Look Lonely • •

[wesley damian raleigh]

Two weeks was not a long time, but Wesley embraced every second of it. He made every second with his family count, and crammed in as much time with friends as he could. He never knew exactly when he would be in the city again next. Of course, there was always that chance he’d never see it again, but he wasn’t the sort to think about life that way. He told new recruits not to do that either, especially not if they were career men like himself, and planned to see most of their life in fatigues and on tour. No, he just waited until leave was granted and then counted down the days until that, teasing his comrades with talk of cold beer and the kind of food he knew they all missed most when they were out under the blistering sun, sleeping on hard beds and missing the luxuries their home life afforded them. Still, Wesley found himself needing time to adjust to the soft pillows in the room at his sister’s, and more often than not the hot water felt strange in his morning showers for the first few days. She’d upgraded his en suite last year and everything was top of the range because she felt he deserved it when he came home. Wesley would have preferred simpler things, but he wasn’t the type to turn down her good intentions.

He also preferred it when he didn’t have to put his friends into taxis at the end of the night, but it happened at least once when he was home. They got carried away when they were catching up, and he felt some of them believed they had to fit several months into one night. This time, it was Daryl. Wesley had known him for a long time, but the man could not hold his booze, and he felt incredibly sorry for the man’s wife when he stumbled out of that cab and she became the one who had to deal with him. Still, Wesley had done his part, but he’d text him in the morning to see how he was doing. He always checked in, even for the smallest of things. It was just his way. Maybe the army had done it to him, or maybe he just cared too much to risk living with the guilt of not doing it. He gave a damn, that was the end of it.

Wesley watched the cab drive his too drunk friend away, and shook his head, grinning slightly. It was good to be back in the city. His sides hurt from laughing so much this evening. They had great memories to bring up, to torment each other with. The rest of the group had left earlier, leaving Daryl and Wesley to their own devices, but now Wesley was alone, and he fancied one last drink before he too stumbled back to his sister’s house and fell into the bed there. He stepped back on the sidewalk outside O’Malley’s, his solid back colliding with someone there. With honed reflexes, Wesley spun and caught whoever it was he bumped before they could fall – if they were even going to. He always aired on the side of caution in the city, but it was his years of military training that had his reflexes respond before he could think about his actions. “You okay?” He asked briskly, once again combat nature coming before the rest of his manners. He cleared his throat and unwrapped his fingers from the arm of his near victim. “Sorry about that.”

• • •

TAGGED! Cornelia Lilith Jordan
WORDS! 600!
OUTFIT! Military Man!
LYRICS! Death of a Bachelor- - - Panic At The Disco
NOTES! <3

[Cornelia Lilith Jordan]

It was late and Corey honestly just wanted to get home. She had no idea why she had even been invited to the party; she had spent a whole day on set. She didn't expect her name to be in the credits of the film either because she hadn't done any real work. She had been called in because she was a expert and knew the set designer. If he hadn't wanted her opinion on the various movie sets, she wouldn't have been there at all. Never mind that it had been months ago that she'd even been on set. And now that filming and editing and all that was finished and they were throwing the big party, she was thought of again. It was very sweet of them to think of her when planning the celebrations but it wasn't necessary. She had planned on staying only as long as she had to but it had turned out to be pretty fun so she had stayed later. She had to get some sleep at least before she needed to be up and across town from her apartment for her meeting.

Corey loved what she did for a living, it was all she had ever wanted but the hours were not always the greatest. As it was she had actually signed on to do a movie as well as her usual contracts. So her plate was pretty full but that had never stopped her; especially when her regular contracts only came up every few months and she could fix those up in a single day. Being an interior designer was a bit odd for Corey since she was busy quite a bit but her regular clients only wanted her around for a week every once in a while to change a room or two with the seasons. Christmas was pretty busy but that was because the rich didn't much care for decorating their own trees and homes for parties; and her clients apparently didn't trust party planners to d the job.

It was all of her plans for the next day that she was thinking about when she was walking down the street. Her life pretty much revolved around her work but she could always make time to hang out with her friends, party and have a good time. And she was thinking, after all of this week, she might call up a couple girlfriends and hit a nightclub or two. She was pulling her phone free when she was bumped into and instead of worrying about falling, she worried about making sure her phone was firmly in her grip. Her entire life, sadly, was on that phone. "Its a good thing you caught me, I really could have fallen pretty hard for you." She said only belatedly realising her words sounded more like a pick up line then the teasing she had meant for it to be. Oh well, he wasn't hard on the eyes, she could live with him thinking she was flirting with him.

