[IC] Meadow University

[AlteredTundra]

_{a @metanoia & @neoaj collaboration
featuring Joey | Jade}
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The laptop sat on the desk, silent save for the low hum of the cooling fan. The screen was mostly white, save for the black words at the document being stared at by the room’s lone occupant. That was one of the perks of being a star athlete. There was no sharing with anyone if you didn’t want to, and Jade Scott preferred her privacy.

She certainly preferred it this past week. It was impossible to ignore the energy that had been sucked out of the sorority in the last week or so with Lottie’s abrupt departure from the room across from her. She didn’t even say goodbye to anyone. By Monday evening she was gone, off to who knows where? Probably shacking up with that gravy-blooded skate licker. Good riddance, then. Joey deserved better anyway.

Of course, Jade didn’t know what state Joey was in either. They hadn’t really spoken since the incident happened. Jade didn’t want to push the attack on anything, especially since there was a slight possibility that she might be to blame for that fractured relationship. Instead, the Golden Girl focused on her studies. Since the university head honcho still hadn’t rescinded their bogus probation ruling, she figured she might as well actually try for some As while she was here. It’s why she was pouring over her notes from Kinesiology 303 with a bit more concentration than usual.

That is until there was a loud knocking on her door.

Did I remember to lock that before I came in here…

The answer to that question was no, as Joey freaking Hart herself confirmed that no, it was not locked. She burst into the room with a verve that had been missing from the building the entire week. “Jade!!” The pixie plunked herself on Jade’s relatively luxurious queen-sized bed. At least it was by general university standards. Certainly by the tiny twin that Jade slept on as a freshman. “We should go out clubbing tonight!”

Jade turned and raised a Spockian eyebrow. Where did Joey find all this energy all of a sudden? She glanced over at the clock that rested by her bed. Well, I guess it is a Friday. Makes sense that she would be finally letting herself indulge a bit. It’s nice to see her so active again. But clubbing…

As one of Meadow University’s elite athletes and a budding star on the verge of the USWNT, Miss Scott had to be careful when she went out and indulged. There had been a few careers derailed by some select photographs of starlets in various states of inebriation. It’s why Jade was more than happy to let herself go at the bash. No paparazzi. Or at least she thought until that video was shared to the masses. Still though, she liked those chances to let loose. Plus, this entire week sucked. Studying isn’t for this earlier in the term!

She leaned forward and folded her hands, resting her head on top of them. “Clubbing, you say? Well, I think I could be convinced to go out tonight. I mean, I do have practice tomorrow at one, but hell, that will give us more than enough time to do some things, right? Although… I think I’ll probably need to fuel up here before we go out…”

A hyperactive Joey cheered from where she laid on Jade’s bed, widely smiling at the girl. “Perfect!” Her voice cracked slightly, oozing positivity. Like the distraction prone pixie she was, Joey hopped off Jade’s bed and made an immediate beeline for her closet. “We should see what you have to wear,” she said, opening the small closet to see Jade’s selection of apparel. She quickly paused and turned around, glancing at Jade “I mean, we have to look hot, don’t we?” She winked at her, giggling.

As much as Jade recoiled at the thought of someone going through all her stuff, it was nice to see Joey acting more like herself again. Maybe that meant she was turning the corner on the whole Lottie situation. Granted, Jade would have expected it to take a little more than a few days if that was the case. It was hard to tell with Joey where her head was at sometimes.

Maybe that’s what made her so exciting. The inability to anticipate what was going to happen next.

Jade let the neon girl do her thing, but gave her a fair warning. “I haven’t been out shopping in a little bit so I don’t know just how on trend I’ll be, but you know looking hot won’t be a problem for a couple girls like us!”

Joey smiled, giving Jade a quick glance up and down. “Oh you know it, girl!” She grinned, humming thoughtfully. “You know what? Yes, I think this could work.”

She walked forward, grabbing Jade by the wrist. Despite Joey’s smaller frame, she was able to successfully grab a doubtless, temporarily noisy Jade as she tugged at the taller girl’s arm with her across the hall to her room. Immediately after, Joey rushed to her own closet. It was the same size as Jade's but outstandingly different in the variety of what joey had to choose from. She was always experimenting with styles and colors. Different leggings with tops that might reveal too much.

As she frantically tore the closet apart, a pile of clothes gathering on a section of the floor a few feet behind her, Joey was muttering to herself. On a dime, she stopped and turned around, seeing Jade just looking at her. “Do you think you’re more glossy or casual sexy? Or maybe full on Dirty Christina Aguilera?” She mused. Joey’s mind was usually all over the place, but even though it might appear she had gone crazy, fashion was extremely near and dear to her heart and, well, if they truly were going to go clubbing tonight, it was important to Joey that they do it right. It was 2019, after all. Nobody needed to apologize for being a little extra. “Or perhaps short skirts and low cut blouses?”

Jade did indeed object to the rough treatment she received as she was yanked out of her chair, and out of her room. But as she ventured into the formerly-shared room of Joey Hart, she couldn’t help but be impressed by the sheer volume of options that were at her disposal for the evening ahead. It made sense, given Joey seemed to live and breathe fashion whereas Jade was more than happy to rock a track suit if the situation wasn’t any classier than homecoming. Joey’s options seemed limitless, whereas Jade would have been stuck with the same two choices: the black dress, or the kinda grey but still black dress.

Joey seemed to have some ideas anyway, and while Jade fondly remembered the music video in question, she doubted that she had the ability to truly embody Miss Aguilera’s all-out, fuck-you mentality when it came to the outfit in that video. “Probably more casual sexy. I don’t know if I can give everything away up front,” she finally answered. “But, if I’m being honest, it’s not like I really had to try to be sexy to attract people. Most people just figure I’m a famous athlete and all and they just try to come right up to me. Which, I mean, given almost all of the people who do that are males, it’s just funny.”

“Funny how?” Joey asked, curious. “I mean, did you have any boyfriends at all?”

Jade shook her head. “Nope. Never had a boyfriend,” she confirmed. “I was always super focused on soccer when I was a kid, so I wasn’t really dating. Even then, my dad would have scared most high-school boys off pretty quick. Then here… I don’t know. Not a lot of guys I’d be interested in. Besides, I learned pretty quickly the company I prefer.”

It was a little bit of a reckoning for herself, but it was true. Jade just didn’t see it happening. There were so many strong women in her life she could look up to, and they seemed very happy in the company of other women. It made sense. Besides, guys couldn’t do what Joey was doing right now. “What about that top?” she asked as she pointed to the red spaghetti-strapped garment still hanging in the closet.

An audible “a-ha” noise left Joey’s lips, redirecting her attention on the closet and the top that Jade suggested. She quickly grabbed the hanger and ran over to Jade, pressing it against the girl’s body to see how it looked. “Yes that’s perfect!” Joey nodded, approving of Jade’s choice in tops. “Low cut enough but not too much. It’ll compliment your natural caramel tone!”

Already the Pixie’s mind began churning ideas for a skirt. She didn’t know if Jade was the type of gal to wear skirts at clubs, but with her legs, it would be a crime to not showcase them. “And for the bottoms...” She handed Jade the red top to hold as she sprinted back to her closet, sliding over a third of the hangers over until she grabbed a clipped hanger with a black, leather skirt.

As she stopped in front of Jade, she smiled, leaning down on her knees and placing it firmly at Jade’s waist, somewhat smirking as the bottom of the leather skirt ended about an inch past her mid-thigh.. “This is too hot not to wear. And with how great your hair will be after I’m done with it, you’re going to be a stunner, Jade!”

Jade looked at the skirt that her sorority sister selected and one, was stunned that Joey would have something like this in her arsenal, and two, thought it was a brilliant choice. There was no doubt that the skirt was made to show off her best feature, which was her legs. Years of training had made them finely sculpted pieces of art, although she never bothered to put them on display quite like this before. But it would work, right? Joey was a trendsetter, the style guru. She had to know this was the right choice.

She took the chosen clothes in hand but did a double take when Joey mentioned the next step. “Hair? What do you want to do to my hair?”

Joey stared up at Jade for a few seconds, smiling. “Oh, nothing big!” She promised, standing up. Jade was a few inches taller than her. She ran her hands through Jade’s silky hair. “Just going to give it a proper wash, spray it, dry it, and style it.” She immediately saw how wary Jade was and again tried to assure her. “Relax, Jadey! Remember, this is my specialty.” She lifted herself up to her tippy toes to give Jade a quick kiss on the cheek. “Leave it to me and I’ll make damn sure we’re smokin’ hot from head to heel!”

It was hard not to trust Joey in this instance. Again, she was well tuned into the modern looks, something Jade didn’t bother with at all. Plus… it was hard not to think it was cute the way she was fawning over her. Just the lift of the toes to run her fingers through Jade’s hair. The little peck on the cheek. That confidence that she only saw fall for that brief moment in time by the lake. It was endearing to be sure. What was Lottie thinking?

Jade flashed that megawatt smile of hers and nodded. “OK. I trust you 100 percent, JoJo. Let’s get ready for the club!”

Whenever she heard anyone call her JoJo, it obviously opened up a fresh wound. Lottie always called Joey her amazing JoJo as though she was an enigmatic act about to wow and astonish a crowd. And, of course, she knew it because Joey herself was always so lively and full of contagious energy. But what clicked in her mind was a moment of sadness, a moment of loneliness that was too fresh for her own liking, but she shut that out. She hurt when called that name but Jade wouldn’t see it. Even if she had to bury it as deep as the Grand Canyon, she would and put on a smile.

At least, once she found something else--or someone else-- to focus on, she knew it wouldn’t be difficult. “Yeah. There’s a lot of work to do for the both of us!”

[Ejected]

The first week of classes had gone just as Ramona knew they would. From receiving six different syllabuses across all of her classes, all the way down to trying to figure out new ways to reintroduce herself to a classroom full of familiar faces, Mona had surely grown used to "Syllabus Week" by now. It was nothing new or out of the ordinary. And all throughout this week, Ramona had made sure to keep her signature grin plastered across her face whenever she stepped foot outside of her bedroom, whether it was while striking up conversation with a Sophomore in one of her elective courses or jogging around campus and greeting those who strolled past.

No one would've ever guessed that Mona had been feeling a little more down than usual, ever since the evening following the Great Bash. And of course, she had yet to tell a soul about what was bothering her. Not even Junie, who'd been her closest friend since they were in diapers, knew about it. Even Mona's roommate, who'd been too preoccupied with her work to notice the sudden massive pile of empty ice cream pints and wine coolers in their trash can, hadn't caught on.

It was a mutual decision, she and Leon's breakup. And although the two promised to remain good friends with each other despite no longer being in a romantic relationship, Ramona still couldn't help but feel a bit empty after handing off a bag of things he'd left in her possession... Hence, why she'd been unsuccessfully attempting to fill this emptiness with Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie. In fact, Mona had been spending almost every single day after classes sitting in the exact same spot in her bed, a spoonful of ice cream in one hand and a blunt in the other. She'd laugh to herself while watching old episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and wondering what her friends and family would say or think if she emerged out of her funk ten pounds heavier.

Mona had planned to repeat this same routine on that Friday night until she saw a post on Instagram that caused her to change her mind. Apparently, one of her favorite bars was having an open mic night, and she figured, what better way to lift her spirits than to get all dressed up and go check out the local talent? Well... the prospect of finally being able to drink something a little stronger than Mike's Hard Lemonade also played a pretty big role.

So after finishing off one of her pre-rolled cones and spending about an hour getting herself dolled up, Mona called up the nearest Uber driver and made her way downtown. It was after she began typing out a text to Junie that she remembered her saying something about having a date that night and tucked her phone back into her purse, deciding to wait until the next day to ask her for the details. And when Mona had finally been dropped off in front of Nectar’s, she took a brief moment to readjust her dress before letting out a deep breath strolling inside.

Ramona made a beeline for the bar, not really bothering to search for any familiar faces for the time being. Instead, she waved over the bartender and asked for whiskey on the rocks. And after draining the entire glass in less than a minute, signaled him over again. "Another one, please."

[Venus]

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The breakup with Joanna had certainly taken its toll on Charlotte Diedrikson. The hyper personality that characterized her was all but gone, replaced by a quiet, morose shadow of who she used to be. Her week had been spent going through the motions as best as she could given her new living situation: shuffling between practice, her classes, more practice, and back to the bedroom she now shared with Kieran. Any mention of Joey could send her to tears.

And that Friday night was no different. After finishing with her usual routine, the girl made a quick stop for some Japanese takeout. At about half past eight, Lottie sat in the middle of Kieran’s bed, hair up in the laziest of buns and wearing nothing but a pair of pajamas already stained with soy sauce. Her brown eyes were glued to her laptop screen, watching old episodes of My Super Sweet Sixteen while taking mindless bites of the half-eaten chicken yakisoba container in her lap. From the outside looking in, she was certain she looked pathetic. She certainly felt that way. But what else was she supposed to do other than stay home and wait for the pain to ease up? Stuffing her face with noodles certainly sounded better than having to put up a facade in front of people.

Kieran, meanwhile, was doing his best to try and play the good boyfriend for his new roommate. Suffice to say it was a bit of a transition, and after hanging with Dee for most of Monday afternoon, coming back to Mac, Lottie and a giant suitcase was a major surprise. Still, he was willing to be supportive even after that suitcase moved into his room, and Lottie took up permanent residence there. He was the modern man who was willing to just lay in bed and cuddle to try and make Lottie’s pain go away. He was willing to watch whatever she wanted.

