curiosity killed the cat

[zliti]

X A V I E R " the one who made it "
tags; elizabeth otsman

he rubbed his hands together as he paced the entrance hall of the manor, dark brown eyes glancing at the door every once and awhile. his thoughts bounced back and forth in his head like bullets, each one getting more and more vicious. will they actually come? it had been years since any of them had spoken more than a few words to one another, let alone spent a weekend together. or will they actually remember my name? it caused a bit of pain to flash in his chest at the thought of being forgotten by those he once regarded as brothers, no matter how improbable. with a deep sigh, he sat rather heavily on the second step of the grand staircase, resting his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. he was still for a moment, before a slim arm wrapped around his waist and a small body pressed against his left side.

"they will come." the voice of his wife, elizabeth murmured softly. her voice was like a soft sweet tune in his ear, quieting the restless thoughts in his head with a blanket of calm. she rested her red head on his shoulder, and he lifted his head and put an arm around her figure. "i know, dear, i just... it's been years for some of these guys. will they look at me the same? will it go the way i hope or will it all go to hell by the time the weekend is over?" he shook his head in despair, but she simply planted a soft kiss on his stubbly cheek. "that's where you sit back and watch it all play out, love. come now, quit worrying, you'll only taint the mood when our guests get here." she stood, holding out a hand and fluttering her fingers slightly. he took it, allowing her to bring him into a standing position and idly mess with his jacket. "now, you go change into something more casual. dress clothes, honestly? get into something you can get down and dirty in." when he simply stared at her, she winked and turned him towards the upstairs. "and don't come back down unless you're wearing jeans!" with that, she shooed him up, giggling a little as he broke into a funny stride.

i love that woman to death. he thought as he made his way upstairs, his tall legs easily closing the distance between the head of the stairs and their bedroom. he let out a breath as he entered and quietly shut the door behind him, clearing his throat as he took off his jacket and headed over to the closet. will any of them bring wives? kids? at the thought he stopped, letting out a sigh. kids. he had been unable to promise elizabeth kids, and while she still yearned for a family to call her own, her patience was unyielding for him and his career. one day our kids will run these halls. the thought of small red headed girls, just like his wife, running through his legs made him smile. at a quiet noise from downstairs, presumably the aforementioned cooking, he was once more reminded of his plans for the night and continued changing.

[dejun.]

♛ 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐄
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age/gender; twenty-three/male | sexuality/role; homosexual/shy | tags; carter's only friend & dog
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carter paced the small confines of his bedroom, gripping the intricate envelope in his fist. why does xavier want to see us so suddenly? he inquired. several doubts and suspicions were clogging his mind. although it would be good to see his old friends once again, would his former companions still be welcoming towards him after years of not addressing a single word to any of them? spending some time together isn't the worst idea though.. right? silently cursing his social skills, carter mulled over the matter for a split second - but nothing would overcome how intrigued he'd become. he halted, tossing the letter onto his bed before sauntering to his wardrobe and heaving it open, revealing a neat stack of pants in addition to a tidy row of white clothes hangers.

having not a single clue whether the party would be formal, he tugged a simple white t-shirt along with a red and black plaid jacket off of their respective hooks. carter shrugged and pulled them on, snatching a pair of black skinny jeans as well. the end result was acceptable, though under-dressed would be an underestimate if it just so happened to require a suit of sorts.
would putting cologne on seem too desperate? what if somebody thinks i'm putting in too much effort? he let out an exasperated groan of frustration. maybe i'll write a book about how to maintain a friendship next. but what if that turns out to be more popular than my other novels? i'll be known as the friend expert and when someone actually meets me they'll find out i'm not and-"

god, he was getting extremely side-tracked now. carter blew out an annoyed breath. why did he have to be cursed with the lack of all the needed skills? like possibly communication? he ambled out of the room, shoving the door shut with his foot and heading down the short hallway that led to the kitchen. his footsteps felt heavy, sending hollow echoes that bounced about in the bare space.
a mildly revolting smell wafted into carter's nose, reminding him of the current hygienic state his beloved dog - bryn - was in.
scrapes on the hardwood floor skittered somewhere nearby, with the bernese mountain dog appearing only a moment after. "i'll have to get a dog-sitter for you, too." he observed. "can't have you breaking everything down now, can we?"

a fond grin flourished on his face as he bent down pet her delicately under the chin. although her fur was normally soft and velvety,
it was now matted with dirt and mud, all of which had been collected the day before when they'd taken a short trip to the public park. his face scrunched up though he bore an amused expression. "i'll get someone to wash you up while i'm gone," remarked carter. "in the meantime, why don't we watch some tv?"

