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princessimotep · 2 months

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Tienes Mi Corazón - Chapter 8

~*~ Mentions of scars (Javier's) please do not read if this is at all triggering ~*~

Rain trickled down onto the grass, beads of water sliding down the dull blades of grass. Dusk kissed the sky, melting the sun’s glow to a dusty navy. The camp had been silent the past couple days ever since Javier’s injury. Torment. It lingered over Miriam like the plague. Regretful thoughts. Woeful what ifs. Tragic scenarios. They clustered together, attacking her mind; a hope eating disease.

The poor girl had been unable to visit Javier for two days. Strauss, Charles and Grimshaw trying to remedy his pain. Strauss was the one to remove the bullet; Charles gave the herbal medicine most fitting for the situation and Miss Grimshaw cleaned his wounds when necessary. It was haunting for Miriam to see how often they had to leave Javier’s closed tent to come back with more tonics, more water, more clean rags to replace the bloodied ones. Miriam would wait outside his tent often, waiting for any update on his wellbeing. They were little and never often.

Mary-Beth and Sadie gave Miriam the support she needed. They tried to convince her that there was no need to feel guilty, that these things happen; but she would not listen. Every hour she wished it was her in his place. This was not just down to the fact it was Javier but because she also wished to take away the pain from the other gang members. Her heart was overwhelmed to see every single member ask for word on Javier, wondering if there was something they could do to help. They had been his family a lot longer than she had been his… well, that was it. She did not know what they were. Lovers perhaps? Yet no such confession had taken place. A fling? But it felt so much more than that. Perhaps just a sweet dream. Un dulce sueño.

Miriam sat within her tent; the flaps opened up so she could see out across the camp. Straight across was where his tent held. Her book was in her lap yet she hadn’t looked down as often as she wished she could. She wished she was able to distract herself. She was unable. Her eyes repeatedly staring at Javier’s tent, watching the shadows dance their solemn jive within. An orange-yellow glow lit up his tent. Perhaps it was some odd beacon of hope. If the tent was still lit, then he was still being attended to which meant he was still alive. Listening to the rain, Miriam forced her head to drop down to the book in her lap. As she read it, her eyes flickered to her feet where another copy of the book sat open on the same page. The Spanish version.

Javier’s tent went dark. Immediately Miriam’s vision shot across the camp, desperately looking for any sign of life. Strauss was the first to emerge. Then Charles. Finally, Miss Grimshaw. Not even wasting time to put on her coat, Miriam ran over to Miss Grimshaw in an emerald, long-sleeved gown. The bottom of the dress picked up water as it bounced upon the ground with each long stride the young woman took. Her hair was loose, flowing all the way down to the small of her back, becoming damp from the rain’s inevitable touch.

“Miss Grimshaw, is he?” She couldn’t even bring herself to finish the question. The elder lady looked to her and shook her head.

“He’s fine, Miss Miriam.” A loud exhale of relief fell from Miriam’s mouth. Miriam held a hand over her chest to try and stop herself from breathing irradicably.

“Will he be, okay?”

“He’s a strong one, Miss Miriam. Don’t think of him to be so feeble.” Miss Grimshaw lifted the bottom of her dress skirt, not wanting it to get wet from the puddles forming on the grass. She rose an eyebrow at the young woman who was looking at Javier’s tent with curiosity. Grimshaw cocked her head towards Javier’s tent. “Go on. Just don’t get him moving. He needs to rest.” Miriam nodded to Grimshaw in thanks before the older lady proceeded to walk away.

Hesitation made the young lady pause. An uneasiness crept up her spine. She had always seen Javier so strong and well. Always preening himself like a prized stallion. He had such a calming aura when he was by himself. Every time he would shine his boots, furrowing his brow as he did so – or whether he was tuning the strings of his guitar. Even just leaning back on his seat, with one leg tucked in and the other stretched out. Javier was a handsome man and he knew it. The whole camp knew it. Yet despite the rare giggles off others, Miriam found herself to enjoy watching how he kept himself. He was so smart looking and pleasing to the eye. She would swoon every time he would glance up to look at her whilst in the middle of one of those activities. Always she would bashfully look away but little did she know how a tiny smile would etch into the corner of his lips every time he caught her. So, the thought of seeing him in a state of vulnerability, aching and wounded was something scary to her.

Her fingers clasped round the fabric of the tent to open it up. She ducked down to head inside, refusing to look at him until she closed the opening back up to leave them both in secrecy. Turning around, her eyes soaked in the scene before her.

There, Javier laid. Eyes closed as if dreaming the sweetest of dreams. His chest rising and falling in a limited pattern. Sweat was glazed above his furrowed brows; a fever evidently invading his body causing much discomfort to the male. With each passing moment, the tiniest of groans came from the back of his throat which clutched at Miriam’s heartstrings. Javier was a fighter – a miracle he had lasted this long. A black blanket lay just over his legs, but the top half of his body was bare; other than the layers of bandages which were wrapped around his torso, ribcage and shoulder. Miriam looked to where the bullet was and was thankful no blood was there. The bleeding had finally stopped.

She looked back to his face, inching closer to his body until finally she knelt beside him. It was as if she was looking at him for the first time again. She soaked up every detail of him, worried that he may be ripped away from her by a click of the fingers. His cheeks, his scars… his lashes… his nose… cheeks… jaw, his raven black hair. She recalled having never seen him with his hair down before. It was shoulder length, velvety and black as ebony. Tempting to touch – as soon as she raised her hand to touch it, Javier groaned a little louder, wincing at a wave of pain washing over him. Immediately she recoiled her hand back. The poor man had been fighting this battle for two days. All the while she couldn’t do anything but watch. She wasn’t even at his side. Worst of all… she had caused this.

Miriam’s head dropped down past her shoulders. Her hair waterfalled over her face. And she cried. Biting the inside of her lip, she pursed her lips together tightly so she wouldn’t utter a sound, not wanting to awake Javier. Her shoulders shook aggressively, fighting the choke which threatened an escape from her throat. Vile curses she thought up for herself. She wished she had just told him the truth in the first place. From the first day he had asked. Perhaps the Van Der Linde gang really could have helped her. If not them then at least Javier. Maybe the people in this world weren’t as cruel as she always thought them to be. But she knew better than anyone that the world was in fact full of people who were cruel. Wicked. Unforgivable. Evil.

The young woman was so trapped in her thoughts, she didn’t even realise that the tears that rolled down her cheeks and chin were falling onto Javier’s face. Ever so barely, his eyes opened to reveal his dark amber hues. His vision was blurry yet in the fog, he could just make out Miriam’s face. He wanted to call out her name, but he couldn’t. His strength had still yet to return. Every ounce of fight left in him was to ward off the spreading fever. Having only opened his eyes for a brief moment, he closed them soon after falling back into his slumber. If only the girl had seen…

Rolling her head back, Miriam opened her eyes, her fingers now desperately trying to wipe away her tears. She couldn’t break like this, not ever again. From that moment onwards, she vowed to herself she would remain strong for him. Until he drew his last breath; she would never give up on him.

Throughout the night, Miriam tended to him, not leaving his side. Each time he would squeeze his eyes tightly shut; her shoulders would tense in anticipation – a burning want for him to wake up. How she longed to see his eyes again. To have him look her way. Smiling flirtatiously like he always would. However, the night was long and in the current state he was in, it didn’t appear that he would awake any time soon. The rain still fell against the tent, creating an atmospheric sphere of cosiness despite the uneasiness within. The moon was creeping towards the West, now being the early hours of the morning. Miriam’s eyes felt heavy but she didn’t want to look away from him. It was a cocktail of emotions being poured into the fire that kept her body awake. She was surprised she had managed to go this long without succumbing to her exhaustion. It was a price she was willing to pay for what she had done to him.

A small prolonged wheeze came from Javier’s throat, trying to escape past his closed lips. It snapped Miriam out from her sleepy daze, now focusing back to his features. Sweat was starting to form on his forehead again thus giving cause for the young woman to reach back into the bucket beside her. Rinsing the rag from the excess water with a harsh twist, she folded it neatly into a long rectangular shape and dapped it gently over his forehead and brows. His furrowed eyebrows released from the strain, relaxing at the coolness of the water. She sighed in relief seeing his softened expression whilst he slept, yet this relief only lasted momentarily. The wheeze was still present.

Placing the rag back into the bucket, Miriam watched. Each time his chest would rise, a pained wheeze would invade. With each exhale, a hauntingly hollow groan trailed. These noises were barely above a whisper. She had wondered if it was perhaps her exhaustion playing tricks on her mind. Daringly, the young woman placed her ear against his chest to hear more clearly. There the noise increased its volume. Internally he sounded like he was in agony. Like some form of disease was threatening him from within. Persistent in attacking. Keeping him locked in his own mind, never to wake. The sound was heartbreaking.

Miriam lifted her head to look at his face. His scars were prominent on his face due to the flickering light of the lantern. Her eyes scanned over each one, wondering how he obtained them. Her brown eyes fell to his neck where his largest scar could be seen. A long, deep line from one side of his neck to the other. Her teeth gritted; the image of his throat being slit making her falter. This man had been through so much hardship. From the stories his scars told to the tales of his childhood which he would share round the campfire. He had always been on the run. He had always been fighting for his life. Quickly she looked away, not wanting to think anymore of his tragedies. Her eyes fixated on the lantern seeing its dying flames. She blew it out, the inside of the tent now falling into darkness. In spite of not wanting to imagine how he received his past injuries, like a moth to a flame, she looked back to him. This lighting made him seem more peaceful. More harmonious. His scars less… terrifying to conjure up their possible backstories.

She placed her hand on his right cheek where her thumb brushed over the scar on his cheekbone. Miriam wasn’t sure what possessed her but the overwhelming desire to begin to speak softly to him was too much to resist. A confession from the pits of her heart.

“Javier… I… I’m so sorry. For everything.” Her thumb brushed over his cheek once more. “For you getting shot, protecting me… for not being honest with you… for…” Her jaw clenched. “… for ever meeting you.” She mustered all the power within her to swallow the lump rising in her throat. She sniffed, trying to compose herself. “If you had never met me…” No amount of strength could uphold her pillar of stability. She lowered her forehead which was now nestled below his collarbone, her hand still on his cheek. “… you would be okay, right now.” Her words were shaky. Almost broken. They came from deep within.

