I'm a happy little accident waiting to happen

「closed para – @serenafainx​ 」

Victor had found that the problem with being as tall as he was, was that he was unable to get pants long enough. For a bit since coming to Elias, he’d grinned and bore it. Sometimes he showed a healthy amount of ankle. Sometimes he showed off the day’s chosen colorful socks. It was only when he’d accidentally found Serena that he’d found a solution. Today he was in need of a solution. He walked into the cleaners with a pair of pants tucked under his arm, his hair flopping in his face as he waited for her to be available. He grinned when he saw her and waved, ever the awkward child. “Good morning, Miss Fain. I come to you needing help. Again. Think you can save me from having cold ankles?” He held out the pants to her, a soft smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

༶ ⋆

From the corner of her eye, Serena saw the tall, lanky figure enter the shop. Immediately, she knew it was Victor, and from the bundle under his arm, she knew what her next job would be. First, she finished serving her customer, handing her an evening dress that was drycleaned. As the woman left, she grinned as she approached Victor. “Good morning, Mr Van Dort,” she said, taking a hairtie from behind the desk to bring up her hair in a loose bun. She chuckled at his request. “Why, of course! Let’s hope there’s enough fabric at the hem…let’s see…”

She picked up the pair of pants and walked to the other end of the counter, at the cutting table there. Serena checked the hems, flipping them over. “Yes!” she whispered under her breath. “You can bring over the chair, if you’d like,” she gestured at the waiting chairs in the corner. “This won’t take very long. It’s your lucky day, Vic,” she smiled. Serena went to work, finding the perfect seam ripper. “Are these just regular everyday trousers or for a special occasion?”

He pulled the chair up and sank down, crossing one leg over the other as she began to work. “You know if it took a while I wouldn’t mind it. I always enjoy our conversations,” he admitted with a beaming smile. “These are actually for work. I have a little studio downtown and teach piano lessons. My old work trousers were getting worn so I finally caved in and bought some new ones.” He laughed.   “How have you been, m’dear?” he asked, leaning forward in his chair a bit.

“I… don’t know where Howl’s is,” Victor admitted with a laugh. “I was going back to my place after this but I wouldn’t mind helping you find it if you…. Um… if you don’t mind the company?” He offered softly, annoyed at how shy he suddenly felt around the new person he was doing his best to introduce himself to. “Everything big and important seems to be located in the center of town. Maybe we could start there?” He smiled as he introduced himself. “I’m Victor. But feel free to call me Vic. I’ll respond to either.” He started to walk in the direction of downtown. “How are you getting on? I know when I first got here it was a bit of a shock but I’m slowly starting to get used to it. And I love the weather. Where I’m from it was cold and rainy more often than not.” He was rambling but he couldn’t seem to stop himself once he’d gotten started.

          he  didn’t  mind  if  someone  followed  him  while  he  looked  for  where  he  wanted  to  go.   varian  nodded  before  he  realized  that  it  probably  wasn’t  a  real  answer  to  the  question.   “ absolutely ! ”   varian  exclaimed.   he  didn’t  mind  the  company  and  getting  to  meet  new  people  was  nice.   it  had  been  a  long  time  since  he’d  gotten  to  know  a  new  person.   everyone  that  lived  in  his  town  had  been  someone  that’d  he’d  known  since  he  was  little.   this  new  town  was  nice.   “ nice  to  meet  you  vict…   er,   vic. ”   varian  smiled.   “ it’s  very  different  than  my  own  town.   it’s  a  smaller  place.   i  knew  everyone.   oh,  that  sucks.   yeah,   the  weather  here  seems  to  be  nice.   i  kind  of  love  everything  about  a  bigger  town.   there’s  actually  an  apothecary here ! ”   he  grinned  and  said  excitedly.   back  home  there  wasn’t  anything  like  that.   “ where  are  you  from ? ”

Victor was used to being alone. He knew he didn’t have to be anymore but there were days when he liked to wander on his own. Somehow, being alone but not lonely kept him grounded. That’s why he had come to Paradise Pier. It was obvious he wasn’t alone. The pier was full of people enjoying the games and eating greasy fair food and it was… nice to mingle without having to say anything, without getting overwhelmed or flustered. Now, he wandered the beach, his eyes taking in the bonfire in the distance that glowed golden-red against the backdrop of twilight. He felt comforted; like this could be his home for the first time since he’d arrived and it was lovely, freeing even. He’d taken his shoes and socks off and ambled down the beach away from the fire before sitting down close to the surf, letting the water brush up against his skin as he watched the darkness set in and the stars peer out of its cushion to gaze down on him with kidlike eyes. He was so enamored by it all, by the fact that he was experiencing it here and now, that he wasn’t aware that there was anyone else on the beach but him in that moment.

