Forums » General Roleplay » Summer Soirée - Beat the Heat River Party [Closed]

- Be respectful. Seriously, I mean it.

- 18+ ONLY - writer and character. This is an adult thread meant for adults.

- Supernatural characters are allowed, but this is a human world (Frio River in Texas). All characters must pass for human/use their human form.

- No animals allowed. This includes - pets and furries.

- This is not mature content, but it is adult content. Please refrain from childish antics, as we find it disrespectful. Act your age, not your shoe-size.

- Respect the flow and themes of the posts.

- Not every character is expected to interact with every character that attends. Small groups can form within this larger thread.

- Please post an entrance and, if you are engaging with other characters, and exit so we know your character has left so posts can continue.

- HAVE FUN!!! It's the Summer Soiree after all.

Cassiel had stumbled upon Big Rock by chance when he had tried his hand at paddleboarding the river. Between the huge rocks that were perfect for jumping off of, the rope swings hanging from trees, the waterslide, and the little restaurant and bar - how could he not start pick this spot for a crazy Summer Soiree event? After dragging his buddy Maddox to check out the spot, they both agreed it was a great place to have a party.

They took to social media with pictures and a date as to when the pair would be there to hang out. They didn't reserve the spot - you can't really reserve a river - so they were hoping not just friends would show up, but anyone who just wanted to have a good time in some cold, clean water.

Frio means cold in Spanish and that was exactly what this water was - Cold! But in a refreshing way. With temperatures reaching into the high 90s Fahrenheit (+40 Celsius) the cold water was the best medicine for cooling off.

Day of the Soiree...

Cassiel had gotten to the river's edge just after the sun crested over the horizon - he wanted to get the best spot for his pop-up canopy tent. He had a few folding chairs and an ice chest with his favorite drinkables and some water bottles. Pop-up canopies were not an easy thing to erect solo, but he managed it. There was a lot of running back and forth from one corner to another, but luck and practice were on his side, and eventually the canopy was standing tall.

Even with the sun still barely in the sky, the day was already warm moving towards hot fast. Cassiel decided to take a dip and swim against the current for a little while to cool off and get a little work out in. As he swam, he eyed the big rocks that protruded out of the water and called to him to climb and jump. Refraining from such a siren call was difficult, but Cassiel wanted his first jump off the rock to either be side by with his best friend, Maddox, or...he had to stop that thought right there - she might not come.

The fight went out of Cassiel, and he stopped fighting against the current. He rolled onto his back and let the swift flowing water sweep him a few hundred yards downstream where he climbed out of the water and hiked back to his canopy. He did this a few more times, thinking he should have brought a raft or something.

When he tired of floating and walking the few hundred yards back, he decided to crack open a bottle of water and rest for a bit. He unfolded one of the chairs and dropped down into it. He stretched his legs out in front of him and enjoyed the way the dry air warmed his body. He finished the bottle of water and looked around for a trash receptacle. He had to mosey his way up towards Joe Jimmy's to discard the bottle. On his way back a rope swing caught his eye, and he couldn't resist!

Cassiel darted like a kid ignoring the protests of his parents to stop over to the rope swing. He loosened it from the hook that held it to the tree, gripped it tight with both his hands, backed away from the edge of the river as far as the rope would allow...

He took a deep breath and sprinted forward. He slung himself out over the river, the rope going taut in his hands. He let go of the rope with the intention of a cannonball but seemed to have misjudged his angle for Cassiel ended up smacking the water bellyflop style!

The morning sun wasn’t even at full strength yet, but it was already doing its damnedest to turn the Frio into a mirror of gold and heat. Mist still clung to the trees in thin ribbons, and the river moved slow and sleepy, like it hadn’t had its coffee yet.

That didn’t, and wouldn’t ever stop Maddox Everette from arriving like the main act at a rodeo grand finale. His boots hit the dirt with purpose, loud and proud as he trudged down the path dragging a half-scuffed red cooler behind him. The six-pack perched on top wobbled slightly with each jostling step but never tipped, because honestly, it had survived worse rides. Maddox himself was a sight: tan, shirtless, and smirking under the shade of a well-loved cowboy hat. He wasn’t sure what to wear, so he had thrown on just a pair of semi ridiculous white shorts with blue and pink patterns on it, partly because Cass had insisted that he had a surprise, and Maddox had learned three things: That either meant danger, hilarity was about to ensue or Maddox was about to have an entire new ammunition for jokes. Either way, he was ready to find out.

He strutted toward the river like he was walking into a crowd of a hundred, boots kicking up dust and a beer already half-cracked in one hand. His smile was easy, like he’d been planning this exact entrance for three days and didn’t care if the only witness was God and a turtle.

And then….. A blur from up on Big Rock. Movement. Rope. Maddox slowed to a halt just as Cassiel, in all his ridiculous glory, came swinging into view like a damn angel on a mission. The rope arced high, catching the sun just right as that long frame whipped through the air and let go. There was a beat, a pause, a breath, and then Cassiel hit the water with a splash big enough to wake the whole damn county.

