LovelyComplex

Palm Beach Royals: Reunited At Sea

Damn I missed the initial party.

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

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_{INTERACTIONS -
Kitty with Levi @The Muse
Stella with Reya & Talie @PrinceAlexus}

When Levi swiftly put Kayleigh down, she watched him in silence before turning her attention to Lily who was hurriedly picking up the remains of her gift basket. She continued to observe as Lily and the new girl, Goldie, exchanged words, even catching them staring momentarily.

Lily is talking about us.

Turning back to her date, her stormy eyes fell on Levi’s shaky hand and watched him quench his thirst and bury his nerves with his beer. “Fun you say?”

Kitty tilted her head and smiled, even catching sight of Brad leaving the stage and venturing off into the festival.. If there was someone that was hard to read, it was her and maybe it was because her screws were loose. Maybe it was because she had the attention span of a squirrel. Maybe it was because she had the emotional range of a dog. Whatever it was, nothing she thought could be read on her face. If she was even thinking. Those that knew her, really knew her, knew there was an extremely intelligent girl inside there somewhere who had intention behind the chaos.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on stage soon?”

Considering his words for a moment, she released Levi’s hand in the process. He wasn't wrong. She did have somewhere to be but should she give him the satisfaction of leaving him be? Now that sounded like no fun. “Yes. I should’ve left like ages ago," she said matter-of-factly. "But," she added, hooking onto his arm and not caring for his personal space. "It’s fine. They won’t start without me. Will you be there? You should be there. I’d be so sad if you weren’t there.”

“No, I didn’t smoke weed, but B-Rad did,” Stella giggled, wondering if she was supposed to say that or keep it on the hush hush. Shrugging, as she walked beside her company and listened to their back and forth, she let the more sober people lead the way. When they reached the waffle vendor it was hard not to see Bradley from a distance. He was a giant! If she really squinted her eyes, she could even see his sister's hat.

“I think you’re the one who needs someone to keep her warm...”

Taking her eyes off of the sibling duo, she laughed, adding her two cents to the conversation happening around her, “I think we all need to. Get laid I mean!” She spoke loud enough for all those around the waffle truck to hear them and a few teens started to chuckle behind them. Oblivious to all that, she ordered her chicken and waffles. There was a feeling swirling inside her like she was forgetting something… but for once, she was unburdened by responsibility and worry. She was simply here and in the moment.

"...A little rope play perhaps?"

“Ropeplay?! Role…play?” With a shocked expression, she grabbed the container and thanked the good lad serving them food before looking at Talie. Where was this conversation going? Noticing she was holding up the line, Stella let Reya pay for her and shuffled to the side, “Sorrryyyyyy and thanks, Rey!”

As she tried to focus on the other girls, she could hear a male’s voice do a sound check with the mics. Oh that’s right. Talie thought Reya needed to get laid. And something about roleplay. Rope? Role? No matter. Reya needed cupid on her side. Cupid being her. The best friend. With a sudden mission, Stella dismissed herself from the group, “I realized… I have to pee! So hold this,” she pushed her food and drink in Reya’s hands, who was already holding a water bottle from Talie. “Take care of her, Talie, I’ll be back.” Before either girl could say anything, she scurried off, having one thing on her mind.

Zachary Snypes.

Reya has liked him for-like-ever. Maybe he can give her a shout out while he sings. Give her a suave serenade and make her heart go boom boom.

The plan was simple, she’d approach him before he even started his set list and then she’d be like hey, yeah, so do you like thirsty brunettes? Wait, no. That made it sound like SHE wanted Zack. Stopping in her tracks, out of sight of the waffle truck and the growing crowd in front of the music stage, almost tripping, she realized she didn't know how to be cupid. Rarely was she ever a wingwoman for anyone, let alone her bestie. Only a short stretch to the back stage, she decided to take a few steps back and find a patch of grass. Plopping down, she felt the grass and tried to think of the proper way to tell Reya’s crush to date her.

Think, think. As Winnie the Pooh usually says.

“Come on Leviiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii,” Kitty was practically dragging her friend, impatient and needing to go on stage but demanding Levi to be there, when she wanted him to. “Now, go be a good boy and sit with your friend over there.” Kitty gestured to the tall boy with waffles and for extra measure she gave Levi a friendly love tap on the booty. “I can’t wait to see what you have in store for me. It better be fun, like you promised!”

He didn’t promise.

“See you from the sky!”

The Nameless City

Melori Astaros (Inactive)

┍━☽【❖】☾━┑

_{Melori Sylvina Astaros (née Sorrel)}

┕━☽【❖】☾━┙

☽ R E P U T A T I O N ☾

Even if it was around ten years ago, Melori is still known as the traitor's betrothed. She is clearly married to the Captain of the Regia Guard but to this day there are whispers, wondering how much she knew of Ergen's schemes. Ikonomancers with a pension for detecting lies have questioned her at twelve, at sixteen, and at eighteen, prior to her marriage with Leon. With her marriage, she is now considered 'off limits'. Those who have full faith in Leonhart believe if she is indeed a traitor, he would send her to the trials or take her life himself. Aside from that? People compare her beauty to her mother and grieve the tragic loss. It's been fifteen years since her mother passed away. Lysabel was known as the one who threw the best parties, the perfect conversationalist, and the purest of hearts who brewed the best tea (with alchemic, healing and ikon properties). When noble people of the first and second ring look at Melori they see Lysabel or they think of the accomplishments of all the men that surround her. Her husband, her father, her brother and her former betrothed.

Melori only exists in the image of others.

Melori is no one.

☽ A G E ☾
22

☽ D E S C R I P T I O N ☾

【 Hair 】 Curly blonde
【 Height 】 5'5"
【 Physical Attributes 】 Soft blue eyes, natural blush, petite and curvy
【 Misc 】 Prominent scar on her stomach from an incident with her mother
【 Attire 】 Fine linens, wool and silk dresses with rich embroidery and gemstones. More often than not, a neckline that showcases her chest. Red is her favorite color so if she can, she will find a way to put it in her ensemble. She is a high-class, glamorous and trendsetting lady and even when she is riding her white horse, Beleza, in a ruffle hem blouse, tailored jacket, and breeches, she excudes beauty, grace and elegance. Her casual wear is rarely casual but she’d argue it is still practical. She wouldn’t be caught dead in clothes that make her feel insignificant.
【 Prized item 】 Her husband gifted her with his late grandmother's antique ruby and diamond ring four years ago when he asked for her hand in marriage. This was shortly after her 18th birthday.

While they were arranged, he told her they didn't need to marry until she was ready and if she chose she didn't want him, he would understand. Within the year, she allowed him to court her and they married the following summer.

☽ S T O R M - T O U C H E D ☾
^{(s e c r e t l y)}

[+]

Before she was born, her father, Radyn, 25 years ago, as he served this city as a Wardena Leader, got caught in a storm saving his charge, and his brother-in-arms, Godric Argyle. Fortunately (or unfortunately), he has been able to keep the incident under wraps because his ailment, his curse, had been seemingly all mental. By chance, or by the amount of awards he got within his long service and the next three years, continuing to fight storms and beasts in the Wardena, he was able to get recognized for his achievements and was offered an apprenticeship into the Regia Guard, under Eddard Orbarrow. He didn't hesitate to take the offer, especially because his wife had been growing more and more mentally unstable.

Melori was seven years old when her mother had a manic episode and tried to kill her. The day Karia was born was the day she realized the severity of what it means to be storm touched. Prior to that? She was naïve and innocent. On that day, her mother saw a monster in her youngest child. The girl with darkness and evil in her eyes. Lysabel knew Melori was storm touched, due to her daughter's black tears, but she hoped she could live a life in denial and paint her eldest daughter's curse as silly 'daydreams' and an unfortunate 'sickness'. Karia coming into this world changed everything. A week after Karia was born, Lysabel took her life, already believing her monstrous family was beyond saving. Death was mercy, death was a kindness, death was her only hope.

From that point on, Melori gained an awareness of her position and had spent years educating herself and trying to keep her curse under control, sharing with her father her findings, as he shared with her. Behind her older brother's back, she and her father conjured a plan if they were ever to be discovered, Melori, Karia and those that have sworn loyalty to the family (not many, but the staff) would take the family's secret tunnel in their mausoleum and look for 'Sanctuary' which is a network of hidden routes and safe houses. Yes, it would eventually lead to the fourth ring but if they must, for the protection of their family, they must. Until then, they'd enjoy their status and privilege until it inevitably catches up with them. And it will, one day.

Her father believes, while they are monsters, that they were cursed for a reason, especially because they see things that no other men have. He, with the past of things unwritten, her with ever-growing divinity, and Karia with people and their untold stories. It is their duty to weather the storm and risk their lives, if necessary, for the future of the city. She believes the same. That her purpose could shift the chain of events but like everything else, that is only measured in probabilities. She does know she needs to figure out who she can trust, without destroying everything her father's ever fought for. Based on her 'daydreams' thus far there is an idea that stands out the most to her. Individuals matter, and they have immediate and short-term effects, but the long term outcomes are never in question. The rebellion was fated as was every other momentous event in history. Even if the chances of the end of everything as we know it is nearly for certain, there is still hope and that's what she chooses to fight for. Not for the Regia, not for the storm touched people. No, she fights for mankind. She fights for the city fated to fall.

☽ C U R S E ❖ G I F T ☾

[+]

"Divine Knowing" "Hypothetical Predicting" "Sixth Sense"

These are some of the ways her father described her curse. Not only can she read history, like her old man, but she can see something happening in the present, like a fly on the wall, and has the ability to envision probable future outcomes. Her history reading is not in the same way he experiences his visions. Her father's mental ability is far more like a puzzle while hers is a playthrough of known events in history, like moments before the fifth ring fell. When she is having a lucid daydream of the present, she sees seconds of something of importance, like a clue telling her to chase it. As for her foresight? That comes to her like a bullet, gravity forcing her to her knees as she sees the most probable future. As of now everything seems random when they hit her, with no rhyme or reason and the only way she can control it is to make sure when she is having an abrupt episode to paint it like an illness, rather than her brain going haywire. This curse, or gift depending on how one looks at it, takes a heavy toll on her body, making her fatigue, dizzy and faint. Her husband, while left in the dark, is training her to be independent, training her body to fight the sickness and teaching her how to defend herself. Their sessions often end with her losing consciousness and him carrying her to their bed. It's a slow, painful training regime but over the course of their marriage, it has proven to help her fight the storm in her body. The sickness that is slowly killing her. He loves his wife dearly.

☽ R O L E ☾

Ergen Ilkin's former betrothed, wife to Leonhart Astaros, daughter to veteran Radyn Sorrel and the fair beauty and philanthropist, Lysabel Barlowe-Sorrel (she is said to have been as clever as she was beautiful).

Melori is an unknown element to the changing tide of the Nameless City's climate — politically, socially and literally. Her extrasensory perception and predictions of the past, present and future could influence events to come or it could get all those she loves killed. The only people who are aware of her capabilities is her immediate family. Not even her husband knows she is storm touched.

☽ R I N G & I K O N O M A N C Y ☾

[+]

Melori was born and raised on the second ring, by a family who have served the Wardena and Regia Guard for generations. The Sorrel Family. The men in her family make it a competition to see who can get into the Regia Guard and those who do get a painted picture of themselves hung up in the second floor hallway. Her brother has not been given the honor yet since he is still an apprentice. Their medals and honors, however, along with those that served the Wardena are above the family's fireplace. Her family home has gone through plenty of renovations and has been with the Sorrels for years.

