Fandom Divergent: Faction Before Blood // RP Thread

[spyder]

Chester Jensen — Transfer Initiate — 16M — Griffon & Aubrey Nerdy. , Thorn & Fable Sanctuaryforall1 , looking out for Lainey WanderLust.

Chet hesitated for a moment as Griffon asked him if he thought it was fun if they tagged along and attended the birthday party, shrugging casually as he wasn't quite sure if it was a question he had to answer or if it was more rhetorical. It would be fun, in some ways, but he was always a bit introverted and wasn't always the one to pick that kind of scene for himself. But, a soft smile did come to his face when Griff mentioned missing the attire of his home faction. While Chet never had an issue with the Dauntless black and more rugged look, he too sometimes missed the more simplistic feeling that the clothing back in Amity gave him, despite the fact that red and yellow could be a bit obnoxious at times. His smile broadened when Thorn suggested the three of them coordinated to wear gray and nodded his head. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind wearing gray at all." He agreed. He kept rather quiet as the boys took turns complimenting Aubrey, but politely nodded his head in accordance as not to seem rude. She did look pretty, but he didn't feel the most comfortable commenting upon her appearance. Given their current relationship, he didn't feel like his opinion was needed and considered that it might not be welcome. He wasn't looking for any trouble or to make her uncomfortable.
He stayed put as the group moved to leave, contemplating on whether or not he should follow them to Thorn's workshop. He certainly was not dressed to attend the party afterwards if he was going, and still had some personal hygiene and small chores he still needed to see to as his morning had essentially just started. Depending on how far away Thorn's workshop was, maybe he could tag along and then come back and change before the party began. Then Thorn said it was a bit of a hike away, and Chet shook his head. "I'd love to, but I should be getting ready if we're going to the party. Maybe some other time? I'll catch up with you at the party." He glanced over as Fable engulfed Griffon into a hug, and turned away to offer them some privacy as Fable seemed clearly upset. Thorn and Aubrey left quickly, getting the same idea as him, and he vacated the area to give the two room to speak.
Chester made his way back to his bed and hastily made it so he didn't appear to be eavesdropping on his friend and his sister. Sometimes, it was easy for Chet to forget that Griff was adopted and that he and Fable had come here together as siblings, but he tried to keep it in mind. He was, after all, also an adopted kid himself and just lucked out to be adopted by family and could vaguely pass as a sibling with his cousins. He didn't do a very good job at making his bed, since he was rushing, just simply tried to straighten out the sheets and threw the comforter back to lie flat with the pillow on top of it. He contemplated a shower, but didn't really want to have his hair wet at the party and decided against it, opting for deodorant and cologne in it's place. He didn't smell bad, perse, as he had showered the day before. But he would have definitely felt fresher if he had one.
After quickly brushing his teeth and trying to clean himself up to the best of his abilities(and spending more time than he'd like to admit on his hair), Chet hustled to get dressed to be able to attend the party. He pulled out his suit, briskly buttoning up the maroon undershirt and donning the matching gray plaid pants and jacket. He made a bit of a face as he examined himself in the mirror. The pants were a little tight and just the teeniest bit short on him, but it was probably the nicest set of clothing he had here in Dauntless. In Amity, he didn't have much use for such nice clothing. Even for church, if he wanted to go, was very dressed down and he could wear his boots and jeans and just a nice button up. He wasn't even sure if he had nice enough shoes to wear with the suit. He sighed and made his way back to his bed to dig out the cleanest, plainest pair of shoes that he could, opting for some white slip-ons that weren't the nicest for a suit but were still better than the tennis shoes he typically wore for training.

* * *​

Chet stood along the walls, attempting to avoid any unwanted contact with the initiates he did not know very well or the older members of the faction who he did not know at all. He scanned the growing crowd, keeping an eye out for Griffon or Thorn, though he couldn't find either of them at the time being. He even looked for Aubrey and Fable, as the girls' bright and iconic hair might give him a better indication of where the boys were. But, he kept his eye out for one girl in particular. Even though they were just friends, he found himself constantly looking for Lainey in every room they were in. And, he always became a little more conscious about how he looked in her presence. He glanced at his watch. The party had started a bit ago, so he expected that his friends should be arriving soon. He made his way back towards the bar, which had quite a few people coming in and out, and picked a spot nearby to hopefully be able to catch someone familiar when they went for a drink.

 

[Sanctuaryforall1]

Shayla

Mood: Careless

Location: Street / Bar

Interactions: Cassidy & Lainey

The walk through the compound was interesting as they passed by parades and floats and countless parties. People everywhere were drinking and dancing as if they had no cares in the world and Shayla was tempted to experience what such a thing could be like. She didn’t know how much longer she would have in this life so she could at least experience a few things before it was over. As she, Lainey, and Cas strutted down the street she knew they had many eyes on them and so when they walked past a group of young men who were practically drooling at the sight of them Shayla casually plucked a shot from one of the guys hands and downed it before passing the glass back to him. “Thanks for that.” She purred causally before continuing on with the two other girls as if nothing had happened in the first place. The guy with the empty shot glass simply wanted her go and waved a bit as his eyes remained locked on her but she didn’t spare him another glance.

As they reached a bar that seemed to have quite the crowd the ebony haired beauty looked over at Lainey and Cas to make sure they wanted to go in but it seemed Cas’s attention had already been pulled away. Something or someone had the initiate girl enthralled and so when Cas turned to motion that she was going to go Shayla nodded her head in understanding. Turning to Lainey she motioned that she too was going to go to the bar and get a drink and pointed to her, “Want one?” She inquired with a quirked eyebrow. Upon receiving a nod from her roommate Shayla cut her way through the bar and over to the counter to order their drinks. She ordered a Whiskey Sour for herself with an extra shot on the side as well as the order Lainey had given her.

As she waited, she glanced around at the art and decorations around the bar as well as several tattoos on the people around her. It was just a causal way to pass the time and go relatively unnoticed until she wanted to actually be seen. As if on cue a burly man with a poorly shaven beard and breath that smelled foul enough to kill a cat came over and put his arm around her waist so he could pull her against him. “Hey pretty lady, looks like you could be my fun for tonight.” He growled in her ear in what she assumed was meant to be a seductive way but sounded more like he was choking on his own saliva. She was not some delicate flower and she was certainly not seduced by this prime example of toxic masculinity, in fact she was far from in the mood to deal with this sort of swine.

Giving the bartender an annoyed smile she raised her foot slightly before slamming her heel back on the man who dared to touch her. As he let out a howl of pain the ebony-haired woman turned her upper body with her arm raised and planted her elbow solidly against his chin causing his jaw to clamp shut and likely bite his tongue. The pain caused the arm around her to loosen and in a swift turn, she brought her knee up between the pigs legs and nailed him right in the family jewels. The man doubled over as he felt pain course through his entire being and was met with a swift elbow to the side of the head that left him dropping to the ground like a sack of stones and slightly foaming at the mouth. Shayla looked at him, not even breaking a sweat or having ruined her outfit and sighed as she realized she needed to make sure she hadn’t killed him. Bending down she placed her fingers on his neck and waited a second before standing back up content with the pulse she had found.

Soon enough the mans friends were rushing over to check on him as well as make fun of him for being taken down so easily. The bartender arrived with her drinks and gave her a smirk that told her she wasn’t going to be kicked out since he had seen the way the guy had tried to handle her. Giving the bartender a nod she picked up the drinks and stepped over the guy who was still on the ground before strutting back over to Lainey. “Here, I hope it’s alright.” She sighed casually as she took a sip of her own drink and downed another shot.

WanderLust. Nerdy.

code by Stardust Galaxy

 

[WanderLust.]

Lainey Covington // Female // Age 16 // Erudite Transfer
Interacting With: Chet spyder

Lainey felt luxurious in her silken gown. The silver material suited her nicely, standing out against her tanned skin and setting her baby blue eyes alight. She had never been the type to shy away from attention. She was used to living in the spotlight, her family was practically royalty back in erudite. While she had hoped to obtain a more anonymous reputation here in dauntless, she still loved the feel of eyes roaming over her. There was certainly no shortage of lustful glances thrown towards the trio. Shayla, Cas and Lainey all looked like movie stars as they sauntered down the streets of dauntless. Confidence radiated from each one of them, they were all forces to be reckoned with in their own right. As much as Lainey loved being the most powerful person in the room at any given time, she enjoyed being surrounded by powerful people even more.


The expression painted on Lainey’s porcelain face was equal parts intimidating and intriguing, as if she were daring any onlookers to approach her. Once they neared the outskirts of the party, Lainey began seeing familiar faces. Mostly, she saw higher ups from erudite that she had become acquainted with through the multiple parties and balls she suffered through in erudite. However, on the occasion that she bumped into any of her fellow initiates, she was quick to flash them a grin. Her brother, Sebastian, likely wouldn’t be arriving until a bit later. She would have to introduce him to her new friends once her arrived. For now, her eyes skimmed over the crowd at the bar. Cas and Shay had gone on their own ways quickly enough, but Lainey was much pickier about the company she chose to keep at parties. Randi and Cas were enjoying drinks at the bar, in the opposite direction towards the dance floor Vex seemed to be drunkenly stumbling towards Maverick. Blair and Christian were huddled together in one of the booths. None of the couples really drew her interest and then…


Hovering just outside the doors, a dark head of hair in a rather smart suit caught her attention. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she began making her way towards Chet. “Well don’t you look handsome.” She mused as soon as she was within hearing distance. “I like the suit.” She admitted, as she gave him a once over. “You clean up nice!” She was clearly impressed, but didn’t slow her pace for long. Within moments, Lainey had gently wrapped her hand around Chet’s and was lightly tugging him, leading him in the direction of the bar. The crowd swiftly parted for her as she pulled her accomplice behind her, giving her an easy park to the bar which she leaned against, pondering what drink to order. The bartender was quick enough to approach her, a flirtatious smirk covering his lips as his hungry eyes took in Lainey in her silver dress - though Lainey didn’t seem to notice at all. “Vodka soda with pineapple juice, please.” She smiled politely. She wasn’t old enough to drink but the bartender didn’t seem to know or care. As he disappeared to make her drink, Lainey turned to look at Chet expectantly, but was surprised to see that he looked rather uncomfortable.


Her features immediately softened, concern crossing her eyes for a moment but she quickly covered it. She hated when people looked at her with pity, she didn’t want to draw more attention to Chet’s visible uneasiness by calling him out for it. Still, she wanted to coax him out of his shell. She knew that if she tried hard enough she could tease out a certain recklessness in people they often didn’t even know was there. Before she could think much longer on the subject, her voice pierced through the pulsing music as smooth as honey. “I dare you to steal a bottle of whiskey.” She grinned mischievously as she cocked an eyebrow at Chet whose eyes had gone wide, explaining how he couldn’t because the bartender was right there. “Don’t worry about it” she shook her head, “I’ll distract him. I promise you won’t get caught.” Her blue eyes twinkled deviously as she placed a hand on Chets. “Do you trust me?” Before he could answer her, the bartender returned with Lainey’s drink and a flirtatious grin.


Lainey immediately leaned forward, her eyes sparkling as she reached for the drink. “I love cherries - how did you know?” She purred, putting on the persona of a drunken and interested ditz marveling at the cherries in her drink. The bartender grinned explaining that he had a ‘talent’ for knowing how pretty girls liked their drinks. Lainey had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes and instead let out an twinkling laugh, leaning in closer making sure she had all his attention. She tried to buy Chet as much time as possible, considering she could barely see what he was doing out or the corner of her eye. It wasn’t hard, the bartender was completely enamored by her, flirting up a storm. Lainey continued to entertain him until she was sure that Chet had either chickened out or successfully stolen the liquor. She turned her head sideways and caught a glimpse of her accomplice waving for her by the door. Within moments, she had come up with an excuse to give the bartender and sauntered away towards the exit, not saying a word until her and Chet had both made it out the door safely. It was only then that Lainey grinned at him, “I told you you wouldn’t get caught.” Her laugh twinkled through the air as they began making their way towards another part of the party to drink the remnants of their prize.​

 

[spyder]

Kirby Kumar — Transfer Initiate — 16F — Watching Vex Sanctuaryforall1 & Mav WanderLust.

Kirby was responsible for Vex. Vex was a weapon and Kirby was the maintenance technician responsible for her. It was a lot harder to deal with a human weapon over something more reliable, like a gun. At least when a gun misfires, less people are looking for answers. It was an accident, obviously. But when Vex did something she wasn't supposed to, a lot more people looked for answers. For one, since they lived in a functioning society, Vex would be looked to by outsiders for answers— what had she done? Why? What happened? Vex would have to answer for whatever crime she committed, or almost committed if she were ever unsuccessful or found out. Vex could end up factionless, in prison, or dead herself. And then, the focus would shift to herself. Kirby was responsible for Vex, how had she allowed her assassin to mess up? Did she allow Vex to go to long without a tune up? Why wasn't she watching her? Why didn't she follow orders? Why didn't she report back when something was off or wrong? Why didn't she take the fall? Why didn't she take action? Why? Why? Why? If at any point this happened, she'd lose her livelihood. Best case scenario, she was broke with no money, no clothes, nowhere to turn to, and end up among the factionless. Or she would be murdered by Dr. Munro for it. Worst case scenario, Kirby was the next Vex. Just the thought of ending up anything like Vex was enough to send shivers down her spine. It was her worst nightmare to end up like Vex, though it wasn't a thought she ever expressed aloud. In her fear sims, she always had to act fast to calm herself down for fear that she'd out herself and Vex if a instructor paid too close attention to the details of her terror. To avoid being Vex, she was always nearby. Vex consumed all of her waking life and often invaded her sleep either as a guest spotlight in her dreams or a starring role in her nightmares. She lived, breathed, bled, sweat, slept Annika Vex.
The night before, she had administered a particularly rigorous tune up for Vex at the order of Dr. Munro. They had met him in person late in the night and Vex reported some new stirrings within her. Feelings and memories were starting to resurface, and could potentially derail the whole operation. Vex having any feelings that could prevent her from being a useful tool to erudite, such as empathy, sadness, or mercy, was a big no-no. Afterwards, Kirby had caught quite an earful about her irresponsibility for missing such a dangerous slip up in Vex's psychological program and a cut in her pay for the next while. With very little sleep, Kirby got dressed and ready for the party to the best of her ability. She never had much money, and therefore never had many nice clothes, even with the money that Dr. Munro had been supplying her with. She didn't like to splurge, but every once an awhile something came up that required a more elevated dress code and she needed something to keep in the back of the closet. The best thing she had for the occasion was a sheer purple set, and settled for a snake skin tank top that she wore whenever she was working in a club scene. She didn't have many nice shoes, so she picked some chunky, white sneakers that were fairly clean. Plus sneakers were better if she literally had to chase after Vex.
Yes, per usual Kirby was stuck babysitting Erudite's living weapon, because said weapon was not programmed with enough impulse control to be left to her own devices. Handling Vex was a fulltime job, so she never really had any real friends outside of her. Some days, Kirby liked to imagine that she and Vex were friends. Maybe if Vex was normal, they could be friends. They could be close, like sisters. They could be the family that neither of them had. She was pretty sure that Vex wasn't capable of love, though. Babysitting was the closest she'd ever get to family.
When she followed Vex around the hot, bustling street, she made sure to maintain a distance as to not appear to be hovering. It was getting hard to explain why the two were always around each other, other than the fact that they were both Erudite transfers. The party scene was not one that Kirby ever missed. It was loud, bright, and full of idiots who couldn't contain their selfish desires and full blown stupidity. Even though it was still only the afternoon, she was sure that it was only a matter of time before someone totally plastered started a fistfight that would surely turn into a brawl. Before she could even finish her thought, sure enough she caught sight of two men completely going at it. She glanced back at Vex, and sure enough she had clocked it too, pausing for just a moment to witness it. Vex wasn't a robot, so Kirby couldn't read her mind or know exactly what the other girl was thinking. She wished sometimes she could, what did someone so dangerous with an established mission stop to think about?
Kirby kept a tight watch on Vex. Vex was incredibly easy to lose in a crowd. While Kirby was the type of girl who went unnoticed in a crowd for being rather unremarkable(with the exception of her height standing out), Vex was the type who knew how to blend in with hers. Kirby was unsuspecting, Vex was a chameleon. She squeezed past crowds, sticking more towards the outskirts of the action wherever she could to keep both a clear view of Vex and avoid having a drink spill down her back or unwanted contact with her ass. The duo's current target was their instructor, Ghost. It was decided that he would make a greater ally than enemy and could help push Dauntless into Erudite's control. However, keeping her eyes peeled for him it seemed that Vex had run into another plan.
Kirby rolled her eyes so hard that if someone slapped her, they might have gotten stuck. Vex was not stupid, but painting herself as some drunk floozie was just irritating to a certain degree. And, Kirby didn't know what her game plan was. Maverick was not outlined as someone they should have been prioritizing. Ugh. How much longer until she could just go home and enjoy a nice shower?

 

[Sanctuaryforall1]

Bloom

Mood: Forgiving

Location: Streets

Interactions: Ghost

“That’s quite the theory you have. Seems like you have more thoughts on my hair than I do most days.” Bloom replied back with a sweet smile as a gentle chuckle wove its way into her tone. “It’s naturally wavy, or at least that’s the best way I can describe it.” She answered his question as he released her wrist as they had both recovered from almost knocking each other over. “And you look very charming yourself.” She added in return to his compliment with a sincere nod of her head as she took in the young man’s appearance with an appreciative eye. He might be a bit hard to read but he was hardly hard to look at, something she knew others would more than happily agree with her on. He wasn’t the classic Dauntless beefcake that so many men in the faction already were or became once full members. Instead, Ghost was a more educated and sophisticated brand of handsome with eyes that had countless thoughts behind them and hands that were skilled, something you could see just by looking at them and the way he used them for normal everyday things.

As the conversation continued on she was glad to hear him refer to her as just Bloom rather than with a ‘Miss’ at the beginning as he once had. She preferred to talk to others as equals and have the same be done for her, plus being called Miss made her feel far older than she wanted to be. She was genuinely surprised to hear the seemingly heartfelt apology he paid her as he continued speaking and a bit confused as well. The former bartender hoped she hadn’t said or done anything to make the young man think she was holding a grudge for a simple rough start to the day. Giving him a nod she gently placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled, “Hey, don’t worry about it. We all have off days and hopefully, I remain half as controlled as you did when my off day comes around.” She replied and gave his shoulder a gentle yet assuring squeeze. “But thank you for the apology, those can be rare to come by these days.” She added with a soft sigh as she looked around for a second before looking back into his brown eyes that gave of a reddish tint in the light. “I am truly looking forward to working with you as well as the other instructors. It is a bit of a change from bartending.” She added with a soft chuckle sounding from behind her red lips.

Hearing his offer to accompany him to the next parade brought Bloom true joy. It seemed that despite the rough start to their relationship she might be able to make a friend out of Ghost after all. It was kind of him to invite her to join him for the parade and she had yet to find her normal group so without much hesitation she nodded her head. “Sounds like a fun time.” She agreed and looked around with a smirk. “But we’ll need drinks to make it a truly fun time.” She informed him with a wink as she spotted a rather good bar just down the street. “So Ghost, what’s your poison?” She inquired with a playful smirk as she walked with him towards the bar where they would get a great view of the parade.

Aviator

code by Stardust Galaxy

Randi

Mood: Delighted

Location: Bar

Interactions: Cas

Having downed a few shots already and with a bright neon blue drink in her hand, Randi was certainly the life of the party in the corner of the bar her group had taken over. They had started a game of darts which was made more interesting by rotating who has to stand on either side of the board and risk getting hit if someone misses. So far only one guy had gotten a dart stuck through his leather jacket and he was already too far gone to really care as he yanked it out immediately before shoving it into the bullseye from close range. The motion had everyone in the group laughing and cheering at how stupid yet hilarious the scene had been and Randi was laughing along with them while flipping her little golden lighter open and closed over and over. Each time the flame sprung to life she subconsciously ran her fingers over the flame a bit before closing the lighter again and starting the process over again.

As one of her favorite songs came on at the bar the platinum blonde beauty had her attention drawn away from the game in an instant. She joined in as several members of the group she was currently with began to dance and sing along. Swaying to the music she danced against Poppy who had joined the group not long after the dart game started. The two girls moved in perfect motion with one another, the way best friends do when they know each other’s heartbeats the way Randi knew Poppy’s and vice versa.

Downing the rest of her drink as the song came to an end Randi laughed and gave Poppy a kiss on the hand as her best friend wandered off to the other side of the bar. Despite being several drinks in Randi was doing just fine, she was a tank and often outdrank guys twice her size. Casually swaying to the next song that came on the young pyro couldn’t help but feel like things were starting to get dull around here. Such thoughts stopped the moment a familiar figure dressed in a sexy black gown appeared before her eyes. Smiling as Cassidy passed her a drink Randi laughed and nodded her head, “Glad to know you are a woman of your word.” She chuckled and took a sip of the strawberry mimosa that made her moan in delight at the refreshingly sweet taste. “Now is a perfect time! I was worried I was gonna have to start a fight to make things more lively around here.” She joked with a purr in her tone as she cheersed her glass against Cassidy’s. “You look downright sexy by the way.” Randi blurted, her filter broken as per usual. “Like I am getting total Hecate vibes from you right now and I am loving it.”