However, as he walked back into the room, microwaved chicken shawarma in hand, looking at his girlfriend staring at a bunch of spoiled 16-year-olds that wouldn’t know a hard day’s work if it bit them in the arse, he got worried. “Hey Ace,” he offered as he moved to sit down next to Lottie on the bed. “Gotta… gotta another batch of kids expecting cakes in the shape of Ariana Grande at their birthday, huh? That...that’s the plan for tonight?”

“Yeah,” came Lottie’s unenthusiastic reply, not tearing her eyes away from the screen where Katie was testing out the endurance of a Hummer by running over every curve or median possible. “Why?”

“Nah, nah, it’s fine,” Kieran lied. “Can’t wait to see how Kayleigh recovers from her Ferrari arriving in the wrong color.” As he continued to sidle next to Charlotte, he continued to think about just exactly how to start broaching the subject he was worried about. “I’m surprised you don’t have these all memorized by now. How many episodes did they do?”

“Her name’s Katie, not Kayleigh. And I honestly have no idea…”the girl answered again, planning to drown out the sound of his voice when the smell of whatever he was holding finally reached her nose. “What is that?” she asked him, her face scrunched up in dislike as she pointed to the food item with her chin.

“It’s a shawarma wrap,” the boy answered. “It’s from Fattoush, that Mediterreanean place a couple streets over. It’s really good. Think it’s the garlic sauce they put in it.” It was clear from Lottie’s face that she wasn’t asking so she could figure out where he got it. That was an… interesting source of friction between the two. There was never really a discussion on favored foods outside of clubs and occasional dinner dates. “I’m guessing you don’t want a bite.” Not that Kieran was going to ask for any of the Japanese food. Too much sugar in the teriyaki sauce for him.

“No, thank you. I’m good,” she answered simply, shooting the offending dish one last glare before turning back to her show.

The silence afterwards was awkward. It felt weird to have the woman known for her prowess on the courts and her confidence in all things social be so curt and withdrawn. Kieran felt weird. This position was foreign ground to him. He felt like he was supposed to do something now. There wasn’t going to be another time. “So...um… how are you? I feel like we haven’t really talked about things much lately,”

The sudden change of topic finally caught Charlotte’s attention enough to warrant her pausing the episode and turning to Kieran. “There’s not really much to talk about, though, is there?” she replied in a nonchalant tone, but with eyes that betrayed just how sad she was about the whole thing. “I broke up with my girlfriend of two years and I’ve been feeling like crap about it ever since, even though I know it was the right decision. What else is there left to be said?”

Kieran was in uncharted waters here and he had no idea if his boat was taking on water or not. There was a chance to turn back, but there was no way for him to see that. Just too foolish to figure it out. So he pressed on. “I mean, that’s just it, eh? You ended the relationship. You’re telling yourself that was the move to make. And yet you’ve been holed up in here watching useless brats complain about stuff that don’t matter a spit in the real world. That tells me that there’s more to the feeling crap than just the end of that relationship. So, I’m here to listen. Do ya need to get something off your chest, or… I dunno?”

Charlotte was silent for a few seconds, deciding whether to continue to lie and pretend it was nothing or collapse into his arms like a crying mess. But in the end, she decided to take the middle ground. Letting out a deep sigh, the young woman carefully placed her food on the nearby desk, shifted around in bed to find the perfect position to lay her head on his lap. “I guess the only thing that’s really bothering me is that I have no idea why we even fought in the first place…” the blonde admitted. “I tried asking her what was wrong and all I got was her pushing me away. I thought our relationship was better than that, you know? That if something was bothering her she could tell me.”

If Kieran were a more perceptive person, he might have figured out that the conversation that led to the break up might have something to do with him and the proposition Lottie made at the party. But he was not that perceptive when it came to interpersonal relationships. Only hockey. “Well, I can’t pretend I had the understanding of how Joey works that you do. So, I don’t know what was going through her head when she did that. But if she was reacting like that, then you know you did the right thing for you.” He started stroking the blond hair that rested on his lap, shawarma now discarded to the floor beside the bed. “If she actually wanted the relationship to work, she would, you know, realize that you gotta be open about this sort of stuff if anything is gonna last. Least that’s what my mom says.”

“I know, that’s what I keep telling myself too. But it’s so hard...” Lottie admitted, tears finally welling up in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. “It was two years of living together, having each other’s backs and just loving one another without any real commitment holding us back. I wish she had just told me what made her change her mind so I could fix it.”

“Sometimes you can’t force people to tell ya anything,” Kiki admitted, both to Lottie and to himself. “I can’t fathom why she would want to throw your relationship away so easily. But, I’m gonna bet you two things. One, she’s just as miserable as you are from the sounds of it, and two, she doesn’t have one of the best pillows in the world to comfort her the way you do, Munchkin.”

That brought a smile and a watery chuckle out of Charlotte. “That’s very true!” she told him, wiping away her tears, taking up a seating position and bringing Kieran in for a tight hug. He was the perfect life-size teddy bear to bring her the comfort she so desperately needed. “Thank you so much, Kiki. I’m really, really happy you’re here for me.”

Kieran smiled, seeing and feeling a bit of the old Diedrikson flame begin to come back to life. He was more than happy to return the hug and wrap Lottie up. “Anytime, Lottie. Anytime.” He rested his head on hers as he continued to hold her close. He definitely had the ability to make her feel that she had that waiting for her when needed.

[Melissa]

_{Bastíen Bonfamille @Spooner and Nolan Murphy @Melissa
Location: Nectar’s}

Bastíen stood leaning on the bar polishing off his drink as he watched the first act of the evening take the stage. It was a mousy looking girl stepping up to the microphone getting ready. Darla stood to the side, clipboard in hand checking her watch every few seconds. Bas couldn’t help but chuckle at the neurotic woman- even though there was something endearing about it, Darla really needed to relax.

“You’re certainly in a good mood this evening, Bonfamille.”

A voice brought Bastíen’s attention away from staring at the frazzled gig manager and broke his stare. Instead, he turned towards the source of the voice which turned out to be none other than the star athlete of the MU Hawks team, Nolan Murphy.

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t be?” Bas queried, putting down his glass as he turned towards the newcomer. He tapped on the bar to get the attention of one of the bartenders signaling that he wanted another. He leaned his head on his hand as he waited for his drink to be made, eyeing the two pitchers of beer being put in front of Nolan.

“Out with the boys, I take it?” Bastíen asked, flicking his eyes back to Nolan.

The football player smirked, turning to face Bas as he spoke. “No, no particular reason.” Nolan chuckled and dismissed his prior observation, shifting his weight so he stood up just a little bit taller than before. Having known Bastíen for a decent amount of time, he knew that the boy was sometimes quite hard to please, so seeing him with a cheerful disposition was a nice change of pace.

Nolan nodded to the bartender as he placed the pitchers down on the bar, handing him his credit card. “You can start a tab.” The boy had a feeling that he’d be drinking a decent amount this evening, so there was no use in signing the bill now. Running a hand through his hair, he looked back at Bas, nodding in response to his question.

“Yeah, they’re over there.” He motioned to the high top table in the corner where his teammates sat, “We just got off the field not too long ago, it was a rough practice.” Nolan took one of the pitchers and poured a glass for himself, taking a long sip. There was just something about a refreshing cold beer after a long day that helped alleviate any negative feelings he possessed, which was certainly needed after today.

“Oh?” Bastién raised an eyebrow “Daddy coach riding you hard? I can only imagine since he couldn’t lift the probation… even for you.” He took a sip from his new drink.

Nolan smirked, as he knew very well that the dynamic between himself and his father preceded him. Most people couldn’t exactly understand why he played football when his dad was the coach. University was about holding your own and finding yourself and yet the boy chose to willingly spend the majority of his time with his father ragging him on the field. “I mean, between you and me,” Nolan looked around and leaned towards Bas in secrecy, his voice lowering just slightly “He already found a loophole at the administration’s behest, as I’m sure your parents did as well.” He took a step back and leaned back against the bar as he had a few seconds before.

“I might still technically be on ‘probation’, but what the NCAA doesn’t know won’t hurt them.” Nolan used air quotes liberally, taking another swig of his beer. Nolan debated on not telling Bastién further about practice, but the 2 tequila shots he took prior to arriving at the bar said otherwise. He wasn’t drunk- at least not yet- but as alcohol does, it freed his inhibitions just enough for him to reveal more. “But yes, Coach- rather dad can be a bit of a hard ass, especially on the field when it concerns me.”

”Well, well, well nepotism at its finest…” Bastién sighed almost bored, “I would know right?” He said before Nolan could because he knew it was what the athlete was thinking. “You would think that the heads of this fine school could come up with a more… inventive punishment. I mean some of us have security nets that they can’t even dream of… am I right?” He smirked looking over at the table of rowdy football players, who were casting annoyed stares their way, probably wondering where the beers were at.

“I think your boys are getting a bit restless… better get them their drinks so they have somewhere to put their roofies.” he quipped nodding his head towards the gang.

“That makes two of us, I guess.” Nolan replied, taking another drink of his beer and glancing over to his boisterous friends who waited expectantly for their share of the pitcher. They were this lively all the time, the heart of the party in every sense of the word. Every now and again, Nolan felt like he was out of place, too focused on his studies to care. But most nights, like tonight, he joined them in their revelries.

“They can wait, or they can come get it for themselves. I may have paid for it, but that certainly doesn’t mean I have to serve it to them in a timely fashion. They’re used to drinking warm beer, so having it somewhat cold is a treat.” He made eye contact with his friends and then motioned to the pitchers, indicating they were up for grabs if they so desired. He raised an eyebrow at Bas’ choice of a joke. “No roofies- just good ‘ol fashion clean fun.”

“Is that so…” Bastíen murmured plucking some lint from the sleeve of his jacket There’s a few girls around campus that would disagree he continued internally. “Well in that case… enlighten me, what does a group of testosterone-filled football players do for fun?” he asked with that famous sparkle of trouble in his eyes.

Nolan could believe that Bas would stoop so low as to doubt his intentions, and rolled his eyes as the boy questioned his teammate’s motives. Sure, they were known to host a party or two at their house on the edge of campus, that was common knowledge, but it annoyed him that the boy would ever imply such things. “We drink, just like you do,” Nolan motioned to the drink that Bastíen was sipping on. “We socialize, just like you do,” he gestured to the bar around them, and paused. “Well, not exactly like you do.” He corrected himself, silently acknowledging the fact that Bas was alone at the bar.

“Riveting.” Bastíen smacked his lips taking his eyes from Nolan’s friends since the waving hand of Darla caught his eye. The blonde looked panic stricken and mouthed for him to come over. “Sorry to leave you… but I am needed elsewhere.” He said patting Nolan on the shoulder and walked over to where Darla stood stomping.

Before the football player could pipe in another word, Bas had departed, leaving him with a sour taste in his mouth. Nolan scoffed, mimicking Bastíen’s overconfident tone and demeanor, “Riveting.” He chugged the rest of his beer, shaking his head. “He wouldn’t know a good time if it looked him straight in the face.” Nolan tipped the bartender a few dollars cash to ensure the drinks kept coming throughout the night- you always wanted to get on their good side. He grasped the two pitchers in one hand, cups in the other, and walked back over to his friends to continue with his evening.

“Fuck! Bas!” Darla hissed when Bastíen reached her. “The next guy just cancelled! I need you to go on after Fiona!” she spat at him rapidly not even looking at him.

Bas just let out a soft chuckle and grabbed her chin and directed her to look him in the eyes “Of course I’ll save you… yet again” he said planting a quick kiss on her lips. “Just give me a sign when you want me to go on.” he left her dumbstruck and settled at a table next to the stage.

[AlteredTundra]

_{A @metanoia & @fledermaus Collaboration
Featuring Nathaniel Blake & Millie Jean Zadorozhny}

---

As Nate made his way through the courtyard, he spent some of the time looking down at his phone, sending Millie a few text messages to go ahead and meet him in the parking lot. A few minutes before that, he had ordered a Lyft driver who Nate saw had rave reviews.

In ordinary situations where Nate went into town, he would take the bus or hitch a ride with a friend, but given that tonight wasn’t an ordinary night and Nate wasn’t dressed like he normally would, an out of character decision had to be made. Thankfully, he had a near-perfect credit score, so tonight was going to be one to remember. That and his first Lyft ride of the year was free, so that was the cherry on top of what he had hoped would be a cake-worthy night.

He had soon arrived at the north of the parking lot and it was practically a ghost town. His first thought was how many of his classmates were in town already and just how late was it. He checked his phone. “Barely even 30 after,” he mumbled. As he waited, Nate heard something of a whistle from behind him, catching his curiosity by the ear. As he slowly turned, his jaw nearly dropped when his eyes slowly followed black heels and a tight dress until the familiar round face came into full view.

“Oh wow,” came his response. His gaze lingered for a couple of long moments. “I had no idea you owned something like that,” Nate said. Millie had always been so conservative ever since he met her. She was gorgeous, obviously, but Nate never saw as the type to flaunt herself like that. It was shocking to the least. “I mean, you look great!” Nate finally arrived at what he wanted to say but had struggled to find the words.

"You mean that?" Millie Jean asked nervously, fiddling with the ribbed off-shoulder dress. She had bought the dress months ago online at midnight when she was a bit lonely and couldn't sleep. Instead of saying all that, Millie bashfully toed the ground with her heel and said, "It was an impulse buy…"

Wearing heels wasn't something Millie was intimately acquainted with, but she wore them enough for special occasions that she didn't wobble as she walked towards Nate. Still, Millie Jean stepped daintily to prevent any twisted ankles or missteps.

Part of her wanted to turn around and change into a nice pair of jeans and blouse, feeling particularly insecure in the dress that she kept adjusting nervously. It was a weird decision on her part, to wear the dress and heels, and mostly stemmed from lingering irritation and self-consciousness from her altercation with Cassian Lee. Millie Jean blames her nervous stuttering and Cassian Lee's intimidating figure. So, to make herself feel like less of an ant in an anteater world, Millie Jean dressed up. Fake it till you make it, right?

