The Muse

Adventure Awaits! - Prompt Voting CYOA (Always Open)

>"There was something odd about the bookcase."

Post Deletion Request

@LegendBegins Thank you so much!!

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

‘What am I doing…’ Levi thought as the auction came to an end, his heart racing with nerves. Perhaps it was just the beer talking, but seeing Kitty in person after so long had triggered immediate guilt and shame. In the past he might have run the other direction and avoided her at all costs, but he was a changed man. Or, at least he was trying to be. That’s what he had told himself when he arrived back in Sanctuary, anyway. It was time to take responsibility for his actions. He was tired of running. Despite not apologizing yet to Stella and Tommy, he’d thought about apologizing to everyone for years, including Kitty. He’d never been able to find the words, but what better time than now? He’d always been the type to go “all or nothing”, so why not throw himself into the fire by buying a date with the women he felt so much discomfort around? He needed to apologize to her and the rest of the group he had driven a wedge in between before leaving for college, no matter how uncomfortable.

While Kitty wasn’t exactly innocent in what had occurred between them all those years ago, he still felt the need to say something. Their “spark” had been brief all those years back, but he still felt guilt after sleeping with her and basically disappearing immediately afterwards. It wasn’t very gentlemanly of him. He knew it couldn’t have been easy for her after he left either; the friend group likely would’ve turned on her and that didn’t even include what everyone in town would’ve said behind her back. In all honesty, Kitty was the easiest apology he could start with. The most uncomfortable conversation he could imagine was with his old flame Lily Barker. He’d gone over that scenario countless times in his mind and it never came out right. His heart twisted thinking about it.

Suddenly, as Kitty’s eyes met his, Levi realized he had been staring at her the entire time his mind had been spiraling. As she registered his stare, he lifted one of his hands in greeting and gave her a half smile. His gaze shifted over to Brad then, his smile morphing into a small smirk. Seeing Brad up there on stage had been hilarious. People had been so invested in bidding for him, though! All the ladies wanted to be treated like a queen from a guy like him. Ironic that it was Kitty who ultimately won the bid. He wasn’t sure if Brad would be very interested in a date with Kitty, but the guy needed to get out there regardless!

“Oh shit.” Levi’s eyes widened as Kitty began sprinting towards him from the stage. He quickly put the beer he had been drinking down on the stage to free up his hands. “Kitty, stop! You’re gonna hurt your-.”

“LEVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!” With zero fear in her heart, Kitty sprang from the stage directly at him.

“Jesus!” Levi caught Kitty in the air and brought her in towards his chest as he stumbled back a few steps. Strangely, he appreciated her full trust in his ability to catch her. It was lucky for her that he hadn’t had too many beers earlier, otherwise they’d have both been on the ground by now.

“You’re insane.” He teased and couldn’t help but laugh, admiring her carefree nature. Feeling her hands wrap around him, he could suddenly feel his heart pounding in his chest again. This time he wasn’t sure if it was from the nerves, the adrenaline, or did she still have that effect on his biological reactions?

“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!”

Levi could feel his cheeks flush as she mentioned the last time they were together. Typically he was the one making others blush, it was odd the other way around. “Mmhm…” He only managed to get out, feeling at a loss for words. What the hell had he done to himself?

Hearing the shattering of glass nearby, Levi broke his attention on Kitty and searched for the source of the sound. Finding the last person he would’ve wanted to see in this moment, he saw Lily Barker staring at him in shock. His heart suddenly felt like it had jumped up into his throat and stopped beating all together. Time slowed as he stared back at her, frozen and speechless.

Feeling Kitty move in his arms, Levi snapped his gaze back to her. “Uh…” In rapid fashion he set Kitty down onto the ground and took a small step away from her to put some distance between them. “Uhm…” He nervously glanced back towards Lily’s direction, seeing another blonde woman helping her pick up the things that were dropped. He looked back at Kitty again, trying his hardest to keep his heart from having a panic attack. Why did Lily have to be here now?! Out of all the times she could’ve ran into him, it was now? This had to be some sort of sick joke.

“Y-Yes.. I, uh.. I was, uh…” He couldn’t help but look in Lily’s direction again for a brief second, then returned back to Kitty. “I was hoping we could, uh… catch up.” He cleared his throat and picked up the beer from the stage with a shaky hand and took a swig. He was going to need more of these in a few minutes. He’d completely lost all of his nerve stuck in between these two women. Everything in his body was telling him to run, but he forced himself to stay in the moment. “I’ll, uh… I’ll plan something fun for us.”

So badly he wanted to end the conversation and go to Lily, but how could he leave Kitty? That wasn’t a good start for an apology. And did Lily even want him to approach her? He highly doubted it…

“Aren’t you supposed to be on stage soon?” He inquired, noticing the flow of people going from one stage to another, and seeking out an exit from this current situation.

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_{Interactions:@LovelyComplex}

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

During the auction Reya quietly observed and sipped her mystery cocktail, fully trusting her new found friend Talie to not secretly lace her drink with drugs. She kind of wanted to not remember this day anyhow, so why not gamble a little? The auction had been interesting to say the least - particularly the fact that Levi bid on Kitty. Not only was he back in town, but clearly he still had eyes for the little redhead. From what Reya had remembered, Levi had left Sanctuary on a bad note and it seemed that he had no intention of changing. It was intriguing to her that her new friend was so set on a winning a date with the Sheriff, too. Reya hadn't forgotten about Tommy bringing Talie a gift earlier in the day, either. It was cute that they both seemed interested in one another; maybe they would be a match made in heaven!

"I'd recommend some comfortable pants." Reya answered Talie as she inquired on what one wears during a horse ride. Her brown eyes shifted to the stage to find Tommy as Talie mentioned him being handsome. She watched as he exited the stage with the rest of the group, considering what Talie had said. She supposed Talie was right, objectively. He was a good looking man, Reya just didn't like that every time she had ever been around him it was due to some kind of traumatic incident happening in Reya's life. Stella liked him well enough though, so Reya assumed he must be a good person too. "You definitely could've done worse in this town, not a bad buy." She half smiled, joking with Talie before she finished off what was left of her cocktail. Only time would tell if Talie drugged it and Reya could take a little brain nap to black out the remainder of this day.

