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Recent Statuses

2 yrs ago
Current Happy new year. Yes I am still alive. Bleep you 2022.
3 likes
3 yrs ago
You need to chill, girl. ;P
2 likes
4 yrs ago
I still don't know why I'm awake.
4 likes
4 yrs ago
I have no idea why the hell I am still awake right now. I blame my brother.
3 likes
4 yrs ago
Today, I have added "people who don't wear masks" onto my shitlist. Oh wait, I did that months ago...
6 likes

Bio

I'm a 32 year old woman just looking to keep those writing muscles in whatever shape I can. I'm also Canadian, so fill the rest of this bio with every stereotype you can think of. I've also been single for over a year now, so clearly I'm a catch.

"She's horrible and stuff" - @BangoSkank

Most Recent Posts



PARVATI
SEATTLE UNIVERSITY, HOME OF THE REDHAWKS
MOOD: SHE CAN'T RIGHT NOW



At least she wasn't going to be alone. That was the first thought Parvati had as she had someone show up who she could at least talk to. No offense to a lot of the other gods, but some of them had such egos. Oooh, I'm a Greek God and I've got a Disney movie about my kids even if they are half-mortal! Ugh. It's not like Bollywood couldn't turn out a quick story about me and Shiva... Parvati had to stifle herself for a moment as she almost thought about one of the main reasons she hated these conclaves. It wasn't the goddesses' fault though. Most of them were cool. She gave Kore a wave back as she got settled.

Thankfully there was no reason to keep thinking about the sadness now that Artemis was here. For all the stick she gave the Greek gods and their party-hearty high-rolling attitude, at least Artemis was one of the ones who could actually inspire her and give her hope. Plus, she was more than willing to trade barbs about her compatriots. “You’d think she’d have figured out by now that I don’t sit next to Ares.”

Shivani shot Serena a sympathetic smile. "Well, you know Morrigan. Not exactly concerned with playing politics on the seating arrangements," she opined. "Of course, I think half the time she forgets that I'm basically the only Indian representative that actually comes to these. So, I am more than happy to have you here at the table! I would have picked up a drink for you if I had known we were sitting together!" She had to stop herself just shy of offering her own to Artemis. Her hospitality instincts were so strong sometimes.

She was going to ask about how the puppy was doing, but there was not enough time for that. It appeared Morrigan was finally going to speak. Or try to speak anyway. Other gods were being quite rude about the whole thing until she finally blurted it out.

“Hephaestus is dead and I don’t know who killed him.”

The news stunned Parvati for a moment. Again, her disdain for the Greek gods ran much deeper than the goddesses, so it wasn't like she was going to weep for the blacksmith as much as she would for one of the foster pets she had to let go. But the ramifications of a god's death weren't lost on the Hindu goddess. Of course, she had to deal with it directly when the Istanbul Conclave happened. It did not go well.

And it quickly proved that the Greeks would be just as volatile as she was all those centuries ago. Hera started playing the soap opera star by accusing everyone. Ares started smashing stuff and pointing guns around, settling on Shango. At least Hathor was up trying to keep the peace. Figured that the Egyptians would have to keep the Greeks in line. Artemis did her best to help, but Parvati just remained in her seat. There were too many memories starting to swirl around.

She could feel the desire for revenge beginning to bubble up again. Parvati didn't even know Hephaestus that well. Again, some blacksmith dude that couldn't fix her bike. But he was a god. As was she. As was Shiva. If someone took him out, they could easily start doing that to others. That couldn't be allowed to happen! There had to be a plan to defend themselves! There had to be some task force! There had to be blood spilled to equal the punishment! There had to be bodies flayed into unintelligible shapes and---

Parvati took a sip of her beverage. Tea always helped calm her down. Even if the syrup still wasn't as good as it should be. It calmed Kali for now. Maybe Kali would be needed soon, but for now, this was not the time or place. The tea helped remind her of that.

Morrigan explained that it was the thread that had been cut. No sign of a body, no clues, nothing. At least when the scouts brought Shiva back from that accursed mountain, there was something to mourn. A husk, but it was still something. The Greeks didn't even get that courtesy. Just a snipped piece of thread. Rather difficult to offer a eulogy for that.

She would have thought more about it, but then that pink mist showed up. It was fleeting and almost mean to show up now, when emotions were running high and she had to deal with the reverb of the last time a God died. She got a vision of home. Her spot in the mountains, with her husband and kids, none of whom she had now. Once the mist evaporated, she was left sitting alone at her table, with another reminder of a past that was seemingly forever out of reach now fresh in her mind. Kali was growing angrier. Parvati needed more tea. Maybe she would have to stop by Little Marjoram on the way back and make sure her stocks were high. Or maybe go to the bar. Somewhere. Anywhere. Being here was not helping her karma stay in balance.

She got up from the table and walked over to Artemis. "I think I need to go, Arti. I'm not feeling well. I need to get out of this place. It's not good for me right now. I can talk to you later? I just, I can't be here right now. I'm sorry for your family's loss. It sucks. I can text if needed. I just really can't right now." She was rambling, but it's all she knew what to do. She could probably compose herself a bit better on the outside, but for now, she needed to be anywhere but here.

Interactions: @smarty0114 Mentions: @HaleyTheRandom @fledermaus @Icy Hot @gothelk @The Ghost Note @Akayaofthemoon




PARVATI
SEATTLE UNIVERSITY, HOME OF THE REDHAWKS
MOOD: KINDA CONFUSED AND SLIGHTLY ANNOYED



The barista looked around, drink in hand. "I have a venti chai latte with three shots of blossoming rose syrup for..." The tell-tale pause was always there, although it was getting better in recent years. "Shiv...Shivvvannie?" It was close enough.

The young-looking Indian woman rose from her seat and headed towards the counter. She had heard enough different pronunciations of her most recent name that she could usually figure out which drink was meant for her. "You almost got it! It's Shivani. Not like the orphan. But next time!" She cheerfully picked up her beverage, gave a nod and headed out towards the door.

