NeoAJ

NeoAJ's The Ones

Lexi Parsons - Heed the Call (March 4, 2021 - Present)

Alexis Parsons

"People don’t like the truth when it hits them in the face. Literally."

_{Lexi/Lex || 15 || Female}

Appearance Details

• 5'7"
• 110lbs
• Dishwater blonde hair, usually worn straight with the bangs hanging in front
• Deep brown eyes
• Lexi usually is seen around town wearing the following:
  
  • A v-cut t-shirt of her choice from the trips to thrift shops all over the world, usually a graphic tee, sometimes with the sleeves rolled up. Can’t hit with long sleeves.
  • Jeans with slashes in the front, always on the knees, but sometimes in other spots
  • Metal rings on each of her outside two fingers. Hurts them more than it hurts her.
  • Sneakers with rubber soles. Need that traction.

Belongings

• A wallet with some IDs she uses for various things...
• A small crossbody for storing the various things she gets...
• A pack of cigarettes for when she gets very stressed out

Character Summary and Crest

Alexis Marie Parsons hasn't had a chance to put her roots down yet, but one thing she's learned is that if people don't want to listen, shutting them up works just as well. Maybe her brand of sincerity isn't appreciated by many of her opponents, but it's led to a sense of stability in a world that consistently changing on her. Sometimes that's enough to hold onto. Sometimes it leads to a broken nose and a broken finger.

Lexi was born in Victorville, California, but did not stay long. Her father worked in the army and was consistently moving the family to posts around the states and around the world. From New Orleans to Germany, from Ridgefield, Utah to Okinawa, the Parsons never stayed in one spot too long thanks to Adam's wanderlust. It was too much for April, who bailed during the time in Maryland to move back home to California. Adam retained custody of Alexis due to April's move, and continued to jettison her from place to place.

Not having a lot of time to make friends, and knowing that there would no reason to do so, Lexi didn't bother playing nice with other kids. She spoke the truth, and if they couldn't handle it, there were one of two ways it usually went. The first way allowed for silent coexistence. The second way landed Lexi in the principal's office. Repeatedly. She started drifting towards seedier tendencies in junior high, and hasn't seen any reason to deviate.

Her father's starting to realize that he may not have been doing enough to keep his only daughter on the straight and narrow. With her mother asking questions about how her daughter is being raised and wondering if she should move to California with her new step-father and half-siblings, he's trying to figure out what he can do about Lexi's extra-combative nature and inability to bond with anyone her own age. This camp may be his only chance to keep his daughter close. Question is if she actually wants it anymore.

Digimon Partner

Mokumon → PetiMeramon → Ghostmon → Witchmon → Bastemon → Rosemon

While Lexi is more in-your-face and brash, her partner Ghostmon is more shy and timid, willing to hang back. She doesn't put herself out there and doesn't have a lot of confidence in her abilities. Maybe that's why she's with Lexi; to be able to gain some self-belief while showing Lexi that fighting isn't always the solution to her problems. If only she wasn't scared of trying to go against her DigiDestined...

Link: Here

NeoAJ's The Ones

Sierra Young - Heed the Call (March 4, 2021 - Present)

Sierra Young

"All I’ve need to know in life, I’ve learned from school, my parents and Disney."

_{Sierra/Cici (rarely) || 14 || Female}

Appearance Details

• 5‘2"
• 100lbs
• Long blonde hair, usually worn straight down, aside from some strands from her bangs which are tied back.
• Deep blue eyes
• Sierra can usually be found wearing the following:
  
  • A rotation of long-sleeved sweaters of various colors.
    
    • She wears a clear/purple amethyst pendant over her sweater. It is her birthstone.
  • Black leggings, with fleece linings from September to April.
  • The blue bow that ties her hair back. She always has it in. She doesn't like how her hair looks without it.
  • Silver flats or sneakers. Depends on what she's doing.

Belongings

• Satchel containing her notebook, a few pencils and some markers
• Her iPod loaded with an assortment of songs from Disney movies and from the TV stars' solo careers.
• Honeypie snacks of course! Although she prefers the lighter options like the Sweet Mix and the Strawberry-Honey Cake.

Character Summary and Crest

Sierra Young has always believed in the good in the people of the town. She's believed that there was a force that brought people together to sing or dance or do whatever it takes to lift spirits. She's believed that love conquers all. She's just never found her own person to be that force in her life.

The Youngs are very well known in Ridgewood. Sierra's father Steve is a second-generation owner of Honeypie Bakeries, which is the largest employer in town and supplies the entire state with baked desserts found in all grocery stores. Her mother Christine is a second-grade teacher at the local elementary, and also known for her hand in creating a couple of Honeypie's best sellers. The company sponsored a lot of charity events and made sure that Sierra had the eye of everyone as she made her way through the local school system.

However, that has left her very lonely. She's seen as the crown princess of Ridgewood and as such, it's been tough for her to find friends that actually want to be with her for her, and not just because they want free Honeypie samples or to lounge in the spacious McMansion on the outskirts of town. It's left her feeling hollow, like she's not really a person and more of a trophy or a ride.

Sierra just wants to find someone who she can have an actual connection with. Someone who can share with her the same passion she has for the things she enjoys: writing, sketching and maybe some media work, since she's got some ideas for Disney. Someone who will make her feel like Sierra and not a Young. Her parents think a mountain camp is the answer for the depressive thoughts she's expressed lately. Only time will tell.

Digimon Partner

Yukimi Botamon → Moonmon → Lunamon → Lekismon → Crescemon → Dianamon

While her partner is wondering how to get that Disney feeling from something other than Disney, Lunamon already has it. Lunamon is a bubbly Pokemon, willing to infuse whatever she can with her positive attitude. Some might say she is too positive, but in the face of things, that's what Luna knows to do. However, even she has her foes to slay. She is a clean freak and does not care for dirt on her or anyone else. She will use her ears and her bubble power to wipe things down. She's like a fairy godmother, but much smaller and... rabbity-er...

Link: Here

NeoAJ's The Ones

Indy Adams - Paramount (Feb. 5. 2021 - March 7, 2021; Never Posted IC in RP)

Indy Adams

_{(FC: Mia Healey, Dialogue Color: 42B5AE)}
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

F O R T H E R E C O R D

| | N I C K N A M E (S) | |

• Indy (Technically her name is Nicola Diana Adams, but no one calls her that.)
• If someone manages to get close, and no one has yet, they might earn the privilege of calling her Nic.

| | A G E | |

18, born August 21

| | G E N D E R | |

Female

| | S E X U A L I T Y | |

Pansexual

| | R E L A T I O N S H I P S T A T U S | |

Single

| | O C C U P A T I O N | |

Student. She has no desire to work at the moment.

| | C L A S S I F I C A T I O N | |

Senior

____________________________________________________________

A T F I R S T G L A N C E

| | I N D E P T H A P P E A R A N C E | |

Indy looks like the typical girl you would see lounging on a California beach in the middle of the day. Her hair has been bleached blonde partially by the sun and partially by... well, bleach. Her moss green eyes turn almost teal when gazing at her beloved ocean with the sun reflecting off it. She stands 5'6", but makes her presence felt with her toned, slim body. She has both her earlobes pierced, as well as a daith piercing on her left ear.

When informed her new school had uniforms, Indy was not pleased as uniforms were not her forte. She had the luxury of being able to wear what she wanted whenever she wanted, so she did her best trying to work with what she had. She's never had to do a tie, so it's worn rather loose, and the skirts are not comfortable, so her black stockings come up to mid-thigh to minimize contact. She does take luxury with her rotation of earrings and occasional headbands, but that's all she can do with the limited time she's had to assess the situation.

On casual days, Indy sticks with what's comfortable. Shorts that rarely come down to mid-thigh, tank tops for warm days, jean jacket over the tank top on slightly cooler days. Her jewelry collection is impeccable given her travels around the worlds, and she will rotate necklaces and earrings depending on where her mood takes her.

| | R E P U T A T I O N | |

Indy hasn't had a chance to stay in one spot for too long to make friends, so she is an unknown quality. She did have a brief stay in the Bay Area when she was 12, while her mom was lecturing at Cal-Berkeley, but the year after, she was whisked away again. It's made her reticent when it comes to trusting others because she had no clue whether it was going to last past eight months before she was on the move to a new locale. She's anticipating rumors and hearsay given she's fresh meat, but she's got a strong streak of self-reliance that no academy is going to crush. Especially not with her goal of being completely done with school so close. So she'll use the air of mystery in her favor. At least for now. Maybe something else will happen that will convince her she needs to abandon this lone wolf streak to survive. After all, no woman is an island, especially not in the sea.

