Serenia

The ties that bind (Serenia/Freedom)

Elodie hadn’t really bore any ill will towards Kaz’s father apart from disappointment that he didn’t care for her. It was almost hypocritical due to the fact that her father didn’t exactly care for Kaz, either. Neither had her mother, and she assumed that neither of them knew that the younger Ujohiri was back in town. No doubt when news hit, they would be texting and calling her, having her thrown into some type of work where she wouldn’t see the outside of either the clinic or their house for days. A blush rose on her cheeks as his words pulled her back to the present, blonde hair whipping around her face to hide her expression as the wind picked up.

“I don’t know, Kaz,” she said with a laugh, shaking her head as she fought the memories back down. “I don’t remember much about high school anymore.” That was a bold-faced lie, but for the purpose of this conversation she would continue to say so. There were plenty of things that she did want to say, though none of them were kind. Kaz’s father would never have allowed him to pursue any dream that didn’t include finances or medicine… it seemed that he’d gotten his wish. Ellie continued to swing herself as he spoke of what his occupation now was, and it took a fair bit of restraint to keep from snorting. Of course he and his brother had taken over the company, just as their father had wanted.

And she remembered Juntao more than she cared to admit. It had been him, not Kaz, that Elodie had first been attracted to. He was the older, handsome foreign-looking boy that moved in near her and nearly everyone had been obsessed. In fact, her friendship with Kaz had been mostly formed due to wanting to be close to his brother. Instead, the exact opposite had happened. She’d fallen hopelessly and deeply in love with the man to her side. It had been years ago, but the hurt and heartbreak he’d left her with still lingered. She turned her head and rolled her eyes at his comment regarding better alternatives.

It hardly seemed like she had been a better alternative. He was CFO of a company, for Christ’s sake. She was a vet, but that paled in comparison the successfulness of the Ujohiri brothers… at least at this point. “I accept your apology,” Elodie started hesitantly, turning to look at him with bright blue eyes. Could she be friends with the man who had completely and utterly ruined her as a teenager? “I won’t promise anything,” she continued, pushing blonde hair behind one ear. “But I’ll – “ She heard Tucker barking from afar, causing her brows to furrow. Her gaze searched the field ahead before she turned back to Kaz. “I’ll try.”

The Shepherd kept barking and Ellie sighed, bracing her hands on her thighs as she rose from the swing. “Fucking dog,” she said with a soft smile, her way of an apology. In truth, she was pleased that something had drawn her away from her high school sweetheart. She didn’t have anything to say to him and truly just wanted to process the information, the news that he was back. Elodie offered him another smile as she moved towards Tucker, who continued to bark. “I’ll be right back.” The next thing she knew, she was standing at the edge of the forest and looking up a hill. “Shh,” she hissed loudly, beginning to become irritated with the sound.

It wasn’t like Tucker to bark continuously, but he was known to do it on occasion. If he’d found something he wanted to play with, there was no shutting him up. Elodie hiked up the hill, clicking her tongue for the dog to return to her side. However, all color drained out of her cheeks when she looked down to see what Tucker was barking at.

It was a body, face down in the mud. The odd angle made her immediately gather the person was dead, joints unnaturally contorted… Ellie heard a loud, shrill scream and realized belatedly that the noise had erupted from her own mouth. She clasped a hand over her lips as tears began to well in her eyes, wanting to move. The woman wanted to move away, but her feet were rooted firmly on the ground and unable to walk away. Tucker continued to bark loudly, though it seemed muted while in her state of shock. “Kaz?” she called loudly, her voice shaking with fear.

The ties that bind (Serenia/Freedom)

I'll probably just introduce the body, then give it a few more posts until something else happens. Maybe that way the two of them have something to bond over.

Not that a murder is something to bond over, but Ellie would have more of a reason to see Kaz if he experienced the same thing she did, if that makes sense? Like comfort wise?

