#dustystarter

[thesakeofmotion]

Where: Burning Hearts Celebration

For: @dustanddevilsstarters

Rocky was all business, even if this was technically a celebration event. But he would be lying if this shit wasn't just a bit amusing. All these people, with all sorts of alliances. The one's that had their doubts could obviously be seen from their facial expressions. When one didn't show up, everybody knew about it so he was almost certain that was why some of them ended up making an appearance. Not wanting to deal with the aftermath and rumors that could stir from it. "You know, if that's your idea of a poker face - you probably should stay away from the tables." A smug smile was set free, perhaps finding humor in the other's stiffness.

[dissenteds]

open  to  aces  &  eights  members  /  @dustanddevilsstarters 25  minutes  following  the  plot  drop

"this  ain't  us,  right?"  an  unlit  cigarette  was  between  his  fingers  as  he  approached.  the  president's  blue  eyes  held  something  wild  and  dangerous,  a  barely  contained  rage  simmering  under  the  surface.  "tell  me  we  didn't  have  a  fuckin'  hand  in  this,"  the  outlaw  demanded.  it  wasn't  that  roman  didn't  know  what  was  going  on  in  his  club  or  was  out  of  the  loop,  he  was  just  also  aware  that  the  syndicate  still  tried  to  control  the  aces  despite  the  mc  having  gone  independent.  there  was  always  a  chance  some  fucking  idiot  got  convinced  to  do  something  incredibly  stupid.  roman's  jaw  flexed  and  his  expression  remained  stern.  "spoke  to  a  deputy  a  bit,  there's  no  doubt  it  was  murder  ...  you  heard  anything?  anybody  talkin'  about  something?"

[taiintedsouls]

────      𝐓𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐀𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏       ╱ proceed with caution. . . .

IT SEEMED LIKE EVERYTHING around him was getting worse , he trained himself to never be stuck in the moment or tried to make it seem like nothing affected him but as the anniversary of his late brother breached the corner , things were taking a toll on him : worse than they had the previous years   ❛ because in the end , when you lose somebody , every candle , every prayer is not going to make up for the fact that the only thing you have left is a hole in your life where that somebody that you cared about used to be ❜

[cowboykillcr]

⸻  ✩  open  starter  (  @dustanddevilsstarters ) location  ⸺  burning  hearts  event,  gold  rush  casino

Jasper  Calder  stepped  into  the  Burning  Hearts  celebration  like  it  was  just  another  arena—different  lights,  higher  stakes,  same  rush.  The  casino  hummed  around  him,  red  and  gold  reflections  catching  in  his  glass  as  music  rolled  through  the  floor,  and  he  wore  it  easy:  jacket  loose,  smile  slower,  eyes  sharp  enough  to  count  exits  without  breaking  stride.  Rodeo  taught  him  how  to  read  a  crowd,  and  this  one  was  a  mess  of  money,  power,  and  people  pretending  not  to  recognize  each  other.  He  leaned  into  the  bar,  elbow  resting  easy,  tipping  his  drink  toward  a  familiar  face  across  the  room—or  maybe  someone  who  felt  familiar  in  that  Paradise  Valley  way.

“Funny  thing  about  places  like  this,”  he  said,  voice  smooth  and  teasing,  pitched  just  loud  enough  to  be  heard.  “Everyone  shows  up  sayin’  they’re  here  to  celebrate.”  His  grin  widened,  all  charm  and  confidence,  but  there  was  a  flicker  of  something  watchful  behind  it  as  his  gaze  swept  bikers,  law,  syndicate  alike.  “Truth  is?  Half  of  ‘em  are  lookin’  for  trouble,  and  the  other  half  are  hopin’  it  finds  someone  else.”  He  took  a  slow  sip,  eyes  returning  to  whoever  had  his  attention.

[dcvilsransom]

WHERE // Gold Rush Casino & Resort WITH // OPEN; @dustanddevilsstarters

This wasn’t Jamie’s scene and never would be, and it showed in the way he kept adjusting his tie and fidgeting whenever his hands didn’t have a drink or an animated story to occupy them. Small talk could only get him so far, particularly when the bulk of it normally consisted of taking brief medical histories and getting down to the root of a problem. He couldn’t exactly do that here, at what was supposed to be a party, a chance to get out and about and actually mingle. But that’d always been admittedly a bit hard for the veteran, especially now when he was still so fresh in his newfound civilian life. He didn’t know how to do this, and the longer he lingered in the casino, the more unsure he was that he even wanted to know. 

