nate-dallas

[nate-dallas]

Secret Space.

What is your character's safe space outside of their home?

While Nate lives in an apartment, his safe space is actually in his childhood home. Nestled in a corner of the house in Washington DC, lies his father's old study, or office. Harrison Dallas, Nate's adoptive father, was a decorated FBI agent. With many accolades under his belt, the Supervisory Special Agent was a force to be reckoned with. Harrison always had big dreams for Nate to join him at the Bureau, and for a brief while, Nate was on the fast track to becoming an agent himself.

Of course, life has a different way of planning things, and Nate's fate was forever changed, but that didn't mean he completely abandoned the idea over the years. Harrison's home office was a safe haven for Nate, especially when he was mourning the death of his father. These days, he doesn't visit home as much as he would like, but when he does, he spends some time in Harrison's old office. His mother, Vanessa, kept it neat and tidy, a sort of shrine to her late husband, which Nate was very grateful for. He feels closer to his dad when he's sitting in Harrison's chair. He would close his eyes and just imagine all of the times Nate would walk into the office and see his father poured over files, papers, and photographs. They would look at crime scenes together. They would discuss alibis and evidence together. He missed those times more than he would care to admit.

When Harrison died, the FBI did barge in and raid the office. They took all of Harrison's devices and files, and whatever else they could find that belonged to them. However, Harrison was very smart, and there's several secret nooks, crannies, and hidden spaces throughout the office. Nate only recently thought he found one, but he couldn't open it. He does plan to go back to his childhood home and visit his mom, perhaps get more information on his missing sister, and dive into the secrets of Harrison's office. He just needs to find the time, motivation, and dedication it takes to resurrect his FBI-in-training side.

[nate-dallas]

One Special Thing.

If you love it so much, why don't you marry it? What is it to your character?

Nate always had a passion for baseball. There was never anything else that held his attention quite like the sport. He was on a little league team while growing up, and ended up making his high school Varsity team. At one point, he was even scouted to play professional baseball for the MLB.

It was a sport that just meant something to him. He would play catch with his dad in their front yard. He would stay after school for hours, practicing, training, and running. When baseball season rolled around, it became his life.

He gave up the sport when his adoptive father, Harrison Dallas, a decorated FBI agent, was killed in a shootout gone wrong. Harrison's death catapulted Nate into medicine. The belief was, since Nate couldn't save his father, his idol and mentor, then perhaps he can save someone else.

"If you love baseball so much, why don't you marry it?"

He would if he could. Nate has such a passion and appreciation for the sport. He'll go to a sports bar just to catch a game. Does he have regrets that he isn't playing on a major league field? Sometimes, yes. But overall, he liked how his life turned out. Still, it does leave room to imagine what life could've been if his father never died.

These days, Nate still plays recreationally. He hangs out at the batting cages when he's not working. A baseball bat feels so familiar in his hands. He perfected his grip on the standard baseball, and even has a trusty glove that he will never part with.

[nate-dallas]

Which Marvel Villain Are You Most Like? // Hela

Hela is the oldest child of Odin and the one most vengeful. She is vindictive, ambitious, and pure evil. Nate can sometimes be those things, and sometimes all at once. While Hela sought to restore her rightful place on the Asgardian throne, those who did not agree nor bow down to her were slaughtered mercilessly. Nate, having only recently turned into a murderer, does not see his victims in that way. Hela does elude confidence and friendliness, putting on an act before turning like a switch. Nate is very much the same in that aspect. He will be the epitome of charming but there is an evilness lurking down inside. He just can’t turn it on so quickly like Hela can. Hela is also power hungry, a trait that Nate does not possess. While he is ambitious, mostly toward his job, he doesn’t aim to grasp at power and doesn’t want people to know who he really is and what extracurricular activities he does on the side. He prefers to stay in the shadows, hiding his true self. Hela, on the other hand, very much wanted people to know who she was and the rage she possessed. While similar, Hela and Nate are more opposite and more different in terms of villainess.

[nate-dallas]

meeting the wildfire, pt. 2

Nate sees Darcy Merritt again and this time, he meets the older sister.

Read Darcy’s version here.

God, his head was swimming. The hospital seemed busier than usual tonight, like something was in the air. He saw regulars appearing in the ER for minor things, and new patients being shifted around because no one knew what to do with them. It was, quite frankly, a giant mess.

