Realistic or Modern Blood Moon: A Reboot [Closed]

[Svadilfari]

Welcome to Hooksett
we hope you enjoy your stay

RP Theme Song

Spoiler: You've Got Mail!

Hey!

It's me, Bentley. What's up, my pal? I know you're probably busy chillaxing now at Winter Break, but I'd love it if you can go to the Oxen's party tonight. It's going to be awesome, I promise! They got all the best stuff, the Haddoxes. Me, I'm gonna be bringing a hella ton of baggies and a bottle; so I can bring home some of their food and stuff. Last time, they had these amazing cookies, man. A-m-a-z-i-n-g. I fell in love. For real. I bet if you search for the definition for 'amazing' in the Library, there will be a full-blown colored picture of those damn cookies. Anyways, I know you didn't get an invite, but I got an extra one! Don't worry about it, bud. Sorta the perk for being the Class Prez. You don't need to feel bad about it though, they're all missing out on the amazing-ness of y.o.u. Let's show them the party won't start until we walk in, yeah?

Catch you later!
Ben

P.S. Invite should be in this envelope. Sorry about the stain. It's the BBQ powder. Damn, you're right. Those BBQ fries at Bob's are the moon!

P.P.S. I wonder when we're gonna get better service (or any service, really) here. Sometimes feels like we're not yet in the 21st century or something. Paul is raising the prices of his ugly stationary too. This envelope actually cost me five bucks. Well it came in a bundle, but I just need one and the old man wouldn't let me get just one. Screw him. So, you're welcome, bud. See how much I care for you?

Spoiler: Maddie's Invite

​

Hooksett is a lovely small town with a population of a thousand. They boast a Town Square filled with local shops and diners, a neat vintage Theater, a quaint Christian Church, and a well-kept park where most teens and children hang out on their lazy days. But most of all, Hooksett offers a breathtaking view of winding paths, lush-green forests, and a wide expanse of pale blue mountains on the horizon. At the longest night of the year, the moon settles over the twin peaks, and shines a blood-red colour. Nobody knows why the strange phenomenon occurs, but the locals preferred to keep it a secret to themselves. Tourists and new faces aren't exactly what they needed, especially when some people mysteriously disappear each year without a word.

In this RP, students (your characters) from Ryder High will either accidentally or deliberately find themselves in an exclusive party where they weren't invited to. There, they will witness an event that will answer why some people vanish without a trace in their town. Now it's up to them if they want to put a stop to this, or just lay low to avoid being the next victim.

This RP tests each characters' morals and bends to suit each choices made. The ending will depend on the players left and the choices they made along the way.

Character Sheet Thread: Realistic/Modern - Blood Moon: A Reboot [Character Sheet]
OOC Thread: Realistic/Modern - Blood Moon: A Reboot [OOC]​

 

[Svadilfari]

Hooksett Local 21st of December,2017



Annual Town Of The Year Competition
By: Markus Fischer

Hooksett is busy once again with preparations for the much awaited Town Of The Year Competition. Mayor Haddox recently launched a successful Wharf Project that increased Hooksett's trade deals with big cities from various States. Recycling and energy conservation is still properly observed throughout the town, and with the saplings from the New Leaf Project back in 2010 all grown up, it looks like Hooksett will be a heavy contender for the Awards yet again. This town's winning streak did not begin until four years ago, when Timothy Haddox won the election for Town May-- (continued on page 6)



Over The Moon
By: Martha Baker

Robert 'Bob' Finnegan will be celebrating his Diner's Foundation on the 23rd of December, two days from now. Bob said he owed much of his success and tourist popularity from the locals who frequently dined and supported his business. His diner is expected to be, once again, fully packed on the said date, with overflowing requests for his specialties: Bob's Classic (Burger), and Spiced-Up! Fries. Four years ago, Mr. Finnegan's tiny one-man operated joint gradually grew when he first introduced his specialties t-- (continued on page 8)

​

Spoiler: Cathy's Journal: Entry #1

Mckenzie vanished roughly about a year ago from today. Her mother believes that she just left, like she feared she would do. Her things were gone when they checked her room in the morning. Her friends said that she was a 'drifter' and sort of a rebel. She once vandalized the fountain at Town Square, among other things. She was last seen at Paul's purchasing items for a school project. Odd that the girl shopped for a project she would not need to do, if she was planning to run away...

It is cold.

And outside,

It is colder still.


It has only been three days, and yet she can feel her strength ebbing away every time the sun lazily dips on the horizon. Teddy was right. She should have stayed away; called it quits and moved on to a blank page. Just like what everybody else did. 'This isn't a game, Cat,' she can still hear him say, despite the years that passed. And she knows that. It's just that she can't just turn away from it all, and pretend like nothing happened. Because something did happen. Something terrible. It's her barn, and she's the girl in the pink dress, helplessly drawn back to the old, faded painting of the past. Back to the sadness. Back to the carnage.

'This isn't a game, Cat.'

"I know Ted," she whispered to the memory. The golden band around her ring finger seems to grow heavier each day, along with the cold. It's almost like an accusation from the man who gave it to her. Cathy Bates began to twist the metal closer to the base of her knuckle; a force of habit whenever she's starting to get nervous, or nauseous, or both. She wondered what he would say if he can see her now; here in her little room, at four in the morning, with papers and clippings strewn all about, next to her measly breakfast. He would probably scoff and call her 'crazy,' like always. The only difference is he'd be right this time. This is crazy. She shouldn't be here. She shouldn't have left the city. "I'm sorry Ted. I really am." With trembling hands, she lifted the mug to her lips. Today is the third day, the day when her work will officially begin.

After drinking her fill, Cathy strode over to the mirror to check herself. Small bags lined her baby-blue eyes, and her short, strawberry-blonde hair is all tangled up and dry. She hadn't had a wink of sleep last night, and it showed. She's a mess. 'This isn't a game. Remember what happened?' The blonde took one last bite of her toast, before collecting her notes and tucking her hair in a beanie. She'll be alright. As long as she's careful, she'll somehow manage to make it through this, and maybe even prevent it from happening all over again. As she slid out of the door and headed to work, Teddy's voice crept in her mind once more, despite her best attempts to push it away. In a last-ditch effort, she took out her Ipod, plugged her earphones, and blasted her playlist on shuffle to drown out the urgent, angry words echoing in her mind. As the first song began to play, Cathy stopped dead in her tracks, and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her hands started shaking again, but not from the cold.

Someone told me long ago,
There's a calm before the storm
I know
It's been comin' for some time


The familiar voice continued to sing, as Cathy ripped the device off of her ears.


When it's over so they say
It will rain a sunny day
I know
Shinin' down like water


It was faint, but she can still hear him over John Fogerty's croon; the faint sound of a dead man singing.


I want to know,
Have you ever seen the rain?
I want to know,
Have you ever seen the rain?
Comin' down
on a sunny day?

'A storm is coming Cat,' Teddy's singing assured her, 'and you better be ready.' From the distance, a figure emerged from the growing fog.

--

Risk Level: High


His glasses were sliding down his nose, but he paid it no mind as he jogged towards her. "I hope I didn't scare you Miss Bates, running up to you like that," he explained as he stopped to catch his breath. The blonde shook her head and smiled. "Oh no, Bentley. I always enjoy your company." Bentley Lagmay beamed at this, the warmth of his smile almost matching the brightness of his mustard-yellow sweater. Cathy meant what she said; the boy is interesting to talk to. He seems to know about everything and anything, and he is more than happy to share his wealth of information to anyone who cares to listen. Not only that, but he is also a role model for the other students at Ryder, and she appreciates that. She also appreciates his manners, and friendliness towards others. Ben is usually upbeat whenever she sees him, but there's something different about him today. This time, she noted that Ben is in higher spirits than usual. As they walked, she noticed that he is clutching a rolled up piece of paper in his left hand.

