s words. Was that really meant to cheer him up? It happens to everyone. He figured there was comfort in the words, even if they made him feel incompetent. Bikes, the cursed things.
Sniffling for a moment, Max finally looked up from where he’d been staring at the bike’s handles, steadying himself before he spoke. “Thanks, uh, Alex,” he tried to offer the man a small smile, but it was hesitant, and probably looked more like a grimace. “I’m really not usually like this,” the need to explain was instinctual. After being raised, for lack of a better word, under his step-father’s violent fist, he was used to making up excuses for his actions, and he really thought he’d shoved that part of him deep, deep down- but seems that this whole mess has screwed him over more than he thought.
Before he could add more to his explanation, the guy- Alex- was offering to help him, and god, that just confused Max. He’d been expecting a laugh or maybe even a shove, but to be asked to come inside for a drink? Things like that just didn’t happen to guys like him. The biting comment threw him off. Hello, a werewolf just killed a woman in front of him- he couldn’t be sure this guy wouldn’t do the same to him, but he couldn’t turn the offer down. Sobbing tends to dehydrate. Casting his eyes, which had been commented to look like diamonds, but he only saw dirty dish water, down, Max bit his lip and kicked the toe of his worn down sneaker against the concrete. “That’d be nice, I mean, if you really don’t mind.”
Maybe a little company was all he needed.
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Hunters
Written by Jasmin.
48 posts.
22 years old.
crushin'.
I am Male.
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Post by Alex Harper on Dec 16, 2015 16:54:13 GMT
Alex did feel sorry for the guy, truly he did. It wasn’t easy to bear your soul to a stranger especially if you hadn’t intended to ever. Frankly, Alex could relate to this feeling of desperation and being lost he guessed Max was in as Alex had felt this way only a few hours ago. Ever the adapting type though, Alex had been sure to pull himself together (okay, maybe Natalia had been 80% of Alex’s self-control earlier but still, 20% of that effort had been his). Watching the guy cry felt cruel, so Alex was sure to keep his gaze moving, over the bike, along the road, eyes flicking over blades of grass and then back to Max. Well, when he smiled Alex was sure to smile in response (smiling was honestly something Alex couldn’t help most often, if anything it was a defence mechanism). “Don’t worry about explaining yourself, everyone has their moments and I’m guessing that you probably don’t want to spill everything to a stranger so you don’t have to tell me anything else if you don’t want to.” Maybe Alex had blabbed on for a little bit too long again then but he had been trying to find another way to say it happens to everyone without just repeating himself. “I don’t mind; wouldn’t have offered otherwise.” Taking a step back, Alex was sure to be certain that Max was following him, “oh, you can just leave your bike by the house.” Alex said after a moment having forgotten the reason as to why he’d even ended up on the Harper’s front lawn. Pushing the front door to his house open, Alex could hear his sister’s in the living room. His parents and grandparents had gone out again in search of baby supplies. Alex would be lying if he said he wasn’t surprised with his family’s reaction to the situation, they’d taken it surprisingly well and if anything, Rose seemed excited so at least he had his sisters on his side. Closing the door behind Max, Alex smiled at him trying to make himself seem welcoming. “Hey, Natalia, watch out for the crib, would you?” A moment later Natalia stepped out of the living room and slipped out of the front door, if she noticed Max you didn’t react to him. “Come on, Max, I’ll grab you a drink,” guiding Max towards the kitchen, Alex called over his shoulder, “anything you want to drink in particular?”
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Human
Written by Megan.
75 posts.
21 years old.
bi bi bi.
I am Male.
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Post by Maddox Kane on Dec 17, 2015 17:09:06 GMT
Relief. It washed over him like a wave he wasn’t expecting, consequently drowning him. It’s never been like this, like this was nothing. An off-handed comment, like this stranger wasn’t offering him the world in the palm of his hand. Like this was just a common occurrence in Max’s life. He wasn’t given chances, wasn’t allowed to brush things off. He didn’t have choices then. If he didn’t have a good enough excuse? Well, he doesn’t like to think about it. Refuses to acknowledge that part of his life. It’s tucked deep in the recesses of his brain, another chapter of his life tossed to the flames.
