Ruby Red • •

[theodore anthony sterling]

Grand Central was probably the busiest place in the whole of New York City. At least that is what Theo thought. He also thought it was one of the few places where anything could happen and most of the people wouldn't even notice what was going on. It was just a place where people passed through. No one hovered or stuck around for any longer than they needed to. Those who were early, or delayed, found ways to keep busy with the little shops or with snacks and coffee. There was never a chance to meet people, make conversation or appreciate the world from inside Grand Central Station. And yet Theo found it one of the most beautiful places in the whole of New York City. Whenever he was struggling with a role or just having a bad day he liked to come here, providing he had the time to spare. It was a good place for him to think, to look at people and to just watch the world pass him by while he could stay in the moment. Countless times people watching had helped him nail a particular role, pick up the perfect quirks or habits that would define a character and make it his own. Since acting was now his full time occupation he needed the positive reviews from the critics to pour in more than ever, since it was the roles that paid the bills and the more positive the comments, the more likely Theo was to have work offered to him and to receive callbacks for auditions.

Today wasn't about his career though. Today was just about the man. Theo had been so busy lately that when he did have time away from the theatre and the current run of the production he was a part of, he was spending all of that time with his daughter and sister. Issy meant the world to Theo and there wasn't anything that he wouldn't do for her. He hated working such long hours some days when it meant he missed certain things, but he knew it couldn't be helped. This was his dream after all and he had made a promise to Jenny that he would chase it and follow it through no matter the cost. However, while it was brilliant to spend the afternoons with Issy and tuck her in at night with a wonderful bedtime story that everyone would know and love by the time they were Theo's age, a man needed time to himself, too. So while Lilia had taken her niece for the afternoon to pick out some treats for a family night in, Theo had headed out himself, but to Grand Central. The hustle and bustle was soothing to him. Ever since he had developed insomnia in the wake of Jenny's passing, he was not a fan of the silence. He preferred the noise and the commotion that came with day to day life.

Nursing a fresh cup of coffee from the vendor, Theo sat at one of the benches and watched the people passing by. Everyone rushed between the platforms and in his head he made up stories about a few of those who caught his piercing blue eyes. They were ridiculous tales and probably miles from the truth, but it was his own personal escape from his life for a brief while. Soon it would be time for him to return to it and then he would be the doting father again, as well as the confident actor who took on role after role again in the effort to make something of himself. Hopefully one day his name would be one most theatre goers knew well, maybe his career would stretch to the screens, too, but Theo was taking it all one step at a time while Issy was still so young. He checked his watch, but he still had plenty of time before he needed to catch his own ride home. He was thinking about bringing in a take out for dinner when the sound of something hitting the floor caught his attention, snapping him away from thoughts of Chinese and pizzas. Just a few feet away from him rested a book that showed a few signs of love and affection. He stepped up, stooped down and grabbed it, glancing around to see if he could find who dropped it. He took a guess at the figure walking just a little ahead, but there was every chance that he could be wrong. Still, he would never know until he tried. “Excuse me! I think you dropped this?” He held out the book and raised an eyebrow questioningly. If he was wrong then he was wrong, but somehow the Scotsman doubted he was.

• • •

TAGGED! Open!
WORDS! 795!
OUTFIT! Smouldering Scot!
LYRICS! Where Did The Party Go? - - - Fall Out Boy
NOTES! <3

[Nell Riley Mae Deveraux]

It was probably stupid but Nell found she adored running off to Grand Central for a bit of quiet time. It had to be the loudest and the busiest place in the whole of New York but she found peace amongst the busy people and the steady sound of trains coming and going. She should have found solace in the park or hidden away in the public library, where the tales and the silence was endless but no. Nell found herself running off to the train station whenever she needed some time to think and figure out how she felt about things. Today was one of those days where she needed to think about the next step in her life. There was no going back to Stonewall, Lousiana for the Southern girl. There was nothing there but her aunt and uncle. Even her brother left Stonewall. He hadn't gone quite so far, choosing New Orleans but it would take a lot of convincing for Nell to return to that small town she called home for eighteen years. She loved them all dearly, but Aunt Josie and Uncle Rick liked New York and opted to visit her instead.

