In The Background • •

[noel caspar kiely]

As a kindergarten teacher, Noel was often assumed to spend his weekend with lesson plans and preparing for the upcoming week. In truth, he did all that in the summer. He locked himself away for a solid week or two and got everything he wanted set up for the school year. There would always be a change here or there as the months went by, and a need to pick up supplies or prep something last minute, but most of the heavy lifting was taken care of during the break. It meant his weekends and nights were free for whenever he felt the itch to party with his friends. Noel knew he wasn’t the stereotypical example of what parents expected when their little ones ventured into school for the first time. He had tattoos, arrived in the morning with rock music playing through his headphones, and he definitely didn’t live an innocent and inspiring lifestyle on the weekends. He would partake in drinking games, and he’d supersize his meals when he was hungover. And, like now, there were times when he woke up in a stranger’s bed with a smile on his face. The way Noel saw it was that if everyone consented and no one was going to be hurt by it then there was nothing wrong about giving into carnal impulses.

Ryan was still sleeping when that smile crept across his face. He watched her sleeping for a moment before slipping his legs from the bedsheets and sliding them into the discarded jeans on the floor. His stomach was doing a good job of letting him know what it wanted, so he made his way through the sunlit apartment to the kitchen. If Ryan was anything like he was, then he suspected she might appreciate a good cup of coffee and a decent breakfast to start the day. He rummaged about looking for pots and plates, food and ingredients. After weighing up his options, Noel decided to make French Toast with bacon and syrup. It covered most of the flavours and he thought it always good the morning after drinking to put bacon with just about everything. He set about making it, singing quietly to himself as he went. The kitchen came alive with smells and sounds, and when it was almost ready he set about making the coffee for the two of them. Not knowing how Ryan took her coffee, he set sugar and creamer onto a tray he dug out and readied it all to take back down the hall to the bedroom.

Some people might have found it strange that he was making breakfast for a woman he had known less than twenty-four hours, but Noel was the kind of guy who trusted his instincts. He had enjoyed spending time with Ryan last night (if he hadn’t he wouldn’t have woken up in her bed) and figured, hell, why not see if there was more fun to be had? Even if it was short term, Noel still didn’t like passing up on anything that made him smile, and laugh. There had been plenty of that the night before, mixed in with undeniable sparks that had culminated in several drinks shared and Noel pulling Ryan flush against him when neither wanted to go home alone. After that things blurred, but not because of the alcohol, but because of the intensity of his emotions as the night peaked. He was just about done cooking, loading the food onto the two plates he had set out, when he heard the footsteps behind him. “This was supposed to be a surprise for the bedroom.” He smirked, turning around only after he had put the last bit of bacon onto Ryan’s plate. Being the gentleman that he was, he had given her an extra rasher.

• • •

TAGGED! Ryan Annalise Nicole King
WORDS! 647!
LYRICS! I Miss You - - Blink 182
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Ryan Annalise Nicole King]

Ryan didn't genuinely think there was anything special about her dissertation or her newly acquired Ph.D. All but one of her four siblings had one as well, the fourth having gone into Law instead; though it would not have surprised any of them if he, too, had gone through the stresses of a secret Ph.D. In fact, only her sister had been vocal about her plans to follow in the family footsteps. Besides, no one had expected Ryan to actually follow the family path since she'd found what was supposed to be her calling as a tattoo artist. The feisty young brunette wasn't about to give it up, she absolutely loved everything about tattooing but she'd always thought it would be wise to have a backup and it was the obvious choice what her backup would be. Growing up, she'd had an owl in her bedroom, his room as well as he'd lost a wing in some sort of accident, lion cubs and tiger cubs in her bed, she would swim in the pool with the same.

Animals were also her favourite things to draw and tattoo, though she could do it all and do most of it very well. She had her preferred styles but her mentor had always taught her it was best to know a little bit about everything on offer; just in case. It was something Ryan had taken to heart in all aspects of her life. She preferred mixed drinks so could make herself a fair few but preferred a good margarita. In the world that Ryan called home, it made perfect sense that she would continue her education, even if she would rarely use it. It was also something she would need to tell her friends now that she was officially a doctor of zoology. Ryan no longer had to keep her activities a secret but she had wanted to do a bit of light celebrating alone, or that had been the intention anyway. She was absolutely not at all upset when at the end of the night neither she nor Noel wanted to be alone. She'd been having fun with him and was quite pleased to have continued that back at hers.

