[ota] you're gonna go far, kid

[bluntforces]

There are very few people, particularly in the Deck, who wouldn't describe Evan McCartney as 'an annoyingly happy camper.'

And he is happy. He's happy to be getting his degree sorted out. He's happy to be looking at jobs which will allow him to be productive--to actually use what bit of a brain he has properly, the way it's meant to be used. He's happy to be in love and waking up every morning next to the woman he's in love with. He's happy to run with the dogs and spend afternoons with his parents and run errands for his sister. He's even happy to get into fights with cousins who look down their noses and young idiots who need to get their heads out of a generation far too outdated to still be crafting culture.

He's happy. He's Evan McCartney.

But he's quiet these days. He's not entirely certain why. He's been singing less. Shouting less. Simply moderating his voice far better than he ever has, as if the concept of 'an indoor voice' has sunk in more than twenty years after being introduced. It sits funny in his shoulders.

So he does what he can. He gets up early to study; makes Riley breakfast and takes the dogs on a run. He goes to throw punches at bags until it's time to ice his shoulder and suck on his lip so the bleeding will stop. And he goes, ultimately, to lie on his back in the snowed-upon Green, because he's not entirely certain where to go when a body feels pensive.

Someone should teach him how to do 'pensive.'

Comments

[alwaysmessedup]

Justin's really too much skinny to want to spend much time outdoors. But he's also about gone stir-crazy from spending too much time indoors, so a walk seems in order.

A walk and smoking and maybe a drink somewhere on the way back but first Evan what are you even doing.

So he pauses and looks down at the older man with a rather skeptical expression, "....not dying of hypothermia, are you?"

[bluntforces]

More people should stop and ask themselves what they're even doing. It's actually a question Evan is asking himself right now.

It's probably best to have his absent, completely unstructured pondering interrupted now and then, though. He pops up onto his elbows.

"No more'n the next guy. You?"

[alwaysmessedup]

He exhales a stream of smoke that looks rather more impressive than it really is due to the chill in the air and thus his also foggy breath.

"I'm not the one laying down in the snow, man."

[bluntforces]

"Nah, but it's wicked cold out."

Admittedly, Evan's determination of temperature is probably impaired by the snow he's flopped in. Don't attempt to logic at him, though, Justin. Clearly he's not quite in a space to be logic'ed at.

[alwaysmessedup]

He's just going to crouch and not get his ass wet, thank you.

"Yeah, it is. Which is why I was headed toward the inside again when I found you lying here like a blizzard victim."

Maybe not quite that dire, but still.

Justin just shrugs and fishes out another cigarette, holding it out and down toward Evan. "Look like you could use one."

[hey_sexy_latte]

Teresa is, admittedly, not very good at 'pensive.' She's gotten a lot better at it following the attack on her family's coffee shop, but she's still no expert.

She is, however, what she likes to think is a good friend. So when she stumbles upon Evan McCartney lying in the snow, she's going to stop to look at him with a touch of concern in her expression.

"You all right, Ev?"

[bluntforces]

"...y'know?"

And it takes a second to look from the sky to his friend. To actually refocus on the real world rather than the half-formed thoughts he's chewing at.

"'m not really 100% on that."

[hey_sexy_latte]

She studies him a moment longer, before plopping down next to him in the snow.

"Anything in particular making you less'n 100%?"

[bluntforces]

--what. No. Ridiculous friend. Give him a second to tug his scarf off and throw it at her.

Because it will clearly help so much now she's getting soaked with snow too. Clearly.

"Lotsa things. And-- nothing. It's a weird feeling, T."

[hey_sexy_latte]

It won't help, really. But at least it'll give her the opportunity to flop in close when his arm lifts to give her the scarf.

Surely this is something snuggles can fix, after all.

"A bad kind of weird?"

Probably, if it's got him acting like this.

[heartshy]

Why is there someone lying in the snow? That doesn't seem right. That seems cold. What are you doing? Don't do that. Come here! Or... no, wait. Stay there.

After a dizzying time trying to decide how to deal with a person immersed in snow, Jinx crunches her way over to him. Bundled from toe to tip top of her head she looks like a little mountain of clothing with a thermos clamped between her mitten-clad hands.

Hello person sitting in the snow.

[bluntforces]

Hello apparently nervous little Heart. Have, after a moment, a patently bright McCartney smile.