"You seem excited for Winter Break," Cathy began, curious in knowing what's got the boy worked up. "Excited is an understatement Miss Bates. I am thrilled!" he enunciated. She raised a brow at the statement, to which he responded with a grin. "Let me explain ma'am. Tonight, the Oxen are throwing a Blood Moon party, well Maddie mostly. And I'm guessing you heard about the Blood Moon and all that?" She nodded. "Anyways every Blood Moon, she throws a party, and they have all the best stuff! Food, drinks, and music from all around the world! I apologize if I'm sorta freaking out about it, but not everyone here has the money to make all that happen y'know? So everyone's pretty stoked about it too." Cathy smiled. "That does sound amazing. I hope you kids have a wonderful time. You going with anyone, Ben?" Bentley scratched the back of his neck. They are nearing the school grounds by now; the building's beige outline slowly emerging from the fog. "Well, that's the thing. I got--"


"---at mug by walking to a door, yeah right."

"Just lay off of it, yeah?"


Bentley crossed his arms and stopped just beyond the Main Gate's parking lot. Forgetting the conversation at hand, he watched in curiosity at the early scene unfolding before him. Cathy stood beside him and observed the students arguing near the bike racks. Even from the distance, she can tell who the female student is, just by her presence. Madeline Haddox has her hands on her hips, with her red, well-manicured nails standing out from the dark blue of her tailored jeans. Her raven black hair is tied up in a tight ponytail with a neat red ribbon. Before her stood the tall frame of a young man clad in a white shirt and blue jeans, his freckled face adorned with a shiner on his left eye. Cathy noted that the bruise looked fresh.


"I told you before, we should've taken care of it."

"Are you kidding? Please tell me you're joking Maddie?"


"What is his name again? The guy in the Varsity jacket?" Bentley frowned. "That's Jason Halliday. He looks like he got into a mess. Don't know how, this early in the morning." Cathy raised a brow. "Halliday? As in, Sheriff Halliday?" Ben nodded in response. "Yeah, his dad's the Sheriff of this town. Mr. Halliday's a good man. And I think his son is too... I think."


"Are you afraid? Is that what it is?"

Madeline's red lips curled to a mocking smile. The brunet frowned and averted his gaze.

"Maddie, I don't w--"

"After four damn years, you're afraid now?"

He shook his head and turned his back on her.

"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm tried. I- I don't know, okay? Just lay off of me for once, damn it."

"You know what happens Jax!"

After the exchange, Cathy watched as the brunet headed to the other direction, while Madeline stomped away to the courtyard, accidentally flinging mud to a student standing nearby. It had rained non-stop for the past two days, and the ground still bears the sign of the storm from the previous nights. Aya Tachibana looked down at her dirt-stained skirt, before shaking her head and locking her bicycle in place. Cathy noticed that the timid girl had been fiddling with the bike's padlock since they got there. She figured that Aya must've heard the whole conversation. The poor girl has always been as quiet as a mouse, that she mostly goes unnoticed by her peers. Cathy plans to change that somehow. She doesn't like how worried the girl can look at times. This time, she noted that Aya seems more uneasy than usual.


Ring.
Ring.
Ring.


The sound of the bell carried loudly throughout the field, signalling the thirty minute break before the start of class. "Wow, that was quite a scene," Bentley nervously chuckled as he jogged to the gate. "Anyways, I have to get my stuff sorted out Miss Bates, so I'll talk to you later." The blonde waved back at him. "See you later. Oh and Ben?" Bentley looked back at his new counselor, his hand still gripping the roll of paper he had earlier. "Don't forget what we talked about last session, okay? Make friends. Real ones you can talk to. Maybe at this party you'll be able to?" For the second time that morning, Bentley flashed one of his warm smiles again. "Don't worry ma'am. I promise to make one before Winter Break ends."

Event #1

Talk Of The Day

Hello lovely! Welcome to the g a m e. Your character just arrived in school, for the last day. You have thirty minutes to lounge around before class starts. You can go to only one of these four places: Plaza, Track, Lockers, Halls. Which one would you pick? Please choose wisely! Sometimes, some interaction can trigger something unexpected.

Event End

Emotional Enigma MoxxyMoxx ExtremistSAT AbsurdNerd Noble praxischu The Suspicious Eye Elowyn seasonedcat Juju The Darkling Reticent Yennie Rhaine Little Lozy ​

 

[Emotional Enigma]

Climira Atwood
Hallway​

Climira scribbled in her pink notebook, her glitter pen moving quickly with her big handwriting. It had been six months since her father's passing and her mother had already dipped out to face the new world of finance and medicine. Students stared at her like she was a black sheep in the herd of purebreds and her mother could care less; she never felt more out of place. She'd had arrived to school 30 minutes early to find her classes, or that's what she told her security detail. But in reality, she hated other students seeing them. It just singled her out even more, made her unapproachable. She already didn't have many friends and the ones she had were now all the way in Australia while she was stuck here. When she moved into her new house, people whispered about her. They said things like, she must be the new McKenzie and she doesn't belong here. The death of her father hadn't hit media yet; no one knew about what was happening to her so rumors and whispers were bound to spring up. Nevertheless, it made her feel like an outsider.
No one paid her any mind as she jotted in her notebook and walked down the hall. She figured if her head was down no one would try and talk to her. Her glasses careened forward, clattering on the floor and her books went with it. Clia anxiously bent over and tried to gather her belongings again, her notebook, pens, and textbooks, hoping people still weren't paying attention. Have a great day Lucas said, You'll love your new school he said. Lucas was her head security for her home and had given her advice since he had been assigned to her post, but he was in his late 20s and really had no idea what high school was like.
Once she had regained herself she nervously paced to her locker. A picture of her father and her 9 year old self stared back at her from the door when she opened it. Clia hadn't been back to Hooksett since that time. Everything had changed so much, even the people were totally different. She threw her books in except for her notebook before realizing she never picked back up her glasses. She must've been so nervous she had forgotten. With so many eyes everywhere she let her social anxiety get to her.
Clia turned, shutting her locker, and heard the murmurs from incoming students,
"---Bentley---" She looked around at students smiling and conversing, and then looked around at their feet. Glasses were nowhere in sight, not that she could see very well without them anyway.​

 

[Rhaine]

Ebenezer Nowak
Tracks | With: Svadilfari
​

"Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

Ebenezer woke with his arms tangled in his cotton sheets, restricting him with all the softness of a loved one. He had been fitful. It was no surprise, but on this night, the need for escape had seemed greater. That, at least, he knew. He couldn't remember what he had dreamt. The heat remained, flat and weeping over his brow. Rise, it said, rise and leave me behind.

He untangled himself gently, as if there were someone else in his bed he might wake with too earnest a movement. It was early, and thin, tinny sunlight drew hesitant through his blinds. He could hear his father in the hall - heavy footsteps, a slight limp. He remained at attention where he lay, bare, resting propped up on his elbows, vigilant, dark eyes pinned on his wooden door.

A knock.

"Ebenezer?"

It was a voice he had heard since before his waking into awareness, before his memory began, but it never failed to ring with a certain note of foreignness.

"The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

"Here, father. I'm awake." He replied, words thick with dreaming.

The door opened swift without a creak, and his father stepped across the bearing. Blonde and broad-chested, Gabriel Nowak was every bit an oak tree - Ebenezer the thin, supple olive branch. Their dark eyes mirrored, both wary of the other, starkly contrasting creatures poised at attention.

"I wanted a word before you left. Now is a good enough time." His father crossed his arms, burly, unflinching. Ebenezer waited, silent. "The end of your high-school career is coming fast. You're smart. A quality young man. You've always had a future ahead of you, and it will be here before you know it. Think a moment about what that means."

"He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood."

"Things you've gotten away with in the past few years won't fly anymore. The people you choose to spend your time on, the subjects you pursue, the places you are seen, you know the importance of these decisions, but now there's no room for youthful folly. The people of this town know you are a...charitable young man, but offering help to the disadvantaged is one thing - investing and behaving as they do is an entirely different matter. I expect you to be mindful of this. What you do is not only your business. Your actions reflect on your mother and I - on our convictions. Our reputation. I've allowed you to do as you please with little intervening so far because I know you to be compliant - God fearing. Your grades don't slip. You don't shirk your curfew. Your mother assures me your desires remained aligned with ours."

