Atlas
•
WRA Community Assistant
Posts: 124
Likes: 115
Gender: Female
|
Post by Atlas on Feb 13, 2016 17:29:45 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by Ricardo Lionheart on Mar 6, 2016 23:30:13 GMT -5
Rewards for Aces High after Idle Master Open: 4th in Open Class: +170,000 CR 9th in Open Class: +120,000 CR
Total: +290,000 CR
|
|
|
|
Post by Ricardo Lionheart on Mar 14, 2016 8:46:28 GMT -5
Rewards after CataluNYA: 20th: +110,000 CR 28th: +100,000 CR
Total: +210,000 CR
Comment: "Dude, did you see how badly Andreas was getting roughed up? After the great run at Motegi, he got freaking pummeled ;( " -- @andreaswaifuforlife
|
|
|
|
Post by Ricardo Lionheart on Mar 26, 2016 17:28:17 GMT -5
Rewards after Aeternam Round 1: Andreas Brunestund, 20th: +100,000 CR, +1 League Point Takashi Kogasa, 27th: +100,000 CR, +1 League Point
Total: +200,000 CR, +2 League Points
Comment: "Hang in there, Kogasa-san! You'll be the one who'll shine soon!" -- anon fan
|
|
|
|
Post by Ricardo Lionheart on Apr 4, 2016 23:31:21 GMT -5
Rewards after Aeternam Round 2: Kogasa, 20th: +100,000 CR, +1 League Point Andreas, DNF: +100,000 CR
Total: +200,000 CR, +1 League Point
Queen of Hearts has been TOTALED and cannot be used in future events.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ricardo Lionheart on Apr 19, 2016 23:16:05 GMT -5
Rewards after Aeternam Round 3: Andreas, 20th: +100,000 CR Kogasa, 27th: +100,000 CR Total: +200,000 CR
|
|
|
Formidable
•
WRA Administration
Posts: 618
Likes: 570
Gender: Male
|
Post by Formidable on May 3, 2016 15:14:49 GMT -5
Rewards for AESS R4 Andreas 13th: 130,000 CR Takashi 16th: 100,000 CR ________________________ Total: 230,000 CR End of Season rewards will be handed out in the coming weeks
|
|
|
Formidable
•
WRA Administration
Posts: 618
Likes: 570
Gender: Male
|
Post by Formidable on May 14, 2016 20:54:45 GMT -5
Rewards for AESS:
Team - 15th - 1,100,000 Andreas - 28th - 500,000 Takashi - 26th - 500,000 ________________________ Total: 2,100,000 CR
|
|
|
|
Post by Ricardo Lionheart on Jul 28, 2016 21:21:31 GMT -5
Total Rewards before Season 2 start: 3,430,000 CR
|
|
|
maikoheart
•
WRA Administration
Posts: 642
Likes: 514
Gender: Female
|
Post by maikoheart on Aug 9, 2016 19:40:22 GMT -5
J-Speed GT Masters R1 Rewards:
Simon Hunt, 4th: +170,000 CR Thomas Hunt, 13th: +90,000 CR Flora Earthlight, 16th: +75,000 CR AND +600,000 CR for beating 12 Rivals
Total: +935,000 CR
Great start!
|
|
|
maikoheart
•
WRA Administration
Posts: 642
Likes: 514
Gender: Female
|
Post by maikoheart on Aug 11, 2016 21:28:40 GMT -5
Sponsor Objective Updates after JSA GT Masters R1 * = Title + = Primary In GT Endurance AM: Best Result by Simon Hunt, 4th of 28, 6 places GAINED *J&S Formalwear: PASSED, +24 Re., +600,000 CR (this is already totaled above in the winnings post) +Arena Motorsport: PASSED, +10 Re., +7,500 CR Ultimatum Garage: PASSED, +10 Re., +5,000 CR
Overall status J&S Formalwear: 124 Respect, 26 more for 1.5 x CR Rewards, +5 Respect towards a newly signed SponsorArena Motorsport: 110 Respect, 90 more for 150% of Normal CR Rewards, +5 Respect for newly signed SponsorsUltimatum Garage: 110 Respect, 40 more for -10% off ALL stages of Body upgradesTotal: + 12,500 CR (excluding J&S)
|
|
|
Atlas
•
WRA Community Assistant
Posts: 124
Likes: 115
Gender: Female
|
Post by Atlas on Aug 22, 2016 13:54:15 GMT -5
Aces High Chronicles
Part 1: Racing in Circles
(Simon's POV - one day before round 2 at Mount Panorama)
At this moment in time, despite being deep in work for Aces High's musical side of things, Simon was perplexed by something.
His father Thomas had been acting strange ever since the end of J-Speed's round 1 at Adelaide. From what intel that Simon could gather on his own, it seemed to stem from another team racing that day. He didn't exactly figure out which team yet, however.
But something else strange happened when the placing ceremony occurred: the Wesley's Angels drivers all seemed to have different reactions than the rest of the crowd. The second his name was called out, each driver had different reactions
Their male driver, Kane Washington, looked pissed. Sure, being upset at a sixteen-year-old finishing before you - never mind in fourth - was understandable, but he looked like he was holding a forgotten grudge...
Bree Wesley, the future matriarch, seemed shocked about his fourth place win for understandable reasons.
Elizabeth just seemed very confused by her fellow drivers' reactions.
It was only then that Simon remembered that his father was behind him the entire time, and it only got worse when his father placed a hand on his shoulder and their reactions got worse.
...Oh shit.
"Simon?" Fellow driver Flora Earthlight interrupted Simon's thought process, standing from his doorway.
Looking up, Simon smiled. "Hey, Flora. What's going on?"
Flora sighed softly. "Has your father shown up at all this morning? I haven't heard much from his office so far today..."
Simon's eyes widened in surprise. "That's... That's very much unlike my father. He's here every day." He stood up from his seat at his desk. "I'll go check on him. Can you do me a favor and double check to make sure these band sponsor contracts aside from RGB3's are all ready to go? I'd like this tertiary band sponsor playlist for Aces High to be ready to go by the first round of IMAS at the very latest."
"Yes, of course." Flora gave a slight nod as she sat in his open seat.
"Thank you, Flora. Please specify that they will be in both compact disc format and digital download format."
Flora nodded again as she sifted through the papers. "Yes, sir."
Simon smiled. "Thank you, Flora. Hopefully, this won't take that long. See you in a bit."
"Goodbye, Simon. See you soon."
(Thomas' POV - half an hour later)
Why did his past have to come back to haunt him?
Thomas was already one glass of scotch in for the day, and it was only 12:30 PM. He sat on the couch in his and Simon's condominium, his second glass of his aforementioned drink of choice in his hand. (Because he poured quite a bit of cash into this endeavor, he and Simon agreed on a housing downgrade.) The television ran a news segment in the background, and he sighed deeply, stuck in his own thoughts.
He heard the door open and shut from the next room, followed by "Dad?"
"In here, Simon," Thomas replied dryly.
Footsteps echoed through the room as Simon entered. "It's race day tomorrow," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone. Why aren't you doing anything for our interviews tomorrow?" His face soured a bit. "Really, Dad? A scotch already?"
Thomas sighed. "Don't chastise me, Simon."
Simon crossed his arms. "I don't want you going into round 2 with a hangover, Dad. Looks bad not just for you, but the whole team as well."
A pause, then, "...I know."
"Then stop and tell me what's been going on with you since Adelaide."
Shaking his head, Thomas stood up and started walking away. "No."
"It has something to do with Wesley's Angels, doesn't it?"
Thomas stopped dead in his tracks.
Simon eased up a bit. "I'll take that as a yes."
"Why are you instigating this, Simon?"
"Because I care about your well-being, Dad, and in order for it to change, you have to talk about this..."
"I don't want to."
Simon's face softened at how his father almost sounded like he was giving up on the conversation. "Dad. Look at me." When Thomas did as Simon said, the younger boy sighed. "You don't have to tell anyone but me. Not even Flora has to know." He frowned. "Please tell me what happened, Dad..."
Letting out a breath, Thomas nodded. "Fine. Sit down. It's kind of a long story."
"I'm willing to hear all of it." Simon insisted firmly.
Thomas nodded as they both sat down. "Alright, so... How much research did you do on me?"
Simon sighed. "Enough to let you adopt me."
"How much do you know about my personal life exactly...?"
"I know about two ex-girlfriends, director Priya Singh and fashion designer Marianne Delacroix, since they were pretty much the two big ones."
Thomas nodded. "Alright, well... during my stint at Hollywood University before I took a leave of absence, I was very much a professor that at least half of my students had a crush on."
Simon rolled his eyes and chuckled, watching Thomas sip his scotch. "Sounds about right."
Putting the glass down, Thomas continued. "There was one particular student that I had affections for in return... A young woman that challenged me in ways that I never thought another woman could." He sighed. "Her name? Bree Wesley."
"...I beg your pardon?" Simon's look of shock was immense.
"Nothing happened until she was no longer my student, I promise."
Simon nodded slowly. "And how messy did things end...?"
Thomas shook his head as he shifted on the seat. "It never ended messy between the two of us..."
"Why do I feel a 'but' coming?"
Finishing his glass, Thomas pushed it away as he answered. "Kane Washington was Bree's best friend, and we got into a fist fight before I skipped town because I broke her heart. I... Well, I deserved it." He sighed, and for the first time since they met, Simon saw Thomas with tears in his eyes. "I thought I was never good enough for her, anyway. That's why I left even though we were engaged... I poured my heart and soul out for that girl, and I screwed it all up."
Simon wrapped his arms around his father in a hug. "Dad, stop blaming yourself, okay? You can't let it get to you, especially when we're racing against them tomorrow. Power through this. And with me here, I'll make damn sure that you do that." He paused. "Now, no more alcohol for you. We have work to do."
Thomas pushed back his emotions for the moment and nodded. "Right." He smiled. "Thank you."
"No problem, Dad." Simon smiled back. "C'mon, Flora's worried sick about you."
Giving another nod, Thomas wrapped an arm around Simon as they left their condo to get back to Aces High.
|
|
|
maikoheart
•
WRA Administration
Posts: 642
Likes: 514
Gender: Female
|
Post by maikoheart on Sept 1, 2016 0:15:58 GMT -5
J-Speed GT Masters R1 Rewards:
Simon Hunt, 7th: +98,000 CR Thomas Hunt, 19th: +56,000 CR Flora Earthlight, 21st: +80,000 CR AND +500,000 CR for beating 10 Rivals
Total: +734,000 CR
Sponsor Objectives * = Title + = Primary In GT Endurance AM: Best Result by Simon Hunt, 7th of 28, 3 places GAINED *J&S Formalwear: PASSED, +24 Re., (CR is already totaled above in the winnings post) +Arena Motorsport: PASSED, +10 Re., +7,500 CR Ultimatum Garage: PASSED, +10 Re., +5,000 CR
Sponsor totals: +12,500 CR
Grand Weekend Total: +746,500 CR
|
|
|
Atlas
•
WRA Community Assistant
Posts: 124
Likes: 115
Gender: Female
|
Post by Atlas on Dec 2, 2016 22:02:12 GMT -5
It had been an interesting couple of weeks for the Aces High team. With the arrival of four new drivers and three new engineers, the company - or rather, racing family - had expanded.
Guy Fox was mostly the chef at Aces High for now as well as an engineer for the team. He started making food for all of the team meetings, and his specialty - of course - was burgers of any kind.
Belinda Northrop was a little rough around the edges when she arrived, but she’s made very good friends with Flora by this point, getting to the point where they’d share traditions that they would normally celebrate at home together.
