anthonyxblake

[anthonyxblake]

"A fishing boat," the words sparked a bit of a memory for him, "that's right, sorry," Anthony cleared his throat, "my memory can be a big foggy from everything," while it no longer seemed like just yesterday that he was rescued, putting a timeline on things was still a challenge. He had been told how long he was held but it still didn't make the sense of time even more a of a reality. "You liked it, then?" Figuring his brother did it for eight years, he had to, right? "I'm still figuring out what I want to do, working as a car detailer won't be forever." @brodyblake

"You're welcome." He told his brother before taking a breath and looking at him. "I... I worked on a fishing boat." He told him. He wasn't sure how much Anthony knew, but it was a surprise hearing that he didn't know what Brody was doing for the last eight years. Then again, he wasn't sure what Anthony had been through or remembered. "I don't know what else is up there really. I either stayed on the ship or only went out to a store or bar when we were docked." @anthonyxblake

[anthonyxblake]

starter for @georgiaelliot

location: wingman's pub

Anthony arrived at Wingman's Pub to find that it was busier than he knew it to be, though he'd only had a few months worth of experience. As he stepped through the bar, he maneuvered around a few tables before making his way to the bar. There was a lone seat and Anthony noted it was next to a young woman, "Excuse me," he cleared his throat, hoping to catch her attention, "is this seat taken?" He didn't want to snag the barstool if she were waiting for someone but considering he was alone, he didn't want to take up a table for just himself.

[anthonyxblake]

Anthony had heard of such apps since his return. He'd tried a few out but ultimately went with the buzzing noise of a fan in the background. Everything else brought on too much stimulation for the man while he was trying to rest. Not that rest was coming easily to him, anyhow. "Thanks," he gave a nod of his head, "I'll let you know," though he didn't see himself getting much more into cooking anytime soon. "I'm not really a picky man," growing up in a military family and joining in the air force, he had to eat or else he'd end up starving. "never had the luxury." @sebastianxthomas

New York was such a crazy place. He always lived deep into one of the cities, so there was always something going on, a lot of action and a lot of noise. To move across the country to a smaller town was a big change. He nodded. "I use this app on my phone that tracks city sounds; it's just too quiet at night." He laughed lightly. "But always ask if you need some cooking help " for whatever it was. "But is there a food you like to cook or just like to eat?" he asked he was always willing to help someone learn even with what they had. @anthonyxblake

[anthonyxblake]

"Alaska," it was the third time that the state had been said in a matter of seconds, but it actually surprised Anthony that his younger brother had ended up in Alaska of all places. "Thanks, Brody," he cleared his throat at the compliment his brother gave. Anthony did look good, all things considering. "What-uh, what did you get up to in Alaska? I mean what's out there?" It had been so long since he had seen Brody, he wasn't even sure what his younger brother would have went off and done with his life up until this point. @brodyblake

He started pulling at his fingers nervously as he stood there in his brother's apartment. It was making him much more anxious than he thought, but it was still all coming back to him that Anthony was alive and he was really there. "Sure." He told him and looked down, realizing he was pulling at his fingers and he quickly stopped. "Alaska." He said quickly. "Well, I went back home first to see Mom and Dad, but Alaska." He swallowed. "You look... good." Older, for sure. It had been almost a decade since he saw his brother and that younger version was in his mind. Still, Anthony looked good, but wouldn't anyone when you thought they had died? @anthonyxblake

[anthonyxblake]

"Yeah, it can be hard to adjust to a new place." Anthony used to think that it was but he moved frequently enough while in the air force that he simply got used to it. However, it was still taking time for him to adjust in Kismet Harbor. He was returning back to civilian life after quite some time and it was seemingly more difficult than all the combined times he moved before. "Yeah, somethin' like that," he chuckled. "That's good to know," he nodded his head, "I'll make sure to reach out to you if I need a good cut of meat." Though in an apartment, he'd be less likely to be able to fit it unless he was splitting it. Which, he could do with his brothers. @sebastianxthomas

He sighed, "I miss it already, but I know I just need time to settle down" and get used to a town moving slower than he was used to. He smiled at the others. "A good homemade burger always beats once at any fancy place," he smiled at the other. "So I am sure you make killer burgers." he smiled a moment. "I told Cohen this the other day. It's not always about the price of the meat; it's about the cut and where it's from. He smiled a moment. "Like you can get a good cut of meat from the right butcher and it can be just as amazing as something in a fancy steak house." he nodded "I mean I went to butchers in new york we bought for the restaurant.... and they sold to the public too" and the nearly the same price. @anthonyxblake

