#this aint his first rodeo

[redfountainpostin]

In case of The Fandom VS Brian Young, accused of whitewashing, homophobia, racism, and abysmal fashion sense, how does the defendant, being of habit and repute an asshole, plead?

[sukipershipper]

Am I late to the trend??

[justices-blade]

back at it again at garreg mach // edward + edain

starter for @ulirblood

Though the training grounds are often set up for practical spars with other people, there's a wealth of training equipment that can be set up in any of the yards when the area isn't occupied by anyone else duking it out. Edward himself managed to haul out a training dummy and drag it over to an unoccupied sector of the training grounds to smack around, repeat the drills everyone back home taught him, just to keep them fresh.

"Hrah!" he lashes out, training blade striking true against the dummy's chest, before slashing out to the side, then spins on his heel to deliver a second strike to the back of the dummy's neck, before stepping back to try a different maneuver — He isn't paying any mind to observers, or whether there are any at all, but if there were any, they'd note that his form is distinctly not one taught in Fódlan; But his confidence speaks of experience, his strikes quick, strong and surprisingly precise.

A pause, as he tests the heft of his training sword, before frowning. The impact feels all off, though. The dummy's built real sturdily — Might be because some of these students actually are crazy strong, and axes are a thing, too, so it's throwing him off. The recoil's all wrong, messing with his momentum. Soooo... Does he have to approach this like he's banging up an Armor Knight? He readjusts his grip, takes a ready stance, and lunges again —

The thing with training dummies of foreign make, though, is that they won't be weighted the same way that other dummies might be at home. They're also weighted differently from people, and that's all he's had his core experiences with. Wood isn't flesh, and the way the dummy's designed to withstand blows instead of move with them...

It's a recipe for disaster. Disaster is what strikes. Or, really, what strikes back. Edward scores what would have been a considerable hit, a blade wedged between the breast and shoulderplate, which simply passes by under the dummy's arm, before he turns to rip his blade free of imagined flesh and bring the pommel of his weapon against the dummy's temple, hard.

Crack. The sound is unbelievably satisfying, but instead of crumpling like a person would, the dummy s w i n g s backwards, then springsrightback—

SMACK!

And hits him straight in the nose. He doesn't even get the time to curse as his body flinches back from the impact, throat emitting a pained yowl, then falls, flailing, backwards into the dirt.

"Augh, fuck!" Oh, there's the cussing. His face has turned into a single nexus of ow, ow, ow. He can taste blood, too, but quickly licking over his teeth reveals that he hasn't knocked any out, and that his tongue is quite intact. Oh Goddess, that's his nose doing the bleeding, isn't it.

Distantly, he can hear laughing. Edward rolls over with a groan, a hand pinching his nose closed. Ohhh, he's gonna die here. Just like this. Vanquished by a training dummy. Who's the real dummy here. It's him. Put a dunce cap on his coffin, for good measure.

(Well, he's not dying, but he might as well be. He won't but, ugh. He can do his walk of shame to the infirmary in a few minutes...)

[wanderingwomanwondering]

“You construct intricate rituals which allow you to touch the skin of other men” - Barbara Kruger

[briefalpacashark]

~Cowboys and Men~ Part One ~

Synopsis : The 141 have to play cowboys.

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You sat along with the other boys of the 141 as you stared at Laswell. She had just delivered the news of your next mission.

“Well shit,” you grin widely. Why? The mission was right up your alley. You had personal experience practically having grown up in the thick of it. The boys, however. You were almost certain that none of them had even come close to anything like it.

The mission. Going undercover in an American rodeo. 

“So you want us to play cowboy?” Price asked.

“That’s right. Long enough till you find this guy and bring him in,” she stated tapping her knuckle on a photo of the target. An older man with a grim surrounded by gray hair and a killer mustache.

“Y/N you'll be the one participating in the rodeo. The boys will be your team,” Laswell explained simply. 

“Her team?” Jonny asked, jabbing his thumb at you. “Why can't I be the horse rider huh?” he asked.

“Can you ride a horse?” Laswell asked.

“Well no, canne be hard, can it?” his question had you chuckling.

“Its an invite only event, we've got a contact. You'll head out tomorrow to show him what you got. He'll slot you in where he can,” Laswell focused on you as she spoke.

“Sure thing boss,” you nodded.

“Honestly Laswell, I think I could do a pretty good job,” Jonny stated.

“The fact that you think a rodeo only involves horses proves how unqualified you are for it,” You stated.

“And you are?” Jonny asked.

“I grew up in the saddle of a horse, mate. You're looking at a genuine drover,” you gestured to your body with a smirk.

“The fuck is a drover?” Jonny asked the rest of the team. Gaz simply shrugged.

“Alright dismissed,” Laswell said. 

You were quickly dispatched to the good old US of A. You were dropped off in a random field via helicopter. Your team walked up to two men on horseback. The one on the left was tall and buff with golden hair to die for. The other was slightly shorter and stubbier. But they both had one thing in common. They looked like genuine cowboys. Hats and everything.

“Howdy!” Jonny called with a terrible American accent.

“Fucken hell,” you chuckled, shaking your head.

“Forgive him. He's hit his head a few too many times,” Price stated.

“That stunt his growth too?” The blond asked. Your laugh broke through your lips as Jonny’s smile fell.

“The one you just shut up is Soap, that's Gaz, Ghost. I’m Bravo and that’s Doc.” he pointed you all out the cowboys, tipping their hat’s to you.

“Ma’am, I heard you're the only one with experience in the saddle,” the smile the blond gave you was slightly flirtatious.

“Since I was two. Grew up on a cattle station over in Australia,” You stated walking up to him to give them both a firm handshake.

“How could you choose the military life over one in the saddle?” he asked.

“Plan to get back to it one day,” you said your attention being grabbed by his horse that tried to nibble your jacket.

“He's gorgeous. Mustang?” You asked, reaching up to brush his nose.

“Yes Ma’am,” he nodded. “Care for a ride?” he asked with a wink. You chuckled at his obvious flirting attempt.

“Sorry mate. Not planning in hoping in any saddle that aint my own,” you said, giving the horse a pat.  

“Alright, well, this is Sam, my name's Aurthur,” he stated.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Price stated spoke up drawing the attention off you. 

“Pleasures all ours, Come on by the looks of you, it seems like we've got some work to do,” he stated.

“Work of what?” Gaz asked.

“To make you a lot cowboys,” he said with a grin.

First order of business, if you were to pass for cowboys, you had to look the part. Aurthur generously offered to take you all shopping. Your choice was quick, picked out for practicality. A simple light blue button up. A pair of denim jeans, a comfortable pair of boots and your old hat. You pulled the beat up looking thing out of your bag. It was your simple cattleman hat shape, in a dusty brown colour. It was scuffed and dirty, but it was yours. Setting it atop your head, you smiled at the familiar feeling. Slipping on the dark leather jacket, you fixed the collar before stepping out of the changing room.

“Look out,” Jonny stated from their allocated seats, all gathered in front of the changing rooms.

“So how do I look?” You asked, giving them a little pose.

“Like one hell of a rider,” Aurthur spoke up.

“So so,” Gaz tilted his hand back and forth.

“Oh yeah, let's see you do better,” you said tauntingly.

“Watch a master at work,” Gaz stated. You all waited for his outfit choice. When he stepped out you almost died of laughter. Tassels, tassels and fringe everywhere. On his head sat a bright red Tom Mix hat.

“What you don't think it's good?” he asked jokingly. 

“You look like you'll fly away in a light breeze,” Jonny joked.

“Eat shit soap,” Gaz flipped him off.

“Nah, I'll show you how it's done,” Jonny spoke up. Yells of shock sounded from you all as he walked out in a pair of assless chaps. Only they weren't assless. In fact you saw a lot of ass due to the fact that Jonny only wore the chaps. Nothing else. He held a small bowler's hat in front of his privates as he pretended to act confused. He turned around, giving you a clear view of his rosy red cheeks.

“Fucken hell,” you chuckled, tipping your hat down to cover your gaze.

“You know, I don't think I put these on in the right order,” he stated. Even the Price cracked a chuckle or two.

“Might get a rash ridding a saddle like that,” Ghost stated.

“I like it,” you said. Jonny gave you a wink.

“Come on Captain,” Jonny encouraged Price when his ass was contained again. 

Price walked out in a good pairing. A deep red button up, a pair of jeans, some lovely light brown boots, a light brown fleece jacket and a white brick shaped hat. 

“Captain my captain,” You whistled.

“Where did you find that fashion sense cap?” Ghost asked.

“Quiet you,” Price warned playfully.

“You know those videos where a baby sees their dad with their beard shaved for the first time and they just break out crying,” You asked. Jonny hummed in acknowledgment.

“I feel like that with that hat he's wearing,” you whispered. Jonny chuckled.

“Alright Ghost your turn,” Jonny said slapping Ghost shoulder. Ghost slowly moved his eyes from the captain to Jonny daring him to hit him again.

“Alright, be that way grumpy,” Jonny muttered. “Guess it's my turn again,” he stated. With your help, Jonny walked out in a tight black long sleeve shirt, a denim jacket and jeans. Black boots and a brown rolled brim with a puncher crown. He looked alright apart from the obviously large belt buckle he wore. A picture of a bulls head engraved on it.

“Compensating?” you asked, nodding to the buckle, getting a bird flipped to you.

“At least his ass is covered this time,” Ghost grumbled. Gaz tried again, deciding on a cowboy version of a lumberjack. Plated shirt with a vest jacket, a dark blue pair of jenes and a black version of his original hat. 

“Careful Gaz, that shirt looks a little tight,” Jonny called.

“That's the point,” Gaz stated with a smirk flexing his biceps.

“They can try all they want. The look of a cowboy is something that comes naturally. A look, ma’am that if you'll let me say looks extremely good on you,” Arthur leaned down to whisper to you. You smirked, shrugging.

“I don't know, I think they're pulling it off,” you stated. You chuckled as Gaz tried to perform his best cowboy walk. Hand on his belt and slaughtering forward before making a gun motion with his hand. And Jonny, who pretended to slow motion, to doge said bullets.

“Yeah sure,” Arthur muttered, making you chuckle harder. As you continued to watch Gaz and Jonny make a fool of themselves, you failed to notice a certain pair of eyes set on you. 

“Careful Lieutenant, you glare any harder and he might just get the message,” Price smirked as he saw the slightly pissed expression hidden behind the skull mask.

“Don't know what you mean, sir,” Ghost grumbled before walking away. 

Noticing Ghost's missing presence, you went to look for him, finding him in front of the many hats on display.

“Having trouble choosing?” You asked, walking up to him.

“Any pointers?” he asked.

