#oc: Hartley

[havenroyals]

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[lemonybeast]

Bazroph shows off his best pretzel impersonation for the @smallartistocbracket and Sally definitely, 100% knows what kind of "competition" she signed him up for, just like I definitely, 100% did not procrastinate on making a propaganda post until I had to rush through it last minute

[inafieldofdaisies]

[dearaur0ra]

1.

josh washington x reader oc (name used is lily monroe)

notes: au, meaning josh does not follow through with his prank, but it is mentioned in future. female reader, michaels younger sister, (18 in present tense). this story will be realistic in the sense that majority of the plot was josh’s prank, so much of it will be adjusted. new plot will be original, by me. edit: i posted the raw draft instead of the edited! if you were the few that have saw it, no you didn’t!

—

2013

he was enamoured by you. every breath, every movement, even when you didn’t know what you were doing. this moment is one of the many josh can recall, when you were perfect.

your deep hazel hair brushed against your elbows as your hips swayed to the music, encapturing josh’s full attention. jess tugged you into a clumsy, drunken dance, your eyes creased with laughter, brimming with a joy that filled the room.

josh couldn’t hold back a smile, watching you gleam. something about the way you moved set you apart. you were so different from your other friends, never asking for the attention, you just got it. you had that way about you, even if he thought it was clique, you really did light up every room you were in.

‘it’s the small things that count’, you’d say, whenever he’d ask about it. glass half full you were, and he loved you for it.

laughing, jess pulled you down with her in a heap of giggles. your ribs ached, and tears brimmed in your eyes, but moments like these were worth every second. jess, too out of breath to speak, simply pointed at you, her laughter contagious. you mirrored her actions, erupting with even more laughter.

minutes had passed, before the pair of you calmed down. ��whew, i thought that’d never end.” jess sighs, rolling over on her side to face you.

“i need a drink.” you snicker, pushing yourself off the carpet to make your way to the kitchen, leaving jess in her own carpet world.

a quick glance out the window displays the worsening weather, it’s snowy blaze coating the windows. northern alberta is notorious for this, you guess. you just didn’t think it would be this bad tonight. though it does make you sincerely grateful for the lodge.

josh turns back to the conversation at hand when he spots you approaching, in fear of being accused of watching you. beth will nag him about this later, since she seems to be the only one who knows how he feels.

“-he did! i’m not lying!” emily exaggerates, practically throwing herself across the kitchen in dramatization. you chuckle, pulling a white barstool out from beside josh to sit.

“hey.” he greets with a lopsided grin, raising his bottle in salute. your afraid to even ask what sort of alcohol concoction him and mike created this time.

“hay, is for horses.” you snicker in your drunken state.

god, the look he gave you. you wish you could frame it. the way his dishevelled hair fell over his forehead, his plaid shirt with sleeves rolled up just above his elbows. he smiled at you, bottle tilted against his lip, threatening to spill at any moment, as his eyes lingering on you just a second too long before darting away.

“ladies and gentleman, we got ourselves a comedian in our midsts.” he joked to no one in particular, the others too engaged in emily’s story to listen.

you give him a playful side eye, trying your hardest to hold your composure. a smile threatens to overturn your lips, but you hold out. “pass me that beer will you?” you ask politely, pointing at an unopened can to his far left.

with little protest he does as you say, handing you the can. you thank him, and crack it open at the top. he watches you, his gaze softer now as you sip the warm foam pooling around the can, “thanks for coming again lils." he thanks quietly, his voice sincere.

you nearly choke on the foam, surprised by the sudden shift in his mood. you clear your throat, laughing. “of course. wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

he pats your back twice, the way he does to chris. except he moves his hand to the base of your neck, rubbing it gently. “you mean the world to me lily.” he murmurs, drawing his hand away to rest on the island once again. the absence burns the skin of your neck,

“your too sweet josh.” you laugh, indecisive on which way to approach him kindly. he’s drunk, really drunk. his words could mean nothing. he groans, resting his head on his hands atop the counter.

he mumbles something inaudible, closing his eyes at the touch of your hand as you reach for the bottle in his own. you pull it away from him, sniffing the top.

you take a swig, wincing at the strong taste. it mixes with the faint beer that lingers in your mouth, a dangerous game considering the array of drinks you’ve had tonight.

it’s just one night, you think.

the bottle is an eighth full, and the two you down in almost ten minutes. in that time the group dissipated, leaving just you, sleeping chris, and josh in the kitchen.

the two of you talk about nothing memorable, just conversation. he jokes, you laugh, he laughs. a speaker plays quietly in the background, as the house seems to quiet as everyone migrated back to the living room in the next room.

it’s serene, this moment shared between the two of you. and sleeping chris, you guess, but it seems to always be that way. one doesn’t come without the other.

“do you remember-,” he slurs, barely holding it together through quiet laughter. “-when mike and i tried to paint your room for you?”

how could you ever forget?

“what the fuck mike! your fucking insane!” you gape, throwing your hands up in disbelief. your furniture is collectively pushed to the center of the room, speckled with tiny splatters of pale dripped paint.

mikes face winces, “it could be worse?” he reasons, glancing around the room.

one job. he had one job. and he brought his stupid friend with him for it. “i can’t believe you guys.” you scoff in disbelief.

josh glances at you confused, as if he hadn’t done it.

“look lily i’m sorry, but i’m not exactly an artist.”

“clearly.” you state the obvious, rolling your eyes. you catch notice of something half-hidden behind the streaky pale wall above your bed frame. josh and mikes names sloppily scrawled underneath. “are those-?”

they burst out in laughter, josh falling to the ground. they hadn’t intended to make it visible, but they’re happy it is. “you gotta admit-,” mike chokes on his laughter, “this shits kinda funny.”

you laugh, and laugh. soon the regret you get trusting them diminished, and was replaced with this ridiculous laughter.

you giggle, reminiscing in the memory. michael was an asshole, yes, but he was still your brother. even if you didn’t get along well, he’s still a damn good one.

“-oh we did such a shitty job too, mike kept saying how you were gonna kill him the entire time.” josh laughs.

“with good reason! don’t you remember the streaks?”

for a moment, he just looked at you, his eyes hazy but full of warmth, like he was storing every detail of your face. your eyes seemed to twinkle in the dim light, and the urge to close the distance between you was overwhelming, but he hesitated, un-wanting to risk what you had.

neither do you. your friendship, after all, was safe-uncomplicated.

you bury your head into his neck, your smile still eminent. he feels your heat radiating on the cold skin of his neck, and your hand that grips the bulk of his arm. “i forgive you guys though.” you sigh.

“yeah, you better.” he chuckled below you, the laughter vibrating against at your head.

“josh?” you question.

“lily?” he mocks.

“i’m tired.”

—

“oh my god! i can’t believe you actually did this!” emily whispers in a breathless rush, her eyes wide with excitement as she glances back at the dimly lit room, careful not to wake anyone.

“don’t you guys think this is a little bit cruel?” sam frowns, trying to catch jessica’s eye for backup. she knows it's just a prank, but could hannah handle it?

jessica, already set on her mission, rolls her eyes. “oh come on, she deserves it!"

sam’s lips thin in a thoughtful line as she sighs, “its not her fault she has a huge crush on mike.”

“hannahs been making moves on him.” jess hisses, barely hiding her irritation. “i'm just looking out for my girl em.” she motions to emily, who smirks in silent agreement.

as the rest of the group sneaks toward the guest room, sam lingers near the kitchen, stealing a quick look around in case hannah might be nearby. her conscience tugs at her, but she knows she’s outnumbered. she gives in with a small shake of her head, trailing after the group but slowing her steps before heading up the stairs in search of hannah.

mike leads the way to the spare bedroom, the one with an old quilt and that slightly odd creak in the floorboards. he positions himself in the center, shooting jess a look that she takes as a go-ahead to set the prank into motion. jess and emily duck behind the bed, barely containing their giggles as they press themselves down low.

—

hannah's heart hammered with anticipation, as she slips quietly down the hall toward mike’s room. she clutches the small candle in her hand, its flame casting a soft glow around her, illuminating the nervousness that radiates from her face. she glances down at the shirt she picked out just for tonight—the one mike once complimented—and hopes it’s enough to show him how she feels.

she pauses just outside the door, her hands trembling slightly, and takes a deep breath. she’s been dreaming of this moment for so long. “mike?” she calls softly, her voice nearly a whisper. she opens the door, not realizing she’s walking into a setup.

“mike?” she repeats, stepping inside, her candle casting flickers on the walls. and there he is, stepping forward with a hesitant smile that’s a little too forced.

“hey hannah.”

—

meanwhile, back in the dim, cozy kitchen, you stir on the sofa nearby, buried under the soft weight of your favorite blanket. josh had tucked you in without waking you, then began his own hazy stumble to the arm chair. the cabin’s quiet hum of silence and faint crackling from the dying fire makes you want to drift back to sleep, but your pulled awake by the sound of soft murmurs in the kitchen.

you watch through half-lidded eyes as beth tidies up, before quickly falling back asleep. beth takes her usual quiet inventory of the empty bottles and scattered cans, always being the responsible one. beth mutters to herself as she clears a stray cup, shooting a playful glare in josh’s direction where he snores, slouched uncomfortably in the lone armchair across the room. a smirk curls her lips as she whispers to herself, “my brother, the romantic.” she barely suppresses a chuckle.

moving toward the kitchen, beth pauses as she spots a small, hastily scrawled note on the counter. it’s addressed to hannah, detailing a meeting spot. she squints, sighing. “what did our naive sister get herself into this time?” she mutters, ignoring the note as she sets down her collection of cans and bottles. "ugh, intervention time."

that’s when she sees hannah, moving quickly past the window, her figure disappearing into the snow-lit darkness. alarm flashes across beth’s face as she realizes what’s happening.

