~under pressure* @riaxnunez - Tumblr Blog

Introducing...

Valeria 'Ria' Nunez

LOCATION: Cup O' Joy CLOSED for @ravensrevcnge (Kodi)

Ria had stopped at Cup O' Joy while she decided if she wanted to go and pick up the kids from school and take them home before the storm got any worse. With a coffee in hand, she spotted Kodi across the room and walked over to them. "Hey, you taking shelter from this weather too, huh?" She asked with something of a forced laugh. As much as she wanted to not worry, the snow was getting thicker by the minute, and all Ria wanted was to get her family home safely.

After a moment, and a couple of sips of her coffee, Ria had a thought. "You wanna come with me to pick up Carlos and Natalia and then head back to my place and curl up for some movies and warm food?"

#event: winter's wrath ~ the snow storm #* [conversations] 💬 ft. kodi

LOCATION: The Golden Spoon (before the snow starts causing havoc) CLOSED for @cassidy-sykes

The end of her shift was quickly approaching, and Ria was watching the snow and the wind from the safety of the diner. She couldn't help but wonder if she should leave early and go pick her siblings up from school. It didn't look like things were going to ease up any time soon, and she didn't want them to get stuck. The Golden Spoon had been busy for most of the day, and when she finally got a moment to herself, Ria found herself leaning against the wall next to Cassidy.

"Have you ever seen a snow storm like this before?" She asked him, trying to think back, but deciding that she'd never seen snow this bad in her life. It had her a little nervous, if she was being honest. "The schools will call if they're going to close, right? Or do you think we should go and pick the kids up?" Cassidy was a parent, Ria was sure he would understand her concerns.

#event: winter's wrath ~ the snow storm #* [conversations] 💬 ft. cassidy

LOCATION: Cup O' Joy (before the storm gets really bad) CLOSED for @vampire-lucadiaz

Ria had finished her shift at The Golden Spoon and had decided to make a stop at Cup O' Joy on her way home to get a little something to help warm her up. The blanket of snow covering the town didn't seem to be letting up, and she hoped that a quick stop wouldn't hurt too much. Sure, she could've got something from the diner before she left, but she'd become more of a fan of Cup O' Joy since she'd befriended Luca.

When she arrived, it was obvious to her by the crowd inside that she wasn't the only one with the same idea. Loosening her scarf as she headed up to the counter, she smiled at Luca when she saw him there. "Hey, it's pretty crazy out there, huh? I bet you've been rushed off your feet today."

#event: winter's wrath ~ the snow storm #* [conversations] 💬 ft. luca

angstfactory

Jesse's lips pulled into a smile as he glanced her way again at her teasing. One thing about Ria he liked, was that she could handle herself. He could tell she hadn't taken any offense to his words. "What can I say, I've got some smooth moves," he joked back. "It's why you married me." Now that caused him to laugh, because they both knew damn well that having a little too much to drink on a day they literally just met caused the rest of this bump in the road they had to contend with.

"No, but it don't mean it's anything you gotta shoulder, either." Jesse could see himself clearly right then-- acting the way he always did. Closed off. Not trusting someone else to help bear the brunt of his concerns. Reverting back to that mentality of protecting himself first. Something he had told himself he would break out of because if he didn't, then he wasn't going to get anywhere in life. Maybe talking about it wasn't going to end him.

He let her take over checking through the songs, watching as she flipped through the choices but spoke to him. Encouraging him to talk about it. Again, just as he had done with her in the kitchen. Jesse knew if he wanted to be there for others, he had to let them be there for him, too. "Fine, well." He scratches his chin again and dropped his hand to his lap. "There's my sister, for one. You don't know anything about that but -- the cliff notes are that she left home when we were both still pretty young n' I've been tryin' to find her since. Found her. She's here. N' she's got some wild story 'bout uh, this person takin' her.. basically.." He wasn't sure if Ria knew anything about the supernatural or not, and he didn't want to freak her out by mentioning something insane like the word 'vampire'. "She got away, n' she's been tryin' to find me this whole time too.. N' she's got this kid now, Jessi. Yeah, named her after me.. Just-- I don't even know where to start on how to process all of that."

