Viciousmarrow

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

---

Interactions: Ana @The Muse
Brad & Mitch @BeastOfDestiny

"Fireball, huh? Interesting choice."

Lily shifted self-consciously at the mention of her preferred vice, but was ecstatic that Ana had decided to join her after all.

“I just… really like cinnamon, I guess. Cinnamon rolls, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Apple Cider… Stuff like that…'' she muttered quietly while following Ana to her car, wondering if her predilection for the spice was a little too much. “I mean, you don’t have to treat me to Fireball necessarily, it’s just… you know, it’s cheap.” Ana was certainly a sweetheart. She was really sure what to expect from her, but it was nice to feel included in something. On top of that, Lily couldn’t help but stare at Ana’s bottom as she leaned over and put away the basket and books. The auburn haired woman blushed, pondering why she couldn’t have been so lucky to be so endowed. Perfection just wasn’t meant for everyone, she supposed.

Lily was distracted by inward physical comparisons until Ana suddenly called out: "Moxi!" The name elicited a sense of panic in the anxious librarian, even more so when her new friend exclaimed this was the person she was going on a date with. Lily couldn’t even begin to count off the number of rumors she’d heard about Moxi, and not a single one of them was good.

His gaze was one of an icicle, his expression as unending as a frozen crevasse. Lily couldn’t help but fidget nervously in his presence. There was a strange handsomeness to him, a sort of Patrick Bateman or Casanova Killer-adjacent charm to him. She reminded herself that she needed to stop watching horror movies and those murder documentaries… especially when someone like this Moxi guy was around.

As he seemed to agree to Ana’s ask and walked off, Lily immediately grabbed Ana by the shoulders, eyes as wide as the burgeoning moon above.

“What are you doing?! You can’t date that guy! He’s bad news!” she frantically whispered to the blonde. “He’s like…. Our bad guy. Not the good kind of sexy, you know, bad boy, but like a real bad guy. Ms. Matilda thinks he trafficks women out of the night club. Jane thinks he’s the opium mule around these parts. Linda says she swears he threatened her husband’s life!” Lily slightly shook Ana for good measure.

“Point is, he’s bad news! Handsome, yes, but you know who else everyone thinks is handsome? Ted Bundy!!” She suddenly pulled her new friend into a hug. “I barely know you, Ana Rork, but I don’t want you to die because you’re so nice and pretty and I just can’t have that at all!”

---

"Fine, fine, although I don't think he's told us who I'll be taking home tonight, I'll still help out…"

Zack humored himself with Mitch’s quip, even thinking it was a real question. Rubbing his chin as he led his help over to their gear, he considered who would actually be most likely to go home with Mitch. “Hmm… Let’s see. Who would you end up with? Definitely not Em. She’s never done anything with anyone, ever, as far as I know.” He immediately scratched his sister out of the picture

“Kitty… Maybe? She’s probably the most adventurous. Just don’t get your hopes up with anything long term. Don’t think she’s ever had a real thing before. I’m kind of in between them, I guess. I’ve had flings and I’ve had relationships before, but I can’t say those relationships ever really lasted long, I guess… Just haven’t found that person, not yet I anyway.” Zack shrugged, giving too much of an answer to a sarcastic question.

“You shound like a real fracking losher talking like that.” Em piped up, passing the trio as she carried out some cymbals haphazardly out to center stage. Zack scoffed, half-surprised to see his sloshed sister actually doing any work.

“Don’t pay her any mind. She’s drunk, sure, but for some reason she plays and sings better that way… Guess it takes the stage fright or whatever away. Anyway… Let’s help her with the drums, then we’ll set up the guitars and keyboard.” He directed the duo to where their equipment was: on the back of his truck, just behind the stage. They probably would have performed on the back of the truck, but why do that when the town actually gave them a real stage?

“So you two got names? Feel like I’ve definitely seen you around town before. Definitely sorta remember seeing you around school.” He pointed at Mitch while pulling the bass drum and its pedals out of the truck, trying to place a name to the face but coming up short. Man, high school felt like a long time ago. Hell, 11 years had gone by so fast and he was still out here in the middle of nowhere, no love life and no record deal to boot. Ah well, it’d all come in time, right?