👻 ⠀  ⠀ ⠀  ⠀ ───────────   since   finding   the   journal,   it   wasn’t   often   freddy   found   himself   outside   of   mystery   inc   headquarters.   the   only   time   he   saw   the   outside   world   was   when   either   serena   or   mavis   were   dragging   him   out   for   ghost   adventures.   if   his   time   wasn’t   spent   with   that   he   was   either   thinking   about   how   to   speak   to   daphne   and   velma.   women   were   confusing.   or   maybe   freddy   was   just   too   out   of   touch.   he   had   found   himself   out   on   the   pier.   in   his   entire   time   of   being   in   elias   he   had   probably   visited   the   place   once.   it   was   a   shame   given   how   fun   paradise   pier   was   but   when   had   freddy   allowed   himself   to   enjoy   simple   pleasures?   strolling   along   the   sands,   freddy   saw   a   light   illuminate   in   the   distance.   he   assumed   it   was   a   bonfire.   something   he   hadn’t   attended   since   homecoming   durning   high   school.   it   would   have   been   nice   to   see   for   a   moment.   those   nights   around   the   fire   were   one   of   the   few   fond   memories   he   held.   as   he   stepped   closer   he   saw   a   person   sitting   near   the   fire.   he   looked   around   as   he   approached   to   see   if   others   would   trickle   in   along   with   him   but   no   one   else   seemed   to.      “   are   you   waiting   on   others   ?   ”      freddy   asked   once   he   came   into   view.

The Personal History of David Copperfield (2020)

"What are you doing?" "Medicine. Reviving you."

Victor was probably one of the only people at Elias who fell back to reading his news from a newspaper. Was it antiquated, especially with a small super computer in his pocket? Certainly, but there was something about the feel of the paper underneath his fingertips that grounded him, old habits making him feel less untethered in the busy city. He leaned against a wall, out of the way, as he caught up on things he needed to know when he heard a voice. “Oh, yes. How can I help you? I still get a bit turned around myself but maybe we can figure out where you want to be between the two of us.” He offered with a smile.

          varian  was  not  used  to  feeling  so  lost.   being  in  a  place  where  he  was  new  and  everything  was  not  where  he  expected  it.   a  big  city  was  nice  though,   no  one  here  knows  who  he  was  and  that  was  nice.   varian  didn’t  exactly  like  his  reputation  at  home.   in  elias  he  felt  anonymous,   and  maybe  that  was  slightly  a  bit  dangerous.   and  maybe  varian  was  ready  for  a  bit  of  an  adventure,   even  one  as  chaotic  as  this.   “ well,   i  don’t  have  a  plan  really.   i  mean  i’d  like  to  go  to  howl’s  at  some  point,   but  i  don’t  know  if  that’s  a  today  thing  or  just  in  general.   where  are  you  heading ? ”   he  asked.   he  probably  should  be  friendly  and  introduce  himself.   “ i’m  varian. ”

He chuckled. “Yes… Very special indeed.” He couldn’t word just how wonderful Victoria was to him, especially to a stranger, but he supposed his face said it all. He didn’t see a life worth any meaning without Victoria in it. “Just… checking in, you know?” He exhaled, feeling a happy buzz chase the chill out of his fingertips as he glanced down at him. “No, no you’re fine.” He settled down beside him. “This is a lovely place to do it in. They  really do keep it up nicely. I come here whenever I get a chance.”

