— THIS FIRE GROWS HIGHER /*

"Don't remind me," Elliot moaned with a roll of his eyes. He was very much aware of the fact that years were creeping up on him and he was not getting any younger. "But you are oder than me, just in case. you forgot." It was one card he held over his friends after all and he was never going to not use it when he had the chance to. "We'll be remembered in history for being so charitable. I'm sure of it," he announced, tapping his friend on his back. "I'd definitely love a beer. And maybe grab a bite? I'm kind of starving."

How could he ever forget? The mirror reminded him daily... his mother reminded him daily that he was not getting any younger, especially when she tried to ask for more grandchildren. Hell, Harper Lee! Wasn't Selvi enough? "When have I ever forgotten?" Jacob shook his head. He was well aware that the clocked seemed to tick faster for him... was that even an expression like that? The mention of food, however, made Jaocb forget everything he had been complaining about. From his future knee pain to the possibility of going grey. All he could focus on now, was on the sudden wave of hunger that flushed through him and made him groan in return. "Yeah, we should go grab something to eat. You want to head over to Basic Kneads? I could go for pizza." / @elliot-chapman

the last thing that carissa wanted was for the man to feel pitied. she wanted jacob to be able to lean on her when he felt like he was having a hard time. carissa hoped that he didn't take it in the wrong way. she glanced up at him as he spoke, "i just wanted you to know that i'm here for you whenever you need it. even if we decide that we're only meant to be friends." a big part of her didn't want that though. she enjoyed jacob's company and the fact that mei set them up had to mean something right? "of course it's for you."

That slight discomfort had settled on his shoulders again, so Jacob tried shaking it off by stretching up his back and shifting his shoulders a little. He appreciated her, though. Actually, this was the first time he had spoken this openly about his depression to someone who wasn't Sage, Elliot or Maya. Even his mother didn't get to see this side of him, because he knew how much Harper Lee would worry and the woman was far too old to keep on worrying this much. "Thank you, Carissa." He told her as he looked deep into her dark hues, allowing himself to get lost in those deep pools for a moment. "I appreciate it." Even if her words hadn't really been welcomed in his ears. "Although... I think I'm far too attracted to you for us to be just friends."

carissa peered up at him, a small laugh leaving her lips. "we do know each other in an intimate way, don't we?" she didn't see anything wrong with it though. if she were being honest, she found it...somewhat refreshing that the two had gotten to know each other inside of the bedroom first. to her, that's where all the pressure seemed to be. at least, to her.

As he felt her arms move around him, Jacob couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable about it. Was she pitying him? Did she think it was one of those situations where a hug would help? And then... just as quickly as the discomfort arrived in his chest, it dissipated through his body. He liked it, actually. He liked that he was being embraced in his weakness, that his vulnerability was being welcomed instead of pushed aside, and more than that, he liked that Carissa wasn't afraid of holding him like that in public, despite them having done exchanges like these so much in the past, either in his or her places. "What's that for, hm?" He asked, his voice as smooth and as gentle as a whisper as he returned the hug, by wrapping his arm around her shoulders and then kissing the side of her head. "Is that for me?"

She felt like an idiot for even talking about Giada like this. They were divorced and because of something incredibly life altering at that. Gia had walked out on her. And yet, there she was, talking about her moment with the woman with her entire chest (and maybe a little bit of her heart too). It was Jacob though. If she could be honest with anyone without feeling like she as being judged, it was him, right? Apparently not. Sage couldn't help the huff of amusement that fell from her mouth at the words ms. kitty. "It didn't exactly happen like that, just so you know," She offered with an eye roll, knowing what the man was implying, but not able to tease him with the things that did happen considering Maggie was in his arms. "It'd be a lot easier if she were," the older blonde pointed out. Maybe she wouldn't have made the choice she did, maybe she wouldn't have hurt Yasemin in the process. "At the kayak race on Monday. She, uh, fell into the water and I helped her out with a pair of dry clothes."