“Can't help you there. This was my uncle's hat. He lost it when I won a bet,” you said.

“But,” you trailed off, your eyes searching through the hats. You smiled, reaching out to grab one.

“Yeah, this one,” you said, placing it on his head. It was low and pinched a grayish black.

“Yeah, that suits you,” you stated simply with a satisfied nod before walking away. 

When you all returned to the ranch, Simon changed into his outfit. Black jeans, dark brown boots, a black leather jacket and dark grey button up. On his head sat the hat you chose, and he still wore his skull balaclava.

“Well hello handsome,” Jonny called as he walked out to you.

“Zip it Mc’tavish,” he grumbled. Jonny chuckled as he walked up to you. In the pen Arthur walked out a horse already saddled up. Spotting other ranchers gathering round to watch with eager grins, you quickly assessed what was happening. It was a bucking horse, or at least one they were trying to break.

“Alright, lesson one of being a cowboy. Staying on a horse that doesn't want you to stay on,” Arthur stated with a wide grin.

“Any volunteers?” he asked. You chuckled, shaking your head as Jonny raised his hand eagerly.

“Love the spirit scots, man. This here is Bessy,” Arthur said, gesturing him forward. You whipped your mouth as Jonny confidently made his way into the pen.

“Ello Bessy,” he smirked. 

“I'd say goodbye to your balls now Soap, while you have the chance,” you called out to him.

“Ah, away with ye. I'll be fine,” Jonny waved you off.

“He's gonna eat shit isn't he?” Ghost asked folding his arms over his chest.

“All five courses of it,” you chuckled, pulling yourself up to sit on the railings. 

“He has medical cover right?” you asked Price that only shock his head at his soldier stupidity.

“Alright Soap. hold on tight,” After Arthur gave him a basic run down and when Jonny was sat comfortable in the saddle did he stepped back.

“You're gonna set a timer, wanna make sure there is proof when I stay on longer than those bastards,” Jonny nodded back to you all, giving you a wide confident grin as the horse started to pad at the ground.

“Sure thing, champ,” Arthur grinned. “Go on, give her a kick,” he suggested casually, taking a few cautious steps back. 

“What like this?” Jonny asked, kicking his heels gently into her sides. 

You knew pigs couldn't fly, but Jonny sure could. One buck had the poor man was out of the saddle onto the horses ass, then the second buck had the man cartwheeling through the air before landing flat on his ass his legs split in front of him. You and Gaz was practically dying of laughter as Jonny rolled around in pain holding his manly jewels. After Jonny’s poor first display, the ranchers started to pass around bets. 

“Who's next?” Arthur asked, turning to you lot.

Gaz sat on the back of Bessy looking like he was about to shit himself.

“Ok what do I do?” he asked shakily.

“Hold on,” Arthur stated simply.

“I know that, but I don't know the first thing about horses. Do do I pat it?” he asked.

“Sure, it probably won't do you any good though,” Arthur shrugged walking back.

“Come on Gaz,” you called encouragingly.

“I changed my mind, I want to get down,” Gaz stated. As he shifted his weight in the saddle, Bessy fell into a fit. Bucking and kicking like crazy. Gaz lasted about four seconds before he was bucked off. 

“This is bullshit,” Gaz grumbled, limping back to you trying to remove the dirt from his mouth. 

“Are the betting on us?” Jonny asked nodding to the growing group.

“There ranchers, this is probably the best entertainment they've had all week,” you stated.

“Yeah well they should stop,” Gaz grumbled.

“Why? They're actually betting in your favor,” you lied.

“Really?” he asked with a small grin of hope.

“No,” you chuckled, shaking your head, Gaz's smile instantly falling.

“Your acting way too high and mighty or this,” Gaz stated.

“I think I'm acting the right amount of high and mighty for my skills,” You shrugged.

“Skills we haven't seen yet,” Gaz grumbled.

“I don't need to prove anything,” you shrugged.

“Well, if ye so confident in yourself lass. How bout a wee little bet?” Jonny asked.

“Depends on what it is,” you smirked. With the smirk Jonny already knew you accepted the bet. 

“If anyone of us can last longer than you, you owe us all a week of sick leave,” Jonny put the offer forward. In the military you need a doctor's note or your medic's permission to have a sick day. Which was practically impossible to get. You don't abuse your power but you didn't put up with their bullshit either. So they only ever got sick leave when they were actually sick. And not a man cold either, they had to actually be sick.

“And what do I get?” you asked.

“Bragging rights?” Jonny suggested.

“I'll settle for a picture of you in the outfit you rocked back at the shop,” you stated, pointing to him. Jonny grinned widely.

“Deal,” he said as you too shook on it. 

“You ready, boss?” Jonny asked, turning to Price.

“A week of sick leave, you said?” he asked, debating if he wanted to be a part of your shenanigans.

“Yes sir,” you nodded. 

“Right,” he muttered, pushing his hat further down on his head before slipping in the coral and shaking his jacket off his shoulders.

You had to give it to Price, he was pretty good. And he looked like he stepped right out of a cow boy movie. The mustache and the fit was just perfect. You sucked in a breath as he was thrown from the horse. Impressed cheers came from the others. He lasted almost ten seconds.

“Ghost?” Jonny suggested.

“I prefer to keep my balls unpopped,” Ghost grumbled.

“Guess that's me then,” You spoke up. Walking up to Bessy you smiled brushing her nose before walking round her to where Arthur stood.

“Need a hand?” he offered.

“Nah mate,” you said effortlessly, swinging yourself up onto the saddle and taking the reins in hand. The familiar creak of the leather saddle and the ruff feel of the reins was welcoming. You settled into the back of the saddle, leaning back slightly. You pressed your hat down far enough down your forehead that the only thing you saw was your hands and the horse's shoulder blades.

“Alright, lets fucking do this,” you whispered before gently kicking her. You leaned back as far as you could and pulled the reins tight as she bucked wildly. Your body was jerked about left and right back and forth, yet you held on. The boys had to admit they were impressed. The ranchers cheered as the seconds drew on. As you hit the thirty second mark you swore as the horse slammed up against the side of the railings. To avoid you leg getting crushed you lumped off, the force sending you flying over the fence, right into Arthur who just happened to be sitting stop it. The two of you hit the ground in a cloud of dust. A relatively soft fall for you due to you landing on the cowboy.

“Fuck you alright?” You asked as you quickly hopped off the poor man.

“Look at that, falling for you already,” he groaned, painfully accepting your hand to help him up.

“That line usually work?” you asked with a small smile. You had to admit he was kinda cute.

“Well I don't usually have pretty women tackling me off the fence but here we are,” he said. You chuckled, shaking your head picking up your hat.

“How long was that Jonny!?” You yelled across the coral.

“Too fucking long!” he yelled back. You grinned smugly making your way back over to the boys.

Gaz and Jonny were adamant on getting those sick days. Price opted in for a few more tries, coming only four seconds from your record before he called it quits.

“Not gonna have a go Ghost?” you asked nudging his side.

“Risk getting hurt before the mission, not likely,” he stated as you watched Jonny narrowly avoid a broken bone. 

“Fair enough,” you muttered. The boys could not beat your best. With bruised bodies and prides you all retired to your a few spar rooms in the bunkhouse.

The next morning, you all gathered before dawn. Arthur said you were gonna learn how to ride. The boys walking a bit slower than they usually would. You were all assigned horses. Ghost and Price and Gaz were going well after some instruction. And Jonny. Well let's just say he wasn't built to ride horses. He just couldn't wrap his head around it. Loud laughs sounded as the horse started to trot slightly, sending your little scotsman's bouncing rapidly in his saddle.

“Fu-Uck En H-EL-LL,” he said through bounces as his head bobbled around. You rode up to him gently pulling on the rains to get the horse to slow down.

“Come on Mate. your ancestors road these guys into battle,” You said.

“Nah, these are American horses. If it was a scottish horse I would be grand,” he stated definitely. Amused by his logic, you just shook your head. To your surprise, Simon pulled up on the other side of Jonny. “Having a bit of trouble there?” Ghost asked smuggle. “Fuck Ye LT,” Jonny grunted, trying to glare only for him to slid sideways in the saddle. You reached out holding his jacket to keep him steady as he readjusted. Ghost smirked before trotting forward. You rode up to his side looking over his posture, one hand resting on his thigh, the other holding both the reins. 

“You’ve done this before,” you stated.

“When I was a kid,” he muttered.

“It shows, You're a natural,” you said.

“Not as good as you,” he said.

“Oh stop it, you'll make me blush,” you grinned. He glanced over at your smile, grunting in response.

“So this is your dream, huh?” he asked. Your grin turned into a fond smile.

“Yeah. I want a nice plot of land in the tablelands,” you stated.

“Table lands?” Ghost asked.

“I'll admit you guys have some nice green pastures in England. But the tablelands. Man, it's something different altogether. Rolling green hills right out of a picture book. It's high up, lots of rain, and rainforests. Fog will roll over the hills in the cold mornings and arvos. I'll have five horses, shit ton of chickens and cows. Maybe a goat or two,” your shrugged. “Two dogs. One working kelpie and and little staffy,” you continued.

“A big old cottage that I built myself. Oh, it's gotta have a basement. Definitely a secret passage. Maybe a fake skeleton chucked in there.” your words had Simon smiling as his eyes settled on you. Settled on the sparkle of your eyes as you described it all.

“Oh and there will be this big ol tree. If I have a family I'll string it up with fairy lights and lanterns. I'll invite you boys round for week long adventures. Big ol fire place next to it,” you reminisce of a life that you possibly might never get to live. After all, your job wasn't necessarily safe.

“Oh so I’m a part of this future huh?” he asked. The instant your gaze turned to him he realized what he said. His face flushed as your smile became impossibly brighter.

“Of course,” you stated simply. Only when you did think of all those things you left out one key part. Whenever you thought about your future, the annoying prick in front of you would pop into the frame. Helping you build the cottage. Putting one of his masks on the fake skeletons. Him in the tree hanging up the lights. Him sitting next to you around the roaring fire. Clearing his throat his face flushed deeply as he looked back to the path in front of you. You didn't see the flush though. You simply saw him avoiding your gaze. For a moment, he wondered if he was having a heart attack. He thought it was the only explanation for his rapid heartbeat.

“Were going for a run care to join?” Arthur called back to you.

“Sure,” you called back. 

“So you ready to show me just how good you are?” You leaned over to Ghost with a taunting

“Perhaps,” he grunted.

“First one to the tree up on that ridge,” you suggested.

“Are we betting anything?” he asked.

“Bragging rights?” you shrugged. “On three?” you suggested.

