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Post by . on Mar 14, 2018 23:40:31 GMT -5
Jordan nodded, but didn't push. She didn't want to make Rhys feel uncomfortable. But if he was struggling to afford things, she felt bad for letting him buy her a coffee the day before. It wasn't expensive, but it was still a few bucks that could be going to his own health and safety. Jordan had plenty of money. Well, she'd offer to buy him lunch today. They could take their break together and Jordan could buy lunch, saying it's in exchange for the coffee that he'd bought the day before. Jordan nodded after he considered her offer. "It's really not a burden at all... My husband is out of town and my son is spending the night with a friend, so there's really nothing for you to intrude on or anything," she said. Eric wouldn't like her having Rhys over, but she'd just tell anyone that was still there not to tell Eric about Rhys. They all knew about his habits and always had sympathetic looks for Jordan, being stuck in a relationship with a man that didn't love her, so she was sure they'd have no problem keeping this little secret for her. Linda didn't even know the full story of how Jordan was forced into her marriage, or all of the small things that seemed to bother her so much. All Linda knew was about the cheating, and she still often tried to convince Jordan to get a divorce. She would if she could. She'd much rather live in a small house with her dog and son than live with Eric and all of his money. But nobody involved in the situation seemed to care what Jordan or Ry thought. Even Jordan's own father seemed to think she was overreacting. Eric seemed to be the perfect gentleman around him. At his next comment, she shook her head. "Don't worry, Ry didnt break anything. Linda is just... I don't even know with her anymore," she said. It felt as though Linda was trying to push them together, maybe thinking that would be a catalyst to get Jordan to divorce her husband. It wouldn't work, unfortunately. Jordan nodded. "Okay, but if you don't have anywhere, then feel free to come stay with me. I swear it won't be a big deal or a hassle or anything. In fact, it'd actually be really nice. The house is big and it's pretty lonely when Ry is away," she said. Maybe they could watch a movie or play a board game or something fun if Rhys ended up taking her up on her offer. "Just let me know what you want." She began to gather the dirty dog bowls that someone had collected earlier. Most had been licked clean, though a few had crusty dog food stuck to the inside. "I saved the fun stuff for after lunch," she said with a wink. Fun stuff like dog walking or playing with the cats. Part of Jordan wanted him to take her up on her offer. She just wished she could figure out what was drawing her towards Rhys. Even last night, she hadn't been able to get him out of her mind. She'd tried calling Eric, but he hadn't answered. She tried looking at a picture of him, but images of Rhys just pushed Eric aside. He made her feel good, in a way that Eric never could. She smiled slightly. "I have a dog. Eric hates it, but he's never home," she said with a small smile. "You can come meet him sometime. A big German shepherd. He seems intimidating, but he's a big sweetheart," she explained. She loved talking about Roo almost as much as she liked talking about Ry. (Hmmm... so I thought that maybe we could have them get into a sort of relationship at first and they're just like hanging out and watching a movie or something and their conversation turns deep or Eric did something to upset Jordan and Rhys can see that something's bothering her and eventually get her to admit it. Or Ry could admit it. Like Ry, Rhys, and Jordan are having dinner and Ry assumes that they're dating and he makes a comment about Eric cheating on Jordan and Jordan is horrified because she didn't want Rhys to know and she also didn't think that Ry knew what his father was up to Or Jordan's best friend (who's still not introduced) could learn about her friendship with Rhys and then go behind Jordan's back and tel Rhys all about Eric. Do any of those sound interesting or inspire anything? I can see the pros and cons of each) aether
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Post by aether on Mar 15, 2018 17:40:25 GMT -5
[ will get a reply up soonish. just letting the muse come to me lmao ]
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Post by aether on Mar 15, 2018 19:26:30 GMT -5
[ ooh, i like the idea of either Ry or a friend telling him the truth. i think i even like the friend one the most, because then rhys can be angry about it because i feel like if jordan told him he'd be sad for her, but hearing it from an outsider he'll get cranky for jordan. ]
It was very honourable for her to offer her place, because frankly, he was a stranger to her. she wasn’t a stranger to him, well, not really. He didn’t know Jordan, but he knew her soul, which said so much more than anything she could ever say. His voice was nothing but honest as he spoke, ”I’m really thankful for the offer, I’ll let you know if I need to take you up on it. And I don’t mind if you didn’t need help with anything - but Linda sure does seem like she’s pushing us together for some reason,” he chuckled, the kind that rumbled in his chest and felt like a warm blanket on a cold morning. He didn’t understand Linda’s motives, even though it was a little strange, he didn’t mind either. It would be nice to stay somewhere other than a cold hotel room, because he never got the nice rooms. He got the rooms that people didn’t want, the ones that felt like the beds were made from cardboard and springs or the quilts were thin and were more like a cover than a warming device. Don’t even get him started on the water-like coffee.
He watched Jordan start gathering bowls and he followed suit, grabbing the ones that she hadn’t reached yet. His nose twitched at the distasteful scent of dog saliva and crusted food, but he didn’t complain. He had been the one to offer his time, and the dogs needed someone to do it. Besides, he’d seen worse things. He followed her into the washroom and smiled as he listened to her talk about ‘Roo’. While Rhys liked German Sheppard’s, he was actually a fan of little dogs, like chihuahuas or Maltese terriers. Which might come as a surprise given Rhys’ posterior – tall, leather jacket, stubble, he looked more like the kind of guy who’d get a Rottweiler or something of the kind. Not quite, though.
