AlteredTundra

Rosefell High.

Miki Park/Park Mi-Kyong || Liberty High

"As long as you know men are like children, you know everything!" — Coco Chanel

Name

Park Mi-Kyong
_{↳ Miki/Mikki.}

Age

17, 5/29

Gender

Cisgendered Female; She/Her

Sexuality

Closested Lesbian but dates boys to keep up appearances

Ethnicity

South Korean

Relationship Status

Single

Label

Princess || Prep || Cheerleader

Grade

Senior

School

Liberty High

Face Claim

Jennie Kim

Appearance Details
Can be paragraphs or bullets following this guideline:

• Hair: Brown with highlights | Mid-back length | Miki styles her hair in various ways and uses a myriad of products to make it as silky smooth as she can.
• Eyes: Hazel/light brown
• Height & Weight: 5’4”/ | 120lbs/55kg
• Body Type: Miki has a petite figure. Due to her interest in athletics and looking the best that she can, her body is toned in an athletic way, especially her legs. They are easily her best feature.
• Clothing Style: Miki doesn’t have a specific, unique style per se. What she does have, however, is a very materialistic taste. If it’s not Dior or Gucci, then she’s not interested in wearing it. It doesn’t matter how nice it is. A princess would never wear anything the peasants would. In her two walk-in-closets, she has amassed a rather extensive catalog of dresses, blouses, jeans, yoga pants, shorts, heels, flats, shoes, and that’s not even including her accessories. She has bracelets, bags because obvious no princess closet would be complete without the finest Chanel bags money could buy (and she has one for every day in the week).
• Make-Up Of course, the Liberty High Princess has to glam it up. Her fashion is nothing if her face is plain Jane. Whether mascara or rosy lipstick, Miki’s makeup is always on-point. There will never be a day you’ll see her without any sort of emergency kit in her purse.
• Piercings Miki has both of her earlobes pierced as well as her tongue and belly button.

Personality Traits

charismatic → devoted → bold → tenacious → sophisticated → spoiled → conceited/vain → judgmental → self-centered →

If you think you’re on Miki’s level, rethink your life, sweetie. There is nobody, not at Liberty and not at Rosefell -- especially Rosefell -- who is on her level. And that’s a fact.

Or at least the princess likes to think that.

Truth be told, Miki isn’t exactly a good person. She likes to think that she is. To her, she thinks she’s freaking magnificent. Caring to those she considers her subjects and devoted to making sure they idolize her. That’s obviously what a ruler should hope for. And boy does she feed off of the attention. Being adored and praised makes her feel good about herself. Of course, she has the highest opinion of herself so that should tell you exactly how much having the validation of her “peers” means to her.

But don’t let this phoniness fool you in the slightest. On the surface, she might be happy to be around people who aren’t in her inner-circle, but there’s an ugliness about Miki. it’s something she hides well because she has her poker face down to an artform, but she is an incredibly judgmental person who is also often hypocritical. Think of her as a Regina George with the poise of royalty and all of the genuine personality of Kylie Jenner. Just think about that for a moment and you’ll understand just what kind of ugly person she is. It’s not that she had a tough childhood or anything, but being around so much privilege allowed her to develop this sense of superiority that found a home where humility should be.

If she does have friends, Miki is selective about who she trusts completely. She’s one of those people who would prefer to have something over her “friends” so she can trust them while having a safety net to fall back on in the worse case scenario.

Biography

Dear Diary,

Today was a great day for the world.

On May 29th, 2002, when it was likely hot or cold somewhere, I came into the world. I know, it’s not like my birth was God had a hand in it. Oh wait, yes she did. God is a Woman by the way. I know everyone will be angry I said that, but I am only speaking facts.

Wait where was I? Oh, right!

So anyway, I came into the world. Born to the name of Park Mi-Kyong. I know for you American’s, it’s hard to fathom, so you can just call me Miki. Or Princess Miki. Actually, I definitely prefer you to call me a princess. Momma and Daddy wouldn’t like it if you didn’t treat me with the respect like I know they expect you to show me. You know, daddy is a hotshot CEO. His family’s company is one of those international ones that own everyone’s asses.

Sorry daddy, I didn’t mean to curse. I know it’s unladylike but morons won’t learn if you don’t stoop to their level.

And speaking of my wonderful parents, Daddy is Philip Lambert. He’s got a few siblings but I don’t know them that well. They live on the east coast. I also got a few cousins who live in Palm Beach. Again, don’t know them. Mom was born in Seoul but moved to Columbus around the same time she met Daddy. Mom’s name is Ahnjong. A lot of her American colleagues just call her Annie. It’s so demeaning cause momma’s name is so beautiful and pristine. But I guess sheep really will stick to their guns. I respect that.

Oh and momma is a doctor. Neurosurgeon. Of course, Daddy wouldn’t marry someone who wasn’t intelligent. How do you think I became so utterly amazing? Like duh!

Anyway, I grew up on the best side of town. You know the part of Columbus that wasn’t anywhere near those thugs who attend Rosefell. Like why on god’s green earth would I ever want to venture into the slums of Rosefell when I am perfectly content in Liberty? Ugh, it’s like you expect me to mingle with them. I won’t! And you can’t make me.

...Calm down, Miki. It’s not like you would ever have to leave your wonderful life and your superior school. Nothing in the world would.

Okay, maybe the school closing down would.

Is it too late to live with my cousin Stella in Florida? King’s Academy accepts transfer students, right?

Family

Philip Charles Lambert | 54 | Businessman; CEO of Lambert Advertising | Father | Face Claim: Patrick Dempsey
Park Ahnjong | 52 | Neurosurgeon | Mother | Face Claim: Sandra Oh

Misc

Face Claim: Jennie Kim || Color Code: Hot Pink/#FF69B4
⇉ Miki drives a rose-gold-colored 2020 Masarati Granturismo that she got for her sweet sixteen by her father. It cost more than anything she’s ever owned and she loves it twice as much she does her entire wardrobe.
⇉ She served as head cheerleader at Liberty High. Compared to that, rosefell’s abomination of a cheer team wouldn’t compare, but being on somewhat decent terms with the queen thorn herself, she has no doubts she’ll climb the ranks rather swiftly. And if there’s anything Rosefell has going for it, which isn’t much, their school colors are just lovely.
⇉ to be the perfect princess/doll she hypes herself up to be, Miki spends thousands of dollars on her beauty treatment. Looking glamorous isn’t cheap, you know.
⇉ Miki is a “keep your friends close and their secrets closer” kind of girl.
⇉ His Twitter handle is @princessliberty. She has close to 250k followers. Try not to faint at how impressed you are.
⇉ She has a background in gymnastics, so cheerleading is a clear no duh for her. That and she likes to think she looks hot in a leotard. And she would even pose for pictures if the right photographers wanted them.
⇉ Appearances are everything to her and her worst fear is being judged for who she likes, so she dates boys only to uphold these superficial notions that anyone cares about who she likes. But to her, the only opinion that matters is hers and she doesn’t want to come to terms with that yet..
My second favorite thing about Halloween are the decorations!

Rosefell High.

