#rhiannon lazar.

[jjmaybvnk]

based on x

[adrianivashkv]

As Adrian met the eyes of the girl who'd approached him, he blinked, somewhat startled. Through his own mental haze, he could faintly make out her aura, a shimmering light gold. It was the rarest colour, and from past experience, an indication that someone possessed the same abilities as him. He'd only seen it once or twice before, in other Moroi, but they'd been as clueless as he himself had. That, partnered with the fact that he recognised her, left him uncharacteristically speechless, and his eyes narrowed as he studied her. Adrian snubbed the remainder of his spliff into the pavement, switching up to chase sobriety instead, if only for a single conversation. "Please, don't apologise. You're not bothering me. I thought you were one of the dhampirs, they have a habit of chastising me."

Adrian wondered how to breach the topic of spirit, wanting to confirm that's what this was. With all the new supernatural beings in his presence, it was becoming harder to guess, and people were becoming harder to read. It was part of the reason he'd struggled so much since his arrival in Alexandria. Adrian figured it was best to approach slowly, wanting a feel of her personality before he pursued his interest. But she wore the same inquisitive expression as him, and he was naggingly curious about her. "I am Adrian. And if my memory serves me correctly, you're... Rhiannon? Your father's were my aunt's favourite form of petty gossip." His expression softened with sympathy, showing that he wasn't akin with her opinions. "I'm fine, thank you. Just tired." It was a partial lie, but he felt a need to protect her from the truth.

"Oh —" she stammered, startled out of her thoughts by the response, not having expected it. "Oh, no, sorry, I'm not - I wouldn't do that." Clearly, he'd been expecting someone else, and if Rhiannon was honest, she had been too. She'd been drawn to him unthinkingly by his aura, the colour of it one of the most captivating she'd ever seen. It was an intense shade of gold she'd never come across before, yet, to her, it still felt dull, as if masked by something. That was potentially because of her abilities — she was still learning, and some people were a lot harder to read than others. Some were barely visible at all. Usually, it got much easier the more interaction she had with someone. But she'd never seen this man before, and yet his aura shimmered brightly, distractingly, catching her eye immediately. She had to wonder what it meant. It was only when she'd gotten closer that she realised she did recognise the man. "I didn't mean to bother you, I can go. But - it's Adrian, right? We.. used to be neighbours," she explained, small, apologetic smile on her face, still eyeing the bright colour surrounding him. She didn't think they'd ever spoken before, perhaps in the library once upon a time, but his family were infamous amongst the Moroi. One she certainly feared. "Are you okay?"

[peterbenpcrker]

Peter had been through a whirlwind since joining Alexandria, but somehow his first official day of school seemed like a harder adjustment. Still, he had JJ by his side, and he’d been told the rebels were kind, for the most part. He’d be fine. He’d just closed his locker, ready for his first class, when he saw her in the hallway. His eyes widened, and suddenly all his anxiety seemed to disappear, to be replaced by a feeling he couldn’t quite describe. It was akin to a punch in the gut, without any semblance of pain. He had to know her.

“Oh. Wow. Hi,” Peter attempted to smile as she approached, but his expression was still settled in wonder. She was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen. “I’m uh - I’m Peter. Peter Parker. Peter Ben Parker,” he corrected himself, almost forgetting that he needed to specify, considering how well integrated his brother was into the rebellion. “It’s my first day. I just... wanted to say hi.”

[margridarnauds]

dvd commentary 1: [ she wraps the rough, woolen cloak tighter around herself, the rough, warm fabric scratching her arms. It is an old thing, not the sort of thing fitting the station of the ollam of the High King of Ireland, no stripes of gold or silver on it, no ornamentation, a plain brooch of faded bronze at her breast pinning it into place. She has washed the paint from her face, wearing a plain léine taken from a beggar woman in exchange for her necklace, anything that could distinguish her wiped away like a line drawn in the sand, but still she served for many years as Flann’s mouth throughout the land, and no doubt she would be an easy target. ] - Glasmartrae

THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME TALK ABOUT MY CHILD.

