Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Carlyle
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Carlyle 満潮

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"None of it matters." Classic CJ, still not giving a shit about anything. Anni thought about saying something in response, but the nagging feeling returned in her head. She was supposed to be "turning over a new leaf" now. Yeah, that was right. Not letting others get into her head was a weird experience, and admittedly one difficult to fight against. But getting feisty again would've accomplished nothing for the better.

Okay, maybe. Maybe not. She still wasn't quite sure on that one. But the time to be a snarky asshole had already left the station, and so Anni ignored CJ, and turned her attention back to the the conversation at hand.

Anni glanced at Hanna first. The woman was clearly feeling it after just a few sips of her drink. Someone was certainly a lightweight drinker, Anni came to find out, and she wondered if Hanna had a way home after this. Considering Ivory and her were supposed to go shopping after the reunion, that was likely the case. Still, Anni made a mental note to remember to offer the option. She wasn't sure where Hanna lived these days, but she could at least drive her to a hotel or let her crash back at her piece-of-shit apartment until the booze wore off for Hanna to drive responsibly.

Then, Anni looked to Ivory, listening to as she spoke. There was a weird tension in the air, Anni considered. Between Hanna and Ivory. Maybe she was misreading the mood. Maybe it was the booze talking. But whatever it was, Anni felt there might've been something more to what she was seeing.

Not that Anni had a problem with it. Good for them if it was indeed the case.

As the conversation shifted back to food, Anni decided to play ball with everyone. Though Hanna was paying, Anni decided to think of the others at the table. It'd be another step in the right direction, at least.

"Throw a pizza on there. The rest will probably want to snack on it." Anni asked. "Plain cheese, I guess. Not sure if the others want anything else on it."

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
death of me — royal & the serpent

bar interior
interacting with: bar waiter
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Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Mao Mao
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Mao Mao Sheriff of Pure Hearts (They/Them)

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Opening up a time capsule was quite honestly more intriguing than drinking up at the local bar. Certainly worth the two-hour bus ride across state lines and the night at a cheap motel. Lucas couldn't remember what his younger self put inside, but it was probably dorky in an adorable way. At least someone else dug it up; otherwise, he would've been volunteered instead (and there was a reason he never joined sports during high school). And when the waiter came back to the table, he quickly asked for a refill of his drink while listening to the chatter. Then CJ asked sarcastically if he remembered what was buried inside the capsule. Her attempt at a killer conversation starter.

It was refreshing to see that some things haven't changed at all.

Hanna, clearly tipsy from the drinks, vaguely stood up for him against CJ. Lucas appreciated the gesture, but he was more than capable of responding on his own. And that's what he did... sort of. "I'd like to think that my young depressed self won't have put something that nostalgic inside. But quite honestly, I can't remember what I put in the case. So it will be a surprise for everyone, me included." Lucas answered, eagerly waiting for his glass of non-alcoholic goodness to arrive. CJ still had the tendency to strike at the raw nerves of anyone who came across her, which was an everyday occurrence from folks like him. By the time the waiter arrived with his drink, Lucas had taken it and began to drink.

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
cheers (drink to that) — rihanna

p. johnson's [interior]
interacting with: cj markowitz/@TGM
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Hidden 2 yrs ago 2 yrs ago Post by CaliforniaState
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coGM
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CaliforniaState Biologist

Member Seen 10 hrs ago

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The air of melancholy was starting to fill Ivy with dread. It normally took a lot for her mood to be dampened in any sort of sense, but the overflowing sentiment shared by her peers of not wanting to be there was starting to weigh on her. It wasn’t as if she were forcing them to stay or needed them to come. She’s almost positive that she might have felt more relieved if it was just her or just her and Hanna. Her sardonic line of thinking was quickly batted away by her years of forged mental constitution. She was a fighter and a doer, she had been up against worse circumstances than this before. Just not quite as intimate, though most of the people present she barely had a connection with. Maybe that’s why it was making it harder for her to perceive, the parasocial aspect of it all.

Betwixt that and the attempt to retrieve from her mind what she planted in the capsule herself, there was a heavy look of consternation on her face that wouldn’t easily be confused for the ick one shows when downing a shot of hard liquor with no chaser. Just as she surmised no one else really knew what they had stuffed in the capsule either and why should they? Most of them were running away from somewhere they didn’t want to be. Giving a second thought to another social tradition was just another attempt to get them to immerse themselves in a spirit that they no longer had. Ivy placed the empty glass on the tray of the server awaiting another, ”I think I’ll have an order of spinach dip too if you don’t mind” the cadence of her speech lagging behind more than normal.

”I think I’m going to go to the ladies room and freshen up. Don’t all talk at once while I’m gone.” said slightly sarcastically.

Her heels clicked on the floor with every step until she ducked into the hallway where the restrooms resides. The walls were decorated with sleeves of cover art for CD’s ranging in year and genre, which gave it a unique aesthetic. On the adjacent wall that was thinner were posters and schedules for the upcoming and past shows and events. She counted all the albums she was alive for and one’s she listened to in HS just before entering. There were 4 stalls and graffiti sporadically tagged around the walls, stalls, and mirrors. Even with it’s ratty appearance the bathroom still managed to be sickeningly clean. Probably should have been assumed with the bathroom cleaning log signed off after every half hour.

She looked at herself in the mirror, gripping the sides of the sink. Her eyes closed as she breathed rhythmically. The water shoot from the spout after passing a hand under where she cupped some water and splashed her face. From her bag she retrieved a handkerchief and blotted her skin dry so she can reapply more of her foundation and make up. ”Well Ivy, you did the best you can do and that’s all you could ask. The sooner we open that heap of scrap open the sooner we can forget this ever happened…and get incoherently wasted with Hanna banana.”

