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Colton Reynolds, 28, tattoo artist.

[colton-reynolds]

Name: Colton Reynolds

Age: 28

Occupation: Tattoo Artist

Pronouns & Gender: Cis man, he/him

Faceclaim: Ronen Rubinstein

Neighborhood: Berry Hill

BIOGRAPHY.

tw: sibling death, drug addiction, alcohol addiction

Colton and Kelly Anne were born six weeks early and spent the first two months of their lives in the NICU but little Kelly Anne was strong and she showed promise early on. While Colton wasn’t doing well, his sister was thriving and with her beside him, he pushed through. He could get through anything as long as he had her by his side. That would prove to be true for years to come, a bit of foreshadowing of their lives.

Colton was always the shy one, less adventurous and afraid of everything as a kid. His twin was a firecracker, pushing him to his limits and then some but Colt was never afraid when Kelly Anne was with him. She had a calming presence about her. “I won't let you fall, Colty Bear.” Her words echoed in his mind any time he felt too small and too scared to take a risk. Her easy grace and her iconic charm made it impossible to doubt himself. She was the reason he ever found the courage to learn to ride horses. That became his comfort when life got hard, taking a ride on his mare, Willow.

Smartest kid in the class to Kelly Anne’s most popular, they were a perfect dichotomy and everyone knew they were a package deal. Nothing could touch them and their futures looked brighter than ever. Colton accepted the offer of an academic scholarship to University of Tennessee, Kelly Anne went to beauty school because academics weren’t her thing. It was the first time they were ever really apart.

One, two, three, four, five missed calls. “Colt…it’s your sister.” Nothing could have prepared him for those words. His world came crashing down in a matter of moments. It wasn’t real, it couldn’t be. But as he stepped into that emergency room he could have sworn he felt the bond between them sever. She was gone. Twenty years old and suddenly so very alone.

The next few years were a blur, Colton spent most of them drinking and doing drugs. Those who knew him before could hardly recognize him now. His older brother tried to talk some sense into him but he couldn’t hear it. The voices, the memories, the haunting screams, nothing could drown it out. And then one day, he just started moving on. He met someone who brought him to his first NA meeting and slowly, things got better.  He never went back to school, deciding that there was no life outside of Nashville for Colton anymore. He started doing tattoos and took a job at a local shop as something to channel his pain into.

Even after everything that happened in his life, all the broken pieces in his heart of missing his sister, Colton found a way to bring sunshine into the lives of everyone he’s around. Keeping Kelly Anne with him and sharing the love and light that she was in his life gave him a purpose, he does a lot of things now these days because “Kel would want me to” and that’s played a huge part in his self discovery as well.

Coming out as bisexual was easy because he knew that if his sister were around she’d have been squealing and hugging him and so happy for him. He was sure she knew anyway, she’d always kept a fairly close eye on his love life, or lack thereof. Twenty two felt a little late to come out but he’s never once regretted his decisions.

extras.

Colton is all golden retriever energy. He’s a sweetheart to his core and if you didn’t know he’s been through a bunch of trauma, it would never be obvious.

His sobriety journey has been up and down, he’s had relapses but he has been clean and sober for a year now and is doing his best to keep things that way.

He has a ton of tattoos, both arms are covered as well as a few on his chest, neck, back and stomach.

[sidthorne]

"I'm not a fucking plant. I don't need sun, plus ultra violet rays cause cancer. That's why there's supplements, bud." Which Sid needed to get better about taking but that was not the point. There was no way he was about to admit there was any benefit to walking around under a big ball of fire. Sid coughed when he patted him on the back which made him laugh because hell if it wasn't a sign he should cut back on smoking. "Those days are usually the times they say to get to meetings or give someone a call, like a sponsor or a sober friend." He quirked an eyebrow up at him and offered a smile, if there was anything the singer knew it was the difficulty of reaching out. That was what that first step was all about though, wasn't it. "These things always get to me," he motioned around the fair. "Never did like being around a bunch of people though."

[colton-reynolds]

"Have you never heard of sunblock?" Colton laughed and rolled his eyes. Sid was probably the only person he'd ever met that didn't enjoy getting some sunshine now and then, he shouldn't even be surprised, the guy was like a black cat in human form. He didn't even bother to question why it was that the guy seemed to have a hatred for all things happy. Colton knew that anyone who was an addict had been through some shit in their lives to make them that way and not everyone used sunshine and rainbows to distract from their trauma the way that Colton did. "I did go to a meeting or two, thank you." He didn't want to but he had. It was hard to admit when he was struggling and Colton felt like every time he walked into an NA meeting he was admitting failure. "I didn't wanna bother you. It wasn't bad enough that I needed help I guess." He shrugged and looked back at his feet for a minute before looking out at the fair around them. "I usually love to surround myself with people havin' fun and enjoying life. Keeps me from thinkin' too much, ya know?"