However, this trip into Grand Central wasn't to think about the past or her family. She was offered another job, an upgrade as it were. They had hired a half dozen or so new nurses and two of them were with her in the Children's ward. It was a lot to think about, because they were offering her the lead of her shift; she would essentially be running the ward, working closer with the doctors and handing out jobs and patients to her nurses. They would go to her with any issues or complaints and she would have to field those accordingly. She was the youngest, as far as she was aware, to be offered the position and it was a great honour to be asked but she didn't know if she had the experience and that was what she was there to think about. She had until the end of the week to make up her mind at least, though she knew herself well and knew it wouldn't take her that long to agree to decline.

Nell gathered her favourite book and made sure her phone and things were in her bag before she headed out, taking the trains to the station. Once she was inside, she felt herself calm right now. It had amused her the first time she realised it calmed her. With it being such a busy place and there was hardly a time when it was quiet at all, it should have driven her mental. But instead, it had the opposite effect on her and she loved that. She tucked Frankenstein under her arm to rifle through her bag for her buzzing phone as she passed by the benchs. She had a seat she liked going to, just in the middle of the place and she was nearly there when she dropped her book. She hadn't felt it slip out of her arm, too busy with her best friend, Andrea's texts to realise she was without her favourite book. And she would have kept going, too, if someone hadn't called out to her about it. Automatically, she looked down at her arm and the empty space there and blushed. "Apparently I did, yes. Thank you. I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost it." Probably buy another copy but this one was special to her. This was one her father had given her just before he'd died. It was silly when she thought about it, to give a six year old a horror like Frankenstein but when he'd read it to her, it hadn't seemed to frightening. She should have been given something a little lighter but her father had loved the scary stories which meant the children did, too.

Tag || theodore anthony sterling
Words || 655
Clothes || Southern Sweetheart
Music || Crystal Ball --Pink
Notes || <3

[theodore anthony sterling]

Theo's life was non-stop hectic these days. He spent long hours at the theatre when he was in a role and then he had to strike a balance with family time, too. Issy was, and always would be, the most important thing in his life. The little girl had her daddy wrapped tightly around her tiny finger and there was nothing that would change that. He sometimes wished that there was more time he could spend with her, but Theo needed to make sure that there was a roof over their heads, food on the table and a future guaranteed for the happy little girl. His job was a demanding one that took up a lot of his time, but he supposed that he had the option of taking a few weeks off at the end of the run of a show if he felt like he really needed it. He didn't have to dive straight back in to auditions if he didn't want to. In the beginning he did it just so he could get his name out there and climb the career ladder quickly. The more progress he could make at the start the easier it might be later on when he would be taking the time off to focus on the important times in Issy's life, or choosing to travel more. Theo wanted to be there for all of those days when she would have school achievements, hobby recitals or sport matches...it was too early to predict what she might grow up to be, but Theo didn't want to miss a minute of it.

Being an actor was never going to be an easy or a steady career choice, but it was the only career that would make Theo happy. He couldn't stand in front of a classroom and teach children the alphabet. He lacked the intelligence or the specific confidence to become a lawyer or a doctor. Nothing in the way of a predictable job that was the same day in and day out was suited to him. Theo thrived on the stage and in front of an audience, which was surprising considering he was such a humble, quiet man if anyone was to bump into him on the street or chat to him over coffee. He didn't necessarily conform to the typical starving actor stereotype, and he never had done. His priorities were always on ensuring that Issy had the best future he could offer her. If that ultimately meant working another job to guarantee a steady income then Theo could swallow his pride to do that, but thankfully, right now, the auditions were coming his way and he was successful at them. He had everything crossed that it stayed that way for the future.

Smiling at the young woman, Theo held the book out to her. “It's not a problem.” He said simply. People always had a way of dropping things when they were in a hurry and it bothered him when others were happier to kick those objects to the side rather than take a moment to pick them up and return them to the owner. Something that looked liked trash to one person might be highly important to another. He was an old fashioned kind of guy though, from an old fashioned Scottish town. It was almost the complete opposite of a place to New York City and Theo sometimes felt like he was out of place here, despite making it his home several years ago and having every intention of staying there. Some things he just couldn't change about himself, not that he ever wanted to. Roots were important, they told a great deal, and they mattered to him more than anything else.