“josh!” she calls out, her tone urgent, but all she gets in return is a drowsy stir from him.

without a second thought, she grabs her jacket and dashes out the door, her worry for her sister propelling her through the icy wind. as she shouts hannah’s name, the rest of the group congregates outside on the lodge steps, unsure what to do.

“what’s going on? where’s my sister going?” beth demands, her gaze slicing through the group.

jess rolls her eyes and waves dismissively. “shes fine. she just can't take a joke.”

“it was just a prank han!" emily calls out.

"what did you do?" beth interrogates the group.

"we were just messing around beth, wasn’t anything serious..." Mike defends.

"you jerks!" beth spits out, turning to chase after her sister who delves further into the woods.

“so… should we go after her?” mike asks, voice uneasy.

sam crosses her arms, her stare piercing. “you know what? I think your the last person she wants to see right now mike.”

—

2014

could you have done more?

the thought gnaws at you, an unrelenting ache, even though you’re not guilty. you feel it, really feel it, in a way that pulls at your conscience. it’s hard to imagine how josh carries the weight of it. but beneath his collected front, you sense that he’s not okay. he just hides it well.

his once-lively home, filled with laughter and bickering, now stands silent. his parents barely talk, and when they do, it’s only whispers. he misses his sisters. and though he doesn’t say it, he blames himself for everything.

that night, he should have sent you to bed. you were already drunk, and he was just as bad off. if he’d passed on that last drink, he could’ve walked you up himself. maybe he would’ve caught mike before anything happened, and maybe his sisters would still be home.

now, josh just wants everyone to have a good time. it’s his way of honoring them, trying to erase the nightmare of the last year. only the best intentions in mind.

sam rewatches his invitation video, his voice echoing in her earbuds, the faint, repetitive sound barely audible as you lean over her shoulder, noticing josh’s familiar face on the screen.

“it’ll be nice to see everyone again, don’t you think?” you ask, as sam pulls her earbuds out with a faint nod.

“it’ll be weird for sure,” sam replies, voice laced with apprehension as the bus rattles over a patch of rough road. she’s worried about josh, especially since he can be hard to read.

“he only has the best intentions in mind.” you shrug, glancing at her. “i know it’s a big ask, but if we could try to make it good for him… i think he needs it.” you say, thinking of your last conversation with josh a few months ago.

“yeah, you’re right. if not for us, for him.” she nods, trying to shake the unease from her thoughts.

you manage a small laugh, patting her shoulder gently. “that’s the spirit!”

—

the icy breeze hits your cheeks in a blush as you step off the bus, clutching your jacket tight against the cold.

your boots crunch against the snowed path, with sam’s echoing just behind. the landscape feels hauntingly familiar, even as darkness settles over it.

the two of you reach the blackwood entrance gate, though one of the letters has broken off and now dangles loosely. noticing a note pinned to the gate, you lean closer.

the gates busted! climb over

-chris

“ugh, really?” you grumble, turning to sam with the note held up in your hand. “you up for a climb?”

—

the cable car station looks empty, its walls marked with graffiti and faded posters. despite the worn state, the view is still breathtaking. across the way, blinking red lights pierce the gathering dark, casting an eerie glow on the mountain.

“door’s locked!” sam calls, pulling you out of your thoughts.

“guess we need to find chris,” you sigh, moving toward a bench with a bag carelessly left on top. “chris!” you shout, hoping to spot him somewhere nearby.

“his bag’s here, but he’s not,” sam remarks, picking up the bag and noticing his phone poking out of a front pocket. she chuckles to herself. “you’re not in there, are you?”

you hesitate, glancing around the empty area. “maybe we shouldn’t snoop,” you suggest.

“yeah, you’re right,” she agrees, tucking the phone back.

“hey! you guys made it!” chris’s voice calls out from behind, startling you slightly. he looks at you both with a grin. “where’s mike?”

you shift uncomfortably, unsure whether to spill the news about jessica. “he came with someone else,” you reply, keeping it simple.

“oh?” chris raises an eyebrow, looking puzzled. usually, where one monroe went, the other followed. “anyway, i found something amazing! but i’m not gonna tell you what it is.”

“what?” sam inquires, watching as he slings his bag over his shoulder, clearly eager.

“you gotta see it for yourselves. c’mon, it’s this way.” he gestures for you to follow, excitement lighting up his face. “it’s gonna blow your mind.”

“alright, chris,” you laugh softly, taking in the scattered remnants around the old range and station.

“ta-da!” he announces, revealing the shooting range. “pretty rad, right?”

“yeah—” sam’s voice carries a hint of sarcasm.

“it’s… something?” you try to sound positive, though it doesn’t come out that way.

chris rolls his eyes, clearly unimpressed with your reactions. “come on! look at these beauties.” he gestures to the guns lined up on the counter.

“uh, beauties isn’t the first word that comes to mind.” sam’s gaze shifts uneasily over the range. “why is this even here?”

“have you met josh’s dad?” you laugh lightly, recalling bob washington’s peculiar hobbies.

“yeah?” sam looks back, confused.

“he thinks he’s like grizzly adams,” chris adds with a chuckle. “wanna give it a go?” he asks, pointing to sam.

she shakes her head. “go on, grizzly.”

—

in the cable car, the three of you sit quietly. the car jerks slightly as it passes over a roller. breaking the silence, you offer, “i can clean that cut up for you when we get there if you’d like?” pointing to the scratch on sam’s forehead.

“i’d appreciate that, thanks,” she says, though her eyes are still on chris, irritation evident. you assume some rabid crow got freaked when chris fired the gun, causing it to fly down at sam.

chris clears his throat. “did i ever tell you how josh and i met?” he asks, breaking the tension.

“no, please, tell us,” you respond dryly, having heard the story countless times.

“so, third grade, right? josh sat in the back, i sat up front. didn’t even know each other existed.”

“but then this kid next to josh started strap snapping this girl’s bra, so the teacher made him move to the front… where i was.”

“okay? so?” sam asks, barely containing a sigh.

“so, i got moved to the back.”

“and…?” sam prompts, waving for him to finish.

“that’s how we met. friends ever since.”

“a match made in heaven,” you chuckle softly.

chris grins. “if it weren’t for jeanie simmonds hitting puberty three years early and wearing a low cut shirt that showed off her training bra that day… you guys could be here with some other guy right now! boom, butterfly effect.”

—

“whoa, drama.” chris deadpans as he hands a note back to jess.

“nope. pretty clear cut, actually. em’s out, i’m in,” jess responds, flipping her hair with a smirk.

you glance around. “where’s mike, anyway?”

“he said he’d be right back,” jess replies with forced cheerfulness.

“alright, alright, let’s just get to the lodge already. i’m done with this nature junk,” chris groans, already trudging up the path.

you hesitate. “you sure you don’t wanna come back with us?”

“no, i’ll wait here,” jess says, firmly.

“o-kay,” you reply, sighing slightly as you turn to follow chris.

—

ashley peers through the lenses of a binocular stand, scanning the distance. “oh…” her voice trails off as she catches a glimpse of mike and emily standing close, too close for comfort.

“whoa, hello, someone’s getting a little friendly…” she mutters under her breath, shifting uncomfortably. “someone needs to check the expiration date on their breakup.”

just as she lowers the lenses, matt’s face appears in the viewfinder, startling her. she jumps back.

“whoa! hey, sorry, ash. i didn’t mean to scare you!” matt laughs awkwardly.

“jeez, matt!” she lets out a nervous laugh, still unsettled.

he reaches out, placing a hand on her shoulder. “really sorry, ash.”

she shrugs him off. “it’s fine, it’s fine…”

“you see anything juicy?” matt asks, glancing at the binoculars.

ashley’s mind races. “uh…”

“lemme check it out,” he says, moving toward the viewer.

“it’s kinda busted. nothing interesting to see.” she laughs, avoiding his gaze.

“what? really? i bet i could see a bear chomping on a fox or something,” matt says, half-joking.

“no, really matt… it’s not worth it, i’m getting kind of a headache just from looking through it so, no” she insists, feigning a laugh.

“uh sure, if you say so.” matt sighs, turning away to head back to the lodge. ashley quickly follows to gather with the rest of the group in front of the lodge.

—

"man, i feel like this mountain gets bigger every time i climb it," chris mutters, short of breath.

"oh yeah? feels the same to me."

you turn toward the voice. josh. "oh, come on. you grew up here. it probably feels like it’s shrinking."

"i guess that’s true," josh chuckles, crossing his arms. he glances up, catching your gaze. you smile, giving him a gentle wave.

"when are you gonna install some cell towers up here? i’m getting withdrawals already," chris grumbles, holding up his phone, desperate for a signal.

"you got a spare million lying around, and i’ll fix you right up," josh jokes, raising his brows, shifting his gaze from you to chris.

