rcseskies

[rcseskies]

alixandra.

tw: blood

there’s blood - and a lot of it. the smell was beginning to give alixandra a headache, the metallic floating through the air. a cough surfaces as blood sips from her mouth, staining her lips, chin, neck and clothing. the mission had gone completely wrong and alixandra was upset. basking in her anger because she never failed. she never did anything wrong. she was successful. damn it. she’s been training for her entire life. she knew how to kill and hack and find people and do the most dangerous things without second thought. 

but something wasn’t right and something terrible had happened. blood was trickling down her forehead as she rested against the back alley wall. the smell of rain filled the air, causing her to swear underneath her breath. a dizzy spell overcoming her body as she took a few deep breaths. you failed you failed you failed. the thoughts keep ringing through her ears as she soon hears footsteps approaching. 

peeling her eyes open with ease she reaches for her gun and points it at the figure. a tired look in her eyes and despite the fact that she cant move. blood seeping from her stab wound in her stomach and the cuts across her body. a raging headache from an impact. her fingers are tight on the trigger. 

“keep looking at me and i’ll shoo - shoot yo - you.” she stutters another cough of blood spills from her lips once more. 

        it was leilani’s luck to be shoved into a mission that was not promising of bloodshed. every other soldier had been out when they came searching for someone to send to seek out the special operative. and lani, well, she had just stepped into the mansion when she was all but turned around and shoved out. knuckles would crack under the pressure of the opposite hand, black heeled boots clicking under the pavement as the savage took a step back, dark optics resting on the man before her. he had been on his knees but was now flat on his back, blood pouring from his abdomen in an all too familiar way.  

      ❝ if only you had been a bit quicker. ❞ the brunette would sigh mockingly, steps continuing as she made her way past the now lifeless body. she’d stop, hand reaching to yank the knife from where she had dug it into his abdomen before continuing on her way. no evidence left behind, ever. 

     he hadn’t gotten too far from where he had left alixandra, that much was evident as the girl’s frame came into view two alleys down from where she’d finished off the other’s job. at her words, lani’s steps would halt and then she would lift an eyebrow, scoffing. ❝ i’m sure you will, mate. ❞ shifting to rest her weight onto her right leg, the brunette would drop the bloodied knife, kicking it in the other’s direction. it had belonged to the target and was now crimson with his blood rather than hers. ❝ you’re welcome. now, you could either cut the crap and help me help you or i can turn around and leave you to it. up to you, really. ❞

[rcseskies]

chcrubic·

      the cherub would inwardly sigh – she’s accustomed to being around some moody characters in valdez, but none were as vitriolic towards her as her half sister was. nonetheless, pippa isn’t a barbarian, & greets her younger sibling with a somewhat disappointed ‘ hello to you too, lelani. ’ a small voice urges pippa to extend a hand to help, but the vexed femme has already risen off the ground & pippa would take this moment to tuck a lock of chestnut hair behind her ear, recovering her pristine image once again before bending to collect the nearest present. two sides of the same coin described this pair well, pippa notes as azure ecliptics flicker to her sister’s outfit – a clear contrast from pippa’s all white ensemble. candy red lips purse together in objection, opening to say, ‘ well – i’ve gotten to my car like this before so i thought i didn’t need the help they were offering. ’ – ‘ clearly i was wrong. but since you’re here – and since you’re saying i should ask for help – give me a hand, hmm ? ’ 

       hazel hues settled on her half sister, an instinctive roll of her eyes following pippa’s subtle scolding of her not greeting the other. ❝ forgive me if i’m not in the mood to greet the person who knocked me on my bloody ass, pippa. ❞ in her opinion, lani thought she was quite kind with her half sister. then again, her definition of kind was beyond inaccurate. mostly, it mean she’d make it through a conversation without decking the other in the face or telling them to piss of. the possibilities were endless. still, whether lani cared to admit it or not she had a somewhat soft spot for her half sister. then again, it was more of a she would never admit it instead of a whether she cared to or not. there were other things that she rather do. dark gaze would take in the all white clothing choice of her half sister before scoffing quietly. they were quite literally polar opposites and leilani stood proof of this standing before pippa - the hem of her fishnet tights resting a bit above the hem of her jeans, the rest exposed through the random rips in her denim jeans, a black crop top and her beloved black leather jacket. ❝ oh you’ve done it before... right, yeah. mhm. see, there was this rainbow yesterday right over - oh, no... it’s not there today. shoot. ❞ her gaze would drift towards the sky before settling back on pippa, a roll of her eyes signaling her annoyance with the other. and then her gaze would narrow and the soldier would take a threatening step towards the other brunette. not that she’d do her any harm - that damned soft spot. ❝ i never said to ask for my bloody help, bugger. ❞ leilani would scoff but she would shift to reach for the closest box before shooting her sister a glare.  ❝ get to it, betty boop - i haven’t got all damn day. ❞

[rcseskies]

rcseskies‌:

