𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝,

[dissolvedfm]

                              dependent muses for retaliationrp, as loved by zed.

jamie zaal (civilian, cleaner). intro.

nora leigh “nova” lexington (wild coyote, collector). intro.

esmé everhart (sinful one, drug manufacturer). intro.

rider delgado (civilian, butcher). intro.

[felicitykiss]

[dissolvedfm]

@anatomizedfm

[dissolvedfm]

      who: esmé everhart & anneke werner @anatomizedfm​       where: wild thyme       when: shortly after noon

      “ ENLIGHTEN ME AS to how many of ours were arrested in the little scuffle at the gym? ” he didn’t make it a habit to talk business in public, but he’d been running meetings all morning and with his stomach demanding something to eat esmé couldn’t resist the chance to kill three birds with one stone. his agenda was business as usual, with a dash of personal interest twisted into it, though anyone who knew him well-enough knew better than to call him out on it (with the exception of wes, though esmé highly doubted that even wes knew of this particular interest). when annie had come into town esmé had ensured he was one of the first points of contact that reached out, on behalf of the sinful ones, and because it was useful to have a defense attorney on retainer.

      “ the cobb salad here is actually very good, by the way. their dressing is home made and flavorful. ” he also enjoyed hard boiled eggs, but that was neither here nor there. “ i know you weren’t there. it was insanity, very tense. as i imagined it would be after the wonderland incident. ” their table was tucked into the corner, against one of the large windows out looking the street. nobody would think twice about a philanthropist and a lawyer having lunch. it was very normal.

[dissolvedfm]

cfhiraeth​:

closed starter for @dissolvedfm

This was far from the kind of places Catalina usually would be found, and if she was being honest, this night would have been skipped entirely. When it had been announced, it barely registered in her mind but then she saw Jamie and everything changed. It was slim, but there were chances he would be there, she was certain of it. If anyone asked her, the answer would be clear, she didn’t want to see him ever again. But her actions said something else. Catalina had been hesitant when entering the gym and then she saw his name. A list of fighters, his name at the top, Jamie Zaal. Backing out and running back home was what her mind screamed at her to do and had she been any smarter, she would have done just that. But her heart, it said something entirely different and her feet moved on their own, dragging her into a place that was filled with noise, a place that assaulted all her senses, feeling so raw. This wasn’t the man she loved, the kind of place she would never have thought of seeing him, doing something like this. Being fashionably late to everything, her wedding being the exception, the matches already started by the time she saw the ring, full of people cheering and swearing. 

It was him up there, someone she would always recognize too easily for her own taste. Her breath caught, eyes riveted despite how much it hurt to see him, not just in this position but at all. She had wanted him back in her life to a degree that hurt and now he was there and everything was unclear. It couldn’t be done, watching him fight like this, seeing him being hurt and there was a wave of nausea that overtook her, something that had her rushing to the bar for a few shots followed by something to drink a little more slowly. Getting drunk was not the purpose but she needed to settle her nerves if she wanted to stay. Cat was in the middle of her drink when the fight was called over, Jamie being declared the winner. She wasn’t sure if she should go to him, if he would come to her or if there was some unspoken agreement to never speak again. In the end, her heart ached too much and she once again followed it, something she had always done when it came to Jamie. “Here,” she said as she tossed him one of the towels that were near, just for this purpose. “I hope she got some good shots.” You deserve them, she finished in her mind.

‎

      THERE WAS SOMETHING addictive about the rush of adrenaline. it was a primary drive for jamie’s actions, the reason he couldn’t just take up a civilian job whenever he’d come stateside. it was the age old formula of some deep-seeded mental instability, recalled from his youth where he’d refused to speak for more than a year at a time because he preferred to watch people. there was something wrong with him ... his parents knew it, annie knew it (but was kind enough never to say anything about it), and his unit knew it. the need for the adrenaline rush was an easy solve tonight ... the reason he’d signed up for lighthearted competition in the first place. ariella was fair competition - she had drive behind her punches, moxie that jamie admired, and their promise to toss each other as much effort as they could muster wasn’t dishonored in the slightest. by the time they called winner he felt that hit of energy coursing through him, that thundered his heartbeat in his ears and had sweat beading on every inch of his flesh. when he swiped his tongue across his lips (habit) he tasted copper from the split there and relished in the ache of it.

