Announcements: Cutting Costs (2024) » January 2024 Copyfraud Attack » Finding Universes to Join (and making yours more visible!) » Guide To Universes On RPG » Member Shoutout Thread » Starter Locations & Prompts for Newcomers » RPG Chat — the official app » Frequently Asked Questions » Suggestions & Requests: THE MASTER THREAD »

Latest Discussions: Adapa Adapa's for adapa » To the Rich Men North of Richmond » Shake Senora » Good Morning RPG! » Ramblings of a Madman: American History Unkempt » Site Revitalization » Map Making Resources » Lost Poetry » Wishes » Ring of Invisibility » Seeking Roleplayer for Rumple/Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time » Some political parody for these trying times » What dinosaur are you? » So, I have an Etsy » Train Poetry I » Joker » D&D Alignment Chart: How To Get A Theorem Named After You » Dungeon23 : Creative Challenge » Returning User - Is it dead? » Twelve Days of Christmas »

Players Wanted: Long-term fantasy roleplay partners wanted » Serious Anime Crossover Roleplay (semi-literate) » Looking for a long term partner! » JoJo or Mha roleplay » Seeking long-term rp partners for MxM » [MxF] Ruining Beauty / Beauty x Bastard » Minecraft Rp Help Wanted » CALL FOR WITNESSES: The Public v Zosimos » Social Immortal: A Vampire Only Soiree [The Multiverse] » XENOMORPH EDM TOUR Feat. Synthe Gridd: Get Your Tickets! » Aishna: Tower of Desire » Looking for fellow RPGers/Characters » looking for a RP partner (ABO/BL) » Looking for a long term roleplay partner » Explore the World of Boruto with Our Roleplaying Group on FB » More Jedi, Sith, and Imperials needed! » Role-player's Wanted » OSR Armchair Warrior looking for Kin » Friday the 13th Fun, Anyone? » Writers Wanted! »

0
followers
follow

Clifford Herrington

"there's no more love, it's all tied up and I hate to see you waiting"

0 · 503 views · located in Los Angeles

a character in “the fateful”, as played by Funny Valentine

Description

Image
Image




"Sometimes two people fall a part only to realize how much they need to fall back together."




Image























































N A M E:
Clifford Roger Herrington

N I C K N A M E S:
Prefers to be called Cliff much more than anything else.
Whatever cutesy or flirty nickname Toby calls, well called, him.

A G E:
Eighteen

S E X U A L I T Y:
Openly Homosexual

P A I R I N G:
The Fateful





Been sitting eyes wide open behind these four walls, hoping you'd call
It's just a cruel existence like there's no point hoping at all
I Don't Wanna Live Forever -- Zayn Malik & Taylor Swift




Image


































A P P E A R A N C E:

Clifford's appearance is definitely that of a scholar like type of person, clean cut and always neat. Nothing really out of place. Literally nothing. Clifford is relatively short though but not too short. He stands about five foot seven inches tall and weighs about one hundred and fifty-five pounds. His build is rather slim but he appears to be a little muscular depending on what he wears. Most people know that he is Caucasian, yes but he's actually multiracial as his father is pure of Irish descent while his mother is of Chinese and Spanish descent. His skin color sort of compliments the traits really, really well as the tint and tone are somewhat tanned. His hair is a dark black color and naturally curly. Clifford doesn't have a preferred style of choice for his hair but does have some choices. Afro, styled with a part, unkempt or whatever he felt like that day is how his hair is style mostly. His eyes are a hazel color and his triangular eyebrows accent them well. Clifford's style is a bit weird to most but others tend to like his style. He likes to dress up in collar shirts mostly with vests or a sweater over the shirts, dress slacks, bowties, as he has a vary of them and loafer style type of shoes. All of his clothing colors are from the rainbow or a color close to it.





Just like a moth drawn to a flame
Oh, you lured me in I couldn't sense the pain
Stitches -- Shawn Mendes





Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

P E R S O N A L I T Y:

If asked anyone that truly knows or knew Clifford, they'd tell you that he was hardly ever on time. Hell, you could ask Clifford himself and he'd tell you the same. But as time went on and he got involved with Toby, his ability to be on time grew every second and moment. It took some time, yes but at the end of the day, he got there and it sort of stuck with him ever since. He's also a very understanding person, too and will always show sympathy along with kindness toward others. Clifford is very forgivable, too and likes to hear people out beforehand though. His feelings towards you really depend on your feelings toward him as he likes mutual feelings.

