Connie Buchannon
*Civilian*
Aka, 'Mrs. Butcher,' and one of the toughest ladies on the block. She's street smart, won't hesitate to protect her family...and is current driving her ex-gangster hubby insane. But he don't mind: if it's off to Lala Land for him, why not get sent by a beauty like his Connie?
Livin' La Vida Loca
Posts: 93
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Post by Connie Buchannon on Jan 26, 2010 4:40:02 GMT -5
(Joint post with Connie and Dare) DareAh, the sight and smell of New Orleans. Who would've thought that he'd actually miss the place he'd once thought of as Yokem Central? Standing with his hands braced on the partially rusted deck railing outside the second floor of their apartment, he looked over at the maze-like buildings that made up the Quarter. Once upon a time, he'd have stuck his ass out on the fire escape and heard the sirens, the gunfire, the cat calls and the cussing of a Brooklyn boy getting yelled at by his girlfriend. But all there was now, was the smell of the river, cars whooshing by and the occasional happy yell as the Gators won a game. And truthfully? It was music to his ears. This place was more home than home.
But that probably had more to do with the two girls back inside than anything else, he thought with a small smile. Almost two months into construction and a week after their adventure into Brooklyn, the place was almost ready for business. What would have been a year's worth of work was quickly becoming something more of a miracle, thanks to the local boys he'd gotten in touch with. It seemed that, even as far on the Mid-West Coast as they were, The Little Butcher was still known as being some kind of hard ass. He just hoped that his reputation would proceed him, before some glory hog came looking to Robert Ford his ass, like his life was some kind of bad cowboy flick.
Taking a drag of the cigarette he'd hidden under a loose brick, he closed his eyes at the welcome taste of nicotine. It had almost killed him, but he'd been doing his best to quit...which, for a chain smoker like him, meant going from 1/2 packs a day to a max of two cigs a day. God, if he didn't blacken his nails every other minute from his hands shaking, he was the Queen of England. Not to mention that those little 'parties' he liked to have sometimes back at home, involving a joint or two...well, it was safe to say that he was a big ball of shaking muscles. The things a guy did for family. But he supposed he shouldn't whine; Connie had gone cold turkey from all of it, as far as he could tell. And watch her closely she did, whether she liked it or not.
But, happy to be home and appreciating good workers just did nothing for his paranoia. He couldn't say why, but there had been a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach for a while now, concerning his wife and the baby. It got to a point that merely looking at her was enough to set him off to being Storm Boy, and he couldn't figure out why. He'd spoken to Uncle Two Trees by letter, but the old guy had no clue, and Ilani...well, his sister had made it clear that the only person she was willing to see was her niece. So, all in all, Dare was really in that special paddle while having a heart attack. Talk about a great way to welcome Valentine's Day into being. Shaking his head at the dour turn of his thoughts, he flicked the cig over the railing and waved his hand around, attempting to dispel the smoke. If Connie caught a whiff, she'd be on him like flies on raw meat for his hiding place, and hell if his pregnant wife was gonna be smoking anything stronger than a gummy cig. He spritzed a bit of air freshener about himself, waved his hand again- which earned him the friendly wave of a laundromat owner next door; what nice old lady- and headed back inside. At 7 in the morning, the girls were still sleeping...and, in all reality, so should he. But he just couldn't shake the feeling of dread, no matter what he did. He padded barefoot back into the apartment, dressed in nothing but a pair of worn sweats. It was a wonder why the laundromat lady wasn't scared out of her mind when seeing his bare body covered in prison tats, but he wasn't about to question it.
Rubbing at the back of his neck, Dare made his way to the second floor. He poked his head into Maria's room, satisfied to see her snoring little body splayed out in her bed, then moved back into the master bedroom. While downstairs was still an under-construction-mess, he'd made it very clear that the apartment was to be done the quickest or face the 'wrath of the Butcher.' And, like magic, the words had conjured a set of construction workers who'd somehow managed to paint, re-floor, fix the roof AND add in an extra room upstairs in record time. The place was still a bit bare, as most of his stuff was in storage until they could figure out what goes where, but the bedrooms were comfy at least. A small grin slid onto his face as he stood in the doorway, leaning sideways against the jam. Man, he could just look at his wife, all peaceful like an angel while she slept, for hours. ConnieIt was funny how comfortable it all felt being in New Orleans. For some reason it just felt right. This was there home now. Connie knew that Dare was still worried. But it wasn't about living in New Orleans, he was still concerned over what his father and the gang might be up to. If retaliation was coming. His instinct to protect his family was natural and strong. It made her feel good that he cared so much and was so loyal to her and Maria. It also tore her up inside that she couldn't put his mind at ease about it. For the most part though, he seemed happy with his decision.
