deliberately aimless

INTRODUCING: ADRIANA “ADRI” MARINO-MONAHAN

full name: adriana cathleen marino-monahan

nickname(s): adri (preferred)

birthday & age: may 23, 1990 (32)

zodiac sign: gemini

place of birth: providence peak, co

gender & pronouns: cis female, she/her

sexual orientation: bisexual

religion: agnostic/spiritual

occupation: freelance nature/wildlife photographer, former realtor

language(s) spoken: english, sign language, some spanish and french, and enough german, mandarin and italian to get by

neighborhood: claret park (living with her girl @katerinadelarosa)

length of time in providence peak: born & raised up until she was 26, then she came pack last year, stayed for a year, left again in july 2022 and has now been back for... a day

personality: if you knew her pre-epiphany then you knew the high heel and pearl wearing adri who was a bit of a control freak, very quiet, very introverted, always perfectly put together. the girl she is now is confident in herself, outgoing, not afraid to speak her mind and rock the boat, is much less of a control freak (tho she does have her moments) and is pretty much up for any adventure. she’s much more personable now and is more of a boots/comfy shoes, ripped jeans and comfy band shirts wearing kinda gal

location — kat & adri’s place in claret park

character — @adriana-monahan​

He was thankful that Adriana’s roommate had agreed to letting him crash there. It wasn’t ideal, but he had every intention of helping out wherever he could. He’d spent the first two days of being there looking for a job and luckily, the local tree farm was just the place. The pay was good, the work was temporary, and it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. When he’d gotten back to the home to find it empty, he’d sent Adri a text letting her know he’d be out back with a case of beer and a smoke if she was interested. He’d only made it through a bottle and a half when he heard the backdoor open. “Don’t tell me you rushed out on another good time,” he teased, a hint of a smile on his mouth as fingers tapped against the arm of the wooden chair he’d found comfort in. “Your friend wasn’t home, so I figured I didn’t need to keep myself busy tonight.” Instead, he sat under the moonlight and enjoyed the company of cheap beer and the tightly rolled smoke he’d yet to touch. “If you don’t have any other plans… you’re free to join me.”

—

Being home had a handful of perks and and equal amount of downfalls, however, Adriana wasn’t one to dwell on the negative for too long. Not when her muse had been this high. Which was why she’d spent her entire day with her cameras, over five rolls of him and countless digital photos, while exploring the various hiking trails she’d only begun to get to know in her later years. She’d set out initially to go down the path that had nearly taken her life over a year ago, but once she’d reached that milestone she hadn’t wanted to turn back, not yet at least, and found herself finding her way back to her Jeep well past the time the sun had set.

It wasn’t like she’d had any plans other than going straight home to shower and spend the rest of her night relaxing and going through the digital photos she’d taken, but when she got Max’s text  those plans were easily forgotten for a night by the fire with one of her favorite people. “Do I look like I rushed out of anywhere?” She asked as she walked into the backyard with a grin, having deposited her hiking gear and cameras in the house already. “You say your friend like you and Kat aren’t already obsessed with each other.” She teased with a chuckle, lowering herself into his lap, legs dangling over the side of the chair as she leaned into the warmth of his chest. There was only a hint of jealousy in her words. “The only plans I had was for a shower and some sweatpants so as long as you don’t mind the fact that I reek I’d be happy to join.” Her smile grew as she gently snatched the bottle of beer from his hand and took a sip.

Watching the blonde scurry off into the distance wasn’t anything new. Not even the snow could keep the woman in her clothing for too long. Rather than follow behind, he figured that she’d be back with time. After all, she always came back. He’d unbuckled the straps to his board the same way that she had, but somewhere between stepping out and standing up, a gorgeous woman had stopped by to see if there was anything she could do for him. He’d entertained her flirting for no more than five minutes before the feeling of someone crashing him into sent stumbling a step forward.

Her teasing words left a weak smile on his mouth, but before he could get a word in, the other woman gave an awkward wave and made her way towards the very lodge that Adri had just come from. “I don’t think she was all that interested.” And even if she was, the woman atop his back was clearly far more intimidating than she probably even realized. “We heading back up for another go or do you want to head inside? Maybe get something warm to drink? I forgot how much I hate the cold.”

