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Realistic or Modern Nightshade. (IC)

keeruh

boo


















Pilot...





welcome back!


Nightshade’s doors have opened once again, welcoming students old and new into its weathered halls. Nobody else had gone missing. Yet.

Tensions are high, and yet…everyone’s hoping this year will be better. Even just a little.


With the new school year comes new dorms for the students. And new roommates. The school’s Housing Committee assigned the co-ed dorms at random, meaning that somewhere, drama was bound to ensue.

Or who knows, maybe not.

In the woods beyond Nightshade’s warded boundaries, darkness paces, trailing clawed fingers along those magical wards, waiting.

The darkness had been waiting a long time.






























shhhh












♡coded by uxie♡

 
Last edited:



veronika.





































  • mood



    frustrated
















Something about Jason’s death haunted Veronika.

It wasn’t even because she’d seen his death and intentionally kept it from him, though that bit should have bothered her arguably more than it did. No, it was the unpredictability of her visions. Regardless of what she asked for—in that case, it had been to see a solution as to how to stop the evil force stalking Jason, on his behalf—she was always shown what she needed to see, rather than what she (or sometimes a third party) wanted to get out of it.

No matter how many times Veronika revisited the vision, it was always the same: an indiscernible figure in the dark of the forest at night, a ripped page fluttering in the wind, and a blood bath. For some reason, she always got hung up on the paper, trying to make out what it said despite it being in a language she couldn’t decipher, or where it could have come from, but it was such a quick glance that there was never enough time to properly study it.

When Veronika opened her eyes, she was met again with another blood bath of sorts in the dim lighting of the girls’ communal bathroom. The newest of many cuts along her hand and upper arm oozed a thick, red liquid onto the white tiles of the shower floor. With a sigh, she rose to her feet and stepped out, only to reach back in and turn on the water just long enough to ensure that all of the blood was washed down the drain. Then, she strode across the room to the row of sinks lining the wall, where she’d left a first aid kit, and began the monotonous task of cleaning herself up.

It would seem that Veronika’s school year was starting off bad in more ways than one.

She tore through her side of the room—the messiest any living space of hers had been since she was a child—in search of her favorite brooch—an intricate black pin with a red rose adorning the center—but it was nowhere to be found. Veronika wasn’t careless enough to lose it, either, so she suspected something else was at work. Aspen, for one, had a knack for taking things that weren’t his, though she doubted he had any use for her brooch, so if he’d been involved, someone had to have put him up to it.

Still, though, Veronika didn’t like to jump to conclusions.

Pulling the sleeve of her uniform jacket down over her bandaged hand, Veronika hesitantly turned towards Bianca’s half of the space, which was a stark contrast to her own. Where Veronika’s taste was dark and perhaps boring to some, Bianca’s was lively and full of color. They were an odd pairing, that was certain, but that didn’t seem to matter—out of all of their peers, Bianca was one of the only ones that seemed unbothered and undeterred by Veronika’s reputation and temperament, and the kindness she offered was a welcomed break from the usual type of responses that the Hawthorne girl received.

“Have you seen my brooch anywhere, by chance?” Veronika tried.

































anti-hero



taylor swift










♡coded by uxie♡
 



Esmeralda Hearthstone





































  • mood



    actually, pretty fine!

















A new term– well, another shot at it.

After the death of Jason Huxley the school had shut down for a few weeks to investigate exactly what happened. Not a lot of people knew how he died other than the fact his body was completely drained of blood.

An explanation? Nobody got one. It was either that– or Esmeralda didn’t care enough to hear it. The limousine had pulled up to the infamous Academy, the age of the castle-like school was shown in its architecture despite it being taken care of all these years.

It was her junior year and usually Esmeralda looked down on attending– but this year was going to be different.

She could feel it.

Esme adjusted the rose brooch on her blazer, an almost electric surge of excitement shot through her at the mere thought of attending class– the exact classes she failed because of her inability to conjure a spell that’d hold longer than a few seconds.

“Levare,” she repeated as per the teacher’s instructions. Mrs. Jacobs was an older woman who taught various classes mainly to those who possessed both natural, and unnatural magic– some were born with their own genetic pool of magic, and others drew their magic from the earth.

Much like what she was doing-- or... trying to.

The feather slowly hovered against the table and Esmeralda blinked, attempting to clear her mind to focus more on the energy she was trying to siphon.

She wasn’t like them.

Her gaze flitted to Khal, a secular she had become somewhat close with freshman year, her family line traveled almost farther back than her own– Esmeralda wouldn’t be surprised if she could lift a truck with a blink of an eye.

She avoided the gaze of Veronika with a hidden envy, she could practically feel her brother’s eyes burning into her as the feather struggled to lift and it fell back onto the table.

“Thank you, Esme, you’re dismissed.” Mrs. Jacobs said, shooting a warning gaze towards a group of sophomore girls in the class to silent their muffled laughter.

She wasn’t like the Seculars, she wasn’t born into practice. She wasn’t like the Psyches– psychic abilities rarely ran in her family and the closest thing she had to an emotional connection was with Keaton, which was a bigger flaw itself than her problematic magic.

Esmeralda wasn’t even a true Shade.

Rumors swirled around if she was even a real Hearthstone from the obvious lack of shadow abilities her brother, father, and grandfather seemed to excel at. Esmeralda could compare herself to every house here and there wasn’t a real one she’d belong to.

“You just need time.”

Mrs. Jacobs said, patting her on the shoulder before Esmeralda returned back to her seat and locked her gaze on the wooden desk in front of her as the lecture continued while another student was called up.

“You just need time.”

The words rang in her head, reeling from multiple conversations she’s had with her parents, as they tried to reassure her in her failures. Her gaze had turned into a glare as she watched Dana Cartwright succeed in the spell quicker than she did– the feather lifting… and lifting… and–

A sudden sense of envy controlled her quicker than she could realize what she was doing. “Incendia.” Esmeralda whispered under her breath, flicking a hand towards the feather underneath the desk.

Little to her knowledge, a spark of a flame flew towards the front of the room and softly landed on Mrs. Jacobs shoulder. A few moments had passed and a rage began to swirl in her chest when Esmeralda began to believe that her spell had failed again.

The smell of smoke filled the room and screams erupted from Mrs. Jacobs when she felt the heat that was emanating off of her hair. Esmeralda glanced at her own reflection in a beaker near her while the room continued to fill with smoke.


She applied a pink-tint lipstick, following the natural curve of her lips in the pocket mirror's reflection. Esme felt her brother’s gaze on her and she glanced over at him, a sly smile hinting on the edges of her lips. “You like?” The brunette gestured towards the pin that awfully resembled the one that Veronika Hawthorne had.

In fact, it was the same one.

The Hawthornes and Hearthstones had a rivalry that dated back to the witch trials. It was of heavy importance not to associate with them– as the family tree continued, it just resulted in competition after competition.

One that Esme had no problem in participating in.

“It was practically a steal.” She hummed. Aspen Bates continued to be of use– he was one of the only people at the school Esmeralda tolerated other than Khalani. A grade under her with sticky fingers?

He was perfect to do her bidding and had proved it many times.

The limousine slowed to a stop as the driver exited the car, opening her door and Esmeralda took a step out, her eyes danced around the quad. It was as if nothing even happened in the first place– people were laughing, talking, gossiping.

Walking, skating and scooting without a care in the world. The fountain sat in the middle with crystal-like running water that was riddled with coins of careless wishes and false hope.

The way the sun shined on the pavement, reflected on the fountain water, the slight heat that was a gentle accommodation to the brisk air.

It was almost serene.

For a second, you’d think nothing could go wrong around here.

A crow had landed on a nearby lamp post, the gentle twitch of its beak in her direction.

~

“What, is she just talking to every damn student? It’s probably her way of narrowing down whoever killed… whatever his name is, my bet’s still on a vampire.” Esme said, leaning against the wall while they waited outside the office.

Speaking of vampires...

Axel Jericho exited the office and Esmeralda was quick to greet him. “Ay, pobre cachorro,” Esme said, “Did the Headmaster finally tell you she’d have to put you on a leash?” The brunette batted her eyelashes in mock sympathy.

He wasn't a vampire.

But the entire academy knew he was "involved" with one.

“No, but keep it up, and I might ask her to put a muzzle on you.” Axel spat and in return Esmeralda put a hand over her heart and pouted as he walked away. Her features quickly flickered from “hurt” to completely indifferent.

“Shifters,” She muttered, shaking her head. Esmeralda always viewed shifters with disdain. They were always so… messy. It didn’t matter with what, whether it’d be feelings, parties– sex. She was convinced they were the bottom of the barrel for the supernatural.

“And it’s his second attempt at senior year?” Esme scoffed, her gaze falling to her brother while she adjusted the sleeves on her blazer.

A grin played on the edges of her lips. “Sounds like he’s almost as brainless as you are, brother.” One of her favorite pastimes was throwing insults to her older sibling– whether they came from hatred or envy didn’t matter.

His reactions usually made it worthwhile.

“But just think, next year? You’ll probably be working as a pushover– sorry, I mean assistant for a councilmember and I’ll have senior year to myself.”

Ezrael was ordered to fit into the older brother role by their parents. It was something no doubt both of them were unhappy with.

Their relationship had turned sour sometime after Esmeralda turned thirteen, still completely powerless and just taking up magic while Ezrael was excelling in his own abilities.

He changed.

And so did she.

“Time apart would only do us good.”

































killshot



MAGDALENA BAY










♡coded by uxie♡
 



bianca.





































  • mood



    reflective

















As a Pine Creek native, returning to Nightshade after the several month hiatus following the murders felt natural to Bianca. As if it had always been.

It was her fourth and final year at the school, and as much as she hated to admit it…part of her was sad that this would be it. That after she graduated, her time at the place that had changed her life so thoroughly would be over.

The brunette had arrived and settled into her room the day prior, and she now lay sprawled across the white duvet that covered her bed, feet kicking in the air.

There was a clear distinction between her and Veronika’s side of the room. Bianca’s side was light and airy, full of plant life and wooden accents. Her bio active tanks had just finished being set up around the space, her snakes side by side on the desk, her fish tank on a nightstand besides her bed and her jellyfish tank, the newest addition to her little ecosystem, on the bookshelf against the wall.

Her roommate’s half of the room was darker, draped in grey’s and reds and blacks, books and other miscellaneous objects strewn about as the other brunette seemed to be frantically searching for something.

The commotion was enough to draw Bianca from the book on herbal medicine she’d flipping through absentmindedly, Veronika’s question hanging in the air.

She pursed her lips into a fine line, thinking for a moment. Brooch….what brooch.

Oh!

“Do you mean that black one you’re always wearing?” she asked, sitting up, closing the book. “If you mean the one with the rose, I haven’t seen it, sorry Veronika.”

Bianca slid to her feet, coming to stand in the center of her room.

“I can help you look, if you’d like.”

































cry for love



백현










♡coded by uxie♡
 



Livanna Moore





































  • mood



    : (

















Blood splattered against the wall, the fear in her chest subsided and was placed by a sense of rage and sudden euphoria as she tore into his neck, his screams for help went unheard, the soundproof studio granted them a moment of sanctuary, Liam choked, sobbed and wailed against her attack– his arms flailed, grasping the collar of her shirt while his grip grew weaker and weaker until he let go completely.

Liam fell to the floor with a heavy thud and the glazed over rage had suddenly disappeared at the sight of him unmoving.

Her hands were covered with blood that wasn’t her own and she stumbled backwards, a sense of fear flooding her body once again but for a completely different reason than before.

~

“Popstar Livanna Moore was rushed to the ER, sources say, due to an overdose. She’s reportedly stable and seeking help at a private rehabilitation center in Ireland.” The television switched off and a heavy silence sat in the living room, adjourned with heavy reds, golds and hints of silver— the furniture in this room was as old as she was— which wasn’t very old but you get the point.

“I just don’t see why we had to tell them I was an addict,” Liv complained quietly, vampires had a stronger tolerance than most and if Liv was a mortal– there was no doubt her body would crave substances more than the… nutrients she needs to survive today. Besides, with the tabloids, paparazzi and countless rumors that surrounded her–

“It’s as good a cover story as any,” said Silas, a huff of breath escaping his nose while he paced around the room with his hands around his back, clasped tightly in worry.

“And Ireland? Can’t you just tell them that–”

“It was my idea, Livanna.”