Hunter Quinn ♦ Rosefell High

"Losers focus on winners. Winners focus on winning." — Conor McGregor

Name

Hunter Wade Quinn
_{↳ Hunter. Only Hunter.}

Age

17, 4/11

Gender

Cisgendered Male; He/Him

Sexuality

Bisexual - no specific lean

Ethnicity

Caucassian (German, Irish, Hungarian)

Relationship Status

Taken (dating someone from Liberty High but nobody knows)

Label

Jock

Grade

Senior

School

Rosefell High

Face Claim

Nick Robinson

Appearance Details

• Hair: Dark brown | Neck-length | Doesn’t usually style it unless it’s a special occasion.
• Eyes: Hazel/light brown
• Height & Weight: 6’1”/182cm | 180lbs/82kg
• Body Type: Hunter has a rather athletic build and very little body fat.
• Clothing Style: Hunter’s closet is relatively modern, though there are some throwbacks to the 90s and early 2000s. He has a lot of shirts that are bought from clearance sales and Good Will. Flannel shirts, a few pairs of jeans, and some band memorabilia he stole from a hot topic a few times. A lot of what he owns has been given to him by relatives or stolen. He has a couple of pairs of sunglasses, but honestly that’s it for him as far as accessories are concerned.

Personality Traits

charming → confident → smooth-talker → adventurous → daring → entitled → reckless → arrogant → short-fuse → prone to bitch fits → volatile

At first glance, Hunter seems nearly harmless. People will talk, sure, but his bravado isn’t nearly as scary as when you meet him up close and get to know him a little better. The rumors of him being a problem child, someone whose ego doesn’t know any limits but new ones to create, and his ability to throw the first and last punch may have been greatly underexaggerated. He will in fact punch you in your face if you say something stupid (or what he perceives as stupid). He has a problem about being wrong, which in his case is a lot but that’s beside the point. He hates when he’s being called out about it and throws a two-year-old-level tantrum, which often leads to said punching. His attitude is nasty and teeters on unbearable.

But to some he considers very close friends, there are moments -- and with them, this is almost always his default setting -- Hunter is a delight to be around. He has an adventurer-like mindset and almos always will make you smile with his wit and actions. He knows all of the best ways to get by in this stupid town. If you back him up or he considers you a friend, you will always have him in your corner. Of course, this is assuming that Hunter doesn’t get you thrown in detention or jail because of his loyalty. His recklessness seems to come hand in hand with the fuzz or some authority-type of figure not far behind.

But hey! With Hunter, there is never a dull moment regardless if he’s being a pain in your ass or not.

Biography

The only thing stable about Hunter’s life -- both what it is right now and what it was like for him growing up -- was the fact that it wasn’t stable.

Born out of a loveless relationship that was too apparent to Hunter since he could understand exactly how much of a bastard his father was, his father, Ricky Quinn, was something of a turbulent storm that just got worse as the years went by. And his mother wasn’t any better. Emily Weston was just as much of a screw up as he was. The only saving grace that came out of their relationship was that her parents happened to recognize she needed help and sent her off to rehab shortly after giving birth to Hunter. But in doing so, they refused to do anything for Hunter and Ricky. Whether he liked it or not (he didn’t), hunter was stuck with him.

And what a fucking pleasure that was.

When they weren’t at each other’s throats, Ricky barely was around for Hunter to remain angry at him. Of course, he still held grudges from the time he found out what a grudge was, which wasn’t long after when he figured out he would have to grow up fast. Just imagine an eight-year-old realizing this. Some father Ricky is, huh?

And as he grew up, his anger festered with time. From fights and stints in juvie, whether Hunter would like to admit it or not, but he was just like his father: angry, bitter, and too pissed off at the world for his own good. But unlike Ricky, there was someone there for him.

At the height of his freshman year, just three months off of his early Juvi release, Hunter’s reputation of being a violent sociopath -- which was greatly exaggerated -- also landed him into some fights. Some with his own classmates but also with upperclassmen. He picked a fight with a few known gang members thinking he was hot shit. And after he was given a broken nose, eye, and a few bruised ribs, he found himself in the hospital. It was all very ugly but he was visited by the head coach for the Rosefell Knights, Coach Zachary Porter. He wasn’t in any mood to hear it, but being bedridden, he had no choice. The coach was disappointed that Hunter was in the position that he was. After a brief conversation, though, the coach had sweet-talked Hunter with the possibility of joining the football team. Hunter wasn’t sure, but the promise of being able to hit someone without getting into trouble (or winding up dead) was appealing to him.

He thought about it. And thought about it some more, but after nearly a week, Hunter accepted it. There was a part of him -- a hidden part he would never allow himself to let anyone but a chosen few see -- that felt like that was the first time anyone who didn’t want to kill him that showed any interest in what he was doing. The coach was the first male figure in his life that didn’t make him feel like shit. That resonated with him.

And to this day, he keeps up with his grades as minimally as he can with the only hope that he can stay on the team and bash in people’s faces without getting detention.

Family

Patrick “Ricky” Quinn | 35 | Mechanic at Robert's Auto Repair and Drug Dealer (on the side and a kept secret) | Father (unfortunately) | Face Claim: Youngish Matt Damon
Mother unknown. Only thing that’s known is she is from a wealthy family

Misc

Face Claim: Nick Robinson || Color Code: Sienna/#a0522d
⇉ Drives a beat up 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse he stole a few months ago. Plates were swapped and everything. Dad isn’t the only one who knows his way around a car.
⇉ Actively commits crimes despite being on probation (he’s like a honey badger and doesn’t give a fuck...kind of)
⇉ Love sour candies but will only eat the grape and cherry flavors.
⇉ Often refers to himself as The Hunt or HQ (some friends do too).
⇉ His Twitter handle is @onthehunt and he has amassed around 1500 Twitter followers. || His IG Handle is @FreeWadey. It's a secret from most of everyone.
⇉ He is left-handed and will obsessively eat Olive Garden breadsticks
⇉ Holds an offensive middle lineman position with the football team, a position he’s held since joining the team in his sophomore year.
My first favorite thing about Halloween is the discounted candy

Rosefell High.

<Snipped quote by Bee>

Sure is, bro.

_____________________________________________

Thank you all so much for being here. Please don't forget to join our Discord!

Reservations have been updated.

I also have a school/gender ratio counter. You guys are doing pretty good with ratio's right now. We have seven females with five males at the moment. Let's try to keep it pretty close like this. There are five Rosefell students reserved, and seven Liberty High students reserved. There are only THREE Liberty slots left, so please keep that in mind.

@HaleyTheRandom

I deff miscounted. Thought there was close to 10 females.

Rosefell High.

Hunter Wade Quinn || Male || Rosefell High Student || FC: Nick Robinson || Color code: Sienna

TBD || Female || Liberty High|| FC: Jennie Kim || Color code: Hot pink

hi everybody~!

Welcome! Hope you enjoy your stay!

Project Untamed

_{A @metanoia & @Melissa Collab
Featuring Nicholas & Tyler Jane}
____________________________________________________________________________________

Time had passed, and the party was beginning to simmer out in the early hours of the morning. The music kept playing, but some students lay unconscious on couches, some had retired to their dorms, and all of the alcohol was decimated. Amongst the wreckage and havoc, there was a small group that was still milking the evening for all it was worth. In the center of it all was a certain redhead who had found an elevated surface, a table to be exact, and stood up there dancing like no one was watching. But the thing is, everyone was watching who was left to see such a sight.