I feel like a lot of my work on Glasmartrae was really trying to reconcile my world, the world of the manuscripts, with the wacky world of Valhalla. And, to do that, I thought it was really important to establish, off the bat, what this world looks like. And I felt like, fittingly, one of the best places to begin would be Ciara herself, because an ollam was so important to a king, and because that bond was so important.

I knew, going in, that any potential AC fans wouldn't quite understand the importance, so it was important to establish that Ciara is of MASSIVELY high status. A bard isn't just a figure who goes around and sings twee songs, this is a figure of power, someone who can raise or destroy kings with a satire, and, if you listen to Keating, who was a 17th century Irish historian, there was actually a sort of sumptuary code in place:

Am I absolutely convinced that this is REAL? Not entirely, but Keating had access to a lot of old sources we don't, and even if it isn't strictly true, it's definitely true that who you were in the world of medieval Ireland, like anywhere else, determined how you're dressed. Contrary to images of medieval Ireland as this sort of savage, underdeveloped backwater, you're really looking at this world that's chaotic, undeniably, that's dangerous, but that is also lavish and luxurious, and Ciara's normally at the top of that.

......which is also why I chose to strip her of that. Because Ciara, in-game, stands out like a sore thumb, and, when I thought of it, it was like "Of course she has to go in disguise -- Because even if no one knows exactly what happened, it'd be like if, say Kamala Harris suddenly went into exile." Like, she's constantly at Flann's side before this, she's one of the highest ranked members of his court, she officiates at his coronation ceremony...even without the same level of social media that we'd have today, of COURSE people would recognize her, so it was really important to show her sort of fall from grace (though, from a medieval Irish standpoint, it's less a fall from grace than one more aspect of her penance -- Removing the vestiges of her old life to move on.) I had this idea of her kind of running around, taking everything off, wanting to be done with it, because everything's a reminder, and everything is actively endangering her. (Bit of a medieval Irish Elsa moment.) There's this sort of tension that I wanted to introduce really early on, that idea that she's constantly looking around, scanning the crowd, waiting for the ball to drop because, even though she's sworn to not do any harm, she's still only recently faced down a future where her people were nearly killed, and she herself is in this place of "I can't just walk away."

...but then that brings the question "How do you get this? Did she just have a Poor Person Costume lying around?" And my obvious answer was "No, she had to get it from somewhere", and so I brought that in, which also gave me the chance to get rid of her necklace, which would also be a distinguishing feature. (I kind of had the thought, when writing it, that the necklace had been something that either Flann or her mother had gotten for her, which further seals that idea of her cutting ties to the past.)

I feel like a really big...ongoing theme of my stuff is always the people who are close to power and, specifically, what happens to people when that power goes away for whatever reason. Because, throughout history, you have these people (especially women) who attach themselves to royalty and then, for whatever reason, fall out of power. Margrid is probably the most obvious example, with her relationship with Orléans -- Lazare and Olympe are another example, I touched on it with both Marie-Anne de Benoit and Madame Roland, I feel like Blodeuedd fits in there, Rhiannon (from one WIP of mine), Jane Seymour (if I ever finish my one-shot) etc. You know, you're launched into this absolutely obscene level of influence, power, and rank, but then suddenly you don't have that anymore, and you're left wondering what to do. The same thing that got her that position is suddenly endangering her, and she doesn't really have anyone that she can rely on or that she trusts -- Not because no one cares (Eivor and Deirdre would have helped in a heartbeat), but because she feels so guilty over the entire thing that there's no one she can trust.

