Fandom Divergent: Faction Before Blood // RP Thread

[Aviator]

“‘We believe in facing fear no matter what the cost to our comfort, our happiness, or even our sanity.’ As of now, that means bullshit to novices such as yourselves, but in the fun-filled weeks to come, you won’t take the Dauntless manifesto for granted. Unwavering courage in the face of danger is an essential attribute if you hope to pass the Dauntless initiation test and become a functional member of our society. As trained soldiers, our more glorified jobs include fighting for entertainment, manufacturing weapons, training a new batch of ungrateful fledglings, and even tattoo artistry. But most importantly, we encompass the City’s security force. For not-so-promising Dauntless individuals, their job is to either guard the Fence surrounding the City or prevent lowlife Factionless scum from tearing one another apart. Yet here in initiation, we have a new way of ensuring you won’t end up like said unambitious Dauntless individuals. If you aren’t in the top tier by initiation’s conclusion, you’re cut. You embrace the Factionless as your new family, because no one here will give a damn about you as you’re wallowing in self-pity. End of story. It’s an effective method.
“We are the toughest of five Factions, but also the cruelest; I can attest to that. Nonetheless, Dauntless unites us. Here we are family, and just like a family, we wish that most of our siblings had never been born. Here we are free, and do not live by the burdensome constraints of other Factions. We fight together, we die together, all with dignity and honor. Whether it corresponds with your moral code or not—I couldn’t give two shits less—we hunt Divergents together. And if you just happen to be one of these multifaceted fellows yourself, you better keep your mouth shut if you want to survive.
“Now, initiate, do you think you have what it takes?” —Ghost



Rules!
- Because Divergents are said to be exceptionally rare, I am only allowing 3 of them.
- It’s not necessary that you’ve read the entire Divergent series to join this RP, but it would help if you’re familiar with at least the first book or movie to have some background knowledge.
- This RP will focus only on the Dauntless compound, therefore, all your charries must have transferred to Dauntless at the Choosing Ceremony if they weren’t already born into it.
- For the sake of this RP, both the transfers and Dauntless-born initiates will train together.
- As stated in the book, the age of all initiates is 16. Training instructors and the medic must be older because they are graduated members (but please no older than twenty).
- Please do not complain because ‘Tris’ and ‘Four’ aren’t here. In this AU universe roleplay, none of the canon characters exist. EVERYONE PLAYS OC’S.
- Reservations for the Instructors and Medic will be upheld for 48 hours, by which time the entire form should be completed.
- While characters are allowed to be complete asses to each other in the roleplay, OOC bullying is not tolerated. Hate the character, not the RPer.
- This is advanced, so I would like 3+ paragraphs per post with proper grammar and spelling. The occasional excuse of low muse is understandable, but this must remain occasional.
- Please be active! This roleplay won't be as fun if we're waiting weeks on end just for a reply.
- With regards to the aforementioned rule, don’t flood other thread members, including myself. You must wait until three people have posted between your last post until you can reply again. If this rule is broken repeatedly and people are excluded from the plot, I may end the roleplay.
- You must have an imagination! Create plots, play NPCs and side characters, keep the story rolling. I hate having to make everything happen on my own.
- Use faceclaims, and no anime pictures for your charries!



Current Characters! (click for forms)
Training Instructors {3/3}
- Ferris “Ghost” Jacobi
- Vernal Bloom
- Phillip Parks

Medic {1/1}
- Charlie Stark

Dauntless-Born Initiates {7/8}
- Aubrey Stark
- Christian Parks
- Randi Rose
- Thorn Holloway
- Shayla Darkholme
- Rhys Garrad
- Orin Gorman

Transfer Initiates {5/8}
- Fable Morvo (Abnegation)
- Anika Vex (Erudite)
- Cassidy Wickham (Erudite)
- Griffon Morvo (Abnegation)
- Aya Kurosaki (Erudite)

Divergents {3/3}
- Randi Rose
- Cassidy Wickham
- Rhys Garrad



MAP OF CHICAGO & MAP OF DAUNTLESS COMPOUND

 

[Aviator]

Ghost // Male // Age 18 // Training Instructor // Erudite to Dauntless​

Seconds burst in Ghost’s ears in painful gunshots of sound as Isabella stood gaping at him dumbly, as if he’d suddenly told her that her longevity within her new faction was contingent on whether she could perform an impossible task. He almost felt sorry for her, and Ghost blinked, dissolving the unintentional intensity of his gaze. He knew that Candor and Dauntless were two separate factions for a reason, but despite the unswerving courage that Dauntless members purportedly had, they always seemed to lock up whenever conversation took a turn for the real. It was just another reason that Ghost despised his second faction, to which he’d transferred out of necessity, not desire. It made him wonder whether the factionless, aside from living in obvious squalor, had it right by refusing to play along with the system, instead choosing to pursue a life where they could all coexist without discrimination. Ghost chewed on the thought as he continued shuffling his deck of cards amid Bella’s inarticulate stammers.
He didn’t have to turn to recognize the owner of the purposeful gait approaching him from behind. They were the same lumbering, heavy footsteps that he heard creaking down the hallway of his apartment in the wee hours of the morning in search of the bathroom or the fridge. Just when Isabella looked ready to explode into a million pieces, Maverick Maddox stole over the two of them like an unwanted chill. Tension ripped through Ghost at the warm, unexpected pressure of a beefy hand enveloping his bony shoulder, and he narrowly kept a small packet of cards from flying free of his shuffle. Bella pivoted to regard this new interloper with an expression that couldn’t be any more opposite of what Ghost was internally feeling. For a half second, he directed his gaze at her, at the way she—sickeningly—mooned over Maddox like a marble statue chipped into perfection, until Ghost could school his features into unbothered neutrality. He wanted to hiss and snarl and swat that proprietary hand away, maybe break one of its owner’s fingers first. As Ghost tore his attention away from his playing cards and peered up at Maddox through a screen of obsidian bangs, he did none of the above.
Maverick’s veneer of civility was gossamer thin, and did nothing to dilute the poison in his voice as he leaned heavily into Ghost’s name like a curse word. Who pissed in your coffee? Ghost thought but didn’t say, letting the cards go still in one hand so he could reach out with the other and discreetly tug his coffee cup toward him. He didn’t like the subtext of the way Maddox gave his shoulder a single firm, lingering squeeze that Ghost swore made his bones groan before releasing him. His first instinct was to smooth the newly bunched fabric of his trench coat, but he ignored that, too, not letting his eyes stray from Maverick’s face. Outwardly, Ghost was the picture of polite interest, attentive and ready to spring to the larger boy’s assistance at a moment’s notice. Inwardly he was wondering what he had done of late to merit this veiled threat. Without having to look at her, he was hyperaware of the newfound electricity radiating off Isabella as she stood facing Maddox with sudden alertness. Was it that Ghost was trespassing on Maddox’s property by striking up a conversation with her, and this was his dick-headed way of asserting dominance?
Or was it something deeper with Caspian, who had gone radio silent from Ghost’s life over the past few weeks? Had they been talking about Ghost behind his back? Wouldn’t be the first time with Caspian, and Ghost wondered whether his failed friendship with his own roommate had been the one he’d been referencing to Bella. He intuited that Caspian wasn’t over their latest quarrel about the disgusting way he’d taken advantage of a drunken Leah during Phase One of initiation; a quarrel that had quickly turned physical. If so, that was just fine with Ghost, because he wasn’t ready to extend forgiveness yet, either. After last night with Leah and all its unspeakable events, Ghost wondered if he would ever be ready. Either way, if Maverick had come in search of a fight, Ghost would give it to him. But not immediately, and not with a horde of witnesses. After all, vengeance is a dish best served cold. He knew where Maddox slept, and unlike Ghost, it wasn’t behind a locked door. Right now, Ghost was just the helpful, oblivious colleague who meant no harm.
“What’s the rush?” he answered easily, swallowing down the sharp retort that rose to his lips like a dose of noxious medicine. He glanced at the analog clock over the entryway into the annex. “There’s still a minute and a half until training officially starts, and before you ask, all the clocks in my work space are precise down to the second.” So don’t you knock on me, kid, for being inefficient when you look like a fucking smacked ass who just rolled out of bed. Ghost’s voice was chipper and easygoing, partly due to the fondness he felt at the memory of emptying the cartridge of his neuro-stim gun into Maverick during capture the flag, and watching him slump to the floor in a heap of failure. And partly because Ghost was fantasizing about the outcome of putting itching powder on his own bathroom towel that Maverick was so insistent on using. “Oh, I think I understand your hurry!” he exclaimed with a look of dawning elation at now being on the same page. “You were bored listening to the analogical and highly introspective conversation that Isabella and I were having, right? My apologies. I should have realized that my philosophical musings would sound horribly dreary to someone so”—he paused to give Maverick an appraising stare—“athletically inclined.”
Ghost said this with his eyebrows raised and features softened into a mask of falsest sincerity that could have convinced a beggar to relinquish his last coin. He carefully ignored the glaring hole in his suggested theory that, if Maverick was so bored with Bella and Ghost’s conversation, he could have easily approached someone else for company. Just as Ghost was carefully ignoring the pleading way that Isabella was looking at the Dauntless-born instructor as she requested to speak with him after training. He inconspicuously busied himself with a final card flourish, displaying the cards across his forearm in a neat array and finishing with the entire deck turned face-up after a single twitch of one finger. In the heavy silence that descended over Isabella and Maverick, Ghost felt himself turn invisible. It was the same sort of scatter-brained inattention that Benjamin had paid him when he’d walked into the room and immediately laid eyes on Bella. Hypothesis confirmed, Ghost thought, remembering Maddox’s drowsy mumblings from much earlier that morning. In a twisted way, it was a relief to know that he wasn’t the only instructor currently hiding inappropriate feelings for an initiate.
Ghost boxed his playing cards and tucked them away into the clover-green folds of his coat. Took another sip from his coffee cup as he watched the last of those precious ninety seconds of which he’d reminded Maddox tick down to nothing. The moment that the second hand touched the twelve, he uncrossed his legs and nimbly leapt down from the desk. Of the three instructors, Ghost was the only veteran, the only one who wasn’t in his first year on the job—aside from Charlie, of course. As such, Harper and Maverick generally designated the responsibility of getting the day’s training underway to him. Ghost appreciated that much about his colleagues, that at least they knew their place on the totem pole, for the most part. No way in hell was he letting a newbie call the shots. Especially if that newbie was a sibling of Caspian Maddox or Finley Day, both of whom were currently on his shit list and showed no signs of reversing that status in the near future.
He scanned the small crowd of initiates. Only about two-thirds of the total were present. Noting that a certain three faces in particular were absent, Ghost frowned but cut his thoughts off short before he started assuming the worst. “We will be starting the day’s training promptly,” he announced in his usual slow and smooth tones, allowing a brief pause for the congregation to lapse into silence. “I trust that yesterday’s training made such a distinct impression on all of you that I won’t have to reiterate any procedures or instructions. Today’s training will be much the same, but don’t be surprised if you experience a completely different scenario in this next round of simulations. You may leave upon the completion of your simulation. At tomorrow’s session, your initial rankings consisting of yesterday and today’s combined scores will be released.” Ghost shifted his stance, settling a hand on his hip as he roved over the clusters of initiates once again and noted the several absences.
“I appreciate those of you who arrive punctually for training every day. It’s an imperative skill for those of you who entertain any ambitions of remaining in this faction and working a meaningful job, so good for you guys. Chronic lateness can get you just as easily dismissed from work as a mediocre initiation performance. That being said, I won’t be tolerating unpunctuality any further. Anyone who shows up late for training without a legitimate excuse will receive no credit for the day, so I would suggest that it’s in everyone’s best interests to—” A voice as cold and sharp as a razor-honed icicle cut him off. Just then the doors banged open and a blond whirlwind barreled in, a dark-haired boy with hulking muscles a half step behind her. Ghost’s face remained as impassive as ever, even while he bit back a curse. These were exactly two of the three faces he didn’t want to see today. An ocean of eyes churned to regard this audacious challenge to their instructor’s authority as she talked over Ghost and crossed the room. Brandish Rose didn’t stop until she’d marched halfway up to him. And requested that he personally administer her fear simulation today.
Ghost’s posture stiffened an almost imperceptible degree as Randi issued her threat, but that was the extent of the reaction she was getting. He read the situation for what it was, for what an uninvolved spectator wouldn’t be able to see: an ultimatum, a show of Randi using the leverage she held over him to get her way, or else. His blood ran cold with a frisson of anger. No one attempted to control him and walked away in one piece. Not Maverick and his demeaning possession of Bella, not either of the two girls unknowingly competing for Ghost’s affections, not his parents’ killers who’d struck him down from his cozy status as Erudite royalty, not Jeremy Daniels who’d sworn revenge on a masked vigilante, and not Leah’s father, who would surely hunt Ghost down if their deal didn’t produce satisfactory results. He watched Randi carefully, as if a cobra were coiled before him, ready to strike, and his midnight-black waistcoat lent the illusion of Ghost being even more startlingly pale than he already was.
Randi wasn’t only trying to control him; she was making a show of humiliating him in front of an audience. As great a breach of ranking as it was to interrupt Ghost and make demands of him, he couldn’t refuse her, and Randi knew it. Otherwise her scandalous knowledge threatened to end up in the wrong hands. She wanted her shot at a one-on-one with the Holy Ghost? Fine, then; he’d be happy to oblige. “Just in time, I see,” Ghost said with unflappable calmness, nodding once at her sudden manifestation before him. “And here I was about to write you off as absent, Miss Rose.” His strong cardsharp’s fingers tightened into a stranglehold around his coffee cup. “Seeing as you are not, the pleasure would be entirely mine to administer your simulation today; I am nothing if not accommodating.” The words burned Ghost’s mouth to speak, but he did not lower his voice to the fast and fleeting whisper of one with a secret agenda. It was important for everyone to hear and understand that he had nothing to be ashamed of. With that, he abruptly spun on his heel and stalked down the hallway to one of the four testing rooms, not looking to see whether Randi followed.

 

[MWMASkairipa]

Bella Quinn|16|Transfer Initiate|Amity​

She watched Maverick as he stumbled over how to respond. If only they'd had more time to really get answer. Right as she saw him open his mouth, Ghost interrupted and announced the start of training. Great. Now she'd go into the simulation wondering what his answer was. Well, she'd be up on the roof if he decided to meet her. Just like she'd disappeared to yesterday after the sims. Something about letting the cool breeze wash over her skin was comforting. There was one place in Amity that she truly missed. The Mother Willow, as the kids called it. There was this old, massive willow tree not far outside the little town. What made the willow so special was the romantic and hopeful aura it emitted. It was decorated with lanterns and fairylights, it was stunning to look at in the middle of the night. She remembered sneaking out with Ben a few times to just be stupid kids and talk about a new book they read, or she would show him a flower she'd found that day. That was before things got bad. The last time she'd sat under that tree with Ben, she'd returned home, only to be beaten nearly unconscious for sneaking out. She remembered barely sleeping that night, she'd barely been able to move as fiery agony lapped at her body.

Shivering, she shook the memory from her mind and swallowed, glancing at Charlie upon hearing her name. So that was it. Her eyes met Maverick's again and then her gaze moved to the stairwell leading to the roof, hoping he'd get the message before she turned to follow the dark-haired medic. This room had nearly set off a panic attack yesterday, what would she see today? She had plenty of fears to choose from. The small redhead couldn't contain the trembling that enveloped her as she made her way to the chair and sat obediently, pulling her ginger locks away from her neck. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad, yeah, just hang on to the hope, even if it was futile

Fresh air hit her like a tidal wave bound for an unsuspecting village and she had to pause a moment to open her eyes and take in her surroundings. Home... she was home. Tears sprang to her eyes, but not in the way most would expect from someone being reunited with their childhood home. These were tears of terror. It was fine, this wasn't real. She took in the cheerful little square before things changed and she was sitting on her bed, as her child self, staring up at the shadow bearing down on her. Her heartrate snapped into a frantic state like a ripcord as she scrambled to get away. She couldn't go through this again, not again, not again, not again... that infuriating chuckle filled the room as she crouched by her bed. "Oh Isabella... come on out... I'm not finished with you yet, sweetie..." Strong hands trapped her arms as she let out a cry, tears streaking down her cheeks. "You've been a bad girl, Bella." Stars exploded in her vision, her head hitting the wood floor with a thud. She crawled into a corner and sat there, staring up at her demons. Maverick, Ben, they'd all be disappointed with her, they'd all be ashamed. Realization dawned on her. Maverick wouldn't, he knew this pain. He told her his pain, what his father had done to him and his brother. If only he was here... she couldn't fight this alone. Her only option was to run, but she was trapped in this endless cycle of suffering. The redhead curled in on herself, wishing it all way, willing it all to stop, and after a few minutes of silence, she glanced up, eyes fixing on the still, shadowy figure of her father. Everything was... frozen? Pushing herself to her feet, slowly, she reached out with a shaky hand, and as soon as she touched the shadow, everything shattered.

