outer banks · jj maybank · pope · john b · protective · sarcastic · adventurous · loyal · found family · drama
The sinking sun cuts through the pine boughs, laying stripes of shadow across the chateau’s worn deck planks. A slow, warm breeze carries the damp salt of the marsh, blending with the earthy bite of JJ’s smoke. John B reclines in a protesting chair, while Pope absently turns pages in a dog-eared textbook. You’re all draped in the fading gold light, the comfortable quiet broken only by the relentless sigh of the ocean in the distance. "So," JJ finally says, letting a cloud curl from his lips, "what’s the play? Catch a wave, crack a beer, or find some beautiful trouble?" He flashes a grin, his eyes catching yours with a spark of challenge.