AlteredTundra

Shuffle your music player and post the first 10 songs

_{Brokeback Mexican — Gabriel Iglesias — Hot and Fluffy
Alone — Eyeshine — My Paper Kingdom (Remastered)
Like You Do — Taking Back Sunday — Happiness Is
It's All Over — Three Days Grace — One-X
Hold On — Flor — Come Out, You're Hiding
Black Acres — Elysian Fields — Queen of the Meadow
Anima Perduta — Rhapsody of Fire — From Chaos to Eternity
Heroes (2017 Remastered Version) — David Bowie — Heroes
The Light Behind Your Eyes — My Chemical Romance — Conventional Weapons
Secret Asian Man — Da Vinci's Notebook — The Life and Times of Mike Fanning}

Sum up your week in roleplaying in just 3 words

Loving it all

[Canceled]

_{T i m e ♥ 9:40isham L o c a t i o n ♥ Private Island — The Grand Hall I n t e r a c t i o n s ♥ Tavi @Hoekage; indirectly: @TootsiePop @GhostMami @QueenNugget}

Dominic hated everything right now. He hated being here. He hated that he was forced to attend a party on a private island among some of the worst people he had known in his long life. Whether it was through personal relationships or just the rumors, but he was absolutely livid about how, if he refused the invitation from the King of the Vampires, as Tavi adviced him, wouldn’t be in his best interest. But just because Dominic Zeno, the youngest of the Pureblooded Zeno children, was here didn’t mean he had to put on a smiling face for everyone else.

If Dominic wasn’t here, if he wasn’t surrounded by the glam and spectacular decor of those who were of the same species as he was, he might have been helping those who needed his help. Whether it was patching up someone who fell out of a tree, someone who was coming down with a cold or a vampire who was attacked by one of those hunters, he would be happier being in his clinic than he would be trying to pretend that he was enjoying himself. For the most obvious of reasons of being in the same area code as his wretched family (save for a few of them he didn’t entirely despise), Dominic was keeping his distance.

He stood by his lonesome against one of the walls, though not too far away so he couldn’t hear what his king had to say, Dominic nearly dropped his drink of thinned animal blood. He half-expected a speech about how the houses needed to become a lot more ruthless than they have been, but this-this wasn’t exactly what Dominic thought the king would say during his speech. And based on the reactions of those around him, he wasn’t the only one.

“That sure wasn’t expected,” Dominic mused to himself, scanning the room to see the others astonished at the news as well.

For his entire life, Dominic had spent his days avoiding his family because of a lot of things they dabbled in and took pride in doing. Whether it was human trafficking or generally being horrible people, he turned away from that for the majority of the past century. He never wavered in his ideals and always made sure he was never tempted. The only ones who he Dominic had any sort of connection with were Tavi and Tessa. The others either treated him like nothing or never really bothered to talk to the baby of the family. So his mind went to them initially because he knew they were both heavy in deep with the family.

Safe to say, Dominic had never felt the temptation to reach out to his family more since the time he first cut his ties with them.

Hating himself right now, as Dominic would pass a table, he contemplated the sight and, as his nose caught the whiff of it, the stench of human blood. He still remembered the days when he consumed that on a daily basis and it still haunted him like the Vietnam War haunted a Nam War Vet. The flashes of consuming the sustenance of the very humans he devoted his life to went through his mind as he resisted the momentary temptation. If only the temptation of caring about his family politics and problems presented with the recent announcement by the new king would go away too. Oh well, there was no turning back now.

Dominic approached the bar where he saw that his older brother, Tavi, was surrounded by a few people. The most notable person near him was Niklaus Tepes. There were a few others that Dominic saw as his legs slowly moved his body towards his brother. If he was going to successfully stomach what was about to happen, Dominic would have to ignore practically everyone who didn't share his familial bloodline. “Hey Tav," Came Dominic's most generic greeting. He quickly coughed a dry cough and tried it again. "Interesting developments, huh?” Dominic managed to say as he stood directly in front of his brother.

Why he was doing this to himself was practically unknown to him at this point but it was done so there was no turning back now.

Palm Beach Royals: Senior Year

_{Day — Saturday, October 27th
Time — 7:55-:8:30PM
Location — The Salvador Residence}

Kavi’s life had improved immensely when he was finally able to get the nose cast off of his face. After two weeks of having to struggle with that clunky cast on his face, after an early morning appointment on the 21st that caused him to miss the first two periods of school, Kavi’s doctor finally removed it and he was able to feel his nose again. It was one of those moments that he wanted to savor. He had taken the freeing moment of being able to scratch his nose whenever and however he wanted. Even though it still was a little tender, it was healed and the first thing he did when they left the doctor’s office was scratch it and rub it like a lamp.

