Southern Charm
folder
+. to F › FAKE
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
18
Views:
4,872
Reviews:
13
Recommended:
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Currently Reading:
0
Category:
+. to F › FAKE
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
18
Views:
4,872
Reviews:
13
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own FAKE, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter Sixteen: The Tower
Chapter Sixteen: The Tower
Date Written: 5/2/06
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Dee/Ryo
Warnings Homosexuality, murder, hoodoo use, mentioned NC (non consent, or rape) and the issues that go with it.
Disclaimer: Same as Chapter Zero
Spoilers: All the way up through book 7
Notes: Finally, huh?
----------
Aquarium of the Americas is a renowned aquarium in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
It is recognized as one of the leading aquariums in the United States, Aquarium of the Americas is run by the Audubon Institute (which also supervises Audubon Zoo and Audubon Park in New Orleans, in a different part of the city). The Aquarium located along the banks of the Mississippi River by the edge of the historic French Quarter off Canal Street. The Aquarium opened in 1990.
With 10,000 animals representing 530 species, exhibits include the Mississippi River gallery featuring catfish, paddlefish and alligators; a Caribbean reef exhibit featuring a clear, 30-foot-long tunnel surrounded by aquatic creatures; and a Gulf of Mexico exhibit featuring sharks, sea turtles and stingrays.
The Aquarium of the Americas also hosts an IMAX theater.
In 2005, the facilities were affected by Hurricane Katrina. Though the structure survived the initial hurricane and was on high ground above the subsequent flooding of most of the city, electricity outages continued and the backup power generators were unable to fully operate the sophisticated life support systems needed to keep the animals alive. Aquarium staffers were forced to evacuate the facility due to civil unrest in the area only to return four days later to discover that most of the 10,000 fish did not survive.
The aquarium reopened on May 26, 2006. They are currently running an Adopt-an-Animal program to solicit funds for rebuilding.
--from Wikipedia.org
----------
It took them about two hours of shopping, but Dee and Ryo left with matching engagement rings. They had gone to a few small jewelry boutiques, but they had ended up leaving the quater's small Scottish/Irish store with claddagh rings. The men fell in love with the rings when the woman behind the counter of the shop told them the history about the rings:
"The claddagh ring's distinctive design features two hands clasping a heart surmounted by a crown," she said, turning the ring this way and that. "The elements of this symbol are often said to correspond to the qualities of friendship by the hands, loyalty by the crown and love by the heart that are said to combine in a good marriage.
"The way that a claddagh ring is worn on the hand is usually intended to convey some indication of the wearer's romantic availability. It is generally true that if the ring is on the right hand with the heart facing towards the hand, indicates that the person wearing the ring is in a serious relationship--that his or her heart is closed. A ring worn on the right hand, with the heart outward, away from the hand, the person wearing the ring is not in any serious relationship, that the heart is open. A claddagh worn on the left hand with the heart toward the hand indicates marriage. The other orientation heart outward may indicate nothing, widowhood, or being engaged."
Dee lifted Ryo's hand to give it a kiss, and Ryo smiled back at him. "So what do you want to do now?"
Dee pulled Ryo to him, wrapping his arm around the shorter man's waist. Ryo did the same, smiling up at him. "How about we go to the Aquarium? Marie said that it was a wonderful place to go."
----------
The entranceway to the Aquarium of the Americas is a two-story atrium. Against the far wall is a waterfall, the water splashing over huge metal fish scales, the coins in the pool at the bottom glittering like tiny fish.
Dee and Ryo stopped to get a map of the aquarium's layout before heading through the exhibits. The first exhibit that featured reef and shallow water fish, including an enormous tank that was arched over their heads. Ryo and Dee, along with their fellow patrons, stared in amazement over their heads as fish swam above them.
"Biks would love this," Ryo said as a sea turtle swam over their heads, and Dee nodded. They slowly moved through the first exhibit before going to the second, which was a tropical exhibit with huge fish as big as German Shepherds and piranhas
The next exhibit was a bunch of penguins--a fact that made both of them laugh--and they spent some time watching the penguins get fed and dive off the rocks into the chilly water below.
