Kekse
Drifter
I'm good at writing, not formatting, so please pardon the simple thread. I also won't bore you with a massive paragraph about myself, so here's just a few basics:
I really don't have a lot of requirements for my partners. Just a few:
If I haven't bored you or scared you off at this point, here's the fun part.
How about a few plots?
And a few samples of my writing might not go amiss.
Please send me a private message if you'd like to discuss roleplaying with me. Love you all 
- I've been into long-form roleplay lately. This doesn't mean I'm only looking for large posts, but if you fit that category, I will be so happy! I'm also happy to engage in relaxed roleplays with 1-2 paragraphs as well.
- I am currently in the "off" season for my second job, so I will be pretty active!
- I love OOC communication. I have a discord and I'm happy to share it with you after we've gotten to know each other a little bit. If you're more comfortable just sticking with DMs, that's fine too!
- I'm mostly looking to RP in threads right now, but PMs is alright as well.
- Plotting is my favorite. I love just talking hypothetical scenarios or possible future scenes at any time they pop into your or my head. And not just when we are starting out! I love to discuss scenes as we go as well.
- I am willing to play MxF or MxM at this time. Romance isn't necessarily a requirement depending on the plot, but is highly encouraged.
- I'm not upset by being ghosted, so while I'd appreciate a quick 'hey, I'm out' message, I'm not going to hunt you down if you just disappear. I will not ghost, however.
I really don't have a lot of requirements for my partners. Just a few:
- Someone who likes to help move the plot along.
- Someone who enjoys crafting a story rather than just following one.
- 18+
- Funny is always a plus!
- Patient and willing to communicate if you're not enjoying something.
- A lover of writing and wordcraft!
If I haven't bored you or scared you off at this point, here's the fun part.
- Modern slice of life
- Modern/urban fantasy
- Supernatural beings (werewolves, vampires, and reapers being my favorites despite being cliche)
- Fake relationships made real
- Found family
- Supernatural horror
- Friends to enemies to friends (or lovers, totally good with that too)
- Angst in any setting
- Arranged marriage
- Isekai
- VR games
- Good old fluffy romance, the cheesy Hallmark Christmas special kind
- Tsundere***
- Stockholm Syndrome
- Supernatural x Human
- Second chance romance****
- New neighbors
- College roommates/teammates****
- Coworkers
- Speed dating/dating app matches**
- Prince(ss) x commoner/knight/servant
- Exes years later****
- Friends who secretly want to be more, but won't admit it**
- Power imbalance: Boss x employee etc, just not master/slave. Not into the slave thing
- Madly in love x totally oblivious or uninterested****
How about a few plots?
YC is standing on the precipice of greatness. Whether it be in a band about to get their big break, a massive promotion on the horizon, or some other "greatness" is up to you. Whatever you decide YC is into, they are one performance/interview/etc away. All they have to do is remain focused and all their dreams come true.
And then MC appears. It has been years since he totally ghosted you back in college, but he's just as hot now as he was back then. Against YC's better judgement, the pair go out for drinks and end up giving things another go. Can YC still concentrate on their career? Or does their new-old romance put a wrench in the works?
And then MC appears. It has been years since he totally ghosted you back in college, but he's just as hot now as he was back then. Against YC's better judgement, the pair go out for drinks and end up giving things another go. Can YC still concentrate on their career? Or does their new-old romance put a wrench in the works?
YC's roommate is the most attractive human (s)he has ever seen. Hands down. Yes, he was just a random guy who answered YC's ad looking for someone to split the rent with (this economy though, yo) and he hasn't so much as looked at YC with anything resembling romantic interest. That doesn't stop YC from becoming increasingly infatuated with him, especially when YC's old stalker shows up and Mr. Roommate becomes Mr. Protective. Is he always like this? Or does he have feelings for YC?
In a world where supernaturals are slowly beginning to integrate their way into normal society, things aren't always as smooth for the newcomers as they could be. If humans thought racism based on skin color was intense, well...they hadn't yet seen a world where vampires, werewolves, elves, and all manner of magical beings walked the streets openly. Our characters are a human x vampire pair doing their best to navigate a budding relationship in a world where 'that kind of thing' is still frowned upon. Can they be trailblazers for other inter-species pairs? Or will society be too much and pull them apart?