Just then a spark went off in her head, the thing she threw into the capsule was a haphazardly forced picture of the 6 of them at the senior barbecue where everyone signed their yearbooks and teachers said their farewells. Ritman High, class of 2017 xoxo written on the back.

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
grown up — danny brown

hilton suites p. johnson's
interacting with: @Prisk@Kuro@TGM@nodogs@Mao Mao
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Hidden 2 yrs ago 2 yrs ago Post by Mirandae
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Mirandae Prisk

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The waiter did their best to keep up with the incoming desires for more. Anni had the right idea of just going big right away with something for the whole table. However, Hanna was still locked in on that burger even if Pizza was really pulling at her temptations -- she would probably have a taste or even a whole slice, anyway. “Oh yeah, plain cheese just like the McCallister kid”. Hanna followed up in Anni's heels with another Home Alone reference, although this time said out loud instead of lingering in her head. The server noted Ivy's request in addition to the food, and perhaps whatever the others wanted to get, and then they were off.

“How about that? Nobody remembers shit,” Hanna chuckled after listening to what Lucas had to say about the matter, being in a similar situation as herself. Things happening around the table sort of bled into each other, like a mushy goo of events, which played a few tricks on Hanna's senses in maddening collaboration with the alcohol. While still having her attention on Lucas, a watchful eye on CJ and Anni, Ivory excused herself and trotted off to the bathroom. "What the fuck just happened?" Her mind took off like a rocket into space. She did not quite catch Ivy's demeanor before the girl had already disappeared, which left Hanna slightly paranoid.

“I'm going to get another drink from that nice man at the bar -- back in like 2 seconds.” Hanna said to excuse herself for a moment, although keeping that smile on her face. Luckily, she was wearing sneakers instead of heels. She did not want to make anyone uncomfortable by towering at 5'11-something as she did when clacking around in those things. Wearing regular shoes made nights of alcohol manageable and walks of shame less of thing -- at least, that is what it felt like. Hanna made it to the bar and caught eye contact with that same bartender that recognized her from the streams. She held the empty glass up a little bit over the crowd, tapped on it, and indicated a refill with her index finger. However, she also gestured that she was headed for the bathroom, and that she would be back. The bartender nodded to show that he understood.

Hanna silently flowed along the well decorated hallway leading to the restrooms, making a soft entrance. The music in the background turned into that muffled kind of bassy sound, as if someone had put a filter on it and cut all the high frequencies off. Hanna found Ivy musing in front of the mirror covering one of the walls, a few sinks being available underneath it. She slowly slunk into view, so as not to startle Ivy, and then came closer to the gal from behind at a slight angle. Hanna crouched forward just a little bit, or perhaps squatted a tad, and rested her chin against one of Ivy's shoulders, smiling at the gal in the reflection of the mirror. “I can do it if you want,” Hanna said, indicating at the cosmetics. Hanna had always put her face on for as long as she could remember, but it had not been until the influencer thing that she had taken an interest in the artsy side of it. Since then, she had become quite adept at it, but nowhere near as good as some in the fashion industry.

Hanna shifted around Ivy and leaned against the sink, mirror now at her back, carefully applying everything that Ivy wanted to redo -- even if starting over with the face like this in the bathroom of some rinky-dink bar was a bit extreme. “I realize that we haven't seen each other for a minute, but you are still pretty obvious to me, you know. This wasn't a bad idea, if that's what you think. They just need some time out there. A little food, a few drinks, and everyone will be totally Gucci and ready to open that capsule. And then, we'll celebrate with a few more drinks to get shitfaced. And then, we'll make out for a bit and pass out somewhere,” she said with a playfully teasing wink. “And then, tomorrow, we'll go shopping in Portland -- it'll be the best time.” Hanna smiled. She had not been this excited and happy for a while, even if the streams and interacting with the Chat was pretty close.

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
すてきな

p. johnson's [ritman table] [restrooms]
interacting with: Ivy/@Salsa Verde
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Hidden 2 yrs ago 2 yrs ago Post by CaliforniaState
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coGM
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CaliforniaState Biologist

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So focused on ensuring the liner didn’t smudge, Ivy, hadn’t realized that Hanna had been hot on the trail of the former student president. Even if she had, there was enough room to house many a lady doing the song and dance of waiting for a stall to open. Instead, from the corner of her eye she saw the figure in the distance begin to peer in. She had gotten better over the years on jump scaring Ivy when she was at her most vulnerable. Rather, she rested her chin on her shoulder, which was about two inches higher off the ground than normal with the help of her heels. Hanna’s voice was always so persuasively soft when she wanted to, disarming any kind of resistance Ivy had, not that she had any to begin with since make up was often time the last thing on her mind. She sheathed her wand back into it’s case that made that sort of clasping noise and handed it to Hanna, “What will it be today oh my humble maestro?”

She moved like a phantom or perhaps an owl, devoid of any noise and with an impeccable aptitude for sensing things that are quite not to the light. Hanna had deconstructed her face to its blemished combination skin infancy. She felt naked in a sense, a situation that wasn’t foreign to the two girls by any measure. Part of her felt as she was renewing her friendship with Hanna at that moment by exposing herself and allowing Hanna full autonomy over her. Hanna took note of how Ivy originally planned to look versus the look she wore. A quick tutorial from a YouTube MUA was no substitute for the real thing, now that she was famous. The coldness of her palms and fingers felt nice on the contrast of her warm skin, setting her at ease while she looked up to the frying luminescent lighting draped over them in the ceiling. And just like that the moment of silence and bodily communication was grounded back to the raucous happenings beyond the bathroom door and the not so festive reunion.