Nate was grateful for it though. It kept him busy from the torturous thoughts that sifted through his head if he let his brain lapse even just a little.

He couldn’t help but replay the news report over and over throughout the day about the copycat killer, someone imitating his serial murderer parents. The moment he heard of the first imitating kill, he booked a flight to Kansas to see Jason about it. The departure date was approaching fast, but not fast enough. Since the first news report aired, the copycat killer struck again.

This time, they were more faithful to the Midwest Monsters. Last time, they apparently used a gun, which Jason and Carrie never bothered killing with, leading Nate to think the first kill was just a coincidence. Now, with the second murder being more brutal and in Midwest Monsters fashion, there wasn’t a doubt in Nate’s mind that someone out there was copying his parents.

It wasn’t him and it should be.

Nate only killed once. He murdered a family friend, FBI Agent Shane Ridley, in cold blood but that was an accident (wasn’t it?). Something just overtook him, and he shot the man in Shane’s kitchen. The end. There was no thought that went into it. No rhyme, no reason, and certainly no planning. It just happened.

He wasn’t caught. He wasn’t blamed. He played the part of mourning his late father’s partner perfectly. No one was the wiser. His mother was distraught, and Nate consoled her. Nate was upset, and his wife comforted him. He was never a suspect and the case was closed almost as quickly as it was opened. The ruling cause of death was suicide, and no one questioned it since the life of an FBI agent could be very taxing. Plus, Shane had no family, lived alone, and sort of became a recluse as far as Nate could tell. The self-annihilation fit and everyone picked up the pieces and started moving on.

Nate went back to work, Elise went back to being a freaking princess, and their lives resumed mostly as normal. But… Nate would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about taking another life. Given the fact that he works in a hospital, it would be very easy to disguise a murderous death as a medical tragedy.

He thought about it more than once, practically in every patient he saw. Most were healthy and a sudden death would be incredibly suspicious, but there were some he felt he could pull off a decent kill.

And then a file appeared in his pile.

It was one he was familiar with. Ridiculously thin, with basic insurance information, except now the incident report from the last time she was in the hospital padded the folder a little bit.

Darcy Merritt was back on his rotation.

He remembered wanting to kill that girl when she showed up. She had no family, given the fact that her patient file contained no medical history. She had a best friend and a boyfriend, and that was about it. No one would miss her. However, his plans were derailed when his gorgeous wife sauntered across the hospital floor, talking to his boss like they were in some super-secret club and he wasn’t invited, and the murderous thought evaporated as quickly as it came.

But now, Darcy is back in his hospital, on his floor, which made Darcy his patient. Maybe this was fate’s way of giving him a second chance.

He knocked on the door to signal his arrival and entered the room while opening the folder. “Back again? Did you punch another—”

He stopped.

His green eyes glanced at the file, which now had newer paperwork in it concerning her visit this time. Nate read the fine print over and over again. Darcy Merritt had an opioid overdose?

His eyes shot up and he saw the familiar face in the bed, although the woman next to him was not the rockstar wannabe he remembered. Darcy was unconscious, oblivious to what was going on around her. The person with Darcy was someone different, and the hopeful killer inside him pulled back.

“Excuse me?” the woman asked, pure disgust drawn on every crevice of her face.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else,” Nate said, hiding his shock with a warming smile as his eyes went back over the fresh paperwork. Jesus. A detailed list of other injuries filled the rest of the page. Injuries included, but not limited to small burns, different size cuts across her body, a broken finger at one point (which he did not have more information about), two broken ribs which healed at different times, and bruises up and down her legs, arms, and neck. She was in worst shape now than when he saw her back then, and it wasn’t even that long ago.

The blonde woman spoke, who Nate read was Darcy’s sister, according to the copy of the transcribed 911 call that was in Darcy’s file. “Just fix her up and let me take her home.”

Fix her up?

Nate glanced up, his green eyes staring at Ramona. Did she not see the severity of what was happening?

He shook his head, his jaw tightening as he watched how nonchalant and aloof Ramona seemed to be over the situation. “Your sister almost died of an opioid overdose. She was given Narcan in the emergency room and made some improvements. She should regain consciousness soon. Given the fact that there are more injuries present on her at this time, I want to keep her here for a couple days. I have questions, and Darcy has answers. She’s not going anywhere.”

“I need to speak to the person in charge,” Ramona demanded. She held her ground, like she had a leg to stand on. Nate wondered, very briefly, what cards Ramona thought she was holding. Doctors’ orders normally surpass patient complaints.

