hedonisticdevil

[hedonisticdevil]

"Sweetheart, any time spent with me would be a great time." Daniel attempted to deliver the words with a straight faced, but barely managed to get them out before a laugh sputtered out. "Tell you what, if it lands in the middle of the ocean, we either try again or get a boat or something. Your choice." He balanced the dart between his fingers, lining it up for the shot before meeting her gaze. "Deal?"

Being around Daniel had always scratched Kaia's adventurous itch. He was fun and spontaneous, always providing an exciting aura that the woman loved to soak in and bask in. He made her feel like she was in her early twenties again - youthful and full of life. It was amazing how much influence he could have on her mood. She let out a laugh at her friend's proposition, her eyebrows raising. "And if the dart lands in the middle of the ocean? Then what?" She asked playfully, gently nudging him with her shoulder. "I don't think spending a few days on a raft in the middle of the pacific would be a great time."

[hedonisticdevil]

"Is that your kink," Daniel asked, a mischievous glint in his eye. It was amusing how easily he could get under Nari's skin. He knew that she disliked him -- she made that abundantly clear -- but for him, their time together was incredibly enjoyable. "I never called it a date," he replied, eyebrow quirked. "That was all you. Freudian slip, maybe?" He waggled his brows obnoxiously and leaned one hand against the wall. "Nope. No one else to bother. At least not today. I'm all yours."

nari  sighed  as  soon  as  she  saw  daniel,  even  rolled  her  eyes  so  far  back  it  went  nearly  to  the  back  of  her  head.  "do  you  want  to  get  under  this  car?  so  i  can  drop  it  on  you,  i  think  i  would  rather  do  that  than  go  on  a  date  with  you."  she  got  up  from  what  she  was  laying  on  and  went  to  wash  her  hands.  "don't  you  have  other  people  to  gloat  over?  are  you  intro  people  covered  in  car  grease?"  she  asked,  not  really  looking  for  an  answer  but  she  knew  daniel  was  going  to  give  her  one  anyway.

[hedonisticdevil]

who: emmett @nctorieties when: after the red carpet

Regardless of how many similar events James did, he'd never get used to the feeling of it -- to the stunned feeling that accompanied the flash of cameras, to people demanding his attention, to parading around in suits that cost more than his parents had made in one year. Now that he'd made it through the red carpet portion of the evening, he could breathe a little easier. He tugged on the collar of his shirt as he took a deep breath. "I don't know how you do this regularly," he said to the main beside him. Meeting Emmett had been a happy stroke of luck, a friend of a mutual friend, but James was glad that he had. Sometimes, it was nice to have someone outside of the world of football who saw him as James Reynolds, the man, and not James Reynolds, the former footballer. "I find events like this insufferable. I always feel as if I'm waiting for some nut with a camera to pop out from behind a light fixture and snap an unflattering photo of me."

[hedonisticdevil]

who: open where: some sort of sports bar or a similar location

Daniel was itching. Not literally, of course, but he may well have been. The need to get on a plane and go somewhere anywhere was like a physical itch under his skin. It got like this sometimes… Whenever he’d stayed in one place for too long. It was why the particular job -- if it could be called that -- that he'd chosen for himself worked so well for him. He could scratch his travel itch and call it an occupation. “So here’s what’s going to happen,” Daniel began, balancing the weight of the dart in his hand. “I get on a plane to where ever this bad boy lands. You’re free to join me. Or not. Your choice.” 

[hedonisticdevil]

Public appearances were one of Jamie's least favorite aspects of fame. Growing up, he could have never imagined that this would be his life -- wearing suits that cost more than his parents had made in a year and having his image splashed across various platforms with headlines that were increasingly more ridiculous -- but here he was anyway. He tried to project the picture of calm, a relieved sigh rushing out of him when he spotted a familiar face in the throngs of people. "Kale," he greeted, a smile tugging at his lips. "Good, good. I didn't make the choice to be here until last minute, honestly."

open starter . . . the red carpet

they  would  ask  questions  he  answered  thousands  upon  thousands  of  times  but  kale  still  smiled,  still  ever  polite  to  interviewers.  did  he  care  what  he  was  wearing  to  the  red  carpet?  not  really  but  some  people  care  for  fashion  and  his  suit  was  costly  after  all.  but  all  kale  wanted  to  talk  about  is  his  next  film,  which  of  course  some  interviewers  mentioned  and  he  talked  about  all  he  legally  could,  since  his  film  was  in  post-production  phase  at  the  moment.  he  walked  on  the  carpet  when  he  felt  a  tap  on  his  shoulder  and  turned  around.  "hey,  i  didn't  know  i  would  see  you  here!"  he  greeted.  "how  are  you?"

[hedonisticdevil]

"No, no," James easily waved him off. "As you were." There was something about Ethan Wood that felt familiar to Jamie. He'd never been the kind of person who'd reveled in the spotlight, but that was mostly because he'd had something to hide rather than because it was in his nature to shy away from it. If life had been different, James supposed that he would have been a lot like Ethan, and for that, he felt a fondness for the young man. That, and it was clear that he was talented, if just a bit rough around the edges.