"No more drinks for me, thank you. We should head to the band stage." Reya stood up from the table and waited for Talie and Stella to follow. Although Reya felt more like going home, she thought maybe time with her best friend could cheer her up. It usually did. Stella had been fairly well behaved during the auction despite being inebriated, thankfully, but Reya was still curious why her best friend had been missing all day, was drunk when she didn't usually drink, and was without her phone. It was a bit concerning, but at least Stella seemed like she was having a good time. All the more reason to stick around. Plus, seeing Zack on stage doing his thing didn't sound so bad.

---

_{Interactions: @PrinceAlexus@LovelyComplex}

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

As the sun set over Sanctuary and the stars began to shine in the night sky, the date auction reached its exhilarating climax. Talie had won a date with Tommy, Ana with Manny, Dr. Fitkau with Zack, Kitty with Brad, Moxi with Ana, Bee with Em, Levi with Kitty, and Em with Archer.

The brunette auctioneer stood before the crowd, her smile bright with pride. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for making this night a resounding success! Your generosity has been beyond measure, and together, we've raised a significant amount for charity. Let's give it up for these amazing people who put themselves up on stage and for those who bid!"

The crowd erupted in applause as the woman stepped to the side to let the auctioned people have their moment in the spotlight for one last time. Laughing, the women raised her hand to quiet the cheers. "But the night doesn't end here! We have a special treat for all of you. Live music by our very own local band, Vermillion Ablaze, will begin shortly! So, let's keep the spirit of togetherness alive, dance under the stars, and continue spreading the love! Be safe and have a wonderful night, everyone!"

Post Deletion Request

Hi there!

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Thank you!

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

Levi Brooks & Phoenix Jones @The Muse & @Almalthia

Levi bobbed and weaved through the crowd as fast as his feet would take him, sprinting towards the complete opposite side of the festival grounds to where the ferris wheel was located. Like the distracted idiot he was, he had completely lost track of time! His eyes glanced up at the sky that lit up with beautiful tones of purple and orange reflecting against the gathering clouds. How could he have forgotten?! His mind flashed back to Stella. Her brilliant smile, her mesmerizing amber eyes, those lips…

Nearly crashing into a small child, Levi spun out of the way and hopped a few times to catch his balance before taking off again. "Sorry!" He called back to the mother who glared at him with daggers. ‘Focus, focus, focus.’ He reminded himself, expelling Stella from his thoughts. Why did that moment between them even happen?! He wasn't into Stella…. was he? Stop! He was here for Phoenix and Phoenix alone. That had been the plan all along - he needed to be there for her. His mind briefly reminded him of the image of Phoenix enjoying her time with Archer and he wondered if Phoenix would even show up at all. The suspense of it all was exciting, but he hoped she wouldn’t let him down. She rarely had in the past.

Screeching to a halt, Levi paused at a flower stand vendor who was beginning to take down their stall to make way for the night market vendors. "How…. m-... How much?" He breathed heavily, pointing at a small bouquet of daffodils that was still out on display. The vendor looked over the flowers and then eyed him curiously, probably wondering if they should drive the price up as high as possible since Levi appeared desperate.

“Well… They would just be getting thrown out tonight anyhow.” Mercifully, they decided not to take advantage of the situation. “Five bucks.”

Levi reached into his pocket for his wallet, his fingers instead finding Stella’s phone that she had left behind. His heart skipped a beat out of anxiety. He was worried for Stella, but he couldn’t stand Phoenix up on the “date” he had tried to set up either! He’d have to find Stella afterwards. She couldn’t go that far in this little town… right? Reaching into his other pocket, Levi pulled out his wallet and put a ten dollar bill down instead. "Thanks." He plucked the boquet up delicately, but before taking off again, he pulled out his own cell phone and quickly pulled up Tommy’s number. The last text message that showed up on the thread was from Levi years ago, stating he’d call Tommy back when he could. For a split second he wondered if he ever did, but there was no time for that! His fingers quickly flew across the touch screen.

'Hey dude.' Send.
'Sorry, this is really random, but if you see Stella can you let me know? I have her phone.' Send

He paused, thinking if he should include the rest of the story. He opted for only one more detail.

'Her and I were drinking, but I didn’t know she was such a lightweight! Miguel told me after. She took off without her phone.' Send.

If anyone was going to find someone, it’d probably be Tommy. At least Levi hoped so - Tommy was the police after all. Batman would surely save the day! With that, Levi stuffed the phone and his wallet back into his pocket and got back to running. Luckily the ferris wheel wasn’t much further.

‘I need to go back to the gym. Too many donuts.’ He thought as he arrived at the gate surrounding the ferris wheel, completely winded. Levi’s eyes searched for Phoenix in the nearby crowd as he took a few deep breaths to try to regain his composure. As he scanned the crowd his mind became hopeful that he was the first to arrive. It had not been sunset for too long… there was still a chance! Or, maybe she had decided to stand him up. There was always that option…

Nixie had at least gotten her information to Theo who'd be calling her and setting up a commission for the painting for her moms anniversary. She tapped her foot as the sun started setting, giving off orange and violet hues that she couldn't enjoy. Disappointment after disappointment should have prepared her for this. The scent of daffodils drifted to her on the gentle breeze that lifted the stray hairs that had fallen out of her messy updo. She'd taken her turn driving the tractor on the hayride and almost regretted not bringing Jethro.

Turning toward the scent Nixie closed her eyes and smiled slightly. She fingered the hem of the cardigan which reminded her of Lovefool by The Cardigans. Sighing she opened her eyes and she saw Levi completely winded as if he had run to not miss anything. She almost snipped at him asking how Stella was and if he'd watched her drinking because she was a lightweight. He'd have known that if he'd been around at all when she was in college.