____________________________________________________________

O F F T H E R E C O R D

| | H I S T O R Y | |

Nicola Diane Adams was born in Cape Town, South Africa, the first and only child born to June and David Adams, married marine biologists who were studying sharks of the coast of the Cape of Good Hope at the time. She didn't get the chance to stay long enough to develop a local accent, as her parents' study ended when she was two. This began a pattern. Her parents would return to their home base in New Jersey for a brief period of time after a research period ended, but they wouldn't stay in Princeton for long before heading off to another location for a study. Nicola, or Indy as she was known by thanks to the South African pronunciation of her initials, went along for the ride as her parents traveled from Nova Scotia to Chile, Japan to Turkey, experiencing a bevy of cultures from around the world. However, one thing was constant: She was most comfortable on the beach.

Her parents handled most of her schooling given that she couldn't be expected to keep pace while switching from Spanish to Arabic to French to Australian, so her free time while one or two of her parents were busy with field work was to just lounge on the beach when she was younger, and indulge in beach bum culture when she got old enough to appreciate it. She seemed to be doing well enough with the courses that her parents didn't mind her spending her time on whatever sand they happened to be nearest to. Of course, Indy got better at hiding some of the other things she did while her parents were out on their boats, or giving late-night lectures. Until her junior year in Sydney, when her marks started slipping and a stash of Victoria bottles was found on the shores that Indy was known to frequent. Unsure what to do, June and David decided to take advantage of the offer that David had to become a tenured professor at Cal-Berkeley and try to settle their daughter down at one of the highly-rated local schools in the area.

Indy didn't take kindly to the news. Yeah, California was great the year that she had spent there before, and her brief time in school with other children her age helped cement Cali as one of her preferred places to live, but the more she heard about Marble Heights, the more certain she was that she wasn't going to fit in. Uniforms? Dorms? No nearby ocean without shuttles? This was not going to work. But she had just one year left. One year and she could then do whatever she wanted. Go back to Australia, or South Africa or anywhere that didn't have any uniform other than what was comfortable on the beach. That was the goal. She just has to figure out how to survive this year at the academy.

| | B E Y O N D M Y R E P U T A T I O N | |

Her relationship with her family was better before her enrollment. Now? Now it's a bit strained. She hasn't answered any calls since arriving at Marble Heights. She's also not that hard to figure out once people actually get to know her. She made friends very easily in the past. It's just a matter of if she wants to do that in this final lap of her grade school career.

____________________________________________________________

A C A D E M I C S

| | E X T R A C U R R I C U L A R A C T I V I T I E S | |

• Surfing
• Beach Volleyball

| | B E S T & W O R S T S U B J E C T S | |

| B E S T |
English
History

| W O R S T |
Math
Science

| | E X T R A N O T E S | |

Her room is decorated with artifacts acquired from her stops around the world, including a taiko drum, a boomerang, and various photos with sharks and other marine activity. Her beach bum photos are locked away elsewhere.

Delbrook Academy (Sept. 29, 2021 - Present)

▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅

▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅

______________________________________

Indy Adams

_{"You can meet me where the water meets the land, since there's nowhere I'd rather be than sitting on the sand."}

▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅

▅▅▅▅▅▅

_______________________________________ N A M E Nicola Diane Adams ∞ Indy, which is what she goes by. No one has really gotten close enough to earn Nicola or Nic or Nikki status outside of her parents. A L I A S E S Indy770 @Indy770 @Indy770 A G E 18 || August 21st G E N D E R Cisgender Female S E X U A L I T Y Pansexual - While she hasn't fully explored a serious relationship, Indy's dalliances have been with both genders. All's fair on the beach. C U R R E N T C I T Y Long Beach, California E T H N I C I T Y Scottish | Irish _______________________________________ A P P E A R A N C E Height: 5’6” Weight: 131 lbs / 59kg Hair: Blonde | Usually worn down long while on land, or tied up in a messy ponytail if she's planning on being more active. Eyes: Green Body Type: Lean and athleticly flexible Body Marks: Piercings in both lobes as well as a daith piercing in her right ear. A couple small scars on her back from some gashes from rocks during her surfing efforts. Clothing Style: Indy's primary style is geared towards being comfortable in her favorite spot. When she's out on the beach, she favors tank tops and short shorts to maximize her ability to tan as well as maintain freedom of movement should a beach volleyball game break out. If she's on the beach at night, she'll have her trusty jean jacket in case a chill comes along. Sandals are usually good enough for her feet, they are easy to cast off on the sand. When she's surfing though, it's all business with her wetsuit, a gift from Christmas last year. _______________________________________ R E L A T I O N S H I P S T A T U S Single (but now she's ready to actually start looking) Current Relationship: N/A Crushes: ∞ N/A - Maybe once she gets to know some people. Past "There was this one guy when I lived in Australia, Kai. He was great, he got me into all the high school parties and everything. It was never going to work, I always knew we were going to move again, but that kid could get it." F A M I L Y father: ∞ David Adams || 59 || Professor of Marine Biology at Cal State Long Beach || FC: Pierce Brosnan mother: ∞ June Adams || 54 || Dean of the Marine Biology department at Cal State Long Beach || FC: Michelle Pfeiffer P E T S ∞ Sydney (1 year old female) - Labrador _______________________________________ H O M E S W E E T H O M E House Room _______________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________ L I K E S ✔ No matter where Indy has been, the constant has been the beach and the ocean. She loves both, although she is slightly more a fan of the beach. She's always at peace on the beach, whether sunbathing, playing volleyball or enjoying the stars. ✔ Another good thing about nighttime at the beach? Bonfires. Something about the combination of all four elements coming together in one picturesque tableau. Plus, the small smattering of parties have been pretty awesome. ✔ The best food at a bonfire? A bit obvious, but s'mores are always a winner. Indy likes to use white chocolate though for a more intense flavor. ✔ Her real favorite flavor though is Mocha. She will go after mocha anything. If they made a mocha chocolate bar, she would use that in her s'mores instead. ✔ She keeps a collection of small stuffed animals on one of her shelves, one from every place she's lived. It was hard to find a Florida one that was suitable for a child outside of the theme parks. ✔ She's a sucker for anyone who can play guitar. Live music is a wonderful addition to any party, although she's never had the time to learn any for herself. ✔ Her guilty pleasure is anime. While living in Japan at a young age, she was enticed by the pretty colors and girls wielding magic. She still indulges, but she's not willing to share that enjoyment lightly. ✔ While she doesn't make anything for TikTok, preferring to post her longer videos on YouTube, Tiktok is always good for a laugh, which she appreciates. ✔ While sunbathing on the beach, she prefers to listen to podcasts. She really enjoys true crime and mystery podcasts, with her current favorite being a little-known show out of Massachusetts. ✔ Given her recent experiences with alcohol, she's grown partial to Victoria beer, which isn't available in America, but vodka always does in a pinch. D I S L I K E S ✘ She's not a fan of overt aggression. It always harshes the vibe at a party when some idiot starts shouting about. ✘ Despite her love of the ocean water, she hates rain. Rain just dampens everything. And don't get her started on snow. ✘ Like her famous pop-culture namesake, she hates snakes. ✘ Anything grape-flavored or banana-flavored. They taste nothing like the actual fruits. ✘ Reality TV is usually a big miss. Maybe if she had people she could regularly make fun of it with she'd enjoy it more. ✘ Indy's not a fan of getting all dressed up. She'll do it for special events, like junior prom at South Coogee Public, but she still prefers shorts and tank tops to sashes and tulle. ✘ While she's found most alcohol to her liking, white rum isn't it. Baccardi sucks. ✘ While she doesn't mind people knowing her actual name, she still prefers people use Indy instead. The only person allowed to call her Nicola is her mother. Her dad always preferred Indy anyway. ✘ She doesn't like being cooped up indoors for too long. Especially if there is no airflow. ✘ She's not a fan of cynical corporate attempts to pander to the rainbow community. Since she figured out she was at the very least bisexual, she's become more sensitive to pandering without a soul. ✘ Mushrooms. They are gross. ____________________________________________________________________________ P E R S O N A L I T Y Adventurous → Self-confident → Energetic → Flexible → Relaxed → Experimental → Well-Traveled → Abrupt → Reckless → Petty → Lonely ____________________________________________________________________________ Indy Adams is a mystery. At least that's usually been the early reports on her whenever she entered a new school. With her parents on the move around the world, she hasn't had a chance to truly establish who she was in any place she stayed. Australia gave her the best chance to try and figure out who she was, and while her parents may not fully aware of what Indy found out about herself, she's eager to finally see if this is who she is. The constant in her life has been the beach, and Indy found herself emulating the ocean in many of her interactions. She is very happy to go with the flow of whatever is happening in the circles she was able to build. One of the best ways she handled all the constant movement was developing a willingness to experience whatever the country or state she was living in had to throw at her. It's how she found the beach in the first place. This policy gets her in trouble sometimes, as sometimes she wanders where she shouldn't and she has the scars to serve as a reminder, but there are no regrets with her in what she does. Like the ocean, Indy can be a very welcoming force. As she gets more acclimated to a space, she is able to share the accumulated warmth in a variety of ways. Sometimes it's a warm hug, sometimes it's a casually dropped flirty line, whatever it is, she tries to make people feel as happy to be where she is. It's very easy for her if it's by the beach where the energy usually matches her own, but even without that backdrop, she knows what it's like to try an step into an unknown space. She has had enough practice. So she's happy to help whoever else needs to take that step. However, like the ocean, Indy can take umbrage if she feels wronged and be very petty about getting revenge. It won't be the playful sass she offers friends, it will be furious and be in danger of sweeping a lot of people away. Or so she thinks. The biggest thing someone has done to tick her off so far is steal her perfect spot at one bonfire, so they got an ice cube down the back for their efforts. ____________________________________________________________________________ B I O G R A P H Y Dr. David Adams was always fond of saying that beauty hides in the deep, but he didn't have to dive that far to find the love of his life, Dr. June Schaeffer. The two started working together studying sharks soon after June graduated from Duke University. The Princeton man took her initial overtures as a challenge, but it became clear on trips to Bermuda and further around the Atlantic that she matched his passion lockstep. As they travelled the world searching for the sharks that united them, they tied the knot in a ceremony on the big island of Hawai'i. They believed their work was too important to think about doing any more that that, but that passion would again prove to be overwhelming on both ends. While conducting a major study off the coast of South Africa, it became clear that June wasn't suffering from a sudden onset bout of seasickness on the boats. Nicola Diane Adams was thankfully born on dry land in Cape Town, South Africa. Her nickname of "Indy" was acquired early on thanks to the South African accent's pronunciation of her initials, but she didn't stay long enough to pick it up for herself. Once the study was completed, the Adams would return to their base in David's hometown of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, but they would never remain rooted for long. David's wanderlust would attract him to another place to look into the world of the sharks. So Indy moved. A lot. Since the birth of their first and only child, the Adams' have journeyed and lived on every continent. They went from Portugal to North Carolina to Japan to Florida to Chile to Canada to California to Turkey to her most recent stop before coming back to Cali: Australia. While confined to home-schooling in places where English was not the most widely spoken language, with Turkey being particularly annoying given how she felt about leaving California the first time, Indy was often enrolled in public school to make sure she developed the ability to be social with others. In Australia, she was able to do that very well. Indy had always shared her parents' love of the ocean, but Australia was where she fell in love with the beach. With the family settled in the South Coogee suburb of Sydney, Indy had plenty of access to the nearby sands and rock pools and soon ingratiated herself with a group of locals who were happy to have the funny-talking American around. They seemed to revel in bringing the relatively sheltered girl into their world of free-spirited debauchery, and for the formerly inflexibly studious Indy, she quickly took to the lifestyle. Having picked up surfing while in California at age 12, she got far more time to practice in and around the waves of New South Wales. Her frame made her an above-average volleyball player as well, and she started to incorporate those into her routine instead of the Switch that was her lifeline to the English world in Turkey. Her parents were pleased she was expanding her horizons, but they didn't need to know just how much they expanded. Alcohol was plentiful thanks to a couple of hookups from older siblings in the group and Indy took to it like a fish to water. Her alt IG account soon started filling up with photos rated above the PG stuff she had been posting before. She was set to expand on it and maybe plan a move with a couple of the others in her beach collective before her parents announced they would be moving again, for the final time. June had enough of the nomad lifestyle and accepted a position as the head of the Marine Biology department at Long Beach State, with David quickly offering his services as a professor to maintain a close working relationship with his wife. Indy wasn't pleased, given that she just had a half a year added onto her high school career with the difference in seasons between America and Australia. But, there was an opportunity to finally establish herself somewhere as opposed to never knowing when she would be bundled back to New Jersey or some other far-off destination. Plus, now she would be able to let people (aside from her parents) see her as she wanted to be seen. Sure, she would play up the air of mystery at first, but soon people would know what Indy was about. ____________________________________________________________________________ S C H O O L I N F O G R A D E Y E A R 12th - Senior G P A & A V E R A G E 3.7 || A- average based on her natural intelligence, but she could be A+ if she tried E L E C T I V E C L A S S E S Tourism & P.E. E X T R A C U R R I C U L A R ∞ Surfing in the spring, Volleyball in the winter (indoor) and the summer (beach) T R A N S P O R T A T I O N Indy has yet to acquire a new ride after her parents sold off the family vehicles prior to moving back to America. She is looking for a used crossover though so her board can be transported. P L A N S A F T E R G R A D U A T I O N Indy doesn't have many strong plans post-graduation. With her parents now both employed by Cal State Long Beach, she has an easy option for a cheap ride with the Beach (although she still isn't certain that should be the team name). As for what she studies, she's unsure. Her marks indicate she can do whatever she wants, but she's not certain she wants to give up her passions to dive headfirst into being another researcher in the family. Maybe this year will help her figure some things out. ____________________________________________________________________________ A F T E R - S C H O O L I N F O E M P L O Y M E N T Indy does not have a job at the moment. Jobs take away from beach time. F A V O R I T E P L A C E S ∞ The Ivor Rowe Rock Pool was an oasis during her time in Australia. ∞ The upper balcony at her apartment is basically hers, and she can soak in the sounds and smells of the Pacific up there. ∞ Whatever wave she is currently riding, or fire she is currently enjoying. ∞ Disneyland...what? She went the first time when she was in Cali! It was lovely! R E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S ∞ Starter on the volleyball team #GoRisingTides ∞ Looking after Sydney to make sure she doesn't break anything valuable ∞ She is taking a first aid course so she can try to have a summer job as a lifeguard next year. If she is going to work, she might as well be on the beach. ____________________________________________________________________________ O T H E R Indy does have a Nintendo Switch, but doesn't play video games very often given her preference for being outside. Her poor Animal Crossing island... Indy isn't much of a cook outside of shoving things on sticks and putting them into fires, but she does know how to make a solid chocolate cake should she feel the need to bring something special to the table. Indy is nominally a supporter of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks of the National Rugby League, mostly because of the kits, but because her father took her to one game and she got a scarf that hangs on her wall. Indy considers herself an excellent karaoke singer. Aside from campfire staples like Wonderwall and 3AM, she believes her signature song to be Livin' on a Prayer. T H E M E S O N G The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition Face Claim: Mia Healey - | #42B5AE/Ocean Blue

NeoAJ's The Ones

Jessika Fuller - Second Horizons (Dec. 17, 2020 - Jan. 24, 2021)

Jessika Fuller || Blue Cabin

THE SNOW KANGAROO

_{Jessika Charlotte Fuller}

18 (BDAY: June 9) • Female • Bisexual

(FC: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott; Dialogue: 00843D)
♫ Here we are so what you gonna do
Do I gotta spell it out for you
I can see that you got other plans for tonight
But I don't really care
Size me up you know I beat the best
Tick tock no time to rest
Let 'em say what they're gonna say but tonight,
I just don't really care ♫

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

► How many years have you attended Second Horizons?

"This is my first time out of the bloody islands, so first time heah. My sponsawr wants me ta get some experience in Amahicah befawah I try 'n make it pro, so heah I am! "

► What team color would you like? Do you think you'll get it?

"I dunno, any of them would be good enough. But there's no gold, so I guess if I 'ad ta pick I'd say green? Just fawr luck? But blue wawrks too."

► Is this your choice to attend? If not, what can we do to accommodate you?