Clifford has a back and forth type of temperament, meaning you will never know which Cliff you'll get at that moment in time. He's a very emotional person and whatever emotion he's feeling at the time is intensely displayed. If he's angry, you'll know it. If he's happy, you'll know it and so forth. But those two combined makes him have a quick temper, which can be set off at any given moment. Other people's words get to him along with their actions and he acts out depending on the situation at hand. His mouth is also sharp-witted and he's very much of a smart-aleck along with sassy. Along with his sass comes eye rolls and that's when you know that he has just been sassy with you.

O D D I T I E S

Likes to switch accents on occasion, ranging from Irish to Spanish mostly. Hardly does Chinese • Drums his fingers on any flat surface • Always shrugs his shoulders if he's uncertain of something • Makes a face at things, words or people that he finds disgusting • Bursts out singing at random times


L I K E S:

Guitar and Piano ✔ Toby(won't admit it openly anymore) ✔ Singing ✔ His days in high school ✔ Photography ✔ Tacos ✔ Harvard ✔ Coffee ✔ Dramas


D I S L I K E S:

Violence ✘ Dumb questions ✘ Wearing his glasses ✘ Not keeping his promises ✘ Leaving Toby behind ✘ Homophobes ✘ Reality television shows


F E A R S:

Losing those he cares about ✦ Not getting closure with Toby ✦ Dying young ✦ Heights





Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
High Hopes -- Panic at the D!sco




Image
H I S T O R Y:

Clifford's life growing up wasn't exactly an easy ride for him. His parents weren't too fond of him coming out to them at the small age of six. Clifford always knew who he was and it damn sure wasn't straight. His parents acted like he wasn't homosexual when people came around the house for dinner parties or just came over in general. They even told him to keep his mouth shut about it and that pissed him off very much so. So as a little payback to them, when he was ten and could not take his parents anymore, they planned him a tenth birthday party and it was deemed to be Clifford's coming out publically. So, what did he do? Well, while everyone surrounded him and sung the infamous happy birthday song, he blew out his candles as normal but when it was silent, he muttered two words that left everyone stunned. He muttered "I'm gay" and everyone gasped in awe as he stood there, smirking over to his parents. It felt good to him but the backlash he received from his parents wasn't so good.

Growing up and being openly homosexual was a relief for him. His parents tried to make sure that he did not have a social life but Clifford was always one step ahead of them. He always had his homework finished early, always did his chores before they even asked and just did everything he could to be "the perfect son" they always wanted him to be. Clifford just stood back and worked his magic on them and loved to watch them stammer through their words whenever he asked to go out somewhere with his friends. They were too shook at this newfound behavior but it's not that he did not care, he did very much so.

It was in high school that his life would change for the better and honestly, it certainly was the better for him. He befriended a guy named Toby, becoming best friends almost instantly. Of course, Clifford had many, many thoughts about him early on but enjoyed their mutual friendship the most. It was about several months close to a year whenever their friendship grew and deepened a bit, which Clifford did not mind obvious. They soon became the talk of the school and while the publicity was nice or whatever, it was a bit too much for Clifford to handle. Though, as long as Toby was happy, that's all that he truly cared about. In their senior year and at prom, they both nominated prom kings and Clifford thought that it was a joked but found out that it wasn't and glorified the moment.

It was just a few weeks before graduation that he and Toby had the talk about long distance. Clifford had his mind made up about going to Harvard and tried to help Toby find his way but he certainly wasn't going to pass up the opportunity of going to one of the greatest Ivy League schools in the country. But before he could leave fully, he stayed behind to comfort Toby after his parent's sudden death but as classes were drawing to a beginning, he apologized and left to ascend his educational career at Harvard.

But now, he's in Los Angeles and applied for a job in the area and got immediately hired. He was excited and happy about the job but that was until he found out that Toby, who he still liked, worked there. Clifford all of these feelings and thoughts arise about him all over again but is going to remain silent about it all until the right time.

So begins...

Clifford Herrington's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
TOBY SAUNDERS
#9aa0ab - outfit
Image
Image
Image
xxxi’ve never loved a darker blue
xxxthan the darkness I have known in you
xxxyou, whose heart would sing of anarchy
xxxyou would laugh so beautifully

xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
Ever since Toby had woken up that morning, it felt like this was the first break he was getting. The morning routine had been oddly rushed, even for them, and then work had been incredibly busy, between emails, phone calls, and the patients themselves, Toby had just about managed to have ten minutes to himself to eat his lunch before the phone was ringing again. But it was finally quiet, and he’d been told to go get himself a coffee. He appreciated the break and the opportunity to stretch his legs. Given how busy he’d been, he decided to treat himself to a Starbucks. He sipped it as he headed back to the office, checking the texts on his phone. Jess and the boys hadn’t encountered any emergencies yet today. The boys had soccer training, so Jess had said she’d stick around to bring them home so he didn’t have to worry about it. It was a rare few minutes when everything seemed peaceful and in place, a rare few minutes when Toby felt oddly at peace.