And then she runs into Flann like this, at this liminal space where just about anything can happen (an ongoing Thing with my stuff on medieval Ireland is the sea and water in general, because it's where SO MUCH happens in the myths, it's one of those places where Otherworldly stuff is very prone to happening), and he recognizes her like that. You know, there's something of a chivalric romance in it, to him recognizing her even now, even though he ultimately can't be what she needs. He still KNOWS her, and she still KNOWS him, and that's part of that tragedy -- That you have these two people who worked that closely together, who still can recognize one another in a crowd, without their rank behind them, but who CAN'T know one another now.

(I deliberately left it ambiguous to whether he could ever have been what she wanted, which, to be honest, I go back and forth on myself, because that's almost secondary to anything else. You know, with, say, Orléans and Margrid, my thinking was always very much "In another life, they'd have been happy", likewise for Peyronan and Bres/Sreng. And there are a lot of tragic ships that got to be together that's like "They had a thing, but it couldn't work due to who they were" -- Cú Chulainn and Ferdiad and Fritz/Katte, where, even if one of them hadn't died, I never wrote it to be a lasting thing. With Flann/Ciara, on the other hand.....they never got to be ANYTHING, and Flann will never know if they could have been anything, because he fucked it up. And I’m not sure that Ciara herself knows, because anything she MIGHT have felt is so totally drowned out by the betrayal. Though a part of me, chalk it up to the romantic in me, thinks that, sometime, in the future, before they both die, they see one another again. Maybe not in a fully romantic way, but in a way that gives them some closure.)

[brookemcddox]

✁ rhi or jj x

send me a ✁ with two names and i'll tell you whom my muse would save.

"Rhi's my best friend."

[troyanblackwell]

Troyan didn't believe that it was an accident, but satisfied that she hadn't been hurt, he didn't make any further comment. He'd deal with it when Rhiannon wasn't present, deciding against causing her further unrest. He was aware that this had previously been a common occurrence, and he refused to let the cycle begin again, not now he had the power to change it. This school, these students, were under his care. None of the Alicante leaders could speak against him now, and he had the freedom to teach and guide in his own way. Students like Rhiannon were especially important to him, because he knew her fathers, and he knew she deserved better in terms of parental influence. He planned to do his part. "Oh, here," Troyan responded with a smile, taking the books back from her. It was a few minutes until the bell was due to ring, so he decided to escort her to her next class, wanting to check up on how her studies had been coming along in this new environment. "What class are you in next?"

As Rhiannon collected scattered pens, memories of Alicante came flooding back, moments she'd been desperate to forget. But one incident like this and she was right back in the academy's hallways, being shoved into walls and tripped over by seemingly nothing. Having no magical ability, she'd never been able to protect herself. But things were different here, they had to be. She was working on convincing herself it had been an accident when someone stooped to help, Rhiannon blinking at him in surprise. "Oh, Mr. Blackwell!" Now she just felt embarrassed. A teacher helping her, of all people, and one who knew her family quite well. It didn't make moving on very easy. She nodded, forcing a smile. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm not hurt or anything. I don't think they saw me." She tried laughing it off. She certainly hadn't seen them. "Thank you very much," she added, taking back the books he'd found with a smile. "These things don't get any lighter."

[brookemcddox]

After being given yet another paired assignment, Brooke sighed, rolling her eyes the second Miss Oswald turned her back. She’d been partnered with Cheryl last time, and they’d failed miserably, the girls unable to agree on anything. She needed someone smart enough to guide her, but kind enough so that Brooke actually enjoyed listening. Glancing around the classroom, her eyes fell onto the quiet girl behind her. Brooke hadn’t seen her much around school, she mostly kept to herself, which usually meant they were one of the intelligent ones. Brooke hadn’t noticed it before, but she was incredibly pretty, too. With a grin, the blonde whipped around to face her, leaning on her desk. “Hey. You wanna’ team up on this one? I could really use someone who doesn’t yell at me for not wanting to use red ink.” 