They made their way through the top floor of the aquarium, looking at the brightly colored fish and other animals.
The last exhibit on the top floor was a Louisiana exhibit, featuring (among many natural flora and fauna in the state) an albino alligator, which watched them all lazily as it sunned on its own dock.
They descended two flights of stairs after leaving the exhibit. At the bottom of the stairs was a large cylindrical fishtank and Dee smiled, watching the fish swim circles around the cylinder.
Ryo pushed Dee into a small semi-private corner behind the tank, chuckling at the surprised look on Dee's face. The two kissed for a few moments before being interrupted by the thundering of some sort of youth group. Ryo smiled and disappeared around the corner of the tank and Dee laughed, playing along and giving chase.
After a few circuts, he started getting frustrated. Damn, but Ryo could be a tease! So he stopped and waited for Ryo to make an appearance around the side of the tank so he could push him against the wall and kiss him again.
Five minutes passed, and Ryo didn't show. Dee felt panic begin to set in.
"Ryo?"
He rounded the tank a few more times, just to make sure the blonde wasn't torturing him.
"Ryo, this isn't funny anymore."
Ryo didn't answer him.
"Ryo?!"
"God damn it. I'm too late."
The accent wasn't as heavy as he was used to hearing, and the words were prim and proper, but Dee recognized the voice right away. He spun on his heel to glare at Marie. "Where is my fiancee?" he demanded, grabbing her arms.
Marie noticed the ring and took Dee's hand, staring at it. "Mon Dieu, you had to get a symbolic one, too." She looked up at him. "Does Ryo have one like this?"
"Where is he?!"
Marie sighed and took Dee's hand. "For now, he's safe. But we need to talk. Come with me."
----------
Ten minutes later, a security guard opened a door for an elderly man in a wheelchair. A young man was pushing his chair, smiling at the guard as he set a hat on the older man's head.
"Thank you sir," he said with a smile. "My grandpa likes the Aquarium, but it always puts him asleep," he said with a laugh.
The guard smiled politely, nodding before his eyes slid to the next patron, as if the man and his grandfather hadn't even been there. The young man pushed the wheelchair towards the river before boarding a boat docked illegally on the railing.
No one noticed the two men, the boat, or the claddagh ring on the hand of the unconscious man in the wheelchair.
Date Written: 5/2/06
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Dee/Ryo
Warnings Homosexuality, murder, hoodoo use, mentioned NC (non consent, or rape) and the issues that go with it.
Disclaimer: Same as Chapter Zero
Spoilers: All the way up through book 7
Notes: Finally, huh?
----------
Aquarium of the Americas is a renowned aquarium in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
It is recognized as one of the leading aquariums in the United States, Aquarium of the Americas is run by the Audubon Institute (which also supervises Audubon Zoo and Audubon Park in New Orleans, in a different part of the city). The Aquarium located along the banks of the Mississippi River by the edge of the historic French Quarter off Canal Street. The Aquarium opened in 1990.
With 10,000 animals representing 530 species, exhibits include the Mississippi River gallery featuring catfish, paddlefish and alligators; a Caribbean reef exhibit featuring a clear, 30-foot-long tunnel surrounded by aquatic creatures; and a Gulf of Mexico exhibit featuring sharks, sea turtles and stingrays.
The Aquarium of the Americas also hosts an IMAX theater.
In 2005, the facilities were affected by Hurricane Katrina. Though the structure survived the initial hurricane and was on high ground above the subsequent flooding of most of the city, electricity outages continued and the backup power generators were unable to fully operate the sophisticated life support systems needed to keep the animals alive. Aquarium staffers were forced to evacuate the facility due to civil unrest in the area only to return four days later to discover that most of the 10,000 fish did not survive.
The aquarium reopened on May 26, 2006. They are currently running an Adopt-an-Animal program to solicit funds for rebuilding.
--from Wikipedia.org
----------
It took them about two hours of shopping, but Dee and Ryo left with matching engagement rings. They had gone to a few small jewelry boutiques, but they had ended up leaving the quater's small Scottish/Irish store with claddagh rings. The men fell in love with the rings when the woman behind the counter of the shop told them the history about the rings:
"The claddagh ring's distinctive design features two hands clasping a heart surmounted by a crown," she said, turning the ring this way and that. "The elements of this symbol are often said to correspond to the qualities of friendship by the hands, loyalty by the crown and love by the heart that are said to combine in a good marriage.
