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Realistic or Modern Somebody I Used To Know | Main

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Natalie Mayfair








Once Natalie and Declan found themselves out on the patio, they luckily were quickly joined by the other couples one by one. Having others around was a nice reprieve from the forced one on one time spent with Declan, and a welcomed distraction from the nerves that were starting to grow. The competition aspect of this show had never really concerned Natalie, as her initial goal hadn’t been to win the money, but now that a challenge lay before them, the blonde was becoming nervous. All of the other couples seemed to be just as much in the dark as Nat and Dec were though, so at least it was an even playing field. Sorta.

Declan’s earlier comment about one of the couples probably hooking up last night came to mind after hearing the brothers’ conversation. One of them certainly seemed in a good mood, and his comments alluded to him and the woman named Kaya having reconnected last night. At least on a physical level. Natalie wondered if that would help them going forward, but she wasn’t able to ponder it very long before Cain glanced over at her and Declan and asked how their night went. Natalie raised an eyebrow slightly as the man slid over to Kaya and put his arm around her, kissing her cheek. “Not as well as your night apparently…” She replied, offering an amused smile as Kaya reacted to her ex’s antics. Perhaps that couple’s romp in the sheets hadn’t done much to repair their relationship after all.

The host arrived and began explaining the challenge, directing everyone’s attention to the ropes course in the distance. Nat hadn’t even noticed the giant obstacle course, but judging by the others’ reactions, neither had anyone else. The blonde didn’t have time to really make up her mind how she felt about the challenge reveal before Declan snaked his arm around her shoulders. We got this in bag, you know that, right? A little surprised by the gesture, Nat reflexively glanced up at her ex. Dec was grinning confidently and for a moment he looked just as Nat remembered him back in high school- grinning down at her and telling her nearly the exact same thing. Only back then, he was talking about winning Homecoming King and Queen and they were wearing a suit and gown instead of exercise clothes.

Realizing she had leaned into Declan a little as she got caught up in the nostalgia, Natalie blinked away the memories and offered Dec a smile, and a small nod. She wasn’t as certain as he was that they could win this, but she didn’t want to ruin the mood. Again. If they had any hope of working together to make it through the ropes course, this was no time to be difficult. Besides, she didn’t mind his arm around her that much.

Mitch continued to explain the challenge that lay before the ex couples. “The goal of this challenge is to complete the ropes course as fast as possible to win the most points. The better your time, the more points you are awarded. If you give up and fail to complete the course at all, you will receive 0 points.” It was only then that Natalie realized there were cameras surrounding them, filming a scene. For a moment she’d almost forgotten that they were pretty much under 24/7 surveillance with a lens almost always on them. Natalie looked up at Declan again, wondering if it would look worse if she slipped out from under his arm, or remained where she was. The casting team had made a point of suggesting that she lean into the “America’s Sweetheart” vibe she had going on, and rebuffing her ex might make her look frigid. That brought up another dilemma though- she couldn’t really care less about what the casting team wanted her to do, but was spiting them worth pulling away from Dec? Mitch continued speaking though, and the bomb he dropped took her attention away from the optics of everything.





































Nervous






























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_amaranth_ _amaranth_ MadiRaiCat MadiRaiCat apolla apolla


















































nine lives




 










































Grayson Moore








Grayson had never been one to talk about his feelings, or anyone’s really, and perhaps that could be blamed on growing up in the foster care system. In his youth, he’d learned it was easier to close himself off to those pesky emotions that could break him, and just focus on trying to market himself as a happy, well adjusted kid. No one wanted to adopt something that was broken, and had Gray let himself actually acknowledged and feel the situation he found himself in, he surely would have been. By the time he was adopted and the Moores tried to open up to him and talk about how they felt about things, it was too late. Gray was too set in his ways, snd his heart was locked in a safe and buried deep somewhere with no X to mark the spot.

It would take a lot of digging and someone with the right key to unlock what was inside Gray. So far, aside from his adoptive parents, Corryn was the only other person to have the potential to do so. Unfortunately, the driven blonde was too much like Gray and didn’t seem to care for digging around for emotions either. It was for that reason, that Gray had initially decided not to make anymore mention of their kiss just before the envelope arrived. If Corryn didn’t want to talk about it- awesome! However, just as they were about to leave their room to go compete against the other ex-couples, Gray thought it might be a good idea just to make sure he and Cory were good before they went out and made fools of themselves because of something as silly as a kiss.

For a moment Cory’s brilliant blue eyes met his, before she offered a grin. Yeah, why wouldn't we be? It's not like we've never kissed before, Gray. Hell, you and I both know we've done way more than that. While his ex certainly wasn’t wrong in her assertion, something felt a little different this time. Before when they kissed, they were in a relationship, so it didn’t have any significant implications. Now though, they were broken up, and typically kissing your ex usually had some kind of ramification. And typically those ramifications didn’t play out in front of cameras for everyone to see. Before Gray could really respond though, Corryn reached around him to open the door and the tall man just nodded, exiting and putting their room, the kiss, and this conversation behind him.

Surprisingly, the power couple was the last to arrive out on the patio, and the host soon joined them. That was just as well to Gray though, since he’d used the silent walk out to get himself into game mode. He would do his best not to always treat the other cast members as competition, but right now that’s all they were to him. He wasn’t there to make friends and chit chat right now, so he left the talking to Corryn and the others until Mitch took over. Everyone’s attention was averted to the high ropes course in the distance, and Gray felt a surge of competitive adrenaline rush through him. He could easily dominate this competition. Alone at least. Though he was fairly certain Corryn would be able to hold her own too. If they just needed to get the fastest completion time, then no sweat. There was just one small oversight on Gray’s part giving him a false sense of confidence… When he imagine the challenge, he automatically pictured everyone completing the ropes course individually, with their times combined at the end to reach the couple’s total time. However, as Mitch continued to explain the premise of the challenge to the exes, and to the eventual TV audience at home, Gray learned that he was very much mistaken.

“This isn’t just a physical challenge though,” Mitch clarified. “The objective is to test both your coordination and your ability to work together with your ex. Not only will each pair be tackling the ropes course as a team, but you will be connected by a 4 foot rope. So watch your step, because if one of you falls, you might drag the other person down with you.” The host continued talking, going over the general rules of the ropes course, but Gray was only half listening as his mind grappled with the added element of this challenge. Sure, he and Cory made a kick ass team back in the day and worked together like a well oiled machine, but they’d been rivals for so long now, he wasn’t sure how easily they could get back in synch. Besides, he wasn’t much for team sports to begin with. His game of choice was golf after all.

Glancing at Cory, Gray tried to get a read on how she was feeling about their task at hand, but per usual her cool demeanor didn’t betray any of her thoughts. “Well, this will be interesting… Can’t wait to see the others try to do this.” The brunette whispered to his blonde partner. “Shouldn’t be too hard to beat ‘em, even tied together.”





































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Outfit
























MadiRaiCat MadiRaiCat _amaranth_ _amaranth_ apolla apolla


















































nine lives




 






olivia




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  • home (filler tab)



































camila cabello



crying in the club








Stepping out onto the patio with Abel and seeing two of the other couples standing there, Olivia's first instinct was to be her warm and welcoming self. For a moment, she forgot that they were on a TV show, and competing against each other at that. Even though Kaya was out there and she was by far not Olivia's favorite person, Liv could still be civil, though with Cain running his mouth, it was a little harder. Liv's face flushed red as he hinted at the night he had with Kaya, which Liv could only imagine had been filled with fun times in the sheets. She knew the two of them well enough to know how they operated, and honestly, that gave her a surge of confidence against them. There was no way they could work together for this.

The final couple joined them, followed shortly by the host. Instinctively, Liv moved closer to her partner and her ex. The host motioned to the giant rope course in the distance, and suddenly, Liv's eyes were as wide as saucers. Her hand shot out to grab Abe's arm, forgetting completely that she wasn't supposed to use him for support like that. But at the same time, they were exes yes, but they were also partners in this, so why couldn't she use him for support? Her fingernails dug into the skin on Abel's arm, leaving little impressions behind, but she couldn't even focus on that right now. Her eyes were still on the course, and she almost missed the twist of the challenge. If it was even possible, her eyes got even wider and she took a step back, for all of the cameras to see.

"And our first couple will be..." The host looked around at the couples with his bright, energetic eyes, and Liv sent a silent prayer to whoever was up in the sky. But her prayers were not answered, because his eyes landed on her and Abe. "Olivia and Abel! Come on up here, guys. Follow me, everyone." He turned and started towards the course, and Liv's eyes shot over to Abel. "Abe, I can't, there's no way..." She whispered to him, only now realizing that her nails were still digging into his arm. "Fuck, I'm sorry." She withdrew her fingers, wincing slightly at the red marks she'd left behind. But she knew that had to go, so she turned towards the course, ashen faced as she started towards it with the others. Getting closer, the course just got higher and higher, and Liv twisted her fingers together in front of her chest.

"Abel and Olivia, please." The host gestured for them to come get suited up with the safety gear, and Liv shot another terrified glance at Abe before she stepped forward. Her entire body shook as they were strapped in, given helmets and all as well. Liv chanced a glance at the other couples, but quickly turned away, not wanting them to know just how afraid she was. Even though they, and probably all of whoever was watching, probably already did. Tilting her head back, she swallowed heavily. "Fuck me." She breathed, snapping her head forward again. She heard the host from behind her, announcing that they were about to begin. The rope tying her to Abel was a heavy reminder that they had to do this together. Steeling herself as they moved to the starting point, a buzzer sounded, and they were off.






♡coded by uxie♡
 






cain




filler



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machine gun kelly



home








If there was one thing Cain was good at, it was getting under people's skin. Kaya was an easy target, and Cain automatically fell back into bad habits when he was around her. Some people might say that it was a good thing he and Kaya had broken up, but Cain wasn't so sure. He regretted leaving all those years ago, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to be honest with his ex and tell her how he felt. Was he waiting for her to break and say something first? The possibility was very likely. He didn't want to be the one who broke first. Though maybe, in a way, he already had considering he was the one who'd jumped her the night before. But to be fair, she'd locked him in the bathroom. In his mind, she was asking for it.