He began washing the dishes and stacking them into a dishwasher steamer. ”I’m looking forward to the dog walking, you get to see how happy all the dogs are,” he commented as he worked, glancing at Jordan out of the corner of his eyes. A question popped into his head and he paused his work for a moment to ask it, ”So, given your accent, you don’t really sound like you’ve been a Londoner all your life,” he tilted his head, ”so what brought you to England?” He didn’t mention it, but considering the fact she didn’t work he didn’t believe it was because of her job, and given the fact there was clearly something going on with her husband he wasn’t sure it was for love either. He kept that part to himself though, simply waiting for her honest answer. His accent was still there, albeit not as thick as it had been once before.
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Post by . on Mar 15, 2018 19:32:24 GMT -5
(I'm at work now so I'll reply when I get home in about two hours)
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Post by aether on Mar 15, 2018 19:49:54 GMT -5
[ no problemo ^^ ]
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Post by . on Mar 15, 2018 21:07:53 GMT -5
(I'm heading home from work now and will reply then. I have a few ideas on how the friend thing can work. I'm thinking a super protective childhood friend that works for Eric and so then when she finds out about Rhys she tells him hoping he can convince Jordan)
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Post by . on Mar 15, 2018 22:21:41 GMT -5
(I got caught up in some stuff but I'm starting now. Also I'm changing Ry's name. I'm not sure what it'll be yet but I kept mixing it up with Rhys)
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Post by aether on Mar 15, 2018 22:26:42 GMT -5
[ hahaha, all good Cx i'm yet to arrive homw from my train trip so won't be able to reply until at least half an hour ]
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Post by . on Mar 15, 2018 22:39:48 GMT -5
(So if we go the friend route, how do you think Rhys and Riley should originally begin talking? Like should she specifically track him down and explain the situation? Or they run into each other and start taking because Riley recognizes Rhys and then their conversation turns to Eric?) Jordan wasn't sure what made her offer her place to Rhys, but she couldn't take the offer back now that she made it. She wasn't sure if she wanted to take it back anyway. There was just something about him that she couldn't shake. She wanted to be near him and get to know him. She wanted to find out who he was and how he liked to spend his weekends and what his favorite type of music was. Simple things that meant nothing, but could still tell you a lot about someone. She smiled slightly. "I'm serious. Don't worry about being a burden or anything. I would hate to find out that you were stuck without somewhere to sleep one night," she said, shaking her head. "Just text me if you want to stay over tonight." And if tonight went well, then he could come over more often. If it didn't go well, Jordan would have no hesitation to kick him out of her house, but she didn't think that'd be much of a problem. Rhys seemed like a decent guy. "Yeah, I don't know what's up with Linda. I mean, I know she doesn't like Eric, but she still knows I'm married," she said, the frown reappearing when she mentioned her marriage. She shook her head. She didn't want to talk about that, so she spoke again. "But yeah, it's no big deal to spend the night at my place." Once they'd gathered the dishes, Jordan began the familiar routine of washing and drying the do bowls. When they got a decent sized pile of dry bowls, she put them back on the shelf so they'd be easy to grab and fill for the volunteers that were tasked with feeding them later. Then she went to wash more. She mentioned her dog once or twice more, but then let him drop. She loved Roo, but there was only so much she could say about the German shepherd. She decided to show him a picture of Roo when they were done with the dishes. She loved her dog and hoped Rhys wouldn't mind seeing pictures of him. And her son. Jordan really enjoyed showing both of them off. Jordan nodded. "It's one of the best parts of the job. They love it. I feel bad for them being stuck in those cages, so it's nice to bring them the joy of going on a walk," she said with a smile. It'd be nice for her too. She could always clear her mind on the walks, and she'd have someone to talk to this time. It was a bit chilly, but not like winter when the volunteers looked as if a winter closet had thrown up on them when they went to go walk the dogs. At his question, Jordan hesitated and set the bowl that she was watching down on the counter. She dried her hands on a towel. They were making good progress, so she didn't see the harm in stopping for a moment as she leaned against the sink. "Yeah, I'm from America. Cute little place up north actually," she said. She missed her hometown and the friends and family she'd left behind. She often made trips back home, though that didn't help much with the homesickness. Even her father was back in America. She hesitated for a moment, unsure how to answer it. She didn't want to tell him how she wasn't given a choice and was forced to move here. "My husband... He grew up here and has a great job that he can't leave, so it only made sense for us to buy a house out here. I've always wanted to travel though, so it's nice seeing another country. I do miss my home though," she said. She picked her words carefully, trying to make sure nothing sounded off to Rhys. aether
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Post by . on Mar 15, 2018 22:44:37 GMT -5
Probably gonna go with Griffin, Payton, Zander, or Max for her son but I'll decide to orrow
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Post by aether on Mar 16, 2018 6:13:00 GMT -5
[ maybe it should be an accident. like they she walks in one day to talk to jordan and rhys happens to be there (maybe the morning after he stays at her place so it looks a lil dramatic lmao). then she gets his number and maybe they can talk about it kinda behind jordans back. which can spike a lil more drama between jordan and riley, but also jordan can get upset that rhys kinda went behind her back too? or however you think she would react, i'm not sure if she'd get cranky. ]
Rhys nodded firmly, "I'll send you a text if I do need you're help, I really do appreciate it." He did think it was a curious turn of events, considering one day he was just walking around London, the next his soulmate can up to him, and now he was volunteering at a shelter with her offering him a place to stay. He wondered when all his luck was suddenly stop and hit a brick wall. As he listened to her talk about Roo and about her son, he felt as though he'd known her for years - and not in the sense of 'oh yeah, I've been chasing her soul for centuries', but just... her. She was filled with so much warmth he was sure she could turn a winters day into a summers day. He looked at the pictures she showed with keen interest and commented on how cute her dog was. He enjoyed listening to her ramble about her son and her dog, because he didn't have a lot to ramble about, and it was nice to get some insight in her life. It seemed to him, given the taboo topic of her marriage and husband, that she was like a beautiful peacock trapped inside a little bird cage, unable to spread her tail feathers.