Yeong-Ja Song hadn’t arrived, but her contract was signed. She wouldn’t be with the team in time for Autopolis weekend, which would be a shame, but they could wait one more weekend. From what Thomas had seen as far as composure via video chats, she kept herself poised and soft-spoken as well as maintain a fresh positive insight.
As for drivers, the most excited of the three was Penelope Ramone, naturally. She’d always follow Simon or Thomas around, asking questions about how they did things at the racing headquarters and getting excited when she could help them out with little things.
Rhiannon kept mostly to herself at headquarters, but she warmed up to Thomas and his fatherly personality faster than the others. She looked up to him as a godfather of sorts, even if she was a bit too shy to admit it.
...then there was Michael Hoshi.
If there was a word Simon could use to describe Michael, it would be nonreceptive. Michael didn’t talk very much, his voice in monotone when he did speak. The girls found him very unapproachable even for being just a sixteen-year-old, unreadable to most others. Simon only knew the boy for about a week, so he figured that he would be more social with time.
Michael was moved into the condominium that Simon and his father shared, while Penelope and Rhiannon were taking temporary refuge in Flora’s apartment for the rest of the season. This was to provide a bonding experience for the drivers of the same gender if they stayed together in close quarters.
Only time would tell if this was going to stay a beneficial experience.
~~~~~
12:00 midnight; the Monday after Sepang weekend
Simon laid awake in his bed, restless. His hands were folded over his chest, feeling it move in coordination with his breaths.
There was an unusual faint light coming from the window, sparking Simon’s curiosity. He sat up in his bed and tried to look out of the window, but he couldn't find the source. Figuring that he wasn't going to bed anytime soon, Simon sighed and got out of bed to go investigate.
Michael was sitting on the fire escape of the condominium complex, his stare still blank as he lit up a new cigarette. He sniffled, not out of sadness but out of congestion.
“Can’t sleep?” Simon asked out of the blue from the now open window positioned by the fire escape.
With a shrug, Michael doesn’t respond verbally as he brings the cigarette to his lips.
Simon sighed quietly, exiting the window and making it safely to the fire escape before closing the window silently. “At least it’s a nice night.”
Michael removed the cigarette from his lips and let out a puff. “Eh…”
Realizing that he wasn’t going to get anywhere with Michael using just small talk, Simon sat down next to him.
Silence hung over the two for a few moments as both of them looked out at the stars.
To Simon’s surprise, Michael was the first of the two of them to speak after taking a sip from his cola can. “Pick a star out of the sky.”
Blinking, Simon is taken aback by the statement slightly. “Excuse me?”
“Pick a star out of the night sky. I don’t give a shit about which one. Just pick one.” Michael put the cigarette back to his lips.
Simon took a deep breath, scanning the sky and locating a star that was close to the shoreline of the beach - right by the lighthouse. He pointed. “That one.”
Michael nodded blankly. “How long do you think it’s gonna last up there tonight?”
His curiosity peaked due to the appeal of one of his favorite sciences, Simon shifted where he was sitting, getting a little closer to Michael to hear him better. “In general or just the visibility to the human eye?”
“Either.”
Simon sighed. “It’ll probably dim at the end of the night.”
Michael stubbed out his used cigarette. “You’re being generous when you say that.”
“...I beg your pardon?”
“That star’s gonna burn out any second now.”
Almost as if on cue, the star Simon happened to point out slowly dimmed to black.
Michael took another sip from his cola can. “Told you.”
Simon blinked again. “How did you know?”
The redhead shrugged and lit up another cigarette. “Because that’s how stars are, Simon. They’re born from the dust of their astral ancestors. They burn brightly in the of night accompanied by other stars and the light of the moon…” He sighed. “And then they die in a slow burn of a death, unseen by the naked eye.” He moved the new cigarette to his lips, and Simon could notice his hands trembling - from what, he wasn’t sure. “Yet we won’t notice that it was even here tomorrow night. We’ll think it’s another star.”
Nodding, Simon listened to the usually silent boy talk, his voice monotone yet crisp to the ears.
Michael gulped the rest of his cola can, keeping the empty container in his still trembling hand as he continued to speak. “You would know a lot about being a star, wouldn’t you? Member of a boyband, an Endurance driver that has yet to fall below the top ten in any race he enters...” He paused. “I used to know what being a star felt like. I don’t even remember that Mikey that everyone keeps telling me is still inside of me. I’m honestly sure that it’s gone by now.”
Simon opened his mouth to speak, but Michael held up a finger as he inhaled his cigarette again.
Once the object was away from Michael’s lips, he spoke again - hoarse from the smoke inhalation of the cigarette at first. “You and I have a lot in common with the stars up there, Simon. We were born, we burn brightly now, and one day… we’re gonna die. Our careers are going to be even more short-lived than our lives. My old life ended with my career.”
“But it’s not over, Michael.” Simon said boldly, standing up. “It’s not over for either of us. I won’t let you derail yourself like this.”
Michael looked up at him. “What the fuck are you talking about, Hunt?”
Simon gave a stern look down at Michael. “What I’m saying is that you still have a chance, Michael. The new you has only just begun. You can’t dwell on this past life because it’s not who you are anymore and you probably won’t be the same. I am the only one that matches your caliber on this team - whether you know it or not, and whether you like it or not. We’re more alike than you think, Michael. And you want your revenge in IMAS, right? Then let’s get you back out there on the track. Your star hasn’t burned out yet. We can dominate IMAS - together. We can make sure Aces High gets a chance at that championship - together.” He watched him stand up, holding out his hand to shake. “Are you in?”
To that, Michael had to think. Why the fuck did Simon care so much? It wasn’t like he was the one running the team - that was his father’s job - but it was at this point Michael realized a few things.
One: Simon and Thomas were more alike than he realized. Their ambitions were different, sure, but their core - the fact that they shared the same compassion for their co-drivers that made them the same.
Two: He realized Simon was right when they were on the same caliber. There was a chance they could take this - a good one.
Giving Simon’s hand a glance for a long moment, a veiled attempt at a smile - that’s a shocker - made its way onto Michael’s face as he shook Simon’s hand firmly. “I’m in.”
Unable to hide his grin, Simon let go of Michael’s hand and patted his shoulder, to which Michael twitched noticeably. “Sorry, sorry!”
Michael let out a breath, which was probably a faint attempt at a laugh, but Simon was unsure until he spoke. “You’re forgiven… for now.”
Simon laughed. “Good. Now, you sleep on my bed. I’ll take the couch. You gotta take care of yourself a bit better, okay?”
“Whatever you say… partner.” Michael gave a thumbs up, his facial expression not changing as the two climbed back into Simon’s bedroom.
“Goodnight, Michael.” Simon stood and made sure Michael got into the bed before leaving the room. He laid down on the couch, quickly falling asleep.
Thomas didn’t bother questioning the two boys the next morning - Michael seemed to, well, not be in better spirits, but have this glint of something in his eyes now even though his blank stare stayed the same.
Whatever Simon tried, Thomas thought, it worked.
|
|
|
Atlas
•
WRA Community Assistant
Posts: 124
Likes: 115
Gender: Female
|
Post by Atlas on Dec 27, 2016 15:51:19 GMT -5
Aces High Chronicles: Reunion Special (Simon’s POV, the first full day after getting back from Silverstone)
“I’m glad you two are getting the hang of each other.”
Thomas Hunt was driving his daily – a very old Pontiac Trans AM – as his son, Simon, and fellow driver Michael Hoshi sat in the back seats.
Simon smiled. “Glad you like the improvement.” He looked down at his phone and noticed something pop up in his notifications. “Flora and Penelope are racing each other so early in the week?” He blinked, looking at the picture closer and his eyes widened. “And someone’s racing them in my car?!”
Michael looked over. “Why the hell would someone use your car, Simon? I share your father’s car, and Flora and Penelope have their own.”
“I don’t know. Maybe Guy is testing my car with new brakes?”
“That would explain it, I guess…”
“Regardless,” Thomas interrupted, “we’re high-tailing it back to HQ.”
Michael sighed. “You try way too hard to be cool, Mr. Hunt.”
Thomas laughed softly. “I wasn’t trying.”
“Good, because that was terrible.”
Simon burst out laughing and put down his phone as Thomas continued to drive back.
Thomas smiled and rolled his eyes. “We'll get to the bottom of that, Simon. I promise.”
Fifteen minutes later…
Simon took a deep breath as he stepped out onto the paddock for their training track. Michael was beside him, his father behind them both.
Flora pulled up next to them, in Thomas's car, and rolled her window down. “Ah, welcome back! I was just going out for a spin with my new little friend here.” She patted a blonde girl's head.
Leaning over, Simon recognized the girl. “Eleanor?!”
“Simon!!” The blonde fourteen-year-old giggled as she got out of Flora’s car to hug him.
Eleanor was a bit on the stocky side, her blonde hair usually in short pigtails that complemented her brown eyes. She was a fan of school-girl jumpers, and paired with a pair of Mary Jane shoes, the ensemble quickly became her signature look.
“Wait… If you're here,” Simon asked, “where are Brittany, Charlene and Jeanette?”
“B-Behind you, Simon.” A beautiful brunette girl a few months younger than Simon smiled and hugged him from behind. “Rhiannon was just showing me her collection of literature from Welsh-born writers!”
Jeanette was Simon’s height and very slender. She had long brown hair that was always tied up in a big bun with purple ribbon. She dressed for comfort, so it wouldn’t be out of the norm to spot her in jeans, sneakers and large comfy sweaters.
Simon grinned, noticing Brittany and Charlene get out of Flora and Penelope’s car. “And there's the drama queens.”
“Oh please, Mr. Top Ten Amateur Racer!” Seventeen-year-old Brittany waved a hand.
“You're just lucky I'm not a professional racer yet,” Charlene added on.
Brittany and Charlene were cousins, less than a year apart in age. Brittany was very much attached to the color pink, pairing the color with pastels as often as possible to match her pony-tailed auburn hair. Charlene’s hair was golden and in a ponytail that went to her back, always in the color red somehow. Both girls despised each other, being rivals in everything from solos to fashion to boys. Most of the group took Brittany’s side in their arguments because of Charlene’s true colors shining through – though they were still contractually stuck with her for the next few months.
“And dear God, I'd be dead if you were, Charlene,” Simon muttered back.
The comment earned a giggle from each of the other girls just before Brittany and Charlene eventually joined the group hug.
Simon’s eyes widened when he saw his car pass by. “Uh… who's in there?”
Jeanette giggled. “You'll see!”
He nodded slowly, raising an eyebrow as he saw the car pull up to the paddock.
“Alvin, you gotta not drive so fast…” Fourteen-year-old Theodore said almost as if in pain. “I'm queasy…”
“You'll be okay, Theo,” eighteen-year-old Alvin replied before grinning at Simon. “There he is!”
Simon was in disbelief. “Alvin! Theodore!” The girls let him go before he rushed over to hug his bandmates. “God, I missed you guys so much…”
Alvin rubbed his back. “We missed you too, Si.”
Both Alvin and Theodore had bright blue eyes that always had a spark to them. Alvin was a bit more muscular than Simon and slightly taller, whereas Theodore was like Eleanor: short and stocky. Alvin was the “lead” singer and guitarist of the band that was an adrenaline junkie (why he wasn’t the first of the RGB3 boys in the racing industry? God only knows); Simon played both bass and keyboard; while Theodore was their drummer and a food enthusiast.
Michael looked on with almost a sense of longing toward the six teenagers, his face falling a bit.
It was at this moment that Charlene recognized him. “Oh my God, you’re Michael Hoshi!” She swooned and leaned onto his shoulder.
“Get off of me,” Michael said with a suddenly angry and subtle twitch.
“What? I thought you liked girls on your arm!”