[anthonyxblake]

Anthony nodded his head, "That's good, I'm glad to hear it." At Travis' words, he shook his head, "I appreciate it, it's fine," he told the other, "just wanted to check that everythin' was going well." Just because they weren't together, didn't mean that he didn't care about Liliana and the baby. And in this moment, Travis, too. "She's always wanted this so I'm just glad she's finally getting it." @travisjackson

Travis nodded as he settled in the kayak and looked over at him. "Yeah. I mean, she keeps getting this migraines, but everything else is fine. Baby is healthy and everything." He told the man. "We don't have to talk about this if it's too much or anything. I don't... I don't want to seem like I'm rubbing it in your face." It was the last thing he wanted. He knew it was hard enough already, be didn't want it to be worse. @anthonyxblake

[anthonyxblake]

"No, doesn't seem to happen that way." Life certainly had no turned out the way that he had planned for it to. Though, when he looked back at the life prior, he wondered if that were not for the best. He was a horrid husband to Liliana and was genuinely not the best person he could have been. He wasn't now, either, but he was working to be a version of himself that he wouldn't regret being when he one day died. "Yeah, it's not a busy," he lived in New York a while, it was where he had met Liliana. "Oh, yeah," he nodded his head, "I'm sure it's a lot fancier than the burgers I've been making at home." Anthony was a simple man at the end of the day. @sebastianxthomas

Sebastian was always the out-loud and never-shy type. Even as a kid, he was told he was that way. He would walk up to people saying hello and asking how they were and more. He knew some things he had been told about Anthony but didn't know it all and wouldn't ask about it. "For sure, it never goes as planned." he didn't know what his life would be like if his birth parents stayed alive. if he is still a chef and working at something he loves. But part of him knew he never come to town if he was with his birth family. "Getting used too it.... it's different than New York for sure," he chuckled. "But I like the place" he said about the steak house he worked at. "But you should come by sometime and try the menu" that he had been working over. @anthonyxblake

[anthonyxblake]

"Yeah, me either." Anthony was considering taking up another job once the slower season took place. Whether if that were on his own accord or if the detailing place would end up letting him go due to the slow season. It had been decades since he had worked what he'd call a normal job. "The, uh," he reached up, rubbing the back of his head. He'd talked with Cohen about this, "podcast, right?" Anthony questioned, "how do you like that?" @dylnxblk

Even at the level of tipsy Dylan was currently at he couldn't quite believe how sobering this conversation was. He was thinking twice as hard about what to say and what not to say, and at the back of his mind he couldn't help but feel bad that this is what it was like with Anthony now. He had once been so close to his brother and now it felt like talking to a strange.

When Anthony mentioned his work Dylan blanked for a moment, unsure if he even knew what his brother did. Even more unsure if Anthony knew what he did for a living.

"Yeah I bet. I wouldn't in this weather." Dylan had never had his car detailed full stop, but he understood why the cold weather would slow things down a bit. He paused to take a sip of the drink as the bartender laid it down, taking the chance to think about his answer. "I'm good." He paused again, taking a longer swig "work's the same as it'll ever be. Luckily it's not a seasonal thing." He shrugged, looking to try and clock Anthony's expression, trying to figure out if he had any clue what he was talking about. @anthonyxblake

[anthonyxblake]

"Yeah," he nodded his head. Life pulled him in a different direction and it had been against his will for a few years. The time spent completely isolated, wondering when it would be his last day, had put the nail in the coffin for his relationships with his family. It wasn't intentional, it wasn't his fault, no, but there were repairs to be made. He'd made the most headway with Cohen since moving to Kismet. "Right," he couldn't relate in a way that Sebastian was explaining and he wasn't about to dive into the reasons on why he couldn't relate, "yeah, I know. Life's complicated, but," he lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "How are you liking your new job?" @sebastianxthomas

"Yeah, I get where you're coming from," Sebastian replied, a hint of empathy in his voice. "It's tough when those family bonds get strained, especially when life pulls you in different directions. I mean, I can relate to feeling like the older sibling—sometimes it just creates distance, no matter how much you try to bridge the gap." He paused for a moment, taking in the memories of those days spent with family, and continued. "I get that whole work-oriented mindset too. It can consume you, and before you know it, you're sacrificing connections that really matter. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but I guess we all navigate through our own mess in some way or another." He gave a slight smile, trying to lighten the mood. "Just know that it’s never too late to try and mend things, if that's what you want or you can eat to much and move across the country like me" he joked. @anthonyxblake