      he rode the high like the silver surfer, it chased him out of the ring and through the people that clapped his back in congratulations. his first stop was going to be to ariella, to offer his thanks for the fight and give that kinship in competitors ... but it was ceased the moment cat appeared. she brought the rain, the dark storm cloud that eclipsed the sunshine from the fight itself, and while he sucked in a deep breath he felt himself tense up all over again. there went the effort of the fight. “ thank you. ” hand wrapped around the towel and gently he removed it from her grasp - as if afraid that she’d strike, not unlike a venomous snake. he wiped at his face, the back of his neck, then draped the towel over his shoulder and used his free hand to brush back damp strands of hair from his face. “ you tell me. ”

      his lip sported a serious split, something he kept prodding at with the tip of his tongue thoughtlessly, and jaw a red mark that would blossom into a beautiful purple and yellow bruise over the next few days. he was sure his body would have matching marks from the shots ariella had doled out to him. “ i didn’t think you’d come to something like this. ” then again, he didn’t really know her like that anymore, did he? he was sure she’d weaponize that against him as well. and he deserved all of her ire, but it didn’t mean he wanted to take it in the moment. tongue swiped at the cut on his lip again and jamie swallowed down the blood with the stone in his throat.

[dissolvedfm]

travelfms​:

who: @dissolvedfm / jamie where: julian’s shop

“Let’s get over business real quick.” If you asked Julian, he would say that he wasn’t one to gossip but in reality he liked any and all juicy details and what happened at blast was his main focus right now, he didn’t quite know how to feel about Mateo getting beat up like that though. On one hand he expected some sort of revenge by the coyotes side, but Mateo being the one getting hurt? That he didn’t expect. “I got what your ordered in the crate over there and a surprise in the back.” The surprise was the more illegal stuff. “Heard that you bailed on your fight, what happened? I don’t believe that you were scared of going toe to toe with the youngsters.” Consider both of their military skills, Jamie was far more capable and of course Julian could’ve joined the tournament as well but quite frankly he didn’t want to, he had nothing to proof and got far more enjoyment in watching other people fight than him. 

‎

      HE’D MISSED ALL of the fun at blast, arguably. while it was true that jamie wasn’t someone who’d turn his back on a challenge (even a fun one) anger was an emotion that clouded even the most level-headed of judgments. at julian’s direction he shifted to the crate, nodding in understanding that there was something more to be had. he was not fond of surprises, but whatever julian had planned was something he was sure would pull the corners of his lips upright. “ i did bail, you’re right. ” he wouldn’t deny that, and the expression he shot toward julian was one that suggested he was in for a great tale. the tale wasn’t long but it was enough to make jamie’s irritation flare once more. “my wife decided it was a great idea to come and tell me how much she wished i’d kicked it when i was deployed. ” he paused, hands reaching for his wallet, “ how much did i owe you? ”

      he’d left the details out about why she had such ire. “ to be fair ... i disappeared on her, it’s a big story. but you still don’t want to hear that shit, you know? it pissed me off. ” and a pissed off military man had a shorter fuse, had the ability to lose themselves in the action of hit, hit, hit, don’t stop. it was meant to be fun. not serious. “ basically it spoiled the night and i didn’t feel like potentially being incarcerated. ”

[dissolvedfm]

exitio​:

BLAST / with @dissolvedfm​

When Ariella walked into Blast the atmosphere was palpable. It was the kind of feeling of excitment and something in the air she couldn’t quite describe but she knew she liked it. When she’d entered the venue to be told the name of who she’d fighting that evening, she was disapointed to find it wasn’t the name of a wild coyotte. Part of the reason she’d put her name down was to show off a little in front of the enemy. Losing hadn’t crossed her mind too much, always one to back herself, but she knew that losing could also work in her favour. It would mean she’d be underestimated, something that brought her a great deal of happiness. 