"Ta be true blue, not really? I'd nevah heahrd of the bloody place befawah now. Liyyke I said, sponsawr found it. But hey, right now I'd be on the bloody beach back home, eh? So I'm good as gold bein' heah."

► Any allergies, disabilities, or special circumstances we should be aware of?

"Peanuts. Root em."

► Do you have experience with any winter sports? Would you like lessons?

"If I wasn't, that would mean my pahrents weah shit teachers, eh? So I'm skilled. Fawr 'ssies, anyway. I'm heah ta get some runs on some biggah slopes 'n see wat I can do."

► What are you looking forward to?

"Hittin' the bloody slopes on my boahrd, bein' able ta see that snow fly, 'n we'll see if I can betder my times a bit? Wo knows, maybe some Yank will steal my heahrt awr something? *laughs*"

► What are you not looking forward to?

"Yah tucker, that's yah food, eh? Yah laws, 'n yah television. Ya lot ahah kindah puritan up heah."

► Tell us a little bit about yourself:

"I liyyke ta think I'm easy-breezy on most things? I'm not the bloody one ta be causin' a fuss awr nothin'. But I don't take a lot of shit. Not built that way. So if ya'ah bein' a fahkin' wanker, ya'll know, cause I'll say it. 'N like, I know I'm an outsidah 'n all, but I'm not takin' that stereochoopical bullshit from the bloody jump. 'N if someone wants ta try it, I'll pop them one. I know how ta scrap. So fahkin' try me at yah own peril."

____________________________________________________________

► Noteworthy appearance traits:

"I liyyke ta keep my 'air flowin' undah a wool cap most of the bloody time, but I don't really wawrry about fashion because it's gottah be wahrm mawah than anythin'. I 'aven't cut my 'air in yeahrs because wy would I? It's grouse (That means awesome). Othah than that, wat yah see is wat ya get. I know I'm small, but I pack a punch, yeah?"

► Noteworthy luggage items:

"I brought the 'strine flag because I gottah represent wile I'm heah. That's garn up in the bloody dawrm. I know, it's a shawrt stay, but still. Also, brought a vial of the bloody lake sand from home ta spread somewheah heah. Agayyn, screw the bloody rules. Ohder than that, it was mostly clothes, boahrd, my Switch 'n some notepads in cayse I want ta write some things down. I've been tol' I've got the bloody voice of an angel wen it comes ta some of the bloody things I've written."

► Quirks:

• "I do play with my 'air a lot. It's just there, it's a comfawrt."
• "I don't liyyke repeatin' myself. At all. I'm speakin' English, mate. Fahkin' understand it."
• "A lot of times wen I'm garn on the slopes, I'm hummin' songs ta myself. I just liyyke 'avin' my own little soundtrack wen I'm cahrvin'."

► Likes/Dislikes:

✔ "Pizza, especially 'Awaiian."
✔ "Mountayyn biking, that's wat I'd be doin' back home right now."
✔ "Liyyke a really solid weepy rom-com. Helps cleanse the bloody soul."
✖ "Rugby players. So fahkin' annoyin'."
✖ "Social mediah. I'm tol' i av ta do it, but it's just noise."
✖ "That song "Down Under". Overplayed as hell."

____________________________________________________________

► Brief history:

I was bawrn in Jindabyne, New South Wales, in the bloody Snowy Mountayyns. Mom 'n dad moved up theah in the 2000s wen the bloody industry was really takin' off, so I've grown up ahround the bloody hills my wole life. Wasn't much else ta do in town besides foolin' ahround in nature, so I've done that fawr a wile. I've gotten some skills on the boahrd with all the bloody practice time, ta the point weah some of the sponsawrs think I could be the bloody next chloe kim, but fawr 'Straya. Give a little mawah pride than Steven Bradbury coastin' ta an olympic gold, eh? but I've only been ridin' the bloody Snowys. So I need ta expand a little bit 'n see if I can make a cahreah out of this. If not, I dunno. Might just head ta school 'n become a teachah awr somethin'. But if this wawrks? If I can prove myself up heah agayynst the bloody Yanks? Well, I might av somethin' cooking, eh? but ya know. It's all talk until I actually get out theah. Othah than that, just stoked ta finally meet some fahkin' different people othah than the bloody same ol' snow bunnies that come by ta sit in the bloody lodge instead of shred.

____________________________________________________________

► Extra information:

"I reckon I've said wat needs ta be said on a piece of paypah. Yah want mawre, talk ta me."

Link: Here

Heed the Call

---

Fireworks. Who actually cares about fireworks anymore? Loud bangs only made palatable because of a brief flash of color? Get over yourselves.

While the fact that she was alone on a hill near the cabins gave the appearance that the girl was staking out a spot to try and get the best glimpse of the nighttime show, Lexi Parsons just wanted to get away from the crowd at camp. She knew that taking part in this place was going to be a mistake, but she had to get out of the house for the summer. Her father was driving her nuts with his whole push to actually try and give a damn about what his daughter was doing and she just wanted some time for herself. It's the only reason she agreed to come to this camp. Not that it gave her any warm and fuzzy feelings about remaining in Utah when the other option was on the West Coast.

Would they be any better in California? Probably not.

They would probably be swallowed up by the LA smog. Not that her other option was all that close to LA. Or that she would at least have the option to be left alone like this. The mountains did allow for some solitary time that probably would not be available in Victorville. But her dad kept taking her around from place to place as a kid, why did Utah hold such a place in his heart? Lexi knew the only thing that ever stood out about her time in Ridgefield, and she wasn't exactly mentioning that to anyone.

So, how the hell did that Jericho person know about that? And my email address?

She looked back over at her phone, resting beside her on the rock that was serving as her seat for the show she had little interest in. Prior to that message, Lexi's time at camp was spent plotting out the best places to sneak smokes and avoid the gaze of the higher-ups. It was during one of those little side hikes that she discovered the spot she was at now. The faint trail of the cigarette that rested in her left hand wasn't visible from the main camp area, that's for sure. It's why if she was going to try and reason this whole email out, she wanted to not be disturbed. She had a tendency to talk out loud to herself when trying to figure out complex issues.

"I thought for sure that shit was just a dream..." Lexi said softly. It was definitely something that had stood out over any other memories of her time in the Beehive State. Even for someone who didn't care for dinosaurs in her youth, seeing a giant red-and-green version of what would happen when a stegosaurus merged with a T-rex battle the largest, nastiest bug this side of a Scyther would be something that wouldn't be forgotten. She remembered wondering why no one from the base was scrambling out to stop the monsters and by the time Adam had woken up to see why his daughter was standing in their duplex in stunned silence, there was nothing there. So she said nothing. To no one. Ever. Didn't need to have anyone thinking she was going slightly loco. Maybe she Googled it once or twice, but it only led to a bunch of nonsense parroted by tin-foil-wearing rubes, and she erased the history after...

But this guy Jericho knew about it. Knew she saw it.

So what? This dude was probably one of those rubes too! Picked some random emails off some server and just sent them out in the hopes that someone would be duped enough to respond so he could ask for their credit card info. Why was she even giving this any thought in the slightest? It was stupid!

"Nah, can't be anything. Don't know why I'd think it is." Lexi leaned back onto the rock and took a soft puff of her cigarette. She just had to calm her nerves and realize it for what it was. "Gonna have to get a new email address though if I'm on some creep's list. What a pain." She lazed on the rock, ignoring the colors in the sky as she closed her eyes and let herself drift into her own special type of meditation.

NeoAJ's The Ones

Crystal Powers - Love Ahoy (Dec. 9, 2020 - Dec. 27, 2020)

Crystal Powers

---

_{𝐓 𝐇 𝐄 𝐁 𝐀 𝐒 𝐈 𝐂 𝐒}

---

Name

Crystal MoonSapphire Powers

"Kris, Krista, Just don't use my middle name. Please. For my sanity. Or my last name, really. Just, my parents were terrible, OK?"

Age

30

Gender

Cis Female (she/her)

Sexuality

Pansexual

Occupation

CEO, Biostarship Beverages

_{𝐖 𝐇 𝐀 𝐓 𝐘 𝐎 𝐔 𝐒 𝐄 𝐄}

---

Appearance

Crystal stands 5'3", with long straight hair that while it may change colors on a whim, it usually is grounded in reality. Sometimes she stays a brunette, sometimes she goes full blonde. Her skin maintains a healthy glow, while her brown eyes confirm her connection to the Earth. She is limber, as years of working the farms have given her a fairly athletic body. However, she's not a fan of keeping it covered up. It's not her forte. She prefers wearing minimalist clothes, such as jean shorts and tank tops, although she will dress up should the weather or situation call for it. She keeps things less flashy, with no need for gaudy jewelry or flashy tattoos. She's just a humble kind of girl.