Bella awoke with a start and a labored gasp. She could feel the hot tears still cascading down her cheeks, she didn't care. Immediately, she moved to the garbage can and emptied what little breakfast she'd had into the metal container. Sweat clung to her skin, tears pooled in her eyes, cheeks burning with humiliation and shame as her sapphire gaze slowly turned up to Charlie sitting in front of a monitor. She probably had the worst time, it had certainly felt like forever that she'd been stuck in that awful place. Why had everything frozen, though. Did something go wrong? They didn't normally do that, did they? Sniffling, she shakily pushed herself to her feet and sat down in the chair again, waiting to hear those words that she failed, again. If it was even at all possible, the redheaded seemed to shrink even more as she sat there, head down, hands folded in her lap, body trembling. She knew. An instructor knew why she'd left Amity. Someone else besides herself knew the darkest secret she'd ever kept. Not even her best friend knew all of what had happened to her within the confines of her bedroom. Would Charlie go tell someone, or everyone? What would she do with that kind of information, it wasn't something light and silly. She could get her father in serious trouble if she ever came forward, but why would she do that? Even here, she still feared him, she always would, she wasn't sure that she could, or would, ever get past her suffering at the hands of the man who was supposed to love her more than anyone else.

 

[Sanctuaryforall1]

Randi

Mood: Fiery

Location: Testing Center

Outfit: Current

Interactions: Jax and Ghost

For those in the testing center it was likely of little surprise when Randi came waltzing in without the slightest hesitation in regards to noise. To be quite honest Randi was more focused on an issue her mind had been dwelling on all night and now seemed like the best time to deal with it, or at least that is what her impulsive nature told her. She knew that she had Jax following in behind her but she had no intention of really dragging him into what was about to happen. Turning to look at the young transfer she gave him a smirk, "If you need someone to drown your sorrows with after this next simulation you know where to find me." She purred to the young man. While she might not be ready or willing to jump into anything serious with the former member of Candor she was certainly of the opinion that Jax was a more than entertaining person to hang out with and she planned to do so often in the days to come. "But for now this little mama has some issues to address." She added with a wink at the dark-haired boy before whipping around, her eyes settling on the target of the issue that continued to bug her.

"Ghost!" She called out to the male instructor as she strode down the hallway towards him. Everything inside of her was screaming that what he was doing to or with Leah was dangerous, especially for Leah more so than Ghost. Ghost was at least a full member of Dauntless meanwhile Leah was currently fighting to get her way into the faction she chose. The idea of Ghost taking advantage of the girl in anyway pissed Randi off more than anything. She might not know that such a thing was for certain the case but she was worried enough about it that it didn't sit well in the pit of her stomach which meant it needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. Randi didn't really care that there were others around, she had never been shy with her words before and certainly wouldn't start now. Marching down the hallway towards the older male the blonde she-demon had eyes of fire as she stared him down. "Some pretty interesting things happened last night," She informed him with little concern about who else might hear. "I think it would be best for you to administer my simulation so we can have some time to talk about them." She added, her eyes burning with an inner fire that portrayed how serious she was about her threat. "Unless you want to talk about them here and now in front of everyone." She challenged as she crossed her arms and glared at him.

She didn't really care that he would be seeing her greatest fears as a result of this threat, instead, Randi was more concerned about not embarrassing Leah which was the only reason she held her tongue on what had happened though she didn't need Ghost to know that. Leah didn't have the luxury of being Dauntless born which meant her reputation was far more at risk than those who grew up in the faction. Everyone here already knew who Randi and the other Dauntless borns were as people, the transfers needed all the help they could get to gain a good reputation. Randi wasn't about to throw Leah under the bus in her attempt to make sure that Ghost wasn't taking advantage of her. She was impulsive, not stupid. If Ghost was taking advantage of Leah in the way Randi feared then she would do everything she could to protect this girl she barely even knew.

Internally and externally Randi smirked as Ghost agreed to meet with her in private as well as administer her test. Following him down the hallway the platinum blonde female was on his heels as he entered one of the testing rooms. "So," She shifted on her feet, her jade gaze still laser-focused onto Ghost, watching his every flex and flinch. "how long have you been taking advantage of Leah?" She asked as soon as the door closed, signaling that they were in private. "Because from what I saw last night you seemed hella cozy with her." Randi stated with a defensive frown. "And that is something that can be extremely damaging towards her reputation."

code by Stardust Galaxy
​

Fable

Mood: Excited

Location: Testing Center

Outfit: Current

Interactions: Poppy

OOC: I honestly don't remember if Wolfiee replied to Fable or not. Wolfiee would you want to restart the interaction?

code by Stardust Galaxy

 

[Aviator]

Ghost // Male // Age 18 // Training Instructor // Erudite to Dauntless​

In the second before he turned and allowed Randi to escort him to a testing room, Ghost burned with every fiber of his being to peek over her shoulder at the lithe figure just now sneaking through the doors, and confirm that it was exactly whom his intuition told him it was: the girl partly responsible for his present predicament. And if it wasn’t for the fact that a roomful of eyes was locked on him, gauging his reaction, he would have looked. But flinching away from Randi’s gaze when she was staring at him so intently, with all the stifling heat of a desert sun, would only betray his guilt, so he didn’t. Dread snaked through his stomach as he stalked down the hall and imagined the thousand possibilities of how this encounter could go drastically, horribly wrong. The question of whether he would still have a place in this faction after everything was said and done seemed to hover on something as tenuous as a flip of destiny’s coin. Innocent? Or guilty?
Randi walked an arm’s length behind Ghost, as if to ensure that she could lunge forward and stop him if he suddenly decided to bolt for the nearest exit. He wasn’t sure whether the hot, sticky breath tickling the back of his neck was real or just a product of an errant conscience. As she marched him to his fate, Ghost thought he had an intimate idea of how old-time criminals being led to the gallows felt in their last moments. One of Randi’s steps nipped at the heel of his boot, and it was only a childhood of high-society poise and competitive dance that saved him from an ungainly stumble. Panic clawed up his throat, making his own saliva taste sour and his grip around his coffee cup slick with sweat. It sure as hell wasn’t the first time Ghost was being threatened, and no doubt it wouldn’t be the last, but Randi held all the right cards, whereas Ghost’s hand was a losing one no matter how he looked at it. He knew next to nothing about Randi, possessed no sordid secrets he could use to stalemate her, and something told him that she wasn’t the type whose silence could be bought with a dollar sum when something ran contrary to her moral code. Dear God, how Ghost hated people with moral codes.
The first thing he did upon throwing the door open was wildly try to allocate a trash can, even before the motion-sensing lights hummed to life. The world tilted at a vertiginous angle, and for a terrifying instant Ghost was sure he’d be sick. A single coherent thought broke through the muddled fog of his brain. What the hell is wrong with me? He usually wasn’t one to choke under pressure like this. Was it simply the effect of weed, lull, caffeine, and lack of sleep combining in a lethal synergy? Or the lingering embarrassment from having been caught in a compromising position with Leah last night? Or a bone-deep knowledge that he deserved every ounce of contemptible disgust that Randi was leveling at him with just a look. Whatever the reason, Ghost’s nerves were more taut than a tightrope, and he desperately hoped that years of playing poker were keeping it from showing on his face. He stopped at the center of the cramped gray room, set his coffee down on a side table, and turned to face his opposition. Randi remained by the door, long after it had closed with an ominous click!
Despite the ample presence of chairs, neither of them sat, as if any second weapons could be drawn and the consequence of an instant’s lapse of vigilance was death. Ghost steeled his features into an unreadable veil. He said nothing, certain that Randi would say her piece without any prompting. She didn’t disappoint. But it was how Randi spoke, not so much the content of her words, that caught him in the chest like a stray bullet. Ghost had been expecting to see a sadistic glimmer in her eyes, delight in being the instrument of his misfortune; it was no secret that he lacked the popularity that his Dauntless-born colleagues enjoyed among the initiates. Instead, there was something about Randi’s mention of Leah’s reputation that rang of genuine concern. In the following silence, Ghost’s keen interest in self-preservation melted away into something more somber. Something that left him feeling like a hollowed-out shell of who he’d been. Here was a complete stranger to Leah who had paid more forethought to her reputation than him, her ostensible friend for as long as he could remember. Her friend who was too absorbed in himself to ever look at her and really, truly see her.
Randi’s words had struck him in all his most vulnerable places, where he blamed himself for so many failures. Now he knew that the world would blame him, too, if it knew. Ghost’s misery had layers, and she had pulled back the deepest one. As if from a distance, he heard himself answering, “For as long as I can remember.” He looked away and let out a shaky breath. One of his hands raked through his hair and the other grabbed for the back of the chair closest to him, clutching it for support, convinced that he would collapse without it. Ghost sensed Randi’s confusion without having to see it and clarified, “I’ve been carelessly using her for longer than I can admit and retain any semblance of decency.” He swallowed before continuing. “All this time I’ve been so concerned with what I want and don’t want that I never stopped to consider how those things would affect her reputation—not for a moment. I only cared about my own, and not even then did I have the grace to know when to give up on something impossible.” He had been so hung up on the possibility of a future with Leah that would revive their carefree, easy past—the only time in Ghost’s life when he had ever truly been happy—that he had neglected their present obstacles. Now he saw that the past was gone.
“It was so... selfish of me to betray her the way I did,” he rambled, eyes fixed somewhere in the middle distance, momentarily forgetting Randi’s presence. “To use her, to toy with her feelings for personal satisfaction, and then try to thrust the blame on her when we were caught? I don’t know how I’ll ever look her in the eye and ask her forgiveness. Not that I’ve done anything to earn it in the slightest. It’s because of fake friends like me that people have to be so slow to trust those closest to them!” Ghost’s voice cracked, ending on a ragged note of grief like ripped paper. The foundation of his friendship with Leah had consisted of taking all and giving nothing—from ever since the time he'd publicly humiliated her by reading her diary aloud at her parents' Christmas party; to when he'd let her believe for years that he'd died shortly after transferring factions; and then all of those horrible things he had said to Leah in the alley, after he'd caught her following him. Suddenly, he felt very foolish for deluding himself into hoping for something more between them. In the moment that he had stepped in front of Leah, when Bastian Hunter’s gang had cornered them in Baneberry two nights ago, Ghost had believed he was willing to die for her. Now he questioned whether he’d have died for her, or for the heroic legacy such a feat would leave in his wake.
He crossed his arms, but instead of being a declaration of war against Randi, it was a protective gesture, like a last-ditch effort to hold his rapidly crumbling self together. Ghost wondered what hell was like. That, if instead of being a physical place, it was simply an internal state of unquantifiable guilt and remorse for one’s irreversible actions during life, and if all its horrors and torments were self-inflicted. Because right then, in the throes of regret for a lifetime of twisted intentions and vile misdeeds, he felt as though the devil had collected him early, walling Ghost in an inescapable prison of his own design. Shoulders slumped in defeat, he sank into the chair next to him as the last remnants of strength faded from his body, put his head in his hands, and breathed. Ghost was probably out of his mind for baring the darkest parts of his soul to Randi, a complete stranger, on a whim, especially when it was impossible for her to grasp his meaning when she knew nothing of the story between Leah and him. But perhaps the fact that Randi was a stranger was exactly what made the truth not so impossible to tell. Anyway, it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered, because Ghost’s capacity for caring was already stretched to its breaking point.
It was a long minute before he collected himself enough to speak. When he did, his smooth voice was uncharacteristically rough, like the crunch of boots breaking through snow. He did not look up at Randi. His sheath of emotional numbness had broken, and now shame for his display of weakness was starting to trickle in. How ironic that, in this room where initiates regularly confronted their worst nightmares, Ghost would be the one to come apart at his seams. “Do you think that you can administer your own needle?” was all he said. He was wearing multiple layers of clothes, the outermost of which was a shin-length coat, but all Ghost felt was cold.

 

[Nerdy.]

Charlotte "Charlie" Stark || 20 || Dauntless Medic || Dauntlessborn

Charlie watched as Bella sat down and began her fear simulations, it was another person whom Charlie wished well upon, Bella was sweet, kind and beautiful, not the one she wanted to see tortured by fears. She kept her eyes on the screen, but soon the fears became all too real and Charlie's hands began to grip the armrests of her chair tightly. Her knuckles going white and her fingernails pressing into the hard plastic of the chair she sat on, causing them to uncomfortably push into her fingers, while her body tensed and began to freeze over, paralyze, and become rigid. Her eyes remained glued to the screen, unblinking and wide with fright, she ferociously bit the insides of her cheeks, and her body began to shake slightly as the panic crept from down in her feet to her entire body. "No..." She whispered, her voice quivering. Bella's simulation, it was her own, she had had this nightmare over and over, and as she watched it, she could see nothing except her own father coming down upon her like a fiery demon, his fists high, his kicks low, his voice loud, his anger unquelled. She whimpered, as the PTSD of everything she had been through became more and more obvious, although nobody except Bella (who was currently unable to tell) could see her reactions. She hardly even recognised as Bella's fear sim seemed odd, finished in an even more odd way, and then Bella woke up, immediately throwing up in the trash-can. Charlie had, by this point, begun struggling to breathe, and she didn't even notice as Bella stood there unsure of what to do, for in Charlie's mind, the nightmare that was her father was playing over and over again. It wasn't until Bella asked her if she was okay, that she was able to come out of her shock. Charlie's skin was white and pale, unusual for the tanned female, and it made her look ghostly and unwell. Her shivering had stopped, but she felt cold all over. She blinked a few times, registering that Bella was standing there concerned, and Charlie realised how inappropriate she had just been, had Bella just witnessed her panic attack? What.. what had happened? Charlie took a deep breath and stood up, wavering slightly she held onto the back of the chair to stabilize herself. "I'm sorry I..." She bit her lip and sighed, closing her eyes and silently counting to ten. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... Jeremy was not here, Ghost had saved her from Jeremy, Jeremy was not going to hurt her again. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10... This was Bella's fear simulation. She knew the terror Bella had felt. "Bella, please forgive my indisposition, I... I am sorry... about your fear simulation, that must have been terrible..." She looked up, examining Bella's face, and immediately noticed the look of despair and failure that seemed to be shown there. "I just want you to know, that I think you're very brave for moving to Dauntless, and your speed today... it was amazing." Charlie looked at the time, and her eyes widened, it was... uncannily amazing, for such a terrible fear, it had been almost no time in which Bella had undertaken it to get out, she'd have to watch it over to find it again. Charlie sighed, standing up and walking to the door, but she just couldn't let Bella go without relaying to her a piece of herself. "Bella.. I understand your fear. I... I had someone in my life that did those same things... and the memory of that has haunted me, as you might have seen I had a bit of a panic attack, I'm sorry... I just want you to know that... if you need to talk to someone or just feel safe... then you can come to me anytime and I will be there for you. You are incredibly strong, and you can use your determination and history to go forward in Dauntless, I think you can rise to the top, and succeed, you're brave, strong, kind and gentle." She opened the door. "And Bella? I won't tell a soul." She watched as the red headed female walked out, and she sighed, that was awful, what happened to her, and she hoped that Bella would find Charlie's words legitimate, for they were. She looked around, checking who she was able to have next. "Dante? Could you come now for your testing please?"

Interacting with: Bella MWMASkairipa , Dante jrink

Aubrey Amber Stark || 16 || Initiate || Dauntlessborn

Aubrey was surprised when Finn insisted she tell him now, why couldn't he trust her that... she quickly watched though as he changed his mind, did he sense her urgency for secrecy? Or did he just realise he trusted her? Oh she didn't know, whatever it was, she just knew that she needed to tell him later. "Yes! Sparring will be so good, I feel like we haven't done enough physical training and I want to make sure I can still beat your ass, at least." She joked, before listening as he proclaimed he wanted to go get some water. "okay, I'll stay here..." She said, though there wasn't much else to do anyway. She watched as he walked off, before she turned to look at who else was around her, she nibbled at her lip, watching as people went to the fear sims and stayed back. What would she get for her fear sim today? She shivered as she remembered yesterday's fear sims, drowning, oh gosh was drowning awful. She still remembered so clearly how it felt, the water rushing over, the ice cold feeling of one's lungs being filled with water, the blackness engulfing her and the way she became unable to move. If Chris hadn't of saved her that day, she would have not survived that ordeal. She looked over to where he sat with Blair, talking to someone who had just come in, she couldn't tell who it was, but Blair sat next to him, in his arms. Something she had once done a long time ago, until Chris had pushed her into the waters that he had also saved her from. She shook her head, wondering if he was any better, she knew that his condition was a secret to most people, but it was clear to most that he had issues, however he seemed a lot better now than he used to in the past. She hoped that he and Blair were happy. She looked happy, most of the time.

