Altered Tundra

Palm Beach Royals: Senior Year

_{A @metanoia, @Rosalia, & @spooner Collaboration
Featuring Sonny Drake, Marisol Castillo, & Max Wallenberg}
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For almost two songs, the couple that had been on the brink of breaking up, had celebrated not being single again by dancing their asses off-- something that Sonny was most grateful for. They did so figuratively by letting loose with the limited amount of alcohol both of them have, screaming as loud as their lungs would allow them, pulling each other close, twirling around in some of the most ungraceful displays of white people dancing since Jersey Shore. Sonny may have had a year or so of classic training but the ungodly displays of fist-pumping and off-centered footwork was so bad that when they stopped, everyone around them cheered.

Well, that and during the last thirty seconds, they truly entered a new low for their demonstration of how not to twerk. White people could twerk, but when two flat-assed misfits did it, it truly was the thing of nightmares.

“All that dancing made me a bit horny.” Sonny muttered into Mari’s ear, biting it teasingly. He walked arm in arm, going side to side, shaking his ass with Mari’s for those with the benefit - and deathwish - of watching them make their way to the exit.

"You're fucking digusting," Marisol scolded him, lightly elbowing her boyfriend's ribs but shooting him a playful wink. "Does this mean we'll get to test out the backseat of that new ride of yours?" she asked him, biting her lower lip.

“Talk about disgusting, miss little walking irony,” Sonny teased her, bumping her shoulder. He took a glance around the dance, sighing quietly. He had plenty enough of the dance to last him a lifetime. “Yeah, let’s blow this joint.” He grinned at Mari, squeezing her hand as the two walked through the crowd, maneuvering their way through hopeless romantics and their need to fight for their right to get laid.

A few minutes later, the two were outside in the parking lot. Sonny had to take a moment to take in just how many cars filled up the parking lot. He remembered where he parked his brand new Audi TT. He scanned the front row of the lot. When he couldn’t find it under the veil of darkness, Sonny tricked the alarm from his keys and the light flashed, giving its location to his immediate left.

“There it is!” Sonny pulled Marisol with him gently. “It’s not really my style but it sure is pretty to look at.”

"Holy shit!" came the girl's enthusiastic response, rushing over to the car to carefully inspect every inch of its glistening, pristine exterior before turning back to her boyfriend with sparkling eyes. "No wonder you needed that fitted suit and the wardrobe change: you're a full-blown fancy gentleman now. I am so unworthy," she teased with a smirk.

“Are you now?” The boy looked at her, matching her smirk with one of his own, “then I guess I’ll call you an uber if you’re feeling so unworthy,” he teased her back, walking forward and sitting on the edge of the hood.

Grinning, Marisol chose to stand in front of him, reach out for his hands, and lock her fingers with his. “I know you say it’s not your style and whatever, but this car looks really nice. I think you should keep it… Even if it means I have to get a new wardrobe myself to match,” she joked with a small laugh.

“Don’t you go changing on me too,” Sonny glared at her, “don’t do exactly what your worst fears think my mother wants you to do. I’m her son, so obviously I have to change to satisfy her but as far as I’m concerned, you shouldn’t change your style, but most importantly--” Sonny kept his eyes on her and pulled her between his spread legs, “--you don’t need to. I don’t want to date a Mexican Julie. I want to date the idiot who always gets jealous whenever some slut of the week tries to seduce me.”

His hands lowered down her back, almost to the point where they were in the perfect position to get her nonexistent ass a good smack, but Sonny settled for a gentle caress. “Now how’s about a smooch, darling?” He couldn’t keep a straight face but he was completely serious about wanting a kiss.

He didn’t have to tell her twice. With a soft smile on her face and a warm feeling in her heart, Mari let her body gently clash with Sonny’s, and pressed her lips against his.

And as they tried to enjoy it, Sonny couldn’t because of some horrendous song being played over and over again. It wasn’t just any ordinary song; it was a familiar tune. How did Sonny know this? That was due to the painful memories of working out at Asgard Fitness with one of his closest friends. Day in and day out, as they pumped iron and ran on the treadmill until their legs were jelly, Max always played the same song over and over until it was a literal broken record.

Sonny broke the kiss, vocally expressing his frustration with a loud sigh. “Max is nearby,” Sonny muttered, trying to find his truck. “Only he would play such a shitty song that loud.” After looking around for a couple of moments, Sonny’s eyes kept to the limited light the lamp posts around gave way to and they illuminated a path to the left of his Audi for him to spot Max’s truck half way down the front row. Luckily for him, it wasn’t hard to find that fugly truck of his. Between the luxury of most of the cars and the sore thumb Max drove, Sonny found it. “And there it is,” Sonny announced, pointing to it. “Wanna go say hello?”

