𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐇.

❝  i've  carried  the  cross  of  my  shame  ❞

[cashsullivan]

𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧  ⸻  original  character  tended  to  by  kiwi  (  she/her,  gmt+12  ).

𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒍  𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒏  ✰  bartender  at  finn  mccool's,  33,  shasta  heights

intro  ;  isms  ;  image  ;  connections

[kylejdobbs]

Where: By the merch booths When: Saturday, 15th August Open to: all! @cascadestarters

He had no plans to be here over the weekend until a client decided to tip him with a spare Sasquatch ticket instead of actual money; Kyle would've preferred money but he accepted the ticket anyway. And so he was here, at Lake Emerald for the first time, wondering why he was here, particularly contemplating this as a gaggle of youth stood in line at a merch stand, some doing the six seven thing, a few others doing the scuba dance. All with their phones out, filming various segments, no doubt for TikTok.

"Nothing like a music festival to remind you just how old you are."

[cashsullivan]

"It's  too  bad  they're  in  their  phones  so  much  and  not  taking  in  all  that's  going  on  around  them."  At  33  he  hadn't  really  considered  himself  old.  Though,  seeing  the  teenagers  live  through  their  screens  Cash  was  reconsidering.  "When  I  was  their  age..."  A  pause  and  a  sigh  he  briefly  closed  his  eyes  to.  "Shit,  never  thought  I'd  say  something  like  that  so  soon."

Most  of  the  artists  were  unknown  to  Cash,  which  cast  the  reason  for  what  he  wasn't  there  for,  though  whomever  strut  the  stage  was  a  constant  background  to  the  weekend  so  far  no  matter  where  he  ventured.  "I'm  surprised  you're  not  up  at  the  front  lines."  Kyle  had  that  regular  concert  attendee  vibe  about  him.  "With  someone  up  on  your  shoulders  for  a  better  view."

[cashsullivan]

𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍  𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑  !

LOCATION  ⸻  the  shores  of  lake  emerald.

special  delivery: @cascadestarters

Growing  up  in  a  landlocked  state,  on  a  ranch  in  Montana  specifically,  the  ocean  was  a  bit  of  a  big,  scary  thing  to  Cash  and  he  really  never  ventured  into  it  since  living  more  coastal  now.  A  lake?  That  was  different.  He  had  plenty  of  experience  with  that  type  of  body  of  water.

On  the  shore  of  Lake  Emerald,  taking  a  break  from  the  festivities  and  the  crowds,  the  Sea-doos  and  kayaks  looked  promising.  Like  fun  even,  and  Cash  could  use  a  bit  of  that.  "Wanna  chance  a  ride  around  the  lake?  We  can  take  turns  on  who  drives."  A  suggestion  in  hopes  they'd  take  him  up  on  nabbing  the  last  jet  ski.  "Or,  I  suppose,  we  can  take  a  kayak  if  that's  not  your  speed."

[pedrcpascals]

The Starling Girl | dir. Laurel Parmet (2023)

[archaeologia]

No matter what she wanted to do or say, nothing could happen the way she wished they could. And it was exhausting. There were truly no words at this point that could perfectly express how much she wished they could go back to how life was before last year. How she could wish to have never agreed to the project that would destroy the very relationship she has cherished the most since arriving in Cascade. How she could wish for the man before her to look at her the way he use to, full of trust and self-assurance. Now all she could see was the hurt and disappointment that she knew reflected in her own. Two feelings that she'd give anything to let go of.

Getting away from her colleague had been the easiest thing in months. She left without a second thought, without a second glance, without muttering a farewell. And she could care less how they felt. She could care less that they looked after her in shock, jealousy and anger plain on their face as their eyes trailed after her. Nilay didn't care about what they thought or felt about her.

It was the very man before her whom she did care about.

And seeing him with this woman? A face she didn't recognize? By the gods, did something ugly strike her heart. Part of her feared that one day, Cash would move on. That he would choose to forget her and give a hand at being with someone else. That he would realize he no longer wanted her. That he no longer dreamt of a life with her. She couldn't express the pain, how it was equally as hot as a solar flare yet as freezing as a frostbite. How it scorched her heart and froze it all at once. And how the thought of him knowing about this yet not caring plagued her mind.