Nerdy.

code by Stardust Galaxy

 

[Aviator]

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

Ghost’s shoulder tingled with feeling long after Bloom withdrew her hand. He remembered how, not long ago, a more immature, sullen version of himself would have recoiled from the simple touch. Would have perceived it as a sign of aggression or condescension and retaliated disproportionately, or as an attempt to steer him down a predetermined direction like his father had tried in Ghost’s earliest years, before deeming him a lost cause and abandoning the project entirely. It wasn’t until Charlie had started spending time with him out of her own volition that Ghost had learned not all social interactions were manipulative in nature, thinly disguised competitions of survival, and not all friendships were founded on the basis of mutual gain. He knew socioemotional health was a long way off and he still struggled with trust issues—he had been so sure that Blair or Fable would have sabotaged yesterday’s job, either from treacherous malice or sheer incompetence—but it was a small, crucial step.
A melancholic scrunch of the features swept over Bloom’s face, quick as an eyeblink, and was gone. Suddenly Ghost was paying her rapt attention. Curiosity tugged at the edge of his mind with a persistent hand as he wondered what she possibly could have been alluding to with her ambiguous comment about apologies. He had a certain weakness for secrets that only intensified the more well protected they were. Knowing it would be rude to ask Bloom about something that was none of his business, Ghost discreetly packed the subject away in a box and stored it on the top shelf of his mind, to be taken out and properly examined at a future date. “You didn’t tell me you used to be a bartender,” he said, widening his eyes and pressing a hand to his chest in a pantomime of deep betrayal that Bloom would be keeping secrets from him. Ghost leaned in close, cupped a hand around his mouth, and lowered his voice with an air of great conspiracy. “What other hidden talents might you have?” He and Bloom shared an easy laugh.
As if deciding that a public demonstration of her bartending skills would be a better way to command Ghost’s respect than simply telling him, Bloom gave him a playful push in the direction of a nearby bar with tikis dangling from cords and a television displaying a basketball game. Half of the high-backed swivel chairs were occupied, and only at the far end of the bar was there an open pair of adjacent ones. Instead of waiting for the overworked bartender to acknowledge them, Bloom slipped behind the bar, retrieved a glass, and looked at Ghost expectantly, as if he were a paying customer. When Bloom inquired after his poison, Ghost crowed with laughter but remained standing. “The devil’s lettuce,” he answered, trying not to linger on that word poison and how marijuana wasn’t his only one, just because it happened to be his poison of choice. Keeping his smile in place, he affected a Slavic accent and said, “I don’t drrrreenk. However…” Ghost comedically darted his eyes from side to side, and as if concluding that no one was watching, he opened one hand to reveal his cannabis pen, its iridescent surface winking despite the shade enshrouding the bar. “If you would like a smoke, I can accommodate you.”
Bloom seemed to consider, her eyes transfixed by the pen in a way that made Ghost wonder if she had ever gotten high before. Then, as if coming to a decision, Bloom firmed her lips into a tight little smile and shook her head. Despite her easy-going demeanor, she was a persistent thing, because she gave Ghost a counteroffer: She would smoke with him only if he had at least one drink. He cocked his head at Bloom, uncertain whether her proposal was a serious one. Deciding that it was, laughter bubbled up Ghost’s throat and erupted from him in a startled yet thoroughly amused chortle. “Are you peer pressuring me?” he asked in disbelief. “Did leadership simply not care that you’re a bad influence when they hired you as instructor, or did you manage to somehow slip their radar?” Another man might have said those words disparagingly, but Ghost was doubled over the bartop and shaking with laughter. A virtual stranger was offering to get cross-faded with him on her second day of her new job. Not even, since this was technically a day off for us, he reminded himself.
It wasn’t that Ghost was morally opposed to drinking, or scorned those who regularly engaged in it. In fact, one of the reasons he abstained was because it wasn’t edgy enough. Drinking was so socially acceptable and done at every public celebration that Ghost yearned for other, more secretive symbols of rebellion. Now that he was a graduated member of Dauntless initiation, he could legally drink in broad daylight, but half of the fun of smoking weed was breaking the law in doing so. Aside from the astringent taste of pure alcohol, the other reason Ghost didn’t drink was that he was terrified of what he might do—or of what might others do to him—while he was not in control of his cognitive faculties. In a faction where he was at a considerable physical disadvantage, Ghost’s quick thinking and silver tongue had gotten him out of trouble more than once. Without those, he was virtually helpless should a threat arise that needed to be quashed. Ghost tried to have empathy for others who showed weakness but wouldn’t tolerate it within himself.
But Bloom was his coworker. Not an opponent at a card table planning to exploit Ghost’s flaws and make off with his money. Not a partner in crime who felt entitled to more than her fair share of swag. And Ghost was intensely curious about the woman with whom he would be working for the next several weeks, one with ever-changing hairstyles, a secret knack for bartending, and the unreserved courage to get wasted with someone she’d only just met. By refusing her request, he might never get his numerous questions answered. “Pour me a mojito,” he told Bloom, feeling a steely determination rise from someplace within. Ghost was unsure what ingredients constituted a mojito, or even the correct spelling of the word; all he knew was that it had always been Margot’s cocktail of choice at the glittering functions among Erudite’s elite. He slid the cannabis pen across the bartop to Bloom, careful not to touch the mouthpiece to the sticky wooden surface. “And take a puff if you dare.”
Watching Bloom bustle back and forth behind the bar was like watching the wind move across the surface of a pond. Except instead of casting ripples on the water, the heads of young men turned to watch her as she passed. A blond twenty-something two seats to Ghost’s right pushed his empty glass toward her and requested bourbon on the rocks, only for Bloom to kindly but firmly inform him that she was here with a friend and not getting paid. The young man’s eyes narrowed enviously on Ghost, who shot back a wink as Bloom plopped a leafy concoction in front of him. Two wedges of lime sat at the bottom of a plastic cup filled high with translucent liquid and ice, several verdant leaves mixed in. Having never ordered a cocktail before, Ghost wondered what kind of leaves they were and spun the drink in his hands, his fingertips leaving watery smudges in the condensation. But visual examination of the drink would only tell him so much. Aware of Bloom’s shamrock gaze resting on him, Ghost put the straw to his lips and took a sip.
The taste was pleasantly sweet; not at all like the barrage of bitterness that he had been expecting. Mint leaves, he noted, licking sugar from his lips. Ghost pinched the straw and swirled his tropical drink, the ice producing a muted clatter as it rattled around, one of the lime wedges flipping onto its point. It tasted not so different from juice; Ghost wondered if he would have detected the alcohol at all if he hadn’t known it was a mojito. Since it wasn’t straight liquor, would a cocktail get him drunk at all? Especially when he stopped at one? Then again, it had been ages since Ghost’s last meal, and he knew there was nothing to absorb the alcohol when one drank on an empty stomach.
He watched Bloom intently as she selected a glass for herself and sprayed liquid into it from a device that looked curiously like a hose. Her movements came so fast and fluid they were all but a blur as she added, stirred, and shook ingredients, reminding Ghost of a magic act. He was just about to ask how a bartender learned drinks—was learning even a verb that could be applied to drinks?—only to find Bloom had the cannabis pen pinched between two fingers and was subjecting it to much scrutiny, her drink sitting on the counter complete. “You press the button on the side and inhale. It’s a harder pull than you’d think, though. The light on the bottom will glow to indicate that you’re doing it successfully.”
Bloom’s chest fell as she exhaled, a stream of air whooshing out from between her pursed ruby lips. When it appeared as if she had expelled as much breath as she possibly could, she stuck the pen into her mouth and inhaled, her eyes traveling to Ghost’s glass where the pen’s orange light was reflected. A full second passed. Then two. He started to suspect that Bloom was a competitive swimmer or had once been, because her lungs seemed to hold an endless capacity. She only stopped when a series of dry coughs clawed its way out of her throat, sending her pitching forward and clapping a hand to her chest.
A dense white cloud jetted across the bartop toward Ghost, who hardly blinked in its midst, unfazed. “Damn, then.” He whistled lowly, trying to contain his simultaneous mirth and incredulity. “I said to pull hard. I never said to pull for half so long. You just took the hit of the century.” Ghost solemnly saluted Bloom, as if she were a soldier deployed on a mission from which she very likely would not be returning. In comparison, he held the pen to his lips and drew a single precise, dainty puff, demonstrating what Bloom should have done. “Pens are generally way stronger than blunts; plus pens sometimes contain additives that enhance the effects,” he said sagely. “In other words, you’ll want to sit down while you still can.” Ghost swept a hand toward the unoccupied seat next to him. Bloom scurried around the bar and took his advice.
Either Bloom was desperately trying to distract herself from her own internal panic, or she was truly fearless. Because instead of lingering over pending symptoms and how she should handle them, she suggested that she and Ghost play a game. “What did you have in mind?” He pounced on her words like a trout on a fly, immediately intrigued. Games were perhaps Ghost’s favorite form of bonding. Friends who never competed against each other would not develop a relationship with the lasting endurance needed to combat obstacles together, which inevitably arose. Plus Ghost was a gifted learner, and games were a quick and satisfying way to flex his mental muscles. “Something like darts or cards? I always have cards with me, and there’s a dartboard not too far from the—”
But Bloom shook her head. Her eyes slightly glassy, she slowly explained the rules to a drinking game called caps, which were simple enough: She and Ghost would each arrange an empty bottle before themselves, and a point was scored each time someone successfully tossed a cap into their opponent’s bottle. When that happened—and here Bloom had put her own spin on the game—the scorer issued their opponent a truth or dare. Ghost hid his disappointment that it wasn’t a somewhat more strategic game and nodded. He liked to keep an open mind to new things and wouldn’t knock the game until he tried it. “Caps,” Ghost said, taking a sip of his mojito and tasting the drink and the word in equal measure. “I’ll give it a shot.”
There was no shortage of empty bottles on the table, and he and Bloom snagged a few from customers who had vacated their seats. A coin flip was used to determine that Ghost would go first. He aimed steadily, knowing that he would have to get the angle of the arc just right to avoid pinging the cap off the lip of the bottle. He threw, and with a shrill chink! the cap disappeared inside the bottle on his first attempt. Not so different from darts, after all. “Well, well. What’ll it be, Bloom, truth or dare?” Bloom chose truth, and Ghost pensively swirled his mojito, sucking in his cheeks as he thought. “What was your first crush like? Who was it on and how did you handle it?” He took another sip and eyed her over the rim of his glass.

 

[WanderLust.]

Maverick Maddox // Male// 18// Dauntless Born // Instructor
Interacting With: Vex Sanctuaryforall1

A flush of color rose to Maverick's cheeks as he realized his question to Blair and Christian might not have been the most discreet. When they informed him that they had not, in fact, seen Randi, he replied with a curt nod and immediately departed, his feet moving quicker than he cared to admit. Actually, it had been the couples iconic blonde hair that had initially caught his attention. At a certain angle, he had mistaken Blair for Randi herself. Maverick had not been able to stop thinking about the initiate for some time and it was beginning to make his palms sweat. He was not used to feeling this... unhinged. But something about Brandish Rose set his chest on fire. Swallowing thickly, the instructor made his way into the pulsing crowd surrounding the bar, eagerly balling his hand into a fist only to release it once more, over and over again. His eyes were so focused on figures far away, scanning faces for the familiar one he sought, that he did not notice the dark haired girl headed straight for him with a drink in hand.

Cold immediately soaked through his chest, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from Maverick as he looked down at the electric green color now painting the front of his light grey shirt. He muttered a curse under his breath, pinching the soaking fabric to pull it away from his skin. "Shit..." he practically growled, before realizing who exactly had spilled alcohol all over him. "Vex?" he sounded almost surprised to see the initiate here. He wasn't sure why, there were plenty of dauntless initiates running around, drunkenly dancing and getting into all sorts of mischeif. This particular initiate, however, he was not very familiar with. Oh noooo, I'm soooo sorry! Maverick immediately cocked an eyebrow at her as he began piecing together that she might not be completely sober. Her words were slurred and she was stumbling around as though she were on a rocky ship in dangerous waters. "It's.... Fine." He finally sighed, although there had been a considerable pause where he debated yelling at the younger girl for her clumsiness. He tried to wrangle in his emotions, knowing he was likely just on edge because he couldn't find a particular blonde. He didn't want to accidentally take it out on Vex.

"Excuse me..." he continued, not really caring to continue the conversation. He began making his way towards one of the restrooms., hoping whatever green liquid Vex had been drinking would not stain his shirt. He didn't want to be walking around looking like the Incredible Hulk. His nose was wrinkled in distaste, whatever green liquid was soaking through his shirt smelled incredibly strong, like Maverick himself had been drinking straight absinthe. He plowed through the crowd, not particularly caring for the annoyed looks he got from those he unfortunately bumped into. He wasn't trying to anger anyone, but the soaking shirt was extremely uncomfortable. He barely even waited until he was in the bathroom before the tall male reached back over his neck to pull at the grey fabric, tugging the shirt up and off over his head. He didn't even notice that Vex had been tailing him until he saw her reflection in the bathroom mirror and nearly jumped out of his skin. "Jesus - what are you doing?" He asked before turning on the faucet and running his shirt under the cold water, hoping to get some of the green coloring out. Vex uttered a string of slurred apologies once again as Maverick scrubbed at the fabric.

"Look, it's fine - really, but you might want to go get some water or something." He said warily, his grey eyes briefly sliding towards the girl as he turned off the faucet and turned on the hand dryer hanging on the wall, holding his shirt underneath the warm air and praying it dried off soon enough. Maverick was well muscled, he had been for as long as he could remember. Even now, his veins throbbed under his skin as he fought the urge to snap at the drunken girl before him. She stumbled again, claiming that she was fine. This time, Maverick spoke through clenched teeth "No, you're not. You're drunk." Vex let out a girlish laugh, proclaiming that maybe she was a little drunk and Maverick rolled his eyes. He shook out his shirt once more, sending water droplets every where. Anika's face turned sour when Maverick did not reply to her. He gave her a wary look as her features darkened, explaining that perhaps maybe she didn't feel so good. Maverick cocked an eyebrow at her, hoping and praying that she was not about to vomit everywhere when she unexpectedly stumbled forward. Instinctively, Maverick's strong arms reached out, reaching for her shoulders to steady her before she could crash into the floor. "Woah - easy!" Amidst the chaos of the moment, Maverick had dropped his shirt on the floor and was now propping up Vex's entire weight against himself. He did not hear the sound of the bathroom door opening, nor did he process the face of the onlooker until it was too late.



​

 

[spyder]

Beck Avalon — Dauntless Born — 16M — Blair WanderLust. & Chris Nerdy.

"Blair!" Beck exclaimed with a grin, quickly locating his older sister amidst the growing crowd. Beckham had always considered himself to be close to his only sister. He thought of himself as having tight relationships with the whole of his siblings, the tightest being with Blair. It was hard to avoid each other, since they were so close in age, and sometimes he felt like she was his only real friend when he spent long periods of time in the hospital due to his fragile health. In every setting, he sought her out. He considered her to be his(built-in) best friend and genuinely enjoyed her company, so a secluded table was not going to deter him from crashing the couple's tender time together. That, and he didn't like Christian. So he frankly didn't care about pestering the other boy.
Though he enjoyed being Dauntless, stiff parties and suffocating atmospheres were never his style. He was dressed in an outfit that some might dub a "chic casual", but he would proclaim to anyone who questioned it that it's it's just as fancy as a full penguin tuxedo. It was not. But it was likely the fanciest he would ever dress up to until maybe his wedding day— even then, he'd try to get away with an untucked shirt and no tie. He had dressed himself in an off-white flowy button up shirt, patterned with small flowers worn untucked and partially unbuttoned. He wore very deep plum trousers that were certainly tighter than a black tie dress code would permit, and brown dress shoes over black dress socks. He found himself to be quite fashionable, his typical rings and large pendant on. If he was wearing dress shoes instead of brightly colored sneakers, consider it a win. It was unlikely that he'd dress better than this ever again.
The teen slid into a spot at the table almost as soon as Maverick had disappeared, just in time for Blair and Christian to giggle and start sucking face again. "Hey, Blair? You have a little something on your face." He teased lightly as the couple pulled away from each other. The blonde duo was now a blonde trio, and the only way Beck was really going to let them break back into a duo was if Christian were to leave the pair of siblings. Hopefully once and for all. In passing glances, when Blair forgot to try and hide them, he had seen the bruises that peppered and marred her body. There was no doubt in his mind that Christian was the source of such abuse. With his anger issues and explosiveness in the right conditions, he was sure that if Blair ever got the slightest bit annoying or ever so slightly disobedient, he'd lay a hand on her. It wouldn't be the first time he'd hit an Avalon. And if Beck ever got Blair away from him, he was sure it wouldn't be the last time. Beck could feel a strain in his relationship with Blair lately, and was positive that it was Christian's doing. Classic abusive boyfriend, beating her in private and isolating her from her family and friends in public. There had become such a disconnect from the sibling pair that he couldn't place a finger on. It had to be Christian.
Speaking of, Beck really didn't want to address the other man at all. Being around Christian was one of the few times the boy was quiet, unless he was chatting away with his sister. Every time he looked at him, he felt hot needles stabbing his chest and a dull ache in his right arm. He would never forget the fight they had as pre-teens, and the fiery pain he felt when his bone snapped in Chris's hands. It was one of the only lies he ever told, explaining how he broke his arm that night. He didn't know why he felt the need to protect the Parks boy in that moment, and he regretted it. But he would not come out with it now and look like an idiot desperate to ruin Chris's life. With a temper like that, he'd do it all on his own someday. Beck just had to lie in wait.
He reached his hand into the basket of fries on the table, inviting himself to the food he knew Christian surely paid for, and stuffing a few into his mouth. They could use a little extra salt. He didn't even try to feign politeness when addressing his sister's boyfriend. "Christian," he pressed is lips into a wry smile. "I saw a trail of blood from our place to here, I should've known you were around." He didn't say anything else to Chris, as he'd earned himself a warning glance from Blair that was met with a mischievous twinkle in his own eyes. He glanced at the table to notice a knocked over salt shaker, and stood it back up, sweeping the salt that had escaped onto the floor, knowing it would be sticky and filthy by the end of the night. There was a bit of an awkward silence, clearly caused by himself, so he felt the need to fill the void. He turned to Blair, deciding to ignore Chris all together. "So what's our plan for tonight? Get hammered on shots? Steal a birthday cake? Make fun of drunk guys trying to hit on girls? The night is our oyster, I think we should have a little fun." He beamed at his older sister, wanting to pull her into a night of shenanigans and fun that would maybe separate the seemingly happy(though he knew deep down there was no way she was happy) couple.

 

[Nerdy.]

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

"Oh wow..." Aubrey murmured so genuinely that she hardly pronounced the words, as she was more focused on looking than on speaking. She gently took the hatchet from Thorn and delicately twisted it within her grasp, her eyes scanning the blade itself and the engraving that Thorn had so beautifully done on it. "You seriously did this? Thorn this is gorgeous... I love wolves, although, I've always loved the big cats more... But... This is absolutely gorgeous..." Aubrey finished her sentence in a mumble again, as her focus stopped being on her sentence to Thorn, and instead on the intricate details that had gone into the hatchet, to the bark on the trees and the hair on the wolves. Eventually she looked back up at Thorn, her blue eyes glittering with admiration as she passed it back to him. "Thanks for showing me your workshop, it's not something I've necessarily ever wanted to see, but now that I have I don't know why I haven't come here before, it's so gorgeous. I love the engravings and the unique designs, I didn't know you were such an artist Thorn! No wonder Charlie likes you..." Aubrey giggled as she continued to look around the shop before she approached Thorn with the question of her daggers and the idea of putting Caspian's name on one of them. At his idea of sketching out ideas, her eyebrows furrowed and she froze for a second as her mind whirred with what she might want to put on the blade or hilt. After a half minute of inner dialogue with herself and trying to think of things that were important to her that could also be engraved, she finally had the perfect idea. "Finn... I mean... I've always been referred to as a lion by my friends and family. Would you be able to engrave a lion on the hilt? And Caspian's name on the blade?" She asked, her eyes curious and serious as she gazed at the boy beside her. He nodded very enthusiastically as he grabbed a sketchpad and began to sketch out a few ideas. Aubrey watched with much interest and awe, having never known that Thorn had such an artistic eye and the ability to be so creative on the spot. Many of the engraving designs that he sketched out were amazing, but one really caught Aubrey's eyes and as Thorn gave her the sketchpad, no matter what she looked at her eyes always gravitated back to that one sketch. "I love this one, it's perfect. Would you be able to do that? Could we do that now? We have time before the party, and I'd love to watch you work and also then I'd be able to carry my daggers with me still and I would really love that!" Aubrey babbled on excitedly, handing the sketchpad back to Thorn after pointing out the one she loved. He looked unsure, and mentioned that they might not have much time at the party, especially given that they had the dinner to go to. Aubrey huffed, but as she calmed down from her excitement she realized that he was right. So, regrettably, she gave the dagger that she wished him to engrave to Thorn, and he placed it somewhere in his shop. "It'll be safe right? And nobody but you will touch it? Do you think you'll be able to do it soon? Like... maybe we could come tomorrow and I could watch you? That would be awesome. We could even do it tonight after the family dinner if that worked out...." She continued babbling as Thorn finished cleaning up and they walked out of the workshop.

