the dying sun illuminates so much;

duke ramsey. 32. paramedic. marias native. baseball prodigy. addict.

[countryblucs]

starlight festival // @swampstart​

this festival wasn’t duke’s first, nor would it be his last but he was certainly old enough to not be completely enraptured by the various vendors and pretty lights anymore. instead, he opted to linger at the edge of the crowd with a beer in hand rather than among the other townspeople. he had never been a central figure in this town, finding mingling all too uncomfortable with probing questions he never wanted to answer which was probably why he had very little friends and no social life whenever he wasn’t taking care of his father. maybe he’d try tonight. meandering his way into the crowd, he managed to accidentally bump into someone, spilling a bit of his drink in the process. “shit, sorry. hardly saw you there.”

[countryblucs]

anccdotes‌:

@swampstart​   /   starlight festival

it’s not like the festival was new to her or anything. the town sure liked their reasons to get everyone together and make a bunch of food. she didn’t mind though. she liked atmospheres where real life hardly came into play. everyone was just enjoying themselves and that was it. she had already filled herself, but was working through her third beer, standing as she watched kids try and knock down cups. “where the hell does this town get the money and space to have a whole fucking festival.” she snorts, looking at the person next to her. “ten years and it still baffles me.”

how he found himself gravitating towards birdie, duke would never know. he only knew that the night was inevitably going to get wild if she was around and that he felt an urge to help her when that time came, which meant remaining close to her. pressing his lips together, he gave her a shrug despite knowing her question was rhetoric. “taxpayer money, i’m guessing.” he hated to think what else they could have been using it for. “it’s not all that bad when it’s all you’ve ever known.”

[countryblucs]

anccdotes‌:

@swampstart​   /   starlight festival

it’s a great place to be. ardy always liked those joyous occasions. no reason for anything just people being happy for the sake of life. he was keeping to himself in that moment. ma had gone home already, turning in for the night. he had his beer and his little plate of food, sitting on a patch of grass enjoying how everything was. but it needed a bit of company, so he locked eyes with a face and patted the ground next to him. “have a seat.”

it’d been a good long while since he’d seen ardy while the both of them were relatively sober, with both of their busy schedules and duke’s tendency to put other people before himself, so he was willing to take any opportunity to horse around with his best friend. “only if you let me have some of your food.” he replied, pointing at what little he had left on it. nevertheless, he sat down next to him with his own beer in hand and glanced up at the sky. “i think i’d like to get drunk tonight.”

[countryblucs]

swcmps‌:

@countryblucs​

tully for duke

she hadn’t seen him since the last time he’d been into the diner and, granted, it had only been a few days, but she was feeling almost nervous running into him at an event outside of work. especially since the idea of talking to him set of tiny flutters in her stomach that she didn’t know how to interpret. she sidled up to him when he was at one of the booths and pointed to one of the fair games. “you know, the sights on all of the shooting  gallery guns aren’t worth shit. bet i could win you a teddy bear if i redid them.”

duke had never been one for festivals or carnival games, but he did tend to enjoy the stars and a meteor shower wasn’t something to be missed on his busy schedule if he had the time to see one. what he hadn’t expected was to find tully by his side, causing him to jump slightly as she surprised him. he cleared his throat awkwardly, a soft smile pulling at his lips as he pretended to be shocked. “tallulah mae, are you implying that these games are rigged and you’ve somehow figured out how to cheat the system?” he raised an eyebrow down at her, somewhat scandalized. “you want to win me something? shouldn’t it be the other way around?”

[countryblucs]

{ MATTHEW DADDARIO. THIRTY-TWO. CISMALE. HE/HIM} i was out wrestlin’ gators when i saw DUKE RAMSEY. you know they have been in town for ALL HIS LIFE now? they currently work as a PARAMEDIC. i love having them around, they’re HELPFUL & STOIC, but sometimes they can be BROODY & SECRETIVE. well, hope to see them ‘round more!

what’s up, i’m harper and i’ll be playing duke, a human garbage bag.

(tw: addiction)

past:

he was born and raised in marias to a typical bread-earning father and stay-at-home mother, they didn’t have much, but they had each other.

oldest of three (wcs coming soon?), duke had a relatively happy childhood where his parents did their best to support all his endeavors.

eventually, he fell in love with baseball. he couldn’t get enough of it and lived and breathed it from his early childhood to his teens.

he was recruited straight out of high school to play at vanderbilt university on a full ride, which, to duke, seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity that he couldn’t miss.

just as he was ready to pack up and leave at 18, his father suffered from a massive stroke which left the ramsey family crippled. (though, this is not common knowledge unless your character has been in town most of their lives)

seemingly left with no choice, duke took up the mantle as the “head of the household” and immediately started working odd jobs to make ends meet and pay the hospital bill.

he also chose and settled on being a paramedic because he swore to himself that he would never be as helpless as he was when he witnessed his father’s suffering and had to call the ambulance.

present:

on his days off, he can still be found hitting baseballs. though, obviously, his skills aren’t what they used to be.

his father still struggles to do the simple things and duke has also taken up the mantle of being his caretaker, much to his mother’s dismay.

between his job and his responsibilities, it doesn’t leave much room for a personal life. ESPECIALLY since duke likes to keep his father’s condition under wraps and tends not to bring anyone home.

in the years that have passed since he earned his position as a paramedic, he’s starting to realize his body isn’t what it used to be and he needs something to keep himself awake that isn’t just caffeine. as guilty as he feels about it, he’s been pilfering pills from his father’s supply and from the hospital to take for himself. he hasn’t been caught... yet.

he mostly keeps to himself, where he used to be outgoing and rambunctious in high school, he’s reserved and secretive nowadays.

wanted connections:

FRIENDS???? i dunno, someone who’s known him awhile and/or since high school or childhood who knows about his dad? someone who’ll get him out of his shell? someone to make him realize there’s more to life than taking care of other people with no concern for yourself? a drinking buddy? anything?

EX(ES). did they used to date in high school and he cut them out at 18 because his entire life changed? were they just a brief fling in their 20s because he thought he wanted to give dating a try before realizing it took too much out of him? did he actually open up to someone? maybe something more serious? maybe something not?

FWB(S). looking for someone to keep you occupied between busy schedules? look no further than the man who tries his best not to form any sort of attachments... but a man has got needs, you know? (and yes, he is bisexual)

ENEMIES. though he can definitely be a sweetheart, it wouldn’t surprise me that duke has enemies either. he can be a bit of a dick sometimes when people try to pry in his life where they shouldn’t.

BASICALLY ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING, HIT ME WITH WHAT YOU NEED.

[lifeinpoetry]

It’s hard to resist / the pull of who people think we are.

Jason Phoebe Rusch, from “Stereotype Threat,” published in Lambda Literary (via lifeinpoetry)

[delustive]

[prettymdaddario]

[prettymdaddario]