[The table is perfectly set to match his mother's finicky manners. The food is sitting in the oven. The wine is decanting. All that is missing is three quarters of the guests, who said that they could absolutely uber themselves over to Wes' apartment from their hotel.
They do not force themselves upon Wes' apartment. Scarlett can never resist a fancy hotel.
After ensuring that everything is in place and dressed significantly nicer than he has for most of their dates, he glances over at Mickey with a small smile.]
I say this not because I don't want you to meet them but more because I know they can be a lot: last chance to have a sudden emergency you need to attend to.
( He could get used to his boyfriend dressing significantly nicer, but, he takes Wes how he can get him. Tired after a long flight and a surprise explosion, just off a long shift, or a surprise drop-in with a bottle of something and the promise of something else to stream. And sometimes just sleep. Or time. Or coffee. Or a walk. He tried stargazing one night on the roof, that got old - but dirty, so it improved significantly.
Either way he slices it, he still gets a boyfriend - and, he lets himself have a boyfriend. That's new. )
My parents are from the South, too. ( A different South. Texas, South. ) And, if they tracked me down, barged in on my life and insisted on meeting you, I'd give you the out, too. But my out comes with more baggage of - not being out. It's outtage. ( He smiles. See he's fine. He puts a hand on his chest, coming around the chairs to join his boyfriend. ) I'm not nervous. Parents like me. I have Southern charm. Was raised right. ( Resting a hand on one of the chairs. ) It's the army and Klaus Mikaelson that really made me an animal. ( Joke. Turning, his second hand rests on top of the chair, the "joke," continuing. ) Well. I'm still a guy. But, I'm a guy you want them to meet. You take it serious, I take it serious.
[Before he can respond, his door buzzes and he exhales his deep breath, before stepping back and nodding.]
Alright, well. Brace for impact.
[He moves back to the door and opens it with a wide smile, relaxing when he sees it's Melanie first.]
Hey Mel.
["Wes, lovely to see you again." He steps back to let her in and she scans the room, taking it in. "Oh, I do love the place. It has such character." From Melanie that's a compliment. From Scarlett, not so much.
Then her eyes land back on Mickey and she smiles. "And you must be Mickey. Melanie Hamilton." She steps closer and extends her hand to shake his.]
( He even mimes the gesture, before staying by the chair. He moves his one hand off, then on, turns fully and then makes his way closer. Maybe he's a little nervous.
in one of the most random, he rolls a natural 20 for recognition with melanie's full name. his sister and mother loved the classics - and he watched it with everyone in Mystic Falls, waxing nostalgic in the weeks before his capture.
except, he has no reason to equate her with the character, so he first chalks it up as a coincidence as he accepts her hand, giving it a firm shake. it's just on brand that his life has these coincidences. )
I am. Jay Michael Adler. But, please, call me Mickey. Everyone does. ( Gatsby's in his past. ) You guys came a long way?
( This is Aunt Melanie, then. The only name that's been mentioned to him. )
Which may seem like a long way, but I once too a week long steamer trip to get to France and that was just the ship portion of the trip. Before that I was taking a several day-long train ride to New York from Dallas. The modern airplane is a godsend for travel.
Crazy, though. He knows his boyfriend is a vampire and he knows his family are vampires, too. Family means a lot in vampire circles. He ignores the pang of missing his own family. Disappointing them. Disappearing.
Meanwhile, Rhett is back at the Uber tipping the driver in cash which means Scarlett makes it to the door first. )
[And arrive she does, smiling wide as Wes opens the door. "There you are, sweetheart. Thank you for having us." Scarlett steps in, scanning the place. "I ... appreciate what you have done with the decor."
Melanie rolls her eyes before glancing over her shoulder at her friend.]
Careful, Scarlett. Wouldn't want him to think you approve.
( Assumed as much, but vampires. Trauma. Not like she couldn't drown again and again. New nightmare unlocked.
Mickey looks up and past Melanie, then leans in - completely forgetting that even if he lowers his voice, all the vampires in the vicinity will hear him. )
["She's exacting and old fashioned," Melanie replies, but that's all she gets before Scarlett's eyes lock in on the boyfriend and she makes her way closer.]
Well. You must be this Mickey we've heard so much about.