Throughout that week, amid enjoying life a lot more than he had been, Kavi thought about a lot of things that were happening as of late. Not counting how the school administration, much to the displeasure of the student body and their student administration led by President Bailey, had decided not to throw a Halloween-themed dance, which they cited Homecoming as the reason why none of the students deserved it. As understandable as it was, Kavi simply didn’t agree. There was a need for some kind of party. He hadn’t heard really much of anything about anyone throwing such a party. So, after school on the 22nd, after there was a section of the morning announcements dedicated to this subject, that’s he decided right then and there to throw his name into the empty hat even though he wasn’t exactly sure how the fuck he was going to manage it on short notice, but he enjoyed a good challenge.

Throughout the day, Kavi had been going to just about everyone he could: The Misfits group who he frequently hung out with (though not as much recently due to his current relationship status with Ariel), the Unholy Trinity plus Aaliyah, Stella, the nerds he previously tormented, the jocks, the other group he belonged to. He went to them for both help and to get a headcount of who he should expect. Surprisingly, Kavi’s reputation among his senior class was a lot higher than he thought it was. He figured, given his short stint as the resident bully and overall his previous casanova ways, Kavi wasn’t well liked but everyone he talked to (well most of everyone) received him well.

As he would go home that same day, it seemed all the chips were falling where they needed because his mother told him that she and Kai were going to be out of town starting tomorrow and all the way to Sunday. At the moment that conversation was happening, he did everything he possibly could to refrain from jumping out of his seat from the pure joy. And when they explained that Kavi’s grandfather was sick and they needed to fly to Sydney to be with him for a few weeks, Kavi was soon given the explanation that he and his sister were to remain home. Kavi was old enough to drive them to and from home and there was enough food and money left on the emergency credit card so they didn’t run out of money.

And in that moment, aside from giving his parents his most convincing face of well-wishes for his grandfather, he was already thinking about what he was going to use that money for: party favors, costume, getting his college cousin to buy him alcohol, pay for a DJ, and, of course, hire some security to ensure no cops got through (or at least would give them a heads up for when the cops would arrive). He was so giddy that on Friday, the day before the party, Kavi was the happiest he had been.

At lunch, Kavi sent a mass-invite text that read as followed:

PARTY @8 PM! WEAR SOMETHING HOT! OPEN CRIB! REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED!

Following that text and the next couple of hours, Kavi had a busy twenty-four to twenty-seven hours to prepare and prepare he did. At the end of it, though his parents’ house was pre-decorated with minimal Halloween decorations (some spider webs and the like) along the pathway, Kavi’s connections with some of the theater nerds, was enough to add some style. Flashing lights with some eerie sound effects gave the allure of a legit Halloween atmosphere and fog machines to act as the smoke to even further the vibe of horror. The strobe lights and sounds were motion sensor-activated, so whenever someone stepped foot within ten feet of the front door, immediately the greeted by that and gargoyle props that would prop up, roaring in the faces of those who wished to enter. The door itself was concealed by a heavy layer of fake spider webs made from thinly cut cotton and lightly brushed with black and orange to match the classic Halloween theme.

And when one rung the doorbell, it was even replaced with a sequence of demonic laughs instead of your typical doorbell ding. Kavi wanted to go all out. When he hosted a party, it was one to remember, but the front outside was only the start.

Once inside, Kavi’s house wasn’t even recognizable. At every corner, there are trails of spider webs, decorations for the staircase rail laced with lights and fake blood fur. Ornaments of skulls, bats, pumpkins, and more skulls, bats, and pumpkins were all around from the foyer to the kitchen, and all the way to the back patio entrance. Refreshments could be found both inside and outside since Kavi liked to cover all of his bases before stepping up to bat. All of the liquid refreshments were alcohol and found in a tombstone-shaped cooler with green ice keeping the bottles and cans as cold as possible, dirt cake and finger food galore were found along with another table beside the beverage table. Anything from blood jello shots to various alcohol drinks were made available as well. Green, fruit-flavored punch rests on a table in a black cauldron-like bowl (along with a non-alcoholic brother bowl of the same stuff).

Outside, aside from more of the same refreshments being made available, Halloween-themed activities like apple bobbing, “Halloween Shot Challenge”, in which one would take as many shots as they can handle within a short time limit of one minute. Others include a bobbing alternative that’s not apples. Instead of apples, Kavi bought a bunch of brownie mix, stirred it up until it was a paste-like consistency so that it resembled dirt and put a bunch of gummy worms in it, dubbed “Worm Bob”. Additional games set up include a Halloween-themed beer pong.

“Done with some time to spare!”

With all the planning done and the party just an hour away, he had just enough time to put the final preparations on his costume of a construction worker and text Ariel to way before anyone else was set to arrive. The DJ had started to play the music, with a mix of horror-themed bops, classic renditions of horror themes with lyrics, and just overall any song that fit the vibe of Halloween was included in the playlist.

Just a moment later, the doorbell rang and, as Kavi would open it up, the first wave of party guests flew in.