“Alright, three,” he stated kicking his horse into a gallop. An excited grin stretched across your face as you did the same. The cantering group let out exclamations of surprise as you two zoomed past them in a full gallop. Even with his headstart you quickly caught up to him. Riding would forever feel different to everything in your life. It felt like flying, but so much more magical. As you were neck and neck you looked over to Ghost who looked to you. With a wink, you dropped the reins, opening your arms out as the horse pulled forward. You won by just an inch. 

The next day it was game time. You were strapped up and dressed up for your rodeo. You left a little earlier than the boys. You were hanging around beer in hand playing the part as Arthur introduced you to a few people. Chucking your watch you glanced at the time.

“They should be here by now,” you muttered.

“Speak of the devils,” Arthur muttered nodding behind you. A low whistle left your lips as you took them in.

As everyone took them in. Women, buckle bunnies and men had their eyes set on the group. They looked like a master piece of hot manliness. And you had to admit they looked good enough to have anyone's panties dropped with just a word. There boots kicking up dust as they strutted through the crowd. You swore the music was perfect of their entrance, looking like a scene out of a movie.

“Boys,” you nodded to them as they approached.

“Anna,” Price nodded to you. Your cover name for the mission.

“Come on, I've got to introduce you to someone,” Arthur stated beckoning you all over. You sucked in a small breath as he took you all to the target. 

“Tommy,” Arthur greeted the man like old friends.

“Arthur, how are you, my boy?” he asked. He was an older man, a true cowboy.

“Good Good,” Arthur nodded as they embraced.

“So you're the one Arthurs has been speaking about. You should know outsiders aren't usually welcome here,” the target stated as he turned to you.

“What scared of the challenge?” you asked with a teasing smile. The man paused a beat before breaking out into laughter.

“She's a spunk fire all right. Name’s Tom, everyone calls me Tommy,” he greeted holding his hand out to you.

“Anna,” you introduced yourself.

“Anna, you dont look like an Anna,” he said.

“Oh yeah, what do I look like?” you asked.

“Some real classy name. Like Evangeline or somethin,” he stated.

“Well, you certainly look like a Tommy,” you said.

“Why thank you ma’am,” he tipped his hat to you.

“And who are these fellas?” he asked turning to the boys.

“I'm her manager, Cole,” Price introduced himself. “These boys are on the team,” he stated, pointing to the rest who gave nods.

“I see, well fellas I'll see you out there,” he stated giving you another nod before walking off.

“So we grabbing him?” Jonny asked.

“To many people here,” Price mumbled.

“After the main event you'll have your chance, that's when he goes home,” Arthur said. You nodded, glancing around you. Fancy profession buckers were walking all round you. 

“Nervous Darling?” Arthur asked. The boys gaze snapped to him, some pissed of some surprised. The way American men say darling is just something different.

“I'm about to strap myself to a state of the art bucking horse. Of corse im fucking nervous,” you muttered.

“Don't worry. Come on, there are some other events before. Let's get you warmed up,” he stated. You needed to keep your mind occupied, so you agreed. Steer wrestling and roping was your go to. You didn't place first in anything but you didn't do too bad. The boys looked at you in a different light as you rode beside a young bull, jumping off your horse to wrestle it to the ground, flipping it over and tying its legs up. 

“God damn,” Jonny whispered as you stood to your feet holding your hands in the air.

“She's good, really good,” Arthur stated as he stood by the boys.

“That's our girl,” Price stated simply.

“So, what are you lot to her?” he asked.

“What?” Gaz asked squinting at the man.

“You lot seem real close. I know you're a team but I don't want to step on anyone's toes, I'm a gentle man like that,” he shrugged.

“What do you mean step on anyone's toes?” Price asked, his arms folding over his chest taking on the protective dad stance.

“Look if she's spoken for I'll back off. But I don't see no ring, and she calls you all by name. No pet names,” Arthur trailed off before turning to Ghost.

“So I guess im asking what are you to her,” the question was pointed at Ghost the boys quickly catching on. Ghost turned fully to him tucking his hand under his arm pits where his guns sat, hidden by his jacket. Although he made a point to let the smooth metal peek out.

“I'm the guy that fucks you up seven ways to Sunday if you hurt her,” his voice was deathly low, shaking Arthur up a bit. Yet it was Simon's glare that had the man really scared. 

But he also got the answer he wanted.

“So she's available?” Arthur pointed out with a grin.

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=Cowboys and Men = Part Two here=

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~COD Master List Here~

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[bartyssimp-riley-16]

Punches and donuts - Jason Todd x Wilson!reader

Bruce had hosted this year's holiday party at Wayne Manor and invited his entire extended found family, plus several members of the Justice League and their extended families in turn. Jason had been invited too. He hadn't really wanted to go, but his brothers had convinced him.

Well, it hadn't been. People had spent the night whispering about his presence. His brothers had all shot him apologetic looks. The air had grown tense. Jason had stood up mid-meal and left without a word. He'd probably made things awkward at the party, he didn't care.

"Stupid dinner. Shouldn't have gone." He wasn't surprised that the streets were nearly empty. The snow was coming down heavily now, and a fierce wind had picked up, blowing a flurry of white into his eyes. He blinked the snowflakes away and pulled his jacket tighter wrapped around him.

"F*ck me," he cursed, furious. The night kept getting worse. He didn't have a ride. Everyone was at that stupid party. He'd have to walk back.

A soft rustling behind him was the only warning he got. Jason spun around and his instincts kicked in, the adrenaline from his earlier anger propelling his fist forward. His knuckles collided with the persons face, sending his attacker staggering backward.

Wait. That wasn't an attacker. "Oh, sh*t. Uh." God, tell him he didn't just break someone's nose. "F*ck. I'm sorry."

i hiss holding my nose, "fuck, Todd!"

"Oh, sh*t. You're bleeding."

Jason's annoyance with the fact that he'd just assaulted a bystander vanished in an instant, replaced by guilt and panic. He stepped forward to get a better look at the person in the dim streetlights. His brain had registered that it was a woman. Her hood was pulled up, making it difficult to see her face.

He gently took her wrist and pulled her hand away from her face. "Lemme see."

"Jason", i hiss softly, "careful"

It took a few seconds to register that he knew that voice, but when it clicked, Jason's eyes widened in horror.

"YN? F*ck."

He'd punched her. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. It could have been worse, but it didn't change the fact that he'd hurt one of the very few friends he had.

Jason held her chin in his hands, tilting her head up to inspect the damage. "I didn't see you," he started, trying to rationalize, his eyes filled with remorse.

"yeah, figured", i chuckle

Jason let out a heavy exhale, relieved that she seemed calm and not, say, homicidal. She was making light of the situation, which probably meant she was okay, but he still felt awful all the same. "I didn't mean to, I thought you were—well, you know what I thought."

There was no point in trying to explain himself. He'd f*cked up. He just hoped he hadn't done any lasting damage and winced when he saw the blood dripping from her nose.

i smile, "its fine Todd"

"It's not fine."

If anything, her being so casual about it made him feel worse. She was being so nice, and he'd hit her. Punched her in the face. If she was anyone else, they'd probably be furious right now.

"I hurt you, Yn. I should've—I should've been more aware."

He released her chin and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Here." He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to her.

"thanks" i place the handkerchief against my nose," yah alright?" i huff softly.

He nodded, albeit reluctantly. "I'm fine. I'm worried about you more than me right now."

He watched as she pressed the handkerchief to her nose, feeling the guilt gnaw at him. He'd always had a short temper, but this incident was downright unacceptable.

"Is your nose broken?" he asked in a low voice, still watching her with a worried frown.

"nah, itll be fine, aint my first rodeo"

There was something about the casual, lighthearted way she talked about getting punched in the face that concerned him more than anything else.

"Yn," he said, his voice taking on a tone that was half-exasperated, half-serious. "This ain't funny, y'know. You just walked into a right hook. A heavy one, at that. It's probably not good that you're laughing right now."

i try holding back a smile, "aww are u concerned about me Todd?"

He rolled his eyes, his cheeks feeling a little warmer. "Don't make me regret worrying about you, Wilson," he shot back in a gruff voice, but there was no real annoyance behind the words.

"I punched you. This isn't fun and games. You—"

He stopped himself just in time before the word "deserve" spilled from his lips. He was grateful she was being so casual, but the fact remained that he'd hurt her.

""you" what?"

He froze for a moment, mentally kicking himself for letting the word almost slip out. He clenched his jaw, trying to find the right words.

"You...deserve better than this," he said finally, his voice low and quiet. "You deserve better than someone who can't tell the difference between you and a..."

An attacker. He swallowed the word down, feeling the weight of it on his tongue. He didn't want to explain why he'd been on edge, not that it would justify punching her in the face.

"can u stop? u sound like some sappy teenager, im fine, really - i am, okay?"

His shoulders slumped a bit, the tension leaving him as he realized that she wasn't going to let him beat himself up over this. He sighed, a hint of irritation in the sound. "Fine," he begrudgingly agreed. "I'll stop, but can you please stop acting like getting punched in the face is just another Tuesday?"

"-but it is, being a vigilante isnt easy, u should know"

He gave her a deadpan look. "I know that, Yn" he said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm not some newbie vigilante who hasn't taken a punch or two."

His expression softened a bit. "But just because we're used to getting hurt, that doesn't mean it's okay to brush it off when we do get hurt."

i smile," im okay, but are u? u left the dinner very...abruptly"

He averted his gaze, trying to act casual. "What's there to be okay about?" he quipped, shrugging. "Dinner was dull, the people were dull, and I had a damn headache. Had to get out of there."

"cmon, lets go be gloomy on a rooftop", i say in a mock deep voice

He couldn't help but snort at her silly imitation of his usual demeanor. "You're so damn annoying, you know that?" he said, but there was no genuine annoyance in his words.

"Alright, let's go be all brooding and edgy on a rooftop," he agreed with a light chuckle. i watch him amused.

He noticed her amused expression and shot her a reproachful look. "Stop looking at me like that," he grumbled, folding his arms over his chest. "like what?" i poke his arm

He sighed at her playful poke, resisting the urge to roll his eyes again. "Like you're enjoying this, like you find it amusing that I'm bothered,” he said. “I accidentally punch you, and you just laugh it off. Anyone else would be angry. But not you. You just find it funny."

"it is funny". His expression darkened at her nonchalant response. "Funny? It's funny that I hurt you? What's so funny about that, Yn?" he demanded, his voice rising with frustration and disbelief.

"u were so caught off guard" i chuckle softly, i nudge him playfully, "im okay"

He grumbled, letting out a long sigh. "Yeah, I was caught off guard, but that doesn't make it amusing." He looked at her, his expression still showing traces of irritation.

"I just...I don't like the fact that you're so casual about it. You didn't even get mad at me. Any other person would've been furious."

