astridhipwell-blog

[astridhipwell-blog]

nathan-novak:

The smile that stretched across Astrid’s perfectly sculpted features made Nathan smile as well. He hadn’t been expecting a reaction like that from her, not when she’d denied so many times the mere idea of a date.  God he was sweet on her. Astrid’s presence in general made his knees weak and he already had a bad knee from the war. There wasn’t much left he could do the prevent that. As soon as he got over to Astrid he took Scout’s leash in his hand, looking up at the sky through his matted hair. “I didn’t watch the news today, which was my first mistake.” Nathan chuckled before looking back at the detective. She was also soaked from head to toe only she had running gear on. Someone was even less prepared than Nathan had been for the rain. Almost instinctively Nathan unzipped his hoodie and began wrapping it around Astrid’s shoulders. The material was nearly soaked through, but it would keep her skin from being exposed.

“I couldn’t tell how far out we were from town and I didn’t bring my cane. This rain is like a damn sheet, I can’t see a thing.” He spoke a little louder than usual, trying to make his voice heard over the heavy rainfall. Scout was soaked too but he didn’t seem the least bit phased by it. His muddied paws kept jumping from Astrid to Nate, his movements like a damn jack rabbit. Nathan tugged on Scout’s leash to make him stop, but the dog only barked and tugged back, nearly knocking his owner over. He fell into Astrid, the only thing standing between his face and the ground beneath them. His hands went out to brace her shoulders, steadying both their bodies from falling into the mud. “Sorry, he’s been doing that all day. Scout! Stop.” Nathan commanded, earning another sideways glace from the corgi. This dog just was not the type to listen was he? Sighing lightly, Nathan squinted and looked around them. There had to be somewhere they could duck under right? People lived out here; surely someone had a small cottage or a shed around. They only needed the space for a short amount of time, just until the rain stopped.

Maybe Astrid saw something nearby that he didn’t. Either way they had to take cover. “Did you see anything nearby? Like a shed or something? We need to get out of this rain.” Nathan commented still holding onto Astrid’s shoulders while his head stayed turned in the other direction. He wasn’t completely focused, his thoughts scattered and his movements sharp. In these sort of instances his instincts in the army took over, and Nathan became calculated and stoic. Keep Astrid warm so she wouldn’t freeze out here. If she was wearing more clothing, it’d be a different story. But because she was so expose, Nathan didn’t want her to get sick. That’s the last thing the detective needed.

Astrid laughed. She laughed, despite the fact that the rain felt completely jarring and unwelcome, creating goosebumps all over her skin wherever the drops fell. She laughed, even though her new running shoes were getting all muddied. She laughed, despite the fact that she was feeling cold, and if she was particularly unlucky, she’d catch a cold in this downpour, too.

She didn’t know why she laughed, but she did.

Through the rain, she smiled again, and said: “No, I know! This rain is insane! The one day I decide to go running, huh? The one day!” She shakes her head, looking up at the sky while the rain washes over her face. It doesn’t really matter now. At this point, she is drenched, and there is no coming back from that. Might as well embrace it.

“Hey, yeah, now that you mention it…” she says, and turns on her heel, peering down the dirt path she came running. “I saw this little cabin that looked pretty abandoned … it might be worth taking a look?”

She points in the direction of the cabin, and gestures Nathan and Scout to follow. Trudging through the mud, weaving between the trees until finally, the cabin she saw comes into view. It’s dark inside, and from the outside looking in, it doesn’t look to welcoming. But the fact that it’ll offer shelter negates anything that normally would deter her from taking a closer look.

Astrid tries the doorknob, and it twists freely, door swinging open, whining on its own hinges.

“Well, well… guess it’s our lucky day?"

