AlteredTundra

Rosefell High.

Ricky had the most 180 shifts in his mood that he had in a while. It came, of course, as Alex mentioned the act of taking his picture and Jordan Ross. He had considered letting him take his picture because obviously Ricky would love to be featured in the yearbook. More exposure meant the more people around school could stop talking about him behind his back. They could even worship him in some way, but at the mention of Jordan Ross and Ricky's entire mood shifted into an unpleasant frown and forced him to bite his tongue, which in turn made him grit his teeth, murmuring obscenities under his muffled breath.

Alex was harmless enough. He was a bit too handsy with that camera of his and honestly, Ricky just thought of him as Henderson's personal photographer who was quite skilled with the photos he took. Admittedly, Ricky hasn't seen every single picture but there was a certain style he could recognize being Alex's own. But when he made the comment about adding Ricky's photo to Jordan, he nearly lost it. It was only with the grace of God and maybe even a miracle on Ricky's part that had him take the road less traveled.

"Sure. You can take my photo but only if you tell me something," Ricky smiled, leaning in close to Alex, grabbing his shirt. "How does it feel knowing that, without that special camera of yours, you're just as useless as Henderson is a capable principal?"

Not new, just back?

Your name looks familiar. I definitely remember seeing you around.

Welcome back regardless!

Palm Beach Royals: Senior Year

_Outfit

Kavi’s black 2019 BMW 230i pulled up into a free parking space near King’s Academy and he sat in the car for a few minutes, just staring at the school. A wide range of thoughts passed through his mind but one he couldn’t stop entertaining was the overall aspect of change. Change in the sense that it was a new year and a new semester. Change in the sense that the isolation of winter break was over and he was back to reality. Change in the sense that he had a new car. Change in the sense that he was no longer the womanizing player he once was and had a girlfriend. Change in the sense…

“Yeah, there’s that too,” Kavi mused to himself.

In addition to how eventful the day had already been (despite it being too early for any of it), Kavi couldn’t find himself to step out of his car, not yet at least. With so much on his mind already and the impending doom of school, to say that he was worried would also to say that the sky was just a little blue this morning. He shouldn’t feel this way, right? The tight feeling in his gut tearing him apart and making him quite apprehensive of stepping out? He had everything going for him this semester. The right girl, the best car, and all of the clean slates to spare, yet he couldn’t stop thinking about that.

Suddenly, he felt a hard punch against his right bicep and he turned to Nikki, who sat beside him. “That hurt, you know,” he said, staring at her with an annoyed expression.

“Maybe if you listen to when I’m calling you, I wouldn’t have to punch you.” She sighed, grabbing the strap of her bag tightly as she prepared to get out.

“Wait, we should talk about--”

“There’s nothing to talk about, Kav,” she said with a defeated tone, shrugging as she looked at him. “Our parents are adults. What they do or don’t do isn’t on us.”

“So you’re not the least bit curious or worried?” He asked.

When she stopped with the passenger door halfway open, Kavi knew he had her full and undivided attention. “Listen, bro, I know it’s hard for us to fathom that our parents aren’t happy anymore but why should you or I let that interfere with our happiness? I’ve made peace with the fact that shit happens and you just have to press on.”

He wasn’t sure if she was being the mature one here or if her lack of -- well, anything -- was a sign that she was taking it the worst. Nikki wasn’t always the most expressive and God only knows how much of a mouth she has, but even for her, Kavi had to admit her showing very little reaction to what their parents told them last night and this morning was alarming. Even a little reaction about maybe how much it sucked or even the fear of what their living situation might be was better than what he saw.

“You know, you don’t have to pretend in front of me. It’s not like your shining rep at school is going to be in jeopardy if you be honest with me.” He tried being the comforting older brother for once.

At the moment those words left his lips, on some level, Kavi was expecting to get hit again. Knowing Nikki’s temper as he did, there was no way in hell she was going to limit herself to his arm. It was going to be Halloween all over again (and in his new car, no less).

So, as he braced himself for the inevitable impact of her tightened fist, Kavi stared her dead-straight in the eyes. To his surprise, however, nothing came. The only thing that was exchanged between the two was an awkward staring contest that ended when she had reacted angrily, prompting him to raise his hand only slightly. This reaction was only verbal, thus the next thing Kavi heard was the sound of her leaving his car in a fit of rage, slamming the car door so hard he thought she had separated it from the car.

