All The Diamonds • •

[Harrison Marshall Bryant]

New York City was an excellent place to go if someone wanted to run away from their issues and hide for a little while. It was exactly what Harrison had done for the last eight years and it had worked like a charm most of the time. He knew he couldn’t get lost in the crowds forever and that his time of running free and avoiding his problems was coming to an end in a few short years, but hopefully by the time the curtain fell on this part of his life he’d have another plan in action; one that would preserve his sanity just as well. If anyone sat down and looked at Harrison’s life tale they’d probably think that he had nothing to avoid, but they wouldn’t have lived with Harrison’s father. The man ran his family as though they were a business, too, and it was something Harrison had grown to loathe over the years. There were no family hugs and all of the photographs in the Bryant household were professional portraits rather than holiday snaps. Everything was business and tradition and Harrison felt like he was stepping back in time whenever he crossed that threshold and heard the echoes of five Bryant generations in his father’s booming voice. Boarding school had been his escape when he was much younger and now New York served that purpose for the young heir.

Unfortunately, he still had duties to carry out while in America. The family had a branch of the jewellers in the city that Harrison often had to manage as part of his “handing over” process. This came with conference calls and meetings that rarely left him in the best of moods and usually took him to one of the bars in the city to drink away some of his frustration. He actually enjoyed working and coming up with new ideas and business proposals for the company, but his father was set in his ways and refused to allow Harrison to move forward into the twenty-first century. They weren’t in desperate need of changes, but Harrison didn’t see how some modernising would hurt! That had been the topic of conversation that had exploded into another father/son argument over the video call that morning. It had started out as a usual statistics chat with a few ideas about new designs. Harrison had shown his father a few of the pieces he thought were perfect from the new collections and then the criticisms came falling out, with the older man accusing his son of “Americanising” the designs. Harrison had argued back that it was a piece from the American store and based off his grandfather’s design, but his dad was not hearing any of it. Basically, any chance for the two to scream at each other and they took it. They were far too different and alike at the same time to really take the time to try to get along.

Finally, after shouting at the man he had inherited his name from, Harrison cut off the call before his dad had a chance to retaliate and then flopped down into the chair, dragging his fingers through his tangled hair. He needed to get out and walk most of this anger off before he snapped at some innocent office worker. Making his way out of the building, Harrison shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and walked without paying attention to his direction. He fumbled with the tiny piece of jewellery trapped in the denim, trying to let it distract him from the argument with his dad. There was always some little ornate bauble in his pockets or bag by the end of most days. The safe in his apartment seemed to collect the designs he was supposed to return to the security lockers. The walk was doing very little for him so far and he felt more determined than ever to prove his dad wrong, even if it was just for himself. Stopping, he turned to the first woman his eyes picked out of the crowd. “Excuse me.”

[/color] Gently, so as not to startle, he reached out to tap her arm and then fished the delicate ring from his pocket. “May I just ask what you think of this ring?”[/color] He was probably on the verge of crazy right now, but Harrison really didn’t care anymore. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Open <3
WORDS! 732!
OUTFIT! Grouchy Gent!
QUOTE! Oscar Wilde
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Athena Violet Williams]

Athena had been in and out of this city her entire life. New York had always been her home when she needed to take a week or two away from the dig sites and her parents. The city was her escape and when she decided she needed a change in scenery, it was the city she chose to buy a house. She could have chosen anywhere, Greece, Brazil. She could have stayed close to her parents and any number of their dig sites around the world, but she chose New York and she couldn’t find fault in her decision. It was a great place, with so many people and so much to keep a person busy with.

She missed her parents though, which was why she chose to take a select few students to whichever site they were working on for the experience. This month they were back where Athena was born; Greece. For her senior students, it would be the experience of a lifetime and one that would hopefully be a favoured memory. But before she could gather her students and board a plane for Greece, she had some serious running around to do. She had to pick up enough supplies for her pets so her friend won’t run out during the two weeks she was on site. She was rushing all over the city so she could board that plane in four days knowing she had everything on all her check lists crossed off.

Greece was going to be fun. She hadn’t gotten her hands dirty in so long thanks to her teaching gig that it was going to be good spending all those hours out in the field, sweat pouring down her back and water is an endless supply. She missed the terrible food they kept on site, the cheap beer and the bad attitudes made worse the longer people stayed in the sun. More, she missed the different culture around her, the spoken language and the proper Greek food. She missed the music, the bonfires they had at the end of a good dig day. Every minute, Athena was getting more and more excited about hoping on that plane and jetting off to her old life for a couple weeks. She knew at the end it would be hard for her to leave, but her life was now in New York and if need be, she knew she could always stay around for an extra couple weeks.