[lydiamartnn]

“You do?” The response came as a surprise to Lydia, although perhaps it shouldn’t have. Allison had believed her, but that had never been in question. Tyler, too, after witnessing the experience first hand. Nell, Stiles, Suze. None of them had ever doubted her feelings or explanation of events, and now here was a stranger, showing that same certainty. The rebels were better than Lydia ever gave them credit for, her own insecurities often driving a wedge between them and herself. If she were going to help people, if she was going to save them, she had to move past that. There would always be someone who went against the curve, who believed she was crazy, but they’d be in the minority. It inspired confidence within Lydia, even amidst all the restless noise in her mind. 

“I… No. I don’t. Last time I knew. I think that was because I -” she took a deep breath, swallowing down the grief and guilt that often coincided with her talking about Jackson. “That was because I loved him. There was a connection beforehand. This feels… new. I have no idea,” it was a useless and unhelpful reply, but it was honest. 

There’d been something incredibly odd about the energy that night. Whilst Rhiannon possessed no ability to tap into what, exactly, it was, from her experience, it usually meant the same thing. New life or death was near. Just for the few moments it happened, Rhi typically found everything became tangible, as if she could feel the exchanging of souls. And then it was gone again, out of reach to all but her. Or so she’d thought.

Rhi stared wide-eyed at the stranger, shocked to learn someone else had sensed the tension she had. In fact, the woman seemed even more affected than her, fear etched into her features. Brows meeting in concern, Rhi dismissed the questions that suddenly burned through her, knowing they had a chance to save this poor soul, whoever it may be. That was the priority. Finally, she nodded, voice quiet. “I think you’re right. Do you.. know who?”

[jjmaybvnk]

At her comment, JJ found himself genuinely taken aback. Although they’d made it obvious they were already good friends, considering how much time they’d spent together, the verbal admittance that she’d miss him took him by surprise. He wasn’t used to anyone outside of Peter or Maya caring for him, and having his best interests in mind. He avoided putting his guard back up, as it wasn’t unwelcome, but was unsure in his own response. “Oh. Yeah - yeah I’d miss you too,” he smiled, but it was mildly sheepish. “Alright. I guess I can try to reign it in a bit. But I’m not standing for any bullshit, you hear me?”

Rhiannon sighed at the eventual explanation, disapproving of the disrespect. But she couldn’t stop the smile that found her face either. She found his defensiveness endearing, excited to have friends she could finally call her own, ones that were passionate. “I’m sure you’re right, she probably was. But you shouldn’t fight fire with fire, J, otherwise we’ll never get to see you because you’ll always be in detention. And I’d miss you.”

[jjmaybvnk]

"Well... yeah," JJ replied with a shrug. He was unsure how to answer, he'd never been great with emotional dialogue, even if the feelings were there, and true. "'Course I would. You're a good friend, y'know? You make Peter happy. It's hard for anyone that isn't a book to do that." He tried to lighten the seriousness with teasing, but he could still feel it lingering.

"Alright. Yeah, yeah thanks," He cleared his throat, unable to meet Rhiannon's eye. He was unsure what the cause was, but there was an underlying sense of guilt pressing at him. It was the first time he'd felt this way around her, so far everything had been light-hearted fun, but now those emotions were developing, along with their friendship. "You too, by the way. Anytime." He couldn't imagine anyone disliking Rhi, let alone doing something to make her upset, but he knew he'd endure a year's worth of detention to protect her. It was an odd feeling, one he'd reserved only for Peter and Maya up until now, but it was undeniably there, that protectiveness. JJ's loyalty ran deep, and now she had it, there was little Rhi could do for him to ever let her go.

jjmaybvnk​:

At her comment, JJ found himself genuinely taken aback. Although they’d made it obvious they were already good friends, considering how much time they’d spent together, the verbal admittance that she’d miss him took him by surprise. He wasn’t used to anyone outside of Peter or Maya caring for him, and having his best interests in mind. He avoided putting his guard back up, as it wasn’t unwelcome, but was unsure in his own response. “Oh. Yeah - yeah I’d miss you too,” he smiled, but it was mildly sheepish. “Alright. I guess I can try to reign it in a bit. But I’m not standing for any bullshit, you hear me?”