The sound of the rain dulled. The grey clouds parting to say their goodbyes to the moon. Excess droplets of water falling from the leaves of the trees were louder than the slow falling rain itself.

“Cariño, te preocupas demasiado…” (“Darling, you worry too much.”)

Feeling it to be some trick of God, Miriam lifted her head to see if her hopes were true. And they were. His amber eyes finally looking back to hers. The softness of his expression ever present. He was awake.

“Javier!” She exclaimed just above a whisper. Her pearly smile stretched from ear to ear. A wave of pure innocence and joy washed through her soul thus making her lean into the man before her to embrace him. Her right hand remained on his cheek whilst her other went to the back of his neck and her cheek pressed against his. She had forgotten all past restraints and embarrassment in this very moment. Only happiness triggered her actions. In turn, Javier’s hand laid upon the back of her head, keeping her close.

“Nunca pude arrepentirse haberte conocido.” (“I could never regret having met you.”) The Spanish he spoke made Miriam beam brighter against his cheek, still not able to understand much of it. She choked out a small laugh.

“I don’t understand…” His tired eyes could barely stay open. Using the last of his strength, he pushed forth his shoulders just slightly to make her release him from her grasp. Yet he stopped her from pulling away fully by placing his own hand over her hand which was still on his cheek. Their eyes bore into each other’s.

“Then listen carefully.” Javier moved her hand from his cheek and wrapped his fingers fully around her digits to place them over his heart. Her heart drummed in anticipation, looking longingly into his coffee-coloured eyes. “Tu eres mi luna y estrellas.”

In that moment, it felt as though time had stood still. Miriam’s eyes furrowed upwards, her heart wanting to break free from her chest to be claimed by the man before her. She knew exactly what those words meant. Just as she went to speak, his eyes closed, falling back into a deep dormancy. Yet the grip on her hand was still somewhat unyielding.

“Javier?” No response. The peaceful sounds of his breaths being the only noise to cycle through the tent. She looked at him a moment longer before carefully releasing her hand. She placed her lips on his forehead. She stayed this way for a few seconds before pulling away. Giving him one last look of admiration, she got to her feet and left his tent. Closing it behind her, Miriam looked to the ground in deep thought.

‘Tu eres mi luna y estrellas…’ She repeated his words in her mind. Her lightly clenched hand went over her chest she could feel her heart beating. Lifting her head to the skies, her eyes met with the golden haze of the morning sky. Its rays spread across the camp with its radiant spotlights. She couldn’t help but smile, her nose scrunching up at the realisation that Javier could possibly… just maybe… feel the same way. The words he spoke to her in the tent; she translated them with delicate ease in her mind.

‘You are my moon and stars.’

#javier escuella #javier #escuella #javier escuella x original character #javier escuella x reader #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #van der linde gang

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kimmiessimmies · 4 months

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Will you pleeeeeeeeaaaaaase get James and Sadie together already? I'm getting frustrated it still hasn't happened! 😭

I'm kidding! Sort of, lol! Keep doing what you do, I'm very invested in your story. It's just, it's like this book, and with every page I turn, I'm hoping this is when they'll kiss, but they don't, and I cry.

Oh dear, I'm sorry! But honey, we need the drama! What do you mean, 'we've already had enough drama'? There can never be enough drama!

Joking aside, though, thank you, Anon, for comparing my story to a book. ❤️❤️❤️ And, I do actually have a few things to say about all this, and I'll use my answer to your ask to do just that. 😊

Everyone knows by now that "Jadie" was never my intention. They were both meant to be with other people, and I had a whole storyline drawn out for each of them.

When this whole chemistry thing popped up, my original stance was "Nope. No way. Sorry kids, not gonna happen." But these two are just so damn charming together, I had to give them something. I gave them a night together, but it wasn't enough. This thing needed a storyline. So then, I spent a lot of time undecided: am I still going for the original outcome, but walk a slightly different path or am I changing course completely and do James and Sadie get to have the happily ever after they are both telling me they want?

I have made a decision on this, which is what I'm now working towards. Some people may love it, others may not, but I think it works with the rest of the story. I had to match it with other things already set in motion, though, because plot holes terrify me, and that takes time. We are heading somewhere. Just bear with me.

If you read all of this essay (like I said in my post yesterday, being concise is something I need to work on 😅) and are still with me, I'll reward you for your patience by telling a little bit about what's coming up. Don't want to be spoiled even a little bit? Stop right here! Curious? Click! ⬇️

We're heading into summer ☀️ with the next chapter, titled "Let’s Talk About...". This one is mostly written, but needs to be shot. It focuses on Rachel and Malte and how they are doing.

After that we're going back to Honeycomb Valley and we'll see Joshua again. His best friend Joel will also be important to this part of the story, as well as some other teens I'll introduce.

The chapter after that is very intricate to write since it'll show the same event, The Hot Wings, performing their summer gig, from two viewpoints: James' and Joshua's.

After that, it's autumn 🍁, and if you think the weather is stormy now, let me tell you that autumn winds tend to blow even harder... But they say there's calm after the storm, right?

Thank you, Anon, for being this invested in my story. ❤️

#asked and answered #about the process #writing things

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horseshoegirl · 2 years

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Damn Those Dog Tags - Part 3: Southern Nights

AN: I low-key freaked out over the script release of the film, so it probably made me overanalyze Jake. But further cemented the back story I want for this.

This thing ended up being 13 pages long! I hope you enjoy it!

______________________________________________________________

❗️18+, strong language, sexual themes, Jake being Jake, godmother reader/original female character, Original child character.

# 4K Words

Part 2 | Masterlist | Part 4

Sadie did not break the news to Rooster. The minute she heard his Bronco pull into the driveway, she booked it to her room to hide. Or until Bob showed up. He protected her from everything.

This left you to deliver the news and deal with the emotional fallout.

So when Bradley started to put away the groceries for tonight, you saw it as an opportunity to break the news. You were preparing a charcuterie board, strategically standing between him and your knife set, when you finally managed to blurt out, “I might have some bad news.”

Rooster’s hand holding a bag of marshmallows froze halfway to your counter.

“Define bad,” he eyed you.

“Bad as in Sadie invited Hangman bad?” you rushed out, leaning slightly away from him.

Rooster did a double take. “Come again?”

“Sadie invited Hangman?” you winced, pronouncing your words carefully.

In all the time you knew Rooster, not once had you seen him get hysterical. Upset, yes. But it always resulted in a cold shoulder or an ignorant attitude. This was something different.

He looked like he was about to keel over, hands gripping the sides of your kitchen island tightly, the whites of his knuckles showing. It wasn’t until he finally looked up at you with a death glare that you realized how upset he was at the idea Hangman would be coming to a ‘Saturday Night.’

“You had one job. One!” he exclaimed, holding up a finger.

You sighed. Maybe it was a good thing Sadie left you to handle this.

“Rooster, I told her she could invite someone, no questions asked. She was supposed to ask a friend.”

“And she chooses to ask him?!”

You frowned. “Rooster, it’s one night. I don’t understand why you’re so against him coming. So he’s an asshole. He probably knows that. We know that. Sadie will figure it out.”

“It's a matter of principle, Liz.” he sighed.

You raised your eyebrow. “Wait, are you jealous?”

You knew you’d hit the mark when he said nothing and refused to meet your eye.

“Rooster,” you said, starting to console him, “she hardly knows him. You’re one of her favourite people. You’re not going to be replaced.”

Before he could answer, you heard Phoenix's voice calling out your name from your hallway, announcing her arrival.

You sheepishly turned towards Nat as she appeared, still trying to come up with the correct words to describe what Sadie did. Everything you thought about would only result in the same reaction Rooster had - said man looking redder than a tomato and metaphorical steam blowing out of his ears.

Nat placed her bags down before turning to greet you, pausing when she noticed the sheepish look on your face.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

When you failed to say anything, Rooster jumped the gun, “Sadie invited Hangman.”

“Shut up.”

You peered at Phoenix through your fingers at her response, cowering next to your kitchen counter.

“She pulled one on me?” you offered with a weak shrug.

“She pulled one on you?” She looked from you to Rooster to your hallway. “How could she pull one on you?! She’s ten!”

“Rooster left her alone with him.”

“Me? I was dropping her off!”

“Who left her alone with him?!”

“You were the one who introduced yourself to him!”

“Me?! He was hitting on me. I was trying to stop him.”

Nat slowly inched towards your hallway, waiting for the right moment you would be too caught up arguing with Bradley to notice her absence. Lucky for you, you saw her moving out of the corner of your eye.

“Nat, don’t you dare!” you shouted as she took off to Sadie’s room, who then called out her name in a long overdramatic drawl.

You put your hand to your forehead before pointing to Rooster, saying, “Make sure she makes it out unscathed,” while returning to your board.

He made no effort to move, still standing in your kitchen with his arms crossed.

“Hangman hit on you?”

You turned to face him. “Seriously? You went from "he doesn’t get invited to Saturday Nights” to “he hit on you?”

He didn’t budge. “Well, what did you tell him?”

“I told him I wanted him to serenade me on the beach,” you sarcastically replied. “What do you think I told him?!”

Walking over, you placed your hands on his shoulders, steering him toward your hallway. “It’s one night, Rooster. You can get along with him for one night, for Sadie’s sake, and then you can return to the bromance and be Sadie’s favourite tomorrow.”

Placing two hands on his back, you pushed him in the direction of Nat, who was still unsuccessfully trying to coax Sadie out of her room.

“I don’t have a bromance with him.” He mumbled, turning the corner.

Pressing your forehead into the coolness of your kitchen counter, you let out a long-winded groan. Sometimes you wondered if you had inherited more than one child.

The sound of your phone vibrating on the counter pulled you away, and you reached over to see a text from Coyote.

I have a stowaway claiming the bug invited him tonight. Permission to proceed?

Well, he decided to come after all you thought. You quickly typed out your reply.

She did. Stowaway is allowed.

