𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 ╱ 𝑴𝑨𝑻𝑻𝑬𝑹.

𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠  📚   𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒆.

name  :   theodore ‘teddy’ che

age  :   thirty-two ( born sept 25th )

gender & pronouns  :   cis man & he / him

neighborhood  :   outpost

occupation  :   high school english teacher

faceclaim  :   henry golding

about.     wanted.     pinterest.

closed starter for @teddyche​ because we love having multiple threads in this house /  valentine’s event 2022 - ironbend ranch picnic movie night. 

it had seemed like the perfect opportunity to break her out of her current dating funk; donate some money to the booster club, have a fun date. even if she was paired with someone incompatible, it was an experience, and charlotte never backed down from those. 

finding out that her match was teddy was more than a surprise - she’d felt her heart jump in her chest slightly, her eyes opened wide as she tried to process. it wasn’t that she didn’t like teddy - it was more the opposite. she liked him too much; but they were co-workers, and friends, and while she wanted that one true love, she wasn’t going to risk what she did have with teddy to take a risk on something that would probably crash and burn. 

( as if he’d even want her - highly educated and brilliantly funny and sweeter than any other guy she’d met, he could have anyone he wanted and probably liked smart girls who read important literature and watched documentaries. ) 

but instead of canceling, like she probably should have, she had texted teddy and asked if he wanted to join her for the movie at the ranch. it was a neutral enough activity - something friends did - and seeing him outside the halls of the school might help crush her crush. they would even arrive separately, charlotte packing the snacks and blanket in a tote bag she had on her shoulder as she waited for him, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. and when he did arrive - looking even more dashing than he had any right to - she couldn’t help but beam, half jogging to meet up with him and throwing her arm around him in a quick hug. 

“i’m glad we had an excuse to finally see each other outside of work,” she said with a bright smile in greeting, tucking her curls behind her ears as she did. “sometimes i feel like we’re both too busy and never get to hang out.” 

.

𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 had been observed with the usual ceremony of someone left at the altar by their girlfriend of ten years.  dodger in his lap.  lots of bulk-ordered cadbury.  repeated facetimes to his happily married older sister,  who had hired a sitter for the occasion  --  valentine’s,  not the first annual unraveling of her newly single sibling.  looking back,  teddy would come to think of february 14th,  2021 as the last of the bad days.

now  --  exactly three hundred and sixty-five later  --  he was a new man.

apparently,  teddy 2.0 was the sort of gent who put his romantic fate in the hands of the iron river booster club.  truth be told,  he had tossed his hat in the ring with virtually no expectations  --  a date with mrs. peabody herself would redeem last year’s fiasco  --  and had forgotten about it altogether until two days ago,  when he received the text.  funny enough,  it was from a number already in his contacts.

the town matchmakers had pulled out all the stops with charlotte jackson.  not only was she his favorite co-worker,  teddy already knew they’d have a great time together.  needless to say,  there were worse faces to see first thing in the morning.  they made plans to meet for a movie at ironbend ranch,  and as he pulls up to the clearing  --  perpetually fifteen minutes early  --  he’s pleasantly surprised to find her already waiting,  the large bag slung over her shoulder mirroring his own.  superb  --  the more snacks,  the merrier.

she goes in for a hug and he leans into the embrace,  popping a quick kiss on her cheek for good measure before pulling back,  slightly flustered.  he hadn’t been nervous at all on the drive over,  but standing face-to-face,  those familiar first date nerves start to ignite.  “  odd,  isn’t it ?  ”  he chuckles,  deciding to welcome the strangeness of it all.  “  i feel like at any moment,  a gaggle of teenagers are going to pop out from behind a tree and accuse us of being secret lovers.  shall we ?  ”  a tilt of the head indicates the expanse before them,  the sprawling green dotted with couples and families alike.  “  just so you know  --  as my date,  i fully expect you to duel for the best seats in the house.  ”

tinder had been a means to an end for bex. she was tired of the bar scene, and cycling through the men ( and women ) of iron river from the comfort of her own desk or her own bed had been a gift. most of them had wanted what she wanted, a casual hook up that had nothing else going for it. but sometimes someone got through the walls she put up and she was willing to give them a chance.

