Realistic or Modern Westbrook

[txlos]

Nova

​

It almost shocked Nova how easy going Ian was, and how simple it felt to hang out with someone she barely knew. But then again, he seemed like the type of guy that a lot of people got along with; funny, relaxed, someone who actually listened. Someone who was very much who Nova needed right now to keep her mind off things. Not that she was exactly thinking of her breakup at the moment, as the effects of the vodka began settling more firmly into her body, making her eyes a bit wider and her face more relaxed. Not drunk by any means but pleasantly tipsy. Tipsy enough that her mind only wandered to her beanie boy for a second before refocusing on the warmth that was tingling her skin.

With a gracious grin, Nova took Ian's hand to get up and nodded a small thank you before stepping into the cabin, her body tensing a little as she saw a group of people going into the living room where Ian had just headed. All she wanted to do was keep her head down, go change, and then maybe go interact when she had someone she knew in the room. God, she didn't even know Ian, but he seemed nice enough and like he wouldn't mind hanging out with her, right? Too much thinking... Ian was a perfectly nice guy who was very warm and kind and Nova, shut up! Feelings... gross. With a small groan, the brunette kept her head down and booked it past what looked to be Grace, Sawyer and someone she didn't know, and for now, didn't care to know. Sneaking up the stairs and looking around at shut doors, the petite girl finally slipped into an open and empty room, throwing her backpack to the floor and rolling her neck out. Too much stress was being held there and it was starting to hurt. Realistically, her entire body was sore from the crying, all tense and uncomfortable. "Maybe there's a hot tub in his god forsaken place," She chuckled to herself, rummaging through her backpack for a change of clothes. And it almost, almost got her, seeing Jace's pale yellow t-shirt in her bag. She could feel her cheeks getting hot and no, not again. She was already sore and exhausted and just wanted to change and go back downstairs and start reintegrating. She didn't want to think about this anymore, she didn't even want to see the color yellow for a week at minimum. Biting her lip, Nova snatched both the shirt and sweater she had been wearing and tossed them into an empty drawer, pushing it shut and taking a breath before turning back to her bag.

Deciding all she wanted to be was comfortable for now, she decided on plain black leggings, a loose knitted grey sweater that fell off of one shoulder and faded blue wool socks (her feet were always freezing). Nova moved to the mirror then, pulling the oversized sweater sleeves over her hands. While she wasn't exactly a lover of the cold, it definitely did feel like home. The snow, the hot drinks by a fire, it all felt familiar. Now, it was just the people who felt unfamiliar. Which they weren't, these were people she had gone to school with, people she cared about, people who cared about her... right? A groan fell out of her before she gave up on the thought, instead fixing her hair and grabbing her phone before heading downstairs and into the living room, spotting Ian and offering a smile.

"Found the best seat in the house huh?" Nova's voice was soft and inviting, not wanting to scare away her new friend and definitely not wanting to be left alone. She sat close to the raging fire, the amber light glowing on her face as she looked at the flames. Not a pyro by any means, but she had always found it beautiful how the flames flickered bright, burned out, and a new flame took it's place. And maybe that's what was happening in her life, in a weird sort of way. One flame burned for a while, it burned out. That didn't mean a new one couldn't start... right? Right.

PenguinFox

 

[Winona]

Ash


Well maybe that was all true, but hadn't he at least had Alaska? For a moment, Ash actually felt for her, and what it must have been like for Kanen to just ditch after everything that happened. But back to Kanen, well... okay yeah, she had no idea what he'd gone through, and hopefully would have no idea. The worst thing that had happened to Ash had been having her exes cheat, or her mother leaving, but none of that could even begin to measure up to what Kanen had been thorough. No one could begin to understand what he went through.

"Okay, okay. I get it... Well, I don't get it." Ash huffed and sat up in the seat, leaning over so she could glare at Kanen. "But that doesn't mean there weren't people here who were hurt when you left." After the initial shock, yes, Ash had missed him. How couldn't she? Kanen was easily one of her closest friends, and all she had ever wanted for him was the best -- which just seemed to keep moving farther away.

It was a lot of tattoos, so many that Ash hardly recognized Kanen anymore. Hell, he'd come back from Boston hardly recognizable, but she knew that there was still a decent person there. Just... even farther down inside his fucked up self than before. Now it wasn't just his deceased father and alcoholism that was holding him back -- Kanen had an entire army of demons haunting him every day.

"So what you're telling me," she began speaking as she crossed her arms over the center console and leaned forward, looking down at Kanen. "That you're just going to spend the rest of your life on this path that doesn't make you happy, and stay alone forever? Until you die? Just... you're gonna give up and succumb to all the shit thrown at you?" Well... at least he didn't hate himself, but even Kanen talking about turning a gun on himself was enough to make her fret. After having Kanen gone for months and now to have him back, well, Ash didn't want to go back to being without him. "You know what, forget it."

"What do you want your life to be? Like if nothing bad had happened? What did you want to do and be when you were little?" It was a lighter topic... kind of. And Ash was curious. Surely there was no way that Kanen had wanted to become a drug dealer growing up. "I bet you wanted to be, like, the president and have a little white picket fence house with a dog and a hot ass wife, and like a kid. Am I right?"

High5ives​

 

[Soap]

Grace

So, they were longtime friends. The type that got into shenanigans, and laughed, joked. Grace was glad Sawyer had someone like Hunter, and it might sound more than a little selfish, but she was glad that they were just friends. Even if the shock didn’t completely wear off at first, because well, have you seen her? Shaking her own thoughts and listening to the story she was being told with a genuine smile that faltered for a split second. Sawyer wasn’t typically the party type of girl, Grace knew that. But maybe she just wasn’t that way with Grace?

... It’s okay though. People do plenty of things for their friends, heck, it’s probably why Grace went to parties in the first place. If Ash went, she went. It’s how it goes. “It sounds like a... fun night.” She wouldn’t lie, it did sound like fun. Not typically something her and Sawyer would probably get into, but then again... it’d be dumb to compare herself to Hunter. “I guess I should thank you for keeping her safe and sane.” She joked.