The sound of someone tapping on the sliding doors to your backyard made you glance up.

Sadie waved at you with a cheeky grin, having climbed out her window into the backyard. An easy escape considering your place was only one level.

Before you could reprimand her through the glass, she had taken off to one of the chairs surrounding the firepit in your backyard - Coyote and Payback’s idea one Saturday night, thinking the space could use a facelift. The following day you arrived home from a shift at the Hard Deck to the pair stacking stone bricks in a circle.

Her escaping would have been something Ridley would have done. There was so much of your sister in her; the thought made you want to cry.

After completing your charcuterie board, you finished putting away the rest of the groceries Rooster had abandoned until you heard your doorbell ring.

Bradley shot out from your hallway before you could even leave the kitchen. You found him looking through your peephole, muttering, ‘I'd kick him out before he even made it through the doorway.’

You had enough of the childish antics.

Reaching the door, you smacked Rooster on the back of his head, asking, “Can’t you act like a grown-up for two seconds?”

He rubbed the back of his head as he looked back at you. “She escaped out the window. Go save her from Nat when she realizes.”

After taking a deep breath and facing the door, you turned the handle.

______

There were three things Jake knew standing next to Coyote in front of your house.

One. He was, most certainly, baited by a ten-year-old into coming tonight.

Two. Your welcome mat reading Definitely Not a Trap Door was, indeed, a trap door.

Three. You had every right to resend Sadie’s invite after the stint he pulled at the Hard Deck. You didn’t.

Which is how he found himself at Coyote’s door on a Saturday night, asking if he could get a ride to your place. Javy acted as if he knew nothing, but as soon as Jake pulled out the piece of paper from Sadie’s notebook, her scribble of your address and a note from the ten-year-old aligning the top, he shut up and texted you.

And on the way there? Javy lectured him hard.

“I’m serious, and you cannot be pulling any of your shit with these two. They’ve been through enough. Liz lost her sister, and Sadie lost her mother. They are still going through it.”

Jake remembered drawing a halo above his head, swearing he only wanted to apologize to you and show up for Sadie. To which Coyote replied, “Apologize for what?”

He had a difficult time getting out of that one.

So when you emerged from your front door, a wide smile gracing your face at the sight of Coyote, Jake felt borderline anxious. And he hated that.

Javy was holding up two grocery bags full of steak as you reached out to hug him, hands gripping up behind his shoulders as you pulled yourself up to whisper in his ear, “Sadie’s in trouble.”

Coyote stiffened in your hold. “I'll wrangle Phoenix, and you handle Rooster?”

You pulled back from the hug. “Rooster’s trying to save Sadie. He might need a wingman.”

“On it,” he replied, quickly making his way into the house to drop off the food in the kitchen before seeking Sadie out.

Then your eyes landed on him for the second time today, less intense and a bit softer.

Hangman looked, well, not like Hangman. Gone was the slicked-back hair, arms held behind his back as he hesitantly looked at you. The bravado was gone, and in its place was a man who was slightly unsure of himself.

Any man, you thought, who showed up at the house of a woman he’d been rejected by a little less than four hours ago, deserved some credit.

“You decided to come,” you spoke, a smile gracing your face.

Pulling a hand out from behind his back, he presented you with the most beautiful bouquet of yellow tulips wrapped in newspaper-style paper.

“My mother always told me not to arrive at someone’s house empty-handed.”

Yellow. Freaking. Tulips.

“Sadie,” you gasped, realizing what he whispered into her ear. You loved yellow tulips, which Sadie knew, having brought a bouquet to your graduation. And if that wasn’t icing on the cake, he raised his other hand, revealing a single tulip wrapped in a green bow.

“For Sadie.”

You were sure you had forgotten how to breathe.

“You didn’t have to, Hangman,” you spoke, actively aware of how hands grazed the top of your arms as you accepted the bouquet.

“Consider it a peace offering,” he said, stepping back before holding out his free hand with a grin.

“Jake. Jake Seresin.”

Cocky pilots, you could deal with. This was a whole other level you needed to learn how to handle.

You grasped his hand, voice soft as you said, “Hello, Jake.”

He watched as a blush crossed your face and down the side of your neck. He liked this version of you, not the one who rightly sassed him earlier.

Despite wanting to know if your blush extended beyond your neck, he forced himself to forget the idea. Especially after finding out who you were.

Penny would kill him if she ever found out.

You, however, discovered three things while standing face-to-face with Jake.

One. While he was a lot bigger than you initially thought, with thick muscles and broad shoulders, Jake’s eyes were a deeper shade of green than you remembered.

Two. You were, without a doubt, if it wasn’t evident from your reaction on the beach, insanely attracted to him.

Three. You’d never allow yourself to act on it; saving yourself the absolute heartbreak that would surely follow once he decided he had enough was better than suffering through it.

“You, um, want to come inside? Give it to Sadie yourself?” You finally managed.

Motioning for Jake to follow you and not bothering to look back, you're greeted by the sight of Sadie running for it down the hallway with Natasha and Bradley on her tail, Coyote shouting after the pair to stop.

“Oh hey, wait for a second,” reaching out to grip across her waist, stopping her with an oomph. “Aren’t you going to welcome your guest?”

She peered up at you hopefully before moving around the flowers in the crook of your arm to exclaim excitedly at Jake, “You came!”

“Miss Sadie,” he said, presenting the tulip to her. “Thank you for the invite.”

Sadie was outgoing by nature. She was loud on occasion and almost always had something to say. Hardly anything seemed to silence her. So seeing her shocked expression as she reached up to grasp the flower from Jake gently caused a funny feeling to settle in your stomach.

She brought the flower to her nose and quietly said, “Thank you.” Then, “You're welcome.”

Nat and Bradley gave each other a look.

“I think your battle with fractions deserved some celebration.”

Excitedly, she proudly stated to him, “I got all of them after!”

Jake grinned right back at her. “Good job, Sade.”

Then she said something that shocked the hell out of you. “Call me Bug.”

Rooster’s eyebrows went up, mouthing ‘bug’ from behind Jake. You glared at him, hoping to covey the words, ‘Don’t you fucking dare” in your stare.

No matter how conflicted you felt, Sadie’s feelings took priority above all else.

Natasha stepped up behind Jake to speak over his shoulder, “That was nice, Bagman.”

“Yeah, really nice,” Rooster added, his tone flat.

“What can I say?" Jake remarked. "I do know how to be nice.”

Sensing the tension, you placed a hand on Sadie’s back to steer her away. “Come on, I’ll help you find a small vase. I need to find one for these.”

You wanted to stay clear of whatever verbal beatdown Jake would receive from the group if you could help it. After revealing what you did to Natasha and Bradley, and now Jake showing up with flowers for you and Sadie, there was no way this wasn’t turning out ugly.

You were just glad Javy might be the only one on the fence about the whole thing.

________

“Lizzie, I got a new playlist. I’m ready to beat the champ.”

You widen your eyes at Payback. “No, please, it was such a good night.”

Dinner had gone well, surprisingly. You don’t know what the rest of the team said to Jake as you went to get a vase, but everyone seemed to get along shortly after. Even Rooster seemed to tolerate Jake’s presence, at least for now.

Jake kept his distance, staying near Coyote for the first part of the night or speaking with Sadie as she made her way through the group. You needed to thank him for the flowers but could never find the opportunity to do so, even if you felt his eyes on you for the first half of the night.

Luckily for Sadie, Bob and Mav appeared just as you finished placing the flowers in a vase. If Bob wouldn’t lay down his life to protect her, Mav quickly stopped Rooster and Phoenix’s antics the moment Sadie hid behind his leg.

All of you were sitting in your backyard, each Dagger with a skewer in their hand, roasting a marshmallow. The light from the fire and the string lights along your fence set the perfect tone for the evening, and you were happy nobody felt in a rush to leave the minute things seemed to die down.

“Come on. You said we could make playlists," Payback complained, the others starting to grumble about how you said you promised.

“Not for me to guess them,” you protested, pressing your wrists to your eyes.

“Liz, come on.”

Do it, Elizabeth.”

“Aunt Liz, please!”

Embarrassed, you brought your legs up onto your chair to bury your head atop your knees and wrap your arms tightly around your legs when your name became a chant.

Rooster decided to play music one night and surprised by his music choices, you started guessing the names of the songs out loud. Ever since then, they’ve tried to stump you. You only had yourself to blame.

You ducked your head back, pushing strains of hair behind your ears before giving in to their chants. “Why do you guys do this to me?”

“Cause you're so good at it!” Fanboy insisted before blowing on this marshmallow.

Jake leaned over to Coyote. “What am I missing?”

Coyote smirked. “Lizzie here has this party trick. She can name almost any 70s, 80s or 90s song within seconds.”

“Ridley and I collected vinyl and listened to a lot of music when we lived together,” you shrugged.

“However, we have to guess it before she can.”

Jake straightened in his chair, “Really? Is that why you were wearing that David Bowie Jacket earlier?”

He’d never own up to the fact that Jacket was one of the reasons he wanted to speak with you.

If it weren't for your legs, you'd sink further than you did into your chair.

Jake was too focused on your reaction to notice Rooster gawking at him. Bradley quickly leaped up from his chair to your back shed, pulling out your wireless speakers and plugging them in. He gave Payback a thumbs up, who then started to sync his phone. You secretly loved and hated when they did this.

“Why don’t we make it interesting?”

You sat up in your chair, turning to Jake. “Am I sensing a challenge?”

“I just want to be sure you're putting your money where your mouth is.”

“What do you have in mind?”

Jake could feel everyone’s eyes on him. Rooster leered at him, along with Phoenix, whom he assumed expected him to ask for something untoward. Coyote cautiously placed a hand on his forearm, his grip tightening as the silence stretched on. Payback and Fanboy were watching you with anticipation, waiting to see if you’d welcome the challenge.

Sadie was looking at him with curiosity. Bob and Mav were just enjoying the banter.

“Looser does the dishes?” he finally offered.

You grinned, “You have yourself a deal, Cowboy.”