Athena was thinking about grabbing a surprise gift for her parents, a little something when her phone went off and she stopped in the street to dig it out of her purse and see who was texting her. The act alone annoyed her, though she was like the rest of the technology driven world and addicted to texting everyone. She sent a quick reply back to her friend, saying she would text again when she had the pet food and when she had takeout for the pair of them to eat over checking out the apartment. Her head snapped up with the interruption, though she didn’t need to see what she was doing to hit send. She slipped the phone into the back pocket of her shorts and looked up at the man who spoke to her. At first she looked at the man like he had lost his mind but the second she actually saw the ring, she was speechless. Her mouth opened the smallest bit at the beautiful ring. “It’s stunning, may I?” She asked when she found her voice again and not caring that it was quite crazy to be stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to be asked about a pretty bauble. Red was her favourite colour and the red stone in the silver setting was gorgeous.

Tag || Harrison! <3
Words || 633
Clothes || Pretty as a picture
Music || One Way Ticket -- Carrie Underwood
Notes || <3

[Harrison Marshall Bryant]

Harrison had a lot to live up to. He was the sixth generation of the Bryant sons who would inherit the family jewellers. They were an old English family who almost bled tradition and straying from those traditions would probably be enough for the rest of the family to cast someone out. Bumping shoulders with the rich and elite, Harrison had already gone through the same educational paths as his elders, only choosing to do something different when he turned down Oxford and Cambridge in favour of New York. He had needed that escape, that breathing room to find himself. His father and other relatives might have settled for the roles they had been handed, but Harrison wanted more than a marriage of convenience and a future that was so restricted by regimes of the past.

He didn’t despise his life; in fact, he was quite fond of most of it, he just wished his dad would step out of the history textbook he seemed trapped in. It frustrated him and since both men were passionate about the business and what was expected of them, they clashed more times than anyone cared to keep count of. It was a complicated relationship between father and son that probably wouldn’t fix itself overnight. It was one of the reasons why Harry had chosen to stay in New York for most of the summer rather than returning home to the manor in Aylesbury. He would fly back to England at the end of August for his mother’s birthday celebrations, but he would be back on a plane in plenty of time for the fall semester at the university. It would be his third time as a student and probably his last, unfortunately. Harrison enjoyed his education, and while it did provide him with an excellent excuse to avoid fights with his father, it also was something he could happily continue with if only situation would allow for it.

Harrison hadn’t put much thought into what he was doing at this very moment, but at the same time he didn’t care. If some stranger on the streets of New York thought he was insane then it was hardly the sort of thing that would affect his entire life. Still, he kept his eyes fixed on her to study her reaction as he brought out the ring. It was exactly the reaction he had been hoping for and the faintest hint of a smile tugged at his lips for a fraction of a second. Gently taking the hand of this complete stranger, Harrison slipped the ring carefully onto her finger and tilted it slightly, watching the sunlight catch the ruby in the centre. “You know what? It’s perfect for you. Keep it, I insist.”

[/color] He didn’t care that it was one of a kind, or that it was the kind of ring that could break the bank of a guilty husband or boyfriend. He was still feeling the rush from the argument with his dad and it brought out his impulsive streak. Running his fingers through hair desperately in need of a trim, he released the brunette’s hand and then took a step back to give her back the space he had slightly invaded. “Have a great day now.”[/color] He said, offering a short wave before dropping his hand to his side again. Harry was ready to continue on with his day and let the stranger do the same. He didn’t pause to think that she might have something to say to him. His mind was running a mile a minute and logic had no room in the moment.
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• • •

TAGGED! Athena <3
WORDS! 635!
OUTFIT! Grouchy Gent!
QUOTE! Oscar Wilde
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Athena Violet Williams]

Athena had nothing to live up to that she didn’t set for herself. Her parents had never expected her to follow in their footsteps. Oh, they had hoped she would, after all, she did grow up on dig sites with tutors and her books. They would have been pleased with anything their little girl did with her life, even if she turned around and became a model. They had never given her boundaries or told her there was anything out of her reach. That hadn’t stopped her from getting into trouble, it was just a lot harder to find. Some places it made it easier, like Greece when they rented a big house in town and housed everyone from the dig site. The only thing her parents wanted from her though was that she stuck to what she believed in.