When it rains, it pours | Nathan & Astrid

[astridhipwell-blog]

Inbox kiss

Post these in my ask to see my muse’s reaction to your surprise kiss:

✎:Kiss at school

☯: Kiss on the forehead

✌: Kiss on the hand

ツ: Peck on the lips

✄: Kiss on the neck

☂: Kiss in the Rain

☃: Kiss in the Snow

❦:Passionate kiss

♫:Kiss on the nose

[astridhipwell-blog]

nathan-novak:

Nathan learned two very important things when he adopted this damn dog. One, he actually liked this damn dog and cherished his company. Two, corgi’s like to bark and be in charge. Well, that didn’t work so well for Nathan, not when he had a limp leg, a cane and wasn’t in the type of mood to  try and keep up with Scout on his walk. Scout wanted to run. He wanted to sniff every goddamn bush, mark every tree and bark at the squirrels who decided to approach them with weary eyes. The squirrels were then barked at and chased up the tree, sending Nate flying forward nearly hitting the tree face first. He cursed under his breath, tugging on Scout’s leash lightly as he frowned at the long torso’d dog. “Why man? I give you food, I give you a nice bed to sleep on…I let you sleep on my bed…do you wanna kill me?” 

Scout looked up at Nathan and tilted his head, ears perked up as if he was listening to the complaint and voicing his own. Why can’t you run properly, human? Good question. Because injuries suck and so does the war, that’s why. Nathan sighed and gestured for the little fella to be on his way. He hadn’t bothered watching the news today for a forecast, it had been sunny four days in a row with no chance of rain. So surely the fifth day would remain the same? Oh by was he wrong. Of course he wouldn’t leave the house without a jacket. There was still wind, and when he’d first stepped out he wasn’t so sure he wanted to proceed to the woods without a jacket. So here he was out in the woods walking his dog in a sweatshirt and jeans hoping Scout would do his business and be done with it. He liked walking him through the woods because it gave him a chance to go out and stretch his legs. It wasn’t too far from where he lived, so it wasn’t an outrageous route to take that morning. Nathan hadn’t accounted for the how long he’d be out, however. 

He hadn’t brought his cane. It would be, what, fifteen minutes maybe twenty minutes tops? Nathan could handle himself without it for that long. Sure it made him slower and he limped more, but he had Scout to guide him through the woods and the trees to keep him upright. The sudden rain did damper things, though. As it began to fall from the sky it really came down. It was like a tidal wave had washed over the trees and came down on top of his head. In seconds, Nathan was soaked head to toe. Scout began barking and chomping at the rain as it splattered on his forehead. It was hard to gauge where exactly he was through the rain and haze. Scout’s barking wasn’t doing him any favors either other than make Nathan disoriented. “Hey, come on can you- Scout!” Suddenly the blue leash he’d had wrapped around his fingers vanished, as did he damn dog. Scout took off down a narrowed trail, creating too much distance between him and his owner that Nathan couldn’t keep up. He could see Scout’s fluffy butt barreling down a winded trail but trees began to cover his line of sight. Shit. He couldn’t lose this dog.

 “Scout!” He yelled over the rain, limping as fast as he could in the direction he’d seen him run. Dammit. Why hadn’t he brought his damn cane?! Gripping trees and grunting lowly, Nathan hurried after his small dog, ignoring the branches that slapped him clear across the face as he practically stumbled through the trail. He could hear barking in not too far ahead, the noise of his over excited dog getting closer. And this that noise came a voice. A familiar voice, one he’d grown rather fond of. A small smile spread across his cheeks as he saw her. “Astrid, is that you?” 

The rain was cold and jarring, hitting her warm skin like icy bullets. Unfocused and with no plan up her sleeve, Astrid stared up at the sky, dumbfounded. She was in the middle of the woods. The worst place to be in a storm.

And then, she heard a bark.

She knew that bark.

“Scout?” she shields her eyes from the rain, kneeling down as the corgi runs up to her, muddy paws staining her calves while his tail wags excitedly from left to right. Astrid smiles.

Next, she sees Nathan, limping after Scout through the mud and through the rain. She doesn’t realize it, but the mere sight of the aquarium owner causes the smile already etched on her face to broaden.

“Nathan!” she calls back. “Quite a day to go out for a walk in the woods, huh?” Astrid bends down to pick up the corgi’s leash and hands it over to Nathan. 

