NeoAJ

Edenridge

Jillian O’Brien

Name

Jillian Aisling O'Brien

Nicknames

Jill, Jilly

Age

19

Gender

Female

Sexuality

Bi, but prefers men

Relationship Status

It’s way too complicated

Appearance Details

• Hair: Long red hair, usually worn straight down. She hasn’t had the energy to do much other than put it up in a ponytail lately.
• Eyes: Light Brown
• Height: 5’5”
• Body Type: Still fairly athletic given what she did in high school, but has shown signs of starting to slip a little bit.
• Clothing Style: Rather than dress up to the role she thought she had to play in high school, lately it’s been all about comfort for Jillian. She’ll stick to leggings and t-shirts most of the time, although she will still get dressed up when the occasion warrants it.
• Makeup Wise: Again, more about comfort now than anything, most of Jillian’s appearances are made without makeup. She’ll still put the full press on for social events, she still remembers her steps, but lately they have seemed less important. She does favor smoky eyeshadow and bright red lipstick.
• Scars, Tattoos and/or Piercings: Her ears are pierced twice in each lobe and once in her right helix. She is debating getting more. She has a couple scars on her stomach related to the incident.

Personality Traits

For someone who maintained such a positive attitude when she entered Edenridge, it’s been startling, yet understandable to see naught but tiny shreds of it remain. Jillian can still summon what she needs to put on a pretty face, and when in public, she does her best to be the person who can keep spirits up as she did in high school, but it’s become clear that it’s more a mask than anything else at this point.

In private, she has been left alone to mourn, to be alone with her sadness. It’s been difficult. She’s not been coping well, and her family has been trying to make inroads with little success. She’s withdrawn a lot, so she doesn’t have to wear the mask as often. Because it does not fit anymore. Not without the support she’s lost along the way. On all fronts.

Biography

CW: violence, death, domestic violence

Jillian O’Brien, of the Edenridge O’Briens as the family was usually keen to inform people before the events started happening, was born and raised in town. The youngest of five, she was always treated as the baby of the family, and she was happy to play the part most of the time, getting whatever she wanted in exchange for being her usual adorable self. She was enrolled in dance when she was going through grade school, and parlayed that into a spot on the cheerleading squad. Alison Davies was the pinnacle of everything Jillian was meant to be, and she was ready to follow that path. Until Ali was no longer there to light the way.

Jillian was crushed by the loss of an idol of Alison’s stature, but she pressed on. There were people on the team that needed her. She grew close with the other members of the squad as they pressed on in the shadow of Miss Davies’ demise. Lanie and Liv and Kat became like the sisters that hadn’t gone off to Boston College and other places that weren’t Edenridge for the moment. They helped deal with the passing of her father Shane to lung cancer in her sophomore year. It was toughThey were able to move on. Until Charlie Decker happened.

Jillian didn’t even remember Charlie. Did they share a class at some point? They were both seniors, maybe freshman English? Anyway, she remembered his name after that. She remembered him shooting through the door of the barricaded science lab they were in, catching Mr. Lazovic in the shoulder and arm, and poor Matthew Carson in the head. Matthew didn’t make it out. Neither did Olivia Madden or Katherine Dunbar. Charlie got them both in the library. The last text in their group chat was about making plans for a weekend trip to Boston for some shopping ahead of senior year. Plans that never came to fruition.

Losing two of her best friends on top of her father and her role model took a lot out of Jill. It took a lot out of the squad. They all had their various breakdowns. Eventually, Jill was able to connect again, with a previous graduate of Edenridge named Michael Barrie who had come back following the tragedy to offer support. He escorted Jillian to the very subdued prom and eventually she moved into the Barrie’s house as Michael left his undergrad degree to stay in town with his new paramour.

However, Michael also had his own mask, and that was hiding the drunken lout he had a tendency to be at home. His own way of coping with the stress. Jillian joined in at first, as it seemed as good a coping method as any, but as things got serious and Jillian looked like she was going to join her fellow cheerleader in welcoming a child into the world, his drinking got worse. About 5 ½ months into the pregnancy, Jillian confronted Michael about what he was doing to himself, not wanting to lose another male presence to his own vices.

Michael responded by shoving Jillian down the stairs to the main lobby of the Barrie house. Michael’s sister Tamara heard the noise and called the cops. Michael was arrested, but the damage was done. Jillian lost her baby. Michael was sentenced to a year in prison. Jillian moved back in with her mother, who has been doing her best to comfort a life that Jillian is not certain she wants anymore. All the tragedy, the needlessly lost lives. Jillian doesn’t know what she did to deserve it. She still with come when called, she still responds to social responsibilities, but it was clear that losing baby Olivia (she wanted another to name Katherine) may have been the final straw.

Family

Shannon O’Brien - Mother - Veterinarian
Kathleen O’Brien - Aunt - Freelance Writer/Babysitter
Heather O’Brien - Oldest Sister - VP Operations for Hudson Dynamics in Boston
Grace O’Brien - Older Sister - Artist
Kieren O’Brien - Oldest Brother - Brewery Manager for Bay State Brews in Lowell
Ronan O’Brien - Older Brother - Mechanic

Misc.