"want me to yell?" i ask jokingly

He couldn't help but roll his eyes at her offer. "No, don't be ridiculous," he retorted. "I just...I don't get why you're not angrier about this. You're just so...calm."

"if u wanna make it up to me, u can buy me donuts"

He raised an eyebrow at her request, surprise mixing with irritation. "Donuts? You want me to make it up to you by buying you donuts?" He shook his head incredulously. "Seriously, Wilson? Donuts? That's all it takes to make you not mad at me?"

"jelly filled, raspberry" He rolled his eyes, a scoff escaping his lips. "Jelly filled, raspberry, fine. Any other requests? Want me to tie a bow on the box too, while I'm at it?"

"sure", i muse

He could have strangled her with how blasé she was being, and now she had the audacity to demand a bow too. "You're insufferable, you know that?" he growled, a hint of a smirk on his face. i smile, "of course"

He shook his head, fighting back a sigh. "You're lucky you're cute," he muttered under his breath, realizing he was begrudgingly enjoying their banter. I grin at him, "think im cute?"

He tried to keep his expression neutral, but a hint of a flush crept across his cheeks. "Don't fish for compliments, Wilson," he grumbled, looking away from her gaze. "You know damn well you're cute."

i smile "damn right"

He rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress the hint of a smirk that tugged at his lips. "Arrogant, aren't you?" he retorted, but there was no genuine annoyance behind it.

"arrogant? me? yes" i joke.

"...can u buy me my donuts...tomorrow morning?"

[teashadephoenix]

I love that hat Rog 👍

Have a Very Merry Roger Christmas 🎄🎁

[talaok]

Hi

Can you write one where the reader is drunk and pedro takes care of her?

Maybe like what happened in the fifty shades?and they are in a relationship together...

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x reader

Warnings: you know the drill it aint smut but it alludes to it

"I'm not drunk"

He smiled, as once again, you lied straight to his face.

"Sure you aren't sweetheart"

" 'm not" you pouted, gripping him for dear life as he helped you stumble into the house

"You're right" he nodded, watching your every move closely to make sure you didn't get hurt "now here, let's get you to bed"

"I don't wanna go to bed"

"well too bad baby, 'cause you're going"

You stopped dead in your tracks, turning to stare at him.

You had this look when drunk… like a veil on your eyes and a specific tilt of your mouth that made it so easy for him to figure you out every time.

And it was also one of the cutest and funniest things he’d ever seen.

“What exactly are we gonna do in bed?”

He couldn’t help but chuckle

“Not what you want I’m afraid”

“Why?” you moaned

“Because, sweetheart,” he spoke gently as he moved some hair out of your face “I don’t think you’re in the right conditions”

“I don’t know what you’re talking ‘bout”

“No?”

“No idea”

You let one of your hands rake down his chest “I can be very persuasive y’know?”

“Oh I know” he nodded, a smile pulling at his lips

You were giving him your best Doe eyes with your smudged mascara and parted lips.

He would have agreed without a second thought if it wasn’t for the alcohol clearly still lingering in your organism.

“what do you say then, Mr. Pascal?” you tilted your head, caging your bottom lip between your teeth the way you knew drove him crazy.

This wasn’t his first rodeo, and there was one thing he had learned by now, there were two ways he could go about this:

1. He could keep arguing with you, trying to make you understand

2. He could lie and find a way to get you to bed, so that the second your head hit the pillow you would finally understand how right he had been this whole time and fall asleep in a second.

“C’mere” he decided, pulling you closer by your waist and meeting your lips with his.

You let out a giggle as you intertwined your arms behind his neck.

“What are you laughing at?” he smiled

“You” You gave his lips a quick peck

“Oh yeah?” he challenged, half laughing

“Yup” you kissed his cheek “Mr. I don’t think you’re in the right conditions”

“Well, what can I say, You are very persuasive…”

You chuckled again, and he took it as an opportunity to pick you up, your legs wrapping around each side of his waist.

You nuzzled your head between his shoulder and neck, his manly scent wrapping around you like a cloud, and by the time you looked up, he had carried you to the bedroom.

He sat you on the bed, and you watched with anticipation as he got to his knees.

Except he didn’t do what you were expecting, no, he was taking off your heels.

“Baby” you whined

“Lay down” he spoke softly

You did. You loved when he got bossy.

The bed creaked as he got on it too.

He bent down to kiss you again and you felt his hands move around the bed, but once again, he didn’t do what you were expecting… you felt the blanket fall on your body.

“W-what?” you frowned, opening your eyes ”baby what are you doing?”

Pedro stoked your pretty face with his thumb, watching your eyes cloud with confusion.

“Getting you to bed” he said simply

“But-” you started before an over-dramatic gasp fled your throat “you tricked me!”

A smile painted his lips “I did, babydoll”

“I can’t believe this”

“I’m sorry baby, I’ll make it up to you in the morning”

“You better” you threatened, your eyelids already feeling heavier.

“I will” he promised, leaning away and out of bed.

“Where are you going?” you whimpered “Aren’t you gonna at least come to bed?”

He smiled, watching you struggle to speak through the drowsiness

“One second,” he told you, making quick work of his pants and shirt.

You let out a small chuckle “sexy” you teased

“I know, right?” he grinned, getting back in bed.

You wasted no time climbing closer to him, wrapping your leg around his and placing your head on his chest.

He didn’t call you Koala for nothing.

“Thank you for picking me up” you slurred after a moment of silence

“No problem, sweetheart” he kissed your hair “You can call me anytime you want if you need me, you know that”

You tightened your hold on him to mimic a hug.

“I love you” you promised

“I love you too baby” he murmured “I love you too” he said,

And then you were gone.

[leincendiaire]

anyways salty thoughts. dont expect me to be nice

this is the one problem not exclusive to the finale, god ed's character arc just. didnt do it for me at all. I excused it before cuz I thought it would pay off as the season went on but nope. he never had a genuine apology moment, just that youtuber apology like gag and the cat collar joke. like they literally show us how the crew was completely scarred by his actions but theyre later just completely fine with him on board???? and stede keeps being his biggest stan when I think he would have been like hey what the fuck!! im sorry I hurt you but I am not responsible for your actions and you hurt my crew whom I hold very dear!! I love ed but Fuck he really went too far those first episodes and he never makes up for it. they only ever focus on His Own self journey, not how he hurt and traumatized practically every other character.

"well, I think narratively izzy's death made sense but—" no!! no it fucking didnt!! im sorry but it was just lazy writing!! they didnt know what to do with him so whoops he gets shot in the dumbest way possible. like, this aint my first rodeo, it aint the first time ive seen a character start off on their character journey to happiness only for writers to give up on it and kill them off. it's a tiring fucking trope tbh and I really wish they hadnt fallen into this trap. like his death scene wasnt good either, if youre gonna do it at least focus on his relationship with the crew, you know, the people he came to accept as family? not the man Who Shot Off His Fucking Leg And Almost Killed Him? I know they had an important relationship but that shit should have been talked about way beforehand, it deserved closure. they should have acknowledged they werent good for each other and made peace with it. izzy deserved a death with people who actually made him happy. ALSO THEY BURY HIM ON FUCKING LAND?????? he spent his life at sea!!!! he is the most devoted out of everyone to being a pirate and you bury him next to your fucking inn???? fucking twats istg

lastly I swear they forgot stede is the main character. they forgot literally everything about how to write him. he gets No Focus in the finale, and every scene he is in is bullshit. I actually wanted to punch my screen every time there was a joke about him being incompetent or whatever. like, hello??? thought we left that shit in s1??? he had Multiple Episodes about learning to be a pirate and adjusting to his new life and gaining more skills but no. he is just silly old loserboy for his cool war criminal boyfriend now. literally no skills or experience whatsoever. ok sure yea thats totally how he acted the rest of the season. also the fuck is it with him staying behind to run the inn with ed?? wasnt the whole conflict last episode their different desires out of life, with ed wanting to start a normal life and stede wanting to be a pirate?? when the Fuck did he change his mind. who are you and have you done with my boy

honestly I feel bad because jenkins is actually a good writer and the whole fandom really expected a lot from a man making his second show, and I think there were a lot of budget cuts and production issues so I can see why it turned out this way. he is probably mad about this too, I bet the cast also, like even the acting in this episode didnt feel passionate, and thats saying a lot since these actors really love this show. im just frustrated. man. time to write fics ig

[darkenforcer]

there's the slightest downturn of his lips in response to break's small signs of fatigue, "you've got shitty taste in friends, no offense."

it's been a while since he's seen anyone take so much ruthless joy in killing a monster, though it is unsurprising coming from such a loose cannon. his fighting style, on the other hand... whatever it is he summons in battle, it definitely isn't a simple parlor trick. yuri wouldn't pay it much mind otherwise, but considering the effects it seemingly has on its user's health, it bothers him more than the giant bug.

"funny you ask, considering i'm not the one with blood running down my face," he finally confirms in his roundabout way, irritation seeping through his tone. irritation toward the entire situation, to some extent, but especially at break's unbothered attitude. it better just be his own exhaustion making him overanalyze things.

wait, is that...? he squints past the other's shoulder as a burst of red shoots through the fog -- a thin, concentrated tendril of sentient aer hurtling right in their direction. at that speed, it'd...!

yuri shoves break aside (not the smartest idea when he's already swaying, but it's better than getting impaled) and with a slice of his blade, the sinuous aer splits in two, slithering back into the mist.

he doesn't notice he's thinking out loud until it's too late, "what the hell..? i haven't seen that since back in ceazontania with the knights." he thought he'd fully moved on from the tragedy it caused then, but to have to face the damn thing again... and here, of all places.

he's wasting time. aer isn't living -- it may retreat for a while, but it can't die. he gives break another once-over, anxious to get moving, "you good to go? the, uh, caterpillar's starting to give me the creeps."