He continued to work as she paused and leaned on the sink, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He tilted his head for a moment. So, she had moved here to be with her husband, which sparked the question... why did she stay? What did her husband do? There was this aura of mystery to her that he just couldn't shake off, he just wanted to delve into her mind and figure out what she was thinking and why things were the way they were. She was human though and so was he, there was no way in the world that was going to happen. He wanted to ask more about her life but knew there was a line that he didn't want to cross, so he refrained. "That's a lot of dedication to move countries," he commented, pausing his cleaning to look into her brown eyes, "Takes a lot of courage." He turned his focus back to dishes. "I've travelled around a lot and met a few people, but never someone I could dedicate myself too like that," the smile on his face was slight and almost... nostalgic. There had been many times where he'd been dedicated to his soulmate, stayed with them even if it was just platonic, or even if he could only be from afar and hear tidbits from their life. One time she'd been famous - a singer and dancer - and he never met her. She'd lived a tragic life then, with it ending due to a drug overdose. It had been the times, that's just what beautiful and famous young women did. It had been tragic for a long time - like Marilyn Monroe, but many years before.
"I've been a Londoner all my life," he said. "Born and raised, there's no where else I'd rather be," it was true. He'd been to so many places - to sunny beaches of Australia, the foothills of New Zealand, the snowy plains in Belgium, but his heart belonged in London. He wiped his hands on a slightly damp cloth when he finished his load of dishes and he spread his arms out dramatically (and quite dorky), "There sure is no place like grey, gloomy, London." His grin was wide and he let his arms fall back to side and he chuckled.
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Post by . on Mar 16, 2018 13:22:13 GMT -5
(I like that. Jordan could be asleep still or in the shower and Riley had off of work so she decided to surprise Jordan and take her out for breakfast but all she sees is this strange man in her house. Of course since Eric is on his business trip, Riley assumes something is going on between Jordan and Rhys which she thinks is good because maybe Jordan is starting to realize that Eric is bad for her and she should ditch him so then she leaves after getting Rhys' number and meets up with him to tel him everything and yeah Jordan won't be happy) Jordan nodded. "Good. I just don't want you sleeping out on the streets or something. It's too cold for that." Yeah, she didn't want Rhys suffering in the cold when she had a perfectly good spare bedroom that he could sleep in. Even her couch would be better than him outside or in some cheap hotel room. Plus, she wanted to get to know him better. She wasn't about to lie about that. She was drawn to Rhys. While she was trying to imagine her feelings were anything but romantic, she felt as though he completed her. It was cliche and he was really nothing but a stranger to her, but she still wanted to get to know him. Even if she had to constantly deny that she felt anything more than friendship. Jordan noticed the way Rhys watched her as he continued work. She sighed and stared off into the distance for a moment, as if lost in her thoughts. And she was. She thought about Eric and the past twelve years she'd spent with him. She knew people that were just settling down at this age. Only now marrying or having children. Even Riley hadn't dated anyone for a few years. Her life was solely focused on her job in Eric's company and her horseback riding. And she had married shortly after she became an adult and had a child only two years later. Since then, she'd just been doing everything she could. She didnt like her situation. Eric seemed to take out all the joy she once had in life. But she didn't have an option. She snapped out of it when Rhys spoke, though she didn't smile at his words. "I was young. 18. Not exactly something I'm proud of... Ry came around two years later." She didn't tell him how she was forced into the marriage, but she was honest about her lack of pride over her marriage. "So you just... travel?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder. "I'd love to travel..." But she couldn't. Eric wouldn't let her And Ry needed her. So she just stayed in London, not even joining Eric on his business trips, and occasionally went home to America to visit family. "I love it here, but I do miss home," Jordan said. There was a twinge of sadness in her voice despite her voice. "But now I've got a native to show me around," she teased. Eric was native to London, and Jordan had lived here for years, but it was still fun to joke a bit with Rhys. When he spread out his arms, she laughed and turned to the sink to finish her dishes. "You're a dork," she said, amusement in her voice. She finished the dishes and put them away before glancing at the clock. Wow, some time had definitely passed since they started dishes. "Wanna head out for lunch?" she asked. "When we get back from lunch we can walk the dogs." aether
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Post by aether on Mar 16, 2018 16:39:32 GMT -5
[ will reply after work! ]
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Post by aether on Mar 17, 2018 2:49:41 GMT -5
[ cool, that sounds then. because i'm gonna have rhys look for a place, but then later be like 'jordan i need a place to stay'. so ye, that all sounds like a good idea ]
Rhys found listening to her story only gave him more questions about Jordan. She married when she was eighteen and moved to England despite the fact she'd clearly had regrets, yet she'd had her son and she was still here. Why was she trapped here like she was? He almost wanted to grab her shoulders and give her a shake to say, 'you are your own individual! No one but you actually owns you!' but that could be inappropriate at best. He merely reacted with a soft, "Interesting." He sounded much more perky when he replied to her question. "Yeah, I've got no strings attached to anything, so often I just up and go to wherever I see fit." There couldn't possibly be any more truth to that statement. He'd up and go to search for his soulmate, would up and go just because he... could. Sometimes it was lonely when he would stare out to the beautiful sights such as Stonehenge, or the canals of Venice, and he'd have no one to experience with. It was hard to have friends when you never aged and they would eventually die. "Sometimes the real world sucks and is boring, travel is the best way to remember that life isn't just about you, but it is about the billions of other people who exist too." It was safe to say he'd had plenty of time to muse about the many wonders of life.
