Everybody's Back In Town • •

[Emmett Reuben Winchester]

Emmett had moved to New York for a fresh start, to clear his head and chase a dream that had long been forgotten until one night just a few short months ago. So far it had been going just fine, though it felt odd calling himself a student again, considering he’d spent the last several years standing at the front of a room of them, teaching them British history and delving deep into the days of old when bloody and questionable murders seemed to be norm. Now, that was just another part of his past; a part he had loved, but eventually just hadn’t been right for him. Archaeology would be a new and exciting challenge for the Salem born historian, but he was looking forward to it more than he could actually say. He had already taken to bugging the curators at the museum whenever they discussed new exhibits or general news in the world of archaeology.

He had really pulled out all the stops to ensure that he got the tour guide position at the museum. He went into the interview with more information than was necessary, an entire breakdown of the bachelor’s degree he had earned in Oxford and his area of specialties from both sides of his teaching career. In the end, it had been pretty easy to snag one of the positions and Emmett loved it that little bit more with each day that he spent there. Given his previous job as a high school history teacher, most of the time it was him assigned to the school tours and if the kids were of a younger age he even got to play the character of a mad professor, which was always good fun!

Today was one of his days off though and he had talked Delia into heading into Central Park for a picnic and then they’d probably end up running around in some sort of battle, be it laser, water or NERF. It was a good way to blow off steam and enjoy the summer in the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps. After preparing for the day, he packed up a small picnic basket filled with sandwiches, cakes and some of the biscuits and snacks that filled his cupboards. He had a habit of picking up all kinds whenever he went shopping and no one would think that he lived alone when his pushed his cart through the checkout!

Grabbing it, he walked the few blocks from his apartment to the park with his headphones on and the loud rock music echoing around his head as he weaved through the general commuter traffic. He had told Delia where he would meet her and so just walked straight to the spot, just over the bridge and waited at the edge of the path in plain sight, so that the redhead would spot him when she did arrive. He enjoyed hanging out with his co-workers outside of the museum and it helped him just that little bit more with the fresh start he was looking for.

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• • •

TAGGED! Delia!
WORDS! 547
OUTFIT! Casual Mess
LYRICS! Navigate - - - Band Of Skulls
NOTES! <3

[Delia Sierra Reynolds]

Like half the transplants in New York, Delia had also moved to the big apple looking for a fresh start away from her usual scenery. As much as she loved South Queensferry, Delia needed to be on her own. She hated that she’d left her niece alone to deal with her father, but Delia couldn’t take care of her brother and his life for the rest of hers. He didn’t really want to cope with everything that had happened to him and she was sick of taking care of everything. She’d put her life on hold to take care of her niece, Meredith. But that little girl was eleven now and old enough to be able to take care of herself for the few short hours her father wasn’t home from work yet. And this gave Blake a reason to actually come home at a decent hour, unlike before. Delia spoke with the young girl daily, to make sure all was well, but she refused to go back home either way. It was damn well past time Blake got his act together and realized he had a daughter to care for.

Not knowing anyone at all in the city had been daunting at first, but Delia was tough and she wasn’t that unlikable. She’d made fast friend with her co-workers; especially two of the other tour guides. They all loved different aspects of history. The subject had always been a hobby for Delia plus, it now gave her something else to talk about aside from her usual “let’s do this” questions and Psychology. She loved the time she spent at the Museum, especially when the school groups went through but she was thankful for the time off as well. Her apartment was in dire need of a good and thorough cleaning.

It was a shame it wasn’t going to get it since Emmett had invited her along to the park for a picnic. And he had to twist her arm so much to agree. Delia loved Central Park; it was always so full of people. And she remembered when she was first in the city how she’d acted the tourist she’d been at the time and ran around the park, snapping up pictures of everything; half of them turning out blurry because she couldn’t sit still long enough to get a good shot. She did spend her morning going through her small apartment and cleaning the necessary things and she snuck in a quick call to Meredith, hoping to catch her but she’d gotten her voicemail instead. She left a quick, call me later and hung up. By then, she had to get ready anyway, so she changed from her lazy clothes into some she wouldn’t mind being seen in public in, grabbed her bag and made sure her phone, wallet and keys were inside before locking her door and leaving.

She weaved through the usual foot traffic of New York to the park and headed towards the place they were meeting. When she finally spotted him, he was facing the other direction and Delia, being who she was, couldn’t let the opportunity pass. She pushed her sex pistols bag further behind her back and checking to make sure the zipper was actually closed and took off at a run, right at the tall man. She’d only been a few feet away when she’d started the run, so when she grabbed his shoulders and jumped onto his back, her momentum wasn’t the strong. “Thank God, I’ve found you! My feet were killing me,” she said as if this was the usual way she greeted her friends.