INTRODUCING VALDEZ’ LOCAL :

                                                        T H E    V I X E N

have you seen leilani vrioni? they sure have been hanging out at envy nightclub a lot recently. they are a/n twenty three year old known as the vixen, and they currently work for the savages as a soldier, which they’ve been doing for two weeks. a heterosexual libra, they are reliable + resourceful, as well as calculating + deceitful.

tw; death and illness mentions

Keep reading

[rcseskies]

natalya.

                she’s holding a broken bottle up to someone’s throat   -  one recently smashed in order to make it jagged. despite the potential crowd forming she wasn’t doing it for them. ironically, she’s showing off because she’s in such a good mood.   then suddenly, a slight scoff:  a burst of laughter as she pulled away from the civilian’s throat.      “      i’m joking.       ”     it was   slightly    true.    a crinkle of her nose, cheeks turning a shade of rose.   “      god, everyone’s so serious nowadays.      ”      with reason, of course.

      dark optics took in the scene, unamused. slowly, her frame would shove past the two that were in front of her, turning on her heel to face the crowd. ❝ mind your own bloody business - this does not concern any of ya. ❞ and then she would near the other, heels clicking against the concrete. slowly, a hand would extend to the civilian, helping the other up and shooting a glare towards the other savage. ❝ you must be fuckin’ missing plenty screws in that empty skull of yours... that, or someone dropped you on your bloody head as a child, multiple times. on the same day. hell, they even had a schedule to drop you on your head. twice in the morning, three times in the afternoon and six before bed time. ❞ leilani would give a roll of her eyes, arms crossing over her chest. ❝ if you wanted to traumatize civilians for no reason, ya should’ve joined the cobras. ❞ 

[rcseskies]

silas.

“I’M  GONNA  COUNT  TO  THREE,  and  you’d  better  disappear  from  my  sight.”  the  soldier  all  but  spits  out,  nostrils  flaring  at  the  sight.  a  group  of  students,  not  older  than  twenty  five,  dressed  up  in  christmas  sweaters,  hymnals  in  hand  and  youthful  faces  red  because  of  the  cutting  wind.  “i  fuckin’  hate  christmas  carrollers.”  silas  says  to  no  one  in  particular  after  the  group  has  departed,  not  a  single  carrol  sung.  “and  christmas  itself.  but  let’s  just  keep  at  the  matter  at  hand.  if  they  come  back,  i’m  gonna  lose  it.”

        light gaze would shift away from the carrollers and towards the other, an eyebrow raising in his direction. before she could dismiss his threats, the group was gone and she was left to scowl at his words. ❝ they weren’t that bad !! ❞ and then she would register his next words, light gaze narrowing visibly. ❝ how could you hate christmas ?? that’s just wrong, on every level. ❞

[rcseskies]

first and foremost, i’d like to give credit to all the rightful owners of the clips, music and sound i used in this edit !! i only claim the actual edit because i made it using my own creativity so… i mean not too good but i tried !! this one’s for @warxofxbloom bc you’re a qt and i hope you like my lame edit for your ry xox :)

[rcseskies]

james.

             he doesn’t flinch when she touches him, even though had it been anyone else he would have more than flinched. he barely allowed people close enough to even see the tattoos beneath his shirt let alone the scars that hid beneath all of it. “ maybe i did…” he shrugs, well aware that she would disagree. “ it was all i knew… maybe it’s why i’m so…” he shrugs, not wanting to blame the current person he was on his dad completely, but sometimes he would look in the mirror and all he would see was his father’s eyes, his stature, the dog tags shining like they were some kind of hopeful beacon but really all he saw was fear. “ i’m not brave, penny… i’m the opposite a lot of the time. i hurt people, not because I’m brave – but because it makes me feel in control of things” he admits, well aware that he hadn’t even opened up to billie about things like this before – and here he was with penny who he’d hardly known two months revealing things he didn’t even know he knew the words to reveal. his brows lift a little at her revelation, not expecting it but he listens, hand softly tracing circles on her back. he doesn’t admit it aloud, but he’d thought many times that it would be better if his family thought he were dead, too. “ do you think it was the right thing to do?” he asks, “ because I can be your family, if you think it was the right thing.. you’re not gunna be on your own. hadley.. me and you, if that’s what you want. ”

         he appreciates her not dwelling on his reference to his time in lockup, and his smile lights back up when he sees hers. “ i wasn’t supposed to see her, for a while… after what happened at sharp shooters. billie thought it would be best because… i don’t know, she had her reasons I guess. sometimes shit gets out of control.” he hates trying to explain what goes on inside of his mind sometimes, so he fumbles over his words. “ good, I don’t plan on being subtle with you ever.”  he tucks his lower lip beneath his top teeth as he looks up at her, body laying comfortably for her to straddle him. “ crazy about me?” he questions, offering up an amused but besotted expression toward the blonde. “ if you’re not careful I’m gunna fall head over heels for you, my angel.” he murmurs, tucking her hair back behind her ear and leaning up to kiss her lips gently. “ see now I don’t wanna get up, I just wanna lay here with you for hours.” he presses a kiss to the top of her shoulder now, where her sweater had fallen a little. “ fuck I missed you.” he shakes his head, laying it back down on the bed finally and his crystal blue hues stare up at her, lips in a smile. “ my mum would have been so proud of my if I brought you home for Christmas.”