Drunk Tyler Jane was almost a better dancer while intoxicated, only because she wasn’t thinking, only feeling. The music pulsating through her veins, no reflection staring back to keep the girl in line, she was a force and was free to do as she pleased. And the group (admittedly half of them her male classmates) egged her on. Especially in the way that she was dancing- it was clear that she knew she looked good and she let every sexual fiber of her being show. Long gone were her anxious thoughts- she was only focused on the moment and how much fun she was having. The girl wanted the night to last forever, as she could only describe her intoxicated state as euphoric.

And as Nicholas, one of the few who had surprisingly maintained their consciousness, watched Tyler Jane make a fool of herself, clearly drunk, clearly unaware of how idiotic she was acting on top of that table. Despite how much Nicholas liked seeing her strut her stuff, which was all of the time, he preferred it when she had her usual grace and didn’t swing her legs so sloppily.

Nicholas had been sitting on the couch, watching her with limited patience but ten minutes of her doing the same routine became painful to watch, so he decided to finally do something about it. “All right, Tyler Jane, that’s enough! Get down before you hurt yourself!” He spoke in an elevated tone. He needed to so her careless shouts didn’t overtake his demand.

Blissfully, the redhead continued to dance on the table to the gleeful cheers of her classmates. It was almost like being at a concert where she was the star, radiant and effortless and free. But when a Grey thundercloud made itself apparent and tried to rain on her parade, Tyler Jane decided she wasn’t having any of it. Who was Nicholas to tell her what to do after ignoring her all night? “Somebody’s not having a good time~” The girl teased, continuing to move her body for all that it was worth. ”You can’t make me get down from here. Besides, I’m having waaaay too much fun.” Her intoxication was evident in her voice as she dragged out her vowels and mustered a playful tone.

“I can see that.”

Nicholas rolled his eyes, mentally reminding himself that he wasn’t doing this to be a debbie downer. He didn’t want to see her get hurt. He knew she was one wrong slip from breaking those legs that were, in all honesty, the highlight of her current moment of stupidity. And in that same foolish moment, TJ had done the one thing that Nicholas hated more than a lack of manners: she challenged him.

So in a moment of timing being key, Nicholas had waited for Tyler Jane to turn her back to him and he tugged on the black mesh she had on, making sure he had a firm grasp and pulled her his way. When she would fall into him, he secured her on his right arm. That same arm would bend to secure her against his shoulder and he flipped her over so her stomach was pressed against it. His other arm came and held her as still as can be in order to keep her from falling, though he couldn’t prevent his hand from grabbing a few inches south of her firm butt. The temptation was strong but he showed enough willpower to even impress himself.

“Act like a child and you’ll get treated like one!” He stated with a heavy sigh.

It all happened so quickly- one moment Tyler Jane was dancing and laughing, and the next she was nearly upside down and sideways, thrown over Nicholas’ shoulder. How did he do that? His grip was strong as she tried to make an escape from his clutches, but it was no use. It was clear that the boy was not going to let her get away that easy. “I am not a child!” The redhead exclaimed in resistance, but then proceeded to whine. “Put me down, Nicholas!”

“Jesus, stop moving!” Nicholas might’ve been fit enough to hold her in his arms, but with her constant efforts to break free, it was easier thought than done.

His arms were starting to tremble and he knew if he didn’t do something, she might hurt herself even worse than if she had fallen from the table. So Nicholas took a few steps towards the couch, but with each step came nearly twice the struggle. He turned around with the intent to sit down and let her fall naturally out of his arms.

Gravity had other intentions.

Nicholas tripped over literally nothing, falling longways on the couch, ass and back slamming against it. And with this, came the position he never thought he’d be in, but Tyler Jane had fallen on top of him. Everything hurt, but in a moment of his own temptation, he smirked. “Good news is you’re not being carried. Other good news? You’re probably in a position you dreamt of, huh?” Yep. He just couldn’t resist.

Once again, Tyler Jane found herself being moved against her will as the two tumbled onto the couch, one on top of the other. Much to her own surprise, the drunk girl laughed in response, an intoxicated and brainless giggle. The redhead lifted up her head to look at Nicholas- there was truth to the fact that she had dreamed of this before, but he didn’t have to know that right now. Instead, she gave him a complete non sequitur. “I didn’t think you could handle me- guess I was right.” She blew a rogue piece of hair out of her face before dissolving into another drunken laugh, enunciating each vowel differently in her sentence.

Nicholas stared at her, dumbfounded and utterly confused. “Uh, what?” He asked, feeling it was the only thing he could do at this moment.

“I said,” She started, gazing down at him and pausing to collect her thoughts. “You can’t handle me. You’ve ignored me allll night and now you’re trying to swoop in at the fifth hour? Doesn’t work like that.” Tyler Jane somehow maneuvered her way off of Nicholas, grasping onto his arms for support as she planted her wobbly feet on the ground, trying to gain her balance as she stood up- kind of like a baby giraffe learning to walk for the first time. “You couldn’t handle the fact that I was dancing on that table and other people were watching, could you?”

He expelled a frustrated breath, rubbing his temples with his right hand. “You mean all of ten people who are barely conscious?” He gestured his hand at those who were too drunk to even speak for themselves, grunts filling the silence like an unorganized symphony of drunkenness. “Seriously, if this is the treatment I get for caring about your well-being, then fine, I’ll just let you make a fool of yourself.” He knew Alexis said honesty was key, but he had to wonder if this was what she meant.

Tyler Jane furrowed her eyebrows, “Care? Like you really care.” She replied incredulously, unknowingly waving her arm which held Tane’s bracelet around in emphasis. If he thought this was “caring”, he had another thing coming for him. If alcohol did anything, it eliminated any filter the girl had. “Fuck, I don’t think you care about anyone other than yourself sometimes.” The redhead piped, running her now mobile hand through her locks to straighten them out.

Usually, words didn’t often affect Nicholas. He wasn’t the type to let them get to him- Billie Jean was the sensitive twin. He knew he was cruel to Tyler Jane and did some damage, but he never expected that to leave her lips, even if she was drunk off her ass. “Fine, if you think you know me so well, what am I thinking right now?” He asked, his voice sharp.

The drunken girl rolled her eyes, another small laugh escaping her lips. “You’re thinking,” She began, repeating herself absentmindedly, “You’re thinking about how you truly don’t give a fuck about me. You could care less what I do or who I’m with or what I say, it doesn’t bother you. All that’s on your mind is the fucking bimbo you dragged into the closet, or Savannah, or any other girl on this campus but me.” Tyler Jane raised the volume of her voice as she started to back away from him (mostly stumble, but better walking this time). “And I’ve had it.”

“I see.”

In situations like the one unfolding before him, being such a perceptive person wasn’t the blessing it had been in the past. The problem with Nicholas was he caught onto what most overlooked or blamed on certain traits. He knew Tyler Jane better than most (save for her best friends). He noticed things about her like how dancing gave her a calm nothing else could. He knew that she always was her best whenever she was sitting with Savannah and Erica. Nicholas knew these things because he paid special attention to those he cared for deeply.

And that’s why her words cut deeper than a finely-sharpened blade. They slid through his skin like it was butter, slicing up his insides and, for the first time, truly hurting him. If that was her intention, then consider the mission completed.

