NeoAJ

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 {A God RP}

Posting what I got so far to make sure I don't lose the coding. Still working on it.

Parvati, Goddess of Creative Power and Divine Energy

GODDESS OF CREATIVE POWER AND DIVINE ENERGY
GODDESS OF CREATIVE POWER AND DIVINE ENERGY

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx HUMAN 𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗦 Shivani "Shiva" Mahakali 𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 28 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗥 Afternoon host of The Shakedown with Shiva on C89.5, Seattle's Home for Dance	𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝑮𝑶𝑶𝑫 Loving Energetic Inspiring Courageous 𝑩𝑨𝑫 Bipolar Dark Ferocious Destructive 𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 To continue inspiring the younger generations to seize their moments and become powerful, to celebrate the freedom to live her own life, and make sure no one makes the same foolish mistake her husband did. Maybe even see if he has been reincarnated yet. 𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 That her waning influence on the world means that she will not be able to succeed in most of her aims, and that she will not find her husband or someone to take his place. A lonely solitary existence would shrivel this flower, and possibly lead to her darker tendencies rising again. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx DEITY 𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗬 Parvati 𝗗𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 Goddess of fertility, love, beauty, harmony, marriage, children, and devotion; as well as of divine strength and power 𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗢𝗡 Hindu

𝗠𝗬𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗬

Parvati was a being born of the mountains. She emerged from the shadows of the Himalayas to become a consort for Shiva, the destructor. Parvati had to seek out Shiva and convince him that she was worthy of being his wife. Shiva tries to discourage her, but her devotion knew no bounds and eventually the two were wed. They lived in the mountains with their children and watched over much of India. There were times of trouble, like when Shiva cut off her son's head and replaced it with that of an elephant, but for the most part, they remained together, a cohesive unit.

It was said that Parvati possessed such wisdom, devotion and grace that she was the only one who could keep Shiva calm. She bore him children, Ganesha, Kartikeya and Ashokasundari, and doted after them like any mother. She also was very fond of animals, especially parrots, who help her spread the love.

However, when Parvati was crossed, she fully gave into the darkness, transforming into Kali, the ferocious sword-wielder who protects her devotees from evil and severs heads with the best of them. Her wrath is said to crystallize into a dark blood-thirsty goddess with tangled hair that is hellbent on destroying whatever demons lie in her wake. She can only be calmed by an infant's cry, as Parvati's desire to nurture outweighs her desire to rupture.

𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬

Mortality did not come easy for Shiva and Parvati. Parvati was happy to remain by Shiva's side no matter what form, but without his powers, Shiva grew restless and prone to more fits of anger. The rage was sadder due to the impotency that Shiva now displayed, but usually Parvati was able to calm him down.

However, one night a terrible fight led to Shiva storming out of their Constantinople apartment one night in the 1300s. Parvati huffed but assumed that Shiva would return as he always did. It would be a day later and he would feel like a fool, but it would be fine. That was not the case. Shiva eventually returned four months later. Not of his own free will. His body was recovered from Kaçkar Dağı in the East, the destroyer having done himself in by attempting to recreate his mountain home.

Parvati was devastated. She raged so hard she had to be locked away as the Colossus began to move from its home base in Turkey, banned from interacting with the mortals for fear that all would be proclaimed demons. It took 200 years for her to calm down to the point where she could be reintroduced into society. While still despondent at first, eventually Parvati found solace in teaching the children of the world how to make themselves capable beings.

It wasn't until the 1960s in Washington, D.C. when Parvati started to listen to some of the mortals and realize just how much freedom she did have in this mortality. She spent millenniums chasing Shiva, devoting herself to Shiva, even when he was at his worst. The women of that era were primed to take control of their own lives. Maybe it was time she did as well. She still loved teaching, but she started to find her voice again. She protested. She marched. She joined in the struggle for equal rights, hoping to inspire the mortals to do the right thing. There were many wins, but still it felt like an uphill battle. Eventually, she had to fade away from the D.C. scene for fear of being recognized from old black-and-white photos.

The move to Seattle actually came at a good time for Parvati. Now she had a chance to put everything into practice for the first time. Her rotating collection of names landed on a new pseudonym of Shivani Mahakali, or "Shiva" as she learned to her own bemusement when it was abbreviated for the first time in Tessie's by a barfly who knew not what he was dealing with. She landed a job that allowed her to indulge in both her love of teaching and her desire to speak her truths and devotionals to whoever would hear her. Parvati teaches the students who handle most of the day shift at C89.5, operated by Nathan Hale High School in north Seattle, and then takes over the airwaves from 3pm to 6pm for the Shakedown, where she gets to spin whatever dance songs she fancies while bantering in between and taking calls from the populace. It keeps her content, and she loves working with the kids of NHHS, but there is still something that's been missing for 700 years. Maybe now is the time to finally let go. Shiva ain't walking through that door any time soon from the looks of things.

𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗦

Still working on this if others people want to make offers. I mean, Shiva's gods don't even know where, so she's open.

𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦

• Parvati's work allows her to attend festivals that come through the Sea-Tac area, and she has championed Seven Lions and MiTiS on recent Shakedowns, having met both at Ora Seattle, although she dares not venture to the Gorge.
• Parvati is a sucker for any cocktail with hibiscus syrup. It reminds her of home.
• Parvati does not drive, but she can't exactly ride around on an elephant either, so she travels via electric bike. It's a pain on any of the numerous rainy days, but the precipitation still feels good as she zooms through Seattle.
• She is a foster mom for pets for the SPCA, but she has yet to keep one for herself. There is greater joy in seeing them go to better homes.
• Parvati always thought of herself as purely devoted to Shiva, and as such, very straight. However, fighting alongside mortal women has given her a new appreciation for their strength, and recently she's considered exploring some of those feelings.
• FC: Kriti Sanon / Hex Code: bf4f51

UPDATE: SHE IS DONE FOR NOW!

Descension (A God SoL RP)

I will show interest but I'm unsure of committing to another RP right now. Can I reserve Parvati for now, with her FC being Kriti Sanon?

Meadow University

_{A @Venus & @NeoAJ Collaboration
Featuring Charlotte Diedrikson & Kieran O’Connor}
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“Oh Daddy! I love it! This is the best gift ever!”

If Kieran had to hear another teenager squeal like that, he was going to lose his mind. Yes, these shows were getting Lottie through a very rough time, and yes, she had a little bit of a breakthrough earlier tonight, but was it worth this? Watching stuck-up Sara with two r’s affirm that her stepfather’s attempts to buy her love were successful as she drank diamonds out of a glass? Maybe Kieran was losing the plot a little bit. Still, there had to be something else they could do with their time.