Luke smiled at the man before him. Luke reached out and felt the warmth that was behind his every word when he spoke of his significant other. At times Luke wished he had something like that, but with this force and the lingering questions of his father, he felt as if he didn’t have the time to give into someone like that right now. “It is beautiful here. Whenever I feel lost I can come here and well, just feel free for the first time since moving here,” Luke smiled at the man, “I”m not used to this city life no matter how long I’ve been here.”

where: mama ode’s cafe

        velma had been warned ahead of time that downtown elias would be packed on the weekends, but she hadn’t expected to have such a hard time finding a place to sit. after scoping out a couple different restaurants, she finally caught sight of a single open seat in a booth occupied by one. weaving her way through crowds and tables, she made a beeline to the booth, exhaling a dramatic breath as her eyes locked on another’s. 

        she sat down. 

        “ tell me everything you know about this town and i’ll pay you, ” she said as she pulled out her laptop and set it down in front of her..“ five dollars for every piece of information i find useful. ” 

That being said, he wasn’t prepared for someone he didn’t know to join him. She locked eyes with him and he instantly started to squirm; uncomfortable with such extreme eye contact. His discomfort melted into amusement at her words but he waited until she was done talking before he said anything. Eventually he nodded, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing. “Mmmm, I can do that although I’m sure the welcome committee can do it better for less money.” His smile was soft though, to signify that he was joking. “Where should I start? History? Landmarks? I’m an open book.” He ran his hands along to the top of his legs to dry his palms and then placed them on the table.    

Vic smiled as he saw Kit and raised his hand in greeting. “Hello, Kit! You’re looking well.” He watched him as he slid his chair out and took a seat, smiling as he settled in. “I thought the occasion called for it.” He had been doing his best to reach out and make friends and Kit had seemed to him to be genuine and real. It was rare to find in this day and age and he would be lying if he said he didn’t have some kind of comfort from it.

“How have you been? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. I’m trying to get better about reaching out but, as you can see, it’s a work in progress.” He laughed and shook his head. 

*

“It takes all types.” Kit forever tried to look at the bright side… of course, tried was the operative word. For every platitude that exited his mouth, there was an inner discourse to go alongside. His life required a constant reaching out, forever seeking people out when solace might seem more bearable. To hide himself away for only a little while might be a blessing - but minus quick escapes to the forest, he was careful not to hold onto hope. “You are out now.” He grinned. “Between you and I, all traits worth having should stay a work in progress - so you are right in line with the rest of us.”

open starter for: anyone location: outside of the pit stop

jessica was tuning her guitar in between songs. giving a sigh as she looked down at her guitar case. a couple bills and change scattered the bottom but nothing to justify standing in the cool air like this. the brunette gave a slight frown. she wasn’t going to stand out here much longer… until someone tossed a crumbled up reciept into the case. “hey!” she called out only to be laughed at. “why i oughta!” she said brown boots kicking dust up towards the person. 

“shoot! that’s just plain rude, aint it?” she asked the person nearest to her. “guess it’s time to call it a day since i can afford a coffee now.” 

He had been coming to see if perhaps Tyler wanted to go out and just… exist when he came upon a fire and an angry looking boy. “Oh…. well.. I suppose that’s one way to handle it, Tyler….” He said with eyes wide. “Um… I don’t think it works like that…” He walked over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder, carefully, not wanting to upset the volatile man’s mood off any worse than it already had been by the return of the flowers. “Hey… look at me,” he said softly “Is there anything I can do to help? Seriously.”

▪▪▪▪▪▪

Tyler instinctively closed his eyes and drew in a deep inhale. He held the breath for a second before exhaling sharply through his nostrils. “In the past I would have set a building on fire,” he said under his breath, triggered reflexively to react with annoyance as he crossed his arms against his chest, “Well, it should. Emotions are dumb and hurt more than their worth.” The half demon knew that it wasn’t the case, but he was feeling bratty. 

Sighing, Tyler shook his head and let it hang loosely to the side in resignation. “I don’t know. I’ve been in love with Saoirse since I was 14. It’s hard to imagine life without her. Everything I’ve done in the last few years, I did to win her back. I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do now.”