His cheeks turned a little pink when she called him a dork, "I'll show you all the nooks and crannies - you've been here so long, but I bet you haven't even scraped the surface," a lot of parts of London had definitely changed since Rhys had last returned. Being so historical, there were also many things that were the same, and when he did find them he relished them. It was nostalgic, really. Many people probably didn't appreciate it like he, who lived through it and saw it built then saw so much knocked down. He pulled the plug on the water in the sink and wiped away the left over bubbles to ensure the work space was clean for the next person who wanted to use it, and he nodded. "Lunch does sound good," he smiled.
Outside was chilly. It hit his face like a brick and Rhys shivered, "Jeez, you'd think with the sun out it wouldn't be so chilly," he commented as they turned to walk down a cobbled path. There was a main street just a few minutes walk that-a-way, where there were surely many places to enjoy lunch. At this hour, it was getting rather busy too with people bundled up in jackets, scarves, and hats. He only had his leather jacket, which was fun at blocking out the wind and cold, but it wasn't the best. He blew warm air into his hands in the hopes of warming them and he reminded himself that there were colder places in the world. "If you could go anywhere that isn't here nor America, where would you go?" He asked casually. He glanced to her, his hands now pocketed, and he wished he would wrap her up in his arms to keep her warm. There were definitely boundaries though and he was definitely not going to cross them.
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Post by . on Mar 17, 2018 10:26:50 GMT -5
(So then Rhys will stay over tonight and then tomorrow morning is when Riley comes over and sees him? Also I finally decided that Ry's New name will be Sam) Jordan was surprised by how much of her story she shared with Rhys. She wasn't about to tell him everything, but most people didn't get the small details like she missed her home and she married Eric when she was 18. Most of all, they didn't get to hear how much she regretted her marriage. She was clearly unhappy, but she let people believe it was a brief argument between her and her husband, not that she was constantly unhappy with him. Only friends got to learn that and she wasn't sure Rhys could be considered a friend yet. He was great and all, but he was practically a stranger to her. When he responded, her shoulders slumped and she lost the defensive position she always took when talking about Eric. She was relieved that he wasn't trying to push her for any more details than she was comfortable giving. She listened closely as he talked about his own travels. Jordan nodded. "That sounds like quite a life," she commented. "I'd love to travel, but it just isn't realistic for me at the moment. Maybe some day..." She loved London, but would ditch it in a moment to travel. "Although, sometimes I go back home to visit family. Mostly my one cousin in California. I lived further up north, but I'd much rather see Ezra than my father." Which was, of course, because she was still hurt that he had forced her into this marriage without taking her feelings into consideration. This was modern day and people just didn't do that anymore... Apparently her father did. She couldn't help but wonder if it would be different if her mother was still alive. If she would've stopped him from marrying Jordan off to a guy and subjected her to a loveless marriage for the rest of her life. She hoped so. Jordan watched him clean up their work area as he spoke. "I'd love to get a tour of all the little hidden gems," she said. Eric had grown up here, but had no interest in sightseeing or anything. When he was home, he was in his office, at meetings, partying, or out with other girls. Jordan tried her hardest to do something with Sam every night when Eric was home, because she knew her son was hurt by the fact that his father never wanted to spend time with him. She'd seen Sam cry before because Eric had pushed him aside to focus on something else, and it had taken all of Jordan's self control not to go confront the man about it. She wished she could've given her son a better father. When he agreed to go to lunch, she nodded. "Why don't you choose where we go? I'll buy since you got the coffee yesterday," she offered. Jordan followed Rhys out, only pausing to let Linda know they were going on their lunch break. When she got a nod of approval, she brightened and headed outside to face the cold day. She rolled the sleeves of her sweatshirt back down and stuck her hands in the large pocket in the front. She then pulled the hood up, trying to keep the cold air from hitting her bare skin. "You'd think, wouldn't you? I'm starting to believe that London weather just hates us," she said with a laugh, walking next to Rhys and resisting the urge to move in close to his side. The closeness would warm them both but she was a married woman and he was a stranger. She watched the other pedestrians rushing down the street to get out of the cold before slowing a bit. "Where do you want to go?" she asked Rhys, looking at some of the options they passed. Wen he asked his question, she paused to consider it. "Spain, Italy, Greece, Canada... There's a lot of places I'd be interested in going. Just anywhere different, you know?" she asked. aether
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Post by aether on Mar 18, 2018 6:09:42 GMT -5
[ sorry, was working today and came home exhausted. it was too hot today to have any brain power haha xD will try again tomorrow ]
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Post by aether on Mar 18, 2018 20:44:37 GMT -5
[ okie dokie! also, lemme know when you wanna skip to later when he stays at hers ^^ ]
”Well, if you ever needed any good destination spots, I know ‘em all,” Rhys smiled into the distance. It was impossible to say he’d been everywhere though – it was like every stone he turned over, another appeared. That was the opposite of a problem because it just meant that things never got boring. Her next statement sparked his interest when she mentioned that she didn’t like seeing her father. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, why are you so mysterious when it feels like I should be able to see right through you? There were so many things that made him more and more curious about the reality of Jordan. She wasn’t just an American living in London with her son, dog, and husband who volunteered in her spare times and lived a ‘mum’ life the rest of her time. God no, there was so much more to her. And he was determined to find out. He wasn’t sure if he should ask about everything, he didn’t know where his place was, how she would react. He fell flat, and just gave her a small smile while he said, ”It sure would be nice, California is much sunnier than here.”