Wearing his signature cocky smirk as they ventured outside with the others, he was quick to move away from Kaya after planting a kiss on her soft cheek. He knew very well that an elbow would be coming his way, or possibly even a punch. She wasn't one to hold back, which honestly, was something he loved about her. Always had. He was the same way, which was probably one of the biggest reasons they fought so much. But they were just two passion-filled individuals, and that showed in their relationship. He wasn't naive to the fact that people thought they were toxic, and maybe they were. But they also worked the best when they were together, which is how he knew that no matter what this competition threw at them, they could win.

Looking around at the others as the last couple and the host made their appearance, he half listened while he took in the looks on everyone's faces. Olivia looked terrified, which made Cain feel that she and Abel might be at a disadvantage here. The other two guys though, besides his brother, both wore a look of confidence. Sliding his gaze to Kaya, he moved closer to her, sliding an arm around her waist just as the host announced that they were going to be doing the course together. With a rope between them. "Wait, what?" He looked down at the shorter female, a sly grin appearing on his lips as he leaned in close to whisper in her ear. "I didn't realize we were going to be getting so kinky so fast. When did you start to like playing with rope, KayKay?"

This time he still held her close, just in case she would try to get away from him. The host announced that Abel and Olivia would be going first, and Cain couldn't stop himself from laughing. "Good luck, Abe." He muttered as his brother passed him, pulling Kaya towards the course beside him. The thing did get bigger the closer they got, but Cain wasn't nervous. Kaya might be, though, which just meant he had to get her some reassurance. Moving to stand behind her, he wrapped both arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Don't be scared." He whispered into her ear, watching as Abel and Olivia moved closer to the starting point to get into their safety gear. "Look, they like the rope. Maybe we can ask if we can take it back with us..." He chuckled again, his grip tightening around her.







♡coded by uxie♡
 







Corryn Russell.



  • When Corryn was a child, she remembered climbing the tallest tree at the back end of her father's estate. The leaves had already fallen off and gathered at its base. The bar was sturdy and dark, and the branches protruded in a rather horror film-esque pattern. As she climbed, the bark scratched against her palms and legs, but Cory didn't care. All she wanted was to reach the top. After a while of climbing, she was finally there, staring out over the property. She felt accomplished, happy, content. The view was gorgeous, but the feeling of actually reaching her goal was more important to the child. Corryn had never been afraid of heights. But in that moment, as she looked down on the ground several below, she felt her stomach turn just a bit. And that was when, she lost her balance and fell.

    Her father was furious with her. How could she have made such a stupid decision? The blonde child had tried to explain that she just wanted to explore, to prove that she could do it, and that she didn't expect to fall out of the tree. But, it was just one more thing that made him cold towards her. Cory distinctly remembered that he didn't even take her to the doctor for the clearly broken bone. Instead, he sent their butler with her instead. There wasn't anyone to hold her hand while she cried as the bone was set back in place. That was one of the earliest times Corryn realized that she would have to work incredibly hard to gain her father's approval and therefore love. And so, even at such as a young age, she sat their in silence as the doctor set the bone back in place, barely wincing at the pain.

    One broken arm and a cast later, and young Cory vowed that she would never let fear or anxiety overcome her mind again. So, as she looked over at the ropes course, passive apathy was the only expression on her face. After all, she was part of the so-called 'Power Couple' on the show. And that meant that she should have the stoic, nose-up-to-the-world persona that they had pitched her as. Corryn didn't think that she was entirely that way. She liked to believe she had more personality, maybe something positive and happy. Pulling her from her thoughts, the blonde executive glanced around at their small group, attempting to gauge expressions. Some of the others didn't seemed too pleased with the task at hand, and Corryn knew that that would be to her and Grayson's advantage. She felt Grayson next to her, and a small smirk played on her lips at his words. "No doubt about it."

    Abel and Olivia were the first to go, and watching them get strapped in to protective gear made her stomach clench just a bit. She forced those feelings down, effectively ignoring them. It wasn't long until she and Grayson's names were called. Stepping up to the prep area, Cory let the team members strap her in to safety gear. She glanced over at her ex, hoping that he was as focused on winning as she was. A rope bound them together, and they were ushered over to the starting line. A buzzer sounded, and the blonde rushed forward on to the ropes. Immediately they began shifting and moving under her waiting, causing her to quickly grab on to the two-by-fours mounted along the way. But other than that, she was well on her way across the course.

    Cory got into the zone, focusing in on the task at hand. Moving around obstacles, climbing over others, using all of her muscles. Her cheeks were flushed from the workout. It was a strange feeling. But the blonde realized that, for the first time in what seemed like a hard time, she was actually having fun. So much so, that Cory hadn't even remembered that she was tied to Gray until the rope went taut, pulling her back a bit. Immediately, her mood decreased, and she was pulled back to reality from her own little world. The near-fall caused her heart to start racing, the normal icy cool demanor cracking a bit. She looked back at Grayson, an apologetic, yet slightly scared expression on her face. She clutched on to the nearest stable object, a piece of would she was supposed to climb over. Out of breath, she offered Grayson an apologetic look and said, "I'm sorry, are you okay?"








coded by weldherwings.
 







Abel Rothenberg.



  • Abel had never been the best at relationships, he would be the first to admit that. But Cain and Kaya were next level. They were constantly at each other's throats, in more ways than one. One day, they were ride or die, and the next, they were screaming so loud, the neighbors complained. Of course, Abel had been around for Cain when he needed him. He lent his older brother an ear whenever he needed to complain about Kaya and what she had done to annoy him that time. To be honest, it had made him appreciate his relationship with Olivia more. Up until the end, things were really good between them. There were minor arguments, but nothing that constituted yelling. At the time, Abe truly believed he could see himself spending his life with Liv. But then Mr. Kennedy approached him, and Abel just couldn't say no.

    The blonde man turned his attention to Kaya when he heard her voice. He rolled his forest green eyes at the brunette woman, but decided not to respond. Probably for the best that he didn't insert himself into their venom. It was then that the host appeared, giving a cheesily grand introduction to their first challenge. The ropes course was taller than Abel would have liked, but he wasn't really bothered by heights. There were obstacles, and he wasn't 100% sure how they were going to get through it. But there was no harm in trying. The mechanic felt someone grab onto his arm, her touch sending little tingles from where her skin met his. Abel looked down at Olivia, ignoring the slight sting of her fingernails digging into his skin. Mitch announced that they were the first couple and his stomach dropped. He would have rather at least watched someone else do it first.

    He could tell there was fear in Olivia's voice, and he offered her what he hoped was a comforting smile. "You got this, Liv. I'll be right up there with you, okay? Besides, it will be over before you know it." Without much time for them to have a conversation or make a game plan, the crew began strapping them into their safety gear. Sure, they looked a little ridiculous. But better safe than sorry, right? Abel stepped up to the starting line alongside Olivia, adrenaline beginning to pump through his veins. A buzzer signaled their commencement, and the blonde man took his first step forward onto the course. The ropes swayed a bit as he moved, and he did his best to stabilize himself on the somewhat steadier areas. Abel peered over his shoulder to find out where his partner was, expecting her to be further behind. But instead, he was surprised to find Olivia nearly directly behind him.

    “You doing alright, Liv?” he asked, pausing just in case she needed a break to answer. She seemed to be holding her own, despite her fears on the ground. She met his gaze, and Abe could still see bits of fear there. But he saw determination as well. Maybe they wouldn’t do so bad after all. “Yeah, I’m good,” she responded, though it was hard to hear through the wind of being up so high. Up until that point, Abel had refused to look down. He wasn’t afraid of heights, but he was certainly afraid of death. And the possibility of falling from that high had the potential to get his thoughts racing. So, he turned back around and continued across the course, making sure to keep an eye on Olivia in case she needed him.

    After what seemed like hours but was probably only a few minutes or so, Abel finally made his way to the last obstacle. The last stretch was a few feet of thin wooden planks in the form of steps with nothing to hold on to. The wind had picked up a bit, and the ropes swayed along with it. Grasping the last handhold before the steps, Abe bit his lip as he looked down on them. This was it. The last obstacle between him and getting ahead in the competition, getting closer to that grand prize. And he so badly needed that money. So, taking a breath, Abel raced across the steps, letting out a breath of relief when his feet met solid ground once again. He spun around in excitement, expecting to see Olivia right behind him like she was before. Instead, he found her grasping on to the handholds for dear life, eyes wide in terror. “Olivia? Are you alright?” he called to her, removing the uncomfortable helmet from his head. She shook her head rapidly, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. “I almost fell off this fucking death trap! I can’t do this, Abe!” The blonde man immediately felt bad, realizing he had been so in his own head about the money that he hadn’t even realized Olivia could have fallen.

    “You can do this, Liv. Look how far you’ve come already,” he answered, but his words didn’t seem to get through to her. Instead, she hugged the handhold tighter, shaking her head rapidly. Time was ticking, but that didn’t matter much anymore to him. Instead, all Abel wanted was to help her get to the finish line. “Olivia, open your eyes and look at me. Please?” He could tell she was hesitating, but eventually the brunette met his gaze. Abel offered her a comforting smile before continuing. “Remember how we worked together in the garage? Remember how you trusted me then? Do that again. Just keep looking at me. You’ve got this.” Olivia hesitated again, but she visibly inhaled in an attempt to calm herself. Abel never broke eye contact with her as she took the first step, racing across them and directly into his arms. The rush of adrenaline gave way to cathartic release as Abel wrapped his arms tightly around Liv’s small frame. He pulled her close, lifting her to spin in excitement. Setting her back on her feet, Abel looked down at his ex, finding a different emotion in her eyes. And that was when she pressed her lips to his.








coded by weldherwings.
 
Kaya


Montgomery

mood.
enraged

location.
ropes course

outfit.
click!

interactions.
Cain ( apolla apolla )



The morning on set was not exactly different from all other mornings Cain and Kaya experienced together. With those two, there was hardly any middle way, only the extremes. Either they were all over each other, smothering themselves with love, or smothering themselves with the toxicity spewed from each pore of their body. The annoyance was oozing from Kaya from the very moment she realized she had made that mistake for at least a millionth time. Letting Cain close to her, letting him do all those delicious things he could do so well, it was only pushing Kaya deeper and there was no way for her to claw her way out from the pit of the misery she and Cain radiated.