         ❝ nobody deserves to go through that and you are no exception. ❞ penelope would let out, emphasis on the part about him. eyebrows would furrow, a slight frown on doll like features before her features softened and she sighed. ❝ i like who you are, james... i wish you did too. but i’ll like you enough for us both, always. ❞ it made no sense to him, nothing that he said next. she thought him very brave and in her eyes, he was. here he stood, a man who had served their country, a man who was the best he could be for his daughter, sticking around alone made him better than most and yet he didn’t see anything how she did. human nature at its finest. ❝ you’re brave to me and whoever thinks otherwise can deal with me. ❞ at his question, she finds herself to grow silent. the answer was evident and on the tip of her tongue but she had never had the guts to voice it. ❝ no. ❞ until now. for the first time ever, she had owned up to her mistake not that she regretted it but she knew there were other ways of dealing with things than to put her loved ones through that pain. ❝ they didn’t deserve that. i took the easy way out, paid some money and ran but they were left behind... mourning a daughter, a sister, who was not dead. i was selfish. i was impulsive and i was desperate. i could’ve just packed my things and ran but i never thought my father would leave me alone. definitely not after ruining his picture perfect family reputation.  at the time, i didn’t see any other way out. ❞ it hurt to admit it but the weight that lifted from the lithe blonde’s shoulders, it was a relief to say the least. ❝ i’m grateful to have you, james. you make me feel things that i... i never thought i would. but i do and it’s all because of you. you’re all i need, you and your little lady. both of you, no problem. ❞ 

at his confession, an eyebrow would lift before her eyebrows furrowed once more, this time in thought. ❝ you guys don’t have a legal custody agreement ?? ❞ he deserved to have as much right to seeing his daughter as her mother did, as long as he was trying. which he was. if it was her mom who was a savage and him the civilian, things would be no different. ❝ good. i like my man blunt.  ❞ penny would smile, nodding her head at his echoing of her words. and then her smile would widen. ❝ unfortunately for you, i tend to be very careless. ❞ light gaze would flutter shut as his lips pressed against her own and then her shoulder, slowly fluttering open as she felt him shift to lay back down. ❝ so stay... we can get the tree in the morning. ❞ her voice was soft, small hands dipping to slip under his shirt and rest against his abdomen. ❝ and i missed you, a lot. ❞ the blonde admitted, falling silent at his words. her gaze would lock with his own, searching. she’d shift to lower herself towards him, lips hovering over his own before she pressed a kiss to his lips and sat back up. ❝ you’d of taken me to meet your mom ?? ❞

[rcseskies]

first and foremost, i'd like to give credit to all the rightful owners of the clips, music and sound i used in this edit !! i only claim the actual edit because i made it using my own creativity so... i mean not too good but i tried !! i fixed it so i had to repost it aaaand yeah happy to make anyone any of my lame edits for their muns xox :)

@calcmitys

[rcseskies]

pippa.

pippa goes a little overboard for the holidays. it’s evident as the brunette walks down the outside area of the tanger outlets that she’s gone a little over her head — quite literally, as the wrapped presents she’s carrying obstruct her view. it’s inevitable that she bumps into someone & she does just that, boxes of wrapped presents flying everywhere. ‘ oh — i’m so sorry ! ’ a bashful blush creeps onto the tips of her cheeks when she realizes who she’s bumped into. ‘ i—couldn’t see where i was going, and well— ’

      hazel optics would flicker around the streets, an instinct of hers especially if she was crossing through neutral territory. the slim brunette would proceed, down the sidewalk towards the corner before moving to turn. only, it was leilani vrioni after all and heaven forbid she go unbothered, the collision of the other would cause the dark haired girl to stumble backwards, caught off guard and losing her footing she would land on her bum. silence followed her fall, for a moment, angered optics snapping to the other. and then they would roll so far that she was surprised she had not seen her brain. ❝ if you cannot see where you are going... ❞ the english accent was thick on her lips even as the slow and annunciated words left them. it was but a mocking tone, as if she was incapable of understanding her otherwise. arms would cross over her chest, weight shifting towards her right leg. ❝ don’t. walk. ❞ leilani would deadpan, hues narrowing angrily as she moved to stand. ❝ or ask for bloody help. ❞ she would add, hands moving towards her ass to dust it off.

