BLEW THINGS OUT OF PROPORTION » open, joining

[eliza]

[align=center][div style="width: 500px; text-align: justify; color: #494949; font-family: karla; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; word-spacing: 1px; margin-top: 10px;"]tw for mentions of loss, fire, and drugs.

a ghost of smoke followed her. she was was gretel without her hansel, leaving a trail to tell her how to go home. except, there was no home, and her version of breadcrumbs dissipated within a few steps. the home she'd always known, the place she'd had as a symbol of safety to return to when the world was on fire, had ironically gone down in the same manner. some fuckers had thought it was sweet, sweet justice to burn the farm down. maybe it was, in fact, justice or irony or some other shitty word for deserving that the farm would go down in flames, considering what they grew there. all monroe could think it was anymore was shitty.

the brunette looked about as put together as ever. loose waves hanging down about her shoulders, brushed but still casual, a tee shirt and hoodie adorning her shoulders, jeans frayed at the knees from years of working in them. her only makeup consisting of chapstick and mascara, though she could have certainly made use of some concealer to cover the bruise on her cheek. anyone who knew monroe carter understood that the young woman wasn't much of a fighter; she'd been raised on a goddamn pot farm by a pair of hippies. she and her late brother had been named after marilyn monroe and jimi hendrix, and she really only knew the basics, considering her family's business. she could aim a gun and pull the trigger, she could throw a punch, and that was about it. her brother, ten minutes older and as many inches taller, had gotten more rigorous training, but monroe had always been content with her plants.

and now she had none of it. the farm was gone, her family was gone, her friends were gone. in a night, her world had quite literally gone down in flames, and she was the only survivor, smelling like smoke and rivers and weed. still, even as she stopped by the border, dropping what was left of her blunt on the ground and stomping the small embers out, she didn't grovel. she didn't cry over what she'd lost (she'd done plenty in the last two weeks), nor did she worry for her dwindling supply of drugs. she only stood, holding herself to conserve warmth, waiting in hopes that the last living people she knew were, in fact, on this shitty mountain, while the weed carried the skunk-y scent of her hobby and career upwind.

( shitty but sis is here )

[EDMUND.]

    Oh, shit.

When Edmund would say that the past was coming back to bite him, he never meant it would return in the form of an ex-girlfriend. And yet, there she stood as seemingly confident as always. That much hadn't changed about Monroe. Ed was rooted in one spot, stood a short distance away lips parted like a fish that'd been dragged out of the water, gasping for the breath that had left his lungs, feeling like his heart was about to burst.

He wasn't supposed to see her ever again; she'd left without even saying goodbye. Ed had no closure, no reason to be sure that she was actually safe. You see, once another family was associated with the Stirlings, they risked dying if they ever took even one wrong step.

Upon finding that the Carter family had disappeared without a trace, Eddie couldn't help but feel dread set in his heart.

He felt like he was choking, gaze flitting about warily before eyes lowered to the ground. No, this wasn't real. Was this real? All of his childhood had eventually been beaten into solitude, with no one else to trust apart from a family of violence. How could he even trust them sometimes? How could he even trust himself anymore? His life was just built up on lies, on uncertainty and confusion.

His hesitation was clear, thoughts that shouldn't have crossed his mind instead plaguing his head, and with a click of his tongue he slipped his wedding ring off his finger and slyly slid it into his coat pocket. Finally, with a rifle slung over his shoulder casually, Ed was silent as he approached, brows knitted together.

Worried. Apprehensive. As he neared her in silence, Ed could tell from the look in her eyes that a little more of her was gone. He didn't know what, but he knew that this cruel New World chipped everything away from people in no time. Even the most beautiful of masterpieces would eventually be chipped away to dust and bone.

He shrugged his coat off wordlessly, eyes restlessly darting across her features, before he stepped closer and draped the coat over her shoulders, his own body shuddering at the sudden chill of the biting breeze. ❝ Put this on. ❞ Otherwise, Ed was speechless. What was he supposed to even say when he was in such awe? So frozen in spot that he looked pathetic, unsure on what he was supposed supposed to do with himself.