Madi Petsch | fd9100

• Lives with her mother along with Grace, as the others have moved out.
• Still drives the 2015 CR-5 she received as a graduation gift.
• Despite what Michael did to her, she still drinks regularly to deal with all the pain since she doesn’t know what else to do.
• Was planning on doing a pre-law degree at BC prior to getting involved with Michael.
• Her favorite song is Royals by Lorde, but a more fitting theme song may be Lonely People by Orla Gartland

Rosefell High.

---

Melissa was feeling all her powers at the moment. Checking in with various members of the party made sure that her fellow Rosefell students knew where the happy juice was coming from and that her new Liberty subjects knew where they stood. But most of all, that they were having a good time. And for the most part everyone was, thanks to the provided beverages and the high from the Knights' victory earlier in the evening. Things were pretty good. The only problem was that her glass was nearing empty again.

As she tried to make her way back towards the table that held the promise of refills, the crowd was starting to pack together. This wasn't acceptable. As the cheerleader aimed to muscle her way through towards the nectar, it was proving more difficult than she believed. She was bracing for a bulldozing attempt that would have made J.K. Dobbins proud.

However, her attempt was thwarted as someone bumped into her, knocking her off balance and causing her to drop what remained of her vodka cran. Now she would have to get a new cup as well? Animals. "Hey! Watch where you're going, you lummox," she cautioned as she looked over as the black-haired person responsible for this new problem emerging to block this quest.

Rosefell High.

---

It was something. What it was exactly, Alina Zabrecky wasn't sure, but it was clearly something.

Here she was, following a guy she just met, at a party full of people she didn't know, off to table filled with concoctions that were guaranteed to impair her judgment and her inhibitions, and allowing said guy she just met to pick her poison. Did that make any sense?

It did for now. And there were worse guys. If it turned out this was the same Hunter that showed Niki around the school, then they did luck out. He seemed nice enough. Nice as Dee at least. So this was fine, right? She wasn't going to worry about things, right?

Right.

Christian was providing all this alcohol, she might as well enjoy it. And Hunter seemed to have a better eye for it than she did. Maybe that shouldn't have been a point in his favor, but for now, it was working. Working enough to have him hold her hand as he guided the way to the promised land. This is fine. This is just him making sure he doesn't lose me in this crowd. That makes sense. It's fine. This isn't a sign that, you know, I got some guy interested in me with just one conversation. It's fine.

"So what's your poison?"

Alina tried to fake it like she knew exactly what her poison was as she perused what was on the table. Random red cups seemed like a bad idea. “I mean, you did say you wanted more than just craft beer, didn’t you?” She did. But she had to at least make sure that she had some idea what was going into it. Plus having some kind of buffer between herself and the alcohol seemed smart.

"Um..... I'll have some of that, with some of that." Pointing at two random things seemed like a plan. She didn't have much of one.

But the other facet of the plan did show up. "Help has arrived, darling,” Her cajoling had worked. Raven Willow had appeared to give her some semblance of a lifeline to the outside world. She immediately stepped between Alina and Hunter, and assumed some level of protection between the two. "Please tell me this guy isn’t acting like… all the other guys?”

As her friend took a bold shot of the Patron that Alina had pointed to and asserted herself into the conversation, she smiled. "So far, he's doing all right. He's been doing your job!" she laughed as she pointed at Raven. "But I'm glad you could make it and save me from sailing through this thing by myself." A brief moment of clarity hit her mind. "Oh, Hunter, this is my good friend Raven, aka Ray-Ray. Ray, this is Hunter. He has made up for breaking my beer bottle in more ways than one so far." Speaking of which, that drink could come at any time.

Heed the Call

"People don’t like the truth when it hits them in the face. Literally."

_{Lexi/Lex || 15 || Female}

Appearance Details

• 5'7"
• 110lbs
• Dishwater blonde hair, usually worn straight with the bangs hanging in front
• Deep brown eyes
• Lexi usually is seen around town wearing the following:
  
  • A v-cut t-shirt of her choice from the trips to thrift shops all over the world, usually a graphic tee, sometimes with the sleeves rolled up. Can’t hit with long sleeves.
  • Jeans with slashes in the front, always on the knees, but sometimes in other spots
  • Metal rings on each of her outside two fingers. Hurts them more than it hurts her.
  • Sneakers with rubber soles. Need that traction.

Belongings

• A wallet with some IDs she uses for various things...
• A small crossbody for storing the various things she gets...
• A pack of cigarettes for when she gets very stressed out

Character Summary and Crest

Alexis Marie Parsons hasn't had a chance to put her roots down yet, but one thing she's learned is that if people don't want to listen, shutting them up works just as well. Maybe her brand of sincerity isn't appreciated by many of her opponents, but it's led to a sense of stability in a world that consistently changing on her. Sometimes that's enough to hold onto. Sometimes it leads to a broken nose and a broken finger.

Lexi was born in Victorville, California, but did not stay long. Her father worked in the army and was consistently moving the family to posts around the states and around the world. From New Orleans to Germany, from Ridgefield, Utah to Okinawa, the Parsons never stayed in one spot too long thanks to Adam's wanderlust. It was too much for April, who bailed during the time in Maryland to move back home to California. Adam retained custody of Alexis due to April's move, and continued to jettison her from place to place.

Not having a lot of time to make friends, and knowing that there would no reason to do so, Lexi didn't bother playing nice with other kids. She spoke the truth, and if they couldn't handle it, there were one of two ways it usually went. The first way allowed for silent coexistence. The second way landed Lexi in the principal's office. Repeatedly. She started drifting towards seedier tendencies in junior high, and hasn't seen any reason to deviate.