Sometimes he doesn’t remember who he was, who he is. His life is either a lie or too dark to see. It’s like he’s the only one at a dance that didn’t realize it wasn’t a masquerade, a mask firmly in place, concealing him from prying eyes.
He was open more now than he’d ever been. A moment of weakness at the hands of death, too busy trying to keep his sanity in check so his face displayed his emotions without hesitation. An open book, and he hated it, but that didn’t stop the shock from hitting his features softly. A hint of confusion drawing his eyebrows together, lips caught in a soft circle as his eyes roamed over the man’s face. He didn’t have to talk, didn’t have to explain. Just had to follow.
So he did.
Bike handles hugged tightly by his sweaty palms, stupid freaking thing, who even thought it was a good idea to make the thing, it was evil, Max kept himself a few paces behind Alex. Following the male’s directions, habit, more than anything, he tucked the bike up against the wall of the house before making his way through the door like it was normal for him to just waltz into people’s houses after nearly making a mess of himself on their front lawn. It wasn’t even normal for him to be in someone else’s house, what even has his life become at this point? The tears were gone, just faint trails of dried water tinting his splotchy cheeks, eyes losing their bloodshot tinge as he fiddled with his sleeves- not sure what to do. He was gradually getting a grip on himself, about time, and he was feeling a bit more up to par as he glanced around the home. Sadness at bay, curiosity peaking. Sounds about right.
Moments after Alex’s words, a girl was walking past him without a second glance and it didn’t even strike Max as odd. Kind of used to being ignored, hello, nothing new. From the door to the kitchen, he’d only been given stolen glances of the home, and it looked nice enough. Better than anything he’d had.
At the question, his mind instantly screamed for hot chocolate. It was his weakness. A delicacy. So much more grand than bitter coffee and tea and syrupy soda and the sour tang of lemonade. He loved it, day in and out- screw the Californian heat. But he didn’t ask for it. Knew it would make him look childish and it’d be too much work to toss together. The guy probably wanted the crying bozo out of his house as quickly as possible. So he smiled shyly, head tilted toward the ground as he toed the tiled flooring with his worn down Converse, “Water’s fine. Thanks.” He’d gone from borderline sobbing to bashful. An understandable transition to himself, being embarrassed and all at his breakdown in front of a rather attractive stranger, but it may have seemed odd to said hottie. Kicking his foot for another moment or two, hands tossed behind his back out of courtesy, don’t touch, don’t take, Max finally glanced up. Standing awkwardly beside the counter, head tilted to the side in curiosity, he couldn’t hold the question back any longer, ungracefully asking, “Crib?” A snippet of his conversation with that girl. Did that mean there was a baby or was it just some kinky thing?
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Hunters
Written by Jasmin.
48 posts.
22 years old.
crushin'.
I am Male.
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Post by Alex Harper on Dec 21, 2015 15:47:55 GMT
Stepping into the kitchen, Alex wondered what max had thought of the house. Alex knew it was nice, the interior matched and the rooms were open with high ceilings, the house needed to be big enough to fit seven people in- well, eight now if you counted Elena which Alex was still a little bit skeptical about. Besides, Alex was used to this house, it had been his home since he was born, the only place he'd ever truly called home.
Walking over to the fridge, Alex nodded to Max's request. "No worries." Grabbing a bottle from the fridge, Alex slid it across the counter top towards Max. Thanks to his Grandmother they were only allowed to drink bottled water (although in hot drinks water from the tap was fine, like jeez, make up your mind), she didn't trust normal water- thought it was full of germs and wouldn't be told otherwise. Alex himself poured a cup of coke and took a drink from it. Fun fact, this glass he was drinking from used to be a set of eight but he'd broken two of them - completely by accident, of course - so now he was always super careful with the glasses because according to his dad, the next time he broke one he'd have to go and buy a new set.
When Max said 'crib' Alex froze, glass just at the edges of his lips. Slowly moving it back onto the counter top, Alex's first idea was to shrug and then do some awkward cough laugh because how the hell did he go about this? "Uh, yeah, a crib." Look who was the smooth talker now- definitely not Alex. "I have a daughter, her mother dropped her off today." Wow Alex was clueless as to how to address this, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck, Alex tried to think of something to say which would make this completely normal. "Lets just say I'll be sending Durex a strongly worded letter." Maybe he should have just stayed silent because now all A;ex wanted to do was bury his head in her hands."Oh, also, that girl earlier. That was Natalia, don't take her blanking you personally, she's a bit grumpy." That was something all of the Harper's could do. They could talk about each other for hours but themselves, well, that was a hard thing to do, even for Alex.