"Have you already called the lyft?" Millie asks, pulling on the hem of her dress as if it would magically lengthen beyond her thighs.

“Oh definitely, Mills! You always look great but right now you’re a stunner!” Nate gave her a smile and checked his phone. “Also yep, the Lyft should be here soon. At least it should be if they didn’t take the route through main street. Given the week we’ve all had and, well, that it’s Main Street, the busiest portion of Meadow View, it would be wise to take some of the back roads--” Nate knew he was rambling, so he cut himself off. “Anyway…” He scratched the back of his head. “Tonight’s gonna definitely be a good time, alcohol absolutely required!”

Millie smiled at Nate. He really was her best friend and she couldn't help but notice he cleaned up pretty nice too. Millie Jean doesn't think she's ever seen that shirt before. "You look great, too, Nate. Tonight should be fun!"

There was a pause while they waited for the lyft and Millie didn't quite know what to say. She wasn't too pressed about filling the silence, it was Nate, one of her closest friends, but she was getting restless. And, well, she had been avoiding talking about it, feeling in parts guilt and awkward. Now might be the best time to bring it up, though…

"Hey, Nate." Millie's voice came out a bit more nervous than she expected it too. "Um, well, about the text...I'm really sorry about that. No one else has given you trouble for it, right? 'Cause I'll k-kick th-the-their ass if th-they do." Millie pinched her arm sharply to calm herself and stop her stuttering. "I– yeah. That's all I wanted to say."

He shrugged. “It’s my own fault. I should have just told Jasper in person. People could tease or whatever, it doesn’t bother me that much. But really, it’s fine!” He offered her a smile, hoping that would be enough to ease her soul. “I appreciate it, though!” He gently bumped Millie’s shoulder, giving her a chuckling grin.

Moments later, a maroon Ford Focus pulled into the parking lot and stopped in front of them. “And our carriage has arrived!” Nate proclaimed, stepping to the side, both arms pointing to the red car, head bowed, showing exactly how big of a goofball he could be in situations where it wasn’t appropriate.

Millie Jean smiled in relief and giggled at his antics, "And they say chivalry is dead."

“Guess that makes me the White Knight,” he joked, laughing.

She climbed into the car, smoothing her dress to avoid a peep show. The driver checked to make sure they were the right customers and Millie Jean stuttered out a confirmation that they were, indeed, the Nate party. She got on the right side and Nate was fine with the left since there was a high chance his side of the car would face out when they arrived.

As Nate heard the affirming clicking sound, he adjusted his position in his seat. He found it a little difficult getting comfortable because every time he would do a half jump, his head kept hitting the roof. “This car is not tall person-friendly,” he whined, muttering somewhat quietly to himself, though he heard a slight chuckle from the driver. Choosing to ignore him, Nate glanced over at Millie Jean, who seemed to have no problem finding a position that didn’t cause immense discomfort . “No fair!” He exclaimed, giving her a pout. “How can you wear something so skin-tight and not have any trouble getting comfortable?” He asked her.

Millie Jean gave a cheeky smile to Nate and smoothed her dress down when it started to rise slightly up her thighs. “Maybe because I’m not built like the Empire State Building, gigantor. Is your head okay?” Millie Jean reached out to smooth down his hair, frazzled from banging against the ceiling of the car.

Like a mother hen, her hand went from his hair to picking at lint on his shirt. It was in part a distraction from the way her dress clung to her, unaccustomed to the tight fit, and also to give her idle hands something to do. She picked at lint and smoothed wrinkles, all the while wondering over the softness of his shirt. “I can’t believe you’ve never worn this shirt before. It’s so soft.”

Nate immediately blushed when Millie started to clean off his shirt, her fingers picking at each individual pieces of lint and straightening out his shirt. If he didn’t know any better, he could’ve sworn his Aunt Ethel was doing it. “Yeah, it’s not usually my style. I prefer my anime and fandom shirt galore to this sort of style, but Mandy told me to pick my nicest shirt.” He scratched the side of his head closest to the window, half-smiling and anxiously chuckling.

Millie’s hand stilled as a guilty flush overcame her. She didn’t want Nate to feel insecure about his usual clothing style and she could see how her comments might make him feel that way. “I didn’t mean — I just mean — well, you look good no matter what you wear.”

These two really were both peas of the same pod, because, as the air grew thick with guilt, Nate was doing his usual thing of laughing into an apology. “No, I know you didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry if I made you feel like I did, Mills.” His voice was tender and sincere. “Truth is, I don’t always get the chance to dress like this and, well I guess just hearing you compliment me was a little vindicating.” His hand was on her shoulder and he softly smiled at her. “I mean, you know that I don’t usually get called hot or even ‘hey that’s a cute guy’. It’s why I’m a total wreck most of the time.” And why I smoke more than I should but she doesn’t need to know that.

“That’s nonsense.” Millie replied, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Even if they don’t say it, they’re thinking it. You’re attractive and that’s a fact.”

“I’m glad someone thinks so.” He appreciated her compliment, but at the same time, he didn’t agree. Truth was, Nate never saw himself as an attractive guy. He knew he was pretty average and it’s been years since he’s accepted that, but that didn’t diminish the feeling he always felt in his gut he got whenever someone complimented him. It didn’t matter if it was Mandy, Jasper, or Millie Jean, of all people, that twisting, almost-butterflies-in-your-stomach-like-feeling always returned. “I just never saw myself in that way.” He chuckled slowly into silence, finding an unexplained draw to Millie’s comforting gaze, resulting in a small curve of a smile to form on his face.

Millie Jean doesn’t know who initiated it first, all she knows is Nate’s soft lips on hers. Millie Jean hasn’t been kissed in a very long time, not since high school, and it caused butterflies to burst in her stomach.

The kiss also made something very, very apparent. Millie Jean drew away almost immediately, her face pinched and lips twisted. “Uh,” Millie Jean said intelligently. “That was…”

Something.

Bad. Not because of the kiss itself, the kiss was actually nice and if this had been any other situation Millie might have even commented on his technique. No, it has become apparent that she has almost zero feelings for Nate whatsoever and their kiss was akin to kissing a brother. Millie Jean coughed into her hand at the thought and pointedly looked away. She thinks she sees the lyft driver smirking in the rearview mirror.

Everything happened so fast that neither Millie nor Nate had time to really react. When she looked away, the echoes of her coughs going in one ear and out the other, Nate stared blankly at her, eyes repeatedly opening and closing, thoughts frozen as he tried to process what just happened. Did she like him? No, I don’t think… But then again, Nate had always been wrong about this sort of thing before. He didn’t think Mandy had feelings for him and they dated for almost a year until his move to Vermont forced them to break up. And even Jasper, in a weird way, could like him. Jury’s still out on that one.

But Millie...No, she never once told me she liked me. And the way she’s looking away.

“Mills, that was--” FInd your words, Nathaniel. Goddamn it, she’s like a sister to you. Talk to her, you idiot! “--Look at you going for your shots. You’re just full of surprises, Millie Jean!” Nate laughed, grinning at her. “I mean hell, you went in and it was a pretty good kiss, too!” Yeah, not like Nate had a lot of experience.

At first Millie wanted to climb into a hole and die out of embarrassment. She still does, in a way, but really the absurdity of what happened dawned on her. She kissed Nate, of all people. If anything, Millie will chalk it up to a momentary curiosity. Millie smiled and, then, started to laugh.

"You know what they say, shoot your shot." And then, in hopes she could make it clear there was nothing there, she added, "Even if it turns out you put the basketball in the wrong hoop. Or something. I'm not really sure how basketball works, if I'm being honest."

“You know more than I do.”

Nate let his laugh fade into a half-chuckle and he looked at Millie. There was definitely an awkward air that filled the backseat of the car. Nate didn’t know what to say next. He wasn’t sure if silence was the best course of action or if she wanted him to say something. As he thought about it some more, time escaped him and the Lyft driver stopped.

“We’re here!” He announced, looking back at the two.

Nate let his eyes fall at the Nectar Bar and Restaurant building. It was nice as far as bars went and he could tell tonight was a popular night for the business as groups of people were already making their way into it.

After a few moments of absentmindedly gazing upon the groups, Nate felt a sensation emanating from their Lyft driver. It took him an additional moment and he immediately unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. He rounded around the back of the car and opened Millie’s door, smiling at her as she got out. This was the least he could do to make up for not speaking up when he should’ve. At least, he was hoping this could be the start of things going back to normal.

Millie Jean was careful exiting the car, hands tightly fisting her dress to keep it from rising up. "Thanks, dude." She grinned, emphasizing 'dude' to cover up her awkwardness.

While getting out of the car, she jostled his shoulder with hers playfully in hopes he would understand there were no hard feelings — after all, it was an impulsive situation with no real meaning behind it. She was careful not to linger with physical contact, though, lest he get the wrong idea.

"Let's do this?" Millie said, shaking her limbs to hype herself up. This is the first time she's gone out dressed as such, it's only reasonable she feels nervous.

Nate nodded and shot her his usual cheerful grin. And next thing either of them knew it, they were inside Nectar’s growing crowd. Nate couldn’t help but notice how most of the tables close to the stage had already been claimed, which was perfectly acceptable. Truth be told, he wasn’t keen on the idea of sitting too close to the stage. He wanted to enjoy the show without having to be entertained to deaf. So when he spotted an unclaimed table right dead center in the middle, he knew that would be their spot. And another thing that make it deal was how close it was to the bar.

“Yeah, this’ll work!”

As they were seated, an attractive waitress with brown hair and hazel eyes came by their table and smiled at both of them. “Can I get you two anything?”

Nate nodded. “Yeah, a round of some apps would be great.” Nate had been to Nectar’s before so he already knew what he was going to order for him, Millie, and Dee. “Some chips and salsa. Oh and some chicken wings, too!” Nate hummed for a minute. “And make sure there’s enough for three people. A friend is going to be joining us soon.”

The waitress laughed. “Chips with salsa and wings it is.” She jotted it down on her notepad. “And what about to drink?”

“Just a pitcher of beer will do!”

As the cute waitress left, Nate settled into his seat and sent a text to dee. “Middle table. Can’t miss us. I’m wearing my nice shirt and Millie’s looking hella fine tonight!”

[Venus]

_{With Theodore, Madeléine, Shiloh and Connor}

---

---

As soon he got back to the Manor, Theo thought it was in his best interest to honestly kick back for a few and relax. It wasn’t that he had a tiring day. The chatter online came and went like a bad cold sore. He had just been out and about since morning in classes and walking to his next one and meeting up with some people clear across campus. It was all just very exhausting. And he had some time to kill before Shi and Connor, so that afforded him at least some downtime before he had to get his ass in gear.

He was in his room, laying on his bed, stripped down to a pair of boxers (sue him it was hot in his room), eyes closed but he was still very much awake. A few minutes or maybe close to ten minutes later, he heard a knock on his door. Rolling his eyes opened, he said in a flat tone, “Yeah?”

“Sorry to bother, sir, but I felt you should know that Master Bastien left just a short while ago,” Edgar formally told the redhead.

“I see.” Theo’s interest in where his brother was began and ended with how little his eyes were actually open. “Is that all?” Theo asked.

“Well, there might be another thing.”

Theo opened his eyes a little more, intrigued by the way the older man was leading. It wasn’t like Edgar to do this. Sure, Theo found him a bit annoying at times and always gave him hell -- well, not as much as Bas did -- but he always was upfront about almost everything he had to tell the triplets. It was, again, annoying, but Theo kind of liked that about Edgar. He appreciated that he didn’t try to hold anything back. So for him to be less than what Theo was used to, that stirred something inside that brought his curiosity to the surface.

Looking at Edgar with a raised brow, Theo said. “And what is it? What’s going on, Edgar?”

“I’M HEREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~!”

Even before he saw her, Theo shot Edgar a scathing glare. After I’m done with him, Bas will seem like an angel in comparison. Theo cleared out the ringing in his ears by sticking his pinky fingers in it, hoping the buzzing noise would cease.

The short figure of the youngest member of the Bonfamille family rushed into Theodore’s room and struck a pose. Dressed in her customary fluffy pink bathrobe, a matching headband and white bunny slippers, Madéleine was announcing her presence in the house in the only way she knew how: by being loud and dramatic. Without wasting any more time, she skipped towards her brother’s bed and wrapped him up in a tight hug.

“Teddy-Bear! Hiiiiiiii! I’ve missed you! How’ve you been?!” she asked him while pulling away, as if they’d been apart for more than the two weeks she’d been away. “I hope you’ve been nice to Edgar while I’ve been away!”

“Of course! I’ve been a perfect gentleman to hi--”

But of course, Edgar wasn’t just trying to inform Theo of his sister’s presence. It was meant to be a warning that his friends had arrived earlier than expected, and there was currently a second pink-hued hurricane whirling it’s way through the Bonfamille manor house. “Worry not, the party has arrived!!!” Shiloh called from down the hall as she made her way towards Edgar in what she knew to be Theodore’s bedroom doorway. “And she brought party favors.” Shi hinted at the illicit substance she may or may not have stashed in her clutch to ensure that they had a fun night out.

“Oh, Maddie, didn’t know you’d be here. Are you coming tonight? Either way, cute look, love the robe — OH MY GOD!” Shiloh’s appraisal of Madéleine’s comfy cozy outfit was cut short by the sight of Theo in his boxers lounging about. “THEODORE GUSTAVE WHY ARE YOU NAKED?!” Her hand flew up to shield her eyes and she groaned. “I’m never going to unsee this…”

Theo lifted up his blanket, revealing a pair of boxers. “As you can see, I’m not nak--” Before he could finish, his sister interjected, paying him no mind whatsoever, even furthering his already limited patience.

