Ninth House | Official RP Thread

[Jass]

---

Lyra blinked as Inessa’s sharp response cut through the air. She hadn’t expected that level of intensity, and it caught her off guard. For a second, she didn’t respond, letting the weight of Inessa’s words hang between them.

Her brows furrowed slightly as she studied her friend, noting the forced smile and the way Inessa’s fingers fidgeted against her gloves. Something was definitely off. This wasn’t the usual Inessa, no matter how much she tried to insist it was.

Lyra hesitated, unsure if she should push or let it go. She didn’t want to make Inessa more uncomfortable, but the tension radiating off her was hard to ignore. “Okay,” Lyra said slowly, her tone gentle and careful. “If you say you’re good, then we’ll leave it at that. But Ness, you know you don’t have to be ‘perfect’ all the time, right? I’m here… no judgment, no pressure.” She kept her words light, hoping to create a safe space without prying too much.

As they stepped into Umbra, Lyra let the pulse of the music and the heat of the crowd wash over her. As they walked through the crowd, Lyra followed Inessa’s gaze, her eyes landing on Thalia and the unfamiliar scene playing out. She noticed the way Inessa quickly looked away, her focus snapping back to her gloves. That reaction spoke volumes. Lyra wasn’t sure what exactly was going on, but she could sense the unease rolling off her friend.

When Inessa spoke up again, Lyra didn’t miss the strain behind the small smile. However, Lyra resisted the urge to ask about it, deciding to keep things light instead.

“Definitely drinks,” she agreed, looping her arm through Inessa’s and steering them toward the bar. “But only if you let me make the first round. I’ve got a feeling we’re going to need something special." she said, offering a warm smile of her own.

With a subtle gesture of her hand, she reached into the air and let her magic weave through the air like a breeze. A soft, shimmering glow appeared before her, swirling like a gentle breeze before solidifying into the ingredients she needed: fresh rosemary, a sprig of lavender, salt for the rim, a splash of grapefruit juice, a measured pour of tequila, and a bubble of sparkling water. The magic hummed quietly as it combined the elements in midair, blending the ingredients seamlessly before Lyra carefully directed the finished cocktail into two glasses.

She smiled softly as the drinks hovered for a moment, with the rosemary sprigs dancing lightly on the surface, then lowered them down onto the table with a gentle wave of her hand.

“There we go. My version of a paloma,” she said, her tone playful yet serene. She gave Inessa a wink before raising her glass, “Here’s to a great night,” she said with a small smile, her voice light but sincere. “Let’s make it one to remember.”

Without saying more, she took a sip of her drink, feeling a slight shift in the energy between them - a subtle, unspoken shift toward a lighter mood. The dance floor was calling, and Lyra was ready to take full advantage of the night ahead. “Now,” she said with a grin, “let’s go dance.” She didn’t wait for any more encouragement, pulling Inessa along with a playful urgency, her feet already moving to the beat as they weaved through the crowd. The music thumped in the air, and Lyra was determined to let go of everything for the night.

---

Inessa - @Madilfill

---

[raviola]

Mona

“Right,” Mona nodded. Hugh Hefner. That was the man’s costume. And she remembered that, even though she didn’t know exactly what the reference was. Looking around, she didn’t know who half of those people were. In her eyes, under the metallic colors that distinguished them, were wavering shades of brown, all equally far from her. All but Renlin, the only person whose features she was seeing still enough to describe. His mouth began to speak again, and she watched the sound waves oscillate in her direction.

In his hand, he showed her his cigarettes, so she assumed he had asked if she smoked, inviting her to join him.

“I’ve been offered,” she said, and then realized he likely could not hear her if she mumbled sadly. And when she went to spoke louder, she reconsidered her reply.

“Why not!” Mona shouted. And when she finished her answer, she tried to think of her grandparents’ words to ignore, but could not think of anything. The only thing she could remember was her grandmother’s short, spiky-tipped hair, and wrinkled jawlines going up and down. So many mouths had spoken to her, but what were they saying? What did it mean?
She wanted to respond, but the hinge at her jaw felt woodenly stiff. She could only nod up and down, like a good girl.

He seemed to agree, and then turned for her to follow him. In the midst of the crowd, however, she wrapped her fingers on the back of his arm to try not to lose him. Her steps were shuffled trying to keep up, but eventually, he undid the latch sliding open to the balcony. She slid through following him, and then closed the door behind her.