The Nameless City

Jaina Vann

_{Age 23 || Apprentice to The Regia Guard Captain}

Description: She stands at a tall 5’10” with slender proportions and an angelic grace about her. Most amongst the populace would describe Jaina as protective, dedicated, and courageous (except if you’re Stormtouched), but those who know her well know that she is a bit flirty, stubborn, and haughty. She respects authority and will only challenge her superiors if she knows she is in the right.

Biography: Jaina hails from a once great family of ikonomancers in the 3rd Ring. Her family had been pioneers of ikonomancy in its infancy all those years ago, but stagnation and ineptness had plagued generations of Vanns, robbing them of their prestige and wealth bit by bit. By the time of Jaina’s birth, her parents, Syrun and Dawn, were just barely surviving in their rundown estate, kept only intact by runes drawn by their forerunners. Jaina was expected to be as talentless and unbecoming as her parents and as all the recent generations of Vanns, but her youthful curiosity and keen intelligence would be the Vann’s saving grace. Dirty tomes and hidden recipes for ikons were a feast for Jaina’s young eyes, devouring them bit by bit in their firelit study. Her parents would witness a momentous rise back to the top, their daughter a fledgling paragon amongst this city.

Or at least, they should’ve witnessed it.

Syrun was an eager fool of a man, and his wife, Dawn, only served to enable his scheming. His “friends” were seedy at best, Stormtouched rogues and brigands that he would occasionally harbor under the noses of the Wardana for “business purposes”. Jaina was rarely privy to any conversations that her father had with these individuals, nor would she ever know what he was really up to.

One night, a 12 year old Jaina woke up to screaming and shouting. She snuck downstairs to find the source of the noise, only to find her father being flayed by a pale woman with ghastly features: her yellow eyes were much too wide, her lips black as night, and her skin glinted with reptilian scales. Her mother, Dawn, laid on the ground, her skull already shattered against a stone wall. A few other Stormtouched individuals were looting her home, while the pale woman jeered at Syrun for “failing his end of the bargain”. In a fright, Jaina managed to escape the estate without being detected, flagging down the Wardana with tears in her eyes. By the time the Wardana arrived on the scene, Syrun was a bloody husk of a corpse, but the Stormtouched criminals were likewise taken care of.

Jaina would never know what criminal enterprise her father had aligned himself with nor would she ever know who the Stormtouched were. Nonetheless, the Wardana had avenged her parents, and so she felt she knew where she had to go next, especially now that she was an orphan: She would go to the Academy and become just like them. Her trauma sparked a wildfire and a need to protect this city and drive the Storm back, and with it, all of the Cursed individuals. The miscreants and fell beings would perish so that no one else would have to endure what she had.

And so she did exactly what she set out to do: Jaina showcased her proficiency of ikonomancy upon joining the Wardana Academy, one that would only blossom with each passing year. She was a natural, a manifestation of the past glory of the Vann name. By the time she was 19, she had become a Wardana Leader and fought numerous skirmishes against storm beasts. There have been some rumors that she purposefully caught Stormtouched in the crossfire of her battles, but it has never been a point of contention amongst her peers. As for the general, non-Cursed population, Jaina has been a saint to those in need, a true hero fighting valiantly against the Storm.

With the betrayal of Ergen Ilkin, Jaina’s pedigree and skill has earned herself a position as the newfound apprentice of Leonhart Astaros, someone she has idolized for her prowess and heroic status. Suddenly, her prospective future looks even brighter.

The Nameless City

Jaina Vann

_{Age 23 || Apprentice to The Regia Guard Captain}

Description: She stands at a tall 5’10” with slender proportions and an angelic grace about her. Most amongst the populace would describe Jaina as protective, dedicated, and courageous (except if you’re Stormtouched), but those who know her well know that she is a bit flirty, stubborn, and haughty. She respects authority and will only challenge her superiors if she knows she is in the right.