“Thank you, sweetie! And don’t even worry about my brother’s indecent choice in clothing- or lack of. You get used to it,” Maddie replied nonchalantly with a dismissive shrug. However, Shiloh’s presence brought up a question she hadn’t even thought about. With wide, panicked eyes, the girl blurted out: “Wait a minute… If Shi is here, then that means-”

“Wha’sup Theo.” The Blonde poked his head into the rather populated bedroom. His eyes swam from Edgar, to Theo, to Shiloh and then to Madéleine. “Some stuff you’re into, eh, Theo?” He joked before offering his greetings. “Hey Shi. Oh, and hey Madéleine, haven’t seen ya in a while.”

As much as she wanted to cry out or scream, the second Maddie’s blue eyes had landed on Connor Kennedy, her ability to speak had vanished into thin air. For the last two years, the Bonfamille daughter had harbored a crush on, of all people, her brother’s best friend. She had never acted on it, of course- more out of a lack of experience than any sort of fear about Theo finding out. But there were always little signs happening whenever they came into contact: a brighter smile here, a blush there, an extra few seconds exchanging looks, the sparkle in her eyes, the enthusiastic disposition… Whether Connor caught onto them was still in question, but it made Maddie feel better to at least try.

But in moments like these, when she was caught off guard with a bare face and in an embarrassing outfit, all the young woman wanted was for the earth to open up and swallow her whole.

Letting out a sigh, Theo figured there was no use hiding, so he whipped the blanket off of him and brought his legs off his bed. As he stretched, he felt his limbs release all of the tension inside them as they cracked. “You know, I wasn’t expecting you guys to be here so soon. I thought for sure I had another twenty minutes before.” He shrugged, knowing it was a moot point to dwell on the what ifs of the world. He centered on Mads, seeing she was acting awfully squierrily for some reason and then he noticed her slippers and immediately chuckled. “It’s a little early for Easter, don’t ya think?”

“What do you mean you weren’t — you sent the time to meetup in the group chat. Both Con and I showed up so clearly this is on you.” Shiloh rolled her eyes and shook her head at her friend. As his direction was turned to teasing his sister, Shi felt the need to swoop in and rescue the poor thing. She knew what a girl looked like when she was lovestruck, and Maddie was clearly smitten as a kitten, not that either of the y-chromosomal goobers in the room realized it. “Doesn’t matter, we’re all going out and having a good time tonight. Connor, can you help ginger minge find his clothes for the night? Good.” Shiloh asked and then confirmed with a smile before he even answered. “Maddie let’s go raid your closet and get you glammed, I gotchu, babe.”

“Yes Ma’am.” Connor joked, standing in mock salute. “Come on Theo, no one wants to see you in your birthday suit, dress up.” He leaned against the bedroom wall before continuing, “Also Madéleine are you alright? You’re looking red, you’re not sick are you?”

‘Sick with humiliation…’ the girl wanted to answer but didn't. Instead, she opted to nod. “I-I’m fine. I’ll be okay.” Maddie managed to croak out, giving Connor a shaky smile before turning to Shiloh. “Shall we get going, then? I have so many options to choose from that I can’t pick just one!”

“We shall!” Shi replied in a chipper tone and linked elbows with the bathrobe-clad Bonfamille to lead her away. Once they were thoroughly out of earshot, Shi began her work. “So…” She pried in an inquisitive way. “What kind of look are you thinking for tonight? Cute and coy… soft and sensual… or boldly in your face sex appeal?” Shi raised an eyebrow at the blonde as they approached her closet. “My advice is something close to the latter with how oblivious he is.” A knowing smirk punctuated her sentence.

Although it had been years since she’d told (well, more like was basically forced to admit to) Shiloh about her crush on Connor, it didn’t make talking about him any less embarrassing. The blush returned in full force, and Maddie’s eyes darted in every direction except Shi’s face. “I don’t know, honestly,” she admitted, taking a seat by the edge of her bed. “I’m not really sure what he’s into, and I don’t really think I’m even capable of presenting myself anywhere close to what anyone considers to be sexy. Cute? Yes. Elegant? Certainly. Girly? Absolutely. Sexy? Highly questionable.”

“No, no, no, no.” Shi replied with bell-like laughter as she took a seat on the fluffy blanket atop Maddie’s bed. “You don’t need to give a rat's ass what he’s into. Pick out something that you’re into, that’s where confidence comes from. And confidence is the sexiest thing, trust me, I’m a connoisseur of female sex appeal.” With a smirk she gestured for Maddie to select some options.

“Do you see the size of that closet?! I wouldn’t even know where to start!” Madéleine whined, letting out a deep sigh and letting herself dramatically fall backwards onto her mattress. She stared at the ceiling in silence for a few seconds before turning to Shiloh again. “You pick something out for me, Cupcake. Just get in there and come out with whatever you think will give me that sex appeal you keep talking about. I promise I’ll wear it, no questions or protests.”

“Ahh, feeling daring, are we?” Shiloh sprung to life, hopping down from the large king-size bed and sauntering over to the massive walk in closet. “Jesus, you weren’t kidding…” Shi mused from within the land of many fabrics… and shoes… and handbags. Thumbing through some sections, she made mental notes. “You know, you should showcase some of these, I feel like I’ve never seen you wear some of these at school. What do you think about modelling for me, we could do a photoshoot all around town — your favorite places. A day in the life of Madeleine Bonfamille.” Shi’s fingers found a particular dress that stood out from all of the frills and pink: a sleek snakeskin number that would no doubt show a healthy amount of leg. “Plus, you know who helps with my website’s programming, so he’d get a full show.” She smiled impishly and passed the girl the dress. “This one, for sure.”.

The girl lazily raised her hair high enough to peek at her friend's selection and immediately perked up. “Oh, I would love that!” Maddie replied excitedly, jumping up from the bed to grab the dress that Shiloh was offering her. She inspected the garment for a few seconds, trying to picture herself in the outfit. “Hmmmm… Well, it’s definitely different from what I’m used to wearing: that's for sure!” she laughed, pointing out her habit of wearing only pinks, neutrals and pastels. “But sure! I’ll try it out! I’ll need a coat or jacket to go along with it, though. You know how cold the nights can get around here.”

“Absolutely, I love a jacket-dress combo.” Shi replied, sporting her own leather jacket for the night. “Here, let’s get you glam. I can curl your hair while you do your makeup. My mom owns a beauty salon back in LA, so I learned young. With any luck we’ll be done before the boys start bitching.”

[spooner]

“Boys...” Mac muttered as she watched the broad back of her ‘date’ walk away. He had said something about going to Nectars with his buddies. So now there she stood with a half-drunk boba tea in her hands shaking with annoyance. What was wrong with him? First, he drags her out to confess his feelings for her… then he just leaves her to go hang with his swim pals?! “Pff…” Mac hissed as she threw the remainder of her drink in the trash. She turned on her heel and stomped in the direction of her apartment.

Her breath was still ragged with frustration as she turned the key in the lock. She flung the door open and rushed inside. She could hear the theme song of Lottie’s favorite tv show ‘My Sweet 16’ echoing out from Kiki’s room. She hovered outside wondering if she should join them, but then thought better of it. Who knew what she would find if she opened that room. Being alone with her thoughts was probably what Mac needed anyway. So instead she locked herself in her own room and flung herself on to her bed staring into nothing letting her mind race and swirl.

With a huff, she flew up from her bed and strode over to her desk flinging its drawer open rummaging around for a notebook and pencil. Sitting and pouting wasn’t her she was going to deal with this the way she had been thought to deal with her feeling through writing. A long time was spent tapping the lead point to the blank page. But soon enough she was scribbling away until she felt better and a poem had formed with lots of words crossed out around it.

On this backroad, that’s where I’ll stay.
Miles and miles away from him.
Bitter heartache fools and mistakes, we’ve been through it all tonight.
Clouds in the sky they won’t disperse.
From sharing it all to worlds apart.
Something is wrong and I don’t know what.
I’m on my knees and I can’t get up.

Reading and re-reading it over and over made her feel better but still, she felt a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach and she still didn’t know what.

[AlteredTundra]

After they quickly dressed up and Joey had effectively made Jade’s hair appear as though she was given the royal treatment at Vermont’s most expensive salon, the two hotter than hell women were out of their sorority house, heels clacking on the concrete pavement, almost in unison. The symphony of leather and wood repeated for several minutes until they came to the parking lot where a white 2020 Toyota Highlander waited for them.

WIth a smile, Joanna tugged on Jade’s arm, pulling her in through the backseat directly behind the driver’s seat. Joey’s silver dress dragged against the leather, hiking it up a few inches.

By the time they were seated, despite how much of her legs were showing and that she could tell their Uber was doing his best not to stare - though he was human and fell victim to his impulses - she didn’t necessarily mind. Joey never cared about people looking. She was comfortable in her own skin and felt a sense of pride by showing it off. If only she was as confident with her emotions.

Mind on the prize, Joey! You’re going to dance the night away with the hot piece next to you!

Her sudden reassurance caused her to look at Jade for a moment or two, their eyes lingering on each other. It would’ve been longer, but the car started to move and Joey faced forward, focusing on the city getting closer and closer.

The ride into town went by in a literal flash. Maybe it was Joey’s mind constantly fading in and out, entertaining thoughts that she shouldn’t have or it was the conversations she had with Jade and their Uber driver. Or maybe it was her habit of always having to keep talking, to keep her mind moving without it ever taking a break. Maybe it was a combo of everything or maybe it was none of those and right now, Joey’s mind was playing out scenarios in which the line that separated reality and fantasy started to blur.

“We’re here,” the older Uber driver announced, his voice not as enthusiastic as Joey’s immediate reaction was.

“Right on!” Joey exited the SUV and repeated her earlier reaction by pulling Jade out with her.

And as the car drove away and Joey’s entire mood going from hopeful and excited to be absolutely crushed, she couldn’t believe what she was reading on a sign that hung freely on the door of City Limits.

City Limits is closed for renovations. 

Expected to reopen on November 2nd, 2019

“What!?”

Joey repeated the same word slowly over and over again, walking closer to it as though everything in her was destroyed just by reading the limited amount of text on the sign. Who could blame her? After the disaster of a week she had and especially after all of the convincing she had to do to get Jade to agree and the time spent getting themselves dolled up, Joey wanted to make mistakes tonight. She wanted to dance with anyone and everyone. She needed this for a lot of reasons. She needed to feel good, to be complemented by people she barely knew. She needed to make out in the bathroom, to get free drinks. She probably needed it more than Jade did, because Jade had confidence in herself and Joey only pretended she did.

Yeah, she needed this because, without distractions, Joey was left with the anguish and hurt that came with being all alone inside. Outside? Of course, she had Jade and there was obviously a part of her that loved Jade, but it wasn’t enough to fill up the void left by Lottie. Definitely not enough…

“What are we going to do!” Joey finally spoke up again. She was on the verge of crying into the building. “We spent all that time for nothing.” Now here came the typical Joey Hart pouts. “I mean, fuck! I need to do something Jade! I can’t go back to the house knowing we got dolled up for no reason!”

[LovelyComplex]

_{@HaleyTheRandom & @TootsiePop Collab}
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Standing in front of the door, but not opening it, Junie ran her fingers through her long hair, straightening it and letting it cascade over her shoulders. Her hair was low maintenance and didn’t require much tending to. As a natural beauty, being polished and perfect was absolutely effortless for her.

Red hair was the Macmillan pride and joy. Her mother, her two sisters, and herself all had the most lush, the most fresh, and the most gorgeous red hair anyone could ask for. She and her twin learned from the best. They knew how to use their features, like their hair, to get what they want.

Without a hitch, Rosie and herself picked up the art of seducing. It was as easy as counting one, two, three. That inherited gift did not seem to run through their little sister’s, Rue’s, veins. She could be a late bird, or it could be that she was a virgin. Regardless of the circumstances, Junie knew she had a lot to teach her little sister, but for now, it was her time to shine.

Giggling, Mia gave her Big Sister a thumbs up, “You look sooooo good. You’re going to knock him dead, I promise. Oh!” The tiny blonde scurried to the vase on the side table, by the door, and took out the decorative, fake flowers. “Don’t worry about water, I’ll take care of it! Now, go get ‘em tiger. Meow.” Running away, she tossed the flowers on a lounge chair and hid in the next room.

Gingerly, Junie slightly opened the door. Leaving a small opening, not revealing her dress yet, she glanced up at him, curiously. “Look at you! Knowing what flowers I like,” she giggled, before teasingly adding, “What a stalker.” Seeing him in a suit, looking into those deep, blue eyes, and oh that fucking smile… it reminded her of the longing desire that she was subduing to teach him a lesson.

There was that static, that magnet trying to pull her in, but she would stubbornly fight it because this was her game, and she would call the shots. There was no need in risking everything. Even if she could devour him right here and right now, Junie had to give him a hard time. There was no other option. Leisurely, she fully opened the door, letting him have a good glance at her — going out of her way to give a little twirl and do an over the shoulder pose — before smirking, “Well? You like what you see?”

As Ty stood anxiously by the door, he could make out Junie and Mia’s voices - but not what they were saying.

While standing there, the flood of thoughts to remind him how bad he had already screwed things up came rushing back. He had done his best to contain them all week long and now the dam was breaking.

Absolutely horrible timing. Thank you, Mr. Brain.

At the end of the day, Ty was just glad that Junie had given him a second chance.