But what could get Lottie out of bed and out into the Vermont night for the first time in a week? He looked to his girlfriend, the yakisoba container having been banished to the end table for the moment. Typically on a date, this would be when the dessert comes, but it was fall, and that meant no sweets for the hockey player. Sugar makes him slow. However, there were options around for sure…

“Hey Ace,” he started. “Want to go out and grab some dessert? There’s an ice cream place around the block from here and they do a great frozen yogurt. You can even get toppings if you want.”

The suggestion of going out to get her most favorite dessert in the world caused Lottie's head to perk up from her place in Kieran's lap. "FroYo, you say?" she asked him, with a hint of her old sparkle in her eyes.

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “It’s pretty good! Plus you know how I am about my sugar during the season, so it’s perfect for both of us.”

Lottie didn’t have to be told twice. Before Kieran could realize it, the young woman was sprinting up from the bed and quickly going through the motions of getting ready. In less than ten minutes, the girl had changed her stained pajamas for something more suitable, brushed and styled her hair into a ponytail, spritzed on some body splash, slipped on some shoes and declared herself ready.

“I’m doneeeeeee~!” she announced, standing in front of Kiki with her hands on her hips.

Kieran stood in the doorway, content to go gallivanting to the promised ice cream place in just his t-shirt and shorts. It wasn’t like he had to get too made up for this trek. But still, it was nice to see Lottie out of her pyjamas for a change. That was a win itself.

“Looking good, Lottie. All right, let’s go get some treats,” he offered as he held his keys and the door for the lady.

It didn’t take too long to arrive at La Cremerie. As Kieran said, it was literally around the corner from the building, which made it all too tempting in the offseason. The pretentious name was a little bit of a put off. Kiki didn’t put up with too much French in Newfoundland, he didn’t need to put up with it in Vermont. Even if the state’s name was French. It knew it was operating for the college clientele though, with it’s late hours and some offerings that would only appeal to someone who had enjoyed a fair amount of marijuana.

“All right. You’ve got a whole menu you can choose from, and it’s on me, so don’t hold back. Make sure you get everything you want.”

“Yay!” Lottie cheered, excitedly clapping her hands together before taking the cozy little shop by store. One minute she was choosing the açai yogurt flavor from the machine, the next she was adding on a plethora of items from the toppings bar, and in record time she was at the cash register eagerly waiting for Kieran to get the bill of her yogurt mountain. “C’mon, Kiki! Why are you taking so long? We’ve been here enough times for you to know what to pick by now!”

Kieran did know what he was getting. In fact, it was pretty straight forward at this point. His in-season dish was a cup of sugar-free vanilla frozen yogurt, with some bananas and blueberries on top for natural flavor. It didn’t take him long to create such a simple concoction, but watching Lottie come through with all her favorite fixings on top of the purplish dairy treat made him just a little bit jealous that he couldn’t fully indulge as well. The nutella in particular was looking tasty atop that dish. He had to hold himself back from returning to the topping bar and adding it on. But no, he had a regimen to stick to.

“Well, I had to see what was left!” he joked as he came up to the cash register where a tired-looking freshman appeared to be working. “Plus I’m hoping the smell of the nutella will be enough to sustain me.” The number on the cash register didn’t matter at the moment, even if it was definitely the price of a couple meals at the hall. A quick tap of the debit card he produced from his wallet was enough to seal the deal. “All right, do you want to eat here? Or back at the apartment?”

Charlotte’s answer was immediate. “Definitely here! I think I’m ready to admit I’ve been cooped up in the apartment for too long,” she said with a laugh, grabbing her yogurt mountain cup from the counter and making a beeline straight for one of the tables next to the window, where they could watch those coming and going around them.

The Canadian smiled in agreement as he followed the American girl to their selected seats, pausing only to grab a couple spoons and some napkins, just in case. “Yeah, that’s a good call. Gotta be some good people watching on a Friday night, eh? A slight burp escaped his lips as the smell of garlic caught him flush in the face. He couldn’t hide his displeasure. Ugh. Didn’t realize the shawarma smelled that bad. Hopefully the froyo will cover up that rancid fishfest in my mouth.

The short blonde giggled. “I told you that thing you were eating smelled,” she chortled, taking one of the empty seats of their selected table. “Now you know I wasn’t picky or crazy.”

As he plunked himself down opposite his girlfriend, he had to ask, “So what are you calling that there creation of yours, Lottie?”

Lottie’s smile widened. “This right here is called the Açai Everest,” she proudly declared, dramatically gesturing towards her yogurt mountain. “It’s an açai flavored yogurt with granola bites, almonds, nutella, coconut flakes, honey, bananas and strawberries. The perfect blend of healthy and unhealthy,” she said with a laugh. “And what do you call that less than exciting creation of yours, Viking? Basic Bitch Hill?” the girl teased.

Kieran shrugged and offered a small chuckle as he stuck his spoon into his desert. “Laugh all you want. You know what I would be eating right now if I could there, Munchkin.” He took a huge mouthful of the desert hoping to mask the offending smell. “Nah, this is just a Carb-free Pancake. My mom used to put blueberries and bananas in them all the time, and then she would load it up with whipped cream. I’d have maple syrup on here if I could, but you know my rules.”

“Oh my God, that’s actually really freaking sweet,” Charlotte cooed, taking a bite of her own frozen concoction. “Now I feel kinda bad for making fun of it!”

As Kieran let the fruit and cream dance on his tongue for a second before swallowing, he smiled. “I know, eh? Sorry for being such a softie, but it’s the little things like that that make it feel like the family isn’t 1,000 miles away, you know. ‘Course the bananas taste better, too. By the time they make the shops in Harbour Grace, they are halfway to rotten. It’s why mom had to mash them into the pancakes themselves.” He realized he was probably talking too much. “See, this is the kind of boring mushy stuff you’re going to learn about me being around so much. Hope I don’t destroy the image of the big tough punchy guy you know and love.”

“Hell no! If anything, it makes you a lot more endearing,” she admitted with a giggle and a wink. It was the little things like that that made a person interesting, and Lottie loved to hear the stories about how her favorite people came to be who they were. Now, however, she felt like she needed to compensate Kieran with a fun fact of her own. “I’ll tell you something curious about me: although I don’t look like it, I’m actually a big fan of lacrosse.”

That got an eyebrow raise out of Kieran. “Really? I didn’t know they had lacrosse down in Florida. You sure you aren’t secretly Canadian?” He smiled as a few more blueberries found his lips.

Charlotte could only laugh at his assumption. “You’d be surprised. In my corner of Palm Beach, lacrosse is tied with football when it comes to the most popular boys’ sport-- especially for my family: the Wallenbergs and the Diedriksons,” she told him in between spoonfuls of yogurt. “It’s sort of a family tradition that all the boys in my family play lacrosse at some point. My grandfather was the captain of our lacrosse team back in the day, and so were my daddy and his cousin Max. Naturally, that means that my brother Richie is expected to ‘carry on the Diedrikson/Wallenberg lacrosse legacy’- especially since my oldest cousin Teddy quit before he could make it to captain. I’m glad I’m not in his shoes. That’s a hell of a lot of success to live up to.”