Knowing that was probably going to be the response, Nate moved toward the room phone and dialed the number to Mitch’s office. The older doctor answered the phone on the second ring. Nate and Mitch had a quick conversation and Nate hung up while flipping Darcy’s folder closed and keeping it tightly in his grip. “He’s on his way down. In the meantime, I’m just gonna check on her.”

Nate moved toward the bed, brandishing his penlight. He lifted Darcy’s eyelids and checked her pupil response. Even though she was sleeping, she seemed to be on the verge of a very lucky recovery. There was no way he could go through with murdering her now. It just wouldn’t feel right after everything she’s been through. He needed to know what was going on with her, and he didn’t know why.

It was a matter of minutes before Mitch entered the room. He looked distinguished with graying hair, his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose as he waltzed in. He greeted Nate with a pleasant nod and his eyes scanned over to Ramona.

Very suddenly, Mitch froze.

Nate watched how his boss, normally calm and cool, appeared almost nervous and agitated. It was practically cartoonish. Staring incredulously at his mentor, Nate spoke up. “Here’s Darcy’s file.”

He relinquished the file and handed it to Mitch, who carefully took it but didn’t open it.

Silence burst around the room and Nate watched the interactions between the two cautiously. Perhaps Ramona was a patient of Mitch’s, which would make sense, so he wasn’t overthinking anything, but Mitch’s reaction was still very odd.

“Hello doctor. Be a dear and fetch Darcy’s discharge papers. I’m taking her home,” Ramona said. She all but tried ushering Mitch out of the room, and Nate shook his head at her again.

“I told you. She’s not leaving. Darcy was admitted to the hospital because of a drug overdose. Hospital protocol says we need to alert the authorities and she needs to be questioned. Plus, your sister has several documented injuries and I’d like to get an x-ray to see if anything else happened that someone may have missed. Additionally, I’d love to order a CAT scan and see how deep those bruises on her body are. Darcy is in good hands, I promise. But someone else may have put their hands on her, and we need to investigate that,” Nate tried to reason. For someone who wanted to kill Darcy moments ago, it was interesting how he flipped a switch so quickly in trying to protect her.

“Nate,” Mitch said. He turned toward the door, nodding his head in its direction, “follow me.”

Confused, Nate left the patient room with his boss right behind him. Mitch shut the door, making sure the latch caught to ensure Ramona and Darcy their privacy while the two doctors stood in the near empty hallway.

“Write up the discharge papers,” Mitch said. His voice was solemn and possibly a bit defeated. His shoulders were slumped slightly like he had given up. Who was this man right now?

“No,” Nate countered with another shake of his head. He couldn’t believe Mitch would go along with this. “Listen, I’ve treated Darcy before. Something happened to her between then and now and I’m going to help her.”

“You are going to discharge her,” Mitch responded. His voice was now taking on an authoritative tone, like it used to. He was, of course, the chief of staff for the hospital. He was in charge. Yet in Darcy’s patient room, talking to Ramona, it felt like he wasn’t. For the first time ever, Nate felt like someone else had complete control besides Mitch, and that honestly terrified him.

“That goes against every oath we took,” Nate argued. His brows furrowed as he grew frustrated with having this conversation.

“Dr. Dallas.”

Nate felt himself instantly step back. Mitch never called him that. Their relationship was too strong, or so he thought. His green eyes shifted as he distanced himself from his boss. A wall was up. Defense mode was activated.

“Dr. Brantley.”

Mitch didn’t appreciate the same sentiment either. If anything, he looked almost offended by it.

“Darcy Merritt will be discharged. If she does not leave this hospital by midnight, I will personally discharge her myself,” Mitch replied, eyes narrowing at his young protégé.

“Seriously? She needs to be thoroughly checked out first and we need to get the police involved.”

“If you continue looking into this, you need to look for a new job.”

Nate let out an audible gasp. His heart pounded against his ribcage. Was his own boss threatening to fire him for doing the right thing? It was almost like Mitch had something to hide, which only piled on more questions.

It also hurt because Mitch was Nate’s mentor. There was supposed to be a level of trust between them, and Nate felt the faith he held for his mentor starting to crumble before his very eyes. It was no secret that Mitch was grooming Nate to take over the hospital one day, but now the younger doctor wasn’t so sure if he wanted to follow in those footsteps.