[rcseskies]

INTRODUCING VALDEZ’ LOCAL :

                                                        T H E    V I X E N

have you seen leilani vrioni? they sure have been hanging out at warehouse a lot recently. they are a/n twenty three year old known as the vixen, and they currently work for the savages as a soldier, which they’ve been doing for two weeks. a heterosexual libra, they are reliable + resourceful, as well as calculating + deceitful.

tw; death and illness mentions

leilani roze vrioni van buren was actually conceived in berat, albania but was born in london, england. she is the product of a one night stand her mother, althea vrioni, had in her hometown with a foreigner. her father was ( or is he’s probs alive possible connection idk ) from the netherlands and would soon return to his home and leave behind a pregnant althea. therefore, her father was never someone who was in her life. 

upon the realization that she was pregnant, her mother had gone in search of her one time lover only to be told that he had left to the states. his mother, however, was a major and key role in leilani’s upbringing. it was her father’s mother who had asked althea to give the girl her father’s surname. her mother would oblige in adding the surname but as her second one, unhyphenated. this meant that it was not to be used unless for legal reasons. she was named by her paternal grandmother, technically, but the woman had given lani the name her father had always said he wanted for a daughter. so... really, she was named by her father who did not know she existed. 

the van buren family had bought althea a flat in london and would proceed to pay for leilani’s education the moment she was old enough to attend. so althea spent her pregnancy in london where her daughter would be born on october 17th, 1995. 

growing up, it was lani and her mum - always. ( up to around the age of eleven when her mom would marry a nice french man that would sadly pass away four years later leaving behind a son and baby girl on the way ) she would become fluent in three languages, english for school and with her mum, albanian with her maternal family ( occasionally at home when her mother wanted to practice ), and dutch for her paternal family. every summer they would fly to albania where they spent half of the vacation with her mother’s family and then they would fly to the netherlands were they spent the rest of them with her father’s family. holidays were alternated between the families but birthdays were always in london. nobody spoke of her father, he was but a distant memory to most with the occasional calls he made to his mother. he’d left to the states and never looked back. 

at the age of three, leilani was enrolled in dance lessons. ballet, lyrical, jazz, flamenco, salsa, anything and everything would be taught to her in the studio and perfected by a personal teacher her grandmother had hired. miss claire had toured europe with the russian nutcracker and had been in countless shows. she was of italian origin and would not only mold leilani’s dance technique but contribute to her learning of the italian tongue. 

eventually, leilani would go on to compete and win, many, many titles. however, in addition to her dancing career - she would double in the modeling field as many dancers did. she began to model at the age of fifteen but made it big when she was eighteen because her contracts would expand and more companies showed interest. she’d made the cover page of four different magazines a year later and europe knew her name. ( she just barely made the height requirements to model by being exactly on the cutoff at 5′6 but it was enough to keep her in the game. )

her paternal family had set her and her mother off to a stable financial level before she was born and her mother had made needs end with her job as a chef but it was leilani that brought the wealth. her, her looks and her talent. 

at the age of twenty one, the states would call and the next thing she knew - leilani was off to america with her mother and little siblings. upon arrival, she was offered four different contracts but would follow the guidance of her trusted agent whom came along as well and would make millions working for a modeling agency that had her shooting with the finest fashion lines. 

her family was well off and she’d worked hard to ensure their stability. however, at the age of four, her baby sister was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, the disease in which it is harder for your heart to pump blood to the rest of your body. she would proceed to undergo treatments, all of which were paid for by leilani. her little sister's illness was a major contributor to her moving to the states for the bigger modeling gigs because she knew there were outstanding cardiologists to further aid her health. 

however, a month before lani’s twenty third birthday - her little sister was rushed to the hospital and two days later her heart failed. leilani was devastated at the loss of her beloved sister.

with a heavy heart, leilani would force herself into the shadows. modeling gigs would be denied and the press was left wondering where leilani vrioni had gone. they knew of the vrioni’s loss but not how deep it ran and would ease up after one final interview where lani announced that she was not returning to the spotlight. instead, she’d leave her fortune in her mother’s hands and ran off to a small town by the name of valdez. 

the world of hollywood, modeling and the lime light meant there needed to be claws and spark. lani had far too much spark and her claws were far too sharp. she was sassy and quick with her comebacks which made it that much easier to remain on the top. nobody dared to cross the european model in fear of having their careers ruined before they could even begin. she was sweet to her family, more than anyone else but was kind to her fans because she knew they were the main reason for her success. 

before reaching fame, she had been the meaning of rebellion and adventure. her mother would beg her to fall in line and she would laugh lightly, kiss her mother’s forehead and promise that she would be fine.

however, she’s falling back into the life of a normal person in valdez. except, well, she’s still a bitch. just, now she’s a heartbroken bitch so her patience is thin and her comebacks are meant to hurt.

her confidence hasn’t wavered, though - she’s still very sure of herself and knows she’s very good looking. does not react well to being tried - she’ll fight you. verbally or physically, the girl will resort to violence without a second thought. deep down, however, she means well.

truly, she’s a sweetheart just nobody really sticks around long enough to see her kind hearted side.

back in london, she hung out with the wrong crowd more often than not and so gang life is not new to her nor does it scare her. 

kind of not afraid of anyone or anything ?? she’s cold hearted currently so like she's mean sorry anyways please love my newest trash child, she’s not all that bad. not true, she’s awful, sorry but like love her anyways.