Tag || Emmett!
Words || 606!
Clothes || Crazy Lady!
Music || Don't Look Down --Ross Lynch & Laura Maurano
Notes || <3 <3 <3

[Emmett Reuben Winchester]

In New York, Emmett didn’t feel like he was suffocating under the pressure of the secret he had only discovered a little over a year ago. Back in Salem it had controlled him, creeping into his thoughts when he least needed it to and ruining any small moment of happiness he seemed to snatch. Here, he was free from it though and the desire to chase those archaeological dreams of his was more than enough to quell any moments when the darkness did try to seep back into his life. It would be impossible to avoid it forever and eventually someone else would find out from the ex-teacher himself, but he had no plans on it being any time soon and with anyone currently in his life.

When he had first moved to the city and half of his life was still packed up in boxes, Emmett had played tourist himself, using the excuse to also find his way around and locate some favourite hangout places. It had all been out of his system quickly enough and now with his job at the museum, he felt right at home dealing with the tourist traffic and questions on a daily basis. Now, there were a few people who seemed surprised that he had only lived in the city for such a short time. It baffled Emmett when people were shocked about that since his accent had faded considerably over the years he had been in England for. He still had a very distinct twang, but there were also certain words or phrases that he pronounced with more of a typical English accent, too. When he had lived and worked in Oxford certain things were harder for people to understand, so he had been forced to compromise the accent he had grown up with in order to help the students and a few of the teachers who were not familiar with anything other than the British received pronunciation ideal.

He still kept in touch with a few of the people over there; teachers and ex-students who were keen to know how his life was going. He even had a few of his old pupils with their A-Level results enquiring about studying in America! It was nice to hear from them all, especially since his memories of Oxford were some of the happiest he had. He probably had more contact with them than he did with his own family, but with the exception of calling or e-mailing his dad weekly, he had made it very clear to his mom that he needed time alone, away from them all to think and get himself together. Finding out that his dad wasn’t his biological father had been more than enough to throw Emmett’s head into a mess and it only seemed to come hurtling back whenever his mom looked at him with apologetic eyes or spoke in a guilty voice. He didn’t want his chance in New York ruined by that, so it was best to keep the distance and just act like it was all fine when his dad did call.

It didn’t take Emmett more than a moment to figure out what the sudden weight was on his back and he grinned, moving his arms to hook around her legs to keep her steady, while retaining his grip on the neatly packed picnic basket. “Oof, someone needs to lay off the doughnuts, missy.”

[/color] He teased as he carried her across the grass to the perfect spot by one of the larger trees in the vicinity. He bent down slightly so that Delia could slide from his back safely before dropping the basket to the ground and opening it to pluck the large picnic blanket out, which he positioned neatly over the soft green grass.
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• • •

TAGGED! Delia!
WORDS! 660!
OUTFIT! Casual Mess
LYRICS! Navigate - - - Band Of Skulls
NOTES! <3

[Delia Sierra Reynolds]

Delia had been in the city for a few months now, getting things organized and working to save up some money for this and that. She still had quite a few boxes still taped and hidden away in a closet to be brought out later. What she did have lying about her place were things she needed and some bits and bobs to make the small space homier. She had her bookcase full up with her law books and her psychology texts along with some fun reads. Her coffee table had some magazines she’d barely glimpsed at when she had a moment’s rest. She figured there were at the very least four years ahead of her to either unpack those boxes and fully move in, or throw them all away; not knowing what’s in them and start from scratch. Since Mere had helped pack her things, she couldn’t just throw it all away without at least having a quick browse to make sure the girl hadn’t slipped something special inside a random box; but once the check was through and it revealed nothing on importance, the box could potentially be chucked.

“Aye, you do. You’re looking a wee pudgy ‘round the middle,” she replied seriously, stretching her arm down a little bit more to poke his stomach to make her point. Delia loved the fact that she had actually made some friends in the city in the short amount of time she’d actually spent there. It was a miracle someone actually put up with her really. And there was more than one person at that! Knowing some of the other guides made work a hell of a lot more interesting; especially on the off days when the tours were few and far between. Those days were few and far between but when they were around, getting along with the people around her made it easier to know she was essentially alone in the big apple.