“What?” Disbelief and a pool of tears clouded her vision, he failed to look her in the eye, his movements coming to a stop and glancing away instead of in her direction.

“'I've held it off for as long as I can, but I think the school will be… a good opportunity for you, you’ll be taken care of– and taught how to handle your cravings, as much as I hate to admit it,”

He swallowed. “They could do a far better job than your grandparents and I combined.”

“Dad,” She pleaded,

“Arrangements have already been made, the label’s been spoken to, you can continue to work on your music remotely and…” She tuned him out, her hearing focused on the television in the background as they played a combination of commercials instead of her father’s voice, his unsettlingly steady heartbeat and her pounding own.

Two years later…

Her last year.

Livanna couldn’t believe she was a senior! It was like these years went by so fast— she had half the mind to fail this year on purpose. She spent her sophomore year getting closer to the rest of the shifters and junior? Completely falling head over heels for Axel Jericho, who was the most perfect guy in her class– at this entire school even, let’s be honest.

Despite the familial concerns, she couldn’t break away from him– not entirely. Until her grandparents heard word of a Jericho engagement and they couldn’t wait to break the news to her.

That summer was unlike any other. Filled with unknown substances, alcohol, nightclubs and random feedings– it was a miracle she wasn’t caught… some girls dwelled in their breakups over love letters, throwing away their gifts and ate a ton of ice cream.

Not Liv.

“You’re so--,” The girl mumbled while Liv trailed kisses down her neck, “Yeah, thanks--just follow me,” she said, the redhead obeyed and soon enough, the stranger was pressed up against a brick wall in the alleyway.

The girl fiddled with the buttons on her blouse, Liv caught her hands before she went any further, making eye contact and her pupils dilated, a sense of guilt already creeping into her stomach as she spoke the words; “Stay calm,” Liv’s lips inched closer to the crook of her neck, feeling her pulse graze against her lips before she sank her fangs in.


That pit of guilt in the middle of her stomach never left. The girl survived of course– though there’d been many close-calls.

All her one-night-”stands” always ended with her compelling them to believe that they just had an amazing time together and dropping them off with whichever friend-group she’d stolen them from hours before.

But all of that… was a moment of weakness.

The last thing you wanted to hear is that your boyfriend, ex-boyfriend was engaged to a girl ultimately perfect in every way– and she coped with that in… very unhealthy ways.

Liv was… better now though. She had her time to get over their breakup– even if it wasn’t official and entirely forced…

Axel had made his choice and Liv needed to respect that.

Not for her sake, for his.

It wasn’t like she was going to see him anyway at least– that's what she believed when she noticed him talking to Aspen on the quad. Liv didn’t know that Axel failed his senior year until she arrived a few days ago, her grandparents didn’t know either or else they probably wouldn’t have sent her back for her final year.

Nevertheless, she kept her distance. Liv wasn’t a homewrecker– even if she really, really wanted to be. Who was she to step in the way of his happiness?

Somebody he loved, she hoped.

They never actually… you know, said it– but Liv knows how she feels…

But right now, the only thing Liv feels is the constant reminder of her summer that made her almost unable to look at herself in the mirror. All those nights were nothing like the incident with Liam but it’s a memory she tries to repress because of the feelings associated with it.

She’s never felt like that before. It was unlike any other high she’s been on, it didn’t scare her because it was the first time she fed on someone, it scared her because she almost killed him– and she liked it.

When she wasn’t out distracting herself from Axel’s happily ever after, Livanna was trying to solve a mystery, she was kind of like... a mixed Nancy Drew.

It all started when she found a box of things that belonged to her mother on her summer stay to her father's estate.

Liv didn't know much about her, but her belongings piqued her curiosity, she knew about the string of murders left in her wake, the trail that led… absolutely nowhere, and that the council had gotten involved before her father could find her.

Her father won't tell her exactly what happened to her after that-- but Liv has a pretty good idea what the council did to rogue supernaturals.

She wondered if they had anything in common beyond sharing the same eyes? While her mind wandered overlooking a photo of the two of them just before she was old enough to talk, Liv wondered if she carried over the obvious blood-thirst her mother had?

What if instead of "self defense" she almost killed Liam because...

Because she was a monster?


Whoa,

She stuck the photo with a magnet against the locker and placed the other earbud in ear while she roamed through the hallways of the academy, music-- especially loud enough to damage a human's hearing was Liv's escape.

It usually distracted her mind and hearing because as great as vampiric hearing was... sometimes it just became a little too much for Livanna to handle.

Darlin' you got to let me know,

It'd been half an hour after her meeting with the headmaster and all Mrs. Cartwright did was apologize for some of the treatment the vampires had been receiving around campus after Jason's death. He had two puncture wounds on the back of his neck and was found completely bloodless. All the heat was on the very few at the school who needed blood to survive.

But not a lot of the student population was smart enough to realize you couldn't drain anyone from the back of their neck-- if you were a vampire, that is.

Should I stay or should I g--


Liv was suddenly yanked into a dark empty classroom, an earbud falling out in result and her heart started to race once her gaze landed on who the culprit was.

Axel.

“What’s your problem?” he started, dropping her hand and Liv's shrunk at his tone-- much like a puppy getting scolded. The music from her phone continued to play and she reached into her jacket pocket to pause it. "I... don't have one." Liv lied.

"You’ve been avoiding me ever since we got back, and I can’t take it anymore. Why the silent treatment?”

"I--" Her lips thinned as she struggled to come up with the words, her eyes roaming around the dark room to avoid his gaze while she crossed her arms, with a half-hearted shrug. "My grandparents told me," She said, it wasn't like Liv expected him to tell her-- he couldn't get in contact with her.

"... about the engagement-- Axel, listen, if this is what you want-- or--" Liv put her hands up in defense, forcing Axel to let her continue. "Or what's best, I can't stop you, I don't want to... just..."

...

"I can't just pretend like I don't l-"

Nononononononope-- too soon.

Liv cut herself short just to launch herself back in without a breath. "Pretending like you don't exist is way easier than not pretending you're getting married to Des and having like, twelve werewolf babies and live happily ever after because it hurts a bunch, I-- I mean, it hurts more than vampire teething and let me tell you I might've been pretty young but I remember that pain distinctively and it doesn't even compare."

A mouthful, maybe, but...

They're so not ready for the L word yet. "I missed you so much and I didn't even think you'd be back until I saw you and I just wanted to--" Liv glanced at his lips and away.

Her voice fell into an audible but low whisper. "It's just easier to ignore you."

































Should I stay or should I go?



The Clash










♡coded by uxie♡
 



axel.





































  • mood



    irritated > happy > worried
















“This situation certainly isn’t ideal. Wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Jericho?”

The “Mr. Jericho” in question wasn’t paying attention in the slightest to what Miss Cartwright was droning on about, if the glossed-over state of his blue eyes was any indication. His mind wandered far away, meandering out the door and down the winding halls of Nightshade Academy, leaving his body on autopilot as it usually was, his knee bouncing subconsciously to some unheard rhythm. A part of him knew he should be listening to what Cartwright was saying—she didn’t want him to still be here any more than he did, and maybe she had some helpful advice for once—but he couldn’t seem to bring himself to focus on anything—or anyone—but Livanna Moore.

Over the summer, they’d drifted apart by some reason entirely unknown to Axel (other than the fact that on his part, his parents had been breathing down his neck after the news had broken of him having to repeat his senior year, practically keeping him on house arrest to have some control over where his focus laid), and during their first semester back—the one cut short by Jason’s death—Liv had done a good job at ignoring him as if he’d wronged her in some way, which would have been totally valid if only he could figure out what he’d done to warrant such a thing. As far as he knew, he was innocent for once.

“Mr. Jericho?”

“Yes?” Axel said finally, head snapping in Miss Cartwright’s direction. The word came out sounding more like a statement than a question, and it seemed to appease the Headmistress, as her lips pulled into a thin smile before continuing.

“We don’t need perfection from you, Axel—only improvement—but you have to put in some kind of effort. You think you can handle that?”

The conversation was all too familiar—Axel’s parents had said something similar to him far too many times already, though he had to hand it to Miss Cartwright; she at least had the decency to pretend to be sympathetic and accepting of human fault, though he knew she didn’t want him here still anymore than they did.

Axel shrugged, fingertips drumming on the arm of the chair.

“I need a yes.”

Fighting back an eye roll, Axel met Miss Cartwright’s gaze, supplying her with a forced, “Yes,” that lacked any sort of genuine sincerity, though he hoped the Headmistress could overlook that for the sake of them both being able to carry on with their days.

“Good,” Miss Cartwright replied, again with that tight-lipped grin that said she didn’t want to be having this conversation.

A heavy silence settled between them, which Axel took as a welcomed cue to leave, getting to his feet so eagerly that he knocked the chair back from the sheer force of the motion before making his exit...

…Only to run into the Hearthstones on the other side of the office door.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Esmeralda Hearthstone has always had a big ego and the mouth to match, but ever since her powers fully developed, she’d been absolutely unbearable to anyone unfortunate enough to cross paths with her, and that just so happened to be Axel’s luck today.

He raised an eyebrow at Esmeralda in mild irritation. “No, but keep it up, and I might ask her to put a muzzle on you.”

Axel didn’t stick around long enough for what surely would’ve been another dig at him—he was stressed enough as it was without the added task of having to serve as some sort of cheap entertainment for the, frankly, spoiled Hearthstone brat. So, he pushed past the siblings and rounded the corner, headed in no particular direction.

There was still time before classes started for the day, and Axel debated on going back to his dorm but ultimately decided against it, in case his roommate was still getting ready in there. He and Josie were close—because of Liv, naturally—but not to the point he felt any sort of desire to invade her space or privacy—also because of Liv.

Axel explored the halls instead, searching for any kind of distraction the school had to offer him. There always seemed to be something to do at Nightshade, and if there was anyone who’d be able to find trouble, it would be him.

Trouble, as it turned out, manifested itself on this occasion in the form of Aspen. He was bent down fiddling with the lock of a broom closet door, attempting to maneuver a twisted bobby-pin into the mechanism. Axel had no idea what was going through his friend’s mind that had prompted this, but he was sure whatever it was would turn out to be some sort of amusement to him later. In the meantime, though, Aspen’s concentration on the task at hand created the perfect window of opportunity for Axel to sneak up on him.

Axel scooped Aspen up in a tight hug, spinning him around before setting him down on his feet again. He stepped back, eyeing the younger boy teasingly. “Have you gotten taller?” Axel asked. Then, brushing away an invisible tear, he mused aloud, “They grow up so fast.”

For a while, the two fell into a comfortable, easy conversation, Axel leaning against the wall to keep watch while Aspen returned to his work, but the sound of approaching footsteps startled them silent.

He almost didn’t see her at first—a flash of long, dark hair and a black and purple uniform in the corner of his eye—but as realization set in, Axel was muttering a quick, “Shit, I’ve gotta go. I’ll see ya later,” to Aspen before abandoning him in favor of chasing after Liv.

That’s how Axel ended up dragging her into an abandoned classroom, asking for answers he wasn’t sure he wanted, only for her to provide a prattling response, a rollercoaster of a speech that had Axel scrambling to keep up and one that sent a pang of guilt straight into his chest, immediately regretting how he’d approached the situation as soon as he noticed the way Liv caved in on herself.

Axel had watched Liv’s body language go from timid to defeated and defensive, then back again, and while he’d wanted to interrupt more than once, he feared that if she didn’t get it all out, she’d combust on the spot. As soon as she was done, though, he was quick to begin picking up the pieces.

“Okay, first of all, slow down,” Axel started. “No one’s having babies, especially not twelve of them, and not me and Des of all people. That whole engagement thing is some bullshit deal our parents made when we were kids, and we get no say in it at all.” Axel paused, leaning down to Liv’s level, his hands coming up to hold her arms. He never thought he’d want to strangle a couple of old people as badly as he did then. Things were starting to make sense now, at least—of course the marriage arrangement was to blame for Liv’s skittish behavior. Just because he could ignore his problems didn’t mean everyone else could, too.

“I don’t love her, okay?” Axel assured Liv, his gaze trained steadily on hers. “I never have and never will, Des doesn’t want to be a part of this any more than I do, so there’s nothing going on between us, I promise. I’d never abandon you like that.”

The fact that Axel even had to clarify the last bit hurt more than he cared to admit at that moment, almost as much as the conviction in his voice as he’d said it had surprised him, so he changed direction.