She wandered further into the room, stopping the man she was going to be fighting later in the evening and walking over to him. “Jamie there you are. I do hope you’re planning on giving it your all later. I hate an easy win.”

‎

      IT WAS A little comical just how embroiled jamie had become in the business of lancaster since his arrival, despite most of it being personal inquiry. he’d pulled a contact or two to look into the motorcycle clubs before he’d taken the job offered by the sinful ones weeks prior, and more interest pressed into them for cat’s involvement with their business. he couldn’t judge, look at his career choice. there was something enticing about toeing the lines of legality, where jamie had been so far across it he’d be a shoe-in for life without parole if he’d ever been nailed.

      a fight night seemed fun, more than anything else. he didn’t care who he got to toss a few punches at, it was a nice way to relieve the tension that sat itself firmly on his shoulders since his run-in with his wife. he’d appeared some time before the main crowd and blended, acting much like an apparition where he appeared in the bustle one moment and was gone the next. when ariella found him he was splitting his time between wrapping his hands and conversing with someone whose name he didn’t quite catch (or care to) before everything got started. “ ms. delgado. i would never do you the disservice of half-assing our engagement. the same goes to you, though. don’t go easy on my because of my delicate sensibilities. ”

[dissolvedfm]

kercsene​:

Few people were confortable saying things how they were but Nova never seemed to shy away from it. It was one of the many reasons Mia felt deeply about them and allowed them to see pieces of her that not many did. They would not usually have long talk about their feelings, which was something Mia appreciated, even more in this situation. Mia heard so many words of sympathy, of pity, that none of them realy meant anythng anymore. She received them like people were talking about the weather, something mundane and without any meaning. But Nova said something else, what they really thought and it spoke to her. Anger she could do, she could show that to everyone. It was easy to do, came naturally, and more importantly, it felt right. Even if it was unhealthy.

“Fuck ‘em,” she repeated, half a smile on her lips. “I’m so fucking tired of the fake sympathies and casseroles. My father died, not my ability to cook.” And them there was the dishes that had to be done after that. It came with good intentions and she knew she had to socialized but it wasn’t something she wanted to do. “I just want to break things but what’s left at my place shouldn’t be broken. Maybe breaking a nose or two would help.”

‎

      THEY UNDERSTOOD ALL too well the sentiments and how old it got, how quickly. the endless stream of people coming in and offering empty platitudes quickly wore thin, and nova remembered the endless fount of irritation that bubbled with each visitor paying their respects to daddy lexington. they’d always been an angry child, it seemed that the dickishness had come to a head after their father passed. these were emotions they understood. “ i think it’s less your ability to cook died and more ... an expectation that you’re so besotted with grief that you can’t function. which is ridiculous. people grieve differently, it doesn’t cut your ability to fucking function. ”

      for them it had, though. just a short time spent curled on the floor of their bathroom. it wasn’t something they spoke of. “ break the casserole dishes. ” nova shrugged, the expression on their face as carefree as the comment that’d come from their lips. “ or go to the range and shoot something. go pick a fight in a bar. something to let that anger our. i’m not going to sit here and tell you about how it’ll eat you if you don’t do anything because fuck knows i’m the poster child for a bad attitude, but it’s better than sitting on your hands and choking out another thank you for your words when they hand you another something home cooked ... or worse, store bought and transplanted into a home dish to look like they care more than they do. ”

[dissolvedfm]

wesfms​:

“if that’s what you need to tell yourself to resist the raw sexual tension between us.” the words left wes’ lips like so many others did - before he had time to think about them, because a filter between his brain and his mouth had never existed. there’d even been a time, once, where he’d simply said that whatever came out of his mouth no longer belonged to him when it went out into the world - it was everyone else’s problem at that point. did it make him difficult to handle? probably - which is also probably why he could count friends on one hand, because most people didn’t have the patience to deal with a fully grown man-child. somehow, esmé was one of the few who did, and he had no idea how that had happened. 

