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(no subject)

Although he and Daniel have a car, Tom prefers walking to do most of his errands — unless they need something bulky or in a quantity he doesn't want to carry, anyway. It's a good way to get exercise in, and it isn't a long walk from the Orchard Heights apartment to most of his usual haunts. Today, he's taking the long way home from one such jaunt out, as he sometimes does, opting to cut through the park and grab a coffee. It's usually decaf this time of day, and yes, he could most certainly make his own once he got home, but there's something simply pleasant about walking through the park with a paper cup of coffee and his bag slung over one shoulder.

He smiles out at the quintessentially autumn day as he walks, but it fades when he sees a girl standing in the road. She looks like she's talking to somebody — on the phone, most likely, her earbud hidden by the curtain of her pin-straight dark hair — and she doesn't seem to notice the car bearing down on her. Come to that, he isn't sure the driver notices her, either, despite the black layers of her clothes standing out so clearly against the pale gray asphalt and what must, from their angle, be the green of the park.

“Excuse me!” he calls, but he's far too far away. Between the backup signal of a nearby truck and the conversation she's clearly having, she can't seem to hear him. Tom jogs closer, one hand steadying his bag. “Miss! Hey!”

She looks up at him with a frown, but before he can say anything, Tom's vision is obscured by another thick curtain — this one of raining leaves.

They sound like so many sheaves of paper as they fall down around him, and he instinctively ducks his head to make sure nothing gets into his eyes. That, unfortunately, opens a tunnel under his shirt collar and down his back. He makes a strangled noise to feel whole and bits of leaves skate down his spine. Someone shouts out nearby, and when the rain of leaves finally stops, he looks up to see the girl in the street watching him.

She's unharmed, which is fortunate in its own right. The look on her face is only one he can call ‘disdainfully amused’ and, as he looks at the calf-deep pile of leaves around him, some dry enough to cling to his clothes and some almost certainly stuck in his hair, Tom can't exactly say she's out of turn.

He sighs and drops his hands, which sends his coffee tumbling into the pile and he gasps before groaning in sheer defeat.

“Ooof course.”

Stepping out of the road and onto the sidewalk, Lisa Johnson watches the absolute nerd who'd just gotten owned by a truckload of leaves and snickers before turning to the ghost by her side.

“Anyway, what were we talking about?”

[ Joint EP! Tag Tom or Lisa before, during, or after Tom gets covered in leaves, just let me know which it is somehow in the comment. For maximum comedy, there is in fact a sign on either side of where he's standing declaring some variation of ‘leaf dumping zone, do not stand’. Timed to anytime after noon, including after dark if desired! Open to all etc etc! ]

Entry tags:

farewell, Neverland

It's a far cry from last year.

Sometimes their birthday passes with little fanfare. Last year that was the case, though not because Shion wanted that. He would have loved a party. He was alone then, though, just a handful of friends and not much else. The year before that, they'd had one of their big parties at the house in Riverfield, half of Decelis in attendance. He'd enjoyed living his teenage movie dreams, even if he'd also felt, now and then, a little too aware of the 200-year age gap between him and the guests. That hadn't mattered so much at the time, though, because Sooha was there. There was so much he didn't yet know then, but he'd been irresistibly drawn to her. They all had been, whether they'd liked it or not. Her presence had made the party feel right, just before everything began to go horribly wrong.

After a year that was too hectic and a year that was too dull, Shion's ready to have a celebration somewhere in-between. Maybe it's a strange kind of a thing to celebrate. Maybe commemorate is more the right word. His understanding of what they endured at Vamfield has shifted substantially in the last couple years, but that October night more than a century ago remains the same in his mind in the most important sense. They did not leave Vamfield. They escaped.

It felt odd considering it his birthday last year without his family at his side, but he's never had one of his own, not that he knows of, and survival is always worth celebrating.

This year, though, is so much better. This year bring with it the best gifts he could have asked for. Now, would he have asked for Solon? Well, no, doubtful, but that's not the point. Would he have asked for Sophie? Also no, because he'd never even considered her return to be a possibility, and thus it wouldn't have been worth asking for. But he got both. So tonight? Tonight they party.

