Sanctuaryforall1
Pyrrha Nikos Lives On
Vex
code by Stardust Galaxy
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Fandom Divergent: Faction Before Blood // RP Thread
code by Stardust Galaxy
Nerdy.
Nerdy
Christian "Chris" Parks || 16 || Initiate || Dauntlessborn
Christian did not enjoy the ambulance ride, it was just a series of bumps and loud noises as the paramedics began to work on Shayla so fast and complicated that Christian couldn't keep up. He found it to be strangely dangerous that they would do this while the ambulance was still driving, another testament to how bad Shayla's current condition was. He nibbled his lip as he watched her face, covered in blood and pale as the white of a candy cane, he wrung his hands together in impatient concern. He knew that he probably shouldn't have come in the ambulance, he didn't have to, he could have gone back to training, or gone back to Vex to see if there was anything to get done. But he couldn't leave Shayla by herself. Knowing how comforting it was to have Blair in the hospital with him when he had overdosed, he wanted to similarly be there for Shayla, in whatever was happening with her body. The trip was simultaneously longer than he expected and shorter than he expected, as soon enough they were at the hospital, and Christian trailed behind the nurses and doctors who now wheeled Shayla's limp body to the correct room. Christian, of course, was stopped, and told he could not follow. For the first time in a long while now, Christian's anger flared up, and he slammed his fist down on the counter of the reception desk. "I am going in there with her!" He yelled louder than he had meant to, immediately catching himself and taking a breath, gripping the bench and closing his eyes for a few seconds. "Please, I would like to be with her, and be in her room when she is taken there. I can wait there for her. I am Christian Parks, I would like to know whether my regular doctor is available to tend to Shayla's condition. I am happy to pay for whatever inconveniences that causes, I just want her to have the best treatment." As the receptionist began to prepare her speech for why that wuoldn't be appropriate and how a teenager couldn't demand what they wanted, Christian's eyes went icey and his look became cold. "Don't make me call my father. Just get me through now, and get her my doctor." Although the words may not have changed, Christian could tell the way he said it had had a lot of impact on the woman, and she quickly shuffled through some files to her phone, which she quickly dialled, calling the doctor who regularly tended to Christian. Christian waited right there up at the desk, not wanting to waste a single amount of time, or allow this woman to just conveniently ignore him and forget. Once she finished the call, she ushered him through the doors, telling him the number to the room that would be assigned to Shayla.
As Christian thanked the woman and walked through the doors, he felt the anger in him evaporate much faster than usual. Usually he was angry for far longer than that short burst, at the moment he felt good. He strolled down the familiar hospital hallway, having more commonly been rolled in or brought in while unconscious. He remembered once, being brought in in his mother's arms. He didn't remember it very well, he would have only been five, but he remembered how the whole place seemed terrifying to him. He had hurt himself and Phillip, the usual person that got hurt with him, when the two had gotten into an angry fight. Although Phillip was 3 years older, 8 at the time, Christian had not known how to control even an inch of his anger, and had gone at Phillip with full intent to hurt him, whilst Phillip was only goofing around and trying to defend himself nicely. In the end, both boys were taken to the hospital to tend to their injuries. Obadiah had taken Phillip, whilst Christian's mother had carried him in her arms. Christian remembered how that felt, how her arms had felt like a massive blanket, keeping him warm and safe within. How she had smelt of peaches and vanilla, and always let him bury his head in her long blonde hair. How her voice was soothing and sweet to the ears, and how she always encouraged him, never scolded. He remembered Henry too, he had been the doctor that would tend to him when he was that little... before both Henry and Christian's mother died. Christian sighed softly at this thought, a sad memory, one he almost never thought of. He didn't have many memories of his mother, but he loved her all the same. It made him... strangely... miss Blair. She had been similar to his mother, so perfectly Dauntless, while being a sweet angel as well. He had loved curling up with her in bed or on a couch, snuggling his face into her blonde hair and listening to the sound of her breathing. He had enjoyed every moment they had spent together, until he finally broke. He would never let that happen again. That was why he was seeing Dr Munro with Vex now. They were helping him, the things they gave him, and the training he received, it was all coming along nicely. Christian could already feel the effects. Usually he would be angry for a long time at the slightest offense, but he wasn't anymore. Although sometimes he angered quickly, he was fast to calm down, and had the ability to self-control himself. A remarkable and new talent. He felt more alive, more powerful and much more competent now. I will become a better man for you, Blair. He thought to himself as he finally got to Shay's room.
He flicked through the boring magazines that came in every hospital room, having forgotten to bring his phone with him. The magazines consisted of interesting houses and furniture, and some about weaponry. Although the weaponry one was slightly interesting, Christian had read enough in his lifetime to know exactly how it would go, and didn't really need to read a magazine to get good ones anyway. However, eventually Shayla was wheeled back into the room, and Christian got up, moving aside to make sure the doctors and nurses had plenty of room. He got some ugly stares from a few, whether it was because they recognized him and didn't like him for that reason (he wouldn't be surprised, he didn't have a great reputation with the nurses in the hospital) or whether it was because he really shouldn't be here, he wasn't sure, but none of them spoke up. They just put Shayla into the hospital bed and scurried around connecting her to the correct equipment and setting it all up. Christian noted that his doctor was there, and was finishing up writing in the little folder that went at the end of Shayla's bed, so Christian approached him. "How is she? Doctor Jones." Christian requested to know, not fearing the authority of this doctor with whom he'd been seeing since he was about 7 or 8. The doctor looked him over, quickly recognizing who he was. "Ahh, so it was you Christian, that requested me for this girl." He said, putting two and two together. "I might have guessed as much. I can't say much, as you are neither her family, nor a doctor presiding over her. But she's in a more stable condition now. You're lucky we're not throwing you out for demanding such things of us. Your father can only get you so far." The doctor declared, obvious disdain for the way Christian had handled this shone through in his voice. "You're right, Doctor Jones, and I'm sorry about that. I was just very worried for my friend. Charlie.. Charlotte Stark sent me with her, and I felt obliged to get the best for Shayla, and I knew that you were the best." He said, somewhat coyly and different for him. Doctor Jones frowned, wrinkling his nose, before nodding to Christian. "That seems fair. But don't do it again." He finally stated, bidding Christian farewell and telling him to let Shayla rest. Christian nodded, but went back down to sit next to Shayla anyway. He scooted the chair even closer to her, so that he would be aware of when she was waking up. He wished he knew what was wrong with her, as he wanted to help in some way... But knowing his inability to do things right, he was just glad his requests had been granted, and that she had seen his doctor.
Interacting with: Shayla
Sanctuaryforall1
Griffon ||
Griffon had been watching everybody's simulations as he was entrusted to do by Bloom and Charlie. Although his heart begged him to turn and watch Shayla, to help in some way, he knew that was selfish in this moment. Right now, Charlie and Bloom had asked him to do something for them, and had told him that it would be the most useful thing for him to do. He trusted them, and he wanted to do well by their standards, so he was willing to sacrifice the very thought of helping SHayla. Charlie would know what to do. He couldn't say he liked watching the simulations though, each one came with different fears and different environments, some that were much more unpleasant than others. He watched Thorn and Christian's one for only a moment, as they weren't far behind in terms of finishing... Well, Christian wasn't far behind, unfortunately Thorn had not completed or come close to completing the simulation, and Griffon turned his head quickly as Thorn exited his chair, looking ill and unwell. It didn't take long for Charlie to go over to him, looking as concerned as Griffon felt. Shayla had disappeared with Christian, and Griffon went back to watching the simulations. Cas and Aya were both doing well, unafraid of the mountains of bugs, they simply went along doing what they thought was the right thing to do. Ghots and Randi were climbing across a lava pit on only a ladder, something that looked quite daunting and very difficult. He cringed as he saw the torn skin and the intense burns that they were receiving. Simulation or not, it looked particularly bad, and Griffon knew that if that happened to him, no matter about his inability to feel, it would be bad for the body. Lastly, he turned to Aubrey and Fable's simulation, and watched as both girls ran against the time to find something, eventually finding a body in the chasm, and having to descend to reach it. He was enthralled as he watched it, not even noticing when Bloom came nearby and also began watching it near him. He loved watching Fable do this, he loved watching her in her element, showing her true colors to the world. She had hidden them for so long, but now here she was, and she was perfect. His heart swelled as she threw her body on the ground, equally tearing up his insides as he felt for her pain, and equally heart bursting out of pride.
As he watched Fable wake up, he was going to go over to her when he was distracted by the little dramatic speech and act of the new male who had entered the room. He didn't recognize them, and he also wasn't aware that someone could just fire Ghost, who had seemed - up until this point anyway - to be the top dog of this whole ordeal. However, Ghost seemed to take this, even whilst he recovered from his simulation, so Griffon paid it little mind. He then continued on his way towards Fable, hoping to congratulate her on doing so well, when Dakota Summerhill began to speak to Bloom. Griffon hadn't noticed her there, and guilt quickly bubbled up in him when he realised he must have overlooked her while he was too interested in the simulations. He quickly decided that he would go talk to Fable soon, but make sure to say hello to Dakota, it would only be polite. "Hi Dakota. Unfortunately you missed quite an important training day today..." Griffon said with a note of sadness towards that, he was sure that it must be frustrating to miss a day of it when it was a family emergency. He was glad that he had not missed a day so far, and for that he hoped his score was an adequate score. He looked at Bloom. "I don't suppose Kody could go now...." He began to ask, but the look on Bloom's face was pretty clear, although she was sympathetic, there wasn't specialty given to people who were late. Hell, Shayla had failed her test because of a medical emergency. He nodded at Bloom's words and politely listened, as to not be rude in leaving immediately from the conversation that he had softly added his input to. Plus, he didn't know Kody very well, so he was interested to listen to her conversing and wondered if they might get to know each other better. She was often by herself, not in the social life so much, he wondered if she had some other job or private studying that she did after training, if so, he looked on her with much awe. "You look pretty today. I like the glitter." Griffon said, when there was a moment that seemed right. He had never seen glitter when he lived in Abnegation, and he had no memories of seeing glitter before then. In Abnegation you were meant to wear grey, and have very matte, uninteresting clothing and accessories. Here in Dauntless however, they enjoyed covering their bodies with interesting clothes, jewelry, tattoos, dye and even glitter. It was beautiful though, Griffon really liked the way the glitter bounced with the light, and shone depending on how Dakota moved and positioned herself.
After finishing the conversation with Kody and Bloom, Griffon looked around to check that Fable was still in the room. Seeing that she was, he quickly made his way over to her, and put a gentle hand on her arm, letting her know he was there. As soon as she turned for him, he gave her a big hug. "That was amazing! You did so well. I can't believe you slid across the ground like that, you made my heart beat twice as fast." He said, squeezing her softly before letting her go, hand lingering on her arm in a brotherly fashion. "You and Aubrey are quite similar in that simulation, you were neck and neck for almost the entirety of that simulation. I love watching you do well at this!" He said excitedly. She thanked him for his words, and remarked something about how he must have done well to get out earlier than her, or whether the other person was the one to do well. "Vex was doing much better than me, but I was very close to the end when the simulation ended. If it had been just a little longer I might have been able to win, but I'm sure I can try another time." He said, thinking about how interesting it had been to be in a simulation whilst knowing that fact. "It's going to be strange when we do this with our own fears. Knowing you're in a simulation is strange, but they will be our own fears in the end... So I wonder how much we can talk ourselves out of our fears." He said with a small frown, trying to think of what that would be like and how it would work. If it was your own fear, and as terrible as it might be, then it would be very scary to be in that simulation! However.. knowing that it is a simulation, would that be enough to move people through it quickly? Or would they struggle to fight with their fear, versus their ability to see through the simulation? I wonder, does Cassidy have this every time she goes in a simulation? He wondered to himself, recalling that Cassidy was a divergent. Although Griffon was a very forgetful person, he was a good secret holder, and maybe Cassidy shouldn't have told him this fact about her, but for some reason it had always stuck on his mind, and he had never once forgotten this fact, neither had he ever given away even a tiny piece of information about it to anyone. He didn't even talk about it with Cas herself, as she had asked him to be that way. "Do you know the new guy who just walked in?" Griffon asked, pointing over at Warren, who was now at Ghost's side.
Interacting with: Kody
rohcoco
Bloom, Fable
Sanctuaryforall1
Wolfiee
Meow
Divergent
Rhysand(Rhys).
coded by natasha.
Sanctuaryforall1
Pyrrha Nikos Lives On
Randi
code by Stardust Galaxy
Nerdy.
Nerdy
Charlotte "Charlie" Stark || 20 || Medic || Dauntlessborn
Charlie's heart trembled and surged with empathy towards Thorn. The way he was right now, his entire physique and stature, it was broken and belittled. He was shrunken, his shoulders drooping, his head low, his eyes never quite meeting hers. His voice spoke but it had no emotion to it, his demeanor was of one who had just been defeated. Charlie wanted and wished she could give him exactly what he needed, exactly what he wanted, but she knew that was impossible. Thorn needed and wanted his mother to come back, and unfortunately that was an impossibility. Charlie was smart enough to know it wasn't her fault that the fear the simulation program had picked was randomized, and that it was pure coincidence that it had picked Thorn to give that fear to, she couldn't help but apologize simply to let Thorn know how much it hurt her to watch him go through that, and how much she felt towards him in that moment. If she could've changed it she would have, but she had no control in the moment. Saying sorry was a simple way to help relieve some guilt though. She said very little as she simply stood near Thorn, listening as he told her he didn't want to add to her burdens. "Thorn... You could never be that to me. You are special." She said, her voice trembling with emotion. Thorn's eyes flicked up at hers, searching her gaze to see the sincerity in them, and she hoped he could read how she thought. She took the moment, while their eyes were momentarily linked. "I am here for you Thorn. That is not negotiable." She said more firmly, watching as he quickly wilted from the intensity in her look. She was sure that she was making him uncomfortable, he probably wished to escape, to go somewhere else and to calm down in whatever way he wished to. But she didn't want him to be on his own for too long. "Why don't we meet up later? I would really like to spend some more time with you." Charlie said, and when Thorn didn't look at her, she swallowed her irrational fear of physical touch, and reached out, her small gentle hand positioning itself on his cheek, caressing his jaw. This touch obviously startled him, but it did make him look her in the eyes again. "Meet me at the river when you're ready. I'll head there when I'm finished packing up. Please come." She implored, heart surging again as she stroked his cheek with her thumb once, curious to how this physical touch wasn't as disgusting as she always feared it to be, in fact it was similar to how she felt around her family, or Ghost. She dropped her hand, and held eye contact with Thorn until he finally nodded, at least she hoped it was a nod, and made his way off and out of the training Centre.