And a few samples of my writing might not go amiss.
Dim light from the sconces on the walls flickered across the worn parchment which Aiden examined, one hand fidgeting with the rim of a worn goblet while the other sat buried in his wild black hair. Charcoal x's littered the map, each progressively farther away from the familiar landscape of Brightmore Academy. The warlock let out a frustrated sigh and rolled up the parchment before shoving it in his rucksack. His clear blue eyes surveyed his surroundings for a moment, lingering on each patron for half a breath.
The unknown beast stew on the table had long since gone cold, but it seemed like such a waste to not eat it. He was able to afford food now, after all. It would be a disservice to his younger self not to appreciate the luxury of eating every day. Aiden picked up the rough spoon and bowl, scooped the gelatinous mixture into his mouth, and chewed while again staring into space. There wasn't much flavor to it or the hard bread which came with it, but at least it was palatable.
"You need anything else?"
The unexpected voice broke Aiden from his stare and his head jerked to the left to look at the bar maid who stood a few feet away with one hand on her hip holding a rag, the other balancing a tray. She was pretty enough, with full lips and fair clothing for a city which had been nearly razed to the ground only months before. Aiden shook his head and, for a moment, considered looking away. But instead he let out a sigh. "Not unless you can tell me which way the soldiers went when they left here. I need to find them, you see."
His voice was so haunted that the bar maid couldn't help shooting him a look of sympathy. The thin yet muscular man in tattered clothing, sunburned pale skin, and a mantle of weariness had been in her tavern on and off all week, but this was the first time she or any of the other employees had heard him speak. "Ah, so the silent waif has been attempting to gather intel, then," she teased gently, stepping closer to the table and wiping away a bit of spilled mead. "I don't know where they were headed, but last anyone saw of any soldiers, they were headed north. A week or so too slow to do anything to protect our city..." Her voice faded away and she leaned on the table, sitting lightly on her left hip. "But they did help clean up the mess and at least get the wells reopened before moving on. Amazing what magic can do, you know? These men were obviously trained for war, but most of them were practically gentle as they restored what they could for us. Half the young ladies in town were in love by the time the regiment moved on." She giggled and looked to Aiden, whose intense eyes were focused on her but showed no emotion.
The giggle faded away awkwardly into silence as the pair made long eye contact. The bar maid thought she could feel the strange man's thoughts lingering in the dark corners of her mind and broke the stare, allowing the smile she hadn't realized she lost to return to her cheeks. "Well honey, let me know if you need anything, okay?" Aiden nodded and the bar maid moved on, only glancing back briefly to see that the foreigner had buried his face in his hands. She didn't know who he was searching for in particular, but they must be very important to him.
"I overheard you telling the barmaid you're looking for those soldiers." Another voice came from Aiden's right this time, rough and deep. A greasy looking man slid into the chair next to the warlock and picked up Aiden's cup, draining it before Aiden could protest. "How do we know you're not some sort of spy?" he whispered, voice barely loud enough to reach the warlock's ears. "Don't think nobody has noticed you skulking about for the last few days. Suspicious, says I. If you were on our side, you'd know where your friends were headed. So that makes me think you're not their friend." The man grinned a creepy grin and flashed the blade of a dirty knife, the stains on the blade looking suspiciously like blood.
Aiden backed away just slightly, his eyes widening as fragments of repressed memories flooded the stage of his mind. "I'm just looking for my older brother, sir. I have nothing to do with this war." The man leaned forward, getting up in Aiden's face and allowing the tip of the blade to gently caress his tunic. But Aiden didn't back down; he simply closed his eyes and steeled his mind for whatever was to come. Perhaps it would be better to be dead anyway...he'd already lost his light. How much more frightening could the ultimate darkness even be?
The unknown beast stew on the table had long since gone cold, but it seemed like such a waste to not eat it. He was able to afford food now, after all. It would be a disservice to his younger self not to appreciate the luxury of eating every day. Aiden picked up the rough spoon and bowl, scooped the gelatinous mixture into his mouth, and chewed while again staring into space. There wasn't much flavor to it or the hard bread which came with it, but at least it was palatable.