[scottermite]

"life of the party" tags: none

caleb,of who was perched comfortably on his bed listening to infinity on high and screaming every lyric, would seem he forgot all about the chic invitation he had received in the mail at his mothers before he got kicked out, yet he had not.
"its all a game of this or that, no verses then!"
the motel he had settled at was small but cozy, with a color cable t.v propped up in the corner on a rickety old dresser. when he had first walked in, the clean room had smelt of apple pie and blueberries, the scent now covered by another aroma of- god knows what. but it smelt dirty and like caleb.

But he was happy, and that was all the mattered. he smiled to himself at the thought, when suddenly a monotone voice uttered something that caleb took as 'now press repeat.' at first he was confused, but when he heard the sound of the C.D stopping (signaling it was done), he couldn't help himself but to laugh. what- it was funny, ok?! but eventually he stopped laughing and just lay there, on the cyan covers before sitting up on the bed and running his hands over his jeans. he breathed in and out heavily once, then got up and changed into something more- casual..

he wore:a comfy, white t-shirt, a black flannel with white stripes- which surprisingly had been washed only yesterday in the motel's private drycleaners, and some black jeans. not to fancy, not too boring. as he looked himsef up and down in the mirror, he decided it ws time to go, so be grabbed his keys (duh), his wallet (just in case), and book to read if anything happens and he gets bored, or to read at night.
"all set," he whispered to himself consciously as he sauntered through the long, burgundy carpeted hallways. he frowned at it; after all, 'kinky boots' was his favorite movie. he chuckled at his thought once through the vast and sickly skinny hallway, and out the doors; only to enter another to to get into his car. he posisiented the keys in the ignition and smiled, waiting to see the squad one last time.

[morrissey]

alec fartham !!

braniac tags; none

alec was alerted out of his dreamy state by a rather loud bark sourced only from his young stabyhoun, jaques. alec smiled fondly, reaching down to scratch the brute between the ears. in return, jaques gave him a hearty lick on the cheek.
"gross, jaques," alec grumbled, wiping the slobber off with the back of his hand, then shook his wrist as if the bacteria would just go flying off.
alec had to admit, he loved that dog more than anything win the world. jaques mustered a heavy 'boof', then managed to plunk himself onto alec's lap. this resulted in a mumbled "gross, jaques, i'm not that desperate," and the dog being pushed back down to the ground. alec brushed off the black and white hairs his dog had left beind, and went into the walk-in closet.
alec sat down on a chair in the corner, drifting into a non-physical state as he reminisced about his high school days, which he spent by xavier's side. of course, he remembered the other boys that he often hung out with. caleb dennis, the avid party-goer who always seemed to have a girl clinging to his side. julian shaw, the dad of the group who always made sure that the boys weren't out too late or drinking too much. tyler woods, the wanna-be that flaunted himself a bit too much for alec's taste, but it didn't bother him. then there was carter cote, who seemed to make alec's heart beat a bit too fast.
and of course, they would all be there.
alec let himself breathe, then pulled on a white t-shirt and threw a navy blue jacket that seemed to fit his figure well, and perhaps brought out his eyes at well. on the bottom he wore a pair of black skinny jeans.
hopefully it wouldn't be too much.
alec waved goodbye to jaques, and as he passed out of the mudroom and into the garage, he checked to make sure that jaques' food dish was full("now don't you go on eating it all right now, you fat pig,") and jumped into his car.

once alec arrived at xavier's house, he swallowed thickly, parked his car, and went to knock on the door.

[guh-huh!]

