( in name only. )

NICO RAMIREZ. 19. VIXEN. SOPHOMORE.

[jenbrookhart]

Date: October 9 Location: Foxhole Court (open)

Jen twists the racquet in their hands idly, the weight of it unfamiliar after going so many months without playing. They don’t know how they ended up here, standing alone in the Foxhole Court with their old racquet. One minute Jen working on their history paper and the next, they were digging through their closet and making their way to the court. Maybe, it’s an old habit that randomly came back to them. Back in Georgia, they used to put off difficult assignments, choosing to toss the ball around instead.

Maybe, it’s the upcoming Raven’s game. Not that the other games have been boring so far, but it’s the Foxes’ first game against one of the Big Three, and Jen can’t help but feel a little nostalgic about it. They spent that year with the Foxes feeling like they shouldn’t be there, and now it’s almost like they’re doing a disservice by not being there. By being on the sidelines and not the court. They hate this feeling. Indecisiveness. It’s not like Jen regrets their choice to leave, but they can’t pretend like they don’t sometimes have doubts.

They’ll just get it out of their system, they decide–toss the ball around the court a little, and it’ll be fine. Finally, they pick up the racquet, shifting it a few times to get the right grip. Just then, the door to the court opens, startling Jen enough to drop their racquet with a loud crash. Head whipping up, the shoot the newcomer a guilty look before stepping away from the evidence. “I–uh–found it and was just returning it,” Jen stammers, gaze going to the bucket of balls. No one is going to believe that excuse. Sighing, their shoulders droop. “Just…don’t tell anyone?”

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

There was something about the court that Nico couldn’t wrap his head around. He knew, really, it was a place that belonged to the Foxes; that the Vixens could only ever really go to when the Foxes let them, not that he thinks they ever want them there, in their space. And it’s not even like Nico had ever been attracted to the court; it’s a place of violence, of gritted teeth and frustration, of everything he actively avoids, where they just so happen to do their sport of choice between games. Yet he still finds himself curious, between their practices, to see what it’s like when it’s dormant.

Even though he sees Jen before he hears them, with their old kit on, it still takes a moment for Nico to register who it is.  It’s not that he didn’t consider that there might be a stray Fox getting some extra practice in, it’s more that he just didn’t expect it to be his roommate.

“No, don’t worry,” Nico trusted that if he ever needed them to, Jen would keep a secret for him, and doing that for them in turn was only natural, “Secrets safe with me – you’re the one I spill all my gossip to anyway, right?” He’d meant to come and go, but leaving now feels like it’d somehow make the situation into something worse than it actually is; it’s not like Nico really cares if Jen comes back to the court for Exy every now and then -- it’s not like it’s any of his business --  but that doesn’t mean he knows better than to leave it alone either. “I know this is probably a shitty question and don’t feel like you have to tell me, but how come you’re back here? I thought Exy wasn’t really your gig anymore.”

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

ripleyvansant·:

          This was by far, not the latest Ripley had been out or even awake in his life. He’d been staying up past ten since he was twelve years old because his parents had gotten tired of reprimanding him for being awake late. And he wasn’t tired now, but ready to go and face the world. Ripley was ready to go find something fun to do, even if that might meant that waking up would be hard the next morning. He had promised himself that he would go to classes tomorrow even if he stayed up until super late.

          Ripley thought for a second, like it was difficult. “Yeah, earlier,” he replied, remembering that while being around on campus, he’d managed to find some drugs. “But it’s cool now,” he said, hopefully brushing the concern of his friend away. There was nothing to be concerned about. Unless Nico had been paying more attention to Ripley, but people rarely did. There was nothing wrong with him. Not really anyway. Besides, this was him on a normal day. Weird comments about aliens and whatever else he’d been studying. He didn’t think he was the only one that thought this way. And it didn’t help that he was still high. “Let’s go. You and me, together. We’ll just disappear. Lots of people have done it. There’s a podcast on that. We should listen and disappear. I’m ready to get away.” 

          Dumb comments like that were what was going to give away that he wasn’t as okay as he told himself he was. Ripley wanted things to go back to normal; he’d never had a normal though. “Yeah, come on. I’ll walk you back. I gotta stop by the Den anyway before I go out.” 

Nico knows that compared to most people, he's pretty square. He's never done drugs, doesn't really drink, tends to stick to his schedule and finds that he's content that way. And although he knows that not everyone abides by that, and that most people do smoke weed and drink and who knows what else, he still finds himself occasionally surprised by it. Like it's some kind of taboo that he knows has long since expired.