“Welcome! Glad you could make it,” Kavi greeted them with a smile, “and glad the display outside didn’t scare you pussies off." He laughed his way into another smile.

Palm Beach Royals: Senior Year

@Moro Couldn't help it. Taylor has my eyes.

@NeoAC

that's so meta || character storage thread

Sub Zero

Sebastian /// Zero

“Well met, fellow traveler!”

Personal Dossier

---

_Name

Sebastian Cameron Blake

_Avatar

Sub-Zero (normally goes by Zero)

_Age

25

_Gender

Male

_Visage

In his real life, there isn’t anything terribly remarkable about Sebastian. He’s an average joe with an average complexion that doesn’t do so well in the sun. His posture isn’t bad nor is it amazing. He slouches like any gamer would. He’s got unkept hair of a dark gold color and his eyes are of a faded sapphire. He’s also of average height, build, and weight. Honestly, the only thing that stands out is his sometimes-exotic fashion sense of bold colors and unorthodox choices in pants and shorts.

And this is why Sebastian became a heavy gamer, especially MMORPGs. He could be whatever he wanted in the fictional worlds presented to him. For Pariah Online, he chose to don the moniker of Sub-Zero, a graceful ice-based warrior whose name is taken from one of his favorite video game characters, Sub-Zero. Unlike the one from Mortal Kombat, Sebastian, also known as Zero, is what some would call dreamy. He has a nice face, golden locks that flow like a sea of sunflowers, eyes that glimmer like a frost paradise, and a style that oozes style and regality.

His usual attire, though it changes frequently, is always colored with colors often associated with ice or winter. A lot of light blues, a lot of silvers and whites. A common outfit he might wear is a lightly-colored tunic with a shoulder cape, and pants and boots to complete the outfit. Always you’ll Zero with a sword. It doesn’t what outfit he might be wearing, there’s always his Frostbite longsword resting on the right side of his hip and some kind of shield on his non-sword arm.

_Personality

Growing up, Sebastian was a reckless boy, but there was never an ounce of disrespect in him. And growing up, this never changed. Albeit, he may slip up from time to time as all people do, but he always comes back to his upbringing of being an honest, honorable man. In modern times, it might be rare but the sort of ideals chivalry brings out of people is sort of how he was raised. And as a result, anything he does has always been done with honor first, though recklessness has never been far behind. Truly, they come as a package deal and not always for the better.

First impressions, especially when Sebastian and Zero are concerned, seem to be one of those cases where it might take a while to get used to him. As someone who was raised the way that he was, it wouldn't be difficult to get used to his overall energy. At the least, he's very much a pleasant man to be around. Whether in game or not, you can always expect a friendly face and a helping hand being met by your gaze. There just seems to be an underwhelming feeling to his name overall. He also has a tendency to speak for longer times than he probably should, or what someone might prefer. this isn't to say that half of what comes from his mouth is exactly bad, but a majority of what he says is fluff. A useful trait to have but he's been told it gets annoying and results in slight confusion.

But hey! At least he's not a dick, right?

_Background

Online gaming has become a way of life for Sebastian Blake. His online aliases all have differed for each and every game he has been a part of in the last five years. Regardless of which one, he became somewhat of a celebrity among the gaming community. It had gotten to the point where he was invited to conventions, invited by game developers to test their games. Sometimes his likeness was used for an NPC and sometimes he simply was paid for his efforts.

But all of this seemed to stop about three years ago. He took a backseat from the publicity of the limelight. Whenever developers asked him to test their games, but he always declined them. Some say he was going through mental problems and didn’t want to associate himself with anyone. Others assumed he grew bored of his almost seven years of being a Beta Tester. The truth of the matter was his mother grew incredibly ill and he chose to be close to her for the time being. And it would have stayed like that had he not received the invitation to play Pariah Online from an old buddy of his. It was supposed to be the most immersive VRMMORPG to come out in years.

Interested and intrigued, one day when he found himself with a few hours to kill, Sebastian Blake made an account with Pariah Online and, much like his time in previous online games, he chose an ever famous avatar of “Sub Zero, the Ice Knight”. At first glance, it was a beautiful game. The gaming mechanics were fluid, everything appeared to be top notch from how many players were already signed up and the attention to detail, and the faction system was a breath of fresh air. Pariah was shaping up to be a game he could potentially find a new gaming home in, which in the time he had been in the game, he spent as much time as he possibly could getting familiar with it and everything it had to offer.

_Reputation

In the beginning, Zero kept to himself. He played the game the best that he could by himself, but this was all before joining a guild before he started to truly understand the point of the game and everything that it had to offer. Once he did, he began to forge himself a different path, a different outlook on the game. When he did this, the name of Zero began to be one that always was followed by positivity. He would never be one to brag about his own accomplishments, but even he couldn’t deny that his name came with a little bit of fame. He spent so much time being apart of parties and taking on more quests than he probably should have, though maybe it was a good thing he did the extra quests and joined parties when he could because his name was always associated with praise. He was known for being equal parts humility and helpful.