[felix-rojas]

"Colt, if Lottie didn't charge queer people for drinks at her bar, she'd never charge anyone," Felix laughed. He felt a pleasant nervousness in the pit of his stomach as Colton put his hand on his waist, but it was a crowded place. It was probably just coincidence, right? "Cross-addiction's a real fucker, literally in your case, huh?" He lightly poked Colton in the ribs with his elbow.

He accepted the drink, watching the band play. That nervous feeling returned as Colton asked him to dance. He wasn't much of a dancer, and somtimes he still struggled with remnants of internalised homophobia from his upbringing that made dancing in public with a guy seem a little intimidating, especially without alcohol or substances to embolden him, but he quickly shook it off.

"Hell yeah." He got up, extending his hand and walking a few feet to the dance floor with Colt. He put his arms around his shoulders, leaning into him. He swayed his body with him as the band continued to play. It felt nice, being close like this. Under the flashing lights of the dance floor, Felix watched Colton's face, trying not to feel massively self-conscious.

[colton-reynolds]

"Soda water is hardly a drink." Colton laughed and shook his head. People should definitely pay for their alcohol but damn, cutting the recovering addicts a break with their tonic water would be nice. He shot a wink at Felix and shrugged a shoulder. "At least this addiction is good for my body?" He teased, knowing damn well he wasn't a sex addict, just someone who knew that it was an easy way to take the edge off when he was struggling with his sobriety some days.

Colton laced his fingers with Felix's as they made their way out to the dance floor, nodding and saying hi to a few friends on the way. Once there, he spun Felix around once and smiled down at him as he brought his friend in close to him to dance. He wasn't much taller than Felix was, maybe an inch or two, but he definitely felt much bigger right now as they danced close together. "Why are you makin' that face?" He chuckled and reached up to touch Felix's brow which looked very serious as he cocked his head. "Everything okay?"

[carsonwest]

"You can bang, then brag about it, I guess," Carson chuckled. "Hey man, I ain't judging. It's part of the bisexual privelege." Carson was attracted to people of any gender, but he found that he tended to go for men or masculine presenting people. He remained still as Colton got ready to start tattooing. He was used to the sensation, so he didn't even flinch as the needle started to vibrate against his skin.

"Are you a good wingman though?" Carson teased. "Because you're the kind of guy I bet people wanna go home with. Don't worry though, bro. There's enough for everyone. Least I got the body and the fire fighter card." The tattoo was pretty small, which was kind of the idea for the flash day, so the tattoo itself didn't take long. He admired it in the mirror once Colton was done. "Awesome job as always, my guy." He handed him over the money with a generous tip.

"Tin Roof, tonight, yeah? I'd better see you and your buddy there."

[colton-reynolds]

"Am I a good wingman?" He asked incredulously. "I don't know, why don't you ask literally anybody at the Tin Roof tonight about how I've helped them get laid in the past. I am not a good wingman. I am the wingman." Colton scoffed and started to clean up his station while he spoke. If there was one thing that he hated about this job it was all the damn cleaning in between clients. He spent half his damn day just sanitizing and opening new packages of ink and needles. "Thank you, bud. I appreciate it. Maybe I'll buy you some mozzarella sticks at the bar." He laughed and pocketed the cash. "You will. We'll be the hot ones sipping on soda in the back." He smiled and waved him off.

[hayespcrter]

"Maybe I'll stop by then," He mumbled, watching the needle put the ink in his skin. He was obviously not afraid of a tattoo gun. "Me? Oh you know. Working a lot. Hanging out a lot more. A lot of my life has been quiet...what kinda things are you looking to live vicariously through me for?"

[colton-reynolds]

"Anything more fun than my boring ass everyday go to work and then come home alone to sit in front of the tv." He sounded like a sad divorced dad in his forties with the way he described his life. It wasn't like that all the time but lately he'd been in a rut where he felt like he needed to not bother anyone. If people didn't reach out to him to hang out, Colton just went home and stayed cooped up inside. "You just seem like the guy who is always out and always havin' some kinda adventure."

