im jess saying
(she/her)
My name is Jess. I'm a 25 year old cisgender female that works for a major american cruise line. I go on EST time. I have just finished my first contract and I'm on a 2 month vacation before I embark back on my next ship so I have tons of free time and can post multiple times a day! Thanks for checking out my thread! Let's start with some rules, shall we?
- 18+ only please. I don't feel comfortable rping with someone underage. Just a personal preference.
- Real life face claims only please, unless otherwise agreed upon or the rp warrants it.
- I need at least three paragraphs per post. Please be as descriptive as you can and help move the plot along. I don't want to be the only one doing all the work!
- Please let me know if you're not into the rp anymore or make suggestions on how to make it more interesting. While I don't mind ghosting, I'll get really annoying if I'm really into the rp.
- I never do a character sheet for one x one. I like the opportunity to be more descriptive in post.
- I write in third person and I would like you to do the same.
- I love chatting with my partners ooc. Tell me how your day is going and let me know when you'll be posting! We can be the best of online friends under alliance.
- I can play any gender. I only do MxF and sometimes FxF depending on the rp. I also like to double if need be!
- I ONLY rp on rpnation. Sorry!
Fandoms:
Avatar the last Airbender
- Zuko x Katara
- OC x OC
- OC x OC after the battle at Castle Anorak
- OC x OC during the 6 years of egg hunting
- OC x OC present day
- OC x OC battle of Hogwarts
- OC x OC marauders
- Draco x OC
- Handmaid x Commander
- Handmaid x Driver
- Peeta x Katniss
- OC x OC
- Transfers to Dauntless
- Podracer x OC
- OC x OC
Pairings:
Prince x Concubine
Best friends older brother x Younger brothers best friend
Time Traveler x Love interest
VR gamer x VR gamer (in game)
Vampire x Human love interest
Pirate x Royalty
Addict x Addict
Plots:
But Daddy, I Love Him:
The year, 1875. In a small old western town Muse A is an upstanding woman who is ready to find love. When bad boy Muse B moves to town, no one trusts him. They know of his outlaw past and the town is buzzing with nervous energy about him being around. Muse B finds himself drawn to Muse A and weasels his way into her heart. Her father does not approve of their relationship. Will Muse A stay with Muse B or will she give into her fathers wishes?
Sweet as Sugar:
Muse A is a saloon girl at a local spot in town. All the men are always fighting to spent the night with such a beauty. Muse B is a regular at the saloon. He starts to fall in love with Muse A without hesitation. (I want to be Muse A)
Post Apocalyptic:
The storm. A year ago it started. It's wiped out over half of the worlds population. You're on your own now.
Show Me How Freak Like You Can Be:
In the 1840s Muse A was recruited by Muse B to be a part of his freak show circus. Muse B is the ringmaster and calls the shots. He swiftly falls in love with Muse A for her beauty and talent. Does she reciprocate? (I would like to be Muse A)
Here's some of my best work:
Kit Elison
Kit had gotten the news in the middle of one of her mother's charity events she was forced to go to. Dead. He was dead. The word sounded to cliche on her tongue. It's everything they warned us about in Mrs. Anderson's 8th grade health class. Something you saw on a teen sitcom. Dead because of drugs. Dead of an overdose. Dead.
She hasn't been able to stop crying since she got the news. She didn't even know Grayson was using to this extent. I mean, they all used but they were always so careful. They weren't stupid when it came to drugs, Grayson especially. How had he gotten this bad? How had she not seen it? How had nobody seen it?
Grayson was her best friend. Grayson was everyone's best friend. They grew up together. He protected her. He was always there for her. He knew how to have fun and let loose. He knew how to include everyone so that no one felt left out. Life was fun and free and real. He always had an adventure in mind which made being his friend so invigorating. He was the life of the party. Now that he was gone, it felt like the party was over.
Kit sat in a towel fresh out of the shower starring at her neatly pressed black dress the maid had laid out on her bed. Tears started to roll. She's never dealt with death before. Not like this, anyways. People were always dying in her family but her family was so big she never got the chance to know any of these dead relatives.
She touched the fabric of her black dress remembering the last time the wore it. It was to a graduation party Grayson held for all their friends. He said she looked like a "poor little rich girl" in the black dress. He was always making fun of her lifestyle. Sometimes it got on Kit's nerves but now she would do anything to be called "daddy's girl" by Grayson one last time. She smiled at the dress, remembering what it was like to joke around with Grayson. To get on each other's nerves and have a screaming match in front of everyone (which happened at least once a month.) To play and banter with each other. She would never have any of this again. Grayson was dead.
Kit looked at her watch and noticed that she was running out of time and needed to bite the bullet and get ready for the service. Today, Kit would have to watch her best friend--her brother be buried 10 feet down in the ground never to return.
. . .
Kit's driver dropped her off right in front of the church. She was late, as per usual. It was in Kit's nature to be late. This time it wasn't so much the time getting away from her but the anxiety surrounding the events to come. She sat in the car slowly putting her black gloves on to procrastinate the inevitable. She thought it would be funny to dress as white Anglo-Saxon protestant as she possibly could for his funeral. She knows that Grayson loved to tease her about it and he was probably laughing at her outfit right at this moment telling her she's "too white for her own good." This put a smile on her face as she was getting dressed.