Personality

Crystal is a very abrupt person. She doesn't have a lot of time to deal with a lot of people's bullshit. She got enough of that at home prior to her ascension in the business world. As such, she's often very curt and will quickly stop someone if they are going on too long. She's a person who values hard work, grit and determination above all else, and she has yet to find someone who can match her resolve to make something of herself in a world that seemed destined to weigh her down.

And yet that's the problem. She hasn't found that person. Inside she longs to find someone she can share an actual connection with. Not just love. Love is free. Love is cheap. That kind of love doesn't satisfy Crystal, and she has tried to find that satisfaction. No, she wants someone she can actually talk for hours with, someone who will walk the fields and taste the fresh veggies and fruit with her, someone who wants exactly what she wants. Sure, physically, that hasn't been a problem, but that emotional bond has been hard to forge.

_{𝐈 𝐍 𝐌 𝐘 𝐏 𝐀 𝐒 𝐓}

---

Biography

Crystal was born April 22, 199x in Albany, New York, to Sapphire Divine and Moon River Powers. No, those weren't her parents' birth names. They changed them in 1979 from Susan Lynn Van Slyke and Kevin Allen McLean when they got married. Instead, Crystal got to bear the full brunt of her parents' whims. For despite the relative lateness to the flower child movement of the 60s, they both quickly rejected the growth of disco to stay true to the roots of love throughout the decade. After trying to fruitlessly bring their own little sky soldier into the world for over a decade, the couple had tried everything. However, when Sapphire became pregnant at age 44, Moon was convinced that it was due to the healing crystals he purchased from a traveling shaman he met while at a flea market in Utica, so the baby was bequeathed that name because naming a girl Lawrence after the shaman would have been silly, right?

Crystal was raised on the massive farm that the Powers had built up in Gilboa, New York known as Biostarship Farms, so-called because of the Powers' belief in Earth as a massive spaceship carrying humanity. Moon swore he saw it in a dream one time. Given the massive inheritance that Sapphire received from her parents after an untimely plane crash, they were able to secure vast amounts of acreage that Moon began planting crops on. Moon's parents, the McLeans, would make visits to the farm to make sure their granddaughter was being spoiled rotten as much as they could allow, but Sapphire and Moon demanded a low-impact lifestyle. Everything was recycled from clothing to farm equipment. It also meant Crystal led a life of subsistence throughout grade school. She was "that hippie kid" in the Gilboa system. The only times she felt like she was worth more than the dirt were those rare trips when her Grammie and Granpie visited.

Crystal did well enough in school to earn a partial scholarship to a few local universities. Her parents didn't want her to go, but her grandparents insisted she get the education needed to run the farm once her parents became too old to do so. She jumped at the opportunity and attended SUNY-Farmingdale, on Long Island. There, she finally got the chance to shed a lot of the Pigpen-like accouterments that marked her time in Gilboa. She bought new clothes, new stuff, a laptop, and she got to work learning the ins and outs of everything Farmingdale had to offer from Agricultural Engineering to Solar Energy. Eventually, she settled on Business. Strategizing on just what could be done with the plentiful apple orchards, vineyards, fields, and other fruits of the earth she had access to, Crystal began to formulate her plans with what could be done with Biostarship Farms. She just didn't know she would get the opportunity way too quickly.

In 2014, Sapphire was diagnosed with lung cancer and refused Western medicine, instead choosing to rely on herbs to heal. They didn't work. She died in January 2015. Moon was distraught and after a night on various drugs, went out to the large pond on the property for a midnight dip to try and clear his head. He did not return, with his body found the next day. Crystal had now inherited everything at the age of 25. Fresh out of university, she struggled to think of what she would need to do on her own at first, but a pow-wow with her grandparents and the research she obtained while living on Long Island quickly pointed her in the right direction.

Crystal had taken many trips along the rails into New York City and she could see the trends beginning to rise in the organic industries. Especially in the cold-pressed juice surge. With ready access to many fruits and vegetables, Crystal invested in an industrial juicer and set it up in one of the bars near the house. Carting her wares to NYC in a converted horse trailer at first, her company flourished, taking over New York with its unique blends, sustainable practices, and trippy name. The little rocket ship on the logo was a nice touch. For as much as Crystal did dislike her parents, it was their farm that was giving her this chance to build something they may have thought was a nightmare, but instead would be her ticket out of that farming life for good.

Within two years, production expanded to multiple factories in the Mohawk Valley, shipping her juices across the Northeast. More farmers started selling directly to Crystal and Biostarship Beverages became one of the hottest brands in the country. Eventually, the big companies came sniffing around, and Crystal sold her business to Coca-Cola in an $800m deal that retained her as the CEO. She let the small farmhouse that she lived in go by the wayside and quickly overcompensated, moving into a $2M home in Tarrytown. Now with a mansion at her disposal and no need to truly work again, Crystal has seemingly set herself up for success. So why does she still feel empty? She's hoping maybe this cruise can provide some answers. Or at least a cheap laugh or two.

_{𝐌 𝐈 𝐒 𝐂 𝐄 𝐋 𝐋 𝐀 𝐍 𝐄 𝐎 𝐔 𝐒}

---

Other

FC: Michelle Mylett // f535aa

• Has adopted three dogs since moving to Tarrytown, a German Shepherd named Stormy, an Australian Shepherd named Dundee, and a border collie named Duke. They are being looked after by paid help during her time away.
• Can be found on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok @CrystalPowers, after buying out the original holders of the accounts.
• Had a year-long relationship with a boy named Dante while at SUNY-Farmington, but he quickly cooled off after a trip to visit her parents. Since then, all her efforts have gone into work and now she's afraid someone will just want her for her money. And her body.
• In the free time she's developed since selling her company, she has indulged in watching many movies, sunbathing, attending concerts, and trying to learn multiple languages. So far she's gotten 67% on French in Duolingo.

Link: Here

NeoAJ's The Ones

Alina Zabrecky - Rosefell High 2.0 (Nov. 20, 2020 - May 11, 2021)

Alina Zabrecky || Liberty High

Name

Alina Lily Zabrecky

Nicknames

Lina, Ally

Age

17

Gender

Female

Sexuality

Stated demisexual, but unsure in reality

Relationship Status

Single

Label

The Enigma on the Edge

Appearance Details

• Hair: Naturally dark brown, occasionally streaked with blonde | Straight | Usually worn down and cut to varying lengths. It is a perpetual experiment.
• Eyes: Grey
• Height: 5'2"
• Body Type: Alina's body has slimmed as she's grown into it. It was more athletic when she was younger, but she's let it waste away. It's a slight build that's grown slighter with worry.
• Clothing Style: Alina dressed a lot like a tomboy in the lower grades. She still liked girly outfits, but she felt more herself in comfier clothes. As she entered high school, she felt more pressure to conform to norms, but always ended up happiest in her jean jacket, her baseball cap and her collection of oversized t-shirts. She did her best to blend in, if only to try and make it easier for Niki, but it didn't work. Now, she's not sure what to do as a new school looms.
• Makeup Wise: Alina's learned how to do makeup very well. Of course, she had a more-than-willing test subject to practice on. She favors bold mascara, soft contouring and neutral lip shades.
• Scars, Tattoos and/or Piercings: Alina has a couple of small scars on the knuckles of her right hand from the scraps of her youth. She has multiple piercings in both lobes, as well as a right orbital piercing.

Personality Traits

If you asked Alina to describe herself in three words, you probably wouldn't get an answer. Not because of rebellious attitudes. Mostly because she doesn't know the answer herself.

For years, Alina has thought of herself as a protector. Someone that those in positions of weakness could turn to a find an ally, should they prove worthy. It was a position that Alina relished. It gave her purpose, and she was good at it. When her younger sibling started getting bullied, it allowed her to find her place. From then on, she was not to be trifled with on the playgrounds of Cleveland. But Columbus was a different story.

