AlteredTundra

Project Untamed

_{A @metanoia & @NeoAJ Collaboration
Featuring Mr. Unlucky & The Payed Piper}

---

Under normal circumstances, Nicholas might say he was having a good time. The times of playing spin the bottle might not be so clear to him when he thought about it, but the feelings of nostalgia were present in the giggles and prevalent feelings of entertainment enhanced his own enjoyment from it.

The games were fun. Leo knew how to play it well. The boy was a gamemaster and he had all of the cheat codes in how to effectively make even the most unlikely of people fall breathless. It wasn’t present in Erica who retained much of her fire when her kiss with the King Alpha ended, but poor Cassie wasn’t so lucky. She wasn’t the only one who observed everyone. Both she and Nicholas watched others and he knew there was something between her and Leo. The latter wasn’t aware of it, but the way she perked up when his spin landed on her and how she trembled when their steamy kiss ended, it was clear the blonde hadn’t been honest with even herself about how deep her thirst for Leo’s everything ran. But if Nicholas could see it, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume everyone else would too -- Leo included.

And as she excused herself, Nicholas chuckled mostly to himself. He didn’t know whether to maybe excuse himself and go comfort her or not, but before he could, his eyes followed the bottle. And as it stopped, his reaction was the polar opposite of Leo and generally everyone else.

Visible disgust. Absolutely vile, atrocious disgust became Nicholas’ face for the next minute. He didn’t want to watch it nor did he want to even imagine that, of all people, Leo Brooks would find a predatory home on his sister’s lips. The part inside him that was Billie’s go to response nearly took over. His older brother instincts wanted to rip Leo off of his sister and pound the life out of him, showing him what happens when the swan is cornered.

But Nicholas remembered this was a party. Nicholas remembered that it was all fun and games. Yeah until my sister gets involved. That one reminder had allowed the boy to calm his growing ire and turn away. The least he could do was not have the cursed sight of his best friend (probably debatable but friends were hard to come by these days) and Leo lock lips like a couple of sex-starved animals.

When it ended and Nicholas’ faith in the big guy upstairs was restored, it was Tyler Jane’s turn to spin. He wouldn’t say he had hopes it would land on him because he would never allow himself to appear that desperate, but at the same time, he felt like one of those animals who were deprived of their most primal instincts. He would be lying if, should the bottle land on him, that he wouldn’t give Tyler Jane a kiss she’ll never forget, both in his technique and how forward he might go.

As it twirled around, Nicholas felt every weight on his shoulder raise up, the tension releasing itself as he prepared to lean forward. But this was only to crush him all over again when it landed on Griffin Pierce, of all people. Immediately, his eyes shot sharp dagger-like glares at both of them, but specifically at Tyler Jane. If she thought he didn’t notice what she was doing, then she clearly didn’t know him at all. But that wasn’t the only thing that was getting under his skin. Her kiss with Griffin aside, it was the way she had been behaving all night long. Not that he was innocent, but there had been times where she went two steps beyond teasing him or making him reach out instead of her being the one to. It was frustrating past the point of acceptable and her kiss with Griffin was just another example of this.

And when it ended and she excused herself, he remained and watched the steamy and rather intriguing kiss that Sol and Savannah shared. It acts as a palette cleanser to the bitter note that TJ and Griff left. He found it enticing enough to have an idea. It would require mostly luck and hoped the big guy upstairs was looking out for him because Nicholas needed some of his magic in order to make it happen. Maybe it was going to be cruel but, honestly, Nicholas was in that kind of mood.

“I suppose it’s my turn.” He smiled as he leaned forward and reached for the bottle. He gripped it tightly, twisting his wrist and giving it a rough spin. It swerved on the floor and almost bumped into someone but about five inches away from them, it finally stopped. And by the literal grace of God, Nicholas met Savannah’s eyes with a smirk with one of them purposely giving Tyler Jame a quick look.

He rose up from his seated position and crawled closer to Sav, who sat across from him in the gathered circle. He wanted to be close to her enough so he could prep not only her for what was about to happen but also for himself. Nicholas was a tender and affectionate lover, regardless of the circumstances. He brought his left hand up to caress her right cheek. He first twisted his wrist so that the outside of his hand was facing Sav and felt the softness of her skin against his. It was a bit drawn out compared to others, but Nicholas was something of a magician in foreplay and if this was really going to work, he needed to put in the extra effort.

As their gaze lingered, Nicholas leaned close to her, bringing his lips close to her ear and whispered, “I do hope you saved enough energy for me, Savvy.”

Sober Savannah would have been doing cartwheels at how the bottle spin had landed. This would have been the culmination of many prayers and lit candles to get a shot at kissing Nicholas Grey. She would have swooned at the words in her ear like one of those middle-aged moms at a Justin Bieber concert.

Sober Savannah wasn’t home right now.

Instead, Payout almost shuddered from the feeling of Nicholas’ hand on her cheek. Compared to Sol’s rough foraging through her hair, this felt like an attempt at coercion. Like she was expected to just bend the knee at this gesture of romanticism from a man. Payout didn’t play that.

She let out a deep breath that she didn’t know was being held and looked the Robin Hood that managed to land this bottle shot in the eye.“Just make this quick, Romeo,” she told him matter-of-factly.

“Quick?” He repeated back as though disappointed. The entirety of the makeshift plan he mapped out in his head was reliant on the reaction that he normally received when his hand gently caressed the cheek and he whispered into the ear. It was his signature move, but more importantly, the usual reaction would have done wonders for his real plan to make TJ jealous.

Maybe Nicholas pushed his luck too far. Or maybe he went about it the wrong way. Something in her eyes and how...bored she was, produced something of a delayed reaction on his part. He wasn’t usually like this but Nicholas understood. Sol had ruined his usual plays; in a sense, Nicholas was cockblocked by Shady.