“Send her home, Nate.” Mitch looked apologetic but he didn’t say anything about it. Instead, he turned on his heels and walked down the hall to the elevators, disappearing out of sight.

Nate glanced at his watch. He had a little less than ten hours to help Darcy and he didn’t even know where to begin. Midnight would creep up on him fast if he didn’t keep an eye on the clock. While he did have other patients he had to attend to, perhaps he could sneak a test in here and there or talk to Darcy one-on-one when she came to.

This wasn’t over. He was damn sure of it.

[nate-dallas]

copycat.

“A wealthy benefactor was murdered on Friday night. Police officials responded to a 911 call around midnight when reporting neighbors heard what sounded like a commotion going on. There are confirmed reports of yelling, fighting, and even the sound of a gun going off. What makes this story even more peculiar is that it mimics several crimes from the 1980s, performed by the serial killer couple, the Midwest Monsters.”

Green eyes watched the scene unfold on the television before him. He sat on the couch, body tense, staring mercilessly as the news report unfolded. Every nerve in his skin was prickling and he could just feel his blood slowly boiling in his veins.

“The Monsters are gone. We don’t have to worry about them. This is clearly a copycat in the making,” said a police officer before the screen shifted back to gruesome stock images of caution tape and blood smears.

Nate’s eyes were unmoving. He wasn’t even sure if he was blinking or not. He knew he didn’t want to miss a word of what was playing in front of him.

What started out as a simple binge watching of his favorite show turned into channel surfing, which is how he landed on the breaking news report in the first place. A picture of the victim flashed on the screen, and it was a face Nate didn’t know nor recognize. As a matter of fact, the victim didn’t belong to him. It wasn’t his.

“Jason and Carrie Kramer, known as the Midwest Monsters, went on a murder spree in 1988 that ended with a surprised surrender in the state of Kansas,” the reporter went on. A picture of Jason and Carrie, Nate’s biological parents, appeared on the screen. They looked happy, all smiles, even though the world knew them as something else.

The young doctor continued to sit there, no emotion on his face. On the outside, it seemed as though Nate was just simply watching the news. Inside was different. His mind was racing and the killer inside him was swirling with some kind of emotion he was trying to get a read on. Jealousy? Envy? Whatever it was, he didn’t like it.

Nate had only killed once before, and his manner of execution was not at all like the Monsters. It was such a spur of the moment kill, no planning went into it, but it still happened, nonetheless.

As a matter of fact, the Monsters didn’t use guns. They used whatever they could find, and they made their kills messy. A gun was too clean, too simple. Did the people behind this report not do their research?

“Carrie succumbed to an illness behind bars,” the reporter continued.

Nate blinked. That was false. She died giving birth to him.

“Jason is still alive and awaiting the death sentence. Many fans have lobbied for a stay of execution and even signed an online petition that garnered over a million signatures.”

Oh, that’s new. Nate didn’t know that.

The news cycle showed more pictures of a crime scene, although Nate wasn’t sure if it was footage pulled from somewhere else. There were no distinguishing markers or landmarks in the pictures and what little video that was shown. Hell, it might not even be in his city.

“If someone out there is copying the Monsters, they’re leaving behind a lot of clues,” the same police officer from earlier said when he popped back onto the screen, “We’re analyzing every piece of evidence and leaving no stone unturned.”

Now that just sounded like a bunch of filler words, something a cop would say to scare the perpetrator into thinking that they’re being watched. As someone with connections in the FBI, Nate knew everything the cop was saying was an illusion, a way to make someone think they know everything when they really don’t.

“Rest assured, we’re close to figuring out who did this,” the cop stated, and the news anchor appeared on screen again.

Nate was breathing evenly, almost like he didn’t have a care in the world with the breaking news report. But he did. As motionless as he was, a certain rage was retaining the shape of the killer within.

“Copying one of the most famous serial killer pairs in history is not a good idea,” another anchor said, obviously trying to get some banter going on with their cohosts.

It didn’t work. The original cohost, as proper as ever, ended the segment by saying, “We’ll give you more information as the story unfolds.”

The sign off music swirled and a commercial flickered onto the screen, breaking Nate’s train of thought. A copycat killer, imitating his parents. He wasn’t sure if Jason would be thrilled or disgusted at the idea. If Nate recalled correctly, Jason seemed almost elated that Nate showed signs of becoming a killer. In fact, Jason wanted Nate to continue the Kramer legacy. News of a copycat might put a wrench in the plans father and son were cooking up together.