' WHOOPSIES! ' SO, IT TURNS OUT that this is still as unpleasant on his body as it was back home.

   it's strange, that chains get to appear here without their contractors. he hasn't seen a lot of them. in fact, this is only the second one break's come across, the first one being a rather unimpressive card. this one ... he'd heard of it, though he hadn't come across it himself. grim was a chain that pandora had rumored to be connected to the headhunter. he wasn't there for the death of its contractor, relying on gilbert to take care of it, but now that it's here, on this island, in his path, he feels even more justified in his decision to not bother with it.

   the caterpillar, gigantic as it was, folds underneath the steel of his sword easily, mad hatter's powers concentrated within it. his own chain behind him, granting him enough momentum to hover above grim for just a moment, before driving his weapon between its many eyes, stark red, staring directly at him.

   suits him fine. like that, it isn't looking at yuri. not that it's going to do a lot more looking in a second, though.

   the guttural scream it lets out is overshadowed by break's clear laughter, sounding louder, amplified by mad hatter's powers, ringing out in the small clearing close to a pathway. he lands on his feet easily, and while he's straightening, he's wiping his sword on his sleeve, trying to get rid of the gunk, looking inconvenienced.

   he's already got plenty of blood dripping down his chin. meeting more of these chains isn't something he can really afford. though, stumbling across eques or march hare might be quite nice, now that he thinks about it.

   with one last glance behind him, break finally directs his attention towards yuri, dancing over to the guy with a carelessness that could be considered infuriating. ' sorry about that! i think the bug showed up because of me. friends from back home, you know the drill. '

   he's not sure if yuri does. know the drill, that is. does he want to spend effort explaining, though? he still doesn't quite know what's going on here, himself. mad hatter flickers back out of existence behind break, shaping into shadows first, drawing a way towards break, before disappearing entirely.

   he coughs a little. shakes his sleeve. sways for a second.

   ' i hope it didn't get you anywhere? '

@darkenforcer / trauma boogaloo

[cinamun]

Mercy…girl…I-

As soon as I seen her with the wine glass in the dark at 3:15AM, I knew she had fucked up. As much as I wish she could stand firm, I had to remember this is her first rodeo when it comes to a situation like this. In her eyes right now (after kicking him out and having her fun-filled night of clubbin & Komorebian peen)…she’s a big boss & is now in control. But also, (I know that we know this) I tend to forget that Mercy has no inkling that this man is literally psycho. So it brings me back to reality: In real life, we backslide & double back out of familiarity or “not wanting to add to our count” more often than we should, so that’s the normal part in Mercy’s situation. But Mercy’s literally playing with fire and she has no clue. Despite what we like to say, Bishop isn’t our typical “aint shit nigga”…Sir will off you & put you somewhere where they’ll never find you. Hell, even the FBI Customer Service can’t find his ass. 😂

Her biggest mistake was letting this man back into her home…Miss Ma’am’s first mistake was not packing up the problematic penthouse & starting anew. Listen, Mercy girl, I know you love the views but it’s time to relocate! Because at this point, how did this man even make it past the concierge & security at the front desk. For as much as you pay for this big ass luxurious yet problematic place, they should be fired because he should have been added to the list of people that aren’t allowed on this property anymore. Do we need to make a group call to Corporate!? Because…?

The flesh is WEEEEAAAAAKKKKKK honey! But the crazy thing is, he was never going to leave her alone anyway. He enjoys playing with her mind & emotions too much. 😩 Bishop out here playing an intense game of Simbles with our girl’s mind, body, AND soul…just having a blast. Listen, we all grown here (or atleast we should be), ya’ll know it be hard to ease from the grips of the soul-snatchin’ strokes (and/or straps). 👀

Also I’m just over here, face hurting from laughing because we’re all over here like:

And Mercy is all like:

���� It’s not funny at all but the gifs are making me cackle!

Chae coming through on this fine Monday afternoon with the undisputed FACTS!!! Chae you get the big piece of chicken during the Ratchet Readers™ nightly recap.

Anyway, facts on facts and the gifs don't lie. Sis was too far in her head (and so was the wine) at 3:15am after the backslide-smash and didn't properly kick him out. Instead, he poked her in the booty cheek as if to say he was ready for round two right here:

and she is trying to focus on the fuckshit he just said so she had to just squeeze the chair (in order to stop wobbling also because tipsy) and tell his ass to shut up.

But none of it worked and now the 90 degree arch is back

..... this was the pic I removed and got slapped with 'sexual themes' anyway but I digress.

The good sis just took 37 steps backwards and she has however many days I have pregnancy set on to get her shit together.

[southernswampmamma]

Magic Man: Chapter Two

Original! Male Character x Original! Black Female Character

Chapter Warnings: None, atm. Slow Burn

Summary: Yolana Humphry spent her entire life stuck in Tapioca, Alabama, under the thumb of her controlling Aunt Freda. That is, until a stranger comes along and swoops her off her feet. A charming man, that everyone but herself seems to know; who easily bypasses her fragile walls and embeds himself in her heart. Escape, however, doesn’t seem to be the end of Yolana’s journey. With her newfound freedom, she now has the opportunity to pursue something she never thought she could obtain.

Chapter Summary: The Local fire Department is having a celebration for the Fire chief and Nathan intends to attend. Yolana notices a welcomed stranger.

I try to be very inclusive with my stories, even if I write in an original female character. So, though she has a name, the only characteristic known is that she is black.

I also plan to write stories for everyone, not just a specific race!

(I am not in the medical field or national park services, so I might be wrong about some information in this chapter)

Chapter Two

Belvin’s Barbecue

Nathan pulled up to the fire-station around 3:30 that afternoon. The party started at 3:00, but he thought things wouldn’t have gotten too far started by the time they arrived. He hopped off his bike, hanging his open-faced helmet on his bike's handles.

“Boy, how do you get this thing off my head?”

Nathan brought his attention to his riding partner for the evening. Elijah sat on the bike fiddling with his helmet, struggling to get his fingers around the clasp to set himself free of the hot thing.

“Well, first Pops, you’re going to need some patience.” Nathan said, while assisting his grandfather.

Once the man was free, he huffed, sitting back a little, while his feet planted on the gravel under him. He looked around at his environment.

“Haven’t been here since before your last visit.”

“That’s a long time, Grandad.” Nathan imputed, taking off his riding gloves and massaging his fingers.

“Well, you were the only reason I came down here in the first place. I’m surprised I even got an invitation.”

Nathan offloaded his grandfather’s cane while simultaneously helping the man off the bike.

“You’re invited to every function, Pops.”

“Huh! You’re right.” Elijah said, as though it had just occurred to him. Once Elijah was situated on his feet, he took the cane and wiped his brow.

“Oh, my stars! If that aint a sight for sore eyes!”

Nathan and Elijah both turned at the sudden holler.

“Oh, hell.” Elijah muttered under his breath.

“Ms. Patty!” Nathan yelled, raising his arms for the eventual hug he was going to give his old babysitter.

Ms. Patty was an elder at the church, but when Nathan was a kid, she was just the church youth director. Whenever his grandfather was out, Ms. Patty would watch him. Nathan engulfed the short woman in a tight hug. She barely reached his chest, and he was sure she couldn’t breathe, but she made no complaint.

“What are you doing here in Tapioca? I thought you were up there making the big bucks in Tennessee?”

“I came down to see my gran for business, but decided to stay and catch up with everyone.”

“Oh, that’s good. We sure missed you! Your old pictures are still sitting on my mantel, and I still have all your artwork you used to draw me. You have grown so tall too! Also, so handsome!” She gasped. “Oh my god! Have you found yourself a little lady yet? If not, my grandniece is single, and she is getting so lonely ever since the rodeo left town.” Ms. Patty leans in. ��Them’s clowns sure are dirty dogs.” Nathan listened to his former babysitter, just like the old days when she would watch him. He and Ms. Patty would talk all day about anything his younger self could conjure up. Whether it be dinosaurs or evil aliens from a distant planet, Ms. Patty would talk with him all day. Nathan used to think he talked too much to Ms. Patty, but as she went on and on about her grandniece and the clowns at the rodeo, then the circus and eventually the amusement park, Nathan didn’t feel like his talking was so bothersome back then.

“Alright Patty, we need to get going. My knees are starting to hurt and my patience is starting to wear thin.”

Ms. Patty rolled her eyes at Elijah and turned her attention back to Nathan.

“Let me show you inside. Everyone will be so delighted to see you!”

Nathan could barely get the beer he brought on the table with the rest of the drinks before bodies surrounded him. Everyone, people he went to summer camp with, people from the church, and even some people he met in holding cells, were there and ready to talk to him. All familiar faces he hadn’t seen in years. Nathan only expected to see his old buddies from the fire department, not people like George Allen, an older aged man he used to cut grass for, or Kip Ramos, the baseball coach from summer camp. It was nice to see everyone. He wished he hadn’t just up and disappeared without keeping in touch with everybody. George, though he was old when Nathan was a kid, was even older, obviously. Nathan wanted to ask how he was feeling. He had to be around his grandfather’s age, if not older. Kip had a limp that wasn’t there last time he saw him and Nathan wondered what caused that. Everyone he talked to looked the same, but was different in some way or the other. Nathan really needed to catch up with everyone.

After all the hellos from the townspeople, Nathan finally settled his eyes on his former fire brothers. His already wide grin got impossibly bigger once he saw the men.

“Little Nate Bard!” One said, approaching Nathan with his hands in the air. “Though you aint so little, no more!”

“Booboo!” Nathan said, clasping his hand with the other man’s. “Never was little, man!”

Buley “Booboo” Harrison was a tan man about an inch or two shorter than Nathan. He’d built muscle from his years as a firefighter and covered himself in random tattoos. His long brown hair framed a face that he had also scattered with random tattoos. Booboo, to anyone who didn’t know him, looked terrifying, but he was nothing but a big goof and Nathan’s best friend down in Tapioca. The two spent many a night getting into trouble, which resulted in many a night in a holding cell until Nathan’s grandfather could come down and pick them up; or in the morning, sometimes they would have to stay until the morning. It never was for anything too serious, but Booboo almost got shot once, trespassing. That resulted in an endless talk with the sheriff and everyone’s guardian. Soon, they started volunteering with the fire department. They were too young to actually do anything, but they cleaned and washed the fire truck until they both were old enough to fight fires. Where Nathan could only volunteer for the summers he was away from home, Booboo went ahead and joined.

Surrounding them were five other members of the crew that Nathan could recognize, and he took his time greeting them all. He decided if there was anywhere to start catching up, it would be with his fire fighting family. He talked long with his former friends and took the same amount of time getting to know the new members.

“Man, it’s nice to see you all again. This brings back so many memories.”

Booboo went around and grabbed two drinks from the coolers, handing one to Nathan.

“Yea, a lot has changed, too.” Booboo lifted his hand, displaying a wedding band on his left ring finger.

“Someone married you dude?” Nathan said, peering at his friend’s hands. The gold wedding band stood out brightly against the man’s dark tattoos.

“Yep, she’s over there setting up the balloons.” Booboo pointed to his left where a tall redheaded woman waddled around a picnic table with a hand full of balloons. “She’s carrying our third.”

Nathan turned to his friend in bewilderment. He took Booboo’s hand in his again, only this time he brought him in for a solid hug.

“Congratulations man!” Nathan couldn’t believe his tattooed friend had gotten married and was already on his third kid. But of course he is! Buley is a strong, loyal, dependable man. Of course someone saw that and wanted to spend their life with him.