When it rains, it pours | Nathan & Astrid

[astridhipwell-blog]

When it rains, it pours | Nathan & Astrid

@nathan-novak

Her heart races, her pulse hiccups beneath the skin of her wrists. Every fibre in her being feels like it has been dipped in gasoline, and she is holding the match. Astrid’s running. She doesn’t run half as much as she’d like too, too exhausted, too overworked, too consumed by everything else but the time for self-care. Running feels good. Padding down a dirt path, the sky shrouded beneath a thicket of leaves. There is music blasting through her ear pods, but she doesn’t miss that crack of thunder. Astrid slows, yanks an earbud from her lobe and stares up when the first, shiver-inducing drop falls onto the back of her neck.

“Shit.”

And then, it started to pour.

[astridhipwell-blog]

alma-suarez:

And here it was, her eternal dilemma: saying yes just for the sake of being polite or saying no because she shouldn’t drink much. “I don’t know… it’s just that I’m uh- I’m looking after my sister” Alma replied hesitantly, gesturing to some of the kids playing soccer in the garden. Dany was there, running around with them. It wouldn’t be a good example for her little sister is she ended up inebriatedby the time they went home. “And I don’t usually drink, so… a glass of wine was probably enough for me” she brushed some hair behind her ear somewhat nervously, all too aware that it sounded like she was just dropping excuses just to avoid the real decision of whether or not she wanted to have that shot.

Astrid follows Alma’s gaze, eyes falling on the stretch of green upon which the children ran, chasing the soccer ball in a very disorganized and chaotic fashion. She smiles sympathetically, her initial determination to convince the brunette to jump down the alcohol-riddled rabbit hole with her wavering. “Don’t worry. She seems okay, and there’s plenty of people keeping an eye on the kids,” Astrid says, her tone more gentle now, “It’s only one shot. I think you’ll be fine. Or ... don’t you want to?”

[astridhipwell-blog]

nathan-novak:

Is that why you decided to start your aquarium? It was a loaded question. A question filled with answers that all came pushing up in his chest and buckled back in the center of his throat. He felt like he was choking on the fucking truth, like he so badly wanted to tell her, to tell someone the truth. If he told anyone the damn truth, it might as well be Astrid, right? “I was pissed off and in my mid twenties with nothing to show but a broken body and a damn metal star. It was impulsive to buy that thing, everyone I knew told me not to. They told me I was nuts, and that I should focus on my recovery. The doctors thought I wouldn’t walk again, not on this leg. But I got the aquarium and things just sort of…fell into place.” Nathan paused and thought for a moment.

Weirdly enough, he trusted her. He trusted her judgement, and her abilities to judge his character. Nathan was not a bad man, but he wasn’t necessarily good either. There was a sort of darkness in his belly, seeded there by raging war, by hate and by jealousy of his deceased older brother. His anger and resentment should’ve died that day in the fire. It should’ve gone up in flames just like everything else in his life had. But it didn’t. In fact, he became even more angry. At the world, or at Preston, he wasn’t quite sure. He knew one thing though. He knew he wanted his brother to rot away in a prison cell until he was nothing and he wanted to watch. Unfortunately Preston was quick to finish the job. So he was left with questions and not a single damn one of them answered. “It sort of saved me.” He finally finished after a long pause, his past having flashed before his eyes in a matter of seconds. The Gin helped, so he drank that after he spoke. 

“Duly noted. Next thing on the list, get Detective Hipwell drunk.” Nathan mumbled as he pretended to write it down on the palm of his hand. A smile pressed against the corners of his lips, and it was like he could feel backlash coming from the woman beside him at the bar. Surely Astrid would have something to say about that. And the damn dog. Yeah, he hadn’t expected to like that damn thing, but he did. Barking and all, he rather enjoyed its company and even brought Scout into work from time to time. “Yeah, yeah that’s your equivalent of ‘I told you so,’ right?” Nathan sighed, shaking his head. “He likes the aquarium, he’s sort of its mascot now. The visitors love him, and he sits in the gift shop and gets a lot of attention let me tell yah.” He wagged his finger, chuckling at the thought. It was obvious the dog had grown on him. “Not that old but I’m reminded when I get to park in handicap parking at the grocery store. I just get the best spots.” 