Levi looked like he was panicking and Nixie thought about all the times he hurt her throughout the years. She thought about the fact that she'd given Chris her phone number and how well she'd gotten on with Archie. It was a long time coming but she realized that she had options. That she was worth it. She didn't have to put up with the way Levi treated her. She had let him hurt her. She could start to change all that at this moment.

Shaking her head Nixie realized that it wasn't something Levi could turn off or ever really change from. It was like asking a leopard to change his spots. Levi wasn't going to change so Nixie was. Now no change was made that was easy if it was worthwhile. Pulling herself out of her own head she smiled and waved at Levi a little awkwardly, her heart squeezing at how good he looked. "Hi." She blushed a little as she inwardly chastised her fair coloring then assured herself that it will get easier. It would take time to get to the point where she could see him and her heart not squeeze.

Levi grinned as Phoenix came into view, the crowd parting in front of him as they locked eyes with one another. He waved back at her and took a few steps towards her to close the gap between her and the crowd. "Hey." He responded, his voice low as he felt the butterflies in his stomach turn when she looked up at him and blushed. She still felt something, it was easy enough to tell by the way she looked at him. It was nice having her eyes on him in that way again. The way she had looked at him in the cafe this morning had been so cold, but this felt warm and fuzzy. Like it use to feel. "Oh." He suddenly realized he still held something in his hand. "For you." He offered her the daffodil bouquet , smiling at her with pride because he had remembered what her favorite flower was after all these years.

Taking the offered bouquet Nixie closed her eyes as she inhaled the crisp floral scent. "Hummmm. Thank you." Her voice had that warm, dark, smokey and spicy quality that reminded you of an excellent cigar paired with a bourbon with a bit of a bite. She cleared her throat delicately as if she could clear that quality from her voice, but she knew better. Her voice was a smooth sexy contralto like the classy film stars of old Hollywood like Lauren Bacall, Kathrine Hepburn or Judy Garland and more recently Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone or Scarlett Johansson. Her voice had been labeled over the years as 'erotic enough to talk a man into climax' and 'radio worthy' but not limited to 'phone sex'. So she supposed her voice was sexy. She didn't hear it but apparently others did.

"So ummm… what's on your mind?" Nixie was going to make Levi tell her what the reason was that he wanted to talk. She'd decide what to do after she heard him out.

Levi held his smile as he watched her, happy to have made her happy. He shrugged at her question and tilted his head in the direction of the ferris wheel line. "I just wanted to spend time with you… Let's take a ride, for old times sake." He began walking over to the front of the line and waved to a man who was running the ride. "Derek!" He called to the blonde haired man, "Let us through." The man looked at Levi as if he was joking. The line had at least twenty people waiting to be admitted to the ride.

“I can’t just let you cut, Lev-”
"You know you owe me, big time. I’m calling in the favor now.”

The blonde man sighed heavily and nodded in agreement, opening up the chain that blocked the line of people from entering the ferris wheel. “Fine, fine. Come on.” He waved the couple through, ignoring the looks from people in line. "Thanks, man.” Levi patted him on the shoulder as he and Nixie walked through and onto the ferris wheel platform.

"After you.” He opened up the side door of the ferris wheel cart and gestured for her to step inside first. Once they were both seated, Levi made himself comfortable on the seat, recognizing that he felt a bit nervous now sitting shoulder to shoulder with her.

"So… how have you been? Tell me what you and Tommy have been up to.” He locked eyes with her, admiring how the sunlight reflected off of her fiery hair. In the back of his mind he reminded himself that he was clearly avoiding the “elephant in the room” conversation that he had previously planned to have with her. He’d bring it up…. eventually. It didn’t feel right to just jump straight into it. Not yet. ‘Maybe not today?’ He pondered to himself due to feeling the buzz of alcohol swirling around in his mind. He shouldn’t have drank with Stella so much before this. He might open his mouth and make things worse! Levi could hold his alcohol, but he was certainly feeling the effects.

Nixie was surprised that Levi was able to call in a favor with the line so long. He opened the cart door and had her go first. She moved over for him and as he deliberately, she decided, sat close to her. She froze as his shoulder touched hers and she felt her cheeks heat.

Wanting to sink into the ground Nixie blinked as Levi eventually caught her eye as the cart swayed with the movement of the wheel. Then he asked about Tommy. Nixie smiled slightly like a sister smiles when asked about a brother. "Well he and I have just been palling around like usual. You know… hiking, fishing, dancing, catching a movie or two. Same old, same old. Nothing different." She sighed and looked away.

"Look about what happened before you left for college…" Gathering courage for this next part of the conversation Nixie watched a few more people get on and the wheel finally swung into full motion. She unconsciously gripped Levi’s thigh as the cart tilted and rocked more than she expected. Her breath caught and stuttered for a moment. Her left hand braced on the side of the cart fingers spread. The butterflies in her stomach that had been there since this morning when she realized Levi was back surged with vengeance.

If apprehensive had a picture next to it that picture would be Nixie. Her next words were stuck in her throat. Lodged there unmoving. "Sorry." She'd done nothing to apologize for that night. Kitty hadn't even told her. No. Serena Clemens had taken great pains to do so.

Levi's heart jumped as Nixie went straight into the conversation he had been hoping to ease into... or possibly avoid for the day. "Wait," He spoke to cut her off, feeling bad that it was her who had to bring it up. "I-" He paused as the cart jarred forward and startled Phoenix, causing her to grip his thigh. His lips curled into another smirk, "If you wanted me to take my pants off you could've just asked." He laughed, unable to stop himself even in the midst of a serious conversation. Seeing the look in her eyes shift, Levi stopped laughing and cleared his throat. "Kidding, kidding." He smiled sheepishly at her. 'Damn alcohol...' He thought, even though he likely would have said the same thing if he was sober.

"Uhm... so...." Feeling the nerves settle in, he looked out towards the sun beginning to fall behind the surrounding mountain range as the cart slowly rose towards the top of the ferris wheel. Taking in a deep breath, he held it for a moment as his thoughts raced. For years he had went over how this conversation might go in his head. Thought about all the ways he could explain himself, justify his actions, apologize and redeem himself. However, in this moment, his mind felt frozen. He was forgetting every single excuse he had crafted. Instead, only one thing came to mind. "I'm so sorry, Nix."

