local geek.

Nerd? Geek? Dork? I prefer intellectual badass. Sage Rivera 21 | she/they student at east mount academy. part time employee at atomic comics.

[ohitsjustsage]

name: Sage Rivera gender & pronouns: demigirl / she/they age & date of birth: 21, October 31st, 2001 where do they live: apartment on the eastside likes: horror everything (comics, movies, shows, books, games), comic books, star wars, learning new things, in depth discussions, talking about things she loves, movies, film, vintage clothes, graphic tees, video games, skateboards dislikes: allergies, being wrong, swimming, water, bedtimes, waking up early, cooking, money, bullies, scarves, being left out, being ignored, essay style tests

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diving deeper -

BACKGROUND:

Sage was born to Joseph and Amelia Rivera. Her father came from immigrant parents who came to America to provide a better life for their son. He took the opportunity they gave him and ended up being a very successful lawyer. Her mother, Amelia, is successful in her own right as one of the top data engineers in the country. Having both these strong role models as parents set out high expectations for Sage. It also made it hard to have a close relationship with them as they were almost always incredibly busy. They tried, Sage knew that, but she spent a lot of time with babysitters, nannies, and eventually alone because they were at work or events.

That time on her own is what sparked her research into many things and affinity for learning new skills along with anything and everything she could know about her current obsession. It all started when she watched a rerun episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She got fixated on the show, quickly binging every episode of a show definitely not appropriate for her young age of eleven. However, there wasn’t anyone around to stop her. Later this led to an obsession with horror and the supernatural. Many nights were spent on message boards, in chat rooms, and searching for a new movie, show, video game, or comic instead of going out to parties. Not that she was invited to them anyways.

Being alone didn’t bother her too much. Her online interactions and connection to fictional characters made her feel like she always had someone there with her. She found social time at her weekly dungeons and dragons game, along with her many trips to the local comic book store or movie theater. Besides, she was always quick to talk about anything and everything she was into whenever she was presented the opportunity. In fact, she often couldn’t help but offer her opinion on the matter. This likely stemmed from constantly adding her opinion to discussions online. Whether it was true crime unsolved cases, working with others to solve a case or coming up with theories on a comic, movie, or video game’s plot holes, she was part of it.

It wasn’t beyond her that most people didn’t want to hear about how the Halloween movies and Us might be tethered in the same universe or the way all the American Horror Story seasons are connected to the apocalypse. Nor her thoughts on paranormal events, the possibility aliens exist, or the underlying message of the Star Wars movies. But, she also couldn’t see why people were interested in what the Kardashians were doing or what a celebrity wore to the Met Gala. She hasn’t meant to throw shade on other people’s interests but sometimes it feels warranted when they act like hers don’t matter. Now that it seems like a real life slasher situation has come to Riverwood, maybe people will finally listen to what she has been saying all along. After all, she was the expert on how to survive a horror movie.

HEADCANONS: 

Sage’s first tattoo when she turned eighteen was of the famous depiction of Michael Myers’ reflection in the blade of his knife from the original Halloween movie. He is her favorite slasher killer.

There are a lot of comics out there, Sage tends to go for the horror comics (of course) but also loves the independent comics like Maus or Scott Pilgrim. Coincidentally the first comic she ever picked up was an issue of Archie on a grocery store trip she’d gone on with one of her babysitters. It’s still a nostalgic favorite of hers despite moving on to other genres. To date she’s read thousands of comics and watched hundreds of movies, at this point she’s lost count.

Due to her obsessions she really lost out on a lot of social life milestones, making it hard for her to carry on regular conversation and awkward in almost all social situations but especially potential romantic encounters. Sage doesn’t understand why it’s weird to talk about the things she loves and spent the majority of her time on the planet obsessing about. People obsess about sports and celebrities, how are movies and comics any different? However this doesn’t stop her from joining in on the conversation whenever she sees the chance.

Shego was Sage’s sexual awakening. Her very first crush. From the moment she first saw her on Kim Possible. Later there would be more crushes like these, like Michelle Trachtenberg from Buffy or one of the many final girls from the horror movies she grew to love so much. Even some of the detective shows. The lack of male crushes, confirmed she was more than likely a lesbian but she doesn’t like to label things so definitively.