“I’ll introduce you to her later, she’s busy. You want to help us with the seats? We ran out so were going to take some old tires from the back and put some pillows and blankets in them. We’ll have the kids sit in them.”

It would have been an honor to work with his old buddies again.

Once they had made all the makeshift tire seats and put up all the balloons, the guest of honor arrived with his eyes covered from the surprise. Everyone was told to quiet down. Knowing the children in attendance wouldn’t be able to do that, someone escorted them all further inside the fire-house. Once the fire chief’s eyes were uncovered, everyone yelled in unison, “Happy 30th Anniversary Chief Friday!” Confetti popped in random places and there were enthusiastic whoops and hollers everywhere. The fire chief’s expression showed immense happiness. With his hand to his heart and eyebrows to the heavens, he laughed joyously.

“Oh, my God.” He said to the crowd, stuttering afterwards, not knowing what to say. His mouth opened and closed, but words were never spoken. When he was finally able to say something, he was interrupted by his companion.

“We ladies at the church thought it would be a fantastic idea to celebrate your 30th anniversary as fire chief with all your friends, family, and the good people you serve in Tapioca.” The lady spoke loudly so everyone in attendance could hear her. Her chest puffed out from the strong yet feminine posture she presented.

“Th-thank you, Freda, thank you Ladies of Mt. Zion, and thank you everyone for this wonderful surprise! I, I can’t express how-” he paused to collect his thoughts. His eyes scanned the area for his words. “Just thank you so much!” He was obviously flustered, so Freda spoke up and commenced the party.

Nathan watched the fire chief as people gathered around him. Booboo’s wife came around and draped the chief in a bright red and orange sash, stating: 30 Years in Tapioca. In smaller letters on the bottom, read: Tapioca’s first African American fire chief! The woman that was with him quickly left his side, a younger woman slowly tailing behind her after giving the chief a kiss on the cheek. They sat at a picnic table littered with older women. Nathan assumed they were the Ladies of Mt. Zion that the chief was referring to earlier. Nathan will let Chief Friday settle into his party before seeing him, not wanting the old man to be too overwhelmed with all this attention.

“The audacity of her.”

Nathan turned to his left to see a stout woman, red in the face, shoving plastic plates and cups around the table for the food. She was standing with another old black lady. He turned back around, pretending he didn’t hear them.

“We ladies of the church!” she mocked the speaker from before. “No! You ladies from the church, AND the fire department, AND volunteers from town. Not just you and your ladies from the church!” the woman hissed.

“Freda is so full of it Judy, it’s ridiculous. She tries to seem so important, like she comes up with everything and she’s always in control.”

“Did you see her? Belvin was about to say something and she just spoke right over him.”

“Mmhm, like she used to when they were married, at least now he has some freedom, unlike that poor girl. Did I tell you what happened yesterday?” The woman paused, getting an answer from the other. “Yolana came over and Freda nearly snatched her back across the street! Like she owned her or something. That girl is well into her twenties, there aint no reason she should be talking to, or treating her that way.”

Nathan looked over at the girl that was standing behind Chief Friday and Freda. She sat with the other church ladies, not really conversing with them, just staring off like she was bored. He brought his attention back to the gossiping old ladies.

“No! You see right there? That’s just too far.”

The women moved on from the table, still talking under their breath, discreetly pointing at various people at the party. The thing about small towns that Nathan missed was the gossip. Since it was so small, everyone knew everyone, and even though Nathan hadn’t been around in a while, he knew it wouldn’t take him long to find out everyone’s business.

He looked back at the table. Nathan knew of Chief Friday’s wife. He saw her a few times at the church, but that’s pretty much it. She never visited the firehouse, to his knowledge. All the years he visited Tapioca, he never said a word to the woman. However, he didn’t know that Chief Friday had a daughter. Nathan sat on top of the picnic table with his feet planted on the bench and his beer resting on one knee. He looked at Booboo embracing his wife as two kids ran around them clinging to the mother's dress, eventually trying to hide under it. Nathan smiled. Booboo is all grown up. The couple soon turned towards him, leaving the two playing children to their own devices. Once reaching him, Booboo extended his hand from his wife towards Nathan.

“Nate, I want you to meet my wife, Audrey. Audrey, this is my old friend Nathan Bard.” Booboo said formally. His demeanor was proud, like showing off one of his most prized possessions.

The strawberry haired woman brought up her hand, smiling brightly while she greeted him. Nathan did the same in turn. After he greeted her, Booboo lead a long conversation into all the antics he and Nathan got into, as well as how one of his antics, in Nathan’s absence, caused him to happen upon Audrey.

One thing about the church ladies, they can drain someone’s energy fast. It didn’t matter what mental state that person was currently in; the Ladies of Mt. Zion can make the most patient of people want to pull their hair out from the root. It didn’t take long or much before Yolana was ready to walk away. She already had three “bathroom breaks” despite not even finishing half of her sweet tea. With only five different subjects, the ladies can drive people mad. The same five subjects that repeat over and over, like a broken record.

Subject 1: Babies, who’s pregnant? Who’s pregnant again and who’s the father this time? Today’s victim is Shawny Price, the youngest of the Price family, who is popping out baby 5.

Subject 2: Falling Angel, who had been caught doing ungodly things, though saying they are a godly person? That would be Pastor Brian Wiggom Jr. of New South Baptist Corinthian Mass Church. His crime was being caught swiping right on a dating social media behind the church. This resulted in a very public fight between him and his wife of 5 years.

Subject 3: Who died, which 70+ year old relative, friend, or former high school sweetheart has The Lord taken too soon? John Joyner, an 82-year-old retired janitor who met his untimely end with a heart attack while mowing his grass one sunny afternoon.

“Right after he died, the heavens opened up and a heavy downpour of rain came down.” One church lady said, fanning herself with a paper plate.

“Yep! That was the heavens crying in joy as another angel got its wings.” Another church lady responded.

Subject 4: Who found the Lord? Fred Hilton, a 34-year-old football coach who found his way back in the church for the 3rd time. This time was supposedly different. Yolana would see how long it would take before he disappeared again.

Subject 5: Anyone in the near vicinity. This subject lasts the longest and can consist of strangers or fellow church members. Their targets are usually the underdressed, the overdressed, the too big, or the too small, someone’s hair, someone’s spouse, or someone’s children. The Ladies of Mt. Zion brought all their attention onto Booboo and their animosity towards his body tattoos and whether he’s a good father to his children.

Sometimes listening to the ladies is very entertaining, but sometimes it could be draining, especially when it can become unnecessary judgments. There was no reason to speak of Booboo the way the church ladies spoke about him. It wasn’t fair to speak of him like he was some freak show. To them, it’s a shame. It’s a shame poor innocent Audrey got wrapped up with that “Coloring Book Criminal”. It’s a shame their children might also cover themselves in tattoos; defiling their bodies.

When the ladies get like this, Yolana wanted to leave, but since she’d already had enough bathroom breaks, she had no choice but to sit there and listen to their judgmental opinions. She zoned out after long; her brain giving up along with her. Yolana instead focused on her uncle Belvin; it was his party after all. She watched him chat along with random people from the neighborhood, then she watched him go in for a second hotdog. He gulped it down with three deep bites, then he reached for another after chugging half his diet soda. Uncle Belvin was a hearty eater. He ate well, and he ate fast.

A man approached Belvin while he was distracted with dressing up his third hot dog. He was a tall man with medium length brown hair and a full beard. He seemed to be the tallest man at the party, only Booboo and two other firemen even coming close to his height. His eyes were squinted and wrinkled from the happiness in them, and a wide white smile reached across his face. He wore a simple outfit, a dark green corduroy shirt/jacket, unbuttoned to show the white t-shirt underneath, and a simple pair of blue jeans. On his feet were what looked like hiking boots, or work boots, Yolana couldn’t tell. A few people stood behind him, obviously in on the surprise, and she could tell that he was going to be someone her uncle hadn’t seen for a long time. Not only Yolana, but multiple people in the party had stopped what they were doing to watch the gathering. With smiles on their faces as well, it seemed they all knew him, too. Yolana focused on the man’s face, trying to place him somewhere she might have seen him before, but nothing came up. Tapioca’s too small, though, so she must have seen him somewhere.

Yolana’s uncle finally turned with the new hotdog halfway in his mouth before his eyes focused on the bright blue ones of the stranger. Belvin snatched the sausage out of his mouth before throwing it back on the plate and to the table. He engulfed the tall man in a firm hug. Belvin was too far away from Yolana for her to hear the stranger’s name, but the people around that were watching, started clapping. Who could Belvin know this well that she didn’t know? She knew everyone that her uncle knew, especially since she lived with him most of her life. She was only separate from him for the last 5 years he and her Aunt Freda were divorced.

She leaned over to one of the ladies at the table. She interrupted the woman from the word game on her phone.

“Mother Belle, who is that man talking to Uncle Belvin?” Yolana asked quietly, not wanting to disturb her aunt’s conversation with the other ladies.

The older woman looked up from the top of her glasses, one finger still hovered over her phone.

“Which one? The tall one?” she asked. Yolana confirmed.

“That’s ugh… that’s Elijah’s grandson Nathan.” She said, “He must be back in town from Tennessee.”

“How come I’ve never seen him before?” Yolana asked.

“Oh, he stopped coming down here years ago, and plus, you’re always cooped up, so you never saw him before he left for good.” She paused, flicking her finger across the screen a few times. “He would show up at the church sometimes when he did come for the summer, but that was a few and far in between.”

Yolana looked deep inside her memory, trying to remember anytime she saw Nathan’s face, but gave up when she realized he wouldn’t look the same as he did in front of her. She brought her attention back to the man; he and Uncle Belvin were brought over to a picnic table with the rest of the firemen. Yolana’s eyes coasted over all the men’s faces. They all varied in height, but were all very handsome. Some wore their uniforms, and some others didn’t. They were all tight fitted, however. All of them were fit, omitting the fire chief, with his portly belly sitting in front of him. Because of the uniform policy, they weren’t allowed to have unkempt hair, so every man had cropped hairstyles, with the exception of Booboo. All had skin clear of tattoos, with the exception of Booboo, and no facial hair, with the exception of Booboo, who wore a five o’clock shadow. Thank God Booboo was such a good fireman, because he would have been dismissed from the department for not being in code. He definitely would have gotten fired for wearing sandals while on duty.

Yolana sat there with one hand supporting her head, looking at the men. She was 25 years old, a lot of them were around her age, she would like to talk to some of them. She’d known most of them her entire life, went to school with them, one of them asked her out in the 7th grade, but nothing came of it. Yolana had seen how some of them look at her, she knew that they wanted to talk to her too, but there’s always something stopping them. A looming shadow that consistently sat right behind her.