“Huh,” Kieran said nodding as he continued to dig into his dessert. “Didn’t realize it was that serious. Funny enough, lacrosse has like no traction on the Rock. It’s basically hockey or nothing. Course, I was the first in my family to be good enough to actually stick with hockey past junior level. All the other males in the family headed out on the boats. Kinda glad I get to avoid that too. I think you’d make a lot more money in tennis than in lacrosse, eh? And besides, can’t imagine you taking a cross-check into the boards. I mean, no offense, Munchkin.”

“None taken! Although I did pick up a few things from the boys here and there when I watch them. I tried to get them to let me play whenever they practiced in the backyard, but they insisted it was too risky. And after seeing how rough they got with each other, I can’t say I blame them,” she chortled at the memory, picturing the many times the tall, broad boys of the family had to wrestle the short, fiery blonde away from their makeshift field and to a safe distance in order to prevent her from potentially getting hurt. It made her heart ache with nostalgia and homesickness. “I kind of miss it now, you know? The electricity in the air during the games, the family pizza parties afterwards whenever they won the smaller games, the house parties whenever they won the big championships, the smile on my daddy’s face whenever he watches his boys play… It’s those kinds of things the ones you truly remember when it all comes down to it.”

As Kieran listened to Charlotte describe the emotions and the atmosphere of those lacrosse games, he couldn’t help but feel the ache himself, pulling him back home to when the entire town would gather at the rink for tournament days and in the fall the arena chill would be contrasted with the smell of fried fish outside. “Guess it’s kinda funny, eh? How similar things can be even on entirely different ends of the continent. Really makes you appreciate life and everything. Especially how two people can just come together in the blink of an eye and just start really getting in tune with each other.”

Another spoonful of fruit found Kieran’s mouth as he pondered just how lucky he really was with how everything was breaking down. Funny that at the Bash going steady was the last thing on his mind, but now? Now it made a lot of sense. Certainly with this one. He looked into Lottie’s hazel eyes and couldn’t help but smile. “Course, if you were secretly Canadian, that would explain a lot. Why I can’t take my eyes off you even when you have Nutella on your face, for one thing.”

“I do?” Lottie inquired with a frown, dropping the spoon on her now-empty yogurt cup and wiping away at any potential Nutella stains around her mouth. After she was sure her face was clean, she turned back to Kieran. “Is it gone? Did I get all of it?” she asked him, leaning over the table and closer to the young man so he could have a better view of any remaining traces of chocolate.

The Canuck leaned forward, as if to gaze upon the visage before him and discern any tell-tale signs of hazelnut goodness lingering on her face. “Let’s see here… Ah, I think I can see where you missed a spot. One sec…” He pushed forward over the table and placed a quick kiss on Lottie’s lips. He couldn’t taste any chocolate, but he figured this was sweeter anyway. He pulled back and eyed up Charlotte’s face once more. “Yeah, I think we’re good. That was the last of it.”

The blonde couldn’t help but smile and shake her head in disbelief. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I?” she playfully asked her companion. It had been a while since the last time she and Kieran had done anything other than hug and cuddle-- the breakup had left her with no other desire than to wallow in her own misery.

But now, as her soft, sparkling brown eyes stared into his with nothing but pure affection, Charlotte felt as if maybe- just maybe- she could start to move on and build something new. And who better with than the one person who had been in her corner all along?

Before she knew it, Lottie was once again leaning forward, cupping Kieran’s face and pressing her lips to his, pulling him into a sweet, deep kiss.

Now he could taste the chocolate. It was just how Kiki remembered it.

It was like Charlotte had suddenly reignited, taking what she wanted when she wanted. Kieran was glad it was him. Being able to feel those hands upon his face again, those soft, unyielding hands that were a force with a racket in them, yet were so gentle now. That passion she had in everything she did. The passion that had been missing since she left Joey. It was there now, and it was electric.

Kieran didn’t want the kiss to end, but end it must. As the couple broke the liplock, Kieran’s big blue eyes didn’t want to let Lottie out of his sight. “Not so sure I walked into that one, but I definitely don’t mind it at all,” he confirmed. “I missed that, Lottie.”

“I missed it, too,” Lottie admitted, her lips and cheeks slightly tinged with red and not tearing her own eyes away from Kieran. She was quiet for a few seconds, seemingly taking in every feature of the young man’s handsome face: his messy blond hair, his strong jaw, his thin lips, his blue eyes… “I think I’m ready to head back now. There’s something else I feel like doing right now.”

Kieran raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Of course, sweet,” he said as he scooped up the two empty bowls in front of them. “Whatever the lady desires, she shall have.” He quickly disposed of the remains of their treat in the garbage bin and walked back to where Lottie now stood. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“I’m definitely ready now,” she answered softly, looking up at Kieran with a smile as she closed the distance between them and locked both her hands with his. “Let’s go back home.”

Project Untamed

_{A Savannah @NeoAJ, Talya @HaleyTheRandom and Wesley @GhostMami collab}

---

Wesley Slater waited anxiously for the competition to begin as Dr. Hagerty explained the rules. There would be a mixture of mental and physical challenges, so it seemed. Wes was confident that he could manage both of them within certain contexts. As a student hoping to someday study law, he had book smarts and a plethora of trivia knowledge. Due to his nature, he was also a quick thinker and witty… but, he wasn’t sure how well he would maneuver something like a complex riddle. As for physical challenges, he was sure that he could carry the team on anything requiring speed, agility, and dexterity. Strength, however, might pose a problem… he had this thought as he scanned the room and took in the other teams before bringing his eyes to his own teammates. They didn’t have a bulging muscular jock on their team, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t win.

“Okay, well.” He began to address Talya and Savannah as they waited for their first clue card to be passed out. “Let’s talk about team strengths while we wait, what are you guys good at and what might you need extra help with? Hopefully between the three of us we can cover all our bases.” Wesley wasn’t a natural born leader, not by a long shot, but in this instance it felt right to take the torch. This was a game and he was competitive as all get out, so he had to take the lead if he wanted a chance at victory, which he did. Losing was not an option.

Savannah shrugged her shoulders. “I can run,” she stated. As if anyone didn’t know that at this point. “I can jump pretty well too, so if we need athleticism, I’m probably the best choice. I mean no offense.”

There was a little bit of offense. It was clear that most of the other athletes, especially the ones who might be able to lift a heavy rock or something, were not present on this squad. Sav was never driven to do much work on her arms, Wesley didn’t look like he was packing any major muscle and Talya… she looked really good. Savannah shook her head after that last thought. What the fuck, Savannah? Focus! You want to win this, right? Prove that you’ve got more to offer than just some nice legs? Then win this… and let Wesley take all the credit so you don’t stand out too much and start getting the Leos of the school back on your tail!