—

Using her grip on his shoulders as leverage, Adriana climbed her way up his back until she was situated there comfortably, albeit a little out of breath, and she rested her chin down on his shoulder with a soft laugh. “I don’t know how you don’t realize just how many women are flirting with you on a regular basis. Like, Miss Legs over there was practically undressing you with her eyes and you’re over here thinking she wasn’t all that interested.” Shaking her head with a smirk, Adri allowed her head to lean against the side of his. The way Max had seemed so oblivious to other women when they were together still baffled the blonde even after the months they’d spent in each other’s company. “You think when she was picturing you naked she pictured that little birth mark you have on your thigh?” She questioned playfully, a smirk coloring her features. 

At his question about their next activity, Adri’s eyes rolled. “We’ve been out here for an hour and you already wanna call it quits? I mean I figured you’d wanna get back to the room but damn, Maxie, you can’t keep it in your pants for a few extra hours?” Even though he couldn't see her and the playful, teasing grin that had stretched her lips wide, she knew he’d know she was only teasing him. “I hate to break it to you, bud, but you’re in Colorado now. The cold is like, a good 50% of the year so you better learn to bundle up because I was actually thinking that we head back up the mountain. But I’m tired of this board on my feet, how do you feel about some tubing?”

While Asli made sure to look for a certain tree stand, not daring to let Mama Cami down, she also couldn’t help but to check out all the other stands as well. Making sure to make little mental notes on a few to check back on, her smile grew as she heard Adri’s words. Admittedly, she could already think of something. “Well… Since I still have a few more nights of Hanukkah left… Maybe the courage to ask him to move in with me before the last night?” Glancing over, she waited to see the blonde’s reaction. A soft, hopeful smile and a little raise of her eyebrows, her heart beating quickly now. She’s been thinking about this for quite some time now, along with something else. Something that was a reason why she wanted to ask him to move in. Something that she’s been trying to figure out how to talk with Adri and Kat about. “Or… And this is something that I’m still working on… Maybe tell Elijah that… I’m in love with him?”

—

At Asli’s words, Adriana stopped dead in her tracks, pulling the younger woman around so she was facing her and placing her hands on Asli’s arms. She was biting back a grin, a slightly bewildered expression on her face as she looked to her best friend. “I’m sorry. Pause, reverse, rewind. We need wine for this. There’s got to be mulled wine around here somewhere right?” She kept her hold on Asli’s arms as she looked around for a moment before finally allowing the grin to overtake her features as her gaze landed back on the taller brunette in front of her. “How long have you guys been together again? I know I don’t have the best track record with relationships, but don’t you usually do the whole ‘I love you’ thing before the moving in thing? What does Alex think about that? Are you sure you’re ready?”

Realizing the string of questions left her lips in rapid succession, the blonde took a breath and shook her head, her grin softening into an affectionate smile as she pulled her friend into a hug. “I’m sorry, this is big. And amazing. How long have you been bitten by the love bug?” She teased playfully, pulling back and taking Asli by the hand, now in search of the mulled wine she’d mentioned before. 

Despite knowing that Adri was stuck in the middle of herself and Atlas, she didn’t hold back because she expected the blonde to see her view of things and be in agreement. Maybe a little naive given that Atlas and Adri were best friends and Ken would likely lose out in the battle if there ever came a time where one had to be picked over the other. Regardless, she was too frustrated not to talk about it right now. Though, it felt like it was all she was doing. “Thank you, that means a lot.” She didn’t know what was going on with Adri and if she as seeing someone which was a little selfish of her to just assume that her bed would be free for her, but she was happy to see that there wasn’t any hesitation. 

“Smart idea. Why work harder.” She pushed some strands from her hair as she looked around the mall in an attempt to figure out where she wanted to start. The truth was that she was more interested in getting drunk than trying clothes on but for the sake of being responsible and not binge drinking all day, she needed to waste some time on shopping. “I know, it’s just been a big strain for us having her around but it’s his family.” Pinching the bridge of her nose, she shook her head. “Let’s not talk about it because I feel like a broken record and I want to know what’s been going on in your life. There’s always something wild and I need the distraction.” She tugged back on her friends hand, leading her towards the pretzel stand when she mentioned good. “My treat for spending time with me and letting me vent.”