teddy che was apparently the exception to the rule. he’d gotten through to her, he made her laugh, and their conversations always seemed to leave her with a genuine smile on her face. it was… disgusting, in a word, but bex wanted to explore it further. she’d agreed to meet him at neon moon saloon for their date, and she was nervous as all hell. bex bailey didn’t get nervous over dates… but apparently there was a first time for everything.

she walked in with an air of confidence that was only skin deep, and she recognized him immediately. he was hyper focused on pac-man, and something about that impressed her. he wasn’t trying to be cool or above it all, he was unironically enjoying everything the saloon had to offer. she couldn’t hide her smile as he finally pulled his attention away from the game, “hi,” she tried to stop her smile from growing as he kissed her cheek, and she pulled back to look at him, “not too long… but long enough to see you do that dance.”

.

𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐝-𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐳𝐞 of the saloon,  bex was just as lovely as her pictures.  the thought was shallow,  too shallow to ever see the light of day,  but teddy had encountered an alarming number of catfish in the iron river dating pool and had learned to manage his expectations.  if bex was bex  --  great.  if bex was a sixty-eight year old trucker named jim-bob,  he’d play a few more rounds of pac-man and call it an early night.  either way,  a win.

thankfully,  bex was not jim-bob,  and his victory dance was nothing he couldn’t come back from.  “  oh,  you were meant to see that.  ”  his grin only deepens as the fib rolls off his tongue.  despite everything,  teddy can’t find it in himself to feel embarrassed.  it was why the saloon had become his go-to first date spot.  if someone couldn’t accept him at his ridiculous,  they didn’t deserve him at his slightly less ridiculous.  “  might as well show the dork card straight away  --  means i can only get cooler from here.  ”

without another word,  he steers them towards the nearest token machine,  fondness etched across his features as he observes their surroundings.  here  :  a swimming pool-sized bathtub,  the saloon’s main attraction and centerpiece of his tinder profile.  there  :  an adults-only bounce house,  hours of fun without the risk of kicking a toddler in the face.  “  this is my favorite place in town,  ”  he muses,  feeding a few crisp twenties into the machine.  “  i know it’s just coin-ops and flip-cup tables,  but there’s something about it.  especially on nights like this.  it’s like it’s alive.  ”

reblog & bold whichever applies to your muse !

HOBBIES

[[BEN, TANER & TEDDY]]

Ben: I really need a beer.

Ben: Paid by @Tan, for blowing that last round last week.

Ben: We should drop trivia. Take up...fishing.

Tan: Makes two of us.

Tan: Whatever, but we're doing shots then. My wallet, my rules.

Tan: How about golf?

Teddy: I'm game.

Teddy: Just not the Steeldriver. I always feel as though the barman's making fun of me.

         Naija couldn’t say that this was the first time she’d found herself in this situation. The lifestyle she’d chosen to partake in made for these type of scenarios to become harrowingly familiar. Luckily the person she’d flagged down stopped rather than sped off. Instinctively, she leaned back against her car as she assessed the man before he approached any closer. The torch provided little information other than his voice to go by and her flight or fight instinct had begun to battle it out. But he moved to her tire and the inspection of the flat left her with a chance to take him in. He seemed.. normal. Wasn’t that what they said about ted bundy? 

“No injures.” At least not physically but the same couldn’t be said about her car. Glancing back at her car, she nodded her head in defeat. She didn’t want to inconvenience him with waiting with her until the tow truck arrived and she preferred not to be out here alone. “That would be great. I’ll glad my coat and jacket.” Opening her car door, she leaned inside and pulled out her belongings before locking it. “I’m Naija, by the way. Naija Wiggins. I appreciate you stopping and not being weird, though i’m hoping it’s not too early to make that assumption.”

.

