cerozer0

The Mundane [Small-Town Teenage Superheroes]

Location: Somewhere dark and cold
Interacting With: Alice Malone @Undine, Tessa Gray @Kirah

---

---

_{its dark}

King was alone, yes, he knew that. He was alone in a dark, cold place, surrounded by the roar of far off storms and screams. He couldn’t move, couldn’t see, and he was terrified. Around him, the earth seemed to move, ripping against his stomach and arms and face as if he were being pulled by something. Something strong, something scary, it had him and then all of a sudden it didn’t. He was stuck again, unmoving, alone. Not alone. There was something in the darkness with him, he knew it, there had to be something that just couldn’t be human, and it was done hunting him. It was afterthem now. King felt his eyebrows furrow, and a pounding in his heart urged him to try and stand, to try and protect them.

them who?

King tried to shift his head, to blink, but each movement sent a spiraling pain through his limbs and stunned him back into paralysis. Something was wrong with his head, he knew, he could feel the source of the pain grow from the back of his skull, and he felt the familiar warmth of blood pool through his hair. As his mind focused on the injury, a sudden shiver ran across his skin, as if he had suddenly regained his sense of touch by realizing his pain. Dampness, damp, wet. Cold. Hard. Falling like bullets from above, coating, covering his back in streams of water. Rain. King shook suddenly as a loud crash echoed through the darkness around him, a sound he knew too well, a sound he feared. Thunder. King tried to move again, but again his head screamed in defiance and he fell back limply into the darkness.

When he tried to breathe his mouth and nostrils were only filled with a thick substance, earthy in texture and taste. He couldn’t cough, no, it caused his head to burn with anguish and the pressure on his chest was keeping him stunned silent. No… There was no pressure on his chest, rather, it felt like he was laying face down, crushing himself with a corpse-like posture. King tried to blink again, but still only darkness filled his sights, a vacant, cold darkness that held the distant sounds of cries, of humans. Of people he knew.

_{im scared}

King attempted to make a sound, a groan, a cry, just something to pull him back to a more sensible mindset, but his voice sounded so far off and quiet that he could barely register it. Pain rippled through his brain again as another thunderous boom filled his mind, and when he tried to brace himself against the tremors another burst of torture locked his joints. The cries he heard before seemed to be closer, but still nothing was near enough to awaken him from his frozen state. King felt his face twist, or perhaps he didn’t, and his clenched his hands into fists… Did they? Was he even moving now? He couldn’t tell, he felt much too disconnected from the world to decipher what his body was truly doing.

am i...?

Something hit his side, something hard and fast. The impact seemed to suck him back into his body, but still he couldn’t move in reaction. Blind to who or what just touched him, King waited, expecting harsh hands to close around his throat, or perhaps a knife to bury into his back, but instead the air around him flourished and the pressure on his chest was suddenly freed.

_{"King! King, wake up!"}

who are you

King still couldn’t move, the injury he felt swelling kept him in an unconscious daze, but he could now hear and feel with the precision of a hound dog. Gentle, trembling hands patted his cheek, pressed harshly against his pain, and the rain that had pelted his back and face suddenly vanished into a gentle trickle. A familiar voice was pleading now, urging his mind to bloom with life again, and King suddenly let out a groan of pain as colors curled and stained his eyelids. Emotions. Feelings. King could taste them, feel them, the worry and fear and anxiety of the person above him, and though the sudden pressure of regaining his senses was mind-numbingly painful, he couldn’t help but mentally smile with relief.

He let himself lay in silence again, resting quietly against the warmth of the lap below him as his once-shallow breathing began to fill with heavy sighs, but his relaxed nature faded away as another voice filled his mind. It was a familiar noise, but not as welcoming as the one he heard first. King felt his eyebrows furrow again, and, very slowly, he cracked his eyes open and stared blankly up at two blurry faces. Familiar, so familiar.

”A-Alicshh- Gray…?” He mumbled, words slurring horribly. At the next burst of thunder and lightning his eye squeezed back shut, and a frightened, tormented gasp escaped his parted lips. Shakily, with limbs that definitely did not want to move, King reached up to stroke Alice’s face, and where his fingers met her skin splotches of blood and dirt were left behind. His hand flopped back down limply after the attempt of trying to reassure his friend, and his head lolled to the side lifelessly. King wheezed out a hard breath and then, with small movements, he managed to whisper to the two girls:

”Can’t move… Go-- Hurt… Go-”

CLOSED.

Hunter

"Life and death and love and birth and peace and war on the planet earth."
-Steven Universe

---

Name:

Hunter M. Richards

Nickname:

- Richards
- Marie

Birth Date:

1/28/98

Age:

17

Gender:

Nonbinary (She/Her pronouns)

Sexuality:

Pansexual

Relationship Status:

N/A?

Classification:

Senior

Role:

Head Artist

In Depth Appearance:

Standing at about h'8" and weighing an unhealthy one hundred and twenty-five pounds, Hunter is slim, tall, and knows how to show it off. Despite using she/her pronouns, Hunter is nonbinary, and this is shown off through her varying outfits, use of makeup, and vanishing curves. Her face is angular, with lush lips, a narrow nose, and large blue eyes, which contrast well with her short, ever-changing hair. She has a very androgynous build, with fair, easily tanned skin and many bruises and blemishes from drunk adventures and childhood mishaps. Her arms, back, and torso are covered with many colorful tattoos, most referencing very old, nerdy TV shows and bands. Normally binds her breasts despite having very little curves.

Band shirts, sweatpants, skinny jeans, and loose tank tops fill her closet, and there are very few dresses and skirts. To more formal events she dawns dress shirts and sweater-vests, and thanks to her growing interest in fashion she always matches. When not prancing off to a party or lurking around the mall with friends she dresses like a slob, throwing on willy-nilly as an attempt to stay out of the nude. Normally wears contacts, and at night can be seen wearing very round glasses.

---

"When there's no cops around, anything is legal!"

---

Habits | Quirks | Oddities

• Never wears matching socks
• Is vegan
• Smokes
• Is literally the worst driver ever
• Snorts when laughing

Hobbies:

• Painting/drawing/sketching/ect.
• Pen drumming/flipping
• Scrapbook-ing
• Playing with fire

Likes:

• Art
• Indie bands and folk music
• Cartoons
• Driving
• Sci-fi anything
• Musical theater

Dislikes:

• Pottery
• Action movies
• Smoking
• Fantasy-themed anything
• Empty air/silence
• Math

Fears:

• Creepy crawlers (snakes, bugs, ect.)
• Tight spaces
• Losing her eyesight

Personality:

♦ Loyal ♦ Cynical ♦ Fun-loving ♦ Cold ♦

While on the surface Hunter appears sweet and friendly, often coming up to strangers with a wide smile and friendly tips, she is far from being a king soul. With a biting wit, a sailor's mouth, and devilish eyes, Hunter often approaches others with an insult already in mind. Rather mischievous and childish, Hunter often pulls practical jokes towards those she deems worthy, and despite always getting caught she just can't stop making them, finding even the most mundane attacks to be hilarious in some manner. Though she is quite talkative, Hunter has few close friends, finding that her mind simply has problems trusting people easily. Due to her cynical mindset, after her initial friendly greeting she will slowly grow more and more abrasive the longer the conversation goes on, until eventually she just runs off to cool down.