Starbucks was ubiquitous in Seattle, and there were plenty of locations near the university. It wasn't hard to find one. Plus Parvati could use a little taste of home. Even if the blossoming rose syrup couldn't hold a candle to the hibiscus syrup that Hecate... Tessa. Got to remember she's going by Tessa here. that Tess was holding like nectar over her head. No other place had it. Not that it made any sense for any other place to have it. Tessa just knew what Shivani liked.

What Parvati didn't like was conclaves. Conclaves were never good. Not that being bound to a specific geographic area without any of her powers was great to begin with. However, conclaves were always worse. It usually meant someone was dead. Like dead, dead.

It was one of those conclaves in the Byzantine capital that resulted in her being somehow widowed at the age of infinity plus 25. There were bad moments in her lifetime, but at least most time they were confined to fights with Shiva. But those weren't happening anymore. Parvati didn't know if they would ever happen again. But at least if they did, they would be on her terms now. She was a new goddess now. Not one of those fake ones that try to hawk fake healing gems. Humans could be so clueless sometimes. It made sense how Artem... Selena built her compounds so quickly.

She did need a month or two at Moon River in the summer though. It kept her from going all... Kali. Which is what these conclaves also reminded her of. It took the Ottoman Empire seizing Constantinople for two months to get her out of her prison so she could get the righteous vengeance out of her system. And it was goooooood righteous vengeance. But it didn't bring Shiva back. It took her another 500 years to really get over that.

Still hated conclaves though. But as the only member of the Hindu community invited to this shindig, it wasn't as if she could bail. Their interests still needed to be met. Even if Lakshmi was busy with her law practice and couldn't make these at the moment. So she had to hop on her electric bike, come all the way to the university and hear another reminder that their situation was growing more pointless by the century. At least from a pantheon standpoint. Being a teacher/radio DJ had its perks. Even if people couldn't remember how her name was supposed to be pronounced.

Shivani was one of the early arrivals. She did take her duties seriously, when she had to do them. Other deities were here, even if the names and faces were slightly different every time. Kore has even been on the show a couple times to help the students learn how to do live production on acoustic sets. Plus the remixes were starting to get a bit of traction. She would have to ask her to come back on for another set. At least she could offer better accommodations than the ones here. There was way too much plastic for her liking. Still, at least she had her latte. She gave a wave to the rest of the gods and took her spot at one of the tables. Hopefully, this would be quick. I wouldn't mind getting back home to tidy up the place a little bit.


A Savannah @NeoAJ and Miss Morris / Wesley @GhostMami collab


The walk to the office of the guidance counsellor was a long one. Savannah thought she saw Wesley on the way back, but it was a fleeting glance. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had been to see Grace, as Ms. Morris had insisted on being referred by. She was one of the youngest members of the faculty, and the one that was in the position of drawing the most info out of students in order to offer proper advice. Wanting to be on a first-name basis made sense. Savannah had been on her couch a couple times, specifically to ask about the best courses to take for her planned path into university athletics and one mandated appearance after her incident in the not-so-locked office in the gymnasium. That was embarrassing but at least Grace didn’t give her any real grief for it.

The door was open, but Savannah still timidly knocked on it anyway to make sure that whoever was inside would be aware of her presence. “Hey Grace? I was told you wanted to see me?”

“Yes, indeed, Miss Payton. Please come in, take a seat.” Dr. Morris greeted the pink and blonde haired girl with a warm smile and gestured to the couch. She kept her motions smooth and carefully measured, as Subject #19 could spook easily. This was of course in part due to the experiment, but also likely a remnant of her time in foster care — there were some anxieties that could not be overwritten. “How are you feeling today?”

Savannah pulled up a spot and gracefully sat herself down on the well-worn sofa. She was still a bundle of nerves in regards to what her big mouth had gotten her into with the party on Friday night, but there was no reason for Ms. Morris to know that. No matter how cool she was with the students. Plus, there was the ongoing spat with TJ that had yet to be fully resolved. That one might be more suitable conversation material for this space. But she dodged the question for the most part. “I guess I’m doing all right. Got a good run in this morning. Still riding the high, you know?”

“As you should. Now that you mention it, we do have quite a few runners here at the school, don’t we?” Grace wondered thoughtfully, tapping her pen to her lips. “Perhaps we should organize a club, or some kind of relay event. Would you enjoy that?”

“I’d be up for it,” Savannah agreed as she leaned back onto the furniture. “I mean, as long as no one else in the club gets too upset when I lap them, you know?” Thoughts of repeatedly dusting Wesley in their races to the various stations around the campus brought a faint smile to the Texan’s face.

Dr. Morris laughed softly and made a note of her response. “That sure confidence will get you far in life, Savannah, never lose sight of it.” She said encouragingly as her pen came to a halt and she brought her eyes back up to face Subject #19. “Perhaps it is even the very reason that your team was victorious in the scavenger hunt. Tell me about how that went, I’m curious.”

The smile on Savannah’s face grew wider. “Well, if I’m being honest, I didn’t expect much out of the event. I mean, I didn’t have any real first-hand experience with Wesley or Talya, so I didn’t know what either of them could really bring. But once we got going it was pretty clear we were all driving forward with some purpose. When we got to the finish line, you know I was expecting to see Sol or Leo or one of those mega jock teams or something but hearing we won? That… that was a nice little feather in the cap, you know? Ended up being a really good time.” Savannah thought for a second. “Although I don’t remember getting a prize or anything. Thought I heard something about a prize.”

“Actually, now that you mention it… excuse me.” Grace said, setting down her notebook and pen on her end table before standing up. She walked over to the incoming mail file on her desk, having remembered that a staff member had dropped off an envelope to dispense out to the Hunt’s winners. She had somehow forgotten about it in Wesley’s appointment, how uncharacteristic of her, she needed to get some rest. Returning to her seat, Grace brandished the large manila envelope with a smile. “I believe I have that right here. There is an envelope for each of you inside, would you be able to distribute them to your teammates as well?”

Savannah took the envelope and nodded. “I think I can track the other members of my team down and get that to them.” They still had the text chain from pre-hunt planning. It would suffice.

“Excellent.” Dr. Morris beamed a smile and picked up her notebook once again. “It seems like you enjoyed the hunt and your team, then? Do you think you might have made some new friends in Wesley and Talya?”

