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I'm Feeling Lucky

Searching for: Posts from Serendibite.
Posted: Mon, 29/07/2024 21:24 (11 Months ago)
Persephone O'Couna

Dulcie Bouvier? Had she ever heard such a stupid name before? Or such an ugly voice, high-pitched and obnoxious and instantly hateable, and-

Her eyes landed on the "Dulcie" that was, apparently talking to her. A skinny, lumpy looking girl with too many smile lines and what looked like two small, ugly animals had crawled onto her head and died on there, which she apparently decided passed for hair. Plain brown hair, plain brown eyes, so ordinary looking...

Persephone had never hated somebody so much within two seconds of meeting them.

"'Dulcie'? Something named Dulcie doesn't belong in my school. It belongs in a cage." Her eyes narrowed. "Why don't you leave the big kids to their fun, and go do- I don't know, whatever it is ugly rats like you do on their days off, besides giving people whatever nasty diseases you're carrying around in that filthy nest of yours."

She gestured to the girl's hideous hair, barely restraining herself from wrinkling her nose. Disgusting.

[Read more]
Posted: Mon, 29/07/2024 20:23 (11 Months ago)
Persephone O'Couna

"Persephone if we graduate together promise me that you'll call me Fifi okay! So before then, I'll gatekeep this nickname just for ya!"

Persephone's eye twitched. Honestly, couldn't The Thing take a hint? Any use of "Fifi" would be about affectionate as a blade to the throat.

You're not my friend. You're just a thing for me to toy with. And no matter how much you or anyone else pretends otherwise, what you are will never change. A broken little thing, unloved by everyone, left to writhe in the dirt. Alone in the end, and you better learn to be happy with it.

For a second, she wondered who she was saying that to. Fifi, of course, but...

Natalie's smile flashed in the back of her head. You're a real basket case, you know? Just a little thing, but fighting the whole world. A toothless kitten without claws, going after every hand that touches it. You're practically begging for the moment a real monster comes around and rips lonely little you right down the middle. You're stupid like that. But you know what? That's what I like about you, Percy. You might be crazy and a fool, but when push comes to shove, you understand that no one else in this whole rotton world would help you.

Persephone blinked slowly. She realised she was at the doors to the auditorium. Steeling herself and banishing those ridiculous memories, she strode in and found herself a seat.

[Read more]
Posted: Fri, 26/07/2024 04:17 (1 Year ago)
Persephone O'Couna

And now The Thing looked like it was about to cry. Fantastic.

Persephone's eye twitched. Honestly.

"Learn to take the word 'no'," she told it coldly. "Then, maybe I'll give 'Fifi' a chance." She laughed mockingly. "Poor little Fifi, baby mousey trapped in the claws of the cat... what a pitiful existence. I pray they'll let you leave this noble institution soon, with the little brains it's given you. Maybe you should learn how to be a human before you try and be a rebel."

Throwing her head back, she walked around it, giving it a wide berth, and headed for the auditorium, her lips twitching as she tried to maintain her smile. The seed within her hand was being to crack between her clenched fingers.

[Read more]
Posted: Fri, 26/07/2024 01:59 (1 Year ago)
Persephone O'Couna

This pest... so goddamn clueless. Every screechy word that left its lips made Persephone twitch. What made it think that being in close quarters with someone made them friends? You could take the same bus route with someone for years and never know that they were a murderer. You might see them and feel safe, sure, if you were that particular breed of idiot who got attached to consistency. But you'd never really know someone, much less someone who hated you and pulled away every time you tried to touch them.

She blinked.

Something was touching her hand. Something was touching her suitcase.

"No!" Persephone yanked it back. Alarm bells went off, bouncing around her skull.

I was caught off guard. I got lost in my head.

The Thing had a strange effect on her. Persephone was almost subconsciously categorizing it as harmless. What an unnerving thought. She needed to remind herself that the pest was her enemy.

"Don't touch my things!" she snapped, feeling rattled. "Never touch anything of mine, understood?"

[Read more]
Posted: Thu, 25/07/2024 22:47 (1 Year ago)
Persephone O'Couna

Startling, Persephone pulled back with a violent yank, tearing the creature off her. It took her a moment to recognise the little rodent that was clinging to her shirt. And when she did, she felt her eyebrow twitch.

But instead of beating the Thing around the face, she gave it a pleasant smile and stepped back, keeping her hand carefully on her luggage, her grip so tight she imagined the metal might crack. "Oh, little 'Pheebs', is it? I'm afraid I'm not all that good with faces. If I don't care about the thing, I don't care to remember it."

With a grin, she slipped her free hand into her pocket and her fingers found the rosehip seed. She smiled sweetly at the Thing and kept her shoulders relaxed.