[skyperez]

Sky turns over her shoulder to find Colton behind her. She gives him a small smile and her signature eye roll. "Of course it does or I wouldn't be standing here in line, would I?" she reminds him before turning back to the line and taking her next step forward. "Are you offering so you can cut the line or is it because you actually are looking to bask in my amazing conversation skills?" she teases. "Because either way I'm taking that offer and you know it."

[colton-reynolds]

"Alright, smart ass." Colton laughed and shook his head as he stepped forward in the line with her and rolled his eyes. "You're always such a delight, Sky. How could I not wanna spend my afternoon with you?" He smiled and filled his tone with a teasing air because she seemed to always have some little quip or jab to throw at him and he loved it. "I just thought I should be a gentleman and offer a friend a free lunch but I can't deny that cuttin' in line sounds like a good idea too."

[malikfarouk]

Tyler chuckled at Colton's response, enjoying their playful banter as they danced along to the music. He appreciated the easy camaraderie he shared with his friend, and he was glad he could bring some laughter to Colton's night.

"Hey, you've got your charm, Colt," Tyler replied with a grin, giving him a playful nudge. "And I'm just stating the facts. You're like a dancing wizard out there, working your magic on the dance floor."

As Colton joked about beating off admirers of all genders, Tyler couldn't help but laugh. He was familiar with Colt's flirty nature and his laid-back approach to dating. It was one of the things Tyler admired about him – his ability to embrace his own identity and enjoy life without getting tied down.

He raised an eyebrow at Colton's playful comment about making him fall in love if he were into men. Tyler knew it was all in good fun, and he appreciated the lighthearted teasing.

"Well, I have no doubt you'd sweep anyone off their feet, my friend," Tyler replied with a smirk, matching the playfulness. "But alas, I'm a one-way street when it comes to romance. My heart's set on a different course."

He didn't mind the teasing, and in fact, he appreciated Colton's openness and the way they could joke about these things without any discomfort. It was a testament to the strong bond they had as friends.

[colton-reynolds]

The song came to an end and Colton was sweating now from how much fun they'd been having out on the dance floor. He stepped away for a minute and nodded at the bar. "You want something to drink? On me." He offered as he stepped back that way to get himself a water with lime. Tyler was a sweet guy and he liked hanging out with him, it was nice that he had a few friends who he'd never slept with anyway.

"Speakin' of your heart." Colton said as he leaned against the bar and waited for the attention of the bartender. "How are things treatin' you in that area? Anyone special you been writin' songs about lately?" He asked as he turned his eyes back to Tyler with a smile.

[argentisms]

Somehow, she's not surprised that Colton doesn't like his smoothie -- Thankfully, she'd decided against suggesting a green juice. "Color me shocked." Her eyes roll playfully, a small huff of laughter coming with her words. "It's mostly strawberry, with a little bit of the green stuff aftertaste." Chloe shrugs, though she won't admit to him that the person who had made their drinks was a bit too heavy handed with the spinach. Her gaze drifts to where he's looking, wrinkling her nose as he speaks. She felt that same -- There were times where she missed being able to stay out all night and still somehow get to an early morning dance rehearsal. Her own warped sense of self can't help but miss what felt like being 'productive', even if it came at the expense of herself. "At least now you're not waking up to videos of you being drunk and disorderly. That's definitely a plus." She points out, taking another sip of her smoothie. "I can't say I miss meetings with my PR team about how to keep TMZ from leaking that kind of stuff."

[colton-reynolds]

Colton made a face as he set his down on the table between them and rolled his eyes at her. "Don't act like you love the taste of grass in your cup, Chloe Campbell. We both know it ain't that good you just tell yourself it is cause it's healthy or whatever." He laughed softly and diverted his attention back to the group of rowdy twenty somethings living out their Nashville dreams without a care in the world. "Well, my drunk and disorderly conduct wasn't ever endin' up on TMZ so I can't really say I relate to that too much." Colton wasn't in the same position that Chloe was, she'd been in the spotlight too long to get away with that kind of behavior and she'd paid the price for it. "I just miss feelin' that carefree thing ya know? Like you can lose yourself in the whiskey or the pills or whatever it is. You disconnect and don't have to be you for a while." He sighed and shook his head. "I know it was mostly bad things that came with that life but sometimes I miss that part."

[sidthorne]

"What if someone did spit in my food, Colt, what then?" He answered in a flat tone. No one did, yet. That he knew of at least. Though he wouldn't put it past someone to do. "The only thing I like in that series is live music and even then it may be questionable." He offered the other man his fist to bump quick in greeting. Colton wasn't the worst person to have around, that optimistic attitude could be draining but he could entertain it for awhile. "How are you doin', man?" Sid did like to check in every so once and awhile. He couldn't remember when he saw Colt last but he knew he had been doing good last time they talked. "Besides being in love with the evil day star."