And this is no exception; if he's completely honest, he has no idea how he's supposed to react. "We have practice in the morning," Is all he says in response to Ripley's suggestion, as though that would be what mattered if they disappeared. He's not completely sure if he's serious or not, so he figures as small of an excuse as it is, it's still an excuse. While he thinks there'd be something nice about never being found, to living life as a rouge, off the grid, he knows it wouldn't be something he could keep up with. He's too square. 

"Thanks," He says, before pausing, "Where are you going to go? Are you actually planning on disappearing?" If that was the case, and Ripley was planning on going somewhere, Nico would keep his secret; it wasn't his business what Ripley wanted to do with his life, after all. "If you're planning on coming back before the night's out, maybe I could join you?"

[thomasavcry]

Location: Dining Hall Date: September 28th Time: 5:12 PM 

It’s always on a Friday that Alis feels a sense of relief – her tense shoulders finally relax and that terrible lip-chewing habit she’d picked up on disappears. The relief comes from making it to the end of the week, and while Alis is aware this feeling will go away come Monday, she revels in it for now. In the dining hall, she has a table all to herself and her dinner is staring back at her. This would have gone better with a beer, she thinks, twirling her fork with one hand. She sighs into her mashed potatoes and takes her cellphone out, glancing at the date. October was approaching soon, and October was always a difficult time for Alis. There was no relief for her in October, certainly not with practice, and definitely not with the anniversary of Evie’s death. 

It’s with a bitter sigh and a lack of appetite that she finally pops some food into her mouth, chewing and scrolling through her phone. Dry texts, an e-mail from her mom updating her on things back home, and a pop-up ad for eczema. She could slam her head into the table, with the lack of entertainment in her life. Others seemed to have so much going on – the head Vixen had literally smashed someone’s face in. Alis hadn’t seen it happen, but it sounded interesting. All Alis had going on was a suspicion that she was developing carpal tunnel from catching the ball during practice. 

As someone slides into the seat next to hers, Alis looks up curiously. “That could be taken, you know.” 

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

Normally he cooks for himself, but between assignments he hasn't had the time to get supplies in, so he didn't mind taking advantage of the dining hall for once. He tends to avoid it where possible; its over-crowded nature isn't one that he usually appreciates, but it's quiet enough today and although he doesn't particularly know Alis well, he recognises her as one of the Foxes easily enough. And he'd rather sit with someone he knows only a little than all alone or with a complete stranger.

It also fits in with his intentions to get to know the Foxes better too, which is always a plus.

"Shit, sorry--” He starts getting ready to move, before pausing, looking at her as he asks, “Is it taken?" Although he knows that she's probably not serious, he feels bad regardless and makes a mental note to ask first next time. "I can move, if you want me to. Or I could stay, eat my pasta, and keep you company until your probably-fake-awaited company arrives. Would you mind?"  

[ripleyvansant]

LOCATION: On Campus Somewhere DATE: September 26th TIME: 10:45 PM OPEN

          Ripley hadn’t been in the mood to be around people as of late because he just wasn’t in the mood to deal with them. Instead he stayed at the den, barely going to classes, working on something that wasn’t even schoolwork, and lying to his parents about what he was doing. In hindsight, he probably shouldn’t have told them that he was doing well in classes because he didn’t even know what he was learning right now in half of them. Ripley knew he needed to get back on track because he didn’t want to flunk out of school. That wouldn’t be good for anyone and his moms already worried about him too much. But his dad showing up and then things being kind of awkward with Cam really messed him up. Ripley truly hated when he felt like this because it was like the world just was against him at every moment, no matter what he did to try and get back on track. 

          So he decided that he’d at least go to his classes this week. Monday he’d gone to all his classes, bullshitting his way through whatever topics that they’d been talking about in class – nothing really difficult anyway. He’d gone to classes today as well, realizing he wasn’t as behind as he thought he was. Maybe in his literature and history classes, but everything else wasn’t too bad. He stayed on campus late, working in the library to get caught up. When the library closed, Ripley decided to chill on campus a bit longer. Pulling out a cigarette, he lit it and looked up at the stars. “In the words of the great Fox Mulder, the truth is out there. Aliens have to exist. They just have to. I won’t live in a world where they don’t. I’d love to be abducted by an alien and taken to another planet. That sounded weird, but like I mean Earth sucks. Something better is out there, ‘cause life is shit.” 

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

Nico hadn't meant to stay out this late -- he'd planned to get back to his room at the Vixen Den far earlier. Though now it's nearly eleven; the unfortunate result of dozing off into a light nap at a nearby internet cafe during his studying. He's pretty sure that if it wasn't for them closing and being forced to leave, he'd still be asleep now.