Yolana’s eyes coasted over to the woman not too far from her. She chatted up with a few different people, reaching out for a napkin to scribble something on it and hand it to them. Probably her email and phone number. Fundraising again, Yolana guessed. She never stops. Her eyes moved over to Yolana; most likely feeling someone’s attention on her. Yolana looked away, focusing back on the men. If only one would come and talk to her, but she knew that wouldn’t happen, not with her aunt around. A saddened smile covered Yolana’s face. She’s 25; why was she daydreaming like a child? It would only upset her in the end.

If there was anything Yolana could rely on to never make her upset, it was her notebook. Her notebook, filled with notes and designs for her hobbies, could never dampen her mood. She could escape from the mundane, depressing life that she lived. Yolana reached down to her purse that sat between her and the old lady on her phone. She flipped through the pages until she got to her current design that she started that morning. After leaving Mrs. Henderson’s house, Yolana continued to where she left off, finishing the last few lines of the maze onto the watercolor paper. She spent the rest of the night painting her maze in the deep browns and greens of the forest. She was amazed the alcohol didn’t influence her work.

This maze's theme was the jungle. She watched The Jungle Book a while back and was inspired to add the theme to her new mazes. It didn’t help that she also watched Indiana Jones around that time. So the last three mazes she created were an incorporation of them both. The jungle being the setting and an Indiana Jones type character exploring the area and having to solve puzzles. Yolana was designing the fourth in a series of five. She planned on the adventurer finding his prize in the new one and the last being his great escape from the “Mountain of Tigers”. She’ll let Belvin try to solve it to see what type of difficulty she’s dealing with.

Yolana got lost in her notebook, drowning out Freda and her third round of Subject 2. The party disappeared around her and she was no longer thinking of her squandered youth and nonexistent love life. After a while, she didn’t notice the happy couples and the babies running around and she didn’t even notice that her aunt and the rest of the ladies had left her alone sitting at the table. Yolana was so distracted that she didn’t even notice the person on her left approach her.

The person sat next to her, huffing when their butt connected with the bench, Yolana lifted her head and her eyes met with a set of blue ones. It was the man from earlier, Nathan, who was talking to Belvin. Up close, Yolana got a good look at the man. He looked young, but there were scattered greys in his beard and the hair above his ear. His lips weren’t big, but they were far from thin from what she could tell. The hairs of his mustache covered his upper lip, and while she stared at it, she wondered if it got in his mouth while he ate. His cheeks were rosy, but that may be due to the beer he had in his hand. As he was closer, Yolana definitely didn’t place him anywhere in her memories. He was handsome, however; she would have definitely remembered that face.

Yolana lifted her eyes back to his, knowing that she was staring, and she was sure that she saw his mouth move. His eyes crinkled in amusement, obviously noticing her gaze. His eyebrows raised and his mouth molded into a grin. He had an impressive set of teeth. He reached out his hand to her, and she timidly accepted it.

“It’s nice to meet you. My names Nathan.” He spoke confidently, the grin still wrapped around his lips. His hand was cold from the beer that was now rested in his left hand between his legs. Yolana shook it, almost gasping when his big hand completely enveloped hers. It was lightly calloused, and though it was very large, he held her hand delicately. She looked down at it, deciding he had very manly hands.

“Hello, I’m Yolana.” She said quietly, unsure. She cleared her throat, not wanting to sound so soft.

Their hands disconnected, his returning to his lap and hers doing the same. She twiddled her pen between her fingers, fidgeting. Looking down, she noticed her notebook sitting open on her lap. She closed it before he noticed.

“You’re Belvin’s niece. I saw you earlier when you first came in. I thought you were his daughter, but he corrected me. Now that I look at you, you look nothing like him.” Yolana nodded her head. “I didn’t know he had a niece down here; I’ve never seen you before.”

Yolana started swinging her feet under her, a nervous habit. If she was to still her legs, they would bounce instead. “Yea, I’ve never seen you either. I was told you are Elijah’s grandson.” He nodded. “It’s nice to meet you; everyone loves Elijah. He comes by the blood center all the time.”

Finding an entrance to a conversation, Nathan leaned in.

“You work at the blood bank?”

“Yes, I’m a phlebotomist. Elijah comes in twice a month to give blood or get bloodwork done.”

“That’s cool. How long did it take you in school to learn that?”

Yolana inwardly cringed. Nathan noticed, but before he could say something, she answered him.

“I didn’t go to school for it. I was trained on the job.” She looked away for a second. It was always embarrassing for her every time she told people that. Being a phlebotomist sounded cool; it sounded like a specialized position, but that all goes away when she tells them schooling wasn’t required and anyone could learn it. There were graduates fresh from high school that worked with her. It made her feel dumb.

“Oh yeah? That’s cool. Jobs like that usually teach first aid and resuscitation techniques. Not to mention you got OJT, so you skipped out on the pricey classes. How long have you been working there?” he asked.

“5 years.”

“That’s enough experience to become a nursing assistant at one of my national parks, well after you get a CNA certificate, but that shouldn’t be hard if you already have a BLS certification. Do you have one of those?” Yolana nodded.

Yolana was surprised. “Really?”

“Yea.”

“You own a national park?” Who was she talking to? She already knew Elijah had money, but who was this man?

Nathan smiled, his big chest moving with every silent chuckle. Yolana got distracted momentarily, noticing how big he was compared to her.

“No, I don’t own any national parks; just run a few of their labs. I’m an NPS Biologist. I make sure our national parks are healthy, specifically their vegetation ecosystem, but I do dabble in wildlife.”

“Oh! Well, how long did that take in school?” Yolana asked his earlier question back. He scratched the back of his neck.

“Too many!” he took a swig of his beer. He was quite distracted while in college, so distracted that he took a little longer to graduate than his classmates.

“You must be really smart then to be a biologist.”

“Oh no! I just really like nature and how it works. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no tree hugger or crazy environmentalist, but nature and its cycle of life is really neat.” Nathan said. Yolana could see a sparkle in his eye, and it was not from the alcohol.

“So, you’re no vegetarian hippie?” She joked.

Nathan leaned in, a playful glint in his eyes. “Nope.” He popped the P. “I’ve had like three burgers and waiting for Channing to get done with those ribs he’s taking forever on.”

Yolana liked his smile. The wider it got, the more boyish he looked.

“However,” he paused to collect himself and sit back a little. “I do believe in animal rights. Farm animals and animals for slaughter should be raised ethically. I’m a meat eater, and I know we have to be fed, but we don’t have to be so barbaric about it.”

“I get it.” Yolana thought for a minute. “Do you go fishing?”

“Yep.”

“Hunting?”

“Love it!”

“Do you think that’s ethical?” She didn’t know where she was going with these lines of questions. She knew it didn’t have anything to do with his line of work, per se. However, learning more about him interested her.

“They both are federally regulated to make sure the species are thriving. It’s illegal to hunt or catch certain animal and fish species.” Nathan paused to look at her. Maybe it was the look in her eyes or the face she made while paying attention, but it caused him to backtrack. “I’m sorry to upset, if you’re not a fan of hunting.” He apologized respectfully, his southern upbringing shining through.

Yolana grinned, not expecting him to apologize. She thought that was very thoughtful of him. “Oh no! I was just asking your opinion. I love fishing, never been hunting, but wanted to try someday. Uncle Belvin won’t take me.”

“Why not?”

“He says ladies shouldn’t use guns, or some stupid shit- stupid stuff like that.” Yolana corrected herself. She looked around, making sure the church ladies weren’t near to hear her. When she saw the coast was clear, she continued. “I’m not big on guns, but I would like to try hunting.”

“Well, I can’t take you hunting, since we’re out of season, but I can take you fishing if you would like?”

She shook her head, declining his offer before she even noticed she was doing it. It’s an automatic response whenever people invite her to do things. It was almost a reflex like motion.

“It’s alright, you’re on vacation, you should enjoy that, plus I’m sure my uncle has a fishing trip scheduled soon. He sometimes invites me.”

It wasn’t a complete lie; Chief Belvin frequented the local ponds and lakes. Sometimes he invited Yolana, and she would fish with him or sit there and draw her surroundings. However, she did not know if he was going on a fishing trip soon.

Nathan nodded his head, draining the last of his beer. He sat the empty bottle behind him before bringing his attention back to Yolana.

“I bet you’re going to enjoy not having to get up in the morning like the rest of us.” Yolana spoke.

Nathan nodded. “Yea, I used to not be a morning person, but after all these years of getting to work at 5 AM, I’ve programmed myself to always be up. Even on the days I work from home, I’m up.”

Yolana wouldn’t consider herself a night owl, nor would she be up before sunrise. She was a perfect mix of both, rising from bed around 8 or 9 o’clock in the morning, on her off days, of course. Trying to imagine herself up and ready to work at 5 AM every day seems impossible. Life is already hard, why make it harder with crazy work hours like that? However, the man before her seems put together, with a title like his and with a grandfather like Elijah; of course, he would be an early riser. He’s a businessman.

“So, you’re going to be up at 5 all week for no reason?” She joked. He looked down at her smile, making her want to hide it.

“No, not 5, maybe 7. Go take a run in the early sunrise.”

He ran too, every morning? Yolana was truly talking to a sophisticated man. It made her feel even more insecure. As a woman her age with nothing of her own, looking at this man, that’s not too much older than her, she wondered if she was too late or… behind.

“Well, I can’t say I’m not jealous of your motivation, but I am glad that I don’t have to be up and at it that early.”

“What time do you have to be at work?”

“I have to be there at 8, but the bus comes and picks me up at 7:30. Still early, but better than 5 AM.”

Nathan looked at her, confused. His thick eyebrows pushed the skin between them together.

“Bus?” Since when did Tapioca get a bus?

“Oh!” Yolana just realizing he’s been gone too long to know about the new transportation system. “Mrs. Bethel Claire retired from the school two years ago. They also retired her bus, so she bought it, painted it an emerald, green color, and started picking up the elderly and handicapped.”

“Like a Brat bus?”

“Kinda’, but she extended her services to everyone else, like people without vehicles.” Yolana pointed to herself. “It’s cool! The town even made dedicated bus stops, and I heard she was looking to buy a second bus.”

“Do you like riding the bus?”

Yolana thought for a moment. “No, but it’s either that or walking. My aunt has to be at work before I do, so she can’t take me.” She smiled. “I should be used to it by now with all the old people I’m constantly around, but sometimes it smells weird in there.”

“Like old age?”

“Like… fermented life.”

Nathan cringed before laughing. He didn’t expect her to say something like that, nor did he ever hear anyone refer to old people that way. None the less, it was funny what she said. He extended an offer of a ride to and from work, but she declined, saying he didn’t have to. This time, Nathan didn’t accept no for an answer, his chivalrous nature getting the best of him.