When asked if she wanted her other dagger engraved, Aubrey pulled it out again from her boot and looked at it. It was identical to the other one, but she shook her head. "No, at least... not yet. I don't want to engrave it and then find something later on that I wished I'd put on it instead. Maybe when I find someone as important to me as Caspian was, then their name will go on it, and I'll having something else awesome to put on the hilt. I just want the option to be free." Her answer seemed to surprise Thorn, at least that was the impression she got, but he seemed to like the answer, and they talked briefly about engravings and tattoos and the similarities between the two. Aubrey even showed him a few of the ones she had as they walked, which wasn't as easy as it sounds. She only had two tattoos, and only one of them was really visible. Across her shoulders, which was currently visible as her hair was up, were the words "Do it, why not?". Other than that, the other tattoo she had was on her lower back, ranging up to her mid back to the bottom of her shoulders. It was a snake wrapped around a jewel, with flames and roses around it. It was almost fully covered by her dress, but the very top of it, some flames, a petal of the rose and a snake head could be seen. "Maybe you can see the whole thing some time." Aubrey said instinctively, without thinking it through, only realizing after speaking that to see the whole thing she would almost literally have to be wearing nothing. She stumbled as her mind was on that fact, and Thorn stabled her, his warm firm hand warming her skin as he touched her. The blush that erupted on her cheeks was embarrassing enough, so she just tried to laugh it off, and tried to look at other things so that Thorn wouldn't see that blush. She wasn't sure why she was embarrassed with Thorn, if it had been Finn she would have laughed it off, and anyone else it would have been playful flirting that she would have continued. But Thorn seemed... Aubrey didn't want to admit it... but Thorn seemed better than her, and out of her league in a way she would never have thought of, or admitted. So she was embarrassed that she said something so flippant. Thorn didn't comment though, and instead he was a gentleman, he offered her his arm to walk with him, and she accepted. It wasn't often that Aubrey felt like an elegant woman, but she did right now.

Aubrey had to admit that she hadn't ever thought she would have such a great time with Thorn, but she was enjoying herself tremendously. They had been walking around trying to decide what was the most interesting and fun way to enjoy the party today before going home. They had decided to walk past the parades and comment on them to begin with, which had been a very interesting time all by itself. Aubrey had enjoyed the parades that showed off people's skills with weapons and aerobics, while Thorn had enjoyed the ones that showed off people's craftsmanship and artistic style - something that was quite interesting for Dauntless. However it was interesting as Thorn pointed it out, displays of beautifully designed armour and weapons, but also unique tattoos and paintings that were targeted for Dauntless to enjoy. They watched the parades for a little while until they started to feel a little repetitive, so Thorn suggested they grab something to eat. The mention of food was too much for Aubrey's stomach, and gurgled loud enough for Thorn to hear, which caused Aubrey to laugh loudly. "Please can we get food, I think my stomach will eat me if it doesn't get sustenance soon. I swear I smelled some stalls back that way, shall we go investigate? I could eat pretty much anything right now I'm so hungry." Thorn agreed and they began their search for the perfect food item. Aubrey had been correct when her nose had smelled the food stalls, and following her keen sense of smell (brought on by hunger and the mention of food), they soon stumbled upon a number of stalls all competing for people's attention and money. Aubrey felt like a child in a lolly shop, as she was ecstatically enthusiastic about food. Embarrassing as it was, Aubrey didn't stop herself from squealing at the sight and more importantly the smell of all the food. She dragged Thorn around, much to his entertainment or dismay, and babbled on about how much she loved food and wished she could eat anything and she felt like she probably could but then knew she couldn't eat too much or her mother would be sad she didn't eat at dinner... Thorn was a gem, listening to Aubrey and never asking her to stop pulling him around. Finally Aubrey stumbled across a hot dog stall. "HOT DOGS!!! THORN WE HAVE TO GET HOT DOGS!" She said louder than she meant to, but giggling to make up for it. She rushed up to the store before Thorn could say anything. "Can I get two... no three hot dogs! Ooh and can we get those cinnamon donuts? Oh well I may as well make it four hot dogs actually so that it's even amount... Oh and we absolutely must have sauce on them! That should be perfect thank you!" Aubrey reached out and paid for the food, even as Thorn tried to cut in to tell her that he would be more than happy to. "Absolutely not, take it as a down payment for my dagger's engraving! Not that two hot dogs and donuts are the correct payment for something like that, but I think it should be a good start don't you? Oh look at them! They look amazing.. mmmmmgggggg" Aubrey continued talking as she received the hot dogs from the man, and proceeded to put one in her mouth, taking a bite that looked far too big for her mouth. However, she did not seem disappointed, and flashed a large and very food filled mouthy grin at the man as she and Thorn walked away.

The food was amazing, and Aubrey was absolutely certain that she would have been able to eat even more, slightly regretting that she hadn't ordered three hot dogs, but instead, she felt the unmistakable and very familiar urge for alcohol. It tickled her throat and nose, and her very mind couldn't think of anything else. She wasn't sure what brought on the urging, but more than likely it was the smell in the air. The smell was everywhere, and Aubrey likely could have told Thorn what each person was drinking who walked past them by the smell of the alcohol. It was no secret that Aubrey was known to drink a lot, and if she kept it up, it was likely that she would develop a very bad alcohol addiction, if she hadn't already begun to have one. Thorn seemed to notice her distinct lack of speaking, as he had begun to speak, but Aubrey struggled to listen to him as she watched each person who had a drink in their hand with envy. "Let's... uh... go find a bar, or club, or something... to get... er... to dance?" Aubrey felt nervous as she approached the subject with Thorn, as she had no idea what his particular thoughts on drinking was. Why are you nervous about what Thorn thinks? Did you care what Finn thought? You always drank around him. Your mum and sister never drink and yet you drink around them. Why is Thorn so different to you right now? Are you weak? is he stronger than you, so much so that you will change your ways for him? Aubrey felt a little bit of resentment towards Thorn as she thought these thoughts, but quickly reminded herself that she should be angry at herself, not Thorn. He hadn't shown any judgement towards her, she was making it up herself, so she just needed to be herself. She then began to march very determinedly towards the bar, which is when she ran straight into a very familiar and yet undesirable acquaintance. "Hey!" Aubrey said in surprise and in unison with the girl whom she had run into. They both stepped back, and their eyes met, mouths open as if to immediately say something, but both stopped in their wake. There were no words said, but the girls eyes were frozen in place, Aubrey's eyebrows slowly furrowed as she gazed into the beautiful and yet detestable eyes of Shayla. Her ex-best friend. Aubrey folded her arms as she looked the girl up and down, privately admiring her beauty and style, and feeling a little outmatched. She was about to burst into a loud and likely embarrassing but interesting conversation, when she was reminded of Thorn's presence beside her as he apologized to Shay for them having nearly run into her. "Next time watch where you're going, Shayla. Nice to see your making new friends." Her voice dripped with poisonous intent, as the hurt from their past began to seep into her voice causing it to equally quiver with emotion and hatred. "Come on Thorn. I need a drink."

Interacting with: Thorn, Shayla Sanctuaryforall1

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

Christian had enjoyed the dancing with Blair. Not only had it been a good way for him to calm down from his desires towards his girlfriend, of whom he had not seen much of recently, it was also invigorating to be close with her and enjoy the fact that they were in love, and together, and happy. Her disappearances were an unfortunate effect of her Divergency, which Christian still didn't understand why she didn't just trust him with in the first place, but now it seemed that she would include him from now on. She had told him so, so he believed her, obviously. The dance was not much of a dance, neither Blair nor Christian were doing much other than holding each other so close as to be one being. But it was a welcome break from the training and secrecy that had been going on for so long. Christian enjoyed it and that was that. Blair was smiling and swaying with the music, and Christian could tell that she was finally starting to let loose and calm down from all the secrecy and tightness that she was exhibiting from her missions that she seemed to have. She spoke up, asking if she could stay with him tonight, Christian twitched at the mention of it, memories of the last times they had spent the night together, and the embraces, kisses and warmth that it had given them. "Absolutely! Please, you have to... I mean... I want you to." He corrected himself, obviously a bit too eager. Yet it seemed Blair did not mind, as she giggled girlishly and dragged Christian back to the table. Christian wasn't sure why she was doing that, as he had been enjoying the dancing and finally getting the rhythm of the song, maybe Blair was too tired, or didn't want to dance anymore. However it became abundantly clear that Blair had very much been enjoying the physical affection that Christian had been granting her before the dance. As she began to lean closer into him, Christian was slowly losing his sense of self-control, which was already little to begin with, as Blair literally threw herself into his arms and lap. Christian tugged her closer, each kiss, each touch, drawing his self-control out of him further. Christian was a simple man, and when he wanted something, he generally took it. When that something that he wanted was someone else, Christian had to rein in his own desires, but Blair was teasing him, and Christian groaned as he struggled against his own carnal desires for her, and began to hold her tighter, squeeze her more, and his lips claimed hers tightly. It was that reason that when Maverick interrupted them with his brief cough and question, that Christian's hands gripped Blair's arms much tighter than he should have, and his whole body tightened in that moment, becoming almost rock solid. Both of the blondes immediately, and awkwardly, moved so that they weren't atop each other, and awkwardly told Maverick that they had not seen Randi.

As Maverick went away, Christian watched him go, curious to where Randi must have been, and why Maverick was looking for her. It seemed odd... However, his mind and body still craved Blair, having been away from her for so lon g, and as Maverick finally left their vicinity, the two enveloped each other again and were back in their previous position. However, this time, they were interrupted much faster, and with much less respect than they had previously been interrupted. A familiar voice to whom Christian had not personally heard in a little while, broke into their ears and flopped down opposite them. Beckham sat there, quite happy with himself, munching on the chips Christian had bought for himself and Blair, and paying no mind to the fact that barely seconds ago the couple had obviously been in a private and intimate embrace and moment. Chris sighed slightly, but Blair seemed ecstatic that Beck was there, if not a little embarrassed. Christian wasn't really one to get embarrassed, so he simply nodded his head at Beckham in greeting, and finished his side of the ice cream sundae, which had melted drastically. When Beckham talked about the blood, Christian stared blankly at him, unsure of what he meant, until it pieced together slowly in his mind that he must have been talking about Ajax. Though Christian didn't recall seeing blood, or Beckham, he wouldn't have been surprised if he had left blood, as he had hit Ajax pretty hard and it was likely that he had caused him some bodily harm. He was about to comment on how he probably shouldn't have hit Ajax so hard, when Blair interrupted him quickly, and Christian wasn't able to say his sentence. He didn't try after though, as he guessed it must have been unimportant if Blair interrupted him and talked about something else.

It was clear that Beckham didn't want to be here, at the same time that he did. The only conclusion that Christian could come up with, given the times he had been around Beckham recently, was that Beck didn't want to be around Christian himself. It caused Chris a little bit of dismay and sadness to see that attitude, if that is what it was, as the two had been close friends when they were little. Now however, he rarely had contact with Beck, unless he was with Blair, and then it was like Beck went out of his way to be antagonistic. It wasn't like he didn't have cause, Christian knew he had hurt him badly, and he regretted having ever done that, so when he looked at it that way, how could he blame how Beck treated him? At least Beck hadn't come to hurt him physically, even though he had cause. Christian could sit through some snide remarks if that was all it would be. He knew himself how much he wanted to hurt Indira after she had tried to kill Blair, and how hard it was not to, so he admired that Beck used his words rather than his fists, something that Christian obviously struggled with. Therefore he continued to breathe deeply when Beck's words got to him, and gritted his teeth. He let Blair do most of the talking, simply sitting there and occasionally eating some of the food at the table, although Beck found it funny to reach for the food each time Chris did, and taking the chip that he was reaching for each time. Christian listened as Beck asked what they were going to do, and Chris turned to Blair. "Whatever you want to do Blair, I"m happy to do."

Interacting with: Blair WanderLust. Beckham spyder

Cassidy "Cassie" Wickham || 16 || Initiate || Erudite Transfer

The sexual and flirtatious tension in the air was not missed by Cassidy, nor was it something she detested. In fact, this particular environment, and Randi in particular, she was very excited and intrigued to be around. She desperately wanted to see where their relationship would turn, Randi was playful, fun, fiery, exotic and very attractive both in physical looks and in spirit. Plus, Cassidy was fairly sure Randi wasn't looking for a proper relationship, over the period of initiation she had noticed that Randi often stayed out late with boys and seemed to be happy to flirt with anyone. Cassidy liked this, as she herself would have been pushed away from someone who desired a terribly committed relationship, but as she and Randi had been getting to know each other, they had quickly found their personalities to work well with each other. They both held little to know worries about their wellbeing, they liked to take risks, they enjoyed chaos and encouraged rebellion. Randi had more of a rambunctious and truly Dauntless spirit within her, whereas Cassidy held a little more elegance from her time in Erudite. Of course Randi was stronger than Cassidy, when it came to taking hits, almost everyone was stronger than her. When it came to giving hits? Skills with weapons and overall ability to care for oneself? Cassidy was top of the line, unless she got hit too badly. But that was neither here nor there, and Cassidy tried to simply be present and enjoy the moments she was with Miss Brandish Rose at the party. Selfishly, she was grateful to have her all to herself in this moment. Cassidy sipped on her own mimosa, jealously watching how Randi had quite obviously had many drinks and yet was not bothered by them, nor did she seem overly intoxicated. Cassidy herself wished that she could be a heavy drinker, however she knew that her body could not physically handle the affects that they had, and so she often stopped much faster than her peers in Dauntless. However it was nice to drink and not be too much at fear in the moment.

"You look dazzling yourself, I'm glad you went with the green." She said, as she placed one hand on her hip to unabashedly gaze up and down Randi's form. "I daresay we could get any man or woman's attention if we wanted to." She gazed around, mentally wondering if that statement was as true as she confidently asserted it to be. After scanning the area she nodded to herself, it would definitely be doable, and she could see the twinkle in Randi's eye. "A fight, you say... why... I think we could do something even more interesting." Cassidy came closer to Randi in order that she may speak easier with her and not be overheard. "I have an idea." She said, mischief plain in her voice, and fire in the air. The idea was simple, and she could tell that Randi was all for this plan. All the girls had to do, was rope a man to desire them - easy - and then get the two men to somehow get into a fight. "Shall we pick our targets?" Cassidy asked, as she and Randi stood side by side gazing round the room of disorderly Dauntless men and women. "And let us make a rule that it cannot be someone who is part of our initiation, it has to be a stranger." She heard Randi agree, and the two girls smiled impishly at each other, clinked their glasses together as they downed their drinks and snuck the empty glasses onto a waiter as they walked past, and then winked at each other as they went off to look for someone whom they would seduce. Since the goal was to get them to fight, Cassidy was perfectly happy to be more hands on than she usually would be, as this man would soon be in a fight and wouldn't have opportunity to touch her more than she deemed appropriate. She didn't want a disgusting man however, as she deemed most of Dauntless, but she wanted someone with a bit more taste. Thus, when she noted a man with a particularly well put together outfit, she knew that was who she wanted her target to be. His hair was not greasy and unkempt, in fact it was pulled back into a low colonial pony tail - Cassidy wasn't so keen on that but it was better than most other men - and he had money to spare, as she noted his shoes were unusually expensive. She watched him for a little while to see what he liked, he wasn't drinking too much, in fact he was drinking mostly water from what she could tell, with the exception of one whiskey glass. He was standing either near the bar or at the edge of the room, and Cassidy would have watched him further if he hadn't started to leave, urging her to make her move much faster than she would have.

"Oh my word I am so sorry!" Cassidy said, lowering her voice slightly to give it a more sultry edge, as she stumbled into this man, causing him to grasp her around the waist and steady her against himself. She stumbled dramatically as he tried to help her stand up, apologizing profusely and finally standing up with some help, as he kept one hand one her waist. At closer glance, Cassidy was a little sad she was going to have to throw this man into a fight, as he had kinder blue eyes than most, and his face held an unusual mystery behind it. But she was sure she could find someway in which she would be happy to dislike him. "Are you okay?" "Yes... Maybe... I... I probably shouldn't say.." Cassidy looked down at her feet, her voice quivering slightly and she bit her lip as her eyes looked back up at the man through her eyelashes. "Please, let me help, come, sit with me, I'll get you a drink... What's your name? You can call me Price." Cassidy felt her heart swell at the achievement of already roping this man in by simple actions alone. "Price? How unusual, I like it... My name is Tarot." She faked needing his support as he guided her to a bar stool, and they sat with each other. As if it was by accident, she let her hand drop from his arm to his knee, making sure that every now and then she moved it slightly further up, hearing a gasp each time she did, but appearing to be oblivious to it herself. As he had promised, he ordered her a drink, and Cassidy was given quite the compliment when she declared she preferred whiskey and he ordered them both some. As they waited for their drinks, Cassidy took the time to regale upon the man her story of her boyfriend, who was abusing her and often took her money that she earned (through her hair styling job) and spent it on his own lifestyle, motorbikes and whatnot. As the story went on, Cassidy saw Randi not far off with her own man, and she could tell that both of them had already roped their men in far enough. Cassidy hissed an intake of breath, gripping the man's thigh and ducking her head. As if understanding that her "boyfriend" was around, and "Tarot" needed to get away, the man quickly began to escort her towards the exit, which Randi's man was also doing. The girls made eye contact at just the right time, and as if working from an outlined plan (which they were not), Cassidy put her foot out so much so that Randi was able to trip without falling over. Immediately, Randi dramatically emphasized it, stumbling and using her man for weight, as Cassidy did herself to Price who was beside her. The girls did not hold back as they acted out an elaborate play in front of their men, Randi called her all sorts of colourful names and Cassidy spat some back, both girls furious, or so it seemed. The boys eyed each other up, hating each other on sight, (as they had both wished to take these beautiful girls away to do things with, and now had been interrupted). "Next time, watch where your going blondie, or maybe next time you shouldn't wear such intricate heels, maybe training wheels would be better suited for you." She mocked Randi, as she nodded towards the drink in her hand, Randi seemed to get the point, and she threw it, as Cassidy dodged it perfectly, allowing the drink and glass to fly straight into Price himself. "You bitch!" Cassidy declared as she leapt towards Randi, but she didn't even need to, as the men began their fight, both trying to defend their "girl". Cassidy and Randi pretended to fight until it was obvious that the boys were so enthralled in their fight that they were not noticing that Randi and Cassidy had exited the bar. The girls could hardly contain their giggled and laughter, and once they were out of the bar they were laughing so hard they had to hold their stomachs, as Cassidy felt a stitch from the laughter.

"Did you see their faces? Oh my... You are very good, and I must say you aimed that drink terribly well, I hardly got a drop on me." Cassidy said, as she looked at her shoulder. "Aw damn. My paint got some on it, the alcohol is rubbing it off." Cas rubbed at it slightly, watching as the alcohol was rubbing it off. Randi came up, admiring the unique painting that was emulating a tattoo, admitting that she assumed it had been a tattoo. Then she offered that they could go to the bathroom and at least rub it off properly, so that it wasn't slowly rubbing off itself, plus she didn't want it to ruin Cassidy's dress. Cas smiled, agreeing that it was a good idea, and the girls linked arms and made their way towards a nearby bathroom, talking about their fun little game and how they should find other ways to do something like that more often, as it was so much fun and a great time. They hoped that they would be able to sneak back in and see how the fight had gone down, eventually deciding that they should bet on who they thought would win. They laughed together as they finally got to the bathroom, entering together. That's when they stumbled in on the strange sight in front of them, Maverick - shirtless - with a very drunk and out of it Vex, whom he was holding. Cassidy raised an eyebrow as she looked at Randi to see her reaction, having thought that Maverick and Randi might have had some type of relationship.

Interacting with: Randi Sanctuaryforall1

Griffon Mordo || 17 16 || Initiate || Abnegation Transfer

Griffon listened to Fable empathetically as she spoke about how real and how right Dauntless felt to her soul. Griffon was glad for her sake, she had never been truly happy in her home and life in Abnegation, and she had been given skills and desires that better suited Dauntless. Griffon however was much better suited for Abnegation. He had no problem with Dauntless life, the exception being the intense violence, but Abnegation would always have been his preference for life, if it hadn't have been for Cassidy. His nature was to think of others, to do unto them what they desired and what they needed. He would have given his life for his friends and family, even his adopted parents back in Abnegation. Many times Fable had to gently talk over him when he was offering himself out as help for too many projects back in Abnegation - in fact, Fable had become somewhat of an administrator for poor Griffon given his difficulties in memory. He always wished to volunteer and offer his help wherever he could, but often double booked himself, so he had learned to seek Fable's advice before offering himself up so often. Even now, his inclination was to seek her when he needed to organize a date and time for something. He smiled as she spoke more about how much she liked Dauntless, and he waited till she had finished before speaking himself. "That makes me happy to hear. You suit this place much better than Abnegation." He stated, but instead of seeing her smile at that statement, he could see pain, deep, traumatic and emotional pain emanate through her body like a bullet wound. Griffon immediately felt remorse at what he had said, although not understanding the reason that it had given Fable such a reaction. "What I meant.. was that you are colorful, whereas Abnegation is grey, much like me. Dauntless has given you so many more opportunities that you didn't have in Abnegation, and you are very skilled and have learned quickly in training. I truly didn't mean anything other than that Fable, I hope I didn't offend?" Griffon had stopped walking to apologize, and he saw as Fable's eyes went from a traumatized styled panic, till they slowly softened and she smiled back up at him, remarking that she understood what he meant and that nothing was wrong. Griffon sighed softly. "If you need to talk Fable, I will listen and be here for you. But I will not pry into what has been happening. I just hope you're okay." He pulled her closer very gently, so that she nestled under his arm as they walked. It was reminiscent of a time when they were in Abnegation and he would walk with her to school and back.