"Hey, kiddo."

[heartshy]

She beams down at time, eyes crinkling to slits about the scarf swaddling her neck and face. She tries to nod, but her clothing gets in the way, so she settles for sitting herself down next to him, knees drawn up against her chest.

Opening her thermos she poured him the hot, lightly spicy chocolate she'd made in the Heart kitchens.

Hello person sitting in the snow for no reason discernible to her - albeit uncertain - eyes.

[bluntforces]

Ah. Kiddo sitting down in the snow with him. He'll take a moment as she settles to push up from lying down to sitting properly, swatting absently at his own back to get at excess powder.

"Whazzat, then, huh?"

And is it actually for him? Because it smells delicious.

[heartshy]

She puts the thermos top in his hands, making sure it's steady before digging around for a make-shift cup of her own.

Yes, silly. Of course it's for you. Warm and sweet are exactly what powdery snow need, right? She's thinking it was an even better choice now that she's had time to consider the look that had been on his face.

She stares at him intently after pouring her own, waiting for him to sip.

[grrranimals]

"I'd heard we'd acquired a new abominable snowman," Tess says as she plops--okay, edges down in degrees--onto the snow beside him. She can wait. If Evan has anything he wants to say, it will come out soon enough.

[bluntforces]

Well, edging down does mean he has a chance to unbutton his coat and leave her an edge of space to sit on, if she chooses to. Because gentleman and such. Gentleman snowman.

"'m stakin' the situation out, y' see."

[grrranimals]

"Good money in't is there? Never knew that." She scootches closer smiling at the deja vu brought on by memories of younger days and a time far, far away. She doesn't think Cadogan would take to toenail polishing.

"Seasonal work, I'd expect." She nudges his shoulder with hers. "You look...thoughtful." She decides not to say "down" at the last moment.

[bluntforces]

There would always be something qualitatively different about childhood friends. It wasn't a bad thing.

Neither was the idea of being thoughtful. There wasn't even anything bad about the lack of being able to actually smile in response to the question. "Am. A little."

[grrranimals]

Some might call the McCartney brood airheads because of the blonde good looks and happy-go-lucky attitude. Some, not anyone who knew them. "Should I be worried? I remember all the trouble your thoughtful sessions used to get us into."

The teasing doesn't stop the concerned study she turns on him. Nothing worse than people asking you if you're 'feeling okay' when you're absolutely fine. Doesn't mean she won't sit up and take notice when someone she cares about isn't acting true to form.

Or maybe they're all just getting older.

[standlikestone]

First? First he gets the dogs bounding up, Chewie jumping over his chest and yipping as Baxter snuffles at his hand. Eventually, the two run off to play in the smow, chasing each other over the Green.

Eventually, there'll be a warm scarf and extra sweatshirt dropped on his head. Eventually, there'll be a jumble of limbs collapsing next to him on the snow. Said jumble of limbs holds out a box to him, giving him a muffled hello.

Her mouth is stuffed with warm chocolate cookie, you see. There are more in the box.

[bluntforces]

It's scientifically impossible, he's fairly certain, not to laugh while Chewie and Baxter are around. There's a good deal of cuddling to be had, yes, and a bit of pushing puppy noses and kisses out of the way, but also always necessarily a lot of laughing.

And, even on bad days, it's very tough not to smile when Riley's around. There's the tiniest bit of a huff as she drops the sweatshirt, and another as he lugs himself from his back to sitting properly to pull it on.

There's nevertheless a very bright smile on his lips as he reaches to grab a cookie. "You're some kinda angel, Ri."

[standlikestone]

"I know," she informs him cheerily, snuggling up next to his side and leaning her head against his. "You were gone awhile, so I decided to go into major housewife mode. The kitchen is a mess."

It takes a couple moments of chewing and watching the dogs before she asks, "what's wrong?"

[bluntforces]

The shoulder that isn't stiffened up shrugs. They'll go back soon enough--and he'll get to cleaning soon enough. It's a fair price to pay for delicious baked goods.

There's certainly a pause to the chewing at her question. "...why's something gotta be wrong?"

[standlikestone]

"I don't know. I guess... it's just weird to see you flopped in the snow without making angels or anything," she admits, tugging her scarf up over her nose slightly. "Figured something isn't quite right. You've been quiet."