#isaac 001

[maxcarson]

closed: @isaaccalloway max: when is your next day off?

[emberapatow]

His answer was about what she expected. Ember gave a small nod, "Thank you for being honest about it and not trying to sugarcoat it. And we can agree about that," she added about the crap hand she was dealt with.

"Yeah, there's been a couple of bad ones. And then Willow's dad snuck out in the middle of the night around the time Willow was about a year old and stole all the money he could get his hands on from the cash register in the restaurant and never looked back, and since then it was just the three of us. Mom dated and stuff, but never brought anyone home unless she couldn't know for sure they were good, but she never trusted them to be good anymore." When she was older, Ember wondered if at that point her mom passed on actually good men because she was too paranoid to fall for somebody who would just hurt them and cause more trouble than they've been worth, but she's never actually asked her about it.

She looked over at him. "You two talked, though. Mom said not regularly, but from time to time. How did that come about?"

Ember watched him as he said she didn't need to like him, she didn't even need to give him a chance. She was quiet for a while afterward before she said. "I am not an idiot, I knew that you wouldn't be hugging me, crying to me how you've been trying to find me for so long and you wish you could have done things differently in your life. We lived our lives as strangers, not knowing each other. And I am not going to pretend that if what happened to mom wouldn't have happened, I'd be here. I probably wouldn't be.

"But shit happened and I am here and I want to get to know you. If you don't want anything to do with me, I'll survive and just make sure to stay out of your way. I want to give you a chance. But I wanna be clear, it's for me, not for you. I am not just here to give you a chance to atone or make things right or something. This is for me. I want to know who my father is and I want something more than some pictures. So you get a chance. And let me tell you, I'm amazing, so you'd be stupid enough to squander it, but it's still up to you what you do with it, I guess."

He's been sober for twenty years. Long before the outbreak would have forced him into it. Plenty of time when he could have at least tried coming back for Ember. She'd need to figure out how she actually felt about this, now she just suddenly felt overwhelmed by all of this new information, by actually having her father sitting next to her and answering questions she sometimes wondered if she'd ever get answered.

"Alcohol," she replied to him. Maybe in other situation she would have held back, but really, what would be the point? "Mom always was a stickler about drugs and that stuck, I never really tried it, but alcohol was less problematic and more easily accessable, so I had it from time to time. And then Willow died and the world was ending and alcohol was still relatively easy to get my hands on, and I went off the rails for a few months. Haven't had any since, but I think sometimes the only reason I don't drink is because I don't have a chance to get some. Otherwise I'd already be under the non-existing table." She sure would have gotten off the rails if she had the chance after her mom died.

Ember asked a straight-up question, no hiding her real intent or putting frills all over it to mask the ugliness of the whole thing, and Ike could respect that. She wanted an honest shooting answer ( just like both her parents, just like--) so he gave her one. "I regret being too fucked-up to stick around or take care of you properly," Ike said. He chewed for a moment, on nothing; a habit he'd lost over time while he was getting sober for real, one that had come back in a hurry, all of a sudden. "I don't regret leaving you."

There was plenty he could explain or embellish, to tell Ember that would mitigate the unvarnished truth of it and elaborate on what there was to regret, but what would be the point? They didn't know each other. Him spilling his shit wouldn't change a damn thing now, about how Ember grew up without a daddy. And Ike didn't much believe in confessional just for the sake of it. That kind of catharsis only ever worked in one direction.

"I am sorry to hear about your sister, though. With losing your mom too, that's a fuckin' crap hand you got dealt, kid." And at least Ike was able to offer her that, one moment of unadulterated sympathy sandwiched in between two layers of shit, Ike Apatow-style. And what did Ember have to say to this outpouring of how badly he'd messed up? That Isabella had a type.

