#riya in . an outfit because i love her

[tinka-tank]

Jake Disventure Camp by Me ft. Riya

[msommers]

1, 3, 11, 14, 19 for riya, meredith and ellana?

ok so like. ignore the time it took me to get to these. i was in fact thinking of them constantly but the act of actually typing?? horrendous. // oc asks: roots edition

1. How many living parents does your OC have? If they're alive, where are they now and what's your OC's relationship with them? If they're dead, how did they die?

RIYA — two! both of Riya's parents are still living in the ancestral Clairmont estate back in Cumberland, thank goodness. Riya is the biggest daddy's girl known to Thedas, they've been nearly attached at the hip since she was born as she's Loren’s only daughter and youngest child. they had matching outfits, practically a language of their own with all of the in-jokes and references, and she felt safe talking to him about anything and everything. she's not nearly as close with her mother, but their relationship is still good. i think Riya sometimes perceives it as being a little worse than it is, but that's just because she's somebody who craves frequent displays that show how somebody feels about her. Priscilla sacrificed a whole new palatial estate to the Circle of Magi just so Riya could grow up in the comfort she was used to, never truly punished her for shunning her studies and responsibilities, and started pulling on every resource to protect her after the frame job. there's no doubt they love each other with all of their hearts, but Priscilla has trouble with vulnerability and emotional expression, and Riya struggles with the high standards/expectations from her. 

MEREDITH — first of all: you're sick and twisted for this. second: zero 💚 they were both casualties of Rendon Howe’s coup. i personally, me myself and i, believe Rendon would have been too much of a cowardly, slimy fuck to be face-to-face with any Cousland when it all kicked off, so i believe that Bryce suffered a fatal stab wound from one of Howe's stealthier soldiers and subsequently bled out in the larder before being found. as for Eleanor?? i'm having a tough time with this one and have been for the whole week it took me to finally get back here. as of right now, i'm fucking with the idea that Eleanor was able to wipe out a small group of the attackers before Rendon finally showed up with his own squad of goons, and she died from one of them stabbing her in the back after she'd gotten far too close to taking Rendon down in a rush attack. i simply find it hard to believe the woman who took down a warship at the age of fifteen would've laid down and died, or been unable to get at least one good strike at the man who filled her with such a powerful vengeance. clearly the fuck didn't die there, but i like to think he spent a good few months recovering from the wound Eleanor left him on her way out.

ELLANA — you'd think after all these years i would have her clan figured out but i kinda forgor 💀 i think her parents would be alive! given who Ellana is, i imagine her family (and clan overall) would hold similar values and they'd lead kinder lives that allow them more peace from outside dangers. i know she'd be a family focused woman so she would have a good relationship with both parents, perhaps closer with her mother just cuz. if i end up making a post in the next few days with a bunch of brand new dalish elves hot off the presses this is your fault (affectionate)

3. How did your OC feel the first time they left home? Why did they leave?

RIYA — answered here!

MEREDITH — first time she left home probably would've been joining her father on teyrn business to visit some bann or other, tagging along because of a young girl's curiosity. likely could have been the first trigger to her becoming interested in politics, bombarding Bryce with questions on the carriage ride to their destination and then somehow finding even more once they were there because she found the business so fascinating. it would have undoubtedly been exciting for her from the jump, and only gotten better the further along they went as she started to learn more and more about the people of the teyrnir and her father's responsibilities. 

ELLANA — her clan is one of the rare groups to engage in occasional trade with humans and i imagine this soft-hearted clown would've enjoyed taking part in those ventures, i'll count that as technically leaving home because i'm sure it was at least a week’s worth of time spent traveling out and engaging. she was eager to go! it would have meant a great deal to her that she was being entrusted to join the journey as a protector for those who were going along, and she wouldn't deny feeling a bit of a thrill at the idea of interacting with non-dalish for the first time. 

11. What was your OC scared of as a child? Are they still scared of that?

RIYA — answered here!

MEREDITH — Aldous doesn't strike me as the type of teacher to censor or lighten history for the sake of a young mind, which i'm sure Meredith would've been grateful for in her young adult years and onward, but as a child she was often worrying herself to sleeplessness over the dreadful—and sometimes downright evil—acts of humankind. the Orlesian occupation and subsequent war to regain Ferelden’s independence was filled with enough horror stories on its own to fuel her nightmares for years on end. this all probably contributes to her later development of paranoia tbh, but let's not examine that rn. i’d say around her origins era that she’s still holding onto those fears, but she has the added fun and lucky experience of getting to learn that her own countrymen are just as capable of their atrocities.

ELLANA — i think she would have been fortunate enough to avoid any serious fears as a child, in part due to her innate bravery and another to her clan having a more gentle history compared to many others. perhaps a fear of heights, which she'd definitely gotten over by the time the inquisition came around (hi mage barrier + flinging self off a cliff to avoid finding a path combo <3) ((she wouldn't like. Literally do that but it's funny)). something super specific but i feel suits her as she's spent so long in the woods: a forest going silent. not something i think she'd have gotten over, and just the idea of it makes her feel on edge. like what the fuck do you mean all of the wildlife and even the wind has gone quiet because Something Is Coming, that’s always scary. 

14. Who was your OC's first love? How do they remember that person now?

RIYA — a noble boy that started training under her brother, Regulus, when she was in her teens. he was a young warrior-in-training with lofty aspirations of gaining glory through acts of altruism and heroics—basically he was a startup version of the heroes she'd grown up hearing stories of from her own family history and other various tales of daring, so naturally she had to pounce on that with all the finesse a 15-year old Riya possessed. it worked because she was pretty and heaped on all of the praises a young fighter would love to hear from a girl (not to mention there's a high chance they already knew each other from running in the same social circles), but it wouldn't have lasted very long. they had a good month or two of a fun and frivolous relationship, but Riya had gotten her first hook-up and that sparked her long-lasting habit of fooling around with a partner until she was abruptly ready to drop them and move on in search of another. she would have been adamant then and would still be now that just because their connection was brief, it doesn't mean her love for him wasn't real (it was a shallow thing entirely based off of her [unsurprisingly] getting horny about a young hero in the making but hey! still counts). i'd say she remembers him fondly because i don't imagine it ended in a Disastrous way. all she's got of him are good memories of early practices for her flirting skills, eagerly observing warrior training, and a judgment-free first sexual experience that probably gave them both a good confidence/happiness boost.

MEREDITH — if there's one thing about me it's that i'm gonna push my “Meredith and Gilmore were childhood sweethearts” agenda whenever i'm handed the opportunity, because i can't be convinced that it's not adorable as hell. a little lady and a young squire?? cuties. babies. must be protected. nothing too serious really but they were in their early teens and had grown up together, having that close bond made it easy to slip into crushes once they hit puberty. he fancied himself her protector and she found it incredibly romantic, as a young noble girly is wont to do. he also knew how to make her laugh, could tell when she was hiding irritation from others to be polite, and took her seriously (which we all know is monumental to a teen girl who has Ideas and Opinions). unfortunately, most of the time when Meredith allows herself the space to remember him, she thinks back to his promise that he would be at her side until she had all of Ferelden wrapped around her finger. makes it harder to face the fact that she’s taking those steps without him, even if she’s managed to find support in others. she’s fond of the times when she can think of him and focus only on his loyalty and courage, rather than the other Horrors which plague her even a decade on. we don’t talk about Fort Drakon <3

ELLANA — the Second of her clan, a girl named Mirisa. a severe case of puppy love that lasted quite a while on both sides. Ellana was practically born with a deep respect and awe for mages, so i imagine that contributed to her developing a crush and subsequently taking any excuse under the sun to be present for Mirisa’s practicing or training so that she could observe the magic. their favored way of wasting the time away and being together was going off to relax under the shade of some tree or other, Ellana with her head in Mirisa’s lap, content listening to the Second ramble on about all she was learning from the Keeper that week. most of the arcane talk went over her head (though she engaged with it as best she could), but her favorite topics were the various tidbits of history that she wasn't learning about in her own teachings. they're probably still friends by the time Ellana is sent to the Conclave tbh and she looks back at their little love affair as an adorable example of harmless, innocent romance. it brings a smile to her face recalling the little moments of sneaking chaste kisses when nobody was looking, or them giggling at nothing simply because they were giddy being near one another. 

19. What traditions or stories does your OC carry forward from their childhood to the rest of their life?

RIYA — answered here! 

MEREDITH — i’m sitting here trying to come up with a condensed list or something but it’s like. take one look at this woman and you know she’s carried and cataloged literally everything she’s ever been told or learned herself through her entire life. she has names of nobility and military figures memorized from wars and conflicts that haven’t mattered in who knows how long. she’s hoarded knowledge on ancient and abandoned Fereldan traditions just for fun. she can recite the entire timeline of the Cousland family back to its origin and give you cute little blurbs on most, if not all, of the family members. she’s a fucking nerd with an obsession to Know Things due to the assumption that knowledge is power enough to keep her safe and in control, she’s not letting anything slip the mind palace.

ELLANA — naturally she carries and maintains the vir tanadhal as both a dalish and a hunter, feeling more attuned to the vir bor'assan (bend but never break. "as the sapling bends, so must you. in yielding, find resilience; in pliancy, find strength.") out of the three. the vir banal'ras (aka dalish calling for a blood debt to be paid) wasn’t something she clung to very much as a kid but the memory of it came rushing back and became very important to her on a handful of occasions during her time as agent/inquisitor. she wasn’t as religious or spiritual as some of the others from her clan, but she still carried out the traditional ways of worship for the evanuris as any good dalish would.

[disventurecamptakes]

mod jake... what are the odds we could perhaps get your takes on episode 8... (if not no worries! /gen)

Sorry for letting this stew in the inbox for a few days, anyways of course anon, thank you for the question!! :0

Honestly, I didn’t really like episodes seven or eight that much? They weren’t necessarily bad but I personally found them unfulfilling.

[Spoilers]

First of all, Fiore and Ellie were weird boots to me, I figured they were for sure set to go to the merge (it seemed like Ellie was building up to be a stronger antagonist than she was, Gabellie angst was mostly unfulfilled, Fiore didn’t make up with Alec, I think Fiore and Jake would’ve been a cool alliance, Jake and Ellie’s rivalry was barely touched on, etc). And while I think Gabby will be an interesting villain, I still feel like her motive being Ellie’s elimination is more underwhelming than her motive being Ellie’s betrayal; also Gabby’s character relies very heavily on Ellie, and I really wish we saw her make more decisions divorced from their relationship.

Also I didn’t really like Ally and Jake’s beef. Jake is my favorite character but this episode he really just bitched the whole time and it feels like he’s devolving back to his mid season one self. If he’s meant to be healing this season, let him heal, and if he’s supposed to be an antagonist, let him be an antagonist. I feel like the writers sometimes forget which direction they’re taking him in. If this was spurred on by finding out Tom has a “boyfriend”, the anger should be directed at Tom more (maybe he doesn’t have an outlet because he doesn’t want to hurt Tom? Idk). Like Ally is such a bad target for him, I know she’s friends with Ashley and he’s insecure about that because Ashley’s really the only person he has left in the game, but like…I dunno, their beef just isn’t entertaining, I guess it’s in character for him especially if this is him sort of descending into hatred but I just personally feel like it’s unnecessary the way they went about it, I feel like quiet sabotage or him having internal conflict about Ally but playing nice would be more enjoyable to watch. I’m also kinda sad that Aiden, Jake, and Riya didn’t interact more in the challenge; I’d love to see Aiden and Jake actually have a conversation, or Riya and Jake team up. Jake and Aiden should especially talk now that Jake knows Aiden’s not a threat since Tom has this supposed boyfriend, like I feel like we’ve kicked the Tomden drama bucket now that we’ve had this reveal— and if we haven’t, Riya hates Aiden too, so I’m not sure why Jake and Riya aren’t interacting.

Aside from this, I did like Tess (as usual), the challenge was very fun (loved the space theme and the outfits), and Alec and Riya’s friendship is pretty cool. Also I don’t really like Yul, but he was kinda funny this episode, I think I just really like his voice acting lol. I’m also excited to see them do more with Emily, and Trevor’s feelings for Derek being confirmed was kinda adorable. And of course, as usual, the animation and designs and VA’s were fantastic. I think I’ll appreciate the episode more once I see how it plays into the entire season and know where they’re taking the characters, but for now I just felt like they made some questionable writing decisions that I would personally change. Sorry this is long, I had a lot of thoughts and I also suffer from Chronic Jake Brain Rot.

[zigsnose]

outtakes from the curvy mc edit

okay so i may have edited around 20 other outfits onto the new body before i eventually settled on the 4 in the final post...... was that incredibly time-consuming? perhaps. do i regret it? yes oh my god i should have been doing homework wtf is wrong with me no, no i do not.

(lol just click the read more if you want to see some of those + extra commentary)

(i also made 2 more face options that i could put up later, if anyone wants that)

i was gonna use this very simple but very cute bra & undies pair on the left until i discovered f!dakota's underwear set on the right

(yo where can i find a bralette in real life that looks that good and still holds ALL OF THAT up?? asking for a friend)

as i said, the first iteration of this edit was based on an mc from another game, and i imagine her wardrobe mostly consists of sweatshirts and other loungewear like myself but i wanted her to be in something more dressy for the actual post. this is what i had her in before i committed to making a complete sprite and not just overlaying riya's body:

some other looks that didn't make the cut:

i used to groan every time a new floral diamond outfit would show up in a book (why are there so many tho?), but i must have been seeing them on the wrong mcs because these fits are gorgeous

one thing i wanted to clarify is that these mcs aren't really "plus-sized"; they're rather just an average person's body in real life. the game leans so far in one direction of a particular body type that this one would seem extraordinary, when in reality it's super common. i do wish i could make some edits with mariana, who is actually plus-sized, but i don't think i'd be able to get the shading right. pb, hun, if you could just feature that body type with more outfits in more books, that'd be great, thx

lastly, i appreciate all the love y'all sent on that post! i honestly have more fun making edits than i do playing the game these days. what made me come back from being gone all summer was the joy i got from reading all the feedback and color commentary people would put in the replies & tags of my edits. every big announcement pb makes pushes me closer and closer to dropping this app for good, but i would stick around just for the laughs and insight y'all provide on here.

wow that got super corny at the end. you're a champ if you got this far, truly ✨

[linkysmommy]

10 reasons why ROD Dad is infinitely better than MFTL Dad:

1. He doesn’t hold MC’s mom against her! Instead of holding her over MC’s head like MFTL MC’s dad, they mourn her loss together and help build each other up, telling each other that she would be proud of the other if she were still alive 🥺

2. He is over-protective, but he generally trusts his daughter! If she tells him she’s going out to a party in chapter one, he’s a little surprised, but in the end he tells her to celebrate how she wants and to have fun. If she tells him a guy drove her home, he doesn’t get mad. In fact, the only thing he’s concerned about is the CAR, not even the fact that she was with a guy.

3. He allows MC to dress how she wants! When she wears short shorts and a tank top that shows her midriff, he tells her she looks cute 😭 When MFTL MC wears that outfit at the beginning, her dad slut shames her and makes her change!

4. He loves spending time with MC, but respects her decisions when she decides to do something else. Again, when it’s her birthday, he doesn’t get hurt or upset when she decides to go out instead of play games with him like he was planning. And he makes her a birthday cupcake 😭

5. The only time he gets upset at MC is when she’s involved in some NOT GOOD STUFF! We all know Mona’s cool, but MC’s dad is a cop, and Mona is a criminal. Of course he’ll be worried and upset when he finds out his daughter is hanging out with her. It’s a normal reaction for a parent to get upset over something like that. Unlike MFTL dad who always is getting angry and overreacting over everything, ROD dad only really gets upset over big deal things where his perspective is understandable.