A shrug worked its way out from Savannah’s shoulders. “It’s definitely possible. I mean, would I have picked Wes and Tal before the hunt to partner up? Heck no. I would have gone with TJ and Erica.” If nothing else, it would have saved Erica from her experience with Billie. That was a whole other conversation that was still going on. Plus, even with the recent tiff, TJ was still one of Sav’s best friends. It stood to reason they would stick together. “But I think even if we came in third or fourth or, God forbid, last, I think it would have been all right. Turns out we made a really good team, and it was enjoyable company. I could see hanging out with them again. You know, if they wanted to. Not gonna force anything.”

“Well, I guess you will just have to see where things go when you hand out their prizes. Things just might flow naturally.” Grace jotted down a few notes and checked the time on her wrist watch. “I’m glad to hear that the hunt might have opened up some new opportunities for you, and it sounds like you are still growing close with Tyler Jane and Erica. It’s good to see all of you students getting along well so early into the year. Is there anyone else that you’re interested in getting to know on campus?”

That was a question that Savannah wasn’t really expecting. Interested in getting to know? In what way? If it was in the way that she assumed most of her classmates thought, then the answer would be Nicholas Grey. Yes, even if Tyler Jane was totally miffed about it. Maybe Dwayne or Griffin would also make that particular list, but Nicholas was still at the top. Although… Talya… no. No, she had to get those kinds of thoughts out of her mind. That wasn’t proper Christian thinking. No, ma’am. Besides, that couldn’t be what Miss Morris meant at all.

“I dunno, I feel like I’m… aware of what most of the people around here are about, you know? Like friend or foe is pretty clear. I really don’t know. Maybe Dwayne Freeman? He seems like a smart guy, but I haven’t had much face time with him at all. Other than that, I think I know who I’m running with in my pack.”

Grace wasn’t expecting her to mention Subject #28 given the details that the scientists had provided her regarding Savannah’s interactions with the other students. Dr. Morris assumed this to be a deflection of her true feelings and made note of potential feelings of shame regarding her true leanings. Grace also raised an eyebrow at Savannah mentioning friends and foe. “Foe? Is there someone here that makes you uncomfortable?”

The pink-blonde’s eyes shifted a little bit. “Well… I don’t need to see Leo Brooks again any time soon. Just every time I’m in the same room as that guy, it’s just a whole pile of no. The vibe is so… ugly. I think that’s how me and TJ bonded is just over knowing that we weren’t stupid enough to fall for whatever game that dude is trying to play.”

Ah yes, Subject #11, she should have known. This was not the first time Grace had heard such feedback regarding Leo. Those who loved him were loyal and those that didn’t… well they usually felt quite the opposite of love. Dr. Morris nodded with a straight, concerned face. “That sounds fair, but I do hope that you know that this is a safe place for you to talk if anything ever becomes too uncomfortable with him. For both yourself or Miss Morrissey. My door is always open.”

“I appreciate that, Grace,” Savannah admitted. It was always nice to know there was some level of sanctuary if things ever did go south for some reason. Not that TJ and her couldn’t probably take Leo down if it came to it. TJ could hit him high, Sav could go low. “I mean, that’s probably the worst of it. Him and creepy Todd. But other than that, things are going pretty well I think. On track for that Texas A&M track scholarship yet!”

“I have no doubt that you are!” Grace said with feelings of pride at how far Savannah had come in such a short time. Some days, and appointments, this experiment felt criminal. But in cases like Miss Payton’s, it seemed that San Agustin might offer a glimmer of hope and a second chance at a prosperous life. Cases like Savannah’s kept the shadows at bay. “I have another appointment coming up shortly, but it was lovely getting to chat with you Savannah. Please remember to pass out the other prizes, and I will make sure to let the headmaster know about possibly setting up a racing club.” As they exchanged their goodbyes and Savannah stood up from the sofa, Grace couldn’t stop herself from slipping in a little bit of her knowledge of the girls’ plan for a party. “Oh, and I hope you have fun this weekend.”

Savannah was all set to be on her merry way when Miss Morris slipped that one out. Have fun? She doesn’t know, right? Who would blab to one of the faculty about a definitely illegal party? ...No, no, she couldn’t know. That would be crazy! The group agreed to keep the invites to a minimum. Yeah, she can’t know. I’m just being crazy! Definitely. But if I’m not…” The hesitation was clear as she turned around to give a polite wave. “I’ll try!” she squeaked out. “You too!” You too? The hell, Sav? With that, she bolted.

Once she felt she was a safe enough distance away, Savannah’s attention turned to the envelope she held in her hand. It didn’t feel heavy enough to be anything too big. If all it turned out they won were some dang stickers or something, that wasn’t going to fly. She heard enough from some of the others about that crock. So she was curious. At least this couldn’t hurt to check out, right?

She opened the large manila envelope and found the three smaller ones inside, the one marked “Savannah Payton” on top of the pile, so she took it and opened it up. Inside was a small folded piece of paper. Well at least it’s not just a fancy sticker.

Opening it up revealed what appeared to be a black VISA. The card read, “Congratulations! Your team was victorious in the San Agustin Scavenger Hunt! Accept this gift of a $75 gift card to use on whatever you so desire! You earned it! - Headmaster Wayman”

That made Savannah’s eyes open wide. It seemed like one of the major hurdles towards acquiring booze was just cleared. A cheap piece of plastic with no name whatsoever. It was perfect! Wow. This solves the money problem! But $75 might not be enough for me to be the hero here… A thought occurred.

Savannah pulled out her school-issued phone and pulled up the text chain that she shared with Wesley and Talya to keep track of things for the scavenger hunt. She wasn’t expecting to use it again so soon, but this was a golden opportunity.


  • Hey Wes, Tal. I got our prizes from Miss Morris. $75 each! But I have a proposition. Some of us are having a party Friday night in the first floor common room. Would either of you be interested in coming to this event and contributing your prizes to make sure there are plenty of drinks available for everyone? It would be a proper celebration!

    The response was quick.
  • I already planned on coming, I heard about it. And hells yes, I got nothing else to spend this on in our educational prison world.

    Such a mixed message of both happiness and confusion. WHAT!?!?! How does Wesley know?!? He wasn't on the guest list! Pretty sure he wasn't on the guest list... That's good about the money, but damn it, how does he know? All kinds of thoughts were swirling in Savannah's head now.
  • Speaking of, how the hell are you getting drinks?