An art student before everything else, Hunter has a very vivid imagination, which is evident in most of her more fantastical pieces. Despite being very invested in her school work, Hunter is far from smart, and relies more on her keen eyes rather than her brain in classroom environments and stressful situations. School never really clicked with her, and because of this she is a rather bad student in classes that do not involve art in some way. Idiocy in the classroom aide, Hunter can be considered very adept on the streets and knows her way around even the most sketchy-feeling areas. Open-minded, Hunter is always open to ideas and questions, and has many strong liberal views despite hating politics to death.

Thanks to growing up in a rough neighborhood, Hunter had once taken part in many fist fights and verbal arguments, and though she rarely has the need to now a days she always remembers her father's fighting advice. With her strong eyes and sharp tongue, Hunter really does appear to be some sort of ruffian at first, one who can handle themselves under pressure, but in actuality she is quote fragile mentally. If too much stress is put on the skinny lad's shoulders she will easily snap and end up fleeing to hide away from everything causing her grief. Hiding her fears and insecurities is something Hunter does very well, so when she finally lets everything spill out it is nearly unbearable. To keep situations lighthearted and not worrying, Hunter cracks jokes, most being particularly dirty, and tries her best to keep everyone smiling. Her pseudo-optimistic attitude is only rivaled by her cynical and cold personality when she is near untrustworthy people. Thanks to her upbringing (and her father), Hunter a very crass way of speaking, and despite being kind of bitchy to those she had met a few times already, HUnter tries to act as kind as her mind will allow.

---

"Wubba lubba dub dub!"

---

History:

Born to a rather successful studio artist and a thespian, Hunter grew up in a decent flat in NYC. Known as 'Marie' back then, the young child spent most of her days watching her father paint, and as the many canvases filled with strong lines and colorful paints, inspiration began to bloom in her head. With her father's guidance, Marie began building up her artistic skills with various paintings and drawings, and she was often taken out and about the city to learn about techniques that could be seen in real life. Marie's upbringing was mostly based around her father and his articulate yet abrasive ways of showing her the world, and because of this she grew into a child with a sharp eye and a sharper tongue.

In her second to last ear of middle school, Marie's parents had a sudden falling out, leaving the poor child in the dust as she watched her father attempt to gather the shambles of his life. A year passed, and the divorce had been such a mental block for Marie's father that he decided to simply move far, far away from the source of his worries. Marie, of course, followed him all the way to California, and she entered Beverly Hills High School with her head held high and her lips drawn tight. As a freshman, she felt rather left out and alone, and she was quickly diagnosed with depression and gender dysphoria after having a break down in the girl's locker room.

Marie's sophomore year was spent looking for herself, and while out and about with her dad one day her eyes settled upon one of the most beautiful people she had ever seen walking passed them on the sidewalk. They were completely androgynous and confident, and that inspiration that filled Marie's gut as a child once again bloomed. That same night, she searched through countless pages of genders until she found a term that fit her perfectly. Nonbinary. The rest of her sophomore year was spent transforming herself, changing herself, until eventually she entered junior year not as 'Marie', but as 'Hunter'.

The rest of her high school career leading up to the present was spent in art rooms and parties. Feeling more comfortable with her body, Hunter became confident enough to start flirting and gaining closer friends, and thanks to her father's understanding nature whatever worries she had left all seemed to fade to the back of her mind. Her plans for senior year are simple: paint more and have fun, and damn is Hunter going all out to achieve her goals.

---

"If dreams can't come true, then why not pretend?"

---

Extracurricular Activities:

• Art Club
• Theater Club
• Acts as a volunteer helper for art teachers in various elementary schools

Extra:

Anything on the new P!aTD album

Theme:

Awkward Conversations - The Front Bottoms
_{And I wish I could pretend to be
All of the things you think you see in me
But I am not that guy, that guy just left
He had his collar up and there was smoke on his breath}

---

"I'm made of love."

---

CLOSED.

@HushedWhispers trips in oh hello i made a character :'3c

Hunter

"Life and death and love and birth and peace and war on the planet earth."
-Steven Universe

---

Name:

Hunter M. Richards

Nickname:

- Richards
- Marie

Birth Date:

1/28/98

Age:

17

Gender:

Nonbinary (She/Her pronouns)

Sexuality:

Pansexual

Relationship Status:

N/A?

Classification:

Senior

Role:

Head Artist

In Depth Appearance:

Standing at about h'8" and weighing an unhealthy one hundred and twenty-five pounds, Hunter is slim, tall, and knows how to show it off. Despite using she/her pronouns, Hunter is nonbinary, and this is shown off through her varying outfits, use of makeup, and vanishing curves. Her face is angular, with lush lips, a narrow nose, and large blue eyes, which contrast well with her short, ever-changing hair. She has a very androgynous build, with fair, easily tanned skin and many bruises and blemishes from drunk adventures and childhood mishaps. Her arms, back, and torso are covered with many colorful tattoos, most referencing very old, nerdy TV shows and bands. Normally binds her breasts despite having very little curves.

Band shirts, sweatpants, skinny jeans, and loose tank tops fill her closet, and there are very few dresses and skirts. To more formal events she dawns dress shirts and sweater-vests, and thanks to her growing interest in fashion she always matches. When not prancing off to a party or lurking around the mall with friends she dresses like a slob, throwing on willy-nilly as an attempt to stay out of the nude. Normally wears contacts, and at night can be seen wearing very round glasses.

---

"When there's no cops around, anything is legal!"

---

Habits | Quirks | Oddities

• Never wears matching socks
• Is vegan
• Smokes
• Is literally the worst driver ever
• Snorts when laughing

Hobbies:

• Painting/drawing/sketching/ect.
• Pen drumming/flipping
• Scrapbook-ing
• Playing with fire

Likes:

• Art
• Indie bands and folk music
• Cartoons
• Driving
• Sci-fi anything
• Musical theater

Dislikes:

• Pottery
• Action movies
• Smoking
• Fantasy-themed anything
• Empty air/silence
• Math

Fears:

• Creepy crawlers (snakes, bugs, ect.)
• Tight spaces
• Losing her eyesight

Personality:

♦ Loyal ♦ Cynical ♦ Fun-loving ♦ Cold ♦

While on the surface Hunter appears sweet and friendly, often coming up to strangers with a wide smile and friendly tips, she is far from being a king soul. With a biting wit, a sailor's mouth, and devilish eyes, Hunter often approaches others with an insult already in mind. Rather mischievous and childish, Hunter often pulls practical jokes towards those she deems worthy, and despite always getting caught she just can't stop making them, finding even the most mundane attacks to be hilarious in some manner. Though she is quite talkative, Hunter has few close friends, finding that her mind simply has problems trusting people easily. Due to her cynical mindset, after her initial friendly greeting she will slowly grow more and more abrasive the longer the conversation goes on, until eventually she just runs off to cool down.