Biography: Jaina hails from a once great family of ikonomancers in the 3rd Ring. Her family had been pioneers of ikonomancy in its infancy all those years ago, but stagnation and ineptness had plagued generations of Vanns, robbing them of their prestige and wealth bit by bit. By the time of Jaina’s birth, her parents, Syrun and Dawn, were just barely surviving in their rundown estate, kept only intact by runes drawn by their forerunners. Jaina was expected to be as talentless and unbecoming as her parents and as all the recent generations of Vanns, but her youthful curiosity and keen intelligence would be the Vann’s saving grace. Dirty tomes and hidden recipes for ikons were a feast for Jaina’s young eyes, devouring them bit by bit in their firelit study. Her parents would witness a momentous rise back to the top, their daughter a fledgling paragon amongst this city.

Or at least, they should’ve witnessed it.

Syrun was an eager fool of a man, and his wife, Dawn, only served to enable his scheming. His “friends” were seedy at best, Stormtouched rogues and brigands that he would occasionally harbor under the noses of the Wardana for “business purposes”. Jaina was rarely privy to any conversations that her father had with these individuals, nor would she ever know what he was really up to.

One night, a 12 year old Jaina woke up to screaming and shouting. She snuck downstairs to find the source of the noise, only to find her father being flayed by a pale woman with ghastly features: her yellow eyes were much too wide, her lips black as night, and her skin glinted with reptilian scales. Her mother, Dawn, laid on the ground, her skull already shattered against a stone wall. A few other Stormtouched individuals were looting her home, while the pale woman jeered at Syrun for “failing his end of the bargain”. In a fright, Jaina managed to escape the estate without being detected, flagging down the Wardana with tears in her eyes. By the time the Wardana arrived on the scene, Syrun was a bloody husk of a corpse, but the Stormtouched criminals were likewise taken care of.

Jaina would never know what criminal enterprise her father had aligned himself with nor would she ever know who the Stormtouched were. Nonetheless, the Wardana had avenged her parents, and so she felt she knew where she had to go next, especially now that she was an orphan: She would go to the Academy and become just like them. Her trauma sparked a wildfire and a need to protect this city and drive the Storm back, and with it, all of the Cursed individuals. The miscreants and fell beings would perish so that no one else would have to endure what she had.

And so she did exactly what she set out to do: Jaina showcased her proficiency of ikonomancy upon joining the Wardana Academy, one that would only blossom with each passing year. She was a natural, a manifestation of the past glory of the Vann name. By the time she was 19, she had become a Wardana Leader and fought numerous skirmishes against storm beasts. There have been some rumors that she purposefully caught Stormtouched in the crossfire of her battles, but it has never been a point of contention amongst her peers. As for the general, non-Cursed population, Jaina has been a saint to those in need, a true hero fighting valiantly against the Storm.

With the betrayal of Ergen Ilkin, Jaina’s pedigree and skill has earned herself a position as the newfound apprentice of Leonhart Astaros, someone she has idolized for her prowess and heroic status. Suddenly, her prospective future looks even brighter.

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

Location: Festival Grounds
Interactions: Ana @The Muse

---

Lily snapped her attention from Levi and Kitty and back to Ana, wiping the tears from her eyes. Bravely, she attempted to stifle any of the pain that had just shown through, forcing a smile with a sniffle and positioning herself with her back turned to the source of her pain. Lily felt terrible now, seeing that this friendly stranger had just rescued the books from being drenched in alcohol.

“I’m so sorry, um… I wasn’t expecting to see someone here… I thought they were gone for good…” She anxiously looked down at the ground, rubbing her arm. “...I guess, not everyone here in Sanctuary is a good person… Some people just bring back bad memories…” Lily didn’t name any names here, but part of her wished she was lionhearted enough to confront Levi. “Some name right? ‘Sanctuary’. But sometimes it feels like…” There was a moment of silence as the librarian trailed off from her last sentence, recognizing she was spiraling into even more of a rambling, depressive episode.

“Sorry! Sorry! When I get like this, I start to talk a lot. Sometimes my negative feelings come out, and it can be really bad…” Lily was half-talking to herself, laughing nervously as she tried to recover. “I’m Lily, by the way. Lily Barker. I work at the school. Er… I’m a librarian. At the school.” Part of her wanted to die right now, thinking that this stranger probably thought she was a maniac for coming out of the woodworks with a basket and then breaking down. So much for making new friends, right?