Delia had greeted quite a few of her friends back home like that, provided she knew they could handle her weight. She wasn’t a twig by any means, though she wasn’t the tree’s trunk either! She was healthy and thin but hardly scrawny and she couldn’t quite grasp the thought process behind those stick thin girls, even with her psychology degree hanging on the wall. “This is a lovely spot,” she said, sliding from Emmett’s back once he stopped where presumably they were setting the blanket. Delia helped to adjust a folded corner before taking a seat with her feet just off the blanket. It was a nice day, perfect for a picnic in the park. “So, what did you bring along with you?” she asked, trying to sneak a peek into the basket.

Tag || Emmett!
Words || 459!
Clothes || Crazy Lady!
Music || Don't Look Down --Ross Lynch & Laura Maurano
Notes || <3 <3 <3

[Emmett Reuben Winchester]

It might have taken Emmett longer than most to find where he belonged in the big bad world, and he might not even be right this time, but the point the young man often liked to make was that he was trying his best and he loved every minute of the ride. He had seen so many things and met so many people. His time in Oxford would never be something he would regret and teaching really had been his love for so long. In his eyes, it was all part of fate’s plan for him and he’d reach his final destination eventually. Another way of looking at it was experience. His previous employment had clinched the job at the museum and indicated his strong passion and knowledge for history. Really, all Emmett was doing was taking another path on that road; a path that would lead him away from the pages of textbooks and out into the world of discovery.

“I’ll have you know that this is all muscle. And I only like the occasional doughnut.”

[/color] Emmett found them too messy, too annoying for his liking at times. If he was doing a school tour after lunch then he didn’t want powder all over his jeans or his face, or sugar clinging to his fingertips. Plus, he found that more than one sometimes led to an annoying toothache on the left side of his mouth; a cracked tooth from years ago had never quite been the same, even with great dental care to fix it. The pain might have only been momentary, but it was bothersome and Emmett would rather avoid it completely than put himself through it all the time.

Emmett was pretty hopeless at most sports and his hand-eye-coordination was non-existent, but he did keep healthy and fit. He’d been on the rowing team back in his university days at Oxford and it was still something he kept up now, though the competitions and the racing weren’t a focal point in his life. Still, he had the small sculling boat out most mornings when he had the chance and it was a therapeutic activity that helped clear the cobwebs from his mind quite a lot of the time. His passion and dedication to the pastime actually left Emmett stronger than his gangly physique suggested at first glance, which was why he had no issue keeping his balance whenever Delia pulled any of her stunts like this or when he was asked to help move and set up a exhibit at the museum. “Miss Impatient, I have brought a variety of sandwiches, some cinnamon buns, cookies, coffee cake and some nuts.”[/color] He placed each plate on the blanket in turn, crossing his legs under his body as he did, finally bringing out the fruit juices and the bottles of water that he’d grabbed at the last minute before he left his apartment. “The ice cream we’ll have to get later because I’m pretty sure it’ll melt otherwise.”[/color] He added with a playful smirk as he unwrapped the ham and cheese sandwiches that had been calling to him since he made them that morning.
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• • •

TAGGED! Delia!
WORDS! 560
OUTFIT! Casual Mess
LYRICS! Navigate - - - Band Of Skulls
NOTES! <3

[Delia Sierra Reynolds]

Delia didn’t know what she really wanted out of life. She was still young; she still had plenty of time to figure that out. And right now, all she wanted was to have a good time, make some friends and finish her second and hopefully final round of University. She was sure that was part of the reason she got along so well with Emmett. He was going through the same thing as her, sort of. They had both uprooted from their homes, moved to New York to start fresh and go back to school to figure things out again. Delia missed her niece but she was pretty much the only thing she was missing from Scotland. Oh, she missed her friends but that was what text messages, e-mails and phone calls were for. She didn’t need to see them and they weren’t the whole reason the Scottish transplant got herself a Skype account.

But that little girl was all grown up and she could take care of herself and it was well past time that little girls’ father took charge. All things considered, it was quite easy for Delia to get the tour guide position at the Museum. She knew more than most did on Historical facts. History and everything that came before was always so intriguing to the Scottish girl. She’d always been interested in the past and how everything came to be how it was. And what she didn’t know, she found out. “And I’m the long lost Princess of Scotland,” She said blandly, teasing. To be fair, she wasn’t a huge fan of sweets. She enjoyed her jelly beans and Smarties, some small pastries but there were far more treats she couldn’t stand than there were ones she adored.