From a young age, it was obvious Athena would do something great with her life. By the time she was sixteen, she already had three papers published on the work she and her parents were doing. She was already doing far more with her young life than anyone could have hoped for. So it was no surprise to either of her parents when she decided that at twenty six, she wanted to try her hand at teaching. She’d done everything else with Archeology; this was just another aspect she hadn’t tried her hand at yet. But now that she had tried her hand, she found that she actually enjoyed standing up in front of the same faces every day and showing them a different side of the world they’d only ever dreamed of. These hand-picked students she was taking to her parents latest dig site would get to see just a little bit more but she hoped they took away more than a short vacation. They’re getting to experience something so many could only hope and wish to involve themselves with.

Athena was too wrapped up in the pretty and obviously expensive ring taking up space on her finger to realise the man who put it there was walking away. She looked up to see his retreating back. "Wait," she called, rushing through the busy city street to catch up with him. It wasn't every day a stranger just handed over a seriously expensive gift. Reaching out, Athena set her hand on his bicep, trying to get his attention. Once she reached his side, she could easily keep up with this man. “Hey,” she said, not the least bit breathless despite the short jog in one of her favourite pairs of sandals. “It’s not much, considering how much this must be worth but can I buy you a coffee? Maybe you can tell me why you’re handing out really expensive jewelry to complete strangers?” she asked, tilting her head to the side just a little, hoping the mannerism would be found as charming to him as it was to most people.

Tag || Harrison! <3
Words || 491
Clothes || Pretty as a picture
Music || One Way Ticket -- Carrie Underwood
Notes || <3

[Harrison Marshall Bryant]

Harrison was used to having to explain his position to people he met outside of the business circles. He knew that a lot of people had moved on from the traditional, handed down businesses like the kind his family had, and that children had a lot more free reign from their parent’s demands and wishes these days. Harry could probably turn his back if he wanted to, but he actually enjoyed the jewellers and the prospect of running the whole show one day. It was just the clash of personalities with his father that left him feeling frustrated on days like today. The Bryant family was a demanding one, there was no denying it, but they were old blood with promises and connections that most people couldn’t even imagine having. Those things came with a price of traditions and expectations.

He would be the one to bring those traditions forward and merge them with new hopes and promises for the future. The name and the reputation would not die out with him, he hoped, but Harrison could be rather hard on himself. The sleepless nights full of worry and endless lists and questions were of his own doing and no one else’s. It was rarely anything immediate that bothered him though. School, exams and even work rarely plagued him with anxiety. Those night-time hours of tossing and turning, cooling showers and eventual bad late night movies often came from silly little things, like if he would go home the week before or the week after the important dinner, or if the last design he had overseen should have been cut in emerald rather than ruby. They were the things that could wait until morning, or even the week after. Harrison had been ready to take over the family business for the last couple of years, even his family had agreed, but he was still choosing to chase a few of his own dreams under the guise of preparing. He knew more than he needed, had education to boast about and yet he still found time and excuses to add to that list of near perfect qualifications; and all because he wanted to avoid the father who had put him in this irritated mood today.

Harrison had few plans for the rest of the day, but he knew he needed something to take his mind off the video conference. The only problem was that he had to usually find someone to keep him company with his favourite active hobbies, such as fencing or the old team sports he had played at Eton, most of which were ridiculously difficult to make possible in New York City! He knew already that he would probably just end up taking his dogs out for a jog. It was the easiest way to blow off some steam and it would give the five pets a chance to stretch their legs and fight over tennis balls and sticks. Harrison snapped out of those thoughts and turned back around when he felt her touch his arm, his eyebrows raised slightly in curiosity. He smiled a small, lopsided smile and held up his hand. “Thank you, but it’s really not necessary. I figure that if I make them then the right to do what I please with them is also there.”

[/color] He shrugged lightly, dropping his hand back to his side. He glanced down at the ring on her finger, the desired price tag floating momentarily through his mind. “Definitely one of my finer pieces this year.”[/color] He said, more to himself than to the stranger, but he spoke loud enough for her to hear.
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• • •

TAGGED! Athena! <3
WORDS! 607!
OUTFIT! Grouchy Gent!
QUOTE! Oscar Wilde
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Athena Violet Williams]

Despite coming from the family that she had Athena really had freedom when she grew up. She didn’t have to follow in her parent’s footsteps but she really had no other choice. She was home schooled and digging through the dirt before she could even walk or talk so for Athena it was more a matter of if she was going to stay in the field or if she was going to teach, lecture and do the museum circuit when her parents found something new or had their finds put on display somewhere in the world and the curator requested a Williams’ family member attend the opening and speak on behalf of the team about what they’d discovered.