It had been a long few years. In some ways, he didn’t know how it had been four years. He didn’t know how Jess was already eighteen and a senior, how he had been managing by himself for this long. How long it had been since he’d saw Cliff. And then it felt like it had been a lifetime. How much had changed in those four years. He knew that he couldn’t have changed that much- lost a little weight, gained a few more grey hairs, and now actually wore a tie on a regular basis, but he wondered if Cliff would even recognize him if he saw him. If he’d even recognize Cliff. For some reason, the other boy- no, he was a man now- had been on his mind recently. He thought about him more than he’d like to admit. He wondered how he was doing, if he was happy.

Toby shook the thought out of his head as he headed back into the building. He couldn’t linger on it now, he needed to get back on the ball. But a familiar figure nearly made him stop dead in his tracks, as if he’d summoned him up. Toby couldn’t see him perfectly, couldn’t be sure if it was him- but there was something in his gut that told him it was. But he was dumbfounded, and couldn’t quite get the words out to say anything.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image
Image
ᴄʟɪꜰꜰᴏʀᴅ ʜᴇʀʀɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ
| #B4292E

Image
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
Clifford was his usual upbeat morning self as his index fingers drummed on his steering wheel while singing along to Ariana Grande's Thank u, next song. He then grasped his steering wheel to take a turn into the nearest Starbuck's as he looked down for a bit, digging inside of his wallet in his glove compartment. His head snapped back up as he shut off his vehicle and got out, walking in and instantly being greeted by the cashier that was at the register. Clifford always looked at the menu, even though he always got the same thing. But there was a picture up there reminded him of a time when he and Toby would visit Starbuck's and poke fun at the name of the beverage.

Oh, gosh. Why did he have to think of his name? Especially now? Clifford ordered his usual and placed a five dollar bill inside of the tip jar then stepped aside to wait for the barista to finish preparing his beverage. His mind was currently all over the place as he might've spaced out a bit. He wondered how Toby was doing now, what did he look like, was he still single and a slew of questions that boggled his mind right now. His barista held up his drink and called his name, snapping him out of his thoughts as he smiled and walked up to the counter to retrieve his caffeinated beverage.

From there, he walked back to his vehicle and got inside of it. He sat his beverage down in the cup-holder and buckled up his seat before he cranked up the engine and sat there a moment. 'Gosh, hope Toby is off today.' Clifford thought to himself as he would've loved to see him again but not right now like so sudden. His thought process moved from one thing to the next as he drove his usual path toward the office as he remembered it perfect and even parked in the same spot he had before.

He got out of his vehicle after grabbing his over the shoulder bag and walked into the building and directly towards the office he was assigned to. Clifford opened the door and who is the first person he attracts when he enters? Toby. He stood in his tracks for a bit and eyed the male that stood mere feet apart from him. Clifford had let a sigh escaped over his parted lips as he had seen the Starbuck's cup inside his hand. 'Of course.' He thought to himself with an eye roll but proceeded forth towards him anyway.

What was he to say whenever they were standing close to each other? Is there another form of saying hello or hey without sounding obvious about missing someone? He did not know what to think as when he approached him, his eyes instantly met Toby's and before saying something, he exhaled a breath. "Hey." That was all he muttered, not knowing what else to say or even ask. But he did not want to have a full-fledged conversation in front of everyone, in case it ended disastrous.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
TOBY SAUNDERS
#9aa0ab - outfit
Image
Image
Image
xxxi’ve never loved a darker blue
xxxthan the darkness I have known in you
xxxyou, whose heart would sing of anarchy
xxxyou would laugh so beautifully
It felt like Toby's thoughts were racing and yet not moving at all. Cliff had looked at him had spotted him. And then he was there, in front of him, and Toby couldn't manage to formulate words to get out. That one word, one short word, was enough to snap him out of it. As well as a glance at his watch that told him that he really needed to be getting back.

"Hey. Listen, I, uh, I've got to run. Duty calls and all that. But... we should catch up. Dinner? My place? Seven thirty?" He said, managing to cover the fact that he was just blurting it out and trying to cover up how nervous he was. Times like this made him glad he couldn't tolerate caffeine, because god knows what he'd be like if he could. "Hold on." He dug a piece of paper and a pen out of his pocket and scribbled his number down on it. "I'd love to talk right now, but I think the place might just fall apart without me. Let me know, okay?" He said, handing over the slip of paper. "It's really great to see you. I... really hope you can make it."