And so, he sat there, again thinking about changes in his life and how it all happened in a couple of weeks. Change in the sense that he had no control of the good or bad in his life and that he didn’t know what to do.

Until he did.

Kavi decided to just put these thoughts to rest for now. He also decided it did him no good to fret on what happened at home and how his kid sister was taking it. Instead, he would just get his bag, get out of the car, and try and fake happy for everyone’s sake. That was honestly the only thing he knew he was capable of doing.

Halfway across the parking lot, Kavi pulled out his phone and texted Ariel the following:

Hey sorry I couldn’t pick you up this morning, Nik needed a ride. See you at school. 💪😎

He smiled as he sent it and went further into the campus. He wasn’t sure exactly what this day had in store for him, but if he had to pick, he’d rather it be dull and quiet. He didn’t know how he would respond otherwise.

Sentaku

There was an unspeakable tension in the air as the Lady Hokage was speaking to the genin present. She spoke of how the chunin exams would be vastly different than any of their past missions would be and how those around them -- some Ren Shimo knew from the academy days -- wouldn’t all be allies; that the only allies he had were those in his own squad. Upon hearing this, Ren chuckled, curving his lips into a smirk.

As his mind began to wander as soon as Lady Hokage finished speaking, Ren thought about his team, about his sensei, and about how much trouble he had caused them since graduating from the academy and actually becoming a team. To say that their time together has been surprising was putting it mildly. Ren always felt like he carried the team, being the one who had the most leadership qualities out of everyone. Of course, that was not counting Shion-Sensei. She was de facto leader but it wasn’t like Karu was going to step it up, not when he always tried to get sensei’s time of day.

Of the many times the chance presented itself, Ren had to assume the role because obviously the only other female on the team spent her time trying to keep everyone in line -- even Ren. But when it came down to it, Ren was always the one to take control of a situation. Organized or not, he had a certain order to his madness and he never turned away from a fight. And that was the reason why he was so excited right now.

His blood usually ran cold and disobedient, but something about the challenge and reward of possibly becoming chunin sent thrills down his spine. As shivering and frigid as they were, Ren felt the will of fire burn bright as he scanned the room and just tried to gather who would be the weakling among them.

His blue eyes, the overseers for his blades, Ren spotted some familiar faces. Former classmates of his and they looked strong. He gripped his kodachiswords by the hilt, the itch that needed to be scratched crawling up his skin like a rattlesnake slowly ascending. “Someone, but who?” He asked himself, breathing the names of those he saw, craving a spar with someone.

Weew

Welcome to the guild!

Reaching out to old friends.

Welcome back to the Guild!

Men vs. Women Race to 1000: Version 2.0

-122

Sentaku

Shimo Jiren

---

_{“Risks are meant to be taken if one is to achieve their goals in life.”}

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Personal

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_{N A M E}

Shimo, Jiren
"Ren is fine."

_{A G E}

Fourteen

_{C L A N}

Shimo Clain, namesake of Shimogakure, formerly known as “The Village Hidden in Frost”, though now it simply exists as a barren wasteland within the Land of Snow.

_{S E X U A L I T Y}

Heterosexual

_{B L O O D T Y P E}

AB+

Characterization

---

_{H E I G H T}

4’5

_{E Y E S}

Sapphire blue

_{H A I R}

Ren’s hair is silver in color and is styled in a wavy, free-falling style. It comes down just a few inches past his ears.

_{H E A D B A N D P L A C E M E N T}

Around the neck.

_{C H A K R A N A T U R E}

Fūton | Wind (Affinity)
Suiton | Water (Not yet unlocked)

_{P E R S O N A L I T Y}

Dedicated → Hard-working → Supportive → Friendly → Independent → Stubborn → Frequently dismissive → Deceitful → Risk-taker → Selfish → Prone to impulsive tendencies

though he may come off a little strong upon first meeting or even second and third meetings, once the layers are pulled back, Ren will reveal himself to be someone to count on. Not only through his skills but his dedication to the mission. There is and always will be young man willing to go above the call of duty for his teammates and fellow shinobi. Sometimes this will involve him taking some unneccessary risks that could put his squad in danger but if his actions can help further the mission and reduce the risk of lives lost, he firmly believes that justifies his actions.

Though do not be mistaken: he will do things his way if he thinks it is the quickest way to do it and often will fight whomever he has to so that his way is the decided trajectory any plan or mission goes. He also will act first and face punishment later. Maybe it works out in his favor and maybe he’ll die because of it. But what is success without a little risk?

