i've been living in a make believe land | joining, open.

[WINIFRED.]

[align=center][div style="width: 500px; text-align: justify; color: #494949; letter-spacing: 0.2px; word-spacing: 1px; margin-top: 10px;"]Freedom

Forever close, but never guarantee. Although sheltered, there was no physical restraints to bind her. Sometimes she'd sit with her brother, Garrett-- her merely ten and he twelve-- and fantasize about how much sweeter that word would taste in its actuality. "We could just leave, you know." Garrett used to say, and they could. Family watched them, but not any more than any others. If they wanted to, they could just leave. There was a reason they didn't, though, until Garrett ultimately did when she was nineteen, he twenty-one.

Their father mapped out the risks it could entail, if they decided to wander out of their safe Maddison home. If they wandered, even just minutes outside the comfort of their home, they'd be met with a hardcore truth. They'd be dead, if not worse: sold into slavery, tortured for days on end. They'd especially appreciate troublesome girls like Winnie: who snagged the eyes of her hormonal brothers as she transitioned into puberty. When Garrett left, she'd only assumed that's exactly what happened to him, only confirmed by her father. She mourned his loss, as he'd been her closest friend. Now as she wanders outside of the Maddison home in nothing but an oversized t-shirt and jeans with what had been her father's trusty steed, Sullivan at her side, she has hope. Hope that Garrett, too, is alive, getting that taste of freedom that he so desperately craved.

She has been traveling for about five days now. No slavery, no bandits, and as far as she can tell she is alive. Like the ocean they used to intake, it tasted a lot saltier than sweet. She'd reconsidered her options, reconsidered on whether she made the right choice. Obviously apart of her thought so, as she kept trekking forward regardless of the conditions. She stuck to the oceanside, accommodating in old cabins, scraping whatever was left behind from the previous stay. Already, she's beginning to run thin on what she'd taken from what used to be her home and she was starving. She knew that Sullivan was, too. Somewhere along the way he snagged a thorn and so he limps. She doesn't want to push him forward and so eventually, she hides him away at the side of some home, promising to find supplies to help and then she's off. As she does so, her mind continues to wander

After having company all her life, she was pretty goddamn lonely, too. Times like this she wished she'd went with Garrett when he made the offer. It was too late now.

It's there that she sees it, though. The first hope for human life making a revelation right in front of her. Firelight and low chatter, the perfect combination. The illogical part overrides: with rifle in tow, she could attempt to demand whatever they had. Joyful laughter didn't entail anything, but . . . what if? and then the logical part wrestles that thought away: What if they were the people her dad talked about The bandits, brutes, and pimps that sold girls off to slavery? Aside from her father's rifle, she has nothing else, and she doesn't even know how to use it. She could act tough, but before she could make proper aim, she'd have been outnumbered.

Ultimately she'd decide to play it safe. Crouching down and using the cascading darkness as her light, attempt to shuffle closer to the strangers. Quietly. She prays. You'll be just fine if you're quiet.

[ikigai.]

[align=center][div style="background=transparent; borderwidth=0px; bordercolor=; width: 420px; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 125%; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; color: black"]

— mateo wouldn’t describe his life growing up as sheltered. granted, perhaps once a long time ago it had been. he’d been so naive as a boy, growing up on his family’s vast prairie and farmland. he had been so loved and experienced the simplest of things. not once did he dream about what the new world was like outside of his prairie home- because he never once dreamed of leaving. he was supposed to take over the land once his father grew too old. though, things took a sudden turn when everything went up in smoke. when he was the only survivor.

mateo only left when there was nothing he could come back to.

he had felt scared out in this world. scared and not quite as whole as most of the people he had come across. that never deterred him, though; he could do what it took to survive. going from place to place, town to town, until he finally found his home. northstar. here he actually felt a sense of belonging. he could make friends here. bury his roots in deep here and never go. something in that was so delightfully freeing in itself.

he was making his way towards the bonfire when he noticed it. the slight shift in the darkness, someone coming up closer to the fire. he pursed his lips and sauntered towards the shadows, just barely able to make someone out in the darkness. “what do we have here?” he called out, both for the person in the dark to hear, and for those at the bonfire to be alerted. “hopefully you’re not trying to pull anything on us, are you?” the words said almost protectively, yet with a deceivingly warm grin as he waited for the person to realize they’d been seen, noticed by someone.