    That was proving to be a more pressing question than Savannah initially thought now.
  • Don’t worry about it! Your girl has got it covered! But, um… just curious, how did you hear about the party?
  • Uh… I think I heard about it in the cafeteria this morning? Word spreads fast… Let me know if you need anything else! :)

    This was not good. Oh god! How much booze am I going to need for this?!? What the hell? Does the whole school know? We aren't going to be able to carry enough booze for the entire damn school! We're going to need like a car or something...
  • Uh… you wouldn’t happen to have access to a set of wheels, do you?
  • Negative. But I have a pretty big backpack?

    The hail mary was not answered here. I guess that makes sense. If he's going to come to the party and pay for booze, he might as well get some stuff he wants. Still, how obvious is that going to look? Five of us all leaving campus at once on foot? We'll be spotted for sure! Ugh, my head hurts...
  • ...That might work. I’ll keep you posted.
  • 👍


As Savannah dropped her phone back in her jacket pocket, she uttered a silent prayer that Talya was on board with this plan. All of a sudden scoring a couple of bottles of booze was now turning into catering an entire underage drinking hootenanny. It was almost enough to make her not crush on Nicholas anymore just because it was his stupid good looks that got her into this mess. Almost.

She needed help dealing with this. There was only one person she knew at the moment who would at least be able to offer some level of clarity on how to handle the severe change in the amount of people that were coming.

Savannah could not hit Erica's number fast enough on her phone. Erica, I solved one problem, but now we have a much bigger one...


-----------------------------------------

The two overseers of the interview stood intently listening until Subject #19 departed Dr. Morris’ office. They turned away and consulted their notes.

“Dr. Morris is amazing at getting these subjects to let their true feelings out. And I have to admit even I’m impressed with our work on #19. If it wasn’t for the punk dye job, you would never be able to hazard a guess of her true origins,” the first man commented.

“Of course, the gym incident proved just how unstable she might be without that initial tether.”

“But Dr. Morris was able to convince her she was calm after that. As long as the gazelle traits don’t put her in a vegetative state, that should be more than enough to convince state officials that this is an effective rehabilitation treatment for repeat offenders?”

“True, but I’m more worried if she ever figures out that her previous life in Stillwater is all a ruse. If there are any dormant tendencies of her original personality, it could jeopardize everything. Plus, some of her actions towards #37 during the hunt clearly displayed some… buried instincts.”

“It shouldn’t be that much of a problem I would think.”

“You would think that. But you never know. Subject #50 proved that. Anyway, did you leave the van keys somewhere that they would be sure to be found?”

“Yes. They were left on a desk in the library. Since we know #19 has been in contact with #5, that should get the vehicle in her hands and we can see what we might have to account for with a mind-altering cocktail introduced into the system.”

“Excellent. Should be some good results to go over on Monday morning.”

“I just know I’m not cleaning up that mess.”



Posting what I got so far to make sure I don't lose the coding. Still working on it.



UPDATE: SHE IS DONE FOR NOW!
I will show interest but I'm unsure of committing to another RP right now. Can I reserve Parvati for now, with her FC being Kriti Sanon?



A @Venus & @NeoAJ Collaboration
Featuring Charlotte Diedrikson & Kieran O’Connor


“Oh Daddy! I love it! This is the best gift ever!”

If Kieran had to hear another teenager squeal like that, he was going to lose his mind. Yes, these shows were getting Lottie through a very rough time, and yes, she had a little bit of a breakthrough earlier tonight, but was it worth this? Watching stuck-up Sara with two r’s affirm that her stepfather’s attempts to buy her love were successful as she drank diamonds out of a glass? Maybe Kieran was losing the plot a little bit. Still, there had to be something else they could do with their time.

But what could get Lottie out of bed and out into the Vermont night for the first time in a week? He looked to his girlfriend, the yakisoba container having been banished to the end table for the moment. Typically on a date, this would be when the dessert comes, but it was fall, and that meant no sweets for the hockey player. Sugar makes him slow. However, there were options around for sure…

“Hey Ace,” he started. “Want to go out and grab some dessert? There’s an ice cream place around the block from here and they do a great frozen yogurt. You can even get toppings if you want.”

The suggestion of going out to get her most favorite dessert in the world caused Lottie's head to perk up from her place in Kieran's lap. "FroYo, you say?" she asked him, with a hint of her old sparkle in her eyes.

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “It’s pretty good! Plus you know how I am about my sugar during the season, so it’s perfect for both of us.”

Lottie didn’t have to be told twice. Before Kieran could realize it, the young woman was sprinting up from the bed and quickly going through the motions of getting ready. In less than ten minutes, the girl had changed her stained pajamas for something more suitable, brushed and styled her hair into a ponytail, spritzed on some body splash, slipped on some shoes and declared herself ready.

“I’m doneeeeeee~!” she announced, standing in front of Kiki with her hands on her hips.

Kieran stood in the doorway, content to go gallivanting to the promised ice cream place in just his t-shirt and shorts. It wasn’t like he had to get too made up for this trek. But still, it was nice to see Lottie out of her pyjamas for a change. That was a win itself.

“Looking good, Lottie. All right, let’s go get some treats,” he offered as he held his keys and the door for the lady.

It didn’t take too long to arrive at La Cremerie. As Kieran said, it was literally around the corner from the building, which made it all too tempting in the offseason. The pretentious name was a little bit of a put off. Kiki didn’t put up with too much French in Newfoundland, he didn’t need to put up with it in Vermont. Even if the state’s name was French. It knew it was operating for the college clientele though, with it’s late hours and some offerings that would only appeal to someone who had enjoyed a fair amount of marijuana.

“All right. You’ve got a whole menu you can choose from, and it’s on me, so don’t hold back. Make sure you get everything you want.”

“Yay!” Lottie cheered, excitedly clapping her hands together before taking the cozy little shop by store. One minute she was choosing the açai yogurt flavor from the machine, the next she was adding on a plethora of items from the toppings bar, and in record time she was at the cash register eagerly waiting for Kieran to get the bill of her yogurt mountain. “C’mon, Kiki! Why are you taking so long? We’ve been here enough times for you to know what to pick by now!”