He grinned before heading back towards the office. Once inside, he flopped down onto the chair and woke his screen. He wished he'd stayed and talked to Cliff, wish he'd given him time to get a word in. But it was only now he was away that he realised that he was too afraid of Cliff saying no. It was easier to deal with something like that over text, he told himself. He resisted the temptation to groan as he opened the email and started replying to the steadily growing number that awaited him. Could he even do dinner at seven thirty? Jess and the boys would at least be home at that point, but he wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. He might need to bribe them with something to stay out of their hair, but they were good kids. He'd work something out. Assuming Cliff even wanted to come. After that interaction, he don't think he could blame him for not wanting to.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image
Image
ᴄʟɪꜰꜰᴏʀᴅ ʜᴇʀʀɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ
| #B4292E

Image
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
Cliff really could have thought of something else to say but that one word was all that had slipped out within that moment. He had eyed Toby whenever he had looked down at his watch then back up at him and when he mentioned that he had to run. Of course, he did. Right here? Right now? It was obvious to Clifford that Toby did not want anything to do with him but suddenly, Toby was handing him a slip of paper, which he accepted but did not look down at it. His mind was racing as he just stood there and listened to his nervous talk.

'Oh, he still does that. So cute.' Clifford thought just as Toby started to walk away, which snapped him out of his thoughts as he turned around and eyed him. "It was great to see you too." Was that he had muttered as he was just as nervous, even though he ignited the spark for a conversation. He sighed softly to himself as he finally unraveled the piece of paper and saw Toby's number enclosed inside. He had quirked up a brow then headed to his office, wondering if he should really, really text him now or wait.

Clifford entered the inside of his office, phone already ringing off the hook as he picked it up and talked with the female on the other line. The conversation ended and he sat down, powering up his flat screen computer and pulled out his cell phone. His fingers punched in his passcode, which oddly was still Toby's birthday but he wasn't going to tell him that. His eyes looked down at his outfit as he was usually dressed in bright colors. Guess that today was the best day to wear black. After thinking about his outfit in his mind, he had entered in Toby's number then reluctantly, he shot him a text.


To: Toby
If you were serious then I accept your offer for dinner tonight.
Send me the details when you get the chance.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
TOBY SAUNDERS
#9aa0ab - outfit
Image
Image
Image
xxxi’ve never loved a darker blue
xxxthan the darkness I have known in you
xxxyou, whose heart would sing of anarchy
xxxyou would laugh so beautifully
It was almost two hours before Toby got a chance to even glance at his phone. The text made him smile despite himself, but the phone started ringing again and he was distracted. There was days when he was busy but at least had time to think; and then there was days like today when he didn't have time to think about anything that wasn't the job. He'd managed to forget the text until he checked his phone as he logged off. He fired back a quicka text, the smile coming back.

To: Cliff
100% serious. Is seven thirty good? I'm still in 7 Riverside btw. I'll cook :D


It was only once the text was gone that he realised the time and how long it had been since Cliff had texted him. Would he even still want to? Would he have thought that Toby forgot him, that Toby had been joking, that he hadn't really been into him at all? Because that wasn't the case at all. More than he wanted to admit, it wasn't the case at all. He just wanted to see Cliff again, to see how he was doing.

He got back into the house to chaos. The house was a wreck. The boys couldn't have even been in that long, and he swore that the house had been semi-tidy when he'd been leaving the house. Or maybe he just hadn't been looking at it from the right perspective, had just been looking at it from the perspective of his family. It had been just fine if they were going to be the only ones. But that had changed. He yelled up the stairs for them to get their asses down to help tidy up. Jess materialised too, and he gave her a grateful smile. But by the time the three of them had gotten the house into the level of cleanliness and organisation that Toby liked, it was too late to start cooking. So instead, he called his favourite, reliable Chinese takeout place, ordering a selection of food, and praying it would show up on time.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image
Image
ᴄʟɪꜰꜰᴏʀᴅ ʜᴇʀʀɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ
| #B4292E

Image
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
Clifford's fingers were busy clacking the keyboard and clicking the mouse away on his computer inside of his office. Though, his eyes constantly stared at his phone everytime it chimed and he would get excited whenever he'd pick it up but bummed not seeing that it was Toby. His mind started to wonder the possibilities of him not messaging him back. 'Maybe he's busy. Yeah, let's go with that.' Clifford thought as his phone chimed again but still, not Toby.

Time was tick and tocking away as two hours or so had passed by and his phone chimed again and it was Toby. His eyes scanned over the message and instead of replying, he decided to surprise him with his presence. A smile danced between his lips and he tried to shake it away but couldn't. All of those old memories and feelings were coming back and it made him feel warm along with fuzzy inside. Something that only Toby could do to him. He had wondered if Toby felt the exact same way right about now, to be honest.