“  𝐰𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 ?  ”  aside from its title and proximity,  teddy was only slightly familiar with the local college.  he’d heard the name tossed around his classroom during athletic seasons  (  “ did you catch the wiggins - georgia tech game last night?  ”  ),  and there were a few half-written letters of recommendation to the dean of admissions on his desk,  awaiting his signature.  iron river was small,  but surely there was no relation.  “  i’m teddy,  and i’d like to think i’m at least normal adjacent  --  though my students might say otherwise.  i teach english at iron river high,  if the whole everything about me wasn’t a tip off.  ”  he waits patiently as she grabs her belongings before strolling back towards the convertible.  winding around the passenger side,  he pries open the door (  it required a bit of effort in its old age;  he usually skipped the formalities and hoisted himself in the old-fashioned way  )  and gestures gallantly.  “  after you,  naija wiggins.  ”

“Three things, weekend, only place open past three, and you’re right between the police station, firehouse, and hospital,” he laughed. “People watching here alone is crazy on a quiet night, but honestly you’re helping me out because if those sorority girls ask me again to see my fire hose, I will, and I am not kidding, set this place on fire and make it look like an accident,” Bear chuckled. There was no way in hell he’d do that but he was at that level of completely over the typical fireman pick up lines. No, he wasn’t a stripper, no, he wasn’t a month in a calendar, and no, they couldn’t see his fire hose. Noticing the server’s assumption, “Don’t take it personal I think it comes with the order at this time of night,” he motioned to the water and advil. Taking a sip of his own Coke he nodded slowly, “Yea you know it?” He joked, most of the time he got the “you’re not from here” look but without the placement. “Did I give it up asking for my ‘kah-keys’?” Bear asked as he checked out the guy across from him, “You a Harvard dick?” It was meant as an endearing tone, reminiscent of a time gone by, plus his brother would have definitely beat this guys ass, well, at least one of his brothers would have.  

.

“  𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦,  don’t they ?  i blame the village people.  or magic mike.  probably the latter.  ”  the uni crowd was certainly a wild bunch,  holding court two tables away among a throng of empty cups and burger baskets.  most of them weren’t much older than the students he taught each day.  teddy shudders at the thought,  mentally handing out detention slips as a girl in a bright pink parka tosses a chip at the poor waitress.  “  preventing a local hero from committing arson.  there’s my good deed for the day !  ”  chuckling softly,  he reaches for his glass and takes a long,  hearty gulp.  maybe tina knew something he didn’t because,  pissed or not,  the ice cold water goes down like a dream.  giving their surroundings another onceover,  teddy spots several night owls passed out in their porridge,  victims of exhaustion or revelry.  with a slow,  understanding nod,  his attention returns to the man with the unmistakable accent.  those round vowels were the last thing he’d expected to hear in georgia of all places,  but the cacophony of consonants is music to his ears.  “  class of 2010.  go crimson.  ”  a rush of pride moves through him,  less for his alma mater itself than what it represented at the time.  a fresh start;  a new beginning.  “  a mate of mine used to say the boston alphabet is 25 letters  ---  the R was eaten by angry sox fans.  ”

closed starter for @teddyche​ / at the school 

getting lunch duty was almost like getting detention for teachers - in fact, charlotte would have preferred supervising detention, because then she could be mostly guaranteed not to get mashed potatoes in her hair. 

“who’d you piss off to get stuck here,” she said with a grin, sliding over to the post where teddy was keeping an observant eye on the cafeteria. “because i think i’m going to make a basket for ever daring to argue with principal vesper about the budget if it means i don’t have to watch out for flying pizza again.” 

.

“  𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 --  𝐢 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅,  ”  he confesses,  keeping a wary eye on two of his third period juniors,  who were in the progress of splitting up for the fourth time this month.  so far,  no one had gotten strawberry milk poured down their trousers,  but the lunch period was still young,  and teddy was prepared to spring into action the second he caught a glimpse of pink carton.  “  someone heated up salmon in the faculty lounge last week and it still reeks of fish in there.  tell me,  miss jackson  :   why is it always the maths department ?  ”

Where: Grind Co. Who: @teddyche​

Birdie didn’t get to step away from the studio that often, or rather, she didn’t let herself step away, but she was in desperate need for a coffee since her machine at home was currently out of order. She had placed her order and found a seat with her coffee in hand. She was minding her own business, lost in a game on her phone when she felt something land by her feet. She looked down to see a wallet and she picked it up, looking around for a moment before spotting the person in must have belonged to. “I think you dropped this.” She said as she held the wallet up.

.

𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐬 warming his palms,  teddy felt as though he’d left the house sans-pants that morning.  the first half of the school day was spent in utter disrepair,  and by the time lunch rolled around,  he had no choice but to make a mad dash for the nearest café.  grind co. couldn’t brew a proper cup of tea to save their lives,  but coffee would do in a pinch.  he shuffles from foot-to-foot as the hour ticks by,  wishing he’d settled for the keurig in the faculty lounge.  but just as he reaches the front of the line,  he realizes his wallet’s gone missing.  teddy gives himself a panicked pat-down,  ready to declare this the worst day ever,  when his guardian angel swoops in.  “  ah,  there you are.  ”  relief washes over him as he accepts the wallet and gives his savior a gracious grin.  “  seeing as you’ve just saved me a trip to the DMV,  among other horrible places  --  may i refill your cup ?  ”

“Jesus, Che.” Ben chuckled at Teddy’s antics. Coming back to the city, he hadn’t really expected making new friends—reconnecting with old ones, sure. But to him, Iron River had never felt like a place made for truly new people, and yet here stood Teddy; nobody’s sibling, definitely not a prodigal son returning; he was just a guy who decided to set roots all by himself. Blake couldn’t say he understood, but he was glad for it.

“Well, I’ll want the frosted flakes.“ He pointed at the blue Kellogg’s box. "But seeing as you have about the exact same taste in food as Ellie, you’ll want the Froot Loops.” Ben pushed the bright red box with the brightly smiling toucan he had in his lap into Teddy’s hand. “Ellie just turned six, by the way. Kinda like you, man.”

.

“  𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮  --  my taste is far better than ellie’s.  ”  feigning offense,  one hand clutches his wounded heart while the other happily accepts ben’s offering and drops it in the trolley.  “  enjoy your old man cereal.  i hope you two will be very happy together.  ”  with a touch more finesse,  he hands over the frosted flakes before making a beeline for the box of strawberry pop-tarts currently calling his name.  all of his favorite breakfast foods in one place  --  this really was heaven.

“  six is a great age.  six doesn’t secretly film your one-man rendition of hamlet and upload it to tiktok under the name coolteacher69.  ”  while his viral depiction of gertrude as hamlet’s momager was inspired,  he really could’ve gone without finding a link to the performance in his harvard alumni group chat.  weeks later,  they were still cracking jokes about it.  “  teenagers are cruel.  toucan sam is my only friend.  ”

𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 of living alone and teddy had yet to master the art of ordering  (  or shopping,  if his obscene grocery hauls were any indication  )  for one.  the moment he opened his front door to two massive bags stuffed to the brim with to-go boxes,  he knew he’d mucked it up yet again.  there was enough nasi ayam and chicken satay to feed a family of eight.  after having his fill and setting aside a portion for lunch tomorrow,  he sat at the island,  helplessly staring down a mountain of malaysian food.  the idea hits and he springs into action,  grabbing his coat from the banister and winding a scarf around his neck.  it was likely ill-advised to brave the elements during a storm,  but he was only going across the street.  besides,  boston winters were far more ruthless than iron river’s attempt at a blizzard,  and he’d endured them just fine.

after a few minutes of trudging through the unplowed snow,  he finds himself at nisa’s door,  balancing a bag of leftovers in the crook of his elbow.  “  confession,  ”  he leads as the door swings open,  hitting him with a much-appreciated gust of warmth.  “  i ordered way too much takeaway.  ”  it had only been a few hours since they ran into each other,  stuck in line at horizons amidst a throng of panicked townsfolk.  at least this time,  his features were flushed from the cold.  “  i remember you mentioning something about a work deadline whilst we were dealing with supermarket snowmageddon,  so i thought i’d drop off some dinner for you and cemre.  it’s halal  --  and delicious,  if i do say so myself.  ”

BOLD what applies to your muse.

PLACE IN SOCIETY

financial: wealthy / moderate / poor / in poverty.

medical: fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged.

education: qualified / unqualified / studying.

criminal record: yes, for major crimes / yes, for minor crimes / no.

FAMILY

married - happily / married - unhappily / engaged or betrothed / partnered / single / divorced / separated.

has had a child or children / has no children / wants children.  

close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) / has no siblings / sibling(s) is deceased.

orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by birth parent(s).

TRAITS + TENDENCIES

extroverted / introverted / in between.

disorganized / organized / in between.

close minded / open-minded  / in between.

calm / anxious / in between.

disagreeable / agreeable / in between.

cautious / reckless / in between.

patient / impatient / in between.

outspoken / reserved / in between.

leader / follower / in between.

empathetic / unemphatic / in between.

optimistic / pessimistic / in between.

traditional / modern / in between.

hard-working / lazy / in between.

cultured / un-cultured / in between 

loyal / disloyal / in between.

faithful / unfaithful / unknown.