It was getting a little bored as she waited for Finn, maybe she should strike up conversation with someone else, she looked around with her blue eyes and looked for any of her friends, or acquaintances, or anyone she could at least talk with so that she didn't feel terribly bored at the moment. She was very curious about Randi, and Randi had walked in with Jaxom, but she didn't know Jaxom well... However... Poppy was Randi's best friend, and maybe she knew what Randi was all fired up about? Aubrey could see Poppy, and she was pretty close by, so she walked over, still keeping an eye out for when Finn got back. "Poppy! Ready for fear sims? Yeah me neither." She answered, without letting Poppy speak, it wasn't really a question, rather a light-hearted reminder of the awful feeling of facing your fears. "What's got Randi all fired up with today? I mean I know she's fiery but today was just... unusual? She seems to have some pretty big beef with Ghost right now, I mean... who can blame someone with having beef with Ghost, but what does she have specifically, do you know? I am so curious!" Aubrey spoke quickly, her words excited, but also a tinge of fear in them, not because of Randi, or Poppy, but because of the fear sims being in the forefront of everyone's minds, she was still nervous, and she wanted this part of the day to be over so that she could talk to Finn.

Interacting with: Finn Baratheon Poppy Wolfiee

 

[Kio.exe]

Maggie Fields
Location: Outside test room | Interactions: None
​

Maggie was nervous. Not that she’d ever admit it. As she paced outside the simulation room, she realized it more than ever. That she do well in the simulation was vital to her success. She was determined to come out on top or not at all. It was how she was raised, what she’d been told from the moment she could walk. Her entire life up until this moment was to prepare. Sometimes she regretted the freedoms lost through her strict training. Sometimes she wished she could have slacked off and caused mischief like everyone else. Most of the time, however, she was glad.

She stood by the door now, finding it hard to breath as she waited for it to open, for it to be her turn to face her greatest fears. Maggie wasn’t timid by any means, but she knew that she was scared of things. Failure being one of them. Wouldn’t that be ironic, she thought, if I failed my simulation because of my fear of failure. Maggie pushed the thoughts from her mind, taking deep breaths to center herself. What would her sister do, in this situation? Isabel was like Maggie in many ways. Perhaps the most important ways. Her twin was also braver than Maggie in some ways. If she were here, she would have smirked and laughed her way through the test. She wouldn’t be worried at all. If she were here, Maggie wouldn’t be either. But Isabel had betrayed her by moving to Amity. The day before the choosing ceremony that had made a promise to each other to stay together. In Dauntless. But when her sister had chosen Amity right before it was Maggie’s turn, she couldn’t do it. So in a way, Maggie was the one who broke that promise.

The guilt of that decision weighed on her, and seemed to push her shoulders towards the ground, her heart towards her knees. She didn’t have many friends in Dauntless, and she supposed that was her own fault, but now she was left with no one. Half of her had been ripped away and given to the faction she hated the most. Maggie was angry. At the world, at her sister. At herself most of all. That anger was a honed blade that helped to push away the anxiety of the test, but was almost worse, in a way. She could feel her face heating, her chest filling with pressure. She had so much energy she needed to release, but she couldn’t leave until after the test. Then she would go train until her legs gave out. Maggie longed to be so exhausted that when she fell into bed, she didn’t dream.

Nightmares were common for Maggie, and sometimes she’d wake up screaming, drenched in sweat. The memories of whatever monster she had seen would chase her from her bed, and she would run until the dim light of dawn shone. It had started out just being once or twice a week. Now, it happened almost every night, and Maggie was ashamed. What would Isabel think, if she knew how weak her twin was? How terrified Maggie was to fail. To everyone in the Dauntless compound, Maggie was a force to be reckoned with. Arrogant, bold and heartless had been thrown around behind her back. But little did they know that she was a quivering mess of nerves on the inside. And that when she wasn’t nervous, she was empty.

When would this stupid test start?

 

[MadeInAdelaide]

Nic Thompson
Location: Outside Test Room. Interactions: Kio.exe
​

Nic was going to pass out. Okay, so maybe not really, but this girl pacing in front of him certainly wasn’t helping his nerves. Every few moments she would stop and her look would become dark and empty, like all the happiness in the world had drained from her face. Then she would resume her pacing, muttering under her breath, the words unintelligible. Nic wasn’t sure she had noticed him sitting there. And he was glad. He was practically dripping sweat, and his hands were shaking horribly. To say he was anxious was an understatement. He was terrified. Growing up in Amity, nothing scary really happened to him, so what would be in his simulations? What was Nic Thompson truly afraid of?

He wasn’t quite sure, nor did he necessarily wish to know. Did that make him a coward, unworthy of his chosen faction? Maybe, but it was the truth. It wasn’t like he planned to end up here. No. He had simply tripped over his two left feet and had wound up in front of the dauntless cauldron, and before he knew it, his blood was hissing on the hot coals within. Hell, he didn’t even know if he’s make it through initiation, but he’d sure a heck try. Nic turned his attention back to the girl now. She was quite pretty, in a feral sort of way, like most of the dauntless girls. She had golden brown hair, green eyes and looked like she was built to be deadly. And from the whispers he had heard when she walked passed these past two days, she was.

He smiled at her then, the first time her gaze came to rest upon him. “Hi! I’m Nicolas. Thompson. Well, you can all me Nic if you’d like,” he told her, standing. He was quite a few inches taller than her, and yet he found himself intimidated. “What do you reckon will be in your simulation?” He asked her, stuffing his hands into his pockets. God this was awkward. Nic hoped he’d go into the testing room soon, to spare himself from further embarrassment.

 

[WanderLust.]

Maverick Maddox// Instructor// 18 Years Old// Dauntless Born

Interacting with: Night paralyzed

Maverick's eyes were fixated on Ghost as he walked away towards one of the testing rooms with the fiery dauntless born girl. Maverick had grown up with Randi, he was used to her crazy antics, but this was a tad bit out of character, even for her. He simply cocked his eyebrow at the strange display, narrowing his eyes. It was unlike his fellow instructor to give in so easily, he would've expected Ghost to spit back a response at Randi laced with venom and poised to cut like the sharpest blade, yet he went quietly. Something, Maverick decided, was not right about the entire interaction. Then again, was anything ever right with Ghost? Maverick lived with him and worked with him, and yet his demeanor was always guarded around the erudite transfer with his 'holier than thou' attitude. It made Maverick want to constantly roll his eyes, but he had grown tired of prying into the Ferris wheels games, Maverick had other things to worry about.

He let out a deep breath as he looked down at his clipboard. Four names printed in black ink stood out on the paper. He was, admittedly, a little surprised to see a particular blonde from his past printed there. Maverick made a strained face, the emotion portrayed their almost identifiable as he decided that Aubrey Stark would not be first on his list today. Instead, his eyes flicked to the next name on the list. A transfer, one with whom Maverick was not entirely familiar with. Night, he was a transfer from abnegation. He had just barely scraped by in the physical training, and yet here he was to live another day in dauntless. As usual, Maverick was perplexed as to what he might see when he watched the monitor display this kids fear simulation. He had grown so accustomed to the many fears that dauntless borns shared. However, transfer initiates always had interesting fears... fears that Maverick might never understand. But it wasn't his job to understand those fears, it was only his job to teach them how to over come it.

Maverick paced through the sea of initiates, his shoulders back, his chin held high. He was quite the intimidating image to anyone that didn't know him. His eyes flicked through the many faces, some familiar, some not. But he was able to make out the figure of night standing amongst the others. "Night-" his voice cut through the mindless chatter like a knife as he came to stand in front of the initiate crossing his arms. "On me." he said firmly, jerking his head in the direction of one of the testing rooms. He didn't bother to check if the other male was actually following him, he didn't need do. As he opened the door to the testing room, he was thankful that he had already set up the syringe for the injections. He waited for Night to take his seat before shutting the door. "I'm assuming you learned the basics yesterday..." Maverick trailed off as he picked up the needle, he didn't know who had tested Night the day before, nor did he know how well the transfer initiate would preform in his simulation. This was quite the wild card admittedly. "Just try to stay calm..." it was much easier said than done, and Maverick knew that, but there wasn't much other advice the instructor could give him until he saw what he was working with. "lights out." he smirked slightly as he injected Night with the serum, turning his attention to his monitor as he waited for the screen to light up with Night's fear simulation.

Blair Avalon // Initiate// 16 Years Old// Divergent

Interacting with: Aubrey, Christian Nerdy.

As Blair enjoyed her momentary sanctuary in Christian's arms, her ears pricked at the sound of a familiar voice. Aubrey, the other blonde dauntless born. She couldn't remember how many times their teachers had gotten the two of them confused. It was hard to keep track of all the blonde haired, blue eyed dauntless born girls in school. And if looks weren't enough, Randi, Aubrey and Blair all had similar, fiery personalities. So when Blair heard Aubrey talking to Poppy about the sims, she couldn't help the tiny smile that crept to her lips. "Aubrey if I didn't know any better I'd say you were nervous." she casually chimed into the conversation, a playful tone to her voice. It wasn't a jab or anything, they were all nervous, there was no point in anyone denying it. As a few eyes turned towards her, Blair realized that this was the first time she had spoken to any of her friends since her birthday. And although her necklace of bruises was starting to fade, the memories of that night, of Blair running down the stairs wrapped only in a blanket, tears streaming down her face, those memories were not fading as simply as the bruises were.

She wished she could simply explain to everyone that she was fine. That Christian hadn't hurt her... Christian would never hurt her. Her sweet Christian, the boy she had stayed up all night with in the hospital, the boy who's arms she had woken up in this morning, the boy who was.... dying, he would never hurt her. She realized quickly that perhaps she should've just kept her mouth shut, stayed out of the spotlight and avoided any attention. Her divergency was at risk of being discovered every time an instructor got inside her head, she had more at risk than just being kicked out of dauntless. But she quickly changed the subject from the fear sims. It would do well for them to all get their minds off of the impending panic attacks that would ensue inside their own heads. "I don't blame Randi for having it out for Ghost... he's a pretentious little...." she paused, realizing that perhaps she shouldn't so openly voice her negative opinions of the man who had almost gotten her boyfriend killed yesterday. "He's a butt head." she finally settled with, knowing it was a half assed insult, but that being all she was willing to muster aloud.

Her eyes had clearly darkened at the thought of Ghost. She would be avoiding him at all costs today, he needed to stay away from her ... and Chris. There was something about Blair that didn't seem quite right as she shifted in her seat, almost looking like she was suffering from a pounding headache. For some reason she felt like an earthquake was about to ensue, until she felt a hand press gently against her shoulder. She looked up to see Chris looking down at her with a concerned face. "I'm fine" She lied, forcing a smile. "Just ... sore." she rolled her shoulders as if she were cramped from training although that was far from the case. She had no idea what was going on with her. Ever since she had tested that drug that had been in Christrian's pocket at the hospital she hadn't felt the same, the glass door at the hospital, the cup, her mirror, all of it had shattered whenever she felt this strange pressure in her head. If she didn't know any better she would've sworn she was causing it somehow, but that was impossible, wasn't it?



​

 

[jrink]

By the time Dante made his way to the simulation room it was thick with warm bodies and the soft buzz of conversation. A glance at the clock and the otherwise occupied trainers was enough to verify he wasn’t late - rather early actually, which was a relief considering how difficult it had been to extract himself from bed that morning. His dreams that night had been plagued by vivid reminders of the previous day’s simulation and all the memories, the people, it had pulled to the surface that he hadn’t had the courage to think on for so long. His family, old friends - they all made brief appearances, though none showed up more than his sisters.

He hadn’t thought of their faces, their names in a long time - Allegra, Sibyl - so seeing them in the simulation the previous day had been - if in the moment shocking - in retrospect strangely comforting. In the dream though, it was a different story. Both were somehow more colorful then he’d ever recalled them, older then he’d ever get to see them (Allegra’s hair was darker, longer now, Sibyl had a few more inches and a new pair of spectacles on her nose), and replete with larger than life emotion, betrayal at the forefront. And they lurked behind every dark corner, endless and inescapable all night. He’d woke up that morning lamenting what he hadn’t in a long time - his own cowardice, his own inability to even give them a proper good-bye. They’d deserved that at least.

Even so Dante found he couldn’t work up even a morsel of regret about his decision ultimately. It was only a strange, almost longing sadness he could feel, one he’d only managed to push down once he’d made his way into the simulation room. This was something to focus on rather than internal battles and dialogues with himself - actual conversations, familiar and unfamiliar faces. Pushing a yawn behind his palm, Dante took a spot against the wall opposite the door, pushed his weight into it and let brown eyes slowly survey those around him. By now, most if not all the faces were familiar, though there were still so few in the crowd he really felt familiar enough with to just walk up and start a conversation with. Besides - Dante thought, eyes catching on the clock, it was just about time to start this whole exercise.

Movement in the corner of his vision drew his attention and he glanced over as one of the trainer’s - Dante got a bad taste in his mouth at once, eyes flickering down then up again in quiet displeasure at just who it was, Ghost - began speaking. He’d barely finished before another one of the trainees strode in, unabashedly made her way to the front and made a demand with a hint (though calling it just a hint seemed a bit generous) of a threat behind her words. Dante couldn’t help but be a little captivated with whatever drama was going on in front of him and curious as to just what Randi had at her disposal. However quickly the tension had mounted, it ended as the two exited for one of the training rooms. Leaning back again (somewhere in the midst drama he’d found himself pitching forward a little) and directing his thoughts towards something that didn’t come from a place of inner vindication, Dante busied himself with the waiting process, drumming his fingers against the wall in a low rhythm.

The sound of the door to the testing room opening pulled Dante’s attention once more, the Erudite-born initiate watching as another initiate, a red-head, exited. She looked shaken, red-eyed and trembling. Vaguely wondering just what she could’ve seen to trigger that much of a reaction, Dante tore his eyes away.

“Dante? Could you come now for your testing please?”

Torn from his thoughts at the sound of his name Dante managed a curt nod as he schooled his features into something bordering impassivity, stepping towards the door as something like anticipation and apprehension drummed a soft rhythm attuned to his heartbeat through his chest. Once he’d made his way through the door, something like a calm settled over him because - he assured himself internally - this was familiar. He’d just been in here yesterday, sat on that chair, just had that needle inserted into his arm. The routineness of that was strangely comforting, so Dante focused on that, on what he could expect, could control.

The fear wouldn’t be as predictable - yesterday had been the betrayal one, he was sure they didn’t have repeats so it wouldn’t be that again. But what would it be then?

Almost robotically sitting down in the chair as Charlie went through the motions to plunge him into the simulation, Dante shut his eyes, mentally counted backwards from 10 as the needle went into his neck.

... 9, 8, 7,....

He woke up to light, too bright and all around, to the weight of a chair at his back. And sound, soft and deliberate - a girl struggling, sobbing, soft laughter from multiple parties. A muttered - “He’s awake”.

Something about the girl’s voice made him squint harder into the light, attempt to sit up from whatever it was he was sitting on. The movement was to no avail - his arms were behind his back, bound, and as his vision cleared Dante saw that he was in the middle of a clearing, tied down to the chair. The light was the afternoon sun, bright and relentless, beating down on him as well as a familiar face just a couple of feet from him -

Brown eyes so similar to his were wide and watery. Her face was pale, streaked with dirt and something Dante vaguely registered to be blood. Dark, curly hair she normally kept so neat and trim was wild and unkempt and a fistful of it was in another figures grasp.

“Sibyl?” Dante whispered hoarsely, tugging on his restraints with new vigor as panic torn at his senses. Why was she here? Who were those men? What was going on?

One of them, dressed in dark Dauntless-like clothes, drew a knife from his belt almost lazily, the shiniest part of the blade catching the light, and his sister, - Sibyl - suspended all movement, deer-like in her panic.