Charlie quickly turned around, taking a deep breath and holding it for a few seconds, before finally letting it out gently and slowly in a long elongated exhalation. He will be okay. She tried to tell herself, as she squared her shoulders in preparation to whatever needed to happen next. That's when she saw Ghost leaving, and her stomach did a flip. Wait... Warren had actually fired him? He was leaving? Charlie felt a prickle of fear on the back of her neck. She did not feel comfortable with Warren being the top dog. She didn't hate Warren, but he had a persona that occasionally intimidated her. Plus, she had no idea what this would mean for Ghost. Although he acted like this was a burden to train the initiates, she got the feeling that he did truly enjoy it, and had fun, and liked the company. Well most of the company. She bit her lip as she hurried to catch up to him before he could leave, or at least catch up to him outside of the training area. But it seemed she didn't need to speed up, as Ghost stopped on his own, looking around the room as if he had forgotten something. Charlie had no idea what that might be, but it gave her time to reach him without having to run and make a scene. "Ghost?" She called softly as she approached him from behind, causing him to turn around and look at her. She smiled at him, a small, simple smile that she had no control of, that she usually gave when he looked at her, regardless of the circumstances. "What's happening? Was Warren being serious?" She asked, obvious concern and confusion lined her voice as she neared him, finally coming to stop quite close, so that their conversation could be considered somewhat private. Ghost's voice was comforting to Charlie at this point, even if he was speaking (from her opinion) nonsense, or whether he was reading poetry, or stories, or speaking on something he was very passionate about, she always found herself feeling comfort and solace in his voice. She listened as he explained the situation, and she must have looked uncomfortable, her fears clear on her face, as Ghost reached forward and uncharacteristically, almost mirroring what she had done for Thorn just a few minutes prior, his hand found its resting place on her cheek, and she found herself almost leaning into it. She didn't care that he had just thrown up in a pot plant, or that he looked even more deathly and ghostly than usual. Having been a medic for a couple years now, she had worked with people who were literally dead, and had seen much worse than this. So it did not disgust her in any way. The reassurance that Ghost gave caused her to feel some sort of comfort, but even that was still shrouded in mystery and trepidation.
"If you say it's okay, then I'll trust you. I... Just don't know how it's going to be having to work with Warren and not you. We've already had so many changes, I just... don't understand why you're having to leave." Charlie said softly, feeling a bit of sadness as Ghost took his hand off of her cheek. Although they weren't trying to hide their relationship anymore, neither of them were the kind of people who just loved to show PDA or anything of the like. Charlie wished that she could go talk to someone, ask why this was happening and give her opinion to why it was a bad idea. They were two thirds of the way through initiation. She couldn't imagine a worse time for a new head instructor to come in. They'd already lost Maggie, Caspian, Harper, Maverick, and Val never turned up either. Now the initiates were meant to be okay with Ghost leaving, the one constant through this whole time, and Warren taking his place? Not to mention that it would leave Charlie being the only one from the beginning to still be there with the kids, and she wasn't even a trainer to begin with. Maybe it was some stupid Dauntless way of trying to promote bravery out of the initiates by throwing a wrench in right when it was least expected or desired. But Charlie thought it would do nothing more than make everyone more uncomfortable. It wasn't like Dauntless loved discomfort.... She sighed as she listened to Ghost try to cheer her up, and say that this was fine and he had other things to do, and that it wasn't like they'd see each other any less or have any difficulties. "Are you coming home after this?" She asked, Ghost looked like he wasn't sure, and said as much. "Okay, I'll make sure to check Darcy hasn't made a mess, but I won't be home for a little while after that. I'm going to have a talk with Thorn, he is really struggling after what happened to his mom. I'll see you tonight?" Charlie asked, watching as Ghost nodded. IT seemed like this was a perfectly good place to part, conversationally, as the conversation had a closing sentence and the two were ready to go on their separate ways. But Charlie suddenly remembered. "You looked like you were looking for something, just now before I came to talk to you. Is everything okay?"
Interacting with: Thorn
Sanctuaryforall1
Ghost
Aviator
Cassidy "Cassie" Wickham || 16 || Initiate || Erudite Transfer
Cassidy smiled as Aya went off to confront Warren. She looked so cute as she did so, little beautiful face scrunched up in frustration and social justice, and her petite well formed body swaying with elegance and etiquette. Cas had always admired Aya's form, now she was able to admire it whilst also watching her friend be such a badass. Although she would have loved to just stand there and watch Aya rip into Warren, she wasn't so interested in it that she was going to do that over anything else she might want to do. In fact, Cas was feeling a bit under stretched, having been sitting in a chair with things strapped onto her, she felt her body pine for some stretching. She wished to do so with Griffon, he always helped her feel better and more in tune with her body. But when she looked around the room, she could see that Griffon was already invested in a conversation with Fable. They caught eyes for a second, and Cas waved, before heading off in another direction so that Griffon didn't feel obligated to bring Cassidy into his interaction with Fable. She knew that Griffon loved Fable, she wasn't sure if he loved her the same as he loved Cas, but Griffon had two sisters, and he loved them both, that much she was sure of. Thus, she never tried to intrude when Griffon and Fable were having their moments of sibling companionship. Instead she simply liked to spend time with Griffon when he was by himself. Cassidy liked Fable, but they were very different people. Cas looked around to see what else she could do while she waited to talk to Griffon. She wanted to find out how his simulation had gone, he'd been up against Vex, and from what she could tell, Vex was something of a prodigy, very good at what she did, and had an interesting personality. Griffon did not seem a match for Vex, at least not with his memory being gone. Griffon had been a different person before his memory had disappeared. He had always been selfless and very Abnegation like, but he had also had much more spunk and ability. He wasn't slowed down by his nice feelings, like he was now. He had quick reaction times, he could do the dirty work that their parents made them do, he was able to fight maliciously and directly, he could do so much, and he was so good at it, that's why he trained Cas. Because she wasn't naturally good at it, due to her condition, and Griffon was uniquely able to teach her. It meant that she was was the person she was today thanks to him. But now he wasn't the person he used to be, he was still himself, and she loved him dearly, but he'd lost a lot of that necessity that they'd had back in the factionless areas, and instead he was almost fully Abnegation.
It seemed like their was enough drama going on near all the monitors and simulation areas, Cas could see Ghost and Bloom talking, and Warren was still getting an earful from Aya, so Cas decided to slip away. It seemed she wasn't the only one though, as her eyes caught a flash of blonde hair as a certain Randi decided to do the same thing, and snuck off towards the physical training area. Cas felt excitement bubble up within her as she followed Randi and made sure to keep enough distance to simply observe the beauty, rather than intervene. She watched, impressed and attracted to the force of nature that Randi was. It was so beautiful to watch her wield the staff the way she did, and Cas watched for a little bit from the doorway, simply admiring her. It didn't take too long though, for Randi to quip out, having caught on to the fact that she was being watched, and called her up to the mat. "You got me." Cas said with a small laugh, making her way out of the shadows, not even surprised that Randi had noticed her, simply happy to come join in. 'What can I say, I like to watch." She purred, as Randi threw her another staff, and Cas caught it elegantly. Although Cas was much more skilled with guns and long range weaponry, she did enjoy to spar with unique weapons. Yet this wasn't too unfamiliar, Cas had used staffs before, although she worried that she was probably a bit rusty. "Let me warm up first, then we can go at it." She suggested, waiting for Randi's response. The other girl laughed her joyful sounding laugh, allowing Cas to smile and begin her stretching and testing out the memories of using a weapon like this, and the statures needed to use it. IT didn't take long for her to be doing similar maneuvers that Randi had been doing before, although each one slightly different due to the different ways they had grown up and used weapons such as these. "It's been a long time since I've used one of these, hopefully I still have it in me." She said, grinning as she finally came into place on one side of the training map, in a half crouched position, the staff gripped in both her hands and pointing towards Randi. Randi grinned about as wide as Cas did, also getting into position. They stood there for a few seconds, each one waiting for the other to move.
Who moved first would have been an argument that lasted decades, as each girl seemed to jump at the same time. The loud sound of two staffs thwacking against each other, resonated through the quiet training room and echoed back at them for a number of seconds. And that sound would not decrease, as the girls danced around each other elegantly, staffs swinging high and low to try and knock the other opponent over. It was like dancing, taking Cas back to her Erudite days. She and Lainey had been such good dance partners, and this was reminiscent of those times. She remembered how they would pretend to spar even back then, and if they were caught, they would always lie and say it was dance practice. It had made her a very good dancer though. And vice versa, she guessed that dancing was one of the reasons she was a reasonably good fighter. Her body was good at going smoothly and flowing each movement into the next, like a choreographed piece in a play, she just had to think of fighting like dancing. She smiled as she felt her body warm up, her limbs stretching and feeling better already. Though, it didn't always feel good. Randi finally managed to move just a tad faster than Cas had expected, and although Cas had reacted quickly and had countered the blow, it still managed to hit her in the thigh for a moment, causing a shot of pain to resonate there and quickly begin to throb. Just don't get hit. She gritted her teeth, ignoring the pain to the best of her ability. She just had to do better. As Randi swung around for another blow, Cas ducked back lower than Randi expected her to be able to go in such a quick motion, and Cas dropped the staff she was holding for a second, rolling backwards and standing back up, picking up the staff as she did so and returning to her first position. Randi commented on how smooth that had looked, and Cas smirked politely. "Oh yes, one of my favourite moves. I call it the back door." She chuckled, unable to stop herself. The two then began to circle each other, the only contact again being staff on staff. Until finally Cas was able to trick Randi, as she tensed her body as if she were going to do a low shot, watching as Randi picked up on this quickly to defensively protect her lower region, Cassidy jumped and spinning in such a way she managed to hit Randi in the shoulder before she was able to respond. Cas landed like a cat, balanced and poised. "one for one! I think we're a pretty good match." She winked.
Interacting with: Randi
Sanctuaryforall1
Aviator
are you laughing at my brother?
Ghost // Male // Age 18 // Officially Unemployed // Erudite to Dauntless
Every moment since Warren had strutted into the training hall—into Ghost’s training hall—Ghost had been forcing his anger and humiliation down into a small pit in his chest. But as soon as the doors to the testing center clicked shut behind him, a wall of emotion reared up and threatened to come crashing down on him. Before he could stop it, a ragged cry tore from him, and Ghost turned his ire on the first stationary object that he encountered: another potted plant, as if fate were taunting him. The violence in his chest raged up his throat, consuming him until it was almost debilitating, and Ghost seized the plant around the lip of its pot. With a ripple of the lean muscles that working out on a semi-regular basis had begun to instill in him, Ghost stepped and twisted with the plant in his grasp. A shower of soil rained down onto the spotless white floor moments before the glass pot connected with a lyrical shatter. One shard bounced against the floor, and Ghost felt a sliver of agony as it shredded the knee of his black khakis. It did little to cut through the black, twisting hatred inside him, and he stood breathing heavily as he examined his work. “Fuck my life but fuck his more,” Ghost muttered as he turned away.
With no mind for the dirty shoes he would get as a result, he walked through the mess, stumbling and almost twisting his ankle on a precarious mound of dirt. He shook it off and thrust both hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, searching for the rounded column of his nicotine vape. Another curse boiled up his throat when his search turned up empty, and coming to a stop in the hallway, he checked his back pockets, first the left and then the right. Then the door opened again. It happened silently, and Ghost would have been completely oblivious to it, had the change in pressure not caused another door halfway down the hall to shudder in its frame. Not in the mood to answer questions, he stubbornly kept his back to the new entrant. “Where are you, ya little bastard?” he seethed, heart catching in his throat. Oh god, he had just bought that overpriced little nic stick yesterday for a whopping twenty-six dollars. It was too soon to lose it. He continued rummaging through his clothes until a tentative voice called his name.
Had it been an ordinary person, there was half a chance that Ghost would have ignored it. But he recognized it, and this was one of a handful of people he didn’t want to avoid at the moment. Not just because Charlie had recently moved in with him and ignoring her would lead to swift, nasty repercussions. Temporarily forgetting his search, Ghost turned slowly, giving himself enough time to school his features into a passable mask of composure. Charlie padded toward him, her feet whispering across the tiled floor, like a faerie startled out of a forest bower. She drifted over the spilled remains of the plant as if it may as well have not been there. Ghost pointed. “Uh, dunno how that got there. You know how disrespectful some initiates are. If you catch the culprits, you beat their asses on my behalf since, uh, it’s no longer my job.” He pounded one fist into the opposite hand to sell his ruse, hoping that Charlie didn’t notice the slashed fabric at the knee of his pants.