"funny you should say that," chris sighs. "ah, i think i left it in my other jacket."

josh grins. "oops." he turns, leading the group up to the porch. he waves to the others waiting on the stairs. "hey, gang! you guys make it up here okay?"

matt stands at the sight of josh. "coulda done with some bellboys, but hey, can’t get everything."

"yeah, it was pretty easy. a little creepy, though. i mean, it’s just really weird being back here," ashley adds, seated on the steps.

josh nods, waving you and chris to follow him up the steps as the others linger below. "yo, yo, yo! we gonna get things moving here or what?" chris asks excitedly, catching up with josh and you at the front door.

"yeah, man!" josh replies with a similar enthusiasm.

"so, matt and emily are a thing now?" chris inquires.

josh chuckles. "so it seems."

“what’s mike think of that?”

“i got a feeling mike’s already got his hands full, you know what i mean,” josh hints.

“-of jessica,” you scoff.

chris raises an eyebrow at you, puzzled. "huh," he murmurs, looking at josh, who’s fiddling with the front door.

“dammit! this freaking thing,” josh mutters, twisting the doorknob.

“is it iced?” you ask, leaning closer.

“what else?” josh shrugs.

“maybe there’s another way in?”

“there’s a million ways in. they’re just all locked,” josh sighs.

“there’s gotta be, like, a window or something we can get open or something,” chris suggests, glancing along the side of the lodge.

“wait a second, are you suggesting we break in?” josh asks, peering at chris over his shoulder.

chris scoffs. “i don’t think it’s technically breaking in if you own the place, right?”

“hey, not if i don’t report you,” josh teases.

“uh…” chris stammers, unsure if josh is serious.

“lead the way, cochise!” josh points down the steps.

without hesitation, chris heads down the steps, with you and josh trailing behind. chris pauses to greet ashley, as you and josh continue alongside the lodge.

josh pats your back gently. “nice to see you, lily,” he chuckles, pulling his hand away.

“you too, joshua,” you reply with a smile.

he grins. “hey, maybe later i can give you a proper greeting alone, yeah?” he suggests, a hint of mischief in his tone.

“in your dreams, josh,” you scoff, crossing your arms.

“every. single. night,” he winks.

—

“are you sure this is safe?” you ask, staring up at the window.

“never know until we try,” josh says.

“take my bag, will you?” you ask, handing it over. josh takes it from you, smirking as chris taps his wrist impatiently.

“we’re waiting,” chris quips.

“i got it, jeez.” you hoist yourself up, sliding one leg through the window. josh whistles at the view of you awkwardly maneuvering through.

“dude!” chris chides, smacking josh’s arm.

you pull your other leg over, slipping and landing on a workbench with a loud thud. josh clambers up to the window to check on you.

“all good,” you groan, pulling yourself to your feet with another wince.

“should’ve paid more attention in climbing class!” chris shouts.

josh gives him a look. "you mean gym?"

“yeah, with the ropes and stuff.” chris responds.

suddenly, the single light bulb shatters, raining glass towards the concrete floor. you flinch at the noise, shivering in the new darkness. “uh, josh…”

“i got a light for you,” he says, tossing you a lighter. you thank him quickly. “woah, lils, i just got an awesome idea.”

“here we go…” you start. josh’s ‘awesome ideas’ rarely end well.

“no, no, no,” he insists. “okay, so i’m pretty sure there’s deodorant in one of the bathrooms. you could use that with the lighter.” he grins, proud of himself.

“i’m lost. what’s a stick of deodorant gonna do?”

“spray on. it’s a can.”

“oh, i get it.”

“flamethrower!” josh says excitedly.

chris joins josh at the window. “just like we do with the little army dudes!”

“yeah, just like the ones we melted!” josh laughs, giving chris a high five. “bye-bye, frozen lock.” you roll your eyes, laughing. “alright, so you got this?”

“mhm.” you hum, turning on you heels.

josh salutes. “godspeed, pilgrim!” he says in that ridiculous voice of his.

you giggle, giving a mock salute before heading toward the garage. once they think you're out of earshot, the boys continue their conversation.

“so, ashley was looking pretty hot today, right?” josh asks, nudging chris. “don’t you just wanna rip that parka right off her and make some snow angels?”

“hey, cut it out, man,” chris replies, clearly uncomfortable.

“relax, just checking to see if there’s some blood flowin’ down there,” josh teases.

“tsk, yeah,” chris chuckles, albeit awkwardly.

“listen, dude, look around you. look at these beautiful mountains. do you see any parents? could you imagine a more perfect, ripe scenario, dripping with erotic possibilities? you and ashley, alone at last! you’ve laid all the groundwork, been a perfect gentleman. now, you come in for the kill!”

chris sighs in defeat. “maybe you’re right.”

josh chuckles. “you’re a hunter, bro. no fear. no mercy. she won’t even know what hit her!”

chris laughs at josh’s absurdity, giving you your cue to leave.

giggling to yourself, you head out into the hallway.

stone pillars support the upper floor, giving the lodge a rustic charm. the walls and floors are polished logs, a testament to the washingtons’ taste.

you pause, looking at the family portrait. the twins. your heart aches. "god."

you make your way down the hallway, then turn left into the entrance. with no flamethrower yet, you wander into the grand main room.

furniture is covered in sheets, the space looking abandoned. the massive staircase casts shadows in the lighter's glow, and you stare in awe, still astonished by the lodge’s grandeur.

climbing the stairs, you head to the best bathroom. so many memories come flooding back—lounging in bikinis with beth and jessica, sharing a hot bath, gossiping. good times.

you open a cabinet beneath the counter and spot the deodorant can. as you reach for it, a rodent scurries out, startling you.

“jesus christ!” you gasp, pressing a hand to your chest. catching your breath, you grab the can and head downstairs.

—

everyone gathers in the grand room, placing their bags down as you shrug off your jacket. Ashley's voice breaks the quiet, “oh my god, it’s so good to be inside. even if it’s still kinda freezing in here.” her gaze sweeps the room, taking it all in.

josh moves toward the fireplace, “i’ll get a fire going.” he offers, and you find a spot on the middle couch, pulling off the dusted cover to fold it up before sitting.

matt steps further into the room, “this place barely looks any different.”

“nobody’s been up here.” josh voice carries as he kneels to work on the fireplace.

ashley's curiosity piques, “even with all the police coming in and out?”

“not a lot of action up here lately.” chris chimes in, glancing at josh, who only shakes his head.

“nope.” josh says in response.

suddenly, mike strides into the room, his arms raised high. “what’s up, party people!” he shouts, his loud greeting feels out of place, almost jarring.

“he-ey!” jessica adds, stepping out from behind him with a cheerful wave. you'll never admit it, but you like mike better with jessica. she’s a lot less controlling than em.

everyone echoes casual greeting to them in return, “make yourself at home, bro.” josh says to mike.

“will do.” michael says happily. he follows jessica to the couch in which you occupy, and take it as a sign to move. you make your way to josh, to ask if he needs any assistance.

josh gives you a small smileas he points out what to do next with the fire, he keeps his voice low as emily enters the room to join the group. her eyes land sharply on mike and jessica sitting close together, “oh my god, that is so gross,” she snaps, her voice dripping with disdain. “are you trying to swallow his face whole?”

mike pulls back a little, "em-."

“seriously, can she be any more obvious? no one wants in on your territory, honey.” emily taunts, crossing her arms in disapproval.

jessica stiffens but then stands, crossing the room to meet emily's stance.“excuse me, did you say something?”

“oh? did you not hear me? was your sluttiness too loud?” em bites, closing in on the distance between her and jess.

“sounds like someone’s upset she didn’t make the cut.” jessica grins in pride.

emily looks at jessica in disgust, “yeah, it’s all a big cattle call with that dream boat. congrats! your top cow!”

jessica moves closer, “cuts real deep calling miss homecoming a cow.”

matt steps in, “em, come on-,”

“shut up matt.” she quickly shuts him down.

“stay out of it you dumb oaf!” jessica adds, pointing at matt.

“hey! watch it.” emily barks back, almost possesive.

the tension stretches unbearably, everyone frozen in their spots, pretending not to notice but unable to ignore the tension thickening the air.

“oh! your the only one who can put him down? no one else can play with your toys?” jessica taunts.

emily’s expression is pure fury, “you’re such a bitch.”

jessica shrugs, her tone condescending, “whatever. i don’t give a crap what you think.” she turns back toward mike.

emily's voice follows her, bitter. “atleast i can think. 4.0 bitch. honour roll. suck on that when you're trying to sleep your way into a job.”

“who needs grades when you got all the natural advantages you can handle?” jessica laughs, displaying her body.

“oh please-,” em scoffs.

“you couldn’t buy a moldy loaf of bread with your skanky ass!” jessica snaps back, a sneer in her voice.

emily only scoffs in response, “are you serious? do you think that’s insulting?”

jess spins around to face mike, pointing at em. “that bitch is on crack or something!”

you and josh glance at each other, in an ‘are you seeing this?’ sort of look. the room is filled with a tension that demolishes the little excitement there once was.

“jessica, you need to shut your mouth okay?” matt steps in, attempting to diffuse the situation.

“no.” jessica waves an accusing finger at him. “your the one who needs to keep your nose out of other people’s business.”