despite his words and the offense a normal person might have taken, wes was relaxed as he swiped a wet paper towel over his face - clearing some blood, though not delicately, and whether it was from his match with mateo or the brawl, that was hard to tell, not that he cared. a normal person might have winced at the rough texture against the split lip, but the texan didn’t so much as blink, tossing the paper towel over his shoulder in the vague direction of a trash can - not that anyone would notice the mess after the brawl - and lifting a single shoulder in a shrug. “what can i say? going up against a guy i’ve slept with greatly impacts the effectiveness of my fighting style.” people tend to be much less shocked that you’re flirting with them in the middle of a fight when you’ve flirted with them before, after all. “come on, princess, i’ll escort you home so you can play doctor.” he flashes a quick, teasing wink in the other’s direction before he’s all but pushing his way out of blast, clearing a way for the both of them despite the fact that every elbow to the ribs made his breath hitch in his throat.

‎

      “ WHILE I AM endlessly happy that you’ve found a fellow heathen to express your sexual frustrations with, i promise i want to hear none of it. even remotely. ” his expression was more than enough to convey the truth behind his sentiments. esmé was, continuously, a man of little emotion - outwardly. within there was a rage untamed by any person or object, vice or mantra. it roiled within him like the tempest waves during a tsunami and battered against his resolve with every small transgression. he’d ripped his jacket because of how willing he was to throw a punch. entering into the actual fights would have been frowned upon, considered uncouth, but the brawl that happened thereafter? it’d felt all too good to crush bone against his knuckles. these violent delights.

      “ the only tension between you and i is the one i stand continuously on the precipice of ---whether or not i want to wring your neck and leave you on the roadside for the carrion to find. ” it awarded wes a little smirk, something sassy that didn’t quite meet his eyes and disappeared just as quickly as it’d come. that was the nature of their friendship. wes continuously offered up their unfiltered selves where esmé continuously offered sarcasm and harsh commentary that anyone outside of the little duo might assume was sincere. it took little more convincing between them before esmé shifted for the exit ---weaving between people either still attempting to claw at one-another or limping away to lick their wounds, until he shifted toward the back rooms to exit from the alleyway rather than the front door.

      “ if we’re fast enough we can make it to the lot to get out before the authorities arrive. i’d rather not leave my car here. ”

[dissolvedfm]

chalmeida​:

Location: Skin Deep ; @dissolvedfm​ (Nova)

She went back and forth on getting a tattoo–something symbolic for her family, but every time she tried the unwanted truth always resurfaced. Lies that had been released only as whispers from the dead. A snake, surely would work. While she felt comfortable (as she could) around those affiliated with the Wild Coyotes, there was a part of Charlotte that felt she had to work even harder to fill the footsteps of the two men that had left her behind. “These things are so comfortable…you ever have people pass out?” Thinking about what she’d asked, Charlotte made a face. “I guess someone who truly enjoys pain.” A bold attempt too, settling into a chair without being asked, and not that she’d wanted a tattoo today. She was still unable to get a read on Nova who was both terrifying and beautiful at the same time. Someone Charlotte wanted to be just like, or hoped to be, one day. But there were several women in the Wild Coyotes she felt that way about. 

‎

      THE HUM OF the tattoo gun was a comfortable one, something that nova had long since gotten used to in their tenure at adrian’s shop. they were a creature of habit; existing either in the tattoo parlor itself or doing work for the coyotes when it was demanded. in rare occasions they could be found visiting their father’s grave (though it wasn’t something advertised) ... and with most of their time here it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence to run into those who believed they wanted a piece done and didn’t have the stomach for it. “ oh yeah, lots of times. pass out, get sick, cry, get angry. couple of people really enjoy the sensation of it, some people find out they’re not as intolerant to pain as they thought. some people learn they have no tolerance whatsoever. ”

      they nodded their head toward the reception desk, though eyes remained on the tablet where they sketched, “ there’s a little refrigerator there full of gatorade for the people who almost pass out. most times its because they didn’t eat and got themselves so nervous they fade out. electrolytes help. ” one shoulder rolled gently and finally abyssal dark eyes shifted to charlotte. “ did you want to try today or just here to watch other people make bad decisions? ”

[gideon-adlons-deactivated202311]

Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones THE DEFENDERS | 1.03 “Worst Behavior”

[anthonysperkins]

Oliver Jackson-Cohen as James in Surface (2022) episode three “New Person, Same Old Mistakes”

[kerriganwrites]

——MICHIEL HUISMAN as Liam McGinnis, Nashville.

