Benzaiten

The Witches Of Shipden Peak

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Location ⋗ The Forest Interactions ⋗ Simon @Prosaic, Manon @PatientBean, Phalko @CasLink, Stormy @Blizz School of Magic ⋗ Necromancy, Illusion & Divination Items ⋗ 1 Dagger, small component pouch	_

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It was overwhelming how quickly their group of two - Simon and herself - had grown. All of a sudden Zhalia found herself with a handful of people at her disposal offering to help find the traditional herbs in spite of picking them yourself not being the main go-to in the US anymore, hasn't been for the longest time. Of course there were always people still adhering to older traditions but in a world full of large cities and shriveling nature, it was hard to get to the resources sometimes and she knew this. Some people also didn't see the point in it. They could buy the herbs or even raise them in little pots or gardens themselves, there was no need to go hunting in woods. Especially woods such as these.

Her eyes trailed over the tree line before she began to confidently step closer. It seemed the people present were concerned about the woods. She gave a smile to the last person who joined them, a man with a beard she would recognize anywhere so long as he wouldn't shave it. She had seen him in the food tent earlier with two other witches, delighted about cake. "Oh? People are talking about me already? Only good things, I hope." Of course, she knew that wasn't true. Some people were more concerned hiding their whispers than others. "Zhalia is right", she confirmed for him.

Both Manon and Simon expressed some... reluctance? was it?... toward heading into the forest that stretched out before them. Phalko turned out to be the third person, naming the woods "dangerous". Zhalia felt like someone was trying hard to keep young people out of this area for some reason. Her best guess was that Miss High And Mighty Lina Calvo wanted to make sure no one passed out drunk here or had wild teenage sex. Petty reasons. Zhalia inwardly scoffed at Calvo's bad attempt. Wasn't she aware that no such rules could keep rebellious teenagers out of such a tempting area? You can take the witch out of the woods but you can't take the woods out of a witch. We belong here. If Lina Calvo wasn't full of shit - and as much as Zhalia wished she was just someone looking to control people's sexual activities and alcohol intake, she knew she wasn't. Lina Calvo was bad news and she was smart and cunning. So, if Lina Calvo was indeed scared of the woods then Zhalia had just found her new favorite place. With longing eyes, she looked upon the green. If Lina Calvo feared these woods, Zhalia would claim them.

"Thank you for your help", she said to the group. She had expected to walk into this alone and now she was accompanied by four other people. It was a turn of events she hadn't dared hope for. Maybe this could be a new beginning after all?

As Zhalia began to head into the woods, she found the others following her. Some more reluctantly than others, but they all fulfilled their part in the quest and began to look for the needed herbs. She didn't expect to find all herbs in these woods, let alone without delving deeper. But as they began to chit-chat and Zhalia crept deeper and deeper into the woods, she noticed some of her companions beginning to slow their pace. She kept pressing on, determined to penetrate deeper into the forest. Her heart was light and full, the twigs around her ankles, the leaves brushing against her head, it all felt so much like home to her. She could not fathom how anyone could feel fear when they treaded these parts. It was wonder and it was beauty. And it was far away from the loud electric world out there. The witch pushed deeper, all the while looking for the herbs needed, collecting some nettle and some other things into the component pouch that hung at her belt. After fifteen minutes of slowly delving deeper, she began to realize that something was amiss.

Around their ankles, fog was floating. It wasn't the usual fog that would engulf your calves but a fog that stayed consistently low to the ground, covering it so you could trip if you weren't careful. Her eyes narrowed as she crouched down to run her fingers through the curiosity. "I have seen this before...", she mumbled to herself. But it was impossible. Absolutely impossible. Her eyes carefully searched the tree lines around them when her heart sunk into her chest.

Before them, appearing as though a shadow taking shape, a large black dog-like figure stepped around the trunk of a big tree. The creature's eyes were dead-set on the group of witches before it, shining white orbs in its otherwise dark appearance. It was haunting. Zhalia forced herself to begin to breathe again as she realized she had instinctively held her breath upon spotting the creature. Her heart was pounding but she forced a silent and slow breath to fill her lungs and slow her heart. Within seconds the panic lifted and her face showed nothing but collectedness. Her eyes fixated on their sudden opponent, Zhalia didn't dare move.