Jake and you squared off. The conversations continued in between the songs shuffling on the playlist, the Daggers quieting down to witness who would get it first. Creedence Clearwater Revival, Queen, Kenny Rogers, and Bruce Springsteen. You were surprised he managed to get the drop on you. A few he got just a second quicker, but there were others you managed to get first, giving you a solid lead.

That was until a song came on that made you giggle in your seat and pull Sadie up by her hands. She went willingly, laughing with you as she held on to your hands as you danced with each other.

Jake had long since lost the streak he had and was playing along more so to see how far your taste in music went. But watching you with Sadie caused something to settle deep within his chest.

You were so good with her, and you protected her something fierce. He was beginning to understand why everyone adored her. Even if Sadie's spontaneous invite only worked for tonight, he found himself hoping you'd allow him to be more present in both of your lives.

If he could only figure out where the image of you dancing in his arms came from.

________

The sun set a little more than an hour ago. Rather than holding Jake to the promise of doing the dishes, you decided to start on them before enjoying the rest of the evening, slipping inside without anyone noticing.

Glancing out into the backyard, Sadie was passed out against Mav, his arm securely wrapped around her to ensure she wouldn’t fall off the bench. Phoenix had given up her blanket and had carefully wrapped it around Sadie.

You couldn’t help but laugh when Coyote wrangled Bob away from the firepit, who had somewhat drunkenly gotten too close after adding another log. While he didn’t have much, he was a lightweight and, surprisingly, tended to lose his sense of spatial awareness.

Rooster left the speakers in your backyard playing music, and you found yourself dancing, humming, and singing along to the music as you worked.

You felt content. Whole. Happy.

The sound of plates hitting a wall startled you, making you jump. The dish in your hand slipped and clunked as it submerged back under the water. You froze when you noticed the pair of eyes on you.

Jake was standing at the backdoor, the rest of the plates in his hands and a grin plastered to his face. You had nothing to be ashamed of, but each time someone caught you dancing, you felt like Hugh Grant in Love Actually.

“What can I do?” He looked smug, ignoring your little shame fest.

You peered down at the dishes next to you, then the ones in his hands. If you wanted to get to bed at a decent time tonight, you would be a fool not to let him help you.

“I wash, you dry?” you offered while shrugging your shoulders with a timid smile.

He placed the dishes next to the sink, plucking the towel off your shoulder. Settling beside you, he leaned in close and teased you with an “Okay, Flashdance” in your ear.

Blushing seemed to be your thing today.

You settled into an easy rhythm, washing dishes next to Jake. Maybe it was the home-court advantage. Perhaps he was on his best behaviour. It could have been the two glasses of wine you had at dinner.

But the silence was becoming too deafening not to say anything. And you still needed to thank him.

“Thank you for the flowers.”

He quickly replied, “You were right to call me out. I shouldn’t have been so forward.”

“Does this have something to do with Penny threatening you to stay away from me?” you joked.

“Maybe,” he said, holding out his hand for another dish. “Not just her.”

You shook your head. “She means well. They all do. They’re just looking out for me. For Sadie.”

“Big bad Hangman going to scare you away?”

You scrunched up your nose. “You’re a shameless cocky flirt who says the wrong thing at the wrong time. It's going to take a lot more than that.”

“I don’t blame them. Or you.”

You frowned, not knowing what to say. So you offered, “Clean Slate?” while handing him the dish.

He looked at you questionably, “Just like that?”

You nodded, “Just like that.”

Unlike the flirty smile he gave you at the Hard Deck, this one was nothing short of genuine. The type that made you smile just by seeing it and your heart flutter in your chest.

“Did you have a good time?” you asked, picking up your sponge.

“I did, yeah.”

“What made you come? Couldn’t have just been Sadie.”

“Honestly, besides needing to see you again, yeah.” You giggled at that. “She baited me good.”

“She’s pretty smart,” you took a second to look at her sleeping outside, still curled up against Mav.

“Except for fractions,” he said, mocking Sadie’s dramatic flare. You shook your head.

“Thank you for helping her. Her tutor is an idiot. I want to get her a new one, but the school appointed him since she didn’t arrive at the start of the year.”

“Anytime, she’s a good kid.” He said, before his voice became sombre, and he asked, “How’s she handling everything?”

You stopped washing the dish in your hand. “She couldn’t get out of bed the first few weeks. I tried, but she was grieving. I don’t blame her for that.”

You reached for more dish soap and continued, “Then Rooster and Phoenix came along. Then the rest of the squad. She seems better, but she’s trying to put on a brave face. I’m just waiting for the moment she caves.”

“And you?”

You swallowed, gripping the sides of the kitchen sink.

His question took you by surprise. He was the first person to ask since her passing. While you loved your newfound family, you often saw them with Sadie in tow, and the mask you put up with her was suddenly being put up with them even when she wasn’t around.

As far as you knew, they thought you were okay.

“Sadie told me she didn’t want to stay in her hometown because she knew she’d see her everywhere. It's like that for me,” you managed, straightening up and handing him another dish.

“That Sadie’s just here for an extended vacation while she’s off somewhere. I go to call or text her to share something Sadie’s done, and then I’m brought back to that night. I realize I can't call, text or speak to her or hear her voice again.”

Jake noticed as your eyes glazed over, movements slowing as you stared at a spot on your floor before you shook your head, “Do you have any siblings?”

“Two sisters and a brother," he said tensely, adding, “I’m closer with my older sister, Janet.”

You sensed his family was a sore subject, but you couldn’t help but smile at the admiration in his voice for his sister. “Older sisters are the best. Ridley and I got into so much trouble.”

“Grew up on a ranch. Plenty of trouble there.”

“Don’t tell me you’re a Longhorns fan?” you remarked.

He looked shocked. “Now, what do you have against the Longhorns?”

“Nothing. I think it’s the national standard every Texian needs to be a Longhorns fan.”

He chuckled. “Anything else you want to know about me while we're at it?”

You stared at the facet for a few seconds before finally asking, “Why did you leave your wingman out to dry?”

Jake stiffened next to you. “Who told you?”

Momentarily thinking about dragging his call sign, you decided to be honest.

“Phoenix. She said something about an instructor, but I want to hear a first-hand account, not a second-hand story.”

He sighed, “It's not the greatest story.”

“Tell me anyway? Truly. I’m not here to judge.” You asked, handing him another plate.

Glancing at you, he wondered what it was about your eyes that made him want to tell you everything. Even the deepest parts of himself he wanted to keep secret. Your gaze was soft, and he could tell you were being genuine. You didn’t strike him as the type of person to say things you didn’t mean.

He turned away to stare at the rest of the Daggers in your backyard before finally grabbing the plate from your hand. “My family’s, what you’d say, competitive?”

You nodded, urging him to continue.

“My old man wasn’t too happy that I wanted to join the Navy. Wanted me to pursue a football career like my brother or take over the ranch.”

‘Ah, there it was,’ you thought—the source of the family drama.

“I thought if I could prove myself in my first dog fight on my own, I’d prove to him I could do this.”

“Jake,” you sighed.

“The story about the instructor is probably true, whatever she told you. Then one day, Rooster called me Hangman. Stuck ever since.”

Everything about what Natasha, Bradley and Javy said about him started rushing to the surface: the ego, the bravado, the ladies' man attitude. You had no idea what it took for someone to carry the weight of one mistake with you throughout your life, but you suspected Jake was carrying a larger burden than most.

“I’d like to think I'm doing better,” he trailed off, “Trying to look out for those guys up in the air. Make sure everyone comes home, even if they think I don’t care.”

Jake’s words made you reckon whether he played the character everyone assumed rather than disappointed them with the person he was. It was no wonder he was an asshole around others. Nobody seemed to give him a chance to prove otherwise.

While you might have met Hangman this afternoon, the parts Jake was allowing you to see you liked so much better. How much he would let you see was another question.

“You let a ten-year-old coerce you into coming here, despite knowing some people might disagree, and helped her with her math homework. I think you’re doing fine.”

“I don’t think I’m in any position to disappoint two ladies today,” He gently bumped you with his hip. You smiled softly and couldn’t help but return the bump with one of your own.

You both continued silently, washing the dishes until he finally asked, “So, am I forgiven for this afternoon?”

You knew the flack you’d get from the rest of the team at your reply. Yet, you smiled and handed him another dish anyway.

“You can come back.”

Tag List: @blue-aconite @tinytotontheoversizedpony @djs8891 @caitsymichelle13 @startrekfangirl2233 @emorychase @ereardon

@dempy @shanimallina87 @teacupsandtopgun @daggerspare-standingby @phantomxoxo @formulapierre

Please let me know if I missed you! And let me know what you think.

Next Part: Long Cool Woman In a Black Dress Coming Soon!

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art--cat · 1 year

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Percy Jackson Unpopular Opinion

Percy Jackson Must Die.

**Note Percy is my favorite character so this isn’t hate on him

Reasons directly related to percy

Percy has never been anything more in life then a demigod

We first meet Percy Jackson when he’s twelve, and honestly doesn’t have much going for him (what twelve year old does?). He’s a delinquent, kicked out of six schools by the end of sixth grade, and has internalized ideas fed to him about how he’s doomed to fail. He doesn’t have anyone who is important to him beyond Grover, and Sally, and from what we see very little drive to succeed. There’s no amazing talent, or genius intellect waiting out there for him, and to anyone beyond Chiron, Grover, and Sally he’s a basket case with no future, no potential, and no drive. Even once he discovers he’s a demigod his ability to function in the mortal world is minimal leaving him very little potential there.

Beyond the seeming lack of potential, he doesn’t have any real goals at any point in his life. Before realizing he’s a demigod, he lacks any motivation to be good at something, partially due being told he would amount to nothing.

Then his mom “dies” and it's all about saving her, after that he’s the prophecy child, doomed to die at 16, after making a decision to change the course of history. By the time the war actually rolls around he’s simply accepted his death and has no goals beyond protecting his friends, and stopping Kronos.

Then he lives. Great time to make some life goals! Nope. New war.

He’s never had goals within the mortal world, fighting for his/his friends lives has always provided any and all drive for him. Other characters reach beyond, Annabeth has always wanted to be an architect, Leo wants to be an engineer, Piper fights for all peoples rights. They all have goals that are 100% applicable to the mortal world, something beyond being a demigod. Percy lacks that.