She wasn’t sure what she was expecting. The question slipped from her lips before she had decided whether or not it would truly be wise to pry. Her curiosity won out, and as the age old saying goes, curiosity has a tendency of killing cats and making pleasant conversations turn awry. Nathan’s answer was more than she expected. It was honest. It was raw. And it was real. It was probably the most authentic part of himself Nathan had ever presented to her, and she admired his courage in doing so. Astrid knew that she would have significantly struggled performing a comparable act of authenticity. 

In the grand scheme of things, Astrid and Nathan were barely friends. Acquaintances, maybe, so she wasn’t sure what would serve as an appropriate response. Astrid was a pragmatic individual, often seeking counsel of logic and reason whenever making a decision, but this time, she ventured down a different path. She listened to her heart. In a rare act of tactile sympathy, Astrid reaches out a hand, gently pressing it against the back of Nathan’s palm, and smiles faintly. “Sometimes you can’t wait for the people around you to save you. Sometimes you have to save yourself.” And she believed that, in Nathan’s impulsive decision to purchase the aquarium, he’d done just that. Life had dealt him a shitty, shitty set of cards, and Nathan had simply chosen to play a different deck, rewriting his own story on his own terms. Astrid admired that, and his strength in persevering through it all. “I think that’s beautiful, Nathan.”

Her hand stays there for a while, until she carefully retracts it, mechanically placing it flat across the bar’s surface, hoping she hadn’t made things awkward.

“I mean, you can try ...” Astrid speculates, feigning an air of reluctance and skepticism. “It won’t be easy, but I’m sure you’d welcome the challenge.” A glimmer of mischief sparkles in her eye. She laughs when he sees through her diplomatic assortment of words, easily decrypting her overly-ornamented way of saying: I told you so. “Maybe. But really though. Scout is lucky to have you. I wouldn’t have been able to take care of him half as well ... though I did consider the possibility of him being an excellent Robin to my Batman.” Astrid chuckles at the notion that being considered old has its benefits. “Man, now you put it like that, I can’t wait to be part of the elderly! I always have such crappy parking spots.”

[astridhipwell-blog]

nathan-novak:

Nate had first laid eyes on Astrid when he saw her arrest someone of a drugstore near his house in Edgewater. Hair pulled back behind her shoulders, expression serious and determined as she read the man his rights. There was a glimmer in her eyes when she worked that he’d really fallen for. He figured as a Detective, she didn’t normally go after petty theft offenders, but knowing her now he knew she’d respond to any call given over the radio. Astrid truly was married to her job. That was equally admirable and frightening for Nathan. Was he crazy in pursuing someone like her? Hell, he’d adopting a damn dog because she’d look up at him with her dark brown eyes and asked him to. And here he was, sitting with her drinking a Gin and Tonic. He was doomed. 

“I mean some could argue that, yeah. I happened to love the smell, I hardly notice it anymore. I just reminds me of when I got some form of a life. I mean a life without my cane.” He shrugged, feeling a bit exposed momentarily after he spoke. Nathan didn’t talk about himself much. He didn’t tell people he was a veteran, didn’t break out the star he’d received for saving his unit and losing most of the motor function in his left leg. He also didn’t spread the world that he was a witch, and could manipulate water by will. There were many secrets and levels to Nathan which he did not let people walk. Saying something remotely personal like this was rare. His shoulders relax somewhat when the topic turned to Astrid’s ability to dance. “Hey, if you can dance I’d love to see it someday.” What a sight that would be. What a sight it would be to be able to dance with her, too…if only. 

“Harsh, Astrid. You’re looking at a rather impressive ballroom dancer. In high school they made us learn but I would’ve gladly taken classes.” He knew she was only teasing him, it shouldn’t have hit as hard as it did for some reason. Another reminder that he was probably being an idiot in attempts to pursue her. Why did he continue to make a fool of himself? Because of that damn day he’d seen that glimmer in her eye arresting that criminal. Because he wanted to continue to see that glimmer in her eyes. “Fish and dogs are very different species, Astrid, so it really could’ve gone either way. But he keeps me company. I always knew I’d be an old man with a small dog yelling at kids to get off his damn lawn. Scout’s a natural at it.” 

