#he's... trying

Gabriel never really liked the uppermost level of Bay City, all its bright, shining opulence trying to catch your attention everywhere you turned, all that wealth thrown around so casually. He never really felt at ease here. But there was a job to be done, and often enough that job involved venturing upwards to try and hound corporate suits into saying something more interesting than whatever the company line happened to be this month. A job that, today, hadn’t been terribly successful. He’d managed to get one or two revealing remarks out of the representative, but after a long interview comprised largely of dry corporate talking points, it hardly felt rewarding.

What he really needed, Gabe decided as he left the building, was a drink and maybe something to eat. Something he would usually make his way back to one of his usual haunts in the middle city for. But he wasn’t really in the mood for small talk (not that he ever was, really), and something appealed to him about being where no one knew him, even if it meant tolerating the upper city and its overpriced fare a little longer.

He picked the place more or less at random, it had been a while since he’d been to this part of town for anything other than business, and got a seat at the bar. It was a little trendy for his tastes - most of them were - but it seemed as good a place as he was going to find to unwind a little. He ordered a manhattan from the synthetic bartender, and began to settle in, considered listening over some of the audio while details were still fresh in his mind, when he saw a flash familiar face from across the bar.

For a moment, he thought he must have imagined it. What were the chances, right? But then he flicked his image enhancement on, just to be sure, and there he was, without a doubt. Elliot Anderson. Gabe looked to the door, Elliot probably hadn’t seen him yet. He could just abandon the drink and find some other place to be and save them both the trouble but... he didn’t. The bartender brought him his drink, he thanked her, and tried to just think about work but his eyes keep wandering across the bar.

‘Damn it‘, Gabe thought, and stood, drink in hand. What he and Elliot had was a mess, something he really should have known better than to get involved in the first place, and yet... he cares. He worries. And the rumors he hears the entertainment columnists chattering about in the elevator really haven’t been helping. ‘We’re adults. We can handle a simple hello.’

“Elliot,” he said by way of greeting, sounding stiffer than he meant to. “It’s... it’s been a while. How have you been?”

still, the sentiment stays. he's too lowborn to be o' any kin to any lord or lady high — now face-to-face with the king of the north, arya's eldest brother, the difference is obvious. it makes him feel ashamed, so much so that as he bows his head, it is done cautiously rather than its usual reluctance. on a tong he's holding, gendry's fingers move to circle around it — squeezing in tandem. surely this king won't 'ave his head for not bein' able to save his sister then, surely this king won't be cruel ( not until after the war o' the wights ) to prosecute him for all the ways he couldn't protect arya, and how he abandoned her.

❛ we're   — old friends. that's all. i swear it. ❜

" What am I gonna do with you, Jim ? " the woman hissed angrily. She has half a mind to outright smack him, the stunt he pulled to get them out the gate nearly costed the man his life and now she was left to patch him up with what little supplies the realms granted them. " You're an idiot. You know that ?? I could have lost you !! " // @tothearx

to  say  that  jim  hated  these  trials  were  an  understatement.  how  the  hell  did  he  even  up  in  here  ?  he  didn’t  even  remember  anymore.  with  how  crazy  his  life  had  been  these  past  few  years,  it  really  could  have  been  anything.  and  he  was  trapped  in  a  gulag  for  an  extended  period  of  time.

still,  as  much  as  he  hated  it,  he  was  glad  joyce  was  here.  this  was  a  shitty  situation  to  be  in,  but..  .  at  least  they  both  know  where  each  other  were.  as  shitty  as  that  thought  was.  at  least  he  knows  he’ll  always  be  there  to  protect  joyce.  that’s  all  that  mattered  to  him  now.

   MUR.DOC’S BIRTHDAY 2K18!

   There are only a handful of people allowed to touch the nefarious Mr. Niccals in such a way, and thankfully for 2D? He’s among them. Still, there’s a grimace to be found on the older man’s face as he’s pulled flush to his singer’s side, a low growl emitting from the back of his throat. Call it a defence mechanism of sorts. Sure he doesn’t mind 2D’s hugs like he used to, but he’s not sure if loving embraces are ever going to be his thing. And so Murdoc shoots him a dirty look, but doesn’t make any move to push him away - a far cry from how he would’ve reacted twenty-odd years ago.

   “Yeah, yeah, I knoooow. Murdoc is getting on in years! He’s an old man now so let’s all oooogle at him! Sod off.” He rolls his eyes, huffing, before waving a bony finger at him. “But I’ll have you know that dermatologists have offered me millions to learn the secret to my youthful appearance, and I always tell them the same thing…”

   His train of thought gets lost somewhere along the way as 2D pulls out not one, but three boxes of Lucky Lungs cigarettes. Easily something he could’ve picked up at the store himself, but is he going to say no to free fags? Absolutely fucking not! With a big smile on his face, Muds reaches over, taking the boxes from his friend and holding them to his chest. “Cheers, mate! That’ll save me a trip or two to the drugstore. Good thinking. Maybe I’ll even let you bum some of these if I have any left over.”