Realistic or Modern The Illustrious SEASON 5

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

The Illustrious​

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Going to college is one thing, plenty of people wish to experience in their lifetimes. It’s a time to open new doors, make new friends, find the love of your life, and just… Find yourself. But what isn’t always talked about is how important the choosing of the college is. Sure one could go to Princeton, Yale, Harvard, or Drexel… But even out of those schools, there is one that is not only equal to them but excels way above what they were and ever could be.

Dubbed ‘The Campus in the Trees’, Dubois University is here and ready to make itself known. Being the country’s best in basketball, being in top ranks of Law, Business, Computer Science, and Engineering, this school is nothing but the best and those within it have been nicknamed ‘The Illustrious’. Oh, did we forget to mention it’s an HBCU?

With over 15,000 students, while it may paramount those who try to take it down, it doesn’t mean it isn’t filled with drama. From friends to frenemies, baes to hurt baes, baby mommas and baby daddies, there isn’t a dull moment on campus.

It’s now a new year and the new freshmen have finally arrived- ready to take on the school and earn the title of being ‘illustrious’. The only question is- How far are they willing to go to get it?​

(These are simply role descriptors. In no way does the set role have to live by that role. The Nerd can be cool. The Baddie can like anime and books, etc.)​

The Nerd
They were never the type to be with the 'in' crowd. They don't follow the latest trends.

The Baddie
They grew up being known as the baddest chick from their area. Looks are important to her and having everyone's eyes is simply an everyday occurrence.

The Pretty Boy
Always with some jawn under his arm, the pretty boy grew up gaining every girl's attention with his suave actions, sugary sweet words, and desire to be a pleasure to the ladies.

The Legacy
Their parents did it, their siblings did it, now they're doing it.

The Activist
Never one to sit down when injustices are occurring on or off campus. If it's a protest, they probably organized it.

The Latinx
Despite growing up in a Latinx home, they always felt an HBCU was the best place for them relating closer to black people than whites.

The International Student
They've come from a different country but learned about HBCUs back home, making them want to go to one. Their culture is different from America's, let alone an HBCU's culture

The Hotep
The Fake Woke dude who thinks everything is a conspiracy against the blackman. (can be afro-latinx but doesn't have to be)​

Hi. I'm Aku. Some of you who saw HBCU and know what it is, are curious where I am going with this. Some of you may have even googled it, but for those of you who are here with no idea what it is but was curious enough to look let me explain.

HBCU stands for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. These are schools that are predominantly black and were generally created during the times where it was near impossible for blacks to get into regular colleges.

This does not mean this roleplay is for black face-claims only, but it will be a predominantly POC of face claim roleplay. It will not be a roleplay that focuses on race, but a roleplay that focuses on life at an HBCU which is a totally different culture than your typical school.

There are roles that are race specific, including a role called "The Token White", and yes I will only accept a certain race for that role. But there are plenty of roles that are race neutral, and doesn't matter what face claim you use.

So that being said, I welcome everyone to join and not think too hard about what race their face claim is. Just come up with a character and apply! I won't deny your character because they are white lol. The fuck? But I will slow down acceptance if the demographic isn't reflective of the demographic of the school.

The roleplay will be divided up into episodes. What is an episode in regards to roleplaying you may ask. Well, an episode is generally the amount of time that it should take to finish a mini-plot. For instance, if there is an event..let's say miss black and white pageant, then the preceding events of the day or the day before (like planning and prepping) and the pageant should be done by the end of the episode. Each sub-plot point will require an episode. The other idea of an episode is to have a time period that it should last to keep the roleplay from dying. I'm thinking 2 weeks actual time is a good place but will adjust it based on the flow of the group. If I find the group can get through like two rounds of posts a week, I might make an episode a month, but if the group gets like 6 round of posts, I might just let it go until the episode naturally concludes (and push it along the way.) What I hope to avoid is slow plot progression, where people lose interest as a whole. This episode idea will adapt to the group, but this is the basis of it.​

Questions, comments, concerns? Let us know. If not? Join us.
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[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Location:Mercedes Benz Stadium and the surrounding area
ROLEPLAY YOUR INTERACTIONS AT YOUR OWN PACE- as long as everyone interacting with you are in the same time space, don't worry about what time your post is compared to others. Right now it is before the game, so any time space the day before the game works. The game starts at 3:30 and I will post a GM post stating the game has started when it's time to 'catch up' with the time. .
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Mercedez Benz Stadium was a technological work of art that showcased the very core of what Atlanta was striving to be. Of course, that's if you ignore the displacement of the residents of the surrounding neighborhood that was predominantly of color. Atlanta was striving to be a southern Metropolis as one of the fastest growing cities in the nation. With a metro population larger than half of the states' in the US, it was a large and booming city. The stadium was the epicenter of the culture of what Atlanta was supposed to be. The home of the Atlanta Falcons and also the Atlanta United soccer team (where current student Julian Martinez plays.) For this one season, it was also the home of the DuBois University Wolves Football and Soccer team.

There were a lot of changes going on for DuBois this year. They were really big changes that not only affected the school on the campus level but on the national landscape. This showed up in many shapes and forms. After a successful string of games against FBS schools going 1-1 last season (with the only loss to eventual National Champion Runner-ups, The University of Georgia) the team school was given the nod to join FBS and the ACC unofficially with their basketball team who had been there for years.