She smiled just a smidge as to not cause any coloring outside of the lines, in this case the contour lines on her cheeks, which sat relatively high. “You would think after five years that I would have changed a little bit or added something to make it harder for you to read me” wondering if she could say the same about Hanna being obvious to her. “I don’t know Han, I mean is it me? Did I really not see the signals in high school? I thought everyone was hap—content at school. I mean…I knew everyone had their drama and baggage, but I didn’t know it left scars like this on everyone. I even managed to bring back two girls that went down the opposite road of friendship that we did. Even Lucas, he probably thinks I ghosted him after freshman year. Just tell me what to do, I’ve had these blinders on for so long that I’m starting to see that I couldn’t help everyone around me and I kind of just failed.”

“Yeah I hope you’re right. Are you sure that this isn’t too many calories for you girl? Or will this side of you bring in more viewers?” Ivy jabbed in jest. The last part of her sentence sort of sent her body a flutter from her toes up to the temples of her head. Did Hanna know Ivy was openly queer now? They were friends so she pushed it off as a joke to make her feel more relaxed about what was happening outside. “And risk smudging the lipstick you just put on? You wish” recovering on a dime. “God that just means I have to wait like 12 more hours for my prize. Well shall we go now? They’ll start talking if we’re not back soon enough” she said resting her hand on her side so Hanna could slide through the triangular space.

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
grown up — danny brown

p. johnson’s p. johnson's bathroom
interacting with: @Prisk
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Hidden 2 yrs ago 2 yrs ago Post by skidcrow
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skidcrow

Member Seen 7 mos ago

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One benefit of Jack’s passivity? Sitting back and watching the dominoes fall.

Ivy indulges in her little reference, and she can’t help the smirk that tugs at her lips at her own classification. She hopes Ivy won’t be disappointed to discover that she isn’t the type to leave good weed unsmoked. CJ’s straight in after with the nihilism, naturally. Jack can’t tell if it’s an unconscious remark, or if her mission is to make sure the night is as miserable as possible. She still doesn’t know why the fuck she even came back here.

After that point, Jack’s eyes become a cartoonish display of flicking back and forth between the conversation’s participants while she slowly makes her way through her drink. Hanna shepherds the poor bastard of a waiter who chose the worst table to take an order from; CJ prods Lucas about his religious guilt; Anni chooses pizza, not war; Lucas takes the same remark he’s heard a billion times in stride; Ivy looks like someone just kicked a puppy—welcome back to Ritman High, Jack Carpenter. Sincerely yours, the Batshit Club.

The tsunami builds and builds until it hits the floodgates, and before they can open Ivy excuses herself, Hanna following soon after. Jack watches her walk to the bar, then to the bathroom. Smooth.

Jack places her now empty glass on the table and scoffs, leaning back in her chair.

“So everybody’s having fun, I figure,” she snipes, managing to hide the gloat in her voice. A small part of her is grateful for not being the source of tension as she was so many times as a teenager. The rest of her knows exactly fucking why. Drama’s less entertaining when it means her night could be cut short, of all the shitty nights for that to happen. She stares CJ down with intent, all prior reservations washed away in two cocktails flat. “If someone starts crying before we’re all even drunk, is that, like, a new record for you? I lost track around a decade ago.”

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
intermission — blur

p. johnson’s [ritman table]
interacting with: @Gowi, @Kuro, @Mao Mao
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Hidden 2 yrs ago 2 yrs ago Post by mickilennial
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mickilennial The Elder Fae

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You broke up with me.’

The words reverberate in the blonde’s mind like a cancer. She does not say them, but she wants to.

“Always got to top my last score.” She instead remarks with a smirk as she tensely slams down the now-empty whiskey glass, “Wouldn’t be fun if I didn’t.”

She looks blankly forward, directly at Jack, like she was attempting to pierce into her soul–into her everything. Her smirk gets wider, though its a façade, because as everyone knew back in Portland, when CJ was smiling it was time to run. It was different than in High School. She was just a snarky little bitch who couldn’t reach the top shelves back then. As an adult, she relished in it like some kind of animal. A question leaves CJ's lips, but it wasn't just for Jack, but at the same time it was especially for Jack.

“So what have you guys done with your lives since I’ve been gone? Was it everything you wanted?”

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
bottom — Tool

p. johnson's
interacting with: @nodogs, @Kuro, @Mao Mao
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Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Mirandae
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Mirandae Prisk

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Ivy's visage dipped a tad every now and then as she spoke. Hanna gently put her pinky finger underneath the gal's chin each time to readjust into the awful light in the bathroom. Ivory's musings were a lot more profound or perhaps self-aware than they used to be. She did tumble down into these criticisms of herself back at Ritman, as well, but not to this extent. Hanna's eyes occasionally sailed between focus on the craft and Ivy's eyes, whenever things dipped into ranting. "Being a bit harsh on yourself there, babe," Hanna thought, but she did not say anything. Letting out steam was the best thing that could happen right now. There was no way that Hanna could manage the whole team by herself if Ivy was going to carry thins kind of shit around on her shoulders -- Hanna needed Ivy just as much as Ivy needed Hanna.

“Hey... don't be like that. You didn't fail anyone back then--” Hanna briefly stopped what she was doing, resting her arms by her sides. “Do you even know the kind of 'light in the darkness' that you were to some people? No, you don't, because those kinds of people never talk about it directly to the person, but they spoke to me and I know--” Hanna's voice became slightly strained, almost annoyed, but she brushed it off and continued with the cosmetics. “You were such an inspiration to so many people, babe. You really have to take that in when I say it--” Hanna interrupted herself mid-sentence again: “--and don't even get me started on 'helping' people. Most people don't want any fucking help, seriously. That's, like, THE one thing I've learned from having to deal with these fashion types in NYC. They're so far up their own asses with ego and problems that they're not looking for solutions, they thrive on that shit. And if you think I talk a lot, these motherfuckers literally talk non-stop. Can you imagine that? Someone that talks more than me? That's how bad it is. And then there's the complete opposite, the zombies. They never talk and never listen, so you can't help them either. So, you have to be happy in your own boat and just keep sailing the way you want to, first. And then, after a while, these people will open up to you because you are a sense of comfort, and BOOM -- they're all of a sudden open to anything you have to say. Besides, everybody out there knew full well who could possibly show up tonight, but they came anyway.” They concluded their little back and forth, and then remained silent for just a brief moment as Hanna did her thing.