Right now though, Connie was sound asleep... or she had been until she felt Dare move and get out of bed. She was still semi-asleep but she knew what he was getting up to do. Sneaking off to the balcony to have a cigarette. She really couldn't blame him. He was trying so hard to be supportive of her. Trying to quit smoking. She'd even told him it wasn't necessary but he'd insisted. He didn't like smoking around her when she was pregnant. But, she knew how hard it was for him. She'd had to give everything up as soon as she realized she was pregnant. No alcohol, no smoking of any kind and even more than that. Dare was going crazy with being careful. Watching what she ate. Not wanting her to eat anything with too many chemicals or be around anything that could possibly be toxic. It drove her a little nuts, but it was actually sweet really.
Connie took a deep breath, rolling over to find the warm spot that Dare had left in the bed when he got up. It didn't take long and she was deep into sleep again. Everything was fine. She'd slipped back into a nice peaceful restful sleep. Her mind was clear and calm. Then things started to shift in her mind. It started to get dark. She was in a building. Something that seemed somewhat familiar. Connie was watching from somewhere that seemed far away. There were stairs, a woman coming down the stairs. Not too far behind her a man followed. Then suddenly the woman was flung through the air as though pushed by some unseen force. The woman was struggling on the floor but Connie couldn't see what she was struggling with. Then all of a sudden there was a big black dog... or was it a wolf. He was huge and enraged he looked like he was about to attack.
All of a sudden, Connie found herself fully awake and screaming at the top of her lungs. She sat up, looking around the room panicked. Trying to get her bearings. Still feeling like she was in the middle of the nightmare. Gulping deep breaths she was trembling and shaking all over. She was still gasping for breath trying to calm down as she began to realize she was in her own bed. Her body was drenched in sweat. What the hell had just happened? DareDamn, he did love to watch his wife while she slept. It was like everything that had happened in his life had brought him here, to this beautiful woman lying so peacefully on the bed. Lately, it seemed that his nights would be filled with the storm...and truth be told, he did envy the peace that she seemed to have. He moved toward the bed, the need to curl up against her practically elbowing him in the gut. He wanted to feel the warmth of her body against his, feel the little puff of breath on his neck as she welcomed his presence, hear that sigh of contentment from her lips...
And yeah, anything else than the freaking horrified scream that sent her shooting up in the bed. Holy shit! What the hell had happened?! Going into an instant panic, Dare was kneeling on the bed in front of her before she could suck in another breath. His hands went on her shoulders as he looked at her face, taking in the dilated pupils and uneven breath. Oh holy hell, please say she was alright, that it wasn't the baby...
"Connie, what's wrong? Are you alright?" He resisted the urge to shake her, one hand trailing down over her body to check for injuries. "Jesus, you're soaking wet. You're alright, baby, just stay right there. Lemme go get a dry shirt for you." Practically shooting off of the bed, he attacked the chest of drawers across the room, pulling out one of his larger shirts. He tugged at the bottom of her pj's, fluffing out the dry shirt as he looked at her with pure concern on his face. "Do you feel nauseous? Light headed? Are you in pain? Crap, shut up Dare...what's wrong, Connie?" ConnieConnie kept taking deep breaths, in and out. Nice and slow. Trying to calm herself, blinking her eyes trying to make sure she was awake and everything was as it should be. Her mouth was dry, she rolled her tongue around and licked her lips trying to get some moisture so she could swallow the lump in her throat. Then she noticed Dare was there. Her senses were coming back. His hands touching her. As she looked at his face she clenched her teeth and nodded as he asked if she was OK. She still needed a minute before she could talk so she was glad Dare had gone to get her a dry shirt. Plus she was suddenly shivering all over.
When he handed her the t-shirt she slipped it on, it actually had a calming affect on her. It was Dare's shirt an extension of him and it was soothing. Her hand automatically went to her belly, even though there was barely even anything there to indicate she was pregnant yet at three months along. But that was the first thing that came to mind. Connie looked back up at Dare. "I'm fine. The baby is fine. It was... It was just a nightmare or something. A fairly weird one, but still, just a nightmare. I must have ate something funny that caused it. I don't know. "
Connie scooted over on the bed, closer to Dare. Moving up against him and wrapping her arms around him. Still shivering like she was ice cold, but she could feel that the apartment was warm. It was such an odd feeling. Whatever had just happened it had chilled her to the bone. DareDare's hand also went to her belly, sliding his rough hand over hers. He visibly sagged when she spoke next, taking a deep breath of relief. He had no idea why this feeling of dread was following him around, but hearing his wife let loose that hellish scream, as if something was hurting her...his head tilted down slightly as he gritted his teeth, shoving the surge of the storm away. No, he was not going to start a hurricane because he was concerned about his wife's nightmare. Deep breaths, Dare, deep breaths.