Kieran did know what he was getting. In fact, it was pretty straight forward at this point. His in-season dish was a cup of sugar-free vanilla frozen yogurt, with some bananas and blueberries on top for natural flavor. It didn’t take him long to create such a simple concoction, but watching Lottie come through with all her favorite fixings on top of the purplish dairy treat made him just a little bit jealous that he couldn’t fully indulge as well. The nutella in particular was looking tasty atop that dish. He had to hold himself back from returning to the topping bar and adding it on. But no, he had a regimen to stick to.

“Well, I had to see what was left!” he joked as he came up to the cash register where a tired-looking freshman appeared to be working. “Plus I’m hoping the smell of the nutella will be enough to sustain me.” The number on the cash register didn’t matter at the moment, even if it was definitely the price of a couple meals at the hall. A quick tap of the debit card he produced from his wallet was enough to seal the deal. “All right, do you want to eat here? Or back at the apartment?”

Charlotte’s answer was immediate. “Definitely here! I think I’m ready to admit I’ve been cooped up in the apartment for too long,” she said with a laugh, grabbing her yogurt mountain cup from the counter and making a beeline straight for one of the tables next to the window, where they could watch those coming and going around them.

The Canadian smiled in agreement as he followed the American girl to their selected seats, pausing only to grab a couple spoons and some napkins, just in case. “Yeah, that’s a good call. Gotta be some good people watching on a Friday night, eh? A slight burp escaped his lips as the smell of garlic caught him flush in the face. He couldn’t hide his displeasure. Ugh. Didn’t realize the shawarma smelled that bad. Hopefully the froyo will cover up that rancid fishfest in my mouth.

The short blonde giggled. “I told you that thing you were eating smelled,” she chortled, taking one of the empty seats of their selected table. “Now you know I wasn’t picky or crazy.”

As he plunked himself down opposite his girlfriend, he had to ask, “So what are you calling that there creation of yours, Lottie?”

Lottie’s smile widened. This right here is called the Açai Everest,” she proudly declared, dramatically gesturing towards her yogurt mountain. “It’s an açai flavored yogurt with granola bites, almonds, nutella, coconut flakes, honey, bananas and strawberries. The perfect blend of healthy and unhealthy,” she said with a laugh. “And what do you call that less than exciting creation of yours, Viking? Basic Bitch Hill?” the girl teased.

Kieran shrugged and offered a small chuckle as he stuck his spoon into his desert. “Laugh all you want. You know what I would be eating right now if I could there, Munchkin.” He took a huge mouthful of the desert hoping to mask the offending smell. “Nah, this is just a Carb-free Pancake. My mom used to put blueberries and bananas in them all the time, and then she would load it up with whipped cream. I’d have maple syrup on here if I could, but you know my rules.”

“Oh my God, that’s actually really freaking sweet,” Charlotte cooed, taking a bite of her own frozen concoction. “Now I feel kinda bad for making fun of it!”

As Kieran let the fruit and cream dance on his tongue for a second before swallowing, he smiled. “I know, eh? Sorry for being such a softie, but it’s the little things like that that make it feel like the family isn’t 1,000 miles away, you know. ‘Course the bananas taste better, too. By the time they make the shops in Harbour Grace, they are halfway to rotten. It’s why mom had to mash them into the pancakes themselves.” He realized he was probably talking too much. “See, this is the kind of boring mushy stuff you’re going to learn about me being around so much. Hope I don’t destroy the image of the big tough punchy guy you know and love.”

“Hell no! If anything, it makes you a lot more endearing,” she admitted with a giggle and a wink. It was the little things like that that made a person interesting, and Lottie loved to hear the stories about how her favorite people came to be who they were. Now, however, she felt like she needed to compensate Kieran with a fun fact of her own. “I’ll tell you something curious about me: although I don’t look like it, I’m actually a big fan of lacrosse.”

That got an eyebrow raise out of Kieran. “Really? I didn’t know they had lacrosse down in Florida. You sure you aren’t secretly Canadian?” He smiled as a few more blueberries found his lips.

Charlotte could only laugh at his assumption. “You’d be surprised. In my corner of Palm Beach, lacrosse is tied with football when it comes to the most popular boys’ sport-- especially for my family: the Wallenbergs and the Diedriksons,” she told him in between spoonfuls of yogurt. “It’s sort of a family tradition that all the boys in my family play lacrosse at some point. My grandfather was the captain of our lacrosse team back in the day, and so were my daddy and his cousin Max. Naturally, that means that my brother Richie is expected to ‘carry on the Diedrikson/Wallenberg lacrosse legacy’- especially since my oldest cousin Teddy quit before he could make it to captain. I’m glad I’m not in his shoes. That’s a hell of a lot of success to live up to.”

“Huh,” Kieran said nodding as he continued to dig into his dessert. “Didn’t realize it was that serious. Funny enough, lacrosse has like no traction on the Rock. It’s basically hockey or nothing. Course, I was the first in my family to be good enough to actually stick with hockey past junior level. All the other males in the family headed out on the boats. Kinda glad I get to avoid that too. I think you’d make a lot more money in tennis than in lacrosse, eh? And besides, can’t imagine you taking a cross-check into the boards. I mean, no offense, Munchkin.”

“None taken! Although I did pick up a few things from the boys here and there when I watch them. I tried to get them to let me play whenever they practiced in the backyard, but they insisted it was too risky. And after seeing how rough they got with each other, I can’t say I blame them,” she chortled at the memory, picturing the many times the tall, broad boys of the family had to wrestle the short, fiery blonde away from their makeshift field and to a safe distance in order to prevent her from potentially getting hurt. It made her heart ache with nostalgia and homesickness. “I kind of miss it now, you know? The electricity in the air during the games, the family pizza parties afterwards whenever they won the smaller games, the house parties whenever they won the big championships, the smile on my daddy’s face whenever he watches his boys play… It’s those kinds of things the ones you truly remember when it all comes down to it.”

