#interactions : layla & graham

[gctawaygirl]

It was everything she had been missing and needing. Part of Layla always knew that it was Graham she needed but she did not want to hurt him. Not when she had lied for years about why she had ended things. She sighed before inhaling deeply, breathing him in like it was only yesterday that they had done this. Everything about him was familiar, she never forgot any of it, "I'm sorry I took so long to come," she said with a soft smile, shaking her head, "Then don't let go," she replied, pulling him in for another kiss.

He kept the kiss slow, savoring every second, every movement, but the second he felt her tongue graze his lip and heard that soft whimper, a low groan rumbled in his throat. His fingers flexed against her sides before one hand slid up her back, tangling gently in her hair. God, he had missed this—missed her. Tilting his head, he deepened the kiss in return, pouring everything into it. When he finally pulled back just enough to catch his breath, he rested his forehead against hers, his voice rough with emotion. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this." He admitted, his thumb brushing softly over her cheek. "And now that I have you here… don’t think I’ll ever let go again."

[crackonhq]

Ten sexy singles, one hot summer… Welcome back to the villa for the most dramatic summer yet. As our ten OG islanders line up around the lawn, they’ll get the chance to couple up for the first time, before they’ve even had a conversation – this is completely based on first impressions.

What does being in a couple mean? Well, it’s sort of an unspoken pact to try and get to know each other and give things a shot. But it also means that you’ll share a bed at night, compete in challenges together, and you’re a team when it comes to public voting and eliminations. But, you know, it’s the first coupling. No need to put all that pressure on it, you can and should still get to know other people.

Islanders will be called up at random to make a choice on who they want to couple up with. Islanders who are interested in them will get the chance to “step forward” and make an impression, however, the person choosing can select whoever they want – even if that person hasn’t stepped forward or is already coupled up.

Those who are chosen by someone will not get the chance to choose a couple, however, they can still step forward and show interest in other people. That takes some guts, and it’s kind of awkward when you do that and don’t get chosen, but hey. It’s up to you.

Our ten islanders Saint Aguilar, Layla Chari, Romi Octavio, Enzo Graham, Marcus Wittich, Ji-hoon Wang, Charlotte Liu, Andrea Pereira, Joshua Vargas, and Mimi Martinez await the first name to be called.

It’s Josh.

Mimi, Andrea, and Romi step forward.

Josh chooses to couple up with Mimi – we have our very first couple of the season.

Next, Andrea is called up to choose.

Layla, Romi, Saint, and Marcus step forward to show interest.

Andrea chooses Layla.

Enzo is called up next to make a choice.

Charlotte, Ji-Hoon, Romi, and Marcus step forward.

Enzo hesitates for a moment, like he’s making a tough decision. He decides to choose Charlotte, and they’re coupled up.

Romi is called forward to choose next.

Charlotte, Marcus, and Ji-Hoon step forward.

Layla also steps forward. Everyone stares at her for a moment – Andrea stares at her even longer. Ouch.

Bold behavior doesn’t always pay off, unfortunately. Romi chooses Marcus.

Saint has the opportunity to choose next.

Ji-Hoon steps forward.

Mimi also steps forward, despite already being coupled with Josh. So does Layla, despite being coupled up with Andrea . . . and rejected the last time she tried this. The public could get the sense that Andrea isn’t Layla’s type to a T.

Saint puts an end to the awkward silence and chooses Layla, leaving Andrea single.

Ji-Hoon now can make a choice. Luck of the draw – or unluck ? – has put them at the end of the line. The only single islander remaining is Andrea.

Everyone else has been coupled up, and Ji-Hoon isn’t the type to make a risky move. So, they go with Andrea. 

So, maybe Ji-Hoon didn’t have the guts to go for their top choices, but this could make them some friends  – it definitely looks good to the public.

Here are our first couples:

Josh and Mimi

Enzo and Charlotte

Romi and Marcus

Saint and Layla

Ji-Hoon and Andrea

Quick stats –

Four islanders got their first choice.

Layla was the most popular islander.

50% of muses said they would take a risk and choose someone who didn’t step forward for them, ONLY if someone else from their top 3 didn’t step forward.

60% of muses said that they would step forward if they had already been chosen.

60% of muses said they would choose someone who had already been chosen.

What now?

