[open post]

[obviated]

Comments

[demonstrating]

How far would you go to get what you wanted?

( definitely a small talk kind of question, yes? )

[obviated]

You start out with the hard questions, don't you? I can both respect and fear that. :) Simply wanting anything at all in the long term has been a rather new experience. Ultimately, it would depend on how badly I wanted it. I am not exactly known for my ambition at all, but if it were for the people I love, there's no lengths I wouldn't go to.

What about you?

[demonstrating]

I could go for soft balls if you'd rather.

( he does have a tendency to go in hard from jump when he doesn't necessarily have to, ahem. liam lightly scratches the underside of his jaw in thought, the soft pads of his fingertips grazing the stubble that's threatening to grow on his face. )

I think we sometimes have a limited view of ambition. It's usually attributed to success in one specific way, but all it really means is having a strong desire to achieve something, enough to put in the work to see it through.

I think I can relate to that too, yeah.

( going to certain lengths. he still has to determine if there are no lengths he will not go to. it's worrying to find out, either way. )

[obviated]

No, not at all. I feel you can learn a great deal about someone simply in the types of questions they ask. Call me curious about what you'll hit me with next.

I think for a long time I didn't even have a strong desire to achieve something in specific. Lived too much in the moment for that. Even now... well.

( there was the forest, there was being a wolf of the wild. when he came out of that, it was a lot about surviving, being in the moment, learning to simply be again instead of taking on a role. )

Is there anything in particular you're striving so much for? ...speaking of hard hitting questions. :)

[demonstrating]

( liam tips his head to the side in helpless curiously of his own.

even now... ethan says, and he wonders just how much this other man has been through. desire, he thinks, is a complex emotion. one that he doesn't have a lot of experience with, beyond desire for one particular ambition. sometimes he does wonder what all he's missed in the single-minded pursuit of it. )

Touche. I'd only expect you to give as hard as you get.
I'm striving to become a student at a school. I realize as I say this it sounds unexciting, but it's a very prestigious school where one can study magic. It's hard to get into.

( liam has neither riches nor connections. so he already has a lot working against him. )

[obviated]

What? Unexciting? I believe, in fact, the opposite is true. You are attempting to study MAGIC. That is actually incredibly amazing.

So you can do some magic already? I imagine it is a requirement for entry if this school is so prestigious- there have to be like magic tests involved, but I can't actually say I've ever looked into it myself.

[pidgeon]

How old are you now, anyhow?

( jo's lost track of it herself with all the apocalypses and rift changes. all she knows is mark's somehow older than her, now. )

[obviated]

Honestly, I have absolutely no idea. It's difficult to keep track of time between one world and then another as you are well aware of, and then go more complicated into heading into worlds which don't measure years in the same way, and it's a mystery.

God, I hope I'm not the oldest of the Hales now. No, Adam's likely to always be the oldest of us. Phew.

[pidgeon]

Adam does still look like he's older than the rest of y'all. Just like Tim with us.

( oh, hey. there's five barnes siblings and five hale siblings. symmetry! )

It's hard to keep track, you're not wrong about that.
But the not knowing bugs me sometimes.

[obviated]

He does. Beyond other reasons for him aging more quickly, he is the largest gap age-wise between brothers. He practically helped raise us all, which would also age anyone. Something to be said about being the oldest as I'm sure the Barnes siblings were equally a handful. ;)

Yeah? That might just mean you get to choose whichever age you'd like. But yeah, it'd be impossible to know the actual ages especially when you spend time in worlds that don't exactly keep any solid track of time.

[pidgeon]

I have no idea what you're talking about, Ethan Hale.

( except... yes. they were very much a handful. some more than others. no doubt they gave tim some premature gray hairs same as the hales did adam. )

Even if they did keep solid track of time. Say it's January in that world. You fall through a rift again and boom. It's November. And so on and so forth. I bet Mark could keep a good tally of that kind of thing, but I just ended up saying to hell with it.

[obviated]

Logan would keep a good tally as well. I would not be able to keep track any more than you can. Wait, if Logan is essentially the equivalent of your Mark. Does that mean each of my siblings match up with yours? Not perfectly, of course, but

( hrm. it's something to think about. they do each have five. )

[transferee]

(allison has never gotten much chance to really get to know connor's family as well as she'd like. now is as good of time as any.)

what was your favorite game to play together as kids?