"You need anything else?"
The unexpected voice broke Aiden from his stare and his head jerked to the left to look at the bar maid who stood a few feet away with one hand on her hip holding a rag, the other balancing a tray. She was pretty enough, with full lips and fair clothing for a city which had been nearly razed to the ground only months before. Aiden shook his head and, for a moment, considered looking away. But instead he let out a sigh. "Not unless you can tell me which way the soldiers went when they left here. I need to find them, you see."
His voice was so haunted that the bar maid couldn't help shooting him a look of sympathy. The thin yet muscular man in tattered clothing, sunburned pale skin, and a mantle of weariness had been in her tavern on and off all week, but this was the first time she or any of the other employees had heard him speak. "Ah, so the silent waif has been attempting to gather intel, then," she teased gently, stepping closer to the table and wiping away a bit of spilled mead. "I don't know where they were headed, but last anyone saw of any soldiers, they were headed north. A week or so too slow to do anything to protect our city..." Her voice faded away and she leaned on the table, sitting lightly on her left hip. "But they did help clean up the mess and at least get the wells reopened before moving on. Amazing what magic can do, you know? These men were obviously trained for war, but most of them were practically gentle as they restored what they could for us. Half the young ladies in town were in love by the time the regiment moved on." She giggled and looked to Aiden, whose intense eyes were focused on her but showed no emotion.
The giggle faded away awkwardly into silence as the pair made long eye contact. The bar maid thought she could feel the strange man's thoughts lingering in the dark corners of her mind and broke the stare, allowing the smile she hadn't realized she lost to return to her cheeks. "Well honey, let me know if you need anything, okay?" Aiden nodded and the bar maid moved on, only glancing back briefly to see that the foreigner had buried his face in his hands. She didn't know who he was searching for in particular, but they must be very important to him.
"I overheard you telling the barmaid you're looking for those soldiers." Another voice came from Aiden's right this time, rough and deep. A greasy looking man slid into the chair next to the warlock and picked up Aiden's cup, draining it before Aiden could protest. "How do we know you're not some sort of spy?" he whispered, voice barely loud enough to reach the warlock's ears. "Don't think nobody has noticed you skulking about for the last few days. Suspicious, says I. If you were on our side, you'd know where your friends were headed. So that makes me think you're not their friend." The man grinned a creepy grin and flashed the blade of a dirty knife, the stains on the blade looking suspiciously like blood.
Aiden backed away just slightly, his eyes widening as fragments of repressed memories flooded the stage of his mind. "I'm just looking for my older brother, sir. I have nothing to do with this war." The man leaned forward, getting up in Aiden's face and allowing the tip of the blade to gently caress his tunic. But Aiden didn't back down; he simply closed his eyes and steeled his mind for whatever was to come. Perhaps it would be better to be dead anyway...he'd already lost his light. How much more frightening could the ultimate darkness even be?
Matthias truly barely noticed Benjamin's lunch prep or consumption. Perhaps it might bother him a little if he dwelled on it, but the current events had him more than sufficiently distracted. His brown eyes lingered on the vampire as he searched for any hidden reactions to the article; however, he needn't have bothered. Ben didn't read the article and his reaction was anything but subtle.
He accepted the Capri Sun and gently stabbed the straw through the little plastic circle. "Quick indeed," the author grumbled and took a sip of the sweet liquid. "I'm sure you're right. There's tons of evidence that we did nothing wrong and none to support them. Besides, why would a pair of vampires be ordering a burger anyway? People don't have two brain cells to rub together, I swear." Matthias moodily tapped on the counter, not quite sure what else to say when the phone rang.
"Take your time." Matthias waited until Benjamin disappeared into the bedroom to heave a sigh of relief. He needed a few minutes alone to process the events of the day, but hadn't really wanted to worry Ben that he'd done anything wrong. He placed the juice box on the counter in front of him and fiddled moodily with the straw. There were a million storms of emotions conflicting in his heart and he couldn't quite sort through them enough to know what he was actually feeling.