“So if we have to split up and cover a lot of ground, let me take the farthest point and we can probably catch teams off guard that way with that level of coverage.”

“Right on, good to know. I’m a runner too, so we definitely have speed covered. How ‘bout you, Tal? Is it cool if I call you Tal?” Wesley asked his second teammate.

One of Talya’s curses was being able to observe nearly everything around her. From the way Hagerty creepily smirked, to the way Wesley seemed to be sizing both her and Savannah up. She especially noticed how Savannah’s eyes seemed to linger for just a second to long --

“Hmm? Oh yeah. Sure. Tal’s fine.” Crossing her arms as she watched the clue cards being passed out, she took a brief moment to think of her strengths. “Let’s see…. On the physical side of things I’m a really good climber. Flexible. Fast reflexes. Running isn’t my favorite thing, but I can do it. Mentally, I’m good for plans, adaptability, and riddles.”

“Awesome! I feel like I’d be trash at riddles, so I’m glad we have you.” Wes said, offering Talya the charming Slater Smile. “Trivia I can do though, if there are any challenges like that.” As if on cue, a staff member approached their group and offered the first clue. The card had two groupings of jumbled up letters: EULECRT LAHL. Sliding the card towards Talya his own mind went to work spinning on what the words could unscramble to form. “Do you think the letters can go anywhere, or each word is separately scrambled?”

Taking a look at the card, Talya squinted her eyes in concentration. “I would say probably separately… Remember how in grade school they’d give us these jumbled letter things and when the letters were separated, it meant the words were too? If that makes any sense?” Continuing to stare at the letters as she mentally arranged them in her head, Talya shrugged her shoulders before she spoke again. “The second word has to be hall. It’s the only thing that makes any sense.”

Savannah peered over Talya’s shoulder to get a glimpse at what the puzzle was. She liked to think she was good at these sorts of things, but really didn’t want to step on any toes. She didn’t need to add more fuel to any fires given she still wasn’t sure where she stood with TJ at the moment. But once Talya mentioned the second word was “HALL” that left a limited number of possibilities for the first one. Culture… no that doesn’t work. Cretule? Not a word. Lurtcee? Letcrue? Le..Lecture! “Lecture. It’s the Lecture Hall. That’s what it is.”

“You girls are brilliant, YES!” Wesley exclaimed in praise. He hopped out of his chair and locked eyes with Savannah, who claimed to be speedy. “Race you there!” He challenged before launching himself over the back of his chair and tearing ass towards the lecture halls. Which one, exactly? He hadn’t a clue, but they were all in the same area.

While Talya never claimed to be the fastest, or really enjoyed running, as soon as Wesley and Savannah had taken off, so did she. With one long leg in front of the other, her long brown hair fanning out behind her, Talya soon caught up with her teammates, doing her best to match their pace. The thudding of their footsteps on the pavement accompanied by the rise and fall of her chest was a surprisingly good feeling - one that Talya hadn’t ever recalled feeling before.

“Gonna have to race me too, Wes!” she called out tauntingly.

Savannah was caught off-guard by Wesley’s impromptu challenge, but you don’t get to be the best runner in the school by not being prepared to go at any moment. Wesley’s head start was quickly erased as the Texan caught both her teammates and passed them by on the way to the lecture halls. She had barely broken a sweat when she turned around to see where Talya and Wesley ended up. “Y’all knew who you were challenging to a race, right? I mean, I wasn’t kidding when I said I can run. I’ve done enough of it in my lifetime to know how good I am.”

Wesley and Talya arrived at the same time and nearly collided in the doorway of the lecture hall. Wes laughed through heavy breaths from the sprint before realizing that Savannah was already there. “What the?!” He looked behind them and then double-taked. “How did you?” Panting breaths. “Damn Sav, you are fast. So what’s the challenge?” No rest for the wicked.

“Holy shit, Savannah.” Taking a few quick, deep breaths, Talya looked at the other woman. “You trying to join the Olympics or something?” Standing up straight as her heart attempted to beat from her chest, Talya took another look at the clue card. “Says that once we reach the destination, we have to look around for ten puzzle pieces? That should give us our next clue.”

“Well, if the Olympics will have me, I’ll be happy to run for the Stars and Stripes,” Savannah admitted as she took a look around the room. She didn’t recognize the teacher in charge, probably one of the science teachers. She didn’t have much interest in that. Anyway, they seemed to be preoccupied so there would be no hints as to where the 10 puzzle pieces were hidden. But they had to be fairly obvious, right? The faculty wouldn’t make them impossible to find. But yet, she saw nothing. “What are we even looking for with these puzzle pieces? Are they expecting us to sniff them out or something? I can’t see anything…”

Wesley didn’t need to be told twice. This was going to be his shining challenge! No one was as good at ferreting out little trinkets and hidden treasures as much as Wesley Slater… not that anyone really knew that fact. Besides Griffin, who knew everything. You’re not a very good thief if you get caught! With his heart still racing from the run, he flitted around the lecture hall checking under chairs and desks, on top of shelves, the ledge of the white boards, you name it. When all was said and done, he had retrieved five puzzle pieces before meeting back up with his teammates. “I got five!” He said before dumping them on a table top to try to start forming a completed image.

Once inside, Talya did her best to find as many pieces as she could. The brunette had never been that great at games that required searching. Instead of searching around the room like a maniac, she did her best to rely on her intuition. If I were a teacher, where would I hide things, she thought. Setting off on her random path, Talya soon managed to find three of the puzzle pieces before heading back over to Wesley and handing them to him. “How's it coming with the last few, Sav?!”

Savannah wasn’t having much luck. She was roaming around the chairs, looking for something to stick out, but it wasn’t coming to her. She did manage to grab one that she spotted on a windowsill, but the other one was a long time coming. “I got one!” she shouted before whispering to herself, “Thought I would be better at finding things though… I don’t forget that many things where I put them…” As she emerged from the aisle, she tried to have another look around before bringing her solitary piece to the front. She swept around to the lectern to see if maybe they would dare hide one in the podium. Sure enough, a piece rested underneath the microphone. “OK, I got two!” she corrected herself as Savvy brought her haul to the team.

“Sick!” Wes replied as he arranged the pieces so far. A couple of them were fitting together to form another scrambled up word, but this one was much shorter than their first clue. With the addition of Talya and Savannah’s pieces, there was only one thing it could be. “The gym!” Standing up straight he raised an eyebrow. “Round two: rematch?”

“Normally I’m all for people dusting themselves off and trying again, but are you sure you want this heat?”

“Absolutely.” Wes replied before taking off yet again.

There was no way that Talya was running all the way to the gym. The sprint to the Lecture Hall had been plenty enough exercise for the day. ”You guys go ahead. I’ll meet you there.”