Her mother's side is split between the second and third ring, with her grandfather being an exception. Melori's grandfather, Cassemir Barlowe, is a mathematician, researcher and scholar, for the crown, and can be found on the first ring. The rest of the Barlowe family can be found in the second ring and at the Academy, constantly seeking to advance the study of ikons, science and technology. It was Cassemir's idea that the Academy use Karia as an experiment. The first blind girl to be accepted at the Academy. Surely that could make a difference in how lesser rings perceive them but also, potentially, open opportunity for advancement. Ikons reaching even those with disabilities. Meanwhile, her grandmother's side, the Collymores, are third ringers and are some of the most sensible and friendly artisans in town. With blood and sweat, they produce some of the finest furniture and weaponry in the city.

Lysabel decided to be both an intellectual and a maker, combining her families chosen professions into one creative pursuit. She studied ikons and blended it with foodmaking, specializing in teas, combining quality ingredients to help “center” the body, bringing balance to life. While she didn't start a tea shop, she did have a home business and brewed blends that even the Regia Consort went out of her way to order months in advance. With Lsyabel no longer around, her remainder supply is scarce and people hope Melori will follow suit eventually. Melori did go to school and studied ikons but is currently a stay at home wife expected to bear Leonhart's children. Her exploration of ikons focuses around geography, science, mathematics and cartography. The Academy is aware of her ability to enhance her navigation skill, never getting lost, like a walking compass. They also know she can figure out the name of plants and other physical features of earth/atmosphere with her ikons.

Intriguing, yes, but not tea.

During her free time, Melori hopes to produce ikons that can track people and bring a map to life like... a navigation system that everyone can utilize. Even better if it can track those you love. This is an ongoing study.

☽ A B O U T T H E G I R L ☾

[+]

Melori Sorrel, now Astaros, has played her part dutifully. She has been a good daughter, a good sister, a good friend and now a good wife. All her life she has felt limited and caged because someone has told her how to walk, what to say, when to be coy and who to be. Ergen, a boy she grew up with and learned to love, didn't trust her enough to tell her his schemes so that must mean she meant nothing. Logically, she gets it. She understands he didn't want her to fall with him but at the same time, why? Why do people call the shots for her? Why can't she live for herself? Why is her intelligence because of her Barlowe lineage and not because she has a penchant to learn and discover?

Why can't she just be?

She knew the answer, of course. The world she lived in was full of darkness, where society continuously tries to extinguish the growing light. The hope for a better tomorrow. She firmly believes knowledge is the key to lead to truths that could enlighten and unite those in conflict. The storm didn't live in just those touched by it or blessed with it through blood, like herself. Chaos lived inside them all and she was simply a walking example of what this chaos was doing to everyone, though more visibly to her. Darkness flashed in her mind in fragments, slowly eating at her, her body growing weaker and weaker and her mind constantly on high alert, waiting for the next stressful vision. Too much light could blind you, make you forget the foundation of what built this city. Darkness needs to exist for everyone to appreciate the light. The sole purpose of why she existed was to kindle a light in the dark.

If there was anything that forced her to grow up, and to grow up fast, it was the fact that she was one with the storm. She could run away from it or she could embrace. For now, she chooses to study it. That's all she can do as she keeps her silent oath and never reveals what she is to those around her. As strong as she wants to believe herself to be, she knows she is a worthless monster; something her mother called her throughout her childhood, behind closed doors.

All her life her worth has been measured by others. Melori can't help but find herself in a dark place, unable to escape, but it is because of the dark, she's learned things she could never in the light. Without this curse, she would be like her brother, battling with himself and hating the sight of his own family. She would live a life entitled and full of judgement. She would be mean spirited and selfish. She would not think about the consequences of her actions and she would lack empathy for everyone and anyone, especially those different from her. Melori chose to quietly live her life compassionately, and not in the showy way her mother chose to live her life, like she was some celebrity that everyone adored and loved to watch. Wisdom goes a long way when one tries to listen and discern the truths of the world. Of people.

She won't lie, she is terrified of her curse and those like her. It's hard to breakdown this drilled notion that storm touched are monsters but she is no coward and she will approach who she is and what others are pragmatically. The Royal family could throw her into the trials without hesitation. Why should she be scared of something full of unknowns and uncertainties? That only means there's room to educate herself. Her current dilemma is her wanting to have Leonhart's child but frightened at the idea of bringing a baby into this world and cursing them when they never asked to be alive. How could she protect her child when she was playing pretend? How could she protect her child when she may not live past twenty five? How could she protect her child when society has already given her unborn baby predetermined titles and a role to play? Did she really want to put that on a pure, innocent being? Did she really want to bring a baby into a city where there was a high probability that a storm would destroy it or that someone would try to kill it because there was no way to hide the storm?

Melori's mind is a gift but also a curse. The cogs constantly turning as she thinks of so many things, some with importance and some with absolute no merit. Everything all at once or nothing at all. Emptiness has a presence and she sees the end. What is she to do about this madness? Will she end up just like her father? Speaking in tongues or will she be a ripple effect in a series of events, all predicted and expected, all in due course? Regardless of her purpose, which she is so desperate to find, she knows one thing. She has people worth a damn to love and to protect. That is more than enough reason to enter the battlefield and make a difference and she hopes she doesn't have to do it alone... she hopes she can make change, good change, with Leon and her family at her side. Melori hopes to do good, in whatever way she can, even if it gets her killed. And that doesn't mean she's going to choose sides. Her side is where truth lies and her goal is to unravel it.

☽ F A M I L Y ☾

[+]

Radyn Sorrel - Father; Retired Regia Guard & Wardena Leader. Radyn served both the Wardena and Regia Guard for many years and is seen as a remarkable soldier and a heroic man. He was released from the Regia Guard when his body could no longer carry out his duties. He is rumored of being a mad man nowadays. People do not go near the Sorrel Estate out of fear they will be infected; gossip being a cautionary tale of the fall of Radyn Sorrel. While they don't think he is storm touched, people entertain the idea that his illness (since they haven't seen him in years) was caused because of long exposures with storms. Radyn is believed to not have directly been caught in one but they do wonder... could exposure cause the brain to malfunction? The talk is mild and hasn't been enough for Radyn to be sent to the towers or the fourth ring. There is no point when he is a deadman walking. The sickness will take him soon.

Lysabel Barlowe-Sorrel - Late Mother; Loved by many, Lysabel's death impacted most citizens of the second ring and even the Regia Consort. It's been fifteen years since she passed away and people still can't believe she's gone. She was the perfect example of everything right in this world. Everything a young woman should be. On top of that, she made the most exquisite tea. She died by an ikon-tea-ceremony gone wrong. Cassemir has a hard time believing his daughter failed to produce exactly what she wanted to make and he wants to know why she created a poisonous tea with arsenic at the base and tested it on herself. No one wants to believe Lysabel took her own life so those who know her time and time again say she died from natural causes. The Regia Guard confiscated the vial that was in her hand and seemingly the remainder of her concoction. Little does anyone know, Karia with her psychometry found a stash of this poison and hid it in a secret place.

Llyris Sorrel - Older brother; Apprentice to Godric Argyle of the Regia Guard. In charge of his father’s estate, funds and affairs. That includes his sisters. Well, now just Karia. Thankfully, Leon accepted Llyris' offer after the uprising and married Melori shortly after she turned eighteen, which means she is no longer his problem and responsibility. Llyris is the current face of the Sorrel name and is believed to go even further than his father ever did, seeing how he gained his apprenticeship a lot younger than his old man and seems to have great, unwavering conviction. Society expects great things from the son of Radyn.

Karia Sorrel - Baby sister; ikonmancer-in-training. The Academy’s “Experiment”. She has an unfortunate disability. She is blind and to make it more known to the world, she wraps her eyes so it leaves little room for assumptions. As the Academy’s new project, they hope to make ikons more accessible to people like her. Since she does come from the Barlowe line, there is hope that she will succeed with flying colors just like her grandfather and mother. Even her older sister, who has chosen to intertwine her ikon knowledge with her everyday life as she prepares for motherhood. It doesn’t change that although Karia is beautiful and kind, she gets bullied for her differences. The world is her oyster and with Karia, her grandpa sees plenty of promise. She is a clever girl and could change the world. All without eyesight. Marvelous.

The Nameless City [Long-term, sandbox, flexible]

Giving you some love and interest :)

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

_{LOCATION: The Festival
INTERACTING WITH:
Reya ^{@The Muse} & Talie ^{@PrinceAlexus}}

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The Auction was a much needed distraction from the events that had transpired earlier this day, with Levi. On top of that, she was finally with her best friend, especially thanks to the tall guidance of Bradley. With a water bottle in her hand, don’t ask her how she got it (it just showed up), Estella took a sip and smiled to herself, happy that another friend was back. Happy to know that she could hangout with Bradley in the future. He was sweet and kind. She hoped he knew how happy she was that he was home.

Levi and Bradley might’ve both left town for their own personal reasons, but the difference between them was Bradley kept in touch. Levi didn’t. Something that might seem small to some people left a wound in her heart she didn’t know how to heal. She thought back on Bradley’s words: Levi is looking for you, he seemed pretty concerned. And couldn’t believe how painful that sudden realization of such simple words could make her feel.

Levi kept in contact with one person and that one person wasn’t her… he didn’t even care to write to her or anything to let her know he was okay. No. What he did was show up years later out of the blue and welcome her at his cafe as if there wasn’t an elephant in the room. He pretends like everything is okay, when nothing was. Not for her. Not for Tommy. He destroyed them. While she can’t speak on Tommy’s behalf, she could speak for herself and she didn’t know if she could ever forgive him for doing exactly what her mother did to her when she was young. At least her mom made a gradual disappearance. Levi completely ghosted her.

Shaking the sudden ache in her chest, Stella turned and smiled at her best friend and new friend. Maybe today would turn around for her now that she was with Reya and… Talie, was it? Who needs a dumb boy to dampen her mood when she has her girls at her side!

Levi worried about me? Yeah right.

Talie had returned to the picnic table with cocktails, and Reya was deliberate to make sure Stella was cut off. Part of Stella didn’t want her buzz to go down, because if it did, she’d get sleepy and Lord knows she didn’t need to fall asleep somewhere random like last time. As her friends made conversation, Stella looked up at the stage to where Tommy was sitting. She was worried about him and wondered if she should check on him. At the same time, she didn’t see Reya all day and today was her father’s angelversary. Hopefully… Tommy would understand. If she had her phone, she would text him but at the moment she could not. For now, she buried the worry to focus on the two around her. He was fine, right?

“Tommy is super handsome,” Stella agreed with Talie, before offering, “If you need a Tommy 101 class, lemme know. Maybe not right now. Tonight is for the GIRLS,” and she was definitely slurring her words so class could be more gibberish than not, even if to her she sounded coherent and comprehensible, “but another day, for sure. For sure. Come find me.” When Talie talked about getting Reya a date the old fashioned way, Stella couldn’t help but chuckle. For as long as she could remember, Reya liked Zachary and to this day, Reya still hadn’t gained the courage to ask him out.

Maybe having a new friend added to the mix would help inspire Reya to live a little. Take a risk and try to chase something for herself rather than for her family and the Inn. Always worried about her family and the Inn. She couldn’t judge her bestie though because she was just like her. That’s what brought them together in the first place, oh, and her cat named Pearl. Stella, like Reya, was worried about her family and the ranch more than she was worried about herself. Still, they both needed to live and chase what makes them feel. Maybe, just maybe, Talie could help them both with just that.