✰ ＪＵＬＩＡＮ ＳＨＡＷ !
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→ [ thrivin' in the suburbs | male | twenty-five | tags: group] ←

watching the moments tick-tock away on the clock ahead, julian helplessly tried everything he could to get his paperwork finished before closing. he rubs his face while he wakes the computer, then takes his eyes off the clock to the sixty-two emails in his inbox (most, he can tell, are rubbish from his co-workers). however, a few are deemed important and set aside to work on next week. all he has to do is finish a few pages on a report and he's home free- if he could just stop his brain from getting so side-tracked.
xx at exactly seven twenty-seven, julian stops everything he's doing and gets up with a swallowed sigh. he straightens his tie, runs a hand to fix his hair, and walks through the aisle of cubicles towards the exiting staircase. rory, his friend in the desk next to his, fiddles with his pen in one of the chairs before waving goodbye to him. "have fun with your friends tonight, shaw!" juilan grumbles back a response before going down the stairs; he had almost forgotten about going to xaiver's place tonight.

xx how long had it been since he'd last seen his high school friends? it felt like forever since the six of them had a get together, despite how inseparable they were back in the day. sure, he'd often be the one telling the group to watch what they were doing- but they rarely ever did listen to him. even if, without him, juilian swears the whole group of them would probably be in prison by now.
xxwhen he exits the car and enters his house; it's only for a short while. the kids are fast asleep, his in-laws are up for the occasion, and his wife is warmly seated with their french bulldog. once he changes into something more comfortable, a burgundy shirt worn under a black overcoat, he heads downstairs to pick up the keys and give his wife an embrace before heading out and shutting the door behind him.

xxit's not that far down the road, julian realizes as he punches the address into his phone. throwing his bag of necessities in the trunk, the young man slides in the car and begins to drive to his friend's house. it's not long before he parks the car on the side of the street and clicks the lock button for the night. taking a sweeping glance of the hulking house, juilan can't help but feel a wave of nostalgia hit him. as stoic as he may be, he was somewhat excited to see how everybody had changed over time.

[scottermite]

"life of the party" tags: none

caleb, half way there, suddenly realize he had forgotten almost everything. therefore, he had to spent money he did not have at the current time. he groaned and pulled into the parking lot of a small store, a rickety sign outside with the words "the everything store". he parked his rusty old ford and got out, before rolling into the store casually. his eyes lit up when he saw a large sign; "clothes". he smiled thankfully and nearly sprinted to the skinny isle.

"no, no, no, too flashy, too pink, hmm.... sure, no no no," he drifted through the isle quickly, having picked two pairs of black skinny jeans, three t-shirts, and one jumper. strutting to the counter, he observed three people in the shop also. he chuckled to himself at how different they were, it was simply amazing to him. he hummed a song, coffee's for closers, as he took in their features.

the first one, a young lady, with a six year old clinging to her left as she dragged the child to the counter to buy what looked my a my little pony. she wore a floral dress with black tights. her face portrayed the following emotion: done. the second and third, a teenage boy and a young man, the boy dressed in a camo jacket with a black shirt underneath, and blue baggy jeans which the bottoms of pooled at his ankles. the young man, who caleb guessed was the teen's brother, wore a blue blazer and skinny jeans, dressed very smartly.

caleb bit his lip and scampered to the counter to pay for his things, then raced out the automatic doors just as quickly as when he came in. he stuffed the green and clear plastic bag he was given in the back seat of and moved over a whole lot of miscellaneous things aside before taking his seat and leaving.

[zliti]

X A V I E R " the one who made it "
tags; alec & julian

xavier swept out of the room in dark jeans and a v-neck gray shirt that hugged him rather tightly, showing off a body that resulted in being able to pay for a top-notch person trainer. as much as he wanted to say otherwise, he had to admit to himself that he was being rather vainglorious about his trimmed build. he mused the thought for a moment, hand resting on the door handle of his bedroom, before he shrugged and continued walking out and to the top of the steps. from here, he could look out the grand windows that decorated around the heavy wooden door, and see two cars. he blinked, dark eyes shining from the huge chandelier that hung in the entry hall, before he realized his heart had begun beating faster. they're here.