"I'm rather surprised you're out this early. You're aware that practice doesn't start for..." He glanced at the watch that sat on his wrist ... "another forty five minutes at least, aren't you," James asked, eyebrow raised in curiosity. "But no, I'm perfectly content to have you here, if you're all right with me joining you."

The short, truthful answer was yes; there was something wrong. There was something very, very wrong with the international athlete. Something that had been gnawing at him ever since he had royally screwed up on the world stage all those months ago. He tried to remedy it and temper the sting with booze and meaningless shags. Tried to practice extra hard and get in a couple extra rounds at the gym to blow off some steam. And when that didn't exactly work, Ethan did what Ethan did best, ignored it. Just like daddy had always taught him.

“No, sir.” the striker simply shook his head and shrugged it off. Like hell, he’d openly admit to any weakness, not in front of the gaffer anyway. “Just messing about, you know.” Ethan explained himself further as he popped the football up in the air with his boot then caught it, now resting it at his side. “But if you need the pitch to yourself, I can come back later when training starts.“

[hedonisticdevil]

Daniel had no reason to be here. It wasn't as if he drove himself around on a regular basis, and even if he had, he would have no reason to bring his car in for servicing. There were people for that. Despite that, though, here he was at this particular shop looking for one particular person. "I can wait," he confirmed, the picture of contentment as he stood slightly off the side and waited for Nari to come out from under the car. When she did, Daniel couldn't help but grin. "God, you want me so bad, and it's obvious," he teased. He knew that Nari did not, in fact, want him. In truth, she probably wanted nothing to do with him, but that was the beauty of their relationship. "I just came around to take you to dinner. So, let me know when you're ready to head out."

open starter . . . nari's garage

when  she's  not  busy  racing,  nari  works  at  her  own  garage.  all  this  money  she  got  from  racing  had  to  go  to  something,  might  as  well  for  it  to  go  towards  something  else  she  loves.  she  was  wearing  a  blue  jumper  that  was  covered  in  car  grease  stains  and  was  laying  underneath  one  of  her  own  personal  cars  in  order  to  work  on  it.  there  was  nothing  particularly  wrong  with  it,  she  just  wanted  to  get  faster  much  sooner  than  what  it  was  doing  right  now.  nari  was  so  focused  that  she  didn't  hear  someone  approaching  until  they  tapped  her  car.  "hold, if you need help go to someone else."  nari said, as she had enough workers who could help costumers but when the person didn't leave she sighed and slid  out.  "yeah,  what?"

[hedonisticdevil]

When his career had ended, James had believed that he'd never step foot on the pitch again. He'd spent so many years of his life here that the idea of retiring and walking away had seemed like an impossible task, but then he'd been offered the manager spot and James had been spared the difficult decision of walking away for good. There was something special about being here, about the feeling that only came when boots touched grass, and thousands of people screamed your name. Even now, even though they were no longer screaming his name, James couldn't help but find peace here. That was what religion was, he was sure -- that feeling of belonging to something larger than yourself.

It was why he started each morning an hour before any of the other staff arrived; part of him needed to relive the years that he'd spent being held in near godlike esteem, needed the sanctity of this place and its silence. "Woods," he replied, gaze locking on the player. He hadn't expected to find anyone here, but that was fine; plans often changed. "You're out early. Anything wrong?"

closed starter: @hedonisticdevil location: arsenal training grounds

For as long Ethan could remember, the pitch had been his happy place. It had been there for him in times of triumph and in times of defeat or even when the world class athlete just needed to blow off some steam. It fueled him: the roaring crowds, the resounding clack of football boots battling for glory, even the obnoxious chants and at the same time all the commotion gave him a renewed sense of clarity. But lately and in the wake of a near career ending mistake, Ethan didn't mind the quiet so much and was up at the crack of dawn taking full advantage of an empty pitch, squeezing in a couple extra runs before the official start of training.

It was only a matter of time before the grounds were buzzing with life again. Time that seemed to have slipped so far away from Ethan that he hadn't noticed that the team manager had arrived. Upon realization, the striker immediately paused and stoppered the football at his feet. "Oi." He gathered himself falling into a slow jog towards him. “Hi boss.”