“Before we go,” Stella responded, jumping up and joining Reya, waiting for Talie. Her train of thought and words were interrupted by Kayleigh yelling Levi’s name and jumping off the stage into his arms. Turning her attention away from the girls, Stella found her heart sinking at the sight and to make matters worse, she saw Lily who looked absolutely devastated. Should she intervene? No. Stop that. Stop worrying. Stop thinking. Let it go.

Once again, she pulled herself out of this constant loop of focusing on him, and others, and turned back to Reya and Talie. “Right… what was I going to say?” Her amber eyes searched around aimlessly as if it was going to answer her question. She stared briefly at her hand and water bottle, when her gaze focused on the bracelet. “Oh right! Before I forget,” she cleared her throat and put the water bottle down on the table. In a quick motion she took the bracelet off her wrist and gently grabbed Reya’s hand, slipping the jewelry around her wrist. “I’ll explain what makes it special later. Right now, though?” She pulled Reya to her, holding onto her arm, before looking at Talie and playfully grinning, “Let’s go listen to some good music and maybe get some… chicken and waffles? I’m STARVING.”

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

_{LOCATION: The Festival
INTEREACTING WITH:
Bradley @Hey Im Jordan
Levi @The Muse}

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What an expected and unexpected turn of events. Kayleigh stood up proudly on stage to watch the audience chatter about the results. As expected, she won Bradley. Her best friend’s brother. Earlier on, Kitty caught sight of Stella on his shoulders as she and her cousins came in like a wrecking ball and from that point on the cogs started turning. How could she help Bradley get with this girl he clearly had feelings for? It only made sense to win him so she could do a good deed. That good deed was to play matchmaker and put an arrow of love right through their hearts. Bradley works too much so even if it wasn’t a love match, it certainly can be a sexual one. While she didn’t know much about Stella, she knew enough about Bradley to see how he looked at the girl. How he smiled.

Yes, this would go perfectly splendid!

All she had to do was make sure they didn’t suspect a thing.

Turning on her heels to face Bradley, she did a hop in front of him, blocking him from getting up from his chair. She playfully flicked his forehead, “Okay Bradster! I’m going to text you the deetz of when to pick me up. Day. Time. Place. Don’t care if you’re busy, make yourself unbusy. We’re going to have a day of fun, and you’re going to treat me like a QUEEN. Okay?” She grinned wildly at him, giving him a knowing look as she thought of something completely unrelated to this conversation. Unbeknownst to Bradley, she knew he frequented a site, as a viewer. A specific site for lonely people that want to feel something. How did she know this? Well, he was one of her high paying fans. He just didn’t know the person he was watching was his little sister’s best friend. Such a small world! But because of this, she knew what he needed. He needed to get laid. What better way than with a cutie with Star in her name?

Bradley seemed in a complete stone cold daze, having not answered. Tilting her head, waiting patiently, she noticed the red in his eyes and chuckled. He was high as a kite. Well that’s good. At least he wasn’t in too much distress during this event. Something like this was definitely not up Bradley’s alley but he rocked it like a champ! She was proud of him. Nerds be nerdin’. She loved this nerd and she was determined to make him have a good ass date and if the gods were on her side, the date would end with something scandalous. Juicy. Hot. DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. She couldn’t wait.

Through her peripheral vision, Kitty could see Levi staring up at the stage, bewildered and confused. He was quick to shift his expression when he noticed she was looking at him. With her squirrel brain, she ended the conversation as quickly as it never started with one date and went to the next, “Sorry Bray-Bray! I gotta’ fly!” And with that, Kitty shifted herself so she wasn’t walking into Bradley or the other contestants. With the speed of a gold medalist for track and field, she ran toward Levi and jumped high in the air, stage diving right to him, “LEVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!” And since he was already watching her, he braced himself and caught her, even if the impact did push him back a little.

Wrapping her arms around him, hanging in his hold, her feet not touching the floor, Kitty giggled, “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!”

Edenridge

_{Timestamp: After Queensnake
FT: Elysia Fable
Owen and Indira Quinn
Kingsnake & His Queen}

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_{@Aewin @LovelyComplex @BrutalBx}

Owen Quinn stared at his own reflection deep in the mirror, his ocean vast blue eyes examining every flaw in his face with a fogged precision. He was doing what he could to shake off the cobwebs and fight the heaviness of his eyelids whilst the concussion blanketed his brain. There were always moments like this, moments where he had to push through the pain and crippling burden of a mind out of sync. It was hard to keep a train of thought when your brain was trying to repair itself after a beating.

Looking at his wounds of war, Owen raised his hand to his face, his fingertips touching the scarring gash beneath his left eye. It was bumpy and a little crispy as the scar tissue had begun to slowly form over the cut. Unfortunately the drive to the Edge and a sharp gust of wind had opened up the lacerations a touch, hence his trip to the bathroom to clean it up. In his last fight, Owen had won by a knockout in the fifth round but for his troubles he had obtained a broken nose and a bruised jaw, along with a handful of cuts and the concussion. He had suffered through worse but that didn’t mean he wasn’t hurting like hell. Lucky for Owen, he had the best nurse on the planet, his princess, his wife, Indira.

The way he had longed for Indie since childhood was like something out of one of the Bollywood movies she loved so much. Yet Owen had always struggled to find his confidence when it came to her. Despite the likes of Maxine and Elysia pushing him and trying to build him up, it almost seemed like it was just never going to happen. It was a friendship with the golden child of Edenridge, Allison Davies that changed everything. Ally just had this energy about her, just something in her veins that allowed her to make anyone feel like they could literally do anything and after months of trying, she finally convinced Owen to take the plunge and ask Indie out. When he did and to his surprise she said yes, the Quinn boy didn’t really know what to think, say or do. He was completely ripped from normality and entered a fantasy world where a princess was going to run off with the lowly stable boy. Nothing would ever be the same again.

Fast forward to the present day and Owen and Indie were married, living a good life together with their friends; a vision in gold. After finally dreading his breathing and starving off the arthritic shakes, he left the bathroom and made his way to a small table in the near empty bar, where his wife and Ely were sitting. Owen rested one of his bruised hands on the side of Indie’s neck whilst the other drew circles on her back. He leaned and kissed the top of her head before looking towards the office door. “Are they still going? We have too much to do today.”

As Indie felt the gentle touch on her neck, a warmth spread through her. It was familiar, comforting and despite Owen's bruised hand, full of love. She tilted her head up to catch his gaze. His ocean-blue eyes, a little glassy but fierce nonetheless, met her own and a small smile danced on her lips. Owen's strength and resilience always amazed her. In her heart, she knew there was no one quite like him.

His kiss sent a tingling sensation down her spine, heat erupting from her caramel skin from his touch. Her eyes, reflecting her Indian heritage, took in Owen's battered face, the recent fight having left him with more than a few souvenirs. She reached out, her fingers brushing gently against the bruised skin beneath his eye, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she inspected the healing laceration. It was a familiar sight, his battle wounds, but it never got any easier. Each time Owen came back from a fight, her heart would clench, worry knotting in her stomach. She wished she could take his pain away. But for now, she would do what she did best: provide him with unwavering love and support.

Owen’s inquiry about Maxine and R2 snapped Indie back to the present. She glanced towards the office door before her lips, that were pulled into a frown, morphed into an unrepressed grin. “Yep,” She said, popping the p loudly as though the sound would carry into the office. “I swear, they're worse than rabbits.”

The bubble of laughter that escaped her lips was rich and honey-sweet, offering Owen a moment's respite from the pain he was working so hard to hide. She reached up, her fingers lightly brushing against his rough stubble, a reassurance as much as a silent request for him to sit, to rest.

“Hey,” she said, her voice soft, tender as she looked into Owen's oceanic gaze, “You should be resting. Do you need a massage? I can try to keep it PG for Ely, but no promises.” Her light-hearted jest was meant to offer him some comfort, to draw him out of his cloud of pain and back into the world where he was not just a boxer nursing his wounds, but a part of a lively, loving circle of friends. And Indie, his rock, his cheerleader, would stand by him through it all.

“We both know Ely likes to watch.” Owen joked as he accepted his wife’s invitation and took a seat next to her. It was a slow seating process. He took a handful of shots to the kidney which had really caused his back some issues but he knew they would heal over time. He had no planned fights for a little while as he planned on whisking his beloved away on a sun drenched holiday to the wilderness of Canada. Owen loved hiking and Indira, God bless her, had agreed to humour him on his endeavour. After all, their last few vacations had all been sun drenched bikini weekends where Indie could post hot content for her followers. Of course the boxer didn’t mind seeing his stunning wife with next to no clothes on but he had always been a quiet soul and constantly being surrounded by gawking onlookers wasn’t his idea of a great time.

He turned his back slightly and immediately felt the warm fingers of his soulmate begin to dance across his shoulders in a loving massage. “Just a small one though, I don’t want to get too comfy, we’ve got too much Beau prep…” Owen’s whole body began to vibrate when Indie found her way to a specifically painful area. “…to do.” He groaned a little as his hand gripped her knee behind him with a tremble. “Someone remind me again what’s first on the agenda?”

This was her life.

Surrounded by lovers but not one to be in love.

Elysia watched the cheese pull from her loaded nacho cheese as she listened to her two friends openly flirt with one another and tease her: the single one. She didn’t respond to them immediately. Instead she shovelled the chip in her mouth with one hand and went through pictures on her camera with her other hand. She should be on her laptop finalising her slideshow of Beau throughout the years, with all the people he impacted, having collected pictures for the past month, from parents to the students, from cops to serpents, but rather than do that, she was distracted. While she was doing a bridal photoshoot on the Milligan bridge, she caught sight of someone so… ethereal, she forgot she was on a job.

This girl had platinum blonde hair, wore a bomber jacket and carried herself with so much energy, so much hunger and so much curiosity. She looked like a girl full of experiences waiting to happen. A fantastical adventure that she pursues with eyes wide open. Whimsical and almost surreal. A breathtaking masterpiece. This girl, a stranger. A beautiful stranger. They met each other’s gaze briefly as she ran across the bridge to who knows where and Ely saw in that moment her muse. She only saw her for a second, maybe a minute, but she knew that sparkle in the stranger’s eyes and her light and feathery laughter would be what made her come undone. She needed to know who this girl was and she needed to ask her out. Come rain or shine, come hell or high water, Ely needed to speak to her.

“What?” Ely asked, not processing what Owen had said and bringing the conversation back to Max. “Oh yeah, R2 is totally railing Cherry on his desk.” Cherry Bomb was Ely’s nickname for Max, since her friend was a total firecracker of a person, with explosive power. And let's be real, the moment R2 popped Max’s cherry, she blossomed rather rapidly into confidence, into ambition and into total badassery. “They fuck like rabbits. Nothing new. And I’m sure you two get it. You’d fuck right now if it weren’t for all the people.”

