Aewin

SoS: Semblance of Suburbia

<Snipped quote by Roosan>

The tempting worked - I'll be tweaking René's CS to work with it, and post the updated version for you to review.

@MiddleEarthRoze

Welcome to the family

SoS: Semblance of Suburbia

LOCATION – Mathur Residence
INTERACTION – Each other

The deafening silence found in the Mathur residence was broken by the harsh, quick tapping of fingers against a keyboard, the keys clicking whilst light eyes stared down at the laptop screen with determination. "A little more and then..." Her voice grew quieter until...

"DONE!"

Sanaya tossed the old laptop from her lap to the seat beside her as she jumped up, her arms stretching above her as if she were grasping at something on the ceiling. The girl then groaned as something in her neck clicked, before she slouched over with her hand now rubbing along her forehead. The usually quiet girl surprised the other resident in the Mathur household, the second head peeking from the kitchen to look at the younger with tired eyes.

"I told you I didn't need the list until tomorrow, was it really necessary for you to stay up all night to complete it?" Naina leaned against the door frame, her hips pressed against the wood as her long fingers curled around the steaming cup of coffee. Sanaya peered at her sister from over her shoulder with a shrug before taking the laptop from the sofa and tucking it under her arm carefully.

"Why leave something till the last minute? I had free time so I decided to get it finished early." The shorter girl walked around the sofa, her slippers echoing in the large living room as she padded over towards her sister. "You weren't home again." It wasn't a question. Sanaya barely looked at Naina before passing by her into the kitchen.

"Work." The answer was quick, and something Sanaya expected. It was the same answer she'd get every time she'd probe at her older sister's whereabouts the previous night. At first, Sanaya believed it. But that was before she started helping Naina with the bookstore. Now? She wasn't quite sure anymore. Sanaya poured herself some coffee before turning around to face Naina, her back leaning against the counter.

"What sort of work?" There was a moment of hesitation from Naina, the younger noticed, before Naina let out an airy laugh.

"Isn't it too early for this many questions?" Naina countered, but Sanaya shrugged again. "I need to pay the bills for this gigantic house somehow. Is it really that hard to believe that I'll work a little extra?"

"It's... you... so yeah." Naina clicked her tongue, one hand letting go of the cup as she waved it in Sanaya's direction.

"It's like you don't trust me. It hurts yakno',"

"Oh, really?" Sanaya raised her eyebrows before taking a sip. "Good, gives me more to work with."

"You're cruel. Remind me to never introduce you to Rohit." Sanaya's lips quirked up at the mention of the old man's name. He was the first to cast Naina as the lead in his movie, known to be very... quirky... with his demands in his quest for perfection. He would accept nothing less than the very best, aiming to best even his own blockbusters with newer releases. From what Sanaya had heard of the old man, he was cranky and rarely complimented Naina – though the latter knew that Mr Sharma meant no harm with his words, only to motivate with tough love. Naina gave an exaggerated eye-roll before laughing, Sanaya joining moments later. It was the same routine; each time Sanaya would question Naina, she would doge until she'd dissipate the tension with a joke or ridiculous statement.

"What's your plan for the evening?" Once the laughter had died down to silence once more, Naina asked the question. Though there wasn't really much to ask; Naina knew her sister very well – well enough to know that Sanaya had no plans to leave the house.

"Nothing, why?"

Knew it.

"Oh come on, I don't see you hanging around with anyone other than our neighbour's girl sometimes. Shouldn't I be lecturing you about being more responsible instead of the other way around?" Sunaina picked up the invitation that had slid in through the mailbox barely an hour ago and offered it to Sanaya.

"I'm fine with having just one friend. Too many people... bring me anxiety." Sanaya set the mug on the counter beside the laptop she'd placed upon arrival before reaching out to grab the invite. Inside was a fancy sheet filled with details about the auction coming up that night. Her light eyes scanned the letters before looking up at her sister. "Are you really thinking about shelling out $75 each to view some art we probably can't afford?"

"We're not that poor, plus it won't harm us to attend. C'mon, it's for a good cause." Naina sang that last part, as if it was going to convince the younger girl.

"You can go if you want, I don't think I'd be up for it."

"What if I make it your homework?"

"I'm not a child, why can't you just go on your own?"

Sanaya's response made Naina pout, the older woman leaning on her elbows on the counter in front of Sanaya. "I don't wanna deal with everyone on my own. Please? Just for one night." Sanaya sighed as Naina pouted once more, her sister's hands clasping together (after setting her own mug on the counter) to plead her. It was a pitiful sight, but Sanaya groaned before setting down the invitation beside her. "Alright fine, just- just stop doing that. Begging doesn't suit you."

Naina's face lit up before she grinned and pointed at her sister. "This is why you're the best sister. Thanks, I owe you!" With that, Naina moved from the counter, tiredly stretching her arms over her head before letting out a yawn, mumbling something about a nap as she disappeared from the kitchen.

Sanaya didn't bother to point out that she was her only sister, instead huffing. How bad could it really be?

SoS: Semblance of Suburbia

@Silent Observer@Universorum Last charrie :)

Estella Rostow

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.:| Est | Fifty-four | Married | Heterosexual | Female |:.

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At first glance, you wouldn't really expect Estella to be a day over fourty. Some say that she's had surgery, others say she won the genetic lottery - but the secret behind Estella's still somewhat youthful appearance remains the secret to everyone but her. With the help of flattering make-up and with the right diet, Estella obsessvely ensures that she always looks the best. Her full, light pink lips are always curled into a smile, whether faked or real depends on the person the smile is directed at. Her eyes show a warmth that, after you talk to her longer than ten minutes, you realise is nothing but feigned charm.