The man’s eyes traced over hers almost tauntingly before moving further to meet Dante’s.

There was invitation in those cool eyes, a message that made Dante struggle all the more harder on his restraints. But he couldn’t move, not a muscle in her direction. The man laughed, shook his head as something dismissive crept to his features. It steeled the Erudite-born initiate though, that disregard. He pushed the fear down, focused on what he could control - getting his wrists free. It was rope, just rope - not zip ties or handcuffs or anything else - so Dante focused on pulling his wrists apart as much as he could, wriggling his left arm to pull it free at the same time.

The rope bit into his skin with each frantic movement but Dante barely felt it as he focused on pulling his wrist through, through, finally. Wriggling the second one out, Dante focused on the restraints at his feet. Those were easier now that his hands were free, though as Dante was just squirming through, one of the men’s eyes crept to his, something like annoyance creeping into his features. He broke into a run, yelling something to the others.

Dante didn’t think, he just moved too, legs hitting the ground in frantic strides. Even then, he somehow didn’t feel like he would be fast enough to -

...

When Dante opened his eyes again the pain in his wrists was gone, the clearing was gone, the afternoon light replaced by the buzz of a lightbulb overhead.

“Sibyl?” Dante murmured, scanning his surroundings, trying to make sense of them. Confusion quickly morphed into clarity as he took in the simulation room in all its glory, in the trainer, Charlie, standing in the corner.

Even so, it took a couple of seconds for him to compose himself fully though - his heart was still beating too fast, his thoughts still asking after Sibyl even as he assured himself it had all been a delusion dreamt up by his mind and that god-awful serum.

“Right -” Dante stood at once a little too abruptly, swaying a little bit at the sudden movement. Spots circulated his vision at once, the room tilted a bit from side to side like a pendulum. He gripped the edge of the chair tightly, shut his eyes.

Get it together, get it together.

FILLER DON'T DELETE
FILLER DON'T DELETE
FILLER DON'T DELETE
FILLER DON'T DELETE
FILLER DON'T DELETE
FILLER DON'T DELETE
FILLER DON'T DELETE


{ MOOD }
apprehensive

{ LOCATION }
simulation room

{ TAGS }
Nerdy. ( + other indirect mentions)

Dante Aiken
erudite-born initiate

code by ditto (head empty go bonk)​

 

[Baratheon]

FINN DAY

As he headed to the water fountain, Finn's head replayed what Aubrey had just said. Had to make sure she could still beat him, huh? He would make sure she was eating those words later. Just because they'd reached the end of physical assessment didn't mean he hadn't been keeping up with strength. Finn boasted an entirely toned body, from his back to his calves, and he was proud of it. Aubrey would definitely have her work cut out for her.

He reached the fountain and took a few long sips, feeling his jealousy slip away. He was stupid to keep letting this bother him. If she wanted him, she would tell him. Others wouldn't even be on the table. And if she didn't want him, well, that would stink, but he would respect that. His heart might not, but he would. At least he could still be her friend, and keep her smile in his life. And her humor. And beauty. And... ugh. Finn shook his head and took another sip. He really was in over his head with this girl. He wished that everything would just work out and he wouldn't have to spend all of this time suffering and waiting.

With a small sigh, Finn turned and headed back. Aubrey had moved on to Poppy already and seemed to be in animated discussion. He should have known she wouldn't wait too long. He probably wouldn't have either. He grinned as he watched her speak. She had a zest for life he wished he could match, yet... something was being hidden. Her tone to him earlier, the secrecy, the sudden sadness she so often held in her eyes... Finn wished once again everything would just work out. That they would both find a way to be happy and free of the things they were dealing with. But he would never be free. Who he was- what he was- was going to be something the teen constantly bore, constantly hid. Who could he trust?

Finn finally reached the group Aubrey was speaking to and stood beside her. He said nothing but offered a friendly smile. His eyes searched for Charlie. What would be in store today?

TEMPLATE © BOKEH​

Harper Day

The young woman watched and waited as Ben went through his simulation, dark eyes focused on the screen. A dark room? A bit odd, but nothing she hadn't seen before. Lots of people were sacred of the dark, she supposed but- oh.

Her own face fell as the room came alight and rats were everywhere. A large chill ran up her spine at imagining that scenario in reality. Maybe she had an extra fear she hadn't known about before. Ben reacted how anyone would, in a panic, throwing things around and trying not to scream. She felt a little bad for the teen. A lot of fears came from serious past trauma or experiences; his was simply something he was scared of. It wasn't a surprise when he was unable to overcome his fear and awoke with a gasp, sweat beading on his forehead. Harper gave him a curious look. You learned something knew every day about everyone.

"That seemed like it sucked," Was all the instructor bothered to say. She handed him a towel to wipe his face before turning back to the computer. She entered a few things in, letting him catch his breath. Ben was not doing the worst, but not the best either. He'd have to work harder to overcome his inner emotions and fears if he wanted to get a leg up on everyone else. Her brother included. "You're good to go," She said finally, standing to her feet. Harper nodded and gave a slight smile as he followed her lead. She led him to the door and opened it. Who was next?

"Fable?"

// Sanctuaryforall1 CrimsonWolf

TEMPLATE © BOKEH​

 

[xayah.]

LEAH YOUNG

erudite to dauntless | 16 | initiate​

Caught off guard by the sound of someone calling her name, Leah jumped a little before spinning around to find the source. While the rest of the initates were more than excited to watch Ferris be challenged by an initiate again, Leah found Chris next to her all of sudden with a look of concern. How did she miss him moving in the crowd to stand next to her? Sure, she wasn't facing him, but Leah typically would have heard him. She didn't think she was this out of it, but the hoodie, hunched over posture, and exuding misery must have given it away to Chris. It was a little embarrassing to be seen in such a pitiable state — actually a lot embarrasing — but Chris didn't seem to mind, and Leah was grateful for that. Is everything okay? No, it's not but I can't possibly tell him what happened.

Struggling to find the words, if any, that could describe her situation, Leah's face visibly wrinkled under her hood. A rare sight, to be honest. Leah never let struggle and confusion show on her face in Erudite, but she wasn't in Erudite. She was in Dauntless where everyone and everything was competition to not be factionless. Nonetheless, she knew she couldn't just ignore him. He'd prioritized her well-being over the free entertainment in front of them after all. Letting out a small sigh that was practically washed out by the chatter in the sea of initiates, Leah nodded her head. "Just need to recover from yesterday's fear simulations." What she said wasn't wrong per se. It just wasn't the whole picture. The whole picture would remain a secret between her and Ferris. No one else saw. At least, that's what she hoped.

"How about you?" Tilting her head towards the blonde Dauntless-borne, Leah's eyes took their time to sweep over his features. The two had never really interacted before this, and when they did, it was usually some kind of brief and cordial greeting or a bit of sparring. Didn't he have a girlfriend? Leah swore she had seen some other brunette near him at times but dismissed the thought. The two of them were just chatting to pass the time as initiate after initiate walked up to face their fears again. There wasn't any flirting. Hell, the Erudite princess wasn't even sure she could. Flirting requires charisma and tact, something Leah lacked if she wasn't manipulating her way through Erudite high society. Just talking though, that was... nice. Maybe Leah didn't hate small talk as much as she thought, especially when it helped assuage her anxiety. "Something on your mind? Otherwise why would you focus on someone hiding in the crowd than free entertainment?" It came out a bit blunt, but she was sincere. Leah's eyes flitted towards Ferris walking off with Randi following him before turning back to Chris. She felt a faint blush show up on her face at the thought of last night's actions but hoped her hoodie wouldn't show it. That was why she was wearing the jacket after all. RIght now, she had to focus on her present company, not last night's.

TEMPLATE © BOKEH​

 

[paralyzed]

Night Scott | Abnegation-born, Dauntless initiate.

Interactions: Maverick / WanderLust.

Night sat there in the waiting room awaiting his turn. He wanted to talk to someone, keep his mind off what was going to go down in his fear simulation for he had the slightest clue. He traced the room with his eyes looking for someone or something to distract himself. His sight finally landed on a group of initiates having a conversation. He could barely hear them but at least trying to gave him something to do. Maybe it was rude, eavesdropping that is, but Night was so nervous he brushed that feeling aside. In his peripheral vision he caught a glimpse of a man holding a clipboard, it was one of the instructors. Night listened intently, hoping his name would get called next so he could get this part of initiation over with.

When the instructor said his name and told him to follow him, Night almost jumped out of his seat. He believed he was ready to face any fear, even if he didn't know what it meant or why he had it. After all, he lived a pretty mediocre life in Abnegation, what fears could he had developed there. Following Maddox into the room he proceeded to take a seat. "I'm assuming you learned the basics yesterday..." said his instructor. "Yes, sir" Night replied trying to make his words sound as if he had no trace of fear in them. But the truth was, even before he had his last fear simulation about death or something of that sort, Night had been spooked by his last instructor when they revealed the needle. He felt that same feeling when he took his aptitude test, and any other time he thought of injection. Who knows what they're really putting in you, due to this thinking he had questioned his last instructor quite a lot about the injection before undergoing the sim. As Maddox revealed the already prepared syringe, he tried his best to act like it was nothing. He asked no questions. "Just try to stay calm..." said the instructor, to who he replied, "I'm as calm as ever." Then he swallowed the nerves that had built up inside of him with a noticeable gulp. He tried to imagine what his next fear would be but couldn't keep his mind from the syringe. As he was injected with the syringe he felt as if he would go insane. Keep your cool, he thought. His eyes became heavy, ears started to lose their hearing. The instructor's smirk was one of the last things he noticed before his world faded to black, only second to the words "lights out."

Lights on. He awoke, blinking his eyes to find the simulation room in front of him. He felt the presence of his instructor behind him as well as the syringe still left inside his neck. "Did you miss or something?" Night said feeling the needle in his neck bobble for every word he spoke. His instructor didn't reply but held another syringe in his hands. "Come on man, no offense but if you can't do your job right, then-. The instructor shoved the needle into the other side of his neck, the fluid rushed inside causing night to clench his teeth. A few seconds later his arm began to twitch, his fingers moved without him telling them to. "What the hell did you inject me with?" He was seriously surprised by the act of his instructor. The only reply he got was another sharp needle in the back of his neck. He raised the arm which he had control over but the fluid from this new needle rushed to it, causing it to go limp. His heart beat fast, the rate of which only grew with every passing moment. He screamed, hoping another instructor or even an initiate would come to his aid but this resulted in no results. His instructor began to insert multiple syringes along the path of his spine to which he cried with pain. The contents of these he had no clue, some feeling like fire others like ice. But all of them led to a chill up his now holey back. As he screamed his neck felt like its vocal cords were being ripped out one by one. His instructor slowly walked into Night's sight with an extremely large syringe, the contents to which looked very lethal. "Why are you doing this to me?" He tried to plead with his instructor but like all the times before, was replied to only with an injection. This time to the heart. His body was sweating immensely, fear rushed through him more than the contents of all the syringes. He felt his heart beat slow. The rate at which it beat fell drastically. He knew death was near, but he didn't want to die. His vision faded to black, he knew the only way to stop this torture was to give in to the darkness. He stopped trying to resist the inevitable and let his heart beat drop to an all-time low. He closed his eyes.

Opening his eyes he was in the same room. With the same instructor. As he caught eyes with him he jerked his body in the opposite direction. Night's eyes were full of fear but as he stared at him, he came to realize what had just happened.

 

[MWMASkairipa]

~She was powerful, not because she wasn't scared, but because she went on so strongly, despite the fear~
~Atticus~
Bella Quinn|16|Transfer Initiate|Amity
Charlie's kind, soft words resonated with the small redhead as her footsteps moved robotically towards an exit from the crowded hall. She had someone else who understood. First Maverick, now Charlie. These people knew what she'd endured, they understood, they wanted to help, but she still pushed them away. Why? Why was she so hesitant to trust people, let them in, let them see her vulnerabilities. Charlie said she was strong, brave, kind, but here she was, putting on a mask to try and hide her fear from everyone she got close to. How was that brave? She lied to herself constantly, feeding herself all of these pretty little deceptions that she could be worthy of Dauntless. Yeah... right. She was the furthest person from being worthy of being here among these other students. They were all warriors, gods. Bella was just... Bella. She was too small, too timid, too quiet for her own good. What use was she to theses people who lived their lives on the edge, wore their bold hearts on their sleeves, they were strong. Bella was not.

She found herself up on the roof once again, just like yesterday. Here, where she was alone, she let the tears spill from her eyes. Her mind constantly betrayed her, pulling her down this spiral of pain and suffering like a ball and chain pulling her into the depths of the ocean. Her thoughts were the ocean, cold and dark and unwelcoming, but she could not escape them, no matter how much she fought. There was always a reminder, always another flashback, a nightmare. It was in these moments when Bella usually tried to focus on the nature around her, but with today's simulation, she barely had the strength to stand. Sinking to her knees, her slender arms wrapped around her stomach as her body trembled, lungs gasping with the heaving sobs that choked her. Her heart pounded in her chest, she felt as though someone was continuously plunging a dull blade into her heart. She felt truly alone in her pain. Not even her best friend knew what she had gone through at the hands of her father. What kind of a person did that make her if she hadn't told even him?

The dark-haired boy's face stuck in her mind. His smile, his laugh, his voice, despite the fear that gripped her body, he grounded her, much to her surprise. Her lungs took in a deep breath, then another, as she managed to quell her rising panic. For now. She knew tonight would be another story. She'd barely slept last night because of the nightmares of drowning in blood, being helpless to help herself or anyone else. Tonight, she was certain she would see her father's horrid face taunting her again and again until she finally broke. Charlie thought she was strong... she didn't feel strong. She felt weak, her limbs trembling with very little effort to get to her feet. The redhead should have grabbed a bottle of water on her way out.

All her life, she'd only ever wished for one thing, to have a dad who cared. She was the runt of her family. She only knew her brother for seven years. She hadn't seen him since he transferred to Erudite. The only person she'd had to lean on was her mother, and she spent much of her time making sure the house was spotless, or sleeping. They both knew that when he was home, neither of them got much sleep, whether it was because he found it amusing to see his family suffer, or because of the anxiety that he would find her hiding place. Her thoughts drifted to Ben again. She was honestly surprised that he hadn't figured out what was going on. Or maybe he had, and simply hadn't said anything. But... if he'd known, she knew that the boy would have done something, wouldn't he? She was reminded once again of their days of romping about in the fields of flowers, carefree and innocent, the breeze kissing their skin, the golden sun catching on her ginger locks. She wished she could go back to those precious moments, a simpler time. Her mother had always told her 'someday, your pain will become the source of your strength, face it, brave it. You will make it'. She had no idea how true that was. Bella knew that to others she looked soft, unbroken, passive, but behind this soft exterior lied a warrior stronger than they knew. She would make it, she would prove herself, she would survive. She'd be brave.

//Interactions: OPEN​

 

[Sanctuaryforall1]

TRIGGER WARNING FOR BLOOD!!!!

Randi

Mood: Determined

Location: Testing Center

Interactions: Ghost

As Ghosts confession came spilling from his lips Randi felt like she was looking at a picture she had seen a thousand times but was for once seeing in a new light. This version of Ghost that stood before her now was unlike any she had witnessed in his time in Dauntless. He was trying so hard to keep himself together and yet so clearly crumbling at the same time. It caused a prick of guilt in Randi’s heart as she listened to him confess his sins to her in a way she never expected to be possible. The fire in her eyes faded as her brow furrowed in both confusion and concern. Taking a step forward when it looked as though Ghost might fall Randi was tempted to reach out to him as though to offer a lifeline. “Ghost…” She uttered but stopped as his self-berating continued. She could see the guilt he felt towards whatever memories he was reliving in his head and it made her both concerned and, in a way, glad that she had said something. If things were things were so bad that Ghost would fall apart in this way then she couldn’t imagine what it was like for Leah. Ghost was not someone who made himself vulnerable to strangers often from what Randi knew of him, so the fact that he was bearing his soul to her like this said far more than any words could.

When Ghost finally spoke again Randi wasn’t surprised when he didn’t meet her eyes. He was clearly trying to deal with whatever demons haunted him and Randi knew it was not her place at this moment in time to interrupt. She would say her peace once she felt they were on common ground, once he had seen her simulation then she would speak, it only seemed fair. Upon hearing his request for her to administer her own needle Randi nodded her head, “Yeah, I’ve got it covered.” She assured and walked over to the seat she would be reclining in for the length of the simulation. Before sitting down she wrapped her fingers around a syringe on the tray beside the monitor and held it tight as she made herself as comfortable as she could get in the simulation chair. Without hesitation, the blonde brought the needle to her skin and pressed to pump the serum into her veins.