• • •

TAGGED! Nell Riley Mae Deveraux
WORDS! 624!
OUTFIT! Smouldering Scot!
LYRICS! Where Did The Party Go? - - - Fall Out Boy
NOTES! <3

[Nell Riley Mae Deveraux]

New York for Nell was mostly the inside of a hospital building. There were other things as well, she wasn't a shut in. But it was mostly the hospital. She worked stupidly long hours, was always saying she was willing to work more and hardly complained about the workload because she wanted to get where she was going and she wanted the fast track to get there. People around work thought it was because she needed the money but living with her best friend meant splitting the bills and everything else, so money wasn't actually an issue; especially considering she was a nurse and Andy was a fact checker at the New York Journal. Neither of them were hurting for cash and in all honestly, they didn't even need to live together to survive the big apple. But it made things easier on them both and provided them with more in their savings account than if they lived on their own.

And with this potential promotion, Nell would be making even more money than before; which was always nice and meant they could redecorate like they'd been talking about without having to take a small fortune from both their savings accounts. But it meant a lot more responsibility and though Nell knew she could handle it, she was worried some of the older nurses wouldn't listen to what a "kid" like her had to say. it wouldn't matter to some of them that since Nell started at the hospital, she made significant headway in dealing with all the charts scattered everywhere. She and a few of the other nurses were the ones that went to a couple of the doctors and got them to agree to bring in some people to entertain the kids who were permanent residences of the children's ward. It was a big hospital, plenty of people stuck within the walls indefinitely, some only there for a short visit.

Her copy of Frankenstein was old and worn but it was the most precious thing in her possession to her. That book had kept her going when she felt like she would never get through school or anything at all. She usually kept it near her, reaching for it whenever she needed an escape from the outside world. Nell had even lost count how many times she'd opened the book or had Andrea pulling it from her grasp so she wouldn't be late for one of their nights on the town. She had a habit of getting dragged so far into a book that she lost all conception of time itself. There was nothing but her and Dr. Frankenstein's monster. "I would offer to buy you coffee for actually picking up my book instead of just kicking it around or keeping it for yourself but I see you've already gotten yourself one. Is there any way I can repay you?" She asked, chuckling at her little rant. He had a coffee in his hand so that was out but there could be something else; maybe he was hungry!

Tag || theodore anthony sterling
Words || 510
Clothes || Southern Sweetheart
Music || Crystal Ball --Pink
Notes || <3

[theodore anthony sterling]

New York seemed to be where the acting work was for Theo. It was a good things really, and something he had been worried about. Issy was young, but Theo didn't want to uproot her and move her about too much, just for the sake of his own career and success. New York had originally been for Jenny and furthering her blossoming career, so Theo had worried slightly about failing to launch his own out there. Hew knew there was no chance back home, no matter how much he loved and missed Alloa. It was too small a town and not exactly close to anywhere where theatre or even television studios were prominent. He was just lucky that the right people in New York City seemed to be recognising his talent amidst all of the other aspiring actors in the big apple, and that the roles kept coming his way. He didn't know how long Lady Luck would be on his side for, but Theo intended to make the most of it while it lasted.

Issy was his number one priority and she always would be. Theo was a father first and foremost. There was nothing more important to him in the whole world than that little girl. Everything that he did was for her. Issy was the reason he had kept going when Jenny had died. Without Issy Theo didn't want to think about what he might have become. He already went down a dark path, suffered terribly with the grief of losing his wife, his love. Even now he still felt like a huge part of himself was missing and the bouts of insomnia still came to torment him every once in a while for a few weeks at a time, usually close to special dates like her birthday, their anniversary, or Issy's birthday. Theo knew he would never fully get over Jenny's sudden death, but he had been strong for the sake of his daughter, and he would continue to keep fighting on for her, too. She deserved to have the life they had both dreamt of giving her when she was still kicking inside Jenny's belly, and the only photo they had of her was a grainy ultrasound. Theo was determined to give her that.

Theo grinned, glancing down at the branded cup in his hand. It was still pretty close to full with his usual order of coffee, and if he drank too much then he'd be feeling the heart palpitations late into the evening. However, he didn't feel like he didn't repayment of any kind. He had just done a simple good deed, and he liked to think that anyone else would have done the same if they had seen, or if the roles had been reversed. Theo was always dropping things when he was out with Issy, or more specifically, Issy was always dropping things. Strangers were forever handing little things back to him, like her sippy cup or one of her smaller toys that she had grown bored of holding when Theo had picked her up. Some things were lost along the way, but he made sure that if Issy did take one of her favourite toys with her that it never left his line of sight. “Oh, please, there's no need for that. Anyone would have done the same thing.” He said, waving the suggestion off. He was much too kind for his own good at times, just like his mother had always told him. However, Theo wasn't about to suggest lunch, a drink, or anything else to a total stranger. It wasn't his style, and it never had been. He was too polite and mild mannered for the likes of that.