“You couldn’t get rid of me that easily, babe. What was it you wanted to do?” Liv’s eyes flickering to Axel’s lips in the midst of her confession hadn’t been lost on him, and despite the previously serious tone of their conversation, he couldn’t help the way the corners of his mouth turned up into a teasing smile as he tugged Liv closer.

































without me



eminem










♡coded by uxie♡
 
Last edited:



chase.





































  • mood



    ???

















Never in a million—no, a billion—years did Chase think she’d end up in Ireland for her junior year of high school.

Much less did she think it would be to attend some place called Nightshade Academy of Magick, a name straight out of some novel and a place Chase still wasn’t 100% sure existed.

She was beginning to doubt it, actually, as she stared out the window of the back seat of her taxi, the rain slicked glass cold against her forehead. They’d been driving for what seemed like hours now, from the airport in Dublin all the way to this speck of a town they called Pine Creek.

This road in particular, which had started in the picturesque little downtown area that held all of Pine Creek’s stores and restaurants, but now wound through densely forested hills and mountains…it was probably the creepiest place Chase had ever been.

The driver, who she’d decided to call Benjamin in her head about five minutes after not receiving an answer when she’d asked for his name a while back, was a balding, sagging middle aged man with empty eyes and a blank face that gave her the creeps.

“So…Benjamin. Benji boy,” she tried again, cheerfully despite the feeling of unease that had sat with her the entire trip. “Mate. I’m from Australia, yeah? So…I’m not sure where this school even is?”

He continued to stare straight ahead, only meeting her eyes in the rear view mirror before returning his attention to the misty road ahead.


“Listen, my mum warned me that someone might try and kidnap me while I’m here and I didn’t believe her at first,” Chase began again, pushing a strand of dyed blonde hair out of her face while reaching for the bag by her feet. “But if you were to try and kidnap me…I have mace.”

No response.

Maybe he didn’t speak English?

The car had come to a stop, anyways, and Chase supposed that if now we’re going to be the moment she’d die then…

She looked out the window and was greeted by an ancient looking stone building, with columns and stained glass windows and a fountain out front.

Not bothering to ask anymore questions for fear they wouldn’t be answered, Chase climbed out of the car, grabbing her handbag from the floor before closing the door behind her firmly. The rest of her luggage had been shipped there a few days prior, and was now waiting to be unpacked in her rooms…wherever those were.

-

A few wrong turns and several flights of stairs later, Chase stood in front of the door to what she hoped was her dorm, the gold metal numbers reading ‘626’ the same as the tag on her keys.

She was actually here.

Nightshade existed and she wasn’t just crazy, the flames that glittered at her finger tips weren’t just crazy figments of her imagination, brought upon by heightened emotions due to her parents’ divorce.

Or wherever it was her therapist had told her.

She put the key in the knob, turning slowly and waiting for the click that signaled the lock’s release, before pushing the heavy wooden door open.

“Hello? I’m Chase?”

She took a few steps further into the space.

“Do I have a roommate?”

































cry for love



백현










♡coded by uxie♡
 



roman.





































  • mood



    awkward
















Roman Duke and Sylvia Klaki.

No matter how many times he’d read over their names printed on the rooming assignment, they didn’t change.

Roman didn’t have anything against Sylvia—quite the opposite, actually. Towards the end of the last school year, they’d started a relationship of sorts, but things had, in hindsight, moved a bit too fast, and while Roman wasn’t ready to make any real commitments, he knew Sylvia likely expected him to, so over the course of the summer, he’d quietly let things fizzle out between them. It hadn’t been an official breakup, but it’d been easier for Roman—at the time, anyway. Now, though, it seemed that the school was forcing him to come to term with his choices and whatever consequences they had reaped.

Early that morning, Roman had driven in from Pine Creek, where he stayed during the breaks in an apartment he shared with his band mate, Wes, only to find that Sylvia had already settled into the dorm. Really, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise—a lot of people flew in the night prior to the first day of classes—but it opened the window for awkward small talk as he unloaded his belongings.

The door swung open between them—Roman’s key was safely tucked away and out of reach in the pocket of his jeans, his arms laden with boxes, and he’d had to resort to kicking the door with the toe of his shoe as some halfhearted form of knocking. Sylvia stood on the other side, disgruntled from having just been rudely awakened but no less pretty than usual.

“Hi,” Roman started, peering around his burden. “Sorry. Key’s in my pocket.”

He could’ve—should’ve—said more: apologized for having gone radio silent as a result of his deep-rooted fear of letting people in to avoid future rejection, but Roman couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he kept his mouth shut, silently slipping past Sylvia into the room beyond, careful not to bump her with the boxes in his hands.

Roman laid his things down haphazardly at the foot of his bed. He still had more to bring up, but it didn’t feel all that important at the moment. In fact, he didn’t think he could so much as return to the door with Sylvia still lingering there. His back was to her, but he could’ve sworn he felt her eyes boring into his head, though that could’ve just been his overactive imagination acting up again.

Rifling through the box at the top of the stack, Roman produced his uniform from its contents, tossing it onto his bare mattress. He grabbed the hem of his sweatshirt, tugging it up and over his head before replacing it with a white button down. He stopped just short of unzipping his pants, though because despite his history with Sylvia, he probably shouldn’t have been so eagerly undressing in front of her.

“I’ll just—” Roman wadded up his pants and forced himself to cross the space, his open shirt swaying as he walked. “I’ll be back,” he muttered.

































MAMMAMIA



manëskin










♡coded by uxie♡
 




  • khalani.





































    • mood



      anxious, uneasy

















    She could feel it everywhere she walked. Hear it, smell it, see it. There was no part of Nightshade that was left unscathed by what had happened to Jason. That kid, spiked like a hellish example to be witnessed, to infiltrate nightmares and grab hold of your very core. Khal chose not to think about it too much, not wanting to fall down that rabbit hole until she was good and ready to do so. Something dark was out there, lusting after students & faculty at Nightshade, and the thought of a war between the school and that thing made the air smell sour if she pondered it for too long.

    Instead, she would focus on a forcibly successful year at Nightshade, once again. Perfection was the standard if you were a Noh, anything less and the Secular guilt was unbearable. Her family's connection with the school only made it worse, with teachers and faculty constantly harassing her with "Your father donated a great deal to the program this year, I assume that means you'll be joining us?" or "Your father sends his regards, we had a long chat last night about your progress!" or even the occasional "Khal, your mother called last night to check in on you. Have you spoken to her lately?". No, she hadn't. And wouldn't while she was at school. Khal had texts to decipher, spells to master (though, as Esme had put it before, anymore mastery and Khal would be teaching classes) & family to not disappoint.

    With a muted sigh, books practically spilling from her arms, Khal trudged her way through the gates of Nightshade. She was returning from her usual morning trip to the coffee shop that was just two blocks south of campus, a quiet place where few bothered her & they could manage a decent chai. If only she could be as invisible on campus as she was in that corner booth that practically had her name engraved into it's pinewood seats, though she wasn't as lucky once on campus.

    It wasn't a surprise, it never was, when Khal's ears pricked with the whispers of lowerclassmen, when her skin burned from the eyes boring into her. This was just another part of being a Noh, new students having read about your family, knowing who you are, studying you as if you have answers... but Khal didn't. Not yet anyway. It was her father's greatest desire for her to have answers, to become something great, to discover something revolutionary. It was everyone's expectation, one she couldn't run from. And oh had she tried.

    Quickening her pace & rounding a sharp corner, the petite Secular made a beeline to her dorm. She couldn't handle the stares, the fleeting conversation, the eyes she didn't know looking at her as if they knew her, as if they had been apart of those conversations with her father, as if they expected greatness before they had ever spoken a word to her. The panic was starting to set in, Khal's hand slipping into the pocket of her burnt orange plaid trousers that matched the tie that hung loosely from her neck and fishing around for the thing that could put a literal wall between her & this. Pulling out a keychain of a black fox with her dorm key attached, she hastily shoved it into the lock, turned it & pushed through the doorway... only to find what she could only assume was her new roommate.

    Aspen Bates.

    Through the slight digging she had done, Khal couldn't find much on her new roommate besides a slight buzz about him dealing for some extra cash. His hair was tousled in a mousy brown mess, his eyes seemed to be a mixture of surprise and perhaps a bit of fear... a smirk formed on Khal's face. Her prior anxiety soothing away as she took a small inhale, closing the door behind her without breaking eye contact with the boy. Better he was scared of her early, perhaps it meant she would be able to procure a bit of peace & quiet.

    Adjacent to the smallish man (he couldn't have been more than two inches taller than Khal) sat Squid on the arm of the couch, grey-blue eyes boring into Khal as if to say "who is this stranger and why is he here?"

    "She's friendly," the viper cooed before setting her books down on the coffee table, a mess of histories & spellbooks that seemed as if they were old as time. Her cat, Squid, stretch out her front legs in greeting before neatly tucking them back into her loaf-body. Khalani easily shrugged off her school blazer, hanging it on the coat rack before quickly glancing around the room. So far, nothing she had set up yesterday was out of place. The houseplants were still arranged as she had seen fit, throw pillows on the provided couch were all there as well as a basket of blankets tucked into one side. Crystals of all varieties were placed neatly on window sills, on top of cabinets, all for their own reasons. A nod of approval before her black eyes settled back on the boy who had yet to speak. "and as long as there is no messing with her, she will continue to be friendly." Poison laced her tongue at the incredibly vague threat as Khalani reached out to scratch underneath Squid's chin, the cat purring lowly before fixing it's eyes back to Aspen. With a small half smile, she made her way to her room, shutting the door quietly and plopping onto the bed before taking out her phone.
    Just met my roommate... he seems nice enough. Was just staring at Squid when I got in. Just hoping for a quiet year. Are you on campus yet?

    I have fresh cookies for you & Shiloh. And not to be a worrier, but I think we should talk about how you got stuck rooming with your younger sister.


    Malachi Ward was one of two people that Khalani gave the time of day to, way more than that to be fair. The two had grown up together, the Wards & the Nohs being practically family. And besides having been in diapers with one another, most of Khal's baby pictures also including Kai, he was potentially the one person who wholly understood what it was like to be born into a powerful Secular family. The pressure, the stress, the torment of feeling like you aren't living up to a name you didn't have a choice in taking... plus, he was one hell of a drinking buddy. Something about Kai just felt like home, like the brother Khal never truly had, though Kai had been around more than he wasn't.

    Before putting her phone away, Khal sent one more text to her one other friend; the girl she had become close with solely due to their mutual affliction for the rest of their class. It wasn't every day that the viper met someone with such a similar disdain for people, it wasn't every day that that someone wasn't a complete idiot either. Esme just so happened to be the perfect mix of vengeful & indifferent for Khal's liking.

    Day one. Anyone on your list yet?



































    cry for love



    백현










    ♡coded by uxie♡

 
Last edited:



Livanna Moore





































  • mood



    all butterfly-like

















"I'd never abandon you."

Axel's words reassured her more than it should've, the doubt swirling in her chest was replaced with a blissful warmth that only continued to grow when he tugged her closer and was quick to tease her about her previous statement.

Liv attempted to suppress the smile slowly spread across her lips and she wrapped her arms around his neck with a content hum, her forearms resting on his shoulders as her eyes fell to his lips once again.

"Hmmm.... what did I wanna do? I can't remember..." She bit the inside of her lip, deep in "thought" and met his light eyes. Her stomach started to do little backflips the longer kept eye contact.

"Wait-- you said you didn't love her, but you don't like her, right?" Livanna was only teasing but the extra reassurance won't hurt.

Did it mean he loved her if he didn't love Des?

There were plenty of things Liv could bother asking, but an entire summer without him and mourning her relationship before they were officially broken up, all that time apart needed to be made up for and Liv wasn't the only one who thought so.

"Because I'd get it, she's super pretty, I'd maybe kissed her if she asked? But that's a huge maybe--" In one swoop Axel hoisted Liv up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, she threw her head back with a hearty giggle as he placed kisses against her neck.

"I was lying, I'd rather kiss someone else," before Axel could get a full sentence out Liv pressed her lips against his, kissing him with fervor-- It'd been months since Livanna had kissed anyone and actually felt anything.

The electric feeling had only heightened, Liv grasped the collar of his shirt with one hand. He carried her over to an empty desk and sat her down while she worked on unbuttoning his shirt.

♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡

She finished buttoning up her shirt, a soft smile was practically plastered onto her lips-- she couldn't rid herself of it and Liv didn't see the point in trying.

It was almost funny about half an hour ago, Livanna was already convinced her relationship with Axel was as good as gone and here she was.

Liv was so glad she was wrong; who needs arranged marriages when you could have impromptu hookups in empty classrooms?

"I think we shouldddddd... celebrate," She whispered, excitement gleamed in her eyes and she hopped off the desk, ideas were already bouncing around in her mind and before she could even settle on one, Liv was already speaking.

"Celebrate our amazing reconciliation-- and not in the way you're thinking, though I wouldn't be opposed..." Liv had given him a look before balancing on the edges of her boots to peck him on the lips for a last time.

"Let's throw a party," She started,

Shifter parties were the greatest parties known to man-- okay, known to Nightshade but still! "I think it'd be fun-- and it'd be a cool back to school thing for the people who don't love us, we'll get drinks and party favorsssssssss." Extra emphasis on party favors-- c'mon guys, a child popstar is nothing without drugs.

The only question is; where would they throw it? It wasn't like they could just have a party in the dorms or near the academy especially on a school night.

They'd get in trouble faster than Liv could-- A sudden fatigue fell over and Liv rested the small of her back on the desk.

"Um, but yeah, I think..." She swallowed, taking a heavy breath before continuing, only a fraction of her energy returning.

"I think... we should totally go for it! We'd just need someplace off campus."

































Should I stay or should I go



The Clash










♡coded by uxie♡
 



ezrael.





































  • mood



    smh


















Showing up to Nightshade in a rented limousine, complete with a hired driver and champagne cooler in the spacious backseat, was just Hearthstone style. The fully tinted windows offered complete privacy as Ezra peered out at the Irish hillsides. Tiny rivers of rain lined the narrow road and fog obscured most of the view beyond the metal guardrails.

Such luxuries were one of the only things about his family Ezrael didn’t despise.

His sister, Esmeralda, a year younger in age, sat next to him, applying what seemed like her to thirty seventh layer of lip gloss, a smug look on her face.

Typical.

“You like?” the brunette asked, noting his attention. Her chin dipped down to a brooch, an intricate rose made out of black metal with a red stone embedded in it. “It was practically a steal.”

Something about it looked familiar, tickling on the edge of his memory but he couldn’t quite place a finger on it.

He’d play along with her games, this time.

“Where did you get that, Esme?” he inquired, his face a mask of boredom and mild disinterest. “Or should I ask who did you get that from?”

It would be a miracle if he received an honest answer.

The limo came to a slow stop, thick treaded tires crunching in the gravel driveway leading up to Nightshade’s entrance. The wrought iron gates opened to allow them in and as they passed through the magical wards surrounding the school Ezra felt the faint zip of magic touch his skin, like some phantom hand.

Sort of like his shadows.

He wasn’t sure how his sister’s chose to manifest, it was different for each person in their family and she’d been particularly closed off about the details since their sudden appearance.

He wonder if hers too, whispered in her ear and slithered along her skin like snakes, as living as the people around him. One such shadow curled around his ear now, touching his cheek gently.

Quiet for once.

They had been more subdued since the sinking pair had arrived in Pine Creek days prior, lodged up in some fancy but rotting hotel per his parents’ itinerary.

Rather they be a week early than on time, of course.

There was something so different and wild about Ireland, Pine Creek and Nightshade’s sprawling campus in particular that offered him a sigh of relief from their stifling penthouse in New York’s upper districts.

Perhaps it was the distance from his parent’s, who’d been particularly meddlesome lately. They’d spewed some bullshit about him joining the council when he graduated. They had everything in place, they said. He just had to make it through his senior year with perfect grades, like every year prior.

And ensure his little sister’s success with him.

That last part was what had been keeping him awake at night, pacing back and forth on the creaky wooden floors of his room in the hotel.

The awakening of her powers had brought forth a newfound confidence in Esme, and a determination and drive he hadn’t seen from her in years.

He knew that whoever that energy would be directed at would be sorry for it by the end of semester one. And it was his responsibility to keep her under control.

For someone as normally apathetic and generally unbothered as himself, Ezra was…stressed.

With a sigh, Ezrael climbed out of the backseat through the door the driver had opened moments before, the moving people his father had ordered already unloading their admittedly excessive amount of luggage and bringing it inside, to their rooms.

With a terse nod to the driver—a man named Roger Simmons who’d been in their family’s service for almost twenty years now—Ezrael adjusted his red tie and closed the door to the limo behind him. He stretched, arms reaching towards the overcast sky as his stiff joints unfolded.

Trailing after his sister across the green towards the buildings lining the pathway, grey eyes darting across the faces of the students milling about, also just arriving or enjoying their final bit of leisure time before classes started.

His and Esme’s relationship had always been complicated, only growing more so as they aged. Since they were kids, though, he’d always let her take the wheel and nothing was different now, as he followed close behind her.

She’d always been the sibling to take the lead and charge her way through life, dragging Ezra along with her. She was the other side to their fine coin, bold and confident, fearless and spontaneous, a stark contrast to his more passive, refined demeanor.

They were alike in more ways than he cared to admit—he saw a watery reflection of himself in her fiery eyes, adding to his feeling of responsibility for her well-being and success.

Once they entered the school’s main building, a towering castle like structure that had been standing since the witch trials and severely lacking in renovations, it was a short but brisk walk to the headmaster’s office, where they’d been ordered to go upon their arrival.

For a meeting to kick off the school’s reopening, given the tragedies leading to the school’s early closure in the spring. Or whatever it was the young and unseasoned headmaster Janelle Cartwright was spewing to the masses to maintain her golden reputation and keep her job.

“What, is she just talking to every damn student? It’s probably her way of narrowing down whoever killed… whatever his name is, my bet’s still on a vampire,” his sister spoke again, breaking the silence from her position leaning against the far wall of the space.

Several students had come in and out of the office in the time they’d been waiting—none that he recognized—9as he observed from his seat, legs crossed at the ankle in front of him.

Ever the picture of bored nonchalance.

The door to the office opened again, this time spewing out two time senior and shifter, Axel Jericho.

As he walked away, after exchanging a few unpleasant words with Esme, Ezra spoke, a self assured smirk gracing his features.

“I hear his girlfriend’s a vampire, it could have been her,” he cooed, toying with his tie idly. “And he’s engaged to that other wolf, Desirae? Your roommate, if I’m not mistaken,” he added, with a pointed glance at his younger sister.

The wool fabric of his uniform’s grey sweater was scratching at his neck and he pulled at the collar, his smirk slipping into a frown as one of his rings snagged on a loose thread.

“Shifters,” Esme muttered, disdain lacing her cool voice. “And it’s his second attempt at his senior year?”

Her attention slid to him, amusement lighting her eyes as she continued to speak.

“Sounds like he’s almost as brainless as you are, brother,” she crooned, adjusting the flaps of her blazer with smug satisfaction written all over her features.

She loved insulting him.

Ezra scowled, crossing his arms and opening his mouth to retort, but it seemed she wasn’t quite finished.

“But just think, next year? You’ll probably be working as a pushover– sorry, I mean assistant for a councilmember and I’ll have senior year to myself.”

He blinked and shifted in his seat, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of a response. His parents plans for him to join the council this coming year was a sore subject with him and she knew it.

“Time apart would only do us good,” Esme finished, locking eyes with him. He stared back, shadows creeping along his neck and arms. Onto his fingertips.

It was the only sign of his shift in mood and his mouth quirked to the side as his collar once again scraped against his tattooed throat.

Fucking shirt.

“Maybe you’ll grow up a tad without me here to babysit you,” he said smoothly, watching as one particular shadow snaked along his index finger. His eyes flicked back up to hers, and he grinned.

“I won’t be here to stop the headmaster form expelling you, keep that in mind little sister.”


































cry for love



백현










♡coded by uxie♡
 
Last edited:






keaton.










































































  • mood






    pining per usual

































"And if you know anything that might shed some light on why Jason was out there that night don't hesitate to tell me." Janelle Cartwright said. She looked as if she had aged a decade since he had last seen her.

He always found it funny whenever she tried to play the authority figure with him as if he hadn't seen her drunkenly do the macarana when he was twelve. Or casually call her by her first name. Fun aunt? For her age? Absolutely. Respectable authority figure? Debatable.

Keaton wondered if his facial expression betrayed his total lack of interest. He could never be sure when he talked to her. Janelle had this uncanny knack to see through him from time to time. His mother was the same way. Those two had been friends forever so it made sense but didn't make it any less weird.

"Of course..." Keaton said with a nod. His tone was as neutral as he could possibly make it.

Of course he wouldn't if he did know anything. Shifters weren’t known for their intelligence but you'd expect some animal instinct to kick in and tell you there's a 15 foot tall monster behind you. Apparently not for Jason. Keaton chalked it up to Darwinism.

But whoever got him to go out far enough to where the wards were weakest that it allowed something as gnarly as a manticore in did their homework. He couldn't help but be impressed. If anything he'd send them flowers.

Keaton had no empathy for the boy's untimely demise though he wondered, spitefully, if he could revive his soul just to kill him again. Give him a more respectable send-off than manticore fodder.

"If that's all I think I'll be heading to class." Keaton looked at the clock. Class didn't start for some time. "On second thought I'll just wander around a bit. Take in the sights. My last year and all. Feeling a bit nostalgic."

"Uh-huh." Janelle wasn't fooled in the slightest. "Before you go, there is a book on dark magic missing from the library. Do you know anything about that?" Accusation dripping from her voice even if she framed it as a standard question.

Keaton frowned. "My first time hearing about it. But why are there books on dark magic in the library if you don't even teach the subject? You're just asking for someone to get murdered..." Keaton put his hands up in mock apology. "Oh. Right. Too soon?"

Janelle pinched the bridge of her nose seemingly exasperated but a ghost of a smile played on her lips.

"Jason was killed by a manticore. These two situations are completely unrelated. I asked cause you have a history of... shall we say rash behavior so it's not out of question for you to steal something like this as a joke." Her last word laced deathly with sarcasm. "Helena asked me to keep you out of trouble. Can't really do that if you're the trouble now can I?"

"Don't worry Janelle. There's some lines even I won't cross. And tell my mother not to worry either. I promise I'll stay out of trouble. At least trouble that involves being drained of blood... Well entirely drained. See there's this vampire…"

"No. Nope. Get out." And with that Keaton's evaluation (interrogation) was over.

Not knowing what to do with himself he decided to head to the roof. For Keaton the roof was a kind of sanctuary. His place away from the politics and drama that permeated Nightshade. He had only ever told one other person about it and it was such a throw away comment he doubted she even remembered.

Keaton sat in the shadow of one of the statues on the edge of ancient structure and lit his final cigarette. He recalled his promise to stop before school started. Technically he hadn't lied. Just one more and he'd quit them for good.

He found smoking made him more contemplative. Helped organize his thoughts. He needed the extra stimuli because he was sure there was something he was missing that was right in front of his face.

How the fuck did the manticore get passed the wards that were said to be impenetrable?

His thoughts began to fall in place. The chaos of his mind quieting.

He had only half noticed it but a limousine had pulled through the gate.

Unless it wasn't a manticore that killed him, which would explain the total overreaction by the board and the council. Kid venturing to far off the beaten path is a cautionary tale. Not grounds for a full scale investigation.

The limousine had came to a full stop just a short walk away from the school. It's driver had gotten out and opened the door for the passengers to get out.

And if it wasn't the manticore that killed him then what did? Especially to warrant such a response? To cut a school year short? To interrogate students about what they know? The culprit must still be at large. And there was only one thing he knew that made witches behave even more irrationally.

Esme


And just like that the memories he had been suppressing came back into focus. Like when the sun hit her at just the right angle. Late mornings and early nights spent in each others embrace. When she'd pout and her lips would part just so. His eyes followed her as she walked into the building, thankfully not registering his presence.

It was absolutely for the best that she hadn't. He didn't think he was ready for a face-to-face. His unanswered texts silent reminders in his pocket of the sway she still had over him. He'd only just remembered to breathe.

Keaton flicked the cigarette off the roof, smoked down until nothing remained. He stood up and dusted himself off. Another addiction. He'd conquer this one on his own time. On his own terms.



































































cry for love






백현




















♡coded by uxie♡
 
Last edited:



axel.





