Forcing himself to look away from the sunset, he locked his eyes onto her. "I don't know what I was thinking back then, but... I'm sorry. I know it ruined something between us… I'm a fucking idiot." He frowned as he looked at her, his eyes reflecting the pain he felt inside from his own mistakes. He had royally messed something up with his entire friend group right before he left and he knew that... All for some girl he didn't really even know or necessarily care about. Kayleigh Thrasher-Jones. Phoenix's own cousin. The girl had practically thrown herself at Levi and being the young, dumb, and drunk teenager he was... he went for it. He didn't think much of it at the time, if he was honest. He and Nixie had always flirted, but it was never anything more. The one time he tried, Nixie denied him. So he figured; why would she be upset if he went somewhere else? It was dumb. He quickly found that out after Phoenix discovered what had happened.

"I hope you can forgive me… Can we start over again?"

"If I had asked you'd have been gone years longer this time." Nixie pulled her hand away and with the other she put them in her lap and sighed. "Look… I had no claim on you. Just because you and I made out a few times didn't make me your girlfriend." She shrugged and looked away.

"Really I should apologize that I assumed things and technically I ignored you. You behaved true to form. I was the one who lost the plot. You are who you are and I shouldn't even want change that." Nixie looked back at Levi her emotions carefully hidden. She'd gotten quite good at presenting a fantastic poker face, it was after all part of the hustle. Not that she was hustling Levi, well perhaps she was, but not out of money…this time.

Levi asking to start over was like twisting the knife he already drove into her heart years ago. Or perhaps saying it was like a pin in a butterfly would be more appropriate an analogy. A smile pulled at Nixie's mouth. "Starting over sounds like just the thing."

Because that works for you so well. Moving on has always been so easy. I was the most hated female in school because you couldn't break up with your… flings. Tommy couldn't do it cause they'd cry so I had to. Then you and I were finally getting somewhere and you threw that away and you didn't even tell me… I had to find out from the on again off again fling who had it out for me.

"I saw you with Stella earlier. Don't move too fast. Javi will have your ass." The wheel stopped and Nixie shifted to rock the cart a bit.

"Don't… you don't have to apologize for anything." He said solemnly, sighing as she stated that he was simply being himself when he messed around with Kitty. She wasn't wrong, but it was a harsh truth he had been trying to fix in himself for years. While it was true that he and Phoenix were never dating, he should have known better. He didn't realize it at the time, but after 10 years of growth it was easy to see that Phoenix thought more of him than he realized.

Levi half-smiled as Phoenix agreed to start over with him, his body feeling the release of a weight that had been on his shoulders for decades. He noted her passive aggressive comment about Stella, but chose to ignore it. Her mention of the more exciting part of their past had his attention now. "You know…." He could feel the alcohol take over his words again, unable to help himself. "Speaking of making out…" He smirked, fixating his eyes on Phoenix, "You're still the best kisser I've ever kissed." He chuckled, recalling their teenage make-out sessions in his bedroom, or at the movies, or in the forest, or in his dad's pickup truck…. "You knock those California girls out of the park, for sure." He laughed, relaxing and sliding his hand behind Nixie along the seat of the cart.

Giving Levi massive side eye as he slid his arm behind her Nixie raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? I remembered how many girls you kissed in high school, did the number multiply like tribbles in Cali?"

He was starting to push her buttons. Start over so he'll abandon me again. Time to give him a taste of his own medicine.

Tilting her head toward Levi she leveled him with an intense look. "Every. Single. One?" Nixie drew the words out. "Surely someone kissed better than me? I mean you were my first kiss. I didn't have the experience to stack up to Cali girls. Though Kyle was alright it was nothing to write home about. Jimmy wasn't bad but Liam was much better… he did this nibble thing." She tipped her head and pulled her hair out of the messy bun it was in. She was pulling it over her shoulder, finger combing it.

Levi’s eyes narrowed as Phoenix began to list off names he recognized; kids they grew up with in high school. "Nope. No one better than you." He confirmed, acting as if he did not care about the other people she had kissed. It wasn’t his right to feel jealousy, especially after whatever just happened with Stella, and yet….

Levi’s blue eyes shifted away from her as she let her hair down, purposely not wanting to stare at her beauty against the fading golden sunlight. Half because he thought he didn’t deserve it, and half because he didn’t want Phoenix to see in his eyes that he did actually care about her extracurricular activities. Despite never being exclusive, Levi had always felt that Phoenix was his. It was toxic and he knew it, so it was never voiced in such an assertive way, but that is where Levi first began to learn how to stuff his emotions down and not let them show outwardly. Apparently, that feeling about his red-headed seductress had never quite gone away. "Lucky guys." He mumbled, looking out at the scenery as the cart came to a stop at the top of the ferris wheel, fighting the urge to do something he’d make both of them regret by the time the ride was over. "If only I had stayed here… we could’ve taught each other lots of things." His voice lowered, almost as if he was talking only to himself and a thought escaped through his lips. There was an absence of his usual playful and flirty tone as he spoke, eyes fixated on the sunset as he imagined what his life would’ve been like if he hadn’t made one stupid decision. Or, rather, a series of very stupid decisions. Phoenix had been good for him at one point, and she knew how to make him feel important, and loved. She had been his home back then. The home was empty now, devoid of warmth and no longer welcoming. Destroyed by a house fire that he lit himself.

Levi’s eyes found their way back to Phoenix, a little smile appearing on his lips once more. "I missed you." With his arm behind Phoenix, Levi placed his hand on the small of her back and pulled her into a tight hug. "A lot." His heart raced as he pressed her against his chest, glad to have her in his arms again - if only for a brief moment. "I’m sorry." He whispered in her ear, pulling his body apart from hers in that moment and looking her dead in the eyes. With one hand he tilted her chin up towards him, his body tingling with adrenaline. He wanted to kiss her. And he nearly did, but suddenly a pang of guilt washed over him. What the fuck was he doing? He slowly pulled his hand away from her face and pulled her in for another hug instead. It was obvious he was fighting his bad habits, but Phoenix had always had that effect on him… "Thanks for not standing me up." He whispered to her again, laughing lightly before he let her go without trying to fuck up the rest of his night this time.