There was a relief at the touch of his hand. How it was placed on the curve of her back as he led her outside. How much she missed the placement and how, once upon a time, it wasn't out of the ordinary for them to be touching one another in any sort of way. It was a shame that it couldn't have been for something, anything, far much better.

"Cash..." The fire from before, the one that grew at the sight of him with another woman, began to dim as it was just the two of them. Her heart ached at his words. "Cash, no—" She shook her head quickly. Instinctively taking a step closer, her hand reaching out and ready to cup his face, before she stopped herself. The sudden fear of rejection washing over her as she lowered her hand with a thick swallow.

Truthfully? She still couldn't see. Not because she didn't believe Cash or thought he was seeing something that wasn't there: but because her coworker's feelings don't matter to her. They never have. Not when there was only one person whose feelings she did care about. And he was right before her.

"I was waiting for my order," Nilay began to clarify. Lifting her other hand up to show off the bag. "I stopped by for a few drinks and ordered some food. They showed up out of nowhere and started talking to me, and I couldn't leave just yet. I was just making small talk while I waited. I'm not here with them. I never was."

As her eyes scanned his face, her shoulders fell. "I want nothing to do with them, Cash," she whispered. "I swear it. I can prove that to you. Please... Believe me."

[cashsullivan]

That  hunger  that  had  risen  immediately  upon  the  sight  of  her  hand  reaching  out  for  him  died  just  as  quickly  when  it  never  connected  with  him  and  instead  dropped  away.  Nilay  didn't  owe  him  an  explanation  yet  gave  him  one  anyway  and  Cash  listened,  his  hands  slipping  into  his  pockets  so  that  he  didn't  reach  out  for  her.  That  need,  that  love  within  him  for  her  to  comfort  her  sadness  had  never  dissipated.  And  again,  it  was  difficult  to  see  her  before  him  in  this  state.

"I  do  believe  you."  The  statement  was  clear,  immediate,  so  that  she  couldn't  misunderstand  a  moment  of  silence  as  hesitance.

"That's  not  the  problem,  babe."  It  slipped,  the  term  of  affection  and  endearment,  before  Cash  could  catch  it  and  stop  it.  "Fuck...  sorry."  He  sighed  a  little,  had  to  pause  as  he  felt  it  fill  the  space  between  them.  Hope,  once  again,  clutched  and  squeezed  his  heart.  "They  want  something  to  do  with  you.  And  I  get  that  you  never  saw  that  or  realized  it  or  cared  even."  Taking  a  step  closer  he  reached  out  for  her  bag  of  takeaway,  his  fingers  brushed  against  hers  as  Cash  took  it  from  her  and  set  it  down.  He  did  his  best  to  ignore  the  electricity  or  the  way  he  wanted  any  contact  with  her  to  linger.

"The  problem  is  you  didn't  believe  me  when  I  told  you.  You  did  nothing  when  I  told  you  how  it  made  me  feel  and  that  I  was  uncomfortable  with  you  being  around  them  and  working  closely  with  them.  In  fact,  it  started  the  fight  that  led  us  to  where  we  are  now."

There  was  no  pacing,  Cash  hadn't  even  stepped  back  away  from  Nilay  after  he'd  closed  some  of  the  distance.  He  was  steady,  assured  in  the  way  he  peered  at  her.  The  heartbreak  he  continued  to  feel  evident  in  his  wistful  eyes.  "I'm  sorry  if  I  was  asking  for  too  much  or  putting  you  in  a  tough  spot.  It  hadn't  been  my  intention.  The  thing  is...  I  needed  you  to  trust  me.  I  can  see  through  this  person  and  apparently  so  can  much  of  your  campus,  and  whether  you  see  it  or  not  they  want  something  to  do  with  you.  That  wedge  they  tried  to  drive  between  us?  Well,  clearly  it  worked,  and  still  is."  Cash  thought  back  to  moments  prior  when  her  colleague  glared  at  him.

"I'm  not  saying  it  was  intentional,  understand,  please,  that  I  don't  believe  it  was,  but...  you  put  someone  else  before  us.  Before  me."  It  was  a  lot  to  say  given  what  he'd  done  in  the  aftermath.  Cash  didn't  want  to  excuse  his  actions,  he  owned  them,  he  just  wanted  it  to  be  understood  that  it  hadn't  been  intentional.  They  were  human,  full  of  flaws  and  mistakes,  driven  by  fears  and  old  wounds.