Her fingers traced gently over the outside of the little shell. Round, crescent shaped. So sweet and gentle. But even the littlest of things could grow up and into its thorns.

You could never underestimate anyone here. Even those with the sweetest smiles, the tiniest frames... they were out to get you. If you gave them the chance, they'd tear you down themselves.

It was a dog eat dog world. And she wouldn't fall for the sweet round eyes of a beast in the skin of a puppy.

[Read more]
Posted: Thu, 25/07/2024 02:47 (1 Year ago)
Persephone O'Couna

Persephone glanced upwards as the final message clicked off. She was standing outside, her right palm pressed firm and flat to a tree, her other gripping her luggage. People should know better than to steal from her by now, but it wasn't as if common sense was something that afflicted many of the idiots here. No, they preferred to make ridiculous decisions and receive their disastrous consequences.

It's not like she cared. But everything everyone did... annoyed her. She easily recalled memories of the first week, when they'd tried picking on her, framing her as the weakest link. Like them and their money and their nice clean criminal records made them better than her.

She beat them into the ground and they didn't learn. So she did it again, and again, and she'd do it however many times it took for them to get the goddamn message.

I'm above you. I can toy with you until you're a broken little ragdoll in my hands and you'll puke out your stuffings and I'll leave you shattered on the ground behind the building, ripped up little limbs and cute little button eyes thrown everywhere. Compared to me, you're nothing. You're playthings; I'm the goddamn best.

And you know it. So keep your grubby baby hands off my stuff.


Persephone blinked, letting her shoulders relax and an easy smile pass over her face. That was enough of that. People would know better soon. She'd teach them.

So she really should stop worrying about puppets, and start thinking about the games to come. Soon, she'd be meeting the grandmasters, the real puppeteers behind this whole ridiculous show...

And be given a chance to become one of them.

Or... Her lips curled up in a smile. Destroy them.

That might be fun too. Just because they were part of the rebellion didn't mean that they weren't a part of this world. Everything she'd ever see would be just another background or puppet to the whole pathetic show. The play never ended, and so she might as well see what parts she could play.

"Though..." she murmured to herself. "Perhaps l could find someone interesting."

For a moment, she thought of Natalie, smiling wide, her eyes strange and shiny, the infinite darkness behind them. And again, she wondered just how alike they were.

Natalie always said they were opposites. Two sides of a coin, but not the same coin. Pages from different books shoved post-haste into the wrong binding. Never meant to touch, but doing so anyway. Their own antithesis.

But Persephone knew Natalie was wrong. Natalie was a player in this world. Maybe different in a way, maybe ruined in another way altogether. But definitely part of the cast.

Whereas Persephone could see her own hideous flaws reflected in every facet of this torn up hideous place. From the bared teeth of mangy dogs, desperate for a meal that might very well be their last, to the little street kids, stealing pocket change just to buy a place for the night. She was desperate for life in a way that perfectly matched every hellish turn of this place.

Just different roles. Same page, same coin, meant to touch for a moment, and then let history flow on into forever.

Ultimately, interesting people didn't matter. Everyone here was doomed from the moment they defied the whole rotten government. And it didn't matter, because if they tried to touch her, she'd tear them apart herself.

Dolls, that's what they are. Dirty little ragdolls crumpled at my feet. Ready for the trash.

Persephone found that she was walking towards the auditorium. As she glanced around, she noticed the others as well. Her competition.

Her hand tightened on the handle of her luggage and she recalled the words from the announcement. Final challenge. Who knew when it would start?

She certainly couldn't trust her fellow "rebels" not to stab her in the back. That's why they were all here, after all. Nasty little things skittering around, looking for an opportunity to take a chance and use someone else as a stepping stone.

Disgusting. She hated pests.

Putting a smirk on, Persephone raised her chin and walked past the group of chattering mice, keeping a look of haughty disdain on her face.

[Read more]
Posted: Sun, 21/07/2024 02:45 (1 Year ago)
Kubo Atsushi

Kubo hugged Nora tightly, not willing to let go just yet. And she indulged him, laughing softly as she patted him on the head. It felt nice to be cared for like this. Everyone else in the world was so distant.

Even Lilli didn't want to be bothered sometimes. But Nora always wanted Kubo.

"Can we go find the others?" Kubo asked hopefully. "I wanna play heroes and villains again."

Enn cleared his throat, tugging on his sleeve nervously. "I think we can... the portal in the main room is open, so we can stop by the Arison Castle if you want."

Kubo withered silently. He didn't like Sofia. The girl was really angry all the time and looked down on him. She always made him feel small again. He wanted to play with the other kids...

But Nora was smiling. So, he said, "Yeah, okay."