Despite her own sincerity, ironically, Rhiannon was also surprised by his comment. Of course, it had taken no time at all for her to fall in love with Peter and his family — they meshed together so perfectly, it was almost as if she’d just been waiting for them to arrive so their lives together could begin. But she’d made no assumption it’d be the same for them, as fast. They were a tightknit trio, their own family, and she’d never want to impose on that, so despite having let her walls down immediately, she couldn’t ask for the same. Her and JJ had already shared many laughs, and some light-hearted arguments, but never anything from the heart. Not from him, anyway. She still wore a hint of a smile, but blinked at him, unsure. “You would?”

Nodding resolutely, she accepted his terms. “I hear you, J. Trying sounds good to me. But I want you to know, if something does happen, I’ll be standing right there with you. Okay?” When she was of sound mind, Rhiannon was incredibly non-confrontational. She’d be constantly picked on and never say a word. But now that she had people she cared about, that would change. If anybody came for them, she’d be the one to end it.

[jjmaybvnk]

JJ hadn't meant to set his father off, although arguably it was inevitable regardless of his own behaviour. He certainly hadn't helped himself, anyway, he should've kept his mouth shut the second he returned home to a living room littered with empty cans. But there was only so much he could take, so many broken promises he could handle, so many blatant lies. He was at his limit. So he'd screamed at Luke, calling him out until the breath had left his lungs, declaring without a filter how much Maya and Peter had given him in comparison. How much he'd lost since his father had returned home. He'd known the retaliation would come, he'd known it would be worse, but no amount of preparation could soften the blow. The first hit had come with such a severity that he'd staggered back against a table, and although JJ had tried to find his footing, Luke kept him down, landing another two against his ribcage.

The pain began to blind him, and he could do nothing but take it, wait for an open to fight back. Luke would tire in his drunken stupor soon enough, and JJ could get the upper hand. After another fist found his chest, he noticed a stumble, so quickly used that to push his father to the floor. It didn't keep him down for long, but it was enough time for JJ to grab a loose fixture from the windowsill. Arming himself clearly triggered an even harsher response, and this time the punch smacked his lip, causing his blood to splatter against the glass. JJ closed his eyes, finding the scrambling useless. He'd really done it this time. "Dad, please ---" He was going to end up in the hospital, his father too drunk to see reason, to see the damage he'd done. There was no running from the truth, now. No escape. He should've just stolen some money and made up some bullshit story to cover himself, to cover his family.

The fatal blow he'd been waiting for never came, though. The window behind him shattered in a cascade, glass gathering around his feet, grazing against the back of his neck. JJ crouched to the floor in fear, but in an instant, his father was gone, pulled through the hole in the wall. It happened so fast he couldn't understand that someone had come to his aid. It never happened this way. The tears began to pool in his waterline, which only worsened the hot ache he felt, his muscles tightening as the water fell down his cheeks. He grasped at his chest, struggling to breathe, wishing he had the clarity to comprehend what'd happened.

After hearing a thumping outside, followed by a flurry of panicked voices, JJ forced himself up, panic continuing to fester the second he laid eyes on the scene outside. Someone was on top of his father, beating him mercilessly. He didn't even know the attacker by name. But he wasn't stopping. JJ wanted it all to vanish, to turn back time, to pretend everything was normal. He was burdened by the realisation that he couldn't do anything. He went to speak, but blood found his mouth instead, forcing him to spit up on the floor. When someone in the crowd met his eye, JJ quickly dismissed himself out of view, perching himself on the stairs. He didn't have the strength to watch his father die, regardless of what the man had done. He couldn't. He curled up, shaking, wishing the cries outside would quieten. He felt truly immobilised, helpless, pathetic. And then she walked through the door.