The corners of her eyes crinkled with a wan smile. She looked tired, and Ghost knew from sharing a bed with her that, while he was used to sleep deprivation, the hours of wakefulness had taken a toll on Charlie. Not a minute passed outside the safety of their apartment when she wasn’t looking over her shoulder for the looming shadow of her father. Jeremy’s presence hung over the both of them like a stormcloud on the brink of opening and letting all hell break loose, dark and ominous and biding his time. The confrontation with Aubrey and Thorn had taken place a week ago today, and the son of a bitch had known Ghost’s identity that whole time. But for some reason he had waited until this morning to play his first card, and that rattled Ghost more than if Jeremy had attacked immediately and viciously. It meant that Jeremy was planning something, and Ghost knew from his street days that planned acts of vengeance were colder and more dangerous than ones committed in the throes of passion.
In response to Charlie’s question, Ghost lifted one shoulder in what he hoped looked like a causal shrug, despite the itch still buzzing in his fingertips. If he’d really lost his vape… well, damn, but it wasn’t like that was the only thing he was carrying. “Your guess is as good as mine. Hell no, Warren wasn’t being serious! He was handling the whole thing like a smartass who’s lacking in smarts. I hate to say it, but the way he clapped my shoulder? The bastard’s comedic timing is”—Ghost clicked his tongue and made a circle with his thumb and forefinger, fanning the other ones—“espléndido.”
His humor seemed lost on Charlie, her features shriveled into a scowl of apprehension. Sensing this, Ghost’s expression sobered, and in one neat step he closed the distance between his and Charlie’s bodies, their chests grazing as he placed a hand in the crook between her neck and jaw. “Hey, don’t worry about me, all right? You’ve been with the initiates longer than I have, and if there’s anyone who can help them succeed in this new phase, it’s you,” he said warmly, skimming a finger along her jawline. “Just between you and me?” And here Ghost bowed his head close to Charlie’s, as if he had a juicy secret to tell her. “You’re their favorite instructor. You always have been.” He punctuated this assertion with a fierce kiss on the top of Charlie’s ear.
She had always been insecure about her standing among Ghost and their colleagues, as if her status of medic denied her any legitimate authority over the initiates and their training. But in Ghost’s opinion—and that of anyone with a lick of sense—Charlie had seen more sides of Dauntless than any of her younger peers, and had fought tooth and nail to earn herself a spot in her graduating class. Ghost understood the full weight of his implication in lumping her in with the other instructors and meant it earnestly. Her rank was equal to, if not greater than those of the remaining instructors, and Ghost’s too, when he’d been part of the team. He pulled away from her, holding her out at arm’s length so he could lock eyes with her. They were the color of wood, accommodating yet unyielding. “Don’t take any shit from anyone, Summerhill especially. You’re the one calling the shots around here now, got it? If anyone has a problem with it, dare them to take it up with you, and that argument won’t last longer than two seconds. God bless Bloom, but she’s still learning the ropes.”
In response to Charlie’s comment about disliking the notion of working with Warren, an impish smile slid onto one half of Ghost’s mouth. “Yes, well, if this year’s initiation has taught us one thing, it’s that change is constant. But it’s up to us whether we control it or become victims of its landslide.” He circled an arm around Charlie’s waist, tracing small circles on the slippery fabric of her blouse. “You realize it was your father’s call to fire me, right? The timing is too coincidental and the execution too… public for it not to be. Nonetheless, I’ll be very glad if this is the extent of his retaliation. It could have been much worse, for the both of us.” For his girlfriend’s sake, Ghost phrased it in a way that implied Jeremy’s wrath was finished, but he knew better than to believe himself. He could feel it in his bones that this was just the first shot in a battle that would end only in death.
Thankfully, as if sensing Ghost’s desire to move the conversation elsewhere, Charlie asked whether he would be going home, now that his work was done for the day. Well, longer than just the day, really. The full weight of that idea caught up to Ghost for the first time, that now his job was gone permanently, and until he found a new one, he was otherwise unobligated in how he spent his days. Starting with today. A surge of excitement swept over him as he imagined the possibilities of how to spend it. He hadn’t planned anything with anyone for today, but that could change in an instant. For the past week and a half it had been his unofficial routine with Randi to spar in the Phase One arena, so he’d probably start with that… and then maybe he would hit up the card tables at a new lounge, or do some parkour around the city, or research the stock market, or practice his Hindi… And he’d have to check in with Blair too, eventually. The smile fell from his face. It was unlike her to skip training, especially with no text, no warning, nothing. Ghost may not have been getting paid for it, but in regards to her, he most certainly had a job to do, and they couldn’t advance to the next stages of their plan until Ghost planted that chip in Noah Cologne.
He looked back at Charlie, aware that he had been quiet for too long not to be planning something. Ghost consulted his watch, strapped just above the gold chain-link bracelet on his right wrist. “It’s only 11:54. Too early to be going home. Carpe diem, and all that shit. But I’ll be home for dinnertime. Wanna go out? There’s this Brazilian steakhouse on Magazine that I’ve been dying to try. How about it?” Ghost had spared no expense ever since receiving his under-the-table paycheck from Young. Drugs weren’t cheap, and he enjoyed spoiling Charlie. And himself. But between the cash he raked in from the poker tables and a diversified stock portfolio, he wasn’t overly concerned. Ghost had a way of turning a profit from activities that weren’t conventional forms of employment. He’d always figured that one day he’d go into business for himself, assuming he lived to see that day, of course.
Ghost internally rolled his eyes as Charlie mentioned going home to check up on Darcy. It was a good thing that living with Caspian and Maverick had already resulted in tarnished furniture, because Ghost would have been livid to have replaced the furniture only for it to get torn up again. He’d always had a fondness for scented candles, but now they populated each room in the apartment in abundance, because Darcy, for all his visible and tactile cuteness, was prone to various troublesome odors. “All right, see you later then,” Ghost said, giving Charlie a firm pat on the shoulder and cringing when the gesture triggered his most recent memory of Warren. Their conversation complete, Charlie took a half step away from him. Only to swing back around. Inquiring whether Ghost was looking for something.
“Oh, uh…” He scratched the back of his neck. Charlie didn’t approve of his drug habits, and she only knew of the more mild ones. A roulette wheel with truth and lie instead of black and red spun in his mind, and Ghost wasn’t sure where it would land until the words were spilling from his mouth. “My vape,” he answered honestly. “I was looking for my nic vape. The little devil is always elusive when I need it most, but such is life,” he said, interjecting a cheerful note. He’d already lied to Charlie once today about the culprit who’d knocked over the plant. White lie, that. But it was a deleterious habit to fall into, especially when Ghost knew he’d probably lie to her about five more times before the day was done. Best to tell the truth when he could afford to.
He turned and made to take his leave before she could scold him. “See you tonight, okay?” Without waiting for her response, he shot down the hall at a brisk pace, turning into the nearby alcove where the restrooms were located. As soon as the door swished shut behind him, Ghost crumpled against the row of sinks, yawning his exhaustion. He knew that Randi typically headed to the arena after training and that she would only be there for so long, but a nap sounded like a damn good idea at the moment. When he found the energy, Ghost dragged himself upright in front of the row of watermarked mirrors and fished in his pockets once again, but this time for something stronger than nicotine. The pipe that he extracted had originally been intended for weed, but for Ghost it was multipurpose. This time he loaded it with a clumpy dark substance that resembled wet cinnamon and pinched it between his lips as he fumbled with the lighter. It took him four tries for his fingers to stop shaking enough to get a light.
Ghost’s shoulders felt like they dropped to the floor with the first puff he took. Unlike lull, the effect of this drug was immediate and invigorating. Silver starbursts of light danced behind his eyes, and the world was moving simultaneously fast and slow, just like how his heart galloped in his chest as his breath came in languorous shudders. Ghost took another hit, and his knees turned to water. He spun so that his back was against the sinks and he sank to the floor, heedless of potential filth. Ghost let his head fall back and clawed at his necktie with sloppy, imprecise motions, loosening it when his clothes felt like they were choking him. “Eat a pack of cocks, Warren,” he giggled. But the figure in the doorway was not Warren.
Ghost jumped so hard that he somehow banged his knee on his chin. Out of well-trained instinct his grasp on the pipe remained firm as he fell onto his side, moaning in pain. Unfortunately, the remaining flecks in the pipe flitted to the bathroom floor, and it took all of his self-restraint to resist the urge to gather them up and go back for more. “Goddammit…!” He rolled his eyes upward to comprehend the identity of the man who had cost him roughly forty dollars of product. Slight build… freckles and full lips… tanned complexion. Ghost’s vision resolved, and it was the luscious brown locks that were the defining feature. “Holloway,” he growled. The venom abandoned him as he concentrated on picking himself up from the floor. “Lucky for you I have some more. I’ll let you have some in exchange for your sudden amnesia toward this inna-cidence, yeah?” Ghost cackled at the way his tongue twisted. His throat was wickedly dry, but he had nothing to drink unless he somehow managed to stand and take a swig of tap water. That wouldn’t happen for a minute, though.
As promised, he extended the pipe to Thorn Holloway, his hand trembling with its slight weight. “What’s your poison of choice? You name it, man, I got it.” Another wave of sleepiness hit him and Ghost yawned. He blinked his eyes open to find Thorn shaking his head. He was staring at Ghost as if he had crawled out of the grave and given the Dauntless-born initiate a cold cadaver kiss. “Aight then, lemme know you change your mind. After that debacle with Summerhill, Lord knows I need some enhan-ca-ment myself. Y’all be quoting that shit at my funeral.” Deciding that he’d had enough enhancement for the moment, Ghost pocketed the pipe and folded his damp hands across his belly, one leg tucked in and the other stretched out.
The last time he had seen Thorn was the night of the fiasco at Sasha’s house and then the fire station. By some unspoken agreement, they had seemed it fit to avoid each other ever after. Ghost and Thorn had never particularly talked much anyway before the incident—they’d only been to dinner together as Charlie’s and Aubrey’s dates, respectively—but afterward it had just been too bloody awkward to even entertain the thought of conversation. Ghost wondered if Thorn talked with Aubrey still, or if he gave her the cold shoulder too. Ghost only knew about the recent death of Thorn’s mother because Charlie had told him. She’d mentioned it again moments before they’d parted ways in the hall. Sympathy for Ophelia Holloway’s fiery end welled up in Ghost. “Hey… just tell me if you don’t want to talk about it, but I heard about your mother.”
The words fell hard, like a stone between them. Thorn’s face hardened, and Ghost wondered if maybe he shouldn’t have brought it up, but he was already in balls deep now. “I’m sorry you have to deal with that now, of all times. When you can’t even properly mourn her loss or else you risk falling behind in training and getting cut from the faction as a result.” His lips sharpened into a cynical smile. “Don’t you love Dauntless?” Realizing that it might have been an ill-timed quip, Ghost picked at the zipper of his open jacket self-consciously. Thorn watched him, still as a coiled snake. Ghost cleared his throat. “Anyway, though. It’s not my job to instruct you anymore, but if it were, I would tell you to channel your anger wisely. It’s a powerful force, when wielded correctly. Just don’t throw your future away because it feels like you fell off the face of the earth right now. I… lost my mother too, at a young age.” Memory washed over him like dark waters closing over his head. The twilight mist that was Tabitha’s perfume of choice. The featherlight touch of her fingers brushing hair off his forehead as he laid down to sleep. Her soprano voice soaring to bubblegum pop songs on the radio.
“Don’t watch” had been the last words she’d ever said to him moments before she died screaming on the end of a machete in her own home.
Ghost closed his eyes now just as he had done then, because, true to her words, he had been too cowardly to watch. Coldness seeped into him from the bathroom floor, and he crossed his arms, tucking the fingers beneath. “Her last words to you. What were they?” he asked Thorn, not opening his eyes.
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Sanctuaryforall1
Pyrrha Nikos Lives On
Bloom
code by Stardust Galaxy
Thorn
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Sanctuaryforall1
Pyrrha Nikos Lives On
Shayla
code by Stardust Galaxy
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Sanctuaryforall1
Pyrrha Nikos Lives On
Fable
Wolfiee
Meow
Initiate
Aya.
coded by natasha.
Sanctuaryforall1
Pyrrha Nikos Lives On
Vex
code by Stardust Galaxy
Nerdy.
Nerdy
Aubrey Amber Stark || 16 || Initiate || Dauntlessborn
Aubrey felt uneasy and yet comforted by Bloom's presence. Although she hadn't wanted the lovely woman to come over and talk to her, and truly she felt unsure of how to respond and talk to her, she couldn't deny that Bloom had always given off a genuine feeling of care towards her. But... so had Charlie, and Charlie had been lying to her the entire time she'd been alive. So it was difficult to stomach having trust broken by one person, and having to trust that others wouldn't break it either. Bloom was good though, she was nice, and Aubrey couldn't imagine her breaking the same kind of trust that Charlie had brought, Bloom had a lot more spunk than Charlie, so Aubrey hoped that Bloom would be honest with her, and not hide things from her just because she thought she knew best. Aubrey truly did listen to what Bloom was telling her, she knew that the instructor was correct, her simulation had been great, and she was sure that it was just the luck of the draw that Fable happened to beat her on that one. Surely Aubrey hadn't dropped so far down in rank that she was failing initiative... She hoped dearly that she wasn't so far down. She wasn't sure how much more of that disappointment on herself that she could take. "Thanks, Bloom." Aubrey finally said, thanking the trainer for the advice and encouragement she had tried to give. It was difficult not to just walk away, but Aubrey had a little bit of good manners that her mother and father had given her. She was not going to defame their names by being rude to Bloom, who had never been rude to her. "I hope you do go out and look for Finn. He deserves to be looked for. But... I think I would like to look alone." Aubrey said, hoping that Bloom would understand. She watched as the trainer's eyes washed over her, searing into her own eyes and searching for the meaning behind what Aubrey had said. Once they had found what they were looking for, Aubrey felt Bloom give a step back, freeing Aubrey from the conversation. "I'll see you tomorrow." Aubrey said with a toothy smile, almost genuine, and rushed off out of the room before anyone else could pin her down.