Despite their stories and questions, she was still curious about Hunter. Grace obviously wasn’t just going to flat out ask why’d she decided to come visit, she thought that’d sound like... she was threatened or something. She don’t know! So, naturally, Grace asked an even more awkward question. “So, do you have a boyfriend?” Classy. The blonde wasn’t even sure if the girl was actually into girls.

“Or... a girlfriend?” Okay, maybe this might’ve been a first, but Grace was hoping Hunter had a one-way ticket on the straight-train. What? Can you blame her?

KingofAesir txlos​

 

[High5ives]

Kanen still didn’t really agree with much of what Ash was saying, but he could tell she just wanted to move past it, which was fine by him. Kanen wasn’t too particularly fond of the topic either. When she asked what Kanen had wanted to be when he grew up, Kanen laughed. President? No way. Who in their right mind wanted to be President? So much paperwork and responsibilities. What about having an adventure, exploring something new?

“The kids who wanted to be president are all running off to Ivy League schools now.” Kanen joked, taking a moment to just stop and think. He wasn’t sure if he could recall what he wanted to be as a child. It took him a while of silent thoughts before things clicked. “I wanted to be a pilot...A helicopter pilot for the Army.” Kanen admitted. A soft smile crept up on his face.

“Me and Daniel used to pretend we were soldiers when we were little.” Kanen went on. “We had those little nerf guns, and we’d build forts and battlegrounds in the back yard during the summers.” Then Kanen just stopped, his smile fading just as quickly as it had come. “I think when dad came home from his last deployment we realized neither of us wanted anything to do with the military though. I mean, I still had eyes set for West Point, but looking back, I think I was only considering it for the title...”

“What about you though? You’ve still got your shit together, where’re you headed?” Kanen asked, hoping to just take the spotlight off himself. “Gonna go get some degree in business or some shit, walk around wearing those goofy pants suits and shit?” He teased. Kanen was happy to try and lighten the mood, at least a little bit.

Winona​

 

[Soap]

Maisie

It’s not what it looks like? This... is the definition of what it looked like. Maisie knew firsthand what it looked like, not that she ever did anything besides weed! She’d just seen a few things. It’s what happened usually when she was placed in a home that... probably wasn’t meant to be an actual home. Her gaze fell onto his arm and eyed the track marks and scars and it stood there until he’d gotten the idea to cover up. This obviously wasn’t nothing and it killed Maisie to sit here while she being told it wasn’t anything but a misunderstanding. She caught him redhanded and he could even have the decency to be honest?

Her gaze softened for a moment before it turned into a glare when he’d asked if she wouldn’t tell anyone. That’s all he cared about? Her keeping his secret? He didn’t care about the fact he was hurting himself with substances, or the fact he’s pretending like everything’s okay. “What’s the big deal if I tell anyone, huh? Like you said it’s not what it looks like.” Maisie was speaking from a place of hurt mostly, her anger... well, she don’t really know where that parts coming from.

She decided to drop the whole clueless act mere seconds in. “Why do you feel the need to lie? You’re doing drugs. You were weird in the car. And you’re not fucking okay. We’re all ‘fucked up’ remember? None of this is normal. We’re not normal. Yeah. Sure, whatever. I won’t tell anyone.” She shrugged and turned away from him.

“You should just figure out how to tell yourself to wake the fuck up and realize nothing is okay. The sooner you do that the sooner everything will go back to our kind of normal.”

It’s not like Maisie thought he’d ever take her advice, or even listen to a word she’s saying because he’s stubborn, and set on destroying himself, and unknowingly everyone around him.

Maisie turned towards him again as she spoke, though, avoiding eye-contact while swaying the slightest bit on her feet. “I don’t want to be friends with you if you’re just going hurting yourself, because you’re not just hurting yourself.”


“It hurts me.”

Winona​

 

[Winona]

Drake


For a moment, what she said did make Drake take pause, and maybe for just the smallest moment, Drake actually wanted to get better, so that he wasn't hurting Maisie or anyone around him anymore. But then something else she had said resurfaced in his damaged mind -- about going back to being normal, and laughter bubbled up in Drake's chest and at first, it was just a little chuckle, and then it was full on laughter. Laughter at the idea of being normal, ever.

"Normal, huh? 'Our version' of normal? And what is that for you, Maisie? A foster home that doesn't treat you like shit, and friends that don't fuck around with drugs or whatever? Right?" Drake laughed again, shaking his head, then pointed at himself, tapping his chest. "For me, this is normal, Maisie. The nurses at the fucking hospital know me by name, because this is what our family does. I came out of the fucking womb addicted. This is all I know. So tell me, what is 'normal' supposed to look like for me?" And it was true -- both him and Mason had been born addicted to various drugs their mother had been on. It was a blessing that they weren't more fucked up than they already were, or even hadn't been born dead or who knows what else. And for a little bit, they had been pulled form her care, placed in the foster system. But then she acted like she was better, and they were given back to her. Every. Single. Time.

"I'm so sorry that this hurts you. Really. I'm obviously doing this to hurt everyone around me, and not because I can't even face waking up in the fucking morning." He was losing it, plain and simple. All Drake had wanted was a hit, and now here Maisie was, acting as if there was a life beyond the addictions. "I'm fucked up. I know this, I have accepted this. And the way I have decided to deal with my fucked up self is by drugging myself so much that I can't feel a fucking thing. So that I'm so drugged up that I stay in that manic episode for as long as I fucking can, because no amount of medication will ever leave me fine. 'Normal' for me is having to stay away from certain things -- yelling, breaking objects, alcohol, the smell of cigarettes, because they fucking trigger me into an episode. But if I stayed just this drugged up, I don't notice any of that shit. So I'm sorry, alright? So sorry, that this is how I deal."