Please do a thread on the dash within your couple that takes place on the first day. First conversations, flirting, get the vibe. You’ll want this background for future decisions and interactions later.

You are welcome to post an open or do a starter call with other islanders, but whatever you have the capacity for. The only thread you have to do is the one in your couple, the rest are up to you.

You are also welcome to use the discord channels. Feel free to post in one as a sort of “open” and anyone can join in and reply as a sort of free-for-all, this is to be used for group interactions, though it could be one-on-one if you’re the only ones using it. Just know that anything in the discord is fair game and people can interrupt your conversations there!

ALL INTERACTIONS WILL TAKE PLACE ON DAY 1 UNTIL THE NEXT PLOT DROP, which will take place on night 1. So, use this opportunity to get to know each other and form day 1 bonds…your strength as a couple or even in your friendships might make a big difference very soon.

[thorsdiana]

Tell me aaaaaall about Sofya, Helena, Valerie, and Kiara. Put it under a cut if you have to!! I want all the tea!!!

ahhh i love you so much jen!!! you really came through for me 💖💖 okay this is gonna get hella long so i’m gonna put my answers under the cut bc there’s just so much i gotta say!!

SOFYA VOLKOVA

so here’s the tea on sofya volkova! her story is called “budapest” she’s paired up with my queen, natasha romanoff. and her story is full of sadness lol. on new years day in 1937 (aka her 9th birthday), her parents who were well respected scientists for the soviet union were killed in her home and she witnessed their death. she was later taken in by a name named viktor grankin, who encouraged her to join the red room academy under the idea that she could one day get revenge for her parents’ death. it’s during this time that she meets natalia romanova, and the two often clashed that lasted nearly a decade. but they eventually came to respect one another as assassins and eventually led to a relationship that remained hidden from their handlers.

viktor grankin was her handler during her time and he set her on missions that they believed would lead her to her parents’ killer. she would later earn the alias “sparrow” which was given to her by viktor himself. during one mission, she learned that the man behind her parents’ death was none other than viktor. she tried to take him out but failed, but she faked her death (also ending her relationship with natasha) and remained in hiding as she worked up a plan to ruin viktor and kill him. 

she was inspired by the infamous line in the avengers where natasha and clint mention budapest. and since we don’t know what happens, i decided to make sofya and she’s the budapest mission lol. basically clint and natasha get word of a dangerous assassin that they’re meant to take out, and nat is SHOOK bc her old girlfriend is alive and well but also dead set on killing viktor (who basically was given something similar to natasha and sofya). 

her story is so sad bc she’s lost so much and was used by viktor for 21 years. and in order to get her revenge, she had to leave the only person she’s loved since her parents??? and now she’s like a stranger in natasha’s eyes but natasha doesn’t want to lose her again?? i love angst lol!!

HELENA HARTLEY

here’s the tea on my mom, helena hartley! her story is called “second chances”. so’s a revived oc of mine from yeeears ago and i think i love her a lot more now than i did before lol. but she’s the ex-girlfriend of tony stark and the mother of the beautiful lauren stark. she met tony back in 1990 at a science convention and she honestly couldn’t stand him but he always flirted with her and it was cute as heck. they clashed a lot on ideas but they also really enjoyed the bickering?? and formed an interesting friendship. but after the death of tony’s parents, helena was always there for him and something more bloomed.

tony didn’t admit his feelings until like 1992. tony was always supportive of helena’s dreams of being an engineer and even got her a job at stark industries. their relationship resulted in the birth of their daughter in 2001, but they never got married. there were also a LOT of cute dad!tony moments like he spoiled lauren to the point where her only way to sleep was on someone’s chest and listening to their heartbeat. or he loved mentioning her whenever he could during an interview bc he was so proud!!

but tony was prone to self-desctruction and it put a strain on their relationship that eventually ended in 2005. but despite their breakup, they always made sure lauren wasn’t too negatively affected and remained coordial for her sake. helena left stark industries and became an engineer at northrop grumman. but when tony needs help making the jericho missile, the first person he wants on his team is helena (but honestly it’s partially bc he misses her and is still in love with her).

their story is gonna be filled with angst (especially during the iron man movies) bc helena is trying to date other men but tony keeps finding his way back into her life, then tony goes missing and it messes up helena AND lauren (who’s like really young during this time so OW) and then when tony becomes iron man and how lauren is constantly worried about her dad.

i’ve also planned to have helena being an inhuman but it doesn’t get found out until later. and her power was going to be technology manipulation bc i didn’t want her to be a full on hero but have something a little different.