An art student before everything else, Hunter has a very vivid imagination, which is evident in most of her more fantastical pieces. Despite being very invested in her school work, Hunter is far from smart, and relies more on her keen eyes rather than her brain in classroom environments and stressful situations. School never really clicked with her, and because of this she is a rather bad student in classes that do not involve art in some way. Idiocy in the classroom aide, Hunter can be considered very adept on the streets and knows her way around even the most sketchy-feeling areas. Open-minded, Hunter is always open to ideas and questions, and has many strong liberal views despite hating politics to death.

Thanks to growing up in a rough neighborhood, Hunter had once taken part in many fist fights and verbal arguments, and though she rarely has the need to now a days she always remembers her father's fighting advice. With her strong eyes and sharp tongue, Hunter really does appear to be some sort of ruffian at first, one who can handle themselves under pressure, but in actuality she is quote fragile mentally. If too much stress is put on the skinny lad's shoulders she will easily snap and end up fleeing to hide away from everything causing her grief. Hiding her fears and insecurities is something Hunter does very well, so when she finally lets everything spill out it is nearly unbearable. To keep situations lighthearted and not worrying, Hunter cracks jokes, most being particularly dirty, and tries her best to keep everyone smiling. Her pseudo-optimistic attitude is only rivaled by her cynical and cold personality when she is near untrustworthy people. Thanks to her upbringing (and her father), Hunter a very crass way of speaking, and despite being kind of bitchy to those she had met a few times already, HUnter tries to act as kind as her mind will allow.

---

"Wubba lubba dub dub!"

---

History:

Born to a rather successful studio artist and a thespian, Hunter grew up in a decent flat in NYC. Known as 'Marie' back then, the young child spent most of her days watching her father paint, and as the many canvases filled with strong lines and colorful paints, inspiration began to bloom in her head. With her father's guidance, Marie began building up her artistic skills with various paintings and drawings, and she was often taken out and about the city to learn about techniques that could be seen in real life. Marie's upbringing was mostly based around her father and his articulate yet abrasive ways of showing her the world, and because of this she grew into a child with a sharp eye and a sharper tongue.

In her second to last ear of middle school, Marie's parents had a sudden falling out, leaving the poor child in the dust as she watched her father attempt to gather the shambles of his life. A year passed, and the divorce had been such a mental block for Marie's father that he decided to simply move far, far away from the source of his worries. Marie, of course, followed him all the way to California, and she entered Beverly Hills High School with her head held high and her lips drawn tight. As a freshman, she felt rather left out and alone, and she was quickly diagnosed with depression and gender dysphoria after having a break down in the girl's locker room.

Marie's sophomore year was spent looking for herself, and while out and about with her dad one day her eyes settled upon one of the most beautiful people she had ever seen walking passed them on the sidewalk. They were completely androgynous and confident, and that inspiration that filled Marie's gut as a child once again bloomed. That same night, she searched through countless pages of genders until she found a term that fit her perfectly. Nonbinary. The rest of her sophomore year was spent transforming herself, changing herself, until eventually she entered junior year not as 'Marie', but as 'Hunter'.

The rest of her high school career leading up to the present was spent in art rooms and parties. Feeling more comfortable with her body, Hunter became confident enough to start flirting and gaining closer friends, and thanks to her father's understanding nature whatever worries she had left all seemed to fade to the back of her mind. Her plans for senior year are simple: paint more and have fun, and damn is Hunter going all out to achieve her goals.

---

"If dreams can't come true, then why not pretend?"

---

Extracurricular Activities:

• Art Club
• Theater Club
• Acts as a volunteer helper for art teachers in various elementary schools

Extra:

Anything on the new P!aTD album

Theme:

Awkward Conversations - The Front Bottoms
_{And I wish I could pretend to be
All of the things you think you see in me
But I am not that guy, that guy just left
He had his collar up and there was smoke on his breath}

---

"I'm made of love."

---

The Mundane [Small-Town Teenage Superheroes]

Location: The Woods
Interacting With:

LIST

Jade Taylor @Altered Tundra
Jay Hunter-Darling @McHaggis
Katalina Hargrave, Nina Jelen @kittyluna45
Austin Williams @Wade Wilson
Alicia Smith @Nallore
Ashton Bryant @Undine

---

---

Scout wasn’t exactly sure when she lost her sense of hearing. She had just been kneeling there, breathing hoarsely as chaos continued to ensue around her small form, and as the others sprang into action she felt something inside her head pop. Silence followed after that, a silence she wasn’t even aware of until she saw Jade’s mouth moving but heard nothing. Scout blinked, droplets of blood and rain and sweat flinging from her lashes as she did so, but she was much too concentrated on the heat of her hands to really care about her sudden deafness. The shield was still cracking, shit, but as panic began to set in again Katalina finally acted, spreading water all across the burning magma. The heat seemed to fade in an instant, and Scout stared beyond her wall to see Jade noiselessly panic in the distance. Jade was whooping, screaming something Scout couldn't understand, and then a flash of light jolted the earth around the frantic girl and her body dropped down to the dirt, probably unconscious.

Scout wanted to cry, or perhaps jump up in joy, but as soon as the sense of danger faded she started to feel the effects of overuse. Her vision became fuzzy, dark, and her body screamed with anguish as she felt her other leg give out. In front of her the wall remained, cracked and gleaming and frozen, and though Scout wanted nothing more than to lower her hands and cease its existence she found she was stuck. Her body refused to curl in, to faint, even as her burned hands curled painfully and tears shed from her nearly-blind eyes.

this will kill me

Her mind whispered softly, and Scout barely heard it beyond the white noise that filled her head. She felt drained, exhausted, hurt, and she couldn't even fall to the earth and sleep thanks to this damned power. Scout shut her eyes slowly, shaking as she felt the cold hands of death close around her wrists, and then suddenly she was thrust into someone’s arms and pulled through the noiseless wind. Her eyes hung open slightly, and she stared up at the face of Jay with a small, tired, relieved face. Anything he said to her was blocked by the roar in her ears, and as her body's adrenaline began to settle and the reality of her injuries set in she turned her face into his jacket and screamed.

Scout’s hands were contorted painfully, shaped into jagged claws and beat red from the heat. Some parts of her skin were a pale pink and puffier than the rest of her flesh, and it seemed that even the rain was causing her pain as it sharply fell onto the burn marks. The rest of her body was stiff and soaked, and her ankle was turning dark purple from her stubborn activities and reckless moves.

“Fuck-- Fuck…” She hissed into Jay’s chest, eyes shut tightly as the pain just endlessly filled her mind and chest, and then finally her stiffness faded and her head fell back. Whatever ounce of strength she had clung on to faded into nothing, and Scout’s breathing grew shallow as darkness filled her mind and the sweet sense of unconsciousness finally came.