He had finished up his work for the day and gotten off of work, going to home to change first in something that was very Cliff-esque and bright. He could not deal with the dark clothing any longer. He had showered and changed then stared at himself in the mirror. Was this going to be a mistake? Was him going over to Toby's place after so long going to make him look desperate? He had sighed then stared down at his watch as time was ticking away. Clifford just said screw it since he was already dressed and hated ruining a perfectly put together outfit.

Soon, he was out the door and inside of his vehicle, driving over to the address, which he remembered perfectly. Of course, Clifford had to stop by the wine shop close to his house and picked out the watermelon flavored wine they tried. It was about 7:45 PM when he had pulled up and turned off his engine. He would've been on time to ease Toby's nerves but just wanted to have a little bit of fun with this, for now. Before he got out, he sighed and grabbed the wine bottle by it's neck and got out. He was standing on the doorstep and took a breath before he reached out and rung the doorbell.

There was absolutely no turning back now.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
TOBY SAUNDERS
#9aa0ab - outfit
Image
Image
Image
xxxi’ve never loved a darker blue
xxxthan the darkness I have known in you
xxxyou, whose heart would sing of anarchy
xxxyou would laugh so beautifully
Toby had successfully stopped biting his nails at the age of sixteen, and he'd never felt so close to going back. The food had arrived late, but not later than Cliff. Fifteen minutes had passed, and he still wasn't here. Cliff had never been the best at time keeping, Toby just told himself as he paced. Mike and Dylan were getting hungry, and they were starting to get annoyed. And annoying. Toby just prayed that Cliff was going to show, that he hadn't changed his mind at the last minute. He was so lost in the worries that he barely even heard the doorbell ring. But it was enough to shock him into alertness, as he straightened up and went to the door, stopping only briefly to brush himself down.

He took a deep breath before opening the door, his usual grin finding its way to his face easily. "Hey," he said, taking in the other man's appearance. He'd gotten changed, and he looked good. Toby was just reminded that he was still in the same clothes from earlier and felt like he probably looked like he felt. It was as he looked that he noticed the bottle of wine and the familiar label. "That better be the reason you're late," he said with a grin and a wink as he held the door open to let Cliff in.

"I know I said I was going to cook," he called as he headed towards the kitchen, "but the boys had other plans. This evening has been a little, ah, chaotic. So it's takeout, I'm afraid." The two boys just took Cliff's appearance as permission to get food, and barely acknowledged their visitor with more than a "hi" as they got their food and then disappeared into the sitting room to continue watching TV. Toby just shook his head.

"So. How have you been?" He asked as he rooted through the containers, looking for something that caught his fancy.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image
Image
ᴄʟɪꜰꜰᴏʀᴅ ʜᴇʀʀɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ
| #B4292E

Image
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
Cliff's eyes lit up whenever he saw Toby's usual grin. A grin that he has missed being in his life for quite some time now. He had formed something of a smile and nodded his head at Toby's statement. "Hey and yes, it is." Cliff finally admitted as he walked inside of the house now. He listened as Toby explained to him for the reason that he did not cook and got takeout instead.

"It's fine." He muttered with the wave of his hand as he trailed behind Toby, seeing two other guys take a dig at the food then leave to go in another room. Cliff let out a small laugh as he sat down the wine bottle onto the counter and grabbed himself a plate from the cabinet along with some utensils. It was clear that he hadn't missed a step from being inside of Toby's home and that Toby did not really change too much around.

He had gone over and stood beside Toby, out of pure habit and gazed over the food with him. Toby's question caught him a bit off guard as he wanted to make up some things about his life because maybe Toby had lived a better one than one. He had shaken those thoughts from his mind and shrugged his shoulders, offering Toby a response. "Uh, I've been good, thanks. Taking a much-needed break from Harvard though."

Cliff had let out a small chuckle, completely forgetting the fact that he had chosen Harvard over Toby for his own benefit. He had just hoped that it wasn't going to come back and bite him in the ass later on though. He had placed a few items on his plate, even snagging the last eggroll, which he usually shared with Toby but didn't know if that was still intact or not. "What about you, Toby?" He had asked quickly, trying to diverge the conversation onto Toby's life for a moment.

"Anything exciting happened to you?" It was clear that he was nervous because that question alone and he did not know how to really approach Toby anymore. Maybe this little conversation will be the perfect icebreaker for them both.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
TOBY SAUNDERS
#9aa0ab - outfit
Image
Image
Image
xxxi’ve never loved a darker blue
xxxthan the darkness I have known in you
xxxyou, whose heart would sing of anarchy
xxxyou would laugh so beautifully

xxx
xxx
xxx
God, this felt so far from the way they used to be. They used to be so comfortable around each other, the conversation would flow so easily. The awkwardness was almost tangible, and Toby was starting to wonder if it was a good idea. He piled food onto his plate as Cliff spoke. He remembered how they would always split an egg roll, but didn't let himself dwell on it either. Things had changed.