Astrid traces the rim of her glass thoughtfully, listening to Nathan, as all the layers he has wrapped himself up in wrinkle and peel back for just the slightest moment. There was so much more to him than he let on. She could feel it in her gut, and Astrid was never one to question her own instincts. They rarely betrayed her. And even though he hadn’t even said much at all, Astrid felt a certain sense of kinship towards Nathan. She too had mastered the art of building layer upon layer, crafting an appealing and uncomplicated persona for the exterior world. Because scars, and everyone’s own personal tragedies made people uncomfortable. It was easier pretending to be someone more palatable. Fun and happy-go-lucky. Someone easy to swallow.

While curiosity tickles her impulses, she toys with the idea of prying, which she normally never does. In her line of work, she asks people a lot of questions. She interrogates people. Studies them, trying to translate nonverbal details into a language of truths. Leaving that habit by the door, once she leaves the office, is hard, but Astrid continues to try and be a normal person outside of work. To not be Detective Hipwell, for a change. “Is that why you decided to start your aquarium?” she then asks, buckling beneath the weight of her curiosity. 

“Maybe someday...” Astrid muses, willing to indulge the alternate reality where she would voluntarily put herself at risk of being ridiculed for her, likely historic, dance moves. “I can tell you one thing, though, we’ll have to have a lot more drinks in order for that to ever be a remote possibility,” she warns playfully.

Astrid laughs, finding herself to be rather fond of the thought of Scout chasing children from the lawn. He was only such a small pup, after all. “Is he? I’m so proud. I knew he was a good apple when I found him, which is why I am beyond happy he has found a good home with you...” Astrid’s gaze rests on Nathan’s for a while. A little longer than she would normally be comfortable with. And when she realizes this, she blinks, smiles a little awkwardly and says: “Also, you’re not that old.”

[astridhipwell-blog]

nathan-novak:

“Let me keep some of my innocence alright?” Nathan’s hand rose as if to surrender as he continued to chuckle. First coffee, now drinks…she hadn’t explicitly asked him out for any of it but it felt like it was a start right? He was finally breaking the surface. Nathan admired Astrid for how dedicated she was to her job. He just hoped that meant she was one of the good guys and not the bad. 

“Whoa, I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you so excited about anything, calm down detective.” Nate chuckled, raising his glass as well. The police force had proven rather…well, untrustworthy as Nate saw it. They only saw what they wanted to see and made sure to cover up anything that might put the town in jeopardy of falling apart. Some may say that was a good thing. Keeping this town upright was what they needed. Keep humans in the dark and make sure nothing about witches, or psychics of the sort got out. It was all a lovely misconstrued lie, and it were lies like this that drove Nathan out of this town. Like most though, he’d found himself driven back. He was still bitter about that, so he took another sip of his drink. “Wow. I’m hurt. Wounded, even do I really smell that bad?” 

Nathan drew close to his chest, taking a deep breath in, but all he smelled was cologne. That was a good sign at least. “You look scared. I think that definitely means you’re not a dancer.” He chuckled, though even if he’d wanted to ask her to dance, which he did, Nathan couldn’t properly dance himself. His injury properly prevented him of that. “Don’t worry, can’t dance anymore, not after the war. Just wanted to keep you on your toes.” He put the glass to his lips and drank more, but stopped when he remembered something. “Oh, by the way, Scout is doing just fine. He’s surprisingly not that bad.” 

Astrid snorted and shook her head. This was nice. Hanging out. Chatting. She wasn’t quite sure what had driven Nathan to be so keen to be her friend (or at least, to be around her) but she felt strangely grateful, whatever his reasons may be. Astrid didn’t make herself the easiest person to get to know, which often deterred most people from bothering to try. Despite all her thorns, and all the ways she made herself unappealing to pursue, Nathan had remained open and friendly. Open. Friendly. And charming. 

