|
Post by Bri on Jan 13, 2024 23:12:11 GMT -6
"I heard," Markus chuckled, pulling back the dixie cup when Bucky licked it clean and scratched behind his ears. Markus took a small sip from his drink, finding that it had thankfully cooled off. He looked back to Lottie when she thanked him and nodded, "you're welcome, I also got you hot chocolate, the lady who made it said she added an extra flavor to it to make it taste magical." He said, widening his eyes and lowering his voice as if he was telling her a secret.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Jan 13, 2024 23:36:47 GMT -6
Lottie stared up at Markus as he talked about the hot chocolate, something she hadn’t even looked at yet, but she was now curious about it. “What flavor?” she asked, though all she had to do was sniff it.
Gwen had smelled the peppermint when she’d been trying to cool the drink down and she could only sip at her own coffee as she waited for her daughter to try the drink. She took a bite of her cake pop and sighed, “The birthday cake one is my favorite.” She admitted, a little shocked he had gotten the one flavor she loved.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Jan 14, 2024 0:21:48 GMT -6
Markus looked back at Lottie, raising his eyebrows, "you'll have to taste it and see." He told her, glancing down to see Bucky stretched out on the grass in front of him, apparently taking a break from the constant running back and forth. He looked over at Gwen and smiled, "that's my favorite flavor too." He told her, thinking that it was probably one of the best ones out there and one that you couldn't go wrong with. He picked up his cake pop and took a bite.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Jan 14, 2024 0:46:25 GMT -6
Lottie scrunched up her nose in annoyance that Markus wouldn’t tell her, but she was smiling as she tasted the drink. She blinked her eyes a few times as thought about the flavor, “Peppermint?” she asked, setting the cup down to concentrate on her cake pop instead.
Gwen was shocked that Lottie took a taste, but she was setting it aside, which usually meant she didn’t like it. “I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like the flavor.” She chuckled, knowing she’d still cave for a vanilla cake pop if there were out of Birthday cake.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Jan 14, 2024 1:03:21 GMT -6
Markus chuckled softly, "that's right." She barista had offered it him and he had said yes without thinking. When Lottie set the cup down and focused on her cake pop he didn't take offence, feeling a little bit of pride that she had at last tried the drink. He chuckled a what Gwen said, "I agree with you there." He finished up his cake pop and tossed the stick in the now empty bag that it had came in.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Jan 14, 2024 11:13:54 GMT -6
Lottie finished off her cake pop, handed Gwen the empty stick before running off with Bucky again, though a few more children had shown up at the park and were now all playing fetch with him.
Gwen tossed the stick in the bag before concentrating on her coffee once more. “So, I believe you owe me a story with this coffee.” She pointed out, but she wouldn’t force him if he didn’t actually want to. She thought about what stories she would share of her childhood, and started to worry that there wasn’t many.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Jan 14, 2024 16:04:54 GMT -6
Markus looked after Lottie, chuckling softly and thinking briefly to how simple life was when he was a child. He took another sip from his coffee, looking over at Gwen. "I guess I do," he chuckled, taking a moment to decide which story to tell her. "So one time, my oldest brother Leo was going on a date and me and my other brothers Beck and Charlie thought it would be a great idea to hide in the bed of his truck under some blankets while he drove around. We had this grand plan to jump out and scare them but our genius selves didn't understand why there were blankets stashed in his truck...until we heard him and his girlfriend making out in the cab after they parked at this overlook." He grimaced a little but was also trying not to laugh, "then they got out and headed to the back of the truck where the three of us jumped out and scared the shit out of them...it didn't end well for us....Leo left us out there while he drove the girl home."