Percy’s character will be ruined if he lives past twenty

We all know that once a demigod reaches adulthood they no longer attract monsters in the same way. For many of the demigod characters we meet this will be a relief, no more fighting for their lives or godly interferences, for Percy, he will have lost the one thing that allowed him to feel like he was meant for more. If Percy lives on he will just be that old character that shows up every few books to reject a quest, give some advice to the next big three kid, and then talk about “the good old days” as all his friends move on with their lives and his legacy fades away.

Percy’s death could be integral to his character, and showcase some of his most important traits

Percy would most likely die saving someone, representing his loyalty (one of his core traits) and allowing him to die the hero. Beyond showcasing his loyalty, it could also show his character development, we all know he’d make it to Elysium, what about rebirth? This would show Percy’s understanding that there is more to be done, and while he’s done all he can as Percy Jackson he’s not ready to give up on the mortal world yet. It shows his unwillingness to sit idly by when there’s more to be done, but allow a newfound understanding that there's only so much one mortal could do in a lifetime.

Allows Percy to stay relevant

The final reason is simply that the name Percy Jackson is losing relevance in the riordanverse as new younger characters like Nico, Hazel, Sadie, Carter, and Meg or characters without an expiry date like Alex and Magnus start taking over major quests. Percy is losing page time and the page time he does get is slowly slipping from the headstrong heroic character, to a character who settles (something percy is blatantly bad at). Percy’s death would affect other characters and could even be a cautionary tale.

However Percy’s death wouldn’t only be for the sake of his own character, it would also wrap up/jumpstart other characters' stories.

Jason's death makes way for a important parallel

Percy and Jason were each other's mirrors. The Perfect Roman Hero, and The Perfect Greek Hero. Natural born fighters destined for greatness and to bring a new era of peace. They succeeded and Jason died as he wasn't needed anymore. Percy and Jason both dying could be the end of that era. Beyond that Jason would be waiting in Elysium for Piper forever, I don’t think Percy would do that for Annabeth, not when there's always more he can do to help others. I firmly believe he would go for rebirth.

Allows Annabeth, to have a new beginning

Annabeth's character specifically would benefit from this. I do see her traveling down to the underworld, walking up to Hades and demanding Percy’s life back, andI see one of two things happening.

Parallel to the classic Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice. Hades agrees on the condition Percy follows Annabeth and she doesn’t look back. However like Orpheus, Annabeth looks back and in the moment they meet eyes Percy realizes that there is more he can do, and that Annabeth shouldn’t be waiting until her own death for someone, so when she asks “See you in elysium?”, he simply shakes his head.

Or..

Percy arrives in Elysium, and is greeted by Jason, who is waiting for Piper, and in that moment Percy has the same realization that he can’t just wait and be idle forever and goes for rebirth, when Annabeth arrives in the underworld she confronts hades who tells her “Even if i could give him back to you, he’s gone decided on rebirth”

From there Annabeth would realize that she and Percy wanted two do different things, and that he would never settle the way she had always seen herself settling. This also allows her to grow as a person and figure out who she is alone, as she grieves her relationship and partially a former part of her own personality.

Finally, it gives some meaning to the fatal flaw plot point. We would see how Percy’s loyalty (not only to annabeth, however to others and too cause as flaw isn’t “loyalty to annabeth”) got him killed, and how even the greatest heroes’ fall can victim to their fatal flaw.

#percy jackson #anti percabeth #jason x piper #leo valdez #magnus chase and the gods of asgard #heros of olympus #pjo #kane chronicles #unpopular opinion #riordanverse #rick riordan #annabeth chase #book fandom

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aces-and-angels · 8 months

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meet the newest loml- enid mendoza✨(she/her/hers)

i'm deep in my loa era- specifically re-working book 2 by throwing out most of the plot for my own hcs (and to bring enid into the windverse (ty @oh-so-youre-a-nerd)

to do that: make book 2 about navigating through sadie's departure- avoiding scandal, staying afloat, and maintaining mcgraw's byrne's status as a powerhouse. aka not breaking away to start your own firm w/ gabe and co.

more lore below the cut:

---

background:

prior to getting a JD, was on track as a pre-med student- worked as a med tech throughout undergrad and graduated with a BS in Public Health from Brooklyn College

Wasn't passionate on becoming a physician like her parents, but agreed for their sake. This led to her suffering from burnout (which she largely ignored). Very easy thing to conceal, esp. since she never let her grades fall. These feelings were bottled up and ultimately poured over into having a complete meltdown on the day she was scheduled to take her MCAT.

As for Enid's law career, she attends Columbia University and graduates summa cum laude. Not wanting to throw her background in health sciences away, she decides to specialize in Health Law.

First meets Martin Vanderweil during their shared clerkship with Judge Coleman, but they part ways after being hired as associates at different firms.

LI: Joaquin Morales

my hc involves tweaking Joaquin's disdain for Martin shown in book 2 to them being academic rivals while they attended Yale. Not always on the same page, but have each other's respect- that kind of vibe

Joaquin first meets Enid while attempting to visit Martin at Judge Coleman's office. He went for him, but finds her instead.

Life as an attorney:

In my timeline, by book 2, Enid is a Junior Partner at Park & Davis, a formidable rival firm of McGraw Byrne

She landed her partnership after successfully settling a class action lawsuit for a major data breach at a city hospital.

And bc I can't just name drop a rival firm:

background on Park & Davis:

founders: Agnes Park and Jina Davis

Agnes and Jina have a long standing history with both Sadie and Eli. They were all classmates at the same law school.

all landed associate positions at the same firm post-grad -> formed a plan to stage an epic takeover of said firm -> long story short- Agnes and Jina were snubbed out of the deal

It took them years, but after working apart to amass an impressive array of clients between the two- they started their own firm

#enid mendoza #loml #if yall want pls drop some oc questions #laws of attraction #playchoices #choices #into the windverse #park & davis

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ofxendless · 1 month

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*literally screams from the rooftops* PLEASE RP WITH ME XOXOX

Tags: FC's • Opposites • Plots

Hi! You can call me C, I go by she/her, and below is some info about me!

*warning: it’s long.

fair to ask yourself: is she really worth it?

To that, I say: nah probably not*

• I’m 25 and I will only interact with those over 21.

• My tumblr will seemingly always and forever screw me over and not show me messages properly, so please feel free to head straight to my discord at cee98x

• I’ve been roleplaying since what feels like forever. I started super young one summer before school started up, and I’ve been on-and-off ever since. I began in roleplay groups roleplaying Harry Potter, then got really into The Vampire Diaries-verse, and have also enjoyed Percy Jackson, supernatural town, royal rpgs, and a bunch I’ve popped into over the years.

• I do come from a land down under *cue the flute*. So AEST timezone, but my schedule is alll over a lot of the time.

• I’m looking to rp over discord. Fair warning, I am still getting the hang of rping on there and I have no idea how to do real fancy stuff but I’m a quick learner so we’ll be fine. I still feel like it was yesterday when I dragged my feet big time transferring from roleplaying on facebook to tumblr. Ah, time flies.

• I’m a very easy going person! Your length, I’ll match. Your ideas? I’ll pretty much lap up everything. Hate fandom rp? Cool not an issue at all! Hate oc rps and prefer fandom? Wicked! If I don’t know the lore well, I’ll wing it! Struggling to get a reply out? No stress! I’m well passed putting so much pressure onto things that they feel like a chore. I’d love to chat about our ships and discuss fc’s and get excited and really have some fun!

• I play mostly female muses! I know, I’m so terribly cliche, but I am pretty meh with male muses. Although, it’s been a long time since I’ve given it a go and I’m always happy to compromise! Very much wanting sapphic plots too!!

• I’m open to smut and most ideas! Don’t like super dark kinks or anything too out there but, again, always willing to try new things within reason! Plot and smut should be balanced. I also have no triggers.

• Some fandoms I’d be interested to rp if that was your jam would include The Vampire Diaries, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, True Blood, Teen Wolf, The Umbrella Academy, Bridgerton, The Sandman, Doctor Who, and I’m sureee there’s more I am forgetting. This also includes creating OC’s set in any of these universes.

• Some themes I’d loveee to explore include supernatural/fantasy/paranormal, enemies to lovers, best friends to lovers, boss/employee or professor/student, soul mate/ride or die/meant to be, fwb, ewb, age gap (legal!), horror, crime, mystery, and soo much more honestly

• Face claims I’d die to use include Renee Rapp, Emily Bader, Maia Reficco, Madison Iseman, Anya Taylor Joy, Camila Mendes, Elisha Applebaum, Hannah Dodd, Sadie Soverall, Adelaide Kane, Anya Chalotra, Simone Ashley, Josephine Langford, Danielle Rose Russell, Abigail Cowen, Conor Leslie and Zaria Simone

• Fave opposites include all of the above and more, Matthew Daddario, Noah Centineo, Robbie Amell, Henry Cavill, Rege-Jean Page, Aria Shaghasemi, Ross Butler, Jacob Elordi, Glen Powell

I WOULD RISK IT ALL FOR THESE PLOTS:

1) Based on a fave book series of mine, but honestly does not need to have any relation to it and can be adapted to any ideas. Basically, girl runs away from home in her mid teens, meets guy around her age who takes her in with him and his guardian who have some secrets, turns out they’re *some type of supernatural creature idk can be whatever we like*. Turns out she has some illness that he can’t cure alone and he has to agree to hand her over to his enemies so that they can cure her, but it also will wipe her memories and she will forget her life before. Fast forward a few years, he’s never stopped protecting her but he’s never gotten close because he can’t bear it. She just happens to go with her friends to the club he now owns. Drama ensues.