~

Cold prickled at her bare skin as Randi opened her eyes. She blinked several times, her brow furrowing in confusion. Her sight was slightly blurred and it took several long heartbeats for it to come back into full focus but when it did the young blonde female was only further confused. Rubbing her forehead with a steady hand Randi tried to comb the depths of her mind for any memory of this place or how she came to be here but sound that she had none. She noticed that the ground beneath her was made of worn-down wooden planks that were damp and cold yet still firm enough to prick splinters into her skin. She could hear the wind and the groaning of metal, as well as the creaking of old wood all around her as the scent of mildew, filled her senses. Wherever she was Randi had a sinking feeling that she did not want to be here.

Sitting up slightly the young woman looked around at the open building she was laying within and for the life of her she figure out why the hell she would have come to such a place. All around her were beaten and battered boats that were propped on their sides or leaning against the walls. She could feel a cold air kiss the back of her neck and turned to find herself several feet from the ledge of a dock in what looked to be a worn-down boathouse. Jade eyes watched the murky gray water that lapped at the legs of the dock and the base of those boats that bounced up and down on the slightly choppy tide. Every second she gazed at the watery unknown a sense of slow dripping dread began to trickle into her soul.

Wanting to get a better look at her surroundings Randi attempted to shift so that she could stand only to find her ankles were bound in cold metal chains. Concern hit her like a semi truck as she reached forward to try and pull her ankles from the metal links but found they held firm. “Oh shit.” She growled as she did her best to try and pull the chains a few more times. She was trapped but given time she knew she would find her way out which calmed her mind slightly; at least until she caught the sight of movement from the corner of her eye.

Whipping her head towards the source of the movement Randi scrambled backwards slightly when she saw a hooded and robed dark figure making his way towards her. Every part of her was getting ready to fight and she pulled her chained legs back and prepared to lash out like a pissed off kangaroo at the poor fool who dared try to take her on even as she lay bound at her feet. Her fight or flight instincts were yelling at her to attack and she was not going to question such a strong gut feeling. The fire in her eyes turned to confusion however when the figure diverted away from her and reach down to pick up something from behind a nearby boat, something she couldn’t see. As her eyes scanned the area she noticed that the chains around her ankles trailed off towards where the figure was bending down. New dread bloomed in the pit of Randi’s stomach, a feeling that only increased in magnitude when the figure reappeared with a massive chain wrapped cinderblock in its clutch.

“No!” Randi called out looking at the figure as she began fighting the chains again. “YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!” She screamed as her pulse spiked and she could hear her blood roaring in her ears. Seeming uninterested in her struggle the cloaked and hooded form wordlessly drew closer to the edge of the dock until he stood close enough that he could both look at Randi as she fought her bindings as well as easily toss the cinderblock anchor into the water whenever he desired. “YOU DAMN SICKO! I’LL KILL YOU WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE!” Randi roared though her voice was choked with fear. Without another word, the mysterious figure swayed backwards like a weak tree in the wind before launching his arms forwards to send the cinderblock anchor out into the water before him. Instantly the chain began to scrape across the wood and Randi screeched in terror as her ankles were yanked along with it. Rolling over onto her stomach the young platinum-blonde female did the first thing she could think to do and tried her best to dig her fingers and nails into the wooden dock beneath her. Her nails left long bloody scratch marks along the wood as splinters stabbed her beneath her broken claws and into her slender fingers. “NO! NO! NO! NO!” Randi fought as she was dragged towards the watery grave by her ankles. While she put up a good fight there was no way she could maintain her grasp as her fingers were ripped until they were raw and bleeding and with her last heartbeats above the water, Randi took a deep breath before plunging into the freezing depths.

Instantly the cold of the water ripped through her clothes and skin like a thousand daggers stabbing her all at once. Despite her best efforts to hold her breath and keep the water out, she could feel the liquid beginning to flood her nose. After the initial forceful plunge into the depths, Randi found herself able to swim up towards the surface and for an instant hope flickered in her chest until she breached the surface but found only her eyes could just barely get past the wall of water, the rest of her still trapped beneath. No! I am so close! She cried out internally and struggled as hard as she could to get that last little bit that would allow her nose to reach air but alas it was impossible as the chain was pulled as far as it could go. Oh god no! Not like this! She could hear herself screaming within her mind as she fought harder, her lungs beginning to burn from holding the air for so long. The fear she felt was unlike any other, she could see the way to safety but she couldn’t reach it and that was a torture she wouldn’t wish upon her worst enemy; to be so close and yet so far from that which could keep her alive.

It cannot end this way! Randi growled to herself, her heart racing in her chest as she tried to choke back her fear as well as keep the water from breaching into her nose, mouth, and lungs. Releasing a bit of air at a time Randi dove back down into the dark depths and grabbed the slick chain with both hands doing her best to pull at it in hopes of getting loose. Without much luck, the young dauntless born fought the water that pushed at her in every direction and made her way down to the anchor that held her in place. With what little she could muster of the strength she had left Randi wrapped her bleeding fingers around the anchor and tried to swim upwards with it. While the anchor lifted slightly as she pushed off from the murky ground it became increasingly clear to the ever-weakening, oxygen-starved, girl that this cement block would not be moving. It was a fact that felt like a slap to the face and for a heartbeat, Randi debated giving up and giving in to this fate. Such a thought only lingered for a fraction of a second before her fear and desire to survive drove her towards another idea. The idea of what she needed to do sickened her but it was better than giving in to the tide which wished to carry her soul away.

Despite being weak, clearly nearing the verge of passing out, Randi once again attempted to lift the anchor. This time making a swift move to shove her chained ankles beneath where the heavy stone and metal block would fall back to the ground. Her muscles burned but not as badly as her lungs which she felt were about to burst. Closing her eyes Randi acted as quickly as she could, not wanting to give herself a chance to hesitate, and slammed the heavy block down onto her chained ankles. With the force of the water, her dwindling strength, gravity, and the weight of the stone and chain the bones in Randi’s left foot and ankle shattered. She could feel the tiny bones of her ankle snap as the ligaments tore and her foot popped out of the joint. Unable to hold her pain back a nearly soundless scream rang through the water as bubbles flooded from Randi’s mouth and her eyes burned with warm tears that felt like acid salt in her eyes. With all the air gone from her lungs, Randi knew she had limited time and forced herself out of her pain shocked state by making the agonizing movement of dragging the block off of her foot. Every part of her felt like it was on fire and all radiating from her lungs and foot as she began the torturous process of forcing the chains past her not limp, broken, and out of place ankle. It was like hell and she could barely see now as her movements grew weaker and weaker. Suddenly as the chain slipped past her toes the restraint on her other ankle fell away and she was able to slide it out from the binds that once held it. With her world growing darker and a sense of numbness beginning to flood her system, Randi closed her eyes and focused on what needed to happen instead of her pain and fear. Driving all of her determination into a final movement she planted her right foot on the murky floor and forced herself upwards. Surprisingly focused Randi pushing her arms upwards and then shot them down as she felt herself cut through the water, her left foot hanging useless as she kicked with her right. Just as she was about to fall into darkness Randi’s head breached the surface of the water.

~

Opening her eyes and gasping for air with a cough that killed her lungs Randi shot upwards and looked around to see she was back in the room with Ghost. Her hair, skin, and clothes were all dry and her lungs and foot no longer burned with pain as they had been a heartbeat prior; though a phantom pain did remain. Sitting up fully Randi realized that she had no idea how her fear simulation must have looked to this man who she had just so clearly upset. Had he enjoyed her fear and pain? She wasn’t sure why but something within her told her that Ghost was many things but a sadist wasn’t one of them.

“I guess we are even now.” She said to the dark-haired instructor as she rose from where she had been reclined and got to her feet. Jade eyes were fixated on Ghost as she took a moment to let her words sink in. “Despite what others might say it is okay to be vulnerable.” She said after a moment of silence. “Sometimes the things that scare us the most can weigh us down if we let them if we walk the path of a coward. But the things that scare us can also drive us to commit feats of strength we wouldn’t normally be capable of. Sometimes fear hides the pain, gives us a drive, makes us braver than we would ever be without it.” She continued, the guilt she felt from earlier guiding her words, not giving a damn if they make her sound weak or like she is making excuses for either of them. “You might be afraid of your past and the guilt that you feel towards whatever history you and Leah have but you need to let that fear and guilt drive you to make you better before you both get hurt.” Randi sighed. She knew she was once again out of line but she didn’t care because this was something she felt Ghost needed to hear. “A coward sees himself at his worst and does nothing to better himself for his sake or anyone else’s. You are not a coward Ghost, so don’t act like one.”

Aviator

code by Stardust Galaxy

Fable

Mood: Focused

Location: Testing Center

Interactions: Harper

Fable perked up from where she had been leaning against the wall as she heard Harper’s voice call her name. Not wanting to make the female instructor wait the young redhead did her best to push her way past the other initiates as quickly as she could, muttering several apologies as she accidentally stepped on a few feet. “Hi Harper!” Fable greeted with a small wave as she approached the instructor, clearly ready to face whatever fear was thrown her way. She might not have done the best with her first simulation but Fable knew she had it in her to be a true dauntless, even if she wasn’t born into the faction.

Following Harper into a testing room Fable caught a whiff of the sterilization chemicals they must use to keep things clean and was instantly hit with a sour acidic taste on her tongue. Doing her best to ignore the sensation Fable made her way towards the chair she would need to be seated in for the test and made herself ready, her gaze turning towards Harper as soon as she was well enough adjusted. “Ready whenever you are.” She informed the brunette with a nod and sat back waiting for Harper to begin the process by injecting the serum into her veins. She watched as Harper took the syringe in her hand and stepped forward, a heartbeat later she felt a prick against her skin and knew the serum now flowed freely through her.

~

The moment Fable opened her eyes she could tell something was wrong. Her arms ached and were stretched out above her with thick ropes binding them together so tightly that she could sense herself losing feeling in the tips of her fingers. Looking down Fable took note that while she still had her pants, she was standing shirtless with only a black sports bra covering her chest and providing little protection for her back. She hated the feeling of the cold air on her back and for some reason each time a gust of wind hit her flesh the healed scars that covered her upper arms and back felt like they were burning.

It didn’t take but a heartbeat before Fable began pulling on the ropes that bound her hands together, testing their strength and seeing if by the grace of some god out there she could slip her way through the binds. It seemed that the more she struggled the tighter the ropes became until the rough fibers began to rub her wrists raw. It hurt badly enough that Fable knew she needed to take a break from the struggle in order to think, a process that was interrupted by a familiar sounding crack echoing through the darkness.

Whipping around as far as she could Fable searched the void for the source of the sound and began her struggle again as she heard the crack grow louder as its source drew closer. “No! You shouldn’t be here! You damn coward! You shouldn’t be here!” Fable shouted as her heart thundered in her chest at the sight of a familiar man with bowl-cut brown hair and pale blue eyes stepped forward from the darkness with a worn looking grey belt held firm in his grasp. “Get the hell away from me!” Fable shrieked as she continued fighting the ropes that held her wrists, forcing her to keep her back towards him.

“You never listen.” The man growled and loosened his grip on the belt, allowing the buckle to tumble out of his hand as he held firm to the tail of the accessory.

Fable peered over her shoulder again as she fought in her bindings as tears burned in her eyes. “I’m just not like you Papa!” She cried out trying as hard as she could to reason with the man who knew no reason. She was shaking with fear as her eyes locked onto the belt in his hand and she whimpered as it turned into something far more devastating. The metal of the buckle split nine different ways and became hooked and sharp as the leather that held it split into nine separate miniature whips, each with its own individual metal claw at the end and each meeting again as one in the form of a handle. In an instant, the weapon in her father’s hand went from being a simple belt, which she was used to, into becoming a fearsome cat o’ nine tails whip.

“PAPA PLEASE!” Fable screamed as he drew nearer to her, his arm winding back like a viper ready to strike. Fable fought with all her might as she tried to free her hands in order to defend herself from the man behind her. Her struggle was interrupted when his arm shot forward and all nine tails of the whip raked across her back at once, the metal teeth on the ends hooking her flesh and tearing through it.

The shriek of pain that rang from Fable’s throat was unlike any she had made before. Her back felt like it was on fire as he lashed her again and again, each time tearing into her flesh leaving bleeding gashes across her skin. Fable did her best to move out of the way though she could only shift ever so slightly and each time was still struck with an almost full forced blow that tore up her spine and shoulders. Her face was red and her cheeks wet from the tears that spilled from her eyes. Above her blood was now trickling down from the ropes as her struggles had caused them to rip through her flesh without her even realizing it. Each lash resulted in a scream that could shatter glass as Fable’s back was continuously shredded further by the whip in her father’s hand.

“You never learned!” Fred Morvo roared at his daughter, his eyes burning with hatred and disgust. “From the day you were born you were a scourge on your mother and I!” He spat and with each word added more force to his blows.

Fable shrieked even though her throat was raw and all she could taste and smell was iron and blood. “STOP IT!” She cried out as the pain felt like acid and fireworks all over her body.

With a sneer of disgust, Fred stuck her again and as the metal claws raked across her bones Fable found herself no longer able to stand. “You are pathetic, and to think you ever thought you belonged in Dauntless.” Her father jabbed and moved closer to where Fable hung limp and bleeding, his strikes never hesitating despite his movements.

Something inside Fable clicked when her father’s words rang in her ears. Despite the pain she was in she felt a flood of rage overtake her and for the first time and what felt like hours her heart was beating not only with fear and pain but with rage as well. She was dizzy and beaten with blood pouring down her arms and back but still, she felt the fire in her belly growing stronger and hotter with every jab and insult her father spat at her. “I am Dauntless.” She hissed to herself, her brown furrowed as she remained limp against the pole in front of her, her arms still stretched above her head. “I am!” She snarled.

As her father pulled his weapon back and forth with each strike Fable began to try to time the segments between lashes. It was hard to do through the pain but Fable did her best to force her focus elsewhere until she was ready. When her father drove his arm forward to hit her back again Fable twisted her back, which sent a wave of agony flooding through her system, and struck out in a sidekick with her leg. The teeth of the cat o’ nine tails wrapped around her pant covered legs, the metal bits biting her skin through the material but not as badly as if she had been fully exposed. Once the whip was wrapped around her leg Fable pulled with all her might to bring her leg back towards her body, bringing the whip and the unsuspecting man holding it with her. As soon as her father was close enough Fable wrapped her hands around the poll she was tied to and launched herself upwards, her legs kicking out in her father’s direction. Despite the agony she was in she felt a wave of satisfaction when her booted feet connected with her father’s face and she heard him drop to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Landing on her feet for barely a second Fable quickly fell into dead weight like her father, the only thing keeping her upright being the fact that her arms were still bound firmly above her. Every part of her was blazing with pain, each breath a fresh wave of hell, but still Fable found a way to smile as she hung there, raw and covered in blood. “You never knew me.” She panted and looked over her shoulder at her father as her heart began to calm within her chest. “So, don’t pretend like you did.” She groaned and let her head fall forward as she breathed, her eyes closing in her attempt to celebrate her victory and block out the pain.

~

When Fable opened her eyes again, she found herself back in the testing center with Harper looking down at her. Raising her hand up to her shoulder with her fingers brushing the skin beneath the sleeves of her t-shirt Fable sighed in relief as she felt only the bumps of old scars rather than fresh blood. Looking up at Harper the young girl sat up and bit her lip nervously. “How did I do?” She asked, not sure if the brunette would give her a real answer or not.

Baratheon

code by Stardust Galaxy

Thorn

Mood: Cheerful

Location: Testing Center

Interactions: Open

Thorn had been waiting in the testing center for a while and had seen several people be called in and leave their simulations since arriving. The scene between Randi and Ghost had been one that sparked conversation between many of the initiated but Thorn found himself focused more on other thoughts than the drama between initiates and instructors. In his hands he held a little bit of wire that he was working patiently on twisting into the shape of a finely detailed tree. It was something simple but rewarding being able to see something beautiful come from something so plain.