"Rip, are you okay? You smoking anything weird?" Nico doesn't mean to worry about Ripley, it's just the way he is. If he pays attention to everyone else, makes sure they've got nothing to worry about, then maybe they'll be less inclined to notice that he's got problems of his own; ones that he'd rather keep separate from his team. Nico can't say he's not a little intrigued by Ripley's words though; as strange as they sound, he's always quietly believed in aliens. He doubts humanity is special enough to be a one of a kind thing and as far as he's concerned, it doesn't deserve to be. "Not that you're wrong, though. I kinda even agree- It'd be so much easier if we could just--" he gestures with his hands, looking for a word to capture the meaning, "disappear."

He offers a small smile; he'd stumbled by Ripley by chance, but his company is welcome. "Walk back to the Den with me? I don't like walking alone at night."

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

stormieburbank·:

Nico was a favorable choice to have sat beside her, even if he’d startled her, because at least it was someone who wasn’t going to make her uncomfortable. Which she kind of already was. She was remembering what her prom experiences had been like, her junior prom full of laughs and good times with people she’d thought would be her friends for life, and then her senior prom full of glares and people “accidentally” bumping into her, spilling punch down the front of her dress until she’d given up and gone home, her date having already decided he was better off with someone who wasn’t hated by the entire cheerleading squad.

It felt like that, the sort of atmosphere where someone might do that to her again, and it was strange to even consider that the Foxes and Vixens might have her back should that happen. Which, again, she had to remind herself it wouldn’t. As far as she knew, there wasn’t anyone here from back home. Though admittedly, she hadn’t been looking that hard. Ignorance was bliss, but she was sure the girls who’d treated her like that had gone for cheering for football instead.

“Yes. Absolutely,” she says with a laugh of her own, his question startling her because sure, she does. She notices Alanna and remembers how her hands felt as she attempted to knit, she notices Raleigh and wonders if she’s any closer to forming the roommate bond she so desperately wants, she notices Claudia and wonders if there was anything there at all or if she made the whole thing up in her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she finally says with an overdramatic sniff, pointedly taking a sip of her drink.

Nico's always been aware that he's never really fit in. Not when his brothers played the face of their high school football team while he chose cheering. But beyond that, within the cheerteam itself, he'd always felt at home. And although here it feels the same; amongst the Foxes he doesn't really feel like he belongs, alongside the Vixens he feels like nothing can touch him.

And while he knows that he's not always the easiest company, that at times he can be quiet and hard to gauge, he'll always be grateful for them, especially during events like this when he gets to just be who he wants to be and enjoy the way they let him be. And while he knows that he doesn't feel like he belongs alongside the Foxes, he knows that they're close enough to the Vixens in general that if he ever needed them, they'd most likely be there. 

"If it's not a person, then what's got you all heart-eyed and distant?" He's good at reading people; it's something he's pretty proud of regardless of where it stemmed from. He looks over in the direction he'd caught Stormie looking, and he's trying to work it out. "If it makes it easier, I'll go first." He says, and then after a tiny pause, speaks perhaps a little too quickly, "You see that girl over there in the sparkly gold dress? I was talking to that boy she's with earlier and although he told me that she's his fiancee, I think he's my life partner. I've been thinking about him for the last, like, fifteen minutes."

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

gloryhoskins·:

“If only we could do this every fucking night, right?” Glory retorts, raising her cup in a mock salute. She’s dropped the smile once she recognizes her new companion as a Vixen, and not a member of a rival team that she’s required to show off all her best behaviour to. “Y’all did a good job with all this,” she finally lets out, gesturing at the decorations that the cheerleading squad had paintstakingly decked the court in. Her brows draw together as she tried to place his name, but it’s no surprise that she draws a blank. She still doesn’t know the names of the people she sits next to in half her classes, and those are the people she sees nearly everyday. “Nate?”

He presses his mouth together into a fine line, catching the sarcasm instantly; okay, so maybe she wasn't enjoying herself so much. He's grateful for her attempt to be more friendly once she realises he's not just some random though, and he nods, looking for his words again now that things are back on track. "Thank you," is all he comes up with, and then, a slightly more light-hearted but also definitely serious, "I think I kinda like the way the court looks better when it's not being used for Exy."

Nico isn't bothered by her not knowing his name; she was close enough given that he'd only really started to bother putting in the effort to know the Foxes over the last few months and he doesn't expect them to return the favour. "Nico," he corrects, offering a small smile with it, "Glory, right?"

[stormieburbank-blog]

banquet, after dinner, open.