[Read more]
Posted: Tue, 16/07/2024 21:42 (1 Year ago)
~~~

It can be hard to fall asleep, when you know a sugar-spun world awaits you in your dreams. It aches at your teeth, digs into your chest, and pries your eyes wide open to stare right through your ceiling. The effects could be equated to that of withdrawal. Fairyland, after all, is like an addiction. You go there once, and you go there again, and every night you feel the little hole in your heart filled just a little more.

But right now, you can't sleep; your heart is thrumming in your chest like that of a trapped rabbit.

After all, that little beating heart of yours is caught in a snare. The waking world which has never been kind to you, never let you do what people were always meant to do- it lashes you down, chains you to misery.

But inevitably, sleep comes. Time, after all, waits for no one. And neither does He.

And so, one by one, the children fell asleep, the taste of fairy sugar on their tongues, and anticipation for greater dreams to come.





WELCOME TO FAIRYLAND


~~~

Won't you stay a while?



Nora Mawer

Her wrist was cold. As she shifted to the side, wishing herself to sleep, she found her cheek not resting on her pillow, but rather on... a carpet?

Nora's eyes snapped open.

The ceiling was scarlet with gold highlights, with little diamond detailing and an extravagant chandelier. She traced her eyes over the fine details and curves half-interestedly, studying the little pictures and shapes that the swirls of the decoration formed. Beautiful, expensive, wealthy... Fancy, even for Mawer standards.

She laughed with relief, sitting up, rubbing at the back of her head. Finally, she was back in Fairyland. And castles? Absolutely sick, yes please. As she dropped her hand back to her side, she spotted the metal shackle. It was too big, so it just slipped right off her wrist.

Then she noticed her sleeve. Weirdly puffy, with leather protectors on the wrists and forearms. Looking down, she realised she was dressed in leather armour. Just like a knight in the old storybooks!

Hm, slightly weird, but god that was cool! In any case...

I'm home. A smile curved her lips upward.

Somebody cleared their throat.

Nora was on her feet before she knew what was happening. Whipping around she came face to face with a young boy, maybe ten or twelve, with wide blue eyes, and soft, face-framing blond hair... And for a second, she thought she'd been replaced, that maybe some other child had been given her place in this castle.

Then she saw the pointy ears and the nervous smile and her world settled back into place.

"Is that really how you wanna look today, Enn?" she asked, amused. "Baby-faced again? I swear you're asking for the teasing at this point."

Enn's eyes welled up with tears. "W-What do you mean? I thought it looked... nice. I made it like the hero in the book..." His voice became very quiet. "Does it- look bad, Nora?"

"Naw. But leave the rescuing up to me, kiddo, you look like a stiff wind could blow you over." She laughed.

The little fairy was a shapeshifter, changing his appearance every day. He went from skinny to athletic, from cute to skrunkly every day. Each feature seemed to be decided by a roll of the dice. The only thing that remained constant with him was the height, or lack thereof.

At first, she'd been wary of the kid. But he was nice, and he knew this place well. Even if sometimes he got quiet or his eyes lingered on some fixture too long.

His eyes darted to the floor, where the chain had fallen. When he looked back at her, he seemed to be asking a question.

She decided to be honest. "I woke up with it on my wrist. I think it's part of the character for today."

In Fairyland, Nora wanted to be a knight, so she'd asked for a castle. Ever since, she'd woken up, usually with some daily quest, like arresting some bandits or solving some weird mystery. The world was probably building up to some story.

But Enn just looked alarmed. "Are you okay? Are there enemies here?" He looked around, fear flashing in those round eyes. "Should we leave and find the others?"

"Naw, it's okay." Nora shook her head. "Honestly, I've been looking for some variety. Maybe today'll be the big one!"

She grinned at him, but Enn didn't smile back. Hm, alright.

"Why don't we head to the library?" she offered. "The little one is probably there already."

Enn nodded, but he still glanced over his shoulder one last time before following her.

They walked down the hall, and Nora took a moment to admire the place. The sweeping staircase with marble detailing, the velvet drapes that framed windows ten metres long... it all formed a beautiful picture. She really did love this place. It was the perfect way to start her heroics!




Kubo Atsushi

Kubo's eyes snapped open. Instantly, he knew he was asleep. No longer did he smell smoke, but the musty smell of old paper. And the biting cold was no longer because of the wind, but because of the ancient, stale air that tasted like stone and metal.

As always, he'd woken up in the library. It was empty and quiet, his own breaths crazy loud in his ears.

I don't know why I always wake up here. I hate books. It was big sister who loved them.

Big sister... who was a bad memory. He didn't like thinking of her. He didn't like smelling or seeing the books, because he always thought of her crazy collection and all the time she spent in that little corner.

But still... he likes it here, in this room. Because it's in the same place as hers.

The door creaked open, and there stood big strong Nora and sweet gentle Enn, smiling at him.

A smile grew on his face in turn and he ran up to hug them.



