You look amazing

Jonathan Daviss & He/Him/Cismale ‷ watch out , James Allen has crash-landed into roswell !! they look 26 years old and celebrate their birthday on March Fifteenth. they are from roswell, reside in the Greystone Complex and is currently working as a florist at the Stalk Market Florist. one thing you should know about them is: they have been saving up to make their own indie film.‷ ( Andre, He/Him, 24, EST )

Name: James Allen Nicknames: None Age: Twenty-six Date of Birth: March 15th 1995 Birthplace: Roswell, NM Occupation: Florist Romantic/sexual orientation: Heterosexual Relationship Status: Single

!! TRIGGER WARNING!! DRUG USE

“i don’t think it’s that easy,” winter laughed lightly, giving a small shake of her head as she did. it wasn’t a great mindset to have and she knew that, but she didn’t think anyone would ever be able to convince her of something she just plain knew wasn’t true. “everyone gets tired of me eventually. never met someone who didn’t.” her shoulders lift in a small shrug, as if there’s just nothing to be done about that simple fact, because to her, there’s not.

-

wren didn’t trust anyone. not with her thoughts, not with her feelings, and especially not with herself. hell, she didn’t even trust herself half the time, too many years of people coming and going and proving to her that she’d wasted her time again. wren liked to think that those attempting to be present in her life these days had only the best intentions, but it was hard to break herself of a pessimistic habit, especially when it came to anything that could be considered romantic. however, the difference between wren and james was that she didn’t have any feelings for him apart from a weird friendship. there was always a feeling of guilt when she thought about it, eyes dropping down to her feet now as her brows pulled together. she needed to tell him eventually, but the last thing she wanted was to watch that smile disappear from his features, and so she held it in. wren just hoped she could gather the courage sooner rather than later.

“dope,” she repeated, sticking her tongue out in disgust. sometimes it felt like they came from two different worlds, different breeds of people that shouldn’t get along, yet somehow did. maybe it was an opposites pull type of thing, his happy attitude and optimism something she severely lacked in her life unless james was around. she should be more grateful. “i suppose mac miller is acceptable,” she teased, hugging the vinyl to her chest, her eyes wandering across the store. “you ever think about how weird we are? friendship wise?”

-

James liked the situation they had going. As much as it sucked to not be able to dive into romance, like he would like, being single was probably the roughest thing he had to do. James was one of those poor souls that lived for relationships and adult dating was difficult. His world wasn’t large, but falling in love made the little things beam with vibrancy. Wren was wonderful and their shared moments of intimacy were nice- even if the intimacy was somewhat manufactured.

“ you grew them yourself ?? “ as much as ender liked to think she was a good plant parent , it was so much harder growing things from the seed ; she had an extensive graveyard of orchids and cacti to show for such misdirected confidence in her own abilities . “ well , i must’ve known deep down that they were the best of the best . i don’t settle , “ it made sense for her to set her boundaries on the first date for , often times , she never made it past the initial meet-up . men thought of ender as too much , as high maintenance , but what’s so bad about a girl knowing exactly what she wants ??

glancing back at the menu , she was reminded they were at a restaurant instead of on a talk-show panel . humming , she closed the laminated list and rested it carefully on the edge of the table . “ i trust your judgement with the carbonara . i’ll get one of those .. “ she began , flicking strands of dark hair over one shoulder to cascade against the exposed skin , “ and a bottle of wine , since it’s such a special occasion . “ 

-

There was a true beauty to how Ender held herself. Confidence was sexy. James always had a high self-esteem, but Ender’s presence was a whole different level. This was her world and everyone was living in it. “I’m glad you don’t settle. I hope the flowers I brought you hold up.” A part of him hoped that he held up. He would do the upmost to make sure he was good for her.

