It's Your Birthday (Elmonryn)

[Adaryn Breslin]

So Adaryn was having a hard time figuring out what to get Monroe for his birthday. Coffee mugs? No, he had a ton of them. Sleeping pills? That would be insulting. She just, for the life of her, couldn't figure anything out and she felt awful for it. The worst part was that today was the day, and yet she had nothing in her hands.

But she knew that as the days went by, Monroe was falling further and further into his insomnia, going days on end without sleeping. She herself was suffering a small portion of insomnia just on the subject, but only in the sense that she was consistently waking up, maybe five to six times a night. In a sense, she didn't feel it was fair that she was sleeping and he wasn't.

But today Adaryn was going to shove everything down today for his sake and put on a smile that he was sure to smile back at and enjoy. But for now she waited, sitting down in front of the pond with her legs crossed, sketchbook in her lap.

She was waiting for him, phone set gently on the grass in between her legs, a text message just sent saying where to meet her should Monroe want to see her. Hopefully he did, because she wanted to say Happy Birthday in person.

[Thomas "Monroe" Montgomery]

The morning had been rough, well, he'd certainly gotten a crepe out of it and a new leather jacket, but it had been rough. Eloise had provided a listening ear, but Monroe still felt conflicted about what to do. He'd just talked with Zeb, who had agreed to help him out, so that much was good, only he wasn't going to be an official Hammel trainer, because he felt unqualified for that no matter how many times Monroe told him that he was the only person he felt could help him. They were going to try to find a trainer to oversee what Zeb taught him. Monroe was just happy that he'd wanted to help him.

He and Addie had planned to meet up anyway and he'd just gotten a message from her as he was leaving Zeb's about her being at the pond. He smiled down at the text message. Addie loved that place.

It was slightly windy, but Monroe found that the leather jacket Eloise had made him held up fairly well against it. It wasn't Fall yet, but soon enough it would be. And it looked good with his combat boots. So that much was going for him today. A familiar head of brown hair came into view as he neared the pond, seeing that her sketchbook was also in her lap.

"Hey Addie," he said from behind her. "Sorry I'm a little later than what we orginally planned."

[Adaryn Breslin]

He was a bit later than expected, but in the long run, Adaryn wouldn't fault him for it; the lingering thought the insisted he wasn't coming had been quickly replaced by a simple 'he's here!', visible relief taking the form of a smile as she turned to see the Birthday Boy. "Hey, no problem! It's your birthday; you can be as late as you want."

There was a part of her that wanted to kiss him, but the other half - otherwise known as 'typical Addie'- didn't want to attract any looks, even if it was just a quick peck. So she went for the next best thing and grabbed his hand and tugged, gesturing to the ground she just stood up from. "Mind sitting with me?" Though she knew within her mind that he wouldn't say no, there was still slight anxiety associated with the question. Call it the nightmares, but Adaryn just felt off.

"Oh, and Happy Birthday," The Empath offered him suddenly, forgetting she hadn't formally even said it yet. "Did you get anything good?"

[Thomas "Monroe" Montgomery]

"Wish I could have an excuse to be late more often. Too bad it's not my birthday everyday." Of course he was late to class at Hammel almost all the time anyway. She pulled him down with her and he accepted, sitting in the grass next to her, stretching his feet out in front of him, the heels of his combat boots digging into the grass. "Not at all." Actually, just sitting down with Adaryn sounded wonderfully calming at the moment. Who knew his birthday would be such a whirlwind. The letter, the talk with Zeb. He just wanted to take a moment to breathe. "You really like this place, huh?" he asked, glancing around. He did have to admit it had a calming effect.

"Thanks," he told her, although he'd never been one to formally celebrate his birthday. It was just another day and he happened to be another year older. 19. It only made him think about the lack of progress he'd made with his power. He wasn't cut out to be a meta. Not at all. "The jacket's new. Eloise actually uh, made it for me." She'd said it wasn't a big deal, but to Monroe it was.

[Adaryn Breslin]

"You have 3 get out of jail free cards, you know that?" Addie tried to joke, taking comfort in his presence at the moment; she still felt bad about not getting him anything, but she found that thought slipping away from her as his words washed over her. Monroe was there, they were both fine, and he was accepted her invitation to sit with her.