Drake turned away from her, crossing back over to the windowsill and taking the joint, turning it over in his hands. He'd been careful to step over the broken remains of the needle, though. "This is fucking normal for me, okay? There is nothing else. And I don't know why you can't turn a blind eye like Alaska and Aaron and Mason and Belle and just act like nothing is wrong." He placed the joint between his lips, taking a hit and exhaling slowly out the window before he turned back to Maisie. "No one even visited me in the hospital, did you know that? Belle came, but that was it. None of my so-called friends came. Not even you. So you can go on pretending like this hurting you and all of my other friends more than it's hurting me, but we both know what you're really doing."

He hopped back up on the windowsill, getting comfortable. "You're just pretending so that you can say when I finally fucking kill myself, you can tell yourself that you tried your best. You did everything in your power to make me better, but there was just no changing it. You're just doing this so you can sleep better at night, to make yourself feel better, and like you're a good person. So go ahead. Keep telling me things -- I've heard it all before. And if that's what helps you sleep, then so be it."

And with that, he looked back out the window at the snow covered hills. Drake loved the snow. It was something that he could lay in and feel numb, without having to wait for a high to hit.

Soap

---------------------------------------------------------

Ash


As small as it was, it was nice to see Kanen smiling, and retelling a story from his childhood. But just like everything else, it seemed, it crumbled away and just as quickly as there was a smile on his face, there wasn't. Ash was quiet for a moment, before saying. "I think you would've made an excellent pilot. But like, maybe a private jet/security guard... for the president." It was a way to try and lighten the mood after his story went south so fast. Damn Kanen and his inability to stay happy.

When the question was turned on her, Ash actually found herself at a loss for words. "I have no idea." She admitted. "When I was little, I was going to become an actress or a singer or something. My mom had me and Jace and all these stupid classes, and I liked the idea of being famous, I guess, but..." she hesitated. "I don't know if it was me that wanted it, or if it was my mom."

"And pantsuits are not stupid." Ash said, narrowing her eyes at Kanen as she spoke. "But yeah, probably. I want to go somewhere far away and get a degree in business, and then move back and take over my grandparents' company. That way I never have to worry about money, and like, that's what they want me to do." She said with a shrug -- after her mother had disappeared, her grandparents had started grooming her for this position. Ash knew way too much about the ins and outs of an appliance manufacturing business.

High5ives​

 

[PenguinFox]

​

Ian smiled upon seeing Nova's return. "Yeah well..." he trailed off for a second, knowing how weird this was about to sound. "Corners work best for me. Everyone knows where I am, I can see everything and no one steps on you in your sleep." he lowered his voice at the last part, hoping she wouldn't ask about it. Ian just... didn't like sleeping in beds sometimes. He was perfectly okay sleeping on the floor, he'd slept in worse positions before. It wasn't something he could easily explain, even though he was often asked about it.

As Nova sat down by the fire Ian couldn't help but notice how the light affected her features. The soft glow gently warming, with the subtlest of shadows on her cheeks. It was almost, angelic? As if on cue to rescue him from this train of thought, his phone buzzed. "Thank God.." he muttered checking the message. It was from Liam, the guitarist in Ian's band. In the months before Ian had left the band had been trying to get noticed in all sorts of ways; playing tiny, cheap venues, playing at parties, trying to collect contacts, whatever they could to get more popular.

Ian's jaw dropped as he stared at the message in disbelief. It had taken so much effort from the entire group, but according to this message it was about to pay off. His bandmates in California had gotten a hold a small-time producer and were discussing working together. This was huge news for Ian. Then it hit him. It was huge news for them, Ian was here in Westbrook, unable to work with them. He sat down heavily, face blank and unable to process what was happening. On the one hand he was happy for his old friends, but on the other, is he still a part of that group? He was unsure. Everything seemed so unsure. txlos

 

[txlos]

Nova

​

Nova couldn't help but a quirk a brow at the boy's explanation for his placement in the corner, laughing a bit before hugging her knees into her chest and resting her chin atop them. Her hazel eyes reverted back to the fire then, letting the warmth from the flame mix with the warmth from the alcohol. Thoughts swirled in her head as she realized that this cabin was going to be her home base for the next few days. A cabin full of people she hadn't seen in months, people who had continued on with their lives here in Westbrook, people who were going to ask questions. Even the thought of the interrogation she would have to endure made her skin crawl. The last thing Nova wanted was to talk about the move, or her father, or Seattle. Even the city seemed like it had a bad taste now. Maybe that was one of the reasons talking to Ian seemed so nice, because he just didn't know. Not only did he not know about the trial or her disappearance, but he didn't know who she was in general. More importantly, she didn't know that Jace West, the kid whose family owned the cabin, was her ex-boyfriend.

Ex-boyfriend. It felt weird in her head, making her nose scrunch up a little bit. Nova didn't want to think of Jace like that. Like an ex. He had said that he would always be there for Nova, that he wanted to be friends, and she was fairly certain she wanted that too because exes never settled well in her memories. She didn't want the blonde boy to be apart of that file in her head, that file contained too many bad people and Jace wasn't a bad person. Right? Of course not.

Shaking the blonde away from the forefront of her thoughts, Nova sighed and looked over to Ian, her cheek pressed against her knee. He was staring at his phone, quite intently and looked almost... sad? She didn't know the guy well enough to determine how he was feeling just by his face, but he definitely didn't seem as happy-go-lucky and carefree as he did on the porch.

"Hey, you okay?" Her voice was soft and low, as if anything louder would disrupt the room. Ian had been kind enough to offer a similar question to her when she was tear stained and rigid in the doorway of this stupid place, she figured it was only courtesy (and maybe a bit of genuine concern for her new friend) to extend the same invitation. Scooting over so that she wasn't in the center of fireplace, Nova patted the carpet next to her, lifting her head with a gentle grin. It looked like the guy wanted to talk and well, Nova wasn't too bad of a listener.

PenguinFox

Hunter

​

It was blindingly obvious to Hunter that Grace seemed a little unsteady with her arrival. Just listening to the emphasis the blonde was putting on her sentences, the eyes flickering back and forth. To be honest, it was almost humorous. The brunette was used to people being slightly intimidated by her, and not in a cocky way but in a mindful way. Hunter presented herself as a confident, take-no-shit woman who wasn't going to endure any petty drama or beating around the bush. In her mind, if you have a question or something to say, just do it.

