``ONE DAY OUT THERE

[derek oliver stanwood]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 380px; height: 380px; background-color:#E3E3E3; border-left: 20px solid #405678; border-bottom:20px solid #405678; border-top:20px solid #405678; border-right: 20px solid #405678;] - - - Mmm Fresh air. It had only ever smelled this wonderful a couple times before. The first time he experienced open air in such a way was when he was a kid. He was nine years old, but the process that made the air smell so good, and feel so good within his lungs began when he was eight. It had all started with a little kid named Rick, although Rick was both older and larger than Derek at the time. Rick was a ten year old with a bad attitude who had been stuck in the orphanage like the rest of them. But while Derek had never been wanted, Rick lost his father to prison. His dad had been unemployed, he had been trying to get a job but there simply weren't any and Rick had a heart condition and needed medicine to make sure his heart rate never sped up to badly. So his father robbed a store. He was caught, he went to jail and his boy becomes a ward of the state. A child without a family. Derek saw this as so different from him. Derek had never been wanted, not by his birth parents, not by any of the couples he had been forced to meet with. He was too stupid because of his dyslexia, he was too awkward with his ears and admittedly odd facial features, he wasn't into enough sports, he had heard it all basically by age eight, all the different excuses why no one wanted him. But he felt worse for Rick. Derek was hurting but the way he saw it, Rick had had his father stolen from him. This made Rick an incredibly angry kid. Rick would act out. A lot. And then when he got in trouble for it, if he could not find someone else to pin it on, he would be a smart mouth. He would talk to Mr. Squires, who was sort of the man in charge, and he would call him anything he could thing of. Maggot-burger, bed wetter, booger breath, near sighted gynecologist... you know, the basic childhood insults. And Mr. Squires would have Rick's body beaten and bruised pretty badly. Rick had never really been nice to Derek. Derek was usually the one Rick blamed if he could. Derek was used to taking the blame, he usually only did it for younger kids or the girls, to make sure they stayed safe. But Derek would not rat Rick out once he pinned it on him. He felt bad for Rick, knowing his father was out there, and knowing his father wanted him and yet not being able to be with him? It sounded so sad to him, Derek that is. So one day, Mr. Squires had had enough. As he was yelling at them, they all knew he was at the edge. Derek knew the boy who put the tac on mr. Squires seat was Rick, and Mr. Squires seemed to know it to but before he flat out said it, Derek stepped forward and said he had done it. It was what got him locked in the cellar of that horrible place for eight months. It was what had almost killed him. The cellar was basically a room built of dirt and rock with one wooden staircase leaded out through the roof/floor of the above room. It was underground, cold during the night, hot during the day. He was only given one glass of water a day. He was given some bread once a week. And it went on like this. Derek alone and locked away in the dark. Some of the boys would sneak off and talk to him through the floor boards, their bit company helped him a lot. This routine lasted for about 2 months, Then he was allowed a sleeping bag, a lamp and a few children's books. He was lucky he was given a lamp, even a dim one. The doctors who dealt with him afterwards were shocked he wasn't blind. The only real damage is that he came out of the cellar farsighted. His eyes are a bit more sensitive to light as well but he came out very lucky. Despite the lack of exercising options in a dirt cellar, he was fed and watered only enough to keep him alive. He was hospitalized as soon as the police found him. He had to be slowly nourished so his body didn't reject the nutrition. But when he felt better and was released from the hospital, and stepped outside for the first time in 9 months (he was unconscious when they brought him to the hospital), the air smelled so good. It didn't matter that it was inner city air. It smelled fresh and free. Derek was not lucky enough to be in that free situation he had once been in. But going to the pier so early in the morning, when there's practically no one around and all he could here were the waves and the occasional seagull. It was beautiful enough to distract him a small amount from his situation with the Russians and just remember. He was not quite sure why those memories of Ricky and the cellar barged into his mind like that. He was sitting on the edge of the pier. Feet dangling, his arms were resting on the railing in front of him, it was going to be a nice day once the minor fog cleared out he could feel it. Maybe it was because Ricky, that little boy? He had never come to talk to Derek through the wooden floor boards. He never visited him in the hospital. Derek had never seen Rick again. The last time he saw him being as Derek was pushed into the cellar after a good lashing, that he took for him. And now? He was working for the Russians to keep yet another person safe. Another one who didn't appreciate it but he did it anyways. Although, to be fair, Meg also didn't know. He took a deep breath. He should come out here more often when feeling confined or trapped. notes, hope this is okay! outfit, HERE tagged, bella!<3 thanks brooklyn from caution