"I do," Addie said, her voice trailing off as her gaze fell to the water and the koi that swam in it. Idly, she wondered what it would be like to live such a simplistic, natural life. She loved the colors, the fresh air, and she loved the way the water rippled at the movements of its occupants.

But her attention was returned to where it rightfully belonged at the mentioning of a new jacket; the fabric looked very nice against his frame, and it just felt Monroe-esque. But then again, Eloise did pay attention to such things, and despite the fact that Adaryn knew El wanted to change it up, she always realized her limits, something she liked about the blonde among other things. "It suits you. I like it." It was then that Adaryn started to lean against the dreamwalker, shoulder against arm, where they should be.

"I miss you at the dorms, you know." The first time Adaryn admitted such a thing, and even then, it was quiet and unsure sounding. "It's not the same."

[Thomas "Monroe" Montgomery]

"Good to know. Tell the monopoly man I might cash those in at some point," Monroe told her with a playful wink. It was nice that they could joke around with each other now, since they'd both decided to hell with the vision that Sebastian had. They weren't going to let it ruin what they had at the moment. Adaryn had become more comfortable and that made him happy.

"It's nice," he agreed with a nod. "Calming." Exactly what he needed right now. When she turned to look at him and the jacket he was now wearing, he grinned. "Thanks. I think so too. Who knew Eloise paid so much attention to what I wear and like," Monroe said with a shrug. She'd sure proved that. "She's a genius with a sewing machine." I fit him perfectly too.

The next part really proved true for Monroe as well. "I do too." It was more convenient. "It really isn't the same...but I'm around sometimes at least for a visit. Still gotta train. I have news on that by the way."

[Adaryn Breslin]

"I heard he had a really busy schedule, so i'll try to get a meeting in with him." Adaryn took solace in the happiness that the dream walker was projecting from within himself. Normally she would completely block the intake of emotions, but she allowed it soak into her, and she closed her eyes as her being started to feel lighter from the positive emotion.

"Eloise is surprisingly observant. I mean, she really does figure out what you like to wear and what you would be willing to try," After all, Adaryn should know. While Eloise may have gone a little far with the sleeveless dress, she found the rest of the outfits relatively wearable. Eloise just wanted her to feel comfortable in her own skin, and while she still wasn't completely better yet, it was getting there.

But she was returned to the fact that Monroe wasn't in the dorms any longer, and she shook her head. "It's not the same." Addie said simply, though she wasn't saying it as if she was blaming him. "I may just start taking your offer on staying over every once and a while." Adaryn had thought about it a lot, and really, the only thing she wanted was Monroe when she woke up from her nightmares, and her roommates weren't the type to tell on her. At least she hoped so.

"Wait, what news?"

[Thomas "Monroe" Montgomery]

"You do that," Monroe said back. The carefree banter was fun, refreshing, especially the things that had been weighing on his mind lately about the letter he'd received.

"Yeah, she does." Despite the fact that he knew he would never be in love with her, Eloise had turned out to be a friend of his, not just his roommate. There were more than a few occurences now where they'd been there for each other or actually sat down and talked over dinner. And the leather jacket was just a really sincere gift. "She's really talented. She could actually open a shop...design things?" He wasn't very clear on what that would entail or be called as a job.

He couldn't believe what Adaryn said next and he definitely couldn't help the obvious smile on his face. "I would love that. I mean...no pressure. But I know Eloise wouldn't mind and I didn't even sleep in my dorm half the time. And I never got in trouble." Then again, he never really slept in general, but he was always wandering around past curfew. He thought it would work and that it would give them more time together. However, he would admit that recently things started to...escalate. Was that even the right word? When he was with her, he seemed to be driven crazy by her being too close to him. He wanted to just lay with her for hours, kiss her for hours. And she hadn't responded badly yet, but he had a feeling that they were both just trying to feel it out together because it was all so new.

"I got a new trainer," he replied. "Well, actually two." He hadn't expected it to work out that way, but it would work, he was sure. "I thought about what you said, about Zeb and so I went to see him today with the idea that I could somehow make him my trainer. He just really gets me the most...and he didn't feel qualified enough for it or something...so basically we're going to get someone to oversee my training, an actual trainer, but Zeb's going to do most ot the training. He's kind of unofficially officially my trainer." Did that even make sense?