Once he was done, he dug out two wine glasses and poured them each a glass, sliding Cliff's over to him. "Have I done anything exciting?" He mused. "Well, let's just say that my life has become so boring and domestic, just going to a different grocery store is a thrill for me," he joked, with a raised eyebrow, taking a sip out of the wine. "But to answer your question... no. I got a job in the doctor's surgery, taught myself what I needed to know, and have been just trying to keep us all afloat. Jess is great. She wants to be a nurse," he said proudly. She worked her ass off for school but never hesitated to help him out. And he appreciated that more than he could say.

"But yeah. My life is pretty mundane. But I'm happy. It's no Harvard," he joked, "but it's something." He shrugged a little. Then he grinned again. "So. Tell me about Harvard. I want to know everything. All the gossip, what your classes are like, what your professors were like. What did you even major in?" He asked. They'd had their own plans, all the way back when, but as they'd learned, they could change just like that.

Once upon a time, they would have had a similar conversation, but with a bit more honesty. Probably a lot more honesty. Toby might have been able to admit that he was tired pretty much all of the time, that there were days when getting out of bed was hard, when he just wanted to scream at everyone when he got back after a hard day and had to clean and cook and find time for himself. But Cliff didn't need to know that. Right now, Toby waned it to feels as close to old times as possible.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image
Image
ᴄʟɪꜰꜰᴏʀᴅ ʜᴇʀʀɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ
| #B4292E

Image
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
Cliff's eyes went to Toby as he grabbed two wine glasses and proceeded to pour them both a glass. He had reached down and picked up his, taking a small sip from it and allowing his tongue to lips and absorb the excess liquid that was there. Cliff sat glass down now and directed his gaze towards Toby, who began to speak. His first response made Cliff let out a small chuckle along with shake his head. Both of their lives were still pretty much mundane but Cliff expect a little bit of excitement had to have happened in Toby's life but evidently not.

"Well, at least you get a thrill out of something." He had muttered before he continued on. "I am happy for Jess." Cliff admitted as he followed Toby's shrug with one of his own. "Well, Harvard is just like any other college from the outside but on the inside..." He had shuddered, which wasn't a joke but because the inside of the campus scared him. "Not sure you can handle all of the tea in one day but I will give you two." A smirk crept up between his lips for the moment. "There was this hazing scandal between a fraternity and a teacher messing around with a student."

That was all Cliff had mentioned and did not really go into details. The vague headlines should've given Toby some insight on what they were and what went down at the college. "Well, you know, they are known for their science program so I went there to major in biology. I might want to be a biologist." Cliff had spoken with another shrug of his shoulders.

It was quite clear that things had changed between them but they both had the look in their eyes that they wanted things to be the same. They wanted things to remain the same as they were before. Cliff had finished eating off of his plate then reached for the wine bottle, pouring some of the contents into his own glass before reaching over and pouring some more into Toby's glass, as well. Cliff sat the bottle down then stood up, grabbing his plate along with Toby's if he was finished and placed them in the sink.

He stood at the sink, thinking about what he was doing as he shook his head before he returned back to Toby. "Sorry, force of habit." He muttered truthfully, grabbing his glass as he eyed Toby. "Do you still have that lovely patio set out back?" He'd ask before he went back there in case he didn't have it anymore.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
TOBY SAUNDERS
#9aa0ab - outfit
Image
Image
Image
xxxi’ve never loved a darker blue
xxxthan the darkness I have known in you
xxxyou, whose heart would sing of anarchy
xxxyou would laugh so beautifully

xxx
xxx
xxx
They fell into old habits so easily and yet it just made the distance feel even more tangible. Toby had just finished eating when Cliff took his plate without even thinking, just like they always used to. There was a moment when it stung, when the distance felt like a knife. But Toby wasn’t going to let the distance just drive them even further apart. He wasn’t giving in that easily. Because there was a craving in Toby too, one he’d tried to ignore and suppress. But he’d missed him more than he could quite put into words. So when Cliff asked about the patio, Toby just grinned and nodded. “Couldn’t go getting rid of that old thing, could I?” He joked. They’d spent so many hours out there, both as friends and as more than that.

He stood up and brushed himself down, picking up the bottle of wine and his glass. “Good choice, by the way,” he said, tipping his glass towards Cliff. “You always were the classy one,” he added with a grin as he lead the way out to the patio. He’d been so glad when he realized that they’d be able to stay in the house. There were so many memories here, it felt like his family was built into the walls. Like this patio. The scene of so many neighborhood barbecues, his eighteenth birthday, his graduation. So many memories with Cliff.