As her teammates took off, Talya was sure to at least pick up the pace while walking to the gym. She was used to having people wait on her, as she was rarely ever on time. However, with every step she took, Talya felt the need to win the competition growing inside of her. Once she had reached the gym she looked at both Wesley and Savannah. “Now what?”

“Uh…” Wesley pulled out his phone to glance at the picture of the puzzle clue that he had taken. A photo was much easier to transport than a fragile puzzle. “Looks like we have to shoot ten free throws as a team, each of us getting at least one before we can move on. Wanna just stand in a line and take turns one after another? Who’s first?”

Basketball? Talya didn’t have much experience in the sports department. What little she had done was soccer and swimming. Sure, there was an occasional friendly game here and there at the park with some friends, but she considered herself very far from a good basketball player.

”This might take us a second,” she said with a sigh. ”I vote for you, Sav. You seem the most athletic out of all of us.”

While it was true that Savannah had once again bested Wesley in the race to the gym, that was where the extent of her athletic abilities ended. Stellar hand-eye coordination was not something she was blessed with, but she could probably manage.. “Uhhh… sure. I’ll give it a shot. Eh?” she prodded, proud of herself for the unintentional pun. “No? OK then.”

The pink-blonde girl grabbed a basketball off a provided rack and stepped to the line indicated on the court. She took a pair of cautious dribbles, making them look easy when in reality she had to concentrate hard just to maintain possession. As she looked up at the rim, eyes firmly locked onto the orange metal hoop that separated her from her goal, she closed her eyes and fired with the grace and verve of the NBA stars of old.

Unfortunately, the shot most resembled that of Shaquille O’Neal. It clanked off the front of the rim and bounced right back into Savannah’s hands. It almost looked like it was planned, but basketball was an entirely different sport than dodgeball, and with a much smaller target.

“OK, take two!” Savvy hoisted another attempt, this time aiming for the square on the backboard. Maybe she could force it off that and in. It wasn’t as cool as Mikey Williams made it look on TV, but still, it had to work. The shot clunked off the back of the rim this time as Savannah was still finding her range, but the ball bounced a foot into the air and fell back down through the net.

“Yes! There we go! There it is! One point!” Savannah triumphantly roared as she went to retrieve her ball. “Tal, Wes, you can do it! It’s pretty easy once you line it up! Just fire away!”

“AYYY!!!” Wesley cheered Savannah on boisterously when she made the shot on only her second attempt. “Nice job, Sav.” Wes grabbed a basketball of his own off of the rack and lined up for a shot. He took a steadying breath and hoped that the couple of games he played with Griffin before he got whisked off into quarantine would pay off. His first shot… missed the net and hoop entirely. The second one bounced off the rim and rolled off to the sidelines. Not even bothering to fetch his missed shots, he grabbed a fresh ball for a third attempt and stepped up to the line once more. Squaring up and placing his feet carefully, with a bend at the knee and a push through the arms, his wrist flicked and, “BOOM! There we go!” All net, baby. “Let’s see what you got, Tal!”

Watching the others as they took their shots, Talya studied their movements as carefully as she could. A simple eyebrow raised as Savannah made her shot, she watched Wesley as he finally made his own shot. Once it was her turn, the young woman grabbed one of the basketballs before dribbling it a few times like Savannah had done. Trying to get a feel for the ball, Talya wasn’t entirely sure what good it would do. Once she was in position, Talya took a deep breath before sending the ball flying towards the backboard. As the orange and black sphere hit the dead center of the white square, it magically made it’s way right into the net as it bounced back. Slightly shocked, Talya shrugged as she turned to her teammates. ”I have no idea how that happened.”

“Okay, Kobe, I see you!” Wes encouraged her with a grin.

“Hey, keep doing what works!” Savannah offered. “Three down, seven to go right? And now we all have a make, so we can just go with it now!” She took her place at the line and fired another shot at the square. It was much smoother now, as smooth as a thunk and a swish could be. “Shoot! I’m hot! Keep feeding me some balls, y’all! I’ll take all these shots!”

And the team did just that. Talya passed balls from the rack to Savannah. Wesley ran around the court to fetch the balls from the shots that Savvy missed, bringing them back to Talya. The team functioned like a spastic, but well-oiled machine. After about ten minutes of this, the remaining seven free throws had been sunk. “Hell yeah, nice teamwork! What’s next?” Wes asked gleefully, eager for the next challenge.

“Dunno, but I’d say we’re in the lead and we’re gonna win this thing!” Savannah affirmed as the gym teacher handed over the next clue.

”I’d say our chances look pretty decent,” Talya said, a small smile trying to peek through onto her face. Maybe they did have a shot at this thing after all.

The Satsuma Rebellion - A Magical Incursion RP

---

As the wall panel started to shift open and the stairway to an entire lower floor was revealed, Samira breathed an audible sigh of relief. The thought of this many people being forced to share a couple of bedrooms was rather unpalatable, especially since she knew maybe half of the people in here and she had reasons to dislike at least a quarter of them. It sounded like the Guild wanted things to be taken care of quickly, given how ready Aloysius was with the details of a couple of targets that needed to be scoped out. Still, between that and the room selection, things were shaping up rather nicely for the Canadian.

Melville started the introductions off, which was appreciated. The cryomage still was unsure of a lot of the chosen participants of this venture. However, if the Golden Child was sent here, it had to mean the rest of the selected magic users were good. At least as good as she was. So that was the hope Samira clung too. At least she knew she could play her cards right now.

"Well, if we're doing introductions, I might as well go next," she offered. "My name is Samira Boukhary, and no, that bloodline is not well known and that's how my family likes it. I'm from Lebanon, via Canada, and surprisingly enough, the Canadian roots influence my powers. Hope you don't have to find out what they are. Now, I brought a lot of food on the way in to Satsuma, so help yourself to some fried chicken, onigiri, sweet pancakes, whatever you're in the mood for. I'm pretty sure I got everything covered and more. Really recommend the fried chicken, because it's so much better than that KFC garbage. Now," she paused for a second to look around the room. "Seeing as I'm guessing I'm the only one in this room that speaks fluent Japanese, it makes sense for me to get the master bedroom upstairs, right? I'm pretty sure I have the best chance of maintaining the illusion that this is just a regular house that some silly American girl rented on Airbnb for the summer to try and 'rediscover herself in that corporate shell' or whatever buzzspeak drivel I need to spout to keep cover. So, if there are no objections, I'll be happy to move my suitcase from the car to that bedroom while everyone digs into the 'authentic Japanese 7-Eleven cuisine'?"

---

NeoAJ's The Ones

Karen "Lilith" Anne Rose - The Road to Indigo 3.0 (Feb. 14, 2020 - Aug. 10, 2020)

The Mistress of Lost Souls

Name: Karen Anne Rose, aka Lilith, Mistress of Lost Souls
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Hometown: Icirrus City, Unova

Appearance: Karen is 5'4", with an slightly below-average build and pale skin. Her natural hair color is light brown, but it has been dyed so many times no one but her remembers that. Her eyes are a deep blue.