"Yeah, I figured it hadn't..." Still, he kept a small smile on his lips as he retorted Sage's comment about Giada and her. He couldn't judge her for running back into familiar territory even if he tried. He'd done that so many times in the past with Genevieve, that it would be really hypocritical of him if he did it to his best friend. "Hey Mags, do you want to try one of the games?" He asked the curly-haired toddler, wondering if actual distraction would keep her eyes and ears away from the adult conversation, especially after Sage pointed out at her own daughter. "Let's go. Samchon and mommy are going to look for a nice game for you so they can talk." He bounced her up in his arms to get her all excited, then he threw his arm over Sage's shoulders, pulling her in to plant a kiss on the crown of her head. "Have you two talked after that, though?" / @sagefranklin

The light breeze provided by the shade was barely enough to cool them off after that game, but it was better than nothing. As he slumped down on the ground he felt all the leftover energy leave his body. He could do one game after the other once, but it was a harsh realization that he was indeed growing older. Taking some more water, he let out a chuckle. "That can only be attributed to a surge of adrenaline. And me being way too competitive for my own good. My knee will hate me for it by tonight."

"Dude, you're fucking old." Jacob couldn't help but laugh as he playfully shoved Elliot off his balance. He was, however, older than Elliot, so his knee would probably be the ones hurting sooner rather than later... but then again, Jacob had been doing one hell of a good job keeping up with his cardio routine at the gym as well as lifting weights. Granted, he was no baseball professional, but yeah... maybe his body wasn't going to yell at him later, especially since he had a late-night-call that evening that he didn't want to reschedule. "I guess charity can thank us later when we're dead and gone." Again, he laughed. "But maybe we could go for a beer after we've caught our breaths? Sure I love my water intake, but c'mon... it's getting warmer. The weather is begging for a cold one!" / @elliot-chapman

"It's the perfect time to get things organized," Dilan had been known to spring clean, though she had yet to get around to it thus far. She'd have to remember to set aside some time, perhaps during a Selvi nap or while she was with Jacob. "I cannot believe how easy it is to accumulate things for Selvi and all the clothes she's already outgrown," Dilan was shaking her head, "I need to donate the ones in good condition." She told Jacob with a smile, "Always there is work," she kept the smile, "I've got my first full wedding next weekend." In which she'd spend a considerable amount of time away from her daughter. Dilan had been planning weddings since January but it would be the first one she was attending instead of sending her assistant planner - mostly because she didn't have one anymore. "Me? I'm good," her cheeks were pushed more by the growing smile, "I really cannot complain." @jacobklee

Jacob smiled at his ex. If anyone had told him he'd be standing there with a baby in his arms he'd generated with a woman he was no longer dating, he would've probably laughed. If anything, Jacob thought himself to be an old romantic... the one to want to get married, have kids, a family of his own, and, although not in a traditional way, that's what he had created with Dilan: a family. "Maybe we should check if the shelter needs some baby clothes." Who knows, maybe there were mothers with young babies there, so Selvi's clothes would have a nice place to go. "Woah, your first wedding? That sounds great, Dil. A huge step, isn't it?" While they had dated for about a year, Jacob understood the implications of having someone planning that important day of your life, and probably, sending your assistant wasn't the same thing as going there yourself, so he was happy Dilan was getting herself back out there. "Does this mean I get to have this little muchkin with me for that day?" He wiggled his fingers towards their daughter to make her laugh, then leaned in to smooch her chubby cheeks.

who: @jacobklee

Jacob was waiting on his sisters to join him, since his mother had insisted he'd invited them to the benefit and try spending some quality time with them in order to try and rebuild that kind of bond they used to have as children. Instead of one of the Lee women, a blonde beauty joined him instead, her growing bump reminding Jacob of when Dilan was carrying their child in her womb. "Uh, hello." Still, he smiled, adjusting himself on his seat for a split second, before he stood up. "No, not at all, please." The taller man walked behind the chair she'd asked about and pulled it out for her to seat. He didn't think Maya or the other girls would mind it anyway. "Are you enjoying the festivities so far?" Jacob asked, before returning to his seat. / @kennydavis

the previous situation carissa had been in had left her a little worried that things with jacob would be the same. after all, she thought that it was more than sex with zeynep. the drive in felt like a date but that's not at all what it was. the thing about carissa was that she had a hard time separating her feelings from sex and so, she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy jacob's company too. she just wasn't sure that things would ever move outside of the four walls of his bedroom and maybe things wouldn't have had they not been put in this situation.

