“oh shit, don’t tell nate, but since he got kane he’s been letting up. at one point i thought he was gonna try and steal baby from me.” remy rattled off with a wide smile, truthfully, he missed gabriel, it was strange. their lives were still connected but it almost felt like something was missing at times. “picture of something important, you know what’s important?” he asked, leaning down to put the leash back on jayce. he knew the dog wouldn’t go any where, it was more of a precaution. “me and you, hitting the bar and forgetting work even exists for a minute. I gotta be honest, I’m starting to feel like a teenage girl with all the drama the kids tell me. I need something real.”

“i believe that. he seems to be getting softer as he gets older. even if he thinks being a lawyer makes him tough.” gabriel rolled his eyes a bit, thinking back to when they were younger. there wasn’t a moment in his life that remy wasn’t around to see. he knew everything about him. “something important? there are lots of things that are important to me.” his love life, his relationship with his brother, his friendships, you name it. his eyes followed remy’s movements and a smile graced his lips as he glanced at the dogs again. “that sounds like the best idea, ever. i could really use a drink after this week.” he shook his head. “just remember that it’s all probably fake. they’re drama kids, after all.” 

“oh c’mon, i can’t be a gentleman this once?” he rolls his eyes, tugging his arms back into the coat. the fact they were in public loomed heavily over his head. everyone knew everyone here, and benjamin was far too afraid his parents would learn the truth. “can we go somewhere private?” he says quietly, eyebrow raised in gabriel’s direction. he couldn’t be himself out here. that had become far too obvious.

“i don’t need you to be a gentleman. i can take care of myself.” and other people. that’s what gabriel was notorious for doing. he was a care giver, always making sure his friends and family had everything they wanted. his head shook slightly at the next set of words from benjamin’s mouth. gabriel understood. he really did but somewhere deep down inside, he wanted more. he craved it. “somewhere like your place or my place?” he sighed, trying to keep his composure. “there’s no harm in talking to a friend, ben.” 

for once, everything was familiar, almost serene. the air was fresh and bitterly cold. biting at his nose and ears as he wraps his arms around himself. “you look freezing. here.” he mutters, begrudgingly discarding one of his coats and handing it over. for someone who’d been here so long he’d certainly never be a fan of the cold. 

@manorstart​

living in colorado, especially in the winter, gabriel was used to the cold. he didn’t mind it, even. but it was freezing in the middle of winter. it was unlike any winter they had in a while. he felt himself shiver as he moved past someone, only glancing up when he heard the voice. he knew his boundaries with the male but that didn’t stop him from trying. “i am freezing but it won’t last forever. my body will adjust.” his head shook as he lifted a hand to reject the garment being handed to him. “keep it. you’re smaller than i am and need it more. i’ll survive.” 

INTRODUCING… the photojournalist, gabriel.

born and raised in BEAVER CREEK, COLORADO gabriel has now spent twenty seven long, beautiful years in the village. spending the majority of his days working as a PHOTOJOURNALIST, he lives a blissful life, and never wishes to leave.

his smile widened as he approached with ease, gabriel was the only person who remy felt comfortable letting baby jump all over. who, of course, despite still leashed once she was close enough she was on him. “please like they could forget their favorite uncle. baby, relax,” he tried, bending to one knee and picking the puppy up off the ground. jayce, though, remained focused on gabriel. “oh I’m the busy one?” he asked with a quirked brow, “last I checked you still know where the key to the house is, can come over any time.”

gabriel was not small in any means which meant he could take on the weight of both remy’s dogs. both of his hands raised to pet them to ease their excitement. he didn’t mind at all. sometimes they felt like his own dogs if you thought about his friendship to remy. “that’s true but i’d say your brother is a close second. let’s be honest, here.” he laughed as he stood up once more, keeping a hand close to be licked. “yes, you’re always busy with some play or another. i’m always around town getting a picture of something important.” he nodded, taking the hint. “i do. it’s been insane at work but i haven’t forgotten where you live. no worries.” 