Lilith's hair is currently black but the last inch was bleached afterwards to give it an orange glow that starts just above her shoulders. There are some faint streaks of purple visible from her previous dye job, but the darkness is dominant. She has two piercings in each of her ears, with simple onyx rings in them, as well as a purple stud in the right side of her nose and a silver ring in her right eyebrow. She favors dark eyeshadow and lipstick for makeup, but will usually avoid foundation. Her nails are usually painted in a combination of purple, black and reddish-orange shades.

The preferred wardrobe of the self-proclaimed "Mistress of Lost Souls" keeps to the dark themes. She uses black tank tops underneath a series of black mesh tops and jackets, usually paired with black skirts or torn jeans and a pair of knee-high boots. She wears a garnet pendant that glows orange under the light, as well as a bracelet on each hand, black leather with silver circles lining them in the center.

Personality: Lilith is rather emotionless, choosing to look at the darker side of life. She is rather melancholic and quick to express pessimism at a situation. She does enjoy discussing her research, primarily the legends and lore that make up the rich tapestry of Ghost Pokémon in the world. However, her social interactions are usually limited to nods and sarcastic remarks. This has been easier to maintain due to her delving into her studies at Mistralton University, with the ultimate goal of replacing that hack Shauntal as an Elite Four member.

It is an act though, born from an isolated childhood. The truth is, Karen does long to be a part of the cool kids, to be someone who can contribute to a group and be accepted. However, who would accept a happy member of the shadowy cabal of Ghost and Dark users? Phoebe was the exception, and she was a little creepy even for Karen's tastes. So, convinced the act is necessary, she keeps up the Lilith facade. She may let it slip under the right conditions though.

Profession: Trainer/Researcher
Talents: Being a university student, Lilith has had plenty of time to do her research on the land she is visiting, and is very familiar with the landscape because of it, even if this is her first time in Kanto. She is very good at making fire, and has some experience cooking given her time away from home.
Inventory:

• One week's worth of clothes, one formal-looking black dress, one jacket and one set of boots
• Six Dusk Balls
• Four Pokéballs
• Two Potions
• One Burn Heal (she always has one after what happened when she fell asleep next to Sia that one time)
• Reusable metal water bottle (she's goth, not an asshole)
• Laptop and waterproof carrying case (to work on her thesis paper while on the road)
• Wallet containing her IDs, her debit card, some on-hand Pokedollars (roughly $20 worth), and her lucky signed Allister trainer card. No one else knows she has this.
• Pup tent + sleeping bag

Starter Pokémon:

A level 5 Litwick, named Sia. First met when Karen was spending some quality time by herself at the Celestial Tower, Sia has become something of a counterbalance to Lilith's super-serious dark personality. The young Ghost/Fire type is less in your face and more likely to be a calm beacon in the pitch black. She keeps her trainer centered, especially when Lilith becomes too engrossed in her act and starts going completely gothic. Her Mild nature lets her see things that maybe her trainer doesn't in the midst of Karen's performance.

Biography: Karen Anne Rose was born in Icirrus City to parents Derek, a gym trainer under Brycen, and Ruby, an actress who worked with the Gym Leader on some of his movies. They lived on the outskirts of the city, closer to Celestial Tower than anything in town. Derek preferred his privacy. By all accounts, Karen had a normal upbringing. Her parents encouraged studying and family life given their relative isolation. Karen did very well, but it was a lonely life.

The Tower, though. The tower was where her friends lived. It was her home away from home. She could feel presences there that gave her comfort while her father was battling and losing to challengers and her mother was off in Virbank making motion pictures. They didn't show themselves, but she could feel the spirits every time she went. They weren't shunning her. They were embracing her, and she embraced them back.

She wanted to train ghosts when she got old enough, but her father was dead-set on Ice types. So she started to rebel, taking in the dark nature and making it a part of her identity. It seemed like the ghosts of the tower accepted her new outlook on life, because finally, one of the spirits materialized in front of her during an exploration of an upper floor. A purple light flickered into being before before flipping its wax back and offering a sweet smile. Karen was leery at first but the little Litwick followed her towards the stairs, so the teenager had herself a partner. With the now-christened Sia in tow, she officially started going by Lilith, because who ever heard of a masterful dark Ghost trainer named Karen?

Lilith built her new image before her grades got her accepted with a full ride to Mistralton U. She specialized in her chosen Ghost type and was very good at it. Enough to get noticed by Shauntal, but the Elite Four member totally blew Lilith off in her visit to the university, dismissing Sia as too mellow to ever be a true champion Pokémon. Stuck-up writer type. When the time came for her graduate thesis, she didn't want to go back home. Instead she got interested in the story of the Radio Tower, which seemed like a pretty deliberate desecration of a Ghost Pokemon resting place. She intends to make her way to Lavender and try to study what happened to the spirits residing there. Plus, she can gather up a team to kick Shauntal's pretentiously-collared ass and take her spot as the Ghost member of the Elite Four.

Notes/Other: Color code is cc5500 and Sia's color is a187be
Favorite game is White, because that's where the Legend of the Dancing Queen began.

Link: Here

Palm Beach Royals: Senior Year

_{A Shawna @NeoAJ and Sunshine @HaleyTheRandom collab}

---

As Sunshine offered her hand, Shawna felt more at ease than she did a second ago. Thoughts of Chrissie stumbling off evaporated from her mind, as Shawna was certain someone would look after her fallen friend. The way she had someone to look after her. At least, that’s what she hoped. The limits of that would be tested soon enough, but still. There was a confidence in her girlfriend that she rarely had in anyone but herself before.

The music started to fade out into the background as the two young women exited the country club towards the parking lot. Shawna was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol a little bit, but she was sure that Jack parked somewhere in the general vicinity she was heading towards. It was hard to miss a Viper and the school didn’t spring for valet parking so it had to still be here. She checked the keychain to see if there was a fob. Luckily there was. She started clicking incessantly trying to get the headlights to flash, and eventually she spotted light coming from one of the vehicles. “There we go,” she said triumphantly. “The stationary chariot awaits.”

To be honest, Sunshine had no idea what a Viper was. Of course she knew that it was a car, but anything beyond that and she was at a complete loss. Knowing that the students of Kings Academy were very well off, she knew it had to be a nice car, regardless of the name brand, specs, or anything else. When the headlights flashed, Sunshine raised her eyebrows in surprise as she caught sight of the vehicle. ”That is not what I was expecting.”