With the cold on his cheeks, he looked at all the food options available. A salad house, a burrito place, an English café, a bakery, a fast food chain… there were plenty of options and he hadn’t the slightest idea of what Jordan enjoyed eating. He didn’t like the idea of her paying, and he straightened up slightly as he paused to shake his head, ”No need to pay for me, chivalry says I’ll pay for you,” there were some things that couldn’t be shaken out of Rhys old-fashioned style. One of them was the basis of chivalry. He enjoyed doing it – don’t get him wrong, he didn’t only do it because custom says so – he liked it. Because often it made the other person feel special and nice. He nodded to a little hole-in-the-wall style of food place. Their menu ranged from salads to burgers to soups to rice dishes. It was quite, well, hipstery. But it looked fine and smelled divine. He took a seat at a little table and thought about her little list of places she’d enjoy going to. He’d been to all of those countries and thought they were all great choices. Outside, it started to drizzle.
”Great choices, Spain especially is amazing.” He commented as he grabbed a menu from the table. He kept in mind they couldn’t stay for too long because they would have to get back soon, so he decided silently that he would order a chicken and corn soup. It would keep him warm, too. As he listened to the rain begin to fall harder, he looked to Jordan across from him and sighed quietly. If only… his eyes drifted to the ring on her finger that was a constant reminder of her duties. Before he thought about it, he opened his mouth and asked, ”What does your husband do for a living?”
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Post by . on Mar 18, 2018 21:18:43 GMT -5
(Oh we can skip whenever you want. I'm cool with it) Jordan smiled. "That would be nice," she said with a slight smile. She would love to go experience everything that Rhys could show her, but Sam needed her and she knew Eric wouldn't like the thought of her spending all her time with some other man. He did that too, but Jordan was always considered the better of the two in the relationship. Eric was a jerk, and it was like being a jerk gave him the right to do what he wanted. She hated the thought and let out a small sigh. If only things were different... Then maybe she could actually ask Rhys out on a proper date. But he could never be anything more than a friend to her, and the thought hurt. She ignored the feeling and smiled a bit at his response. "It is much sunnier. Warmer. Ezra taught me how to surf there," she said, looking out at the less than beautiful weather outside. She missed those teenage and young adult days where she would go visit Ezra for so many days at a time. It was unrealistic for her now and she clearly missed the days. Jordan also looked around at the choices. She didn't really know what Rhys liked, but she wasn't insanely picky. Plus, she trusted him to pick something decent. After all, she'd liked what he'd chosen for her at the cafe the day before. Plus, she wanted to see what he liked. Her whole life revolved around putting others first - her son, her husband, the people and animals she worked with - so it didn't seem odd to her to let Rhys choose. Plus, she wanted to get to know him. Was he a salad guy? A burger guy? A fancy restaurant guy? A sports bar guy? There was a surprising amount of information that you could learn about someone simply based on where they wanted to eat. So she actually enjoyed letting her thoughts wander as she gave Rhys some time to think it over. His words jerked her back to reality and caused her to look slightly surprised. When was the last time someone had offered to pay for something for her? It really wasn't a big deal. Jordan had more than enough money, but the thought of someone actually thinking to pay for her made her feel all warm inside. Again, it was a feeling she got so often around Rhys, but had never experienced with Eric. "It's really no big deal," she promised. Of course, if Rhys continued to push to pay, she wouldn't stop him. But she saw no reason for her to make the offer, especially if he was having money problems. Hadn't he said he'd been evicted? If it was because he couldn't even afford to pay rent, then Jordan would feel horrible for making him spend his money on her. She looked up at the restaurant that he'd chosen and smiled slightly. She came here occasionally with Riley or Linda or even Sam, and definitely enjoyed it. The drizzle started only seconds after they entered, and Jordan sent Rhys a small smile, glad that they'd missed the rain. She didn't exactly mind rain, but she didn't want to have her clothes soaking wet when she went back to the shelter. Volunteering in wet clothes wasn't exactly fun. Jordan smiled. "I've wanted to go to Spain since I was taking Spanish in high school," she said with a small laugh. "Never got the chance and I'm a bit rusty on my Spanish skills, but I think it would be fun." Eric had been there before for business, but never let Jordan come. When he returned home and she asked him about it, he'd just shrug and say it was less than impressive. Maybe she could still go someday... She saw his gaze drift to her ring and she let her hand fall into her lap where it was hidden under the table. Her face dropped into that sad expression she always got when her marriage was brought up and then his next question surprised her even more. Her mouth opened for a second before she closed it. "Oh, he's a businessman. Works for my dad's company. Runs it, actually," she said with a small shrug. "Nothing impressive." Plus, she just hated taking about that stupid company. It had ruined her life. aether
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Post by aether on Mar 20, 2018 5:54:47 GMT -5
[ will let them chit-chat for a lil bit then skip C: ]
The thought of a younger, beautiful Jordan surfing on a sunny beach made Rhys glance down at his feet as his cheeks had a pinkish hue. What? A man couldn't think about his love? He hoped one day she could return to a life that made her eyes light up as much as retelling that story did. It made his heart sink when her eyes lost that reminiscent brightness and she returned back to reality. When they were sat, he dropped the idea of who would pay, but he was silently determined it would be him. He would just feel a little weird if he didn't. He plucked a napkin out of the holder and started crafting a mediocre napkin-paper-plane from it. It was just a little something he did when he was sat at a restaurant and he wanted to keep his hands busy. Most people would pull out their phones and scroll to keep themselves busy, but alas, his phone had one purpose: to contact Jordan. He didn't know how to use it otherwise, so it was useless for entertainment. He held the little plane still as he looked up to listen to Jordan talk about how she studied Spanish and he seemed genuinely interested. Rhys was by no means multi-lingual, but he'd learned certain phrases in other languages, because many times he'd stayed in non-English speaking countries for long lengths of times. He forgot a lot, but some phrases and whatnot kept.