He paused. "Stop me any time this gets too much."

riaxnunez

"It was definitely your smooth moves and not the ridiculous amount of alcohol we drank." Ria laughed, nodding her head. She was at the point now that she could laugh about it. That hadn't been the case in the beginning, but the two of them had managed to make it through to almost the end, and she could finally see the funny side to the whole situation.

"Yeah, well, I've got strong shoulders." She said, wiggling her shoulders for added effect. Most of her life had been spent carrying the weight of her own seemingly unending problems, but that didn't mean she wasn't still willing to help those around her, and Jesse had become one of those people whether he liked it or not.

She'd thought Jesse would continue to keep things to himself, so she was surprised when he actually started opening up. As he spoke, she kept her eyes on the list of songs, but her attention was on him. If he was going to talk, she was going to listen, but she didn't want to scare him off by making eye contact. When he mentioned his sister, she tried to remember if he'd mentioned having siblings at all. Clearly they still had some things to find out about each other, and she hoped they could do that going forward as friends. "Shit, that's pretty intense." Ria admitted. She couldn't imagine what that must've been like, but it did help her to understand the man a little better. "Seems to me that now you've found each other, it's time to start getting to know each other again." She offered up, not wanting to give too much advice or overstep.

"Keep going, I'm listening."

#* [conversations] 💬 ft. jesse

captnbennett

Well she seemed cheerful.

The Christmas spirit couldn't be with everyone. And honestly, he wasn't exactly looking forward to it much. Raven's Peak was a lot more quaint than Chicago christmases. At least in the Bennett family. He'd be at work, setting things up for the crew that was working to still have a nice holiday, a warm meal, some little gifts.

"Something nice, and hope it works out," he repeated slowly with a small nod.

riaxnunez

Ria shrugged. It's not like the guy offered up much to go off of. So, how could she really be any more help? "Yeah, if you don't know what to get, just pick out something and hope for the best." It was a method that didn't fail her often, and the times that it didn't work out so well, she usually had some back-up gift. "Or you could just invest in a gift card or something. That way whoever you're buying for can just get whatever they want and you don't have to figure it out. It's win-win."

#* [conversations] 💬 ft. mitchell

vampire-lucadiaz

"I actually haven't been to the Golden Spoon yet," He said shrugging, "but I also know what it's like to go to someplace you work so we can go to Jukebox Junction." He enjoyed working at Cup O' Joy, but the thought of coming here on his day off was not enticing.

"I would totally be down for making fun of the lame movies," He chuckled as he finished wiping down the counters. "besides having to make sure we don't annoy the others in the movie theatre but that shouldn't be too hard." Not that he didn't care, he probably should feel bad that they would be ruining the environment but hey maybe they should've chosen a better movie.

He glanced up as his replacement came in nodding at them before clocking out. He grabbed the drink that he had made himself before walking out from behind the counter. "Ready to go," He asked Ria.

riaxnunez

"Wait, you haven't been to The Golden Spoon yet? That's criminal, we have to go there." It was a staple of Raven's Peak, and the fact that Luca hadn't been there yet really had Ria surprised. "We can go to Jukebox Junction some other time. The Golden Spoon is a must." It didn't bother her too much to go there on her days off. At least she knew the food and the people, so she didn't feel weird about being there.

"Hey, if other people get annoyed, they should've picked a better movie to see. It's not our fault they have bad taste." Ria just wanted to have some fun. Things had felt far too serious for far too long, and she wanted to spend the afternoon feeling light. Sure, things would have to go back to normal eventually, but there was nothing wrong with wanting to focus on something else for a while.

When Luca said he was ready to go, Ria clapped her hands together. "To The Golden Spoon."

#* [conversations] 💬 ft. luca

bayliequinn-medicinewoman

Baylie attempted to engage in conversation with the person. But they were not subtle at all in what they wanted. She was not in any mood to deal with them, so instead of playing along, she used the same trick she used in the clubs back in the day when she and her friends got unwanted attention.