his cheeks began to hurt with how wide he was smiling, now holding the roller in the paint pan and just looking over the other, “hey, who’s side are you on here?” he smiled, “and I’ll have you know, I get a little distracted when I’m home.” honesty in his tone as he sunk his teeth into his lesser lip, dipping the brush before bringing it back to the wall. “alright but imagine actually dolling it up nice, now that place can hold some people. kind of excited for the whole party next week.” he spoke aimlessly as he worked, scrunching his face at the other’s words. “mm, yeah the mountains.” both brows raising as he sucked in a breath. “they’re certainly somethin…” a laugh escaped him as he looked over to gabriel. “i’m gonna be on the roof, obviously. you’re alan, joaks is stu, i’d say theo is phil but, he’s mr. chow.” his ramblings were so far off it was outrageous, but looking over to look at gabe his smile grew, knowing all too well being called alan would draw some sort of reaction.

his eyes blinked a bit. he was trying to figure out what was actually going on right now and if the other male was joking or not. “i’m not on any side but if i was on a side, i’d have to agree with theo.” a shrug left his shoulders. he didn’t have to tell wes that he was slacking. “just a little?” a eyebrow lifted. “you do realize we’ve all seen theo and know that it’s more than ‘just a little’.” gabriel was still skeptical about the manor but wes seemed to know what he was talking about. “i assume we’ll find out next week. maybe look into doing more events there when the time calls.” he would have to get over the eerie feeling he had every time he saw the place. “they’re refreshing. i love the mountains.” his eyes glanced back at his friend as his arm moved over the wall. “you better start stocking up on sun screen. you’d be more burnt than doug was.” he couldn’t help but laugh a bit at all the images. “wait. why the hell do i have to be alan? i’d obviously be phil. he’s handsome and charming and smart.” sometimes he wondered how wes got to his conclusions but he also thought he shouldn’t ever ask. “theo would kick your ass if he heard you call him mister chow. though it’s not wrong.” 

open twilight zone starter, @manorstart​

remy, baby and jayce were on a walk through town. it wasn’t rare to find him with the dogs, or walking, but it was mid day, and he had been working on the school’s spring play. one of the kids requested some kind of movie called high school musical, he didn’t know anything about it, and finding the script was harder than he anticipated. but now as he walked down toward the cafe he held the papers in his hands, reading through the lines, trying to decide how to approach. suddenly, though, as he walked he noticed jayce, the german shepard, began pulling away from him toward one of the residents. “ohp, what’s up jay, d’you see your friend?” he mused, looking up to look at them before leaning down and gripping the edge of the leash. “heads up, here she comes to say hi.”

with his eyes and mind stuck in the text messages coming from his cell phone, gabriel wasn’t exactly paying attention as he moved down the street to grab some groceries for his apartment. the familiar voice lifted his eyes from the screen, letting a smile come on his face as he saw the sight before him. his best friend and his dogs that he adored. dropping to his feet, gabriel pushed his phone into his pocket so the dog could approach him. “i was afraid she wouldn’t recognize me anymore.” he smiled, lifting his hand to pet the dog before himself. “it’s been too long. you have to stop being so busy, remy.” 

“for me, too, not just him.” he smiled, “my peace of mind, i deserve some don’t i?” wesley’s eyes locked on gabriel for a moment before turning back to the wall. this was second nature to him, he could do this all day and night. it was comforting to him, but he could only listen to the radio so much before he needed some kind of bonding. “i think we might do it here, but the manor looks pretty nice. why would we try and do destination when this is where everything is?” he asked, a brow raising. “it’s not your worst idea but I think we’re gonna travel for the honey moon. try and go some where not as.. cold, and mountainous.” a genuine laugh left him at the other’s words, his brows knitting together as he worked. “check the contract, get back to me, man I hope so. i want to live the hangover, i’m not playing.”

“oh yes, of course. for your sanity. even though he’s the one having to nag you about it. you do this every day, every hour but your own house isn’t finished.” he knew the reasons why but he had to rib his friend about it. “the manor does look nice but sometimes it gives off that edward scissorhands mansion vibe.” he freaked him out a bit. he wasn’t sure what the hype was. “your backyard is big enough to hold the entire town so that makes sense. spend less money on the wedding and more on a vacation. i dig it.” he couldn’t help the laugh that left his mouth. “admit that you love the mountains and we’ll move on from this.” his hand moved against the wall with ease as he assisted his friend. painting was like second nature to him. he did go to art school, after all. “oh, i will. you’ll get a text from me bright and early tomorrow with the details.” his eyes rolled quickly, glancing back at the wall. “would you rather be the one stuck on the roof or the ones looking for the one stuck on the roof?” 