A pause.

"Don't play coy with me either. Don't pretend. I know who you fall in line with, and only a few are of the reputable sort. You'll make the right decision, Ebenezer. It's time to look forward, not behind." He uncrossed his arms, leaving the room, closing the door in his wake.

...

Ben trudged forward, steps giving slightly in the weakened firmness of the rain-soaked ground. Dressed in a clean sweater, dark jacket, and casual slacks, he appeared well-put together, save for the unruliness of his hair and the disorder in his dark eyes. Lines of waking traced about his look. He seemed in part as if he were sleepwalking. His mind was elsewhere.

The conversation with his father hadn't been unique, but it had stuck with him more significantly than the others. He couldn't say why. Perhaps it was only his dream, still hanging limply over his back, promising to rise into his line of sight as soon as he forgot its presence. Ben shivered. He knew what had brought on his father's consternation, but it couldn't be helped. Choice had nothing to do with his fondness for his friends. The few he held in highest regard had shocked him ardently into adoration. He hadn't been closed to it, but he hadn't been seeking companionship either. He wasn't the only one.

It wasn't until an obtrusive voice broke through his reverie that he came back to awareness, nearing the gate, halting in his path.

"-ve you seen Jax? Dude's got his eye busted."

"What?"

"Yeah, saw him out at the Tracks this morning. Sitting there with his head in his hands. Someth--"

Ben was on his way, not entirely knowing where he was headed, pushing forward with the long gait that he was naturally accustomed to. The air was still thick with moisture from the storm, and though his face was clear, he felt it like tears on his cheeks - warm and unwelcome. It reminded him of something he couldn't place. The dream on his back flexed its stranger's grip.

He found himself down at the Track, the close-trimmed grass bogged down and heavy beneath him. He felt soaked through, though he remained dry as smoke-touched tinder. He slowed his pace as Jason Halliday's bent figure came closer. Distress cut the air. Ben thought he might be able to breathe it. The Varsity-jacketed figure was familiar as a school-mate, general and mundane as the halls he passed through almost every day, but he now seemed an entirely other sort of being - the glimpse of something he had noticed before now enveloping him whole. Adonis with his head in his hands. Atlas with the sky poised at the swell of his back.

What is he hiding from?

"Do you need me to call someone for you?" A probing, quiet question. A word of reassurance to a child. A sign of peace to a wounded animal. The survivor of a shipwreck reaching desperately for another cast out to sea.

Ben couldn't say why he had come. He had never spoken a word to Jason until now, yet he had come as soon as he had heard something of his predicament. It didn't logically make sense to him, but in another sense, he felt as if it had been inevitable, as if this had always been in the cards.

He didn't know what he expected, or what he had been looking for when he came, but it was too late to turn back now.

His future seemed set in stone, and it felt oddly cold as it came.

 

[Noble]

Margo Stueck
Tracks | Svadilfari Rhaine ​

Margo startled awake at the sound of her phone's alarm, falling off of the wooden bench she had made her bed the night before. She groaned, pulling her face out of the wet grass and feeling around for her beeping phone. It was about four thirty ante meridiem and the charge was on seven percent. Margo looked up into the the dark, foggy park of homely Hooksett and stumbled to her feet. She grabbed the old fleece blanket she'd been using and stuffed it into her backpack, and returning the ratty yellow hoodie to her torso, having been using it as a pillow.
Now the average person might not sleep on a park bench, but you'd be surprised at how comfortable they are once you get used to 'em, and honestly? Margo has slept on her fair share of park benches, way better than sleeping in alleyways or in parking garages. Although sometimes parking garages are great when avoiding rain.
Margo made her way back home before the sun could rise and ruin her peaceful, foggy morning under the streetlights. The front and back doors were locked, and the garage door has been jammed for weeks so that wasn't working, so instead Margo went to the shed in the backyard full of more trash than grass, and inside was another backpack stashed with fresh clothes, food, and toiletries and Margo did what she could to clean herself up for school.
School. School... Yes, the ever standing Ryder High. It hasn't burnt down yet to the great misfortune of Margo, but no matter, she'll make it work for now. Getting to school was just as easy as getting anywhere else when your license is revoked and you sold your only bicycle for drugs. And then you stole someone else's bicycle and sold it for drugs. Details, details... But Ryder High was a straight shot through the woods when you're coming from the low income side of town, all you have to do is jump the eight foot fence meant to keep the poor and vandals out, and then boom you're right behind the school where most of the sports nonsense goes on. By the time Margo made it she could hear the school bells, relieved to had made it in time for a smoke break; she really needed to get baked right now.
The thing is, as Margo made her way across the tracks, something distracted her, and although she fiddled with the blunt in her pocket and considered staying on her straight track to High Town, she was drawn to the familiar figures. Ben and Jax. "What's up, fuckers?" she called out.

 

[Elowyn]

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Elysia Y-W.

Library>Lockers

The sound of the school bell ringing in the halls of Rhyder High jarred her from the words marching along the page. The black ink printed only within their predetermined rectangle and the 1.25 inch white margins were so familiar that they had become her dearest comfort. Not people, never people. She closed the book. Breathed in... out... Last day, she reminded herself as she stood and dusted herself off. Before winter break...

After tucking the book back into its hollow on the shelf, Elysia made her way to the book return slot and placed half a dozen volumes in. Aside from the muffled thump of books piling into the unseen cart the library was quiet; she was the only one there. Once her backpack was mostly empty, she made her way through the bustling hallways to her locker and found Bentley just shutting his own a few units away. "Hello Bentley," she greeted him pleasantly. "How do you feel about this being the last day of school for this year? Do you have any plans for the holidays?"

whzz pause whzzz pause whzzz POP. Her locker sprang open and she proceeded to pull out the things she would need for the day.

_____________________o-tags-o____________________
Svadilfari

coded by myfanwy ​

 

[MoxxyMoxx]

Ashley 'Ash' Stevens
Mood: Subtle Anger > Slightly Anxious
Location: Home > School
Interactions: OPEN​

Clashes of toys against walls woke Ash to another stupid morning. He hated early starts but this was stupid. He'd been woken up five times last night as another new baby sitter his Dad hired had once again turned out to be useless. It wasn't her fault obviously; she was undertrained and his Dad didn't trust him with Jamie as much anymore, not after the incident that no one will know about. Okay, he thought; it was about time he got up anyway.

He stood and stretched before getting ready for the day. After his regular cleanliness routine, he dressed into a simple band tee from some obscure group he hadn't listened to in a while and some ripped black skinny jeans. Sliding on his blue converse, he walked to his baby brother's room to confront the baby sitter.

"He likes softer toys," he stated with venom in his voice. "Don't give him that hand-me-down plastic crap. We keep it for when he's older. Hopefully you'll learn how different babies work before accepting a baby sitting job after this." He was about to leave before he remembered, "Oh, and if you need him to sleep just feed him a bit of whiskey. Worked when I was a kid."

He left his house with his backpack, skateboard and ukulele (he was learning a new instrument and wanted extra practise sometime today). Once he arrived at school the thought struck him. The Oxen Party Invites. The band forged a bunch and they went missing. Crap. He was screwed. The thing with popular kids is that word always gets to them. If news got out that some people Ash was friends with forged invitations then he was totally screwed. Ash wasn't as big as his head made him out to be. He was short and not that muscular. He'd be a punching bag. He is so dead.

It would be okay, he tried to tell himself. He just needed to avoid people. Walking through the side entrance, he headed to his locker to put his things away. He wasn't going to the track today, especially if Oxens are there.

 

[Reticent]

PALOMA X VEGA

Paloma pushed open the main doors of the school just as the bell rang. She hated being tardy but today she had been exactly that, completely missing swim practice altogether. She felt as disheleved as she looked, her dark hair sloppily tied together at the top of her head, a few lone strands still sticking out.

