you aren't born with strength, you cultivate it

RHYS | You can run

Written/published: 17 MAY 2023

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Story Time™

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"Truth's gonna come out

Someday it's gonna

Wipe that smile off your face, but"

"You can run" | Adam Jones

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TW: Kidnapping, depictions of violence

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When someone describes Rhys Valentine, they often allude to his ease of slipping into conversations and goofing around like he has no worries in the world. They mention, albeit rarely, the odd way he seems to know things about a person despite them not saying a word, the way he can look at someone and ask how their dog is doing or when they last drank a glass of water. Nowadays, he's known for his easygoing personality and his work as a Firefighter. Surprisingly enough, he's become an excellent Paramedic, his work sometimes going above his knowledge on fighting fires. For a man that swore he'd never become a member of the Fire Department, he excels at the work he does now. Seeing as he's known more for his Firefighting work, few people know him from his time as a Law Enforcement Officer with the Blaine County Police Department. There are few times where it becomes apparent that he worked such a job, specifically the way his stare can turn dark and commanding, demanding those he points it at to listen or the way he easily slips into leadership roles and holds no outward stress over the responsibility.

While he's widely known throughout San Andreas to the people he's helped save and rescue, there are still a select few individuals that seek him out for details not related to his current job. Those good and those bad. A couple people from the Blaine County Police Department still jokingly call the man "Captain" when greeting him, usually earning a fond, exasperated look or a demand to "cut it out." Either that, or they reach out to him for advice which he gladly gives. Sometimes, when treating taser prongs or gunshot wounds from suspects, they recognize him as who he was. That often leaves a stilted, dull conversation and neutral stares throughout treatment.

Rarely, if ever, does Rhys dive into stories about his experiences. There're times he jokes, messes around, and laughs about particularly funny stories he's gone through. But he hardly dives into gritty details or creepy, unsettling encounters. He strays from the cases he worked and solved and the chases he had to put up with for multiple stretches of miles. He doesn't mention the stalker or two he's dealt with watching his house and family. He definitely doesn't mention the people he's had to shoot, had to kill, to make sure he gets home at the end of the day for his daughters. He doesn't mention how he came to adopt Djenna, nor the details surrounding her past situation, and steers clear from how many domestic abuse situations he had to settle while keeping his mental problems in check.

Today, however, is a little different.

Sitting in the lounge of Sation 7, the few Firefighters on shift, not on a call, sit in a measly excuse of a circle. Couches, sofas, armchairs, foldup chairs, pillows, and blankets are situated in a pseudo-circle, something that more resembles a lumpy potato. The lights in the room are dim and a phone sits in the center of the gathering. Light, comforting music plays from the device, a glowing campfire displayed on the screen as the noise of crackling, burning wood echoes throughout the room. With the darkness outside, it's as if they're gathered around a campfire, waiting to tell scary stories. It's no wonder one of the probationary Firefighters present suggests the idea of going around in a circle and introducing one another.