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Human
Written by Megan.
75 posts.
21 years old.
bi bi bi.
I am Male.
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Post by Maddox Kane on Jan 1, 2016 4:32:11 GMT
Fingers wrapping hesitantly around the condensation damp bottle, he pulled it closer until it was cradled against his chest. Glancing between the water and the male, Max only stalled for a moment longer before he was working at unscrewing the cap, which was a lot harder than it looked. He struggled for a bit too long, and it was past the point acceptable to fight with the plastic- his cheeks heated up with embarrassment and he was on the verge of admitting defeat before their was the satisfactory crack of the cap giving way. Having managed to not make a bigger fool of himself by spilling the water down himself once the cap was off and his grip on the bottle loosened, Max brought the rim to his lips and sipped cautiously while his face grew a deeper shade of red as his too big blue eyes met Alex's. He was the king of worst first impressions. Dorky, sobbing guy nearly falling off his bike and then barely winning the battle between cap and man? Not actually at the top of the list. It only gets worse from here. Bless the kid, he was hopeless.
After chugging a safe half of the water, he wiped at his chin to mop up the small trail that'd managed to sneak out of his mouth before twisting the cap safely back on and setting the bottle on the counter. His eyes grew soft as Alex seemed to work at his words, not too certain on what to say and it made Max feel bad for even mentioning. Curiosity was going to get him kicked out of this house. He softened his words with a huff of a laugh, eyes falling to where the toe of his shoe was still scuffing against the floor, "If I could figure out how to work my bike I'd drop the letter off at the post office for you." A joke, smooth, making fun of himself to make Alex feel a bit better. Classic. Though he was fairly certain raising a child was definitely nothing like riding a bike. There's a saying like that, or so he thinks- mom didn't waste any of her breath spitting metaphors at him, just spat on him. "But," his voice is cautious, eyes peaking through his bangs as he looked up from his cowered hunched position, "And I don't mean to be nosy, kick me out any time I overstep my bounds," please don't, he needs this more than Alex could guess, human contact- yes please, "But dropped her off today? You didn't know before?" If so, wow, Max was just making his day worse. Maybe he should just excuse himself- or make himself helpful. He nodded with the Natalia comment, scratching her up as maybe a close friend or relative, but not bothering to ask as he tries to earn his keep. "Do you, not to sound rude, know anything about raising a daughter? Or kid in general?" That may have came off harsh, so he was quick to amend, words rushing together, "Because I used to babysit my neighbors children," he had to get money somewhere, "And I could maybe give you a few pointers?"
If Alex even dared to trust him around his kid. Way to make yourself sound like a pedophile, Max. That's the way to make friends. Definitely.
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Hunters
Written by Jasmin.
48 posts.
22 years old.
crushin'.
I am Male.
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Post by Alex Harper on Jan 11, 2016 19:22:37 GMT
His pale eyes couldn’t help but account the struggle Max was having the bottle although instead of offering him for help (because that probably wouldn’t have helped with any embarrassment the gut still had after the bike incident) Alex’s eyes switched back to the liquid in his cup. Frankly, he wasn’t a huge fan of soda, it gave him a stomach ache but he was also a sucker for sweet things so without constantly sucking on a bar of chocolate or something (most of the chocolate in his room kept disappearing though and he was suspecting Rose to be the suspect) he settled with the sweet, bubbly liquid. Stare flicking up from the glass to look at Max, Alex was surprised by the level of blue there- it was unexpectedly bright.
