#noahhwcng

[nikhilxkohli]

closed for @noahhwcng location: noah's place in carriage falls

Nikhil sat back on the other's couch, looking across at the large television where they were watching a basketball game before he glanced over at Noah with a grin, "so--while there is enough going on in my life that I want to not focus on...I'm very interested in two things," he took a swig from the beer in his hand before he continued. "Number one--when do I get to teach Zephyr and Lyra the basics of cricket, because I feel like I need to pass on my wisdom to someone," he said with a chuckle, "and number two--what's been new in your life? I feel like last time we met it was all about my messed up life. We can't have that happen again."

[kashvisaxena]

closed for @noahhwcng location: bubble time

Kashvi looked across the way at Lyra and Zephyr who were both enjoying their bubble teas which honestly made her quite happy as she looked back at Noah. "I told you it was a good idea to bring them here, look how chuffed they are." She gestured to the one she placed in front of him and raised a brow. "Come on now--it's your turn to try and tell me your thoughts."

[ligtas]

Val couldn’t help but chuckle as the kids’ eyes widened, brimming with excitement. “You know,” he said to Noah, grinning, “coming every weekend isn’t such a bad idea. Our weekly special changes every Sunday, and today it’s mais con yelo. It’s like corn bingsu shaved ice!” He glanced at the twins. “Why don’t you two sit over at the counter and I’ll bring some over?” He then helped each one of them into a barstool before bringing out two bowls of the mais con yelo and glasses of the magic water. “Don’t worry. These are on the house,” Val said to Noah as he passed by him. 

The surface of the magic water glistened under the shop’s warm lights as he set a glass down in front of Zephyr and Lyra. “Alright, you two, check this out,” he whispered as if he was divulging a secret. “It looks like it’s just plain water, right? But watch.” He grabbed a spoon and handed it to Zephyr and gestured to poke inside the glass while he directed Lyra to hold the cup steady. “See how it feels solid? There’s a clear jelly in there that tastes like banana taffy. Go ahead, try it!”

Val watched as the twins squealed with delight, poking and prodding at their magic water. The translucent jelly inside wobbled with every poke, eliciting a chorus of laughter that warmed the entire bakery more than the ovens did. He loved moments like this—making eating fun, memorable, and something shared with the people you loved. It was why he poured so much of himself into this place.

But as he stood back, something in his chest ached, a hollow space he couldn’t quite fill. A hint of a frown appeared on his face. As much as he loved crafting experiences like these for others, he wondered when he’d be able to share a meal with the person he loved. It seemed impossible now given... well, everything.

As Val described the various treats, he watched the kids press their faces against the glass, their eyes huge as they took in all the treats. Their excitement made him smile. This was exactly why he'd come back to Wilmington—for stuff like this, hanging out with his kids and enjoying the little things.

When Val mentioned "magic water," the twins gasped and turned to him, begging with their eyes. He laughed and gave in. "Okay, fine. We'll get some of everything. And yeah, magic water too."

While their order was being packed up, he felt pretty good about things. The bakery was nice, the kids were happy, and seeing people he knew—it all reminded him why coming home was the right call.

"You know," he said as he paid, "We might have to come here more often. These two seem to love it."

Zephyr pulled on his sleeve. "Can we, Dad? Please?"

Lyra nodded like crazy. "Yeah, every weekend!"

Noah chuckled, ruffling their hair. "We'll see. Maybe not every weekend, but definitely a lot." He turned his attention to Val. “See what you did?”

[gwendolynwcde]

❛ ☾ ◟━ LOCATION: carriage falls - gwendolyn's backyard & deck

❛ ☾ ◟━ TIME: afternoon

❛ ☾ ◟━ STATUS: closed for @noahhwcng

Adding the last finishing touches on the table, the eldest Wade smiled proudly to herself as she assessed the current spread of food that she had prepared for Noah and his children. Taking into account their favourite foods, she did prepare a kid friendly charcuterie board, ordered some pizza and sushi, a fruit and veggie platter, a couple of other miscellaneous snacks and some water and juice on hand. She left her backyard gate open and instructed Noah to enter through there.