“I normally don’t do it quickly, but there’s no choice, I suppose.” With a sigh, Nicholas didn’t allow time to elapse so Sav could get a response in. He grabbed both sides of her face, looking her into both of her eyes with a daunting stare only he could produce. It was the kind of stare that always let the other person know they were the only one who mattered for however long the fixated gaze lasted.

And then he went head-first into her lips, commanding them, seizing them for himself. His passion couldn’t be contained and after a few seconds, Nicholas felt the need to claim more. He pressed against her body as the skin under their shirts touched. The grip around her face tightened as though he was pinching her skin (just enough to enhance the experience). Nicholas was getting lost in it all, forgetting that there were other people in the room, forgetting that it was meant to be a game, forgetting that he had Tyler Jane watching him. The only person on his mind was Savannah Payton. She consumed him like he was her. What Nicholas hadn’t realized was that he was craving more and that was a dangerous point.

So he slowly pulled away, a deep breath of desperation and forced restraint leaving his lips.

There was a brief moment in which it seemed like Nicholas may have succeeded in his attempt to sway Savannah from still visualizing how Soleil or Talya would have tackled this moment. To be fair, she already had real-world data on Sol. And she had to give Nicholas credit. He attacked with gusto. He looked at her as if she was the only woman left in the world.

However, after their lips parted, the events of the day caught up with her, and she couldn’t stop a yawn from escaping her lips.

“Hah… sorry, Nicholas. No, that was great, dude,” she offered, trying to help him save face, but it was clear from her tone she didn’t mean it. “Still, way behind Sol though.”

Nicholas refused to believe she was sincere. Even Dwayne was more receptive to his advances long before Nicholas ever made the first move. Whatever game that Savannah was playing was not only uninteresting but it was, quite frankly, getting on his nerves. “I don’t understand you, Payton. You were all over me last week. You even risked that friendship you hold dear to catch my attention. And finally, when I give you it in its entirety, you brush it off like I’m yesterday’s trash?” It was clear Nicholas was offended and he had every right to be. “Maybe I was wrong about you and there was nothing unique about you, at least, nowhere as special as Tyler Jane is.” His voice was maybe just a little louder than intended, but at this point, Nicholas had lost all interest in caring.

A snort could be heard. Savannah rarely let herself get to that point, but the alcohol made it clear that any filter on herself was long gone. She wanted to slap the shit out of this cocky asshole, but she steadied herself for now. It wouldn’t have the effect that was necessary. “Well, I think a lot of people were wrong about you, bucko,” she started. “You aren’t worth a friendship like the one I have,” she motioned to TJ as she stated that fact. “You aren’t worth the time I spent playing this game, and you aren’t worth the 20 cents of gum I’m going to need to get the taste of you out of my mouth. I don’t know who the fuck you think I am, but you are fucking nothing to me. And if you fuckin’ dare think you’re something you are not, I will fuckin’ swiftly remind you of who you are. Comprende, fuckwit?”

As he looked at her, Nicholas couldn’t help himself but feel pity for Savannah. Pity that she didn’t get to experience him before Sol ruined him for her. Pity that she needed to be buzzed up to finally be interesting. Pity that not even on her best day would she ever compare to Tyler Jane. Nicholas knew it and, if everyone looked behind the surface, they would see it too. She wasn’t interesting. She wasn’t special. She wasn’t worth ruining her entire career.

And when he was able to be content with that, he let out a sigh, glancing over at TJ. Has it worked? Did Nicholas get what he wanted from this? Or did he set himself back again? Honestly, he didn’t know whether or not his plan worked. One thing was for sure, though. Savannah Payton was officially off the list forever.

“It’s too bad. If you were this outspoken all the time, maybe things would be different.” Nicholas allowed himself the benefit of her face one last time before he excused himself from the circle.

“Do I care?”

Her words fell on selectively-deaf ears. Nicholas didn't need to deal with her right now. The only thing he needed was space and an unspecified amount of shots. And maybe, after he was slightly more buzzed than he was right now, would he have the tolerance to deal with literally everything -- and everyone -- else.

Project Untamed

_{Mentions // Leo @Melissa ☆ Billie @HaleyTheRandom}

When lips met lips, her cherry scent was overpowered by whatever Leo Brooks’ flavor of the day was. And it was hard for her not to let him take full control of a situation that Cassie hadn’t the time to think about, hadn't the time to process that her spin landed on Leo Brooks.

She knew how it must’ve looked. She was the weird girl with the camera. She was the person, if she was ever discovered, watching others through the lens of her camera as they lived out moments in their confined life at San Agustin. And that was something she never had a problem with. She adored watching those moments when they were unsuspecting and truly themselves. It was something rare and especially for those who might hide certain aspects of their true personality from those closest to them. But never did Cassie envision a scenario where one of the most observed would ever press his lips against hers like it was imagined in those nights she spent alone in her dorm.

When it happened, time slowed down. Froze. Every bone that could tremble did when she felt his passion. A whimper of sorts had been muted when his hand caressed her cheek, relaxing every part of her body - inside and out. And when it was over and he had moved on to his turn, again, Cassie’s mind had fled to a place not of this realm, only thinking about Leo’s lips and how she yearned to feel them again. In all of the what-if scenarios she played out, if she ever got the chance, she would do more than just let him take charge. Cassie would allow herself the benefit of alerting him to just how deep she felt for him and how much she admired his jawline.

Instead, when Cassie returned to Planet Party, she was petrified when Leo turn had landed him on her best friend and watching them kiss crushed her. She knew it was a game, but that didn’t matter.