6. In the end, in spite of all the hurt MC caused her father, he loves her and welcomes her back with open arms. MFTL Dad lets his daughters spend the night in jail 🙄

7. He puts family over work. When he discovers his daughter was involved with Mercy Park Crew, he removes himself from the case because he needed to put his family first. Additionally, he doesn’t use work as an excuse to miss his daughter’s events. He proudly attended her science fair (as seen in a pic at Riya’s house) and goes to her graduation at the end.

8. When they have their fight, he gives his daughter space while watching from afar. Sometimes, space is what people need. But the fact that he still drives by Riya’s house and gets updates on his daughter from others means that he’s ready to jump in if she ever needs help, and isn’t just cutting her out of his life or something like that. Again - he respects his daughter and her need for space.

9. If you tell him Shaw hired you to spy on Logan’s crew, he punches Shaw and has to get disciplined at his job. Punching Shaw + standing up for his daughter = 10/10 dad.

10. He lets Logan off at the end EVEN THOUGH HE’S A COP. Instead of deciding FOR his daughter, he listens to her pleas and lets Logan go. Sure, he pulls a gun on him and doesn’t want him in their lives or on their property, but he still helps Logan get away because his daughter didn’t want him to hurt him or turn him in.

Bonus: He invented Dad’s Defensive Driving Decrees!! He’s just the cutest sweetest most precious dad and that’s all I have to say about it.

[adam-dumortains]

Fate - Chapter One | MC x Colt

It’s been five years since Ellie watched Colt leave for the second time at her prom and she’s finally finished her college education and has finally moved into her own place. But can she forget all of the exhilarating memories she once made when a few familiar faces show up unexpectedly?

Note: So I wrote this because of the news there would be no RoD sequel and I’m pissed. So, here’s my little writing on a sequel of my own. I’m super nervous to post this because RoD is such a big book in the fanbase. It gets better as the chapters go on, I promise! I just wanted to say, this isn’t meant to be the most realistic thing ever, so please don’t take it as that. I’m also super busy with work and the pandemic, but I’m gonna try and post as much as I can. And also, please excuse spelling mistakes for the same reason. Thank you! Enjoy!

————

MC: Halston Sage

Colt: Sen Mitsuji

Ellie looked up at the apartment complex in front of her, the big silver letters “SKY VIEW APARMENTS” beaming in the sunlight. They were huge, which made her feel tiny in comparison. She quickly made her way up to the elevator, waiting as it travelled up to her floor. She caught herself in the mirror, observing herself. She looked different than the girl she used to be. The girl she wanted so easily to forget. She wondered to herself, that if she had subconsciously changed her appearance and her naïve and shy demeanour to disassociate from the memories of the Mercy Park Crew. Like a snake shedding their skin. She loved the crew with her entirety, but the memories of them leaving and watching Colt and Logan drive away still leaves a pain in her chest whenever she thinks about it. Where are they now? What are they doing? Are they okay? Do they ever think about her? Does she ever cross their minds? She thought she’d at least hear from Colt or Logon. A letter. Anything. Just so she could feel like it was real again.

Ellie went into the room, putting a huge box on the floor full of clothes and other things from home. She was happy it was the last of the boxes. She picked up some of the books that her dad had packed for her, before a small, lilac notebook fell from her hands. She sighed and she looked at the book on the floor that was once full of thoughts about the Mercy Park Crew and Colt. She hadn’t looked at it for years, in fear that her heart would shatter all over again. A small picture was hanging out of the pages, she slowly pulled it out.

Her heart dropped as her eyes landed on the picture of Colt. She closed her eyes, breathing heavily, trying her best not to cry. She knew she’d never really stop loving Colt, but she also knew that that part of her life was over. It was never coming back. She looked at the trash can at the other side of the room, but couldn’t bring herself to throw the picture away. She slowly put it back into the box as she heard a yell.

“Ellllllll?” Her head snapped up as she heard her name being yelled by her best friend, Riya.

“Riya?!”

“Suppppriseeeee!” Riya walked into the room with her arms open. Ellie ran into her, giving her a hug. She hasn’t seen Riya since college had ended.

“What are you doing here?! Not that I’m not happy to see you. But you weren’t supposed to be coming until next week!”

“We thought we could give you a hand!”

“We?” As Ellie’s eyebrows raised, a group of friends from college ran into the room which left Ellie speechless.”

“What the f-” Ellie was pulled into a group hug, and surprisingly, she felt happy to be around her friends, however, one friend in particular was a shock. Lucas was a guy she was roommates with in college which, after a drunken night, coincidentally the date she had first met the Mercy Park Crew, turned into something more than roommates. Their relationships was strictly friends with benefits, but there was always the opportunity for something more. It just never felt right. He wasn’t Colt.

“So, I think we should celebrate Ellie getting her new place with some drinks.” Lucas announced, a small smirk on his lips.

Ellie thought about it. She had just moved in and was exhausted, but the picture of Colt had threw her off. She needed a drink.

“I’m in.”

“Knew you wouldn’t let me down.” Lucas grinned as he pulled her into a one armed hug. “We’ll get back to the hotel and meet you whenever when you text us.” He gently rubbed her sides, which made Ellie smile slightly. She didn’t mind the attention.

———

“Thanks, Riya. But you really didn’t have to round everyone up and make them come all the way here. It must have taken hours!”

“Nonsense. We haven’t seen each other in ages and we were all due a reunion. They were all happy to come. Especially Lucas..” Ellie rolled her eyes.

“You know there’s nothing more than sex and flirting there.”

“Oh, come on Ellie. The guy is hot. He’s into you. You seem to be into him. What’s the problem?” Riya put her drink down to look at her friend.

“Nothing... it’s just, I just don’t want to.” Ellie couldn’t look her friend in the eye.

“El, I’ve known you since we were literally babies. I know you. And I know why you won’t go any further with Lucas. But as your best friend, I also need to tell you that I know it hurt you when Colt left,” Ellie winced at the mention of Colt.

“But he’s gone. And you need to accept that once and for all. You deserve to be happy.”

Ellie sighed. She knew Riya was right, but that didn’t mean she have to be happy about it.

“I hate when you’re right. I hate it even more that you’ve got that look on your face. What are you planning?”

“Nooooothing.” Riya giggled.

Ellie rolled her eyes, laughing to herself as she applied some lipstick, taking a sip of wine before she slipped on a black dress that hung to her hips in the right way and complimented her curves. She let her hair down in soft waves with a blood red lip to match.

“You look amazing, Ellie! Who knew college would bring out the confidence in you? Or was it more the boys in college?” Riya smirked as she slipped on her own outfit, grabbing Ellie’s arm as they dove into the taxi that led them to multicoloured lights against the concrete of the streets, the music blaring above all other noise as Riya texted the others were to meet them.

Ellie and Riya walked into a new bar, Buzz, that had recently opened. Ellie felt good, she knew she looked good and her confidence had grown immensely since starting college. Both her and Riya walked to the bar and ordered some drinks and a few shots to wash down. The strong flavour sizzled down Ellie’s throat, her confidence growing with each drop.

“Let’s dance!” Riya grabbed Ellie’s hand and pulled her to the enlightened dance floor, the music that blared from the speakers pulsating against her body. Ellie could feel her body moving with the music, her body swaying to each rhythm.

“Fancy seeing you here.” The hairs on Ellie’s neck stood as the voice rang through her ears. There was no mistaking that voice. It was Colt. Ellie slowly turned round, her mouth dropping as her eyes locked with Colt’s until they travelled down to his lips that had turned into that stupid familiar smirk that still managed to make Ellie weak.

[chickensarentcheap]

Never Gonna Be Alone: Chapter 3

Title: Safe and Warm

Warnings: brief mention of child sexual abuse. Very brief.

Tagging: @innerpaperexpertcloud, @c-a-v-a-l-r-y, @alievans007, @tragiclyhip

“You should have gotten these looked at BEFORE you came home.”

She sits on his stomach; knee on either side of his body and a bottle of peroxide, package of cotton balls, a pair of tweezers, and a tube of healing ointment rest on his chest. With all of the kids finally settled for the night and the house tidied and every last plate, cup and piece of silverware in the dishwasher, it’s finally their turn to relax. A quick soak in the hot tub while sipping drinks; one last glass of wine for her and a coffee for him. Still damp bodies clad in bathrobes as they sat on the couch; eating ice cream straight out of the carton while relaxing in front of the heat and ambiance given off by the gas fireplace. All conversation steering clear away from anything job related. Talking instead about Christmas and all the things that still need to be done; present wrapping, last minute gift grabbing, decorating. The kids also have jam packed ��to do’ lists; skating, seeing the tree at Rockefeller, sledding, visiting Santa and the reindeer at Central Park. Christmas Day is spent with just the nine of them; the kids playing with their gifts and spending time outside, a traditional dinner that they’ve become quite the professionals at preparing together. The following day they’ll travel into Queens and spend the day with Ovi and Riya and their little family; two ‘grandkids’ that will be loved upon and spoiled senseless. New Years is usually spent quietly at home; takeout and alcoholic beverages and entertaining the kids with board games. This year plans have changed; Ovi’s wedding at The James New York in Soho.

As exciting as the latter is and as much as he does enjoy his time in New York City -the happiness and excitement evident on his wife and children’s faces more than enough to erase any of his own discomfort- it will be nice to get home. Back to their slice of paradise; the sun and the sand and the privacy and the feeling of security that comes with owning so much land. They’ll have a second Christmas; an informal get together with friends with a cookout on the beach and a ‘Secret Santa’ gift exchange. Work will be put on the back burner; no calls or emails from clients returned until the kids go back to school, the bookstore in good hands under the supervision of the two college students Esme had hired a year ago. Business has been good; exceeding even her wildest dreams and expectations. Already a well loved staple in Cooktown; customers loving the wide array of books and magazines, the outdoor courtyard and the comfortable couches and chairs allotted for those simply there to relax. Reading their purchases or the kindles set up for free use and indulging in the variety of cold and hot drinks and baked goods. The treats are mostly prepared by Tanner who has become quite the little chef and baker; finding his ‘place’ in the kitchen and never happier than when he’s creating some kind of dish or dessert from scratch. He’s also in charge of biweekly book reviews; picking a title to read and then preparing a well written report to go along with it. He’s become quite the local celebrity because of it; fan mail arriving on the daily from kids all over town and those who may have visited during family travels.

If anyone had told Tyler thirteen years ago that he’d even still be alive, let alone living THIS life, he would have told them they were insane. Laughing off the notion at ever being a husband and a father again; too much of a mess and certainly way too much of a liability for anyone to ever take a chance on. It’s weird how quick things can change. How one chance meeting with someone as equally broken and damaged as you can change the entire course of your future. Looking at you in ways that no one has ever has; willing to take on the enormous amounts of baggage and seeing past all your faults and your rough spots and jagged edges and giving you a future you never imagined even in your wildest dreams.

“There wasn’t a reason to get them looked after. They’re just scratches; branches getting a hold of me when I was in the bush.”

“Some of them are pretty deep. And I know you tried when you were in the shower, but there’s stuff stuck in some of them. Dirt or wood or something. Aren’t they sore?”

“They’re SCRATCHES. I’ve had a hell of a lot worse.”

“They’re a mess is what they are.” She picks up the tweezers; eyes narrowing as she leans over him and plucks pieces of debris out of one of the wounds. “Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t things supposed to go down in the city?”

“They did. In Laos.”

“I thought it was going to be the same in Cambodia. You let me read what Anil sent you. I’m pretty sure things were supposed to happen in Phnom Penh? How’d you end up going from there into the jungle?”

“There was a change of plans.”

She smirks. “Obviously.”

“You know how it is, things don’t always go the way we want.”

“I’d say nine times out of ten, they don’t. Seriously though, your face is a wreck. You should have gotten this all cleaned up hours ago. BEFORE you got on a plane home. What if they get infected? You don’t know what’s in that jungle. They could have some crazy poisonous plant life or something. What if you got into something like THAT?”

“I think it’s safe to say we’d know something like that by now. What are you so squeamish about? You’ve seen me in worse shape.”

“Now THAT’S an understatement. Have you ever thought I just don’t like seeing you banged up and scratched up? Have you ever thought maybe I’ve had just about enough of all of that? Can’t I nurse you back to health from something else for a change? Like...I don’t know...the man flu?”

“You always complain when I get sick. That I’m too needy.”

“I have never once said you’re too needy. I have, however, complained about how whiny you get. How you come down with a head cold and act like you’re dying. How do you go through the things you have and survive what you’ve survived, and think a cold will be the cause of your demise?”

“Hey, those colds get pretty bad.”

“Worse than…” Pausing, she sits straight up and drops the tweezers onto the bed, then soaks a cotton ball with peroxide. “...you know what? I’m not even going to finish that sentence because that will only bring bad juju. Talking about all of that? Revisiting it? Nothing good will come of that. And we need good juju, don’t you think?”

“Are you drunk?”

“Who? Me? No. Maybe. Just a little. Is a whole bottle of wine for oneself considered drunk?”

“For normal people, yeah. For you…”

“Look, I had a rough day. In fact, it’s been a brutal FOUR days. And right now? Well right now, I should be getting laid. Or at the very least, have my husband going down on me. And what I’m doing? Playing nursemaid. And not in a fun, sexy way either. Not the kind of playing nursemaid that comes with little outfits and orgasms.”

He grins. “You ARE drunk.”

“I’m just saying, I had other plans for this evening and picking pieces of the Cambodian jungle out of your face wasn’t part of it.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“Mmm...hmmm…”

“And I’d rather be doing other stuff too, but…”

“But the shit hit the fan and everything got fucked up and you ended up doing God knows what, doing God knows where. I’m not even going to ask how it went. I think I’m scared to hear the answer. It was obviously a dumpster fire if you went from the capital city of Cambodia to the bowels of hell.”

“There were a couple...snags.”

She returns to the task of investigating and cleaning the various scratches that mar his face and neck. “Anil let on everything went great.”

“Probably just didn’t want to worry you.”

“Was there something for me to worry about?”

“Not as far as I’m concerned. I’ve been involved in way worse things. It was pretty straight forward. Two easy hits.”

“First one went okay?”

“Exactly the way it should have.”

“Second one?”

“I thought you weren’t going to ask?”

“You don’t want me asking?”

“I don’t care if you ask. You just said you weren’t going to because you were afraid of what you might hear.”

“Do I have anything to be afraid of?”

“Esme, seriously? Do you want to know or not? It wasn’t THAT bad. I’m here, aren’t I? In one piece?”

She nods.

“It honestly wasn't that big of a disaster. Things got a little fucked up. The second one didn’t go the way it should have. I had to make some decisions; change some shit around. The Mark wasn’t where he was supposed to be. I had to find out where he was and I had to figure out how to make things work.”

“Well good thing it WAS you that Anil asked. Because it probably would have been a lot worse. At least you know what you’re doing; you can think on your feet and stay calm and focused. A change like that? That would have thrown other people off. They probably wouldn’t have been able to get the second guy. They would have been too frazzled. That kind of change would have totally thrown them off.”

“Are you speaking highly of me, wife?”

“I am. I tend to speak very highly of you. All the time. To everyone. Even when I’m picking pieces of Cambodia out of your face.” She grabs the tweezers and unceremoniously inserts the tips into a large scratch at the side of his left eye; yanking out a piece of wood. “And it’s a nice face, by the way. So I don’t particularly like you coming home all messed up.”

“Like I said, I’ve had worse.”

“I will give you that.”