“I insist, really. And I’m stubborn enough not take no for an answer. So you may as well just give up and let a pretty girl buy you a cup of coffee. I promise I won’t get distraught if you take the coffee and run for the hills.” Athena said with an easy smile. She wouldn’t have gotten half as far as she did without that stubborn take no prisoners attitude. The pretty little ring set on her finger was gorgeous and Athena loved it the second she’d seen it. But she just couldn’t accept it without at least thanking the man who gave it to her. “Finer pieces means higher price tag. I can figure that much out on my own. So why just toss all that money aside to make some stranger exceptionally happy, and quite a little bit more than just stunned. I must say, you have an excellent eye for design.”

Athena slipped her arm through this man’s arm, smiling up at him expectantly. She was going to get her way. If he wouldn’t give in and tell her all about the reasons behind handing out a very expensive ring to a random person on the street. A small part of the Archeologist had her thinking he could be some crazy person escaped from a hospital somewhere but just as quickly as the thought entered her brain, she rejected it. How in the world could someone escaped from a mental facility get their hands on such an exquisite piece of jewelry? It didn’t make sense. “So, coffee then? I’m Athena, by the way. Athena Williams.” Her name didn’t usually get recognised unless they frequented museums but she was so used to introducing herself like that, it was second nature at this point in her life that it just spilled out that way now.

Tag || Harrison! <3
Words || 425
Clothes || Pretty as a picture
Music || One Way Ticket -- Carrie Underwood
Notes || <3

[Harrison Marshall Bryant]

Harrison didn’t like sounding like some spoilt rich kid at twenty-six. Hell, he hadn’t really been spoilt. His family was wealthy but he had to earn things and he had to shoulder responsibilities and learn the business from a young age. The money just seemed to secure everything and guarantee a lot of things; like his education. He had attended Eton which was beyond prestigious and that same wealth had allowed him to earn two college diplomas already with his third just about to get underway. He had never been an “I want” kid though and didn’t see how anyone could let that happen in the first place. The family business was where he belonged and his heart was in it, the problem was just the changing times and his stubborn father. They were the two things Harrison had no control over so that was why he could do some things people might deem crazy and irrational. Such as give away a ring worth well into the quadruple digits to a total stranger on the street!

He could be stubborn, too. He could say no, walk off and potentially end up in a fight with this total stranger who was now wearing one of his unique designs on her finger. After the morning he had already experienced, it just wasn’t worth the hassle. Harry was stressed out enough and ready to put the day behind him. “Very well, I accept your offer. And my trainers are back at my apartment, so I won’t be running today”

[/color] He said with a small but gracious smile. His sense of humour was particularly British; something automatically given away the second he spoke to anyone. He was dry, sometimes sarcastic and very often had to reiterate that he meant no offence. Most people either offered a polite chuckle or went along with his jokes, but there were a remarkable number of people who just didn’t get it at all and it did make for quite the awkward moment. He shrugged lightly, not even needing a moment to think about an answer. “I can always create another.”[/color] He said casually, skipping the part about the fight with his father. She didn’t need to know about that side of things. “The money is insignificant. There will always be other rings and higher price tags. As stunning as this piece is it will always be worth more to someone else than it is to me.”[/color] Harrison saw his job as one that could bring joy to people’s lives. His creations may become heirlooms or symbols of a great love. Those sentimentalities were always going to outweigh the banknotes to him.

Returning her smile, Harrison made the choice to just go with her and grab some coffee. It might turn out to be just what he needed to unwind after that beyond tense conference call. “The pleasure is all mine, Athena. I’m Harrison Bryant.”[/color] His name was only ever recognised by either jewellery connoisseurs or by families back home who had some sort of connection to the Bryants. Usually it was Eton alumni or business associates, but Harrison had met a few people who knew the name because they owned something, or a lot, from the family jewellers. “Do you have a place in mind? Only there is this exquisite little bistro just a block from here.”[/color] He held consultations for custom pieces there sometimes.
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• • •

TAGGED! Open <3
WORDS! 572!
OUTFIT! Grouchy Gent!
QUOTE! Oscar Wilde
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Athena Violet Williams]

Athena had grown up wanting for nothing but at the same time there had been nothing that she had asked for that was frivolous. Her education was home taught and over the internet where it could be. And the most expensive thing she’d asked for in the first sixteen years of her life was a Jeep of her own to drive to and from the camp and dig sites in South America. Even then, they’d given her one of the older tried and true Jeeps from their small collection to get her to and from the various places they worked. She used it to go into the big cities to give speeches and guest lecture and then back again where it was possible. The most she had ever needed were new tools if something dulled or just flat out broke. She always said she had the best of everything going for her. She got to camp constantly, take up a hotel room if she really needed a day and then it was a mom and daughter day which was nice, she had more infield experience than her parents, which was one of their favourite tales to tell.