Not that it was all his fault. Kaya knew she had her fair share on how the relationship looked like but she was never going to admit it out loud, especially not to Cain. Instead, she marched from the room and down to the backyard to see what the production had in store for them as the first challenge. Soon, all couples were there and the host made his appearance introducing the rope course in the background. Kaya’s eyes narrowed as she examined the thing. It took her attention away from the other people so when Cain’s arm snaked around her, she flinched. "I didn't realize we were going to be getting so kinky so fast. When did you start to like playing with rope, KayKay?” he asked, making the brunette roll her eyes hard.

“Just get over yourself, Cain. And stop being a perv. Look, I came here to win so you can either get on board with that or get out of my way, alright?” she hissed, watching Abel and Olivia being taken away so they would go first. She could see the look on Liv’s face and a mean smile curled Kaya’s lips. Well, Liv was a singer, not an athlete. And the other gentle flower girl seemed like no competition either but her guy was a real contender. And the other two looked like they meant business so Kaya wouldn’t underestimate them. But if she and Cain could get it together, the victory was going to be theirs.

It was some time later as Abel and Olivia finished and everyone was watching the grand finale of their run that Kaya looked up just in time to see Liv pressing her lips onto Abel’s. Her eyes almost popped out and she groaned. “Ugh, gross! So much for being exes.” she commented on the scene unfolding in front of her eyes, arms crossed on her chest. But there was higher purpose to her comment. One that was supposed to mask the pang of jealousy she felt watching those two share a sweet moment. Moment she wanted too but knowing herself and Cain, romance was not what they did. No matter how much her little heart craved it. Then again, she never admitted her romantic side to anyone.

Cory and Gray were next to tackle the challenge and once they were done, it was the toxic couple time. Kaya marched towards the beginning of the course and let the attendant secure her and put the helmet on her. Once than was done, she and Cain got tied together and let on the course. “When we finish, you gonna kiss me like that?” he asked her and it was enough to make Kaya’s blood boil again. “Could you just take this seriously?” she snapped and started to make her path through the obstacles. Her legs shook a little but she was Kaya Montgomery, she was not about to give up and let those athletic kids win. The planks and ropes were not exactly stable but Kaya was a strong opponent and measured every step, made sure she was secure all the time and that Cain followed. Somewhere in the middle, she started to have a really good feeling about the whole challenge. And then Cain opened his big fat mouth again.

Cain always knew how to rile Kay up and how to piss her off. His comment made the brunette make her way to the nearest stable point and she turned abruptly. “You just can’t help yourself, can you? Why don’t you just shut up and let me win this on my own?” she spat and shoved him off the course. Well, he was secured, it wasn’t like he was in real danger anyway. What she forgot about in the heat of the moment was that they were tied together and a few seconds after Cain’s body fell off, Kaya herself was dragged down with a loud shriek. “Fuck! Fuckin hell!” she exclaimed, dangling from the course. Her baseball hat fell off and the wind was now toying with the dark strands framing an angry face of the bartender. “Fuck you, Cain! Now look what you’ve done!” she went on but there was nothing else to do. They needed to start again which definitely cost them dearly.

It took some time and the couple definitely lost their momentum but they finished. Kaya got down at the end of the course, slightly breathy and her cheeks red but she was glad to finally be done with it. All she wanted now was a drink and be as away from Cain as possible. As the couple waited to be separated again, Kaya made it her mission not to look at the man. “So no kiss?” he asked with that smug smile, making Kaya look at him after all. “You can kiss my ass after what you just pulled.” she hissed, taking the helmet off. “Bend over then.” Cain retorted and Kaya just shook her head, fighting her own desire to smack that smile off. “Aw, Cain. That was rather anticlimactic. Even for you.” she said instead, using the sweetest voice she could muster. But it was Cain she was talking to and he always had an answer. “Oh, KayKay, I have a climax for you…” he teased just as the rope connecting them went off. Kaya’s face grew red as ever and she just turned on her heel and marched away from him, back to where all contestants were sitting. She had enough of Cain Rothenberg for one day. And it was still just a fucking morning.


code: @s e v e n
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Declan


Bennet

mood.
concerned, caring

location.
rope course

outfit.
click!

interactions.
Nat ( Desert_Blossom Desert_Blossom )



Apparently, all couples enjoyed a different kind of night and there was the one who certainly seemed to enjoy it more than the others. Declan would be lying if he said that he didn’t want his night could have gone a bit more in that direction but he was not drunk enough and would certainly not force himself on his ex, no matter what happened. He and Nat shared a moment but it was only a brief one and they both came back to the right senses before fucking up the fragile peace between them. And the morning helped a little but it was very visible they were both dancing on the edge of the blade, avoiding the elephant in the room.

Declan’s pride was up high and while he seemed like an easy-going guy, inside he could be pretty hard to change his mind. In this particular case, he was convinced he was not to blame, given the circumstances, and nothing and no one could convince him it was not the case. The football player would rather bite the bitter lemon than admit that he caused this falling. In his book, it was Natalie who asked for a break and he had given it to her. Only now he fully understood how Ross felt when he and Rachel broke up.

Seeing the rope course up high, built just for them to challenge all aspects of their personalities, Dec had to admit that it made him respect that a little but his athlete ego prevailed and he was sure they could do it no problem. His hand found its way around Nat’s shoulders and he shared his thoughts. Her eyes found his and he offered a grin and for a moment, it felt like nothing had changed since their old days. They truly were the power couple at their school, even though the show categorized them into the teenage dream box. Then again, they were not exactly wrong, the two were a dream.

Mitch went on explaining everything to them and Dec’s eyebrows jumped up upon hearing they were about to be tied together. Surely, that was making it a tad harder. One misstep and they both would fall off the course. This way, they really needed to work together even more but he was not afraid. Declan and Natalie were always the force to be reckoned with, even if the show assigned that status to the couple standing next to them. Maybe it was for the best to let the whole nation underestimate them. That way, the two could just be the underdog, the sweet couple no one expected to come on top. And then they would trash that image and show everyone what they were made of. At least that was Declan’s idea.

Liv and Abel were first to go and Dec let Natalie go for a second to clap. “Go, guys!” he exclaimed, encouraging them a little. There was no need to be hostile anyway. While the first couple was gone, the rest had no idea how they fared and only saw the end. And it was SOME end. “Well, damn. That’s gonna raise the ratings more than your nocturnal escapades.” he grinned, turning to Cain to tease the other brother. “You, guys, surely are pulling the big guns.” Laughter escaped his lips as Cory and Gray were called to the course and watching their strong finish made Declan nod appreciatively. They certainly were the ones to beat. Unlike Kaya and Cain who seemed to be taking their sweet time before finally reappearing and finishing their attempt. As expected, something was up and while Dec couldn’t hear everything, the heated exchange and Kaya’s escape from the set made him scoff. And then it was his and Natty’s turn.

“How come we never tried this?” Declan asked, tugging at the rope tying them together. The blush appearing on her face made her even more adorable, complimenting her blonde locks perfectly. “Probably because we were already joined at the hip and didn’t need a rope to keep us together…” she answered, making Dec grin widely. The attendant fixed the helmet on his head and made sure it was firmly on, doing the same for Nat before letting them start. Declan let Natalie go first as it would allow him to keep better eye on her in case she needed it. The ropes were not the most stable thing to step on and the planks weren’t any better but the couple was beating one obstacle after the next, slowly but surely making their way toward the end. “Looking good there, Natty. You work out?” he called at her, shamelessly scanning her body in turquoise gym set. She always looked amazing but apparently, those years they hadn’t seen each other, treated her more than nicely. “Yeah, my manager has me doing two-a-days. Gotta look good while taking pictures.” The sarcasm was practically dripping of her voice but Declan didn’t feel any hostility. “Gotta hand it to your manager then. Apparently, they know what they’re doing.”

The couple treaded carefully to make sure they wouldn’t make any mistakes and Declan looked over his shoulder to see how much they had overcome. And then the football player looked just in time to see Natalie step so unfortunately that her ankle rolled into an unnatural angle. She would have fallen for sure but Dec’s trained reflexes helped a great deal. He gripped the rope hard, shifted his weight and grabbed Nat around her waist, pulling her closer to him. “Got you!” he told her, trying to hold them both up. There was no time for them to fall off and walk this distance again. Plus on that ankle, Natty might have hurt herself even more. “It’s okay, come on. Hold onto me and we can make it.” Declan hummed into her ear and moved to her side so he would be there, offering his body as a crutch for the girl to lean on. Natalie nodded and Dec didn’t fail to notice the slight wince on her face accompanied by a soft thanks. Holding her tight, they continued slowly, Dec almost carrying her through the course which made it a bit more complicated but he didn’t care. No matter what, they were finishing this strong.


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Natalie Mayfair








Natalie wasn’t ignorant to the premise of the show. She knew she’d be competing with Declan, which meant she’d have to work as a team with him, but she didn’t realize that she’d be tied to him while doing it. Nat glanced up at Declan in time to see his brows rise at the news they’d be joined together, but he remained silent on the matter. The blonde’s stomach turned a little with nerves as the rest of the directions were relayed to the group and one by one the couples completed the course.

The first couple had quite a finish, locking lips at the end, while Kaya was not happy as she wrapped up the course. Grayson seemed pleased with his and Cory’s efforts, though a little quiet. Finally it was Declan and Natalie’s turn and the latter was trying not to let it show how nervous she was. Dec helped in that regard a little when he asked why they had never tried being tied together before while they were getting geared up, tugging at their rope. His suggestive comment earned a blush from the blonde when she realized that her parents could potentially see the answer to her question someday, and she bit back her initial response, settling for a more innocent one. “Probably because we were already joined at the hip and didn’t need a rope to keep us together…” Natalie retorted, a little surprised by Declan’s wide grin and the fluttering in her stomach it caused.

Turning away from Declan to refocus, Natalie tried to get herself in the right mindset as her helmet was put on. The beginning of the high ropes course was a bit of a blur as Natalie was focussed on the task at hand. She and Declan we’re moving through the obstacles successfully and efficiently, considering how unstable the ropes and planks were. For a moment, the thought that she and Declan could win this even crossed her mind… though Dec had other things on his mind apparently.