The Mundane [Small-Town Teenage Superheroes]

Location: The Woods
Interacting With:

LIST

Jade Taylor @Altered Tundra
Jay Hunter-Darling @McHaggis
Katalina Hargrave, Nina Jelen @kittyluna45
Austin Williams @Wade Wilson
Alicia Smith @Nallore
Ashton Bryant @Undine

---

---

Scout turned wildly as she heard Jade’s voice grow closer, eyes quickly catching the wiry girl’s figure against the rainy forest backdrop. Red-orange gleamed low within the man-made cracks in the earth, burning hot with something Scout had never seen in person, and as Jade’s voice rose in volume the lights grew brighter and closer. Scout turned back towards the others, pulling her bad leg along roughly as she cried out for them to keep running, and then in the corner of her eye she saw it. The moving mass of red-hot goo, lava. It looked much grittier than Scout expected, more black than red, but she could see lighter colors within as it burned through the forest and slowly crawled towards the others. Her gaze quickly switched to where Jade was staring, and she felt her mouth fall open as she realized who the crazed girl was after. Katalina.

“Kata– Katalina!” Scout’s voice was hoarse and her throat ached with rawness. She wasn’t sure if it reached the two girls, but that didn’t matter. The only thing on Scout’s mind was protection. Those two were going to die if she didn’t help them. Scout cried out Katalina’s name again, though it sounded more like a pained croak, and with sudden inspiration she burst into another sprint. She closed the space between herself and the two other girls quickly, though she practically fell on her face once or twice trying to get over, and without a second thought she planted herself unsteadily in front of them.

Her ankle was pulsating, the heat around her was almost unbearable, but perhaps it was for the better. With her mind frayed by panic and fear, Scout found that forming her shields was simple, as if stress was the main producer of her power. Scout pulled both her hands back, wobbling slightly as she tried to balance most of her weight of her good ankle, and she felt her fingers burn with energy. Moving fast, Scout brought her hands quickly together until her wrists painful collided, and as she did a large, glimmering wall of blue formed. It grew as Scout shut her eyes and concentrated, and it curled at the edges in an effort to catch and hold the slow-moving danger in front of her.

Pain bloomed again, not from her aching body though, but from her mind. A migraine formed quicker then she would have expected, but her face failed to falter. She was too focused on the distorted scene in front of her. Jade stood far behind the flow of lava, but still Scout could see her twisted face, her heaving chest, and her wild movements. The rumble of the earth below her feet was all in sync with Jade’s maddened mind, and Scout felt compelled to cry out to her friend again but as she opened her mouth to scream the lava finally collided with the wall. Scout grunted, not expecting to feel a sensation of weight fill her out spread hands, and her feet slid back considerably against the wave that was pushing against her shield.

Scout was screaming, she wasn’t sure why anymore though. Her mind was blank, full of white noise and the color red, and her body felt numb and senseless, but still her mouth was open and she was screaming. Perhaps it was the fact that her ankle had begun to twist due to the added force of holding back the river of lava, or maybe it was because she could taste the blood that was spilling from her nose like a stream, but still Scout couldn’t be sure. Maybe… She was just scared. Scared of dying here, like this, without being able to let the others escape.

“Ghh, ugh, someone–” She threw a slow, unsteady glance over her shoulder, fingers curling slightly as the lava pushed her back a bit more, “stop… Jade, please? Can’t h-hold–!” Her voice turned into a loud shriek as she was pushed even further back, and by now her hands were burning hot and gleaming a bright blue. The lava had begun to rise as it congregated against Scout’s shield, and though she had curved the ends to try and keep it from slipping passed her protective measures she couldn’t help but see that the more lava that pooled down the more likely it would be to overflow.

how do you stop lava

Scout tried to focus, tried to see passed the fear in her mind. She needed a plan, something to rely on, but for that to form she needed focus. Shutting her eyes tight, Scout let out a breath, trying to ignore the world and chaos around her in an effort to formulate something, anything, to get them out of this situation. A sudden push brought her back to reality though, and Scout blinked open her eyes in panic as she felt something in her begin to shatter. Break. Glancing at her force field she gasped, eyebrows knitting together as she saw the faint lines begin to form where the lava was colliding with the blue shield.

Panicking slightly, Scout pushed her mind to the limit, attempting to both strengthen and grow the force field, but she was already almost at her limit. Her body was heaving, trying to calm itself though her mind was blaring with anxiety, and her vision was split and wavering. Whatever pain she felt before was nothing compared to the state of her head, and she slowly began to sway against the heat and rain. Slowly and with a bit of hesitation, Scout lowered herself down onto one knee, gasping in relief as she got the weight off her bad ankle, and she turned her head again slightly, eyes wide and wet with tears and rain,

“J-Jay…” She called hoarsely, arms trembling with exhaustion and pain, “lava… Jay, Ali, KaAA–SOMEONE!” Scout’s yelling was unfamiliar, foreign, she rarely let her voice rise above a whisper, but in this case she couldn’t be bothered to speak normally. “Stop the lava now. Water…? Would that work? Moving Jade? We gotta, YOU gott–AAAGH!” Her body contorted as a sudden ache bloomed from her hip, seemingly coming from nowhere. Was this another side effect of using her power? Stunned into silence, Scout returned her gaze to Jade, wet her lips once, and then she cried out,

“Wake up! Please, Jade!”

The Mundane [Small-Town Teenage Superheroes]

Location: The Woods
Interacting With:

LIST

Jade Taylor @Altered Tundra
Jay Hunter-Darling @McHaggis
Katalina Hargrave, Nina Jelen @kittyluna45
Austin Williams @Wade Wilson
Alicia Smith @Nallore
Ashton Bryant @Undine

---

---

The next outburst came as a surprise to Scout, and she dodged to the side just as a fissure broke through where she had been standing. Jay’s screams faded into white noise as Scout hit the earth that tilted down directly into the forest behind, and as branches clattered down from above she held herself in the fetal position and withheld a scream of panic. Thanks to her stress-made shields, however, she sustained little damage from the trees above. The ground beneath her, however, seemed to crumble and shift slightly from the tremors and added weight, and Scout felt her throat betray her as she wound up tumbling down the hill, crashing through undergrowth and tall grass until she collided with the side of a tree. Her right ankle snapped against a log beside the tree, letting out a sickening crack as her body settled messily on the roots below.

Pain filled her body, and the small teen sucked in deep breathes in order to fill her lungs and force herself back onto her feet. Jade was still screaming, and the earth rocked with each stomp of her foot, leaving Scout little time to limp towards the others before another shake threw her off balance. Landing on her hip, Scout let out a loud, pain-ridden scream, throwing wild and unsure glances over her shoulder. Jade appeared in threes at first as Scout felt her eyes shake and water in fear, and in one last desperate effort to calm down the girl Scout shrieked,

“Stop it!”

Taking only a moment to catch her breath, Scout once again got up and began trudging towards the others, sweat and blood and dirt freely coating her arms and face and clothes. She kneaded at a sore spot on her head, wincing as she felt warmness seep onto her hands, and her chest heaved with a mixture of fear and exhaustion. Whatever calmness she held before had faded into a small light, and all she wanted to do was cling to another sane person and pass out. They were so far though, Scout could barely see them within the shade of the forest, but her eyes were sharp enough to see their stiff, huddled shadows and her ears easily picked up on their desperate cries despite the grinding earth. The added lightning managed to help outline their shapes, and Scout wasn't sure if nature was trying to help her out, or get her killed.