“...Um… But yeah, I should… probably be anywhere but here. I might just go home… I’ve seen Zack, Em, and Kayleigh play before.” There was a certain amount of bitterness attached to Kitty’s name, normally out of place coming from Lily. “They’re… like a rock band. They’re pretty good and Zack, is well… Zack, if you know what I mean.” She took a moment to point out the pretty boy redhead out behind them, careful not to look in Levi’s direction. “...So you know, it’s okay if you want to go… I’ll go home, and then I’ll drink myself to sleep and pretend tonight didn’t happen.” Again, Lily let out an anxiety riddled chuckle before starting to step away from Ana. The auburn haired woman stopped herself though, feeling guilty for saddling Ana with all of this baggage on top of the books she was holding.

“Umm… Maybe I can help you take those books to your car first? Maybe we could… get a drink together too?” Lily’s eyes widened and immediately fell back on the ground, unconsciously shuffling her feet. Rejection was clearly nothing new to her. Internally, she had a feeling this sweet blonde woman probably didn’t want to hang out with a small town yak like herself… And that would be fine… Everything was fine.

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

---

Location: Festival Grounds
Interactions: Bee @Hey Im Jordan Brad & Mitch @BeastOfDestiny

---

Cute?! Funny?! This girl was actually serious about this whole date thing?! Em was completely dumbfounded by Bee’s admission, her lips twisting into an embarrassed expression as she gazed at the other woman. She even felt slightly more sobered up by this revelation. Nobody had ever expressed interest in her before, so this was… new. The finger jabbed into Bee’s chest fell to Em’s side, and there was a slight flutter of hope in her chest.

“Wait… This washnt shupposed to go like this.” She cocked her head, and murmured something incoherent under her breath. For a moment, Em seemed to be in quiet contemplation, drilling her gaze into Bee’s own as if trying to pry the truth from her. A slight dopey smile spread on Em’s face when she came to her own conclusion about Bee’s words. “I...believe you, but I gotsh a lot of questionsh.” Her tone was even and reasonable for once tonight.

“And I… think you’re cute too, even ifsh I don’t know you very well. Kinda alwaysh have thought that, but.... We can talk aboutsh thish later… Causesh you’re right. I gotta shing tonight.” Em acknowledged. She fidgeted with her hands as she talked, uncomfortable with conveying her own interest but trudging along nonetheless. “Just… I guessh… Thanksh… Thish me made me feel nice. I’ll shee you later, Bee.” With anxious steps, the youngest Snype gave her new… friend… a wave before clumsily making her way toward the stage where she and her family were supposed to perform.

---

Zack snorted from his vantage point, carefully observing the scene around him. His sister actually had not one, but two dates, one of which he had to pay for since Em, at least to his knowledge, didn't have any money. Judging by her bearing while she chatted with one her girl date, she had completely forgotten that she had accidentally bid on that Archer guy.

On the other hand, Kitty was, in Kitty fashion, causing some kind of scene with Levi. She also had two dates: One with Levi, and one with Brad, who he believed was the brother of Em’s lady friend. The whole Kitty dramatics got a little spicier when Zack noticed that Lily Barker had shown up. Zack hadn’t been intimately in tune with the drama, but even he knew that Lily had crushed hard on Levi back in the day. Guess she still wasn’t over it, judging by the silent breakdown she was happening as she stared at Levi and Kitty. He probably would’ve stepped in to help the poor girl, but a blonde woman he didnt recognize appeared to want to support Lily.

Well, if things were settled here, he guessed he’d start setting everything up on stage. Problem was, that was kind of a “whole band” situation, and right now his band was distracted. Out in the dispersing crowd though, he noted two fellows that might be willing to help. Slinking from the shadow of the stage, he quickly sauntered up to the duo, smiling all the way.

