What a great question, my little anon. Hereās some things weāve definitely been keeping an eye on:Ā
Lucas and Kristen are having a shouting match at her place of work. Although, weāre not surprised, considering how Lucas tricked her into thinking the bracelet was turning her arm black. Be careful, Lucas! When you make the lioness angry, her mate will most likely come out and defend her as well. @kristenxparrish @greenman-lucas @milesāhallĀ
We saw Cassandra and Lucas meeting in the library the other day and overheard them making a plan to scare Kaden. I wonder how they are going to figure out what heās afraid of. Are they going to add Kristen into the mix? Or maybe theyāll go ask his best friend, Logan?Ā Ā @cassiedaws @logan-kingston37
It seems as though Zachariah has set his sights on Naomi and forced her to use her power. I wonder how Flynn feels about that?Ā Ā @naomixpatton @zachariahsdisease
Anika is making Flynn uncomfortable but honestly, are we surprised? @flynnxcarver @anikalaneĀ
Tristan and Landon are still at each otherās throats and itās thoroughly enjoyable. @tristan-miller @ascoldaslandon
Ethan and Fiona are getting friendly on the dance floor of the local club. @ethanxparkinson @fionadrake
We noticed Oliver sitting on a bench all on his lonesome. He looked rather worse for wear. Did the beast get the best of him again or did he get into a brawl that we didnāt see? @olliexwest
And last, but certainly not least, Zane posted a suggestive picture of his friend Tristan on Lake Grimstoneās Instagram. We can only guess that the lipstick was put on Tristan by either Zane or Harley. So who was it, boys?Ā Ā @harleyhidalgo @zanexpatel
Is there anything we missed? If so, please do share!
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ARCHETYPES: the innocent | the regular guy/gal | the hero | the Ā Ā caregiver | the explorer | the rebel | the lover | the creator | the jester | the sage | the magician | the ruler
Born to Delia Laine, a woman with the power of transmutation, Anika was not immediately given up for adoption or anything so traumatic. Things were relatively stable, in fact, until she was a toddler: age three, Delia ā a paranoid schizophrenic with delusions of persecution in a world where her power technically made her no different to a good portion of the population, as everyone well knew ā was institutionalized and medicated for her condition. During the shuffle, Anika was thrown into the foster system. It wasnāt until her teen years that her string of homes ā for she was a troublemaker, no doubt about it ā landed her in Lake Grimstone temporarily, matched to a couple with powers in the system because it had long been known that she had her own, too. That didnāt last long and Anika was soon moved on from Grimstone, but she never forgot the place with people like her found everywhere.
Connections:
Aubrey Gallagher, co-worker/business partner ( @aubrey-gallagher ): Anika and Aubrey met in Grimstone years ago and remained in contact, only partially because Anika believed the tech-heads power would be useful to her in the future. Now they work together as security consultants, specializing in identifying flaws in systems that allow unwanted intrustion and departures.
Zane Patel, excommunicated ( @zanexpatel ): A few years ago, Anika went to confront one of the more abusive foster sets sheād encountered in her youth. It was thank to Zane Patel that it didnāt end badly for her. Not long after, she used her power to help him break into his former family home, telling him immediately after to stay the hell out of her life: she didnāt want anything to do with his villainous self, now that her debt was paid. Sheās not about to tell himĀ that the favor she owed him is the main reason she has a job she enjoys now.
Wanted (maybe, if anyoneās interested): Former foster sibling (positive or negative relationship).
1.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Describe yourself in a few words.
Fun, troublesome, difficult, hard to handle, changeable, and a survivor.
2.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā What are your major flaws?
Hm. I have a fucked up past and though I constantly insist on not using it for an excuse for my behaviour, itās often the reason it started, or for my motivation. I cuss like a motherfucking sailor. I get great joy out of ruining peoples faith in humanity. I donāt give a shit about appearances and yet I put more effort into my disregard than I do into anything else in my life. And I hold grudges for literally decades.
3.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā What would you give your life for?
Defend an innocent, probably. Other than that the purpose is survival.
4.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā What is your greatest asset?
Iām good at handling shit. Seriously. I might be fucking pissed ninety nine per cent of the time, but Iām the one you want around if you have to save a puppy from a burning building.
5.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā What would completely break you?
Letās see. I already have no faith in humanity. I repress my own actual genuine interests to avoid judgment. I have no faith in myself to earn things I want, or deserve things that might actually be good for me. I donāt know whatād break me, since I always expect the worst, but hey. If you can work it out and let me know, itāll probably be beneficial in the long run.
6.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā How does the image you try to project differ from the image you actually project?
Heartless, icy bitch with no feelings and no interest in anything except her own entertainment is what weāre going for here. What we got is a fragile shell who is opening herself up to too many people, latching onto some idiotic guard with a thing for lost causes, to this ditzy overly trusting roommate, to a boyfriend who came out of fucking nowhere. Iād say Iām coming across as broken far too often.
7.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā What are you afraid of?