—

There wasn’t a lot Adri wouldn’t do for Atlas, but if it ever came down to it (not that she thought it ever would), she’d never choose between him and Kennedy. Atlas was her best friend, platonic soulmate, a piece of her heart, but Kennedy was family. She understood Adri on a level not many people did and the pair had bonded instantly on that beach all those years ago. She didn’t take Kennedy or her friendship for granted and she knew she’d do whatever she needed to to keep the blonde in her life. “Of course, babe. Anything for you, you know that.” And she meant it. She’d kick anyone out of her bed if Kennedy needed her. That’s what you did for family.

“I’ve learned the hard way.” She chuckled, the memory of carrying a canvas tote full of clamoring glass wine bottles flashing through her mind. “I finally met her. I mean, obviously, but before... all this.” She admitted. “Family is great and all, but...” She paused, trying to think about how to phrase what she wanted to say. “I just don’t think anyone should be able to disrupt your peace or your life the way she has, y’know? I’m all for helping family, you don’t donate a kidney if you’re not, but... let’s just leave it at there’s a reason I’m staying with Kat and not any of my siblings.” She gave Ken’s hand another gentle squeeze and nodded. “Well I’m home so nothing wild is going on.” She chuckled, moving easily towards the pretzel stand with her. “And please, you never have to bribe me to spend any time with you or letting you vent. It’s what friends are for. But I’m also not going to say no to a free pretzel.” She grinned. 

As fate would have it, having just visited their high school to look for a potential story, Liya found herself taken all the years back. The face was hers but different, attire a complete contrast to who she had been back then. Which didn’t bother Liya, her own style had changed over the years and fluctuated between casual and a little more dressed up for herself. “A-Adri…?” It came out cautiously, hoping that this wasn’t some freak moment and that the woman in front of her hadn’t actually looked like Adri at all. “Liya–God it’s been years. How are you? …and please stop me if you’re not Adriana Monahan so I can go crawl into a hole and die from embarrassment.” @adriana-monahan​

—

Standing in the middle of the Holiday Market with her camera around her neck, Adriana had to take a moment to just be present, a sense of joy filling her up that hadn’t been present for her in Providence Peak in years. She’d just brought her camera back up to her face, snapping a few shots of the ice skating rink, when an unfamiliar voice called out her name. Turning as she lowered the camera back down and allowed it to hang from the strap around her neck, it took a moment for the blonde to recognize the person calling her name, Liya, right. 

“Oh my god.” She grinned, moving towards the other woman to give her a quick embrace. “I was going to act like I’ve never heard of this Adriana Monahan but it’s been way too long, like at least what? 10 years or so? It’s so good to see you! You look amazing.” 

She’d practically run from where she deposited her robe and coat and into the hot spring, lowering her entire body sans her head into the warm waters with a satisfied sigh. “I always love the idea of an outdoor hot spring until the whole wearing only a bikini as you walk to the warm water thing happens.” She chuckled, moving closer to him while keeping only her shoulders and above out of the water. “In Iceland, they did it right. The Blue Lagoon may be a complete tourist trap but you’re always within a few steps of someone’s warm clothes.” Grin on her features, she gently bumped her shoulder into his. “After this we are definitely spending a lot of time by the fire and there will be alcohol involved. But in the mean time, catch me up on what’s been going on with you? It’s been way too long.”

With one of the specialty drinks in one hand and a small plate of food in the other, Adri was unable to cover her mouth as a yawn overtook her features, an audible show of how tired she was and the groan that followed her way of reminding her best friend and roommate how much she would have rather been snuggled up in bed than out at this hour. “Kaat.” She whined, head resting down on the older woman’s shoulder as she let out another sigh. “Why am I not in bed right now? Isn’t brunch supposed to be a breakfast/lunch combo. I think we could have come later. A lot later.” Not bothering to lift her head from Kat’s shoulder as she brought her glass up to her lips and took a sip, the blonde stifled another yawn. “So here’s my proposal. We go back home, sleep for a few more hours, then fun, well rested Adri can come out and play.”

She’d been sent to the mall by her brothers to pick up some last minute gifts for their sisters, a duty she’d been tasked with since she’d been old enough to drive them all to the mall but throughout the years the boys had stopped coming and instead sent her with half written lists in their stead. And even though she much preferred the atmosphere of the open air markets she’d visited overseas, she didn’t mind the busy mall or the shopping, but she wasn’t going to be the one to wrap all these gifts. So after a quick trip to the toy store to ensure she bought enough toys to donate to cover the amount of gifts she was about to request be wrapped, she carried her handful of shopping bags towards the chief of police and his volunteers at the wrapping station.