[gabrielx-wolf]

Fenix couldn't remember the last time he saw any horror film pull it off. He didn't count My Bloody Valentine because it came out during the hype of 3D. "Its cool. It's your project. I can respect subtly. It makes people watch the movie and not be on their phones." Fenix was notorious for doing something else while watching. His brain couldn't focus on it for too long, unless he was high. If he was high his mind would wander. How he managed to know a single movie was beyond him. "Off the bat it sounds predictable, the student idea, but its something." He was expecting an over-the-top presentation of what she was going for. Her synopsis fell flat, but it was better than what others had to offer. "I think using found footage or security tapes would give it an even creepier vibe to it. Ever seen VHS? I'm fucking forgetting if that's the one I'm talking about. But the concept its a VHS that you pop in and then you see this anthology horror that looks like its supposed to be real. I forget, but it was shit in my opinion." Fenix eyed his empty section and gave a shrug. "Never got any stuff." He said. Fenix scratched his head letting the hood fall back towards his shoulders.

"I like meta." He began. "I was thinking of doing a slasher flick. Typical group gets stuck in a house and are going to die. It's cliché as fuck but I want one of them to escape and not go back inside if they get out of the house. I want the killer to be human, maybe do a Stab thing where there is multiple killers. That way they can cover more ground. I still want there to be a Final Girl. But do a Cabin in the Woods take where she doesn't fit the mold of the Final Girl, but she's the closest to get to it. Or-Or she's a virgin and escapes but the minute she has sex like she gets decapitated." Fenix began brainstorming on the spot. "Maybe the killer is the one who takes her virginity because they're fanatics of horror movies. They can't kill her until she's not pure. I dunno its a lot of shit to think about."

[ohitsjustsage]

"That is my goal in the grand scheme of things, but this is just going to be a small part of something bigger." Maybe her first full length film instead of short ones and little clips. She sighed at his comments, not because she was mad or frustrated with it, because it was flat. Truth be told, she'd had so many other things on her mind that she hadn't been able to give one of the things she loved most the attention it deserved. It wasn't something they knew how to talk about, though and they certainly didn't want to admit it right then to Fenix. He would probably see it as an excuse. The last thing they needed was more criticism right now. "Of course I've seen VHS, the originals are absolute masterpieces that are hard to compare. I think the newest ones are becoming cheesy with fanfare but I do like the security camera idea." That could make the whole student idea seem less cliche and give it a new spin.

"Not bad," Sage was actually impressed that those dead eyes had some valuable thought behind them. Not that they doubted Fenix was smart. He had carried many conversations with her in the past but all that partying has to have had an affect, right? "Damn psycho, you're more heartless than me when it comes to this stuff. Everyone keeps telling me I'm being insensitive and you're just going for it, huh?" They joked with a snorted laugh. "Cabin in the Woods was a masterpiece, I think glorifying the tropes in that way will bring some humor in with the horror." Sage loved when a horror movie brought something new to the table just as much as a classic. It was important to keep things fresh and changing with the times. "What's the reason the killer or killers are attacking people?"

[tyleroneills]

Tyler hated when people thought he was decent. He wasn't. They would only get their hopes up and be letdown once they realize what an asshole he is. If she didn't want to believe him then she could ask around. Start with anyone from Lakewood and they would say how malicious and cruel he was in high school. He helped his girlfriend at the time spy on the other students so they could blackmail them. He also had the shortest temper imaginable and would fly off the rails and get into some pretty nasty fist fights. He was labeled a psychopath and a bully. Deep down, he knew it was just trauma but that wasn't an excuse. There was no excuse good enough to pardon him from all the sins he committed. When he does eventually die he knows he'll go directly to hell. It's where he deserves to be.

"You shouldn't put so much faith in me. I'm not a good person. I know you want to believe in the best of me but— this is it. This is the best. I'm fucked." The comparison to Spike may have seemed like a joke at first but the more she talked about the blonde vampire the closer he felt to him. If he were to somehow accept himself and fall in love again, he would also be riddled with guilt and self-sabotage. He's done too much in this lifetime to take back. He stole cars, broke into houses, beat people people to a pulp, broke a kid's arm in high school, kidnapped Brooke's father and blackmailed her into a hostage situation before he was stabbed in the back by Lakewood's killer.