“I know. Jack told me it was his dad’s, which I guess I believe him, since I don’t think Jack needs that much of a penis extension yet, but yeah,” Shawna confirmed. “I just didn’t want to try and talk over the shitty pop music anymore.” She opened the passenger door for her preferred date to the dance. “Worse case we can find better music on the radio probably.”

Shrugging her shoulders in agreement, Sunshine climbed into the borrowed vehicle. She wasn't sure which was better - the interior or the exterior. Either way, the car was a sight to behold. "Do you think we could drive it?"

As Shawna nearly tripped over the concrete bumper that designated the parking spot, she wondered if even being in the vicinity of the car was such a good idea. But meh. She wasn’t going to be that stupid and try and drive the thing. Opening the door and sitting down was proving to be tricky enough. “Probably not the best idea to go driving right now,” she admitted. “I don’t like my chances of beating a breathalyzer at the moment. Besides, I don’t need to get my ‘date’ in trouble with his folks.”

Shawna finally sat herself down in the driver’s seat, content to finally have some alone time with her true date. It had been too long. February was proving cruel with her parents back. “So hey, I’m sorry things have been so rough and I haven’t been able to hang out as much. With Mom and Dad back from their cruise, I’ve had to go back to playing the perfect daughter for a little bit. I was really hoping the trip would have made them a bit more relaxed. Guess not.”

Shaking her head, Sunshine gave Shawna a reassuring smile. ”Relax, babe. I knew what I was signing up for. If nothing else I can use being your study buddy for cover? I mean, I know it’s not the best idea, but…”

The brunette seemed a little uncomfortable with the notion of calling Sunshine a study buddy. Sure, it was an easy lie. Her parents would probably be thrilled she was taking her studies seriously again. That she had smart friends again instead of “that Carter fellow.” Between that and Jack coming over and being a face now, it would be the perfect lie.

But Shawna didn’t want to lie anymore.

It’s why she was thrown off when Chrissie said she wasn’t going to be able to make space for her anymore. The way she did during the summer of soul-searching that Shawna needed to get to the point of tattoos and Tanqueray at trendy parties. The way she offered complete cover with her parents, assuring them that they were studying hard instead of what they actually did. But it wasn’t going to be about defending against Shawna’s parents this time. That’s what scared her.

“Cookie,” she started. “You’re awesome and wonderful and you don’t deserve to be hidden away behind some study buddy ruse. I want the whole world to know how awesome you are, and how lucky I am to have someone like you in my life, in that way. Plus if saying that means exposing the bigots in my life, that’s an added bonus. I just… I really don’t know what’s going to happen when I tell them. They could surprise me. They could cut me off entirely. I’m ready for either. But, I know which side I’m betting on in the seedy casinos. It’s not the happy Lifetime special ending one.”

Turning in the seat so that she could face Shawna, Sunshine grabbed her girlfriends hands before looking her in the eye. ”Listen babe. I can’t even begin to know what you’re feeling right now. Mom and dad died before I ever had the chance to come out, and my aunt and uncle don’t even care. My point is - I stand by you, no matter your decision. I’m cool with keeping it on the down low, if that’s what will help you in the long run. But I’m also leaning a little more towards you being who you actually are. Keeping the lies and secrets are just going to do more harm in the long run. No matter what you decide, if it is the latter… I always have the house in New York.”

It meant a lot to hear Sunshine say those words. Every last one of them. She had always been supportive as long as the two of them had been friends, even if it seemed longer than the five months it actually was. It made Shawna feel that trust coursing through her as Sunshine held her hands. Shawna would tear up if she wasn’t so sure that it would look like a mess upon returning to the dance. If she had to. She would prefer not to. She’d prefer to stay in this Viper in this moment.

“Sunny, you don’t know how happy you make me sometimes. I swear,” Shawna stuttered slightly as she got those words out. Partly because she leaned in for a kiss immediately after. She kept it short, but she was sure the emotion would be conveyed. “I think you are the person who sees in me the things I never could find in myself. I’m so grateful for that. It’s why I want to do this right. And...I’m not going to lie. If it comes to it, New York in the summer sounds pretty awesome. I told you I finally sent in that application to Brooklyn College, right? I mean, I told my parents I was going for Harvard and Columbia, but we both know that isn’t happening. Worst case, there’s always Long Island U. Plus, at least I’ll have one family member nearby who has my back.”

”What?! You really sent in the app,” she asked, her eyes lighting up in excitement. ”I thought that was like… a joke. I mean, you had mentioned it, but like… Wow. Have you heard anything?”

In Sunshine’s opinion, this was great news. She needed to figure out what to do with her life after highschool. Brooklyn seemed like the most logical option. She had a whole house there, and wouldn’t have much to worry about there as opposed to choosing another college. The fact that Shawna had applied was amazing.

Shawna shook her head. “Nothing yet, but there’s still plenty of time. I sent it that last weekend you came over before my parents returned. Before you woke up. It’s why you actually smelled food being cooked instead of, you know, just the usual Green’s order. I was kinda running on a good high. But I wanted to at least get that in to make sure I had the option. New York really made an impression on me when I was up there.” She looked back into Sunshine’s eyes. “Can’t imagine why…”

With a small laugh, Sunshine turned back around to properly reposition herself in her seat. ”Say…. Would it be weird if we just ditched the dance and had a random talk about random shit in a random car?”

“Nah. I think it would be weirder if we stayed in there listening to bad karaoke.”

”Then waddya say we just stay here and find some actual music?”

“That sounds like the best idea of the night. Besides,” Shawna patted her purse. “I got better drinks than the dance too. And now I have my real date.” Suck on that, Kings.

---

The Road To Indigo (Kanto-based Pokemon RP): Chapter One: Starting With a Clean Pallet (Accepting Sheets!)

As she surveyed the tiny road that bridged the gap between the town and the forest, Lilith wasn't entirely looking forward to the uphill climb. But then again, that was what all the elliptical work was for. The first leg of Kanto was a steady incline, plateauing in the forest and continuing all the way through Mt. Moon. It was meant to weed out those who wouldn't be able to handle the increase in difficulty that the later gyms would bring. Right back around to that initial incline from Pallet to Viridian. The one she had already travelled. It was that easy.

What wouldn't be easy would be facing Brock, and Lilith was well aware of that fact. Suffice to say, Sia and Omen weren't exactly built for the solid boulder of a roadblock that would be in their way coming up. He had a reputation for being a determined Rock trainer, although given what she had seen from Gary and Professor Oak, it was likely this was overblown as well. Still, it couldn't hurt to have an ace in her mesh sleeves.

At least she had more food. Hana finally made good on the promise that her work in the Pokemon Center foretold. The smell of the fried rice had partially forced her trip to the coffee shop earlier, so to have the ball in her hand, no matter the color, it was welcome. In addition to the croissant, she was now more than prepared for the trip through the woods ahead.