Stormie hadn’t gotten quite comfortable with this event yet. It felt more like an opportunity for everyone to get together and intimidate each other, to wage mental and emotional warfare on each other, rather than an opportunity for camaraderie and friendly interactions between opposing teams. She also felt like she didn’t have much of a place here, that she was just a cheerleader surrounded by all of these professional athletes who all essentially hated each other. That, and all of the Foxes, especially the girls, as well as her own squad mates, dressed to the nines, was a little overstimulating for Stormie.

She hadn’t moved since they’d all finished eating, staying in her seat as people got up and started mingling, trying to decide if she wanted to be part of that. This was the perfect opportunity, really, to push herself to socialize with people and to stop overthinking every interaction she had, to stop wondering what they were thinking of her, to stop fearing that they were all just secretly judging her. But she wasn’t quite sure she was ready to take that chance.

Sitting and staring at pretty girls didn’t seem like the best option either, but that was what she was doing, eyes jumping across the room and taking in all the different….. outfits she saw. Stormie was realizing more and more how obvious she was being, and she wondered why she was still so afraid to be open about it, but a huge part of it was probably her fear of being open about anything, really, to be heard, after so many years of being silent. She’s so focused on glancing around the room that when someone sits beside her she jumps rather violently, clutching a hand to her heart.

“God, you could’ve announced yourself!”

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

So far, if Nico's being completely honest, he doesn’t hate the banquet; sure, it feels a little prom-y but there's something about that that's actually a little nice. He's spent the last twenty minutes playing ping-pong with Sydney; admittedly losing every match, but playing nonetheless; and between the snack bar and the bowl of punch, it's horrifically tacky but in a pretty decent way. And while he does feel like he sticks out amongst all the athletes, it's a position that's not unfamiliar to him; and at least as a cheerleader he's still welcome here. It's not uncomfortable.

He drops into the seat next to Stormie; he's always been fairly good at reading people, and on his way over here it hadn't been hard to see the way she didn't seem to be able to avert her eyes from whatever it was she was looking at, and it wasn't too hard to guess that it was probably at people. He hadn't realised how much he appreciated suits until he'd seen a couple of the Foxes in them, either.

"Why? Too distracted to handle someone sitting down?" He laughs, sipping from his punch before continuing, "Anyone got your eye in particular? If you tell me yours, then ma-ybe I'll tell you mine."

[pearl-renaud-blog]

Where: Fall Exy Banquet

When: September 22, after dinner

Status: Open

Glory glowers from her where she stands alone, a pillar along the edge of the transformed court. The dress she’s wearing suits her well, the bright red that hugs her body serves as a warning sign to all those who approach her. She’d been fairly quiet during the dinner, she didn’t even trust herself to not speak out of turn, to give Grant or Coach a reason to bench her for the rest of the season. Having a member of a rival team carted away on a stretcher over an offhand comment was not the good publicity the Foxes sought. Still, antisocial behaviour was also deemed unacceptable and so the backliner forced herself to swallow a little more of the witches brew they were serving, hoping the faint alcoholic buzz would be enough to get her through this without turning it into a war zone. She tipped her chin at the body who wandered in her vicinity, shooting them an uncharacteristic smile, “Having fun yet?”

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

Nico knows that the Foxes all hate these banquets -- and in some ways, he gets why; the whole having to civil to all your enemies while they all talk shit about each other in one room thing for start, but at the same time, it's not the worst thing in the world either. There's drinks, there's awkward conversation, there's ping pong. He's pretty content; content enough to attempt conversation with a Fox who looks a little less impressed. At least she doesn't have the same grim the-world-is-ending kind of expression most of the Foxes he's seen so far are sporting. "Yeah," He admits, followed by a slightly quieter, "Aren't you?"

[withdrvgvns]

location: vixen den date: september 18th time: afternoon status: open

He’s picked up the habit of being organized after months of checking off what exercises he needed to do each day to form his body back to something resembling to normal. So with the delegation to the Vixens in being charge of decorating the Fall Banquet, Noah finds himself dragging whatever they already have into the open and discovering what they need to purchase for the weekend.

The Vixens don’t have much to say the least.

“How do we only have one streamer roll,” he mutters under his breath, frowning at the meager sight of what’s really half a roll. A sound of footsteps, and his head shoots up, hand already in the air to stop the person.

“Okay, opinion: should I just buy out Party City or buy out Amazon? Because this — ” and here, a wild gesture with his pencil at what’s on the table, “ — is really not going to cut it.”

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

If Nico was being completely honest, he'd been pretty excited by the idea of being able to help with setting up for the banquet; it felt nice to be more involved with the Foxes'. 

He'd only left his room to get some snacks, and was only meant to be taking a quick break from studying, but seeing Noah getting things ready for the banquet definitely caught his attention, and he's more than happy to help when he asks. 