Ryan was a modern woman with a good head on her shoulders and an upbringing that taught her to go after what she wanted and to not be ashamed or embarrassed. She had wanted to spend the night with Noel so that was exactly what she'd done. She awoke the next morning to the smell of maple syrup and the bacon she kept in the fridge. With a smile on her lips, she stretched out all her wonderfully sore muscles and finally opened her eyes to search for something to put on. She spotted a discarded shirt and not caring if it belonged to her or not, slipped it over her head. Turns out, it wasn't hers but she quite liked it. Softly, she padded over to the kitchen and leaned against the big wooden support beam and smiled at the sight. "I don't usually eat food in bed." She told him with a chuckle. "How about the patio?" She asked, padding over to the French doors that led to her private outdoor area. She hadn't cared what the inside of her apartment looked like when she'd been searching for her New York home, all that she'd required was a private outdoor area to call her own. She'd spent so much time outside in the Montana sky that she'd felt downright claustrophobic in the city. She'd turned the entire area into a jungle with all the potted plants but she absolutely loved it and reminded her of the home where all her wild animals ran free.

♦ ♦ ♦

TAG; noel caspar kiely
WORDS; 625
LYRICS; Criminal --Lindsey Ell
NOTES; <3

[noel caspar kiely]

Noel might have been the youngest child, but he was never in the shadows of his siblings. His parents had been good, understanding that each of their kids were different, liked different things, and would eventually walk different paths. Now, the only thing that made a difference was that Noel was the one most of his relatives now liked to dump their kids on at family functions. He was the teacher, after all, and they assumed he wouldn’t mind working for free while they drank and ate and played catch up like they didn’t have another chance. Thankfully, Noel didn’t mind it. His nieces and nephews clung to him anyway when he was around, demanding games and jokes that he had become known for in their little minds. Noel still had his weekends to himself, and he wasn’t the type who needed a drink when one was around.

He liked having the balance of fun and professionalism. Noel enjoyed putting the hours in to making his classes educational but enjoyable, but he also enjoyed being able to feel like he was still in his twenties, with endless possibilities out there should he choose to chase them. If there was one thing he pushed for in his class it was for his students to be dreamers, to believe in the impossible. He loved their dreams, what they thought they could do. Noel didn’t believe in hindering the imagination of children, or telling them to stop thinking of the most wonderful things. He wanted them to go far, to understand that the world was theirs for the taking if they held onto their dreams long after they moved on from his class. Some would change their minds, others would settle for different things, but Noel knew that there would be a few of them that might just go on to change the world if people let them. He didn’t expect many of them to remember him in the years to come, but he liked to think he may have helped a few of them find their path, even if it was in the tiniest of ways.

He sucked the grease from his thumb, eyebrows raising towards his hairline. “Not even on the laziest of days?” He asked, thinking of how many Sunday afternoons he had spent snacking in bed just because he was too comfortable, or the days when he was sick and wanted nothing more than the blankets and pillows. “Patio sounds great. You wanna lead the way?” He hadn’t exactly been given a grand tour of her apartment, or looked around anywhere apart from the kitchen since he had slipped out of the bed that morning. Besides, right now, his hands were full carrying the breakfast he had prepared while Ryan was still asleep. The last thing he would want to do is trip or fumble around and let it go cold before either of them got to enjoy it. He didn’t consider himself the greatest of chefs, but he did think he made a damn good breakfast when he had the chance.

• • •

TAGGED! Ryan Annalise Nicole King
WORDS! 517!
LYRICS! I Miss You - - Blink 182
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Ryan Annalise Nicole King]

Ryan had always been a bit of an outcast. She didn't fit in with the kids her age back in Montana, she'd been wild and rebellious as a child. She'd lived on an animal rescue reserve with big cats and, injured animals always around. Some were locked away in huge, fenced-in areas while others were free to roam the grounds. The entire property had a twenty-foot fence around it so it wasn't like any of them were getting away in the middle of the night; they didn't have those cute little penguins from that cartoon, always trying to make an escape. They'd had birds of prey but they were usually so injured when they found themselves in their care that they ended up basically being pets. Hell, Ryan had a pet owl in her bedroom for most of her life! She might have looked like a city girl with her wild hair and tattoos but she was so country it was scary sometimes. She had thought about just packing a bag and heading into the woods more than once, just her and her art supplies but that wasn't practical; there were no men in the woods that she ever wanted to stumble across for starters. Her friends were all in the city for another thing and it was just simpler to grow a garden than it was to build a whole shelter.