But not too hard, because it's a school night. Actually, it's more like they'll have a nice dinner of junk food and watch a movie as a family, but that's exciting! They haven't had an actual proper family movie night in years! They used to do it every week back in the '90s. And he has to admit, picking out a movie to stream doesn't have quite the same nostalgic feeling as renting a VHS, but it's hard to find a place in Darrow that rents those or DVDs, aside from the library, which isn't the same. And, anyway, since Sophie has school tomorrow, they'll start pretty early, so all in all, it's a very different experience.

He pulls up short in his meandering, head tipping to the side. "Am I getting old?" he murmurs thoughtfully. Last month he got a responsible job doing actual work. This month, he's just settled on a new house for him and Solon and Sophie. Now he's planning an early night and getting excited about pizza and a movie with no guests because he has to take his kid to school in the morning and — "Oh, my god, I'm an adult. I can't even drive." He arches an eyebrow at his own reflection in a shop window. He can drive, in the most technical sense. Legally speaking, and for the safety of the general public, he really should not. The bags of junk food he's carrying, including an oversized plastic tub of cheeseballs, don't really give him an air of maturity either. Heli always got them for movie nights, though, and it'd feel wrong without them. And if anyone's an adult, it's Heli.

"Huh." Truth be told, he's not sure he saw this day coming. Sure, he's old compared to ordinary humans, but he's still awfully young, and he feels it. But he also feels strangely... responsible. Grown-up. Is this because he talked about his feelings last week? Because that was awful, and he never wants to do it again, except for the part of him that feels a million times better ever since he and Solon had it out, the part of him that kind of liked being honest and open, even though it also hurt. He carries a lot of hurt around anyway. It was good to let it out for a change. He's not sure he's up for more of that, though, not for a long time. Maybe not a whole century next time, but he needs time to recover, time to adjust to the idea that he can talk to Solon again the way they did when they were kids.

[ And it's his birthday, come on, he's just a little birthday boy! Find Shion near some shopping area or other in the late morning/early afternoon. He will not have been shy about telling friends it's his birthday, but it's also a good time to meet him! Feel free to say he stopped quickly in the middle of the path in front of your pup or turned abruptly around to knock into them as he went on his way, or hear him being an idiot baby, or say he texted yours, etc. Tag his brother while you're at it! ST/LT welcome. Open until this says otherwise. ]

Entry tags:

the magic and the misery, madness and the mystery

In the week since he first arrived in Darrow, Solon hasn't had much time spent by himself. Under normal circumstances, that would be driving him up the metaphorical wall right about now, and in all honesty, he can't claim that he hasn't been feeling some of that, a quiet, restless itch under his skin. If there's one thing this situation isn't, though, it's normal. Every time he thinks about Shion having been here for over a year by himself, without any of the rest of them, his head starts to spin. With that being the case, it seems reasonable that his already-clingy brother would be even clingier, and for once, Solon is willing to capitulate. Even he would probably have a similar reaction if their positions were reversed. As much as he's always kept an emotional distance from his brothers, so too has he cherished their odd little family, the only one he's ever known, at least in this lifetime.

The one that apparently came before this, with Vargr and Selen and whatever the hell else, is something he still hasn't dealt with much. It's easier just not to think about it, even now that he knows about, maybe remembers a little of, that time. Better to put it aside. Like he told Shion the night he arrived, it wasn't him, not really. The lives they've had this time around have shaped them. Whoever he was before, it's not who he is now.

Now, a week into living in a new world from which there is, apparently, no escape, he finally has some free time alone and intends to make the most of it. There's a lot he still needs to do to start settling in, more than was ever entirely necessary any of the countless times they moved before. First and foremost is getting some clothes of his own. He's mostly been borrowing Shion's since he got here, which is fine, the two of them close enough to the same size, but it's still less than ideal. If nothing else, that keeps everything feeling impermanent in a way he knows won't be helpful. If he's going to be stuck here, then he doesn't want to feel like a temporary guest, about to go home at any moment.

He's made a few purchases already, shopping bag carried in the crook of one elbow, when he comes upon a display of Halloween decorations. It isn't even the first he's seen today; it is the first with a seven-foot-tall animatronic werewolf of the full-blown horror variety. Solon rolls his eyes at it, biting back a sigh. The thing is, a few unfortunate past associations aside, he actually quite likes Halloween. He just doesn't like all the exaggerated vampire and werewolf shit that tends to come with it, the latter especially. It's all too unoriginal. Moving past it, he goes to grab a bag of candy instead, the kind with small sizes for trick-or-treaters that are also good for sticking in a seven-year-old's lunchbox, making a mental note as he does not to bring Sophie out this way. She doesn't need to see that.