“i’m about to get right up in your business you bitch.” emily threats, stepping closer to jess.

josh gives you a knowing look, both in silent agreement.

“are we about to get real? because i’m down to get real.” jessica challenges, practically nose-to-nose with emily

“stop it!” josh intervenes, raising his voice to be louder than the two girls. “this is not why we came up here, this is not helping.”

he steps further into the room. “this is not what i wanted. if we can’t get along for ten minutes, maybe we need a little bit of a break, right?”

josh points at mike, “mike, why don’t you check out the guest cabin. the one i told you about?” josh suggests, giving mike and jess an out.

“yeah,” mike agrees, “yeah alright.” he approaches jessica with an outstretched helping hand, “wanna go do that?”

she nods, “any place without that whore.” she insults a last time, before taking his hand in her own, and following him to the door.

“it’s right up the trail.” josh points out as the couple exits the lodge, onto the outside deck.

“phew!” matt sighs, pulling his hands atop his head to do a mock explosion. “glad that’s over.” he adds, turning to face josh and i at the fireplace.

“yeah,” you respond, bending back down to the unlit fire.

matt approaches closer, “so josh, uh, should we get this fire going?”

you and josh glare in unison, as if the two of you hadn’t already been trying. “working on it.” you reply.

“um matt! where’s my bag?” emily shouts from the main entrance.

“huh?” matt replies, turning to face emily.

“my bag? the little bag with the pink pattern! the one i got on rodeo! matt! are you listening?” emily asks, but leaves little wiggle room for a response. “oh my god, don’t you remember? next to the italian shoe place where i got the stilettos and you knocked over the rack while you were drooling all over the girl at the counter?”

you sigh, barely holding in a groan. the evening has barely begun, and you’re already over it. if only josh’s breakup with emily hadn’t caused this mess, maybe things could have been… a bit more peaceful. it’s selfish, but you can’t help but think it.

you tune out the bickering, turning to josh. “you hungry?” you whisper, eyes on the fire.

josh glances up, his grin breaking the tension, “starving.”

“once we get this set up, i’ll make us a snack,” you offer, your tone hopeful.

“sounds like a dream, cupcake,” he teases, grinning as he turns back to the fire. you roll your eyes and playfully swat at him, though his silly nickname somehow makes the night feel a little warmer.

finally, as matt reluctantly follows emily out to search for her bag, the fire catches, filling the grand room with a warm, flickering glow.

“wanna go give mike the keys?” josh nods toward the door where mike and jess had left, and you nod, standing to follow him.

when josh twists the door open, jess and mike are still waiting on the porch. “hey! pornstars! you’re gonna need these,” josh calls out, tossing mike the keys.

“pornstars?” jess’s brow raises.

josh grins, “i’d pay to see it.” he snickers, ignoring your playful shove as you grimace in mock disgust.

“sorry to kick you out like that,” josh apologizes, a slight shiver in his voice.

“no worries, man,” mike shrugs it off.

“oh i’m sure you’ll find a way to entertain yourselves.” josh hints with a continuous nod.

“you guys have fun with the peanut gallery.” jess giggles. josh mimics shooting himself, his hands mocking a spray of blood out the other side.

josh turns to leave, “oh, almost forgot. gotta fire up the generator so you can see where your going.” josh points down the dark path. “it’s dark out there.” he taunts, pushing you back inside playfully.

“alright, roger that.” you hear michael say before josh closes the door.

“snacks?” you offer, putting on your most convincing plead.

“hell yeah.”

—

next -> soon!

[lin-krzwn]

until dawn oc edit because i am hyperfixated

character temlate by mackenzie dunn

fc: margaret qualley

[stardestroyer81]

🥪 Introducing... Door2Door! 🥪

Door2Door stars twenty year old possum Gigi Dempster, who lives in a rather ramshackle, podunk town in Vermont called Bendersville. After sending numerous job applications all over town with no word back, she finally lands herself a delivery driver position at an unassuming locally-owned sandwich restaurant named Dine 'n Dash. With no prior experience in the art of crafting a mighty fine sandwich or running a delivery route, Gigi is strapped in to experience the whirlwind of a first time food service job firsthand, and in an unpredictable town like Bendersville, quite literally anything can happen.

(For more information on what Door2Door is— as well as a handful of progress images— please consider checking underneath the cut!)

At last, witness unveiling of my latest project I've spent the last month conceptualizing, Door2Door! What once came about as a silly idea of basing a project after an inner-city delivery driver inspired after a certain gameplay section in Spongebob Squarepants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman, it has since blossomed into one of my dearest passion projects yet!

Though, before I get into any further detail behind Door2Door and its creation, I must stress— none of the above five images hail from a lost late nineties/early 2000s Cartoon Network show, and if by chance any of them were enough to fool you into thinking they were, then that just means I achieved what I set out for! 💙✨

Now, about a month ago, I'd been watching a retrospective on the critically un-acclaimed Spongebob Squarepants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman, a game I had growing up. It's important for me to mention that I had seen and personally played the aforementioned gameplay section before, though for some reason seeing it again struck me with a brilliant project idea.

Anyone who's been following me for at least a year knows that I've designed a cavalcade of candied characters for my own arcade game concept, Rascal, and initially my idea for Door2Door— which I also called Project JJ (In reference to the sandwich chain Jimmy John's)— was to give it a plot simple enough to translate into an arcade game.

The idea was that you played as a plucky delivery driver who rides through the streets of a seedy city to deliver a food order to the... er, order-ee. But your progress would be impeded by a fiendish gang of mobster alley cats who are after your sandwiches, so there would have definitely been a large cartoony element to the gameplay loop.

I drew concept art for Door2Door's protagonist, then known as Marcy, though I really wasn't vibing with either drawing. For one, making the protagonist a cat seemed a bit overdone, and I already have a cat character who's name rhymes with Marcy, so that had to go. More so, I also couldn't settle on a good spriting style, which prompted me to rethink the whole project.

Well, there is a general aura of cartooniness to Door2Door, I thought, why not just embrace that vibe whole-heartedly and reshape the project into a long-lost late nineties cartoon?

I did like the idea of having an excuse to drawing more animation cels, though if I was going to make Door2Door into something resembling a cel-animated cartoon, I was prepared to go the full distance in nailing that aesthetic, in the form of how characters are designed and the way I go about drawing each screenshot.

For those unfamiliar with cel animation, essentially it can be described as a traditional form of animation and involves objects— usually characters— being hand-inked and painted on clear celluloid sheets and placed over painted backgrounds.

Above, I've provided a visual for what a standalone 'cel' from Door2Door would look like, coupled with a hand-painted background. When overlaid on top of one another...

... you would get this! This is exactly how cartoons were animated up until the era of digital inking and coloring... but that begs the question. How am I achieving a hand-drawn and painted aesthetic if everything I've shown so far has been drawn digitally?

I have my ways! It involves a lot of studying how individual cels of animation look, and taking note of recurring hallmarks; grainy textures, paint blemishes, drop shadows, etc. Above, I've assembled a small gif of my process in composing a screenshot for Door2Door, from lineart to final product!

So, that all should loosely explain it; Door2Door is what would happen if I were in charge of a late nineties Cartoon Network show, and what you've seen here is merely the beginning. Going forward, I will be posting art of Door2Door's main cast with some additional character information and concept art for each one, though for the time being, enjoy all five art pieces I've supplied for this post— they are perhaps the biggest works of mine yet this year! 💙🏳️‍⚧️✨

[belquinre]

MORE UNTIL DAWN OC CONCEPT SKETCHES

(CW: Character Death, Fake blood)

This post isn’t too graphic but if the thought and idea behind it still makes you uncomfortable please feel free to scroll!

I do kind of like how everything came out! I have the sketches I just want to come up with a story behind it and other possible endings for her

I’m thinking of naming her Danielle, “Dani” for short!

Still coming up with her backstory so stay tuned🫶

[juliaswickcrs]

LAURA HARTLEY + STRIKE TEAM BETA

"While I was placed in charge of STRIKE team Alpha, Pierce put together a team of his own with the approval of the World Council. STRIKE team Beta. Six of our best agents, top of their class, despite the name. Their job was to find any and all artifacts and/or persons related to HYDRA. Last I heard, they were chasing your ghost, Cap." - Nick Fury

taglist: @bisexualterror @foxesandmagic @iron-parkr @camiemendess @a-song-of-quill-and-feather

@arrthurpendragon @starcrossedjedis @drbobbimorse @kingsmakers @noratilney

@stanshollaand @astarionbae @darth-caillic @mystic-scripture @aliverse

@misshiraethsworld @asirensrage @eddiemunscns

@princessmadelines @impales @waterloou @thatmagickjuju

MARVEL TAGLIST: @notxjustxstories @themaradwrites

[dancingsunflowers-ocs]

𝙊𝘾 𝙃𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 2024: 𝘋𝘢𝘺 𝘕𝘪𝘯𝘦: 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘈𝘜

Put your oc into an alternate universe based off a book you enjoy whether it be a classic or a newer one, no matter the genre.