With some time to kill before class, she decided to head up to the track. Outside, the ground gave way underneath her weight, her sneakers sinking into the thick mud, making each step feel like two. Moisture still hung in the air and dark clouds lurked overhead, promising another torrential downpour.

She fished through her bag for a moment before pulling out her phone. The screen quickly came to life and her fingers began to tap rapidly against the screen. Navigating to her messages, she opened the chat with Zander's name on it which also featured an embarrassing picture she had taken of him over the summer.

R u at school yet?

She returned her phone back to its designated place underneath a hundred other things in her bag and continued on, passing by a handful of people as she headed towards the bleachers on the far side of the track. As she did so, she vaguely recognized a kid she knew only as Ben, mainly because it was impossible not to see him considering he appeared to be over six feet in height. He was speaking to Jason Halliday, another kid she knew only in passing.

Lola was careful to remain unnoticed as she passed but that didn't stop her from overhearing a tidbit of conversation:

"-ve you seen Jax? Dude's got his eye busted."

"What?"

"Yeah, saw him out at the tracks this morning, sitting there with his head in his hands..."

She was out of earshot in a matter of seconds, Jason's voice quickly dying out. She couldn't help but watch the unusual exchange from afar, though, puffing on an unfinished cigarette from earlier. It was a nasty habit she had just recently picked up, probably due to the insane amount of stress at home, especially with the announcement that her father would be home just next week. Perhaps that was why she had been late today, so thrown off by her father's return that she couldn't pull herself together, or maybe it was the unsettling feeling that hung over Hooksett like a heavy fog.

Either way, as her thoughts continued to drift onto different things, she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.

mood: gloomy, tense
location: The Track
interactions: Yennie
mentions: Svadilfari Rhaine

coding by: diaphanous

 

[seasonedcat]

Heather woke up like any of her other mornings. To the annoying blare of her alarm clock. She may be rich, but that doesn't mean she doesn't know the everyday struggles like alarm clocks and having to get up to go to school. So Heather lugged herself out of her bed and got up. She grabbed her phone and quickly shot Veronica a morning text before going to get ready. After spending about and hour and half getting ready(20 minutes of that being finding out what to wear until she finally decided on a pair of light blue jeans and a crop sweater with the words hanging with my birches on it)Heather made her way outside to the garage where her car was parked. It was a lovely shade of grey that was spotless of any mud or scratches. She got in her car and began to drive to school, singing to 'Gucci flipflops' as she drove.

As she pulled into the parking lot of the school parking in one of the parking spots and turning off her car. She once again sent Veronica a text a little peeved that she had yet to get a reply from the girl about her first text. She got out of her car and began walking to the entrance of the school, her designer bag hung loosely off one of her shoulders. As she reached the inside of the school she checked her phone again for any texts and found that yet again she had no reply, not even a read. This caused her to send another angry text to her friend before shoving her phone into the pocket of her light blue skinny jeans.

She reached her locker and put her stuff in it before shutting it. As she shut the locker she noticed a group of boys talking about Jason together. This caused her to raise an eyebrow and to walk over to them. Putting on a sweet face she walked up to them and gave them a smile. "What is this about Jason?" "You haven't heard yet? They say he go into like a fight. His face is like totally busted! And I thought he was one of the better Oxen..." The boy trailed off realizing what he said, letting out a nervous laugh.

Heather rolled her eyes at this before leaning forward and giving the boy a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks boys!~" She hummed out before walking away(swaying her hips at them). She really didn't care about them, but a large portion of the males at the school give her information like this because they think she's hot so she uses that to her advantage. So the little flirting was no big deal for her, but those boys would probably be bragging about it all day to their little friends.

Once she left them she quickly ripped out her phone and began to text Veronica furiously. She leaned back on the wall behind her as she texted, Veronica better answer her this time.After sending her last message Heather hit the 'Call Bae' button and began to tap her fingers on her thighs as it began to ring. You better pick up hoe!

Bae<3<3

me

Morning Bitch!<3

me

You better be here

me

You haven't answered me wtf

me

Omg Veronica Answer me! Wait until I tell you what I heard!

me

It's too fuked to type this shit is ripe call back, I'll yell you ever word!

Interactions: Juju

 

[ExtremistSAT]

Carter Richardson
Location: Hallway
Interaction: Emotional Enigma
​

Last day, then a break... Carter thought to herself starring into the mirror as she brushed through her long tangled mess of hair. She pulled part of the front back into a relaxed braid which she secured with small silver clip. After throwing on a quick face of make up, which consisted of foundation, neutral eye shadow and a bit of mascara she grabbed a pair of jeans, purple long sleeved shirt and snow white colored vest. "Shit" Carter whispered under her breath as she looked over at the clock realizing she was going to be late if her ass didn't get in gear soon. Picking up her bag she rushed out jumping into her 2014 Toyota corolla heading off to school.

Luckily Carter didn't live far from Ryder High, 10 minute drive at the most and she could be there in the same parking spot she had used for the past two years.

"click click" rung in the air as she locked the car walking toward the side door of the school.

Carter swung open the door, of course smiling as always entering into the hallway. Just as any other day students lined the walls talking among one another. But today one conversation in particular caught her attention...

"Who? Aya?"

"That's the one!"

"Saw her in the hallway next to the rec room. She's one weird chi--"

Her attention was then interrupted redirecting to focus on Climira Atwood as she dropped her belongs on the ground. Carter made her way to the anxious girl noticing she had yet to pick up the glasses that had slid across the floor. Picking them up she reached out handing the glasses to Clia, introducing herself. Carter wanted to take full advantage of the perfect opportunity to try and interact with the new girl she had yet to meet.

"Hi! I'm Ava Carter Richardson, but you can just call me Carter!! Haven't seen you around here before, are you the new girl from Australia?" She asked her eagerly.

 

[Emotional Enigma]

Climira Atwood
Lockers
Interactions: ExtremistSAT
Mentioned: Svadilfari ​

Climira turned to the girl who addressed her. Her vision was blurry, but she reached out and slid back on her glasses.
"Thanks," She meekly smiled at the information the girl had offered, trying to suppress her thick accent. She wasn't aware people knew her previous living situation but word did get around fast in small towns, "Yeah, Sydney. My dad used to do a lot of work there with my mom with medicine and stuff." She hugged her notebook to her chest before reluctantly offering her hand, "Nice to meet you Carter. My friends call me Clia." Climira's inner workings were grinding with slight relief. Someone had spoken to her and it wasn't to say she was weird or awkward.
She tucked some curly, blonde hair behind her ear and nodded down the hall,
"Whose is Aya and why is she the talk of the morning?" She was desperate for information or something to talk about that wasn't herself. Her whole life was about her or the family business, she was tired of seeing herself or hearing about herself from other people.
Climira made a mental note of the strikingly different clothing Carter wore and how pretty her face appeared. Climira didn't even brush her hair in the morning and only sometimes decided on make-up. What a different duo they were.