"Miss Elison, do you want me to park and go with you?" Her driver offered. They were good friends. Or at least, as good of a friend a driver could be with his employer. Kit blotted her tears with a tissue, looked at the church, and finally opening the door to get out. "No thank you, Timothy. I can do this." She said with a sweet smile. He nodded his head and she stepped out. The parking lot was devoid of life. Everyone who was supposed to be at the service was already inside. She took a deep breath and walked toward the church her heels clicking on the ground as she walked.
When she got inside she was happy to see the service hadn't started yet. She could hear quiet whimpers and hushed voices as she walked into the church. Everyone was in their seat so she quickly hurried down the aisle to find her friends, trying to keep it together as much as she could. Once she spotted her friends she walked right up to where they were sitting quickly and quietly. When she saw their faces, she started crying. She couldn't help it. She saw Grayson in every single one of them. Grayson was the reason they were friends, after all. She looked at each of them in the eyes and sat down quietly trying to keep it together.
She hasn't been able to stop crying since she got the news. She didn't even know Grayson was using to this extent. I mean, they all used but they were always so careful. They weren't stupid when it came to drugs, Grayson especially. How had he gotten this bad? How had she not seen it? How had nobody seen it?
Grayson was her best friend. Grayson was everyone's best friend. They grew up together. He protected her. He was always there for her. He knew how to have fun and let loose. He knew how to include everyone so that no one felt left out. Life was fun and free and real. He always had an adventure in mind which made being his friend so invigorating. He was the life of the party. Now that he was gone, it felt like the party was over.
Kit sat in a towel fresh out of the shower starring at her neatly pressed black dress the maid had laid out on her bed. Tears started to roll. She's never dealt with death before. Not like this, anyways. People were always dying in her family but her family was so big she never got the chance to know any of these dead relatives.
She touched the fabric of her black dress remembering the last time the wore it. It was to a graduation party Grayson held for all their friends. He said she looked like a "poor little rich girl" in the black dress. He was always making fun of her lifestyle. Sometimes it got on Kit's nerves but now she would do anything to be called "daddy's girl" by Grayson one last time. She smiled at the dress, remembering what it was like to joke around with Grayson. To get on each other's nerves and have a screaming match in front of everyone (which happened at least once a month.) To play and banter with each other. She would never have any of this again. Grayson was dead.
Kit looked at her watch and noticed that she was running out of time and needed to bite the bullet and get ready for the service. Today, Kit would have to watch her best friend--her brother be buried 10 feet down in the ground never to return.
. . .
Kit's driver dropped her off right in front of the church. She was late, as per usual. It was in Kit's nature to be late. This time it wasn't so much the time getting away from her but the anxiety surrounding the events to come. She sat in the car slowly putting her black gloves on to procrastinate the inevitable. She thought it would be funny to dress as white Anglo-Saxon protestant as she possibly could for his funeral. She knows that Grayson loved to tease her about it and he was probably laughing at her outfit right at this moment telling her she's "too white for her own good." This put a smile on her face as she was getting dressed.
"Miss Elison, do you want me to park and go with you?" Her driver offered. They were good friends. Or at least, as good of a friend a driver could be with his employer. Kit blotted her tears with a tissue, looked at the church, and finally opening the door to get out. "No thank you, Timothy. I can do this." She said with a sweet smile. He nodded his head and she stepped out. The parking lot was devoid of life. Everyone who was supposed to be at the service was already inside. She took a deep breath and walked toward the church her heels clicking on the ground as she walked.
When she got inside she was happy to see the service hadn't started yet. She could hear quiet whimpers and hushed voices as she walked into the church. Everyone was in their seat so she quickly hurried down the aisle to find her friends, trying to keep it together as much as she could. Once she spotted her friends she walked right up to where they were sitting quickly and quietly. When she saw their faces, she started crying. She couldn't help it. She saw Grayson in every single one of them. Grayson was the reason they were friends, after all. She looked at each of them in the eyes and sat down quietly trying to keep it together.
Columbus, Ohio 2050
Tomorrow is the day. The day that busybea was going to be reincarnated into OASIS II. Bea felt like her life was starting over again. The new hunt gave her something to live for. She could almost feel her depression melting off her skin.
Bea found herself fantasizing about the hunt. She’d hoped that the challenges would be the same 80s and Haliday inspired assessments. Bea and other members of The Fallout were nervous it was going to be challenges based off the High Five. No matter what, she was going to win this one. She won’t let any teenager get in her way this time.
She was still beating herself for not realizing sooner that the first key was on Ludus. She had gone to school there for years! How could two teenagers figure it out before she had? Bea shook her head and pushed the thoughts out of her mind. What’s done is done. Parzival won and there’s nothing she can do about that now.
Knowing that she was too excited to sleep, bea checked herself into a 24 hour OASIS cafe. She had made some decent coin last night with one of her regulars and decided to treat herself. She got herself a higher up haptic rig and a private room. She walked in and slipped into the rig and gloves as quickly as possible. She stepped onto the omnidirectional treadmill and put on her visor. The familiar red beam flashed in her eyes, scanning her retina, and she took a sigh of relief. Bea smiled and spoke her passphrase aloud: “Goonies never say die “.
Identity Verification Successful
Welcome to the OASIS, busybea!
Login Completed: 21:07:43 OST-5.11.2050
And then the three words that instantly erased Bea's anxiety.
Ready Player One
________________________________________________________________________
Bea’s avatar busybea materialized in her private room still in her busty half naked escort outfit. Her escort was modeled after Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman. She was a long legged, busty vixen with long brunette hair and the same white/blue cut out one piece and knee high back boots from the movie.