It didn't take her long for her to get outside. She had to pass Charlie and Ghost from afar, but that was too easy. Otherwise she was particularly by herself, as most of the others had either left a while ago or were still within the training centre. Aubrey seemed to be one of the only ones who wanted to go off immediately to do something else. Everyone else was still probably trying to congratulate themselves on their victory, or otherwise they were trying to figure out how they were going to beat the next simulation they were going for. Aubrey herself wasn't so excited for it. She would be in the losers bracket, as Ghost put it, and would be versing one of the losers of the last round. She hated the idea that she was a loser and couldn't go up against one of the winners. It demeaned her. She was deserving of so much more than just second place. She had fought tooth and nail to be a good Dauntless member. How had she slipped so far down? Why were there even these stupid initiation rules? Why did they have to do fear simulations of ridiculous fears? Although most of the other students may not have been happy about Warren coming in and kicking Ghost out, Aubrey wasn't too upset about not having to see Ghost anymore. It was hard enough to see Charlie each day at training, but Ghost was a different matter entirely. While Charlie and Aubrey politely ignored each other, Ghost made no such unspoken deal, and he had not specifically tried to ignore her or give her any grace after what had happened. Therefore his gaze was like an icy dagger, and Aubrey couldn't look him in the eyes very long. She knew what she had done had been bad, but she couldn't take it back now, so her only possibility was to get into Dauntless and use her position to figure out how to make it all right for everyone. She just needed to get to the top position first.
Getting home, she scouted out the area quickly, before leaping up onto the roof and scrambling towards her bedroom window, which she kept just a tad ajar. She had a special way of opening it up and getting in. Tumbling into the room elegantly, she moved straight to her closet, unclothing and getting dressed just as fast. She donned on black clothes, hoping that it would help her blend into the bland dark colours of the Dauntless walls, whilst also letting her blend into the Factionless areas if she had to go there too. She tied on some trusty sneakers and attached a small black back pack onto her back. Tying her hair into a bun, she checked only once into the mirror before exiting her room via the window and taking a running jump off of the roof, rolling into the soft grass on the ground. It was now time to search for Finn, one of the many things she did throughout her day. She often liked to watch Ghost and Charlie throughout each day, but she also had to spend some time each day looking for Finn. She had seen Charlie and Ghost with each other, and from the small part of their conversation she heard, she could tell Charlie had plans to meet up with Thorn. She didn't feel comfortable with watching them, and she was sure that Thorn would be able to handle Charlie all by himself without Aubrey there. Ghost on the other hand could have been beneficial to follow today, but Aubrey was hopeful that she would be able to find him later if she needed to. It was just a matter of time until Jeremy stroke out against Ghost and Charlie for real. She had to be ready, but she couldn't be careless. Finn was also gone, and there was no reason or evidence to what had happened. Thus, Aubrey had to rely on her ability to find him with no clues to go on. It wasn't going to be easy, but she was determined. She took a deep breath and began her run through the Dauntless outskirts.
Interactions: Bloom
Sanctuaryforall1
OPEN
Christian "Chris" Parks || 16 || Initiate || Dauntlessborn
The tall blonde male had spent much of the time in the hospital room rather bored. He sat there watching Shay for quite a while, until it seemed clear that she wasn't waking and that he was doing that for absolutely no reason. Thus, he then decided to work on the mantras that Dr Munro had been teaching him in order to improve his self-control and ability to regulate his emotions. Leaning back on the surprisingly comfortable hospital chair, he closed his eyes and began to breathe slowly in and out. Once he had mastered doing so at even intervals and his heart rate had dropped to a steady beat, he began to mouth silently some of the mantra that he had been given. Although he didn't have a terrible memory, he hadn't quite memorised all of them, and Dr Munro had told him that was okay, that he would be able to remember them all eventually, and that the serums and shots would help. Christian had been a tiny bit wary at first, and a bit cynical of the mantra's, but the more he said them, the more he took the serums and the more time he spent with Dr Munro... He felt more alive, more himself and better than he ever had. He was surely on a quick road to recovery, able to be the man that Blair deserved. He didn't care how long it would take, he would do this for half a century if it meant improving himself for Blair. Having gotten distracted, and his heart beat racing at the thought of Blair, her blue eyes, her curved lips, her dark lashes... He found himself requiring to do the breathing technique again. Once his heart had again slowed to a reasonable rate, he let his mind escape and imagined he was in a white room. He wasn't very good at imagination, but each time he did this it did feel more clear. He sat cross legged in the white room and stared serenely at the white surroundings. This was it, the spot and place and time where he could repeat to himself the mantra. If only he could remember it perfectly. He took a deep breath, determined to try.
"My rage is an ally, we can work together." He said, mimicking Dr Munro, who had taught him this. He repeated it several times, waiting for it to become smooth and gentle out of his lips. It was the best one to start with, his rage had always hurt people, and harmed his reputation. To think that it could be an ally and work with him, well that was an entirely different way of viewing it. "My former actions do not dictate my character." He said, moving on to this next one as the last one echoed still within his mind. He always visioned his fight with Ajax at this point, it was the most recent painful thing he had done, where he had beaten him nearly to death, where he had hurt Beckham again, and where he had done his worst fear, hurting Blair. This mantra took a lot longer to say and believe, as he couldn't help but believe he was evil for doing that, even if he wasn't doing it anymore. The words felt foreign and sticky in his mouth, like it was difficult to swallow the meaning. But eventually, he wasn't sure how long exactly, the words finally sunk in and became smooth enough to digest. "Loyalty is required, loyalty is returned, loyalty is rewarded." This one was always easy, and he enjoyed chanting it silently to himself as he sat there. He had always considered himself a loyal person, and now he was able to chant something that made so much sense to him. Of course, his mind flicked straight to Dr Munro as he said those words, along with a picture of Vex and her gentle smiling face. A warm fuzzy feeling sprouted in his belly and warmed his whole body. He was proud of how many mantra's he was remembering, and he was excited to report back to Vex and Dr Munro. He knew there were more that he had forgotten, but he didn't want to mess them up, so he decided he'd finish with the last one he could remember. "Honest secrecy, hidden trust." He didn't quite understand this one, but Dr Munro had said it was necessary to say. So he did, he said it over and over and over, until he felt it was enough time.
As if on cue, Christian opened his eyes as he heard a croaking familiar voice sprout from the hospital bed. Forgetting his mantra for a moment he jumped up, moving to Shay's side and kneeling on the ground so that his face was at the same height as hers and she didn't need to look at such a hard angle. "Shay.." He said softly, reaching out but then hesitating and simply laying his hand on the bed, resting gently on Shay's shoulder, over a blanket. She looked awful, or reasonably awful. She was a beautiful girl, so she obviously still held that beauty, but whatever had happened to her today had been hard on her, and she was showing that drastically. Her skin was pale white, like a sheet of paper, and contrasted with her dark hair it did make her look like a porcelain doll. Veins stood out on her face and hands, her hair was disheveled and a mess from the transfer to the hospital, and her clothes and parts of her face still had smeared dried blood all over it. Christian didn't care at all, but it did make him feel a little sad. "You look awful." He said, not trying to be mean, but also not trying to joke and make light of the situation. Being a particularly blunt person, he said the first thing he was thinking. "I'm glad we got you here on time. How do you feel?" He asked, standing up to drag the chair over and sit beside Shay while she regained consciousness and life. He wondered if she was recovering, or whether she was going downhill. Although he had spent much of his life in a similar position to her, he had no idea what all the numbers and things meant on the computer screens and monitors. The beeping sounds were simply noise, and the words meant nothing to him. "I made sure you got a good doctor. My doctor. He's amazing. He will look after you." Christian assured her, not knowing whether she had much faith in doctors. "Can I do anything more for you? Anyone I can call? Your father maybe? I could check on your cat..." Christian found himself rambling slightly, and bit his lip to try and halt, waiting for Shay to talk, if she could. Suddenly realizing she was probably thirst, he quickly fetched her a cup of water, before sitting beside her in anticipation for what she might say.
Interacting with: Shay
Sanctuaryforall1
(Mentions Vex, Dr Munro)
Griffon ||
Griffon nodded along to Fable's words, happy to hear encouragement from her and to be a part of her life. He didn't know how it would feel to be separated from her. He hadn't known how painful it was to be separated from Cassidy, and even after she explained everything to him and he found out that they had been siblings, and memories slowly made their way back into his mind, he had struggled to accept it. Now though, he was so attached to her that he felt the same towards both Cassidy and Fable. They were both the closest people to him. Yet... Something bothered him, something that he hadn't even told Cassidy. She had talked to him a lot about their parents, she had told him that they were not good, that in her eyes they were evil and selfish, that they abused them and were the cause for whatever happened to their little brother. But Griffon felt as if he'd never known them, how could he find solace within himself, peace, if he couldn't even remember or know his parents in any way? It was painful to him, to know that his parents were out there and he had no idea who they were or what they were like. What if... What if they had changed? Or Cassidy remembered them slightly wrong? What if things were different than how they seemed? He earnestly wanted to meet them, and he knew that Cassidy would argue, say that he should never do that, and that they have to hide from them. But he was determined to do so, and he knew she would want to be there with him, and that she would have a smart idea for it. That he was certain of. He hoped she wouldn't be too upset about him asking. There were certain things each person had to find out for themselves. He knew that his adoptive parents were not good, even though they had been to him. So what if something were similarly opposite with his parents. What if they had been good, but Cassidy had a bad memory of it? She was so little when they left, and he had no memory. He couldn't just let his parents go on their life without him knowing them in some way.
He wondered about talking to Fable about it all. But it dawned on him that it probably wouldn't be wise. She had just finished shaking off the final claws of her parents marks on her, and she had freed herself completely from them. So it wasn't the greatest time to let her know he was trying to find his. Cassidy would have to be the only one he would talk to, and she wasn't going to like it at all. He took a deep breath, tapping his leg in a way to try and keep things in his mind. Fable was talking about how Bloom looked so upset, and Griffon nodded. "I must admit I haven't seen that expression on her face before. I wonder if she doesn't like him for some reason." He murmured, looking over the brown haired beautiful woman who was talking to Aubrey and yet shooting glares at Warren. "It certainly seems to have disturbed everyone." He noted, seeing Ghost and Charlie exit rather quickly, while most everyone was ignoring Warren. However, Aya was proudly standing up to him, and Griffon felt a warm smile for her bloom on his face. "Aya is so spunky." He said, the word sounding strange and foreign on his tongue, and honestly he stumbled and butchered the word terribly. He screwed up his nose slightly, as Fable burst out laughing. Pointing at the fact that he had never used such a word before. "I know, I just thought I heard it somewhere and sounded accurate. I'm not sure I know what it even means." He admitted, blushing softly and scratching at his warm cheeks. Fable had a coy look for a second, a knowing look that lasted half a second, before she simply touched Griffon's shoulder and made him smile even more so. Griffon was going to suggest they go talk to Aya as she left, but she soon disappeared and Griffon found himself looking around for her, only to find nobody there.
"Well then, do you want to celebrate your victory?" He asked, smiling kindly at his sister. He watched as she nodded enthusiastically. "Well I am happy to shout you something to eat and drink, maybe we can go get burgers and shakes?" He suggested, looping an arm through Fable's and beginning to gently lead her towards the training room doors. He was hoping that she understood from the gentle way that he was tugging her that if she didn't want to go he wouldn't make her. He just wanted to spend time with her and he thought this might help her enjoy her victory. "You deserve it! I say we should give you a nickname. We could call you "Slider"." He suggested, looking over at Fable to see if she found it as funny as he did. The way she smiled and laughed showed him that she did. He hoped she was genuinely happy right now. "Or we could do anything you like, or I could leave you alone. Admittedly I'm a little bored and my usual friends seem occupied either in action or in spirit." He said, thinking of how Thorn was so sad as of late. "But I have been wanting to spend time with my sister's, and thankfully one of them is right here." He said.
Interacting with: Fable
Sanctuaryforall1
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Aviator
are you laughing at my brother?
Ghost // Male // Age 18 // Officially Unemployed // Erudite to Dauntless
Somewhere deep inside his core, a rift tore open with that last confession. A dangerous quaver had crept into his voice. Ghost heard Averill’s derisive sneer ring clear in his head, telling him to pack up the pity party. It had always been like that, whenever Ghost tried to confide anything even slightly emotionally charged to his father. The first sign of vulnerability had been attacked and belittled. As tough as life had been after his parents’ deaths, what with the endless clinical trials, the destitution he and Margot endured after his inheritance had been voided, the ever-present loneliness with his own thoughts… There were parts of it that Ghost couldn’t bring himself to regret. He’d always wondered if that tiny bit of gain from Averill’s murder made him a bad person. A child worth having would have felt sadder that his parents were gone.
Ghost felt like a shipwreck. A house fire nothing but bodies could be pulled from. So full of gaping boards and fallen walls that some days, there didn’t even seem a foundation worth rebuilding from. He was conscious of Thorn staring at him in mixed concern and astonishment, and Ghost looked down at the knees pulled up to his chest, not wanting his own expression to be read. He was grateful when Thorn changed the topic to his mother’s last words, grateful to tuck his previous train of thought away, like an old and threadbare shirt he was stuffing into the bottom of a wardrobe. Before he could think better of it, an inelegant guffaw sprang from his throat. “Well, goddamn! She done tell you how she really felt.” Ghost laughed, taken aback by the unsugared bluntness of Thorn’s mother’s last words to him. “I suddenly don’t feel so bad about my last conversation with my ma,” he joked, somewhat at Thorn’s expense. Even though it really hadn’t been a conversation so much as a final desperate plea for him to look away from her own impending carnage.