​

 

[ExtremistSAT]

Carter Richardson
Location: Hallway
Interaction: Emotional Enigma

Carter's smile widen as she noticed more of an relaxed posture from Clia, sometimes her extroverted personality can be a bit overwhelming. " It's very nice to meet you as well Clia, I hope you find Ryder High more than welcoming!"
Carter's weight shifted from side to side a bit at the question regarding Aya. For some reason this made her feel uneasy. She hasn't had much interaction other than one class the two had together a couple years back. Aya didn't happen to be much of a talker, even when Carter made an effort she seemed more interested in doodling in her art book than making any friends. "Ummm... honestly I'm not really sure what all the chatter is about. Aya keeps to herself majority of the time" She responded, losing her once large smile giving away the concern she felt for her classmate.​

 

[The Darkling]

Ophelia wasnt quite startled by her alarm going off considering she had been awake for about half an hour. The smell of fading incense and the background sounds of an ipod playing on loop from an old ihome keeping her lulled in a hazy morning stupor. She tapped the dismiss button on her phone and sat up out of bed. The chill that greeted her made her want to go back to bed and avoid that social hell that was Ryder High. But as she looked to her right she sighed and smiled.
"Morning Grandma..Grandpa.."
The only reason she forced herself to get up every morning was that picture. They gave her the drive to continue on with her education and became the independent woman she was trying to be, despite the onslaught of loneliness she felt from time to time.
And thus her morning started.
Makeup, hair, clothes..all good and ready to go. Then she finished up with some jewelry and a travel mug filled with homemade tea from the small array of plants she kept in doors. She fidgeted with the keys in her hand as she tried locking her front door in a rush as the cold started to creep up her skirt and bite at the bare flesh that wasnt covered by knee high socks. Once good to go she rushed to her garage where her baby waited for her.
"Morning beautiful"
Her black painted lips spread into a smile as she looked at her grandfathers classic '56 convertible Ford Thunderbird, painted in a nice shiny black paint with white wall tires. It was his pride and joy when he was alive. And like pretty much everything else they left behind it was given to her upon their death and Ophelia has cared for it just as tenderly as her grandfather had.
She jumped into the drivers seat and quickly started the car as she ignored the frozen white clouds that passed her lips and chattering teeth. When the car purred to life it automatically started to play a tape she had put in a couple days ago; Losing my Religion by good old fashioned R.E.M. And just in time the heat kicked on and started warming her pale face.
And from there she started towards what would be the last day she would have to deal with the fakes that traveled those dim lit halls.
---
She parked her car where she normally did towards the back lot where people avoided since it was a longer walk to the front of the school. It was always the best place for the smokers to hide. Ophelia shut her car off and easily slid out of the drivers seat with her large leather book bag hanging off her shoulder and her hair pulled up into a messy kinda witchy looking bun that revealed her lone sole tattoo on the back of her neck that she got herself as an 18th birthday present. It was a wolfs skull done in a sketchy art style that had a red third eye on its forehead done with more realism; it spoke to her ina way she had a hard time getting across to others.
"Hey isnt that that goth bitch?"
"Yea I have a class with her..pretty sure shes some rich stuck up whore who wastes her families money on trash"
The one guy laughed as he shushed him, afraid she would overhear their conversation..which in fact she did.
"Whatever man forget that..did you hear about Jax?...."
And from there she lost the conversation. But she idnt care, she heard this mess of shit day in and day out and their words at some point stopped bothering her. People only ever seemed to look at her and see the "Goth bitch" or the "Spoiled rich kid" and hell maybe even both. She began making her way towards the halls, keeping her eyes forward and her path open while she weaved through the crowds of students all murming about one thing or another. She only got tidbits of matters that she didnt think would concern her. Until she came across Aya, one of the few girls that she got along with just fine during school. They didnt hang out but their shared love for art made for fun conversations in class. She looked down and noticed her skirt.
"Um..hey? What happened to your skirt Aya?"
Svadilfari ​

 

[AbsurdNerd]

[class=Notes] //So this is an older code that I tried to fix up to look nicer// //Forward slashes are comments // //and do no show up in the final design,// //these are to help you find everything easily// //and explain some code as well // //These comments must be with in a class or script tags// // in order to be hidden, from what I know. // //Long URls are images// //# followed by letter and numbers are Hex codes// //or color codes// //this code does not show breaks unless is shows the
code. // // when typing responses to rps, be aware that when you press ente// // it will not show that you did. you'll have to use the
tags// [/class]

[class=Notes] //The background image// [/class]

View attachment 438974

[class=Notes] //the image in the cirlce and the border// [/class]

[class=Notes] //the transparent with background and the border and below is the text// [/class]

"The quote for today is... umm... find a quote for tomorrow.". Cassie Altman, junior at Ryder high-school, was running through the woods. Her clothes were torn, and her hair was dirty and unkept, she was leaving behind a trail of dark blood. Her pursuer, she did not know, but all she knew was that her life was likely in the hands of the beast. She made a quick turn, and felt herself jerked backward by the foliage which was violently working against her. Cassie fell to the ground, and attempted to catch her breath, but her efforts were in vain. she caught sight of her attacker, a large, tall- and then she woke up panting, with her hand over her heart. Another nightmare, almost identical to the last, which she ignored, just like the last. Having no one to force her to get up had been hard, but she had gotten used to it. Cassie knew that the divor been for the best, her mother had been downright abusive. She didn’t know what had happened to the previously sweet woman she had known, ever since they moved to Hooksett. Cazsie went through the motions of her morning routine. First and formost, taks your meds. Second, have tour coffee. Third, spend thirty minutes in the bathroom. Fourth, pack up, get dressed, and leave. Cassie grabbed her keys from the small hook on the old coatrack, and hopped into her hand-me-down car. After she arrived, and had gotten a whole lot of stares from her classmates, she heard talk of Jax down at the tracks with a busted eye, “Jax? He’s down at the tracks, little bitch got beat real bad”. She despised Jax, but considered him the least obnoxious of the Oxen, so decided to head down, either to mock him or potentially make a friend in a high position, she decided it was worth it. Cassie quietly exited through the large, loud, doors, and headed to the tracks where she thought Jax might be. It was a favored spot of her as well, when she needed to reconcile sith herself. She saw what she thought were multiple other people standing over him from a distance...
​

[class=Notes] //Below is the purple box and the content meant for tags// [/class]

Interacting:
Located: Les pistes
Mentioned:

code by AgWordSmith

 

[Little Lozy]

S T E V I E D A V I Slocation : lockers | mood : playful | interactions : Elowyn Svadilfari
____________________________​

“Shit! Where are my keys?”

“I attached them to your purse last night.”

“Oh, oh God, thank you.”

She was an enigma. Her scrubs were as bright as her personality. How the hell does someone keep something she’s been wearing for years so bright? Everyday she managed to be rushing, to be losing her sanity, or “her head if it weren't attached”.

“Crap, I forgot to set the pot. Shoot, I wanted coffee.”

“I got you babe. It’s in the thermis, here's some toast, and I packed your lunch for today.”

“I’d be lost without you.” she leaned in and kissed her husband.It was just a small brief peck as she darted out the door, but it was in so many ways more intimate than that. Years of marriage in that sentence that held so much truth. I’d be lost without you.

They were an enigma. How two people managed to love one another just as much (more in fact as they say) than the day they met after nearly 25 years of marriage, it was pretty spectacular to see.

Stephanie, Stevie, their daughter named after the White Witch herself, watched in awe of their beauty. Their sweet moments to themselves. Her chin rested on her palm, a slight smile. They were weird.

“Well, Mr. Mom are you ready to get going?”

“Shut up,nerd.”

“Oh, ouch. Burn.” Stevie chuckled at her dad, grabbing her arm in faux burn style. “Can I drop you off at the shop today and drive to school.”

“Wow, not gonna beg today? Just gonna go right for it.” he chuckled back, their laughs were so similar, their big bright smiles so alike. “You think you can handle it? It’s cold out there. Ice. You have to watch out for ice.”

“Dude, I’m 18. I’m going to be on my own soon, and driving on my own. I got this.”

“I’ll make sure I let everyone know to stay off the sidewalks today then.” She’s father offered a wink, and Stevie returned it with a cocked eyebrow, then an eye roll. Yeah, still got them lines there dad.

They finished up that last few bites of their breakfast, each filling their own travel mug with the last of the coffee. They left. The scene behind them, a perfectly lived in kitchen: dishes piled in the sink, dirty stove, empty egg cartons. Stevie’s family, they were oddly and ordinarly normal and simultaneously happy.

……..

Stevie, slid- just barely- into the student parking lot, she grit her teeth. It had been a damp and cold, cold morning. Luckily, she was arriving on time. She’d spent some time at the hardware shop, helping her dad get ready to open. He owned the store, but also naturally moonlighted as the local handyman. He was really doing her a favor letting her take the truck today. Or...was she doing him one? Either way, she was glad to have car today, the perfect getaway to the rumored Oxen party this evening. Stevie swung her backpack over her shoulder and made her way inside as the bell began to ring.