But at the moment she walked away, Nicholas brought himself out of the momentary despair as he heard Alexis’ words fight back against TJ’s lethal words. And in that instant, he stood up and grabbed her wrist with a firm enough grip to get her attention. “You’ve said your piece. Now it’s time you let me talk and tell you how wrong you are.”

The redhead shook her head, a little more loosely than she normally would, letting her locks swing around like a bobblehead. She craved Nicholas’s touch and yet she tried to pull her wrist away to no avail. “You had your chances to talk, all of tonight and all this past week.” Tyler Jane stated, “But you didn’t, so why should I listen to you now?”

Nicholas hated it but what she said was the absolute truth. She shouldn’t give him the chance, but all the same, Nicholas needed her to let him say what he knew in his heart just had to be said. “Because I’m not going anywhere. And I want to make things right, TJ. No games, no half-truths or anything,” Nicholas pleaded to her.

“Well, I’m going somewhere,” Tyler Jane pointed towards her dorm room with her cuff adorned wrist. “You may want to make things right, but I don’t want to hear it. So I’m going to bed.” Now it truly was the alcohol talking as the redhead finally released herself from Nicholas’ grasp and started to walk towards her room, tripping over her own feet in the process but not completely hitting the ground.

“Jesus Christ,” Nicholas shook his head and sighed, briskly walking to TJ’s side, helping her up. “If you really insist on this, at least let me escort you to your dorm so you don’t harm that perfect face of yours?” He offered, this time holding out his hand.

She laughed drunkenly again as he quickly came to her aid… what happened to the whole being a graceful dancer thing when sober? Guess booze really decided to throw that out the window. “Sure, fine, you can- ooh, you have soft hands.” Tyler Jane blurted mid-sentence as she laced her fingers in his, but still was able to give him enough approval to help her back to her room. She paused for a moment trying to process the situation- them holding hands, him looking after her, but there was only one question at the moment in time that popped into her head.

“So you really think my face is perfect?”

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 {A God RP}

---

A Storm in Paradise

_{Themis' Apartment → The Ball}

Thor & Themis

---

Thor had been waiting outside of Themis’ apartment building for the better half of the past hour, staring at the screen of his phone as he read over the article uploaded by the Seattle Times. In a surprisingly decent detail, they managed to report on his activities in the past day and how he foolishly took the gamble of hitting the docks after he found out that the next shipment of product was coming in last night. Had he been a little wiser, maybe he would’ve passed this along to his good friends at the police department or even let Athena know. But, no: Thor went in with a steadfast will. He was armed with centuries of experience in battle and a heart pointing in the direction of justice.

“Not to mention enough recklessness to threaten the veil that hid the existence of Godkind.” He expelled a short laugh, grunting when his mouth started to hurt.

Yes, Thor was foolish last night, thinking he was anywhere close to being prepared for the onslaught of goons that would be at the pier. He didn’t anticipate them having heavy machinery that might actually make his night worse. He never thought for a second that, in the height of his heroics, a shotgun blast at close range would hit him and hit him good.

Ever since the descension, his healing hasn’t been what it usually was. When he got hit, sure he recovered quickly; if it was a heavier hit like a steel pipe or a gun, it took him half of a day, but Thor always managed to get back up on his feet. And, of course, he was fine now, but at the same time, he wasn’t back to his unharmed self. He felt woozy at times and his head was throbbing with a migraine that not even a few oxy’s could fix. His jaw felt like someone took a drill and put it on loop. When he talked, it hurt.

All in all, Thor felt like shit and attending a charity event hosted by people he didn’t give a rat’s ass about regardless how you sliced it wasn’t on his priority list. But Thor wasn’t doing this for himself. So taking a few more oxy’s to numb the pain, Thor grabbed his suit jacket and got out of the rented Lexus he reserved for this night and only this night. Going past that would render next month’s rent obsolete.

As he walked, Thor squeezed his arms through his jacket one sleeve at a time. By the time he managed to get his left arm into it, he was inside her apartment building. As soon as the God of Thunder reached Themis’ door, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his key. She had given him his own when their relationship started to get serious again.

Thor inserted the key into the keyhole of the knob. Even before he opened the door, he heard voices. One was Themis’. Of course, he knew her voice right off the bat, but the other wasn’t as familiar. He felt like he heard it but he was coming up empty.

“It’s just that every time I say I’m going to tell him, something always happens that distracts me from i-”

“Amanda?” Puzzled, Thor stopped for a brief moment. He had half of his leg inside her apartment and would take an additional moment to make the conscious decision to go in all the way. “Where ya at?” He asked, his voice echoing in the somewhat empty entrance.

At once, the Greek goddess Themis and her niece Astraea exchanged panicked looks and wildly failed their hands. Had he heard their conversation? Because the last thing the blonde needed was for her boyfriend to find out about her pregnancy this way. “ShitshitshitshitSHIT!” the justice goddess muttered under her breath as she frantically rubbed her temples. “I’m in the master bedroom with Alana!” she called back out to Thor. The two women had just enough time to put on their best 'nothing suspicious is happening here' faces before Thor entered the bedroom.

The amount of time it took him to register what she said put most of the worries he had to rest. Astraea was the best example of how the Greeks weren’t all bad. Of course, Themis was always the exception-- but the star maiden was also an exception. Not in the same way Themis was, but more that Thor often felt protective over her because of the closeness she had with his beloved.

Despite the unexplained tension he couldn’t help pick up on, he greeted both goddesses with a smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your conversation. I wasn’t counting on you being here, Astraea,” he admitted with a laugh.

“Oh, hey Thor! Don't even worry about it. We were just--” Astraea began, shooting a nervous glance at Themis before turning back to Thor with a shaky smile. “Theia was just helping me with my hair and makeup for the ball…" Anyone that knew the goddess of innocence was aware that she was a terrible liar by nature-- she became skittish, her voice always took on a higher pitch, and that small tick on her temple was a dead giveaway. So instead of completely exposing herself by lying, she had chosen to tell the truth instead… But without overexplaining or elaborating too much. The last thing she wanted was for her auntie’s boyfriend to get suspicious and start asking questions.

Thor might’ve not been the most perceptive God but for his skills being what they were, even he could tell that Astraea suddenly became jumpy like Thor came in at the worst time. He didn’t know if they were having some bonding time and this was her go-to reaction to tell him to shoo or if there was a deeper meaning behind her sudden weirdness. Regardless, he shrugged off with a dismissive sigh. “You look positively radiant, Astraea. And even more so in that stunner of a dress that you have on,” he complimented the star maiden, flashing her a smile to boot.

“Why, thank you, Thor!” Astraea replied with a smile, giving the god of thunder a playful curtsy followed by a small giggle. “You’re looking pretty good yourself!”

“And you..” His attention was now immediately -- and in its entirety -- honing in on Themis.

When she had shown him the dress before, he was a fan. He thought the design was flawless and the way the back flowed past the front was a daring design that theoretically could work. But seeing it on a person (and on Themis of all people) it was like Thor was looking into the eyes of a higher power than even the Aesir himself. Her body was incredible and the dress clung to it perfectly, showing off her subtle curves, highlighting her figure in every way that it could. And that wasn’t even mentioning how on-point her make-up was. He knew much to nothing about the specifics. He didn’t know what the concealer or types of lipstick or balm did for the face, so obviously there was no point in him trying to figure what was doing what. There was only one thing Thor knew to be a fact.