VALERIE BYERS

um so i really love my time traveling bby girl!! she’s one of the three main characters of my fic, “timeless,” and the other main characters are my cyborg bby boy jai graham (who was created by the queen shuri herself) and sarah wilson, who’s the younger sister of sam wilson. so valerie is the only child of tony stark and her mother was an old girlfriend of his named susan byers. their relationship was never liked among susan’s parents and though it ended, susan found out that she was pregnant but never told tony. in fact, valerie never found out about tony being her father until she was 15.

valerie would try to find ways to meet tony, such as going to different conventions he held or was a guest at. but after the battle of new york, she realized how much she needed her father. her mom was paralyzed during the event and it wasn’t until valerie was 20 when susan finally passed. valerie then made it her business to get a job at stark industries, which she luckily did. she would work under tony, but never tell him the fact that she was his daughter.

but due to the events of infinity war, and tony is believed to have died after last being seen going into space, and the avengers fail to save the world from thanos, valerie’s life goes to shit. 

since “timeless” is basically one big au and my own spin on infinity war, thanos actually takes control of earth after the big snap and the chitauri still roam earth. it’s kinda like an apocalyptic setting and humans aren’t as free to do much and the chitauri controls a lot of what happens???

but anyway, valerie meets jai and sarah when she’s out looking for scraps to build stuff and jai and sarah and they come up with the idea fo build a time machine and valerie is the perfect brain needed for the job to help create it. their plan is to go back to different points in time to assist the avengers and stop them from breaking up (bc they believe them being apart was a downfall) and try to find the infinity stones and destroy them so thanos can’t get his hands on them.

and they all lost something in the war; valerie lost her father, jai lost his creator/mother (he really never got to meet her bc she died and her last thing she did was setting him free), and sarah lost her brother who turned to ash. but one happy thing is that valerie is paired up with jai but they’re gonna be hella cute and make s.carlet.vision look like nothing compared to them lmaoo. 

KIARA WILLIAMS

finally, we have my pretty bird kiara! her story is “icarus” and i created her maybe a year or two ago??? she was inspired by the line where sam mentions wanting to impress the lady who worked at the va, and kiara is that lady!! she’s got a younger sister named layla and kiara is also an inhuman (the mcu has ignored them and i love them so i gotta include them lol). her father, raymond, is also an inhuman and he brought her to afterlife where she got the help after going through terrigenesis in her early teen years and gained the power of wing manifestation. when she finally returned to society, her relationship with layla was strained, but they’ve been working hard on fixing it.

she tried her best to live a normal life, getting a job as a receptionist at the va in washington dc and eventually meeting sam wilson (who she’d admire from a distance lol). but when steve rogers comes in and plays a wingman for sam, they start to become friends that eventually leads to something more. 

kiara eventually becomes an avenger and gains the alias “icarus” thanks to a cute interaction she had with sam years prior. basically when it was believed that shield attacked afterlife (which kiara just so happened to be at the moment) kiara was hit in the line of fire and barely made it out with her life and it’s that day when sam finds out about her being an inhuman and her powers. he’s really sweet and helps her heal and he makes a joke saying “i guess icarus flew too close to the sun” and it’s just been her nickname ever since.

[lshawker]

New Post has been published on LS Hawker

New Post has been published on http://lshawker.com/end-of-the-road-super-secret-facts/

END OF THE ROAD Super-secret Facts

I gave Jade the family name of Veverka in honor of my friend Kim Rasmussen.

The original title of END OF THE ROAD was UNDISTINGUISHED DESTRUCTION, which is taken from the Declaration of Independence: “He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction, of all ages, sexes and conditions.”

In the first draft, there was one more team member, a lit major named Raj, a kid raised in a commune by hippies. But there wasn’t enough room for another character so he had to go.

During the time I wrote END OF THE ROAD, I was completely obsessed with the Broadway musical Hamilton, which was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The fictional town of Miranda, Kansas is my tribute to him.

The concept for the novel came to me when my oldest daughter, Chloe, was in high school. She was part of the International Baccalaureate program, so she was surrounded by kids just as bright, driven, and innovative as she was. Watching how these kids interacted with each other and the world made me wonder what might happen if they pooled their considerable brain power. What if, for instance, a group of them decided for their senior project to overthrow the US government?

