Opal~

I sit under the tree and start to read. I like this party. It's really relaxing, and I can just read. I do worry that someone will come up to me and start talking... but... who would want to talk to me, anyways? I kind of realize I've been staring at my book blankly and just thinking instead. But I start to read, and again become enveloped in the storyline. 

~ 

:Ellerie:~

:"#Yeah, well, I took a lot of time doing the math, so-#" He doesn't finish his sentence, but instead looks at our hands. It takes them a second, but eventually they put their finger over mine and laugh.:

:I laugh, too. ":Sounds like a lot of math,:" I say, sliding my hand into Tempest's and twining our fingers. It makes my stomach flip. In a good way... wait, Is there a bad way? In a pleasant way. I like it, I mean, and I like the warmth of Tempest's hand in mine:

:I look down at the party below us. Most of the AEs seem to be having fun! That's good. A new song comes on. It's upbeat, recognizable, and more than mildly awesome. I wonder what it's called. And who chose the music. The music has been really good! Then I look behind me, because I hear something in the brush. ":Oh my gosh, Tempest, look behind you...:" I whisper-shout excitedly. UNICORN!:

~

-Yang-

-Why hasn't society shortened the name of an Elephant? Like, the Rhinosceros gets to be a Rhino. Chewbacca gets to be Chewy. Why can't elephant have a shortened name? It doesn't make SENSE-

~ 

"Oh!" I gasp. "It's me!"

Indy's face flickers to horror for a moment, and I hastily add, "Wait, no! I love it!" I grin. "Very flattering. You're an amazing artist. You know, I find myself to be more of an observer. Just to take everything in-" I realize I've been info-dumping. "Whoops. I talk too much. So, what brought you to this party anyway?"

"Soda?" I say. "Jade, did you ever hear about The Mystery Soda Machine?" I glance at Jade.

"So the story is that there was a mysterious soda vending machine on some sidewalk in the city of Seattle, in Washington, in the United States of America. Nobody knows who put it there, or who refilled it. You could buy discontinued sodas like bubblegum-flavoured soda, or Black Cherry Vanilla Coca Cola. It disappeared in like 2018, with a note in its place that read 'Went for a walk!' The machine also had a Facebook page with an unknown creator!"

I pause. "Sorry. I rambled." Jade just smiles and says it's fine. 

Jade-

"I have heard of it, actually!" I tell Fenrir.  "It would've been so cool to visit.  I know soda is a weird thing to be passionate about, but there are so many cool obscure kinds!  Like how in Japan there's cucumber-flavored Pepsi.  What kind of drinks do you all like the best?"

Ivory-

-Someone approaches me, much to my surprise.  I recognize her as the person who was arguing with two other AEs a few minutes ago.  She looks smug as she greets me.  "You have cool hair," she tells me.

"Thanks," I respond.  I can't tell if she's being friendly or trying to pick a fight like she did earlier. "Yours is cool too, I guess.  I'm Ivory, what's your name?"-

Sakura~

I must admit I'm feeling more than a little anxious.  I really don't like going to parties if I can help it, but my siblings wanted me to come with them tonight.  Glancing around, I notice a red haired girl sitting under a tree, reading a book.  That's a good idea.  I retrieve my own book, which I brought just for this occasion, and walk over to her.  "Mind if I join you?" I ask.

/Chai\

/I pause. "/I mean, sure,\" I say. "/But, I dunno, bad things happen anyways. You just gotta keep going, ya know? Like, it'll be fine in the end. Besides, worst thing that could happen with drinking this is just that it tastes bad! But I can still try it first if you want, to make sure it's good, if risks really aren't your thing. Then again, Rogue says my opinion is incorrect 99.9% of the time, so listening to me is probably a risk in itself!\" I grin.\

*~Indy~*

*~"*~My CBer's always trying to get me to socialize more,~*" I explain. "*~But it makes me so nervous! While you were zoned out, some people walked up and tried to talk to me and I freaked out and got stuck in my hoodie!~*"~*

Rogue

"Shirley Temples are my favorite drink," I say. "But I like lemonade too. And Arnold Palmers, like 50% of the time."