As Kieran listened to Charlotte describe the emotions and the atmosphere of those lacrosse games, he couldn’t help but feel the ache himself, pulling him back home to when the entire town would gather at the rink for tournament days and in the fall the arena chill would be contrasted with the smell of fried fish outside. “Guess it’s kinda funny, eh? How similar things can be even on entirely different ends of the continent. Really makes you appreciate life and everything. Especially how two people can just come together in the blink of an eye and just start really getting in tune with each other.”

Another spoonful of fruit found Kieran’s mouth as he pondered just how lucky he really was with how everything was breaking down. Funny that at the Bash going steady was the last thing on his mind, but now? Now it made a lot of sense. Certainly with this one. He looked into Lottie’s hazel eyes and couldn’t help but smile. “Course, if you were secretly Canadian, that would explain a lot. Why I can’t take my eyes off you even when you have Nutella on your face, for one thing.”

“I do?” Lottie inquired with a frown, dropping the spoon on her now-empty yogurt cup and wiping away at any potential Nutella stains around her mouth. After she was sure her face was clean, she turned back to Kieran. “Is it gone? Did I get all of it?” she asked him, leaning over the table and closer to the young man so he could have a better view of any remaining traces of chocolate.

The Canuck leaned forward, as if to gaze upon the visage before him and discern any tell-tale signs of hazelnut goodness lingering on her face. “Let’s see here… Ah, I think I can see where you missed a spot. One sec…” He pushed forward over the table and placed a quick kiss on Lottie’s lips. He couldn’t taste any chocolate, but he figured this was sweeter anyway. He pulled back and eyed up Charlotte’s face once more. “Yeah, I think we’re good. That was the last of it.”

The blonde couldn’t help but smile and shake her head in disbelief. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I?” she playfully asked her companion. It had been a while since the last time she and Kieran had done anything other than hug and cuddle-- the breakup had left her with no other desire than to wallow in her own misery.

But now, as her soft, sparkling brown eyes stared into his with nothing but pure affection, Charlotte felt as if maybe- just maybe- she could start to move on and build something new. And who better with than the one person who had been in her corner all along?

Before she knew it, Lottie was once again leaning forward, cupping Kieran’s face and pressing her lips to his, pulling him into a sweet, deep kiss.

Now he could taste the chocolate. It was just how Kiki remembered it.

It was like Charlotte had suddenly reignited, taking what she wanted when she wanted. Kieran was glad it was him. Being able to feel those hands upon his face again, those soft, unyielding hands that were a force with a racket in them, yet were so gentle now. That passion she had in everything she did. The passion that had been missing since she left Joey. It was there now, and it was electric.

Kieran didn’t want the kiss to end, but end it must. As the couple broke the liplock, Kieran’s big blue eyes didn’t want to let Lottie out of his sight. “Not so sure I walked into that one, but I definitely don’t mind it at all,” he confirmed. “I missed that, Lottie.”

“I missed it, too,” Lottie admitted, her lips and cheeks slightly tinged with red and not tearing her own eyes away from Kieran. She was quiet for a few seconds, seemingly taking in every feature of the young man’s handsome face: his messy blond hair, his strong jaw, his thin lips, his blue eyes… “I think I’m ready to head back now. There’s something else I feel like doing right now.”

Kieran raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Of course, sweet,” he said as he scooped up the two empty bowls in front of them. “Whatever the lady desires, she shall have.” He quickly disposed of the remains of their treat in the garbage bin and walked back to where Lottie now stood. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“I’m definitely ready now,” she answered softly, looking up at Kieran with a smile as she closed the distance between them and locked both her hands with his. “Let’s go back home.”



A Savannah @NeoAJ, Talya @HaleyTheRandom and Wesley @GhostMami collab





Wesley Slater waited anxiously for the competition to begin as Dr. Hagerty explained the rules. There would be a mixture of mental and physical challenges, so it seemed. Wes was confident that he could manage both of them within certain contexts. As a student hoping to someday study law, he had book smarts and a plethora of trivia knowledge. Due to his nature, he was also a quick thinker and witty… but, he wasn’t sure how well he would maneuver something like a complex riddle. As for physical challenges, he was sure that he could carry the team on anything requiring speed, agility, and dexterity. Strength, however, might pose a problem… he had this thought as he scanned the room and took in the other teams before bringing his eyes to his own teammates. They didn’t have a bulging muscular jock on their team, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t win.

“Okay, well.” He began to address Talya and Savannah as they waited for their first clue card to be passed out. “Let’s talk about team strengths while we wait, what are you guys good at and what might you need extra help with? Hopefully between the three of us we can cover all our bases.” Wesley wasn’t a natural born leader, not by a long shot, but in this instance it felt right to take the torch. This was a game and he was competitive as all get out, so he had to take the lead if he wanted a chance at victory, which he did. Losing was not an option.

Savannah shrugged her shoulders. “I can run,” she stated. As if anyone didn’t know that at this point. “I can jump pretty well too, so if we need athleticism, I’m probably the best choice. I mean no offense.”

There was a little bit of offense. It was clear that most of the other athletes, especially the ones who might be able to lift a heavy rock or something, were not present on this squad. Sav was never driven to do much work on her arms, Wesley didn’t look like he was packing any major muscle and Talya… she looked really good. Savannah shook her head after that last thought. What the fuck, Savannah? Focus! You want to win this, right? Prove that you’ve got more to offer than just some nice legs? Then win this… and let Wesley take all the credit so you don’t stand out too much and start getting the Leos of the school back on your tail!

“So if we have to split up and cover a lot of ground, let me take the farthest point and we can probably catch teams off guard that way with that level of coverage.”

“Right on, good to know. I’m a runner too, so we definitely have speed covered. How ‘bout you, Tal? Is it cool if I call you Tal?” Wesley asked his second teammate.

One of Talya’s curses was being able to observe nearly everything around her. From the way Hagerty creepily smirked, to the way Wesley seemed to be sizing both her and Savannah up. She especially noticed how Savannah’s eyes seemed to linger for just a second to long --

“Hmm? Oh yeah. Sure. Tal’s fine.” Crossing her arms as she watched the clue cards being passed out, she took a brief moment to think of her strengths. “Let’s see…. On the physical side of things I’m a really good climber. Flexible. Fast reflexes. Running isn’t my favorite thing, but I can do it. Mentally, I’m good for plans, adaptability, and riddles.”

