Nathaniel Dupont

Edgar had texted her after his urn in with Nathaniel. She honestly never expected to see him again but fate, if that’s what you could call it, was funny that way. Part of her understood the choice Nate made all those years ago, she’d heard he’d gone to medical school and hoped he took Xavier for all he was worth. Still, the effect it had on her brother tainted her view of the man. Taking his hand she made her way down the steps. “He has. I didn’t realize Maywood had such a draw to it. I’m guessing you’re working at the hospital?”

When Xavier had offered Nathaniel the deal, he’d been baffled. How could someone sabotage a child’s life, like that? Their feelings? He’d never understood it, and he never planned on accepting the offer... until his parents convinced him otherwise. It was a high school relationship, they likely wouldn’t have made it anyway, and this way, he could pursue whatever field he wanted, without the worry of financial strain. Not only that, but with his own education taken care of, it meant his parents could focus more money on his siblings’ futures. But, despite all these reasons... he’d always regretted the way he hurt Edgar, and he doubted Sofie thought very highly of him after all of it. “I am, yes. I hadn’t heard of Maywood at all, but one of the doctors in my fellowship recommended the job to me, and... well, here I am.”

Corinna was losing all feeling in her arms. Volunteering to babysit on the day of the parade had not been Cory’s best idea. However, for Diego and Lindy, she would’ve done just about anything. Even if it meant struggling to keep him entertained as long as she could. Ruben seemed to be dozing off though, a small fist around stray ends of her hair. Rubbing his back through the carrier Lindy lent her, she turned to see the doctor…analyzing her? She smiled in amusement as she nodded. “Well, if I could give you the 411…Ford is insane, but kinda cool when he wants to be. Edgar…don’t know him all that well, a little intimidating, but then you get over it. The girls, I haven’t spoken to that much…” but that was of her own volition. “I think most of everyone thinks that the runner ups are the true winners, but,” she shrugged her shoulders. “It is what it is. You new here?” She tilted her head as she looked at him again, but more closely. “You look new.”

Once the stranger turned around, Nathaniel realized just how strange it could seem, what he’d been doing - but he could only assume that, in any scenario where he tried to explain, it would only come off as being even weirder. So, he decided not to comment on it at all, instead focusing on what she said.

drnathaniel​:

Nathaniel certainly didn’t want to cause any trouble, or make anything awkward by being in town… but it wasn’t that large of a city, and it made sense that he and Edgar were going to run into each other. If the other wanted them to ignore each other, he would do that, and frankly, that was what he’d been expecting. But, he wanted to hear that from him, before he assumed anything for real. “That, or people just think you’re hot.” He tried to joke, shrugging slightly. “Whichever makes you feel better about the situation.”

“Well,” Edgar began. He allowed the word to trail off, a half grin spreading across his face. “They wouldn’t be wrong there.” Edgar wasn’t a social person. These events always brought out a different side of Edgar – the side that Xavier had cultivated. He was the pristine prince, smiling and saying all the right words, even though he hated every moment of it. “Is your first Founders’ Week living up to your wildest dreams?”

Nathaniel let himself laugh at the other’s words, nodding a bit. “They wouldn’t be.” He couldn’t help but wonder what Edgar had been doing all these years, where he was in life, if he was married, had kids... Nate had no idea about any of it. Unfortunately, he didn’t feel like they were in the place yet where he could ask. At his question, the homme laughed again, and glanced around before actually answering. “It is... the epitome of American celebration. So it is exactly what I expected, yeah. How many of these have you been to?”

Ava nodded. It was time like this where she kind of missed someone new around town. Nobody really expected anything for her when she first got to town. “Then I could see how this might be fun or interesting to you. I didn’t mind it i the begging but now it’s just become a lot.”

Nathaniel shrugged slightly and looked around. “It’s not how I would normally choose to spend my free time... but it’s better than sitting around my apartment, I’ll give it that.” He admitted. It really wasn’t that he didn’t like to have fun - it was just that, usually, big crowds were not his definition of fun. “So I can see how it would become a lot to handle.”

When: June 8th, 2020 Where: The Bake Shop What: Baking Competition Who: @drnathaniel​

“I feel like I have to warn you that I’m not one of the best bakers in the world.” Natalia looked over at Nate as she was busy with the batter for the cake that they were going to make. It seemed like the best thing for both of them that they would make something that they were sure of that they could not ruin. At least not easily. So a simple cake and then decorating it later was the best thing to do. She was happy that she was paired up with Nate, it was easier working with people that you already knew than with strangers. “So please tell me that you will be able to save us when this thing goes southwards.”

