" how can you not love punch the monkey though? he has literally captured everybody's hearts. i mean have you not seen the tiktok of him being bullied and then the zoo keeper giving him a stuffed monkey that he ends up carrying by his side all the time? do you hate monkeys is that it? because we should totally fly to japan and take him home with us, or visit him. all i know is i want to protect punch with all my freaking dang heart dammit! "
" oh i never said that i don't love him. it's just that i can't fly to japan with you. " she doubts, however, that the other is serious with her intention, especially at this hour, but she knows better than to prod or poke. so she smiles instead. " if you do end up going, bring me something cute. a little souvenir perhaps? matcha kit kats and pocky too, please. "
" i am 100% a trust worth promise . i wasn't a girl scout so i can't swear but i'd have been the purest one around i promise . " maggie hummed as she looked back at the woman before smiling at her son and offering a bright smile his way too . " well what teddy wants teddy gets right ? what will it be , cookie , pastry , cake ? i have some cake pops in the back that aren't supposed to go out till this afternoon but i could always make the exception for such a cutie. "
" i wasn't a girl scout either, so i guess that today is your lucky day. " she arches her brow, letting out an amused, incredulous laugh as she nudges her son to step forward. all right, she'll bite. " teddy gets .... anything with less sugar because i do want him to actually sleep tonight. but a cake pop sounds very tempting, not just for him, i'm afraid. "
cruz hums in quiet agreement, something that sits between sympathy and understanding. "insomnia's a hell of a companion," he says, voice low enough that it stays between them. "loyal, though. never leaves you alone." there's a flicker of something in his expression, recognition of the tiredness of someone who knows exactly what she means.
he glances at her properly then, catches the dryness in her tone, the way she's making light of something that clearly isn't. "good's a strong word," he admits, lifting his glass in a half-gesture before remembering it's gone warm. "but i'm still upright, so i'll take it." a pause, then he catches the bartender's eye. "you look like you could use a drink. what's your poison?"
" and i'm its favourite mistress. " she scoffs, almost coy, brandishing a smile despite her best judgement, or rather the innate paranoia of being condemned. something tells her, however, that's not the case here. not with him. it's awful just how easily she could get used to the feeling. " we can pretend that we're good, and that our days are good, and you know what, if we pretend for long enough, maybe it'll come true. " it's childish at best, the worst sort of teasing, but all it takes is one look to realize that he's broken her veneer. " i do indeed, thank you. it's vodka tonic. "
where: sourdough & sundays bakery
who: open starter - @championstarters
the door was locked , she was so sure that it was . it was too early in the morning for her to have flicked the open sign over and she knew that she had so much to do this morning the only way she would get all her cakes out whilst the loafs for the day baked was for her to do it in complete silence . yet the chime of her bell rung just as she shovelled another handful of cereal in , guilty clouding her features immediately . " i'm going to wash my hands before i decorate this cake i swear to god ! "
" that's well, good to know. i'll just have to take your word for it. " swallowing slowly, more hesitant than she intends to be, she meets her eyes before tilting her head to look down at her son, amused by the way he refuses to let go of her hand. " i thought you were open and teddy here wanted a sweet treat, so this seemed like the perfect spot. i don't usually let him eat such things — but give us your best recommendations, please. "
who: open to all ! @championstarters
where: any dive bar !
cruz had been at the bar long enough that his bourbon had gone warm. he's not drinking it, just holding it, eyes on the glass like it might tell him something useful. the bartender knows better than to ask if he wants a fresh one. when someone takes the stool next to him, he glances over, brief and assessing, and manages something that almost passes for a smile. "long day, or just getting started?" his voice is low, tired in a way that suggests he already knows the answer.
" something like that. " not quite a lie and not quite the truth, but rather an interlude, a moment's reprieve. " i can't seem to recall the last time i properly slept. so all my days blend into one that's excruciatingly long. " she says it like she's telling a joke, eyes lively and livening despite just how serious she makes it sound. it's dry, of course, like the soft inside of her mouth that has turned desperate for a drink. " i hope your day has been a good one at least. "
she leaned against the railing, one elbow resting casually as she watched the city below. she didn’t turn when she heard footsteps approach. “tell me something,” she paused before continuing, “did you come up here for the view…” she finally turned, her gaze flicking over them deliberately. “…or did you hear I was up here alone?” a small smirk curved her lips. “careful how you answer.”