"Something about Party City always seemed felt kinda tacky to me, but it might still be a good idea to check it out just to get an idea of what we're looking for?" And also to definitely pick up a few bits to start them off-- because the few things Noah had found and laid out on the table looked pretty pitiful. "But I feel if we look in the right places on it, then Amazon gives us the potential to be more banquet and less prom." 

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

brooksvivian·:

                                                                 ♚

She’s so sure that she had left when the rest of the team was sleeping, when the all the lights were off and when the house was engulfed in its own kind of darkness. So she’s cursing under her breath, mentally scolding herself for not being more cognizant of her actions—and hoping, praying that Nico won’t interrogate; it’s already too stressful of a night as is.

But a part of her is thankful—grateful, even—that he’s just as embarrassed (if you could call it that) about his midnight appearance as she is; and then she’s approaching him, slowly, hearing the crunching of grass blades under rubber soles echo in the empty evening air. “Y—yeah, I did,” she surmises, clears her throat because an hour or so of silence hasn’t exactly prepped her for this, for a string of lies to lace through teeth and chapped lips.

“Why are you the only one awake? Don’t you know we have morning practice tomorrow?” she almost berates, and then internally takes a step back, realizes that she’s probably (or most definitely) projecting; they’re both awake at odd hours of the night, their only difference? His decisions that led him to now probably aren’t as bad as hers.

So she gulps. Hard. And looks off—to the side, to the sky; whatever it is, as long as it’s not him. “Go to bed. Don’t worry about the sound or whatever it is that’s eating at you.” And then a pause, one that seems to settle deeper in her stomach than she anticipates. “I took care of it.”

Nico knows she's lying now -- unless there really was a sound and he'd just gotten lucky -- but he lets it slide regardless. But he doesn't want to start playing 20 questions as to why she's out and what she's doing at this hour, it's none of his business, and it'd give her the right to pry in return, which he'd rather avoid as much as possible. 

"I know," He says, quiet; he knows he's going to regret not trying harder to force himself to go back to sleep when he inevitably has to get up for practice, but at least he knows Vivian's going to be in the same boat, "I tried, but I just couldn't get back to sleep afterwards. Thought I might as well check it out." 

Or whatever it is that's eating you, she says, and he knows he's always been slightly too transparent, and he doesn't doubt that half asleep at three in the morning, it's worse than ever, but he wishes it was easier for him to lie through his teeth the way so many others seem to. He nods, looking up at her, for all he wishes I took care of it could ease the edges of panic in his chest, in reality, it does little more than make it the slightest bit worse. He doesn't want his dad anywhere near any of the Vixens, or anywhere near the Vixen Den. The fact that he and his mother could just turn up this weekend without much more than a text on the day is terrifying. "I don't feel like going back in yet," is all he says instead, "Don't think I could get back to sleep now even if I did."

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

camtrask·:

“Thank you,” Cameron said, genuinely, always thankful to have any sort of relationship with any of the Vixens, even if it was just a conversation here and there. It was natural to build relationships with her teammates, even the ones she didn’t really spend time with off the court, she at least knew them well enough to predict their movements in the game, or predict their reactions to wins and losses. Vixens were more difficult. A lot of it was Cameron didn’t know how to reach out to them, not knowing much about cheerleading, and always worried that they might not really want much to do with the Foxes outside of a game setting. It was always nice to be wrong.

“God, yeah, I really let it build up.” She’d adjusted her grip on the box containing the coffee cart, and with Nico helping carry some of the smaller items, it was much more manageable to work her way into Fox Tower now. “You’d think I’d be used to online shopping by now, but I still forget to have things shipped to the dorm instead of Abby’s all the time, and then she forgets to tell me things have arrived because she’s so busy with all of us once the season starts, and then suddenly here I am.” She stopped to breathe, grinning at him a little. “Most of it is practical! Like coffee! The ears though… no excuse for those.”

Nico knows there's always going to be a imbalance between the Foxes and the Vixens; neither knowing quite enough about the other in order to have something perfect, but that doesn't mean they can't try to be friends, and it definitely doesn't mean that they can't be nice to each other and help them out when they're in need. Whether it's assistance with carrying a ton of Disney memorabilia and whatnot up to their room, or perhaps something more significant, there's no reason not to try.

"Oh, yeah, when we came back after summer I had to keep triple-checking that I was getting things sent here instead of back home," Especially given that most of the stuff he was ordering then was new decorations for his room, it wouldn't have had much use being sat all the way back in Texas, where he definitely wouldn't have been able to get it back at least until the next break, "The ears are practical too, though - they're good for getting in that Disney movie mood, y'know? There's always a use for everything," Even if he was pretty sure that use was kind of obsolete given that he was pretty much always down for a Disney film.