Michael shook his head, visibly angry. “I’m not like that anymore.”
Charlene’s eyes widened. “But you get all those love letters from so many girls around the world!”
“Yeah? I never wrote back.”
“Why didn’t you?! Especially to mi-”
“Because I don’t fall in love with strangers?! Is that fucking good enough for you, princess?! No girl should expect a letter back from me by now.” Michael pushed Charlene off of him.
“Hey, don’t touch me like that!” Charlene went to slap Michael, but someone caught her wrist.
“I don’t want a fight on our hands, guys,” Simon voiced quietly. “Please.”
Michael paused, sighing and nodding once to him, something undecipherable in his eyes that resembled shock.
“Fine! Girls, we’re going back to our hotel room!”
Brittany shook her head. “No, you mean your hotel room. Jean, Ellie and I are staying here.”
Charlene huffed. “Fine!”
“Shut the door on your way out,” Simon retorted as she walked off.
Thomas took a deep breath. “Thank goodness that’s over…” He sighed and looked to the remaining girls at FemAffinity. “The three of you are still free to stay here for the rest of the season. Charlene, however… I don’t want to see her here again.”
Jeanette nodded quickly. “W-We understand, sir! If she stalks us, though, we make no promises…”
Thomas sighed and nodded, patting her shoulder. “Alright. Why don’t we all get inside? It’s going to get dark soon.”
Most of the group agreed and quietly headed inside, the family with yet another new expansion before the end of the season.
|
|
|
Atlas
•
WRA Community Assistant
Posts: 124
Likes: 115
Gender: Female
|
Post by Atlas on Jan 29, 2017 1:10:07 GMT -5
Aces High Chronicles: Embers (OOC: So after some discussion with Momoko Murasama about Thomas's relationship with Scuderia Pergusa, this inevitably happened. A direct follow-up is to come.)~~~
It had been a rough few weeks for Thomas mentally.
All of it had started with the first week of IMAS, when he had gotten home and seen footage of Bree Wesley’s crash. It got him thinking about his last movie before taking a Hollywood hiatus. It was a movie depicting the race career of the now late Jade Sebringson. He had met most of the team that was with Jade in the last few years of her life - especially her sister, Amber. Despite the distance of his current team to her own, Thomas still kept occasional touch with her as their current racing series progressed.
“Do what you need to do, Dad. Take a day or two to grieve.”
With those words from his son in mind, Thomas took a few days out of his schedule to make a run to Scuderia Pergusa’s headquarters.
Thomas held a slim box in his hand after knocking on the garage door at Scuderia Pergusa headquarters.
After a few moments, Stefano di Fiorano opened the door and looked at him in surprise. “Ah, Thomas. To what do I owe the pleasure of your sudden appearance?”
For a moment, Thomas didn’t speak. He tapped his fingers on the box a bit. “I’m… here to see the garage. I just want to look around. I know you’re probably busy, but-”
“Please come in, Thomas. You did a great honor for us. You’re always welcome.”
Thomas paused, nodding after registering what Stefano had said. He lowered the box in his hands as Stefano let him inside. He kept his mouth shut as he and Stefano walked, admiring the engineers hard at work on the cars that the team was fielding currently. He caught glimpses of their faces - faces he hadn’t met yet - and when they turned to face him, they gave him a smile.
“Watch your step, Thomas,” Stefano said quietly.
It was then that Thomas noticed that he was about to walk into a table separating one corner of the garage from the rest, and when he saw what was separated from the rest of the garage, his heart welled up at the sight.
Displayed out before him was an impeccable and still growing memorial to the one and only Jade Sebringson. Flowers, posters, and awards Jade had won through her entire career lined the two walls constructing the corner of the garage. Underneath it all, a banner reading “This is why we race” in bright Scuderia Pergusa colors was attached to a long table that harbored a bunch of the memorabilia received through fan-mail in her honor.
“Isn’t it just beautiful?” a soft voice spoke, more feminine than Stefano’s.
Thomas turned to see Amber Sebringson, Jade’s twin sister, standing behind him with her hands folded in front of her.
“Just spectacular,” Thomas replied, setting down the box onto the empty table before him. “I have something I want to add.”
Amber stepped forward and nodded. “Go on.”
Thomas slowly opened the box, revealing its contents to be a gleaming award, though a bit dulled after the scarce polishing it received. Engraved on the plaque at the bottom read, “2012 Reel Award for Best Picture / Jewel: The Jade Sebringson Story.”
Eyes widening and quickly filling with a few tears, Amber smiled and ushered him to place it in the memorial space.
Nodding, Thomas went over and placed the award gently next to a model race helmet that she wore during her final season. He took a few steps back, feeling Amber’s hand gently grab his.
The two stayed silent for a moment, gazing at the memorial that felt just a bit more complete now.
Amber sniffled quietly, not speaking a word as she hugged Thomas tightly and sobbed into his shoulder.
Letting her grieve, Thomas hugged her back as he looked at the memorial still. The longer he stared aimlessly at Jade’s face in one of her posters, the more he started to see another face instead…
Bree Wesley’s.
Thomas bit his lip, tears now in his own eyes. He closed them, imagining Bree was in his arms for a moment before he felt Amber pull away.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, voice soft but with an echo bouncing off the corner of the garage.
“I-It’s…” Thomas struggled to respond for a moment. “B-Bree…”
Amber looked at him. “That girl from Wesley’s Angels in that IMAS crash?”
Thomas nodded solemnly, wiping his tears.
“Go find her.” Amber grabbed Thomas’s hands and squeezed them. “Let her know you’re there for her. You are lucky to still have her in your life, Thomas. Cherish her while you can.” She smiled. “It’s not too late for you.”
Nodding slowly after a minute or so, Thomas hugged Amber tightly again, kissing her head gently. “Thank you, Amber.” He sniffled, wiping her tears away. “Be good, okay?” He chuckled, noticing how fatherly he was to her again after so long.
Amber giggled a bit and sniffled. “I will.”
~~~
A day or two passed by, and Thomas found himself standing at the front door to Wesley’s Angels headquarters, Simon holding his right hand as Michael stood to his left. A few other Aces High personnel were in a bus that was parked out on the curb.
Simon squeezed his dad’s hand. “You ready?”
Thomas bit his lip. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
With those words of (albeit hesitant) approval, Michael opened the door, letting Thomas and Simon ahead of him before following them inside.
|
|
|
Atlas
•
WRA Community Assistant
Posts: 124
Likes: 115
Gender: Female
|
Post by Atlas on Feb 26, 2017 0:29:04 GMT -5
Aces High Chronicles: Strokes of Luck (OOC: Before anyone asks, Momoko Murasama gave me the explicit go-ahead to use a driver from another team that is not mentioned below in this author's not for this piece of writing.
This is to commemorate Aces High's first year as a race team and my personal anniversary with the League. aarror was kind enough to let me borrow Andreas Brunestud for this piece, and I hope I do him and Andreas justice.)
New York City was a town Thomas had always been fond of. He and his mom would take weekend trips up to catch Broadway shows without his father knowing. It was a place of promise, of possibility. He could see why Tony decided to keep Wesley's Angels in New York. Thomas was currently in the back of a Steeri driver’s car, heading to a cafe to meet with Aces High’s former team principal Andreas Brunestud, who was now with Allstar Racing. Aces High’s anniversary was coming up, and as much as Andreas was happy where he was now, Thomas thought this would be a good opportunity to get to know both Andreas and his former teammate Takashi Kogasa better. Pulling up to the curb, the Steeri driver let Thomas out and pulled away after he shut the door. Letting out a breath, Thomas went into the cafe, sitting down and patiently waiting. A few minutes later, Andreas Brunestud quietly walked through the door of the cafe, spotting Thomas almost immediately. “Mr. Hunt! Always a pleasure.” “Call me Thomas, Andreas,” the older man replied, standing up to shake his hand. “I insist.” Laughing, Andreas nodded. “Of course, of course.” He checked his phone before sliding it back into his pocket. “Takashi says to start without him. He's running a bit late trying to find where his babysitter for his little sister Kaori is.” Thomas nodded. “I heard about her condition. Poor thing…” “Agreed.” Andreas sighed. “Do you want something to drink?” “Probably a coffee. Want to split the bill for whatever we get?” “Sure. We can both split Takashi’s portion since he'll be late.” “Works for me.” The two men ordered their drinks and paid before retreating to their booth. Of the two, Thomas is the one to break the ice. “So, how's life as an Allstar Racing driver?” Andreas chuckled, sipping his tea. “Interesting. Never a dull day.” He smiled. Thomas laughed. “Same here.” “How about you? Your son's made quite the career debut this season.” “Even he’s surprised at how well this season has turned out so far.” Thomas chuckled. “You’re making quite the name for yourself as well.” Andreas waved a hand. “Eh, I could be better, but I survived. That’s what counts.” Thomas nodded. “I hear that.” He took a deep breath before shaking his head. “Poor Takashi… The guy looks so out of his element in Pro-Tuned. Have you talked to him before talking to him about this little meet-up?” Nodding, Andreas ran a hand through his hair. “He’s… not doing so well, I’m afraid. He’s been last in every race almost, both in Kaido and in Continental.” He took another sip. “As much as he loves his home country… it doesn’t look like it’s worth it for his health or to take care of Kaori.” “Agreed.” Thomas looked up when he saw the front door open. “Over here!” Takashi Kogasa scanned the cafe quickly, finding Thomas and Andreas almost immediately. “Hi, guys!” He slid into the booth next to Andreas, hugging him. “Good to see you, Takashi,” Andreas said with a smile, hugging him back. “This is Thomas Hunt, the man who now runs Aces High Racing.” “Pleasure to met you!” Takashi held out his hand. Thomas smiled and shook his hand. “Likewise. I hear this season has been rough on you.” “Very…” Takashi sighed. “But what matters is that Kaori is happy.” “You deserve to be happy as well, Takashi,” Andreas voiced, “and from the looks of things… you haven’t been happy.” Takashi bit his lip. “Well, Japan is always so lovely, but where I am on the racing spectrum is not where I want to be.” “I can fix that,” Thomas said calmly. He took a manila envelope out of his coat, sliding it over to Takashi. “What’s this?” “Open it and you’ll see.” Thomas folded his hands nervously. Takashi slowly opened the envelope up, sliding out a packet of paper and looking over it carefully. “Is this… what I think it is?” Nodding, Thomas took a deep breath. “Yes. Our doors are always open for you and Kaori, Takashi.” “D-Do I have to sign this now?” “God no. But promise me you’ll think about it, at least.” Takashi nodded. “Yeah, of course I will.” And with that, the remainder of the night was spent in good conversation, cementing a solid relationship for at least the rest of the season to come.
|
|
|
Atlas
•
WRA Community Assistant
Posts: 124
Likes: 115
Gender: Female
|
Post by Atlas on Mar 3, 2017 1:11:36 GMT -5
Richard-Jacques Martel took a long hard look in the mirror and didn’t like what he saw.
He had been messing with an outfit for half an hour, trying to make tweaks to it so looked more like something his idol Clara Crescendo would wear. No matter what adjustments he made, nothing seemed to work.
Is there not enough blue? RJ thought. Was it not as girly? His body was definitely “feminine” enough to pull off the outfit, even though his broad shoulders made anything puffy-sleeved look the slightest bit awkward on his upper body. The short boots he was wearing were just the color to correspond with the rest of the outfit, and the jewelry was just the right amount of bling, but something was missing and he couldn’t pinpoint what it was he was lacking.
“RJ?” Simon called out in question as he knocked on the older man’s temporary office door.
“J-Just a minute, Simon!” RJ raced to muster some self-confidence with his current outfit before walking over to open the door for his teammate. “What’s going on?”