“That’s my middle name,” she said grinning. “Cinnamon buns, yum.” she looked at Emmett with narrowed eyes. “You’re trying to fatten me up. I didn’t know the witch’s name was Emmett, the Brothers Grimm really let that one slide.” She shook her head, sounding saddened by the news. Not that indulging in a cinnamon bun or a couple of those cookies would kill her. She would just pack up her foils and equipment and hit the fencing studio when she made her way back home. Delia enjoyed watching quite a few sports, but she only played a couple. Fencing was her thing, and she loved it. When she’d decided she wanted to be in New York, Delia had spent quite a bit of time on the internet searching up places in the city to fence. She had all her own equipment, all she wanted was the space to practice close enough to her apartment that she didn’t have to drive to another borough. She’d been on teams throughout school, on her University team and she had the times for try outs for the NYU team as well. Delia rolled her eyes, picking a sandwich at random and unwrapping it, taking a bite. “Mm, turkey,” she said, happily. Delia pulled her phone from its pocket at the familiar sound of Meredith’s ring tone. Any other’s she would, and could ignore, but she’d never been able to ignore that little girl. “Sorry,” she said, laughing as she read the text through. Rolling her eyes, she sent a reply back quickly and tossed the phone back into her bag. “Mer’s talked her father into buying her a new foil,” she said before biting into her sandwich again.

Tag || Emmett!
Words || 577!
Clothes || Crazy Lady!
Music || Don't Look Down --Ross Lynch & Laura Maurano
Notes || <3 <3 <3

[Emmett Reuben Winchester]

Emmett wanted so much out of his life. He had thought before that he was happy and content to be a teacher for the rest of his days. He had been as well and if he hadn’t discovered the truth about his parentage he probably would still be there, enjoying it and living without a care in the world. Now he felt like there were so many things that he wanted to do before his final days and all the old dreams that had vanished when he was just a kid seemed to have resurfaced. Some were crazy, but others were doable. At the end of these four years he had the possibility of grad school, a job with the museum or even the opportunity to travel, to see the world and be part of great discoveries. The only thing that he did know for certain was that a permanent return to Salem was completely out of the question. He simply couldn’t live there with the secrets and lies that had been such a huge part of the “perfect” family life he had been raised to believe in.

He couldn’t break the hearts of the people he loved most of all. Going back to Salem would eventually lead to that because he couldn’t lie to them and he couldn’t keep up the act his mom had been playing for all those years. Emmett wasn’t the kind of guy who could live with that big a secret resting on his shoulders. “Princesses tend to be politer than you, Miss Insult.”

[/color] He teased with a roll of his light eyes. It was such a good job that none of the tour guides ever conducted their tours together because otherwise they would just be full of historical facts and then playful insults thrown left, right and centre. Emmett was pretty certain that most of the people through the doors of the museum didn’t pay to hear the staff taunt each other throughout their visit!

“Hey, well if I’m fat then I’ve got to even out the tables someway. We all know Gabe isn’t about to pile on the pounds.”[/color] He shrugged his shoulders and let out a sigh, like it genuine was quite a big problem to him. He took a bite out of his sandwich and glanced around the park surrounding them. They were alone, with no one about for a good distance so he didn’t have to worry about footballs flying towards their cute little picnic. Smiling across, Emmett shook his head; he didn’t mind if she spent the afternoon texting her niece. “I wonder where she got that from.”[/color] He mumbled, just loud enough for Delia to hear, throwing in his usual goofy smile.
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• • •

TAGGED! Delia!
WORDS! 489
OUTFIT! Casual Mess
LYRICS! Navigate - - - Band Of Skulls
NOTES! <3

[Delia Sierra Reynolds]

“Aye, but we’re not a people known for our polite manners and sunny dispositions now, are we?” She countered laughing. She may have been a fairly happy go lucky girl but the stereotypes of the Scots did sometimes match and even she could admit to it. There were times she lived up to that stereotype; sometimes for the fun of the tour, sometimes because she was just that annoyed but mostly because it amused her to use it on the Americans she ran into while running around the city. If she knew she wasn’t about to run into them again, she’d play the aggressive Scottish girl happily. Plus, her friends knew when she was joking around and let her have her fun messing around with them. She teased that if all she’s going to do is strengthen her accent and act like she’s pissed off at the world every once in a while, they should consider themselves lucky; she could always psychoanalyse them.

Delia would be the first to admit to tormenting her fellow tour guides. Sometimes the shifts were long and the tours were few and far between. She and Emmett acted like fools, running around and making asses of each other while Gabe chased after them like they were rambunctious children who slipped away from his tour. If it were possibly, she was sure they would have Nerf guns and wars. Delia shook her head, laughing. “I certainly wouldn’t put money on him gaining any… especially now,” she teased the man who wasn’t even around. She had only been in town for a short time but she’d heard all about what happened. It amused her to no end, but she wasn’t about to say anything more on it.