[rcseskies]

james.

           james smiles warmly, a subconscious attempt at comfort because he knew what having a controlling dad was like. “ i didn’t oblige.” he admits, a bemused sigh leaving his lips as he lifts the corner of his shirt where various scars from his father’s infliction were covered by tattoos - but visible if you knew they were there. the scars weren’t much to him now, he’d endured worse and seen worse; but they still sucked. “ army, yeah… another dad thing and… a big chunk of my life.” he nods slowly, his time spent on duty for years was one of the main reasons he didn’t get to see hadley as much as he’d like. it had left him with more irreparable scars, ones that he didn’t know how to fix just yet. “ an awful thing? i’m sure it wasn’t that bad.. you know what i do for a living, right?” it’s mostly rhetorical, because he hated to dwell on the bloodshed that came from his own actions around her. she made him feel grounded and real; something far away from the horror he could be.

          “ well baby, i’ll break into the convent and steal you away, that’s a promise. i’m good at breaking in and out of things.” he jokes, not sure if she would realise he was also talking about prison. he smiles as she speaks, telling him things he hadn’t even realised he did when talking about his daughter - but she was his whole world, so it made sense. “ she’s the best thing i’ve ever done. i’ve made… a lot of mistakes, but not her.” he shrugs, well aware that many people in the world would think having a baby at twenty while you were in the army was less than ideal, but he and billie hadn’t really thought twice about it. his gaze follows her hand as it brushes through his hair, eyelids soft as he blinks because he’s relaxed around her. “ sort of like you? baby i’m crazy about you, is that too forward?” he doesn’t care either way, it’s the truth. he follows her to her room, not letting go of her hand as he backs himself against her bed - which was indeed very white - and lays down. “ i like it. suits you. pure.” he winks, teasing. “ come here.” he summons, his hand still on hers and he holds his other hand out to her, needing her closer. “ you don’t mind that i wanna spend so much time with you, do you?” he rubs his thumb over her knuckle bone gently, gaze coming back up to hers. 

         blue gaze would shift towards his exposed skin. she’d seen him shirtless before, ran her fingertips over his inked skin and had, once again in fear of prying, kept her curiosity about his scars to herself. she was observant when it came to him, nothing was left unseen. her breath would hitch in her throat as a hand inched towards him, ghost of a touch lingering over the marks. ❝ i’m sorry you went through that... i’m sorry he took out all his self hatred on you. you didn’t deserve any of these. ❞ her next movement was one she hadn’t quite thought through and so rosy plump lips would draw closer to the largest of the scars, pressing a gentle kiss over the harmed skin. ❝ your way of escaping, huh ?? that was brave of you. ❞ at his attempt to brush off her doing an awful thing, she would shake her head. slowly, her frame would straighten and the lithe blonde would bring the rosy pillow known as her lower lip captive between white teeth. her heart felt heavy for once - she’d disregarded the intensity of her actions for a while, uncaring towards anyone’s opinions of her choices but somehow what he thought of her mattered. a lot. ❝ my family thinks i’m dead. ❞ penelope would mutter, her voice barely above a whisper and her gaze would drop to the ground. a shaky breath was inhaled before sky like optics forced shut, a second or two. as they opened, however, they would remain on the ground and her arms would shift towards herself, crossing over her chest. ❝ there was an accident - my brother and i, my second big brother because i’ve got two, we were coming back from college and... there was an accident. he was critical but survived and there, uh, there was this doctor that... he said that - he said he could pronounce me dead and handle the rest for a price. i paid it and i ran. i never looked back and they - ❞ her words were rushed but carefully spoken and somehow the heaviness in her chest tightened. ❝ they think i’m dead. ❞  

 ❝ my hero. ❞ penny would grin lightly, hues bright with joy. as they usually were when he was around. she’d not missed his double meaning but chose to leave it there so as to not give him the chance to speak down on himself. her optics would study him, searching his own as he spoke and then she’d nod her head. ❝ that thought alone makes you the best dad for that little girl. you’re both lucky to have each other. ❞ at his next words, penelope would shake her head. it reminded her of the first time they met when she had said that he was not subtle when looking at someone and he’d boldly said he wasn’t subtle. ❝ you were never good at being subtle, anyways. i just like to hear you say that. ❞ the blonde would admit watching as he lays on her bed, gentle smile on full plump lips. and then he extends his hand and her own does not hesitate to find it. her movements are slow as she moves to straddle him, bringing their hands up to his chest. ❝ you’re probably the only person that i don’t get tired of having around. ❞ penny admitted, bright gaze taking in his features. she never did get tired of staring at him, as creepy as it sounded. ❝ i’m crazy about you, after all. ❞

[rcseskies]

Outtakes of Dua Lipa photographed by Bryan Derballa for Rolling Stone (2018) (x)

[rcseskies]

james.