“You didn’t strike me as a basic rose kinda gal,” he replied, the corners of his mouth turning up ever so slightly. It took everything in him not to look at her like a piece of candy. Junie looked absolutely stunning. Her dress hugged all of the right curves, her makeup was just enough to enhance her natural beauty and the way her hair fell gracefully all the way down to ----

It would be her voice that would snap him back into reality.

“You look absolutely stunning tonight, Junie.” Once she had taken the flowers from him, Ty put his hands in his pockets. “I went ahead and ordered the Uber. I hope that’s okay?”

Not responding immediately, Junie went her merry way back inside to put the sunflowers in the vase on the side table. Once she made sure the assortment was to her liking, she turned on her heel, ready for their date. Closing the door behind her, she assuringly smiled, “Mia’s going to take care of the flowers for me.” Just so he knew that she wasn’t just going to leave them there to dry up and die.

Readdressing his compliment and his hesitant action of ordering an Uber, Junie, untroubled and at peace, gave a shrug of indifference, “It’s not like it’s hard to look this good, but thank you.” Grabbing his hand, leading him off the porch of her sorority house, where girls would undoubtedly be watching from the inside, she tenderly simpered, “Tonight’s your night to impress me. I won’t share my opinions until… later.”

Looking back, over her shoulder, she playfully winked at him. If there was one thing she adored in a man, it was him taking the initiative to do things, without having to ask. He already gained points for getting her sunflowers and telling her she was stunning. Yet, he was hesitating with calling an Uber. Silly boy. Maybe his research would do him good, maybe it won't. Only time could tell.

In time, he’ll know what she liked and what she didn’t like. For now, Junie chose to play it coy, not giving too much away, while leaving him on his toes. Stopping on the sidewalk, she turned to face him, intertwining both of their hands together, obviously showing him that she was okay with being affectionate (it was all part of the game), “So…. there’s alcohol where you’re taking me? Seeing how you're not driving.” Curiosity lit up in her eyes wanting to know exactly where they were going, but holding herself back from asking.

Junie's body language, tone, and overall mood told Ty that tonight was going to be a challenge. A challenge he was up for, but a challenge he had no idea how it would end up. Fortunately for both Junie and himself, Ty was determined to make this a good night. He had spent all week deciding what her favorite things were: music, food, drinks, flowers - her favorite *shampoo* for crying out loud. If tonight didn’t go good, Ty would bet money that he would go home to spend time with his good friend Jack.

Nonetheless, Tiberius Delemar was willing to give tonight a go with his best effort.

As Junie put her hands in his, Ty held them with a firm, yet affectionate and gentle grip. Looking down into her eyes (even with her heels, Junie was still a few inches shorter than him) Ty half smiled. Tonight was about excitement, and excitement required surprise.

“Mmm…. I may or may not have had the staff chill a bottle of wine for us. All you need to know is that we’ll be right on time for our reservation, and that the reviews for the place are spectacular.”

When the Uber arrived, Ty opened the door to let Junie climb inside before him. Entering the vehicle himself, Ty was sure to ask the driver a very important question. ”You did get my text with the address for the restaurant, correct?”

The driver - a scrawny young man - looked back in the review at Ty before answering with a simple “Yes sir.”

Somewhat reassured that they would make it to their destination, Ty relaxed back into the seat.

Once they both were situated, Junie leaned up against Ty, intentionally letting him feel the warmth of her body. After resting her clutch on her lap, she patiently examined her nails. Smirking, she listened to him talk to the driver. When he finished she casually asked, with a mischievous tone, “How was your week?”

"Hectic," he said, sighing. "I'm pretty sure you already know I've been asking everyone everything there is to know about you. So between classes and that… But it was fun, I mean. Sort of like scavenger hunting for clues about you."

“Like I said before, Ty...” Junie snickered, grinning up at him, her eyes lit with intrigue, “What a stalker.”

[Sugar and Spite]

_{@HaleyTheRandom & @TootsiePop Collab}
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The car ride turned out to be more of a drag than she would’ve wanted. While Diana loved Jasper dearly, the woman was asking too many questions. Why was it so important to know what her type was? Just do eeny, meeny, miny, moe. She didn’t care and honestly, sometimes she wondered if she was just not that into anyone. No one intrigued her enough.

Sure, Diana had dated in the past but she did it because she wanted to give it a try, not necessarily because she was into the person. Eh, whatever. She’ll go with it and enjoy the ride. Copping out, Dee decided to subtly quote a famous pop song to describe her ‘type’, “Uh, I guess… I like it when they take control, even if they don’t know they do.”

Absentmindedly, she tapped her finger to the music playing. Sheepishly smiling, as if this was so embarrassing to share - but really, hearing herself she sounded dumb, Dee continued to half-quote the song, “A tough guy, who likes it really rough!” Pause. “...if you know what I mean.”

With a groan, Jasper flopped her head against the seat. Why was Dee always so reluctant to ever try her hand in the romance department? More importantly, why did Jasper constantly insist on trying to set her up with someone no matter how many times it failed?

Because she cared. That’s why.

No matter how many times the boys turned out to be total fucking dumbasses, Jasper still held on to hope that she would play a part in finding Mr. Right for Dee. Deep, deep down, she secretly hoped that maybe one day both she and Dee could do one of those weird double date things with one another. Above all, Jasper just wanted her friend to be happy. Music was the only thing that Jasper had ever truly seen Dee light up over. The key to finding Dee love was to find someone for her that would make her feel the same things music did.

“Are you seriously quoting fucking Billie Eilish?”

Damn. Caught red-handed. “Okay, so I don’t have a type. Sue me.” Diana sighed in exasperation. No matter how many times Jasper tried to set her up, it never worked in the way she hoped for. “Why are you so caught up with finding someone for me anyways? We both know even if I find someone, it won’t last more than two weeks.” A record for her honestly. “It’s not like you care for romance either, or you’d have a guy wrapped around your finger by now.” After throwing mild shade, with mischief in her eyes, Dee teasingly nudged her good friend, “Let’s just have fun tonight. Who cares if we take someone home or not.”

Jasper pursed her lips, listening to her friend speak. Dee had a point, but Jasper’s determination was stronger than any rhyme or reason. If Dee was ever serious about Jasper stopping her efforts to find love for her, then Jasper would stop. But until then…..

"Fine, fine. But can I still flirt my way into free drinks?"

“I wouldn’t dare take that pleasure away from you.” Dee smirked, while glancing down at a text from Nate. Fantastic. They got a table and ordered appetizers. Just what Dee was hoping for (and expecting). “Even if we both could easily afford whatever we want,” she teasingly shook her head. While she didn’t mind free things, she also knew she was fortunate in comparison to most kids in this town. If anything, Jasper and her were royalty, coming from more money, prestige, and power than Meadow’s underclassmen could fathom.

When the car came to a full stop, in front of Nectar’s, Dee did a-very-gentleman-thing-to-do. Exiting first, she made sure to hustle to Jasper’s door and open it for her, “M’lady.” They were both legacies after all and it only made sense if she escorted her friend better than any hook up she’s ever had.

Dee’s gesture managed to put a small smile on Jasper's face as she exited the vehicle. Going right along with her friend's antics, Jasper did a small curtsey in return. “Why thank you, My Knight.” A silly thing to say, it did hold some truth. Dee had been there to save Jasper more times than she could count.

As they made their way into the bar - Jasper holding the door for Dee this time - the dark haired girl scanned the crowd, looking for familiar faces. She could spot Fiona setting up on stage. Bastien and Nolan at the bar, and the rest of the football team huddling in the corner looking like their usual no brained selves. Surprised that there was already a decent crowd inside, Jasper shrugged her shoulders and turned to Dee. “I’ll let you choose the table this time.”

When Dee noticed Fiona, her eye twitched momentarily in annoyance. Why didn’t she text her saying she’d be performing tonight? Whatever. Bringing her focus back on Jasper, she hooked her arm on her hawt friend, well she was dressed like her this lovely night, and directed her to the center of Nectar’s, not too far from the bar, “Oh, that won’t be necessary” Pulling up next to Millie Jean, and across from Nate so he could get a good view of them both, having no recollection of the drama that transpired earlier this week, Diana grinned at her friend, “I already made a reservation.”

Bringing her attention to the other two, she unceremoniously tossed her clutch on the table, “Do you all know each other or am I going to have to do the whole introduction thing?”

“Fucking really, Diana?” It wasn’t every day that you had the opportunity to hear Jasper use her friend's real name. She usually reserved it for when she was especially angry at her better half, and now was one of those times. Lips curled, the young woman smiled at the blonde through gritted teeth as the waiter walked over.

“Can I get you guys anything?” she asked.

“Vodka, please. Leave the bottle.” Turning to glance at Millie as her facial expression soured, Jasper handed the waitress her card. “Looks like I’m going to be needing it.”

[Venus]

_{An Alaric Sterling @Otterpop & Lola Russo @Venus Collab
With Special Guest: Mia @TootsiePop}
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"Oh, shit. I'm gonna be late."

Alaric had been so preoccupied with getting his room into a state that was somewhat normal that he'd completely forgotten about his date with Lola, at least until he looked at his phone and saw a text from Parker.

Make sure to use protection!

He began to scramble around his room, tossing things here and there as he searched for something that wouldn't make him look like a complete idiot. Lola didn't seem like the kind girl that should be kept waiting-- in fact she didn't seem like the kind of girl who'd even think about going out with a guy like him. But now wasn't the time to think about that, he needed to try and impress this sorority girl with some leather and a good time.

In the end he settled on an outfit that he just threw together, ran some light gel through his messy hair until it looked decent and decided that it was good enough. At least he wasn't going looking like a homeless junkie, he thought he looked pretty damn good in fact.

Alaric swiped the keys to his baby and rushed out the door. Luckily Lola's sorority house was popular and easy to get to, but by the time he pulled up in front of the massive building it was 9:15. He couldn't panic though, no no no. He needed to play it cool and chill, the last thing he wanted was to have this bombshell think he wasn’t worth her time….if she didn't think that already. After a small internal pep talk Alaric walked up to the door, knocking on it several times and waiting.

Scurrying to the stairs, Mia held onto the railing and loudly whispered to her other Sister, who was in her bedroom, “He’s finally here!” Since she was the doorkeeper, she knew what she needed to do. Marching to the door, making him wait longer than Ty, she stared at it for a good sixty seconds before creeping it open and looking at him with a sickening sweet smile, “Hello stranger! How can I help you?” Playing it dumb was her thing and because of his tardiness Mia had to give him a hard time.

Was it supposed to take this long? He always thought the empty-headed girls were like door watchers or something and assumed that one of them would open it quickly. After what felt like forever a little blonde girl opened the door, her smile was freaking him out. It was almost too….nice? Was that even possible? In his experience sorority girls were pretty damn scary. ”Alaric, I’m here to pick up Lola. Is she ready?” He asked, his voice steady and confident. Parker always said these girls were like lions and would pounce on weakness, he couldn’t show any sign that he was actually nervous as hell.

“I don’t know!” Mia brightly chirped, before leaning in and narrowing her eyes, “Are you ready?”

Alaric started at the small girl, blinking a few times as he tried to process exactly what she meant with that question, he knew damn well it had another meaning somewhere in there. He put a little smirk on his face as he spoke, he had an idea that would make Parker the proudest dad friend ever. He leaned in towards the small blonde and spoke softly so that only she could hear what he said, ”If you mean ready to hear her scream my name, then yes.” He leaned back and set one hand on his hip. ”But also ready to get some drinks, so tell me, is she ready?”

Not breaking her poker face, but internally gushing, Mia laughed in his face (think high pitched, sounds almost like a stripper giggle). What a daring boy. A man slut. Confident enough in making his lovers’ scream. Lola was indeed a thirsty freak. Maybe, just maybe, she could learn to like him. “Like I said, I don’t know! Why don’t you ask her yourself?” Throwing the door open, the tiny blonde revealed her intimidating Sister, standing close enough where he could see her in all her hotness, but not close enough where the door would’ve hit her in the face. “I’ll leave you to it. Ta ta for now!” And with that, Mia skipped away to the kitchen, humming.

Upon first impressions, Lola Russo admitted to finding herself pleasantly surprised with what she was seeing. It wasn't often that she was proven wrong, but Alaric was definitely doing a good job of it so far. From the way his hair sat atop his head in a nice blend of messy and styled, to his fantastic choice of outfit with generous amounts of black and leather, the young man was exuding the confidence and sex appeal Lola looked for in her guys. Unluckily for him, his good looks didn't take away from the fact that he'd committed one of the biggest sins a guy could do when dealing with her. Unfortunately for him, the blonde wasn't going to just let his lateness slide- even if he was looking like tonight's midnight snack.

"You're feeling awfully confident for someone who's kept me waiting for the last- " she checked her phone's watch quickly before turning her hard hazel stare back to her date's face with a haughty expression. " -seventeen minutes without notice."

He wanted to cringe so bad but stopped himself from doing so, he couldn’t believe he actually said that with her almost in earshot. But that thought quickly vanished as he looked his blonde date up and down, eyes widening at her bold choice of outfit. It was sheer as hell, her decision to not wear a bra and wear a tiny little thong obvious. He was surprised that she was so comfortable wearing something like that in public, though he had to admit that if she was trying to make him see her it was definitely working. The poor boy had to steady himself internally, if he somehow failed to impress her he knew Parker would kill him.

After a mental reboot Alaric leaned against the door frame, “I’m confident because I know I can make up for it.” He grinned as she raised her eyebrows and smirked back at him, those grey eyes of his once again running up and down her body.

"I guess we'll see about that, won't we?" she shot back, that challenging tone quite clear on her voice. There was no denying the way Alaric had stared Lola up and down more than once. And frankly, it filled the young woman's heart with a sense of pride to know that her thirst trap was getting the results she wanted.