“There she is -- Poison Ivy herself.” Hanna cracked a genuine smirk at the calories jab. It was fairly easy to tell the difference between Hanna's real and 'fake' smiles. Or, well, calling them 'fake' did not do it justice. They were just trained in the same way that all media types train certain facial expressions to make it look good for camera. If Hanna's upper lip was folded outwards with a full, straight row of upper teeth showing, then it was a 'fake' smile. A genuine expression was less symmetrical, upper lip folded inward, and with more pronounced smile dimples in the cheeks.

And then, there was a little something-something that happened in the beaut before her. It was subtle, no verbal indication, but the eyes spoke to such volumes that it could flood P. Johnson's ten times over. It was completely alien to Hanna and had never happened during their years at Ritman together. Hanna's facial expression sort of instantly relaxed to a default state, although raising both eyebrows to their absolute peak, stopping all movements. “Oh, weak in the knees are we?” Hanna said with pure instinct, no filtering inside her head at all, but following it all up by relaxing her frame, continuing with the cosmetics, and throwing a sensual smile in there to tease Ivy. “I can smudge lipsticks all night long, you know that.” Hanna had been quite transparent with her own sexuality even back then, but it had also never been a huge thing for her or super central to her identity -- it was just a natural thing, and that was the end of it. "Holy shit, you are so fucking cringe. You shouldn't have said the 'make out' part in the first place, dumb ass bitch." Her mind scolded itself.

“Yup, all done!” Hanna said with a chipper tone, proud of her glowing work on Ivy's face. “I'd like to thank the Academy for this amazing award--” Hanna fired up with a silly voice. “For me--”, flamboyantly putting both hands on her chest, gazing at the non-existent horizon, sporting the fakest smile she could muster, “--Hanna Whittle, who, unlike miss Williams here, actually knows how to use basic paint and colors--” she continued by poking fun at cosmetics in general and sarcastically implying that Ivy had no clue how to properly use it. “Thank you so much,” she concluded with a faint sniffling sound, holding a ghostly award in her hands, throwing kisses from her hands into the void of some imaginary crowd. Hanna must have come off as batshit insane to any stranger walking in, but it would hopefully relax Ivy a little bit before getting back into the fray.

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
すてきな

p. johnson's [restrooms]
interacting with: Ivy/@Salsa Verde
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Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by CaliforniaState
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CaliforniaState Biologist

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Just like a balloon deflated, Ivy had let all the wind out of her sails after her long vent session. It wasn’t that Ivy knew that Hanna was going to come in with her own advice or pep talk but rather that she wanted it in the most primal of senses. Maybe she was just experiencing ego death or imposter syndrome, either way she was banking on her bestie to lift her up. Was that narcissistic of her? Shallow even? No, that’s what friends were for obviously. So, she let her eyes gaze into Hanna’s while she hung on every word she had to stay despite how many times she had to start and stop to get her engine running. Such a shift in gears from how easy the flow of words came to her when gagging on all that was new with her long lost classmates.

Light in the darkness huh? It was a hefty title to wear, but if anyone were to know if it was actually said it would be her. She was sort of like Little-finger from Game of Thrones just with a bit more flair and a little less bite. It was only until her voice strained in annoyance that Ivy stood at attention realizing that Hanna was being way more sincere than she had thought. Almost as if the emotions she was feeling were attaching themselves to her sentiments. At the end of her effervescent tirade there was only a look of shock on her face, eyelids pulled all the way back to reveal nothing but the whites of her eyes. A deer in headlights. Only for the awkward silence to be interrupted with an eruption of laughter from Ivy. Not your standard throat laugh, but the one deep in your stomach that only a select few people would ever get to see.

”Thanks babe” another round of chuckles followed by dry heaves as she caught her breath, “You’re crazy, amazing, but crazy.” Ivy went in for a hug before returning to the sink. ”I needed that, I haven’t laughed that hard in a while. New York really has gotten the best of you hasn’t it? Just replace NY with politicians and we’re living the same reality. Anyways, if I’m Poison Ivy does that make you Harlequin? Or should we be Ebony and Ivory?” Whatever the two decided it was rather clear they brought the best out of each other and had what the other lacked.

Ivy could sense the same hesitation from Hanna that she had just before. Maybe her intuition was right? Either way Ivy didn’t want to continue to make the touching moment awkward and continued along with the banter, hoping to revisit ‘it’ later. Hanna’s decadent display of theatrical skills was enough to put her at ease, yet at the same time roll her eyes. ”You know, you wouldn’t have won that award if wasn’t for me. Ivory Williams voted best supporting actress. Now let’s go pick up our food and drinks from the bar Ms. Academy Awards” Ivy grabbed Hanna’s hand and pulled her outside of the bathroom.

It felt like she had come up from water after nearly drowning, Hanna as her life preserve. She was ready to swim back to shore and show the kiddies who was boss. But first, drinks. The two made their way to the bar softly giggling.

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
grown up — danny brown

p. johnson’s bathroom p. johnson's bar
interacting with: @Prisk
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Hidden 2 yrs ago 2 yrs ago Post by Carlyle
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Carlyle 満潮

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Save for Hanna, no one else spoke up, so cheese it was.

Leaning back in her chair, Anni looked around the room. Hanna and Ivory both ran off elsewhere, leaving her alone with Jack, Lucas, and of course, CJ. In other words, basically everyone who had a thorn in their side, or were outcast from everyone else. Great, Anni sarcastically thought. This was going to go over well.