He watched as she hid her hand again. The urge to pry into her private life continued to grow stronger and his cornflower eyes narrowed somewhat as he held his tongue. Her husband was a business man? Worked for her father? Owned the business? She dismissed it as nothing impressive, but he assumed there must be something deeper to the situation. Was it linked to her dismissal of her father too? The fact she preferred spending her time with her friends over him? He felt as though none of his questions would ever be answered it was starting to irritate him. It wasn't her fault though, he'd only known Jordan for two days and he was a complete stranger to her. He tried his best to keep casual as he glanced back down to his little plane and poked at it a few times, "Sounds very successful," he commented, "he must be busy though," it was a little prying, he had to admit. He asked casually, but he really wanted to see her reaction. See what her expressive eyes would say, see... anything.
He was distracted for a moment as a waitress placed a jug of water on the table with two chilled glasses (not that the glasses really needed chilling on an already cool day). He poured a cup of water for himself and for her and he sipped at it. He tapped his fingers on the glass when he placed it back on the table and he wondered why, for a moment, Jordan was so mysterious. There was so much about her that was so different. She'd never once, in all the centuries, recognised him. Yet she approached him. He furrowed his brows thoughtfully as he wondered whether it wasn't all a coincidence - whether it was all meant to happen. Was she supposed to know him so that he could help her? He shook his head slightly and deemed that thought a little too hopeful and a little too self-centred. He was supposed to help her? Pssh, she was fine, really. She was also a big girl. But he had to admit... he felt a strong urge to just wrap his arms around her protectively and shield her from anything bad in the world.
"What do you think you're going to order?" He asked nonchalantly as he looked her in the eyes. He told himself to stop thinking so much and just enjoy spending time with her in the moment.
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Post by . on Mar 20, 2018 9:08:34 GMT -5
(Sounds good. Maybe after their lunch? Or did you want them to go back to the shelter before we skip?) Jordan didn't seem to notice his reaction when she talked about surfing. Even if she had, she wouldn't have thought that Rhys was picturing her out in the water, enjoying one of her old favorite activities with her cousin. Instead, she pulled out her cell phone and scrolled through the pictures to show him one. It was obviously taken a couple years ago. Jordan looked younger and more lively, as if the stresses of her life hadn't hit her at that point. She was standing barefoot on a sunny beach with a surfboard under her arm and a boy next to her. He shared the same features as Jordan and the two could easily be mistaken as siblings. "That's me and my cousin, Ezra. I haven't been out to see him much recently, and last time I brought Sam along with me, so we couldn't be quite as crazy as we were when she was kids," she said, chuckling slightly at the last part. Normally Sam stayed with Riley when Jordan went to go visit Ezra because it was the only time Jordan had to herself, but Riley had been visiting her own family to meet her new nephew. When they were finally sat, she carefully took the seat across from Rhys and slipped her phone into her pocket. She normally didn't have a problem with being on her phone, but he had decided to play with napkins instead of be on his phone and Jordan wanted to get to know the man. She watched his fingers as they shaped the napkin into a paper airplane and she smiled a bit. "Can you teach me that? I've never been able to make paper airplanes," she said, her face turning slightly pink when she admitted that. She'd just never been able to pick up on how to make one. Jordan kept her left hand under the table, not wanting to think about Eric or her life with him. Her right hand rested carefully on the table as she opened up a menu, her brown eyes searching the choices for something that interested her. She'd likely end up getting what she always did, but it might not hurt to see if there's anything new. Even if there wasn't, it still gave her something to do while she talked to Rhys, trying to avoid his gaze like she always did when she talked about Eric. Talking to Rhys was showing her the kind of guy she she could have been with. She was sure many guys were more like Rhys than Eric, and that's something she could have had if she had been able to make her own choices. Her thoughts wandered briefly to her high school boyfriend, such a sweet boy. Jordan hadn't even gotten a chance to explain to him. Her dad moved her straight to London and cut off contact with people he didn't like. The top of her list? James. Of course he wouldn't want her in contact with her boyfriend when she was supposed to live a happy and successful life with Eric. She still wanted to reach out to James and see if he was happy with how his life turned back, but she felt terrible for just cutting him out of her life like she had, even if it hadn't been her choice. At his words, she glanced back up. "He is," Jordan said. She still didn't look up from the menu. Instead, she seemed to concentrate more on the obviously exciting kid's menu when she replied. "He is, but I shouldn't really complain, huh? I mean, because of him, I don't need a job and I don't have to worry about finances," she said, though there was no happiness in her voice and she still refused to meet his eyes. She'd much rather be working full time and contributing to the family if it meant she could marry someone that loved her, someone that she was actually happy to spend the rest of her life with. Eric was not that someone. Jordan smiled slightly and thanked the waitress when she delivered the water and glasses. It gave her a good distraction from worrying about Rhys and his questions about Eric. "Thanks," she said with a slight smile when he poured her glass. She folded the menu back up and set it aside as she pulled the glass closer to her and wrapped her fingers around it, just like she had during their little coffee date yesterday. No, not a date. This wasn't a date either. Rhys was a friend, nothing more. She brought the glass carefully to her lips and sipped before speaking. "Tel me a little bit about you, Rhys. I mean, I've told you about my son and my volunteer work and my cousin and even a little about my husband. I don't want the conversation to focus solely on me. What about you?" she asked. Though Jordan rarely got the chance to focus on herself and she enjoyed it, she also wanted to get to know Rhys more. At his question, Jordan glanced down at the menu. "Hmm, its tough but this turkey sandwich looks good. It's either that or the chicken ranch wrap," she said with a slight smile. "I've had them both before and they're both great, but I'm not sure which one I'm in the mood for today," she said. She'd put her menu aside already, so she was down to those two choices. She'd decide before he waitress returned. aether