// oh he's such a sly dog

[align=center][div style="width: 350px; text-align: justify; font-family:verdana; font-size: 7px;"][spoiler=tags :: updated 07/20]basics.
⋟ edmund theodore stirling-moray // ed, eddie, moray
⋟ goes by the name edmund moray
⋟ male // he/him
⋟ twenty three // ages real time // born seventh august
⋟ member of flintlock lodge // formerly a traveler with his family
⋟ product of an organized crime family, his father the mafia godfather
⋟ joined FL two years ago

appearance.
⋟ faceclaim - finn cole
⋟ voice claim - finn cole (tw in video. blood & violence)
⋟ 5'9ft // stocky, well-built frame
⋟ muted blue eyes and dirty blonde hair
⋟ physical health - 100% // current injuries: none
⋟ mental health - 100% // N/A

personality.
⋟ quiet in nature but confident in himself
⋟ completely fearless, almost foolishly so
⋟ insensitive and callous // cares for very few
⋟ very calm and calculative // always planning in his head
⋟ disciplined and practices good self-control
⋟ very flirtatious and persuasive // overly lustful
⋟ aloof and untrustworthy // jealous and deceitful
⋟ tactful and knows how to get what he wants
⋟ can be very nasty when he wants to be
⋟ but can also be very protective and faithful too
⋟ has a strong set of morals // has the quality of honor

relationships.
⋟ alfred stirling x leonora moray // both deceased
⋟ three older brothers // alfonso, dominik & franklin
⋟ the fifth stirling-moray brother, thomas, died years ago
⋟ two younger half-siblings // henry & ida
⋟ bisexual but he stays silent about homosexual activity
⋟ husband to blake moray
⋟ father of thomas moray and charlotte moray
⋟ owns a west highland terrier, angus

interaction.
⋟ storage // playlist // pinterest
⋟ physically: very hard // mentally: hard
⋟ father taught him how to kill at a young age
⋟ insensitive towards injuring or killing others // will do so without hesitation
⋟ very abrupt with newcomers but also willing to help them
⋟ often found guarding the lodge with a rifle
[/spoiler]

[eliza]

[align=center][div style="width: 500px; text-align: justify; color: #494949; font-family: karla; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; word-spacing: 1px; margin-top: 10px;"]
it'd been too long. six years or so since she'd been roused by her father in the middle of the night, told in hushed whispers to pack her things. ❝we have to go,❞ he'd told her, panic and anxiety in his eyes, and though it'd broken her heart, monroe understood she couldn't question him. her father, her mother, they'd done everything for her and hendrix, and if they asked her to give up some teenage romance and the place she'd called home for a few years, she'd been alright with that.

exactly why they'd gone, she still didn't quite know. her father had only told her that that family was dangerous, and they were safer away from them. she didn't probe more, not because she'd been tamed and made docile, but because that was all she had to know. her parents would have done anything for her and hendrix's safety, and they'd left a good business venture for that very reason.

but there he stood. edmund stirling-moray, looking a little more grown and jaded, but still the boy she'd known and loved. the boy she'd snuck out with nearly every night, the boy she'd crossed off most first's with, her first love. sure, she'd had flings in the last six years, but it was only people who came and went. there'd always been an understanding that it would be temporary with them, but with eddie? she'd really, genuinely loved him, and truth be told, there hadn't been any closure. there was no break up, no goodbye, no i-never-want-to-see-you's or i-hate-you's. it'd ended without resolution, and even after all these years, seeing those blue eyes made her chest tighten.

he slung his coat around her shoulders, but just as soon as he did as much, she was moving forward. arms wrapped around his chest, she squeezed tightly, stronger than one might think a five-foot-four botanist might be. she didn't move for a long moment, squeezing him firmly and burying her face in his chest, and when she did finally step back, once cool golden eyes were now growing red around the outside, tears lining up but not falling.

[color=#013A66]❝everybody's dead, eddie.❞ she said quietly, small frame seemingly sinking into the coat, leaving her swallowed whole. [color=#013A66]❝mom, dad, hendrix,❞ her voice cracked a bit at the mention of her twin brother's name, [color=#013A66]❝they're all dead. i-i heard people talking about how the whole pack of stirling-moray goons had turned up here, flintlock-something, and i-❞ she took deep breaths, wiped her eyes carefully, tried to compose herself. hendrix, the big-burly-man he was, had always been more of the emotional one; monroe had always been good at staying calm under pressure. [color=#013A66]❝i know it's been years, but i could always trust you, eddie, and right now i just- i just need someone i can trust.❞ she said quietly, teeth sinking into the flesh of her lower lip as she offered him a pleading gaze, desperate for him to take her in, or back, or... anything.

[EDMUND.]