Estella ensures that not only her looks are at it's best, but also the style of clothes she wears. When out and about, Estella wears only the best. Her wardrobe is filled with designer labels, including that of her husband's, and she makes sure that she's never seen in the same outfit twice. Even when lounging at home, whilst she's a little more relaxed, Estella has to look good.

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Looking back at Estella's childhood, it's almost a given that she was going to end up as such a person. Stubborn, blunt and with an ego bigger than anything one has ever witnessed, it's a surprise to see Estella still 'happily' to this day. Being raised with a princess complex has made Estella a very impatient woman. When she demands something, she wants it now and any minute she has to wait any longer is a minute she'll spend lecturing you about the importance of keeping track of time.

There is nothing more important to Estella than her own happiness. She's selfish and she knows it. And the thing that keeps her the most happy is when she's in the spotlight - whether as a model or anything where she's the most important person in the room. Hell, she doesn't even care if the attention is bad, just give it all to her.

However, Estella knows that she is growing older and its getting harder to catch any jobs for her despite her status in the fashion industry as Aron Rostow's wife, and she's hoping that maybe one day she'll be able to retire from the modelling world to spend some time with her husband and adopted child and maybe find happiness elsewhere. But for now? She'll try to leech as much attention from the media as possible.

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Estella McKinley was born the youngest child, the first daughter, in a family of six. With three sons already there to claim their share in the McKinley & Sons law firm, little Estella was left with nothing but the love of her parents. Not that Estella minded one bit: she couldn't give a single crap about law, but she still had her parents wrapped around her little finger. They were unable to refuse any of their darling princess's demands, and would often work hard to ensure that Estella grew up to face no hardships at all.

And one of Estella's last requests before leaving her grand home in London? An even grander home in America where she can follow her ambitions - to be the most talked about person in all of the western world. Forced to start small, Estella scowled at the thought of being lumped with the newbies in the beginning of her career - often calling up her father to force him to pull any strings he could to get her pushed higher up the career ladder.

There was no such thing as hard work in Estella's dictionary; not when she could simply call her father for help. It was difficult, but with her father's contacts it was doable for the first year or so. It took only a year for the girl to slowly climb the ranks, to feel that importance she craved and she loved it. Sure, she still had a long way to go before she was a supermodel, but at least she was a somebody in a world filled with nobodies.

It was during her climb to the top where she met Aron Rostow, another nobody with big dreams. But Estella could see the determination, the potential in the foreign man from which she decided to give a little nudge in the right direction. Estella was sure that if this guy made it big, it would benefit her just as much. It was a slow task, but it eventually paid off. Rostow eventually began running his own fashion label, one where Estella was proudly modelling for as well as his own magazine.

Estella never realised when, but soon her relationship with Aron grew from partners to something a little more. The romantic relationship gave her opportunities that were once locked, and soon she settled down with Aron to secure her place in the fashion industry as an important somebody. Aron was a good man, and part of Estella did fall in love with the man - but the selfish part loved herself just a little more...

Which is why Estella lied to Aron. She claimed she was barren, that she was unable to carry his child only to protect her body from becoming unattractive. The small part that was in love with Aron felt bad, the man was accepting and it caused her to feel guilty the longer they were married. Eventually though, the two ended up adopting their child to fill that empty space left in their little family- a child that Estella spoils just as much as her parents spoiled her.

Now with Aron retired from the game, Estella has been struggling to find those jobs she'd loved so much all those years before. It didn't help she was growing older in a world that demanded the youthful perfection only others could provide. She tried everything else to remain important: taking up roles in acting (something she still does from time to time), trying out singing (eventually realising she wasn't exactly talented in that job then quitting) and even trying her hand at creating her own label.

With the realisation dawning that she wasn't important anymore, Estella now grows more bitter. With their move to Lakewood, Estella wonders whether she'll be able to be a good wife and mother for her family, as well as come to accept that the public simply doesn't care about her anymore. It'll be hard, but maybe...

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Inherited some of her money, but likes to think that she's still relevant enough to be in the media and public's eye by either being a part of the fashion industry, or taking up small roles in TV shows. Nothing glamorous, but if it makes her feel important then she'll do it.

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Fitness freak | To keep herself fit and perfect, Estella follows a strict dieting and fitness routine to ensure that her body... well... never shows the sign of ageing.

Spa trips | If you ever wish to find Estella, it'll always be at the country club. When she's not busy in the gym, she can be found relaxing in the spa with her weekly downtime.

Book club | I mean, why not? What better way is there to waste time other than getting wasted for fun? Drinking is the only unhealthy thing Estella will do.

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Aron Rostow – Husband – At first, Estella thought their relationship was the best way for her to walk the path of fame, but over the years of their marriage it's safe to say that Estella has grown to love her husband.
(Adopted child) – relationship – TBD
Shutzy – Pet – No matter how endearing, Estella will forever keep her distance from the mutt, cautious of allergies.

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SoS: Semblance of Suburbia

@Roosan Hey, still looking for that spouse? Should I PM you?

Divided We Stand

@Legion02 Anya: Maybe it's a villain thing to have two birthdays. One birthday for the actual birth, and the other for the villain traits.

...Anya will be sad if she has to buy birthday gifts twice, money is short yo XD

Divided We Stand

And that was when she'd heard whispers - something about a party to probably celebrate a birthday - I mean, why else would someone spend so much money to host a party if it weren't for a birthday?

new edited post

Okay so last night during the collab I cocked things up a little and was under the impression that it was Gia's birthday party
^{this is why I shouldn't try reading too much, my itty brain gets confused}

SO, I edited the collab post just a bit to explain why Anya thinks it's Gia's birthday plus I really need her to get super confused on the actual day of Gia's party like--

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S HER BIRTHDAY?? HOW DOES ONE HAVE TWO BIRTHDAYS??"