Her father's starting to realize that he may not have been doing enough to keep his only daughter on the straight and narrow. With her mother asking questions about how her daughter is being raised and wondering if she should move to California with her new step-father and half-siblings, he's trying to figure out what he can do about Lexi's extra-combative nature and inability to bond with anyone her own age. This camp may be his only chance to keep his daughter close. Question is if she actually wants it anymore.

Digimon Partner

Mokumon → PetiMeramon → Ghostmon → Witchmon → Bastemon → Rosemon

While Lexi is more in-your-face and brash, her partner Ghostmon is more shy and timid, willing to hang back. She doesn't put herself out there and doesn't have a lot of confidence in her abilities. Maybe that's why she's with Lexi; to be able to gain some self-belief while showing Lexi that fighting isn't always the solution to her problems. If only she wasn't scared of trying to go against her DigiDestined...

Heed the Call

"All I’ve need to know in life, I’ve learned from school, my parents and Disney."

_{Sierra/Cici (rarely) || 14 || Female}

Appearance Details

• 5‘2"
• 100lbs
• Long blonde hair, usually worn straight down, aside from some strands from her bangs which are tied back.
• Deep blue eyes
• Sierra can usually be found wearing the following:
  
  • A rotation of long-sleeved sweaters of various colors.
    
    • She wears a clear/purple amethyst pendant over her sweater. It is her birthstone.
  • Black leggings, with fleece linings from September to April.
  • The blue bow that ties her hair back. She always has it in. She doesn't like how her hair looks without it.
  • Silver flats or sneakers. Depends on what she's doing.

Belongings

• Satchel containing her notebook, a few pencils and some markers
• Her iPod loaded with an assortment of songs from Disney movies and from the TV stars' solo careers.
• Honeypie snacks of course! Although she prefers the lighter options like the Sweet Mix and the Strawberry-Honey Cake.

Character Summary and Crest

Sierra Young has always believed in the good in the people of the town. She's believed that there was a force that brought people together to sing or dance or do whatever it takes to lift spirits. She's believed that love conquers all. She's just never found her own person to be that force in her life.

The Youngs are very well known in Ridgewood. Sierra's father Steve is a second-generation owner of Honeypie Bakeries, which is the largest employer in town and supplies the entire state with baked desserts found in all grocery stores. Her mother Christine is a second-grade teacher at the local elementary, and also known for her hand in creating a couple of Honeypie's best sellers. The company sponsored a lot of charity events and made sure that Sierra had the eye of everyone as she made her way through the local school system.

However, that has left her very lonely. She's seen as the crown princess of Ridgewood and as such, it's been tough for her to find friends that actually want to be with her for her, and not just because they want free Honeypie samples or to lounge in the spacious McMansion on the outskirts of town. It's left her feeling hollow, like she's not really a person and more of a trophy or a ride.

Sierra just wants to find someone who she can have an actual connection with. Someone who can share with her the same passion she has for the things she enjoys: writing, sketching and maybe some media work, since she's got some ideas for Disney. Someone who will make her feel like Sierra and not a Young. Her parents think a mountain camp is the answer for the depressive thoughts she's expressed lately. Only time will tell.

Digimon Partner

Yukimi Botamon → Moonmon → Lunamon → Lekismon → Crescemon → Dianamon

While her partner is wondering how to get that Disney feeling from something other than Disney, Lunamon already has it. Lunamon is a bubbly Pokemon, willing to infuse whatever she can with her positive attitude. Some might say she is too positive, but in the face of things, that's what Luna knows to do. However, even she has her foes to slay. She is a clean freak and does not care for dirt on her or anyone else. She will use her ears and her bubble power to wipe things down. She's like a fairy godmother, but much smaller and... rabbity-er...

Return to Edenridge

Because it's you Brutal, I'm going to put in some interest

Rosefell High.

So this is how the rich folk live when their money is literally coming out of their ass...

Granted, this shouldn't have come as such a shock to the Texan with the dip-dyed hair. Given her accommodations since she found herself plucked from her Lone Star State roots and dragged to the frozen wasteland of Ohio, she was just a couple levels below one of them thanks to Christopher's cash. However, bank managers didn't make this kind of Instagram flaunt-story lifestyle possible.

She wasn't sure she was invited, but she didn't care if she was or not. She heard from Spice that things were going down at the football player's house and that all manner of illicit drugs were going to be on offer, so it made sense to go to sample what the Liberty kids were able to get their hands on. Melissa didn't make any calls for anything at this party, not even for booze, so there had to be a lot of candy on hand for all the kids to partake of.

The young woman pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes out of her jacket pocket and removed one, placing it gently on her lips while she dug for her lighter. The black Zippo with the big white star on it still had plenty of energy left to produce the necessary flame. As she took a long pull from the cancer stick, plans started forming in her mind. People to check in on, the possibility of romances, how likely she could get away with picking up a souvenir should one catch her eye.

The smoke exited her lips and she breathed again. There was no need to actually overthink this. It was the first social event of the school year. People at Rosefell knew what she was about at this point. It was time to educate the upper class on just who they were going to be dealing with, at least if they wanted the goods without having to go to Colin freaking Gallagher for them.