They lapse into a comfortable, companionable silence; his hands resting on her thighs as she continues to work at disinfecting and cleaning the scratches and her fingertips rub wound aftercare ointment into his skin. And he admires her as she does so. That steely look of determination on her face; lips set in a thin line and her eyes slightly narrowed and her hands steady yet gentle. And she looks so beautiful in that moment; in the mixture of moonlight and the glow given off by the bedside lamps. Hair pushed into a messy ‘up sweep’; held together by various clips -colourful and unicorn themed, ‘borrowed’ from Addie’s room- and bobby pins. Her face freshly cleaned and scrubbed; bearing the lingering scent of the grapefruit and pomegranate body wash she’d fallen in love with months ago. Clad in what she considers pyjamas; a faded and slightly tattered plaid button down shirt he’d worn during their Colorado days that is enormous on her tiny frame.

It’s been just over twelve years. Since he’d first laid eyes on her; standing on his front porch in The Kimberley in her little denim shorts and that yellow tank top that clung to her like a second skin. He’d known right away that he was in trouble; feeling things he hadn’t felt in a hell of a long time when she so much glanced in his direction and offered a small, almost nervous smile. And it would take him nearly ten years to admit what she’d probably known not long after their initial meeting: that his heart was hers from the very first day.

“You’re beautiful.” He says now, and a smile tugs at the corners of her mouth.

“Are YOU drunk?”

“I haven’t drank in five years. I’m truthful.”

“Maybe your eyesight is worse than you think,” she teases, and dabs a peroxide dampened cotton ball against the scratches on his forehead.

“Or maybe you just hate compliments. Even twelve years into things.”

“You know I don’t handle compliments well. Even now. I know that doesn’t make sense, considering we HAVE been together that long and you’re the master of compliments and sweet talk, but that’s just who I am. It’s just me.”

“I will break you yet.”

“You’ve been trying for over a decade. Same way you’ve been trying to make an honest woman out of me.”

“Come on, at least give me THAT. At least admit THAT was successful.”

“Fine…” she leans down to peck his lips. “I’ll let you have your small victories. You’re still going out tomorrow? With Tanner?”

He nods. “It’s our thing.”

“He’s so excited. He’s been talking about it non stop since we got here. Apparently he’s been writing a lot. He’s got A LOT to show you.”

“Yeah, he told me. Something about crazy dreams he’s been having. He’s so fucking smart, Me. Way smarter than I am. He’s got your brain pan for sure.”

“He is far more intelligent than I ever was at that age. His brain is just...I don’t know. It’s beautiful and it’s brilliant. And it’s kind of scary at the same time. I mean, he’s only ten. And look where he’s at. Not even a special school is a big enough challenge for him. He is so far ahead of all of those kids. What happens when he’s too far ahead? When that place doesn’t have what he needs anymore? Then what? He’s already reading at a high school senior level. And his math? His science? You’ve seen his marks. They’ve got him doing things that fourteen and fifteen year olds are learning. And he’s passing it all with flying colours. Soon they’re not going to have what he needs. What then?”

“We find somewhere else.”

“Where? There’s nothing where we are. And we’re not moving. We just aren’t. We’ve put way too much into that house and that land. And we love it too much. So do the kids. We can’t upset their lives like that.”

“We’ll figure something out. We’ll find something. Someone. There’s always a way, right? Isn’t that what you always tell me? Where there’s a will, there’s a way?”

“When I told you that I wasn’t expecting to have a genius child on my hands. And I know it sounds like I’m bitching. That it sounds like I’m not proud of him.”

“It doesn’t sound like that, Me. At all.”

“Because I am. Proud of him. He’s insanely smart and he’s beautiful and he’s just this incredible little being that I don’t feel I even deserve. But I’m scared. For him. Because he isn’t like everyone else. He never has been. And I know we should celebrate that and celebrate who he is and nurture it and encourage it. But it fucking terrifies me. Someone like Tanner out in the real world. Because he’s NOT like us. Or his brothers and sisters. Or ninety five percent of society. He’s sensitive and he’s kind and he has this huge heart. And I’m scared what’s going to happen to him. Just for being who he is.”

“He’s ten, Me. We have years before we have to worry about anything like that. It’s going to be a long time before he’s out of the house. He’s smart as hell, but you’re right; he’s not like everyone else. Maturity wise? He’s a lot younger. He’s not ten in a lot of ways. He’s going to be with us for a bit. Longer than the rest of them.”

“I just don't want him hating who he is. I don’t want him growing up and hating himself. He’s already told you that. About how he doesn’t like his brain and how it works. How he doesn’t like being different.”

“That’s mostly when he’s pissed that he can’t do the things that TJ does. Or because he’s so much smaller. He has his moments; where he wishes he was like his brother. Didn’t you have moments like that growing up? Wishing you could be someone different?”

“Of course. We all do. I’m sure you did.”

“Fuck, practically every damn day. He’s going to be fine, Me. He’s just a little boy. And he’ll be a little boy in some ways for longer. It is what it is. He’ll be okay. So will we.”

“You are so much better at this than I am,” Esme laments, and tends to screwing the cap onto the peroxide and moving all of the supplies and tools to the mattress. “You’re so much better with him. You have been since the very beginning. Who was the strong one when we got the diagnosis? Who was the one that DIDN’T go into a severe depression and the seven stages of grief? I mean, we suspected it and I STILL had a hard time. I’m his mother. And I struggled then and I’m struggling now. What kind of parent does that? FEELS that?”

“One that loves their kid more than life itself. Who worries about them and is scared for them because they know how fucking cruel the world can be.”

“You’ve just been so much better than I have. You’ve handled it better. Me? I’m just a mess. And not a hot one either.”

“I think you’re way too hard on yourself. You’re a good mom. You’re an amazing mom. Just because you’re having a hard time with this doesn’t mean you’re a shitty parent. Just means you love him.”

“I do. Love him. He’s my Nugget. And I hate that he struggles. That he doubts himself. That he shit talks himself sometimes.”

“Gee, I wonder where he gets THAT from.”

Smirking, she picks up the tweezers and points them at him. “Don’t make me stick these in your eye.”

“I’m just saying…” he plucks the instrument from her hand and tosses it onto the bedside table, then reaches up to push loose strands of her away from her face. “...he does get some things from you. And you do like to shit talk yourself.”

“I’m working on it.”

“For the last twelve years?”

“So I’m a slow learner. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Why are you like this?”

His calloused palms rest on the sides of her face; thumbs brushing along the tops of her cheekbones. “Like what?”

“So good to me. Why are you like that?”

“Oh I don’t know, Me. Might have to do with the fact that you’re my wife and the mother of my children. My SEVEN children. And maybe...just maybe...it has something to do with the fact that I’m wildly and crazily in love with you.”

“Still? Even after twelve years?”

“Even MORE after twelve years. More and more every day, actually.”

“God I love you,” she declares, then stretches out along his body and buries her face in the favourite place of hers; the warm nook between neck and shoulder. “I love you so much. More than I could ever tell you.”

Pressing a kiss to her temple, he wraps both arms around her slender body. “Ditto.”

She laughs at his response; placing a kiss to the sensitive spot below his ear and then pushes her fingers through his hair. It’s longer now. Often messy and often unruly; sides and back no longer shaved right down to the skin. She claims it’s her second favourite look of his; liking the fact that there’s something to ‘grab onto’ during more intimate moments.

He feels the tickle or her lashes as her eyes flicker closed, followed by the long, content sigh that she releases. And for several long minutes they lay in silence, one of his hands moving up to comb through her hair, the other slipping under the hem of her shirt; knuckles repeatedly skimming up and down her spine.

“Me?”

“Yeah?” Her voice is muffled against the side of his neck.

“Don’t take this the wrong way. I really DO like snuggling with you and all that. But right now? Right now I’m really horny and I really want to fuck.”

Laughing, she playfully tugs on his hair and pulls back to look at him. “Husband, you’re nothing if not brutally honest.”

“Wanna have sex?”

Grinning, she leans in to press a kiss to his lips. “Actually,” she says. “I do.”

****

They lay in a tangled mess of wrinkled sheets and sweaty limbs; listening to the wind that rattles the windows and the soft patter of ice pellets and snow against the glass. Both on their sides with her back tucked into his front; her nails lightly and repeatedly skimming along the forearm that rests just under her breasts. His breath is warm against the nape of her neck and she enjoys the different sensations against her skin; the juxtaposition of soft, moist lips and the roughness of his beard. He wears it much shorter now; neatly trimmed and groomed and a far cry from the ‘lumberjack days’ when they’d lived in Colorado. Back when his body was thicker; extra weight around the middle and his muscles more bulky. He’s much more defined now. Tall and lean and athletic; broad shoulders and wide back, a sharp cut to his waist and beautifully detailed abs.

Forty seven years old and he’s in the best shape he’s ever been; a near mirror image of what he’d looked like at thirty five when they’d first met. She remembers that day well. Glancing up from where she’d crouched down on the porch to shower attention on his dog and finding those blue eyes riveted on her; intense and electric and filled with both curiosity and thinly veiled annoyance. He wasn’t used to company, and certainly didn’t seem to like the idea of a complete stranger being brought straight to his doorstep.

Nik had told her just the bare minimum; ex special forces, a host of personal baggage and addiction issues, intense and withdrawn at his best. But word travels when you’re in the ‘circle’; the job a relatively tight knit considering the amount of people caught up in it and the number of countries that are serviced. She’d heard the stories; tales of fearlessness and brutality and exceptional skills. And while she’d thought Nik’s idea was ridiculous and that it would never work, she’d been intrigued as well; wanting to put a face to the name and to all the rumours and the whispers she’d been subjected to. Other than his towering height and those muscles that strained under the sleeves of his shirt and the host of tattoos and scars, he hadn’t been that intimidating; offering just a brief twitch of the lips in lieu of a smile, his hand engulfing hers when he quickly and willing shook it in greeting. There was something welcoming about him despite the lack of conversation; opening up a little as soon as Nik stepped outside and offering her a drink. Those eyes ever so slightly sparkling and a small smirk on his lips when she’d downed the glass of scotch; making a comment about being surprised a ‘wee thing like her’ could handle her liquor so well and then pouring her another. Even chuckling a little when she’d commented on his place of residence; modest and simple, a chicken probably a far better roommate than any human she’d ever shared living quarters with.

Things had actually started during the two day stay just outside of Dhaka; a high end hotel that Nik had procured for final team meetings and strategy sessions. Meeting up -by sheer chance and not by plan- at the establishment's bar; sharing both a table out on the patio and pitcher of beer and tray full of tequila shots. There’d also been a kiss. Or, as close to a kiss as you could get. When he’d walked her back to her room and they’d stood in the hallway; slightly inebriated and suddenly somewhat anxious and nervous around each other. Dinner had been casual and comfortable. He’d smiled and even laughed and teased her about being a total enigma; so small and delicate looking despite her time in the Corps and having such a reputation for being tenacious and no nonsense. They had shared stories of growing up in Colorado and Australia and he’d been relatively talkative; either encouraged by her own openness and chattiness or the mixture of the booze he’d consumed and the meds he’d taken. Yet suddenly they were both at a loss for words and things seemed awkward and uncomfortable, and she’d stuttered and stammered while asking him if he’d like to join her inside and then furiously blushing when he’d exactly accepted.

She can still remember what it had felt like; when she’d drunkenly teetered and stumbled when attempting to unlock her door and his arm had curled around her waist to keep her on her feet. His body had been warm and solid against hers; breath hot and moist on the back of her neck. His eyes had been locked on hers when she turned to face him, heart hammering in her chest as he leaned in to kiss her. It had been a long time since she’d been with a man. Even something so simple as a kiss. And it had been even longer since she’d wanted someone that badly; physically aching and desperate to feel his hands and his mouth on her.

But it had never happened. In a brief moment of clarity, he’d backed away. Doing nothing more than pushing her hair behind her ears before backing away.

“I can’t do this,” he’d said. “I can’t do this to you.”

They never spoke of that moment again. Not even when things had crossed that line in Dhaka. It’s been just over twelve years and neither have brought it up. It didn’t matter anymore; the awkwardness they’d felt, the glimmer of life that she’d seen in his eyes, the words that he’d uttered. Things had changed. Drastically. Marriage and children and a somewhat happily ever after.

His free arm slips between her and the mattress. Coming to rest along her collarbone; fingers splayed over the top of her right breast, thumb repeatedly brushing along the hollow of her throat. “You alright?”

Smiling, she pushes her fingers through his and moves their joined hands down to her stomach. “More than alright. You? You okay?”

“I’m good. Is that what you wanted? Did I live up to your expectations?”

“Exceeded them, actually. I continue to be impressed by you. Your track record for incredible sex is almost a hundred percent.”

He raises his head from his pillow. “Almost?”

“You keep forgetting about that time after Kyle’s bachelor party. When you were drunk. When you got off and I didn’t and then had the goddamn gall to pass out. On top of me. Your poor little wife that’s a foot shorter and at that time, over a hundred pounds lighter.”

“Not one of my finer moments,” he agrees, and presses a kiss to her cheek. “I haven’t made up for it? It’s been ten years since that. I haven’t made amends yet?”

“You’re getting there,” she teases, and then yelps and giggles when his teeth sink into her shoulder. “By the way, I think the neighbour knows you’re here.”

“You know what I’m surprised about? That the kids didn’t wake up.”

“Maybe they’ve gotten so used to it, they just sleep through it now.”

“Or maybe they’re hiding under their covers, totally traumatized.”

“Well maybe you shouldn’t be so good at what you do. Maybe you shouldn’t be the king of multiple orgasms. Screaming ones at that.”

“You’d rather I didn’t get you off at all?”

“Don’t get carried away. We don’t need to go to THAT big of an extreme.”

“We can resort back to a pillow over the face. Or my hand over your mouth.”

“Remember that time in Dhaka? When the people in the next room complained to the manager about the noise? He was so embarrassed; when he came up to our room.”

“I do. And I remember the first time we went to Phuket. I never introduced myself to the people in the next suite, but they seemed to know my first name.”

“They were just jealous. I guess neither of them ever experienced really good sex. And speaking of which; we’re going to have to change the sheets before we go to sleep.”

“You can sleep on that part. That’s YOUR wet spot. On YOUR side of the bed.”

“You’re the one who made it happen. You should be the one to clean up the mess.”

He grins against the nape of her neck. “It’s a good mess though.”

“A very good mess,” she says, and then rolls over to face him; pressing herself tightly against his chest and reaching up to push her fingers through his hair. “You alright?”

“Fine. Why?” He skims her fingertips along the length of her spine; pausing to trace the tattoo that decorates the small of her back before moving back up again. “Didn’t it seem like I was alright? Did I seem like I wasn’t having fun?”

“I can tell something’s wrong. You’re different; during sex. When something is bothering you, you do things differently. Not in a BAD way. Just in a different way. You’re more aggressive. Rougher than usual.”

“You okay? Did I hurt you?”

“No. You never do. It was perfect. YOU were perfect. It was just...different. You were different. I’ve been with you for twelve years. It’s one of the signs I’ve come to recognize; one of the things that change when something is bugging you.”

Tyler grins. “You’re good.”

“Are you going to tell me? What’s going on? You want to talk about it?”

“Not really,” he admits, and then presses a kiss to her forehead before rolling over onto his back.

“I think you should.” Esme slides closer to him, propping herself up onto her elbow. “I think it’s good for you; talking about things that bother you. We’ve learned over the last twelve years, right? That things are better...that WE’RE better...when you don’t keep shit inside.”

Sighing heavily, he runs both hands over his face; wincing at the discomfort in both back and shoulder when he puts his hands behind his head.

“Is that what is? Pain? Did you get hurt? Do you need more meds? Do you…?”

“No pain. Just some tightness. I don’t need any more meds. I’m fine.”

“Did you take them while you were gone? ALL of them?”