[brooksvivian]

    > during her walk back after ‘visiting’ the football cheerleader’s house / sept 11 : 3:04a <                     an open starter in which vivian (accidentally?) resorts to vandalism

                                                                    ♚

Being envious is not a pretty trait, does not embody the personality of most beautiful women—but Vivian Brooks has never been most. Vines as green as envy lace themselves around her lungs, constrict her airway and have her catching her breath, snake across tan skin as she burdens the walk across campus, across town to stand in front of a house haunted with hatred and disdain—for only ghosts seem to live inside, with their empty threats and heartless bodies.

They creep behind her in her sleep, in the shadows, constantly reminding her of her failures, of how she’s the captain of cheerleading team for a bunch of misfits who have, time and time again, reassured her they’re not anywhere near worth cheering for; and she laments, knows she shouldn’t give into such teasing or taunting, but this last game—their first game of the season, their first game to showcase their potential—winds up ending in disappointment, in pulling the trigger of pent-up resentment and frustration.

Vivian Brooks hates the Foxes … but it’s not like she can just tell them that.

So she resorts to the next best thing, finds herself suddenly searching the nooks and crannies of the Vixen Den for cans of spray paint and the most inconspicuous hoodie she owns, walks through the breeze and nightly brisk to their rivalry cheerleading squad’s own home base as if on a casual midnight stroll. And then she’s writing insults, whatever expletives she can think of in the moment, on their wall paneling and cement driveway—tosses used-up spray can into her bag and shoves red-stained hands into pockets of a jacket that reeked of paint and malice before she’s on her way.

An incognito mission, she likes to call it, as in she’s not expecting to run into a familiar face on her walk (of shame) back to the Vixen Den. Don’t talk to me, she recites her in head as the distance closes, adjusts the bag strap on her shoulder and prays the other doesn’t notice the vibrant red cap of spray paint threatening to peek out over the top.

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

It's three in the morning, he has class in five hours, and he should definitely be sleeping. Though it's not exactly like he expected anyone else to be out to see him, so as far as they know, he is sleeping. Sleeping just happens to look a whole lot like sitting, and occasionally pacing, around outside the Vixen Den.

And it's not like he's a serial insomniac; usually out as fast as the light is. It's just that homecoming weekend is approaching so fucking quickly and there's nothing more daunting than the possibility of his parents showing up unannounced.

But he hasn't told them it's happening, and it's not like they've ever actively tried to support his decision to go to Palmetto before, so he doubts they'll really want to know how he's doing or what's gone on over the last month or whatever. He doesn't think it's really going to be a problem. But there's still that what-if playing in the back of his mind and it's so frustrating.

He's tired enough that he doesn't quite register that Vivian's even there until she's close enough to touch, and he feels like it would be less weird if he just said something, a way of diffusing the fact he's just out here at the middle of the night for no real reason.

"Shit, hey, Viv," Nico says, and his voice is a little gravelly after being silent for hours, he's pretty sure he sounds as tired as he feels,and doesn't doubt that he looks it too, "Did you hear that noise too? I thought I imagined it." It's a poor excuse, but as far as reasons for coming outside in the middle of the night, it's as good as any.

[camtrask]

open starter

Cameron hadn’t gotten her mail from Abby’s place in two full weeks, and as far as regrets went, that was at the top of her list at the moment. But with the season in full swing, and her focus on other things, she’d forgotten completely about the few things she’d ordered in one go. New running shoes, a couple pairs of Minnie Mouse ears that she’d found on eBay, and perhaps the most unwieldy, a box containing a collapsible coffee cart she’d gotten in an attempt to organize the collection of coffee, mugs, and coffee maker in her room.

And then of course she’d spiraled a little bit and ordered some new coffee flavors as well, and overall, she was learning that having money to spend when necessary wasn’t something she was very good at, mostly because the spending money didn’t come in steadily like it did for her wealthier teammates. Rather she got it all at once, and she bought what she needed (or wanted, still a foreign concept to her) and then that was it.

Not wanting to make two trips, Cameron was attempting to lug all of it up into the dorm in one go, and that was successful for approximately two seconds before the box containing the coffee cart snagged on a curb and fell, which in turn made her drop literally everything else. She’d opened the envelope containing the ears to make sure she’d gotten the right ones, so naturally those went flying everywhere, leaving her surrounded with Disney merch and a bunch of boxes. 

“Okay, that was expected,” she said to herself as she stooped to start gathering things, when a familiar face came into her view. “Hi. Would you like to help? If you say no though, I understand. I deserve it.”