Seeing the family pull up, she greeted them with a warm smile and said, "Thank you for coming, please feel free to help yourselves." She then looked over at Zephyr and Lyra and added, "I'm Gwendolyn by the way, but you can call me Gwen if you'd like. It's nice to meet you both. I heard from your father that the both of you like to explore, feel free to do so and I also have a couple of outdoor toys in that container over there if you'd like to play for a bit."

[dantelrusso]

TO: @noahhwcng

"Uncle Noah!" Gio cheered as he ran through the front hall into the living-room where Noah stood. He held one hand up, a toy figure presenting itself. "Look what I got!" He announced cheerfully, the toy figure of Woverine, as he bounced on his feet. Then holding his other hand up, it was another figure, this time of Black Partner. "And I got this for Zeph! Is he here?" Without waiting for a response, Gio ran towards the hall way where he knew the twins rooms to be. Dante held up a bag, "I also got Lyra some Monster High toy." He announced, glancing down at the bag, "I don't know, it's something where she can do make up and do its hair." He then held up his other arm, "And for you and me, I got the steaks and the liquor."

[wilmingtoncrp]

@noahhwcng

[samiraxiyer]

FIN.

Noah laughed, nodding at Samira's comment about nerds. "Oh, I was definitely a nerd. Still am. Top of my class in flight school—that doesn't happen without some serious study sessions." The memory made him smile. His eyes softened at her hesitation about self-care. "Hey, dropping the ball is exactly what we're trying to prevent here. And trying is perfect—that's all any of us can do." He watched as Zephyr attempted a cartwheel nearby, stumbling but getting right back up. "You know what's funny? We tell our kids it's okay to make mistakes, but we don't give ourselves the same grace." Watching the kids play, he added, "And yes, these two keep me on my toes. But they're worth every chaotic moment." They continued chatting about work and life until Zephyr and Lyra ran up, faces flushed from playing. "Dad, can we get ice cream? Please?" they begged in unison. Looking at Samira, he stood up. "Duty calls. Same time next week?" After quick goodbyes, he led his twins towards the car.

COMPLETED

[gwendolynwcde]

❛ ☾ ◟━ LOCATION: carriage falls - noah's home

❛ ☾ ◟━ TIME: evening

❛ ☾ ◟━ STATUS: closed for @noahhwcng

After the little text mishap Gwen had with Noah, the Chief of Police was able to sort out the error of the floral arrangement for her mother's sake. The back and forth between Alanna and the florist was not only draining, but demanding given that it was a game of don't shoot the messenger. However, once it was resolved, Gwendolyn made the executive decision to call it quits for the day and table the rest of the preparations tomorrow. She had agreed on meeting Noah at his place and after making a brief pit stop to pick up a bottle of wine, the eldest Wade soon appeared on his doorstep and rang the doorbell. The moment it opened, she turned to face him and greet Noah with a tired smile, "Hey, thanks for having me." Lifting the bottle in his field of vision, she then added, "I know we agreed on coffee and I'm still down for it...Consider this as more of a token of my gratitude for inviting me over during your official and overall day off." As she took a step forward, the silence in his foyer made her express a brief comment, "Oh wow, it really is quiet...You must be savouring every second of it, huh?"

[kashvisaxena]

FIN.

He laughed at her teasing about being reserved. "Hey, I'm Korean—we're not exactly known for being brazen about certain topics." Interest sparked in his eyes as he heard the comment about his kids visiting Bubble Time. "They'd love that. Zephyr's obsessed with anything sweet, and Lyra pretends she's too cool for school but secretly loves them." At her mention of mortifying stories, he raised his eyebrows. "Oh come on, everyone's got at least one good embarrassing story. You can't leave me hanging here after I shared mine." His dark eyes crinkled with amusement at her deflection. The watch-checking made him check his own time. The twins would be done with school soon. "Tomorrow morning works perfectly. I've got to do the school run anyway, so I'll be up at the crack of dawn whether I like it or not." He stood up, stretching his back. The conversation had been refreshing—a far cry from his usual routine of work and parenting. With a casual salute and grin, he backed away. "This grandpa needs to go home and rest. See you, young buck."

COMPLETED

[nikhilxkohli]

FIN.