Ike laughed, though there wasn't much mirth in the sound. "Well, shit," he said, leaning back against the cinderblock wall. "That don't say much good about the ones who followed after me. Your mom deserved better than that. You did too." Better than some conga line of fuckleheads, better than Ike. He lifted his chin in acknowledgement when Ember said the whole thing was fucked up. "I don't know if it's gonna bring you any kind of peace knowing the reason I left, but -- you asked. And I gotta think that if you're here, and you're grown, and you kept yourself safe enough to get to Redwood, that you're a girl who knows what she can handle. You don't need to like me, Ember. You don't even need to give me a chance, unless you want to. Neither of us counted on this happening."

This, this. A world gone to shit or a reunion in the middle of it, a father who never tried to come back for his daughter. Ike's jaw clicked; he forced himself to stop chewing.

"Yeah," he said, "I'm sober. Not exactly easy to get hold of any kind of drugs anymore, and even if we do get street drugs they go over to the infirmary to see if they can use 'em for when ordinary painkillers won't do anything. But I was sober before. Twenty years now."

Ike wasn't sure if he was allowed to ask anything back, but not knowing had never stopped him from anything before. "You?" he ventured. "You got any ... I mean, I know it happens sometimes. Whether you consider it a genetic predisposition or because of trauma. You got any substance shit goin' on?"

[cyborg00-why]

Dr. Gilmore pictured here, desperately trying to prevent an Ivan containment breach

[irnocns]

⭑ here / @gamethecry

Your gaze is fixed upon the other with a look that could kill. Being told you were being sent down into the depths of crimson tides with somebody else irked you further than you already were, gnashing fangs grating together behind displeased features, especially when that somebody was testing your patience, pushing his luck with every beat of the way.

Watching like an angry mutt eyeing its prey as the other retreats, till finally you determine it's enough space, finally there's some release of tension from your shoulders, palm pressed flat against the surface as a low beeping continued to drone through the deathtrap, with every echo of the high-pitched noise sent to reverberate through the metal, you feel your nerves grow frayed, flat hand curling into fist. Sooth the bubbling rage, breathe. You have a mission, freedom to achieve.

( It's easier to focus when I don't have an annoyance breathing down my neck, less you want me to crash us into a wall. Which I happily will. ) there's an unspoken 'don't test me' at the end of your sentence.

[dxrkenedheights]

where: vaughn home equinox

with: isaac vaughn and astra @rviner

★・・・・・・★

Isaac sits alone in the dim light of the kitchen, the soft glow from his tablet casting shadows on his face as he sips his lukewarm coffee. The headlines blur into each other, just background noise to the comfortable silence of the morning. It's a quiet he's come to appreciate. But the moment is interrupted by a gentle, almost hesitant knock at the front door. Before Isaac even stands, he knows who it is. It always goes this way. After weeks of absence, Astra always manages to reappear, drifting back into their lives like a ghost he can't quite shake. He lets out a sigh, setting his coffee down, and makes his way to the door.

As it swings open, his eyes land on her. A familiar mess of dark curls, her clothes that hang loose and serene, somewhere between distressed and peaceful. He never can decide if she looks better or worse with every visit. "Hey, Astra. Thought it was getting close to being a while." he gives her a sympathetic smile, one he can't control. "Ronnie's out with the girls." Isaac then tells her, stepping aside to let her in. "But they’ll be back soon. You're welcome to wait." His glance flicks to the street, checking.

It's not that he dislikes Astra, far from it. There's pity there, but also a strange respect, a quiet acknowledgment of how hard it must have been for her to walk away, knowing Celeste would have a better life somewhere else. That took strength. But it's complicated. There's always that nagging worry, that underlying fear that she could change her mind any day and take Celeste with her. What it would do to Ronnie. Another loss, all over again.

"Here, look." Isaac says, leading her into the kitchen, picking up some small, colorful scraps of fabric scattered on the table. "They were doing some drawings before they left." he passes one over to Astra, a faint smile tugging at his lips. The fabric is painted with little blobs of color, some smudged lines that vaguely resemble people. One figure with a wild tangle of hair looks just like Astra, or as much as a three-year-old could manage. "Want a drink?" Isaac offers, knowing she’s likely running on fumes. "Hungry? We always got leftovers." he knows she probably hasn't had a proper meal since the last time they saw each other.