Water geysered. Mist scattered. Birds took off screaming. And Maddox? Maddox whooped, loud and sharp, then pointed his beer toward the sky like it was a national moment. “YEEHAW! That’s how you say good mornin’, baby!” He stomped onto the riverbank with a grin big enough to split his face. “Cassiel, you rope-swingin’ lunatic! I thought I was the only dumbass up this early, but I see the good Lord’s still handin’ out style points!”

While he waited for Cassiel to surface, the six-pack landed on the sand beside him, and he popped the lid off his beer with a practiced flick of his teeth, spitting it into his hand and watching foam hissing up the sides as he took a long swig. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then turned toward the empty shoreline and held out both arms like a performer basking in applause. “Well, hell. Ain’t this the crowd of the century.” He gave a long, slow bow to a bush. “Thank you, thank you. Y’all’ve been beautiful.”

No one responded. Not a soul clapped. Somewhere far off, a squirrel sneezed. And it didn’t matter. Maddox came to the river in full force, fully ridiculous, ready to party, and completely content to cause a scene, even if the only witnesses were a rock, a rope, and a soaking-wet best friend with an occasional death wish.

Kyria had heard about the Summer Soiree at the Frio through more than just social media. Cassiel’s energy vibrated along unseen lines, always a little louder, a little warmer when he was excited—and that had reached her days ago. She’d thought about ignoring it. Had told herself she was too busy, too complicated, too likely to draw unwanted attention by just showing up somewhere normal.

But Cass wasn’t normal. Neither was Maddox. And maybe she was finally starting to accept that she didn’t have to hide every glowing bit of who she was.

So she came.

She arrived not with fanfare but with curiosity. Barefoot and light-footed, her gauzy sundress fluttering in the breeze like moonlight on water, Kyria stepped from the tree line at the edge of the clearing just in time to hear Maddox’s triumphant YEEHAW echo across the river. She froze mid-step, startled—and then laughter burst from her before she could stop it. Her hand pressed gently to her lips as she caught sight of Cassiel’s long form rocketing from the rope swing and smacking the water with enough force to summon thunder.

“Oh stars, he would.”

The birds took off. The water sparkled. The world felt so alive here.

Kyria drifted toward the river’s edge, weaving through the sunshine and dappled shade with the kind of grace that made it unclear whether she was walking or gliding.

She reached the spot beside Maddox just as he finished bowing to the bush. “Well, that was impressive,” she murmured, eyes sparkling. “Though the bush looked a little overwhelmed.”

She turned to the river, watching as Cassiel surfaced with a sputter and a grin, hair plastered to his forehead and glory clinging to him like wet clothes. Her heart did that soft, silly lurch it always did when he looked like that—unguarded, wild, completely himself.

“I wasn’t sure I’d come,” she called out to him. Her voice was clear and bell-like, carried easily across the river. “But how could I miss that entrance?”

Kyria dropped to the sand, knees tucking beneath her, and tilted her head at Maddox. “So what’s the surprise? Or do I have to survive a bellyflop to earn it?”

She smiled, slow and radiant. Whatever else this day held, she was here. She had come. And for the first time in a long while, it felt like she had made exactly the right choice.

The smooth surface of the water slapped every inch of Cassiel's exposed skin as he broke through in the world's worst position. Under the water, the angel's skin tingled with the sensation of a thousand needle sticks as his nerves all frenzied. He surfaced shortly after disappearing under the water and flipped his head, sending his long, dark locks flying back and off to the side of his head. The wince he had surfaced with on his face died away as he heard the unmistakable celebration of a half-drunk cowboy.

Cassiel turned from where he treaded water in the river. He lifted one of his arms out of the water and waved to his buddy. "You aren't the only one who rises before the cock crows," Cassiel called as he started to breast stroke towards the beach when a voice, the voice he had been desperately hoping he would hear, called out to him. His arm strokes moved him faster in the water until he was able to stand. He then jogged against the resistance of the water making him feel like he was in molasses.

When he finally got to shore he leaned down and scooped Kyria up into his arms. He pressed a tender, endearing kiss to her cheek and cradled her affectionately against his chest. "I hoped you would come. I called for you." His tone was gentle and soft just for her. The moment he had heard her speak he had forgotten about the protesting nerves that had been bitch slapped by weight and gravity combined.

Cassiel's attention then turned to Maddox and smirked. "Who talked you into those shorts?" Cassiel had planned on being annoyingly mean and making Maddox wear neon pink shorty shorts, but Cassiel had only been able to find a pair that barely fit him - no way there was a pair that would have fit Maddox, too. So Cassiel had abandoned that idea. But, looking at those shorts, maybe he should have gotten the pink ones anyway.

Kyria laughed as Cassiel surged out of the river like some glorious, dripping myth, the morning sun catching the water on his skin and making him look absurdly radiant for someone who’d just bellyflopped into the Frio. She barely had time to rise before he swept her up into his arms like she weighed nothing at all.

Her breath caught softly as he pressed the kiss to her cheek. She was used to Cassiel’s warmth now, but something in the way he held her, the way he looked at her, always had a way of unraveling her.