Heart racing Nixie's fingers twined in her waist length hair stilled at the raw emotion that Levi was showing. She swallowed hard as he said almost under his breath that sounded remotely possessive. She wasn't afraid, no, far from it. Hearing that much emotion from Levi was as intoxicating as a bottle of rumplemintz, and twice as sexy. Thankfully he wasn't looking at her at the time so she was allowed the time to compose herself.

That line made her feel more special than all the other girls in his past. That's all she'd ever wanted. To be seen by him. Not as just a friend or as a fling but someone that he'd fully open up to emotionally. He had started then realized what he was doing and got cold feet. Though she was sure she didn't help much by trying to hold on too tightly and too long.

He pulled her into a hug and Nixie laid her head on his chest. Being short had its advantages. She'd always liked hugs and was never afraid to give them. Hearing Levi’s heart racing she blinked in surprise. Speechless as he tipped her face up to him her blue eyes widened as she thought he was going to kiss her. Time stood still for a brief moment and in between one heartbeat and the next the moment was gone. Then came the guilt and as quickly as that she was frozen out again.

"I wasn't going to be that person. Everyone deserves forgiveness at some point. Even more so if the person wronged wants to move forward. Besides, Liam did way worse to me in college and I forgave him. Why should I forgive him and not you? Why should I forgive Kitty and not you?" Nixie tilted her head quizzically, raising her eyebrow. "Let me shoot you straight here Levi Alexander Brooks you broke my heart almost fifteen years ago. I love…d you."

Nixie covered the Freudian slip quickly and went on. "I forgive you and I'm putting it behind me. You want a fresh start, that's what we'll do. But I've changed. I'm not a little girl anymore and things change. I don't want to play games. I'm ready for more. I gave Chris my number. He's single, has a job he enjoys, and has a good reputation. He might call me. Who knows. After Liam I need a good guy. Chris might be good for me… again who knows. What I'm trying to say is I'm going to be dating. Can you handle that better than high school?"

"What the fuck did Liam do to you?" He snapped out of reflex, feeling a familiar anger inside ready to jump out at anyone who stepped to Nixie in the wrong way.

Levi's heart twisted as Phoenix said she love…d(?) him, suddenly putting out the fire that brewed in him towards that stick-in-the-mud Liam. Did she just… correct herself? He heard that right… right? It wasn't just the alcohol making him wishful? As his mind raced he barely heard what she was saying about Chris. The cart jarred forward to continue on its descent to the bottom and Levi impulsively moved with it, pressing himself towards Phoenix and pushing her back against the cart wall. His fingers found her chin again, tilting her face up towards him and instead of thinking twice about it this time, he passionately and hungrily kissed her. If it wasn't for the alcohol he probably would have thought better of that choice, but it was too late now.

Pulling away, he rested his forehead against hers and let his hand fall down to the nape of her neck. "You can do whatever you want, Nix." He said softly, eyes closed still as he processed what she had said. "I don't care, date if you want to. I'll back off if you want." He opened his eyes and looked at her now, tempted to kiss her again. He was offering her a way to "use" him whenever was convenient for her, even if it would actually hurt to watch her date others during that arrangement: he just wouldn't admit it. "I'll be here when you want me to be this time… Just say the word."

When Levi crowded Nixie suddenly she squeaked softly in surprise. She started to answer him about Liam when he kissed her. The surprised sound she made was cut short as he essentially swallowed it. The passion and hunger in the kiss was a little expected. They'd always had that kind of chemistry. The years had deepened it and just as she started to get over the shock and to respond Levi stopped.

Breathing hard with her heart pounding and eyes closed Nixie's breath mingled with Levi’s who had traces of beer on his breath. Oh please no. Dammit! Liquid courage. Fuck! He never would have done that without it. She blushed and shivered as his hand lightly brushed her nape. Biting her lip to stay silent as he put the ball in her court. She opened her eyes and saw his intensity and it made her squirm. Which caused his hands to brush against her nape and she shivered.

Nixie's eyes were half lidded and this close there was no hiding what Levi did to her hormones. Lips swollen from his kiss and flushed with desire she cleared her throat delicately and swallowed. Smoothing the wrinkles in his shirt across his chest; where she had twisted it in her hands during the kiss she looked down. "You been drinking?" She looked up at him.

Levi internally cringed at the question, suddenly remembering Stella and the… moment… they had. Shit! She was still out there too, drunk and without her phone! The anxiety over her wellbeing set in again, this time with a dash of shame.

"Yes." He admitted to Phoenix, a slight smile creeping onto his lips. "I'm glad I did." He closed the gap between them and gently began kissing her neck. God it was hard to focus on finding Stella when Phoenix was right here, allowing this to happen. "You make me nervous." He whispered to her, feeling the cart come to a stop but not fully realizing what that meant in the moment.

"Alright, alright. Get out, love birds." Derek's voice could be heard as he opened up the cart door for them to leave. Damn it. The fun ride was over…

Levi begrudgingly pulled away from her and stepped out before offering his hand to her to help her exit the shaky cart.

Nixie's head tilted back against the cart wall as Levi confirmed that he had been drinking leaving her neck vulnerable. He took advantage of the movement and his mouth on her skin kissing and talking was totally unfair. She went beet red when Derek called them out and took Levi’s hand. Letting go of his hand she began to fishtail braid her hair.

"Was Stella drinking too? How many did she have? Did you take her back to Hector? She's a severe lightweight. Like one beer and she'd be done for the night. Found that out when I took her out when she was old enough at CSU." Nixie turned full mama bear on the topic of Stella drinking. As long as Stella stuck to one beer she wouldn't go wild child and Javi might not kill Levi.