Marisol shook her head. "Nah. I'll stay here and mess around with your car a little bit," she told him cheerfully, giving him another kiss before pulling away and stepping aside.

“Suit yourself!” Sonny shrugged, digging into his pocket and handed her his keys. “If you crash it, well, it wouldn’t be the worst thing.” He almost meant that, chuckling lowly. “Seriously though, have fun.” He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and walked away, leaving the very excited Mari settling in the driver's side of the Audi.

The further he walked from his car, the louder the calming, if not terribad sounds from Max’s truck became and Sonny laughed as he found himself near the hood of his truck. It amazed him that Max could drive such a hunk of junk, but then again, people might say the same thing about his orange monstrosity. To them it was ugly, but it was just the thing he, as his grandfather would say, fancied.

Sonny announced his arrival by tapping on the hood as he went further back, keeping up the same rhythm. “Maxie!” He called out, hoping his typically obnoxious tone would overpower his workout partner’s choice in music. “Arise brother!”

Max had been dreamily staring upwards to the sky, letting the stars glitter in his eyes as he listened to one of his favorite tunes. But as soon as the sound of something slamming on the metal hit his ears he was snapped back to reality. Slowly, he sat up and looked around groggily, his blue eyes searching for the source of the sound. “Oh!” he exclaimed as he saw the short figure of Sonny standing beside the bed of his truck. “Son! How’s it going, Little Man?” he smiled widely before he rested his head on the wall of his car.

Sonny rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore that totally unoriginal pet name. “Not bad, Burger King,” Sonny clapped back, meeting Max with a smile of his own. “Dance got lame, so decided to bounce, then I heard your lamer music, so I figured I’d pop by and see what’s up.” Sonny let the silence take over for a second and a half. There was definitely something off about Max but Sonny couldn’t put the nail on the head yet. “So, what is up? Why are you laying out here all alone?” He asked Max.

Lame?! Max raised an eyebrow and was about to comment but decided against it, just chuckling and shaking his head. “Yeah, the dance is kind of lame, huh?” he agreed, while standing up, jumping off the truck and effortlessly walking around to the side where Sonny stood. He leaned back, spreading out his arms. “Nothing much, really,” he shrugged, looking around. “Just… doing some -- what’s it called?” Max screwed up his eyebrows in thought “--Head searching!” his booming laughter filled the parking lot. “I just need to deal with rejection that’s all.” he let out a weaker laugh looking at his feet. “Something that’s a bit strange to me.” The burly teen looked back up at his friend.

“Rejection?” Sonny repeated back, giving Max a strange look. He had never heard rejection and Max Wallenberg in the same area code, let alone being next door neighbors. He almost wanted to call his bluff, but knowing Max like he did, his whole vibe was both absolutely genuine and a little unnerving. “Damn bro…” Sonny scratched the back of his head and offered his friend a sympathetic smile. “It’s never a fun experience to put yourself out there and get totally crushed.” Sonny reached out and gave Max a supportive pat on his arm. “Who was the bitch that did this to you?”

Max shifted a little uncomfortably on the spot when Sonny asked about what had happened just a few moments ago. “She’s not a bitch!” he started. “Maybe Ariana just wasn’t as into me as I thought she was,” he said quietly. “You know the feeling, am I right Little Man?!” he tried to deflect with a joke. Knowing that Sonny had a past with Ariana, he knew the ups and downs of dealing with the Mossos girl.

“Ariana?” Shit, of all the-- “Damn, that’s fucking rough, buddy.”

Sonny still had conflicted memories whenever he thought of her. He could tell just by how he defensively reacted to his comment that whatever Max felt for Ariana was the real deal. Just like I had. How foolish Sonny was, but in hindsight, he knew why they couldn’t work. He was a different person two years ago, a less cool version of the slightly older boy he was now.

Not important right now. Back to Max.

“Yeah she can be a trainwreck or a beautiful mess given the right circumstances.” Sonny laughed, somewhat nudging Max’s arm. This was just between bros so Sonny could speak without any worry of pissing off Mari.

After a brief moment of silence, he asked, “So what happened between you two?”

