LET 'ER RIP

“So, it’s with the other buildings then?” They just as easily could have been far behind the buildings. Not that Chandler was very good at understanding how far away things were, but he could at least tell they had a bit of walking ahead of them. Everything looked kind of the same to him here, though, and he could tell he’d probably get lost again before he left. The contained environment of the cat cafe was a lot easier for him to understand. He scrunched his nose at the idea he was fucking Twyla, when he had no idea what she even looked like yet. “Hey, just cause you were fucking my roommate doesn’t mean everything’s about sex. I’m interviewing Twyla for a college class. This interview and finals are the only things standing between me and a degree.”

"Hey, man, I don't know your life," he interjected, snickering while his shoulders shrugged up around his ears, careful to watch his footing as they trampled across the open field. Sniffing around for an interview was much less exciting than a midday romp in the hay (which could be very literal around here), but he supposed it was good to know that Twyla was expecting Chandler, and he wasn't about to dump a problem on her. "What's the degree?" Aidan asked, resisting the kneejerk urge to point out that the other looked too old to still be doing college to him.

Who: @aidanbishop Where: Sav & Clara's; above the salon When: Evening

Aidan: Sure thing 👍

Usually, she'd find the light in the situation. After all, Kennedy never thought her family wouldn't bother to reconnect with her after bolting, and Aidan, although an annoyance at times- did just that. But something about it just didn't sit right with her. The whole thing was a bit too easy for him, settling in after only a few months, when it was the opposite for her. She should've been happy, her apartment was hers once again, and she wasn't quite a stranger to him anymore, but it was a bit blindsiding to her. Nodding at the comment, she turned back from the spot she was focused on, a half-smile that wasn't quite genuine, on her face, at least giving the impression it was a solid place to start, nothing that gave away her inner feelings. "But you'll fix it up? So it's not so empty-" or eeirly bare in her eyes, but she didn't mention that, an eyebrow raised at the comment. "I didn't say that," she shook her head. "Just was under the impression that this wasn't a long-term stay, you never mentioned making the move, after all."

"No," he snorted out, an unspoken 'duh' carrying through the sarcastic tone he took on while looking at his cousin, "I'm gonna just live here with holes in the walls." Not that that wouldn't be too far off from a few of the trashy apartments he'd rented previously... But Kennedy didn't know of the chaotic way he'd survived his twenties, and it was beginning to become glaringly obvious the more they spent these awkward snatches of time together. It was never enough, yet always felt like too much. Aidan shrugged, arms lifting to cross over his chest while answering curtly, "I've lived outside of Austin plenty already, but I guess you wouldn't know that." Being moody and closed-off was no way to do this -- to get what he wanted from Kennedy, but he couldn't help the antagonistic energy fizzling up in the room. Aidan squeezed at his bicep, sighing. "Anyway, uh, look" - he cleared his throat - "I wanted to show you the place and say how this would all be a helluva lot easier on me if I could borrow some money." Excellent segue.

A scoff was exhumed from Clara at Sav’s tangent, rolling her eyes dramatically. “Excuse me? Did you forget who I am? I don’t do store brand shit.” The blonde could’ve laughed at the thought, her emotions a whirlwind at present from the drastic decline and sudden cease to her escapades. Groaning again when ‘Adam’ reappeared with the unfortunate news, speckled fingers raked through messy tresses before the man proved he didn’t come back empty handed. “Well…” it had been some time since she’d partaken, and perhaps it was what they needed to distract themselves. “I suppose I could use a hit or two.” Clara replied, semi-enticingly as Aidan’s figure closed in, one hand creeping up his chest while the other pinched the bag delicately from his grasp. Directing her gaze to her roommate, Clara then chimed with a raised brow. “Does being in a relationship mean you can’t smoke with us, too?” @savstone-rp