2) ““oh, can we take it nice && slow?” two strangers who meet every weekend at a club. nothing but first names are shared. they use each other to relieve the stress of their weeks. hot && heavy dancing. making out on the dance floor. on occasion hookups in the corner of the club. but the moment they leave the club, it’s as if they don’t exist. their chemistry is electric, but there unspoken complications in their lives that they just understand. it isn’t until a new monday comes around && she walks into the office to meet her new boss. oh, shit. her weekend hook up is her new boss. she assumes he’s married with the ring on his finger, she has no idea he’s widowed && he has no idea that she has a child at home”

3) “OR hey what about a historical plot where Muse A and Muse B are both next in line to the throne of their neighbouring countries that once used to be one nation. There’s been a push for many years to unite the kingdoms once more, and many want Muse A and Muse B to marry in order for it to happen. But, Muse A and Muse B absolutely hate each other, and can’t stand the idea of being around one another. Until, they’re forced into the engagement by their parents, and are made to spend countless hours with one another. Lots of bickering, and tension ensue, as they get closer asdfjkl”

4) “plot where ‘i had a bad break up with my ex of 4 years who cheated on me, and treated me like dirt and wow i just found out i’m pregnant and he’s the father so here comes the emotional breakdown and late night pounding on his front door. But oops you’re not him, you’re his brother and you’re being really kind to me and calming me down, and those kisses on the top of my head are so new to me.’ also referred to as the plot where Muse A is pregnant, her manipulative ex boyfriend is the father, however Muse B aka his brother had always had a thing for Muse A. The night Muse A comes banging on his brothers door while Muse B is staying there for a while, he consoles her and decides to help her through the break up and pregnancy. However feelings get involved, drama, fights, and his older/younger brother isn’t so happy about it. Yes pls”

5) “maybe a plot where muse a and muse b broke up like five years ago and then muse a got a call from muse b’s parents telling him that she got into an accident and had temporary amnesia and only remember the time when they were together so they’re asking him for a favor to go back home?”

6) two muses who hate each other and are constantly competing at everything and everyone thinks they can’t stand each other but oh wait you’re really hot let’s have angry sex oh no wait now i have feelings

7) This, this, this, this, this, and these!

If you made it this far, I salute you friend! If it sounds like we might get on, give this a good ol’ like and I’ll annoy you! Cheers!

#wanted 1x1 #1x1 rp search #1x1 rp #discord 1x1 #wanted roleplay partner #rp search #rp partner search #1x1 search

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authorsadiethatcher · 1 year

Text

It's time for another State of the Thatcher address. And this year I do it on the American Independence Day. For those who are celebrating, enjoy the day.

The last couple months have been filled with a lot of work, writing multiple books, as well as my next fantasy novel. There have been a few ups and downs over that time, with Amazon being slow to publish a few books. But overall, everything is going along as planned.

I've got a few special things happening this month. At the top of the list is the books I have in the Smashwords Summer (winter for those in the southern hemisphere) Sale. A bunch of my back catalogue books are available for half off all month. Link below.

I am also participating in the Fantasy Romance Book Fair this month, with all the participating books available in Kindle Unlimited. I know where I'll be picking up my next fantasy reads this month. https://books.bookfunnel.com/fantasyromancejuly/5o7c1hfzq6

Amazon is where most people find my books, so here’s a link to my catalogue: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sadie-Thatcher/author/B00B4MINAC

Smashwords is a great place to buy books, especially if you don’t like Amazon’s evil empire. You can find them here: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/sadiethatcher

Plus, you can find them at the Google Play bookstore: https://play.google.com/store/books/author?id=Sadie+Thatcher

I’ve added a new way you can get my books. It’s called Ream and it’s a bit like Patreon, but its author specific, made by authors for authors. In addition getting to read all of my new books for a monthly subscription fee, I also give you access to the images that didn't quite make the cut for my covers. You can see my Ream page here: https://reamstories.com/page/lhssployqw

Additionally, my books are available through Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Scribd. I don’t have links to those stores handy, but if that’s where you like to buy books from, my books will show up there, eventually. I distribute through Smashwords and have to wait until the review team there approves my books for distribution. This can take days or even weeks.

If fantasy is your thing, take a look at all of my novels under my other pen name here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Libby-Feron/author/B09PJ9J5RN

And if you sign up for the Libby Feron newsletter, you get exclusive content and updates like cover reveals before anyone else. I have a bonus prequel scene up for the Magic’s Most Wanted Series that will be exclusive to newsletter subscribers. You can sign up here: https://libbyferon.com/newsletter/

With the fantasy novel plug complete, let me also mention some of the cool stories I have coming out in the next month month.

I’ve got two more books in the Bimbo at Home Series to release. There's conversion into traditional gender roles, harems, lactation, and so much more.

I also have a series upcoming that features a society where all women become bimbos when they turn 21 years old by law. If a woman wants to contribute to society in another way, they have until their 21st birthday to make their mark.

There will be a commission later this month that really focuses on the mental side of bimbofication. This should be a fun one.

Finally, I still intend to eventually release Fake It Until You Make It in audio. However, my narrator is suffering from a late bout of allergies that makes recording difficult. As soon as those allergies clear up, expect progress to be made on that front.

#sadie thatcher #writing #buildingbettergiggles #story #announcement #state of the thatcher address

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badboyzbingobrunch · 2 years

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The Books Beside Clyde Logan’s Bed

Clyde Logan loves his books. That being said there is a small collection beside his bed of personal favourites as well as books he intends to read but hasn’t gotten around to.

“The moon is high like your friends were the night that we first met. I went home and tried to stalk you on the internet. Now I’ve read all of the books beside your bed.”

-Taylor Swift

First in the list is catch 22:

This book was recommended to Clyde by a friend from his military service. Though Clyde enjoys a good conspiracy and satirical piece, there are some parts of this book that are a little too intense for him. Because of this, the book sits lower in the stack with a bookmark hanging out of the side indicating that he hasn’t finished reading it yet.

Next on the list is My Dark Vanessa:

Clyde discovered this book when asking the woman in the bookstore, “ma’am, do you recommend anythin’ new?” Taking full advantage of the opportunity to educate a man on the difficult realities young girls and women face in society, she explained that this is a book for anyone who cares about the safety of young girls. Clyde, being his sweet self and the uncle of a young girl, couldn’t refuse. The amount of anger that this book brought him is palpable. The book sits towards the top of the stack because he recently finished it with red tabs on various pages indicating “red flags” that Clyde intends to look for so that he can protect Sadie and be aware if he has a daughter of his own.

Fahrenheit 451:

Clyde first learned about this book in his American literature class in school. Being a man who loves books, this small book easily became a favourite of his. It sits beside the stack due to its smaller size. Clyde doesn’t want it to get lost among the other books in his trailer so it will dutifully remain at his bedside.

The Key lime Crime:

This was a book of Mellie’s that casually caught Clyde’s eye when he was visiting her salon for a trim. It was casually sitting at her work station just beckoning for him to reach out and grab it. “Clyde honey, do you want to take a look at it?” His sister’s question caught him off guard. His cheeks tinted bright red as he examined the feminine cover. “What’s it about?”

Death By Pumpkin Spice:

After reading The Key Lime Crime, Clyde developed a proclivity for cozy mystery novels. He tries to interchange his cozy mystery books to match the seasons. He boldly reads the books within the comfort of his trailer, or by the lake when fishing with Jimmy. Jimmy once asked him if those kinds of books were for ladies, and Clyde simply looked up from the pages with his signature stoic expression. “Am I a lady?” Jimmy shrugged and shook his head. “Okay then, there’s yer answer.”

The Flags of our Fathers:

Due to his service in the military, Clyde wanted to read military themed books in hopes that it would help him better make sense of his own military experience. This was an effort that usually left him bored as he prefers more fast paced books to distract him from his busy life. He hasn’t read past the first page, but he intends to finish it one day. It currently sits just below Catch 22 at the bottom of the stack.

#clyde logan #clyde logan x reader #clyde logan imagine #logan lucky #Adam driver #Clyde Logan fluff

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eriquin · 7 months

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The Prophetic D&D Game, part 24

POV switch to the excellent Erica Sinclair.

(master post)

One day in January, Lucas’s moping came to a head. Erica normally would not have cared, but this time her brother pulled her aside. He wanted to talk about Max, and about some game he was playing at school. At first, she didn’t understand why she should care, but then he went into more details. Max was withdrawing from all of them, and the guy running this D&D game was putting in stuff about the Upside Down that he shouldn’t have known about. He told her the whole story.

“And what do you want me to do about it?” Erica asked. “Max doesn’t know me, and your new nerd friends sure as heck aren’t going to listen to me. I’m in middle school, remember?”

“No, it’s not about that,” Lucas said. “I just need someone else to know what is going on. Max is too hard to reach. Mike tried telling Nancy, but she blew him off. Dustin tried with Steve and Robin, but they both think he’s imagining things. We’re not imagining it, though. This story that Eddie’s telling? It’s for real.”

“Does it have anything to do with the Russians?”

Lucas shook his head. “I don’t think so, though there’s some hint about foreign countries with the king. But the Russians weren’t involved when Will was taken, so maybe they’re still going to come up later?”

Erica nodded. She got a notebook out from her backpack and flipped it open to a new page. “Okay, go over it again,” she said. “I want to take notes this time.”

She got regular updates whenever they got to play that game again. It made her a little jealous that her brother had a regular D&D group, even if all the people in it sounded like huge dorks. None of her friends were interested in playing, even when she tried to make stories about My Little Pony. It didn’t matter, though. The mystery of her brother’s DM having some kind of sixth sense was fascinating to her.

Mike and Dustin both knew that she knew, and sometimes when they all got together, they went over her notes. They filled in some gaps and had their own theories, but Dustin was the only one who made any sense. Mike mostly whined about having been tricked into playing Steve as a character. Erica didn’t know what his problem was with Steve. The man had fought Russians for her and gave her free ice cream whenever she asked. He was all right in her book, but she didn’t point it out. They didn’t need to know her business.

The four of them decided that it definitely had something to do with the Upside Down, even though they weren’t sure what. They could tell who each person in the main group was supposed to be, but they weren’t sure who all the other characters were. Lucas was mostly worried that all the things that happened in the game were going to happen in real life. He was convinced that Max was in danger, but didn’t know what to do about it.

Then March arrived. The Hawkins Tigers made it to the championship game, and Mom and Dad were so excited to go, even though Lucas never got to actually play. They talked big about supporting him, and how he was putting in his time now and would play when he was older. Erica, on the other hand, could do the math and knew that it would conflict with Hellfire. She was completely unsurprised when she saw those three stooges approaching her after school.