Talking about Stella also served to keep Nixie from pulling a 'Levi' and running away. She was not expecting him to do make-out sessions and take initiative tossing the ball in her court. She never liked dodgeball because she couldn't throw. Catch yes. Dodge yes. Throw no. So a ball in her court that she was supposed to throw back… yeah that was frightening when it came from Levi. He played dodgeball and she was playing ping pong.

This was not starting over. This was insider info that starting over he shouldn’t be allowed to use. She needed some rules. No, she needed lots of rules. The more the merrier.

"ONE beer?!" Levi exclaimed, exiting the ferris wheel platform with Nixie and completely changing his focus to finding Stella now. "For fucks sake…" He mumbled, the panic really beginning to hit now. "She was sucking drinks down like a pro!" He groaned, frantically searching the crowd. With the fading light the conditions for finding her were getting even worse by the second. "I need to find her."

In the distance, he could see people gathering around the central stage and Jewel Navaro began to call up participants for the date auction. Levi smirked, remembering that he had signed up his friend Brad without his knowledge. "Maybe she will be in the crowd over there?" He looked at Phoenix, unaware that she was also one of the participants. "What do you think?"

"Yeah ONE. Of course she sucks them down like water! She is extremely competitive! Honestly it's like you don't know her. And yes you need to find her. Normally I would help but I have to go on stage." Nixie pointed to Jewel and the stage. She slapped Levi sharply on the arm. "And kissing me is not starting over! You need rules mister! We'll talk about the rules later… over the phone!" She hissed at him quietly as made her way up to the stage.

"Hey!" Levi laughed and put a hand over where she had smacked his arm, pretending her hit had really hurt him. "You're participating?" He questioned, intrigued. "Yeah, yeah… rules, schmules." He said nonchalantly, smirking as she began to walk off. It felt right that she was playfully hitting him again and was clearly open to his advances in the ferris wheel. It might not have felt like starting over to her, but it was for him. Starting over from right where he wanted it to start.

Feeling a phone in his pocket buzz, Levi reached out and noted Reya Parker's name flash across the screen just before it automatically went to voicemail. Oh, right. Stella! Focus! He traded out her phone for his own, finding that he had missed a text message from his friend Brad. He laughed as he read the text about finding a goat to pet. Classic Brad. Unfortunately, there was no time to join his friend, so he quickly typed a response.

'Dude, find a goat later! We have an emergency!' He sent the text and looked up at the stage in the distance, seeing people begin to step up on stage.

Stella had to be there… somewhere. Everyone was going there! Plus, how could he miss seeing Phoenix up on stage? Maybe Stella would be in the date auction too. Two birds, one stone! Brilliant!

'Have you seen Stella? Meet me at the stage ASAP! Gotta find her. Also... You're being called up on stage. Time for the date auction!' He sent the text and shoved his phone back into his pocket before jogging off into the crowd, his eyes scanning each and every face he passed to see if he could find the Serrano girl or anyone who might know where she was.

---

_{Interactions: Tommy @Zora & Brad @Hey Im Jordan}

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

Reya shivered as she took a seat at an empty table near the stage platform, feeling the temperature shift as the sun began to set behind the mountains. Looking around, she searched the sea of faces and wondered where her best friend was. She had not heard from Stella all day, which was odd. Reya had even visited the Serrano's petting zoo at one point but Hector had not seen his sister or heard from her when she had asked, which was also odd. At the time Reya had chalked it up to the fact that Stella was probably just enjoying the festival, but at this point she was getting worried. Stella knew this was Reya’s dads death anniversary, so it was extra weird for her to have not heard a single thing. Getting out her phone, Reya brought up Stella’s contact and hit the call button. After a few rings the call went to voicemail, which made her even more nervous. Opening up their text thread, Reya typed up text to her friend.

'Hey girl, where you at???'

She sent the text and set her phone on top of the table, hoping to hear back from Stella soon. Otherwise she intended to send out a search party. It wasn’t like her best friend to go missing like this.

Sighing, Reya leaned on the table and propped her head up with her hand, brown eyes looking up at the stage. As the Navarro girl took center stage and called up the date participants, Reya looked over the woman closely. The outfit she had chosen was nice and her hair looked perfectly manicured, as always. Jewel was always so well put together every time Reya had seen her and it made her wonder how Jewel was always able to pull it off. Although they had never directly spoken, Reya had heard much about her and her family from people who visited the tavern. Some good, some bad, but mostly apprehensiveness from the locals. As she sat there scrutinizing Jewell under the stage lights, Reya wondered what she was really like under that perfect outer shell. She imagined Jewell with her hair down and wildly blowing in the wind, makeup a bit smudged, laughing in the passenger seat of Reya’s red jeep wrangler, enjoying life instead of acting flawless all the time.

As the date participants began to step up onto the stage, Reya removed herself from her little daydream and got ready for the show. Although this would have been more fun to watch with Stella around, she figured it would still be entertaining on her own too. It was actually one of the only reasons Reya was still at the festival. She wasn’t necessarily having fun today, if she was honest, but she was curious who would put themselves up for auction and who would bid. It would surely be the talk of the town the next morning. As one of the resident bar tenders, it was her duty to be up to date with the gossip around town, of course.

Beyond Nirvana - The God Eater Calamity

Sybil carefully eyed each of the items that were laid out before her, feeling rather overwhelmed with the choices she had. 'What was Cetia thinking...' She wondered, dragging her finger over a staff made out of some kind of foreign material. Many of the weapons she had never seen before or even heard of. Not only that, but she knew she would be practically useless wielding any of them. They would be better fitted to other members of their party. Instead, she gravitated to the elixirs, listening as Mitsuko explained what some of them were. Picking up the mana increasing elixir, Sybil tossed it into her satchel and hoped that her spells would need less prep time if she took the elixir. Unlike Cynthia, Sybil chose to wait to consume the liquid. She had no idea how long the effects would last, or if they would work at all, but she planned to save it for the "right" moment.