Because the conference was imbalanced for football, they're not apart of the conference technically, but they do have a schedule of five ACC teams much like what Notre Dame does. The team is also an independent for football just like Notre Dame. This meant that the school was going to get the chance to pull in big money through their football program something that other HBCUs have done but none to this level. That's what brought us to today, and why they were at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Last year proved that their stadium was too small, so they made a deal with Arthur Blank to play at the Falcon's stadium for home games this season.

Today was the first 'home' game for the Wolves as an FBS school and the alum and fans were out in masses as they were taking on the University of Virginia. The tailgating area and the stadium were dominated by black and white with sprinkles of orange and blue spread through. The school even provided shuttles to the game for students who didn't have the cars or accessibility to make that forty minute trip from Newnan up to Atlanta. Many were going to actually go to the game and some were just going to get drunk at the tailgate. For the Freshmen...this would be their first taste of HBCU tailgate in only their second week of school. What adventures lie before them? Let's find out on Episode 1 of Season 5 of the Illustrious
"First Home Game"





​

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Kinni

Kinni might have bitten off more than she could chew the last couple of weeks. It was already tough over the summer, juggling a boyfriend, a costume designer internship, her own fashion line, and leading cheer summer camp and workouts as the newly appointed captain. It became even tougher when that internship turned into a full-time job and you had to add school to that along with her desire to pledge AKA. Things seemed to be getting out of hand.

Which would explain her current predicament as she lay with her head on her table, hands near her sewing machine, with papers and fabric spread about, and her laptop up and on. She had definitely bit off more than she could chew. It the fourth week or school and she had already had a paper due for one of her fashion classes. Not to mention she had an order of dresses to complete along with costumes to finish making for the next ballet production for her job. She reached her limit as her long arms lay stretched out.

She hadn't even remembered to set her alarm and would have been extremely late if it wasn't for a voice breaking her sleep.
"Aren't you running late?"
Why was that voice so familiar? Her eyes slowly opened as she took in the scene around her, taking in a deep yawn before using a hand from the arm she wasn't resting on to rub her eyes. Her head not lifted from the table...she was still trying to process everything that was going on.

Jordan. That's who voice it was. It was her boyfriend's. That was one mystery solved which let her offer a smile that was half bliss from the presence of her boyfriend, half satisfaction she had resolved the mystery. He said she was running late though...for what? she looked over to her laptop and its clock at the time. 630 am. That was early...except the cheerleader were supposed to meet at the stadium at 730 and she hadn't even showered yet.

Upon this realization she popped up to her feet and started to scramble around,"Shit shit shit..." she mumbled under her breath running her hand through her hair as she tried to figure out where to start....before finally just heading to the bathroom and taking a quick shower. She put on her black tights and compression shirt to cover up her tattoos before moving to her closet and putting on the black and white uniform with Wolves across the chest. They'd do her make up when they got to the stadium so she moved and kissed Jordan on the cheek,"Lock up when you leave...I'll see you after the game.." she moved going outside to the old jeep wrangler that belonged to her dad that her brother got them to ship over from Hawaii. It cranked up and she was off for the 15 minute drive to campus.

After she parked she'd have just enough time to run and make it to meeting area to get on the shuttle. So she did just that, grabbing her bag and doing a full out spring towards the meeting spot, before doing the last few meters in a light job. Their coach was standing near the entrance to the bus with a look of disproval on her face.

Kinni was too busy bent over breathing hard to notice at first, but made not when she finally did look up,"I'm sorry coach. My alarm didn't go off...."

"I'm not going to lecture you because you're not late, but you know as Captain you should be the first one here and the last one gone..." her coach said before she got on the bus.

Kinni swallowed a bit before inhaling deeply, and following her on.......what a way to start the day.

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Tia

School had been wonderful so far in the first few weeks. The people, the experiences everything was amazing. The summer here was pretty cool, but it was much different during the school year. New Student Orientation (NSO) felt like a ritual week where they were being accepted into a fraternity or a cult or something, but to Tia, it was all awesome! To top it off they ended the week with two concerts? Her brother was right, this school was amazing.

She yawned as she glanced over at her clock. It was 4 am. the jitters were getting to her and had barely let her sleep. She was excited and nervous all at the same time. They played their first game at Georgia State Stadium against Georgia state on a road game, and though the crowd was the largest she had ever been in front of, it was still only about 24,000 and it was the other team's fans mostly. Their team had easily dispatched of the Panthers for 41-7 win. But today was going to be different. They were going to be cheering at the Falcon's new stadium, Dubois temporary home stadium, and in front of a projected 76,000 people. That was a lot of people, but it'd be exciting.

With a bit of a yawn, she decided to get up anyways and head to the bathroom to start her day. That was one thing that wasn't awesome, the fact that there was a community bathroom in the freshman dorms. It meant she had to walk down the hall in her towel, wear shower shoes and ...it was a lot to it. But it was too early to go over to the gym and shower there so she'd have to make do. At least no one would be up, right? So as she quietly undressed and put a towel on to not disturb her roommate, she tiptoed down the hall before entering the shower. At least the water would be hot, and she'd move her way back to her room.

Instead of getting dressed she sat under her covers in her underwear for a while, letting the music play through her earphones but when 530 hit, she was up and in her uniform and headed for the meeting area. She stopped with her black team bag over her shoulders, headphones still in her ear and waited for Nadia. They had promised they'd walk to the bus together, especially since it was so early in the morning.