[colton-reynolds]

Anyone who saw Sid and Colton together probably thought them an interesting pair. Where Colton was all sunshine and rainbows, Sid was storm clouds and heavy metal music. They didn't really make sense as friends but something about a shared experience of addiction really brought people together. If it hadn't been for Sid's mentoring, Colton really didn't know where he'd be right about now. "Now how you gonna say you don't love the sunshine? It's good for you! Get that vitamin d, my guy." He slapped Sid on the back and laughed as he shook his head and looked back out at the street fair and people mulling around. "I'm alright. Had a tough few days honestly last week but I kept myself busy and it's been okay since then." There were few people that Colton would talk so candidly about his struggles with but Sid was one of them. He understood.

[marti-garcia]

Marti took Colton's hand with no hesitation, glad he'd offered it instead of her having to take it on her own. It was the little things, really. "I did, and I knew you would, you give off major babygirl vibes." She didn't add a single bit of explanation, because really, she didn't need to. Marti quickened her step to keep up with Colton, nudging him with her hip as she caught up to him. "Well at least you're finally aware of the desperation vibe you give off, it's really something I've been meaning to bring up." She was teasing, of course, and she knew Colton would get that. Somehow they were always on the same page.

[colton-reynolds]

"Stop itttttt!" Colton laughed, dragging out the last word in a teasing tone as he tugged his friend along with him. "If you don't quit that I'm gonna think your'e flirtin' with me and then I'm gonna go ahead and fall in love with you and THEN what would you do?" He slipped his shades on as they walked, the hot July sun making a few beads of sweat appear on his forehead already. "Damn, she went from flirty to hurty in just a minute flat." He laughed and squeezed Marti's hand a little hard for a second as he shook his head at her. "You are so lucky I love the hell outta you darlin'. Otherwise I'd be cryin' right about now." One of the things Colton loved most about Marti was the way they could tease each other and be playful without any hurt feelings. It was why they vibed so well.

[hayespcrter]

Tilting his head Hayes pretended to check Colton's face for marks. "Yep, can definitely see it." He snorted. Watching the progress of the tattoo going into his skin, the blonde hummed. He goes far when he drinks, but not as far as Colton was talking about. "I'm not sure i can still party as much as those bachelorette parties that come through here do." He said finally. "That much drinking is hard to keep up with." Glancing outside, he watched the prep for the fair outside the window. "Heard y'all are goig to have a stall at the fair this weekend. You gunna be manning the gun?"

[colton-reynolds]

He worked quickly but precisely on the tattoo for his friend and nodded at his question. "Yeah, I'm putting in a few shifts but this year I'm making sure I have some time off to enjoy it too." Colton had a habit of saying yes to everything and sometimes that meant that he didn't get to go out and have fun too. He wanted to catch some of the street fair this year and get to experience it. "How's things with you? What have you been up to? Any new fun developments in your life that I can live vicariously through?" Colton's own life was a little boring at the moment and that always made him nervous. Being bored could lead to bad life choices if he wasn't careful.

[felix-rojas]

"The cheapest. Some places even have free soda water, so you can get soda water and lime but just pay for the lime shit." Felix had to resort to tricks like that at times. He had a job now, which was part of his criteria for the suspended sentence, but sometimes rent and bills were rough. He nodded at Colt's explanation of why cigarettes didn't work for him. "But they do make me look about fifty per cent cooler," he countered, almost sarcastically.

It was the next part of Colton's words that took him by surprise, and he laughed a little, almost choking on his own tongue. "Okay, literally so many people have said that to me, though. Be careful. You don't wanna end up with a sex addiction instead." He lightly elbowed Colton in the ribs while they walked, stubbing out his cigarette in a trash can's ash tray before they made their way inside. "Okay," he said, walking toward the bar. "I got your drag queen tip money, so you got the drinks. I'm not picky. A mocktail would be fun. Or just a Diet Coke."

[colton-reynolds]

"You think Lottie would make us pay for soda water and lime?" He frowned. "That's a little homophobic if you ask me." Colton laughed and shook his head as he walked into the bar behind Felix and looked around to see who else was there. He waved at a few friends he saw in the room and followed Felix to the bar, placing a hand on his lower back to guide him and also make sure they stayed together in the crowd. Lots of out of towners around tonight, more than usual. Colton leaned down to speak closer to Felix's ear as the music was a little loud inside. "Who says I don't already have a sex addiction?" He teased and put his hand on Felix's waist from behind as he caught the bartender's attention.