[ofwrxth]

+ ISAAC / VAUGHN HOME

Ronnie hears the moment Isaac gets home. He's gentle with the doors but it's almost like there's a shift in gravity when he's home. A grounding force. A presence that can't be ignored. Except that Ronnie tries to ignore him now. She doesn't stick her head out of the kitchen to greet him with a smile and she doesn't call out.

No. Veronica Vaughn is still stewing from their last fight.

Or, rather, the continuation of the one fight they keep having. For two years. Maybe it's not even a fight anymore. Maybe it's just another facet of their relationship. Something that they've gotten used to. They can be happy, loving even, and then there comes a moment when the inevitable is brought up. When Ronnie has put Celeste to sleep and she can see the tightness in Isaac's jaw. She read the unsaid, written clear as day across his face.

They don't shout. They speak in low whispers, careful not to wake the little girl who slumbers and then Ronnie turns on her side, effectively ending the conversation. If it can be called that. Some nights she waits to feel the weight of the bed shift with Isaac getting up. Other nights, she's comforted by the way his arm still winds around her waist, a sigh of exhaustion leaving them both.

Last night, the bed had shifted.

So Ronnie doesn't greet him. She simply continues preparing dinner in between notes typed up on her vera tab for her latest story about the ImmersiSphere fiasco. She stirs the pot with one hand, adding notes with the other, an impractical, one fingered-typing going on before there's a shift in the air and she pauses her work but continues to stir. Veronica looks up to see Isaac in the doorway of the kitchen, still in his uniform. "Cel is napping. Sienna is working late. I said one of us would meet her from the station." With recent going-ons, she's grateful when their daughter doesn't protest at the extra precautions.

She gives him a long look, blue-green eyes scanning his face. Despite her resolution to remain unaffected by the distance wedged between them last night, it's inevitable. Ronnie sees how exhaustion draws lines in his face, a slow fade like how water on earth used to carve into the land, slowly but surely until they left their mark. A canyon. A fissure. She knows their fights do the same. So now she has a decision to make. Does she bridge the gap? Or let it widen?

"Taste test?" Ronnie makes her choice and moves aside, proffering the spoon so he can try the sauce. @dxrkenedheights

[victoriousfidelity]

@raisedcold said: "There's nothing you can do for me now." oops! all angst! prompts. | accepting.

"I think you are vastly underestimating the extent of what I can do. Why don't you tell me what you need, and I will decide whether it is within my capabilities or not?"

[sweatforged]

@isaacbrooks

he  couldn't  possibly  imagine  what  it  was  like  to  witness  another  demigod  perish  right  in  front  of  you  on  your  very  first  time  outside  of  camp.  silas  had  seen  his  fair  share  of  death  &  suffering  -  both  during  his  life  outside  camp  &  of  course,  the  same,  or  rather  ..  more  profoundly  since  he'd  drank  the  ambrosia.  it  wasn't  like  he  feared  death  himself,  fear  was  not  ...the  emotion  that  took  over  when  he  thought  about  death.  but  silas  had  no  death  wish  &  far  too  many  scores  to  settle  to  die. 

  which  was  most  likely  why  he  preferred  a  more  ...careful  approach  in  comparison  to  other  godlings  in  camp.  it  wasn't  fear.  it  was  survival  instinct,  plain  &  simple.  some  of  which  many  godlings  seemed  to  be  lacking.  that  or  common  sense,  but  silas  didn't  judge. 

  ...much. 

  &  yet  this  had  to  be  the  absolute  worst  case  scenario  for  a  newbie.  overwhelmed  with  the  newness  of  it  all,  likely  not  used  to  fighting  in  general  &  then  ...  death.  death  was  such  a  fickle  concept,  irrevocable  &  permanent.  except  for  some...  it  seemed.  sethan's  luck  ..  ran  out.  it  was  ..  difficult.  he  may  have  not  been  a  close  friend,  but  there  was  cameradie  among  the  godlings  regardless.  tight-knit  &  familiar  with  each  other  -  the  key  to  survival.  they'd  been  taught  that  lesson  over  &  over. 