She’d only been standing in line for a few minutes when she spotted a familiar face nearby, abandoning the queue to make her way over to him and gently nudge his arm with her elbow to get his attention. “You think if I brought you up there they’d wrap you up so I could put you under my tree?” She teased with a smirk. “Or are we not allowed to take cops home as gifts to ourselves?”

They’d only been on the mountain for an hour before the inevitable happened- Adri had to pee. All wrapped up in her snowsuit, gloves covering her hands and a snowboard strapped to her feet, she left a trail behind her once they got to the bottom of the hill. First she ripped her feet out of the bindings, leaving the snowboard abandoned where she’d stood before she took off towards the lodge, her gloves abandoned in the snow behind her followed by her helmet and then her scarf as she called out to Max over her shoulder. “Gotta pee! Be right back!”

She almost didn’t make it, the snowsuit doing all most too good of a job at keeping her secure and warm, but once she was done and able to get the suit back on, she made her way back out to the mountain and Max where she wasn’t at all surprised to see him chatting with a beautiful woman. There was a flash of an emotion through her gut that she’d rather not dwell on as she made the decision to sneak up behind him and pounce onto his back mid sentence. A grin on her features as her arms and legs wrapped tightly around him as she clung to his larger frame for dear life. “Wow, barely gone five minutes and you’ve already tried to replace me with an upgraded model?”

With her arm linked through Asli’s as they walked through the market, Adri made sure to keep an eye out for Blooming Dales’ stand. When her mother caught wind of the girls’ plan that day she made sure to text both Adri and Asli and remind them that they needed to pick up a new Christmas themed bouquet for the M&M Homes reception desk. It was a pointless errand, one Adriana knew was Cami’s way of ensuring she’d see the girls that day, but the blonde wasn’t about to brush her mother off this close to the holidays. She did want to live long enough to finally make it to Antarctica, after all. “So since you have a tall, hot, foreign boyfriend,” She began with a teasing tone and matching grin, “What on Earth could possibly be left for you to ask for for Christmas, hm?”

Holding an open bottle of wine in one hand and a shot glass in the other, Adri leaned back against the counter with a lopsided grin on her face. “C’mon, just one more shot.” Holding the glass out towards the man, Adri wiggled it around a bit in an inebriated attempt to make it more enticing, spilling a bit of the amber liquid over the sides and pulling a string of chuckles from the blonde’s lips that gradually grew in volume. “I swear this one really does taste like a s’mores! You can barely taste the whiskey. Don’t you trust me?” She pouted, jutting out her lower lip and presenting the brunette with the shot glass once more.

who: @adriana-monahan​

where: Skyline Shopping Centre

“I’m staying with you tonight and I don’t want to talk about it.” By now, she hadn’t been speaking much to Atlas because she wasn’t sure if she was still angry or maybe a little guilty that she had robbed him of her sister. Though she remembered the fact that her credit card was gone and didn’t feel that bad. “I want to buy a lot of hard liquor and a lot of clothes to make myself feel better.” 

As well as a lot of food but that went without saying. Her emotions were all over the place and she just wanted to spend some holidays that weren’t hectic. “I also need you to make me not feel so guilty but just plainly helping me forget is probably for the best at this point.” All of it felt pretty horrible and she needed to start having fun. 

—

Slipping her arm through the other woman’s, Adri did her best to hide the feeling of guilt that had taken residence in her gut from reaching her face. Instead, she nodded along in agreement and did her best to keep her features neutral. The hard part of being close with two people in a couple was when they got into arguments, especially when Adri herself had been at the party that was the catalyst for Atlas and Kennedy’s current disagreement. “Of course, you know my bed is your bed always.” She needed to remember to send Max a message so he wouldn’t find his way into her room that night and let Kat know they’d have another visitor for the evening. It was her house, after all. 

“Liquor and clothes. Got it. We should probably do the clothes first because they’re lighter. Imagine having to lug like six bottles of tequila around the mall? I don’t go to the gym for a reason.” She mused, trying to make Ken laugh, or at least crack a smile. However, her upbeat expression faltered for a moment as Kennedy continued to speak and she moved to slip her hand into her friend’s, giving it a comforting squeeze. “You have nothing to feel guilty about, you’re allowed to feel angry with the situation.” She knew had she come home to a party that trashed the place and her credit card missing, especially after everything Molly had already put Ken through with her sudden appearance, she’d have lost her cool as well. “But I can also do forgetting. Let’s start with some pretzels, yeah? Or ice cream. Or both.”

