#briar ( urbnlgnds )

[thecryptidcottage]

↳ ft. matthew + briar ! ( @urbnlgnds ) in matthew's office at the university of london

now, matthew's never heard of anything so nonsensical as insomnia being contagious, but he'd swear he must've caught it off of frankie at some point over the last few days because he's hardly slept a wink. if he could just get to sleep, he's sure he'd be right as rain. but that's the problem, isn't it ? his mind's been thunderously loud since his best friend broke the news that their kid was roaming about somewhere in notting hill, swirling with a torrent of thoughts and worries, questions and... regrets ? oh, he doesn't know. all he knows is that he almost didn't make it through his three p.m. lecture and, now that he's back in his office with the rest of his schedule for the day clear, he doesn't think he'll be getting a lick of work done. it's fine. who's taking summer courses anyway ? he'll be lucky if he doesn't nod off at his desk... but, of course, matty's never been quite so lucky. he's not entirely sure how long he's out before a knock at the door rips him right back into consciousness ― and aggressively, at that, even if the sound wasn't, but he must've been right on the cusp of a rem cycle ― and suddenly he's scrambling upright in his chair, reaching out to slap a palm against the desk to steady himself as the wheels threaten to send him sliding with the abrupt movement. ❝ oo―ooh, lordy, i'm so sorry ! i'm awake, i swear ! i'm awake. i was just ― i was resting my eyes, is all. ❞ once he's got his bearings a bit, matty flashes an apologetic smile to the young woman standing in his doorway. ❝ that's my fault ! how can i help you, hon ? ❞

[thecryptidcottage]

call him silly, but matthew briedis is a firm believer in the magic that is a real-life movie moment. or, at least, that's what he considers them ; those little experiences in the mundane day to day that have the deep and evocative impact, whether emotional or visual or atmospheric, that many people assume that only the silver screen can provide. a sunset on the inner harbor back home in baltimore. a crowd of people all cheering in unison. a display of fireworks over a stadium after an unexpected victory. and this ? this is a movie moment in the making, he's sure of it. knows it, in fact, even before he's up out of his chair. and no, okay, he's not sure what leads him to the assumption. the young person standing in his doorway could quite literally be anyone. he works at a university, for goodness' sake, the number of youths that traverse his doorway on a daily basis is near astronomical. but matty also tries to remember every single face that he teaches, commits each one to memory ; and though there's something familiar about the brunette's features as they gaze back at him, he doesn't recognize them. it could just be that he's on edge, too, that he's thinking about it... what are the odds, after all, really ? if he swallows hard as they ask after his name, well, it's only because he's trying to get a handle on the way his stomach's doing flips. he's fine. everything's fine. this isn't about to be some grand, life-altering moment, right ? they're probably just a student. anyway, it isn't as if his name's not plastered on the door, his desk, and the diplomas hanging on the wall behind it. ❝ guilty as charged ! though my friends call me matty, my students call me dr. briedis, and my mom ― well, my mom calls me too often, but that's nobody's problem but mine. anyway ! ❞ playful ( anxious ) rambling comes to a halt in time for their introduction and for a second, he thinks his ability to function might come to a halt as well. ❛ briar morrigan. i'm your kid. ❜ your kid. his kid. he was right. he wasn't crazy, or ― or letting his imagination get the better of him, not this time. this is his movie moment. matty blinks once, twice. takes a breath. he tries not to think about what score would be playing in the background as he steps forward, really takes a look at them. and when he does, matty sees it. almost instantaneously, actually. he laughs, because for a second, he's not sure what else to do. ❝ you know, your, uh ― is it weird to call her your mother ? frankie ? i don't know what any of the protocol is there, but she, uh ― well, she told me you were here. i almost didn't believe her. i mean... i mean, wow. it's, um ― it's you, you know ? ❞ oh, he's on a roll now, just rambling away. a hand lifts to card through dark hair as he shakes his head and takes a step forward. ❝ look, i'm sure we've got plenty to say and we'll get to that, but could we maybe ― ❞ there's a pause as matty tries to figure out his next move. well, no, that's not true. he knows it. he's just got to figure out how to ask. ❝ look, i know it's gonna sound sillier than a whole gaggle of geese ― and you can say no, of course ! ― but could i, um... could i maybe hug you? ❞

if insomnia is genetic, briar definitely inherited it. for as long as they can remember, they've had a hard time sleeping at night, choosing to fill their time with writing songs and plucking away at guitar strings until the wee hours of the morning. they equate it to stress, to questioning every little thing about themselves. where did they come from? who were their real parents? why did they leave bishop behind? but slowly things were coming together little by little. they had bishop back, they met their mother, and they only had one more person that they needed to meet before the hole in their heart finally felt like it was patched up. briar also hoped that it would help them sleep a little better, the weight of knowing that their birth dad was close by practically crushing their mind. they were ready to be rid of that.

with a hard swallow, briar approached matty's door slowly, their hands wringing against the strap of their bag as they paused just outside of his door. there was still plenty of time to turn around and leave, thinking that maybe not knowing this last piece of their history would actually be for the better. but then briar was stepping closer to the door, knuckles wrapping against the solid wood of the frame before they stepped into the doorway. at first, all they could do was snort, the sleepy man in front of them rising to his feet. they felt like they were looking in a mirror, seeing the reflection of their light complexion but dark hair and eyes. that's definitely my dad, they thought to themselves, managing a brief-but-friendly smile.

"are you matthew briedis?" they spoke softly, fidgeting in place for just a moment, clearly nervous. briar didn't know how to approach this situation, just like they didn't know how to approach frankie. all they could do was hope for the best here. "i'm briar --- briar morrigan. i'm your kid."