forum Flying in a dream, stars by the pocketful. You wanting me tonight feels impossible

Started July 09, 2023 by @emilyevewrites group

tune

( @Serpentess Horst/Rosaline)

The Isle was peaceful. Much more so than the bustling streets of London that she was used to. Rosaline sipped her tea absently while sitting on the front steps of the house she'd just inherited. Despite not knowing about it until just a few days ago, it already seemed homey to her. But perhaps part of that reason was that she had already fought with her sister inside of it. Multiple times…

Becca was family, yes, but that only meant that the times when the siblings fought, it was more brutal than a fight with a friend. However, they made up right before Becca left for home with her husband and daughters. But Rosaline took another sip of her tea, breathed in the fresh autumn air, and tucked the fight in the back of her memory. She’d much rather think positive thoughts about her sister.

And with Becca back in Manchester again, the elder sister now had the house all to herself. Which was both a relief and a nuisance. Boxes, too many to count, were spread around the house with Rosaline's own things that had been moved in from London. And just this morning, she'd had to send a difficult message to someone back in the city. Again, Rosaline shook her head to clear him from her mind.

Once her tea was gone, she headed back inside and to the kitchen to set her mug in the sink. The quiet of the house and surrounding area was so unusual that Rosaline physically paused for a moment to hear it. There was nothing but a quiet ring of silence in her ears until a soft meow broke it.

Her eyes slid down to the half-full cat bowl on the floor and the grey tabby sprawled across the ground beside it. The cat, also formerly her mother’s animal, still had no name. Becca has wanted to name her, but she’d never actually settled on anything. So Rosaline merely sighed at the creature, and after a moment passed, she headed back to the front door.

To keep herself warm against the cool fall air beginning to sweep through the Isle, Rosaline slipped into her coat and wound a scarf around her neck – one that had used to be her mother's. The memory of Mary again put Rosaline on edge. There was so much about her mother Rosaline hadn't found out until she'd been sent word of Mary's death. So much she hadn't known. And maybe if she had…

No, she didn't have time for maybes. As she'd discovered this morning at breakfast, the cabinets for the house were very much void of food since the sisters had moved in for a few days and Richard, Jim, Lauren, and Molly had been at Bayview for two days as well. So, Rosaline retreated from the house to the small town that was a short walk away.

She hoped the walk would cheer her a bit as she headed down the quaint cobblestone street. It would cheer her up even more to see Jacob, the taxi cab driver she’d met upon her initial arrival to the Isle of Man. They’d steadily and steadily grown closer, and now Rosaline was nearly sure they would be able to start a real relationship. The thought manifested in a pink bloom across her cheeks as she walked.

Horst walked into the town, warily looking around. He held a backpack of supplies over one arm, and he was filthy, so he probably stood out like a sore thumb. But, that came with being a wanderer.

As he moved through town, he searched for a suitably cheap place to get a room, some decent food, and a shower. He only needed a day, so it wouldn’t hurt his finances too much, but he still liked to be frugal.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t having much luck. He had never been to the Isle of Man before, and for some reason, he was completely lost. It nagged at him.

So, Horst just roamed around town, searching and searching to no avail. Maybe he was just tired. That had to be it. He hadn’t been sleeping too well lately, even after smoking a joint nightly for the past week. He was exhausted, and not thinking straight.

With a sigh, Horst stopped and settled against the wall of one of the buildings looking out into the street. He slid down until he was sitting, and just stared into oblivion, willing himself to sleep. But, sleep did not come. Fuck.

A moment passed and Horst saw a woman walking by. She was the first person he’d noticed, though he’d probably walked by dozens by now. Maybe she could help.

“Madam, might I burden you with a question real quick?”he called, his suave voice containing a faint german accent.

As she approached the main square, Rosaline began to hum to herself. Too bad she hadn’t brought her earpiece and laptop. She could have gotten a bit of work done during the outing. But she prayed she wouldn’t run into Cathy anywhere. The wounds of betrayal were still raw, at least for Rosaline. And she had just been starting to get close to the woman too.

She was about to cross the street when she noticed a man sitting and staring into space. He looked bad and smelled worse. It was all she could do to keep from wrinkling her nose at him. And he smelled like… he smelled like weed. Rosaline pursed her lips and prepared to keep walking.

But that was apparently when she caught his eye, and he spoke to her. She let out a quiet sigh to herself before smiling plainly at him and indulging his request. “Yes?” she asked, her own British accent melting well with the surrounding land.

Horst immediately noticed her reactions to him. Was his appearance that bad? He knew he was dirty, but damn. Lack of sleep had hit him harder than he thought. But, at least she had enough courtesy to acknowledge him.