“Awesome! I feel like I’d be trash at riddles, so I’m glad we have you.” Wes said, offering Talya the charming Slater Smile. “Trivia I can do though, if there are any challenges like that.” As if on cue, a staff member approached their group and offered the first clue. The card had two groupings of jumbled up letters: EULECRT LAHL. Sliding the card towards Talya his own mind went to work spinning on what the words could unscramble to form. “Do you think the letters can go anywhere, or each word is separately scrambled?”

Taking a look at the card, Talya squinted her eyes in concentration. “I would say probably separately… Remember how in grade school they’d give us these jumbled letter things and when the letters were separated, it meant the words were too? If that makes any sense?” Continuing to stare at the letters as she mentally arranged them in her head, Talya shrugged her shoulders before she spoke again. “The second word has to be hall. It’s the only thing that makes any sense.”

Savannah peered over Talya’s shoulder to get a glimpse at what the puzzle was. She liked to think she was good at these sorts of things, but really didn’t want to step on any toes. She didn’t need to add more fuel to any fires given she still wasn’t sure where she stood with TJ at the moment. But once Talya mentioned the second word was “HALL” that left a limited number of possibilities for the first one. Culture… no that doesn’t work. Cretule? Not a word. Lurtcee? Letcrue? Le..Lecture! “Lecture. It’s the Lecture Hall. That’s what it is.”

“You girls are brilliant, YES!” Wesley exclaimed in praise. He hopped out of his chair and locked eyes with Savannah, who claimed to be speedy. “Race you there!” He challenged before launching himself over the back of his chair and tearing ass towards the lecture halls. Which one, exactly? He hadn’t a clue, but they were all in the same area.

While Talya never claimed to be the fastest, or really enjoyed running, as soon as Wesley and Savannah had taken off, so did she. With one long leg in front of the other, her long brown hair fanning out behind her, Talya soon caught up with her teammates, doing her best to match their pace. The thudding of their footsteps on the pavement accompanied by the rise and fall of her chest was a surprisingly good feeling - one that Talya hadn’t ever recalled feeling before.

“Gonna have to race me too, Wes!” she called out tauntingly.

Savannah was caught off-guard by Wesley’s impromptu challenge, but you don’t get to be the best runner in the school by not being prepared to go at any moment. Wesley’s head start was quickly erased as the Texan caught both her teammates and passed them by on the way to the lecture halls. She had barely broken a sweat when she turned around to see where Talya and Wesley ended up. “Y’all knew who you were challenging to a race, right? I mean, I wasn’t kidding when I said I can run. I’ve done enough of it in my lifetime to know how good I am.”

Wesley and Talya arrived at the same time and nearly collided in the doorway of the lecture hall. Wes laughed through heavy breaths from the sprint before realizing that Savannah was already there. “What the?!” He looked behind them and then double-taked. “How did you?” Panting breaths. “Damn Sav, you are fast. So what’s the challenge?” No rest for the wicked.

“Holy shit, Savannah.” Taking a few quick, deep breaths, Talya looked at the other woman. “You trying to join the Olympics or something?” Standing up straight as her heart attempted to beat from her chest, Talya took another look at the clue card. “Says that once we reach the destination, we have to look around for ten puzzle pieces? That should give us our next clue.”

“Well, if the Olympics will have me, I’ll be happy to run for the Stars and Stripes,” Savannah admitted as she took a look around the room. She didn’t recognize the teacher in charge, probably one of the science teachers. She didn’t have much interest in that. Anyway, they seemed to be preoccupied so there would be no hints as to where the 10 puzzle pieces were hidden. But they had to be fairly obvious, right? The faculty wouldn’t make them impossible to find. But yet, she saw nothing. “What are we even looking for with these puzzle pieces? Are they expecting us to sniff them out or something? I can’t see anything…”

Wesley didn’t need to be told twice. This was going to be his shining challenge! No one was as good at ferreting out little trinkets and hidden treasures as much as Wesley Slater… not that anyone really knew that fact. Besides Griffin, who knew everything. You’re not a very good thief if you get caught! With his heart still racing from the run, he flitted around the lecture hall checking under chairs and desks, on top of shelves, the ledge of the white boards, you name it. When all was said and done, he had retrieved five puzzle pieces before meeting back up with his teammates. “I got five!” He said before dumping them on a table top to try to start forming a completed image.

Once inside, Talya did her best to find as many pieces as she could. The brunette had never been that great at games that required searching. Instead of searching around the room like a maniac, she did her best to rely on her intuition. If I were a teacher, where would I hide things, she thought. Setting off on her random path, Talya soon managed to find three of the puzzle pieces before heading back over to Wesley and handing them to him. “How's it coming with the last few, Sav?!”

Savannah wasn’t having much luck. She was roaming around the chairs, looking for something to stick out, but it wasn’t coming to her. She did manage to grab one that she spotted on a windowsill, but the other one was a long time coming. “I got one!” she shouted before whispering to herself, “Thought I would be better at finding things though… I don’t forget that many things where I put them…” As she emerged from the aisle, she tried to have another look around before bringing her solitary piece to the front. She swept around to the lectern to see if maybe they would dare hide one in the podium. Sure enough, a piece rested underneath the microphone. “OK, I got two!” she corrected herself as Savvy brought her haul to the team.

“Sick!” Wes replied as he arranged the pieces so far. A couple of them were fitting together to form another scrambled up word, but this one was much shorter than their first clue. With the addition of Talya and Savannah’s pieces, there was only one thing it could be. “The gym!” Standing up straight he raised an eyebrow. “Round two: rematch?”

“Normally I’m all for people dusting themselves off and trying again, but are you sure you want this heat?”

“Absolutely.” Wes replied before taking off yet again.

There was no way that Talya was running all the way to the gym. The sprint to the Lecture Hall had been plenty enough exercise for the day. ”You guys go ahead. I’ll meet you there.”

As her teammates took off, Talya was sure to at least pick up the pace while walking to the gym. She was used to having people wait on her, as she was rarely ever on time. However, with every step she took, Talya felt the need to win the competition growing inside of her. Once she had reached the gym she looked at both Wesley and Savannah. “Now what?”