It seemed to work, and the person walked off in a huff. She watched him walk away, proud of herself for being able to still hold her own. She could totally do this. Her attention turned back to the bartender as she listened to her speak, laughing softly. "It's a little of both, but I would gladly teach you, " she said, taking a sip of her wine and setting it down on the counter.

riaxnunez

"You made it look like an art form, I can't lie." Ria chuckled, shaking her head as she grabbed a cloth and started wiping down the bar. She'd had plenty of unwanted attention at bars over the years, and her way of dealing with it was a lot less polite than the woman across the bar had just been. "So, what brings you out tonight? Are you celebrating something? I'm assuming it's not a hot date since you just told that guy you wanted to drink alone. Unless that was just a story to get rid of him." She asked, quickly falling back into bartender small talk.

#* [conversations] 💬 ft. baylie

bayliequinn-medicinewoman

Where: Midnight Mirage

Whom: Open

The week seemed to be hell. Between moving, opening the clinic, and raising Kian, it felt like she hadn’t had a break all week. She was so thankful for the nanny. She at least had help at home. Opening, or starting at the clinic was harder to do. She felt like she was on her own. It sucked, but this is what she wanted, a new start, a way to get out of her ex-husband's shadows. She never was going to get that if she stayed where she was.

She was also all for staying with Kian tonight and having a good glass of wine. But her nanny had other plans. ‘go out tonight Miss Baylie. You deserve it! You haven’t met anyone here yet. Make some friends!’ She knew better to argue, even though she did not want to go out. She also had a point. Baylie hadn’t spoken to anyone besides those who had entered the clinic.

The downside to not meeting anyone yet is not knowing where to go. She planned to order a couple of drinks, maybe something to eat, and then go home. The nanny did not need to know that she had made no effort to meet anyone. The bartender counted, right? She walked into a place at random and sat down at the bar. Smiling at the bartender, she ordered a red wine.

She could sense someone coming up to her. “I was hoping to drink alone.” She said before closing her eyes and sighing, “Sorry, it’s been a long week. I promise I’m not usually like this.” She sighed and opened her eyes again, offering the person a sheepish smile.

riaxnunez

Ria hadn't been working at Midnight Mirage for that long, but she had quickly found her groove. She might've been stretching herself a little thin with picking up a second job, but with the holidays right around the corner, she needed the extra money. It had been a few years since her last bartending job, but had taken a chance on her and she was determined to show him she could do a good job.

She'd been serving another customer when she heard the woman she had just served trying to get rid of some unwanted attention. Looking over, Ria kept an eye on things, just to make sure the person got the hint and backed off. Thankfully they did, and Ria moved back over to the woman to top up her glass of wine. "Not all people would back off that easily, you either shot them a death stare when I wasn't looking or you just know how to be incredibly persuasive. Whatever it is, teach me your ways."

#* [conversations] 💬 ft. baylie

captnbennett

LOCATION: Sunflower Trinkets Mitch really had no idea what he was doing here. One of his friends back in Chicago had a birthday coming up, and he really thought she'd appreciate a necklace. Only, he wasn't good with that kind of thing. Jewelry was never really his interest. Minus having a simple band on his finger made with moonstone, and a plain white gold chain around his neck, he had no idea. "Hey," he looked at the person next to him. "I got a friend's birthday comin' up and I dunno what any of this shit means. You know anything about this kinda stuff?"

riaxnunez

Christmas was right around the corner and Ria couldn't have been any less prepared. She hadn't even thought about starting her Christmas shopping until the night before. So, she'd made a point to put together something that resembled a list and headed downtown to make a start. The first hurdle was doing exactly that, so he figured that once she'd started, the rest would be easy.

She had been browsing in Sunflower Trinkets for a few minutes when someone spoke to her. "No clue, I just pick whatever looks nice and hope it works out."

#* [conversations] 💬 ft. mitchell

cassidy-sykes

“Wow, way to ruin the surprise.” It never really came as a surprise being called an asshole. Mainly, because just in Ria’s words it was a fact. “Eh, she’ll be fine. She’s seen worse,” Cassidy commented as he shrugged. Given she had teen siblings and a father with a colorful past, it was a miracle Lily was naive as she was. He gave a playful roll of the eyes, “friends…kind of stretching that aren’t we?” Although she certainly wasn’t. Over the last few months of sobriety and working at the diner he had made progress in the whole being friends with people, Ria being included in that. “As cheery as I can be.” Giving her a nod, he sighed. Not only was his eldest driving, his eldest was the same age when he had him. It was a scary thought. Cassidy always figured he would be that chill/cool dad but was not that at all. “Tell me about it, fucking blows my mind all the time. How are your siblings?”