Jacob easily slid his hand down hers, letting his thumb occasionally brush against the soft and warm skin of hers as they moved towards the bigger area where the spring fair organizers were setting up the hot air balloons and taking in potential riders. Carissa's little comment caused a slight chuckle to escape Jacob's lips. He tended to be that sometimes: a little too direct for other people's tastes. "I mean... I already know what you like in bed,—" Though there was always room to learn more about the beautiful woman walking alongside him, "— might as well learn what you like out of it." He chuckled. "I also know how you take your coffee, eggs and toast, too..."

"if you're old, i'm ancient, dude," leon teased, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips as he observed jacob's antics, the beer hidden behind his coat. he didn't comment on it, opting instead to take a casual sip of his own beer, his gaze briefly locking with that of a mother guiding her little ones home. it wasn't against the law, was it? if they sold some, they were alright to drink it in public.

Jacob furrowed his brows, letting out a soft chuckle as he looked at his friend. "You know you're barely two years older than me, right? That doesn't sound too ancient in my book." Besides, age was just a number these days, wasn't it? With advances in medicine and all of that they saw on the news about progress and whanot? "Even if you were, the world is ending in fifty years tops. We probably won't be here to see it, thankfully." Again, Jacob chuckled, although it bore a more somber tone to it, because talking about the end of the world didn't really scream happy times to most. To Jacob, it just felt inevitable, so, he had made peace with it.

Characters: Elliot Chapman & Jacob Lee (@jacobklee) Location: Baseball Charity Game, Claret Park Closed Starter

Jacob let out a short-breath chuckle at his friend. The weather being this warm meant the older man drank twice as much water as he usually did, which not always was a bad thing anyway. Waiting for Elliot under the shades some trees cast on the green grass, Jacob allowed his gaze to run across the crowd of people that was starting to swarm away from the pitch. "Thanks, man." He drew in a breath, easily uncapping the bottle Elliot had handed him and taking a few sips, before he was finally okay to carry a decent conversation. "Me? What about you? We wouldn't have hit that home run if you hadn't pitched that ball as great as you did." / @elliot-chapman

"Excuse you?" From what he could tell, Jacob could do so much more than hopping. His mind and spirit were old, but his body tended to be in good shape considering he still kept a healthy routine by going to the gym and eating healthy. "You want to bet who's got more chances in hopping away with my daughter? Because I'm sure you'll lose." Hoon told her matter-of-factly, before motioning his hand towards the fences keeping the animals of the petting zoo safe from the crowd of bypassers and children. "Nah, I'll kick them right back if they kick me. But then again, they'll probably be too busy eating your hair or some shit." As he again, shrugged, Kyung Hoon adjusted both his sister and his daughter within frame and took a couple of pictures of them while he called out to Selvi, to get the baby's attention and make her smile at the picture. "Here. You're welcome." He handed Maya's phone back and pried his daughter away from the younger woman's arms, hearing her giggle as she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. "Aigoo... missed appa already? I know, I know..." He mumbled against the side of her head, planting small kisses upon her skin. "Auntie Maya is the ugliest, I know." He chuckled, while stepping away from Maya, as if not to get smacked by her. "Where do you want to go next?" / @mayxlee

She couldn't help but grin at her best friend's antics with Maggie, the toddler herself giggling even more at them. Her day never failed to be brightened by the other, even when it felt like the world was crashing down all around her. It was like some weird seesaw for them. He helped her feel better, she helped him feel better, and so on for over thirty years of their lives. Sage wasn't sure what she'd do without him. "Okay, okay, fine," She finally declared, lifting her hands up in a way that showed she'd been caught. "Wouldn't want the fun police to arrest me anyway." A soft chuckle of amusement fell from her lips, fading almost just as quickly when he started questioning her about Giada and suddenly, Sage wished she'd never said anything at all. Maybe the fun police could arrest her and lock her away so she'd never have to. "I only found out... maybe two weeks ago?" Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember just how long it'd been since Gia showed up in front of the home they used to share.