Noah's forehead creased as he processed what Nik had told him. The situation was messy, and he knew from experience how quickly things could spiral out of control. "Man, that's… Yikes," he said, shaking his head. He wanted to offer some sage advice, but what could he really say? Love was never simple, and adding work relationships to the mix was asking for trouble. Still, he had to try to help his friend. "I get it, things are complicated and you can't fix it easily. But for everyone's sake, try to remedy it, hmm?" He knew it wasn't much, but he hoped his friend would take it to heart. The last thing anyone needed was more drama. He tossed the ball to his friend, offering a small smile. Maybe what Nik really needed was a distraction, something to take his mind off his problems for a while. "Enough talking," he said, snatching the ball mid-dribble. "Let's play." He zipped past Nik, aiming for the hoop. For the next hour, all they did was play.

COMPLETED

[oliferbrooks]

Lips pursing, he took a step closer to where he believed the voice was coming from. "If cell phones are out, it's wider than just here." his fingers mindlessly tapping against the pocket where his phone was tucked away. His nerves were showing, and if this had been before his accident -- he would've been fine. But Olifer hadn't been the same since, far more jumpy, not so calm or clarified.

"Yeah, I'll lead," humming something closer to discontent with the ordeal. Honestly, he was over it already. The attempt to inject some confidence into his voice failed disastrously. Yanking out his phone, he turned on the light, grimacing in response. Looking out into the darkness, where nothing by a few steps in front of him was visible — other phones followed. Enough to guide the way, somewhat. "That bit was easier than I thought it was going to be," he joked as he began to move. Still, his hands brushed against the cool surface of the wall as he made it to the outskirts — trying his best to orient himself. He could feel Noah close behind him, the other man's presence in the oppressive, all-consuming darkness that encompassed them.

"The bar or kitchen might have something — you know, for when they have birthdays and stuff. Or center pieces for Valentine's day or some shit." Just a money-sucking holiday, or so he told himself. Now it made sense why all his advances to celebrate it the last couple of years had been brushed away. He'd once loved that holiday. Looked forward to it, even. How times changed, he thought. "It's over here...I think."

A chill ran down his spine as Olifer voiced his own concerns about the situation. The darkness seemed to press in on him, making the air feel even thicker. "Yeah, you're right," he agreed, his voice a bit tense. "This feels off. A generator should've kicked in by now." He paused, considering their options. The idea of candles was appealing, but would they have any? "Candles sound good. I just don't carry them around." He wasn't trying to be funny. Although, to some, they might think he was trying to do that. "Let's look for those candles," he decided. "You want to lead the way? I'll try to keep an eye out for anything we could use as a light source," he said. His eyes had begun to adjust to the darkness, but he still felt uneasy. He couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right about this situation. 

[samiraxiyer]

“I am just a very nice person Noah, I thought you knew that already.” She said with a glint in her eyes that told him she was only joking around. But when she spoke up about needing to change up her life and her routine, she wasn’t sure if he’d have any suggestions but luckily when he brought up The Grip Factory, she found herself nodding along because while she lived in San Francisco, she’d definitely been a lot more outdoorsy than she was now and maybe it would be good to get back into something that was just for her. “I think that’s a great suggestion,” she said softly before they walked ahead to pay for the gift he was buying for the young girl’s birthday before she heard his words and gave him a smile. “Honestly? If you’d do that—I’d be eternally grateful, especially because the first time might just be a bit…daunting.” She admitted with a soft chuckle. It was nice to know he understood the weird zone she felt stuck in but she didn’t want to keep dwelling on that—it would only keep dragging her down. 

Noah chuckled at her defense of his stuffed animal choice as they headed toward checkout. “Thanks for being nice about it. I’d probably still be standing there second-guessing myself.” Her willingness to leave her comfort zone got his attention. “You know what? The Grip Factory is a nice spot. It’s this indoor climbing place—definitely different from the usual stuff around here. The instructors are great with beginners, and honestly? Nothing beats the rush when you reach the top.” He paused, mulling over her remark about her feeling stuck. “I get it though. Moving to a new place is rough, especially with kids. Sometimes you need something that’s just for you.” Grabbing his wallet, he added, “If you want, I can show you around there sometime. The twins love it, but I go solo sometimes too. It’s oddly peaceful once you get past the initial ‘why am I doing this’ panic.”