Once they shut the door, and the sound of the party muffled, and was suddenly replaced by the cut of the october wind. In her small costume, she felt her body ask her to shiver, but the alcohol made it easier. She tried to push the discomfort away, and smiled at Renlin with the warmth within that kept her body from freezing.

In another chilly gust, Desdemona asked him how she was supposed to inhale the smoke.
“What do you think it’ll make me feel?”

@Madilfill

[Caticorn]

≪ °❈° ≫ August 2017 ≪ °❈° ≫

TW - blood

Tae winced as he woke up and became aware of how much his body hurt. Beside him, he heard someone move.

“Tae, oh my god. Hang on. I’ll tell your mom.” Felicity. It was Felicity’s voice. Except it also wasn’t. Her voice sounded scared and sad. Tight. Not like her. “She should be here soon, she was just getting a coffee."

“…hurts.” It was hard to use his voice.

“What was that?”

“I…everything hurts.” He whispered before taking in his surroundings “Where am I?”

"You’re in the hospital. Do you remember being in an accident?” He nodded. As soon as she said that, he remembered the glass in his arm, being thrown against the side of the car and his brother, covered in blood. “I’ll call your nurse and see if there’s something to help your pain.”

“Isaac…” He felt his breathing speed up as he tried to remember what happened to his brother after that but everything was black. Felicity hesitated, which made Tae fear for the worst-case scenario.

“I think we should wait until your mom gets back.”

“Where’s dad?”

“He’s at home. He was here all night because it was the only way to convince Sara to get some sleep.”

“Taeho.” His mom’s voice was even more heart-crushing than his sister’s.

“Eomma.” He responded as she hugged him. He hugged her back, breathing in the familiar comforting scent of her perfume. She began to softly sob. “Eomma, it’s okay. I’m here.” At this point, Felicity begins to cry, leaving Tae confused. “What happened to Isaac?” He asked firmly.

“Tae-ya, Isaac didn’t make it.” His mom answered. Tae felt his breathing become heavier, his dread becoming a reality.

“I’m so sorry. Liss, I’m so sorry.” He repeats the words over and over again.

“It’s not your fault.” She insisted. “I’m just happy one of you is still here.”

≪ °❈° ≫ Present ≪ °❈° ≫

“Don’t get too excited, I haven’t said I’m going yet.” He quipped as she began excitedly searching through her makeup. He once again glanced at the drawer beside his bed, remembering what his original plan for the evening had been.

Ayla very confidently dismissed his concern about Ren hurting her. “He’s like, twice your size.” He reminded her while also trying to justify his concern. He was trying to ignore the fact that the thought of Ayla going up against Renlin made his chest feel tight. He remembered what happened when he got on the wrong and of his cousin’s temper and he was scared of what that could mean for her.

He felt her hand on his back and put his head on her shoulder, leaning into her touch. “I…I know that,” He responded when she told him that his father’s love wasn’t conditional except something in his voice showed evidence of disbelief as if he was saying what he thought she wanted to hear instead of what he actually believed.

“I feel like I’m letting him down if I stop trying but I just want to stop feeling like surviving was this horrible thing that I did.” Out of all the things Tae had to process and recover from after the accident, survivor’s guilt was the worst. Over time, his pain became tolerable and the nightmares became sparse but the guilt was always a constant, even as his sister’s words reassured him. Ayla had a point though. Losing himself to complete an impossible task wasn’t helping him heal. “I guess you’re right.” He agreed, resting his head against her shoulder.

≪ °❈° ≫ ● ≪ °❈° ≫

@eunoia - Ayla

[idiot.exe]

[⋅𖥔⋅]═════⋅𖥔⋅═══ [ ♛ ] ═══⋅𖥔⋅═════[⋅𖥔⋅]

Outside the Party - with Lenore

[⋅𖥔⋅]═════⋅𖥔⋅═══ [ ♤ ] ═══⋅𖥔⋅═════[⋅𖥔⋅]

Ah, Lenore, exactly the person he wanted to run into when he was so sure he’d leave. Out of everyone in Wyndham, she was one of the few he could… Tolerate, let’s say. Though he wasn’t being entirely honest about that.