Once they had decided, he set the menu down. It was a strangely vulnerable feeling. The laminate curtain has fallen and the real show had begun. “Wine is a must.” He commented, nodding and smiling as the waiter floated towards their table to take their orders.

location: satellite sports complex

with: @jamesallenroswell·

wall to wall his calendar was pretty busy between being stationed at the military base , going beneath the sports complex and working out within it . this wasn’t the first time he had extended his talents to a noodle-armed guy looking to get in shape ; perhaps it was his impressive physique that brought them in , or maybe just word of mouth spreading from previous satisfied customers , but at the end of the day all fletcher wanted was to help people get happy and healthy ( with a financial bonus at the end of it ) . noticing james come through the door he stood and grinned , those dimples caving in the pits of his cheeks with delight that he were on time for their session and not late like he was so very used to . “ looking good , allen . “ the male commented , crossing both arms across his chest with tattooed biceps near bulging from the white vest they were contained in , “ what can i help you with ?? you said you wanted to impress a girl ?? “

-

Overly romantic gestures and tasks were never above James. He would do anything to make the person he was interested in happy. This was a new high for him. Fitness and James never worked out. Sports were essentially a foreign language and cardio might as well be an impossible task. But Ender was... Different. While James had his head in the clouds, Ender felt like she could keep him grounded. Greeting the other, he nodded and cleared his throat.

she wasn’t a stranger to men and women thinking she was gorgeous , but she would usually roll her eyes and shift away from the overused pickup lines or creepy attempts at asking her out . maybe it was the threat of spending valentines day alone , or perhaps she had , truly , wanted to spend an evening with a boy that harboured a heart of gold in his chest . either way , the night was young and she was sure that anything could happen over the next few hours — dates had turned out a lot better , and a lot worse , than her initial expectations , and so there was no way of knowing how the evening would conclude .

but she would let the night unfold as intended . just like she had welcomed the offer of her hand , she continued to smirk painted lips as they made their way to james’ car . “ you know , i had no idea you liked me like that , “ she responded , although she couldn’t say she was surprised , “ but i’m glad you got the balls to ask me out . this is way better than a microwave meal for one , “ which had been a likely alternative with her dating dry spell . 

dropping his hand and holding her dress snug to her knees , ender slipped into the passenger side and got herself situated . on any other night out she wouldn’t have even had her makeup done at that point , but she had ensured her face was perfect — glittered to the nines and detailed like a picasso — all for the upcoming date . ender hoped that the early start would allow her to be snuggled in bed clutching a good book in the lowlight before the witching hour .

once they were at the restaurant , she sit and reached for the menu , flipping it over the eye up the wine selection before anything else . peeking over the top of the laminated list she grinned once again , abandoning it to rest her chin in her palms , leaning over the table to attentively listen . “ there’s no need to be upset . you just needed to pluck up the courage . that explains why you stared at me like i had food on my face when i was buying roses for my apartment , “ 

The dimly faux-candle lit room was the perfect backdrop to a romantic night. An orange hue twinkled across their eyes and he laughed sheepishly at her comment. “I tried not to stare.” He admitted. “You’re beautiful, plus the roses you bought I had actually grown and picked out myself so I knew that you had taste.” With a smug grin, his eyes went back down to scan the menu.

she made a faint hum in the back of her throat, head nodding as a small crease formed between her eyebrows. “i don’t know if anyone could ever be worth…” she gestured vaguely with her free hand, not knowing how to put a name to the graveyard of almost-relationships and heartbreaks she’s left behind her. “feel like i’m owed at least one nice guy at this rate,” she mutters, a tiny huff escaping her lips as she does, her shoulders lifting in a small shrug before she looks away from him. “but i don’t think i’ve ever gotten involved with a guy who made me feel like i was worth it.” she gestures to the book in her hand, a faint hum sounding in the back of her throat. “maybe i just have bad taste, from my… taste in morally questionable romance novel love interests.”