A brief thought of putting out the cigarette crossed her mind, before being instantly discarded. She wasn't changing who she was for them, so they better be fine with the smell of nicotine on the air. Those Liberty kids better be ready. Savannah Payton was officially entering the chat.

Rosefell High.

_{A @metanoia & @NeoAJ Collaboration
Featuring Tackle Dude & Heaven’s Missing Treasure}

---

---

The first interaction she had with anyone at this giant rave party and it was akin to a bodycheck. An explosion of glass shards spread out over the deck as the bottle hit the ground. At least Alina had already finished most of the contents. So it wasn’t too much of a mess. Aside from the glass. Off to an absolute flying start…

”Sorry. I should have paid more attention.”

As her eyes met those of the boy responsible for letting her feel like she was back in a fight for the first time since middle school, she had a couple thoughts. Oh good. A jock with a heart. Definitely a jock from the muscles. Probably eying me up right now. Like I’m a piece of meat. Great.

”Let me get you another beer. It’s the least I could do.”

She was going to tell him it wasn’t necessary, but he was already off. Well at least he’s taking a few steps for me. Not even sure I like that beer.

The mystery man was quick to return with a pair of beers in hand.

”Here.”

”Um… thanks,” she offered in return as she grabbed the beverage from him. “You didn’t have to do that. I could have grabbed another drink. That one was almost done anyway.”

”And now you don’t have to - at least not until this one is done.” Hunter raised his beer to his lips and took a casual sip, though hazel eyes remained on the girl. When he swallowed and lowered the glass bottle from his mouth, he said, “I mean, I was the one who bumped into you and wasn’t looking where I was walking. So, really, it’s no trouble at all!”

“If you say so,” Alina replied as she took a sip. It definitely wasn’t the same beer she had before. It was lighter than the first one. “So, if this is your plan to talk up girls at this party, I don’t think it’s going to lead you to what you want in the end.”

“And what do you think it is I want, hmm?” Hunter asked curiously, his lips not forming anything but a neutral facial expression.

Alina pursed her lips in thought for a second or two. ”Well, I’ve heard a few things, but which one of them would you be angling for in particular…” She gave him a quick glance up and down, as if trying to appraise him for auction. “I’m guessing you’re looking to get better acquainted with some of these Liberty girls running around. Although you’re better off trying Miki Park. All those things I’ve heard, I’ve heard she does all of them.”

He shrugged. ”Even if I was - as you put it - wanting to get better acquainted with the girls from Liberty, it sure as hell wouldn’t be Miki Park.” Hunter’s reply came off with a bit of bitterness attached to it as he took a rather aggressive sip from his bottle. “Not that I have had the ...experience of dealing with her, but I’ve heard things about her too and I can say she isn’t my type.”

”Oh?” Alina raised an eyebrow. She was pretty sure Miki wouldn’t be pleased to hear there was one less boy on the market for her to try and date. ”And what kind of girl is your type… or… guy? Sorry, I guess I shouldn’t assume anything.”

He raised up his free hand, gesturing to her that it was okay. “No apologies necessary. Truth be told, I don’t think I do have a type. Well..” He let his voice fade into a low chuckle, “I guess that’s not true.” Of course, it wasn’t true. Between Melissa and Minty, Hunter’s type was definitely in the aggressive ballpark, but then again, Niki was...different. And the thought lingered for a few seconds until he caught himself and continued. “I’m more of a personality kind of guy, ya know? If someone interesting catches my attention, they become my type.” He flashed her a small smirk. At least that wasn’t a lie.

Personality was something Alina wasn’t certain she had to offer to anyone anymore. How can you offer something if you don’t know what you have? She could fake it for the airwaves, but she was certain that if that was her tactic for survival at Rosefell, it would fall apart very quickly. “Well, I guess that takes me out of the running, doesn’t it? I don’t think there’s too much interesting about me. I mean, I wasn’t even eye-catching enough to keep you from knocking my bottle into a million little pieces on the deck.”

Hunter expelled a single laugh from his lips. “That’s not necessarily true. I mean, that had more to do with me being distracted by my phone than it did with whatever it is you think was the case,” he said, correcting on that matter. “What else isn’t true is that I’m still here, so clearly you’re wrong about not being interesting to me.” Even as he spoke, Hunter was failing to see why he was saying these things. For comfort? For distraction? Maybe a bit of both, but this girl was hot and it at least filled the void shame created. So why not indulge in a little harmless fun?

“Or you’re bored,” Alina shrugged. “That would lower the bar. But I’m bored too. You bodychecking me was the most interesting thing to happen to me so far at this thing.” Wish Raven was here. At least then I wouldn’t be going at this alone and I’d have some backup. Hope she gets here soon. It wasn’t like Alina to be this negative about something, and Niki certainly wouldn’t approve of the attitude, but it was hard to feel anything else.

“You caught that, huh?” Hunter found himself chuckling as he took a half-worried sip from his beer. “And here I thought I was being subtl--”

Before he could finish that though, which was spoken in a non-dominating tone, anyway, she interrupted him.

“--So… what do you think of all this mixing between schools then? Can’t imagine there are too many positives for you Rosefell types having everyone from Liberty invade. Aside from being able to have these parties at a place like Christian’s.”