  seeing  their  newest  addition  to  camp  again  for  the  first  time  since....  he  couldn't  stop  himself.  they'd  not  officially  met  yet.  there'd  been  no  introduction,  no  time  spent  together  before  they'd  been  assigned  a  team,  so  silas  knew  he  had  a  lot  of  catching  up  to  do  &  yet  ...seeing  him  head  for  the  thanatos  cabin  ...  made  his  heart  stop. 

it  wasn't  his  fault  kieran  left. 

  gentle  breeze  on  his  skin, rejuvenating & kind,  silas  took  a  deep  breath  before  breaking  out  into  a  job  to  catch  up.  "hey,  isaac....  right?  we  uh,  we  been  at  the  cave  t'gether.  figured  i'd  check  in,  see  how  you're  holdin'  up.  been  a  pretty  tough  ride."

[emberapatow]

with: @isaacapatow where: at the party, kind of on the side

Ember wasn't quite sure if she still remembered how to play on the guitar, but she picked the instrument up anyway - she's been eyeing it for a while now, working in the community center every day, and this was a party, what better time to try herself out.

It was like riding a bike, though - a few minutes and her fingers were moving as if she picked up a guitar yesterday last, not years ago.

She was playing Hey Jude from the Beatles, humming the song along when she noticed somebody near - her father. "If you're just standing there, sticking around, you're gonna have to jump in, you know? It's just a rule."

[davxdalexander]

closed starter for @isaacapatow

There was something oddly peaceful about his trips outside of the town. Despite the danger that lurked around every corner, David found a sense of calm out there. Hidden among the trees and ruins of the world, he could lose himself to the thing that always shook the guilt and the anger from his mind. He had spent a good portion of his day outside of the wire. Roxy remained by his side, on high alert for any infected that could have been lurking by. He remained calm and still, his grey eyes scanning his surroundings for any movement. While he had managed to bag a few rabbits, he didn't want to go back. Not just yet. And his patience paid off as a buck came near. David drew the string of his bow back and took aim. And with the release of his breath, the arrow flew.

The few rabbits were tied together and hanging around the buck that he hauled over his shoulders. Roxy led the way back to the compound, her nose to the air in case she caught a scent. But much like their trip out, they ran into no problems and he cleared the way back into town. He was on his way to his cabin to start dressing and cleaning his catch when he spotted Isaac. "You mind giving me a hand?" he asked, motioning with his head to the load he was carrying. While he could easily carry his catch the rest of the way, he was pretty tired and he wasn't getting any younger. If he was going to continue being useful, he couldn't overdo it on his slowly aging joints.

[smokedanced]

                                        @hvbris    /    isaac & iris    /    cont. from ↷

Her chest rises and falls rapidly, in panic, as she keeps fighting against the restraints, even as she can tell she’s not going anywhere. She’s not... personally strapped anyone down like this, but she’s seen things, at the headquarters of TD Industries. Been shown things. She knows secure restraints when she feels them, knows a secure lab when she sees one, even if it’s... it... it isn’t like anywhere she’s been before, here. It’s  alien,  no pun intended, but even without the weird unspoken words she’s getting from this guy she could guess what she’s here for.

Though she’s still not entirely convinced she’s not being mindfucked by TD.

❝ Bad behaviour? ❞    Iris questions in a shriek.    ❝ Sorry, mate, but nothing in this picture encourages good behaviour! What do you care?! You have me where you want me, why’s it matter if I shout a little! ❞    No. No, she won’t give him meekness. If this thing means to perform some weird experiments on her,  she’s at least not going to make it easy for him.

[cyborg00-why]

Stumbled on these great, retro cyborg erasers! Surprisingly I think I have a few of Astro Boy that I always thought were vinyl that was breaking down lol

[spellbcok]

@papcrrings sent: ♫ + 27 for lydia & isaac  ( blue — taeyeon )

"the white night is beautiful, but the night is even colder today," lydia said as she folded her arms across her chest in an attempt to block the chilly air. "couldn't we have met somewhere warmer?"

