thanks fer visiting :: ronan

Tinley was covered in puke. Her afternoon had been spent in the baby room, reading to the toddlers and trying to teach them their ABCs. One of them had repaid her by puking on her. Typical.

She would have been annoyed, but today Ronan was coming to visit her! She hadn't seen him since he'd settled a few months ago, and she missed her best friend a lot. She wouldn't admit it, but the fact that he hadn't been to visit before this had hurt her feelings. She knew he was trying to set up his new life, but didn't she matter anymore?

Of course you matter, Tin, Ravka said from behind her. They were walking through the hallway to the girls' room, where Tinley planned to change her shirt. You know he wants you to move in with him as soon as you settle.

And that had always been the plan. But as the weeks had dragged by, Tinley had become less and less sure. That was, until Ronan had sent word that he would be visiting! Now Tinley was still a little irritated that he hadn't come before, but she knew she'd forgive him once she saw him.

She changed her shirt and then went to sit out on the front porch, her feet dangling off the edge. Ronan would be here any minute now!

Ronan finally had a day off! Ever since he settled and moved to his own place, he had been so busy trying to unpack, decorate, and clean. And whenever he wasn't home, he was putting more hours in at the bookstore. It was kind of depressing. No time for dance lessons or play auditions, and even worse, no time to visit the orphanage and his bff Tinley.

Today was the day he finally had to do whatever he wanted. Everything in his apartment was arranged just the way he liked it. It was nice having a place to call his own. He just couldn't wait for Tinsel to move in!

Ronan was heading to the orphanage today to spend some time with Tinley and the other children. He missed her like crazy! Before heading off he stopped by Casa Nova's and bought both himself and Tinley a donut. He quickly devoured his, and was half tempted to just eat Tinley's. If she didn't know he bought it, she couldn't get mad anyway!

Don't be a fat jerk, Birdie lectured, but also teased.

Yeah you're right, Ronan thought. I guess I could stand to lose more pounds anyway.

His anticipation was growing when he entered Lilycove. Aaahh, she's so close!

"Tinsel, Tintin, Tinley!" He called excitedly when she finally came into view. He couldn't keep his excitement under control anymore, and took off running.

Tinley was swingin' her feetses when she saw her bestest friend running towards her. "Robo!" she yelled.

When he made it to the porch, Tinley threw herself into his arms. "Ya big ole butthead," she laughed in his ear. "I thought you were never coming back!"

She pulled away from him, a giant smile on her face. She spotted the donut. "And that had better be for me!" she teased.

Tinley wrote:"I thought you were never coming back!"

"I knooow, I'm sorry!" Ronan replied while squeezing her. "You have no idea how hard it is to work for a living!" After their embrace, he handed her the donut.

"He almost ate it," Birdie told her. "But I stopped him!"

If Birdie could have a smug expression on her face she would have. Ronan playfully flicked Birdie on her beak and rolled his eyes at Tinley. "It's true," he confessed. "But you know I'm weak for pastries!"

"Well thank you, Birdie!" Tinley said, smiling at the little cardinal. "At least someone is looking out for me," she said with a wink.

"My butthead best friend sure isn't!" she laughed. She took a bite out of the donut. "But he does have good taste in dessert!"

The two friends walked back towards the orphanage. "I'm so happy you're here! I want you to tell me everything about the real world!" she exclaimed as they walked. She looped her free arm through his, and took another bite of her donut with the other.

Ronan grinned and laughed sheepishly. He just couldn't help himself sometimes.

Tinley wrote:"I'm so happy you're here! I want you to tell me everything about the real world!"

"It's really stressful," he sighed as he walked with his friend. "But it's also really private."

Living in the orphanage, privacy was a rarity. The younger children always depend upon the older ones, and Ronan was no exception. If anything, the younger children would come to Ronan first before they'd go to the people who worked there. Ronan loved spending time with the children, but sometimes being alone was a blessing. Living on his own, however, could get really lonely sometimes. It was weird being so use to a building full of so much noise, and now he lived in a quiet little apartment.

"It's also sort of lonely," he told her sadly. "I miss you."

"Well I miss you too," Tinley told him honestly. Surprisingly, she felt lonely too--despite being surrounded by clio all day every day. It was a different type of loneliness.