“Change avatar, Queen Bea.” She said aloud and her avatar changed from her work ‘uniform’ to the all black studded out intimidating-to-any-man outfit that everyone knew her by. Bea looked and herself in the mirror and smiled. “Much better.” She muttered to herself.
Bea shuffled through her few records she re-bought after she zeroed out. She decided to put on Van Halen and Jump started playing. She felt a rush of nostalgia for the old egg hunt and started smiling and jumping around her room singing every word. It was then that Bea decided to click onto her old stream. For old time sake, she decided to go live pretending like she still had fans and followers. She started the stream with her familiar intro:
“Hey, hey, bea hive! Queen bea here. I hope you’re all having a gunt-tastic day.” The phrase made her smile and reminded her of a time long forgotten. “So, tomorrow is the big day, my wonderful worker baes! O2 finally comes out! My bounty box is being delivered to me at 8am OST. I can hardly contain my excitement!” Bea takes a long pause, trying to remember how to stream coherently. “I guess I should also announce that the hunt is back on for me! I’m going to be in full gunter mode again and this time, I’m going to win. No if, ands, or buts.”
Just then she noticed her viewer count go up by the 10s, 20s, and then 100s. She gasped in surprise and continued.
“For anyone who’s new around here, hi, hello, I’m busybea. I am the Queen of this hive. I used to be a top rated anti-clan gunter word vomiting my 80s and James Haliday knowledge into this stream. I’m a self proclaimed movie buff, Goonie by day, Ghostbuster by night, and full time badass.” Suddenly the follows started rolling in. 100, 200, 300. “Please stick around and become a worker bea in this fully dysfunctional bea hive. You’re gonna want to see what I have up my sleeves. For now, I’m going to buzz off and get some sleep because I have to be up super early to get to the post office and grab my bounty box for O2! I can’t wait to see you all there!”
Bea logged off in awe of what just happened. She ended up with 1,713 followers. That’s not near as many as she had before she zeroed out, but it was so exciting that her gunter fans/friends have found her again and reconnected. It gave her hope for her future.
Bea started to feel her eyes drift in her visor so she decided to lay down on the couch provided, put on her favorite 80s movie Overboard, and drift off into sleep.
____________________________________________________________________
The next morning Bea woke up and opened her eyes to the screen saver in her visor with the time that read 7:35 OST. Bea jumped up from the couch, ripped her visor and rig off and leaped out of the cafe with her belongings. She hopped in her car and started for the post office where her bounty box was being delivered at 8:00. When she got to the post office, a line had started to form with impatient customers that couldn’t wait for their boxes to be delivered to their houses. Luckily, Bea didn’t have a house. She used her old fanmail PO box for this special event.
As the time struck 8:00 she fumbled with her key and opened her PO box. There it was. Her bounty box. She started crying tears of excitement and happiness. She grabbed it quickly and headed out, trying not to get the attention of others.
She couldn’t wait for one more second. She ripped the box open and unboxed all the contents. She skimmed the instructions and then threw them in her backseat; this wasn't her first rodeo. She fumbled into the rig, a little too excited, and booted it up. The first thing she saw was the OASIS II symbol with the original OASIS symbol above it. She saw it start downloading. Figuring it would take a while, she opened a portion of her rations and started chowing down, realizing how hungry she was. She started humming We’re Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister as she waited, eating her GMO ridden government ordered rations. Bea then heard the HUD informing her that Oasis II had completed its download. She terminated her old OASIS system and clicked the new OASIS II icon.
The system has detected a previous profile in the Oasis. Would you like to transfer this profile to Oasis II? All items and currency will transfer and you will retain your current level and skill set.
Bea clicked to transfer her avatar over to the new system. Just then, two words appeared.
Press Start
Bea found herself fantasizing about the hunt. She’d hoped that the challenges would be the same 80s and Haliday inspired assessments. Bea and other members of The Fallout were nervous it was going to be challenges based off the High Five. No matter what, she was going to win this one. She won’t let any teenager get in her way this time.
She was still beating herself for not realizing sooner that the first key was on Ludus. She had gone to school there for years! How could two teenagers figure it out before she had? Bea shook her head and pushed the thoughts out of her mind. What’s done is done. Parzival won and there’s nothing she can do about that now.
Knowing that she was too excited to sleep, bea checked herself into a 24 hour OASIS cafe. She had made some decent coin last night with one of her regulars and decided to treat herself. She got herself a higher up haptic rig and a private room. She walked in and slipped into the rig and gloves as quickly as possible. She stepped onto the omnidirectional treadmill and put on her visor. The familiar red beam flashed in her eyes, scanning her retina, and she took a sigh of relief. Bea smiled and spoke her passphrase aloud: “Goonies never say die “.
Identity Verification Successful
Welcome to the OASIS, busybea!
Login Completed: 21:07:43 OST-5.11.2050
And then the three words that instantly erased Bea's anxiety.
Ready Player One
________________________________________________________________________
Bea’s avatar busybea materialized in her private room still in her busty half naked escort outfit. Her escort was modeled after Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman. She was a long legged, busty vixen with long brunette hair and the same white/blue cut out one piece and knee high back boots from the movie.
“Change avatar, Queen Bea.” She said aloud and her avatar changed from her work ‘uniform’ to the all black studded out intimidating-to-any-man outfit that everyone knew her by. Bea looked and herself in the mirror and smiled. “Much better.” She muttered to herself.