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O P P O R T U N I T Y
All information below is at your disposal. You may base your character's reaction and decision on how much of this info they possess.

˃ Characters may mistake the creature for the Black Shack.
Expected reactions: Fear, panic, fleeing the scene, urging people to escape from its gaze, seeking help, telling authorities (such as Lina).
Unlikely reactions: Engaging in combat, studying the creature, remaining entirely calm, ignoring its presence.

The Black Shuck is a mythical creature said to be made of dark energy, a specter that wanders areas of desolation. It is widely known as an omen of death and has often been described as a black shaggy dog with fiery eyes. It is said to attack by draining someone of their life force. Many deaths have been attributed to sightings of this creature, including Divination visions of the Black Shuck. It is said that no one survives an encounter with the Black Shuck once it has laid eyes on you.

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Depictions of the Black Shuck in old grimoires and witch's recordings

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What the creature in front of you actually looks like

F O R M A N O N
All information below is at your disposal. You may base your character's reaction and decision on how much of this info they possess. You may ignore this information if you like.

˃ Your Danger Sense is blaring. During the trek into the forest, you noticed that your danger sense was alert but it wasn't quite clear where it was coming from. Now it is crystal clear: Your senses tell you that this creature in front of you is dangerous to you. You might expect something bad to happen. [You met a new creature. Next time one of these is near, your danger sense might be more accurate in depicting the danger.]

F O R S I M O N
All information below is at your disposal. You may base your character's reaction and decision on how much of this info they possess. You may ignore this information if you like.

˃ [Before Entering] Through your Intuition, you notice Zhalia being nervous about the woods which quickly shifts into excitement. Her intentions don't seem malicious as she walks you into the forest but you notice that there is more to it than just collecting herbs. Some emotions and intentions are unclear but you feel that she is aware of something you seem unable to determine as of yet.

˃ [Upon Meeting The Creature] If Simon is still suspicious about Zhalia at this point, he could decide to tune into his Intuition once more to see if he picks up on something. This would require him to not run from the encounter or attack the creature for the moment as he needs to focus on it. [You may also try to lean into your intuition about any other character if Simon deems it necessary.]

OBLIVION

When are our characters supposed to get or realize they got their powers? Obviously there's the book now. Should there be a night of sleep before they start showing signs of their powers or should they begin to show first signs now?

OBLIVION

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MELANIE CAVILL █ act one: way down we go Ritman High [Football Field] Interacting with everyone ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