Stopping at the bar, he ordered a whiskey on ice and leaned in, resting his forearms against the countertop. “Feel more at home in a war zone than this shit,” he half-chuckled, half-sighed to the person next to him, more out of impulse than an actual desire for conversation. It just helped betray how uncomfortable he truly felt. “Sorry,” Jamie snorted, taking his drink from the bartender, “Not trying to shit on the occasion here– you having fun at least?”

[thesakeofmotion]

Where: Burning Hearts Celebration

For: @dustanddevilsstarters

"I suppose I am not going to win that new car that is being offered for best dressed." Concern though was far from his tone. If it were up to Cale, he would have skipped whatever this event was. People were dressed in fancy suits, while he was in blue jeans and a button down. And obviously a cowboy hat. At least he wore his new boots, which were only worn for special occasions. Not that this occasion was special but it felt like the right time. "I just hope this is enough to get me by." He found himself musing, while grabbing on to the flask from his back pocket like it was some sort of safety net. Filled with his favorite type of Whiskey. The man refused to take any sort of handout from this event and who was behind hosting such. Which meant no food or the drinks they were offering. In the end, he held on to that control tightly.

[dissenteds]

open  starter /  @dustanddevilsstarters  1  hour  post  plot  drop  near  the  open  bar

the  moment  the  brunette  was  released  from  the  private  room  where  she'd  been  questioned  by  the  sheriff  of  paradise  valley  noa  made  a  beeline  for  the  bar.  maybe  the  bartender  understood  ⸻  had  seen  her  taken  off  with  law  enforcement  first  and  foremost  and  felt  sympathetic  while  cleaning  up,  or  perhaps  they  noticed  the  tremble  in  her  hands.  she  hadn't  even  been  able  to  hide  how  unnerved  she  was  when  requesting  a  drink.

with  a  strong  margarita  on  the  rocks,  essentially  tequila  with  a  splash  of  juice,  in  her  hands  noa  went  to  a  nearby  table  and  took  a  couple  of  swallows.  she  then  cradled  her  face  in  her  hands  for  a  moment  before  suddenly  looking  up,  too  many  emotions  in  her  emerald  eyes,  "fuck,  does  this  mean  i'm  unemployed?"  again?

there  was  no  way  noa  could  go  through  that  another  time.  she  had  too  much  financial  responsibility  bearing  on  her  shoulders  and  the  shock  and  weight  of  everything  brought  tears  to  sting  her  eyes.  "i'm  sorry  ...  that's  so  insensitive."

[cowboykillcr]

⸻  ✩  open  starter  (  @dustanddevilsstarters ) location  ⸺  burning  hearts  event,  gold  rush  casino

Tessa  hadn’t  planned  on  staying  long  —  grief  had  a  way  of  shrinking  her  world  lately  —  but  the  pull  of  the  casino  lights  had  coaxed  her  out  of  the  quiet  she’d  been  hiding  in.  Red  washed  over  marble  and  glass,  music  thrummed  low  and  constant,  and  the  air  smelled  like  smoke,  citrus,  and  money.  A  celebration  built  on  heat  and  excess,  layered  over  a  town  that  didn’t  pause  for  loss.  She  stood  just  off  the  main  flow  of  the  floor,  dark  hair  loose,  a  drink  untouched  in  her  hand,  watching  couples  laugh  too  loudly  like  nothing  fragile  could  break  tonight.

There  was  an  ache  beneath  the  polish,  a  stiffness  to  her  shoulders  that  hadn’t  been  there  before  —  the  weight  of  being  back,  of  being  seen,  of  stepping  into  public  when  all  she  wanted  was  distance.  Ballet  posture  kept  her  upright,  kept  her  steady.  When  someone  drifted  close  enough  to  catch  her  attention,  she  turned,  expression  soft  but  guarded,  lips  curving  into  something  almost-smile,  almost-brave.

“Of  all  nights  to  leave  the  house,”  she  said  quietly,  lifting  her  glass  a  fraction.  “Tell  me  —  are  we  here  for  the  love,  the  luck…  or  just  to  pretend  nothing’s  been  lost  yet?”