And the fact that this person was mimicking his own parents did not settle well with him. If anyone was going to copy the Midwest Monsters, it was going to be their own son.

Feeling a sense of urgency, Nate pulled out his phone and opened a saved website. The site was to the penitentiary that Jason was staying at while he waited for his death date, whenever that would be. He pulled up the visitation link and made an appointment to visit his father. Then, Nate went onto an airline site and bought a ticket to Kansas.

Father and son had a lot to talk about, namely what Nate should do about the so-called copycat killer. Hunt him down or let him be? Hopefully Jason could provide the answer.

[nate-dallas]

Which horror movie monster is most like your muse? | JASON VOORHEES

Similarities: Someone they are related to has killed before them. In Jason’s case, it’s his mother. In Nate’s case, it’s his biological parents. When he kills, Jason is emotionless, much like Nate. There is a switch Nate turns on when he takes on his killer persona, allowing him to see a target instead of a helpless victim. Jason also likes to stalk his prey, much like Nate. Jason ends up going for the kill and it’s very messy, but Nate takes his time and enjoys the hunt. Both Jason and Nate are vengeful for their parents as well, wanting to do them proud. Lastly, both are fearless, reliable, and resourceful killers. Whatever they find on hand, that’s what they use when ending someone’s life.

Differences: Jason is completely silent, whereas Nate likes to taunt his victims. Jason also seems to be unkillable, having no discernable weakness. Plus, he isn’t human but more like a zombie. Nate, naturally, is very human and thus has weaknesses as much as anyone else. Jason is also a killing machine, and he will continue to kill to avenge his mother as well as anyone who bothers his homestead of Camp Crystal Lake. Nate doesn’t kill as rapidly as Jason does. Jason also wears a mask mostly to hide his grotesque face. Nate doesn’t hide behind anything, seeing as how his victims won’t live long enough to tell anyone. Lastly, while Jason’s body count is well over 150 people, Nate is just getting started.

[nate-dallas]

bold what applies -- horror archetype edition.

The Survivor

Wholesome / Virgin / Brave / Quick Thinking / Trusting / Trustworthy / Terrified / Smart / Reserved / Leader / Clear Headed / Determined / Scarred / Deep / Thoughtful

The Best Friend

Kind / Reasonable / Loyal / Careful / Witty / Wisecrack / Frightened / Average / Outgoing / Laid Back / Follower / Likable / Runs Fast / Selfless / Sacrificial

The Jock

Confident / Bully / Narcissistic / Ignorant / Macho / Brutish / Strong / Attractive / Popular / Selfish / Untrustworthy / Greedy / Loud / Lustful / Cocky

The Nerd

Insecure / Intelligent / Skittish / Ridiculed / Clumsy / Outcast / Weak / Worrywart / Hypochondriac / Willing / Unloved / Ignored / Asthmatic / Adaptive / Fearful

[nate-dallas]

meeting the wildfire.

Write a drabble featuring your character interacting with one of your muses.

What happens when Nate Dallas meets Darcy Merritt?

Read Darcy’s version here.

The sun had long since set and it was getting closer to midnight. Midnight was considered to be the witching hour in the hospital. Things are either quiet or chaotic, there was no in between. Right now, things were steady and silent. Nate didn’t mind. It allowed him to catch up on some paperwork or visit patients and just make the most of the night.

Mitch was beyond ecstatic to have Nate back. Nate was gone for two weeks, one in Vegas and one in DC, and suddenly came back a married man. After giving him hell for not being invited to the wedding, despite Nate’s arguments that it was a spur of the moment decision, Mitch put his best doctor back to work as soon as he was able.

It felt good getting back into a routine again. This was the norm for Nate, but now he had a wife to think about too. He would FaceTime his beautiful wife during his lunch breaks, and sometimes Mitch would even steal his phone and carry on the conversation just so Nate would actually eat instead of being distracted by the gorgeous princess. It was a weird partnership that oddly worked, and it made up for the long hours Nate would undoubtedly go back to.

Nate was making his rounds for the night when a new patient file came across his pile. This wasn’t unusual. Patients check themselves in all the time. What was unusual was the fact that there appeared to be no medical history or documentation on this patient. All he had was basic insurance information and the very basic questionnaire that the hospital gave to patients to fill out when they arrived. He noted the reason the girl was here. Apparently, she injured her hand.