There was only one thing that would send Delia back home; Meredith. That little girl meant more to the twenty four year old than her own brother. Blake spent too much time relying on his baby sister to take care of him, his daughter and herself. It was well past time that he grew up. Delia couldn’t even understand how Blake couldn’t handle it. He was well older than her with a good job and at the time Delia had school during the day, Meredith to watch at night, dinner and bed; not to mention fencing practice and her part time as an instructor. Delia’s smile was bright and far too innocent to be true. “I was wondering that myself, actually,” she said, sounding as innocent as she looked. After all, it was Delia who got Meredith hooked on fencing. It was only right that the young girl learned her lessons from the best to get what she wanted.

Tag || Emmett!
Words || 577!
Clothes || Crazy Lady!
Music || Don't Look Down --Ross Lynch & Laura Maurano
Notes || <3 <3 <3

[Emmett Reuben Winchester]

“Well you certainly are not!”

[/color] Emmett scoffed, as though she was the worst of the bunch. He had met a few Scottish people in his lifetime, thanks to the years he had spent in Oxford, but he had never really been exposed to their fiery side since those weren’t the kind of people Emmett usually associated himself with. Hell, even his anger usually manifested as the cold and quiet kind with quickly spoken words and long held grudges that he refused to talk about. If anyone needed proof of that they need only ask the woman who had given birth to him and then lied for about twenty six years. He played the part of happy son in front of the rest of the family, but she knew better than to expect Emmett to be civil and nice when it was just the two of them. His words were still cold, answers short and he always had something better to do than hold a conversation with the woman. Luckily, while he was in New York, the woman couldn’t bother him and he could get on with his life with very few complications or moments of quiet rage bubbling beneath the surface.

Emmett had always been quite the character. He was the kid who loved to play fantasy games and the university student who had no reservations about dressing in some crazy outfit for a party down at the Oxford Union. Even during his short-lived career as a teacher he was the one the teenagers could coerce into dressing up on charity days and he would often come up with quirky ways of teaching his classes to keep the kids interested. It was an innate part of his personality and it shone out of him even now, at twenty-eight. In the museum it proved useful on tours with fidgety kids or tourists who wanted more than just the bland and generic tour they could probably give themselves if they just walked around and read the plaques that accompanied every exhibit. Chuckling softly, Emmett shook his head. “Definitely not. I think he’s made the bosses jealous.”[/color] He joked, though it was hard to miss just how happy their fellow tour guide was these days, and it definitely wasn’t the end of his PhD paper that had him grinning like the cat that had gotten the cream.

Emmett had the idea of making New York his home for the foreseeable future and not just for school. Returning to Massachusetts was reserved for holidays and the occasional birthday, since he had too many good memories marred with the truth now. Even Oxford was a part of his past, though he knew he’d be on a plane back to England as soon as he found the chance; the quaint town had captured his heart, even if he didn’t have a future there now. “I can see right through that act, little miss.”[/color] He said, shooting Delia a look before pressing his finger against the tip of her nose to push her back lightly. She didn’t fool him for a second, and hadn’t since the first day they had met at the museum and the fun and games had begun.
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• • •

TAGGED! Delia!
WORDS! 569!
OUTFIT! Casual Mess
LYRICS! Navigate - - - Band Of Skulls
NOTES! <3

[Delia Sierra Reynolds]

There was a time in Delia’s life, growing up when she’d gotten in with a bad crowd. Every kid had that time no matter what they said; it was how they dealt with those kids or the situation that made them a bad kid themselves or had them getting out just in time for the rest to do something stupid. For her, it was when her parent’s had the accident. It wasn’t just her school work and sports that she’d thrown herself into; friends both good and bad were around as well. Thankfully, Delia chose to get out of harm’s way with them before it was too late for her. She hadn’t been able to see what she was doing was taking a toll on her sweet, baby niece until she took a dive from a tree and really saw the tears. Delia didn’t want to be responsible for those tears she saw in the little girl’s eyes or even worse. This time it was a broken leg, which really only meant time away from fencing, next time it could be something so much worse. “I’m the worst there ever was,” she teased, laughing and proving how far from the truth his words were.

She could be a right bitch sometimes; she knew it, but who couldn’t be sometimes? There was only so much a person could take before they just exploded from it all. Work helped quite a bit with that but the Scottish girl hadn’t always had the tour guide gig to get her through. Fencing wasn’t as helpful as she’d told her brother back home. But getting out of the house had been, which was why she told him she needed more hours dedicated to practice. Delia hadn’t always been the type to make up fun and games to keep people entertained. And before Meredith, she’d never given a first thought, let alone a second to children in any capacity. After her, she was dragged into more tea parties and dress up games than she would probably ever care for, but it gave her ideas later one, when she was paired off with a group of kids without attention spans. “I’m waiting to find him hidden away in a broom closet with that girlfriend of his,” She joked, shaking her head. She honestly thought it would only be a matter of time before something like that occurred and there would be nothing Delia could do but laugh hysterically because she’d called it.