She rolled her eyes at CJ's "tough" display. The bitch always had a flair for the dramatic.

"Wouldn't be here if it was." Anni chimed in. "It's... whatever, I guess."

Despite her newfound interest in turning over a new leaf, Anni fought the temptation to rip CJ and everyone else a new one. The urge and desire shown from ear to ear across her face, and anyone with half a brain could tell she was holding back. She had been abandoned by her friend and relentlessly bullied by her classmates. Then, when it came time for graduation, the punches didn't stop coming. College after college denied her application, and the only jobs she could secure were often of the abusive, deadbeat nature.

How was her post-Ritman life, CJ? It fucking sucked, and life didn't seem like it was going to get any better—until now.

Anni hated the world as much as it hated her. Yet, with a sip of her drink, she forced herself to swallow her anger, instead bottling it up just in time for Ivory and Hanna to return. She wasn't going to let her demons win this time around. It was a promise, not just to Hanna, but to herself.

The changing of the tide was coming.

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
death of me — royal & the serpent

bar interior
interacting with: jack @nodogs, lucas @mao mao & cj @tgm
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Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Mirandae
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Mirandae Prisk

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Hanna was definitely Harley Quinn to Ivy's Poison. The thought had never entered her occasionally chaotic head before, but it made perfect sense and was quite witty. On that note, their old High School embers had without doubt ignited again. Hanna was infinitely grateful that their reunion had been so smooth and superfast. She locked arms with the mellow beauty as they scuttled towards the bar. “We'd make awesome villains in the new Batman movies with Twilight-guy as the Batman. Have you seen it, the latest one? Fuuuuck, it's sooo good,” Hanna gushed at the memory of said film.

The gals had already arrived at the bar by the end of Hanna's chatter. The bartender that had recognized her earlier just finished up with another customer, then pointed at the drink that Hanna had ordered before going into the bathroom. “Oh sweet Vodka and orange juice, how I love you so.” Hanna lightly giggled as she took the first sip of the drink through a black straw. “Anyway, you think he was hot in Twilight? Holy shit is he giga-hot as the new Batman. He's, like, the finest piece of socially awkward brooding INCEL you could ask for.” Hanna started to crack herself up at the word 'incel' and built a crescendo of hyena cackling towards the end of the sentence. The internet and the Chat had found its perfect bridge into the real world through Hanna. “Fuck, sorry,” she tried to say through loss of breath and strained laughing chimes, putting her drink down on the bar counter and covering her mouth with the other hand. “That word is so fucking funny--” she managed to say just at the base of catching a panicky inhalation. “INCEL--holy shit!” The words barely made sense before Hanna burst into uncontrollably violent laughter again.

The bartender simply stood there and stared at them while Hanna clung onto Ivy so as to not fall. It was embarrassing and funny all at the same time. Some random people around them sort of smirked at Hanna's laughter, but they really had no idea what had been said that was so funny. The others at the Ritman table would probably be able to hear Hanna's shrieking noises, unless they were busy trying to kill each other. Hanna sincerely tried to stop, however. She forced herself to take deep breaths and interrupt the laughter while minding her teary eyes, so as to not ruin the paint.

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
Wii

p. johnson's [restrooms] p. johnson's [bar]
interacting with: Ivy/@Salsa Verde
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Hidden 2 yrs ago 2 yrs ago Post by CaliforniaState
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CaliforniaState Biologist

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“I loooooove him. He’s one of my favorite actors right now are you kidding me? He’s been on the up and up since Twilight and I’m happy for him. The new Batman was amazing and I’m excited to see what Matt Reeves does with it going forward. But yes we should throw our headshots out there for the roles. I’m sure you have some kind of connection miss thing” Ivy became just as nerdy as she had in high school and gushed along with Hanna. It was nice to feel loose for once tonight and knowing that Hanna and her were still the bestest of friends regardless of separation. Truth be told, Ivy had a vacancy for a best friend position since Hanna’s departure. Of course she had work friends, but none that could come close to what they had or what they still have.

Ivy gagged at Hanna’s declaration of love to her cocktail, “I don’t know how you can drink that stuff. Vodka tastes like piss water, definitely browns over clears girl” hinting at liquor and quite possibly people of color. “Actually I’ve never watched twilight, I honestly couldn’t get past the first book and they did not do werewolves justice. I’m sure you can find an equally brooding incel in your twitch streams” she remarked, grabbing her Paloma moving on from the Tom Collins. Ivy awkwardly bit her straw looking puzzled and a little embarrassed by the guffaw of her nearest and dearest. She shook her head and furrowed her brows looking towards the bartender and mouthing the words sorry. Her lanky arms gripped hold onto Ivy for balance which she was not ready for, almost splashing her drink on herself.

“We really have to find you some new hobbies and audiences girl” patting the girls back and supporting her through her commotion. “Now that you’ve had your laugh” she paused as Hanna was still occasionally giggling and reaching for air, “we should head back to the table and stop galavanting around” standing up and pulling Hanna up with her. The food had just come out of the swinging doors in the back that led to the kitchen. On a large black platter was a pizza on a tray and multiple side dishes scattered around it. A rather large burly man held it on an open palm with one hand and a little metal stand that hand been folded in the other. “That’s our cue, Quinn following the server to the Ritman High table, lacking streamers and balloons. The server called out the names of the plates and handed them out one by one after setting the heavy platter on the unfolded stand.

“Spinach dip is mine” chiming in as she sat down, “So what did we miss?”