  • mood



    slightly concerned but mostly happy
















What remained of the tension in Axel’s shoulders dissipated entirely as soon as the smile broke out across Liv’s pretty features despite her efforts to suppress it, her arms around his neck a welcomed warmth that he’d missed terribly in her absence.

His life in general had become much colder without Liv in it, something he’d refused to come to terms with until now, previous fears of having lost her forever no longer an impending cloud of doom over his head.

Axel tutted, brows furrowing in faux disappointment. “That’s a shame,” he said, “because there’s some things I wanna do, too, and I thought we could compare notes.”

A silence settled between them, but unlike what Axel had experienced in Miss Cartwright’s office, this pause in conversation was comfortable, as if they needed a quiet moment to become reacquainted with each other before they dove back in. The few months the couple had spent apart with no sort of contact had felt like an eternity. It’d been like trying to quit an addiction cold-turkey, and Axel was having withdrawals. The longer he stared into her coffee-colored eyes, the more he could feel his self-control slipping away.

Liv was the first to speak again, and their prolonged staring was broken with an eye roll on Axel’s part, a scoff leaving his lips. “Please. Do you think I’d be here with you if I had any feelings for her?”

Being with Liv wasn’t just about pissing off his parents anymore—Axel had become attached to her in a way he didn’t think he was capable of, and the idea of so much as looking at any other girl the way he did with her felt like an impossible task, especially one his parents had hand-picked for him.

“Well, we can’t have that now, can we?” Axel interrupted, easily lifting Liv from her place on the floor, his hands finding a home on the backs of her thighs. She was so close that he couldn’t resist anymore, the way she threw her head back too tempting as the flesh of her neck came into view, and when she laughed—a giggle that Axel wished he could listen to forever—her throat vibrated against Axel’s lips as he pressed kisses down the length of it.

Axel hummed at Liv’s next words, pulling away to look at her with a smug grin. “Yeah, that’s what—” I thought died on his tongue as Liv’s mouth came crashing into his with an urgency he understood and reciprocated.

It had been far too long.

Axel’s grip on Liv’s legs tightened as he carried her across the room, fingertips digging into her skin slightly before he set her down onto an empty desk. His hands moved to rest on either side of Liv as he leaned down to her level, caging her in while she worked to release the buttons on his shirt.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥​

The white dress shirt hanging open on Axel’s frame was substantially more wrinkled than it had been, his tie hanging loose and undone around his neck. He might’ve been able to put himself together more effectively if he could manage to tear his gaze away from Liv, but he couldn’t find the desire within himself to do such a thing.

“Oh, yeah?” Axel asked, buckling his belt and sliding it into place.

Axel mimicked Liv’s expression, eyebrows raised suggestively at her innuendo before returning her short, sweet kiss.

“What kind of celebration did you have in mind, then?”

At the mention of a party, Axel’s face lit up. The Shifters were known for their wild shenanigans, and the two of them were no exception. They were always looking for an excuse to do something fun and exciting. “Yeah, totally!” Axel replied, smiling knowingly. “I can help get the drinks, if you want. I still have my fake.”

Something changed then, a brief flicker across Liv’s face as her demeanor shifted, but it happened so quickly that Axel could’ve missed it with a blink, and she played it off so well that he almost believed he’d imagined it. Still, concern shone in his pale eyes. “Are you okay?” he asked, bringing a hand up to the small of Liv’s back as he bent down towards her.

“Yeah, right,” Axel at last relented, watching Liv curiously as if he expected her to drop at any moment. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so rough with her earlier…

“We could have it in the woods,” he suggested, “but only if you’re up for it.”

Usually, the forest was home to the Manticore, but after Jason’s death, the beast had been dealt with, so to speak, leaving its old home the perfect place for anyone who didn’t want to attract the attention of school faculty to go, and a big party qualified as just that. Even so, the woods beyond the academy were threatening—vaguely ominous, at best—so Axel wouldn’t blame Liv for wanting to steer clear of there if she so pleased.

Outside of the classroom, voices were getting to be more prominent, prompting Axel to hastily button up his shirt and put an abrupt halt to their party planning. “We should probably get going,” he said, interlocking his fingers with Liv’s. “I’m, like, 90% sure that door is still unlocked.”

To prove his point, the handle turned, door opening to reveal the first wave of students trickling in for class—over-achievers and teacher’s pets, no doubt. Axel flashed an awkward smile their way before pulling Liv out into the hall.

“I think I’m gonna skip first period,” Axel announced, glancing down at Liv. “You wanna join?”

































without me



eminem










♡coded by uxie♡
 
Last edited:



Esmeralda Hearthstone





































  • mood



    actually, pretty fine!

















Esmeralda often kept to herself and a small circle about her affairs. Unless it'd gain her any respect Esme found a hard time confiding in someone, but that didn't stop Ezra from knowing more about her than anyone– she supposed it was because they were family; but if you want the truth, they hadn’t been for some time.

As surprising as it is, this was Esmeralda holding back. There were many things she could dangle over her brother and say to irritate him.

They knew what made each other tick.

But Ezra knew what could set her off.

There was an unspoken line they didn’t cross and when they did, it never ended lightly.

Her gaze flickered to the shadow that curled around his neck and trailed down to his arms. And for the first time that flicker of envy whenever his abilities would appear was non-existent.

Ezra spoke up. “Maybe you’ll grow up a tad without me here to babysit you,” Her eyes narrowed and Esme made a point to glance away, biting her tongue.

“I won’t be here to stop the headmaster from expelling you, keep that in mind little sister.” The building was riddled with windows and natural lighting, their own silhouettes provided them with enough shade for his shadow to have a mind of its own.

“Expel me,” Esme laughed dryly. “I’m the best student they have,” The dark trail sidled up beside her, wrapping around her ankle, Esmerlada shot a glare towards Ezra and suddenly her silhouette disappeared.

Their powers didn’t differentiate to the eye.

While Esmeralda’s was newly gained– the lack of practice went unseen. It was questionable– but nobody dared to ask.

A whisper-like screech was heard as the snake-like shadow dissipated into a gray fog at her feet. “And not just intellectually anymore.” She clarified. Esmeralda shifted to one side, leaning her shoulder against the wall while her shadow took its rightful place behind her.

Esmeralda had often shown off in class– she had a vast knowledge of languages, history, and magic.

At the time she couldn’t compete with Veronika and Khal in the classes that required use of their magic. But Esme was determined to excel where they couldn’t and that alone gave her a sense of superiority she couldn’t get by using her last name.

“Accidents aren’t grounds for expulsion.” While a handful of her infractions were indeed accidents– there were many others that were thoughtfully planned out and executed.

Only they couldn’t prove it.

“Besides, the academy needs me– your kind needs people like me,” His kind being obedient pacifists who were afraid to anger anyone in a position of power. She wouldn't be surprised if he cowered with a look.

Respectability, loyalty, and power had to be earned. It wasn’t just handed down like a family heirloom.

Although she believed Ezra fought those odds, his execution was disappointing. “There’s two kinds of people in the world, brother. The saints...” A hand flourished towards her blue-eyed sibling and a humanoid shadow appeared behind him.

The sunlight hit Ezra enough for one half to be illuminated and the other in dim light. “... and the sinners.” The shadow adjusted his collar, only dissipating when he swatted it away, soundless and in an eruption of black fog.

“They couldn’t function without the other.”

The brunette was about to make another motion of her hand, a subtle smirk hinting on her lips when– “Esmeralda.” A familiar voice warned.

Her gaze followed the voice to the door across from them. “Mrs. Cartwright.” She greeted, dropping her arm back to her side.

“You look older.” Esme said. The humor wasn’t lost on the headmaster but her expression proved otherwise.

“You know magic isn’t allowed in here.”

“Oh, how I’ve missed our banter.”

“I haven’t.” Despite her words, Mrs. Cartwright put on a strained smile and stepped aside, gesturing towards the door. Esmeralda had given her brother a last glance before following Janelle into the office.

Her phone buzzed in her blazer pocket and Esme retrieved it only to see a message from Khal.
Day one. Anyone on your list yet?

She looked up at Janelle who met her gaze disapprovingly.
Just the headmaster.

Esmeralda smiled all too sweetly.


































killshot



MAGDALENA BAY










♡coded by uxie♡
 



veronika.





































  • mood



    tense
















”I would take you up on that offer, but,” Veronika paused, her pale eyes flitting across her side of the room, “I don’t think it’s here at all, so there’s not much you can do to help. Thanks anyway.” Another break in speech as she checked the dainty black and gold watch resting on her right wrist for the time. “There’s still somewhere else I would like to look before class, though, so I’ll see you later.”

Veronika dreaded each step that brought her nearer to the office, where the lost and found box resided. A part of her wished she’d invited Bianca along—at least then, she wouldn’t feel nearly as awkward, as her roommate had a penchant for diffusing tense situations with her oddly endearing humor.

There was something so deeply humiliating and vaguely unsanitary about rifling through a box of abandoned and discarded items, the owners of which, there was no telling. It was like an advertisement for one’s carelessness, and to come up empty handed was even worse, to have gone through all of that for nothing. Veronika could only hope that wouldn’t be the case on this particular occasion.

She might not get the chance to find out.

Veronika stopped dead in her tracks, gaze fixed on Ezrael Hearthstone, where he stood loitering outside the office door. The rivalry between their families extended back to a time before any of the currently living members were even born—the Salem Witch Trials, to be exact. Sure, the reasoning for the hatred among them had twisted and evolved through the ages, morphing into something to better suit their needs, but the bitter flame still burned brightly. Luckily for Veronika, however, Esme—the more insufferable of the pair—was nowhere in sight.

To be perfectly honest, Veronika didn’t have any real problems with Ezra, other than the fact that she was supposed to because of his last name.

Hesitantly, Veronika drew nearer, glancing between the door and Ezra as she chewed on her lip—a nervous habit from childhood that she’d never managed to outgrow. “Are you waiting to go in?” she asked. Veronika wasn’t entirely sure why she’d bothered, but it seemed like the polite thing to do in such a circumstance.

































anti-hero



taylor swift










♡coded by uxie♡
 



emersyn.





































  • mood



    easy breezy bby

















The flight to Ireland from Los Angeles, CA was, well... depressing.

Having spent her vacation in the City of Angels, going out to clubs & concerts, meeting men & women alike who were beautiful & eclectic and mostly learning more about the music industry, how it works and what they're looking for from some friends she had met along the way; Emersyn wasn't stoked to be flying back to boarding school. She had lived more life in California than she had at Nightshade in the past three years, could you blame her for not wanting to trade 2 am tequila shots for studying sessions in a stuffy library?

At least she had her car back.

The feel of Ireland's damp air & cool breeze was fully welcomed, nonetheless, by Emersyn Hawthorne, the windows of her 70's BMW 3 series rolled down while soft rock played a little louder than needed. The little black car took the slick roads with ease, the dark haired girl softly singing along to the music, her left hand out the window and catching bits of wet air in her palm. New ink littered her hands & arms, the cool air felt nice on the recently raked skin, offering a soothing moment to skin that was otherwise wrapped and a little on fire. Maybe getting a tattoo the night before a twelve hour flight wasn't the smartest, but damn it looked good. And when Emersyn looked good, she felt unstoppable, much to the dismay of her cousin who was no doubt already in said stuffy library with her nose in a book.

Being a Hawthorne was supposed to mean something, or so Emersyn was told all her life. It meant carrying a name that, when spoken, brought images of sophistication, intelligence, proper dress, regality, a bunch of other bullshit that the singer didn't subscribe to. Ever heard the term 'black sheep of the family'? Well when Veronika & Emersyn Hawthorne stood side by side, there was no way in hell you would guess the two were related. The only similarity they had was attending this school of outcasts, maybe their eyes? Definitely nothing more.

A shiver ran down the petite girl's spine as she drove through the main wards of Nightshade, her barely-there white bandeau leaving her stomach exposed to the elements, her long, thick brown hair the only thing covering her shoulders as the zip-up hoodie she was wearing fell off of to one side. Something about this school was just always... cold. Not just in temperature, but the people, the vibe, the faculty. Everything felt frigid, especially since everything went down with Jason. Something was looming around the school, something that would kill the vibe of future parties & hangouts. Whatever was out there would not ruin this year for the Hawthorne girl, she would be sure of it. Not whatever spiked that kid to the fence, not whatever lurked in the shadows, awaiting a stray student or faculty to stumble somewhere they shouldn't... But Emersyn tried not to think too much about that, especially as she rounded the corner to the parking lot only to spot a familiar, beat up red Camaro parked just outside of the dorms. "You're shitting me!" Emersyn squealed as she pulled up next to the car that she had sat in hundreds of times, the passenger seat her place to adjust makeup, nap, eat or make out on the way to and from gig venues, trips to the burger joint just south of Pine Creek, beach days & the like.