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Post by aether on Mar 22, 2018 7:01:49 GMT -5
[ eh, maybe just them eatin'. then we can skip ]
Rhys gazed with interest as she showed him photos from her phone - which he found interesting that such small devices could hold so many photos and memories. He glanced from the screen to her and smirked as he thought about her being a silly teenager with her cousin, and he chuckled, "Sounds very interesting," he gazed at her with soft blue eyes. He wanted to hear more and more about her - he yearned to do that. He perked up when she asked him to teach her how to make a paper plane. His head tilted and he raised as eyebrow. "You've never made one? How did you annoy all your teachers in school?" he grabbed another napkin from the pile and made space on the centre of the table to show her. He folded it in half, then flattened it again and folded the corners to the centre line. He continued, folding and turning the napkin, until a plane was formed before her eyes. He held it up to her and grinned, "A plane, to take you anywhere you want." He threw it in her direction but the weight of the napkin was too heavy and the wings were too floppy, so it didn't even move forward - it just went straight down. He picked it up and fiddled it in his hands for a few moments before he placed it back down and slid it to her. It was hers now - for wiping her face after eating, of course.
He could tell by the look on her face that she was thinking about something. The shift in her shoulders - the way they hung low - made him think she was recalling a time where either A) she'd been very happy and was now not, B ) she'd been thinking of a bad time, perhaps because of the fact her husband was so busy, C) something unrelated altogether, maybe she'd left her oven on? He thought it was a little strange that she spoke about the advantages of having a busy husband - because if he was married and his significant other was always busy, he'd struggle to find a silver lining. He'd always preferred simple happy lives over one of luxury and sacrifices. He didn't judge her for it though, because he knew (from the little information he had received) weren't quite what they seemed in her marriage. "It's a bittersweet thing, being busy," he did his best to sound positive for her sake. He also did his best to try and sound nonchalant about it so it didn't become a big deal and she didn't feel like she had to explain herself or her situation if she didn't feel like it. He sipped at his water when she turned the conversation onto him, and he paused for a moment. Who was he this time? Every time the question was asked to him he could stop for a moment and think 'who do I choose to be' simply because there were no limitations when you were an immortal being. He kept it cool and breezy though - he usually did, he could think big about being immortal all he wanted but in the end he was a simple guy living his intricate life. "I grew up here in London, in Kentish Town actually. Went to university, dropped out of university, pursued travelling... I've been doing more backpacker travelling so it's not expensive and I've learned a lot to be able to pick up cash every now and again for doing jobs and whatnot. Been back in London for a little while though, just enjoying home... other than that there isn't much to me," he shrugged his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck.
He nodded to her choices, "Sounds good, I always enjoy a good wrap," he replied. He'd already decided he wanted to eat a nice hearty soup, so he'd just wait until the waitress came back around to take their orders.
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Post by . on Mar 22, 2018 9:02:05 GMT -5
(That sounds good to me!) Jordan smiled a bit as she showed Rhys the picture on her phone. She then of course had to show him the wallpaper once she closed out of the pictures app. It was a picture of her and Sam. It wasn't hard to see that she had plenty of pictures of Sam and her dog and her cousin and her friends, but she really didn't have many, if any, of Eric. "Things are always interesting when you get me and Ezra together," she said with a laugh. Her cousin was just as lively and rambunctious as Jordan was, which gave the pair many exciting stories. Unfortunately, Jordan had settled down a bit when Sam was born, and her spirit had been crushed a little more by Eric, so they weren't as able to create fun stories as they had when they were younger. Jordan laughed when he asked how she annoyed her teachers. "Usually by talking in class and not turning in my homework... I wasn't exactly the best student," she said with a laugh. She leaned in with interest as he began showing her how to make the napkin paper airplane. It didn't look too complicated, but she didn't attempt to recreate in in case she messed up horribly and embarrassed herself in front of him. Her eyes were filled with laughter again as she watched him throw it and then watched as it crashed ungracefully to the table between them. She accepted the plane from him and set it next to her cup of water. "Well, now I've got a napkin airplane," she said teasingly. She didn't touch it, but she let her eyes linger on the small plane before bringing her gaze back to his face and fiddling with a clean napkin as they talked. She didn't want to ruin the beautiful napkin until it was time to wipe her face or fingers after their quick little lunch. Maybe she would contact James anyway. He was likely married these days, living in Texas like he'd always wanted to, and maybe had a child or two. Either way, Jordan just hoped he was happier with his life than she currently was. She mentally added James to her to do list, hoping that he'd still want to be friends if she explained what had happened. She had no doubt that he was hurt by what had happened when the pair was 18, but Jordan figured that James deserved to hear the full story. The thought of sharing her story with someone made her nervous, but James deserved it. She tried to push him out of her thoughts, glancing over at Rhys instead. She was here with him, not James, and wanted to enjoy her time with Rhys. She knew it'd be harder to find time with him when Eric got home. The thought made her frown deeper. She didn't want to cut back on her time with Rhys, but she knew she wouldn't