She rested her forehead gently against his for a moment, smiling. “You didn’t just call for me, Cassiel.. you rang the stars.”

Of course she came. She would always come, when it was him. Once her feet touched the ground again, she kept a hand on his arm, steadying herself more from how present he felt than any real need for balance.

Her gaze followed his toward Maddox, and her laughter bubbled up again like sunlight over water. “Oh my heavens, Maddox.. you wore those?” Her voice was teasing but full of affection. “They really do bring out your inner chaos.”

She nudged Cassiel gently with her elbow, leaned in closer with a smirk, and whispered, ”Next time, you pick the shorts, but you’re wearing a matching pair, angel boy. That’s the deal.”

The grin she gave him was bright, mischievous, and unrepentantly fond.

Maddox was still catching his breath from the victorious chaos of his yell when her laughter carried over like windchimes in a breeze. Warm, unexpected, and way too pretty for the likes of a riverbank full of soaked denim and chaos. He looked over just in time to see her gliding throughthe shade like some kinda moonbeam with opinions. “Well hey there, wings,” He greeted, using the nickname quietly but with a wide grin, giving her a little nod of mock formality. “You’re just in time to witness the historic defeat of gravity and good sense.” With a huff, he dusted off his ridiculous shorts, purely for show, they were already stained from river mud and ash. His hat sat a little crooked, but he left it that way, tipping it slightly as she sat down beside him. “Bush didn’t stand a chance,” He added solemnly, as if the flora had truly been through something traumatic.

At the mention of a surprise, Maddox’s eyes gleamed with familiar mischief. He gestured toward the lumpy tarp near the fire pit like a magician about to reveal the final card. “There is a surprise, or so I’m told. I have been known to be wrong in these things, however. And no, you don’t gotta bellyflop for it, though style points would speed up the process.” Then, more genuine, he added with a casual shrug, “Glad you came. Cass’s mood's been buzzin’ like a neon sign since he started hopin’ you might. Makes the air a little warmer, y’know?” He tossed back the rest of the bottle he was holding, and settled it back into the cardboard container that held the other five.

Maddox snorted the moment Cassiel came flailing out of the water like some sort of mythic dolphin prince reborn in pain and bad decisions. He tipped his head back and let out another full-throated “WOOOOO!” just to make sure the whole canyon knew how proud he was. Kyria then called out, and Maddox actually paused. His grin softened as he watched Cassiel practically part the river trying to get to her. Maddox didn’t miss the way everything else fell away for his friend the moment she spoke. He stayed back, letting them have their moment. Just watched with that lazy, pleased expression that meant he saw everything and said nothing. That’s how Maddox loved people. He was loud as hell, but respectful, quiet when it counted.

Then Cassiel turned and opened his damn mouth, and Maddox didn’t even blink. “These shorts,” He drawled, spreading his arms wide like a fashion model showing off in a gas station calendar, “Are freedom, baby. Air flow like a mountain breeze and pockets just deep enough to hide even your ego.” Then Kyria turned her smile his way, and Maddox barked out a laugh at her comment. “Wore them?” He echoed, spreading his arms again in mock offense. Maddox didn’t let up, standing and swaggering a half-step forward with all the confidence of a man who'd wrestled cattle and egos before breakfast. “Darlin’, these chose me. The minute I saw 'em, I heard God whisper, ‘that one.’” He gestured dramatically down his leg. “Inner chaos? Sweetheart, these are the chaos.”

He lifted his chin, smirk still glued to his face. “Now y’all go on and make fun,” He said, giving his hips the world’s least necessary little shake, “But when someone faints from the sheer majesty of these thighs, I’ll be the one doing CPR. Hero style. Overdramatic. Shirtless. And a sun flare behind me. ” He hadn’t meant to hear it, but Maddox’s senstive ears caught the comment on the wind, and he couldn’t help himself. Cassiel got the brunt of his sideways grin next. “And if you’re matchin’ next time, Cass, I expect glitter. Full rhinestone commitment. Don’t half-ass destiny.”

Cassiel only held her briefly before he put her down, though he never ventured far from her. Kyria was like the sun to him and he a humbled rock caught in an orbit. He stood close to Kyria, one of his hands running down her arm and catching her hand in his. He glanced at her when she put him in charge of wardrobe for the next event. "I had a pair of neon pink booty style shorts all picked out ready to humiliate both of us.” Cass shot Maddox a look to say ’you got off lucky’, "but they didn’t have a pair that would fit,” Cassiel waved his free hand in a circular motion around Maddox’s nether region, "All that…”

Cassiel was smaller in stature and muscle mass than Maddox but he more than made up for it by being a heavenly winged being who had walked the Earth for centuries. Cassiel lived by the saying ’If you’re going to be dumb, you got to be tough’, and Cassiel was undeniably tough.