"Is it dumb though?" To push Buffy away. It sounded like Spike knew he was irredeemable. Why let Buffy love him when he doesn't deserve to be loved. Of course Tyler was thinking about himself and Brooke. "Maybe he thought he was protecting her. You know, saving her from the inevitable letdown. People can't change. Once you've done things... it stays with you." This was more than just a dark period. He was a delinquent his entire life. He always felt like he had to be in order to survive. It wasn't easy growing up in foster care. Not everyone was as kind as the McKenzie family. "You see, love, even platonic love, I don't know what that is. I don't think I've ever had it. I've always dated mean girls. Never had any real friends... No parents, no siblings." He had Dom. Dom was a great friend but they weren't tethered. Dom left right before Tyler lost control and ruined everyone's life. "I know you love these shows, Sage. But this is real life and— if you were really as smart as everyone thinks you'll stop believing in me. I'm not a fictional character."

[ohitsjustsage]

"No offense, but neither you or I are old enough to be irredeemable. Unless you murdered a bunch of puppies for fun, I think you still have a chance," she pointed out. "Sorry, I don't make the rules I just make them known." Sage shrugged as if this was already a known fact. She chewed her bottom lip in thought for a moment, trying to find the words of what she wanted to say without irritating him. There was no doubt that Tyler was intimidating, she wasn't particularly intimidated (even though she should be). That was only because that chip in her brain was missing at birth, likely replaced with the annoying need to info dump on everyone. Also he reminded her of her cousin so it was hard to be scared whether there was reason to be or not. She didn't want to piss him off, however. "I don't know how to say this but," she looked up at him. "I'm going to put faith in whoever I want regardless of what you say and I believe evidence and what I can see. So far, my analytics and data have been correct so maybe," she paused and raised her shoulders. "Don't waste your breath trying to stop it?"

Their brows furrowed the more Tyler spoke. It was obvious at that point that he obviously found the comparison personal and there must be some poor girl somewhere that was hung up on him. "Yes, it's completely idiotic to make a decision for another person when you're both in love with each other all because you have some bad boy 'I'm so evil' complex." Sage huffed at him, thoroughly frustrated. "Buffy knew who he was and what he was, she is capable of making her own decisions. She certainly didn't need some man making them for her and if, and I mean IF he was going to let her down, it's perfectly okay that she accepted that outcome as a possibility." Their voice was raising without them realizing it and they were moving closer to him with each point they made. "Maybe, just maybe, having that good in his life is WHAT made him want to change and everyone knows that love is the difference between monsters and humanity. It's the entire subtle message in every movie with a monster, a love connection, or a redemption story." Sage counted each one on her fingers.

Her lips pressed into a thin line and arms crossed over her chest while she took a moment to catch her breath. She wasn't done but it was a lot and her thoughts got disorganized easily if she didn't pause to breathe. "You had it rough and I may not fully understand it, because I had money and parents but I still get it. I'm not as out of touch with reality as everyone thinks." Her frown deepened. "Do you think I'm Miss Popular? No. I never have been and never will be. I can count on one hand how many friends I had and have that aren't people I talk to online." Sad but terribly true and if Tyler didn't consider her a friend, she was fairly certain she only had one actual friend. Even then, she didn't know how long that would last. "I've been the butt of every joke since kindergarten and annoy everyone I come in contact with, but I'm still here. Being me and putting myself into the narrative because I deserve to be here." She poked a small finger into his chest and frowned. "You deserve to be here, too. You deserve a chance to be redeem your shitty teenage hormonal past and get the girl or whatever you want to do." Sage huffed again and took a step back. She could feel her face was flushed from the heated words. After a moment the frown fell and went soft, almost sad. "And you do have people and love if you want it, you just have to accept it. Stop telling people they're stupid or wrong for caring about you. It's rude."

[ohitsjustsage]

[NEW MESSAGE] KEEP DIGGING INTO MY BUSINESS AND I’LL START DIGGING INTO YOURS. WE’LL SEE WHICH IS DEADLIER, YOUR KEYBOARD OR MY KNIFE. —SCARFACE

Ha, ha, very funny Jake. If you wanted to be more believable you shouldn't have been such a cliche. Stop trying to sleep with every girl on campus and watch the classics, then try again. - THE SAGE 🙄

[chloexquinn]

Chloe’s only response was an eyeroll and a sigh after glancing over at the time and realizing this girl was right. Looks like she underestimated how long this would take her. Without paying the other any attention she walked over to her phone and getting ready to take down her tri pod. Hearing them speak up again Chloe’s looked at them over her shoulder with an arched brow. “What?” She’d heard what Sage had said, she just wasn’t expecting them to know about this. Slightly intrigued, Chloe turned her body towards Sage to actually hear them out. Arms crossed over her chest she glanced down at the ring light then back up at Sage silently a few times. Hey, who could it hurt. Chloe hummed and reached forward to take the ring light and set it up. She turned the music back on once more and finished up her take before watching it back. It looked good. Great actually. “Not bad.” She commented before taking the ring light and bringing it back over to Sage. With her free hand, Chloe’s eyes were glued to her phone. She turned it around momentarily so Sage could see the screen. “I guess you do know what you’re talking about.”