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[isabella marie winters]

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---BEING BACK IN VALKYRIE WAS WEIRD. there weren't many places isabella winters would travel back to, she wasn't a double dipping kind of girl. she hadn't set foot in london, or even the u.k., since her "death." brazil was completely off limits. hadn't been to mexico in almost a year. she liked to travel, and traveling kept her safe. it was much more difficult to shoot a moving target as opposed to one standing dumbly in the middle of an open field with kill me now tattooed onto their forehead. well bella wasn't getting any questionable tattoos any time soon. she was selfish, and she preferred to be safe over all else. she didn't care if that made her a coward. but that wasn't the way she saw it anyway. somebody who ran away from a one on one battle? not a coward. but when it was one person against an army, unless you were superman or thor, to stay and fight would be ludicrous. that would make you an idiot. it was like david fighting a hundred goliaths. now talk about the tiny hero's odds. once bella had been found, she usually hid for a while. in all technicalities, technically she hadn't been found yet when she left valkyrie, but she had run into jamie collins and he almost tried to collect. the brazilians weren't exactly a fan of hers, after she stole a money, drugs, and weapons from them. the russians were kind enough to oblige their request to keep an eye out for their little betraying bombshell, but now the russians had their own incentive to keep the bounty high, considering she stole something from them a while back on a trip through europe. just money, and she killed a lackey who went for her, and that was enough to land her in their official little black book. returning to valkyrie just didn't seem like a good option, considering all the russians running around. it just didn't sound... safe.

but here she was, against all odds, against her instincts. her best friend was pregnant, and she owed those little twins the good grace of a godmother, right? it felt right to be back, which wasn't a feeling she was particularly familiar with. she didn't have friends or family. well, technically she had a family, but they were either dead or thought she was dead, so they didn't really count. friends were never something she had because she'd been so wrapped up in her selfish desires after she'd left london to avenge her mother's death and find a way to kill her father. it was a sick little plan for a young woman, but she loved her mom, she hated her dad, and to her, it had all looked black and white. she didn't kill him herself, either, she had just helped lure him out so the brazilians could do what they wanted with him. all she wanted was the truth, beyond that was their concern. it was exactly what she got. that day her heart darkened, her morals shifted from the sun to the shadowy side of the moon. she was not isabella ambrosia anymore, she was isabella rovens, who became isabella winters. that person she used to be was gone. the core personality was still there. the fiery nature, the sassy demeanor, but her vision of right and wrong? her innocence? it had been swallowed by a black hole. the worst part, however, was that she didn't regret anything. not a single minute of it. this was her life now, and crying over what could have been was more painful than to just embrace it. by corrupting herself, her family stayed sane and pure. in a way, she took the fall for them, and she had the decency to cut them out of her life so they didn't have to fall into the abyss as well. to a sane, average human being, that probably seemed silly. they would have stayed within their pathetic shelters, living their mundane lives forever. maybe for some people that was all they needed to thrive, but for bella, that wasn't the case. she couldn't sit idly by, even if that meant sinning for the sake of what she thought was right.

who was the idiot who defined the line between right and wrong anyway? it wasn't easy, set in stone like some people tried to make it seem. it wasn't black and white, polar opposites. the line was blurry, there was a lot of gray area designed for the interpretation of each individual human mind. nobody had any right to judge, because everybody didn't bad things. nobody was perfect. everybody had their good things, and their bad things. their weaknesses, and their strengths. bella's were just different than mrs. thorten from white picket fence suburbia.