♦ ♦ ♦

Tag || wesley damian raleigh
Words || 506
Clothes || Flirty Friend
Music || Good For You --SMASH Cast
Notes || <3

[wesley damian raleigh]

For Wesley, there had been very little chance he would change his mind about his future. He had been a little boy when he decided that he needed to enlist in the military, and absolutely nothing had made him waver in that choice. His family was proud to have members who had served, and Wesley wanted to join their ranks, to be among the men and women who wore the uniform with pride and served their country with honour and dignity until they couldn’t any longer. Some had eventually chosen their family over the job, and he didn’t fault them for that, but those were things he still didn’t have, and while he had his health he was going to climb the ranks and keep putting his life on the line in places people only saw on the news when reports came in, or new troop decisions were made about what to do with those brave soldiers. Wesley knew that if more than his dog tags made it home, he’d one day settle in the city, and find a place of his own that wasn’t his sister’s spare bedroom, but he felt like that day could still be a long way off for himself.

He knew he wasn’t getting any younger, and maybe there had been opportunities missed and doors left unopened because he chose to remain in the army. Wesley was convinced that those weren’t the right doors or chances for him though. He would find someone who was happy with what he did, or at least wouldn’t try to make him leave before he was ready to, and nothing that came his way would demand of him something he wasn’t willing to give freely. He knew his sister already wished he was around more, but at the same time she respected what he did, and didn’t try to talk him into wrapping up his active duty. Plus, when he was home in New York, he didn’t spout off about all that he had done and seen. He was just another guy with his family, tormenting his siblings and being that mischievous uncle. He went out with old friends and reminisced about old times.

Wesley wasn’t a clumsy man. He didn’t make a habit out of knocking people over or stumbling about New York City. He wasn’t even all that drunk to say he felt as though he needed to be tripping over and crashing into innocent pedestrians. He was just relieved that no one was hurt, although her words did leave him blinking for a moment. Being out in war zones, and on patrols in dangerous places, Wesley wasn’t used to hearing flirtatious comments all that often unless they were part of the meaningless banter being tossed about to keep the spirits up. It was a different world, almost a different life from New York. When he came home it often caught him off guard when someone showed interest in him, and in situations like this he never quite knew how to take it. “I’m just glad you didn’t get hurt at all, Miss.” He said with a lopsided smile. He had manners, and he thought it best to use them. “Can I buy you a drink to apologise? I was about to have one more myself before calling it a night.” He added the last bit by way of letting her know it was all an honest gesture, and not some attempt to get her wasted and try to take her home. Wesley wasn’t that guy. Plus, he lived with his sister and her family; it would make the morning after pretty awkward.

• • •

TAGGED! Cornelia Lilith Jordan
WORDS! 610!
OUTFIT! Military Man!
LYRICS! Death of a Bachelor- - - Panic At The Disco
NOTES! <3

[Cornelia Lilith Jordan]

Corey loved New York. The city was vibrant and full of culture and had a million little places to find gems and jewels. She had storage space filled with little knick-knacks that would find themselves on film or television sets, in magazine shoots or in her client's homes because they fit so well with the idea they'd imagined. She loved finding little things and just picking them up on a whim. It almost always worked out that something she bought months beforehand would be just the perfect thing for some filler space. Most of the stuff in her storage space was pretty new, only a couple months old at the outside because she could instantly see them in a space and she kept a ruthlessly organised list on each of her electronics of what was in the storage space, pictures and descriptions included. She was always busy with old clients and new ones and the sets she was brought on to decorate as well so it was almost a requirement to have lists on top of lists handy in case she had everything she might need already, just waiting to be picked up and dusted off.

If she hadn't taken that filler course her freshman year at university, she might never have found what she loved to do. She had no doubt in her mind that she would have enjoyed whatever career she'd gotten with just her French degree but she also would have gotten bored with it all eventually. Corey knew she could be fickle about certain things, which was why she loved being a decorator so much. Whether it was someone's home or a studio set, she's in and out quickly enough with no job lasting a lifetime; hell, no job lasting more than a month or two. Sure, she's on retainer for a few of her more... Whimsical clientele but she's always onto the next home or set soon enough. She could be in New York one week, Paris the next and Hawaii the week after if she chose. Corey might have been feeling her age coming on her, her internal clock ticking just a little bit louder but she couldn't live without the adventure of not really knowing where she'll be from one minute to the next. New York might be her home base, but she worked all over the world and she thrived with that lifestyle.