“I found some cute-looking romance novels, but I’ll probably just get them in e-book format,” she replied. “But I’m glad to hear that. Do you want me to buy this book for you? As a present, you know. I don’t get to spend time with my favorite nephew as much as I’d like.” She smiled. “God, I remember the gifts I used to buy you. Look at you now, reading grown-up stuff.” James was already twenty-six, but she could still hardly believe that he was so much of an adult now.

well , she wasn’t ever going to say no to a floral arrangement as big as her head . ender was the type of girl that liked to be wined and dined , treated like the princess that she had convinced herself she was ; if they still manufactured glass slippers these days you could bet your life savings she would have twelve pairs , one of every color to match her rotating manicures . she was squeezed into a slinky form-hugging dress , black and sparkly — obviously — to leave her date attempting to claw his jaw up from off the floor . 

“ you don’t have to be nervous , “ and although that wasn’t a magical resolution , a cure to the anxiety ravaging james on the other side of the door , she hoped it could at least calm his nerves somewhat . it was just a date , after all ; ender had been on plenty , and it was rare that a valentines day would pass without a rose on her doorstep or a packet of love-heart candies , but this was one for the books , for james was absolutely not the egotistical asshole ender was used to ( when dating men , at least ) . “ you don’t look too bad yourself , cutie , which is good , because i wouldn’t be seen dead with a guy with no fashion sense . “

taking the gift , she turned and tucked it safely upon a dresser by the doorway , one that held their keys and little trinkets in a glass bowl . she would find another place for that later , one that showed off the beautiful bespoke arrangement of blooms that had been made just for her , even if her date insisted that it had been something off-the-cuff and last minute . closing the door behind her and ignoring the jeers of excitable housemates , she twisted her keys ( complete with her own bodyweight of keychains ) to lock up , teetering on too-high heels . “ you’re onto a winner with flowers either way since they’re mostly green . i’m sure i can find somewhere within my oddities collection for something equally as beautiful , “ 

the offer of a hand was a surprising development but , nonetheless , she reached out to slide her manicured fingers into his own , “ such a gentleman , “ 

It took a special kind of person to pull off the outfit that she had on- James was just happy that he was keeping up. They looked good together. “I’m always nervous on dates, if I’m being honest.” He shrugged and bit his lip. “But this one is especially nerve wracking because I really like you... And it’s been forever since I’ve gone on a real date.” 

Once her hand slipped into his, he hummed and began walking her out of the apartment and into his car. “I try my best.” He responded, tied with opening the doors for her and guiding her into the car. His eyes would leave her for only moments at a time. She was gorgeous. 

The car glided through the streets. They were just beating the valentine’s day rush and he made it to their destination swiftly. It paid to have the date start slightly earlier than most. The car was settled and he rushed to open her door again and reached for her hand. It felt good to be romantic again. James could only handle so much of the hookup culture that spread through their generation like wildfire. 

who was she to fault anyone for being late to work after a night spent with someone else? honey herself had been nearly late a few times after a long night at the wild pony, though these days she was more confused than anything. where did life stand for her? it was a loaded question, and one that she wasn’t ready to ask out loud or even mention to someone else. instead, she chose to focus on james’s own escapades, always ready with a listening ear as he spoke about women he had hearts in his eyes for. “you gotta start packing an overnight bag,” she teased, brown eyes lifting from the clipboard in her hands for only a split second before going back to her checklist. she wondered if carrying it around made her seem important, the thought making her laugh to herself; no way anyone would mistake her for an authority figure at the flower shop. not when she was constantly covered in dirt. 

“whenever you start a sentence with ‘may or may not have’, i know exactly what you’re implying.” she set her task down, turning to her coworker with a feigned look of sternness, a hand finding one of her hips. james’s adventures with wren had been somewhat of a choose your own adventure book for rosemary-beatrice, and she was always ready to hear more. “when are you gonna stop messing around and just tell her, huh? i swear you’re like a lost little puppy whenever she’s around or whenever you talk about her. makes no sense to me that you keep flip flopping.” the brunette paused, reaching a hand out to squeeze the male’s shoulder. “why are you hesitating?”