But of course, not everything has been positive.

Equally so, people have said that Zero is a big idiot with good intentions. First impressions always seem to be underwhelming, especially when players only hear about his feats and not the reality that he acts a bit reckless and usually doesn’t even realize what he says can sometimes be taken the wrong way. Or rather, some parts of his intelligence is exaggerated. Either way, some might feel the stories of Zero, the Ice Knight fit the visage of his praise than when they meet the actual person.

“I suppose you’ll have to form your own opinion.”

Attributes & Additional Information

---

_Role

Tank - Magical Knight

_Affiliation

Tyhrien

_Profession

Adventurer

_{Weapon of Choice}

Sword & Shield

_Domain(s)

Ice/Frost — Physical Enhancement

_{Benchmarks (Physical)}

Fights with Grace and Style — Zero fights with fluidity and grace. There is never a motion he takes that isn’t done so with the upmost style. This is due to a lot of his combat skill points being centered around accuracy, especially those that may pertain to one-handed and shield skills. In conjunction, he also has fused this with his magical domain of Frost, which in turn allows him to combine magical spells of ice (whether it is encasing his shield with ice or reinforcing his sword with a layer of magical ice), everything he does is done so with percision and accuracy. That, if nothing else, is the foundation of Zero’s style, which is to say it is the core from which his additional skills will stem from.

Enhanced Speed — If it wasn’t precision and accuracy, then a lot of Zero’s time and energy was spent honing his stamina. He can run a little faster than the average fighter and his ability to leap great bounds (though nowhere unreasonable) is also above of the average person. His ability to catch himself when falling is also a known feat, but where he falls short is not being able to endure running long distances for a prolonged amount of time. This is probably his greatest weakness other than fire and ale.

Clean Fighter — The chance might come for him to take cheap shots and maybe Zero would be able to win a lot quicker or beat an enemy all the same, but it wouldn’t sit right with him. To him, there is no sense in defeating a foe if it cannot be done with pride. And, in that sense, you’ll never see Zero take a cheap shot for as long as he plays Pariah. He will certainly do his part to ensure victory for any foe and if they prove to be someone that shortcuts are needed to take to defeat, then he will certainly do what he can. But in 1v1 or where the stakes are as close to even as they can, he will always take the high road. Though, it should be noted that his actions might not always be those of wisdom. At the end of the day, he still takes risks that sometimes he shouldn’t.

Weapon Proficiency — while it is true that his main choice of a weapon is always a longsword, Zero has trained himself to be adept in other weapons. Second to swords and shields, dual wielding short swords is within his skill set. He also has some experience in axes and hammers, but at the end of the day, his first and true love will always be the knightly sword and shield.

A Frost Paladin’s Mark — As an advanced student of both physical melee and elemental magic, an advantage that Zero has in both is being able to momentarily fuse both that is used to his advantage. If not for a few moments, Zero’s body becomes a pillar of frost, the icy winds surround his form and a massive increase of all physical and magical attributes are gifted to him with nearly double the power behind each blow for a limited amount of time. After the allotted time, just as much is required for him to cool down.

_{Benchmarks (Mental)}

Knowledgeable of the Land — Being an adventurer by trade, especially when it was forced upon him, Zero spent his time going to all ends of the world that was made available, gaining experience and knowledge about the land and being able to familiarize himself with shortcuts, loopholes, glitches (though no game-breaking glitches). Additionally, knowing where to find the best side-quests and where to lay low should you need to is within Zero’s knowledge.

Frost Resistant — As an added bonus of his elemental domain being that of frost/ice, Zero has a high cold resistance. In the places of Pariah that tend to get cold or even spells that have a lean towards the frost element seem to have little to no effect on him, which is to say he has a 50% chance of absorbing them into his reserves. In addition to this, whilst in frosted areas, he is also enhanced just slightly. As an addition, those within five feet of him will share similar resistance, though only half of what Zero is resilient to.

Honorably Reckless — While you might see some bit of a foolhardy demeanor from Zero, at the same time, there is nothing below the belt about him and, strangely enough, he shows a certain amount of respect for either those he travels with, those he is in dungeon parties with, or even those he fights against. It stems from how Sebastian was raised and it’s something that is brought in-character as Zero, the Ice Knight.

Quick-Thinker — Zero is able to think fast be it come up with something entirely ludicrous to possibly get him and his party out of sticky situations by just letting his mouth run on and on like a continuous lawnmower. Half the time, even he won’t know what he’s talking about, so just imagine being the other guy who has to deal with his motormouth.

Always Willing to Help — Zero likes to think himself as sort of a mentor or generally just someone who could offer some help to those who might need it. Whether its NPCs who need help ridding their village/town of a threat or whatever their quest might entail, he is always the first one to jump at the chance to do whatever he can to aid them.