Pulling her into his arms, he ran a hand over her back, frowning at the shivers trailing over her body. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, still concerned. Forget something she ate; a nightmare like this one happens two nights in a row, and a guy does not start immediately turning to the burritos he'd brought home that night, because the kitchen was still under construction. Hugging her closer, he did his best to dispel the dread that sat like lead in his belly, giving the top of her head a kiss. "Baby, this is the second morning you've woken up like this. Not to mention that yesterday, you managed to give me a nice sock in the jaw for waking you up. So tell me; what's scarin you so bad? Is it the thought of the baby? Living here? If you don't wanna stay in the apartment, we can go back to the hotel."
Hell with the deep breaths; he needed a goddamn valium. If he didn't figure out this 'emotion = bad juju' crap soon, he was going to go insane. A couple more deep breaths later, he pulled away to look down at her, eyes intent on her face.
"Weird or no, why don't you tell me about it, so I can tell my heart to stop knockin? You know the doctor said that bad dreams are signs of stress that could complicate things. So if there's anything wrong, I want you to tell me." At that point, he was just about to say something along the lines of 'SPILL IT WOMAN, RIGHT NOW,' but that would've just seemed strange. Not to mention that any more panicking would result in Connie smacking him across the face, which was never a fun thing. ConnieConnie let herself sag into his arms, up against his body. It just made her feel better, safer, secure, calm. She curled her legs up underneath her then wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Baby...it's definitely not the apartment, I love the apartment. I love being here. It's just these nightmares... they're strange. They seem so real. I feel like I'm sleeping just fine and dandy, everything is peaceful then the scene suddenly changes."
Taking a couple more deep breaths she burrowed into him further. Trying to shake off the chill. The truth was she had no idea what was going on. It was just these dreams. And so far they had been the same one, or at least very similar. She wasn't sure what to tell Dare. He was already worried, she didn't want to add more to that, but if she didn't tell him he'd know she wasn't telling him everything.
With a sigh she continued on to tell him about the dream.... or at least what she could remember. "It's just weird. I mean the dream is so real... but like now. It's all foggy. I can't really remember it all. What I do remember is a place... and it's a familiar place. Like I've been there before. It's dark... Hard to tell. And there is this woman... and the thing that I wake up to is this... this... I dunno... It's this ... Big black animal... It kind of looks like a dog... but it's HUGE... and it's angry.... and... That's when I usually wake up screaming I think... because it starts raging like it's going to attack or something. It's weird. It might be a wolf, but ... It's one scary fucking wolf if that's what it is."
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Darien Buchannon ☠
Admin
Unique Storm Caller The gangbanger, penitent murderer and all around nice guy... who's being driven insane by Connie. But he loves it.
I make the gang life look good...
Posts: 143
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Post by Darien Buchannon ☠ on Jan 26, 2010 23:07:54 GMT -5
What? Looking down at Connie with a look of confusion on his face, he loosened his arms to once again check her over for some kind of unseen injury. Had she bumped her head? Nightmares about…wolves? Okay, so that was definitely some kind of strange dream.
As she buried her head against him, Dare re-wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close to his chest. Thank God that Connie’s screaming hadn’t woken Maria up…or was that a good thing? No, wondering about the possible dangers of having a child that slept so soundly was for another time.
“Good, I’m glad you’re liking the apartment…but huge dogs? Wolves? I don’t know what that could mean…are you sure that you aren’t anxious about something? You know what that doctor said about stress and hormones.”
With another concerned look at the top of her head, he bit his tongue at the urge to demand that they go off to the hospital. God, it wasn’t like this was going to be her first time around the baby block, for crying out loud! But that feeling in his stomach…for all that was holy, he was going to really have to go see a doctor himself. Or, hell, maybe a priest.
“Do you remember anything else about it? Like…where the place was, or who the wolf was attacking? I mean, this’ the third night you’ve had this dream…maybe your subconscious is telling you something.”
Yeah, like the Big Bad Wolf was coming to eat their baby. Okay Dare, deep breaths; there was no such thing as the Big Bad Wolf. But hell, with all the things that he’d been subjected to lately? Why the hell not?