As the group continued to grow, some people seemed more chatty than others. Melanie let her eyes trail over the group and its individuals, trying to place people she couldn't quite recall as they got wrapped up in conversation. More often than not she found herself leading her gaze in the general direction of Natalie which would have been less obvious if the woman wasn't standing right next to her. She couldn't help it. It still felt like a fever dream to see everyone again, and as excited as she was to finally get to lay eyes onto Dante again after so many years, Natalie Miller engulfed her senses. Melanie was content with letting others talk, listening in and getting acclimated to her surroundings, she'd exchange a few words when addressed but didn't make an attempt to insert herself into the conversation otherwise. It shouldn't have surprised her and yet it did when Sara and Jack showed up carrying a keg of beer between the two of them before a third party offered help. That was also the point in time when Meir returned from his excursion to retrieve the forgotten time capsule. Aren't they all already drunk? Melanie had not expected people to bring a whole ass keg to the football field. She'd expected multiple packages of beer and maybe some other alcohol produced from backpacks but this? This seemed excessive and a waste of energy when carrying six packs would be so much easier. Billy seemed enthusiastic enough about the provided beverage and poured himself the first drink. Melanie's eyes fixed upon the time capsule in Meir's hands as the young teacher began to ty and pry it open. It took a bit longer, dragging the anticipation out as though in a movie scene, but eventually he managed to open the metal grave of their old high school memories. Curious Mel tried to peer into the capsule. It had been years since she saw that miniature she had put into it. She was hoping it still looked decent, that the color was still sealed and well preserved. Those things weren't cheap, especially colored since Mel sadly didn't have the artistic vein to paint such miniature creatures. She was planning to prop the thing in a display case on her D&D shelf no matter the condition it was in as a sort of preserved and honored memory of the beginning of one of her most beloved hobbies. But all she found was disappointment when several people expressed their surprise about the actual inner condition of the capsule. It was empty save for a book none of them seem to have put there. Mel honestly couldn't remember what others had put inside it. Maybe the book did belong to one of them? Or maybe it belonged to someone who had been there when they buried the thing but wasn't here today to retrieve it? She would not know, she had not cared back then. And she wouldn't care right now if it wasn't for all their missing items. "That is strange", she mumbled to herself though loud enough for people to hear. A frown had appeared on her forehead. "Why would anyone feel the need to retrieve the capsule and steal all of our things just to bury it again?" She'd not be surprised if they all had been 17, stupid teenagers do stupid things, but they were adults. "Do you think someone went back for it years ago and took all our shit just to leave this book? Other than being a long-time prank I can't see a reason for someone to dig it out just to bury it again." She gazed toward Natalie to see if she had any answers. As far as Melanie was concerned, Natalie would be the person who knew most people back in high school and could possibly know who would have done this. "In any case", she continued as she averted her eyes again. "It doesn't really matter. It would have been nice to conclude this chapter as predicted when we buried the capsule but nonetheless we got together and wasn't that the point of it all?" As the reason she came here seemed concluded - the capsule was retrieved -, she began to feel the need to retreat from the group and make her way back home. The tips of her fingers tingled as they longed to move and work. Though the chill air and the warm sweater reminded her of how good it was to collect memories with people and not just by herself, she longed to get into her truck. She took a small step backward, probably meaningless to anyone around her but a sign to herself that she could turn around and leave at any point. She didn't really know what to do with such a group of people. She expected their next line of action to be further alcohol consumption coupled with some weird "catching up" that she probably wouldn't quite understand; laughing at inside jokes and good old times or falling back into high school habits of drinking games. Melanie had never really been invited to those during high school. If they'd all now turn back into their old high school groupings where some people drank and talked with nothing else to do, Mel would prefer to leave and be done with the act. Although something like a round of truth or dare also had its appeal. She hadn't played in ages, college was the last time. It would be a missed opportunity to not act out one last teenage fantasy for all of them before returning to their adult lives. And it would mean she would play it with her. "While we wonder where our stuff has gone, anyone up for a round of Truth or Dare? Don't know about you but this being the last time we ever set foot onto our school grounds, with each other no less, kind of seems like an invitation to be young once more before we grow old." It sure would make for a fun memory if nothing else. But it could also serve as a way to ease up, sit together as a group, and just get to know one another. Of course, Melanie had never experienced a game like Truth or Dare to the extent that frat boys would play it. Though she knew people could get very deep, mean or sexual with their questions and dares, she didn't expect anyone here to do anything too crazy. They were adults after all. Right? ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙺𝙴𝙳 - 𝙸𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚢, 𝙸𝚗𝚟𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚐𝚊𝚝𝚎, 𝙴𝚕𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚎

@DeadDrop Unfortunately I will bow out. Things have picked up life wise, it's gotten a bit whirlwind. I can't foresee when it will die down. Could be a week or a couple months. I'm wishing you a lot of fun.

OBLIVION

@Salsa Verde For Melanie, a Dracolich miniature from the finale of one of their D&D campaigns in school

The Witches Of Shipden Peak

@Meleck Hey, thank you for submitting a character. We finally had time to take a closer look and I sent you a PM on discord with a few notes :)

The Witches Of Shipden Peak

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Location ⋗ The Patch ⋗ The Forest Interactions ⋗ Simon @Prosaic, Manon @PatientBean, Phalko @CasLink School of Magic ⋗ Necromancy, Illusion & Divination Items ⋗ 1 Dagger, small component pouch (empty)	_

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"You're not from here, are you?", Zhalia asked the blonde girl as she noticed the accent. "I'm sorry. That sounded rude. I'm from Europe, too." She offered Manon a hand to shake and a warm, genuine smile. "It's nice to meet you. I only just arrived a few days ago, still getting to know everyone and finding my footing here."