As she closed in the space between herself and the others, Scout felt the hair on the back of her neck rise, and heat suddenly filled the air. Glancing back, her mouth fell open in shock as she saw light glimmer from the fissures made by Jade. Lava, that had to be lava! Scout thought that she was simply some kind of earthquake-maker, but no, she was using lava to cause this wreckage. Scout stumbled slightly as another tremor curled the earth around her, and she grabbed onto the closest tree in an effort to steady herself. The others were so far already, and Scout winced as she realized she was still in earshot of Jade’s wild screams. Not good.

curse these short legs

Scout pushed herself off the tree and, despite the fact that her ankle might be sprained or worse, broke out into a labored sprint. Her breathing quickly became detached and hoarse as she felt her leg tremble and burn with each hard step she took, and she tried her best to call out to the others but her throat was raw with misuse. Scout broke through the woods quickly, ignoring the fact that the undergrowth and low-hanging branches were tugging at her clothes and face, sending long, red scratches across her bare flesh.

She wasn’t sure if she was crying or not, her face was already drenched with sweat, and the cut on her head spilled messily over her right eye, half-blinding her in a sticky veil of red. She thoughtlessly rubbed at her face, trying to clear her vision, and as she did so her bad foot twisted awkwardly on a few unsteady rocks, causing a blinding-white pain to fill her body.

Scout stumbled and shrieked, though instead of falling flat on her face she shot her hands forward and picked herself right back up, ignoring the sudden sharp feeling of pebbles and twigs digging into her palms. Her sprint shifted into a zombie-limp, but she tried her best to keep up whatever speed she had retained. Jade was now much farther behind, and Scout felt as though heaven was blessing her for once as she saw the backs of her friends not too far ahead of her.

Glancing at the state of the others, she thought against calling out for help, and instead gripped her bad leg with both her hands. Using the added support, she once again quickened her limping pace, ignoring the fact that her lungs were currently on fire and her head pulsated like a beating heart. Scout just wanted to get away, to safety, and her aching body wasn’t going to stop her. Instinctual fear burned in her chest, blocking out any wishes of staying calm and collected, and Scout merely had one thought in mind.

RUN

The Mundane [Small-Town Teenage Superheroes]

Is that the first actually IC reference to Romeo and Juliette reference.

@Kirah

wouldn't Verona's town name be the first real reference tho?

It's An Awful Life: A Complex Family Reunion Roleplay

&

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Jesse’s grip tightened on Sam’s clammy hand as they were – analysed and looked down on? – by Mrs. Cassiopeia Carrington. If this was what having a mother was like, she was glad she had missed out. Sunglasses were a godsend. It meant so that when she nodded at the woman who was their generous host, the tightness around her eyes didn’t give her instant dislike, even hatred, away.

Unsavoury measures... Who did this woman think she was? Jesse had known Sam for more of her life than her own mother did! She wanted nothing more than to suggest rather loudly that they should just head home, because Jesse wasn’t going to take someone insulting her – well – insulting Sam in front of her face, even if they did share blood. That isn’t what she did, however.

“A pleasure, ma’am,” Jesse said with some stiffness, falling back on the Southern charm drilled into her from the pseudo-spaghetti western her life as a deputy had become. She had decades, decades of dealing with people she didn’t like, like drug addicts (that weren’t Sam), drunkards (that weren’t Sam), and the occasional woman-beater. The voice she used to address Cassiopeia was no warmer than it would be for any of those. “But there’s plenty of people who care about Sam more than enough to tolerate her.”

Jesse hoped to God this Cassiopeia would take it as a challenge, and she thought daggers at her. Yeah, that’s right, they said, I care more about your daughter than you ever have.

Sam turned quickly at Jesse’s words, the turmoil that she had felt from her mother’s greeting fading into a warm light as she squeezed Jesse’s hand and smiled in thanks. Turning her gaze back to her mother’s slate-like face, Sam tilted her head, her own green eyes steely and devoid of emotion. Cassiopeia Carrington… They shared a last name, but were they really related? Sam hadn’t seen her parents for, what, thirty years now? And still, after all this time, they greeted her with cold words and even colder gazes. Sam shook her head slowly, rage and guilt and sadness burning in her mind, but she soon tore her glare away to look at Jesse, eyebrows upturning slightly.

“Let’s just find our seats, okay? Come on, Jesse.” She tugged at her girlfriend’s hand, tightening her grip as she closed the distance between herself and her parents. Her face turned hard with emotionlessness, her posture straight and stiff as she passed Cassiopeia quietly, and eventually the two were away from Sam’s family’s cold stares and on the plane. Sam loosened her grip on her poor friend’s hand, and she sucked in a deep, tired breath, her lip trembling slightly as she fought off the urge to cry, “so…” She started, voice stiff, “that was my, er, family. Great people, aren’t they?” Sam hugged herself in an effort to stop her body from shaking, and her eyes focused on her feet as her cheeks turned red with anger and embarrassment.

Jesse frowned in concern, her brows knitting together in an expression that was a contradictory mix of complete confusion and long-awaited understanding. Sam had told her about her parents, of course, when they were both younger, but now she had met her girlfriend’s mother, all was clear. Cassiopeia Carrington was a raging bitch that was off-the-charts on the verbally abusive scale, by what she’d heard of the woman’s replies to the rest of her children – as if her reaction to Sam wasn’t enough for Jesse to make a snap judgement.

“You’re nothing like her. I wouldn’t’ve known you two were related,” Jesse promised her, but she didn’t feel like letting Sam hold herself together. “Hey, c’mere.” She slipped a strong arm around Sam’s waist and pulled her in for a solid hug, ignoring that under all her expensive fur she felt even more fragile than before – all skin and bones.

In the process, she leaned over to whisper to her, “If they say anything else like that, I’ll punch them. I don’t care if it’s your dad, or your mom, but they’re getting a shiner.” Jesse was completely serious, which was unsurprising. She’d jumped to Sam’s defense in the (distant) past a few times, mostly at seedy bars when they were both underage. Sam sighed once, allowing her head to rest gently on Jesse’s shoulder. Whenever she was by her friend, Sam either felt incredibly calm or incredibly mad. They didn’t have a perfect relationship, sure, but Sam really couldn’t imagine her life without Jesse right now.

“Thanks, Jesse.” She whispered, closing her eyes as she breathed in and out softly. This trip wasn’t going to be easy, she knew that, but as long as she had Jesse by her side (and a LOT of alcohol) she’d be fine. She may even enjoy it, if her family kept to themselves. Sam shook her head slowly, pulling away quickly, “but we should find our seats, yeah? Just… Ignore anything my family says for now.” She muttered, green eyes glazed slightly.

The Mundane [Small-Town Teenage Superheroes]

Location: Wilcox Land
Interacting With: Jade Taylor @Altered Tundra, anyone in Group 1

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Scout had spent the party mingling and drinking. She had ultimately hid behind Jay and Alice in the beginning, trying to not meet the eyes of any teachers or adults, but once the older folks abandoned the premises she gained a slightly louder tone and welcome others with small smiles and mischievous plans. Her first beer had been finished slowly, longingly, as if Scout only drank it a drop at a time. During the course of this drink, she spent her time chatting with her closer friends, explaining her hare-brained scheme to paint up the school, or maybe cause a bit of mischief in Old Town. By the time she reached the end of the beer her mind was buzzed and her hands sweaty. It was a lovely feeling, this tipsiness, and with a light heart Scout joined her friends around the coolers to chat and gossip.