"That  fucking  asshole  in  there..."  Cash  pointed  to  the  door  they'd  exited  through.  "The  one  who  glared  at  me  when  I'd  stolen  your  attention  from  in  there,  to  me,  feels  like  the  downfall  of  us.  So,  yeah,  it's  pretty  triggering  for  me  to  see  you  so  close  and  intimate  with  them."

[elliereynolds]

"You probably could...but then again, my family isn't my family without an iron-clad legal team." They existed long before she was born and had become increasingly formidable as their popularity increased, or lack thereof, heightened through the years. Not that she had anything held against her. She was the saint of the family and propped as such to deter any naysayers. Truly though, she did want to shift the perspective of what people attached to the Reynolds name on this side of the world.

"Thinking you could befriend me," she counters. It was idiotic on his part, but somehow it was paying off for him so far, and a part of her didn't mind one bit. "I'm afraid to look in your fridge." Men were special. The last fridge she opened of a man’s had a bottle of hot sauce, expired milk, and a three-day-old takeout box. Spotting him in the jacket, she smirked, proud of herself. "Now you look human and dapper. You're welcome."

[cashsullivan]

"You're  never  gonna  beat  the  allegations  if  you  keep  throwing  around  your  family  name  like  that..."  People  of  her  stature  often  did  it  without  even  thinking  and  then  were  surprised  when  a  reputation  had  been  formed.  The  rich  and  powerful  versus  the  little  man.  Times  were  changing  and  people  were  waking  up.  Skeletons  couldn't  stay  in  the  closet  forever.

"Right."  The  blonde  was  Nilay's  friend.  Which,  there  was  some  surprise  she  was  even  in  his  home  or  spending  time  with  him,  and  that  made  Cash  suspicious  of  an  agenda  or  if  this  was  something  genuine.  "Why?  You  think  something's  gonna  jump  out  at  you?"  A  small  laugh.  Cash  kept  a  tidy  house.  After  his  mother  had  left  it'd  been  up  to  him  to  keep  care  of  things  and  since  that  dark  spot  in  his  childhood  it'd  long  been  an  engrained  habit.  "Thank  you."  He  had  to  admit  the  jacket  was  perfect,  she  knew  style,  and  despite  the  backhanded  compliment  he  smiled.  "Alright,  am  I  driving  or  do  you  prefer  to  drive?  Or  do  you  want  to  take  separate  cars  in  case  you  want  an  escape?"

[callawalker]

Everyone who had worked for her in some capacity was considered family, especially the ones who found better opportunities beyond the walls of the brewery. You know I don't bite, love. Gnawing is my best method." All she ever wanted was to see the people around her thrive, because she felt like they were worthy of being seen, affirmed, and valued. Cash was no different. Very much a baby brother in a sense, Calla was hard on him at times cause she saw the potential within him. He had a great head on his shoulders, and she didn't want to see him squander great people, opportunities, or his own dreams. "You know I love you; I've just heard some things and am trying to wrap my head around it." That was her truth. "You want your regular? I can tell Billy to get it going for you if you don't mind me doing a big sis wellness check?"

[cashsullivan]

Heard  some  things.

The  dejection  was  immediate  and  his  head  nodded  slowly  as  he  digested  what  that  meant  and  how  her  attitude  had  changed  toward  him.  Despite  the  mentions  of  familiarity  and  affection,  whether  she  was  aware  of  it  or  not,  Calla  was  telling  him  where  she  stood  on  the  things  she'd  heard  about.  It  was  one  side  of  a  complicated  story,  and  one  that  should've  stayed  between  two  people.

"Yeah  the  regular  sounds  good."  A  bit  of  a  smile  was  pushed  forward  though  it  didn't  reach  his  eyes  as  he  peered  at  the  big  sister  figure  in  his  life.  "What  makes  you  think  I  need  a  wellness  check?  What  have  you  heard?"  And  why  did  she  have  to  wrap  her  head  around  it?