"I don't know if I kept her sane, but I did my best to keep her safe," Blue eyes flicked to Sawyer then, nudging the blonde beanie girl with her shoulder in a playful manner. The two had had some pretty insane adventures, what with sneaking out at night and climbing to rooftops, throwing bits of Chinese takeout onto the street and hiding when people screamed up at them. Or the time they snuck into the New York Zoo in the dead of night, high off their asses while they went around talking to the animals. The cops had been very nice that night, as Hunter could remember it. Probably because they were just two young and fairly dumb girls. Yes, the two had had their fair share of villainy together, but it looked to the brunette as though her NYC partner in crime was starting to settle into the lifestyle of this perfect blonde. But that was none of Hunter's business.

It wasn't until Grace's question of her relationship status that the infamous wicked smile appeared on Hunter's face, her eyes crinkling at the sides a bit. "You have nothing to worry about, Grace. I'm not here to steal your girlfriend," The brunette cooed, genuinely trying to sound reassuring. Jealousy was something that Hunter would have no part of, or even a possibility of jealousy. So why not nip it in the bud now? "I'm pan, if you were wondering. Not in a relationship, never was really one for them with all the moving. Lucky Sawyer here got stuck with me as an accomplice." Hunter genuinely wasn't trying to be rude, but more straight forward. You had a question? Ask it. Ask the question you directly have, instead of questions put in place to hide your true intention.

"And what about you Grace?" Hunter's head tilted to the side slightly, a small smile on her lips as she raised her brows. "Do you swing for several different teams or just the one?"

KingofAesir Soap

 

[Soap]

Grace

Woah. Okay, she was not asking because she was afraid she'd steal Sawyer. Hunter was... extremely straight forward, but Grace wasn't exactly mad at her. Maybe she just got the wrong idea. She was just trying to make conversation and abundantly failed. Look, Grace didn't hate her, it's just the way she said it kind of nagged at her, and it only upped the intimidation on the blonde. Pansexual, cool.... Grace wasn't trying to make her... uncomfortable? Agitated? She couldn't read her. However, Hunter seemed extremely calm at the moment. "Yeah... luckily. Uh, anyway, all of that's okay though! Who needs relationships?" Despite her awkwardness about it all, Grace kept a smile on her face.

Hunter seemed nice, she did. But she also seemed like a lot. And that's fine! There's nothing wrong with a lot. Grace is involved with many people who are a lot. She just didn't know how to feel about her, she wasn't going to place a label on that just yet. She picked at her nails when Hunter had brought up her own sexuality. "Um... I'm pretty sure it's just the one." No offense to Theo, or well, any of the other boys that had... flirted with her? Is that what they were doing? Point is. Grace just... wasn't interested.

Taking that weird conversation and deciding to leave before it gets any worse. With an small wave towards the two, "I think I'm going to go get settled in... you two enjoy catching up." Grace didn't really want to stay before the plain forwardness turned into weird passive aggressiveness. Putting a hand on Sawyer's shoulder for a goodbye as she walked away and towards one of the rooms.

txlos KingofAesir​

 

[mikaluvkitties]

Casper​

Casper watched Stu as he dropped his bag, immediately going to the window, smile dropping as he was sucked into vague fantasies- Had Stu not noticed him?

What if he had turned invisible? The thought made him want to gag. He wasn’t unfamiliar with feeling invisible, but actually being invisible? Would he be able to touch things, or would he simply be existing? Would it be better or worse than existing as he had previously?

His heart hammered as Stu’s gaze approached him- would those eyes run right over him?

But they didn’t, and Casper relaxed, if only for a second, because in the next, Stu was reaching forward and asking questions.

Casper’s eyes widened as he reared back. Stu was holding his hands, still speaking. Casper’s heart felt like it might beat out of his chest.

“What-”

Before he could finish, Stu continued speaking, and Casper started to tear up- The truth was embarrassing, but it was better than Stu thinking he was seriously injured, right?

He got up, looking down at his hands in Stu’s as they exited the room, then, regretfully, pulled them away from Stu’s as Casper stopped moving, shivering a bit. It was very cold, and neither of the Ollila children had ever done well with cold weather.

“Stu…” He glanced away, nibbling on his lip now, opening closed scabs. Finally, he forced out, “I’m okay, I just… chewed on them a bit too hard…”

Dede​

 

[Soap]

Maisie

Everything he said just made her feel ten times worse, for herself, for him. It was just too much. He was apologizing for something he really wasn't sorry for, talking about how their 'normal' was, because really it was so far from normal. And Maisie just felt... done. She wanted to yell at him, to tell him how many times she'd visited but never had the courage to actually step into the room. To tell him all those shitty things that happened in every foster home, why she doesn't talk about it. Why she doesn't like being touched. It was only fair right? He blew up on her, the least she could do is blow up on him too. Right?

Wrong. Because this wasn't the person she wanted to blow up on, he wasn't acting like the person who she could've leaned on for a split second or longer. He was broken. And so was she, but Maisie felt like there wasn't anything she could do to fix them both. So why was she still trying? Wouldn't it be easier to not? To rid this feeling inside her chest, one that she didn't think was all about Belle this time around. Was he right? Was she pretending to care? Did she really feel anything for Drake?

That's the question it comes down to anyway right? If anyone really cares. Well, yeah. Of course she fucking cared. She always cared a bit too much and that's usually what got her in too deep. She hated that about herself. She hated herself too, but that was the one factor she was sure of. "I wasn't pretending to care." She mumbled and wiped at her eyes, she wasn't surprised she was crying. Maisie was far too emotional for anything. Bottom line was, Drake didn't want help, and as much as she tried and tried. He wasn't ever going to fix it. That's the truth she believed. "I can't turn a blind eye on someone who's so intent on hurting themselves. Because I--" Because what? Speak Maisie.