The cheeriness in the air didn’t last long, as after a mere twenty minutes of screaming over the choir of laughing, dancing teens and loud music there was a slight commotion in the crowd. Scout turned quickly, only briefly seeing the blonde-head of King fade off into the night, and her lips pursed with curiosity. Behind her she heard laughs from her friends, who were perhaps joking about reasons as to why King was sprinting away from the party, and Scout couldn’t help but to turn and joke along. Laughter and music filled in any empty air left by her conversations, and eventually Scout found herself wandering alone through the crowd, eyes focused on the fire pit where her friends had later congregated too. Being so small, Scout found that she was having trouble getting from place to place in the party due to the many taller legs that blocked her path, and being slightly drunk didn’t exactly way anything in her favor.

“Jay, where the hell are you? I’m stu-”

Scout attempts at crying out for someone were thwarted by a familiar shriek. The dancers around her froze in shock, and Scout felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise as words formed from the insane cries. The earthquakes started soon after the sobs, and Scout yelped as the people around her ran away in fear. Fissures split across the yard and Scout scrambled away quickly, unaware of the fact that a pale blue shield guarded her back in flashes. She eventually tripped over her own feet and hit the ground chin-first. Whatever alcohol that had clouded her brain stunned her, kept her clung to the earth as she groaned and saw the world spin nauseatingly. Attempting to steel her mind, Scout squeezed her eyes shut and cried out, digging her hands into the dirt as the earth below seemed to shake with rage. Feet thumped around her, and eventually all that was left was the faint groans from the source of the earthquakes and the far off cries of familiar teens.

Scout huffed out breaths, trying to regain some sense of calmness, but the shaking earth and far off noises were driving her mad. It was like fear was literally in the air, filling her head with unnecessary thoughts and suffocating her. It was odd, like the fear wasn’t her own but was rather being forced to be on her, and Scout knew that she didn’t want it. Scout glanced about once, as quickly as possible, and she assessed that she was just on the edge of the woods, only a few feet from the 'safety' of the trees. Slowly and unsteadily she rose up, mind whirring with the usual fight or flight ideal that most fearful people experienced, and Scout felt her jaw tighten suddenly as she turned and wobbled slightly back towards the source of the cries. Her hands clenched tightly, and she felt her knees tremble as she mustered up whatever voice she had left to scream out,

“Jade! Calm down! Jade!”

Scout’s voice betrayed her. It warbled with panic and barely sounded above the roar of the wind and trembling earth. Her body shook with fear, making her legs tremble uncontrollably and her mind whir with the thought of her possibly dying here. But, Scout knew her mind. She was good at staying calm, or at least appearing so, and now, in front of the insane Jade she kept her gaze hard and her posture stiff and controlled. The option of flight was still pulling at her, urging her to turn and run, but the panicking cries of Jade kept her steady and sane. Someone needed help, someone needed protection, and Scout wasn’t just going to let them suffer.

“Jade, what’s wrong?! You really gotta calm down, look at what you-” Scout was cut off by a sudden gust of wind and coldness splashing over her body. Rain. Sudden, unrelenting rain. It fell hard, and then quickly lightened to the likes of a summer storm. Scout glanced at the sky once, shivering against the sudden cold, and then returned her hard stare to Jade. Honestly, the sudden freezing storm may be useful, it managed to clear some of the haze that infected Scout's mind, but still her body itched with terror. Seeing Jade before her, with all the fissures surrounding her, however, inspired Scout once again to pursue her goal to help this poor girl. Again, she cried out in confusion for Jade’s outbursts, but her words were lost to the winds and screams and earth around her. She kept crying out, hands clenching until she felt pain from her nails digging under her flesh, but her words just seemed to fade away, as if carried off the a gust of wind.

Perhaps running would really be the best option.

The Mundane [Small-Town Teenage Superheroes]

Location: Alice Malone’s House -> Wilcox Lodge
Interacting With: Jay Hunter-Darling @McHaggis, Alice Malone @Undine

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From: Jaaaaay
Yo scout where u at

To: Jaaaaay
Was at the gallery, now im somewhere between old town and hillside why?

From: Jaaaaay
alone??? hold on ill be right over

To: Jaaaaay
oh-kay??? haha ill wait around jean-luc blvd for you then

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Scout blinked down at her phone a few times, rereading the incoming and output messages a few time before snapping her phone shut. Glancing about, she discovered that the lovely, suburban neighborhood she had wandered into was almost completely empty, save for a few distant barks and the occasional rabbit tail scampering through the bushes. This part of town was rather nice, honestly, it was quiet and the houses were varied and colorful. The only issue Scout had with the place may be the snooty teens who lived within the walls of the middle-class neighborhood, but then again that was just another common issue with Verona all together.

Leaning on the pole that held up the street’s name, Scout yawned, rubbing her puffy eyes roughly in an effort to wake them up. She had fallen asleep after settling at The Gallery, and then after waking up she cried over nothing and/or everything for an hour before heading back out into town. Scout looked haggard, maybe even a little messy, but she didn’t care much, all she really wanted at the moment was something to take her mind off of things, and that something just so happened to be Everett Wilcox’s party. Staring forward aimlessly, Scout stifled a yawn and awaited the arrival of her friend, and she silently hoped he wouldn’t point out her drab appearance.

All of a sudden and without any warning whatsoever, a tall shadow loomed over her from behind. “Boo,” Jay said in a snarky, deadpan voice, standing with one hand upon the street sign and the other stuffed in his pocket. Scout let out a small, surprised noise and jumped forward, completely unaware of the faint blue shield that formed between the two for a split second. As soon as she turned to glare at her friend the shield vanished, and Jay was left unprotected from Scout’s annoyed stare.

In return, Jay blinked owlishly, as if he hadn’t expected teleporting behind a girl as a freakishly tall guy without a single word being something possibly threatening enough to warrant his best friend’s superpower to activate.

Superpower?

“What.” And then, he stared at Scout, eyes narrowing before he slung an arm around her neck and pulled her in for a half-hug, half-frog march as he pulled her along towards Alice Malone’s house, the direction of which he sort of knew. “Ooh! My midget buddy’s got a gift! She can make – uh, bubbles? Walls? How long have you been keeping that under your hat for?”

“Ack, I’m not a midget you stupid noodle fuck!” Scout snorted, stumbling slightly as Jay dragged her along, “and I discovered it yesterday, while almost getting hit by a truck. It’s cool, huh?” Any initial annoyance she had felt from Jay’s scare had vanished, and it was instead replaced by a wide, relieved smile. Honestly, just being close to her best friend was enough to quell her worries, he just seemed to exude that kind of stoner-calmness at times, even if he wasn’t a stoner. Glancing up at his bruised face, Scout felt her eyebrows furrow, and then she sighed and stared forward, watching familiar houses pass with curious eyes.

“Uh, where’re we going, bud?”