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
grown up — danny brown

p. johnson’s bar Ritman Table
interacting with: Hanna/@Prisk
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Hidden 1 yr ago Post by skidcrow
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skidcrow

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Jack snorts derisively at CJ’s response, folding her arms as she’s all but slumped in her chair. She doesn’t break the other girl’s gaze. The air crackles with unspoken tension, and Anni’s presence does little to help. It’s probably a funny sight; Lucas looking woefully out of place while the rest of them have a verbal Mexican standoff.

You know what I wanted, you bitter fuck, she thinks as she watches Hanna and Ivy appear at the bar over CJ’s shoulder. At least it looks like her score isn’t being topped. Yet.

“Yeah. It’s Delton. It sucks,” Jack concurs with Anni’s response. “Everyone wants to leave but we’re all trapped under the fucking dome. That fit your neat little narrative, C?”

She fishes in her pocket for her phone and switches it back on, slipping out of her jacket and letting it fall against the back of the chair. The screen lights up to show 3 missed calls and several texts from Erica, which she immediately swipes away, scrolling through her contacts to find Casey’s number.

Jack:
beer on the same tab

From where she’s sitting she can’t see him above the heads at the bar, but she can probably imagine the exasperated look on his face anyway. The servers that swarm on their table when Hanna and Ivory return have about the same expression. She scoots her chair back as they sit down, placing her phone face-down on the table before she realizes the picture of her and Erica taped to the inside of the case. Quickly, she slots it back in her pocket, leaning forwards slightly to rest an elbow on the table instead.

“Just the riveting life and times of peaking in high school.” Someone comes to collect the empty glassware and deposits her beer along the way. Jack takes the opportunity to grab a slice of pizza. “So, food and then we roll?”

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
morning terrors nights of dread — shilpa ray

p. johnson’s [ritman table]
interacting with: class of 2017, casey [npc]
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Hidden 1 yr ago 1 yr ago Post by Carlyle
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"Don't think anyone has anything else planned." Anni responded with a shrug.

As the food was placed on the table, she momentarily glanced towards Hanna. The woman had been holding onto Ivory, and was struggling to keep her footing in the heels she wore.

Save for getting shit-faced drunk, apparently.

Waiting for Jack to finish, Anni reached for her own slice of pizza and placed it on a nearby plate. The pizza looked like shit, but it was the type of shit pizza that tasted good. Maybe it was the alcohol that made it taste so good, but bar pizza was difficult to top regardless.

"So, is that the plan?" Anni asked, looking to Ivory for an answer. She had been the one who planned this, after all.

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
death of me — royal & the serpent

bar interior
interacting with: the delton six
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Hidden 1 yr ago Post by CaliforniaState
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CaliforniaState Biologist

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That indeed was the plan she just wanted to confirm it with the group before she moved onto the next part of the reunion without much hassle from the rest. “Yes that is the plan so eat up or take whatever you don’t finish home with you” she suggested seeing as they ordered more with their eyes than their stomachs. A few more minutes to an hour passed at P.J.’s before the rush of the weekend crowd begun to cluster in the heart of the bar. Pretty soon their pleasantries were swallowed up by the drama and gossip that made whatever petty grudges the group aired out to each other seemed dwarfed in comparison. The bar was starting to get hammered with drink orders and more black suits came from the swinging kitchen door churning out all kinds of bar food in attempts to quell the grazing by the watering hole. Ivy had gotten up with Hanna once more to head to the bar to close out the tab and leave a generous tip. Fitting through the gaps and having to push through while no one heeded their “excuse me’s” felt almost as bad as the boys way too young to be hitting on them, trying to chat them up.

The two of them were loud enough to clear out any stifled attempts, leading them to the bar. With everything cashed out they returned to the table. “Okay gang lets head out before we really feel the weight of Delton. I know you guys must have drove separately but I rented a car with more than enough space for us to all carpool, now don’t get too excited about it” she sarcastically said. Leading them out to the parking lot she clicked the key fob that flashed blocking lights from the teal colored BMW X5, large enough to fit all 5 of them comfortably to the field that was a matter of minutes away. She pushed the button to start the engine and craned her neck to the back, “The capsules on the floor in the back if any of you want to carry it when we get out.” Mirrors adjusted, they backed out of the parking lot and made their way back the old and familiar winding roads that led back to Ritman High. Ivy took the back way to make it easier to walk to the field instead of the front and around.

Luckily she had been in talks with the schools staff, mostly the janitorial force, about permitting her a key to unlock the entrance to the parking lot adjacent to the field. Who knew if you treated workers at school as humans they would be more willing to help you out when you were an adult. The masters lock glinted from the shine of the headlights. Ivy quickly hoped out and opened the gates, scampering back to the car and driving in to the closest spot she could get to. The lights that draped over the field shined with luminescent intensity, so much so you could almost count every bead of turf on the field. The stands were barren but intimidating with a little square box in the middle to host announcers and analysts for the games. Excited for the next part of the night, Ivy killed the engine turning back once more. “We’re here! Everyone get out or stay in the car I really don’t care at this point” enthusiastically unbuckling, turning to Hanna in the passenger seat to giggle a bit, then exiting and heading to the turnstile that let them onto the field.