The emotions continued to tear JJ open, Rhi's expression setting off another wave within him. The relief at seeing her standing there was incomprehensible, but it was also the last place JJ wanted her to be. It was bad enough he had to bare witness, he'd never wish it upon her. Not with the way he was starting to feel about her. It was wrong, so he avoided it, played pretend. But he had no room for masking right now, not when his agony had been broadcast to the surface. She couldn't be here. Because he'd tell her everything. About himself, about his father, about Peter, about them. He understood it, now, even amidst the exterior confusion. That feeling he got when she was near, when she came to his aid without even questioning herself or her own safety. Fuck. Rhi took his hands, and he felt as though she was reaching right into his soul. His face crumpled in desperation, trying to swallow it all down. It couldn't be now. He already had too much to handle without this. "No, Rhi. You can't... you can't be here right now. Not now. I'll be fine, okay? You gotta' -- you gotta' leave. Please. I'm beggin' you."

With all her friends currently occupied, and her dads satisfied she'd completed her homework, Rhiannon found herself alone. It was easy, in the quiet, for her thoughts to spiral, and suddenly she found herself walking, searching for a way she could help. To her heartbreak, JJ hadn't accepted any of their offers, distancing himself from them completely. But no matter what he said or did, she wouldn't let him go. There were still ways to help, and Rhiannon set to work on one now, escaping to the town's surrounding forest and kneeling in the dirt. She'd always felt most at peace out in nature and could do her best thinking there, compiling herbs and filling small bags with them. She couldn't use wand magic, wasn't as powerful as most of the witches in town, but herbology had never let her down. Satisfied she'd made as many protection bags as she could, Rhiannon took a moment to thank the earth before she was on her way again, heading to JJ's home. It was likely he wouldn't want to see her, and though the thought made her ache, she pushed on regardless, knowing her mission was more important than her sorrow. Any sense of tranquility she'd felt in the forest shattered immediately when she spotted the gathering up ahead. A crowd of bodies, growing by the minute, were crushing together in a panic. She couldn't see what they were watching, what had them so shocked, but there was no doubting the emotion, the colour bleeding from them like paint. In fact, Rhiannon was so distracted by their auras, the overpowering concentration of emotion that radiated from their souls, that she’d failed to notice where, exactly, they were gathering.

“JJ.” She’d whispered it but the name felt like a gut punch. She knew, she knew something like this had been coming, but she hadn't made it in time. Dread crushing her, Rhiannon let the feeling carry her forward. Her hands pushed through the crowd, and each unintentional touch shared with her a pang of anxiety and confusion, boosting her own. But when she reached the front, JJ was nowhere to be seen. Rhiannon stared at the scene, eyes wide in horror at the violence of it. Again, it threatened to distract her, but her worry for her friend was stronger. Fearful eyes scanned the house, landing on the smashed out window. Even amongst all the commotion, Rhi could feel him, sense his energy right through the walls. She’d always had the strongest ties to those she loved, holding their souls close to her own. Her priority clear, Rhiannon abandoned the crowd almost as quickly as she’d joined them, ignoring the two strangers on the lawn and heading up to the Maybank house. It was as she was reaching for the door, mouth opening to call out for him, that she felt it. It was a unique sensation, but one she knew well. A lightness, a fading, something that felt almost poignant. The impending departure of a soul. Rhiannon paused, eyes moving to the man sprawled out on the lawn. He was dying. Each punch sent his soul further away, his aura fading, and though Rhiannon certainly had the power to reverse it, she did nothing. She simply stared. Her expression was blank, so unlike her normal self, channelling something darker, something simmering. She didn't need her suspicions confirmed by somebody else. She knew exactly who this man was and what he had been doing. His colours spoke for him. Wordlessly, she blinked and looked away, making her way inside the house. Finally, she found him, and the sight of him brought back every feeling she’d momentarily lost, her expression crumpling. “Oh no,” Rhi started, unable to hold in the sobs. “No, J, oh my god.” She slid down instantly, kneeling before him on the stairs, hands that held the herb bags finding his instead, squeezing his fingers tight. She hadn't made it in time. “I'm so - I'm so sorry.”