The party was loud and obnoxious, and Griffon honestly would have preferred a quiet day back in the dorms than one that was so loud. But he was glad to have Fable's company, as she needed him in this moment and he was more than happy to oblige, what made her happy made him happy. He fondly rubbed her shoulder as they walked, both having run out of conversation but enjoying their presence even without speaking. Given that Griffon had come into Fable's life when she was 10 or 11, they had always had a unique bond that most siblings wouldn't have. They never had that time where they squabbled and fought as little children, instead they had simply been each other's supports and encouragements. As Griffon though over this, he remembered the time that he had carried Fable back home after Cassidy had brought vodka and Fable had accidentally drank it without knowing what it was. Given that they had been very young at the time and Fable was not a large girl, the alcohol had washed through her and left her quite unresponsive. Griffon had taken one sip and stopped, having found the taste too strong for his liking, and Cassidy had seemed to be fine. However, what was interesting about that day, was that - from Griffon's memory, which in itself wasn't much to go on - it was the first time he had lied to his parents. Now Griffon did not have anything specific against lying, he just never felt overly comfortable with it himself, but when it came to Fable's wellbeing, and knowing what her parents were like, he had lied smoothly for her sake. "That time you spoke about Fable, did I ever tell you that was the first time I lied to our parents?" He asked, wanting to distract and entertain her as they walked. She looked up at him shocked, likely having never heard a lie come out of his mouth before. "You had passed out, and it was dinner time. You know how our parents were religious about eating together for meals. They were coming to your bedroom to get you out of it, and I feared that they would... possibly punish you unfairly. So I lied, and told them that you were fasting and in prayer, thinking that it might stop them from looking in your room. They didn't believe me, and opened your door. Thankfully, you were passed out face down in a position that looked like you were upset, they were about to call out to you when I closed the door. I told them that you were upset because your friend had told you that they were going to go to Dauntless when they turned 16, and that you had felt like you needed to fast and pray for their soul." Griffon laughed a little at this, and scratched the back of his neck. "I realize that it's kind of ironic now, as we both ended up choosing Dauntless... Heh, that's actually kind of funny."

Griffon hoped that his story had brightened Fable's day, he felt at this moment that he had lacked in his brotherly duties to her. He knew, he absolutely knew that something very bad must have happened, but there was nothing he could do to undo whatever it was. He simply believed he had failed in protecting his sister. Even if she didn't need his protection, he felt he owed it to her. He looked at her softly, admiring her fiery red hair, her beautifully mismatched eyes and the way she walked so perfectly in his eyes. "Fable, are you glad that your parents adopted me?" He asked, watching as she looked up at him, declaring that to be ridiculous because she was obviously happy that had happened. Griffon blushed, having not meant it quite as he had said it. "Well, what I meant was... Your parents treated you and I differently. I know that I fitted the Abnegation model easier because that's what my aptitude was for, whereas you were made for so much more than that... I know our parents didn't see it the same way, and I didn't pick up on it very quickly, but I do understand that they sometimes treated you worse because of me, I never would have intended that at all, I just hope you know that. I love you very much and I'm very grateful we both transferred together." Griffon sighed as he had stumbled through that sentence, having struggled to remember exactly what it was he had intended to say to Fable, but she seemed to understand, as she smiled at him graciously. Griffon felt at home immediately, feeling entirely safe with Fable beside him. "Do you have anything you want to do today? I have no plans with anyone."

Interacting with: Fable Sanctuaryforall1

 

[Sanctuaryforall1]

Vex

Mood: Calculating

Location: Bar

Interactions: Mav

Vex had done her homework, she had read the faces and the people she had been around the past few weeks, and she was certain she knew them well enough to successfully trick her prey. Mav, as an instructor, was one of the first people in Dauntless she had truly taken to watching and learning. He was someone to was tasked with training initiates, he would be one of the first to detect any divergents among them, he was also kin to one of her previous targets. All of these things made him a valuable resource for her to study and learn from, perhaps gaining knowledge here and there about other initiates or the case of his brother’s murder. She would never outright ask him about either subject because that would be just as bad as telling him her true intentions. If she came across as nosy she could get caught or raise suspicions, if she came across as innocent and curious it would make her seem like a caring drunk girl.

The moment Mav made to retreat towards a bathroom at the back of the crowded bar Vex waited a beat before following him. The pause was to add to the effect that she was drunk and thus processing things, such as Mav leaving, a bit slower. As the heartbeat passed the charade continued as the exotic beauty stumbled along through the crowd after the shape of Mav. She bumped into a few people and half giggled, half hiccupped her apologies so that all around her would remain convinced that she was far from sober despite her mind being as clear as the day. She yanked a rag off of one of the countertops as she followed him to make it seem like she was pursuing the instructor in order to fix her mistake rather than try to pry information out of him.

As she reached the small bathroom at the back of the bar she watched her prey peel the neon green stained shirt off of his chest. “Mav?” She called out in a soft and concerned sounding tone that was sprinkled with the slight drawl of someone who had consumed more liquor than recommended. “I…I brought you a towel.” She offered with a slight stumble forward that had her leaning against the wall beside him. “I am soooo sorry I ran into you. Is your shirt okay? I am so so so so sorry.” She continued and used the towel as an excuse to get closer and closer to him as he focused on his shirt.

Hearing his suggestion that she go get water did not fit in with Vex’s plan at all. She would not simply be dismissed by this stupid boy who had information that she desired. Though it didn’t show on her face or in her body language she wanted nothing more than to break his knee caps right then and there for trying to brush her off so easily. “I’m fiiiiine. Totally fine! I promise! I can count my ABC’s and everything.” She giggled and paused as if she just realized what she said and how ridiculous it sounded. Stepping closer to him once again she smiled, “Okay, maybe I’m a liiiiiiittle drunk but it’s a paaarty.” She admitted, her voice and mannerisms putting on the convincing display of a girl who had gone far past her limits.

When Mav still seemed to resist her she began to reevaluate her initial approach. Mav didn’t seem to be like his brother. Caspian had been all too eager to entertain a beautiful drunk girl but Mav had his mind elsewhere and she needed his eyes on her. Thinking back to what she had seen of him so far she felt something click into place in her mind; Mav had a nasty habit of being the hero to damsels in distress. It was part of the reason why she had been all too thrilled to end little Bella’s life. The pathetic little dove was too weak to fly on her own and thus tried to lean on a man who acted the part of a hero but in the end, hadn’t even noticed she was gone.

In a heartbeat, she knew what to do and her body followed in perfect sync. Her eyes darkened like she had realized something wasn’t right like she had made some sort of mistake, the look of a girl who was regretting all she had consumed. Suddenly she stumbled forward and as he moved to keep her from falling she crashed into his chest. Everything was going according to plan until suddenly Mav’s attention was ripped off of her by the sudden arrival of an annoying blonde and her ebony-haired friend in the doorway of the bathroom.

WanderLust.

code by Stardust Galaxy

Randi

Mood: Complicated

Location: Bar

Interactions: Cas and Mav

Cassidy’s idea of a good time wasn’t exactly what came to mind when Randi thought of ways to have fun at a party but nonetheless she found herself enjoying it. As she and Cas shouted at one another Randi couldn’t help but look at Cas’s pick of man and compare it to her own. It seemed Cas went with someone who looked to have a hint of class and perhaps money and/or status going off of his looks and how he held himself. Randi on the other hand had decided to enthrall a large biker, someone she knew could handle himself in a fight. More than that, she went with someone who could probably do with a few punches to the head. Her target was a member of one of the Dauntless biker gangs and not one of the friendly ones if there were any. The twin sharks with daggers in their tails were enough for Randi to know he was part of the gang and the fact that he had several shark teeth tattoos on his wrist told her that he was a high-ranking member, someone who looked at others and saw them as toys and playthings. His tattoos were symbols of the crimes he had committed, each representing a member of a rival gang or their family he had killed which was why Randi felt no shame in lining him up for a solid beating. She didn’t approach him until she saw who Cas had selected as her target and figured they would probably be pretty evenly matched.

It hadn’t taken much for the biker to take interest in her. Honestly, the first and only thing she had to do was join the crowd and dance near him, her moves, her eyes glancing over at him, and the killer dress Cas had a hand in selecting did the real work. Within a minute the heavily muscled biker was approaching the dance floor and running his hands over her arms as she slowly spun in a circle and continued to move to the music. He soon joined her, his body close to her as he tried to flirt and impress her, clearly wanting all her attention. As he boasted about his bike and his skills in all sorts of areas Randi smiled up at him before gently grabbing his beard and pulling his ear down to her lips. “How about you stop talking and show me what you can really do?” She suggested with a purr. “Put your muscle to the test by getting me out of the bar safe and sound and you might get a reward.” She offered before gently kissing him on the cheek. It was clear that he was eager to accept her challenge as she turned around a heartbeat later and started walking with the large man clad in leather right behind her.

Now she and Cas were watching in amusement as their prey of choice went into full brawl mode right before their eyes. Randi followed Cas as they retreated from the bar and the moment they did the two burst into laughter. “That was brilliant!” The blonde giggled and leaned against a light pole in order to keep herself up, wincing slightly as the laughter messed with her healing stab wound. “I am so glad you dodged as well as you did! I freaked out the moment I thought I might mess up your makeup!” She admitted and didn’t really care how girly that might sound. Seeing the golden paint smearing away Randi was surprised that it wasn’t a real tattoo as she had assumed. “Woah! That’s incredible! I 1000% thought that was a real tattoo!” She gasped and examined the fading art carefully. “It’s a shame to see it go but we should probably get to a bathroom so we can clean it up properly. Man, I feel like an ass for messing that up.” She shook her head and looked at Cas with apologetic jade eyes. “But hey at least now I know you’re good with your hands.” She pointed out with a playful yet flirty wink and a cheeky smile.

Walking arm in arm with Cas to the closest restroom the two of them continued to laugh and recount their most recent game. “I swear that your guy looked like he was about to-“ Her words and laughter were cut off as she opened the door to the bathroom only to find the guy who had been all over her mind shirtless and with a drunk initiate in his arms. Randi blinked for a moment and her smile fell from her lips as she took in more of the scene before her. Up until Cas came to hang out with her a few moments prior all Randi could think about was checking on Mav. She had only decided not to try and find him when she realized he might need the day to himself, now it seemed she was wrong since he seemed to desire company…just not hers. “Glad to see you’re feeling better.” She stated in a hollow tone before turning and pushing her way through the crowd towards the door at the back of the bar. Internally she was a giant tornado of emotions. She didn’t like relationships or commitment and she had reminded herself of that constantly when it came to Mav but for once she had also really tried to convince herself that he could be worth it, that she could make her way through her issues and reservations for him. Internally she mocked herself for ever being that foolish. Mav hadn’t ever had any real interest in her. He jumped from one girl to the next, first Bella, then Poppy, then her, now Vex. Shaking her head Randi hated how much it hurt her to see such a thing, to come to this realization. Turning to the wall in the ally just outside the bar Randi struck out and firmly punched the brick wall. She felt some level of pain but it was mostly numbed by everything else going on in her head. She didn’t bother to even acknowledge the fact that the move had left her knuckles bleeding.

WanderLust. Nerdy.

code by Stardust Galaxy

Thorn

Mood: Compassionate

Location: Party

Interactions: Aubrey & Shayla

Hanging out with Aubrey was like trying to keep up with a tornado, not that Thorn minded. In fact, he quite enjoyed how rapidly the young blonde moved from subject to fascination to new idea and so on. It was like watching a star burn bright with flares or ideas and excitement bursting outward in a beautiful display. The way she talked about what she wanted to be engraved on her one dagger, the name of Caspian, and a lion on the hilt. The way she elegantly considered what she would want for the other dagger and decided to wait for someone worth remembering. The way she got excited over hot dogs and donuts and the way she pulled him through crowds that he would normally avoid so as not to inconvenience others. Being with Aubrey was exciting every step of the way. He knew it might sound sappy or too poetic but his favorite part of it all was seeing how her vibrant eyes lit up with each new thing that caught her attention. Her eyes were so expressive, much like Charlie’s, and Thorn knew he would have loved to snapshot many of the moments he and Aubrey shared during the parades and parties but no picture would ever be able to capture her properly because her spirit was something one had to witness for one's self.

He had wanted nothing more than to cover the cost of her food as he felt he owed her for the dinner he would be attending later that night. Yet, the moment he pulled his wallet out Aubrey insisted that she pay and count it towards the work he would be doing for her on the daggers that were safely locked away in his shop. He hadn’t told her yet but he didn’t intend to charge her for the commission since she had been through such a hard time lately and it didn’t seem right. This commission wasn’t business for him, it was a favor to a friend. Later when he was at her house for dinner he would be sure to slip some money into her purse for her to find later in order to cover the hot dogs and donuts of the day.

Thinking of the dinner he would be attending later left Thorn’s heart feeling squeezed in a death grip. This dinner wasn’t a social call, it was a mission to find out who was hurting Charlie. He truly wasn’t certain what he would do once he knew but he hoped it would help him to keep the kind medic safe in the future. Perhaps he could talk to her about the issue? He could convince her to stop seeing such a person and remind her that she is so much more than whatever they make her feel she is? He would do everything he could not to beat the abuser to a pulp, violence was not the answer and was truthfully the last thing Charlie would need after all she has been through. Thorn took his views against violence very seriously and when he did have to enter a fight he would be as evasive and passive as possible. Most of the time he would dodge until the opponent tired out or use their weight against them without landing any wounding blows. It took a great deal of concentration and effort to do but the young freckled man had a lot of practice at the hands of his father and uncle as well as the common bullies in Dauntless growing up.

His attention was drawn back to the present as Aubrey grabbed his arm once more and suggested that they go to a bar or club to dance. Internally he wondered if that was what she truly wanted or if she was drawn to the drinks available to her at such locations. Today of all days was a time in which alcohol flowed freely in all corners of Dauntless. He had rather expected Aubrey to partake in a drink sooner due to what he knew of her from the past but not in a bad way. Drinking was a very common pastime in Dauntless and while Thorn rarely ever drank he knew many others did quite frequently. When he did drink it was only in small doses and never to the point of really feeling anything, just a few casual sips when offered. He was very nervous about alcohol and what it would do to him personally since he did have the blood of his father in his veins. He didn’t want to become anything like the man who tormented him and used to torment his mother as well. Aubrey on the other hand was her own woman and could make decisions for herself, Thorn knew it was not his place to judge and never would think to. If she did drink too much he would do as he had the night before and help her to get someplace safe then make sure she was okay until he knew she was lucid enough to care for herself. He imagined that she knew how to handle herself and her drinks well enough but he would always look out for her as he would anyone he was out on the town with.

Things seemed calm enough until suddenly Aubrey bumped into another young woman Thorn recognized from around the compound growing up and recognized as someone he believed Aubrey used to hang out with. “Oh dear, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” He apologized and checked to make sure her outfit and drink hadn’t been messed up. He opened his mouth to continue but was cut off by the surprisingly venomous words that came from Aubrey. His eyes widened slightly and he looked over at Shayla apologetically since he truly didn’t understand the reason for Aubrey’s sudden outburst. Hearing Aubrey call to him he offered Shayla a napkin he had on him for her hand before following Aubrey. “I know it isn’t really my business…” He began carefully. “But I think that was an accident.” He offered as he tried to wrap his mind around the sudden hostility from the blonde. “I don’t think Shayla meant to run into us.”

Nerdy.

code by Stardust Galaxy

Shayla

Mood: Sincere

Location: Street / Bar

Interactions: Aubrey & Thorn

With Lainey and Cassidy quickly making off on their separate ways as they entered the bar Shayla was left alone and sipping on her drink. Truthfully, she didn’t mind it, she was used to isolation and so it felt as though nothing had changed. She took another sip of her whiskey sour as she watched the people around her and felt at ease. In a way, life had become a spectator sport for her. She got to see other people live as though they believed they would never die. They loved freely and quickly, though sometimes she noticed that certain people had bonds that they didn’t seem to realize themselves. It was interesting what one could pick up on when one lived on the outside. Sometimes she found herself envious of those who could live so freely, live without having to acknowledge their own mortality. It was a luxury she hadn’t known for quite a while now. That envy never really lasted though because Shayla never wanted to become someone who was angry at others for getting to live when she had to die. It wasn’t their fault, after all, fate had simply dealt her a bad hand and it seemed she was out of aces.

It was actually a bit funny in a dark way when she thought about it. She came from a good family, a powerful family within the faction. Her parents had money and resources, they had all the connections in Erudite and other factions that they could need. Had it been basically anything else, any other sort of illness, Shayla would likely have never had to worry about a thing. Sure, she might have needed to undergo some sort of procedure or treatment, but her parents would have covered it without a second thought. Instead, she had a ticking time bomb in her brain that could go off at any moment and would certainly end her life before she ever reached 20 years old if not sooner. The dark-haired beauty wasn’t sure, but it certainly felt like some form of karma for something she must have done in a past life, or perhaps a punishment for her parents.

Lost in thought Shayla didn’t notice a duo passing by until suddenly the blonde in front bumped into her. A bit of her whiskey sour splashed over her hand but none seemed to reach her outfit or luckily the other girl. Looking up from the slightly spilled drink Shayla remained rather neutral looking externally but internally her heart squeezed with emotion as her eyes met Aubrey. Instantly she could see the fire in the blonde’s eyes and knew that Aubrey still hadn’t forgiven her, not that she expected she ever would. The daggers the blonde glared at her were only made more painful by the words drenched in hate that spilled from Aubrey’s lips. Shayla kept her face icy and emotionless as always but blinked when the words hit her ears. “I’ll keep that in mind Aubrey.” She replied coolly.

As the words left her lips and she noticed Aubrey and her companion, Thorn, moving away a memory from the day before entered her mind. Caspian had died. Shayla used to be best friends with Aubrey so she knew how important Caspian had been to the young blonde girl as she was growing up. Aubrey had idolized the older boy and despite the two of them no longer being friends Shayla was sure that had never changed. For a moment she hesitated, wondering if what her heart was telling her to do was a good idea or not. Aubrey had lost someone she loved dearly, the exact pain Shayla had wanted to save her from when she cut her off after finding out she was dying. Sighing and putting her drink down on the bar, having no plans on returning to it, Shayla followed after the duo. As she neared she gently touched Thorn who stopped to see who had reached out for him, causing Aubrey to stop seeing as the blonde was holding the young man's arm. “I know it won’t mean much coming from me.” Shayla began and looked at Aubrey. “But I heard about Caspian and I’m sorry for your loss. I know how much he meant to you.”

Nerdy.

code by Stardust Galaxy

 

[WanderLust.]

Blair Avalon // Female // Age 16 // Dauntless Born Initiate // Divergent
Interacting With: Christian Nerdy. and Beck spyder

For the second time that night Blair found herself being interrupted whilst attempting to enjoy some private time with Christian. At the sound of another voice, she locked her jaw in anger. Blair was just about to tell whoever it was to piss off when her eyes landed on Beck. Her gaze immediately softened and her scowl was replaced with a light hearted smile at the presence of her younger brother. Despite her attention being pulled away from Christian, she laced her fingers with her boyfriends, softly gripping his hand so that he knew she was still thinking of him. “Fancy seeing you here, trouble.” Blair reached over to rustle her younger brothers hair, an old habit that she’d had since they were children. When she saw Beck’s sharp gaze cut to Christian her heart tumbled down in her chest.

She knew that Beck hadn’t taken too kindly to Christian, whether Christian was as yet aware of this fact as she was, Blair didn’t know. It pained her deeply, a wound that never stopped stinging. She wanted so badly for her family to like Christian, he meant the world to her, why couldn’t Beck see that? Of course… Ajax had never liked Christian either. A cold shiver went down Blair’s spine at the thought of her cruel older brother and the bruises he had left all over her. Blair doubted any of her other siblings knew the truth about Ajax, or knew the way that he abused Blair. The only Avalon daughter had kept her mouth shut when Ajax had thrown her down the stairs, hadn’t cried for help from Apollo or Achilles, hadn’t even told her parents. Deep down, some part of her knew she should’ve said something, that by not saying anything she was endangering the rest of her family.

Ajax was the only one in her family that knew Blair was a divergent, and when he had learned the truth he had scorned her, dismissed her as an abomination. Blair lived in constant fear that Ajax would decide to spill her secret to the rest of the family, and in doing so, isolate Blair from everyone she loved. She was a stain on the Avalon family tree and she knew it, but she couldn’t bare to have the rest of the family know it as well. So she kept her mouth shut about Ajax beating the living daylights out of her, holding out hope that in return he would keep his mouth shut about her divergency. Still, she had never offered an explanation for the various bruises and cuts that littered her skin. Most of her family had accepted that the marks were just souvenirs from her training… but not Beck. Beck knew her too well, and he was smart enough to know she hadn’t gotten those marks in training. She didn’t know what conclusion he had come to, but she doubted he had figured out the truth.

She watched as Beck began helping himself to some fries that were on the table, and gritted her teeth at his next words. He made a snide comment about Christian, something about a trail of blood, and Blair's gaze immediately sharpened, a warning glare cast his way. Beck seemed to understand Blair's look because he quickly changed the subject, asking what their plan was for tonight. Blair was about to tell him that she had been planning on going back to Christian's house when she felt a dull pain in her chest again. She hadn't been spending enough time with Beck lately and she knew it. In trying to avoid Ajax she had been avoiding the rest of her family as well, and it was creating a distance between her and Beck that she hated. Beck had always been her built in best friend, she didn't want to grow apart from him because of stupid Ajax. But... she had been neglecting Christian too. More than anything, she wanted to spend the rest of the party with both of them before retreating to Christian's for the night. But to pull that off... she'd have to get the two of them to get along for the night.

A playful smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as an idea began to blossom in her mind. "Stealing a birthday cake.... Beck, we could get into a lot of trouble for stealing Jeremy Daniels cake ...." at first her tone sounded worried and disapproving, but her facade quickly revealed itself as she smirked. "So we'll have to make sure we don't get caught." Blair giggled, grabbing both Christian and Beck's hands and pulling them up and out of their seats. The blonde trio began making their way towards the VIP section, where no doubt Jeremy Daniels and his close friends and family would be. Blair began explaining her plan as they walked. She would distract the bouncer while Christian and Beck snuck inside the VIP area. Once they were in, Beck would switch the cake with an empty platter, nobody would be any the wiser since the cake was conveniently covered by a silver cloche. After Beck switched the two platters, Christian would cut exactly three pieces out of the cake while Beck kept watch. The plan was not to steal the whole cake, but to steal three pieces for themselves and give Daniels quite the surprise when his birthday cake was presented missing three pieces.