Divided We Stand

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Location: Delirium Entrance → Delirium Bar
Interacting with: Eachother_@Legion02
Teasing → Happy → Devious → Genuinely interested → Unconcerned
Neutral → Anxious → Surprised → Drunk
_{Anya's Outfit}

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Who even was this guy? Entering the office with a swagger and a sharp tongue caused Ananya to frown in her seat. Was this the way he showed respect to his elders? She nodded at Cecilia, thankful to have a chance to think about her participation in the tournament - of course Ananya already knew she was going to join, but who to pick as her first opponents was a challenge on it's own. Maybe that really disrespectful manchild that would insist making it harder for Mrs Lovelace to inform the newer participants of their upcoming tasks.

She needed something, anything that would help her decide. Especially with the sudden influx of Delphina students from the fire (yeah, she'd heard about that once she arrived in her dorm room) to explain the new faces, she didn't want to just stick with battling against Mayweather students. Why not use this as an opportunity to see where she's slacking in her training - and what better way to test this out than fighting villains?

And that was when she'd heard whispers - something about a party to probably celebrate a birthday - I mean, why else would someone spend so much money to host a party if it weren't for a birthday? That anonymous Facebook account that posted the details on the Mayweather group was definitely helpful. She didn't know what exactly the person meant by returning the favour, but she could only assume she missed out a lot that past two months between the two sets of students.

Let's change that, shall we?

Ananya took the challenge. And so here she was; alone in New York in front of Delirium night club, shivering and cursing her choice of wear in the cold night. The line was long and filled with obviously underaged teenagers -not that she was any different: she was still a year younger than what the bar owners wanted, according to what she'd read up online - but still better than that seventeen year old boy with wide eyes and a hopeful look on his face. But that raises different problems: how the hell was she supposed to get inside herself?!

“Is she with you, sir?” It was Jimmy. Not Nico, who was still holding the door for Lucas. He looked at the bouncer confused until the big man gave a nod towards a strange girl. She had a hint of Indian in her face, but didn’t look full blood to him. The poor girl seemed to be a little confused as she looked around in the line. She’d get in soon enough with her beauty alone. Even though Lucas judged her to be still shy of 21. Usually Lucas would have left her outside, not caring for who she was. But there was something mystical about her, as if there was more about her that met the eye. Well, it was a night of not knowing what to happen and to take all the chances, so why not take a leap of fate?

He cut through the line like a man revered. People moved aside for his self-confident stare, but even more because most had seen him both talk to the bouncers like friends do and scare away the first in the line. He quickly arrived at Ananya and asked: “Now tell me, what does a beautiful lady like you do all alone in a line for Delirium?” His tone was a mixture of arrogance, inquiry and just a bit genuine. Enough to blunt any sarcastic edge.

When Ananya looked away from the line of underaged boys towards the voice that spoke, she was surprised to see that it was the same guy that scared the living crap outta the other kid -- Leopold something. Now, she was nowhere near close enough to figure out what was said between the two, but she knew it was enough to send that kid and his buddies running in fear of him. That was more than enough to cause her to be guarded against the arrogant man.

"I heard there was a party for Gia, if you know her?" She tried sounding as if she knew the villain well enough to have any sort of business at a club filled with villains she'd never even heard of - let alone met.

Lucas was surprised for a second. Was she Delphina, Mayweather or an outsider? He hadn’t seen her ever in his life and the school had started for some time now, so Mayweather or Delphina seemed impossible. Gianna certainly knew a lot of people, but she wasn’t invited. If she was, she’d also know that she could cut the line and enter with the mere mention of that name here. So here was a girl that knew of the name Gia, but not good enough to know what power that name held in a place like here. She was also alone, in New York City. Not the safest of places to wander alone. So she was definitely an outsider. But not one that knew Gianna well enough.

“Oh yeah. I know Gia. Very good friend actually. You got an invite too?” he prodded, checking if she knew more. Gia rarely sent actual invitations. You just knew when things would go down in Delirium and you showed up. Making plans for a place like this was impossible to do. But Lucas wanted to test if the strange girl knew that. If she did, then she’d visit Delirium before when Gianna was here. If she didn’t, then she learned about Gianna’s existence somewhere else. What the senior getting internet famous now too?

Oh that was not good. Out of all the people she could run into, why did it have to be someone that could see through her lies? Ananya wasn't sure whether she would get away with admitting that she was a Mayweather student trying to crash a Delphina party, so the truth was out. She thought for a moment about her lie. She didn't know Gianna enough, only that it was her party and she was - for the lack of a better word - the queen bee of Delphina. Do queen bees pass invitations? Probably, right? They wouldn't want just anyone getting into their parties.

So swallowing down her anxiety, Ananya responded. "Of course, didn't you?" Was she pushing it? "She doesn't want just anyone strolling in, if you know what I mean?" Maybe hinting that she was a Delphina student to a villain was not the best idea, but she was already in this mess. What's the worst that could happen?

Lucas could pull the game for so long as he wanted, that much was clear to him. This poor girl had no idea she was digging her own grave. Then again, Lucas had to admire the fact that she was willing to bluff her way through it. Not that she was successful, though. If anything, Lucas could “punish” her too for abusing a name like he did with good old “Leopold”. But then again, why scare away the girls? The more the merrier and definitely in a club. Besides with her exotic appearance she’d get plenty of drinks. That means plenty of extra drinks paid for. Beauty is always good for business.