Colton ordered them each a fun little mocktail, some kind of virgin blackberry mojito and paid for them in cash. He handed one to Felix and then took his hand to lead him away from the bar towards the back where the dance floor was. He found them a table in the corner and took a seat, sipping on his drink and watching the room sway to the music. "If you wanna dance I'd be down."

[carsonwest]

Carson laughed. Colt was a real character. "Okay, okay, Sir-Brags-A-Lot, with his rolladex of gender neutral pussy." He didn't see an issue in someone having casual sex, so long as nobody thought they were commited, so if Colt was having fun, good for him. Carson wasn't a stranger to the occasional hook-up, but he was oftentimes too busy with work to get into anything serious.

"Dude, I love the street festival. Good food, good music, good bars. The fact it happens around Pride is even better. I'm going to find a nice guy tonight, Colt, mark my words." He wasn't entirely serious when he said the words. He lay back, letting Colt do his thing. "Well, if me walking around shirtless ain't enough, you can be my wingman." If he couldn't get laid during the street festival while walking around shirtless at a pride themed event, he needed to hang it up.

[colton-reynolds]

"I'd rather be Sir-Bangs-A-Lot, I think." Colton laughed and rubbed at his temples. "Gender neutral pussy...look, I gotta make sure I have options!" He shook his head at Carson and continued working on the small tattoo for his friend. In all honestly, Colton only had a couple of people he regularly hooked up with and they all knew what they were to each other. It was a simple arrangement, no strings attached and no feelings involved. If Carson wasn't such a good friend, Colton would have considered adding him to the list but the idea of ruining their friendship over sex wasn't worth it.

He finished the small piece and started to clean the area off and apply some ointment to it as Carson spoke. "I'm a very good wingman." He agreed and the wiped the area clean. "What do you think?" Colton asked him, letting him take a look at the new ink on his body. "If you don't find a nice guy tonight at least find a hot one."

[colton-reynolds]

starter for: @chloecampbell location: street fair

"This smoothie sucks." Colton frowned as he kept drinking it, despite the fact that it tasted way more like spinach than it was supposed to. Leave it to Chloe to have him drinking some healthy shit that was supposed to help him curb cravings for something heavier. "How's yours? Does it taste like green stuff or strawberries like it's supposed to?" He sighed and looked out at the passersby who were all drinking beer and cocktails and he shook his head before turning his attention back to Chloe. "Sometimes I miss those days. Then I remember how much of a damn fool I made of myself and I'm so glad I'm sober now."

[colton-reynolds]

starter for: @sidthorne location: street fair

"You know, you don't always have to walk around lookin' like someone spit in your food, Sid." Colton approached him with a shrug and a half smirk. It was a gamble what sort of mood his friend would be in. Honestly, Colton wasn't sure that they even were friends because Sid was a little more prickly than most people Colt knew. He had been his sober sponsor for a couple of years now and had seen Colton at his absolute worst a time or two when he'd relapsed and had nothing and nowhere to go but to Sid. "How can you even be grumpy when there's live music, sunshine, and a chili cook off happenin' out here?"

[colton-reynolds]

starter for: @skyperez location: street fair

Today was Colton's day off from the shop and he had been tattooing like a mad man the last few days because of the street fair being in town. Needless to say, he had some cash burning a hole in his pocket and was out looking for something to spend it on. He was stopped in front of the hot chicken competition, eyeing the food and realizing he was fucking starving. "That smells so good right?" Colton smiled as he approached Sky, smiling broadly at the familiar face. "You hungry? It's on me if you sit and hang out for a bit."

[duskbroke]

Gia nods knowingly, taking a sip of her drink. "I feel that," she shrugs. "Except like the opposite. Nine out of ten times girls think I'm straight and just being friendly." So maybe she really had no right to be judging Colton and his awkward attempt at flirting, considering her own history. "Guys are way easier, I hear you there." A brow raises at him and his choice of words. "Maybe it was because she could tell you were intimidated. It's all about confidence, right?"

[colton-reynolds]

"Girls are very intimidating so I feel like that ain't my fault." Colton laughed and looked up at the ceiling, exasperated. "So tell me then, what woulda worked on you? What's the magic combination of things to say to pretty girl that makes her realize it's flirtin' but not creep her out or seem pushy?" He leaned on the table a little on his forearms and met her eyes.