At this point in time, Alex wasn’t sure how to discuss the matter of his daughter (man, that was a weird thing to think about) without feeling incredibly awkward but with Max’s laugh and joke, Alex eased, a smile filling in the awkward holes on his face. When Max began speaking next, Alex’s interest was raised with where the guy could be going with his train of thought. Honestly it would take a lot for Alex to kick someone out so he was curious to see where this conversation would lead. Ah, that. To be honest (and when was Alex not?) he had wondered that to. Had he really had no idea, not even an inkling? It had seemed a bit odd but Alex had been trying to get over her not mull over every single detail that could have driven her away. “Yea-“ and Alex’s voice caught on that one word, that one line syllable before he shook his head, drew in a deep breath and forced himself to get a grip. This guy didn’t need to know how desperately hopeless he felt at this sudden predicament he was in. “The answer to that question would be no and the answer to if I want pointers would be yes, please.” This was help being offered to him and he was not going to let it fall through his fingers.
“Do you want to meet her? My little sister’s looking after her right now and probably wants a break.” Although Rose had been keen to get her hands on Ellie, Alex wasn’t sure how long she could last in the taking care of her department.
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Human
Written by Megan.
75 posts.
21 years old.
bi bi bi.
I am Male.
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Post by Maddox Kane on Jan 21, 2016 1:23:30 GMT
Oh god, was this what a miracle looked like? Because if so, it was pretty- and by that, he just means Alex is pretty. Somehow him joking about the bike and the letter made the situation better and not worse. Which was definitely a miracle if Max had to ever point one out. Score. He actually did something right. Write it in all of the history books, for this is definitely noteworthy: This day, Max screwed up a ton of times- lost a battle to a bike and barely beat a bottle cap- but he also made a man who's world just got turned upside down smile, and that made everything okay... ish. He hopes.
A grin split across his face as he learned that he was not going to get kicked out, but rather going to be led to the living room where the baby was. His offer had been accepted, also another miracle. Maybe the world just felt bad for screwing him over so much? Because all this good luck is super weird and Max was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Nodding swiftly, he didn't let a second pass, not wanting Alex to change his mind in the face of his silence. He may have seemed a tad too eager, way to solidify the pedophile idea, go Max. Clearing his throat and raising his eyes to meet Alex's, he set his shoulders back and stood to his full height- which still set him quite a few inches shorter than the other man, but oh well. "Yeah, I'd love to," he smiled softer, his face kind as he chuckled, "Yeah, I bet. Kids can be a hassle." Tossing a hand through his unruly hair, he snatched his water bottle back up with the other and looked up at Alex expectantly, waiting to be led.
Because that's what he is. A follower.
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Hunters
Written by Jasmin.
48 posts.
22 years old.
crushin'.
I am Male.
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Post by Alex Harper on Jan 26, 2016 19:10:33 GMT
"Cool," Alex said in confirmation, leaving his glass where it was and tucking his hands into the pockets of jeans, head dipping towards the doorway to hint that Max should follow. Not that Alex believed he'd stay behind but whatever, shut up.
Feet stepping across the solid floor towards the living room, Alex stepped through the arch in the wall, Rose was sat crossed leg in the middle of the rug, Elena in a pile of pillows in front of her. Rose's head popped up, glancing away from the baby for a second to see who had just come in, a smile for Alex and then a slightly hesitant look (which still had a smile mixed into it) for Max. "Hey, Rose, we're gonna take over in here for a bit so you can go chill. Call your boyfriend or whatever." Rose pushed herself to her fit, shooting a glare at Alex. "Not too sure I have a boyfriend anymore." She muttered as she walked past, actually giving Max a smile this time. Within a few seconds Alex could hear her heading upstairs. "She's grumpy; her boyfriend's gone and now she has conflicting feelings about who she likes- very rom-com movie like." Alex said in explanation, pulling his hands out of his pockets and bending down to pick Elena up. "So, this is Elena." She had blue eyes and dirty blond hair and a look in her eyes that was unmistakably Alex's.
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Human
Written by Megan.
75 posts.
21 years old.
bi bi bi.
I am Male.
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Post by Maddox Kane on Jan 31, 2016 1:14:16 GMT
Feet nearly tripping over each other as Max startled into action, he composed himself and evened his pacing as he followed after the man into the direction of the living room. He lingered just behind the man, hands grasping the water bottle cautiously as the girl's, Rose's, eyes brushed over him. What did she see? A threat to the new baby, with his anxious pout and batting gaze? Or maybe just some stray her brother had taken under his wing for the time being, and she pitied him? The second one wasn't far off, but he couldn't help but bristle at the idea of anyone thinking he was some charity case. He is, of course, but he still didn't like people pointing it out. It was rude. She smiled though, and Max made sure to give her one in return, even if it was a little hesitant. He didn't know what he was doing here, but he knew that showing kindness rather than anxiety would buy him a little more time in the household. It was warm in here, and Alex was kind. Sue him for wanting a tender moment where he actually felt moderately cared for.