[peterbenpcrker]

Peter had been worried sick ever since he’d heard about Luke being in town. Although he’d never known the full extent of the abuse, he knew enough. Enough to want the man gone, permanently. He wasn’t good for JJ. The following absences, ignored messages, and closed front door were only proof of that. So Peter had been on alert ever since, waiting for any signs of trouble. The first few days, there hadn’t been any. JJ had reassured him of such over text, but then the tablet notifications had stopped coming, and Peter’s enhanced senses were suddenly all out of whack. Something wasn’t right. 

Even as Peter held Rhi’s hand, walking with her to the store, his mind was elsewhere, considering his options. A direct approach wasn’t out of the question, swinging his way over there and bursting through the windows, but he didn’t want to draw attention if it wasn’t needed. JJ wouldn’t forgive him. But if something had happened, Peter wouldn’t forgive himself, either. Aunt Maya seemed reassured that JJ would come to them if he needed them, but Peter knew his friend better. He was avoidant when it came to emotional confrontation, struggling to be openly vulnerable, especially when it came to his father. Perhaps calling him out, with Luke's presence if he refused to leave, was the only way.

As fate would have it, Peter spotted the blonde on his approach to the supermarket, alone, his own breath heavy with relief. He left Rhi behind to run and catch up, managing to cut in front of JJ just after he'd made it through the entrance. When his best friend looked up to face him, Peter's stomach twisted at the sight. “That’s not nothing, man.” He was unsure what came first, the guilt or the anger, but both overwhelmed him in equal measure. Unable to control emotions that were so unfamiliar to him, Peter found that his face expressed them before his mouth did, his own eyes dark with something akin to vengeance. “I knew something wasn’t right. Why didn’t you come to me?” Without even giving him a chance to respond, knowing he'd be met with dishonesty, Peter reached out, hand gently gripping the top of JJ’s arm. He felt as though his heart was sinking with disappointment in himself. He should've intervened, he was certain of that now. “You’re not going back there. You’re coming back with me, it’s where you should be anyway. If he comes anywhere near you again, I’m gonna’ kill him.”

JJ had been avoidant ever since his father had moved to Alexandria. For the first few days, everything had been fine. Luke had claimed he was clean, full of the usual empty promises, and that he simply wanted a safe haven to reconnect with his son. JJ, as always, had fallen into a false sense of faith and belief, wanting it to be true. But as soon as Luke had found out about the adoption, that Aunt Maya had taken JJ in as her own, all hell had broken loose. The man had returned straight to alcohol, the violent behaviours and false blame quickly coinciding along with it.  He’d missed school the last several days, ignoring his friends every time they’d shown up to check on him. Teachers also called up about the absence, but it was all too easy for JJ to lie, having done it countless times before. He was sick, that was his excuse. Considering he was flighty on the best of days, the faculty hadn't dug much deeper into it. He'd managed to avoid dealing with it, thus far. But sooner or later, his hunger won out, and with his father passed out on the couch, he’d have to make the trip to the grocery store himself.  He intended to avoid being spotted, not wanting to deal with the emotional toll a confrontation would cause, knowing the bruises and his disappearance would ring alarm bells for his friends, if no one else. But it was the middle of the day, the store was busy, so even as he grabbed his bag, JJ suspected the possibility of a quick in and out operation being successful was unlikely. He needed to be reassured it was wrong, he needed an out. But he wasn't ready for the conversation that came along with that, to be so openly vulnerable, even in the face of his chosen family. He wasn't ready for his father to face repercussions he himself would be blamed for. He wanted to wait it out until Luke left on his own, as he always inevitably did. That way, if he ever returned, it wouldn't repeat the cycle again. Perhaps he really would get clean, next time. Perhaps JJ wouldn't have to get hurt again. They had no chance at fixing their broken relationship if it was exposed to intervention. As predicted, he was spotted almost instantly, his pulled up hoodie doing nothing to cover the purple markings under his eye. JJ stood opposite a very concerned face, trying to avoid thinking too much about their worried expression, or his own dismissive response. He needed to play it off, but it was hard to seem sincere when his stomach was aching with emptiness, and his body was slumped with exhaustion. “What, this? Nah, man. It’s fine. It’s just my dad, y’know? He can really snap his right jab off at times. It’s nothin’. We were just fuckin' around and it went too far. Seriously, it's fine.” 