"It's been really lame without you here." Sure, she still snuck out with the guys and had a good time beyond the Orphanage's borders, but it just wasn't the same when she didn't have Ronan to come home to. She would never admit it, but she missed his chastisements.

She finished her donut and licked the left over sugar off her fingers. "Thanks fer the pressie."

"Well of course it's lame without me!" Ronan replied, while pulling his arm from hers and wrapping it around her shoulders. "I'm fabulous!"

He laughed and squeezed her tight. They reached the front door of the orphanage and stopped. "Do you think the children will be happy to see me?" He asked.

"Of course they'll be excited, silly," Tinley said as they walked onto the orphanage's porch.

As much as Tinley wanted the kids to like her, they had always liked Ronan more. Which was probably a good thing, Ravka always told her. Tinley's meandering ways didn't make her the best role model in Amelia.

"Weston has been missing you something awful," she told him as they opened the doors. Before she could elaborate, Tinley was being tackled away from Ronan.

Little screams filled the air. "Roany!" It didn't take long for the front hall to be filled with laughter--tons of kids thrilled to have their big brother return home again.

Tinley shuffled off to the side and waited patiently. The smile on Ronan's face told her he had missed the other orphans just as much as they had missed him.

"My minions!" Ronan squealed as the children all ran to greet him. He dropped to his knees and squeezed a big pile of them closely. Any child that couldn't fit in the group hug got their own personalized hugs. "I hope you've all been giving Tinsel a hard time!" He grinned as most of them giggled and nodded. They were all really good kids for the most part, and he loved them all dearly. It broke his heart when he had to leave, but it was good to know he'd always be welcomed back with small, open arms.

Ronan looked back up at Tinley, his broad grin still plastered on his face. He wished he could adopt each and every one of these children. Someday he would. Obviously not all of them, but he'd be sure to adopt in the future.

"Okay, okay," Tinley finally said, after Ronan had been swarmed for a good ten minutes. "My turn with the Robo Monster!" She laughed and dove into the pile, grabbing Ronan's hand and saving him from the masses of sticky little hands.

A collective groan was heard from the crowd, but they listened and scattered, tiny shouts coming out from all different directions as they scampered off to play.

She took Ronan through the orphanage and onto the back porch. Then she led him off the porch and to the back creek. They'd spent their time growing up playing pioneers back there. It was still special to them-- whenever they had something private to talk about, that's where they would always go.

"So tell me the best thing and the worst thing," she said, kicking off her shoes. She wanted to wade around in the cold water.

Tinley wrote:"So tell me the best thing and the worst thing,"

Ronan rolled his pants up to his calves while he thought about her question. He sat at the edge of the creek, with just his feet submerged in the water. "Well that's obvious," he replied. "Privacy, privacy, privacy!" He laughed before going on. "But working is pretty lame and having bills is even lamer." Being a responsible clio was very stressful. He pulled his knees up slightly, and burrowed his feet under the mud and rocks.

"So," he began. "Have you been staying out of trouble since I've been gone?"

"Trouble? Me? Psshh, I've never been in trouble in my life," Tinley said with a completely straight face. Or, at least it started out that way. She finally cracked a smile.

She waded into the water. "Oh! It's cold!" she said, gritting her teeth. She didn't bother getting out, though. She knew it would warm up eventually. She walked around in little circles moving rocks with her feet and watching crawdads scramble around.

"It definitely hasn't been the same, though," she said, still looking in the water. "I can't wait till I settle and can move out with you. I hope I don't have to wait as long as you did!"

Tinley wrote:"Trouble? Me? Psshh, I've never been in trouble in my life,"

Ronan rolled his eyes and laughed, knowing full well what the truth was. "You know," he started. "Just because I'm not around anymore doesn't mean you can get away with doing naughty things!"

Tinley wrote: "I can't wait till I settle and can move out with you. I hope I don't have to wait as long as you did!"

"I can't wait either," Ronan replied with a whine. "I miss you like crazy!" He wriggled his toes in the mud then decided to stand up and join Tinley in the water. "Have you decided which eilemaiden you're going to settle into?" Ronan had settled into Ughdarras, so the chilliness of the water wasn't bothering him like it was Tinley. He held out his hand, and a baseball sized ball of water came floating up to meet it. "Look at this!" He said grinning. "I've been practicing!"