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Connie Buchannon
*Civilian*
Aka, 'Mrs. Butcher,' and one of the toughest ladies on the block. She's street smart, won't hesitate to protect her family...and is current driving her ex-gangster hubby insane. But he don't mind: if it's off to Lala Land for him, why not get sent by a beauty like his Connie?
Livin' La Vida Loca
Posts: 93
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Post by Connie Buchannon on Feb 2, 2010 3:07:27 GMT -5
ConnieConnie let herself take in the comfort of her husband's arms around her. She could here the stress in his voice. Connie let out a sigh. Dare was the one more stressed than she was these days. "Baby... My only stress right now is my concern about you. Everything that happened back in New York is over and done. Ever since we got back here, I've felt good. I'm happy. Overseeing renovations of the building and stuff. It's great, it's exciting that we're going to have our own place. I try to not worry about what might happen. I think you're worrying enough about that for the both of us." That was the truth of the matter. Not that she blamed Dare for worrying. He knew better than anyone what his father was capable of.
Her thoughts wandered a bit. She just didn't see how this could be related to her being stressed. It was just too strange. Something felt weird with these dreams. When he spoke again she shook her head to clear it and then looked up at him. "I don't know where the place was. It's just familiar. For that matter, the woman seems familiar as well. But... I can't see her face. She has short dark hair... And... I don't think the wolf or whatever was going to attack her... it was more like he was protecting her... going to attack something else. It was like watching a movie. I could see what was going on but I wasn't a part of it." Connie sat up a bit and ran her hands through her hair. Giving her husband a look, then smiling at him. She tried to make her expression reassuring. Things would be OK. They were just dreams right? Leaning in she kissed him softly. After they broke a part and looked at him with a bit of a sparkle in her eye. "Hey, isn't today Valentine's day? Why don't we not worry about this right now. It really was just a dream right? Tell me about what you want to do today. I have an idea or two myself. We may have to lock Maria in her room though for what I have in mind." Connie raised her eyebrows at him. Grinning like a Cheshire cat as she reached out and touched his face. It had been a long time since she had any kind of reason to celebrate Valentine's day. She was looking forward to this one.
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Darien Buchannon ☠
Admin
Unique Storm Caller The gangbanger, penitent murderer and all around nice guy... who's being driven insane by Connie. But he loves it.
I make the gang life look good...
Posts: 143
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Post by Darien Buchannon ☠ on Feb 4, 2010 18:13:06 GMT -5
Stress? He’d passed ‘stressed’ three days ago. If anything, if they didn’t figure out what the holy hell was going on, the Little Butcher was about to heart attack himself into an early grave.
Still holding her close, he couldn’t help but smile down at her. “Yeah, it is nicer here, isn’t it? Who would’a thought, huh? It’s hotter, don’t got our crime, and there’s no hot dog stands on every corner…but I think it feels more like home here, than it did in the Apple.”
Nuzzling the side of her head, he let out a teasing rumbled as his hands wandered impishly. “Then again, that could just be ‘cause you’re here. Home’s wherever you are, baby. But all this worrying? ‘S your fault. I think being a bachelor is so much easier than this.”
Falling silent as she started speaking again, Dare could feel his muscles begin to tense yet again. God, he was like some kind of freaking switch around his woman, wasn’t he? Teasing and flirtacious at one moment, and ready to explode in another. Forget his reputation for being easygoing; now he knew why so many family men he’d known over the years lost all their goddamn hair so fast! All he needed was a tampon and stomach cramps, and he’d so be a woman right now…
With a little grumble, he forced himself to focus on what she was saying. A frown creased his lips and the skin around his brows, as he looked at the small protrusion of her belly. Absently, he rubbed his thumb over the little bump as he thought.
“Is there anything else you remember?” He asked, looking down at her to meet her eyes. “Anything about the girl? Or the room that she was in? Maybe we can research tamed wolves and see if anyone pops up…God,” With a little laugh, he shook his head. “It’s the Moonblood-Buchannon curse, babe. I swear, my gut’s telling me that there’s something to these dreams of yours…but hell if I know what.”
With another little head shake, he let loose a little cough, shifting a bit on the bed. “Yeah, didn’t I say Happy Valentines Day? Lemme fix that…”
Catching her hand in his, he traced his lips over the delicate skin of her inner wrist, placing feather light kisses along the blue vein. He nuzzled her palm as she pressed it against his face, tilting his head up so that he could capture her lips with his. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Mrs. Buchannon,” He murmured, a smile replacing the creasing frown. “Now, get dressed. I have a surprise for you downstairs. We’ll leave the dreams for tomorrow.”