“Babe, I’ve been taking them for five years. I wouldn’t fuck it up now.”

“I’m not saying you would. I’m just worried about you. I know something is wrong and I know it’s better for you NOT to keep quiet about it. So tell me. Please. Do your wife a solid and talk to her.”

“Didn’t I just slip you a solid? Twice?”

She scowls. “You know what I mean.”

“It’s nothing. Me. Nothing you need to worry about.”

“I’m sorry, but this is something involving you and I worry about you. Don’t do this, okay? Let’s not get back into old habits. I know you don’t want that. Just like I don’t want it. Tell me. Please.”

He sighs once more, briefly closing his eyes.

“Is it the job?” Gentle fingertips trace the roman numeral tattoo on the front of his right shoulder. “ Did something go wrong? Other than a change in venue?”

“No. Other than that, things went fine.”

“But it IS about the job.”

Tyler nods.

“I’m not a mind reader, babe. I’m good, but I’m not THAT good. Something DID go wrong, didn’t it.”

“No. Nothing went wrong. It’s just...the people...the Marks.”

“They didn’t die or…?”

“Oh they died. You don’t survive a gunshot in the middle of the forehead.”

“So other than the chance of scenery, nothing went wrong and both Marks died but..”

“It’s who they were. Why they had to be killed. Are you sure you want to hear this?”

“I do. Because it’s bothering you and I don’t want you carrying that around. That’s never a good thing; you burying things. So yes. I want to hear it. You didn’t tell me much before you left; just that they were pieces of shit and they needed to be wiped out. Other than that…”

“They were the lowest of the low, Me. You can’t get lower than these guys. And I’ve dealt with some pretty huge pieces of shit. These guys? Worst I’ve ever gone against. By far.”

“Worse than Asif and Mahajan?”

“Considering how personal they made things and what they were going to do to my family, no one is worse than them. But if I take the personal stuff out of it, these guys are up there.”

“That doesn’t sound too promising. I didn’t think anyone could come close to those two.”

“The guns and the drugs? That shit was bad enough. They destroyed a lot of lives; killed a lot of people. But the shit I found AFTER I got there? About these guys? About other things they were up to? It’s fucked, Me. It’s fucked and it’s sick and twisted and I don’t think you need to know about it.”

“Well I think I do. You don’t have to shoulder this alone. It’s better if you don’t. Just tell me. I have big shoulders. Well, maybe not LITERALLY. What did you hear? About them?”

“Babe…”

“Tyler, tell me. Don’t do this. Not if you have plans on getting laid the rest of the time we’re here.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Oh I would. I’m not afraid to pull out the big guns. So either you tell me, or you suffer. Simple as that.”

“You’re a pain in my ass, you know that?”

“Tell me.” She presses a kiss to his lips. “Please.”

“When I got there and talked to the guy who hired Anil, things got worse. The Marks were even bigger pieces of shit than I thought. They’d both been married a handful of times. And put each one of their wives in the hospital. More than twice. A couple of them even ended up dead. There was never any proof that these guys did it, but…”

“But it’s pretty obvious.”

Tyler nods. “And then I heard about the kids. Not just kids they didn’t know. But kids related to them. Cousins, nieces, nephews. Their OWN kids.”

“Just beaten on them or…?”

“No. Not just beating on them. That’s bad enough. But this?”

“Sexual stuff.”

“Yeah. Sexual stuff.”

“Wow..” she sighs heavily, a fingertip skimming along the chain he wears around his neck. “...that IS the lowest of the low.”

“It just hit home. HARD. Made me think of you and the kids. Made being away from home a lot more difficult. And it was difficult enough already.”

“I’m sorry. That you had to hear all of that. But for it’s worth, I’m glad it’s you that took care of them. Anyone else ran the risk of screwing shit up. At least when you do things, you finish them That’s a bright spot, right? That you DID get to be the one?”

“Yeah, I guess. Just fucked me up. Mentally. Made me think of our kids. I swear to God, Me. If anything like that ever happens to them...if I ever find out that someone has touched them like that? I will fucking lose it. I will snap and I will fuck them up. I will torture them in all the worst ways possible. The most painful ways I know how. And then I’ll kill them. With my bare hands. If anyone ever messes with my kids…”

“Don’t think about that, Tyler. Don’t torture yourself like that. I mean, I think about it too. From time to time. And how I’d go nuts and kill someone. But don’t dwell on it, okay? Because our kids are fine. They’re warm and they're safe in their beds. And they always will be safe as long as you’re around. You know I always say you make me feel safe and protected? Well you do the same for them. You always have. Don’t ever doubt that, okay? They love you and they trust you. And you’re an amazing daddy.”

“I just want them to be safe. That’s all I want. Them safe. YOU safe.”

“And we ARE. Safe. As long as we’re with you, we’re fine. We don’t worry about a damn thing when you’re around. So please…” Esme presses a kiss to his cheek and nuzzles the end of her nose against his ear. “...no more dwelling. You got it out; you talked about it. You don’t need to think about it anymore.”

Running his hand through her hair, he tangles his fingers in the dark tresses and gently pulls her head back; lips covering hers in a long, slow kiss.

“Mmm…” she murmurs into his mouth, then sighs happily when he pulls away. “...that was...nice.”

“That was very nice.”

“You think you have one more in you? I still have some expectations that need to be met.”

“I think I can manage.”

“Good.” She throws her arms around his neck and rolls onto her back, kissing him hungrily as she pulls him down on top of her. Nails digging into his skin and her legs wrapping around his waist; ankles locking at the small of his back and a devilish grin playing on her lips when he pulls back to look at her. “Husband, you need to make love to me again.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice.

[bi-outta-cordonia]

LIZZZZZZZ, tell us about your ROD MC and TRR MC for the class! 😭

Okay Miss B!!

Ride or Die:

full name and why I chose it: Deidre Wheeler: I’m gonna be real honest, a lot of times I just pick names based on what sounds best when I say it aloud and in my head but then I go back to look up the names I’m using and...this particular one? It’s a rough one!

pronouns: she/her/hers

alignment: She starts the book lawful good but I’m pretty sure by the end of it, she’s chaotic good

zodiac sign: She’s an Aries!

favorite tv show/movie: The Princess Bride

weapon of choice: Her brain, up until you pull out an actual weapon

love interest(s), if they have one: She’s dating Colt Kaneko, a poor choice but a bold one

sexuality: Bisexual

favorite holiday: Independence Day but only because she’s a huge fan of fireworks

ideal day: Prior to getting wrapped up she would’ve enjoyed burying her head in a good book, hanging out with Riya at their favorite spot, probably walking into bars that offer quiz nights, and wrapping the day up with a nice dinner with her dad

After she decides to become a delinquent her ideal day would’ve been going for a drive with Logan, hanging out in his flat, and listening to the crew tell stories about themselves--or as much as they could without incriminating themselves

how is their dream house: She’s kinda young to be thinking about that but I think she’d imagine her ideal place being a three bedroom in a nice community

favorite mythological figure: Artemis!

comfort food, if they have one: The Deidre Special, which is just the most ridiculous stack of Belgian waffles ever

description of their favorite outfit: Black tank top, cut off shorts, pink plaid shirt tied around her waist, combat boots, and silver jewelry on her wrists and ears

fc: Karidja Toure! 

TRR!

full name and why I chose it: Queen Riley Selene Harrington-Rhys, I originally let her name stay the default name because I just didn’t want to pick another name but nowadays, she’s truly grown into it so I won’t change it

pronouns: she/her/hers

alignment: Neutral good, she’s not scared of breaking the rules 

zodiac sign: Honestly? I peg her as a Gemini!

favourite movie/tv show: Shameless

weapon of choice: She’s very much partial to the sword and takes up quite a number of sessions training with one

love interest(s), if they have one: King Liam Rhys, baby! 

sexuality: bisexual

favourite holiday: There’s a Cordonian holiday dedicated to kick starting the apple harvesting season; it takes place on a large estate and has the royals digging and engaging in apple season traditions meant to bring good luck throughout the season; it’s just one of the many facets of Cordonia she’s come to love sharing with the people she cares for

ideal day: less than six meetings--all done in the morning, light lunch with Hana and Kiara, two brief press meetings, only sixteen emails to answer, attending one function for the day, meeting with Liam so they can have dinner together, and hopefully if she or Liam aren’t wiped out by the end of the night--they might bang

how is their dream house: tbh she thought being able to afford a shitty apartment in NYC on her own was ideal until she flew half way across the world, bagged a king, and had him give her two entire castles to live in

favourite mythological figure: Isis

comfort food, if they have one: her comfort food has always been strawberries

description of their favourite outfit: peach skirt, elegant white blouse, champagne colored heels, soft gold jewelry with a nice clutch that matches her shoes, and light make up

faceclaim: Aiyana Lewis!

[edenbrooks]

ride or die mc!

here’s ellie!

full name and why I chose it: ellie lang! i kept her name as ellie because i thought it suited her and the names i usually use didn’t fit. i don’t remember her last name – it was probably byakko because that’s my default last name for MCs, but let’s change it to lang. it suits her better!

pronouns: she/her

alignment: lawful good, but skews more towards lawful neutral after the events in ride or die

zodiac sign: probably capricorn! i can see her being an earth sign and associated with winter

favourite movie/tv show: gilmore girls, ghibli movies, your name. she also likes to dabble in horror and thriller movies (she loved parasite)

weapon of choice: she’d rather avoid conflict altogether

love interest(s), if they have one: logan 😳👉👈 she definitely had feelings for colt though (i always try to romance colt but i’m never strong enough to reject logan)

sexuality: bi

favourite holiday: christmas! she loves being obnoxiously festive, spending time at home with her dad, and singing all i want for christmas is you with riya for the millionth time

ideal day: having an early start to the day to watch the sun rise and be productive in the morning, and then having a lazy day in during the rest of the day (bonus points if she can sit down with a good book and some tea!)

how is their dream house: a red brick townhouse in a lively neighbourhood!

favourite mythological figure: we’re going to go with mermaids for this one

comfort food, if they have one: after moving out for college, any food that reminds her of her dad, especially pancakes topped with lots of maple syrup and berries

description of their favourite outfit: she loves oversized sweaters and cardigans in neutral colours. anything paired with them is a good outfit to her

faceclaim: don’t have one!

[omgjasminesimone]

The Hot Exchange Student Part 3

Logan x MC (Ellie)

Previous Part: Part 2

Next Part: Part 4

Author’s Note: This is longer than usual, and I didn’t get as far as I originally wanted to. Hopefully you guys like the longer length! One last RoDAW entry!

Summary: Logan is an exchange student from Detroit a month into his exchange program in L.A. Tensions rise with his detective host father as Logan becomes involved in L.A.’s criminal underbelly, while simultaneously becoming romantically involved with the detective’s daughter.

Word Count: ~4000

For a few moments no one speaks, a silent showdown. Mr. Wheeler is looking at his daughter with his ���I’m not mad, I’m disappointed’ face, but when his stare turns to Logan sitting beside her, his face reads, ‘I’m both mad and disappointed’.

“Where were you guys?” Detective Wheeler finally asks.

“A car show.” Ellie answers.

“I was unaware they had car shows at 11:00 PM on Saturday nights. Did you mean an illegal sideshow?” Detective Wheeler prompts.

Ellie sighs, her shoulders slumping. “Yes.”

Detective Wheeler nods. “Despite the fact that you guys are grounded, and you’re only supposed to leave the house for school or if you’re studying.”  

Ellie deflates further. “…Yes.” She answers when her father looks like he’s waiting for a response.

Detective Wheeler turns his gaze to Logan, who is sitting beside Ellie defiantly, not looking remorseful in the least. “Anything you want to say Logan?” Detective Wheeler asks, narrowed eyes informing Logan that he’s looking for an apology.

He doesn’t get one. “Just that the three week grounding for missing a 10:00 curfew seemed a little excessive to me. Ellie is a good person. You can loosen the leash a little bit.”

Ellie winces at that response. Her dad is going to explode.

The cold, calm anger Detective Wheeler speaks with next is more terrifying than the rare occasions when he’s yelled at her. “You’ve been very disrespectful since you got here Logan. We’ve had several conversations about it, and your behavior has not changed. I think you’re a bad influence on Ellie, and I really don’t like that. If you’re going to live under my roof, you’re going to follow my rules. Otherwise, you can leave my house and go back to Detroit early. Are we clear?”

This is the first time Detective Wheeler has actually threatened to kick Logan out of the house. Logan’s jaw clenches as he fights his desire to retort. He chances a quick look at Ellie before he nods. “Crystal.”

“Good. I also want to speak to your parents about your behavior.” Detective Wheeler adds, leaning back in his recliner.

Logan hesitates, taking a breath before he finally speaks. “I can give you my current foster father’s phone number if you really want it, but I can promise you he’s not going to care. And most of the time his phone doesn’t work because he spends his whole social security check on beer before paying the bill.” Logan reveals.  

Foster care. That explains a lot. The lack of belongings. His aversion to parental authority. His ‘situation’ in Detroit. Ellie feels bad for him, but she tries to fight down that feeling. She knows Logan well enough to know that he doesn’t want her pity. That’s probably why he never told her.

“I’d still like his number.” Detective Wheeler says, pulling out his address book while Logan goes through his phone to pull up his contacts. Logan recites the number, and Detective Wheeler writes it down. “I’ll call him tomorrow since it’s so late, even later Central time. You guys should get to bed too.”

Ellie looks at her dad suspiciously. That’s it? Ellie starts to get up, but then her father speaks again.

“By the way, you guys are grounded for another 3 weeks. And this time, I mean it.”

…

..

.

Ellie’s phone pings as she and Logan watch a movie on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder. She sits up to grab it from the coffee table. It’s a text from her dad.

Dad: Peace signs by the refrigerator.

“Logan, peace signs by the refrigerator.” Ellie reports, standing up and heading towards the kitchen. Logan follows behind her, hands in the pockets of his jeans.

“This is so stupid.” He complains as they pose for the selfie. Ellie sees he’s flipping a bird in her camera screen as she prepares to take the photo.

“Logan.” She admonishes, so he lifts his index finger as well to make the peace sign her father has requested.

To enforce his grounding when he’s away at work, Ellie’s father requests specific poses somewhere in the house. That way, he knows they’re home like they’re supposed to be. This is their last day of grounding, but it hasn’t been all bad.

Ellie has gotten a lot of studying done over the three weeks, and more importantly, she’s had a lot of quality time to spend with Logan. He’s more open with her now, since he’s not trying to hide his background anymore.

Logan told her that he was born in prison. That he doesn’t know who his father is. That his mom is still in jail for all he knows, they’ve never had any contact.

He told her about his current foster father, an alcoholic with 6 foster kids in a small three bedroom trailer. Logan shares a small bedroom with a 15 year old foster brother, who Logan simply describes as ‘troubled’. Despite this, he tells her it’s actually one of his better placements.

That’s why when his high school counselor told him about the opportunity for a full ride scholarship for the exchange program, he jumped on it.

 (“She’s straight out of college. So she’s not jaded yet, she still cares.” Logan scoffs, drawing skulls on the toes of his chucks as they hang out on the porch. “That won’t last long.”)

Another reason why the grounding hasn’t been all bad is because they’ve found creative ways to work around it. Ellie and Logan signed up for an after school SAT prep class, and Logan convinced her to lie to her father about what time it ends, giving them 2 hours of free time each day after school. Well, Logan has 4 hours of free time because he doesn’t actually go to the class. She’s not sure exactly what he’s doing, he’s very vague about it when she asks.

Ellie feels bad about lying, she didn’t habitually lie to her father before Logan got here, but she does enjoy those 2 hours with Logan. Sometimes, they go to the beach. Or that diner she loves with Riya and Darius. But usually, that time is dedicated to driving practice. Ellie really want to pass her license test.