“Hey, you two wouldn’t happen to want to help a man in need would you? I have a whole thing of band equipment I need to unload, but my sister’s drunk and my cousin’s… probably also drunk.” Zack peered genuinely at the older muscular man, and then at the more androgynous person. Yeah, these two looked like they’d be a great help! “The jobs pretty easy, and I can pay you a little too for your time. Just gotta hook some amps up, set the drums up, make sure the laptop and the backing tracks are sorted…” He explained their potential duties, never faltering in his beaming. Hopefully they’d accept, or maybe he could get Talie and Reya to help again…

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

Location: Festival Grounds
Interactions: Bee @Hey Im Jordan

---

Frustration crept over Em like a looming shadow, her brain racing to figure out who had thrown her to wolves. She hadn’t signed up to be in the auction, but someone else had. It wasn’t Zack, judging from the confused look he’d given her when she made her way onto the stage. That left very few suspects, and she couldn’t help but think that the person that ”won” her date was behind it. She wasn’t sure why she even got on the stage in the first place! Maybe it was the drink in her system, or maybe she had just been curious. Either way, the inebriated woman hadn’t expected much to come of it, much less a former classmate cinching the bid.

Drunkenly, Em stormed away from center stage and made a beeline toward… well, Bee. In their school years, Em remembered her as being a grade above her and having a predilection for piercings. That, and the fact that they dropped out of high school around the same time. Em had pegged her as being cooler than most of the other kids, but she couldn’t be sure this whole auction thing wasn’t her doing. It wouldn’t surprise her, anyway. For some reason, all the kids in school had hated her, so who’s to say Bee didn’t either.

“Hey, what’sh the big idea? Why wouldsh you do tha’? Did you put my name in the auchshun?” Em slurred as she interrogated the equally short woman in front of her, her voice with a slight uncontrolled cutesy high pitch to it. Authoritatively, she jabbed an index finger into the center of Bee’s chest and drew dangerously close to her face. “Did you do this becaush you hate me? Yoush hash to tell me!” If her voice didn’t give away her intoxication, the red flush over her skin certainly did.

Em swayed to and fro as she stood there, her expression a goofy mix of irritation and expectation. Her azure eyes couldn’t help but take in Bee’s figure, an odd thought of appreciating the other woman’s look. If that date thing was real, then… well… maybe… maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

Location: Festival Grounds
Interactions: Ana @The Muse

---

Lugging a basket filled to the brim with books, snacks, motivational stickers, and a large bottle of Fireball whiskey, Lily hoofed her way through the festival crowd. For the occasion, she’d dressed herself in a simple yellow sundress with black polka dots that she’d found at a thrift store not so long ago, complete with secondhand sandals. She carefully glanced around as she strode past the swelling number of people, looking expectantly for one of the newest members of their fair town: Ana Clair. Or was it Ana Rork? The mystery woman’s surname was unfortunately the victim of gossip’s tainted touch. All that Lily really knew about her was she was blonde, saint-like, and near average height, at least those were the traits that were most consistent amongst the school teacher’s rumors.

As was tradition, Lily tried to greet as many newcomers as she could to Sanctuary with a gift basket, and this ‘Ana’ would be no exception! She had maybe spent a little more than she should have on the booze though. $18 for a half gallon of Fireball?! That was basically highway robbery! At least it was for a good cause. Hopefully this new woman loved cinnamon whiskey as much as herself because there was a lot of it, and it would be such a shame to waste it!

The fair librarian peered at the auction’s crowd as it found its way to a conclusion, both hands entwined around her basket’s handle. Maybe it was a little too easy, but her brown eyes immediately fell on the blonde woman leaving the stage. Internally, she supposed it made sense for this newcomer to be up there. A date auction was a great way to meet new friends, after all! The prospect was entirely too terrifying for Lily’s liking though. Too many eyes. Too much pressure. No thank you!

A thin smile spread on Lily’s face, and started toward the lovely blonde. “Excuse me, miss!” she called out, hoping to get the woman’s attention. Her feet stopped before the stranger. “Are you… Ana Rork? The teachers at the academy have just been talking all about this new pretty blonde woman, and I just had to come and welcome you to our town!” Lily’s voice was soft and bright, suddenly holding the gift basket up for Ana to take. “This is for you, by the way!”

Hopefully, she’d love it! There were books of every kind in there (including some spicier reads for the lonely hearts out there).

“LEVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!”

The uttered name caused Lily’s head to snap to her left. What she saw left her in a panicked daze: a familiar redhead was leaping into the arms of a phantom apparition of Levi Brooks.