• • •

TAGGED! Nell Riley Mae Deveraux
WORDS! 623!
OUTFIT! Smouldering Scot!
LYRICS! Where Did The Party Go? - - - Fall Out Boy
NOTES! <3

[Nell Riley Mae Deveraux]

Nell had been in big cities since she was eighteen, she knew with only that little bit of experience that people didn't just try to give people back their belongings when they dropped them. If it had been anyone else who'd happened upon her book, she never would have seen it again. It was a trait only found in certain people; and it was mostly those not born and raised in big cities. That specific trait was mostly found in the "country folk" of which Nell was one, even if her accent wasn't what it once was. She was hardly some Southern Belle looking for her Prince Charming. She wanted more out of life than to be some damsel in distress all the bloody time; this moment notwithstanding. She wanted to be the knight in shining armour, helping out those who needed her help in fighting off the curse of illness.

Nell smiled but shook her head. "No, they wouldn't have. They would have picked up my book, thought ‘sweet Frankenstein’ and walked away with it, not even bothering to look up and spot its rightful owner." Nell pointed out because she knew she was right. "Not only did you look for me, you chased after me. So, I'd say that deserves something in return. Unless you have somewhere else you have to be. I'll happily take a rain check but you should just resign yourself to this happening." Nell said with a smile and a laugh. She wasn't leaving Grand Central unless she'd properly repaid this man for being a gentleman. "I'm Nell by the way." She added as she waited for the man to deliberate what he was going to do next.

Nell had never been the type to give up easily, or at all. She played through so many sports simply because someone has said she couldn't do it. She had this insatiable need to prove people wrong. She was small but she was feisty and determined as all get out. If she really wanted something to happen, she would damn well make it happen and no one could tell her otherwise. She had been like that since she was a child. Her family used to laugh and joke that if any of them would ever make something of themselves, it would be her. And now with both her parents gone, she wanted to prove them right. She was the youngest person on the nursing staff to be given the privilege of running the show, so to speak. "So, about lunch?" She asked with hope raising her tone.

Tag || theodore anthony sterling
Words || 431
Clothes || Southern Sweetheart
Music || Crystal Ball --Pink
Notes || <3

[theodore anthony sterling]

Despite the few years Theo had been in New York for now, growing accustomed to city life, he was still the small town boy from Alloa. He was used to cycling the thirty minute journey into Stirling’s city centre whenever he needed something that couldn’t be found in one of the local shops on the old high street. He still found himself blinking at big department stores, baffled by why everything was under one roof and why the employees felt the need to pounce on customers with fake smiles and memorised scripts about the products on sale that week. Theo knew it was all part of the job, but it seemed so false to him and such a foreign concept. Back at home it never happened, and people spoke to the staff when they either needed something or when they were at the counter to pay for their purchases. Everything felt much more real and genuine. However, New York was his home now, it was where he would raise his daughter. He just had the intention of pushing some of his old Scottish values onto her before the city could influence her and turn her into a reproduction of something else.

Despite his occasional cynical thought about the city that never sleeps, Theo tried to be optimistic. It was part of his plan in the last six months or so. It was more for Issy’s sake, rather than his own, but he suspected he might benefit from some positive mood changes, too. He knew he couldn’t wallow in misery forever, but he knew that a part of him would always grieve for the wife he had lost; there was nothing he could do to change that. However, he had to put his best foot forward and move on with his life and try to look at New York for the positives, and not just dwell on the tragedy it had brought his way. He chuckled softly and looked at the petite brunette with an arched eyebrow. “Are you always this cynical?” He asked jokingly, because he honestly didn’t know this stranger well enough to make a judgement. “Maybe I’m just not an arsehole.” He offered with a slight shrug and a smirk. He was forever dropping things, or his daughter was, and people frequently handed things back to him. Maybe it was because a teddy bear or a toy held much more sentimental value in a stranger’s eyes than a book did, but Theo didn’t want to think like that. “Theo.”