“I know,” a short response, as usual, and his expression stoic and unrevealing of his true emotions. His grip tightened around the strap of his backpack. “I… I’m taking a short break. You go on ahead.”

Dominic wished he could say goodbye to her. But revealing his motives was simply too risky. His only choice was to disappear as quick as he arrived, shrouded in shadows and mysteries he refused to reveal. A small sigh escaped his lips as he looked at her. He almost wanted to walk away at that moment, yet his legs felt frozen beneath him. He had a plan, nothing could get in his way — yet — as his eyes drifted down to her smile, and the way she said his name… Perhaps, five minutes couldn’t hurt.

That aside, as he stood closer to her now, he could take a better look at her outfit. As it seemed, she was in a costume, and certainly not the possessed doll he momentarily assumed she was. It was the stress, he told himself, making him assume these hallways are haunted, as if some presence has been following him the entire time. But a doll… that was completely ridiculous.

Blue and white dress, pigtails secured with thin red ribbons matching the shade of her shoes. It felt familiar, yet he couldn’t quite guess it. “What is that costume?” he asked, sounding almost judgemental.

[⋅𖥔⋅]═════⋅𖥔⋅═══ [ ♛ ] ═══⋅𖥔⋅═════[⋅𖥔⋅]

@Caticorn ⋅𖥔⋅ Lenore Ferrell

[⋅𖥔⋅]═════⋅𖥔⋅═══ [ ♤ ] ═══⋅𖥔⋅═════[⋅𖥔⋅]

[idiot.exe]

[⋅𖥔⋅]═════⋅𖥔⋅═══ [ ♛ ] ═══⋅𖥔⋅═════[⋅𖥔⋅]

Flashback - During the hunt - with Amani

[⋅𖥔⋅]═════⋅𖥔⋅═══ [ ♤ ] ═══⋅𖥔⋅═════[⋅𖥔⋅]

“What are you doing here? In Wyndham?” Her voice was harsh, such a stark contrast to the frightened person he’d assumed she was.

Dominic had been asking himself the same, ever since he stepped foot in this cursed academy. Yet hearing the words out of someone else’s lips, so harsh and laced with… Hatred, almost. He didn’t want to believe it, but how the woman’s tone twisted, how her eyes once wide with shock became so cold — memories of a time he buried deep began to resurface. Dominic’s lips parted, yet his jaw remained hanging with no words coming forth. He could feel his throat tighten. The walls of this courtyard, once so spacious, were now closing in on him. Archways along the walls shrinking, trapping the two in this conversation he wished he could flee.

He didn’t want to remember. Yet all he could think was how her hands used to feel so warm in his, ironic for someone so cold-blooded. The conversations they’d have in their own hidden places, distancing themselves from the world because he thought she was the one that could truly understand him. And how they’d laugh together, and in his innocence he ignored she’d been looking down on him, mocking his weakness. He’d been so naive to trust her, believing one with her reputation could even love. And as he stood in front of her now, he thought, he only had himself to blame. Perhaps he deserved it, a lesson that he could never trust another soul.

Have we met? The words slipped out without a thought, desperately, as if clinging to the fragile hope that his mind was deceiving him. The chance that that woman, whose name he couldn’t even utter, wasn’t standing in front of his eyes.

Her answer was spoken with a hint of a laugh, almost bitter-sounding if he didn’t know any better. “What type of question Is that, Dominic?”

Those words cut through him like a blade. An unspoken confirmation that he was right. The past he’d been helplessly running from had caught up to him, and it was going to drag him back to that dark pit which once chained him. Hearing the name he’d chosen to hide, spoken so freely, sent a chill through his spine. Adrenaline, and the familiar, chilling numbness of his fingers as his heart began to race. Without a doubt, it was her. The girl who had broken his heart. Broken the fragile trust he childishly put in her. And the life he once knew — shattered by her hands.

A tremble in his jaw, and he bit his lip. The rage he suppressed with the fear of hurting her, now flowed freely through his veins. It warmed his body to the point of boiling, clenching his teeth and fists to restrain himself.