The school buzzing with energy. Everyone was ready for this break. Rumors were flying, gossip coming from every direction. Stevie had her eye on the prize, she needed to relieve the 40 lbs of books from her back. Coming up on the lockers she spotted Ellie and Bentley, taking a tad detour she came up behind them.

“Boo!” she poked in at Ellie’s sides, sharing a friendly glance with Bentley, who had seen her coming. Giggling at the expense of her friend, who she offered a warm smile, “What are you guys up to?”

 

[Juju]

Veronica's heels clicked on the weather-worn sidewalk as she walked the distance between her house and Ryder High. Any student who shared this route knew the story; it was to "keep up her form" or "save the environment", but in truth it wasn't so much for fitness as it was for pride. Veronica hated to constantly ask Heather for drives when she knew perfectly well that she could never repay the favor. It was embarrassing, even if they had been doing this for years and she knew Heather had no problem with it, despite her complaints. It was also the reason why she was currently ignoring Heather's texts.

The morning was bright and crisp, with just enough of a nip in the air for her breaths to rise up in small puffs of white before fading into the December sky. Veronica ran her fingers delicately through the crimson scarf around her neck and looked towards the treeline where the sun's rays, still weak from the night's rest, had begun to pierce through the boughs and scatter across the thick carpet of needles. It was strange, and she knew it was her imagination, but this particular stretch of treeline always made her feel like she was being watched. Maybe it was just the way the trees were so close together, or how the gloom seemed to condensed only a few meters from the sidewalk.

Or maybe it was just the quiet.

The silence echoed through the towering pines with not even a whisper of wind to shatter the stillness. You'd expect birdsong or other animal calls, but Veronica never seemed to hear anything when passing by this place. Normally she would walk by as quickly as possible but today she found herself standing still, though she couldn't remember stopping. With a frown she focused her gaze intentively into the dimness, unsure if the presence of a sound would bring comfort or dread.

Then suddenly...

"NANANAA DIVA IS THE FEMALE DEF-"​

Veronic flinched at the unexpected burst of music, spinning around to look behind her with wide eyes. Nobody. With a sigh, she placed a hand on her chest and looked down at her buzzing bag, the muffled sound of Beyonce emanating from the phone within. She retrieved it and looked at the caller ID, though she already knew who it was.

She slid her finger across the screen, activating the call.

"Hey, what's up?"

seasonedcat

 

[Yennie]

Z A N D E R N I X O N

Zander sighed as the bell rang, letting them know classes would start soon. He had already been at school for a good thirty minutes, completely out of the ordinary for him. They'd had a mandatory meeting for the team that morning, the only reason he was reasonably on time for school today. Coach wanted to remind everyone it was important to stay in shape over the break and whatever else he droned on about. They'd only be out a couple of weeks so Zander had no idea why the man was sweating them but he had nodded along with everyone else, eager to just get out of there and get on with the day. Now finally released Zander left the male locker room and exited through the gym. He was just passing the rec room when he overhead a couple of underclassmen talking. Normally he wouldn't care about their conversations since he didn't tend to hang with people younger than him but the mention of one of the Oxen members had him stopping to listen for a moment.

"Who? Aya?"
"That's the one!"
"Saw her in the hallway next to the rec room-"

Interesting. The only Oxen member he was really close with was Jason. A real solid dude, they had been friends for a few years now. Of course he'd been interested in Maddie at one point but she never let it go beyond casual flings. Aya however, he never really understood why she was in the Oxen at all. She seemed far too sweet and soft to be apart of that group and he knew for sure that Maddie could eat her alive. So how did she manage? It was a mystery to Zander, one that made him wonder what the girl was hiding. Curiously, Zander wandered over to the rec room intent on having a small conversation with her

His phone vibrated in his pocket alerting him to the arrival of a text. He already knew it was from Paloma before checking it and couldn't help the small smile her attentions always brought to his face. Paloma was his best friend, his road dog, ride or die - certainly more than he deserved. Naturally he caught feelings for her. And even more naturally she had absolutely no interest in him or any other man. It'd taken a while for him to deal with those irrefutable facts but he'd come to terms with it. He'd rather have her as his best friend then to not have her at all in the end. He quickly sent a text back, losing sight of Aya in the process.

yea im here. where u at?

The text sent and phone returned to his pocket, Zander looked up to find that Aya had come out of the rec room and was now talking with Ophelia. An unlikely pair if he'd ever seen one.
He had no problems with Ophelia, even spoke to her whenever she was around though she only occasionally chose to reply to him. He was sure she had preconceived notions of him that were likely not entirely misplaced and as such chose to keep her distance. A shame because he honestly admired her individuality. Deciding to take the risk of being ignored, Zander entered their conversation. "Hey Aya, Ophelia." There was a bit of dirt on Aya's skirt. Strange since her appearance was always immaculate. Ophelia noticed as well, questioning the girl about it.

Reticent The Darkling Svadilfari

​

 

[Emotional Enigma]

Climira Atwood
Lockers
Interactions: ExtremistSAT
Mentions: The Darkling Svadilfari Yennie ​

Climira made a mental note of Carter's shifting mannerisms. Just something to put into the mental locker with Carter's name on it. Climira adjusted her glasses on her nose before smiling again, noticing Carter's had disappeared,
"Are you excited for the Oxen party?" She had never been to a party, she wasn't allowed. Her parents used to freak out if she was even minutes late to meeting the limo drivers. She was a target they had said, and therefore didn't deserve her own autonomy or personal freedom. She envied Carter and mostly everyone in the school for that matter.
Climira's eyes caught on Aya walking out of the Rec room with Ophelia and watched a young man approach them. Zander, if she remembered correctly. He was the only one with such unruly hair in the school so she didn't think she was wrong. But her eyes weren't so much drawn to them as they were to Aya's skirt.
Climira shrugged it off before returning her gaze to the young girl, Carter,
"I've never been to a party, have you?"​

 

[seasonedcat]

Heather impatiently listened to the dial tone, tapping her toe on the ground. Veronica better answer or they were going to have a problem. Heather and her always hung out before class, and even if one of them couldn't make it they at least sent a text telling the other they wouldn't be present so they didn't look like a complete loner. Veronica knows how much Heather would distaste looking like a loser in the school hallways, so this little incident was greatly peeving the girl. Veronica better have a good reason for ignoring her good morning text, not being at school when Heather got there or on her way, and ignoring the rest of her texts.

And by good reason, the didn't mean that she was too prideful to ask Heather for a drive to school. Because they both know that Heather doesn't mind driving the girl, she quite enjoys it to be honest. Spending a crappy morning taking the long way to school so they could chill together more singing 'Apple bottom jeans' with your best friend would be enjoyable to anyone. Well anyone who is just like Heather and Veronica that is.

So point be made, Heather would not settle for that excuse, no she would not. Plus even not wanting Heather to drive her does not give her a reason to ignore Heather's texts. Now back to Heather who is angrily waiting for the phone to pick up, causing a few kids who passed her to give her uneasy looks, not wanting to be on the other side of her anger, some knowing just what it is like. Happiness flashed briefly across Heathers face as she heard Veronica's voice on the other end of the phone, but it quickly changed to annoyed as she heard the girls response. "Just 'hey what's up'?! ugh! I've been texting you all morning, where are you??"
Interactions: Juju

 

[Svadilfari]

It has been a damn long time, but if she closed her eyes, she can still bring herself back to the memory. She can still picture the town in her father's windshield, the wipers gliding rapidly over faded splotches of hazy blues, forest greens and somber greys, obscured by the torrential downpour outside. Seven years ago, everything had been so small and quiet, from the squat establishments, barren fields and to the tired, distant faces, that she was afraid that someday, the rain will wash them all away. Looking back at it now, she wondered if she had just imagined it. She was still a child back then, and things tend to appear bland, strange, and ugly in the eyes of a kid who was forced to move away from the comforting familiarity of a childhood home. If she tried hard enough, she can even remember the strong smell of pine and strangely, mugwort that hung over the sleepy town; the scent clung heavily to everything so much that she stopped using certain colours in her paintings for a time, the ones that reminded her of the horrid mugwort flowers. But now, the small, pale yellow and reddish blossoms were gone, and in its place the unmistakable whiff of iron mingled with the pines. No, she wasn't just imagining it; Hooksett truly was different seven years ago, as if the rain really did swept it all under, and a new town built itself from the debris.