He shrugged. If he was honest, there might be a mention about how his secret romance came from Rosefell and his two worlds collided in the worst way. But he wasn’t about to ruin a potentially-glorious distraction. “I don’t know. I mean, there are definitely some people who might not enjoy it and see it as an invasion -- as you phrased it, but not me,” he admitted with a chuckle. “I love Rosefell and if you asked me would I favor Liberty over my home, you’d know my answer, but, I don’t know, I’m not like a friend of mine who absolutely loathes the guys from Liberty.” He took a moderately slow sip and shook the bottle, frowning slightly as he realized its contents nearly gone. “And what about you? Are we as bad as some people said we are?”

Alina thought for a second. It definitely wasn’t as hopeless a situation as she thought it would be. DeShawn alone made that happen. If it wasn’t for him, she probably would be home alone, or just hanging out with Raven listening to her latest piano project. She hadn’t had much interaction with anyone else though. The nameless boy in front of her was already the Rosefell student she had the second-longest conversation with. “I don’t think I can say that, although I haven’t met all the Rosefell students yet. But there are definitely some diamonds in this rough. DeShawn seems like a nice guy. I don’t know if you know him. But he’s been very kind. It’s been really appreciated.”

Hunter’s mouth opened, with a surprised “oh” falling out when he heard Dee’s name. “So, you know Dee, huh? Why am I not surprised?” Hunter laughed. And then chuckled into another sip from his now empty beer bottle. “He’s always one to show around some new students. He’s pretty reliable like that,” he said, smiling at the girl, “Yeah, I guess you can say I know him. He’s one of my boys. Always looking out for me when I least expect it.”

Least I know it’s not just me then. He actually seems like a genuinely good guy. Alina took another long sip of her beer. It still wasn’t great, but it was giving her something to do with her hands and mouth while the mystery boy spoke. “I wasn’t expecting that level of hospitality, but like I said, I actually really appreciate him doing that. He’s the only reason I’m here right now. Couldn’t get any of my friends or my sibling to come to this. Cause I’m clearly about as persuasive as I am interesting.”

“Not the party type, are they?” Hunter mouthed out before he let out a chuckle. “I mean, I guess it’s to be expected. Whether it’s hosted by us or Liberty, these parties tend to get pretty crazy.” This made Hunter think about how he was one to let loose at any party. He wasn’t like Colin, who often avoided Liberty parties unless it benefitted him, so he didn’t outright hate any Lib. And especially not when Niki was one of them. And thinking about Niki, of course, brought a slight frown to his face. He tried to hide it, but didn’t have the excuse of taking another sip because it was empty.

A quick swirl of the bottle told Alina that the conversation with the unknown boy had been going on for longer than she would have bet on. Maybe that frown on his face was a sign that he finally was getting bored with her. Or maybe it was something else. “Something on your mind there, superchief? You look sadder than that empty bottle you’re holding onto.”

When Hunter looked up at her, he smiled, shaking his head. ”It’s not important.” He, of course, was lying his ass off. He had Niki on his mind and it was clear to this complete stranger that it was enough to break through the silk-like barrier that was his attempt to hide the pain. He wasn’t an old guy named Harold. “I guess I’m just sad I drank it so fast.” That statement was partially true and it was enough to convince him even if for the moment. “Might have to see about getting something stronger.”

“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Starting to think I’m going to need more than beer to get through this night.” It was a bad idea. But Alina didn’t know that yet. Future Alina would probably be ticked, given she rarely dealt with any booze more potent than wine, but until Raven got here, or a more unlikely friend, there was no one to really tell her no. “If you still want to talk, even if you don’t want to talk about the whole depressing thing you got on your mind, I’ll take whatever you get. If not, I guess I’ll head over after awkwardly watching you walk away and grab something. Take your pick.”

As he mentally went over the choices, he knew he didn’t want to talk about Niki right now - not with this complete stranger.

Okay, she wasn’t exactly a stranger. For however long they’ve been talking, Hunter could honestly say that she had taken his mind off of...well, everything. And somewhere, he knew Dee was proud of him. Forgetting about one’s troubles was the whole point of a party. If you had shit going on in your life, whether home, relationship, or you’re one small step away from a nervous breakdowns, parties or, in general events with a lot of alcohol and good company could be the difference between getting admitted to a padded room and making it to your best friend’s place by night’s end.

And that’s what he had. Alcohol was a plenty here, especially since he heard Colin was involved in the supply run and this nameless girl was certainly enough for him to forget his troubles. His situation with Niki was complicated and Hunter could spend all night dwelling about how shitty he was and how he didn’t handle the surprise of seeing them at Rosefell, but he didn’t want to focus on that. No, he wanted to have some fun.

“Whatever choice gets me fucked up, I’ll take it.” He smiled at her.

“Right now, that sounds like the right choice…” Alina blanked for a second. Names had never come up in their whole conversation. They just didn’t seem important considering the interaction started with a collision. “...OK, I can’t just keep calling you tackle dude or something for the entire night. You have a name right?”

Hunter was caught off guard and let out a laugh that turned into a rough cough. “Tackle dude? Yeah, you can call me that. I mean, it’s accurate to my position on the team,” he stated, getting some of his composure back, “or you can just call me Hunter.” Even he had to admit that transition was so smooth one might think Suave Rico had his hand up Hunter’s ass and speaking for him. “And yours? Or should I just call you the treasure that heaven is missing?” Okay, now that was more of a Hunter Quinn line.

