𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾 𝖻𝗅𝖾𝖾𝖽𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝗍

      ⸻ not everyone can say they’ve been to the big apple, but JESSE GREY, a 40 year-old CIS MALE has lived in the FLATIRON DISTRICT, MANHATTAN for 20 YEARS. this is the city of dreams and HE knows it, because they came to nyc to be a CURATOR AT THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM. well, that and as an ADOPTED SIBLING to GENEVIEVE BISHOP and FAKE BOYFRIEND to DIANA WRIGHT. living in the city means they meet all kinds of people, but everyone always seems to think they look like MICHIEL HUISMAN. they even got away with free cab fare once because of it!

closed starter for @jessegreys​

where: winterfest-santa’s village

.There was nothing magical about Christmas for them growing up. There wasn’t much fanfare. Which is why, as a father, Matthieu has continously set out to make the holiday season as remarkable for their kids as humanly possible.  

 There’s a line of screaming kids  behind him and, if he didn’t have two urchins of his own, they’d have left a long time ago. Elodie and Elisa are determined to meet Santa and give him their long list of gifts.  Mattie who cannot say no to the twins, of course, took time off from the tent, leaving tuings up to his sous chef, to wait with them. He considers calling their mother to do this, and going back to the tent, if not for the fact that he loves the smiles on their faces.  Bright smiles that he lives for.  It’s all cheesy, they know, but this is all apart of the magic. 

Except, when they finally get up to Santa, Elodie starts crying, which means Elisa starts crying and they’re scared, for some reason, of the man that they had been talking about all day. Matthieu doesn’t know what to do, he tries to calm them down, but that doesn’t work. So he has one choice. He looks at the Santa, who, by the grace of a god he doesn’t believe in is being played by his best friend. It takes them all of two seconds to remember that the girls will basically do anything he does, and so he takes a step forward and plants himself in Santa’s lap.

“Saint Nick, my old friend! Boy, do I have a list of things for you,” they begin as the twins watch on.  “I know I haven’t been the best but I was hoping you’d let that slide just this once.”

-

      ------HE’D HEARD A LOT of wishes in the past couple of hours - met a lot of charming little ones with stars in their eyes ( and a few brats mixed in, just to keep it fresh ). there was no point where he regretted signing up for the role of santa in the village ---spreading that happiness seemed entirely worth it. as one of the elves ushered away the latest in wish-givers jesse peered ahead: the figure of his closest friend unmistakable even against the mood lighting of the village ... followed by a chorus of cries he was all too familiar with.

      were he not in character he’d have joined in mattie’s rendition of attempting to soothe the girls, but jesse knew better than to tug the realistic beard down and show them there was nothing to be afraid of. instead he watched as mattie straightened and strode over with all of the confidence jesse knew his closest friend could bear ... and plopped directly into his lap as if they’d done it a thousand times before. AND JESSE WAS SURE THEY HAD. memory didn’t quite serve.

      instantly he wrapped a supportive arm around mattie’s back, gloved fingers hooked at their shoulder, and tilted his head to listen to the charisma as it oozed from their lips. like honey. or syrup. “ i’d be more willing to let it slide if you told me one very nice thing you’ve done this year, matthieu. ” a challenge, perhaps, but more of a barter than anything else. from behind the beard jesse offered a smug smirk, then cast his attention to elodie and elisa, “ and if you introduced me to these adorable little ones in earnest. ”

closed for @jessegreys​ location: some café somewhere

Gen was not a child anymore, but that didn’t stop her from running at Jesse like she was, forcing him into a hug with her. Logically she knew she had to pull away from him in order to sign, but she let the happiness for seeing her brother speak for itself for the moment. Gen wasn’t a child anymore, but she felt like she was 12 again, following Jesse around and tugging on his sleeves. 

When she did pull away, there was a bright grin on her face. “I’m so happy to see you!” She signed, “I feel like I don’t see you often enough.” Often enough for Gen was, of course, every day. “How are you? What have you been up to? I think you got taller.” She signed quickly, one after the other. “You definitely got taller.”

She didn’t mind at all the way people stared at them, or how her hands moved quickly up in the air as nothing left her lips. She didn’t mind that the man she thought of as her brother was a Dutch giant, and that she was a short woman with curly hair. Jesse had always been family, it was hard to remember life without him. “Should we sit?”