𝘾𝙖𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙭 𝙈𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣 {𝘉𝘉𝘊 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯} ✸ 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 & 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘦

✨ Taglist @ginger-grimm @eddysocs @faerieroyal @daughter-of-melpomene @megandaisy99 @misshiraethsworld @arrthurpendragon ✨

[ghostoffuturespast]

Second Conflict - Part I

[apxcalyptx]

My first post here. But I would like to introduce an Until Dawn OC I have created!

Her name is Maeve Allen. I don’t see a lot of Until Dawn Oc’s and I’m honestly not sure how the community will react to one, but here she is anyway!! I hope I will manage to draw her a bunch more.

Here is her full body drawing, the next is just going to be one of the character sheets similar to in the game.

[havenroyals]

GQ | Chapters | Back | Forward

Tagging: @nectar-cellar  @lynzishell  @citylighten  @authorspirit @riverofjazzsims

@mydramasims @death-by-glitter @stargazer-sims @spnmoosejerk @empiredesimparte 

@simplywhytney  @matchalovertrait  @onestormeynight @blueyjoy @smok3inm1rrors

@sweetsummersim  @simsbyjo  @thagoddessdemi @invisiblequeen

[saiilorstars]

The A-Team

Fandom: SVU; Sonny Carisi x OFC

Emilia’s Masterlist

Summary: Sonny is nervous about his first solo trial and so his girlfriend tries her best to help him out.

taglist: @ocappreciationtag​ @arrthurpendragon​​​​​​ @anotherunreadblog​​​​​​ @maaaaarveeeeel​​​​​ ​​ @stareyedplanet​​​​​​ ​​​​​@averyhotchner​​ ​​​​ @foxesandmagic @kmc1989 @caplanbuckybarnes​​​​​​​

Warnings: Due to the nature of the series’ plots, I do have to rate this as ‘mature’ for constant mentions of rape

Emilia was nose deep in her laptop when Sonny walked in through the door. Her eyes flickered up from the screen and watched him drop his things on the couch. He didn't need to say a word — Emilia could tell whatever work he had going on had been terrible.

"Should I get that wine bottle now?" She asked him. "Or we could go the other route and relax?"

Sonny gave her half of a smile but shook his head. He wanted to calm down before he ended taking out his stress on her. Emilia didn't deserve any of the crap he dealt with at work.

Emilia was intuitive, however, and so she continued the conversation. "It's bad, isn't it? What's the case?"

"I don't" — Sonny shook his head —"want to ruin our good streak."

Emilia snorted and chuckled. "Good streak?"

"You know — we had a good Christmas and New Years. We had good holidays…"

"And now we're both back at work," Emilia said slowly, giving him a rather 'duh!' kind of look. "That's why it's a vacation. It's like an escape from reality and unfortunately we are all done with that, so…" She closed her laptop and motioned him to take a seat with her at the table, "Why don't you tell me what the case is?"

Sonny still hesitated. With a sigh, Emilia rose from her seat and walked over to him. She was gentle when she helped him out of his jacket.

"What are you working on?" Sonny asked her instead. He gave her a soft 'thanks' as she folded his jacket and left it on the couch for him.

"Me?" Emilia mused. "Oh, you know, vacation's done and so online school started again. I'm just finishing up my first lecture of the semester. But c'mon, don't change the subject." She took his hand and walked him to the table to sit down. "What's the case?" She left him to go to the fridge.

"It's this woman — she left a big billboard message on the streets for everyone to see." Sonny eyed the books left on the table and felt even worse knowing he was interrupting Emilia's studies.

"Billboard?" Emilia closed the fridge door with a leftover bowl in her hands. They had made pesto pasta yesterday. "Ooooh, I saw that! We all did! Alice showed it to me at work a few days ago. You're taking up the case?"

"I guess I am," Sonny said, sounding like he was only just realizing the implications. Luckily, Emilia was quick to understand too.

"That'll make it your first case in the courtroom — on your own…" She popped the leftover inside the microwave and turned to look at Sonny. "That's the nerves, isn't it?"

Sonny nodded at her. "Monica — the girl behind the billboard — she's not making the case easy at all."

"Monica Russo? Yeah, we saw the whole thing online as well," Emilia crossed her arms. It had been a whirlwind of a mess concerning the girl making public accusations about a celebrity and then getting arrested herself. "God, Sonny, why didn't you tell me that was your case? It's been days since all that stuff came out!"

The microwave beeped three times before turning off.

"I didn't want to burden you, alright?" Sonny leaned back in his chair, taking the moment to actually start de-stressing from the day. "The things I see…"

"That's the thing, Sonny, you see them…" Emilia walked over to the table and set the pasta in front of him, "I just hear about them from you. It's very different. Sorry about the leftovers tonight…I was a bit stressed myself."

"You're heaven sent," Sonny assured her, reaching for one of her hands. He laced his fingers with hers and kissed the back of her hand. "Never forget that." Emilia smiled at him and handed him a fork. "What were you stressed about?"

"Ah, no, you don't get to change the subject on me," Emilia chuckled and returned to her seat. She opened her laptop and picked up her pen on the side. "I'm listening. Keep going."

"It's the usual stuff, Em. You hit the mark earlier — it'll be my first case in trial on my own. I guess it's just getting to me a bit more than I expected."

"Well, that's natural," Emilia said, taking down some notes in her notebook. "It's like my first day of teaching. Well" — she scrunched her nose — "except for the fact that I was nervous about handling 25 five year olds on my own and you're talking about rapists so…I guess it's not the same at all."

Sonny smiled at her despite her futile comparison. "I bet you were still very nervous."

Emilia hummed. "That I was. You'll be fine, Sonny. Eat, unwind, and then we'll go to sleep."

The only reason Sonny didn't protest was because of hunger. The pasta smelled delicious and he was truly eager to just forget it all until it was absolutely necessary to start thinking about it again.

~0~

Emilia knew something was wrong when she didn't hear from Sonny at all. The morning of his first trial, she had sent a few texts wishing him good luck — even a voicemail where she wished him all the luck in the world and reassured him that he would be fine — but he never responded. He was gone before her that day and she was back before him. With a quick call to Olivia Benson, she learned what happened. Emilia drove down to the D.A.'s office to find her boyfriend cooped up in his office. The door wasn't properly closed so she gave a light tap with her fingers and stepped inside.

"Hey there," she approached him with slow steps. The room was barely lit — it was a wonder how Sonny was managing to write on his notepad. "I was waiting for you to come home tonight…"

"Sorry, I was a bit busy…" Sonny mumbled, his pen working furiously on the notepad. Emilia eyed two crumpled balls of paper on the desk and wondered what he was working so hard on.

"I spoke to Olivia — she said the trial didn't go so well…"

"More like I got slaughtered out there," Sonny spat. He stopped writing and finally looked up at Emilia. "I'm writing my resignation letter."

Emilia's first reaction was to laugh. "You are not…!" The way Sonny was looking at her, though, made her stop altogether. "Stop — Dominick Carisi, you are not writing your resignation letter."

"Em, I'm gonna lose this case. Ms. Hadid already knows! She has her spies in the courtroom! I'm done!"

"No you are not," Emilia plopped down in an empty chair and leaned her arms on his desk. "You had a bad first day. It happens!"

"Yeah, but…Em, what if I'm not cut out for this?" The devastation in Sonny's eyes just imagining that he made the wrong career choice was heartbreaking. Up until now, he had always been so animated about his new job. It was what he wanted to do from day 1.

"Okay, Dominick, listen to me," Emilia reached for his hands and gripped them tight in hers. "Remember my silly little comparison before about my first day at my job? Well, I'm gonna use it again but just bear with me. There's a point." She scooted closer to the desk. "My first day on the job, I had 25 kindergarteners in my care. I was responsible for them — I had to make sure that they survived the day!"

"And you did it beautifully," Sonny said, prompting Emilia to snort.

"I wish! My circle time was a disaster! I had four of them draw on the tables while I was doing an art lesson! I miscalculated how much time they would actually pay attention and so they got bored and started drawing on the tables, others started painting on themselves because that's another thing — I didn't plan on how to give them the supplies. And then that same first day, one of my kids had an accident on the playground. It was horrible. I had to call the parents and…agh, it was just awful. A really awful first day."

Emilia let go of one of Sonny's hands to then take his other hand in both of hers, urging him to listen to her words.

"But do you know what I did? I went home and I came back the next day with a new lesson plan. I came up with a new art project, a better system to watch the kids outside — I learned and I kept going. And now here I am, trying to go for a new credential."

"And I am very proud of you for doing that," Sonny said, smiling fondly at her. She adored her students every day, even when some of those days weren't all that great.

"The point is you can't quit. If you did, you'd end up regretting it," Emilia said sternly, yet softly.

"It's hard knowing that I failed, Emilia…"

"I know it is, baby, but you can't stop now. You can still get up and try again. Do it better."

Sonny squeezed her hand, loving her more in that moment. "What would I do without you?"

"You'll never have to find out. So then, what time is court tomorrow?" Emilia let go of his hands and leaned back in her chair. "No school tomorrow."

"You do not have to come," Sonny said. As much as Emilia loved her job, she also loved sleeping in. She took advantage of her days off to the fullest and that meant getting up past noon.

"I want to see the bitch lawyer who's making your life miserable and, I don't know, trip her or something."

"Emilia—"

"On accident of course."

Sonny playfully rolled his eyes at her. He still laughed, though, which just gave Emilia more fuel to keep her story going.