"I think she would, too," it would be a new experience for their daughter - so only really didn't know how it would go. She hoped, better than their Santa experience which left Selvi in tears. Not that she could be blamed. "Lemonade sounds wonderful," she smiled with the thought, "it's such a beautiful day out, that really ties it all together." She went on before looking at Jacob and their daughter, "How have you been?" Dilan felt as they hadn't had any proper time to catch up. @jacobklee

Jacob smiled, too. He would get them some lemonade once they were done feeding some animals... or at least, once Selvi had spent some time with them, hopefully, without any tears left to spare. At least, the animals didn't feel as threatening as the guy dressed up as Santa did. "It really does." The older man nodded, wiggling his fingers at his daughter, trying to steal a laugh from her. "I've been okay. Mostly trying to get things organized at the house." He'd been some spring cleaning and getting rid of things he didn't need anymore. "And also, there's work." Which was also, fine. Nothing ever that stressful happened in the world of finance—well... at least, nothing he could actually control. Should he tell her about the blind date later that week? He understood now when Dilan told him about Erol and her, because now he felt slightly uncomfortable, but at the same time... a blind date didn't mean marriage and kids, right? So he kept that information to himself. "What about you? How are you?" / @dilanxbarak

Sage smiled triumphantly, even if deep inside she knew that the other was still stewing about whether or not he'd find someone to love. She wasn't really one to speak, not after how her epic love had ended; childless and a mess full of grief and regret and so much anger. "You'll get there, I promise. There's no timeline on something like this." Maybe she was talking to him or, just maybe, she was giving herself some advice. Though she wasn't sure any amount of advice would help with the situation she managed to get herself into. "Please, have you looked at her? There's no one else she could've gotten those adorable looks from." Sage teasingly reached forward to gently squeeze Maggie's cheek, her nose crinkling as she made a silly face toward the other. The toddler laughed and swatted her hand away almost immediately. It was clear to almost everyone who she came from and no doubt it was definitely from the elder Franklin. Outside of the curls Maggie may have inherited from her father's side, everything else was straight off of the production line at Franklin Inc. "I thought I did," fell out of her mouth before she could stop it, ending with a roll of her eyes and the smallest huff of air. "Then, uh... Gia showed up back in town." Showed up. Pissed her off. Then they somehow managed to get to the banging portion of that, successfully derailing anything she'd even dreamed of building with Yasemin. "I kind of slept with her... in the back alley of the bar."

You know... she was right. While Jacob had not spent that much time around Atlas or any of the members of the Williams family, it didn't take an expert to see that Maggie's genes were mostly Sage's. Maybe her personality was similar to her father's? Again, that he wouldn't know. "Hey, hands off my niece!" Again, he teased, helping Maggie swat her mother's hand away from her rosy cheeks. "I got you baby girl, samchon got you." Jacob smiled at the little girl, kissing the top of her head, and then looking over his shoulder when the blonde girl mentioned a horsie, so of course, Jake motioned his head towards the petting zoo, hoping Maggie would be distracted enough with the animals while the adults talked. "Wait... Gia? Why am I only now hearing about this?" He furrowed his brows while looking at his friend. "You? You slept with Gia?" Jacob blinked a few times, as if it would help him ensure he'd heard it right. "Shi—woah, Sage... that's... how, though?" And as soon as the question left his lips, Jacob rolled his eyes at himself. "You understood what I meant. I meant why? What happened there?" / @sagefranklin