“Nor am I, trust me.” Nathaniel pointed out with a laugh, starting to mix a bit of colour into the icing. He certainly wasn’t a bad baker, but he wasn’t fantastic. He tended to find a few things that he could make well, and the rest of the time, they turned out relatively mediocre. Luckily, the two of them had chosen a cake recipe that he had used before, so there was no worry about whether it would work the same way he would normally expect. “Well... it depends on how far South you’re planning on going.”

Sofie grumbled as she approached the steps. The gown was gorgeous, a plum purple, her mother had picked it out for some event and wearing it today was somewhat of an homage to her mother, knowing she had started keeping tabs on the siblings when she saw the announcement. It was kind of sweet knowing she cared even if it did come with critical texts. The only downside to the dress was that it limited her movement, lessening her stride. “Fair point, seems a common occurrence these days, Yang exes popping up into town. Can i get your help, steps are not easy in this dress” 

Nathaniel hadn’t seen Sofie since they were both much younger - but even still, there was no mistaking that it was her. They were never the closest people, but they got along well, and they always saw each other at their parents’ work events... and she was really the only one who knew, when Nate and Edgar were dating. It was nice to see her seemingly doing so well. At her statement about exes, however, his eyebrows raised curiously. “Did one of yours suddenly pop up as well?” He asked first, but then quickly nodded. “Of course, of course. My apologies for not offering sooner.” He obediently held out his hand to her so she could use it for balance, assuming that was what she had in mind.

Edgar hadn’t seen Nathaniel since their run in at the hardware store. It was surprisingly, honestly, considering the fact that Maywood wasn’t the biggest city in the world. It was hardly even worth mentioning, in the conversation of important cities. So, the fact that they were encountering one another now shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but considering the fact that Edgar was already out of sorts after being paraded around, this development wasn’t one he appreciated. “I’m sure that’s it,” he answered. There was only a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “Clearly, I’m the most likable man in the 30s age group.”

Nathaniel certainly didn’t want to cause any trouble, or make anything awkward by being in town... but it wasn’t that large of a city, and it made sense that he and Edgar were going to run into each other. If the other wanted them to ignore each other, he would do that, and frankly, that was what he’d been expecting. But, he wanted to hear that from him, before he assumed anything for real. “That, or people just think you’re hot.” He tried to joke, shrugging slightly. “Whichever makes you feel better about the situation.”

WHAT: Maywood Parade WHERE: Downtown Maywood

After eight years of residing in Maywood, Corinna still did not make up her mind on how she felt about Founder’s Week. One part of her appreciated it, she learned something new every year and on the other hand… she did not see what the point was, if you looked beyond the superficial stuff of the awards and the King and Queen… what else was there? What was the goal? “I suppose we’ll never know,” Corinna cooed at her tiny friend, walking through an oddly quiet part of the parade path. Stepping up onto the sidewalk, the woman shifted Ruben’s weight on her quickly as she enveloped him with her arms. “What do you think of this year’s winners?” She inquired out loud, finally reading some brochure or card, whatever that lady said, that had all the names documented. What was amusing ( and lowkey sad ), though, was that her boyfriend and the resident hot daddy, the said daddy of the baby she’d been caring for all day, both lost and fell to runner up. “Kind of an…interesting bunch, if I say so myself.”

Nathaniel was glad to spot a pathway near the parade without many people. It was a moment to get out of the huge crowds, even if it did mean a slightly worse view than the one he had before... he didn’t really mind that so much anyway. He was only there to get out of the apartment on his day off... and he knew that he would get grief from coworkers if he didn’t go for a little while.

Who would have imagined that the Yangs would have won Mr. and Miss Maywood for their age group. She honestly wasn’t expecting it. The float ride had been interesting. The siblings basically side-eyeing eachother, trying not to laugh as they played the part of Maywood royalty along the parade route. It reminded her of her equestrian days. Smile plastered as she and her horse paraded around for all to see. Letting out a soft sigh of relief as the route ended and she was able to step off the float. “I’m new to this. Am I supposed to wear the crown all week?” 

@maywoodstarters​

Nathaniel wasn’t a parade person. Not by any stretch of the imagination, in fact. When he was younger, the crowds were too overwhelming, he couldn’t handle it... and although that wasn’t as much of an issue anymore, he still never felt very comfortable in the situation. However, he figured he would check it out for an hour, and if he couldn’t handle it, he would just leave. It just happened to be that he was standing near the spot that the Yangs’ float stopped, and looked up from his phone just to see Sofie next to him. “Oh. I’m not sure, to be honest.” He admitted, a soft chuckle escaping him. “You’ve been here longer than I have.”