“Malone’s,” he said dramatically, as if Alice was a movie villain. Maybe a 1930s Irish gangster – that seemed to fit the surname. Jay thought that he was being rather harsh on his friend in his mind, so he decided to change it up. He tugged Scout around a corner in picturesque Hillside, and they were almost at Alice’s house. Verona was a small town, after all. “We’re going to pick her up. Speaking of: do you think she’d hate us if I started singing ‘Bugsy Malone’ songs at her?”

“Probably not, she’s kind of saint-like don’t you think?” Scout struggled to keep her up with Jay’s longer legs, and in the end she merely grabbed on tight to his denim jacket and allowed him to drag her along. Watching the bigger houses of Hillside pass-by, she sighed and allowed her head to hang lazily to the side, “I’m ready to get drunk, super drunk. Just sooo drunk, ya know. So drunk.” She laughed slightly, eyes staring into each open window she saw.

“‘I’m so wasted! I’m soooo wasted,’” Jay parodied in a high-pitched girl’s voice, snorting in laughter when his voice cracked at the end. Then he paused, adding as if to help her out, “That’ll be you. Drinking unleashes your inner white girl… or your outer one. Whatever.” He wondered what the people in the houses that Scout was staring into might have thought. Both of them were New Town kids, even if Jay’s step-dad was known to be a good, incorruptible cop and Jay himself lived on Copper Hill nowadays. Probably that they were thieves.
“Which house is Malone’s?” he wondered. “Is the outside pink? In my head it’s pink.”

“Actually, it’s white. With a pretty roof and lots of plants.” Scout glanced up at the sky, remembering the days she had spent playing with Alice in that big house, and a nostalgic smile met her face. She squirmed away from Jay’s embrace eventually and pointed out the house with a small hand, “that one over there is her’s, don’t ask me how I know. I just do~.” She threw him a playful grin, and then she bent at the waist slightly and waved her hands towards the pathway to Alice’s front door,

“After you, Princess Bubblegum.” She stuck her tongue out, curling a strand of blonde hair around her pointer finger as if to remind him of his own colorful head.

Unsure as to whether or not he should be offended, even mockingly, Jay sputtered out, “Yeah, well, you’re Finn. Eat a dick.” And with that obscenity, he went up and knocked on Alice’s front door. Then he blanched, belatedly, as he realised that it might be one of her parents who would answer. Jay hoped to God that wasn’t the case.

After her initial breakdown in her garden, Alice had retreated to her room to calm down. It really wasn’t a good time to be cackling and sobbing like a madwoman, after all during such a tragic time. Once she had managed to relax, she had cleaned herself up and changed clothing. She had just finished applying the finishing touches to her eyeliner when Jay knocked on the door. After a quick checkover to make sure that she looked presentable, Alice skipped down the stairs to open the door.

“Jay! Scout!” Alice greeted with a smile, “Didn’t expect to see you guys here. What’s up?”

“Party, wanna come and get wasted?” Jay asked – short, sweet and to the point. His grin could have split his face in two with how cheesy it was, but he managed to give Malone the desperate puppy-dog eyes at the same time. Scout, meanwhile, was half-hidden behind Jay’s lanky frame, but she gave her best effort to wave at her old friend, allowing a small smile to gleam on her otherwise haggard-looking face.

“Oh God yes.” Alice sighed with an eye roll. “I’m going to need something to get through the day, probably. And how could I say no to that face?” Alice giggled softly, poking Jay’s chest. She then turned her attention to Scout hovering behind Jay. Her eyes softened in concern as she took in her old friend’s haggard appearance.

“Scout, you okay? No offense, but you look seriously tired. Have you slept? You could come in to freshen up a bit. I have makeup, clothes… Everything someone would ever need to clean up a bit.”

“Grunge aesthetic looks nice,” Jay defended Scout instantly. And himself. Scout dug her elbow into his gut, smirking up at him in thanks before returning his wide gaze back to Alice. Sheepishly, she rose a hand and rubbed the back of her head, and then she nodded once and smiled,

“I’m fine, but freshening up sounds like a good idea.”

“Hey, I never said that grunge is bad. I wish that I could pull it off, honestly.” Alice giggled, swinging the front door open wide and beckoning her friends in. “All of us could probably use a quick face wash though, it’s been kind of a crazy day. And Jay, the invitation is open to you as well. You can wear my makeup and clothes if you really want!”

“Ooh, I’ve never had a makeover before,” Jay said as he slid past Alice, ducking under the door frame (as he often had to do). “Will I be a real girl now?”

“Makeup doesn’t automatically make you a girl, Jay-Jay.” Scout sneered at him, eyes twinkling playfully, and then she slowly slid over to Alice, ready to follow her to whatever room they were headed too. Glancing about, Scout felt subtle hints of nostalgia, but of course, every house changes just slightly over many years. She stared down at her feet passively, then glanced at Alice's profile, again allowing a small smile to slip past her playful smirks.

Alice chuckled as she led them up the staircase. As expected of Alice Malone’s home, there were plenty of flowers in vases placed strategically through the halls. The entire home had a bright, pristine look with not a single mess in sight. Even the wooden floorboards seemed to have a certain shine to them. Alice opened a door, revealing a room decorated with pastel pink and lavender. As expected, there were more flowers scattered around the room with a couple of stuffed animals sitting beside the vases.

“Well, Jay if you want makeup I have a bunch of them. If you want to borrow my clothes, you could… But I don’t think you’d fit.” Alice chuckled while pointing out her vanity dresser and closet. “The bathroom is directly across the hall.”

“I’ll, uh… wait out in the hall. So you can do girl things?” But before he took a seat on the floor, he couldn’t help but ask: “I don’t suppose you’d mind lending me some nail polish? I want in on this too.” Scout bowed her head once towards the bathroom, as if to say ‘I’ll be going in’, and then she vanished through the doorway and shut the door.

“I’ll be a minute, hey Liss- ALICE,” basically shouting the last bit through the door, Scout briefly wondered if Jay would say anything about the nickname, and a faint blush dusted her cheeks, “Alice, wanna… Do my makeup for me? When I’m done in here?” While waiting for a response she turned on the sink, splashing her face quickly with icy cold water. Though she had tried to miss catching her own eye in the mirror, she eventually rose up and examined her appearance, eyebrows furrowing as she suddenly saw what Alice meant. The flesh under her eyes was dark and puffy from the few tears she had experienced before, and her cheeks were sullen and pale. Gross. Running her fingers through her messy hair quickly, Scout allowed silence to fill the bathroom, and she quickly allowed her ears to tune into the conversations going on beyond the shut door.

Alice retrieved the bag that contained all of her nail polish from her closet. She placed the heavy bag next to Jay. It was filled with a variety of nail polish colors--there were easily over 20 different colors. Some would be sparkly, others were scented, while the rest were fairly standard and all with every color you could ever possibly want. “Have at it!” Alice grinned. “I also have stickers if you want to have tiny flowers or stars on your nails.”

Once she heard her name being called by Scout, Alice leaned against her doorframe and called back to her. “If you want me to, I will! It’ll be so much fun!”

Jay nodded seriously and solemnly, and rifled through the bag of nail polish, removing the star stickers too at the same time as black. He wasn’t quite secure enough in his masculinity to wear hot pink, even if his hair was already that colour. “I’ll get right on it.”