What she will be needing is a costume. While he wouldn't think of trying to choose one for her — she should get the fun of that herself — he wanders over to where the children's costumes are, glancing over some of the options. Many are typical, the sort he's seen in different stores for the last few decades. Others are entirely unfamiliar. Squinting at the label of one, he frowns at it, brow furrowing. "What the hell is a Puma Squad?"

[ And Solon is finally out and about in the general public! More info can be found in his cityhall post here. He might be grumpy (spoiler alert: he usually is), but it's actually a really good time to meet him! Find him anywhere there are feasibly clothes and/or Halloween supplies; I was envisioning Objective, but there's no reason he couldn't make multiple stops. Timed to Wednesday, and open until this says otherwise. ]

Entry tags:

(no subject)

September 26th, 2025:

On her way home from work, Abby stumbles upon a friend (and burritos).

[ HERE | ongoing | none ]

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Mid December 2024:

Months after the purge, Elio and Oliver decide it's time to move on.

[ HERE | ftb | adult ]

March 2025:

Weed, boredom, and social media make for an interesting afternoon.

[ HERE | complete | ridiculously adult ]

Entry tags:

(no subject)

9/18/25:

Bill breaks the news.

[ HERE | ongoing | language and a panic attack ]

Later that day:

Eddie goes to see a friend.

[ HERE | ongoing | language ]

That evening:

Eddie goes home.

[ HERE | ongoing | language. adult (to be safe) ]

Entry tags:

I'll leave everything behind, I'll follow my heartbeat

Dated September 24, 2025:

Solon knows full well that he can be an asshole, and that Shion in particular is very, very skilled at bringing out the angry, impatient side of him, but he's not totally oblivious. However little sense it makes, however unsettling it sounds, this has to be real.

Solon arrives in Darrow. As Shion fills him in on everything, some very, very long overdue conversations are had.

[ HERE | complete | spoilers, discussions of violence ]

Dated September 25, 2025:

And yet, there she stands, looking pink-cheeked and healthy. His hand tightens instinctively around the handle of his mug of coffee, enough so that he has to consciously force himself to loosen his grip a little so he doesn't break it. He's known this whole time, of course, that what Shion told him has to be true. Somehow, though, he doesn't think he fully believed it until just now.

The next morning, another reunion takes place.

[ HERE | ongoing | pg ]

Dated September 27, 2025:

Instead, he texts Elora and asks her to come watch over Sophie on Saturday (of course he also let her know about Solon's arrival, once he'd had a day to absorb the change).

"You're an angel," he greets her, grinning, when he opens the door. "And a peach, and I adore you, have I mentioned that?"

Elora comes over to watch Sophie so Shion and Solon can go house-hunting.

[ HERE | ongoing | pg ]

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Ten years ago, with barely six months in Darrow under my belt, I'd turned twenty.

It was a day, mostly like any other. They'd thrown some kind of festival on the beach. I'd had a couple of beers, eaten a soft shell crab, and mostly kept to myself. If I'd gotten any presents, any well-wishes, I couldn't remember. Maybe I'd blown Edgar in the backseat of the new car I'd bought-- a birthday gift to myself. Maybe I'd had dinner that night at Derek's place. I couldn't be sure.

It was ten fucking years ago. Another lifetime, but I wasn't a different person. Not really.

Today, with over a decade in Darrow under my belt, I turned thirty.

It was a day mostly like any other. I went in to The Bite, just to check on a few things. I had a meeting with my publisher. I didn't buy myself a car– I did that already, a few months back. It had mostly lost the new car smell, but I'd made a rule for myself not to smoke in it. I smoked less often these days, anyway.

In the afternoon, I parked in a lot off the beach and took a walk along the boardwalk. I thought about all the people I might've liked to have celebrated with, who were no longer around. Some of them, I hadn't thought about in ages. I didn't feel so much melancholy as I just... felt baffled that I'd been here so long. That my life had changed so much, and that I'd settled into the change but somehow, still felt like me.

Thirty. Older than I'd ever been able to picture myself as a fucked up kid in Kansas, and later, a fucked up kid here in Darrow. Christ.