A chill traveled up Ghost’s spine, and he tucked his icy fingers underneath the armpits of his jacket, which was minimally helpful since the leather was also cold. Why had the men’s room dipped ten degrees cooler all of a sudden? He knew it was rude to laugh at Thorn’s pain, but for some peculiar reason the cruel last words Thorn’s mother had spoken to him were unexpectedly amusing. “When’s your birthday, Thorn? Because that one’s going on a shirt!” he panted between bursts of giggles, delighting in the momentary reprieve from the pain of all that which Ghost had lost and was likely to lose in the near future. Thorn watched him with a deadly blankness, which Ghost knew was his first and last warning to stop. He tried to reign in his mirth. But his heart felt like a wasp under a shot glass, and his breath came in erratic gasps.
Ghost didn’t remember making the decision to lie down. When he came to, sprawled flat on the featureless gray bathroom floor, he inferred that he must have blacked out. Overbright balls of light floated above him, like fireworks amid the blazing sun. Tears leaked from the corners of Ghost’s eyes as he squeezed them shut and tried to shelter his face in the crook of his arm, but it was impossibly heavy. Too heavy to lift. There was a dull creaking sound, like the opening of a door, and it took him a moment to realize that it was a groan emanating from between his own lips. He flexed his fingers, and an electric arc of pins and needles ruptured through them. It wasn’t until he felt the warm press of a hand on his throat, probing for a pulse, that he remembered he wasn’t alone in the men’s room. “Thorn… I think I’m experiencing cardiac arrest.”
He said it with such stone-cold nonchalance, as if he and Thorn were exchanging pleasantries, that it was hilariously funny. Ghost could only snort, lacking the breath to properly laugh. Thorn’s voice was a low blur in his ears, and it wasn’t until Thorn was wrapping arms around Ghost’s shoulders and the backs of his knees that Ghost registered the only word that mattered: infirmary. “Nooo…” Ghost lowed, simultaneously trying to thrash his way free of Thorn’s grasp without control over his limbs and lean into the touch, because it felt soft and bewitching. Ghost wet his parched lips to make speech easier. “Not the infirmary.” He frantically tried to compose himself before Thorn whisked him away to somewhere he dearly didn’t want to be whisked to. It would break Charlie’s heart to see him like this, and he was willing to risk death for it. For her. “Listen. There’s an adderall pill in my left… no, right boot. Get it for me… please.”
A dark abyss yawned before Ghost, his vision tunneling. He was approaching its edge when something jerked his shoulder. The unseen force sent his heart throttling into his throat as the edge of the cliff crumbled beneath his boots, and in the real world Ghost kicked out with one shoeless foot as if to brace his fall into eternity. His eyes flickered open, only to immediately go cross on the tiny orange capsule hovering above his face. Questions bloomed in his mind in the half-second it took to recall what the pill was, but fortunately for Ghost he didn’t hesitate much when offered mysterious substances anymore. Trusting that Thorn had his best interests at heart, Ghost took the pill in his own shaking fingers, fighting not to drop it as he maneuvered it between his two palms. Knowing that he currently lacked the power to swallow anything, he summoned the strength to crush the pill to dust. He inclined his head just enough so that his nose hovered above the powdery remains. Ghost inhaled.
A beat passed. Then another. Nothing. A curtain of darkness descended around the bathroom and Ghost was standing on the cliffs of hell yet again, peering into its unfathomable depths. Then a shudder that cut to his very core rippled through him. Like a magician switching out one card for another, the men’s room snapped back into place. Ghost stirred on the hard floor, arms and legs feeling stiff. He tried clawing his way into a sitting position, and a warm palm between his shoulder blades pushed him up the rest of the way. As new blood surged through his body, Ghost felt flushed, like he’d been sitting too close to a stove. He let his gaze settle on Thorn’s soft doe eyes and dusting of freckles. “Thank you for—”
This time it wasn’t a groan and the door really did open, admitting a grizzled man with long hair and a patchy beard. The way he carried his lumbering girth reminded Ghost of Jeremy Daniels, and he fell still and silent in Thorn’s grasp. “Let’s get out of here,” Ghost murmured as the newcomer eyed Thorn and him, still huddled on the floor together, with skeptical reproach on his way to a stall. Shaking off Thorn, Ghost replaced his boot. Then he gathered his legs under him and somehow managed to push to his feet. He gave an unsteady lurch once there and shuffled toward the door slowly, fearful of overbalancing. The door felt like a thousand pounds as Ghost wrestled with the handle to pull it open. He stumbled out into the hallway, where the sight of two nearly identical white pathways stretching away in either direction was disorienting. “C-can you point me in the general direction of the training a-arena, please?” he asked Thorn. Ghost’s teeth were chattering, and he shrunk inside his jacket against the cold.
Thorn looked at Ghost with doubt, obviously reluctant to let him wander off on his own but not wanting to offend him by calling him incapable. Ghost spared him from having to choose. “Or you can walk me there, if it’s not too much of an inconvenience.” Thorn assured him it wasn’t and guided Ghost down the passage on the right. Relief washed over Ghost. Practically, he knew it was only a slim possibility that Daniels was lurking nearby, but his paranoia that Charlie’s father would corner him when he was unable to defend himself was insurmountable. He found himself restlessly checking for shadows and listening for footsteps prior to turning every corner on the trek through the compound, and would have tossed glances over his shoulder if he weren’t convinced that doing so would cause him to fall down. Ghost wondered if this was how Charlie had felt during the past ten or so years of her life: haunted and hunted. No wonder she was so jumpy.
The walk to the training arena was the longest that Ghost had ever recalled it. But he also knew that distortions in time perception were a common side effect of narcotics, plus Thorn was walking deliberately slowly to accommodate Ghost’s dizzied state. He glimpsed the Dauntless-born initiate out of the corner of his eye, a little nervous to look at him full on. The silence was grating on Ghost’s nerves, and he desperately wanted to engage his companion in some line of conversation—he didn’t care what. But what the hell do you say to someone minutes after they save your ass from overdosing in a public bathroom? Maybe if Thorn were in a more jovial mood that would be one thing, but the younger boy was as stoic and somber as Ghost had ever seen him, and he got the distinct impression that Thorn’s mood had worsened every time Ghost opened his mouth so far.
When Thorn wasn’t looking, Ghost stole another glance at him and was surprised to find himself looking down slightly. Thorn was the only remaining male initiate who was shorter than him; until now, Ghost hadn’t been sure there were any. Yet Thorn’s broad shoulders and squarish hands were more typical of someone born and raised in the warrior faction. He remembered how Thorn had been prepared to pick him up and carry him to the infirmary as if Ghost weighed no more than a sack of potatoes. A smooth, tangy aroma like woodsmoke drifted off him, and as he listened to the steady cadence of Thorn’s breathing, he was glad to have company on his walk to the training arena. Assuming the company was hospitable, Ghost almost always preferred being in the presence of others. Because the alternative was being alone, and then Ghost was at the mercy of his own thoughts. His own mistakes.
The arm closer to Ghost was darkened with an inky picture of a dagger. At first he thought it was a tendril of leaves or a vine ensnaring it, but upon further inspection it was a lattice of thorns. “Oh, I get it!” Ghost interjected cheerfully. It was the first time either of them had spoken on their journey, and the unintentional loudness of Ghost’s voice had caused Thorn to swing half toward him in alarm. “They’re thorns on your tattoo. Like your name. Very clever, that.” Thorn stared at him expressionlessly, as if Ghost were an idiot too insignificant for words. Welp, there I go again, Ghost thought, mentally adding to his tally of times today that he had upset Thorn.
Seizing upon this last exchange as an opening for conversation, Ghost said, “Hey, uh… I’m sorry if I—that I—said some mean and insensitive things to you earlier. Just so you know, I wasn’t trying to be a jackass. No, that comes naturally!” He beamed when he chirruped this last quip. Although Thorn’s brooding, silent presence had mostly been comforting, Ghost was all too glad when they turned the final corridor to the training arena. Escape was within sight. He had no idea how much time had passed since the end of today’s training, but he guiltily hoped that Randi had waited for him. But first he knew he had something to say to Thorn. “Thank you for your companionship and sympathy today. Having a shoulder to cry on after losing my job was very cathartic.” He gave a theatrical pause, and almost as an afterthought, “Oh, and thanks for saving my life too, I guess.” He flashed Thorn a devilish grin. “As a reward for your heroism, I would be inclined to write you a letter of recommendation to leadership, but given today’s events, my letter might be more hindrance than help to you. Sorry for the lousy timing.” Ghost shrugged in a self-deprecating manner.
“Randi and I meet here most days after training to get some practice in. We’d be pleased if you joined us, if you have nothing else to do,” he said genuinely, not meaning it just as a polite but superficial courtesy. A three-way sparring session was a novel idea, and Ghost was keen to see how it played out. He didn’t want his practices with Randi to become so routine they were a chore. Thorn objected that sparring in Ghost’s current condition seemed like a bad idea, to which Ghost snickered. “Of course it is! That’s why it’ll be fun. Believe it or not, I have yet to spar in such an altered state of mind, though the adderall helped me come to my senses somewhat.” Thorn still seemed unsure as to whether he wanted to join, and not wanting to be pushy, Ghost left him to deliberate uninterrupted. “I’ll leave you for now, but know that the door is open. Figuratively if not literally. Is my tie straight?” Upon Thorn’s assurance that it was, Ghost nodded his thanks, threw Thorn a lazy wave, and disappeared inside the training arena. The contrasting smell of well-oiled mats and tarnished metal weapons greeted him at once.
Also greeting him were the clangs and grunts of a battle well underway. In Ghost’s absence, Randi hadn’t been sitting on her hands. Her opponent was a skinny, black-clad girl with her dark hair pulled back except for the long bangs framing her face. She looked as if she’d never quite outgrown the goth phase she’d had in middle school. Standing apart from the two girls vying for control of the floor’s center was Aya Kurosaki, with the same sketchbook in hand that she’d been wielding on the rooftop this morning. Hers was the only head that turned in Ghost’s direction when he entered, as the other two girls were locked into their fight with intense focus. Deciding to be a harbinger of chaos, Ghost bellowed, “HULLO EVERYONE!” at max volume, hoping to startle at least one of the duelists into making a mistake. In a considerably softer voice, he continued, “I didn’t realize you’d be assembling us an audience today, Randi. But if there’s one thing I know, it’s showmanship”—Ghost spread his hands wide and magnanimously—“so it shan’t be a problem.”
Sanctuaryforall1
Pyrrha Nikos Lives On
Randi
code by Stardust Galaxy
Wolfiee
Meow
Divergent
Rhysand(Rhys).
coded by natasha.
Sanctuaryforall1
Pyrrha Nikos Lives On
Bloom
code by Stardust Galaxy
Sanctuaryforall1
Pyrrha Nikos Lives On
Thorn
Shayla
code by Stardust Galaxy
Nerdy.
Nerdy
Charlotte "Charlie" Stark || 20 || Medic || Dauntlessborn
Charlotte had hurried home as fast as she could, and it wasn't entirely because she didn't want to be late in meeting up with Thorn. Although Thorn was heavily on her mind, and definitely at the forefront, the moment she was away from the training center, the moment she was not with Ghost, Bloom or anyone she knew, she was afraid. She was vulnerable. Although it had been a week and there had been no sightings of Jeremy, both Ghost and Charlie were jumpy, and most often they made sure to go home together if possible; They could not get comfortable, Charlie was certain that even if Jeremy didn't appear and didn't do anything to either of them for another week, or a month, or even a year, she would still be jumping at every shadow, she would always be on the look out for the giant of a man he was, and she would always expect him. She wondered if when he died - should that ever happen before her - whether she would be able to let go of that feeling, or whether the idea of him coming after her would haunt her even then. Thus, she hurried home with great vigor, clutching her bag to herself and clenching her jaw tightly. She was not frowning or terrified in stature, in fact she wasn't really thinking of Jeremy, but instead she did it out of habit. Truly her mind was on many things, and Jeremy was not even a part of it. Instead, she thought of her concern for Ghost and his sudden loss of job. Although he assured her he was okay, she did feel awful for him, and her heart ached for Ghost and the children. Even if Ghost was not the most liked, the initiates had all grown to feel warm towards him, and he had become a steady and secure face for them, when all the others had come and gone. She knew Ghost could make do with whatever he decided to put his head to, but she was worried nonetheless. She truly hoped that he was right, that this was the beginning and end of Jeremy's wrath, and that Ghost and Charlie were much too small of fish for him to care about. It was only a small hope, but maybe it would help her to actually sleep through the night. She was also thinking about Darcy, and how she needed to make sure he had plenty of water and food before she left, he was a ratbag, but she loved him so much. There was something so calming about having him at home. Charlie had always had a fear of empty homes, being alone in a house just gave her PTSD of Jeremy. But having Darcy at home meant whenever she was home there was something there, and if she started to panic or feel any type of anxiety or stress, she could find him and it would calm her down. Whether he was running around, jumping, playing and causing a mess, or whether he was sleeping and purring away - usually on top of something he shouldn't be on - he was a constant reminder that everything was okay in that moment. She looked forward to seeing him each day, and even now as she walked she had a small, adorable and excited smile to go see him. He had just started to warm up specifically towards her, and she was so excited. Lastly, she was thinking of Thorn, and how she had no idea what she was going to say to him today. She knew that it was right to go and see him, to make him socialize with someone, and to hopefully draw some of his emotions out of the shell he had formed. But she wasn't sure how to do that. She wasn't a trained psychologist or psychiatrist, and had no experience in therapy. She just cared for Thorn, and hoped that he would appreciate her trying to be there for him.