She could go as long as she wanted trying to figure out what she felt. Why she always felt jealous around Belle, or about the fact it didn't bother her as much whenever he touched her. It was simple, Maisie walked towards Drake, ignoring personal space completely, and staring him down for the first few seconds. "I'm sorry I tried, and I'll probably keep trying because I don't listen to myself. You don't either, and it's why you force yourself to be numb, because you're afraid of actually feeling something else other than a high. So..." It was simple, yes, but she still chose to ignore her feelings. Whatever they might be, and whichever ones she's intent on hiding. She leaned over and took the blunt that he'd laid on the windowsill, she shook her head at him before putting it to her own lips, taking a long puff before placing it back in his own hands rather roughly.

"Enjoy your high." Maisie turned around and left the room without another word.

Winona​

 

[KingofAesir]

Sawyer​

There was barely even a moment for Sawyer to breath before Grace and Hunter were having a conversation seemingly of their own. While she was still caught up in her head, thinking about times past, Grace asked if Hunter was dating anyone and Sawyer's head whipped around to her so fast that she got slight whiplash. Woah. Woah. Slow down. Sawyer could've died of laughter right then and there. Was that a hint of jealousy from Grace Jackson? She found herself grinning at her girlfriend as Hunter answered her question. Sawyer knew Hunter was straight forward kind of girl, that was probably why she liked her, and she wasn't surprised by her answer. But, then again, she was a little preoccupied wondering if the blonde standing in front of her was even a real person. God, she was adorable.

Sawyer chuckled under her breath and occupied herself with adjusting the strap on her duffel as Grace and Hunter continued to talk. She only looked up again when Hunter asked Grace about batting for teams and for a second she was confused as to what was happening because she hadn't really been paying attention the last few seconds. Her confusion dissipated a moment later and she shook her head at herself. Idiot. Why would Hunter be asking her about literal batting, like in baseball? That weird moment aside, Sawyer turned to Grace as they awaited her answer. Of course, she was a little hesitant about it, Sawyer was pretty sure Hunter probably scared her poor girlfriend a little. Her suspicions were only confirmed when Grace offhandedly said something about getting settled and quickly took off in the direction of where she assumed the rooms were.

"Um, that was interesting." Sawyer turned to Hunter with a raised eyebrow, "I think she may be a little intimidated." She chuckled, finally letting go of her now adjusted duffel bag strap, "She's adorably awkward, don't think you like scared her off or something." This time a full of laugh floated past her lips. This couldn't possibly get any better. She was in a cabin in the middle of no where with her girlfriend and her returned partner in crime and there were no devil parents to be found. To say she was excited would be an understatement, Sawyer was practically vibrating with anticipation.

"I'm super glad you're here. Some of these kids are a snooze fest and I don't think I could stand them without you. I love Grace, but she's not exactly the trouble causing type, you know?" Sawyer let out an airy sigh, "I haven't done anything to get me in any kind of trouble in a while. I was beginning to get antsy."

Soap txlos

 

[txlos]

Hunter

​

Not a lot of people had the stomach for Hunter. It wasn't something that offended her, just more something that she had learned to live with. Several people thought she was just a downright bitch, going around and calling people out on their bullshit, when really, it was just open honesty. Hunter was an open book, unashamed of her past and secure enough in herself to let people know what was really up... most of the time. There were certain things that the brunette would rather be kept under wraps, but nothing too detrimental to her overall image.

Mind snapping back to the situation at hand, she diverted her blue eyes from where Grace had exited back down to Sawyer. The blonde seemed excited and bubbly, and it truly did make Hunter feel a little bit more at home. How often was someone excited to see her? "She didn't strike me as the trouble-causing type," A sigh accompanied the observation as Hunter shoved her hands into her jean pockets, looking around the cabin once more. This was the perfect place to cause trouble, really. Because who would pay for a little damage? To her, it sounded like Mommy and Daddy West. Although property damage wasn't exactly what the traveler had in mind, sometimes things just happen.

"And to be honest, she doesn't seem like the type that would like me very much if I was helping her girlfriend get in trouble. I hardly think she likes me now," The laugh that escaped the brunette's lips was only half earnest, as she did feel slightly bad for the blonde. It wasn't a mystery to Hunter that she could come off strong, but damn, she wished people would just be forthright about their feelings. It would save so much time and suffering in the world. With a purse of her lips, she looked back to where Grace had scurried off to, frowning a bit. This was the kind of stuff being up front and honest would save. "I'll be right back. Don't go burning down the place without me, I'll meet you in the living room." Hunter shot a playful wink at Sawyer before starting down the hallway into what looked to be an endless corridor of guest rooms. I mean honestly, how much space could one family need? It seemed absurd to her, and like a waste of money but- there.

Hunter could see a blonde head of hair bobbing down the hallway in a tense walk and shouted a quick "Hey!" down the corridor to stop her. Jogging up to her, the brunette moved to see her face and plastered on a smile. Grace looked... well, defeated. And god, it was so annoying to Hunter. The 'I'm going to go to my room now' sulking bullshit was infuriating. But, it wasn't as if she had never dealt with it before. As gently as she could, Hunter relaxed her shoulders and tilting her head to the side. "Look, I don't think we got off on the right foot," She began, gesturing between the two. "I knew a very different Sawyer than you know, and I'm probably protective of her in a very different way," The statement wasn't completely false, but was much sappier than the blue eyed girl's usual way of talking.

"And I want you to know that you seriously have nothing to worry about. I would be intimidated too if my girlfriend's mystery friend from way back suddenly arrived," A lie, but she figured trying to be relatable was best, "But Sawyer is like a sister to me now. And if it makes you feel any better, it only happened one time and we knew we were better off as friends." Hunter laughed at the memory of the two girls waking up the next day, both mutually deciding that being lovers wasn't going to be as much fun as being friends. Besides, maybe this girl would do right by Sawyer. She had better do right by Sawyer.

It was silent for a moment then, Grace not saying anything and Hunter out of things to say. So with an audible exhale and shrug of her shoulders, Hunter excused herself with a quick"I'm gonna scout for a beer if you wanna come back and meet us in the living room. I think Sawyer's gonna wait for us in there," before starting down the hallway once more.

