deliver me into my fate;

The brunette was still thrown for a whirlwind and he seemed to have recovered a lot easier than she had. Perhaps it was all an act to avoid the topic they both knew had become quite the elephant in the room. The betrayal that hadn't ever been resolved given his disappearance from her life, perhaps not by his choice but by his own hand nonetheless. No one had gotten him in jail apart from his own doing. She was skeptical about all of this and part of her hoped that he would read her and start with some sort of apology rather than trying to act like nothing was wrong between them. Her eyes only narrowed at his question as she folded her arms over her chest, clearly on the defensive almost immediately. "Is that what you want? Because it feels a lot like you're trying to get your hopes up and I'll tell you right now that it's not going to happen. We can have lunch and talk but I doubt it'll be of something that you're interesting in speaking about." If he wasn't going to breach it, then she would be more than happy to do so. "I'm free tomorrow." It was sooner than she would have preferred but she was booked for the rest of the week and she figured that they could get it over with and if it went horribly, she wouldn't have to think about it any longer. It would be done with and she could go back to her normal life, or the new normal without him in it.

She was giving him the cold shoulder, that much was obvious. He didn't know what to make of it, really. On one hand, he didn't want to force her into sitting down with him if that wasn't what she wanted, on the other hand - he desperately wanted some time with her. Any time with her. Even in the several minutes of awkward conversation they were just having, it became clear to Shaun that his emotion towards her was ever so prominent, even when he had to pretend like that was not the case. "I don't have any expectations, Al. I'm not delusional, I know you probably have your own thing going on these days. I'm not looking to disturb your life," He said, in part baiting and probing to see if she really had someone, in part genuine in his sentiment. Far be it from him to disturb her peace, but was that not what he always did? Wreak some havoc and then pull her back in? Swatting that thought away, Shaun pulled his phone out of his back pocket, unlocked it and slid it across the bar towards her. "Had to change my number," He explained, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips with expectance that she would leave hers. "Still know your by heart, at least the one you used to have." Unsure if anything changed he didn't want to assume.

Liv’s eyes flicked over Shaun’s face. For a moment, deja vu took her back a couple of years. She remembered sitting around a bonfire held on someone’s front lawn having a similar conversation. She chalked it up to Shaun being an even-keel sort of person — easy to get along with, hard to be annoyed by. “Your mouth says one thing, but the rest of your face says another.”

"You know I'm messing with ya," He nudged her gently, clarifying that it was just a joke regardless. He was somewhat surprised that it'd been just a year, but then again, time was didn't really have the same meaning to him anymore. Every year upon year felt like a whole lifetime, something folks on the outside probably rarely thought about. Too much time on his hands did that. Her question surprised him somewhat - and not even because of the nature of the question or what his response might've been in that sense, no. Moreso on the fact that she even asked in the first place. From his experience, people were either too scared to delve into that, thinking that perhaps he would refuse to discuss what came difficult to him, or that he might not even have a proper response. Or it was just that they didn't care enough to even prod that topic altogether. But Liv seemed fairly curious, he would have dared say genuine in her inquiry, and that pleased him. He scratched the back of his head musing on it, mind a mile a minute. "Honestly..." Shaun trailed off, shaking his head. "Is it weird if I say not in jail?" It might have been the weirdest thing. Almost like PTSD of sorts, he had a feeling one wrong move, one wrong look even, and he would be back behind the metal bars that he so desperately hoped he would get away from. "I dunno, don't think there's a whole lot out there for me." He admitted.

"Yeah, me being in charge of anyone is ridiculous at least when I say it out loud. But I worked my ass off to get where I am so there are no take backs now." Remington admitted. Though, he was proud of himself on how far he had come. Given the odds, they were all against him. Least with the situations that they both put themselves in. The tables could have easily been turned. "Three. That I can do. Just don't get used to it. I'll be the first to admit I'm a cheap bastard." A smirk surfaced but he nodded nonetheless. Though at the next question he laughed. "Nah, I definitely haven't turned into the picket fence type. That shit is for the birds." Not that he was fearful of commitment but with his past usually he kept most people at a distance. Abandonment issues for the win. "So - what will it be for your drinks? Don't worry I won't ask how you're managing like most people would." Sometimes talking was the worst in these kinds of situations. Remington assumed the other went through hell being locked up. The last thing he needed was to relive all of that.