He wasn’t stubborn in the slightest, apart from when it came to his career or his own personal issues. Theo dealt with things in his own way, was a very private man and didn’t always share things with his sister. Only if she prodded or pushed would he push back to demand his own space. Most of the time she understood now, but obviously when he was in his darkest place and had the whole family worried things had been different. He didn’t enjoy putting up a fight unless it was choreographed or scripted, and then he rather loved every moment of it. In real life, however, Theo didn’t savour battles of any kind; he didn’t even enjoy fighting with Issy and shoes in the mornings! Rolling his eyes, he caved rather quickly to Nell. “I suppose I could go for a sandwich. Nothing fancy mind, just a quick bite.” He had only returned her book, a sign of the good manners he had been brought up to have. It wasn’t worth anything glamorous or special.

• • •

TAGGED! Nell Riley Mae Deveraux
WORDS! 605!
OUTFIT! Smouldering Scot!
LYRICS! Where Did The Party Go? - - - Fall Out Boy
NOTES! <3

[Nell Riley Mae Deveraux]

Even when Nell had lived in nowhere Louisiana she had never been a small town girl. She hadn't been able to play the sweet, innocent on the outside, wild child on the inside girl because of her past. Everyone saw her and pitied her. She was the little girl whose father died a hero and mother died of a broken heart unable to even take care of her own children after the death of her husband, her soul mate. Nell and her brother had to be the good kids from then, unable to rebel because even then people just thought it was because they had no parents and it would reflect badly on their aunt and uncle. Nell had loved them more than anything because they'd taken them in even when they didn't have to. So she couldn't act out and have people think poorly of them. She had wanted to be anywhere other than her hometown though and her aunt and uncle knew it and had known it since Nell had been a child. She wasn't meant for the country life; at least not in a town that pitied her and her brother.

But now that she was away, she found herself acting more and more country despite leaving small town Louisiana behind at eighteen. Her accent hadn't diminished as much as she would have hoped either. It was especially strong when she was exhausted and it was also usually then when Andy would start asking all sorts of questions just to hear the accent Nell tried so hard to hide. She was still cynical about city folk, even though she had adjusted better than expected to city life and she would guess she always would be simply because it wasn't really in her nature to change her mind once it was made up. "Yes." She said deadpan before laughing at herself. "Not usually. But then I'm not at work so I can feel the emotions I have to hide from the kids out here." She admitted, referring to the world outside the hospital. She tried in vain to keep her emotions in check while she was at work. Those kids she watched over had enough to deal with and she didn't want to add to it by being a cynical bitch or being upset or something silly. So, she compartmentalized her emotions and brought them all out to play once she'd signed out and left the sterile hospital walls behind. “No, you’re definitely not that.” Nell agreed with a smile. Unfortunately, meeting nice guys around New York wasn’t something that happened often enough. In fact, Nell could count on one hand the amount of genuinely nice guys she’d met since moving to New York that were single. The rest were just idiots after one thing and Nell wasn’t the type to go out every night to pick up. One night stands and Nell had never really mixed and she joked now she’d spent her time playing those games in university; she was done with it now.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Theo.” Nell said, genuinely pleased. She was a stubborn girl, everyone knew it. That particular trait was part of the reason she managed to get where she was now at twenty five. Her life was probably bound to get busier but Nell thrived in those situations. And she had already promised her best friend and roommate that she would make time for the fact checker. They were best friends and knew just about everything about each other. And she would make time for whatever else came up. Just because she was getting a promotion, didn’t mean she was going to neglect the fun times. She was only twenty five after all. There would be plenty of time when she was older to settle down. Grinning at her victory however small, Nell nodded her head. “Okay, just a sandwich and a drink. You can’t eat a sandwich without a drink and you know it.” She said, starting towards the small little café nearest them. The great thing about Grand Central was the fact that besides it being an incredible building, it had cafes littering the place for those who were waiting for trains. Nell loved the old buildings of New York but Grand Central, with all its possibilities was her favourite.

Tag || theodore anthony sterling
Words || 724
Clothes || Southern Sweetheart
Music || Crystal Ball --Pink
Notes || <3

[theodore anthony sterling]

Theo couldn’t escape what had happened to him even if he had wanted to. Not only did he have Issy who shared so many of her mother’s physical qualities that it was impossible to ever forget Jenny, but she had been his first love who he had met right back when they still wore their high school uniforms. When he returned to Alloa people offered their condolences and asked him how he was doing in voices that were full of sympathy for the young man. Theo could see in their eyes that they expected him to break down at the loaded question, but he held himself strong. His tears were saved for when he was alone. The same sort of thing happened in New York, too. They had built their lives out there, thinking that the rest of their lives would be spent in marital bliss with a beautiful family in the city that never sleeps. Even now when Theo bumped into old colleagues of his late wife, they asked how things were going and spoke as though her passing was still recent. Of course, for Theo the pain was still raw. He was starting to think that it always might be, but he had Issy to be strong for and she was too innocent and too young to know such grief and pain. Even if he moved he wouldn’t be able to escape his own suffering, so he didn’t see the point in trying. It was a part of him now, it was up to him to not let it become something that defined him.