“Well.” Owen felt the flush of heat and embarrassment in his skin. Ely wasn’t lying but that didn’t mean that he didn’t need to hear it said out loud. Beneath the scars and bruises, the young Quinn was still a quiet and unmoving soul. Maybe that was why he always surrounded himself with wilder personalities like Elysia or his wife, Indie, to compensate for the silence of his own self. “Anyway.” Owen looked at his friend and could see her mind was completely elsewhere. Usually the blonde was like this when she had seen some sort of amazing vision that she needed to capture in her lenses. Yet he couldn’t see anything in the Edge that it could possibly be which meant that the photographer had possibly had an encounter somewhere else which was still playing in her mind. “I mean should we just go? I don’t really want to sit here for much longer…”

As three members of Edenridge’s Fantastic Four waited, the Queensnake was lost in passion, a constant, feverish dream in the back of Sin. Fantastic Four was a nickname bestowed on the friend group by local comic artist, Nolan MacCullum, Max’s childhood crush, rumoured to be the next Spike Langley, after a much needed heart to heart at Allison’s big party in 2016. When the party didn’t go as Max planned, she almost left defeated, believing her worth would never be good enough for another man. Her standards at the time were not high since she didn’t even know where to begin in the realm of romance. Her mother never treated either of her fathers well so what made her think she would be capable of not becoming exactly like the woman she despised only pushing those she loved away. Her mother liked to use the excuse she was fixing them when really, she was the one that needed fixing. Max hated her mother.

Thankfully, instead of shattering her heart, saying spiteful things just to get her to hate him, Nolan gained the courage to stop her from leaving the party and told her why she deserved better and that dating him would only bring her down when she was meant for so much more. He didn’t want her to fix him; no man should expect that of her. More importantly, what she had achieved at such a young age, wasn’t something to take for granted. She was beyond gifted and he knew that if she dated him, she would never become the queen she was always meant to be. She needed someone that matched her energy, perfectly, and Nolan wasn’t the one. And it was at that moment Max realised how admired she was and how much power her words had over those in Edenridge because she cared so deeply for everyone, no matter what side of the tracks they were raised on. The rose coloured glasses were off and as much as the truth shocked her to hear, Nolan was right. She was out of his league. It wasn’t meant to be egotistical either but she realised her crush on him was more out of feeling needed rather than her being physically attracted to him. It wasn’t until the Boy auction, during Valentine’s week, where she and Indie hosted the Carnival of Love and Mayor Story continued the tradition of the annual Endless Love Charity Gala, that she truly understood what love felt like.

Cliché as ever to be something she discovered during the month where love was advertised to be in the air and on top of that, her birthday was just around the corner. It was the perfect birthday present to spontaneously bid money on her friend’s brother. Not her money. Honestly, she wasn’t the one who bid. Indie made the bid for her. But that’s beside the point. That night was… surreal… and she got to see a side of ReyRey Gonzalez that she hadn’t before, seeing how she spent more time with his sister, Ley, than him. They had an age gap so neither really looked at each other until that night. To her surprise, the man that was becoming more and more part of her daily routine, and who found a home in her heart and dreams, was willing to wait for her. There was a spark between them and as much as the temptation to give in was strong, he waited and she kept her ground. Unwavering and firm with how she wanted to be treated yet gentle and kind when it came to affairs of his heart. Max didn’t want to be like all of ReyRey’s other lovers and so to be certain he was serious about her, she teased and flirted, she encouraged and consoled, but she was never intimate. She withheld her own craving until without a shadow of doubt he was her’s and he was going to commit to her, with all his heart. Max wouldn’t settle for less.

Presently, they were married and things were fiery, heated and extremely passionate. Everyday was like the first time they gave into their desires. They couldn’t get enough of each other, being absolutely addicted and madly, deeply in love. Turns out, Maxine is a sexual deviant who doesn’t mind exploring a vast amount of kinks, so long as those experiences are shared with her husband. Sex aside, they also complimented each other in brilliance, in interest and in anger. ReyRey and Maxine cared deeply about Edenridge, especially their snakes. Beside every successful man, stands a woman, with him, and for the Kingsnake, that was Maxine, holding his hand as she guides him toward greatness while they build upon his father’s empire and continue to grow the SSS legacy.

This was their happily ever after.

With her forehead pressed against her husband’s, Maxine held onto him for stability as she sat on his desk. After a few breathy kisses, her deep, sea green eyes staring deeply into his soft, earthy brown gaze, the two lovers released one another. As ReyRey backed away to adjust his pants, Maxine stood up, leaving his desk and straightening her white dress. Her lips went into a playful smirk as she walked to his closet where there was a mirror, brought into this room for this purpose and this purpose only. On a nearby side table, she grabbed her lipstick and reapplied, grabbing a wipe to clean the smudges that were made from their needed make out session. As she fixed herself up, which included her unruly hair, she chuckled, “My friends are going to kill me one day. I’m always making them wait.”

ReyRey gazed upon his wife silently for a moment as he blindly tightened the leather belt of his jet black jeans. She really had come out of nowhere. He had always known Max as a friend of Aleyda’s, nothing more, nothing less. Sure, he could see that she was pretty but as bad as the Kingsnake was, the vibe wasn’t there. At least not until the Boytoy auction, which he had never even planned on being in but his father insisted that Rey being part of a charitable function could only do wonders for the Serpents reputation. Earning goodwill with the residents of Edenridge would soon become a preferred tactic of the snakes once Maxine got her feet under the table. That first night with the daughter of the legendary Serpent Rocky James opened R2’s eyes to a world he never thought existed for a man like him, a world of happiness.

It took a while but Maxine was worth the wait. Once she had graduated high school, Reynaldo immediately confessed to her his true feelings and their love affair began. Their elopement in Paris was very much a spur of the moment decision but it was also the best choice he had ever made. Some would argue that his marriage to Max softened him. The Kingsnake would counter that it made him stronger, smarter. She saw things in ways he could not even fathom. Her presence as a regal entity all dressed in white added an aura of uncertainty as on any given day, the serpents didn’t know who they would be dealing with that day, the King or the Queen, which made it even more difficult for their enemies to prepare as well.

Maxine James was the best thing to ever happen to him.

“Well they don’t always have to wait do they? That’s their choice, Mami.” Rey couldn’t deny that there was an excitement to sending Max off to be with her friends after they had made love. It catered to his desire of possession, she was elsewhere but she would always have it in the back of her mind that she was his. “Besides.” R2 walked up behind Max as she applied her make up and wrapped one arm around her waist and the other cupped her throat. “You know you love it. The power it gives you over them. You’re a bad girl.” He kissed the base of her neck and met her gaze in the mirror. “What time am I meeting you tonight?”

As he caressed her, naturally she yearned for him and could feel the heat rebuilding inside her. There was something about him that sent wild tremors along her nerves, constantly. From his earthy aroma to the burning inferno in his inviting brown eyes, Maxine James was addicted. Rarely were there times her mind withdrew to far away places, seeing how all she could think about was him and their future together. He made sure she would never forget he loved her, that she was his, and she didn’t want him to. For a good portion of her childhood, she lacked a sense of belonging. The father that raised her was a serpent legend, but he was still a cop. The father that was her blood she didn’t discover until a little after she graduated, when her aunt was back in the picture. Together they unravelled Victoria Mooney’s crimes, like the murder of Melody Robinson, Theodore Grimm’s highschool sweetheart and mother to all the Grimm children. She thought it made sense to assimilate and blend with the northside because that was what was expected of a southie with potential. She was meant to get out. She searched for this feeling until she realised, why change who she was to fit this image that society painted as success? Why leave her environment when she could improve it, make it better? Without Reynaldo Jr, she wouldn’t have been able to hear that voice inside of her. That night that changed everything, he saw her and she saw him and she just knew she would marry him one day. That this man was her future.

“I can’t possibly go to Beau’s party alone, Mi corazón,” Max playfully pouted, pressing her backside against him. “What am I without my Rey?” She puckered her lips and made a little kiss noise as she checked to make sure her lips were perfect. The silence lingered between the two sensual lovers before she decided to answer his question. “Pick me up at our place a quarter to six. Unless…” her mellow toned voice trailed off. “…you want to take a nice, long bath with me.” Closing her lipstick case, her hypnotising, green eyes deeply stared at her husband through the mirror, into the depths of his hungry eyes. “Then I’d suggest earlier.”

“Four thirty it is..” Maxine brought out a hunger and a desire in Reynaldo like nothing else possibly could. He knew now with her in his life and in his arms, what the dope fiends that he kept under the thrall of drugs felt when they got that high, what they got when they differed through the pain and anguish before finally catching the dragon they had been chasing. Rey was an addict for Maxine James and he hoped to die of an overdose.

As she pressed herself against him, his large hands drifted down her toned body to the hem of the dress that she had only recently straightened. He growled into her shoulder as he fought back the yearning to take her as his once again. As his fingers began to slide under his wife’s white skirt, the phone in his jeans pocket began to vibrate loudly. Saved or damned by the bell, he wasn’t really sure. ReyRey took a step back, finally allowing Maxine some freedom from his grasp as he pulled out his cell to check the caller ID. “No rest for the wicked. I have to take this, I’ll see you tonight?”

“Of course, and if you don’t, I might be dead,” Max said rather bluntly, humouring herself but also knowing her lover hated when she said shit like that. She only teased. No one would dare and for whoever that would, well, they’d be making an enemy out of this whole town. Max knew with ReyRey, she was safe. “I’m kidding,” she corrected herself, putting her lipstick back on the table. Even with her backtracking, R2 knew better. She was in a playful mood. Turning to face her man, she pressed her lips against his amorously. Jokingly, the Queensnake giggled, “If I die, it’s because you take my breath away.” She squeezed his butt before releasing him from her embrace, sauntering off to the door. “I’ll see you later, baby.”

As Indira's nimble fingers danced over Owen's sore muscles, kneading away the knots of tension, her thoughts meandered through the labyrinth of her relationships. Each connection with her loved ones was like a vibrant thread in the tapestry of her life. With Owen, it was a love as deep and vast as the ocean, cradling their shared past, present, and the dreams of their future. She could lose herself in those cerulean eyes of his, their depths mirroring his resolve, his strength, and above all, his quiet love for her.

Her thoughts then swirled to Maxine, her best friend and confidant. Their bond was akin to the rush of a rapid river, forceful and unstoppable, with undercurrents of secrets shared, challenges faced, and victories celebrated. The beautiful James was the lightning storm to Indie's thunder, each complementing the other's energy. Now, as Max disappeared into her husband's office, the sounds of R2's furniture echoing through the Edge, Indie couldn't help the amused smile that played on her lips. Her sister had found her match.

And then there was Ely, the contemplative artist of their group. Their friendship was like a placid lake, a mirror reflecting back their deepest thoughts and desires. She was the reality check in Indie’s whirl of chaos, her sounding board when things got too loud. Indie admired Ely for her ability to find beauty in the mundane, her artistic vision transforming the ordinary into extraordinary. Indie followed Ely's distant gaze, her own eyes lighting up with amusement when she noticed the camera in her friend's hands.

"Uh-huh," she drawled out playfully, her arms curled around her husband's broad shoulders and pushing her chest against his back in a tender moment contradicting Indira's playful teasing. "Someone looks distracted," she teased, a glint of mischief dancing in her eyes. She took a casual sip of her drink, the rim of the glass concealing her knowing smile. "Found a new muse, Ely?" Indie let her words hang in the air, the teasing challenge evident in her gaze as she studied her friend. She knew how Ely could lose herself in her photography, utterly consumed by a captivating subject. And the way her friend was lost in her thoughts right now... Indie would bet her next selfie that Ely had found a new inspiration.