riaxnunez

"Ha, I knew it." Ria chuckled, shaking her head. During her time off work, she'd missed being able to joke around with her co-workers. Her siblings were great, and they'd kept her entertained, but it was nice to spend more time around people more her own age. "That's a good point. But, still, she shouldn't have to see shit like that in places like this." Though it wasn't all that uncommon for the odd rowdy customer to come into the diner and start kicking off for no reason. They'd all seen it plenty of times. "You don't think we're friends? Ouch, Cass." She placed a hand over her heart in mock hurt. Even if Cassidy didn't think they were friends, Ria considered him to be one. "Oh, come on, I think you can try a little harder. I want to see you skipping and singing and all that shit." She let out a laugh at the image, knowing it would never happen. "They're good. Carlos is almost 15, which is crazy. Natalia will be 13 in about six months. They'll be out of the house before I know it and I'm not really sure what I'll do when that happens."

#* [conversations] 💬 ft. cassidy

angstfactory

As Jesse scratched the side of his face again, he shrugged. "I dunno, guess you're one of the least concerns I've got goin' on in my life right now," he commented. It wasn't meant to be an insult, though it could easily go that route if someone wasn't paying any attention. As if to imply Ria wasn't important, which wasn't the case. Jesse meant it more in the sense that Ria was one part of his life that seemed to be going smoothly, without incident -- they were almost done, and they hadn't torn each other apart in the process. "There's been a lot of shit kinda pilin' on lately." He looked her way briefly. "Pretty sure you've had some stuff goin' on too."

More than the stuff that had her crying in the kitchen that one night, too. Though Jesse wasn't sure hers was necessarily bad. Neither were his, really. Just... overwhelming... overstimulating... hard to process.

He snorted at her joke. Maybe he'd give her some money towards the project, since some of that wear and tear to it lately was his own doing. Jesse sighed some, as Ria started to give up and offer different ideas they could do. It was like the kitchen scene all over again, only this time it was her telling him she was there with an ear if she needed it. "Nah, I drink all the time," he said, waving away the idea, "this is fine.. We'll figure out a song at some point." He didn't want to ruin her night, too. The man pulled up a chair so he could focus better on going through their options. Nobody else there tonight seemed to care about karaoke so they had time to look. "It's hard to explain, what I'm feelin'," he said then, as he looked, "but there's just some stuff been goin' on n' I don't really know how to handle all of it. Just a lot all at once."

riaxnunez

"You sure know how to make a girl feel special." Ria teased, trying to keep the mood light, and knowing that Jesse didn't mean anything by it. Even though she wasn't sure what was going on with him, she had spent enough time around him to know that it was weighing him down. Their marriage might be nearly over, but she considered him a friend now. She wanted to help lessen the load if she could, even if that just meant listening while he tried to work through whatever it was that was going on.

"We've all got stuff, but just because I've got stuff it doesn't mean your stuff is any less important." She said with a shrug. Things were going good for her right now, for the most part at least. Ria had a handle on most aspects of her life, which was rare for her, so she was making the most of it while she could.

Ria focused her gaze on the list of songs, but kept her attention on Jesse. "Laying it out on the table and getting some outside perspective could help." She said with a shrug as her eyes moved down the list. "At least, that's what I've found in the past." Though she was guilty of trying to figure things out on her own more often than not. But, it seemed like Jesse could use some help figuring things out, and she was happy to do that if he was willing to let her.

#* [conversations] 💬 ft. jesse

vampire-lucadiaz

"If I wouldn't know better I'd say your a psychic," He joked as he made her drink. He handed it over before grabbing her cash. He would've offered to give it to her for free, but he didn't want to make a big fuss. He just made a mental note to offer to pay for something later.

He glanced up at her as she spoke and nodded, "Yeah that sounds good, know of any good places?" He asked handing her back her change. He hoped that she didn't feel like it was a chore to hang out with the new guy. He didn't get the same vibe he did when his parents told his sisters that they needed to bring him along with their friends.

"Are there any good movies playing right now," he asks as he cleans the counter.

riaxnunez

"Hey, maybe I am. It could be a secret talent I have that even I don't know about." Ria joked, knowing she didn't have a magical or supernatural bone in her body. She was just a regular human who seemed to have an epic intuition. And she was okay with that.