Emilia soon rose from her chair and moved around the desk until she was standing behind Sonny's chair. She planted her hands on his shoulders and gave him a light massage. "I'm taking that resignation letter, by the way."

Sonny chuckled. "Sure. You can take it and go home to rest. I'll probably be in here all night."

Emilia shook her head. "I'll stay here, give you all of my support."

Sonny closed his eyes as she pressed a kiss on his temple. "I'd like nothing more than that but I know you're as tired as I am. Besides…" He opened his eyes and reached back for Emilia, tugging her around his seat while he scooted his chair back at the same time. He brought her down on his lap and pushed some of her long hair behind her shoulder. "I know you'll be there tomorrow and that means the world to me. And on your day off…"

"On my day off," Emilia agreed, "So are you sure I can't trip the bitch or something?"

Sonny rolled his eyes at her. "No, you can't."

"Damn. Fine, I'll settle for seeing you kick hers and her rapist client's ass."

"That I can try to do."

Emilia gazed at him fondly. "You'll be great tomorrow, I know it." Her confidence was unwavering and Sonny took it to heart.

He leaned forward and kissed her. However bad his day had been, one kiss from hers was enough to change it around.

~ 0 ~

Like promised, Emilia had been there for the next trial. She sat in the rows and watched Sonny handle the victim and the rapist in one go. She had never really been in a courtroom and truthfully she did not like the tension in the room. She couldn't imagine doing this 24/7. Sonny was right to only ever tell her bits and pieces about his cases, even as a detective it had always been somewhat of an unspoken rule.

But today Emilia was amazed by her boyfriend. He who was absolutely distraught with how the previous day had gone was now a very different, more confident, man throwing questions at the culprit. She was proud.

After the jury was sent out, Emilia stepped out of the courthouse to make a few calls and to give Sonny whatever time he needed with his colleagues. When she returned, she was a little lost. The courtroom was empty of course save for a few lingering reporters. She ventured the hallway until she came across the squad.

"At the risk of looking like a bigger idiot for just wandering around, could somebody please tell me where I might find my boyfriend?" she chuckled nervously.

"Might want to try the restroom," Fin said, "Or wait outside…"

Emilia raised an eyebrow at him, the idea donning on her in a few seconds. "Oh, that man and his weak stomach…"

The others chuckled.

"Where's the men's restroom?" she ultimately asked.

They were kind enough to show her the way. She got lucky as Sonny was just coming out of the restroom when she arrived.

"Hey," she hurried to meet him, "There you are! Are you okay?"

"Not really, no…" Sonny didn't hesitate to say, "Jury's been out for days."

Emilia smiled sympathetically. "Babe, it's only been 3 hours…give or take." Sonny actually stopped and checked the time on his watch. Emilia felt even worse for him. "Were you throwing up in there?"

"No…yeah…" Sonny sighed, "Waiting for the verdict, it's-it's different when it's your case."

Emilia laughed softly and offered him some gum. Sonny couldn't take it any quicker

"Oh, hun…" She stepped closer to him and touched his face. "If it's consolation, I think you did great back there. You definitely got that guy to show his real self."

"Thanks for being here," Sonny said, lowering his forehead against hers. Her mere presence had been enough to boost his confidence.

"Anytime," Emilia said, kissing his cheeks. "You want to take a walk or something?" But not a moment later, Sonny got the news that the jury had finally come back.

Their walk led them back to the courtroom. Once gathered together, they learned that the jury had found the defendant guilty. Relief washed over the right side of the courtroom as the defendant was taken into custody. Sonny looked back at the squad and more precisely his beautiful grinning girlfriend.

~ 0 ~

Later in the evening, Emilia walked out of the bathroom after a much needed shower and immediately smelled the delicious scent of her boyfriend's cooking. She practically floated to the kitchen.

"Okay, I thought we agreed on some take-out?" She laughed seeing Sonny busy in the kitchen. "My shower wasn't that long, was it?"

Sonny shook his head at her and lowered the flame of the stove. "I wanted to treat you right tonight."

"Me?" Emilia's eyebrows raised together, another laugh slipping through her lips. "You're the one who did amazing today. The take-out was my treat."

"I wasn't all that great with my moods," Sonny said, leaving the stove for a moment and walking up to her. He could smell her freshly wet hair's lavender scent. "And I just want to say thanks for sticking it out with me."

"You say it like I wasn't supposed to," Emilia said, taking his hands in hers. "Like I was supposed to let you wallow on your own. Never gonna happen."

"Oh, I know," Sonny said with a long sigh. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her body flush against his.

"We're like a team...except that I don't know the first thing about lawyering and I'm sure you'd lose your head trying to entertain 25 five year-olds." Sonny looked down at her then, making her laugh. "Yeah, who am I kidding? You're great with kids. You could probably do my job with your eyes closed. Not that you should because that would make you a horrible teacher."

Sonny couldn't help his chuckle. He was the lawyer but Emilia always seemed to know exactly what to say to make things alright. "Dinner?" He pecked her lips.

"Yes, please!" Emilia made to go around him but he caught her head and turned her back for another kiss, this one longer.

When they broke apart, Sonny mumbled a soft 'thank you' and tugged a pleasantly dazed Emilia into the kitchen with him.

[inafieldofdaisies]

[jackiequick]

[Tracker] — Hattie Cortez-Shaw

“You’re All Very Unusual People.”

~~~

Face claim: Inde Navarrette

—

Full name: Francesca Harriet Cortez—Shaw

Nicknames: Hattie, Frankie, Frankie, Dia, Indi, Sonny

Code Name: Wildflower

Age: 15-22

Birthday: February 21th

Height: 4’9–5’0

———

Personality:

Strong-Willed: Francesca is determined and resilient, never backing down from a challenge. She has a fierce sense of justice and is not afraid to confront authority when necessary.

Resourceful: Quick-thinking and adaptable, she can find solutions in tight spots. Her background makes her skilled at using her environment to her advantage during missions.

Witty and Charismatic: Francesca has a sharp sense of humor, using sarcasm and wit to lighten tense situations. Her charisma makes her approachable and relatable, drawing people to her.

Protective: She has a strong sense of loyalty to her friends and family, willing to put herself at risk to keep them safe. This protective instinct sometimes leads her into dangerous situations.

Empathetic: While she can be tough, she deeply understands others’ feelings and struggles, often using this empathy to connect with people and help them.

~~~

—Family

- Father: Colter Shaw (FC: Justin Hartley)

- Mother: Nicole Cortez (FC: Juliana Harkavy)

- Uncle: Russel Shaw (FC: Jensen Ackles)

- Aunt: Dory Shaw (FC: Melissa Roxburgh)

~~~

—Hattie’s Skills:

1. Reading People and Situations: Hattie is highly perceptive, able to quickly read people’s emotions and motivations. This helps her stay one step ahead of potential danger or conflict.

2. Research and Investigation: She’s skilled at digging for information, whether online or through contacts, and connecting the dots to uncover key details in a case.

3. Basic Self-Defense: While not a pro, Hattie knows some basic self-defense techniques, thanks to her dad’s teachings, and can handle herself in tight situations.

4. Tech Savvy: Comfortable with gadgets and digital tools, Hattie uses her tech skills for research, communication, and solving problems.

5. Observation and Memory: Hattie has a sharp memory for details, able to recall faces, conversations, and small clues that others might overlook.

6. Creative Problem-Solving: Quick on her feet, Hattie excels at coming up with solutions, whether it's in dangerous situations or tricky social scenarios.

7. Communication and Persuasion: Charismatic and persuasive, she can connect with people and get them to cooperate or open up, using the right approach for each person.

8. Basic Survival Skills: Hattie knows the basics of outdoor survival—setting up camp, navigating, and handling simple tools. She’s not as experienced as her dad but can hold her own in the wilderness.

~~~~

~~~~~~~

—Colter and Nicole’s Relationship: The Backstory

A Relationship Born from Brief Connection, Lasting Years:

* Colter and Nicole's relationship, born out of a spontaneous and passionate connection, evolved over time. Though their bond started intensely, it quickly became clear that they were from two very different worlds—Colter's dangerous, nomadic existence as a reward-seeker and Nicole’s steady, law-abiding life as a cop. The relationship was one of love, but also of tension. Nicole respected Colter’s work but couldn’t reconcile it with her own sense of order and justice. Their time together was punctuated by frequent breakups and reconciliations as Colter struggled to balance his dangerous career with Nicole's need for stability.

Mutual Separation:

* In the end, they both agreed to part ways—not out of animosity but because they knew their lifestyles were incompatible. Colter wanted a family, but he couldn’t afford to settle down in one place. Nicole, on the other hand, wanted a life that allowed her to stay connected to her work while keeping her child safe. It was a hard decision, but one made out of respect for each other’s futures.

Nicole's Pregnancy and Colter's Commitment:

* The pregnancy came as a surprise to both of them, especially since they had already agreed to separate. Nicole had initially wanted to raise the child on her own, feeling confident that she could provide a stable life, but Colter, deeply in love with her and now determined to be there for his child, wasn’t having it. Colter knew that his daughter would be something special, and he couldn’t bear the thought of not being part of her life, even if his job kept him on the move. His love for Nicole, though it had been complicated, remained strong.

* Colter pushed back hard against the idea of raising his daughter from a distance. He wasn't about to make the same mistake twice—he wanted to be there for every milestone, even if it meant compromising his own lifestyle. Nicole, while hesitant and wanting to maintain her independence, ultimately agreed, understanding that Colter’s involvement would be crucial.