As another creature emerged from a fog filled portal, Sybil tensed and reached for the dagger strapped to her thigh. She paused as the man who stepped out of the portal introduced himself, slowly moving her hand away from her only sharp weapon. 'Just a late comer...' She thought, relaxing her body. "Welcome." She said softly, observing an aura of some sort hovering beside the man. Sybil had plenty of experiences with lingering ghosts and energies in her line of work, and so she had expected that the man had a tagalong loved one that only she was privy to seeing. However, the man began to speak to the aura. Clearly, he could see something else there that she was unable to with her own eyes besides the aura. She raised a brow, curious of who or what he was speaking to.

Deciding that she was satisfied with her elixir choice, Sybil began to follow the group out of the facility. Just as she was about to exit a chill ran up her spine and a soft voice called out like a whisper right in her ear. She paused, a hand on the door, and looked around at the rest of the group to see if they had heard the same voice that she did. Alas, it appeared that she was the only one. Similar to being able to see ghost-like entities, Sybil was use to other worldly beings reaching her plane of consciousness. Deciding she could not leave without checking it out, Sybil turned back into the facility and followed a thread of energy which led her to an iron door. Her heart pounded as she pushed the door open, her eyes quickly scanning the disheveled room. At first the room had been too dark to see much of anything, but soon green sparkling lights began to buzz and light up the room. Sybil approached slowly, unsure if she was walking into some sort of trap, but unable to fight the compelling feeling that she had to find what was calling after her. Picking up the object, Sybil moved it around in her hands and examined the captivating color. It reminded her of the fireflies of her home world. "You're coming with me." She whispered to the crystal, tucking it away inside her satchel. Sybil had no idea what this object was, but it felt important.

Quickly, Sybil left the facility to catch up with the rest of the group. She gasped, exiting just in time to see Mitsuko being slammed into the ground by some kind of creature with horns. There was no time to marvel at the uniqueness of this city, unfortunately. Feeling almost frozen in shock, Sybil watched as both Illistrianna and Cynthia jumped into action. Thank Cetia for them.

With shaking hands, Sybil removed the dagger from the inside of her thigh. It likely wouldn't do anything against this foe, but it wasn't actually intended for combat. With a rapid movement, Sybil sliced the dagger across the palm of her left hand and squeezed her hand into a fist. Blood gradually began to maneuver its way through her fingers and drip from the bottom of her fist. Dropping to the ground, Sybil began to write various symbols into the ground with her blood in the form of a circle, whispering an enchantment to herself. Suddenly, Sybil's eyes snapped forward and focused on Hachiman. "Blood of the heart, tear their secrets a part." Sybil finished her spell, her mismatched eyes looking almost as devoid of emotion as her Goddess Cetia's had looked.

The blood that dripped from her hand suddenly took on a dark crimson glow and began to flow upwards from the ground, defying gravity. With a burst, the red liquid shot towards Hachiman and splattered across the armor in a deliberate pattern. On the creatures armor, the blood focused on each joint where each piece was linked to the other - revealing weak points. "Aim for the joints!" Sybil yelled out to the other warriors, pointing to where her crimson glowing blood magic spread across Hachiman's armor.

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

__________________________________________


_{@The Muse & @LovelyComplex}
__________________________________________

8:30pm

“I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE YOU—” Estella was prancing away from Levi, with all the energy of a child on a sugar rush, before she found herself tripping and stumbling right into a bush. Rolling off the bush and onto the ground, Stella found herself starfished on the grass staring up at the sky. He held her phone, which now had many pictures of them as they tried all the rides. Her brother, Hector, had called interrogating her and she promised she wouldn’t drink too much and that she would switch off with him, three hours ago. Well, it seemed the one breaking promises was Estella Serrano. She knew Hector couldn’t leave the pet zoo until she was there so she made sure to avoid that area just so she could spend more time with Levi. “... what was I, ur, saying?” She slurred, not bothering to pick herself up off the floor. “Oh that’s right. I cannottttt fathom you on a dry spell. LIESSSSS. You’re Casanova. Casanova can get whoeverrrrrr he wants. Anyways, picky me uppppp.” She reached her hands out to the air, like a baby.

Levi burst into laughter as Stella tripped into a bush and rolled herself to the ground. “Get ahold of yourself, Serrano!” He teased, standing over her as she chimed on about the last time he had been intimate with someone. It had been so…… so…. SO long. Two entire months!! A travesty, really.

He chuckled and shook his head, “Casanova? I like the sound of that.” He looked at her hands as she reached for him, then looked to the grass that she laid on. “I think you've got the right idea, actually.” Instead of helping her up, he laid down next to her in the grass and looked up at the sky which was beginning to show colors of purple and orange across the clouds. They had been walking, drinking, and playing games for hours. Laying down felt right, they deserved a rest. Thank god his time with Stella had turned into something fun and not a soap opera.

Turning to his side to face Stella, he smirked, feeling the alcohol swirling around in his bloodstream and threatening to make him do something stupid. “You think I could get anyone, huh?” He mused, keeping eye contact with her. “What about you?”

“What about me?” Stella was hearing him but his words were molding into one another. The world was spinning. She heard him speak but she also heard her heartbeat through her eardrums. With vigor, she turned to her side, practically throwing herself. Not realizing he was that close to her, she bonked her head with his, forcing her to repel backward while using him for stability, latching onto him tightly. “Owieeee.”

The sudden pain in her head caused her to scrunch her nose and make a face. When the pain settled she found herself in his arms, her leg weaved with his like a delightful tapestry. Her big amber eyes deeply stared into his. The way Stella looked at people, it made them feel like they were the most important person to her. She knew how to make someone feel special just by being herself. Always giving them her undivided attention. Always loving them with all her heart. “I can totally get whoever I want,” she gently protested, misunderstanding what Levi meant. Sure, she never actually pursued anyone but if she did, she was certain they’d hold tight. She was a once-in-a-lifetime catch and she knew her worth. Whoever her future was, she knew she’d make them the happiest person alive but until then, she’d make her friends happy. That was something she chose to live by. She loved making people happy.