The ties that bind (Serenia/Freedom)

I wonder if it would be appropriate for Tucker to stumble on a body at this point? :X

The ties that bind (Serenia/Freedom)

Unfortunately I work all weekend. I’ll try to get you replies but no promises!

The ties that bind (Serenia/Freedom)

A small smile was forced onto Elodie’s face at Kaz’s words, slightly less uncomfortable now that she realized he was just as awkward as she felt. Tension seeped slowly from her shoulders as she continued to gaze towards the man, desperately wishing to stay in the present and not ruminate on the past. It was difficult to do so when she was staring Kaz straight in the face, her eyes eventually pulling from him to rest on Tucker. Of course he hadn’t expected to be here, she thought unhappily; he’d never seen himself staying in this small Georgia town but neither had she. But that was then and this was now, she silently determined, her jaw clenching barely as she continued to look over the rusted chains of the swing.

“Thanks,” Elodie said, staying firmly rooted in place. She only allowed herself a glimpse up at his broad, handsome smile before looking back to Tucker, who continued to be the best kind of pest. “Unfortunately, Tuck’s never met a stranger. He’s got a big bark, but no bite.” When he was finished sniffing Kaz, the dog jumped backwards and barked playfully before running off into the high, dried grass of the field. Ellie watched with a more genuine smile as the dog leapt high over the grass, no doubt with a tongue hanging out of his mouth. Her eyes lingered there even as Kaz continued to talk, slowly returning to his dark ones.

What did he want her to say? That no, asking how she was wasn’t enough. It wouldn’t ever be enough, not to make up for the unhappiness she’d suffered through thanks to him. She’d thought, naively, that they would have eventually married after school… but that hadn’t worked out, either. Ellie didn’t want to talk to him anymore, especially if that meant talking about him leaving. It was the last thing that she’d come here for. Really, she’d just come for a bit of peace and quiet. There was a nice March wind blowing and she’d give anything to just allow herself to sit on a swing and listen while Tucker played. Unfortunately that didn’t seem like it was in the cards, and Elodie could only suffer through this.

“Talk away,” she said simply, moving forwards towards the swing set and taking the seat furthest away from Kaz. “I…” Elodie cleared her throat as she lowered herself onto the hard wooden seat, slender fingers wrapping around the chains before she slowly began to rock back and forth. “I’m sorry to hear about your father,” she said eventually, allowing silence to come between them once more. She’d had a fondness for the older man, though she didn’t feel the same could be said of him. He’d always looked on her like she was holding Kaz back. Perhaps she had been, but that hadn’t stopped him from leaving. She still had both of her parents, thankfully, and could offer very little in the way of true empathy.

“To answer your question,” she continued, moving quickly from that subject in case Kaz didn’t wish to speak of it, “I’m fine. I opened a vet clinic in town. It isn’t much, but it’s finally kicking up. Elodie Gallagher, DVM.” Ellie rolled her eyes at that, though her smile was growing wider with each passing moment. “I’ve been fine, though. Happy. But address away,” she said with a soft laugh, looking up to Kaz again. Ellie heard Tucker bark in the distance, no doubt at a squirrel or a rabbit. “You said you were going to find me?” she asked, her nose scrunching slightly.

@freedomliveson

The ties that bind (Serenia/Freedom)

It was the weekend, so the clinic was closed. It was the first time in a long while that Elodie Gallagher felt like she could breathe. It had been difficult, to return after all that time, after the trials and tribulations of veterinary school… but it had been worth it. The town hadn’t changed, and she’d felt foolish for thinking that it would have. It still held its quaint charm, and many of the people she had grown up with were still around. They waved at her, hugged her like she’d only been away for a week much less the few years it had been by the time she’d graduated. She had come back because she’d always been in love with her hometown, even for some of the bittersweet memories it held.

Specifically, Kaz Ujohiri.