And one hell of a view to boot. The river was silver in the quickly setting sun, the trees painted so many different colors. Toby sank onto the bench, staring out over it. This was where he had sat when he’d come home from the hospital. When everything had changed. The conversation between him and Cliff had happened at Cliff’s kitchen table, but this is where Toby had realized it all.

“So, a biologist, huh? Are... have you graduated yet? God, we used to know everything about each other. I don’t even know if you’ve graduated or not.” He said, nearly more to himself than to Cliff.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image
Image
ᴄʟɪꜰꜰᴏʀᴅ ʜᴇʀʀɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ
| #B4292E

Image
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
Things were coming natural to him again and honestly, it felt really good. A bit too good. Cliff had exhaled a breath just thinking about all of the good times he shared here with Toby and all of their other times shared here, too. It seemed as if much has not changed here or even between them. The same rhythm that they had back then, was still in sync with them now. Nothing felt out of place as he walked through the halls and towards the patio area. Nothing changed. 'Typical Toby.' He had thought but liked that about Toby if he were, to be honest.

He had chuckled at Toby's question and turned to eye him as he responded. "Oh, I know you couldn't." He replied before he took the first step onto the patio and eyed Toby again. "Hey, you had your classy moments. Most thanks to me but still, you had moments." Cliff joked with a playful nudge to his shoulder and smiled. His gaze went from Toby to the view, taking it all in again and capturing the moment. The river still shined silverly, the trees in the background had different tints of color and the sunset was beautiful as ever. What made this moment even more perfect? He was with Toby.

Cliff's gaze went back over to Toby on the bench but his mood changed. 'Oh, crap.' He thought, completely forgetting this is where they were after the hospital. He had just taken a sip from his glass then walked over to sit beside him and wanted to rub a hand along his back, rub along his arm or reach down to grasp his hand into his own. But instead, Toby was quick to ask him a question.

"Uh, if I were being honest..." His gaze went down to his glass, which he swirled the liquid contents inside in then raised his gaze up to stare back at Toby. "I didn't graduate. I came back here to try and find myself again, you know?" He replied genuinely then reached his hand up to stroke Toby's back a bit, which was out of habit again. "And I should apologize for having you come back out here. I hadn't realized it when I asked."

Cliff removed his hand from Toby's back now and rested it against his own knee with a sigh. His head lowered to stare at the ground beneath them and now, he was feeling as if this was a mistake. Coming back here might've been a mistake and bumping into Toby was damn sure a mistake. A sigh escaped over his parted lips as he sat his glass down beside him and waited for Toby to break the silence between them.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: [NPC] Bartender Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
TOBY SAUNDERS
#9aa0ab - outfit
Image
Image
Image
xxxi’ve never loved a darker blue
xxxthan the darkness I have known in you
xxxyou, whose heart would sing of anarchy
xxxyou would laugh so beautifully
Just the brief moments of contact were welcomed more than he could quite put into words. The playful nudge, the feeling of Cliff's hand on his back. He sighed and shook his head as Cliff apologised. There had been a moment when things had felt almost like they used to, like they'd never changed. But then that moment had passed, and just the act of Cliff moving his hand away from Toby reminded him of that. He took another mouthful of the wine to give himself a moment to think.

"No, it's nice to be back out here with someone. With you," he said. "It's just... so much has changed. So much that I can hardly even recognise myself from who I was then." There was moments when he didn't fully recognise Cliff either, moments where his expression was unreadable, where he couldn't quite figure him out. That made him a little sad.

"You just gotta keep moving forward, you know?" He said. Not that he'd ever had much of a chance. His world was a constant stream of movement, one where if you let yourself stop moving for a second, the current would try and pull you under. His siblings needed him, and he wouldn't let himself be pulled under. For their sake if nothing else.

He leaned against Cliff, almost out of habit, half resting his head on his shoulder. "How has it been this long?" He asked, half to himself and half to Cliff. He felt just like the 18 year old, thrown into the deep end with not a lot of options. And at the same time, he'd never felt so far apart from that person.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: [NPC] Bartender Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image
Image
CLIFFORD
HERRINGTON

| #B4292E

Image
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
Toby's words made him sigh softly to himself and just made him feel so regretful of everything. Leaving him whenever he was needed the most, breaking up with him because he was leaving and now as he thought about it, he never should've left. Cliff felt Toby's head on top of his shoulder then leaned his own head to rest against his. It felt nice once again like they had just graduated and they were here, just looking out off into the distance and having a decent conversation.