Her eyes trailed over the facial features of the woman. She was beautiful and the way she held herself gave Zhalia the feeling that she knew how to handle herself and would not back down from a fight. Zhalia wasn't so sure if she could anticipate the same from Simon. He seemed like a soft soul, a kind heart. He was probably more capable than she could tell in the short time she had spent with him and she knew better than to judge a book by its cover. Curiosity poked at her heart as she wondered what school of magic these people she just met would encompass. Had she to take a wild guess, she'd likely put Manon to Evocation and Simon to Abjuration. But her guessing work had never been the best. She would have to take a peek if she truly wanted to know. But using her magic always came with the possibility that someone could detect it. There weren't too many people who could tell when she read their auras but it would be unfortunate luck if exactly the first two people she met here would have that ability. So Zhalia would keep her curiosity at bay for the time being. Knowing their schools wasn't beneficial right now, it was only curiosity and that was not good enough a reason to risk them growing suspicious of her.

"Have you been here long?", she began to strike up a conversation with Manon. "Maybe you two can tell me a little about the people? Is everyone here as kind as Simon?" The brunette lifted her mug to her lips. The mug was beginning to empty quickly and once the tea had been fnished, Zhalia put the mug down onto the ground and rose from her seat. "I'll second Simon's invitation. We were getting herbs for Ostara. I'd like to check out the nearby forest and see what I can find. It's tradition to pick them yourself where I'm from."

A tingling feeling crept up to the back of her neck and Zhalia's head spun around to find the eyes of a person on their little group of three. It was a seemingly Asian person with dark long hair and clear skin. Her first instinct was to steel herself. Her body tensed and her fingers twitched ever so slightly but there was no need. Zhalia forced her muscles to relax, her stance to slack a little and her lips to turn into a soft smile. "We were just heading to the woods if you wanna accompany us." She wasn't sure why she threw the offer in the air. Getting to know two people at once seemed more than enough. Maybe it was because she didn't suspect this person to be a problem. Their body language didn't threaten Zhalia, though that could be misleading. What are you thinking? Stop. You are not in danger, this is not a war.

Maybe meeting more people at once would lead to quicker acclimation? She could only hope so. This feeling of not belonging was eating at her. All her life she had belonged somewhere, had belonged with people. Though Zhalia had spent some years craving solitude and loneliness, mostly out of shame and guilt, she could no longer bear it. She grew up in a society and she was seeking to find that community again. People who knew her, who joked with her and who would fight with her. No, not fight. No more fighting. Old habits die hard.

With her newfound companions in tow, Zhalia began to head away from the Patch, leading them towards the Covenstead instead. As they made their way, they chatted carelessly. It felt good to have people with her for once. They went around the big house and towards the backside heading for the wall. No one asked her where she was going and so Zhalia figured they knew about the hole in the wall. If she had found it in her three days of being here, it was no surprise others knew of it as well. It was a solid space to pass through if you lifted a leg through and followed up by pulling your head down and through the wall next. Signs of half-hearted attempts of closing up the hole assured Zhalia that they were not supposed to go through here but apparently no one cared enough to actually close it up with stones or something harder to cut and pry open than this wired fencing they'd placed to cover it up. It had since been cut open by someone else.

Once she had stepped through, Zhalia's eyes landed on the forest. It was her first time standing in front of it and it was quite a sight. The trees grew tall and thick. Even though she was only a few feet away from the forest, she could not see further than three or four rows of trees. She turned around to face the others. "We should step a bit into the forest. You probably know the herbs needed? Nettle, garlic, dandelion..." She trailed off. They would know what herbs to look for if they wanted to help her find them. And if not, she would do it alone.

