"Ah thanks Mosi, was wondering where those were" Dakota said even though for some reason she had noticed that they had fallen out of her guitar case which was on the table. She realized she was slipping from the sofa so she heaved herself and leant against the cushions that were nicely placed there. She looked across at Mosi casually sitting as he usually did with his legs on Emery's lap. Realizing she didn't know if she had managed to put on her cool eye makeup she usually had on or whether she hadn't put it on or she was wearing yesterday's makeup still. Dakota leaned forwards trying to not fall and tugged at the bag which was tied to the armrest she had on her wheelchair. The bag came away eventually thankfully intact and she wriggled back into her seat. And took her mirror and did a small grimace at her face. She took the red eyeliner and just carefully closed one of her eyes and focused on the mirror trying not grimace or it would wrinkle her face and the makeup would be wonky. She carefully do the others , silently cursing at her hands for shaking. Dakota flipped her mirror shut once she was done thanking for the moment to be finally over so she didnt have to be so tense and awkward about just doing makeup in front of people. She had a bag just full of makeup and for what . It wasn't like she wanted to have that dream now, that dream was over and sye was slightly glad. No one knew about her previous dreams to become a makeup artist. She tried to apply for jobs but everyone turned her away because she wasnt easy for travel or just simply a blank reason, but just saying she simply just hadn't got the job. She decided to grab a career in music, here she was more accepted she felt like they looked out for everyone and they were really like a little family who lived in different places. Most of us anyway. She looked at the food she had brought and said taking another biscuit " Feel free to grab what you want guys, I decided to go over the top for the snacks" Dakota looked around the coffee table that had been placed in the studio, around it was a medium sized dark grey sofa with matching relatively comfy armchairs that had to be kicked in order for them to recline.

Emery | Non-Binary | 22 | Human | Soundcrew | UNB

M: Mosi, Stace, Dakota, Aster, + X (dir.)

Emery seemed to almost be holding their breath until Mosi finally— finally!— took one of the drinks Emery brought. Despite it only taking a few seconds for Mosi to do so, it was still a great relief that Mosi took it. Instinctively perking up, Emery smiled as they watched Mosi take their coffee. Emery was beaming at the genuine praise Mosi gave. Emery then put on a cocky smile as they pretended like they expected this treatment of being told they were “keepable.”

“It’s about time someone noticed my excellence!” Emery laughed as they folded their arms and proudly puffed their chest. Flipping their hair as they pulled their phone out with the other hand, Emery’s smile only grew. “‘Bout time I am fully appreciated. Oh and don’t worry about them.” Emery added on as they waved a hand at Mosi for worrying about Emery’s threatening texts. “If they didn’t want a heart attack, they should have arrived on time!”

Suddenly, Mosi’s demeanor shifted from their playful banter to being more serious as Emery prompted the question of how she was doing. Emery’s chest deflated and their smile fell. After a moment of silence, Mosi finally spoke up in a much weaker voice as she played with her strand of white hair signature to all werewolves. Emery looked down at their own hands as they tried to think of a response. Emery themself was never in this situation before because the last romantic relationship they were in— one where it was not just purely for sex sadly without the emotional connection— was one that ended in Emery breaking it off as the girl tried to manipulate Emery through their trauma. This was Mosi being broken up with which was an entirely different story. Emery had just been a passive observer to the train wreck of a call that went down.

“Look, it’s totally fine to be angry,” Emery responded after a moment, sounding more like their dad then themself as they spoke. “From what I heard, she was being a major and total bitch and absolutely deserves whatever anger you feel towards her.” Emery put their arm around Mosi and smiled at her. “Just know that she is absolutely missing out on probably the second-best lover— second only to me of course—” Emery added that part jokingly to lift Mosi’s spirits before their tone slowly shifted back to being genuine— “the best roommate, and… and someone who I am so happy to have as a friend.” Emery smiled and pulled Mosi into a brief hug, only pulling away once Emery heard footsteps.