[samiraxiyer]

“Overwhelming is the right word,” she agreed, knowing that it really was a lot to be both sets of parents for her daughter even though till date Maya had never complained about anything and for that Samira was eternally grateful. But she knew somewhere something was lacking—it wasn’t enough for her and that was something that truly worried Samira, enough that she knew she needed to talk to someone about it, but she had no idea how to go about that. For now she found herself chuckling at his words. “Yeah yeah—I’m still a nerd, it’s okay—I relish in it but don’t tell me you weren’t somewhat of a nerd too? You give off that vibe,” she teased back with a grin before seeing that adorable smile on his face at the mention of Gwen which sent her wheels turning of course. Perhaps there was something there and if it was—she couldn’t be more pleased for both her friends. “I agree—I’ll make the booking and just force her to show up, that’ll work right?” She made a quick note in her phone to do exactly that. Samira had thought for a long time that she was able to hide her true emotions behind everything else, behind her responsibilities and those deep dimples she had. But clearly Noah was seeing past all that, the same way a true friend would and she found herself almost grateful but also ashamed that she couldn’t hide it better. “I just—I feel like if I do that Noah, I’ll…drop the ball or something.” It was hard to explain to anyone just how tightly wound Samira was now that if she did something differently..she’d burst and not be able to gather herself back again. “But…I can promise to try, is that okay?” She sighed softly before nodding at him and giving him another smile. “But I’m glad you’ve…seen that you need to do something for yourself to, especially when you’ve got two of these adorable gremlins to take care of,” she mused softly before giving him another smile.

He listened to Samira's words about striving for perfection, and while that was a perfectly understandable goal, it also felt like too much to carry, if Noah was being honest. Nonetheless, he nodded. "I get it," he said, a small smile lifting his lips. "The pressure to be everything for them... it's overwhelming sometimes." His mind drifted to those first months alone with the twins, the sleepless nights and constant worry, while also trying to Deja with her mental state. It hadn’t been easy. A genuine smile crossed his face at her nerd comment. "A put-together nerd is still a nerd," he teased. His expression brightened at her suggestion about Gwen. Honestly, these days, he found himself grinning like an idiot whenever her name was brought up. "The spa day sounds perfect. She deserves it. We should definitely surprise her—she'd never agree otherwise." When Samira deflected his question about self-care, he noticed her gaze shift away. Why was this so familiar? That’s right, he did the same things she did. Deflect. "I can't remember the last time I did something just for me.  Maybe we both need to work on that. The kids need us at our best, right?" He watched as Lyra waved from the monkey bars. "Being a single parent—sometimes we forget we're allowed to take care of ourselves too. We can be accountability buddies. Check on each other each week. Make sure we're really taking care of ourselves.”

[kashvisaxena]

As Kashvi listened to Noah’s description of having kids, it had her surprised and got her thinking. Was that something she’d ever experience? She was still relatively young and had options of course but would she be a good mother? Luckily she had great parents as examples to learn from but…the idea was just daunting. “It sounds utterly chaotic for sure,” she agreed with him before letting out a chuckle at his reaction. “I’d have never imagined you to be so reserved Noah, c’mon…” she grinned before laughing at his wink before giving him an appraising looking before shrugging, “I will have to respectfully decline though,” she murmured before looking back at him and shaking her head. “Mortifying stories? Who do you think I am?” She said with a smile before continuing, “I have my fair share of course…but focusing on that makes for a very dull conversation,” she pointed out. “Oh also make sure you bring the kiddos down to Bubble Time, I’ll make them some special drinks,” she smiled before sighing as she glanced down at her watch. “I’ve got to head to work though—shall we catch up again tomorrow morning? Or is that too soon for you, grandpa?” 

He chuckled, shaking his head at Kashvi’s retort. “Alright… alright…. You’re not the type to enjoy my misery. My mistake.” He held up his hands in mock surrender, a grin playing on his lips. “But seriously, I get what you mean about shutting your mind off. It’s like trying to turn off a faucet that’s been running full blast for years. Having kids—it’s chaos, but it’s also weirdly grounding. Forces you to slow down sometimes, even if it’s just to avoid stepping on a Lego landmine.” Noah’s face reddened at Kashvi’s comment about his “package.” He cleared his throat, trying to play it cool. “Hey now, let’s not bring my assets into this. For all you know, I could be packing heat.” He winked, then immediately regretted it, feeling like a complete dork. “Anyway, if you’ve had enough mocking me, I’d like to move on... Don’t tell me you don’t have any mortifying stories you’d like to share.”