“I look good tonight, but there is no chance in hell anyone’s going to be looking at me.” His smile remained from before and he took Themis by the hand, twirling her around in a gentle motion. “They will be looking at you, my darling.”

As loved and cherished as Thor’s words and actions always made her feel, there was no hiding the worried crease that settled between Themis’ eyebrows at the sight of her beloved. A new assortment of cuts and bruises could be seen on his otherwise handsome face: shades of red, purple, green and blue melting into his fair skin and adorning his forehead, cheeks and jawline. Thor showing up looking like this hadn’t phased her at the beginning of their relationship-- back when she didn’t give his explanations and justifications any second thoughts. But the longer they dated, the more suspicious Themis grew, and the paranoia of falling prey to a second cheater had slowly taken over. After a little digging, she’d found a pattern for Thor’s shady behavior. And tonight, she was ready to confront him with her findings.

But not in front of Astraea; or anyone else, for that matter. Themis, always the clever one, had a plan already in place. Where else would be a perfect opportunity to question him than somewhere he couldn’t run away or escape from-- like the inside of the vehicle he had rented for the event?

So instead of voicing her concerns right then and there, Themis merely smiled at her boyfriend and followed his lead. “I don’t know about that. You make pretty solid competition, if you ask me,” she teased, wrapping her arms around the Norse god and giving him a quick kiss.

Meanwhile, Astraea watched the exchange unfolding between Thor and Themis with the bright, starry eyes of someone witnessing a fairytale romance straight out of a Disney movie. The way Thor was looking at Themis as if she was the most valuable treasure he had, and the breathtaking smile of pure happiness on her theía’s face made the brunette’s heart melt into a puddle of complete joy. The love shared between them was obvious, palpable in the air and electricity around them. As she giggled along with the spinning Themis, all Alana could think about was how she hoped that, one day, she’d find someone who would look at her the same way.

Oh, I just love love!

Much too soon, the sound of a phone notification interrupted the tender moment happening between the couple. Grimacing in embarrassment, Astraea walked over to where her cellphone was resting atop the vanity and checked the screen. “Ooooooh, looks like my ride’s here!” she explained to the couple, holding out her phone to show Thor and Themis the text message that the driver Baldr had sent to get had arrived to pick her up. Smiling, the brunette snatched her purse from the bed, tossed her phone inside and rushed out the door. “I’ll see you guys there!”

“Yeah, see you soon!” Thor’s voice carried like a lingering thunder clap and he was sure Astraea heard it even as the door to Themis’ apartment closed.

Briefly, Thor allowed his eyes to linger at the hallway, thinking about Astraea for just a moment. A smile formed on his lips and soon those same stormy eyes that hadn’t a single cloud in them found themselves anchored on Themis once more, likewise taking in the majesty of her dress. He couldn’t stop himself from letting out a low whistle. It was beneath him but sometimes that’s all a man needed to do so he could remind himself this wasn’t a dream. He made sure not to let the whistle carry on for too long. He didn’t want Themis to be alerted to the fact that just standing here, despite how in awe he was of her dress, was becoming a challenge and he wasn’t even out the door with her.

“So any idea who Astraea just left with?” Thor asked with the tone of a slightly-overprotective older brother.

“She’s going to the ball as Baldr’s date, but he sent a car with a driver to pick her up here instead of doing it himself. They wanted to avoid her getting any unwanted attention and giving the paparazzi the wrong idea,” Themis explained with a small shrug. “Baldr’s pretty high up there in the charity scene, and you know how crazy people can be.”

Thor unsubtly scowled, letting his displeasure replace the former smile on his face. “Of-fucking-course he did! Baldr isn’t man enough to come get her himself. Pathetic!” Thor let his seething anger linger for a few moments longer before he submitted to letting it pass. On any other day, he would allow himself the benefit for it to writhe, but that wasn’t this day. “As long as he doesn’t hurt her, he and I won’t have a problem.” There was a part of him that wished Baldr wasn’t the kind of God that he was so the God of Thunder could allow his fist to become well acquainted with the pretty boy’s perfect face.

Now it was Themis’ turn to scowl and roll her eyes. Although she appreciated her boyfriend’s protective nature, she sometimes disliked how quick he was to paint people in negative lights without hearing both sides of the story. “Okay, first of all: that’s your half-brother you’re talking about. Second of all: Baldr’s her best friend. They’ve known each other for centuries now. If he was ever going to hurt her-- which I’m pretty sure he won’t-- he would’ve done it a long time ago. And third of all: they don’t see each other in the way you’re probably thinking of. Lana’s got her eyes on a completely different person: that much I can tell you. Now, can we stop discussing my sweetie’s personal business and get going already? We’re going to be late if we keep this up.”

He could definitely go on about how Baldr being his half-brother meant nothing to him (especially with how much he hated Baldr’s mother, too), but she had a point. So, with a nod, he resigned himself to silently figuring out ways to punish Baldr if he ever hurt Astraea or if he demonstrated any traits Freya was notoriously known for. Whilst he did that, the two had reached his car, which immediately brought Thor out of his daydream and looked to Themis.

“I figured I couldn’t show up in my run down truck, at least not when this ball is so fancy.” Those damned Romans really made it impossible for any God with a middle class alias to have any luxurious fun. “I only have it for the night. But she’s pretty, ain’t she?” Even if he didn’t own it, Thor felt a sense of pride in being able to drive such a nice Lexus Johannes Bauer would never be able to own to save his life.

The annoyed scowl on Themis’ face soon vanished, giving way to the usual smile that adorned it whenever anything Thor-related was involved. “She sure is…” the blonde promptly answered, hazel eyes inspecting every inch of the vehicle before returning to her lover’s face. “I hope you know you didn’t have to do all of this, Thor. You know I could care less about any glitz or glamour or riches you can offer me. I’d rather have a loyal, honest man like you as my life partner than a rich, cheating, untruthful asshole.”

Thor raised an eyebrow at her oddly-specification about the kind of man she’d rather not have. “Oh, well. All the same, there’s no going back. And it’s not like we’re regulars at the Roman’s events. So if I’m going to subject myself to this form of cruel and unusual punishment, the least I can do is show off my beloved and make them see that I’m not just a man of the people but a man of the people who can ride in style.” He would proclaim as he leaned close to Themis, already snickering, opening the door open for her as he did so. _{”And they don’t have to know this isn’t even mine.”}

Shaking her head, the grinning young woman entered the vehicle and made herself comfortable inside the passenger seat. It was only after Thor had done the same over on his side and got them on the road. She’d let a few minutes pass in silence that Themis finally brought up the subject that had been secretly eating at her for some time now.

“So, darling: would you mind explaining to me how it was that you got those lovely cuts and bruises all over your face this time around?” she asked him while keeping her eyes locked on the road stretching in front of them, feigning ignorance even when she was almost certain she had the answer.

_{This time around?}

As the rumbling of the highway filled some of the awkward silence, Thor wasn’t sure what she was getting at. Of course, he knew she’d want to know about how his face got wrecked, but the implication that he’d give her a bullshit excuse -- _{not that it was a bullshit excuse or anything} -- Thor was almost offended in the way she asked him. “Not exactly sure why you phrased it like that, but if you must know, I had an unexpected complication from an unsatisfied client yesterday. We got into it about some shady business dealings they were involved with in their past. One thing led to another and I got a couple of shiners in the process.” Technically, Thor was telling the truth. He just left out the part where he was dealt a slug to the face at close range.