today was just supposed to be simple, easy. she hadn't been back in valkyrie for too long at this point, but one thing she did miss were the beaches, and since it was summer, it was perfect surfing season. that was one thing she missed about her solitary life in hawaii, the surfing, but hey, she could handle the california waves as well. anything was better than the east coast, unless it was florida. east coast surfing sucked. since her returned she had been crashing at her other best friend, allegra mancini's, house. she would stay at maggie's, but quite frankly, she and luca didn't get on too well. actually, it was less that and more maggie's midnight hunger cravings. she didn't wanna draw the short stick and have to head to the grocery store. well, that and living with a married couple was just plain awkward. allegra was clearly the better option. not to mention if somebody shot her, she'd be good to go living with a doctor. when she woke up, the house was empty. allie was probably at work, doing whatever intelligent things allegras did when they worked. bella couldn't have a normal job, not after everything. it would drive her to pulling out her own hair and eating it like top raumen. or in other words, she'd go crazy. she liked the illegal black market business, the buying and selling of valued information. it made good money, kept her stomach full, and left plenty of unscheduled hours to do whatever she wanted. it was pretty early in the morning, but that was the beauty of it. an emptier beach. she didn't bother to shower, or even brush her teeth, just popping a piece of gum between her lips before grabbing her surfboard and throwing on some beach worthy attire. she wasn't really looking to impress, she just wanted to hit the waves and get a breath of the fresh morning hair. it was a good thing the beach wasn't too far off, though she wasn't complaining. walking was nice, it helped clear her head.

upon arrival bella was ready to jump right into the water. it looked inviting, and hell with the cold, because cold water kept your skin beautiful, which might be necessary considering she picked up the bad habit of smoking while in europe. oh well, she liked it. instead of heading straight for the beach, however, she took a detour to the pier. one of the food stands had to be open, right? she was kind of hungry, and she was sure at least the churro one would be. or well, she hoped. a churro sounded delicious. as she was walking, her surfboard under her arm, she was looking around for a familiar churro-friendly face. nobody. she spun in a circle and set her board down on a nearby bench when all of a sudden something ran into her. she fumbled over the board and straight onto the pier to see a jogger running back wards mouthing "sorry" before continuing on their happy little way. "screw you, asshole!" she shouted, throwing her middle finger into the air as she sat there on the wooden planks. what a charmer, not helping her up. chivalry really was dead. she sat for a second examining her knee, which was now cut open and bleeding. the shin of her other leg was also bleeding, and she had a scrape on her elbow and the palms of her hands. this was stupid, and this was exactly why she lived with allegra. bella was sort of accident prone. she stood up, looking down at herself. the blood was oozing down her legs. "where the fuck is the churro guy?" she grumbled angrily. not doing his job, that's where. and the blood was going to get on her new sandals. god damn it. today was supposed to be nice, and it was already starting off bad. the girl pulled off her sandals, and she saw the end of the pier not far off. well, may as well clean up the blood. nobody else was around except for some kid at the edge, and she didn't really care regardless. bella pulled herself up off the ground, grabbing her board and quietly making her way closer to the edge before setting it down again, the sandals on top. she pulled off her shorts and unzipped the hooding tossing them aside while she set her bag down. then, almost spontaneously, she went sprinting towards the edge of the pier. almost there, she remembered she still had her beanie on and she pulled it off last minute and tossed it behind her before she pushed past the stranger and threw herself into the water.

the water was refreshing. and not being a fan of blood, she was relieved to have it being washed away into the water. she didn't bother pushing herself back up into the air until she was almost out of breath. she gasped with a grin on her face, her eyes closed as she smoothed her wet hair back with her fingertips. this was why she needed to live on a beach, this feeling right now. being in water was life freedom, and the water felt wonderful, though a bit crisp. she laughed to herself before opening her eyes and floating on her back, "hey, kid!" she called up to the guy. he looked somewhat familiar, but she didn't recognize him, not really, "would you mind walking to the edge of the pier and delivering my stuff?" she grinned cheekily before gracing him with a lazy wave and making her swim back towards the beach. it didn't take her long to get there. she may be slender, but she was fairly athletic. bella noticed the guy walking towards the other side of the pier, "hey thanks!" she called out, approaching him.

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(STATUS) finished. (TAGGED) derek<3 (WORDS) 1,784 (OUTFIT) click. (COMMENTS) this post is weird. but so is bella. sorry. i can change it if you hate it. (CREDITS) lyrics; "breathe" anna nalick.