That being said, she wasn't exactly prepared for... cheer. That is what seemed to be on offer from the young woman that approached her. Obviously a member of the group that had set out from Kanto. The red hair was unmistakable. The eyes were something she hadn't noticed before, the red irises clearly standing out, even against the fiery mane that presented itself. Lilith was almost envious, certain that she could do that kind of natural hair color justice, although she would have to ask where the woman got the contact lenses that gave her such a demonic hue.

It seemed like she had good taste in Pokemon anyway, the way she was fawning over Sia. The Litwick was loving the attention she was getting, a hint of pink almost visible in the white wax that made up her body. The glow off her flame was even more prominent, even in the midst of the afternoon sun. Lilith was all right with it. The woman, now naming herself as Lizbeth, didn't name Lilith as anything but that, and that was a win in her book. She was talking about her naming techniques and Lilith could relate to that. After all, she named herself according to what she liked.

"That is the way to do it," she confirmed, oblivious that she defied her own conventions not two hours ago in the Viridian Pokemon Center. "Pokemon are much smarter than people give them credit for, and they deserve the utmost respect, no matter where in their lifespan they happen to reside. They should have a say in what they call themselves. Hopefully I will have a new member of the squad to ask that of soon enough. No offence to Sia and Omen," she nodded to the two Pokemon that still rested on her shoulders, "but given my intel on what the Pewter City Gym has to offer for battle, I will need additional help to take down that rockhead."

Project Untamed

---

As she sat at the back of the auditorium, surveying the scene as best she could while keeping her back to the wall as much as possible, Savannah was very on-guard at the moment. She was still edgy from the interactions with her friends from earlier. It's why she sat far away from Tyler Jane for this assembly. As much as she wanted to try and bury the hatchet a bit and talk about just what went down between the two of them in front of Nicholas, it wasn't the time. Not with so many things swirling in her head at the moment.

History was laughable. Savannah tried to take notes, but she had no interest in learning about the Louisiana Purchase. Old white men selling tracts of land that they stole from the Native Americans. No thank you. Instead, she was trying to figure out just how this party on the weekend was going to work and just how she was going to make the Liquoriana Purchase. First point, never call alcohol that ever.

So I know I'm going have Erica helping with the pickup, but the two of us aren't going to be able to walk all the way from this liquor store and back with enough booze for the entire first floor! I have to assume we're going to need a lot in order to make sure all our bases are covered. How are we going to get it back here without a car or anything? Do either of us even know how to drive a car? I could probably fake it if it was an automatic, I've seen enough people drive that I can do that, but manual I'm probably screwed. That's if we can even find a vehicle. With keys! And how am I paying for all this alcohol? I know Mom and Dad had to pull some strings to get me in here and can afford it, but I can't exactly call them up and be all 'Can I have some money for various amounts of booze?' What are we going to do about that? If I put it on my credit card, I'll be A) out of money for music and clothes orders, and B) broadcasting to my parents that I'm doing this! Plus the credit card isn't in Kelsey Marston's name! Ugh! This is too much! Too much stepping outside the lines! I'm going to totally get caught!

By the time she got to P.E. with Erica, her mind was almost frazzled. There weren't many opportunities to talk to one of her besties either. Dodgeball day saw them put on opposite teams for the most part, and while Savannah loved dodgeball since she was almost an impossible out with her ability to jump and gracefully dip to avoid most balls thrown her way, it was clear her mind wasn't in it on this occasion and she had a couple instances where she was picked off very quickly. More frustrations. By the time she had got back to her room, cleaned up a bit, and spent some prime time staring at the ceiling, the assembly rolled around.

So here Savannah sat. By herself. Without her usual pack of friends and allies. Left to ponder the darkened thoughts and dreadful scenarios that the procurement of potent potables was going to entail. She barely listened to the headmaster as she sat in her seat, hand gripping her chin as Savvy did her best to keep from just bolting then and there. Mealtimes were mentioned, which meant nothing. Savannah had her routine down pat. Halloween also got a nod, which Savannah wasn't to thrilled about. There were already enough things to be scared about without people actively trying to make her jump through the ceiling. Halloween sucked.

But then the mention of this strange scavenger hunt came up. Really? Isn't this something for like elementary school kids? Whatever. It meant no classes on Wednesday. That was a win in and of itself. But then teams were brought up, and more worries hit Sav's poor brain. Assigned teams? Shoot. Guess that means I'm probably not just with Erica and TJ. That might be fore the best though. Oh god what if I'm stuck with Leo! Or Theo! Ugh!!! Kill me if that happens. I do not need to work with those... sex-crazed animals! Theo actually wasn't as bad as Leo, but still, the aura from both of them rubbed Savannah the wrong way.

As the assembly mercifully ended, Savannah ran to the exits and spotted the aforementioned list on the bulletin board. It didn't take much to scan through everything, and it appears that the Texan had managed to dodge a few bullets. Certainly better than she dodged balls earlier today. She deftly got out of the way before other students started crowding her into the wall. She hated being crowded.

As she walked away from the scene and back towards the safety of her room, she was running over who she was forced to team up with. She was entering onto a team of almost unknown quantities, aside from rumors and hearsay. Wesley Slater, she had heard a little bit about from Bradley during their conversations. Apparently they were thick as thieves. Those two and Griffin... Shoot, Griffin! He should be getting out today! Hope he's feeling better. I'll have to text him or something. Anyway, Bradley referred to Wesley a lot. A LOT a lot. Almost made her think Bradley was a rainbow warrior or something. Wesley seemed a bit slow and apparently he was just as fond of stirring things up and running away as Bradley. But without the shame. So he's not going to be much help. If he's as all over the place as Bradley gets, he'll probably run away within the first hour or so to go climb a tree or something.

Then there was Talya Burnley. Savannah had basically no experience with the brunette, save for a couple conversations via Erica and Bradley. The Barron boy was proving quite useful today. Talya was an artist, probably one of the best ones here, if Bradley's hyperbole was to be believed. Erica had a slightly more reserved opinion, but according to her, if you knew Talya, you knew everybody at San Agustin, because she would tell you everyone's business. Whether you needed to know it or not. Talya seems like she could be a snake in the grass of this whole party plan. Better keep my mouth shut around her. Hopefully me and Erica can just text about it I guess. Still, Savannah remembered seeing her around school a couple times and there was... something about her. Something she couldn't quite place just yet. Maybe there was a common ground there that she just wasn't seeing yet. She remembered watching her walk across the campus one day and being almost hypnotized for some reason. If nothing else, this will be a chance to figure out what that's all about. I mean, that just doesn't make sense, right? A girl shouldn't be able to do that to another girl...

Thinking about her new teammates was an almost pleasant diversion for Savannah. But as she plopped back down on her bed, trying to come up with some plans for her other problems, her mind was raising again. "Screw it," she finally declared. "I'll go to the gym. Maybe that will fix me." It couldn't hurt at this rate.

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