“Hmmmm…” was all Themis said, tongue in cheek while slowly nodding. She could feel the air between them fill with tension, which only solidified that her decision to confront Thor in the car had been the correct one. “And did this unexpected complication and subsequent physical encounter happen to take place at a pier, by any chance?” the Greek goddess pressed on, pushing her boyfriend with what she knew just a little further, hoping he would give up his secret without much of a fight.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” He brushed her words off with a slight shrug as the car came to a stop at a red light. He was stunned by the unexpected revelation she just dropped, sure, but there was no way in hell that he had been so careless as to get caught. So either she was fishing for information about what he did off the clock or she allowed her imagination to go places that it normally didn’t. “As I’ve told you, my bruises are the result of a disagreement with a client. Nothing more and nothing less.” Thor wasn’t the best of liars but he had confidence that even Themis would buy this excuse, regardless if she was supposed to be a great detector of such things.

"So you’re telling me-- right here and now, to my face-- that your injuries have absolutely nothing to do with a confrontation that happened last night at the piers when some hooded vigilante sabotaged a big drug delivery taking place?" the blonde asked sternly, her observant hazel eyes locked on the god of thunder while she studied his face for any more telltale expressions.

Of course it did but Thor wasn’t going to let her know that. “Exactly!” His response came out quick, eyes veering ahead. He was mentally tapping his foot on the mental equivalent of the floorboard of the mental equivalent of the Lexus, impatiently waiting for the light to change green.

Thor was definitely lying: that much was obvious. The growing anxiety was painted all over his handsome face, oozing from the way his grip tightened on the steering wheel down to the immediate defensive response to her question. Why he was choosing to avoid her questions instead of coming clean was beyond her, but a lying man was not something she dealt with lightly.

Letting out a deep breath, Themis squared her shoulders and regarded her boyfriend with a stern stare before continuing. "Thor, darling: you do realize I prosecute people for a living, right? At this point, it's second nature to me to know when an individual is lying or hiding something," the blonde said, with the thinnest suggestion of a threat lingering at the end of her statement. If the Norse god wasn’t budging, then she would just go ahead and rip off the bandaid. "So, allow me to ask you again: are you or are you not the Hooded Stranger?”

On some level, he knew that she was doing this from the right place. Themis had always cared for him in the same way he did for her. He knew that if she was this desperate to get the truth out of him, then, again, on some level he had to know there was no malicious intent behind her assertive line of questioning. Still, the clear skies that were his eyes had suddenly been reduced to a storm on the horizon, specs of gray and lightning blue flashed, stemming from his growing frustration.

Thor’s hands gripped the steering wheel as if to alleviate some of the cloudiness hindering his thoughts from being clear. After a moment and as the charity venue came into view, Thor took in a slow, therapeutic breath, though almost half a minute of silence followed until they came to a stop. He had thought about what would be the outcomes of telling her? If he did, she might ask him to stop and Thor couldn’t risk that. His mission, though he knew the risks, was far too important to him. But at the same time, if he came clean to her and she surprised him by doing what he least suspected, all of this rerouting would have been all for naught.

As the car came to a stop and he turned to her, hoping they had a few moments to end this, Thor’s mouth opened. “Well--” As he started to speak, the glitz and glamour from the red carpet, as well as the valet opening the passenger side door, had brought what he was about to say to a full stop as though the valet served as the immovable object that which Thor’s indestructible voice couldn’t penetrate.

In ancient greek mythology, the titan goddess of divine justice was characterized by her calm, collected demeanor during her quest for law, order and the truth. But in this moment, watching the god of thunder she loved so much lie to her face in the mortal world, Themis was anything but that. As much as she wanted to believe this hadn’t been premeditated, there was no shaking off the feeling that Thor had timed and purposely stalled their conversation so that he wouldn’t have to answer her questions. Whether it was the knowledge that she was being kept in the dark about things again, the pregnancy hormones or a combination of both, the blonde goddess was almost shaking with anger, and was desperate to escape before she did something stupid. So with one last, scathing glare in Thor’s direction, Themis stepped out of the luxury vehicle, rose up to her full height, and stormed off into the ball by her lonesome.

As he watched Themis storm off, finding some sort of irony in the fact that the God of Thunder was the calm one here. He couldn’t help himself but entertain the thoughts of how out of character it was for Themis to behave like this. She has always been firm in her opinions and very adamant for the truth and that was something about her that Thor always admired. It was one of the main reasons why he felt such a magnetic pull towards her. So it was mind-boggling to see her act like this.

He expelled a long sigh as he walked past the valet, who he exchanged a glance with. “Women, am I right?” The valet commented, laughing at his own comment.

Thor just looked at the valet. He was deciding if punching this idiot was worth the attention. After just a brief moment of contemplating this, he decided Johan Bauer had enough problems. So he walked past the valet, bumping into the man’s shoulder intentionally and sending a very light static current into his shoulder. Thor coincidently coughed to hinder the sound of his electrical charge that made the valet jump from the literal shock.

Making his way into the venue, he took it all in. The way the classical music had somehow made what he saw feel like everything was way overpriced and reinforced his opinion that the Romans were too trigger happy in what they chose to indulge themselves in. “This is going to be a long night.” Thor commented, grabbing a glass of champagne from a nearby server and forced himself to smile and act as though he didn’t want to go hit up the pier again.

Project Untamed

_{A @metanoia & @Melissa Collaboration
Featuring A Fool & A Wise Blonde}
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was evident in the swiftness of Nicholas’ actions that he didn’t want nor care to see his sister straddle Leo like he was the latest teen heartthrob. He hated the visual of them, in any respect, together. It not only brought him to a state where he was nearly puking but the fact they both were into it, even to someone blind as a bat, Nicholas had no doubt in his observant mind there was something between them. From the way they kissed, as much as he wished he didn’t look back at the circle when he found himself three-shots into a desire to block out the sounds of cheer and support he heard form those within the circle, he knew this was more than just embracing the unpredictability of that stupid game.

And he hated it because he was someone who should’ve been the star of this game. Nicholas had the sex appeal of someone twice his age. He kept his body in peak condition (for someone his age), he knew he turned heads, and the way certain people couldn’t keep their eyes off of him, he knew that he was on their minds a lot, too. Despite all of this, however, between Tyler Jane playing his own game (and doing better at it than him, at that) and getting cockblocked by Sol, who might he add probably didn’t want to be at this stupid party in the first place (yeah thanks Tane), the fact that Leo, of all people, had the spotlight shined on him when he didn’t deserve it. It almost made Nicholas revert to his worse impulses.

Meanwhile, another couple of shots of whatever cocktail was nearby entered his system, a seething glare sent towards Leo in the process.

Somehow Nicholas lost some time. Between giving Leo the equivalent of the bird and a few extra rounds of the mystery meat equivalent of alcohol and he heard Tyler Jane announce the second game was on its way. He smiled -- well, smirked really -- at that announcement. “Seven minutes in heaven?” He repeated back to himself, a shot glass touching his lips. He didn’t drink or sip it, though; he merely brought his gaze on Tyler Jane, fixating on her for a slow, dramatic moment. Somewhere in the part of his chest where his heart was, he thought maybe he should quit the poor attempt of a Game of Thrones-worthy attempt at being cruel and just take his desired ginger by her slender arm, take her into the nearest closet, and have his way with her ...in whatever version of real life their minds had allowed them to imagine.