Sum up your week in roleplaying in just 3 words

The inspo's back

Palm Beach Royals: Senior Year

_{@Altered Tundra & @Dirty Pretty Lies Collaboration featuring Sonny Drake & Marisol Castillo}

After a decent amount of their lunch hour being wasted of playing with each other’s food, flinging condoms at the nerds who had their backs turned, and general tomfoolery, the duo unanimously known as Dumb and Dumber departed from their usual table. When they left the cafeteria, they wandered around for a bit. Some of the time spent walking was accompanied by talking and some of it was just fooling around by running and playing a game of ‘dodge the student in front of you’.

That game only lasted five minutes when Sonny bumped into someone, effectively losing said game. Marisol being Marisol would obviously gloat in his face and Sonny obviously being sonny was pouting until they reached their usual hangout spot, which is to say the spot they got high at. And of course, it was none other than the upper levels of the bleachers overlooking the football stadium. It was relatively far enough from any prying eyes and it was the right amount of privacy that the two enjoyed, at least until someone discovered where they were. For now, Sonny and Marisol would enjoy the peace and quiet.

While Marisol was getting herself situated, Sonny took to his phone. He had felt his phone vibrate in his pocket when they were having lunch but he couldn’t be bothered to check it. Now, however, he was catching up. Some notifications were about his phone being updated, new features and updates on existing features, meanwhile the rest were from his social media pages -- mainly Twitter and Instagram.

Sonny glanced up from his phone, seeing Marisol light a blunt. This immediately took his full attention away from his cell phone screen and to the familiar scent of burning kush. “I thought you quit after smashing Vic’s car?” He asked her, a slight chuckle following.

Marisol shrugged her shoulders, a mischievous grin on her small face. "It's weed, Son, not crack cocaine. It relaxes me," she explained, taking a deep pull from the strawberry-flavored blunt and offering it to the boy. "You want some? Got it from Carter the other day, so you know it's legit."

“From Carter, huh? Yeah, I’ll take some of that quality MJ from our local dealer,” he smiled, taking the joint into his right index finger and thumb, taking one inhale. “Whoa!” Sonny exclaimed in the sudden scent and slight taste of fruity strawberry. “I did not expect a burst of strawberry. I guess Carter’s been sampling some e-cigs and decided to copy it for his weed.”

The young woman gave an amused chuckle. "It's the blunt that gives it the flavor, you dumb shit!" she exclaimed, lightly punching Sonny's arm while grabbing the blunt from his hands and taking another puff.

He rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry, I haven't obtained my doctorate in Joint Making, but you apparently have. So fill me in: how exactly does one infuse fruity flavors into pieces of paper?” Sonny asked the perfect balance of sincerity and smartassness in his voice. Only moments later, he would feel his phone vibrate in his pocket.

"I don't fucking know," the brunette scoffed, rolling her eyes but smirking to let her friend know she wasn't annoyed. She noticed Sonny pulling out his phone from his pocket, and pointed at the device with her chin. "You have your phone in your hand: fucking Google that shit. I'm not an encyclopedia."

“Uh huh,” Sonny nodded, though he didn’t actually hear what she was saying.

Truth be told, he was more concerned by the continuous friend request he’s been getting by one person. Even as Marisol kept talking, Sonny’s eyes never left his phone. He was trying to figure out exactly why this person looked so familiar and why she seemed so adamant on adding him to his Insta.

Realizing that Sonny was ignoring her, Marisol scoffed again, muttered something under her breath and went back to smoking her blunt. Her green eyes scanned the empty greens of the football field as she took each drag, letting the distant sounds of the school fade away into background noise and feeling all the muscles in her body start to relax. It was only after she’d consumed three-quarters of her blunt that the girl realized her friend hadn’t said a single word for the past few minutes.

"The fuck's got you so damn quiet all of a sudden?" she finally burst out, scooting as close to him as she could and snatching his phone from his hand. Laughing gleefully, Mari took a peek at the device's screen and her smile immediately turned into a confused, curious frown. "Daniella Aguilar… Who the fuck is Daniella Aguilar?" the girl asked Sonny, one arm extended towards her friend to hand him back his phone and her other demanding hand resting on her hip.

“Hell if I know. She’s been sending me friend requests all over my socials for over a month. No mutuals or anything,” Sonny rolled his eyes. “I wish I did know her so I knew why the fuck she keeps sending me requests.” As he spoke, Sonny just had noticed how genuinely bothered by it she was.“You’re not jealous, are you?” He asked her, nudging her shoulder. “I mean, she is pretty cute.” He said teasing her again in the way only Sonny could do without fail.

For what seemed like the millionth time that day, Marisol scoffed and rolled her eyes at Sonny. "You fucking wish!" she cried out, forcing out a laugh and lightly shoving him. "You remember where being jealous of someone got me the last time? Miss me with that gay shit again, man. I'm over that."