Dana Volkov

Dana woke up in the kitchen again. It was warm and always smelled of cookies and fresh air. When she got to her feet, her eyes fixed on the open window, revealing the beautiful fields beyond the little cottage.

A smile grew on her face. The house she always wanted with momma and daddy.

Reaching for the counter, she found the box set for the day. It was for chocolate chip cookies; the same kind she wanted, with the little nuts in them.

Her belly rumbled and she quickly got to baking, grabbing the utensils every time they magically appeared on the counter, right when she needed them. She slipped the sheet into the oven and shut it, waiting. When she couldn't wait any longer, she reached right in and grabbed them. The tray didn't even burn like they did in real life, instead being nice and warm, just like the fresh and gooey cookies.

She placed them on the counter. It was time for them to cool, so she went to the fridge and grabbed a juice box.

Someone knocked on the door. Her head snapped up.

My friends?





NIGHT EVENT


~~~

Have a good time!



Luther Waters

Luther rolled over in his sleep, sighing into his comfy bed. The lazy hours in the morning when you didn't have to work were simply the best. Just drifting between sleep and wakefulness, enjoying your fluffy pillows...

Strange... where was his pillow...

He groped around for it, found it, and immediately planted his head on it.

"Ow!" someone yelped. "What the- dude, that's my arm! I know my bicep is super comfy but jeez! Find some other super hot and buff arm to use as your pillow!"

So loud... why were they being so loud when he was trying to sleep... Honestly...

Luther yawned, trying to remember who the voice belonged to. It wasn't familiar, but surely it had to be one of his neighbours... or one of their friends... or...

"You leave me no choice."

Suddenly freezing cold water smashed into his face and he was jerking up with a gasp. Somebody was holding a giant bucket, still filled with bits of ice and water, an unimpressed look on their face.

He quickly realised he'd stolen their arm- wow their hoodie was soft though- and dropped it, pulling back and blinking, trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

"Finally!" they cheered. "I've been trying to wake you up for forever! Seriously, you sleep like the dead." They shook their head and he openly gaped at them.

They were on some endless, wide open white platform with towering white walls. Looking around him, he could see other people of varying age ranges, none of whom he recognised.

"I'm Xenia Coombs, by the way. Freelance journalist." They offered him their hand and he thoughtlessly took it, giving it a shake. "Pleased to meet ya, Luther!"

Luther blinked. "I don't... think I introduced myself?"

They grinned. "Nametag."

He glanced down and realised a nametag was fixed to his chest, listing his name along with his pronouns. He was still wearing the duckie pajamas that he went to bed with.

"The game will start in five minutes." A booming voice echoed across the platform. "Commence the slots."

"Ooo, we gotta be quiet now." Xenia put a finger to their lips. "Shhh, Luthie!"

"Welcome, OCs, to the Nightly Games!" A hidden door began to creep open in the walls, revealing a giant screen, and behind it, a row of weird creatures, sitting on velvet chairs. "You are now to experience the nightly non-canon event! Please wait for selection."

A game slot appeared on the screen. It began rolling over and over again, and landed on three icons, one depicting gorgeous hair, another a home-made and rather ugly outfit, and finally, a makeup brush.

"And the voting's in! Looks like 'Beauty Contest' has been selected by the Upper Gods! You will be judged on your sense of aesthetic, hair styling, and talent with makeup! The upper gods will be your judges! Good luck!"

Spotting things like a rock with googly eyes and an eldritch celery stalk, Luther did not have high hopes for this judging.

"What."

"It said the upper gods will judge us," Xenia said helpfully. "Oh, and it's a beauty contest. I bet you heard that though. Sorry."

"What."

[Read more]
Posted: Tue, 16/07/2024 18:08 (1 Year ago)
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
Take your silver spoon, dig your grave
Heartless challenge
Pick your path and I'll pray


--

"People who enjoy toying with other people- well, they fascinate me. To have the confidence that you can offer another human being something so great they won't put the knife in your back at the next deal, thinking you can control fools with common sense... Doesn't it sound an awful lot like arrogance? Trusting other people to be smart is the surest mark that it'll be your neck in the guillotine tomorrow."

[Name]
Persephone O'Couna

[Age]
// 23 \\

[Gender/Sexuality]
Female // She/Her // Lesbian

[Personality]
Though her constant teasing initially seeming playful, at her heart of hearts, Persephone is a bitter, spiteful person who will use underhanded tactics to take down those she hates, with any means necessary. She distrusts people on principle, and is always on watch for the inevitable knife in her back. Perhaps that's why, she tries to take people down first; at the first hint of weakness, she'll tear you to pieces, and have you thank her for the favour. There's little love to be found with her. She'd destroy herself if it means not letting her opponents win. And to her, who believes the whole world is her enemy, that can be very dangerous indeed. Ultimately, Persephone is very self destructive, and rarely happy with anything.