She was happy she got to make friends with her because she had feared she'd be the only freshman on the squad, but she had Nadia by her side. They had bonded over the summer and became close and it would be a relief to have her around for the game today.


Melanin-Gxdess Mentions Nadia

 

[Aster Sapphire]

Ebony

One thing she hadn't been prepared for about DuBois was how big it was. Or at least how big it seemed. In the past couple weeks, Ebony was sure she'd spent more time trying to hunt her classes down and find her way back to her dorm than she had actually being in class. By the end of the first two weeks her legs were sore and her calendar had almost no free space on it. That much she was used tom her schedule always had been packed, but college was a different kind of busy. The kind of busy where you sit down in the library to study for a couple hours and by the time you leave, the sun has gone down nothing is open. It just so happened however that she managed to have one free spot available on her agenda, and that was for the second game of the school's football season. The first had been a no go, with the way work and her classes bad been going, but by some miracle, she got her homework done and her manager let her go early. Despite her protest, Ebony found herself on a bus back to campus. With so many hours left in the day, she needed a way to fill the time.

She'd heard a lot of buzz about the first home game and figured that was as good a place as any to kill some time. She made a quick stop by her dorm to change her clothes, digging through the suitcases piled on her side of the room that she'd had little time to unpack. Not that she had many clothes to bring with her anyway. The past couple weeks were spent with frequent trips to the laundry room as she cycled through the same pairs of jeans and tops. She swore that she'd never seen any of the other girls on campus wear the same ting twice, or if they did, it looked like something they'd borrowed from a super model's closet. She doesn't bother checking her she looks in the mirror. She'd worn the same distressed jeans and faded sweater so many times that she could pick them out of the closet with her eyes closed. Next were her shoes. The trusty black ankle boots she'd had for so long. She wasn't sure which one of her parents were to thank for her having such small feet, but even now, almost four years after she'd first gotten them, there was still some wiggle in them. Ms. Janet had told her she'd grow into them someday, and she was still waiting on that day to come.

"Shit....my phone." She digs through the sheets and covers of her unmade bed. Just as the panic sets in that she'd left it on the bus, she catches sight of a faint glow coming from under her pillow. Long braids swing back and forth as hangs her head and releases the breath she didn't know she'd holding. Her moment of peace is interrupted as she glances at the time on the cracked screen to check the time and realize she'll miss the next bus soon. Tossing the covers back over her bed she rushes back outside and to the bus stop in just enough time to get on the shuttle to the stadium. Her ride is long and quiet, just the way she likes them.

When she arrives at the stadium, she's blown away by how massive it is. She'd passed by it a few times from the outside before but it never ceased to amaze her, and now she finally got to see inside. If she could only find where she was supposed to enter. The large crowds surrounding the building didn't help. Sighing, she shoulders her bag and walks towards the building, wandering around aimlessly to try and find her way in.

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The first few weeks of school weren't as bad as Nadia thought they would be. Being as Dubois was her second choice and not her first, she thought it would take long for her to come to like it. It was in the second week that she came to love the school and was glad she chose to attend. She hadn't heard about UAL having any NSO and thought it was very cool that Dubois did. It was something she didn't know she wanted to experience until she experienced it. What she was really looking forward to was possibly getting the chance to see her brother on the stage. He'd only done things for YouTube and not for actual people and to see him begin to flourish was something she was excited for.

She awoke that morning to an annoying alarm from her roommate. Sure, Nadia also had to be up at the same time but not with an annoying ass alarm like that. She groaned as she sat up on her elbows and looked to the other side of the room, a scowl on her face. The girl was sleeping through it and Nadia threw a pillow at her to wake her up. The girl didn't budge and Nadia gave up any further attempt to wake her up and decided to get ready. After all, she had to meet the rest of the team at the stadium soon or else she'd catch a case.

About 45 minutes later, a few stares from guys and girls alike and she was back in her room. The roommate was finally up and awake moving about the room. She was a dorky brunette named Mira and kept staring. Nadia was so close to filing out for a new roommate but didn't want to be that person. Instead of paying her mind, she just got dressed as fast as she could before escaping from Peeping Tom. She had sweats on over her uniform and her team bag over her shoulder. Her wireless headphones were around her neck as she headed for the meeting area. Immediately she caught sight of Tia, the only girl she actually liked so far. She ran up behind her and put her arm around her shoulder.

"I would say something cute and witty, but it's way too early in the morning and I didn't have coffee."

Tia ( AkuTheWolfOkami )​

 

[KingsRock]

Deon

About a month into his first semester of college, Deon was finally getting into a steady flow of how to navigate everything. Although 40 miles from Atlanta, Newnan was nice, quaint college town that Deon was finding himself settled in to, despite it being even more of a drive away from his hometown. He wasn't homesick yet, but being the only person from his high school academically eligible to attend DuBois meant that he had to go out of his way to make friends. No longer did he have the comfort of being a top dog, now having to find his way at the bottom of the barrel as a freshman. That challenge alone only motivated Deon to make a name for himself on campus, but there was a time and a place for all of those logistics.

He didn't play football in high school, but he appreciated sports in general. So, Deon was excited about the prospects of going to the game in Atlanta. In a sense, Atlanta was similar to Memphis in the demographics, but it definitely had a lot more things to do. Being near the hub of the south only meant that exposure was much more likely than had he stayed at home. Music was one of the notable things about being near the ATL so Deon knew that if he worked hard enough that it would benefit him in the long run. But for today, the grind was going to stop at least for a little while.