“You’re the one who didn’t seem happy that I was getting a request from this Daniella person. But hey, whatever makes you sleep at night.” As he shrugged, his eyes and, as a result, his mind went back to the mysterious Latina girl that was sending him requests. “So, like, what should I do? Accept it? If I do that, she’ll probably DM me or track me down cause, as you know, I’m not exactly secretive on my socials. Geotagging everywhere I go and shit.”

“You think you’re fucking Justin Bieber or something? Sonny, nobody in their right mind is going to stalk you. They wouldn’t last five fucking minutes around you: trust me. At one point you’re just gonna drop one of your typical dumbass comments and the stalker will be so shook that they’ll have to say something.”

“I know I’m not Justin Bieber,” Sonny said to Marisol, looking at her with a smile. “I’m a lot hotter than that delinquent is.”

“Sure, Jan.”

As he was never one to lack confidence in himself, Sonny let the smirk on his face last for a moment longer before returning to the topic at hand. “But for real, this chick isn’t taking no for an answer.”

Marisol let out a frustrated sound. “Then stop being a little bitch, accept the damn request and just get it over with already. There’s always the ‘Block’ button and a restraining order if they turn out to be a creep.”

Again he rolled his eyes. “Can’t you just be supportive of my crisis?” He asked, almost in a whining-like manner, which was a total feigning moment for him.

"Not when it's over something so stupid. Since when is the Tony Stark-levels-of-arrogant Sonny Drake intimidated by some cute random chick's friend request? Go on, bitch: accept the damn thing."

As he just stared at the request, he went to her profile and scrolled through some photos. He didn’t know if she just found him appealing or if it was something more, but Marisol was right about one thing: he accepts it and if they’re creepy or something close to it, he can just block them. Not like there’s a lot that can happen. Worse case, he blocks them and that’s the end of that.

And in a matter of moments, Sonny clicked accept. “There, it’s done. Happy?”

"If it gets you to finally shut the fuck up about it, then yes: I'm happy." Mari admitted briskly, taking the last puff out of her consumed blunt before putting it out against the sole of her shoe. “I don’t get what the big deal is. She probably just wants to get with you.”

He shook her head at her. “I thought you said weed relaxes you? You’re very unrelaxed right now. You got something going on that you haven’t shared with the class yet?” Sonny curiously asked.

“I’m fine,” the girl snapped, pulling her phone out of her pocket and cursing under her breath when she noticed the time. “Fuck, I forgot to take my pills. Let me just-” she trailed off, digging into her backpack in search of the key to her sanity. However, just as her hands wrapped around the prescription bottle she was so furiously searching for, she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. And when she pulled it out to see what was going on, the brunette’s expression shifted from one of annoyance to one of sheer delight.

From: The Beanstalk
hey
sorry i havent texted
my phone broke
i broke it
wanna hang out tonight?
i miss you :(

“Oh thank fucking Christ!” Marisol muttered, breathing out a sigh of relief she didn’t even know she was holding in the first place. It was then when it dawned on her that this had been the real reason why she’d been so snappy the past few hours, and not because of the missed pill. The texts from Salem proved to her that things between them hadn’t been messed up beyond repair after their night together after all. Instead, they were going on with business as usual.

What a goddamned relief.

To: The Beanstalk
hey you
everything ok????
parents grounded me bc of the other night lol but you know ill make up some excuse 2 hang out
i fucking miss u too 😔
see u tonight 😘❤

While she went through her phone, Sonny felt the need to go through his one last time. He might as well do some researching on who exactly Daniella Aguilar was. It wasn’t easy because simply Google searches proved to useless. The only thing that Sonny had to go off of was the singular Instagram account and even that left a lot to be desired for. Some photos of her and some memes, but nothing that would scream who she was to him and why she was insistent on having him on Instagram.

Meanwhile, Marisol’s phone vibrated again with another stream of texts from Salem that lifted her already-heightened mood.

From: The Beanstalk
I'm okay
we'll talk when i see you
srry i got you grounded
i cant wait to see you :)
you are all i have here

Sonny pocketed his phone and leaned over, his head resting on her shoulder and he saw the texts her and Salem were exchanging. Quickly, he snatched her phone like she had done to him. “Oh, well isn’t this the cutest thing I’ve ever read!” Sonny teased her as he stood up. “ ‘Oh Salem, I loooooveee youuuu’ !” He teased her again, speaking in his best Marisol imitation he could muster with an exaggeration on the feminine aspect. He would then follow it with kissy face noises and with the puckered lips to boot.

“Give that back, you piece of shit!” the red-faced girl cried out, visibly annoyed but letting out a round of nervous laughter.

Sonny stepped back a couple of feet, reading through their texts. “Damn, you two really are sappy, huh?” He laughed his way along the top of the bleachers.

“Fuck you,” she snapped, following Sonny along the bleachers on the hunt for her phone. When she finally reached him, she snatched the device from his hands and walked back to get her belongings, praying that the heat in her face subsided.