Simon smiled. “Well, my dad says that he thinks it might be a good idea for the two of us to bond, since we’re gonna be sharing a car next season…” His voice trailed off, taking in the sight of RJ’s outfit with a smile. “That outfit looks awesome on you, by the way.”
Taken aback by his compliment, RJ smiled slightly. “Thank you,” he paused, “but I think something might be missing from it...”
“Hmm… well, everything looks good to me!” Simon looked up at him.
RJ sighed. “I don’t know, Simon…”
Simon’s expression shifted to one of sympathy and concern. He looked RJ over for a moment before getting a thought and smiling. “Maybe if someone was to dress up with you, you’d feel a bit better?”
“Oh, I can’t ask you to do this for me…”
“But I want to.” Simon’s voice was firm but reassuring.
RJ nodded after a moment. “W-Well, alright, if you’re sure about this.”
Simon happily nodded back and led RJ back to his hotel room with his father and Michael. He reached into the closet, pulling out a box and pulling out assorted feminine clothing he had gathered over the years.
“You’ve… done this before?” RJ asked, a bit shocked.
“My friend, you’d actually be surprised at how much I’ve done this.” Simon grabbed a nude-colored bra, some padding for said undergarment, a pair of black leggings, and a purple knee-length dress with short sleeves before searching for something else. “I may have a set of extensions that are just your shade of green.” He quickly fumbled through the large box and grabbed a case of hair extensions, clicking it open and grinning. “Aha!” He took out a set of green hair extensions and a pair of them that were his shade of brown, handing the first pair to RJ. “Here, you can try them on!”
RJ smiled nervously. “I don’t know how to put these on, Simon.”
Simon chuckled as they sat down on the floor. “I’ll put them on for you then, don’t worry.” He slowly sat behind RJ with the extensions.
With the television running in the background as they got to work, RJ’s extensions were fully put in after half an hour. Afterward, Simon went to go change his outfit and put in his own extensions.
“Is everything alright in there, Simon?” RJ asked after about an hour, sitting on the teenager’s bed watching television still.
“Yeah!” Simon responded quickly. “My own extensions are being a pain in the ass today. I’m almost done with them though!”
RJ nodded as if Simon could see him and folded his hands.
After another five minutes or so, Simon came out with the outfit he had picked out for himself before and a blond wig instead of the brown extensions. “What do you think?”
“I…” RJ couldn’t hide his grin. “That look absolutely incredible!”
Simon blushed but gave a soft smile in reply. “Thanks!” He took a deep breath. “I’m not used to showing other people these outfits myself… but I really hope that wearing these more often will help both of us feel better about it. I’m honored that you’re the first person to see this.” He chuckled. “Guys that slay together stay together, right?”
RJ laughed. “I suppose you’re right about that.”
The two heard the hotel room door unlock with a click and saw it swing open.
Simon blushed brightly. “D-Dad?!”
Blinking at the sight before him, Thomas took a minute before he spoke to the two of them. “You both look beautiful.”
“Y-You really think so?” RJ asked nervously.
Thomas smiled warmly as he closed the door behind him. “I know so, RJ.” He put down his bag. “I’m… actually very happy that you two bonded this way., even though I didn’t know my own son did this so often.”
RJ laughed. “You should see his collection!” he teased.
Simon blushed brightly again. “RJ!”
“In time, I’ll see all of the outfits he has in mind.” Thomas sat down next to RJ. “But I don’t want to pressure him into doing it more than he wants to do so. Or you either, for that matter. For as long as you’re here, RJ, you’re family no matter whether it’s by blood or not. That much, I can promise you.”
Letting his words sink in, RJ smiled and patted Thomas’s shoulder. “Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Thomas smiled. “Don’t sweat it, RJ.” He looked over to Simon, who was still a bit flustered about the situation.
Simon bit his lip and looked up shyly at his father. “Y-You’re not upset that I hid this from you, are you, Dad?”
“Oh, Simon…” Thomas stood up, walking over to his son and hugging him tightly. “I could never be upset at you for hiding this. Even though you do look beautiful in this dress.” He chuckled softly. “Always new surprises every day with you. I love it.” He kissed his forehead. “I love you, Simon.”
Hugging back, Simon smiled brightly. “Love you too, Dad.”
RJ slowly stood up and walked over to the two, joining in on the hug.
Thomas chuckled again, patting RJ’s back, and Simon’s arm wound around RJ’s waist.
It was then that RJ realized that he finally found the accessory he thought was missing with the outfit: loving people to support him for who he really was.
Except he had them by his side since the very start.
|
|
|
Atlas
•
WRA Community Assistant
Posts: 124
Likes: 115
Gender: Female
|
Post by Atlas on Mar 6, 2017 18:27:52 GMT -5
Thomas was lying awake in his bedroom two days after IMAS race weekend at Daytona.
Simon and Michael, normally, were actually staying in Alvin and Theodore’s room for a few nights. RJ Martel was unofficially their babysitter for the event.
Which meant that Thomas was alone for a little while.
He had enjoyed the quiet at first, watching the rain fall outside with bright eyes and seeing how in a matter of moments, the wood balcony turned two full shades darker.
But moments turned into hours… and everything had become too quiet for what he had preferred.
He heard a knock at the door, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “Who is it?”
“It's me, Tommy,” Diego replied, muffled by the door.
Thomas sat up, a bit groggy. “The door’s unlocked. You can come right in.”
Diego opened the door with one hand, holding something else in his other hand behind his back. He moved it to reveal a bouquet of roses.
His heart skipping a beat, Thomas’s eyes widened. “Are those for me…?”
“Of course they are!” Diego grinned, putting them on the table. “We can get you a vase for them later.”
Thomas nodded, still a bit surprised about Diego’s sudden appearance. “What's going on?”
Diego sat down next to Thomas on the bed, folding his hands in his lap. “Not much… Just wanted to check on you.”
“Aw, you're so sweet.” Thomas smiled. “I've been okay. Just a little lonely…”
“Where's Simon?”
“He and his bandmates wanted to celebrate Michael getting into the top ten last race.”
Diego nodded, moving closer to Thomas. “You look so tired…”
Thomas smiled nervously. “Am I that much of an open book to you, Diego?”
“Naw, but huge those bags under your eyes might not be just carry-ons anymore.”
Hearing that got Thomas to laugh, pushing Diego playfully. “Jackass.”
Diego laughed and playfully rolled his eyes, hugging him tightly. “Damn it, I missed you.”
Thomas smiled, hugging back. “I missed you too.” He pulled away and stood up. “You want something to drink?”
“Well… actually, I wanted to take you out of your room.”
“And straight into your room?”
Diego winked. “Maybe later but not right now.”
Thomas crossed his arms and grinned, raising an eyebrow. “You want to drag me out of this resort in the pouring rain?”
“No way in hell. There’s other shit here we can do in this resort, Tommy.” Diego stood up. “C’mon, Tommy. It ain’t like you’re doing any work right now.”
...He had a point.
Thomas laughed and walked over to him. “Okay, okay.”
Diego grinned, kissing his cheek. “First stop: we’re getting some coffee.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“So, how's your brother?”
Thomas asked this to while they were in line at the Beantown Coffee shop in the lobby of the resort.
Diego smiled. “Luis is doing really well! He excelled at his physical therapy in half the time any other person would, but the speech therapy took about the expected time.” He sighed. “Luis is mentally back to about the age of, say, maybe twelve at best… eight at the very least.”
Frowning, Thomas sighed in return. “So… he won't mentally age anymore?”
“No, but we're lucky he didn't die. I've accepted that he won't go back to the way he used to be. But I still love him. I'm his only brother, and I'll love him no matter what happens.”
Thomas gave a small smile before Diego told the clerk their order, and when the payment was complete, he went to ask another question as they walked back into the lobby. “Were you into racing before getting hired by Tony?”
Diego chuckled. “Yeah, but maybe not as much as Bree is.” He grabbed their coffees and handed Thomas his. “I mostly started out playing racing games in my spare time. Wheel World Tour was my favorite because it was just so realistic.” He smiled, pressing the up elevator button. “Tony let me try out on Kane's simulator, and let me tell you - that was a trip.”
“Oh, I'm sure.” Thomas laughed.
“Turns out Tony thought I was pretty good at it! Since Wesley's Angels only have one seat left, he wanted to field all of his options.”
“Understandable. In his position, so would I.”
Diego smiled as the elevator opened up and they stepped inside.
The two stood in a slightly awkward silence as they waited to get to the sixth floor. Thomas stared at the floor, coffee in hand, while Diego drummed his fingers on the railing on the wall and spaced out looking at the elevator doors. Once the doors opened, the two quickly made their way back to Thomas’s room, Diego entering first so Thomas could lock the door.
Neither of them spoke as they put their drinks down on the kitchenette counter, but once Thomas started to move to sit on his bed, Diego immediately followed.
Once they both sat down, Thomas took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
In that instant, Diego couldn’t help himself. He pulled Thomas into his arms and kissed him before he had the chance to speak.
Thomas’s initial shock had gotten the best of him, making his cheeks redden a bit, but he didn’t pull away. He soon felt the younger man’s hands go through his hair, making him finally relax and pull Diego closer purely out of instinct.
Diego slowly pulled away after they were in that position for a moment or so, his cheeks a bright pink as his hands slid from the top of Thomas’s head to one of his cheeks and a shoulder. “S-Sorry, I-”
“It’s okay.” Thomas’s blush returned full force. “I missed you. I missed us being able to do this too.”
“Yeah, same here.” Diego took a deep breath and smiled. “I waited so long for this…”
Thomas chuckled nervously. “I hope I didn’t disappoint you.”
Diego laughed. “Nah, you never could, baby. Promise.”
Nodding, Thomas tried to come up with what he wanted to say next. “So… what’s going to happen to us?”
“I… I don’t know, Tommy.” Diego sighed. “I wanna be with you. So badly… I’ve been saving myself for you. I-I tried to move on - believe me, Kane set me up on blind dates and everything - but no one could ever make me feel as amazing as you did.” He smiled. “There’s no one that I’d rather be with than you.”
Thomas took a moment to digest what Diego had just said, afterward giving a soft smile and holding his hand. “Even if we’re long distance this time?”
Diego nodded. “Y-Yeah. Whatever it takes to keep you in my life. I don’t wanna lose you again.”
“I don’t want to lose you either.” Thomas laid his head on Diego’s shoulder, taking in the quiet for a long moment.
“You wanna just grab a bite to eat or something? Maybe hang out with the boys and watch Mikey get pissed that Simon still beats him in Chibi Power Turbo?”
Thomas laughed. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
|
|
|
Atlas
•
WRA Community Assistant
Posts: 124
Likes: 115
Gender: Female
|
Post by Atlas on Mar 12, 2017 15:15:46 GMT -5
I don’t understand why my people have forsaken me.Okay, I get the not being completely in tune with nature aspect of things. I’m just not meant to hold a bow and arrow with the agility my people have. I get that.But my people need to understand that the white man is not all bad as they say. They are the reason that the industry that I take part in exists, the industry that gives me my solace; and for that, I am eternally grateful. With a wheel in my hands, I will go further than any of my people have gone before. And now I have my chance to prove it.