As the office door finally creaked open, Indie’s smile broadened, a mischievous glint sparkling in her eyes. There, slightly dishevelled and flushed was Maxine, radiating an aura of satiation. "Finally had your fill of your hunny?" Indie asked, her voice rich with playful amusement. "Join us in teasing our dreamy-eyed Ely here." She gestured towards Elysia, her grin widening in anticipation of the inevitable banter and laughter. This was their dance, their rhythm, the symphony of friendship that held them together, and Indie wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Never enough, girl. You know me,” Max grinned as she sauntered to her group, her sharp gaze immediately catching sight of the subject on her friend’s camera. “I was wondering when you’d finally meet Adelaide. She’s definitely your type.”

“Adelaide?” The once distracted Elysia shot her head up to look at Max, the woman who knew more than anyone their age probably should. “And you weren’t going to say something until now?”

Rolling her eyes, Maxine crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair. “What fun would that be?” She asked, not expecting an answer in return. The question was rhetorical after all. “She prefers Addie, by the way, and Ely. I know you and you like to find your own muses. Now you have a name and a face. I think it’s time for you to go find her.”

“Right now?” The blonde woman looked around at their friend group, as if this was a trick question. Was Max freeing her of her duties or was there a catch? Maxine was always in a good mood after getting railed by ReyRey. He really did know how to make his woman happy but still, Ely could’ve sworn they had a shit ton to do or did Max already delegate everything to make their lives easier?

“As long as you have Beau’s montage done by tonight, that’s all I need from you. So yes, right now. I’m sure I made you wait long enough.” Maxine smiled, her demeanour was cool and collected. She was relaxed. Watching Ely swiftly gather her things, she gently commanded, “Before you go…” she stopped her friend in her tracks, as she took a cigarette out of her bralette and placed it in between her luscious, red-painted lips.

There was no need for Max to say more. Ely understood many cues without most people talking, when she wasn’t distracted by a manic pixie dream girl. This was an obvious one. Taking out her lighter, Ely lit the smoke before dipping, giving a peace sign as she dashed away from the table. Now the Queensnake was with her best friend and best friend’s husband. She inhaled the smoke into her lungs, taking a deep breath, before blowing it out to her side, away from the lovers. She surveyed the Edge of Sin, basking in the calm and peace of her home. Then and only then she was ready to talk.

“I promised my dad, Craig, I’d grab a bite with him. So I won’t take anymore of your time.” She took another drag, relaxing her shoulders, her mind thinking of many things at once, and nothing at all. A gift she had. Times like these, she appeared calm but the reality was her mind was going a million miles per hour. She couldn’t stop thinking, which is part of why she leaned into her addiction with her husband. He was good at keeping her restless thoughts at bay, her focus on him and only him. He was good at making her want him. Even now, after she already got plenty of time with him moments ago. She still wanted him and she would never stop wanting him. This was how their love story was written and she was happy to call it her own.

Their time was over and she had to get back to work. Her thoughts came rushing in and she was met with her to-do list, schedule and appointments. What she needed to do, what she wanted to do and what she could push onto the back burner, for her to address on a later date. Today’s priority was Beau’s retirement party and it was her job to make sure it goes perfectly. Without a hitch. “Aside from checking up on all those we hired, making sure they get their part done, I’ll need you two to head to Blue Heaven early. Make it look nice. Classy but fun. Beau it up. Pres has staff there and they’re already expecting you. The place is charming as is, it just needs a little pizzazz. Can you both handle it or do I need to recruit more hands?”

“Nah we got this, right babe?” Owen looked up to the blessed woman he called his bride and met her chocolate eyes with a smile. She was perfect from any angle and no matter what she posted on her busy social feed, he knew that her subscribers and fans would always be jealous of the silent boxer taking the photographs. Indie looked back at him with acknowledgment and love which only added to the warmth that already filled the quiet man’s heart, He raised his bruised hands to lace his fingers with his lovers where he kissed her wedding band. “Is there any….”

Before Owen could finish his thought, the door of the office from which Maxine had just left, reopened and out stepped the Kingsnake himself. Max’s love had done wonders for Reynaldo’s personal habits and outlook on life but he still carried the aura of malice and fear that someone in his position needed to have. The few underling Serpents that were in the tool either froze up or hurryingly pretended to work at their respective stations to prepare the Edge to open its doors.

“Seriously?!” ReyRey looked towards his wife’s inner circle of freaks and geeks. He didn’t really have much of an opinion on Maxine’s crew of weirdos beyond the pleasantries. One of the many lessons that Rey had learned from his father was damage control and protecting those you cared about in their chosen profession. “Why are you still here? Don’t you have things to do?” R2 was unable to prevent Maxine from entering his business but he sure as shit would do his utmost to prevent the people she loved, like her little sister and those friends of hers from getting hurt and getting sucked into the hellmouth that was this town. “Get the fuck out!” Reynaldo would do anything for Max. He shot a look towards his wife and called out just before slamming the door behind him when he re-entered the office. “Love you mami!”

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

_{Introducing: Bradley Thompson
Also FT: Estella Serrano
Location: Festival, heading to the Date Auction
Interacting: Reya ^{@The Muse} at the end}

_{@Hey Im Jordan & @LovelyComplex}


____________________________________________________________________

The world wasn’t steady. She could barely see what was around her, let alone walk straight. Estella Serrano did not drink. Not like her friends did. She was a working girl and had to make sure she could function on the ranch. Being in Levi’s presence stirred a fire in her that she didn’t realize she had until he came back in the picture. On top of that, he just let her run off! What a jerk. She knew he was a sleazeball but letting a drunk girl run off, not giving a damn? That’s a whole ‘nother level. Scumbug level!

Grumpy and perturbed, she tried to maneuver through the festival to find her best friend. It was absolutely frustrating she hadn’t seen Reya all day. Stella felt awful because she wanted to be there for her, seeing how it was her dad’s one year angelversary. They had promised each other they’d meet. On top of that, her phone went missing so it wasn’t like she could call her. Finding a lamp post, she hugged it for stability. Lifting her right hand in the air, she looked at the bracelet that she got for her friend, wearing it all day in hopes she could gift it and be like surprise, I love you. It had personalized braided rope and the centerpiece was a memorial photo projection charm that uses nano-engraving technology on the love stone. Stella put a lot of time and thought into this gift and she hoped Reya would love it.

First though? She needed to find her. Dramatically sighing, the eldest Serrano pushed herself off the post and started following the crowd. She had heard whispers that the auction was starting. If Zack was participating, Reya would certainly be there to drool at her eye candy. Her forever eye candy that she still hadn’t had the courage to make a move on. That girl seriously needed cupid to throw several love daggers at her, or arrows. Whatever. She needed someone to do magic or her poor Reya would always think of the what ifs, rather than live her life. As she swayed, failing to walk in a straight line, a handsome blonde stranger enthusiastically greeted her. Stopping in her place, she narrowed her eyes to try to get his face to stop moving so she could make out who he was. “Hi, yes… I do, um, I know where it is but do you know where you are?” Oh no, she wasn’t making sense. This poor guy. “... who are you?”

The handsome gentleman standing in front of her frowned. He hadn’t expected her to slur her words; the Stella he remembered wasn’t much of a drinker, if a drinker at all. Even so, it was certainly her; even with slurred words, he knew one of his old friends' voices very well. Was she so drunk she’d forgotten him? He bent down so he was closer to her face — she was so much shorter than he was, he almost felt like he was talking to a child. A very… very drunk child. This made him laugh.

After he was done laughing, the smile he wore never left his face as he straightened up. He was so happy to see her! Stella would know where the petting zoo was. Of that, he was certain. She was also a friend, but he really wanted to pet the goat. With the drugs still active in his system, he wasn’t exactly handling it the best. The smile faded, replaced by a frown. Should he have already introduced himself? He didn’t think about that.

“Uhm.. Brad. Bradley. Er, Thompson. Bradley Thompson. Abigail’s brother. That’s me.” As if to accentuate his point, he jutted a thumb toward his chest. His phone buzzed. He ignored it; it would have been rude to check it while talking to a friend! Bradley would check it later.

With him so close to her face, Stella narrowed her eyes. There’s no way this was Bradley. She gently grabbed his chin and turned his face from side to side. “Bradley. Like… B-Rad. Bradley that lives in Cali?” She tried her best to not slur as much anymore, hyper focused on the person in front of her. She was coherent but she did have long pauses between her words. She was doing her best.

Releasing him, she crossed her arms and tilted her head, “You changed. So much.” Maybe she was too drunk for this because the Bradley she knew didn’t dress this sophisticated and clean, and if she remembered correctly he had longer hair, glasses, blemishes and much more meat on his bones. It wasn’t until she really stared into his eyes, no longer letting her gaze wander, clearly checking him out, that she did see the Bradley she knew.

No way!

When did he move back home? Was he just visiting? Why didn’t he tell her?!

“Bradley!” She exclaimed, finally recognizing him. She jumped into his arms, practically pouncing and brought him into an embrace. Stella was always one to show affection to those she cared for. The moment didn’t last because grumpily, she pulled away and punched him in the arm. “So you’re going to act like you didn’t tell me you were here?!”

Bradley never really got used to being objectified. Of course he noticed Stella checking him out — the change since the last time she’d seen him was fairly drastic. Hitting the gym in college and whipping himself into shape after leaving Sanctuary had been one of his best choices in his life, but it was one that his grandmother seemed intent on undoing since he’d returned. After an adolescence and high school career filled with no success with women, glasses, and greasy hair, it was a weird change to have girls look at him. Really look at him.

He couldn’t deny a swell of pride in his chest when it was Stella doing it, though.

Being called B-Rad had made him smile. Was he rad? He wasn’t sure. After she hit him with the big question, Bradley tilted his head to the side. His answer was honest. “I didn’t really tell anyone I was coming back. I’ve only been back a couple of months!” He frowned. The last time he’d seen Stella, a couple of months had been an eternity, but they’d both been younger then. He was old now, a couple of months went by in the blink of an eye… “Abigail was acting out… my grandparents were going to lose the shop, the bank was gonna foreclose on our house… I had a lot to take care of. And I still have my California job! I just sleep when I have free time.”

He frowned. “I’m sorry, Stella. I just haven’t had time to do anything for myself since I got back.”

He’s been here for months?!

As surprised as she was, she didn’t take offense because even without them seeing each other, he still checked up on her and they chatted when they could. He never did disappear. He was just too shy to send her pictures of his California adventures but she loved hearing his stories and what he loved. Unlike LEVI, Bradley was a good friend. “Well then,” Estella grabbed onto his arm, hooking her own with his. She led the charge toward the growing crowd, using him obviously for stability. She was unable to walk straight. “Before I tell you where the pet zoo is, because I know how much you love the babies, you must help me. On a quest! To find my best friend.”

She glanced up at the man 10 inches taller than her and gleamed. “I clearly had too much to drink and was abandoned by a jerk-mc-jerkface. So could you do me a solid and keep me company? I do real dumb things when I drink and I really need to find Reya.” She pouted, turning back to the Auction which was a bit of a walk away. Or it seemed far away but her perception was tipsy-tourney. Leaning her head on him, she continued, “Her dad died a year ago and I feel like a bad friend for not seeing her yet. I really hope she’s okay.

At least she’d accepted his reasoning. He wished he had more time to establish a presence back in his hometown, but he’d been so busy that it just hadn’t been able to happen. Even his planned weekly sleepovers with Levi had been stopped dead in their tracks. There was no time to be Bradley! He was lucky he’d been able to sneak away for this.