A hand went to Alina’s lips, but she wasn’t sure if it was to stop the laughing from the cheesy pick-up line or from the fact that for the second time in a week, she had a random encounter via a collision with a Rosefell student who was tour guide for a Zabrecky. At least she had to think it was the same Hunter. It wasn’t exactly a popular name at Liberty. She decided not to mention Niki, just in case. There was the possibility this was Hunter Jones or Hunter Druckenmiller or something.

“I’m no treasure, Hunter,” she told him. “So that’s probably not going to work as a name long term. You can just call me Alina.”

Rosefell High.

---

---

In what felt like seconds, the party was in full swing. The rooms had filled up fast with teenagers filling themselves up even faster. It was like as soon as they had hit the floor they were drunk and or high. Not like it was a bad thing but drunk white people did make DeShawn a little nervous, he wasn’t going to lie. Once he had begun to feel a little more comfortable in his skin, the linebacker made his way over to a drinks table to pour himself a tasty beverage. He wasn’t a fancy man by any means and a cold beer from one of the coolers would suffice quite nicely.

As the rhythm of the music began to pulsate through his body, Dee began to let out a few shoulder shuffles and head bobs. He wasn’t no dancer unless he had a partner that wouldn’t stop him from enjoying himself. He watched around the room with his big dark eyes, soaking in the places and faces that his compatriots would hope to forget about in the morning. It was at this moment that he caught sight of his Queen, alone and without a throne.

Past experience at parties like this had taught DeShawn that trying to get Melissa’s attention when she was ruling her kingdom was a vain quest that no Knight should ever try to undertake. If the blonde bombshell wanted your attention she would take it, you didn’t really have a say in the matter. This was fine of course, most days there was always someone else to talk to, someone else to party with. Still it had been almost a week since they last “held court” and Dee was nothing if not intrigued about how the head of the table was dealing with the new Liberty conundrum.

He made his way by a few people to cross the room, most of whom immediately stepped out of his path mostly out of fear of him just awaiting them away like flies. Once he had reached the Queen of Thorns, he towered over like he did so many others but in a juxtaposition of his size, Dee placed a soft hand on her slim waist.

”Hey girl.”

Melissa recognized that voice from a mile away, and it had the helpful effect of knowing that the person who belonged to the hand on her body did not deserve a slap. Far from it. It was a welcome sight given how the party was shaking out so far.

Her attempts to attract the eyes of the host weren’t going well. It made sense given his duties, but it would still be fun to flirt with Christian a little more. Alycia had abandoned her to try and corner Payton again. Apparently they did more than just hit it off during the tour this week. More power to Miss Collins, but he definitely wasn’t her type. She would have to evaluate him too at some point if Alycia was going to be making a point to bring him to parties in the future. She had already churned through a few of the coolers on offer, and had switched to the stronger vodka cran mixture she held in her hand. It was preventing her from immediately returning the hand that Dee had placed on her body, but she knew her could tell when she was interested. Which she was.

She turned around, allowing Dee’s fingers to trace a path on her exposed midriff while she reoriented herself. ”Hey boy,” Melissa offered to the linebacker as took a sip of her beverage. “Don’t tell me you’re already bored of all the sweet treats Liberty had to offer us? I mean, I know they can’t possibly compare to me, but… well, they can’t. So I guess I don’t blame you! Anyway, how are you doing, Dee?”

The warmth of her golden skin permeated on his fingertips and the simple caress did well to remind him of all the things that he and Melissa had done in the past; a memory that brought a smile to his lips and a fire to his heart… he was but a teenage boy after all.

"I wouldn’t say bored, the night is still young after all and I only really just got here but...” DeShawn leaned down to get closer and caught a whiff of her unmistakable and irresistible scent. "I know how busy you are and I saw you here alone and I just couldn’t help but to just come for a quick taste, ya feel me Queen?” Number Forty Four dropped a gentle kiss on the nape of Melissa’s neck, just below her ear.

It was a simple world that the two of them shared; if they wanted to hook up they did. If they were bored and actually wanted to go on a date; they would. If they wanted to fuck around with someone else, they did. Something always drew them back together but DeShawn had his doubts that it was anything more than a kinship. They understood each other perfectly and that was enough.

"How goes it with your new subjects, Mama? They fallin’ in line yet?”

The Queen of Thorns offered a sly smile as she ran her hand over DeShawn’s scalp, allowing her fingers to mingle in between his dreads while they were on offer to her. As he stood back up following the tribute paid to her neck, she let her hand fall back down to her side. She always had time for Dee, a lot more so than Colin, and a quick taste was a vast understatement when it came to some of their hangouts. But, it was the understanding of their respective wants that kept the relationship between the two in such a comfortable place. Melissa was more Baskin Robbins than Dairy Queen. She wanted to sample all the flavors available. However, Dee was definitely her Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

“They are doing well so far. It’s amazing what a little sample of what the queen provides can do for compliance,” she confirmed. “Of course, it’s a lot easier if they provide the opportunity. I swear, these kids have all the money in the world to burn, and I’m more than happy to provide the ways and means. Along with other things if some of them play their cards right. But for now, all is good in the queendom, Dee. I have heard whispers of someone who thinks they can come at the crown, but they haven’t shown up, so I guess it’s true that money talks, but power walks.”

"Come at the Queen, you best not miss.”