The decision to go to the game had already been made by Deon and his boys that he got connected with at orientation. Attending DuBois had been a relatively last minute decision, but orientation, at minimum, affirmed his decision to attend the most prestigious HBCU. As such, he connected with some guys during one of the breakout sessions and the rest was history. The Back to School party consisted of them squading up, drinking, dancing with ladies, and just overall having a blast. Deon had made his friends away from home.

"Ay, I'm leaving at 1:30. Like LEAVING leaving. If ya ass ain't here, you better catch that shuttle. Lmao."

He sent the message to his crew's group text before proceeding to get ready. Above all, Deon was punctual as hell. When he said he was going to be somewhere at a certain time, he meant it. After sending the text, he took a quick shower before throwing on a black t-shirt that hugged against his biceps, dark blue jeans, and a pair of Bred Jordan 1's. Nothing too fancy. The plan was to meet up at Deon's car in the main parking lot outside the dorm room at 1:30. When he pulled up at 1:25 and no one was there, he popped out of the car and sat on the hood of it, throwing on a baseball cap backwards as checked the group message to see if he missed anything.

"These negros got five minutes before I fly solo, mane."

 

[Aato]

It took a lot of jumping through hoops for Cortez to go to school in the States, but he had made it. To avoid sudden culture shock, he stayed with his uncle in Miami for the summer after his acceptance into DuBois. The Cuban population was high in Florida, let alone that of other Caribbean and Latin American groups, so that made easing in, well, easy. He didn't like to think of himself as assimilating - he was too proud for that - but there was nothing wrong with dialing back on some habits and picking up some differing social cues. Plus, when he wasn't out exploring or being given tips from his uncle, they shared in a little of that awkward silence called bonding. However, the time he spent there would pass just as quickly as it did once school started.

It didn't feel like three weeks since his uncle and grandmother had left him at orientation, but it had indeed been. It was the fourth week of school and things were going smoothly. He had only missed home - and even his uncle's place - minimally, and he felt the mementos and flags in his dorm along with a few bottles of mango juice were to thank for that. Well, classes had also consumed a lot of his time, leaving none to dwell on being away. A double major was rigorous. He had expected as much, but, for him, it was one of those things he didn't quite understand until he experienced it, and he wished he had followed in his older sister's footsteps and been more studious. And although he loved to paint, he wasn't the most elated about already having a project due in another week. However, today he would relax a little and get back to work tomorrow; it was the first home game of the season and a pretty big deal.

Cortez didn't wander too far from campus too often unless with others as he wasn't necessarily great at committing such unfamiliar paths to memory, especially in a car. Though, he'd heard from some Georgia natives that the state's layout was even confusing to them sometimes, so he didn't feel too bad. The stadium where the game was being held was out in the heart of the city and a decent distance from campus. Luckily, one of the few guys he'd come to acquaint himself with during orientation had sent a text to their group, offering a ride so long as they made it on time, of course. Back home, time wasn't an issue, but he could respect those who valued it more to a tee. So, he made it a point to get ready and be on time.

His morning was spent painting and the activity often left his body with stray marks and splatter of color in various places. However, a swift rinse did the trick before he threw on the first tanktop he got his hands on, a pair of shorts, and plain sneakers. If there was one thing that definitely reminded him of Cuba, it was the heat and he was well-prepared for it. He made sure his pockets were full of the things he needed - wallet, phone, and anything else of like importance - then made his way from downstairs and to their meeting place.

As he rounded the corner to see Deon sitting on his car, he made a sharp whistle to catch his attention. Pulling out his phone to glance at the screen, he'd arrived at what he felt was a record-breaking 1:27. After all, he was used to arriving 10 minutes late or more. "What's up? Where's everyone else?" He asked as he approached, offering a hand in greeting.

Interactions: Deon KingsRock ​

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

COLLAB POST FOR NADIA X TIA ..scuse the typos.

She couldn’t help but smile when her friend finally arrived feeling her arm around her shoulder. She made her little joke about being witty if she had coffee and Tia couldn’t help but laugh. She put her arm around her waist in a quick embrace before nodding,”Well you’ll be happy to know I convinced Lewis to bring us some starbucks.” Lewis was one of the male cheerleaders, one of the ones who liked women (it was about half and half on their team) and he really seemed to take a liking to Nadia and Tia, perhaps because they were freshmen?


Tia sighed a bit as she began to walk with Nadia towards the meeting spot,”Man I’m so glad you’re here. We have to cheer in front of 76,000 people Nadia. 76,000 that’s so nerve wracking.”


Upon hearing her say Lewis was bringing them Starbucks she clapped her hands together. “Fanfuckingtastic! I’m proper chuffed that he’s coming. Otherwise, someone would have gotten killed on this bus.” Nadia without coffee in the morning is not something people wanted to see, she had to admit. She was mean and grumpy, unless she liked you. Tia was an exception, although sometimes she’d be grumpy around her as well. But today was very special because of their big event in a few hours.


“Oh, I know. I’m scared as well. Although, it should be a lot of fun, I swear!” Nadia had been in front of people before, having presented her art in a few art galleries. But never before had she been in front of 76,000 people. She was trying her best not to let the nerves get to her, as she was trying to comfort her friend. “I can tell you you’ve just got to breathe and remember to breathe.”