He felt Stella leaning on him. How could he not? Almost naturally he moved his arm so it was looped around her waist rather than having her just hanging off it. It would be easier to steady her that way, he thought. “... sure, I like quests.” Of course, in his mind a quest was something that had a bit more swords and sorcery, but this was okay too. He could work with this. Plus, she didn’t want to be alone while she was drunk! What was he going to do? Abandon her so he could go hold rabbits? Rabbits that most likely belonged to her family farm? That just wouldn’t be proper.

“Oh, right! I got a text.” He didn’t know why he said that aloud. He pulled his phone out as they walked with her in the lead and his arm keeping her from falling. Really, he thought it was time that Stella go lay down, but he could both understand and respect the desire to be with a sad friend. He stared at the phone, reading the words once, then twice. A third time, and he still didn’t believe them. Eventually, he managed to speak again. “Oh, no.” He said.

“Someone,” he did not say Levi’s name. Whether it was intentional or a slip of a THC-riddled mind was anyone’s guess, “signed me up for the dating auction thingy. I’m gonna be auctioned off. Like a slave in Game of Thrones.” If Bee were here, she would have laughed at him.

“Crap.”

“Hey, what better way to show you’re in town then go on stage and shake your booty?” Stella giggled, amused. As she went to look up at him again, up to see the concern and distress, her amber eyes caught sight of the brilliant moon. The stars were out and where they were, in a rural small town, there was plenty in the sky. Without the dark, one could only dream of such a beautiful sight. There was always something bigger and more beautiful to strive for. There was always something worth dreaming about. That’s what the stars made her think of. She loved the night.

“I bet Cali skies aren’t like this,” she whispered as she became distracted by something she likely saw everyday. Yet everyday, she observed it like it was the first time. Everyday she was filled with wonder and awe, never letting the dreamer inside of her die. Her gaze trailed from the sky to his face as he directed them closer to the event. Forwardly, she asked, “Were you happy? In Cali?”

That was not an easy question to answer, at least to answer honestly. Bradely was quiet as he thought about it, wondering if he should have responded. Honesty, he reasoned, would probably help them be friends for longer. That didn’t make it any easier to say something so seriously, he thought with a gulp. “Yeah, yeah I was. I… uh, don’t have the best memories of being here. Most people here weren’t very nice to me, Stel… Like, in school. People were mean until the day I left.” He said the last part in a hushed voice, as if he were embarrassed to admit it. “It was different there, it felt like people respected me more. They understood me better. It helped me… take care of myself more.”

The silence lingered for a second longer than he liked and Brad cleared his throat, quickly stealing a look up at the stars. “The stars are nice here though! Definitely better than Southern California.” He said quickly, stammering through his words and unable to hide the blush on his cheeks.

Sadness washed over the Serrano girl as she realized this town wasn’t a happy place for everyone. For her, it was home. There was a time when she and her siblings traveled to see their mom; she can count the times with one hand. It wasn’t many and before they all knew it, their mother wanted nothing to do with them and she stopped trying. Sometimes she wished she was part of the class of all her friends. Maybe she would have caught sight of Bradley’s bullies and all those that pushed him to the point that he couldn’t grow here. That he had to leave. She envied his courage and strength. He was able to get out. A dream many have but never achieve. She didn’t know if that was her dream though. She loved the ranch and her family. She loved this town she called home. But she didn’t see beyond the day, she didn’t really look ahead like most kids. Estella was thrown into a life of responsibilities at a young age. That’s why days like these when she did allow herself to slip surprised everyone. Stella rarely slips. Stella is a good girl and Javier’s legacy. Stella knew how to have fun but her fun always had limits. Levi brought out a side in her she wished she could bring out more. A side that made her feel free. Unburdened and relaxed. Little to no worries. Even if he did her good, for today, she was still mad at him and wouldn’t forgive him for ghosting her and their friends. Not until he legitimately meant what he said.

“I don’t know if this means much but I’m glad you’re back…” Stella responded, stopping in her tracks, which forced him to stop walking too. Grabbing on her dress, scrunching it in a tight grip, her downcast eyes looking at the ground and not him, she apologized, the booze shifting her playfulness to sorrow, “and I’m sorry you have so many bad memories here. I wished I’d notice.” She was an awful friend.

Bradley shifted a bit. He hadn’t thought about how this conversation would go hard enough it seemed. He didn’t really expect Stella to absorb his energy and turn it into her own. He had thought that throwing her off by mentioning the sky would keep it from getting too sad, but it seemed Bradley had failed. “Don’t be sorry, Stella. It’s okay. I wouldn’t trade my life for the world, I wouldn’t be here again if I hadn’t started here.” It made sense to him, so he nodded.

“And it does mean a lot! Don’t worry, everything is chill. Everything is awesome when you’re with your friends, and that’s where I am right now.” He paused and gave her a thumbs up. In his mind, there was no stronger confirmation than the sacred thumbs up. “I can’t believe I have to go up on stage and be prostituted. Who would even pay money for a date with me? My grams?”

“Me, but only if you do a smolder,” Stella snickered, teasing really, adding a wink for extra measure. Even if he didn’t give a charming look at the crowd, she would still bid on him. They were friends and she hated that he didn’t think he was liked, loved or wanted. She wanted to prove him wrong. Shaking off the sads, Estella tried to bury the grief and focus on her mission. They needed to get to the auction. Suddenly, however, she realized she was no longer using him to keep upright. She didn’t know when this happened but she had stumbled forward and for some reason, the world spun a lot faster than usual. Stella found herself tipping over.

Bradley was impressed with how Stella’s wink made him feel and he had to remind himself that she was drunk. A sober Stella would never talk or flirt with him in such a way… she would never intentionally give him that flutter in his stomach he’d felt mere moments before. She would never… fall like that! Bradley was almost more impressed with his own agility than he was with the feelings the wink gave him as he quickly threw his hands out and caught Stella before she fell to the ground, looking down into her eyes. “Ah, Stel. Be careful. Don’t wanna fall right before we get there, do you?” He asked with a grin before he glanced toward the dating auction stage.

Whoopsie. Okay, maybe the reality was starting to sink in that she got a little too competitive with Levi. And she was extremely inebriated. Though as Bradley held onto her, gradually bringing her from a dip to his side, she once again became bewildered with how much he changed. How different he looked. Did he really think he couldn’t get a girlfriend looking like that? “Will I fall…?” she playfully grinned at him, wrapping her arms around him once more. “...When I have you to catch me?” As her flirtatious words danced around them, she brought her attention to the crowd. She broke the moment by poking his belly. “You’re tall! Do you see Reya?”

Unfortunately, Bradley hadn’t seen Reya in years. He didn’t even know what he was looking for. Stella was right about one thing: He was pretty tall! Without really thinking about what he was doing, Bradley knelt down and helped Stella onto his shoulders and extended to his full height. “Now you’re tall. Do you see Stella?” Bradley asked, doing his best to stay absolutely still so that the woman didn’t stumble or fall.

This gesture caused Estella to beam red as she tried her best to keep her dress down, separating her skin from Bradley’s neck. In addition, she adjusted her purse so it was falling behind her and not hitting his head. She didn’t expect this but she also didn’t refuse it. When he stood fully up, she held onto his head, laughing like a child. If it wasn’t for his grip on her legs, she’d likely fall right off. She got lost in the randomness of it all that for a moment, she forgot why he did it in the first place but she was immediately brought on track when she saw a familiar head with brown hair, right by the stage platform. “You’re in luck, B-Rad. She’s exactly where you need to go.” There was a second she thought about calling her name but then she realized if she had family around, they’d try to find her and take her home. She also realized her being this high in the air would get her noticed too. “Okay, okay. Put me down… and take me to my love!”

Bradley shrugged. “As the princess desires,” he said as he kneeled down so Stella could get down from his shoulders. He had half a mind to let her walk on her own. Aren’t I due on stage? He thought to himself, but he didn’t voice his concerns aloud. Instead he just once again put his arm around Stella’s waist and led her toward the way she was going. When they were just nearly there, he stopped. “I gotta run, Stella! I can’t believe he signed me up for this. Fucking Levi. Oh.” He frowned. “Levi is looking for you, he seemed pretty concerned. I forgot to say. Don’t forget to take me to pet the animals, okay?” With that, Bradley gave Stella another smile — had his smile always been that charming? — and then turned to walk away, headed to the stage.

Levi?

Just when she was going to ask him a question, he was off heading toward the stage and Stella was left with a thousand thoughts. She knew Levi and Bradley were close, years ago, but based on the little words that were just said… this meant… there was someone Levi stayed in contact with. And it wasn’t her. The anger was boiling inside her all of a sudden but that didn’t matter right now. She needed to not let this bother her and ruin her day. All these unanswered questions. On top of that bullcrap, Levi didn’t even tell her Bradley was in town. She wanted to scream but no. She couldn’t. She needed to not think about that asshole.

Breathe, Stella.

Focusing on the person that mattered the most to her, Stella skipped to the table Reya was sitting at (almost tripping) and slapped her hands on the table, “Reyaaaaaaa, I’ve been looking all over for you. I don’t have my phone but I’m here now!” She slid on the bench next to her best friend and yearningly, eagerly pulled her into a hug.

“After this, I have so much to tell you.”

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

_{TIMESTAMP: Evening, just around the start of the Auction
Introducing: Kitty
FT: The Snypes Sibs
@Viciousmarrow & @LovelyComplex}

____________________________________________________________________

As the Date Auction started, the voice of Jewel’s, the mayor’s secretary, could be heard in the distance, projecting out of a mic. And off the distance, a lanky, redhead girl with a plaid skirt, layered shirts, and a collar stared blankly around in the crowd, searching for the other redheads of this town. The one redhead she did find was heading toward the Ferris Wheel. She didn’t need that redhead. She needed the BAND.

Vermillion Ablaze.

RED FIRE.

This was odd, especially coming from her, that Zachary wasn’t on the makeshift platform waiting in advance. He was always like thirty to an hour early to practice. As the saying goes, early is on time, on time is late and late is UNACCEPTABLE. Maybe he was making last minute changes to their set list? Maybe he solved a grade school puzzle for once? MAYBE he found himself right in a pillow of tits, smothering his face in pure fluffiness?

No matter.

As she waited, to keep her mind off of the fact that she was missing a steamy event where people thirst after one another and throw their cash like they’re at a strip joint, she decided to warm up her bass. Feel it and let the music overwhelm her, like she did time and time again. Overflowing and clouding her senses. Without much thought, already having her red bass strapped on and hanging, she stood tall on a built stage near an open clearing. Once she was done loosening herself up by doing a little wiggle, she jumped high in the air before slapping her bass and playing DADADADADADADADADADA. High Driver Join. Selen.

She played as if the festival was empty. She was there, alone, surrounded by colors. Surrounded by feelings. Surrounded by her imagination. That was part of what made Kayleigh Thrasher-Jones a sight to watch. She acted like no one was there with her, regardless of who was near her. Her soul was almost tangible as she got lost with her bass, allowing everyone to experience something pure, something authentically Kayleigh. Or how she preferred to be called by everyone. Kitty.

Just Kitty.

Intensely, passionately, rocking with her bass and tapping on the fretboard, she focused inward, with her music, and waited for her cousins. Whether she was aware of it or not, Kitty was a fantastic bassist. What started as something she did because her father loved music and taught her everything she knows, turned into something that helped shut the parts of her brain that others would be scared of if she dared talk about it. Music made her normal or maybe it made her likable. Whichever it was, she didn’t care. Bass was fun. Bass had a feel to it. Bass was all about that good, good vibrations. It makes you want to dance. It’s part of the engine driving the song home. Slap it, tap it, get funky or go deep. That’s what made the bass the absolute best to play. The sensations it made her feel and made others feel. It really was all about that bass.