_{P E R S O N A L H I S T O R Y}

Born to the endangered clan of Shimo, Jiren came to be as a refugee from the war that rocked his homeland. They called it the War of Ice, for all those who had any kind of ice-based Kekkei Genkai or advanced chakra nature, whether they were of Yuki or some distant relative, they were brutally hunted and killed for their uniqueness. It was a war that, when compared to the actual great ninja wars of old, it would be considered a petty squabble among bickering clans and not worth the time and effort from the great nations.

And it was this one act of neglect that led to the ruin of the Land of Snow and the near extinction of those who bore the bloodline of the Ice Release.

As time passed and those remaining of the Shimo Clan had to travel far and wide to seek sanctuary within the nations, some split apart from the total number of fifty, while others found comfort in unsettled land. By the time the small group reached the land of fire, only seven of them remained and of those seven, only three made it to Konoha. It was here, though the intervention of the Hokage and under the welcoming nature the village had, these three were allowed entry and the only members of the Shimo clan within Konoha found a peaceful life. Hokori and Oda Shimo fund employment as Shinobi and both climbed up the ladder of ranks, earning jonin ranks. And their only child, Jiren, followed in their footsteps by going to the academy and soon becoming a shinobi himself as he graduated to become a genin at the age of twelve.

During his time in the academy, Ren was what some would call an over-achiever. To his instructors, he had a bit of an axe to grind. This wasn’t necessarily trouble for him or them but when it came to jlectures, it was always as though his head was somewhere else, as though he was focused on just the training and not the lessons being taught. Now, he aced nearly every jutsu exam he was given. It wasn’t prodigy levels of good but he outshined the majority of his class every time.

_{C H A R A C T E R D E V E L O P M E N T}

Ren would be an interesting character for me to develop because of his personality and impulsive nature. He has something about him that strives to be better than he was an hour ago. He wants to get stronger and thinks he’s always right. There’s something fundamentally, not to mention morally gray with him. He’s not bad but I don't think he’s good. He also has a lot of anger within him and as he matures, that’ll only intensify. So I would love to explore that. Toss him into a situation where his pride is tested and patience is also tested. I want to see where he can go and where this initial need to be the best will throw him.

I don’t know if he’ll end up being a villain, a hero with a serious attitude problem, or somewhere in the middle. All I know is I find him to be intriguing because he doesn’t have a straight and narrow moral compass.

Attributes

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_{T A L E N T S}

---

• Kenjutsu — Being a member of a clan that specializes in bladed ninjutsu, it stands to reason that Ren is quite adept at using a blade. Though he himself specializes in dual-wielding, he has the ability to be quite proficient with any blade with a handle. Whether that's a kunai knife, his signature twin kodachi blades, or even a full length katana, he can use it and cut down foes with swift precision as well as defend with effortless ease (at least when it comes to the upper genin level of strength).
• Above Average Chakra Control — Most members of the Shimo clan has excellent chakra control. Of course, it comes in varying forms. Where one might be able to utilize chakra control exclusively through defensive means, one might be able to do the reverse with offense. In Ren's case, his control of his chakra comes through an extension of his blades, like when he utilizes Chakra Flow. Since his main style of fighting involves flowing his chakra into his blades, it is paramout that he esxecute precise control. Too much and shit goes boom and too little and it'll be very ineffective.
• Cold Resistant — Put simply, along with his family, Ren's kekkei genkai has afforded him the benefit of being quite resistant to extremely low temperatures. This doesn't mean he is completely immune to it. He will get frostbite with prolonged exposure but there is something to be said about how long he can last in frigid areas. This makes him ideal for missions that might involve going to the frozen tundras of the world.
• Excellent Motivator — As someone who refuses to give up, Ren is practically the resident motivational speaker for his team. Should any of them get to the point of being full of doubts, Ren is the man to step up and assure them that they got this. He'll either do positive assurance or take up a leadership role if the sensei isn't up for the task. Might be a bit risky and might be foolish in some regard, but it is certainly a quality his squad is grateful for him to have. One might even say he's quite skilled at it, too.
• Poor Taijutsu and Genjutsu skills — And by poor, what it really means is hand to hand combat, as well as the art of mind games, fall flat on him. This isn't to say he can't handle himself when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. He can certainly protect himself should the need arise, but it's not his main strength. But he is definitely not the type to do any sort of genjutsu. He is knowledgable of it but in no way is he able to do a single genjutsu technique -- not even the simple breaking of a genjutsu.