Scout eventually opened the door, staring up at Alice with her usual lax eyes, and after a second of staring she rose up to tight her hair back. Once satisfied and finally able to see clearly without all the stray blonde strands in her vision she held up her thumb, grinning at the dark-haired girl cheerily as she whispered, “have at me then, Lissy.”

“Hmmm…” Alice took a long look at Scout’s face before turning to dig through her make up supply. “You have such a pretty face Scout, I don’t think a whole lot of makeup would suit you. The natural look would probably suit you more, with hints of blue. Blue is definitely your color.” Alice turned back to face Scout with a grin.

“Hold on, I’ll be right back.” Alice left Scout sitting there to go to the bathroom, and she grabbed two face towels, soaking one in cold water, and the other in hot. She returned moments later and instructed Scout to close her eyes. She then placed the hot towel on her eyes. “Alternating hot and cold towels on your eyes will get rid of the puffiness.” Alice informed her gently, “And it also feels really nice after a long day.”

“It just feels like you just put a hot towel on my face, to be completely honest.” Scout replied in a deadpanned voice.

Alice opened up a tube of foundation and rubbed it onto her skin, comparing it to Scout’s pale complexion. Once she was satisfied with the hue, she started applying it to Scout’s face. After she found the right color, it was all just routine from here. Add some contouring, blending, eyeliner, a hint of blue eyeshadow… Alice’s touch with her makeup brush and such were always extremely gentle, taking care to not make her uncomfortable in any way.

Several minutes later, Alice put her brushes down. “Done! What do you think?” She asked, gesturing towards her vanity mirror. Alice was seriously satisfied with Scout’s makeup right now. Instead of covering her already pretty face, Alice accentuated and enhanced, making sure to highlight her all of the good features.

Scout blinked at the mirror a few times, tilting her head to and fro as if to confirm it was really her face looking back at her. When it came to makeup Scout knew the bare basics, eyeliner, blush, mascara, lipstick, though she did consider herself a master of the smokey-eyed grunge look. But this, whatever Alice did to her face must have involved some kind of magic. She turned back to her friend, fighting a cheesey smile as she said in a soft voice.

“It looks so good, thanks so much…” And then, as if to save face, she snorted and turned to Jay, pointing at herself with a straight finger, “hey Jay-Jay, do I look pretty or what?”

Jay looked up as he applied the last star stickers onto his thumb nail, and gulped. “Yeah…” he said, blinking owlishly. “Yeah, you look awesome. Well, I mean, you always did– uh, do, but Alice killed it.” He tried not to look to closely at Scout, figuring it would be like staring at the sun. And, most of all, Jay did not want to think of his best friend as pretty. That was a whole can of worms that should stay in the pantry.

Laughing nervously, he waggled his black-and-white-starred nails at Scout as a distraction. [b]“How about me? Do I have it in me to be a lacquerista?”

“Most definitely, kid. You should just forget about being some kind of science major all together. Nail art is your true calling.” Scout stuck her tongue out at him, lifting her hands up easily to let her hair loose again, and with a few quick swipes she managed to neaten it nicely around her face. Standing up, Scout stretched slightly and glanced down at her watch. The party would be well on its way soon, and she glanced at her two friends curiously, hands fiddling with the hem of her sweatshirt.

“We should start heading out soon, but, uh, how the hell are we getting there?”

Alice giggled at Scout and Jay’s exchange. She hadn’t expected to hang out with these two today, but she was so glad that they dropped by. For the first time today, Alice was genuinely smiling and laughing, and these two were the ones that caused it. For that, she was grateful.

“That’s a good question Scout,” Alice replied uncertainly, “I guess we could ask my parents if they’ll give us a ride?”

“I could, uh, wormhole you. One at a time.”

“Doesn’t it hurt you to do that though?” Scout questioned instantly, remembered the sight of him after the fight yesterday. She glanced at Alice, considering the idea of sitting in a car with adults she hadn’t seen in years and a shiver of fear ran up her spine. Still, it was better than walking through the woods… “I think we may need to ask your folks, Liss.”

Jay really had no defense to that and so shrugged. “Sucks,” he said with some sympathy. Hopefully Alice’s parents would phone his, and ask if he was supposed to be out. He had just… hopped out, even after his step-dad made him promise not to leave the house after the murder.

Alice flashed her two friends a thumbs up before leaving the room to knock on a door down the hall. “Mom? Dad? Can you do me a favor?”

Christine Malone poked her head out of the room. “What is it dear?” She asked wearily. Due to the recent murder, Christine had been running around the past hour or so and forcing a calm front while being on camera, reporting to the entire town that another tragedy had struck.

“Um, do you think that you could drive me and my friends over to the Wilcox lodge?” Alice asked meekly, knowing that it would make both of her parents worry.

Christine hesitated, turning to call back to her husband. “Kyle! Alice and her friends want to go out… What do you think?”

Kyle appeared beside his wife, concern etched into his face. “I don’t know Lissy. A lot has happened, and I don’t know if you’re going to be safe… And what about your friend’s parents? Are they fine with it?”

Alice hesitated, unable to come up with an answer. Instead, she turned back to summon her friends over. “Guys? Can you come out here?”

Jay obligingly followed Alice’s command, waving jauntily at the Malones as he stuck his head around the door to see them too. “Hey, uh, Mrs. Malone. Mr. Malone,” he said a bit awkwardly, voice lower out of respect. He swiftly moved his hands – and his painted nails – out of sight. Scout, again, stood a bit of a ways behind Jay and waved shyly towards the parents, her heart thumping painfully. She really hated adults, after all, and besides, it was embarrassing seeing such familiar faces after so many years.

“Guys, my parents are concerned that us going to the party is potentially dangerous. What do you guys say?” Alice asked the two, focusing her attention on Jay. She raised an eyebrow at him, knowing that he was the son of the Chief of Police. Perhaps her parents would be more convinced by him.

Jay cleared his throat. “Well, uh, I have my dad on speed dial, and he has a police cruiser and a gun…” He coughed again. “And I’m responsible so you should definitely let Alice go to the party. Please?” Maybe hiding Scout behind him would be a good idea, too.

The Malone parents exchanged a glance. Fortunately (?) they didn’t see Scout behind Jay’s tall frame. Kyle glanced at his wife, Jay, then finally his daughter’s puppydog eyes before heaving a sigh. “We can take you kids, as long as you can promise that all of you will be safe. Make sure to call that father of yours at any sign of trouble, young man.” The last sentence was directed towards Jay.

“Kyle!” Christine chastised, “They’re just kids!”

“No Christine,” Kyle said with a slight sour edge to his tone, “Alice is an adult now. Just… Just promise me that you’ll come home safely.”

Alice gave a solemn nod, with her eyes wide. Would it really be as dangerous as her parents thought? Despite her parent’s reluctance, they conceded for some reason. Perhaps they were reassured by Jay’s father. Maybe they realized that cooping their children up in the house was unhealthy. They could’ve seen that they were determined to go, one way or another.

Whatever the reason, Mr. and Mrs. Malone ushered all three of them into the backseat of the car, proceeding to drive them over to the party.