Looking good there, Natty. You work out? Natalie nearly missed the next plank, taken off guard by Declan’s shameless compliment, and she gripped one of the ropes tightly as she glanced back at him. To cover up her slight misstep, Natalie turned on the sarcasm as she took a moment to get her balance. “Yeah, my manager has me doing two-a-days. Gotta look good while taking pictures,” Nat shot back, secretly pleased by Declan’s words. She’d definitely had similar thoughts about her ex, so it was good to know the feeling was mutual. Gotta hand it to your manager then. Apparently, they know what they’re doing. Natalie smirked a little at Declan, tempted to carry on their banter a little more, but reminding herself that they need to focus.

Continuing on towards the finish line, the couple moved carefully in nearly a perfect run… until Natalie ruined it. The blonde was actually kinda having fun. She was enjoying the competition, the challenge of the course, and even being with Declan. It was this last realization that tripped Natalie up and she wasn’t paying attention to what she was doing as she jumped to the next plank. Her ankle immediately buckled under her and a jolt of pain shot through it as she felt herself start to fall off the plank. Natalie cried out, both in pain and surprise, but her descent was prematurely stopped by Declan’s quick reflexes. Got you! His strong arm wrapped around her waist, preventing her from falling off the course, and he pulled her close to him.

Natalie gritted her teeth in discomfort as she tried to catch her breath and bite back tears. She mentally cursed herself, gripping onto Dec’s arm tightly against the pain as she tried to put weight on her foot. A sharp pain immediately told the blonde that walking on her own would be impossible. Her pride took a hit as she realized she’d become a burden, but before she even said anything, Declan was already moving to help her. It’s okay, come on. Hold onto me and we can make it. Natalie flushed, both in embarrassment from hurting herself, but also because Declan was being so sweet about the situation. He could have been mad at her for costing them the competition, but instead he just moved to her side so she could use him as a crutch.

“Thanks…” Natalie nodded, wincing as she held onto her ex as they struggled through the rest of the course. The blonde tried to hold in how much pain she was in, but she couldn’t help but grip Dec a little tighter with each step. Their slow but steady strategy became even slower and less steady, but the couple pushed through the rest of the ropes course. Natalie could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as they reached the finish line of the course, but she blinked them away, not wanting to be emotional on television. Or in front of Declan. “Dec I’m…” Nat started, her apology getting caught in her throat before she could finish her words as the production team began helping her out of her ropes course gear and she had to let go of him. Ice appeared from somewhere, and Natalie was overwhelmed by a medic checking her ankle, more likely to make sure she couldn’t sue them for anything rather than out of concern for her well-being. “I’m fine, just please leave me alone.” She uttered to the production team on the verge of tears. The cameras remained where they were but the medic backed off.





































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nine lives




 










































Grayson Moore








It was game time. Grayson could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins when it was Cory and his turn. He waved away the team members as they tried to help him into his gear, insisting he do it himself. Once he was geared up, he let someone do a safety check to make sure he did everything properly. Gray looked over at Cory, catching her eye as he gave her a confident nod. While competing was one of his favorite things to do, he was focussed and a smile felt out of place at this moment. He’d smile once they won this challenge. And knowing himself and Corryn, he expected to win. Easily.

When the buzzer sounded, his blonde ex took off and Grayson followed quickly after her. Gray saw Cory grab onto one of the two-by-fours as the course gave under her weight, but it didn’t take her long to get her legs under her and continue onward. Keeping close to the blonde, the competitive executive did his best to shadow her movements, knowing that if she’d been successful through each different components of the course, he likely would be too by doing the same thing. Yes, he weighed quite a bit more than her, but he adjusted his approach slightly to account for that.

Little by little though, the slack in the rope that tied Gray and Cory together began to decrease as the beautiful blonde got caught up in the fun of the course. The tall man did his best to keep up with the petite, nimble woman, but his extra height hurt him more than it helped on this course, making it harder for him to balance. Suddenly, the slack was gone and before Gray could call out to Cory to stop, the line went taught. The brunette man had enough heads up of what was about to happen to grab onto the nearest rope to keep from being jerked off the course. Gray watched the blonde be pulled back a bit and his stomach dropped for a moment thinking she was going to fall. Luckily Cory caught herself and he let out a breath of relief. She glanced back at Gray and he could see an unfamiliar expression in her eyes. Was that fear?

I’m sorry, are you okay? Gray nodded, making his way towards where Cory clung to the obstacle course and he offered his hand to help her regain her balance so she could climb over the wood. “I’m fine, don’t worry about it.” He replied, momentarily putting aside his need to win to make sure Cory was okay. “Are you? Got a little ahead of yourself there…” He added, a small smirk creeping onto his face. “Maybe I should take the lead for a bit…” Gray teased, knowing Cory likely wouldn’t appreciate it. “Or better yet, I’ll race you to the end…” This time Gray fully grinned.

If Cory was at all shaken by her near fall, Grayson knew the best way to get her back to her A game was to incite even more competition than they already had. Not just between the other couples, but between themselves too. It had been a while since he and Cory had worked together, so they were obviously still rusty at it, but he knew they made excellent rivals are were almost constantly neck in neck. So if the pattern held up, then racing each other might just be the ticket to moving through the obstacle course well together. “Ready. Set. Go!”

And just like that, Gray was off, resuming the rest of the obstacle course knowing that there was no way Corryn would put up with getting second place to him. The two completed the ropes course almost in sync, with Gray easing up right at the end on a tricky part of the course to allow Corryn to finish first. Panting a little, Gray offered Cory a high five as he caught his breath and rested his hands on his knees. He glanced over at the stunning blonde whose cheeks were flushed and couldn’t help but smile for a moment. Their run hadn’t been perfect, but their race at the end had helped them make up some time. As he watched Corryn though, the executive realized that he’d actually cared more about taking away her fear than the actual competition. He’d hated to see the expression of vulnerability on her face. It was a look he didn’t think he’d seen before, always figuring Cory was practically fearless, but suddenly he wondered if he’d just not paid attention to her enough before, or if there was a side to her she’d never shared with him. Though his pulse raced from the adrenaline of the competition as they returned to the others, Gray was quiet as he got lost in his thoughts about his blonde ex.





































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MadiRaiCat MadiRaiCat


















































nine lives




 






olivia




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camila cabello



crying in the club








Looking at the intimidating rope course ahead of them, Olivia couldn't deny that her anxiety was only growing. She wasn't exactly out of shape, but her cardio runs and time on the weight machines hadn't really prepared her for something like this. Wasn't this a little extreme for a relationship show? Sure, she got they were trying to do team building exercises, but couldn't they start with something a little lighter? Something on the ground, maybe? Nearly shaking in her sneakers, she tried to take Abel's words to heart as he reassured her that the exercise would be over before she knew it, and that he'd be up there with her the whole time. She cast a glance to the rope connecting them and gave him a short nod, right before the buzzer sounded and they had to start.

Pushing herself, wanting to do the best she could, she ignored the ground underneath of her and her ex as they climbed higher and higher on the course. They reached the top and started across, and she actually found that it was kinda fun. Also terrifying, but she was just trying to push through without looking down. She was behind Abel but not that far, and when he glanced behind to ask if she was doing alright, she met his gaze with a mixture of fear and determination in hers. "Yeah, I'm good." She told him, offering him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. Singing some lyrics in her head, she continued on behind him. Slow and steady wins the race, or some shit like that. Right? But at this point, she wasn't concerned with winning. She just wanted to not fall.

She had no idea what their time was like, how long they'd been on the course, but finally they reached the last obstacle. She'd been doing well so far, but she made the mistake of looking down just as Abel reached the final platform. Gripping onto the rope, her eyes widened in fear and she missed Abel turning around to look for her. Hearing his voice, her head jerked up and she shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. “I almost fell off this fucking death trap! I can’t do this, Abe!” She called to him, knowing then that they were going to lose, because she couldn't move from this spot. “You can do this, Liv. Look how far you’ve come already,” She almost burst into tears right then and there, her grip tightening on the handholds. “Olivia, open your eyes and look at me. Please?”

Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at him, a few tears escaping and falling down her cheeks. “Remember how we worked together in the garage? Remember how you trusted me then? Do that again. Just keep looking at me. You’ve got this.” She did remember, very well. A sound that was a mixture of a laugh and a scoff escaped her, but she visibly inhaled, keeping his gaze as she let go of the rope and bounded across the final planks. She ran fast, right into his open arms and she released a half squeal, half scream of excitement as he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her to spin her around. When he set her back down, she looked up at him, happiness shining in her eyes. She forgot for a moment where they were, and she pushed herself up to her tiptoes to kiss him.

She lingered there for a good minute before she remembered that they weren't dating anymore. Jerking backwards, her eyes wide in shock, she tried to formulate words but nothing came out. She averted her gaze and they both descended to the ground, where the team approached them to remove their safety gear. They were escorted back to the others, and the second couple was taken to do the course. All while watching the others, Liv couldn't look at Abel, couldn't figure out how to say she was sorry for kissing him like that. But was she, really? Hardly able to concentrate, she tried to sort out her thoughts. Before she knew it, the last couple was brought back and Mitch stepped back into the room, congratulating the couples on being successful on the rope course and asking if they were ready to hear the winners. Liv glanced over at Abe, looking away sheepishly again as Mitch pulled an envelope out of his suit pocket.






♡coded by uxie♡
 






cain




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machine gun kelly



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Cain wouldn't say he was looking forward to the rope course, as it was pretty high up and a little intimidating, but at the same time maybe it would be good to get some physical activity in. You know, other than the physical activities he'd done the night before with Kaya. This could be something to get his blood pumping and adrenaline going, and if he and Kaya managed to win, well even better. It would just be one step closer to winning the entire competition, and then... well, honestly, Cain hadn't given much thought to how things would be once the show was over. Would he and Kaya get back together, or would they separate again for good? The latter thought filled him with a little bit of sadness, especially when he looked over at the beautiful brunette.

Of course he loved her. Even if he wasn't the best at showing it, Cain knew that there was no one else in this world he wanted to spend his time with. All the girls he'd been with before and after her, none of them measured up to the feisty girl standing in front of him now. It was natural to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her close, whispering his tease about them getting kinky in her ear. He missed her eye roll as he was standing behind her, but her words were impossible to miss. “Just get over yourself, Cain. And stop being a perv. Look, I came here to win so you can either get on board with that or get out of my way, alright?” He chuckled, his eyes flicking towards his brother and his singer ex girlfriend as they were led away to go first. "Better them than us." He shrugged, walking with the others to the room where they'd be able to watch some of course.