To avoid making a scene, especially not to make it obvious that his kiss had done more to her than it should to anyone, Cassie made a bullshit excuse. Something to allow her the freedom to crawl into the nearest bathroom and let nature run its course. “B.R.B., gotta pee!” She would announce in the middle of Billie and Leo’s kiss, ignoring most of everyone and she made the quickest beeline for the bathroom, locking herself in it.

The running water from the faucet, whether or not it did her any good, had allowed Cassie to think in peace. Something about the running water hitting the sink reminded her of something that she once found relaxing. Something about it brought her to the image of a spa, which, of course, was strange because she had no memory of ever being at such a place. Nevertheless, it calmed her down enough to keep her from going over the edge. But it wasn't enough to quell the bizarre feeling deep in the pit of her stomach.

“Am I...jealous?”

Meadow University

N A T H A N I E L B L A K E

_{NECTAR'S KARAOKE BAR}

Mood: Confident with a dash of freaking the fuck out

Nathaniel Blake was known for a lot of things. His reputation of being a student at Meadow U for three years had afforded him the often-unfortunate “motor-mouth” moniker that may or may not be part of the reason behind his over-reliance on weed. Through that, his tendency to ramble on for multiple minutes was as impressive as it was pointed out to him -- on numerous occasions, at that -- annoying. It’s probably another reason why he went with the flow and laughed at himself before anyone saw the chance to. It’s true what they say about laughing at yourself so bullies can’t.

But being eerie quiet for several minutes as shots ordered by Dee that were put on his tab came to their table was, unfortunately for all of the thoughts coursing through his mind, thinking of ways to utter even a single word, wasn’t something Nathaniel Blake ever did, yet there he was just sitting in the awkward silence. The chatter and hollering of the football players at the bar became white noise as Nate’s mind circled around the blunt approach Dee had into helping him, all the while Mandy’s advice replayed against it as if fighting a gang war inside his own mind.

Maybe Dee has a point. Whatever it was that was between me and Jasper, I know it’s there. Does she, though?

Of course she does. Or why would she still be here?

Nah, maybe she’s just here for the booze. Yeah, she definitely is still here for the booze.

Okay, you really need to stop letting that voice in your head win, Nate. Or at the least, listen to their positive twin sister.

He shook his head and forced any whisper that was anything but positive into the deepest parts of his mind and let out a random, if not short, battlecry and downed his shot without even thinking about it. The rush he experienced from the alcohol and added flavorings was enough to wake up Nate’s senses. He felt the most alert he has been in a while and that caused his legs to repeatedly shake with a sensation of excitement that was foreign to Nate. Something inside him had awoken and maybe it wasn’t just the rush of alcohol that tickled his throat and made everything south of it burn with a fire not felt in a really long time.

And the fire in his eyes lit up when he faced Jasper. For a few moments, however short they were, lingered a speechless gaze until Nate coughed a dry cough. “Dee, despite her strange ways, has a point. I mean, I know I fucked up on Monday but a person very dear to me said that I shouldn’t let that or anything else ruin the potential for me to have fun tonight. This same person made me put on my best shirt and my best pair of jeans and try and have some fun.” Nate and the point weren’t close associates, but now would be a good time for them to get to know each other.

And then Nate remembered something very important about himself. He wasn’t good with words. Nate liked to ramble on more than most preferred him to, so he wasn’t able to get his message across clearly.

Nathaniel Blake was a man of action.

So he took it by grabbing Jasper’s face with an impulsive grasp, hands on both sides of her face, and stared into those inviting eyes. Blue dipped in a pool of black that he wanted to get lost in until he did and leaned forward, the moment taking full control as their lips locked. His heartbeat increased nearly tenfold but it was relaxing and exciting and dangerous all at the same time. Nate hadn’t thought about it -- he just did it.

Project Untamed

@Melissa Here's my boi finally!

Wild Boy Free Fallin'

"Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively." — The Dalai Lama

_{Face Claim || Tom Holland ♦ Color || Burnt Orange/#cc5500}

Levi {LEE-Vie} || 17, 4/18 || CisMale, HetFlex || Squirrel Likes & Dislikes || Freerunning and Parkour + Not going to class + The outdoors (specifically anywhere not near an authority figure + Getting into trouble + Any kind of nut and that goes double for nut butter || Authority. He'd rather be able to roam free. - Sitting still for too long (he's got a bad case of Restless Body Syndrome) - Anything lemon-lime flavored. Yes, sadly that means no sprite or 7-Up for Levi - Griffin Pierce. Something about that guy triggers him Habits & Quirks ♦ Not only does he refuse to stay still, but Levi is also often the first one out the door whenever a class is over. Even before the bell rings, he will jet out as soon as he can. ♦ Levi has extensive knowledge of the layout of San Agustin. This may or may not be the result of him getting into places that he shouldn't. Or just climbing all of the structures. Who is to say which is the truth? ♦ He vibes hella hard to an old genre of music from the 2010s called EDM. His Dre Beat Headphones are attached to his iPhone 30 and there's always some remix of some old song playing. ♦ Levi enjoys the company of those that think like him. So if they happen to enjoy breaking a few rules, go ahead and assume he's nearby somewhere ♦ He can always be seen snacking on his nuts. That is to say, ziplock bags full of assorted nuts and seeds. Honey roasted only. Dreams || The extent of Levi's dreams could be summed up in his desire to explore the world. As someone who hates being confined to small places or that of which he has already seen to its fullest extent, he desires to be free. He needs to see the world and it certainly should have more to offer than what he has seen at San Agustin. Plus, he's bored of this school already and it's only been two months. Fears || Can someone be afraid of another person? If so, then put Grifin Pierce on that list. Okay, maybe it's less of a fear and more of some subconscious wariness that Levi has towards Griffin. He doesn't know the guy that well, but he's heard stories and he'd rather keep his distance, which should be easy since he's quite agile. Another thing that might be surprising but he's lowkey afraid of heights. Despite most of his time spent climbing buildings and the like, Levi is afraid of heights. He believes in addressing fears instead of hiding behind them. Or he's just a masochistic son of a bitch. He hasn't decided which applies to him most. Misc || Brush Fonts → Colors of Autumn I like the egg mcmuffin from Mickey D's .................................................................	█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █	Free-Loving → Adventurous → Chill → Energetic → Rebellious → Tempestuous → Daring → "Squirrely" Impression Levi has a certain charm about him that marches to his own drum. It doesn’t always make sense nor does it make him automatic friends, especially with those who respect a thing called the rules. If there is one thing about him that is bound to leave an impression, it’s his ability to make any uncomfortable situation even more uncomfortable. And that’s what makes it exciting. Levi Forrester is the spider-monkey who can’t sit still; the restless, young boy who always has to be moving. Whether that’s going for jogs through whatever San Agustin calls a forest, climbing all of the buildings or any obstacles to get in his required exercise (or else he’ll flip his shit). He’s the poster child for an early 2000s skater mag with his baggy clothing, the way he talks, and, especially his choice in music. He’s the kind of person that might annoy you or you might find him a breath of fresh air among the uptight snobs and fuckboy wannabes. He doesn’t pretend to be something he’s not and won’t dial it down just to make you feel a little more at ease. You will either love him to death or wouldn’t want him near you. Yeah, Levi can be a bit nutty but that’s part of his charm. Levi is someone who values honesty in his friends and whatever comes past that. He values a sense of loyalty to just be real with him. He doesn’t do the whole “do this favor for me and I’ll do it for you”. No, prove to him you’re a loyal friend and he’ll have your back regardless. Pre-Memory Loss Life For as long as he could remember, Levi Forrester has always had to watch his back. From his divorced parents often using him as the pawn in the nasty verbal shouting wars, using him as leverage to one-up each other, and eventually making him loath them both. Through all of this, since he was seven, he had to grow up quickly. Being the youngest of three children, Levi survived by applying a child-friendly code: don't regret and always do what makes you happy. He's tried to apply that to everything in his life, but when two big sisters feel so protective over you, it was hard for Levi to find his way. With two older sisters, Levi couldn't find his way until he dug a hole out of the prison that was his life. Sometime after turning thirteen -- maybe a bit before -- the good-natured boy who suffered under the tug of war his parents put him through and the overbearing nature his sisters had, Levi broke out of his cell (yes cell, not shell) and found ways to express himself. He started small: tagging walls at his school in Seattle, Washington, getting into fights (some started, some finished but most lost cause he was and still is a puny SOB), and not really paying much attention to this little thing called rules. Levi blames his upbringing. He wasn't raised right. Too many rules and not enough attention was given to him. Honestly, the fact that he only stuck to little stuff like vandalism and trespassing should make his folks proud. He could have been a murderer in the making. Of course, he has thought about it. Anyone who says they didn't think of killing someone at least once is either lying or already did it and doesn't want the FBI to come knocking on their door. ...Not that Levi has killed anyone or anything like that. That's illegal and he's totally a law-abiding citizen. Just like Gerard Butler was. So where were we? Oh yes, Levi's extracurriculars. Remember that bit about Levi trespassing? Yeah, there's more to that. He does so with style and grace. This is because Levi has always been one for athletics. During all of those times, his parents didn't want to deal with him, they signed him up for athletics growing up. The rigid schedule of baseball, basketball, football, track, and just a lot of activities he didn't want to do but couldn't deny there were at least some benefits. Without all of that physical conditioning imprinted into his mind, Levi wouldn't have found breaking all of the rules and climbing structures a fifteen-year-old him shouldn't be climbing the most exhilarating and form of adrenaline he felt since he pissed on a cop car when he was thirteen (among the other illegal acts he committed during his early days). A lot of his free time has been spent getting to high places with relative ease, all the while he evaded the cops and went unnoticed by his folks. They barely noticed he was gone but he had to wonder that, in the moments before some guys from some place dressed like Men in Black kidnapped him from the back alley behind the Parkour Vision gym, he had to wonder how exciting these guys were. He lived for thrills and wherever he went, at least he wouldn't be used as a pawn anymore. He was free to live his best life.

Project Untamed

_{A @metanoia // @HaleyTheRandom Collaboration
Featuring the Dynamic Duo of Stargazer & Picasso}
______________________________________________☆______________________________________________

For as long as the party came into its full swing and those who went in before she had mingled, Cassie stood off in the corner, hiding behind the ferns that were placed in a weird position off to the right. She desperately wanted to go in, but barging in wasn’t in good manners and she had always tried to adhere to some sense of proper etiquette. That and where she stood, she had the perfect vantage point to snap some opportune pictures of those actually enjoying the party and everything it had. She saw TJ and her friends enjoying a game of beer pong and how Nicholas wasted very little time indulging in what seemed like a like-minded, master of opportunity act as he approached them.

Raising her camera, she noticed Savannah being especially stationary. In the past, when she would be lurking behind a tree or a wall, Savannah was always so graceful but she was also kind of active. Or maybe it was Cassie always moving that made it seem like that. “No, that’s not--"

"Boo!"

The tiny blonde found herself jumping at least a foot into the air, knocking over one of the fern plants, the clay pot it held the fern in falling over and smashing. The sound it sent off was thankfully muffled by the music playing from inside the party, but what couldn’t be muffled was the feeling that Cassie had when she jumped for joy a moment later as she saw Billie. She immediately hugged her bestie for dear life. Literally.