Cassiel bit his tongue, his face contorting a little as he tried with all his might to not burst out with laughter as Maddox showed off his wretched shorts like he had won first prize at a redneck backyard barbecue complete with a kiddy pool for cooling off – the people and the dogs. Finally, Maddox said anything so asinine that Cass’s silence broke. "Chaos is right, my poor deceived friend. That wasn’t God that whispered to you. That was Lucifer. Only he would torment an entire gathering of people who now have to behold the site that is…those shorts.”

Cassiel shook his head and looked around at the empty beach – granted it was still an hour before the restaurant opened, so people would probably show up soon-ish - "I’m not seeing anyone fainting, Maddox. I think the whiteness of your thighs are acting like light reflectors and people are scared to come to the beach thinking a spaceship might have landed.” Cassiel didn’t get to pester Maddox that often. It was usually Maddox with the jokes and Cass the punchline. In this situation, revenge was sweet.

They could banter back and forth all day at each other, but it got old for outside parties. He was still getting to know Kyria, they had only been dating a short while, and he wasn’t sure if the back and forth would annoy her. "Truce, my friend!” he said as he turned to face the monstrous rock stick out of the water. "Please tell me someone is going to go jump off that thing with me soon.”

Kyria’s grin widened as soon as Cassiel pointed to the rock. Her eyes sparkled with mischief and challenge, and for a split second, just a blink, her expression softened into something purely tender at the way he looked at her. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, stepped back, and said with a sunlit laugh, “You’re on your own, angel boy.”

With that, she turned and stripped down in one smooth motion, revealing a bikini that was modest but undeniably flattering. It was deep green, tied at the sides, the color catching the dappled light like moss in moonlight. Her dress fluttered to the sand.

She jogged a few steps, then dove clean into the river, her form slicing through the surface like a silver fish. There wasn’t even a splash big enough to mark her rebellion. The water, cold and sweet, wrapped around her like a long-lost friend, and she swam powerfully toward the big rock without a pause or backward glance.

Kyria pulled herself up with grace, her wet hair slicked back from her face, droplets clinging to her skin like stardust. She stood at the top, one hand on her hip, the other waving toward the men below, two of the most ridiculous and wonderful beings she had ever let into her life.

Then she cupped her hands around her mouth and called down, voice bright and teasing, “You comin’, slowpoke? Or are you waiting for Maddox’s thighs to catch a tailwind and carry you up here?”

She laughed again, head tipped back toward the sky, utterly at ease in this strange, wild, perfect moment. The sun had climbed higher now, casting the water below into glints of fire and diamonds.

“Last one up has to wear the pink booty shorts next time,” she added with wicked glee, then winked and turned, poised like a siren at the edge of the stone.

The river knew her before the others did.

Macy Renee Wilson moved through the trees like she belonged to them, barefoot, steady, her red cloak slung over one shoulder like a shrug of earthbound grace. Her forest-toned dress clung to her in the heat, but she didn’t seem to mind. She was used to wild places, and though the laughter and rope swings and distant whoops weren’t exactly her usual chorus, there was something about this spot that had called to her.

Maybe it was the clarity of the water. Maybe it was the energy in the air. Or maybe it was the familiar pull of someone like Kyria, shining through like moonlight through mist.

She stepped from the tree line with her Whisperstaff strapped across her back and her copper-toned hair catching fire in the sun. Her pale silver eyes scanned the beach until she spotted them, Cassiel in mid-banter with a grinning cowboy, Kyria poised like a goddess atop a rock. Macy smiled, soft and amused. She lifted one hand in greeting. “I hope I’m not too late to embarrass myself.”

Her voice was melodic but quiet, not shy, just calm. It was the kind of voice that didn’t need to raise to be heard. She was alone this time, no shadow wolf by her side. Grim had sensed this wasn’t a mission or a danger. This was a gathering, and even he respected the need for one of those now and then.

Macy glanced toward Maddox, clearly sizing him up. “I’m guessing those shorts were part of the surprise?” she asked with a perfectly straight face. “Daring.”

Then her gaze flicked to Cassiel. “I brought calming powder. You look like the one I might need to use it on later.”

It was to Kyria that she called next, lifting her hand like a challenge as she walked toward the edge of the water. “Save me a spot on that rock, starlight. But no promises on cannonballs. I’m more of a graceful descent type.”

With that, she dropped her pack gently into the shade, unfastened the cloak, and let it fall beside it. The red fabric puddled like wild roses in the grass. She slid off her dress and it puddled in the grass as well. Beneath, she wore a bright red two-piece that fit like it had been grown rather than stitched.

Macy stepped into the Frio with a hiss of breath and a delighted shiver. “Cold,” she whispered, half to herself, half to the river. “But honest.”

She began swimming, sure and steady, toward the rock. What she was truly swimming toward was the wild laughter, the reckless hearts, and the beginnings of something beautifully chaotic.

Maddox tipped his head back, letting out a full-throated laugh that echoed across the wide stretch of empty beach. His hands were planted on his hips, thumbs just barely brushing the waistband of the truly offensive watermelon-print shorts he’d worn with proud, aggressive confidence. “Lucifer’s got better taste than this,” He fired back, deadpan. ”This right here? This is divine intervention gone wrong.”