Ugh, Roman Duke.

Nightshade's resident narcissists, Roman & Emersyn had been the "it pair" for quite some time. Never in a relationship, never exclusive (the thought made Emersyn physically gag) but two good looking people that walked into a room and owned it. Their fling went on for longer than either expected, everyone knowing about it since neither party was exactly the type to hide that sort of thing. Both self-righteous, thinking of themselves as a visual gift to those around, of course they flaunted their intimacy. You wouldn't? They showed up to parties together, dressed to the nines, went out drinking after Roman's gigs, Emersyn knowing & befriending most of the band members and particularly taking a liking to Axel. The shifter was witty & tied down to a gorgeous vampire girl, and what could she say? Emersyn liked pretty people, liked surrounding herself with them, liked when they knew and owned up to the fact that they were incomparable to the normal population. Which is why being next to Roman made sense... and probably why it ended very quickly one day.

Both Emersyn & Roman had agreed to mainly sleep with other people, and with the petite brunette going to Los Angeles for the summer, she did just that. Somehow though, she didn't feel that same confidence exude from those men that had so effortlessly poured out of Roman. Men in California had to fake their confidence, draw it from some Marvel movie character, build a whole new personality around it. They put on a façade, and the minute they were drunk, turned into emotional, inconsolable children. It was exhausting... so yeah, she was a little more than happy to see that banged up, old rusty red Camaro as she backed her sleek black car next to it.


Cool & collected, Emersyn pushed her door open and stepped out of her vehicle, stretching her arms over her head to better expose her toned stomach, her figure long & curvy as she bent this way and that to lengthen out from the drive. Checking her mascara in the mirror, fluffing out her hair and popping in a stick of winter mint gum, she strode to the open trunk of Roman's car, sitting down on the bumper and stretching her legs out just in time to look up and see honey brown eyes in a wrinkled school shirt, a hand tousling his dark auburn hair before he too looked up and stumbled in his footing. He, of course, was just as pretty as the last time they were in a room together. His stature, sleek & lithe, not toweringly tall but fit and built. He looked stressed, but these days, the fine lines around his mouth didn't surprise Emersyn... not when she knew the things that the shade endured, the things he saw without his consent. Not that Emersyn worried about him, more worried for herself. She didn't want to be the victim of some cliche "I've gone crazy so I'm gonna murder my hot ex" Netflix special. How boring.

Once he regained his footing, sage green eyes found their way back to Roman's. Emersyn adjusted her posture slightly, letting the drooping left sleeve of her oversized hoodie fall to expose clear-wrapped, fresh ink on her inner arm. Anything to make him tick just that much more.

"Hey baby, ya miss me?" Emersyn cooed, a smile wrinkling her nose as she extended her arms from her seated position. Sure, the two weren't intimate anymore. But that didn't mean that their endless flirting & banter ever died out. And god, was Emersyn grateful for it. Maybe this year wouldn't be a total bust after all.


































cry for love



백현










♡coded by uxie♡
 



Livanna Moore





































  • mood



    oh ****

















“Are you okay?”

Liv was asked that question a lot.

Emotions are heightened with her kind, but even then— Livanna was one of the most sensitive people on campus and you didn’t know her if you didn’t believe that.

Nevertheless, whatever was swirling around inside her wasn’t negative feelings.

She didn’t feel faint from getting overly excited or becoming a bit overwhelmed— which probably isn’t anything that’d be of big concern and has totally happened before— probably when she scored a first date with Axel— actually, if anything Liv would blame her sudden ill on getting back together with Axel.

(In a good way!)

But she knew that’s not quite what it was.

After Jason’s death and Headmaster Cartwright’s apology to the majority of the vampires for the suspicion and treatment around campus…

The academy had substituted blood bags with animal blood instead. Sort of like a… “better to be safe than sorry.”

She hadn’t told her father or grandparents yet, it was probably an iffy subject and she was more than sure her grandfather would want to have a word or two with Janelle.

And… nononono, that wasn’t happening.

Substitutions weren’t unheard of and were common with vampires who vowed to take a moral oath.

But it came with definite drawbacks. It made them slower, their compulsion less stronger and evidently, weak.

She’s never drank animal blood before— but Liv has been at Nightshade for over a week and she’s had trouble keeping every meal down.

Besides candy.

Human food didn’t count— a vampire’s metabolism is faster than a werewolf's transition and digests normally, but it doesn’t provide the nutrients a growing vampire needs.

(Or aging, but Liv’s convinced she’s still growing. Just don’t tell her she isn’t.)

Yeah, it was a definite vampire perk to be able to eat all the candy you want and never get a cavity.

Her hand found Axel’s and removed it from the small of her back, intertwining their fingers. “Super okay,” She reassured, and when the concern in his eyes didn’t dissipate, Liv smiled.

“I’m Aspen-level okay.” What did that mean? Who really knew, Liv just thought it was a good enough deflect for him to drop it.

It worked though.

The truth was, Livanna didn’t really know why she lied— or why she felt the need to keep such a thing a secret.

It seemed like the others were transitioning well and the last thing Liv wanted to be was a problem for the headmaster to solve, a target for envy if she was given special treatment, or worse and treated differently than her peers— okay well, differently than they already do.

The Shifters weren’t as bad as people labeled them to be. They threw great parties, were a little less serious and more enthusiastic than most houses, but they had heart.

The vampires though…

Liv didn’t really get along with the other vampires at this school. A lot of them weren’t happy with the idea she was shacking up with a werewolf.

And… There was that one incident where Livanna had mistakenly told the headmaster that a fellow vampire fed on a compelled student, one that didn’t quite believe in taking slade root supplements…

Okay, so she wasn’t really trusted in that circle but it really was a mistake!

Maybe she just didn’t want him to worry?

Or worse and offer himself up— which Liv would never do. He was more than just a snack.

“The woods!” She exclaimed, her free hand caressing the side of his cheek. “you’re such a smart little puppy, of course I’m down— I mean, up— up, down, left, right— whatever, it’s gonna be perfect and we’re gonna be deemed the party throwers of the year— or ever, maybe ever since it’s our last year and—“

Oh, gosh… Liv didn’t want to remind herself that it’s her last year. Worrying about the future is a problem for another time.

“Nevermind. You can get drinks, I’ll get the candy,” (no, not actual candy.) “and—“ Liv heard footsteps and multiple conversations that continued to draw near them, but Axel got the warning out before she did.

He hastily finished buttoning his shirt just as a group of freshman walked into what Liv assumed was their first class.

He dragged her past and she smiled their way, a snort escaping her nose at the idea of them getting caught if they decided to go for thirds—

Thirty minutes and thirds? Listen, supernaturals had a lot of stamina, don’t question it.

The hallway started to become more crowded with passing students deciding to arrive early to their respective classes and the pair stood in the middle of the hallway.

“I think I’m gonna skip first period, you wanna join?”

“Why, so we could fail senior year together?” Liv asked, looking up at him and reaching the tie that lazily draped around his neck.

“Maybe we should, huh? Have another year to ourselves…” She adjusted the tie, half-heartedly making a knot and pulling him down to her level, grazing her lips against his.

“But we should probablyyyyy be responsible,” Liv said, barely brushing their lips together for a tease before she pulled away.

“I’ll see you at lunch? I’ll just be your entertainment while you eat or something,” that was typically what they always did. Livanna would talk his ear off and surprisingly, Axel listened.

It was just another reason why—

“I love you bye.” Liv pecked him on the cheek and before Axel could come up with a reply, she was already halfway down the hallway and into the girls restroom.

Liv halted her movements when she saw her reflection in the mirror and her smile dropped completely.

Did she just—

Oh no.

“I can’t believe I said that.”
A girl beside her said, golden-brown skin and hair that she already felt insanely jealous of.

“Me neither. I’m freaking out here—“

Wait, that wasn’t her conscience—

Liv opened her mouth to question what she meant when a sudden twist in her stomach had her bolting to a stall, vomiting and coughing until a long string of what was an obvious blood clot ended up in the toilet.

It’d been less than a minute when the sound of a flush had Livanna emerging from the stall with a newfound sense of worry.

She couldn’t believe that she just dropped the L-bomb on her ex-ex-boyfriend who was now her current—

Was Axel her boyfriend again? Should they have talked about that?

And… she was nauseous again.

Good going, Liv.

The sink turned on by itself, the motion detector recognizing as she washed her hands free of any excess blood.

She was so caught up in her own head, she almost forgot about the other girl in the bathroom.

“So…” Liv hurried and scrubbed for about a second until the water stopped running red.

She forced an awkward smile, reaching for a towel.

Now that she’d gotten a better look at her… Liv didn’t superly know her, but they do share a class together and Estelle was sociable enough to show up at the many parties Liv attended.

What was the class they shared again?

Oh, who cares.

Onto more important matters.

“I know what I said, what did you say?”

































Should I stay or should I go



The Clash










♡coded by uxie♡
 



roman.





































  • mood



    panicked > relieved > flirty
















As he entered the bathroom, Roman released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He didn’t know how he was going to survive having Sylvia as a roommate—he’d gotten more than he’d bargained for, that much was certain.

This year was already proving to be a long one.

Roman made fast work of changing his pants and buttoning his shirt, tucking the stiff, white fabric into the waistband of his trousers. After having been shoved in a box for a couple of hours, his clothes weren’t in the pristine shape that some of his classmates always aimed for, but it was the best he could be bothered with at the moment.

Movement in the corner of Roman’s vision tore his attention away from his reflection and to the opposite wall of the room. He’d thought he was alone and an apology was on the tip of his tongue when his brain at last registered what he was looking at. There, sulking in the communal bathroom, was Jason, his ghostly body shriveled and mangled. Why he was in there, Roman didn’t know—he assumed he’d been followed, as ghosts seemed to trail after him like lost puppies everywhere he went.

Roman turned away quickly, snapping his eyes shut the way he always had when he was younger, the familiar fear and dread creeping up his neck, now riddled with goosebumps. He’s not here, Roman told himself, the same lie he’d heard his whole life. Ghosts aren’t real.

Feet carrying him faster than he could register what was happening, Roman stumbled blindly out of the bathroom and into the hallway, only risking a peak at his surroundings again once he heard the door shut behind him, and even then, he didn’t stop walking until he reached the door to his room. Roman retrieved the key from his pocket, willing his shaky fingers to still long enough to unlock the handle and push his way in.

If Roman’s mind hadn’t been in such a state of panic, he might’ve allowed himself to linger for a second, eyes wandering down the smooth, tanned skin of Sylvia’s exposed legs as she moved around the kitchen, cooking breakfast, but he was in such a hurry that all he could manage was the swift return of his jeans to his bed before practically sprinting away.

He had to get out of there.

Roman had known there was a high possibility of encountering an undead Jason wandering Nightshade’s halls after his passing—even before their first semester was cut short, looking back, Roman could almost remember the deceased boy’s shadow lingering in empty doorways when no one else was paying attention. Over the break, he’d done what he could to prepare himself for the shock by way of downplaying the risk and ignoring the inevitable, but he hadn’t expected to be proven wrong so soon.

Daylight broke through the school’s dimly lit interior as Roman made his way out of the front entrance, a hand worrying his hair as he made a beeline toward the parking lot. He didn’t know where he was going yet—like most things, he planned on figuring it out as he went along.

Roman’s hasty footsteps faltered as his gaze landed on the pretty brunette sitting on the edge of his red Camaro’s open trunk. The car had seen better days—Roman didn’t bother too much with upkeep because with an ego and appearance like his, he didn’t have to depend on a cool means of transportation to spike interest—and Emersyn Hawthorne would’ve looked out of place next to it, had she not been in the vehicle so many times before, and boy, was Roman glad to see her then.

Perhaps his day’s luck was going to take a positive turn.

An easy smile broke out across Roman’s face as he approached Emersyn, all previous worries temporarily forgotten—he was a simple man, after all, with a one-track mind. He gave her a once-over, his attention drawn instinctively to her bare arm as the sleeve of her zip-up hoodie fell. Was that a new tattoo? Had it been that long?