Alina became more withdrawn, choosing to spend more time in the house, with Niki. It was safe there, at least she thought. She couldn't protect with her size advantage anymore, so this was another way to do so. But it wasn't enough. And now Alina has no clue what that means. What she can do. What she can offer. She's in a bit of a broken state, and has been for almost all of her junior year. She withdrew from sports, from clubs, from everything. There was nothing she could do after what happened. And it ate her alive.

Now, with the move to Rosefell, Alina has a chance to potentially establish a new direction for herself. Niki seems to be doing better, so maybe it's time to work on herself and try to be someone who doesn't need others to feel useful and wanted. Maybe it's time to try and figure out how she's going to interact with the world for her own gains.

Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows.

Biography

Alina Lily Zabrecky was the first child born to Anna and Bernard Zabrecky on March 29, 2003 in Cleveland, Ohio, and she was blessed with the names of both her grandmothers. Her early life was a happy one, even as her little sibling Nik came into the world a year later. They bonded very quickly, especially as Nik showed an interested in the same things Alina did. She was happy to share. However, as they progressed through grade school, it became clear that other people were not as accepting as Nik started to push the envelope more in public. It didn't make sense to Alina. Why shouldn't her kin get to express themselves as they saw fit? It wasn't fair that Nik was punished for being themself.

So Alina stood up for Nik. Stood up in violent ways. Ways that ended with her in the principal's office and the offending bully often being taken out with her. That was the cycle. If they messed with Nik, they got the Alinattack. It worked on that end, but her parents became concerned with all the suspensions and missed school days alongside the consistent bullying that Nik received when Alina wasn't there to play defense. Plus, it didn't seem to help Nik solve their own issues of self-identity. Eventually, the bullying got so bad that the family departed the Mistake on the Lake and headed inland, to the state capital in Columbus.

Things didn't improve though. Niki became more withdrawn and spent more time in their room. Alina did her best to make sure Niki knew that they were still tight. She tried to do the crafts and projects that Niki was interested in, and as they seemed to progress through school, Alina did her best to set a path to follow, actually focusing on schoolwork as opposed to focusing on who the next target was. Besides, she couldn't be that kind of physical protector for Niki anymore. But she tried so hard to be there mentally. Which is why when she found Niki in their room, razor blades having done terrible work to their arms, blood pooling on the floor, all she could think to do was scream.

Alina wasn't in the room when Niki awoke. She couldn't bear to look at them. She felt like a failure, like she couldn't stop the pain from overwhelming them. What kind of sibling would let that happen? It was unbearable. Alina spent most of her junior year locked away in her room, wracked with guilt over what happened. Her grades plummeted. She managed to pass, but nowhere near the levels she showed she was capable of before. When word came through the grapevine that Liberty was being shutdown and that all students were being transferred to Rosefell, Alina didn't know what to make of it. It was another chance for her and Niki to make a fresh go of things and find a path that both of them could walk down. But Niki was starting to grow distant, more invested in Instagram than anything else. Sure, they still did things together, but she could see the glances at the phone. So what was Alina to do? What would Rosefell represent? What did she want?

She doesn't say. She doesn't know. There is a way to find out, but how ready Alina is for the answers is unknown.

Family

• Mother: Anna Zabrecky // 43 // Wedding Planner // FC: Diane Kruger
• Father: Bernard Zabrecky // 46 // Accountant // FC: David Tennant
• Sibling: Niki Zabrecky // 16 // Junior at Rosefell High // FC: Stav Strashko

Misc.

Anastasia Bezrukova | Maya Blue: 73c2fb

• Alina has one dog, a tiny Chihuahua/Terrier mix named Taco that she got as a rescue.
• The puppy is so named because Alina's favorite meal is three-meat tacos, with ground beef, chicken and turkey cooked together and served in a soft tortilla. The secret is in the spices.
• Alina has dabbled in online gaming, something that allows her to stay close to home, but she's an unranked Overwatch player. Stardew Valley is a favorite, though.
• Given her tendency to get into fights while younger, Alina was put into boxing classes as a child. However, as other girls caught up to her, she quickly lost the ability to fight competently against them, and she stopped at age 13.
• Her favorite Netflix series used to be 13 Reasons Why, but for obvious reasons, it has dropped from the rankings.
• My favorite thing about Halloween is being enjoyed right now, because my roommate got Jolly Ranchers and Reese's Cups on the discount.

Link: Here

Edenridge

It felt as if one more ghost had joined the army floating around Edenridge High that night. At least, that's how Jillian felt. Well aware of just how pathetic she looked curled up on a floor that heralded the bloody end of so many dreams lately, floating above a body that for all intents and purposes was already dead to the world. Jillian wanted to scream at herself to stop feeling so god damn sorry. To stop letting the past continue to bury her under everything it put her through, even as it continued to pile on. But it was a futile effort.

Brains are assholes like that after all.

So she sat there, tears in her eyes as more fighting broke out, another remnant of the past as her ride clashed with her nemesis. Again. The bad blood between Kylie Grimm and Natalia Belmonte was very well known, and it didn't take a lot of arm-twisting on Kylie's part to get Jill to side with her in that battle. From when they were kids, Natalia had been nothing but an absolute bitch to her whenever she visited Danny's place. Jill learned how to give people the side-eye because she was on the receiving end of countless glares from the twin. As much as Jillian tried to put olive branches out there, Natalia only wanted to break them and use them as kindling. So it wasn't surprising that the sparks from that fight reignited in this pressure-cooker situation.

Also not surprising that Danny and Lanie went to try and quell that instead of paying any attention to her at all. They had well and truly abandoned her. Jill contemplated for a second asking Decky to just put her out of her misery since he probably had experience...

Then she was reminded of the force that brought her here.

She could almost feel her essence sucked back into her body through the warmth on her forehead. It seemed to have healing properties that would make the Catholic Church call in its panel to determine its status as a miracle. The tears stopped as she looked back up into the eyes of Miss Midnight. How appropriate she led Jill away from that harsh light, if only for a moment.

”Come on, baby. We’re gonna end this.”

The vigor was renewed, stronger than any fortification vodka would provide at this time. As Mei turned to address the assembled masses in the hallway, Jillian shakily pushed herself back up to her feet. Her fellow former cheerleader was marshaling the forces to head back to Carlisle Street. Just one thought was going through her own mind at that moment, overriding everything else.

I would follow this woman to the gates of hell and back...

---

The twenty-minute walk gave some time for the redhead in the group to think. She still held onto the now empty vodka bottle, content to have something to hold onto during the walk while indulging herself in the latest discussion to take up real estate in her brain.

Do I really want to ask her that? I mean, we spent the whole day together with time flying by. So many days. Like they're nothing. She wasn't sick of me, even like this. She pulled me out of this. But she's my best friend... Heh, all those people who thought I would end up sleeping with my best friend but betting on Danny would have been completely wrong. She wouldn't go for that though. I can't imagine. I mean, how would we discuss the headlines from the previous night if we already knew what happened? As the familiar fallen remains of the Sinclair house came into view, she had to come to some conclusion and her conclusion was...? Are you sure this isn't the booze talking, Bean? You know damn well how you get when you're drinking. Think about this tomorrow maybe and see if you still want to go to that spot.

The presence of ReyRey Gonzalez made it a lot easier to table the conversation with herself. Jillian knew that if Hailey was going to get her in at the Edge, she was going to have to go through ReyRey, so she did her best to maintain some level of presence that didn't invoke pity. ReyRey admitted it wasn't him writing the letters but he started to take the ex-students of Edenridge back to the day that Allison Davies breathed her last breath. It wasn't hard for Jillian to join him. The reason she made so many trips to this house was to go back to that night...

---

December 4, 2016, Edenridge, MA, 13 Carlisle Avenue, ReyRey’s Party House

"I'M THE QUEEN OF THE WORLD!!!!!

"You're going to be the queen of the emergency ward if you don't get back in here! C'mon, Red!" the male in the Edenridge letterman jacket beckoned.

Jillian pouted and climbed back in off the roof of the awning that overlooked the house that served as the staging point of the celebration of what would be a long line of Pinehurst defeats. It was proving to be a night of firsts for her. The first victory in cheer competition over those Pineheads. Her first (and second, third, fourth and fifth at that point) alcoholic beverages. And not 10 minutes ago, the first time she got to third base with a boy. "I'm sorry! I'm just... really freaking happy right now, you know?"

"I wish all the other girls were as happy as you are after what you just did. Would make my life easier."

