WAYWARD SOULS

for: @waywardesouls - Cass location: Drop it Like a Squat

Since settling in Lunar Cove, Cassandra had fell out of far too many habits. Her exercise routine was one of the most glaring. Back home, she had a dedicated trainer and a strict schedule which helped clear her mind and feel in control of her body. She wasn't anywhere close to out of shape, especially given how much she'd been walking since leaving her car back in Connecticut, but meeting Wei had felt like the push she needed to get back into a proper routine.

Looking at Yasin felt as though Cassandra were looking into a time capsule, just as clear and present as the past. He was older now, they both were, but he still remained the same Yasin—at least physically, so far. It brought a warm to her chest that Cassandra had not felt in so long. She hadn't realized how cold she'd allowed herself to become in the years following her accident. She smiled softly at him, some of that long forgotten warmth peeking through. “I didn't realize you had family here. Small world, huh?”

Closed starter for @waywardesouls (Cass) Location: Downtown Lunar Cove

“Oh, hey,” Cassandra greeted in surprise. She'd been spending more time out of her townhouse as of late, hating feeling cooped up and needing the air and the sunshine. She hadn't expected to run into JC, but small towns tend to make crossing paths inevitable. There was an inkling of guilt at the fact she hadn't reached out to him since inquiring about the pack the last time they'd met, but after the masquerade she hadn't had the time to think about it.

"I'm more just stating facts unless it is you disagree," She reasoned as she flashed Zuri a challenging look to see as though she'd say anything to contradict the fact that she was more hot than cute. "Eh, no," She scrunched up her nose at the thought of being called a 'jellyfish'. "For you, sure. You can be Jellyfish," She decided, tapping lightly on the other woman's nose. "But I'd rather be like a stingray or a Mako or some shit," She reasoned, flashing the woman a cheeky smile of her own before she finally told the woman, "The name is Lennon. So, were you actually serious about that date or what?"

Zuri held up her hands placatingly, a dimple appearing with her smile. “No, no, you're right. You're definitely on the hot side of the hot-cute scale,” She smirked cheekily. The tap of her nose surprised a giggle from her and she swiped some of her braids back behind her shoulder. “I'll take it. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lennon,” She held her hand out, eyes twinkling with mirth and coyness as she waits for the other the shake it. “I mean...I'm serious if you are. I think it'd be fun.”

#𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍𝖾𝗋 ›› ft. jules swan location: Sawyer's place tagging: @waywardesouls

Jules was finding herself in this little cycle of theirs more than she would like to admit. She knew better, of course she knew better, but all it took was their familiar banter and a few cheeky smiles from a too-confident cowboy and they were falling into bed all over again. Part of her knew he was going to be trouble the moment she saw him walk into Sinners, but a larger part of her had to admit she'd always loved trouble. She finished cleaning up in his bathroom, another familiar routine, and stole one of his shirts—entirely too large on her, to her dry amusement—before opening the door to his waiting face. She couldn't stave the twist of her lips as she crossed her arms and all but craned her neck to look up at him. “Gentleman, huh? S'cute,” She pat his bare chest idly, leaning forward further into his space. “You know I don't do sleepovers, hot shot. What makes you think I'm gonna start now?”

Stevie caught the way the other subtly jolted and only just held back an apology rather than bring any further attention to it. She nodded along to her explanation, still watching the show from the corner of her eyes. “Makes sense. I know a little self defense, but swords are beyond me. Maybe you should've been one of the ones in there instead.” She gave the woman a smile, only half kidding. From what she was saying, she seemed to have more knowledge of the sport than the ones performing it in the arena.

closed @waywardesouls (Sun-Hee & Cass)

Cassandra had always enjoyed Pride festivities. It wasn't until the past few years, however, that she realized how personal they were to her. Who knew it would simply take moving away to realize things about herself?

#𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍𝖾𝗋 ›› ft. rory moss location: Banner N’ Blade tagging: @waywardesouls

“Ooh, doth the lady wish to join the tourney?” Rory replied in a frankly terrible British accent. Though she knew Emira was joking, she couldn't help but love the mental image of her hopping onto a horse and picking up a lance. Given her display at the masquerade, Rory was fully confident that she could pull it off. At the mention of the Ren Faire, she automatically perked up in her seat. “Duh,” she grinned. “I mean, I have a few options in the works at least. I'm thinking going with an elf theme, you can never go wrong with elves at the Ren Faire. What about you, any plans yet? I could totally help you if you want.”

"Just swimmingly," Zeina insisted, despite having to blow literal feathers out of her face from the boa she was currently working to untangle herself from. "Can't you tell?" Z gave up halfway through untangling the boa and instead, merely tossed it around their neck as if it were some sort of fashion statement. "I even hung up that disco ball all by myself." They pointed to the disco ball hanging above them, and by 'all by herself', she meant that she roped in a very tall and hot deputy sheriff into hanging it for her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. No, you don't. Not without me paying you a fair wage for the day anyway. Though since you are here, we could always put on a fashion show? I have an entire box of clothes in the back that I know when you see them, you'll be simply dying to step into."