[hedonisticdevil]

FRIENDS (1994-2004) 5.02 The One With All The Kissing 8.13 The One Where Chandler Takes A Bath

[hedonisticdevil]

And I know we can’t fix every ache inside of us, but I shouldn’t have to pretend it’s not there, either. TED LASSO S03E06: SUNFLOWERS

[hedonisticdevil]

[  charles melton,  33,  cisgender man,  he/him  ]  and  now  walking  on  the  red  carpet  is  DANIEL JONG,  we’re  honored  to  be  in  the  presents  of  a  world  class  FOOD AND TRAVEL BLOGGER.  they  say  that  they’re  the  embodiment  of  BAD HABITS  by  ED SHEERAN,  we  can’t  argue  with  that  one  !  rumor  has  it  that  they’re  HEDONISTIC  and  CHARISMATIC.  we  often  hear  fans  online  compare  them  to THE TASTE OF CHAMPAGNE ON LIPS, NOTES QUICKLY SCRIBBLED IN MOLESKINS, WAKING UP IN A STRANGER’S BED.  we  heard  that  there’s  this  one  thing  they  don’t  wish  anybody  to  know;  WORRIES THAT WITHOUT THE FAMILY CONNECTION HE’D BE A NOBODY,  let’s  hope  it’s  not  true  ! 

details:

all daniel jong has known is his own importance. born into a family that was determined to cement their legacy in the world, daniel was raised to believe that he was important, and believe it he did. at least for a little while.

it was difficult not to believe in your own importance when you were surrounded by cameras that seemed interested in your every move, and so, daniel did everything he could to remain relevant, even if those things were not necessarily healthy.

then his family fell apart. his parents got divorced, and the spotlight shifted. he tried to make the switch from reality star to actor, thinking that it would be easy enough, but fame never came knocking. so, daniel did what he did best -- indulged life and found the cameras.

he's working now as a travel and food blogger, if what he does could be considered work. he spends most days traveling, eating at restaurants, and telling the world about it. so far it's been going well, but there's a part of him that can't help but think that without his family's name, he'd be just another nobody screaming into a void, and the idea of that is terrifying.

potential connections:

friends

enemies

hookups, flings, fwbs... you know the like

maybe someone he had significant feelings for but ran away from

any and everything

[hedonisticdevil]

[  milo ventimiglia,  48,  cisgender man,  he/him  ]  and  now  walking  on  the  red  carpet  is  JAMES REYNOLDS,  we’re  honored  to  be  in  the  presents  of  a  world  class  FORMER FOOTBALLER/FOOTBALL CLUB MANAGER.  they  say  that  they’re  the  embodiment  of  HALL OF FAME  by  THE SCRIPT,  we  can’t  argue  with  that  one  !  rumor  has  it  that  they’re  EGOTISTICAL  and  DRIVEN.  we  often  hear  fans  online  compare  them  to BASEBALL CAP PULLED LOW OVER HIS EYES, MUD CAKED BOOTS, THE CLOYING SMELL OF CIGARETTES.  we  heard  that  there’s  this  one  thing  they  don’t  wish  anybody  to  know;  HAS PAID A LOT OF MONEY TO KEEP ANY SCANDALS RELATED TO HIS SEXUALITY OUT OF THE PRESS,  let’s  hope  it’s  not  true  ! 

details:

jamie reynolds was not born to significance. in fact, he was born an absolute nobody to two absolute nobodies, but he quickly rose to significance when he was signed to arsenal fc's youth academy. it was apparent from a young age that jamie reynolds had something to say on the pitch and he'd do so, regardless of which defender or keeper stood in his way.

his professional career was filled with accolade after accolade both individually and for his beloved club-- golden boot trophies, man of the match awards, FA cups titles, league titles, etc. his personal life, though, seemed to be a barren wasteland. regardless of how much the paparazzi dug, jamie always seemed to be scandal free -- never out partying too hard, always unattached or linked to the same woman. it was all maddeningly dull.

unbeknownst to the paps and the general public, though, is the fact that james isn't as squeaky clean as he appears. that scandal free life was bought and paid for out of his own pocket, a reticule of lawyers sniffing out any hint of scandal, and paying off the necessary people before it could ruin his life, all because jamie has a secret to hide -- his sexuality.

playing professional football doesn't allow for being anything other than straight. so, jamie's team suggested a PR relationship, someone who, in her own scandal free way, would serve as the perfect WAG. for the majority of his career, it worked.

he's since retired from professional football and has accepted the head coaching position. when accepting the position, jamie considered finally coming out. after all, one can only hide a long term relationship for so long before the whole thing comes unraveled, but fear and self doubt and probably other emotions he can't quite name have kept him from pulling the trigger on that plan, but now, there are questions about whether he'll ever propose, and Jamie knows he has to do something. He just doesn't know what that something is yet.

potential connections:

friends

rivals

players he currently coaches

exes

PR girlfriend (wc posted)

long term boyfriend (wc posted)

any and everything

[hedonisticdevil]

❝When I’m not filming, I’m always working. I’m running a production company, which takes up quite a bit of time. But all of it never particularly feels like work. It feels like creative problem solving and victory with your friends. You know, I’m lucky enough to work in an artistic capacity with people that I admire and respect and want to be around.❞  — MILO VENTIMIGLIA FOR DA MAN MAGAZINE, AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

[hedonisticdevil]

CHARLES MELTON 29th Critics' Choice Awards (January 14, 2024)

[hedonisticdevil]

daniel jong – fc: charles melton, 33, food and travel blogger– tag | intro james reynolds – fc: milo ventimiglia, 48, former footballer/manager @ arsenal fc– tag | intro