Since they’re already in the kitchen, Ellie pops another bag of popcorn before they return to the couch. “Do you feel ready for your driving test tomorrow?” Logan asks, watching her instead of the cheesy horror movie.

“I think I am.” She smiles up at him. “You’ve taught me well.”

..

Hmm, what to wear. Ellie is looking for an outfit that says, hey, this girl is a competent driver who totally deserves a license. She settles on a denim skirt and a white shirt that hangs off her shoulders. She’s putting her long hair into her usual braid when Logan knocks.

“Hey troublemaker. Change of plans. I’m sorry, but I can’t take you to your test. Something important came up.” He takes in her outfit. “Wow, you look great.”

She’s too annoyed with him to be flustered at the compliment. “What do you mean you can’t take me? I can’t ask my dad and rescheduling with the DMV would be an absolute nightmare.”

“You can take the car, just drive yourself.” Logan underhand tosses her the keys.

She catches them with both hands, “But, I don’t have my license! It’s illegal for me to drive by myself.”

“Just don’t get pulled over on the way there and you’ll be fine. You’re definitely going to pass. Come here, good luck hug, not that you need it.”

She wants to ask him what he’s doing that’s so important, but she doubts he would tell her. So she just walks over and hugs him. He smells really good. Like, vanilla-y? She tightens her grip around his muscled chest, burying her face into his shirt.

“Text me when you’ve passed.” Logan says as he pulls away after one last squeeze.

She is even more of a stickler for the rules than she usually is as she drives to the DMV, cars behind her getting annoyed with her since she’s actually under the speed limit. But she doesn’t get pulled over, and when she finishes her test the instructor says she’s the best beginner he’s ever seen. She’s passed.

Ellie smiles for her new license photo, and once it’s printed she takes a photo of the freshly minted license and texts it to Logan. He replies right away.

Logan: congrats!!

Logan: knew u could do it troublemaker

Ellie: Thank you! I’m very excited, if you couldn’t tell from the big cheesy grin on my license photo. :D

Ellie: Where are you? I can come pick you up, we can get a celebratory late lunch/early dinner.

The three dots indicating that Logan is typing starts, stops, and then starts again as he probably writes and deletes a message.

Logan: I’m actually at a drive-in movie theater

Logan: come meet me troublemaker 😉

His next text includes an address on Rosecrans. Ellie plugs it into her phone and takes her first licensed solo drive.

..

Ellie wanders the parking lot on foot. Logan told her to park on the street (they charge by car), and that she’s looking for a white van. But there are a lot of cars here. She looks around helplessly, pulling out her phone to text Logan again.

“You lost, sweetheart?”

Ellie turns to see who would use sweetheart in such a condescending manner. She’s met with a boy who looks to be around her age, dark hair, even darker eyes, dressed in a leather jacket and carrying a tub of popcorn. He seems  familiar for some reason.

“Maybe a little lost. Logan’s directions were a little vague.” She admits.

“Aah, you must be Ellie. Logan said you were coming.” He looks her up and down. “What is a girl like you doing hanging out with a lowlife like Logan?” Before Ellie can say anything in Logan’s defense, the boy walks off. Ellie assumes she should follow him.

He stops in front of an old white cargo van, opening the sliding door. Inside there’s Logan, a man with long hair, prominent neck tattoos, and glasses, an extremely tall woman, and another woman with long black hair and a piercing gaze all resting on bean bag chairs in the back.

“Hey Ellie, you made it.” Logan says, taking her hand to help her into the van. “Ellie, this is Toby, Ximena, Mona, and Colt.”

Toby and Ximena both give her a welcoming smile, while Mona just looks at her appraisingly. “Take a seat Ellie! Or you’re going to miss the best part!” Toby warns, eyes returning to the screen.

Ellie squeezes onto Logan’s bean bag chair, leg flush against his. “How’d you meet your friends?” She asks Logan softly.

“I wouldn’t say they’re my friends. Just coworkers I get along with. Well, I don’t always get along with Colt. But he’s just visiting Kaneko over his Fall Break.” Logan answers.

Ahh, so that’s why Colt looked familiar, he’s Kaneko’s son. Ellie’s brow furrows as she goes over the rest of his statement. “Coworkers? You have a job?”

His eyes widen slightly at his slip up. He gives her a measured glance, as if he’s deciding how much he should tell her. “I’m doing some work for Kaneko.”

Ellie’s blood runs cold, remembering how everyone feared Kaneko. Knowing that whatever work Kaneko is offering is probably criminal. What has Logan gotten himself into? “What kind of work?” She presses.

“Shh you two! Blown Gasket is playing!” Toby chastises, looking at the screen raptly during a car chase scene.  

Ellie shuts up, but not before giving Logan a look that clearly says the discussion isn’t over.

Colt scoffs at Toby’s enthusiasm. “Calm down Toby. You’ve only seen this stupid movie fifty times.”

“No one forced you to come Kaneko Jr.” Mona retorts, not even bothering to turn away from the screen to look at Colt.

“My dad wanted everyone out of the garage while he does whatever he’s doing, especially me.” Colt replies.

Logan leans over slightly to whisper in Ellie’s ear, not wanting Toby’s wrath. “Does your dad know where we are?”

“I just told him we’re out with friends. We’re not grounded anymore, so he was fine with it.” Ellie whispers back.

Half an hour later, Ellie finishes the last of the popcorn in the extra large tub. She starts to put the empty tub down on the floor, when Ximena interjects. “Nuh uh sweetie. Whoever finishes it gets the next refill.”

Toby gives Ellie a $100 bill. “Does anyone have anything smaller?” Ellie asks, standing from the bean bag chair and heading for the door.  

“Nope.” Mona responds, opening the door for Ellie.

Ellie is walking across the lot towards the concession stand when suddenly someone steps in front of her, blocking her path. Ellie looks up and is met with Salazar’s smirking face. “I can’t believe it, real nice of you to join us.” Salazar sneers.

“Salazar…” Ellie mumbles, dropping the popcorn bucket and turning around to head back to the van when Salazar steps towards her menacingly. Ellie’s escape path is cut off by the same four goons who had accompanied Salazar when he lost the race.

“I heard the Mercy Park Crew was hanging around here, came to see for myself.” He spits out when he reaches her. Mercy Park Crew? Ellie has no idea what he’s talking about. “Your boyfriend owes me money for what he did, lots of it.”

“You lost the race. You both agreed on the terms.” Ellie mutters weakly, looking around for a possible escape but finding nothing.

“I don’t remember him stealing the opportunity I had with Kaneko being one of the terms. I worked hard to build respect in the streets, to make a name for myself, and now some punk kid shows up and gets everything handed to him? That’s bullshit.” He turns to the biggest goon. “Grab her. He’ll pay to get her back.”

“No!” Ellie tries to fight off the heavily tattooed man gripping her arm roughly, but he’s twice her size so she doesn’t stand a chance.

“Get away from her. You got a problem with me, you leave her out of it.” Logan’s voice has a dangerous edge to it that Ellie has never heard before. The goon looks to Salazar, waiting for a small nod, before releasing her.

Ellie quickly retreats to Logan’s side, and he gently pushes her behind him. Salazar smirks, eyeing Logan venomously. “Now it’s a party.”

The goons close in, encircling Logan. Logan clenches his fists, gearing up for a fight.

“No, Logan! You can’t fight them five on one. We need to run.” Ellie reasons.

He briefly turns to look at her, his gaze hard. “You need to run. Now.” He swings his fist at the nearest goon, rocking his jaw.

That goon goes down, clutching his jaw, but one of the others cries “Get him!”, and the remaining goons and Salazar attack all at once. Ellie doesn’t run as instructed, instead she looks on worriedly as Logan fights like an animal, punching, grappling, slamming.

Her heart hurts a little as she wonders where he learned to fight like this. Was it a particularly abusive group home? Out on the streets of Detroit? He holds his own for a while, but eventually he can’t fend them all off and they get him down to the ground.

“You piece of shit.” Salazar sneers, kicking Logan hard in the ribs, again, and again. Ellie can’t take anymore, so she grabs a forgotten pipe on the asphalt as she runs towards the melee.

“Stop it!” She cries, swinging as hard as she can into Salazar’s back. He topples over with a grunt.

Salazar glares at her. “You little bitch.” Logan takes advantage of Salazar being momentarily preoccupied, kicking straight into one of the goon’s chin. He falls with a yelp. But another goon grabs Ellie, throwing her roughly into a car door. Ellie feels a searing pain from her forehead, raising her hand to grasp at it. When she brings her hand back down, there’s blood on her palm. “Nnh.” She mutters weakly, putting both hands to the asphalt in an attempt to get back to her feet.

“Ellie!” Logan exclaims. He’s covered in bruises, but he tries to push himself up anyway. He is quickly beaten back down.

Salazar gets to his feet, dusting himself off. “You don’t know who you messed with.” He threatens, readying to stomp down on Logan.

Suddenly, a razor sharp knife flicks to Salazar’s throat, Mona appears behind him with Toby, Colt, and Ximena, all looking very threatening. Ellie is surprised Toby can pull off such a menacing look.

“Do you?” Mona asks, allowing the blade to dig in a little more. Salazar lowers his foot, putting his hands up, knowing he’s been beaten. “Don’t show your faces here again.” Mona threatens, shoving Salazar away. Salazar glares at Ellie and Logan one more time before stalking away, his injured goons following behind him.

Colt offers Logan a hand up. “You’re pretty lucky I saved your ass, huh? Pshh…and dad thinks you could replace me.”

Logan ignores Colt’s hand, getting up on his own. “Funny, I don’t feel too lucky right about now. Where’s Ellie?”

“Logan!” Ellie runs to the group, taking Logan’s face into her hands and gently examining the bruising, the worst of it around his right eye, which is swollen shut. He smiles weakly at her, apologetically. Ellie sighs, gently rubbing her thumb on his cheek. “We need to get you home Logan.”

She turns towards the others. “Thank you for saving him.”

Colt smirks, crossing his arms over his chest. “Consider it Mercy Park Crew community service.”

…

..

.

“Ellie? Logan?” Her dad’s voice carries from the kitchen as Ellie opens the front door and the door alarm chimes shortly.

“Hey Dad, we’re home.” Ellie calls back, trying to tug Logan up the stairs before her dad sees his bruises, which will no doubt lead to questions they’re unprepared to answer.

“Dinner is almost ready!” Her dad calls back. The smell of his home made spaghetti permeates the air.

“Okay! We’ll be down shortly!” Ellie yells from the top of the stairs, pulling Logan into his room. She pulls the door almost closed behind them, leaving it open just a crack. That’s another one of her dad’s rules, she and Logan aren’t allowed to be in a room together with the door closed.

Ellie pulls the first aid kid from the closet. “Sit.” She commands, so Logan takes a seat on his bed. Ellie turns the lamp beside the bed on, bathing Logan in its soft glow. For the first time she sees how badly injured he is. She sighs, taking a seat beside him. “You shouldn’t have gone through all that trouble for me.”

“What are you talking about? They never would have gone after you if it wasn’t for me. So yes, I did” Logan insists. Ellie tenderly touches Logan’s face, and he tries to hide his wince, but she sees it. He places his hand over hers before she can pull back. “I’m fine Ellie. I’ve been in worse fights. They only got a few licks in.”

They clearly got more than a few licks in, but Ellie doesn’t argue with him. Instead, she opens the first aid kit. She remembers watching Salazar kick him in the ribs, knowing they’re probably seriously injured. “Can you take off your shirt?” She asks softly.

He peels off the white t-shirt, wincing a little at the movement, and tosses the shirt to the floor. He keeps the spark plug necklace he’s always wearing on.

She’s felt how toned he is when they’ve hugged, but it’s an entirely different experience to see all his taut muscles exposed in the low light of the lamp. But before she can become too distracted by his amazing body and six pack abs, she notices the dark purple bruising all over his sides. And beneath that, the scars from the car accident he told her about when he was teaching her to drive, making her promise to always be in control.    

Ellie grabs the peroxide from the kit and dabs it on a long gash running down his collarbone. “Fuck, that stings.” Logan complains, squeezing his eyes shut as he tries not to pull away from her.

“I’m sorry.” She apologizes, placing a soft kiss to the tan skin near the gash without even thinking about it. But she notices his soft intake of breath and realizes what she just did. She slowly raises her gaze to meet his.

Something electric passes between them, and then Logan’s eyes go up further, to the cut on her forehead. He pushes her hair out of her face and traces it, his touch gentler than she could ever expect from the same boy she saw just a half hour earlier fighting the goons so viciously.

“You’re hurt.” He observes.

“I’m fine. You’re the one who’s hurt.” She retorts, knocking his hand aside and getting back to her task of bandaging up the cut.

He shakes his head softly, watching her as she starts to bandage up his ribs. “You should have run Ellie. Why didn’t you run like I told you to?” Logan admonishes.

“I couldn’t just leave you there Logan.”

“You have to. You have to be able to leave me Ellie. Otherwise…” He trails off, turning away from her.

“Otherwise what? Logan?” When he still doesn’t respond, she puts both hands on his face and forces him to make eye contact. “What are you trying to tell me Logan?” She asks softly, looking deeply into his brown eyes.

Suddenly, he surges forward, lips capturing hers in a searing kiss.

Oh my God, he’s kissing her. She’s having her first kiss. She’ll have to call Riya later, her long-time best friend will want to know about this. Logan’s hands tangle in her hair, tilting her head as he attempts to deepen the kiss. Ellie doesn’t know what to do with her hands, she starts to put them on his strong bare shoulders, but chickens out at the last moment and let’s them fall back to her sides.

Wait, he’s licking at her lips now. Does that mean something? Does he want her to open her mouth? Is she ready for that? What if she’s a bad kisser? Is she totally embarrassing herself?  

Logan pulls away from her lips, resting his forehead against hers as both of their eyes open. “You’re overthinking this.”

“I overthink everything.”

Logan smiles softly at that response, giving her a quick peck. “Just relax. Do what feels natural. Trust me Ellie, there’s nothing you can do that I won’t like.” He closes his eyes and kisses her again, and Ellie takes his advice. She doesn’t think, she does what feels natural. Ellie’s hands trail up his arms to loop around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. He opens his mouth, and because of the way their wet lips are staggered, her mouth opens too, allowing him to slip his tongue in.

It’s an unfamiliar sensation, but she decides she likes it. She tentatively circles his tongue with her own, and he hums appreciatively. Despite his injuries, he pulls her onto his lap, letting her straddle him. He pulls back to give her time to breathe, kissing down her neck and across her collar bone.  

She tangles her fingers in his hair. It’s as soft as she always imagined it would be. Logan’s name escapes her lips on a breathy sigh as he sucks on her collar bone, marking her. He returns to her lips, kissing her more forcefully, hand pressed to her lower back to pull her even closer.

“Dinner!” Detective Wheeler calls from downstairs, causing the two teens to quickly spring away from each other, remembering where they are.

“We can’t let him see you like this. I’ll tell him you’re tired and skipping dinner. I’ll bring up your food later. Hopefully your eye will be less swollen tomorrow, we’ll put some concealer on your bruises.” Ellie plans out loud.

Logan smiles softly, really wanting to kiss her again. “Sounds like a plan troublemaker.” She turns to head downstairs. “Wait!” Logan calls out, reaching for her hand. He gently pulls her back to him and tugs her shirt up a little, covering the hickey forming on her collar bone. “Okay, you can go now.”

…

..

.