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Jan 14, 2024 17:12:50 GMT -6
Gwen leaned back, tossing her empty cake pop stick into the bag before giving him all her attention while sipping her coffee. She couldn’t stop the smile from spreading on her lips the second he started talking, because she wished she had stories like these. Her eyes went wide at the image of him and his brothers hiding in the back of the truck, gasping when he mentioned his brother and the date making out, and then laughing at the implication of what the blankets they hid under were for. “He LEFT you out there!” she couldn’t believe it, but then again, maybe she would leave a sibling out there if they had ruined the evening.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Jan 14, 2024 18:18:01 GMT -6
Markus laughed at her reaction, nodding his head. "Yeah! He left us so we started walking home, keep in mind we barely knew where we were going, until Leo found us and made us get in the bed of the truck for the ride home. He was so pissed." He couldn't stop himself from laughing at the memory, sometimes he felt like it was a miracle that he and all of his siblings had made it to adulthood.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Jan 14, 2024 20:38:42 GMT -6
“At least he came back for you.” But Gwen bet Leo wasn’t happy to have ended his date so early. “I don’t blame him for being mad,” She admitted, feeling her face flush with heat for a split second, knowing she would have been mad when she was that age to get cockblocked, but she usually didn’t have to worry about that.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Jan 14, 2024 21:09:30 GMT -6
"True." Markus chuckled, "then after that he made sure to get back at each and every one of us." He said with a shudder. "My payback was after I was done cleaning out the barn and had all the manure loaded up in the truck to take at the end of the property he opened the tail gate so as soon as I drove off it went everywhere and I had to clean it all up again." He grimaced, it was good prank but their dad had been so mad.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Jan 14, 2024 22:32:21 GMT -6
Gwen giggled at the idea of manure falling out after you had just cleaned it all up, “That must have sucked cleaning up though.” Granted, she never wanted to clean up after anything bigger than a dog, but she wondered if she had been raised that way, would she feel the same way. “Your family sounds fun, for the most part.” Her tone was a little sad, but she was smiling still, partially hoping Lottie would have the same.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Jan 14, 2024 23:05:33 GMT -6
"It sucked big time," Markus agreed but he was still smiling, "our dad ended up getting pissed and made Leo help clean it up...but then that turned into a fight," he grimaced slightly, "and uh...it was bad." He swore he could still smell the memories of the manure fight. He paused when he heard the tone in her voice but told himself it wasn't his right to try to pry. "They can be fun, and a pain in the ass, I think it's a requirement that if you have one you have to have the other." He joked.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Jan 15, 2024 18:08:45 GMT -6
Gwen laughed that it had backfired on Leo, wondering if his dad would still make him clean up if he knew Markus had interrupted his date, but gasped when he said Leo started a fight. “Not… Not using...” She didn’t want to say it and make it come true, but she had a feeling. “Nooo, that’s… Vile.” She laughed, shaking her head, despite how gross it was then, it was a fun memory he had now. “I feel like that should have been a requirement too,” she said softly, feeling though, if her parents had another child, it would have ended up in the system with her. “I feel bad some days that Lottie is an only child.” She wanted to add that she hoped to change that, but that didn’t seem like something you say to someone you barely knew.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Jan 16, 2024 1:46:59 GMT -6
"Oh yeah, using the manure." Markus could help but laugh, it seemed unbelievable but with his family anything was possible. Markus caught her sad tone again, his gaze softening. "Well, I don't know what your life plans are but there's always a possibility that in the future she doesn't have to be." He offered, but felt a little awkward saying that to a stranger but it was too late to take it back. Briefly he thought of Rosco and the life they could have had...if he had been able to take care of him. Deep down he knew he had made the right choice but the guilt still gnawed it him.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Jan 16, 2024 11:24:36 GMT -6
Gwen giggled about the manure again and shook her head, unable to be here physically, but she felt like she could smell it, if only for a second. “Well, plan to work, continue to raise that little demon disguised as an angel,” She joked, knowing Lottie was a sweetheart most of the time, but she did have her moments like most children. “And hopefully just settle down here. I kinda like it.” She admitted, happy to have found the town after everything.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Jan 16, 2024 12:06:44 GMT -6
Markus nodded as she spoke, chuckling when she called Lottie a demon, he could see a bit of a mischievous side to the little girl, just glinting behind her eyes. "That sounds nice." He said, wondering if life would allow him a chance like that or if he had lost his chance when he had given up his son. "This town isn't too bad, I like it too."