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█ location: the forest ♫ Players may enter the forest at their own risk. The forest is said to be haunted but it is all surely just an old telltale. ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

Into The Forest by Oscar Wilde To the north of the little place that was Shipden Peak stood a forest. One may walk fifteen feet into the lush green and be swallowed whole. Fog might dance around the ankles though it has no purpose being there but to spook you with a warning: do not treat. It would be unwise to walk into it thinking you would come out the same. Many times the wall that surrounds Shipden was mended, for foolish youth would open up the makeshift passageway behind the Covenstead that led straight into the woods. Treating into the forest was forbidden a long time ago, though modern times make ancient minds grow forgetful. And so you may enter these woods tonight. At your own risk... ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

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F O R M A N O N
All information below is at your disposal. You may base your character's reaction and decision on how much of this info they possess. You may ignore this information if you like.

˃ Your Danger Sense is activated. Manon can feel that danger is near. It is likely to have to do with the forest. She does not know how dangerous the threat is and seemingly can't detect what could be causing this sense of danger. You would need to further investigate to gain more information.

F O R S I M O N
All information below is at your disposal. You may base your character's reaction and decision on how much of this info they possess. You may ignore this information if you like.

˃ Through your Intuition, you could notice that Zhalia's aura if feeling a little "sketchy". Simon may get a sense that her intentions are unclear or maybe obscured. This could be her hiding something, not being truthful, using magic to obscure her aura or just her being nervous, confused or unsure about her own intentions/actions. Simon could use his magic (lean into his Intuition) to gain more information. He is not receiving any other funky intuition about any other person present as of right now.

OBLIVION

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MELANIE CAVILL █ act one: way down we go Ritman High [Football Field] Interacting with @Prisk, @Aeolian, @Laertes ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