She smiled and listened to Nadia speak, before nodding. Her accent wasn’t off putting, her family had made plenty of friends with folks from the UK. Besides, it made the already attractive girl in front of her even moreso. She shrugged her shoulders a bit as she looked in front of them,”Breathe...right...Oh God. What If I forget the cheers? We’re going to be on tv Nadia! TV! I think I’m going to have a panic attack….”



Nadia stopped walking and stood in front of her friend, hands on her shoulders. Tia was freaking out, and for good reason of course, but there was no need. Plus, she was going to do everything in her power to make sure she didn’t freak out. “First off, if you dare forget any of the cheers, you’ll be in barney and I’ll kill you myself.” She was serious, but at the end she smiled at her. “Think of it like this then, yeah? You’ll be bigger than those Dallas Cheerleaders.”


She looked her in the eyes and nodded slowly. There was something that intimidated Kortia about Nadia. She wasn’t sure if it was her confidence or drive, but she almost half believed that she might have killed her if she did forget which sort of made her more concerned. So she took in a deep inhale and let it go slowly. “Bigger than Dallas Cheerleaders? Ok, I love that idea So I’m going to own it…”


With a deep and satisified sigh, she linked her arm with the girls and started walking towards the bus again. “Bigger, better, and cuter.” Even though she was giving all this advice to her and building her confidence, Nadia needed some too. She was just good at hiding her nervousness and with Tia, it was easy to just put all of the focus on her for the moment. “Now, let’s get on the bus and have fun!”


Tia nodded as she walked with Nadia and they grew closer to the bus, before being cut off by a milk chocolate skinned male with hazel eyes, curly faux hawk with brownish ends though the rest was black. He held two cups out to the girls with starbucks on the side, a caramel macchiato for Tia and Nadia’s preferred cup for the morning. He flashed a pearly white smile before speaking,”Y’all ready?” he said not giving them a chance to answer, before all they saw was the back of the black and white male cheer uniform.


Tia smiled before getting on the bus and glanced to Nadia, if she was right behind her,”Amazing, right?”

As Nadia opened her mouth to start telling her friend about her recent works of art, Lewis appeared with coffee in his hands. There were times she thought about snatching Lewis up for herself but decided against it. Not only was he not her type, but hooking up with a teammate was just bad for business. Instead, she would just look from afar at both his smile and his butt. With her white chocolate mocha in hand, she took a cautious sip and moaned with a smile. “Sweet, sweet caffeine.”


She climbed onto the bus behind Lewis and Tia and nodded her head. “Very. Can’t ever get used to it.” She took a pause and looked around before leaning in. “Where’s our leader from hell?”


Tia had found a seat and started to sip the drink slowly, making sure not to spill anything on her precious uniform. She rubbed her eye a bit before yawning, thankful that her makeup would be done at the stadium. She rose a brow when she felt Nadia lean in and shrugged,”Probably late, as usual….” This exchanged had occurred about 15 minutes before their lovely leader climbed on the bus, just in time from being late.

Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Nadia nodded her head at Tia's response, biting her tongue. She wanted to make a smart ass comment about it but instead decided not to. Some people around them were always trying to kiss Kinni's ass and would probably tell on her. In return, she'd probably end up running extra laps or something. She put her bag in the overhead compartment before sitting down to drink her coffee. The sweet and bitter taste of coffee on her tongue was something she both loved and hated, but she would never stop drinking it. She put her hair up into a messy bun to keep it from getting all over her face when she noticed their captain get on. A subconscious eyebrow raises and she'd turn to her friends. "Isn't she supposed to be here before us?" She stated before shrugging her. It wasn't meant to be said snarky, but it was. Really it was supposed to sound more concerning as if she actually cared about the girl's well-being.​

 

[tagapagmana]

as usual, she feels displaced; that's nothing new, though. in fact, after the very first day of college, she wasn't really feeling up to it anymore. homesickness, by then, had snaked its grip on her, and she compensated by trying to initiate video calls with them as often as possible. still, it was difficult for both parties to actually find the time, given the different time zones.

she's somewhat glad that she wasn't the only one feeling the loneliness. a phone call ago, they told her that if she wanted to, they wouldn't mind paying for a trip home for the weekend. mind you, it was a terribly tempting option, but she couldn't burden them just because she was feeling all blue and sht. she knows they're busy with expanding the business, so she declined and told them "nah, don't worry too much. i know you guys have a lot on your plate, too. besides, i'm too lazy..."

sht, i wanna cry. i wanna not be here. no way was she going to tear up, not with her friends sitting beside her. but her eyes are welling up a bit. before they can realise anything, she fakes a yawn and rubs at her eyes.

"you okay?" addie, the one who invited her here, looks concerned and gives her a soft pat on the shoulder. yeah, definitely a good call that i did that. "nah, i'm aight, just a bit sleepy. stayed up last night."

"we could go back to the dorms if you wanna." addie's trying to be nice, , and honestly, going back to the dorms sounds like a great idea, but addie's the one who genuinely wants to be here. she's not going to rob addie of this chance. "i'm good. besides, i wanna watch." that perks addie up, who settles back into her seat, but frankly, she was lying. emi isn't really into sports or anything. whenever it was intramurals time back in high school, she usually just found a secret spot to loiter in rather than show up to watch. but hey, it can't hurt to start and show some support now, right? plus, maybe it can help take her mind off of her homesickness.