[adcmsahin]

there was a steadiness about the other man, that perhaps he didn't see in himself - but adem appreciated how he'd already begun pouring him a beer before he'd even gotten the word yes out of his mouth, much less the please that followed. "you're a better man than me - i don't think i'd last." the amount of small talk alone would leave him stranded - out of conversation topics that weren't the weather in about ten minutes flat. although maybe he could listen, offer a nod here and there, enough to make someone feel understood and offer them that sense of companionship so many people sought. "see, i normally do avoid those and visit you on non-game nights. i'd forgotten about this match." he could remember going to p&b's during college, how crowded the place had gotten after a game night, but how he'd always had ellie or one of their friends as a buffer, the companionship of someone more talkative than him carrying him through conversations where he might have faltered otherwise. one his own? he was out of his depth. "has it been a good night at least? no unruly customers?" his gaze drifts down to his outfit - a simple jeans and t-shirt combination, easy, casual - with sneakers to boot. so there's amusement that creeps over his features at cash's comment, eyebrow raising in jest as he considers the other man. "i didn't realize there was a dress code for a quick escape. do i need a mask? but i guess if an escape isn't in the cards for us - have things wound down at least enough for you to join me?" based on the crowd around them, all pleasantly preoccupied with celebrations or their individual conversations, adem hoped the answer was yes, although he wouldn't fault cash for wanting to focus his attention behind the bar. "how've you been?"

[cashsullivan]

Perhaps  it  was  too  much  to  say  that  he  enjoyed  the  chaos,  thrived  when  the  pub  was  this  busy.  Mostly  because  it  would  mean  Cash  would  have  to  confess  the  need  for  distraction  and  break  from  his  thoughts.  The  crushing  weight  of  heartbreak  and  a  breakup,  especially  with  the  way  people  were  turning  on  him  without  even  his  side  of  things,  and  the  ever  present  bruise  of  the  reason  he'd  even  come  out  west  to  begin  with.  "We've  gotta  schedule  some  time  like  normal  people  do  and  hangout  without  all  of  this."  A  bit  of  a  laugh  as  his  hand  lazily  gestured  circularly  to  indicate  Cash's  work  environment.  "I'd  suggest  the  beach  but  then  I  figure  you'd  be  distracted."  Neither  were  the  most  talkative  kind,  he'd  never  felt  uncomfortable  in  the  silences  with  Adem  though.

"It's  been  chill.  Some  excitement  at  scores  or  bad  calls  from  the  refs.  Nothing  spicy  or  unmanageable."  With  a  bit  of  a  grin  and  while  he  made  someone  else's  drink  that's  come  up  to  the  bar  beside  his  friend,  Cash  watched  as  Adem  looked  over  his  attire.  To  be  fair,  he  couldn't  see  the  other  man's  shoes.  "I  didn't  catch  you  coming  in  so  I'm  not  sure  if  you've  got  running  shoes  on."  A  joke  then  a  nod  at  the  question  and  invitation  embedded  into  it.  "I'm  due  for  a  break.  Let's  take  the  table  over  there."  With  a  nod  of  his  head  he  motioned  to  the  right  where  a  high  table  was  available.  Then  he  let  the  tender  further  down  the  bar  know  he  was  out  for  a  bit.  "Oh,  I  could  be  a  lot  better."  Cash  told  his  friend  after  exiting  from  behind  the  bar,  his  hand  touching  between  Adem's  shoulder  blades  as  a  friendly  but  also  directional  cue.  "We  should  probably  talk  about  you."  The  glass  of  water  he'd  brought  along  with  him  was  set  on  the  table  before  he  took  up  residence  in  a  chair.  "All  I've  been  doing  is  focusing  on  work  to  avoid  everything  else."  There  was  some  certainty  that  Adem  had  heard  about  things  with  Nilay,  either  from  his  ex  herself  or  through  Ellie,  and  Cash  wasn't  sure  where  the  judgement  lied  with  Adem.

[archaeologia]

Nilay hadn't stopped thinking about that morning. How much she wished she could've changed, how much she wished she could've prevented, everything that came to light between them over the course of their argument. There were things that needed to be said and shared between them, but by the gods, she wished it'd been done so differently. Healthier, better. In a way that could've brought them closer together again. Yet she couldn't shake the fear that this might have been the final nail in the coffin for them. That this had officially been the point of no return for them.