have a choice when Eric came home. She nodded a bit. "Yeah... I mean, even when he's home he's usually busy, so Sam and I don't get much time with Eric," she said with a slight shrug. "We make it work." Did they? She couldn't tell. They didn't exactly get along, but they could at least be civil when the two of them were home together. It was Sam that caused the most pain for Jordan. Her son just wanted to spend time with his father, but Eric wouldn't have any interest in Sam until he was old enough to learn about taking over Eric's job. Until then, she had to deal with seeing how upset Sam was when his father ignored him to work or go out with other girls. She was trying to keep Sam's spirits up when Eric was around, but it was hard. She was happy to hear Rhys talk about himself and leaned in to hear what he had to say. All of their conversations had seemed to focus mostly on her and she was curious to hear about him. Maybe it was because of his she seemed drawn to him, but she wanted to learn so much about this man eating lunch with her. She nodded as he spoke, smiling at the end. Her hands were clasped on the table in front of her now and she let her gaze drop to her hands for a moment before looking back at Rhys. "It sounds like a nice life. Simple, yet fulfilling. You must get to see so many things and meet so many people," she said with a small laugh. It sounded like such a nice life, something she wished she could have. Maybe one day, but she doubted it. Eric and her father just wouldn't let her have that. As Jordan was about to reply, the waitress approached them, greeting them and asking to take their orders. Jordan glanced over at Rhys before looking at the waitress. "I'll take that chicken ranch wrap, please," she said, watching as the waitress wrote down her order and turned to Rhys to take his order. Once she'd recorded his choice, she disappeared to put their orders in. aether
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Post by aether on Mar 22, 2018 20:53:12 GMT -5
[ sweet! ]
The family bonds that many people experience in their lives was something that Rhys never had the opportunity to do - which sucked in theory, but he also couldn't say he missed it since he never had it. His heart warmed at the images and thoughts of Jordan. The smile on her fact said it all, really. He could imagine her mucking around in school and he chuckled. He never went to school. It wasn't a readily available source from his time - he just learnt from living. He'd forgotten much of his childhood though and only really remembered some things - though he never spoke about them. If she ever asked he'd lie and say that he went to school and what he did - it was something he had to lie about. Saying 'oh no, I'm from a century where we didn't go to school' wasn't quite a good idea. He rested his elbow on the table and his chin gently in his palm as he looked at her, smirking when she noted the napkin-plane.
Rhys wondered how Sam felt, now that he thought of it, about the whole situation. Could he tell his mother had an issue with the marriage? Or was he oblivious because he was a child whose only concern was keeping up with his friends in school. He figured it didn't matter either way, he didn't know Sam and he was sure that if there was a problem Jordan would be sure to fix it. She sounded passionate whenever she spoke about Sam, her love for him was undeniable, so he was definitely in good hands even with a somewhat absent father. So he stopped thinking about it and just shrugged, "So long as you're happy," he replied a little softly. In reply to her comment about his life, he nodded, "Yeah - I like living simple and travelling the world has been so fulfilling. I've met a lot of people but I don't really keep in contact with anyone," he shrugged again, this time more nonchalant. He didn't keep in contact with people because he'd only just gotten a phone therefore he couldn't keep anyone details before now. And also he didn't want know them when they aged and passed and he remained the same. He wanted them to forget him. It might sound a little disheartening to some, but he simply didn't want to be around people when he knew they'd die and he couldn't. It felt selfish of him.
When the waitress came around he let Jordan order first, then he ordered his chicken and corn soup. After she'd left he took another sip of water and glanced outside. It was still drizzling and he wondered if it would stop before they left or if they were going to be cold and wet by the time they made it to the shelter. He crossed his fingers it would ease off, though being London, who knew. It wasn't long before their meals were being served before them and he spooning some hot soup into his eager mouth. He was hungry and he hadn't realised until food made it to his stomach. He tried to eat slow and respectfully, but the soup was so good and his stomach was wanting more and more. He paused to look at her and ask, "How's the wrap?" A good casual question while they ate.
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Post by . on Mar 22, 2018 21:03:23 GMT -5
(I'm leaving work now so I'll be able to answer at some point tonight. An hour? Maybe more? Maybe less?)
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Post by aether on Mar 22, 2018 21:07:38 GMT -5
[ good timing xD take ya time - post whenever ya feel ]
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Post by . on Mar 22, 2018 21:32:45 GMT -5
(That was such good timing XD anyway I just got home I'm gonna eat dinner and do some stuff before working on my reply but if you want to chat/plot in PMs I'm able to do that. If not that's cool too. I've just had a loooooong day. What time is it for you? It's about 9:30 pm here)
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Post by aether on Mar 22, 2018 21:39:38 GMT -5
[ no problems. whats for dinner? Cx i'll pm you also its 1:40 in the afternoon here so timezones are weird ]
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Post by . on Mar 22, 2018 21:44:53 GMT -5
(I'm having a buffalo chicken quesadilla but it's just leftovers and also I'm terrible at flipping hem so I lost half my chicken into the pan... Sounds good! Oh man it's so weird. That's why I make this one of my first priorities to reply to. Because like we have so little time on at the same time)
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Post by aether on Mar 22, 2018 22:07:30 GMT -5
[ ooooh yummy. i'ma be making nachos for dinner tonight hmm-hmm-HMM. ]
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Post by . on Mar 22, 2018 22:15:59 GMT -5
(I had nachos for lunch today. Mostly cause we had some meat that needed to be cooked up so my mom just texted me and told me to make nachos.)
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