[Adaryn Breslin]

The playful banter, as indicative of the finality of their tones, was over. She tried to grasp for the positive aspects of the conversation rather than the negative because she knew that if she did elicit any worrysome behaviors, he would ask what was wrong. Adaryn didn't want that. She didn't want to bring down the conversation with worry and her negative nancy attitude. Yes, she was tired. That didn't mean she had to bring down everyone else around her.

"Eloise should be a designer, point blank." The girl had created a plethora of clothing, and even whhen it came to clothes shopping with the girl, Eloise managed to alter some of the clothing to fit the brunette better. The blonde had an incredible amount of talent working in her despite what stereotypes dictated, and while she may have physically and even slightly mentally fit the stereotype, there was a passion that came with a knowledge that neither Monroe nor Adaryn possessed.

In return, Adaryn offered a light smile; Monroe's joy made it hard not to. It was one of the things that Adaryn loved about the combat - boot wearing man in front of her. He may have said he was too tired to feel anything, or that his reactions were muddle due to his sleep deprivation, but Addie knew how much he did feel. It didn't take an empath to see when something was wrong, despite his efforts to hide them. In fact, she rarely ever used her power on him in terms of reading him - she could use her eyes. And looking at him then, with infectious joy decorating his features, she couldn't help but pull some of that joy to uplift herself. "I know," She said.

But his news wasn't something she was really expecting; how could she, after all? Adaryn didn't think Monroe would take what she said about Zeb to heart, but she knew that this could most definitely help Monroe with his power and maybe, if the universe was willing, he could control it. "That's great!" Adaryn said, truly smiling then despite herself. "It makes sense. I mean, it's gotta be difficult to have to train a student, especially when you've never done it before. I'm just glad he said yes."

"So when does it start?"

[Thomas "Monroe" Montgomery]

"She should," Monroe agreed. "I mean, I don't even know how this fits me so well. It's like she measured me without me knowing. It fits better than most of my clothes." He gestured to the leather jacket he was wearing. "But she's good at it. Everyone's gotta be good at something." He shrugged his shoulders.

Despite what was weighing heavily on him, he wanted to talk about the good news first because that was in the forefront of his mind while his father's letter was in the back of his mind. "I know and I'm really glad you said something to me about Zeb. I don't know why I didn't think of it before." He was so excited, even if there was going to be another training involved that he didn't know. He'd take what he could get. "Whenever we find a trainer to oversee it."

[Eloise Eaton]

Eloise had walked all the way to Hammel from her and Monroe's apartment. It wasn't a ridiculously far distance, but the blonde would usually take the bus, seeing as a 20 minute walk would be difficult in heels. She wasn't wearing them at the moment, though, as she had all but run out the door of her apartment. She had taken an unusually long route to Hammel, half because she kept making wrong turns as her mind turned in a thousand different directions, and half because she wasn't sure if she really wanted to know the answer to the question she needed to ask Monroe...

She finally arrived on campus, however, and while she wasn't entirely sure where she'd find the boy, she was ok with the prospect of wandering around until she ran into him at the moment. Her emotions were being pulled in what felt like a million directions. Her stomach was churning with a weird combination of nerves, excitement, and maybe even dread. She didn't know how she would react to either outcome.

When she finally saw Monroe by the fountain with Adaryn, Eloise considered just turning away and walking home for a moment. She thought that maybe she was crazy and maybe she just needed a long nap. Maybe when she woke up the handwriting would look different and everything would go back to normal. But Eloise also knew she was being ridiculous and making up excuses to avoid having to even ask Monroe any questions about the letter. She took a deep breath and walked toward the couple. She was visibly frazzled, and wearing what could only be described as "normal teenager clothing" - something the two were probably not used to seeing her in... jeans and sneakers and a sweatshirt? Hair in a very messy ponytail? Not very Eloise by nature...

"Monroe!" Eloise finally got the courage to call out, having gained some of the courage needed to address what had been bothering her. "We... I... I need to ask you something," she said, her voice mimicking her swirling range of emotion. She wished she could control it, for Adaryn's sake. She hadn't even addressed the girl yet, but she wasn't sure she could. All the words she waned to say were getting jumbled up in her head.