Every once in awhile Thorn would look up from his work and see the other initiates in their little groups, talking and gossiping about anything and everything. If someone happened to look his way Thorn would greet them with a warm and cheerful smile and kind eyes even if they did not return the gesture. He couldn't blame others for wanting to look tough or not want to interact with him, especially the dauntless born initiates who he had grown up with, he knew that they all wanted to look the part of a true dauntless, a trait Thorn didn't really share with the rest. Rather than looking tough Thorn preferred to look kind and welcoming. He was well known for being one to avoid the fight so many people doubted him, another thing Thorn didn't mind. If people didn't think him a fighter he wouldn't complain because honestly, Thorn found he believed true strength came from displays of peace rather than aggression. He didn' openly share his beliefs with others but he didn't hide his actions either.

OOC: OPEN FOR INTERACTION! Sorry for the pathetic first post for him!

code by Stardust Galaxy

 

[Aviator]

Ghost // Male // Age 18 // Training Instructor // Erudite to Dauntless
​

The fact that he was too much of a mess to do his job as an instructor, the fact that he’d asked Randi to administer her own serum, caused another bolt of pain to shoot through Ghost. But this one was weaker than its many predecessors, as if his senses were already so overloaded with anguish that they hardly registered further wounds. Simply showing up to Phase Two training was already expecting so much of initiates. Asking Randi to inject a liquid nightmare into her own veins was something else entirely. Just as he’d been last night, when Randi had caught him in a moment of professional misconduct with Leah, Ghost was treating his job like a joke. Displaying such incompetence that anyone else would wonder what might have qualified him for the position of instructor in the first place. It was the crown jewel in his rotten legacy, and Ghost felt like a man throwing himself at a wall, in the hopes that one of these days he might finally break apart.
His head rang with the stark silence that had descended over the tiny room. Tremors ran through him, all the way from his working jaw to the soles of his feet, as he dared to look up at Randi’s unmoving form. Her eyelashes were so pale as to verge on invisibility, but faintly he saw them tremble as the serum went to work inside her. Even as the monitor on the table beside her hummed to life, even as Ghost was aware that no one was watching him, that he was essentially alone in this room with his misery, he could not stop shaking. An endless series of shivers racked his body, and his heart thrummed with a relentless need as he hunched low in his chair and wrapped his arms around himself. There was a dull roaring in his ears. And then, amid the disjointed colors and sounds flashing across Randi’s computer screen, Ghost was leaping out of his seat. His chair screeched like the cries of someone waking in their coffin. He lunged toward the row of plain wooden cabinets along the back wall, at the counter with its peeling surface beneath them, where he’d abandoned his coffee, which had gone cold long ago. Crystalline flecks that easily could have been mistaken for sugar shone brilliantly against the velvet-black liquid, like a handful of stars scattered across a night sky.
Indiscriminate voices were shouting in Ghost’s head as he raised the considerable remainder of the twenty-four-ounce cup to his lips. He drank with such delirious fervor that each swallow was on the heels of the former, and it was all he could do to keep from choking. Liquid seeped from the corners of his mouth. He didn’t stop, not even when his stomach felt painfully expanded with its sudden contents. Soon that pain faded too. By the time that he scraped the bottom of the paper cup and crushed it triumphantly in his hand, his mind was already moving slowly. The floor beneath his feet tilted, and when he arced his abandoned cup into the trash can, it danced dangerously on the rim and threatened to teeter out, despite the fact that Ghost was standing only a foot away from his target. His head felt heavy and light both at once as he looked around the room, fascinated at the way that all the colors were sharpening into a dazzling radiance. And then, in kaleidoscopic intervals, they converged, so that the room was painted entirely in shades of black and red, with a dusting of white.
Hearts swirled on the wall across from him. Clubs to his left and spades to his right, both shifting and re-forming in increasingly twisty patterns. With a careful deliberation to his movements, Ghost gripped the counter for balance and turned. Sure enough, replacing the cabinets on the wall behind him was a spinning vortex of diamonds, and he was certain that if he stared for long enough, he’d fall into its crimson depths. Ghost was sure that the diamonds were on the verge of communicating to him some sacred knowledge, when a piercing violin note drowned out their collective voice. Ghost whirled too fast. His shoulder blades thudded against the wall behind him, and he was vaguely surprised to find a solid resistance breaking his fall, rather than an endless backwards tumble through space and time. Another unpracticed screech of a violin grated against his ears. He blinked hard, searching the walls of clubs, hearts, and spades for the source of the noise, trying to suss out which of them was the guilty party, when to his horror his house of cards collapsed. Before Ghost’s eyes, the red-and-black shapes of all four suits disintegrated into a million psychedelic shards.
He flung out an arm to prevent their leaving, but already the dull grays and blues and browns of the testing room were bleeding in, like the first intrusive rays of sunlight after a night one had hoped would never end. He barely had time to mourn the loss of his otherworldly companions when a still and silent and blond form took their place, her neck draped across the headrest of a fake-leather chair in an elegant swoon. Ghost squinted against the harsh fluorescent lights and recognized Brandish Rose's pouty lips and butterscotch complexion. A sputter of motion caught his eye, and his gaze flicked toward the monitor beside her, where a scene of watery terror was unfolding. That ear-splitting tone rang out again, and with a dawning, horrible clarity Ghost realized it was a scream. The bottom of his stomach dropped out, but not because the world was spinning anymore. With only a slight wobble, he made his way to his chair across from Randi’s, torn between relief for hopefully missing the worst of her simulation, and guilt for getting high while she was experiencing a literal living hell.
But a creeping sense of horror sent a tide of goosebumps across his skin when he realized he was just in time for the climax, and despite his impaired cognitive faculties, he knew what Randi was about to do the second before she did it. It was all Ghost could do not to shut his eyes and turn away from the screen as Randi heaved a massive cinder block and brought it down on her chained ankle with bone-shattering force. Ghost swallowed down his nausea, unwilling to imagine whether he would have had the mettle to make the same decision in her situation. Moments later, the real Randi’s eyes snapped open, startling Ghost, who had a feeling like he was staring into the windows of a haunted house. His vision was still a little bleary from the lull, and he had no idea whether he was capable of speech, or what he would say even if he was. So he remained silent as Randi pushed to her feet. Never before had he felt so… dirty for witnessing an initiate at her lowest, for violating her privacy so flagrantly. Caspian, for all his many faults, at least had had the decency as an instructor and as a friend to never lord his knowledge of Ghost’s worst fears over him.
Randi broke the too-close silence between them, as Ghost had hoped she would. As she loomed over him, normally he would have felt compelled to stand as well, but for whatever reason, he remained seated with one leg neatly crossed over his lap. Maybe because she’d already seen him at his weakest, so there was no point in projecting an obviously false image of strength. Or maybe the lull had temporarily smoothed over Ghost’s impulse to view everyone else as an opponent who had to be ruthlessly combated. He tried to turn over her words as best he could in his drug-ravaged brain, and as a practiced user, he was careful not to betray any of the usual dead giveaways that he was experiencing an altered state of consciousness. An Erudite childhood had taught Ghost the importance of keeping an open mind, but he wasn’t sure that he’d ever let fear drive him to success. Normal people did that. Normal people obsessed over what others might think of them if they didn’t act a certain way, strove to achieve because they feared that they’d be nothing otherwise. But ever since Ghost had survived for six years an illness that was supposed to have killed him within one, he’d always acted from within; not from without. Confidence in his own logical rationale had never allowed the impossible to stop him.
Without that, he was nothing. And he knew it.
Ghost pensively twirled his hair with one finger as he forced his brain to string together a coherent sentence out of his thoughts. “No. It’s too late for that,” he told Randi softly. Clearing his throat, he continued, “Leah and I are already hurt. Broken, in fact. Or at least, I am.” He looked up from the wall he’d been gazing steadily at, as if there’d been a chance of reopening the swimming black-and-red channel from earlier, and met Randi’s eyes. “But wouldn’t you agree that there’s a world of difference between broken and ruined? Because there is no part of me that isn’t stronger for having been broken.” His shoulders slumped and he looked away again, adding as an afterthought, “I just hope that Leah is eventually able to see herself that way, too.” After all, with any luck, Leah would have a whole lifetime ahead of her. Ghost only had a few more years at best, not that he felt sorry for himself because of it. If he’d remained in Baneberry, his life might have been snuffed out long ago. “You’re a smart girl, Brandish. You would have done well in Erudite,” he said with his usual unsmiling earnestness.
Finally she left. Unlike so many others, Randi hadn’t inquired after her time on the simulation, or how well her performance stacked up against her peers’. Ghost admired that. It was as if the power of her own unshakable conviction in herself was strong enough to carry her to success alone. He waited until after he heard her footsteps recede down the hall to make a quick erasure on his notes and dock a whole minute from the runtime that the computer had recorded for her simulation. “Now we’re even,” he murmured with the satisfaction of repaying a debt in full. Ghost took a breath before attempting to stand, and the world circled around him once, twice before settling. To his relief, he was passably coordinated as he slipped out of the half-open door. A burning desire kindled inside him to approach Leah and try to make amends as Randi had advised, but Ghost knew he would have to curb it, for the moment. After his public showdown with Randi prior to heading to the testing room, there was no way that everyone’s eyes wouldn’t be drilling into him, absorbing his every expression and gesture. Hell, Randi was probably already being interrogated by all her friends as to the meaning of her challenging him. For some unexplainable reason, Ghost trusted that she wouldn’t spill any sensitive information.
It probably wasn't very smart to single Leah out immediately after he’d concluded things with Randi. People might connect the dots and figure out Leah might have been the topic of their conversation; Dauntless initiates might not have been as sharp as the Erudite, but most of them weren’t stupid, either. However, the words Ghost had to tell Leah were bubbling at his lips, irrepressible, like a pot ready to boil over. If he held them back a moment longer, he thought he might explode from the pressure. For a moment, he stood at the mouth of the hallway and briefly surveyed the small legion of teenagers, calculating, weighing the sense of making a more neutral move versus the intuition telling him to pick Leah now. If he waited, another instructor might snatch her up in the meantime, and he'd miss his opportunity, then who knew when they would next get to speak. That settled it, then. He'd have to take a gamble. “Miss Young,” he declared, just loud enough to be heard over the furious storm of whispers. “If you would please come with me.”

 

[WanderLust.]

Maverick Maddox// Instructor// 18 Years Old// Dauntless Born

Interacting with: Night paralyzed Jaxom Wolfiee

For the second time that year Maverick watched as his own face materialized on the screen and immediately his eyes narrowed. He couldn't remember ever even striking up a conversation with Night, so why would he be present in the abnegation transfer's fear simulation? It took less than a few seconds for the true underlying fear of this scenario to reveal itself, and Maverick could not keep himself from cringing as he watched a mute version of himself relentlessly sinking syringes into Night's body. Maverick blinked as his mind started to piece together that Night's fear had nothing to do with Maverick himself... it was the needles. This was admittedly a fear he hadn't seen before, and an extremely unpleasant one at that. He forced himself to watch through gritted teeth as the macabre scenario continued until Night's heartbeat began to slow. Maverick found himself almost rooting for the boy, to his own surprise. Night was quite amicable and more importantly, Maverick wasn't exactly enjoying this fear simulation. He had been at this job long enough to know when someone was on the cusp of waking up, so he quickly reached for a water bottle, wrapping his nimble fingers around it just as Night's eyes blinked back to reality.

When Night's eyes finally focused on Maverick, he seemed to jerk away from him suddenly and Maverick cocked an eyebrow at this reaction. "Don't worry... I'm afraid I only had the one syringe and it's in the trash." He smiled softly, not a teasing smile but a genuine one. He handed night the water bottle, knowing that small sips usually helped to calm initiates after their simulations. His eyes flicked back towards the monitor to jot down Night's time on his clipboard. "That was quite a nasty one," Maverick pursed his lips as he set his clipboard down and talked with Night for a moment "but you did well. I would suggest, however, that you work on finding a way out of those nasty little situations rather than just waiting for your heartbeat to slow, it'll improve your time next round. Now go on - get out of here" he jerked his head towards the door, as if he were releasing an animal back into the wild. "Oh and would you mind sending Jaxom in after you?"

Maverick hesitantly reached for the drawer to his left, but only after Night had left the room. He didn't want the boy knowing the drawer was actually full of additional syringes and risk giving him pointless nightmares. Once Night was gone, he carefully plucked another syringe from the drawer, preparing for Jaxom's arrival. He pulled up the boys file and quickly scanned through it, he was familiar enough with Jaxom, but not close or anything. Although he was a transfer, it seemed he had quickly made friends with a number of the dauntless borns... most importantly Randi, perhaps he had some information on what exactly Brandish Rose had been up to with Ghost this morning.

It didn't take long for Jaxom to arrive, and when he did, Maverick shut the door behind him, prompting him to sit. "Well that was quite a show this morning don't you think?" he smirked softly, remembering how quiet Ghost had been when Randi paraded in. "I've known Randi since we were kids, but I'll be honest, I've never seen her do anything like that." He couldn't stop himself, he knew exactly what he was doing, and he hated himself for it, but curiosity was getting the better of him. Perhaps this talk could tease something out of Jaxom's memories that would manifest itself in his fear simulation and give Maverick a clue as to what was going on with Ghost, "You two are close, you wouldn't happen to know anything about it would you?" he cocked an eyebrow, but shrugged before Jaxom could answer. He knew he wouldn't answer honestly anyways, and besides that wasn't the point. "Ah, it's probably not important." he let out a breath before turning to face Jaxom with the syringe, pressing it gently into his neck, "I never much liked Ghost anyways..."​

 

[paralyzed]

Night Scott | Abnegation-born, Dauntless initiate.

Interactions: Maverick WanderLust. / Jaxom Wolfiee

Night's fear broke apart when Maverick spoke to him with a smile on his face. This wasn't the person who had tortured him moments prior, that was all fake, his fear simulation. Taking the water bottle offered to him, Night glugged it down trying to wash away his fear. Coughing from the excess water he downed, his eyes started to water slightly which he tried his best to hide from his instructor. He already embarrassed himself enough. "That was quite a nasty one," said his instructor, but all Night could do was nod in agreement. As he told Night he did well but could've done better, he realized that he barely even fought the simulation. He could have done better, but he didn't. I failed straight up in front of an instructor, what was I thinking. That was something someone from abnegation would have done, not a dauntless. I want to, no need to prove myself, but whenever the time comes I fail. All these thoughts clouded his vision with a gray blur. GRAY...

"Now go on - get out of here," the words jolted Night out of his self-conscious state. He stood up quickly and followed the direction in which Maverick jerked his head. Before opening the door he turned, Abnegation habits taking over him, and opened his mouth to say thanks. Before any sound came from him the instructor spoke, "Oh and would you mind sending Jaxom in after you?" Thanks? what was I thinking, people in dauntless probably don't even say that. He was back in his head judging himself for something he hadn't even said. Thankfully his instructor had interrupted him, which saved him from loads of embarrassment. "Thanks." Surprised by what he just said he muttered a curse word under his breath. "I mean, yes, I'll send him right in." Shaking his head faintly he walked out of the simulation room.

Into the waiting room he went, searching with his eyes for the boy with multiple tattoos. He had seen him before, a fellow transfer but not an abnegation so he had no acquaintance with him. When he found him, and walked over towards him he realized that the boy looked a whole lot more threatening close up. Trying not to imagine how one gets tattoos, he clenched his teeth once and then spoke to him. "Hey, Jax... You're next." He left soon after heading out of the waiting room, finding his fingers had ended up on the location where his neck was punctured as he headed toward the dorms. His dark shirt was sweated through thoroughly so he decided to take a shower. No one else seemed to be around. "I guess that's a perk of going first," he said to himself. Turning on the shower, he let the cold water hit the floor before stepping in. Coldwater. Because using warm water is selfish. Stupid Abnegation, or maybe that was just something his parents had came up with, either way, he turned the water to warm.

Interactions - OPEN

 

[Nerdy.]

Charlotte "Charlie" Stark || 20 || Dauntless Medic || Dauntlessborn

The fear Dante had caused Charlie's heart to sink yet again, to go from Bella and her fear of her father, to Dante and his fear of his sister's demise... It was as if Charlie was simply going through fear simulations herself. This time she simply sat down and nibbled at her lip painfully, watching with sad eyes. Although this one hit close to home, Charlie had had many nightmares of Jeremy beating or killing Aubrey, it didn't give her the same panic filled sensation of the dreams of Jeremy beating her, because those came from reality, whereas the ones of Aubrey came from her imagination. Poor thing. She thought to herself, though admittedly admiring Dante's resilience as he focused on getting himself out of the bonds to rush to save his sister. That is incredibly Erudite of him, focusing on the bonds rather than the fear. She watched as he got undone, and could see on the monitor his heart rate slowing down, soon enough he sat boltupright in the chair, and she blinked in surprise, that was quite quick for a transfer, although maybe it was something he was used to? She had no clue, having no idea about Dante, not knowing him very much. "Well done, your timing was very quick." She decided to mention to him, hoping that would stop him being so worried about his sister, she had no idea about the wherabouts or if his sister was alive or not, but she understood his fear, and hoped that tidbit of information would help him calm down. "Here, have some water, it will help. You can leave now." She said, not wanting to continue the conversation much longer, since he was obviously quite shaken up and she had nothing to help him, except passing him a bottle of water. She smiled gently at him, and opened the door, allowing him to walk out before walking out herself and scanning the area. Poppy... Finn.. The two last names on her list were ones she recognised easily, she saw them, surprisingly both with Aubrey, whom was looking right at her, with an odd look on her face... Almost.. Was that fear? She blinked away her suspicion and waved at her. "Finn, would you mind coming now?" She decided that getting Finn done now would be better off.

