* — godless

open  starter  ⸺  capping  at  3  pls  /  @charmingstart location  ⸺  any  parking  lot  or  anywhere  that  makes  sense

if sophia had sworn at her car once, she'd sworn at it a million times. served her right for ignoring the check engine light for the better part of a month. "fuck." clear annoyance laced her voice as she turned to the man calling out, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face. her day had been plagued with troubles from the moment she opened her eyes, this was just the cherry on top. she needed more help than he could probably offer — still, she relaxed her shoulders slightly at the relief of maybe not needing to call a tow truck. "uh.. yeah, actually. can you try giving this piece of junk a jump? it might be the battery." she said, kicking the front tire and narrowly missing the bumper. she didn't know much about cars but still, she clung on to a bit of hope that there wasn't a bigger issue.

ryder siblings / ryder family home

Danica glanced up from the stove as Seth wandered in, the smell of pasta filling the kitchen. She arched a brow, spoon in hand. “It would’ve been better if someone remembered the parmesan like I asked.” Her tone carried that mix of sisterly scolding and amusement, the kind only Danica had perfected.

"heard that!" sophia shouted from the entryway as she kicked off her shoes haphazardly. "you forget something once or twice and suddenly everyone loses faith in you." she said, holding the loaf proudly as she made her way into the kitchen, as if danica hadn't texted her a million reminders. with a quick 'catch' she threw the garlic bread at seth before setting her tote bag on the table. "i even stopped for wine. so i'm gonna need y'all to venmo me." as she began pulling the bottles out of the bag, she smiled at cameron. "yeah uncle seth, you have to! uncle atlas too."

each girl that had walked through these doors had a particular reason to be there. whether it was for their own pleasure, because they genuinely liked the job, or because it was a means of survival. they all had their own story, on that led them to the black widow. but one thing they always had in common, despite what had brought them here, was the look they all shared in their first few weeks. fear, maybe. perhaps self-doubt. an uneasy air surrounded them, one most people could never pick up on, but laurie could. over the years, she'd mastered the art of reading between the lines, catching the parts they wouldn't dare say out loud.

leo couldn't help but laugh at her expression, at the faux nonchalance she put on that he could see through so clearly, especially because they both knew that if she was here with him, there was no way he would even think about going home with any other woman. finishing his beer, he stood up and looked down at her, head tilting slightly. "we both know what i'm into." leo said, his voice low and inviting. "but it's cute when you get so jealous."

seth & kehlani / the corner cafe / @jailbiirds

kehlani didn't think there'd ever be a day where she wouldn't show the same level of excitement about seeing seth waiting in the back lot to drive her home. time after time, her grin was just as wide as the last as if this hadn't become a nearly daily thing. "that depends.. did you remember my helmet? because if you did, i definitely wanna go for a drive! and maybe we can stop somewhere for food?" she said, adjusting her backpack before skipping over to him and bringing him in for a hug. "unless you're looking to get rid of me."

It was a gift of hers that Chelsea wore like a crown. She noticed everything. Came useful for a job like hers where she needed to pluck the weakling out of the crowd and smother them, mostly the men, with all bits of what she had to offer to make a little money. So, while spotting the opening, for no apparent reason, Chelsea settled herself in. “Uh huh.” She tilted her head, blonde hair spilling forward, pretending not to notice how close they were, like it wasn’t intentional. “Yet you keep showing up, I might start thinking you’re here for me.” Chelsea teased, the smirk tugging wider before she reclined just slightly, enough to give Ronnie the choice—lean in, or let her slip away. But her gaze didn’t drift, it stayed locked, unashamedly drawing her in, as if Chelsea had all night to play this game. She even purposely lifted a thicker leg that was exposed, yet let room for playful imagination, dropping it over her opposing knee, then when the vodka sodas were delivered before them, didn’t drink right away. Her middle finger slid around the rim instead. “Well, depends.” Chelsea murmured, curling her other hand beneath her chin innocently. “Do you want me coming back for more?”