Max let out a deep sigh, “I might as well let it all out, huh?” He let out a defeated chuckle. “Well…” He threw his head back so he could look up at the stars again “I decided tonight was the perfect night to ask her to be my girl.” he paused focusing his attention back to his bro. “And man Son, you should have seen the look of sheer panic on her face when I asked.” He shook his head as if to get rid of the image. “It was as if she had lost her ability to talk! She didn’t say a word.” He crossed his arms in front of him.

“It’s obvious she doesn’t think of me in that way… I’m just another body to her.” He sighed “Another name on her list…” he trailed off, looking past Sonny and into the woods.

Listening to Max explain what went down between him and Ariana hit him with a rather familiar, stinging-like pain in his gut. It wasn’t the same, but there was a time where Sonny felt that much for Ariana and he couldn’t help but feel for Max. Even if he didn’t intend to, he fell hard for Ariana and got bitch-slapped by Cupid’s open palm - something Sonny had experienced when Ariana dumped him.

Hell, Max is exactly what Sonny was two years ago. “I’m sorry man. This isn’t right. What she’s doing to you, it’s just not right.” With a mix of repressed anger, Sonny made sure Max saw his eyes. “Guys like us don’t need her, bro! You really want someone good? Get yourself a crazy bitch. They might gut you if you cheat, but you’ll never find someone more loyal than a bitch with a disorder.” Sonny found himself laughing a little too much, knowing full well if Mari heard him, he would lose one of his intestines.

Max cracked a smile and let out his signature laugh slapping Sonny on the shoulder. “Thanks man! I guess I needed this.” he continued letting small laughs escape him. “Don’t worry dude, I’ll get over it” he shrugged. “Right now I just want to get out of here! You wanna join me for a late workout session?” he asked, pointing his thumb towards the front of his truck. “You know who’s working the late night shift at the gym?”

Sonny had to think for a moment and not just to remember who in the hell was manning the Asgard fort. Today was Saturday, so that meant-- “Justin is working tonight, but knowing that pothead, he’s blazing it up in the back so we’ll practically have it all to ourselves.” Sonny recalled that Justin loved the night shift because it meant he could get high as much as he wanted. “But just let me text Mari real quick, tell her what’s going down.”

And it was in that moment, Sonny realized that his girlfriend had the keys to the new car his mother bought for him. That was going to be a nice story that’ll end up with him being grounded. “Ah well, not like it’s my style, anyway,” Sonny muttered, chuckling. About seven seconds later, he sent Mari a text:
‘Hey, Max got big R’d by Ariana, so we’re gonna hit the gym.
Feel free to take your time with that silver and black beaut.’

Looking at the two messages, Sonny felt iffy about it but it was going to be fine. I hope.

Before dread could find itself into his already-pacing mind, Sonny pocketed his phone and grinned Max’s way. “Alrighty! Let’s get the fuck out of here!”

Palm Beach Royals: Senior Year

The simulation just went bad
But you're the best
I ever had
Like handprints in wet cement
She touched me it's permanent

It was strange being Kavi Antonio Salvador right now. This has been the longest he’s ever gone without talking to anyone who wasn’t here or working his game on some unsuspecting girl who might not even know he spotted them. Of course, he could have just easily and swooped in on Jasper’s attempt to woo that Danielle girl. Compared to him, Jasper was cute but not hot like Kavi knew himself to be, but then again, when he overheard them talking and Lil J doing his best to work up the courage, Kavi only smiled and continued on.

“Way to subvert everybody’s expectations of your game, Jay,” Kavi muttered to himself, hands in pockets as he played spectator to the entire dance.

He watched them like he was a ghost, like he was a literal spectre, watching them, observing them, seeing his friends and his acquaintances mingle amongst themselves. He saw Max rush out and Chrissie go to the bathroom. He saw the two hot lesbians dart out in each other’s arms and then he saw Mari and Sonny leave hand in hand. He saw Stella and Carter dance like they had no control over it, then park themselves at the edge of the beverage table in the back of the room.

Kavi saw all of his classmates enjoy themselves, he witnessed all of the events of laughter and happiness unfold before his very eyes.

Even Ariel was having fun.

She was probably the only person who ever made him feel something...real, was striking up a similar conversation that Jasper did with Dani but with Sawyer Lockwood. He, of course, didn’t hear them, but he didn’t have to because he remembered that look. She used to look at me like that.