Almost kid-like, he jumped out of the bed and hurried to the door, going to wake their daughter for the little carnival he’d made in the casino downstairs. Did his girls like heart-shaped cotton candy, mini-roller coasters and buffet style breakfast foods all cut in little hearts?
He was about to find out.
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Connie Buchannon
*Civilian*
Aka, 'Mrs. Butcher,' and one of the toughest ladies on the block. She's street smart, won't hesitate to protect her family...and is current driving her ex-gangster hubby insane. But he don't mind: if it's off to Lala Land for him, why not get sent by a beauty like his Connie?
Livin' La Vida Loca
Posts: 93
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Post by Connie Buchannon on Feb 7, 2010 20:42:32 GMT -5
ConnieConnie just shook her head as Dare tried to quiz her for more details on the dream. She just couldn't remember anything else. It's not like she enjoyed this. So the change of topic was a welcome one.
Connie easily slipped into a better mood when Dare's lips touched her skin. By the time his lips met hers she was practically purring like a content kitten. The change in his demeanor helped too. She couldn't help but smile and a little shiver of excitement ran through her as he said he had a surprise for her.
As Dare left the room to get Maria, she wondered what he had planned downstairs. Quickly she got up and got dressed. Opting for something comfortable. Pulling on a pair of jeans, she noticed they were starting to get a little tighter. That brought a momentary frown to her face. There was barely a hint of a bump but she could tell that her hips were a bit wider. Sighing, she did up the buttons on the jeans, leaving the top one undone. Then she went to the drawer where Dare had his t-shirts and grabbed one out and put it on, tugging it down over the waistband of the jeans. Finally she put on some socks and slipped her feet into some pull on ankle boots.
Connie then moved out of the room, heading toward Marie's bedroom. When she got there it was empty. She furrowed her brow. He had said he had a surprise waiting for her down in the casino, they must have headed down there already. She wondered idly why he didn't wait for her. Shrugging her shoulders she heading down the hall and made her way out of the apartment and to the back entrance of the casino.
Walking into the casino Connie stopped dead in her tracks. The sight laid out before her made her eyes go wide and her mouth dropped open as a startled gasp escaped. Covering her mouth she scanned the place. Taking it all in. Most of the casino tables and such were all moved to the back, against the far wall. The main area was completely transformed. It was like a little carnival all set up. Balloons were everywhere and was that actually a mini-roller coaster? How the hell had Dare managed that? There was a huge buffet of food set out.
Connie was stunned. All she could do was stand there gaping at the sight while a smile spread across her face. Sometimes Dare really amazed her. Big bad gangster was really a sweetheart. She took a deep breath and looked for her husband and daughter.
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Darien Buchannon ☠
Admin
Unique Storm Caller The gangbanger, penitent murderer and all around nice guy... who's being driven insane by Connie. But he loves it.
I make the gang life look good...
Posts: 143
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Post by Darien Buchannon ☠ on Feb 7, 2010 23:29:33 GMT -5
The grin on Dare’s face could only be classified as ‘shit eating,’ as he watched the show of emotion on his wife’s face. As Connie made her way downstairs, he was already watching Maria attack a certain cotton candy stand he’d had set up. God, the looks on his girls’ faces were enough to make any feeling of unease melt away like summertime butter in Hell’s Kitchen.
At first, he’d had no idea what to do with the ever-cherished day as it came rolling closer and closer. Hell, would the two of them even celebrate Valentine’s Day, so soon after their getting back together? Sure, the holiday was supposed to be some kind of sign of one’s commitment to their partner…but hell, after all they’d been through, surely one little day didn’t mean anything. They’d braved the past, a psychotic casino owner, his father, half the gang, Joey’s following them to New York and Connie’s homecoming surprise, so surely something as childish as Valentine’s Day wouldn’t make it on their radar.
But, then again, Connie was a woman. And women, as he knew from past experience, liked to put meaning in the little things, even if it meant driving him bat shit insane. For a solid week, he’d freaked out about what he could do. A romantic dinner sounded too cliché and didn’t include his little girl, a trip somewhere would put a crimp in their ‘open the casino’ plans and most of the other ‘normal’ scenarios that he’d heard of- and yes, he admitted it; he’d even frikken Googled at one point..so sue him. What he’d wanted was something that all of them could enjoy, even Maria. Something not too cheesy, not too boring, not too expensive- even though they could afford it now, but he was still getting used to the fact- and definitely not too crazy for Junior.