[dissolvedfm]

      who: esmé everhart & weston davis @wesfms​       when: after the brawl.       where: blast.

      “ YOU LOOK LIKE shit. ” he managed not to have his own split lip or black eye, but a closer inspection upon esmé everhart’s pristine form would reveal the scrapes against his knuckles and the slight tear in his blazer. evidence to suggest even he was not above bloodying himself when tempers ran high (but he would deny it entirely if confronted, in true everhart fashion). whatever calm had broken through the crowd at the gym and separated the sea of bodies from tearing into one-another had given way to a temporary peace, once that had the philanthropist stepping aside and slinking back into the shadows where he usually dwelled. he’d opened a betting pool for the entire duration of the fights, sour as he was that some of them turned out the way he did. still, mischief marked his otherwise flawless expression and esmé nearly sneered for the scuffed up appearance of his closest friend.

      “ i’m happy i bet against you, otherwise i would have lost a decent chunk of change. mateo has a lot of anger. though clearly not enough. ” whatever cheap tricks the dogs had pulled to come out on top overall were lackluster at best, and esmé knew they’d get their chance to wrest control back in the public eye. it was all about biding time. “ some rat tore my jacket. and i don’t want to linger here when the police come. escort me home. i’ll take care of your face. ”

[dissolvedfm]

kercsene​:

SAPPHIRE / FT. RIDER( @dissolvedfm​ )

Her shift was done, her last performance of the night ending 20 minutes ago. She had done a few private dances earlier, one in particular that had made her felt a little caged, but feeling caged was nothing new for Valeria. She had noticed Rider and focused mostly on him when she had been on stage. There was something reassuring about him, which said a lot about Valeria’s standards. Maybe it was the self-destruction tendencies that felt familair or maybe it was the fact that despite everything, he wasn’t entirely an ass to her. The fact that he wasn’t involved with the Sinful Ones helped. “I need something stronger than a drink after the night I’ve had,” she said as she sat down next to Rider. “Came for the show or the excellent booze?”

‎

      SMOKE FURLED AROUND his face, mingling with strands of dirty blond hair that refused to be pushed away from his eyes. he fit into any of the bar settings in lancaster more comfortably than he would have ever liked, especially considering how short of a time he’d been present in the town. then again it wasn’t unfamiliar for someone like him to fill in the space at the bar counter, hogging a stool with their shoulders hunched over in a posture that suggested he was not open to foreign conversation. well after his third or fourth whiskey, when that familiar haze lidded his eyes and covered stark blues from seeing things wide and whole, rider turned his attention to the face that had him sitting in the stool in the first place. ---it was nice to have a friend, even if he wasn’t really open to the option otherwise. some sort of kinship that existed wordlessly between them, where she didn’t judge his shitty behavior and he kept his mouth shut about her questionable choices (who was he to judge, really?) “ can’t help you with that one. just the drinks. ” rider nodded to the bartender, a suggestion to get something for valeria before he turned to be face her more fully, “ the booze. clubs all offer the same thing with different girls. there’s only so many times you can be impressed by a vertical split. you good? ”

[cfhiraeth]

@dissolvedfm

[dailytelevision]

You’re pretending like everything is okay. You know, like we didn’t kill Barb. Like, it’s great, like we’re in love and and we’re partying. Yeah, let’s party, huh? Party. We’re partying. This is bullshit.

[mattsundaes-interact]

Garrett Hedlund as BENNY MILLER Triple Frontier (2019)