“So it really is you,” he forced out, arms shaking at his sides. He let out a shaky huff, his eyes becoming colder the longer he looked at that face. “I should be asking you the same. What are you doing here? You followed me, didn’t you? All these years, and you— You truly could not get over me?” he stumbled over his words, his thoughts fragmenting. “You’re obsessed with me. I’ve told you, time and time, and time again to just leave me alone. I want you out of my head—” he cut his words off suddenly, jaw clenching shut.

That wasn’t meant to slip out.

Dominic stepped forward, until he cast a shadow over her shorter frame. She looked so much smaller now, so fragile… She wouldn’t stand a chance against his strength. Yet why, in the back of his mind, did he feel a sense of powerlessness? His limbs were held down by invisible chains, and something clawed at his chest from within. Suddenly he was that pathetic boy again, the one she had wrapped around her little finger.

[⋅𖥔⋅]═════⋅𖥔⋅═══ [ ♛ ] ═══⋅𖥔⋅═════[⋅𖥔⋅]

@Kristi ⋅𖥔⋅ Amani Ditto Monet

[⋅𖥔⋅]═════⋅𖥔⋅═══ [ ♤ ] ═══⋅𖥔⋅═════[⋅𖥔⋅]

[idiot.exe]

⊱—⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅—⋅༻✧༺⋅—⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅—⊰

Umbra Party — with Kairo

⊱—⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅—⋅༻✧༺⋅—⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅—⊰

Kairo greeted with a tip of his hat, making Atlas smile in return. “I could never miss out on a party, partner.” His response was a rather poor attempt at imitating an american accent. Still he winked, hoping it would distract from some faults.

He watched as the other man took a glass from his tray, straightening his lips to conceal his amusement. “Thank you, thank you,” he gave another bow. “A bit of both, why not? And who knows, perhaps they are permanent. But I’d love to see you try to keep up with me,” the drink tray effortlessly spun around his fingers as he spoke, emphasizing his point. Powered by his own illusions, it dipped only strategically before regaining balance, careful not to expose his tricks too soon. “Take that as less of a challenge, and more… Encouragement. It gets a bit boring when everybody simply stares.”

And finally, the moment of truth — Kairo had lifted the glass to his lips, only to have it vanish into dust. The golden liquid now became like glitter, scattering around them both. And with a snap of Atlas’ fingers, the tray followed until it dissipated into nothingness. Faint traces of magic filled the air, the lingering smell of alcohol fading with the illusion.

Meeting Kairo’s eyes, his eyebrow raised in suspicion, Atlas couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. He covered his lips, looking away only for a second before glancing for his reaction.

“I suppose it was,” his chuckling died down and his expression softened with a tilt of his head. “I do apologize about that. I couldn’t help myself.” He reached for the glass in Kairo’s hand, taking it from him with grace. And then, he crushed it into dust much like the rest. “A real drink, and… A real glass,” he smirked. “Worry not, though, I could get you real drink. That is, if you trust me enough after this, hmm?”

⊱—⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅—⋅༻✧༺⋅—⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅—⊰

@CerealKiller ✧ Kairo Elias Hall

⊱—⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅—⋅༻✧༺⋅—⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅—⊰

[eunoia]

★・・・・・・★ ⊱♥⊱ ★・・・・・・★

★・・・・・・★ ⊱♥⊱ ★・・・・・・★

“Don’t get too excited, I haven’t said I’m going yet.” Ayla only smiled, raised her hands in a surrendering gesture. “I didn’t say anything,”

---

“He’s like, twice your size.” Tae reminded her while also trying to justify his concern. Ayla crossed her arms, “I feel very underestimated,” she said, raising an eyebrow at him. “Just because he’s bigger doesn’t mean he’s better. I’ve faced bigger challenges before, and I’ve come out on top.” Ayla winced as she realized that could be taken as if his feelings weren’t important too her. “I get it, really. You’re trying to protect me. But if we all just cower in fear, then what? He wins. He gets to keep terrorizing people without anyone fighting back. I refuse to let that happen.”

“I feel like I’m letting him down if I stop trying but I just want to stop feeling like surviving was this horrible thing that I did.”

“Feeling that way doesn’t mean you’re forgetting him,” Ayla replied, her voice steady and reassuring. “We carry the people we’ve lost with us, in our memories, in our actions, in everything we do. They’re a part of who we are, and they will always be with us, even if the moments we shared are gone. Keeping his spirit alive means allowing yourself to feel joy and to live, not being stuck in sorrow.”