In the four years of knowing each other and the near-three years of being together, this was the first time they truly couldn't see eye-to-eye. Any issues in the past few years were as troublesome as a paper cut compared to all of this, and she desperately wished she could go back in time and stopped any of this from happening. Maybe, just maybe, they would still be together. Their relationship would be stronger, better, the trust between them not fractured at all. What a gift that would be.

As she sat at the bar of the Niner, finishing off a drink while waiting for her to-go order, her heart dropped and annoyance flashed as she heard a voice she could've happily spend the rest of her life never hearing again: her colleague, the very reason for the start of this mess. Part of Nilay felt bad over the growing resentment towards them. For a time, she thought that they were becoming friends and they work they were creating together for the culture festival had been full of wonderful ideas. Yet looking at them brought up memories of Cash. The look on his face when he asked if there was something between them, the disbelief when she tried assuring him opposite, the night of the massive fight that led to him being with someone else.

Deep down, she wanted to tell them to fuck off. That she didn't want to see them. Yet it didn't feel right to be cruel to them when they've been nothing but kind to her the past year. So, she gave a friendly smile. Tried to speak politely with the small talk, hoping that they would be off within a matter of minutes, even though it felt weird that they drew closer to her and stood shoulder-to-shoulder. Then again, the restaurant was packed with various ruckus over the games on the TVs; they probably couldn't hear her properly. With her order given to her, Nilay had been ready to say her goodbyes and make a quick escape when a voice rang out nearby. A voice mentioning Cash's name.

A feminine voice that instantly caused her to freeze while a shot of jealous spiked through her heart as the other said her ex's name.

Her eyes shot around to look for him. And the moment they locked, she knew: he's been watching her for awhile. "Oh, fucking hell," she grumbled to herself. Not noticing her colleague stiffening up and glaring at Cash, ignorant of their own jealousy and annoyance. She was too focused on Cash and the beautiful girl next to him. Who the ever-loving hell was she? She tried to think of all their friends, both mutual and individual, yet she couldn't place her. The way he shook his head at her and turned to look at his companion...

She was ready to march right up to them and pull the man into a deep, passionate kiss. Making sure everyone and anyone within the restaurant knew exactly who they were to each other, that he was hers and she was his.

She didn't say a damn word to her colleague. With her order in hand, she brushed past them and headed straight to the bartender and his friend. "Cash," she said, her voice clear and sharp as her attention was on him and him alone. "A moment of your time?"

[cashsullivan]

Something  in  Cash  raged  the  moment  Nilay's  colleague  beside  her  glared  at  him.  A  brute  inside  of  him  gripped  the  bars  and  rattled  the  cage  he'd  long  been  locked  away  inside  of.  He'd  never  really  been  a  fighter,  hadn't  had  many  reasons  to  be,  though  Cash  had  grown  up  tough  on  a  Montana  ranch  and  split  of  fights  as  a  bartender.  In  that  very  moment  a  green  monster  reared  it's  ugly  head  and  wanted  throw  his  fist  right  into  the  professor  beside  his  ex.

All  he  could  seemingly  focus  on  was  how  close  they  stood  with  Nilay,  and  how  aware  they  were  of  the  proximity.  They'd  seen  the  tightening  around  Cash's  eyes  and  the  flex  of  his  jaw  no  doubt.  Had  anyone  seen  the  bartender's  hand  momentarily  work  into  a  fist  and  then  relax?

Rather  than  start  a  scene  the  break  in  tension  came  with  his  friend  unknowingly  interrupting  the  stare  down.  Before  he  could  turn  his  attention  away  though,  Cash  and  Nilay  caught  each  other's  gazes  and  the  hurt  and  disappointment  rolled  out  of  him  in  a  head  shake.

It  was  always  the  ones  you  were  told  you  didn't  have  to  worry  about,  wasn't  it?  Years  as  a  bartender  had  taught  him  that.

Up  from  his  seat  Cash  moved  closer  to  his  friend  and  pulled  out  his  wallet  from  his  back  pocket  so  that  he  could  pay  for  the  order  they  were  going  to  take  with  them.  There  was  no  way  he  could  stomach  this  sight.  What  Cash  hadn't  expected  was  his  ex's  approach  and  the  sternness  in  her  words,  a  clear  directive  in  her  pinning  gaze.