Ava knew in was going to be insane in town this week. During her time in Maywood, she learned quickly how excited everyone got each year for the week long event. Ava glanced over to the person next to her. “Is it strange that I don’t get all hyped up about this event like everyone else around here does?” she asked.

Nathaniel knew that these types of events were common in American cities - and it was understandable, even if he hadn’t grown up in a town that had festivals quite like this. “I wouldn’t call it strange... but I’m rather new to town.” He pointed out, turning his head to look over at her with a small smile.

The announcement of Mr. Maywood had taken him by surprise. In fact, he’d actively campaigned and requested that people not vote for him. So, hearing his name announced had felt like a sock to the gut. “You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Edgar groaned. “I’m a good person. I swear, I don’t deserve this.”

Nathaniel was only attending the event because he’d been told that he had to, as a newcomer to Maywood. It’s important town culture, his friends told him, you’ll have fun. It was exciting, he supposed - but certainly not how he would have chosen to spend his day. He was off to the side of the crowd, purchasing a bottle of Coke from one of the street vendors for the event, before looking up when he heard a familiar voice. “It just means people like you.” He pointed out, shrugging as he opened the bottle and took a sip. “I’m sure they just want to see you appreciated.”

special delivery for → @drnathaniel​

Jade hadn’t exactly wanted to come tonight, but she found herself here thanks to her roommate who had practically dragged her here after getting her ready. While the party had been a lot of fun and people were drinking Jade needed a break from it all to just relax and breathe without people being all around her. Pulling all of her dark hair up off her neck as she got outside into the cool hair, she took a seat in one of the patio chairs. 

Jade didn’t even know how long she’d been sitting outside until she heard another person, she turned to see a familiar face. “Hey stranger, fancy seeing you here.” Smiling brightly over to him as she did every time she gave him a cup of coffee. “Did you get the night off or did someone finally die of a heat stroke in there? Because if not it’s certainly coming soon.” 

Nathaniel was shocked when he’d been given the night off. Usually, it was his night - but, it seemed that the other surgeon at the hospital did not want to attend the event. Something about not wanting to see her ex husband with his new girlfriend, and could he please switch shifts with her, so she had an excuse to tell her friends when they asked why she wasn’t there. So, he’d happily taken her up on her offer - it would be nice to get to know a few more people around town.

However, after a bit of time at the party, he found himself meeting quite a few new people, so much so that he definitely needed a breath of fresh air. When his eyes landed on doors in the back of the room, he immediately headed in their direction, pushing them open and taking a deep breath. “Oh.” He said first when he saw someone turn. “Sorry, I didn’t know anyone was out here.” He admitted. “I hope you don’t mind.” At what she said next, though, he couldn’t help but laugh. “I switched shifts with another doctor. But you’re right, it’s getting way too warm in there.”

Griffin chuckled as he looked over to Nate. He’d met the man around the hospital. He was pretty new to town but seemed to be a good doctor. He’d probably take Bella to him for her check ups before school. “To be fair I’m betting this is all new for you. Which part are you curious about? the whole king and queen thing or the date boxes..not that I can really give much of an answer.” He shrugs. “No idea, I mean these kinds of things are generally like a popularity contest so we will have to see. Who knows, maybe it’ll be a shocker out of left field and you’ll win King in your age group” 

Nate shrugged at his words, sticking his hands in his pockets. “Relatively new, yeah. Boston didn’t have anything like this. Or, I didn’t know that they did, if they did.” He admitted, honestly not sure. Maybe they did do all the same things, and he was just oblivious. “I understand the date boxes, someone at work actually convinced me to do one. It’s just the king and queen thing.” He chuckled at what he said next, however, and immediately shook his head. “If it’s really just a popularity contest, I doubt I will even come close. No one knows who I am.”

It was the familiar accent that caught her attention. While Quebec was right next door to Maine, there were limited people speaking French in this town and even less with that telltale accent. She froze when she saw his face though. Hard to forget that one. They’d grown up together. Edgar had once fallen for that face. The Yangs had their issues with love but Edgar had gotten the farthest of the two of them, even if it was years ago. 