"Well, no—" she started to say but paused when the carbonation did it's thing in her chest. Stopping herself from moving further, and let it settle instead of what she really wanted to do, loudly, to release. "That's why I said 'You can spring for the good stuff', repeating herself in a bit of a mocking tone. Which, really got her thinking why Clara decided - and decided it was, to abandon the old manor Sav was sure had ghosts of another era waiting hand and foot on for...this. Besides the rooftop garden. Aidan appeared then - and when it was clear she wasn't going to get any of her Margarita supplies, the two loved up and enticed with at the very least mind-altering substance, Aidan she narrowed her eyes at. He really would've been content pretending she didn't exist in her own space huh? "We can smoke." Sav grabbed the bag, sat on the actually really nice (donated) couch - Clara approved - reaching a hand out for the purple pipe, "No one is heavy petting, deal? You dicks can wait until I'm passed the fuck out." @aidanbishop

Aidan smiled down at Clara as she leaned into him, easily relinquishing the goodie bag to her, which was then swiftly stolen away by Sav. He blinked in surprise -- not at her finesse, but at the mention of a relationship, some of his earlier confusion over the condom debacle beginning to clear. Shockingly, monogamy was the answer. Giving a very noncommittal shrug, he tugged Clara along with him towards the open living space. "Can't make any promises." But, at the very least, as Aidan collapsed onto the couch after handing over the pipe, he went through the motions of finally doing up his fly, leaning back deep into the cushions and briefly lifting his hips while getting the button hooked. He dropped back down with a grunt, brow wrinkling at Sav. "Since when are you seeing someone?" he asked, tone suspicious, like he might've even thought it was a lie. @claraquinn

Elena understood it, despite not understanding it on a personal level. She had grown up in Merrock, it was the only home she had ever known. The businesses, the people, the quaint countryside, the warm beach in the summer time, the smell of fish when you walked the docks, tinged with sunshine and salt from the ocean, it was honestly all that she had ever known. And the town had embraced her, too, had never made her feel like anything less than who she was supposed to be. But if someone hadn't grown up there, hadn't had that same experience… it was a town on the coast of Maine. "So at least it's unique," she said with a smile and a nod, "for what it's worth, I've heard people say that it grows on you, if you give it enough time."

He mirrored Lena's reaction, blue eyes widening a bit while he began nodding slowly, as if highly focused on the subject at hand. "Mm," he hummed, "and I take it that you're all about reading vibes?" There was something a little doubtful and teasing coating his tone, but hey! She hadn't been wrong when she pegged him for a Texas boy... even if her idea of what went on down there was pretty comical. Aidan couldn't help but laugh, genuinely, head shaking and only just catching sight of the waitress on her return. He said a quick 'thanks' for the beer while leaning back in his seat, regaining enough composure by the time he looked across the table again to confirm, "Sure, absolutely, that's what's goin' back home. Everybody walks around with to-go ribs in their pockets while saying 'hey y'all!' to their neighbors. You ever watch King of the Hill?" Aidan grinned at Lena while lifting up his fresh drink to take a swig, listening as she talked about her own family and upbringing. Maine seemed awfully out of the way as somewhere to relocate to, but he didn't comment on that, instead asking, "You've just lived here ever since?" His brows raised a touch, tacking on, "Didn't even go outta state for college?" Wasn't that the route most people took to actually finally leave the nest?

Monique didn’t really think much of it at first, assuming the soft hum in agreement arose from another lingering parent. It wasn’t until the familiar twang that she’d grown to enjoy slipped out that the brunette twisted her body, pleasant surprise masking every feature. Shifting her weight from her left to right leg, Moni’s cheeks tinted red at the lingering tone; she likely wasn’t the first parent to gush about their kid, definitely wouldn’t be the last. But she was proud of that — so why did her face feel so hot? “Nine, or well, practically ten. Her birthday’s just around the corner.” There were times where Freya made her feel like she was back in her own youth, treasuring every moment, but then there were times where she made her feel… old. “She’s got a natural knack for it, if I do say so myself — it’s nice to hear it from others, though. She sure as hell didn’t inherit it from me. I can’t say I’ve done a whole lot of horse riding throughout my time.”