"liz, dear! two are here!" who it was he had no idea, but that he would know soon. he let out a breath, running a hand down the front of himself, subconsciously insecure for a blinking second. his thoughts were interrupted as his beautiful wife twirled into the hall below him, ruffled skirt twirling around her delicate ankles, in sync with her long hair. he stared at her for a moment from his perch, arms unknowingly crossing over the banister as he leaned into it. she looked around for a second before glancing up, green eyes lighting upon him and a smile growing on her lips. "now there's a husband that's ready to meet with old friends." he smiled in reply, though he had hardly heard what she had said, being too busy taking in her features.

he swiftly made his way down the stairs, grasping her by the waist and bringing her into a lasting embrace. "it's odd, how after these years, your beauty is still something i can't wrap my head around." a blush took over her complexion, before she unraveled from his grip and fixed her hair. "yes, i love you too, and you have no reason to be nervous." ah, so she had seen through his words. it was true, whenever he was nervous he would compliment her, as her child-like reactions always made him smile. "now go, dear, go outside and greet them." she pushed him towards the door, leaving him to his devices as she turned and went once more to the kitchen.

he watched her go and disappear through the archway, before turning to the door. he remained still for a moment, nerves shooting like lightning under his skin, before suddenly he moved forward and went out.

[dejun.]

♛ 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐄
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role; shy little thang | tags; xavier, alec, julian
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carter flipped his phone with his left hand, cheeks slightly flushing when it instead lands on bryn with a dull thud. "sorry, girl." he mutters, snatching it off of her before she chews it beyond use - which he's wary about due to experience. shifting in his seat, he pressed the button to turn the electronic on, met with the sight of the time. "wait.. don't i have somewhere i have to get to?" it takes a few moments before he registers in his mind the party he'd been invited to along with his former friends from high school. "oh" was all he said before carter was leaping off the couch, rudely interrupting his dog's peaceful slumber.

he scampered to the door while seizing a suitcase he had packed in preparation and his simple black leather wallet. the sound of rolling wheels was excruciatingly loud, no doubt because of the long time it has been in use, with its soft material battered and the zippers nearly ripped off. travelling wasn't something carter would do often, so he'd often neglect anything to do with it. already having the trunk open, carter hefted the bag in before shutting it tightly and clambering into the driver's seat. hesitation continued lingered in his mind but backing out wasn't an option now - especially when he was halfway to xavier's address thus far.

when he approached the neighborhood, carter's eyes widened with incredulity and astonishment. surely this isn't the correct location? regardless, carter pulled over and stepped out of his vehicle, scrutinizing the mansion. but one thing caught his eye. the small bundle of people at the entrance. mute exhilaration caught his breath in his throat as carter grabbed his suitcase and starting to draw nearer to the individuals.

[morrissey]

alec fartham !!

braniac tags; none

alec had been a bit calm when he had arrived, being the first one there was a bit easier for him. he, of course,
had expected xavier to open the door quicker than the man actually did, and once the door was open, julian shaw had joined him.
alec gave a small dip of his head to the slightly older male, opening his mouth to make conversation. alec then realized he really had nothing to say, and tightened his jaw, staring at his shoes.
alec brightened as xavier finally opened the door. "hello," he murmured, hands behind his back. "long time, no see?"
he was about to speak again when he heard another car pull up, and distant footsteps echo on the concrete. alec turned back to see carter walking up. quickly, alec turned back, a bit of blush on his cheeks.

[guh-huh!]

✰ ＪＵＬＩＡＮ ＳＨＡＷ !
─────── ✦ ───────
→ [ thrivin' in the suburbs | male | twenty-five | tags: tyler ] ←

luckily, he's not the first one to arrive. alec's already pressing on ahead and made his way to the front. and as he reaches into the back of the car to retrieve his things, he swears he can see the headlights of another car or two coming closer. how punctual. he honestly expected a few of them to be stragglers; after all, caleb was often invested in other things outside of hanging out with the group. girls, parties, and booze truly were the way to that man's heart.

it takes him a while to gather up all his belongings and send his wife the obligatory 'made it there safe' text. reluctantly, and not feeling any of confidence he's been instilling himself in for the car ride, julian makes his way to the front of the doorway. unbeknownst to him, his friend tyler had been standing there already, knocking at the door. tyler had been one of his better friends at the time, both being the mature ones of the bunch. not breaking stride, julian climbed the steps leading up to the front door and took a place next to him. "tyler?" julian says, "god, it's been forever, hasn't it?"