In the end, he had no freaking clue how he’d come up with the carnival idea. Maybe it was a commercial he’d seen, or the trucks he’d spotted moving out of town. In the end, however, he’d managed to track down a group of traveling partiers, and resort to both bribes and threats to get them into his basement.
And by the looks on Maria and Connie’s faces, all of the legwork was worth it. Man, maybe Valentine’s Day wasn’t so darn bad.
As their daughter practically threw herself into the mini-rollercoaster with a laugh, Dare strolled over to his wife, a smug smile on his face. “Never thought I had enough pull to get an indoor amusement park, huh?” He asked with a dramatic little pose, brushing invisible lint off of his shirt. Grin widening, he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close.
“What do you think, Mrs. Buchannon?” He asked, for the umpteenth time that month, having perverse pleasure in the name. “Too much? I was thinking of the romantic, candle-lit dinner, but I thought that it’s been a while since we hit Coney Island. And since we didn’t get a chance to go visit when we were back East…I figured I’d bring the rides to you. Remember our first ride in a ferris wheel? We gave a new name to the mile high club.”
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Connie Buchannon
*Civilian*
Aka, 'Mrs. Butcher,' and one of the toughest ladies on the block. She's street smart, won't hesitate to protect her family...and is current driving her ex-gangster hubby insane. But he don't mind: if it's off to Lala Land for him, why not get sent by a beauty like his Connie?
Livin' La Vida Loca
Posts: 93
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Post by Connie Buchannon on Feb 12, 2010 17:05:54 GMT -5
ConnieConnie had spotted Maria, running around like she had just eaten too much sugar, which it seemed was going to be the case by the looks of the cotton candy Maria was devouring before she ran off to explore more of the elaborate setup. Connie gave her daughter a wave and a laugh as the little girl was practically flying as she flashed by.
Crossing her arms over her chest Connie watched as Dare approached her. He had that grin on his face, obviously proud of himself for pulling this off. Connie couldn't help but smile back at him and shake her head. "Mrs. Buchannon... you're never getting tired of that are you? Lucky thing that I don't mind it, Mr. Buchannon." Connie chuckled a bit and then leaned into him as he held her. She took a moment just to be close to him and take in his scent. It was nice, the two of them together. She was happy and it had been a very long time since she had truly been happy. Letting out a little sigh as she looked up at him. "I don't know how you did it, but it's amazing... perfect. Thank you, I love it... and it looks like Maria is ecstatic over it." She reached up and kissed him softly, wrapping her arms around his neck, letting her body press against him. Then she gave him a wicked grin, whispering to him. "Of course I remember our first ride in a ferris wheel. We had a lot of fun that night. Think we could relive some of those memories? What do you want to do first?" Connie stayed pressed close against him. She turned her head slightly so she could scan the room. An actual freaking carnival. She couldn't believe it and the smile wouldn't leave her face.
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Darien Buchannon ☠
Admin
Unique Storm Caller The gangbanger, penitent murderer and all around nice guy... who's being driven insane by Connie. But he loves it.
I make the gang life look good...
Posts: 143
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Post by Darien Buchannon ☠ on Feb 17, 2010 17:38:17 GMT -5
“Y’know, I don’t think I ever will,” He drawled, pulling her closer so he could nip at the tender spot beneath her earlobe. “’Cause it means your mine. And I have a legal right to kill anyone who looks at you cross eyed…well, in Texas, that is. Maybe we should move down there?”
Man, talk about a carnival bringing a family together. As Maria ran around the mini-amusement park, being catered to by various employees and the kids they’d brought along, Dare couldn’t help a little balloon of contentment to swell in his chest. When in the ever living hell had he ever been this happy? Sure, when he and Connie were first married, things were cool and comfortable…but were they ever really happy?
The two of them had been kids, barely out of high school and supporting both bad ass reputations and a baby. There were those good ‘ol raging hormones, lots of puppy love and some of the best make-up sex he’d ever had in his frikken life…
But if he had to turn around and compare the two, nothing could match up to what they had now. Talk about reality coming in and kicking one’s ass, only to introduce a new way of living. Sure, he was getting grey hairs and fast approaching the day where ‘Sir, can I see your ID?’ was going to be far behind him…but, holding his wife closer to his side, he knew that it was worth it. The years used to pass as just another span of time, with a few chance happiness thrown in.
Who’d have figured that Valentine’s Day could make a grin form on his lips and anticipation shine in his eyes? Leave it to his wife to charge into his life and make him see the world a lot clearer. Well, that, or a lot more red.