[Thomas "Monroe" Montgomery]

Adaryn had been about to reply when a voice cut through, a familiar one and when he turned his head away from the brunette in front of him, he saw the blonde walking towards them, but not at all how he'd expected to see her-in jeans and a sweatshirt. He glanced down towards her feet. He hadn't even known that she owned sneakers like that. There was something about the look on her face. "What are you doing here, El?" he asked her. He had told her that he was going to talk to Zeb and then he was going to see Adaryn and then he'd be home, so what was so urgent that she had to leave the apartment to talk to him?

"You had to ask me a question and you didn't even take the time to put on a pair of heels or fancy boots?" he asked her, regarding her with a suspicious look that had been joking at first, but the more he looked at her, he became slightly worried. "What's up?"

[Eloise Eaton]

"Shut up," Eloise commanded, not entertained by Monroe's sass, even though she dished out her fair share. This was just not the moment. "Make fun of my choice in foot-ware later this is serious," she requested, reaching her hand into the messenger bag she had slung on her shoulder just before rushing out the door. She pulled the envelope she was sure that Monroe recognized out of the bag, and bit her lip as she held it in front of her.

"Ok... so I was cleaning... again make fun of me for the things I don't normally do later," El cut in before Monroe could make a snarky comment about how she turnned 19 and suddenly became a housewife. She'd be cracking those jokes too if her mind weren't reeling. "And I saw the letter on the table and I know I shouldn't have opened it while you weren't there but something about it was bugging me so I opened it and I didn't even really read it..." Eloise rambled as she opened up the letter. Her words seemed to become faster and more frantic as she continued, unfolding the parchment she was uncomfortable familiar with. "I just noticed something and I freaked out and I just need to know..."

Eloise felt like she already knew the answer to the question she was going to ask, but she needed to hear it from Monroe. She needed to hear what he had to say before she told him what she was almost certain was true. She turned the letter toward Monroe and pointed at the initials that graced the bottom of the page 'EE'. "Do you know what the 'E' stands for? The first 'E' I mean... I mean... what's your dad's name? Please tell me you know what the E stands for?" Eloise asked all in one breath, eyes locking with Monroe's mostly because she didn't think she could look down at the letter in fear of it changing before her eyes and making her look crazier than she sure she already did.

[Adaryn Breslin]

As an empath who had learned to pick up on any negative emotions at any moment, Adaryn felt Eloise before her footsteps were even heard in the grass behind the couple. However, she attempted to speak up, not realizing the negative emotion was coming from Eloise Eaton. When the familiar voice cut Adaryn off, she turned and locked eyes on the blonde, shocked to see Eloise looking just as disoriented as the emotions she was giving off. The confusion hit the brunette like a tidal wave, quick and unexpected.

What confused Adaryn even further was the way that Eloise rambled on about a letter and the letters 'EE', to which Adaryn assumed were initials. But how did a letter Monroe received impact Eloise in such a way? There she stood, taking a few steps away from the two individuals, trying to block out the emotions that were starting to sink to her stomach, making it churn uncomfortably. She dare not say anything, in fear of being snapped at.

Instead, she listened. Intently. Waiting for Monroe's response. In the back of her mind, however, she wondered why Monroe didn't mention a letter in the beginning of the conversation since it clearly was something of importance.

[Thomas "Monroe" Montgomery]

Monroe was taken slightly aback by her demanding tone. Sure, Eloise could be demanding, but she seemed to be in a mood. Not necessarily a bad one, but a panicked one. That was the word. "Okay..." he mumbled, as she'd said it was important and he looked over at Adaryn and then back at Eloise. Addie looked confused for the most part and Monroe wondered if it was because her emotions were all over the place. "It's really not that big of a deal." After all, he'd put it out, wanting her to look at it, to understand why he was so weirded out by the appearance of a letter from his father. She'd just looked at it after he left. She was talking so fast that Monroe was having trouble following her. "Wait, so you didn't read it? You just saw a part of it?" He blinked, trying to get her to slow down by commenting. It didn't seem to work much.

She'd taken the letter from the envelope and unfolded it, the nice parchment that seemed fancier than anything Monroe would ever get in the mail. She was pointing to the signature. 'Do you know what the E stands for? The first E?

He did. He wouldn't have known without his power it seemed, because one of the first dreams he visited was one of his mothers in which his father had made an appearance. She'd called him... "Everett," he recited. "Everett Thomas."