As a student, Persephone is a hard worker, who pours her all into learning the subject matter. She is determined to be a top student, and will do everything in her power to ensure she comes out on top. Oddly enough, she doesn't sabotage anyone school-wise, though for personal matters she'll rip someone apart for no reason whatsoever. Her philosophy is that hard work will always have you come out on top, therefore, why try anything else? In this way, she is rather naive and childish.

Oddly enough, despite her bitterness and feeling as though everyone is against her, she's the optimistic type. She believes that with enough self sacrifice, everything will go her way. Her self-grandiosity, and feelings of superiority towards other people mean that she has too much faith in herself and her abilities, a flaw which may prove to be fatal.

Persephone wants to distance herself from being "childish". She dresses up and she does "mature" makeup, and she refuses to trust anyone in case sme might display any degree of naivety. She has a nervous response in which she chews her nails, which she has done everything to curb, even to the point of harming herself every time she does it. Yet it won't stop, and she hates it, because she will not be vulnerable. It doesn't matter if she's the only one who knows she's not in total control of herself. Her, or somebody else, any recognised flaw is a weakness.

Ultimately, it comes down to this sense of control. Persephone wants to be powerful, wants to be the one everyone looks away from and avoids. Deep down, she feels as though she's holding tightly onto her core, keeping it in place... and if she lets up, even a bit, her whole being will be splattered across the pavement for the whole world to stare and whisper at. She will have her control, no matter what. No one will be allowed to touch her again.




[Description] A tall, slim girl with very pale skin. She has a chin-length bob with curtain bangs. Her once-red hair is dyed an unnatural shade of black that looks at odds with her pale blue eyes and pasty colouring. Very lanky with sharp, jutting features and a perpetual frown. Often wears black lipstick.

[Reference Image]





[Power]
Persephone has the ability to grow plants rapidly in any manner or direction which she chooses. She can cause a sapling to grow to a tree in minutes, or an ivy vine to climb up the wall in a matter of seconds. She carries numbers of seeds on her for this express purpose (most of which are briars) in order to restrain her opponents.

[Backstory]
Born into a wealthy, but distant family, Persephone had a rather isolated childhood, spending most of her time in the yard, playing with bugs and small animals. She was very emotional as a child, crying over ants that her mother stepped on. But the day that her parents died in a car crash, she didn't cry at all. She spent the next few years separated from her younger brother, juggled around by a variety of relatives. Eventually, she fell into the foster care system.

Previously, she had been a quiet, obedient girl who excelled in school and appeared to have a bright future ahead of her. But when she went to her first foster home, she became rebellious and quick to anger, often getting into fights with others at school, where she was labelled a delinquent. Her grades plummeted and people began to avoid her. Eventually, she spent every lunch alone, except for her foster sister who refused to leave her side.

Yet within a year, Persephone would sharpen a makeshift weapon and try to murder her.

[Examples of Past Crime]
Persephone stabbed her foster mother in her sleep, using a steak knife from the kitchen. She attempted to frame her foster sister for the murder, but her plots were uncovered when her history of violence as a young child came to light, and Persephone's close friend and classmate provided evidence that the use of the well in transferring the weapon from the kitchen was something they had discussed several years earlier. When her foster sister came to see her in jail, Persephone attempted to kill her using a makeshift knife she'd made inside her cell, but failed, due to the presence of guards. She later pleaded guilty, and was tried as an adult, despite being seventeen, due to the severity of her crimes.

[Theme Song]
"Gold Dust Woman" by Fleetwood Mac

[Other]
n/a

[PalPad?]
Yes <3


[Read more]
Posted: Fri, 12/07/2024 03:37 (1 Year ago)
Luther Waters

Luther listened to the screams in the other room. "So... you wanna go get some candy?" he asked the kid who was still clinging on to his shirt.




TIMESKIP



It is now five o'clock in Suecester.



Dana Volkov

Dana sat on the bathroom counter, staring into the mirror. Her chubby hands traced patterns over the ash, revealing bits of her filthy reflection in it. Her cheeks were covered in dirt from when she'd been pushed in the mud earlier, and only now was she seeing how weird her face was.

All puffy. She pushed her finger into her cheek and it was hard.

The feeling frightened her so much she dropped off the counter and scampered to her room. Waiting on her bed for her was fake-Whiskers.

She collapsed onto the pile of pillows and blankets, tugging him immediately to her chest and curling up on her side. Squeezing the cat tight, she whispered over and over to herself, "Daddy's coming home, daddy's coming home soon, daddy's..."

I'm so hungry.

And somehow, that hurt worse than daddy being gone. She wished it didn't, but it hurt so bad she thought she might eat Whiskers if he wasn't the only one in the world who still wanted to be her friend.