❝You're you, Toby.❞ Cliff muttered softly, his hand reached down to intertwine his fingers with Toby's. ❝It is nice to be back here with you, as well. I just wish I hadn't left you when you needed me the most.❞ He admitted with a bit of sadness in his voice. He wishes that he could find a time machine so that he can go back in time and make better decisions. Especially for Toby and be there for him.

❝Unfortunately, I know all about moving on too well.❞ Cliff muttered softly. ❝It's been too long, Toby but I will admit something to you...❞ He paused to lift his head up to stare down and look into Toby's eyes. ❝I missed you and thought about you daily.❞ He finally spoke to him out loud, sighing to himself. He had wondered to himself if they could at least reestablish where they were way back when. He wanted everything to go back to normal, even if it was just for a little bit.

Cliff's fingers tightened up a bit as he smiled a bit. His eyes wandered away from Toby for a moment before they went back over to him. ❝Would you...❞ He hesitated his next question as his top teeth met with his bottom lip with worry and nerves. ❝Would you perhaps want to go to your room and cuddle like old times?❞ Cliff was mentally facepalming himself after asking that then shook his head.

❝You know what, never mind, forget I asked.❞ He immediately said with retreat and the wave of his free hand but still had his hand lock with Toby's. Cliff just wanted to at least have things before as they were before just once tonight. Even if it was just for tonight, at least he'd feel somewhat better.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: [NPC] Bartender Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
TOBY SAUNDERS
#9aa0ab - outfit
Image
Image
Image
xxxi’ve never loved a darker blue
xxxthan the darkness I have known in you
xxxyou, whose heart would sing of anarchy
xxxyou would laugh so beautifully
There was a part of Toby that wanted to let himself believe that it was like old times. Even just for now, for tonight, he wanted to live in a fantasy where things could be like old times. But then he was reminded that it could never be that simple. The feeling of Toby's hand in his was a welcome feeling but also a shock that seemed to bring him back to reality.

Cliff's words hurt more than he wanted to admit. Because he wanted it, he wanted it so bad. He wanted it more than he could put into words. But he couldn't. Being out here had just reminded him of that, of how entirely impractical it all was. How the hell could they just go back to old times? No matter how much they wanted it to be the same, it never would be. Toby was a different person. Cliff was a different person. And Toby's life was completely different. He wouldn't drag Cliff into that. How could he let Cliff in, force him to deal with the cracks, with the person he was at his worst? It wasn't fair. Cliff deserved better, and Toby knew that Cliff would insist that he didn't mind, that he didn't care. But Toby wouldn't, couldn't do that to him.

Then Cliff seemed to realise something and he moved away. Toby looked away, staring at their intertwined hands. He wanted it so much.

"Cliff, I.... I can't. It's not... I want it to be like old times. But I'm not the person I used to be. My life has just... changed so much. I've changed. And I want it to be the same, but it can't be. My life is so different now. We can't just pick up where we left off. I'm sorry." He couldn't bring himself to pull his hand away, even though he knew he should.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clifford Herrington Character Portrait: Toby Saunders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image
Image
CLIFFORD
HERRINGTON
| #B4292E

Image
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
If Clifford did not feel stupid before, he sure felt stupid as hell in the moment. He knew that this wasn't like old times but a part of him had hoped that they could establish those old feelings once again or have something to hang on to. A soft sigh escaped over his parted lips but still their hands were connected as one with each other. That part, at least, stayed the same for them both. Clifford's hand tightened up around Toby's slightly then he eased up a bit with another sigh after Toby's words.

Of course, he should've seen it coming. Things were different between them, yes and honestly, Clifford just wanted things to go back to normal but that was easier said than done, unfortunately. Clifford knew deep down inside that they could probably never be back on the same track but at least, they can steer or try to get back on track, somehow. There was a time and a place for that though.

❝No need to apologize, Toby. It was stupid of me to even ask or feel that way.❞ He admitted openly then eyed him as he released the grip from Toby's hand and took one last swig from his wine. A part of him wanted to leave but how could he leave Toby in a vulnerable state of mind again? It'd be like a repeat of the past. He felt a bit sorry for them both and just reeled from the feeling of the past.

Clifford stood up and smiled down to Toby, eyes gleamed a bit as he had an idea. Something that would hopefully cheer Toby up a little bit. ❝Come on.❞ He muttered softly and extended his hand out for Toby to grab. ❝Let's go for a stroll in the park.❞ Clifford basically said in a soft tone, hoping that Toby would oblige to this. After all, it has been too long since they took a stroll together with each other and maybe this will be a walk down memory lane for them.

A nice stroll, fresh air and laughter does the body good. Let's hope that's correct for this moment in time.