With  a  sigh  Cash  looked  past  her  and  to  his  friend.  "Gimmie  a  minute.  Have  a  drink  or  something  on  me."  Without  waiting  he  tipped  his  head  and  then  put  his  hand  on  the  curve  of  Nilay's  back  to  lead  her  out  of  a  side  exit.  "Let's  talk  outside."  Is  what  he'd  told  her.  His  personal  business  had  already  become  too  many  others.

Once  outside  he  was  quiet  a  moment  and  took  in  the  brunette,  the  professor  he'd  had  a  life  with  just  months  ago,  and  still  couldn't  fathom  how  much  everything  had  turned  upside  down  so  quickly.

"I  suppose  it's  wrong  of  me  to  think  you'd  still  have  anything  to  do  with  that  colleague  of  yours  after  everything."  Cash  wasn't  trying  to  claim  there  was  anything  more  than  a  working  relationship  on  her  side.  It  was  even  clearer  now  exactly  who  was  trying  to  cross  boundaries.  For  him,  in  his  opinion,  it  didn't  seem  right  to  continue  on  with  someone  that  was  actively  trying  to  get  between  your  relationship.  There  was  no  respectful  way  to  turn  a  blind  eye  to  that.

"You  don't  get  it,  do  you?"  Softer  then,  hands  on  his  hips,  there  was  that  defeated  feeling  again  when  this  had  come  up  the  first  time.

[hollywoods]

Ted Lasso (2020—) 1.01: “Pilot”

[pedrcpascals]

Remarkably Bright Creatures | dir. Olivia Newman (2026)

[nessagates]

"You know, most people would say 'aw that's a shame,' and leave it be," she said, a big grin cementing itself on her face. She was pleasantly surprised by his insistence to know. Not that she wanted to start the night off by ranting and complaining. "It's nothing tragic, just like...one of those days where everything goes sideways." She had lots of those days lately, but that was another introspection for a sadder day. Today was her birthday.

She laughed when he pointed out the cowboy hat. "Oh yeah. Not a popular choice of hat these days," she agreed, her eyes drifting from him to the bartender who was moving their way. "Although if you had been here, say, 200 years ago, you would've blended right in." Nessa's family history wove in and out of the very history of Cascade. She was no stranger to cowboy culture.

Nessa paused and contemplated the cake question like it was deeply important. "I love a white cake too. My favorite... probably tres leches...or a coconut cake. I'm not very picky, because I'm never usually the one baking it." That had been her mom's domain, part of the reason her family stopped celebrating with birthday cakes.

[cashsullivan]

"That's  part  of  the  problem  with  the  world  these  days."  Wistful  eyes  peered  at  the  blonde,  a  soft  smile  curved  his  mouth.  "People  don't  care  enough  anymore."  Yet  everyone  wanted  someone  to  care  and  be  there  and  listen  so  badly.  It  made  no  sense  to  Cash,  he  didn't  want  to  go  off  on  a  rant  though.  So,  he  listened,  he  nodded  in  understanding.  "Ah,  well,  I'm  sorry  you're  having  a  day  like  that  on  your  birthday."  And  he  meant  it.  Especially  lately  he'd  had  more  of  those  days  than  not.

A  laugh  moved  up  and  spilled  softly  from  his  mouth  at  her  quip.  "Well,  damn.  I  guess  I'm  about  two-hundred  years  too  late."  Cash  had  been  aware  of  the  agriculture  and  livestock  communities  in  California,  more  inland  and  Central  Valley,  the  coast  wasn't  really  too  familiar  with  it.  "I  guess  it's  obvious  I'm  not  from  around  here  then,  huh?"  He  was  beginning  to  wonder  if  she'd  guess  whereabouts  since  he'd  gauged  a  perceptiveness  about  her.

"Tres  leches?  That's  a  good  one  I  haven't  had  in  a  long  while."  He  liked  that  she  put  real  thought  into.  It  made  Cash  feel  less  silly  with  how  much  stock  he  put  into  things.  "Never  had  coconut.  I  didn't  even  know  they  made  that  flavor  of  cakes."  A  laugh  spilled  from  him  again.  "For  your  safety  I  wont  be  baking  you  one  but  lets  see  if  we  can  go  find  one  somewhere..."  Removing  his  hat  from  his  knee  he  set  the  Resistol  atop  his  head  and  nodded  it  toward  the  door.  Completely  forgetting  about  the  shots.