James’ mind was racing a little. The rush over and the scuffle into the shop was more exhilarating than it should’ve been. “An overnight bag would be nice, but it’s like,” The male started work immediately, almost as if to create distance from this conversation. He loved talking about his romantic escapades, but Wren was an... Interesting situation. “, if I bring an overnight bag it’ll be too official.” The male bit his lip. Nerves overcame him and he let out a sigh. “She’s not really into that kinda stuff, I think.” He wasn’t truly sure.

before rekindling his friendship with circe he hadn’t really ventured into ‘ out of this world ‘ bookstore . it wasn’t his type of establishment , having never really found the thrill of reading — the most ‘ reading ‘ he ended up enduring on a day-to-day basis was the backs of car manuals or the sell-by-dates on some of the questionable food left in his refrigerator . but today was different ; he had already bought circe some flowers for her birthday but now , with a real date on the cards , he wanted to go the extra mile , and so he had decided to choose a book as a gift this time . it seemed that he underestimated the selection available , awestruck at the spines of books of every color , thickness and country of origin .

it felt like he was there for hours before the silence was broken and , although he had been deep in thought , nate welcomed the distraction . turning to the younger male , his brow cocked :  “ the fact that you’re asking all this right now makes me stray towards the anxious type , bud , i gotta be honest . what’s that book you’ve got there ?? would you recommend it to , say , a girl you’re interested in .. “ 

“Anxious... Damn.” James glanced down at the book. His eyes scanned the text briefly, but his mind was focused on what the other was saying. Immediately, his head shot up as he heard the male asked for a recommendation. “A girl I’m interested in? No I wouldn’t get this book.” A wild smile snuck onto his face. James loved love. Seeing a blossoming relationship energized the male.

“i usually just end up disappointed, so i guess i don’t see the point, mostly,” winter sighed, her head cocking to the side just a touch. but despite her words, she smiled as she stuck her finger in the page she was on, focusing her gaze on his. usually was an understatement - she’d never not been disappointed, and for as much as she longed for love, she couldn’t really say that she even believed in it anymore. at least not for her - not as a possibility in her life. “really? i don’t think i’ve ever talked to anyone about it… the kidnapping and game of thrones-esque beheading scene tend to turn people off on a moral standpoint.” even worse was the fact that it wasn’t even the most morally questionable book she had on her bookshelf. “but it is pretty good so far, even if it is a bit messed up.”

“i have… absolutely no idea what you just said.” winter glanced up from her own book - an absolutely massive volume with the title all he’ll ever be by w winters, over seven hundred pages long and plucked from the romance shelves just like all of her books were, because asking winter carver to read something other than a romance novel was like asking a fish to fly. she held up a finger before he could move to explain, head shaking just a touch. “and i don’t want to, because based on what you said, it sounds like whatever you tell me is just going to tell me that i’m a hopeless romantic who’s deeply damaged, and you know what? i don’t need a book to tell me i’m fucked up, i already know that.”

Lonette decided to take a copy of the book that James was poring over. She preferred to show affection in quiet ways. When he talked, however, she still did her best to indulge her nephew. “Well, it sounds like you’re all of those things. But anxious seems predominant.”

She wondered aloud, “I can’t really tell if everyone overthinks. I know I look self-assured, but I do have anxiety too. If I could read other people’s minds, I might be able to compare and contrast for you. Maybe that’s just a completely normal, standard amount of anxiety, for all I know.” She shrugged. “Still, I lean towards anxious. That’s not a bad thing, though. You think a lot. There’s hardly anything I enjoy more than being inside my inner world.”

Sofia arched a brow, her mind flashing back to that night trying to recall that they didn’t exchange numbers. “Oh right.” She chuckled and pulled out her phone. She placed it next to him to get his number. “Why don’t we enjoy a few more drinks then we can head back to my place for another round. Or we can just have drinks and fuck at my place all together.” she suggested. One thing about sofia was that she didn’t have a filter. She had no shame but she did know when it was not the appropriate time and place to be unfiltered. 

James tapped his number into her phone and bit his lip as he heard her speak. She was insanely blunt and he couldn’t help but find that attractive. “Yes.” He responded, then laughing at how flustered he was getting. “I mean, any of those options sound great. I just need tonight to end with us together.” Waving his hand to the bartender, her ordered another drink, then turning to her. “What are you drinking?” He asked.