He gave a little hop just to let the loose fabric flap dramatically against his thighs, sun hitting him square in the chest like God Himself had turned a spotlight on the cowboy. “I’ll have you know these shorts saved a drowning chihuahua last week. Just the glare alone scared off a shark.”

He turned slightly toward Kyria then, throwing her an exaggerated wink over his shoulder. “And darlin’, if you had let Cass dress me, we’d both be arrested. Man’s got a vendetta against dignity, and we both know I’m bigger.” He added the wink for effect, although he meant nothing harmful by it.

Then, he turned to Cassiel, squinting at him under the low-brimmed hat he’d somehow managed to secure to his head despite the breeze, ready to open his mouth to slap back at him, a thousand lines moving in his sharp brain, but all stopped when he called a truce. He rose an eyebrow, but said nothing else as he popped a beer instead. His grin softened just a little as he turned to look at the river, the huge outcrop jutting out from the water like a dare.

“Oh, hell yes, I’m jumpin’. That rock’s callin’ to me like beer calls to a cowboy after Sunday church. Let’s go make some waves before the sunscreen folks roll in and make this a family-friendly event.” He started off toward the water, calling over his shoulder to Cass, “But you’re first, Angelcakes. If I slip in these shorts and die, I want to haunt you forever.”

Taking a few steps into the water, Maddox paused and turned at the sound of her voice, eyes catching the flash of red in her hair before the rest of her came into view. He tilted his head, a grin slowly pulling across his face as he straightened to his full height, one hand shading his eyes.

“Well now,” he drawled, slow and warm like syrup on cornbread. “No embarrassment here, darlin. Nothing but fun and sun ‘round these parts.” He watched her approach with an appreciative squint, eyes sparkling with mischief. At her remark about the shorts, he slapped a hand across his chest like she’d shot him.

”Part of the surprise?” He echoed, mock scandalized. “Darlin’, I am the surprise. These shorts are just the confetti.” He turned slightly, letting them flap again for effect before muttering out the corner of his mouth to Cassiel, “I told you someone’d appreciate the boldness. Redemption’s comin’, slowly but surely.”

When Macy mentioned the calming powder, Maddox barked a short laugh and gestured towards Cass. “Please do use it on him. Lord knows I’ve been trying to mellow that one out since, well, I met him, really.” Then, clapping Cassiel’s shoulder a little too hard, he grinned again. “Well, come on then. If we don’t jump soon, they’re gonna outshine us in grace and guts, and I got a reputation to uphold. Last one to the top buys the first round.” And with that, Maddox ran full force into the water, until he was swimming towards the rock.

Cassiel, already wet from the river, was ready to plow straight back into it. He had turned ready to sprint and head to the rock but something green and small, modest yet mouthwatering stole his concentration. He had gone from a man coiled, ready to spring to jello as she jogged away from him.

In his mind, the scene had slowed down like in those vulgar commercials from the 1980s. He watched as certain parts of her bounced in all right ways. His jaw slacked a little as he watched Kyria dive into the water, giving him a moment to breath as she swam like a heavenly fish under the water. But his reprieve was short lived as it was only seconds before Kyria was pulling herself up, out of the water, and onto the rock.

Again, Cassiel’s jaw slacked as he watched her perfect ass climb up the rock as the addition of water to her figure made her all the more sinful to behold. When called to them, her voice was a siren’s call of affection he was desperate for. He prepared himself to run into the water but was stopped by Maddox as he caught sight of someone across the river. Cassiel turned his head from Kyria and looked towards the newcomer. Cassiel looked over at Maddox and chuckled softly, she was exactly Maddox’s type. "Well then, mister bold, go get her before she realizes we are both buffoons and runs away with Kyria.”

Maddox clapped Cassiel on the shoulder as Cass looked at the new girl. "I refuse to consume any powders that are foreign to me.” He got a bashful look on his face. "I had a bad experience in Amsterdam.” Cassiel lifted his eyes to look once more at Kyria and her loveliness atop Big Rock.

It was this split-second Cassiel took that allowed Maddox to take off running before him. Cassiel darted like a bullet from a gun towards the water, running until the water was almost to his knees before he dived in and under. Maddox might be bigger, but bigger didn’t help you in the water. Cassiel cut through the clear water like a hot knife through butter. His strokes were graceful yet powerful. Cassiel reached the rock before Maddox but stopped to offer him a hand to help him up onto the rock.

Kyria stood at the top of Big Rock with one hand on her hip, squinting down at the chaos she had somehow ended up loving more than she ever expected. The river sparkled below her like a mirror trying to reflect too much personality at once—Maddox hollering nonsense in his watermelon shorts, Cassiel’s golden glow tempered only by the fact he was definitely ogling her just a little too obviously.

She grinned wide as she spotted Maddox charging into the water like a man on a mission from the gods of hydration and ego. Her voice rang out again, bright and unmistakably teasing.

“Careful down there, cowboy! Those shorts look like they’ll inflate if you hit the water wrong! I don’t need you drifting downstream like a patriotic beach ball!”