[ohitsjustsage]

This interaction was exactly why Sage didn't talk to girls. Not that she didn't want to but every time she attempted it she ended up standing there wondering if she was speaking English. Awkwardly shifted in place and wide eyes waited for some other response than 'what' to come from Chloe. Sage tried to avert her eyes from the routine going on in front of her but couldn't, so instead she stood there stunned a lightly flushed. However, a smile crept over her features when she said she liked it. "Uh, no, no you keep it. You'll probably make way more use out of it than me," Sage insisted. She used it for for film lighting on the go, but didn't use it a ton. Plus she could always get another one. "Well, it is kind of what I want to do for a living." She agreed and moved her hands to hook her thumbs in the back of her jeans. "Makes movies, I mean. I'm in cinema studies. Lighting is important to set the shots up correctly." Why was she explaining it more? Ugh, shut up Sage.

[talesfromthecrypts]

Evil Dead Rise (2023) dir. Lee Cronin

[tyleroneills]

"Yeah. I prefer Westham." Not that he had a choice. The random acceptance letter he received in the mail was surprising. He never filled out any college forms. He had no plan to further his education but once he saw, "Congratulations, you've been accepted at Westham University in Riverwood, New York." He figured why the hell not? Now he could get a degree in computer engineering and continue ripping people off. It's like one of his foster mom's used to always say, "waste not, want not." Sage was basically reiterating that by offering him East Mount's junk. Which wasn't really junk at all. Half of this stuff was brand new. "But I appreciate you thinking of me. You're rare. Don't ever change."

If Tyler could, he would pay her back somehow. He didn't deserve friends like her. He didn't deserve friends at all. Sage might not have been aware yet, but Tyler was a horrible person. Maybe not to everyone but that doesn't excuse all the terrible things he's done. He was violent, toxic, selfish, and if it were a matter of life or death he would always choose himself. The best thing he could offer Sage would be to disappear from her life.

"Not all of it. But I lived with this family, the McKenzies, they were nice people. They had a huge house and a lot of other foster kids living there. The youngest was obsessed with Buffy. Buffy, Vampire Diaries, Charmed... All of it. I watched a few episodes. Spike was funny." He laughed, unable to pinpoint a certain scene, or line that he could have recalled, but he remembered the guy having flair. "Misunderstood and soulless. Maybe I am Spike." She basically explained him back in Lakewood when he was still in high school. Only he lost the girl and as for his soul...not even in the Wizard of Oz could help him. "Humor me. This Spike guy. Did he, uhm...By chance, did he ever find his soul or get the girl?" There was a rare moment of hope in his eyes. Maybe... just maybe.

[ohitsjustsage]

"I think I would really like Westham, I took a couple classes for journalism and photography there. It seems like a good program." Her classmates didn't seem as judgmental, but there were still some. It didn't matter where you went in the world, someone was always going to judge you. That's why Sage let it be their problem and didn't bother giving it attention anymore. There were so many better things to do and not enough time in the day. "Unfortunately they only have a minor in film studies and I can get a masters in Cinema studies at East Mount. I wanted to go to the University of Southern California where George Lucas went but my doofus cousin or my uncle told my parents what happened in Lakewood and they freaked out." They waved their hands on either side of her head to accentuate the unreasonable parental reaction. "As if I couldn't survive a real life horror movie," she scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"I think the word you're looking for is either odd, strange, or weird," they continued on without skipping a beat or taking more than one breath every two sentences. "Don't plan on it. It's too late in the game to change now." Their brain wouldn't let them even if they wanted to, it was hardwired to be a geek. "Besides, I know you're a decent dude-a-rino who isn't going to use the devices to take over the tri-state area or hurt anyone who probably doesn't already deserve it." She swore if she had his skills she would be untouchable and people like 'the Jake' would think twice about messing with her.