Ayla let out a soft sigh as his head rested on her shoulder, feeling the weight of their shared narratives settle between them like a heavy blanket. “Grief can be so isolating,” she mused,remembering feeling like trying to fill shoes that were too big for her. She felt she can’t measure up to what Alex was, and she was terrified of failing him. She felt in her bones that river flowed between and Tae herself.

“Isaac was unique, and so are you,” she replied gently, scared to move even a centimeter. She didn’t even realize how healing this was for her. “And…It’s okay to feel that way,” Ayla said. “It’s part of the process. We’re all just trying to navigate through all this pain and find a little light. You’re allowed to live and to thrive. You’re allowed to feel joy, even when sadness lingers.”

---

“Is it a bad time to mention I’m going to absolutely kill it as Bo Peep at the costume party?” Ayla teased, a playful glint in her eye as she nudged Tae gently with her shoulder.

★・・・・・・★ ⊱♥⊱ ★・・・・・・★

[Caticorn]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: ✦. ☽ .✦ :☆ﾟ. ･ ───

Lenore eyed Nic’s backpack. He was a hard-to-read person but she wasn’t stupid. She had spent enough time without a place she could call home to know what the bag was for. She looked into his dark and unrevealing eyes, trying to get even a small suggestion of his motives and wondering if the night that they met had anything to do with it.

“Is everything okay?” He would likely evade the question, it seemed to be his specialty, but Lenore felt she had to at least try. “Why don’t you come with me? I think I have the perfect thing if you need to relax for a little bit.” She offered him her hand. She would have just taken his but she worried the gesture might scare him off, as if he was a scared animal. Really, she was trying to find any reason for her to keep an eye on him and maybe even get him to tell her what the backpack was for.

She inched towards him, hoping he wouldn’t notice her closing the space between them. Her hand was still awaiting his but she thought this might make the offer more inviting. Maybe if he saw that one person here had no intention of hurting him, he wouldn’t want to leave.

When he asked about her costume, she playfully scowled. “I thought the shoes would have given it away. I’m Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.” She told him matter-of-factly, smoothing out her dress and then doing a little pose so he could get a better look at it. “I don’t see your costume so I don’t know why you’re judging me.” She pointed out, gesturing to his very normal-looking outfit, which suggested that he hadn’t come from the party like he was claiming.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: ✦. ☽ .✦ :☆ﾟ. ･ ───

@idiot.exe - Nic

[raviola]

vinnie lolzzzz

Muffled sounds of party music echoed through the halls as Vincenzo walked away from the noise, each step dimming those flashing lights a bit more. It was a celebratory night for Renlin.
After the hunt ended, Vincenzo felt bittersweetly about the winners. His team had lost; and for a part of it, he blamed his teamwork with Arya, who contradicted him most of the hours they spent. He knew another part of that time he had spent worried about Hayes, who had not responded particularly well to him in the morning, which was not usually how their interactions went. But really, he knew that he could have worked harder, done better. It was his own fault. And that distraction led to the most important thing; another shadow manipulator gained power, possibly too much.

Obviously, Vincenzo was proud of him, but he was also a bit afraid for the man. He had garnered alot of recent attention from the headmaster; so what if his victory was another step down Adrian’s path?

As much as Vincenzo hyped himself up, and scared the other guys under his seniority, Renlin seemed to lead them naturally. He was benevolent, and naturally talented. Could it be that the man was better than him?

Even aside from the fear Vincenzo felt for the both of them, he could not help but feel a bit envious. 99 percent of the time, during a Wyndham competition, it was either they won together, or Renlin congratulated Vincenzo, at least in their younger years when Vincenzo still felt like a prodigy.
Lately he felt weaker, like he needed coffee to stay up, and he felt a cool burn in his eyes trying to focus on his monitor, rolling the tapes he’d taken of that girl’s bedroom.
The last time he saw her she was drinking tea as she worked, watching the water swirl in the cup as she struggled to concentrate. Likely now, she was somewhere in the room dressed in something skimpy. He wondered if all his work watching her would be for nothing.

Even when he was tired, though, Enzo tried to be happy for his friend. But at the same time, the man could not help but kick himself for failing.