There was definitely a strong presence of anger. That one was easy. Anger that they'd been harassed in a public place. Anger that Benjamin had to suck up to those buffoons. And strangely...anger that he'd been mistaken as a vampire. That one caught him off guard, actually. Did he actually have some underlying racism regarding vampires too? He didn't think so, but why else would he have a visceral reaction to being mistaken as one?
The thought made him sick to his stomach. He'd spent all week insisting to Benjamin that he didn't care about his status. Had he been lying through his teeth the whole time just because the vampire had an attractive face? Or because he needed the material for his next book? He'd practically forgotten his original mission as he'd gotten so wrapped up in the narrative of their fake relationship. This was going to take some serious reflection when he was back in his apartment, alone.
He could hear the vampire's voice through the walls, but carefully ensured he wasn't listening hard enough to actually make out what he was saying. That would be rude. Matthias leaned back away from the counter and picked up his phone to scroll a little bit more. Maybe the footage had made it out now? He refreshed his social media feed and found the false article was making quite the rounds. Person after person had reposted it, though to his relief it seemed nobody had figured out his identity.
Well...almost nobody. Matthias nearly dropped his phone when it began to vibrate and his sister's face appeared on the screen. He'd been so distracted with doom scrolling that the incoming call startled the crap out of him. Once he realized what was going on, he took a deep breath and hit 'answer.' "Hey sister of mine, what's up?"
"That's you in the picture, isn't it? Your back is to the camera, but I recognize the guy you were with at the cafe. What is all this nonsense about you being a vampire and getting in fist fights with people? That sounds one heck of a lot more exciting than my baby brother who never leaves his apartment. And I know you're pale, but did something happen since I saw you the other day?!"
Matthias sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's just that, nonsense. Ben and I went to get a burger for lunch and those idiots decided to start a shouting match. That's all there is to it. I'm still very much human, thank you very much."
"I see. Well, that does seem to track much better than the stupid article I read. Which I figured would be the case. Never thought I'd see you in the news, though. You managed to keep such a low profile despite being a highly famous author that I thought you'd never be seen outside that apartment of yours. Seems like dating that guy is making you much more interesting." The relief and amusement in Aria's voice was obvious. "Just be careful that he's not just using you."
The irony made Matthias chuckle softly. "Don't worry, Aria. I've got everything under control. Just don't let Dad get himself all worked up if he sees the video, okay? I was literally completely fine. Sounds like Benjamin is done with his phone call, so I'm going to hang up now."
Aria attempted to keep talking, but Matthias had already pulled the phone away from his ear and pressed the 'hang up' button. "It's fine. I ended up getting a call of my own anyway. Hopefully the cops don't take too long to release the real footage. I haven't seen any of the phone videos yet...though they're probably not going as viral because nobody wants the real, boring story."
He pushed the empty food bag toward the vampire and closed his eyes for a moment. "I definitely still want to go. On one condition: I get to stay in the car while you get us checked in, because I really don't want to deal with any more people today." Matthias could practically already feel the hot water pulling the stress from his muscles. "I'm not letting anyone ruin our day any more than they already have." As nice as a night in sounded, the hot springs would definitely provide better content for his book as well.
"Shall we get on our way, if we're both finished eating? Not gonna lie, I just really want to be able to relax as soon as possible. I don't mean your house isn't relaxing because I do feel quite comfortable here, but you know what I mean. At least, I hope so." Matthias stood and turned toward his shoes, doing his best not to let his sour mood be too noticeable. He was sure he'd perk up once they reached their destination, but right now...he was a grump.
Once his shoes were on, Matthias reached out and took Benjamin's hand. He wanted to make sure the other man knew he wasn't mad at him, because that definitely wasn't the case. He didn't say much as they got back in the car after Benjamin's preparations and pulled out of the driveway. His eyes seemed rather far away, staring into middle space but seeing nothing.
"I'm glad we're still going." Matthias snapped out of his stupor and turned to face his companion. "The water is going to be really nice and I should get some good ideas for my book. Plus, I'll have you all to myself. Aside from the phone calls. Hopefully all of them bring good news."