With all his other patients taken care of for the time being, he could now see the new ones that were placed in his file. There were just a couple, and the first one was the girl missing half of her file. Nate knocked on the door first before entering and he noticed two girls. There was one against the wall, and one sitting in the chair. The redhead in the chair was clearly injured from the way she was holding her hand, exactly like what her paperwork said.

“Darcy Merritt?” Nate asked, looking at her with a friendly smile. She nodded in response and Nate caught her glancing at the woman with her. It was quick, but it was there.

“Yes.”

She spoke softly, like she was afraid to be there. Nate understood. The hospital could be scary for a lot of people. He walked into the room, shutting the door behind him as he slowly approached the redhead. “I’m Dr. Dallas, but you can just call me Nate. What seems to be the problem?”

He heard the girl by the wall laugh and his head whipped in her direction, a sense of confusing bubbling on his face.

“Go ahead. Tell him. Tell him what you did. I swear, doctor, Darcy is a badass.”

His eyebrows raised in surprise as he turned to face the redhead again. He knelt down next to her, and very carefully took her hand. She winced, obviously fighting through whatever pain she felt. He felt her fingers and her wrist, trying to determine the impact. “What’d you do? Punch a wall?”

That was the most typical response for an injury like she was carrying. Her wrist and knucklers were swollen and bruised, but nothing seemed broken, which was a good sign. Still, he wanted to take every precaution necessary. He let go of her hand and wrote down the nature of her injury in her file. She seemed to be in good spirits despite what pain she was trying to ignore.

“More like a face,” Darcy said, and Nate looked shocked. His jaw fell slightly but there was a bit of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He looked questionably at her friend, who just shrugged but she had an approving smile on her face.

“The guy was getting handsy with her. And Darce tried telling him that she has a man, but he was in the mood for a fiery redhead. Speaking of, we should probably let Des know where you are,” her friend said. She started texting someone, and Nate turned his attention back to the redhead before him.

“I’d like to x-ray the hand to make sure nothing is truly broken. My professional opinion says it’s just a sprain, but we want to be sure. If that’s the case, we’ll wrap it up and I’ll prescribe you some meds for the pain,” Nate said as he stood up and pocketed his pen.

Immediately he noted the nervousness in her eyes. Her blue eyes seemed to widen in surprise, and she opened her mouth to say something, but her friend cut her off.

“Do it.”

Darcy shifted in the chair, looking at the girl. There was almost a plead on her face and Nate watched her carefully. But he caught the redhead nod and he felt sort of relieved, but he couldn’t help but wonder what the hesitation was about.

Nate gave the redhead a reassuring smile. She was in good hands but sometimes it was hard to give that kind of trust to a stranger. There was something about this girl. It was like she was hiding something, and if anyone knew about keeping secrets, it was Nate. “I’ll be back in a few and we’ll get you set up.”

He left the room, making sure the door was shut tight behind him. He had a feeling the girls wanted privacy, or maybe they needed it. Either way, something felt off about Darcy and her friend. His instincts about people were normally very good. They seemed to sharpen up with the realization that he comes from a serial killer legacy, and it didn’t help that he and Jason talked on the phone once a week these days.

That was something he kept from Elise. Hell, he kept his entire heritage from her. As far as his wife was concerned, Nate Dallas was still the only son of Harrison and Vanessa Dallas. There was no need to say otherwise.

He walked into his office and sat down in the chair behind his desk. Jumping onto the computer to quickly schedule Darcy’s x-ray, he found himself looking at the red pair of dice that he brought back from Vegas. He kept the dice on his desk as a reminder of what happened. He borrowed them (really, he stole them) from an empty craps table and just stuffed them in his pocket like they were long lost pennies. He was pretty sure Elise didn’t see him do it. He couldn’t help it. He wanted a small souvenir from that trip. Turns out, he ended up getting married that very night.

That was a better souvenir than a pair of dice.

Sitting back against his chair, he tilted his head back and closed his eyes. He wasn’t exactly tired, just feeling overwhelmed. Meeting Darcy sort of struck something inside him. It was obvious she was hiding something, but he wasn’t sure if that was part if her medical history or not. It was weird how she had no documentation in her file. Normally there would be something he could work with.