"Now tell me Princess, you ever ride on something like this?” He asked and gestured to the sleek black motorcycle that waited on the curb, two helmets resting on the handle bars. He could easily drive a car but chose not to, his baby was much more fun and thrilling than some giant hunk of metal.

"You know what? I can't say that I have," the blonde admitted with a smile that hid how nervous the sight of the bike made her. It was true. Although she had worked with motorcycles for photo shoots during her career, she had always been reserved about the idea of actually riding them. Sure: the motorcycle certainly gave Alaric more brownie points on the cool scale. Call her paranoid if you will, but Lola's worry about suffering any sort of disfiguring or incapacitating injury went far beyond whatever curiosity she might have.

This was a perfect opportunity then, even though Lola didn’t seem like the type to be into leather and chains any girl thought a dude with a motorcycle was cool….as long as he didn’t look like a biker demon from hell. With a small chuckle Alaric led her to the bike and handed her one of the helmets, “Well that’s something I can easily fix. Now, hop on, Princess. If we don’t hurry all the good booths are gonna be taken and I really don’t think sitting next to the bathrooms is date-worthy.” he said with a cheeky little grin.

[NeoAJ]

_{A @Venus & @NeoAJ Collaboration
Featuring Charlotte Diedrikson & Kieran O’Connor}
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“Oh Daddy! I love it! This is the best gift ever!”

If Kieran had to hear another teenager squeal like that, he was going to lose his mind. Yes, these shows were getting Lottie through a very rough time, and yes, she had a little bit of a breakthrough earlier tonight, but was it worth this? Watching stuck-up Sara with two r’s affirm that her stepfather’s attempts to buy her love were successful as she drank diamonds out of a glass? Maybe Kieran was losing the plot a little bit. Still, there had to be something else they could do with their time.

But what could get Lottie out of bed and out into the Vermont night for the first time in a week? He looked to his girlfriend, the yakisoba container having been banished to the end table for the moment. Typically on a date, this would be when the dessert comes, but it was fall, and that meant no sweets for the hockey player. Sugar makes him slow. However, there were options around for sure…

“Hey Ace,” he started. “Want to go out and grab some dessert? There’s an ice cream place around the block from here and they do a great frozen yogurt. You can even get toppings if you want.”

The suggestion of going out to get her most favorite dessert in the world caused Lottie's head to perk up from her place in Kieran's lap. "FroYo, you say?" she asked him, with a hint of her old sparkle in her eyes.

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “It’s pretty good! Plus you know how I am about my sugar during the season, so it’s perfect for both of us.”

Lottie didn’t have to be told twice. Before Kieran could realize it, the young woman was sprinting up from the bed and quickly going through the motions of getting ready. In less than ten minutes, the girl had changed her stained pajamas for something more suitable, brushed and styled her hair into a ponytail, spritzed on some body splash, slipped on some shoes and declared herself ready.

“I’m doneeeeeee~!” she announced, standing in front of Kiki with her hands on her hips.

Kieran stood in the doorway, content to go gallivanting to the promised ice cream place in just his t-shirt and shorts. It wasn’t like he had to get too made up for this trek. But still, it was nice to see Lottie out of her pyjamas for a change. That was a win itself.

“Looking good, Lottie. All right, let’s go get some treats,” he offered as he held his keys and the door for the lady.

It didn’t take too long to arrive at La Cremerie. As Kieran said, it was literally around the corner from the building, which made it all too tempting in the offseason. The pretentious name was a little bit of a put off. Kiki didn’t put up with too much French in Newfoundland, he didn’t need to put up with it in Vermont. Even if the state’s name was French. It knew it was operating for the college clientele though, with it’s late hours and some offerings that would only appeal to someone who had enjoyed a fair amount of marijuana.

“All right. You’ve got a whole menu you can choose from, and it’s on me, so don’t hold back. Make sure you get everything you want.”

“Yay!” Lottie cheered, excitedly clapping her hands together before taking the cozy little shop by store. One minute she was choosing the açai yogurt flavor from the machine, the next she was adding on a plethora of items from the toppings bar, and in record time she was at the cash register eagerly waiting for Kieran to get the bill of her yogurt mountain. “C’mon, Kiki! Why are you taking so long? We’ve been here enough times for you to know what to pick by now!”

Kieran did know what he was getting. In fact, it was pretty straight forward at this point. His in-season dish was a cup of sugar-free vanilla frozen yogurt, with some bananas and blueberries on top for natural flavor. It didn’t take him long to create such a simple concoction, but watching Lottie come through with all her favorite fixings on top of the purplish dairy treat made him just a little bit jealous that he couldn’t fully indulge as well. The nutella in particular was looking tasty atop that dish. He had to hold himself back from returning to the topping bar and adding it on. But no, he had a regimen to stick to.

“Well, I had to see what was left!” he joked as he came up to the cash register where a tired-looking freshman appeared to be working. “Plus I’m hoping the smell of the nutella will be enough to sustain me.” The number on the cash register didn’t matter at the moment, even if it was definitely the price of a couple meals at the hall. A quick tap of the debit card he produced from his wallet was enough to seal the deal. “All right, do you want to eat here? Or back at the apartment?”

Charlotte’s answer was immediate. “Definitely here! I think I’m ready to admit I’ve been cooped up in the apartment for too long,” she said with a laugh, grabbing her yogurt mountain cup from the counter and making a beeline straight for one of the tables next to the window, where they could watch those coming and going around them.

The Canadian smiled in agreement as he followed the American girl to their selected seats, pausing only to grab a couple spoons and some napkins, just in case. “Yeah, that’s a good call. Gotta be some good people watching on a Friday night, eh? A slight burp escaped his lips as the smell of garlic caught him flush in the face. He couldn’t hide his displeasure. Ugh. Didn’t realize the shawarma smelled that bad. Hopefully the froyo will cover up that rancid fishfest in my mouth.

The short blonde giggled. “I told you that thing you were eating smelled,” she chortled, taking one of the empty seats of their selected table. “Now you know I wasn’t picky or crazy.”

As he plunked himself down opposite his girlfriend, he had to ask, “So what are you calling that there creation of yours, Lottie?”

Lottie’s smile widened. “This right here is called the Açai Everest,” she proudly declared, dramatically gesturing towards her yogurt mountain. “It’s an açai flavored yogurt with granola bites, almonds, nutella, coconut flakes, honey, bananas and strawberries. The perfect blend of healthy and unhealthy,” she said with a laugh. “And what do you call that less than exciting creation of yours, Viking? Basic Bitch Hill?” the girl teased.

Kieran shrugged and offered a small chuckle as he stuck his spoon into his desert. “Laugh all you want. You know what I would be eating right now if I could there, Munchkin.” He took a huge mouthful of the desert hoping to mask the offending smell. “Nah, this is just a Carb-free Pancake. My mom used to put blueberries and bananas in them all the time, and then she would load it up with whipped cream. I’d have maple syrup on here if I could, but you know my rules.”

“Oh my God, that’s actually really freaking sweet,” Charlotte cooed, taking a bite of her own frozen concoction. “Now I feel kinda bad for making fun of it!”

As Kieran let the fruit and cream dance on his tongue for a second before swallowing, he smiled. “I know, eh? Sorry for being such a softie, but it’s the little things like that that make it feel like the family isn’t 1,000 miles away, you know. ‘Course the bananas taste better, too. By the time they make the shops in Harbour Grace, they are halfway to rotten. It’s why mom had to mash them into the pancakes themselves.” He realized he was probably talking too much. “See, this is the kind of boring mushy stuff you’re going to learn about me being around so much. Hope I don’t destroy the image of the big tough punchy guy you know and love.”

“Hell no! If anything, it makes you a lot more endearing,” she admitted with a giggle and a wink. It was the little things like that that made a person interesting, and Lottie loved to hear the stories about how her favorite people came to be who they were. Now, however, she felt like she needed to compensate Kieran with a fun fact of her own. “I’ll tell you something curious about me: although I don’t look like it, I’m actually a big fan of lacrosse.”

That got an eyebrow raise out of Kieran. “Really? I didn’t know they had lacrosse down in Florida. You sure you aren’t secretly Canadian?” He smiled as a few more blueberries found his lips.

Charlotte could only laugh at his assumption. “You’d be surprised. In my corner of Palm Beach, lacrosse is tied with football when it comes to the most popular boys’ sport-- especially for my family: the Wallenbergs and the Diedriksons,” she told him in between spoonfuls of yogurt. “It’s sort of a family tradition that all the boys in my family play lacrosse at some point. My grandfather was the captain of our lacrosse team back in the day, and so were my daddy and his cousin Max. Naturally, that means that my brother Richie is expected to ‘carry on the Diedrikson/Wallenberg lacrosse legacy’- especially since my oldest cousin Teddy quit before he could make it to captain. I’m glad I’m not in his shoes. That’s a hell of a lot of success to live up to.”

“Huh,” Kieran said nodding as he continued to dig into his dessert. “Didn’t realize it was that serious. Funny enough, lacrosse has like no traction on the Rock. It’s basically hockey or nothing. Course, I was the first in my family to be good enough to actually stick with hockey past junior level. All the other males in the family headed out on the boats. Kinda glad I get to avoid that too. I think you’d make a lot more money in tennis than in lacrosse, eh? And besides, can’t imagine you taking a cross-check into the boards. I mean, no offense, Munchkin.”

“None taken! Although I did pick up a few things from the boys here and there when I watch them. I tried to get them to let me play whenever they practiced in the backyard, but they insisted it was too risky. And after seeing how rough they got with each other, I can’t say I blame them,” she chortled at the memory, picturing the many times the tall, broad boys of the family had to wrestle the short, fiery blonde away from their makeshift field and to a safe distance in order to prevent her from potentially getting hurt. It made her heart ache with nostalgia and homesickness. “I kind of miss it now, you know? The electricity in the air during the games, the family pizza parties afterwards whenever they won the smaller games, the house parties whenever they won the big championships, the smile on my daddy’s face whenever he watches his boys play… It’s those kinds of things the ones you truly remember when it all comes down to it.”

As Kieran listened to Charlotte describe the emotions and the atmosphere of those lacrosse games, he couldn’t help but feel the ache himself, pulling him back home to when the entire town would gather at the rink for tournament days and in the fall the arena chill would be contrasted with the smell of fried fish outside. “Guess it’s kinda funny, eh? How similar things can be even on entirely different ends of the continent. Really makes you appreciate life and everything. Especially how two people can just come together in the blink of an eye and just start really getting in tune with each other.”

Another spoonful of fruit found Kieran’s mouth as he pondered just how lucky he really was with how everything was breaking down. Funny that at the Bash going steady was the last thing on his mind, but now? Now it made a lot of sense. Certainly with this one. He looked into Lottie’s hazel eyes and couldn’t help but smile. “Course, if you were secretly Canadian, that would explain a lot. Why I can’t take my eyes off you even when you have Nutella on your face, for one thing.”

“I do?” Lottie inquired with a frown, dropping the spoon on her now-empty yogurt cup and wiping away at any potential Nutella stains around her mouth. After she was sure her face was clean, she turned back to Kieran. “Is it gone? Did I get all of it?” she asked him, leaning over the table and closer to the young man so he could have a better view of any remaining traces of chocolate.

The Canuck leaned forward, as if to gaze upon the visage before him and discern any tell-tale signs of hazelnut goodness lingering on her face. “Let’s see here… Ah, I think I can see where you missed a spot. One sec…” He pushed forward over the table and placed a quick kiss on Lottie’s lips. He couldn’t taste any chocolate, but he figured this was sweeter anyway. He pulled back and eyed up Charlotte’s face once more. “Yeah, I think we’re good. That was the last of it.”

The blonde couldn’t help but smile and shake her head in disbelief. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I?” she playfully asked her companion. It had been a while since the last time she and Kieran had done anything other than hug and cuddle-- the breakup had left her with no other desire than to wallow in her own misery.

But now, as her soft, sparkling brown eyes stared into his with nothing but pure affection, Charlotte felt as if maybe- just maybe- she could start to move on and build something new. And who better with than the one person who had been in her corner all along?

Before she knew it, Lottie was once again leaning forward, cupping Kieran’s face and pressing her lips to his, pulling him into a sweet, deep kiss.

Now he could taste the chocolate. It was just how Kiki remembered it.

It was like Charlotte had suddenly reignited, taking what she wanted when she wanted. Kieran was glad it was him. Being able to feel those hands upon his face again, those soft, unyielding hands that were a force with a racket in them, yet were so gentle now. That passion she had in everything she did. The passion that had been missing since she left Joey. It was there now, and it was electric.

Kieran didn’t want the kiss to end, but end it must. As the couple broke the liplock, Kieran’s big blue eyes didn’t want to let Lottie out of his sight. “Not so sure I walked into that one, but I definitely don’t mind it at all,” he confirmed. “I missed that, Lottie.”

“I missed it, too,” Lottie admitted, her lips and cheeks slightly tinged with red and not tearing her own eyes away from Kieran. She was quiet for a few seconds, seemingly taking in every feature of the young man’s handsome face: his messy blond hair, his strong jaw, his thin lips, his blue eyes… “I think I’m ready to head back now. There’s something else I feel like doing right now.”

Kieran raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Of course, sweet,” he said as he scooped up the two empty bowls in front of them. “Whatever the lady desires, she shall have.” He quickly disposed of the remains of their treat in the garbage bin and walked back to where Lottie now stood. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“I’m definitely ready now,” she answered softly, looking up at Kieran with a smile as she closed the distance between them and locked both her hands with his. “Let’s go back home.”

[AlteredTundra]

_{A @metanoia & @Inertia Collaboration Post
Featuring Theo & Connor}
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

“I have no earthly idea what just happened there.”