Finally arriving home, she unclenched her jaw and let her shoulders drop, audibly groaning from the pain. A shiver of pain shot down her back, and her shoulders both rang out in agony for a second, and she leaned against the door with her forehead as a similar shot of pain pulsed through her jaw. She knew she needed to stop tensing so much, but it was so built up from her past PTSD that this week it had only intensified. She stood there, her forehead against the cool exterior of the door, a half minute went by before she felt well enough to enter, and she turned her key in the lock, opening the door and shutting it quickly so that Darcy would have no chance to escape. She locked the door twice, making sure that it was truly locked, before turning around. The house was surprisingly still quite tidy, only a few items had been knocked around, supposedly as a toy for Darcy. She wrinkled her nose slightly at the unfortunate smells, and quickly walked to the nearest candle, a lovely lemon grass scent, and lit it up, a box of matches being conveniently right beside it. That's when she heard him, a loud, sharp meow rose to her ears from behind her, and she turned around to see Darcy standing on the edge of the couch, body high and neck reaching out, large yellow eyes wide. "Why hello there Mr Darcy." She said with a small giggle, as she walked over, slender fingers reaching out slowly and watching as he sniffed them, a happy purr and meow exiting his mouth as he nuzzled her fingers, pushing his head into her hand for scratches. She smiled warmly and scratched him excessively, the sound of his purrs being a calming sound to her. "Now I'm not staying long, but I'll make sure to leave you some treats while I'm gone." She said, giving him a good scratch before leaving him to ready herself for meeting Thorn. Walking to the kitchen, aware that Darcy was following her, she grabbed a small picnic bag and began to place some simple food items inside. She did not have time to prepare a wonderful lunch, but she wanted to bring something for them to eat together. She hoped it would help. She poured Darcy's food into his bowl first, so that he wouldn't continue nagging her while she prepared, and then began to fill her bag up. Ghost and Charlie kept their apartment fairly well stocked, both of them being very good at noticing when things were starting to run low. So she had plenty to pick from when she packed. She made sure to pack strawberries, pre-made sub sandwiches, a carton of apple juice and two cupcakes. She considered taking more, but in the end she knew that it would be fine. She quickly popped into her bedroom - Caspian's old room - to check herself in the mirror to see whether she wanted to change. She liked her outfit though, the pink dress she wore was quite pretty, and would be pleasant for the warm weather outside. Feeling ready, she exited the room, quickly checking Ghost's was fine as well and making sure to keep both bedroom doors closed so Darcy didn't do anything in either of them, she called Darcy over to the couch and pulled out his treats. She was trying to teach him to high five, as she thought Ghost would find that fun, and so she tried a couple of times, getting quite close, before simply giving him a few to chew on while she left. "Bye Darcy, we will be home later." She assured him.
Again making sure to lock the door twice out of habit, she left the apartment and took a deep breath. Relax. She told herself, trying hard not to clench her jaw and tense her shoulders. She didn't want to be late to the river, so she took the fastest route there, her eyes mostly sticking to the floor and only the necessary direction. The more she looked around, the more she freaked out. If she could focus on one spot, it helped her nerves, even if it was less useful. It didn't take her long to reach outside and to get to the river. There were a few people out for their lunch breaks, and she could see a few people had chosen the river as their choice of area for that, but most people preferred the Dauntless compound and the restaurants within, rather than outside. She kept an eye out for Thorn as she walked, unsure of where they would meet up. She had said the river, but hadn't quite said exactly where. She just knew it was a rather calm area for most people, and would hopefully not bring out the traumatic memories that Thorn had. She realized it was altogether possible that Thorn didn't come as well, he didn't have to come, and she wasn't sure if he had assured her he would. But her fear was soon dissipated as she saw his familiar frame not too far away. Managing to meet his gaze, she waved at him, rather than yelling out his name, and she saw relief in his eyes. There were many other emotions in his eyes also, but relief seemed the most prominent. As they got closer, she called his name out fondly. "Thorn... I'm glad you came." She said, smiling softly. "There's a lovely spot to sit not too far away, walk with me." She said, her last words not a command but a suggestion. Thorn nodded mutely, not saying anything, and followed Charlie towards where she was intending. Next to the river the grass was often damp, but the rocks, especially the large ones, were often warm and dry. Thus, Charlie's favourite spots was one where there were many such larger rocks on the edge of the river, in a spot where the water was calm and shallow and there was little risk of falling in. Aubrey had almost drowned in this river, so Charlie was hesitant to ever go near the faster flowing areas. "Here we go." Charlie said, as she stepped up on a rock, Thorn stepped closer, ready to stabilise her or catch her if she stumbled, and she shot him a fond smile. They only had to climb up one smaller/medium rock to get to the larger flat rock that Charlie had picked for them. Thorn insisted on climbing up before her, and he took the picnic bag from her, placing it firmly on the rock before turning back around to help her up. His large, calloused hand gripped hers strongly, and she felt an immense amount of trust within that grasp. His pull was strong, but not hard, and he pulled only as much as was necessary, his hand respectfully only holding her hand and stabilising her side when needed. "Thank you." She said. She laid out the picnic blanket on the rock, and sat down with her legs to the side, placing the simple food items out. "I know I didn't specify that it was a picnic, but it is lunchtime and I didn't want you to get hungry." She said, her brown eyes washing over him almost apologetically for not warning him she would bring food. For a moment they didn't say much, Charlie poured them both apple juice and sipped from her own for a moment while they both sat there awkwardly. "Will you talk to me?" She finally asked, her eyes more focused on him, but still gentle. "If not about the incident, then about something. You've hardly spoken this last week. I miss the sound of your voice." She said, watching him closely.
Interacting with: Thorn
Sanctuaryforall1
Christian "Chris" Parks || 16 || Initiate || Dauntlessborn
Christian watched Shay with concerned, but mainly emotionless eyes. He had always been known to have blue eyes, but unlike Aubrey or Blair, his eyes were so dull in colour that most people described them as grey. It gave him an almost robotic feel to some people, and he used to have older women comment that it made them uncomfortable to see them, as not only did he have those strange grey eyes, but he also generally had little to no emotion within either. But with Shay, that had never been a problem. Shay and Christian had always gotten along, but it wasn't because they were good friends, rather it was simply because they existed without any type of specific relationship between them. When Christian had been aggressive, Shay simply watched and made no attempt to help or interfere, but also she never judged. When he was emotionless and blunt, she had always treated him just the same. When he was actually exhibiting emotion and any type of interesting conversation, she had always obliged but never tried super hard. But this worked both ways, when Shay was wanting to avoid people, Christian said and did nothing towards her, even if they were in the same room, if she were being blunt and cold, he didn't care, and when she was talking to him, he listened, but regarded her much the same as she regarded him. It was strange, and unlike any relationship Christian had with anybody else, and rather he had also never seen another relationship like this, where both people were so indifferent that they were close. Obviously Christian wasn't indifferent to Shay. If he was, he wouldn't have run her to the hospital and fought to have his doctor see to her. But that was also a recent thing for him, caring about others in such a passionate way. Dr Munro was helping him for sure, though he wondered if maybe it was becoming too much the other way. Vex had shown concern when he did things like this impulsively, and he wondered if she would talk to him when he returned about that. Because he was sure he was meant to help her today, but he had run off to do this, he would have to apologize and make up for it later.
When Shay began to speak, Chris could hear the pain it was causing her. It was a familiar sound, he had been in this position frequently enough to know. Although he wasn't sure of her condition, in fact he knew nothing, he was reminded of his times in hospital, especially recently. "You've only been out a few hours." He answered her, watching as she processed that information. He didn't speak after that, simply sitting there beside her and giving her time to get her bearings. She seemed rather weak and out of focus, constantly requiring her eyes to be closed rather than open, and he wondered if she was suffering from nausea and dizziness. After a long while of sitting there, Shay finally spoke up, and Christian found that although he wasn't surprised at her words, he was surprised that she told him. Shay was dying. Christian thought about that for a moment, and he pieced together things that he knew about her. It made sense to him, that was why he wasn't surprised. She had always been stand offish, at least in the last years that he had known her and had memory of her. She had often avoided people, taken pills and had chronic painful episodes. Christian had been privy to those, as he never questioned them and never interfered. He didn't say anything, there was nothing really to say. Many people would have apologized, felt dread, fear, sympathy and awkwardness. But Christian didn't feel those things. Sure he understood that it was sad that Shay was dying, but she had obviously come to terms with it long before today, and there was no need for him to add to that by being awkward and sad. He listened as she continued explaining. From her explanation, he assumed he was correct in thinking she had known this a long time. Given that she was getting closer to 20, he figured she lived with this thought frequently in her mind. As she finally got to the end of speaking, she stuttered in apology, or in recompense for telling him this. He simply waited till she was finished, not wanting to interrupt her, or make it anymore awkward. A comfortable silence came over the two of them, and Christian allowed Shay that amount of silence to process what she had said, and so he could think himself.
"I'm dying too." He finally said, his voice quieter than usual, and holding about the same amount of sadness that Shay had held in her own voice. Similarly to her, he didn't look at her while he spoke, and simply stared at the floor. He didn't speak again, silence again returning to them. He wasn't sure if he should explain why, or to what end. Was this meant to be comforting to Shay? He doubted it, but at the same time, he wondered if it might feel good for her, to know she wasn't the only one dealing with that reality. "The doctors gave me a similar timeframe as you." He said, shrugging as he said it, and feeling next to nothing in terms of emotion. When he had found out about this, he had been dating Blair, and he had been suffering with intense anger and intense pleasure and intense bouts of no emotion. But now, he was fairly normal all the time, his anger only spiked when something provoked him, his passion only grew when something terribly excited him, and his emotionlessness was just a thing that held in the back of his personality, a sort of foundation that everything else built upon. At his center he was a fairly grey person. He cared about truth, justice and loyalty, but everything else was much the same. He looked at Shay and they made eye contact. they stared at each other, silent again and only communicating through their eyes. His stormy grey eyes met her dark brown ones with similar emotions. Empathy. Understanding. Reality. They had both become so numb to the harsh reality of their own lives, that each of them, now understanding the other was in a similar position to them, had a sense of... almost comfort. Christian now knew, that Shay knew how it felt to be unsure of your own death, to know that your friends, parents and family members will outlive you. To know that life itself will go on and forget about you. He wondered if she had become comfortable with this, or whether it disturbed her. He watched as she opened her mouth to speak, and he held up his hand. "I won't tell anyone. It's nobody's business but your own." He assured, as he was sure she would do the same with his information. He watched as she nodded in understanding to his declaration. He knew he should go, but he enjoyed the silent companionship that he had with Shay. Bringing out his phone he sent a quick message to Vex. "Do you need me soon? Now? Let me know." He was sure she would let him know soon, she was always quick to respond. Putting his phone away in his pocket, he leaned back on the chair and stared up at the ceiling. He hadn't imagined to hear this information today, but some part of him was glad that Shay had shared with him, and that he had been able to share with her too.
Interacting with: Shay, Vex
Sanctuaryforall1
Cassidy "Cassie" Wickham || 16 || Initiate || Erudite Transfer
Cassidy, similarly to Randi, was quite happy to see Aya. She waved happily as the girl entered, but continued to spar with Randi for a small amount of time. Aya seemed to find this interesting, and Cas saw her bring out her sketch book. She wondered if Aya had done any recent sketches of her, and if Aya would give them to her. Cas really liked artwork, she often encouraged Griffon wit his own, and had seen a handful of Aya's. Thus she was hopeful that if and when Aya did sketches of her, that she would be allowed to keep some. Randi seemed to pause their fight, going over to say hi to Aya, and Cas took the moment to do the same. "Hey Aya, where's my ice cream?" She teased, winking to make sure Aya knew she was joking. She placed the bo staff down as she stretched her long limbs, feeling her body protest in a wonderful way. Although Cas hated pain, she did enjoy the aching feel of muscles that had been worked out. It was different than the injuries she usually received, and instead of being unbearable, it was sort of just a familiar feeling at this point. Plus it told her when she was doing well and when she was holding back. As Randi spoke to her, the flirtatious edge to her voice as usual, Cas simply giggled and let her hand reach out to slide over Randi's back and give her a small pinch. Both girls laughed and Aya seemed comfortable to join in. "You should definitely join us Aya, we could have a one for all with the three of us, it would be fun. Otherwise we could have turns sparring one on one. We could take turns picking weapons." Cas suggested, her eyes gazing over to the extensive amount of training equipment that was stored in this room. As it wasn't particularly used quite as frequently as in the first phase of initiation, the room was often stacked and many items were on top of each other or wedged into strange places. She knew for a fact that many of the initiates still used this room, assumedly the trainers too, and yet it also seemed like it just was mostly being overlooked by the cleaners. She let her eyes drift over the training weapons, seeing swords, clubs, staffs, axes, knuckles, gloves, daggers, and more. They didn't allow any of the training guns to be kept in this room, because it was possible for people to get shot and hurt by them, but Cas sort of wished they did. She wasn't sure if they were allowed to just go and train with the guns at any point. She wanted to, hoping to improve her accuracy. Practice didn't necessarily make perfect, but it did often make things more permanent, and more precise. Her mind was suddenly distracted though, as Randi greeted the newest person to their group today, and Cas looked over, seeing Ghost there.