Snagging a stick of red cotton candy, Dare waved at Maria as she ran passed them, leading a pack of kids toward the table games at the far end of the room. There was such a smile on his daughter’s face that he could swear the room lit up.
…That is, until a certain boy turned around and smiled at her, thus causing that cherub face to turn a bit pink. And, if that wasn’t enough…OH HO. DID THE KID JUST KISS HER? HELL NO!
“I wanna kill a ten year old,” He managed to grumble, glaring daggers at the gaggle of kids. Maria had dashed off toward the Merry-Go-Round with the females of the group, giggling like mad, while the boys stayed behind. “Did you see that? The kid kissed her! Right there! I KNEW I shoulda made this a ‘girls only thing,’ but then the conductor said he had a kid Maria’s age and…ARRR.”
As if sensing a father’s unhappy glare, said boy turned around to glance in their direction. Upon seeing the murderous glint to the ex-gangster’s eyes, the kid did an abrupt about-face and scurried toward his father as fast as his little legs could carry him. Well, talk about a dose of manly pride, right there.
That’s right, nobody looked at his two women cross eyed. And neither did they freaking KISS them. Valentine’s Day or no!
“That’ll teach him…” He said with obvious pride, looking down at Connie with a grin and a devilish rise of his brows. “And Heaven help anyone who tries that with you, babe. Why don’t we go and try out the Ferris Wheel? I bet we can make the control guy stop us at the top and relive all those memories of ours.”
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Connie Buchannon
*Civilian*
Aka, 'Mrs. Butcher,' and one of the toughest ladies on the block. She's street smart, won't hesitate to protect her family...and is current driving her ex-gangster hubby insane. But he don't mind: if it's off to Lala Land for him, why not get sent by a beauty like his Connie?
Livin' La Vida Loca
Posts: 93
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Post by Connie Buchannon on Feb 25, 2010 21:09:59 GMT -5
ConnieConnie stood there, lost in thought for a few moments, watching as Maria and the other kids enjoyed themselves. She could here them laughing and talking excitedly as they moved from place to place.
Resting her head on Dare's shoulder she wrapped one arm around his back while the other hand absently started to rub her tummy. It seemed strange to be pregnant again after so long. All of it was still strange. Seeing Maria, ten years old now. Laughing and playing, so grown up she seemed.
And... here she was back with Dare again. In a few months they would have a newborn to take care of. Quite the different circumstances than the first time. At least they were a little bit smarter, at least she hoped so. But still... Weird that she ended up pregnant again after just finding him. That part was familiar. There must be something to be said about fate or destiny in all this.
Shaking her head a bit to pull herself back she saw Maria talking to a boy. She could feel Dare's body get tense and knew he could see it too. Connie bit her lip and tried to stifle a smile when she saw the boy give Maria a quick peck before the girls ran away giggling. She could hear Dare's frantic mumbling. "Baby, they're ten. It's nothing to worry about yet." Turning to him she smiled as he asked about going to the ferris wheel. She held him tight for a moment and nuzzled into his neck before kissing him softly. Running a hand over his face as she looked at him. "You think they will let us take some cotton candy on the ferris wheel? I'm hungry." Smirking she grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the cotton candy stand. Taking one the vendor offered her and then laughing and running off toward the ferris wheel.
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Darien Buchannon ☠
Admin
Unique Storm Caller The gangbanger, penitent murderer and all around nice guy... who's being driven insane by Connie. But he loves it.
I make the gang life look good...
Posts: 143
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Post by Darien Buchannon ☠ on Feb 27, 2010 0:44:29 GMT -5
Man, those kids did bring back memories, didn’t they? He remembered an age where meeting up at the local arcade was enough to win a guy a free ticket to Contentsville, and a stolen kiss in the park was enough to give him…okay, to make him very happy in ways that just weren’t worth getting into. He could just see Connie’s younger face in his mind, her youthful smile and sultry voice, even then promising all kinds of mischief if given rein.
And now it was even better. Hot damn, this was like going back full circle. They started off as teenagers running amok in a carnival, and ended up as adults, in love and bringing a baby into the world, in yet another.
A guy really had to love it when Fate played right into his hands. Not that he’d have imagined himself re-connecting with his former murderous ex and estranged daughter.
…Speaking of said daughter…
“’Just ten’ my hairy ass,” The gangster grumbled, nuzzling her palm absently. “See, this’ where it starts! Just one little peck, then they start thinking they’re in love, start climbing out windows to meet one another after dark, find a secluded place and…HEY! DON’T YOU FOLLOW AFTER HER, YOU LITTLE BASTARD!”