Before Sylvia, there had been Emersyn. Where Sylvia was soft and ethereal, Emersyn was all rough edges but in the best sort of way. She and Roman were cut from the same cloth, so to speak. They were kindred spirits, and he missed the trouble they used to get into together, the fun and reckless nights they’d had. Again, though, Roman was to blame for their end—he’d caught himself starting to like Emersyn a little too much, which went against everything the pair believed in, so he’d made up some bullshit excuse about wanting to see other people because he knew it would’ve been more palatable for her than the truth.

Clearly, he hadn’t detached himself too much from the Hawthorne girl, and their friendship—along with what remained of their flirty antics—was proof of that.

“Hey yourself, babe.” Leaning down, Roman reciprocated Emersyn’s hug, gladly enveloping her in his arms. “Of course I did,” Roman answered, breaking away to meet her eyes as he held a hand to his chest in mock offense. “What kind of question is that?” She could be so cute sometimes, with her nose-crinkling smiles—how could he not?

Roman took a seat on the bumper beside Emersyn, long legs stretched out in front of him. “Seriously, though, you have no idea.” A long exhale of air escaped his lips, the only insight he offered to his gradually increasing problems.

“So, how’ve you been?” Roman asked, changing the subject in the hopes that Emersyn wouldn’t pry too much. Not yet, anyway. “Have any fun without me? I know it’s hard, but…” His voice trailed off with a playful wistfulness in his tone.

































MAMMAMIA



manëskin










♡coded by uxie♡
 



emersyn.





































  • mood



    flirty, a little worried

















It’s funny how much you notice about a person after you haven’t seen them for, what was it, a month & a half? God, the time had flown by. Still though, that month & a half away from Ireland, away from Pine Creek and Nightshade, had done so much for Emersyn. Sadly, it looked like it had chewed up poor Roman and spat him back into this hellhole.

His eyes bore a hint of darkness underneath them, his skin pale with his veins being more prominent than usual. To no surprise, he seemed to still be in fantastic physical shape, but something about his posture was just off. His chest wasn’t out, proudly framing his posture, his smile was gracious but lacked a sort of mischief that Emersyn knew a little too well for her own liking; everything about Roman seemed a little less Roman like. Having just returned to town though, the short brunette figured it wasn’t her place to go snooping just yet.

As the singer got to her, Emersyn couldn’t help the small burst of warmth that sparked in her core. Roman’s arms were familiar, and after being away from any sort of ‘home’ for so long, the sensation was fully welcomed. “Had to make sure you weren’t having too much fun without me is all,” a smirk laid easily on slightly parted lips as she scooched over just a bit, allowing him more room on the slightly rusted bumper. “And of course I had fun - no one questions your fake ID in the city of angels.” Emersyn giggled a little, knocking Roman with her shoulder before pulling her legs up to sit criss-cross and brushing her cascading hair over to one side. It’s not like she missed this, how easy conversation was with Roman, how being around him felt somewhat natural. Missing it implied that she felt Roman was more than a good time and a hot date. But then again, the black sheep of the Hawthorne family didn’t let the fact that she had slept with someone get in the way of how she interacted with them. If anything, she always assumed they were just… closer as friends.

“LA was great though. The people, the atmosphere, the music- you would’ve been in heaven, I was at a show every other night. Usually was backstage in a singer’s or guitarist’s lap by the end of it, but who am I to brag,” The look of pride that strewn across her face wasn’t one she tried to hide. Her trip to Los Angeles had been successful in more ways than one. She’d only sort of kind of wished that Roman had taken her up on her offer to fly out for a bit, see what the city was & go to a few shows. Maybe getting out of this sad excuse for a town would’ve done him some good. “One things for sure, getting to record some stuff in an actual studio makes you feel like a fuckin’ rockstar.”

Emersyn fished out the flashdrive from her pocket, the red device holding a few of the songs she was able to record during her time in the city. Maybe another reason she had thought about Roman coming out from time to time, he had been the only one that wasn’t a complete waste of time when it came to writing music. She laughed slightly as his eyes widened on the flashdrive held delicately between her fingers, a small breeze weaving recklessly through the boy’s hair and chilling her exposed skin. “People behind the glass, adjusting every little thing, giving you pointers, being in the booth? All cool shit, dude. I can’t wait to go back.”

Tearing her eyes away from the honey browns staring back at her, the tattooed girl flipped the cherry red sliver in her hands once, twice. “Maybe you should go with me next time, get you outta the overcast and into the sunshine for a bit,” Emersyn turned in her seat, body facing the boy beside her. One leg fell easily over his lap while the other laid in it’s close position to her body. They wouldn’t ever get over this, this flirting, this touching - just the part that came after the harmless flirting. That they got over.

Tilting her head to the side & pursing her lips, Emersyn sighed heavily, it coming from a little deeper down in her chest. “So…” He looked so… tired. “Not to be a buzz kill babe, but you look like hell.” This time, her genuine laugh erupted from her throat as she watched Roman’s eyes narrow into slits, glaring at her as if she had told him that he wasn’t pretty anymore. That could’ve been the worst insult for a man like Roman Duke, but Emersyn would never dare. There were still some things that were sacred when it came to him, things she wouldn’t mess with. “Anything you wanna talk about? Or do you wanna help me bring boxes up to my dorm instead?”


































cry for love



백현










♡coded by uxie♡
 



axel.





































  • mood



    giggling and kicking his feet
















As much as Axel wanted to believe Liv, something about her seemed off, like she was trying a little too hard to convince him of her well-being, but Axel was willing to let it go for the moment—if there was something going on with her, she’d tell him when she was ready…right?

Besides, Liv was so quick to distract Axel, it was easy to move on with the conversation. Like always, she knew just the words that Axel either wanted or needed to hear, sometimes even before he did. Take being called a ‘smart little puppy,’ for example. It seemed like such a small thing, but after failing his senior year once already, most people assumed it was because Axel was too stupid, and more times than not, he played along because it was easier than trying to explain to them that it was actually due to the fact that he simply didn’t care about school—he was much more interested in studying his girlfriend than any of the books his teachers threw his way, and the fact that he now had another year with Liv was a fortunate side-effect. Regardless, it was nice to be reminded that he wasn’t as dumb as everyone took him to be, and it sounded especially good coming out of her mouth.

Now in the hallway, though, with plenty of preparing to do for the party that night, it only served to distract Axel from his studies more, adding to his initial suggestion of wanting to skip their first class of the day. Unfortunately, Liv wasn’t as willing to agree to that idea as she had been with using the forest for their celebration.

Axel rolled his eyes. “Ha-ha,” he said, “very funny.” His gaze dropped from Liv’s face to where her hands fiddled with his tie. She was so gentle—one of the many things he loved about her—and it was a stark contrast to their peers, so many of which could be downright cruel. He didn’t know how Liv had managed to escape being influenced by them, but he hoped it stayed that way—he’d care about her no matter what, but to him, she was perfect the way she was.

It was perhaps a cliché mindset to have, but not nearly as cliché as what they were doing—Liv had switched from fidgeting with Axel’s tie to actually putting a knot in it, and they were staring at each other as if they were the only ones in the space despite the many bodies milling around them. It was like a scene out of one of the numerous cheesy romance movies Liv forced him to watch.

“Well, that sounds better than a year out there, where the grown-ups have full control over what we do and who we’re allowed to be around, don’t you think?” At the tug on his tie, Axel leaned down to meet Liv in the middle, their mouths a breath away. Or, you could be responsible for both of us…” He raised his eyebrows in question, as if considering the option and ignoring the fact that he’d likely end up in class anyway, for Liv’s sake—he could never say ‘no’ to her—not to mention that Axel would be bored without her company.

Liv brushed her lips against Axel’s but before he could react, she was pulling away again. He groaned. Babe, don’t be a tease,” he chided, but there was no real bite to his words as he squeezed her sides affectionately.

“Of course. I’ll see you th—”

The rest of Axel’s sentence was cut off by Liv’s quick confession. His blue eyes widened, mouth opening slightly. They’d never said the L-word before, but it had always been implied to some extent. A part of him knew the day would come eventually, but it happened so fast that Axel didn’t have time to even think about returning the sentiment before Liv had kissed his cheek and taken off down the hallway.

If she had stuck around a bit longer, Liv would’ve seen the lovesick grin that slowly broke across Axel’s face, the light pink that dusted across his cheeks as he stared after her retreating form. Maybe he should’ve been embarrassed by how tightly wrapped around her finger he was, but he couldn’t bring himself to be.

For lack of better things to do, Axel eventually headed toward the school’s music room, a place he often found himself when no better options were presented. It was one of the few places in Nightshade that he felt truly comfortable in—music was something so familiar to him; it was like second nature, at this point—and the only people that ever went in there were the ones that felt similarly.

As Axel was reaching for the handle, the door swung open of its own accord, and he had to take a hasty step back to avoid getting hit with it. On the other side stood Riley Fitzgerald, acoustic guitar in hand. “Oh, hey, man,” Axel said, offering him a small smile as he stepped back to make room for the other boy to pass.

































without me



eminem










♡coded by uxie♡
 



Davina Jacobs | Shifter : Vamp





































  • mood



    feeling nostalgic
















"Miss Jacobs, the way in which you were brought up and the lack of morals instilled in you from a young age has seemed to hinder your ability to be an upstanding member of our society and has instead bred a monster. We aim to change that. So, despite your utter disregard for people's lives or the thoughtlessness you've shown in leaving a trail of destruction everywhere you go, the council made a decision to allow you back into Nightshade in an attempt to, once again, rehabilitate you"

A smirk slipped onto Davina's glossed lips at the last sentence though it faded quickly so as to not be detected by the council and taken as a reason to change their minds. She couldn't help that her favorite pastime was to watch the world burn though, more specifically at her own hands. In the last few months, she'd had the pleasure of being able to indulge in that a hell of a lot.

She'd spent her time compelling the simple-minded humans into doing her bidding, into doing things merely for her amusement, using her abilities to terrorize small towns, feeding on whoever she wanted, and just overall doing as she pleased. The reach of her chaos wasn't so noticeable at first, not beyond looking like some petty crime or maybe a killer on the loose to the untrained eye. The humans were none the wiser, and the ones that realized...well, she took care of that before moving on to the next town.

Look, Davina might've been impulsive and she didn't really give too much of a damn about the rules but she wasn't foolish by any means. Her parents had been "on the run" since before she was even born so growing up she'd learned a thing or two from them and the faction of rouge vampires they'd been involved with. Most of all she knew how to cover her tracks and remain hidden in the shadows when need be. Eventually, though, Davina got a little cocky in thinking they would never really find her and her last big bender proved it.

Let's just say that slaughtering a bar full of partygoers in a feeding frenzy wasn't her best idea. The blood bath she'd left behind, especially being that it was in one of those tiny, everyone knows everyone and no one locks their doors kinda towns, caught the attention of the council. This was the final straw and they finally decided Davina was destructive enough to call in reinforcements. So, a couple of months and a few big cities later, here she was courtesy of their little bounty hunters, the Fitzgeralds.

"We do take the safety of our students and others outside of this school very seriously, therefore we will have eyes on you to ensure you remain on your best behavior," Mrs. Ward was staring daggers right into her soul as she explained the "rules" of Davina's basically probation. "Unfortunately, Miss Jacobs, if you cannot comply then the next steps we will be forced to take will not be pleasant for anyone, least of all you," a threat Davina knew they would make good on. In fact, they were probably looking forward to it.

-----
It had been about a week since Davina had finally been tracked down and dragged back here but this was her first time back on campus. They'd been keeping her elsewhere until the decision was made to allow her back into Nightshade and while she hated the thought of returning, it was a lot better than the alternatives. She was just shocked they hadn't decided to lock her up and throw away the key. Considering the fact that one of their students had just been murdered, you'd think they would've been less inclined to let a semi-rouge vampire on the premises.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So they were declaring that they'd "taken care of the problem" but Davina wasn't convinced. Not after she found out that she wasn't the only vampire they'd placed on an all-animal diet or that the kid had been completely drained. They obviously had their doubts about who or what could've done this and Davina grew more and more curious by the second. Not because she really cared about preventing the mayhem from being inflicted on Nightshade but just because she enjoyed the drama. It gave her a way to kill the time.