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[derek oliver stanwood]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 380px; height: 380px; background-color:#E3E3E3; border-left: 20px solid #405678; border-bottom:20px solid #405678; border-top:20px solid #405678; border-right: 20px solid #405678;] - - - Derek had always been one of the weird kids, and he figured until he lost his obsession with history, he always would be. It was a way for him to connect with the world and he truly believed in cause and effect. He truly believed that everything that was done in the past was directly effecting the current day. Take, for example, the Contra Wars in the 1980s. This war began when the Sandinista government took over Nicaragua. The Contras were rebels against the government. The USA, under the Reagan administration decided the Sandinista government resembled communism, it was not a communist system nor did it claim to be but the US saw it as such and therefore claimed it was a threat to the US and backed the Contras. Not only did the US support the Contras by supplying them with weapons, the heads of the military worked with the leading rebels to divise a plan of attack in which the USA encouraged this rebel group to target civillians, and most specifically children in order to "shake the people's trust in their government's ability to protect them." The USA turned a group of rebels into full on terrorists who targeted children. And when the war was over and Nicaragua asked for reparation to put their country back together from all the damage, the USA refused. The World Court ordered the USA to take responsibility, the USA ignored them. The UN War Council decided Nicaragua was right, the US was a direct cause for many of the atrocities that happened and that the US MUST pay reparation, and once again the USA ignored the order and repeated itself saying Nicaragua under the Sandinista government was a threat to them, they were protecting themselves. But you have to wonder, how was the US protecting itself by telling them to target children, handing rebels guns, to fight a country that's thousands of miles away and would never have ever tried to attack the USA, a country much more powerful them? It was not self defense, it was fear. Fear that had trickled down from the red scare in the 50s and 60s, fear of possible communism and what the US believes it leads too. Nearly 30 years after the last red scare which ended in 1957, the US was still willing to encourage terrorism and the killing of civilian children because they were still so paranoid about communists. History had made the present, which of course, is now a part of history again. Hell, five seconds ago was technically a part of history now, but you get the point. That was why he loved history though. It was connected, everything came from something and led to something else. One of his teachers in year ten back at school in the UK, described history as a never ending tree. Millions of roots in the past come together for the present trunk, or situation, and that present event will end up branching out in a million different directions to touch the future as much as it can. Derek knew the metaphor wasn't perfect but he thought the visual representation of what his teacher was trying to say was really well done. For any given even history (the trunk) there were thousands of roots (past events) that caused it to grow a certain way, and that trunk continues to grow and effects the path of thousands of branches (future events). It made sense. And I guess, it was how Derek felt connected to the world. Even now with what was happening with the Russians. Derek's head was full of thoughts lately but it was nice to be out in the fresh air and trying to empty his mind out a bit more. He didn't know what he was doing but he would find a way out... he had to. He ignored it as some girl ran past him, her clothes coming off as she did so, leaving them at the end of the pier as she ran into the water, he did notice some blood on her leg before she hopped in. Open cut in salt water? Yeah that seemed smart, Derek thought absentmindedly before going back into his own for a moment before he heard the girl yelling out. "Hey kid!" Derek looked over at her, his eyes narrowed from the sun light, he looked over his shoulder, nope, she was talking to him. Great. "would you mind walking to the edge of the pier and delivering my stuff?" Derek looked to his side where she had dumped her clothes and rolled his eyes before nodding and putting a hand up as a sort of wave to let her know he was fine with it. seemed like he was doing everyone's errands lately. He stood up off the edge of the pier and grabbed her bag and discarded clothes before walking over the beach where she was coming out of the water. As she thanked him he realized she looked... incredibly familiar. "No problem." He replied blankly as he watched her. As he handed her her things finally it hit him, her face was older but it definitely belonged to "Bella?" He thought she had been killed. They had been friends once upon a time, when they were very young though, in England. "It's Derek. I thought you... what are you doing here?" he asked, completely confused and completely surprised. notes, hope this is okay! outfit, HERE tagged, bella!<3 thanks brooklyn from caution

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