"What are we waiting for? Go in!"

“I was waiting for you!” Cassie nudged her friend, holding onto her arm with a wide smile that would light up any dark room. And then her eyes fell onto Billie’s outfit. It was no secret that Cassie had a wandering eye and she had no problem admitting when her best friend that lit up her world was looking so good tonight. “Love the outfit, Beej!”

”But are you sure it’s okay for tonight though? I mean, back home I would have done the full face of makeup and a tight little dress and ---” With a sigh, Billie waved her free hand dismissively. ”You’re right. I look amazing. And so do you!” she said, playfully tapping her friend on the nose with her index finger. ”Now tell me love. What all have you noticed going on so far?”

She giggled when her nose was booped and hummed thoughtfully, trying to recall everything. “Wellll, the party got into full swing. People have danced, Leo roared proudly and just roared like he always did. But the most notable thing I noticed, well outside that Tane and Sol arrived, looking a little more extra than usual--” She was referring to Tane, of course, “--your brother went straight for TJ and her friend, Sav.” Cassie was more than aware about how Billie felt about Nicholas’ whole obsession with Tyler Jane. Well, she was certain Nicholas wouldn’t call it that, but both of them knew it was a light obsession at least. “And that’s basically everything I’ve been able to spot so far.”

Raising her eyebrows in a form of surprised approval, Billie was glad to hear that Sol had arrived. What she wasn’t glad to hear was that Nick had beelined for little miss ballerina. ”I don’t see why he’s so obsessed with her,” she scoffed. ”Like seriously. It’s fucking disgusting. He knows he could have literally almost anyone that he wants and he wants to be with that…. That… thing. I can’t. I literally fucking cannot.” Arms crossed, brows nit, Billie glared at TJ through the window. ”On the bright side, they don’t know I’m coming to their little party.” Her expression lighting up, Billie turned back to her friend as a wicked smile spread across her face. Now let’s go make some people regret everything.”

With a smile and one action of hooking her arm with Billie’s, the two girls waltzed into the party — albeit uncharacteristically silent.

Snooping from afar had been one thing for Cassie. It was the sort of delightful thrill she often experienced whenever she had caught some of her friends with people she didn’t think they liked to be seen with. And perhaps the moments photographed were meant to be private. It’s not like Cassie would ever divulge them intentionally. She cherished those moments because it allowed her to see them for how they truly were: vulnerable, exposed, real.

A lot like how Cassie felt right now after being pulled from her comfort zone from behind the ferns.

But she wasn’t going to say that. At least, she would embrace her new surroundings as openly as Billie was.

“So what do you think? I feel it has a nice energy about it,” Cassie noted, looking around. “I mean, as far as private-not-so-private parties are concerned.”

Nose upturned ever so slightly in disgust, Billie tried to keep the ever-growing need to grimace from appearing on her face. "It's okay, I guess. At least they managed to score booze."

Another thoughtful glance around the room, Billie shrugged her shoulders. "So what do you wanna do first?"

“Hmm...” Cassie hummed thoughtfully. It wasn’t until she spotted the unoccupied drinks table did a lightbulb appear above the tiny blonde’s head, which was followed by a single clap. “We should get some drinks!” Without warning, she tugged on Billie’s hand, jerking her in the direction of the table. In the span of about five seconds, not only were they standing in front of it, Cassie poured them two solo cups full of whatever alcohol was on the table. “There! Now, uh, what should we toast to?” Again, she hummed.

As her body was pulled forward, Billie's feet did their best to catch up. She had no idea what Stargazer had just poured into their cups, but it was alcohol so it didn't really matter anyway. "I say that we toast to us. Our friendship. Our good looks. Our charm. And last but not least, our ability to turn heads no matter where we are." A shining smile on her face, Billie raised her cup up high. "To us," she shouted a little too loudly. "And to all tonight has to offer!"

She found herself giggling past the point of control when Billie’s voice did little to hinder their position away from those dancing. She was confident that, by now, those who were supposed to be here, had to have noticed the girls helping themselves to the drinks. “Well, so much for blending in.” In a rather ‘fuck it’ moment, Cassie raised her glass high up too, clinking the plastic cup against her bestie’s.

“Spin the bottle and 7 minutes in heaven starts now! If you want to get lucky tonight, come join either one of the games next to the pong tables…”

“Oh! That sounds like a blast” Cassie’s delightfully curious voice, and by extension, eyes, found their way over where she saw the party host and her bestie’s twin. “What’cha thinking?” Curious Cassie asked, sipping the rest of her drink as her eyes kept a fixated gaze on Billie.

”Mmmm…. We could do spin the bottle… but seven minutes in heaven would mean we could make out with people. But if we do good enough at spin the bottle then there could be more making out later… let’s do that, fuck it.”

Ask anyone who knew her, multiple-choice was not Cassie Lucasta’s strongest subject. Every time there was a test or anything that had her choosing more than one thing at the same time, she froze right then and there; and even now she is sweating on the inside. But she didn’t want to alert Billie to this sudden development, so she gave her one and only Picasso a bright, I’m-actually-sweating-balls smile. With her hand tightly clasped her ride or die’s hand and took a seat at the area by the closet, where she the forming circle for spin the bottle was at.

“I have a good feeling about this!” She was lying but Cassie was, if nothing else, an optimistic person.

With a wide grin, Billie took her seat beside Cassie. ”Oh this is going to be great! Especially since I have zero idea how to play this.”

Cassie giggled, nudging Billie’s shoulder. “It’s like you said!” She looked at her, brandishing a slightly more confident smile. “You get to kiss someone And I bet there’s gotta be one here that you want the bottle to land on.” As she spoke, the blonde couldn’t stop her wandering mind, which also was often paired with her curious eyes, from fixating on that one person she hasn’t been able to stop thinking about. Every butterfly that has been released from the cocoon since she spotted them were flapping their wings away, hoping that mating season was nearing.