Bea shuffled through her few records she re-bought after she zeroed out. She decided to put on Van Halen and Jump started playing. She felt a rush of nostalgia for the old egg hunt and started smiling and jumping around her room singing every word. It was then that Bea decided to click onto her old stream. For old time sake, she decided to go live pretending like she still had fans and followers. She started the stream with her familiar intro:
“Hey, hey, bea hive! Queen bea here. I hope you’re all having a gunt-tastic day.” The phrase made her smile and reminded her of a time long forgotten. “So, tomorrow is the big day, my wonderful worker baes! O2 finally comes out! My bounty box is being delivered to me at 8am OST. I can hardly contain my excitement!” Bea takes a long pause, trying to remember how to stream coherently. “I guess I should also announce that the hunt is back on for me! I’m going to be in full gunter mode again and this time, I’m going to win. No if, ands, or buts.”
Just then she noticed her viewer count go up by the 10s, 20s, and then 100s. She gasped in surprise and continued.
“For anyone who’s new around here, hi, hello, I’m busybea. I am the Queen of this hive. I used to be a top rated anti-clan gunter word vomiting my 80s and James Haliday knowledge into this stream. I’m a self proclaimed movie buff, Goonie by day, Ghostbuster by night, and full time badass.” Suddenly the follows started rolling in. 100, 200, 300. “Please stick around and become a worker bea in this fully dysfunctional bea hive. You’re gonna want to see what I have up my sleeves. For now, I’m going to buzz off and get some sleep because I have to be up super early to get to the post office and grab my bounty box for O2! I can’t wait to see you all there!”
Bea logged off in awe of what just happened. She ended up with 1,713 followers. That’s not near as many as she had before she zeroed out, but it was so exciting that her gunter fans/friends have found her again and reconnected. It gave her hope for her future.
Bea started to feel her eyes drift in her visor so she decided to lay down on the couch provided, put on her favorite 80s movie Overboard, and drift off into sleep.
____________________________________________________________________
The next morning Bea woke up and opened her eyes to the screen saver in her visor with the time that read 7:35 OST. Bea jumped up from the couch, ripped her visor and rig off and leaped out of the cafe with her belongings. She hopped in her car and started for the post office where her bounty box was being delivered at 8:00. When she got to the post office, a line had started to form with impatient customers that couldn’t wait for their boxes to be delivered to their houses. Luckily, Bea didn’t have a house. She used her old fanmail PO box for this special event.
As the time struck 8:00 she fumbled with her key and opened her PO box. There it was. Her bounty box. She started crying tears of excitement and happiness. She grabbed it quickly and headed out, trying not to get the attention of others.
She couldn’t wait for one more second. She ripped the box open and unboxed all the contents. She skimmed the instructions and then threw them in her backseat; this wasn't her first rodeo. She fumbled into the rig, a little too excited, and booted it up. The first thing she saw was the OASIS II symbol with the original OASIS symbol above it. She saw it start downloading. Figuring it would take a while, she opened a portion of her rations and started chowing down, realizing how hungry she was. She started humming We’re Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister as she waited, eating her GMO ridden government ordered rations. Bea then heard the HUD informing her that Oasis II had completed its download. She terminated her old OASIS system and clicked the new OASIS II icon.
The system has detected a previous profile in the Oasis. Would you like to transfer this profile to Oasis II? All items and currency will transfer and you will retain your current level and skill set.
Bea clicked to transfer her avatar over to the new system. Just then, two words appeared.
Press Start
Ruri
Fire Nation Capital
Ruri sat in her room in front of the fireplace, tears streaming down her face as her nurse attended to the burn on her arm. Ruri whimpered in pain as the nurse applied ointment. The entire household heard what happened that evening so the nurse was soft and gentle while taking care of her. The wound will heal, but the memory will not.
“How can any human stand behind this?” Ruri said to her nurse, dressing her wound.
The nurse didn't acknowledge the question. She stayed silent, knowing her place. Once Ruri’s wound was attended to the nurse gathered her things and started for the door. She reached for the door handle and paused for a moment. Ruri noticed her hesitation.
“You don’t have to.” The nurse said, her back turned to Ruri.
Confused, Ruri replied, “Don’t have to what?” And the nurse opened the door and left through it.
Ruri thought about the nurses words. You don’t have to. She gathered some strength and stood up, walking over to her marriage robes. She traced her hands along the red beaded collar. Anger started to fill her body. She took a handful of the fabric ripped it off the hanger and threw it to the ground. She won't be forced. Its her life, not her fathers. She had to find a way out of this arrangement.
You don’t have to.
Ruri started toward her closet angrily. A little too aggressively, she grabbed an elegant fire nation rucksack and started filling it with her essentials. A few extra pairs of robes, extra undergarment wrappings, her high end toiletries, some scroll paper and a quill, a bedroll, her family crest and paperwork, bandages and ointment for her wound, and her change purse with pieces that will last her for a few months.
She looked at her bag she just packed and dread cascading over her. “Gods, what am I doing?” She spoke aloud. If she was to leave, she would have nothing. There was no one to protect her once she jumped out the window. Ruri would no longer be a part of the Kaen Hi family. She would have to leave her life of luxury behind her. Did Ruri even know how to live without maids at her service? Would this be worth it in the end? In that moment, Ruri looked at her marriage robes on the ground and shook away these thoughts. There was nothing left here for her. It was time for Ruri to move on and away from this toxic life.
Ruri slung her rucksack over her shoulder and headed toward the window. As quietly as possible, she opened her window and jumped out landing softly on the grass below. The took whiff of the air around her. Suddenly the Fire Nation Capital that she’s grown so accustomed to smelled like freedom. Her hesitation was lost on her and she gained the energy to continue forward in anticipation and curiousness about the world.