He accepted the Capri Sun and gently stabbed the straw through the little plastic circle. "Quick indeed," the author grumbled and took a sip of the sweet liquid. "I'm sure you're right. There's tons of evidence that we did nothing wrong and none to support them. Besides, why would a pair of vampires be ordering a burger anyway? People don't have two brain cells to rub together, I swear." Matthias moodily tapped on the counter, not quite sure what else to say when the phone rang.
"Take your time." Matthias waited until Benjamin disappeared into the bedroom to heave a sigh of relief. He needed a few minutes alone to process the events of the day, but hadn't really wanted to worry Ben that he'd done anything wrong. He placed the juice box on the counter in front of him and fiddled moodily with the straw. There were a million storms of emotions conflicting in his heart and he couldn't quite sort through them enough to know what he was actually feeling.
There was definitely a strong presence of anger. That one was easy. Anger that they'd been harassed in a public place. Anger that Benjamin had to suck up to those buffoons. And strangely...anger that he'd been mistaken as a vampire. That one caught him off guard, actually. Did he actually have some underlying racism regarding vampires too? He didn't think so, but why else would he have a visceral reaction to being mistaken as one?
The thought made him sick to his stomach. He'd spent all week insisting to Benjamin that he didn't care about his status. Had he been lying through his teeth the whole time just because the vampire had an attractive face? Or because he needed the material for his next book? He'd practically forgotten his original mission as he'd gotten so wrapped up in the narrative of their fake relationship. This was going to take some serious reflection when he was back in his apartment, alone.
He could hear the vampire's voice through the walls, but carefully ensured he wasn't listening hard enough to actually make out what he was saying. That would be rude. Matthias leaned back away from the counter and picked up his phone to scroll a little bit more. Maybe the footage had made it out now? He refreshed his social media feed and found the false article was making quite the rounds. Person after person had reposted it, though to his relief it seemed nobody had figured out his identity.
Well...almost nobody. Matthias nearly dropped his phone when it began to vibrate and his sister's face appeared on the screen. He'd been so distracted with doom scrolling that the incoming call startled the crap out of him. Once he realized what was going on, he took a deep breath and hit 'answer.' "Hey sister of mine, what's up?"
"That's you in the picture, isn't it? Your back is to the camera, but I recognize the guy you were with at the cafe. What is all this nonsense about you being a vampire and getting in fist fights with people? That sounds one heck of a lot more exciting than my baby brother who never leaves his apartment. And I know you're pale, but did something happen since I saw you the other day?!"
Matthias sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's just that, nonsense. Ben and I went to get a burger for lunch and those idiots decided to start a shouting match. That's all there is to it. I'm still very much human, thank you very much."
"I see. Well, that does seem to track much better than the stupid article I read. Which I figured would be the case. Never thought I'd see you in the news, though. You managed to keep such a low profile despite being a highly famous author that I thought you'd never be seen outside that apartment of yours. Seems like dating that guy is making you much more interesting." The relief and amusement in Aria's voice was obvious. "Just be careful that he's not just using you."
The irony made Matthias chuckle softly. "Don't worry, Aria. I've got everything under control. Just don't let Dad get himself all worked up if he sees the video, okay? I was literally completely fine. Sounds like Benjamin is done with his phone call, so I'm going to hang up now."
Aria attempted to keep talking, but Matthias had already pulled the phone away from his ear and pressed the 'hang up' button. "It's fine. I ended up getting a call of my own anyway. Hopefully the cops don't take too long to release the real footage. I haven't seen any of the phone videos yet...though they're probably not going as viral because nobody wants the real, boring story."
He pushed the empty food bag toward the vampire and closed his eyes for a moment. "I definitely still want to go. On one condition: I get to stay in the car while you get us checked in, because I really don't want to deal with any more people today." Matthias could practically already feel the hot water pulling the stress from his muscles. "I'm not letting anyone ruin our day any more than they already have." As nice as a night in sounded, the hot springs would definitely provide better content for his book as well.
"Shall we get on our way, if we're both finished eating? Not gonna lie, I just really want to be able to relax as soon as possible. I don't mean your house isn't relaxing because I do feel quite comfortable here, but you know what I mean. At least, I hope so." Matthias stood and turned toward his shoes, doing his best not to let his sour mood be too noticeable. He was sure he'd perk up once they reached their destination, but right now...he was a grump.