It occasionally meant that things like relationships didn't last for her but she was okay with that. And until she wasn't, she wouldn't worry about it. She enjoyed her time and the company she kept and thought if a man were to come along that made her question her jet-setting ways, then perhaps he might be worth a shot on. Until then, she would enjoy her night's out with friends and casual dinners with interesting men, though one of those things had not happened in a while and she couldn't say she was upset about that either. "A gentleman in the city? I've stumbled across a unicorn. Call me Corey, less formal." She interjected before he said anything more. "And you might be Galahad?" She continued with a grin. Corey wasn't usually so brazen with her flirting. She liked to think she was more subtle than that but she probably said that every time she opened her mouth and something remotely flirty came out. "The night's young, maybe I'll buy you one, too." She told him, slipping her arm through his though he hadn't offered it. Home was only a handful of blocks away, stopping for another drink or two with a handsome man wouldn't take hours out of an already long walk; it would take hours out of a very short one!

♦ ♦ ♦

Tag || wesley damian raleigh
Words || 624
Clothes || Flirty Friend
Music || Good For You --SMASH Cast
Notes || <3

[wesley damian raleigh]

If Wesley dropped dead there was very little to his name. He had his pension plan with the army, some money saved away for a rainy day, but material possessions he had few. His wardrobe was simple, mostly empty space if he was honest. He only bought things he needed or really, really wanted. Even then, if he mentioned liking something he usually found it in a gift bag on his bed when he came home on leave. His sister liked to remind him that he was loved, that he always had a bed with her family, even if it was only for a few days at a time. The small bookcase in that room had a few trinkets made by her kids, along with sentimental ornaments she had adorned it with because she knew they made it more homely for him, even if he was too much of a macho man to admit it himself. He was grateful, he really was, but Wesley didn’t want to cause a fuss each time he came back from a warzone. Sometimes he never got back until late at night, and the hot meal waiting for him, the gifts and the family presence was just a little too overwhelming for him. On those times it had typically been months upon months since he had seen them last, and his days had been living on dry food, army rations, and baking under a hot, unforgiving sun that didn’t want stories of families or soft beds.

Wesley knew not everyone made the transition between military life and civilian quite so smoothly. He had his rough nights, too. However, he went into the army knowing what would, or could, come. His family were of military blood, and he had been told the stories that had been kept from some of the others. It hadn’t been to scare him off, or to encourage him to choose something else for his life, but rather to warn him, to steel him for the hard times ahead. He knew there would be nightmares, friends lost. It would never, ever be an easy switch from leave to war, but Wesley had discovered that keeping busy, keeping that time occupied helped a lot. Not only did it keep any demons at bay, but it reminded him of how many people he had in his corner. He had never been alone, not even when he felt like he was at his lowest, sweating in the dirt and dust of the Middle East. It was the memories made here and now that helped him through those darkest nights when he was far away from home.

It was still difficult, and Wesley knew not everyone would understand the choice he had made to serve, or why it meant so much to him. He wouldn’t try to change their way of thinking, so long as they didn’t try to force their thoughts on him. He could respect the opinions of others, but there was a fine line and some people spared no thought before they crossed it and opened their careless mouths. Wesley did his best to try to avoid people like that; those who run their mouths did little to impress him. “I’d prefer something like a Griffin than a unicorn.” Wesley said with a laugh. Whenever he thought of unicorns he remembered the smushed in face of Polly’s most recent birthday cake once the kids had their fingers on it. It went from looking like a mythical unicorn to a sad donation worthy donkey. “Close. Wesley.” He grinned at her brazen attitude and guided her into O’Malley’s. Wesley appreciated it when people didn’t hide behind false shyness or play some game to try and draw someone in. He might have liked it a decade ago, but he was older now with less time to chase women around the neon lit city. He only had two weeks leave, after all. “It seems the night is always young in the city that never sleeps.” He joked. New York was his hometown, but he had spent only a small portion of his life here, so parts of it still amazed him. Like how night owls were only just seeking out their beds when the morning commuters were grabbing their coffee and strolling into the office looking fresh as daisies.

• • •

TAGGED! Cornelia Lilith Jordan
WORDS! 728!
LYRICS! Death of a Bachelor- - - Panic At The Disco
NOTES! <3

[Cornelia Lilith Jordan]

New York was the city that Corey had settled on when she'd decided she wanted to do what she was doing. She could have been quite happy back in BC, doing what she loved on sets, in homes and offices. She could have had her home base in her own country and just travelled for her jobs like she did now. She could have even gone to California, Atlanta or even Toronto but New York had always appealed to her Corey and she made a good gamble with her career. She was young, inspired and creative, she came up with curious mixes that shouldn't work but she made them work beautifully. And New York was a city much like her creative aspirations. It was a quirky mix of old and new, modern and old, wild and demure. It was beautiful and Corey wanted to portray much of the same aspects in her work. She loved growing up in British Columbia, that region of Canada was absolutely incredible but as she wasn't from either of the two major cities, it wasn't so great for her career; And she would have wanted to stay in Whistler.