[She says it with a smile, but there's an edge to it, almost as though she's assessing something. Not only the quality of who he is for her son, but also the quality of who he is for the disruption he's made in her social circle.
( Vampires, he reminds himself. Ears in all places.
"Son," Rhett says, pulling Wes into a brutally tight hug, completing the set.
Scarlett zeroes in on Mickey, exacting look - but, he strives to meet her on her level, polite, gracious. She's their guest. He tries and fails at not looking intimidated (9). He feels like her next meal - or like she's evaluating if he's even worth being a meal. Worth her son's time and attention.
Her name drops like a lead balloon.
He was ready to charm her and to make Wes proud, all in one fell swoop, but her name sits right beside Melanie's in his mind. Melanie Hamilton. Scarlett...
He shakes the hand she offers, deer-in-headlights. )
["Thanks for coming," Wes says as he leans into the hug with a smile. "Glad you all made it back in one piece." Because he knows what you were doing shortly before your visit.
("Things did take a turn for the slapstick, but we prevailed, your mother, me, and Melanie. There is one less Riverboat on the Mississippi river," Rhett says, pointing out the positives. The fight was a little too touch and go for his taste, but once fire multiplied, it was survivable.
Mickey recovers, shaking his head, lips forming a friendly, meaningful smile. Cause this means a lot to Wes. So it means a lot to him, too.)
Not for me. And, hopefully not for you. Happy the Uber driver didn't take you in circles. The development's not easy to navigate. Everything looks the same. ( He lets go. Smile widening, hoping he's not making a leap. ) Also, I know you like your formalities. The name's Jay Michael Adler. I heard Jay Michael all my life, from family and everyone else back in Texas, so if that suits you, I don't mind it, either. Mickey started in London, kind of stuck. But I'm not really. Mickey.
( Also, it reminds him of Mouse and that makes him want to punch things. )
[Scarlett tips her head to the side curiously as she studies him. She appreciates the bearing, and the manners, at least for now. And she's spent enough time with some of Wes' friends when he was still human to know that names are no trifle. Hell, she knew that before Wes. There's a reason she still goes by Scarlett O'Hara.]
It's your name. We'll call you whatever you please.
[Which is also to say she's never met a full name she hasn't liked to articulate so give her enough room to run and it will be Jay Michael all the way down.
And she'll leave the matter at that as she makes her way over to the table.]
("It does, doesn't it. You spent a few years down there in New Orleans, didn't you," Rhett says, following his nose, but sniffing out Mickey, or Jay Michael, now, less literally, offering his hand.
"Jay Michael," Rhett says. )
Rhett?
("Butler, yes," he says. "But, I assume you've reconciled that.")
I made the connection.
( "There's no need to be intimidated," he continues. )
I never said I was.
("No, that's right. You didn't." But he knows. He turns back, toward his beloved and the scent that has captured her. "What is that wonderful smell?")
[Wes smiles as the four of them begin to settle, and then moves into the kitchen so he can start pouring wine.]
I figured since you guys didn't get the chance to move on with the rest to New Orleans, I could try my hand at the jambalaya. Think I've finally balanced out the spice combo.
["Delicious," Melanie smiles as she takes the glass of wine. "I'm looking forward to it."
"Indeed," Scarlett nods. "So, Jay Michael. Tell us about yourself."]
( He doesn't need to praise his boyfriend's cooking skills. This is his family. He assumes they're well aware of how gifted he is in the kitchen. He suspects in a past life he was a cook. Or, maybe this is just a hobby.
Jay Michael waits for the last glass, making sure every guest has one - and doesn't get a sip of wine before the interrogation starts.
That's not fair. It's only natural they're curious. )
I'm from Texas, originally, but we met here in Star City. I was recruited right out of high school to the military. ( Left his stifling, yet quaint, small town and certain truths he's since embraced. ) I guess I was susceptible because I ended up on Tamara Monroe's radar and made a whole host of new friends. I thought I was hunting - but, we all know what that ended up being. Anyway, long story short, I thought I'd cut my teeth on a big get and that got me kidnapped - and turned. Haven't been back since. But, I am learning the difference between what I'm told and what is. Forming my own opinions, of this one right here. Happy to be included today.
( That's about everything. He wonders just how much Wes tells his family about his life, about Jay Michael - but, he knows straight shooters when he sees them.