~~~~~ “Durant! Your new boss is at the reservation border.” Hawk looked up from where he was sitting on the open truck bed of the shop’s display Chevrolet Colorado, where he was writing in a journal. He opened his backpack, putting the journal inside and zipping it shut before bolting off without so much as a goodbye except for a nod of the head to his former employer as a sign of respect. Thomas, standing on the dirt road in front of the gate to the reservation, was silent as he watched the sixteen-year-old rush to him. For once, when meeting a prospective driver for Aces High, he was alone. Simon was taking a day trip to Scuderia Pergusa for a tour with the rest of the team. The reason that Thomas had wanted to go alone was for… personal reasons. Many years ago, when Thomas was in college and not out with his relationship with Diego yet, he asked one of their friends to pretend to be his girlfriend to dispel the rumors. They were too scared of the backlash their relationship could have, and the girl - Faith - wanted to help them both out, so she agreed. Thomas and Faith got more cozy one night than either of the two would ever admitted to the public (though Diego didn’t really mind it if it helped keep up the act until the two boys were ready to come out). After fake dating for one semester, Faith dropped out of Hollywood University for unknown reasons after Thomas and Diego finally came out with their relationship. She moved back to a reservation in Texas, calling the two boys to check on them every so often. All contact was cut a year later. When he came across a boy’s resume with his own first name, his features, and Faith’s last name... he finally realized why. Thomas folded his hands nervously as Hawk made it to the gate and opened it, shutting it behind him without a second thought as they looked at each other. Hawk undid the bun his braid was tied up in, letting it drape down his back with a thud to his back and looked up at Thomas. “Thank you.” Nodding, Thomas smiled and led him away from the reservation. “Anytime.” “I have to ask - why did you take your chance on me?” Hawk put his hands in his pockets. “Not that I’m not grateful, but… it seemed like the second you saw me, you decided to hire me. I want to know what compelled you to pick me like that.” Thomas was a bit thrown off by the question being so straightforward. Sounds just like me, he thought. He took a deep breath. “I do have to say, first off, that your skills are very impressive. That’s what immediately caught my attention at first.” He sighed. “The second reason I picked you was that I was moved by hearing so many things about you when you spent time on the reservations. You’re a very special kid, and your talents should be cherished as such.” “Because of my race, right?” Hawk questioned. “No.” Thomas took a deep breath. “Race doesn’t matter to me like that, Hawk. You as an individual are more important to me than the race you are or the place you come from.” Hawk laughed awkwardly despite himself. “That sounds like such a ‘dad’ thing to say...” Thomas rubbed his neck. “Now that you mention that…” Stopping right where they stood, Hawk raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “If you’re about to go into the stereotype of Native dads are deadbeats-” “Hawk, listen to me. I don’t think that. At all.” “You say that, yet you know no one knows who my dad is.” Thomas paused for a moment. “No one on any of the reservations, you mean.” Hawk narrowed his eyes. “What are you saying…?” “Your mother wasn’t on the reservation when she conceived you. She was at a college when she got pregnant with you.” Nodding slowly in understanding, Hawk eased up a bit. Thomas’s face dropped a bit. “Now…” He grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket, putting up the camera application and standing next to Hawk as the camera was focused on them. “Take a good look at the two of us side by side.” Hawk was a bit confused, but looked at himself in the camera standing next to Thomas. He started to notice the parallels in features, minus the eye color and the birthmark that he had, and something in him finally clicked. His eyes widened in realization and shock, and he backed away a few inches. “You… You’re my father?” Nodding, Thomas squeezed Hawk’s shoulder. “Your mother never told me about you before she died. If I would have known about you… I would have come here for you. I would have brought you back to Hollywood with me. I would have done everything in my power to stay in your life.” Sighing, Hawk looked crestfallen. “So much for my supposedly full-blooded Native heritage…” “Hey.” Thomas kneeled down in front of his son. “You are your own heritage, Hawk. You’re your own person in life, and I’ll give you the world if I have to so you can live your life how you want to live it. I promise you that.” He sighed. “Can you ever forgive me?” Letting his words sink in, Hawk eventually gave a small smile and hugged his father. “Of course I can, Dad. I just wish Mom wasn’t afraid to tell you like everyone tells me she was...” Thomas hugged him tightly back, tears in his eyes. “Better now than never though, right?” Hawk nodded. “Yeah.” Letting go and standing back up, Thomas smoothed out his pants. “We can’t change our pasts, so all we can do is make the best of the present to honor it.” “That’s so corny… God damn it, we really are father and son.” Hawk laughed along with his dad, an arm around the other as they walked toward the airport. “I should show you some of my poetry soon. I think you’d like it.” Smiling, Thomas patted Hawk’s shoulder. “Can’t wait.” B.K.Glover
|
|
|
Atlas
•
WRA Community Assistant
Posts: 124
Likes: 115
Gender: Female
|
Post by Atlas on Mar 19, 2017 0:43:36 GMT -5
“I wanted to thank you for providing me an excellent proving ground for your team.”
Violet Systems pay driver Li Zhou-Lang was speaking with Tony Wesley in the latter’s newly purchased summer home in Key West, Florida, as the Wesley’s Angels team prepared for an end of season party.
Tony chuckled. “Nonsense, Li. This partnership is working out well.” He grabbed a bottle as they passed the bar. “This is for the team’s toast.”
Li smiled and grabbed a glass of water from the bar. “Ah, champagne. Can’t wait.”
“Unfortunately, this season did not go as hoped, but thanks to you, we’re out of a hole. I can’t thank you enough.”
“It’s just a shame about your daughter…”
Tony smiled. “She’ll be back next season, don’t you worry.”
Li nodded in reply and felt his phone ring in his pocket, grabbing it quickly and reading the caller identification. “It’s some of the Violet executives. I have to take this.”
“No worries, my friend.” Tony watched Li leave to answer the call before heading into his new office.
About an hour later, the Wesley’s Angels personnel were out and about with the very first guests of the party.
Elizabeth Wesley was with her husband Alexander, talking with a group of their good friends and Alexander’s military buddies.
Bree Wesley and her boyfriend Max Warren, an American football player, were signing autographs together at a table for some fans, young children especially.
Kane was at the bar, schmoozing with others to get sponsor connections for the team.
The only person that was nowhere to be seen so far was the usual optimist of the group: Diego Barrantes.
Before the party really got underway, the main bus for the Aces High pulled up.
Dressed in three of the best custom-tailored suits money could buy (except thanks to Flora, they were free), all three Hunts - Thomas, Simon, and now Hawk - stepped into the foyer with the other drivers close behind.
Springing up from her seat, Bree rushed over to the three teenage boys, Max following behind. “Oh, don’t you boys look so handsome!” She pinched Simon’s cheek affectionately.
“Thank you, Miss Wesley,” Simon replied with a smile and reddened cheeks.
“Well, now I finally get to meet the man that got his girl back,” Thomas half-joked when Max approached.
Max laughed as he shook Thomas’s hand. “Nice to meet you too, man. That was impressive, the season you had.”
Thomas grinned. “Oh don’t try to butter me up. I’m a big fan of yours too, actually.”
“Oh? Ya don’t say!” Max wrapped an arm around Bree. “See, baby? Your ex is a fan of mine.”
Bree blushed. “Maxie…”
Thomas kissed Bree’s head. “It’s okay, Bree.” He chuckled softly. “You know, you guys should go back to your table. There’s a line now.”
Max grinned and saluted. “Will do. C’mon, baby.” He held Bree’s hand as they walked away, Bree waving back at them.
“Well, he’s a fucking charmer…” Mikey huffed, blowing hair off of his face.
RJ rolled his eyes. “Oh hush. They’re cute together!”
Thomas scanned the immediate vicinity, a feeling of unease slowly growing in his body. He frowned, taking a deep breath. “I… have to go find someone. Boys, behave yourselves and listen to RJ. I’ll be right back.”
“Yes, Dad,” Simon and Hawk replied simultaneously as they watched their father walk away.
Across the room, Thomas spotted Tony speaking to his wife. He waited until their conversation reached a natural stopping point before he went up to them.
“Thomas! Good to see you!” Tony grinned. “This is my wife Lilah.”
Nodding, Thomas gave a small smile. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
Lilah laughed. “Likewise! And please, you don’t have to be so formal with me, dear!”
Thomas nodded again, rubbing his neck. “Tony, out of curiosity… where’s Diego?”
Pausing thoughtfully for a moment, Tony took a deep breath. “He must be in the guest room. You can go upstairs and check on him, if you’d like.”
“Alright, thank you, sir. Hopefully, we’ll be down shortly.” Thomas quickly walked away and ascended the foyer stairs.
It didn’t take Thomas very long to find the guest bedroom on the next floor. Unfortunately, the sound of crying wasn't exactly a good sign… He glanced inside the room, finding Diego still in clothes he most likely wore to bed the night before and sobbing into his pillow.
Thomas felt his heart break a little inside.
“Diego, what happened?” he asked, his voice showing worry.
Slowly, Diego looked up to face him, tears in his bloodshot eyes as he weakly turned over to look up at him. His lip wobbled, feeling the weight of his emotions crash down on him as he fell back into the bed.
Thomas rushed over, wrapping his arms around Diego and pulling his head to his chest. “What's wrong…?”
Diego took a minute to try to stop crying before curling up in his lap. “Th-This'll be the last time I see you in person for a few months… I-It's gonna suck for me to not see you, to get the urge to just come here into your arms like this and not be able to because you're not here…”
Biting his lip, Thomas slowly took his suit jacket off and put it aside. He held Diego closer, tears in his own eyes now as he laid his head into his shoulder and started to sob. “I-I'm so sorry…”
Just outside of the room, Simon and Hawk sat on the floor with tears in their own eyes before quietly sneaking away.
Thomas and Diego had eventually gone downstairs together, cherishing the last few hours that they would see each other for a while. The two didn't leave each other's sides, keeping to themselves most of the party but still not quite… themselves emotionally.
With both Wesley's Angels and Aces High personnel watching them and growing worried, Bree approached the two after a while.
“Daddy and I wanted to give you something, Diego.” Bree smiled, handing him the envelope. “For working so hard all season.”
Nodding slowly, Diego gently opened the envelope and his eyes widened. “I-Is this…?”
Bree nodded. “Simon and Hawk came to us after they saw how upset you two were about not seeing each other...” She giggled. “Simon’s exact words were ‘I want to see my dad finally get a happy ending’. This was the only way to make it happen.” She kissed both of their cheeks before looking to Thomas. “You're so supportive of my relationship with Max. Now it's my turn to support you two.”
Thomas looked down at the plane ticket in Diego’s hand before hugging him and Bree tightly. He sniffled. “Thank you so much…”
“You're welcome!” Bree smiled. “You guys enjoy the rest of the night. I'll be around.”
After watching Bree walk away, Diego hugged Thomas tightly. “I love you so much.”
Thomas kissed him gently. “I love you too.”
|
|
|
Atlas
•
WRA Community Assistant
Posts: 124
Likes: 115
Gender: Female
|
Post by Atlas on Sept 27, 2017 23:52:04 GMT -5
(Ten years ago…)
Six-year-old Simon Seville sat down at his desk as his teacher passed out the students’ first report cards. He was nervous, having never been under this much pressure before.
The young teacher knelt down next to him, a smile on her face. “Oh, Simon… I think you’ll be very happy with this.” She placed the paper on his desk printed side down, watching as Simon lifted the paper.
Eyes lighting up and bouncing a bit, Simon gasped excitedly at his perfect grades.
“See? I told you!” The teacher stood back up and smiled brighter. “Your parents are going to be so proud of you when they find out!”
That’s when Simon’s smile fell at his new realization, trying to hide his tears. “Y-Yeah… m-my parents…” He bit his lip, rushing out of the room in order to not let everyone know that one of the smartest kids in the class didn’t have parents.
(Present day – New York City)
Simon had to find where this place was again.
He’d snuck out of the hotel room that he was staying in with his small family for the next few days, not bringing much on him except his phone and his wallet. The hood on his sweatshirt up, he made his way to a home in the more suburban end of the large city, quietly moving up to the door and knocking.