[samiraxiyer]

It was good to hear Noah say that because Samira had strived for so long during Maya’s early years to be perfect and it was exhausting. She was on her own and trying her best to provide both a father’s guidance and a mother’s affection to her daughter and had broken down numerous times in doing so. And so she’d definitely just tried to do her best and not beat herself up for moments where she felt like it wasn’t good enough. “I think that’s true—it’s just hard sometimes to get to that point, you know?” She smiled at him before chuckling at his words and shaking her head. “You have no idea…I was a nerd for sure but a put together nerd maybe,” she grinned before their topic shifted to Gwendolyn. “Absolutely, I think that’s a great idea! Last we spoke—we’d talked about getting together for a spa day that has yet to happen so maybe we could splurge and put together a proper package for her? Maybe playfully kidnap her one day and just force her to put herself first and indulge in something for just her?” The idea was forming in her mind and as she turned towards Noah, she was very excited to make this happen. However when he spoke about her taking time for herself, she avoided his gaze and let it move back towards the kids before shrugging, “I don’t—I don’t need to. I’m fine,” she murmured before giving him a small smile and continuing, “but you know I could pose the same question back to you. When did you last do something that was for yourself? and I don’t mean hanging out with a buddy for some random activity. I mean actually doing something you want to do for yourself?”

Noah chuckled, shaking his head. “Winging things can be a good thing. We don’t need to be perfect. As long as we’re trying, I think the kids understand.” He laughed at Samira’s comment about being a nerd in college. “I can’t see you as a nerd. You look so put together.” He thought about Gwen, remembering her kindness back in high school. It was nice to hear she hadn’t changed. “Sounds about right. She’s always been the type to put others first,” he agreed, nodding. “Maybe we should plan something for her? Get her to take a break and focus on herself for once.” His mind wandered to his own self-care, or lack thereof. Between work and the kids, he barely had time to breathe. “It’s funny, isn’t it? How we can see when others need to take care of themselves, but we’re often the last ones to do it for ourselves,” he mused, his gaze still on the playground, making sure the kids were still in sight. “Speaking of taking care of ourselves, when was the last time you did something just for you, Samira?” he asked, a brow arching. He realized he couldn’t remember the last time he’d done something solely for himself either.

[kashvisaxena]

“I mean—I don’t know who they are, but sure,” she retorted with a chuckle before shaking her head when he spoke about Kashvi enjoying his misery, “is that the type of woman you take me for? I’m offended Noah,” she said with a soft sigh as if she was actually hurt when the truth couldn’t be further from that. “The quiet moments are quite underrated, but for someone like me who just is so hyper-focused on getting everything accomplished, it’s hard to almost shut my mind off, you know?” Kashvi knew she needed to focus on more mindful things but so far—she hadn’t achieved that yet. “Oh god—that sounds like a nightmare.” Kashvi had essentially been on her own since her divorce all those years ago and the thought of living with kids wasn’t one she was sure she could get accustomed to—at least not yet. “That’s disappointing Noah, it just means you and your…well package didn’t impress her enough.” She said with a raised brow before letting out a soft laugh.

"Love… Is that what they're calling merciless mockery these days?" He shook his head, pretending to be offended. "And here I thought you were just enjoying my misery." Even if she did, he didn’t mind. Noah wasn’t a snowflake. His feelings didn’t get hurt easily. If anything, he had really thick skin. He nodded as she talked about seizing the day. “You’re not wrong. It's not all about cramming every second full of action. Sometimes it's these quiet moments that really count." He looked around the park. "Though I have say, my idea of 'seizing the day' has changed a lot since having kids. Now it's more like 'seize the five minutes of peace before someone starts screaming about Legos.'" He groaned at the backflip question. "Oh God, don't remind me. And no, she didn't go out with me. Pretty sure she was too busy laughing her ass off."