Later, I'd head home. I'd pick up dinner for the kid and me. Maybe we wouldn't be alone. I had a wrapped present in the front seat of my car 'cause mine wasn't the only birthday today, and while we hadn't made explicit plans, I knew the day wouldn't go by without me seeing him.

But 'til then, I lingered on the boardwalk, willing to just see where the day took me.

[[Neil is thirty! This is a good time to meet him, or to check in if it's been a while, but friends are especially encouraged. Find him really at any point during his day, and I'm flexible with the where or how. Gimme.]]

Entry tags:

looked so alive, turns out I'm not real

It's finally technically fall, though it hasn't much felt like it of late, the last sticky vestiges of summer seemingly determined to keep hold for as long as possible. Still, Chrissy can appreciate the fact that at least it's been quieter out on the boardwalk as a result, school being back in session and the weather not being quite as hot holding some of the usual crowds at bay. Today it's a little nicer, anyway, with grey clouds overhead and scattered showers throughout the afternoon, weather that makes her feel like she can breathe a bit easier. She needs that lately. There's no getting around the fact that it's been a difficult few months, in the wake of Eddie being turned into a vampire and all of the ways her life has changed as a result. She's been trying hard to keep everything together, juggling her day job with a newly nocturnal boyfriend, doing whatever she can to maintain some semblance of normalcy. If that sometimes means she goes a couple days without sleeping and tends to eat even less often than she sleeps, well, that's not entirely new for her. She knows how to run on fumes while plastering on a smile and saying she's fine. She is fine. Of course she's fine, because she has to be. There isn't any alternative but to keep telling herself that. And while it hasn't escaped her notice that a few of her friends sometimes look at her with concern in their eyes, it just makes her all the more determined to soldier on. Sooner or later, she'll get used to all of this.

Granted, she's been telling herself that for a while now, longer than she would have expected to be. She stands by it even so, despite the building knot of anxiety in her chest and the little voice in the back of her head that's been slowly getting louder, saying that something has to give eventually.

When something does give, it's entirely without fanfare — just a typical weekday afternoon, nothing any different than it has been for the last weeks on end. Chrissy is heading home from work, en route to the bus stop nearest the block of the boardwalk where she works. While she used to just walk, this has become more typical for her, at least when she feels like she does now, a little lightheaded, tired from being awake for almost two full days and spending a whole shift on her feet. More than a little lightheaded, as it turns out. The overcast sky means that it isn't very bright, but her vision starts to turn white around the edges as her head spins and she stumbles a step. Just a little further, she tells herself, and she can sit at the bus stop until the bus comes.

She doesn't get there. The next thing Chrissy knows, she's on the sidewalk by the bus stop, a few people crouched around her, someone's backpack under her head. One person is on their cell phone, calling for an ambulance; Chrissy opens her mouth to protest but finds that she doesn't quite have the strength. From what the small group of people tells her, she fainted just before she could sit down, mercifully not hitting her head on cement. Not knowing what else to do, they'd called for help. She can't tell whether to be grateful or devastated, winding up somewhere in between.

Things happen quickly after that, all a blur. EMTs arrive, check her vitals, and say she should come in to have more tests done, and she lets them transport her, mostly because she doesn't want them to have wasted the trip, even though she kind of thinks they did. She dozes off intermittently, but sends texts to Eddie and some of her friends when she can: hey i'm at the hospital. i'm okay! apparently passed out or something after leaving work and freaked some people out. don't want you to worry but will keep you posted. Having determined that she's dehydrated, among other things, they give her an IV and a bed.

Only when a concerned-looking nurse comes in and lets her know that a psychiatrist will be in to talk to her soon does the weight of everything start catching up to her. Maybe it's time to admit that she isn't so fine after all. That, in some ways, she hasn't been for a long time.

[ Timed to Wednesday afternoon into evening. Chrissy is having an inevitable little breakdown with some of her mental health shit finally coming to a head. I have plans for her to actually get some help after this, but for now, feel free to tag her at any point during this post. Friends are especially welcome, but strangers are totally fine, too. Feel free to hit me up with any questions. Open until this says otherwise. ]

Entry tags:

meme: five things

MEME: Five Things

Make a list of five things your pup would like to say to five different people - but don't mention their names. The messages don't have to be secrets.

This isn't limited to current characters within the city limits - feel free to include the ones currently on reserve or pups back home. Other pups are allowed to comment with a guess if they think they recognize themselves. Nothing counts IG, though.