#mscandystriper

        ❛  Oh, I think we did .. but I wouldn’t worry too much about it. No one was around at the time,  ❜ to any sort of bystander, the conversation could quite literally be taken as something only couples behind closed doors could spout so openly, but that wasn’t the case, really. It was a free for all as far as Nicholai was concerned, purely to see whether or not the brunette had it in her to continue. He fought against the urge to let his lip curl upward ; his amusement was fast stepping above and beyond but he kept a straight face as long as he could. After choosing to offer her a little insight as to what they had spent the night before doing, the colour had drained from her face, and it looked to him as though she wished she could stick her head in the sand. He wasn’t always ashamed that easily, though, so it was pure comedy to see her reaction to the news. 

        ‘  emergency garbage,  ‘ he answered, that knowing look falling upon his face as he turned to her. To him, it was absolutely necessary that he could pull such a lever whenever uninvited guests decided to torment - most of whom spent hours at a time on the other side of his door, tossing snowballs and,when he did not react, heavy objects that could have caused some damage had he actually stepped out to confront them.

            ‘  I love you as I never loved before, since first I met you on the village green, come to me or my dream of love is o'er, I love you as I loved you, when you were sweet .. when you were sweet sixteen,  ‘ his voice swept over soft & gentle hums of a melody the pair had danced to on their wedding night all those years ago, as arms wound around - holding her tight to his frame, unwilling to let go of the one thing in the world he doted on. Today was her birthday... and unlike the others over years gone by, Jasper was home to spend it with her, not out working on the docks. Both of them had saved up enough with time to have days like these, only to themselves, shutting out the world. ‘  I ‘ope that ye havin a grand day, love.  ‘

   Jackie knew what she was suggesting, though. He was fully aware that his girl was constantly worrying for him and his well being, given the odd jobs that his brother handed down to him every once in a while, but it was with that loyalty to Frankie, that he hadn’t considered moving out of Hell’s Kitchen yet. Perhaps it would benefit a great deal, the pair of them, or anyone for that matter, but he was tied too closely to what he thought was right - so much so, he often neglected the reasons behind her wanting to move. Raising the half finished pint to his lips, he turned a curious eye toward the woman almost nestled so closely beside him and grinned, an arm draping to rest over her shoulders, pulling her in a little tighter as though that would calm the roaring waves of fear forever bubbling inside of her. ‘  Maybe one day, we can pack up, say goodbye to this hell hole and find us a nice place in the country somewhere, yea? Away from all the shit.  ‘

  Bodhi couldn’t comprehend that, simply because he was more fearless now than he had ever been as a young boy. He supposed that had a great deal to do with his findings over recent years, that had led him down such an overwhelming path of understanding, he could no longer fret over even the largest of problems. His childhood for the most part had been one of great freedom, given that his parents were themselves wayseers and more for all the good in change and enlightenment, than the world would usually accept. Most people were afraid of the sort of reality that it walked hand in hand with, because it broke them from those bonds of being tied to something that was steady and sure. Finding your own footsteps in a world where there is much to learn was always difficult - but for him, he felt every crash of a wave and every push of a gale, until he landed where he wanted to be.

      Malachi simply dropped his own papers down onto the coffee table in front of them, biting back the grin that was fast forming on his otherwise pursed lips, due to the approaching distraction they were about to endure.. all because he couldn’t refrain from kissing those bittersweet, self-pity pouring lips. Swinging one leg around till he’d found a comfortable enough position on his side of the sofa, he leaned across to her, half pinning the woman; his hands pressed into the cushions beneath her for support so as not to crush her. He found some complacency, in those few moments that rolled by, where upon he remained hovering over her even as he pulled away, just to sit back on his knees and watch her with mild curiosity———the lit professor was waiting on some kind of reaction that would let him know, even in the smallest of ways, he might have stamped out any of those woeful remarks.

             ‘ Damn right we didn’t, ‘ he almost bellowed the words, turning with a stunned expression             toward the woman he loved, hoping to find the same reaction from her. Luckily, she was at             least half amused by the predicament. He was too, but his concern for his daughter swiftly             sent him headfirst into protective father mode. The playarea seemed safe and secure, so it             was certainly a surprise to find that rules had been placed down as well.. which they had             to find out in the worst possible way— as they were both approached by a pouting Bri who             looked as though she had just been told off big time; something neither of her parents EVER             did. ‘  C’mere babe,  ‘ he cooed, kneeling until the toddler ran pointedly toward him, wrapping             her tiny arms around him as best she could whilst Col rubbed circles against her back. ‘  Did             they ‘ave a go at yer? Wha’ did yer do to make ‘em mad, tinkerbell?  ‘