Tony Wesley, dressed more casual than usual, opened the door and looked down at Simon in surprise. “Well hello, Simon! To what do I owe your visit today? I take it your whole family is in town?”
Simon nodded meekly in reply. “Yes, Mr. Wesley.” He sighed, rubbing his neck gently. “M-May I… May I talk to Bree, please?”
A little taken aback, but nodded nonetheless, Tony opened the door wider for him. “Of course. She’s upstairs in the dance studio right when you get up the front stairs.”
Nodding, Simon smiled slightly as he went up the stairs. He closed his eyes for a moment when he reached the doorway, taking deep breaths before walking inside.
Bree was sitting on the floor, putting her hair up in a ponytail – even though it already looked like she had been dancing for a while considering the state of her bare feet.
Simon bit his lip, taking a page out of his father’s book by opening with an attempt at a joke. “So, uh… how much do I have to pay to get a private session with the dance instructor?”
Jumping a little, Bree turned to look at him in one of the wall mirrors and she giggled. “Your dad’s terrible at jokes, you know that?”
“Yeah, but mine still got you to laugh at the delivery.”
Bree stood up after finishing the ponytail, walking over to Simon. “You didn’t fly here all by yourself, did you?”
Simon shook his head. “No, we’re here visiting. We’re sort of meeting RJ halfway when he comes back from France with his sister.”
The redhead pouted playfully. “Your father didn’t call me.”
Laughing, Simon relaxed a little. “We touched down maybe two hours ago and the first thing everyone wanted to do was sleep.”
“And you couldn’t sleep, could you…?”
Simon sighed, not surprised at how she could guess this information. “Not really…”
Bree led Simon over to a large yoga mat where some dance props and her change of clothes for after today’s dancing were put. She sat down, patting the spot next to her. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”
Following her lead, Simon sat down next to her, pulling his knees up to his chest. “Well… I’m sure if you’ve heard about me outside of my career, you know that I didn’t exactly… come from a loving home.” He bit his lip. “I was orphaned as a baby. I grew up with my manager who had to take care of six orphaned kids, but we never considered him our father.” He lowered his head. “Everyone kept saying to me when I was a kid, ‘Oh, your parents must be so proud of you,’ even when I started doing band interviews. But I never had people to turn to for that other than my manager, who has no bad bone in his body…” He sniffled. “Wh-When I met my dad… I found a piece of me that I was missing all of my life before that point. But…”
The dancer frowned. “But what, Simon?”
Simon closed his eyes as tears fell from his face silently as he spoke. “It didn’t hit me until I started getting so stressed about the team that… that I felt like I really needed a mom in my life.”
Bree frowned, wiping away Simon’s tears. “I can be your mother, Simon. I’ll only ever be a phone call away, should you ever need advice or anything like that.” She kissed his forehead. “I want to be here for you no matter what, okay?”
In awe by her words, Simon hugged her tightly, hood still up as he closed his eyes and let more tears fall. “Thank you.”
“Of course, sweetheart.” Bree held him close and rubbed his back. “I’m always here if you need me.”
Simon nodded, looking back up at her with a smile, tears still in his bright blue eyes.
Bree smiled back and kissed his cheek as she slowly took his hood off.
“Uh, baby?” Max, Bree’s boyfriend, asked as he peered through the doorway. “I’d hate to interrupt, but you’ve got more company.”
When Bree looked over, so did Simon. “Dad?”
“Simon!” Thomas let out as he and Diego went over, hugging Simon tightly. “God, we were worried sick about you. I woke up to get coffee and you just disappeared.”
“He was in good hands,” Bree replied, hugging the three of them. She giggled softly and blushed. “He sought out his mother’s intuition.”
The teenager blushed as well as his fathers and his now mother pulled away.
Surprised, Thomas looked down at Simon. “Is this true? You think of Bree as your mother?”
Biting his lip, Simon nodded. “Y-Yeah. I do.” He held his arm. “You… You don’t mind that, right?”
Thomas shook his head, kissing Simon’s head and Bree’s cheek. “Of course not.”
Smiling, Bree kissed Hawk’s forehead when he came closer to the group. “You don’t have to call me Mom, but I’ll always be here for you too, okay?”
Hawk nodded and smiled back. “Thanks.”
Max pulled Simon into a noogie. “I’m here for you too, short stuff.”
Simon laughed. “Okay, okay!”
Bree smiled, squeezing herself in between Max (after he let go of Simon) and Thomas. “One big happy family.” She giggled. “Even if we drive for different teams. We’re still a big family.”
Simon hugged his new mom and his dads. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
|
|
|
Atlas
•
WRA Community Assistant
Posts: 124
Likes: 115
Gender: Female
|
Post by Atlas on Nov 17, 2017 18:34:15 GMT -5
Halloween came and went for the boys of Aces High that were still attending high school. A new week was about to start, and Simon and and Hawk piled into the former’s car to head back to school. Mikey would be meeting them there with Alvin, who was already there for football practice earlier in the morning.
The two boys pulled into the parking lot next to the building where Simon would have his last class of the day.
Mikey sat on the stoop of the front of the building. “Took you two long enough.”
“Oh shut it, you angry Twizzler,” Hawk replied, coolly hooking his backpack over onto one of his shoulders.
Simon let out a laugh at the comment as he watched Mikey roll his eyes. “I see Alvin ditched you.”
Mikey shook his head. “Coach was just late, so practice is running late.”
“Oh okay.” When Simon and Hawk sat next to Mikey, the three noticed a weird sight.
There was a boy a bit younger than they were – probably a freshman – clad in an unmissable orange parka that just got off the bus and headed into the parking lot. His hood was up, but the boys could see a tuft of blonde hair underneath it, and he was carrying a green backpack as well as a small box. Once he got close enough, they could see a name tag on the boy’s chest. In bold black letters in marker on his tag read the name Kenny.
Mikey was the first of them to speak. “Huh. Must be a new guy.”
Hawk nodded in agreement.
Simon also nodded and smiled, standing up as Kenny approached them directly. He went to shake his hand when an index card was placed into it.
Kenny blushed slightly.
A bit confused, Simon read the writing on the index card as Kenny gave one to Hawk and Mikey as well.
Hi! My name is Kenny. I just transferred here from Colorado with some of my friends, but I don’t know where they are and I’m a little lost… Can you help me find them?
Simon’s expression softened. “Yeah, of course we’ll help you. Right, you guys?”
Mikey nodded silently, while Hawk gave a bright smile and a thumbs up.
Kenny repeated Hawk’s sentiment, giving the same response back to the boys.
“Not to try to sound rude or anything,” Mikey began as the four boys walked toward the building with the cafeteria in it, “but can you speak at all?”
The boy in the parka sighed softly, but he nodded quietly in reply.
“Do you just prefer not to talk?” Hawk questioned.
Kenny nodded again.
“It's okay,” Simon reassured him with a smile as they entered the brightly-lit cafeteria. “There's probably a good reason for it.”
“Oh there you are, Kenny!” A blond boy in a teal jacket rushed over to greet the four that just entered the hall, a few more boys quickly following behind him.
“Yeah, why the hell did you get here so late?” another boy asked, bright red hair popping out of a green hunting cap.
“Guys, chill the f*** out, will you?” a third boy with dark hair and a blue cap replied. “It’s probably his parents’ fault. Don’t blame Kenny.”
Kenny gestured behind him to Simon, Hawk, and Mikey; and he gave his friends two thumbs up to go along with it.
The teal-clad blond smiled and teetered back and forth on his feet. “Gee whiz, Kenny, who are your new friends? I feel like I know them from somewhere…”
Simon smiled. “Allow me to introduce us. I’m Simon Hunt; next to me is my brother Thomas, but he likes to go by Hawk; and the redhead to my right is Michael Hoshi, but we like to call him Mikey.”
“Wait… you’re Simon Hunt from RGB3, aren’t you?” The blond bounced a bit, starstruck. “Oh boy, I just met a real pop star!”
Chuckling softly, Simon blushed and waved his hand at the comment. “Oh c’mon, I’m honestly not all that high and mighty, I swear.”
“Easy there, Butters,” the boy in the blue cap spoke as he made his way to the front of the pack. He then eyed Simon specifically. “Alright, look… We appreciate you helping Kenny find us. He got here to the town kind of late last night.”
Simon smiled. “It was our pleasure to help him out.”
“I’m Stan. Stan Shelley.” He adjusted his blue hat on his head before holding out his hand for Simon to shake. “Parker is the one that’s starstruck over you, but we call him Butters. And the kid in the hunter’s cap is Kyle Goldberg.”
“Nice to meet you guys! We’ll help you feel right at home here.”
“Should we tell them about Fat-Ass?” Kyle quipped.
“Kyle…”
“I’m serious, Stan. They deserve to know how f***** up he is so they have the chance to run.”
Stan sighed. “Okay yeah, good point…”
Raising an eyebrow, Simon looked at them curiously. “So who’s the person we have to be careful of?”
Kyle growled. “His name is Ricky Cartman. He’s a giant racist, sexist, and overall bigot. Not to mention xenophobic!”
Simon’s eyebrows furrowed. “And you’re still friends with this kid why, exactly?”
Kenny shrugged.
“It’s… It’s a long story,” Stan replied. “The short of it is that we all grew up together and we got numb to his shit.”
Kenny hung his head in shame.
Hawk took a breath. “There’s only so much we can do to each other as kids, you know? I’m sure if you talk things out, all might be forgiven.”
“No f****** way,” Kyle replied. “He’s a bully and a turd, and I won’t forgive that fat-ass for any of his s***.”
“We’d have to see him for ourselves to see how much of a douche he is,” Mikey stated.
Simon nodded in agreement. “It’s the only way for us to know.”
Kyle and Stan shared a look with Kenny and Butters before they all sighed at once.
“Okay, fine,” Kyle replied. “But don’t say that we didn’t warn you about him. Let’s just go find him and-”
“Who the f*** are these guys?!” a short, heavyset boy in a bright red jacket made his way over to the group, eyes narrowed and looking between all of them.
Mikey tried not to sound annoyed with this kid already. “You must be Cartman.”
“Oh so you've heard of me, huh? I love me a couple groupies.”
“Uh… not exactly,” Hawk responded. “Your friend Kenny got lost on his way here, and we helped him find the rest of you guys.”
Cartman immediately eyed Kenny and grew angry just as fast. “You couldn't f****** find us, you piece of s***?!” He went for a punch and screamed more obscenities, but as the boy in the parka defended it, he threw another sucker punch right at Kenny’s nose and then some more at his gut.
To the rest of the boys that knew Cartman, this was a brand new low.
“Oh my God!” Stan let out in shock.
“Cartman, you bastard!” Kyle added on as he, Stan, and the three Aces High boys rushed over to pry them apart.
Kenny squirmed but ultimately failed to try to get out of Cartman’s swing zone.
Butters rushed off, trying to find someone to help stop the fight.
Simon, Mikey and Hawk went to pry Cartman off; while Stan and Kyle went to pull Kenny away. It didn't take long for the two to come apart.
Kenny panted heavily as he sat on the floor, keeping a hand over his hurt eye and glaring at Cartman.
“You deserved that, you little bitch,” Cartman said in between heavy breaths.
“This is getting ridiculous…” Simon said under his breath, moving into Cartman’s line of sight to shield Kenny somewhat, glaring at the former. “I don't know who the hell you think you are, walking in like you own a place you don't even know yet, but I won't stand for it.” He circled Cartman slowly, like a lion waiting for the right time to attack.
Hawk found that Simon eerily made the expression their father would when going to make a move in a chess game in this moment.
“You won't be hurting anyone under my watch,” Simon continued. “You're playing a game you don't want to start with me.”
Cartman scoffed. “I'm not afraid of you, asshole.”