Blair's eyes twinkled with mischief as she finished explaining her plan, looking at both the boys. "Don't get caught okay?" She kissed Christian softly on the cheek, cast one last warning look at Beck and then began sauntering towards the bouncer, only to stumble right as she passed him, letting out a painful cry. "Ow! My Ankle!!" lair doubled over, clutching onto her ankle as if she had just twisted it, her hand reaching out to the now very distracted bouncer for support. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry - I'm so clumsy." she muttered, a fake blush rising to her cheeks as many of the VIPs started looking her way to see what all the commotion was about. Christian and Beck would have more than enough time to sneak in while all eyes were on Blair.​

 

[Nerdy.]

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

Charlie was minding her own business quite happily excluded from the conversations of the other Dauntless members around her. She had already had the unfortunate happenstance to bump into and speak with Malia Wolfharde and her clan of children, including Indira and Wolf. Charlie knew that she was one of the very few people who knew that they were in fact her cousins and family, but she felt little connection to them. Caspian had been closer than all of them combined. Although there was some resemblance to them that none but Charlie picked up on, she was otherwise so removed from them by question of her status and unDauntless like personality that one would never have considered them even remotely alike. This Charlie was very grateful for, and found no remorse at. She wished deeply that it was not so, she wished deeply that Jeremy were not her biological father, she wished deeply that Henry had been her real father - but she could not change what was factual. She could ignore it, she could play pretend, and so she did, but it did not remove the reality, it simple put it out of the forefront of her mind. Charlie stood with Noah, Harrison, and others whom she either didn't know or knew very little, and hardly listened to attempted to join in conversation. She occasionally agreed halfheartedly, said "mmhmm" often and smiled at Noah as such to give him an emotional boost, and then she would sink back within herself. She felt almost as if she had dissociated from this entirely, this was unusually brave and uncharacteristic of her to be in this situation with such little anxiety, but she wondered if she may have used so much of her emotions in the last day, with Caspian's death, that she no longer had the energy to care in this moment at least. Jeremy had not shown face, neither had Obadiah or the Mr Avalon, all of whom were top Dauntless leadership. Thus - Charlie presumed that something must have come up, and that they were having a meeting of such. Either that, or each of the families did not desire to be at the VIP section, which she doubted heavily. Charlie rubbed the beautiful silk gown that she wore, enjoying the feeling of such elegance and expensive material upon her skin. The fanciest dress that she owned did not nearly feel anywhere near this expensive, so she wondered if Noah intended her to give it back, she hoped he didn't though, as she liked how it fit her, and how she looked, even if she didn't like the person who gave it or his intentions. Charlie knew Noah's intentions, it was simple to see as Noah gazed at her whenever he thought she was not looking, how his eyes washed over her body like an object, causing her to freeze and mentally scream at herself not to run away. His hands twitched and he often tried to grab her, though she kept a good eye on him and most often was able to get away from him without him touching her, though sometimes he trapped her in a "friendly" touch until she could find an excuse to get out. She usually wouldn't hold back so much, but she knew she needed Noah to be on her side, so she played along. But it didn't mean she had to play entirely by his rules, and not hers.

After gently pushing Noah's hands off of her for the fifth time, Charlie desired deeply that this day would be over. Well... That this part of the day would be over. She reminded herself that she had dinner tonight with her mum, Aubrey and Ghost... She found herself day dreaming of him as she stood there now completely dissociated and not listening at all to Noah or his friends. She wondered what Ghost was wearing, she imagined he looked very charming, as always, and that he was all done up. He probably looked better than she did right now, he had a knack for style and dedication to grooming himself. She wished she was with him right now, rather than with these assholes, as she knew that she could trust Ghost not to take advantage of her. Though... could she trust him with much else? Charlie mulled on that question, disliking the connotations that it gave her. The fact that her answer was not immediately "Yes I can trust him with everything" was not remarkable, but it was concerning. In all honesty Charlie likely couldn't trust many people with most things, but with Ghost... it was like she could hardly trust him at all... But he didn't hurt her, he didn't abuse her and he hadn't used her as of yet. She was... real to him, more real than anyone else treated her, even Caspian sometimes. Yes he went off and didn't contact her for ages, yes he wasn't the most polite and romantic towards her, yes he confused her with both leading her on and pushing her away. But those were so arbitrary compared with what others had done. He hadn't beaten her senseless, like Jeremy, Noah, Harrison and Wolf had done. He hadn't raped her, like Caspian had. He hadn't drugged her, like Noah had. He hadn't touched her without her consent, like most of the above had. He was genuinely thoughtful, he was typically honest towards her, and he let her have her privacy and understood her trauma. She respected him deeply for all of these things, and it caused her to desire his presence so much more than the people she was with right now. She kept hoping that she would see him walk into the VIP area... or that something would happen that would give her a break. She shivered as Noah's hand found it's way again to her lower back, causing her to tense and try and figure out how she was going to get it off her again.

That was when the delightful distraction arrived. A commotion occurred at the door to the VIP section. A girl, familiar sounding, yelled in pain, causing a distress and many people turned to see what was going on, including Charlie herself. The blonde hair made her forget her company, and she rushed towards the door, her hand digging into her handbag to make sure she had first aid items with her. AUBREY! Charlie's mind screamed her sisters name, hoping that the long blonde hair was not Aubrey. Her relief was likely not shown on the outside, when she saw it was Blair, as it transferred to fear for her sister, to fear for her initiate. A security guard went to hold her back and Charlie shook her head. "I'm the medic, she's in my charge, please let me see her." She said, emotion deep within her voice as she rushed towards Blair and knelt beside her. That was when she saw how the girl was directly trying to avoid eye-contact, in fact, Blair was outright looking in a different direction to Charlie, and blushing immensely. Now most who were watching probably took this to be a sign of pain and embarrassment, but Charlie knew Blair well enough to sense that something completely different was the case. "Blair? Are you okay? What's wrong?" Charlie emulated concern and professionalism as much as possible in her voice, but the clear suspicion was not lost on Blair, as the girl finally looked at her, and her eyes skirted the room, looking at something else, and then at Charlie again. She then stumbled through explaining that she had rolled her ankle or something, and that she hadn't meant to be such a distraction, her voice emphasising distraction. Charlie had to think twice, and then as she put it together in her mind, she glanced to where she had seen Blair look before, though she acted as if she were searching in her bag. Two flashes of choppy blonde hair completed the puzzle in Charlie's head, and she had to applaud this trio for their ingenuity. "This is very serious, I'm going to need you to carry her to that stall over there." Charlie looked at the security guard, who then began to state that anyone of the people could do it. Charlie shook her head. "You must also sign some papers declaring that you witnessed this accident and were not the cause for such an accident on an initiate who is the daughter of Dauntless leadership." Charlie watched as the security guard panicked, immediately scooping Blair up and hoisting her over to a stall. Once Blair was sat down, with a lot of dramatic groaning in pain, Charlie gave the man an accident form and told him to be very very thorough. Then she began to bandage Blair's leg, knowing full well that the ankle was not even injured in the slightest. "Now, you should call someone to take you somewhere where you can rest, maybe a brother, or a boyfriend." Charlie said these things, meeting Blair's gaze and giving her a wink to show her that she knew what was happening and supported her. "And be careful, you don't want this to be caught on anything and get any worse. It's a good thing this security guard was over here at the time." Charlie smiled at the guard, who was struggling to remember some of his own information. She looked back at Blair, and smiled deeply at her, grateful to have been dragged away from Noah. Or so she thought.
"Charlie? What's going on? What are you doing? Come back to the fun part of the party, or come back to my place." Noah had sauntered over, and Charlie winced at his words, her back towards him so he couldn't see. "Kind of busy Noah." She said briefly, not wanting to converse with him. "Hurry up." He said, and leaned against a nearby wall as he waited. Charlie began to slow down though, instead of rushing, and she continued wrapping Blair's ankle. "Are you feeling better Blair?"

Interacting with: Blair WanderLust.

 

[spyder]

Chester Jensen — Transfer Initiate — 16M — Lainey WanderLust. , still keeping an eye out for Griffon & Thorn.

Chester's gaze scanned the growing crowd as he grew more and more uncomfortable. People weren't necessarily his thing. He wasn't good at interacting with them, he was too quiet to say what he needed to say or what they needed to hear. And here he was, waiting for people. These people were a little different than those in the current crowd, they didn't make him feel like he was saying the wrong things. But without them, he experiencing possibly more discomfort than he would if a stranger was interacting with him. He had a tightening feeling in his chest, like a vine had carefully wrapped itself around his heart and his primary bronchi, squeezing gently. Not enough to suffocate him or pop his heart, but enough to make him feel rather unpleasant. His cheeks and his chest felt warm, and something in the back of his mind told him just about the entire bar was watching him carefully, judging him for standing alone. Rosy color bled into his cheeks as he sighed heavily, falling back onto his heels to lean against the wall. His hands found his pocket and fished out his phone, unlocking it only to stare at the home screen, occasionally glancing up to see if he could find one of his friends.
"Well don't you look handsome." A familiar and much welcomed voice cut through the air, like windchimes on a breezy day. A huge smile came to Chet's face as he felt like he took a full breath for the first time in about ten minutes. He immediately pushed himself off the wall to be standing up straight, returning his phone to his pocket. If his grin could get bigger, it would have as Lainey approached him and told him she liked his suit. He undid the one button on his suit coat and opened it slightly with his fingers, doing a half turn in each direction to half-jokingly show off. "I do the best that I can," he joked, nothing witty coming to mind to be said. He would have asked her if she liked it but, she had already said that she did. "You know you clean up pretty well yourself." Before he could even start to button his coat back up, Lainey's hand was intertwined with his and he was being tugged away from his post along the wall.
Color and heat flushed his face, a nervous excitement now fluttering in his chest instead of the anxious feeling he had just moments before. A small smile tugged at his lips, though he suddenly felt very self conscious. His hand felt warm and sweaty in Lainey's, which he noticed very painfully, and it fit very clumsily into her cool, dainty own. He was also extremely aware of the fact that he'd skipped a shower and, though he was sure that he looked and smelt fine when he left, he was now deeply concerned that he was a greasy, stinky mess in the former Erudite's presence. The couple— of friends, mind you— approached the bar together. Chet was amazed at how the crowd moved to accommodate Lainey's movement, giving her a clear path to her destination, when earlier he had to swerve and mumble many 'excuse me's just to take four steps. When they got to the counter, Lainey gently dropped his hand to rest her own on the bar top and a bar tender swiftly made his way over to them.
After his friend had ordered her own drink, the bartender looked expectantly at him much more bored with him than he had been drinking in Lainey's appearance. Feeling a bit uncomfortable he smiled shyly at the man and shook his head awkwardly. "I'm good, thank you." He murmured. The bartender disappeared to make Lainey's drink, and the girl's eyes turned onto him. He propped himself up against the bar, leaning his elbow up against the shiny wood and fiddling awkwardly with his jacket button. He looked up to return Lainey's gaze, his huge grin now a timid expression. For just a moment, something flickered in Lainey's face causing him to suck in a sharp breath. But, whatever was in her expression was gone as swiftly as it had come. Instead, a bright twinkle and a sly smirk replaced it. Under her mischievous gaze, he laughed awkwardly. "What?" He asked, their blue eyes locking. He consciously reached up to touch his hair, worried that something might be wrong with it.
"I dare you to steal a bottle of whiskey." Immediately, his heart leapt up into his chest, he snapped up in a much straighter stance, and his eyes widened. "No way! Are you serious?" He exclaimed, taken aback by her proposal— if you could call it that. He leaned in and lowered his voice, "The bartender is right there. We'll get in trouble." Okay, maybe Lainey wouldn't get in trouble, but he certainly would. Disarmed by her dismissal of his concerns, he hesitated for a beat when she asked if he trusted him. He looked down at her hand resting gently on his. Did he? His heart fluttered in his chest and before he could answer, Lainey's cocktail had arrived and her hand moved to take it.
"Er, excuse me, I'm going to use the bathroom." He announced, hoping it made his disappearance less suspicious. The bartender paid him no notice, regardless. He moved a few feet down to a currently empty section of the bar and glanced around to make sure the coast was clear. He carefully lifted himself up to sit on the counter, slid on his butt to face the other way, and jumped down. The initiate stepped immediately to the shelf, his blood pounding in his ears. He threw a glance towards Lainey, a tingle surging through his chest as he watched her flirt with the bartender. He turned back to the shelf and, a little uncertain on what was actually whiskey and knowing he was running out of time, he grabbed a bottle full of amber liquid off the top shelf and prayed silently it was the right thing so he wouldn't embarrass himself. He set the bottle on the counter and surreptitiously hopped back over. He stashed his loot his jacket, scurrying away from the bar to avoid anyone noticing him. Realizing they'd need to drink it somehow, he rushed back to swipe two glasses before getting as far away from the danger zone as he possibly could. He stood in the doorway and flagged Lainey down.
When she finally joined him she laughed a bright, twinkly laugh and he couldn't help but smile. Chester lead her to a table out of view of the bar for fear that if they were seen, someone would put two and two together and come after him. He sat down and screwed off the cap, pouring each teen about twice the amount he should have, not sure how much he was supposed to fill the glass. "So, er," He didn't know what he should say to her and stumbled on his words. "You look beautiful tonight. I mean, um, the silver looks really... the silver suits you." He smiled bashfully. Adrenaline pumping through his system after the thrill of stealing the whiskey, his hands trembled slightly and his cheeks were flushed. To steady himself, he wrapped both hands around his glass, though still hadn't bothered to take a drink. He glanced around awkwardly, still keeping an eye out for Griffon and Thorn, unaware he likely missed them during his shenanigans. He watched as Lainey took a sip of her drink, and looked down on his own. Sucking in a deep breath, he raised the glass to his lips. The smell alone burned his nose, feeling a tingling sensation in even his nostril hairs. He had never had whiskey before and now he was honestly very nervous to. He glanced at his friend and decided to commit to the drink in a fast and hasty motion that he would soon regret.
Chet, in his panic to drink swiftly and not wuss out of the moment, took a very large gulp of the alcohol and swallowed hard. Heat engulphed his mouth, throat, and chest like dull flames punishing him for his idiocy. He crinkled his nose and sputtered out a cough or two, setting the glass down harshly on the table, the warmth of the whiskey travelling down to sit in his belly. He blushed, rather embarrassed by his reaction, but quickly followed it with conversation. "Oh my god, that's awful. Why would you make me grab that?" Lainey giggled at him, though not maliciously, and his tension was eased slightly. He couldn't help but smile when she laughed.

 

[Sanctuaryforall1]

Bloom

Mood: Entertained

Location: Bar

Interactions: Ghost

It had been a few years since she had indulged herself in marijuana of any sort, it tended to be pretty common among the young in Amity. Before she made her way to Dauntless she had known many people who smoked socially because it created a calm and peaceful environment for everyone. Her ex had been the first person she ever smoked with and while she did associate many bad things with him weed was never one of them. Yes, it reminded her of him a bit and of the horror in which unfolded at the end of their relationship and his life, but it also reminded her of her brother who she remembered smoking on the roof of the barn late at night. He didn’t do it often but when he did she would always climb up and bring him a snack, something small since they rarely had enough to spare. He would puff out the smoke, cough a little, then tell her about the stars in the sky. When she was older and smoking with her boyfriend she thought back to those moments with her brother fondly just as she did when she took the inhale of Ghost’s pen.

She was far more used to a regular blunt so when Ghost explained what she needed to do with the pen she listened carefully and took a sip of her Old Fashion before nodding and lifting the pen. Exhaling deeply as Ghost had instructed she carefully placed the pen to her lips and pressed the button down before inhaling hard and long. She was fine for a few good long seconds but finally, the smoke clawed at her throat in just the right way that it triggered a harsh coughing fit. It took her a bit to settle down as she patted her chest and gently sipped her drink to soothe her irritated throat. Listening to Ghost and his critique of her technique with the pen she took his advice to heart when he told her to sit down while she still could. “Glad I have a high tolerance for the stuff.” She chuckled as she placed herself on the stool beside her fellow instructor. “Not that it will save me too much if that oil is as strong as you say.” She added with a smile that showed she accepted her fate.

While the two of them had only just met the other day Bloom felt oddly comfortable around Ghost. She tended to be casual and kind with all people she met but with Ghost, it almost felt different and for the life of her, she couldn’t remember why. When she was around him, the few times she had been so far, she felt almost a sense that they had met before but her brain refused to give her an answer as to where. As they continued to talk and discuss playing a game she casually took in his features as if she could somehow scan his face and unlock where she had met him before. Unfortunately with the effects of the pen beginning to hit her system she knew it would have to be an answer for another time.

She smiled as Ghost agreed to play a game of Caps with her. She found that some of the most interesting, and in her opinion some of the best, relationships began with a drinking game and hoped that the two of them being crossfaded would provide just as much fun. As she explained the rules she watched Ghost and his features to see how he felt about it. She could see that the dark-haired young man seemed a little hesitant about it but nonetheless, he agreed to play along and she gave a small applause. To her surprise Ghost seemed to be a natural at the game as his slender fingers managed to flick the cap right into the bottle on his first try. Smiling at him she gave a nod of congratulations and adjusted herself on her seat as his attention was brought back to her. “Truth.” She replied with an eager grin when asked.

Hearing his question brought her a slight moment of hesitation as her mind instantly went to the first serious relationship she had had and how it ended in so much death and pain. She didn’t let it show on her face though since she had become very skilled at hiding that part of her life in order to survive. Instead, she walked herself through the question again and reminded herself that he had asked about her first crush, not her first big relationship. “Well…” She began and smiled like a little girl in love. “I think I was about 10 years old when I developed my first puppy crush.” She explained. “There was this healer who worked at the edge of the Amity compound. She was in her 20s I think, maybe 30s, but little me didn’t care because I just thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Her laugh, her smile, the way she entered a room…all of it had me enthralled.” Bloom mused with a soft chuckle. “I wanted to think that she was some sort of fairy or secret princess, I was a child of course but I was in love in my own way. Her name was Siena and I would come up with any reason to go see her just so I could talk with her and get to hold her hand.” The brunette remembered the woman fondly as she spoke. “I knew of course that nothing would ever come from my love for her but it still broke my little heart the day she got married.” Bloom shook her head as she thought back to how her past self had wept when she lost the first person she had ever loved to another person. “I was a dreamer, I guess I still am, but I recognize now that she probably just thought I was a cute kid or something like that.” The instructor laughed as she made fun of her past self.

As her turn came up Bloom moved the bottle cap through her fingers as a poker player would a chip. It was a graceful and mindless movement that had the cap weaving over and under her fingers until she figured out the angle she wished to strike from. Casually and with a well-practiced hand Bloom moved the cap to her thumb and flicked it into the bottle before Ghost. The cap sunk into the bottle with a little clinking sound as the metal hit the glass. “So, what about you Ghost?” She inquired with a smile and a quirked brow. “Truth or dare?”