But, if he did that, would Nicholas truly be the petty person that he had always been? Absolutely not. He needed a victim -- a patsy, really. Sadly, the pickings were slim. Savannah knew his games and in her current state, if he was so much in her area code, she might literally bite his dick off. “As tempting as that might be, no, definitely not her.”

Nicholas scanned the room and saw another blonde. She was a lot friendlier than Savannah was at the moment and, if Nicholas was being honest with himself right now, twice as attractive. “She’ll do just nicely.”

He strutted his way across the room, budding between Sam and Alexis, making it obvious who he was interested in talking to. “My apologies, Alexis.” His tone, though clearly influenced by his recent intake of alcoholic content, had a soothing texture to it, almost as though Nicholas had decided to turn on the charm. He took the blonde’s hand. He remembered how easily swayed she was. Despite how things ended between them, he remembered what he needed to get his desired results in a timely manner. “I cannot believe it took me so long to notice you were here.” He allowed himself to frown for her benefit. “Allow me to make it up to you. Would you, if it pleases you, Alexis, join me in this closet for seven minutes?” He asked, keeping a soothing tone.

Alexis had been enjoying herself as she sat there next to Sam. He was just as bewildered by the kiss they shared as she had been- the passion they both felt evident- which was endearing and sweet. Afterward, she had propped herself even closer to him, almost hearing his heartbeat pounding from a few inches away. From what it looked like, they were cozy. Well, she was cozy until Nicholas decided to grace them (or so he thought) with his presence. A chill in the air almost could be felt, and the blonde couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

There was a point a few months ago when the mere sight of the dark-haired boy made her go weak in the knees. He had a way about him that was intoxicating, but now, all she felt around him was sober (even though at the moment, she was getting drunker by the minute). Alexis desperately wanted to roll her eyes- what did Nicholas want to do with her after he ended things? But, it was only seven minutes, and it was a game- she could swing that. “If it pleases me?” She joked, and then her lips settled into a small forced smile. “Sure, lead the way.” The blonde looked back at Sam and whispered quietly in his ear loud enough for him only to hear. “I’ll find you after, I promise.”

As the two walked over to the closet, Alexis felt numb. She didn’t want anything to do with Nicholas anymore, and she had thought he was the same way… so why had he asked her to go with her in the first place? She was dumb, but she wasn’t completely stupid. It was clear that he wanted something, and was scheming in some way. As the door shut behind them she sighed deeply. “So… here we are.”

They had found themselves with more room than Nicholas had thought they would but it was still tight. He reached over him to find some kind of light switch. After a few moments, he grabbed what felt like a hanging string. He tugged on it and a clicking noise went off, illuminating the dark closet with some semblance of light. “That’s better,” he muttered, finding his eyes adjusting to the new-found light and reacquainting himself with her face. Those gentle features, the soft skin he had fond memories touching, and her hair. Nicholas had always preferred blondes (though TJ was the only exception). He didn’t know why but the way their hair shined in the light and how the paleness of their skin complimented well with it, that was an aesthetic that did everything right for Nicholas Grey.

“God, you are as stunning up close as I remember.” In his attempt to kill the awkward silence, he caressed her arm, sliding it up in an almost gentle stroking motion, his gaze fixated on the blonde.

Alexis squinted as the light flooded the closet, a moment necessary for her eyes to come into focus before settling on Nicholas. As he spoke sensually, his hand making contact with her skin, she was transported back to the first night they spent together- the way he looked at her, teased her, and the passion with which he kissed her fresh in her mind. But that was then, and this was now. She didn’t move an inch, but instead of feeding the fire, three words escaped her lips instead.

“How is she?”

Of the list of things he thought she was going to say, a vague question like that wasn’t even in the top one-hundred. “She who?” He repeated back, puzzled.

The blonde sighed, brushing a piece of hair out of her face as she slipped her arm away from his grasp. “You know- her.” Alexis stated, “The girl you said that you were interested in when you ended things.”

“Oh. That’s who you meant.” Nicholas’ voice fell flat all of a sudden as he expelled out a sigh. “Well, you might be ecstatic to know that she’s currently not talking to me at the moment.” He let out another sigh, though this one had a mixture of disappointment and regret attached to it.

Alexis could tell by the tone of the boy’s voice that he was clearly in a debacle, and it didn’t take an Einstein to know that. “Oh, I see…” Gently, she pried for more. “And why do you think that is?” The blonde asked, knowing how debonair and confident the boy usually was and how this must not be a result of that. Nicholas had the ability to sweep a girl off her feet- Alexis was well aware as she had been one of them before- so she knew it wasn’t because he wasn’t forward enough.

Nicholas shrugged as he leaned against the wall behind him, hands sinking into his pocket. “I’m not even sure there is a why. Maybe I was wrong about her.” He knew that wasn’t the truth but, the more he thought about it, maybe it was and he had been wrong about Tyler Jane all this time. Who is to say where the truth resides and where the lie is?

The blonde gave the dark-haired boy a knowing look. After spending so much time with him at the beginning of the year, she knew it couldn’t be nothing. There had to be something that Nicholas was doing that caused the girl of his desires not to talk to him. Even after they had gone their separate ways, Alexis was often still tempted to speak with him, but she always stopped herself in order to not get into a sticky situation. He had this way about him that drew people to him, not push them away. “I highly doubt that’s true.” Alexis replied, leaning against the wall of the closet. “What did you do, Nicholas?”

“What makes you think I did anything?” The question lingered and Nicholas looked at Alexis. It would only take a few short moments before he exhaled in a somewhat defeated way. “Alright, fine, there might have been one too many emotional games played that made her snap or whatever have you. But it’s not like I’m the only guilty party here. Tyler Jane did the same thing. I’ll even go as far as to say that she did it slightly better than I did.” Just the thought of that made the hairs on his arms stand up with anger.

“Tyler Jane, huh…” Alexis nodded, gritting her teeth in order to hold back any emotions she was feeling at the mention of her. Up until this point, she had only heard rumors and seen signs, but this was the first time that Nicholas had spoken her name, uttered the person who he decided to toss the blonde aside for. And she had to admit, she could see why the boy was interested in her. Silky hair, pretty face, slender frame, long limbs. But, what was more amusing was that she seemed to have him wrapped around her little finger… the redhead just didn’t realize it yet. “Emotional games are truly your strong suit, aren’t they Nicky.” Alexis forced a small smile before continuing. “Why though? Why are you playing games with her if you already know what you want?”

He found it strange that on a list of three people, Alexis had found a way to render Nicholas speechless and not in the usual ways she did. Mr. Hale and Billie were the only ones in his life that had ever gotten him to think about anyone that wasn’t him nor what he wanted on a superficial level. They had been the only ones to get through to him, yet here was Alexis surprising him in ways he didn’t think were possible. It both brought a smile to his face and bothered him. On some level, he wished this Alexis had been present back when she held his interest in that way, but at the same time, she was bringing him back to the conversation he had with Kaleb.