And boy was he trying to figure it out or what? Processing the entire scene from Edgar being uncharacteristically vague in notifying him who was on their way to Gamer Girl and Chappy the Rabbit pretty much taking over what he assumed was going to be a semi-gentle back and forth between him and his friends. It didn’t even dawn on him that it would lead to his sister being invited along for the ride. it wasn’t like he had any problems with tha, but Theo just wasn’t exactly prepared for it.

And it showed.

By now, Theo had found a pair of gray shorts to put on so he was at least halfway decent for Connor’s sake. He knew that the blond probably didn’t want to see the implication of Theo’s southern shadow, or at least, he didn’t want to run the risk of mortifying Shiloh again with his above-average body. So he opted to minimally clothe himself.

“I’ll tell you this, Con,” Theo started, walking over to his closet, picking out a pink buttoned-up shirt and a pair of dark slacks. “When I texted you guys, I wasn’t expecting my sister to be home.” He slipped off the shorts and put the jeans on. As he was halfway with putting the shirt on, he continued, “She had flown the coop after the bash for some pageant thing in Madrid.” Theo walked over to his dresser and grabbed a brown leather belt and a wristwatch. “And now that she’s back and Bas is out, I’mma have to babysit her ass.” Theo knew he was venting and he felt guilty for all of three seconds. “But I guess I do owe her. I kind of ditched her at the bash, didn’t I?”

It didn’t occur to him until his eyes met Connor’s that he had been venting his mild frustrations for a solid three minutes straight and a slow laugh escaped through his lips and he smiled. “Sorry. I guess the suddenness of it all still hasn’t clicked,” he admitted, fitting the belt through the loops on his pants.

“It’s alright.” The blond replied nonchalantly. He didn’t mind it at all, in fact, he liked to listen to rants and people’s trouble in general. It was oddly relaxing seeing someone pour out their hearts to him. “Ah, jetlagged huh? Maybe that’s why she looked off.”

Connor had idly sauntered over to a free laptop on Theo’s desk and mindlessly scrolled through a few Instagram posts. Selfies, food photos, group shots, nothing new from university students. He usually sifted through Instagram more to see if anything popped up rather than for fun or pleasure.

“That said, why so mean to your sister, eh?” He continued abruptly as he got up and stretched.

“One of the few benefits of being the oldest,” he admitted proudly, cocking a sly smirk.

“If I was you I’d spoil her, she’s cute as a button.”

“She’s already spoiled. Anymore and it’ll go straight to her watermelon-sized head.” A laugh left his lips, though part of his mind remained curious about Connor’s comment and why he decided to specifically say that.

Connor let out a laugh at his reply. “Well, someone’s gotta lookout for the younger siblings.” The ginger offered nothing but a questionable glance towards his friend as his reply.“Ah, you know Anderson, my programming professor?” He changed the subject as his mind snapped back to his professor’s words. “Said some interesting things about the, ahem, Bash.”

“What’cha mean?” Theo asked, grateful for the swift change in subjects.

“Get this, Anderson thinks it was someone from our year that spilled the beans on the Bash.” Connor gesticulated as he spoke. “No freakin’ way, right?”

“One of us? Impossible!” Theo immediately tossed out believing that ridiculous idea, but then again. “I think Anderson’s been relying too heavily on those whiskey sours. Clearly he’s talking nonsense.” Or maybe Theo was too close-minded. Either way, even considering this had a lot of implications - such as a traitor passing as one of their own. Just thinking about it was filling him with red.

“Said the same thing, but after thinking about it, it very well could happen.” Connor replied. “Our years has been in some nasty stuff these past few years.”

“How well do we really know them?” He said. “But that’s just delving into conspiracy theory bullshit.”

It wasn’t like Theo was trying to dismiss Connor’s theory. If it was a fact, then the implication that would set, that someone from their year leaked the bash, Theo would make use of his ability to throw a punch. If it was actually someone who he shared a class with or might’ve seen at a party or even in the courtyard, a friendly wave wasn’t going to come their way but rather a closed fist aimed for their jaw. But then again, this was all a matter of what he said. There was no proof - just the drunken ramblings of an above average professor that Connor was close with.

Connor frowned, he recognized that face; the ‘punch first ask questions later’ face. ”On the off-chance that it does happen, diplomacy first, T.”

“I’m not sure if it holds any weight yet, but--” Theo smiled at Connor, walking up to him and patting his friend’s shoulder. “--it’s certainly a different angle than anyone I know has considered. For now, though, I’m more worried about keeping Mads out of trouble.” His face filled up with a weary energy he always had whenever he had to look after her.

”Such big bro energy, I like it.” Connor let out a big grin, teasing Theo. He tried his best to stifle a chuckle. ”Well, alright, but you know me. When I get a hint of something like this, I sure as hell will chase it.”

”Enough of that though.” He wore a slight look of concern on his face, Theo’s week must’ve been hell after the news broke out. ”How are you holding up this start of the sem?”

“You mean aside from bitch-ass professors living up to their rep?” He chuckled and then shrugged. “It’s no worse or better than the last two years have been. They’re just doing their job, so I won’t be the problem student by making their lives difficult regardless of recent events.”

”More on the student side of things.” Connor said.
”I noticed you pretty much wiped your social media presence, which, to be honest, is pretty smart.”

Theo grabbed his phone from his bed and pocketed it inside his left jean pocket. “If you were getting as many notifications as I was, you’d deactivate everything too.” When he was near his nightstand, Theo grabbed his keys, too. “The break has been nice but boredom might demand I reactivate soon.” The weakness was real.

”If I was as popular as you, heh, probably.” Connor patted his jeans to check if he still had his essentials; keys, wallet, phone. ”Well if nothing’s new, let’s call the girls and go.”

“Yeah.”

Theo found it wasn’t long after he and Connor had finally left his room and gathered their better halves that they had been waiting for them, which either spoke to how annoyed they were or how much more their patience increased. He could stand there and entertain the idea they were probably gossiping about him and Connor, but he quickly arrived at the conclusion it would result in more headaches than he’d care to have, so that notion was dropped in favor of leaving for Nectar.

In contrast to his usual style and because the backseat of his truck wasn’t equipped for Shiloh and Maddie’s big personalities - if it could barely fit mine, no way it could handle two thirds of triplets and Gamer Girl. So they took the white SUV that was regularly used by Edgar. Seeing as how he had the house to himself, Theo knew the older man would probably listen to some classical music or have a glass of scotch.

As they arrived at Nectar’s, the sight of the crowd lingering around the entrance made Theo visibly grimaced but he sucked it up, lest he get a few comments from the peanut gallery. Time played a factor and eventually they were inside.

Nectar had always been a popular spot. With cheap drinks, cheaper food, and a decent karaoke set, it was the ideal location for a relaxing night out with the squad.

Or for Theo, a relaxing night out to be a babysitter.

Gotta stop doing that to yourself. At least pretend you’re going to have a good time.

“Go find us a table. I’ll grab a pitcher,” Theo told the group, parting ways with them for a few minutes.

He had to struggle his way through the crowd of his rowdy third years that centered around the bar, but eventually with a little luck and having the superior strength, Theo managed to force his way to it. He let out a relieved breath and smiled at the bartender. She was a few years older than he was and radiated with a weary, exhausted expression like someone who didn’t care for whatever one-liner Theo might’ve had brewing, like she heard them all and just wanted to know what he wanted.

That was Ivanka for you. She never took any shit and Theo admired her for that.

“The usual, Ivy. A pitcher of tap and four tall glasses”

She knew Theo well and knew that whenever he arrived, his band of troublemakers weren’t far behind. “Four? So you’ve recruited yet another fool?” She was guessing, making small talk as the sound of beer started to hit the empty pitcher.

Wrong,” he stated as a matter-of-factly, “Maddie is with us. So I’m babysitting.” His tone was anything but enthusiastic.

Ivy curled up a smile. “Seems like all three Bonfamilles are here. What a treat for us.” Her tone was flat and she handed Theo the pitcher and glasses. “That’ll be $8.33.”

He whipped out his debit card. “Just keep this and charge it whenever we come up for more. I’m sure we’re going to be seeing more of each other tonight.”

Both looked at each other as they were equally as unexcited for that.

Either way, Theo returned to the table, spotting the three close to the karaoke set and he set the pitcher down, spreading the four glasses out near where they had sat. As the one who paid for it, Theo did the decent act of pouring them each a tall glass. “Here’s to, uh, I guess having a good time?” Theo raised his glass, clanking it with the others’. He was never the one who did the best toasts. Bastien was always the elegant one. “Yeah, I don’t know.” Theo shrugged and took a sip of the foamy beer. At least something good was near his mouth.

[Boreas]

_{ʙᴏʙᴀ ʟᴜsᴛ ↣ ɴᴇᴄᴛᴀʀ's}

》》》》》

Leaving the boba spot, and more importantly, Mac, had taken all of his willpower, but he figured smothering her with his presence wasn’t the way to go. Especially not after dropping the emo-bomb on her randomly after a week of avoiding her and well a year of making things difficult for her. To say the least, he was elated to have gotten the text from Dana, she always never missed a beat when it came to cockblock o’clock.

To: Virgin-chan
Sounds like you miss me, you can really be kawaii when you try. ;) 
throw away all that bloodlust and I might promote you to kami-san.

Cassian’s fingers hit the blue arrow and he pocketed his phone before remembering the real reason he was texting Dana. The bullying had distracted him and he had a strong craving for Ramen.

To: Virgin-chan
Oh yeah, it’s ramen time loser. Meet me at the Nectar? 
I'm pretty sure Bas is going on tonight and I can't let my baby think I don't support him.

With that Cassian’s fingers linger on the screen hovering over a conversation… It wouldn’t be weird would it? His fingers type a quick message up and the screen goes black as it’s slipped back into the pocket of his dark jeans.

》》》》》

The Nectar was packed, most of the tables filled with people, and while he spotted a few familiar faces there was no sight of Dana. No problem, he could socialize.. or attempt to.

The boisterous table of football players caught his attention first, with their captain, and one of the few people he actually liked sitting at the head of the table. During his approach he spotted the peculiar sight of a dry and dressed up Millie Jean who also seemed to be taking in the sight of his not-so-dressed up appearance. Cassian noticed her date, and shot a raised eyebrow look as he motioned between them and ultimately delivered his verdict with a thumbs up. Wouldn’t have been his choice of men, but the only man that had his heart was the loner he had yet to spot sitting by himself near the stage.

“Ah, they must let anyone into this place! Come to start another brawl Cassian?”

The surly guy was harmless in his tone raising his tooo full cup and sloshing the amber liquid everywhere as Cassian rolled his eyes in response. Sometimes he questioned Nolan’s taste in company, Can’t choose your teammates I guess.

“Can you tell your teammates not to harass me? I’m sensitive.” Cassian donned his rich boy smirk™ and clapped a friendly hand onto Nolan’s shoulder, “You sure it’s a good idea to fuel the rowdy boys right after I got us all into deep shit? They might expel us next time.

To: Mac
 
Did you get home alright? 
Thanks for hearing me out, sorry if it was a lot.

[Plank Sinatra]

---

Kawaii? Kami-san? Ima nante?

Dana read the texts over again, only vaguely aware of a warm breeze blowing against her face. That was odd - August it may have been, but it was still a cool Vermont night, and it had been temperate enough when she had left her dorm. Hell, it had even been a little bit chilly when she left the arcade. Even if not exactly unseasonable, it was still uncharacteristic of the weather to change on a dime like this in Meadow View...

...Kami-san...

Cheeks flushed from the breeze, lips scrunched together in a confused, mistrustful pout, Dana heard rather than felt the long, grumpy noise leave the back of her throat. It sounded like a begrudged kitten.

"Nnnnrgh."

At least she knew that Cassi was for certain headed to Nectar's; she hadn't really wanted to go to the Red Room tonight, anyway. She would sit through some awkward talk about Mac, but knowing Cassian, he'd be just as likely to deflect and focus on the open mic. Perhaps if she was lucky she could even coax him into going on after Bastíen, which would be an amazing chance at retribution for his slug-like ways. Even if he attempted to play the reverse card and send her up to the mic, her cult at home did not call Dana-chan the Queen of Keihanshin for nothing; she would show them all the meaning of karaoke if it came to that. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that, though. Hopefully she could just talk, and maybe sing, and definitely laugh at Cassi...and not have to worry about anything stupider than he was...

Kawaii...who the fuck does he think I am?

"Nnnnnrrrrrrrrrrgh..."

---

“Ah, they must let anyone into this place! Come to start another brawl Cassian?”

"Brawl?"

This is why socializing was important. A hikikomori would never have the chance to go outside and wander headfirst into the beginnings of a fucking brawl. Only those who chose to grab the outside life by the horns were lucky enough to pick fights wherever they went. She, the bravest of all humans, would always take the latter option.

Dana strode confidently into Nectar's, hands leaving the treacherous looking pockets of her jacket to clap Cassian on his broad shoulders, mirroring his grip on Nolan. An impish grin unfurled across one side of the cheeky Japanese girl's mouth, yet even though the prospect clearly energized her she kept her words to a characteristic minimum.

"Cassichin, you're starting a brawl for me?"

Oi, oi, she must have really shot down his fucking ass.

Her fingers squeezed his collar knowingly.

[AlteredTundra]

Not more than five minutes after the sizzling hot apps arrived did Nate spot Dee approach their table. At first, he smiled big, waving over to her. It would be difficult for her to spot him since Nate had the benefit of long, lanky arms. That paired with a recognizable forehead and a hairline unique to him and him alone, allowed Dee to follow his gesture.