Not long after Emery entered, Stace followed. Stace was six inches taller than them and far beefier to the point where he could snap Emery in half and probably get away with it too because of his good looks. As ridiculous as this sounded, that was always just one of the fears of being with an angel, especially when you are a human like Emery.

Upheld on such a high peg that everyone looked up to, angels were the peak, the greatest, in almost every society. They were often gorgeous, powerful, or both. Almost no one except the most powerful witches and demons could defeat an angel and even then, angels always won the pity of the people. As such, Stace was the golden boy and, as an angel, he could do no wrong. Everyone loved angels. Everyone. For everyone who loved angels, there was a wapping zero people who liked humans. Honestly, Emery was jealous of Stace. He got the spotlight, he got the love, and he had everything. Sure, Stace had his own struggles and own pains, this Emery was almost sure of, but Emery still envied him. Stace, like everyone else in the group, was someone Emery knew since highschool, but that does not negate their feelings. Stace had everything that Emery wanted, but what could Emery do? Stace was an angel and Emery is just a human.

“Ah, hey angel face!” Emery said, looking over the tall man with a warm smile. “I got your favorite drink so dig in. Don’t worry, you’re here before almost everyone else.” Emery shook their head as Stace spoke, pulling out their phone, cat stickers, photos of the group, and a non-binary pride flag visible throughout the clear case. “Yeah, I texted the group chat and that’s the plan for today. See?” Emery showed Stace the message they had sent earlier just in case he had not seen it. “Plus, what Mosi said is totally true.” After giving Stace probably half the time he would have needed to actually read the message, Emery huffed and leaned back into the couch, sipping angrily from their boba. “Of course, they are all late as always though… If the others don’t come meet us here soon though, I am submitting us down as the worst possible name I can think of, no matter what Sumire says!”

Speaking of Sumire, Emery heard a small ding! from their phone and looked down to see Aster’s text mentioning their manager. Emery frowned a bit as he saw Aster had a rough morning as he said in his message, but nearly choked on their boba as they saw that Aster not only had sushi but cupcakes too. Pouting, Emery showed their phone to Mosi to express their jealousy to their other friend by muttering, “Lucky bastard…”

Emery perked up as the mechanic whirring of an electric wheelchair hummed outside the door, startling Emery as Dakota rolled over to the group. Dakota was the guitarist of the group but both her and Stace shared the quality of being a bit of an airhead at times. This was not to say both of them were stupid, far from that, they just tended to be a bit neglectful of what others were saying or doing. This was most evident Dakota holding a tray of drinks in her lap as she rolled in.

“Heyyy, you know I sent a message a while back how I was getting drinks for everyone? So you really did not have to buy those drinks,” Emery mumbled, resisting the urge to scream into Mosi, who seemed to be one of two people in the band who did not seem to ignore them. “The snacks are super appreciated but you did not have to get more coffee. I even got your favorite coffee.”

Dakota, however, promptly and probably ignored Emery— perhaps not on purpose but it still stung— as the fae boosted herself out of her wheelchair onto the couch opposite to Emery. Dakota proceeded to then fix her makeup and be distracted with jamming out to Mary Had a Little Lamb. Sighing, Emery grabbed a snack and slumped into the couch.

Emery loved Stace but he seemed not to get social cues at times or when Emery was trying to do something for him, and Emery admired Dakota but she never seemed to be present in conversations half the time. Mosi, however, was 100% easier to talk to and always seemed to be on the same wavelength. Despite Emery’s closeness with Mosi, the room had a sort of stillness to it that needed the entrance of others to relieve the pressure.

Finally, after a few moments of awkward silence, Aster and X— thank the Gods— finally arrived. Emery was so glad the two of them showed up and since Aster was always a blast to talk to and X was always fun to pick on. Despite being somewhat frustrated by their tardiness, Emery waved at them with a large, sharp-toothed smile. Even though Emery was human, their sharp teeth tended to be a bit of a problem for most people and make Emery a bit insecure, but around them, she forgot to smile with their lips closed.