_{T O O L S}

---

• Standard Shinobi tools (Kunai, Shiraken, etc)
• Two Kodachi swords.

_{T E C H N I Q U E S}

---

_{C R A N K}

• Gale Palm

_{D R A N K}

• Chakra Flow (wind chakra)
• Peacock Whirlwind (weakened down to D-rank strength)

Other

---

_{K E K K A I G E N K A I}

---

_{N A M E}

• Ice Release Kenjutsu

_{A B I L I T I E S}

• In addition to the usage of ice chakra and the shaping of chakra into outer layers of hardened ice over the steel blade/tools, users of Ice Release Kenjutsu can freely construct virtually anything that is within their power (up until a point and within a reasonable distance).

It either will come in the form of ninjutsu done through a kenjutsu-led thrust or slice or using the tools as the foundation for the ninjutsu that keeps the user stationary (or mostly stationary in some cases).

_{A P P E A R A N C E}

• Hyoton Kenjutsu, or commonly known as "The Ice Release Sword Art", is an off-branch of the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai made famous by the Yuki Clan, but through innovation and generations of training, the Shimoclan of the Village Hidden Among Snow adapted it as their own. When manipulated through any ninja tool (although the preferred tool is a sword of somekind), ice chakra wraps around the user the blade in their hand, allowing them to do virtually anything within their power.

For the future
_{S U M M O N I N G J U T S U}

---

_{A N I M A L}

• Varying arctic wild cats of Kosetsu Peak, a mountain located in the coldest and most frigid of mountains within the known shinobi world. Only those with a summoning pack with the cats of this land have a chance of finding it, much less surviving it.

_{N A M E}

• Official summon: Yorokobi, a preteen-aged snow leopard whose spots have yet to come in.
Has access to (though not full control of): Shiro, Yoro's father. Though technically the summon of Ren's own father, there has been times where Shiro will listen to him if the situation was dire enough or if Ren gave him enough beef. Shiro is a sucker for beef burned so bad that it's blacker than death itself.

_{A P P E A R A N C E}

• Yorokobi is a white, spotless leopard who wears a neck garb with the leaf emblem engraved on it and a single nodachi on its back for combat. It wears four leather boots on its paw for protection and comfort.

Shiro is a large snow leopard with a blue and white fur shine, black spots, and a tail that has a special radating color of violet and blue. It bears the same garb as his son, though in a full set and a lot more studier and worn out as proof of its age and experience of battle. It bears a large scar down its body as proof that not all damage fully heals.

---

Himura, Natsumi

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_{“They're not ready for this! I'm Mira, the future Crismon Flash!”}

---

Personal

---

_{N A M E}

Himura, Natsumi _{(緋村 夏美)}
"Mira. It's cute, isn't it?"

_{A G E}

13

_{C L A N}

Himura

_{S E X U A L I T Y}

Bisexual

_{B L O O D T Y P E}

O-

Characterization

---

_{H E I G H T}

5'0"

_{E Y E S}

Sky blue

_{H A I R}

Auburn hair that appears to be a scarlett red when under light. It is styled straight and comes past her face and almost as long as her head.

_{H E A D B A N D P L A C E M E N T}

Mira wears her headband as an accessory around her waist with a light pink cloth so it matches her outfit.

_{C H A K R A N A T U R E}

Raiton | Lightning (Affinity)
Fūton | Wind (After timeskip)
Jinton | Swift (Kekkei Genkai and without Raiton amplification)

_{P E R S O N A L I T Y}

Energetic → Quick-witted → Courageous → Somewhat Lax → Naive → Impulsive → Gets carried away

Mira is a lot like her clan's kekkei genkai, Jinton. Just as she is fast whilst using Jinton, she's also fast when it comes to her first impressions. She's quick-witted in every way that would apply: her comebacks, ability to talk someone's ear off, and her overall energy as in she's chalk full of it. She also has the tendency to rush into things, which might not make her the ideal teammate but with her abilities, sometimes it works in her favor. Mira seems to think second and act first, not really exercising any form of tactics. If she gets hit, then to her that means she just has to be quicker than her opponent. As for first impressions, she's definitely got that "you'll either find her extremely adorable or extremely annoying" vibe about her.

