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Post by Bri on Nov 5, 2023 16:24:19 GMT -6
Markus scrubbed his hand over his face, trying not to yawn as he walked Bucky through the park in town, his little dog trotting ahead and stopping almost every five seconds to sniff something of particular interest. School was almost back in session and Markus was trying to put himself back into a routine of getting up early so he wouldn't be dragging through classes as he taught. The first couple weeks were always the toughest so he wanted to try to make them as easy as possible but that this morning was a bit of a struggle as he drug his feet over the sidewalk, his dog, of course, as peppy as ever. Their morning walk was going fine...until something seemed to light a fire under his dogs paws and Bucky took off at a run, pulling the leash from Markus's hand and taking off down the street. "Bucky! Get back here!" Markus yelled, running after his hair ball of a dog.
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Post by Kiersten on Nov 5, 2023 18:30:03 GMT -6
For some reason, this morning Lottie was struggling. She was frowning when she woke up, even after Gwen had made her favorite breakfast, and was promised a visit to the park on their way to the high school. Gwen had a some paperwork to fill out first before starting her first year as a counselor here. She frowned herself as she watched Lottie cry for the sole reason because she put her shoes on the wrong foot. It as going to be a long day, and started worrying she might have had a nightmare again and lost sleep the night before. She thought about what the nightmares were, Lottie never told her, just usually oke up upset the next morning. Sometimes she could come out of the slump quickly, but other days, it as like a volcano, random erruptions throughout the day. Gwen now sat on the bench just outside the playground, watching Lottie ignore some girls her age, ignore some random boy who asked her to play tag with him. She’d always easily drew people in, something that worried Gwen that it would lead her down a bad path. She looked down at her phone to check the time, it was only a second. “I want to go home.” Gwen looked up to find Lottie standing in front of herm looking absolutely miserable. “Alright, lets head to my office for that errand and then go home.” Maybe she’d offer ice cream on the way back, but before she could suggest such a thing, there was a random little dog barking at her and Lottie, play bowing toards Lottie as if the little ball of fur as trying to get her to play. Lottie lit up immediately, as if the dark shadows from her nightmares immediately disappeared. She bent down to greet the dog and received instantly love back.
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Post by Bri on Nov 5, 2023 19:51:04 GMT -6
"Bucky!" Markus yelled for his dog, just managing to keep him in his sigh but he was always just out of reach. "Oh come on." He muttered, running into the park after the fluff ball until finally he stopped, starting to make nice with a little girl. He sighed, slowing to a walk as he tried to catch his breath and pressed his hand to his side, feeling a bit of a stitch. When he finally got close to them he reached down and picked up the end of his dogs leash but let Bucky continue to make friends with the little girl and turned his attention to who he assumed was her mom, feeling his breath catch slightly. "I'm sorry about him," he said, clearing his throat, "he's kind of a maniac."
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Post by Kiersten on Nov 5, 2023 20:46:51 GMT -6
Gwen watched the dog carefully at first, not trusting the furry little thing, but when it hadn’t shown any aggression, she sighed with relief. That’s when the owner showed up, picking up the leash, but not pulling the dog away. Gwen followed the leash up to the hand, raising an eyebrow, and her eyes traveled up his arms and towards his face. For a second, she forgot what he said, then it finally hit her. “It’s alright, she’s happy, I’m happy.” She smiled, feeling hopeful that Lottie’s day had just turned around. Turning her attention back to her daughter, who was now happily holding his dog like a baby. "She might not give him back." She grimaced, chuckling nerviusly, wondering if Lottie would start crying if she had to give the dog back.
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Post by Bri on Nov 5, 2023 21:43:52 GMT -6
For a second Markus stood there awkwardly as he waited for her to respond until she finally did and he returned her smile with one of his own. "If you say so." He looked down at Bucky and the little girl, eyebrows raising. "I think I might agree with that." He said, looking around the park to see that most of it was fenced off, which made him feel a little bit more at ease. "I mean...I was gonna let him run around a bit but he seems pretty happy."
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Post by Kiersten on Nov 5, 2023 21:57:59 GMT -6
Gwen watched as the dog let Lottie carry it around, now slung across her shoulders, “Oh. So… How much are those dogs?” she asked jokingly, though hoped he wouldn’t take her seriously. Lottie though, she hoped would let go without crying or objecting. She wasn’t sure what she would do if she had to chase her daughter who was holding a dog hostage.
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Post by Bri on Nov 5, 2023 23:14:52 GMT -6
Markus chuckled, "well I found him on the side of the road so if you're lucky, free, but if you want him specifically, it depends on the day." He joked back with her, watching as her daughter carted around Bucky like some kind of baby doll and the dog was eating it up. He looked back at Gwen and offered a smile as he held out his hand, "I'm Markus...and that's Bucky."