-

      ------HE WOULD BE the first to deny playing favorites. there were merits to each of his adopted siblings - despite how fucked up losing his parents had left jesse he found it easy to love his adopted family ... it just had taken time. but there was always something about gen that he connected with more ... she was his favorite sibling. he’d never say it out loud. he’d never even make a notion to it ... but it was the truth.

      arms wrapped around her frame and offered a sure squeeze to her hug. it was difficult to keep the smile from his face whenever he was around her: ear-to-ear, shining his eyes with mischief and knowing, instantly uplifting his mood from whatever it was to something BETTER. when she tugged back and signed he lifted his hands to respond, allowing his body language and expression to fill in the happiness where the fluid motion of his words might not have. “ something we should change. you know i’ll always make time for you. ” and he would. he would.

      jesse nodded at the suggestion to sit, eyes immediately scanning for a table before he spotted an open spot ---perfect, two seats, and he slowly made for that direction. “ i’m alright. been busy with work. i signed up to be santa clause for the village this year. and i think i’m just standing straighter. someone told me i slouched the other day and i took that personally. ” he chuckled softly, the mirth highlighting his features, as he answered each of her rapid comments and questions in turn.

texts for @jessegreys

(✉ ➜ realperson mangirl ❤️️): [deleted: hey are you doing anything for for new years? hahahaha just thought id ask lol totally chill if ur not xoxo] (✉ ➜ realperson mangirl ❤️️): [deleted: salutations realperson mangirl, wouldst thou liketh to partake in merriment with thine patron? No? yeah me neither] (✉ ➜ realperson mangirl ❤️️): [deleted: WOAH, i just found out im not doing anything on new years? isn’t that crazy? hahahahadsjkfhsadkjhfdksjagfk ] (✉ ➜ realperson mangirl ❤️️):  hey are you available to fuck (✉ ➜ realperson mangirl ❤️️):  TO PARTY. I MEANT TO TYPE PARTY.  (✉ ➜ realperson mangirl ❤️️):  IT WAS THE AUTOCORRECT. 

-

An eyebrow raised at the words. She hadn’t expected to be pulled into a conversation but she still had a full latte in front of her. It wouldn’t hurt to be a little social. 

“Is it?” She asked, only mildly curious. “Can you have a rented suit tailored? That doesn’t quite seem right,” Kathryn mused, taking a sip as she looked over at the dark-haired man. Her brows furrowed then as she realised what he’d said. “What will be fun?” Kathryn questioned, a little more intrigued now. “Playing Santa for someone are you?” she chuckled. 

“I’m sure you were lucky to find a good rented suit this time of year,” Kathryn trilled, relaxing back into her chair a little. 

-

      ------“ YOU CAN. THERE’S just limitations to getting certain amounts of money back. i’d rather take that penalty than look like the stick at the center of a toasted marshmallow all night. ” he grimaced at the idea - how many mall santas he’d seen in his youth that looked ill-fit in their suits. he wasn’t one to believe the yarn for long, but he could at least appreciate the artistry in the attempt.  “ something like that. i’ll be the santa clause at the santa’s village this year, in rockefeller center? or thereabouts. figured it might be fun to do. ”

      and he nodded in slight agreement, cappuccino cup paused at his lips as not to spill any after his sip. “ i consider myself very lucky on that front. do you have any fun holiday plans? ”

“So you rented a Santa suit and then got it tailored to fit you? You do realize you’re not getting your deposit back, right?” Olivia questioned the man back, taking a sip of her own cup of coffee. That just seemed like an odd option for her; but then again, ever since her father stopped dressing up as Santa when she was ten, she hadn’t really come across that issue ever again. Then again, it must have had it advantages nowadays; the suit must have possessed some kind of holiday cheer that was no longer familiar to many. “Would it not have been just easier to buy one yourself at this point? You know, the kind that does not need to be dry-cleaned or tailored to fit you?”

-

      ------“ SO IT GOES. ” his chuckle was soft, caught somewhere in the back of his throat while he sipped at his cappuccino once more. his sweet tooth reared it’s head. “ oh, i’m sure it would have been easier to just buy one, but i only became aware of the role recently and places sell out of those so fast. i was lucky to find one to rent. and if i enjoy it enough, i might just buy it from the guy and keep it for another year. not much of a loss overall. ” he’d always enjoyed the holiday season, but not for the same reasons that so many others did. jesse found peace and beauty in the stillness: the warm glow of the fairy lights and the soft ambience of a holiday tune echoing through a quiet home, devoid of any other family members. some of the most private of his personal photographs were from moments like those - he’d spent much of his adult life attempting to capture that particular feeling.