Delia wrinkled her nose but still leaned back as far as she could go and the light touch, swinging forward again when she was about to finish the fall to the ground. Her actions reminded her of one of those children’s punching bags that always returned to stand upright whenever it was hit. “Act? What act? I can’t act,” Delia said just before taking a bite out of her sandwich; smiling as she chewed the food. Delia liked playing games likes these little joking jabs at each other. She didn’t mean any harm in anything she did; it was all in good fun, meant to laugh about later.

Tag || Emmett!
Words || 523!
Clothes || Crazy Lady!
Music || Don't Look Down --Ross Lynch & Laura Maurano
Notes || <3 <3 <3

[Emmett Reuben Winchester]

Emmett’s own experience with bad situations and trouble had been a lot more recent than people might have thought. In high school he had been the gangly kid who had said the wrong things at the wrong times and landed himself in all kinds of trouble with the other teenagers in his class. More often than not he had been the kid running down the street or hiding in the library as soon as the final bell rang to spare himself from whatever beating they thought he deserved today for foolishly opening his mouth when it wasn’t needed or wanted. Emmett didn’t have a violent bone in his body, even when he was angry as hell, but he had been on the wrong side of a fist too many times to mention. He knew the bad crowds well, even if he hadn’t been part of them. “I’m not about to argue with that.”

[/color] He teased, shaking his head and holding his hands up in mock surrender.

Normally, whenever his frustrations for the better of him, Emmett had positive outlets to channel it all into, and he didn’t take it to a gym or a punch bag like some guys did either. If he couldn’t find a boat and some oars to beat it out into the water, then he had his old saxophone resting in the pride centre of his living room and his apartment didn’t have the paper thin walls that most of New York boasted, which meant neighbours didn’t get annoying too quickly. Besides, it wasn’t like he’d come in at 3am and pick up the instrument for a solo concert in the small garden that branched off from his ground floor apartment. It had its perks, he had to admit. He laughed warmly, just imagining the outcome of something like that happening on one of their quieter afternoons at the museum. “It would depend if she could drag him away from the statues first.”[/color] He joked, remember just how often he found Gabe’s tours running over because some curious tourist had asked a question that had sent the scholar spiralling off into one of his educated rambles that they all knew so well after working with him.

They were all really just a bunch of big kids in that museum and it often showed whenever any of them were together. It made work enjoyable and kept the tours and the stories from getting oh-so-repetitive with each group that came through the doors. “Whatever you say, missy.”[/color] He said, waving her ‘lie’ off as he reached for another sandwich and a drink to wash down the first one with. It wasn’t very often that the weather and the free time aligned quite so nicely for days like today, but Emmett made the most of them when it did happen.
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• • •

TAGGED! Delia!
WORDS! 506
OUTFIT! Casual Mess
LYRICS! Navigate - - - Band Of Skulls
NOTES! <3

[Delia Sierra Reynolds]

Delia wasn’t the type to have a temper. She got angry but she worked it out with practise and training. She only got a knock on her door once, when she was in a foul mood and the foil in her hand had scared the man who knocked briskly enough to apologise and walk away slowly. That more than the workout she had put herself through in her living room was enough to break the mood and have her doubled other laughing. But that had only been once and the man who knocked on her door appeared to be the type to go looking for trouble. She might not have looked like she could do harm but the foil in her hand had looked sharp to anyone who didn’t know what they were looking at. “You’re just scared of what I may or may not have in my bag, right here,” she said, patting the messenger bag at her side ominously. She’d had enough thought to toss in one of her good water guns, fully loaded and hidden away in another bag just in case it leaked. She wasn’t going to bring it but at the last minute she’d filled it up and tossed it in. And now she was glad she’d brought it along, though she wasn’t ready yet to use it.

Delia grinned, rolling her eyes as she dug into the remaining bits of her sandwich. Even though she hadn’t been working at the Museum long, she had been around long enough to get to know her fellow tour guides. Of the three, Gabe was definitely the one to run over time getting stuck at one piece or another. He was also the one that had a tendency to run off on these rants that left Delia rolling her eyes and telling the scholar to shut up before she threw something at him; especially when they were in the staff room on break or grabbing a quick something to snack before the next round of tours. Delia had actually lost count how many times she’d thrown a grape at his head. “She might be the only one capable of that,” she said with a sigh. “Poor girl,” she added, laughing. Delia had only met the blonde a few times around the museum but she liked her well enough. She was amusing and ignored Gabe when he rambled. Delia didn’t know how she did it, just ignore him, even if they’d known each other since University. But then, everyone had their own ways of dealing with Gabe and Delia’s was to throw food at him.