“So a date, huh? I hope you have something fun planned! It’s been so long since we got together. I’m excited. I love surprises!”

Her now quivering hands dropped the basket she had been offering, her eyes widened in horror. From the basket, all the sweet treats and thoughtful gifts tumbled onto the ground as she had an awful realization: That was the real Levi. Unable to tear her gaze away from him, she stood there, mouth agape and heart in her stomach. Lily thought she had gotten over this feeling, but she also never expected to see him again. She could feel a trickle of tears run down her cheek, unable to do anything but gawk at the terrible scene before her.

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

---

Location: Festival Grounds
Interactions: Talie @PrinceAlexus and Reya @The Muse

---

‘Why’d you do that?’

A ghost echoed through Em’s brain as she stepped away, squirming into her foremost thoughts.

‘...I don’t know. It was impulsive. I just felt like I could. Because it made me feel more powerful than I am.’

‘Just because you can doesn’t mean that you should. Those people had feelings, and even if they didn’t, you shouldn’t disrespect people based on their body type. That’s not fair. Do you really want to be just like the people that said those same types of things to you?’

Her inner voice was right. She knew she hadn’t made the most morally sound choice. She understood that she had lashed out because she wanted to control the situation and the people around it. It was what she did, but it never made her look good. It just hurt people. All she did was hurt people because deep down inside: she hurt.

‘...I’m sorry.’

Emily looked back at the blondes she had menaced just moments ago with a pang of guilt heavy in her heart. Melancholy was written into her expression, and a tide of self-loathing inundated the young woman. Part of her longed to apologize and make things right, but she squashed those feelings down. No, she hammered it down. What’s done was done, and she couldn’t change that. A silent shovel buried her pain, her grief, and her loneliness in a shallow grave once again. It was better this way. Sure, the next passing storm would exhume the festering emotions she didn’t want to confront, as it always did, but she’d be okay. She could get by if she was just ‘okay.’

"Hey, Em.”

Her internal dilemma was shoved aside by a familiar voice. Em blinked away her mental downpour and focused on the lovely face of Reya Parker. There was a time when a 13 year old Em had made a bouquet of flowers with the tag ‘For: The Prettiest Girl in Sanctuary’ with Reya in mind, but one of the Serrano Twins thought it was for them instead. They snatched it from her, and Em was relentlessly teased for it. Even to this day, she could still recite the jeers her classmates made about her sexuality. Just another reason she could never forgive the Serranos.

As her blue eyes ran up to meet Reya’s chocolate orbs, there was a small sense of ease that came through. What was strange though, was the curious red tint on her cheeks. A blush? Was Reya blushing because she was talking to her? A sudden panic flew through Em. She’d never met anyone that was actually interested in her before, at least not one so visibly.

“H-h-hey, Reya. W-what’s up?” she stammered out with a goofy smile, awkwardly jamming her hands into her pockets and looking anywhere but into Reya’s eyes. She didn’t understand how she could be such a goof after her brief incident with the blonde woman earlier and her momentary boldness. Maybe it was the adrenaline? But here, right now, she couldn’t keep her shit together when Reya was talking to her.

Then suddenly, even that came crashing down, as Reya lurched at her with a pointed finger and called back over her shoulder: "Zack!"

Behind her, Em noticed the silhouette of her brother and knew at once she’d been sold out: another passing storm. Even if the earlier spat between Zack and herself was minor in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that that bothered her. It was the pointing: Reya had her index finger levied at her like Em was some kind of cryptid, a spectacle for masses. Apparently, there was nothing different about her, nothing that separated her from the kids that had tormented Em. In this moment, Reya wasn’t the pretty woman Em remembered. No, she was downright hideous.

---

Yards away, Zack hesitated on the pathway to follow the flustered brunette, his attention suddenly drawn to the sound of two distant figures over the festival’s intercoms. He could make out a professional spokeslady, Jewel, and the Mayor. It was a lot of hubbub about nothing, really, but there was one important part: the funnel cakes were nearing. Oh, that sweet, sweet tasty treat… They could pour that sugar all over him.

Sugar. Pour Some Sugar On Me.