[elainebader]

with: anyone! / @cascadestarters location: telos mexicana when: a weekday, late evening

Her plate was decimated, her expression bored, and happy hour winding down, so it was really no surprise when Elaine leaned over the counter to swipe a pickled habanero pepper from an open jar. "Five bucks says you can't stomach it," she challenged, orange pepper dangling by the stem, pinched between her thumb and index finger.

[cashsullivan]

It  took  a  moment  before  the  voice  registered  and  clicked  within.  There  was  something  familiar  and  soothing  about  it,  making  that  more  of  what  turned  him  to  the  woman  near  him  rather  than  the  challenge.  "You  should  know  I've  done  the  ghost..."  Words  failed  him  then  when  his  eyes  connected  with  hers  and  a  moment  in  time  ran  back  up  on  him.

"Elaine?"  It  came  out  like  a  question.  He'd  wondered  about  her  for  so  long  and  Cascade  was  such  an  obscure  place  that  this  almost  didn't  feel  real.

[cole-blamirex]

The night was long and as it was empty. The hours continued to tick by as the population slowly dwindled to their beds. The rain started to come down. It was gentle, peaceful under the street lamps. Cole's waitress was folding up her apron. She had gotten permission to go outside on her shift for a cigarette break. He watched her; a weight lifted off her shoulders. The more he watched her, sipping the stale, hot coffee, the more he hated himself. For the first time in a while, he didn't want to be alone. He found the only other person sitting alone in a booth and walked over. Cole didn't ask for permission as he set his plate and coffee on the other side of the booth. "You'd like a piece?" He offered. It was a Pumpkin pie. "Do you always come here at night?" He asked. He was unsure how to make conversation, but he was determined to try.

[cashsullivan]

Unsure  how  long  he'd  been  staring  a  hole  into  the  faded,  distressed  vinyl  of  the  seat  across  from  him  in  the  booth  Cash  had  been  camped  in  for  too  long,  he'd  initially  thought  it  was  the  waitress  that  had  set  a  slice  of  pie  on  his  table.  "Oh,  no..."  Cash  had  begun,  his  palms  up  from  the  table  waving  off  the  offer,  then  his  blue  eyes  connected  with  the  man  that  soon  took  up  the  space  opposite  him.  "Pumpkin  makes  me  think  of  fall  and  that  hurts  with  all  this  heat  we've  been  having."

Then  there  was  a  long  stretch  of  silence  as  Cash  considered  the  sudden  company.  He  wasn't  unused  to  connecting  with  strangers,  in  fact  it'd  happened  often  given  his  profession  as  a  bartender,  this  just  wasn't  the  bar  and  he'd  been  entrenched  in  his  feelings.  "Nah...  I  usually  work  nights.  I'm  a  bartender  at  the  pub."  And  before  the  spring  he'd  had  someone  to  go  home  to  end  of  shift.  "I  think  I'm  just,  well,  I  guess  I  had  to  get  away  from  the  really  loud  silence  in  my  house.  You?"  Cash  pointed  to  the  pie  slice.  "You  seem  like  a  regular...  maybe."

[xavcrush]

For: anyone! Where: The Blue Ox (at The Foundation Room entrance) @cascadestarters

"Hey psst — you a member up there? Never been, heard it's slick. They got a plus one deal you feel like using tonight? Promise first rounds on me, second too and then. . . that's all I got, those four'll probably run me dry."

[cashsullivan]

"I'm  gonna  go  ahead  and  take  that  as  a  compliment  you  think  I've  got  the  funds  to  be  an  annual  member  here."  He  wasn't  struggling,  he  also  didn't  have  throw  away  money.

A  bit  of  a  smile  soon  took  over.  "I'm  down  for  the  first  and  second  round  of  drinks  on  you  though..."  Cash  could  certainly  use  it.

[cashsullivan]

𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃  𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑  !

LOCATION  ⸻  anywhere  that  would  make  sense.

special  delivery:  @archaeologia

The  last  time  he'd  seen  and  spoken  to  Nilay  had  been  a  gut  wrenching  event.  Cash  knew  their  cycle  of  fighting,  hooking  up,  and  then  fighting  again  post  breakup  needed  to  end.  Hope  was  difficult  to  bury  though,  and  that  was  what  had  kept  him  in  it  all  those  months.  Being  with  her  felt  right;  her  company,  her  presence,  the  sound  of  her  voice,  and  the  feel  of  her  body.  It  just  never  was  that  anymore.

Fights,  arguments,  disagreements  always  cropped  up  out  of  seemingly  nowhere.  Such  as  last  time:  making  a  decent  breakfast  and  having  some  conversation  that  had  started  to  feel  a  bit  like  old  times,  until...  her  wounds  made  themselves  known  again.

The  guilt  was  never  gone.  Cash  would  never  not  be  apologetic  for  the  hurt  he'd  caused.  There  was  just  a  slow  acceptance  now  that  he'd  never  truly  be  able  to  make  it  better,  that  there  would  forever  be  cracks  and  doubt  between  them.

In  the  midst  of  taking  a  swallow  of  his  drink,  he  nearly  choked  on  it  when  Cash  heard  the  familiar  sounds  of  his  ex's  voice.  When  he  glanced  over  in  the  direction  it'd  drifted  from,  the  friend  who  was  going  on  about  something  that'd  happened  at  work  had  been  tuned  out,  and  his  gut  clenched  when  he  saw  the  woman  who  never  really  seemed  in  his  reach  with  the  person  who'd  caused  the  big  fight  between  them  that  had  been  the  beginning  of  their  end  a  bit  too  close  for  comfort.

It  didn't  seem  like  she  knew  he  was  there  and  Cash  was  uncertain  in  that  moment  if  he  somehow  wanted  his  presence  known  to  Nilay  or  if  he  wanted  a  moment  to  observe  her  and  her  colleague  himself.  The  choice  had  been  made  for  him  when  his  friend  had  called  to  him  loudly  asking:  'hey  cash!  you  want  a  refill  on  that?'

When  his  ex  looked  up  and  searched  him  in  the  space  of  people  scattered  about,  Cash  didn't  hide.  Instead  he  was  looking  at  her,  let  their  eyes  meet,  making  sure  she  saw  that  he  saw  who  she  was  with  and  shoulder  to  shoulder  at  that.  A  heat  burned  through  his  chest  and  his  jaw  worked  a  moment  before  he  shook  his  head  and  looked  away,  toward  his  friend.

"Yeah  and  get  it  to  go."  When  his  friend  looked  at  him  with  confusion,  he  shrugged  his  shoulders  at  her.  "We've  got  other  things  to  do."

[callawalker]

WHO: Cash Sullivan ( @cashsullivan ) WHERE: Bigfoot Brewery

"Well, well... look what the dog brought in," she says, eyeing Cash slightly displeased at the sight of the man. Now, there were two sides to every story, and there was the truth. As long as Calla had known Nilay, she had never seen her friend in such distress that this supposed relationship they had with the Sullivan was truly doing a number on her friend. It was never her desire to impose on anyone's business, but she could not help but want to put Cash in a chokehold at the sight of him. "What's up, Cash?"

[cashsullivan]

As  he  walked  into  the  brewery  Cash's  pace  slowed  at  the  way  he  was  greeted  and  he  looked  over  to  the  voice  that  sounded  irritated  with  him.  The  pair  of  them,  he  and  Calla,  had  gone  back  to  his  first  days  in  Cascade.  Bigfoot  Brewery  was  his  first  job  in  town  and  he'd  thought  he'd  had  a  good  relationship  with  its  owner.

Something  was  clearly  off  now.

Despite  being  unsure  if  he  was  actually  welcome,  he  cautiously  sat  at  the  bar.  "Just  came  in  for  a  bite...  of  food,  not  to  be...  bitten."  It  was  impossible  not  to  note  the  anger  and  he  was  baffled  what  he  could've  done  to  piss  her  off,  especially  since  it'd  been  a  minute  since  he'd  been  here.  "What's  up  with  you?  We  cool?  I,  uh..."  Hands  gesturing  and  then  falling  back  onto  the  bar  top  because  he  didn't  know  what  to  say.