[anthonyxblake]

When Brody agreed to come in, he remained moved to the side until his younger brother was all the way inside. Anthony shut the door behind him, leave it unlocked in case his brother decided to make a quick escape at some point. It's not like Anthony would blame him. "It's-," he shook his head, "I understand, really," he started, moving towards his small apartment-sized kitchen, "you want something to drink?" He questioned, opening the fridge for himself, figuring the two could use an ice breaker of sorts. "Where are you comin' from?" @brodyblake

As Anthony froze before him, Brody mimicked the action. While he knew his brother was alive and had for months, there was something different about seeing him in person and it felt like a wave of emotions hit him. Things he had pushed down a long time ago were coming up, but at this point of his life, he was quick to shove it back all down. Clearing his throat, Brody nodded his head. "Yeah. I'd like that." He said; still just staring at his brother while taking it that this was all real. He walked inside the place and took a breath as he finally averted his eyes and looked kinda around but didn't take in any of his surroundings. "Mom told me you were..." He trailed off and looked back at Anthony. "Sorry it took me so long to get here." @anthonyxblake

[anthonyxblake]

"I can tell," he was proud of his younger brother, truly. Anthony had never imagined a moment in which he would be able to feel like this again. The two years spent wondering at what moment would be his last moment, he thought of all the things he should have done differently in his life. Anthony was trying to atone for the past since his arrival in Kismet and his relationship with his brothers had been top of the list and now a primary focus since his marriage with Liliana was a complete end. "You'll end up doing it when the time is right, even if there's really no such thing," he cracked a small smile, "but with you two, I bet there will be." @cohenblake

END.

Cohen had always looked up to his brothers, doing his best to admire who they were in comparison to himself growing up, but something about Anthony had always been the one that Cohen pulled to. Especially once he'd met Liliana; it had always been it's own bit of inspiration and admiration in what he wanted out of his own relationship with the girl he was going to marry. He was sure he'd never told him that - he'd been far too caught up in causing trouble to have done so - but now that Anthony was back, Cohen was enjoying as much free time with his oldest brother as he could. They had a lot of time to catch up on after all. "Of course, man. Always." the younger male encouraged, but it was the truth. It was only when Anthony said he was smart though that Cohen felt his cheeks flush. He certainly didn't feel very smart sometimes. "Thank you. We're trying to be smart about it." Cohen answered for both of them, despite the fact he wasn't entirely sure Courtney felt the same way. "I just want to know I can take care of her and a baby, and at this point in our lives I don't think that would be possible." @anthonyxblake

[anthonyxblake]

He nodded his head along to Travis' words, "Yeah," he had to agree with both their sentiments in regard to weather. "Everything goin' well with the pregnancy?" Anthony questioned, genuinely curious. He only wanted the best for Liliana and honestly, he knew that was with Travis. Anthony had never deserved the woman in the first place. @travisjackson

He nodded as he looked to the sky for a moment. "That's true. I thought the same." Plus with the baby coming, he wanted to get one more in, but he wasn't about to rub it all in Anthony's face. "It depends, really. Sometimes it's fine and others is colder. Last year was definitely worse." Travis told him as he got into the kayak. "Always does no matter where you live it seems." @anthonyxblake

[anthonyxblake]

"Makes sense," not that it really did to him because Anthony did not have that type of relationship with his brothers. They'd been close, once upon a time but he had always been significantly older than them. His disappearance never helped any of the relationships, not that it was his fault. "Yeah," he chuckled with Sebastian's words. Sweet and cheesy weren't his thing. He'd been like that when courting Liliana once upon a time but it was a lifetime ago and he was a much different person. "Gotcha," he gave a nod of his head, "I get that," though the wording was different than he had heard before "I've always been more work oriented myself." It was the straw that broke the camel's back in his own marriage. Well, one of the straws. @sebastianxthomas

"It's not really to bug her, but I enjoy teasing her, so it just makes it better," he joked. He knew he had to get away from New York after what had happened. His name was in the trash there for something the restaurant owner had done. "She is pretty cool." he knew she was nice and made friends with most. "Ah so sweet and cheesy makes me sick" he laughed. "But it's sweet" he smiled. "I went on the road of work she went on the road of love." why they had each other for so many years and Sebastain did not. @anthonyxblake

[anthonyxblake]