“You know, you’re not the first person to say that.” His admission was followed by a laugh. ”But, I honestly don’t know why. I guess because I like to see what reactions I’ll get,” Nicholas shrugged and chuckled as he looked down somewhat.

The blonde could see the wheels turning in the boy’s head. Her simple questions clearly struck a nerve, and she wondered if anyone had ever been so plain and straight with him instead of beating around the bush with metaphors. Alexis wasn’t smart enough to use big fancy words. She couldn’t cite poetry by memory or recall quotes from famous books that could direct someone’s path. What she did have though was her heart, and even if it broke her up again inside to tell Nicholas what she tried to express to him a few months back, she forged onward and gave her last tidbit of advice to the boy.

“Isn’t what you feel for her enough?”

Her question produced a sharp chuckle. “What I feel?” He repeated back, partially dumbfounded at how Alexis thought it was that simple. He couldn’t tell if that was sarcasm or if she truly believed what she was saying. “I’m not saying it wouldn’t be enough. I’m sure anything I say would work, but I haven’t even the faintest of ideas on how to tell her...these things, especially not after how royally I probably screwed things up.” Regret hung to his words like it was the only thing keeping it from falling into despair. “Do you really think it’s a simple matter of me telling Tyler Jane just how crazy she drives me?”

Alexis frowned, her eyebrows furrowing. “I told you how I felt, didn’t I?” The blonde delicately stated, deciding to sit down on the ground of the closet and leaning her back against the wall, looking up at Nicholas. “I said to you that night that I wanted to be something more. I put all my cards out on the table, and you said no.” The girl recalled the evening they had spent together in the dark-haired boy’s room, lying in between the sheets and talking for hours. He was easy to talk to- a bit dramatic, but he always had something good to say. But when Alexis brought up their little relationship, nothing good came out of his mouth.

“I picked myself up, got dressed, and I left knowing that I said everything I could have. And then I moved on. It’s not that hard to be honest with someone, and if you don’t try that’s your own fault.” The blonde picked a piece of dust and fluff off of her outfit, tapping her feet together out of instinct.

As he listened to Alexis, hearing her speak with an insight that was refreshing to see, he couldn’t help but think back to that night. How he had disregarded her in the worst of ways. Looking back, there was a lot he did wrong and not just with her. He made a myriad of poor choices both in how he acted and how he treated people. It was rare for him to entertain the concept of being wrong, but it was rarer still that he could admit it to himself. Nicholas was wrong to play games with these girls’ hearts.

Sliding down so he was more at an eye level with Alexis, he flashed a gentle smile at her. It came from a place of gratitude. “Alexis, I don’t know what to say. I guess, really, is thank you.” His voice was low and it exposed him to a feeling he never thought he’d experience: being vulnerable.

Well, those were words she never thought she’d hear Nicholas Grey say. Him thanking her for being honest? Revolutionary. The girl put her shock aside to offer him a small smirk in return, “You know, I should be thanking you. If you hadn’t ended things, I wouldn’t have kissed Sam tonight and that sure was something.”

Nicholas laughed when she mentioned Sam. “Well, you’re welcome, I guess.” He didn’t know what else to say other than that. “Wait, did you say you kissed him?” Nicholas asked, feeling he might’ve misheard her.

“I did say that,” Alexis proudly replied, letting a hand drift up to her hair to twirl a strand around her finger. Thinking about Sam gave her a feeling that she never got when she used to think about Nicholas. Sam made her feel giddy, happy, excited. There was something about him that was comforting as if he truly saw her for what she was.

Shaking out of her quick little daydream, the girl prepped her exit, “Speaking of, I should get back to him. Don’t want Sam to think I was in here for too long with you, Mr. Casanova. After all, you do have quite the reputation that precedes you.” With a quick sigh, the blonde stood up quickly, dizzily taking an extra step to the side and offered Nicholas a hand. “So, what are you going to do now?”

He grunted somewhat as he stood up. “Assuming Tyler Jane can stomach the sight of my face for more than five seconds, I might just do what you and a couple of others have advised me to do.” He laughed through a half-grin. He didn’t know that someone like him would actually feel optimistic for something so foreign to him as telling the truth for once. It frightened him to the point where his bandaged hand was shaking, though he managed to get a handle on it. “Then let’s get back to the party. I hope we both can celebrate tomorrow -- in public, of course.” That little tease resulted in a laugh to escape his lips. Nicholas just couldn’t help it.

Alexis tried her best to hold back a giggle, but couldn’t stop it as she opened the door to the closet, music from the party loudly revealing itself as they were forced back into reality. The blonde propped the door open and looked back at Nicholas, “I hope so too” she stated, before disappearing back into the crowd.

Meadow University

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 {A God RP}

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A T H E N A

_{THE BALL}

Contemplating many things

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If there was anything the Greek Goddess of War and Strategy found herself to be well equipped with, it was the skill of being adaptable. Her place within the pantheon was a unique one. Whenever she was faced with new situations or old ones but given a fresh coat of paint of developing circumstances, she adjusted quickly. She has always been able to assess the lay of the land and find the easiest route for her.

This happened whenever the colossus moved and uprooted all divine beings and forced them to either forge new identities or keep the ones they’ve always had since descending to the mortal world. It happened whenever she became the lead detective of a new department in a new city. It even happened when she and Ares formed a temporary alliance to find who killed Hephaestus. Even if she didn’t want to, Athena knew it was for the good of the Pantheon.

“The good of the Pantheon,” she repeated under her breath with a forced sense of obligation, a feeling she was all too familiar with.

Athena had gone down a different route for the ball. Given its rather...elegant nature, showing up in her usual black charger, while she personally didn’t care, she had the reputation of her Pantheon to think about. So she shelled out a few extra bucks to rent a luxury car but not for her to drive. Not that she had anything against it, but the white evening gown she hadn’t been seen in since the 80s and the beige-colored heels that elevated her an extra three inches made it a bit difficult to walk in, much less drive in. So she was in the backseat of a black Lincoln continental.

As she stared down at her phone, looking over news articles about the Hooded Vigilante having struck one of Ares’ docks, this time being responsible for destroying some drug shipments and putting even more of his men in the hospital, her mind went to various thoughts but the first one that stood out was how this criminal was doing what most wouldn’t. There was something in her that was impressed by the size of this vigilante’s balls but she felt they could go bigger and maybe with half the effort.

That was, of course, her thoughts missing the point. The Hooded Vigilante was getting bolder and, if they didn’t stop, might even incur the wrath of Ares. Maybe Athena was more worried about what could happen to the bane of her fellow war god and less about catching him.

“We’re here, Miss Steele,” her driver announced.

Athena closed her eyes for a few seconds, shutting out any and all thoughts about what she just read. Tonight was going to be a work-free and stress-free kind of night. She wouldn’t think about how the most useful partner she had transferred to Phoenix, Arizona last week. She wouldn’t let the fact that someone at the ball could be responsible for setting hellfire to her kind. No, Athena wasn’t going to allow this night be tainted by any of that. All she was going to do was enjoy an evening at a beautiful white building and maybe, for the first time in centuries, have fun.

And so the goddess stepped out. Her dress swayed with the gentle wind, fabric easily moved by it and she held her gold and silver clutch close to her, eyes forward. For however long it lasted, she would allow herself the benefit to indulging in whatever the Romans had to offer this evening.