Before Melanie knew it, the woman she had seen in tiny rows of pictures on her phone as she scrolled through the influencer's Instagram profile in the middle of the night was right there, talking to her. After seven years of definitely not thinking about her, there she was. And she wore that sweet smile that would make Melanie's heart skip back in high school. Before she had time to let the presence of Natalie Miller sink in, she held her in her embrace. As Natalie's arms wrapped around the woman, Mel's found their way around Natalie's frame all on their own and squeezed her tight before she could stop herself. Her eyes closed as she took in the scent of the woman that sent her right back to high school days... her old bedroom, Natalie's smile, books on the bed that Melanie's eager eyes couldn't focus on. Natalie's familiar voice in her ear, her soft breath on her cheek as she spoke brought Melanie back to reality. Her heart skipped a beat. Her eyes shot open as if woken from a dream. Oh fuck... Only as their short embrace ended did Melanie notice that Natalie... Were those tears? Melanie could not recall ever having seen Natalie display such an emotional reaction before. Let alone in front of anyone she didn't really know. It seems we've all changed. High school was over. Melanie had left most people of that life behind, including most definitely Natalie Miller. They had been study partners with a mutual agreement that led to a convenience-relationship. That was all. In all those years after high school, Melanie had managed to keep Natalie out of her mind. One hug didn't have the power to throw her back into old fantasies. So take your eyes off of her then. Melanie snapped out of it and trailed her eyes over to the newcomer. It was a boy she didn't remember seeing in high school. Brown hair, walking cane. As Natalie called out his name, Melanie's mind put the information together. Of course, Marco, the musical talent. She had listened to his music from the other room while studying until one day it stopped. Following after him came another figure Melanie had trouble placing. He was a canvas full of art and if she had been a little bolder, she might have asked to spend some time looking at all those beautiful designs. Though art was something she only found interest in on occasion, tattoos had become more and more appealing to her in the last few years. She had been on the verge of getting more than the one she had on her wrist multiple times but then never went through with it. In this moment, she regretted it. The space of her back felt unusually empty all of a sudden. Even with the boy stating his name, Mel couldn't place him. That didn't seem the case for Natalie who promptly used a bully term she associated with him. Mel's smile faltered. We all changed, hm? Yeah, sure... Why was she disappointed? It hadn't mattered then and didn't matter now. And then the sun began to shine. Well, figuratively. Mel's entire face lit up when the wonderful energy that surrounded Oleander Okonedo engulfed her. As he tossed out hugs for everyone, Mel was quick to squeeze the guy tightly into her just as he did with her. Oleander's hugs had been a medicine she wasn't aware she had missed this much. Being who she was, Melanie always had problems expressing how much she needed to just be hugged tightly. She sure as hell couldn't ask for it, not then and not now. But Oleander somehow just did it, always had. He was intuitive like that. The warm feeling in her chest subsided when he began to study her face and cleared black residue off of her cheek. "Oh shit", she exclaimed and began to rub her sleeve over the spot he just cleaned in case any bits were left. Red crawled onto her cheeks. Of course Natalie looked perfect but she had to have dirt on her face. And Natalie hadn't said anything. "I was working on the farm all day and my dad's truck -" She stopped herself as she noticed she had raised her hand to point behind her as if to point in the direction of the farm. "It doesn't matter. It is so good to see you." Oleander continued his round in greeting everyone, interjected with some smiles, nods and "Hi" from Melanie. She wasn't a shy person, not necessarily, but she didn't like big groups and seeing all of these old faces brought back memories and old feelings she hadn't been aware of. Oleander naturally displayed the most emotion as a few tears streaked down his cheeks. Melanie's first instinct was to avert her gaze and mentally check out but she forced herself to look at him and give him a soft smile. She deeply hoped he would stop crying, it made her uncomfortable. It made her feel stupid. She always had an answer and if she didn't, she knew how to find it. But emotions were different. They often paralyzed her, had her feeling like everyone around her had been attending Emotions And Feelings 101 all their life while she was standing in a display case in underwear. It made her skin crawl. Emotions didn't make sense. To her credit, she had gotten a lot better. In big part due to her contact to Dante and "that Australian girl" as her mother put it. She had had few relationships, though nothing long-term, and had learned to check in with herself and others more. The immediate reaction towards Oleander's tears was probably due to the outer circumstances - she was back at her old high school, seeing her old friends, her old ... Natalie. Old patterns emerging in such a case just made sense. Of course, Melanie gloriously failed to apply that rhetoric to Natalie's earlier comment. No time to think about it. Dante arrived and pulled Melanie into a short but good hug. "Dante", she looked him up and down once they released each other. "You look good, man. How have you been? It's been so damn long. When did you arrive?" Knowing that Dante would come was one of the main reasons Melanie had agreed to the reunion. That and... well, Dante obviously was the main reason. She had offered to meet him a day before the reunion but his plans hadn't allowed it. While she had been in Delton for 3 days already, it was likely he had arrived only a few hours ago. Melanie let her eyes wander around the group once more. Seeing Natalie had short-circuited her brain for a moment and with the commotion of other people arriving, she had failed to greet Meir and Trystan properly. Trystan's face immediately evoked some fun Dungeon and Dragons memories within Melanie. If they had the time later, she would need to ask him if he still played, and catch up on some of those adventures they've enjoyed together. That trip down memory lane would house so many dear moments. And then there was Meir. Melanie shot a soft smile in his direction. She was sure he understood, even though they hadn't talked in a while. He knew Melanie would catch up with him during some peace and quiet when they had more time and were not distracted by so many people. He deserved that. So did Dante. They would know this much about her. Would Natalie want to catch up in peace? "I know that Sara said she wanted to come but I honestly haven't kept up with the group chat. I wouldn't know who's still missing." She buried her hands into her jeans pocket. The soft feeling of her hoodie on her skin, the cold breeze in her hair, and the lingering feeling of those hugs made her feel cozy. So far it hadn't been half as awkward as she had anticipated. ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

OBLIVION

@Salsa Verde I wonder what Meir thought of Mel's behaviour regarding Natalie. Mel did happily team up for group projects with Nat, Meir's bully-by-association. Do you think he ever confronted her about that?

OBLIVION

@The Man Emperor Your relation to Melanie kinda contradicts the one in my relations sheet. I like yours though, we can totally go with it. I can change mine to reflect what you wrote.