[marinanunierrosuna]

Music blasting through her headphones, Marina wasn’t sure if anything had been said, but she witnessed the encounter with particular distaste. She hated bullies, especially male ones. They were always more physical, intimidating. She’d experienced her fair share, back in One. "Cabrón." With an irritated sigh, she moved forward, pausing her music to help the stranger gather her things.

“Hey. I know it’s hard, but you should really try not to take stuff like this personally. It has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with dick size and not getting enough attention from daddy.” Holding out the girl’s books, she smiled. “I’m Marina.”

Rhiannon often felt as if she were invisible, but today, apparently she really was. Someone slammed into her in the school hallway, Rhi too startled to recognise who, sending her stumbling backwards and her books crashing to the floor. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she waited a moment before kneeling, beginning to collect her belongings.

[jjmaybvnk]

Although JJ hadn’t know Rhiannon long at all, they’d bonded quickly. Peter cared about her, which meant JJ did, too. And unfortunately for him, he’d never been good with dishonesty when it came to his friends, even in small doses. “There may have been some swearing. Some uh - some finger sticking-upping. But she was totally on my case first.” 

“Oh, that sucks, JJ, I’m sorry.” She gave him a sympathetic smile, watching his expression. “… Are you sure that’s all that happened?” Rhiannon was still getting to know him, but something told her that wasn’t the entire story. None of the teachers she’d come across had ever been that traditionally strict.

[marinanunierrosuna]

“You’re way too nice. There’s a lot going on for all of us, but you don’t see the rest of us shoving people around.” She sighed, frustrated, getting to her feet. “Whatever. He’ll get his own, one day.” If not, her brother and his friends could always sort him out. They were interrupted by the piercing ring of the bell, Marina wincing at the sound.

“I’m sorry, I’ve really got to get to class, I’ve been late to this one before. But it was nice meeting you, Rhiannon. And don’t forget — nolite te bastardes carborundorum.” She grinned, starting to walk away, yelling out over her shoulder. “Don’t let the bastards grind you down!”

//.

Rhi almost flinched at the approach, paranoid whoever had bumped into her was back to cause more chaos. She hadn’t expected a helping hand, especially from a stranger. She blinked at the other girl for a moment, shocked, before finally recovering, smiling in response. “Oh, it’s okay. It’s not the first time, so I.. try not to. I’m sure there’s a lot going on for them.” Or apparently him, as Marina had informed. Still smiling, she took back the books, touched by the gesture. “Rhiannon. Thank you so much, Marina, you… really didn’t have to.”

[julietblackwell]

Juliet was wandering the school hallway in hopes of finding Troyan, his lunchbag in hand, when she heard the sound of books meeting the floor. Although she hadn't seen the initial cause, the quiet laughter attached to someone scuttering off not a moment later was enough indication of what'd happened. With a frustrated sigh, Juliet closed the distance between her and the student, kneeling down to help her gather her belongings. It was only when their eyes met that she found herself blinking in surprise. "Wait. I know you, right?" Juliet sifted through the memories she'd had to suppress, searching for a name. Eventually, it came to her, along with a sense of relief that another person from her past had made it through alive. "Rhiannon. Are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Rhiannon often felt as if she were invisible, but today, apparently she really was. Someone slammed into her in the school hallway, Rhi too startled to recognise who, sending her stumbling backwards and her books crashing to the floor. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she waited a moment before kneeling, beginning to collect her belongings.