He doesn't know how far their knowledge of Monroe, the captured hunter and everything else goes. So, he just spills it all. )
We did hear about that Monroe nonsense after it was finished. And good riddance to that whole affair.
[Wes moves around them after everyone has wine, dishing out some of the meal and Scarlett muses over whether she should say what she's about to, but she doesn't think Wes has lied about their side of things either.]
You know, we actually share something rather interesting in common.
["Scarlett." The name is a warning from Wes's end, more than anything else, but she doesn't relent, placing down her wine glass and looking at Jay Michael head on.]
We have the same sire. Different circumstances, obviously, but ... small world.
( He's momentarily interested - something in common with the inimitable Scarlett O'Hara, whom he didn't even know was a real person up until now. That lands like a lead balloon, two of Jay Michael's fingers resting around the step, tapping the base. His hand moves up to curl around the glass, to want to have any alcohol in his system. )
I gather Damon asked to sire you. Offered. Passed you a note in class. Do you want me to sire you, circle YES or NO?
Asked, not in so many words, no. I was dying. He intervened. But I do not disagree that it was much more gallant than your situation.
[Scarlett doesn't relent, but she's not dense. Damon is beloved to her, for the opportunity he gave her, but she is not blind to who he is to the young man in front of her.]
I'm not going to argue the fact that Damon Salvatore is a paragon of good. But he is dear to me. And while I'm sure Wes will strive to keep you apart if that is what you wish, I simply want to be sure that you are prepared for what that means if you are intending to stay around for the long term.
I'm not looking to settle a score. I attacked his brother in a moment of hubris. I sealed my fate. And, if you ask me, it ain't a bad fate. I have no illusions about how I was born. Either time. ( He was definitely the first oops of his family, before they came to like parenting and loved his younger siblings more. ) And I would never let my personal feelings get in the way of what me and Wes have. Or, him and his family. Or, you and yours. People are more than one thing. I'm a rough-around-the-edges bull in a chinashop. I'm also a gay man. I'm also an estranged brother. A Texan. And a lapsed Christian. That last part will probably never change. I never was for organized religion. But, I am for keeping real family together, not getting in the way of that. I wouldn't. And if I was, I'd let myself out.
[And now that that's been cleared up, they can talk about some more trivial things. She smiles, and leans in to take a spoonful of the meal in front of her, before leaning back with a please sound.]
Wesley, I do think you have outdone yourself this time. This is delicious.
["Thank you, Scarlett," Wes sighs as he sits down next to Jay Michael, reaching for his hand under the table and giving it a small squeeze of apology.]
( He says it affectionately, because there is something about Wes that sparkles, that he was drawn to. Lit nightclub. Loud music. And he found Wes. And a life. )
Oh, I did once, after the war. I found it very tedious, and a waste of my time, given that I was also trying to get my second husband's business going at the same time. Poor Frank didn't really have a good head for business, and trying to do so in the aftermath of such destruction is even more of a challenge.
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everyonelives2025-07-26 07:05 pm
wes, mickey, scarlett, rhett & melanie | star city
They do not force themselves upon Wes' apartment. Scarlett can never resist a fancy hotel.
After ensuring that everything is in place and dressed significantly nicer than he has for most of their dates, he glances over at Mickey with a small smile.]
I say this not because I don't want you to meet them but more because I know they can be a lot: last chance to have a sudden emergency you need to attend to.
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Either way he slices it, he still gets a boyfriend - and, he lets himself have a boyfriend. That's new. )
My parents are from the South, too. ( A different South. Texas, South. ) And, if they tracked me down, barged in on my life and insisted on meeting you, I'd give you the out, too. But my out comes with more baggage of - not being out. It's outtage. ( He smiles. See he's fine. He puts a hand on his chest, coming around the chairs to join his boyfriend. ) I'm not nervous. Parents like me. I have Southern charm. Was raised right. ( Resting a hand on one of the chairs. ) It's the army and Klaus Mikaelson that really made me an animal. ( Joke. Turning, his second hand rests on top of the chair, the "joke," continuing. ) Well. I'm still a guy. But, I'm a guy you want them to meet. You take it serious, I take it serious.
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Alright, well. Brace for impact.