Ariel had a tell that Kavi locked onto the first time they met. It wasn’t so much a physical tell but the way she laughed. She had a cute tone of voice and it kind of cracked when she was into someone. Kavi knew that because every time they talked before things got bad, her voice cracked when he made a joke or just said something mildly inappropriate. All of the things that Kavi was going to miss, that was just an example of the number of reasons why he’ll miss her: her laugh, her ability to make him feel on top of the world while keeping him grounded.

Not like I have any right, but..

But nope, she looked happy. That’s all Kavi ever wanted. It didn’t matter if it was with him. So taking one last look around the dancefloor, Kavi took in the sights of friendship and love, seeing the couples either getting their last dances in or just getting started and he turned away, heading for the parking lot.

And once there, he smiled, spotting Ariana and Chrissie--well, more in the sense that Ariana was crying in Chrissie’s arms. Again, he simply observed and didn’t interact -he didn’t need to. Chrissie had it handled and again, like with Ariel, he smiled.

Standing there, Kavi was fighting against the part of him that wanted to leave them be and the part of him that wanted to see if they needed a ride. Chrissie looked like she had it handled, but Ariana was a friend and he considered Chrissie to be one too. But then again, who was to say they wanted his company?

“Fuck it!”

Kavi was walking even before he made up his mind and was a few feet away from them. “Seems like you both are just about as done with the dance as I am.” He laughed off his less-than-enthusiastic tone. “I was gonna jet out. You two want a ride to...wherever it is you wanna go? My ride’s got plenty of room--” His eyes went directly to Chrissie “--as I’m sure you know.”

Palm Beach Royals: Senior Year

“That was great, Carter! I haven’t danced like that in a really long time!” Stella smiled gleefully at her boyfriend.

Looking at him made her smile. Seeing him next to her made her smile. The way he smiled back at her, in what she was going to assume a case of I’m happy because you’re happy, made her smile. Everything about the evening right after they talked out in the garden and how Stella was just overwhelmed with emotions after the fact was bringing such a jovial grin to her face that her old self was starting to return.

And she was starting to realize it.

Before Chrissie did what she did, before all of the stress that came after her ex-best friend’s betrayal, everyone knew her to be a wholesome, unproblematic person. She never did anything out of spite. While that might still ring true to this day, she’s definitely changed. Sometimes when Stella looked at herself in the mirror, she didn’t always like the person staring back at her. She knew it was the direct result of how much she hurt when her cousin betrayed her. Slowly but surely, she was starting to come back from it. She knew it was because Carter had a positive influence on her even before they became official.

Which now had her thinking about something that was kind of weighing heavily on her heart. Maybe Carter noticed it or maybe she had become such a different person that she was able to hide certain things from him.

As they reached the beverage table, they were near the end of it so Stella could take a seat in a chair that was no longer being occupied by one of the students at the dance. She let out a heavy, almost exhausted sigh. “Whew, those last couple of songs sure wiped me out,” she admitted, leaning her head back against the wall. Her heart was still beating rapidly, sos he had to take a couple extra breaths to calm herself. “Carter…” She looked up at him. “Do you think I’ve been too harsh with Chrissie? Today before the dance, we had a pretty terrible argument. We said a lot of really ugly things and it got to the point where the water boiled over. And, well I think the point of no return was reached, but if not..” She let the thought trail off as she looked down, fiddling her index fingers and thumbs. “If not, do you think it’s possible we--I mean, her and I--could work some stuff out?”

If she was being completely honest with herself, Stella missed having her best friend but she also felt extremely hurt by what she did. Stella was so angry when she spilled her Paris trip secret to Carter without her permission and held onto it like the pain was the human body her leech-like grudge was holding onto, but Stella was starting to reconsider everything. Maybe finally being someone’s girlfriend again was putting some things into perspective for her. Or maybe Stella missed her best friend that much.

“I don’t know, maybe I’m just being stupid,” she said somewhat low.

World Beyond the Lexicon

@Matsuri Caelum is turning out to be quite the fake bitch when it comes to Alberta and I'm loving every minute of it.

World Beyond the Lexicon

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Location || Genelogia Train Station • Interactions || @Matsuri

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Caelum was wide awake and fully alert despite how early he woke up this morning and especially because he was the first one of the four of them that shared a single dorm. Being a morning person was one of the few strengths he felt he had and being able to consistently spring up even before the sun finished rising was a feat not to take lightly. The benefits of it meant he could enjoy the scenery, which he did. The downside, obviously, was that he didn’t get to enjoy breakfast with his roommates (if they did) but it warmed his soul like a toasty summer day with the refreshing tip of a cool apple on his lips to see they made it on time.