“No, actually.” Lucas grinned. “If I know one thing about Gianna, then it is that she loves getting to know strangers. But you got an invitation, you say? Strange, I didn’t.” he pulled his phone, slowly and pulled Gianna from his contacts. He showed the small screen at the Indian girl and then turned it back to him. “You got 15 seconds to say who you are and why you’re here. Or I’m calling Gianna and see if she knows who ever the hell you’ll claim you are.” His voice was completely serious, though inside he was snickering like hell. Would he call Gianna? Of course, he would. And she’d just tell him to let the girl in so she could introduce herself. If she confessed about being some imposter she’d get in too. But his tone certainly didn’t convey that message. It was far more intimidating. Telling the girl that either she’d tell the truth or be thrown to the wolves, despite still being in line. This was a part of Lucas he liked the most sometimes. His intimidating side.

Shit.

Luck really had a way of screwing with her, one way or another. Ananya didn't just shoot herself in the foot twice by name dropping the birthday girl, but she pretty much threw herself into a hungry lion's cage wearing nothing but Lady Gaga's meat dress. It was not good. There was no way she could keep claiming she was a Delphina student, especially since the man in front of her was already suspicious - and if Ananya wanted to leave the lion's cage alive, she had to tell the truth.

"Alright, fine. I'm a Mayweather student. I had to miss the first month back because of... reasons... but what's wrong with trying to get to know my new classmates?" That was at least partially honest, there was no way she'd let anyone know that she wanted to scope out potential opponents for the tournament. Now all Ananya could do was pray to Shiva that the man in front of her was going to let her go with little problems.

“Ah, that wasn’t so hard now was it.” He said, feeling the sweet victory. Now it was his turn. He put back his phone and came to stand next to her. Putting his closest, left arm around her to rest on her hip he started leading her through the crowd, which parted like the red sea. Jimmy opened up the rope gate to let them both through. All the while Lucas was saying: “You know, a beautiful girl like you could easily get in most clubs here. Believe me, owners don’t care. Beauty brings business. Also, flaunting the name Gianna like that will either open doors or make sure you just got on the wrong side of someone. Don’t worry, it just opened a door for you.” His tone was relaxed and cheery, and his timing perfect. Because right when he said that Nico opened up Delirium’s door for them.

“Let me be the first to welcome you to paradise. Delirium!” He announced with his right hand, keeping his left on her hip. He dragged her on to the nearby bar and coat room. Where he released his hand from her hip, handed his own coat and ordered two white martini’s to start the night with. He took one for himself and shoved the other one to the girl. “So tell me, who are you? I mean you name, and such stuff.” He smiled while asking, and then took a sip of his drink. Indicating it was her turn to talk, but his entire intimidating nature was gone. Instead, now he was curious of who this exotic beauty really was.

Now this isn't what she'd expected. Maybe a little satisfaction from his end for getting what he wanted, maybe a little gloating - but to be guided into the club despite lying to his face? Definitely not what she thought would happen. Maybe her luck wasn't too bad... yet. He was still an intimidating guy, and one look from him sent terrified shivers down her spine. If this was Gia's friend... she could only imagine how scary the Delphina queen bee would be.

Maybe her luck would last long enough for her to get out of the club without being noticed by the birthday girl? Ananya handed her thin coat before leaning against the bar as Lucas pushed the glass towards her. "Oh I don't--" Oh what the hell, she'd made it through inside, she could celebrate with one drink. She took the glass and sipped, nose wrinkling slightly. "I'm Ananya. Or... er, Naagin. Have you even heard of me? Probably not since I'm not much of a hero but," Anya shrugged, before taking another small sip. "And who are you? I can't keep calling you 'that intimidating guy' in my head."

“As we are sharing our aliases-“ he inched closer to her ear, brushing away some of her hair. He whispered: “They call me Twilight.” Now the name Twilight wasn’t meant anything special. But there was a certain power in an alias to Lucas. Maybe in years to come he’d become a legend? The name Twilight would suddenly mean so much, while so few knew his real name. It was a thought just to entertain because he had no idea how anything in his future would go. Not that it matter. “Intimidating guy, eh? I like that. Maybe I should keep my real name a secret?” he said with a playful smile. After which he took a quick sip. “I’m Lucas. Farweight. Though, you’re Mayweather right? You’ll probably get to know me as Gia’s puppy.” The nickname clearly didn’t hurt him but did give off the feel that there was a story there.

“So you’re here to meet new people, eh? As a Mayweather?” He looked at the top liquor shelf for a second, deciding what to grab next. “You know, for a Mayweather you’re really in the wrong place. No offense, I’m happy you’re here. Half your ‘classmates’ wouldn’t even dare cross that door.” He said, turning on the barstool towards the entrance. “You really think this is the place where you get to know your classmates?” Obviously, it wasn’t. The main crowd was clearly older than 22. The only people you’d ever get to know was Gianna’s people. So did she want to get to know Gianna? Or was she really as naïve as she said she was?

"Twilight, as in the sparkly Vampire Twilight?" Anya couldn't help but laugh. It may not be the case, but that was the first thought that came into the Nag's head when she heard him. Anya took another sip, her mind trying to figure out what his ability was without having to ask and seem too nosey or suspicious. Anyway, it wasn't like her alias was any better; in fact it was the least creative thing someone could come up with. She was a naagin, with the same alias - it wouldn't really take long for someone to figure out what she could do if they knew her language.

"I wouldn't really peg you for a puppy type, maybe more of a... I don't know? Tiger? Something dangerous, but I guess Gia's tiger doesn't have as much of a ring to it." Ananya figeted with the hem of her dress as he brought up Mayweather again, before answering. "Maybe I don't want to meet only other Mayweather students. If I wanted to, I would've stuck to the library. I think... the Mayweather students that would try to come to a villain's club on a special night for the queen of Delphina... I think those people are a lot more interesting." At least, if they're brave enough to try to crash a villain's party, surely they'll be potentially skilled opponents.