It was actually rare that Ryan woke up sharing a bed with someone. At least, not someone she hadn't started the night out with anyway. She occasionally went out with the group from work, inevitably they all drank too much and Ryan found herself waking up the next day with more than one of her co-workers thrown about her apartment because "it happened to be closest". She didn't mind in the least and that was why she always kept a collection of foods she wouldn't normally eat in the back of her fridge and freezer. Just because she didn't like sausage, didn't mean someone else didn't love it. After the first few times, she'd demanded they make a list of acceptable foods to keep handy should this morning after thing become regular. For her to bring a man home with her she'd just met, it was almost unheard of; as in, shockingly, Noel was the first. On the very rare occasion, she did surprise herself and go home with someone, she never went back to her place. It was her sanctuary and she wanted to keep it that way. There was something about Noel, however, that Ryan wanted to share her secrets. Hell, she told him about her new degree before she'd told any of her actual friends and co-workers even! If that wasn't some kind of instant attraction, especially for her, she didn't know what was!

"That's what the hammock is for. Or the swing." She pointed out with a laugh, pushing the doors open to reveal the patio space. Most people wanted to spend their days in bed, lazing about when they could or when they were sick and needed the shelter of pillows and blankets to keep them warm. Ryan preferred to be outside when she was feeling like that. She spent all her free time outdoors and felt her bed was only good for sleep; when she didn't fall asleep outside that is. She had a mini oasis that she'd built up to be what she'd wanted. It helped that the way the building was staggered, she had a much larger outdoor space than most of the apartments and she made damn good use of it. She had a hammock to lounge on when the sun was high in the sky and she wanted to feel it on her face. She also had one of those futon-style swings that laid flat so she could curl up on that whenever she was feeling under the weather. That stayed by the door, under the canopy she'd set up so she could be outside, rain or shine. There was a small fire table and some chairs around it, a couple of outdoor throw rugs and more plants that any one person should probably have on a patio in New York. In the summer when the heat was heavy and thick and it felt like it was too difficult to even breathe, she would bring out a throw blanket, a bunch of pillows and spend her nights outside, under the stars. She would do it a lot under the Montana sky but her father had always brought her in when the nights would get cooler and she would shiver in her sleep. The air was just different and even though she'd been in New York for some time now, she still couldn't really get over it. "I'll grab the coffee." She offered, turning back from the doors to tackle the job, or just pour the cups if Noel had already done the dirty work of it all.

♦ ♦ ♦

TAG; noel caspar kiely
WORDS; 829
LYRICS; Criminal --Lindsey Ell
NOTES; <3

[noel caspar kiely]

Noel had never thought there was anything wrong about walking a different path from the crowd. He hadn’t been one of the outcasts at school, but he hadn’t been in with the popular kids either. He’d been one of the “alternative” crowd who showed up to class in band t-shirts and ripped jeans. He’d spent weekends at concerts, and grew out his hair to the point where his mother would never demand that he cut it, but she would gently request around the holidays that he had it tidied up, and remind him that his relatives would be on his case about it otherwise. Like most teenagers, Noel would deny the request and then grow surly anyway when someone did pass comment on the hair that was crammed under the beanie or hanging low in his eyes. He hadn’t really know back then exactly what he wanted to do with his life, but if he had he knew that there would have been at least a dozen more unwanted comments from family who liked to dole out unsolicited advice.

Noel knew they meant well. Most families often did, but most of the time it missed the mark. The majority of his students were lucky in the sense that they were too young to be cornered by an aunt or uncle who thought they knew what was best about the world. And if they dared to try…well, a kindergartener typically knew everything about the universe and couldn’t be told otherwise. Some of them had older brothers and sisters though who were teetering on the threshold of change, of growing out of dolls and toy cars and developing their own styles and tastes. Noel envied them in a way. That adventure, as painful and as confusing as it could be at times, was a wonderful one, and one he hoped his silly lessons and whimsical tales he wrapped up in actual lessons the school board insisted he teach in a school year would eventually help with – should the kids remember them. He hadn’t been teaching long enough for any of his former students to come back to him to let him know, but he had said time and time again that his door would always be open to them even after they had moved on from the bright colours of his classroom. He lived in hope that at least one or two would come back some day to say hi, to reminisce about the times they had, and to fill him in on their adventures since.