"Yeah," Anthony gave a slight nod of his head, only barely moving his chin with Dylan's words. It was nice to branch out. That was something he had been trying to convince himself of and it was painfully clear to him that it was not nice. High Pulse was exactly the last place that Anthony felt like he fit in at and even in standing out, he was entirely out of place. "Sure," he flagged down the bartender to order them each a drink, figuring it was a better way to break down the walls that separated the two of them. "Oh, uh," he reached up to rub the back of his head at his brother's question, "fine," he started, "work's been good, probably slowing down as the cold weather comes. Can't imagine people are gettin' their cars detailed as it gets cold." He shrugged his shoulders, "What 'bout you?" @dylnxblk

Dylan laid his glass down on the bar top and listened to his brother, as best he could over the music. Hearing the reason his brother was here too felt weirdly familiar to Dylan's own reasoning. A rare instance of him having something in common with one of his elder siblings. "Yeah it's nice to branch out." He shrugged, trying to be all nonchalant about it all.

When Antony suggested getting Dylan another drink he lifted his glass back up and finished it off. "Absolutely, thank you" Getting a bit drunk tonight wasn't his original plan, but he was going to need a few more if he was going to navigate this interaction.

"So, how's things?" Dylan asked, clearly a little cautious to do so. @anthonyxblake

[anthonyxblake]

©

[anthonyxblake]

Anthony gave him a small smile, “Yeah,” he continued to push the kayak into the ocean. “seems we aren’t going to have weather good enough to do this much longer. Figured I’d get one last go in,” he shrugged his shoulders as he loaded himself into the kayak, “I hear the winters can get pretty brutal around here,” Anthony commented, “New York wasn’t great either,” not by a long shot, “ocean makes everything a bit more extreme, huh?” He tried to joke with the man. @travisjackson

With the baby due soon, Travis thought he'd do one last meeting of lake legion and get on in his kayak. He felt it had been a minute since he had gotten out in the water and he was gonna miss it, but he had a great excuse coming along. Travis had his kayak out and he was making sure his phone was in the waterproof case and attached it to his kayak in case Lili called, there would be no issues. Hearing someone, he turned around and his heart fell for a moment before nodding. He always felt bad when it came to Anthony and he wished all of this was different for the man. "Morning. And yeah. It's good to see you too." He paused to finish what he was doing. "Seems we had the same idea, huh?" @anthonyxblake

[anthonyxblake]

Laughing with Cohen was unusual for him but it was something that he had been growing more used to since living in Kismet Harbor. Cohen had been the first brother that he had really reconnected with. Anthony hadn’t seen or heard from Brody in over eight years and while Dylan lived in town as well, there still was work to do there. “I appreciate it, Cohen,” of course, there was the sentiment that family was always welcome, but Anthony never wanted to assume. A lot of things had changed in the years of his disappearance and Anthony hadn’t been the best person prior to disappearance, anyways. So, he was working on things but knew that he was far from perfect. “I get that,” he nodded his head. When he and Liliana had previously talked kids all those years ago, they were in a much better position that Cohen found himself in right now. That was the air force money, primarily and Liliana had a career of her own. “You guys are smart,” he told his brother, “most people would have kids without thinking of things like that.” @cohenblake

Listening to his brother laugh made Cohen join in, nodding. It felt good to be able to joke with his brother again; the Blake family had missed out on so much time during Anthony's disappearance he'd always wondered if he'd ever be able to make up for it again. But now that they were in the same town, it seemed to feel a little easier to get there. "Of course, but you're family and family is always welcome. No invite needed." He knew that deep down Anthony knew that, but Cohen knew it was his job to make sure his brother did know. Whatever he needed to do to make him aware. Though at the comment of rotting away, Cohen nodded, looking at his brother and smirking slightly. "Yeah, there's no need. Not when there are so many people around you that would love nothing more than to have your company." he shrugged; while his comment was sincere and genuine, there was a small part of him that felt a sense of embarrassment at affection towards anyone aside from his wife, but, in this instance it felt as if it were needed. It was Anthony's question that caught Cohen off guard and he nodded, looking at his older brother. "I think we will at some point but when is still a question." Cohen shrugged. He and Courtney had talked kids their entire lives and how excited they were to have a tiny version of one of them running around, but now that he was an adult with responsibilities, Cohen found it hard to see himself as a father. "I just don't think I could allow us to be selfish and bring a kid into the world right now when I can barely survive taking care of us." @anthonyxblake