KingofAesir Soap

 

[mikaluvkitties]

Aaron​

After his second shot, Aaron left Carter wordlessly, grabbing his things and heading inside to find an empty room.

He had thought he found one, but before he could reach the door, Maisie walked out. He paused, taking her in quietly. If the play had been any indicator on how Maisie looked when she was upset, then Maisie was upset.

He liked Maisie, sure, but he was still torn on if he should step in. She wasn’t his friend, after all, and he didn’t know her well enough to know if she wanted someone to acknowledge she was upset.

This.. this was tricky.

He blinked again, slower this time, then, after a long second, asked, “Maisie?” Nothing more, nothing less.

Soap Dazzle​

 

[Dede]

Neck Tie

It took a while for what Casper was saying to register with Neck Tie. But when it did, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and reversed their course back into the room.

Neck Tie reluctantly closed the door behind them, part relieved that Casper’s hands weren’t falling off like in those horrendous films, but part worried that Casper was like, eating his own fingers! If Neck Tie had arrived a few minutes later would Casper have already chewed off his whole arm? If he was hungry he should have said so!

He’d always known Casper’s bad habit of nibbling on his own fingers, but this looked more aggressive than usual, and worryingly so. Neck Tie didn’t need Casper’s permission to seize his hands again for another inspection. Meanwhile that boy had turned to nibbling on the lip instead. ‘Come on, stop that! You’ll hurt yourself.’

It was a race against the clock before Casper devoured himself to the bone. Neck Tie ran the tap until the water was clear. Then he dipped into his bag and pulled out a towel. ‘Come on.’ He led Casper to the sink so he could rinse those hands, before offering the towel. Next came a comfy-looking pair of gloves. ‘Put these on, once you’ve dried them. . . Your hands are freezing.’

He shifted across the room to his backpack, and rummaged for a bit. He told Casper to sit down before unwrapping a KitKat and offering it to him. ‘Here, chew on this instead.’

Neck Tie finally saw that Casper was tearing up. With a worried look he settled down beside his friend on the edge of the bed. ‘Hey, what’s the matter?’ He figured that Casper might have been homesick. It probably wasn’t often that he got to come on a trip like this. He encouraged Casper to dry his eyes with the towel. ‘It’s alright. . . Your hands are OK.’

Reluctantly he tapped his friend on the shoulder. ‘I think I kinda like this bed,’ he said, bouncing and testing the mattress a little. He figured Casper would feel safer up there, he knew he would. Whatever monsters Casper feared, they’d have to deal with Neck Tie first before they reached the top bunk.

mikaluvkitties

 

[High5ives]

Kanen huffed a little bit. “You can wear whatever you’d like, but pantsuits are ridiculous.” He argued. He sat up straight and his seat popped back up into its normal position. A pair of dark sunglasses soon found their way onto his face as Kanen plucked the snow out from his hair, using the mirror on his visor.

“I appreciate you coming and checking up on me, but I’m good. I think I might just chill here for a bit, if that’s alright.” Kanen said as he groomed himself, straightening out his beanie and fixing his collar before relaxing back into his seat. It was times like this that Kanen wanted a smoke. A little pot never hurt anybody, and honestly, Kanen could really appreciate getting high once in a while, at least to relax.

Winona​

 

[Winona]

Ash


Well, it was something. Ash smiled at Kanen, glad that he at least seemed a little better -- and less likely to drive all the way back to Westbrook. "Great. I'll see you later. I gotta go welcome other people to the cabin and whatever." She said, rolling her eyes because yeah, this was kind of the worst part of this whole cabin thing. Either way, she smiled at Kanen one last time, then got out of the car and headed back towards the cabin. Ash was just about done with the outside right now.

She started into the house, looking around at everyone that was gathered around, and then her eyes fell on Hunter. Yeah, Ash hadn't exactly talked to Hunter a lot, but she knew her through passing, and... apparently she had come. Well, it wasn't that much of a surprise. There were plenty of people here that Ash certainly didn't know super well, and even a few that she honestly couldn't place a name to. That's what seemed to happen at any party thrown by Ash.

"Hey, Hunter!" Ash said, coming to a stop in front of Hunter with a huge smile. "I'm so glad you could make it. Did you find a room to stay in and everything?" Okay, there was no good way to start a conversation with a girl that she barely knew, but Ash was here for at least trying to start something... and she couldn't exactly walk away now.

High5ives txlos​

 

[txlos]

Hunter

​

This house was far too much for the likes of Hunter. Too many rooms, too many hallways, and right now, too many people. Or maybe she was just bitter about how her start to this trip was going. She didn't want Sawyer upset at her for any reason, and for some reason she felt a deep, gutset feeling that Grace wasn't going to exactly encourage their friendship. Not that it would stop her, but it was always so much easier when the significant others were on board. The brunette had lost a friendship or two (or maybe more) over the simple fact that the SO didn't care for her, but she knew... well hoped... that Sawyer had a better head than the others.

Lost in the thought of the mess she hadn't intentionally created, it startled Hunter when the other peppy blonde appeared out of no where, beaming with a bright smile that seemed too painted on for her liking. Ash West, the host of this extravaganza. Hunter had had the pleasure of chatting with her a bit about details on how to get to the cabin and she, much like Grace, seemed far too peppy. What was with this town and all these overly excited blondes anyway? Nothing against blondes, but damn they needed to dial it back like ten notches. It was funny, given that never in a million years would the brunette imagine herself interacting with someone like Ash. They were polar opposites, even the way they dressed clashed. Here the pretty rich girl was, skin tight jeans, boots that could probably pay for a years worth of college textbooks, put together in her pink sweater. Hunter wouldn't be caught dead in pink... ever.

"I found a room, yeah thanks," It was hard to hide the slight chuckle through the accent, but the blue eyed girl did her best as she pointed down the hall. It was a total lie, as she definitely didn't have a place yet, but she wanted to skip the cabin tour with Barbie if possible. "Y'know Ash," A sigh fell low as Hunter turned back to face the girl, arms relaxed by her sides and head tilted a bit. "I appreciate the homey host act but something tells me you have to do that for a lot of people. Don't do it with me. I don't really buy into the whole 'daddy's perfect princess' thing." And she swore it was meant as a 'you don't have to put on a face around me' thing, and only hoped it read that way. Hunter didn't like acts. She wasn't one for the theater in general.