“I didn’t say you smelled bad! I said you smelled like the ocean, and last time I checked, a lot of people have very positive associations with that particular smell,” Astrid sputtered matter-of-factly, trying her best to not appear too amused by what was clearly another one of Nathan’s tactics to come across as funny and agreeable. And yeah, that charming thing again.

Astrid scoffs comically at the notion that she’s not a dancer, even if it was true. In high school, Astrid loved going out clubbing, and dancing was a big part of that. But now that she was older, with a respectable, grown-ups job, it just made her feel a little awkward. There was no dancing in her life beyond the impulsive, private dance parties she hosted for herself in her bedroom, with all the curtains and blinds drawn and her door locked tight. “For all you know, I could be a fantastic dancer, thank you very much.” Her eyes soften a little when he mentions the war. It’s quick. Easy to miss, if you’re not paying attention. The war. She wondered if it had anything to do with what happened during the blackout, but she was not one to pry. “Well, good, because even if you did ask, I wouldn’t dance with you,” she teases, trying to mirror his vein of lightheartedness.

“I was meaning to ask about him! See, I knew you two would be good for each other. Match made in heaven,” she grins brightly at the thought of the stray pup taking well to its new home. “You’re good with fish, being good with dogs was hardly a big stretch!” Flawless deduction on her part. Clearly the work of a real detective.

[astridhipwell-blog]

nathan-novak:

“What? Vodka has alcohol in it?! Why the hell didn’t anyone tell me I was being poisoned?” His response was a little outrageous, and he gave quite the performance, though he’d never acted a day in his life. Lying he was quite good at, perhaps it came with the territory. “A Gin and Tonic and an Old Fashioned, thank you.” Nathan repeated, a single brow raised in approval of the Detective’s drink. He was never really a whiskey man either, but he had indulged before. Looking around at the various townspeople who decided to attend the annual Founder’s Day made Nathan curious. 

Did everyone really feel good about what was happening around town enough to try and over it up with booze and tiny finger foods? The head honchos in charge were doing their best to over up anything suspicious, but Nathan still wondered what someone like Detective Astrid Hipwell thought of the disappearances in Norfolk. “Aw, well that’s nice of him. Glad you could join us here, it’s been an eventful night. Not too eventful of course, no one’s gone missing thank god.” It was Wilder Lake. They weren’t that far from the forest. Nathan decided to push these thoughts away and pick up his drink before he thought of something worse. “Well thank you. I try, it’s hard to get that seaweed smell out of my hair.” He frowned a bit, though he couldn’t help but laugh. their glasses came together again and he took a drink soon after, feeling the alcohol hit the back of his throat hard. “Hey do you dance, Detective?” 

Astrid chuckles, appreciative of Nathan’s theatrics. “Well in that case, you might not want me to tell you what’s in a Gin and Tonic...” she says, smiling a tight, full-toothed smile. Lots and lots of alcohol, being the answer, of course. 

She never quite knew how to respond to people fishing around for details regarding her work, or better said, the things she worked on. Like all the people that went missing around Norfolk. Astrid knew enough to know it was bigger than what most people assumed. Bigger than some people in the Norfolk police department wanted anyone to know. “Hey, no missing people, that’s something I’ll toast to!” she thus replies, airily, trying to avoid a scenario where she is cornered in stating her opinion on the matter.

“Ooh, is that what I’ve been smelling? Sorry. I didn’t think you got all of it, after all, but it’s sort of nice! Reminds me of the ocean.” She’s only teasing. At the question that followed, Astrid’s eyes widened. Surely he wasn’t going to ask her to dance, right? Right? “Well, poorly...” she admits, eyebrows furrowing.

[astridhipwell-blog]

nathan-novak:

Nathan sighed unpleasantly, as his eyes briefly narrowed at the detective. “Alright got me there. But if it is an open bar, shouldn’t we get something…I dunno, with substance?” He placed his hand on the bar top, turning slightly with his cane propped beside him as he finally sat down. Walking was exhausting for a man who could barely do it. “Hey, could we get a gin and tonic and whatever this lovely woman would like.” Again, he had to pat himself on the back for being so smooth around Astrid. Normally he was a bumbling baboon, but he was beginning to grow use to her company and easing into the fact that his constant advances may never be reciprocated. “You d look lovely by the way. How’d you manage to get the night off? Aren’t you always on duty?” 