In a nutshell, Mira is a lot to handle but an eternal friend if you'll let her.

_{P E R S O N A L H I S T O R Y}

Growing up for Natsumi Himura wasn't exactly what one would call a normal experience. Normal began and ended with her having parents and siblings, but that's where her life gets a little bizarre.

You've probably heard about her clan: The Himura Clan, masters of Swift Release, and chakra manipulation. They didn't invent Jinton but those within the clan have all, in their own way, made Jinton their own by incorporating the shared trait of being able to manipulate chakra that is unique and specific to each individual member. There's Hana the Whispering Wind, Raito the Blur, Suiken the Flowing Rapture, and Kage the Shadow who have been shining examples of the clan's legacy, each with their own style and able to set an example for the clan. On top of everything else, almost every single Himura has become elite Jounins and even a couple made their names known by being part of the 12 Guardian Shinobi who protect the Land of Fire Feudal Lord.

But despite all of the great success, easily the most powerful as well as the most famous lies within the bloodline of the current head of the Himura Clan, Hayate Himura, a former Jounin commander who now happily sits on his makeshift throne in the Himura Manor. Hayate is known for his valor and pride. He is known simply as the Unexpected Terror of the Leaf. And also as Mira's father.

Mira grew up under his and her siblings' shadows, under her mother's excellence, and her father's sometimes tyrannical fist. Maybe it was just her, but at some point, she thought he put her through the unrealistic training regimes that forced her out of bed before the sun did and forced her to run five miles every day.

She was five when this started.

But this was a normal thing in the Himura clan. Kana went through it, Raito did, Suiken, and Yami. All of her four siblings, whom she loved dearly, were just as insane as her father was. High energy and with no filter. It's no wonder Mira ended up the way she is now. Her saving grace growing up was definitely her mother, Sakura Himura, who most called the Blossoming Beauty of the Himura clan. But even growing up in that environment put a lot of things into perspective. None of the outrageous family dinners or ways that her father would suddenly punch her two brothers, Raito and Raito out of nowhere, or how the sounds of Jinton which often sounded like a quick wind blowing over strands of grass, always filled the manor -- none of that ever bothered her. When she looked deep down into her soul and she looked back on it, those were the memories she went to in order to make herself feel better whenever she was feeling down.

And deep down, Mira knew she was just as bonkers as they were, if not more so than all of them combined.

_{C H A R A C T E R D E V E L O P M E N T}

At the core of Mira's journey would be for her to learn humility and to not always go forward into battle impulsively. While it's true she might exhibit overconfident tendencies, I firmly believe she's not above growing and I would love to see her lose a lot of battles so she can learn that her way isn't going to achieve anything for her -- at least, not until she learns some strategy.

As for power upgrades wise, my hope is to focus on her speed and help her achieve Minato levels of speed (eventually). And a lot of nintai combo attacks. I want her to eventually be a master of swift release but her overconfidence, again, will limit her ability to plan ahead and I think that'll remain even after powerups. But at the end of it, she'll become the Crimson Flash...regardless how long it takes her.

Attributes

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_{T A L E N T S}

---

• Taijutsu
_{JinTaijutsu — The Himura Clan-exclusive Taijutsu style is a multi-purposed, chakra-friendly taijutsu style that hold a lot of clan-exclusive similarities to that of the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist style. Although its origins could potentially be learned by those outside of the Himura Clan, it would be extremely difficult as it is founded with the presence of Jinton chakra at its core. This is due to the high speeds one moves at. Though the precision and chakra control could be learned and movements may be copied, the Dragon Flash is very specific to the Himura Clan because they are born with Jinton chakra inside them and the innate characteristics of one faster than the average shinobi. It is ideal for them because their Jinton chakra makes it so.}
• Strong reflexes
_{All members of the Himura clan possess some form of enhanced physical condition that range all across the board, but for Mira specifically, her specialization is centered in having reflexes that appear to have the potential of being superhuman and being able to react as though it was second-natured to her. Her years of training with her family, being taught how to fight and what to do in fights has allowed her with advanced skills that would technically place her on chunin levels as far as how quick her physical offensive and defensive capabilities extend.}
• Chakra Control
_{Another layer of the Himura Clan and Mira by extension is their amazing chakra control. Like her family, Mira displays an uncanny and, of those within the clan in her age group, unmatched ability to control and distribute her chakra like she would breathing. This all comes back to taijutsu training and knowing that one strike can make or break a fight. She has mastered all beginner and has made excellent progress in intermediate levels of her chakra control training.}

_{T O O L S}

---

• Specialized shoes and gloves — Crafted by a blacksmith in the village, the pink and black gloves and boots that Mira wears is made by a special cloth that works in the same way that chakra blades do. They absorb any chakra thrown into them to give Mira the fighting edge. Plus, they are just so darn cute!
• Standard Shinobi Tools — Mainly kunai knives and shuriken.