Even though it could get repetitive, Delia didn’t want to work anywhere else. The museum was like a playground for her and the rest. When they didn’t have a tour, it was fun, they could fool around, act like idiots and no one said anything because it was just another way to get rid of the stresses from the day. “That’s right! Don't forget it,” she said laughing, reaching for a drink. She loved the nice, sunny days when she could get out to the park and enjoy the warmth and the sunshine. She missed these days back in South Queensferry with Meredith. The pair would forget whatever plans they had made for the house and just spend an hour or two at the park, enjoying the nice weather and free time they stole before going back to what they had to do.

Tag || Emmett!
Words || 579!
Clothes || Crazy Lady!
Music || Don't Look Down --Ross Lynch & Laura Maurano
Notes || <3 <3 <3

[Emmett Reuben Winchester]

Given the childish way Emmett sometimes acted, it was hard to believe that he was twenty-eight years old, back at college for the second time and a qualified high school teacher. However, those things worked in his favour during the school tours and he managed to keep some of the more unruly kids under control with a quick quip and without anyone losing their temper or getting flustered. Still, some people just couldn’t picture him in the front of a classroom with the board marker and the textbooks, teaching the youthful minds that would one day be passing that knowledge on, he hoped. He couldn’t understand why people believed others had to fit into certain moulds to do certain jobs or be part of certain professions. His light eyes flicked to the bag and then a crooked smirk crossed his lips. “Do you really think I’d invite you out and come unprepared?”

[/color] He asked, a mischievous twinkle glimmering from his eyes. His own playful weapon of choice was stashed away at the bottom of the picnic basket, beneath an ‘extra’ blanket. He’d figured something of the sort would happen between the two tour guides and didn’t fancy the short trek back to his apartment just to arm himself.

Each of them certainly had their own talents and infamy at the museum. They balanced the team out well, which was definitely what they needed, even if most of the people through the doors were tourist groups who were just soaking the museum in with the rest of their adventures around NYC. Emmett liked being a part of the team there and it helped him get one step closer to his dream while also allowing him to put the skills he had already acquired to good use. He understood completely where Delia was coming from, but Emmett had to admit to his own moments of getting carried away on the job. Even when he was teaching he had gotten lost in the moment and rambled on for far longer than was actually necessary. Sometimes he wondered how he managed to end up on one topic when he had started on one that had happened a hundred years before! Still, he couldn’t complain when he had managed to snag this job at the museum and find himself surrounded by other people who shared his enthusiasm for the history on display. Stretching his legs out, Emmett dropped his left leg on top of his right, letting the heel of his left boot rest against the toe of the right as he leaned back on his arms. “Just be thankful she can distract him. Or else he might come to ramble to us more.”[/color] He grinned, usually one to enjoy the ramblings of the educated man. Trying to escape was a nearly impossible feat, though.

Emmett loved poking around the dark corners of the museum. There was so much potential in there, especially when it was quiet and they were just strolling from room to room, answering questions and offering little bits of unwanted trivia. They could make a game out of it and pass it off as their actual job, since it sort of was, really. “Don’t forget what?”[/color] He asked, pretending as though he didn’t have the faintest clue what they were talking about as he raised the water bottle to his lips again. He couldn’t resist teasing people and even had students back in his class who he knew could handle the jokes and the games. There had been a boy who wore his hair swept back into a quiff and each day Emmett taught him they’d play a game about measuring the height of it. Another student often mocked Emmett’s diagrams on the board and that led to more classroom friendly banter. He had enjoyed his days at the front of the classroom, but there was another path calling to him and Emmett had to try it. After everything he had found out and the truths he could have done without, he didn’t want to just amble through life anymore and push dreams to the side for reality to gobble up. “Incoming.”[/color] He noticed the football as it came their way and leaned back just in time to avoid it, before snatching it up and launching it back in the direction it had come from, grinning as it soared through the air, surprisingly on course.
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TAGGED! Delia!
WORDS! 738!
OUTFIT! Casual Mess
LYRICS! Navigate - - - Band Of Skulls
NOTES! <3

[Delia Sierra Reynolds]

Delia hadn’t known how she was going to cope being so far away from Scotland. She didn’t know at first if she was going to make it in New York or if she was going to pack up and go back to Scotland. She had plenty of options with her degree but she hadn’t wanted to go straight to work on a career with that when she wasn’t ready to admit she was a psychologist. She had all the proper papers needed to work, but when she was ready to help people, she wanted to help them, she didn’t want to be the type to have half day hours and working around a twisted schedule with school. Besides that, when she’s finally finished with school, she wanted to work in a government position and not just some hospital or private office.