Lucas never liked the comparison with vampirism. That stuff was for girly-girls who had nothing to do but fantasize constantly about their future boyfriend. Those into the whole vampire thing struck him as incredibly teensy. Like teen girl trying to be a little edgy. It always failed. Still, the difference was a jab he disliked. With all seriousness, he turned back towards the girl. “You like to piss off people you shouldn’t, don’t you?” After that, he just turned back to the bar to take another sip of his drink while listening what else she got to say.

And what she said struck him as particularly odd. Him, a tiger? That was the first time a Mayweather actually dared to talk like that to him. Many talked behind his back, but none would even say a word to his face. But this girl, she talked with him without any prejudice. With an entertained but confused face he turned at the Indian girl. Her comment about the library actually earned her a chuckle from the villain. And he nodded in confirmation about her crashing the night. He knew Mayweather wouldn’t let it pass without incident. But at least now he had confirmation that they were up to something.

“Are you sure you’re Mayweather?” he asked, as he finished his drink. “I mean if anything, you’d fit right in with Delphina.” He said with a chuckle. Before ordering two shots of tequila. “You know, anyone trying to crash this party has a death wish. Even I wouldn’t want to ruin a party at one of Hart’s places.” He exclaimed, as the shot glasses arrived. He forced the salt shaker in one of Ananya’s free hands, saying: “This is Delirium. No way you stay sober here for longer than 30 minutes. C’mon, you go first.”

Anya finished her drink, pushing the glass away from her and raising her arms up in a mock-surrender gesture. "I meant no harm, just... it was the first thing I thought." Ananya kept forgetting that the man she was talking to was a villain, a student from Delphina- she needed to be a lot more careful with her words lest she trigger something bad and the last thing Ananya wanted tonight was to make enemies out of people that were more powerful than her.

But this was proving to be a helpful experience: Lucas seemed the type of man to be annoyed easily - given that he didn't take her Twilight comment lightly. Or maybe she'd hit the spot luckily, she didn't know. Ananya figured the only way to find out was to carry on the chit chat. Ananya's eyes opened wide as Lucas ordered another two shots of tequila, protests forming at the back of her throat. "Oh, god no I can't. I'm a lightweight, plus I'm pretty sure is against my faith." Her hand curled around the salt shaker, contemplating.

If she drank some more, Ananya figured he'd be willing to sit around long enough for her to figure things out about him. But on the other hand, she truly was a lightweight - hell, that martini already got the Nag buzzed. "I guess I can't plead innocence? I had no malicious intent, just... curiosity." She looked at the salt shaker and drink again, before finally giving in. "Just this one time." She muttered before applying salt to the back of her hand, licking it and quickly taking the shot of tequila - all with a winced expression on her face.

Lucas wasn’t often one to mock faith. He himself wasn’t much of a believer, but he knew just how powerful a belief could be. Then again, they were in Delirium. The temple of sin. Whatever you did here no god could hold against you. The place was worse than Las Vegas. “C’mon. You’re telling me you don’t really want to try it? You’re in Delirium! Do what you want, drink what you want! This place is exactly what Lucifer had in mind when he gave humans free will!” Lucas exclaimed. Maybe naming the devil wasn’t such a good idea, then again she was in the devil’s club. She had to drink.

And to Lucas’ triumph she did. He cheered as she threw back the shot. But apparently forgot the lemon slice. When the wincing on her face was gone and she looked at him he couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m-I’m so sorry it’s just. You’re the first person I’ve met who forgot the lemon. Here, lemme show you.” He took the salt shaker from her hand, put some on his hand, licked it, threw back the shot as if it was water and put the lemon slice in his mouth. With a straight face, he looked at her, with just a millimeter or two of yellow lemon slice keeping his lips apart. Eventually, he took it out, spit out a pit and showed her how he literally consumed all the flesh inside. With a smile, he told her: “See? You have to eat the lemon. All of it. C’mon, do it again!” He wouldn’t give her much time to say no as he already ordered 2 extra shots and gave her the salt shaker back. The bartender was surprisingly fast with the new shots, and Lucas gave Ananya her second glass, making clear that he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

How much worse could it get? She'd already had one martini, and now a shot. She'd already sinned in God's eye, so why not just throw it to the wind? It was all in the name of research anyway, surely He would understand - though Ananya was certain that her mother was shaking her head up in heaven - how could the daughter of a bartender forget the lemon!?

Ananya made a face at Lucas as he showed her how a shot was supposed to be done - the lemon included before he ordered one more. She could already feel the effects of the alcohol in her system, but she was still a couple shots away from being out of her mind. "Cut me some slack, I've never had shots before." Still cringing slightly at the taste, Ananya took the salt shaker from Lucas before putting some more on the back of her hand. "Just know I'll be upset if the lemon doesn't make the shot taste any better." And with that, Ananya mimicked what Lucas had done: licked the salt, downed the shot before putting the slice of lemon into her mouth, spitting the citrus out moments later with another wince and a groaned "it didn't." while rubbing her lips, as if the taste would go away with those actions.

"I hope you're happy," she groaned again. "That was god awful, why would you willingly take that and not make a face!?"

Lucas, in a slight buzz, held his own second shot glass aloft to examine it. It has been so long ago since when he took his first shot of Tequila. In fact, he was only 17. It was a wild night, he could remember that much. They didn’t even have lemon. But he definitely shared the salt with someone. They licked it off another’s hands. It was then that he realized with whom he shared, and his eyes went big for a moment. Way too fast he grabbed the salt, licked some off his hand, threw back the glass, draining it like an actually shot, and bit the lemon. Successfully washing down the bad memory. However, his face did wince from the sourness of the lemon.