The same couldn’t be said for a few others.

“Sekhandur, Kress, and Alberta,” Caelum muttered as Nyx inquired about their whereabouts. He looked around for them and spotted neither of them.

Oh wait, there’s one.

Caelum turned his head to see the dark-haired boy arrive. He was always so flashy in how he dressed. Of course, maybe that’s what made him stand out. It was something Caelum had grown to anticipate with glee whenever Han’s name was mentioned. Han was what he called him. It was easier than trying to pronounce his full name. Han was a good guy even if he came off a little strong. The way he held himself was what Caelum liked about him. He had no shame and he found that appealing.

As for Alberta, whether it was just the right time, right place, or her ability to do what she needed to do at the last second, despite how terrible she’s been to him for the past two weeks, Caelum exhaled a surprisingly noticeable chuckle when Alberta came panting in. “Glad you could join is, Bert!” Caelum gave her a wave, caring not for how obvious it was that he did it with the intent to rub it in her face. “I hope you slept well, Queen of Thorns!”

Meadow University

_{a @metanoia & @neoaj collaboration
featuring Joey | Jade}
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The laptop sat on the desk, silent save for the low hum of the cooling fan. The screen was mostly white, save for the black words at the document being stared at by the room’s lone occupant. That was one of the perks of being a star athlete. There was no sharing with anyone if you didn’t want to, and Jade Scott preferred her privacy.

She certainly preferred it this past week. It was impossible to ignore the energy that had been sucked out of the sorority in the last week or so with Lottie’s abrupt departure from the room across from her. She didn’t even say goodbye to anyone. By Monday evening she was gone, off to who knows where? Probably shacking up with that gravy-blooded skate licker. Good riddance, then. Joey deserved better anyway.

Of course, Jade didn’t know what state Joey was in either. They hadn’t really spoken since the incident happened. Jade didn’t want to push the attack on anything, especially since there was a slight possibility that she might be to blame for that fractured relationship. Instead, the Golden Girl focused on her studies. Since the university head honcho still hadn’t rescinded their bogus probation ruling, she figured she might as well actually try for some As while she was here. It’s why she was pouring over her notes from Kinesiology 303 with a bit more concentration than usual.

That is until there was a loud knocking on her door.

Did I remember to lock that before I came in here…

The answer to that question was no, as Joey freaking Hart herself confirmed that no, it was not locked. She burst into the room with a verve that had been missing from the building the entire week. “Jade!!” The pixie plunked herself on Jade’s relatively luxurious queen-sized bed. At least it was by general university standards. Certainly by the tiny twin that Jade slept on as a freshman. “We should go out clubbing tonight!”

Jade turned and raised a Spockian eyebrow. Where did Joey find all this energy all of a sudden? She glanced over at the clock that rested by her bed. Well, I guess it is a Friday. Makes sense that she would be finally letting herself indulge a bit. It’s nice to see her so active again. But clubbing…

As one of Meadow University’s elite athletes and a budding star on the verge of the USWNT, Miss Scott had to be careful when she went out and indulged. There had been a few careers derailed by some select photographs of starlets in various states of inebriation. It’s why Jade was more than happy to let herself go at the bash. No paparazzi. Or at least she thought until that video was shared to the masses. Still though, she liked those chances to let loose. Plus, this entire week sucked. Studying isn’t for this earlier in the term!

She leaned forward and folded her hands, resting her head on top of them. “Clubbing, you say? Well, I think I could be convinced to go out tonight. I mean, I do have practice tomorrow at one, but hell, that will give us more than enough time to do some things, right? Although… I think I’ll probably need to fuel up here before we go out…”

A hyperactive Joey cheered from where she laid on Jade’s bed, widely smiling at the girl. “Perfect!” Her voice cracked slightly, oozing positivity. Like the distraction prone pixie she was, Joey hopped off Jade’s bed and made an immediate beeline for her closet. “We should see what you have to wear,” she said, opening the small closet to see Jade’s selection of apparel. She quickly paused and turned around, glancing at Jade “I mean, we have to look hot, don’t we?” She winked at her, giggling.

As much as Jade recoiled at the thought of someone going through all her stuff, it was nice to see Joey acting more like herself again. Maybe that meant she was turning the corner on the whole Lottie situation. Granted, Jade would have expected it to take a little more than a few days if that was the case. It was hard to tell with Joey where her head was at sometimes.

Maybe that’s what made her so exciting. The inability to anticipate what was going to happen next.