His ears perked up at Alex's words, the corners of his lips dipping into a small frown as he watched Rose's face fall. He eyes followed her movements, watching her stand, seeing more than hearing the words she spoke as he trained his gaze on her lips, watching the smile curve the edges before she was out of sight and he snapped himself out of the haze. He'd never had teasing interactions like that between family members. No siblings to swap banter with. Nothing. It didn't hit him until then that he truly didn't have a thing for himself in this world. Titling his head down to glare at his feet as Alex explained the situation, he fought back the emotions wanting to spill. This wasn't the place or time- and he wasn't going to waste his precious time playing normal on dwelling on the what he couldn't change. Rather, he raised his head and glanced at Alex from the side of his eyes as he nodded. Like he understand what he meant. Max didn't have the luxury of pining over someone or losing a lover. Didn't have time. "I see," he said with pursed lips, thinking over what could have caused Rose's poor mood, but he didn't know her, or anyone here, for that matter, enough to even imagine any conclusions. She seemed nice enough, but then again, so did he. Guess being nice equals being ditchable.
Shaking himself of those thoughts, he once again followed after the other man, his eyes lighting up and mouth falling into a soft 'o' shape as he let his eyes roam over the infant. His lips quickly curved into large grin as she giggled and squirmed in her father's arms, his eyes wide with wonder at the new life. Babies had always intrigued him, and the thought of himself never becoming a father had bothered him for as long as he could remember. Not that he'd be good at it. There was a difference between a temporary babysitter and a full-fledged dad. Max didn't want to end up like his step-dad.
"Elena," he cooed, scooting a little closer to Alex as he offered the girl his index finger, which she snagged onto and glared at, not quite sure what to do with it. His gaze batted up at the man for a moment, awe written all over his face as he spoke, "She's beautiful, Alex."
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Hunters
Written by Jasmin.
48 posts.
22 years old.
crushin'.
I am Male.
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Post by Alex Harper on Feb 1, 2016 19:51:49 GMT
(This might be really emo because i'm listening to It's Quiet Uptown on repeat)
Actually now that Alex thought about it, he really needed to figure out this whole Liam situation. Set Rose straight that if he was gone, he probably wasn't going to come back and no matter how hard it was- she'd get through it. That's what the Harpers did. They got through things and maybe they came through a bit battered but at the end of the day they were alive and stronger than they had been before. This, Alex realised was the realisation he needed to have as he looked at Elena- his baby, his child, his daughter.
Elena's presence seemed to change Max, it was the first time Alex had seen the sorrow be wiped fully from his face. Looking at his daughter, Alex smiled down at her giggles; even he couldn't deny that it was adorable. Yes, this was going to take some getting used to but if he surrounded himself with enough people who were there to support him, it would be okay. He would make sure it was okay. The fact that Stephanie had been able to leave Elena here surprised Alex and he wished they'd had longer to talk, so that he could understand what her job was- why it was so important, why Elena couldn't go with her or ever why hadn't he known. Did she really think he was going to be that bad of a father? Well, this was Alex coming to his senses as he shifted Elena in his arms slightly and deciding that he was going to be the best dad he could be. He knew he wasn't going to be perfect but he would try. Try to be the knight in shining armor for her, protect her against harm. Wasn't this how it was supposed to be? Wasn't this how most parents felt when they first saw there child in front of them? Clearly until now he'd been in so much shock to not notice. Now it was hitting him full in the chest.
He would make sure she was okay. That was a promise he would never, ever break now.
A smile lit up his face as Ellie interacted with Max, her small arm tugging at his finger. "She is." Alex murmured, features soft. "Do you have any siblings?" Alex asked Max, parting his focus from Ellie to look at Max.
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Human
Written by Megan.
75 posts.
21 years old.
bi bi bi.
I am Male.