She was unsure if it was her imagination, but as she looked at Ghost, she thought he looked rather different. His usual appearance was one that she generally admired, he usually wore well tailored and ironed suits and outfits, his style was usually down to the button, everything perfect, colors suiting, and never looking like a normal Dauntless. But today he didn't quite meet that criteria, although is outfit could have been called nice, it was not suiting him in this moment. It was sort of leaning to one side more than the other, and he had at least one button undone, his tie was mostly straight but had a funny bump, and then to top it all off his hair was tousled and only added to his insane look. His face was white as usual, but with an extra strange pallor that Cassidy felt she recognized. Maybe it was simply her judgmental nature, and Ghost was simply having a bad day after being fired, but it seemed like he was having a worse day from something else. Cas personally was a bit frustrated that Ghost was leaving, he seemed the most competent and surely the one whom would teach them the best. Although many of the other trainers they had had were Dauntlessborns and had Dauntless running through their veins, Ghost had been a transfer - Cassidy had surmised - and yet had risen high in the ranks. So why was it, all of a sudden, that he had been fired? And replaced with Warren? That seemed unusual, and Cassidy wondered what it is that Ghost had done, that had caused this to happen. It intrigued her, and she wondered if she would be able to find out by snooping around at some point. "Randi's not lying." Cas said as she walked closer to the man, standing nearer to Aya though, as she was not overly familiar with him. "Your usual appearance seems to have escaped you today." She added, curious to his reply. She watched him with purposeful eyes, not backing down from the copper stare that he had, and standing straight, but unthreatened. Ghost had never scared her, nobody in Dauntless had at this point. She was scared of no person, she even refused to say that she was scared of her parents. She preferred to think of it as a healthy avoidance of dangerous individuals.
"You should join us also, since we must say goodbye to you in formal training, I'm sure we would all benefit from training with you... unofficially." Cas said, her gaze switching to Randi. Although she wasn't sure about it, she had noticed that Randi and Ghost had become closer and closer. She had supsected them of even having a relationship at one point, but had since doubted that as she had noticed Ghost's affiliation with Charlotte. IT wasn't totally out of the question, but she didn't think so anymore. Plus, Randi seemed like she could do so much better than Ghost, Cas couldn't imagine her with him. It wasn't that she disliked Ghost or thought he was a terrible person to have as a partner, but she just didn't see Randi and Ghost connecting in that kind of way. In all fairness however, she also could not imagine Ghost and Charlotte either, and that seemed to be a thing. She watched and waited as the others considered all training together, and she tapped her thigh with her finger, finally becoming tired of the wait. "Since you two know each other well, why don't you two spar, and Aya and I, and then we can have a mini competition? Or else we can just spar till we are tired. Aya already owes me an ice cream, so I will be cashing that in after this." Cas said, flashing Aya a sweet smile. Deciding not to wait for Randi and Ghost to say whether or not they liked her idea, Cas simply walked over to one of the training mats and grabbed a knife and a hard glove on her way. Entering into the mat, she slipped the glove onto her left hand, stretching her fingers out so that it was evenly on, and held the dagger in her right hand. She had been surprised to find the gloves when she had got here, but had quickly grown to love them. Although she had originally learned to fight with two daggers, she had found it difficult to block with them, and for her struggle with pain, she wanted to use something to block but nothing like a shield or braces. So when she had found the gloves, she had fallen in love with them. Using one on only one hand, it meant that one hand (for Cassidy it was her right) she held her weapon, the dagger, and had flexibility and precision in that hand. Then in her left hand, she had a glove that was designed to be a tiny shield. The material used was firm and meant she had a lot less flexibility and grip strength in her left hand, but it meant she could take a hit to the hand and it wouldn't penetrate or hurt her nearly as much. She was growing to love it quite a lot, and had already managed to create a fighting style using one dagger, and this glove. She looked back at the others. "So am I fighting Aya? Someone else? Or are we all sparring together?"
Interacting with: Aya
Wolfiee
Randi
Sanctuaryforall1
Ghost
Aviator
Sanctuaryforall1
Pyrrha Nikos Lives On
Fable
Wolfiee
Meow
Initiate
Aya.
coded by natasha.
Sanctuaryforall1
Pyrrha Nikos Lives On
Vex
code by Stardust Galaxy
Aviator
are you laughing at my brother?
Ghost // Male // Age 18 // Officially Unemployed // Erudite to Dauntless
His and Randi’s strained exchange seemed to attract the attention of the two other girls occupying the room, their gazes swiveling toward their friend and the newcomer. A conspicuous hush descended over the training arena so that the hum of electricity was the only audible noise. The white girl with whom Randi had been talking when Ghost entered cocked her head and narrowed her eyes at him, as if he had arrived at a business meeting without a crucial piece of clothing on. His skin burned with self-consciousness. Go back to your knitting, goddammit! he thought frantically, meeting Randi’s searching gaze before too long an interval passed. While Ghost knew Randi well enough to trust that her concern was pure, it was getting annoying. Not half an hour had passed since Charlie and Thorn had drowned him in condolences over the loss of his job, one after the other. Something defiant rose up within Ghost, and his reply was the verbal equivalent of rolled eyes. “Of course something happened, a tiny fireball exploded in space fourteen billion years ago, and boom! The universe was created. Or else none of us would be here right now,” Ghost jeered dryly, eyebrows knitting together.
His sour reply seemed to shift Randi’s mood that way too, because her next words were anything but flattering. Strangely enough, instead of angering Ghost further, her tactlessness amused him. He placed a hand on his chest in mock offense. “Aw, and here I was about to say that you look lovely, but maybe I’ll think better of it now. Save my compliments for a nicer girl.” This time the feline curve of his lips came all on its own. Feeling confident in his quippy witticisms, he took a half-step closer to Randi, so that he could see the flecks of gold in her eyes and breathe her smoky fragrance. He wanted to test her reaction. See if she would stand her ground or step away. Or maybe even step closer. Oh, there were several perks about no longer being bound by an instructor’s code, and this was one of them.
Randi didn’t get the chance, because at that moment her goth friend—Cassidy—jumped into the conversation. The interruption was too abrupt to have been coincidental. Her voice hit Ghost like a shard of ice, a challenge glinting in her gaze. I didn’t think she was, was his knee-jerk response to Cassidy’s confirmation that Randi wasn’t lying. But Ghost knew that Cassidy was Randi’s friend, and hoping not to lose points in her book, he thought it unwise to create a scene. Instead, he swallowed Cassidy’s criticism with an ambiguous shrug. “Bad hair days are a bitch,” he said as cordially as he could manage, careful not to look pointedly at Cassidy on that last word. Don’t be petty, man, Ghost coached himself. Just let it go.
But as soon as he had the thought Cassidy made a show of selecting the words of her next sentence like a woman perusing a restaurant menu, ending with what sounded like a sinister insinuation. Ghost slitted his eyes, his head feeling a little too floaty and detached to parse out her meaning. Benefit from training with him… unofficially? Was that meant to be a jab that he was an incompetent instructor but might be useful as a punching bag? As if assuming that everyone would be game for her proposal that they spar together, Cassidy immediately swung around and stalked toward a silver double-tiered rack boasting a wide assortment of weapons, some of which were more potentially dangerous than others. Presumptuous little fucker, Ghost thought as he watched her select a leather glove and flat knife. An interesting combination of weapons. The knife’s edges were blunt and unshining; it had been dulled down as to not pose a lethal threat while sparring, but Ghost knew from experience that a hard enough hit would result in at least a bruise, if not a mild laceration.
Half spurred by spite and half intrigued by Cassidy’s choice of dual weapons, Ghost found himself taking a step forward to speak before the words had fully formed on his tongue. “You expect me to just let a gibe like that slide? Hell no, Cassidy.” He shook his head, rejecting her idea. “I’ll be your opponent.” Randi had her staff in hand, and not wanting to be the only one left standing weaponless, Ghost sidled after Cassidy. He snatched up the twin of the single glove that she wore on her left hand, noticing a skull and crossbones etched onto its back, just beneath the knuckles. It seemed symbolic somehow. Ghost ran his thumb over the ridges in the leather before sliding it onto his hand, wriggling his fingers into their individual sockets.
As he did so, Aya suggested that she and Ghost compete, flattering his nonexistent skill with a staff. Ghost snorted. He was fairly certain he’d never picked up one of those weapons in his life. Not that he was against the idea; he liked finding and experimenting with new styles of combat. But he had some unfinished business with Cassidy to settle first. “Well-versed in thwacking myself in the head, maybe,” he replied with a modest grin at Aya. “I wouldn’t want to embarrass myself. Why don’t you and Randi face off, while I teach your mutual friend a lesson in respecting her elders?” His gaze flickering to the other girl, Ghost’s grin sharpened into something dangerous and gleaming, like an executioner’s blade. The pearly crescent of his smiling mouth was mirrored in the flashing knife he selected. It was a beauty of a weapon, a hunting knife with a sweeping blade that curved backwards slightly at its point, the tip was so acute. “That’ll do,” Ghost murmured to himself, running a reverent hand along its shiny length.
He raised his eyes to Cassidy, joining her at the edge of the mat she’d chosen. “Whenever you’re ready, and no holding back. To stand against me, you’ll need to give it everything you’ve got.” Ghost was proficient with knives from his street days, but he knew that, next to most Dauntless-borns, he couldn’t hold a candle in terms of martial ability. But despite her penchant for the color black, Cassidy was no such Dauntless-born. He could tell from her narrow-legged stance, the way that her hands moved in precise, elegant arcs when she spoke, whereas the Dauntless frequently took up as much space as possible, regardless of setting. No one had told Ghost as much, but he knew it without needing to know. Despite other cognitive shortcomings, drugs frequently enhanced his powers of observation, and this was one conjecture he felt confident in. Ghost lowered himself into a fighting stance, squaring his hips and caressing the knife’s hilt with the pads of his fingers. Like a viper ready to strike, he stayed coiled in on himself, waiting for Cassidy to make the first move with an aggravating smile on his lips.
Sanctuaryforall1
Pyrrha Nikos Lives On
Randi
code by Stardust Galaxy
Nerdy.
Nerdy
Aubrey Amber Stark || 16 || Initiate || Dauntlessborn
The time Aubrey spent out and about was mostly used with her on the move. Her body used to this amount of exercise by now, she ran through the outskirts of Dauntless as if she knew them like the back of her hand. Her body seemed to be able to go on forever, as if it never needed a break. If she wasn't looking for her lost bestfriend, Aubrey would have been happy, she would have been elated and excited to be running so much and so well. But nothing was causing her joy while the thought of her friend's disappearance was so heavy on her heart. Thinking of Finn just caused her heart to squeeze, a literal painful feeling that she got deep inside her chest, and her whole body shivered at the thought of him never coming back. She knew he hadn't left of his own accord, but whoever had taken him had managed to do so while she was sleeping. He had been missing when she had woken up, and his clothes had remained in a pile next to her, along with her own. They hadn't wanted her, why had they wanted Finn instead? It didn't make any sense to her. If anything, she was a better Dauntless member than Finn, she followed the ideals more closely and had an average better score than him, if only barely. So what was it about Finn that somebody or something needed? Was it the fact that he was a Day? Was it that he was a boy? Was it that it was a flip of a coin? What could it have been? Had he gotten into bad stuff and the wrong crowds and now was paying the consequence for that? Aubrey could not know, but nothing that she came up with really mattered, all that mattered was that she would find him... she had to. She wiped some sweat off her brow as she slowed her pace down to a jog as she entered an unfamiliar neighbourhood. Although she primarily ran through the areas she knew, she always made sure to go through one neighbourhood or area a day that she was unfamiliar with. That way she was more likely to have a better idea that she had gone into every area to find Finn.
This new area was not so unsimilar as to throw Aubrey off entirely. It was much the same as many of the other outskirts in Dauntless, especially the ones that bordered on factionless area. Thankfully it was the middle of the day, so the alleyways and walkways were not shrouded in darkness, filled with thieves and murderers, instead they were just dingy looking places that were filled with trash and dirt. It wasn't a pleasant area to be, and Aubrey wrinkled her nose at the foul smells that were wafting through. She kept up her pace of jogging, wanting to stay on the move and not wanting to give anyone the ability to stop her. She wasn't particularly worried, she was fairly sure she could take any one person on, but she didn't want to get ambushed and surrounded, even if she did believe she was better than most at combat, she knew it would be foolish to take on a lot of people in a neighbourhood that nobody knew about, and that nobody knew she was in. She wondered if it would have been smart to come out here with Bloom, but she soon shook that thought off. Bloom was lovely, but Aubrey would have only been slowed down by another person being with her. This was important that she did this herself. She felt slightly responsible too. Slowing down even more to a walk, Aubrey made sure to be light on her toes, should she need to race off again, and her eyes were constantly zapping around, examining the area and finding the best escape route, should she need one. That's when it hit her, as she turned her head to look down an alleyway, she heard - too late - the sound of a flying object, and as she turned her head to face it, she was met with a loud ringing noise, a crash and a burst of pain to her head, right behind her ear. Stumbling slightly, she did not let it slow her down, as she spun around in time to see another glass bottle come flying at her from a drunk older man stumbling from an alleyway opposite her. She considered catching the bottle and throwing it back, but instead decided to dodge, not wanting to cut her hand should the bottle burst on impact. The sound of the bottle crashing on the concrete walls of the building behind her was loud, but so was the man in front of her. "Come on sweetheart... why don't y' come keep m' company." The man stumbled on his words, clearly having had much to many drinks. Aubrey rolled her eyes, gingerly touching the spot that the first bottle had hit, and feeling the damp feeling of blood. "Throwing bottles is hardly the right form of getting a girls attention." She called back, feeling less threatened by this man than by a stray dog. "You haven't seen any other young people my age around these parts have you? I'm looking for a friend of mine, a boy, brown hair." She said, walking closer to the man confidently. The man seemed surprised by her willingness to converse with him, and he paused, wavering on the footpath. "Perty girls and boys like you don't really come to these parts no more." He said, eyeing her up and down, obviously trying to decide how he'd like to have her. Aubrey sighed, another dead end. "Well, thank you anyhow." She said, and even as she said it, she flipped the man off, turned around and began her run again, to the man's dismay and calls and swearing.