Except...

Wait.

Dana blinked, sitting back up. She did have friends, didn't she? Back in Fairyland, with all the others.

Her hands found Whisker's face and she stared into it. Slowly, as if in a trance, she brought him up, and suddenly his ear was in her mouth. She chewed it and it tasted like fabric.

Spitting it out, Dana rubbed her face. "That was stupid, Whiskers, I'm sorry."

But she did have friends. And food, real food, in Fairyland waiting for her. That gave her the courage to stand up and go to the kitchen, pulling out the box of cereal and making herself a bowl, just like daddy did every morning since Sunday.

She could survive... until bedtime, because there, she'd see her friends again. Dana remembered the yell-ey girl with pigtails, who was supposed to be her friend. Sofia Arison, she remembered. I'll see her tonight, and this time, I'll talk to her.



Nora Mawer

All was quiet in the Mawer estate. Nora'd been listening, anticipating a party, or at least a dinner with some important people to "rub elbows with", but it was eerily quiet. Almost as if the place had been paused; stuck in a moment in time.

That was weird. Nora didn't like it. It was just not natural. The sky was blue, her mother loved tequila, and the Mawer mansion was to be in a state of constant motion. Otherwise, the world would collapse in on itself.

But going downstairs was probably pointless at this point. She was tired, and besides...

With a grin, Nora lifted up the giant bag of party chips she'd snuck under her bed yesterday. She had sustenance.



Xenia Coombs

Xenia scrolled through her camera roll, completely and utterly bored. Certainly, she could leave the apartment. Maybe go out for dinner. Get a few last minute shots to send off to the paper.

But that would require movement. Which Xenia was thoroughly uninterested in at this point. This was lazy time.

Clicking on their DE3 player, Xenia closed their eyes and lost themself in the soothing tunes of heavy metal. Maybe later they'd finally pick up their guitar. It had been a while. A gig'd probably be cool...

Mmm...



Luther Waters

"I'm home!" Luther called upstairs. But mom didn't answer. Probably kept out late, then.

He trudged upstairs, already taking out his piercings and tucking them with his new earnings into his pocket. Barely avoiding running into the doorframe, he cursed and ducked into his room.

Finally. Back in his room.

With a sigh, he collapsed onto his bed and closed his eyes. Luther listened to his heartbeat go, and gradually became aware of all the creakings of the house, of the neighbour yelling next door, and of his own breathing, slow and rhythmic.

Today was hard.

It wasn't even that Sofia was worse than usual. Somehow, seeing the community centre, seeing Harry scribbling in there... well, it'd reminded him of his own childhood. All the times he'd spent in there, ushered in by mom.

That place was where the guilt he'd been feeling had surged up in his chest. When suddenly it'd all become real.

Luther opened his eyes, stood up, and pulled out his pajamas from the drawer. It was the ducky pair he'd gotten for his fifteenth birthday. A stupid, silly gift from his mom. Tracing his fingers over the worn embroidery, he stared at the little ducks and teacups, and finally snapped back to attention. He gripped the fabric tightly, and then began to change.

Glancing around his room, he walked over to the window. He examined it, then cracked it just a sliver and closed the curtains.

Finally, he fluffed his pillow before clambering into bed.

He'd go to sleep early today. Screw dinner.

He couldn't take more of mom's food like this. Not when he was about to betray her by abandoning the whole world she'd offered him.

Luther was not going to be an artist. He was not going to that stupid school on the wall, to share his paintings of fruit and fields and long-dead animals with the world. The acceptance letter had been ripped up in his desk for weeks. He didn't need it. He had another world waiting for him.

Because in one week from today, he would be a member of the Underground Resistance.

Turning on his side, Luther closed his eyes and waited for sleep.



Kubo Atsushi

"That girl was nice," Kubo said softly. "I wish she could've joined us."

He looked up at Lili.

"But she can't, right? Because she's not like us. The police would see her and take her away and put her back with her parents."

[Read more]
Posted: Fri, 12/07/2024 02:32 (1 Year ago)
Luther Waters

"Uhh." Harry looked confused. "Do you know what the kid's talking about Luther? She seems slightly unstable..."

Luther considered pity. Then he remembered the photo albums. "I'm not hearing an apology, are you, Sofia?"



Nora Mawer

His head dropped, the hair falling over his eyes obscuring his expression. "So you think I haven't changed." There was a cold note in his voice she'd never heard before. "Don't be stupid, Jace. You know as well as I do that this place chews people up and spits them out."

When he looked at her now, his eyes, those beautiful grey pools, were hard as flint.

"And you, my friend, are no longer at the top."

Flint left then. Nora stood there for a long time, pulse thrumming in her ears, unable to move. Then she heard a rattling in the next hallway and burst into action.

She ran.

All the way downstairs, down the hall, two turns, and then through the door.

By the time she got home, she was dizzy and out of breath, but she was home. And so she stumbled upstairs to her bedroom and collapsed on her bed, squeezing her eyes shut, praying to fall asleep and wake back up in a dream.