“Oh god, that was far sourer than I thought it would be.” He said as his face relaxed and he spat out the lemon. “Honestly, I have no clue?” he followed up while laughing. “Guess you get used to it. Though, sometimes it takes you by surprise.” He looked at the shot standing before him. Tequila was a good start, but this was clearly a girl’s first bar time. Well, no reason not to make it memorable. Or completely forgotten. Depending on how far he could get her. “You know what you should try? Ricard.” Again, he didn’t leave her much choice. As he ordered it immediately from the bartender. Though she looked a bit busy, so they still had some time before her shot arrived. No way Lucas would pour that down. The only time he ever did it was with Gianna, and back then he too got tricked into it. “It has –euhm- a unique taste. Trust me, it’s really special!” he assured the Indian girl. As the bartender, in the distance was preparing the shot. It was served simple, in a glass. Lucas pushed it toward Ananya while saying: “C’mon, all in one.”

Ricard... it sounded vaguely familiar, but it wasn't something she was aware of all that much (again, probably causing her mother to shake her head in heaven). She gave the glass a wary look, then at Lucas with narrowed eyes. "And why aren't you drinking it, mister Tiger?" She was already not thinking about her words as much as she normally does, and this could only end in a disasterous night filled with regrets.

Taking the glass in hand, she sighed heavily. "If I have no choice, then I suppose it's bottoms up..." In an act she would later regret, Ananya brought the glass up to her lips, her nose wrinkled as she downed the drink as quickly as she could, the licorice taste filling her mouth causing the Nag to push the glass back down onto the counter as she gagged. "I'm never trusting you again, I've never tasted something more vile!"

Lucas couldn’t do anything but laugh as she downed the glass. She actually did it, and that would just be the start of it all. Still, the boy nearly fell off his barstool laughing. “Oh god. Oh god, I… Okay no, I’m not entirely sorry. Well, I’d give you a sweeter cocktail but as you said, you no longer trust me. Still, I’m going to order one.” He said with a smile, as he ordered a Sex on the Beach. The soft cocktail he strangely enough liked very much. Though he was smart enough to ask for 2 straws. And a glass of water, which he passed towards Ananya.

“Here, drink this. You’ll feel better.” He said as he started drinking from his own cocktail. “So tell me, where are you from?” The question was genuine. The booze was just intended to loosen everyone involved up a little. Right now he honestly wanted nothing more than to get to know the strange, Indian girl. The fact that she only just arrived at Mayweather without any of the prejudice earned her a lot of brownie points with Lucas, something she may learn to be a very valuable thing. If she chooses not to believe every gossip thrown around at Mayweather.

Ananya took the glass of water gratefully, drinking the cool beverage with a soft sigh. She set the glass back onto the counter, rubbing the side of her neck and grumbling under her breath. "I am willing... to bet my left kidney that that drink was revenge for Twilight." Ananya said slowly after finishing her glass of water. There was no way she was going to drink that cocktail and leave the party with enough of a mind to remember things the next day.

Her mother really would be proud...

"India, really. Left after... well.. after my mother... died... yeah..." Ananya used air-quotes around died, before shaking her head. "Killed, actually. Not a verryy nice man." Ananya's words were slurred a little bit, but not enough to sound incomprehensible. "Didja know, she was a bartender when she met my dad? Yeah, look at me now ma." Ananya then raised the empty glass of water in the air, laughing at herself. Ananya had no chance of getting information about potential opponents anymore. There was no way. She was already so... out of it, and it barely took her a martini and two shots.

“Well… you did sort of earn it.” He chuckled, as he took a sip from his cocktail. “You can taste if you want, you know.” He offered her the second, unused straw. The cocktail was very much the opposite of revenge for him. It tasted nice and soft and wasn’t even that heavy. Then again, as she slurred her words Lucas realized she might be far further down the line that he thought he would be. When he heard about the dead of her mother, Lucas felt rather bad. So far he was blessed in that area. With no deaths in the family yet, Lucas was spared that pain, for now. Though deep inside, he knew it would happen someday. Probably a day he was least prepared for. Though when Ananya raised her empty glass he joined in, laughing.

And then he turned with a surprised face towards the Indian girl. “Your mom was a bartender!? No! You never drank a shot of Tequila! How is that possible!? And you just… she never told you about Ricard?” Lucas couldn’t help but be amazed. The girl was full of surprises. “Hell yeah your mom would be proud!” he said, full with excitement. “Look at you, sharing drinks with a stranger.” Lucas was clearly having fun. “Who would have thought that would ever happen in your life!?” He didn’t even know the girl, but she definitely looked like the kind that wouldn’t be doing any of the stuff she was doing now under normal circumstances.

With the raised toast in one hand, Ananya took the offered straw with the other. "Doesn't seem like a bad idea anymore, but this better taste good." Pointing the straw at him like a weapon, Ananya then slipped it into the glass before taking a hesitant sip, sighing when the drink wasn't as bad as she'd expected. Normally Ananya would feel like utter shit after talking about her mother, but here she was drunkenly raising a toast for her. This was definitely not how Ananya thought the night would go, and at this rate, Ananya was not going to remember a single moment of it.

Ananya laughed as the occupation of her late mother excited Lucas. She didn't know why it was funny, but she was drunk! Everything is funny to a drunk. "She served drinks to strangers, and here I am on the other side! But- oh! We gotta keep this hush hush from papa, okay? His drinking days are over and he would be sad if he knew this-" Ananya waved her finger around, pointing at herself then at the drink between her and Lucas, before continuing, "-was happening."

Ananya then frowned at the song that was playing. This wouldn't do at all, it was too... boring. She couldn't tell what exactly was playing, but it didn't matter to the drunk. Instead, Ananya stood up from her barstool, wobbling for a moment before grabbing hold of the edge of the bartop for support, laughing all the while. "Whoops- need to be careful!" After making sure she wasn't going to collapse, Ananya set off towards the DJ, stumbling through the small crowd to reach DJ Predator.