“Would you mind pointing me in the direction of the nearest reasonably-priced hotel? I am, obviously, in dire need of a shower, and I am exhausted out of my mind. So much so apparently… that I can’t really focus on any names on the buildings,”he asked.

Horst looked around, his vision blurring for a second. He groaned and rubbed a hand down his face, currently hating his insomnia with a passion.

(It’s a little short because I’m falling asleep, lol)

Rosaline waited for his question, trying not to react to his appearance or smell. She’d always been good at hiding her thoughts and feelings. Evoking it here should be no problem.

But at his question, a sort of realization dawned on her. A conversation she’d had with Becca right before her sister had left.

“Actually,” she began, trying not to sound as hesitant as she felt, “I have a spare room in my house I’m looking to rent out.” This man clearly needed the help, and while Rosaline typically wasn’t one for charity, she needed to start making money now that she quit her London job. “Would you be interested in that?”

If he wasn’t, she’d simply point him towards the B&B that she and Becca had stayed at their first night on the Isle of Man before they knew their mother had passed her secret house down to them.

(Nooo 🥺)
(Have some of my energy ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨)

Horst studied her reactions, picking apart the disgust from any signs that she would help. Luckily, she seemed to realize something and she spoke.

He hummed in thought at her offer, wondering if he even wanted to dare such a thing. His original plan had been to visit the Isle of Man before trying to make his way to Ireland. He wasn’t sure if the Isle had ships or a plane going there, but he didn’t care if he had to go back to Britain to find transportation.

However, he had been roaming almost nonstop for the last couple weeks. Maybe he could use a break, settle down for a minute to ‘catch his breath’ before resuming his wandering ways.

He’d just have to be careful while he was on the Isle. This woman might be willing to help him now, but she might be one to throw him out on his ass if he didn’t do something right. And, that was just focusing on her, not on the rest of the people on the Isle.

“I think I might take you up on that offer. I could use a break from routine. Now, I don’t have a grand amount of money, so if I have to, I’m not afraid to work,”he mentioned.

Horst then climbed to his feet, wobbling a bit from exhaustion. He then glanced around before turning his focus onto the woman. His dazzling blue eyes studied her a moment, unfazed by their slight height difference.

“Lead the way. Unless you have somewhere to be, then I’ll just wait here,”he said casually.

Rosaline inhaled and stood taller. She could tell the man was inspecting her as she did the same to him. And he genuinely seemed to think about her offer before eventually accepting. It made her wonder what he was considering, where he was planning on going that he had initially planned for a short stay. Though his comments about working to earn his keep made her arch an eyebrow out of curiosity.

"Very well then," she answered easily. She could find things for him to do, simple tasks around the house. Like take care of that bloody cat she'd somehow ended up with.

She watched him stand and stare at her once he found his feet. Rosaline had to admit – the striking blue of his eyes was nothing like she'd ever seen. It was enrapturing. She cleared her throat and spoke again, "Um, well, yes. I was about to head into town for groceries, and-"

A car pulled up behind her, and the driver already had the window rolled down to call out to her, "Hello, Fairy." He was ruggedly handsome with a full beard and slightly long brown hair. His clothes were worn but not ratty, and his eyes were brown and kind as they gazed at Rosaline.

The woman in question almost immediately beamed and turned to greet the man. "Jacob! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I spied you walking into town and thought you might need to catch a lift back up to Bayview," he answered. Then his eyes shifted behind her and caught on the man standing there. "Hello," he added.

Rosaline looked back over at the man she'd just met and reassessed his appearance. "Do you have any… suitable clothes… in your bag?" she asked.

She stood taller, revealing to Horst that she was either a nervous sort or a woman that didn’t back down under pressure. Interesting.

He noticed her arched eyebrow and tried not to chuckle. Just because he was a wanderer who took infrequent showers didn’t mean he wouldn’t earn his pay. Luckily, he had an excellent poker face, so his amusement was well hidden.

He caught the way she cleared her throat and seemed to fumble for words momentarily. He knew that reaction, knew it well. His eyes always caught people’s attention, particularly women’s.

Horst nodded in understanding at her words, preparing to sit back down so she could shop in peace. However, a car showed up before she finished speaking, revealing a man that knew this woman, and who was obviously quite fond of her too. The woman’s reaction to him confirmed Horst’s suspicions before he could really even consider them. The pair liked each other. If anything came of their affection, Horst hoped it would work out. It was always nice to see happy couples in an otherwise harsh and unhappy world.