And, the second Dee had stepped to the side, a smile beaming with confidence and relief soon withdrew itself somewhat into a tight unease smile, yet not as trembling as one might expect. He was on a euphoric high, though granted the awkwardness of the kiss with Millie Jean left a lot to be desired for. Still, nothing could have prepared him for seeing Jasper. It was a surprise and Nate was still trying to figure out if he liked not knowing or if he wished Dee gave him a heads up.

Yeah, she probably didn’t tell me so she could see the look on both of our faces.

Whichever was the case, it’s not like the wound of the video was fresh and Nate promised Mandy that he wouldn’t think about it anymore. He promised her that, despite everything, he’ll have fun tonight.

Yeah, easier said than done.

After the waitress took Jasper’s order, Nate waved at Jasper. “You two look nice.” NIce? No, they look hot. But, of course, there was no way Nate could say that right off the bat, right? Right? “Did you guys find the way here alright?” Nate asked, mentally kicking himself in the groin. “I mean, obviously you did cause you’re here and not stranded somewhere in town.” His nervous laughter awkwardly transitioned into him focusing on the chips and salsa, snacking on a few of them in hopes that what just happened might fade off like a bad dream.

[spooner]

After a while of scrolling on his phone, Bastíen was brought back to reality by the smattering of applause as Fiona finished her set. He clapped along softly as the girl unplugged and packed up her stuff. Darla came over to him and almost dragged him by the arm.

“Hey! Watch the Armani” Bas scoffed as he stumbled along after her towards the back of the stage. He watched as Darla tried to smooth her increasingly frizzy hair and walk out on to the small stage. The dark-haired young man crossed his arms in front of his chest and let out a low sigh. What was this? Nerves? A foreign concept for Bastíen Bonfamille, but he had never performed his own material in front of people before. He shook his head to clear his mind just as Darla started to speak to the audience.

“Hey everyone! Slight change of plans… never a calm open mic night at Nectar’s right?!” she let out a small nervous laugh before continuing “Anyway the next performer was kind enough to jump in.” she looked back at Bas with a smile. “None other than MU’s own Bastén Bonfamille” Darla gestured to the side of the stage where Bas stood as she walked of clapping her hands. The audience followed suit as Bas walked out, he could hear some of his fraternity brothers whooping louder than the other patrons. He smiled at them giving them a nod and a smirk.

As the commotion died down Bastíen sat down slowly in front of the piano that stood in the middle of the stage. Calmly he brought his hands together cracking each finger carefully as he steadied his breath.

Almost as to shock the onlookers, Bas started suddenly started to slam the keys letting out a more rock sounding piece than anyone would be used to hear him play. Of course, that’s the result of being a concert pianist. But something that shocked the audience, even more, was when Bastíen leaned in towards the microphone and started to sing. You could almost hear the ripple of gasps and whispers going through the crowd. No one had ever heard him sing before. As he continued to sing the song he had been working on for a long time it dawned on him how easy it was to perform it since it was about one of his favorite people in the world… his brother.

“Cuts and bruises bestowed as a child still bleeds you every day…” Bastíen’s voice echoed out through the speakers. He knew that Theo had it the hardest out of his siblings and Bas had always been able to see that it bugged his brother more than he would let on.

“I see your pain drains you whole like a leech… just biding your time.” still, he knew his brother would do anything for him and Madéline. But Bas was still worried that Theo would leave as soon as he could escape their parent’s rule right after graduation.

His blue eyes looked up for the first time and he spotted his brother and sister with their friends. A wide smile spread across his face as he made eye contact with his brother, hopefully, he would appreciate the song choice.

“Let me share your load, even just for a while, time will heal even scars closer to heart. Better days up ahead rest assured, let’s just ride this one out.” this song was an ode to their bond as siblings, letting Theo know that he would always stand behind him, whatever stupid thing he would do.

“Can’t imagine all the things you’ve endured, it’s time to try a different route. Let me share your load, even just for a while, time will heal even scars closer to heart.” He could feel the sweat dripping from his face as he continued to play more forcefully than he usually does. He looked up again surveying the crowd, locking eyes with Nolan sitting at his table of jocks watching him intently, he shot the football player a charming wink before continuing.

“What to do when these words fail to reach, your walls are too high for me to climb” he let the last line linger as he played the last notes of his song. His breath was heavy as the silence turned into applause. Bas stood up quickly and gave the crowd a small bow and exited the stage the same way he came in.

[Melissa]

Nolan placed the two pitchers on the table and the huddled group of football players vocalized their excitement. Within seconds, like the savages they were, the cups were already passed around and the beer began to freely flow. The dark haired boy was smart to have taken a cup for himself before the madness began- the pitchers were empty before he could even blink. One of his teammates piped up as he drank.

“What did Bonfamille want?” Drew asked curiously. Nolan shrugged, taking a sip of his beer.

“Ah, um...nothing. Just was keeping busy as I waited, is all.” The wide receiver quickly explained, dismissing the question almost entirely and deferring to the conversation going on at the table.

As Nolan thought more about it, he didn’t understand why he had decided to be so unforthcoming about his conversation with Bastíen. He could have easily just said that they were catching up or chatting, and that would have been a perfectly fine and acceptable answer, but for some reason he had decided to play it off as even less than that around his friends. The boy had hesitated and deflected, and that spoke volumes about the internal debate he had going on with himself.

Nolan had been questioning his sexuality for a while. What started as a conversation in high school with a friend turned into a larger ongoing narrative in his head that he was afraid to face truthfully. Throughout college, Nolan had only been with women- whether that was because he was attracted to them or he was not being honest with himself, he wasn’t sure. But this past summer, he met someone that he was attracted to who wasn’t a woman and confirmed something that he had always known, but didn’t exactly have the courage to pursue.

For now, he kept it to himself- even if he had a few notions, there was still a big fat question mark surrounding the boy’s preferences, and he had yet to identify his sexual preferences. He didn’t need anyone knowing that just yet, especially his teammates, so he masqueraded and evaded most questions, even if they didn't relate to his romantic or sexual affairs. He was wary; afraid that the smallest misstep would reveal his inner thoughts and feelings.

Wrapped up in his debacle, Nolan didn’t notice that Cassian had walked up to the table until he heard his teammate ridicule him. He hadn’t seen his friend since the incident, but he definitely exchanged some choice words with him afterwards over text to make sure his adverse feelings about it were known. Snapping out of his daze and rolling his eyes at the boy’s remark about his sensitivity, he quickly quieted his teammates from further misery. “Lay off guys, I’ve already given him enough shit for it.” Nolan’s teammates did as they were told, returning to their boisterous banter, and he turned back to Cassian, as well as Dana who had appeared beside him.

“I wish you had been sensitive last weekend- I would have paid to see you cry like a wuss when Theo decked you.” He chuckled to himself. In response to Cassian’s comment about his teammates, he sighed. “Eh, they’re fine. We had a rough practice, we all needed a night out. Coach would have their asses if they pulled anything. Regardless, if someone starts up, we can just throw Dana’s jacket at them and pierce them in the eye. Problem solved.”

It was then that the boy’s attention was taken from his friends and pulled to the stage, where Darla was announcing the next act. He shouldn’t have been surprised that Bas was performing, but as soon as he opened his mouth to sing, Nolan couldn’t take his eyes away from the piano. As the song progressed, something about the lyrics spoke to him- he couldn’t put his finger on what it was about them, but the feeling with which Bas played the keys and sang resonated deeply with the football player. He didn’t know that the musician could be so poignant and emotive- hell, it was shocking to see that he had feelings, knowing how bored and passive he could be at times.

Nolan caught Bas’ gaze, and as the boy winked at him, his face grew warm. He tried not to draw attention and warily glanced around to see if anyone had noticed the silent interaction- it seemed that his friends were too busy chatting to care. As the song ended, and Bas disappeared off the stage, the football player chugged the rest of his drink in an attempt to distract himself. “I’m going to get another,” Nolan didn’t wait for anyone’s response as he quickly stood up and made his way back over to the bar, wanting to take a shot of anything to stop himself from feeling.

[Boreas]

_{ɴᴇᴄᴛᴀʀ's}

》》》》》

Cassian felt at ease among his friends, and despite their usual bullying, he offered them a sincere smile. Rolling Dana’s hands from neck with a upward motion of his shoulders he lopped an arm around her neck and drug his into him, rubbing the knuckle of his finger lightly against the crown of her head, “Oi, Dana you sure showed up fast, did the nickname upgrade add a little spring to your step?” Cassian’s smile formed into the usual smirk, his hold quickly relaxing around Dana thanks to her spikes.

“You might see me cry tonight if you keep it up.” Cassian countered Nolan’s snark with a exaggerated pout and opened his mouth to say more but swiftly shut it as Nolan brought up his own hellish practice. So it seemed they all had something to pay for because of the fight, “Seems like the trend for all of us athletes, then. I’d say sorry, but I think you should take your grievances up with Lola Russo.” His gaze turned back to Dana and he assessed the jacket she wore with Nolan’s grand suggestion in mind, nodding his head approvingly.

”You heard the man, if hell breaks loose you’ll be our secret weapon. Wouldn’t that be romantic, swinging you around in my arms to knock some heads in, Kami-san” Cassian teases pursing his lips at Dana like he’s asking for a cheeky peck.

The sound Darla’s voice through the microphone put an end to his friendly affections. The introduction was quick enough and soon the completed melody of a song Cassian had only heard pieces of rang about in the intimate room. There was a tranquil expression on the usually arrogant or cold appearing man as he watched his friend perform. The song offered a rare opportunity of reflection, hearing and practically feeling how close Bastien was to his family, stirring a nostalgic feeling in his chest of his own childhood in Australia. The muscles in his jaw contracted, protruding against the skin, but that served as the only reaction to Bas’ performance as it carried on.

Cassian barely registered Nolan’s quick escape to the bar as the set came to a gentle end. Blinking out of the trance Cassian pulled his arm from around Dana’s shoulder and joined in on the applause, saving the “whooping and hollering” for a performance that wasn’t so emotionally charged.

“Who knew he had a heart?" -sniffle-

[Grimoire Gaming]

♪♫♪♫

To be totally honest, a bar like Nectar’s wasn’t Shiloh’s ideal party spot, but there weren’t many better options locally. While Vermont as a whole is a pretty liberal state, Meadow View in particular tended to be more… traditional (most likely due to the Ivy League presence) and it therefore was not very rich in LGBTQ+ spaces. Seriously, not a single gay club to be found. Regardless, Shiloh was a proud, powerful lesbian with the blood of rockstars in her veins and she could bring the party to almost any venue — including a karaoke bar with it’s highlighting feature being buy one get one appetizers. Shiloh Clay could make Nectar’s work for her purposes, she’d beaten way harder levels than this before, and maybe, just maybe, this time the princess wouldn’t be in another damned castle.

“That’s thoughtful, Theo,” She responded to her bestie as he returned to Connor, Maddie, and herself with a pitcher of beer and four glasses. “But you know beer makes me feel bloated. I’m on a strict diet of clear liquids and powders tonight.” Vodka, tequila, gin… so many options! “Speaking of…” The pink-haired temptress fished around in her clutch and discreetly pulled out a baggie of colorful pills stamped with alien heads, hearts, stars, and various other emoji-like shapes. “Party favors, anyone?”

Shiloh offered a cheshire cat grin when Maddie showed interest. She might be a college girl now, but she was still every bit as much of a bad influence on her friends now as she was in high school. “Ooh, you’re gonna love it, Mads. It makes you free and bold and ready to be touched. Touching feels like magic.” Shiloh had already taken a dose for herself before offering up some to the others. Once her benevolent deed was done, she bowed to bid them farewell. “Theo, since you aren’t partaking, I trust you will keep me from doing something too stupid, like getting on that stage and doing my best impression of Hayley Williams.” She stared off in thought for a moment, “Actually, that might work for me. Whatever. Watch my back, I’m gonna go try to find a girlfriend.” Hopefully one that lasts for more than one bi-curious night this time, but who knows, old habits die hard.

The ecstasy in her system began to work it’s magic relatively quickly. Her tolerance was high, but her frame was small so it didn’t take too much or too long to get lifted. Shiloh watched as the warm lighting of the bar blurred and began to dance like stars in her eyes. Letting the music take her, she spun around the dancefloor chasing those stars. Everything was moving to the beat and the lovely notes of a songbird. Shiloh’s gaze broke from her amphetamine-induced astronomical studies long enough to take in the pretty bird, a girl whose name she didn’t catch but whose face she recognized from school. The songbird wore a crop top and jeans, which bared a smooth flat tummy that practically begged for body shots… and licking.

Shi giggled at her own dirty thoughts before making her way to the bar for some liquid courage. She didn’t need any extra boldness, but it was still fun to partake, and maybe it would help her learn the songbird’s name later. “A shot of Patrón, please. Actually, make it a double. Saves us both a trip.” Shi requested of the bartender with a smile. Glancing back out to the intimately crowded bar, she tried to blink away the stars as she waited for her drink. A few blinks confirmed that it wasn’t the drugs, something shiny had actually caught the lights. Tiny bits of metal reflecting like a disco ball. Squinting, Shi took in a cute asian girl wearing… a spiked red leather jacket?

Was she hallucinating?! Nah, this was X, not acid.

Shiloh glanced down at her own jacket and then back at the mystery girl. She was talking to Cassian Lee, but it didn’t look entirely friendly. Definitely not flirty, well, probably not. You could never tell with that one. The bartender returned with the tall shot glass of tequila as Shiloh pondered. “Oh, thanks.” Back to staring. Okay… so was she just punk… or gay… or both? Both was pretty common, she was both herself, after all. “Well, only one way to find out.” Shi said aloud before downing the shot, placing the glass upside down on the bar, and strutting towards the girl with the jacket.