//sorry for this shit post but
welcome to nd !! : ' )

[DoI]

[align=center][div style="width: 390px; text-align: justify;"]puck hated mateo with a burning passion. the man gave him a bad feeling, the same one his father gave him, and usually, his gut was right on these things. puck had seen the smoke and just watched it rise into the sky from his tree, only to see mateo going to investigate. leaping down from his low branch, he would follow the man on his journey, staying silent until mateo spoke.

“or you’re just so ugly that they thought you were a monster.” he stated bluntly, narrowing his eyes at the older man. “why don’t you go back to camp and i’ll take care of thing. no one wants to be greeted by your face.” was he bitter? yes. was he going to be petty? absolutely. there was no getting around that.

/same ^^’

[GREENIE.]

    Green had been well acquainted with this idea of freedom for a long time, but it never made things any easier for him in his life. In fact, freedom lead to recklessness, bad decisions being made. It lead to loneliness, the fact that independence from such a young age meant that he was so starved of the feeling of safety that any slight feeling of bonding between him and another person felt like home to Green. He put his trust into people too readily, perhaps an innate desire to feel less alone in his thoughts. The desire to have someone influence his directions, help him become less indecisive.

All the disadvantages of freedom.

He'd been stood at the bonfire, babbling mindlessly among the group of people as they all chattered. He wouldn't have noticed the intruder if it weren't for Mateo's sharp eye, brows bunching together as he turned around to shoot him a confused glance. And then, that's when he saw the woman in the darkness, Green's heart leaping in his chest - what were her intentions?

Puck leaped into the conversation with biting words towards Mateo. ❝ Hey- ❞ Green warned, stepping forwards as he frowned at Puck. ❝ Don't be so nasty; apologize to him. ❞ He insisted, gesturing towards the Spaniard. After all, Green was admittedly protective of his friend, Mateo. The man had been through hell and back, and Green was sure to stand up for all of the misunderstood souls out there, Mateo and Puck alike.

Finally, he looked towards the woman once more, cocking his head to the side with curiosity as much as confusion. What was she trying to do? ❝ What's your name, and why are you sneaking about? I sure hope you weren't here to cause trouble. ❞

[align=center][div style="width: 350px; text-align: justify; font-family:verdana; font-size: 7px;"][spoiler=tags :: updated 9/22]basics.
✫ vernon jeremiah green // only known as green or greenie
✫ hasn't told people that his name is vernon
✫ male // he/him
✫ twenty four // ages real time // born twenty first april
✫ leader of northstar district
✫ stepped up as leader - twentieth april 2039

appearance.
✫ faceclaim - taron egerton
✫ voice claim - taron egerton
✫ family originally comes from llanfairpwllgwyngyll in wales
✫ has a mixed british accent with a welsh and american twang
✫ 5'10ft // lean yet well-built from working out
✫ soft blue eyes and dirty blonde hair
✫ physical health - 100%
    ¬ current injuries: none as of now
✫ mental health - 100%
    ¬ he's got no ailments at the moment

personality.
✫ fundamentally he has a good heart // humble
✫ very assertive // does what he can to benefit northstar
✫ has a good set of morals // cares for people unconditionally
✫ very relaxed and composed with self-assurance and confidence
✫ incredibly complacent and laid back unless he's fighting for his cause
✫ massive daredevil // is very into extreme sports
✫ fearless, stupidly so // doesn't mind risking his own life
✫ generally easy to get on with, it's difficult to dislike him
✫ doesn't think into the future // only thinks about the present
✫ dependable and very loyal to his friends