“What now?” she asked.

“We need a sub,” Dustin said. “Eddie said that if we found a sub for Lucas for Hellfire, we could play the Cult of Vecna.”

“What’s the Cult of Vecna?”

“It’s the other game that he’s running,” Mike said. “See, there was this evil lich, and he’s dead but he made a cult and they’re trying to bring him back. We have to stop them. It’s really—”

“Wait, you’re playing two nerd games? At the same time? Gross,” Erica said, shaking her head. “I take it you want me to sub?”

“Yes,” Lucas said. He clasped his hands together. “If we don’t find a sub, then he’s going to run Cursed instead. We’re coming right up against the big bad, and Sadie is going to be bait. If I’m not there, he will kill her for sure.”

“Why don’t you all just ditch?” she asked. “Go watch Lucas play his game. He can’t run anything if you’re all missing.”

“He can, and he will,” Dustin said. “He’s in a truly terrible mood this week. I don’t know what’s up with him, but he would definitely kill us all out of spite. I don’t know what that means for us, if he’s predicting the future.”

Erica scoffed. “You think he’s not just predicting it, but he’s able to change things?”

“I don’t know,” Dustin said. “All I know is that we have to see it through until we can figure out what’s supposed to happen.”

“Yeah, we can’t have something like Lucas being out screw with the final battle,” Mike said. “Also, if we can delay it, then I can tell El and Will about it when I go to visit them in California.”

“You haven’t told them yet?” Erica asked, slipping as much judgement into the statement as she could.

“I didn’t want to tell them over the phone in case someone was listening, and it sounded weird when I started writing it down,” Mike said. “Also, I wouldn’t put it past the lab people to read our mail.”

“Rude,” Erica said. “That’s a federal offense.”

“Yeah, I don’t think they care about that,” Lucas said. “Will you be the sub? I know you have a character you can use.”

Erica arched an eyebrow at him. “Mom will be pissed if I miss your game,” she said.

“Not half as pissed as she’d be if I missed my game,” said Lucas.

“If I do this, I expect to be appropriately compensated.”

Dustin sighed and rolled his eyes. “I will buy you three new minifigs at the game store next time we go.”

“Six new minifigs, plus a baby dragon.”

Dustin groaned. “Four, and no dragon.”

Mike threw his arms in the air. “We don’t have time for this! I’ll get her the dragon!” he said. “Can we just go?”

Dustin sighed and looked at Mike with disgust, then back to Erica. They both knew that bargaining was part of the fun. “Fine, four minifigs and a baby dragon.” He held his hand out to her. “Deal?”

They shook on it, and Erica prepared for her grand entrance into Hellfire.

Taglist: @weirdandabsurd42, @10moonymhrivertam, @blueskiesandstarrynight

#two today because i have requests from wip wednesday #hellfire club #the prophetic d&d game #stranger things #my writing

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westrelics · 2 months

Text

Just some old Arthur headcanons that are still relevant to my portrayal here!

Arthur regularly claims he's no great fisherman, but he very much is by the time the gang reaches Beaver Hollow! Using tricks Javier, Kieran, and Hosea all taught him, he improved very quickly and during what little 'leisure time' he had in 1899, he was usually out looking for colossal fish to bring back to camp and impress (or disturb!) the others! || In his survivor AU, as of 1902 fishing is one of his favorite ways to relax.

Shortly after arriving at Horseshoe Overlook, Arthur rode with Sadie back to her old home in the mountains, to pay respects to her husband and see if there were any mementos of his that were still salvageable. A keepsake for a woman scorned.

Arthur wrote short letters to each departed gang member alongside his comments regarding their deaths. These usually express regrets for things he both did & didn't do, and a hope that the Reverend is right, and he'll see them again someday. These entries are the only ones John didn't read; he couldn't bring himself to.

Arthur's journal entry about Hosea's death is as scattered as it is cryptic. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but what it does convey well is just how much pain the loss caused Arthur. Despite all the tangents and crossed-out sentences, and the distortion in the page presumably from fallen tears, it gets that across quite well.

Arthur's fascinated by what he considers inexplicable. The unknown doesn't scare him; it amazes him, and awakens his curiosity, makes him yearn to know more. He spoke often with Charles and Rains Fall regarding Native culture, wanting to learn all he could.

Arthur isn't a fan of very many books - he can read, but he hasn't read anywhere near as many as Dutch. He liked Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, though there was a great deal within that he didn't understand. || In Arthur's survivor verse, he picks up a copy of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World in late 1912, to learn more about the dinosaurs whose bones he'd helped search for years prior.

Despite being a pretty good artist, Arthur was never quite able to get John's scars right when drawing him. It was a point of vexation for him, and he tore out a few pages from his journal with badly-drawn pictures of John Marston. These pages are still out there, scattered, somewhere in New Austin, with a truly horrible take on the visage of John Marston.

Arthur considers Charles, John, Lenny, and Sadie his closest friends. Any threat levied against them is one he will greet with the double barrel of a shotgun at close range. They could be considered to be his 'inner circle' -- but Charles alone is privy to almost all of Arthur's most well-kept secrets.

Arthur's last journal entry regarding Charlotte Balfour was a hopeful optimism about seeing her again, and stating that he'd be bringing her a new rifle for better hunting the next time he was in the area, if he made it back before he died. He never did, and the rifle instead ended up in John's hands.

#{ Pine Whispers | OOC }#{ Hidden Truths | Headcanons }#{ The Enforcer | Arthur Morgan }

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princessimotep · 2 months

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Tienes Mi Corazón - Chapter 3

One week had passed since Miriam had joined the Van Der Linde camp. The women of the gang had been particularly kind to the young woman, making sure she settled in. However, that was thing. She hadn’t settled in. The entire time she had remained quiet, not uttering a single word to anyone. Javier hadn’t been round to check in on her due to mission arrangements which required him to be out of camp for a long while. Although the young woman was quiet, she still completed whatever chores needed doing by Miss Grimshaw. She did them promptly and efficiently which immediately put her into the older woman’s good books. Half of the reason being, Miriam wished to pay the gang back for their kindness for taking her in and the other half being she wished to finish her day early so she could wander off somewhere just outside of camp to read. That was something she and Mary-Beth had in common. Mary-Beth kindly let Miriam borrow her books and she had finished reading almost all of them. Both Mary-Beth and Sadie were the most understanding of all.

It was late afternoon and the sun scorched brightly down through the trees which Miriam escaped to. She pressed her back against one notably large tree and slid down it, sitting silently in the shade. The way the rays beamed down through the foliage, it cast a mystical light onto the book she pulled out. Finding the page she was last reading, she sighed quietly. Not out of content but out of longing. Longing to find true peace in her situation… and to see her rescuer again.

Meanwhile, back in camp, a familiar grey overo steed trotted into camp with his loyal rider aboard. Dutch looked past Miss Grimshaw and Hosea who were conversing with him about the new girl. “Speaking of the man… Javier!” Dutch exclaimed, holding his hand up to greet him. Javier jumped down and hitched Boaz to the post. The younger male nodded to his leader.

“Yes, boss?” Dutch signalled the man over. “What’s the problem?”

“Before we get into that, how did it go?” Javier shrugged, pulling out a cigarette. He swiped a match against his boot to light it up. Flicking the match’s fire away, he breathed in the fumes before letting out a long, relaxed exhale.

“As good as it could, boss.” He then hummed in realisation, holding up his index finger. He twisted round his body to reach into his back pocket. The result being a wad of cash. Javier walked over to the cash box, placing the gang’s share inside and then pocketing his cut inside his inner jacket pocket. Dutch chuckled proudly.

“Well done my boy.” Miss Grimshaw sighed.

“Yes, yes. Well done, Mister Escuella. Now onto newer matters.” She exerted. Grimshaw held out her hands to get the younger male’s focus. “It’s Miss Miriam.” She now had Javier’s undivided attention.

“What about her?” He quickly responded, a slight hint of concern in his voice.

“She hasn’t spoken a single word since she’s been here!”

“Maybe… she’s just quiet?” Grimshaw tutted at Javier.

“It’s not just that. She hardly touches her food, despite Mr Pearson’s best efforts. She leaves the safety of the camp and goes, God knows where!” Seeing Grimshaw go a little red in the face, Hosea takes over.

“What we mean to say, Javier is…” Hosea places his hand on Javier’s shoulder, getting him to take a couple steps away from Dutch’s tent. “We’re concerned about the girl. We don’t know who she is, or where she’s from. It’s making it harder for us to help resolve her situation. And certainly, her not eating… well, we don’t want the poor girl to starve.”

“And where do I come into this?” Hosea gave Javier a knowing smile.

“She’s sweet on you.” Javier froze, caught off guard for a split second.

“Miss Miriam has only talked to you since being with us.” Grimshaw followed and Hosea once more continued on.

“She looks around camp for you, like a lost puppy. So, we think it’s only right that… you give her some company.”

“Company?” Javier quizzed.

“Just spend some time with her and… well maybe she’ll start to feel more comfortable in camp. Shed some light on who she is and how we can help her.” Javier thought about it and it did not take him long to nod. His thoughts still captivated by what Hosea stated earlier about Miriam being sweet on him.

“Sure.”

“Then it’s settled.” Dutch ended the discussion, calling Hosea back over to discuss future plans and waving away Miss Grimshaw. Javier strutted back to his tent, removing his denim jacket, and placing it on his bedding. He rolled his shoulders back until he heard a satisfying crack before finding his hat. Cigarette still in his mouth, he pushed the head piece firmly upon his head and looked around for where Miriam might be. Remembering the information Grimshaw gave him, he suspected she would be on the outskirts of camp, or at least not too far from it. He made his way through the trees.

Whisps of paper turning over soothed Miriam’s ears. The crisp freshness of a page gave an odd delight to the young woman. It helped her to feel immersed into the story she was reading. Currently her mind was in a realm of dragons who fought against brave knights to save their fair maidens whom were kidnapped beyond the charred lands. She smiled deeply at the paragraph before her, detailing how one of the knights looked down at a handkerchief his lover had given him before she was taken; for it reminded him of her and how he would stop at nothing until she was back in his arms.