But it wasn't just the town that changed. Back then, all eyes were on her, the new girl, so strange and novel from the familiar faces littering the halls. They smiled at her, their smiles warm and bright as they talked to her about nothing and everything at the same time, all of them curious and eager to learn about her and the big, foreign city she came from, miles and miles away. Back then, she never really got used to it, the staring. But it did not matter for long as she gradually became one of the regular faces that passed through the crowd, their interest in her dimming as she faded into the monochrome background. If she's being completely honest with herself, she'd say that she misses it, despite all the oogling. Not that she'd ever tell anyone about that. You see, she realized a simple something about herself a few months ago, when Maddie Haddox was handing out the flyers to her dumb party, and bothered to spare one for the quiet girl at the corner of the room. The simple something is this:


Here's the thing about being wanted: it sure does feel nice.


Aya Tachibana fiddled with the strap of her forest brown stachel, her attention focused on a certain pair chatting animatedly by the lockers, their fine blonde hair almost blending in to the bright, yellow metal doors. It wasn't because she found anything striking about them; they look just about the same as any Ryder student would. It was just because she heard her name pass through their lips and she couldn't help but overhear everything they were saying when she was only a few steps away from where they stood. Aya's dark eyes swept to each of their faces, recognising one, but not the other. There was Carter Richardson: a ball of boundless, sunny energy against Ryder's melancholy atmosphere; Aya cannot figure out where she gets all her energy from, nor how she manages to seem happy most of the time, as if nothing ever truly bothered her. The girl she's with on the other hand, she hadn't seen her before, and judging by the way of how she reacted and looked at everything as if all of it is brand new, she figured that the girl just moved in. 'Welcome to the club,' Aya thought, wondering when the young woman will come to terms with how jaded these people can easily get.



She was just about ready to gather what little courage she had to say hi to the two, when a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts, making her visibly jump a bit.

Midnight hair, deep blue eyes, and dark painted lips. Ophelia Cleric. She had talked to her in some of her classes, and in her art electives mostly; the girl who 'can never fit in.' To Aya, the statement is fitting. Ophelia doesn't belong in Ryder, nor to any one of its pretentious cliques. She belongs somewhere else, somewhere akin to the dark places in one of those old sketchbooks she saw in art class once, where the people dressed in lace and hid their faces behind curious masks.

"Um..hey? What happened to your skirt Aya?"

Aya wondered if she asked purely out of concern, or maybe it's just because of the 'daily gossip' which sent her here. "Hi... Oh, it's okay," she began as she noticed someone move towards them in the corner of her eye, "Maddie didn't mean it. She didn't see me anyways. She was fighting with Jax by the bike racks earlier." She shrugged. Aya was about to mention something odd that she had noticed earlier, but was interrupted by the arrival of a blond Zander Nixon. She wondered why he started taking interest in their conversation; Zander seems to be like the type of guy that hangs out with 'like-minded' peers, at least in her opinion. She decided that it didn't matter.

"Hey Aya, Ophelia."

Aya sheepishly tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. It itched. Her eyes met the blond's dark ones as she mumbled a greeting back, before letting her gaze wander over to the top of his head. She wanted to tell him his hair had looked better. She decided against it. Instead, her brows furrowed as she lowered her gaze to her beige Mary Janes; a habit she developed whenever she's deep in thought or debating about something.










It didn't take long before the sting worsened. Maybe he only hadn't noticed it earlier, from everything that was going on. Or maybe it was the growing cold brought on by the heavy, hanging fog that made it burn like it did now. Whatever the cause may be, it didn't matter. What's happened, has happened. And if he can replay it all over from the beginning, he'd do it over and over again. Despite everything.

He found it kind of funny, how pain works. It can start off from something small, like a few unintended words burrowing underneath the skin, to something serious like an oncoming fist, the collision of solid bone to muscle propelling him backwards, out of momentum. Then the world had instantaneously gone half dark, as his eye throbbed in a sickening intensity. Or at least it did, until the adrenaline kicked in and the temperature appeared to have gone up a couple of degrees, making him feel the heat of the Summer again, amidst the frigid December air. And for a time he felt nothing, not until hours later, catching him off guard at the Track's muddy pavement.

"Fuck," Jason Halliday cursed under his breath, when the tips of his calloused fingers came in contact with the tender skin surrounding his left eye. The punch left an angry ring of purple, yellow, and red splotches on him, like dying stars on a pitch black night. He can still taste faint traces of iron in his mouth, and when he licked his lips it had only gotten worse. The last time he had been in a fight was in middle school, for doing something his memory now failed to recollect. He was an ass back then, that was true; small cuts, ugly bruises, and pink detention slips were no strangers to him. But now, things are different. Now, Jace doesn't get into fights. If he can even call it that. He wondered how long will it take before the rumor mill begins to churn out drivel about what went down that morning. Not that he cared; none of them will get even close to guessing correctly. He just doesn't want anyone to get too nosey; nothing good ever comes out of that. He learned that lesson four years too late, and now look where it got him. He had crossed the Rubicon, and there's no turning back.


As if in response to his thoughts, a careful voice broke the silence that hung heavy like a stone on the air. The brunet lifted his head and gazed up at a young man's tall, lanky frame, his wild, unruly hair blocking out a sliver of sunlight peeking between the clouds.

"Do you need me to call someone for you?"

He couldn't understand why he came; they were both as familiar as strangers to each other, in a sea of passing faces in the crowd. And yet he felt oddly at ease in his presence, for what reason, he could not say. The Pastor's son looked just about what anybody would expect him to be: Ebenezer Nowak stood attentively before him, his movements crisp and his expression charitable, and yet there was also something about him that promised some sort of mischief or disarray. Jace couldn't decide if it was the mess of curls shrouding his features, or his eyes as dark as napalm skies.

"No... I'm alright." A lie. He was a good liar back then. Now, not so much.

"Though I wouldn't mind your company, Ben." A truth. Ben. He didn't know where the name came from, but it came easily to him as if that has always been the constant.
​

"What's up, fuckers?"

Margo Stueck materialized from the fog, announcing her arrival in her usual, crass kind of way. It was clear that they were no strangers to each other, even if the only time they spent together had been brief exchanges of words, said behind ashen smoke made from burning leaves and paper. Jace smiled up at her and gestured to Ben. "My friend and I were waiting for you, your highness," he began as he pulled his smokes from his back pocket, suddenly remembering the reason why he was at the tracks in the first place. "Care to join us losers? I'll share some with you if you light one up for me. Forgot my lighter," he waved a pack at her, an eyebrow raised in question. From the bleachers behind her, the brunet could faintly make out two more figures in the dim background, their faces obscured by the haze.

mentioned AbsurdNerd Reticent ​

 

[Noble]

Margo Stueck
Tracks | Svadilfari Rhaine ​

"My friend and I were waiting for you, your highness,"

Margo cracked a grin, folding her arms with a rather pleased expression at Jason's greeting, "Well shit, Jax, I might just take it easy on you today. And Ben!" she turned on the Pastor's boy whose wily curls were as cherubic as ever, and jovially punched him in the side; a greeting that is familiar to anyone who knew Margo well enough. "I didn't know you hung with Jax, didn't take you for the type to hang with pretty boy jocks."