Winona

 

[High5ives]

Kanen tried to relax out in his car, but eventually he couldn’t stand sitting in one place any longer. He needed to get out and move, maybe go explore the cabin a little bit and figure out where the hell Daniel had run off too. With his luck, Daniel would end being eaten by wolves or some shit. He’d probably try and pet one, only to get his fingers bitten off, and Kanen wasn’t about to wrestle a wolf to get his brother’s fingers back. Fuck that.

Opening the car door, Kanen got out, taking a moment to embrace the rush of cold air that flooded over him once again. At least it wasn’t windy out, wind in snow made a terrible combination. That’s how you end up with frost-bitten fingers and no body wanted that.

Kanen trudged up the cabin, walking inside and silently praising the warmth. Goddamn, coffee sounded good right now, or any hot drink fro that matter. Kanen tossed his beanie and coat aside, just leaving them on the ground near the door, but he hadn’t even been inside for a minute when he happened upon Hunter and Ash.

Now, Hunter was gorgeous. Kanen wouldn’t deny that. She was the type of girl he might’ve chased a year ago, before he was forced to grow up so quick. But, her words got under Kanen’s skin. No one, no matter how hot, got a free pass to go after Ash, at least not while Kanen was around. Kanen approaches the pair quickly, not even bothering to take his sunglasses as he came to stand directly between Ash and Hunter.

“I’m sorry, but Ash isn’t taking visitors at this time...” Kanen paused, looking Hunter up and down quickly. “Not even from some Pretty Punk Princess like you. Fuck off and try again later.” He said bluntly, all while he admired Hunter from behind the safety of his sunglasses. The perks of dark shades...

Winona txlos​

 

[Soap]

Maisie

Maisie shouldn't of even talked with Drake. It just made her feel even worse than before, she hated because he talked about him... killing himself. She shook her head at the thought of it, and her eyes widened to see Aaron. "Oh." Maisie quickly wiped away any excess tears and avoided eye contact.

She didn't want to be here, much less next to Drake. "H-hey, Aaron." She waved, and moved past him. "I'm just gonna go get--uh, some air. Yeah." With a small small which was forced and not genuine whatsoever. Outside sounded nice, yeah, okay.

Opening the front door and just barely closing it before she stepped outside, she wrapped her arms around herself and took a seat on the steps, sighing as she rubbed at the temples of her head. She shouldn't of came on this stupid trip, or became friends with Drake, or... just... none of it. Maybe she should've just tracked down Sara and just went with her, but then again she left for a reason. No one wanted her anyway.

She put her head in her hands and wiped at the tears before they had a chance to fall again.

mikaluvkitties​

 

[Winona]

Ash


This could have easily gone a thousand times better, but Ash supposed she should've expected something like this when she approached a person like Hunter. Still, Ash's smile faded, and she wasn't entirely sure what to say. Okay so yeah, maybe she gave off that kind of vibe, but Ash didn't mean to and it wasn't exactly something she wanted to be tossed at her like that. How the hell was she even supposed to respond to this? She was about to come up with some sort of apology, when Kanen came out of nowhere, throwing out insults that was certainly just going to make this whole situation like twenty times worse.

She winced at Kanen's words, shooting him a glare. "Okay, I appreciate the... swooping in and trying to stand up for me or whatever thing you're going for here, but I'm good. I can handle myself." Well it was true, and maybe Ash didn't always appreciate people swooping in and saying these types of things. She then tried to replace the smile on her face, looking back at Hunter.

"I'm sorry if I offended you or... something. Yeah, I talk to everybody like this, but it's not because I'm trying to be some act, I just don't want anyone to feel left out or unwanted. So..." her smile was still kind of forced because damn, Ash assumed people had thought of her as the "daddy's perfect princess" type, but had never had the guts to say it to her aloud. "Sorry, I'm gonna just... go." Ash said, offering one more smile before she pushed past Hunter and Kanen, and headed towards the bedrooms.

High5ives txlos​

 

[txlos]

Hunter

​

The last thing Hunter was expecting out of this interaction was for Ash to be shielded by some tall, tatted, handsome guy, slotting himself in between the two. Did she have everyone wrapped around her finger? Because out of all the people to come to the blonde's rescue, she would've expected more of a 'Chad' or a 'Mat', not a hot guy with enough ink on his body to write a seven part series with. Not that it was a bad thing, in fact, Hunter was quite enjoying her time looking at the guy. A smirk fell onto her lips at his words, cocking her head to the side at him before filing her attention back to Ash.

It was clear that Ash didn't seem hurt, but more surprised, which was better than nothing. Hunter had no idea why a girl like her worried about what people thought of her, at least, that was the impression she got. The blonde was pretty, rich, and probably fairly intelligent. It's not like the West girl came off like a total dumb ass, even the brunette gathered that much. She even figured they could probably become friends if she dropped the fake smile, because other than that, Ash didn't seem all that bad. So as she pushed past the two, Hunter couldn't help but feel slightly bad.

Though the feeling faded fast as her attention was diverted back to the tall guy in front of her, his six foot figure towering over her petite 5'4. "What was that you called me again?" The words were as smooth as butter as she flashed a flirty smile up at him, raising her brows slightly. "I think I like it actually, I might keep it. Put it on a bumper sticker or somethin'. Probably drop the princess part though," A roll of crystal blue eyes only amplified the amount of sass Hunter was pushing, but of course, she kept going. "But I can assure you, that girl doesn't need a body guard. And you have nothing to worry about from me, Tats. I'm just here for a good time."