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Post by Maddox Kane on Feb 22, 2016 23:04:21 GMT
It was clear that while his finger was still attached to his body, it wasn’t his anymore. Little Elena had only glared skeptically at his digit for a moment before she took to shaking it like a rattle, her teeny tiny brows creasing when it didn’t make the noise she’d obviously been expecting. Her lips, the smallest pair Max had ever seen, pursed in concentration as her chubby fist clenched and tugged, but alas, his index finger still didn’t meet her standards. So what did she do with it? Shove it in her mouth, gnawing on it with her tough gums- as if he was a toy and not an adult male whose face was flushing red as he tried to decipher the situation. Did he take his hand back and risk her crying at the loss or did he stand there with his finger wedged in a stranger’s baby’s lips and wait to get kicked out because, yeah, that was kind of weird. At least his hands were decently clean. Obviously they weren’t exactly up to par for the whole ‘baby putting things in mouth’ standards- and that’s why he slowly extracted his finger, eyes wide as he awaited tears, but he was only met with a scowl that seemed to resemble her father a tad too much. At least Alex wouldn’t have to get a paternity test, Elena was clearly his.
Wiping his drool slick hand against his jeans, his gaze rose from the infant to her father, his sky blue eyes rounded in wonder as he took in the smile carving the man’s rather stony face. God, it was a nice attribute. He should do that more.
Max couldn’t help but let a smile of his own curl the edges of his lips at the sight of it, his nerves calming as Elena cooed and Alex grinned and it seemed like Max finally found a place to fit in, even if it was only for a moment. He could feel the tension drain out of him. His palms stung from how tight he’d been gripping the bike’s handles, the bottle he was clutching doing little to sooth the ache, but he couldn’t be bothered with the sting, too entranced with the sight of the small family before him. It was only when Alex spoke that he snapped out of his dopey trance and let his gaze slide over to the man, the smile on his lips deflating just a tad because he had a feeling questions would come. Oh look, he’s physic- a question. Max redirected his attention to the baby girl as he pursed his lips, his voice a bit forced so it didn’t come out a whisper. “Don’t know,” he answered with a shrug, being honest, “Never met my dad and my mom never brought another baby home, so,” his shoulders lifted in another light shrug as a conclusion, because he had no idea.
And because that was a major downer, he glanced back up at Alex and asked, “Just the two?” The girl who’d walked out and the one who’d gone upstairs, was that it or were there more of them hiding out in little cubby holes he didn’t see. Wouldn’t be the first time.
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Hunters
Written by Jasmin.
48 posts.
22 years old.
crushin'.
I am Male.
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Post by Alex Harper on Feb 27, 2016 19:54:09 GMT
Alex had been watching the finger situation with an amused expression. In truth he wouldn’t have known how to react either. Head tilted to the side as he watched Elena gnaw on the finger, Alex shook his head a laugh coming out of him. Catching glimpse of the frown on Ellie’s face once Max had gained his own finger back, Alex had to take a moment to process the look on her face. Yep, he’d seen that look before on his own goddamn face. This really was his child.
“Oh,” the word came out as a whistle in part as Alex repositioned Ellie in his arms slightly, her head resting against his chest. Alex didn’t really know how to respond to that and that was saying a lot since it was rare for Alex to have nothing to say. That seemed to be happening a fair bit though recently. Maybe he was in some kind of funk.
At his next question, Alex perked up again, “yep- Rose and Natalia.” From the moment Alex had been born he’d had a sibling, a partner in crime in his twin Natalia, even when they’d left Beacon Hills to travel they’d stayed together for a while before parting and then reuniting again in some other location. The idea to him of not having any siblings seemed incomprehensible, like how did someone thrive that way? Then there was Rose, his little sister, someone to tease and wind up but be able to make up with in a matter of minutes. He and Rose had never fallen out for long, they were too similar to each other in nature for that.
It was then that Natalia came back into the room, some partialy broken box in tow. She was having no struggle with the weight of it but still seemed pissed off. “Your stupid friend, Alex. He drove past me three times. Three! Teach him how to open his eyes.” Natalia said leaning the box against the wall by the door. She seemed to properly take in Max then and to Alex’s surprise, introduced herself, “hi, I’m Natalia,” with her eyes cutting to Alex she smirked before adding “the better twin.”
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