As Finn walked towards her, she kept the door open, closing it gently behind them and sighing softly, Finn being a Divergent was not something Charlie wanted to think about, not because she hated or feared Divergents, she thought that they were probably just normal people, Finn being living proof of that, however, she knew that they were hunted and looked down upon by the higher ups, and if they were found out, they usually disappeared one night without explanation. "Finn... I deleted the video file from yesterday's simulation, saying that it was a technical failure, however I cannot do that every day... Today you must try and exit your fear in a natural way..." She bit her lip, trying to think of an example. "Just imagine that it is real, and what would be the real way you would get out of it. Such as if you were on a small wooden plank extended between two buildings and you were scared of heights, the Dauntless thing to do would be to get to the other side, not jumping, not turning back, not sitting down, not flying" She watched Finn's face and smiled softly. "I'm sure you can do this Finn, just think..." She stopped herself, realising maybe it was too bold to say. She dropped her voice to a soft whisper, as she brought the needle up. "Maybe think about what might impress Aubrey, or what she would do." Charlie brought the needle into Finn's neck and inserted the serum, watching as his eyes slowly slid shut and he slumped in the chair. Good luck Finn. She thought, before sitting down to watch the screen in apprehension.

Interacting with: Dante jrink | Finn Baratheon

Aubrey Amber Stark || 16 || Initiate || Dauntlessborn

Turning her head to the sound of Blair's voice, Aubrey grinned, hearing Blair was something she was happy about, as her friend had been awfully quiet since her birthday, and everyone had missed her bubbly and kind personality. "Scared? Pfft, don't you worry Blair, I can't be scared by silly simulations, no... I'm absolutely terrified!" Aubrey laughed, hoping that would take the pressure off the fact that she was, in fact, incredibly terrified of the simulations and she hated reliving the nightmares that were coming from them. Making a joke about it was the best way she could deal with it right now. Her eyebrow raised and she caught eyes with Poppy when Blair spoke up about Ghost, although it was known that most people didn't like Ghost too much, Blair's unusual statement against him was out of character for her, and it seemed personal. Maybe Blair had beef with Ghost just like Randi. "Sounds like you'd like a piece of Ghost as well Blair, not sure Randi will leave you any though, you know how she is." She laughed, her eyes trailing back to the door where Ghost and Randi had walked into, as she did so, she noted Charlie walking out behind Dante who had just left the room. Aubrey's smile dropped and she focused on Charlie, taking her sisters form in. Were those old bruises lining her neck? Were those bags under her eyes because she was scared and couldn't sleep? Was that smile fake and formulated so nobody would know that someone was beating her and her mother up? What on earth was happening? WHO would do that? Who was Charlie going out with? The very idea made Aubrey squirm... The only people Charlie seemed to see often were the trainers and initiates, and Aubrey knew that Charlie wouldn't get into any relationship with any initiate. Caspian was too brotherly to hurt Charlie, Maverick didn't seem to be Charlie's type, Ghost was out of the question and Harper was also not Charlie's type. What about others? Phillip was single, Asher too, and neither would hurt Charlie. Aubrey huffed as Charlie looked over and waved, and she barely realised, only waving late.

She wanted Finn, hmm... maybe Aubrey could get Finn to search Charlie... except Finn had no idea why yet. She grabbed Finn's arm as he began to walk after Charlie. "Finn!" She hissed under her teeth, strangely serious. He looked at her in astonishment, wondering why she had hissed his name so aggressively. She froze, wondering how to ask him. "Just... watch Charlie, and tell me later if anything seems odd about her." She finally said, before letting his arm go and letting him walk off. As he walked off, she noticed Randi exit Ghost's simulation room. She waved at the girl, hoping that Randi would come over and spill the beans.

Interacting with: Poppy Wolfiee | Blair WanderLust. | Finn Baratheon | Randi Sanctuaryforall1

Christian "Chris" Parks || 16 || Initiate ||Dauntlessborn

The way Leah was surprised was rather interesting to Chris, he had never seen her so shaken up before. He wathed as she thought of what to say, and her answer seemed about as normal as usual. He still stayed with his arms around Blair, his girlfriend, but he was focused on Leah for the time being, ignoring the debaucle with Randi that was happening and finishing not far from them all. "That's fair, they were pretty awful" He agreed, knowing how much it affected him and those around him, however he hardly remembered his, the high from Lull having overtaken his fear from his simulation, he remembered it being birds, but not much else. Her question caused him to raise an eyebrow, looking back to where Randi had been, however she was gone now, as was Ghost. "Well, Randi is just like that, it's not like I hadn't seen her do that before. Plus, I was just wanting to make sure everything was alright, there are some who go round beating up other initiates, and I was concerned that due to your coming in later that it might have happened." He said, he knew that Indira and Jackson were still beating other initiates up, Blair, Bella, some of the weaker initiates too, so it wasn't unlikely.

He squeezed Blair, hearing her answer him about how she was, and he kissed her head, standing up though to stretch, as his body cracked uncomfortably. His body was in a lot of pain at the moment, even after coming out of hospital and being well enough to come here, he was in a constant pain yet still a subsiding high from the lull. He needed to talk to his family, and maybe to Ghost, although he didn't want to see that bastard's face close to his ever again, no, Chris was sure that if that happened he might punch the guys face out. Instead of channeling his anger, Chris sighed and focused on Leah again. "I take it that you were not targeted by some of the ruder initiates. I'm glad." He said honestly. Honesty, that was something unique and odd to Chris' personality. Although he seemed like a perfect Dauntless specimen, he wasn't really focused on being brave. He was brave, that was a certainty, and he was very good at the Dauntless life, being strong, a fighter and nearly unbeatable in hand to hand combat. However he cared little for being brave, and did it simply because he enjoyed it and it was normal to him. He was rather focused on being honest, blunt even, perhaps. He was not so Candor like that it was incredibly obvious, although his aptitude test had stated as such that he was oriented towards Candor, yet it had shown that due to his life with dulling drugs, most of his emotions were so dampened that Candor was the only one that was able to be picked out at all. He'd taken the aptitude test multiple times, as each time he had fallen sick during the simulation and had to be taken out of it and tried again later. The simulation serum had had a bad reaction with the drugs he'd been taking, and that was why Charlie was now the one who was supposed to do his simulations in order for that not to happen, he wondered though if he would ever take those drugs again.

He shrugged his shoulders, haering the bones in his back click. "What do you do to get the simulations out of your mind?" He asked curiously, looking back at Leah.

Interacting with: Leah xayah. | Blair (sort of) WanderLust.

 

[Baratheon]

FINN DAY

He was a little surprised to hear a hello from Poppy, accompanied by a warm smile. He returned the expression, reaching up to give his bicep an absent rub. "Hey, how have your simulations been going, Poppy?" He asked kindly. Finn wasn't one to ignore people in a conversation; he and Poppy had only spoken a few times, but it was nice to make people feel included. To make friends, even. She seemed a little invested in the conversation, but he noticed her eyes kept wandering about the room. Was she searching for someone? Finn didn't care all too much, in the kindest was possible, but he was curious. Not that he would ask.

His attention was snagged briefly as Bella exited her room. Their encounter the other day flickered through his mind. She seemed a little better today, albeit shaky from her simulation. That was to be expected. His smile briefly widened and he raised an arm to wave at her. Whether that wave was a wave to 'come over' or a wave to say 'hello' was up to Bella to decide. He would be happy with either. Finn wanted her to know he was open as a friend and hadn't forgotten how they'd interacted. She seemed kind, like him. Different. He didn't know how he felt it, but he did. Maybe their destinies were intertwined somehow. Not in a weird way, or anything, but just together. The fact she had so easily taken to his care, while other Dauntless would have soldiered on on their own, had really struck him. He wondered if she felt the same thing when she saw him. The difference.

His name being called chilled him to the bone. His turn, already? Charlie was standing in the doorway, looking right at him. Aubrey caught his arm before he could go, hissing words at him to watch her sister for her. He turned and gave her a solemn nod. He cared a lot about Charlie, and would do what Aubrey asked, for her sake. A small thread of doubt plagued his mind, though. Why was everyone watching each other? Why the sneaking around, the secrecy? Finn didn't like it.

He waved to his friends before jogging over to where she stood, offering a quick smile. "Hey." Would today be any different? Any better? He didn't really feel up for this.

The teen sat down, peering up at Charlie with light eyes. She explained to him what she had done, erasing the videos and telling him he needed to be 'normal' this time around. He nodded in understanding, keeping his mouth in a thin line. He hated this. While it was good that the one person who had to know was someone as good and kind as Charlie, the secrecy was killing him. And now he had dragged her into it, too. "I'm sorry for making you go through all of this," Finn blurted out, eyes wide, "For me. Thank you, but... I'm sorry."

She gave him a grateful, but silent nod and administered the serum. Finn took a deep breath and closed his eyes, unsure of what was to come.

-------------​

He opened his eyes to find himself in what looked to be a city. Just like the city Dauntless was in, but with a few minor differences. It was lightly raining, with the sky a dreary grey. He couldn't hear anything but the rain. No voices, no machines, no stepping of feet. Where was everyone? Finn raised a hand to keep the water from his eyes, looking all around. Was this a storm fear again? He didn't like that. He and Harper shared that fear, and he'd already gone through it for her. The thought of how he would get out of this one crossed his mind. Stop the lightning? Force the sun to return? Charlie's words floated through his memories. No, he had to act normal. Non-Divergent. He had to simply face a fear and, well, maybe fail in a fake way. He'd have to see.

Finn gave a small sigh and began to walk. Was something going to jump out at him? The rain splattered on. He listened again for voices. Nothing. A small sense of dread started to come over the teen. Was he alone? Was there no one else here? He'd been alone before, in small spaces and for short times. But this he felt was almost a... a longing. Like he'd been alone for a very, very long time. The city was falling to pieces, vines and debris all around. The wind whipped a few flags absently. He didn't even hear birdsong. Finn shivered and pulled his jacket closer to himself. He felt lost, alone, and scared. The city Dauntless and the other factions were in was huge. What was out there, beyond the walls? There was no one here he could depend on, no one to protect him. Anything could come in here and rip him to shreds or even squash him like a bug. Or, worse, he would just starve to death, with no one to care, no one to help.

A clatter nearby made the boy shout in surprise. He whirled around, eyes wide, only to see a rock clattering down from a nearby balcony. The balcony was looking like it was caving in. Finn hurried along.

"Hello?" He called, voice broken and raspy. Had he not used it in awhile? Who was the last person he had seen? Talked to? Hugged? He couldn't remember. Finn shook his head, putting his head in his hands. Where was he? He didn't recognize these walls. He didn't know these streets. He was alone, lost, everyone was gone, there wouldn't ever be anyone ever again...

"HELLO?!" He just screamed, voice raw. "IS ANYONE THERE?!"

There was not.

Finn scrunched his eyes shut hard, forcing back tears. There had to be someone there. He wasn't alone, Harper would be back any moment. Ghost's sneer was riding the breeze. Aubrey would come running around the corner, smiling and laughing. Finn reached out an arm, almost imagining her red hair in the corner of his eyes. Water dripped from his fingertips. In fact, he could almost see her there, standing a little ways ahead, like a light in a dark room...

No! He couldn't Divergent his way out of this one. He had to succumb to the fear. He couldn't make anyone appear; he had to be alone. Aubrey's blonde hair faded, nothing there but an old sign post. Finn slowly sank to his knees. He just wanted to wake up, he just wanted to get out of here. His heart and mind were both so, so heavy.

He jolted up the moment his knees hit the pavement. He blinked a few times in the bright lights of the room, seeing Charlie looking back at him. His heart stopped a moment, wondering what she would say. "Um, was I better?" His voice was just as lost and small-sounding as before.
Nerdy. MWMASkairipa Wolfiee

TEMPLATE © BOKEH​

Harper Day

Harper appreciated how fast the girl responded to her call. Fable jogged over, cheerfully giving her a hello as she entered. This caught the young woman a little off-guard. So happy to be here, huh? Interesting. Harper gave a small smirk herself, wondering where this girl's head was. Was there something externally going on that she was excited for? Did she have some kind of love for facing her innermost fears? Harper wasn't really sure she wanted to know if it was the latter. But still, she appreciated the breath of fresh air from a happy face. Most were scared. But she wasn't going to let Fable know that, nor make it any easier for her.

Harper quickly prepared the new materials and turned to Fable. The girl gave another cheerful response, looking more ready than Harper had ever seen an initiate. Harper gave another smirk and a small huff of a laugh. "Alright, calm down, it's not a party or anything," She reminded her, pressing the needle into the girl's arm.

As the simulation went on, Harper could barely refrain from making a face. Had this girl actually gone through all of that? And was still as cheerful as he was? She glanced to Fable's unconscious form, narrowing her eyes. She was strong. Or crazy. One of the two. Harper leaned back in her chair, watching as the whip struck again and again. While most may have not been able to watch, Harper had a stronger spine than that. This wasn't really happening, even if it had in the past. Fable was fine now, safe. Maybe she could refer her to a therapist or something, but Harper was not about to be her therapist. Hey, she'd probably make her feel worse, especially after watching her fears like this. Harper sighed as the whip struck again, but perked up a little when Fable managed to kick her abuser back, managing to free herself from the binds and from the abuse.

Harper frowned and wrote down a quick note of what Fable had done on paper. That was almost Divergent-like, the way she had freed herself. If she ended up being one of those mutants, the higher-ups would need to know. Fable began to wake up, her face as bright as ever. Harper gave her a small look. Maybe her attacking her father had actually happened in real life, or that was how she imagined it going, or something. Maybe she was just really, really brave and faced her fears, like the ideal Dauntless would do. She didn't have to be Divergent. But the thought still disgusted the instructor.

"You did good. You're fine. Head on out," She told the younger girl, standing to her feet. She opened the door for Fable, giving her a slight nod. This would definitely be something to note. "Chris?" She called next, dark eyes wandering about as she searched for the boy.

// Sanctuaryforall1
I know Fable isn't Divergent, but I thought it would be a cool opportunity to delve into her hatred a little for them, for ~drama~ reasons : )
Nerdy.

TEMPLATE © BOKEH​

 

[jrink]

Dante's eyes slid open, fingers closing around the offered bottle as his lips creased up into a forced, barely there smile.

In his mind, curses at his own weakness reverberated through his thoughts, ate at him almost as bad as the guilt still registering in the back of his mind. He tried to focus on the positives of the situation - she had said he'd done well at least. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about the thinly veiled sympathy he'd heard underneath her words, the panic he'd felt the moment he realized the weakness he'd showed in front a trainer no less.

He wondered vaguely whether she was filing it away for late use, hiding her laughter behind that sympathetic front. Or was he just being paranoid? It really was hard to tell reality from his own paranoia, especially fresh out of a simulation.

Forcing those thoughts from his head, Dante avoided further eyes contact as he headed out of the opened door and made his way into the waiting room. He let his feet carry him where they would from there, out the door and down the hallway. It was quiet down the dark corridor, empty, though it was a comfortable, non thought-provoking silence so Dante could keep his head free of any of the weight of the previous minutes, focus on nothing for a bit.

The chill of cold air touching over his cheeks pulled him from the trance-like state he'd found himself in and Dante registered that he'd made it to the roof. It was an odd place for him to go - he hadn't been back since the day of initiation. But it was still a familiar spot that touched at that homesick ache he'd been nursing since the morning. Stepping forward to get closer to the edge, Dante vaguely wished he'd brought a book with him. That was an Erudite habit he had yet to feel the need to shake though it would likely be one looked down on by the others in his new district. It had been a while since he'd read because of that stigma, and just how isolated the spot seemed to be along with the natural light made it potentially an ideal place for him to do that. He paused mid-step as his eyes touched over another inhabitant, the red-head from earlier. The crying one.