“Hey you two!” Emery said with a grin before only giggling happily as they were praised with such kind words. “Awww, stooop! You’ll make me blush!~” Emery giggled before grabbing X’s drink and passing the apple juice with the curly straw to the man. “Sorryyyy, they only had containers that used curly straws. Guess you’ll have to make due!~” Emery definitely asked specifically for curly straws just to make X look more childish and this was evident in their devilish smirk as they rested their spare hand on the legs Mosi draped over their lap.

“Ehh, tired. At least I got to sleep in a bit and get some stuff for college finished up though,” Emery responded while looking down at the snacks they had snagged from Dakota as they could not help but remember the overwhelming depression that flooded them earlier this very morning. Looking up at Aster, Emery froze.

“Hey Aster, is everything—”

Aster stood up and rapidly dashed out of the room, startling Emery whose eyes softened and who watched in confusion. Emery sat frozen, unaware of what to say or do, before slowly turning to X. “What happened…? Is everything okay?”

Astrophil | Roadie | Star-Child | TBR

Mentions: Avenoir and Poe (dir.)

Astrophil feels his lips under his mask pull into a smile, his eyelids squinting to show Avenoir that he was smiling underneath. His eyes held a shine to them, one that could make anyone's heart race. Hearing the nervousness in his brisk laughter coming from his bandmate made him worried, yet he refrained from asking further about his personal life. "Caffeine is the best medicine," is added with a brisk nod, the grip on his cup loosening when he witnessed Avenoir shrug his shoulders to his question. His eyes trailed along the demon's figure, taking in his posture and the movement he was doing with his body. His eyes locked onto the others, staring hard into them to read visible emotions. Avenoir was apprehensive.

The way the demon spoke and his behavior. Something or someone was bothering him, which made Astro concerned and intrigued. He was grateful that his mask covered the lower half of his lips as his teeth dug into the bottom of them, peeling the skin off his lips. Witnessing Avenoir reacting that way made him upset, let alone pathetic. "You don't look alright," his tone was full of warmth yet mixed with uneasiness. It's definite that Astro is concerned about him, and the roadie isn't afraid to show it. He watched Avenoir walk to the counter to retrieve his beverage after he excused himself.

He gazed around the cafe briefly until Avenoir returned and was going to comment until Poe approached. Astro smiled under his mask, his eyes beaming, "Nice to see you here, Poe. The only people missing are Percy, Mircea, and Roskr." He chuckled, then gazed at the watch on his wrist to check what time it was, his eyes widening in surprise. "Damn. I need to hurry up and head back to the headquarters. I have new equipment to unpack." His eyes shuffled away from the watch, switching between Poe and Aven, "It's nice to see you two, but I have to get on out of here. See you guys later." Astrophil rushes out of the cafe to the band's building with haste, swiftly dodging the mass crowd of people blocking his path.

Aster Morningstar

Lead Singer | Witch | Mentions: Stace

The witch was contemplating his next move. He couldn't just go back out their and face the others without an explanation, he had freaked out way too much for it it to just exactly - blow over. He cursed his mix of hatred and fear of that stupid naga. But he knew he needed to get his phone at least and just save the conversation for another time, and he massaged his temples to bring some sort of peace to his turbulent thoughts and aching head in this moment. He had slowly began to try and stabilize himself, but he didn't know if he trusted himself to even speak or go back out their. That's when a knock came on the bathroom door, great, he thought as he wrapped his arms around himself defensively. He got an audience to his breakdown, he thought sarcastically, but he was surprised it was Stace of all people. And he knew he couldn't be defensive around him, this would be interesting to say the least. He wiped away the last of his tears as the drummer had silently moved towards him. He noticed the drummer hadn't spoken, yet , but he tapped to inform him he would be hugging him. His eyes slightly widened at that, not in a bad way though, just surprised - Stace giving him a hug? Usually it was the other way round, if it was anyone else he'd probably deny it. But this was Stace we're talking about, and Aster didn't have the heart to deny it. And besides, hugs from the drummer felt good, in his opinion at least.