He hoped he would have something good to tell them, too. Although, obviously nights on the town were out of the question even if they were much older and less innocent. Noel was very good about keeping that wall up between his professional life. However, it would be nice to tell them about new things in the school, or new hobbies he had taken up, or even if he had a family of his own; a common question brought to him during the first weeks of a school year. “I can’t deal with rocking or swinging if I have a bad head.” He winced at the very notion, unable to think of anything worse if he was trying to sleep off a hangover, or even just recover from a head cold. Working with young children there was always something spreading around his classroom no matter how many times Noel wiped down the tables and chairs and everything else he could touch at the end of the day. He was forever keeping himself on the right side of healthy with multi-vitamins and a “just-to-be-safe” dose of decongestants when he felt a sniffle coming on, or pressure building in his sinuses. “Everything is on the tray.” He waved a hand in the general direction of where he had left the coffee sitting, sugar and creamer out for Ryan to doctor her mug herself. Small talk hadn’t exactly reached coffee preference the night before.

• • •

TAGGED! Ryan Annalise Nicole King
WORDS! 669!
LYRICS! I Miss You - - Blink 182
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Ryan Annalise Nicole King]

Ryan had had her fair share of waking up the next morning next to a relative stranger. She wasn't by any means a prude, though she would lie through her perfectly straight teeth if her family questioned her. What she wasn't used to was waking up and them having made her breakfast. If they were even still there, it was barely for long. So she was a little beside herself. She liked that Noel had stayed. She liked that he'd made her breakfast, intending to surprise her in bed. It was one night but she found herself thinking she could eat breakfast in bed. And that was one of her hard and fast rules. The bed was for extracurricular activities and sleeping. It wasn't meant for eating in. She'd always been an oddball though. Normal kids, when sick, wanted to be in bed, wrapped up in the duvet, and sleep the days away until they're back to being healthy. While Ryan wanted to sleep the time away until she was better, she liked being outside to do it. Maybe it was because she felt safer around the big cats than she did away from them, there was probably a lot that a shrink could unpack. But she wasn't about to fork over the money to find out. She was happy to be set in her odd little ways.

And even happier still, to know that when she split her time between the shop and the zoo that she would be doing good work towards helping those animals become more self-sufficient. Ryan knew she was walking a fine line of hypocrisy having grown up where she did and disliking zoos so much. But they were far more free-range than any zoo and she knew the significant differences enough to know that fine line was a couple of miles wide at least. She missed the big cats a lot and felt a pang of homesickness at least once a week. So, while it wasn't ideal, she was very happy to have complete access to them at the zoo. She could cuddle and play with the cubs, run her fingers through the thick, tough fur of the mamas and papas and pretend for a little while that she was at home, curled up in the pile with the Cubs, taking a nap with them before being judged awake by one of the adults to get going. It might have been a wild reserve but they knew who helped them and kept them safe from the predators of the Montana plains.

Ryan smiled brightly at Noel. "It locks in place. It's very helpful for any extraneous activities." She teased. "But a fun fact about me, I've always been a little strange like that. I've preferred the outdoors since I was a kid. Under the weather, healthy, everything in-between, I wanted to be curled up outside. It's where I could always be found." There was a very good reason she was considered a weirdo and a freak in her twenty tiny school. She was strange. If it didn't get freezing cold and snow, she would happily spend all her time outdoors. But she couldn't do cold well. She seemed to just freeze faster than most even though she did grow up in the cold winters of Montana. Just another thing in a series of oddities and contradictions that made up, officially, Doctor Ryan King. Just like her habit of having more sugar than coffee in her mug and fancy flavoured cream as opposed to the regular stuff. She had a vicious sweet tooth.

♦ ♦ ♦

TAG; noel caspar kiely
WORDS; 598
LYRICS; Criminal --Lindsey Ell
NOTES; <3