She was folded inward on herself in a vulnerable position, hands wrapped around her knees. Dante felt a slew of emotions all at once - awkwardness (which wasn't unusual for him) a mix of embarrassment for her sake at him finding her in such a state and an unexpected bit of empathy, considering how much the simulation had just torn at his own senses. Part of him wanted to leave, though the other stubbornly clung to his new-found spot. She could have that side and he could have the other - that was only fair, right?

Stepping forward until he was close enough to peer over the edge, Dante let his eyes focus on the ground registering the height difference. Like it had been yesterday rather then a couple of weeks ago, those memories of the bodies he'd seen hurtle over the side popped into his memories, the Erudite-transfer grimacing a bit at that image. For a moment he could almost understand why people were so scared of heights.

Falling a distance like this was a guaranteed ticket to the after-life, after all, and who was to say if your last moments would be in agony or be fast? It all depended on how you fell. The train of his thoughts was a dark one, but Dante couldn't bring himself to change directions. His eyes slid over to the red-head and in spite of his misgivings he found himself making light conversation, if it could even considered that.

"Whatever you saw or I saw in that simulation, can't be half as bad as actually falling off this roof, right? Or maybe even being in a simulation where that's all you do, over and over again. Must suck to be scared of heights."

The second his lips closed over the last word, Dante wondered whether he was trying to comfort himself or her with that odd mix of words. Of course, his weak attempt at conversation would undoubtedly backfire if heights was actually one of the girls fears.

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{ MOOD }
embarrassed

{ LOCATION }
the roof

{ TAGS }
MWMASkairipa

Dante Aiken
erudite-born initiate

code by ditto (head empty go bonk)​

 

[MWMASkairipa]

~She was powerful, not because she wasn't scared, but because she went on so strongly, despite the fear~
~Atticus~
Bella Quinn | 16 | Transfer Initiate | Amity
The small redhead had been off in her own world when he approached her. Her body stiffened in surprise at the sudden registration of another person beside her. Sapphire eyes drifted up over the newcomer, having to strain a bit to look up at his face. He looked immensely uncomfortable. She supposed she couldn't blame him. She came up here to find some shred of escape from the fear simulation she'd just been put through. From the looks of it, he wanted to do the same. Finding a girl sobbing her eyes out would make her uncomfortable too if she were in his shoes. She almost groaned as she turned her head to stare down at the buildings below them. She was always doing that; putting herself in other's shoes, empathizing with them. Real Dauntless didn't do that, did they? Sure, everyone felt sympathy and pity for people, to an extent, but did real Dauntless members think so empathetically towards others? She doubted it. This was just another moment that she knew she truly did not belong here. She would have been better off to go to Abnegation. At least there, no one would wonder where she came from, nobody would wonder why she wore long sleeves all year around. She could go about her life, helping people selflessly, somewhere where her father was not.

His words were a little surprising, but they lightened the mood just slightly. He reminded her a little of Ben. Her best friend could be awkward at times. She found it endearing. What he said was true, however, it would be awful to be afraid of heights. They weren't her favorite thing in the world, but she enjoyed the rush that heights provided. There was a certain symbolism in it. Similar to birds, she felt that heights represented freedom, feeling that rush, like you could accomplish anything. She envied the birds who could simply fly away from their problems, take to the sky and feel the wind against their faces. It looked exhilarating. If only Bella had the energy to will herself into that state of mind. Somehow, even in a different faction, she still felt caged by her father's torment. She came here to escape him, and somehow his hold over her was stronger than ever.

A small, but wry smile tugged at her lips as she sat there, mulling over his words. The simulation couldn't be half as bad? Well, he had no idea what she dreamed about at night. A thoughtful chuckle rumbled in her throat. "Sometimes I feel that falling would be a mercy, an escape from the pain. Sometimes I wonder if this life really matters, if I'm as insignificant and weak as everyone seems to think." The moment those words left her mouth, she wished she could take them back. This was a stranger, who probably came up here to escape his own simulation, and now she was telling him just one of her deepest insecurities. He didn't want to know, surely, that she sometimes dreamed of falling into a bottomless pit, drowning in her heartache, breaking her mind and soul past the point of no return. He found her on accident, and she was burdening him with her deepest sorrows. He had enough to worry about in his own head, she shouldn't be saying these things to him. Bella ducked her head where she sat with her arms hugging her knees, waiting for him to just speak a phrase of confusion and walk away. He would, she knew he would, and out of the corner of her eyes, she could see how he was trying to decide what to say exactly. She silently dared him to leave, wordlessly willing him to go help himself and not worry about her. He had enough to process from his fear sim without having to tack on her problems that he didn't need to know about. It was her sorrow, her shame to bear, and hers alone.

//Interactions: Dante jrink ​

 

[Sanctuaryforall1]

Randi

Mood: Determined

Location: Testing Center

Interactions: Ghost

As the door closed behind Randi she could still hear Ghost’s words ringing in her ears. Out of all the things he had said to her in their time sealed away from all others one thing, in particular, managed to wedge itself into her thoughts. There is a difference between broken and ruined. She thought to herself as she fiddled with the necklace that hung above the scoop of her tank top. Just because something is broken doesn’t mean it is useless or any less beautiful. She sighed as she used Ghost's words to think about her own life. Many of those in Dauntless might have countless ideas formed about her as a person, some might find her bold for living the way she does, some might think of her as reckless, others might believe her to be a slut with daddy issues, she had been told much better and much worse in the past. Those who believed she had ruined herself for living her life the ways she did knew nothing. It wasn’t for them to decide her worth and if she was broken then so be it because in her mind, just as Ghost had said about himself, she was stronger because of it.

Randi could honestly say that she hoped Ghost could come to peace with himself in the future. He was good at hiding it but she had still picked up on the evidence of his high when she came out of the simulation. Surprisingly, he wouldn’t comment about it to his face or to others since she felt she had no real right to judge him or make his demons her own. She was no better than him and had done her own dabbling in the world of drugs among other things. She did however hope that he and Leah would find a way to exist in this world together without continuing to tear each other apart. She didn’t know their whole story and Randi still found herself worrying for Leah but from what she could tell there was some part of Ghost that cared for the young transfer. Randi hoped that that part of him was strong enough to protect Leah rather than use her. Still, from this point forward, whether Leah was aware of it or not, Randi had every intention of watching her back. They may not be friends, hell they didn’t even know each other, but Randi wasn’t going to leave her on her own to face the gnashing teeth of Dauntless.

It surprised Randi that her thoughts were so focused on Ghost and Leah rather than the intense and terrifying trial she had just been through. Perhaps it was for the best for her to not linger on the memories of her lungs burning and her ankle being crushed. She knew that she would eventually have to process what happened but for now, she was happy for the distraction and hoped that she would be able to continue to find ways to keep her mind from lingering back onto the simulation she had endured mere moments earlier. It might not be healthy but Randi was a firm believer in ignoring her personal problems for as long as she could until she could find ways of making them easier to deal with whether through drugs, intimacy, alcohol, or a good fight.

Continuing down the hallway jade eyes spotted a group of initiates around Poppy. Instantly Randi recognized Aubrey, Blair, Christian, Finn, and several others. As she drew closer to the crowd the blonde gave a wave and plastered her usual sassy smirk onto her face. “It’s always nice to have so many sexy people in one place.” She purred as she approached the group, giving them a wink as she entered into the pack with ease. With so many people around, it was easy for her to ignore the dark cloud that had formed in the back of her mind following the simulation. “Who up for doing something exciting after today’s sh*t show?” She tempted as she put her arms around Poppy and Aubrey without showing any real care for personal space.

Interacting with Poppy Wolfiee Blair WanderLust. Aubrey Nerdy. Finn Baratheon

Mentions Ghost Aviator and Leah xayah.

code by Stardust Galaxy

Fable

Mood: Excited

Location: Testing Center

Interactions: Harper

Fable felt her heart skip a beat when Harper told her she did fine. I did fine. She thought to herself. Fine? What does fine mean? Is that her way of saying I should have done better? Tried harder? How can I do better than fine? All these thoughts and more raced through the young redhead's mind in a fraction of a second and she did her best to simply nod at Harper and uttered a quick “Thanks.” Before heading towards the door.

As she was almost to the door she paused and turned to look at Harper with a sincere blue and green gaze. Taking a moment to compose her thoughts she pushed a strand of crimson hair being her ear and released a shaky breath. “I know that I might be stepping out of line by asking you this…but…” She paused for a moment before speaking. “If you can could you not tell anyone about what it is you saw?” She asked knowing that she could in no way control what Harper decided to tell other members of Dauntless. “I don’t want to be seen as a victim here.” She added after a heartbeat. “Because I am not a victim. I refuse to be.” Fable declared with a soft yet determined voice similar to the delicate but demanding rumble of a lioness. “Just figured I’d ask.” She shrugged before giving Harper a slight smile and turning to exit the room, allowing the instructor to call in the next initiate.

Fable had no idea that her way of fighting back had been in any way similar to a divergent. What she had meant when asking Harper not to speak about the simulation was for the instructor not to tell others about her father, about what he did. Fable might have found the strength to stand up to her mother during her time in Abnegation but she had never fought back against her father in the way she had during her fear simulation. It was both terrifying and empowering to feel such pain and such triumph all at once. The scars under her shirt still burned slightly as she walked and subconsciously Fable’s hands found their way up to her sleeves where they tugged slightly to ensure that the pale ridges that lined her skin were covered.

Looking around at the people ahead of her Fable found her feet carrying her away from the crowds and in search of some unknown destination. She didn't know how long she wandered for or how many hallways, paths, and stairways she walked down and climbed up. Eventually, the young transfer heard several voices nearby and she felt a wave of relief as she heard then spotted a familiar and comforting face just ahead of her. “Dante!” She called out to the first friend she had made after transferring into Dauntless. She waved to the young man as she approached him and the girl he was talking with. She wasn't sure if she was interrupting something, she probably was, but she needed to be with someone she trusted right now, and for her that was Dante. "Sorry for interrupting." She acknowledged as she drew closer to the duo, her body drawing her closer to Dante in order to find comfort in his presence.

Interacting with Dante jrink Bella MWMASkairipa

code by Stardust Galaxy

Thorn

Mood: Cheerful

Location: Testing Center

Interactions: Open

After several minutes of working quietly and patiently on his little side project, Thorn was pulled from his thoughts by a familiar voice. Looking up the young man spotted Charlie sticking her head out of the door to a simulation room and while her focus was on Finn, he still sent a wave her way. The two of them had been friends for a while now and he always liked doing little things to brighten her day. He was even working on a pendant for her during his free time and hoped to surprise her with it as soon as he did some final detailing work and got a good polish on the metal.

Getting to his feet Thorn decided it was probably time for him to start acting a bit more social. With great care, the young man tucked his current project in the pocket of his jeans and turned his head to get a full scan of the room with his working eye. He spotted Christian and several others grouped together and decided to make his way over towards them. With a friendly smile painted onto his lips, the young man approached the group and gave them a wave to show he, as per usual, came in peace.

Coming in at the end of Christian’s question directed towards Leah Thorn decided to politely join the conversation. “If I may,” He began, looking at his two fellow initiates. “I find meditation or working with my hands tends to help me calm down. After the last simulation, I spent the rest of the day in my workshop and got quite a bit done on my to do list.” He continued and hoped that his joining the conversation wasn’t seen as rude. "But meditation can also be helpful, or at least I find it to be. Different things work for different people though." He added with a slight shrug and looked from Leah to Christian with warm chocolatey brown eyes.

Interacting with Christian Nerdy. Leah xayah.

Mentions Charlie Nerdy.

code by Stardust Galaxy

 

[xayah.]

LEAH YOUNG

erudite to dauntless | 16 | initiate​

Talking to Chris was surprisingly pleasant. He seemed... dulled for a Dauntless initiate. Not that that was a negative. Leah couldn't remember the last time she interacted with a Dauntless-borne, save for Finn and sometimes Aubrey, who wasn't focused on manifesting recklessness instead of bravery. The usual pumped up energy and willingness to do anything that emitted from the Dauntless-borne was just a side effect of that recklessness. With Chris though, Leah felt strangely at ease. Something about the way he acted was vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. Instead of dwelling on that, Leah decided to dwell on the fact she hadn't noticed Blair encapsulated in his arm. How long had that been going on without her noticing? Granted, Leah was a "little" busy with her recent escapades, but she was normally extremely observant nonetheless. Being out of it shouldn't have been an excuse for not noticing something so apparent. She didn't let it show on her face, but her lack of awareness was a bit sour.

At Chris's genuine relief that she wasn't being targeted by other initiates, Leah nodded with a small smile but remained silent. It was kind of him to be concerned for her, but besides one cocky Candor transfer turned factionless beating her to a pulp the first day of training, Leah had remained relatively out of focus. She had a sneaking suspicion why, but the less people that knew the better. Maybe it was how close she seemed to be with Ferris, or maybe the connection between her father's sudden power display at Visiting Day, but no one had attempted to touch her. For that, Leah was grateful. She could only deal with one problem at the moment, and right now, that problem was calling her name.

They say it's called being saved by the bell. Well, that bell was both a blessing and an omen. Thankful that she didn't have to embarrass herself by explaining that she coped by drinking herself to the point of blacking out, Leah was also dreading her simulation. The fact that Ferris, of all the instructors, had decided to call her name made her grimace. She could almost feel some form of annoyance radiating off Chris at the sight of the one calling her name as well. She looked back at him, a bit apolegetic to cut their conversation short after he came to check up on her, and sighed. "I'll get back to you on that after I cope with this one." With that, she walked towards Ferris while doing her best to avoid any close contact, feeling a little like she was about to walk off a very steep cliff and never come back up.

 

[jrink]

For the most part it appeared Dante's attempt at conversation had gone over well as the red-heads lips creased into a sort-of smile and for a moment the thoughtful silence that reigned was almost.. Not awkward, but not entirely comfortable yet either. Glancing away from her sky eyes to once again appraise the ground below, Dante almost jumped as her response came sooner than expected, and steadily approaching a subject matter that was.. darker then the one he'd first broached.

Dante pondered over her words for a moment, eyes darting to hers with something indistinguishable in his dark gaze.

On one hand, it was almost a relief to know that someone else was struggling in all this. Everyone here, even the non-Dauntless born initiates, seemed to take their troubles (whether mentally, physically) and shove them down, just underneath where they stored any emotion that could be perceived as negative. It was only necessary though - he'd thought - to survive in a place like this where any show of weakness was quickly exploited, could even get you thrown out of the running, make you a factionless. It had been the same at Erudite in some ways, though definitely not to this extent. It never been a matter of life-or-death there, like so many of the situations seemed here.

On the other, her words kind of confirmed to him that he had indeed stepped into something deeply personal, likely brought on by the vulnerability they all were dealing with coming out of the simulation. Pushing away those intrusive thoughts of his own simulation that gravitated ever near, he shook his head a little to clear it before letting the words free.

"I think that would hardly be a mercy, or any sort of escape. Just an entry-way to another type of pain, I think," his forehead wrinkled a little bit as he watched her curl into herself even more. It irked him for some reason, bothered him more than he'd say. That's maybe what pressed him to keep the words coming. "I can't really speak as to whether or not you're weak. I mean, I don't really know you. But you've made it this far. You haven't hurled yourself off this roof yet, or any other roof. Have you? And you've had time too, lots of it."

Whether his words were helpful or not, Dante couldn't quite tell, though he was spared from any more dwelling in that area when the sound of his name rang out, a familiar voice edging ever nearer. Turning slightly to acknowledge the approaching figure, something like reassurance closed over his gaze at that familiar mix of warm colors that was his closest friend in Dauntless - Fable. From this vantage, the red-headed transfer looked fine for the most part but he decided he'd grill her on how she'd done on her simulation later at a time when it was less fresh in all their minds.

Lips creased up slightly into an acknowledging smile, though Fable's words reminded him of the other red-heads vulnerable state, the Erudite-transfer quickly compensating for it as his eyes darted from hers and back.

"You weren't much interrupting much, honestly. We were just trying to distract ourselves from thinking about any of that simulation madness. You got any ideas for that?" he half-joked, eyes flitting to hers.

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{ MOOD }
contemplative

{ LOCATION }
the roof

{ TAGS }
MWMASkairipa , Sanctuaryforall1

Dante Aiken
erudite-born initiate

code by ditto (head empty go bonk)​