Maturity reflected on Remington more than Shaun would have assumed. Perhaps not entirely and not all the way, but it was definitely there. Actual growth. "I'm glad to hear that, man," He nodded in his friend's direction. "Hey, a white picket fence ain't that bad. It feels like the sensible next step, but I get it," Not everyone wanted or needed that, Shaun thought, and some people were perfectly content without it. Nothing wrong with it. And perhaps where they were alike played a part in it, too - Shaun himself didn't see it in his future. In fact, he'd missed it once. Where there was a potential with Alana, he betrayed it and she became the one who got away. Still something that troubled him, stashed away somewhere within him. "Just beer, man, and I'll settle on two, I got work to do later on," He grinned. "Might help with you being a cheap bastard and all," Shaun laughed, patting Remington's shoulder in the process. "You can ask though," He pointed out. "I ain't that sensitive." He never really was, but he appreciated the fact that Dutton even considered it.

"Don't live in California anymore, and I grew up with my favorite dish being duck bulgogi." Allie nodded, and she glanced to the menu over the counter, still hesitant. They actually did smoke and roast veggies here — mostly as a side, but she wasn't usually brave enough to give it a shot. "I was vegetarian since fifteen, because I was dancing a lot and I needed to be thinner, then I switched to vegan when I moved to California. It was because I was having allergic reactions to some of the pesticides and antibiotics they use," Allie explained. She wasn't really a bleeding heart PETA type, and it something of bothered her when people went there with her. "But since this all pasture raised and grass fed, I should be safe."

"A duck what?" Shaun didn't hide his ignorance. Maybe it was more curiosity then anything else. He wasn't the fancy type, never was, nor was he going to pretend he knew something that he had no clue about. There was no use in it, he was always as real as they came. But with her explanation, many other things made sense - some people weren't about that life by choice. He was glad that she shared, even when he was a complete stranger to her. "Ah," He nodded in understanding. "It's crazy that most of us never even consider that shit," He mused out loud for the most part. "No wonder folks are gunnin' for more control over it," He added, and then realized. "I'm Shaun, by the way."

Rhett's life was composed of little boxes. Places of constraint, carefully composed, so that he didn't lose what little he felt he had left of himself. They don't tell you about that when you join the service. That you'd end up signing away the parts of yourself that you didn't know you had. He wasn't someone to complain, he was someone who accepted and adapted. Complaining didn't do anything, not really, and he biased for action. He was working something of late, trying to log all the day end activities on a few properties to make sure they were coming along just fine.

He fucking despised this. There was a certain unspoken promise in steering cleer from trouble, but trouble somehow always, without a doubt, found him instead. Bruised knuckles and a busted lip, a promise of a black eye that was still hot, not painful, around the side of his face - all indications of who he used to be. Back then, Shaun would get into these situations willingly. Whether he was sticking up for someone, or reacting impulsively to an already tense situation, he would always winding up with a busted face and a threat, giving hell to anyone crossing his path when he saw red. That changed over the years, prison taught him differently. And yet, fresh out of it, he was repeating the same patterns even without really trying to. Not wanting to. But being put in the position anyway.

"I think we're simply going to differ on that point." Jade hardly cared what people thought of her in the sense that she led herself in a confident, not pompous, manner. She stuck to her guns and for the most part, it never led her astray. However, she wasn't immune to criticism and received them openly so she could improve and continue to refine herself into a great woman. Incognito mode was Jade taking a break in the middle of the day so her brain could rest from all the calamities and fires she would be putting out.

"Seems like it," Shaun agreed that they were at an impasse. But as soon as she explained who she worked for, or rather, the corporation she was representing, Shaun squinted a little in her direction. He heard that name before. Practically everywhere around town. He just never really found the time to look it up or truly dive into it. "What does Wang Corp do?" He opted to ask, directly and openly, when she proceeded to give him an inkling of a response. "Huh," He let the cogs turn in his head. "So what are you doing around here? I dunno much about corps," Shaun was first to admit. "But it seems like there's little for y'all to do here. Aren't you more interested in big city hubs?"