        “ don’t do that, you won’t be my favourite anymore.” he winks jokingly, his expression soon turns more serious, relaxed as he watches her contemplate his question. was it a fair one to ask? he didn’t know her past well, nor did she know his - but weren’t you supposed to get to know each other at this stage? he nods, head lowering only for a split second and if you had known james well, you would know it was because he too, missed his mother. he looks back up at her. “ suffocatingly controlling huh, must be a trend in fathers.” he laughs once, almost bitterly because frankly, his dad had ruined many of the younger years of his life; had he been raised by just his mum, maybe he would have turned out a lot differently. “ yeah.. i get that feeling.” the words are easy, like a wall around him was chipping away slowly; not crumbling down but chipping which was a foreign feeling. “ i ran away at 17, well… not ran away, everyone knew where i was.” he laughs once again, fingertips subconsciously coming up to the dogtags around his neck to fumble with. “ for the same reason, though… i was selfish, left my little sister with dad.” he doesn’t elaborate, not yet. there’s so much baggage he wouldn’t know where to begin. “ i miss my mum… and my sister.” he admits, shrugging and he moves to walk aroudn the kitchen a little, glancing out the window before heading back over to her and standing in front of her.

        “ like hell,” he smirks to one side, “ a second virginity with you would ruin me, i’d have to take it.” he smiles now, looking down at her hands and taking off one of his ruby encrusted pinky rings to slip onto her index finger - it didn’t fit very well, but he’d decided it was hers. giving her the jewellery was a distraction to him so he didn’t have to hear her telling him he was good; he wasn’t. “ you think i’m an amazing dad?” he raises his eyebrows, he’d heard it from billie before - but he took it from her as more of an encouragement to stay in their daughter’s life. it sounded different from penny. “ we could always go get one and hadley can come decorate it with us?” he shrugs, wanting penny to be a part of it too. she made him happy. he tucks his fingertips under her chin, lifting it and a smile plays on his lips as he gets a better view of her face, “ you’re so beautiful... and you look good no matter what you’re wearing so don’t stress.” he murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to her lips before dropping his hand to the bottom of her back, pulling her in close. “ show me your room?”

        ❝ oh, alright. fine. but only because i like being your favorite. ❞ penelope would huff out playfully, bottom lip jutted out in a pout. an instinctive roll of her eyes followed the mention of her father and she found herself scoffing quietly. ❝ his way or the highway. i obliged, most of my life and then i realized that i wasn’t actually living and quite honestly, i wanted to live. so i took the highway. ❞ she was quiet as he spoke, curious gaze attentive towards him. flickering up towards his chain at the fumbling of his fingertips. she’d noticed them the first time they met but had not wanted to pry. at this point, it did not feel like prying more so she was learning about him. ❝ the army ?? ❞ her gaze would linger on the chain before flickering back up towards his own. ❝ i, uh, actually ran away. ❞ penny would begin, light gaze shifting around her apartment as a shaky breath was inhaled as she watched him walk towards the window and then back to her. ❝ i did an awful thing to do so. ❞  

his words would cause a soft laugh to escape her - he had a way of making her laugh. making her feel giddy. ❝ a second virginity is god’s plan, baby. maybe i’ll join a convent. ❞ she joked, making a face to show her obvious disagreement to her own words. and then her features would soften, sky like gaze falling to their hands as he slipped his ring onto her index finger. it was only a bit big on her but she’d make it work. her gaze would lift at his question and without hesitation she would nod. ❝ i know that you are. that little girl is your whole world and then some, i love to see you talk about her because your eyes light up and your smile is all wide and you do this cute little thing with your eyebrows - it’s heartwarming. i know you care for her and she’s very lucky to have you as her father. ❞ the blonde would smile, a hand lifting to run through his sandy locks. and then she nodded again, in confirmation. ❝ we’ll do that, then. ❞ at his next words, the small framed blonde would shake her head but return his short kiss none the less. ❝ you’re biased because you sort of like me but i at least have to change my shorts - it’s freezing outside. ❞ penny would mutter, gaze shifting towards her window as a shiver ran down her frame at the thought of being out in the freezing weather of colorado. hues settled back on him as he spoke and she’d move to reach for one of his hands, tugging him in the direction of her room. ❝ it’s very... white ?? i kind of like the color.. ❞

[rcseskies]

james.