With Theo’s work he hid everything and nothing. When he was up on the stage no one knew his life story, but he gave them someone else’s. It was just laced with his own true emotions and feelings. Some nights he would cry, feeling his own heart break, but the audience would be watching a different man grieving over a different loss. It was a complicated career, but not something Theo would change for anything. He had worked long and hard to get where he was and he was lucky that the work was coming his way right now. His emotions were key to that, or so he thought anyway. Without them he couldn’t lose himself in some of the meatier roles and fight off strong competition for the stage he desperately needed to be on in order to pay the bills each month. “I suppose that’s….healthy?” He offered up, furrowing his brow and chuckling only slightly as he shook his head. Even after everything he had been through, Theo couldn’t bring himself to be cynical. Life might have dealt him a cruel hand in recent years, but he still counted his blessings. “Well, I’m glad you agree.” He grinned, shoving his hand into his pocket. Even on his worst days Theo found it difficult to be mean or snappy without apologising straight after. If he was playing a bad guy on stage then he usually found himself laughing and apologising at the end of scenes, joking with his cast mates about how bad he felt for fighting with them or calling them something vicious and foul. It might all be pretend, but Theo still felt the need to express how sorry he was.

Smiling, he followed Nell towards the café. “Orange juice does the job just fine.” He said, sidestepping someone who appeared to be running late for their train. It was one of the dangers of hanging about Grand Central, he supposed, but until the day came when he actually came to harm, Theo wasn’t about to quit spending his time there.

• • •

TAGGED! Nell Riley Mae Deveraux
WORDS! 616!
OUTFIT! Smouldering Scot!
LYRICS! Where Did The Party Go? - - - Fall Out Boy
NOTES! <3

[Nell Riley Mae Deveraux]

Nell’s background stayed behind where it happened. She didn’t look back; there was nothing to look back on fondly enough. She stopped believing in Santa when she was six; she knew better when her daddy didn’t come back. She stopped believing in a lot when she was six. But that was also her cross to bear. It also meant that while other kids were running around dreaming about improbable things, Nell was sitting in the back, reading her books and becoming one smart little cookie so she could get into a good school, become a nurse and work towards saving the lives that she could. Try as she might, she hadn’t thought herself smart enough to go the extra mile to become a doctor but she still had time. For now, she was happy as a nurse, helping the children of the ward to get better. And helping the parents of those kids who weren’t likely to see eighteen. It was a hard job but someone had to do it and Nell felt because she lost her parents so young, she understood a little better than most.

Her father’s passing had left quite the hole in her heart that despite the boyfriends and the family, she couldn’t fill. At least, not until she’d gotten to New York and the hospital there. Slowly, she’d felt her heart begin to heal itself with each patient she got to say those happy words to “I have your discharge papers.” Those words to those kids’ ears were like winning the lottery. And it was usually Nell who got to say them. It made up for quite a lot that she’d missed out on in life. And while she still had her brother and the aunt and uncle that raised them. She wouldn’t return to Louisiana any time soon. She’d even told her Aunt Josie and Uncle Rick that they weren’t allowed to die when they buried her mother. They had to live forever and as childish as it was, Nell still told them that every time she called home or they called her.

Still, Nell made her life her own and it worked for her. The long hours and the lack of sleep didn’t bother her, that was what coffee and energy drinks were for. And seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces when she went to check on them made the exhaustion worth it. Nell shook her head, laughing at herself. “That would probably make more sense if I’d told you I was a nurse on the children’s ward. Soon to be the head nurse of my shift if I accept the position.” She said, not quite sure why she would tell a complete stranger about her current predicament. It was exciting and meant she was a step closer to what she wanted out of life but at the same time she was twenty five, she would be in charge on an entire shift. That meant any problem that came up, the other nurses would turn to her for advice on how to fix it. It was a lot of pressure. But Nell felt like she was up to the challenge. She had come down to Grand Central to get a little perspective and some time alone with her thoughts. “Orange juice is an excellent source of vitamin C and I’m apparently still at work. Sorry.” Nell said, laughing at herself when she realised she’d been talking shop. With ease, Nell moved through the busy train station, side stepping a couple people in a rush and slipping into the sectioned off area she had been heading towards to take a seat at one of the small bistro sets. “So, what do you fancy?” She asked, picking up the little plastic encased menu stuck between the salt and pepper shakers.