Simon glared back at the younger boy and crossed his arms as he moved in closer. “Hurt any of them again, and you'll have to answer to me. You've dogged on them for far too long, Cartman; this whole situation is asinine and it has to end, whether you're ‘friends’ with them or not.”
“You have no authority over me, you can't do that.”
“Maybe so… but are you really willing to find out what happens when they're the punchline of your jokes again?”
Cartman glared, seeming like he would explode, but he calmed down slightly. He looked around for backup and realized that he didn't have any, sighing in frustration. “Screw you guys, I'm going home!” He broke free from Mikey and Hawk’s grasp, running out of the building.
Stan, Kenny, Butters and Kyle looked at Simon almost in disbelief.
“Holy s***, dude,” Stan finally spoke. “That took some balls.”
“Y-You aren't gonna fight Ricky, are ya, Simon?” Butters asked. “Fist fight him, I mean…”
Simon shook his head. “Not if I don't have to, I won't.”
“Well, we owe you one for standing up for Kenny like that,” Kyle replied. “We owe all three of you, really.”
“It wasn't a big deal,” Mikey replied.
“Yeah, we would have done the same thing for any of you against that jerk,” Hawk added on.
Stan smiled. “Why don’t you guys show us around the school? It looks pretty nice.”
Kenny slowly stood up from the cafeteria floor and brushed himself off, looking over at Simon and motioning between the two of them with his hand. He opened and closed his thumb and his other fingers to resemble talking.
Butters caught on. “Oh! Hawk, why don’t you lead for right now? I think Kenny and Simon need a sec.”
Hawk saluted. “Can do. C’mon, Mike.” He and Mikey led Stan, Kyle, and Butters out into the main hallway of the building.
Once the others were completely out of sight, Simon looked down at Kenny concerned. “You gonna be okay, Kenny?”
Kenny nodded in response, rubbing his arm gently before going over and hugging Simon tightly.
Simon hugged back just as tightly and felt a sense of relief wash over him finally.
A bit shyly, the younger boy pulled his head away from the hug, shuffling through his box of index cards until finding the one he wanted to show. He quietly handed it to Simon so he could read what was on it:
Thank you! I owe you one.
Simon laughed. “I would have done the same for any of you against Cartman. It’s okay, you guys don’t owe me anything. The fact that you guys already trust me is enough. I promise.”
“Guys?” Stan asked, peeking out from behind the main double doors. “You okay in here?”
Kenny gave a thumbs up and made his way over to Stan, waving Simon over to catch up and show them around.
“You guys are just eager beavers, aren’t you?” Simon laughed and followed them, disappearing with them behind the doors.
|
|
|
Atlas
•
WRA Community Assistant
Posts: 124
Likes: 115
Gender: Female
|
Post by Atlas on Dec 9, 2017 22:59:23 GMT -5
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE AND MENTION OF SEXUAL ABUSE. PROCEED WITH CAUTION IF YOU CHOOSE TO CONTINUE.
(Wesley family estate – 2:00 AM)
Snow quietly fell on the back balcony that was settled on the third floor. The forest-like scene below covered the trees in a thin blanket of flakes in the still of the cold December night.
As much as Thomas loved the scenery below him, he wasn’t in quite a mood to appreciate it at the moment.
He had to leave Hollywood for the time being, moving into the Wesley estate for the winter months until preparations for the next season needed to get underway. He was tired of the atmosphere there right now; one of his exes was all over tabloids for her prominent success in the fashion industry. His anger boiled out of control every time he saw her receive praise that she didn’t deserve.
Thomas gripped the railing of the balcony and closed his tear-filled eyes, feeling both the urge to punch something and the desperate need to scream at the top of his lungs through his tears. Given the time of night, however, both were likely to wake people up.
Someone opened the door behind him. “Thomas? What are you still doing up?”
When Thomas opened his eyes and turned around, he noticed Kane leaning against the doorway.
Closing his eyes and shaking his head, Thomas faced away from him. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Don’t give me that shit,” Kane responded. “There’s something going on with you, Thomas, and in order for you to heal from it, you have to let it out.”
“No one would believe me anyway.”
Kane furrowed his eyebrows and opened the door wider. “Get in here. It’s colder than hell out here and Bree won’t let you get hypothermia if she has anything to say about it.”
Thomas sighed. “God, are the rest of you awake…?”
“Just me and Max, but we don’t want to see you suffering out here. Please come inside and talk to us, Thomas.”
Slowly letting go of the balcony, Thomas sighed. “Fine…” He made his way inside when Kane stepped out of the way to let him back in, tossing off all of his outerwear before slumping back on the couch. “What are you both doing up?”
Max was sitting in the recliner. “Same reason as you. Insomnia.”
Kane sighed. “I got up to get water and noticed both of you were awake. Had to make sure you were both alright.”
Thomas closed his eyes as he laid back into the couch.
Max flipped through television channels, stopping on a television tabloid.
“And now for CelebNews Express. Producer Brian Ratzik over at Galactic Pictures now being accused of the sexual assault of at least one woman, according to the Hollywood Gazette. Fashion mogul Marianne Delacroix given Fashion Idol’s 2017 Woman of the Year Award-”
“Shut that fucking thing off, Max,” Thomas said with a raised voice as he punched the back of the couch.
Max jumped at the sound. “What the hell?!”
Thomas growled. “I said shut it off.”
Kane rested his hand on Thomas’s shoulder and rubbed it slightly. “Thomas, please calm down…”
“Don’t touch me!” Thomas immediately stood up, his face twitching slightly. “I can’t calm down when I see someone earn something that she doesn’t deserve!”
Max’s eyes widened. “Whoa, Thomas…”
The oldest of the three men clenched his fists. “She gets off on using other people’s misery and makes ‘art’ out of it!”
Kane sighed. “We think she’s a bitch too, Thomas, but you gotta calm down. You’ll wake up the house if you keep yelling…”
Standing still, although his limbs shook like hell, Thomas’s words dropped to whisper-yells at Kane’s insistence. “She doesn’t deserve any of this success after what she did to me! She’s just like the rest of those men that used their sexual urges to get ahead and put people down.” He turned to face the two men. “But of course, Hollywood would never believe me if I came out with this information! Oh no, God forbid a man accuse a woman of assault of a sexual nature because women are far better than men for sexual deviancy! Women in Hollywood are saints compared to men!” He leaned himself on the wall, facing it as his arms moved to wrap around himself protectively. “She abused me for three years… three years of my life that I can never get back. I can’t salvage those memories.” He sniffled, lost in his thoughts. “I was so used up when she was in my life, and she used me not only intimately, but emotionally and physically so she could catapult herself to super-stardom as well.”
“Shit…” Max frowned, watching Thomas go through this post-traumatic episode. “I’m so sorry.”
Thomas sighed, calming down slightly as he wiped his eyes.
Kane’s face was still hardened, but his eyes were soft. “We’ll go after her with this. Together. We all believe you, Thomas, and we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you never have to relive this every time you even so much as hear her name.”
Max nodded. “We’re with you all the way.”
Slowly getting off the wall, Thomas turned to face them. “You’d really do that for me…?”
“Yeah, man, we’re a family now. We don’t just let this kind of shit slide when it happens to one of our own.”
“We know you need this support, Thomas.” Kane walked over and hugged the oldest of the men tightly. “You’ll get your revenge once we help you get this to court.”
Thomas hugged back tightly, feeling Max’s hand rub his back. “Thank you both.”
Kane smiled. “Of course. Feeling better now that you let it out?”
“Slightly. Just have to simmer down so I can sleep.”
“You want me to stay up with you out here?”
Thomas nodded. “Please.”
Max sighed softly and patted Thomas’s shoulder. “We’ll talk about this in the morning, but for now, I should try to head back to bed… Bree might get worried if she wakes up and sees I’m out here with you guys.”
Kane nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine, Max.”
“G’night…” Max yawned as he waved and turned to walk back into his bedroom with Bree.
Thomas closed his eyes for a second as he regained his composure somewhat. “I thought you’d laugh at me when I blurted all that out.”
Kane chuckled. “Well you did sound like a maniac.”
“Not what I meant by that…”
Shaking his head, Kane looked Thomas in the eye. “You may still annoy the hell out of me from time to time, but contrary to popular belief, I don’t like seeing you suffer. I’m a little more fond of you than you think.”
That got a smile out of the director. “Oh yeah? Prove it.”
Kane laughed. “I guess you could say Bree made me a little soft to you.”
“Whatever you say.” Thomas rolled his eyes.
“Look, uh… You wanna just watch TV? Maybe have some coffee so you can try to get through this night?”
Thomas took a deep breath, rubbing his neck. “I’d… I’d like that, yeah.”
Kane smiled, leading Thomas over to the couch again as the two got comfortable watching sitcom reruns on the television.
About an hour later, Kane felt the slow thud of Thomas’s head slumping onto his shoulder after falling asleep. He chuckled to himself and pulled a blanket over the two of them, not wanting to move and disturb him. “Sleep tight, Thomas.”
|
|
|
Atlas
•
WRA Community Assistant
Posts: 124
Likes: 115
Gender: Female
|
Post by Atlas on Jan 4, 2018 0:05:39 GMT -5
“Where the f*** is Fat-Ass?”
Kyle and the rest of the boys that came to Los Angeles from South Park, Colorado patiently waited on a bus as it was just about to head on its way to the Aces High headquarters for a field trip.
“Well wherever he is,” Butters attempted to answer, “he’s not gonna be happy we went on this trip without him.”
Stan was texting Ricky at this moment, and his phone vibrated with a response. “Apparently, Cartman is sick at home.”
Kyle rolled his eyes at his best friend. “Yeah f****** right.”
“His mom is the one answering all his texts, dude.”
“Oh s***.”
The four boys heard a set of footsteps quickly run up to them as Mikey sat down in the row right in front of them. “Sorry I’m late. Simon and Hawk are already at the headquarters, but school was closer for me distance wise.”
Stan nodded in understanding as he put away his phone. “Don’t worry, dude, it’s fine. At least you made it in time.”
All five boys felt the bus shake and roar to life, and their excitement grew as the bus began to roll onward to its new destination.
Simon was on edge.
His father still wasn’t feeling well after the post-traumatic episode he had endured over the winter break for Christmas and New Year’s weekend. It worried the sixteen-year-old deeply; and knowing that he, his brother, and their stepfather Diego would have to take the reins for these tours while his father was trying to recuperate back in New York City. It was up to the three of them to protect the team should anything happen to go wrong.
Thomas assured his son that nothing would happen to Aces High Racing, but Simon wasn’t so sure.
Simon stood in the lobby with Diego and the remaining members of the team for tours. He took a deep breath as he addressed the others in the room. “It feels so weird not having Dad here to do the usual morning briefing, but I’m going to try anyway.” He clapped his hands together. “Okay so today, we have a high school tour of all of the public facilities here. The only place that is off-limits for any of the tours today is the western wing of offices that’s on the top floor. Each of us will handle a small number of kids – there’s roughly about forty of them – for the tours and then pool together in the lounge for lunch.”
Everyone else nodded off-sync in reply.
A small smile formed on Simon’s face to cover his nerves. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
All of the tour groups settled down into the lounge for pizza a few hours later. Simon was excitedly talking about the ideal things he hoped the team would be doing in the future seasons to come.
In the midst of this conversation, Flora quietly walked up to the group of boys. “Simon, I need to speak to you.”
Simon nodded and stood up. “Sorry, guys, I’ll be back.” He made his way to the hallway with Flora. “What's going on?”
Flora sighed. “I realized I lost one of the girls I was giving a tour to.”
“...Crap. Is Yeong-Ja checking the security footage?”
