BendtedWreath

Rhaelce looked surprised. “No lukka,” he said. “You no wrong. He wrong.”/“Me orreki?” Malik asked./Rhaelce looked thoughtful, but then nodded. “Orreki,” he agreed, and gave him a pat on the back. - That Rhaelce already sees Malik as family is deeply moving. While I understand the bystander's concern, if Malik was a threat to the kids, Rhaelce wouldn't have had him help him watch them. “What ‘romsarasily’?” Malik asked, his mouth stretching around the vowels./Lyria’s cheeks took on a greenish cast. “Uh…” she cast around for words to explain, but when they failed her, she held up her hands and made a gesture that unmistakably imitated sex./Malik’s mouth dropped open and Lyria giggled nervously. His eyes drifted back to Rhaelce and he couldn’t help but see his movements differently with his new information. - Hahaha! He quickly dropped his hand and felt the tingling vanish. He knew without looking that the fire was gone./Lyria didn’t say anything, but Malik did notice that she kept her distance most of the night. He was happy to let her. - I have to give Lyria some credit here. It's sheer street smarts to see something wild and then trying to mind her own business instead of snitching. “Please,” he whispered./Rhaelce stayed where he was. “Yes?” he asked./“Yes.” - Consent was indeed given. So many things happened in this chapter. It was very dynamic. We had the family bonding that was cut short and the ensuing tension, the Rosala ceremony/festivities, Malik making a new friend in Lyria, fire, Malik possibly losing the new friend Lyria, and Rhaelce's Romsarasily prayer, which actually worked.

This is true. Platonically, or did you miss the familial implication? 😂 He does have a point.

That's a relief on my part, as I tried my best not to drag Cassie's writing style down too hard. In terms of flow, we checked in as often as possible. Some parts didn't play out how it was originally planned (not that I can remember specific ones at this point), but the key moments shone through, and I'm glad of it. Cute is relatively on brand for me, I think. 🤣 The specific interweaving of the transitions was thanks to Cassie's expertise.

On this, I'm sure Cassie and I both agree. In this particular case, Cassie already had the idea in mind of estranged friends reuniting. She wrote one part, we discussed where it might go from there, then I'd write the next part, we'd discuss where to go from there, and so on. It was a challenge for me technically, as I'm not only the less experienced writer, I've also never written in 1st POV before this story (I caught myself slipping into third a few times). But about halfway through, the characters themselves felt established enough that it wasn't as difficult to keep them consistent.

I choose to neither confirm nor deny.

Thanks on behalf of us both!

Hey, while I did admit to the little part I played in it, unlike Thirds, I would rather not receive a verbal spanking from Cassie. 😂

When you catch up to all of this, I'd also like to add I had very little part in it. 😅

I gained a new title today and, thus, have added it to my signature. 😂 The power of friendship.

Thanks on behalf of us both!

I think because I was born closer to the tail end of that generation, I find myself most at ease with everyone born in that timeframe... more than others my age and younger. They are more than a bridge to me, they are beacons and guides that I admire. More often than not, they are not quick to judge, and they treat mistakes like learning opportunities rather than a chance to shame. The ones I've interacted with (both in person and online) are incredibly independent and value vacation time, as the video suggests, to disconnect. It's disheartening to imagine that they feel lonely due to the advancements other generations weren't forced to learn halfway into their lifespans, but the way things are going with AI, it's only a matter of time before my own generation gets a taste of that. 😅

Thanks, Chris!

Thanks on behalf of us both!

It was wishful thinking, wishful thinking. 😂

There was a bit of a delay in posting, but this story is still very new. Thank you for your kind words and for reading! Good point. 🤔I did miss adding a closer at the bottom. But this is still very much, as Cassie said, a oneshot.

Jace never thought he'd see Louis again, especially not at a wedding packed with old faces and even older drama. One encounter is all it takes for old feelings to come flooding back, making it impossible to pretend the past never happened. As the reception unfolds, Jace is forced to face just how much he's still carrying and, maybe, what he still wants.

A Second Dance By Cassie and Ben *** I recognized my former friend the second he walked into the ballroom. Louis looked older, like the rest of us, but still had those piercing grey eyes that perfectly matched the suit he wore. He wore his blond hair differently than when we were teenagers, cut shorter and more professional, but the ready smile was the same. I wasn't sure what kind of path he had taken, straight to work as I did, or the college route, but he looked cool an

That, too. I yield, I yield. 🤣

Good catch! I walked right into that one. 🤣

Maybe not in the traditional sense, if I'm being kidnapped. But perhaps jail bait nonetheless. 🤣

But not on the forums! There are at least two other members born my year that I came across.

That one was more directly to me:

That's how old I thought @Thirdly was. It's their bright and lively personalities. 😉 I leave for 2 hours and I come back to kidnapping plotting. 🤣

And thanks to you both, my stomach is now growling. I'm going to make or hunt for a substantial lunch.