Sitting there with the other two couples, Cain leaned back in his chair, laughing and joking a little with the others. They got to watch the end of Olivia and Abe's run, and his jaw nearly dropped when he saw Liv press her lips to Abe's. “Well, damn. That’s gonna raise the ratings more than your nocturnal escapades. You, guys, surely are pulling the big guns.” Cain smirked over at Declan, wiggling his eyebrows before he burst into laughter. "I have no doubt that we can do better, right, Kaya?" He looked over at her, noting her look of disgust and her arms crossed over her chest. “Ugh, gross! So much for being exes.” She muttered, causing Cain to drop his chair back onto four legs and lean closer to her. "We're exes, too, and you weren't disgusted last night." He winked at her before leaning back, obviously satisfied with himself.

Cory and Gray were next, and then it was his and Kaya's turn. Cain asked Kaya about a kiss, and he could tell he was getting under her skin. "Of course I can take this seriously. But will I? That's the golden question." He started following behind her, his eyes more often than not focused on her ass as opposed to the course they were maneuvering. Things were going fine until he threw another comment in her direction. "You know, Kaya, maybe last night we should have done this position. Your view from behind is quite enticing..." He was grinning as she turned to look at him, spewing venom as she snapped at him. But even he didn't see the shove coming, and next thing he knew, he was dangling from the course and so was Kaya. He spun some, looking over at her as she cursed. "Look what I did? You shoved me, you psycho!"

They started from the beginning, only this time he kept his mouth shut until they got to the end. Their safety equipment was removed and he looked over at the girl, asking again about a kiss. She told him he could kiss her ass, so he told her to bend over, and her sugary sweet response didn't fool him a bit. "Oh, KayKay, I have a climax for you…” He grinned, watching her march away, back to the other couples. He just shrugged and followed, neither of them speaking to the other as the last couple went to do the course. At the end, when they were all back, Mitch reappeared and congratulated them before he pulled out an envelope, asking if they were ready to hear who was winner was. "For fucking sure." Cain leaned back in his chair again, that smug smirk reappearing. Until he heard the list, and then he fell backwards, his chair-- and his ass-- clattering to the ground.

"Alright, your winners today are Abel and Olivia! Give it up for them! In second place, we had Corryn and Grayson, then Natalia and Declan, and finally-- Cain and Kaya."







♡coded by uxie♡
 







Corryn Russell.



  • If someone had asked Corryn a few years ago if she ever thought she would be suspended in the air, on some questionable ropes course, with her ex, for a reality TV show, the blonde executive would have told them they were absolutely insane. This was so far outside of her comfort zone that for the first time in a long time, she felt concerned. Cory was the type of person that knew she could accomplish whatever she set her mind to. Sure, it might take some time, maybe some research and help from others. But she could definitely do it. And she went into this reality show thinking she could do it. After all, the whole thing was just a cover for her true mission: getting Grayson to talk about his plans and his clientele by any means necessary. Well, by most means necessary anyway. Her father was expecting her to come out of this with something of value, and he would accept nothing less. All in all, Corryn was under a lot more pressure than she originally intended to be.

    The blonde clung to the obstacle like her life depended on it, waiting for Grayson to climb his way closer to her. He offered his hand to her, and Cory looked at it for a moment, surprised. She could feel it in her gut, something had changed between them after they kissed in their room. But she wasn't quite sure what it was or why. She took his hand and used it to help shift her weight and regain her balance, finding more sturdy footing on the ropes beneath her. "Yeah, I'm okay. I forgot about the whole 'tied together' tidbit of this challenge for a moment," she answered, rolling her eyes with a sheepish grin. But that grin quickly disappeared as soon as he suggested taking the lead. Did he think that she couldn't finish what she started? That she needed him to do it for her? Because she certainly didn't. Corryn Russell had never needed the help of a man to do anything in her life, and that wasn't about to change now.

    "A race? You know better than to race me, Gray," she answered with a smirk, the suggestion of competition setting the adrenaline flowing through her veins like fire. All her previous fears of discomfort or failure dissipated almost instantaneously, and with those three simple words, the pair were taking off across the obstacle course again. She felt her ex moving alongside her almost evenly, and she used that to push herself even harder. She acted entirely on instinct as she looked at the obstacles, letting her body decide where to grab and place itself to move efficiently. Cory felt herself pull ahead just as they reached the finish line, feet landing on solid ground. She clapped once in excitement, turning to face Gray to return the high five. "See, I told you, Gray. Racing me is a bad idea," the blonde said, breathing heavily as her speeding heart rate began to slow.

    Turning to look down over the railing, Corryn realized for the first time how high up they really were, and how far out they could see over the ocean. In different circumstances, it could be quite the romantic view. But they were hot and sweaty and most certainly exhausted. Nevertheless, she couldn't think of anyone else she would want to share the view with other than Gray. Turning to glance at him, Cory found the brunette man watching her with a look in his eyes she hadn't quite seen before. It was contemplative, and he remained quiet as they descended the course to join the others. The silence hung in the air for a while as the other couples ran their course and finally Mitch reappeared, envelope in hand and ready to announce the winners. Given her misstep, she was fairly certain they weren't going to win. And she was correct. Letting out a sigh, Cory crossed her arms over her chest, bumping her shoulder against Grayson's. "Sorry, that was probably my fault. I guess there's always the next one, right?"








coded by weldherwings.
 







Abel Rothenberg.



  • Abel Rothenberg was no stranger to women. Though his brother was the self-proclaimed lady's man of the family, the younger brother had certainly been with a few women, though not nearly as many as Cain. Even within his previous relationship with Olivia, there had been a fair share of intimacy. So why was kissing her again suddenly so different? It felt as though his stomach had been tied up in knots, and his heart began to race a million miles a minute. The world around them disappeared, as though nothing else existed but just the two of them. Abel wrapped his arms around the small of her back, pulling her body flush against his. His forest green eyes fluttered closed, and he got lost in the feeling of her. All logical thoughts went out the window. Things like the fact that they weren't dating, that he had made a deal with her father, that he knew he wasn't good for her, that her father could very well be watching this show and see their moment. But none of that mattered to him then. Nothing mattered but Olivia.

    And just like that, she was gone. The brunette practically yanked herself out of his arms, and Abel's eyes shot open. Everything came flooding back, the cameras, the obstacle course, the reality show, the fact that Olivia was his ex. His heart dropped, realizing that he could have just ruined everything. For a moment, they stared at one another in silence. Or maybe it was awe. But then, Liv looked away, and they began to walk back down to the patio below. The silence hung in heavily in the air as the rest of the couples attempted the course, the tension so thick that they could practically cut it with a butter knife if they wanted to. Abel found himself looking over at his brunette ex, unsure of what to say. She had kissed him, yeah. But he had returned it, so it wasn't entirely her fault. And it was obvious, at least to him, that both of them had enjoyed the kiss. But did that really change anything? For either of them?

    Mitch returned, catching his attention. The envelope in his hand held the results of the obstacle course race, and Abe couldn't help but think that the others must have done better. But, much to his surprise, and apparently his brother's as he fell out of his seat, Mitch announced and Olivia and himself as the winner. Abe couldn't help but think that it was because he and Liv worked together the best out of the four couples. But then, again, he could be entirely wrong. Either way, they had one, and he was one step close to that cash prize at the end of the season. In his excitement, Abel wrapped his arms around Olivia, picking her up and spinning her around. Realizing what he had done, he sat her back on her feet and took a step back, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that, got a little over-excited there. Can't say I've won much in my life," he said, knowing that that would probably not make up for the gesture. But he had to try anyway. "I think we should celebrate, don't you?"








coded by weldherwings.
 
Kaya


Montgomery

mood.
scheming

location.
backyard - their room

outfit.
click!

interactions.
Cain ( apolla apolla )



Well, if the audience wanted toxic, it was getting that and so much more. Kaya and Cain were certainly checking all the boxes and in this couple, everyone was going to get what they bargained for. Her whole life, Kaya was used to being an underdog. Nothing in her life went right, she was not born under a lucky star, nor with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her parents barely knew they had a child and honestly, days were much better if they simply weren’t aware of that. Kaya was raised by the street and she had to fight for every scrape she ever had. Her personality was shaped by the rough neighborhood and the count of wins and losses. No wonder she was rather rough around the edges and there were not many people that were able to get close to her and get to know the real Kaya Montgomery.

This loss hurt even more because it was uncalled for. They could have won and she knew it. Their run was almost flawless and they would have gone through it without any major mistake, had they been able to contain their snark and toxicity. Instead, they ended up dangling from the course, cussing and snarling at each other. Back in the room for the contestants, they barely talked to each other until Cain fell off her chair and Kaya burst out laughing. Although her laughter vanished as soon as she found out her and Cain’s place in the competition and she knew the two of them needed to talk. Now.

The punishment made Kaya groan. She was not the best cook and Cain was very well aware of that. There were countless times Kaya attempted to make dinner for them and more often than not, the while thing ended in the garbage and they ordered takeout. “I’m totally down for those pizza bagels though.” she grinned at Grayson as her own culinary art was below zero. “I can make the drinks, depends on how fancy y’all are.” she then offered her bartending skills before they all left to their rooms.

Entering their own, Kaya heaved a sigh and wiped the thin film of sweat from her forehead as the door closed. Cain went to sit on the bed and take off his shoes and for a moment, Kaya watched him, scrunching her nose when he just threw his dirty socks in a direction of his suitcase. “Classy…” she mumbled, but his words distracted her from his disgusting habits. “I’m not getting in the shower with you… Focus, Cain!” she spoke and approached him, slapping his cheek lightly. Not to hurt him, it was not even strong slap, it was only to make him focus. Kaya stood right in front of him and the proximity made her heart beat a bit faster. “Look. We have a chance here. You saw yourself that we were killing it until…well, we were killing it. So we really should just put our differences aside here and just do this. Let’s just not rile each other up, okay? You know me, I know you. Let’s show these rich kids how we roll, what do you say?”