Once his shoes were on, Matthias reached out and took Benjamin's hand. He wanted to make sure the other man knew he wasn't mad at him, because that definitely wasn't the case. He didn't say much as they got back in the car after Benjamin's preparations and pulled out of the driveway. His eyes seemed rather far away, staring into middle space but seeing nothing.
"I'm glad we're still going." Matthias snapped out of his stupor and turned to face his companion. "The water is going to be really nice and I should get some good ideas for my book. Plus, I'll have you all to myself. Aside from the phone calls. Hopefully all of them bring good news."
When he'd first seen her face in his office, Matthias really did feel like he was dreaming. There was no way fate would return Phoebe to his life after all this time. After all this pain. After all this betrayal. But slowly it was sinking in that the first woman he had ever loved (and honestly, if he was truthful with himself, the only woman he had ever loved) was there, in his building. Working for his company. Was this some kind of sign of fate? A gift from whatever heavens decided to smile down on him after so many years of unhappiness? Nine years of misery bordering on spousal abuse was surely enough atonement for a teenage break up, right?
Perhaps it was more than bordering, he supposed. There had been a few times he'd hidden bruises beneath his suit jacket even when it was desperately hot in the room. But nobody would have believed that such a thin, beautiful, and outwardly sweet woman could possibly have been verbally and physically violent in private. Most of the time he had been able to dodge her clumsy punches or catch her hand before it made contact, but some days...he was just so tired. It was easier to just allow her to wear herself out. She'd never pulled an actual weapon or anything, so the damage was minimal.
How he'd managed to still feel some sort of love for her by the time she left was a mystery.
He must have been staring into space across the steaming bowl of ramen noodles that his assistant had sat on the table in front of him. "Uh, Boss?" Goldman asked, waving a page in front of Matthias' eyes. "Hello? Earth to Boss? Are you there, Mr. Harper?"
Matthias jumped slightly, the chopsticks on top of the bowl falling to the table with a soft clunk as his movement shifted the table. He blinked rapidly and glanced around for a few moments before Goldman could literally see his boss's brain kick back in. "Oh. Goldman. I was just really intensely thinking. Did you get those reports I requested printed off?"
"Yup! They are on your desk, boss. And your lunch is here, obviously. They were out of the apple Milkis, but I told them that melon would be fine." Goldman gestured to the little white can with the image of a green melon proudly emblazoned on the front. Matthias glanced at it and nodded. "Alright then. I'm going to head back to my desk with my own lunch and get to work on setting up your flight and accommodations for GameFest next month. I believe the Marriot where it's being held has set aside a block of rooms for people such as yourself, but the reservations don't open for..." he checked his watch, "twenty minutes. And I'm sure they'll go fast, so I want to have the page open. I've also got to print off the first couple pages of the NDA again. The new girl managed to bleed on hers."
The boss's eyes opened wide with concern, prompting Goldman to shake his head and wave his hand comfortingly. "Just a nosebleed. Nothing too big of a deal. I'll get her all situated since that should only take a few minutes, then back to booking hotels." Again Matthias nodded; this time, his mouth was so full of noodles that he couldn't speak. Goldman snorted and ambled out of the room, the DoorDash bag he held in his hand lightly swinging as he walked.
Always the good employee, Goldman did exactly what he said he would. His first stop was his own office, where he set down his lunch and pressed 'print' on the NDA document that he still happened to have open on the desktop. He opened the bag while he waited for it to print and pulled out a box of spring rolls and a Mogu Mogu. Goldman and Matthias had always liked their obscure Asian drinks, and the new restaurant up the street just happened to have their favorites.
He didn't have time to actually eat anything, though. The papers soon lay in an untidy pile on the printer, which Goldman gathered up and bound with a paperclip before exiting the office for the elevator. The elevator which already contained Michael. As the doors closed, the men gave each other a friendly nod. "Where you headed, Goldman?"
"Up to scripting. Need to give this paperwork to the new girl." Goldman waved the papers before tucking them beneath his arm and facing the elevator doors. "What do you think of her? The new girl, I mean. She's quite pretty."