[obviated]

My favorite game just so happens to be Logan's least favorite game or reasons that absolutely have nothing at all to do with me.

Alright, it might have everything to do with me. You see I have always been exceptionally good at both running away and hiding. If I didn't want to be found, I could make it so, which would leave Logan- ever the worrier left to attempt to find me and often fail for hours at a time.

Eventually he stopped wanting to play it with me at all.

i've been tagging with her lately and i was feeling nostalgic, whatever verse floats your boat

[bravebartender]

-OR-



-OR-

dysania.

[obviated]

Once upon a time, Ethan reassured Cami she could come to his brothers' place whenever she needed. The evening led to their kissing for the first time and then the a first date to follow, but it would hardly be the first time Cami would be overwhelmed by her rift given power and now that they're dating regularly... it's even more reason for her to stay over when her power becomes difficult to wrestle with.

Of course, Ethan never quite really sleeps a full night through so he's up quite early- a few times. He knows the overwhelming emotions that Cami experienced the evening before are likely to keep her in bed for a bit. So when it became a more reasonable time in the morning, he took it upon himself to make her breakfast in bed.

There's a light knock to the door before he gently eases it open to slip inside with a tray in hand.

"...good morning."

[bravebartender]

Lazing in bed is also a familiar past time for Cami, given that she spent a lot of her college and grad school years working in various bars. Going to bed late and spending lazy mornings in bed is what kept her sane at times. It isn't quite the same in Chicago, given that the world is much more complicated, but she does like Ethan's bed. There are many, many pros to lazing in this one, as far as she's concerned.

One of which, happens to be breakfast in bed.

She smiles as she turns to the sound of his voice, pushing up into a sitting position as she tries to catch a glimpse of what he's brought her.

"Good morning."

[obviated]

Ethan smiles back at her and then lowers the tray so she can properly. There's a Ta-da thrown in for good measure, because he's ridiculous at times. The plate has french toast on it along with a bowl of fruits, sausage, and naturally, there are two mugs of coffee. Her own is made exactly as she likes it.

"Your breakfast, my dear." He leans over to press a kiss against her mouth in greeting before he places the tray down on the bed within reach. "Well, our breakfast. Unless you're particularly displeased at the thought of sharing."

He does have another tray after all.

[bravebartender]

What he calls ridiculous, she would call charming, but likely because she's personally endeared by said ridiculousness. She eyes her breakfast tray with a pleased smile as she sits up to get comfortable.

"I am not opposed to sharing," she confirms, before patting the spot next to her. "Looks like there's plenty for two."

[obviated]

Ethan is quick but careful to slip on to the bed beside her. He does not want to rock the tray on top of the mattress in the slightest, but he does lean against her a bit as he surveys the food.

"Mm. I did make extra. ...and even more in the kitchen for whenever my brothers decide to awaken." His gaze lifts up to her, curious, concerned. "How did you sleep?"

and for something less from the wayback machine

[impetere]

Hey long story short we might need bail money.

[Because yes, that's a good text to receive from your brother's girlfriend at what is inching up on being an ungodly hour of the night.]

For the record, it wasn't our fault.

[obviated]

( Ethan is thankfully already awake when the text comes through, hunched over some organizational project in the closet as a means of keeping his hands and mind occupied. But he does not expect... this. He sits up straight then, calculating in his head where exactly Logan is at this time-

Definitely do not want Logan to find out. He knows this from experience. )

What? Even? That can absolutely be arranged if needed.

First thing's first, are you both okay?

[impetere]

[Cora will be very, very sorry when they're out, but she's only got so much time to text.]

We're fine. We're in the drunk tank, even though we're clearly not drunk.

[obviated]

I am actually quite familiar with the drunk tank for actually being arrested for public intoxication once or twice. Proud of you both for not making my same embarrassing mistakes.

I'm on my way. So sit tight. ( and he will leave to do exactly that, bail them out! )

[impetere]

Thanks, Ethan.

[She and Alek will be there when he gets there, both of them looking sullen and unhappy at the night's turn of events. Cora's got the Hale scowl firmly in place, arms crossed in front of her chest as she stares daggers into the two actual drunk members of the drunk tank, who are sprawled out on matching benches.]