         “ i need to send a memo out to everyone to not get her lego as a prezzie like… ever.” a small frown appears between his brows at her revelation - of course he wasn’t as close with his younger sister as he would have liked - mostly because she lived in australia again. “ do you miss your family?” he asks curiously; he missed his mum more than anything and would have given anything to say goodbye to her - and he missed his sister too. an almost mischievous smirk plays on his lips at her response - he was glad about anybody not telling him he was being a bad dad, or a bad person to have a kid with. his gaze falls to her lips as she laughs, trying to shake off the smile of his own that follows just from seeing her happy but it doesn’t work; he’s a fool for her. “ good because i like knowing i’m the only one who gets to see you in all your impureness.” he jokes, “ because you’re fucking gorgeous especially naked and i love when you tell me what you like, too.. so maybe pure isn’t the best for you.” he murmurs, accented voice low as he speaks within a smirk. 

“ it is funny… you seem to bring out the best in me, didn’t know there was any good things still there so we’re both surprised.” he teases, letting out a sigh because she was right - he didn’t know how billie would react to him introducing hadley to his new girlfriend so soon; was that what she was now? “ well dads are proud, and i wanna show you off to everyone.” he jokes, mostly because he hates admitting that anyone is right. “ we can do something lame like get hot chocolate and get a christmas tree for my house before hads wrings my neck for being a ‘grinch…’ or we could just do that tomorrow and do something else tonight.” he lifts his brows, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. it was unusual for him, to be so soft with someone - but it was achingly easy when it came to penny; easier to throw his roughness aside for a moment. 

         ❝ i think i just might, to spite you. ❞ the blonde would tease, mischief mirrored in bright optics. at his questions, her smile would falter along with her breath and she’d find herself releasing a sigh. did she miss her family ?? sometimes. there were times when she would catch herself searching for her mother’s features in women her age or comparing her fellow savages to her brothers. at first, she saw her father in everything - her family, in everything, but she would soon learn to push past that nostalgia and fight to live. she was silent for a bit, studying his features a while longer before another sigh left full lips, much more hesitant. ❝ my mother, mostly. my brother’s were always very close to me, very protective and my father was suffocatingly controlling. mother was the only one who gave me an ounce of freedom and i wish i would’ve kept in touch with her. she didn’t deserve anything i put her through. none of them did but when you feel like you’re stuck, caged ?? you’re selfish in finding a way out. ❞ the blonde drew out, eyebrow raising in his direction. ❝ do you miss yours ?? ❞ and penelope genuinely wanted to know. there was a lot she wanted to know about him, everything to be more exact. that scared her, in a good way. all things were always in a good way with him. ❝ oh, no. no, no. i’ve taken a liking to pure and from now on... i think i’m going to fall back into my model catholic christian ways - i might even head on down and take an oath to purity. y’know, a second virginity or whatever. never to have sex again. the savages will understand, i’ll just take on another position. ❞ 

the thought alone made her suppress a shiver. before him, sex was just sex. being an escort was easy because there were no feelings involved. with him, it was different then again, everything was different with james and there was nothing she would do to change that. at his words, a gentle smile would settle on doll like features. ❝ there’s so much good in you and i wish you’d stop beating yourself up over everything. ❞ small hands would slip down his arms to reach for his hands, fingers intertwining through his own. a bright smile would respond to his next words, slight crimson tint seeming to claim her cheeks - catching her off guard. ❝ you’re an amazing dad. ❞ penelope would assure, sky like orbs bright with excitement at the mentions of christmas. it was her favorite holiday, she’d put her tree up since... well, the midnight on thanksgiving. mostly because it was socially inappropriate to put it up before thanksgiving. technicalities. ❝ we can do that !! i love christmas. unless you want to start up some tradition with hadley in which case we can just - i don’t know, set up the tree with her ?? stay in today ?? or if you want to surprise her then we can do that today ?? ❞ the petite blonde’s words were rushed towards the point that they were no longer statements and more of questions. he’d basically done this to himself by even mentioning christmas to her. ❝ i’m good for anything. but if we’re leaving you have to let me change. ❞ her frame would press against his larger one, arms shifting to rest on his shoulders.

[rcseskies]

james.

        “ you say that now but when you tread on a barbie doll in the dark… whole other story.” he smiles, “ that must have been nice, yeah?” his smile remains for a little as she tells him she missed him too - the petite blonde had him wrapped around her finger and it was clear in his features when he looked at her. it was something that could be dangerous or wonderful. “ nah probably not.” he shrugs, assuming she didn’t notice his current hostility toward his ex fiancé. “ better than anyone hey?” he smirks a little and pulls her closer to him by grabbing hold of either side of of her hips, “ you’re purer than i am, baby.” he bites the corner of his lower lip for a moment, and he takes in her response to his question. “ she’s my daughter too, billie will just have to deal with it.” he creases his brows - had it not been for the lockdown, he probably wouldn’t have been able to take hadley to the mountains. billie knew his ptsd better than anyone, and she was being fair in reminding him about it after what had happened - but he hated the idea of not seeing his daughter more than any of it. “ what did you wanna do tonight? if you don’t already have plans?” his hand moves up her sweater, on her skin so the warmth of her skin meets that of his hands.