"The way that a claddagh ring is worn on the hand is usually intended to convey some indication of the wearer's romantic availability. It is generally true that if the ring is on the right hand with the heart facing towards the hand, indicates that the person wearing the ring is in a serious relationship--that his or her heart is closed. A ring worn on the right hand, with the heart outward, away from the hand, the person wearing the ring is not in any serious relationship, that the heart is open. A claddagh worn on the left hand with the heart toward the hand indicates marriage. The other orientation heart outward may indicate nothing, widowhood, or being engaged."
Dee lifted Ryo's hand to give it a kiss, and Ryo smiled back at him. "So what do you want to do now?"
Dee pulled Ryo to him, wrapping his arm around the shorter man's waist. Ryo did the same, smiling up at him. "How about we go to the Aquarium? Marie said that it was a wonderful place to go."
----------
The entranceway to the Aquarium of the Americas is a two-story atrium. Against the far wall is a waterfall, the water splashing over huge metal fish scales, the coins in the pool at the bottom glittering like tiny fish.
Dee and Ryo stopped to get a map of the aquarium's layout before heading through the exhibits. The first exhibit that featured reef and shallow water fish, including an enormous tank that was arched over their heads. Ryo and Dee, along with their fellow patrons, stared in amazement over their heads as fish swam above them.
"Biks would love this," Ryo said as a sea turtle swam over their heads, and Dee nodded. They slowly moved through the first exhibit before going to the second, which was a tropical exhibit with huge fish as big as German Shepherds and piranhas
The next exhibit was a bunch of penguins--a fact that made both of them laugh--and they spent some time watching the penguins get fed and dive off the rocks into the chilly water below.
They made their way through the top floor of the aquarium, looking at the brightly colored fish and other animals.
The last exhibit on the top floor was a Louisiana exhibit, featuring (among many natural flora and fauna in the state) an albino alligator, which watched them all lazily as it sunned on its own dock.
They descended two flights of stairs after leaving the exhibit. At the bottom of the stairs was a large cylindrical fishtank and Dee smiled, watching the fish swim circles around the cylinder.
Ryo pushed Dee into a small semi-private corner behind the tank, chuckling at the surprised look on Dee's face. The two kissed for a few moments before being interrupted by the thundering of some sort of youth group. Ryo smiled and disappeared around the corner of the tank and Dee laughed, playing along and giving chase.
After a few circuts, he started getting frustrated. Damn, but Ryo could be a tease! So he stopped and waited for Ryo to make an appearance around the side of the tank so he could push him against the wall and kiss him again.
Five minutes passed, and Ryo didn't show. Dee felt panic begin to set in.
"Ryo?"
He rounded the tank a few more times, just to make sure the blonde wasn't torturing him.
"Ryo, this isn't funny anymore."
Ryo didn't answer him.
"Ryo?!"
"God damn it. I'm too late."
The accent wasn't as heavy as he was used to hearing, and the words were prim and proper, but Dee recognized the voice right away. He spun on his heel to glare at Marie. "Where is my fiancee?" he demanded, grabbing her arms.
Marie noticed the ring and took Dee's hand, staring at it. "Mon Dieu, you had to get a symbolic one, too." She looked up at him. "Does Ryo have one like this?"
"Where is he?!"
Marie sighed and took Dee's hand. "For now, he's safe. But we need to talk. Come with me."
----------
Ten minutes later, a security guard opened a door for an elderly man in a wheelchair. A young man was pushing his chair, smiling at the guard as he set a hat on the older man's head.
"Thank you sir," he said with a smile. "My grandpa likes the Aquarium, but it always puts him asleep," he said with a laugh.
The guard smiled politely, nodding before his eyes slid to the next patron, as if the man and his grandfather hadn't even been there. The young man pushed the wheelchair towards the river before boarding a boat docked illegally on the railing.
No one noticed the two men, the boat, or the claddagh ring on the hand of the unconscious man in the wheelchair.