Aviator

code by Stardust Galaxy

 

[Aviator]

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

A smile as bright as all the flowers in the world appeared on Bloom’s face as she recounted her first childhood brush with love. Ghost felt a pinprick of secondhand happiness to have chosen a question that inspired such a positive reaction in his fellow instructor, rather than sabotage her with something malicious or humiliating. When Bloom mentioned that the object of her affection may have been triple her youthful age, Ghost let out an incredulous whistle, eyebrows inching up his forehead. “I never would’ve taken you for an age player, Bloom,” he teased. “A shame, that is. Guess we’re too similar in age that I’d only be wasting my time.” Ghost took a sip of his mojito, which tasted strongly of lime and struck just the right blend of sweet and tart, soothing the rough throat that the cannabis had created. “Bold of you to assume she thought you were cute,” he continued with an impish grin. “She probably thought you a nuisance and couldn’t wait to be rid of you. Always slowing down her work and demanding her attention.” He tsked his tongue at her in mock admonishment.
To his mixed dread and burning curiosity, Bloom handled a bottle cap with a dexterous flourish that Ghost would have been hard-pressed to match and successfully flicked it into the glass bottle, where it chimed against the lip before bouncing inside. Bloom’s amiable smile grew teeth, in numerous senses of the word. Her voice was as soft and smooth as sand slithering into an hourglass as she issued him the same choice he’d given her a minute ago. “Dare,” he decided, “while I’m still capable of voluntary movement.” If he and Bloom continued tossing back drinks and hitting the pen at their current rate, soon they would devolve into a game of truth or truth. Upon receiving her dare, Ghost tipped his chin up at an infuriatingly cocky angle and asked, “Now, whyever do I need the bartender to give me a free drink, when I have you to make them for me? But as you wish.” With slow deliberation, he climbed down from the high spinning chair, but accidentally used too much strength when he went to push it in so that the chair clanged dangerously against the bar. He raised the cannabis pen to his lips and took a final puff for courage, oblivious to the commotion, and stalked toward the center of the bar.
“Ladies and gentlemen, gather around and watch closely, because anyone who can tell me how I’m doing this magic trick is about to win twenty American dollars. And if no one can…” Ghost sought out the bartender’s eyes and scrunched his features into an endearing, pleading face. “Free drink on the house?”
The dark-skinned woman behind the counter had her hair gathered into a poofy updo on the very top of her head and wore a black corset. Her eyes were unimpressed slits as they fixed on Ghost. “What is it with white boys and free shit?” she asked, but her question lacked any real bite. Upon the ubiquitous booing of her clients, she amended, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, bedazzle us with your trick, Houdini, and we’ll see about a free drink.”
Sensing that this was the best deal he was going to get, Ghost nodded at the bartender in appreciation and turned to face his gathering audience. “I’m going to require a volunteer for this trick. How about that lovely lady with the brown and red hair at the end of the bar?” Bloom looked slightly bewildered to find herself being called to the attention of a group of strangers, her expression like that of a first-time player in a street game. But to her credit, she stood from her chair with considerably more grace than Ghost had and sashayed down the aisle that the other spectators created for her amid their cheers of encouragement.
As Bloom joined him, Ghost reached into his pocket and held a slender, dark-tipped object over his head. “What I have here is an ordinary Sharpie marker. Would you agree?” He held it out for Bloom’s inspection. She turned it over, uncapped and recapped it, and confirmed that nothing was peculiar about the marker. Ghost accepted it back from her and announced, “With this marker I’m going to draw an X on my palm in bold black ink. When I close my hand, however, the X will no longer be on my hand, but on the hand of my lovely volunteer. Are you ready?”
The crowd let loose an enthusiastic cheer, circling up around Ghost to ensure that there was no foul play, lest one of them earn the promised twenty dollars. With their full attention trained on him, Ghost uncapped the marker and drew a neat, dark X on the inside of his right hand. He held his hand out for all to see, turning with it. “My volunteer and I are now going to make a fist at the same time. On the count of three, we’ll both open our hands—only the X will have vanished from mine completely and appear on hers instead.” He looked at Bloom to gauge her reaction, which seemed simultaneously intrigued by Ghost’s proposed feat, excited to have an active role in it, and slightly apprehensive to have twenty pairs of eyes on her. “Everyone ready?” The Dauntless gave a resounding reply, their conjoined voices soaring up over the electronic music in the background. Ghost and Bloom faced off with one closed hand held before each of them.
One… two… three!” Magician and volunteer’s hands sprang open at the same time. True to Ghost’s word, there wasn’t so much as a smudge of black on his palm anymore. And inexplicably, the X had transferred to the center of Bloom’s palm, neat and black and whole. Eyes ballooned all around the circle of spectators, despite having been told well in advance what would happen. A young boy in a baseball cap shoved forward and latched onto Ghost’s hand, tilting it this way and that as if the X were hiding up his sleeve, just out of sight. Bloom seemed equally perplexed, scrubbing at her palm like she expected the X to peel off at the slightest bit of pressure. “That’s magic ink,” Ghost told her with all the solemnity of a physician making a terminal diagnosis. “I’m afraid it won’t come off for at least a few hours, if you’re lucky. Never, if you’re not. Good thing tattoos never go out of fashion in Dauntless.” A current of laughter ran through the assembled viewers, half of whom were still examining the marker and the participants’ outstretched hands.
Ghost swiveled toward the bartender. “How about that free drink?” he asked hopefully, eyes dancing.
The twenty-something woman considered him. Her eyes were the color of cocoa in its purest form, before it is diluted with sugar and fats. “What would you like?”
This elicited another uproar of approval from the audience. Ghost dipped into a bow with much twirling of his hands. “A strawberry daiquiri will do.” The frothing concoction Ghost received resembled a slushy more than a cocktail. He took an experimental sip and quickly discovered that it tasted more like a slushy, too, with any telltale hints of alcohol saturated in sugar. He extended his arm to Bloom. “Shall we resume our game, my lady?” And they reoccupied the seats at the end of the bar that they had abandoned.
By now, Ghost’s mind was circling like a kettle of vultures, but that didn’t stop him from pouring some of his remaining mojito into the daiquiri glass and swirling the two together. “What?” he asked innocently when he caught Bloom looking at him. “They’re actually pretty decent together. Care to taste?”
Bloom declined, and Ghost honestly wasn’t sure if it was that she was put off by the combined cocktails, that she didn’t want to drink from his glass—which wouldn’t have made any sense when she’d already smoked from his pen—or because she was just being polite. Both of Ghost’s ears sounded as if they were pressed up against conch shells, yet at the same time every ambient sound seemed dialed up to maximum volume. When Bloom set her own glass down on the bar, Ghost jumped in his seat, sure that she had shattered it, yet it was somehow fully intact without even a crack running down the side. He watched Bloom say something to him, and only after a suspicious lapse had passed did he realize that her cap sat yet again at the bottom of the empty glass bottle they were using for their game. Ghost suddenly remembered that he’d already taken his turn and missed. What he didn’t remember was where half of his daiquiri and the rest of his mojito had gone.
“Truth,” he moaned before Bloom even finished asking the question. Because if she issued him a dare that required standing up, Ghost was fairly certain he would fall flat on his ass. He privately thanked whatever deity was listening that the chair he sat on had a back to it and wasn’t a stool. Knowing that the alcohol, weed, or both were starting to hit him, Ghost promised himself not to take another sip or hit of anything, at least until he’d scored his next point. He couldn’t concede the game to Bloom when it’d just started. Concentrating on the movement of her lips, Ghost deduced that she’d asked if ever there was a time he had woken up and not known where he was, and with whom.
“Uhh, yeah,” he said, twirling the bangs that hung over his right eye in a test of how much feeling still remained in his fingers. “Twice I woke up in the hospital. Wait… make that three times,” he revised, remembering how he and Leah had been chased by a Factionless gang less than a week ago, and the exertion had been too much for him. “The last time that happened, I was with Leah.” The initiate, Ghost very nearly added but stopped himself, thinking that if Bloom had only been an instructor for one day, there was a chance that she hadn’t memorized all the initiates’ names yet and wouldn’t assume that Ghost had been spending inordinate amounts of time outside of training with one of them. Hopefully the name would mean nothing to Bloom and she’d chalk it up to the ramblings of a man lost in his cups. “The previous time that happened, I got this bad boy.”
With zero hesitation, Ghost reached for the neckline of his shirt, the top two buttons of which were already unfastened. His fingers fumbled as he undid the remaining ones, a task that he suspected nearly took him a full minute. Finally, his shirt fell open, exposing a long, twisted, raised fissure bisecting the planes of his chest, starting near his left shoulder and snaking halfway down his ribcage on the opposite side. Bloom examined the scar and immediately asked how he’d gotten it. “Ah-ah, that constitutes a whole ‘nother question,” Ghost answered swiftly, not about to let Bloom trick him into revealing more than the game demanded. “But I woke up alone that time, and the previous one.” And every time thereafter, he thought meaningfully, reaching halfway for his cannabis pen before stopping himself.
“Other than the hospital, though, there was this one time—it was the very first time I got high—I woke up in Washington Park underneath the swing set. One of my buddies from back then was there with me, a kid from Amity who I’d sometimes run around and steal shit with. The maintenance workers rousted us at the asscrack of dawn and tossed us both outta there. I only made it halfway home before I passed out again on a bus stop bench.”
Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Bloom nodded and their game resumed. They each took two full turns where neither of them scored a cap in the opponent’s bottle, until finally Ghost broke the stalemate, his cap pinging to the bottom of the glass cylinder. “Well well, Bloom. You know the drill.” He arched his eyebrows at her in an unvoiced question.

 

[WanderLust.]

Lainey Covington // Female // Age 16 // Erudite Transfer
Interacting With: Chet spyder


Sapphire eyes stared back at Chet, blinking once, twice as she tried to muster up some sort of response. It was a rare occasion that Lainey found herself rendered speechless, and yet Chet had managed to throw the unbreakable erudite off her game with the simplest of compliments. She swallowed softly, a warm blush rising to her cheeks as she looked down at her hands. She reached for her Covington family ring, twisting it absentmindedly around her finger, a nervous habit she'd never been able to shake. "Thank you." She finally answered, her voice quiet... almost shy, which was extremely out of character for her. "My mother always said I was more suited to cold tones..." She tried to shrug off the sudden intimacy of the moment, as if saying that silver looked good on her was merely a factual distinction rather than the sweet compliment it was meant to be. She was instinctually piling her walls up around herself after the moment of involuntary vulnerability that Chet had coaxed out of her, as if retreating from her own feelings even as they bubbled up inside her chest. Don't get attached, Lainey. He's just a friend. He can't be anything more than a friend.

Silence overtook the pair as the dark haired girl became entwined in her own thoughts. She had resolved to avoid forming any unnecessary attachments until initiation was over. Lainey knew herself, and she knew that if she allowed herself to truly let her walls down she would lose herself in the process... She hadn't been able to do so since Peter. Chet’s strained cough drew her out of her somber silence and soon Lainey's laughter twinkled through the air again as Chet's face contorted at the burn of the whiskey. "Oh my gosh -" she gasped in between giggles, hunching over and clutching her stomach as another wave of laughter escaped her lips. "You're not supposed to drink it like that!" She could barely speak through her laugher, her cheeks a rosy pink from the exertion. "I'm sorry - Are you okay?" she desperately tried to compose herself, wanting to let Chet know she truly was concerned for him, but could still barely contain her laughter. Chet seemed to waive off Lainey's concerns as if to say he was fine, but she shook her head, a cheerful smile still tugging at her lips. "Well, I definitely can't let you go through that alone." Without another thought, Lainey reached for the bottle of whiskey, pressing the cold glass directly to her lips before swallowing a few sips.

In an almost identical reaction to Chet, Lainey's nose wrinkled in disgust as she forced herself to swallow the liquid that burned all the way down her throat. She shut her eyes and waited for the warm sensation to sink all the way down before sticking her tongue out and shaking her head. "Eugh" a tingle shot down her spine as the alcohol began to do it's job. "You're right. I forgot how gross this stuff is." She laughed again, pushing the bottle away from her as if the mere inches difference would somehow save her from the effects of the intoxicating liquid. Lainey grew quiet again as the taste of the whiskey began to fade, closing her eyes as the muffled sound of music from the party began to drift quietly towards them. A beautiful, melancholy violin melody overlapped a steady piano rhythm. It was the kind of music that took root in Lainey's soul and before she knew what she was doing, Lainey had risen unsteadily to her feet. Admittedly, she was a bit shaky from the drink at the bar earlier, combined with her heaping portion of whiskey. Lainey's mind was pleasantly distilled as the music washed over her and she silently held her hand out towards Chet, a wordless offer.

Evidently, she didn't need to explain her intentions to her partner. After a few moments, he had reached out for her hand and was standing beside her. After that, Lainey's body moved on its own, almost pure muscle memory. She guided Chet's hand to her waist and her hand instinctually reached for his shoulder. She stepped closer so that there were only a few inches separating them, and yet the whole thing still felt strangely casual... comfortable. Even with her heels on, Lainey was still a few inches shorter than Chet. Standing as close as she was to him now she had to peer up through her lashes to see his eyes, a deeper, colder blue than her own. Her eyes had only been locked with his for a few moments before that unwelcome blush began to creep back towards her cheeks. Rather than allow Chet to see such emotions from her, she rested her head on his shoulder so that her rosy cheeks were no longer visible to him as they swayed in the empty space near their little table. They had no company around except for the music they danced to, Lainey could've spoken but she didn't feel the need to. She liked the silence, liked how easy things felt with Chet as the music swelled and quieted. It wasn't until the violin began to drift into silence that a third voice pierced through the gentle melody. "Elaine Covington."

Lainey's head ripped from Chet's shoulder at the sound of her full name, anger already rising in her chest at the name 'Elaine' before she was able to place the source of the voice. "I've been looking for you everywhere." Lainey's eyes landed on a man with identical eyes to her own, short dark hair, dressed in a smart, blue suit. His arms were folded across his chest and a lazy, knowing smile was plastered on his face. Before the song was over she was running towards him. "Sebastian!" Lainey threw her arms around her dark haired sibling, happiness flooding her voice. She had not seen or heard from the rest of her family since she defected at the choosing ceremony, and even Sebastian she had only seen once at visiting day towards the beginning of initiation. "I'm so glad you're here!" She mumbled into his shirt, before finally pulling away from their embrace. Sebastian and the rest of the Covington family were very familiar with Jeremy Daniels, being part of Erudite high society. While her parents no longer deigned to entertain dauntless events, Sebastian still kept close ties with many of his dauntless clients and friends, so it made sense that he would attend today's party.

As if suddenly remembering what she had been doing before Sebastian's arrival, Lainey's head whipped back towards Chet, waving a hand to invite him over. "Sebastian, I want you to meet my friend Chet - Chester." She corrected herself, smiling warmly at both boys. Sebastian immediately extended a hand towards Chet, who shook it after a moments hesitation. "Just a friend?" Sebastian cocked an inquiring, playful eyebrow at the pair as he looked Chet over, clearly insinuating that he had just seen the two dancing and had come to his own conclusions about their relationship. "Sebastian." Lainey gave her older brother a slightly annoyed, warning glare before turning back to Chet. "Chet, this is my older brother, Sebastian. Don't take anything he says to heart - he just liked to hear himself talk." She laughed softly. After their introductions, Sebastian continued to smirk at the pair. "How about a drink?" he offered, but was quickly shot down as Lainey nearly choked on her own breath. "NO. um... no I think were actually, uh... all good on the drinks." She swallowed thickly, the taste of the whiskey still burning in the back of her throat. "How about some games? I bet I can beat both of you at the shooting gallery." She challenged playfully. She didn't know if Chet would agree to accompany her brother and her to the carnival games at the other side of the party, but she hoped he would.​

 

[spyder]

Beck Avalon — Dauntless Born — 16M — Blair WanderLust. Chris Nerdy.

In his own head, where only he could hear, Beck mimicked a caricature of Christian's voice. Whatever you want to do, Blair, I'm happy to, he mocked childishly, giving Chris a deep, slow, dumb voice that was extremely similar to a goonish caveman that might be seen in Saturday morning cartoons. Subtly, his lip curled to mirror what was going on inside his head and if you looked closely, for a brief moment you could see his head bob ever so slightly side to side as if he had done a crude imitation of his sister's boyfriend aloud. What a tool. He scoffed inwardly. Christian certainly did not care about Blair's wishes or her happiness. If he did, Blair wouldn't live in the same house as himself and feel like she was thousands of miles away. He had not missed that Chris tried to say something after playing dumb about what had happened to Ajax before Blair had interjected into their conversation and Beck tucked Chris's reaction into the back of his mind, for later use.
Though he wasn't entirely expecting an idea that was rattled off his list of ways to keep themselves occupied for the night to be chosen and acted upon, he was ecstatic to do so. He loved spending time with Blair. Even though she had initially feigned concern, the impish glimmer in his tawny brown eyes was unwavering. In general, he was a pretty honest, no-nonsense kind of guy. But, he couldn't resist a prank if it meant that Blair would join him. He missed her. They were always like passing ships in the night. He could see her on the deck of her own, near the bow, in the deep blue night only illuminated by stars and a dull glow that came from the cockpit. Between the engines, the wind, and the waves, it was too loud for Blair to hear him shouting. But tonight, maybe she caught a glimpse of him waving at her in the dark. He took Blair's hand happily, taking a moment to scoot out of the booth he had seated himself in just minutes before. The teen cheekily reached back for another quick handful of fries, stuffing the delicious salty potato strings into his mouth. He walked, following his sister, strolling side by side wither her boyfriend.
Blair's plan might not have been the most genius work of thievery to ever take place, especially since it was contingent on the bulk of the people in the VIP section ignoring a very blonde group of teenagers. But, it was possible to pull off. He had tried to volunteer himself as the one to distract the bouncer in place of Blair. Obviously, he had the apt sex appeal to, as a teenage boy, distract and flatter such an... adult, burly man. That was quickly shut down, and Beckham was stuck working together with Christian. He tried not to let his displeasure show, for her sake, but was both upset he got stuck with Christian and disappointed it meant he wouldn't be spending the time with her instead. He listened to the plan intently, though he did take a brief moment to pout about not getting the role in the operation that he wanted.
The plan: steal Jeremy Daniels's birthday cake. His job: switch the cake's platter with an empty one, without anyone noticing, and keep watch for Chris while he cut the cake. Then, return cake with its missing pieces and enjoy his slice before Jeremy even got a look at it. His personal mission: beat Chris at it. As Blair stumbled into the bouncer, feigning an injury, Beck speed-walked ahead of Christian, slipping by when the bouncer's eyes were on his sister. He moved with confidence and purpose, as not to draw any additional eyes to himself or the big, lumbering idiot behind him. As he walked by, he thought to himself how ridiculous it was that he was worried about getting in trouble for trying to slip by into the VIP lounge. Both he and Christian were legacies of Dauntless power. Their presence was probably more expected than half of the people who were actually there. He glanced back at Chris, a little unsure for a moment of what to do next. He scanned the lounge. The table that held Daniels's birthday cake was front and center, easy to see by most who occupied the lounge. But how would he replace it with a fake?
At the back wall, Beck located a catering cart that had a few identical silver cloches, the same as the one that covered the cake on the table.. Guests in the lounge seemed pretty preoccupied with themselves— drinking, dancing, drugs, what have you— so he slipped by, once again moving with purpose. Confidence was key here. Another quick glance around told him no one was paying too close attention. As swiftly as he could, he swiped up the cloche with the birthday cake in it and took it back to the catering cart. He looked back to find no Christian in tow. "Chris!" He hissed, though he knew the other teen was too far away. The second call was barely louder, "Chris!" He raised a hand to wave to flag him down, catching the eyes of some girl across the way, causing him to bashfully scratch his head to try and play off the move and not call anymore attention to himself.
Once Chris had finally noticed that the first part of Beck's part of the job was done, Beck turned to the cart and began setting up a second cloche for the new cake slices to be put on. "What the hell took you so long? You could get Blair in trouble." He practically spat in a hushed tone. Chris's response didn't sit well with him he as boxed Beck out of the way in order to cut the cake, bumping him slightly as he did so. Emboldened by the adrenaline pumped through his system from the thrill of their little 'prank', he turned to Chris with a fiery glare. "I know you like to push around women—" there was a sharp edge to his voice that could cut like a knife, heat flaring in his chest as he remembered Chris's break up with Aubrey, "—but I sure as hell won't let you do that same shit to me."

 

[Sanctuaryforall1]

Fable

Mood: Comforted

Location: Party

Interactions: Griffon

Fable listened to Griffon’s story with a smile pulling at her lips the entire time. She knew Griffon had looked out for her a lot, or at least as much as he could, when they were growing up but it always interested her to hear things from his perspective. After all, their lives had been so different even though they lived under the same roof. Griffon was everything her parents wanted in a child, he was the perfect candidate for Abnegation and having him around made the family look better. She on the other hand was the bane of her mother and fathers’ existence. They made sure she knew how much of a disappointment she was because she was nothing like them and she stood out rather than conformed from the very beginning. It made sense that she would eventually act out by drinking just as it made sense that Griffon would look out for her when she took in too much.

She laughed, actually laughed out loud, when she heard the kicker at the end of the story. It was true, her parents greatest nightmare had come to pass when both she AND Griffon had chosen Dauntless over Abnegation. Her smile and laugh faded slightly as her mind lingered on the past and the memories she had of her parents. While Griffon might have some sweet memories of the couple, Fable had none. Any potentially sweet feelings or memories were corrupted by years of abuse in their attempts to control her, to break her down so she would mold like clay in their hands. “I hope they choke on the embarrassment they must feel.” She said softly but with thick emotion in her words. Realizing that the words had been spoken aloud she suddenly looked over at Griffon with apologetic eyes and shook her head. “Sorry…I know you had a good relationship with them for the most part…but it was different for me and I’m still angry.” She explained with a gentle sigh before a sweet smile returned to her face and she gently cupped his cheek in her hand as she had many times before to signify that her next words were the absolute truth. “Thank you so much for the story Grif, it really truly did made me feel better.” She assured him before pulling her hand back down to her side.

As they walked she could tell he was deep in thought. For a moment she wondered if she had said or done something wrong that had upset him or put him in a confused daze like she had been in. She wished she could look into his mind, read his thoughts, perhaps even make him feel better, but alas she could not so instead she did the next best thing. Gently she reached down and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze her multi-colored gaze searched to make eye contact with him. When his warm brown eyes finally did reach hers she could tell there was something he wanted to say. She had learned to read him rather well over the years and liked to think that even though they weren’t blood that they still had a special and sacred sibling bond.

His question took her by surprise and instantly she paused her steps and looked at him face to face. “Of course I am silly! You are my brother no matter what and I love you! You being in my life is one of the best things to ever happen to me and I mean it!” She stated in an instant and opened her mouth to say more but was quickly cut off by Griffon attempting to explain what he meant when asking the question. “You absolute goof of course I am happy they adopted you. I have never ever truly blamed you for anything that happened to me. You were a natural in Abnegation and I wasn’t, it’s as simple as that. The way they treated me was never your fault or on you for any reason. They were adults who knew what they were doing and how wrong it was and you did your best to make it better.” She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. “I mean it when I say you being in my life is the best thing to ever happen to me.” She promised. “I would have never made it this far without you, you gave me strength to keep going when I thought I had crumbled away to nothing. You showed me that I am not broken…I’m simply mosaic.” She held onto him for a moment more before pulling away while still holding his hand. “I am thankful every day for having you in my life.”

Nerdy.

code by Stardust Galaxy

 

[WanderLust.]

Maverick Maddox // Male// 18// Dauntless Born // Instructor
Interacting With: Randi, mostly Sanctuaryforall1 Vex and Cas mentioned briefly Nerdy.
​

The second Maverick’s stormy gaze met Randi’s fiery green stare, his heart dropped into his stomach. He didn’t know why the look of betrayal in her eyes caused such nauseating guilt to rise in his stomach. He hasn’t been doing anything wrong… but that’s probably not how it had appeared out of context. His gaze flicked from Randi, to Vex, to his shirt on the floor, to Cas and then back to Randi as he tried to make sense of the situation. “Randi this -“ he paused knowing the words about to come out of his mouth sounded horrendously cliche “this isn’t what it looks like.” He sputtered out, adjusting his stance so that Vex was no longer relying on him to steady herself, and was instead propped up against the sink.