BELIEFS:

monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic.

belief in ghosts or spirits: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care.

belief in an afterlife: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care.

belief in reincarnation: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care.

belief in aliens: yes  / no / don’t know / don’t care.

religious: orthodox / liberal / in between / not religious.

philosophical: yes / no.

OPINIONS

pro-choice / anti-abortion /  doesn’t know or on the fence.

pro-marriage / anti-marriage / doesn’t know or on the fence.

pro-death penalty / anti-death penalty  / doesn’t know or on the fence.

pro-drug legislation / anti-drug legislation / doesn’t know or on the fence.

SEXUALITY + ROMANTIC INCLINATION

heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual.

sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favourable.

romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favourable.

sexually: adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious.

potential sexual partners: male / female / agender / other / none / all.

potential romantic partners: male / female / agender / other / none / all.

ABILITIES

combat skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none.

literacy skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

artistic skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

technical skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none.

HABITS

drinking alcohol: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

smoking: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. 

other narcotics: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

medicinal drugs: never / sometimes  / frequently / to excess. 

indulgent food: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. 

splurge spending: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.  bex bailey,  31.  teddy wasn’t sure what bex stood for,  but whatever it was,  he was sure it was fantastic.  from what he’d gathered from their week of back-and-forths and a relatively sparse profile,  she had grown up in iron river and worked as some sort of assistant.

and she was good-looking.  so there was that.

in typical teddy fashion,  he had arrived at the neon moon saloon fifteen minutes early and made a mad dash for the pac-man machine  --  a few rounds with inky,  pinky,  blinky,  and clyde ought to quell the much-anticipated first date jitters.  two years ago,  teddy thought he would never go on another first date again.  now,  he’d been on at least fifty and still went into each one feeling like a giddy schoolboy,  a cocktail of nerves and excitement churning in his abdomen.

the clock strikes eight but he’s fully entranced,  hunched over the coin-op as he navigates the maze with laser focus,  gobbling each dot one by one.  he clears another level and does a little victory jig,  even utters a barely audible whoop ! for good measure.  from behind him,  the sound of an amused chuckle lurches him back to reality.  teddy whirls around to find his date posted against a claw machine,  sizing him up with what he could only hope was approval.  “ hi !  ”  a sheepish grin coaxes across his lips as he steps into her orbit,  moving to press a quick kiss to her cheek.  “  er  . . .  how long have you been standing there ?  ”

open starter / @ironriverstarters

on the side of the street

‘there’s bad people out there, naija’ she could already hear her dad telling her when she pulled over on the side of the road after having felt something bump under the tire and gotten the signal that she had a flat from her dashboard. it took her longer than necessary to get up the nerve to get out of the car, mainly because she was afraid to see what animal she’d run over. 

as long as it wasn’t a pet. maybe not a raccoon because she did find those cute. 

she half-turned when headlights shone in her direction, making her arms wave to get their attention. she could get killed. it was dark and she had an expensive car. But if they’d help her change the tire then she could go home and pretend none of this happened. “thank you for pulling over. I think I hit something and it blew my tire out.” 

.

𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 eighteen months earlier,  he too had found himself standing on the side of the motorway,  waving his hands around like a madman.  teddy had been at his lowest that night,  freshly dumped and driving south with no particular destination.  when plumes of smoke started rising from the hood of his sixty year old aston marton,  he thought for certain he was done for.  but salvation came in the form of a stranger with a tow hitch,  and it was a kindness he’d not soon forget.

this was his chance to return the favor.

cutting the engine,  teddy steps out of his car and uses his iphone’s torch to illuminate the path ahead.  “  are you alright ?  no injuries,  all bones where they’re supposed to be ?  ”  giving the vehicle a quick once-over,  he clocks the flattened tire and nods in understanding.  “  on first blush,  i’d say a nail popped it.  good bit of construction in this area.  ”  wincing slightly,  he casts a glance back towards his own car  --  stunning,  but altogether useless in an emergency.  “  roadside assistance isn’t my strong suit,  but i’m happy to give you a lift to someone more qualified.  ”