"The Golden Spoon is always good, plus I get a staff discount there. But, if you're looking to try somewhere new, we could go to Jukebox Junction. Or, if you want something a little more fancy, there's Midnight Mirage or Nouveau Table, but we both might be a little under-dressed for those places." Those were the main places to go for good food, but there were plenty of little cafes to choose from as well. Whatever place sounded good to Luca, Ria was happy with. She was just looking forward to hanging out with her new friend.

"Honestly, I have no idea. I figured we could just go and see what was playing and see whatever jumped out at us. Or, if everything looks kinda lame, we pick the lamest one and just make fun of it the whole time."

#* [conversations] 💬 ft. luca

samarmando

Sam shifted uncomfortably, her words landing heavier than he expected. He crossed his arms, glancing away for a moment as he processed what she said. Trust? It wasn’t that simple. His entire foundation had been shaken, and while he knew the people in his life hadn’t changed, his perception of them had. And that was a lot harder to rebuild than he cared to admit.

“I appreciate that, Ria,” he said, his voice quieter now, some of the sharpness fading. “I really do. It’s just... I need time to figure all of this out. To wrap my head around it. And yeah, maybe I’ll give people a chance to explain, but it’s gonna take more than words to fix this. You get that, right?”

He offered her a small, weary smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes but showed he wasn’t angry with her. “Thanks for the offer, though. The couch, the safe space—it means a lot. But I think I’ve gotta figure this out on my own for now. At least for a little while.”

Taking a step back toward the door, Sam looked at her again. “You’ve been straight with me, and that’s more than I can say for most people lately. So, thanks for that too.” Without waiting for her response, he gave her a short nod, turned, and walked away, his thoughts swirling with frustration, betrayal, and the faintest flicker of gratitude.

riaxnunez

"I get that. The offer always stands though." Ria could understand that Sam wanted to take some time on his own to figure things out, and she was more than happy to give him the space he needed. It was a lot to take in, especially all at once. So, she hoped he would take all the time he needed to process, and she would be there when he wanted to talk.

She nodded her head at his words, and watched as he took a step back. Then, when he turned and walked away, Ria waited until he was out of sight, hoping more than anything that he would be okay and that she would see him again soon. Sam was a good guy, one of the best ones she knew, and she hated to see him like this. But, all she could do was be there for him when he needed her. So, once he was out of sight, she went back inside and joined her brother for the rest of the movie.

END.

#* [conversations] 💬 ft. samuel

mystycfics

~~*~~

Willow was in the bathroom when she heard Ria calling for her from the front door. She squeezed her eyes shut and sighed heavily. It wasn't that she didn't want to see her friend. It was that she was a mess. Avery left and she made some very bad choices that she felt had pushed him to that. This was her fault. Like always.

"Yea, I'm...not sure how hungry I am, Ri," she answered her friend lowly as she wandered out into the living room. She looked like shit and she knew it. The evidence of her choices obvious in the dark circles under her eyes and slump of her shoulders. Hopefully Ria would assume it was grief and not a mistake. Then Willow wouldn't have to admit it. But that was never how they had been. She couldn't even meet the woman's eyes, "Been a long week."

riaxnunez

When Willow came into view, Ria saw just how hard things had been for her since they'd last seen each other. It took everything in her to not walk up to her best friend and pull her into a tight hug. The dark circles under her eyes and the way her shoulders slumped could only mean one thing, and Ria hated to think that Willow had made those choices, but she wasn't going to judge her for it.

"Thankfully the food isn't in a rush to be eaten, and I have no other plans. So, we can hang out here not talk, or we can talk. We can do whatever you want. I'm here for you, just like you're always there for me." She said as she put the bags containing the snacks down on the coffee table and sat down on the couch. "You don't have to deal with shit alone, Willow, you know that. I'm just sorry I wasn't here sooner."

#* [conversations] 💬 ft. willow

glitchfms

"You want a real date? You don't just want to awkwardly fumble around this feeling in the warehouse with me?" He joked lightly, though there was a hint of something else underneath his words as he knew it wasn't something that he wanted to fumble. Not even a little bit as she pulled herself in closer, wrapping his arms around her waist and breathing out gently. If they continued like this, Banks knew that he could get used to it eventually even if there were so many doubts in the back of his mind. All of them circulated around himself; that he wouldn't be good enough or that his inability to control his powers would be the end of everything before it even started.