" if i'm being entirely honest... i came here to smoke. " her mouth hollow, stretching into a smile, she pauses long enough to find the right words, caught red handed. " i'm not a smoker really, but it's been a long day and i'd appreciate if you could keep this between us. " because truly, she doesn't need another reason that would label her as an awful mother. it's not that she even likes it. she hates the smell of smoke. it lingers for far too long, on her skin, hair, beneath her fingernails, as if no part of her is sacred. " but the view is stunning as well. "
[ hassie harrison, thirty-four, cis woman, she/her ] - was that TAYLOR JACKIE KELLY i saw around town today? i heard that they work as a PR MANAGER FOR DALLAS OUTLAWS and have been in town for CLOSE TO THIRTY YEARS. they have a reputation of being ADROIT & VOLATILE and people in town usually associate them with BLONDE LOCKS THAT NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE, THE RISE AND FALL OF A PROMISING WOMAN, THE EVER PRESENT SMELL OF LEATHER. can’t wait to see them at the next game!
i.
NAME TAYLOR JACKIE KELLY NICKNAMES TAY BY MOST, TJ ON OCCASION ZODIAC CAPRICORN SUN. DOB JANUARY 6TH 1992 GENDER CIS WOMAN. PRONOUNS SHE/HER. PLACE OF BIRTH DALLAS, TEXAS LABELS/TROPES COWBOY BARBIE, THE RISE AND FALL OF A PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN, BLONDES DO IT BETTER OCCUPATION FARM RANCHER / PR MANAGER FOR DALLAS OUTLAWS LANGUAGES ENGLISH AND SPANISH EDUCATION HAS A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN COMMUNICATIONS
HEIGHT 168 CM / 5′ 6″ HAIR NATURALLY BLONDE. EYES BROWN, ALMOST HAZEL, DEPENDING ON THE LIGHT, BUT THEY'RE ALWAYS KIND. SCENT BYREDO RODEO. SIGNATURE FEATURE HER BLONDE HAIR THAT SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN FAMOUS FOR. INSPIRATION JANE HENDERSON ( PARIS, TEXAS ), BONNIE PARKER ( BONNIE AND CLYDE )
FATHER JONATHAN KELLY MOTHER MONICA KELLY SIBLINGS ONE YOUNGER SISTER, TBA KELLY AND ONE YOUNGER BROTHER, TBA KELLY SPOUSE N/A CHILDREN A FOUR YEAR OLD SON NAMED TEDDY TOM KELLY PETS TWO DOGS NAMED TBA
ii.
an eldest daughter, born and raised in dallas, texas, the earliest memories of taylor's childhood are that of the blackland prairies, the way the wind used to twine her hair, and just how fast her family's horses ran. the kellys, most famous for their ranches, worked hard to keep the business alive and all the animals fed, passing down both acres of land and love of the lifestyle to their three children.
taylor, who had spent most of her life on a horse, had a promising start and even brighter future ahead. but a wild girl at heart, like all women who love horses, was always destined to go astray, off the beaten path.
she remembers high school with greatest fondness, dubbing that era as the happiest years of her life. it was the only time when anything made sense. certainly far from a good student, but beloved and adored by most, if not all, she had earned herself the status of an it girl that would follow her for most of her life, for better or worse. beautiful, vigorous, and most importantly, adamant on fulfilling her heart's desires, she had big eyes and even bigger dreams.
for a certain period of time, she graced football courts as dallas outlaws cheerleader, but you already know how the story unfolds, the higher they rise, the harder they fall.
aimless in her twenties, with no real goal or destination in mind, and haunted by a relationship that would alter a good portion of her personhood, taylor was slowly and steadily losing herself in the disarray of her life.
things reached a boiling point, however, when she found out that she was pregnant. she knew, right there and then, that nothing would ever be the same. so, she packed her bags and moved to washington, and decided to reinvent herself. no one knew why she left, or where she was staying, or just what she was doing, which gave her just enough space to start anew.
frightened and by all definitions of the word lost, in a new city and state, with a newborn baby and a promising job under her belt, taylor found herself becoming someone else. she doesn't speak of it, and if you were to ask, she'd probably lie and tell you what you want to hear about her life.
now four years later after she went missing, she's come back to dallas to settle disputes over her family's estate. some say that she got her job as a pr manager thanks to her father and his sudden surge of wealth, or perhaps even his connections. others claim that she married someone who keeps funding all of her endeavors, including this little pr stint of hers. it's easy, of course, to pin her efforts onto a man. isn't it awful that she's simply trying her best?
she's still loyal to the kelly's ranch, where you're always most likely to find her, especially with her son teddy. no one really knows who his father is and for her peace of mind, taylor plans to keep it that way.
what people think of her is truly a matter of dispute! she's a very divisive figure, especially due to being a wild girl back in her youth who came back with a child no less. she definitely has a reputation that isn't the kindest, but can't a girl just live?