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Post by Kiersten on Nov 5, 2023 23:26:19 GMT -6
Gwen stood up and loosely crossed her arms, just so she didn’t have to think about what to do with her hands. “So, he’s not all sunshine and rainbows, like a certain kid,” She chuckled, turning back to Markus and taking his hand in hers, shaking it, “Gwen, and that’s my daughter Lottie.” She smiled, though it faltered a little, knowing she still didn’t know who her child’s father was.
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Post by Bri on Nov 5, 2023 23:46:44 GMT -6
"No he's not," Markus chuckled, "more like full of the urge to run away from a perfectly good home and poop on the floor when he doesn't get fed right on the hour." He rolled his eyes, "but I'm glad he seems to like your little girl, it's nice to meet you both." He said, seeing the little fall to her smile but figuring anything could be going on to cause it. "Sorry for interrupting your morning though."
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Post by Kiersten on Nov 6, 2023 0:00:09 GMT -6
Gwen laughed, “What a naughty boy, how do you handle such awfulness.” She joked, though knew some days with Lottie, she’d rather pick up dog poop. “I’m kind of glad they did, she was kind of in a sour mood before he showed up.” Now Lottie was carrying him around the playground, showing him off to any of the kids that came to talk to her, acting like her old self once more. “Not interrupting at all, we were about to leave. I have to head for my place of work.” She explained, though wondered if she as being a little too trusting, even though she felt in her gut about him that just made her trust him anyways.
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Post by Bri on Nov 6, 2023 0:17:35 GMT -6
"Oh, he gets up in dog jail and by that I mean his kennel." Markus chuckled, which really wasn't all that bad, it had a fluffy bed, a toy, and a blanket while providing a clear view of the tv and whatever dog station Markus left on for Bucky whenever he left for work. "Oh, glad Bucky could help make her feel better," he said, eying the girl and the dog once more before looking back to Gwen. "Oh, I don't want to make you late."
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Post by Kiersten on Nov 6, 2023 0:21:50 GMT -6
Gwen chuckled, “Can’t really do that to a kid, although sending her to her room might be the same,” But she learned a long time ago that Lottie was perfectly fine to also hide out in her room, so it wasn’t much of a punishment either. “Don’t worry, we actually have thirty minutes really, she was… Ready to go.” She smiled as she moved to sit back down, hoping the guy didn’t mind that Lottie was planning to slide down the slide, Bucky still in her arms.
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Post by Bri on Nov 6, 2023 0:30:32 GMT -6
"Oh no, not a cage, that's a sure fire way to get CPS called on you." Markus chuckled, not wanting to think that anyone would really do that to their kids but the world could be a cruel place. He relaxed a little when she said they still had time, glad he wasn't holding her back. "Mind if I sit with you? Since our kids are apparently best friends." He joked, gesturing over to Lottie and Bucky.
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Post by Kiersten on Nov 6, 2023 0:39:30 GMT -6
That was the last thing Gwen wanted, to have CPS one step away from taking Lottie. She swore they sometimes followed her and Lottie, their eyes seeming to be everywhere. She provided as much as she could for Lottie, working from living in a hotel room to Lottie having her own space. She giggled at the thought of Bucky being his child, “I don’t mind at all, have you lived here long?” She asked, wondering if he was a local, and might be able to help her learn this town.
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Post by Bri on Nov 6, 2023 0:54:15 GMT -6
Markus carefully sat down next to Gwen, making sure to leave enough space between them so that he didn't make her uncomfortable on the off chance, knowing that his stature was a bit intimidating. "Oh," he frowned a little as he thought, "I've only lived here for about two years now, what about you?"
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Post by Kiersten on Nov 6, 2023 1:11:25 GMT -6
“Two years is a long time sometimes,” Gwen had felt that way being in jail for that long, though she felt it was different, being stuck behind bars. “I just moved here a few weeks ago, followed a job out here.” She’d been given a reference to apply for the position, and it was a nicer town with better pay. She couldn’t pass it up, even if she upset her daughter by moving. Their old town held a lot of memories that Gwen partially wanted to forget.
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Post by Bri on Nov 6, 2023 1:23:55 GMT -6
Markus nodded, "and sometimes it feels like no time has passed." He shrugged, knowing that life sometimes felt like it was a massive blur. That's kind of how his whole younger years went until he was able to pull himself bac together. "A new job and a new town? Sounds like a good fresh start." He said, thinking that was how he had treated his move here, though he hadn't initially thought about how he'd end up working for his little sister, which he didn't entirely mind.
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Post by Kiersten on Nov 6, 2023 1:32:20 GMT -6
Gwen hated that she agreed with that, feeling like Lottie had just been two years old, walking out of the jail with her, now she was seven, getting ready for a new school, hopefully going to make new friends. “Not really a fresh start, just better opportunities,” Though she didn’t want to think of it as a fresh start, there was the added bonus of this town not haunting her with her past decisions.