"Oh! That's cool. I'm glad you got a good one, I've heard a horror story or two. I couldn't get into the Vampire Diaries, it was too slow. Season one bored me to tears." Sage laughed with him, because he was right, Spike was hilarious. That laugh turned into a dramatic scoff and roll of her eyes when he called himself souless. But before she could protest with some random points, he asked a question which caused a reaction similar to compulsion since she simply could not ignore it. "Both, actually. It takes awhile and he has to go see some demon shaman and do a whole thing then he gets it back and ends up feeling super guilty because of all the stuff he'd done. Then there's a whole bunch of stuff that happens but he keeps it for the most part and him and Buffy dated for a long time. I think they would've been end game if he would have just let it happen but he kept trying to 'do what's best for her' which is dumb." Sage finally took a breath in a quick pause. "I mean if it lasts that long and you both want to be together, just let it happen and love each other. Especially since she's human and will die eventually and he can get rid of his soul again so he doesn't have to spend eternity in pain." She shrugged like it wasn't a big deal.

"I will point out, however mister, that everyone has a dark period, even Willow had a whole dark phase and tried to destroy the entire world kind of like Scarlet Witch without the marvel mumbo jumbo. Anyways, going through some rough times doesn't mean you're bad," she concluded. "In fact if I've learned anything from that show or shows, you usually go dark and lose yourself because you're pushing away the people that care about you." Sage poked his arm just in case it resonated. "You push away the scooby gang and don't allow people in, you're going to lose it so you might as well give in because they're all going to care about you regardless. Love, especially platonic love, is the strongest thing ever. Those bonds are unbreakable, no joke."

[ohitsjustsage]

@bxrnedtohell-fenix continued from here

"Ugh, I'm so over everything being in 3D though." She sighed because it wasn't a terrible idea, it was overdone and would be hard to pull off on her own. "Maybe, we'll see. I think 3D is better on monster movies, I want to keep this subtle like 'did I just see that' and have the underlying plot of either people staying in an Airbnb who mysteriously went missing." She answered but then started thinking again, tapping her pencil against her lips. "Or maybe two students that went searching one of the older buildings and add a story of some old murderer who used to torture people there, maybe a janitor or the original school founder and they disappear or they escaped but went catatonic from the things they saw." Sage shrugged, it was all a work in progress but she would have it nailed down in cement by the end of the week so she could finish filming. "I'll add music and some effects, too." She looked over at him and his lack of, anything. "What are you going to do? Where's your stuff?"

[chloexquinn]

Doja Cat’s Cyber Sex could be heard far and wide as Chloe danced in front of the camera she had set up with her tri pod. Another day, another slay, another Tiktok dance she was trying to upload before class started. In full uniform too. She was on her third take of the dance before she noticed another student walk into the room she was filming in. Chloe stopped dancing and rolled her eyes. She shot the other an annoyed look while walking over to the camera to press pause. “Not sure what would possess you to stroll on in when I’m clearly in the middle of something, but whatever it is, it better be good.” She crossed her arms over her chest waiting for the other to answer.

[ohitsjustsage]

Doja Cat was a guilty pleasure of Sage's. She was hot, funny, and talented. So when she heard the music blasting on her way to her next class she had to go see what was going on. She stood stunned for a moment at the sight of the way too pretty cheerleader that had caught their eye more than once dancing for what they could only assume was a tiktok or instagram video. Sage danced into the classroom, note cards in hand, figuring it was the best way to make herself known but stopped when the cutting words left the other's mouth. "Oh, um, I uh, sorry," they glanced around and placed their backpack on their usual seat. "I have class in here, film theory." Sage nodded and shifted awkwardly. "You know, if you adjusted the light it would probably look even better. You can get small ring lights that are super portable and do a decent job for cell phone shots. Here I have one," they went over to their bag and rifled around till they found it. "See like this. And you just fold it open and plug it into your phone. It has both android adapters and iphone." Sage held it out to her to try if she wanted.

[rivertolson]

Despite not being the first girl he's come across with similar struggles, Sage was hands down the most entertaining. “Whoa— don’t hurt yourself,” soon as he caught her swaying, River reached out to steady her by holding onto her arm. The last thing, she needed was another pick me up right now. The alcohol on her breath reeked and if she was trying to tarnish her reputation as a film geek and trade it in for a woman of a brothel, she was vastly succeeding.

“Molly might help. Unfortunately, I don’t sell date rape drugs.” His goal wasn’t to harm people, but to offer them the tools they might need to have a good time while getting paid to do it. “Plus, and it’s only because you’re too drunk to remember me telling you this in the morning, you aren’t an ogre. A lotta guys would fuck you if you weren’t so enttitled. Myself included.” She might not be the meanest girl there is, the one who brags about her clothes and shoes and purses but Sage is just as bad as the rest of them. She’s a know it all when it comes to horror and comics and all things film related. It was impossible to have a conversation with her without walking away wanting to blow your brains out by the end of it. “Maybe try zipping those lips unless you’re tryna use them to pleasure somebody.”