He nodded a few times over, still a little startled to hear that Moni had a daughter who was almost ten years old, but he thought that he did a decent job at not showing it, chin coming down to rest atop his folded arms while watching the horses go 'round and 'round. "No?" This time Aidan did sound surprised. "How'd she get interested in riding, then? I don't think I ever woulda looked at a horse if my family didn't run a ranch," he said with a huffing chuckle. He'd grown up alongside plenty of kids that came from oil-rich families, and the idea of wealth without all the manual labor did always seem pretty sweet, especially when it came with long weekends spent ATV-ing and dirt biking. "You have ridden a horse before, though, right?" he clarified, head lifting again as he turned towards Moni. Aidan's brows lifted, leaning away from the fence with a hand still holding on, teasing mildly, "And it didn't end in disaster? No wild bucking incidents?"

Jaz let at a hum as she looked at the list. "I'm trying to see if I have the one that asks 'where I look incapable,' but I don't seem to have that one." She shot Aidan a look. "If you're trying to make a quick buck off someone it definitely isn't me."

Aidan raised his hands in a gesture of innocence, smile twisting a little wider while he listened to the other. "Hey, go nuts," he invited, shrugging before letting his hands drop. "I'll just warn you that I haven't seen anyone find the rock without my help, so... I'm only tryin' to make your life easier." And make some money.

Who: Open (0/5) Where: cityview Park When: May 2025

Aidan's head swiveled, watching as the couple trotted by, huffing in tandem and sweating buckets on the way. It looked miserable. "Crazy the things people will do to themselves," he huffed out with an exhale of cigarette smoke, as if he was at all superior to people getting up at four in the morning for a sunrise run. The mere thought of it made him want to hurl, similar to the way that some sort of triathlon in the woods did. "I'm a sore loser," he answered, echoing her sentiment before taking another drag of his cigarette. "I was thinking about skipping out on the whole thing, honestly," -- a luxury weekend away hosted by some anonymous donor? It sounded a little sketch, if you asked him -- "but then I realized what a shame it'd be to miss out on all the face-planting fails."

"Oh," her eyes widened just a smidge, lowering her voice as though she was about to divulge the world's deepest, darkest secret, only to say, "I've been vowed to secrecy." But in all honesty, the owners of the ranch were very kind. Very good with money, thankfully, since it seemed like they were always able to help her out when she needed something for the program and, well, it wasn't as though she was chipping in a lot of money, they just sort of… let her do her thing, and for that, she was grateful. "The old man, he might be the one that interviewed you, he is a little on the mysterious side, I always said he should be on one of those big cattle ranches out west, like in Yellowstone? Like he could be the next John Dutton, but… in Maine. And also without all the crime and murder and people disappearing. Probably."

He chuckled softly, pleasantly surprised that Livvy was playing along with his nonsense, leaning towards her in response to the conspiratorial tone she'd adopted. "Mm, I could see it. I got that sort of... stoic yet shady vibe from him, too," he agreed with a slow head bob of a nod. Aidan's lips pursed in further consideration before amending, "Actually, though, you'd think the Yellowstone equivalent around here would be a lobstering family or something. With the murder and crime and mysteriously unmarked bills. People go missing at sea all the time..." Trailing off, he left the joke there, giving one last ominous lift of his brows.

Kennedy was surprised at Aidan's offer to drive and go grocery shopping with her. She wasn't sure if he'd tagged along since he arrived in town, so maybe she should've questioned it, but she thought better of it. Things had been good between them, so she took him up on it. Though she quirked a slight eyebrow as he pulled into Lupine Lane after, an area she was familiar with when visiting Moni, she didn't say anything, watching as he stopped in front of a trailer. Following him inside, maybe a bit begrudgingly as she was unsure what he'd been up to, she looked around the inside, as if there was a lot to take in, even if it was pretty bare bones.