“Uh…” Wesley pulled out his phone to glance at the picture of the puzzle clue that he had taken. A photo was much easier to transport than a fragile puzzle. “Looks like we have to shoot ten free throws as a team, each of us getting at least one before we can move on. Wanna just stand in a line and take turns one after another? Who’s first?”

Basketball? Talya didn’t have much experience in the sports department. What little she had done was soccer and swimming. Sure, there was an occasional friendly game here and there at the park with some friends, but she considered herself very far from a good basketball player.

”This might take us a second,” she said with a sigh. ”I vote for you, Sav. You seem the most athletic out of all of us.”

While it was true that Savannah had once again bested Wesley in the race to the gym, that was where the extent of her athletic abilities ended. Stellar hand-eye coordination was not something she was blessed with, but she could probably manage.. “Uhhh… sure. I’ll give it a shot. Eh?” she prodded, proud of herself for the unintentional pun. “No? OK then.”

The pink-blonde girl grabbed a basketball off a provided rack and stepped to the line indicated on the court. She took a pair of cautious dribbles, making them look easy when in reality she had to concentrate hard just to maintain possession. As she looked up at the rim, eyes firmly locked onto the orange metal hoop that separated her from her goal, she closed her eyes and fired with the grace and verve of the NBA stars of old.

Unfortunately, the shot most resembled that of Shaquille O’Neal. It clanked off the front of the rim and bounced right back into Savannah’s hands. It almost looked like it was planned, but basketball was an entirely different sport than dodgeball, and with a much smaller target.

“OK, take two!” Savvy hoisted another attempt, this time aiming for the square on the backboard. Maybe she could force it off that and in. It wasn’t as cool as Mikey Williams made it look on TV, but still, it had to work. The shot clunked off the back of the rim this time as Savannah was still finding her range, but the ball bounced a foot into the air and fell back down through the net.

“Yes! There we go! There it is! One point!” Savannah triumphantly roared as she went to retrieve her ball. “Tal, Wes, you can do it! It’s pretty easy once you line it up! Just fire away!”

“AYYY!!!” Wesley cheered Savannah on boisterously when she made the shot on only her second attempt. “Nice job, Sav.” Wes grabbed a basketball of his own off of the rack and lined up for a shot. He took a steadying breath and hoped that the couple of games he played with Griffin before he got whisked off into quarantine would pay off. His first shot… missed the net and hoop entirely. The second one bounced off the rim and rolled off to the sidelines. Not even bothering to fetch his missed shots, he grabbed a fresh ball for a third attempt and stepped up to the line once more. Squaring up and placing his feet carefully, with a bend at the knee and a push through the arms, his wrist flicked and, “BOOM! There we go!” All net, baby. “Let’s see what you got, Tal!”

Watching the others as they took their shots, Talya studied their movements as carefully as she could. A simple eyebrow raised as Savannah made her shot, she watched Wesley as he finally made his own shot. Once it was her turn, the young woman grabbed one of the basketballs before dribbling it a few times like Savannah had done. Trying to get a feel for the ball, Talya wasn’t entirely sure what good it would do. Once she was in position, Talya took a deep breath before sending the ball flying towards the backboard. As the orange and black sphere hit the dead center of the white square, it magically made it’s way right into the net as it bounced back. Slightly shocked, Talya shrugged as she turned to her teammates. ”I have no idea how that happened.”

“Okay, Kobe, I see you!” Wes encouraged her with a grin.

“Hey, keep doing what works!” Savannah offered. “Three down, seven to go right? And now we all have a make, so we can just go with it now!” She took her place at the line and fired another shot at the square. It was much smoother now, as smooth as a thunk and a swish could be. “Shoot! I’m hot! Keep feeding me some balls, y’all! I’ll take all these shots!”

And the team did just that. Talya passed balls from the rack to Savannah. Wesley ran around the court to fetch the balls from the shots that Savvy missed, bringing them back to Talya. The team functioned like a spastic, but well-oiled machine. After about ten minutes of this, the remaining seven free throws had been sunk. “Hell yeah, nice teamwork! What’s next?” Wes asked gleefully, eager for the next challenge.

“Dunno, but I’d say we’re in the lead and we’re gonna win this thing!” Savannah affirmed as the gym teacher handed over the next clue.

”I’d say our chances look pretty decent,” Talya said, a small smile trying to peek through onto her face. Maybe they did have a shot at this thing after all.





As the wall panel started to shift open and the stairway to an entire lower floor was revealed, Samira breathed an audible sigh of relief. The thought of this many people being forced to share a couple of bedrooms was rather unpalatable, especially since she knew maybe half of the people in here and she had reasons to dislike at least a quarter of them. It sounded like the Guild wanted things to be taken care of quickly, given how ready Aloysius was with the details of a couple of targets that needed to be scoped out. Still, between that and the room selection, things were shaping up rather nicely for the Canadian.

Melville started the introductions off, which was appreciated. The cryomage still was unsure of a lot of the chosen participants of this venture. However, if the Golden Child was sent here, it had to mean the rest of the selected magic users were good. At least as good as she was. So that was the hope Samira clung too. At least she knew she could play her cards right now.

"Well, if we're doing introductions, I might as well go next," she offered. "My name is Samira Boukhary, and no, that bloodline is not well known and that's how my family likes it. I'm from Lebanon, via Canada, and surprisingly enough, the Canadian roots influence my powers. Hope you don't have to find out what they are. Now, I brought a lot of food on the way in to Satsuma, so help yourself to some fried chicken, onigiri, sweet pancakes, whatever you're in the mood for. I'm pretty sure I got everything covered and more. Really recommend the fried chicken, because it's so much better than that KFC garbage. Now," she paused for a second to look around the room. "Seeing as I'm guessing I'm the only one in this room that speaks fluent Japanese, it makes sense for me to get the master bedroom upstairs, right? I'm pretty sure I have the best chance of maintaining the illusion that this is just a regular house that some silly American girl rented on Airbnb for the summer to try and 'rediscover herself in that corporate shell' or whatever buzzspeak drivel I need to spout to keep cover. So, if there are no objections, I'll be happy to move my suitcase from the car to that bedroom while everyone digs into the 'authentic Japanese 7-Eleven cuisine'?"



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