He was still laughing when she snatched back her phone and he looked at her, seeing the noticeable tomato red cheeks. “You’re actually blushing, aren’t you? Oh, this is just too great. You must have it bad for the Italian bean.” Sonny was genuinely amused by this sudden development. Even if she tried to deny it, the writing was all over her cheeks.

“Number one: it’s a beanstalk, not a mere bean. The dude’s fucking hung, if you know what I mean,” the girl called out, stomping back in Sonny’s direction with both their backpacks in her arms. “And number two: I don’t have it bad for anyone. He was just a good lay. That’s all there is to it.” Mari finished, pushing the boy’s backpack hard against his chest.

He grunted from that hit. She was small, but being the daughter of Soleil Jameson, Marisol Castillos sure could pack a punch. After he recovered, a smile was thrown her way, followed by more chuckling. “Sure Jan, whatever you say. If you say you don’t got it bad for him, then I believe you.” Of course, Sonny didn’t actually believe her but if she had to tell herself she didn’t have a genuine ounce of romantic feelings for him, then he’ll let her think he believed her.

The sound of the bell signaling the end of their lunch period stopped Marisol from retaliating against her best friend. So for the sake of keeping their newly established peace, the short girl merely shook her head, linked her arm with Sonny’s, and together they made their way back into the high school building of King’s Academy.

[Canceled]

RUN while you can! The L U N A T I C is coming to get you!

T i m e ☠ 4:49-5:34am L o c a t i o n ☠ New York City, NY — Central Park I n t e r a c t i o n s ☠ Two Unlucky New Yorkers

Before sunrise, before the nightcrawlers would retreat under their rocks, Leone was stalking the would-be stalkers. They walked so casually, hand in hand as if they were actually normal human beings. It was embarrassing. How could they actually think this was okay? What gave them the right to enjoy this life without fear of being hunted?

As they walked, two of them, one a male that appeared to be white with red hair and another a little darker with auburn hair. The two of them matched the contract. Two vampires suspected of harassing humans. One male and another female. Lethal force is permitted, the last sentences of his contract, though not from The Order, read.

He smiled and licked his lips before he leaped forward. His body was meant to be far more agile than the average human. Even if they caught the sound of his boots pressing against the grass of Central Park, it would be too late. As soon as the female vampire turned around, her eyes shooting blood red and fangs brandishing as she hissed, it was too late for her. Leone threw a wooden stake that was attached to a lengthy cord and it stabbed her in her throat, the sharp end poking through the back of her neck, blood dripping from the tip.

“One down, one to go.”

Leone smirked at the male who was frozen where he stood. From where Leone stood, it seemed the monster was deciding whether to charge or flee. Not a smart move on his part because unlike the vampire, the one hunting him had made his decision long ago. Leo took to a charge and at that moment, the vampire chose to charge in the opposite direction.

“That’s fine. I enjoy a good chase.”

As he ran, Leo tugged at the cord and the wooden stake ripped off the vamp’s head and he once again held it in his hands. Just as the vamp took a sharp turn into the trees surrounding the central clearing the park, Leo kept going straight. He kept running until he cut off the vamp as they came across each other’s paths yet again. Leo gave the vampire a harsh roundhouse kick that sent the fleeing bloodsucker crashing through two trees and severely damaging the foundation of another.

Leo knew this was a successful kick when the screams of the vampire could be heard and that sent a rush of adrenaline more than any drug he occasionally bought from a street dealer in Harlem could ever give him. It filled him up so much that he took his sweet time walking past the carnage he created. Once the moment of admiring the work his powerful kick created, he was standing in front of the vampire and it was quite the unfortunate sight for the undead human-killer.

“What a nasty sight,” Leo feigned a concerned tone. He looked down at the lower left side of the vampire’s abdomen that had a piece of wood sticking out, blood slowly gushing out. “And to make matters worse, the sun is starting to rise.”

It was on that exact moment that the sounds of burning flesh and agonized screams filled the air. Leone could end it right now, but, as he thought about it, he decided he wouldn’t. And despite the pain, the vampire still tried to get as much shade as he could (of what remained).

As Leo proceeded to walk away, he felt a tug on his jacket. “Please, don’t leave me like this!” The vampire pleaded with him.

Whatever it was, whether the touch of a vampire set him off or whether it was the pathetic pleas for a swift death, but he turned back to the burning corpse of a vampire and smiled such a sinister smile. “Don’t worry. You’re not very strong. I’m sure you’ll be dead in less than three minutes.”

That was the last time Leone Deveraux would see that vampire. He calmly packed up his equipment, put it in his red and black 2019 Dodge Challenger and drove off back home. After such a fun night, he’s earned a couple of hours of rest.