Dee allowed a smile to cross his lips as Melissa talked of her Queendom. From what he could gather, Rosefell had always been hers and her peers had likely been her subjects since kindergarten, the girl had the sway and the swag and it would take her quite far in life no doubt.

He had heard rumblings of potential challengers for Missy’s crown. Liberty seemed much more a tank of sharks thanks to the inherent wealth and privilege that they held. Melissa was a badass and she had put in the work but he couldn’t help but wonder if there was a possibility that this Game of Thrones would end with her buried under a palace of her own making. Yet this was Missy, DeShawn had not met anyone with the drive to succeed like her. He had not come across anyone with the exact path laid out as to where they wanted to go. It was an admirable quality, an assuredness that drew people towards her, she was easily the sun and the students of Rosefell were simply the planets in her system. All Dee knew was that he shouldn’t fly too close and that he should just keep his head down and do the work. Missy knew where she was going, DeShawn just wanted to survive.

"Well you know, if there’s anything I can do, anything at all, you know where I’m at.” He traced a finger down her back slowly as he spoke in a tone that was as smooth as chocolate: an almost whisper "It ain’t no thing.”

Melissa arched her back slightly under DeShawn’s touch. It was still electric, even after all the times shared since the football player moved here. Of all of last year’s imports, he was clearly head and shoulders above anyone else. Of course, second place was probably that pink-haired girl was essentially a less-reliable Colin. A lot more sarcastic too. Still, a smirk appeared on her face as a soft chuckle could be heard only by the two of them. “I know I can always count on you, Dee,” she confirmed. “You’re good like that. A perfect Knight in shining armor.”

Yeah, she was laying it on thick. Maybe there was more to those coolers than she thought.

“And you know that’s a two-way street. Anything I can do to help you out, you let me know. I’m sure I can make it happen.”

"I’m sure I can think of a few things...”

The boy mountain threw whatever caution he had to the wind and pressed a deep kiss to Melissa’s mouth. Taking in her taste and scent, it was as close to madness; the one true escape as he possibly could. It was chemicals reacting; it was that simple. Every deep set fibre of DeShawn’s being was on fire around Melissa as it often was and in that moment all he wanted was to take her somewhere private and tear off her clothes. It took a great amount of pure self control to not take her there and then. He broke the kiss, reluctantly and grinned with a hint of self satisfaction.

”...But I ain’t your game tonight” Dee took a large swill from his drink to wash down the fire he had just taken from the Queen’s lips and more so to stop him from doing it again.

There weren’t many people in the world who could seize control of Melissa Elliott like that and bend her to their will. DeShawn was definitely the closest among her peer group. Maybe it was that left of self-assuredness that had kept them coming back to each other when others had failed to do so.

Or maybe he was just a damn fine kisser. But the linebacker broke away from the cheerleader’s lips first. She let out a soft whimper as if to will him back, but then again, they were in wide open spaces here, and Melissa had no idea where the best spot in Christian’s place was for some privacy. Not to say that they couldn’t find something later on in the evening. It seemed as though DeShawn felt the same way.

"You do your thing, shawty but come see me round the way if them dice aren’t in your favour, feel me?”

Her lips came together again in the smirk that usually adorned her face. “Even if they aren’t in my favour, you know I have my ways to make sure the snake eyes are staring at my opponents, Dee. But I don’t need any games of chance to know you’re always in my plans. Just save some of those jumped routes for later, OK?”

"Oh mos def.”

Dee knew he had to make a quick exit from Melissa’s atmosphere, sans being trapped within it for the rest of the night. He allowed his eyes to take in her form one last time, unknowingly allowing his tongue to lick his lips in antici…pation. He broke contact to scan the room for someone to save him from himself and spotted Enrique emerging from a crowd causing all kinds of havoc; not an ideal choice but if he was anything, Suave was a good distraction.

”Be seeing you girl.”

Melissa gave a curt little wave as DeShawn made his way towards one of his bros. Not where she would be looking to go to right now, but that was fine by her. She had the option to go anywhere. This was her domain. This was her queendom. And it would not be challenged. Not by any of these Liberty fools who think they can step in with their cash and run things. Not anyone. She didn't need to cling to DeShawn like some lovelorn puppy. She was the ruler of this particular jungle. Nothing will change that.

Rosefell High.

Savannah Payton || Rosefell High

Name

Savannah Lynn Payton

Nicknames

Sav, Savvy, Payout

Age

18

Gender

Female

Sexuality

Homosexual

Relationship Status

Single

Label

The Outlaw

Appearance Details

• Hair: Savannah is usually seen with her long hair allowed to fall straight down with all colors in view: the dark brown at the roots, the bleached blonde that makes up most of her hair, and the dip-dyed neon pink strands at the front.
• Eyes: Brown
• Height: 5'8"
• Body Type: She has a slim build that she makes look bigger through her wardrobe choices. A tough front is necessary to survive.
• Clothing Style: Savannah sticks to low-cut tanktops and camisoles over a rotating cast of ripped-up jeans. Her trademark, alongside her hair, is her black leather jacket. This jacket is her pride and joy. She will switch up on occasion with other jackets, but this is her standard look. It's how people know who to go to for more illicit acquisitions.
  