*Quinn*

*"*Well, okay, sure,*" I say. I grab a piece of pie from the table. "*Okay, this is the plan. You're going to sneak up behind him and hold this pie like you're going to throw it at him,*" I say. "*When he catches you, act annoyed and explain that you were going to prank him, but he is clearly smarter than he looks. While he's all distracted, I'll throw these--*" I gesture to the sliders-- "*At him from the tree. Got it?*"*

Scar~

I look the person, Ivory, I guess, up and down, deciding whether or not to lie about my name. I decide against it. Might as well have a somewhat normal conversation.

“Scar,” I say. “But call me anything. I tend to have many names.” I say it in the same tone. Friendly and repulsive. “How old are you?”

~

:Ellerie:~

:I’m already swinging my legs around the opposite way. “:Mhm,:” I say, dropping Tempest’s hand. I grab a long, bendy branch, and swing down gently. I don’t want to scare the unicorn by jumping down. It’s pretty, with shiny white fur and a deep purple tail. I gently approach it from the front so it can see me. It doesn’t seem to mind my existence, so I start to pet it on its forehead.:

~

Opal~

A girl who looks older than me comes to sit with me and asks, “Mind if I join you?” I look up, terrified. I don’t know how to do social situations! I squeak. "I-I ah um su-Sure?” I say it as a question even though it’s not. She sits down next to me and opens her book to read. But now I can’t read anymore, because I’m distracted. I’m feeling way insecure. Am I breathing too loud? Should I talk? Am I turning the pages too loud? Am I blinking too much? Weird questions that nobody cares about the answers to. I just hold my breath and close my eyes, breathing when I need to.

~

I breathe a sigh of relief that Jade thinks it's cool. Sometimes I'm not great at reading social cues. Anyway, Jade asked a question.

"My apparently unpopular opinion: cranberry juice plus ginger ale. My mom tasted the mixture and proclaimed it disgusting," I laugh. 

:Ellerie:~

:I smile as the unicorn nuzzles into my hand. ":No. Well, yes, but in a wishful thinking way,:" I whisper back to Tempest. It's incredible to see a unicorn. To be petting it. It has big brown eyes that close every time my hand pets the fur around them. It's adorable.:

:I wonder if I should tell anyone. I kind of want to, but I know that more than just a few of the AEs would start petting it so hard that it would harm it or scare it. It probably doesn't like crowds. Plus, it can be a... thing, or something, between me and Tempest. ":I wonder if it has a name,:" I whisper-wonder aloud.:

~

-Yang-

-"-GAH-" I yell, shifting into a cockroach to dodge the pie that tiny child kid has thrown at my lovely face. The child looks up into the tree pathetically. Why...-

-OH. There's someone else up there. Quinn. I barely have a chance to think before they start pelting sliders at me. I shift into a turtle and hide in the shell. Ohohoh, if they get even a crumb on me, we may just start a war.-

-A PRANK war.- 

~ 

*Quinn*

*Nobody warned me we were dealing with a SHAPSHIFTER. Shapeshifters, I've met them, and they're tricky. But I decide to go with it. He can't see me when he's hidden in that sad turtle shell of his, so I quickly jump from the tree and land gracefully, before picking him up and smushing slider all over his shell. Then I drop him to the ground before he can shift back into a cockroach.*

/Chai\

/Dawn denies my offer. "/Okie-dokie!\" I say. I hand aer the drink. "/Good luck!\"\

Rogue

Feeling as though I've become the third wheel in the conversation, I drift away. I start heading for the cookies, but am distracted by a loud noise. Was that a screech? I look down to see a green-haired person holding a book. Strange. "Um, hi?" I say. 

@Maya@

I waited for everybody to leave, sighing a melodramatic sigh i found my way to a small tree. I sat down, opening my book with a crack. I scaned the pages for something good to read. Seateling on a chapter about something called "Chatterbox". Seemed interesting enough, should get me through this with talking to some one. But wait, how long was this thing. To find that out i would have to talk to somebody. Uggh. I rolled my eyes, closing my book. I looked around for a...well a person...um. well a person who might have started this. My eyes land on a 13 looking girl, she long , straight, white hair. She almost looked like Hour except with black eyes and pale skin. She does look like she does not want to be here. But I'll ask her anyway. I slowly move over to her, She liftes her head to look at me. My god, she really looks grumpy. *Can i help you* She says, leaving her snack on the table.