He didn't try and stop him as he was embraced by the later, he only melted himself into the hug. He was appreciative of it. It felt warm and secure, it was probably silly but he had always liked Stace being such a damn giant - he always felt protected near him . But he wasn't expected to be called babe, and he was thrown off by that, none in the band knew the two were exes - unless they had put the two's comical bickering and unspoken words and tension together . But, his eyes softened at the word and sentiment, especially when it came from a place of care and concern. He didn't really know what exactly to say or how to start a conversation with someone else about Matt, especially if he didn't know if he could even manage to tell the story without throwing up again. Plus he was anxious about how Stace would react , would he think less of him? He knew X didn't, but that was different, he's known the dragon since they were very little and the dragon had promised to hunt the naga down and was the one to help him get away from the relationship - though he didn't tell X, he was appreciative of him and thought of him as a brother, no matter how the dragon might deny it - he was family. Well, someone would have to know, after all , what if something happened and it was left to just one person knowing?

His face held a pensive and thoughtful expression. He needed to tell him, and he buried his head into the chest of the drummer before letting out a tired sigh saying, " I don't know how much I will say without feeling the need to vomit, but I'll do my best . " his voice a bit shaky and smaller than normal but at least he was verbal. And he felt his grip on the male tighten a bit, " Do you remember Matthew Marwood from school? Just a little bit older than us? Well, I don't know if it was stupidity or just bad luck, but you know I'm usually kind to everyone - and I possibly got his attention from just giving a friendly smile and letting him borrow a pencil or something stupid like that. But anyway, I'm getting off track - I ended up dating the guy. " he said and paused for a moment as he got into the story.

" You see he was sweet the first couple months, and then the red flags began showing. He was a bit obsessive and creepy , and pushy with me . But I ignored it for my sake, and then came more clear signs like the twisted manipulative behavior he exhibited, but that's not even the worst part.... " he said his voice barely a whisper now, " let's just say when he didn't get his way . . . he used other methods, particularly drugs. Now my memory is hazy of what happened when I was drugged, " now that was a partial lie, he could remember some of the events, and how he spent nights crying in his bathroom or destroying it because of his anger and embarrassment. " but , I know sometimes I didn't consent, and then the photos, oh the photos." He said in a disgusted tone.

" The reason I had a bad morning? Because I had a nightmare about how I found out that my ex-boyfriend was not only creepy, but a stalker. He had photos of me dated to before we were dating, some were candid as well and in the privacy of my own home, and not to mention stolen items of mine and he even had a locket of my hair. So when I saw that text, knowing it's his style of writing and twisted words, yeah I freaked out because I thought he was long gone - he's the reason I left the states briefly and not to mention he has a restraining order on him . "

He looked at Stace, hoping he didn't sound crazy or idiotic, " I know I probably over reacted about this, but please don't think less of me because of it. And I don't want the others to know, I'll tell them on my own time. " his voice was pleading and a bit watery as he spoke those words to Stace. He just hoped the later would listen.

Dakota jumped slightly as she realized someone was speaking to her, it was Emery . She nodded and reply smoothly "Sorry Emery , turned off my phone in the evening so I stopped getting texts from ...." she took a pause trying to think of an okay word to use and then continued "From assholes who think they can try and belittle,threaten and insult me so yes that is why I didn't see your text" With that she shimmied back into the sofa and powered her phone, it was a decent phone that worked...wasn't the latest but she couldn't care less. As soon as it was on she put it down on the table , unaware of a few comments from random people on her social media commenting shit about Dakota. "Thanks for the coffee Emery" She took the coffee and sipped it as she watched everyone chatter.Then Aster zoomed in and then out of the room again , Dakota couldn't tell what was wrong but he seemed tense and upset. She didn't know what to do with herself again so she just sat back and watched the scene okay out in front of her and but her lip as she saw a notification of a comment come up. She felt tempted to lean over to the table as see what the comment said but as she did she regretted it, it was only a picture of her in her wheelchair with her guitar but the comment stung surprising herself It's meals on wheels It said. It had few likes showing their support . Fuck them , You are not that you are - okay you are-.she tried to make herself think. Although she bit her lip and slumped back a little to hard and fast , splashing coffee all over her front "Shit" She leaned forwards , put her coffee on the table and quickly changed her t-shirt but she knew people would notice a little but they seemed a little preoccupied. She looked down at the t-shirt and she couldn't see the text on the t-shirt, she didn't want to look at her phone again so she hoped it was a good t-shirt , it should be one saying "Well, you know what they say: If you don't have anything nice to say about anybody,come sit by me." It was black like the last one with identical bold white writing. She picked up her coffee avoiding looking at the screen of her phone and sipped it , lookin and listening once again to the action that was happening as she usually did.