Zack snapped in a eureka moment, beaming at his own genius. He whipped out his smart phone and quickly began writing out a new set list for his band mates. It was a bit last minute, but he was more than confident they could crank out this list. Unfortunately, since this was a public, family-friendly event, most of the songs didn’t include a lot of swearing. Although she had only done a couple small live performances, this was going to be Em’s big debut: she’d be singing most of the songs this time! Yeah, she was gonna hate it, but this was the least she could do for all the trouble she’d made today.

From some distance away, he was summoned by his former classmate, who bellowed out his name with some amount of intensity. Happily, he started skipping toward Reya’s voice. Apparently Talie had decided to tag along too, from the looks of it!

---

Em glowered at Reya, her mouth very nearly on the verge of saying something she would definitely regret, until a familiar ding uttered from her phone. Quickly checking her messages, she found one from her brother. Her azure eyes widened in horror at what she saw:

Set list change:

Pour some sugar on me - Def (Em)
Timber - Kesha (Zack)
Material Girl - Madonna (Em)
Shake It Off - T. Swift (Zack)
Crazy Train - Ozzy (Em)
Believe - Cher (Zack)
Hell is for Children - Patty B. (Em)
How You Remind Me - Nickle (Zack)
Feel like a woman - Shania (Em)
maybe/drown - MGK/BMTH (Zack)
Crazy On You - Heart (Em)

“WHAT?! MADONNA?! I CAN’T SING MADONNA!” Em practically screamed, just as Reya’s form fell to the ground. Something had happened while she was distracted and suddenly there was another woman standing next to a prone Reya.

“Reya, you clumsy dope.” Her mousy voice had a bite to it. She shook her head at the brunette and gave the other woman a glare. “Did Zack really hire you goons to find me? Fuck me, he’s about as dumb as your rocks.” She pointed at this new woman’s USGS badge with a bit of an attitude. Her gaze whisked past them and noticed her taller brother’s taller form bearing down on the trio.

“Zack, what the hell are you thinking?! WHY AM I SINGING MADONNA?! OR POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME, FOR THAT MATTER?!” Em was not happy at all at the choices.

Never faltering with his smile, Zack shrugged in response. “Because I know you can do it. It’s only fair after you killed Jerry too.” Em huffed in resignation with a roll of her eyes. It was going to be a little weird singing a sexually charged Def Leppard in front of this crowd, but... that one she at least felt comfortable about.

“Great job by the way, Reya! I know you were the right pick. I don’t think I could’ve found her without Talie of the UPS and our town’s one and only Reya Parker.” He quirked an eyebrow at the brunette's prone body, unsure how she managed to get down there. Not a bad view though!

“It’s USGS, you moron. It’s literally on her badge.” Em quipped.

“Whatever, pipsqueak.”

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

Location: Festival Grounds
Interactions: Talie @PrinceAlexus and Reya @The Muse

---

Zack was attempting to follow the Geologist’s commentary, nodding as she spoke, but he did figure out her name was Talie. Interesting name, but lovely still. Reya, on the other hand, seemed pretty fixated on whatever game she was playing, so Zack tried to focus on answering Talie’s questions and understanding her scientific explanations. This definitely was more up his sister’s alley than his own. Hell, somehow Em had managed to retain a lot of this kind of information despite dropping out of high school. He’d at least managed to get an Associates Degree in Automotive Technology at his parents’ behest before they passed since they needed a mechanic around the farm, but he was never the type to remember science stuff on this caliber.

"Well, I can say you're a punk rock, bit metal. That makes you Zackite. I prefer heavier ores like Ramstein though. Great shows. Maybe Zauminium"

“Wow that’s crazy they named a rock Zackite. Never knew that Rammstein and Zaum were big Actual Rock Heads either… Crazy they named their bands after stones, man. That’s really cool.” Zack had no idea Talie was joking, but he was more than happy to share and encourage the woman’s passion for rocks. His brain was kind on the fritz looking at all the geodes in front of him. “Wait… was Chris Cornell actually just singing about rocks in ‘Like a Stone’? No way…” he mused quietly to himself. Maybe even Rock of Ages was about a literal rock…? In fact, how many rock stars were really just singing about geology??? The thoughts were making his head spin.