”Maybe,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. ”Maybe not. Guess we’ll just have to find out.”

And that was the last thing either of them said as they took their spot at the top of the circle, seeing all of their friends and some not so friendly gather around. Nicholas made a crack at Tane, which he probably didn't appreciate. Cassie didn't know and she saw that Billie was too in her zone to notice, either. All Cassie could do is wonder what could happen if she took a slight chance. "Oh my! I'll go!"

Cassie was rarely ever one to take initiative like this. Being one who was always on the sidelines, always snapping photos of people in situations like this. Whether it was Tyler Jane dancing until her artistic heart was content in the art studio, Dwayne enjoying a relaxing night in the common area, or that one time she saw Nicholas weak at his feet for Frankie, she never put herself in such a position where eyes were on her.

But as Cassie Lucasta bent over since her small frame didn't allow her to secure the bottle in her tiny hand, she gave it a spin and watched as the pendulum had swung back and forth. Every moment passing brought her closer and closer to cycles of heavy breathing. It really wasn't until it stopped and her eyes had slowly trailed up, she was breathing abnormally and her heart rate increased when she came into Leo's gaze. Every part of her that could tremble did, rendering the usually quick-to-speak Cassie into a frozen statue that wanted to move but nothing but nerves of glass existed.

Oh god! It actually landed on him. It really did!

Project Untamed

_{Interactions — Tyler Jane // Tane
Mentions — @Melissa @BrutalBx}

The party had barely gotten started and already Nicholas was starting to feel like he always did when bad things weren’t far from happening. That familiar sensation surging through his body, the thoughts he had that often set him back several steps -- basically everything that Kaleb had advised him to not do. He felt all of it and, yet, he was the most amused he’d been in quite some time. Amused in the sense that Tyler Jane had directly addressed that “almost” moment they had.

“I remember,” he muttered, curling those satisfied lips into a smile.

Indeed, thinking to that moment in how every time he thought she’d back away, Tyler Jane proved him wrong that not only could she hang at his level, but convinced him that he wasn’t raising the bar enough for her. So, of course, he went further than he ever had with her (or anyone for that matter). They had gotten so close that Nicholas could still hear the way her heartbeat accelerated when they were inches apart. He had the clearest memory of how the slightest movement might’ve disrupted the moment.

Nicholas remembered a lot of things and especially recalled how they were so close in exploring their connection on an intimate level. That Godforsaken door creaked open a moment too soon and now, as he could only watch her direct her attention to everyone around them, announcing some games were going to be happening soon, he let out a sigh that quickly shaped itself into a sly smile.

“Only time will tell who we get lucky with.” Playing the games he invented, Nicholas made sure for TJ to hear that as he took a seat among those who chose the poison of Spin the Bottle. It might’ve been childish and simplistic in its origin, but with a bit of lady luck shining on you, Nicholas knew this was the primo spot for maximum fun.

And he was all smiles until he spotted Tane sit across from him. Nicholas wasn't sure if it was his ability to immediately irritate him the minute he walked in his general direction or how, for a party meant for casual enjoyment, he chose to glam it up with a suit, but that wasn't what bothered him most. No, it was Tane's entire attitude. His whole existence reminded Nicholas of a faint, though still very foggy, memory of...someone. He couldn't describe it but it was like Nicholas saw someone that seemed familiar to him.

"Hey, Tane," he spoke up, making sure Tane heard him. "Ted Bundy called! He wants his suit back."

Sum up your week in roleplaying in just 3 words

Let's get lit!

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 {A God RP}

---

_{CASA DE ACROPOLIS, SEATTLE}

Divine Protector

---

When his surprisingly productive workout with Ben ended and he dropped her off at the Seattle U campus, Heracles’ day was primarily spent preparing for tonight’s party. The same party that all of his main contacts, which for Jackson Drake, meant any influencer in their 20s with at least 500K followers. Between drives and uploading teases of his booze run, food, and the like, Jackson was live on Instagram all afternoon. He entertained those who plugged in, which was around five thousand of his…devoted followers.

Around 6:30, when Jackson finally made it back, he wasn’t alone. The sound of over ten cars -- all ranging from classic muscle cars to BMWs and Yakuza Motorcycles crowded the driveway and street. This was soon followed by the cries of Influencer Privilege as anyone who was anybody in Seattle was here and they were ready to...help Herc set up the party.

Nearly an hour later, what was usually messy, but a presentable home for some frat boys was transformed into the epicenter of a crowded mess of young adults and 20somethings, all who responded to Jackson’s open door invite. If you were even remotely close to any of his fifty closest friends, some of which were his own kind, then you knew where to be on this particular Saturday night. Tables were spread throughout for beer pong and refreshments, a local DJ who was also one of the more expensive kind was handling the music, which was a playlist hand-selected by Heracles himself, a bar with a paid server making drinks the right way: with flair and style, and certainly not least, just the right amount of party favors to keep anyone happy and hopefully calm.