      “ i’ll take it as penance for signing up so late into the season. i’m not too worried about it. ”

Junie: You would be amazed! at the amount of guys that come into the club and talk like that. Directly to our faces. Not to mention the savior complexes. 🙄

Junie: You and me both babe! Hahaha

Junie: Okay That is true. I usually try to make it to Ohio for Christmas. But not this year. They're the busy ones for once.

Junie: Peanut butter cookies? I might try and scam some from you! Just you know. A heads up. Ha. I've never heard of pignoli cookies though???

Jesse: It's a big yikes, honestly.

Jesse: Ah well, you're more than welcome to slum it in the Flatiron District with Vincent and I. He has a new sweater for the occasion.

      ------“ WELL, I LEARNED that renting a santa suit is rather expensive. i also went the extra mile to have it dry-cleaned and tailored so i’m not swimming in it for the night. but i think it’ll be fun. ” fingers gripped at the handle of his mug, warmth exuding from the little cup of cappuccino. he’d signed himself up to be the santa clause this year at the village, sure the night would be filled with a never-ending supply of children bequeathing their christmas wishes unto him ... and adults who’d had more than a little to drink. jesse may not have wanted his own kids, but that didn’t mean his heart was cold to their happiness around the chilly holiday time.

      “ i mean, i should have figured it would be a bit of cash. plus there’s a lot of people renting the suits. and it’s not a cheap one, either. at least i’ll be warm. ”

Mansha: That's why my New Years resolution was no more blondes. They're all bad news.

Jesse: Can I tell you a secret?

Jesse: I was blond until I was like ... thirty.

      ------HE REMEMBERED LITTLE about how their arrangement had begun - jesse was not one to share his passion with the world despite working so intimately in a place where art was appreciated as a topic. it had been a coping mechanism in his youth - capturing the raw emotion of a moment as it happened, earnest shots, surprise and sincere, where it felt too REVEALING to have that work subjected to the world. amelia had become one such subject - something beyond what one might imagine ( it made sense that he shot kal, ballet was an art in and of itself and the shapes that the ballerino could shift himself into were beyond jesse’s regular comprehension ), but she made for a good subject regardless.

      natural beauty. they stood shoulder to shoulder at the bar, the karaoke for the evening on pause where the soft background music of the bar’s usual ambience took over, and as outkast crooned about loving the way one moved jesse turned his attention to the crowd. his camera was always dangled around his neck, but in this moment he lifted it up to his face so he could snap a shot of a couple entwined some paces away from them. “ i remember being that taken with someone. feels like a lifetime ago. ” he commented as he snapped a shot or two, knowing that his drinking partner for the night would hear him murmur over the light clamor around them. “ he doesn’t see anyone else in the room but her. the world could be ending and he’d be none-the-wiser. it’s been a minute since i could say the same. ”

Maya: The other news was that I had a horrifying nightmare where I was running from monkeys in the jungle. Do you think there's some hidden meaning to that?

Maya: Oh, BOTH. The caffeine has split my being in two and I'm going forward and back. Also, there was no teenage phase worse than mine, trust me. I wore eyeliner so thick and dark you couldn't even see my eyes.

Maya: Also, the future is confidential. Haven't you seen the movies?! Learning about the future could very well make our universe implode.

Jesse: This is where I admit that I hate monkeys, so I feel like them chasing me in a nightmare is pretty excusable. Otherwise ... I think dreams are your mind decompressing memories? Hell if I know what happened to you with monkeys, though.

Jesse: So there's two of you? I'd like to take you both to a bar and see what sort of shit happens when that enclosed state happens.

Maya: In other news: I massively over-caffeinated this morning. Everything is vibrating and I can SEE THROUGH TIME

Jesse: What was the first news that this is the other news to?

harlan: it wasn't meant for no one's amusement, it was a mission.

harlan: my sisters are two of the lamest people in the world and if you think otherwise, it says pretty much the same about you.

jesse: Sure.

jesse: I just saw a guy in a hazmat suit riding a tractor.

harlan: new york is dirty and you don't need a license to ride a tractor so both those things sound perfectly reasonable and whoever did it sounds like a hot genius

harlan: so worry about yourself maybe???

jesse: Or I was amused at a dude in a hazmat suit on a tractor.