Aubrey might have continued on if the pain behind her ear wasn't so distracting. She wondered how bad the damage was, and decided it would be good to find Charlie.... Or rather, any doctor nearby who might be able to fix it. She knew of a pop up doctors place that was often inside the compound, and so she quickly finished her run outside, entering the Dauntless compound again, slowing to a walk and holding her dark sleeve to her head in order to hopefully soak up the blood. She was not looking forward to looking at herself in the mirror, and seeing her beloved blonde hair bloodied and matted. It made her almost sick to think of it. The pain had dulled since the original contact, but certain directions she looked in were quite painful, and every now and then she got a spike of pain, so she wasn't convinced that there was nothing wrong. It didn't take her long to find the pop up doctors, and she walked inside. There was a lovely woman who reminded her of Leah, working inside, talking to customers, and as she saw Aubrey she immediately grew concerned and rushed over. "Are you alright?" She asked, and Aubrey nodded. "Yeah, just a hit to the head. Would it be possible to get it stitched up soon?" She asked. The girl nodded enthusiastically, and led Aubrey to a chair, telling her to wait until one of the doctors or nurses were available. Aubrey nodded, and sat down happily, her body finally letting her know just how sore it was from her strenuous and long run. She grimaced as her whole body complained, and she shuffled until she felt a bit more comfortable. As she sat there, still holding her head, she noticed as a familiar face walked into the room. "Rhys!" She said, waving him over to her with the hand that wasn't on her head. Rhys seemed surprised to see anyone he knew in here, and he hesitated before coming near her. As soon as he noted the blood on Aubrey's head, he was quick to ask her about it. "It should be fine, I think I just need stitches. Some drunk threw a bottle at me while I wasn't looking." She said, shrugging softly. She sort of wished she had tried to catch the other bottle so she could have thrown it back at the deserving man. "Are you okay? What are you in here for?" She asked, not seeing any physical injury on him.
Interacting with: Rhys/Rafe
Wolfiee
Cassidy "Cassie" Wickham || 16 || Initiate || Erudite Transfer
Cassidy grinned as Ghost challenged her, clearly put off by her behaviour. It was funny, Ghost seemed to happily take the same type of conversation from those that he knew, but as soon as it was someone he hadn't had much interaction with, such as Cassidy, he was all up in arms to challenge her behaviour. She didn't mind, if he really wasn't their instructor anymore, then he was hardly her elder, and hardly deserved any more respect than anyone else. Some small part of her wished that Griffon were in here, that he would be able to protect her should anything go terribly wrong, say if Ghost were to get particularly upset. But from what she knew of Ghost, she truly doubted that that would happen. Cassidy tossed the knife quite casually in her hand as she waited for Ghost to pick his weapon and enter the ring with her, she wondered what he would take, and her eyebrows raised as she watched him take the same weapon as she had, the glove and dagger. She hadn't thought anyone here knew how to use those, though on thinking back that didn't make much sense, as someone had to know how to use them , or they wouldn't be there. She could tell from how he held the dagger that he was well trained with one, or had a lot of experience. That was good, she too had had enough experience with knives to be able to fend for herself, and was glad to have a combatant who was also as skilled as she. This battle, this challenge, would show her whether she was as good as she could be, or whether she needed much more training. If Ghost were truly a master at knives, then she would have much to learn in this little sparring session, if he was bluffing, then it would be interesting nonetheless, but quite useless. "Nice to see someone who appreciates the finer weaponry." Cassidy said, nodding towards the dagger that Ghost had picked. It was quite a beautiful one in craftsmanship, even if it was heavily blunted for training. Her one was also rather well made, as it broke off into two parts, giving it two separate points. If it were sharp, her one would be terribly painful to be attacked with, as would Ghost's. As she listened to his command, she grinned. "As you wish." She said, rolling her neck to relieve any tension that she held within.
Believing that Ghost would not attack until she had, Cassidy wasted no time in forwarding her first attack. On lithe legs that could move elegantly and quickly she sped towards him, covering the short distance in only a few steps. At almost the last second though, as it seemed that she would simple run into him headlong, she danced out of the way, taking a rather easy swing at him from the side to check his reflexes. Much to her delight, he easily used his gloved hand to ward off her attack. Though, from the way his reflex came just a tad too late, meaning it didn't guard all of the swing, meant he was not well versed in this tactic. That was good to know. Cassidy wondered if she would be able to make it so complicated for Ghost that he would be overwhelmed by this fighting style. She kept a lithe dance like prance around Ghost, every now and then making light attacks against him, never really using any of her proper strength and ability yet. Each time was a little harder, a little more precise... but so was Ghost's. Each time she came in to stab or slash at him, he took one at her too, and now it was like having a dance partner. Swing and block, swing and block, stab and block, stab and block, swing swing, block block... It took her back to her Erudite days. There was something so fun about the choreography they were doing naturally right now. Cassidy was about to move on herself, finding the dance quite pleasant but not so much sparring, and couldn't help but chuckle as Ghost spoke up, asking whether she intended to actually try or not. "I could say the same to you, but I suppose I shall go first." She said, one corner of her lip twitching in delight and playfulness. Taking a few steps back from Ghost, she waited for a couple of seconds as they circled each other, before darting in quickly. She wasn't sure if Ghost was not used to fighting with girls, or whether the girls he usually fought were more macho like Aubrey and Randi, but her first few attacks seemed to catch Ghost off guard, and Cassidy's experience with the knife and glove outmatched Ghost's inexperience. She got him a good handful of times in the side and legs, darting in quickly, stabbing at him, blocking his attack with her own glove, and then getting safely out of the way. She did this a few times, enjoying the way Ghost was fumbling with his gloved hand.
However, Ghost caught on very quickly, faster than Cassidy expected, as he finally managed to predict her attack, and his gloved hand finally caught her knife. It was a bit unusual to catch the knife, rather than deflect it, but Cassidy soon found out why he did so. As he yanked her arm with the knife, and she stumbled, allowing his knife to dart right under her arm and into her side. Given the awkward position she was in, Cassidy had little ability to twist and defend with her gloved hand, but she managed to deflect at least half of the impact by twisting her body and hitting Ghost's elbow with her gloved hand, causing it to buckle slightly, and giving Cassidy the wriggle room to break free. She winced as she did so, already feeling the lump of pain that emanated from where the knife had hit her. "Nice hit." She said, trying to not clench her teeth in pain as she spoke. Ghost shrugged confidently, holding his knife with almost grip, tempting her to come at it. She smiled, licking her lips delectably as she left little time for her arm to feel better, and instead she again darted towards Ghost, as if to do the same thing she did before. Hoping that Ghost would think her stupid. Whether he did or didn't think her stupid and naive, he did predictably block her attack, giving her just enough time to drop the knife she was swinging, grab it with her gloved hand, and jabbed it into his knee. She heard a hiss of pain from his mouth, and she might have chuckled, if there hadn't been an equal hiss from her own as a stinging pain was felt in her shoulder as Ghost retaliated quickly. Dropping to her unharmed shoulder, Cassidy rolled quickly and lightly out of the way. She didn't allow any time at all though, as she swung her feet at Ghost's, hoping to trip him up and cause him to fall, he easily dodged it though, and even used the move as a way to get himself closer to her, and looming over her. Feeling, for the first time in the fight, a sense of fear, Cassidy rolled just in time to miss Ghost's knife attack, and she deflected the next one with her gloved hand, causing the knife to slip to the side, missing her entirely. "You're pretty good with a knife." Cassidy said, speaking somewhat through her teeth as the parts where Ghost had hit her were crying out to her in pain. She was good at hiding it, so it was unlikely that he could tell. She glanced at Randi, who seemed equally interested and worried. She winked playfully at her, before concentrating on Ghost. From what she could tell, he favoured one of his legs, and she wanted to use that, so she darted in at him again, only to roll to the side and come up with ease, her body spinning and swinging and using her hands to keep her momentum and weight, she lifted both feet up from the floor to kick Ghost's legs, aiming specifically at the one she thought he was favouring, hoping to topple him down.
Interacting With: Aya,
Wolfiee
Randi
Sanctuaryforall1
Ghost
Aviator
Griffon ||
Hugging Fable was like a constant memory. Griffon held her in his arms tightly, warmly, safely, and he buried his face in her beautiful red hair, breathing in deeply and feeling comforted by the scent. From his studies he had found that smell was connected quite closely with memory. He had found this to be quite true in his own life, as there were some memories that he had that were so clear, and unlike any other. Such as right now, as he smelled the ever pleasant scent of Fable's hair, he was almost transported back to when they were little and would spend all their time together back in Abnegation. When he would comfort her when she was frustrated. Now there was no need to do that, as she was her own strong woman, and needed no such comfort. This comfort was different. "Well, I'm just lucky I was able to be your brother." He said. It was a strange thought, wondering what would have happened if he hadn't have been hit by that car, if he had escaped with Cassidy, would he have gone to Erudite with her? Would they have grown up there? Would he have gotten Amnesia? Would they both be there now? What if he had been left to die? Then neither Fable nor Cas would have him now. Or if he had been adopted by another family, he might never have been reunited with Cas, and he might never have gotten so close with Fable, and therefore he probably would have never come to Dauntless. He shook those thoughts away as he respectfully let go of Fable once he felt her grip loosen. He kept his arm around her shoulders, but made sure it was loose enough that she could shake it off if she desired. "I am surprised at how hungry we get after the simulations, it can often feel like such a physical workout." He said, as he rolled his shoulders. Although he couldn't feel anything in his body, he could feel the difference of when his body was stiff and when it was loose. Right now his shoulders felt stiff, and he wondered if that was from the simulation. Climbing ropes was hard work. He happily walked with Fable towards the diner that she had wanted to go to, his arm ever on her shoulders and his presence ever near her side. He wondered if they looked like friends, or even lovers. They certainly did not look like siblings.
Sitting down at the high top, Griffon hardly had time to say a word as Fable simply erupted when she noticed the burger that claimed to have peanut butter and bacon. Griffon couldn't help but chuckle at this, watching as she almost drooled at the thought of it, and he nodded along. "I must say it sounds rather odd, but I bet it tastes delicious." He said, his eyes scanning the menu for what he might like. "You should order for me, I have no idea what any of these are..." Griffon said with a blush, as he tried to understand what the menu was saying. Fable looked at him strangely. "I haven't really branched off very differently from what we ate in Abnegation, I get really lost in menu's and never remember what most of the stuff tastes like, or if it is any good." He said, hoping that would suffice in explanation. Fable nodded along, and immediately ordered something for him, claiming that he would like it, and that if he didn't then she would probably be able to eat both his and hers, though the laugh at the end of her sentence made him think she was probably joking. "I would love to try their butterscotch salted caramel milkshake, and their strawberry, cream and white wine milkshake." He finally decided, pointing them out to Fable. She nodded her head. Soon she picked two herself, and they both sat their waiting, getting a small plate of chips for them to share while they waited. Fable had to tell him to wait, as the chips were a bit hot to start with, and he had picked it up and eaten it without realizing. He was grateful she had remembered to tell him, as he hated it when he burnt the inside of his mouth. As it often meant he could taste things much worse, and it often caused his mouth to just feel strange. He supposed it was a blessing though that it didn't hurt. "This was a great idea Fable, we should definitely do this more often." He smiled as the waiter brought them their milkshakes and told them their food would not be too much longer. "Thank you." Griffon said politely. He looked at the two he had ordered, watching as Fable wasted no time in trying both of hers. He frowned, finally deicing to try the caramel one first. As he took a sip he felt the coolness reach his mouth, and he tasted the delicious sweetness of the caramel. "This is pretty good." He murmured. Then he tried the second one, and immediately he could tell which one he preferred. The strawberry and cream had so much soft flavour that the milkshake seemed to melt and float down the throat, and the white wine just gave a delightful tiny spark in the milkshake. "This one is much better though, you have to try it." He said after a few sips, and pushed it to Fable, as she pushed hers to him to try too.
As they sat there trying their milkshakes and waiting, Fable's question took Griffon by surprise. The mention of Aya of all people caused the tiniest of flushes to appear on his cheeks. What was Fable meaning by bringing Aya up? He could see that she was grinning, so there was obviously something funny or fun that Griffon might have been missing. Her comment on whether Aya was cute, he thought about the girl, and tried to imagine her. She had that small lithe build, much like a doll, and her style was befitting someone of her personality, with so much poise and confidence, yet charm and posture. Her hair was always so starkly contrasted by her pale skin, and her dark eyes had so much within them. "She is beautiful..." Griffon said with a small smile and laugh. "I think you girls use cute far too often to refer to everything though. I swear I heard you refer to new shoes as cute, and I would not say Aya is the same as new shoes." He said, seriously, causing Fable to almost break down in laughter. Griffon realized how seriously he had said his last sentence, and now the flush on his cheeks grew much larger, and he cquickly grabbed a drink to drink, trying to hide his awkwardness. Was Fable trying to imply something? He wasn't very good at understanding implications... But he did know Fable well, and that was what he was picking up from her. "I like Aya, she is interested in many of the same things I am. It's nice to sit down with her and just sketch, or write." He said, deciding to carry on with the conversation, regardless of the point. "Have you seen her drawings? They're beautiful. Especially the sketches she does of people. She makes my drawings look like toddlers pictures." He said with exaggeration. Fable smiled as she listened to Griffon, and he smiled back, enjoying the conversation largely. "Do you... think she would... perhaps... like to... well..." Griffon stumbled over his words, finally coming to a loss and flushing deeply. "Nevermind, it was a silly thought." He finally said, digging into the chip bowl to eat a few more chips. He couldn't think too much of forming closer relationships with people when he didn't even know if he would remember the important things. What if he forgot everything about a person? How horrible would that be?
Interacting with: Fable
Sanctuaryforall1
Wolfiee
Meow
Divergent
Rhysand(Rhys).
coded by natasha.
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