Ruri turned to look at her mansion. She’d grown up here. All her memories were held on this large familiar ground. There are nostalgia she will miss greatly, but the bad memories outweighed the good ones. With one last look Ruri turned around and started down the street. She wasn’t exactly sure where she was headed, but anywhere would do.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ruri walked for a few hours as the night had washed over the Fire Nation Capital. Burning fire illuminated the night. Ruri came to a crossroads in her travels. She had landed on the docks of the Fire Nation Capital in the crescent. She could either stay around the Fire Nation or leave to explore a word she’d lived in her whole life but never seen.
She took a deep breath and cleared her mind. She knew the Earth Kingdom was beautiful this time of year. The flowers around the kingdom were starting to bloom, making the kingdom colorful and joyus. She looked around the docks, trying to figure out which ferry goes across the ocean to the Earth Kingdom. Nervously, she walked up to a woman sitting at a ticketing booth.
“H-hi. I’m just wondering which ferry goes to the Earth Kingdom.” Ruri said a little nervous. She’s never had to do this by herself.
The lady at the ticket book looked up at her, gave her a once over, and noticing her fine clothes soffed. “Depends on where ya wanna go in the Earth Kingdom.” She replied going back to her book keeping. “You look like you should have a private ferry. What’cha botherin’ me fur?”
Surprised at how she was being treated, Ruri raised her voice to the lady. “Excuse me ma’am, do you know who you’re talking to? I’m the daughter of Admiral Kaen Hi and-” Ruri stopped short in her sentence. She noticed the fear starting to form in the ticket ladies eyes. She reevaluated her tone of voice and softened up. “A-and...I’ll buy a ticket for the next ferry to leave for the Earth Kingdom, please. It doesn’t matter which part.”
The ticketing lady quickly looked over her books. “A ferry for The Abbey leaves in 20 minutes. I’ve got tickets left if you want ‘em.” She announced, her voice shaking in fear.
“Just one please.” Ruri replied. The ticket lady gave her a strange look. Noble women don’t usually travel alone. Reluctantly, she gave her the ticket in exchange for silver pieces and pointed Ruri to the correct boat. Ruri tanked the lady and walked off, feeling guilty for the exchange.
As Ruri boarded the ship she got many stairs. Perhaps she should have changed into something less regal. Nevertheless, Ruri headed to the edge of the boat to look over at the ocean. She had no idea where The Abbey was but she was excited to find out. She smiled at the ocean thinking about the adventures she’ll have and the people she’ll get to know. As the set sail, she felt the breeze of the ocean on her face and felt at ease with the decision she made.
“You don’t have to.” She said out loud, repeating her maids words back to herself. With a triumphant smile she vocalized excitedly, "No, I don't have to."
Pixel Ajax
Finally the day had come. It was the last time his name would be in the reaping ball. After today, he would never have to worry about being reaped again and he could finally join the family business, fully. He walked around his room getting ready, just like he did every year on this day. He never understood why they needed to dress up for the reaping, yet every year his mother laid out a nice, button down, pressed shirt to be paired with his black slacks. He tucked in his shirt and weaved his belt through the loops. Looking at himself in the mirror above his dresser, he slicked back his hair just like he did every year. Taking a deep breath, he winced at his image in the mirror. He didn't look like himself. Usually he would be wearing a black t-shirt, some dark wash jeans, and his leather jacket. He grunted and and headed out of his bedroom door and down the stairs where his older brother was sitting at breakfast with his parents. His family unit seemed tense. This was the very last Hunger Games their family had to go through before the next generation started having children. There was a unsettling silence and a nervous energy surrounding the kitchen. Pixel grabbed a piece of toast off the plate. He wasn't very hungry but he knew how long the process takes so he needed something in his stomach.
"Everything's going to be okay." He reassured his family, biting into the piece of toast.
As a family, the four of them walked to the stage in the middle of the district that was set up exclusively for the reaping. The line for the finger prick was already getting long so Pixel waved to his family and joined the shortest line. The finger prick was nothing. It hurt the first time, but after that, they got used to it. After his finger was pricked he got into line with all the other 18 year old boys in his class. He greeted his friends and talked to them before the ceremony started. They decided that once the ceremony was over, they were all going to hang out together and play some video games to let out some of their stress. While in mid conversation, they watched a Capitol lady shuffle onto stage and tap the large microphone. The boys giggled at her crazy appearance. The people of the Capitol dressed so strangely.
"Welcome! Welcome! My name is Iva Flicker and I'm so excited to be here with you all today!" The Capitol lady started in a chipper voice. "Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!" It started the same every year. A Capitol representative wishing them a 'Happy Hunger Games' willing the odds to be in your favor, whatever your favor may be. He chuckled when his buddy turned to him and mouthed 'may the odds be ever in your favor' right along with Iva. "Before we begin the days festivities, we have a special video for all of you to watch! We hope you enjoy." This video was played every single year at the reaping. It reminded the districts why we have the Hunger Games and why it's so beneficial to their society. Reminding them of the uprising. The video always made him feel extremely uncomfortable. He didn't quite understand why. Artemis looked at his shoes for the entirety of the video.