"Actually," Birdie said, grinning broadly, "I can work with that really well. She sounds like a lovely woman, your mother." Birdie made her way around the counter, plucking some bunches of flowers from different coolers and arranging them with a careful eye as she went. "Are you from Whiskey Flats? I just moved to town about a year ago, so I don't really know too many faces other than the people who come by most often, but I'm starting to think this place is full of nice people." Once she was satisfied, Birdie returned to the counter and showed Shaun the beginnings of the arrangement she had in mind. "I'd still need to add in some greenery and a little bit of filler, of course, but does this feel like the right direction?"

There was another wave of relief. He shouldn't have been so surprised that she was just doing her job, but with the lack of actual information he could provide, realistically, it was still impressive to him how she managed. Stepping out of her way as she worked, Shaun nodded. "Yeah, it's my hometown," He smiled, always proud of that fact. Whiskey Flats was as small as they came, but had a heart and soul that no one could deny. "What made you move here?" He was moderately curious, wondering what brought people in. He figured, some just wanted a bit of a less hectic lifestyle, but that was not always the case. Everyone had their story. His face lightened up with a smile upon seeing what she had come up with. "That looks great," Although, he was fairly certain that anything at all would have looked great to him. "I'm Shaun, by the way."

The brunette could remember the way their relationship like it was yesterday even if it felt like ages ago. It wasn't something she ever found herself thinking about because her days were full of other worries but now that she sat in front of him, she couldn't help but remember every moment; both good and bad. The ways they fought and the betrayal that left her heartbroken. There was never any closure because he went to prison and her own ego wouldn't allow her to go visit him after he'd essentially hurt her that way. She had done her best to move on and she felt like she'd succeeded until she sat in front of him and realized that there was an open wound that still lingered there. "There isn't many options outside of that." Not for someone who had a record. She felt like he deserved a chance because he wasn't someone who was dangerous or would fuck someone over but he had made a mistake that landed him in jail so she couldn't defend him given what he was charged with. At the mention of him missing her, she looked at him for a second and then bowed her head slightly. "Don't say shit you don't mean, Shaun." Part of her wondered what his angle could be. Maybe he was trying to come back for a taste of something before he left again, but she was scared to let him anywhere close to her heart after everything.

"Jee thanks for pointing that out," Shaun added with a slight chuckle, a joke spilling from his lips in an attempt to lighten up the atmosphere between them. Still, the energy was still heavier than he had expected, for obvious reasons, and he didn't really know how to act around her. An inkling of doubt about what had happened between them was still there, as fresh as ever, and he knew that they never truly tackled any of it. Mostly his fault. Proud and reckless, impulsive at best, Shaun didn't have that kind of maturity in him back then to put two and two together and wait before he made any conclusions. It should have been no surprise that Alana didn't believe him now, after all - he was never trustworthy to begin with. Not in the romantic sense, hardly even the platonic sense. And him finding out who he was on the outside again seemed like a challenge, a heavy ordeal. "Come on, Al..." He trailed off, but didn't really know how to rectify what she'd said. Trying to convince her otherwise seemed redundant, she had her own opinions formed already. And yet, there was a part of him that still wanted to. "Listen," He licked over his lips slightly, scrambling for words that were all mush up in his head. "Would you be up for lunch or something?" Or something. He wanted to kick himself for the way he phrased that. Not the best way to invite her for anything. "If you wanna catch up..."

"Yeah - it's a hit with some of the food trucks around here. Or at least it seems that way." At least they had one loyal customer, obviously in the form of Quinn himself. "Ah okay. Well - suppose that makes it just as fun then. Experiencing new things again." Spoke by a true foodie. Of course the male was biased but who wasn't with some things? "Welcome back then. At least I'm not the only one who is still trying to get my head around some things." Life was always about adjustments though. "Does it? I'm from California originally so I am digging the small town feels. But that is just me."