Speaking of ways to kill time, Davina was actually hoping for one now as her heels clicked against the ground beneath them in her search for her ex, Lucian. She had seen his name on the dorms list when she was looking for her own and while it was probably in both of their best interests to stay away from each other given how they could sometimes be a little toxic, Davina found herself wanting to see him before anyone else. Apparently, he was bunking with some guy named Chase who she'd never heard of but she hoped Lu managed to get the place to himself by now because she could really use a "welcome home party".

Of course, the universe seemed to have other plans because suddenly none other than Desirae Mayfield came into view. She must've been looking for her dorm or a friendly face or something and sure, Davina could've left her alone and simply continued to her original destination but that wasn't exactly her style. So, she turned in the direction of the rave-haired wolf girl and made her way over. Lucian could wait just a little bit longer after all.

"Wow! So they haven't relocated all the strays to a pound yet? I'm a little disappointed," she commented as she came to a halt in front of her former friend-turned-enemy. "At least tell me they make flea baths a weekly thing now. I wouldn't want one biting me in my sleep or something," she added, a smirk tugging at her lips indicating she was clearly pleased with herself.
































raise hell



...










♡coded by uxie♡
 
Last edited:



aspen.





































  • mood



    happy > frightened


















Aspen’s summer had been…eventful, to say the least. When the death of his classmate, Jason Huxley, had caused Nightshade to prematurely close for the semester, the shifter had been left with a choice: take his chances staying in Pine Creek, and find a hostel somewhere, or return home to the states, to a mother he wasn’t even sure noted his absence.

He’d decided he’d take his chances, and had spent the last few months running amuck through the Irish hillsides when he didn’t have to work at Chance’s Tavern in town. The measly paycheck the place provided him was enough for a room at a discounted rate on the Tavern’s top floor, as well as three meals a day.

He supposed he should be grateful.

The Raven shifter made a considerable amount of cash playing the drunks that frequented the talent in various card games, the majority of which Aspen shamelessly won within a few well thought out moves, with perhaps a bit of sleight of hand here and there.

He felt no remorse swindling these poor saps of their money, as well as any valuable they decided to flash in a bout of drunken egocentrism.

None of them were pure men anyways, he was certain.

When Nightshade had announced that school would be returning to session that fall, Aspen was surprised to find himself…quietly happy. The ancient stone hallways of the building had come to feel more like home to him in the months he’d been there than his apartment in the states, anyways.

The move into his dorm, which he didn’t get to himself this year, much to his dismay, was quick. It wasn’t like he had much to unpack.

But he was glad to be back.

And…he was showing it by breaking into the janitor’s closet by the headmaster’s office. He was crouched by the brass doorknob, jerryrigged pick lock pushed into the keyhole. His ear was pressed against the wood of the door itself, as he listened for a click, signaling the lock’s release.

He was so focused on the task at hand that he didn’t hear someone come up behind him before he was hoisted up, spun around and set back down rather gracelessly. Aspen whirled around to face his attacker, a grin spreading across his face as Axel’s features came into focus.

“Axel you sly dog,” Aspen greeted the older boy joyously, the lock picking momentarily forgotten about.

God, he’d missed his friends.

“Of course I’ve gotten taller,” he informed the hulking brute of a senior, straightening his posture dramatically. “I’m a whole six foot now.”

He was 5’11”, but six foot sounded better. Nobody would notice he was an inch off anyways. Right?

The two caught up for a few minutes more before the older boy had to go, and Aspen, who was getting the year of to a great start, was skipping his first class.

It was syllabus week, he could afford it.

Later, after meandering about campus for the majority of the day, Aspen made his way back up to his dorm room. When he’d left it this morning, his roommate—Khalani Nor, some Secular a year above him—hadn’t been there, though the signs of her arrival were evident.

There was no sign of his roommate herself still, so Aspen slid off his shoes, threw off his uniform’s jacket, and plopped onto the couch rather unceremoniously.

With a sigh, Aspen picked up his phone to text Esme—his second best friend and partner and crime.

What sort of trouble are we getting up to this year? School year is shaping up to be hella boring and we need to fix that.


After pressing send, Aspen clicked off his phone, and was greeted by two round orbs, furry ears and…sharp canines and claws and everything awful about the world.

A cat sat in front of him, staring into his own eyes with an intensity that immediately made his heart race and breath quicken.

The door to his room opened, and it broke him from his fear frozen stupor. He was off the couch and across the room in half a second, eyes never leaving the little demon that now sat precisely where he’d been sitting moments before.

Damn, it moved quick.

“She’s friendly,” his roommate spoke, entering the room and spying Aspen and her cat locked in a staring contest. The girl’s voice was low and cool, and while her words were friendly…terror filled him once again at the sound. “and as long as there’s no messing with her, she will continue to be friendly.”

His eyes flicked from the cat to his roommate and back again, his fight or flight response screaming at him to shift, to run, to do anything.

“I…hi,” he ground out, urging his racing heart to calm. “I’m Aspen?”


































cry for love



백현










♡coded by uxie♡
 



malachi.





































  • mood



    happy


















His arrival to Nightshade for his third and second to last year at the school hadn’t been met with very much grandeur.

Not that he expected it to, despite the obnoxious scene they made his every time his mother—and Council member—graced them with her presence.

He expected this year would be much like the last two—though hopefully without the murder of any more of his classmates. And this year…with Shiloh. His little sister.

She walked besides him now, as they made their way up the seemingly endless stone steps to their dormitory hallway, lugging boxes and luggage along with them.

“You nervous, Shi?” He asked her with a grin as they reached the top and he held the door open for his curly haired sibling. “It’ll be like the old days, you and I sharing a room again.”

Kai looked down at his keys, the numbers 306 etched into the metal tag on the ring. Just up to their right. They reached the door to the room they’d be living in for the next year, and his phone dinged.

He pulled it out of his pocket with a sigh, half expecting it to be yet another message from some underclassman with a complaint about their schedule or a question about their classes. A slow smile spread over his face, however, as the name Khalani popped up instead.

His long time family friend and one of the only people who didn’t annoy him on campus, he’d been hoping the raven haired senior was here already.

Just got here, actually. Oh? Staring at squid? What a weird kid😂


I’ve been cookie deprived for too long smh. Shiloh will be ecstatic to hear that. And yeah we should talk.


Clicking his phone off with an apologetic grin to Shiloh, who’d been standing there waiting for him, he stuck the key in the door and turned until the heard a click, pushing it open and stepping into the space.

It was larger than his single room the year before—much larger. It had a living space, a kitchen and more than enough room for their two beds, a bathroom and a large walk in closet. The rest was a blank canvas for them to decorate.

“Khal made cookies. She can’t wait to see you.”


































cry for love



백현










♡coded by uxie♡
 



roman.





































  • mood



    playful > nostalgic > avoidant
















Roman scoffed. “Impossible,” he answered. “You’re the funnest person I know, which is why I spent half the summer cooped up smoking with Wes. Without you, there’s nothing cool to do around here.” As the words left his mouth, he was perfectly aware of the double entendre they held, but that was the whole point. Even after the pair agreed to go their separate ways, they couldn’t shake all of their old habits; the flirting and the lingering touches were stuck with them like gum on the bottom of a shoe, but instead of trying to pry it off, they let it be as if they enjoyed the smacking sound it made when they walked. “I’m glad you had fun, though.”

Watching as Emersyn pulled her hair to one side, exposing her neck, Roman couldn’t help the memories that creeped in along with the sight, of having done that same thing himself many times before to better kiss her soft skin…

Focus, he told himself, though that was never his strong suit in the presence of beautiful people. Besides, he’d lost the right to think of Emersyn that way months ago.

Roman hummed. “Sounds like someone has a type,” he mused, glancing pointedly at Emersyn as he nudged her arm. “Did I set the standard for you?” Even if that wasn’t the case, Roman couldn’t help the satisfaction he got from the mere thought that he still potentially held some sort of influence over a part of Emersyn’s life, but the self-accomplished smirk was wiped off of his face at her next statement. “No way—” he started, only for his sentence to be cut short by the sight of a bright red flash drive glinting in the Hawthorne girl’s grasp.

“Wow,” Roman said, “I bet. That sounds sick.” He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t jealous, though he had no one to cast blame on but himself. At the end of their last school year, Emersyn had made sure to tell Roman where she was headed for the summer, even going so far as to extend an invitation to him as well, but seeing as he’d been involved with Sylvia at the time, he’d put the thought on a back burner, and when things at last drew to an unofficial close between the blonde and him, he’d figured that it was too late, that Emersyn’s offer had expired.

Apparently not.

Roman at last tore his eyes away from the USB device, honeyed gaze landing on Emersyn’s features, looking for some sign of insincerity but coming up empty. The corners of Roman’s lips turned upward as he nodded. “Yeah, totally.”

At the feeling of Emersyn’s leg being draped across his lap, Roman tensed, almost imperceptibly, before relaxing again, hand coming to rest on her calf. His thumb rubbed circles on her shin, but his movements quickly ceased, eyes narrowing. “Gee, thanks, babe,” he retorted, voice dull.

It was the wrinkled clothes. It had to be.

As it turned out, though, Emersyn knew Roman better than anyone, and he should’ve expected that he couldn’t hide anything from her—how emotionally drained he was had to have been showing in his face despite his best efforts to appear unbothered. Still, that didn’t mean he wanted to dump all of his problems on Emersyn, much less acknowledge them head-on in the first place—not yet, anyway. “I’m fine,” Roman said, shrugging dismissively. “Besides, those boxes aren’t going to carry themselves.” He gave Emersyn’s leg a pat before moving to stand.

Escaping Sylvia’s wrath for a while longer was just an added bonus.

































MAMMAMIA



manëskin










♡coded by uxie♡
 



shiloh.





































  • mood



    nervous > guilty > excited
















Shiloh was totally out of her element. She looked like a tourist with the way she gaped at everything she and her brother passed—though she had been to plenty of big places in her life, Nightshade held a certain level of age-old extravagance that she couldn’t help but marvel at. She might’ve been embarrassed by her behavior, too, if she wasn’t so busy scrambling to keep up with Malachi as he led the way to their dorm room.

Their dorm room. It was their mother’s doing, no doubt—her way of trying to ensure that Shiloh stayed away from any bad influences and out of harm’s way. Even when Meredith wasn’t around, she somehow managed to keep her children under her thumb. It wasn’t Shiloh’s fault, but a part of her still felt guilty about the whole situation—in her eagerness to attend the Academy, she’d failed to consider what her brother might lose in the process. She knew he had other friends he’d made in her absence, and she hated that rooming with him might’ve meant missed opportunities on his part, but there was nothing to be done about it now. Of course, the more selfish side of Shiloh was glad to be rooming with Kai—new territory could be scary to maneuver alone.

The sound of Shiloh’s luggage wheels rattling against the stone floor as she dragged it in her wake had become a droning buzz by the time Malachi broke the otherwise silent air between them. “A little,” Shiloh admitted with a shrug, stepping in through the open door. “This place is huge.” She wasn’t the best in terms of directions, so she was fully expecting to get lost at least a couple of times her first week. Kai’s next statement made Shiloh smile, even if he was only saying it to ease her mind. “Yeah,” she said, “at least I’ll have one friend.” She paused, chewing nervously on her bottom lip, brow furrowing as she glanced at the floor. “Sorry you’re kind of stuck with me,” she muttered. “I know it’s probably not ideal for you.”

While Malachi turned to his phone, Shiloh fiddled with the end of one of her long curls. Speaking of other friends, she was sure that was one of them sending their condolences or asking where he was.

As Kai’s face turned back toward her, Shiloh smoothed the wrinkles between her eyebrows, plastering on a smile. The last thing she wanted to do was cause her brother any more worry than what he was already dealing with.

Shiloh scanned the room, trailing after Malachi as he led the way inside. It was spacious for a dorm, which she appreciated; that way, they wouldn’t constantly be in each other’s hair like they had been when they were children. In comparison with the rest of the school, the space was relatively dull, likely to accommodate the differing tastes of Nightshade’s students, but until the Ward siblings did any interior decorating, it was somewhat bleak. At least it reminded Shiloh of home.

At the mention of their mutual friend, Shiloh’s eyes lit up. “Khal’s already here?” It was a dumb question, really, but it felt like forever since the girls had seen each other, and the fact that there were cookies involved only made Shiloh that much eager for their reunion.

































elevator



blu detiger










♡coded by uxie♡
 

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