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Declan


Bennet

mood.
concerned, caring

location.
backyard

outfit.
click!

interactions.
Nat ( Desert_Blossom Desert_Blossom ); Abel ( MadiRaiCat MadiRaiCat )



Athletic disciplines were not going to be an issue for Declan. At least he believed so. While there was a gallery of expressions in the faces of the contestants, Dec was confident and he even looked forward to the ropes course a little, if he had to be honest. There were other tasks that made his skin crawl and the idea of which was making him nervous and insecure. As long as they had him moving and performing any kind of sport, he was good. After all, a little bit of additional workout could never hurt him and after the last night’s dinner, lord knew he needed more than one gym session to burn all those carbs. If his trainers and agent saw him on TV, oh boy, they definitely saved some scolding for him once he was to return home. Not that Declan was on some sort of strict diet but he also had his meals calculated to maintain his weight adequate to the sport he was playing.

Joking around about ropes and kinky stuff, he was trying to lighten the situation up a little when he realized the look on Natalie’s face was not as excited as his own. She had a funny answer ready for him and maybe his lascivious comment did some good there. At least it might have taken a bit edge off from the whole situation. Soon, the couple was up there, making their way towards the end. They were not incredibly fast but steady and managed to proceed nicely without any major complications. Declan even went as far as throwing a compliment Natalies way and they kept that playful banter going for a little bit. It felt refreshing not to bark at each other for once and a part of Declan was hoping they could keep this up once done with the rope course as well.

Until the unfortunate accident. Whether it was the excitement of the game or happiness that they were actually getting in the lead, or even something completely, Declan didn’t know but seeing Nat almost crumble down formed an icy grip around his heart and only thanks to his fast reflexes, he was able to move to her and catch her before she fell off the course. One of his hands gripped the rope while the other held him and Natalie steady. His muscles were rippling, glistening with a thin film of worked out sweat as it covered his bare torso and the rope burned the palm of his hand a little but he managed to return balance to them both before instructing Natalie to use him as a crutch. Granted, moving on the wiggling rope course with hurt girl and only one hand to balance was significantly harder but the couple managed to reach the end without any more injuries.

Helping Natty to get down, Declan was panting softly but essentially, he was glad they both were alright. Nat started to say something but it seemed the words froze in her throat with the arrival of the assistants. They took the blonde aside to have a look at the ankle and Declan watched her with a concerned glimmer in his eyes. Seeing how she sent everyone away, he approached her and took the ice pack. “Let me help, okay?” he spoke quietly and applied gentle pressure on her injured ankle. “You were amazing up there. A real star.” Declan said and looked in her eyes, being nothing but serious. She really held her own and he was proud of her. More than she knew. And when Mitch came to announce the results and the teenage dream couple found out they ended up third, Dec shrugged. One might think a professional athlete would be angry when losing a sports discipline but Declan was a team sport player. Team always came before victories and this time, natty was his team. And the fact that she was alright was all that mattered. “Congrats, man.” he turned to Abel and offered a handshake. “Was a good run. You guys deserve that.” he added and smiled at Liv as well before he returned to Natalie. “Feeling any better? You might wanna let them have a look at it though. Might not be broken but better safe than sorry, hm?” he asked, taking her hand in his.


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Natalie Mayfair








Natalie never really considered herself a sore loser, but even before Mitch announced the results of the obstacle course, she knew they hadn’t done well, and it stung. If they weren’t in last place, it was only because Declan managed to keep them both in the game after Nat’s accident. The blonde hated that it was her fault they hadn’t done well. Hated the feeling of her bruised pride. And hated that she felt guilty for making them look bad.

Natalie would have preferred for Declan to be mad at her for costing them the competition. She was used to him being mad at her and vice versa. What she wasn’t used to though, at least not anymore, was Declan being nice to her. Especially when this time was clearly all her fault. Her ex would have had this competition in the bag had it not been for her being the weak link. They’d always been equally matched when they were together- him the football star and her the class president, but now… now Natalie felt leagues behind her professional athlete partner.

For a moment, Natalie’s guilt bubbled up enough that an apology began to spill from her lips once they were down from the course, but the arrival of attendants interrupted it. Not wanting to be fussed over or have others see her cry, the blonde asked everyone to leave, with only the cameras and Declan remaining behind.

The brunette man took the ice from the medic as he left and gently pressed it to Natalie’s ankle. Let me help, okay? The blonde glanced up at Dec, ready to send him away too, but stopped seeing the expression on his face. She just nodded instead, blinking away her tears and scrunching her nose a little at the cold burn of the ice while her skin got used to the sensation. You were amazing up there. A real star. A small, dry laugh issued from Nat as a fresh set of tears threatened to well up in her eyes. She felt like the exact opposite of a star right now, but Declan didn’t seem to be mocking her. “A falling star maybe…” Natalie replied sarcastically as she wiped her cheek and offered a self deprecating smile. “But thank you Dec… really.” She added, genuinely appreciative of his help and for getting them across the finish line. And for catching her.

Mitch came and announced the results of the competition, and Natalie was relieved that at least they weren’t last. Kaya and Cain had that dishonor, and they didn’t look pleased. Olivia and Abel took first place, and Natalie was as happy for the pair as could be expected in this weird social experiment. They seemed to be getting along the best anyways, at least if the kiss at the end of their run and their celebration now was any indication. Declan moved away to congratulate the pair, and Natalie echoed the sentiment from where she was sitting in order to stay off her ankle. “Congrats you two!” She smiled, trying to shake off her melancholy.

Letting Liv and Abel enjoy their success, Nat glanced back down at her foot, removing the ice so she could slip her tennis shoe off. Her ankle was a little swollen, and it still hurt when she gingerly moved it around, but it could be worse. Feeling any better? You might wanna let them have a look at it though. Might not be broken but better safe than sorry, hm? The blonde glanced up at Declan as he returned and took her hand in his. It was a simple gesture, but surprisingly still a comforting one. Even after all their drama. “I feel like a idiot…” She replied with a sigh, before shrugging. “Yeah, I guess I’ll have them check it…” She said, reaching out and taking Declan’s free hand that hung at his side. “But only so they can check you out too then…” Nat added, turning his hand over so the rope burn on his palm was face up. She’d noticed he’d been favoring that hand, and her suspicions were correct. A pang of guilt washed over her once more, knowing she was the reason for the injury. “I’m sorry…” She said quietly, hardly more than a whisper. “I’ll do better next time.” She promised, before nodding over at the medic team for them to come finish their treatment of her ankle and look at Dec’s hand.

In the end, it was just a minor sprain, and the medic wrapped Nat’s ankle for good measure, giving her a pain killer so she could still walk around. Once things settled back down after the results were revealed, Mitch called for the couples’ attention once more. Rising from her chair, Natalie stood, careful not to put much weight on her hurt foot. Now what did the show host have to say?





































Embarassed






























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_amaranth_ _amaranth_ MadiRaiCat MadiRaiCat apolla apolla


















































nine lives




 










































Grayson Moore








Though their relationship had ended, Grayson still knew his ex well enough to help her move past her close call on the obstacle course. His suggestion to race elicited its intended reaction from Corryn as a smirk replaced any fear or apprehension she might have had. A race? You know better than to race me, Gray. And it was true, any other day the marketing exec did know better than to race the blonde tied to him, but today was an exception. He wasn’t good with words of encouragement or tender hearted pep talks like others were. Instead, Gray used both his and Cory’s competitive natures to light the fire in her so they could finish strong. Cory didn’t need to be babied, she needed to be challenged.

Just like that, the power couple resumed their run through the challenge with impressive skill. They’d lost some time earlier, but they were quickly making it up. Corryn was the first to reach the platform, with Gray finishing only seconds later. Corryn lit up once they’d finished, clapping excitedly before returning Gray’s high five. See, I told you, Gray. Racing me is a bad idea. The tall man laughed a little and shrugged as he caught his breath. “I’ve had worse ideas…” He replied, grinning a little.

Maybe it was the adrenaline high… Or maybe it was the ocean setting… Or maybe it was the kiss they’d shared this morning… but Gray suddenly found himself lost in though about his ex as they stood on the platform. Corryn’s blue eyes found his after a few moments, and he realized he was staring. Offering her a quick smile, Gray turned away so they could make their way back down to the ground and the other couples.

Despite feeling confident that he and Corryn had done well on the ropes course, Gray was quiet and contemplative rather than cocky about their good run. He didn’t know why it mattered to him so much that Corryn wasn’t afraid of anything, or that he could resolve things when she was, but it did. Chalking it up to them being on the same team once more, Gray tried to shrug off his protective feelings. If there was one woman who didn’t need protection, it was Cory.

Mitch reappeared and announced the winners. The power couple had been close to taking first, but were beaten by Olivia and Abel. Gray was disappointed of course that he and Cory were starting off this competition behind, but it was only a matter of time until they’d be able to make up their points in other challenges. Gray heard Corryn sigh, and he glanced down at the blonde as she crossed her arms. For a moment, he thought she was upset with their results, but then she bumped her shoulder against his, adding Sorry, that was probably my fault. I guess there's always the next one, right? Grinning a little, he nodded, giving her a gentle bump with his shoulder back. “Don’t worry about it. We wouldn’t want to completely obliterate everyone else anyways. Gotta keep the competition close so the show stays interesting.” He replied, winking.

The tall man didn’t blame Cory for their second place finish, even if she blamed herself, and he was in a relatively good mood when Mitch began to speak again. “Yes, congratulations are in order for Olivia and Abel, but that’s not all… In addition to being awarded four points, the pair of you have won a reward. While the rest of the couples are busy making dinner as a way to learn to better work together, our winning ex-couple will enjoy a date.” The host explained, wearing his TV personality smile as he did so. “Now, go clean off Olivia and Abel and get ready for some alone time this evening… and the rest of you, I hope your cooking skills are better than your ropes course skills.” Mitch grinned, trying to be funny.

Gray glanced over at Liv and Abel, clapping as their prize was awarded. He hadn’t come on this show to work on his culinary arts- not that he’d come on it to go on dates either- but of the two options the date definitely sounded more appealing. As Mitch finally took his leave and the couples were left to themselves, and the hidden cameras, Gray stretched his long arms a little as he let out a soft groan. “Well, hope you all like mac n cheese or pizza bagels because that’s about all I can cook…” He half joked. The exec didn’t have much time in his busy schedule to devote to home cooked meals and often ate out. The few times he did attempt to make a new recipe, his dog Ace usually ended up being the only one to eat the failed dish.