Jade let the neon girl do her thing, but gave her a fair warning. “I haven’t been out shopping in a little bit so I don’t know just how on trend I’ll be, but you know looking hot won’t be a problem for a couple girls like us!”

Joey smiled, giving Jade a quick glance up and down. “Oh you know it, girl!” She grinned, humming thoughtfully. “You know what? Yes, I think this could work.”

She walked forward, grabbing Jade by the wrist. Despite Joey’s smaller frame, she was able to successfully grab a doubtless, temporarily noisy Jade as she tugged at the taller girl’s arm with her across the hall to her room. Immediately after, Joey rushed to her own closet. It was the same size as Jade's but outstandingly different in the variety of what joey had to choose from. She was always experimenting with styles and colors. Different leggings with tops that might reveal too much.

As she frantically tore the closet apart, a pile of clothes gathering on a section of the floor a few feet behind her, Joey was muttering to herself. On a dime, she stopped and turned around, seeing Jade just looking at her. “Do you think you’re more glossy or casual sexy? Or maybe full on Dirty Christina Aguilera?” She mused. Joey’s mind was usually all over the place, but even though it might appear she had gone crazy, fashion was extremely near and dear to her heart and, well, if they truly were going to go clubbing tonight, it was important to Joey that they do it right. It was 2019, after all. Nobody needed to apologize for being a little extra. “Or perhaps short skirts and low cut blouses?”

Jade did indeed object to the rough treatment she received as she was yanked out of her chair, and out of her room. But as she ventured into the formerly-shared room of Joey Hart, she couldn’t help but be impressed by the sheer volume of options that were at her disposal for the evening ahead. It made sense, given Joey seemed to live and breathe fashion whereas Jade was more than happy to rock a track suit if the situation wasn’t any classier than homecoming. Joey’s options seemed limitless, whereas Jade would have been stuck with the same two choices: the black dress, or the kinda grey but still black dress.

Joey seemed to have some ideas anyway, and while Jade fondly remembered the music video in question, she doubted that she had the ability to truly embody Miss Aguilera’s all-out, fuck-you mentality when it came to the outfit in that video. “Probably more casual sexy. I don’t know if I can give everything away up front,” she finally answered. “But, if I’m being honest, it’s not like I really had to try to be sexy to attract people. Most people just figure I’m a famous athlete and all and they just try to come right up to me. Which, I mean, given almost all of the people who do that are males, it’s just funny.”

“Funny how?” Joey asked, curious. “I mean, did you have any boyfriends at all?”

Jade shook her head. “Nope. Never had a boyfriend,” she confirmed. “I was always super focused on soccer when I was a kid, so I wasn’t really dating. Even then, my dad would have scared most high-school boys off pretty quick. Then here… I don’t know. Not a lot of guys I’d be interested in. Besides, I learned pretty quickly the company I prefer.”

It was a little bit of a reckoning for herself, but it was true. Jade just didn’t see it happening. There were so many strong women in her life she could look up to, and they seemed very happy in the company of other women. It made sense. Besides, guys couldn’t do what Joey was doing right now. “What about that top?” she asked as she pointed to the red spaghetti-strapped garment still hanging in the closet.

An audible “a-ha” noise left Joey’s lips, redirecting her attention on the closet and the top that Jade suggested. She quickly grabbed the hanger and ran over to Jade, pressing it against the girl’s body to see how it looked. “Yes that’s perfect!” Joey nodded, approving of Jade’s choice in tops. “Low cut enough but not too much. It’ll compliment your natural caramel tone!”

Already the Pixie’s mind began churning ideas for a skirt. She didn’t know if Jade was the type of gal to wear skirts at clubs, but with her legs, it would be a crime to not showcase them. “And for the bottoms...” She handed Jade the red top to hold as she sprinted back to her closet, sliding over a third of the hangers over until she grabbed a clipped hanger with a black, leather skirt.

As she stopped in front of Jade, she smiled, leaning down on her knees and placing it firmly at Jade’s waist, somewhat smirking as the bottom of the leather skirt ended about an inch past her mid-thigh.. “This is too hot not to wear. And with how great your hair will be after I’m done with it, you’re going to be a stunner, Jade!”

Jade looked at the skirt that her sorority sister selected and one, was stunned that Joey would have something like this in her arsenal, and two, thought it was a brilliant choice. There was no doubt that the skirt was made to show off her best feature, which was her legs. Years of training had made them finely sculpted pieces of art, although she never bothered to put them on display quite like this before. But it would work, right? Joey was a trendsetter, the style guru. She had to know this was the right choice.