Em and Zack sat on the back of their dad’s old truck, watching their cousin’s frenetic performance as they gorged themselves on fully dressed hot dogs, oversalted pretzels, and the sweetly cheap nectar of Bud Lights. Twas truly a divine feast, fit only for Gods of Rock and Roll like themselves. Practice had gone well, and this was their sublime reward. Earlier, they’d gone back to the house and picked everything they need to perform tonight, including their strange cousin, Kitty. It was going to go spectacularly. Even Em seemed pretty confident in her abilities to sing the song and drum along to the songs Zack had relegated to her.

“This is the second time she’s done this in the past hour.” Zack mused, whisking crumbs away from his mouth with the back of his hand. “She’s really committing to this bass solo thing. Is she trying to tell us she wants to play that during the set?”

Em sighed deeply at her brother’s question. With a shrug, she finished off the last of her beer, her fifth drink of the day. “It’s that, or she just keeps forgetting we’re done practicing. She’s got goldfish brain, Zack. I love her, but god damn…” Em reached back into the cooler they’d brought along and cracked open another Bud Light.

“Goldfish brain? What do you mean?” Zack looked quizzically at his sister, not understanding the phrase.

Clearing her throat and shaking her head in disappointment, Em began to lecture her sibling in a matter of fact manner. “Zack… Goldfish, like you, have a small brain. Their cognitive skills aren’t up to human standards and they…”

“HEY KITTY! EM SAID YOU HAD GOLDFISH BRAIN!” Zack suddenly burst out. “ALSO GREAT JOB AGAIN ON THAT SOLO! REALLY SLAPPING THOSE STRINGS! COME GET A HOT DOG!” Beside him, Em blew a raspberry and rolled her eyes.

Suddenly stopping, Kitty looked over her shoulder at her cousins, her gray eyes falling on Zachary. She stood there, neither smiling or frowning. Her gaze locked with his and she took a moment to ask him something that had come to mind, in the moment. “Have you ever eaten a goldfish whole? Dropped it in your mouth and swallowed?” For some reason, something was telling her if Zack was dared to, he might or maybe she had a dream of him doing it and she wanted to see it. Regardless of how she remembered this, she needed to know. Would he eat a goldfish whole? Frozen in place, not budging, nearly a statue, she waited. They knew, especially Em, that Kitty wouldn’t move until he answered. That’s just how she was. She needed to know.

“Kitty, c’mon. You know that’s a sensitive topic.” Zack huffed, folding his arms together.

“Oh for fucks sake, Zack. You’re not going to bring up the goldfish we had as a kid, are you?” Em probed, annoyed at her brother’s sudden defensiveness.

“What? Mr. Hatley was part of the family, and you decided to put him in my mouth when I was sleeping.”

“I WAS 6 YEARS OLD, ZACK. YOU CAN’T PUT THAT ON ME.” Em rose to the occasion, nearly dragging the duo back into their ceaseless bickering.

“So yeah, yes, Kitty, I did swallow my best friend in the whole world when I was 12. You woulda remembered that ‘cause you and Em were accomplices.`` Zack’s eyes glazed over darkly, as if reliving a terrible nightmare.

“I knew it, I see things you know?” Kitty's mouth finally rose into a smirk as she turned on her heel, taking off her bass. “I must put away Oscar Winning Frankfurter the Seventh. He needs rest.” She shuffled to her case and like she was touching a gift from some almighty power, she placed her red bass back in, securing Frank and locking him up. Bouncing up, she pranced to her cousins and laid out her hand for the dog. “Does it have everything I like?”

Em gripped the bridge of her nose after hearing her cousin rattle off the name of her bass. “You guys have got to stop naming your instruments, oh my god. It should actually be banned. You know what I call my drums? I call them drums because they’re not real sentient creatures.”

“Em, that’s because you’re lazy and have no creativity. You just don’t have any pazzazz. I call your drums Dreama. I don’t know why, but that’s just the name that speaks to me.” Zack plopped a plain hot dog with absolutely nothing on it in Kitty’s hand. “There, Kitty. Your favorite. Air on Dog.”

“Perfect, I love Air on Dog,” Kitty graciously took her flavorless hot dog and inspected it, making sure it truly was her ideal hot dog. Afterwards, she started moving it in the air like an airplane as she talked to Em. Her cousin with no friends. “I don’t like Dreama. I prefer Oscar Winning Frankfurter the Eighth. And I think Oscar Winning Frankfurter the First, the Second, the Third, the Fourth, the Fifth, the Sixth, and obviously, the Seventh would agree. Frankfurter is a good name. Frank. Furter. Oscar Winning.” Once she was done with her rambles, the Air on Dog found its way into her mouth, she began unceremoniously shoveling it in.

Em started to rub her eyes in frustration at the sheer stupidity of these two. “Okay, that’s it. I’m breaking out the heavy shit.” She crawled her way back deeper in the depths of the truck’s bed and brought into light a gallon jug of clear liquid. With a little effort, she popped off the lid and heaved a hefty swig of the mysterious concoction into her mouth. She was gagging for air in a mere moment, the scorching liquor a fire in her belly.

“Holy shit, Em. It’s like 8:30. Oh wait… I guess that is the right time to start drinking.” Zack caught himself as he looked into the horizon, noting the sun’s quiet departure and the arrival of the night. “Welp. Let’s pass the moonshine around!” The flaming haired man took the jug from his sister and downed his own fair share before offering it to his cousin.

“All the shine, but where is the moon?” Kitty asked out loud, licking her fingers before grabbing the giant jug. “8:30 and because of your need, to live and breathe a set list that has no coherent theme, we miss the biggest event of the day.” Sighing heavily, Kitty brought the liquid mistake into her lips and chugged, chugged, chugged. When her belly was feeling fuzzy, she released the jug and passed it back to Em. “This is why we don’t get laid.”

“Yeah, okay. Speak for yourselves.” Zack chuckled to himself, posturing against the truck. For some reason though, Kitty’s words made him think that he might be forgetting something. Hmm… It was probably nothing.

Em was clearly flustered at the mention of not getting laid, but chose not to engage in that dialogue. The drinks hadn’t helped, her skin growing a deep red both in embarrassment and as her intoxication increased. “Kitty, what could we possibly be missing at this backwoods festival? What? Are we missing the corn shucking contest? Maybe the barnyard ho down?” The moonshine was quick to work on the small woman, and damn, she was already a little dizzy.

Instead of giving a clear answer, Kayleigh took this as an opportunity to play a game. With her hands free, she took a couple steps back, feeling lit because of all the drink she drank. Tying her shirt to show her stomach, and giving herself a sultry vibe, she walked down the runway flipping her hair side to side. When she did a pose at the end of the runway, she put her finger up for them to wait a moment and ran to the other side, pretending to be in the crowd. She swiped her hand on top of her other hand, like she was throwing cash to the stage. She brought her finger up once more, WAIT, and went back to the stage. Kitty pretended to have tears of joy as she picked up the cash off the floor.

Then and only then she was done acting out the date auction.

Wallah! She spread her hands out, spirit fingers, wondering if they got it from her obvious imagery.

“Oh! Oh! I know, I know!” Zack exclaimed, bouncing up and down like an excited dog. “Moulin Rouge! Moulin Rouge!” It was so obvious from Kitty’s display that someone was putting on a grand soiree, an elaborate performance of Baz Luhrmann’s musical masterpiece.

Em’s brain hurt. Between the two of her relatives, she felt like the only sane one here and her only comfort was the alcohol starting to set in her bloodstream. “Zack, nobody’s doing Moulin Rouge here… also what the fuck scene are you thinking about? It’s set in a fucking cabaret, not a strip club. Actually, wait you might be onto something…” Em thought about the context for a moment. In retrospect, maybe, for once in his life, Zack was right.

“Okay, Kitty, where’s the Moulin Rouge performance? I’m down.” The smallest Snype admitted defeat, slipping off the back of the truck and onto the grass. The world spun slightly, but not enough to keep her out of tonight’s festivities.

Placing her hands on her face, Kitty silently screamed. They were idiots. Both of them. To miss the signs. The obvious signs. They would never win a real game of charades. Grumbling to herself, her hands dropping to her side, she walked to them. Turning around, she pointed across the street, where there was a crowd growing. “The date auction. We’re missing the date auction. All because Zack loves to practice.”

“Oh yeahhhh! That’s what I forgot! The date auction!” Zack uttered, holding a finger up as if a lightbulb had just illuminated in his head. “That was pretty good, Kitty. Should’ve been an actress.”

Em, as well, was screaming silently. There was no way in hell that little runway shindig was an auction. Auctions didn’t have runways. How did that make sense at all?? “...Whatever. I don’t really care about that, so I’m just gonna sit here. You guys go and do your stupid little fake date bets, and I’m going to finish my beer and wait for the set.” She started to make a move back to the truck bed.

“We can go?” Kitty’s eyes widened, giving her cousins puppy dog eyes. She thought they had just started practice but if Zack was willing, she’d go and drag Em too! “Really?”

Zack grabbed Em’s arm before she managed to root himself to the truck. “No, no, no! We go together. As a family. To the date auction.” he insisted boldly, maybe not instantly recognizing how weird that sounded. “Oh shit, that’s right… I’m in it! C’mon guys we gotta go, go, go!” He felt around for his phone in his pocket, tore it out, and choked back a panicked shriek. “Damn it, I’m so late! LET’S GO, TEAM!” With Em in his iron grip, he started bounding towards the festival’s center.

“Wait! What about Frank? What about Bonnie? What about Dreama?!” Kitty shouted as her cousins were off like horses at the race tracks. Oh shoot. They were leaving her behind, she hated being left behind. Swiftly, she picked up her case and slid Frank in the back of Zack’s truck. Her gaze fell on the unfinished moonshine.

Hm.

They couldn’t let that go to waste.

Grabbing the jug and saying her goodbyes to the instruments, Kitty speedily chased after her cousins, moonshine in hand. “WAIT FOR ME!” She paused as she almost ran into some randos. She didn’t bother saying excuse me. “DOES THIS MEAN I CAN PLAY?” The auction sounded so much fun! She’d give a killer performance.

“Of course you can play, Kitty! We’re gonna tear this auction up, baby!” Zack beamed, practically dragging his poor sister behind him.

“LET ME GO! LET ME GOOOO!” Em begged, tripping every which way as her stronger sibling ripped her away from her comfort zone and into the depths of hell.

Tailing the two siblings, Kitty sang NSync like she was their radio as they rushed to the biggest event of the day, the month, the year!

“IT’S TEARIN’ UP MY HEART WHEN I’M WITH YOUUUUUUU.”

The date auction!

She couldn’t wait to see all the thirsty people.

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

_{TIMESTAMP: Day
LOCATION: The Festival}

____________________________________________________________________


_{@The Muse & @LovelyComplex}
____________________________________________________________________

Gleaming at her friend, a smile never leaving her face, Estella observed him quietly as he used his charming words, which she was sure he used on plenty of other girls, and took in the sight. The sight of her. She knew what they had wasn’t like what he had with other girls. She was his friend and he was her’s. She knew there was a special place in his heart that was just for her as there was for Nixie and Tommy. Though, over the years and because he left, not bothering to call or text, or even write, things were awkward. She knew that.