Death and judgement. Not from you.
8.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Where would you fall on a politeness/rudeness scale?
...Iām going to assume this question is a joke and underline ārudeā about sixteen times with a red pen.
9.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā If you could choose a different identity, who would you pick?
Youāre kidding, right? Iām a fucking shifter. Thereās no if about it, just a when. And the answer is whoever benefits me the most at that point in time.
10.Ā Ā In what or whom is your greatest faith in?
Myself. Iām the only one Iāve always had on my side, after all. Scott and Flynn are new to the picture and I donāt particularly want to entertain the faith I have in my ability to completely and totally fuck both of those up.
11.Ā Ā What was the best thing in your life?
The high Iād get from outsmarting the cops. Which wasnāt hard, admittedly, but busting out of prison for the twelfth time felt just as great as the first.
12.Ā Ā What was the worst thing in your life?
Foster care. Lack of dependability. So on.
13.Ā Ā What is your biggest nightmare?
Someone who could be a parent taking a look at me and basically immediately going āI never wanted youā. I mean, obviously, but thereās no need to lay the fucking point down like that. Shoot me in the eye while youāre at it, why donāt you, itāll have the same effect of ruining my faith in humanity.
14.Ā Ā What seemingly insignificant memories stuck with you?
Fuck. Bowling with the only decent fosters I ever had, that was ā that was something. Swimming lessons I took for three weeks when I was five. Sitting in church when I was nine, listening to some pastor drone on about hymns and praising the lord or whatever. And a train journey I got sent on when the system matched me with a couple outside Chicago when I was a kid. I think I was maybe four. I just remember looking out the window and watching the country pass by and it was like, yeah, this is what I like.
15.Ā Ā What is your secret wish?
For a family, obviously. Who doesnāt want a family that isnāt a total fucking trainwreck?
16.Ā Ā What is your greatest achievement?
Fucking Hell. I slipped out of a holding cell once in the middle of a police station during a Commissioner visit. So many cops hanging around. Iām fucking good at what I do.
17.Ā Ā What is your deepest regret?
I shouldāve spit on Ace instead of telling him I used to love him. Possibly stabbed him. The only good thing he ever did for me is get me the hell out of fucking Chicago.
18.Ā Ā What is your deepest disappointment?
Constantly being given up on by foster parents; each new set giving up on you is another bullet to the chest. It gets to the point where you donāt care if theyāre abusive, because all that does is tell you ahead of time that theyāre gonna do everything they can to crush you.
19.Ā Ā What are you reluctant to tell people?
Anything at all. Confirming what people think they know only ever leads to disappointment and regret.
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when opportunity knocks... (it tears down the door) | Anika, Gabriel
āYou know the answer to that, surely.ā
Anika really didnāt appreciate the tone the winged bloody wonder was taking. Something carefully calm, as though he was placating some wild animal. And, fine, sheād rather that than meekness or false patience, but what the hell was wrong with this guy, thinking sheād tell him anything at all? She hadnāt even meant to open up to Flynn, what did it say about the arrogance of this fucker that he thought he was different?
Apparently, her thoughts were written on her face, or he had a surprisingly good grasp of human emotion. The guy really did look like a bit of an idiot, a boy next door sort. But apparently she was biased towards thinking the worst of people, and fuck, she needed to work on that, didnāt she? If she was ever going to be ā
No. Fuck that. She wasnāt going to be one of those people who intentionally changed themselves in the hope of appeasing someone she was interested in. She hated people like that. And maybe she hated herself already, but there was no need to make it so she didnāt respect herself too, and ā
āAre you okay?ā
Fuck no. āWhat?ā
The winged wonder had sat down on the ground between the trees, is what Anika discovered when she actually looked at him, disbelieving. āAre you okay? You tripped.ā
āIām fucking fine.ā
āThatās good, I didnāt bring a first aid kit.ā What? āAnd it canāt be easy.ā
She stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate. The light from Flynnās power flared in the corner of her eye, flashing through the narrow visual provided by the trees.
He didnāt disappoint, after a long silence. ā...You obviously care about him.ā
āFucking hell.ā
āItās nothing to be ashamed of.ā
āIām not fucking ashamed! Have you met him? Heās fucking ā blessed, or some shit, with that stupid smirk and the damn personality and the sense of humor and just. Fuck. Brilliant. Fuck you.ā She huffed, bristling at the suggestion. That wasnāt what she was feeling so damn off about. It wasnāt. āItās just none of your goddamn business.ā
He had quirked an eyebrow at her. Again. Every judgement sheād internalized over the past few weeks was behind that eyebrow, she was sure of that. Questions of lacking morals, of being too prideful and stubborn and fucking fallible, of not being able to even carry out a stupid misleading con without fucking it up any more. Anika hunched her shoulders, trying to simultaneously make herself smaller and not actually seem smaller. It was a difficult feat, one she had never managed. It was always better to go for one or the other, and not a combination of both.