“a little hard labor never hurt anybody gabe,” wes chuckled as he leaned down to open the paint, then dumped it into one of the pans. “where do you think we’re gonna get married? the manor? that shit’s expensive.” he nodded aimlessly while his smile strengthened, a brow quirking at his words. “exactly, and as one of my groomsmen you’re obligated to help me in any way that’ll help the wedding. consider it your donation to the bachelor party.” a quiet grunt at his final offer, but he couldn’t deny it. “done, but don’t tell theo, if he asks you paid in full.”

his eyes rolled at the mention of his nick name which he knew that wes knew drove him insane. but he was wes, after all. “it does when i have a ton of other actual work to do than paint your house for your fiance.” he wasn’t annoyed in the least but this was literally wes’ job. “you want to get married in the manor? the one on the mountain? why? just save up some money and do a destination wedding. apparently it’s all the rage now.” or so he had heard. he was happy to be there for wes on his big day even if he was a pain in the ass. “is that how it works? i’ll have to check the groomsman contract when i get home.” he let out a small sigh as he moved to the bucket of paint to dip the brush. “the bachelor party will be much more fun than this. no doubt about it.” he knew that wes was serious about the bar tab but gabriel didn’t let it bother him. “sure, sure. i’d have no money at all if i actually paid for any of them.” 

open twilight zone starter, @manorstart​​

“thank you for stopping by, I know it’s a weird request trust me but, I wanted to try and get this room done before valentines. theo’s always complaining that we never have anywhere nice to eat when it’s holidays or something. that’s usually when I remind him that we don’t even do holiday parties and it becomes a whole fight,” wesley rattled off, waving his hand around as he reached for the paint, “but, with one last coat of paint, this room will be finished and he’ll get off my back.” his smile grew as she held a brush out to the other. “promise, I’ll pay you in a freshly cooked meal or an open bar tab.”

“i wasn’t aware that we’d be working as we hung out today.” his head shook. he really shouldn’t be surprised but somehow he still was. free labor and all that. “he wants a house that’s liveable. you’re getting married one day. maybe that’s something to start in the future.” he shrugged. “parties aren’t a terrible idea and you don’t have to leave the house.” his eyes glanced down to the brush before him, accepting his fate. “one coat and you owe me two meals and free drinks.” 

open starter,

wesley felt so different since last month, being able to talk to the others, and have them see him. he was seriously looking forward to this day, for the first time in a long time… he was anticipating something. the entire day prior bothering theo and imogen about how he was going to scare the guests. gaze flickered to the clock which read 11:59, he knew rowan would be walking through that door any minute so quickly, he stood in front of one of the unknowing guests. once the clock struck twelve, he appeared. seemingly out of thin air with a wide smile on his features. “boo.”

gabriel wasn’t sure if anything could scare him at this point while in the manor. not after seeing what he saw in the basement and having to deal with that pain. he knew there were still things they would figure out about the house but he wasn’t sure anything would actually shock him. hopefully, one day he’d be able to look back on all of this and not think twice. hopefully. his head shook as he felt himself jump a bit. he knew the date but he wasn’t expecting wes to be right there in front of him. from what he’d heard, wes could be such an ass sometimes. his head shook once more as he tried to regain his normal breathing. “is ghost life really that boring that you have to resort to actually haunting us?” 

nate opened his mouth to bite back initially, but smiled instead, knowing that he was going through something he had no idea of. “you’d be surprised, it landed me in a year long relationship once.” he hated the way gabriel’s eyes settled on him, like he sided with his father and wanted him to stay away from remy. 

he blinked at the other, as if it wasn’t obvious that he was just going to do magic tricks. “literally i just wave my hand a few times and go ‘is this your card’ and you say ‘oh yeah yes it is’ or maybe i do more of an optical thing that you get impressed by, i mean.. take your pick.” 

he could feel the uneasiness in his voice as he spoke to the man before him. they had known each other for years and gabriel knew everything that he had heard from remy. he tried to be sympathetic to nate in the beginning but it was messy and he didn’t have time for that. not when he was dealing with his own shit. he laughed a bit as he heard nate speak, glancing up to him again. “i’m actually not surprised. you’re charming when you want to be.” 

his eye brows furrowed, matching the look on nate’s face. gabriel had to be honest with himself. he wasn’t really all that into magic but nate’s skills were a bit impressive. “that seems a bit anticlimactic, doesn’t it? you can’t make it that simple when it’s not.” he shrugged. what did it matter anyways. “surprise me.”