“But yeah! I’m performing tonight. My sisters the drummer. She’s actually really good at singing too, but she’s afraid of the mic and kinda self-conscious. Hell, she’s better than me. Guess we’ll be changing that tonight though!” he passionately voiced, keeping a side eye on Reya as she made a decision on her… Game? He wasn’t sure what this was, really. He was confident the tavern owner would knock it out of the park though!

"I can help." He almost didn’t notice Reya’s voice, but beamed at her when he registered what she said. “Hell yeah!” he exclaimed to her and pumped an arm as if he had just gotten a record deal. It didn’t seem like Talie would be able to help, which was understandable considering she had a tent to run. Zack kinda felt like an idiot now for even asking. He definitely should’ve known better…

Zack waited patiently and with baited breath as his former schoolmate finally made her decision known. Seemingly, she had won something, but he was so lost as to what that was though. Instead of caring about that, he decided to just be happy for Reya. “Wow, see I told you you were good at everything~!” The enthusiastic redhead stepped over and put a congratulatory arm around Reya’s waist. He did notice she looked a bit flushed as he got very close to her. It was probably just the heat though!

“You know ice cream does sound very good! Rey over here is looking hot anyway, with all that red on her face! We’ll definitely grab you some too, Talie. You’re pretty awesome and I love that you love rocks!” Zack was completely oblivious to any of the geologist’s humor. “That sound good, Rey? Ice cream then a sister hunt?” His arm grew a little tighter around her waist, happily teasing the brunette. Hopefully she was having a good time, and if not, he’d make sure she did! He’d also make sure that Em got an earful when they found her.

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

Location: Festival Grounds
Interactions: Moxi @Zora and Ana @The Muse

---

A spike of panic washed over the fiery young woman as her nimble fingers grazed over a heavy handle locked just under the blonde man’s armpit. ‘Is that… a gun?!’ Em exclaimed internally, blue eyes widening just for a moment. Her feet stepped backwards in alarm, a reaction to any potential danger she might face. She grimaced, almost half-expecting to get shot at this point, but fortunately, no bullets came her way and she lived yet another day. Good, at least he wasn’t a psycho. The situation unraveled more as ‘Teats’ apparently had no intention of leaving and seemed unphased completely by the thorny comments Em had just made. In fact, she was laughing.

The youngest Snypes child clenched her teeth at the joyous laughter, glaring dangerously at the blonde woman as she exclaimed: "I like you." This lady was just going to take a comment like being called 'Udders' with stride? Really? Either she was severely damaged, had dangerously low self-esteem, or she was actually some kind of sociopath if she could take that insult without any hint of hurt. It was incredibly hot, honestly. Em’s leering face softened at the thought, her thin lips slowly twisting into a smile.

"You two know each other?" The lady’s sing-song voice questioned.“I do not knov zis child, do you?” The Russian was quick to answer back, clearly in a mood now. Oddly, he started to wipe himself down with clean wipes and demanded that she not touch his person again, as if Em was contaminated with cooties or something. She simply rolled her eyes in response to his weird tick..

“Hey, just because I’m small doesn’t mean I’m a kid!” Em defiantly exclaimed. “I’m a crazy little woman in a one man show.” She parroted the line from Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar on Me with a bit of a smugness in her voice. “Hell, if you’re lucky, could be a two woman show instead, Teats. Could make you like me a whole lot more.” Em aimed the suggestive comment at the older flaxen-haired heartthrob with a wink, her hand even pushing up two digits into the air at the other woman.

“Not too interested in Vladimir Smooch ‘Em over here though, if that’s what you’re wondering. I’m just… giving my brother space so he can calm down. Thought Vlady-Poo was a nice wall to hide behind, but I guess he doesn’t like it when he’s accosted by young, beautiful women like us.” The redhead dramatically sighed, tilting her head back and running a hand through her hair. At the same time, her scrawny legs started to slowly carry her away from the scene. Her brain was screaming at her to get away from the Slav with a firearm on his person. “You can have him, I guess, but it seems like I’d be the more fun choice here, just saying.” Another flirtatious comment was aimed at the older woman, and Em gave her an intentional, wry smile as her feet plodded along the grass in search of a new hiding spot.