Taglist: @choicesarehard @ifyouseekheart @brightpinkpeppercorn @regina-and-happiness @choicelogansbitch @flyawayboo @fairydustandsarcasm @alesana45 @umiumichan @maxwellsquidsuit @lahelable @god-save-the-keen @mrsmckenziesworld @paisleylovergirl @iplaydrake @sinclaire-made-me-sin @hazah @lovehugsandcandy @desiree-0816 @cora-nova @justdani14 @lady-dianelewis @emceesynonymroll @emichelle @badchoicesposts @client-327 @riverrune @liamzigmichael4ever @princessstellaris

[tinka-tank]

(They didn't have the Paldea one 😭)

Part 3 in the DC Pokémon AU, please see previous posts for more lore and I'm still open to more help and suggestions

Check the #dc pokemon au for it

These are just things I shit out and maybe someday I'll properly render everything but my design process for these is make them have a color that their typing has as in pink for fairy and blue for water etc.

Very special thank you to @illusionsignmisdirection for the help with this au and all the wonderful suggestions and ideas

Alec:

Alec is the ice type gym leader, he is the 1st gym leader overall. His gym is a library and he is the main librarian. He's planned to be apart of the villain team (known as Team Idol) as their leader so under the gym is the secret base which has those annoying ass ice puzzles we all are too familiar with.. and the gym is on top of an ice mountain because your first task is going to be haul ass up that mountain #absolutely and yes he is divorced and his wife took their son as she should #yup He's the only one with a party decided with a Delibird and Snorunt and his later party as the final team boss is to be decided.

For his design I went with icy librarian man that's literally my thought process and a tattered coat to show age and tired energy

Gabby and Ellie:

Gabby and Ellie are the grass type gym leaders, the second gym leaders overall. It started off as Gabby, but I imagine she had Ellie join her seeing as Ellie is a good battler herself. I like to think they're married or at the very least promised to each other, as see by the matching rings I gave them. They are so in love really... and I like to think Ellie made their outfits for each other (I couldn't pick which Gabby design I liked better so I put both) because I still think she's a fashion designer and probably her job is working at an office or freelance design, as seen w the pencil skirt and flats I gave her. I wanted her to look cute and professional to show that looks can be deceiving because she's also apart of Team Idol and maybe Gabby might be too, depending on what happens in dcas w her and the villains alliance. Gabby is supposed to give whimsical yes, like the most whimsy grass girl ever who waters her flowers and would shoot you if you litter type of shit. I think sometimes Gabby is solo then Ellie takes over other hours or sometimes they both battle together. Gabbys job is probably the city/town gardener, probably sells herbs and healing items that aren't found in Pokémarts

Hunter:

Hunter is the ghost type gym leader, he is the 3rd gym leader overall. I like to think his gym is some kind of abandoned warehouse or some other abandoned place turned ghost rave ! Ally is the DJ and does all the electrical work while Hunter battles challengers and puts on performances with the fellow ghosts roaming around. I based his design on the fact that he should be allowed to wear whatever he wants and the neon glowsticks and bracelets are based on his team colors !! Also the pale face paint and make up bc he's a performer duh and a crinoline with tattered fabric bc he's fancy like that. Didn't wanna add too many skulls bc that's Jake's brand he was the first one move over Hunter and his job really just is performer like he performs all the time for cash and relies on Ally dj money too 😭

Riya:

Riya is the flying type gym leader, she is the fifth gym leader overall. Yes her flying type is because of her assassination attempt on Aiden no one can change me I'm a woman. And also because her with a Bombirdier fits and also an Altaria and Vespiquen, but it's still to be decided. Her design was inspired by sky trainer bodysuits and her shoes height are to reflect her incredible balance and how she's always above everyone else both physically and mentally. I liked adding armor that looks like she's a warrior because let's be real here she is here to WIN. Also gold. She's regal. Love her sm... I think she puts on air show performances and is a celebrity, movie star all over again... like she's so fabulous how can you look away ? Her gym in my head is probably a runway of sorts or movie studio, probably shoots her battling to add into her movies really and yes she's apart of the villain team, she's second in command because why wouldn't she be

Miriam:

(Queen) Miriam is a retired gym leader, she once was the fairy type gym leader, formerly the eighth and last gym leader. Jake now is in her spot and she sometimes visits the gym. She normally is at home baking and providing for the neighboring Pokémon. I like to think her ace is Alcremie cause of obvious reasons and that Jake gifted her a Fidough to keep her company when he's busy at his job and the gym. She has a more bright and "good" aesthetic than Jake, so her gym was more different than his currently is. I like to think she could be challenged later on if this was a game, like post game ! I like to think she also exposed Team Idol and either was kidnapped or just. Roams free who knows. But she's strong and a wise mentor to Jake who helped him calm down a bit so he doesn't destroy everything with his powers when losing.

Other tidbits:

- This is the Tipiskaw Region and it's like side game regions where no new Pokémon are introduced but old ones are available like from previous generations

- The order is:

1st gym: Alec (ice type)

2nd gym: Gabby and Ellie (grass type)

3rd gym: Hunter (ghost type)

4th gym: Connor (steel type)

5th gym: Riya (flying type)

6th gym: James (electric type)

7th gym: Grett (dragon type)

8th gym: Jake (fairy type)

Elite four: Oliver (normal type)

Elite four: Emily (psychic type)

Elite four: Derek (dark type)

Elite four: Trevor (ground type)

Champion: Kristal

- The name of the Villain team is Team Idol, consisting of Leader Alec, second in command Riya, Grett, Yul, Ellie (maybe Gabby) and Fiore and their goal is for complete domination

- Yul is the first fight due to being brash and a show off, many people believe he's the leader of the team because of this and he is a fire type speicalist (also Yul has big beef w James as they are rival idols and both have Oricorio aces)

- Fiore is a NFE specialist (not fully evolved) specialist with Pokémon that just aren't fully evolved yet, but she is still strong in her own right and she trashed Tom's cop car definitely

- Grett is the dragon type specialist and a gym leader herself who later decides to help you the player (Lake and Drew) to stop the team bc she realizes it's wrong and gives the key pass to the secret base she is STRONG

- Also yes Lake is the female MC and despite not being an all star, Drew is the male MC. Lake is the talkative protagonist Drew is the silent protagonist

- Aiden is the friendly rival with legit one Pokémon, that being Pidove and it eventually evolves into a Tranquill and just stops there. Ellie is the hating ass rival, maybe, I think so yeah

- Tom is a police officer and almost a Looker figure as he is constantly going around the region and yes him and Jake had a thing and it's going poorly like in all stars

- Tom will be kidnapped by Team Idol yes, and other shit occurs which the gym leaders (that aren't in on it) have to help save the day

I like to think this is Jake's reaction to the shit storm Ellie throws at him bc she kidnapped Tom:

I'll make another post later on with all the complete details of all the characters and their rolls, I'm primarily focusing on the dcas cast

[msommers]

10, 15, 30, 37 for riya, ghilly and jorina!

I FINALLY ANSWERED THEM. I DIDN'T HAVE A CRISIS OVER SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS AT ALL. THANK YOU. // random dnd questions

10) How does your PC fidget?

RIYA — hands gotta be in motion (clasping and unclasping in different positions, tapping against her thigh or a surface, half-effort somatic practice for spells, etc), twisting the Valdivia rings around her fingers, playing with her hair, adjusting her outfit, messing about with the locket or handkerchief her father sent her.

GHILLY — traces the vallaslin on her fingers, gently swings the lantern at the top of her staff while gazing at whatever magic is currently idling in it, tugs and twists loose threads from the various patches on her skirt/dress, draws various runes/sigils/letters she’s seen in ruins on the nearest surface with her fingers.

JORINA — a lot of readjusting her posture/stance, picking at the edge of a pocket, taking out a pencil and fiddling with it, tugging at the end of her braid or fully rebranding the hair if anxious long enough. 

15) How does your PC feel about marriage? Weddings?

RIYA — i have overthought this question to the point of insanity somebody save me. i think this is a case of Riya having not really thought about marriage for herself (not out of disliking it, just avoidance because one too many subtle mentions of political arrangements), but in General she has a positive view on it because she grew up with a healthy example in her parents. they have a beautiful love and partnership, and her favorite part of it is how they’ve clearly communicated what they need/want from each other so there’s never any confusion in expectations. it’s rubbed off on Riya and that’s why she’s so chill about discussions in her relationships, having no troubles communicating expectations, boundaries and needs. i mean if it came down to it, if Riya’s serious enough with somebody for marriage to come up then they’ve probably thoroughly established every aspect of the relationship and she’d be down for it so long as the other party isn’t demanding changes outside of her comfort zone. it’s already a partnership, this just adds a few fun new titles/petnames to use and probably a pretty ring 🥰 there better be a pretty ring 🥰🥰 oh also the other part of the question: weddings are fucking bangers, she wants to attend them all.

GHILLY — she thinks it's cute :’) it's so funny knowing the big chunks of text that flank her answer, but Ghilly doesn't have any strong opinions here. she's a romantic at heart and enjoys the idea of feeling so connected to another that you want to add another level of devotion to it. i bet some dalish bonding celebrations are fun as fuck, she'd vibe with them. 

JORINA — i think marriage is a side quest in Jorina's overarching hero's journey to understand, process, and work through the complicated mess that is her feelings on romance after what happened to her parents. for a long time it was a terrifying concept because her father basically fucking disappeared into his grief after her mother died, and one of the things that got stuck in her head from that was “marriage = committing to love somebody so much that you're entirely shattered if they leave and that's it, you're broken forever ”. it's such an extreme take but it was formed at like age 15 or smth and it was easier to fully lock into it than deconstruct it,,,,but she ends up doing that down the line anyway. because after a few years with Aleksi she has to admit to herself that even without marriage between them, she fully understands that you can feel that kind of love without exchanging vows and rings. there's obvs a lot more to work through there but that's the start of it, and she'd probably eventually land in the camp of respecting that others see it as a relationship goal but it's nothing she herself requires. the commitment is already made, y’know. weddings are like all other social events: she's fine being there for an hour or two to show that she cares and can hold a few nice conversations with the people hosting, then she's fucking out of there. social battery dry. 

30) How does your PC flirt?

RIYA — (i blackout half the time she talks in-game so like. grain of salt here lmao) so much of it is based in being absolutely shameless in her interest/desire. loves to open with direct compliments delivered in an overtly-flirty voice to immediately get her intent across, also a big fan of blatant innuendo (moaning room you will always be famous). the level of subtlety when detailing her intentions depends on the target of her attention and her current patience level. puts an equal amount of effort into the physical approach as well with eye contact, deliberate movement/expressions, brazen touches with her hands. it all comes down to the simple fact that whatever Riya wants with you—anywhere on the scale from flirting just for fun / wanting to tear your clothes off then and there—you’re going to know it within about 30 seconds, even if you aren’t the most insightful.

GHILLY — this one is fucking with me because i can't see her doing any form of typical flirting, but i could see her doing romantic displays like reading poetry or gifting flowers. she wouldn't do innuendo or cheeky compliments, it'd be straight to the point comments on admiration/appreciation and then a proposition if there’s clear interest on both sides.

JORINA — bro so awkwardly i don't even wanna think about it, i'll suffer secondhand embarrassment from my own character 😭😭 she's not flirting! she's gazing and pining!! she's stuttering and leaving the scene the minute somebody flirts with her, she can't return it!!! i strongly believe the only time Jorina's tried to flirt it came out as an awkward but not notably out of place compliment on work performance, then she immediately walked away and it was chalked up to “wow she's real bad at positive reinforcement”. 

37) What flower represents your PC?

flower symbolism aka the bane of my existence because each flower has 17 different meanings depending on which site you visit lmao. i’m just gonna collect multiple for each so i never have to look again for them and can just come back here for future use

RIYA —

laurestine: "i die if neglected"

tiger lily: wealth, pride

marigold: grief, despair, sacred affection

red orchid: fire, romance, desire, passion

orange orchid: pride, enthusiasm, boldness

rainflower: rebirth, new beginnings, great expectations

willow: (french) bravery, humanity; (weeping) mourning

GHILLY — 

purple heather: solitude, admiration

magnolia: nature lover, nobility, dignity

blue orchid: rarity, uniqueness, beauty, spirituality

dahlia: elegance, dignity, abundance, instability

JORINA — 

purple lilac: first emotions of love

bluebell: loyalty, constancy, humility, gratitude

protea: courage, daring, resourcefulness, transformation

white tulip: forgiveness, remembrance, sincerity, "i am worthy of you"

[queenkaneko]

The Road to Langston

Pairing: Colt Kaneko x MC (Ellie)

Word Count: 1870

A/N: So. When I posted my first fic called Outlaws there was some demand for a Bonnie and Clyde AU. After the finale of ROD, this idea came to me. This will be a series. I’m not sure how long it will be yet, but I have lots of plans for it. Part two is already written and will probably be posted next week. The plan is to post a new part each week, but things happen. So I’ll do my best. Anyway. Please don’t hate me, but this one is angsty as hell. I don’t know why I’m like this, but I promise it will get better as the story progresses.

Summary: Ellie is on her way to college, but will she make it there?

Part Two

Ellie’s grip on the steering wheel was so tight her knuckles turned white and the leather creaked under her hands. Tears threatened to fall down her cheeks and she tried to force them back by breathing deeply. Colt’s words still rang in her ears, even over the blasting of her stereo. Suddenly, she’s on the street outside Jason’s house again, filled with a sense of bittersweet satisfaction knowing he can’t hurt her or anyone she cares about ever again. “I’m not ready for this to end…” She hears herself whisper. Colt’s response breaks her heart all over again as the memory consumes her, feeling his arms around her, smelling the leather of his jacket as if he really was here. “Every time you get behind the wheel, you’ll think about the crew. About me. About this part of your life. About this exact moment.” A sob rips free from her chest and the tears finally spill out onto her cheeks that jerks her back to reality. Frustrated with herself, she quickly wipes them away with one hand. He was right, as he usually was when it came to her. Ellie was grateful her father had paid to have her car repaired but the memories of Colt, Logan, Mona, Toby, and Ximena were everywhere in this car. Colt’s cactus bobblehead was stuck on her dash and a pair of pink fuzzy dice hung from the rearview along with Logan’s spark plug necklace. Each of them had created a memory with her in this car. She couldn’t escape them, and she didn’t want to. 

Ellie’s dad had told her to leave her past behind her before she left that morning. Things had been better between them, but they would never go back to normal. They couldn’t, because Ellie wasn’t the same anymore. He still hadn’t accepted that. He thought she should be able to leave L.A and never think about any of the crew again. But he was wrong. They’d become important to her, as important to her as he or Riya. Saying goodbye to Logan and Mona had felt like she was losing pieces of herself, but saying goodbye to Colt left her feeling completely empty. That feeling had faded some in the days since, but she still found herself jumping every time her phone buzzed, looking for him when she went out knowing she wouldn’t see him or hear from him, but hoping anyway. Ellie tried to force herself to think about anything, anyone else, reaching out and changing the radio station.

Ellie remembered Colt’s promise when she kissed him goodbye, her feet and hands controlling the car with her muscle memory while her mind wandered once more back to that street. “That’ll tide you over until next time. If there is a next time.” Her voice had wavered saying that. She remembered trying to be brave for him, trying to keep things light so she didn’t fall apart in the middle of the street. “There will be.” He’d said to her, and the certainty in his eyes had given her hope, in that moment, but she couldn’t help but feel more unsure with every mile she put between herself and L.A. She also thought, with a small and watery smile, of their plan to run the city. Of all the naive things she had believed in the last few months, that one was her favorite. It was a nice dream, while it lasted. But now he was going to do it alone. She still didn’t know that going to Langston what was she wanted anymore, even as she signaled onto the interstate and merged with the fast paced traffic.