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Post by Bri on Nov 6, 2023 1:48:35 GMT -6
Markus shrugged, it sounded like a fresh start to him but she could call it whatever she wanted. "Either way, this is a pretty decent town to move to, barely any crime, everyone is relatively nice, and the weather isn't too bad for the most part." He said, but then again he didn't mind the cold and the rain, it made him think about the fonder memories of home.
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Post by Kiersten on Nov 6, 2023 10:41:13 GMT -6
Gwen nodded her head, glad to hear the town was everything she was hoping it would be, the perfect place to raise Lotti. “Well, I’m hoping Lottie, and I can be happy here. I was worried she’d hate me forever for moving.” She chuckled, Lottie slid down the slide with Bucky, the dog just letting her hold him.
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Post by Bri on Nov 6, 2023 14:02:33 GMT -6
Markus looked back at Lottie, chuckling at how Bucky seemed to accept his fate. "Well, hopefully she's young enough to bounce back, if you had moved when she was a teenager I'm sure you would've had hell to pay." He chuckled, but knew that younger kids could make their fair share of trouble, remembering the brief times with Rosco when he was around to see him as a child.
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Post by Kiersten on Nov 6, 2023 14:18:58 GMT -6
“Oh, I hope we don’t have to move when she’s a teenager,” Gwen grimaced at the thought of having to tell a teenage Lottie they were leaving this life they built here behind again. “Missed that by a mile.” She laughed, though wondered if this job and this town would actually be good for them.
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Post by Bri on Nov 6, 2023 15:09:15 GMT -6
Markus grimaced as well, thinking of Vaya and Rosco, but their circumstances had been...different. He hated what happened to the kids and that he hadn't been able to protect them. He chuckled a little as he looked back at Lottie and Bucky, acting like two peas in a pod. "Remind me to try to find you two when Bucky's giving me trouble." He joked.
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Post by Kiersten on Nov 6, 2023 15:29:11 GMT -6
Gwen laughed, “You can easily find us here at the park,” it was the easiest place to bring Lottie to run out that energy of hers that she seemed to have an abundance of. “Might throw up a doggy signal if she’s needing Bucky to break her out of her funk.” She chuckled, knowing she had promised Lottie a dog in the future, but wasn’t sure it was in the cards yet.
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Post by Bri on Nov 6, 2023 17:06:17 GMT -6
Markus laughed, "I'll make sure to keep an eye out for it." He told her, thinking something like that would be hilarious. He leaned back in his seat and crossed one leg over the other. "Even though he can be a pain in the ass Bucky is pretty good with cheering people up." He said, thinking back to Aleah's failed wedding and the way Bucky had been stuck to her like glue until she was able to take care of herself.
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Post by Kiersten on Nov 6, 2023 17:34:37 GMT -6
Gwen leaned back and relaxed, glad she didn’t have to show up at the school early and explain to Ms. Lasse why. There wasn’t anything to explain though, but at least even if she was early, it showed initiative. “He’s got talent, you should totally rent him out to people for an hour.” She chuckled, betting the dog would put people in better moods than going into therapy.
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Post by Bri on Nov 6, 2023 19:24:39 GMT -6
"That's a great idea, I've been telling Bucky he needs to get a job to pay rent." Markus joked though he wondered if Bucky would be useful if taken places to see people and cheer them up, like the hospital that Charlie worked at, maybe he'd ask his brother about it. Then again, it seemed like Charlie needed some cheering up too. "How old is your daughter? If you don't mind me asking."
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Post by Kiersten on Nov 6, 2023 21:31:31 GMT -6
“He does, with poops on the floor,” Gwen joked, thinking how gross that would be if that was a form of payment. She looked towards Lottie and smiled, “She’s seven, entering second grand this year.” She was excited and sad at the same time, her baby was growing up, but she wouldn’t grow up like her. She’d always have at least one parent supporting her.
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Post by Bri on Nov 6, 2023 22:19:16 GMT -6
Markus groaned, "yeah that seems like a deal doesn't it?" He joked back, shaking his head, it was one of the reasons Bucky had to go into his little jail when he was gone. "Oh, exciting," he said, looking over at Lottie, watching as she seemed to play tag, Bucky bouncing around her and running in circles. "That's a fun age, until they get sassy, I have plenty of nieces and nephews that prove that."
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Post by Kiersten on Nov 6, 2023 22:30:11 GMT -6
“Maybe to a dung beetle,” Gwen giggled, thinking the beetle would be ecstatic with getting paid in poop, she couldn’t imagine herself feeling the same way, or any sane person really. “She’s already sassy. I swear she came out acting sassy.” She laughed, thinking back to the only picture she had of when Lottie was first born, curtesy of a jail nurse. She was frowning as if she didn’t evict herself out of the womb and it was everyone in the room’s fault. “How many do you have?” She asked, wondering what it felt like to have a big family, wondering what it felt like to be more than one, or more than two,
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