“I’ll let you lead on this one too, Cory,” Gray smirked, throwing his arm around her shoulders. “Since you prefer it that way anyways.”




































Better luck next time






























Staging area


































Outfit
https://pin.it/eSoMubU
























MadiRaiCat MadiRaiCat


















































nine lives




 






olivia




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camila cabello



crying in the club








All the way back to the room with the other couples, Liv could feel her lips tingling, buzzing even from the aftereffect of her kiss with Abel. She knew that she'd initiated it when she shouldn't have, but fuck, he'd kissed her back! What the hell was that? Feeling her face flooding with embarrassment, she could only sneak glances at him as the other couples competed. One couple at a time, they traversed the rope course, and then they were all back in the room waiting for Mitch to announce who'd won. She had no doubt in her mind that it wasn't her and Abe, so when Mitch told the couples that they had, in fact, come in first place she nearly fell out of her chair.

Cain actually did fall, causing her head to whip in his direction. "Is he okay?" She asked, leaning a little closer, just as Abel moved to wrap his arms around her. He picked her up and spun her around, a laugh erupting from her chest at the sudden action. He set her down a moment later, taking a step back, causing Liv to realize that she already missed his touch. He scratched at the back of his head, a sheepish look on his face as he apologized. "You don't need to be sorry." She told him, stepping closer, wanting to wrap her arms around him again and pull him closer. Instead, she just reached for his hand, nodding excitedly when he said they should celebrate. Some of the others congratulated them, and Liv tore her gaze from her ex to thank them in return.

Obviously, not everyone was happy that they'd won, but that was to be expected. Mitch started speaking again, telling the couples that Abel and Olivia had won some alone time while the others would be stuck making dinner at home. Still riding the high from their win, Liv turned back to Abel. "Seems like we made a pretty good team." She told him, moving closer to lift herself up and press her lips to his cheek. "Maybe we actually... have a shot, you know?" She squeezed his hand before she let go, turning back to face the others. She definitely needed a shower, and time to pick out an outfit for her dinner date with Abel. She didn't know why she was so excited for it; it wasn't like it meant anything beyond their reward for winning.

Wearing a slightly embarrassed smile of her own, Olivia headed back into the main part of the house and back up to the rooms with the others who followed. Making her way into the room she shared with Abel, she hummed a little to herself as she grabbed a towel and headed into the bathroom. Her voice could be heard carrying over the water as she showered, which had always meant she was in a good mood. Eventually the water shut off and she stepped back into the room, wrapped in nothing but a towel as she headed for her suitcase, kneeling down in front of it to rummage through it. "What kind of place do you think we're going to for dinner?" She asked Abel, settling back on her heels to look over at him.






♡coded by uxie♡
 






cain




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machine gun kelly



home








Finding out that he and Kaya had come in last place stung almost as much as one of Kaya's slaps. He'd definitely experienced many of those. The news shocked him so bad he fell out of his chair, both it and his ass clattering loudly to the ground. He groaned in pain, narrowing his eyes in Kaya's direction as she busted out laughing. Pushing himself up to a sitting position, he just rolled his eyes as she apologized, though he knew she didn't mean it. "Karma is for free, sucker." He muttered mockingly, grabbing the chair and righting it before he stood, ignoring his ex as he plopped back down into it. This time, he kept the chair on all four legs, ensuring that he wouldn't make a fool out of himself twice.

"Congrats, guys. I guess." Cain looked over at his brother and Olivia, watching as Abel spun her around and then placed her back on the ground. A smirk presented itself on Cain's lips, and he had a smartass comment on the tip of his tongue before he caught Kaya staring at him with a serious look on her face. "Oh, now you wanna talk?" He asked her, tilting his head to the side. "Yeah, yeah, I get it." He stood from the chair, looking over at Mitch as he explained what Abe and Liv had won, and what the others would have to do. "Fuckin' really?" He groaned, his expression going flat at Mitch's poor excuse for a joke. "To be fair, I would have been fine up there on my own." He muttered, crossing his arms as the host left.

Grayson spoke then, and Cain actually let out a laugh. "Dude, mac-n-cheese and pizza bagels? Sounds like a win-win to me. Enjoy your fancy feast, Abe, we're going to have a blast here without you." He smirked and started heading into the house with the others, back up to the rooms. He and Kaya entered theirs, and he sighed as the door shut and he caught sight of what he'd done to the bathroom door. "Whoops." He shrugged, moving on into the main part of the room. He got to about the center before he turned around to face Kaya, eyeing her up and down. Even post workout, she looked fucking amazing, and he could just ravish her again right here. But he swallowed the urge, meeting her gaze instead.

"Well?" He asked her, lifting a brow in her direction. "What did you want to talk about, KayKay?" He asked her, smirking a bit as he plopped down onto the edge of the bed. "Unless you wanna shower first, that is. We can go in together even. Not that the lack of door will give us much privacy." He shrugged, reaching down to remove his socks and shoes. Briefly, he wondered if all of the challenges would be physical like this, or if there would be other things they had to do as well. Like what, though? He didn't think their punishment of making dinner was a challenge, though who knew at this point. Once he'd tossed his shoes and dirty socks in the general direction of his suitcase, he fixed his gaze on Kaya again. "What's your choice, love?"






♡coded by uxie♡
 







Corryn Russell.



  • It was no secret that Corryn Russell hated to lose. She had spent her entire life fighting to win every battle she came across. Whether it was playing tee-ball as a kid, the science fair in middle school, debate in high school, internship hunting in college, or eventually working her way up the promotional ladder at work, the blonde executive very rarely lost. And when she did, it was even rarer for her to admit it was a fair loss. She was, without a doubt, a sore loser, one of her few toxic traits that she refused to acknowledge. Somewhere in her childhood, Cory's father instilled that sense of competition in her, with his backhanded comments about failure and never making it in the industry. And she believed him, as much as it hurt to do so. On the surface, she was headstrong and confident, willing to take down anyone who stood in her way. But now and again, when she was alone at night, the anxiety and pressure of it all became too real. And only the tears falling down her cheeks could soothe her to sleep.

    Even though Corryn knew she and Gray had lost that challenge, however, it didn't really feel like a loss. Either the competition hadn't been real to her, or her mind was elsewhere. Or maybe she didn't mind much because, according to her father, her real mission on that show was to gain insight and intel on Grayson's clientele and upcoming pitch meetings. Whatever the case, there wasn't any sort of anger or anxiety that came from the loss. And for that, she was grateful. After all, they would make up those points eventually, she was sure of it. Cory felt Gray bump his shoulder against hers, and she looked up at him for a moment. He was grinning, and she felt herself nearly get lost in it for a moment. Instead, however, she kept her composure and let out a light laugh. "I suppose you're right. These types of shows are all about suspense and drama to get their ratings. We'd probably just get kicked off if we made things too one-sided."

    Corryn clapped for Abel and Olivia as their prize was announced, offering both an encouraging smile. They had certainly rocked the boat with that kiss at the end, and the strategist in Cory wondered if that was part of their game. Sure, the two of them seemed to be getting along. And she and Gray had shared a kiss earlier that the hidden cameras most certainly had caught. But Abel and Olivia's kiss had seemed so 'romantically at the moment' that she couldn't help but think it was all part of their game to win the hearts of the audience. But, maybe that was just her being cynical. Who knows. Whatever the case, Cory would much rather go on a fancy date with gourmet food made for them by a professional chef than have to cook for herself. It wasn't that she was terrible at cooking, she could make a few things fairly well. But given her lifestyle and her career, the blonde usually survived off of non-fat lattes and delivery salads. So, the idea of fending for themselves and cooking dinner with Gray wasn't exactly her favorite.

    "Mac and cheese and pizza bagels sound like a college kid's dream," Cory responded sarcastically, though the grin on her face showed she was teasing him. The weight of Gray's arm on her shoulders took her by surprise for a moment, and the blonde tensed for just a split second before relaxing. She began to follow the others into the house, quickly realizing how sweaty she was. "A shower and a change of clothes sound nice before we scrounge around for dinner," she said, climbing the stairs to their shared bedroom. Grabbing a change of clothes, Cory slipped into the bathroom for a shower. When she returned, her damp blonde hair was pulled into a bun, and she was dressed in a white cropped tee and a pair of black jeans. It was a more relaxed look for her, less intense than her workout clothes and less intimidating than the business wear she chose for work. But she felt comfortable in it, and that's all she really cared about then. Her blue eyes found Gray and she offered him a smile. "You want to shower before we head downstairs? I'd like to think we can do better than mac and cheese and pizza bagels."








coded by weldherwings.
 







Abel Rothenberg.



  • It most certainly wasn't a lie, Abel hadn't won much in his life. The son of an absent father and a paranoid schizophrenic mother, the Rothenberg brothers certainly drew a bad hand of cards in the grand scheme of things. He and his brother never had the newest or best things. Their clothes were hand-me-downs or from thrift stores. They stole candy and food from the corner stores when their mom forgot to go grocery shopping. Cain was usually around to take care of Abe, bail him out of trouble when he needed it. Which was honestly more common than not. When he was younger, Abel had a bit of a temper. His hot-headed nature got him into trouble, sometimes with the wrong people. While some of those incidents had followed him through the years, others were swept under the rug by Cain. Abe had been pulled from the gutter more times than he could count. One of those times was due to none other than Olivia Kennedy.

    Abel was in a pretty bad spot when he took the job at the Kennedy Estate. He had no intentions of meeting a girl, especially his boss's daughter. He was just trying to get back the money he needed to pay some people off and get himself out of trouble. As much as he loved Cain, he couldn't ask him to help him out of that one. It was too dangerous, could end with both of them either in prison or worse. And Abe wasn't about to be the reason that Cain got popped. Olivia was something else, not what he would have expected as the daughter and heiress to one of the city's wealthiest. Despite everyone's attempts to teach her that lower-class people were dirty and not worth her time, she seemed to see through all that. Despite the frill and lace and luxury, she saw through all of that and saw him as a person, a real person deserving out love and care. For once in his life, Abel wanted to be more than the street kid he grew up as. Declan pulled Abel from his thoughts, holding out his hand for a congratulatory shake. Abe took it, nodding. "Thanks, bro. Appreciate that," he responded, a little taken aback by the whole encounter.