The artificial intelligence idea came, coincidentally, from one of Chloe’s high school classmates, Henry Bradford. He told me about a conversation he’d had on an airplane about the fact that a computer program that could spontaneously generate its own language could then develop its own culture and possibly take over the world. The Clementine Program was born.

Jade’s tattoo is based on my friend Megan’s. Her mom, Kim, (to whom END OF THE ROAD is dedicated) has ALS.

Silicon Prairie is a real thing. Tech companies have sprung up in Texas, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Missouri.

The book trailer for END OF THE ROAD is voiced by my daughter Chloe.

SiPraTech has its own website with operational email addresses and phone number.

Inspired by Jade, Berko, Elias, and Olivia, I wrote a guest blog post for BooksChatter explaining why nerd culture will save the world. You can read it here.

Dan’s story about helping the Rolling Stones’ drummer’s wife find her way on the streets of Chicago is a true story that happened to my cousin Anne Mosqueda.

Dan is based on my cousin-in-law, Dan Mosqueda, and he really is friends with PJ O’Rourke.

The book that Berko is reading in chapter five, Of Ashes and Dust by my critique partner Marc Graham, is real. Buy it.

On a writers’ retreat weekend, the above-mentioned critique partner came up with the idea for communicating in nerd code based on the Star Trek episode “Darmok.” Did I mention he also has a book out?

Berko’s anti-JJ Abrams Star Trek rant is stolen from my friend Michael F. Haspil. Buy his book, Graveyard Shift.

The Adventure Time quote, “I have approximate knowledge of many things,” is my daughter Layla’s text tone on my phone.

Jade’s dad is named for my brother and my late dad, Rob and Bob Stormes respectively.

The story Jade’s father tells about Jade defending her sister in the park by almost ripping out a teenager’s cheek actually happened. I was defending my sister, and I was three at the time.

Jade’s memory of freezing on the balance beam is also true, and also happened to me.

My daughter Chloe received her BS in international relations from Carnegie Mellon University and encountered the same culture shock Jade did. She also found solace at Bellefield Presbyterian Church and had many University of Pittsburgh friends.

As I do in every book I write, I included a reference to Tesla, this time to the man himself in Berko’s rant about the Tunguska Event.

Clementine’s visualization of “Just a Girl” by No Doubt is how my daughter Layla “sees” the song.

When the gang is looking for a car to steal in Niskuwe City, the small-town practice Jade describes—of leaving keys in a car so other people can use it—was common in the Kansas town where my grandparents lived.

Clementine’s phrase “Cam I soft that kind?” meaning Can I pet him? Came from my autistic daughter Layla.

One of the most fun things about writing this book is that I turned it in right before the 2016 presidential election and got to mention it in the book, which was released shortly after Donald Trump took office. This is a much faster turnaround than you normally get when releasing a novel.

The top-three lists the team trades are a nerdy homage to Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity.

Kodak the horse is named for my friend Sherri Brackney’s favorite horse.

The horse named Obadiah is named for the dog I had in high school. She was a sheltie mix.

The fictional town Niskuwe City’s name means “on the way” in the Cree Indian language.

Fearless the Lhasa Apso’s potato fetching is based on an Internet story which may or may not be true, but we’ve used it at our house to pull Layla out of the pits of despair.

Based on Jade’s Super Mario Kart cartridge in which she hides the AIP, my daughter Chloe bought me an old cartridge for Christmas.

Of all my books, this one has the most controversial ending.

[gctawaygirl]

"I don't think I've ever been so sure of everything," Layla admitted just before he kissed her. Her hands reached up to rest on either side of his neck and deepen the kiss. She kept it slow as he had but tilted her head slightly, allowing her tongue to slide across his bottom lip. A soft, involuntary whimper moved from her mouth into his. It had been a long time since they last kissed and she cursed herself for letting it go on for this long. All she wanted was to kiss him and never stop. She was helpless under his touch now.

Graham's breath caught in his throat, the closeness between them making everything else fade into the background. His hands gently cupped her face, his thumb tracing the curve of her jaw as he leaned in just a little bit closer, their foreheads still pressed together. "Layla…" His voice was low. The tension between them felt like it had been building for far too long, and now, it was impossible to ignore. He let out a quiet sigh, the decision clear in his mind. "If you're sure…" He murmured, before closing the space between them, his lips meeting hers with a slow, almost reverent kiss.