---

T i m e ☠ 9:00-9:45am L o c a t i o n ☠ Brooklyn, New York City, NY State — Leone's Apartment I n t e r a c t i o n s ☠ Two Latina Bitches @Hoekage

He was deep in his slumber, the cozy fabric of his bed making whatever dream Leo was having a memorable one. Unfortunately, there was a banging on his door that, after the twentieth knock, Leo had enough and jumped up to his feet, a series of curses being muttered under his breath as he grabbed the nearest pair of sweatpants and tanktop to open his door.

“Did you seriously need to knock so many times?” Leo asked, annoyed.

“I’ll knock as many times as I need to. You’re late on your rent, Leone!” Candice Garcia yelled to his face, her Bronx accent ever present in her voice.

He was unamused. Not because she was yelling at him. He couldn’t care less how loud she huffed and puffed. If he was being honest, watching her do that only increased the strange arousal he felt for the curvy landlord he paid monthly payments to. Even as she continued to blab her way through several unfriendly words directed at him, Leo kept smiling, though, after a while, he walked away and towards his kitchen.

“Where are you going!?” Candice yelled, making her way into his apartment and closing the door behind him. “Well, I’m waiting!” She demanded an answer as she stood in front of his countertop.

“I'm going to make a pot of coffee. Want some?”

“You’re not gonna be able to get your way out of paying your rent this time, Leo! It’s not going to be like last time!”

He chose not to respond. Instead, he poured some coffee beans into a spice grinder and grounded enough for two cups, and transferring it to his coffee brewer. As he ran water into the pot, he filled it up enough to make two cups and poured it into the water holder and started to brew it.

Turning around, Leo sighed. “So, how much do I supposedly owe you? I paid you three hundred just two weeks ago.”

“The noise complaints haven’t stopped, Leone.”

He laughed at her comment.

“It’s not funny!”

“Oh, of course, it isn’t. Nothing funny about it at all.” Despite his words, he was still chuckling.

“This is a joke to you, isn’t it?” She was livid and the fact that Candice wasn’t letting up wasn’t favorable. “You’re my only tenant that hasn’t been kicked out when they didn’t pay their rent on time.”

“Well, go on, Candice. If you want to kick me out of your building, then kick me out!” He dared her to call his bluff.

As silence took over, he laughed victoriously. “And that’s what I thought. Truth is, you know you love having me around. I’m the only one who has kept those nasty vampires out of this neighborhood. Or, perhaps, there’s another reason why you haven’t given me my eviction notice?” He asked, well more like assumed.

And for the first time since waking him from a deep slumber, Candice Gomez was silent like a mouse. But she quickly regained her composure and spat back at him in full. “You’re crazy! There’s no way you’re that good,” she rolled her eyes, turning away just to hide her blushing cheeks but it was too late: Leone saw them.

And now he was ready for the kill. But first coffee! “It’s done if you want a cup.”

“I guess I can’t turn it down.”

“Black with two creams, right?”

“You remembered?” She asked, seemingly surprised.

“There are some things worth remembering.”

And there was his charm. He handed her the black mug as he took his typical maroon one. When she took it, they exchanged a glance. For a moment, something was in the air. He knew what it was but Candice seemed unsure based off of how her lips were moving. If only it lasted a second longer, then maybe something else would’ve happened other than the interrupting beep from his phone bringing Candice out of the trance she was momentarily in.

“Y-you should probably get that..” Candice slowly backed away.

And there came the disappointed frown as a reaction to a text he received from Khione. Great timing as always, K.

To: Boss Lady

You have the worst timing, you know. But fine. I’ll be there. You better do the same. ;)

That short text resulted in a smiling Leo and he pocketed his phone. He would eventually bring himself to look at Candice yet again. "You never said how much I owe you."

“Six hundred for your rent and two-fifty to buy you a month of no problems from the complaints given towards you.”

Shit. That’s a lot. Leone sighed. “Fine, I’ll have it to you by the end of the week.”

“You better or I will evict you, asswipe!”

As she took a sip of her coffee, Candice walked towards his door and he followed, if not enjoying the view of her backside, which he knew she knew he was staring, yet she did little to stop him. She quickly turned around as she was in his doorway and gave him a quick kiss. “What was that for?” He asked though he wasn’t complaining.

“For the coffee.” She then walked away. “And stop staring at my ass!” She yelled out moments before Leone closed the door.

Now that he was finally free of the annoying and incredibly seductive Candice, he had a few things to decide. He had to figure out what he was going to wear to Club Platinum tonight, whether he was going to go back to sleep or power through the day, and how the fuck he was going to explain the mess he left in Central Park. Surely, there had to have been some within the Order who noticed the unsubtle slaying of two vampires.

Leone supposed he’d deal with that when it was brought to his attention. For now, he had to make himself something to eat and catch some more Z’s. And so he would. For an hour, he prepared an elaborate breakfast spread full of egg whites, potatoes, various peppers, and a couple of freshly made tortillas. A good end to a shitty morning.

Word association Game!

Coffee