Valente | Bassist | UNB | Chimera

A bus came to a stop at a bus stop with a bunch of people heavily crowding it. They were packed shoulders to shoulders, some having bags on their backs or in their hands. A few have kids with them, with the children's screeching for their parent's attention. As the doors opened, the people at the bus stop shuffled to the sides to allow a path to form. Humans and supernaturals in such an open space, yet they chose to huddle together, a couple of them going as far as to start a conversation about the weather. Staring at the mass crowd with misery in their orange audits was a man through the tinted windows, his face twisted into an anxious scowl. He nervously drummed his hands on his jeans, going at it in an unrhythmic beat. He lets out a heavy sigh before rising to his feet clumsily, his leg brace restricting some of the movements in his leg.

He grabbed his bags from the bag holder above his head, one being an empty duffle bag with the second a guitar case. Walking down the aisle was embarrassing as his bags accidentally hit the seats and a few passengers who sat there. His cat-like pupils dilate, his darkened cheeks flushing with a dark red tint. "S-s-sorry," he called out to each person he struck with his bags, yet his voice was barely audible as he mumbled. His failed attempt at apologizing caused the hit passengers to glower his way, with the man gulping at their tenacious gaze. He hurries off the bus the best he can, careful as he limps down the steps and firmly grasps the handle with his free hand. He left one tight, crowded space and entered another mass-filled area. Luckily enough for him, the second one offered more free reign than the bus.

Valente left the bus stop, breaching his way through the crowd, and was shoved back a few times. Even though he wasn't the one doing the shoving, he still apologized with a stutter. He moved away from the road, hugging the side where the buildings were. His eyes check out the address numbers on the building, searching for the apartment he rented while he was staying with his parents. Finding the apartment right above a bakery, his lips pulled into a small smile. Vante didn't mind waking up to the smell of freshly baked treats. What concerned him were the noises he'll have to endure from the shop below him. With easy access to food, his complaint was outmatched by his adoration for treats. He walks to the second single door that leads upstairs to the apartment on the left side, walking past the double doors of the bakery. Vante peeks into the glass doors of the shop. Hunger in his eyes as he hadn't snacked on anything for the past hour.

His stomach growled at him, Vante flushing as he was sure other people heard it. The Chimera went through the apartment door, heading upstairs at a gradual pace. Awkwardly hoisting his braced leg up the steps, a free hand gripped the railing tightly. The bags on his back added to the weight, making him lean backward on the steps. This made his fear intensify, afraid his injured leg could slip under him at any moment. Vante could've chosen a different place to live, but sadly this was the cheapest place in town. He used the money he savored for college. That changed after that accident, and his funds had to go towards something else. He wandered down the halls of the apartments, searching for his room number. "3. 3. 3. Where is it?" His eyes checked out the numbers on the door until he came across his. The 3's upside down on his door, hanging on by a single nail.

He used the key that was sent to him by mail and used it to unlock the door. When he stepped in, his eyes surveyed the empty apartment and the curtainless windows. The living room was combined with the small kitchen, which means his living room would have to be the dining area. In general, the combined areas were medium-in-size. Not too big or small, but it means restrictions when it comes to furniture. Vante locked the front door behind him before heading further inside, moving to check out the bedroom. Yeah, that room was small, only able to fit a twin-sized bed and a few shelves. At least he has a closet, although it barely could store lots of clothes. The bathroom wasn't much either: a toilet, a sink with a counter, and a shower with a tub. With his house tour down, he dropped his bags in his empty bedroom to get ready to meet his new bandmates.