"As fun as that was, it's not just that. It... I don't know. Just feels like things are really falling into place. Like this is who I'm meant to be. Even... doing that. By the way, how was I? I mean, for a rookie and all. I know I've been exceeding expectations tonight, so I'd love to keep that streak going."

The boy ran his hand over his hair to slick back the beads of sweat while coming up with a diplomatic answer. He didn't dare say that Jill wasn't quite up to the levels as her more practiced sister. In fact, mentioning Grace at all seemed to be a bad idea. "You kept it going, all right. If that's your first effort, I'd say you're going to be going places in that regard." Jillian beamed and went to kiss him, but he held up his hand. "Easy there! Go down another couple Breezers, wash the taste out, then you can go ahead and do that."

"Sorry! Still new to this whole process. Duly noted though. And your feedback will help improve this service in the future."

"Any time you need feedback, girl, let me know." He snapped the fly on his jeans and stood up from the meager bed that served as the staging grounds for their endeavor. "C'mon. We should clear out and get back down to the party so someone else can have their fun... Jill, right?" He knew damn well it was Jill, but she didn't need to know he knew that.

Jillian nodded affirmingly. "You got it! I'll probably get back to my friends, so maybe I'll see you around... um... sorry I don't know why I'm blanking right now. I'm usually so good with names! I swear I have a memory like an elephant!"

The boy laughed and dismissively waved his hand. "Don't worry about it. It's Mike. Mike Barrie. I'll see you around, Jill. Don't go practicing too much without me, all right?" Michael turned and left with a more positive wave as he faded out of sight.

A giggle escaped Jill's lips as she gave a quick glance in the dirty mirror, fixing the straps that had come askew during her time in the room. "I don't know what could make this night better," she said softly to herself as she went to rejoin the party.

Edenridge

Tell me again am I awake now
Maybe you can find the reason why
No one else is living this way...

There were many things that were getting on Jillian’s nerves at the moment. Nerves that should have been dulled at this point to anything other than finding the sick SOB that was putting out these garbage diary pages and force-feeding them every gymnasium floorboard the assembled mob could pull up. But there were too many hooks pulling up things that she wanted to forget. Lanie showing up and acting like she didn’t need to be here. The mocking tributes to Alison Davies. Danny. Everything Danny. She spent so long trying to forget the past that having the various ghosts burst through the fog she spent the entire day carefully crafting were getting to her. But nothing could distract her enough from what was happening. This Danny was far different than the one she last spoke to in anger and hurt.

Not that she had changed her tactics much since then. Danny did though. He was never the take-charge serious type before… well, he stopped being a lovable doofus and became an untrustworthy asshole. She still didn’t see any sign of the latter yet. But at least he was leading a party out of this god-forsaken gym. Right now, the Edenridge gym was the last place Jillian wanted to be in the world. Aside from maybe the Pinehurst gym. She still hated them too. So she followed the growing Scooby squad around Danny as he led the way to the lockers to see if his hypothesis was right.

Walking the hallways again was giving Jill the shivers. The recent nightmares weren’t helping matters either. The tiles still looked the same, alternating pale and dark as they did when she got the up close look at them when she fell. Every time. Seeing the floor and the wall of lockers in reality were reducing any effect her liquid courage was having. She looked back, as if to try and find an exit, but only saw Mei walking behind her. Mei wasn’t scared. Why would she be scared? She wasn’t reliving those horrors over and over. She was reliving different horrors over and over. At least she was doing it by choice. Jillian swallowed a gulp as the grip on the nearly-empty bottle turned her knuckles white.

It turned out Roddy was going to be the one to open up his brother’s locker. It made sense, even if for some reason it was Danny that had come up with the combination. Jillian thought that she couldn’t get more tense than she already was but hearing the clicks of the lock seemingly amplified by the hollow resonance of the halls was ratcheting up the pressure in her mind. Yet Roddy was able to open the lock with the given numbers. Jill half expected a boom or a jump scare to pop out of the locker when Roddy opened it.

Instead, there was just more music. Fucking A/V nerd was really enjoying themselves with this soundtracking.

As the Callahan boy searched through what used to be his brother’s storage space, the only things he found didn’t seem to pertain to him. Roddy pulled out a photo and a sunflower, a wilted remnant of former cheery glory. How apt that he handed it off to Jillian. She stood there holding the plant, trying to figure out what it had to do with Allison as Roddy requested, but she was drawing a blank at the moment. I don’t know what sunflowers had to do with Allison. I don’t remember her being gung-ho about them. She didn’t have earrings or anything…”

Roddy held up the photograph though, and being right next to him, Jillian was first to grab that from him as well. She shifted the flower into her bottle hand and stared at the photo. She barely recognized young Francis Callahan but got there after a few seconds. Forgot how hot he was back then… Flipping it over though, her heart continued to sink. This hook was barbed, and it was pulling her back down with ease.

Jillian crashed back-first into the lockers and slid down to the floor, the bottle making an empty thud on the ground as she stared at the back. It was Francis, and some dude named Russ, but that wasn’t the key detail for her that triggered her fall. But it would circle back in a second.

The date was ominous enough. Everyone in Edenridge knew that day. That was the day that the innocence died. When the picturesque world of high school was shattered like… well Jill at that moment. In more ways than one.

It was the night that young Jillian O’Brien got her first taste of high-school partying. It was where she got her first taste of alcohol, courtesy her sister grabbing some Breezers for the rest of the freshman cheerleaders to partake while the seniors and juniors went for the harder stuff. She could still remember the syrupy-sweet strawberry flavor that seemed to herald sweet success for a fleeting couple of hours.

It was an address that she knew very well, having stopped by the place more than a few times lately. Whenever she thought confronting the ghosts head on would convince them to leave her alone for a moment’s peace, and when that didn’t work, to drink until she forgot they were haunting her. There was one ghost in particular she wanted to try and talk to and exorcise, and yet she couldn’t be shaken. She was here tonight after all. And that picture on the front may explain the unfinished business.

Jill muttered softly at first to herself. _{”That was the night…”} She looked up to see the rest of her former classmates staring at her. It was probably a mix of 20% confusion, 60% pity and 20% anger. She couldn’t tell where in particular the emotions were coming from, but as her glassed-over eyes stared up at everyone, tears forming, breakdown surely coming, she did her best to stammer out as she handed the photograph off to her partner-in-crime, Miss Midnight.

Say something! Everyone’s looking at you to say something!

Jill closed her eyes, trying to flush the sadness so she could explain herself. “That was the night…” she said louder this time, but still at a whimper’s decibel level. “While Francis was in the arms of another man… that was the night. That was the place. That’s when Ally died… There was no respite now. No courage. No bravado. No swear words for defense. The depression and regret was fully in control and there was nothing Jillian could do about it. ”That’s when it all went downhill…” The flower was getting watered and the bottle started to regain some volume as a hundred bottles’ worth of liquor started to be shed for the first time in a while.

Edenridge

_{A @NeoAJ & @LovelyComplex Collaboration, Part 2 Present Time || Featuring: Jillian O'Brien & Danilo Belmonte}

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

The people around him had mixed feelings about his presence, including the girls he saw as friends. He could lie and say he didn’t care, but he did. He cared a lot. Danny used to be the king of this very court right here, but now? He was a highschool has-been, probably a future gas station attendant, or at least, a guy who had no idea what he was going to do for the rest of his life. Maybe, he’d settle with a food service job because conveniently his family owned two businesses. 

Sadly, Danny ruined his chances to join the big leagues and just lived the past couple years on auto-pilot, with routine and pattern, so he could always be there for his family and loved ones whenever they needed him. His life was on hold because it seemed the worst years had yet to come for the Belmonte family. His eldest sister was bound to get a divorce sooner or later, Elisa probably would overwork herself to death, Tiffanie would get fucked to death, and he was sure there were more issues behind the curtain of the Belmonte show. 

If he was being honest with himself, even younger Danilo knew basketball wasn’t his future, but part of him wanted to believe basketball was everything he loved and dreamed of doing. Part of him wanted to believe life was that simple and he had everything planned out from start to finish. Part of him believed he would be a star forever. But, he wasn’t a complete idiot and he knew that wasn’t a life meant for him. 