Shaun found it somewhat unusual, so that piqued his interest as he glanced up towards the man again. "Really? California? What you doin' in the little ol' Whiskey Flats?" It seemed like lately, the town was garnering a lot of interest from the outside, if the corporate woman he'd met days ago was anything to go by. Hoping the question was not too invasive, he added. "We got a pretty sweet community out here. But it's probably not as exciting as the West Coast can be, huh?"

↦ closed starter / @shaunhcrris ↦ location: the piggly wiggly

His head was miles away as he waited for his turn. Doing the most mundane of things, like picking up groceries and just moving around town - it felt like a routine normal to everyone else but him. He was still cooped up within the four walls, waking up when told, eating when told, showering when told, working out to pass the time because there was hardly anything else out there. It was a harder feat to take than Shaun might've ever assumed when he was told his time behind bars was up and that he was finally being released. Because that release date was everything everyone in there lived for, and rarely anyone discussed anything about bouncing back in the real world. He got lucky in that sense, finding a job, but he was still living with his parents and he hadn't amounted to anything in life.

"Don't pick on me and my bad decisions," Liv said with a cough and a laugh. She pushed the glass off to the side as if the distance would wipe the taste off her tongue. She almost missed Shaun's question about her and Kev but not quite.

"I would never," Shaun lied, although it was in jest. Teasing Liv sounded like good fun because she was a good sport, but he knew he'd have to dose it. Their relationship never amounted to a whole lot, simply because they had no actual time to get to know each other that well, but Shaun always liked Liv's personality and that had seemingly not changed over the years. With her reminiscing about her and Kev's own relationship, Shaun nodded, focused. It was much easier for him, probably, he didn't have whole lot of new memories in between, so he tended to get stuck in the ones he did live through way back when. Not the healthiest coping mechanism, but behind bars, it was a lifeline. He still clung to some of that whenever he caught himself feeling a little lost. Social circumstances were his niche, but faced with the fact that he wasn't, in fact, all that - especially not around the people he used to know, who had since built up their lives - there was a little anxiety involved, too.

"I suppose that makes sense then since you're gobbling up your meal. Wow - I can't believe it's been so long." Remington couldn't imagine what he had gone through either but the man wasn't that type and he figured that shit was the last he wanted to talk about. "I'm a construction manager. Never would have figured that for me right? I still think someone is going to slap some sense into me and I am going to wake up." Though change was necessary. It was one big miracle that Remington didn't end up in prison for all his hell raising rebellion. "Yeah, things are constantly changing. I think I owe you a drink or two- least I can do. You in?"

To be perfectly fair, Shaun didn't think either one of them would've gone very far. When they were younger, that thought hardly even crossed his mind but it was there, alright. For him personally, he could see how that was still somewhat of a thing given that he'd wasted a decade of his life behind bars, not amounting to anything at all. Remington, on the other hand... "Gotta say, you and 'manager' don't go in the same sentence naturally," Shaun grinned in jest, and then nodded. "Or three," He was quick to agree as he pointed towards the side of the bar. "What's next, you gonna tell me you're married with kids or something?" Despite his bullshit talk, Shaun was glad to hear that his friend managed to turn his life around, and could only hope for the same in his own case moving forward.

Alana felt like the wind was blown out of her lungs and she was left on the pavement after a pickup rolled over her. The emotions she hadn't allowed herself to look over or un-package were hitting her like a freight train. The worse was that he looked good and she would herself missing him even after all this time and the pain that came from their split. "I know," she said breathlessly because it hadn't been what she meant even though she was surprised to find him here. Almost as if she hadn't thought he would ever get out because she hadn't allowed herself to think about the possibility of ever having to come face to face with the unresolved feelings. She felt like rolling her eyes at his comment but also hated that she flushed so easily at it as well. "You look good, too." Now she truly did hate herself and shrugged her shoulder. "I've been okay, just working hard." Her hand settled on the table and her eyes fixed on him for a moment because she felt surprised that he remembered she worked there even if she shouldn't be. "Yeah. Still at the ranch." Another pause before she found herself able to speak. "What about you? What are you doing now?"