He opened his green eyes and looked at his computer. The schedule for the x-ray was approved and would take place within the hour. As he stood up and got ready to tell his redheaded patient the news, he paused for a second. The other side of him, the killer side, was dormant.

He murdered someone in cold blood for the first time when he was on his honeymoon. No one knows that. In fact, Shane’s body wasn’t discovered until the day before Nate left. Vanessa was a wreck, and Nate promised to come back in a few days for the funeral. Still, even though his killer side was resting, it wasn’t inactive.

Darcy had no medical history, which meant there was no family, which meant she would be a perfect victim. No one would miss her, other than maybe her friend and her boyfriend. Didn’t seem like there was much to the girl’s life from Nate’s point of view.

Very slowly, the killer inside was opening his eyes. It was small, like he was stirring from sleep, but it was there. People die in hospitals all the time. It wouldn’t be too abnormal. And with Nate being a doctor, who’s to say he wouldn’t be able to throw suspicions off himself by performing CPR or trying to save her life while secretly ending it?

There may have been a small bounce in his step as he left his office. The internalized demon may very well be stretching out its lethargic limbs as it felt the excitement of taking another life.

The hospital was steady and quiet tonight. But not for long.

[nate-dallas]

Nate is just the bees knees. I’d like to keep him locked in a closet… I mean in my pocket.

[nate-dallas]

Nate is the most amazing person ever and I am so happy to have him in my life.

[nate-dallas]

Nate, will you marry me? 

[nate-dallas]

Nate Dallas can get it.

[nate-dallas]

Elise and Nate? Ew.

[nate-dallas]

create a moodboard featuring at least five of your character’s favorite things.

[nate-dallas]

the family pet.

The Dallas family had one pet, a black lab named Rocky. Originally trying to be trained as an FBI dog for Harrison and Shane, Rocky was too friendly and didn’t quite graduate FBI Obedience School for Dogs. Rocky was playful and loving, and didn’t seem to have an aggressive bone in his body. He wasn’t intimidating, which was something the FBI needed in their guard dogs. Harrison decided to adopt Rocky instead and integrated the dog into the Dallas family. From there, Rocky became Nate’s best friend.

Throughout high school, Rocky and Nate were pretty much inseparable. So much so, that Nate took Rocky to college with him when he moved out. Rocky was a part of Nate’s life for around ten years. Rocky was there through the most important events in Nate’s life, from graduating high school, going to college, and the heartbreaking relationships he had in between. Unfortunately, Rocky passed away before Nate graduated from college.

Nate kept Rocky’s red collar, which is stuffed in a junk drawer 90% of the time. He had plans to do a memorial photo with the collar pressed into the frame but never got around to it. Occasionally, he would pull the collar out and remember his best friend. There may be some tears that were shed as well. Rocky was Nate’s first and only pet, and while Nate sometimes considers adopting another dog, he knows Rocky will always be number one. Always.

[nate-dallas]

when the muse is sick.

how does your muse react when they get sick?

Nate refuses to believe it at first. He will claim he never gets sick and try to power through as if nothing is wrong. He’s stubborn like that.

The fatigue will wear him down. He will chalk that up to overworking himself.

His throat will start to hurt. That’s normally the first sign that he is getting sick but he ignores it. If he ignores it, it’ll go away, right?

After a nap in the on-call room at the hospital, he will wake up congested and feeling off. Reality that he might be sick will start to settle in.

Nate ignores the symptoms. Really, he’s fine.

He’s not fine.

His boss sends him home. Nate falls on the couch. He can’t get up. Everything hurts and he’s achy.

He tries to sleep. The couch is not ideal for sleeping but he’s too worn down to move.

He is miserable and starts watching movies.

Food delivery services are his best friends now. He is ordering chicken noodle soup for every meal. (mostly because he’s lazy and he’s sick, so he gets a pass.)

Cold medicine helps. He sends out weird text messages when the cold medicine hits.

Overall, Nate is moody, whiny, and mostly wants to be left alone when he’s fighting off an illness. He doesn’t want people around for the fear that they might get sick in return.

It will take him a couple days to get better but when he does, he’s back to work. 

[nate-dallas]

i expected more. [drabble]

Write a scene starring your character in high school. Use the prompt “I expected more.”

February 2007–

“I swear to god, if you don’t catch the damn ball next time, I’m going to ram that bat so far up your–”

“Tyler!” Coach Rimes’s voice boomed from the dugout, cutting off the young male.