    He came from a world where everyone wanted to take what you had, especially if it was a victory. But that was a level of sportsmanship and camaraderie that he wasn't used to. Must be a side effect of professional football. "Congrats, guys. I guess," he heard Cain say, "Enjoy your fancy feast, Abe, we're going to have a blast here without you." The younger brother let out a low chuckle, shooting his brother a smirk. Now, that was more like what he was used to. "Thanks, bro. Glad to know I have your support," he answered teasingly, his tone dripping in sarcasm. Abel knew full well that, though he and Cain could be at each other's throats every now and again, he always knew his brother would be there when he needed him. Liv turned back to him then, capturing the blonde man's attention. "Yeah, we did," he answered truthfully, grinning down at her. The feeling of her lips against his cheek set off sparks, but he chose to ignore them. That event had knocked his guard down more than he had planned, and he needed to regain control while he still could.

    They walked back into the house and then their shared room. Olivia disappeared into the shower, and Abel could hear her singing over the sound of water against the tile. He couldn't help the small smile that formed on his lips, knowing that was her tell, the thing she did when she was truly happy. He stripped his white t-shirt off, tossing it into the hamper of dirty clothes as he peered into the closet. A garment bag hung there, one that was most certainly not his. After all, he only owned a single suit. He had just pulled it out and laid it on the bed to investigate when Liv reappeared from the bathroom, clad in nothing but a towel. Abe felt his heart begin to race and caught himself staring, only breaking the freeze when she looked over at him. "Um..." he said lamely, glancing back down at the garment bag to collect his thoughts. Maybe he needed a cold shower after all. He coughed sheepishly and unzipped the bag before continuing, "Probably somewhere expensive by the looks of this suit they left me. You might check your closet, maybe they left something for you too."








coded by weldherwings.
 
Kaya


Montgomery

mood.
scheming

location.
backyard - their room

outfit.
click!

interactions.
Cain ( apolla apolla )



Well, if the audience wanted toxic, it was getting that and so much more. Kaya and Cain were certainly checking all the boxes and in this couple, everyone was going to get what they bargained for. Her whole life, Kaya was used to being an underdog. Nothing in her life went right, she was not born under a lucky star, nor with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her parents barely knew they had a child and honestly, days were much better if they simply weren’t aware of that. Kaya was raised by the street and she had to fight for every scrape she ever had. Her personality was shaped by the rough neighborhood and the count of wins and losses. No wonder she was rather rough around the edges and there were not many people that were able to get close to her and get to know the real Kaya Montgomery.

This loss hurt even more because it was uncalled for. They could have won and she knew it. Their run was almost flawless and they would have gone through it without any major mistake, had they been able to contain their snark and toxicity. Instead, they ended up dangling from the course, cussing and snarling at each other. Back in the room for the contestants, they barely talked to each other until Cain fell off her chair and Kaya burst out laughing. Although her laughter vanished as soon as she found out her and Cain’s place in the competition and she knew the two of them needed to talk. Now.

The punishment made Kaya groan. She was not the best cook and Cain was very well aware of that. There were countless times Kaya attempted to make dinner for them and more often than not, the while thing ended in the garbage and they ordered takeout. “I’m totally down for those pizza bagels though.” she grinned at Grayson as her own culinary art was below zero. “I can make the drinks, depends on how fancy y’all are.” she then offered her bartending skills before they all left to their rooms.

Entering their own, Kaya heaved a sigh and wiped the thin film of sweat from her forehead as the door closed. Cain went to sit on the bed and take off his shoes and for a moment, Kaya watched him, scrunching her nose when he just threw his dirty socks in a direction of his suitcase. “Classy…” she mumbled, but his words distracted her from his disgusting habits. “I’m not getting in the shower with you… Focus, Cain!” she spoke and approached him, slapping his cheek lightly. Not to hurt him, it was not even strong slap, it was only to make him focus. Kaya stood right in front of him and the proximity made her heart beat a bit faster. “Look. We have a chance here. You saw yourself that we were killing it until…well, we were killing it. So we really should just put our differences aside here and just do this. Let’s just not rile each other up, okay? You know me, I know you. Let’s show these rich kids how we roll, what do you say?”


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Declan


Bennet

mood.
caring

location.
backyard - their room

outfit.
click!

interactions.
Nat ( Desert_Blossom Desert_Blossom )



Playing football for most of his life had taught Declan a thing or two. Especially about sportsmanship and respect. Not every day meant victory and while Dec loved winning, he had to learn to lose. There were times, especially back in high school, when he was a sore loser, cussed and hit things after his team lost and wanted to fight everyone, even the referees. Winning tasted sweet to him while being a loser created this bitter aftertaste that Declan couldn’t get rid of for days. But it was only when he entered the big league that he started to understand how important it was to accept the loss and learn from it, let it make him a better man, better player. Better person in general.

While he and Natalie could have won, it was more important for them to be alright and healthy. There were people, even Declan’s teammates, who would have pushed her to go faster, bite the bullet and push through the pain. But that would end in her injury becoming even worse and eventually, it could cost them the whole thing. For Declan, it made more sense to slow down now at the beginning, make sure the ankle was not broken and no tendons were torn and then, they could try again with another challenge. After all, he was convinced that not every task was going to require physical capabilities. The couple was a strong contender but for now, Declan went and shook hands with Abel as he and Olivia deserved their win.

Mitch came to announce another part of the loss and it meant everyone except the winning couple was going to work on their dinner. It sounded like fun to Declan. He was used to cooking for himself and while he was no chef, he was pretty capable of creating a pretty plate. Though Grayson’s ideas sounded delicious too. His stomach grunted when hearing about mac-n-cheese and pizza bagels and in his head, Declan immediately heard his trainer warning him about all those carbs. Ugh, fuck that, he was not here anyway, Declan could allow himself a little wilderness in his diet. He would burn those calories later in the gym, he promised to himself.

“Nothing wrong about those, we can’t have fancy dinners everyday. I’m down for mac-n-cheese.” he laughed, clasping Grayson on the back just before the couples went back to their rooms. Both Declan and Natalie were now treated by the medic team. Her ankle was wrapped in bandage and so was his hand though he really only let them do it because Nat had asked hm to. Rope burns were nothing serious to the football player and he could just cool it upstairs anyway. Offering a hand to the blonde, Declan helped her back to their room if she accepted and got her on the bed. “It’s not gonna be rainbows and unicorns here as I expected.” he grinned and ran his fingers through his hair. His upper body glistened with sweat as he never really bothered to put on a shirt and he exhaled. “Wanna hit the shower first before we go downstairs?”


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Natalie Mayfair








The first competition hadn't gone the way Natalie wanted it to, but if Declan wasn't going to fret over it, then neither would she. At least not on camera, even if she still felt guilty. Mitch announced the prize for the winners, and the punishment for the losers of the challenge. Honestly, of the two options, being on the losing end with the group seemed to be the safest outcome. It was still strange to find herself alone with Declan, and the others would be a nice distraction. Or at least a buffer. Nat thought it unlikely that the pair of them would get into any arguments with more eyes watching. As if the millions of eyes of the viewers at home who would be watching weren't enough.

The tall man with Corryn, Grayson she believed was his name, admitted he only could make mac'n'cheese and pizza bagels, earning a few chuckles from the group, as well as a few approvals. Natalie smiled a little at the foods she'd eaten as a teenager, recalling simpler times. Even Declan seemed in agreement, and Nat wondered how many hours he'd be spending in the gym each day with all the cheat food he was eating. It definitely didn't seem to align with his current lifestyle, though she remembered a younger Declan had once finished off two boxes of mac almost by himself after a game senior year. Yep, simpler times. Kaya offered to make drinks for the group, while the rest cooked, and that sounded like a great deal to Natalie. She wasn't often a huge drinker, but right now she could use something strong.

The couples all started heading back to their rooms, and the medic took this opportunity to check on Natalie and, on the blonde's suggestion, Declan as well. Sure, a rope burn might not have been that big of a deal, but even now after all those years, she didn't like the idea of her ex being hurt. At least not physically. After all, they'd both hurt each other emotionally more than either liked to admit. Natalie could tell that Dec was just appeasing her while the medic wrapped his hand based on his expression, and she half regretted showing more concern than was necessary. She was supposed to not care, and this was the opposite.

Once they were patched up, Declan offered his hand to help Natalie back to the room. For a moment, she hesitated, feeling it better to regain some of her distance from him, but then the rational side of her won out. Slipping her hand into his, she accepted his assistance, not wanting to take forever to get to the room when his help would speed things up. They walked in silence, with Natalie trying to conceal her winces every now and then as she waited for the painkiller to kick in. The pair made it back to their room, and Dec helped the blonde onto their bed. "Thank you..." Natalie sighed, leaning over and massaging her ankle a little.

It’s not gonna be rainbows and unicorns here as I expected. Natalie glanced back up at her ex at his statement, noticing his grin. She had a sarcastic comment at the tip of her tongue before he ran his hand through his hair, the movement making the sweat on his body glisten as it caught the light. Natalie's lips just parted, her comment now lost as she stared for a moment at the guy she could have had. He'd always been in excellent shape, but their years apart had definitely made him more into a man. She groaned a little internally, cursing her pride and Declan for messing things up all those years ago.

Wanna hit the shower first before we go downstairs? Declan's question snapped Nat out of her thoughts and she quickly closed her mouth as her wandering eyes returned to his. Her cheeks flushed, initially misinterpreting Dec's question as an invitation due to her previous thoughts. "What-," She began, before her brain caught up with what was going on, and she realized her mistake. "Oh, yeah, probably best before cooking." She corrected, jumping off the bed quickly in an attempt to escape the room.

Unfortunately, she'd forgotten about her ankle, and it protested being jumped on, buckling again. Natalie stumbled, only catching her balance when she fell into Declan's well toned chest. Flustered, the blonde uttered a quick apology without making eye contact and quickly used her ex to right herself to a proper standing position. Nothing else she could say would save her from herself, so she just pulled her hands back away from Declan's skin, and carefully made her way across the room to disappear into the bathroom to wash off her embarrassment.





































Facepalm






























Bedroom


































Outfit
























_amaranth_ _amaranth_


















































nine lives




 
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