[adrixnadelgxdo]

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Ike & Adriana

@isaacapatow

Ike:

-*pokes his head in, looking around, then comes in properly once he sees adriana*- Oh, hey, Adriana. You're the new child minding ... looking-after ... the new childcare person? You remember me, right, Ike.

Adriana:

*-Adriana looks up as the door opens-* Ike... right. I remember. What can I do for you?

Ike:

Oh, nothing. -*smiles a bit and moseys over, hands in his pockets*- I was just walking around and decided to come in here. I don't normally have much to do with the kids but, y'know. How're you settling in, and all that.

Adriana:

Alright. Still learning where everything is and getting to know the kids and their parents. Everyone is very nice.

Ike:

-*leans back a little, regarding her*- You don't have to be polite with me, y'know. That's the one thing everyone knows about me. And they're not all nice.

Adriana:

*-looks at him with a bit of confusion -* I'm not quite sure what you mean. Everyone I've met has been nice.

Ike:

-*snickering a little*- Ohhhhh-kay. Well, you can get back to me on that one.

Adriana:

*-Adriana still looks a bit confused but let's it go.-* I'll keep that in mind, then. *-she leans against one of the counters, keeping her eyes on Ike.-* You're friends with Ermano, right?

Ike:

-*bites his lips for a moment to keep from outright braying a laugh*- Sure, yeah. I'm friends with Ermano. In the way where he'd rather have a tooth pulled without anaesthesia than have a conversation with me, but we're kinda friends.

Adriana:

*-that was not the answer she was expecting but she doesn't question it-* But you've known him for the past few years, right?

Ike:

Sure I have. He's a good guy, if you're not counting the eternal mad-face and the allergy to happiness. -*leans forward, curious now*- Why?

Adriana:

*-Ike doesn't know it, but he's already kind of answered where she was going with this.-* I, uh.....I'm his ex-wife. I was going to ask if he's been happy but I guess I already have my answer.

Ike:

-*his eyes go big and round at this news, mouth dropping open*- Oh ho-leee SHIT. You can't be serious. -*looks her up and down with new eyes, making no effort to hide the blatant evaluation*- Well, damn. Ermano did good for himself. I can see why he's been so grim, if you're an ex. So -- what caused it, huh? Did he cheat on you? Did you cheat on him?

Adriana:

*-she's not sure she likes how he seems to be studying her but she had been used to those looks-* What? No, no, nothing like that. *-the last thing she would have ever done to Ermano is cheat on him and she didn't think he would have ever done that to her. She actively avoids answering his question, though. The miscarriage was still a sore spot for her-* Is he really that unhappy?

Ike:

He's miserable. I always thought it was our general situation and having to be in charge of assholes like me, but maybe now I need to revise my thinking. -*comes over and leans against her counter, nearby*- How long were you two together? Was this some kinda high school sweethearts thing? Jesus, you must've been a god damn stunning pair.

Adriana:

*-if that's meant to make her feel any better, it doesn't. because of course she blames herself for that. when he comes over and leans against the counter, she shifts over a bit to give him space.-* Ten years. We met in a bar.....well, I ran into him and spilled his drink on him.

Ike:

-*gives a quiet crowing laugh*- Aw, man -- an honest-to-god meet cute! Shit, that's adorable. Was he smitten with you at first glance?

Adriana:

*-she laughs a little and shrugs-* I think so. I know I was. He was sweet and charming and his smile could light a room. And his dancing....quite literally, he swept me off my feet.

Ike:

He not only smiles and is charming but he *dances*? -*shakes his head, delighted at this new information*- That's amazing. So it was love at first sight for you guys.

Adriana:

Yeah, something like that. He was away a lot for deployments, but in a way, it made all of those moments we did have a bit more special. He was a great husband.

Ike:

-*repeats, a bit wondrously*- He was a great husband. Man. -*rubs the back of his neck*- What happened, then? Was it soldier PTSD stuff?

Adriana:

No, no. He....*-she pauses as she takes a deep breath-* I couldn't give him what he wanted so I let him go.