“I really don’t mind.” He said, “It would be another reason for me to get up in the morning. The routine will keep my inner clock going.”

Yolana wasn’t sure about him taking her to work, plus he was a stranger. However, she recalled how everyone greeted him when he was around and how her own uncle reacted to his presence. He genuinely seemed like a good man and when everyone else ignored her and didn’t talk to her from fear of Freda, he came over anyway, not knowing the implications. Maybe it was the boredom of her day-to-day life, or the attention of a handsome man, but she found herself thinking irrationally. What if she let this man take her to and from work? A person that was a stranger to her, to her and her alone.

His eyes were easy, disarming and kind. He patiently waited for her answer, leaning one arm on the table facing her. His long legs wide and relaxed.

“Wouldn’t it be out of the way?”

“Not if it’s my destination.” He answered cooly.

“You don’t know me.”

“You’re Chief Friday’s niece, Yolana.” He gave a sly smile. Yolana looked at it, then his blue eyes.

What could be the harm? Her aunt leaves the house at 5:30 AM and doesn’t come home until 4:30 or 5 PM. Yolana didn’t have to be at work until 8 and she only works 6 hours a day, which should give her plenty of time to get home without her aunt knowing about Nathan. Yolana almost giggled to herself. The idea of Freda catching Yolana and Nathan was terrifying, more terrifying than her catching Yolana with Mrs. Henderson yesterday. But it would feel good. It would feel so good to not ride that bus in the morning and afternoon. It would feel amazing to not walk home if she missed it. To comfortably sit in a vehicle that wasn’t burning hot, from all the cold natured elderly riding beside her, that sounded fantastic. She could get to know Nathan, someone who was brand new to her. Also, even though it sounded bad, she could talk to a man without her aunt’s eyes burning a hole in the back of her head.

Yolana wasn’t sure if this was Nathan’s way of getting to know her in a friendly way or romantic way, but she didn’t feel like he was flirting with her. Maybe he’s just being nice. Friendly, like he seemed to be with everyone else there. It’s not like she had an abundance of friends. She could use one, even if it was temporary. Yolana bit her lip, looking down, then suddenly back up to him again.

“You promise not to murder me?” his abrupt laugh sent electricity through her bones.

“Chief Friday would kill me. I promise.” He lent an affirming hand to seal his promise, and she took it.

When they disconnected, he retreated to his back pocket to retrieve his phone. He asked for Yolana’s phone number. She set up to give it to him, but paused, remembering that was the wrong number. A year ago, she got a second phone without her aunt knowing. An old high school friend bought it for her with cash she put back from her paycheck. It was just a simple flip phone from Walmart that Yolana could gradually put minutes on. She bought it to talk to Mrs. Henderson when their shows came on and a few other things that she didn’t think were her aunt’s business. She decided that Nathan was also one of those things.

“I work Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 2 PM. It usually takes around 30 minutes to get to the blood center, sometime 35.”

He slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Alrighty, I will pick you up around 7:25 then.” He smiled at her, leaning back onto the table. He obviously had intentions of talking to Yolana more, but when he looked past her and she followed his eyes, she saw her aunt and her band of ladies behind her. Yolana abruptly got up, pointing towards the food table.

“Let’s go see if your ribs are up.”

He followed her to the food where he finally got his ribs, and she got her first plate of the party. To avoid an awkward exchange with Freda, she bid Nathan adieu, going back to her table, and he returning to his grandfather.

For the remainder of the party, the two remained separate. Yolana stole glances towards his direction, replaying their conversation in her head, trying to find any instance of him flirting. After some consideration, Yolana decided that he was, indeed, just being friendly. That was perfectly fine with her; it would make for a less tense exchange the next time she saw him.

When the event ended, Yolana thought she was in the clear before her aunt mentioned Nathan.

“What did that Bard boy want with you?” She had asked, glancing over to her niece while she was driving.

So, her aunt knew of Nathan too? Well, Yolana assumed Freda knew everyone, and she did leave the house more than Yolana did.

“Nothing, just saying hello.” Yolana lied easily. “Do you know him?”

“Barely. We crossed paths once or twice when he was young. How long did you talk to him?”

Yolana shrugged her shoulders. “Barely five minutes.” Freda looked at her, not really trusting her. There was a pause before Freda spoke again.

“I want your phone when we get to the house.” She said, dragging her eyes back to the road. Yolana didn’t dispute.

The roll of Yolana’s eyes couldn’t have been stopped to save her life. She sucked in her cheeks to keep the smart remark within her lungs. She wondered who she was, really. Was she really an adult, or was she an overgrown child?

[nar-nia]

hi my cutie introverted sweetheart,

it's been a while? im sorry, i got swamped with uni, the last few months were so stressful and i just finished my exams, so my summer started like yesterday

i failed one important exam, so i have a retake in September, but this aint my first rodeo so i hope that ill mange to pass this time and make to my last year of uni ( soooo fucking scary mann)

but hey! thats just life! i saw that u had some hardships to get through :(( i hope u know that ure very precious honey! and sometimes its gets tough but u will get past all that cuz i think ure capable, amazing and brave !! 

its ur birthday?????? or was ?? im not sure BUT HAPPY BIRTHDAY !! what an amazing that must have been when u were born! bet the sun was sushining like it is now!! i love u a lot ! please always stay healthy and happy!!  muah muah sending soo many kisses

SO excited for the comeback!! cant wait to blast enha all summer long!!!

dont worry about writing ! it will come to u when it comes to u!!!!!!!

PLEASE have the most amazing summer ever ever <333

-beloved anonie! dude are u from germany ( fucking random the euro spirit got me)?? cuz if so, mine country and yours love to joke about each other a LOT lmao - if not ignore this

i missed uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu <33

beloved anonie, helloooo 🥺 oh i missed you. things were getting busy those past few days but now i finally have time to respond 🩷

i wish you all the best for your exam retake, you can do this 💪🏼 i'm sorry you have to retake it but i am sure you will do great next time. try to enjoy your summer despite that please, you deserve some rest and relaxation after all of this! and hopefully good weather too. i can't believe you'll be in your last year of uni though, didn't we just talk about how nervous you were about starting it? time flies.. now i feel old 🥲

you're so sweet anonie 🩷 the beginning of the year was shit, i'm not gonna lie, but i am doing so much better now. there are always bad days, of course, but overall i am happy with how things are going right now. i finally found a good job with great coworkers and my friends are great too 🤭 i hope it is or will be the same for you because you deserve it too!! and yes, it still was my birthday when you texted so thank youuu 🩷 i am sending you so many hugs and kisses back, MWAH!!

AND THE ENHA ALBUM. ANONIE. it is so good 😭😭 i am away on a trip this weekend so i couldn't fully get to embrace it, i need to relisten when i am home alone again, but wow. they are getting better every time, it's so amazing. my favorite is royalty with brought the heat back right after, those two are so captivating. what about you? OH AND HEE PINK HAIR. it suits him so well, i am so in love. they all look so good this comeback but heeseung >>>

i hope you will have the most amazing summer too! please enjoy it, and i love you so much 🩷 (and yes, i am from germany 🤭 if i remember correctly we are both out of euro right now? i don't really care about it to be honest but we can meet up and hug it out 🤭)

[ssaltlicker]

Guy at his second rodeo: “this aint my first rodeo”

[nightowlspawn]

"You come up here often?" I hear his voice followed by the door closing.

"Ehhh, depends." I swig the bottle between my fingers careful not to let it drop because fuck, this shit is good. I fell in love with it tonight. Id probably fall in love with any motherfucker that handed me some cherry wine, but the person who gave me cherry wine was him and im already in love sooo. Dont count. "It's really pretty tonight soo." He nods beside me and rests his arms on the edge. Him? Why he do that?

I steal a look and take another sip. Why he look so focused? With his- damn, his eyes. How the hell he get them pretty bitches? Gyatdamn his face his beautiful. And those lips? Mannn. Don’t even get me started. Holy shit look at his arms. Hes buff. how'd he get that kind of muscle anyway? Bro your hands! I bet they'd look better wrapped around my waist you know what 'm sayin? What? That did not come out of my mouth. Mmm yeah it did. Yeah you flex them muscles. Why is that so hot when you mess with your hair? The urge to put my hands through it. Stop looking like that or im going to kiss you. Then im gonna regret it.

I dont realize I'm still staring until he exhales and steps back. I continue staring at the sunset as he reads the label on the bottle i had next to me. "You really like this?" It's more of an observation than a question, but I respond anyway.

"It's only perfection in a bottle. Would you like a taste sir?" I smile and motion to the wine in my hand.

"I've had a few already." "Sips?" I scoff. I wouldn't take him as someone who drinks at parties. At least not like i do.

"Glasses. The champagne is really good." I nod hum in shock. Classy man he his, and still, dumb as fuck.

"You take the alcohol well."

"Not my first round." He smiles. "You'd be surprised. What about you?" He gestures at the bottle in my hand and the one dangerously close to the edge.

"Oh this?" I scoff amused. "I had a glass and i hate drinking off people, and this shit is divine. i wanted to enjoy it peacefully, without anyone gettin me to try other shit. That one is for later." I point to it with my almost empty bottle.

"Shit." He laughs. "You're don't seem as drunk."

"Ain't my first rodeo either." I chug the last sip and set the bottle down. "Shouldn't you be downstairs? This is a party for you, after all."

"As a joke. I can't stand them." He shakes his head, which makes his hair fall in his face and he moves to fix it. If this motherfucker does that one more time-  "And its tiring being this likeable. I can't move two steps without someone eyeing me or flirting." Aint that the mother fucking truth.

"Damn, you make it sound terrible."

"It's not always. There's just someone that has more of my," I push off the ledge and look him in his eyes. He follows my movement and gives me a once over. "Attention."

"Is there now?" I mock question. I already know the answer as i walk closer to him. Now im looking down at his eyes, which still make my heart stop its normal rhythm to make sure it only beats when he blinks.

"Yeah." He stands up. "And she's fucking gorgeous."

"Why don't you just kiss me already?"

"Because god, you're fucking confusing."

"I'm confusing?"

"Yes, you confuse me!"

"Alright whatever."

"Well whats that supposed to mean?"

"Doesn't matter." I wrap my arms around his neck and smile like an idiot. "You sure we can do this? They're not gonna come around in a helicopter and broadcast it to the world are they?" He smiled back into her lips.

"Let em look."

[daisyvisions]

KIM SUNWOOOOOOOO 😖 HE SOUNDS SO WHINY N PERFECT UGHHHHHGG🐰

that man... knows what he's doing... its like this aint his first rodeo doing something like that if his delivery was so smooth jfc 😵‍💫