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Posted: Fri, 12/07/2024 02:14 (1 Year ago)
Luther Waters

When was I designated the meat shield here?

Surrendering to his fate, Luther took up station between the two kids. Ow. Ow. Ow, that hurt. How could a little kid punch so hard????

"Harry!" he cried desperately. "Don't you want to punish Harry?"

"Luther?" Harry's little ginger head poked around the corner. Luther had never been so relieved to see him in his life.




Nora Mawer

"Late again, are we?"

Nora paused, hand hovering over their locker, every muscle in their body going rigid. Ready to run the moment his face came into-

No, that was silly.

"Hi, Flint," they said cheerfully, turning on their heel to face him fully. "Ordering me around, huh? I thought the teachers collectively agreed you couldn't handle being hall monitor after the whole 'mop sword' incident. What a pleasant surprise, seeing you back at your old post."

The emo weirdo leaned against his locker number #1778, arms crossed, an arrogant tilt to his head. He looked casual, but she knew enough about how vain he could be that he had probably calculated out the best angle to show off his irritatingly chiseled jawline.

"A surprise, huh? That's funny. You know what I find surprising?" His eyes narrowed. "The fact that you dropped out hours before the the last game of the season. That you thought it was just fine to throw us at the championship without our freaking captain. I don't know about you, but I think that's probably the freshest thing in our teachers' minds right now."

Nora blinked. "You were a strong team, it was fine-"

"Cut the crap Nora. It was just as you wanted. We were left to flounder without you."

He thought for a second.

"And then, lo and behold, you disappear for three months."

Oh, he's maaaaad.

Flint was glaring at her, pulled to his full height now, his shoulders stiff and unyielding. Those sharp grey eyes piercing through her skull.

Which he probably thought was something intimidating, but in her opinion made him look more like a disgruntled cat. Hehe. He might be old, but that didn't mean he couldn't be just adorable.

"You'll find a lot of things have changed around here in the time you've been gone," Flint said.

"Like what? You?" Nora cocked their head to the side teasingly. "I dunno man, you seem pretty much the same to me."

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Posted: Thu, 11/07/2024 21:15 (1 Year ago)
Luther Waters

"W-Woah." Luther nearly yelped as the little kid attached himself to his shirt. A new little leech, staring up at him with very round eyes.

Obviously subterfuge. He had no doubt the kid's real goal was candy, and probably also his wallet. Well, jokes on him, Luther was broke.

He considered trying to shake the creature off, but the eyes were too big and the cuteness unfortunately paralyzed him.

Great. Well I guess I just have two parasites now.

"Of course no cape could ever compare to your greatness," Luther said smoothly. "But I will model it after the queens and kings of old. You can be a new kind of great, a royal and rich greatness."



Dana Volkov

The day passed by quickly. Dana spent it murmuring to fake-Whiskers and stroking his ears, sweet candied promises falling out of her mouth. At one point, time seemed to blur together, and then it was lunch.

Not sure where to go, Dana hovered outside the office, wondering if she should take one of the free lunches they offered. But the lineups were so long, that she just ended up roaming the gym.

Then the bell rang and it was back to class.



Nora Mawer

Nora hummed as she pranced across the sidewalk, bobbing her head to an invisible beat. It was a beautiful day out, the sun shining clear in the sky, and casting lovely shadows across the shops.

She'd been down this street a thousand times, and as always, seeing those gorgeous buildings always reminded her of a picture from a fairy tale.

The shops had beautiful, curved signs with fancy cursive letters, clean red brick, and beautiful display cases. Peering into the glass, she saw books propped up, leather bound with that beautiful marble paper, totally unlike the course, rough yellow stuff of the day. Probably only a decade old or so, before the ban on real paper.

She paused to run her hand over the window. It smudged and she stared with fascination as her fingerprints formed on the glass. A real mark of her being here. That this wasn't just a dream.

She was a part of this street, of these people, and she was Jace Mawer. A smile formed on her face and she pressed her whole hand to the glass.

Ever since That Day, she'd found herself longing for a world like this. Pretty and picturesque, as light and fluffy as spun clouds. It was, she decided, a dream.

Why couldn't the real world be her Fairyland always?

The journalists from early flashed through her mind. A smiling, dead-eyed man, and a crazy person bouncing up and down on their heels with a camera and leaves in their hair. So different from each other. The silent danger in the man's posture, and the stupid expression on the person's face as they blinked, mouth agape at everything Nora said.

Then she thought of her mum and dad. Sitting at a table set for two.

They're afraid of you.

Nora's fist clenched by their side. That was fine. They liked it, even. Honestly, it was stupid, because they were really just a goofball, but if people wanted to run, to close off their faces, and stare at them like that-