She also knew that as much as she and her friends clashed, may it be because Levi broke Nixie’s heart, or Tommy was being overbearing and telling her what to do, they promised her, no matter where they go, no matter how much they drift apart, no matter what changes and what stays the same, they’d always find their way back to each other. They were each other’s home.

Inhaling deeply as his gaze shifted past her, Estella took a moment to pull her phone out of her brown leather purse, which was handcrafted by Celi and embossed with painted flowers. While most would think she was checking her texts, she put the selfie camera on to see behind her, using her right hand to subtly shift her phone to look past her arm. It didn’t take long before she caught sight of red hair she knew too well. There was a moment where her mask dropped; her once kind eyes, void of emotion. She breathed out and kept quiet, watching him carefully.

When he ripped his attention away from staring at their mutual friend, her smile was back on, her beautiful, big amber eyes sparkled, and she changed her phone camera to normal mode directing it to him. When he asked if she was free and that they should spend time together, she quickly snapped a couple of pictures and playfully grinned, momentarily changing the subject, “I need to update your face! See,” she turned her phone towards him, “you look like a babyyyy,” Stella teased, showing a photo she took of him his senior year as he laid in the grass of her ranch, trying to nap under the blazing sun. “And yes, yes. I’m free,” she enthusiastically nodded.

Gasping joyfully, she drawled, giving her best mid-atlantic, Hollywood starlight voice, “You’ll win something for lil’ oh me?” before turning her phone around and placing it on her chest. Her enticing gaze never left his arctic blues, always looking deeply into them and giving dear Levi her undivided attention. Her head was tilted slightly downward as she batted her eyelashes. She looked away, searching for the right booth. “I’m just delighted you want to spend your day with me, Mr. Brooks. Oh I do wonder,” she purred as she found the game she wanted to try. “Are you still good at that basketball game?” She looked back up at him, ready to play. The twins present could wait.

Levi laughed as he looked at the picture Stella had on her phone, unaware that such a picture had ever even existed. He did remember those days like they were yesterday, however. When he was in California he sometimes wished he could have gone back to the Serrano family’s ranch just to clear his head. “We can take a better picture than that, together.”

As Stella put on a “damsel in distress” type accent, Levi looked down at her and smirked, intrigued by her equally playful nature. He held her gaze as she stared up at him and batted her eyelashes dramatically, taking the moment to appreciate the way her eyes reflected gold against the sunlight. “I thought you’d be too busy running around with your family to spend time with poor ole’ me.” He mimicked her accent and played along with the theatrics. Gently, he took her hand into his and bowed his head to her. “It is I who is delighted to have you with me on this fine day, m’lady.” He kissed the top of her hand as if she were royalty and he was but a lowly peasant, simply grateful to bask in her magnificent presence.

“Am I still good at the basketball game?” He laughed in hubris and stood again, releasing her hand from his. “Of course. Care to get your ass kicked, miss Serrano?” He grinned, feeling like a kid challenging her. As they made their way to the nearest basketball setup an idea popped into his mind. What was a game without some stakes involved? “Loser has to buy the winner a drink. You in?”

“I’ll raise you,” Stella countered, crossing her arms as she looked up at him and then the game. The worker waited on them to pay and play. “If I win, I get to give you a dare. If you win, same thing. If one of us makes all shots, we get to add a truth to that. No matter the subject, you have to answer and I will know you’re lying. Same thing goes for you to me.” She stepped forward and gently booped Levi’s nose, giving a devilish smirk, “If you’re down, why don’t you go first? Mr. I’m-the-best-at-this-game. Make me nervous, Captain.” She winked at him, not revealing her cards. If there was one thing she knew of her dear friend it was he didn’t know her. Not really. He left and didn’t see her change and grow. There was no doubt in her mind when he thought of her, he saw the little girl he knew many years ago. She wasn’t little anymore.

Levi raised a brow, intrigued by her suggestion. He looked her up and down, noting how short the little thing was. How did she have so much confidence in basketball? “You want me to dare you to kiss someone, don’t you?” He quipped, clearly assuming that he would win and have to give her a dare. “You’ve got yourself a deal.” He turned towards the man who was running the basketball stand and paid for both Stella and himself to play. As soon as the one minute timer began, the machine dropped several basketballs for Levi to grab and start throwing. He quickly picked up one of the balls and tossed it expertly into the hoop with ease. “HA!” He exclaimed out of excitement. He hadn’t lost his touch yet! Without hesitating he picked up the next ball and tossed it, but this time the ball smacked the rim of the hoop. His smile instantly dropped. Damn. He side eyed Stella to see the joy in her face as the ball bounced back to the start. Quickly he picked up the next ball, then the next, and the next… until one minute was over. By the end of it Levi had missed only two shots. Still pretty good, but not perfect. “Okay, okay. It’s been a while. This is just a warm up.” He laughed and stepped aside for Stella to begin her round.

“A warm up?” Stella placed her hand on the ball, letting their fingers graze one another before pulling it to her. “I don’t remember that being part of the deal.” She commented, situating herself in front of the game. As the timer began, she casually talked, while never losing her focus on the net. “It’s funny, Levi,” she chuckled, aligning her elbow with her shoulder, the ball sitting on her finger pads. Her grip was firm and her stance was that of someone who’s practiced, more often than not. “Did you forget that you got my little brother into basketball?” Smoothly, she pushed the ball upward with her shooting hand, jumping slightly forward, before releasing the ball and following through. “Someone had to make sure he knew the game after you…”

Swoosh.

“Left.”

Her amber eyes glanced at him, letting that last word linger, in the air. She continued, “And,” Gracefully, the ranch girl returned her attention to the net and shot another shot, the same way she did before. Perfect muscle memory. “This game is here every year…” and just like that, her voice trailed off as she picked up the pace. Like she could do this in her sleep, Estella Serrano shot nothing but net. When all ten shots made it in, she gently flung the ball back to the worker and didn’t bother grabbing herself a prize. Seeing that dumb, shocked face on Levi was the best reward she could ever get. Twirling on her toes to face her dear friend, she patted her dress and baited, “…Why wouldn’t I play? Seeing how this is your favorite game. And yet.. you forget, we used to play together. All the time.”

There was a brief silence between the two. They were old friends who had plenty to relearn from one another and even more things to challenge. Whether they were aware of it or not, there was a spark between them. There was something. The silence didn’t last long but it was long enough for her to slow down her racing heart from all the excitement and nerves. She was having fun. She hoped he was too. Stepping forward, inching closer to him, Stella stuck her tongue out and put her hands behind her back. “I win. Want to play again?”

A stab of guilt hit Levi’s heart as Stella mentioned her brother and having to pick up for his absence. He said nothing and did not outwardly react to her comment, but his mind began spinning over what she had said. He had never really considered that him leaving had affected anyone very much at all. As she continued talking and scoring, an amused smile slowly formed on his lips. She was genuinely impressing him; he had not expected to be bested by her, even if they had played this together long ago.

Levi slow clapped as Stella took the victory and he accepted defeat. “You’re a little hustler, hmm?” He joked, “You weren’t this good when we used to play together.” He retorted, chuckling. “Well, I did accept the terms of your challenge. I’m no sore loser. What’s the truth and dare you want from me?”

Rather than immediately tell him what she wanted, Stella finally turned to the worker and chose a big, horse plushie as her prize. Walking away from him, expecting him to follow, she found a group of kids and went straight to the smallest girl. “Hey, Lily,” the songstress approached and brought herself down to the kids’ eye level. “We noticed you really wanted this, so big Brother Levi,” Estella gestured to her friend and smiled, “Worked really hard to get this for you.” The little girl’s reaction was wholesome as her eyes widened, going from teary from constantly losing games to sparkles and excitement.

The girl named Lily didn’t hesitate and grabbed the horsie from Stella. Embracing the plushie, she glanced up at the handsome, older boy and blushed. It was her friends, who were a few years older than her, that spoke up and thanked Levi, explaining that they tried over and over again but couldn’t get enough shots in for the big prize. The group seemed like a younger version of their own friend group. Two girls. Two boys. The charmer, the mother, the protector and the dreamer. The motherly friend whispered something into the other girl’s ear. Lily nodded and with her voice muffled against the stuffed animal, she stammered, “T-thank you, big brother.”

The moment came and went, and the charming boy was quick to grab Lily’s hand to lead his friend group to the next fun thing. It wasn’t long before Estella did the same, grabbing onto Levi’s hand but instead of him taking the lead, she did. “I’ll save the truth for a later date. As for a dare…” her voice trailed off. Turning away from her old friend, her gaze falling on the stage. “Before the day is over, I dare you to go up there, take the mic and do a public apology. I thought, hm. Maybe I’d give you something dirty, but…” the mischievous girl smirked, her words and actions having more intention than Big Brother Levi realized. “...that would be too easy for you. So, you’re going up there and you’re going to speak from your heart. Not your dick. Tell me you’re sorry. Sorry for breaking your promise and leaving me.” Her amber eyes did sadden for a moment before she buried it quickly, shaking it off and continuing, “I’ve forgiven you, obviously, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to torture you.” A giggle escaped her lips as she squeezed his hand. “Or are you going to be a chicken shit?” She poked, before teasingly clucking, “Buk buk ba-gawk!”

“Oh, no, uh, that wasn't me.” Levi mumbled and shook his head in response to Stella putting the nice gesture on him instead, not liking how it made him feel like a fraud. He cringed as the child thanked him anyway, forcing a half-assed smile. He glared playfully at Stella as the children left, making it clear that what she had done had made him uncomfortable. His eyes softened, however, as she intertwined her fingers with his and pulled him in another direction. Willingly, he let her.

His smile dropped as Stella presented her dare to him, feeling anxiety and guilt grip at his heart. He stayed silent for a moment, staring into her eyes to see if she was joking with him or not. It was shocking enough to hear her use vulgar words which she had never used when they were children, but seeing the momentary sadness flash across her face made his heart squeeze. What he had thought was a light hearted time out with her was turning out to be quite the opposite. Apparently he had signed up for a very long guilt trip instead. Briefly, he thought about running from this entire situation and returning to the cafe to help his father instead of dealing with the repercussions of his actions.

Deciding he was done running, he squeezed Stella's hand gently with his own. The fact that she thought he broke the promise broke his heart. “I didn't break the promise, Stell.” He frowned, keeping his eyes on hers. His naturally playful demeanor was long gone now. “I didn't forget about you.” He defended, “I thought about you all the time. And Phoenix, and Tommy.” He sighed, thinking for a moment about all the times that he missed calls and texts and never returned them. “I just… I didn't think you or anyone would care that much if you didn't hear from me.” He shrugged, admitting the truth. He had especially felt this after what had happened between him, Phoenix, and Kitty before he left. They'd be better off not hearing from him in his eyes.

He pulled her into a tight hug then, pressing her body into his. “I would never forget about you.” He whispered to her, resting his chin on top of her head. Sighing, he closed his eyes and accepted his fate. “Jesus, Stell….” His eyes found the platform stage in the center of the festival. “I'm gonna need a few more drinks in me if I'm going up there.” He had never been one to back down from a dare…

Stella didn’t say anything. Not right away. Instead she buried her head into his chest. Closing her eyes, she listened to him explain his piece and breathed in his scent. Truth be told, she hated him. She hated how easy it was for him to come back and pretend no time had passed. How freely he could live, without a care in the world. Maybe there was more to her built up spite than him leaving. Maybe it was the fact that he left her behind. She really did hate how he made her feel. “Well then,” she whispered, not moving out of his embrace. “We should start drinking then, shouldn’t we?”

And drink they would.