Then Cassiel took off after him, cutting through the river like some beautifully built sea creature who’d just remembered how to flirt with velocity. Kyria watched him move, all wet grace and smitten hunger, and she couldn’t help but laugh, warm and delighted.

When he reached the rock first and held out a hand to Maddox, her heart did a little flip she wasn’t prepared for. Not because he’d won, but because he still reached back.

“Ohhh, look at that,” she called down, cupping her hands dramatically around her mouth. “Did Angelcakes just beat Chaos Cowboy in a water duel and remember to be a gentleman? Someone write this date down. We just witnessed a miracle.”

Macy’s arrival hadn’t gone unnoticed either, and Kyria cast her a welcoming look, all sunshine and mischief. “Don’t worry, Macy! They’ve only bruised their pride and maybe their masculinity a little! The view from up here is worth every second of the climb, especially when you’re watching these two try to impress a pair of wild girls with real skills.”

She stepped aside on the rock to make room as the boys pulled themselves up, her feet slick on the warm surface, her smile a little breathless from laughter and maybe something else. Her gaze lingered on Cassiel’s dripping frame before she tossed her hair over one shoulder and added sweetly, “Whoever cannonballs biggest owes the other a kiss. I don’t make the rules.”

With a wink and a wicked gleam in her eye, she pivoted and took a running leap, arms wide, diving into the river below with all the grace of a creature made for flight and water both.

Macy reached the base of the rock just in time to hear Kyria’s voice calling down like sunlight dipped in sass. The redhead paused waist-deep in the Frio, silver eyes sparkling as she looked up at the trio of soaked chaos and impossible grace.

You know,” she said with a soft, lilting drawl, “I was gonna try to be the quiet, mysterious one today.” She tilted her head thoughtfully, the cool river lapping at her ribs. “But it’s hard to keep a low profile when watermelon shorts and heavenly biceps are throwing cannonball challenges from the sky.”

She gave a quick splash toward Maddox’s general direction—playful, harmless, but daring enough to flash a grin his way. “Careful up there, cowboy. I’ve seen squirrels with more coordination than you trying to jump from tree to tree and end up hitting the ground hard.”

Then she glanced at Cassiel, expression gentling just a little. “And you, Angelcakes… if you’re gonna win the gentleman points and the race, you better brace yourself. I’m winning the cannonball competition.”

She didn’t wait for a reply. Macy pushed off the riverbed and began swimming toward the far side of the rock, her strokes smooth and sure. When she reached the edge, she gripped a jutting root and began to climb with quiet determination, her bare feet and lithe limbs moving like she’d done this before in a hundred wild places.

At the top, she stood beside Kyria, hair wet and wild, cloak forgotten somewhere in the grass, eyes dancing with challenge and delight. She nudged her shoulder gently into Kyria’s with the kind of affection that only came from shared danger and mutual mischief. “I want it on record,” Macy murmured under her breath, “that if I break something doing this, it was your voice that tempted me.”

Then she turned to the boys and raised a brow. “So? Who’s going first? You gonna dive, or do we have to push you?”

Her smirk was subtle. Her dare was not.

Maddox gripped Cassiel’s hand with a solid slap of palm to palm, letting the smaller man haul his heavy frame up onto the sun-warmed surface of Big Rock. Water streamed off him in rivulets, catching sunlight as he stood, grinning and breathless like a dog off-leash. He slapped the flat of his hand on the stone beneath him, half claiming it, half just marking the moment, and cast another look across the Frio River. “She’s still there,” He said low, flicking wet curls out of his eyes. His voice carried just enough mischief to be dangerous. “Tell me true, Cass. If I cannonball off this thing, you think she’ll notice me? Or call the cops and file a noise complaint?”

Maddox barely had both feet on the rock before Kyria’s voice rang out like a bell, catching him square in the chest with a laugh he didn’t bother trying to hold back. He turned his head toward her, brows lifting at the shout .“Chaos?” He echoed, hand on his hip like he was considering challenging her to a duel. “Ma’am, these shorts are aerodynamic. Patriotic? Sure. Inflatable? Only if you’re dreamin’ about me floatin’ into your DMs.”

And then Kyria said something that made Maddox almost fall off the damn rock. “Angelcakes?” Maddox muttered with a half-snort, half-smirk. “You better hold onto that nickname, brother. I’m not savin’ you when the boys back home hear it.” His grin sharpened when she turned her teasing to Macy, who stood nearby, amusement written across her face. Maddox caught her eye, tossed her a little wink of his own, and called, “Don’t listen to her, darlin’. We’re a picture of restraint and grace. Ain’t that right, Cass?”

Then Kyria sweetened the whole moment with that last line: kiss as punishment, or prize. Maddox’s brows lifted, heat blooming behind his smirk. “Oh, it’s like that, huh?” Maddox then turned and watched Macy through the shimmer of sun on river, the way her voice poured down like syrup, sweet, teasing, and dipped in challenge. Quiet and mysterious? Hell, she could’ve been a storm pretending to be mist. But he saw her. And Lord help him, he liked the kind of girl who didn’t wait around for a reply before swimming off like she’d just stolen the whole damn show. “Watermelon shorts and heavenly biceps,” He muttered under his breath, eyes trailing her stroke for stroke as she moved toward the rock. “Darlin’, if you keep talkin’ to me like that, I’m gonna start thinkin’ you’re flirtin’ on purpose.”