Glad to see you’re feeling better. Ice cold. Every word out of Randis mouth cut through him like a knife and he had to make a conscious effort not to flinch at her venom laced tone. “Randi-“ he started again, but it seemed the blonde did not want to entertain his explanation as she turned on her heel and exited the now crowded bathroom. Maverick hastily reached for his shirt, his expression equal parts annoyance at Vex and embarrassment that his skirmish with Randi now had two witnesses, both of whom were also initiates. Vex let out a drunken hiccup, a slurred apology halfway off her lips before Maverick’s gaze cut to Cas with a pleading look. “Can you watch her… please? I think she needs some water.” With out waiting for a response or putting his shirt on Maverick followed after Randi, back into the crowd of dancing bodies.



His gaze searched through throngs of people, heart pounding as he looked for Randi. She was headed towards the back door, a flash of blonde hair and the blur of a green dress Maverick’s only clues as he struggled to pull his shirt on over his head while maneuvering through the crowd. “Randi!” He called again, no use, she either couldn’t hear him or was blatantly ignoring him. He ignored the whistles and excited gasps of both men and women as he proceeded through the crowd, half shirtless. Maverick had only just managed to get his shirt all the way on by the time he reached the exit and saw Randi disappear into one of the nearby alleys. He rounded the corner behind her just in time to witness her fist crashing into the brick wall to her left, and immediately lunged forward, grabbing her hand before she could do any more damage to her knuckles, which were now bloody and shaking.



For a moment, the pair stood there in a tense silence, neither one knowing what to say until Maverick spoke softly, “Vex spilled her drink on my shirt. That wasn’t… it wasn’t anything. She’s not… I don’t…” he trailed off, not entirely sure what he was trying to say. He was sure that Randi had assumed that there was something going on between himself and Vex. But even if it had been, why would Randi be upset about that? The confusion became clearer in his face as he searched Randi’s eyes for answers. Every time he had gotten a bit too close to Randi she had given him the impression that she wasn’t interested. Up until recently he had believed her to have been in a relationship with Jaxom… was there some unspoken expectation that he had inadvertently violated?



“Listen Randi, I uh…” he exhaled deeply, deciding to just get the words out before he lost his nerve. “I like you. I really really like you.” He smiled ever so softly and slowly reached for a piece of her blonde hair, tucking it gently behind her ear. “I’ve been losing my mind trying to stay away from you because I know I’m not supposed to like you but…” he paused before shrugging “I can’t help it. I do. I guess I’m just… confused because…” he looked down at Randi’s bloody fist, which he still cradled softly in his hand, “because I didn’t think you felt the same way.” He raised an eyebrow as if that last part were more of a question than a statement. Did Randi feel the same way? Was that why she was so angry about what she thought had happened between Maverick and Vex? “Please… talk to me.”

​

 

[Nerdy.]

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

Aubrey tried to ignore Thorn's words, as she waited for a drink, guzzling it down almost as soon as it came, and ordering another one immediately, relishing the burn on her throat. She put her head in her hands, before finally looking at Thorn. "You're probably right, it doesn't matter though now..' She was in the middle of saying before the unthinkable happened. Aubrey's blue eyes widened as Shayla walked back towards her, and there was this moment where Aubrey thought that they might fight, and she had this delightful feeling within her, of something she hadn't done in a while. She hadn't got in a fight with anyone in ages, now that physical training was over, most of the initiates didn't often spar or get into physical altercations, and if they were doing that, they were doing a grand job of avoiding her. She huffed, about to ask Shayla what her problem was and if she would just leave her alone. But she was shocked, speechless actually, as Shayla gave her condolences for Caspian's death. Aubrey froze. Flashes of the large, dark haired man rose to mind. Memories of him from her childhood caused a pain deep in her heart and she felt tears spring to her eyes. She clenched her teeth together and was ready to bite back at Shayla, she was going to scream at her about how they used to be bestfriends and Shayla had decided to Ghost her like she was nothing. She wanted to list Shayla all the people who had left her, including Shayla herself. She actually, subconsciously began to tense her muscles as if for a fight, when Thorn gently placed his hand on her arm, and Aubrey was brought back to reality. Shayla was... being kind. Aubrey bit her lip, hard. She wanted to let loose at Shayla, she wanted to show her how much it hurt to be forsaken by those you thought would be in your life forever... But Thorn would not appreciate that, and Aubrey knew she would regret it. But she couldn't be here with Shayla now. She finally took a shaky breath. "He did mean a lot. Now he's gone..." She hissed a breath through her teeth as the pain began to throb inside her heart painfully. "You used to.." She bit down on her lip again, as she stopped herself form finishing that sentence You used to mean that much to me. She stared into Shayla's eyes and finally she knew she couldn't do this. "Thanks. Bye... Sh..." She grabbed Thorn's arm, her grip cold and hard, like a claw, and then swung around, grabbing her drink from the bartender and then began pulling Thorn through the crowd.

The crowd around her began to swim and sway as the throbbing in her chest began to rise, and that's when the faces began to appear on every person around her. She found it intolerable, and she couldn't even hear Thorn's voice by her ear, asking her what was wrong. She could only fear. First it was Caspian's face that appeared on those who were drinking and laughing. Shayla's face formed on the girls who were at the party, each one enjoying their time, but staring painfully at her. Then of course, it was Finn, on all the young boys around her. His eyes, his face, his lips, his smile... She felt the tears start rolling as she drank the glass full of alcohol in her hand, and reached out for another, only for Thorn to try and wave her hand away from it. "Stop it!" She quivered, her voice vibrating with pain as she reached out and grabbed one, beginning to drink it too. Maybe the alcohol would wash the faces away, but oh did the alcohol only make it all the worse. Now she was seeing Charlie and Sasha's disappointed faces on all the older women, and Harper frowned disapprovingly every now and then. Even Phillip flashed with a cunning grin. But the last one was the most painful. Henry, her father. The years had faded his image in her mind, but still, she saw him, on every face in the room. "Thorn... I... I can't breathe.. I.." Aubrey began to hyperventilate, her vision blurring and her steps shaking more and more as she felt like she was drowning in the face of her dead father. He must have been disappointed in her, he had to be, she was... she was not all he would have loved or liked. Everyone who she loved was dead or gone. Except a choice few. Aubrey began to faze out, and she was only barely aware of Thorn's reassuring presence beside her, guiding her, and her footsteps although unsteady were steadily lead.

Aubrey found herself sitting on the floor of a cold concrete porch. She knew she had gone up here with her own two legs, but the memory was almost gone from her. She was curled up, cold but warm too, and Thorn sat there beside her. She could tell it was Thorn from the strong steady feeling of his chest that her head leaned on, from the smell of fire and metal that hung around him like an aura. They were silent, Aubrey had been crying extensively but now she was silent, and simply shivered with Thorn beside her holding her for warmth, his jacket being removed and having slung it over her cold legs. Every time she began to breathe quickly, or shiver, or cry, he would hold her even closer and rub her arm, he would say things so softly that she couldn't even understand him, but she loved it. It took her a while to get a hold of herself, and one of the reasons was that she was already so embarrassed. She was embarrassed that Thorn had seen her like that. She had heard of panic attacks before, but she had never experienced one before. She remembered the words she had said to Thorn while they had been walking. "I'm dying, I'm going to die... I can't breathe, help me." Words that seemed so silly to her now. She had kept her eyes closed shut, and didn't want to open them, she just knew, she just knew that Thorn was going to leave her for her terrible weakness. How could she be so damn weak. "Thorn.. I should explain.." She began, but was stopped short as Thorn replied. He began to talk to her, and Aubrey was ready for him to say he never expected her to be so weak. But instead, he began to talk normally to her, he wasn't acting like she was weak, he simply comforted her, and said that there was no need to explain. Aubrey quieted down, calmed now, and listened as Thorn spoke. She slowly began to sit by herself, almost weaning herself off of Thorn's comforting presence. She blushed as she noted her dress (which was already too short) had pulled up further, and Thorn had respectfully covered it with his jacket. She lifted it off, passing it back to Thorn before standing up and brushing herself down. She looked at Thorn, and wrapped her arms around herself. "Thank you Thorn. I... I don't know what to say.. I haven't... that's never happened before... I... am not even sure what to call it.." She talked quietly, shy, her eyes flitty and a blush on her cheeks. Whether it was the alcohol, the cold, the after effect of the panic attack or Thorn himself.

Interacting with: Thorn, Shayla Sanctuaryforall1

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

"I'd rather be with you, but sure.. I don't think it's a great plan though." Christian said forwardly, though he made sure to follow it up with an embrace that showed her he was onboard with her idea, even if he was hesitant. "Be careful." He murmured into her ear, then giving her a gentle kiss on her cheek. He then stood up straight and began to follow Beck into this VIP area, waiting of course until Blair had successfully distracted the guard. Christian was happily sauntering into the area, as he had no fear of being told to leave - he was the son of leadership - and lost track of Beck quite quickly, as the younger boy had been walking much faster than Christian. As he looked around for him, unsure of what he was meant to do if Beck was missing, he couldn't very well complete it by himself, there was almost no possibility of that, so he had to keep an eye on him. He had just found the blonde mop of hair that was Beckham, when two familiar faces popped into his view, followed closely by a third. "Christian." The three of them said almost in unison, and Christian blinked, immediately feeling guilty for the plan that he and Beckham were running with Blair. "Terra, Felicia... Phillip?" Christian hardly had enough time to say Phillip's name before his brother enveloped him in a bear hug, squeezing him tightly, even though Christian far outweighed and was taller than Phillip. The older of the two had always had a soft spot for Christian, always defended him even in the face of death, literally. When Christian was younger and was still struggling with his anger issues and they hadn't found the right medication for him, he had gotten into such a fight with Phillip that he had almost killed him. That was a serious assault and even though Christian was a child he could have gotten into a lot of trouble, and there was talk of him being sent to Erudite to have tests run on him that were only in their beta testing. But Phillip had stood up for him and made sure that Christian would stay at home, and vouched that it was Phillip's fault entirely. Christian hadn't understood that back then, but as he was more clear minded now, having had some lull, he was beginning to understand. He therefore hugged Phillip back happily, as he turned to his sisters as well to greet them. They seemed apprehensive of him, and he could feel and see the pity that was in their eyes. He had forgotten that his whole family knew about how he had been taking a drug and it now had control over him, and how he was dying. Phillip, again, was one of the few who didn't pity him, and treated him the same.

Their conversation wasn't long, as Christian began to realize he was running late for his thing with Beckham, and he had to say farewell, giving Phillip a good slap on the shoulder and giving his sisters a respectful hug each. He therefore continued towards where he presumed the cake to be, only to find a very angry and disappointed Beckham waiting for him. Christian's pleasant mood from seeing his family began to darken as he saw the boy, who was quite obviously angry and disliking of him. Christian shouldered past him, grabbing a knife from nearby as he began to meticulously and carefully cut out three pieces of cake and transferring them to the new cloche that Beckham had. He listened to Beck talk, each word from the Avalon's mouth causing Christian to feel darker and darker inside. His grip tightened around the knife, and he knew that he was beginning to not trust himself with it, not with someone so antagonistic beside him. No, he didn't want to hurt Beck, that was never something he would intend to do, but he was getting very angry with him. That's when he shoved him. Beck had been basically breathing down Chrsitian's neck as he cut the cake, and Christian shoved him to move him, unfortunately shoving him hard enough to cause the boy to stumble quite a bit. "Please can you just shut up for a bit Beck, you're going to get us in trouble." The Park's boy said to him, staring at him annoyedly with stormy grey eyes as he turned to finally finish cutting the third piece and putting it on the cloche, the two of them closing their cloches at the same time. That's when Beck retorted with his gripe at Christian hurting women. Christian's vision went red for a second, and he zeroed in on Beck's smug face, trying desperately to hold back his anger. "Don't say that again, you have no idea what you're talking about." He said through gritted teeth as they began to move to put the original cloche back on the cake stand. That's when the anger, and the lack of a certain drug, hit Christian hard. Or maybe Beck hit him, Christian wouldn't have any idea. His body suddenly convulsed, and he doubled over, barely holding onto the platter. Although Beck probably wasn't so sad about seeing Christian buckle like that, he did, thankfully, catch the platter and began to hiss at Christian to get up. Christian growled slightly, his mouth tasting of blood and metal, and he swallowed what bile was in there with some trouble, being very wobbly he stood up and began to rush towards a bathroom, finally finding one nearby. He ducked in, throwing up the blood and bile in his mouth and hastily downing the lull he had with him in his pocket. For a few seconds all he could feel was throbbing, pain, blood and dizziness. But soon it flowed over him like a flood of warmth, and the lull seeped into his body. He felt alive again, colourful, even happy. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled, fixing his hair to how he liked it, and then waltzed out, none the wiser that he had left Beck to finish the job on his own.

He exited the bathroom to see Beck, waiting and with a very upset frown on his face. If there was any semblance of worry in him, Christian could not detect it. He immediately exploded into asking what the hell had happened to make Christian desert him and make an embarrassing scene. Christian did not feel so angry anymore. "Sorry, I felt really sick and had to throw up." He replied honestly, though leaving out much of the information, including how he had just taken a drug that made Beck look very bright, like a lightbulb. He smiled and almost ignored him as they walked to find Blair and wherever she was meant to be. It wasn't until they got to Blair, who had been waiting for them, all "bandaged up" from her fall. She looked concerned at Christian, rushing up to him as she noted a bit of blood on his collar. Christian put his arms around her, quietly assuring her he was fine and had just coughed some up. Beck interrupted, telling Blair about how unhelpful Chris had been. "I did bump into some family, which made me a bit slow to getting to Beck, I should have avoided them, I got distracted." He replied, rolling his eyes and frowning at Beck as the boy finally delivered the cloche to Blair. "At least we have cake! Come on Blair, open it up." He said, watching happily as Blair opened the cloche. To the surprise that instead of three pieces of cake, there was a whole cake, with three pieces missing. Chris and Beck immediately glared at each other, realizing that they had messed up.

Interacting with: Beck spyder Blair WanderLust.

Cassidy "Cassie" Wickham || 16 || Initiate || Erudite Transfer

Cassidy had to fight to stop her mouth from dropping as Maverick basically shoved Vex's current state onto Cas, so that he could run off with what she had been thinking of as her "date". "No." She stated defiantly, giving Vex a low look and then giving Maverick the same. "I am not a baby sitter, and I am not a cleaner of your mess." She marched right after Maverick as he left the bathroom, allowing the door to swing shut behind her, leaving Vex alone in the bathroom. Cas couldn't have cared less about whether Vex was okay or not, if she had drunk herself into such a stupor, and then trusted someone like Maverick to look after her, then it was her own fault, and Maverick's responsibility, not hers. Cassidy would not be given such tasks by someone who was obviously too emotionally damaged to look after himself. She walked on her own path and forged her own future; if something seriously happened to Vex, Cassidy could look at it with pragmatism and see that it would be one less initiate, one who was doing very well. What is wrong with one less competition? She knew that Griffon would have chosen the opposite path to her, he would have stayed, he would have stayed and given his all to help that girl, but Cassidy did not feel it was necessary, so she marched right after Maverick, on strangely silent feet - even with heels on - though to be honest it was most likely due to the loud party goers and music. Now Cassie was surprised to note that Maverick didn't turn around even once to check whether she had stayed with Vex or not, showing his genuine feelings being nothing but interest in Randi. She felt a little sorry for Vex, but mostly felt that she likely brought it on herself by being so drunk, and trying to suck up to a trainer. It seemed there was only one thing on Mavericks mind now. Randi. Cas felt a small amount of bitter jealousy as she continued following Maverick, dodging dancers and waitresses as she did so. She cared very little about her smudged artwork now, she had two things in her mind. One: She did genuinely want to make sure Randi was okay, she wanted to stay with her and accompany her even more now, and two: She was angry at Maverick for dumping Vex with her, and wanted to follow him to see what was going on.

Cassie winced as she heard the unmistakable sound of flesh on brick, her body tingled as if in pain, and she faltered in her quick steps. This ended up being beneficial to her, as Maverick was given time to go to Randi while Cas stayed watching from behind a corner. She did not try to be out of sight or sneaky, she had learned long ago that it was much easier to be unnoticed when you didn't try. This was when she watched the interaction between the two. Emotions that Cassidy had long mastered, begun to bubble inside her chest for a moment, and she had to hold her breath for minute or so, as she tried to ignore that she may have been hoping for some type of mutual feeling between her and the fire goddess that she had known as Randi. Although Cassidy thought that relationships were mostly harmful, she had no problems with forming ones that kept her on her toes and having fun, Kirby being a wonderful example when she was younger back in her Erudite days. She had hoped that she could have something like that with Randi, and had genuinely been excited for how that would begin, but it seemed she had been beaten by the hunk known as Maverick. Sure, he was handsome, he was... probably charming, he was muscular and strong and everything a Dauntless girl admired and looked for, but not Cassidy. She sighed softly, letting out her long held breath, and shivered as she realized how warm it was inside, compared to here. That's when she heard it, Maverick's final confession, after blubbering his sentences around. She gritted her teeth together. Of course. She knew that Randi must also have feelings for him, as there was no reason for Randi to have run off otherwise. Cassidy narrowed her eyes, before finally softening them, and turning her back on the couple, deciding that it was no longer any of her business, and she no longer wished to know how this conversation and interaction was going to go. She began to walk back to the party.

As she walked she dug around in her purse, finally finding some makeup wipes, and began to wipe her body art, finally getting it to a state where it was mostly unnoticeable and simple caused her shoulder to look a little darker than the other. She dumped the used wipes into a nearby bin as she walked, and looked up at the sky. She thought of the different places and events in which she had seen the sky. She remembered it well from when she was factionless, she remembered running through dark and musky streets and the sky seemed to much more beautiful than reality, but so much further away. When she was in hospital it had made her feel scared that she couldn't see the sky, and then when she was in Erudite it just seemed right, and so much closer. Dauntless however? She hadn't spent so much time admiring it, and often had taken it for granted without appreciating it. Shaking her head and laughing at herself, she made her way back indoors, hoping to find someone else that she could spend time with, or she might just go back to Shay and Lainey's apartment, she was fairly sure she would be able to get in even without either of them being there. However it didn't take Cas long to be reunited with her lovely Erudite friend Lainey, as she noted the beauty from afar, with a familiar face from home. Cassidy's mood brightened dramatically as she saw Sebastian. She decided to sneak up to this group, almost not seeing Chet there for a moment, but finding it of little relevance. That was when she heard Lainey's idea for a game, and her proud statement of beating them all. "But could you beat me? Dear Lainey." Cas said as she finally made her entrance, and gave her friend a friendly hip bump. She beamed up at Sebastian "Nice to see you again Sebastian, I trust you've been well? I'm flattered you came all this way to see me.." She playfully winked at him, before laughing and giving him a small embrace. She looked at the small group, acknowledging Chet with a small nod and a smile, not knowing him well enough to give him any particular greeting. "So, shooting are we?"