If Ananya was going to dance, it was going to be to one of her favourite songs. It took little convincing, a bat of eyelashes here and some giggling there, but soon the drunk snake finally convinced the DJ to play her song. With the thumping beat filling the room, Ananya turned in her place to face Lucas, still grinning widely. "Care to dance with me, mister Tiger?" She asked as she stepped towards him.

Lucas was taken pretty off guard when the girl suddenly jumped up from the barstool. As a reaction he got off too, keeping his hands near her in case he would need to catch her. When it was clear that she’d go off towards somewhere Lucas was pretty much forced to down his cocktail. Luckily it was easy to drink entirely. After that, he quickly went after Ananya who didn’t get too far yet. Again he kept his hands around the small of her back, ready to catch her should it be needed. Eventually, she crawled up the DJ platform. A place Lucas preferred not to be seen on.

Whatever she asked, she got it. And once she did she made her way back to Lucas, telling him to join in. Lucas looked confused at the DJ, trying to understand what kind of song was playing. Then he heard the Hindi. “I.. I don’t know this song!” he exclaimed with some fake, playful panic at Ananya. But then again, he was at Delirium. “Know what? What the hell! Lead the way, Anya!”

Arrey ladki beautiful, kar gayi chull!

SoS: Semblance of Suburbia

@Aewin The infamous Audrey Huntsberg-Blake LOL She's actually not that bad this time around.

@Dirty Pretty Lies

I meant in terms of dancing, not because of her... strong personality :P

SoS: Semblance of Suburbia

@Universorum@Silent Observer Long due, but I'm done with Naina's little sister too!

Sanaya Mathur

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.:| Sana | 17 | Single | Straight | Female |:.

.:| A P P E A R A N C E |:.

The first thing someone would notice about Sanaya is her light eyes. Compared to her sister's darker shade, Sanaya has lighter hazel-brown eyes that are have a childish, joyful glint to them when she looks at you. There is nothing that Sanaya can hide, her expressive nature betraying her every emotion through her very eyes – makes the saying the eyes are the windows to your soul a very accurate one in Sanaya's case. She has round, pinchable cheeks along with full lips that are always curled up into a soft smile no matter who she's looking at.

Sanaya's frame is a lot more smaller than her sister's, her height barely surpassing the 5'3" mark and her weight a solid 110lbs. Just like her sister, Sanaya keeps fit through dance lessons and jogging, as well as keeping an eye on her diet (but the girl has one hell of a sweet tooth, it's a sin that she doesn't show it). Sanaya has a little beauty mark right below her lips, on her chin. A small round discoloured portion on her otherwise (generally) clear skin. Her skin is soft and unmarred, no tattoos or any scars except for ink splodges around her left palm (she's left handed) and fingers as well as slight callouses from the way she tightly grips onto her pens when writing. Unlike her sister, Sanaya usually stands with her back slightly hunched and shoulders bunched together, almost as if she's making her tiny frame appear almost invisible due to shyness.

Sanaya's regular outfits are a lot more dressier and traditional than her sister's. Despite moving to the US, Sanaya sticks to her roots and wears traditional suits like they're her second skin. If it's comfortable, Sanaya can be found wearing it. This means that she tends to stick with the more baggier options like loose shirts, harem pants and even long flowy skirts and dresses. Sanaya sticks to wearing lighter colours such as pastels or whites, but that doesn't mean she doesn't own any tighter pieces of clothing (curtesy of her sister). Sanaya's makeup is kept to the bare minimum, preferring to stick with natural colours more than experimenting with outrageous eye shadows or lipsticks.

.:| P E R S O N A L I T Y |:.

The first thing to note is that Sanaya is a complete contradiction: despite being soft-spoken and rarely speaking out of turn, Sanaya has strong opinions and is endlessly stubborn and likely to fight tirelessly for her ideas or opinions. Sanaya is goal orientated and decisive, knowing exactly what she wants to do and how to get there. Her knack for organisation and lists make her a very good planner and a good help to her sister whenever she works at Naina's bookstore.

Sanaya's hardworking and determined personality can lead to her overworking herself very easily. She takes on stress without thinking about the impact it may have on her and her health, such as extra workload at the bookstore or accepting extra credit work, and will work tirelessly to get her work done way before the deadline thanks to her careful planning. Unless forced to by Naina, Sanaya will rarely take breaks to rejuvenate after a particularly stressful day.

Sanaya is also very introverted, preferring to keep to herself in her bedroom rather than socialise with others. It's not like she doesn't want to interact with others her age, but Sanaya finds herself without any words after five minutes of small talk, and she abhores idly standing around waiting for someone else to pick up the conversation to make things less awkward. Unlike her sister, Sanaya has no filter - she never thinks before speaking which easily leads her to stutter and lose focus when in midst of conversation - and the awkwardness resulting from the conversation leads to Sanaya trying to avoid talking to others unless absolutely necessary.

She is also very sensitive: both to emotions and criticism. She fears that the idea she pitches forward will lead to backlash - as illogical as it sounds. So in order to combat this fear, Sanaya forced herself to join the student council and become a hardworking member till she was recently elected as president. Due to the lack of social interactions Sanaya has had, she can be a lot more susceptible to manipulation and charm, something Sanaya has yet to realise about herself, and there's only so much Naina can do to protect Sanaya, right?

.:| H I S T O R Y |:.

