#soloveya

heugh comes alive during the holidays in a way that's soooo big that he's kind of embarrassed of himself ; if you know him and you're lucky, you can catch the instant he's about to start getting super excitable while preparing to decorate or get the kids involved --- it's become more restrained now that he's gotten older and knows how to do these things, but it's nonetheless very , very cute to see that incredibly human side of him thats more detracted from his consistent state of masking. there was more matching costumes when the kids were babies or younger and was still up for that kind of thing. nowadays they hold a household raffle to see what the gag is going to be for that year. things are a lot more coordinated now that the kids have more of a voice. it's gonna break his heart when they start insisting they're too old for that. trick or treating is heugh's lifeblood. he alternates every year between going trick or treating with the kids, and giving out the candy depending on his baseline. heugh is doing christmas shopping all year round so jot that down. it's not a big love language for heugh, but it is something he has a lot of fun doing when it's the holiday season to do so with gift giving. he pays attention.

apps

he's using one that notifies you of restaurants and local grocers that have great deals on meals that have not been picked up by customers at the end of the day and are pretty much reduced in price significantly to those on a first come first serve basis - he likes to tell his older kids about it so they can let him know whether or not they want to pick it up for their lunch the following day . there's also a buy nothing community app he uses semi regularly to both give and receive unwanted free items. to be honest heugh's not really on his phone a lot . there's the standard social media, fb, twitter , etc photos he's such an old guy lol, lots of scenic pics throughout his travels, sometimes nature pics of the wildlife he runs across and any plants that catch his eye . he's not wholly comfortable with keeping pictures of the people he loves on his phone for obvious reasons . but he does keep some stuff he sees on the internet , products , memes , articles , etc that reminds him of them so he can remember to show it to them / talk to them about it the next time he runs across them . quality time is his love language . notes incomprehensible . miscellaneous numbers and letters that verge on looking familiar maybe an address or math problem maybe , a code to a verification thing, who knows . little reminders for menial things , and some of the more surface level parts of his job . emojis he really enjoys the thumbs up emoji . also this guy :^)

Nikolae follows her gaze, and indeed sees what she does. Orange and white, its whiskers glow as it walks through the same sunbeam it has followed all afternoon, the same sunbeam that has been making a solemn march across the floor to a dirge that none can hear. The ancient marble of his ancestral home looks so dingy, so bleak in stark sunlight, as if that golden light shows its true nature. Strays are not unheard of in Mokrija -- it's more that the individual is only seen once.

"Does it bother you?" he asks, himself unsure of what exactly he means. He scans her features for a response, and finds none. She is so difficult to read, even for one as learned as he. He sighs, and turns back towards the window, careful to stand clear of the sunlight. It hurts his eyes even to look, but he hates to show any weakness before her. "I'm not inclined to kick it out myself, you know. In past times, Mokrija had a horrible rat problem." The tile beneath his feet shifts ever so slightly, laughing at their private joke. "Letting in the strays rectifies that." He looks over to her again, something pointed in his gaze, his mouth pressed into a tight grin.

you're such a violent high, i'm such a loose cannon, can't you see? (x)

" 𝐲𝐞𝐚 . you can be pretty rotten . " but so could his kids . so could the fucking cat . but mable still brought him garlands made from red clover and dandelions when the sun was out and they had the lawn to themselves , and every once in a while that damn animal would bump it's head on his wrist , and as he always did , heugh would scratch it's chin . and when it wouldn't be either of those things anymore , it would be something different , and that was still good . that was just the way it was going to be . " still ain't the worst i've ever seen . "

if it's a threat, it doesn't go unnoticed, but if it's a passing comment, Iena swills what's left of the scotch in her glass and huffs out a quiet laugh. it's not the first time she's heard that — perhaps less violent than it comes across as, but the sentiment remains. she can do wonders with a length of rope, but it doesn't quite land in the same way, or with the same intention.

a carefree shrug rolls through her shoulders and Iena crosses one leg over the other when she places the tumbler back down on the desk between them.

"as am i. though i assume that's less publicised." oh, the likes of IesIie wiIIis would have a field day — she trashes her enough in the media without adding fuel to the fire, but Iena refuses to be cowed by a thinly-veiled threat that sounds more like a good time than anything. (shit, did she say that out loud? no. good. keep them guessing. straighten your back. for the love of god, keep supergirI out of your mouth. IiIIian has taught her the ins and outs of managing threats. stratagem.)