[gctawaygirl]

Layla's eyes fluttered shut as he leaned in and she tilted forward, resting her forehead against his, "I haven't let myself have what I want for a long time," she whispered back, her tone and body language making it clear that what she wanted was him. She opened her eyes just in time to meet his gaze, "I'm done pretending I don't want this anymore," she said and leaned up, starting to close the gap between their lips. Suddenly, wine didn't seem necessary for this anymore.

"Real, huh?" He murmured, barely above a whisper, his thumb brushing lightly over her skin. His heart raced. "You’ve always known what you want, Layla. I can’t fix what’s broken, but if it’s real you want… maybe we can figure that out together." He paused, leaning in his breath warm against her cheek. "I won’t lie—this isn’t easy for me, either. But I won’t pretend anymore, not when we’re standing here like this." His eyes locked onto hers, searching, hoping she’d see the truth in his own. "If you’re done pretending, I am too."

[gctawaygirl]

Layla let out a breath, averting her gaze as she felt his burning into her, "Tell me about it," she muttered. She didn't look up again until he was standing right in front of her, lifting her head to meet his gaze. Her breath hitched in her throat when she realised just how close he was, "Nobody can fix my life," she whispered back, "Give me real any day," she added. Layla had told herself they would never be a thing again but she found herself back here easily when she realised things with Tristan would never improve. Her engagement would never be happy or fulfilling but she could be happy and fulfilled elsewhere.

Graham stared at her for a moment, the weight of her words settling heavily between them. His jaw tightened slightly, not out of anger, but something else—something unspoken. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back against the counter, his eyes never leaving hers. "That’s a hell of a confession, Layla." He said quietly, his voice low and edged with something darker, something real. He let the words hang in the air for a beat before pushing off the counter, closing the space between them with slow, deliberate steps. His hand reached up, fingers brushing a stray strand of hair from her face, his touch light but lingering. "You know exactly what you’re asking for, don’t you?" His gaze searched hers, not with judgment but with something deeper—curiosity, maybe, or understanding. He leaned in, his lips a breath away from hers, his voice a husky whisper. "I’m not here to fix your life, Layla. But if you want something real—something honest—you’ll get that with me."

[gctawaygirl]

"I'm not happy," Layla admitted, "My engagement. It's fake, arranged and I'm not happy in it. I don't love Tristan, in fact I'm pretty sure I hate him," she explained, "My parents arranged it and if you tell anyone about it outside of this room, I will deny it and never speak to you again," she warned, "So... I have needs that are not being met and you... Well, I know you can meet them so I'm asking for your help," she placed the wine on the counter and stepped toward him, "Please," she whispered, trying not to sound like she was begging.

His eyes flicked to the glass in her hand, then back to her, the smirk never fully leaving but softening just a little. "I’d hate to fall behind. Wouldn’t want you holding that over me." He reached past her, grabbing his own glass from the counter, his arm brushing against hers—just barely. After taking a sip, he tilted his head slightly, studying her with that unreadable look he wore so well. "So, what’s the plan here, Layla? You show up, slightly tipsy, issuing drinking challenges… should I be worried?" His tone was teasing, but there was a question buried underneath, the one he wasn’t brave enough to ask out loud.

[gctawaygirl]

That smirk drove her mad. It was like an I told you so without saying the words and she hated it but she loved it at the same time. Why else would she be here? She let out a breath, something akin to relief, and stepped inside. She took only a few steps in so he could close the door, not really sure where she should go from there. Layla glanced back over her shoulder at him, "I'll be honest, I've had a few glasses already," she explained, "Not from this one but you may need to catch up," she teased.

Graham leaned against the doorframe, his brows raising slightly as he took in the sight of Layla—wine in hand, that familiar glint of hesitation masked by a casual smile. He didn’t say anything right away, just let the silence stretch for a beat, his gaze flicking from the bottle to her eyes, reading between the lines she wasn’t saying out loud. A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, the kind that was equal parts amused and intrigued. "Well." He finally drawled, stepping aside and gesturing her in with an easy tilt of his head. "When you put it like that, how could I say no? Of course you can." He gently says as he stepped aside.