“Yes, as we speak.”
As if on cue, Yeong-Ja speaks into the walkie talkie. “Lost girl spotted sneaking around in Thomas’s office, over.”
Simon quietly cursed to himself. “She must have snuck down the stairs during the rooftop portion… Okay, I'll handle this. Make sure no one else leaves the lounge.”
Flora nodded as she watched Simon run for the elevator.
It didn’t take long for him to get up to the top floor, and he bolted for his father’s office, keys in hand.
When Simon opened the door, he noticed a teenage girl looking through all of the documents in his father’s file cabinet.
The girl stopped at the sound of the door opening, flushing in embarrassment. “OhmyGod, wait, this isn’t what you think it is-”
Simon raised an eyebrow, unamused. “Really?”
“Please, you have to believe me! My boyfriend Ricky wanted me to do this for him…”
Closing the door behind him, Simon moved toward the girl. “Ricky? As in Ricky Cartman?”
She nodded. “Yeah…”
“Why?”
“I’m honestly not sure but he told me that he’d make my life really terrible if I didn’t do this for him.” Her face paled with fear.
Simon’s abrasive expression turned sympathetic, calming down as he knelt down to where the girl was on the floor. “What’s your name?”
Biting her lip, she placed the files down on the floor. “Heidi.”
“Okay, so… this is what we’re going to do to get you out of this mess, Heidi. We’re going to pretend that he won.”
Heidi stared with a deer-in-the-headlights expression. “What do you mean?”
Simon stood up. “There’s a batch folder on my dad’s computer with a set of fake encrypted files. We’re going to give that to him. I have a USB drive with the same folder on it that you can just give straight to him.”
“Won’t he find out the second he opens it?”
“Nope, he won’t. It’s a legitimate setup of files, but it’s not actually stuff that we’re doing for the next season.” Simon handed her the drive. “Before you leave, does one of the guys have your number just in case things get worse between you and Cartman?”
Heidi nodded and stood up with him. “My friend Wendy is Stan’s girlfriend. She’ll get in contact with you if things get rough.”
Simon quickly nodded in return and helped her out of the office. “Now come on, you must be hungry.”
The next day…
Ricky Cartman sat in a booth in a local coffee shop, looking down at his phone at pictures from the day before. He saw his ‘friends’ hanging out with Simon in pictures that spread all over Tripwire, and he felt a bubbling anger grow inside of him.
Why are those motherf******* rubbing their fun in my face?! He thought. They should be here with me and not with that tiny four-eyed f***-face! That should be my racing team they’re preparing to join! Those little sons of b******!
He plugged in the USB drive he had received from his girlfriend Heidi yesterday. He managed to decrypt the files after a few minutes, and he skimmed through all of them with a greedy maniacal snicker.
It was only after taking notes on said files for a few more minutes that a woman approached him and smiled. “Are you little Ricky?”
Cartman looked up at the redhead and furrowed his brows. “What’s it to you, b****?”
The woman sighed, crossing her arms. “Classy.” She blew long hair out of her well made up face. “You see… I’ve seen you here at this café for quite a while now. You’re always muttering to yourself about being a racing star and bitching about your friends being interested in someone else’s life and career other than your own.”
“What the f*** are you? Some kind of professional stalker?”
“No, dear. I’m just a very observant customer here.” She grinned with a smile almost as creepy as Cartman’s own. “I can make all of your racing dreams come true.”
Ricky closed his laptop and folded his arms, now curious as to her offer and motives. “...I’m listening.”
She gave a sickeningly sweet smile as she sat down across from him in the booth. “You and I have a common enemy, my friend.”
“You mean those Aces High bastards?”
“Precisely. What would you say if I told you that we could take them down?”
Cartman blinked in surprise. “I’d say that’s too good to be true.”
“Oh but it’s not. The only crutch… is that age requirements state that anyone under the age of eighteen can’t run a complete team themselves.”
“Right… I’m only seventeen.”
She laughed softly and took a sip of her tea. “I had a hunch you were underage. But if I was your team manager… you could rule without anyone suspecting a thing. I’d be your mouthpiece, and we’d set in motion a plan to take Aces High down before their professional run even has a chance to end itself.”
Cartman grinned at her the same way she had grinned at him before. “Count me in.”
The woman held out her hand to Cartman to shake as she quickly slid the teenager her business card. “Welcome to Team Delacroix.”
|
|
|
Atlas
•
WRA Community Assistant
Posts: 124
Likes: 115
Gender: Female
|
Post by Atlas on May 19, 2018 15:32:48 GMT -5
Takashi Kogasa sat down quietly at his home desk in Tokyo, Japan.
He had been mulling over a decision for some time now – one that would effectively have him cut ties with his current racing gig and a permanent residency in his home country. It wouldn’t be upsetting to leave Japan; he could always come back and visit his parents, and what was that his mom always said? No journey of growth keeps a person in the same place?
And she was right.
But he also had Kaori to consider. He wasn’t sure if uprooting her from Japan would be good for her. Considering his parents were always working, just leaving her here with his parents also wouldn’t be very good for her well-being either.
Unsure of what to do, he took out a manila folder that he had received what felt like ages ago. He opened it up, sliding the documents out of it and placing them gently on the desk. Pen in hand, he clicked it a few times as his indecision made him more anxious, and he never got anxious over much of anything.
His mind slipped to memories of Elodie and Kayin, who both never really gave him a word edgewise on what he could contribute to the team. He often preferred to be home taking care of Kaori than to deal with them, even though he never wished them ill will. Providing himself and his sister a good living while he worked with them was not easy, but it was something he would bear to go through for his little sister.
Closing his eyes, he grabbed his cell phone and quickly took the leap of faith to free himself from the life he was currently living. He found the number and dialed it, turning his phone off speaker-phone for Kaori’s sake as she slept in the next room.
A cheery voice greeted him on the other end. “Aces High Racing headquarters! This is Simon Hunt speaking. How may I help you?”
Takashi sucked in a large breath, trying to sound as professional as possible as he replied. “Hi, Simon! This is Takashi Kogasa.”
“Oh hi, Mr. Kogasa! To what do we owe this pleasure of you calling today?”
The older boy tried not to laugh at how much Simon sounded like his father right now. “I was… I was hoping to find out if the offer that your father gave me last year is still available.”
Simon paused, thinking it over for a moment. “I’d have to transfer you to my dad for you to find out, Mr. Kogasa. I don’t deal with driver contracts except my own right now.” He laughed. “Once I’m eighteen, my dad will let me, but not just yet. I’ll transfer your call now, okay?”
“Sure.”
A few seconds passed before someone picked up. “Hello?” Thomas’s voice answered.
“Hi, Thomas.”
“Takashi? What’s going on?”
“Well, I was wondering… That offer you gave me last year. Is it still active?”
Thomas’s eyebrow shot up in surprise. “Of course, it is. It would still be active until the end of the decade. Why?”
Smiling, Takashi clicked his pen and signed in the correct places, putting the documents into the scanner and sitting back down. “I-I’m signing it right now.”
Excitement filled Thomas’s face instantly. “That’s great! How soon can you be here?”
Takashi took another breath and looked at his schedule. “In about a week, I think.”
“Perfect! And hey, don’t worry. We’ll help you find a place around here to get you settled. Is Kaori coming with you?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, we’ll definitely keep that in mind! See you soon, Takashi.”
“See you soon!”
(One week later…)
Simon, Hawk, and Mikey all stood at LAX by the exit of one of the terminals. Mikey was holding a sign with Takashi’s name on it so that he could see them.
“Dad’s so excited to see him here,” Simon said with a bright smile on his face. “I hope Mr. Kogasa and Kaori love our surprise back at HQ.”
“I’m sure they will!” Hawk replied. “Dad and Papí worked so hard on it.”
Takashi pushed Kaori’s wheelchair out into the main space of the airport, talking with her excitedly.
Mikey furrowed his eyebrows. “How did two kids get here all the way from Japan without supervision? Especially with the wheelchair?”
Simon punched Mikey playfully. “Shut up, Mikey! That’s him! Hold up the damn sign!”
Hawk quickly moved Mikey’s arms so the sign was higher. “Mr. Kogasa! Over here, sir!”
“Taka-kun! Look at that sign!” Kaori exclaimed, recognizing her brother’s name.
Looking over, Takashi smiled and the two raced over. “Hi, you guys!” He gave each of the boys a hug, saving Simon for last. “You’ve gotten so big! All of you are taller than me!”
Simon laughed. “Mr. Kogasa, it’s good to see you.”
“Please just call me Takashi or just Kogasa, no mister added on.”
Kaori looked up at her brother. “Can’t I get hugs too, Taka-kun?”
“Aw, hello there! You must be Kaori!” Simon gingerly scooped the girl up into his arms and hugged her tightly. “Of course, you can get a hug.”
The young girl giggled. “I-I’m seven!”
“Looks like your baby sister has a new friend,” Hawk mused with a chuckle. “We can get her wheelchair folded up and she can sit in your lap on the way there?”
“Sounds wonderful!” Takashi answered as the five made their way back to Hawk’s car.
“Almost ready?”
Thomas glanced over at his boyfriend – well, fiancée now, but they were too used to thinking of each other as boyfriends – as he made the finishing touches on a first-floor bedroom.
“Si, mi amor!” Diego grinned as he frosted a cake in the open-space kitchen. “Just have to finish these last few confectionary flowers!”
“Ever the perfectionist, aren’t we?”
“Hey, it takes finesse to make food look and taste great!”
Thomas laughed and shook his head fondly. “Alright, I think we’re all set!”
An intercom request chimed.
“Just in time!” Diego grinned and turned toward the lounge. “RJ, can you get the door?”
“Of course!” RJ all but jumped up from the seat as he went to answer the door.
Diego shook the flour off his apron and his shirt, going over to Thomas and breathing a sigh of relief.
Thomas chuckled and kissed Diego’s nose, which had gotten a bit of frosting on it. “You missed a spot.”
“Be careful, Tommy.” Diego took what was left on his nose and smeared it on Thomas’s face. “I can give it right back to you.”
The two burst out into laughter as their sons approached.
Simon sighed. “Damn it, Dad, you ruined the full surprise…”
Thomas chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry, Simon.” He turned to Takashi and hugged him tightly. “We’re so glad to have you on board with us, Takashi.”
“I’m excited to be here!” Takashi replied, hugging back just as tightly.
Diego stepped forward as the hug broke. “I’m Diego, Tommy’s boyfriend.”
“Fiancée,” Mikey quipped.
“Kind of the same thing,” Hawk retorted back at the redhead.
Takashi grinned. “It’s nice to meet you!”
“We actually have a surprise for you, Takashi,” Thomas admitted.
“Oh?”
Diego rushed over to the kitchen grabbing the cake. “We know it just passed but happy belated birthday!”
“Yay, cake!” Kaori clapped. “Happy birthday again, Taka-kun!”
Takashi smiled brightly. “Oh, you guys didn’t have to do this for me…”
“Hey, it was my pleasure!” Diego replied.
“And that’s not all,” Thomas added on and opened a door. “Welcome to your new little place in the States!”
The room the door led to showed a brightly colored bedroom, painted like it was in a high-rise tower back in Tokyo. Beautiful buildings were painted behind what appeared like panes of glass. Two beds were inside the room, one for Takashi and one for Kaori, as well as a dark wooden desk for the former and a play area for the latter.
Kaori squealed in delight. “It’s a room for us!”
Takashi felt happy tears come to his eyes as marveled at the room. “Oh wow…” He sniffled, wiping his eyes before he hugged Thomas and Diego tightly. “Thank you… Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome, Takashi,” Thomas replied as he returned the embrace warmly. “Welcome home.”
|
|
|