colt has been through a lot in his lifetime. he had a questionable childhood. it wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t great either. he was pretty badly behaved and eventually raised by a single mother after his parents divorced. he was a highschool drop out and went straight to stunt work since he was seventeen years of age, wasn’t even an adult yet. it’s all colts ever known. he got mixed in with bad people, broke his back and temporarily put his life on pause for eighteen months. he came back to hell. colt’s life somehow spiralled even more, he was nearly killed several times… accused and framed of murder, got tortured, waterboarded, beaten to pulp. somehow he managed to recover from all of that and had been somewhat living a normal life again. things were good with jody, they went back to work. she directed the movies and he did all the stunt work.

THE BRUNETTE SHIFTS awkwardly in place, billowing garment swaying with each movement. “ it's alright. it's isn't your fault, pray obviously. ” she bets shunnamite would know how to style clothes in the world outside of gilead. she always seemed to put together something fashionable, even in the shared colors they all wore. mind can not help but to wander, to think of her friends left behind within the country. what would happen to them? were they all still getting married, running their households as new wives? had shunnamite finally become a green? where was agnes? was she okay?

“uh—” colt doesn’t even know how to answer that properly. he almost immediately stalls and stumbles over his words “no, not a skirt. i meant pants or something. and a t-shirt. casual clothes” from what he’s grasping, things are very different where she’s been. the ‘norms’ are set decades back in time where nothing in modern time even seems right “and no they don’t, it’s— it’s normal here… i don’t know how to explain it. you can wear whatever you’d like. it doesn’t give anyone, especially a man, a reason to be tempted” colt wracks at his brain, desperate for a more competent string of words to leave his mouth

HE'S TRYING, REALLY he is. that much becka is aware of, something she takes into account more & more each day. it must be difficult, to receive a girl like her within his care. the way all adults outside of gilead seemed to look at her was evident. that sense of pity, of something else she couldn't quite place. especially those at the refugee center. what had they told @thefallgvy right before bringing him to her? was he debriefed as she was? were they merely two individuals stumbling blindly through this whole thing? trying to understand each other & the worlds they came from. part of her is certain her dear uncle was not fit for parenthood. that this is a position he never saw himself within. how much of that was the truth?

colt has been through a lot in his lifetime. he had a questionable childhood. it wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t great either. he was pretty badly behaved and eventually raised by a single mother after his parents divorced. he was a highschool drop out and went straight to stunt work since he was seventeen years of age, wasn’t even an adult yet. it’s all colts ever known. he got mixed in with bad people, broke his back and temporarily put his life on pause for eighteen months. he came back to hell. colt’s life somehow spiralled even more, he was nearly killed several times… accused and framed of murder, got tortured, waterboarded, beaten to pulp. somehow he managed to recover from all of that and had been somewhat living a normal life again. things were good with jody, they went back to work. she directed the movies and he did all the stunt work.

“oh, cool” ken mutters along to himself as he follows behind like some sort of lost puppy looking for his owner. he’s not used to the real world in the slightest. and the last time they were here together ken wandered off on his own and discovered a little too much for anyone else’s liking. he’s missed barbie. so much actually. so much to the point that he barely even functions properly. ken really does not have a good day unless barbie looks at him

“ VERY COOL STUFF. ” the correction comes swift, tone light & airy. how could this day get any better? ( "i miss you." ) oh. her smile falls a moment, a sense of sympathy etching into soft features. “ ken... ” arm extends, a gentle hand now placed upon his shoulder. “ i miss you, too, you know. it's still a little weird, waking up here & not in the dreamhouse. not seeing everyone every day, things being more complicated than back in barbieland. being human has so much to adjust to. ” a pause, “ i feel like it may be easier if you were by my side. i know it's selfish to think that, though. human beings are often selfish, i've learned. ” & she was no exception.

selective hearing of whatever it’s called. ken totally zones out until he hears the sweet sound of her voice saying i miss you too. his heart practically grows five sizes then and there. he can feel the swell of his chest and how his brain totally short circuits at the slightest form of affection “yeah? you did? you missed me?” he’s like an excited puppy wagging its tail, proudly smiling at the hand that places itself on his shoulder. god. her touch was so perfect and he yearned for it with every passing second “cool— so cool” it’s a little too late to try and be mr macho man that plays it cool, but he tries anyway. ken wishes that he could stay. he doesn’t care about the others the same way that he cares about her. he wants to be in her presence twenty four seven. he wants to be by her side. he wants her to hold him again and to let that beautiful touch linger for a little longer. ken lets out a loud breath of a sigh that he didn’t even know he was holding in “i would be by your side if you wanted me to be. whatever you need”

REALLY, IS IT any surprise that barbie would be relaying her new experiences of human life to @thefallgvy? one doesn't spend all those years together in barbieland without developing at least some semblance of fondness for ken. perhaps she could never imagine they'd be this close once more, but life has a funny way of surprising you. one moment you're a doll only sometimes annoyed with ken's doting, the next you're a human woman finding it endearing. what a curveball that was. “ gloria is at work, sasha is with some friends. ” she hardly knows where gloria's husband is. he was merely away from the home. that was all barbie needed to know, right?

“oh, cool” ken mutters along to himself as he follows behind like some sort of lost puppy looking for his owner. he’s not used to the real world in the slightest. and the last time they were here together ken wandered off on his own and discovered a little too much for anyone else’s liking. he’s missed barbie. so much actually. so much to the point that he barely even functions properly. ken really does not have a good day unless barbie looks at him

───── open .

it takes colt a little while to notice. he’s totally day dreaming, off in his own head thinking about something that had happened at work a few days. the noise of the crowd around him goes quiet, but his eyes lock on to a figure standing across at the other platform. he too is surrounded by people— and smoking around them. colt quit that a few months ago. sometimes he still struggles with it

only colt seavers would smile at being called unbearable. he knew that he was slowly chipping away at this idea, getting closer an closer to a yes, or at least something along the lines of a yes. whatever it is— he’ll take it. a stunts a stunt, who was he to complain? “i think you mean irresistible, not unbearable. but okay” he states with a smug look on his face, chuckling to himself

jody could see the way that his face lit up with excitement when he finally got his way and she agreed to his idea. that in itself was more than enough to make her question her own decisions . “ don’t be so pleased with yourself . ” she mumbled , rolling her eyes despite that fact that she was unable to hide that hint of amusement .

“you won’t regret it, i promise you right now” colt stands up from the couch, a beaming smile on his face, he’s not so drowsy and tired from the hours of work now. he walks over to jody and wraps his arms around her for a tight hug “i could kiss you right now” colt doesn’t realise how it sounds until the words leave his mouth, then he’s letting out an awkward choke of a laugh, pulling away “not that i-. i won’t. that’s not what i meant. i’m not gonna try kiss you”

“please?” he asks with a stupid grin, really pushing his luck. it seems like a pretty firm no. but he’s gotten no’s to several stunt ideas before, and they’re the ones that end up in the movies “ oh come on. that was one time and it was an accident, i’ll be in full control of it this time. not some wires with a guy operating it. i’m your best driver ”

that grin . he was making it increasingly difficult for jody to stay irritated with him , but nonetheless she listened — his first victory . of course she wanted the movie to look brilliant , but was it worth sacrificing colt ?

only colt seavers would smile at being called unbearable. he knew that he was slowly chipping away at this idea, getting closer an closer to a yes, or at least something along the lines of a yes. whatever it is— he’ll take it. a stunts a stunt, who was he to complain? “i think you mean irresistible, not unbearable. but okay” he states with a smug look on his face, chuckling to himself