  She usually accessorizes with two or three chain necklaces.
• Makeup Wise: She favors dark eyeliner, eyeshadow and mascara to emphasize her eyes. It lets people know when she stares at them that she is not to be trifled with.
• Scars, Tattoos and/or Piercings: Savannah has multiple piercings. Both of her ears are pierced and she will usually wear a pair of hoop earrings in there. as well as a right helix piercing with a small ring. She also has a nose piercing, with a ring in there. Tattoos are next on the list.
  
  She has a couple of long scars on her back and a large puncture scar on her right shoulder. She doesn't like talking about them.

Personality Traits

Savannah has three levels of trust, and they determine what level of Savannah you have to deal with.

The first if Savannah is ambivalent to you. You'll get a somewhat surly, standoffish sort of woman who isn't keen on talking to anyone she feels is going to waste her time. She'll improve to politeness once it is clear the conversation will mean something in some way to her, but she will still be somewhat defensive. She didn't get to where she was by talking too much. No nonsense is what you get.

The second is when it becomes clear you are a waste of Savannah's time. She will get belligerent. She does not suffer fools, and she certainly does not suffer snitches or lowlifes of a similar level. She will hit them. She will threaten them. She relies on the reputation she has built to make sure that it doesn't come to that very often, but if it does, she will not hesitate.

Once trust is gained, and this will take multiple interactions, Savannah is a very loyal friend. That same attitude that is used against her enemies allows her to defend her allies. She is a very good listener, and is always willing to offer the insights she's gleaned through all the tough experiences in her life to try and help with any problems that her friends come to her with. Of course, some problems are easier to solve than others. But she's always going to give it her all to fix things. Even if they involve illicit activities.

Biography

Savannah Lynn Payton was born to single mother Samantha Payton on August 30, 2002 in Spring Valley, Texas. Samantha was a teenage runaway after her father and mother reacted poorly to her attitude one time too many. She spent a couple years working the streets around Austin, the largest city she could get to, until someone lied to her about protection and her daughter was born nine months later. Didn't even have a name for an attempt at a DNA test. Too many pseudonyms.

Once Savannah was born, Samantha took a job at Wal-Mart to try and make things as normal as possible for her baby girl without running the risk of leaving her alone. But big box stores don't offer the same kind of money. So she slowly started working herself back into the escort life. A rotation of men started appearing in Savannah's apartment from time to time. Some of them were kind and offered gifts. Some of them paid her no attention. A few were complete assholes. Savannah usually had the magic words to make them go away for good. But not without a mark or two left.

In order to get out of the house more, Savannah started falling in with kids in similar situations, running around with a preteen gang led by an older girl named Alexis. At first they were nothing more than a pack of brats. Loitering, some petty vandalism. When it moved to shoplifting though, Savannah enjoyed that. Soon she upped her game from lifting candy bars, to opening up unlocked cars and taking the contents. Anything to try and impress Alexis, who she had developed a schoolgirl crush on. She went to far though went she opened up an Audi S5 only to find the keys still inside. A 13-year-old that could say she's driven a car was too tempting to ignore. And so she made the fateful decision to start the car. The ensuing 38-minute joy ride resulted in her plowing into multiple hydrants, lamp posts and a pair of pedestrians. When she finally crashed into the side of a convenience store, stolen goods on her possession and an open wound on her upper shoulder, the police weren't taking her lightly. She was sentenced to three years in the Travis County Juvenile Detention Center for her impressive array of crimes.

The time in juvee was boring, but it didn't end up putting Savannah on the straight and narrow as much as it did for Samantha. She realized all the time with this rotating cast of men in her line of work wasn't good for her or the kid. So while Sav did time, Sam finally went to school, got a CC degree in massage therapy, and by the time her daughter was free to move about the county, Sam decided to move her around the country. She had been talking to a man online for over a year and was in her feelings with him despite the age difference. And the distance difference. So not only was Savannah going to have to reset her connections on the outside, she was going to be doing it far away from home. Downtown freaking Ohio.

Samantha was confident that Christopher would be the man that both of them needed, but Savannah has been resistant. Even as "Chris" as made a bunch of overtones and been an all-carrot, no-stick kind of father figure. The engagement was announced on Valentine's Day last year, as if Savannah didn't need another reason to barf on that holiday. But, she has proven successful in building a relative network of connections in her short time in Columbus that she has some semblance of what she had going for her in Texas. So she has a role to fill at Rosefell. Even if more "Chris" types are on their way this year.

Family

Mother: Samantha Payton // 37 // Massage Therapist // FC: Jaime Pressly

Mother's Fiance: Christopher Manning // 55 // Bank Manager // FC: Stephen Colbert

Misc.

Emma Mackey | FF4DE1

• Savannah is a smoker. She's been trying to scale back a little bit since marijuana offers far more than tobacco, but she's still averaging a quarter to a third of a pack of smokes a day. Usually when stressed out by her step-father.
• She does have a vehicle, with her "good" behavior earned her a gift from her stepfather upon receiving her license. However, she's not thrilled about driving a 2012 Kia Soul. The boxy tiny thing does not match her aesthetic.
• Her favorite music is female-led alt and punk rock. She thinks she might be good enough to be a singer herself, but she wouldn't last long in a band that didn't share her ideals.
• Quickest way to earn her trust? Know her likes and when she's in a mood, offer to grab some. These likes include food-court Thai, sour gummy worms, those rolled-up Doritos that are kinda like smokes, and smokes.
• My favorite thing about Halloween right now is that it's a hell of a lot warmer than it is right now.