Because she knew she’d won the nonexistent war, Athena’s smile was a mile wide and showed off her straight white teeth. “You should try it in heels sometime.” She teased lightly. Having grown up where she had, there hadn’t been a need for heels and had only started wearing them simply because they looked sharp and very professional when she was doing what she considered to be the “proper business” aspect of her job; which were business meetings of all sorts, and lectures. Though she had been known on occasion to show up at the university, college or the rare high school in her actual work clothes because they were close enough to the dig sites. The sad part of those particular trips for Athena was the fact that half the group was more excited about the fact she got to run around the world dressed in shorts, hiking books and t-shirts than the fact that she was digging up things people used hundreds of years before any of them were even born! It was those kids too, that seemed to care more about the colourful, intricate pieces of art taking up space on her flesh.

“As a woman who’s spent her entire life around priceless pieces, I must say you’re an exceptional jeweler. Coming from me, that’s saying something.” Athena said ending with an almost absent remark. She wasn’t an expert on jewelry, other than her fascination as a woman who loves pretty baubles, but she was an expert on treasures. And the beautiful one finding a home on her finger was impressive and delicate and would have donned the finger of only the richest people Athena spent her life learning about. It was much the same now. The rich had the real gold and jewels while the lower classes wore the costume stuff that for all intents and purposes appeared as expensive as the rest. Appearance back then, as like now was everything; which Athena well knew. And she knew the second she left this man’s charming company, she would be calling up Paisley and telling her all about this odd day so far!

“Lovely meeting you, Harrison.” She said, smiling brightly. Athena may have been raised in the dirt of other countries but she how to use the manners her parents taught her. She hardly used them until she had to be out in the real world. When they were on a dig site, there was no real reason to use manners or polite words. They were a close knit family and could tease each other and call each other names knowing there’s no real heat behind them. The real world was obviously different and Athena knew when she had to be the city Athena. “Lead the way then, good sir.” She said, grinning as she slipped her arm through his and started in the direction Harrison was leading them.

Tag || Harrison! <3
Words || 680
Clothes || Pretty as a picture
Music || One Way Ticket -- Carrie Underwood
Notes || <3

[Harrison Marshall Bryant]

His family were old fashioned and for a complete stranger to walk through the gates of the Bryant estate they would probably assume that they had stepped through a time machine and landed themselves in at least the first quarter of the twentieth century. The house was full of antiques, heirlooms and adorned with family portraits that were included in part of the tour every child got when they were old enough to learn the importance of the family history. Harrison could probably recite it in his sleep by now, especially since being the eldest he was repeatedly told how it was more important to him than to anyone else. The pressure of being the heir had been there for as long as Harrison could remember and he knew no differently. It would be the same if and when he had children of his own, only he vowed to never put the same intense pressure on his children as his father had put on him. Tradition might have been important but that was no excuse to shoot down every idea that was remotely different, or to put the business before anything that might have been important to a kid, even if it was something ridiculous when they looked back on it twenty years later. His family supported him if it would benefit the company, but for everything else it was “very nice, son” and then back to whatever they had been doing first.

With a small chuckle, Harrison ran his fingers through his hair awkwardly. “I think I’ll leave that up to the ladies.”

[/color] He decided with only a small smirk. He gave thanks that for every formal event he could re-use one of the three formal outfits in his wardrobe, and that he didn’t have to spend a portion of the day getting ready with hair and other fiddly pampering treats. Being a girl was too much hard work in his mind and he’d rather stick to the literal hard work of his job and creating the pretty, eye catching jewellery that those women would wear.

“Well, that is the response I hope for with my jewellery. So, thank you.”[/color] He said with a warm smile. After the morning and the fight via video call with his father it really was what he needed. They had argued about the ring now sitting pretty on Athena’s finger among other things, but it always came back to the pieces Harrison designed and how they were “too modern” for the family name, if such an idea was even possible. Hearing someone else side with himself was reassuring and helped quash the feeling of annoyance that had still been coursing through him when he had left the building not all that long ago.