āShut up.ā
āYou jumped to his defense just then,ā he pointed out, ānot your own.ā
āSo? Itās not like it means anything.ā
The guy hummed noncommittally, shifting in place as Anika watched him absently tug a wing into his lap to, ostensibly, preen or something like it, because the guy was part fucking bird. He was quiet for long enough that she thought maybe heād dropped it. Of course she was never so lucky. āActions always mean more than words, in the moment. Iām pretty sure you know that ā that everyone knows that. And what did you do tonight? You waited on the step for him for nearly an hour, donāt think I didnāt notice. You apparently were completely honest with him, for the first time in ā what, weeks? I think heās been talking about Ellie for weeks.ā If he noticed her flinch yet again at the mention of the name, he didnāt seem inclined to call her out on it. āAnd you did what he asked and came to get me. And havenāt made a break for it yet.ā He smiled wryly. āIf Flynn wasnāt the important one tonight, Iād be offended.ā
āYouād better be.ā
The winged wonder shook his head, apparently not interested in the fight she was trying to pick. āWhatāre you going to do?ā
āIf you seriously dragged me out here to talk about my fucking intentions, like Flynn canāt look after himself āā
āOf course I brought you here to talk about that. Of course he can look after himself.ā As if to emphasize his point, the sound of cracking trees in the distance cut through his dialogue. Sadly, it didnāt stop him. Of course it fucking doesnāt. āIām allowed to be worried for my friend, Anika, when Iām pretty sure heās never opened up to anyone the way he has to you. From what I heard, he told you more than heās told anyone ā and now here you are, having actually admitted thatās not who you are at all. Which, correct me if Iām wrong, might be a first for you, too.ā
She didnāt dignify that with a response, instead stuffing her hands into the pockets of the coat, curled into fists.
āFlynn thinks the best thing for him is to only feel mild emotions, Iām pretty sure. He hasnāt said it, but ā but heās afraid of repeating what happened before, if he gets upset. Surely you figured that out? Iāve only seen him really upset once, and weāve been roommates for five years. But he doesnāt seem to quite be in control when heās worked up, okay, and I donāt want him to be like this longer than he has to, because youāre messing with him for some twisted joke. Especially not when we both know how much it bothers him.ā
She couldnāt take it anymore. The fucking lecture, the speech, whatever it was; she couldnāt take it. āI didnāt do it on purpose!ā The winged wonder blinked at her, and she barrelled on, refusing to let him speak, her voice quiet and fast and heated. āIt was only meant to be a one off thing! I wasnāt even supposed to talk to anyone when I was in that damn shift, okay, I shouldāve shifted the hell out of it right after training but Iām lazy and stupid and incapable of thinking things fucking through,ā lie lie lie, the thought to herself, pushing on, āand then I was making up a fucking person for the sole purpose of having a friendly fucking chat with goddamn Flynn fucking whatshisname, and then we had plans and I didnāt want to fucking bail even though thatād have been the decent fucking thing to fucking do, alright, how twisted is that when the polite thing to do is not fucking exist?
āAnd I had every intention of having Ellie fucking disappear off the fucking planet, to gloat a little in my own private fucking world but no, he has to be fucking charming and different and unlike anyone Iāve actually talked to ever, and fuck you for making me talk about this when I donāt even fucking want to think about it. Iām a shitty person and Iād never do it again, to anyone āā because I donāt want to feel this much for more than one person; itād kill me ā ā but I wouldnāt fucking stop myself if I could. Iām not glad I did it, but. Fucking but. Iām glad I got to know him. Iām just fucked up enough that thereās no other way I could see myself getting to this fucking point, and even if he hates me for it now, it was fucking worth it to know that even for no time at fucking all.ā
The winged wonder started at her; to her complete shock, there was some sort of smile on his face. Not approving, exactly, but not reproachful, either. Like he was pleased with her somehow. But that didnāt make any fucking sense. When he broke the silence, finally, he only said, āCarver.ā
āWhat does that mean,ā Anika snapped, tired and stressed and fucking defeated.
āFlynnās surname. Carver. You said whatshisname instead.ā
She threw her hands up, sleeves flapping loosely as she groaned. āWhat am I supposed to do with that,ā she asked, frustrated. Gabe only shrugged. She couldnāt see his expression.
Wait. Couldnāt see his ā
Anika almost stood on Gabe in her haste to check the view. Flynn was on the ground, still. āFuck!ā
Make sure that kid values what it has. (n/b: child of her favorite set of foster parents, who gave Anika up when they discovered they were expecting a biological child.)
Prove I can be better than every foster expected. (n/b:Ā ābetterā in this instance is used in place ofĀ āhappierā and generally refers to having a family that isnāt broken or dysfunctional)
Con a suit on Wallstreet.
Get outĀ of America, temporarily or otherwise.
Mean something to someone.
Own a copy of Gaimanās American Gods.
Try laser tag.
Learn to make vanilla slice.
Find out what happened to Ace. (n/b: her ex, who got her arrested the first time and who she left there.)