After a full day of driving, Ellie pulled to a stop at a motel in Flagstaff, Arizona and put the car in park with a heavy sigh. This would be the first stop of many on the road to Langston, but she didn’t mind. The long drive gave her time to think which was both helpful and painful. After checking in and paying with the credit card her dad had given her, she went to her room and fell on the bed immediately. It was sparsely decorated with a few generic paintings and a bouquet of artificial flowers sat in a vase on a desk in the corner of the room. They were light pink and blue, the colors sparked a memory in her almost against her will. Prom seemed like it had been a lifetime ago now, even though it had only been a few weeks. Ellie can almost hear the music in her ears. Riya’s laugh as she and Darius danced together next to Ellie and Colt. The memory caused her chest to tighten and she struggled to breathe for a moment. It took every bit of strength she had in her to push away the memory. Unfortunately, her mind wasn’t finished with the torturous trip down memory lane. Colt’s voice flooded her mind, the subtle scent of his cologne invaded her senses as she was pulled back onto the balcony of a familiar hotel room. “It’s hard to tell. Because every plan I make, I want you there with me.”

“I’m back in school, Colt. I’m going off to college soon.” She’d hated saying those words. They felt false, even then.

“A regular path, a regular life? Ellie, you’re too good for that. You’re too bad for it too.” Ellie closed her eyes and she could see Colt’s cocky grin as he said that. She didn’t have the willpower to force this memory away, so she allowed herself to be swallowed up by it. The way Colt’s eyes had shined as he looked at her and not the city below them. His voice, rushed and nervous as he’d told her he loved her. She still remembered how he seemed to hold his breath as he waited for her to say it back. The way his soft lips captured hers as soon as she’d said the words. It was always surprising to her, how soft his lips were in comparison to all of his hard edges. Her heart twisted painfully as she pictured the way he’d looked at her as she led him back inside to the bed in the center of the room. Ellie could practically feel him now, where his hands had traced blazing trails along every bare inch he could find. She felt the hard planes of his abs as if she was straddling him in that bed again, his lips against hers as they shared a heated kiss. In the present, she whimpered involuntarily but her mind still raced, the memory not leaving her. Ellie remembered the pleasurable burn of his lips as they trailed from her neck and down her back as he slowly unzipped her dress. Perhaps the most painful, she remembered how his skin had felt beneath her own hands, or pressed up against her own. He drove her crazy in ways she never imagined possible. His hands were sliding down her waist to her hips when, suddenly, her phone buzzed in her pocket, jerking her from the memory.

Ellie slowly sat up and tossed her legs over the edge of the bed, pulling out her phone to check it. The screen was blurry, and she realized she’d been crying without noticing. Frustrated, she reached for a tissue from the box on the nightstand and wiped her eyes before looking back at the phone. It was only a text from her dad, asking if she’d made it to her first stop. She quickly replied that she had and shoved her phone back in her pocket. Before she could lose herself to another memory, she got up and strode out of the room. Ellie’s feet took her back out to her car, where she sat on the trunk, looking up at the stars and briefly hoping that Logan was safe. The stars always made her think of him. Oddly, it comforted her to think of him. His memories were less painful than Colt’s. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, but by the time she hopped down, the moon was high in the sky. With a sigh, she popped the trunk and reached for her duffle bag, slinging it over her shoulder. Just as she was about to shut the trunk, her eyes caught a familiar black sleeve poking out from a side compartment. Ellie froze in place, just staring at it. Then slowly, carefully, she pulled it out. Her hands trembled as she gathered the familiar leather in her hands, slowly and carefully, as if she was afraid if she held it too tightly, it would disappear. Colt’s jacket. How had it gotten in here? Had he put it there before she left for Langston? If so, when? Without thinking, she whirled around, thinking she’d see him watching her from somewhere in the parking lot. She desperately searched, thinking she’d see him leaned against his motorcycle, arms crossed. But she was alone, of course. The jacket though, now she had that. It would have to be enough.

Ellie finally shut the trunk and headed back to her room, clutching the jacket to her chest. A small, sad smile on her face, she brought it to her nose and breathed in the scent of sea salt mixed with grease, gasoline, and something woodsy that was distinctly….Colt. Back in her room, she shut the door softly. After showering and changing into her pyjamas, she reached for the jacket, which she’d carefully laid out on the bed, and slipped it on. For the first time since leaving L.A, Ellie almost felt at peace as she started to drift off. When she closed her eyes, she felt him there as if he were holding her and she was able to fool herself she was in her arms just before she fell asleep.

Sunrise found Ellie already awake. She packed her things, changed into a fresh outfit, and left the hotel with Colt’s jacket draped across her shoulders. Her sleep had been deep and blessedly dreamless, but when she woke up that morning, she’d reached out for Colt in her sleepy haze. That had hurt, but she did her best to shrug it off as she slid behind the wheel of her car once more. There was an urge to keep moving that had taken over Ellie, but this morning she wasn’t sure if it was to put more distance between her and L.A or less. Shaking her head to clear it, Ellie started the car and pulled out of the motel parking lot.

When she got to the entrance ramp to the freeway, Ellie hesitated for the first time since leaving home. The memories she’d relived the previous evening nagged at her mind. Colt was rebuilding the garage, the crew, from the ground up. On his own. She should be there. She had to be there. With that thought, Ellie quickly merged into the U-Turn lane and spun around, heading back for L.A. “I’m coming home, Colt. Please don’t kill me for it.” She whispered to herself, tugging the jacket tighter around her with her free hand. 

Tags: @courtesan-of-garage @poeticscolt @zig-nazario @lovehugsandcandy @maxwellsquidsuit @brightpinkpeppercorn

[walkerismychoice]

Everything’s Reminding Me of You - Part 1 (Logan x MC, Colt X MC)

Book: ROD

Pairing: Logan X MC, Colt X MC

Rating: PG-13

Summary: As Gabi drives off to college alone, she can’t help but think about the two loves she left behind.

Note: This chapter will be 2-3 parts and will wrap up my ongoing Logan X MC/Colt X MC series. I was going to do it all in one, but it would have been huge and I likely would have rushed to finish, so splitting it up was my best bet. Most of the dialogue comes from the book with some original dialogue to fit the scene and the altered storyline. This flips between past and present, and each memory has an accompanying song with Lyrics in bold. Thank you to @choicesarehard for helping me choose some of the scenes and songs.

Song Credits (In order): 1. Hello Beautiful - Noah Schnacky 2. You’re So Vain - Carly Simon 3. Ocean - Khalid and Martin Garrix 4. I Like It - Cardi B, Bad Bunny, J. Balvin 5. Fallin’ All In - Shawn Mendes 6. There’s No Way - Lauv and Julia Michaels   Spotify Playlist

Word Count: 4167

Gabi looks out over the horizon as the pop radio station signal starts to fade and realizes she’s getting further from civilization. Less than 2 hours into a multi-day drive, she’s questioning her decision to attend college on the literal opposite side of the country. She scans to find something that will come in and hears a familiar twang.

“Why is country the only thing that comes in in the middle of nowhere?” She asks out loud. She’s about to find put on a Spotify playlist (thank God Toby had installed a sound system with bluetooth) when a new song comes on and the lyrics hit her like a punch to the gut:

I was eighteen when we first met / Couldn't believe how you took my breath / In your sweatshirt, your converse / You didn't even know you were rockin' my world

It was like it was written about her and Logan. The same age, even the same outfit she was wearing. She can’t help but let herself go back to that first day.

~~~

“Oof!” Gabi crashed to the ground and her books went flying. She wasn’t paying attention and ran straight into someone’s back. She looked up and suddenly all the blood in her body rushed straight to her cheeks. It was the extremely hot guy with the really expensive car she saw out the bus window. To make matters worse he had been talking with Brent, the rich stuck-up asshole who saw the whole thing. She was too busy being mortified to even pay attention to Brent’s jab at her.

The mysterious hot guy reached down to help her up. “You know, there are easier ways to get my attention.”

“I, uh..thanks.” She takes his hand and he easily pulls her to her feet. “I’m really sorry about running into you. It won’t happen again.” She could hardly look him in the eyes and she wasn’t sure if it was because she was so embarrassed or because he was so good looking. Probably both.

He cocked an eyebrow. “It won’t? Too bad.”

Her heart started to flutter in her chest. “I just got distracted, and then I didn’t--um--Sorry, but who are you?” She was so flustered she didn’t even think about how that question sounded.

The guy chuckled. “You cut right to the chase, don’t you?” The name’s Logan.

~~~

That’s where it all had started. The best and worst thing to ever happen to her. She had thought she was done crying but a single tear streams down her cheek as she remembers that day. She knows now the whole thing was a set-up, but as she thinks back to the way Logan looked at her, she’s certain at least a part of it had always been real.

She comes back to the present, focusing in on the words again and it only gets worse:

I tried to see you but your daddy wouldn't let me / He told you, you should just forget me / But what we had, was somethin' so real and / He didn't know, the way we feel /Oh-woah-woah-woah / And so I met you in the dark Oh-woah-woah-woah / Underneath the stars

Gabi quickly scans to another station because she’ll have to pull over and cry if she doesn’t, Logan’s goodbye still too fresh in her mind. She finally hits on something that sounds like classic rock, so she hopes that will be safe. Some song she doesn’t know is finishing up and then another comes on, one she knows this time:

You walked into the party / Like you were walking on a yacht /..../And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner / They'd be your partner, and You're so vain / You probably think this song is about you / You're so vain, / I'll bet you think this song is about you / Don't you? / Don't you?

It could make her think of any of the self-important snobs that went to her school, but she laughs because there’s only one cocky asshole this song brings to mind.

~~~

Gabi stood with her mouth agape at the side-show. She had never seen anything like it and was taking it all in.

“Looks like you’re in the wrong place, sweetheart.” She turned in the direction of the voice to see a guy with hair and eyes as dark as his black leather jacket leaning against a white motorcycle, arms folded like he owned the place. “You’re lost aren’t you?”

She narrowed her eyes at him and his patronizing tone. “Who wants to know?”

“Just wondering who you are trying to impress, looking like that.”

What was that supposed to mean? Did he like what he saw, or could he tell that she felt like a girl playing dress-up and trying to fit in? “I’m meeting...a friend.”

“Uh, oh. Sounds like you’ve fallen in with the wrong crowd.” The guy smirked. He was hot, but that didn’t excuse his jerkish behavior.

“Only since I started talking to you,” Gabi huffed, and he just laughed. “Look are you going to stand there being a jerk, or are you going to tell me what this place is?”

“I can multitask,” he answered smugly. “You’re looking at the biggest side-show in West L.A.”

“Side-show?”

“We get together, show off our rides a little. Do some stunts, some racing...make new friends, new enemies. You get the gist.”

Gabi rolled her eyes. “You must make all sorts of friends with that charming personality.”

“Hey, talk all you want, but I’m not the one who ditched my date like this.”

“Gabi, hey! There you are.” Logan jogged up and slipped his arm around her waist protectively.

“Ah, here comes the knight in shining armor now,” Colt assessed wryly.

Logan glowered at the leather jacket clad motorcycle rider. “Who’s this?”

“The guy who had to keep your little girlfriend company.” He answered in a challenging tone.

“Logan, he’s just giving me directions.” Gabi figured she’d never have to see this guy again, so she wanted to diffuse the situation before a fight broke out.

The guy and Logan exchanged words, but thankfully he decided to leave before any punches were thrown. He swung his leg over his motorcycle and winked at Gabi.  “See you around,” he added before revving his engine and gunning it out of there.

~~~

Gabi smiles as she listens to the rest of the song, belting out the chorus every time it comes on. Her initial assessment of Colt had been pretty spot on, and yet she’d grown to love him anyway.

She gets bored of that station and has difficulty getting much of anything to come in. “Screw it.” She says to herself because there’s no one else to talk to. If every song is going to remind her of them anyhow, she might as well embrace the pain. She selects ‘MPC’, the playlist she thought she’d never want to listen to again. Songs she’d compiled during her time with Logan, Colt and the crew. 

Tell me what you're crying for / I'll wipe your tears, oh love /If your soul is aching love / We'll comfort you for sure

“I’m not crying now, but I might be by the end of this song,” she muses out loud as the first song plays, and she thinks about where she was the first time she heard it.

~~~

Gabi sat on the hood of Logan’s devore GT leaning back on her hands, eyes closed, letting the warm late afternoon sun wash over her face. She’d just kicked ass during her driving lesson with Logan and was enjoying avoiding the normal stress of daily life for just a while. A slow song played from Logan’s car stereo, just loud enough for them to hear.

If we're caught in a wave, I will carry you over / It don't matter where you are, I'll run to your front door... You could put an ocean between our love, love, love / It won't keep us apart   

“Something’s on your mind. Is everything okay?” Logan asked, sensing something she had no idea she was making known. 

“Yeah just wondering if you play this song for every girl you bring to the beach. It’s pretty literal - wave, ocean....” Gabi teased.

Logan chuckled. “I promise this is just some random radio station. But really, is everything okay?

“You ever feel like two different people at once?”

Logan paused, pensively looking out at the sky. “I wish I could say yeah, that I’ve been there. But I’d be lying.”

“Maybe that’s just part of growing up.” Gabi turned her gaze to the ocean and then looked back at Logan, his eyes meeting her intensely. She leaned in closer and he met her halfway, caressing her cheek and kissing her sweetly in the light of the sunset. She pulled back, searching Logan’s face, trying to gauge his thoughts. Logan held her close and she rested her head on his shoulder as they looked out over the water, watching the sun go down.

Logan broke the silence after a while. “I’m glad you came with me. But I don’t want to cause any problems with your friends.”

“You won’t. I promise.” As much as she loved Riya and Darius, she figured they’d be happy to lose their third wheel every now and again. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you brought me out her to watch the sunset..but that would be way too romantic for you.”

“I can be romantic sometimes. Just don’t tell anyone.” Logan winked at her but then his face grew more somber. “I used to do this on hard days sometimes. Come out here and watch the waves roll in, the sun go down. Just to remind myself that the world was bigger than me. Bigger than my problems. The ocean made them seem pretty small.”

Gabi’s heart ached for Logan. She couldn’t begin to fathom what it was like to grow up the way he did and she was sure she didn’t even know the half of it. “Sometimes, I wish I could meet that kid you talk about and help him out. Or just hold him. Tell him he’s gonna grow up to be a really great guy.”

Logan sighed. “A great guy maybe... but not a good one.” 

When my head goes in different directions / You know my heart's never on the move / And in the dark times you don't have to question / If I'm a hundred with you

The sat back against the windshield in silence as the song played on and the sun fell fully over the horizon.

~~~~

At the time Gabi hadn’t understood what Logan meant by being a great guy maybe but not a good one. Now she understands why he thought that, but after all has been said and done, she knows it’s not true. Logan turned out to be one of the most amazing, selfless men she ever met, and she only hopes he can see that now, wherever he may be. 

You could put an ocean between our love, love, love / It won't keep us apart / You could build a wall, I would run it up, up, up (run it up) / Just to get to your heart / If we're caught in a wave / Baby, we'll make a way /  You could put an ocean between our love, love, love / It won't keep us apart

She’s wistful as the song finishes out, remembering the brief time she was naive enough to think no obstacle could come between them. Much to her relief, the next song elicits a happier memory.