Chuckling at her response, Harrison gladly led her in the direction of the bistro he had mentioned. It wasn’t all that much of a walk and he filled the short journey with polite chit-chat and the pleasantries that he had been raised with. They may not lead to the most stimulating conversations in the world, but Harrison had found that they cut straight through awkward silences and filled the time in another’s company without any embarrassing moments or situations. Soon enough they were outside the little place and Harrison only pulled his arm free so that he could hold the door open for Athena and then pull her chair out a few moments later. He had been raised to be a perfect English gentleman and he’d rather live up to it than let it slip away from him, even if the female in his company wasn’t the greatest fan of chivalry. “The pastries here are delicious, too, by the way, if you’re peckish.”[/color] He told her as a waitress appeared with a polite smile and the menus for them both.
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• • •

TAGGED! Athena <3
WORDS! 672!
OUTFIT! Grouchy Gent!
QUOTE! Oscar Wilde
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Athena Violet Williams]

Athena had never really had a home exactly. There was a house, a big brownstone in New York that the family returned to every so often and that Athena had first stepped into when she was three. And then only returned every few years because there was something important happening in the city and they had to be there for this museum or that one, this university was doing that and that university was doing this. Half the time, Athena hadn't been able to keep up but she had figured out at a young age to smile and nod, answer a question when asked and definitely do not show just how much smarter you are around the people in the thousands of dollars’ worth of clothes and jewels; even if that was a hard task to accomplish. A lot of the upper class people Athena had to mingle with when she'd been younger had just assumed she sat around at these digs and coloured picture books or something or worse yet, attended some sort of boarding school. Heaven forbid! But despite coming from a family of wealth and privilege, these were not Athena's people. Athena felt a hell of a lot more comfortable around the people of her crew, the ones that were happier digging around in the dirt in ripped up jeans and dirty, sweaty t-shirts than penguin suits.

Athena laughed softly, shaking her head. "Probably wise. I'm not sure you could pull it off." She said, grinning. Although, she was surprised she could pull it off herself. It was surprisingly rare for the Greek beauty to even be in heels at all. It was usually when she had no choice, like a function of some kind, or simply because the mood struck. She was already a tall girl, it wasn't like she needed the added height to make herself feel better. of course, those special benefits when she really had to put work into her appearance weren't a high thing on Athena's favourites list. Those days she had her dress picked out at least a week before hand, she went to the stylists and just told them to get it up and out of her face and her makeup was completely minimal; the absolute least she could do, she did. She knew whenever she walked through the doors of whatever party she was at, she wasn't the person everyone's eyes were drawn to, and that was perfectly okay with her. Having everyone's eyes on her at social things like that made her skin crawl, in all honesty. She was so much more confident when she was covered in dirt, wearing cut offs, a tank and one of her excessively many pairs of combat boots.

Athena smiled, letting her eyes fall to her finger and its' new adornment. "You're very welcome." Athena said honestly. The ring was a gorgeous piece, one that would absolutely hold out over time and be handed down through the generations. Providing there were generations for it to be handed down to. She was the only child of Chandler and Caroline Williams and children weren't exactly in Athena's near future. She was twenty six and still had so many things to do with her life before her body clock started ticking louder and louder. But for now, it was a pretty piece to keep on her own finger and brighten up a dull day with the memory of the oddest day she'd ever had.

There weren't many places in New York that Athena frequented enough to find them again. She had her little cafe by her house, the coffee cart just there on campus that usually held her over and the pizza place down the block from the building she worked most when she was craving a slice. Those were her main places and unless someone she knew took her somewhere else, those were usually where she ended up. She preferred to cook over takeout menus and meals day in and day out. She liked her food fresh, not fried. So this little place that Harrison was guiding her to while they made idle chatter about the weather and other safe subjects, would probably be new to the Greek woman. The walk from where they were to where they were headed didn't seem that long at all and Athena was smiling politely and the gentlemanly gestures before too long. "Thank you, it's good to know chivalry isn't dead." She said grinning, scooting her chair in the slightest bit. “Do they?” She asked, intrigued. She thanked the waitress before taking a cursory glance at the menu. “Anything you personally enjoy?” she asked, looking across the table at her coffee companion.