When the man, Jacob, noticed Horst, he simply nodded in reply to the man’s greeting. He otherwise made no move to pursue a conversation with him. Horst wasn’t much of a talker unless he knew the person he was talking to, or otherwise had reason to be.

At the woman’s question, he hummed in thought, trying to remember if he had brought a spare outfit or not. But, he quickly recalled that, yes, he did. It was something he had made damn sure to bring, since his path had cut across the wilderness. He’d just forgotten to change before heading back into populated lands.

“I have a spare outfit. I just don’t have a private place to change into it,”he answered.

Rosaline seemed a bit relieved that the stranger had extra clothes. That way, he wouldn't have to borrow the extra ones she had at the house. Excellent. "Right, well…" She began, trailing off as an idea came to her mind. Rosaline knelt down beside the car and murmured, "Would you mind doing me a favor?"

Jacob's eyes twinkled. "Of course, Fairy."

Rosaline scoffed quietly under her breath, but she was smiling. "Must you call me that?"

"Of course, Fairy," Jacob repeated, leaning out to give her a peck on the lips.

She kissed him back but broke away to keep talking. "I mean it, Jacob, I need a favor. Can you take this man back with you and let him change in your cottage while I finish shopping?"

A mischievous smile pulled on Jacob's face. "Only if you let me call you 'Fairy' and you don't complain."

Rosaline rolled her eyes and leaned down into the car window to kiss him. "Fine," she mumbled against his lips. Jacob chuckled into her mouth. After a quick moment, Rosaline pulled back from him, a new light shining from behind her eyes. It was quite obvious that they adored each other, having become very close over the past week. And she had also been very personal with him, needing someone to talk to when she and Becca had been fighting. Jacob was just always there. And their day at the lake… the first time they'd kissed… that memory played through Rosaline's mind at least three times a day.

Rosaline stood and turned around again, facing the stranger. She took a few steps over to him, trying not to react to his strong scent of weed, and began to explain. "This is Jacob," she introduced while motioning back to the blue taxi behind her. "The only person on the island with a taxi license."

"Who said I had a license?" Jacob replied easily before looking back at the man and adding, "And I'm not really the only taxi here. She just likes to think that."

Rosaline shook her head and kept going, "If you like, you can change into cleaner clothes while I shop. Then we can return to my house. Sound alright?" She extended her hand toward him, lifting her chin slightly in the air. "I'm Rosaline Ward."

Horst listened to her, then watched as she got an idea and turned to Jacob. Their voices were quiet, so he couldn’t quite make out their words, but he couldn’t help averting his eyes when they kissed. A silent sigh left him, his mind drifting to Angelique, his late wife.

Horst quickly pushed the memories aside though. He replayed Eau Claire’s words, reminding himself that he couldn’t drown himself in sorrow, that he was too dear to her to lose himself. He had vowed to himself to stay away from the pit of despair he’d been in before, if only for Eau Claire’s sake. He would stick to that vow to the best of his abilities.

The woman finally turned back to him and Horst looked back up at her, listening. He nodded in acknowledgment of Jacob, snorting in mild amusement at the ensuing banter between the two. He loved bantering, even though he usually only did it with Eau Claire.

He then nodded at her idea, figuring it would be better than loitering around in filthy clothes. He then took her hand in a firm handshake, noting her lifted chin. Confidence, not anxiety, then. She was a strong-willed woman. Good to know.

“Works for me. I am Horst. Just Horst,”he replied calmly.

He then turned to Jacob, studying him and his taxi car breifly before moving toward it.

“I apologize if I make a mess in the car. It’s been a long week,”Horst said to Jacob.

Rosaline noticed how the man watched them both while they bantered and she explained it all. He was very observant. A fly-on-the-wall sort of type. And if he didn't get a shower within the next 12 hours, Rosaline was sure he'd have an entire entourage of flies with him.

He shook her hand firmly, a sign that maybe once he was cleaned up, he wouldn't be too bad to be near. That and wash the marijuana smell off of him.

As he moved toward Jacob's taxi, Rosaline followed him. She bent down near the window again so her face was near Jacob's. She breathed in his pine-mixed-with-coffee scent with a quiet sigh. He gave her an odd look before Horst came closer and he understood why.

"I can tell," he remarked as Horst opened the door. "Don't worry about it." To Rosaline, he lowered his voice and whispered, "He smells like cannabis."

"The Isle of Man isn't a part of the UK," she whispered back. "It's technically not illegal here."

"Shame," Jacob murmured back before placing another kiss on her lips.

Rosaline obliged him, smiling into the motion. She drew back to peck him one last time before stepping back from the car. "Remember, I'll owe you a pint after all this," she quipped.