Yeah, baby, I like it like that / You gotta believe me when I tell you /I said I like it like that / You gotta believe me when I tell you /I said I like it like—

~~~

"You've got taste, I'm stunned." The way Colt said it didn't quite sound like a compliment, but she'd take it over his typical insults. Gabi knew enough about popular hip hop songs to sing along, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't pick the station because she figured it was the type of music Colt liked. He was still such an ass but she couldn't help feeling a need to win him over.

Gabi heard the opening of 'I like it Like That' come on. She and Riya had sang and danced to that song in her room a hundred times. "You ain't heard nothing yet” she announce before jumping in on Cardi B's first verse:

'They call me Cardi Bardi, banging body, / Spicy mami, hot tamale / Hotter than a Somali, fur coat, Ferrari / Hop out the stu', jump in the coupe (the coupe) / Big Dipper on top of the roof / Flexing on bitches as hard as I can /Eating halal, driving the Lam' / Told that bitch I'm sorry though / 'Bout my coins like Mario (Mario) / Yeah they call me Cardi B, I run this shit like cardio / Oh, facts.'

'Woow, Gabi. Just wow." Colt shook his head and laughed, yet she didn't detect any sarcasm in his tone like she might have expected. There was almost some sort of affection there and she saw what appeared to be a genuine smile for the first time. Up to that point she hadn’t realized he had any other facial expressions aside from his scowl and his shit-eating grin.

"Kinda turned on right now." Mona added, and if Gabi had impressed her that was saying something.

"Sing with me guys," Gabi encouraged.

'Certified, you know I'm gang, gang, gang, gang (I said I like it like), Drop the top and blow the brains (I said I like it like that), she continued and only Toby, Mona and Ximena joined in.

'Oh he's so handsome, what's his name?' Gabi turned to Colt and pointed

Colt rolled his eyes but humored her and answered back: (I said I like it)

Everyone in the car burst out laughing and they sang along to every song the rest of the ride home.

~~~~

Gabi still has a big smile on her face until the next song starts,  and she gets melancholy once again. Sometimes some of the best memories can be the most painful.

~~~

Logan turned to Gabi while Darius and Riya playfully bickered across the table from them at the diner. "Thanks for inviting me to hang out.”

“Well, I’ve been ensnared in your world.. Thought you could get ensnared in mine.”

“It’s a nice change of pace for me. Calm.”

“I promise I won’t let you get too bored.” She did worry that this normal life seemed pretty lame in comparison to what he was used to.

“I never get bored. Matter of fact, I have an idea. Come with me.” Logan stood, offering Gabi a hand. He led her over to the jukebox and put a few quarters in. “Pick any song you want.”

Gabi perused the selection carefully. It looked like an old school jukebox, but had been updated with a bunch of newer songs in addition to the classics. She almost chose ‘What’s New Pussycat’ to make him laugh, but then one of her favorite songs caught her eye.

Logan cocked an eyebrow. “Shawn Mendes, huh? I bet you just like him because he’s cute.”

“Have you seen his body?” Gabi teased.

“Alright, that’s enough out of you. Shall we?” He asked, offering his hand.

“Dance? Right here, in the middle of the diner?” She looked at him skeptically but followed his lead anyhow. They swayed to the music, holding each other close.

Sunrise with you on my chest / No blinds in the place where I live / Daybreak open your eyes / 'Cause this was only ever meant to be for one night / Still, we're changing our minds here / Be yours, be my dear / So close with you on my lips / Touch noses, feeling your breath / Push your heart and pull away, yeah / Be my summer in a winter day love

“Is this what it’d be like? If I went to school? If I were a regular guy? Hang out in diners with you and Riya and Darius and fix DNA models?” There’ was a wistfulness to his tone she hadn’t expected.

Ooh, you know I've been alone for quite a while / haven't I? I thought I knew it all / Found love but I was wrong / More times than enough

“I know it’s not a glamourous life of money and thrills... but yeah.”  These things are so mundane to her, but she’d never thought about it from the perspective of someone who’d never had the chance to experience them firsthand.

Pretending to be normal feels surreal. It feels...dangerous.” Logan admits.

You are bringing out a different kind of me / There's no safety net that's underneath, I'm free / Falling all in

The significance of the lyrics at that very moment in time was not lost on Gabi, both of them showing each other how the other half lives, bringing out sides of one another they didn’t know they had. She’d never considered that getting to experience and get used to the idea of an average teenage life could feel just as ‘dangerous’ to Logan as hanging out with gang members and committing crimes was to her. “Normal can be overrated. Just look at me. I was living the same old boring life. I couldn’t wait to get out of every day until I met you.”

“How do you like me as a normal high school guy?”

Gabi pressed a long kiss to Logan’s lips as they spun around. “Does that answer the question for you?”

Logan smirked. “Not completely sure. Maybe answer it again so I can make sure I get it? You know, if you’re not too tired, we can still get you behind the wheel for some practice after this...”

“I’d like that.” Gabi stared into Logan’s eyes as they spun around the checkered floor, the song continuing in the background.

Every time I see you baby I get lost / If I'm dreaming, baby, please don't wake me up / Every night I'm with you I fall more in love / Now I'm laying by your side / Everything feels right since you came along / I'm thinking baby / You, yeah, are bringing out a different kind of me. / There's no safety net that's underneath, I'm free. / Falling all in / You fell for men who weren't how they appear (Ooh) / Trapped up on a tightrope now we're here, we're free / Falling all in

~~~

Gabi sighs as the song ends. As with so many things Logan said and did, looking back on them knowing everything now makes so much more sense. If she had to pinpoint an exact moment Logan started to give in and admit to himself his feelings were all real, she’d have to guess this night - letting himself long not just for a normal boring life, but that life with her, making the fact that he may never get that with anyone now hurt that much more.

It feels like Gabi has been driving for days but the clock tells her its been just over 3 hours, and she’s seeing literal tumbleweeds out her window. Her legs are all stiff, the gas is getting low, and she kind of needs to pee, but she’s determined to make it vegas. She groans wondering how she’s going to make it another hour but she perks up when the next song starts:

You touch me and it’s almost like we knew / That there will be history between us two...Trying to keep our feelings secretly covered  

She’d tried to fight the feeling for a while an she knew that he had too, but thinking back to that moment on the cliff, something had clicked and there would be no going back.

~~~

Colt’s blase, tough guy attitude about everything was getting to Gabi. Here they were overlooking the pacific ocean at sunset, vibrant streaks of pink, orange and yellow in the sky, and it was honestly one of the most magnificent things she’d ever seen. “You know, you don’t have to downplay everything. Sometimes it’s okay if something just takes your breath away.”

Colt turned, and held her gaze a moment too long. “Noted.”

The way his eyes took her in suggested they weren’t talking about the sunset anymore, and she felt her cheeks flush. “How’d you find this place?” Gabi asked, looking for any appropriate topic change.

“My pop brought me here when I was a kid. He’d make me jump off the cliff into the water.”

Gabi craned her neck to peer over the edge. “That’s a long way down for a kid...or me!”

Colt scanned his eyes over the water thoughtfully. “I think he was trying to teach me something. Courage? Trust? I dunno, I was just a scared kid flying through the air and into the deep. But maybe it worked. Because since then, whenever I needed a place to be at peace, I’ve come here.”

“Well...we didn’t just come up here to stare, right?”

“You wanna jump? Seriously?”

When Colt looked back to Gabi, she had already stripped down to her underwear. “Seriously!” Although the prospect of jumping from that height was still terrifying, there was something about Colt’s presence that made her bold.

“Okay, okay, you’ve made your point.” Colt removed his clothes to match her with only his boxer briefs left on. “I know what I’m in for. Do you?”

She didn’t. Not for the jump and not with Colt either, but she was ready to find out. “Nope. On the count of three...”

“One, two...three!”

They ran toward the edge together and Gabi grabbed Colt’s hand. He squeezed hers back just as they leapt into the air. “Aaahh!” Gabi screamed on the descent, finally plunging into the deep, cool water. They kicked their way up to the surface, still hand-in-hand.

Colt shook the water from his hair, a wide grin plastered on his face. “Man... I’d almost forgotten what it felt like.”

“See? Are you done downplaying everything?”

“...Maybe I am.”

But maybe we can hold off one sec / So we can keep this tension in check But there’s no way that it’s not going there / With the way that we’re looking at each other

Drifting together face to face, Colt’s eyes met hers with a heated intensity that made her forget how cold the water was. Something unspoken passed between them and they crashed into one another, Colt threading his fingers through Gabi’s hair and holding her close as they kissed each other hungrily.

I wish I could make the time stop / So we could forget everything and everyone / I wish that the time would line up / So we could just give in to what we want

Colt broke away without warning. “You’re with Logan. I shouldn’t do this to the crew.” Gabi started to respond, but before she could get the words out, Colt’s mouth was on hers again, kissing her hard and making her forget everything else. Treading water, Gabi tries to hold onto Colt, but he pulled away again. “Dammit, what’s wrong with me?”

“Look...things are complicated.”

“I don’t know what that means.” It wasn’t a question but he was still asking for an answer.

'Cause when I got somebody, you don't / And when you got somebody, I don't / I wish that the time would line up / So we could just give in

How could she explain that be he and Logan made her feel amazing things but it totally different ways. “I guess I don’t either. I’m only just now figuring out who I am. Logan’s part of that. But maybe you are too.”

Colt smirked, seemingly satisfied with the answer enough for now. “Well, maybe I can help you figure that out.” Knowing just what he meant, her lips met his again, and they kissed passionately, desperately, limbs intertwined as the bobbed in the waves until the last traces of the sun disappeared.

~~~  

The lyrics had it right. There was no way it was not going there, no matter how hard she’d tried to fight it. Every time she had been with Colt it was like time stood still and Logan didn’t exist. She wishes she could say she regretted getting herself into that mess, but that would mean regretting the good times with Colt, and she wouldn’t change those for anything.

Suddenly the combined emotions all seem to hit her at once and she needs a break, turning the music off completely. Maybe some silence will quiet her thoughts for a while.

[timelessshipperdaily]

Timeless: The Miracle of Christmas (Reaction & Thoughts) Part 5

RUFUS GOT TO FLY THE MOTHERSHIP!!!!!

AWWWWW!!! THEY'RE BOTH SO EXCITED AND HAPPY.... I LOVE THEM!!!!

"Maybe we haven't changed so much after all." - Jiya

Rufus realizing he gets to FINALLY see his family!!!

AND his hint that he wants to live with Jiya and hiya making him sweat it out for a sec!!!!! THEY ARE SO FREAKING PRECIOUS!!!!

Straight from Riya to Lyatt!!!!

Awwww this is just the beginning of domestic lyatt!!!!

"Apparently Agent Christopher has a dirtier mind than we thought."- Lucy

THANK YOU AGENT CHRISTOPHER!!!!! SHE'S SUCH A COOL BUNKER MOM!!!!

I LOVE THESE TWO WITH ALL MY FREAKING HEART!!!!

OKAY.... I WILL DEFINITELY BE WATCHING THIS ENTIRE SCENE AGAIN.... FOR SCIENTIFIC REASONS OF COURSE!!!! I mean duh.

AWWWW!!!! Agent Christopher is giving her scarfs as presents!!!!

AND THE GUYS ACTING LIKE THEY JUST RECEIVED SOCKS!!!!!

WYATT'S WORKING FOR AGENT CHRISTOPHER!!!!!

"Will you at least take that bloody thing off your head? You look like some sort of drunk elf." - Mason

Mason is HARDCORE roasting agent Christopher's outfit right now!!!

MORE DOMESTIC LYATT!!!! I LIVE FOR THIS!!!!

OMG!!!!! THEY ARE KEEPING THE LIFEBOAT BECAUSE OUR TIMETEAM WILL HAVE TO SAVE THE WORLD AGAIN!!!!

OH MY GOD!!!! 5 YEARS LATER!!!!!

LUCY'S A PROFESSOR AGAIN!!!

OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD!!!!

Our Lyatt babies had BABIES!!!!!!

THEY'RE SO PRECIOUS I'M GONNA CRY!!!!!

Look at how happy Wyatt is for Lucy!!!! He knows how much she has wanted tenure!!! And he is SO PROUD OF HER!!!!

ALSO. SHE'S GOT A WEDDING RING ON THAT FINGER!!!!

THEY GOT MARRIED AND HAD KIDS!?!?!?

I feel cheated!!! WE NEED A SEASON 3!!!!

I HAVE to see:

The proposal

The wedding

Pregnant Lucy

The day the twins were born!!!

THEY NAMED THEM FLYNN AND AMY!!!!!

Jiya and Rufus started their own company!!!! Riya Industries!!!!! THEY PUT THEIR SHIP NAME IN THERE!!!! I AM NOT OK!!!!

"Hey, I am the guy that came back from the dead." - Rufus

OMG!!!!! SO DO WE CALL AGENT CHRISTOPHER BUNKER GRANDMA!?!?!?

Mason started working for the government!!!!

Lyatt in sync AGAIN!!!!!

RUFUS SURPRISING THE TEAM... WELL I GUESS MAINLY LUCY!!!!

Lucy's playful hitting Wyatt because he didn't tell her about Rufus coming!!!! AHHHHHHH

THEY STARTED THIS NOW THEY ARE GONNA FINISH IT!!!!!

I'M NOT CRYING YOUR CRYING!!!!!!

[etes-secrecy-post]

Hi!, before I explain my post, I want to say something important.

• What you see my blog has become a major overhaul. And despite the changes, I decided that my 2nd account will be now my artwork blog with a secret twist.

⚠️NEW RULE!⚠️

⚠️ SO PLEASE DO NOT SHARE MY 2nd ACCOUNT TO EVERYONE! THIS SECRECY BLOG OF MINE IS FOR CLOSES FRIENDS ONLY!⚠️

• AND FOR MY CLOSES FRIENDS, DON’T REBLOG IT. INSTEAD, JUST COPY MY LINK AND PASTE IT ON YOUR TUMBLR POST! JUST BE SURE THE IMAGE WILL BE REMOVED AND THE ONLY LEFT WAS THE TEXT.

⚠️ SHARING LINKS, LIKE POSTS, REBLOG POSTS, STEALING MY SNAPSHOT PHOTOS/RECORDED VIDEOS/ARTWORKS (a.k.a. ART THIEVES) OR PLAGIARIZING FROM UNKNOWN TUMBLR STRANGERS WILL IMMEDIATELY BE BLOCKED, RIGHT AWAY!⚠️

Okay? Capiche? Make sense? Good, now back to the post…↓

Titles: Riya's Blue Lightning Pillow Snuggle & Riya's Blue Lightning Sky Parachute

Hi! Few days ago, My G-Pal (Guatemala Pal) sammirbear2k42021 was having an emotional after his former friend blocked him for obvious reason(s). I don't why, but he's moved on nonetheless. And that's a good thing; just dust yourself off and keep on strong.

Thus, I decided to draw these artworks for him to cheer him up. Because why not! His OC Sammir and my OC Cude are best friends (among with his other friend l0rdofth3wer3wolv3z and his OC Wolfgang), and I still loved his old Sammir 1st & 2nd clothes.🤗💛💙

Riya 🐰🏎 (wearing her owned Sammir 2nd Clothes): You bet! He drew me wearing my owned Sammir 2nd clothes snuggling my oversize pillow with the same outfit as I'm wearing. And let me tell ya, this is my most lovable oversize pillow clothes I've ever hugged. Followed by my Maxwell A/W clothes which is also my favorite. 👕👖🥰️🤗 The second one is me parachuting with my same clothes as you've saw before.☁️ Let's be real, I've never been sky diving before, but since I'm not afraid of heights (acrophobia) or falling (basophobia) I could do skydiving whatever I want. Because I've went flying high before with my Cuteness Mecha Armor, and to this day, I'm still active Cuteness Defender Member duty. But nonetheless, Skydiving is super fun with my owned Sammir 2nd clothes. Not just soft, warm & snuggle to wear, you know. 🥰️💛💙 And, sammirbear2k42021, don't give up with your life & your account, bud! You have other friends that cares you much than that person. In fact, we love you & keep forward!😉❤️️

Well, that's all for now.😊

Sammir's old 2nd clothes is owned by sammirbear2k42021