It wasn’t long before the ragtag misfits stood in a circle around the schools mascot, now a meteor, in the dead center of the field. Whoever brought the time capsule would feel it being early lighter than they had imagined, but wouldn’t take too much stock in it. “Well now that we’re all here and ready, we can finally put our past to rest and walk out of here with whatever we put in this rinky dink tin can. I just wanted to again, express how much it means that any of you decided to come out tonight against your better judgement. We all could have been doing something else that we thought was more important for our time. I’m glad to see everyone has been doing better even if it’s just on the outside. I know I could have been there or done more for you all as your President, but I failed in my responsibilities and I would like to apologize for that. Believe me or don’t, we’re all adults now and can make our own decisions and deal with the consequences later. Enjoy the rest of your lives and remember that we were all magpies”

“Now with further adieu let me see the capsule so I can do us the honors of brining our night to a close”

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
map change — every time i die

p. johnson’s bar ritman high football field
interacting with: Hanna/@Prisk Anni/@Kuro CJ@TGM Jack@nodogs Lucas/@Mao Mao
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Hidden 1 yr ago Post by Mao Mao
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Mao Mao Sheriff of Pure Hearts (They/Them)

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Lucas was more than content with keeping his business out of affairs. He didn't say anything when Ivory excused herself to the bathroom, and then a drunken Hannah followed suit. Likewise, he didn't answer CJ's question knowing full well it would've given her ammo to use cleverly in her smear campaign. So it was fortunate that the class president was ready to open up the capsule at the field. With the glass of non-alcoholic cocktail and a tray of breadsticks empty, Lucas followed everyone and got into the teal SUV parked outside the bar. He made sure to note the capsule was in the back, knowing well enough that the only man in the group would be carrying it towards the field.

Seeing Ritman High for the first time in five years was... underwhelming, to say the least. Lucas had expected to be somewhat nostalgic for the brick facade while painful memories of high school played on repeat. But instead, there was nothing. It didn't necessarily concern him, mainly because he was already tired and yearning for a comfortable bed to rest in. Hell, he was more surprised than anything that the capsule was easier to carry. Not that Lucas was going to complain.

By the time everyone else made it to the field, Lucas placed the time capsule on the ground and waited for Ivory to open it. But, of course, she had a rather brief speech prepared for this moment. What he didn't expect was for her to apologize. He thought it was unwarranted since she was also a student. The adults were to blame for failing to uphold their responsibility to the students, not the class president. And he was going to make it clear whether she wanted to hear it or not. "I've learned that blaming your teenage self isn't going to help. And believe it or not, you aren't to blame. The faculty failed their students, not the class president and her student body."

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
as it was — harry styles

p. johnson's ritman high football field
interacting with: ivory/@salsa verde
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Hidden 1 yr ago Post by Mirandae
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Mirandae Prisk

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“AAAHHH!” A cascade of ecstatic sound, more akin to an orchestral crescendo than a scream, burst from Hanna's lungs. It was a siren's call of pure, unfettered bliss that echoed around the room at the prospect of carpooling. “What do you mean 'not exciting'?!” she rebuked, eyes shining brighter than a supernova. “This is the best thing ever so far!” She chimed in unison with the pulsating music in the background. Hanna's hands came together, a blur of motion, palms meeting in a series of rapid-fire claps interspersed with peculiar smudging motions as though she were sculpting the very joy in the air.

Hanna giggled all the way to the car. Each sound escaping her presence formed a melody of disproportionate exhilaration. Like an eager child on Christmas morning, she flitted along, her footfalls punctuating the evening with their rhythmic beat, arm in arm with Ivy. Every so often, Hanna's head glanced over her shoulder, eyes darting to ensure nobody was left behind. It was an odd paranoia, one borne of alcohol's whispering shadows, that saw her vigilantly guarding her flock like a shepherdess guiding her bleating charges to safer pastures. “Shotgun, shotgun, shotgun,” Hanna chanted, her voice a wind chime caught in a playful breeze. The phrase became a mantra, the soundtrack to her impromptu sprint toward the car. It was the prize at the end of her dash -- the passenger seat door was her golden ticket, and she was the excited kid ready to claim her ride in the chocolate factory.

As the car approached the familiar school grounds, Hanna was confronted by an onslaught of memories that flooded her consciousness, much like an unexpected tidal wave crashing onto a tranquil beach. The familiarity of the school grounds invoked a nostalgia that held both the sweet melancholy of a sepia-toned photograph and the sharp sting of an old wound infected with cringe -- much like a horror movie that one watches between split fingers. Her deep-sea dive into the fathomless depths of her memory was abruptly halted by Ivy's call to motion.

“Come on, guys, let's go!” Hanna's voice shrieked through the confined space of the vehicle, akin to an air raid siren wailing through the echoing canyons of a deserted city, its intensity amplified by the alcohol she had imbibed earlier. Stepping out of the car, the short saunter to the heart of the football field was a temporal paradox, an uncanny experience that felt both as fleeting as a butterfly's flight and as enduring as a solar eclipse. Hanna's world spun on its axis, not quite a vertiginous whirl, but enough to keep her unsteady. A straight path was navigable as long as Ivy remained her sturdy companion, arms together. As Ivy, the dusky Aphrodite, prepared to address their small party, Hanna raised a cautioning finger to her lips. She released a drawn-out shush, her exaggerated theatricality rendering her as comical as a mime performing in the park. An impish grin danced upon her face, one that mimicked the vacant euphoria of a marionette, oblivious to the strings that pulled her along.

As inevitable as the rising sun, Hanna's emotional dam splintered at the height of Ivy's heartfelt soliloquy. Tears, the shimmering ambassadors of her overwhelming sentiment, welled up in the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over in a deluge of raw emotion. Her hands fluttered before her face, a futile dance of denial akin to a hummingbird's vain attempt to repel an impending storm. It was the raw sincerity and unadulterated authenticity in Ivy's delivery that truly unraveled Hanna's emotional composure. Yet, guilt played its part too, a gnawing sense of shared responsibility for any hiccups during their tenure at Ritman that haunted her like an inescapable specter.

“Lucas is right,” Hanna concurred, her voice shaking like an autumn leaf caught in crosswinds. Her words bore the weight of unwavering conviction. “It's not your fault, babe. It was the school and its bureaucratic circus that failed us.” Amidst her cathartic release, Hanna sought to regain her composure. With the grace of an eraser wiping clean a chalk-smeared board, she brushed away the errant tears that had streaked down her cheeks. These were the tears that had broken free from the confines of her glistening eyes, brave explorers charting a course down the contours of her face.