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Tia and Kinni

Tia glanced over when she heard Nadia started talking before managing to raise her sights to see their leader get on board. She sighed taking a deep breath and shook her head. She technically on time so no one could really complain too much but barely being on time wasn't really a good example to set for the people under her. She placed her drink to her lips taking the final sips of what remained in her cup before shaking her head and leaning towards Nadia before whispering,"I mean it's impressive as a sophomore to be team Captain but if she's overwhelmed maybe she should.....let it go?"

Kinni found herself sitting near the front of the bus, mainly because there weren't really many seats left since the band also shared the last couple of buses with the cheerleaders, but also because she didn't really have any friends on the team. Sure, there were girls that kissed up to her and would do anything to get on her good side - the cheer captain was an elected 'spot' but usually, as long as they didn't do a bad job, they kept it until they were finished which is why it mainly stuck with seniors. The fact was she hadn't had any time to make any genuine connections with the new girls on the team, and most of the ones she mad connections with the year before graduated.

She only sighed as the bus started to move, she slid her airpods into her ear before closing her eyes and resting her head on the window. At the very least, she'd enjoy this decent ride to catch up on some sleep. They had a few hours before the game started or they needed to start getting ready. In fact, they were probably going to check into their hotel before they headed to the game. The school had gotten the football team and cheerleaders a hotel room since they expected them to all be tired after the game. Kinni was going to need a bad....

Melanin-Gxdess Mentions Nadia

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Sofia

She had promised herself she'd slow down with all of the alcohol, drugs, and sex because she had done way too much of it in her first couple weeks at school. She had not slowed down and at this point was a habitual liar and perhaps an addict to multiple things. That would perhaps explain her predicament from the night previous at some upperclassman's house party. The pills, the alcohol- the women. It was a lot and something she probably shouldn't have associated herself with. The night was a blur and she barely remembered anything between the blackouts, but she did know she woke up in some senior's bed, who had a boyfriend. Weird how straight women were.

She rubbed her eyes a bit picking her phone up as she slung her legs over the edge of the bed and clicked the button on the side of her phone. She had to cover her eyes as the screen illuminated, partly because she had a headache, partly because her eyes weren't used to light yet. She squinted hard trying to rdead the time as it read '0400' and sighed. Her eyes had started adjusting to the darkness of the room so she tried to make out who she was with. It was definitely not someone she had slept with before, she just knows when she met her at the party she had a boyfriend.

She needed to figure out where she was and if she'd needed to take an Uber home. So she opened up her gps app and yawned. It was an apartment complex, but it was close enough to campus to walk. So she got to her feet and slid her air max on, grabbed her chain off the girl's dresser and headed out. The girl must have been a tough sleeper because she didn't even bother moving.

A few minutes would pass before Sofia would find herself back in her room, thankful that they didn't live in the city or the walk would have been a little more potentially dangerous. But out here she had more chance of getting attacked by an animal, though it was still criminals around. So she plopped into her bed across from her roommate and passed out immediately. It'd be 1200 before her alarm went off and she'd rise to an empty room. Good.

She let out a large yawn as she sat on the side of her bed looking around, headache still lingering. A quick trip to the community bathroom, a shower, and she was back in the room getting her outfit together. Nothing special, just a black t-shirt with a white paw print on the middle (the school's logo) some black faded jeans, and Oreo 5's set off with a nice chain. Her hair was a mess but didn't have time to do anything with it so she just put it under a hat and made her way.

Digging into her pocket, she pulled a cigarette out and a lighter taking puffs as she made the walk before pulling up on the people she had planned to meet up with so they could ride to the game,"Yo what up Cortez, fellas, y'all ready for the tailgate?"
Melanin-Gxdess Cortez

 

[Aato]

Being away from home was the least of Cameron's concerns. More than anything, she hoped to fit in and be accepted by her peers. So far, neither of those were issues and any uneasiness she felt was mostly in her head. She hadn't quite gotten that sense of fulfillment that she was looking for yet, but she probably had to relax first. Even she noticed that she'd been a little more on edge and alert. However, she was always like that in an unfamiliar place, so perhaps being away from home did matter a little. She just felt it important to stay on her toes in new situations, especially when looking out for herself basically became her responsibility alone.

Now staying in Atlanta - or, well, relatively close - wasn't much adjustment with being from Houston. It was another big, busy city in the south, so she mostly felt at home. Living in the locale of the campus was probably more cause for adjustment than anything as - aside from the typical set up of a few local walking-distance shops and eateries in a college town - she was now surrounded by bushes and trees. However, today, that was neither here nor there. It was four weeks into school and the first home game of the season...and a pretty big deal considering the team would be playing at the brand-spanking-new stadium in the heart of the city. Other than playing soccer in school as a kid into her first couple of years of high school before deciding to let it go, she wasn't very into sports. She had gotten fed up with the culture - the "nature of the beast," as they say - but she would always love the energy that it created in people. It was the one thing that kept her coming back as a spectator, even for sports she didn't care much for.

As she got off the shuttle outside the stadium, she marveled at the crowds, surprised that a college game could garner such attention. The longer she was outside, the more she could already feel the excitement of others permeate and produce a sense of familiarity, of hominess. This was just what she needed. Her steps already felt lighter. As she walked around in search of the entrance, she ended up spotting a familiar face. She recognized the girl with chocolate skin and braids from one of her classes - Math, she believed.

"Hey!" She called from the distance as she approached with a jovial wave. "I'm Cameron from Math, if you remember." She introduced once closer and hoped that she did actually mention the right class. "Are you hype for this game too or what? I just gotta find the entrance..." She looked off at the building again in momentary contemplation before her eyes returned to the young woman in front of her.