She couldn’t help herself as her mouth opened and the words spilled out. “Ah so you went to medical school. Wise choice. I hope you threw as many doctorates on there as you could. Just to give Xavier a run for his money” 

Nathaniel should have assumed when he ran into Edgar, that he would eventually see Sofie as well. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, they’d gotten along extremely well when they were younger, but it had been a long time, and with everything that happened with Xavier, and with Edgar... he wasn’t sure what the interaction would be. So, when he spoke offhandedly to who he thought was a stranger, he was surprised to look up again when she spoke, and see who she actually was. The surprise was clear on his face, but he quickly tried to return to a neutral face.

“I suppose that’s one way to look at it.” He said softly, halfheartedly giving her an awkward smile. “I apologize, I didn’t realize it was you... I wouldn’t have opened with that, if I’d realized.” He paused for a moment, before shrugging. He wasn’t usually an awkward person, not anymore, but the amount of guilt he still felt made it difficult to behave normally. “But yeah, I did undergrad, and medical school... then I started residency, and then fellowship. So a lot of school, yeah.”

“Sounds like you had an interesting night and day.” She teased with a slight smile. Tucking her dark hair behind her ear, she crossed one leg over the other. Taking a long sip from her iced coffee while she listened to him go on about the eggs, how his patient had made fun of him. “Did they not already joke about it? I mean this can’t be the first patient that noticed you’re French.” She pointed out. “But what are they joking though like French McDreamy or French McSteamy?”

“Oh, it’s always interesting.” Nathaniel pointed out with a breathy chuckle. “But it was particularly interesting, with all the weird omelet jokes.” He set his coffee mug down, leaning back in his seat as she asked if they didn’t already tease him before. “No, of course they noticed, but usually it isn’t jokes about omelettes du fromages. There’s a big mix of jokes.” However, when she mentioned McDreamy, he rolled his eyes. “You’re so original, Elena. You should be a comedian.” He teased. “No, they were just repeating what the kid was saying.”

Dominic leaned back against the counter and took a sip of his coffee as he listened to the story. He was always up for hearing work stories from people especially since he always had a few he could tell about his students. “That’s adorable. Kids are so cute. The kids you work with are a lot cuter than the ones I work with. Well I guess technically mine aren’t kids but they act like they are still.” He offered a small smile as he took another sip of his drink. “Do you enjoy working with children?”

Nathaniel chuckled at his words, nodding a bit. He couldn’t imagine being a professor. If he wasn’t a doctor, he’d considered teaching, but definitely not in a post-secondary setting. “I’m sure they’ve said some equally silly things.” He pointed out jokingly, raising his cup to his lips again to take another sip. “I do, yes. The parents are hard to handle sometimes, they just want their kids to be alright... and the reason they’re meeting me is because they aren’t alright. But it’s worth it, when a kid comes back for a follow-up, and they’re doing better. Especially when they’re young, they just want to run around and have fun.”

Edgar wasn’t sure what the purpose of the apology was. Actually, he was sure what purpose apologies served, generally. They indicated remorse and regret, two things that Edgar tried not to dwell in. One could feel regret over how an event had occurred, but changing the outcome and mitigating the consequences were impossibilities. In his line of work, dwelling on what could have beens in the past could result in very present dangers. Still, he stood silently, stoically, and listened as Nathaniel unburdened himself. “Yours is not the first career to be bankrolled by Xavier. I’m certain it won’t be the last.”

The voice in his head which most definitely sounded like Sofie’s huffed at that. That was how he knew it was all in his head. Had she been here, his sister would have definitely been on his side even if she disagreed on his delivery. “Those won’t pay for themselves.” He motioned to Nathaniel’s items before allowing his attention to drift towards the tools on the wall. He didn’t need anything else in this aisle, but he had nothing else to say. “It was nice to see you.”

Nathaniel’s lips parted slightly as the other told him his career was paid for by Xavier. He wasn’t wrong, it was something Nathaniel had been embarrassed by from the beginning. If people ever asked about finances, he said he got a hefty scholarship or grant. People didn’t usually push past that, just said he was lucky, and moved on. He knew he was lucky... but that had come at the price of hurting someone he really cared about. “I didn’t realize you knew.” He said quietly. “For the record, I... didn’t want to take it. I know that doesn’t make it better, I still took it...” He trailed off and glanced around, only briefly having forgotten where they were.

“Merde, this is the weirdest place for this.” The homme muttered, but then nodded at his words. “Yes, you’re right. I should go.” He had already said words like that before, in the last few minutes, and yet, it was like he couldn’t harness his thoughts at all. “It was nice to see you too.” He was sure that Edgar was just being polite, but Nathaniel wasn’t. He really was glad to see him, glad to see that he was alright. Seemingly, anyway. “See you around, maybe.” And this time, when he turned, he actually made it to the cashier’s desk.