relationships.
✫ david green x cassandra griffiths // both are deceased
✫ only child // his biological father died before he was born
✫ green was orphaned when he was nine
✫ fostered by caroline and steve miles
✫ both his foster parents died when green was eleven
✫ his chihuahua and pug, midas and ginnie, are basically his children
✫ heterosexual heteroromantic // has never been in a relationship before
✫ in a relationship with fallon rude

interaction.
✫ storage // playlist // pinterest
✫ physically: hard // mentally: medium
✫ his weapon of choice is a bat, yet he only has it for defense
✫ also has a bow and arrow, but uses it for recreation
✫ much prefers to run away // is exceptional at parkour
✫ very diplomatic and much prefers mediation rather than fighting
✫ dislikes confrontation yet will fight if need be // not a fan of close-ranged attacks
✫ foster parents taught him self-defense
✫ living on the streets turned him into a good fighter
[/spoiler]

[ikigai.]

[align=center][div style="background=transparent; borderwidth=0px; bordercolor=; width: 420px; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 125%; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; color: black"]

— puck’s hatred for mateo was the definition of unwarranted. it happened seemingly out of nowhere; mateo barely interacted with the kid, let alone for the kid to hate him. for whatever reason, he doubted that it was justified. he could only grin at the boy as he called him ugly and narrowed his eyes. “better my face than your attitude, niño,” he replied lightheartedly, chuckling softly - the definition of unaffected by puck’s “tough” words.

green was then quick to step in and insist the boy apologize. the spaniard waved a dismissive hand. “it’s fine, green. you know how kids are sometimes.” he glanced over at puck one more time before he turned his gaze back over towards the newcomer. “besides, this shouldn't be about me. ” and it was then that he waited for her to respond to green’s questioning, about who she was and what she was doing in northstar territory.

so much for a warm welcome.

[WINIFRED.]

[align=center][div style="width: 500px; text-align: justify; color: #494949; letter-spacing: 0.2px; word-spacing: 1px; margin-top: 10px;"]Shoot.

It doesn't take her long to be caught, for a man to summon her out of the shadows with one inquiry alone. Still, Winnie attempts to conceal herself in the shadows as if her body would turn into darkness, as if she'd dissipate into thin air if she were to hold her breath long enough, eyes wide like a deer in headlights as she contemplates her next move. Fight or flight. In her case, the latter seemed more reasonable and yet she continues to stand there as the other two men acknowledge her as well.

Man two seems far more concerned with Man one than her, sneering an insult at him right off the bat. Had she not been on high-alert she might have felt bad for Mateo, suffered from second-hand embarrassment. . . it reminded her a lot of her , of her siblings. When they got into a disagreement things could get horrendous, sometimes downright ugly. She has her fair share of average insults, however she was more than likely the one to end up in tears. Her father used to say she took everything so seriously, to heart. That's because words had power like that. How could she not.

Man three is the one to simmer them, demand an apology, but Man two is unbothered nonetheless. His response is lighthearted as he brushes it off, as if he hadn't been attacked by his looks. He had to know how good-looking he was to not be phased whatsoever.  She wishes she were the same, to have such thick-skin she wouldn't shrivel up over any disarranged look but she did, and still does.

Now, the attention was on her. What was she here for? Right? A few heartbeats of standing still, and she figures she can't stand there anymore saying nothing. "Um right I-" Her initial plan had been to steal for her and Sullivan, but obviously she doesn't have much of an idea of weaponry, much less stealth but now her only options were one of two things: run or compromise. Decidedly, she shrugs off her backpack, her rifle setting them down in front of her. "I have an injured and hungry horse not too far from here. All I need is food and supplies to patch him up and I'll be on my way. I don't have much, but take whatever. Please." It sounded much better than even she anticipated. That was a start.

/ ya'll I've ultimately decided to give her a horse. yep, this has been decided. I thought and thought about it and I'm sorry for not putting it in the first post but I feel like it makes the most sense asdfghjkl

[GREENIE.]