[He moves back to the door and opens it with a wide smile, relaxing when he sees it's Melanie first.]
Hey Mel.
["Wes, lovely to see you again." He steps back to let her in and she scans the room, taking it in. "Oh, I do love the place. It has such character." From Melanie that's a compliment. From Scarlett, not so much.
Then her eyes land back on Mickey and she smiles. "And you must be Mickey. Melanie Hamilton." She steps closer and extends her hand to shake his.]
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( He even mimes the gesture, before staying by the chair. He moves his one hand off, then on, turns fully and then makes his way closer. Maybe he's a little nervous.
in one of the most random, he rolls a natural 20 for recognition with melanie's full name. his sister and mother loved the classics - and he watched it with everyone in Mystic Falls, waxing nostalgic in the weeks before his capture.
except, he has no reason to equate her with the character, so he first chalks it up as a coincidence as he accepts her hand, giving it a firm shake. it's just on brand that his life has these coincidences. )
I am. Jay Michael Adler. But, please, call me Mickey. Everyone does. ( Gatsby's in his past. ) You guys came a long way?
( This is Aunt Melanie, then. The only name that's been mentioned to him. )
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[She pauses.]
Which may seem like a long way, but I once too a week long steamer trip to get to France and that was just the ship portion of the trip. Before that I was taking a several day-long train ride to New York from Dallas. The modern airplane is a godsend for travel.
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( Just making sure.
Crazy, though. He knows his boyfriend is a vampire and he knows his family are vampires, too. Family means a lot in vampire circles. He ignores the pang of missing his own family. Disappointing them. Disappearing.
Meanwhile, Rhett is back at the Uber tipping the driver in cash which means Scarlett makes it to the door first. )
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[And arrive she does, smiling wide as Wes opens the door. "There you are, sweetheart. Thank you for having us." Scarlett steps in, scanning the place. "I ... appreciate what you have done with the decor."
Melanie rolls her eyes before glancing over her shoulder at her friend.]
Careful, Scarlett. Wouldn't want him to think you approve.
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( Assumed as much, but vampires. Trauma. Not like she couldn't drown again and again. New nightmare unlocked.
Mickey looks up and past Melanie, then leans in - completely forgetting that even if he lowers his voice, all the vampires in the vicinity will hear him. )
She's a difficult one to impress?
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Well. You must be this Mickey we've heard so much about.
[She says it with a smile, but there's an edge to it, almost as though she's assessing something. Not only the quality of who he is for her son, but also the quality of who he is for the disruption he's made in her social circle.
She extends a hand as she takes his measure.]
Scarlett O'Hara.
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"Son," Rhett says, pulling Wes into a brutally tight hug, completing the set.
Scarlett zeroes in on Mickey, exacting look - but, he strives to meet her on her level, polite, gracious. She's their guest. He tries and fails at not looking intimidated (9). He feels like her next meal - or like she's evaluating if he's even worth being a meal. Worth her son's time and attention.
Her name drops like a lead balloon.
He was ready to charm her and to make Wes proud, all in one fell swoop, but her name sits right beside Melanie's in his mind. Melanie Hamilton. Scarlett...
He shakes the hand she offers, deer-in-headlights. )
O'Hara.
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Scarlett's smile on the other hand, widens.]
Indeed. Is there a problem?
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Mickey recovers, shaking his head, lips forming a friendly, meaningful smile. Cause this means a lot to Wes. So it means a lot to him, too.)
Not for me. And, hopefully not for you. Happy the Uber driver didn't take you in circles. The development's not easy to navigate. Everything looks the same. ( He lets go. Smile widening, hoping he's not making a leap. ) Also, I know you like your formalities. The name's Jay Michael Adler. I heard Jay Michael all my life, from family and everyone else back in Texas, so if that suits you, I don't mind it, either. Mickey started in London, kind of stuck. But I'm not really. Mickey.
( Also, it reminds him of Mouse and that makes him want to punch things. )
Please, make yourself at home. All of you.
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It's your name. We'll call you whatever you please.
[Which is also to say she's never met a full name she hasn't liked to articulate so give her enough room to run and it will be Jay Michael all the way down.
And she'll leave the matter at that as she makes her way over to the table.]
Something smells divine, Wesley.