It was almost baseball season, and as usual, the Wilson High School Tigers Varsity Baseball team were practicing. School was over nearly three hours ago and the boys haven’t left campus since. The baseball field was littered with the players taking their positions and practicing their skills.

Tyler Kelton, the team captain and a junior, was in a mood. He’s been in a mood all day and it’s spilled into practice. The other boys were on edge. They were so afraid of Tyler’s current vibe. In an attempt to not make him angrier, they were overthinking and not playing well. It showed when the catcher, another junior named Gavin Michaels, fumbled the ball during a simple, regular play.

Tyler was on the pitcher’s mound, practicing his throws. His eyes were shooting daggers at poor Gavin, who avoided Tyler’s gaze at all cost. Gavin grabbed the ball and threw it back to Tyler but it was such a poor throw that the ball landed at Tyler’s feet.

“Okay, that’s enough practice. Go home, get some rest. We’re back out here tomorrow and if you guys don’t bring it, we’re running laps.” Coach Rimes removed his baseball cap to fan his hair back before placing the hat back on his head. He gathered up some equipment, his clipboard, and his whistle, before disappearing into the Coaches Office.

The boys collected their own stuff and made their way to the locker room. Tyler was the first one in and he slammed the door open so loudly, it banged against the wall. The rest of the team filed in afterwards, knowing what was coming. The look on their faces was a mixture of annoyance, whether at Tyler or how they played remains unclear, but the atmosphere in the room was highly negative.

“What the hell was that?!” Tyler nearly shouted as the boys sat on the benches, some undoing their shoes or taking off their baseball caps.

“Dude, watch it.” Nate spoke up, staring hard at his best friend. They were classmates throughout middle school, but became closer in high school. Nate, like Tyler, was in his junior year.

“You,” Tyler immediately turned and pointed to Nate, “you barely caught that curveball earlier. Don’t sit there and tell me to watch it when you couldn’t even watch the ball yourself.”

Nate pulled off his baseball cap and grabbed his bag out of his locker. He stuffed the hat inside. Some of the other players followed suit, obviously desperate to get out of there.

“If we play that way against McKinley or Roosevelt, we’re going to lose. We might as well be the laughingstock in the league. Do you want that?” Tyler warned, his eyes scanning each young man as most of them refused to look at him.

“Obviously we don’t, but come off it man,” Nate said, exhaling a defeated sigh as he finished packing up his bat, glove, and extra baseballs. He zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder while staring at Tyler, who turned right back to look at him. “Fix your attitude before practice tomorrow. Don’t stress the team out any further than they already are.”

Some of the players started slipping out of the locker room after they packed up. Tyler was too enraged to even notice. If he did, he didn’t seem to care. He balled up a fist at his side, and Nate carefully watched his best friend, hoping he didn’t decide to just punch one of their players.

Nate knew the team looked rough today. Hell, he didn’t play a great practice either, but he had other things on his mind that he couldn’t shake. He finally got his next door neighbor to agree to see a game and it made him nervous. She never saw him play before and he was anxious about it. During their game against McKinley High, she was going to be in the stands with his parents. He might be a little thrilled about it but he was determined to not let it show.

But of course, Tyler didn’t know that. If Tyler knew Nate was thrown off his game by a girl, he would never hear the end of it.

“If we end up running laps tomorrow, I will personally kill every single teammate with great pleasure,” Tyler gritted his teeth. The words were aimed at Nate, but his eyes were looking at the remaining members of the team scattered throughout the locker room.

Nate suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. While he knew Tyler was joking, some definitely would not look at it that way, and he didn’t want to do anything that would further impact the climate with the leftover team around them.

“Ty, enough. We had a bad practice. It happens,” Nate reasoned, making his way toward the exit along with a few of the other players.

“That is why you weren’t voted captain,” Tyler spat in Nate’s direction, “because I expected more.”

Nate inhaled sharply, shifting his bag to his other shoulder. He didn’t care about being captain, like Tyler did. He didn’t campaign for it, like Tyler did. He didn’t threaten people for votes, like Tyler did. Yet Tyler seemed to rub it in Nate’s face whenever he got the chance.

“Alright Ty,” Nate said, wanting the argument to be over. “See you tomorrow.”

He didn’t wait for a response. He didn’t want one. Nate shoved the locker room door open and walked out. The door swung to a close behind him and the awful practice drifted from his mind.