Rory's nose wrinkled with her grin, reaching up to flick a stray feather that drifted too close. She eyed the disco ball, trying to picture Zeina balancing precariously on top of a ladder to hang it and failing, but indulging them in the idea nonetheless—they were crafty, after all. At their protest of her offer she held up her hands in acceptance. “Alright, alright, fair enough. But, oooh, I am definitely down for a fashion show. Show me whatcha got.”

"Whoa, hey, I'm no cutie. Sexy? Sure. Undeniably irresistible, I'll take. But, cute?" She shook her head as if to tell the woman before her that she could do better than that, even if, in truth, Lennon didn't actually think she was any of the above. But there was a pretty brunette before her, and she was hardly going to blow it by being honest about what she truly thought of herself. "Tell me you can do better than that," She teased. A grin of her own broke across her lips as she found herself hoping that Zuri might rise to her challenge.

Zuri couldn't help but giggle, the other woman's playfulness calling to her own. “Alright, alright. I could call you hot stuff if that's more your speed,” She grinned with a raise of her brow. Deciding to play into the bit was a simple choice, and she idly tapped her chin with a delicate finger in exaggerated thought, humming mindfully. “But if you want something really unique... What about ‘jellyfish’, since you like 'em so much? Could be our little thing.” She flashed a cheeky smile, mirth sparkling in her eyes. “’Course, if you're really asking me out, I still gotta know your name. I was taught never to hang out with strangers, sexy and irresistible as they might be.”

Location ➠ Outside Dil Se Status ➠ Closed to Cassandra (@waywardesouls)

The last thing Cassandra expected to see walking in downtown Lunar Cove was a ghost from her past. She'd intended to get lunch and walk around a bit, enjoy the sunshine, when the familiar voice halted her steps. She hadn't noticed him, not at first, caught up in her own thoughts with eyes averted from passersby as though she could stave off conversation by simply ignoring those around her. But his voice was like a ghost in itself, and for a brief moment she was in college again, just a girl at a party with her friends laughing and drinking around her. The repeating of her name snapped her back to the present and she stared at him like a deer in headlights, a bitter irony if she thinks on it too long.

"W-what?" Leyla gulped as she moved forward to press the floor button again and again, only stepping out of the way when Cassandra moved to press the emergency call button. "T-this c-can't be h-happening," She mumbled under her breath as she moved back. "N-not a-again." Sliding down onto the ground, she pulled her knees tightly into her chest as she tried to will herself to stay calm despite the panic that was already beginning to settle over her. She tried to avoid the Emerald Hotel as much as humanly possible ever since the ball that had resulted in her wings being mangled. But in an attempt to work through her ptsd, she had been slowly showing up at the fae court more and more. Nyra had offered to help her relearn how to fly and she thought the exposure might do her some good, only now she was trapped in the building all over again. She might have been trapped in the ballroom before rather than in the elevator, but she was starting to think the Emerald Hotel might be cursed.

“Woah, hey–” Surprise colored Cassandra's features as she turned away from the panel of buttons towards the panicking pixie. Instinctively, she follows Leyla to kneeling before her, close but not so close that she might feel crowded. “We're going to be fine, okay? Fire department should be here asap, we just have to hang tight.” Cassandra was no stranger to panic attacks, the icy fear that grips the chest like a vice one she is all too familiar with, but she's never found herself on the opposite end of it. She had never been particularly good with comforting others, at least not outside of those she's close to, but through therapy and her own trials and errors she feels like she should know enough to try and calm the other down. “Can you take a deep breath with me?” She softened her voice, keeping her eyes on Leyla's as she inhaled deep, holding the breath for several beats before exhaling slow and repeating. “Just focus on me, okay?”

"No?" He looked confused, even eyeing Zoomie like the lemur might understand better. "Oh..." Ren didn't know how to tell Rory that, according to Ken, their team had won. "Yeah... yeah!" He made an attempt to encourage her. "You're a real winner, babe. We're proud!" As he spoke he gestured to Zoomie who nodded his head in agreement. If Rory wanted to pretend her team had won, Ren would let her. "You leave anything for me?" His question was followed by a laugh as he eyed all the empty shot glasses.

Rory was just a touch too tipsy to recognize Ren's hesitation, or the placating tone of his voice, so she only beamed and handed him one of her newly acquired shots. “Thank you. Really I think Kiraz did all the hard work getting the flag, but crossing the finish line with it felt good,” she nodded to herself. She couldn't help but laugh at his question. “Hey, you've got time to catch up. Better get to drinkin’ quick though, before I drink this place dry.”