It really was a good thing that his yowling was lost under the music of the roller coaster. That was all anyone needed for their Valentine’s Day; the head of the household getting into a fist fight with the huge roadie father of the boy. Letting himself be tugged toward the cotton candy stand, he glared over his shoulder at the group of kids, mumbling and grumbling like a bear.
The sound of bell-chime laughter pulled his head out of the dark cloud he’d been standing in, and a grin quickly replaced the growing scowl on his face. “Nice ass, Mrs. Buchannon,” Dare drawled devilishly, making a show of watching her backside as she ran toward the Ferris wheel. “Definitely what attracted me to you in the first place.”
With another grin at the man at the controls, he plopped down into the metal seat of the ride and put a hand over Connie’s belly as the bar was brought down, both protective and possessive. With a whir, mechanisms and strong metal brought them slowly to the top, where they stopped with a squeal.
From below, Maria stood, looking up and waving like mad as her new found friends darted around the room. A fond smile lit his face as he looked down at his daughter, waving just as emphatically, until the car began to rock. With a laugh, he turned back to his wife, dropping an arm around her shoulders as he pulled her close to his side.
“I love you, Mrs. Buchannon,” He said with yet another fond expression on his face. Idly, he traced the curve of her cheek with his free hand, finger lingering around the lush outline of her lips. “Now and forever. I ain’t leavin your side again and I’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth if you ever leave mine.”
Leaning forward, he rested his forehead against hers and slid a small, velvet box between them. “When we first got married, we didn’t do any of the fancy things, and then after all the shit with the Butchers…”
Feeling much more nervous than he knew he should, Dare pulled back just enough to open the little box, revealing the last of his saved money- aside from the college fund for Maria- in all of its glittering glory. Removing the large, diamond ring from the velvet, he held it up for her to see before sliding it onto her ring finger.
“Connie Pancero-Buchannon…I take you as my wife, for sickness and in health, and ‘til death do us part.”
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Connie Buchannon
*Civilian*
Aka, 'Mrs. Butcher,' and one of the toughest ladies on the block. She's street smart, won't hesitate to protect her family...and is current driving her ex-gangster hubby insane. But he don't mind: if it's off to Lala Land for him, why not get sent by a beauty like his Connie?
Livin' La Vida Loca
Posts: 93
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Post by Connie Buchannon on Mar 4, 2010 21:28:39 GMT -5
ConnieConnie picked off pieces of the cotton candy and popped them into her mouth while running to the ferris wheel. Grinning at the operator she slid into the seat, munching on more of the fluffy spun sugar while she waited for Dare to catch up with her.
After Dare sat down next to her and they were secured in the seat she scooted over closer to him. It was fun and definitely brought back good memories. As she laughed Connie took a chunk of cotton candy and placed it on her tongue, she loved the way it just melted in her mouth.
Connie snuggled up to Dare as the ride started to move and they were soon stopped at the top. Smiling a knowing smile that Dare had probably set that up on purpose. She couldn't help but laugh again as Maria waved up at them, Connie returned the wave and Dare wave back so enthusiastically he made their car start to sway back and forth.
Finishing the cotton candy, Connie set the empty paper cone down on the seat beside her as Dare pulled her close to him. She tilted her face into his hand as he caressed her skin. Her tongue darted out and licked her lip has his fingers swept by. Smiling softly, her heart beat faster as he spoke. Her eyes locked onto his as she responded. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. I love you, MISTER Buchannon. Always have, always will." Connie swung her legs over so that she was sitting sideways with her legs draped over Dare's lap. She reached up and let her thumb stroke his jawline as their foreheads touched. When he brought out a little jewelry box she blinked in surprise. After all the trouble he had to have gone through to set up this carnival, she hadn't expected, wanted or needed anything else. The day was perfect as far as she was concerned.
The emotion flared up as he started to speak again. Connie felt the tears starting to well up in her eyes. Chewing on her lips she did her best not to completely lose control of her emotions. It wasn't easy either. Dare was definitely sweet and charming when he wanted to be, even if he didn't think he knew what he was doing. When he slipped the ring on her finger, a few tears finally leaked out and found their way trickling down her face. She swallowed hard past the lump in her throat as he repeated part of the wedding vows to her. It took her a few minutes to compose herself before she could get any words out. "Oh Dare... You know I've never really needed all the fancy stuff. But, it is beautiful. I'll never take it off. And that 'til death do us part thing, yeah... you're stuck with me." Wrapping her arms around his neck she let them rest on his shoulders. Leaning in she let her lips find his in a lingering passionate kiss. Not wanting to let go of the moment.
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