The video ended with Iva clapping by herself up on stage. "Wasn't that just wonderful." Iva said into the microphone. She took a moment to let the words of the video seep into her soul before she was brought back to her duties. "Now, the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing District 3 in the annual Hunger Games." She paused for a moment. The suspense was killing the audience. "Shall we do the fellows first this year, to mix things up?" She asked as a rhetorical question, shimmying her shoulders as if she was about to do something adventurous. Iva smiled at the audience and then shuffled over to the boys reaping ball. She stuck her hand in, moved the little pieces of paper around a few times, and then chose one. With a big smile on her face, she shuffled back to the microphone and opened up the tiny piece of paper in front of the audience. You could hear everyone on the gentleman's side take a deep breath and hold it. Artemis did the same.
"Pixel Ajax!"
A group sigh was let out at the same time by each of the boys when their name wasn't the one called. Pixel stood frozen. There must be a mistake. Maybe he heard the Capitol woman wrong. It couldn't be him. It just couldn't be.
"Pixel! Where are you? Come along. Don't be shy." The woman said, searching the crowed for the boy she just named. Pixel couldn't get his feet to respond. He felt like all the blood was rushing to his head. He felt weak and as if he was going to faint. He looked up at Iva and then back at his friends. "Man, that's you. You have to go." One of his friends said to him. At this point, Pixel wasn't in control of his body. He managed to make his way through the sea of boys and out into the aisle where four peace keepers were waiting to escort him up on stage. He walked up the stairs of the stage and turned around to face the audience, right next to Iva. "It's an honor, isn't it?" Iva whispered to him as he stood motionless on stage, looking for his parents in the audience to no avail.
"And now, for the ladies."
Finally the day had come. It was the last time his name would be in the reaping ball. After today, he would never have to worry about being reaped again and he could finally join the family business, fully. He walked around his room getting ready, just like he did every year on this day. He never understood why they needed to dress up for the reaping, yet every year his mother laid out a nice, button down, pressed shirt to be paired with his black slacks. He tucked in his shirt and weaved his belt through the loops. Looking at himself in the mirror above his dresser, he slicked back his hair just like he did every year. Taking a deep breath, he winced at his image in the mirror. He didn't look like himself. Usually he would be wearing a black t-shirt, some dark wash jeans, and his leather jacket. He grunted and and headed out of his bedroom door and down the stairs where his older brother was sitting at breakfast with his parents. His family unit seemed tense. This was the very last Hunger Games their family had to go through before the next generation started having children. There was a unsettling silence and a nervous energy surrounding the kitchen. Pixel grabbed a piece of toast off the plate. He wasn't very hungry but he knew how long the process takes so he needed something in his stomach.
"Everything's going to be okay." He reassured his family, biting into the piece of toast.
As a family, the four of them walked to the stage in the middle of the district that was set up exclusively for the reaping. The line for the finger prick was already getting long so Pixel waved to his family and joined the shortest line. The finger prick was nothing. It hurt the first time, but after that, they got used to it. After his finger was pricked he got into line with all the other 18 year old boys in his class. He greeted his friends and talked to them before the ceremony started. They decided that once the ceremony was over, they were all going to hang out together and play some video games to let out some of their stress. While in mid conversation, they watched a Capitol lady shuffle onto stage and tap the large microphone. The boys giggled at her crazy appearance. The people of the Capitol dressed so strangely.
"Welcome! Welcome! My name is Iva Flicker and I'm so excited to be here with you all today!" The Capitol lady started in a chipper voice. "Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!" It started the same every year. A Capitol representative wishing them a 'Happy Hunger Games' willing the odds to be in your favor, whatever your favor may be. He chuckled when his buddy turned to him and mouthed 'may the odds be ever in your favor' right along with Iva. "Before we begin the days festivities, we have a special video for all of you to watch! We hope you enjoy." This video was played every single year at the reaping. It reminded the districts why we have the Hunger Games and why it's so beneficial to their society. Reminding them of the uprising. The video always made him feel extremely uncomfortable. He didn't quite understand why. Artemis looked at his shoes for the entirety of the video.
The video ended with Iva clapping by herself up on stage. "Wasn't that just wonderful." Iva said into the microphone. She took a moment to let the words of the video seep into her soul before she was brought back to her duties. "Now, the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing District 3 in the annual Hunger Games." She paused for a moment. The suspense was killing the audience. "Shall we do the fellows first this year, to mix things up?" She asked as a rhetorical question, shimmying her shoulders as if she was about to do something adventurous. Iva smiled at the audience and then shuffled over to the boys reaping ball. She stuck her hand in, moved the little pieces of paper around a few times, and then chose one. With a big smile on her face, she shuffled back to the microphone and opened up the tiny piece of paper in front of the audience. You could hear everyone on the gentleman's side take a deep breath and hold it. Artemis did the same.
"Pixel Ajax!"
A group sigh was let out at the same time by each of the boys when their name wasn't the one called. Pixel stood frozen. There must be a mistake. Maybe he heard the Capitol woman wrong. It couldn't be him. It just couldn't be.
"Pixel! Where are you? Come along. Don't be shy." The woman said, searching the crowed for the boy she just named. Pixel couldn't get his feet to respond. He felt like all the blood was rushing to his head. He felt weak and as if he was going to faint. He looked up at Iva and then back at his friends. "Man, that's you. You have to go." One of his friends said to him. At this point, Pixel wasn't in control of his body. He managed to make his way through the sea of boys and out into the aisle where four peace keepers were waiting to escort him up on stage. He walked up the stairs of the stage and turned around to face the audience, right next to Iva. "It's an honor, isn't it?" Iva whispered to him as he stood motionless on stage, looking for his parents in the audience to no avail.