He knew even on the court, sure, he made the girls go wild and everyone praised him, but he didn’t feel fulfilled. It was like he was walking this meaningless life, always trying to impress and make his parents proud. He tried to justify this feeling of emptiness. Did it root back to when his twin, Natalia, started distancing herself? Or when Cece came to him crying and he realized there was more to life than looking cool? Or did it happen when he met Marco and found that up until he met this goofy boy he was just playing pretend? Like the real him was stuck in a box and only Marco could open it… 

He had no idea but he knew, after the end of sophomore year, with Francis, Rhett, and all those in Allison’s year already gone, her ghost lingering in the hallways of Edenridge High, that basketball wasn’t his forever. He just knew... there was something more for him, but what was it? What was his forever? He had no idea of his destination but it certainly wasn’t being in the NBL, which he was told he would be part of ever since he was a little kid.

Now in his feelings, when his eyes locked with his childhood friend, Jillian, Danny cleared his throat and approached her. Kylee had walked away, leaving an open space beside her. Placing his hand on the back of his neck, like he had done at Marco’s house, he offered an olive branch, hoping she would take it. Danny knew she was still mad that he slept with her sister, Grace, the same year when he no longer had Francis to look up to, but he also wanted his friend back. 

Even an inkling of what she used to be, he missed, and so he approached her, with no hesitation. Hoping things could be like it used to be, but knowing very well it can never be, he asserted,  “It’s good to see you, Jillybean. Um,” He could smell the strong stench of booze coming off of her and he gave her a genuine concerned look,  “... are you sure you can handle this?” He didn’t want to discredit his friend, but she’s been through so much already and this might just add to all her inner turmoil. Unfortunately, before she could respond the montage of Allison Davies started playing. 

Her attempts to put up some sort of psychic wall or call the ghosts to her aid to block Danny Belmonte had failed, and now Jillian O’Brien had a lot more to deal with than how many hits Aaron Cox could take from a vodka bottle and which one would break first. She wanted to scream at Danny. She wanted an apology for what he did to their friendship when he did her sister. She wanted an apology for not even bothering to check in while she was recovering from the attack that dashed her hopes of having a family of her own to look forward to. She wanted an apology for stealing the Pokemon cards out of her Happy Meal when they were nine. She wanted Danny to be fucking sorry. 

But there was no time for any of that. Apparently the ghosts were busy rigging up the audio/visual tech in this shell of a school, blaring the projection of one of their own. Allison Davies in happier times, with a future to look forward to that was seemingly limitless with its possibilities, her smile beaming. Back before that mouth was filled with foam and death. That optimistic look was one that Jill used to have herself. Now it filled her with pain to even imagine smiling that wide. As much as the strains of “Summer Long Gone” that filled the room. She couldn’t think about that song anymore. It was like someone had designed a PowerPoint of torture. Like most PowerPoint presentations. Jillian closed her eyes shut, not wanting to submit to it anymore. Not wanting to give whoever was doing this the satisfaction of drawing emotion out of her. Emotions were a thing of the past. They had to be.

As the gunshots rang out, Jillian opened her eyes again as the music video came to an end with the cryptic “Callahan 16-7-5” message. It had to be Roddy. Roddy was the last person to see Charlie Decker alive. He had to be tied to this. But Jill couldn’t be sure. Those emotions that were supposed to be a thing of the past? Anger was still a very prominent part of her present.

Danny though. Danny was still standing there, seemingly looking for an answer from her. Unfortunately, the one that came during the video wasn’t great. So Jill needed another one. “Handle this?” she slurred. “The only handle I gotta worry about is tha handle of this bottle not breaking while I beat the shit out of whatever braindead motherfucker thought this was a fucking funny joke! Dragging us here for this bullshit! Dragging up shit from the past like it’s a fucking game!” Hanging out with Mei as much as she did now had clearly given Jillian some of her bravado, and her penchant for swearing. “Fucking A/V nerd here being an asshole. What the fuck even happened on July 5, 2016?”

As the once star jock observed his friend with one hell of a sailor mouth now, Danny found himself cupping his chin and covering his mouth with his left hand. For a moment or two, he was stuck in a state of shock. Shock of what was projected on the wall and shock at how horrible his old friend’s state was. Jillian was barely understandable and living life in her primitive brain, behaving accordingly.  

More often than not, Danilo Belmonte had encountered his friend, and her family members, on numerous occasions since the fall out. Rarely was she sober and if she was, at least up until sophomore year, she wanted nothing to do with him. This though. This Jillian was ten times worse. When did her perpetual state remind him of poison? When did it get so bad? Six months ago? When she lost... 

That feeling, that turned his emotions jagged, curled up in his stomach and chest. This feeling that seemed to be his new normal as of late continued to make his insides tight. And he felt powerless. Guilty. This was all his fault.

When Danny looked at Jillian, who peered at him with emptiness in her eyes, those eyes that refused to connect and let him in, he could only stand there and watch. Her emotional pain, as much as she tried to hide it, seeped out in her words and he could feel her hurt. He could see her invisible scars so raw, with no skin to cover up the pain. 

He only had himself to blame. None of his gifts were received, either thrown out or refused or stolen right off her porch. All Grace suggested was to give her sister space and time to heal, as if she had done nothing wrong and this was all on him. When really, it takes two to tango, but that one mistake made Jillian feel the ultimate betrayal so maybe Grace was right, this was all on him. Maybe he was a fool for thinking with his dick instead of his heart at the age of sixteen. 

Danny wasn’t pleading to be the best guy in the world, especially not during highschool, but this felt drawn out and he hated seeing her get worse and worse by the day. It seemed no one cared about her state, not her family, not her so-called friends, no one. She was drowning herself in alcohol, cursing and yelling at the world because hurt people hurt people, and just… looking sickly. Slowly killing herself. 

He royally messed up. He knew that. Danny had thought, at the time, that Grace would be a big win not only in his and Quinn’s game but also he thought, maybe Grace could cure him of his ‘disease’. He was wrong and if anything, he lost Jillian and found men more attractive than he had before. That was neither here nor there because what he was presently witnessing was Jillian’s skin looking dull and grey, her eyes being completely bloodshot, and her hair clearly thinning. Did no one know that too much alcohol dehydrates you? 

Just when he was finally going to respond, his green eyes went back to the still image on the wall and those numbers. At that point in time, his mind was taken away from worrying too much about his old friend who hated his guts to the numbers before him — the feeling of nostalgia flooding over him. Why were those numbers so familiar? Why did he feel like this clue was only possible if he had come tonight? Who knew he would come tonight? Lost in thought, but still directing his words to Jillian, Danny freed his mouth from the hand that was covering it and snapped his finger, as if this would help jog his memory, “I think, I think I know those numbers.” 

Knew those numbers? That would mean Danny knew something meant something, and that was not a track record he had established in the past. It meant he would do things like not sleep with a friend’s sister.

It seemed petty for Jillian to still harbor such a grudge over something so long ago that apparently meant more to her than any of the other parties involved. But it still hurt. Grace was the closest sibling to her in age and with the other three now moved out of the house, it should have been the stronger bond. Instead, in the wake of their dad’s passing, dishonor happened. Her relationship with Grace had gone from a frenemy sibling bond to a frost-coated bridge that neither of them had been willing to cross since. She didn’t even know what Grace was doing to support herself or if her mom was charging rent. Jillian didn’t care to find out. Grace clearly didn’t care either.

Danilo Belmonte? Even now he seemed as clueless as ever. Rubbing the back of his neck trying to figure out what to do next. How many times had Jillian offered him advice? How many times had she kept him in check for his own good? Except the one time there was going to be no chance of her involvement, and he failed. And kept failing. Was there anything behind those eyes? It didn’t seem like there was for a while. Until he decided to snap his fingers and proclaim he knew the connection.

“Know what? What the fuck those numbers have to do with anything? And how are you knowing shit? It’s Roddy’s family up on the board! Why isn’t he coming up with tha number one answer? Huh?!?” Jillian wasn’t worried about volume control at this point, so the Callahan boy probably heard what she was yelling about. Good. Him and Lanie can bond over how much they hate her. Might as well join in with the cosmos. “What the fuck happened that fucking summer?”

Jesus Christ. All these curse words and the pressure of Jillian yelling at him was reminding him how the coach or his father would talk to him when they countlessly told him to pass the ball. To say he was getting increasingly annoyed by this was an understatement. He was trying to do a good thing but she was treating him like garbage. Jillian had changed and honestly? He was wondering why he cared about her in the first place. 

“Would you shut up!”