Interactions: Ebony Aster Sapphire ​

 

[Aster Sapphire]

It took a few moments before Ebony realized the sudden voice that drew her attention away from her phone was directed towards her. She looks over at the girl approaching her and squints, trying to remember her face. She was a pretty girl, her long dark hair and sun kissed skin reminded her of the girls the boys back home always chased after. She smiles, politely, Aside from her roommate, she hadn't met very many people on campus yet. Most if not all of her time was stretched, very thinly, between her classes and her jobs. She was lucky if she managed to sleep five hours at night. Meeting people and remembering faces wasn't something her mind had reserved much room for. However, being that she was lost and had never been to a tailgate before, she figured Cameron's company would be beneficial, at least for the time being. She almost felt flattered that she'd been remembered. She spent math class the same way she spent all the others. Closer to the back of the room with her head buried in her notebook as she tried write down almost every word the professor said. She never spoke up much or answered too many questions. So being remembered, and then approached, was a fairly welcomed change to her routine.

After a few moments she finally find her voice. "I think so? Think I'm a couple rows behind you?" She continues, tucking her phone away. "I'm Ebony, and I'm also looking for the entrance. Mostly just tryna kill some time before going back to the dorm. I'll wait to see what we're working with before I get hyped."







Interactions: Cameron Aato

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

It wasn't too much longer before they all arrived to the stadium. Nadia, despite having had a full cup of coffee, ended falling asleep. As she wiped the sleep out of her eyes, she looked around. Her vision was blurry for a few seconds before she then realized where she was and what she was about to do. Almost immediately after this revealati,on she jumped up; her heart pounding ferociously. After putting her hair in a high ponytail she whipped her head around to look at Tia. "We're finally here!" She squealed in excitement, grabbing her bag and getting off the bus. In all of her excitement, she almost forgot about leaving Tia and Lewis behind on the bus. Nadia then back-pedaled towards the two of them and gave them a sheepish smile. "Whoops. You guys don't understand how excited I am! I really just want to fast-forward through all of it and get to the part where we perform."

On the turf of the field, they were doing their stretches on the sidelines. They didn't want to one, be in the way of the team and 2, get trampled over by the team. The group would do their stretches for a good 5 minutes before running through their routine a couple of times. Time seemed to fly by fast as they were back in the locker rooms, getting their hair and make up done and final outfit changes. There was so much hairspray and it smelled like burnt hair mixed with cheap perfume. It was all making Nadia's nose hurt and itch, so she decided to get some fresh air while her stylist started with another girls hair. It wasn't her turn for makeup, so she had a few minutes to kill. Soon, she was going to be dancing in front of a huge crowd; no pressure or anything. But, she had Tia by her side and that was really all that mattered to her at the moment.​

Tia ( AkuTheWolfOkami )

(everyone else just to revive.....?)
Aato KingsRock Aster Sapphire tagapagmana

 

[Aato]

Cortez
Before Deon seemed to have a chance to respond to his inquiry, Cortez found himself turning at the sound of a new yet familiar voice. He guessed everyone must have planned to arrive just in time, if at all. It actually made him feel even more proud of himself. "I'm more than ready," he answered Sofia, dapping her up once she reached them. If he were to be honest, American football wasn't his thing. It didn't bother him, but the hype wasn't the same. As with any sport, he definitely admired the way it brought everyone together. His plan was for the tailgate to serve as an opportunity to make more friends or even strengthen the bonds he had already made.

Slipping his phone from his pocket, he glanced at the time again, finding that the few remaining minutes until 1:30 had passed. With no new messages in the group chat, he brushed a hand through his hair and took a moment to survey the area for anyone who may have been booking it to their meeting spot. He then turned to look between his friends. "Well, the time has arrived. Looks like it's just los tres amigos." He chuckled and playfully clapped them both on the shoulder before getting into the backseat of the car.

Interactions: Sofia AkuTheWolfOkami ​

 

[Aato]

Cameron
When the other woman mentioned sitting behind her, Cameron snapped her fingers and exclaimed in a-ha, "That's it!" She felt a small pressure lift off her and made an inward sigh of relief at the fact that she indeed mentioned recognizing Ebony from the correct class. She then laughed at her comment about the game. "You've got a point, you've got a point. I guess it would be kinda sad to cheer while steadily getting our asses whooped. Personally, I just love a good game, so hopefully no one goes down too easy." Since Ebony had mentioned being just as lost when it came to locating the entrance, Cameron continued to walk and observe the building. Although, she kept her pace slower since now talking to her new acquaintance. "By the way things are going, your pass-time might just be trying to figure out how to get in this place." She chuckled. "If only I were a little taller... Maybe then I could see where the crowd's flowing in..." She stood momentarily on the tips of her toes with a hand over her brow to block the sun as she tried seeing above people with little success. She then looked back at Ebony. "Do you know if the game has already started?"

A glint of self-awareness struck as she suddenly felt she was probably talking to much. Cameron was a vocal problem-solver, but the reason likely didn't make the chatter any less annoying. As a nervous habit, she faked a small cough and cleared her throat before remaining silent. A mental note was made to curtail most of her figuring aloud and keep it in her head. All the while, she kept an unwavering grin.