"And now, for the ladies."
Ethyl Nan Conlee
Nan gathered her things and headed out the door, locking the school house to protect it from the night. Books in hand, she walked back to her house, wanting to get there before night covered the town. Her house wasn't too far from the school house. She lived in town above the general store with her father. She's always loved living right in the center of town. When she was looking out her window as a child and watching her fellow towns folk walking around. Sometimes she would see scandalous acts happen at the local saloon, right across from them or watching the men walking around town wondering which one would be her future husband. She would still find herself thinking about such things. She was ready to settle down and become a wife and a mother. By the time her parents were her age, they were already married. Between teaching and managing the books at the general store, she was much too busy to court a man. I'm going to be the town spinster, she thought to herself.
When Nan approached the general store she balanced the books and tried to open the door, noticing it was locked. As she tried to get the door to open she dropped all her book on the ground and became frustrated. She knocked on the door and screamed, "Pa!" hoping that he was still around. She rolled her eyes when she realized he wasn't. "That old man locked me out again." She stated out loud. Luckily, he was a simple man and she knew exactly where he was.
Nan stomped over to Ole' Tucks in a huff, exhausted from her day and wanting to rest her feet. Hesitantly, she waked in through the doors. A girl like her wasn't seen around the saloon too often. Nan didn't drink like her father and proper women wouldn't be caught dead sitting at the bar with a cup of whiskey in her hand. Nan stepped inside and quickly located her Pa at the bar, in his usual spot. She walked past a few of the local towns folk and nodded toward the table where Dakota and Jedidiah were sitting, smiling at them to greet them. When she reached her father, she held her hand out waiting for him to hand her the key to the store.
"You locked me out again, Pa! You have to stop locking the door when you head out for the night." She said, obviously annoyed with him. She glanced over at Winona and Westley and greeted them with a polite. "Evenin'."
William "Billy" Conlee
Billy grabbed his hat from the coat hanger and put his leather vest on. He paused for a moment realizing it was almost dark and his daughter wasn't home yet. He got a little nervous but decided not to worry too much. He knew Nan burnt the midnight oil at the school house some nights coming up with a lesson for the children. He so admired his daughter for her hard work both as a teacher and helping him out around the general store. Billy was fixing to leave when he remembered a new shipment of cigars that just came in. He walked over, stuffed a few in his pocket, and headed out the door locking it before he left. He stated toward Ole' Tucks, his favorite place in town. He was excited for another night of whiskey and cigars.
Billy shuffled in through the door of Ole' Shucks and recognized everyone in the saloon. He'd been around since the start of this town. He knew everyone and everyone knew him. He didn't bother greeting anyone at the tables as he walked by. He sat down on a stool at the bar and walked into the conversation the Tuckers kids were having. He was confused for a moment as they were talking about raising something up by 5%.
"Winona, Wesley." He said tipping his hat at the two of them. "What chu goin' on about?"
Just then he saw his daughter walk in. He was confused by the sight until she held her hand out and announced that he'd locked her out of the store. He chuckled and fished in his pocket for the key, handing it to her. "Nan, we gotta lock th' doors at night. This town ain't what it used to be." He said to her, turning his attention back to the Tuckers kids.
Eric Orr
Everyone remembers what they were doing the day the rain started. In Eric's case, he was at work in the garage changing the oil on a Ford Explorer a middle aged woman brought in. Metal blasting through the garage as he sang along to the lyrics. It wasn't a great job, he had to admit, but he was good at it and it paid the bills. The oil change was just about finished when the clouds started to roll in. It was out of no where. Through, it wasn't the first time he's seen an aggressive storm start completely out of the blue. He went through the motions of closing a few of the garage doors and watched as the middle aged Explorer owner chased around her five year old in front of the garage. Lord, did he hate children. Then, the rain started. It came down heavy. He could hear the large droplets on the garage door. It was so loud he needed to turn up the radio.
The screams came next. Agonizing ear piercing screams. Him and his buddy looked at each other for a moment, wondering where it was coming from. They both walked over to the window to see the woman and child completely keeled over on the ground, their bodies covered in large bubbled up sores. "Oh my God." His buddy expressed before throwing open the door and walking out into the rain to help. It took only seconds before he was in the same potion as the mother and five year old child. The blister-like sores bubbling on his skin, his screams echoing through the garage. Fear filling Eric's body. Then the emergency broadcast system came over the radio. The alarm was so loud that Eric had to cover his ears.
"Do not, I repeat, do not go out in the rain. It is poison. Do not, I repeat, do not go out in the rain. It is poison. Do not, I repeat, do not go out in the rain. It is poison."Over and over and over. Eric sat at the door, looking at the dead mother and child, and his dead buddy laying on the gravel, the rain still eating away at their flesh. He didn't know what to do, so he just waited with the emergency broadcast system playing over and over again.
The news that night was covered with updates on the poisonous rain. Scientists debating on what it could be, news anchors trying to get a realistic count of the dead, shots of people crying around the bodies with bubbled sores. A shocking sky view of New York City. The walkways lined with death and destruction. He called everyone he knew. Everyone he cared about. Some didn't answer their phones, some did. He watched as people marked themselves 'safe' on Facebook and those who didn't. He wept for his losses and rejoiced for those who made it through. The total percentage of humanity lost at the end of the day was estimated 25%. A quarter of humanity was lost. Little did he know, the rain wouldn't stop and that number would increase.
. . .