~~~~

~~~~~~~~

—Hattie's Early Years: Life with Nicole

Raised by Nicole, with Occasional Visits from Colter:

* From birth until a young age, Hattie was primarily raised by Nicole. As a single mother, Nicole put in long hours as a cop, working cases and gradually rising through the ranks. While her work was demanding, Nicole made sure to carve out quality time with Hattie—teaching her the value of resilience, discipline, and how to navigate the world with an unwavering sense of justice.

* Colter, always a nomad at heart, took every opportunity to be with his daughter when he could. He wasn’t a constant presence, but the moments he was around were memorable for both of them. He’d take her out for short trips, teach her how to track, or just share stories of the world he lived in, which fascinated Hattie. Even when Colter was on the road, he always made time to FaceTime his “princess,” making sure she knew she was loved and always in his thoughts.

Nicole's Balancing Act:

* While Nicole was deeply invested in her work, she was always careful to shield Hattie from the darker side of her job, just as Colter shielded her from the dangers of his work as a tracker. Nicole taught Hattie that the world was full of both light and dark, but she made sure to raise her with a strong moral compass—something that would be crucial as Hattie grew older and began to understand her father’s world.

* Despite her mother’s best efforts to protect her, Hattie, being sharp and resourceful, began to piece things together. She understood that her father’s life was risky, even if Nicole tried to downplay it. She was a curious, perceptive child who picked up on subtle details—the way her mother’s eyes would darken when Colter’s name was brought up, or the hushed phone conversations when Colter was on the line. It wasn’t long before she began asking tough questions.

———

————

— Hattie’s Growing Awareness & Independence

—|—

By the time Hattie was a teenager, the innocence of her younger years had faded. No longer content to simply be the excited daughter on FaceTime, she began noticing the cracks in her parents' lives. She saw how often Colter was absent, and how Nicole sometimes seemed distant or distracted when his name came up.

As her mind sharpened, Hattie started connecting the dots between her mother’s work as a cop and Colter’s dangerous life as a reward-seeker. She noticed the subtle signs—the way Nicole’s eyes narrowed when discussing certain cases, or the tense conversations they had about Colter’s trips.

Her curiosity grew, and so did her desire to understand the risks and realities of their world. Nicole and Colter, each in their own way, gradually began revealing more. Nicole explained her work in broad strokes, careful not to overwhelm her, but making sure Hattie understood the dangers.

Colter, ever protective, was less open, but Hattie’s sharp mind and resourcefulness—skills honed by growing up in a constantly shifting world—allowed her to put the pieces together. By now, she was no longer just a passive observer; she wanted to be involved.

—|—|—

=====

— The Decision to Join Colter on the Road

At some point, Hattie started to crave more than just stories and FaceTime calls. She wanted to be a part of her father's world. She’d heard enough about his "Tracker Trips" and was fascinated by the idea of traveling with him, seeing the world from his perspective.

No more staying behind or watching from the sidelines—she was ready. She argued that she was old enough, resourceful enough, and capable of handling whatever came her way. It wasn’t just about wanting adventure; it was about understanding her father, his work, and maybe even finding a place for herself in it.

Colter knew his daughter was strong-willed and resourceful, but he also knew how dangerous his world was. His mind screamed to keep her out of this dangerous world, to shield her from the risks that came with his job. But he saw so much of himself in her—the same determination, the same need for independence. As much as he wanted to protect her, he knew she wouldn’t let it go. The more she pushed, the more he realized that, despite his best efforts, Hattie was already part of his world in ways he couldn’t ignore.

Colter had always trusted Nicole's judgment, and this was no different. He brought it up with her, knowing that this would be a hard conversation. Would they let Hattie join him on the road, despite the dangers? After much deliberation, and a long, emotional discussion, they finally came to a decision: depending on the trip, Hattie could come along.

The decision was one of compromise. Colter would still be protective, giving Hattie clear instructions on what she could and couldn’t do on these trips. He’d keep her out of harm’s way whenever possible, ensuring that she stayed in a safe position while he worked. But it would give Hattie the experience she so desperately wanted.

Nicole, always the skeptic, wasn’t thrilled with the decision. She worried endlessly about Hattie’s safety, knowing firsthand the dangers both her job and Colter’s brought. But she also knew that Hattie had grown up in a world where danger was part of the backdrop, and she couldn’t shelter her forever. She gave her reluctant blessing, trusting Colter to keep their daughter safe.

When Hattie heard the decision, she couldn’t hide the smirk of victory. She had won this round, and she made sure her bag was packed, ready to go the moment Colter called.

====

=======

—Hattie’s First "Tracker Trip" with Colter

Their first trip together took them to a small town that seemed quiet and safe at first glance—perfect for a missing person case. The kind of town where everyone knew everyone, but secrets lingered in corners, just waiting to be uncovered. Colter had gotten the case from his trusted contact, Teddi, who’d sent over everything she could find. Colter didn’t waste time. As soon as they arrived, he briefed Hattie on the basics.

“Observe, ask questions, stay in the background,” Colter repeated, giving her a stern look. He wanted her to understand how to approach his world. “Got it, sweetie?”

Hattie nodded, though a part of her couldn’t help but smile. She was finally here, right beside him, a step closer to seeing what her dad did for a living. Colter tried to hide his grin. He was happy to have her with him, though he’d never admit it out loud. His princess had grown up so fast.

They started by talking to the locals—quiet conversations in diners, at the general store, and outside the post office. Colter’s way of connecting with people was always smooth. He asked just enough to get the answers he needed, and people seemed to open up to him despite his seemingly cold exterior. Hattie watched, fascinated by how he navigated these small-town dynamics, his calm demeanor allowing him to pull information from people who would have shut down if anyone else had asked.

At one point, Colter got a lead and had to confront a suspect—someone who wasn’t answering questions the right way. He told Hattie to stay put in the van while he handled it.

“Do some research, princess. I’ll be back soon,” he said, already stepping out.

Hattie sat in the van with the laptop, talking to Teddi and Bobby, helping out with anything she could. It wasn’t as thrilling as being out there with her dad, but there was something satisfying about piecing things together herself. She put on some music, typed away, and felt like she was contributing in her own way. For a while, that was enough.

But then the curiosity kicked in. Boredom crept in, and the need to see what was happening outside the van was too strong. Quietly, Hattie grabbed her jacket and slipped out of the van, staying in the shadows as she followed Colter from a distance. She kept low, staying far enough away to remain unseen, but close enough to see the confrontation unfold.

Colter, of course, noticed right away. When the situation was over, and they were back in the van, he gave her a pointed look. Hattie knew she was caught, once she saw his expression.

“Next time, Hattie,” Colter said, his voice low but firm, “You stay put.”

Hattie’s sheepish look dropped, she didn’t argue. She knew she’d pushed it, and now, seeing the seriousness in her father’s eyes, she understood the risk.

“I got it, Dad,” she said, though her voice was tinged with the tiniest bit of defiance. There was a flicker of respect in her eyes, though, for her dad’s ability to see through her. He was always two steps ahead.

====

======

A Few Hours Later...

As the sun began to set, Colter parked the van in a secluded area, far enough off the main road to keep a low profile. They set up camp—nothing fancy, just a few quick essentials: food, water, and some rest before they continued the next leg of the trip. Colter cooked up some simple burgers on the small camp stove, and Hattie, happy to have a moment to sit back, eagerly dug in.

As they ate, Colter began to talk about the confrontation with the suspect, filling in the details. Hattie listened intently, though part of her mind still buzzed with the things she’d seen earlier. When she turned her attention back to her laptop, she realized that she’d made some progress of her own. Between chatting with Teddi and Bobby, she had managed to dig up a few useful bits of information. Colter noticed her working as he spoke, his eyes catching the focused way she was typing, the small pile of notes beside her.

He paused mid-sentence, a surprised smile tugging at his lips. “Impressive,” he said, the praise slipping out before he could stop it. “I didn’t realize my little princess had such a sharp mind.”

Hattie glanced up, smiling softly. “Thanks. I’ve been working on it before I went out.”

Colter chuckled, then became more serious, his expression softening as he leaned against the van, looking at her with a fatherly tenderness. “I know you’re eager, sweetheart. But you need to understand something.” He wiped his hands on a rag, then looked her in the eye. “There’s a time and a place for getting in the field. And when it’s not that time, your job is here. In the van. Research, staying safe, helping out from a distance. You got it?”

Hattie sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Yeah, yeah, I get it,” she huffed. But her defiance was already waning, replaced by the understanding that this wasn’t just about following her curiosity—it was about the bigger picture, the real stakes behind what they were doing.

She took another bite of her burger, thinking it over. After a pause, she shrugged and looked up at her dad. “I’m just so ready to help, Dad. I want to be out there with you.”

Colter softened, his tone turning gentler. “I know you do, sweetheart. And you will. Just... let me teach you the ropes first. It’ll be a hell of a lot safer that way.”

They ate in a comfortable silence for a moment, the fire crackling nearby. Then Colter cracked a light grin, breaking the tension. “You know, for a first trip, you’re doing pretty damn good.”

Hattie grinned, a charming glint in her eye. “I told you, I can handle it.”

Colter shook his head, laughing. “Yeah, you’re definitely my kid.”

As they finished their meal, the bond between them felt deeper than before. The day had been a mix of tension and learning, but there was also something new—a kind of unspoken understanding between them. It wasn’t just about the work; it was about them, together. Father and daughter. And for the first time, Hattie felt like she really belonged in this world.

——————————

==========

—————————————

— Likes & Dislikes

Hattie’s Likes:

1. White Chocolate Chip Cookies – Her ultimate comfort food, sweet and simple. A little indulgence she always keeps in mind for moments when she needs a pick-me-up.

2. Pressed Flower Necklaces – A small but meaningful hobby. Hattie loves collecting wildflowers and turning them into necklaces as a way to capture memories of places and moments.

3. Books with Poems or Short Stories – She enjoys the simplicity of short forms, where emotions and stories can be condensed into just a few pages, especially if they’re thought-provoking or full of beautiful imagery.

4. Painting Her Nails – It’s her way of expressing herself. Whether it’s bright colors or something more subtle, it’s a small act of self-care that makes her feel good.

5. The Color Olive Green – Earthy, calming, and versatile. She’s always loved how it blends into nature and gives her a sense of peace.

6. Meaningful Music – Lyrics that touch her, whether it’s a sad ballad or an anthem of empowerment. Music is something that resonates with her deeply.

7. Singing – Hattie loves to sing, whether she’s belting out in the van during their trips or just humming to herself while working. It’s a way for her to express emotions she might not always put into words.

Hattie’s Dislikes:

1. Snakes – A fear that goes back to a childhood incident. No matter how much she tries to be brave, the sight of one makes her freeze up.

2. Very Tight Spaces – Claustrophobia. She gets an overwhelming sense of panic in cramped spaces and will do anything to avoid them.

3. Clowns – Something about their painted faces and exaggerated expressions just creeps her out. She avoids circus-type events when she can.

4. Sad Movies – She’s emotional enough without adding fuel to the fire. Watching sad movies makes her feel overwhelmed and restless.

5. Overly Complicated Explanations – She likes things straightforward and to the point. If someone starts over-explaining something unnecessarily, her patience runs thin quickly.

6. Disrespectful People – Hattie has zero tolerance for people who treat others poorly. She can spot arrogance or rudeness from a mile away and it makes her blood boil.

7. Black Coffee – She finds it too bitter. If she’s having coffee, she needs a little sweetness in it, or she just skips it altogether.

8. Rap Music That Doesn’t Make Any Sense – Hattie appreciates lyrics with depth or meaning. She can’t stand rap music that feels like it's all flash and no substance—it just grates on her nerves.