[ohitsjustsage]

"I'm sch-fine," she assured holding her hand up in some kind of half defense that turned out to be a decent help for balance until she went right back to holding her drink with both hands like a toddler. Her eyes went wide and she immediately looked at him. "I don't want that at all. Nope. None of that sch-tuff. Bad, very bad." She wasn't trying to come across as that desperate but apparently that's what was happening. Her words trailed off and very soon she was right back to looking inside her glass wondering how she was going to finish all the contents and walk home. Oh, the rich, pretty mischief boy is talking again. What is he saying? Sage stared at his lips, like reading subtitles while watching a show or a movie. It helped her hear.

"I'm not dru-" she started to protest but swayed into him again completely invalidating her attempted argument. "Not and ogre, a rogue. A lightfoot halfling rogue to be precision, I mean precisely." They hummed, knowing the word was wrong but not sure how to fix it and when did they start talking about dungeons and dragons? Oh, right, they weren't. That made more sense, he didn't look like he had multiple sets of dice, let alone one. "Entitled? I don't even have anything to brag about, no one even cares about anything I like, except those guys and they only like my rogue and my discount at Atomic." Sage was rambling and almost completely missed what he was trying to tell her because she was too fixated on the single word. They pressed their lips together tight with a deep frown of thought, letting his words sink in. "I don't know if guys are my thing, they might be. You're kind of pretty in a mischie-" nope that word was not going to work it's way out of their mouth and be understood. "In a tricky way, not trickey bad but, well kind of but in a less hurty way." She squinted up at him and lightly touched the tip of his nose with her index finger. "Like Hellboy or Han Solo." Both of them were cute too, Leia was way hotter but that didn't mean the other thought wasn't just as true. Guys could be attractive too, just not as often. She giggled at her train of thought, but didn't share it out loud.

[viraldoosh]

Jake could tell he was getting to her. The discomfort on her face was picturesque and could put the Mona Lisa to shame. Once a comedian knows his audience and how to push their buttons, it's over for them. He was locked in and grinning like a barbaric shark chasing after its bleeding dinner. "Oh come on. Don't you want to actually experience life instead of just reading about it? You can't really know something unless you've been through it yourself. So for research purposes, indulge the Jake." A sexquest would be epic. It would also give him an excuse to get over Brooke a lot faster. The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else, isn't that what they say?

"Dude, you mean that bogus account that followed everyone at school? That's just a joke." How many times has someone wore the ghost mask for a Halloween party or made a prank call to freak out their friend? "Besides, fear of death is an aphrodisiac. Chicks get horny when they're scared. It'll work in our favor." Jake's logic, as always, was incredibly flawed and misogynistic. "Are you afraid of being a bad person? It's college, dude. Getting laid is like part of the curriculum."

[ohitsjustsage]

"Who says I don't experience life?" Sage could feel her face getting redder by the second and warm, it was so warm. She was some cross between embarrassed and irked, maybe even annoyed by the conversation. It truly made her regret answering him at all. She should have just ignored his comment and went on reading about the Stab movie discussions and how it was potentially related to the Instagram copycat that appeared. "Wait do you just call yourself 'the Jake'? Wow." She shook her head but still couldn't stop thinking about this sex challenge and just how uncomfortable the whole idea made her, but she would also be a liar if she said she wasn't a tiny bit intrigued by it. "No, no," she squinted her eyes shut and shook her head frantically half putting the refusal out to him and the other half telling herself it was a bad idea. "Nope. You cannot convince me that this would be a good idea I refuse to proposition sorority girls that probably wouldn't talk to me anyways because I'm not a Barbie doll or a basketball player to help me lose my..." her rambling suddenly quit because he'd gotten her so flustered she was admitting things he did not need as ammunition. "Absolutely not. Go challenge a frat boy or my cousin Dom, he always seems bored I'm sure he'd love the opportunity to show you up." She wondered if Jake knew him, they both lived in Lakewood at one point. Sage didn't know how things went there, she knew her cousin had his issues but he didn't talk to her about them.