“Así que aquí es donde te has estado escondiendo.” (“So this is where you’ve been hiding.”) Javier’s words rolled off his tongue so quickly, by the time he finished, Miriam had only just looked up. However, upon meeting his eyes, she smiled, happiness clear in her expression.

“Javier…” The way he leant against the tree; with his arms folded, one foot crossed in front of the other and his hat casting a shadow across his face, Miriam felt butterflies attack her stomach. She tucked her hair behind her ear. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been fine. Got sent away on a mission. It was a long one.” She nodded just slightly, glad to have some closure on where he had been. The young woman had thought up so many scenarios on what he was doing and almost all of them made her worry for his safety. “What about you?”

“I… I’ve been better.” Javier appreciated the honesty.

“Miss Grimshaw says you haven’t been eating.” Miriam stayed silent. The raven-head got down to her level, sitting beside her now. “You have to eat, cariño.” Changing the subject, she tilted her head at him.

“Ca… riño? What does that mean?” Her gentle voice made him smirk. She was so innocent. He found it… cute.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He teased.

“Well, I’d like to know what you’re saying.”

“And where’s the fun in that… cariño?” When he said the term of endearment this time around, Miriam’s cheeks flushed, a spasm of warmth coursing rapidly down to her lower abdomen. This mysterious persona yet charming and kind nature he possessed was so attractive to her. Part of her enjoyed the lack of understanding she had when he spoke to her in his native tongue. It encouraged to her bite back a little. She gave a short laugh to conceal her blush.

“You’re being very rude.” Javier blinked yet a smile still there to proclaim his own innocence.

“How so?” Laughing once more, Miriam closed her book and got up. Wrapping both arms around the literature and began to walk deeper into the trees. Javier couldn’t help himself but jest some more as he tried to follow after her. “¿Adónde vas?” (“Where are you going?”) Miriam stopped in her tracks; looking over her shoulder, smiling at him in a way which looked like she was half finding the situation amusing and the other half being astounded at his persistence.

“I think you’re taking advantage of my poor understanding of Spanish, Mister Escuella.” He stopped also. He put his hands on his hips, a grin now plastered across his face.

“Is that so?”

“I know so.” It was her turn to put a hand on her hip. “You obviously relish in watching me look at you, clueless and just when I find the courage to ask what you mean, you deny me.”

“Courage…” He chuckled, lowering his cap slightly so she was unable to see his eyes as clearly. “I didn’t realise I was so scary to talk to.” Her expression changed, not expecting him to respond like that.

“I… what I mean to say is…” She took a step closer to gain his attention. “I’m quite intrigued by your language. It sounds so… fascinating and beautiful. I only wish to learn more.” Mirroring her last movement, he too stepped closer. Now Miriam was arching her neck back to look up at him. His eyes a deep dark amber, shrouded with enigma.

“Entonces escucha atentamente, cariño…” (“Then listen carefully, darling…”) A twig snapped beneath his boot as he took one last step closer. She didn’t back down from his advances, keeping her eyes locked with his. He leant down, his lips inches away from her ear. “Te enseñaré un par de cosas.” (“I’ll teach you a few things.”) Her breath became jagged. He was so close to her. She couldn’t help but slightly turn her head to try and look him in the eye. Oh, how she regretted it. Javier’s eyes looked so intense. Smouldering effortlessly. A slither of fear ran down her spine, praying that her knees would keep her standing for her belly was now dancing in tight circles. Javier broke the gaze by stepping back to chuckle. He pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head as he did so. Ever so quietly, Miriam huffed.

“What’s so funny?”

“Your expression, cariño. It’s so…” He held his hand out, rotating his fingers round in loops to try and find the word he was looking for. “… dulce.”

“Dulce?” His expression softened.

“Dulce.” He repeated, more enunciated this time to help with her pronunciation.

“Dulce.”

“There you go.” Javier spoke, encouragement in his voice. She smiled at her small victory but then frowned.

“But… what does it mean?” The dark-haired male looked at her, soaking in her beautifully confused expression not long before turning on his heel to head back towards camp. Just before she could retaliate, Javier responded.

“I’ll tell you… if you eat with me back at camp.” Once more he looked at her. This time his expression was no longer playful. It was stern yet somewhat pleading. Miriam looked down, being reminded of why she didn’t feel comfortable to eat. She could not explain why to him, in fear of what he would think of her. Yet all her worries seemed to disappear when she noticed his hand outstretched to her. “Toma mi mano.” (“Take my hand.”) For the first time, she unknowingly understood what he meant by his words. Miriam placed her hand in his where his tanned fingers wrapped around her slender ones. He gave it the faintest of squeezes before pulling her along behind him.

The two of them made it back to camp where Mr Pearson had just placed his big stew pot down – ready for the gang members to help themselves to. There was no disorderly rush, just a couple members at a time, at random intervals going for their share of food. Javier guided Miriam over to the empty table and there he left her so he could grab her a bowl of stew. She tucked her hair behind her ears, feeling somewhat nervous for reasons she still didn’t wish to share. By the time she sat down, Javier had returned with a bowl for himself and one for her.

“Here.” He placed it front of her. “It’s not the best, but Pearson does his best.” Miriam delicately scooped up a spoonful and stared at it. Javier watched from the corner of his eye, starting on his own bowl. Trying her best to overcome her mental battle, she placed her lips around the spoon and swallowed the liquid. A narrow smile tugged at Javier’s lips. “Dulce… it means ‘sweet’.” The educational moment warmed Miriam’s heart, taking another mouthful whilst she smiled to herself. Javier in turn found her reaction so charming.

“Sweet, hm? Like… honey sort of sweet?” She responded.

“Uh… yes. Yes. Helps describe a lot of pleasant things.”

‘Oh God…’ Miriam thought to herself, feeling that warm rush return to her lower abdomen. Why did he have to say things like that? In a way that could make any person swoon. She cleared her throat, trying to focus back on her food. “How would you describe this, then?” She asked, referring to Pearson’s food which was clearly not pleasant. Javier leant back in his chair and shrugged looking down at the bowl.

“Comestible.” The young woman smirked at him, awaiting his elaboration. He looked at her completely serious, an almost blank expression. “Edible.” Then something unexpected happened. She found herself truly laughing, out loud. It caught a few of the gang member’s attention. In particular, Mr Pearson, who put a hand on his hip, scowling.

“Something funny?” Javier raised his hand, shaking it in defence as he called over to him.

“No, no, Mister Pearson! The food is good!” Another bubble of laughter erupted from within the newcomer. The camp’s chef grumbled something under his breath as he continued working at his station. Miriam’s laugh made Javier smile from ear to ear. It was quite a dirty laugh; unlike anything he had ever heard before. He liked it. “Was it something I said?” The young woman brought her index fingers to her eyes, wiping away the tears which prickled her waterline.

“It’s just how you said it.”

“How did I say it?”

“You said it so serious! Like you were so…” More laughter escaped her which resulted in her now holding her belly, a painful stitch beginning to form. “Stop it!” The laughter began to hurt, yet she still couldn’t cease the action. “Please!” The more she thought about how Javier looked when he said it, the funnier it got.

From a distance, Hosea looked up from his newspaper; seeing the pair enjoying each other’s company. His own grin gracing his features. He shook his head, flipping over to the next page. Hosea was usually right about these things and it seemed he had resolved the situation quickly.

Finally, Miriam calmed down, fanning herself to cool off. Javier rose an eyebrow, looking smug at the chaos he caused at the table. “You okay?”

“Yes. I’m so sorry-”

“Don’t apologise. It was nice to hear.” Not wanting herself to be embarrassed any further, she placed down the spoon back into the bowl and excused herself from the table. She failed to eat all of it, but it was progress. Miriam took her bowl away to go wash up and Javier followed behind with his own. She offered to take it for him but he insisted on helping her. The raven-head rolled his white sleeves up, exposing his muscular forearms. Miriam couldn’t help but notice how well dressed he was. His black waistcoat hugged onto his body, exposing how broad and wide his chest was from underneath. In addition, the way his ebony locks fell down his face, just exposing the slit across his eyebrow and chiselled cheeks. The man was beautiful. She pondered on the thought of how lucky she felt to have been saved by him. He could have easily tried to have his own way with her after killing that O’Driscoll, but instead he showed her kindness which she thought did not exist.

Finishing the washing up, Javier shook his hands above the tub to get rid of any excess water. “Right, that should be it.” Snapping back into reality, Miriam swiftly dried her hands with a towel and headed over to her tent. Once she retrieved what she needed from her tent, the young woman returned to Javier.

“Before you go… I wanted to return this.” With both her hands, she offered back Javier’s neatly folded poncho. “There was a small rip in the back so I fixed it for you.” Javier gently took the material from her and unfolded the poncho to look at her patchwork. She had done a good job. It looked as though there was no obvious repair at all. His heart clenched at the thought of her sitting on some tree somewhere with a needle and thread in her hand, trying to fix something that was dear to him. He looked at her with warmth and gratitude.

“Thank you, Miriam.” There was a comfortable silence between the two. Before it got too long, Miriam pointed over to the ladies.

“I better go see if they need help.” Javier nodded. Shyly she smiled. “I’ll see you later.”

“Hasta luego.” (“See you later.”) The male took a second to process that afternoon’s events and he turned on his heel to walk away. Javier noticed Miriam had left her book on the table. He picked it up and contemplated returning it to her now or later. He held it tighter, deciding later would be best as it would give him another excuse to see her. Javier continued walking. He didn’t know where he was going to walk off to, but he knew he needed time to think. Upon passing, Hosea popped down his newspaper, still sat with one leg crossed on his seat.

“How’d it go?” The older man asked nonchalantly. Being lost in his own thoughts, Javier unknowingly ignored Hosea’s question and kept walking. He didn’t even realise Hosea was trying to speak to him. The elder shook his head, smiling. He licked his thumb to help turn another page of the paper. “Ah… young love.”

#javier escuella #javier escuella x reader #javier escuella x original character #javier #escuella #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #romance #van der linde gang

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