     ❝ just be thankful she’s not into leggos - those, are the devil’s toys. ❞ the blonde would joke, smiling up at him. slowly, her smile would diminish as she slumped her shoulders in a shrug. ❝ i’d not seen him in a long time. it was more depressing than nice. ❞ penelope would admit, both to him and herself. it was behind her, now. she could breathe again. there was an intensity in the way he looked at her, one that had her knees weak and her mind hazed. she was sure it was mirrored in her own gaze. penny had never been serious about anyone, she’d never wanted to be, never saw the appeal. people bored her far too simply. at least, that was what she thought. he’d changed many of her perspectives, romance being one of them. ❝ well, whatever - it’s not your scarf on that snowman so... ❞ she would allow her words to hang, light gaze locking with his own once more as he pulled her closer. light laughter leaving full lips as she nodded. ❝ better than anyone. ❞ a small hand would lift to trace the outline of his jaw, head tilting slightly towards a side as she studied him. ❝ that’s funny because you’re the one who brings out the best of me. ❞ penny would admit quietly, shaking her head at his words. ❝ and i agree with you, babe, one thousand and one percent. always. but mom’s are territorial, it’s in their nature. ❞ she would let out softly, index finger shifting towards his lips now, tracing their outline instead. ❝ i’m always free when it comes to you, james. doesn’t matter what we do, i’m on board. ❞

[rcseskies]

calcmitys·

       “ don’t be sorry,” he holds his hand to the small of her back, the largeness his hand covering most of her as he walks in beside her and waits as she locks the door up. a small laugh leaves his lips, “ the mess? have you seen my house and half the shit hadley leaves laying around?” he shakes his head softly, “ did you go somewhere too?” he lifts an eyebrow after noticing the suitcase and follows behind as she heads to the kitchen slowly, feet lazy “ i hoped so, i missed you.” he walks in, leaning against the countertop with his back. “ she uh… learned to make a snowman and told me a couple of times that a carrot for a nose didn’t make any sense… and put one of her mum’s scarves around it’s neck and we left it there too.” he makes a grimace-like face to say ‘oops’. “ i wanna take you up to the mountains sometime this winter.. the snow is… pure, like you.” he winks, half-joking. “ maybe you can meet hadley some day too.. if that’s ever something that you’re comfortable with or whatever. she’d like that.”

      ❝ well... yeah, but it’s cute because she made the mess. ❞ penny smiled, gaze shifting towards him before she nodded her head. ❝ yeah, i went to georgia - met up with my big brother. ❞ it wasn’t a lie, she didn’t want to lie to him. explaining that she’d met up with her big brother to beg him not to tell their family she had faked her death... well, that wasn’t something she thought he’d take lightly. a grin would settle at his words, oceanic optics taking in his features. ❝ and i missed you. ❞ she meant it. shutting the tap, she’d grab onto the vase before setting the flowers on her table, replacing them with her centerpiece and stuffing that in a drawer. she’d move towards him afterwards, gaze bright with interest as she listened to him speak. there was a smile on her features one that formed courtesy of the mere thought of him and his daughter building a snowman. ❝ i hope it wasn’t her favorite scarf. ❞ penny would chuckle lightly before an eyebrow raised at his next words. a soft wave of laughter leaves rosy lips as she shakes her head ❝ you, better than anyone, know i’m not all that pure. either way... it would be my pleasure to accompany you at the mountains, whenever. ❞ the wink was returned and she’d take a step back to free her golden hair of the bun, hands threading through the silky locks as she ruffled her hair, shaking her head to allow it to fall back to place. his next words caused her stance to freeze, light gaze searching his bright blue optics before she gathered herself and nodded. ❝ of course, i want to meet her. i’d love to, very much. just as long as her mom’s okay with that because i don’t want to cause any problems between you two. ❞

[rcseskies]

james.

   “ gotta be careful who you open up the door to ‘round here angel.” he laughs a little, bringing the flowers which had caught her gaze down to her grip. “ they reminded me of you.” he smiles to one side, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her forehead before lifting her chin to softly kiss her lips. “ sorry I had no signal up in the mountains, snow was insane.” he exhales, “ can I come in?”

        ❝ only one who comes around is you and a handful of others. ❞ and it was true. penny wasn’t much of a fan of having people in her home. unless she genuinely liked the person then they would always be welcome. small hands would wrap around the flowers, her gaze lingering on them before fluttering shut as his lips pressed to her forehead and then her lips. at his words, she would nod her head before narrowing her eyes and shifting to let him in. ❝ sorry, i’m sorry !! ❞ she’d chuckle sheepishly, shutting and locking the door behind him. ❝ for not letting you in and for the mess. ❞ the blonde would mutter, although by mess she meant the suitcase in the middle of her living room and - that’s about it. penelope would rise onto her toes before he could move some more and place another quick kiss on his lips and then scurrying off to the kitchen ❝ thank you for the roses, i love them. how were the mountains ?? how’s your little princess ?? ❞ she’d question from the kitchen while settling the roses into her favorite vase and turning the tap on to add water.