As Tyler talked, Victor listened, taking it all in with a seriousness he felt the younger man deserved. “I can only imagine how hard that must be...” Victor said softly, trying to make his very presence soothing to him. “ But if she no longer wants to be a part of your life... while unfortunate.... you can use it to grow and take steps forward. I came here... rather lost myself. It was a big change but a good one. I’m becoming who I never thought I would have if not for leaving England and coming to Elias.” He paused and shook his head “Flowery bullshit aside,” he said firmly. “You can use this as a chance to start over. Spend a little time grieving what you lost and then come back stronger than ever. You don’t have to do it alone.

“Whoa! She swings below the belt I see.” Victor really had no issue with her barb. If it meant she was feeling better he’d sacrifice his feelings for it any day. “Duly noted,” he laughed with a shrug. “Mine is more a… mental tired than anything else,” he admitted calmly, hoping to put her at ease. “And the insomnia; that’s always fun.” He shook his head with a smirk. “I guess it goes to show you can’t always tell what people are dealing with unless they divulge it to you. Sometimes you’re just sad or… something doesn’t feel right and that’s just as important as a broken leg or internal bleeding. You should have people care for you the same way.”

He stayed quiet for a while after that and let her sit with that for a minute. “And look, I’m sorry for being a bummer. It’s a bad habit I seem to have gotten into lately and I definitely need to break myself of it. Sometimes I can’t even stand myself.” He grinned, giving her an opportunity to sidestep talking about herself if she truly didn’t want to. “I was going to get something to eat. You want something or maybe a coffee? My treat.”

          SADIE KNEW SHE WASN’T BEING FAIR TO THE STRANGER but she also didn’t owe it to him to be nice either. She been perfectly fine sitting on the ground with her bashed up phone and mints in her purse to keep her going, until the cops showed up and prodded her to run along home. Most of the people around here were used to her midday shutdowns, but this clown? Yeah he was new. “I also bite.” she quipped back with a puss on her face like a server minutes before closing and someone walked in. “Everyone is sad… everyone has shit to deal with.” she explained with a sigh, not wanting to go into detail about how she didn’t want to go into detail. “Some people just cope better than others– stronger or whatever.”

Sadie shrugged her shoulders as she looked up at him. “I’ve seen people with worse habits than overthinking. You’re not as bad as you’re making yourself out to be.” she mused lazily, trying not to think of her useless father. Sadie narrowed her eyes at him before deciding it was only like 40% dangerous. “Fuck it, sure. I love free things– fair warning if you try and kill me I might just kill you.”

“Maybe not but it certainly has been a pain in my ass for as long as I can remember.” He shrugged, forcefully pushing thoughts of his parents and the Everglots from his mind. They weren’t a part of this and he didn’t need to drag them in anyway. “I…” He was about to ask her why she thought he, of all people, would hurt her. He certainly wasn’t capable of it mentally and probably physically… but he shrugged it off. “Yeah that’s fair. Let’s go.”

Victor was, decidedly, not a very interesting person. If he wasn’t snagging time with Victoria or visiting with his new found friends, he was more often than not at home reading or doing something similar, locked away in the comfort of his own apartment. Tonight was one of the nights where he had eaten and was contemplating going to bed before ten o’clock because it never occurred to him that going out was an option…. and what was worse was that he was fine with that. He had been laying on the couch with the tv turned low, offering background noise in the otherwise quiet place when he heard a knock on the door and a familiar voice that made his smile quirk as he got up to answer the door. “Hercules! What a surprise. Come in.” He stepped aside and ushered the boy in. “Make yourself at home. I’m glad to see you. How have you been?”

      HERCULES HAD SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON his own growing up, mainly because he was either too awkward or too unpopular to be invited anywhere. His insane strength alongside his clumsiness didn’t help either.. he wasn’t exactly any kind of Prom or Homecoming King. However he had made a vow to himself once he moved to California that he would make friends, that he would put in the effort.. that he would try to be more cool. And nothing was cooler than wearing a new faux leather jacket to hang out with a new buddy on a weekend night. “Thank you!” he grinned stepping inside and looking around at Victor’s design choices (he would need to take notes). “You have such a lovely home Victor… all of my stuff is from ikea..” he mused with a smile. “I am better now in your company. How are you feeling? I just thought we could both use some much needed bro time.”