ronnie found it increasingly hard to focus on any one particular thing. eyes wandering over chelsea's body, mind wandering even more. she gulped as the blonde leaned in, racking her brain for a witty comeback that never came. "maybe i am here for you. though it's beginning to feel a little pointless." she said, trying her best to feign boredom. the never-ending, one-sided chase would surely keep her coming back. ronnie watched carefully as chelsea settled in and then it was her turn to lean closer. "see, i do want you coming back for more.." she trailed off, taking a sip of her drink as if it might give her a bit or courage. "but i feel like that's gonna cost me. and i'm not sure it's worth the price." though if she asked nicely and batted her lashes one more time, ronnie would consider draining her whole bank account. chelsea knew what she was doing, and ronnie did too, to a certain extent. but that wouldn't stop her from eating it up. she brought her index finger to the blonde's thigh, tracing a small line, letting her hand linger for a moment. "you've got tons of people here vying for your attention... and i don't like sharing."

lia & brad / their home / @jailbiirds

the home and life he and lia had created together was a nice juxtaposition to the noise and chaos of charming. nothing seemed too difficult to handle and no problem seemed too big once sheltered inside. "improptu date night, huh? odds i get lucky if i keep this bad boy full?" he teased, reaching for the bottle of wine to top them off. brad gave her hand a light squeeze at the question. "nothing for you to worry about, my love." he said with a smile before continuing. there were never any secrets between them. "talked him off the ledge. or at least i think i did. you know how he is. wants to retaliate against to cops for bringing ramiro in."

hector & brad / brad's home / @jailbiirds

brad had always been the more level headed of the two. while hector jumped the gun immediately, the advisor took his time to weigh out the options and to think carefully about the consequences they would bring. "c'mon, man. you really think retaliating against law enforcement would be in our best interest?" he shook his head, of course he believed they deserved justice, ramiro especially, but not like this. "i get it, you're fucking angry. we all are. but do you want to be brought in next?" it wouldn't be him but hector had a point. brad let out a smooth, knowing laugh. "we're gonna need more information before doing anything. how about we send 'em one of our girls. see how much insider info they can get while on their knees since that seems to be a thing."

It was a busy day in the hospital and she is trying to focus on the task at hand. Charie knows she his to attend to someone in the other room but need to make sure that everyone his everything intact. she would look at her. "Look we are very busy today but know that i'm here with you what did you come in for?" she asked her.

the constant throb of the headache she'd been sporting for the better half of a week had finally gotten the best of her. professionalism and composure took flight, and any excuse charlie would conjure up just wouldn't be good enough. "yeah, well, you're always busy around here. but there's such a thing as time management and i believe every single person in this hospital lacks it entirely." laurie brought a hand up to her face, pinching the bridge of her nose. "my migraines have been getting worse, i'm gonna need you to prescribe me something stronger."

Hesitance rose in his bones and remained. The only people he really trusted was the club at the moment, but he wasn't deliberately trying to be a dick. She hadn't been the one who brought him into the station. "Seems like they just pick and choose who they want to bring to the station." Without you know, actually having real evidence. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. "I hope you're not about to start charging me for that advice." The man noted but let it sit, repeating the words internally without voicing it out in his own mind. "I am not sulking by the way. Just reflecting. They made their move, now I just have to come up with my own. I will be damned if I am accused of something I never did."

"something like that. the longer they take to bring someone in, the more incompetent they look. and you know how much they love that." the cops around charming always seemed to fall short. an absolute shit show, ten steps behind. when it came to solving anything around town, laurie had learned over the years that it was best to take care of things yourself if you wanted them done properly. "first one's free, i'll send you an invoice for any additional pieces." as she finished her cigarette, the blonde rose from her seat. she had bothered him enough. "i'll be eager to see what you come up with. drop by the black widow tonight if you're feeling up for it. first drink's on me, maybe even a dance from our finest for your troubles."