Tag || Harrison! <3
Words || 784
Clothes || Pretty as a picture
Music || One Way Ticket -- Carrie Underwood
Notes || <3

[Harrison Marshall Bryant]

Despite the tension with his father, and Harrison’s hesitancy to return to the Bryant Estate, England would always be the place he thought of when someone said home. He could live anywhere on the globe, but it would be that southern countryside and the typical British culture that his mind would wander to. He had no idea where he wanted to be, but for now he was making the most of New York. It wasn’t just the wealth that kept him afloat in the city, but also his intelligence. It wasn’t exactly a walk in the park to earn three different university degrees, but Harrison was on the way to that. His Eton education had been top notch and with him rejecting the top schools, it had been clear that he had the grades, dedication and smarts to make it. Harrison just chose to break a tradition and do something new and slightly frightening for a change. So far, he believed it was paying off.

“Well I’d definitely be pulling something, I can assure you of that.”

[/color] He commented confidently. Some women’s shoes looked more like torture devices than practical footwear. Harrison enjoyed just being able to go into a store and pick out a rather plain and simple pair of shoes or boots and be done with it. His eye for details and perfection was saved for the jewellery. How he looked was only a secondary concern, which was why his hair was often overgrown and verging on shaggy and why there were a couple of pairs of jeans with ripped bottoms or holes starting to form in them. Unless there was some event on that required a black tie and the full Bryant act, he just saw himself as another New York college kid with classes to prioritise and better things to be doing than making sure he looked an A grade when he left his apartment. His high school sports and activities had seen him ripping shorts and getting covered in mud, bruises and scrapes. They didn’t do him any serious harm when he had been much younger so he didn’t think too much of it now if there was a slight sign of age on his shirt or if his hand was scratched and tender because he had slipped with one of the tools in the shop. It was part and parcel of his life and he would rather have those signs of a busy life than look polished and overly presentable at all times. It was a little freaky when he saw some of the Wall Street suits looking so crisp each morning at 7am when most others were doing excellent impressions of Dawn of the Dead zombies.

His eyes travelled to the ring now sitting pretty on Athena’s hand. “I have to say, it does look quite amazing right there.”[/color] He said, complimenting her as well as the ring. It might sound crazy to some, but Harrison had a very strong belief that not everyone could pull off one ring. Some people suited bolder cuts and others daintier. There were colours, stones, styles…all kinds to consider and he didn’t think it as simple as walking in and saying “that one there!” Rings could be stunningly beautiful and anyone could appreciate how one looked, but the right ring on the right person and he felt it was just that little bit more eye catching and enchanting. Athena had just been a random woman on the street who he had grabbed in a moment of wild emotion, but he didn’t think there could have been a better person out there for that particular ring.

Harrison knew a fair few of New York’s top restaurants and even more of her lesser known gems. It was a necessity for someone who met clients in expensive places or held casual business meetings over meals. He preferred the smaller bistros and cafes to the places that demanded the best of everything, but then he had loved sneaking off to the Estate kitchens when he was a boy and eating warm scones when the cook had baked them. It was a fond memory of his and one of the reasons why he often sought out little places like this with their pastries and baked treats. “Well, I am an English gentleman after all.”[/color] He joked lightly, taking his own seat and glancing over the menu. “I have too big a sweet tooth to answer that question easily. I enjoy all of them, but I suppose the éclairs, the apple pie, and the custard slice are my favourites.”[/color] The classics were what he liked best and finding an authentic recipe in New York City was one of those little things that brightened up his day. Although he had yet to find any place that could make scones like the ones on the Estate.
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TAGGED! Athena <3
WORDS! 815!
OUTFIT! Grouchy Gent!
QUOTE! Oscar Wilde
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Athena Violet Williams]

Athena had always had a good relationship with her parents. Being on a dig site meant there were only a handful of people around so it was just easier to be nice and get along than it was to start fights over childish things. Plus, there was the small fact that Athena had lived most of her live without most of the things children had. She still had the same childhood memories of learning to ride a bike, learning to drive and all that but she also had those memories they didn’t have. She could remember clearly the first time she’d uncovered a burial site all on her own. She’d been ten and her parents had finally let her work on her own. They had thought they’d given her an area relatively free of any major finds but they were wrong; wonderfully wrong. She remembered cheering excitedly at the find and knowing it was a big one because as of then, there hadn’t been a full skeleton only a partial one of a woman and all sorts of artefacts.