◈ ━━━━━━━ ◆ ━━━━━━━ ◈

Mentions: X (dir.)

Vante was speedwalking along the sidewalk, the same duffle bag on his back, but this time it was stuffed. "I hope I'm not late. Better yet," he paused in his head when he halts a crosswalk, "not going the wrong way." He tried to ask directions from passing strangers, but sadly his words conjoined messily. His phrases overlap and create a disaster of a sentence. He noticed the concerned look on the strangers' faces, believing he was some crazy person who lacked the compatibility to speak. The second part may be accurate, but the first part was certainly not. He gave up asking for directions, blindly wandering the streets, checking out every passing building that could be the unnamed band's headquarters. He always believed he would get lost somewhere, like in a jungle or desert. He didn't imagine that it would happen today of all days. Let alone in a bustling town such as this. He sighed in defeat, went over to a bench next to the street, and plopped down defeatedly.

Valente zipped open his bag, revealing it to be stuffed with snacks: a variety of chips, doughnuts, cookies, brownies, pretzels, and many others with unseeable labels due to them being covered. He grabs a bag of nacho-flavored chips and eats it, silently watching people walk by. He was lost in his thoughts until something poked his cheek, making him jump with a squeal. This made him have onlookers, Valente cringing at the sudden attention. He gazed to the side of him where he felt the poke, remembering a familiar scaly red face. "Ah, it's you," his snake tail didn't verbally reply, only flicking its tongue in response. "Um, something you need?" A steady hiss comes from the serpent before it turns its head in a random direction. Even though the snake couldn't speak, Val knew what it was trying to say. "You want me to head that way? Okay." He gobbled up the rest of his chips and zipped up his bag, tossing the empty bag into a nearby trashcan.

He follows the snake's head, using it as a compass to navigate the town. Val kept his eyes away from gazing at others' faces for a long, not wanting to make himself even more abashed than before. That squeal made him want to hide under the covers and never return. Now he'll probably be labeled as an insane newcomer. He can see his face on the front page of the newspapers. That won't be a good way for his bandmates to learn about him and perceive him as such an individual. He peels the skin off his lips, drawing out a bit of blood. His attention was on the snake as he led him, yet he couldn't help but frown. "Would they be bothered by Rory? What if they're afraid of snakes and kick me out?" His lip biting became aggressive, his top lips the new target for his teeth. A small number were alright his peculiar tail, while many expressed negative emotions: fear, disgust, repulsiveness, and disturbance.

When his snake tail froze in place, his beady eyes on an unfamiliar building, Val stopped and faced it, gulping anxiously. "Is this the place, Rory?" The snake did a non-hostile hiss, moving his head to stare at him now. He couldn't help but smile, giving a quiet nod in thanks before stepping into the building. He was startled when the door behind him shut abruptly, his heart racing rapidly to the point his eardrums picked it up. "He-he-hello?" He called out in the worst attempt possible, dragging his feet as he went farther inside. Valente heard voices echoing throughout the halls, his face going a few shades lighter. "It's haunted. Isn't it? Nope," he turned on his heels to leave where he entered from, "Nope. Nada. I'm out of here." The voices grew deathly quiet, the halls becoming eery to the poor man. Now he preferred the voices over the silence. It was unsettling.

He hears footsteps coming down the halls behind him, a deep voice calling out to him, hostility in their words. "Hey! What are you doing here!?!" Valente was about to dash off like a scared rabbit, except that his braced leg won't be able to give him the desired speed. So, quickly he hobbled off, but that attempt was a failure. A large hand grabbed his shoulder firmly, and what felt like claws burrowed into the surface of his skin, holding him in place. Val let out the loudest scream known to man. The snake tail hissed loudly, screaming in its unique serpenty way. He hesitantly looked over his shoulder to stare back at the person who grabbed him, only to be met with a muscular chest. Slowly, he brings his head up to find their face, taking note of the person's tallness. When his eyes met the pupiless ones, he almost fainted under the seething amber audits. "I-I-I," Those are the only words he can muster, his mind in utter shock to say anything else.