Eric moseyed back to the school they were settled in for a few weeks now, a bag in hand. He chomped down on a Fruit Roll-Up on the way back, enjoying the taste. The smell in the air was familiar. It was the very beginning of a rain storm to come. The third one this week. He wasn't worried though. He was almost back to his'family' and would be safe inside the abandoned high school they called home.
Everyone knew the signes of a storm to come. The dark clouds rushed in fast, making the sky an ominous looking auburn. It was almost beautiful how the sky looked before a storm. Though, he knew the destruction to come was anything but. The rain would start light. The first few minutes of the storm wasn't harmful. He'd tested it out himself. But there was only a short amount of time between it and the poisonous rain and there was no difference in color or scent between the two. Once the rain started, it wasn't likely to stop for another hour or so. As long as your were undercover in a building, you were safe.
Starting up a hustle, Eric saw the school come into his vision. He kept up a jog worried the rain would start any minute. He felt the light drizzle on his skin and he knew he was running out of time. He started to sprint and slipped right through the double doors before shutting them, and taking a deep breath in the safety of the school. He needed to stop cutting it so close. One of these days he was going to actually be caught in it. He walked over to one of the classrooms where he found the rag-tag group of people he's been surviving with the past few months. Too many kids. He dropped the bag in the middle of the group, letting it thud on the ground.
"Spaghetti O's, clean water, and three boxes of Fruit Rolls-Ups." He said, walking away from the group and sitting down on top one of a table, still chewing on his Fruit Roll- Up. He watched as the kids grabbed at the box and started unwrapping and eating. They weren't yet starving and they had enough clean water for now, but a sweet treat like Fruit Roll-Ups was a luxury. They've been eating old cans of whatever they could find. They recently found an entire box of spam they've been rationing.
Eric laid down on the table and looked up at the ceiling of the classroom finishing up his Fruit Roll-Up and sucking the flavor off his fingers. He winced a little, the sweetness of the snack aching his tooth, knowing full well he had a cavity in that spot. He listened as the twin boys fought over the box and he rolled his eyes. Too many kids.
She came into this world with brown hair, just like her father. It only made Eliza a little ticked off that she did all this work creating a child in her womb and it came out the spitting image of her father. But she was absolutely perfect in every way and Eliza swore to protect her from the evils of the world, right then and there. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to make good on that promise.
Eliza was nervous the whole pregnancy. Ever since the epidemic of infertility started she became careless about birth control. She also wasn't one for commitment. A friends with benefits no-strings-attached relationship was just fine for her. It was a busy time in her life. She'd just graduated university and got hired at her dream job as a journalist for an online new website. There just wasn't time for dating. That's when her whole world turned upside down.
She traced the little plus symbol on the pregnancy test, tears running down her face. Sean was one of her best friends. It was a drunken night. They were both being reckless. What was she going to do?
Eliza took a picture of the pregnancy test and send it to Sean. Then her phone lit up his picture asking her if she wanted to accept or decline the call. She accepted it. They met that night to talk. He told her he'd pay for half of the abortion. They were both 21. Neither of them were ready. But something inside Eliza knew that abortion wasn't the right option for her. Women were going to extreme lengths to get pregnant now-a-days. How selfish would she be to abort a baby. Her baby. Their baby.
Her final decision was made a few days later. Sean was supportive at first, but he slowly stopped coming to the sonograms and answering her phone calls all together. She was upset with him for a while, but once her perfect pink baby was born she was happy he didn't want to be around. It meant that Eliza didn't have to share the pink bundle of joy with anyone. Macy was all hers.
Macy is five now. Yesterday was her birthday. She wondered if they gave her cake. If they did, she hoped it was chocolate, her favorite.
Eliza sat on her metal bed staring at the wall. There wasn't much to do at home if you were a Handmaid. Especially in your own room. This was her first posting. Her last day at the Rachel and Leah center brought anxiety and nervous energy for the future ahead of her. Three ceremonies. Three tries to produce a pregnancy. Three postings. That was all. After that she was declared an 'unwoman' and sent to the colonies. That was the part that made her the most nervous. She needed to survive for Macy. Her plan was to be submissive and do everything she was told. Never step out of line. Hopefully one day everyone would wake up and see howfucked up this world was and she could be reunited with her child again. If this world stayed stagnant she was going to scoop her daughter up and find a way out of this hell. She promised herself that.
Just then, the Martha walked in, a mousy grey blob standing at her door frame. "The Commander wants to see you in his office." She said shyly. She was young. Maybe just 18. Maybe younger. Eliza nodded to the girl and gave her a friendly smile, standing up from her bed and following her down the stairs. Their footsteps echoes through the house. It was always so quiet. Nothing like the apartment Eliza and Macy lived in before. There was always music playing or a TV turned up as loud as it could go. The Summer's girls thrived in chaos and were always dancing and singing. This home felt fake. Like a tour guide was going to walk in and show a bunch of tourists around the estate, spitting off facts about the antiques and plumbing.
The Martha ushered Eliza into the Commanders office and the disappeared from them, only to rush back with two slices of cake and a tray of coffee, sugar, and cream. Eliza stood behind the couch awkwardly keeping her eyes on the brown leather upholstery, waiting. She wasn't allowed to talk to a Commander first, let alone look at him. She felt uneasy when she noticed Mrs. Gabrielle wasn't in the room. Handmaids and Commanders weren't allowed to be alone together, but she's sure he knew this. Eliza held her hands together in front of her red dress, the coffee smell wafting into her nose. God, she missed coffee.
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