There weren’t many kids who could say that. And even less who would be pleased by it. Athena was an odd one, and she could happily admit it. Athena laughed, shaking her head. “I’m surprised I haven’t yet, myself!” She admitted as she brushed her hair from her eyes. It really was a miracle that she hadn’t broken an ankle yet, especially when she started wearing heels around the special occasions. She wore them a little more now because of work and all that but for the most part, she taught her classes dressed like she would if she were at a dig site and only got dolled up if she had an appointment with someone higher up the ladder than she was. Athena blushed lightly, looking up at Harrison. “Thank you. It is quickly becoming one of my favourite pieces. It’ll be a shame when I have to take it off.” She said honestly. As much as she loved jewelry, the only thing she wore on a dig were necklaces. All her rings and bracelets got taken off when she got to the site and were hidden away in a safe place until she was leaving again. There was so much dust and too many ways for things to be dropped or something to just slip off, especially when they were dealing with mud that it was safer to keep it away when she was working. But the second she was done, or even spending a day in town, she wore her favourite pieces; as long as she wasn’t in a particularly dangerous area of the world.

The pretty archeologist had never been too fussy when it came to food; she couldn’t have been with how she was raised. There were good meals every night but those same meals were usually traditional meals from wherever they were at the time. And it was terribly rude to turn down a meal. But that all meant that whenever Athena was back in New York the first thing she did was order a cheeseburger and a huge plate of chips. “Well, then I guess I'll have to check out the éclairs. I probably have just as big a sweet tooth as you!" She adored the more traditional Greek desserts the most but they were surprisingly hard to come by in New York where everything was fairly easy to find. Athena did find an excellent authentic Greek restaurant in Williamsburg that she frequented whenever she got a little homesick. Since it was the only "home" she had that she could find in New York and the surrounding boroughs. “So, Harrison, what exactly should I say when friends demand to know where I’ve gotten myself such a gorgeous new piece?”

Tag || Harrison! <3
Words || 635
Clothes || Pretty as a picture
Music || One Way Ticket -- Carrie Underwood
Notes || <3

[Harrison Marshall Bryant]

Harrison actually had a good relationship with his family. It was only his father who was the exception. His mother had her own business affairs to deal with when he had been growing up, but she was always there if Harrison needed her. While she never directly got involved with the father-son fights, she was always there to reassure Harrison and to tell him that she had confidence in his success with the Bryant business. As for his little sister, well she flew out to New York as much as she could, but she had her own life to live and Harrison didn’t like interfering or bothering her when situations like today came up. They spoke frequently enough via Skype and phone calls, but he much preferred it when she arrived in the city and he got to listen to her adventures about shopping trips and restaurants one of her friends had told her about. It was worth it all, even when she did take over his apartment for a week or two at a time.

Chuckling, Harrison shook his head. A whole army of women could explain the logic of high heels, beauty products and certain styles to him, but he would still be totally oblivious. Unless it was a piece of jewellery, Harrison was clueless. When it came to gems and metals he was much more skilled and rarely got a custom piece wrong for the customer desiring it. He had learnt the business well, memorised the styles and designs and now put all of that knowledge and creativity together to make some of his best pieces; like the one on Athena’s finger right now. “The wonderful thing about jewellery is that you get to put it back on again whenever you’d like to.”

[/color] Harrison said with a small smile. For the detailed and elaborate designs he could turn into beautiful rings and earrings, he kept his own style kind of simple. He didn’t dress as though he came from some grand English family or as though his apartment was one of the more expensive in the city. At the university he blended in better than most. People were often stunned if he ever did reveal his family’s position or dress up in the way that reflected the Harrison Bryant people expected him to be. It was a little bit of fun and games for him, something he enjoyed doing and he liked having two sides to his life.

With another laugh, Harrison let his eyes wander across the modestly busy café and then pushed his unruly hair back from his face. “I’m afraid it’s a price I pay for growing up with afternoon tea and cakes. But the éclairs are heavenly.”[/color] He confessed light-heartedly, sitting up straight in his chair with the same manners he had been raised with. Some may call him old-fashioned, but Harrison enjoyed being polite, well-mannered and chivalrous, even if there were people who thought it silly and out-dated. “I suppose the truth is a little farfetched. Alas, my creativity goes as far as rings and other pieces of jewellery. Story telling is not my forte.”[/color] Harrison gave a shake of his head and a low chuckle before looking across at Athena again. He wasn’t a writer and probably never would be. His masterpieces involved diamonds and rubies, not words.
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TAGGED! Open <3
WORDS! 589!
OUTFIT! Grouchy Gent!
QUOTE! Oscar Wilde
NOTES! <3 <3 <3