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Jan 16, 2024 12:30:55 GMT -6
“How long have you been here?” Gwen asked, wondering when and why he decided to leave his hometown in favor of another little town. So far, the town had everything, at least, everything she and Lottie needed at the time. Shopping, a job, the zoo and aquarium as well as other things to see and do.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Jan 16, 2024 18:24:35 GMT -6
"Uh," Markus thought back, not having really kept track of time, "about a year ago, I wanted to find a place to settle down in and this seemed like the best one." He said, which having Aleah here had been helpful too so he wasn't completely alone...until his brothers all showed up.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Jan 16, 2024 21:13:23 GMT -6
Gwen raised one eyebrow, shocked at the fact it was only a year, since he seemed to be so comfortable in this town, but maybe a year was all it took to settle. “And away from your brothers,” She teased, betting he still had to deal with them in some way. She put her eyes on Lottie, who was now running around with Bucky as the group of other children chased after them in an odd game of tag.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Jan 16, 2024 22:16:51 GMT -6
"Oh, I'm not away from my brothers," Markus chuckled, knowing it sounded crazy, "they all ended up moving out here." He told her, leaning back in his spot and watching Bucky, chuckling as he watched him play with the kids, glad he was at least having fun.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Jan 17, 2024 20:32:48 GMT -6
“Woooow, so everyone just followed you.” Gwen laughed, finding that hilarious, and a little sweet. Maybe they couldn’t handle being separated. “Anyone stay back in your hometown?” She wondered if people moved away from home, wondering if she had been adopted before she turned eighteen, would she have found a home? But she wouldn’t have Lottie, and that was enough to make her get over her foster life, for now.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Jan 17, 2024 21:38:50 GMT -6
"It feels like it," Markus chuckled though Aleah had been the first one to come to this town and passed on the information to him and their brothers. "I do have a couple sisters who are back home with Mom and Dad." He said, knowing his older two sisters would never move, even with one of their kids being at Graymore Pines, but then again Vaya's mom was rarely home, she and her husband often off on some kind of business trip.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Jan 18, 2024 19:27:00 GMT -6
“Such a big family, though I guess its not on the same level as The Duggars.” Gwen laughed, having been obsessed with the show while she was in prison and trying to get over her addictions. Its honesty had helped her by letting her imagine she had a big family, had someone to visit her during her time, maybe she wouldn’t have been in the situation if she had a family.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Jan 18, 2024 23:12:16 GMT -6
"Oh god," Markus laughed, shaking his head, "thank God e aren't as big as the Duggars, I don't think I could handle that many siblings." He joked, the siblings he had were more than enough, so much that he had forgotten about one more sibling that lived in this town. "But I do have a few nieces and nephews running around."
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Jan 19, 2024 18:45:16 GMT -6
Gwen laughed, “I want a big family, but not THAT big of a family,” She chuckled, unsure how the mom was able to handle that many births, and how she hadn’t hit menopause yet. “Oh? How old are they?” Wondering if they were young enough to play with Lottie, hoping she’d be able to make friends here at least.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Jan 19, 2024 19:25:54 GMT -6
"Yeah, that's too much." Markus laughed, not understanding why people wanted that big of a family or how they were even able to support it without making a TV show. "The older ones are around 16 and the younger ones are between eight and twelve, but they're all back in Montana except a couple older ones are out here."
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Jan 19, 2024 23:44:31 GMT -6
Gwen wondered how much they got paid to do that show, and thought it was a good idea to keep going. She could easily bet a few wishes they hadn’t put on the show now, shocked at the news, but had stopped watching years ago. She nodded, perking up slightly when he mentioned the ages, but then deflated back when he mentioned where they were living. “Do they attend the boarding school?” wondering if she’d spot them in the halls or have them visit her office.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Jan 20, 2024 17:44:45 GMT -6
"Yeah," Markus nodded, glad that Rosco and Vaya had been able to leave and start fresh somewhere new after all that they had been through. He tried not to focus on it, on thinking of how he could have helped them or made things different but agonizing over it wasn't going to help. He sipped on his coffee as he watched Bucky run along with the kids.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Jan 20, 2024 20:36:16 GMT -6
Gwen let the silence fall between them as they watched Lottie and Bucky, and a few of the other kids, play some sort of game. “Did you get Bucky from a breeder?” she asked, wondering how lucky she could be if she could find a Bucky look-like at the shelter. She knew the likelihood would be low, but maybe she could get lucky if he had.
|
|
|