Sanaya was born over a decade after Naina, a complete surprise to two tired middle class parents. They already had their hands full with Sunaina, convincing the young child to take her education seriously but it was almost impossible to get her to listen. So when Sanaya turned out to be almost the opposite to the hyperactive, rebellious child, it was a relief to the parents. Sanaya was always doted on as the good child, the one that followed all instructions and didn't complain once about it - but it didn't mean that she was any less active than her older sister. She followed her sister everywhere; to the playground, the mall, dance classes - it was Sunaina's love for dancing and acting that got the younger sister to begin dancing by the time she was just five.

The two girls were close, or as close they could be given their age differences. Sunaina loved her sister, but more than that she wanted her freedom and an escape from the mundane reality of a middle class child - and that was the reason Sunaina packed her clothes and left home at the age of twenty, leaving a six year old Sanaya heartbroken as Sunaina left home without looking back. Whilst on her pursuit of success in the tough industry, Sanaya was left at home with her equally heartbroken parents. The only thing left that linked the two sisters were Sanaya's dance class, which she was still a member of for the years to come.

Sanaya kept track of her sister's accomplishments. She watched every movie with her sister in it, quoted every article and interview - she all but worshipped her sister after she was gone all whilst on her own pursuit for her dream job. Just like her sister, it was drilled into Sanaya that education was everything: but she was the sister that took it seriously and after a careers talk at school when she was eight, it was settled that Sanaya was going to law school and become a lawyer. To Sanaya, her schooling was almost too easy. While she didn't excel in everything (grr Geography), she did well enough in school to be considered one of the top in her class at the time. Even back then she'd take up extra curricular activities; anything that would make her application to law school shine over the others - things like dance team (it was still Sanaya's passion, after all)- hell, she even joined the debate team so she could get the confidence in herself to spread ideas around.

Three months after Sanaya's twelfth birthday, her parents were killed in a freak car accident: a drunken lorry driver had crashed into the passenger side of the car, killing Sanaya's mother instantly and Sanaya's father died that night on the operating table. The driver escaped with little injuries and even little punishment, reinforcing Sanaya's will to be a criminal prosecutor. That night was also the first time Sanaya had seen her sister face to face in six years. Sunaina took in her little sister that same night, packing away Sanaya's belongings before whisking her sister away towards the glamorous life in Bollywood, letting her live in the home the newly weds Naina and Raj had been sharing for the past year. At first everything was great - or as great as it could be. The sisters grieved together, but their close bond helped them through the trying time. Sanaya was even admitted into a better school- a place that helped the younger sister forward in her dream to be the best criminal prosecutor in India.

However before Sanaya could settle down and complete her schooling, the relationship between Naina and Raj deteriorated to the point of abuse. Raj's love for the drink as well as his wounded pride overshadowed the love he had for his wife until there was no love left in the relationship. It begun with biting words, before a slap until it escalated into so much more. Sunaina dealt with it her own way: pretending nothing was wrong until Sanaya was brought into the mix. Sanaya returned from school early one afternoon, arriving to find Raj already halfway finished with his bottle and as she attempted to avoid the drunken man, Raj turned onto her. He grabbed her hair, forcing her against the wall before banging his tightened fist against the wall behind her while shouting incoherently and it was by pure luck that Sunaina had returned on time to see what was going on. It was at that moment that Naina's decision was made. The divorce papers were filed, and that following month Naina and Sanaya were jetting across the globe to settle in America and restart their lives without Raj's toxic presence, where they'd been living for the last three years.

.:| O C C U P A T I O N |:.

Does school activites count? Sanaya is a part of the student council as a way for her to gain more confidence in herself in a new environment. Her helpful nature means she's always there to listen to the suggestions of the other members of the council, or from the student population themselves and try to figure out a way to incorporate the ideas for the benefit of everyone. If not busy with council duties, Sanaya is also a part of the academy's dance team; training hard under the guidance of the infamous Audrey Huntsberg-Blake. Between these two activities, most of Sanaya's time and energy is also spent on school work (keeping up grades, etc) as well as making sure Sofia is never left alone.

If school activities doesn't count, Sanaya works at her sister's bookstore during weekends and any time she's free during the week (not very often, but Naina's organisation skills are hopeless and without Sanaya to order things around, Naina would go absolutely mad). It's unpaid work, but Sanaya is happy to take off the load from her permanently tired sister.

.:| H O B B I E S |:.

{{ Dancing – Similarly like her sister, Sanaya has a talent for dancing. She's a part of the dance team at Lakewood Academy, under the guidance of Audrey Huntsberg-Blake.
{{ Organising the bookstore – At every opportunity she can get, Sanaya works under her sister at the bookstore as either a cashier, or to keep stock and organise the books in their proper place - because Naina is hopeless in this department.
{{ President of the student council of Lakewood Academy – Very newly elected, but Sanaya is also a part of the student council alongside the dance team, trying to get as much work done so her college application looks good.

.:| R E L A T I O N S H I P S |:.

Naina Rao – sister
Sanaya has always been Naina's number one supporter. No matter what her sister did, Sanaya would support and follow along behind her- it's how she found her own passion in dancing even if it may not be as great as Naina. She was heartbroken when Naina disappeared to work in Bollywood without any words when she was six, but despite the circumstances, she was glad to see her sister once more six years later and it was like nothing had changed once she'd moved to Naina's home. To see her sister being abused by Raj pissed Sanaya off, but she'd promised Naina not to say a word about it-- at least until Raj turned to Sanaya. The sisters fled together to the US to a gated community to live out their lives away from the public eye. Sanaya still loves her sister very much so, but she has no idea how Naina is bringing in enough money to sustain their life in the expensive neighbourhood but she's seen the finance records and she knows the money is not coming solely from the bookstore...

CLOSED.

<Snipped quote by Dirty Pretty Lies>

You can blame loss of motivation for mine not being up.

@Altered Tundra

Ditto.