"Well, whatever, not a me problem." Nora blinked, then realised they'd spent the past few minutes staring into a bookstore when they were already late. "Shiiiii..."

An old lady on the side of the road gave them The Look.

"...take mushrooms!"

Nora hurried along. If the old lady didn't get them with her laser eyes, then coach would. Time to move her a**.

It's kind of funny, she thought. Why does move 'your a**' mean like... move everything? It's not just the *ss moving.

With these solemn questions on mind, Nora turned the corner. The school approached, and panting, they came up to the entrance, running their id card through. The gates creaked open, letting them in. Nora slipped through and the iron clanged shut behind her.

The schoolyard was unfortunately deserted, signalling that school had already started.

Oh dear.

...

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Posted: Thu, 11/07/2024 18:53 (1 Year ago)
Luther Waters

Oh well. At least she hadn't tried to order his beheading. He could teach her the words "please" and "thank you" at a later date. For now...

"If you say 'sorry', then I'll make you a cape. You can be the queen of all the snotty children here." He smiled. "Doesn't that sound nice? I'll even let you throw crayons at them."

Granted, that would probably be worse, but hey, three year olds were really stupid. They'd probably just start eating the crayons and thank her for giving them the purple ones. After all, to toddlers, all purple things were grape flavoured.

This could work out for everyone.

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Posted: Thu, 11/07/2024 18:04 (1 Year ago)
Luther Waters

Luther sighed, not sure why he even tried anymore, but willing to make one last attempt. "Alright, but first, let go of his shirt. It's probably very dirty, right?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"And you could..." He braced himself. "Try to apologise?"

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Posted: Thu, 11/07/2024 17:01 (1 Year ago)




A New World





In Suecester, children live for their fairy tales. When the world is in pieces, when hollow-eyed adults can't even lie to their children about the starving, malnourished dogs on the street, and schools lay out ten year careers in the mines that end in blown off limbs and dying in back alleyways, then of course, any child would turn to the stories of old.

In these stories, then there are happy ever afters. People become doctors and tailors and princesses, and they have a wedding amongst endless fields of green with happy doves darting through the air. The whole world is in celebration; it's in life. There's no such thing as the stagnation of Suecester, where everything seems to be dying without ever living.

It was sad, almost. He recalled that when the first little boy stepped through into this other world, the little slip of a thing wondered quietly if he could be a fisherman. Such bright eyes, full of hope- but yes, pain too. Expecting a no before he'd even asked.

Once upon a time, that would have been a dream
too ordinary. Most little boys dreamed of being astronauts and presidents and heroes. It would've been realistic, soft, a real attainable future. But now, it was laughable. It brought to mind images of dead fish floating at the top of polluted lakes, and skinny bears curled up at the edge. Death, death, death.

How the world had changed. Fairy tales were no longer about heroes, but about day to day life. About living.

Life itself had become a dream.






Luther Waters

Luther sweated. He had the distinct feeling that the child may be in danger. Theoretically, a fourteen year old should be able to take an eight year old in a fight. But that was only in theory, and did not account for said eight year old being Sofia Arison.

Ah, screw it, he thought, stepping out.

"Sofia, I have an idea. What if we went and got candy from your dad's store? You're too rich for poor people's candy, right? You don't really want this boy's peppermints."



Kubo Atsushi

"Guessing games?" Kubo didn't take his eyes off the suspicious person. "Like... riddles?"

He winced, hating himself for how tiny and quiet his voice was; he was supposed to sound angry, not weird and sad. Big sister was right. Riddles were dumb and they didn't mean nothing. Only school was really hard. You could still be stupid and answer riddles.

But...

"Can I try?" he ventured.

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Posted: Mon, 08/07/2024 02:36 (1 Year ago)
Luther Waters

This was of course, Luther's time to intervene. As a responsible babysitter who ensured that his charge did not get permanently banned from the community centre, and as a reasonable human being who was in no way scared of an eight year old...

He hid behind the sink and motioned for the hapless candy kid to run.

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Posted: Mon, 08/07/2024 02:24 (1 Year ago)
@Protagkinnie1000
Accepted... again.

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Posted: Mon, 08/07/2024 01:23 (1 Year ago)
Bunnelby! I got my first Pokemon game (X) shortly after my rabbit died and was really excited when I found a rabbit Pokemon. Vee came all the way to the league with me and we won together >:D

Even though it's obviously not the best combat or design wise, like, at all lol, I love Bunnelby and it'll always be a special Pokemon to me <3

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Posted: Mon, 08/07/2024 01:01 (1 Year ago)
@Protagkinnie1000
Accepted

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