    It would be stupid to say that Eddie wasn't entirely awe-struck, especially considering a man who'd so often slip by as smoothly as a shadow was instead stood fixedly, reeling in whatever confused and befuddled sensation had overcome him. All the questions that'd been left unsolved, buried in the back of his mind, had been exposed once more. Was Monroe alive? Was she out there somewhere? Where did she go? Why did she never say goodbye? Why couldn't his family and all of their associates find her family? How could a family one day go and disappear without a trace? All that Eddie could think clearly in that very moment was: Shit. Monroe was back.

He was almost wary as he draped his coat over her shoulders, seeing it as nothing more than the innate desire to get her feeling warm again. After all, the wind chill was biting and it showed no sign of dwindling. Before he knew it, however, Monroe had stepped closer and pulled him into a hug. Hesitation had Ed freezing momentarily, body tense for a moment before he relaxed into the embrace, hugging Monroe back gently until she pulled away. Only then had he noticed the eyes that looked so traumatized, tears threatening to spill.

❝ Everybody's dead, Eddie. ❞

❝ What? ❞ The first and only thing that had come to mind was spluttered out by Eddie, staring across at Monroe with slightly widened eyes. Her family was dead? Her entire family? As she further elaborated, Eddie lowered his gaze as he uttered softly, ❝ Shit... ❞ Well, that'd not been something that he'd expected. Sure, the idea of the family dead was a question which lingered in his mind for years now, but this confirmation of the truth was still as shocking.

Monroe was searching for someone to place her trust in, anyone to take her back to what once was. If Eddie was in her shoes, he'd be the last person to approach looking for some guidance, but then again Ed rarely thought too highly of himself as a trustworthy man. He was raised on confidence tricks and betrayal, but Monroe already knew that and yet trusted him wholeheartedly regardless. He was silent for a moment, not even appearing to contemplate her request. Just quiet. Frozen in place. And then-

❝ There's a - uh - lodge further up the mountain. Lets get you warm and settled in - everyone is more or less nice around here, I think you'd fit in. ❞ He explained quietly, resting a hand on the top of her back to lead her uphill. He'd willingly accept her request with no questions asked. After all, despite all the years apart, Eddie still cared.

He was still utterly shocked; Monroe had been dead in his life for years, yet welcoming her back into his life felt effortless - he supposed that was what love was. Even though they were no longer together, he viewed her in such a positive light. Friends at the very least - it felt great to have her in his life again. Eyes flitted over towards Monroe, and he was as assertive and assuring as ever. ❝ You're all right. I'll make sure of it. ❞

[align=center][div style="width: 350px; text-align: justify; font-family:verdana; font-size: 7px;"][spoiler=tags :: updated 10/17]basics.
⋟ edmund theodore stirling-moray // ed, eddie, moray
⋟ goes by the name edmund moray
⋟ male // he/him
⋟ twenty three // ages real time // born seventh august
⋟ general of flintlock lodge // formerly a traveler with his family
⋟ product of an organized crime family, his father the mob boss
⋟ joined FL two years ago

appearance.
⋟ faceclaim - finn cole
⋟ voice claim - finn cole
⋟ 5'9ft // stocky, well-built frame
⋟ muted blue eyes and dirty blonde hair
⋟ physical health - 100% // current injuries: none
⋟ mental health - 100% // N/A

personality.
⋟ quiet in nature but confident in himself
⋟ completely fearless, almost foolishly so
⋟ insensitive and callous // cares for very few
⋟ very calm and calculative // always planning in his head
⋟ disciplined and practices good self-control
⋟ very flirtatious and persuasive // overly lustful
⋟ aloof and untrustworthy // jealous and deceitful
⋟ tactful and knows how to get what he wants
⋟ can be very nasty when he wants to be
⋟ but can also be very protective and faithful too
⋟ has a strong set of morals // has the quality of honor

relationships.
⋟ alfred stirling x leonora moray // both deceased
⋟ three older brothers // alfonso, thomas & franklin
⋟ the fifth stirling-moray brother, dominik, was killed
⋟ two younger half-siblings // henry & ida
⋟ bisexual but he stays silent about homosexual activity
⋟ husband to blake moray
⋟ father of thomas moray and charlotte moray
⋟ owns a west highland terrier, angus

interaction.
⋟ storage // playlist // pinterest
⋟ physically: very hard // mentally: hard
⋟ father taught him how to kill at a young age
⋟ insensitive towards injuring or killing others // will do so without hesitation
⋟ mentally, he is slowly becoming undone from stress, grief and guilt
⋟ often found guarding the lodge with a rifle
[/spoiler]