But he kept it in his head for the moment, not wanting to let it take the lead again when they'd only just gotten through the last beat of self doubt. With her arms around his neck, feeling the weight of her against him as he wanted to pull her up and into his arms and hold onto the moment for as long as he could - nothing else would be able to top that. But a real date meant something real, something more than anything else that he'd given himself for years.

Fear had kept him in disbelief for as long as he could remember, even when he felt love there was always something that told him that they'd be better off without him messing things up. But Ria had seen him at some of his lowest points, and had never made him feel like anything other than important and that things mattered. He wanted to make her feel the same way. "I can do that," he managed to get out around a small chuckle as he pulled back only enough to meet her eyes. "Ria Nunez, would you like to go out on a real date with me?" There was no maybe there. No doubt. No nothing but the desire to want this and them, choosing her again in the moment and holding onto it.

riaxnunez

There was no hiding the smile that spread across her face as Banks asked her out on a date. It seemed like a silly thing, a small insignificant thing, but it made Ria smile in a way that lit up her whole face. She couldn't remember the last time that she'd been asked on a date by anyone, let alone someone she cared about as much as she cared about Banks. Standing there so close to him, it wasn't a new feeling, but it had been long enough that it felt new again. She liked it, even if she still felt a little selfish. It was okay to be selfish sometimes, wasn't it?

"Hmm, I'll have to check my super busy schedule." She teased, her eyes doing a sweep of the room as she tried to act like she was going to say no. But, she couldn't keep that up for long. "Of course, I'd like nothing more than to go on a real date with you, Banks Rainier." There was no doubt in her voice, only confidence, readiness. She was ready for this, she was sure about this. And it felt like Banks was feeling the same way. Ria knew this couldn't be easy for him, she'd seen the way he struggled, and there were no words to describe how it felt to be the one that Banks trusted to try this with.

"Nothing too fancy of course. A four-course meal at a five-star restaurant would be just fine." She teased, looking up at him to meet his eyes, a playful grin on her face. "Or even just some takeout and a movie. I'm an easy girl to please."

#* [conversations] 💬 ft. banks

cassidy-sykes

“Seriously, probably will be brought up at the next work meeting. Things to do to improve Ria, not for work. Just overall.” Of course, he was joking and hopefully she could tell by his semi crooked smile. “Actually, I was just told that earlier today. At first, I thought it must be them but damn. Twice in one day, that can’t be a coincidence can it?” Cassidy shrugged, “it was entertaining. I was kind of hoping to see Willow knock the guy out. But, the verbal beatdown shall suffice. Unfortunately Lily was here to witness it all.” Although his little girl had seen worse, he was trying to do better by her. “I was all choked up, mainly cause they gave me some of your shifts. But sure, I missed you too.” He looked over and nodded, “they’re doing well. Spenc is driving now which is wild to me. The twins are teenagers and going to parties. Thankfully Lil is four and still my little girl.”

riaxnunez

"Maybe there will just be a whole surviver type voting me off the island thing." Ria said, continuing to joke along. The shifts she had with Cassidy were always her favourite, he had a way of making them just a little more enjoyable. "It's definitely not a coincidence. I think it's just time to face facts, Cass." She didn't really think he was an asshole, quite the opposite in fact. Of all of her co-workers, he was probably her favourite (outside of Willow of course) because he didn't take any shit. That was something she could respect. "Oh, shit, really? Was she okay afterwards?" Another thing about Cassidy that Ria really respected was how much he cared about his kids. It was something she could relate to with her siblings, even though they weren't her kids they felt like they were sometimes. "I knew it. We're friends, okay? You don't have to hide these things from me. I know it must've been so tough for you having to work my shifts and make extra money. But, I'm back now, so you can cheer up again." And she was glad to be back. Just getting out of the house again was what she was most happy about. "Wait, Spencer is driving already? There's no way." She shook her head in disbelief. "And the twins are teenagers? Where has that time gone?"

#* [conversations] 💬 ft. cassidy

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