Levi winced as Stella smacked her head into his, mimicking the same scrunched up face that she did. “Ow.” He agreed, laughing at her clumsiness. Face to face with her, he admired her bright eyes and found himself lost in them for a moment, the alcohol seemingly making them sparkle more than they might usually. When she moved her leg over his Levi felt the excitement of anticipation rush through his body; something he hadn't felt in WAY too long. He hadn't expected it with Stella but…. here they were. Laying on the ground of the festival's grassy area, ignoring the people walking by, and forgetting what time it was.

He pulled her in closer as she spoke, his eyes looking to her lips and then back to her eyes. “You could get whoever you want.” He confirmed, his voice lower and sultry now as he whispered to her. Gently, he pushed a strand of her dark hair out of her eyes, his eyes gravitating to her lips again. Just as he was about to pull her in for a kiss, someone walking by yelled out, "GET A ROOM!"

With the abrupt interruption, the dream began to fade and the reality of the situation started to set in. Turning red, seeing how close she was about to kiss Nixie’s ex, and her old childhood friend, Estella’s heart sank and her lips began to quiver. She was in a public place and if her father heard of how she was behaving… she’d be dead. Her eyes began to water as panic rushed through her. All she wanted to do was make Levi feel bad for leaving but it turned into them having a genuine, good time. She was able to not think about the ranch and just be in the moment, with her friend.

Don’t cry. Don’t show him how weak you actually are.

Pushing back, unlatching herself from his hold, Estella struggled to get herself up, picking up her bag as she did so. “Forget this… forget me,” she choked. What the hell was she doing? She really was stupid and now she was starting to think Levi actually wanted her when she was just like every other girl to him. She wasn’t special. He had shown that to her the moment he left and never called. She wasn’t going to be like every girl that fell for his beguiling ways. She wasn’t this damsel that needed some boy to pick her up, especially Levi who didn’t give a damn about her. “I…” She gave him a glance over before running off not finishing what she was going to say. She was embarrassed and knew at the end of the day, this was her fault. How stupid could she be?

Levi sat up quickly as Stella wiggled out of his embrace and began speaking nonsense. He furrowed his brow, confused at her sudden switch up of emotion. Did he say something wrong? Did he read the vibes wrong? Normally he could read the body language of women so easily; how did he misread the situation? He mentally cursed alcohol.

“Stella, wait! I-” It was too late, Stella had already sprinted off and was lost within the crowd. He frowned, pulling out something from his front pocket. Her phone. “Damn it.” He mumbled as he put her phone back into his pocket, standing up and getting ready to chase after Stella.

“STELLLAAAAAAAAA!” Miguel called out as he looked around, going to his older sister’s favorite rides, games and stalls. “Mr. Jeff, have you seen my sister? She was supposed to come back to the pet zoo like hours ago. It’s not like her to just disappear like this.” The worker at the slingshot balloon stall shook his head, tired and ready for a nap. It’s been a long day.

“Well, thank you anyway, Mr. Jeff.” It wasn’t long before Miguel Serrano saw Levi. He happily waved, trying to hide his worry. Quickly, the youngest Serrano jogged to the older boy, and his boss at the cafe. “Levi! Sorry if I’m interrupting anything, have you seen Stel? She’s usually pretty good at keeping us updated in our group text but we hadn’t heard from her in hours. Hector told me that Nixie told him she was drinking. I’m actually really glad I found you because Mr. Mark at the basketball game told me she whooped your butt.” He scratched his head, not connecting the dots. He rambled on. “Cisco and I have been spending most of our time trying to find her, making sure she doesn’t go too crazy. You see, when Stella drinks… Well, she gets really silly. And I love my sister, with all my heart, but sometimes she lets the emotions take over her, like nerves, and she just drinks way more than she can handle. You know? The only time she really drinks is when she’s with Reya and that might be once a month if the girls decide to take a break from their jobs. Anyways, I’m getting off track… my sister. Have you seen her?”

Levi paused as he spotted Miguel, relieved to see someone sober to help him! “Hey kid.” He greeted, the dread slowly setting in as Miguel explained that the family had been looking for Stella all day and on top of that - Stella rarely ever drank! Internally he panicked, glancing back over to the crowd to see if he could see the girl in the sea of people. “Shit… we were drinking. That must've been why she ran off!" He thought out loud, looking over at Miguel. “We were having a good time, I thought, and then she just ran away!” He intentionally skipped over the part about being intertwined with each other in the grass only moments ago. “I'll help you find her. I still have her-”

"Mommy, the sky!!!! Look it. Look. So pretty. Right mommy? Mommy are you looking?"

"Yes honey, it's a beautiful sunset. I see it."

Levi paused as he heard a young child squeal over the colors painted in the sky. His heart immediately dropped, his eyes looking upwards to the sky. “SUNSET?!” He exclaimed, eyes wide. “Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! I'm gonna be late!” He said quickly in repetition, turning his body away from Miguel and looking over his shoulder. “I'm sorry Miguel, I gotta go!! Let me know when you find her, please!” Levi took off in a sprint towards the ferris wheel, forgetting to give Miguel his sister's phone. Nothing like panic and adrenaline to sober a person up.

“Wait Levi!” Miguel called out, visible sweat running down his forehead. This wasn’t good. Stella was drunk and somewhere at this festival or worse she tripped into a ditch and broke her leg. “It’s fine, this is fine… she’s okay, she’s going to be okay.” He repeated to himself, trying his best to not think of the worst case scenario.

He needed to call Tommy before Stella did something she’d regret. He didn’t know who else to call on. It wasn’t going to be his dad. He’d get so mad. She was supposed to be running the show today.

“It’s fiiiiiiiiine,” Miguel continued, trying to convince him. Nothing bad was going to happen. Stella knew how to take care of herself. She was the big sis after all. Shaking off the nerves, he turned the opposite direction to run back to the petting zoo.

This was not good. Not good at all.

Amongst the chaos, and in a sea of people, Estella searched for one person and one person only. Her best friend. Reya Parker.

She wanted to cry.