"It might not be bogus, I'll have you know that there are plenty of theories about ghostface having a partner and they are very plausible." Finally a change in subject she could run with. She would much rather talk about serial killer correlations than sex. Nope. Nevermind, wishful thinking. "I'm not afraid of anything!" Sage stomped her foot, fists balled at her sides. "You know why I can't do it and it's not because of that. Ugh, you're just, you're just," she let out a frustrated growl. "The worst. You're the worst Jake Fitzgerald and I hope you, you, you." She bit her lip thinking for far too long. "I hope everything you eat and drink tastes like pennies," she settled on with a huff. "Forever."

[izadorable]

"Oh please. Stop. Kidding, keep going." Isadora could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. It was one thing being complimented by a guy who's trying to get into her pants, but another when its coming from a friend who means it. "Do they not party as hard over at Yeast Mount Academy??" It was clear Isadora held some bitter resentment toward the fancy Eastside school. Her brother wouldn't let her attend there because he was afraid she would somehow jeopardize his fresh start as a professor there. But it worked out because Westham was great for parties. There were multiple parties every week. "If you ever want to go to a party, hun, I'll take you." Sage didn't need a makeover, she was beautiful as is, but Isa could do her makeup and hair to help evoke more confidence. "You're already gorgeous but I can help you accentuate. I was going to attend beauty school for cosmetology but journalism stole my heart. I just love a good case."

She leaned forward, giving Sage her complete focus. However when she heard the word Atlanta her blood ran cold. Every bit of color drained from her face. She hoped she didn't look as ghost white as she felt. "Uhm." Her heart was beating faster. She had to take a deep breath through her nose and exhale slowly before responding. "That honestly sounds like so much fun but I was thinking we could look into things a little closer to home. There's that account on Insta that's been going around. Pretty creepy stuff. It's probably just a troll but maybe we should start there?"

[ohitsjustsage]

Sage laughed and almost opened their mouth to keep going but shut it again when she asked about the party life at East Mount. They felt the blood rush into their cheeks and immediately looked down while they moved into the cafe. "I, um, I wouldn't know." The words were quiet and she sheepishly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Way to start off the bat admitting how much of a loser they were. Sage wasn't bitter about it, not like some of the other outcasts she'd stumbled upon. It was something she learned to accept being into, what she was told, was unconventional things. However, she had assumed college would be a little different. Oh well, they'd come around eventually. "You don't have to, I would like to go but not if people don't want me there." She blushed again at being called beautiful and her face lit up. "That would be fun! Thank you for saying that. I don't know much about make-up unless it's the special effects kind or maybe some light camouflage to get information without being seen." Which she would swear she only used a couple times but it could have been more. "It's always good to have lots of skills even if you follow a different career path."

"Oh," Sage's forehead wrinkled, a bit disappointed because she honestly thought Isadora would love the case she'd brought along. "Okay." They relented with a quick nod, because she was right about staying close to home. The threat was more imminent, if it was real. "I've been trying to track it's movements but it hasn't seemed to dig deep on anyone yet. The Lakewood killer knew intimate details and so far this one only seems to know what you can find through the regular rumor mill." They chewed on their lip for a moment, as they do when they're thinking fast. "Honestly I really want to start asking Lakewood people in town if they have got any messages they're not talking about. I mean, it's kind of weird so many of them came here, right?"

[kaceyrps]

MALIA PYLES on INSTAGRAM

[valerie-francis]

Clearly her joke hadn't landed. Or maybe it wasn't funny because it wasn't much of a joke at all. Left to her own devices, Valerie would become an anxious mess building anything on her own. But it was probably better for everyone else if it came across as an attempt at being funny. "Only if you're sure -- I don't want to get in the way of your evening plans. Even if it's like... a night in. Seriously, I can just ask my sister to come help sometime, if you're busy." Still, it was nice of the girl to offer, and there was something kind and earnest about the way that she spoke. "So... you're infinitely better than I am at this kind of stuff. Got it." Valerie shook Sage's hand. "I'm Valerie. So... Sage Rivera. Pizza. What's your go-to? Like I said, it's on the house." Fumbling with her keys, Valerie turned around, unlocked her door, and moved to pick up the box that was leaning against the wall next to her. "Come on in, and please, don't mind the mess."