Wrapping her arms around Adri as she came around the table to pull her into a hug, she couldn’t believe that the other woman was here. “Surprise is right,” she laughed, “No,” she shook her head, feeling a bit sad about the idea of her house being so empty. “Just me, but you might have been tackled with puppy kisses if you did that,” she told Adri with a large smile on her lips, pulling back from the hug. “I’ve been good, yeah,” she nodded her head, which wasn’t a lie. There was a lot going on, it seemed but Dilan was doing well, considering some things. “I look amazing? So do you? Where have you been this time around?” She hummed in though, always loving to hear about the woman’s adventures. 

—

“I missed out on being tackled by puppy kisses?” She asked with a playful pout before her expression turned into a grin, “Well then next time I’ll just have to break in. Expect to find me curled up in your bed with the pup at an undisclosed time in the near or not so near future.” Her tone was teasing as she finally released Dilan and sat back down on her side of the table. She’d missed the brunette and was glad they were getting this chance to catch up. “Yeah?” She questioned with a soft smile, just wanting to make sure. Dilan was like pure sunlight, bringing warmth wherever she went, but the blonde knew that that came at a price and wanted to make sure her friend was, in fact, doing well. “Oh please, I’m pretty sure I’ve still got airplane hair and I’ve showered like, at least five times since I got off that plane.” She joked with a soft laugh. “But I’ve been... let’s see. Morocco, Sicily, Greece, India, Cambodia...” Trailing off, she finished off the last of the wine from her tasting fight. “But how about we order a bottle and I can tell you all about where I’ve been and what I’ve seen and you can tell me everything I’ve missed these last few months. Maybe we can get a cheese board, too. This is where you work, after all, we can’t have you falling over drunk.” She teased, glancing over her shoulder to flag down their waiter to order the wine and cheese she spoke of. If they were going to catch up, they were going to do it right... and they were going to be at that table for a while.

Kennedy couldn’t help but laugh because she knew that Atlas was a good guy and she knew how Adriana thought so since they had been two peas in a pod for a long time. It wasn’t a surprise that her boyfriend was in on all of this so naturally she only rolled her eyes at the other blonde. Massaging the shampoo into her hair while she looked over at Adri, Ken couldn’t help but laugh as she shrugged her shoulder. “I wouldn’t call it dickmatize you but its a decent explanation about it all. I can’t argue with you on that one.” She’d always been in love with the giant man, ever since she was younger and that love had only intensified now that they were older and she’d seen him be a great father and turn into an amazing person. No matter how much she loved Adri, she didn’t think she would ever hold much of a chance. No one would. 

She smiled at the blonde while she slid into some clothes and then turned towards her, leaning against the end of the bed. Atlas was quiet when it came to him moving around the home but maybe it had more to do with how well it was built that it barely cracked beneath his weight which was probably the most shocking part. “I’m doing okay. The shelter is open and thank you for all the work you convinced Atlas and your dad to do. I appreciate that so much. Otherwise, we’ve got a visitor, have you had the chance to meet her? She’s…. delightfully annoying.”

—

There’d been a time, years ago, when Adri had wanted exactly what Kennedy and Atlas had. A love that spanned decades, that survived countless hurdles. A love that was unconditional. But now? After the mess that was her marriage and the fiasco that her attempt at a relationship with Benji was, she’d settled on the fact that love wasn’t in the cards for her. At least not romantic love. And she’d convinced herself she was okay with that. She had to be, right? 

“Honey, it took no convincing at all.” She said with a warm smile, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head. “That shelter, and you, are amazing. I just suggested it to my dad, he and Atlas did the rest... after I stole the keys. So I guess it is kind of all my doing isn’t it?” She teased playfully with a grin. “I’m glad to hear it’s going well, though. And I haven’t had the pleasure yet but I have a feeling I will soon enough. There’s that little ticking sound like a bomb about to go off in my brain and I’m pretty sure it has something to do with her.” She mused, rising from the bed and sliding an arm around the other blonde’s waist in a sideways hug. “But let’s not talk about her. Your hubby is making us dinner and I, for one, think drinking a beer and heckling him while he does it will be an excellent distraction from she who must not be named. Let’s go.”