She climbed like she’d been born to it, every flex of muscle and curve of motion turning him into something feral under the surface. His mouth tilted into a slow grin, lazy and sharp all at once. Then she stood beside Kyria, wild and dripping, nudging her partner-in-chaos like they’d just pulled off the perfect heist. His heart kicked up like boots on gravel. When Macy called her dare, cool as anything, smug and smirking, Maddox let out a low whistle and backed up a few steps, eyes never leaving her. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head, sugar,” He called up. “Cowboy might fall outta trees, but I never miss my mark.” And then, grinning like the devil himself, he ran full speed, threw himself off the rock like a man aiming for heaven, and cannonballed hard enough to make the river gasp.

Teegan James had recently taken a sabbatical from being a physician in the MMA circuit. The fighters trained year round, which meant there was a heavy flow of injuries. Leaving her no time to actually breathe or have fun. Though she loved her job and helped heal others, she was a free spirit by nature. She decided to take some time off after the last major championship fight and started traveling in her luxury RV across the country. She had just been three days into her trip when she arrived one evening near a place along the Frio River in Texas. She had searched on her GPS for an RV park that had vacancies, knowing since it was summer, it could be almost impossible to find a spot. Though she was persistent, Teegan actually found lodging at a place called Neal's Lodges, which was a place that had a historical landmark called 'The Big Rock'.

She had arrived in the early evening just before the owners were headed home. They showed true southern hospitality and accommodated her after she paid for a weeks worth of lodging. The owners gave her a map and showed her where she could park the behemoth she drove. She thanked them and went to park the RV as she felt she would enjoy the area for a few days. She didn't have to hook up anything besides the electrical lines, as she made use of it the offered outlet for traveling homes. She decided to take a shower, make her something to eat, and look at the guide map of the area to get a survey of what she may find along the river. She decided she would get an early start and headed to bed soon after she was cleaned up and fed. She wanted to take a run and see if she could find this slide that was seen on the brochure.

Right at dawn...

She had a restful nights sleep for the first time after days of driving from Las Vegas to where she currently had been. As she stretched out, she slowly crawled out of the comfort of her soft California king and decided to dress in her sky blue and black bikini. Exposing her body covered with tattoos that be doctor wore with pride. She slipped on a pair of running shorts over the bikini bottoms and tennis shoes. She pulled her short brunette hair into a small ponytail as she grabbed her crossbody backpack to pack a towel and a few bottles of water. She tossed in her keys and cellphone in as she left the RV. She locked up the doors and headed towards the river, and decided to run up and down the banks until she decided it would be time for a swim.

She had been ran about four miles as she came upon a clearing that held the yellow and blue slide. She remembered it from the brochure and smiled as she saw that it was empty. She went to the water's edge and saw from across the way that landmark of the big rock. Her keen eye sight saw a few people already jumping off the boulder, but otherwise, it wasn't heavily populated for the time being. Guess the early bird gets the worm, so to speak. She giggled as she walked from the bank and towards the ladder of the slide. Along the way, she kicked off her sneakers and shorts and placed them in her backpack. Leaving her in only her bikini. She placed the bag under a shaded and inconspicuous shrub for safe keeping, then climbed the stairs of the slide.

Once she reached the top, she took a deep breath, not realizing how steep the slide was. She briefly glanced at the water below to make sure she wouldn't land on anyone. The water was already flowing down the slide as she sat down at the top and felt the cool flow of the running water. She giggled as she slid down the tall slide and squealed as she was launched a distance away from the slide as it had lifted her into the air briefly. She barely had time to react as her body made an impact with the water and something hard underneath her.

She was quickly submerged under water and sunk close to the bottom as she opened her eyes, she saw a glimmer of white, blue and pink? She wasn't sure as the water was completely crystal clear though it held up to its name of 'frio'. She swam back up to the surface and enhaled deeply as she looked around on who she landed on. If the person was above water, she would look at them with worry and ask. "Are you alright? I swear that dad gum slide flicked me a lot further than I thought it would." She chuckled out as she met the gaze of the unsuspecting victim of her aerial assault. "I am so sorry if I caused any bodily harm. I am not supposed to do harm. But occasionally, it happens." She apologized as her deep sea green sublty look the person over for injuries. And subconsciously checking him out.

Macy had only just stepped back from the edge of Big Rock when Maddox launched himself like a man possessed, cannonballing into the river with a splash loud enough to make the trees flinch. She let out a surprised laugh, shielding her face from the fine mist that drifted upward. “Show-off,” she called after him, voice warm with teasing. When the spray settled and he didn’t resurface right away, her smile faded just slightly.