But Delia had chosen to think of things being set in stone when she got the tour guide position and the apartment. There was just no turning back after that and she was okay with it. She didn’t want to go back to stay in South Queensferry; her time in her hometown was done now. She needed new surroundings and she needed not to be able to go running when her brother called. As much as she loved Meredith, the girl was old enough now to take care of herself; she didn’t need her Aunt Delia around as much. And that was what Delia had been waiting for before she left, for that little girl not to need her. “A girl could hope,” Delia said, laughing. Looking at her no one would think she chose the profession she had to study in her first round of university. But she didn’t care that she didn’t look the part of some doctor; she didn’t look the part of a tour guide either. She liked acting like a child and she knew what that said about her, but it was honest. Of the guides, the only one that looked like they knew what they were talking about was probably the scholar himself. Gabe looked the part a hell of a lot more than either Delia or Emmett, but it worked for them in the end.

“I know,” Delia said laughing. “I was planning on sending her one of those edible arrangements as a thank you.” The thought had crossed the Scottish girl’s mind a few times when Gabe ran off because his girlfriend was waiting on him for plans. There were days when whatever Gabe was talking about caught Delia’s attention but there were other times when she was dragged in and it didn’t look like he was going to let up any time soon. “You’re an ass,” Delia said, shaking her head, laughing. If she’d had something to throw, it would have already been flying through the air and headed for Emmett’s head. But, she was without a missile to throw. Delia dropped to the side and brought her hand up to protect the side of her face uselessly. “Well, look at you. Hiding a secret sports talent from me?” Delia asked, straightening herself up again.

Tag || Emmett!
Words || 525!
Clothes || Crazy Lady!
Music || Don't Look Down --Ross Lynch & Laura Maurano
Notes || <3 <3 <3

[Emmett Reuben Winchester]

Emmett was used to being away from home now, and generally thought it a safer option after the truth about his parentage had been revealed to him. There was still a great betrayal there and Salem would only allow that to fester and serve as an eternal reminder of the years of lies and deceit. Oxford had been surprisingly easy for him, back on his first round of college and now that he had chosen New York for his second, he didn’t suspect he’d find himself longing for home again anytime soon. If anything, he missed the familiarity of Oxford. At one point it had been his plan to make his home there, but fate seemed to believe differently and had dragged him back to America whether he had wanted to return or not. It just seemed to be that once he landed there, the door to Oxford had closed, at least for now, and New York had been his calling instead. He still had dreams to chase and a bucket list to shorten, so Emmett didn’t dwell on how things might have been different. If he felt any mood like that coming over him he grabbed his saxophone or his keys and either found a boat to row. His hobbies kept him from chasing whispers of chances and stopped him from doing anything he might one day regret.

For now, his feet were firmly on the ground in New York, but he didn’t know if his head was there or in the clouds most of the time. It seemed to vary depending on the mood he woke up in and the things he had to have finished before the day was done. Still, even on the worst of days he found a way to keep going through it all. “Hope is most important thing we have, and one should never let go of it.”

[/color] He spoke as though he had a thousand years of wisdom behind his words, even sitting up straighter and pulling a face that he thought made him look the part, too; although he had no idea how he actually looked. Emmett had been able to play the slightly crazy history teacher without a problem, since he was already passionate about the subject and eccentric in general. It had won him respect when he had taught at Oxford and now it helped him handle the disinterested and unruly school groups that came through the museum for whatever topic they were studying.

Laughing, Emmett shook his head and then playfully shoved his Scottish friend. “Okay, I think that’s enough. The poor man will have burning ears if we carry on with this.”[/color] He joked, allowing his laughter to subside before he picked up another of the biscuits from the wrapped plate. He made sure to keep most of the food covered even while they were eating so that no insects or bees would be attracted to their sweet treats. He let out another short burst of laughter and flicked the brown hair from his eye. Emmett was just as surprised as she had been that his throw had actually been on target and not veered off to the left. “Call it luck that time. The rest of the time the only sporty thing you’ll catch me doing is rowing.”[/color] It might have been something he took up for the history of the race back at Oxford, but it was a love he still had ten years later. It wasn’t quite the same now, but he had friends in a local boat club and often met up with them on a Thursday evening.
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• • •

TAGGED! Delia!
WORDS! 640!
OUTFIT! Casual Mess
LYRICS! Navigate - - - Band Of Skulls
NOTES! <3