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

Nico never really had a whole lot of possessions growing up; a natural result of sharing a room with a brother who had highly conflicting interests to his own, and a house with three more who apparently didn't have it in them to leave things that didn't belong to them alone. His room in the Vixen Den is shared, but it's more his than his home had ever been; filled with things that genuinely interest him and not juxtaposed against obscene amounts of memorabilia from his family's choice of sport.

He'd been at Fox Tower to visit Sydney and was supposed to be leaving to go to class; but he'd recognised Cameron instantly as her roommate. And although he didn't know her as well as he ought to, he wasn't going to just leave her to struggle on her own. "No, no, yeah, of course I'll help you," he's already leaning down, scooping up a couple of her stray belongings. He was already well caught up with his work anyway and still had plenty of time to spare, so if he was late, it's not like it would really matter. It's for a good cause, anyway.

"Where'd all this stuff come from, anyway? Not to sound judgy or anything, there's just-- a lot, you know?"

[berettalepore]

Location: The Court Time: 10:30 AM Status: Open

The walk from Betsy’s office to the Foxhole Court wasn’t one most would do. But, Beretta was nothing if not a glutton for punishment. With her yoga mat slung over her shoulder and a bag filled with supplies in her hand, she made her way towards the court for the one thing that could help relax her. 

With Parent’s Weekend slowly approaching, she called Betsy’s office to place extra sessions. By now it wasn’t a surprise that her mother was visiting Spencer for Edgar Allen’s Parent’s Weekend while their father visited her, but she was still bitter. It was no secret to anyone inside or outside the family to realize which child was which parents favorite. Their familial issues might not be that terrible in the grand scheme of things, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t constantly chasing approval from her mother or trying to outdo her brother. It was a lifelong battle she dealt with. 

The inner court was empty when she got there, as was expected at that time. It was during the quiet hours on the court that she was able to relax. Being surrounded by Foxes all of the time got tiring. Whatever drama was happening between them always bled onto the court. But thankfully, she was able to escape that during the few hours she came to the court to do yoga. So, she laid out her mat, placed her bag on the floor and got started. 

She had already been there for some time when a noise broke her concentration. The door to the court creaking open caught her attention, but she stayed facing the goal. A tight smile stretched across her face even if they couldn’t see it. “Who is it and why are you here?” 

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

Outside of practising with the Vixens, Nico tended to avoid the court as much as he could; a silent protest against the entire concept of Exy. Especially when the court felt more like it belonged to the Foxes than the Vixens and often left him feeling unsettled. But he'd been passing by on his way back from class, and given the fact he'd definitely left his key inside the Vixen Den, he thought it'd be worthwhile checking to see if one of the Vixens were here in case his seemingly limitless misfortune meant that none of the other Vixens would already be back at the den to let him in. 

And he'd tried his best to stay quiet, not to bother whoever was inside in case it wasn't who he was looking for and they didn't want to be disturbed, and for a moment, he's pretty sure there's no one even there, until they talk to him and prove that his efforts were for nought anyway. 

"Nico," he says, voice low and a little quiet - he doesn't expect her to know who he is; it’s only recently that he's started getting to know any of the Foxes, and only then started mapping out the rest by default, and he definitely doesn't expect the Foxes to return the favour for the Vixens. "Sorry to bother you," He starts, continuing after a beat, "Have you seen Jazz around? Or maybe Grayson? Or, like, pretty much any of the other Foxes?" Because if she doesn't happen to know the Vixens, which he figured would be the case, then they were probably his best bet at finding Jen if no one else. Though he's now wondering if he should've just tried his luck to see if anyone was back at the Den in the first place. "But if you happen to've seen any of the other Vixens around then that'd kinda be great too."

[raleigheverhart]

Location: Hotel Hallway Date: September 1st Time: 12:30AM (open)

She didn’t want to admit it, but she’d wanted the Foxes to win. After the mess at the Vixen Den, after the whispers, after fucking Foxwatch, she’d felt like she needed some kind of sign, something to tell her that this wasn’t as pathetic as it felt. 

But she’d gotten a sign all right, and it had been loud and clear: 6-2. The Foxes were just as pathetic as everyone had always said. Raleigh no longer cheered for a winning team, which meant that she was as pathetic as they were, plastering a smile on her face and chanting with the rest of the squad while the score got worse and worse in front of them. After everything she’d heard about Exy, she couldn’t help but wonder: is that it?

She’d known better than to say anything to anyone. Bit her tongue all the way from the court, to the bus, to the hotel, so sure that anything she said would only make things worse. But she’s simmering with something—she’s sure the Foxes don’t care that she felt like she’d needed a win, but she had needed one, and she didn’t get it. 