“Last time I checked straight vodka contains ... substantial amounts of alcohol.” Astrid’s smile grows wide, while she stupidly, quietly prides herself on her witty response. Turning her attention to the bartender, she drums her fingers atop the bar, mulling over her options and says: “An Old Fashioned sounds good to me, thanks.” Nathan’s surprise at Astrid being able to attend tonight wasn’t too far off base. Astrid was a workaholic, and rarely had a night off to indulge and relax. But it was Founder’s Day, and she’d never once missed one. “I batted my eyelashes at the chief and he gave me the night off, simple as that.” she jokes, nodding gratefully at the bartender as he slides their two respective orders out in front of them. “But ... thank you, um. You clean up pretty nice, yourself.” It’d nearly slipped her mind that he had actually given her a compliment, and she never knew how to handle those with grace. “Cheers?”

[astridhipwell-blog]

mariel-buenaventura:

Glancing over her shoulder, Mariel turned to face the brunette and flashed her a wide smile. “You sure?” she replied with a raised brow. “Cause once the shot glass is in my hand, there’s no takesies backsies.” 

“Oh, I’m well aware,” Astrid assures Mariel with a grin. “Please, you’re saving me a fraction of a hangover tomorrow. You’re really doing me a favor here.”

[astridhipwell-blog]

nathan-novak:

“You know,” Nathan paused, back resting against the bar as he leaned back, picking up the extra vodka shot, “If you wanted to buy me a drink detective, all you really had to do was ask.” Vodka was not his cup a tea. It reminded him of drunken nights towards the end of his high school years and nights in the army he’d rather forget. It reminded him of coming back home for a couple months only to leave again and come back a changed man. Vodka was indeed his mistress for quite some time, but it was when he came back from the war he’d switched to gin. He did click the small glass to Astrid’s, toasting to god knows what before throwing back as he used to. The memory was greater than the taste. “God I hate vodka. Why did you give me vodka?” 

Astrid narrowed her eyes a little, wanting to bite back with a clever retort but again falling short. A frustrating recurrence whenever around Nathan Novak, apparently. Instead, she mirrored Nathan by downing her shot and laughing as complaints started to spill from his lips. “Because ... it was free?” Astrid suggests, innocently shrugging her shoulders.

[astridhipwell-blog]

We are going anyway!

[astridhipwell-blog]

[astridhipwell-blog]

Astrid theatrically arches her brow. “You think so?” she glances from left to right, “Well in that case maybe I should bring out one of our sniffer dogs, just to be sure!”

“I swear they lace festival food with some kind of narcotic.” Roman takes a bite out of the burger in his left hand, then a sip from the drink on his right. Wilder Lake was teeming with people this afternoon, all here to celebrate in the spirit of Founder’s Day.

[astridhipwell-blog]

carlislecheshire:

“Ah, um, okay –” Carlisle said, picking up the shot glass and inspecting it, “– lucky me.” He concurred with a chuckle, before raising it to clink against Astrid’s “To Norfolk?”

Astrid grins, gently elbowing the reluctant deputy. “To the best precinct in all the State!” Eagerly, she clinks her glass against his, holding it up before she tips it back. “So, you enjoying yourself tonight Carlisle?”

[astridhipwell-blog]

alma-suarez:

“Wh-? Oh no” she quickly replied after her eyes landed on the shot that was placed before her. She already had a glass of white wine and that was all the alcohol she was planning on drinking for the day. “No, no, I can’t” Alma politely rejected Astrid’s offer. Of course she could, the young woman simply didn’t want to risk getting tipsy at all.

Astrid furrowed a brow. Normally, she wasn’t one to try and convince someone that clearly did not want to be convinced. For all she knew, they could be driving here, or a recovering alcoholic. But she had two shots of vodka and she was feeling generous. “Of course you can! I insist!” she says, assuming the brunette was simply trying to be modest.