[ohitsjustsage]

Hearing the question of other plans made Sage let out a quiet giggle. They weren't going to admit out loud that the only thing they planned to do was watch the horror version of Winnie the Pooh and check their regular message boards to see what's new. While Sage might not have the best social skills, it was a given that you don't admit how much of a dork you are to the person you're crushing on. "It's no big deal, really. I didn't have any big plans or anything." Sage quickly reached inside for their mini tool kit. "There's not many pizzas I don't like but when it's just me? I get tomatoes, banana peppers, and mushrooms. But that's not for everyone so when I'm sharing I like pepperoni. Seriously though, I'm not picky you can choose your favorite." They flashed a smile and moved to help Valerie with the bookshelf. Sage wasn't much for muscles or a lot of strength, but everything was easier with two people. "Mess?" They looked around once inside and pushed the door shut behind them. "This is not messy, I have seen places that can be classified as a low budget horror house. Your place is nice."

[izadorable]

SAGE & ISADORA / MOODBOARD 1/?

[rivertolson]

status: open

location: billiard bar

Things were starting to look pretty bone dry on the Eastside. River was trying his best to sell a few of his infamous party bags so he could buy the motorcycle he’d been eyeing for the last three months. The owner called him a few hours to let him know someone else was interested and made an offer, so if he doesn’t act fast then he’ll lose out. Knowing he'd have better luck on the Westside, River showed up to the Billiard Bar and ordered a beer while he waited for some potential customers to show.

After a few minutes and a few more drinks later, he felt someone approach his left side. Now was the perfect opportunity to strike. “Beer's cold and the liquor's cheap, but if you wanna feel something…I've got a great selection of feel goods to help loosen you up.”

[ohitsjustsage]

They finished their six month long dungeons and dragons campaign, finally. Sage's rogue actually lived which was surprising considering the amount of lavish moves she'd made with them. To celebrate, a few of her fellow party members decided to go to the 'tavern' for a couple drinks. Sage, admittedly, didn't know a lot about drinks and what was good so she chose a long island iced tea because she'd heard about them on a movie she watched. It wasn't bad but after just one of them she was a bit tipsy.

She got another one but was debating that decision, off to the side next to none other than River Tolson. East mount's resident mischief maker. "Shit! I didn't even see you there," she giggled and looked back into her cup. "Feel goods? You know what would feel good," she slurred holding a finger up at him while she spoke. "If I could talk to people, like that smexy talk. What do they call that? Uh, rizz. Do you have something that will give me rizz or make me like, attractive to other humans?" She motioned over herself and swayed in place. "Plot twist, it can't change who I am." Sage had no clue what she was saying but she was going on anyways without a care in the world.

[gabrielx-wolf]

@ohitsjustsage​

There was one class this semester that Fenix actually attended and it was the horror movie class. Whether film theory was a legitimate field to study remained to be seen. It was an elective class Fenix took up. He figured it would force him to watch the classics he had forsaken. He had sat next to Sage a few times. Mostly to copy her work, but he was interested in her love for the genre. Nix, loved horror. The blood, psychological warfare, creativity, gruesome deaths. The genre had it all and it never got boring.  A lot of the movies were horrible, but they were amusing. 

The professor had asked them to write up an idea for their own horror films. They were slowly working on creating a short horror film for their final at the end of the semester. They were tasked to duo up with someone and go over their ideas. Fenix slammed his chair down and immediately turned to Sage. “What do you have?” Fenix didn’t have anything on the table, not even a bookbag nearby. 

[ohitsjustsage]

One of the only things Sage hated hearing in class besides group projects was the surprise 'team up with a classmate' announcements. Not because she didn't like working with other people, it was more that people didn't like working with her. Or talking to her much in general. She had thought college would be different and in some ways it was but in a lot of ways it was the same. That's why when their professor announced the plan for class, she immediately put on her headphones and opened her laptop to use the time to work on her project rather than try to find someone to team up with. Sage nearly jumped out of her skin when Fenix slammed the chair down next to her.

"Holy crap-a-moly, my dude. Thanks for the adrenaline rush, I didn't need my heart anyways." She joked after ripping her headphones off. It took her a second to gather her thoughts and get over the shock that someone actually wanted to talk about horror movies with her. "Um, I am mixing two sub genres together," she started and straightened in her seat. "Slasher is my favorite, obviously," proven with a quick flash of her Michael Myers knife tattoo. "Which is why I thought I should go a different route. I think I'm going to mix paranormal with psychological but I also might add a found footage aspect to it." She turned her laptop so he could see a clip of the footage she had already. "Like have subtle appearances of ghosts and random sounds to make the viewer question if they saw or heard something. The found footage part is an after thought," she debated out loud, twisting the lips in thought. "It might be too much, what do you think?"