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"Jay Michael," Rhett says. )
Rhett?
( "Butler, yes," he says. "But, I assume you've reconciled that." )
I made the connection.
( "There's no need to be intimidated," he continues. )
I never said I was.
( "No, that's right. You didn't." But he knows. He turns back, toward his beloved and the scent that has captured her. "What is that wonderful smell?" )
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I figured since you guys didn't get the chance to move on with the rest to New Orleans, I could try my hand at the jambalaya. Think I've finally balanced out the spice combo.
["Delicious," Melanie smiles as she takes the glass of wine. "I'm looking forward to it."
"Indeed," Scarlett nods. "So, Jay Michael. Tell us about yourself."]
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Jay Michael waits for the last glass, making sure every guest has one - and doesn't get a sip of wine before the interrogation starts.
That's not fair. It's only natural they're curious. )
I'm from Texas, originally, but we met here in Star City. I was recruited right out of high school to the military. ( Left his stifling, yet quaint, small town and certain truths he's since embraced. ) I guess I was susceptible because I ended up on Tamara Monroe's radar and made a whole host of new friends. I thought I was hunting - but, we all know what that ended up being. Anyway, long story short, I thought I'd cut my teeth on a big get and that got me kidnapped - and turned. Haven't been back since. But, I am learning the difference between what I'm told and what is. Forming my own opinions, of this one right here. Happy to be included today.
( That's about everything. He wonders just how much Wes tells his family about his life, about Jay Michael - but, he knows straight shooters when he sees them.
He doesn't know how far their knowledge of Monroe, the captured hunter and everything else goes. So, he just spills it all. )
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[Wes moves around them after everyone has wine, dishing out some of the meal and Scarlett muses over whether she should say what she's about to, but she doesn't think Wes has lied about their side of things either.]
You know, we actually share something rather interesting in common.
["Scarlett." The name is a warning from Wes's end, more than anything else, but she doesn't relent, placing down her wine glass and looking at Jay Michael head on.]
We have the same sire. Different circumstances, obviously, but ... small world.
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I gather Damon asked to sire you. Offered. Passed you a note in class. Do you want me to sire you, circle YES or NO?
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[Scarlett doesn't relent, but she's not dense. Damon is beloved to her, for the opportunity he gave her, but she is not blind to who he is to the young man in front of her.]
I'm not going to argue the fact that Damon Salvatore is a paragon of good. But he is dear to me. And while I'm sure Wes will strive to keep you apart if that is what you wish, I simply want to be sure that you are prepared for what that means if you are intending to stay around for the long term.
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I'm not looking to settle a score. I attacked his brother in a moment of hubris. I sealed my fate. And, if you ask me, it ain't a bad fate. I have no illusions about how I was born. Either time. ( He was definitely the first oops of his family, before they came to like parenting and loved his younger siblings more. ) And I would never let my personal feelings get in the way of what me and Wes have. Or, him and his family. Or, you and yours. People are more than one thing. I'm a rough-around-the-edges bull in a chinashop. I'm also a gay man. I'm also an estranged brother. A Texan. And a lapsed Christian. That last part will probably never change. I never was for organized religion. But, I am for keeping real family together, not getting in the way of that. I wouldn't. And if I was, I'd let myself out.
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[And now that that's been cleared up, they can talk about some more trivial things. She smiles, and leans in to take a spoonful of the meal in front of her, before leaning back with a please sound.]
Wesley, I do think you have outdone yourself this time. This is delicious.
["Thank you, Scarlett," Wes sighs as he sits down next to Jay Michael, reaching for his hand under the table and giving it a small squeeze of apology.]
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You really have, babe.
( "I echo their sentiments," Rhett says, lifting his fork, chewing. "I've always said he should get himself a restaurant of his own." )
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[Too much pressure, to have an entire business and people's jobs relying on his skill and ability to deliver.]
Besides, I like being a mixologist. It has flair.
["Maybe if we give him another decade or two," Melanie says with a wink. "Give him a chance to be ready for a new challenge."]
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( He says it affectionately, because there is something about Wes that sparkles, that he was drawn to. Lit nightclub. Loud music. And he found Wes. And a life. )
Scarlet, do you or Rhett cook?
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[She glances up at her son with a smile.]
I much prefer dining to preparing.
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