What they had once upon a time was intense & fleeting. Shaun being young and reckless, he wasn't looking to committ and for some reason, Alana was still attracted to him in a way he wasn't sure he was deserving of. Ten years down the line and he was only now starting to understand what he had missed out on. His hasty mind jumping to conclusions once he saw her flirtatious with someone else, Shaun jumped at the first opportunity to betray her trust and get with someone else, almost like he was salf-sabotaging on purpose. Unfortunately, his spite, ego and pride resulted in him losing someone who could have been it for him, and ten years later, that wound still stung. Nodding at her compliment, he thought nothing more of it than her being polite and cordial. "I've been with a construction company for a couple of weeks. Tryin' to hold down a job," He said with a smile plastered across his face, but they both knew that way back then, that was nearly impossible for him. Even know, he was struggling because his heart was not in it. "Y'know how it goes, an ex con... I'm lucky to have anything at all," Even when his smile was forced and he didn't find much joy in it. "I've missed you." Slipped past his lips before he was able to stop it, although there was some bitterness reserved for the fact that she hadn't thought to see him while he was locked up.

Her eyes lingered on him a bit too long before she looked down at her drink and took a sip of it with a smirk. He was handsome and she was sure he knew it, men like that always did. "Not usually. Last time I tried to gamble a little money on a game of dominoes I got my ass handed to me." Not to mention she was pissed off beyond belief and had ended up leaving that night feeling like an idiot. Though there were definitely plenty of people around this town who dressed like that all the time, she could tell by the newness of the woman's boots and the body glitter on her chest that this wasn't her usual attire. Sofia met his eyes again and shook her head. "For some folks it seems to be but not that one. She's here to win it." She smiled.

Ticking an eyebrow in her direction, Shaun couldn't hide his surprise. "You gambled your money on a game of dominoes?" There was some innocence in that that he found endearing, as a chuckle spilled from his chest. He knew a thing or two about gambling, it was how people in prison got everything that they owned - and most of it contraband. His mind so used to that kind of life and living, it was still somewhat hard for him to understand that other people didn't live that way. He suddenly had a desire to spoil her a little bit, his old troublesome habits dying hard. He was no longer even remotely interested in the girl in the outfit, when the girl before him was that much more intruiguing. "How 'bout you, what are you here for?" He leaned against the bar, and then tilted his head in her direction. "What's your name?"

"Well get used to it, you've always been Shaunie to me." He smirked as he let his arms drop back to his sides and walked him back to where he'd been sitting and working on some new designs. "Uh oh, let's see the damage so I know what I'm workin' with." Colton sat down at his little desk and leaned back in his chair, tattooed arms folding behind his head. For someone who was all sunshine and rainbows, you wouldn't necessarily know that by looking at him. Colton was covered in ink from his neck down to his waist. "Growin' up wasn't really part of my plan but ten years later and here I am." The last time he'd seen Shaun, his twin Kelly Anne had still been alive. It was crazy to think it had been that long. "I'm sure Austin told you about Kel...?" He wanted to get that out of the way now so that he wouldn't have to talk about it anymore. It might have happened nine years ago but Colton still felt that loss heavy in his chest.

"Hey, I wasn't complaining," Shaun raised his palms towards Colton jokingly in defense, scanning over the equipment and the set up he had going for him. It looked elaborate and professional - there was a sense of pride in Shaun seeing how far Colton had come. "Alright, but save the judgment, yeah? Prison can get boring and you make some dumbass decisions, okay?" Twisting up the short sleeved shirt he was wearing until it revealed a really bad tattoo of a dolphin wearing a sombrero, Shaun was quick to shake his head and speak before Colton. "Don't even ask, I dunno what I was thinking either," But come to think of it, this was now just a memory he laughed at, but still wanted covered up. As he brought up Kelly Anne, Shaun's smile somewhat faltered. He wasn't sure what to say. "Yeah, bits and pieces, but I dunno much," He admitted, knowing it was a hard topic to breach. No amount of years gone by just erased that. He left it out in the open in case Colton wanted to share, but he was not going to ask first.