Open Starter - @ironriverstarters​

Location - Tina’s 24 Hour Diner

“Thanks,” Bear mumbled slightly. He was starving. Well, starving might have been exaggerating but having been one of three guys at a call that lasted nearly six hours he was hungry, tired, defeated. Someone was burning down old barns. These old barns went up like matchsticks especially ones already containing accelerant in the paint or whatever fertilizer had been left inside. He’d done a quick wash up over at the Firehouse but he was soot-stained head to toe, except for his face. “You’re a doll,” he muttered already shoving greasy fries between his lips. He was sure he stank, but at least he’d tossed on a clean GAFD t-shirt before leaving. A perplexed look stay on his face as he sat quietly. Why all the fires…his first thought had been insurance money but now there’d been near five. This wasn’t a coincidence the world didn’t work that way, so the next step was arson, and if this was arson, who stood to gain what? Most likely wealthy developers wanting to scare some folks off their land. They were doing a good job of it too. Taking a bite of his burger all Bear wanted to do was sleep. Or drink. But the second was out of the question the whole, on duty thing. Checking his watch he was surprised to see the diner as busy as it was this late, or early, depending on how you looked at it. Waving off a few drunk women he chuckled and shook his head going back to the burger, his current, only love. When the next person approached he waved his hand off, “Sorry, not interested, workin tonight -” the Boston accent made it’s appearance before he glanced up, “Heyy, yea, seat’s open, been a while.”

.

𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 going on between his car and the tina’s parking lot,  because every time he tried to turn into his neighborhood after a night out,  he wound up at the 24 hour diner instead.  during his time in boston,  teddy discovered a kind of restlessness only chips and a malted could fix,  and it was just what he needed to ride out the adrenaline of a new high score on the neon moon pinball machine.  twirling his keys around and around his pointer finger,  he steps over the threshold and into the pocket universe that was tina’s after dark,  where the simple act of finding a seat was impossible.  teddy scans the restaurant for a moment,  somewhat helplessly,  searching for someone who wouldn’t bite his head off for interrupting their meal.  “  appreciate the assist.  it’s mad here tonight  --  never seen tina’s this busy.  ”  he slides into the booth across from the soot-covered man,  mulling over the familiar accent as the waitress wordlessly plunks a glass of water and two advil on the table.  apparently,  he had the look of someone fighting off a hangover.  “  is that boston i’m hearing ?  ”

OPEN @ironriverstarters​ LOCATION: grocery store

It was late, but Ben was in desperate need of groceries; he’d been feeding Ellie way too many frozen pizzas, and just the other night his sister had packed her a full dinner course, so he took the hint. And yet, cooking anything slightly more complex than a microwave meal in his kitchen was virtually impossible due to everything in the goddamn apartment being the wrong fucking height. Just like now, he thought as he stared straight at the colorful toucan on the Froot Loops box, his nemesis. The Froot Loops, the Chocolate Puffs, the Lucky Charms, all eye-level, easily where only kids (and wheelchair users) could take them. Not the Frosted Flakes, mocking him from a couple shelves above from where he could reach—no, those were for standing adults only. He was about to spin around and give up on the whole thing when he saw someone walking by. So he swallowed his pride and cleared his throat. “Hey, excuse me.” He turned on his polite smile. “I’m a victim of marketing strategies. Could you give me a hand?”

.

𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 were a frequent occurrence for teddy,  graveyard hours ideal for his preferred level of mindless perusing.  thirty two years into his adult life and still,  the novelty of grocery shopping had yet to wear off.  he could wander the aisles for hours,  leisurely plucking brightly-hued boxes from shelves and tossing them into a heaping trolley,  only to circle back around and replace it with a near identical version.  needless to say,  his methodology wasn’t a crowd favorite,  so when his fellow aisle-dweller clears his throat,  he half expects to hear something along the lines of christ,  mate,  just pick a fucking cereal.

“  happens to the best of us.  ”  relieved to avoid yet another supermarket altercation,  a pleasant peal of laughter slips out as he reaches for the big,  blue box.  “  i mean,  look at my trolley.  nestlé,  lays,  pepperidge farm  --  it’s basically an infographic from an advertising textbook.  ”