"Care to join us losers? I'll share some with you if you light one up for me. Forgot my lighter,"

Margo smiled back at Jax, plucking the cigarettes from his hand and popping three between her lips. Carefully and with the talent of a chain smoker she lit them all up, her face shrouded in an ash cloud that ascended slowly into the air, gradually mixing with the fog.
"So, you goin'ta tell me 'bout that shiner, pretty boy? Can't say I've seen you in a fight before," she said as she offered two of the three cigarettes to the boys.

 

[Rhaine]

Ebenezer Nowak
Tracks | With: Svadilfari Noble
​

Ebenezer felt every pause, every breath. It was the intermissions he was most intimate with - the space between movement, between words, between choices. There was only the soft pull of air, the rising tension, the anticipation. He could feel his own thoughts turning about in his head almost as distantly as he could feel Jason's.

I am here. Where else would I be?

The light, small, silver cross he wore around his neck seemed somehow heavier, just for a moment. He knew it must have been his imagination, the soft indentation of weight through his clothes.

The few quiet moments after he spoke sung with the promise to remain, to return in dreaming, or faintly in moments just before sleep came. Jason had been bent - wide, callused hands cradling his face, like a sinner seeking forgiveness. Still, Jason didn't jump at the sound of his voice like a guilty man might. Jason looked up to meet his eye as if he had expected him, and the stark solidity of it sent a pinprick chill down his spine.

Ben got his first look at the mark over Jason's eye. Rising, taut, and swollen, it was already beginning to bruise. He was so close he could pick out the shades blooming forth in their shamelessness. Yellow, purple, red, black. The ones in between. Sensitive and quietly aching, Ben could almost feel the wound's pulse in the air. He wondered, absently, if it still pained him. Not like the impact, he figured, but that sick, seeping soreness that persists in an echo.

"For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands also heal."

Ben wondered who had given him this mark. Jason was no Cain. His brown hair was light with a honey's touch, eyes softened by a sweet somberness of someone who had been loved.

Jason spoke, and it was a lie, but a kind one. Ben only gave a small, accepting smile. He understood. Jason was the kind who chose to spare a friend, even if it meant his own problems would increase. He was learning, or perhaps he had always known that about him. Some things you could tell just from watching. There was something else in Jason's face that made him pause - that same faint, worn, thinness that he had noticed before. Rest was sparse in this town, and no one was spared. Not even the Oxen.

He nodded in response to Jason's request, his hands slipping into the deep pockets of his jacket. His company, he would give. Freely. The rains had brought the fog, and it lay close to the ground. All manner of creature could have been hiding there. No one should have had to face the possibilities on their own. In any case, Jason had called him 'Ben' when he asked. A familiarity. How could he refuse?

With a sharp, familiar call through the cloak of the air, Margo appeared as if summoned. Ben's small smile instantly increased by a fraction, remaining a quiet, open expression. She was one of his favorites. The pioneers and survivors always were. It was something base, formative. Independence was never a trait to be brushed aside or underestimated. Margo was strong and effervescent, even with the fog about her throat.

Jovial and sharp as a pixie, she delivered a punch to his side in greeting. He gave a huff, pressing a long-fingered hand to the point of impact, giving a sheepish grin. He ran a hand through his mop of dark curls.

"Margo. I'm certainly glad to see you too."

He carried a tone of humor, false exasperation touching the edges of his features. He straightened up, glancing to Jason before he spoke again.

"Don't you know? I'm full of surprises." Another jest, though this one more lightly cadenced.

Jason had referred to him as his friend. He hadn't missed it, though it had seemed as natural an occurrence as breathing. Watching amusedly as Margo lit three cigarettes with expert ease, Ben was struck with how seamlessly they all managed to fall into serendipitous company. Without hitch, without pause, an end or a beginning.

He accepted the cigarette Margo passed his way with a careful grasp, gentle, almost cautious.

"Thank you."

His father's words faintly returned to rattle about in his skull, but he dismissed it, breathing his voice away in the drag and subsequent exhale of the burning ember. The smoke billowed like ghosts from his parted lips.

As he knew she would, Margo inquired after Jason's black eye. He maintained a casual posture, attempting to make his interest not seem so threateningly earnest. With attentive gaze, Ben watched for Jason's reaction, not able to guess what his answer might be.

Somewhere in the distance, Ben felt the watchful traipse of eyes, focused, curious, seeking. Nothing stayed quiet for very long. There was always someone looking in.

 

[The Darkling]

Ophelia chose to ignore Zander for the moment since the well being of her friend mattered more to her, and of course she was nowhere near shocked when she had said it was Maddie.
"Of course it was...do you need anything? I think I have some stain remover in my locker."
Something she was not all too proud of but after the potato incident she has chosen to never be ill prepared. She glanced at Zander for a moment and offered a quick smile.
"I dont suppose you need anything in particular right Zander?"
She wasnt trying to come off cold but sometimes thats just how it happened and she figured most people were use to it by now. She adjusted her body weight to accommodate her heavy bag leaned against her billowing skirt. Ayas words also now ringing in an echo as students seemed to be talking about Jax as well. What had he gotten himself into? It had been awhile since they chatted last and it wasnt like him to show up beaten up like that. She also wondered if he would even tell her what happened.
"Either way I guess your lucky my locker is close to yours huh Aya?"
She moved a couple lockers down to a beaten and sad looking locker that Ophelias belongings called home. Inside it was actually pretty baren and not like most of the girls here who had posters, stickers and photos glued all over the place. In fact some people assumed she kept dead animals and bones in her locker.
One year some seniors decided it would be funny to actually do so and it ended up getting her suspended for a couple weeks for "Putting the well being of other students in jeopardy".
That was a nice couple days to think things over.
"Here we go"
She pulled out a small stain remover pen and some wipes to get the remaining mud off her skirt.
"Im sorry I cant do more"
Svadilfari Yennie ​

 

[Juju]

"Just 'hey what's up'?! ugh! I've been texting you all morning, where are you??"

There it was, The Flip. It was one of Heather's chief characteristics; to go from a sweet, innocent tone to a sharp sting. Most people - or at least, the useful ones- never got to see the second half. Teachers, cute boys, preppy girls, all of them could be so quickly charmed by the adorable Heather. As for the "losers" of Ryder, well that was a very different story. Still, there was another side of Heather that neither group knew. It may be as fragile and rare as summer snow, but it was worth more than everything else.

Veronica smiled patiently and rolled her eyes. Heather always got this way whenever she didn't have a cloud of friends around. It wasn't good for her image. "Definitely not outside in the cold, on my way to school." Veronica said sarcastically and took one last look over her shoulder at the forest before continuing on her path to Ryder High. "Isn't Jenna around? Beth? They're usually in the hallways at this time.""

She gave a sigh, and knowing that she was only stalling the inevitable, got her explanation out of the way. "Look, I woke up late today. Didn't get much sleep last night..." Her voice trailed off for a moment and she fiddled with the scarf around her neck, "You ready for tonight?"

seasonedcat

 

[ExtremistSAT]

Carter Richardson
Location: Hallway
Interaction: Emotional Enigma Little Lozy
Mentions: Elowyn Svadilfari ​

"Are you excited for the Oxen party?"

"Oh yes! The Oxen party, of course I'm excited they are the best in town!" Noticing Climira's attention shift, Carter followed her gaze to see her fellow classmates chatting across the hall. Aya was always put together nicely so her skirt was the first grab her attention. Carter wondered what had happened and if she was alright. Her and Climira stood close enough to hear their voices however the distance made the conversation difficult to understand.

"I've never been to a party, have you?"

Carter's head turned back quickly locking eyes with Climira as she asked her next question. Never been to a party? That's crazy! she thought to herself, since she was a freshman Oxen parties had filled many of Carter's high school years. "Damn girl! You've really never been to a party, what rock have you been living under?" She joked. "Well tonight that is going to change, your coming with us!" Carter said happily as she pulled out her phone sending Stevie a quick text. Hey girl! Oxen party still a go tonight? Ellie and Bentley gonna pull their heads out of those books to have some fun for once? (; Carter looked up from her phone now smiling again at Climira. "What's your number, I can text you the details for tonight a little later on"​