Winona High5ives

 

[High5ives]

As Ash walked away, Kanen’s eyes remained locked on the short brunette in front of him. His line of sight only broke for a moment after Ash left, only long enough for Kanen to take off his sunglasses and hang them on his shirt. “Princess too good for you or somethin’, doesn’t work for your whole ‘bad girl’ vibe you’ve got going on?” Kanen asked, his tone walking the line between a light tease and blatant mocking. Sure, this chick had an attitude, which was admittedly kinda hot, but so did Raven and Ash. Kanen wasn’t particularly phased by it.

As Hunter went on about Ash ‘not needing a bodyguard,’ Kanen’s eyes narrowed. “Is that what you think that was?” Kanen started, stuffing his hands into his pockets and leaning back up against the wall. “Nah, I just like picking a fights and you look like You could handle yourself.” His head cocked to the side, just enough to offset the crooked smirk that had spread across his lips. His overall demeanor had changed quickly, going from aggressive to mischievous in only a few seconds.

“Am I wrong?”

Kanen spoke the words like he were a Crossroads Demon, tempting Hunter into what could be both the best and worst decision of her life.

“If I’m wrong, tell me. I’ll move on.” He continued, letting his voice rise and roll up out of his throat. What? He wasn’t allowed to flirt a little bit? Hunter had obviously started it, Kanen was just playing along. And could anyone blame him? This girl standing in front of him was an easy ten, and frankly, Kanen kinda liked the nickname she’d already given him. She was different in if nothing else. Yeah, Raven flirted quite a bit, but not like this.

txlos ​

 

[PenguinFox]

​

Ian sat there, brain at a complete standstill, but moving at mach four at the same time. He actually was starting to feel physically dizzy. Nova's soft voice was a bit of a comfort to him and he managed to slowly look over at her. "I uh-" he paused looking for words. "I'm not sure." he replied simply. "My band, they're still back in California. They just sent me a text saying they've got a meeting with a producer." he moved his gaze to the fire, his voice flat. "This is hopefully an amazing opportunity for them." his gaze returned back to meet the brunette's eyes. "Them being the operative word. They still treat me as though I'm part of the band, but...am I? How can I be from here right? This could be everything we've always dreamed of. I am really happy for them, don't get me wrong. I just- I guess I don't know where I stand..." Ian averted his eyes to the ground. He hated this. Ian didn't discuss his problems and feelings, the last thing he wanted was to be a burden and that's exactly what he was doing.

Thoughts swirled in Ian's mind, he was trying to figure too many things out all at once. In addition to these musical troubles he was also questioning why he was discussing these problems with Nova. There was only ever two people he talked about himself with; his sister, and- well someone Ian refused to ever even think about. Then a realization hit Ian. There was one other person he would talk personally to; his ex Caroline. He stole a quick glance at Nova before returning to staring at the floor, now just a little anxious. Well at least one question was answered.

Ian groaned and tilted his head back as he crossed his right arm over his chest to let his hand rest on his left shoulder. There was the tiniest of winces for a fraction of a second, but Ian was good at hiding that pain. He rubbed his shoulder and rolled it a few times to make it look like it was just stiff. He then reached into his bag and pulled out a drumstick. As he twirled it between his fingers he explained to Nova before she could ask "I get tactile under stress." he shrugged it off "Helps me think I guess." txlos

 

[txlos]

Hunter

​

God, he was just so cocky wasn't he? Who did he think he was, coming close like this, his tone rolling in and out of different moods, his eyes- well, Hunter had no complaints about his eyes. Truly, she had no complaints about the guy in general. He seemed like the kind of guy that knew some of the ins and outs of a dull place like Westbrook, a guy who knew how to have fun, a guy who knew how to get in trouble. And damn, was Hunter going to need some trouble in a boring place like this.

"You're not wrong," The brunette chuckled, shaking her head before taking a step closer to the guy, straightening her head and letting her eyes rake down his figure. He had perfected the look, that was for sure. Hunter had been everywhere and back again, and this was a look she knew well. The look of a guy who didn't want to be messed with, who probably cared about a select few but really couldn't give a shit about others. He looked like he had seen some things, things he wouldn't want to talk about unless he had a few drinks in him. She inhaled just a little, smelling the pot wafting off of the guy, but only slightly. He hadn't smoked recently, that was definite, but had sometime in the past month or so. Good. Hunter grinned at just the thought of seeing smoke wafting from the guy, it seemed like it would fit his aesthetic.

"But what about you?" Hunter pressed her lips into a line, squinting her eyes inquisitively. She hadn't a clue why this man was so interesting to her, or why he seemed like so much fun to tease. "Can you handle yourself, Tats? I'm told I can be a lot sometimes." Blue eyes glistened with mischief as she reached out and flicked some snow from the guy's shoulders before letting her hand fall back to her figure, stuffing hands in the pockets of her jeans as she awaited what she assumed would be an adorably smart-ass answer.

High5ives

Nova

​

Ian's venting only made Nova feel selfish. Here she was, complaining about a guy, when this guy's dreams and aspirations were left behind. She felt like an idiot, to be frank, and her shoulders softened at the thought. Ian seemed so nice, and like the type of guy that didn't deserve to be going through a hardship like this. With a sigh, Nova turned her body to face the brunette boy a small smile drifting onto her lips. She didn't know him well, hell, she had only known him maybe an hour, but one thing that the hazel eyed girl was good at was changing the subject.

With a cock of her head, Nova nodded towards the drumsticks. "Y'know, there has to be a guitar in this house somewhere," She cooed, eyes bright and hopeful. It was clear that the problem at hand wasn't one that Ian wanted to talk about, so they wouldn't. He and Ja- her ex were similar in that way. And hey, not everything needed to be figured out the minute it was brought up, right? "We should find it and play somethin'. It's been about a week since I picked up a guitar and I can just feel my callouses softening." To prove her point, Nova showered her rough fingers to Ian, her hair falling in front of her face as she did so. She genuinely did want to hear the musical talents of the brown eyed boy before her, more so if he had been good enough to be apart of a record deal. Though self consciousness filled her as well. Nova didn't have much faith in her musical talents, if you even wanted to use the word 'talent', and hoped that Ian would just take the spotlight and play.

PenguinFox