"You'll owe me two," Jacob countered, glancing in the rearview mirror to see if Horst was situated or not. Rosaline hid her smile as she waved her goodbye and headed for the store.

Horst saw Rosaline move toward Jacob and inhale deep. Another silent sigh left him. He didn’t say anything though. He stank and needed a shower. It was already an established fact, so what more need be said?

“My apology still stands,”Horst commented despite the man’s words.

He sat down in the car and shut the door, setting his pack on his lap and checking through it momentarily so he knew where his clothes were. Once he found them, he nodded to himself and zipped his pack back up. Then, he situated his seatbelt and settled back in the seat, watching the pair again. Even though their actions reminded him of the most depressing time in his life, it was still nice to see how happy they were.

Then, when Jacob glanced back at him, Horst gave him a thumbs-up to show he was ready. Afterward, he simply looked out the window, wishing he would just fall asleep during the ride, but knowing he likely wouldn’t be falling asleep anytime soon.

As Rosaline made her way into town, she pulled out her phone and tapped on her sister's contact. She hit the 'call' button and waited as it rang. A few seconds went by, and then Becca's voice came from the other line. "Hi, Ros."

Rosaline inhaled and pursed her lips, not liking that nickname any more than the one Jacob had assigned her. She didn't even know why he called her "Fairy." She'd have to ask him later. But in the meantime, there was Becca. And she had to fill her sister in on the fact that she'd managed to get her first "roommate" since moving into Bayview.

–

Jacob smiled politely in the rearview mirror and pulled away from the curb. He left his window down and decided if the man said anything, he'd say he forgot to put it back up. As he drove, he periodically glanced back in the rearview mirror to check on Horst. "So," he finally spoke up, "what brings you to the Isle of Man?"

Horst honestly didn’t mind the window being down. He’d always loved wind, and he savored every chance he could get to feel it. And, he understood that Jacob was doing it, at least partly, to keep Horst’s smell from smothering him. So, he just stayed quiet and watched the landscape go by.

Though when Jacob spoke, he looked at him through the rearview mirror. Horst shrugged, debating if he should even talk to the man. But, he figured he owed it to Jacob, since he was being courteous enough to drive him around.

“I like to explore. I’ve visited most of Europe already, but I haven’t been here, and I was also thinking about visiting Ireland afterward. But, my travels are always ‘up in the air’, so I go where I can,”he replied.

Jacob wasn't even sure if Horst would say anything. He seemed rather quiet, and watching him interact with Rosaline had been interesting, especially since the woman was rather extroverted. Though she didn’t prefer interacting with strangers, not like Becca did. Rosaline had come out of her shell on the Isle, with a bit of Jacob's help in the matter. Maybe Horst would too. Or it might take a while. He was here alone, whereas Rosaline had come with her sister.

So when Horst did reply, Jacob met his gaze in the rearview mirror and nodded. "I can't say the same. I've never traveled much, not away from the Isle. I was born here and grew up here with my brother. It's a great place to be. I hope you enjoy your time in Bayview." He added quickly, as an afterthought, "That's Rosaline's house."

Horst hummed, then nodded. Bayview… interesting.

“I’m a full-blooded German, but I’ve always been drawn to travel. But… I hope I do too,”Horst replied.

Horst would remember that Jacob, and his brother, was a true native of the Isle. That meant he probably knew the entire Isle by heart, and possibly even some of the secret places and areas that most folk wouldn’t even realize existed. A good man to know in emergencies.

“So, out of curiosity, where are we going? Just so I know where I’m at on the Isle,”he asked.

Jacob wouldn't lie, he was surprised that the man was continuing the conversation. But Jacob was more than happy to continue talking. It made the drives far less lonely. And it's how he'd met Rosaline anyway. "That's interesting. Where in Germany are you from?"

A quick glance in the rearview mirror preceded his next remark. Well, back behind us is the village, Laxey. We're on the eastern side of the Isle. My cabin, cottage, call it what you like, is just out past Laxey, in this little grove."

He casually omitted the detail about Rosaline spending the night with him when she and her sister got into a big argument. They hadn't done anything, but the fact that it happened was incredible to Jacob. That she'd trusted him that much. So, on another occasion when Rosaline had been mad at Becca, he'd taken her further, all the way to the lake. They'd swam together, the waters absolutely frigid, and then when they made it back to his car, they'd kissed. He could still hear her voice. "Bastard. Kiss me again."

“The Black Forest. In german, it’s called Schwarzwald. It’s a forested area in southwestern Germany,”Horst replied. He didn’t specify if he had been born in a town or not, primarily because he hadn’t been. He had been born in the wilderness. But, Jacob didn’t need to know that.