Ike:

Well. I know you're purposely not being more clear about that and if it was somebody with a functioning sense of propriety and manners you were talking to, I'd let it go, but... -*shrugs, mouth screwed to the side*- Did he even wanna be let go? What was it you felt you couldn't give him?

Adriana:

I think so. He, uh.....he wanted a family. Kids, I mean. *-she motions around her to the classroom-* And we tried but nothing ever came of it. He wanted to be a dad so bad and I know it killed him that we couldn't make one. It didn't seem fair to keep him trapped in a marriage where he might never get that chance.

Ike:

-*clenches his teeth shut for a moment before consciously relaxing his jaw*- That's ... rough. You guys were set on having a bio-kid? Adoption can be hard and all.

Adriana:

I know I was. The thought had crossed my mind about adoption but I was so focused on having our own. Maybe if I hadn't been so focused on getting pregnant, things would have been different.

Ike:

-*dithers for a moment on asking this but then does it anyhow*- You blamed yourself. For not being able to give him a kid. So you figured he blamed you too, or he would eventually.

Adriana:

*-she tucks her lower lip under her teeth and sighs heavily before nodding.-* Yep, that's the gist of it.

Ike:

-*pats the counter between them*- I'm sorry. That's the shits. And you two didn't keep in contact after you went splitsville?

Adriana:

*-she shook her head with a sad smirk on her face-* No. He, uh.....he was overseas a lot on deployments so trying to get a hold of him was next to impossible and after I left, I didn't think he'd want to hear from me. I....I know it sounds bad, but I left when he was deployed. Figured it would be easier for both of us that way.

Ike:

-*shrugs a shoulder*- Ahhhh, it always sounds bad after. But in the moment sometimes the shit we do is all we can think of to do. -*drums his fingers against the counter for a minute*- He's here now, though, and you're here now. And now you know he's been miserable without you. And I'm not saying he's been pining for your love, or nothin' -- I barely know anything about you guys -- but ... it must've been hard for you both, everything ending so messy and unfinished.

Adriana:

*-she tucks her hands under the flaps of her jacket, almost hugging herself-* Yeah, it has been. I mean, for me, at least. I can't speak for him. I would like to talk with him, apologize for everything but it might be little too late for that. For all I know, he's already moved on.

Ike:

Everyone's moved on a little bit. We had to. But it's probably still worth it for your peace of mind.

Adriana:

*-her smile brightens just a bit as she nods-* Yeah...yeah, you're right. Thanks, Ike.

Ike:

No problem. -*raps the counter again, then straightens up and heads for the door*- Next time I'll bring a bundt cake to welcome you to the neighbourhood instead of prying into your personal history!

Adriana:

*-she laughs as she stays leaning against the counter and watches him leave-* I'll hold you to that.

[ofxinnocencewrites]

Starter for @bywhatitfedon Location: Dom's office on campus, door locked Based on this tbh

Never had Dominique planned on this the first time she had seen Isaac. She hadn't planned on seeing the young man more often than others after school hours. She hadn't planned for the lingering touches and gazes that were taken between them. She hadn't planned the first kiss they had shared together a few months ago. And she definitely hadn't planned to sleep with him for the first time a few weeks ago. But it had happened. Just as the several times after it. Dominique couldn't put her finger on it but there was something special going on between them. Special enough to risk her job for it every time it happened.

Today was another risky day. The door of Dom's office was locked, so no one was able to walk in. With her office being one of the upper floors, nobody was able to look in as well. Because if they had been able to look through one of the high windows, they would've seen Isaac and her on the couch in her office, her sitting behind him, his pants around his ankles and her hand wrapped around his erect cock, moving it up and down his length at a slow and steady pace. The woman softly pressed his lips against the skin in his neck. "Hmm, have I told you before that I just love how your body reacts to me?" Dominique asked the young man in front of her.

[victoriousfidelity]

@raisedcold said: "I'm not sure you're ready for the honest truth." oops! all angst! prompts. | accepting.

“Do not presume to know what I am ready for. Try me.”