Interactions: Ebony Aster Sapphire ​

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

JOY

EVERYTHING IN BLUE IS IN KOREAN
COLLAB WITH ASTER
She always knew her brother was up to something by how he maneuvered. He was very calculated and precise and literally all of his actions were done with a purpose. So when he suggested she come at stay at the ‘Asian’ house, she knew something was up. She didn’t mind her roommate, Ebony, but she was ready for a little break from sleeping in the same room as someone else so she accepted the invitation this time. She could endear Char and ChoCho for one night.


When she arrived it all started to make sense what his plan was. He was trying to coerce her to go to the game with him and his crew Saturday. No doubt to babysit since she didn’t drink. Joy had only been at Dubois for a couple of weeks and though she enjoyed every moment of it, she had zero interest in drinking at the parties. Tea was fine with her.


Almost soon as she woke up in the morning she could hear ChoCho and Ben arguing about Froot Loops. What was it with those two and Froot Loops? They didn’t wake her up but they were preventing her from going back to sleep, so she could only sigh as she sat up. Though she had gone to live on campus, they hadn’t done anything to her room and kept it for her so she could spend nights like this, which she thought was sweet.


She shrugged the covers off as she got out of the bed, slipping on her house slippers before opening the door and making her way out to the kitchen. Her brother was making tea of course. Char was sitting reading something at the table. ChoCho was standing with a bowl of cereal and Ben was across from him ..probably cursing him out in Mandarin.


She plopped herself at a seat at the table (purposely away from Char as much as possible) before Justin sat the tea down for them, and she nodded a thank you.


Charlotte had spent enough nights at Justin’s to the point where Chocho and Ben’s bickering was as much a part of her morning as washing her face and brushing her teeth. She turns the page of her textbook as she accepts the mug from Justin, thanking him with soft smile before taking the warm mug in her hand and sipping. She never thought she’d be one for anything other than ice cold, sweet tea like she’d grown up drinking, but Justin had a way of making his just right, as with most things. She glances up at Joy sits down, but returns to her readings without saying anything. As far as she was concerned, the silence was better than their conversations, which always seemed to only leave both of them upset. There was thud next to her as Ben sat down, frowning at his bowl of cheerios, violently shaking sugar into the bowl as he muttered under his breath in Mandarin as he shoves a spoonful in his mouth. “Shit ain’t even honey nut. I swear I’m bout to riot.”


Charlotte snorts, shaking her head at him as she bites into a strawberry from her fruit salad. “If you do, riot for me too. I’d do it myself, but I have to finish up the last minute reading my professor assigned.”


Joy raised her mug to her mouth, taking a sip of it before she let out a slow exhale. It was sweeter than he normally made it, something he always did for Char. It was still more than refreshing but she preferred her tea not so sweet in the morning as it usually messed with her taste buds for the rest of the day. It was a nice gesture for someone who was so disciplined and strict and had it been for anyone other than Char she would have applauded her brother. A’las.


ChoCho joined the table, with his bowl of Froot Loops and ate them contently, causing Joy to roll her eyes turning to her brother who was joining the group and talking in Korean, ”How do you let them two live here?” she scoffed before taking another sip to calm her nerves.


Justin only shook his head, responding back in Korean,”Be nice….so you’re coming with us?”


She ignored Joy, not that it would’ve made a difference since she couldn’t understand her anyway. Her goal for the day was to just enjoy herself and have fun at the game, which she still needed to allow herself an hour or two to get ready for. She highlights the last section of her notes from the book and closes it with a happy sigh, continuing to drink her tea. “There, now I won’t have that on my mind for the rest of the day. How’s your cereal, Ben?”


Her only response was a glare that he shifted over to Chocho. “I dunno. How is my cereal, Chocho?!”


Joy only nodded to her brother before casting her gaze to Ben as she blinked a few times. She just didn’t understand those two and their friendship. They obviously went at each other neck’s and ChoCho was definitely annoying with stealing cereal, but Ben was a decent guy, ”Yeah I’ll go….” she finally said in English sipping the tea afterward, ”Let me get dressed…” she rose from the seat and moved towards her room while ChoCho glanced to Ben.


He slowly put a spoonful of cereal in his mouth and chewed slowly while staring in Ben’s eyes.


Seeing the sudden reddening of Ben's face was Charlotte's cue to leave as well. She polished off the rest of her fruit, savoring the juices as she stood, leaning over Justin's shoulder to peck him on the cheek. “Thanks for the tea, hon.”


Justin nodded as turned to face Charlotte, ”We’re going to be leaving soon, but of course we’re going to pregame, right fellas?.....if you don’t kill each other..”


Joy wouldn’t be gone for too long, only about an hour or so before she returned in a rather modest outfit before rubbing he hands together, with her phone hanging from her wrist with a strap, ”Well I’m ready...let’s go.”

They wouldn't immediately leave, for the guys had to drink a little bit before they did, but when they did it was Joy who was driving them to Atlanta. She took a deep breath as she had a playlist which included the likes of SZA, Mahalia, The Internet, Eliza and some other people who went to or graduated from DuBois. It wouldn't be long before they arrived at Morehouse College and parked in their deck since it would be cheap and less hectic, before catching a lyft over to the stadium.

It would be even shorter of a time before Joy broke away from the Asians as she spotted two familiar faces and made her way to them,"Roomie!," she started first waving slightly to the young girl before turning to Cameron,"Hey, didn't expect you to be here! Are you excited?"

Aster Sapphire (Ebony interaction) Aato (Cameron interaction)