_{T E C H N I Q U E S}

---

_{C R A N K}

_{D R A N K}

Chakra Flow (Lightning only for now)
Rolling Heel Kick — By utilizing Chakra Flow, Mira concentrates her lightning chakra into her boots and jumps into the air, spinning her body halfway, and kicking her opponents with her heel.
Spinning Back Fist Combo — Same as With her Rolling Heel Kick, Mira utilizes a combo of a sequence of four punches and one roundhouse kick: straight right, straight left, straight right, spinning back fist, and spinning roundhouse kick

Other

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_{K E K K A I G E N K A I}

---

_{N A M E}

Swift Release (迅遁, Jinton)

_{A B I L I T I E S}

Users of Swift release are capable of moving faster than most. With both wind and lightning chakra natures amplifying their movements, not only will their taijutsu be stronger, faster and more precise than those without it, they can recover faster than most. Their reaction time is amplified by both chakra natures. If level one is simply swift release without the addition of other chakras, then level two would be with one of the two, and the top tier is when both wind and lightning work together in unison with the innate swift chakra.

Mira is at level one, so it is not quite up to par with the elite users of Jinton.

•Swift Release: Shadowless Flight Jutsu is taxing after three uses. Each use is a quarter less effective the more it's used
• Swift Release: Vacuum Kick An series of two kicks (one upward and one downward) that slices the air in front of it, creating a powerful vacuum in its wake. Deflected air rushes back one second later in the place of the opponent.
•Swift Release: Sonic Boom A barrage of kicks delivered with such intense speed and precision that each kick creates a condensed, if not thin, sickle. When any form of physical contact is made (human or object), a shockwave of pure chakra explodes wherever it makes contact. Mira uses this ability as a cover for vacuum kick by aiming for the ground as a form of cover.

_{A P P E A R A N C E}

Swift Release is a Kekkei Genkai that allows users to move at incredible speeds, appearing as a blur when in motion. It is a mixture of wind and lightning chakra, which both enhance the speed and precision of its user. WIthin the Himura Clan, each have their specific appearance and colored-blur as it were. Since Mira mainly wears pink, though her speeds aren't quite up to the blur level, her fast movements create half-blurs of pink, white, and black.

Rosefell High.

Ricky had spent the majority of the first week trying to tell himself all of it was worth it; that the time spent wasn’t just pointless. He did this so he didn’t skip during the first week, but that didn’t work because not even two days in, Ricky was basically absent from school from second period -- his free period for those who didn’t know -- and this eventually caught up to him. He knew he was fucked for several reasons. These reasons were irrelevant only because when he came in front of his house and saw his aunt’s department-issued car still parked in front of their house on Franklin Avenue at a time when he knew she was supposed to be out patrolling or doing some police work.

As soon as he opened the door and closed it behind him, a Dr. Pepper can in his hand and casually sipping it, right off the bat he saw a certain someone sitting in the recliner chair in the front room as if she was waiting for him. He sipped the soda once more and sighed. He belched as only one could when they have just consumed half of a can of Dr. Pepper and he took a seat.

“Oh hey, Mona. What are you doing home? Aren’t you supposed to be protecting us from killers and rapists?“ He casually joked, chuckling at his own wit.

The older redheaded woman sighed. She was still in her officer uniform and she did not look happy. “Yes, I would love to be out there doing my job, but hard to protect and serve the people out there when my nephew is already causing me trouble in here.”

Ricky didn’t look up at her. “Oh no. Do I have a cousin somewhere my useless parents forgot to tell me about?” Ricky, again, joked, making light of a potentially dire situation for him.

Suddenly, he heard her hand slam on the table next to the recliner she was sitting in, causing the lamp on it to fall over. “This isn’t a game, Patrick!” Her voice echoed loudly within the thin, white walls that barely had anything on them. “Henderson called me, saying you failed to show up for any of your classes today.”