'Really something' wasn't exactly the glowing endorsement he'd been looking for, some part of Aidan forever a middle child searching for approval where it wasn't necessarily earned or deserved. His eyebrows jumped as he continued to watch Kennedy take in the space, waiting for something more from her, but when she finally spoke, it just made him scoff out a soft, "Okay..." It was mostly uttered under his breath, inhaling sharply as he turned to glance at an exposed light switch, wires not yet fully connected and panel open between the exposed joists. His gaze trailed upwards, just trying to look at something other than his cousin as he vaguely explained, "Well, I figured it was about time I got outta your hair." He'd definitely overstayed his welcome, even Aidan felt that, and he usually played dumb about issues he didn't want to address. Kennedy made it sound like Merrock itself would be too close of quarters for her, though. "This is just a rental, anyway," he continued with a shrug, "M'not sure I'd ever buy a place anywhere." A moment of silence passed before he finally glanced back and asked, "Don't want me sticking around?"

Any other town, any other state, Cage might have left someone on the side of the road -- he had heard too many horror stories, knew that he could defend himself, but didn't necessarily want to invite that danger into his life. But Merrock was different. Merrock was home, it was full of family, it was the kind of place where you helped out the strangers that you came across. Even the scruffy looking ones with bad vehicles in a snow storm. "Funny thing is, I was just thinking the same thing about you," he said on a low laugh, turning the heat up a little bit as Aidan got settled into the truck. "Good to meet you, Aidan." And then he pushed the gas and they were off, slowly, not wanting to overdo it. And not risking embarrassment of having to ask for a tow, either, should they get stuck. "That there is," he said, ducking his head to make sure there were no other vehicles on the road, getting a clear line of sight, and then finally relaxing. "Kellan, Tristan, Mason, Lucie and Clementine. And me, I'm the good looking one, clearly," a small smirk tugged at his lips, saying that he didn't take that very seriously at all. "My brother, Kellan, he runs the family's blueberry farm."

Aidan inhaled sharply, eyebrows raising as the other rattled off a long list of names -- all siblings, presumably. "Jesus..." he muttered lowly, under his breath and mingling with the chuckle he exhaled in the next moment. Someone's parents were getting busy, that was for sure. "Newman Farm, yeah," he echoed with a bobbing nod of his head, the mention of the blueberry farm sparking more clear recognition, realizing that was a large part of why Cage's name rang so familiar. "I haven't visited it or anything, but I've been working over at Harmony Ranch. Driven by it a few times, at least." He thought, trying to remember if he'd met Cage's brother, maybe out in passing somewhere while exploring the more rural properties of Merrock, but Kellan wasn't the sort of name that was forgotten so easily. Aidan didn't think he'd officially met any Newman before now, but a few he'd heard of. "Lucie's tight with Sav, isn't she?" he asked with a glance to Cage, reassured by the other's single-minded focus on the road.

Sunny had an eye for things. It was impossible for her not to have some level of taste to picking things out. Even though she’d never been anything other than comfortable, she’d grown up appreciating things that were given a fresh life. “Old isn’t always a terrible thing,” she told him. She could certainly appreciate that vintage or antique was not everyone’s style. She wasn’t going to try and sell him on a butter churn or something like that. There were some decent furniture pieces that could be found in shops like this though. The old stuff was made to last unlike the stuff that they sold these days. She paused when he collapsed into the leather chair, appraising it. It was in decent enough condition. It might could use with a little polishing and if it were her she’d probably do a reupholster but it could work as is. “It’s in decent shape,” she told him. “Do you like it as is? I mean, a few hundred and you could pretty much make it like new and the value would go up.”

Aidan shrugged, noncommittal as ever, rocking forward and back in his seat, listening to the squeak of the leather and trying to get a feel for it. His lips pursed in thought, squeezing the arms of the chair, about to deliver a more convincing verdict before Sunny's advice hit him, leaving him sputtering out a surprised snort, "A few hundred -- what, dollars?" He stared at the blonde, aghast, eyebrows climbing. Sure, two hundreds bucks or something for a leather chair sounded swell, but spending that and then investing money to refab it himself? "No, thanks," Aidan scoffed lightly, palms slapping to his thighs as he boosted himself back to his feet. He looked at the chair once more, debating if the wear and tear was worth ignoring or not, and as he did so, his head tilted in Sunny's direction. "So, what are you?" he asked her, a teasing undercurrent sliding into his tone. "A trust fund princess with money to blow? Next thing I know, you're gonna start lecturing me on equity."