She took the chosen clothes in hand but did a double take when Joey mentioned the next step. “Hair? What do you want to do to my hair?”

Joey stared up at Jade for a few seconds, smiling. “Oh, nothing big!” She promised, standing up. Jade was a few inches taller than her. She ran her hands through Jade’s silky hair. “Just going to give it a proper wash, spray it, dry it, and style it.” She immediately saw how wary Jade was and again tried to assure her. “Relax, Jadey! Remember, this is my specialty.” She lifted herself up to her tippy toes to give Jade a quick kiss on the cheek. “Leave it to me and I’ll make damn sure we’re smokin’ hot from head to heel!”

It was hard not to trust Joey in this instance. Again, she was well tuned into the modern looks, something Jade didn’t bother with at all. Plus… it was hard not to think it was cute the way she was fawning over her. Just the lift of the toes to run her fingers through Jade’s hair. The little peck on the cheek. That confidence that she only saw fall for that brief moment in time by the lake. It was endearing to be sure. What was Lottie thinking?

Jade flashed that megawatt smile of hers and nodded. “OK. I trust you 100 percent, JoJo. Let’s get ready for the club!”

Whenever she heard anyone call her JoJo, it obviously opened up a fresh wound. Lottie always called Joey her amazing JoJo as though she was an enigmatic act about to wow and astonish a crowd. And, of course, she knew it because Joey herself was always so lively and full of contagious energy. But what clicked in her mind was a moment of sadness, a moment of loneliness that was too fresh for her own liking, but she shut that out. She hurt when called that name but Jade wouldn’t see it. Even if she had to bury it as deep as the Grand Canyon, she would and put on a smile.

At least, once she found something else--or someone else-- to focus on, she knew it wouldn’t be difficult. “Yeah. There’s a lot of work to do for the both of us!”

World Beyond the Lexicon

@metanoia hope you don't mind me just casually setting up a rivalry for the ages

@Matsuri

You kidding? I'm living for this! Bring it on, plant lady!

Project Untamed

_{Interactions • None - just a lot of introspection and observation
Mentions • Dwayne @Ejected | Tyler Jane & Leo @Melissa | Quinn @Filthy Mudblood | Sol @Rosalia}

---

As Nicholas sat high up in the bleachers, which was a rare move for him, or at least it felt like it was something he wouldn’t do. Whatever the case, there he was, high in the bleachers, away from most but able to see them all and gauge their reactions as Headmaster Wayman began speaking.

Like past assemblies, there was an emphasis on positive relationships with both student and faculty alike. Nicholas couldn’t say he ever thought of hitting up one of the teachers for advice. He had done so once and it was absolutely terrible advice. That’s how he found himself not only involved with Dwayne, which wasn’t to say there weren’t obvious benefits. Dwayne was like the sweet hersey’s kiss that has a surprising spicy note in the middle. But the advice Nicholas was given was now a bittersweet memory because he now found himself in the middle of wanting to see where things go with D and testing the waters with Tyler Jane.

“It’s such a burden being this good looking,” Nicholas muttered to himself. He wasn’t blind and clearly those who had looked at him weren’t either. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder just how long these interactions with Dwayne and Tyler Jane would remain a secret from each other, or god forbid, they become information that reach a certain foxy blonde’s ears. “A whole lotta nope there.”

As he let out a quiet sigh and refocused on the headmaster who was now talking about Halloween. “One of my favorite occasions. With so many with the looks of supermodels and the fashion sense of strippers, the world was our oyster.” The thought immediately brought a smirk to the boy’s face. Whether it was about what others would dress up as would remain a mystery as the final topic Wayman finally arrived.

“Lastly, and most importantly, on Wednesday the administration will be hosting a school-wide scavenger hunt to promote community on our small campus. All students will be split into small teams and will complete both physical and mental challenges together. The goal is to complete each task and do so with the fastest time. The winners will receive a prize, which is still to be determined, but I assure you it will be worth your efforts.”

“Scavenger hunt, huh?”

Nicholas had to admit that was the M. Night Shamalan twist he didn’t expect, but just like Glass, it was a surprise hit that he welcomed with open interest. He leaned forward, taking in the final words that Wayman had to say.

“And just like that, this eventful Monday wraps up nicely.”