^{It was going to be a good fucking night.}

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 {A God RP}

Nyx, Primordial Night

N Y X , P R I M O R D I A L N I G H T
N Y X , P R I M O R D I A L N I G H T

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx HUMAN 𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗦 Selene Valentine 𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 Mid-40s 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗥 Talkshow Host of Beautiful Creatures & Author	𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝑮𝑶𝑶𝑫 Benevolent & Compassionate Empathetic & Dutiful Enigmatic & Resourceful 𝑩𝑨𝑫 Assertive & Transparent Pedantic & Meddlesome Nonconforming & Individualistic 𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 When Nyx was exposed to the worst humanity had to offer, instead of furiously swearing them off in a fit of rage (like a certain God of War might), Nyx saw potential in them and rose above the primordial impulses that might lead her down a path of darkness; instead Nyx devoted the rest of her mortal life to bringing out the inward beauty of anyone who might want it. 𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 Having found a purpose in humanity’s future -- something Nyx strangely feels like its something she has to do herself -- Nyx is determined to help them and she fears that she won’t be able to. She fears the colossus will force her out before that mission is accomplished. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx DEITY 𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗬 Nyx 𝗗𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 Primordial Goddess of the Night 𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗢𝗡 Greek

𝗠𝗬𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗬

Nyx is revered throughout the Greek Pantheon as being one of the First Gods. And to those that have descended from the Night — from her very existence — she is thought to be more than what they are.

The truth is, Nyx is the night. Her very existence brought forth the first night. She is the Primordial Night.

Nyx has lived most of her days in the depths of Tartarus, the deep abyss in which the wicked are tormented and in which the Titans are imprisoned. It has been said that while Nyx lives there, her devout husband, the entity that she has birthed 1000 sons and 1000 daughters with, serves as the darkness that engulfs Tartarus, simultaneously keeping it hidden from even Hades, the King of the Underworld, and protecting Nyx from the outside world.

It’s true, Nyx has isolated herself from any form of outside contact. At least, until the day that changed everything...

𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬

And that fateful day was when that damned Colossus — the bane of all divine existance.

Every Pantheon to ever exist, from Greek to Roman; Egyptian to Yoruban; Aztec to Norse -- they all felt the constrictions of the beast that doubtless dwells inside the colossus. Or maybe it’s just a mythical entity like every Deity. Perhaps it is one of them that controls it.

This is one of many thoughts Nyx has entertained throughout her forced stay on the mortal plane. It is with this forced outing did she come to truly understand the complexities of them. Nyx used to despise any contact of the creation that spawned from her being in existence, but time living among them, time being with them, being able to understand how they live and what makes the blood in their bodies boil, what makes their hearts sing with joy, who demands their attention — Nyx has compiled a complete understanding in their beauty. But in her time, where she has seen the good and even the bad, Nyx has been unfortunate enough to experience the ugly side of humanity.

And that was perhaps the single most repulsing thing she, Selene Valentine, has known.

When she became exposed to the foulness of war and the acts humanity have committed in the name of God -- a God that no singular Pantheon has ever recognized. That was the moment Nyx swore to rise up and try and make humanity’s world a beautiful place. It’s why for the past seventy years, sometimes in secret but mostly shadow puppeting CEOs, did she start a lifestyle empire. which currently takes its modern form as a daytime talk show likened to that of Opera and Dr. Oz (but actually good and not a scammer).

Beautiful Creatures. The concept is to bring out the beauty of anyone, regardless of the outward appearance, and make everyone feel as haunting as the tales of Nyx herself, because even if the world is the most atrocious thing to ever be, if you work hard at it, you too, can be a beautiful creature just like me.

Lives here

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 {A God RP}

---

A T H E N A

_{ATHENA'S APARTMENT → SEATTLE MAJOR CRIMES → CRIME SCENE}

Goddess of Wisdom and War

---

Athena had a moment of weakness the instant she found herself staring at her bedroom ceiling, the hovering ceiling fan blowing dusty air all over her bedding. Thoughts of the Conclave plagued her mind and she wanted to say that Hephaestus’ passing took its toll on her. She wanted to say that the reason she had been lying awake ten minutes before her alarm was set to go off at 5:00 am. Athena was a lot of things, but lowering herself to the likes of Ares and Loki by lying was not something she nor Natalia Steele did.

The reason she couldn’t go back to sleep or even call in sick today was that despite it being a Saturday -- and, if last night’s news coverage was to be taken as the Oracle’s Prophecy -- it was going to be a beautiful day. But no, she couldn’t do anything because she didn’t have a day off for at least five days. And that was assuming her Captain didn’t chew her out for ditching work two days ago for that God-forsaken Conclave. The nightmares of Hera’s annoying rant still haunted her dreams that were usually just reruns of what she had done in the day previous

Sometimes when her dreams were interrupted or a train of thought had been reduced to growing annoyances of whatever forced its way into her mind, Athena liked to channel the part of her that was supposed to be wiser than her brother, Ares. She did sometimes, but not always. Athena was guilty of violent thoughts and just exactly who she might find themselves on the receiving end of her worst thoughts.

“Hera is on the top of that list,” Athena muttered literally seconds before her alarm went off.

The Goddess of Sometimes Wisdom smacked her alarm clock so hard that it cracked the top but the ringing didn’t stop. At this moment, she didn’t care. Natalia Steele had to get ready for work. One hour later, she was cleaned, full of caffeine, and had a belly full of a day-old bagel with spicy butter that may or may not come back to haunt her later in the day. Either way, Athena was soon out the door and her black charger sped down her street and into the dawn of Seattle.

---

Detective Natalia Steele had a love/hate relationship with her job.

There were many facets of being a detective that brought her a lot of satisfaction: keeping neighborhoods safe, getting to bust those who might be selling to kids, and being part of something bigger than her -- bigger than Athena. She found a spiritual fulfillment when she did her part in those big busts that made nation-wide news. The Seattle Strangler? She helped with that. Back Alley Butcher? She pieced the complex puzzle that he left for her that led to a Florist by the name of Albert Travers, whose brother was the Back Alley Butcher. She has racked up over two-thousand arrests in her five years on the job. Of those two thousand and under DA Amanda Woodall’s strict principles, over seventy percent of those arrested were convicted.

Indeed there are many aspects of Natalia’s job that make her almost proud to wake up so early every day and get underpaid for her service.