Oddly, at least Corey thought so, New York had felt a lot like home; probably because it was so eclectically balanced. She felt comfortable, at home in the bustling city and completely able to do what she loved and make a damn good living at it. Her only real issues about the move from Whistler to New York City was that it wasn't so easy to hit the slopes in the winter and her family was just too far away. She didn't like that her parents were so far away but her father's practice was still going quite strong and her mother only really liked to visit New York and she never stayed more than a week at best. Larry visited once a year but as he'd followed in their father's footsteps, he was also a very busy doctor. And no one really knew where Mariah was. She'd left and never turned back, even after all these years. It was ridiculous, they'd all tried to get in touch but she was a stubborn soul and refused to give in, even when it was well past time to do so. Corey didn't let it get to her because she was happy with where her life had brought her and there was still time for her to figure out the rest of life, too.

"I suppose a Griffin is way more masculine." Corey agreed nodding her head as though she were considering it. "Alright, change approved." She continued with a laugh. "Wesley, damn. That was my next guess." She said, with a snap of her fingers in that "awe, shucks" gesture. She was by no means a shy person, though she did routinely shock herself with some of the things that came out of her own mouth. "The city may never sleep, but this girl does and if she hadn't been at a celebratory gathering, I refuse to call it a party, I would probably already be at home with a book in bed." She admitted with a laugh, easily enough. It also reminded her that she should send out a quick thank you text to her friend though he would not understand until they spoke next. Without having been forced to stay out later than she normally would have, she never would have stumbled across this little adventure.

♦ ♦ ♦

Tag || wesley damian raleigh
Words || 581
Music || Good For You --SMASH Cast
Notes || <3

[wesley damian raleigh]

Wesley had spent his whole residential life in New York. He only left it when he joined the army and was sent overseas. Coming back to the city was definitely coming home for him. He learned to appreciate the smells and noises that little bit more every time he returned. It was an entirely different world to what he had become accustomed to during his military life. He had spent a lot of that time in hot, dry places, sleeping on a small cot and baking under an unkind sun. They weren’t places he’d recommend for someone looking for a vacation, even if he had seen some beautiful sunrises and sunsets. There were moments in beauty everywhere in the world – at least that was what Wesley believed – but if they were shrouded in danger they weren’t worth the risk. He wouldn’t want his family or friends to go through what he went through; not without the intense training or the forewarning that he had. He came from a military family, so he had grown up with that entirely knowledge, getting more of it as he grew older and stepped closer to finding his own path.

His family held generations of military experience. That didn’t mean the army was pushed onto them from a young age. Every kid had been allowed to make their own choice with their life. Wesley just put the decision for so many of them to enlist down to pride and the strong family bond that was passed onto them. Wesley had wanted to be part of his apparent family legacy. He knew what he was choosing to do, what he would be signing up for. There were still huge moments in his career that left him in shock or shook him to his core. It wasn’t always heroics and bravery; they were just the stories veterans chose to tell because the rest was just too heavy. Wes didn’t come back and tell his family about a nightmare he had, or a moment when he had seen his life flash before his eyes. They didn’t need to know any of them when he had come home in one piece so far. They didn’t need to worry anymore than they already did when he left them again.

He chuckled, “They definitely don’t have rainbow colours or glitter everywhere.” He was used to the ‘girly stuff’ after growing up with his sister and having nieces now. They loved the sparkles and the glitter, and he loved it for them. “Of course it was.” Given Wesley’s rigorous structure, it wasn’t normal for him to be up so late either, and drinking was even less common. Obviously, he needed to stay alert when he was overseas. Things could happen at any time out there and exhaustion or intoxication was definitely not an option. “I’m usually fast asleep by now, too. But, a little variety isn’t always bad.” This was his time to refresh, reset, and then return to his tour ready for whatever it might throw at him and his squadron. “So, about that drink?” He asked with a small smile, glancing back once at the bar he had stepped out of.

• • •

TAGGED! Cornelia Lilith Jordan
WORDS! 539!
LYRICS! Death of a Bachelor- - - Panic At The Disco
NOTES! <3