Tag || theodore anthony sterling
Words || 636
Clothes || Southern Sweetheart
Music || Crystal Ball --Pink
Notes || <3

[theodore anthony sterling]

Theo had always been content with the simple things in his life. He hadn’t been like his older brother Alan who aimed to be the greatest at everything. Theo was happiest just doing what he loved, and being with the people he cared about most of all. He didn’t want to have the job that paid the greatest wage, or drive the fanciest car, or live in the penthouse. Those things could be nice, but none of them guaranteed happiness. His happiness had been found in the school yard when he met Jenny, on every stage he had ever performed on, and when he picked up his daughter. There was no stronger emotion than the one Theo felt when he was around Issy. It was an amalgamation of feelings, but there weren’t any words for how much Theo loved his little girl. There was nothing else in the world more important that the blue eyed beauty that was Issy Sterling. He’d move mountains for her if she needed her daddy to, and she wouldn’t ever need ask.

He would probably never return to Scotland permanently. He hadn’t been home since Jenny’s funeral back in Alloa, the place where their love had blossomed. Since then Theo had needed to focus on finishing up school, taking care of Issy, and making sure the life that had been built in New York didn’t fall apart. It hadn’t allowed for Christmases back in Alloa, or summers visiting his parents. One day that might change, but his priorities would always be making sure that Issy was secure and safe first. He needed to get some jobs under his belt now, make his name known with a few more runs of shows. Maybe then he would have a little more of a presence in the acting community to be able to take a few weeks off to fly home without worrying about missing auditions or slipping off the radar entirely. It might have been a ridiculous fear, but Theo wanted this to work out for himself. He wanted to be able to make a career out of his passion, just like he had always dreamt of before Jenny had passed.

Though he hoped he would never have to switch his job for another, Theo would if Issy would benefit more from it. His life was focused on making hers the best it could be. He was a single dad and he didn’t want that to be how her life was defined when she was older and running around the school yard with her classmates; the little girl who ma had died when she was just a few days old. “Aye, that it would.” Theo agreed with a short nod of his head. “You thinking about not accepting it?” He asked, not intending to pry but purely trying to make conversation on what Nell was saying. He understood that some people had honest, legitimate reasons for turning down job offers and promotions. He had turned down a role with a touring production two months ago because he hadn’t felt ready to cart Issy all over the country. She was too young for that lifestyle and he didn’t want to pass her onto random people when he was needed to rehearse or perform. It might have paid more and granted him excellent exposure, but it hadn’t been in his or Issy’s best interest. Chuckling, Theo shoved his hands into his pockets out of habit more than anything else. “It’s fine. I hear that and more on the kid’s channels.” Issy might have been too young to understand most of the stuff on some of the shows, but she favoured others, and they all had bright colours and terrible songs that seemed to appeal to toddlers. Theo didn’t need a menu to make his decision. He was a simple man with simple tastes. “Just a cheese sarnie will do me.” He said with a small smile.

• • •

TAGGED! Nell Riley Mae Deveraux
WORDS! 665!
OUTFIT! Smouldering Scot!
LYRICS! Where Did The Party Go? - - - Fall Out Boy
NOTES! <3

[Nell Riley Mae Deveraux]

The only thing the petite nurse had ever wanted from life was to get out of Louisiana and to become a nurse. She crossed one off her list when she was eighteen and a few years later, she crossed the other one of her list. From that, she didn’t have anything else she really wanted to accomplish. She would have been content to spend the rest of her life as nothing more than a low level nurse, taking care of the sick kids, the grumpy geriatrics or the group in between that were under her care for that shift. She would have been happy with that but she was excited for the prospect of heading her own shift, working closer with the doctors and it meant she wouldn’t be hopping all over the place with her shifts, they’d be fairly straight forward; which after the last few years, would be quite nice.