They were in the South, but that didn’t mean it was far enough into the year to be warm… at all. The blonde woman bundled herself up, pulling a tan sweater over her head that reached mid-thigh, then jeans and finally brown, knee-high boots. All the while, Tucker excitedly circled her feet. She shooed the German Shepherd away as she zipped up her footwear before moving and opening the door. The sable and black dog moved quickly to the equally black Jeep Cherokee, bouncing happily around the wheels. “Hold on,” the woman murmured, searching for the keys in her purse before unlocking the SUV and popping open the passenger door.

“I’m leaving!” she called into the house, earning a quick bye and the strum of a guitar as she left. She lived with her brother for the moment, as she was recovering from yet another break-up. Her relationship life had been a string of long-lived and painful stories, none of which seemed to ever work… no thanks to her commitment issues and sabotaging herself.

A small smile tugged at Elodie’s lips as she watched the dog jumped in easily, sitting and looking expectantly as she travelled back to the driver’s side and slid into the car. She reached over to pull at the passenger door before starting the engine and backing out of the driveway. The drive to the general store had become a ritual, even though she’d tried to avoid it for a long time. It had only caused more hurt, though, to stay away. She’d been back in the area for a couple years and it no longer made her feel like she was suffocating, even though the field was large and anything but claustrophobic.

It was a short drive, only ten minutes outside of the city limits, and Elodie pulled into her usual spot near the edge of the forest. Many of town’s younger inhabitants would come to the edge of the trees, partaking of the hiking trails the area had to offer, but that wasn’t her intention. Instead, when she let Tucker out of the car, he began to bound towards their normal area. Elodie smiled widely as she watched the dog race away, knowing that he would come back eventually. He was a good dog and, despite his large appearance, completely friendly. The animal wouldn’t even hurt a fly, even though that caused Elodie some discomfort initially. Instead of using the dog as a security system, as she’d planned, she had to spend the money on installing an electronic one in her house.

She heard a loud, excited bark and her brows furrowed, wide blue eyes now narrowed as she continued on her way to the large oak tree that held an old, rope-bound swing. Elodie saw a figure sitting there, the outline familiar but… it couldn’t be him. She hadn’t heard from Kaz in years. Trying to calm her quickly beating heart, the woman took a deep breath and continued towards the tree, wondering who was out here. “It’s not a bad spot, huh?” she asked from behind, bracing her hands against her thighs as she climbed a slight hill. “I mean, not really.” The closer she got, the more of a familiar ache ran through her.

Her eyes ran over his broad shoulders, the almost shaggy outline of dark hair… “Kaz?” she asked, her voice full of shock and awe. There wasn’t any way it was him, not after all these years. And then he’d turned around, saying two simple words that sparked both anger and happiness in her. “Hi,” she said briefly, watching as Tucker jumped around the man and barked joyfully. “He’ll shut up if you get him a scratch,” Elodie said softly, still continuing towards Kaz.

She had so many questions, the main one being why was he back? She’d learned awhile ago to filter her words before she allowed them out of her mouth, and she quickly snapped her lips shut before she said anything she would regret. “I would say it’s good to see you again…” she said, crossing her arms. But perhaps that wasn’t the right thing to say. Her light eyes moved over Kaz’s handsome features, determining he hadn’t changed too much since the last time she’d seen him. He’d grown into his looks, taller and seemingly more broad than so many years ago, but wasn’t that to be expected?

“It is. Good to see you again,” Elodie said after a moment, clearing her throat. “I never expected to see you back here.”

@freedomliveson

The ties that bind (Serenia/Freedom)

Eep! ^^

The ties that bind (Serenia/Freedom)

Callie's Character Bank

Elodie Gallagher

Nicknames: El, Ellie
Age: 30

Appearance:

Nationality: American
Birthplace: Macon, Georgia
Occupation: Veterinarian

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Tyler Gallagher

Nicknames: Ty
Age: 35

Appearance:

Nationality: American
Birthplace: Macon, Georgia
Occupation: Police Officer

a mixed bag of slice-of-life and fantasy

Bump

a mixed bag of slice-of-life and fantasy

updated! looking for two more partners.