Interacting with: Maverick, Lainey WanderLust. Randi, Vex Sanctuaryforall1 Chet spyder

 

[spyder]

Kirby Kumar — Transfer Initiate — 16F — Raven a z u l a , was watching Vex Sanctuaryforall1

This was a game of strategy. A chess game, if you would. Kirby played some when she was young, before her father went to prison. Each piece had it's own advantage and every move was thought out and calculated. As she and vex moved, one right after the other, she could imagine the smooth wood of the pieces under her fingertips and the heavy weight that solid pieces with felted bottoms typically had. In this game, Vex was the queen. Vex was always the queen. The one with typically the most calculated moves, the most aggressive piece on the board. While it could be used to defend its king well, it was often utilized to attack the opposing king. Kirby didn't see herself on the board. Most pieces held too much power for what she did, she thought. Maybe she was a pawn, who's moves were very strategic but not necessarily moving with much threat until she made it far enough to be queened herself. In this game, Maverick was maybe a knight. Ghost was the king the two girls were hoping to capture. The instructors were unwittingly playing black, while the girls played white. The initiates had the upper-hand by playing white, getting to be the first to attack, even if those playing black did not recognize they were participating and that their clock had been punched.
Vex slinked around, like an apex predator would. She was a cheetah, prowling for her supper. Dangerous, quick, cunning. Everything that she should be. Her hips swayed side to side, she moved sloppily to the naked eye, but those who knew her— those who knew what she was trained to be, designed to be— would see that she was moving with intention and purpose. Kirby would not want to be Maverick in a time like this. His head was practically in her jaws as she followed him to seclusion, the only thing preventing her from chomping down on his skull was herself, watching carefully behind the scenes to interrupt anytime Vex might step out of line.
Kirby watched in silence as, after their mishap, Maverick retreated to presumably take care of the mess that Vex had created. Her dark eyes followed Vex as she slunk after him with a planted stumble or hiccup here or there. She stop, counted a couple of beats— one, two, three— and followed after them. Her movement had much less purpose behind it than Vex's. While she was also following someone, her actions were more unsure and unwanted. Kirby didn't want to be at this ridiculous birthday party chasing another muscled man who meant nothing to her. While Maddox would have been useful in their conquest to topple Dauntless, he wasn't their target. In fact, getting too close to him made Kirby mildly apprehensive as his elder brother. While Charlie was currently being framed, that didn't mean it would stay that way. She'd much rather focus on Ghost. To her, Maverick was just another Dauntless beefcake. Ghost... Ghost was different. He made sense to her to target. He was smarter. He was more intriguing. He likely had more pull on anyone powerful in the faction than Maverick might.
Kirby hesitated once Vex and Maverick disappeared into the bathroom together. She couldn't go in and watch, even if she just pretended she needed to use the toilet or wash her hands. It was too close, too intimate for watch. She couldn't lurk too close to the door either. Vex had been killing too much lately, and with the recent arrival of some form of memory from when Vex was young, she was apprehensive to leave her alone with Maverick. Her hand unconsciously came up to her lips and she bit the tip of one of her fingernails. She had to find a way to casually spy when Maverick and Vex were leaving, and to time how long they had been in there. She spotted a booth and decided that, if they were not out in ten minutes, she'd go in and surreptitiously go check on them. The teen girl moved to take the booth, tilting her head downwards as she walked. She only managed to take about two steps before hot pain split across her forehead. Recoiling, Kirby stumbled backwards to gauge the situation. Because she had been to careless to pay attention to where she was going, she had ran directly into someone. Instinctively, her hand moved up to where pain was now radiating, having smacked her browbone into the same part of the other person. It took her a moment to register who it was.
"Raven," she said aloud, finally recognizing the other initiate. She brought her hand down, which was warm with a little bit of blood on it. She had run into Raven hard enough that she had split her brow. "I—" she hesitated, not sure if she should say sorry or not. Obviously, if she had been watching where she was going she could have avoided the collide but she couldn't help but feel like Raven should have done the same. "I should have paid better attention." She offered a tight smile, half-apologetic since it was only half her fault. Kirby hadn't interacted with Raven much during initiation. Raven was nice, she liked her, and to be fair Kirby hadn't interacted with any of the other initiates much, except for Vex and the occasional meetup with Cassie Wickham. "Are you okay?" She asked, more out of obligation than concern. She knew she was bleeding herself, and assumed maybe the other girl might have gotten injured.
When the question was returned very politely, Kirby shook her head. "I'm fine." She reached up with her hand once again, touching the wound with her fingers to wipe it away. She smeared the slow trickling blood into her eyebrow a bit, wincing as it stung to touch it. "Ow." She whispered through gritted teeth, more to herself. She brought her hand back down to investigate how much blood there might be on her fingers. She thought briefly about maybe needing butterfly stitches and goosebumps ran up her back. She had spent this much of initiation avoiding the medic's office, only visiting hospital-like scenes in her fear sims. She could buy the bandages herself from a drugstore and patch the wound up in the mirror by herself, if it was that bad. She looked up at Raven, and seeing the concern on the other girl's face, reiterated, "I'm fine, really."

 

[spyder]

Anne Taylor — Transfer Initiate — 16F — Griffon Nerdy. & Fable Sanctuaryforall1

If Anne were taller, she'd stand out in the crowd. Compared to most others, she was severely underdressed. She wore a t-shirt and jeans, and despite not needing to at a party, was still donned in all black as she had been since transferring to Dauntless. She had kind of learned of the party through brief mentions of it in overheard conversations, but never truly caught the when or where, nor did she know what a party really was. Her home back in the factionless territory didn't really have parties, but the nights were often filled with lots of live music and alcohol in a much more melancholy union than this. She had come down out of the dormitory, which had been very quiet for the past few hours, for some food. She didn't want food from the cafeteria that she normally ate at, as the woman who made her favorite grilled cheeses was not working. So instead, she walked down into the street with a fist full of cash, intending to find some good food if she couldn't have her grilled cheese.
She had been overwhelmed by the noise outside, stepping out just in time to witness a parade go by. It was noisy and colorful, and while she had become a little more accustomed to the noisiness of Dauntless, she had gotten used to the monotonous gray or black of the two factions she had reluctantly called home in the last year. Astonished, she had covered her ears and recoiled from the outburst of brass instruments and cheering. To avoid the noise, she had quickly scurried along in the opposite direction that the parade was moving, to the quieter floats and cars that had no music, just performers and people waving. In the quieter section, she had paused for a moment to watch. This was so foreign to her. She had barely just learned what cars were, and here were fancy cars covered in streamers with people throwing things at you. She strolled down to a bar, where she had seen a few people go during the weekends. People tended to make happy noises here, and now it was bustling with familiar faces.
Anne didn't really have friends. Harvey had been a friend. And here, there were friendly people. People who had faces she could trust. But Widow Taylor had told her that, because she was how she was, people wouldn't want to be her friend. Which meant friends had to want to be her friend too. But, that didn't stop her from liking people and their faces. At the bar, she had intended to march straight back to the counter and insist on ordering some sort of food. However, she stopped short when she saw a face she particularly liked. Griffon. His name was a little difficult for her to say, with the 'r' sound being so close to the start of the word that she struggled to find a good sound to substitute it with. But, after meeting him she had spent quite some time practicing his name in sign language. Excited by his familiar face and knowing they had the day off to do whatever they pleased, she bounced up to him with a large smile. "Griffon!" She signed, the letters coming out choppily as she worked her way through them, trying to remember them all.
She looked up at him and noticed his company, a girl with long red hair. She was familiar, as she seemed to be around Griffon a lot here. She knew the girl's name was Fable. It was much easier to pronounce than Griffon's name, and she did not know how to spell it so she could not sign it. Her smile was unwavering, as she looked between the two, an intense friendliness in her eyes. She wanted to reach out and show Griffon her food money, but there was a weird mood hanging in the air. The girl, the Fable, seemed a little bit sad and so did Griffon. Not intensely sad, but it reminded her of the music of the factionless that she had just been thinking about earlier. A peaceful kind of sadness. Fable seemed the most upset out of the two. She turned to Fable with her smile. "Fable," she said, her voice quiet and unused to speaking. She pointed to herself. "Anne." She introduced herself the best way she knew how, though had hesitated when trying to say her own name. She was still learning to respond to the name, remembering that she was no longer Little in Dauntless, she was Anne.
Looking at Fable's face, she decided that Fable had a kind face like Griffon and that Anne liked her. She snuggled up to the siblings, holding up money to the both of them. "Eat!" She exclaimed.

 

[Nerdy.]

Griffon Mordo || 17 16 || Initiate || Abnegation Transfer

Griffon had felt his soul comforted by Fable's words and mannerisms. He could tell that she was talking straight from the heart, that his entrance into her life had been something she was grateful for, and would never resent or wish away. Griffon felt much the same, though he couldn't truly know how he would have felt before he had incurred the brain damage and the amnesia that racked through his brain. Even now, the story he had just told Fable, he only remembered because he had written it down, he couldn't visualize it or even recall how it felt or seemed. Memories were like pages in a book, quite literally, all of Griffon's core memories lay in his chest of journals and diaries that were absolutely necessary for him. Because although his personality and character was always the same (Cassidy could confirm this, having known him before and after the injury and amnesia), his memories were instrumental in understanding much of his life and creating new or altered personality traits. How was he meant to learn if he couldn't remember? How was he meant to develop strong and beautiful relationships without memories? How could he trust what others said? Knowing that he couldn't even trust his own memories. He wondered if one day it would be available for him to have a camera and recording device permanently part of his outfit, so that he could literally relive events that he had forgotten, that was a little creepy, however. Griffon simply smiled though, not worried about his amnesia, not while he had Fable around him. She loved him, and he trusted that she, and Cassidy, would steer him in the right direction even if he lost his memories again. "I love you Fable. I'm glad I got to become your old... well, your brother." He found himself stuttering, having meant to say older brother, then not actually knowing who was, in fact, older. He had two numbers that sat side by side in his head, 17 and 16. He was told he was 16 at the orphanage, but Cassidy had told him he was 17. He knew he should believe Cassidy but he had nothing to base it on, so he often got confused. He smiled, and tried to think of the next topic that the two siblings could talk about, hoping that it would be something that would bring joy into the red head's life, and give Griffon some way to be the selfless boy he loved to be.

However, it was a different girl that impacted the change into the atmosphere, as Anne came running over, signing Griffon's name with great struggle but avid enthusiasm. Griffon smiled and waved hello, speaking it softly as well, before also signing her name in return. He had been meaning to look out for Anne today, wondering that she might be overwhelmed and confused at such an event, he knew that he was, and had wanted to keep an eye on her. He found that taking care of someone often left him with the most solid and continuous memories, as if that was so integral to him that he couldn't help but remember them. Maybe that was why almost all of the memories he had of Cassidy from when they were factionless were of him helping her, and he had none of his parents. He shook his thoughts out slightly, immediately turning his attention and gaze to the two women beside him, intently listening to them both and feeling a swell of pride at Anne's growing confidence in both her speech and mannerisms. He watched as she stuttered through Fable and her own name, and could see how Anne's sweet nature affected Fable. He then watched as she declared her intention very clearly in one syllable word, and held out the money desired to make that purchase. "Of course we can get food." He said aloud, while also signing it slowly for Anne's sake. He had helped her to learn sign language, and so they were very good at speaking to each other through it. "I saw someone who was making grilled cheese sandwiches, your favourite." He stated, watching as Anne watched his signs while listening to him, and the light in her eyes grew at the mention of grilled cheese. She nodded up and down enthusiiastically and he chuckled warmly at her, looking at Fable. "Is that okay Fable?" He asked, wanting to make sure she wasn't feeling jaded by Anne having joined their little circle. He couldn't feel jaded when Anne so warmly had embraced them, and obviously felt nothing but comfort and warmth with the two of them. But he also knew that Fable had been bothered by something previously, and that it might not be the best of times. Yet, he watched as she considered, then accepted the invitation to go and eat. He nodded, and began leading the way for the two girls. He trusted that Fable would be able to give herself a break and take some time to herself if she needed to, though he was immensely grateful that for now, at least, she had decided to stay with them.

The stall was run by a lovely mannered women who was enthusiastically grilling cheese on bread, and Griffon lined up with Anne and Fable. He would have offered to pay for Anne, but she had been so excited with her own money that he let her pay for her own meal, but he did make sure to by some cinnamon sugar donuts and also some tomato soup for the three of them. He stored the donuts in his bag for after the meal, and then dished out the soup to go with the cheese sandwich. "It's tomato soup. It goes well with grilled cheese. You don't have to eat it if you don't like it, but I think it's nice." He said, signing to Anne as they sat down at a table to eat some food. He watched as she looked at it suspiciously and ever so slowly tried it. He laughed fondly at her reaction, either good or bad, and turned to Fable. Giving her a soft squeeze on the shoulder and keeping one around her shoulder, except when he needed it for something. They sat close together, usually Griffon would have preferred to sit opposite his friends so that he could look at them, but Anne had desired to squeeze in on his right side and that left Fable sitting to his left. He didn't mind though, taking it as a good sign that the two of them were happy and comfortable where they were. As they were eating their lunch, Griffon turned to Anne. "Anne, I know that our names are a little bit difficult to say and sign... but I thought of a good sign that you can use to refer to us if you need to, to make it easier for you." Griffon took his arm from off of Fable's shoulder and brought it close to his other arm, so that he could sign his ideas to Anne. "A griffon is a lion and a big bird, so you can do a sign like this for me." He showed her with his hands, using them like a flapping motion for wings. "And for Fable, her name means story, so you can do this." He put his hands together and then opened and shut them like a book. He watched Anne, ready to explain it all again if she didn't understand. He was hoping that she would greatly appreciate the easier forms of signing their names, though he was glad she was also learning to speak them too. He thought that was amazing progress.

Interacting with: Fable Sanctuaryforall1 Anne spyder

 

[Sanctuaryforall1]

Randi

Mood: Honest

Location: Allyway

Interactions: Mav

He had followed her, of course he had. Randi wanted to wrench her bloodied hand out of his grasp the moment he touched her but instead she paused, frozen in place by the sensation of his hand holding hers. She was not one for the sappy love story bullshit that most girls swooned over but for some reason touching Mav felt almost as exciting as playing with fire and she LOVED to play with fire. Still the scene she had walked in on was still freshly burned into her mind and she couldn’t unsee it. Despite not being able to rip herself from his touch she did find the strength to meet his gaze with the hurricane of emotions held within her eyes.

She wanted so badly to go off on him, to tell him that she knew all along feelings, real feelings, were pointless and he had just confirmed that belief for her. She had hoped like some foolish schoolgirl that he might see her as more but it was clear to her now that she was just another Bella, Poppy, or apparently Vex. She was nothing more than a heart to play with and she was in no way interested in the games he liked to play. So many hurt-filled words begged to spill from her mouth but she bit her tongue for once as he did his best to explain and fumbled through his words. He clearly wanted her to believe that what she had seen was a simple misunderstanding, but most guys would say the same thing. Why should she trust him?

Many answers as to why she should trust him flooded her mind the moments she felt herself doubting Mav. Scenes from their childhood when she would do something wrong and swear him to secrecy, times when she knew he would have her back as she got into spats with the neighboring kids, he was even there with bandages at the ready the first time she tried to make a Molotov cocktail with Freights favorite whiskey. But then he left, he was gone for so long and she didn’t know if he was still the same beloved Mav who had called her Sparky and held her hand when her pet snake died. He had been there and then gone and suddenly he returned and as an instructor and she didn’t know if he was still the Mav she could trust. For a while she had simply observed him and been convinced that his relationship with her was part of a past only, she seemed to remember until suddenly he had been in her hospital room. From that moment up until a few hours ago, they had been inseparable, and Randi had felt herself wondering if perhaps he was someone who she could see herself truly taking a chance on. Now she wasn’t sure, she couldn’t possibly be. That was…until he opened his mouth and spoke what Randi could tell by the look in his eyes was the absolute truth.

Truth was a hard thing to get in Dauntless, it was a hard thing to get almost anywhere, but it was one of the things Randi found herself valuing most. She was honest, brutally so sometimes, but people knew that with her they could trust to find a genuine answer or response. Being able to find that same sort of value in another was nearly impossible for her but in this moment, she could hear the truth ringing clearly in Mav’s words as he spoke them with the sincerity of a saint.

“I may like to have fun but I don’t do games.” She told him firmly. “Not when my heart is on the line.” She added and took a deep breath. “I don’t expect much from others, I know how people can be and I want to trust that what I saw wasn’t what really happened…but it is hard.” She told him honestly. “However, I can tell that you mean those words Mav, and knowing that makes the rest easier to believe.” The petite blonde assured him as the stern expression on her face melted into a semi-soft smile. “I do have feelings for you, feelings I haven’t truly had for anyone else and that terrifies me.” She admitted with a soft shake of her head as she looked up into his eyes. “I really, really like you and that is something that is new to me. I don’t normally feel for others the way I do for you so seeing you with Vex like that hurt more than anything.” She informed him. “I believe you though when you say it wasn’t what I think happened so please believe me when I say that being around you has made me question myself over and over and over because I cannot get you out of my head.” She sighed with a smile as her rage had all but disappeared at this point. “And now you have me standing out here like one of those stupid love movies Freight watches.” She added, doing her usually Randi move of adding a source of humor to a serious moment. “So... thanks for that.” The blonde chuckled.

WanderLust.

code by Stardust Galaxy

 

[Sanctuaryforall1]

Thorn

Mood: Concerned

Location: Party

Interactions: Aubrey

Thorn couldn’t even imagine how hard Aubrey was having to fight to keep herself together but he knew he would be there for her every step of the way. By the way she tensed he could tell she was preparing for a fight with Shayla when the girl approached but after a heartbeat, it seemed Aubrey had chosen to use her words rather than her fists, and not even harsh words at that. While her tone was strained and her breath shaky he could see how hard she was trying to keep herself together and was proud of her. He just hoped deep down that she was doing it for herself and because she wanted to, he didn’t want to be the reason she was unable to properly deal with her feelings. When her grip on him tightened as she gave a quick farewell to the ebony-haired girl Thorn didn’t even attempt to resist Aubrey pulling him into the crowd.

Things, however, only got worse from there. One moment Aubrey seemed to be relatively okay if not a bit worked up, then suddenly she was shaky on her feet and chugging her drink as if it was the cure to everything. Thorn’s heart instantly began to race with worry as he did his best to keep the young woman on her feet as the panic on her face and in her body movements grew and grew. He was not disappointed in her for reaching for more liquor when hers was gone but he did try to stop her out of concern that it might make the situation worse. “Hey, Aubrey, maybe you sh-“ He was cut off by her demand for him to stop it and he didn’t want to make things worse by trying to restrain her when she was like that because it would be one of the worst things he could do to/for her. Moving his hand away from where it was blocking the drink he watched as she guzzled it down and his freckled face was painted with true concern that only grew when she announced she could no longer breathe. “Forgive me for manhandling you but I need to get you outside.” He apologized as he slipped her arm over his shoulder so he could keep her upright and walk her to the fresh air of the back patio and pick her up if needed.

They managed to get to the patio with Aubrey walking on her own two feet as he supported her and the moment they got there he helped her lower herself to the ground. In a swift move, he had taken his jacket off and draped it over her legs to fend off the cold and help keep her warm through the shock that could accompany a panic attack like this. He then sat down beside her and gently moved so she was leaning against his chest with is brawny arms holding her and rubbing her arms to keep her warm and hopefully keep her somewhat grounded. “Hey, hey, it’s going to be okay.” He cooed softly and gently brushed her hair out of her face. “Just…just breathe with me. Listen to my heart. In and out…in and out…in and out.” He told her in the softest tone her could manage as he put his own panic on the back burner and made Aubrey his main focus. Hearing her fearing for her life mere minutes ago was like a stab to the heart. He knew how horrible panic attacks could be, he had had many in his life and most were usually caused by his father or uncle. As far as he was concerned Aubrey should feel no shame for going through such a thing because in his mind it meant she and he were both survivors of their own personal battles and the panic attacks were the scars, the phantom pains that still lingered.

As she began trying to explain herself and what had happened the young dauntless born initiate put a hand on her arm and gently shook his head as his warm coffee eyes looked over her to make sure she was alright. “You don’t need to explain yourself to me, Aubrey. I don’t think less of you and I truly mean that. You went through something that I think more people in this faction deal with than anyone realizes. You were strong and you made it through.” He assured her as he tried to speak as honestly and as casually as he could. He didn’t want to make her feel weak in any way because he knew strength meant so much to her, especially her own strength which she certainly had plenty of. “It’s called a panic attack.” He informed her when she admitted to not knowing what to call it. “I have had them too.” He admitted in hopes that it would make her feel less alone. “I’m just glad I could be here, errrr…that you had someone with you…” He corrected himself and worried he might sound bad or make Aubrey think she needs him when she is clearly a strong and independent young woman. “Because it can be…harsh going through them alone.” He added with an innocent smile as he looked the blonde over once again to ensure she was doing better. “How are you feeling?”

Nerdy.

code by Stardust Galaxy

Bloom

Mood: Curious

Location: Bar

Interactions: Ghost

Bloom was not surprised in the least upon seeing what a showman Ghost could be. He had a flare to him, a spark that lingered in his eyes or at least was there every time she had seen him. He knew how to address and run a crowd, to keep them eating out of his hand and have all eyes on him. What she hadn’t been expecting was that she would somehow be roped into his show. When he called her forward to his magic trick she was shocked at first but recovered rather quickly, or so she hoped, before directing herself towards the makeshift stage. As she walked she could feel the effects of the drink and the pen but she still strutted confidently forward with her smile never fading.

The magic trick itself was rather entertaining and getting to be a part of it in some way would certainly become one of the happy memories Bloom would store away for a rainy day. Any time she was feeling down or something terrible happened she would go into the depths of her mind and bring forth a bit of happiness from her memories to help her through it. It was something she had learned to do at a young age back during her years in Amity because good times didn’t come often and they certainly wouldn’t last but she knew she could hold onto them and the feelings she had during those moments if she tried hard enough.

As Ghost completed his magic act with the sharpie ink now set on her hand rather than his she almost expected him to bow or flourish his hand in some way that seemed like a classic magician would. She looked down at the X on the back of her hand and smiled to herself as she hoped it wouldn’t wash away too quickly. Her gaze lifted as she watched Ghost obtain the object of the dare in the form of a frozen strawberry daiquiri that after watching his first sip of it she figured he found himself enjoying. Together they moved back to the seats at the end of the bar where they had been playing Caps before and she was intrigued as he mixed his two cocktails together. It was a combination she had never seen done before and when Ghost insisted it was good she smiled and nodded her head. She had seen many odd cocktails surprisingly mix together well so she didn’t doubt what he said. Suddenly he offered her a sip and she found herself shaking her head. “No thanks, but I appreciate the offer. It’s your prize after all.” She pointed out with a friendly chuckle to her tone.

It seemed that the effects of their crossfade were hitting Ghost a bit harder than they were hitting Bloom as the brunette with red streaks noticed how clumsy he had been when his turn came and the delay after she took hers and successfully got the cap in the bottle. “Ghost? Are you feeling alright?” She asked and watched as he blinked and seemed to come to a bit better. She kept a close eye on him and sipped her drink casually before asking again, “Truth or dare?”

As he answered her question Bloom began to feel a sense of familiarity that she had sensed before with Ghost but was becoming stronger. She half-listened to his answer and half retraced her steps through her mind palace as she tried to think if she had seen or been this causal with Ghost before. Something about him just seemed so recognizable and she felt like she had sat with him before. Not in a situation like this of course, but in another situation that she just couldn’t bring herself to remember. Hearing his mention of a boy from Amity seemed to only drive home the feeling that she knew Ghost in another way but just couldn’t pinpoint how. She began to think more and more about her brother and for a moment she believed she could be getting close to the memory before Ghost’s voice ripped her back to the present and she realized he had scored. “Uhhhh…dare.” She decided as she wanted it to make it fair.

Aviator

code by Stardust Galaxy