    Green had been wary at first. It wasn't often people sneaked up on him in the dark, and so he was swiftly lead to believe that perhaps there were some ill intentions in her actions. But, she was quite frankly outnumbered by many to one, and so a part of him didn't know what she was thinking. Thank goodness he was so passive as a person; if it were any of the other leaders he knew around these lands, she would've earned a quick death with her sneaking about.

But instead, Green listened. He listened because he wouldn't hold anything against anybody. Some would say he was a carpet to walk right over, whilst others would insist that it was just his heart of gold. He just knew that he ought to treat people with kindness if he were to deserve it in return; very few people received an unfavorable response from the man. The woman began to explain her situation, carefully lowering everything that she had to the ground.

With that gesture, Green lowered his guard. With a soft hand gesture, he wordlessly insisted that she was all right, that she didn't need to surrender her belongings to them. ❝ What happened to him? ❞ He decided to pipe up when she spoke about her horse, brows furrowing with concern. It wasn't like Green knew much about horses at all, but he did know that a horse could mean the world to somebody and nobody liked to worry about their companion.

❝ Look- ❞ Green began to explain, shaking his head slowly. ❝ Your horse is injured and hungry, and you're out here on your own in the dark. We have empty houses back in the District... and a stable for your horse. We can get food and medical supplies for you and your horse, and you can both rest up until you're ready to set off again. Just no more sneaking around; you scared me shitless. ❞ He raised his brows, hoping that his offer didn't come across as peculiar.

❝ How does that sound? ❞ Honestly, if he were in that situation, he'd be grateful. He didn't like the idea of the woman wandering around in the dark, nor the horse that may have been too injured to continue traveling, at least not until he recovered. Call him a carpet for people to walk over, but his heart of gold would not turn a person away without good reason.

[align=center][div style="width: 350px; text-align: justify; font-family:verdana; font-size: 7px;"][spoiler=tags :: updated 9/22]basics.
✫ vernon jeremiah green // only known as green or greenie
✫ hasn't told people that his name is vernon
✫ male // he/him
✫ twenty four // ages real time // born twenty first april
✫ leader of northstar district
✫ stepped up as leader - twentieth april 2039

appearance.
✫ faceclaim - taron egerton
✫ voice claim - taron egerton
✫ family originally comes from llanfairpwllgwyngyll in wales
✫ has a mixed british accent with a welsh and american twang
✫ 5'10ft // lean yet well-built from working out
✫ soft blue eyes and dirty blonde hair
✫ physical health - 100%
    ¬ current injuries: none as of now
✫ mental health - 100%
    ¬ he's got no ailments at the moment

personality.
✫ fundamentally he has a good heart // humble
✫ very assertive // does what he can to benefit northstar
✫ has a good set of morals // cares for people unconditionally
✫ very relaxed and composed with self-assurance and confidence
✫ incredibly complacent and laid back unless he's fighting for his cause
✫ massive daredevil // is very into extreme sports
✫ fearless, stupidly so // doesn't mind risking his own life
✫ generally easy to get on with, it's difficult to dislike him
✫ doesn't think into the future // only thinks about the present
✫ dependable and very loyal to his friends

relationships.
✫ david green x cassandra griffiths // both are deceased
✫ only child // his biological father died before he was born
✫ green was orphaned when he was nine
✫ fostered by caroline and steve miles
✫ both his foster parents died when green was eleven
✫ his chihuahua and pug, midas and ginnie, are basically his children
✫ heterosexual heteroromantic // has never been in a relationship before
✫ in a relationship with fallon rude

interaction.
✫ storage // playlist // pinterest
✫ physically: hard // mentally: medium
✫ his weapon of choice is a bat, yet he only has it for defense
✫ also has a bow and arrow, but uses it for recreation
✫ much prefers to run away // is exceptional at parkour
✫ very diplomatic and much prefers mediation rather than fighting
✫ dislikes confrontation yet will fight if need be // not a fan of close-ranged attacks
✫ foster parents taught him self-defense
✫ living on the streets turned him into a good fighter
[/spoiler]