"She seems a bit high-strung, though. I guess we'll see how she manages to get through her first week. Jennifer has been passing that same pile of lemon ideas to new people for the last five years, and more often than not they don't realize it's just a bit of a test that doesn't actually determine whether you stay. I should know that better than most people." Michael gave Goldman a wry smile, which caused the CEO's assistant to laugh. "I was so sure Mr. Harper was going to fire me when I presented those awful suggestions on it."
Goldman chuckled and nodded his head. "But you learned that all you have to do to keep the boss happy is keep tossing out ideas and never give up, didn't you?"
"For sure. He's a little intimidating at first, but once you get past the initial roadblock of him being the boss, he's a pretty chill dude." The elevator door opened and the pair stepped out into the hallway, still chatting comfortably as they entered the scripting office. Michael went back to his seat and Goldman followed. He stopped next to Phoebe's desk and dropped the papers next to the ones she already had.
"Here's your replacements, Ms. Langley. I'd love to stay and chat, but I have other tasks to attend to. Welcome to the company, though! I'm sure you'll do great. Jennifer knows how to find the needles in the proverbial haystack." Goldman gave Phoebe a wink and hurried out the door, eyes on his watch. He still had ten minutes until the reservations opened, but it would not do to be late.
Perhaps it was more than bordering, he supposed. There had been a few times he'd hidden bruises beneath his suit jacket even when it was desperately hot in the room. But nobody would have believed that such a thin, beautiful, and outwardly sweet woman could possibly have been verbally and physically violent in private. Most of the time he had been able to dodge her clumsy punches or catch her hand before it made contact, but some days...he was just so tired. It was easier to just allow her to wear herself out. She'd never pulled an actual weapon or anything, so the damage was minimal.
How he'd managed to still feel some sort of love for her by the time she left was a mystery.
He must have been staring into space across the steaming bowl of ramen noodles that his assistant had sat on the table in front of him. "Uh, Boss?" Goldman asked, waving a page in front of Matthias' eyes. "Hello? Earth to Boss? Are you there, Mr. Harper?"
Matthias jumped slightly, the chopsticks on top of the bowl falling to the table with a soft clunk as his movement shifted the table. He blinked rapidly and glanced around for a few moments before Goldman could literally see his boss's brain kick back in. "Oh. Goldman. I was just really intensely thinking. Did you get those reports I requested printed off?"
"Yup! They are on your desk, boss. And your lunch is here, obviously. They were out of the apple Milkis, but I told them that melon would be fine." Goldman gestured to the little white can with the image of a green melon proudly emblazoned on the front. Matthias glanced at it and nodded. "Alright then. I'm going to head back to my desk with my own lunch and get to work on setting up your flight and accommodations for GameFest next month. I believe the Marriot where it's being held has set aside a block of rooms for people such as yourself, but the reservations don't open for..." he checked his watch, "twenty minutes. And I'm sure they'll go fast, so I want to have the page open. I've also got to print off the first couple pages of the NDA again. The new girl managed to bleed on hers."
The boss's eyes opened wide with concern, prompting Goldman to shake his head and wave his hand comfortingly. "Just a nosebleed. Nothing too big of a deal. I'll get her all situated since that should only take a few minutes, then back to booking hotels." Again Matthias nodded; this time, his mouth was so full of noodles that he couldn't speak. Goldman snorted and ambled out of the room, the DoorDash bag he held in his hand lightly swinging as he walked.
Always the good employee, Goldman did exactly what he said he would. His first stop was his own office, where he set down his lunch and pressed 'print' on the NDA document that he still happened to have open on the desktop. He opened the bag while he waited for it to print and pulled out a box of spring rolls and a Mogu Mogu. Goldman and Matthias had always liked their obscure Asian drinks, and the new restaurant up the street just happened to have their favorites.
He didn't have time to actually eat anything, though. The papers soon lay in an untidy pile on the printer, which Goldman gathered up and bound with a paperclip before exiting the office for the elevator. The elevator which already contained Michael. As the doors closed, the men gave each other a friendly nod. "Where you headed, Goldman?"
"Up to scripting. Need to give this paperwork to the new girl." Goldman waved the papers before tucking them beneath his arm and facing the elevator doors. "What do you think of her? The new girl, I mean. She's quite pretty."