And now it’s late, and she’s still awake. Her wanderings of the hotel halls have led her to the flickering lights of the vending machines, and now she’s staring at a bag of M&Ms holding on by a corner—it figures. It’s quiet enough that it sounds like a gunshot, when she slams her fist into the side of the machine, but still it doesn’t budge. “Fucking piece of shit.”

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

Although he likes to think that it doesn’t matter to him if the Foxes win or lose, especially after the persistent successes of last year, it was easy to forget just how much their results impacts across to the Vixens too, and tonight, it's as noticeable as ever. It was their first game of the season, and he knows it was important and that it's as a result of their loss that everything feels so tense; quiet.

He's armed with nothing more than his empty water bottle and the extra large bag of sour patch kids that he'd been very slowly working his way through for most of the day, and on the hunt for a water dispenser that wasn't attached to the murky tap water that had been showing up in his room. 

He turns the corner just in time to see Raleigh taking out her frustrations on the machine, the echo of it leaving him unsettled but not nearly as much as it would've if he hadn't seen the source of it first. It's not hard to work out what she's trying to do, and he'd offer to help, but if she can't get it to budge, then he's pretty sure he doesn't stand a chance.

So instead he gets a bit closer, offers a small smile, tipping his bag of sour patch kids towards her; the least he could do was offer her something that might ease the pain of a stuck vending machine. “Not quite M&Ms, but you can still have some if you want.”

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

jenbrookhart:

“I don’t know if teaching you how to dance in a club qualifies me to be a dance instructor,” Jen argues, those their cheeks are flushed from both the heat of the club and the compliment. The idea of having a career as a dance instructor is nice, but they’re honestly not sure what they want to do with their life after their graduate. That still seems so far off, even if it’s only three years away. Maybe, they’ll want to be a makeup artist or a librarian. Though, they’re pretty sure they don’t read enough to be a librarian. 

They shrug at Nico’s question, and place their hands on his hips to continue to guide him along with the beat. “I don’t know. You’re so cute, I bet everyone in the club would line up to dance with you.” Everyone in both the Vixens and the Foxes are just so attractive that Jen can’t imagine anyone not being interested in them. And Nico definitely isn’t an exception. “Maybe, next time you’ll go straight to the dance floor instead of sitting alone at the bar.”

Cute isn’t a word Nico has ever really associated with himself - and it feels so small and so stupid for it to bother him as much as it does. He knows that Jen is so nice, that while he doesn’t think they’d lie, and that they’re probably just being nice, it still helps tip his confidence a little more, and make this whole experience the slightest bit more enjoyable than it already is. So he doesn’t argue with them, just turns away a bit to hide his definitely reddening face.

 “Maybe,” He agrees, partially doubting that there will even be a next time, but maybe he’ll prove himself wrong. At the start of the night, he'd have instantly said no to anything even remotely alluding to coming back next time, but right now, it's something that's definitely going to have to take a lot more thought on. Maybe if he dresses the part, perhaps let Jen put some of that undeniably gorgeous glitter on him, and maybe if he lets himself have fun, then it'll be worthwhile. "But I’m actually loving this, so probably."

[nico-ramirez-blog1]

mccraysydney:

She gave Nico a soft smile, enjoying the banter the two had going. “Don’t worry, it’s a good thing.” It was no secret that a lot of them had familial issues and Sydney was no exception. But, her issues didn’t sit with her father. Instead, they sat with her mother at the bottom of a grave in an empty casket. 

“You can’t fuck up if you’re having fun, Nico,” she responded, putting even more emphasis on the word fun than she normally would. Maybe it was the Redbull or the fact that she was having fun acting like a fool at the bar, but she was truly happy at that moment. “We could always go on the dancefloor if you want?” She paused her dancing to point behind them, not bothering to look at the crowd that was getting bigger by the second. Her pause only lasted a few seconds before getting back into dancing, not bothering to wait for his response. If he wanted, she’d move back to the dance floor. But for now, she was going to keep dancing in her seat. 

He nods in agreement - she is right, after all, as long as they're having a good time, what should it matter what anyone else thinks? It's something he was pretty certain he'd long since worked out, from back in high-school when he'd first started cheering because it was something that he loved regardless of what anyone else thought of it. And although it's often easy to forget, it's something that's just as easily reminded.

"Yeah, no, you're right, we should, let's do that," Because for all it was fun to dance between just the two of them, sat away from everyone else, and for all he was enjoying dancing at the bar, Nico did kind of want to join the crowd, even if it was just on the outskirts of it. If he's with Sydney, it's not like he has anything to worry about anyway. He's even the first to start sliding out of his seat, smile bright as he waits for her to follow suit. "There's more room for fun over there."