Letting it set in, Nicholas made his way out of the auditorium, certainly following the crowd of people gathering outside and by the bulletin board. Quickly, he gracefully slid between students and looked for his name. There were six teams of three students per. Laughing at the thought of Leo and Francesca on the same team, that was one guy Nicholas didn’t envy. He had a wider smile when he saw his team.

Sol was a good friend and an occasional confidant about the trivial things in his life. He wouldn’t call her his best friend but he felt they had great chemistry. His only worry was Quinn. He knew how he was with her but he couldn’t say how Sol was. “I suppose we’ll find out just how well we all click.”

Hands fell into his pants pocket, and Nicholas just drifted away from the crowd.

World Beyond the Lexicon

@Dezuel forgot to tag you in my post so doing it here.

World Beyond the Lexicon

_{12 Hours Ago — Training Field C}

For two weeks, Caelum had been pushing himself to the brink. Between classes and making sure he was rested enough, if he wasn’t sitting in Professor Nyx’s classroom or taking care of his body, he was right where he needed to be: out alone in the training field.

Ever since his loss to Alberta during the 1v1s Nyx placed them in, Caelum was out in the training fields, increasing his power in any way that was manageable. At first, he wanted to build up his stamina and see how long and how fast he could run with his mana at full blast. He was fortunate that the fields were far away so he could increase the pressure of his mana all he wanted without causing any real harm to anyone around.

But that wasn’t his only issue.

“It happened again.” Caelum was on his knees, panting and sweating from the fatigue of overusing his mana again. “Seventy seconds,” he muttered, taking deep breaths as he collapsed on his back, his sword jangling as the metal of Stormbringer’s handguard scraped against the dirt. “Seventy seconds at full blast is my limit.”

This wasn’t to say that it wasn’t an improvement. Before he started this high voltage training, Caelum could only keep his mana at full blast for sixty-five seconds. It might’ve been a slow improvement but he was getting stronger. The problem was that it just wasn’t enough, “not to accomplish what I want to.”

It was true. CAelum had developed a new technique, something to give him an edge. In his fight with Alberta, the one thing that cost him his victory was how much mana he could expel and how fast he could react. The lesson he took from that was to increase not only his output but the amount of time he could keep it steady. A week’s worth of training - a week! - was only for five seconds longer. Sure, that might be life or death in some cases, but--

“--But I need to get stronger. I have to get stronger!”

He forced himself up, using Stormbringer as a cane of sorts, digging it into the ground as he stood up one leg at a time. He managed to keep his vertical base when his sword was no longer supporting him. Caelum felt weak and was still taking consistently deep breaths, but he wasn’t going to allow himself to quit - not yet.

As his arms bent themselves and stayed close to his body, fists tightened, and a determination that wasn’t going to let up, he gave it another try. “This time I know I can do it.”

---

_{Present Day — Genelogia Station
@AThousandCurses @Relin @TheWendil}

Caelum was used to waking up early, so when the sun rose, so did he, noting that he was the first one of his roommates to be up. He quickly got dressed, made sure everything was in order before he quickly left and headed straight for the station. In his bag was the money he had gathered throughout his travels and had leftover from expenses during the first weeks in the dorms, a journal for observations in the places he has traveled, and some snacks for the road (mostly mixed berries and nuts).

On the way there, his mind, as it often did, wandered to his training and the lessons he’s been learning from Nyx. With such a smaller class than when they started, the attention Nyx paid to the lucky, or in some cases, unlucky, thirteen was valuable time. While some in Class-C were stronger than others, Caelum knew he had a long way to go. The progress he made in the past weeks, while he has learned to appreciate it, doesn’t line up with where he wants to be.

So he’s been asking all sorts of questions, some of them directed on mana control, some about simple things that he could do to increase his power, and some were probably so obvious the rest of the class rolled their eyes at him. Caelum knew there was no such thing as a stupid question and he wanted to know as much as he could so it could be applied to his training. And so far, despite the results being minimal at best, the knowledge gained proved to be useful after all.

As the station came to view, Caelum allowed his eyes and head to follow the height of the station and three sets of tracks. He had noticed it a few times in the past, but it didn’t feel as impressive as it did right now as he stood in front of it. His pace slowed as his eyes were glued on the scale alone.

He gathered his wits and pressed forward, immediately noticing that some of his classmates already were standing outside the entrance. He gave them all a wave as he approached. “And here I thought I was going to be the first one here.” Caelum expelled a laugh, grinning more for himself. “This is pretty cool, huh?” His eyes fell on the station and the trains. “I’ve only ever traveled on foot. I’m excited to see what it's like on a train!”