Horst noticed Jacob’s glance, but he didn’t react, instead just watching out the window. He was genuinely curious where he was going, and he always preferred to know the layout of his surroundings. Otherwise, it really didn’t matter to him. Jacob seemed to be a relatively harmless guy, so Horst had no current reason to be wary of him.

“Laxey. Okay,”Horst hummed to himself, making a mental map of where he was.

He didn’t even realize that Jacob was omitting something about his cabin, but it didn’t make much difference. Horst preferred to respect the boundaries of an already established relationship, to the best of his abilities at least. Though, he couldn’t deny that a very, very tiny part of him was envious of Jacob. Rosaline was a pretty woman, after all.

Jacob grinned. "You don't say. I love the woods. Spent half my life running around in these ones with my brother. Between the trees and the roads, I could make my own map of Laxey from memory by now. Have you ever stayed in a place long enough to learn of it like that?"

It took a few more seconds, but soon Jacob's house came into view. He pulled up into the makeshift gravel driveway, even though no other cars used this road, and looked over his shoulder. "Can I ask you something else?" he said, a more serious tone edging his voice.

Horst’s thoughts about Jacob were immediately confirmed by the man’s words. He might have to keep him close. He could always use a man who knew his way around places.

“Interesting. Hmm… Once, maybe. But, that was almost fifteen years ago. I know it’s changed since the last time I was there,”Horst replied, a sad sigh escaping him.

He was silent as they pulled up into Jacob’s driveway. He then moved to unlock his seatbelt, but paused when Jacob turned and spoke again.

“I suppose, though I may not answer, depending on the question,”Horst replied.

He then undid his seatbelt, moving it out of the way without taking his eyes off of Jacob.

Jacob frowned a bit at the sigh. It was nostalgic, he could tell. But he wouldn't pry more. He wasn't going to be that kind of taxi driver. But as he watched Horst unbuckle his seatbelt, he noticed that the man kept eye contact with him the entire time.

His answer wasn't too surprising. Jacob inclined his head and said, "Fair enough. I just want to know why you smoke cannabis and if you plan on continuing to smoke while you stay at Bayview."

Horst rose an eyebrow at Jacob’s question, then snickered and shook his head.

“That’s a far simpler question than I thought you would ask. Damn,”Horst commented, shaking his head more.

He quickly composed himself, focusing on the situation again. It made sense that Jacob would ask about his marijuana use. The smell of cannabis had lingered around him for years, and many countries still considered it illegal. That was one reason why he usually stayed in the shadows.

“It helps me sleep. Most times, at least. There are times, like this past week, where I… just don’t sleep. And, if Rosaline allows, yes. Though, I’m also courteous enough to do it outside, away from the building,”Horst answered honestly.

Jacob arched his eyebrows at the little comment. "Is there anything else I should know about, then?" he asked cooly.

Horst's reasoning for marijuana wasn't what Jacob expected. But he listened intently before sighing and unbuckling his own seatbelt. "Listen, I'm not going to tell you how to make your choices. But I need you to realize there's a lot about Rosaline that you don't know. There was a lot about her that I didn't know until a few days ago. I'm warning you now not to do anything that will upset her. She's been on more than one trip through hell."

Horst snorted at Jacob’s stern question, still amused.

“Nothing of concern, I assure you. I mostly keep to myself in my travels,”he replied.

Though, at Jacob’s next words, Horst’s amusement vanished. He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as they gazed at Jacob.

“Jacob, you and Rosaline know absolutely nothing of me. Rosaline is not the only one who’s been through hell multiple times. So, for your sake, don’t tell me something I already know,”he hissed.

Horst then opened his door and stepped out. He took a deep breath to calm himself, then looked around. A sigh left him moments later and he shook his head as he realized that he’d just snapped at the man for no real reason. Shit. He was tired, irritable, and hungry. Not a good mix for his moods.

“Nothing against you, Jacob. I’m just tired, and I haven’t had the greatest of luck lately. Anyway, shall we continue?”he asked, his tone far calmer than a few moments ago.

Jacob tensed, ready to defend himself if the other man got aggressive, but his words made Jacob grit his teeth. He was usually a very calm man, but if Horst spoke one wrong word against Rosaline after all she’d been through the last week…

He was about to respond, but Horst had already left the car. Jacob yanked the keys from the ignition and followed suit. He gave the other man space for a moment, noticing the shift in body language.

When Horst addressed him again, Jacob only nodded. “Yes. Rosaline will have food, a hot shower, and a bed for you when you get to Bayview. In the meantime, just get changed. Try to clean up a bit, you know.” He opened the front door and gestured for the man to enter.