~~~~

======

— Hobbies & Habits

Hattie's Habits:

1. Sensitive Skin (Itching) – Hattie has a slight sensitivity to her skin, especially when stressed or nervous. Sometimes she’ll absentmindedly scratch at her arms or neck, which can be a bit uncomfortable. Her dad, Colter, often notices when she's doing it and will gently stop her, reminding her to be mindful of it. It’s one of those little habits that drives him a little crazy, but he doesn’t say much about it.

2. Biting Her Inner Cheek – When Hattie’s deep in thought, concentrating, or frustrated, she tends to bite the inside of her cheek. It’s a nervous habit she’s never really tried to break, and sometimes Colter notices it during tense situations.

3. Staying Up Late to Finish a Movie – Hattie is known to binge-watch shows or movies on Netflix late into the night, even when she knows she should be sleeping. Her mom, Nicole, is often the one to get annoyed by this, as it messes with her routine. Hattie usually justifies it by saying she’s “almost done,” but it’s a habit that doesn’t sit well with her mom.

4. Picking Her Nails – A nervous habit that Hattie’s had for years. She tends to pick at the edges of her nails, especially when she’s anxious or distracted. It’s not something she’s overly self-conscious about, but Colter has caught her doing it more than once and will gently remind her to stop.

5. Making Snarky Comments Under Her Breath – Hattie is quick-witted and often can’t help but make a snarky remark under her breath when something irritates her, especially when people aren’t being straightforward or are being rude. It's one of her more rebellious traits, and while she tries to hold her tongue, it slips out sometimes.

Hattie's Hobbies:

1. Journaling in Her Notebook – Hattie keeps a notebook where she writes down her thoughts, reflections, and sometimes venting about the things that bother her. It's a safe space for her to sort through her emotions or to capture a moment, especially when she's on the road with her dad.

2. Singing Softly in the Van – A quiet way to pass the time while on long trips with Colter. Whether it’s a song she heard on the radio or one that’s been stuck in her head, Hattie hums or sings softly while looking out the window, lost in the rhythm of the road.

3. Doodling in Her Notebook – Another creative outlet. Hattie loves to doodle designs, little sketches, or random thoughts in the margins of her notebook. It's a way for her to unwind and tap into her artistic side when she’s not focused on her more analytical interests.

4. Reading Theories Online About Current Series – Whether it’s a show she’s currently binge-watching or one she’s obsessed with, Hattie loves digging into fan theories and speculations online. She gets lost in the details and enjoys the thrill of discovering new insights into the shows and characters she follows.

5. Making Playlists – Hattie is very particular about the music she listens to. She loves creating playlists for different moods or for specific moments, whether it’s a playlist for a long trip with her dad or one for a rainy day. Music is an important part of her life, and curating playlists helps her express how she’s feeling.

=====

Hattie’s Playlist

"Dog Days Are Over" by Florence + The Machine An uplifting anthem of letting go and embracing freedom.

"Youth" by Daughter Reflecting Hattie’s introspective side and her growth as she navigates independence.

"Brave" by Sara Bareilles Embodying Hattie’s courage and determination to speak up and face challenges head-on.

"Natural" by Imagine Dragons A song of empowerment and embracing one’s true self.

"Believer" by Imagine Dragons About turning pain into strength, reflecting Hattie’s resilience.

"Dream On" by Aerosmith A hopeful anthem for chasing dreams and never giving up.

"Bird Set Free" by Sia About breaking free and finding one’s voice—perfect for Hattie’s journey toward independence.

"Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol A soft, introspective moment—Hattie reflecting on the important connections in her life.

"Waiting for Superman" by Daughtry The feeling of wanting to escape, seeking something more—whether it’s adventure or clarity in her life.

"Brutal" by Olivia Rodrigo The frustration and chaos Hattie feels while navigating the brutal realities of growing up and finding her place in the world.

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Ahh I hope you like her!! I am still very much new to watching the series, but I am enjoying it so far

Let me know what you think 💭

Tags: @gaminggirlsstuff @gcthvile @missstrawbs2001 @djs8891 @starkleila @aidanxsophxoxo @yetanotherwells @rickb-chaos @topgun-imagines @hardballoonlove @buckysteveloki-me @sherloquestea @ximehs @savemewattpad @rowinablx @terry-perry @triptuckers @daughter-of-melpomene @superspookyjanelle @mandylove1000

[mulchergeist]

i feel like posting my writing rn so !!! here it is. The characters are Oscar Hartley (he isn't mentioned but it's from his perspective), Vincent Russ, and Clair Stirling. Also it's written in 2nd person cause idk that's how it formed in my brain. Writing under the cut and pretty mild warning for violence and stuff . Like just to be safe

Maybe if you had a closer look, or maybe if you went in with him or maybe if you waited by the door instead of sitting yourself farther away to stay safe.

Maybe if you'd let Clair take the shot instead. She'd always been more observant, maybe she would've spotted his jacket, or his face, or his hair, bright green like a leaf. Bright like a warning.

Maybe if you'd just gone inside, maybe if you weren't such a coward, maybe if you went in with him. The idea of going into that godforsaken structure had scared you more in the moment than the possibility of losing him. That possiblity hadn't even crossed your mind.

"Promise me that you'll take the fucking shot, or hand me the gun. I'm not losing you and Vincent in one trip to this damned place." You had said, and when Clair just looked at you, concern and confusion and anger mixing on her face, you grabbed the gun out of her hands and aimed at that door.

"He's not coming back out," you told yourself. Whatever was going to come out of that door wasn't him, and it needed to die.

But by some stroke of horrific luck, it was. He came out of that door, battered and bruised and bleeding but alive, just barely alive. And you were so set on the kill that you pulled the trigger. You failure, you bloodthirsty coward.

Maybe, maybe, maybe. It's all that goes through your head as you clutch his body. A shot straight through the abdomen. If he survives this, he's going to hate you. If he survives.

Does he know it's your gun that shot the final nail into the coffin? Maybe he knows it's the one you had so stupidly flaunted while drunk on a Saturday night in your garage. He had laughed and laughed, watching you fumble and nearly shoot one of the lights out.

You screamed, reacting too late after you pulled that trigger. A pathetic noise, full of regret and pain and hatred, hatred for yourself, hatred for how quickly you'd abandoned hope. For how quickly you abandoned him.

Maybe that's the last thing ringing in his ears, instead of the shaky reassurances you're whispering to him while Clair screams. You can barely make out anything, but you know you deserve every word aimed at you.

Maybe the last thing he thought of was how he was going to live, if it weren't for your idiocy. Maybe the last thing you'll think of is how you took that away from him.