"She seems a bit high-strung, though. I guess we'll see how she manages to get through her first week. Jennifer has been passing that same pile of lemon ideas to new people for the last five years, and more often than not they don't realize it's just a bit of a test that doesn't actually determine whether you stay. I should know that better than most people." Michael gave Goldman a wry smile, which caused the CEO's assistant to laugh. "I was so sure Mr. Harper was going to fire me when I presented those awful suggestions on it."
Goldman chuckled and nodded his head. "But you learned that all you have to do to keep the boss happy is keep tossing out ideas and never give up, didn't you?"
"For sure. He's a little intimidating at first, but once you get past the initial roadblock of him being the boss, he's a pretty chill dude." The elevator door opened and the pair stepped out into the hallway, still chatting comfortably as they entered the scripting office. Michael went back to his seat and Goldman followed. He stopped next to Phoebe's desk and dropped the papers next to the ones she already had.
"Here's your replacements, Ms. Langley. I'd love to stay and chat, but I have other tasks to attend to. Welcome to the company, though! I'm sure you'll do great. Jennifer knows how to find the needles in the proverbial haystack." Goldman gave Phoebe a wink and hurried out the door, eyes on his watch. He still had ten minutes until the reservations opened, but it would not do to be late.
"Sisters, for sure," James agreed, becoming aware of the flush rising in his cheeks now that the adrenaline of such a brash move was wearing off. He disentangled himself from Tyler and did his darndest not to look at the relatives staring at him. While he straightened his suit, James coughed and glanced at his watch. "Well, uh. We should probably get ready for the photographs. At least, I should get ready. You don't have to be in any of them if you don't want to." He left the rest unsaid, though it went something like 'photos weren't part of the deal, and it might be weird for you to be in our family photos forever when this is all fake.'
That didn't mean James didn't slightly hope that Tyler would want to be in them. Not just as some sort of strange proof that he could convince a cute boy to go on a date with him...He really did hope to have pictures of said cute boy in a suit as mementos.
Either way, James leaned slightly forward and shook out as much of the glitter in his hair as he could. It drifted down like a sparkly snowstorm before landing on his shoes, which he then also shook. The result left his hair much bushier than it had been before and James ran his fingers through it in an attempt to tame the mane. "Didn't think I'd need a comb in my pocket," he chuckled, not that he truly cared. "Maybe I can convince mom to do all of our family photos first so we can escape faster, but I doubt it."
Only moments later, Barbara came hurrying back into the room with her husband in tow. "Calm down, honey. The world is not going to end if we don't take pictures in the next five minutes," he insisted, though his wife was already in near-panic mode apparently. Barbara's eyes bugged slightly out of her head as she gathered up the members of her family and ushered them into the next room for photos.
"I wonder what got her so worked up," James whispered as he watched his family drain into the other room like water in a sink. "I probably better go too before she snaps my neck. You coming? Totally fine if not. I'll give you my room key and you can go chill upstairs."
That didn't mean James didn't slightly hope that Tyler would want to be in them. Not just as some sort of strange proof that he could convince a cute boy to go on a date with him...He really did hope to have pictures of said cute boy in a suit as mementos.
Either way, James leaned slightly forward and shook out as much of the glitter in his hair as he could. It drifted down like a sparkly snowstorm before landing on his shoes, which he then also shook. The result left his hair much bushier than it had been before and James ran his fingers through it in an attempt to tame the mane. "Didn't think I'd need a comb in my pocket," he chuckled, not that he truly cared. "Maybe I can convince mom to do all of our family photos first so we can escape faster, but I doubt it."
Only moments later, Barbara came hurrying back into the room with her husband in tow. "Calm down, honey. The world is not going to end if we don't take pictures in the next five minutes," he insisted, though his wife was already in near-panic mode apparently. Barbara's eyes bugged slightly out of her head as she gathered up the members of her family and ushered them into the next room for photos.
"I wonder what got her so worked up," James whispered as he watched his family drain into the other room like water in a sink. "I probably better go too before she snaps my neck. You coming? Totally fine if not. I'll give you my room key and you can go chill upstairs."
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