“And the stables are….?” Chandler trailed off, trying not to sound impatient while he looked around. Thankfully, the ranch hand was going in the same direction…although he quickly wished that wasn’t the case when he realized who it was. Chandler watched his reaction carefully. Although he picked up on the faintest of smirks he was surprised by the near non-reaction from Aidan. He turned to follow and then it all clicked. Aidan was at work, so he couldn’t cause problems without potentially getting in trouble. Now it was Chandler’s turn to smirk slightly, while he was a little behind Aidan and his expression couldn’t be seen. He could have some fun with this and see the boundaries he could push, but quickly decided against that. Aidan kind of scared him, and he didn’t want to make that worse next time they ran into each other in town. “So….how far are the stables?” Chandler asked, trying to avoid an awkward silence but also not do something to piss off the other man.

Aidan shrugged at the question, gloves pressed into the pockets of his jacket before gesturing vaguely out ahead of them in the direction he'd started off in. "You've got eyes, don't you?" The stables were about as far as the rest of the buildings were, dotted in the distance. Harmony Ranch wasn't particularly mountainous or dense with trees, only a few riding trails leading off to idyllic, forested paths, but for the most part, everything was visible, even if it was a trek. The hard part for normies was distinguishing between the buildings with all the similar exteriors. They plodded along for a while longer before Aidan glanced over his shoulder and asked, "What're you looking for Twila for?" Chandler, he thought abruptly, the other's name passed onto him through Sav, only to be swiftly thankful he could forget it when he got wind that she was moving. Apparently not, though. Merrock was proving to be way too small of a town. He squinted a little, briefly giving the other a curious onceover before looking ahead again, asking crassly, "Y'all fuckin'?"

Letting out a soft laugh, she nodded her head, "no kidding. We'd go out in the morning and only come in for lunch -- grilled cheese and tomato soup, of course. Covered the whole front yard in snow men, the back yard had sled tracks for weeks," but she had loved it. Having two built in best friends in her brother and sister had made snow days that much more exciting. Now, it just meant a more treacherous trip to and from work, and having to pay a little more for good heating in the winter months. But… she pulled through. Turning to watch as he took off his jacket and his hat, she smiled to herself as he hung everything, taking note to thank him later for how respectful he was of the space, before turning to the whistling kettle and beginning to pour out two large mugs. "Yes -- and not just the poop scoops, actual snow shovels," trying to get rid of that whole mess with something that had prongs like a fork wasn't going to work. But the ranch owners put in a pretty penny to make sure they had everything they needed, and Livvy was always grateful. "There's a couple in the tack room right next door. They have a snow blower in the main barn, too." Although with the amount of snow, she wasn't really sure what the better route was, adding a little milk and tea to each of the cups before turning to hand him the mug. "I like your optimism," she wasn't sure that she agreed, but… reaching into the cabinet, she pulled out a pack of chocolate chip cookies, before turning to drop onto the sofa next to him, careful not to slosh her tea, and setting the pack of cookies down on her knee, gesturing to let him know that he could take some. "Just my brother. I've been texting with him and my sister both, pretty non-stop, and my parents. What about you, anyone waiting on you at home?"

"A snow blower, wow," he drawled, tongue clicking softly and most definitely sounding sarcastic, but he was genuinely impressed by that fact. "They've got it covered then. - They're not secretly preppers, are they?" Aidan's eyes narrowed at Livvy with the subtlest hint of a smile, mostly kidding, but at the same time... Nah, he was just joking around, even if he hadn't spent much time with the owners of the ranch personally. They'd interviewed him for the position and then sent him on his way, leaving him in the capable hands of those who dealt with the nitty-gritty on the property to show him the ropes.