Seconds ticked by. Then more. Her expression sharpened with quiet focus. The calm she wore like a cloak thinned, replaced with something keen and ancient. Macy had spent a lifetime tuned to the rhythms of the wild, and the ripple in the current told her something had shifted. Her silver-green gaze scanned the water with quiet urgency.

When a second body broke the surface beside where Maddox had vanished—not him—her heart jumped. She recognized the concern on the stranger’s face. She had the look of someone who hadn’t meant to land where she did.

Without hesitation, Macy dove cleanly from the rock, water closing over her head like a curtain of cold silk. She swam straight for them, cutting through the Frio in long, strong strokes. Her head broke the surface just as the woman was speaking.

“—Are you alright? I swear that dad gum slide flicked me—”

Macy’s attention wasn’t on her words. It was on Maddox. He was surfacing, thank the stars, but slowly, blinking, rubbing the back of his head where he must’ve taken the brunt of it. His grin was there, but dazed, softer than it should’ve been.

Macy reached him just as he finished sputtering, one hand hovering at his arm without grabbing him. “You hit your head?” she asked, voice low, calm, and steady. “Or just your pride?”

She turned briefly to the woman in the blue and black bikini, who now looked vaguely mortified. “He’s alright,” Macy said gently, her voice the verbal equivalent of a cool hand on a fevered brow. “You just had a little more launch than expected.”

She turned back to Maddox and reached out, brushing the water off his forehead with her fingers. “You okay?” she asked again, this time softer, letting her eyes search his for signs of fog. “No sharp pain, no double vision, no angelic hallucinations that aren’t Cass?”

Because the tension needed breaking, her lips twitched into a wry smile. “You sure know how to make an entrance, darlin’. But next time, maybe don’t play chicken with flying women.”

She gave his arm a light squeeze. “You scared me, cowboy.”

Angelcakes? Of all the nicknames they could have come up with it was one that was sure to earn him a proper pantsing and a dirty toilet swirly - Angelcakes. Maddox's side-splitting laughter only went to support his theory. "None of the boys will ever hear the name unless someone let's it slip to them." Cassiel was sure to put a lot of emphasis and over exaggerated the word 'someone'.

Cassiel stood shoulder to shoulder with Maddox and smiled warmly when he seemed nervous about impressing the new girl, Macy. "Dude, you can get any girl you want. Just be yourself." Cass let Maddox climb up the rock first and followed close behind him. Once they got to the top of the rock Cassiel immediately moved to stand next to Kyria.

Maddox hurled himself off the rock and plummeted down and caused one impressive splash. But as Maddox was surfacing a woman that had taken a ride on the slide and was launched off the end and landed on Maddox. "Oh shit!" Cass exclaimed as his hands instinctually lifted and landed on his temples.

He had stepped forward to go after his friend, but Macy was faster. She went right in after Maddox, cannonball be damned. Cassiel stayed on top of the rock with Kyria, ready to leap into whatever action was needed. "Did you see that?!" By the tone of his voice it was clear Cass was worried about his friend.

"Maddox!!!"

Kyria stood stock still, water still dripping from her last dive, arms crossed over her chest as she scanned the surface of the Frio like a hawk tracking a wayward breeze. Her heartbeat thudded against her ribs with more force than she expected. For a cowboy with questionable fashion choices and reckless cannonball form, Maddox had wormed his way into her world far faster than she cared to admit.

When Macy dove, Kyria wasn’t the least bit surprised. Of course she did. That’s what they did for their people.

As the chaos below began to settle, and Maddox’s head finally reappeared—moving, talking, even if a little loopy—Kyria exhaled a long breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She pressed a hand to her stomach, then lifted it to brush her damp hair off her face, her voice rising over the water like a wind chime on the cusp of a storm. “That’s twice you’ve almost given me a heart attack today, Maddox Everette. I don’t care how charming your shorts are, your skull’s not as thick as you think.”

She turned slightly, catching Macy’s eye and offering her a grateful smile full of unspoken thanks. Then, lowering her voice, she muttered to Cassiel, “Macy’s a saint.”

Her gaze flicked to the newcomer. She was whirlwind of tattoos and freckles and barely-contained apology bobbing beside the cowboy she nearly flattened. Kyria tilted her head and gave a small, crooked grin, half-teasing, half-welcoming. “Nice flight path, by the way. Ten outta ten for distance. Maybe a six for landing. Next time, try aiming for the empty water, not the walking fashion tragedy.”

She bent slightly and picked up a smooth river rock, toying with it in one hand as her voice grew softer again, more honest. “Glad you’re alright, Maddox.. But I swear, if you scare Macy like that again, I’m putting glitter in your beer.”

Then she turned toward the river’s edge, tossing the stone lazily into the water and calling out with one last wink and a singsong threat. “And don’t think that splash gets you out of the kiss bet. I saw zero form in that cannonball. Zero.”

She turned to face Cassiel, reaching up and cupping his cheek with her hand, ”Breathe, baby. He’s okay.” If something ever did happen to Maddox, Cassiel would likely never get over it. Those two were an unlikely pair, but the bond between them was as strong as it got.