“Oh no, not Henderson. Anyone but Mr.Henderson!” Ricky feigned a distressed tone and then returned to his unphased state a moment later. “He doesn’t scare me,” he stated, sipping his soda.

“Patrick Hunter Quinn!” She shouted, causing him to perk up and look at her with slanted eyes. “You can’t be doing this. I’m not sure if you ever realized this but skipping school causes people to look our way and when certain people pay attention to us, this living situation you and I have might be compromised. So I need you to meet me halfway.”

Truth be told, Ricky wasn’t sure what a few partial days skipped would do. It’s not like social services were going to come knocking on his door because he skipped some classes and, of all times, during the first week. Even if he had missed some important lessons, he didn’t think much of it because, again, it was only the first week. Nothing important happens during the first week.

“And another thing--” Ramona noticed Ricky wasn’t paying attention to her, so she slammed her hand on the arm of the couch he was sitting on. “Ricky!” She shouted, again forcing him to glance her way.

“Aunt Ramona!” he said her name in a cheeky tone and greeted her with a cheeky grin.

“We have to be on the same--”

As she spoke, Ramona was about to repeat herself, but then she heard her radio go off.

“We’ve got shots fired on the corner of Redwood and Langley,” Dispatch said.

A smile came to his face as he realized where this call would place her. Redwood and Langley were about seven miles south of where they lived, but more importantly, it would place her in a busy situation and save him from her nagging. “You better get that, Auntie.” Ricky teased her (much to her annoyance).

She sighed. “Copy that, Dispatch. 23 en route to location, over.”

“Roger that, 23.”

Though he was happy to be free of her consistent whining, watching Ramona get ready to leave, Ricky couldn’t help but feel worried. It wasn’t like him to show emotion, but no matter how big of a pain in his ass she was, she was the closest thing he had to a parent. It was clear that as he stood when she did, there was a show of respect and compassion for the older woman.

“Say, Aunt Mona..” Ricky spoke up just as she had one foot out the door.

She paused and glanced back at him. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back before long. Just,” she paused, smiling at him. “Just don’t get too wild at that party, all right?”

As Ricky nodded, Ramona was soon out the door, sirens going off as they became less and less close by.

About an hour later when Ricky’s uber arrived, he got a ride to the lakefront, which took a good while and allowed him the time to think. While he had a lot on his mind, the one thing -- well, a person more like -- that came to mind was, in fact, his aunt. She had practically raised him since he was a little boy. She stepped up where nobody else would. She got a job she probably hated but did it to support him. And how did he thank her? By being a burden.

From the time he was an edgy preteen to, well now, Ricky gave her nothing but grief and trouble. Sometimes he wondered why she put up with him and didn’t toss him back into the foster system. It sure as hell would be a lot easier on her and maybe she could get her life back and enjoy what little remained of her young life. Maybe she could finally get married or do something other than worry about him.

“Yeah, like I’m not worried about her right now,” Ricky murmured, seeing the party come into view.

He said his farewells to his Uber driver and found himself at the party, though he stood a good distance away.

Ricky wasn’t exactly dressed for a lakefront party. Honestly? He wore the same thing that he usually wore. He had his leather jacket, a dark-colored tank, a pair of denim jean shorts that came to his mid-shin, and dirty shoes. He might be one for the party scene but Ricky never dressed to impress nor was he someone who would sacrifice his ideals just to look fashionable.

After a few moments of remaining away, Ricky decided to join the party, regardless of how reluctant he was about it. His legs carried him to the lakeside and closer to where the vertical bonfire and music was more ‘in your face’. He glanced around, trying to see if anyone was around but there wasn’t much to choose from. Henderson’s little bitch photographer, Alex was chit-chatting away with another little bitch and, well that was pretty much it.

“Man this is lame,” Ricky groaned.

He considered what to do. He could just as easily stay where he was at, enjoy the music, and stay away from bitch center, or he could have some fun with the paparazzi to entertain himself until Jenna or someone else caught his attention. And he considered other options that weren’t even directly tied to that.

Soon, as his legs started carrying him in a specific direction, his decision was made clear.

Ricky smiled at Alex and ignored Jordan. “So, Alex, how does it feel to have a direct line to Henderson’s vapid asshole?” He asked the photographer, again ignoring Jordan, which was easy for him to do because he couldn’t stand the little gossip queen.