But, on some days, the paperwork was enough to drive her mad without the assistance of Dionysus’ special wine. The same paperwork that was the same thing over and over again: misdemeanors about j-walking, false leads about what should have been major busts, false rape allegations that were meant to be followed through but due to “extenuating circumstances”, Natalia was forced to file these reports.

And she hated that. She hated that abusive husbands were allowed to dictate just what they could make their wives do. Sure, Natalia wasn’t Special Victims Unit. She wasn’t supercop Olivia Benson who bent the rules to make the right people suffer. She worked in Major Crimes, which meant she shouldn’t even be looking at another detective’s case log.

“Three, seven…” Natalia’s voice was low as she went down the list of unsolved cases ranging from sexual assault, battery, false statements -- everything that shouldn’t be there was in minimal detail. “Who in the--”

RING RING RING

As her phone went off three times, Natalia answered in rather aggressively. “Yeah, this is Steele.” After waiting a minute, one of the B cops currently out patrolling said something that caught Athena’s attention. “Control the scene. Establish a perimeter. Don’t let any press within ten yards of the scene. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Natalia quickly got up, grabbing her dark red leather jacket.

“What’s the rush, Steele? Got a hot date?” Colin Brady, her mortal partner, joked as he casually sat across from her. His arms were folded behind his head

She turned midstep, looking at his smug face, giving him a sly smirk. “Why don’t you come along and find out? Maybe you’ll learn something for a change.”

---

The sound of America-made muscle pulled onto the scene, the media held back at least twenty yards, which made the brunette smile. Everyone knew whenever she said a number -- any number, especially when it was about distance -- Athena always meant double. And it was a good thing that B-Cop listened to her.

The scene past the police tape, past the CSI roaming about, finishing up their preliminary findings, couldn’t have been given justice even if the mortal’s tried. The majority of the crime scene was in a back alley. There was blood splayed all over: along the walls, the dumpster, and trash cans were all tipped over. Pieces of teeth were spread throughout the ground, but it doesn’t look like there had been any body-sized blood prints -- which Athena was thankful for. At least she didn’t have to swallow any more darkness today.

“Detective Steele!” FBI Agent Dominic Evans called her over.

“So why in god’s name is there an FBI agent on this crime scene? A back alley brawl seems a bit below your pay grade.”

“Perhaps,” Dominic partially confirmed with a slight nod. He stepped in front of Athena and crouched down so he could get a better view of the ground. “But the MO of this particular crime scene matches the same one of a mysterious figure I’ve been chasing for quite some time.”

“How long?” Brady asked, saying what Athena was about to. He got a glare for his interruption.

“Give or take, seven years. This is the first time in five I have been this close.”

Athena had to applaud his dedication but she couldn’t help but laugh and she made no effort to hide it from him.

“I understand this might seem silly, but my record was spotless. Until this perp, at least. The only one who has escaped my justice and I don’t plan on letting it go.”

And that’s where he lost Athena’s praise -- hell, let’s just say her support was gone as well. If there was something that Athena hated more than anything in this mortal world, it was someone who didn’t know their place and who got in her way. These were her streets to govern, not his. And she wasn’t about to let some hotshot FBI agent seize control over a crime scene she was called to.

“Agent Evans, I know you don’t expect me to believe that your superiors back at Quantico approve of you abusing your power. Actually, I know for a fact that you, Dominic Tiberius Evans, the twenty-year veteran of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, have been suspended for six months because you thought you could weasel your way into investigations that matched this mystery Hooded Man you have claimed to be following for nearly a decade.”

“You stupid bitch. Who do you think--”

She raised her finger, sliding it side to side. “Not so fast. I will save you the embarrassment of finding out which of the two of us is the better fighter and I would hate for your fragile male ego to get crushed in less than five seconds. So here’s what we’re going to do!” She stepped close to him and Dominic flinched, resulting in a genuine smile to appear on Athena’s face. “You are going to politely excuse yourself from my crime scene. Fake a phone call, say you have all that you need -- I don’t really care. Just leave before your five-second window is closed.”

He grumbled something but then Athena started to countdown with her hand. Five, four, three, two, one--

“Excuse me, I have to take this call.”

“Smart choice.” Athena watched proudly as Dominic Evans walked off the crime scene and, hopefully, if she was lucky, he would never be seen again in a very long time or she might have to channel her ire against Hera and direct it on that poor excuse for a human walking away.

“I forgot how scary you could be, Natalia.”

“Don’t you go losing your balls on me, too, Colin.”

After an exchange of laughs, Athena glanced over at the press, spotting some familiar faces among the growing crowd. The scene was as controlled as it could be, but something about it stirred an uneasy storm within Athena’s core. There was something weirdly familiar about the brutality of the scene. She knew this corner, too. It was mafia territory, which made her worry. Not so much about those that were harmed. She was confident that they got what they deserved, but more so about the person responsible for sending them to the hospital.

For the next twenty minutes, Athena and Colin spent their time isolated from each other, interviewing witnesses, gathering as much intel as they could before they had finally exited the scene. “So what are we going to do?” Colin asked, arms folded over the hood of Athena’s black charger.

“You know for a seasoned detective, you can be awfully narrow-minded.” Athena shook her head and let out a sigh. “The drug dealers who were attacked are still alive and should be out of the ICU by the time we get there. So the most obvious choice is to question them and find out who did this.”

“And if they don’t know?”

Athena didn’t say anything. She just got into the driver’s seat and sat there, pondering what Dominic Evans had said. She hated to give him any credit, but his obsession wasn’t wrong. This same MO matched the one from DC. But if that’s the case, Athena only feared this investigation would get a lot more complicated.

“Then we might actually get to stretch our legs for once.”