She wasn’t ungrateful, there were plenty of people out there that didn’t have a job at all and were left wondering how they were going to get food on their tables from one day to the next. She was quite lucky and the raise in pay meant new furniture for the apartment and she could splurge on the really cute boots she’d seen in the window on a shop. She could afford them, if she didn’t mind waving goodbye to an entire paycheck. She loved the boots but she loved a roof over her head and a padded savings account a hell of a lot more. She wanted to be comfortable and though the designer kicks would have been a great investment, they weren’t one that would give her a return in five to ten years. Nell only thought about the future when she thought about money. She didn’t have a five, ten or twenty year plan. She had investments and savings accounts and those were her plans for the future.

One day she would love to have a family and kids but outside of work, home and the night club, her attitude kind of sucked. She hadn’t been born and raised a New Yorker but she fit the bill pretty damn well in most cases. Nell laughed, shaking her head. “Oh, I’m going to take it. It’s an incredible opportunity. I won’t be working late on Fridays, weekends off to do with what I please.” She said, taking a deep breath at all the possibilities. “And I get to spend more time with the kids and the doctors. I actually get more of a say in their care instead of just taking orders.” That was the selling point for Nell if ever there was one. She didn’t want to be a doctor, she didn’t want to have that responsibility. But she did want more of a say. Sometimes she thought things would be better if they were done another way and she couldn’t implement those ideas because there was someone above her. And now, at least for her shift, there wouldn’t be. “Those kids need more stability.” Nell said softly, more to herself then to her companion before shaking her head and bringing herself to the present and her current company. “Okay. I’m getting their BLT. It’s wonderful.” Nell said, not pressing the matter.

Tag || theodore anthony sterling
Words || 593
Clothes || Southern Sweetheart
Music || Crystal Ball --Pink
Notes || <3

[theodore anthony sterling]

Theo had once had everything he had ever dreamed of, and then fate had been cruel enough to snatch that from him. Losing Jenny had been a blow he never thought he would recover from. Even now the grief was still great, and he found himself wishing that she was still alive to see their little girl grow up, to hear his tales when he came home from a day at the theatre. There was a void in his life ever since she had passed away. Theo had forced himself back out there, even started dating again, but as much as he had loved Meg, there had still be a part of him that longed to see Jenny again. He couldn’t help it and he knew that that desire would always be there. Jenny had been his childhood sweetheart, his wife, and the mother of his baby girl. No matter what life threw his way next nothing could change that, and he would always wish that things had been a little different, even if it was just for Issy’s sake more than his own.

His daughter came before his own wellbeing. Theo made every decision with Issy in mind first. He wanted her to be happy, to be safe, and to grow up wanting for nothing. He couldn’t bring her mother back, but he could love her with every fibre of his being and he hoped that would be enough. Already he planned to make sure that the little girl knew everything there was to know about the woman who had brought her into the world. Jenny wouldn’t be some forgotten woman, or a face in a photograph. He wanted Issy to know about the woman she would never have a chance to spend time with. He wanted her to at least know stories, feel some kind of connection to her mother. He didn’t know if he would ever meet someone, marry again, or just spend his life on the stage only playing the role of a lover. Theo didn’t dedicate too much time to those thoughts either. If such a thing happened to happen, then so be it, but he wasn’t really the type to worry about it since he was content at the moment with being a father and being an actor.

“Then maybe try not to look so worried.” Theo suggested with a friendly smile. “You looked as though the world is about to end, rather than someone who’s going places.” He chuckled lightly and sat back in his seat. Reading people was something he seemed to have gotten better at after putting on a false expression of coping for so long. At least now he didn’t have to pretend so much, apart from on dates when his memories of Jenny came back the strongest. He rarely ever called people out on it, knowing from his own experience how annoying it could be when people pressed and pushed for details that didn’t want to be shared. Theo might talk to Lilia if she brought up the date or the memory, but even then he would just say that it was tough, like always, and then retreat back into himself. Theo had always dealt with it internally because that was the type of guy he was. He didn’t want to pour his feelings out to a stranger, or even a friend. The people who needed to know his story knew, and they knew enough without him needing to rehash it with them time and time again. “I’ll take your word for it, and maybe remember it for next time I’m down this way.”

• • •

TAGGED! Nell Riley Mae Deveraux
WORDS! 611!
OUTFIT! Smouldering Scot!
LYRICS! Where Did The Party Go? - - - Fall Out Boy
NOTES! <3