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
すてきな

p. johnson's ritman high football field
interacting with: Ivy/@Salsa Verde Lucas/@Mao Mao
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Hidden 1 yr ago Post by skidcrow
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skidcrow

Member Seen 7 mos ago


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Had the booze been on her tab, Jack might not be so drunk right now, even despite her current circumstances. As it is, she’s floating through a sea of people to get to the front of PJ’s, vision significantly tunneled by the fermented poison swimming through her blood. She probably should’ve eaten before she started drinking, but sacrificing her lunch break was the only key leverage she had in ending her shift at the Bistro early. Take notes—not even familial nepotism can get you your own free time at work.

Hanna looks to be at the same level drunk-wise, maybe even a little worse, stumbling and screeching all the way to the rental. Jack guesses it’s lucky that Ivy’s got a respectable amount of cash too, though after eavesdropping on the group’s total tab she wonders if Hanna’s bank account even dips below triple digits.

Once outside and free to feel the cold air on her skin, Jack double-checks her bike and then peels into the car, pushing herself into a far corner and nursing her half-empty beer bottle. With the state of one half of their de facto chaperones, she spends the ride in weary anticipation of some impromptu group carpool activity that never comes. It’s quick enough to drive to Ritman from Main Street, anyway, and the car rolls to a stop before she can blink. It starts again after Ivy unlocks the gate, the engine finally cutting dead once the field’s opposite them.

“Don’t tempt me,” she mutters at Ivy’s comment, filtering out behind the rest of the group and trudging through the turnstile.

She bounces from one foot to the other throughout Ivy’s spontaneous speech, the air having shifted from soothing her flushed cheeks to chilling her bones. She’s not sure if a Class President’s responsibilities extend to playing personal therapist to a group of melodramatic teenagers, but she can imagine the existential terror raised by realizing you’re not as outwardly fucked up as the rest of the people you spent your formative years with. She’s not even sure if the faculty could’ve changed a thing, as Lucas suggests in all his therapized wisdom. There’s no cure for Delton, Jack concludes, watching as Hanna paws away at fresh tear tracks.

The floodlights looming above light the scene with perfect clarity, leaving the empty main building shrouded in complete darkness. Its black outline looks far larger than Ritman had ever felt during her time there. The capsule, even while dwarfed by the scattered circle surrounding it, casts a harsh shadow on the dyed grass. Jack allows it to capture her attention, the long huff of breath that escapes her nostrils turning into steam against the nighttime chill. Jack had left nothing in there, as if the lack of physical evidence would absolve her of any connection to Ritman High. Instead, she remains tethered by the memories of others, unable to escape Jack Carpenter just as much as Jack Wilkerson.

Maybe graduation isn’t where it was supposed to end. Maybe once everyone else finally feels like they can put their high school lives to bed, Jack can take hers out back and shoot it, too. Once the first wrecking ball slams into the faded red bricks, this weight that’s been pushing against her whole life will finally crumble, and she can get the fuck out of here forever. In another five years, Jack Wilkerson will be gone for good.

“If we find secret love letters in here or some shit, I’m out,” she almost-slurs, taking a triumphant final swig of her beer. She drops the empty bottle at her feet. “Or we can burn ‘em.”

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
on we march — trent reznor

p. johnson’s ritman high [football field]
interacting with: class of 2017
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Hidden 1 yr ago Post by mickilennial
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mickilennial The Elder Fae

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Ritman Field.

CJ lights a cigarette as she stumbles in her feet, the combination of burger and copious amounts of alcohol mixing about as well as they can.

She is used to drinking more than she should, but there is part of her that is asking the question: should we have paced ourselves better? Her stomach isn’t swirling like it's about to eject a pilot of vomit–but she knows sleep isn’t far from now. Her eyes are looking to Ivy, and Jack, and back to Ivy. Though really she’s still thinking how to get Jack to give her an actual emotional response. To show something instead of slight anxiety. Would pushing her onto the grass do the trick? Pouring the bottle she was holding in her hands on her head? Would Jack actually tell ‘what the fuck’ or would she just sigh in indifference?

She doesn’t do either of those things, though. Something inside her makes her just look at the capsule and sigh.

“You think you could kick it for a goal?” She quips, particularly to no one, knowing full well none of the ‘athletes’ made the quickshot reunion.

“I do like the burning idea, though.” Another long drag of her cigarette, “Set the whole town on fire. Maybe then people would fucking leave.”

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
bottom — Tool

ritman high [football field]
interacting with: everyone
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Hidden 1 yr ago 1 yr ago Post by Carlyle
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Carlyle 満潮

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Ah, Ritman High—the place where nightmares are made.

Standing on the field brought back old memories for Anni; some she felt she still wasn't ready to face despite promising Hanna to let things go. Even to this day, she could still remember each and every painful moment. The spot over by the team benches where she had juice thrown at her while preforming at a home game. The corner of the outer track where she had been purposefully tripped during gym. It all came flooding back to Anni, who couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by just being here.

Although the group conversed among themselves, Anni stood in silence. She couldn't speak, as if her vocal cords had been clamped shut. How pathetic, Anni thought of herself. The memories had always been in her head, and she even once swore revenge for what she suffered through. But now, faced with the music, Anni felt like her high school self all over again. Anxious. Afraid. Upset. She had managed to work up the courage to face CJ head-on, but Ritman was an entirely different beast that she wasn't prepared for.

Get a hold of yourself, Anni. She thought, hoping the others were too distracted to pay attention to her. You can't even face the very thing you wanted to take up arms against!

Gulping, Anni attempted to force her anxiety back, hidden away where no one could see it. It didn't help much.

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#1.01 WAY DOWN WE GO
death of me — royal & the serpent

ritman field
interacting with: n/a
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