He noticed it when he struggled to feel the alcohol kick in, too focused on the things that made him unhappy. After a couple gins and no luck, he glanced over at the rest of the crowd. Somewhere deep into the group, all of the bodies swaying, he saw golden wings and brown hair that towered over everyone else. He was dressed as an angel, or some added twist that he mentioned earlier, but wasn’t the theme something you’re not? You’re too sweet for that to be your costume, Vincenzo thought as Ren was probably embarrassing himself in front of Thalia, and then sighed, heading in another direction, hoping to go out and distract himself.

Vincenzo had broke the theme a little bit because as one could tell, he was dressed as a pirate, and he was in fact a bisexual thief. He supposed it just looked good, the costume showing off his toned arms, and the scar he’d drawn on his eye. It felt like the only thing he wore that wasn’t really his was confidence. It was not a good night for Vincenzo’s ego, or maybe not a good month.

After some shoulder bumps and nods at the umbra boys, Vincenzo made it into the hallway where he closed the door behind him and sighed a jolly breath of relief. He thought maybe he might get a drink from his room, because his flask… was already running out. But it wasn’t his doing actually, one of his friends wanted a shot and ended up kind of chugging most of it, so he just decided he should probably refill. Come to think of it he was going to restock his flask with rum, maybe he was a pirate. Maybe he misread the theme for “something you very much are.”

He turned his head in the direction of his room, contemplating whether or not he should just refill from one of the bottles in the kitchen, and then take a break somewhere else.
He decided to refill his flask in the kitchen, and as he leaned back against the counter to take a swig, his gaze lingered toward the fire escape door. Perfect.

Vinnie took himself through the door, but when he expected to be alone, the man heard footsteps below him, and saw a familiar looking trench coat. What was this guy trying to do now?

With a creaky sound, the door to get outside shut, and then Vincenzo sped his steps going downward, trying to catch him before he carried out whatever plan he’d devised. That was, if he was smart enough to make a plan, as he had clearly not been smart enough to avoid challenging him.

By now, Vincenzo had run a little background check on the guy. From what he had read, he was nothing special, but they did have similar pasts. It made him feel a bit of empathy for the man, and he did not wish to open that can of worms, but if the guy was doing something worth investigation, Vincenzo had no choice. He needed to know more.

With quick trotting steps, Vincenzo reached the bottom and busted the door open, a gust of cool wind hitting his face. Just a few steps ahead, the guy seemed to freeze for a second, but when he did not turn around, Vincenzo snapped shadows around the man, turning him around to fight Nic’s weakness.

Presumably he was about to try and overcompensate, furrowing his very trimmed eyebrows and saying something stupid, but Vincenzo decided to spare him more shame.

“Of course it’s you here, Dominic.” Enzo chuckled, reminded of his annoyance with the man in the first place. “Now that you’re not getting anywhere, care to explain where you were going?” He smiled, confidently letting the shadows fall. Then he gently shook the flask in his hand. “I’ve got drinks.”
The rum swirled inside of the metal flask, and Vinnie contemplated how the man would respond. What was he getting in the way of? And by doing his duty trying to integrate more brothers, could he be putting himself at risk?

@idiot.exe ok so I think I got doms outfit wrong but maybe the trench coat is for the cold !! And I think I put them outside instead of on the stairs um
More space to fight !!
Sorry for godmodding I am just short on time to revise rn bc my bf is waiting to call me

[Caticorn]

≪ °❈° ≫ ● ≪ °❈° ≫

“I’m not changing your mind, am I?” He asked as Ayla finished telling him all of the reasons why she wouldn’t back down from a confrontation with his cousin. As far as he was aware, he was the only one on the receiving end of Renlin’s wrath but clearly, she was on a mission and he wasn’t sure that anyone could stop her. “At least, take my sister with you.” He suggested. If she was going to go through with this crazy plan of hers, there should be a witness.

As Ayla spoke about loss and memories, Tae looked over at his guitar, Isaac’s guitar, sitting in the corner of his room. It was juxtaposed with his collection of canes and crutches that he refused to use unless it was absolutely necessary. He hadn’t allowed himself to take the instrument after the accident until his sister and both of his parents had given their blessing. It was the guitar he had learned to play on and no one else in the house played but something inside him had told him that he didn’t deserve to have it.

“I miss him, noona.” He whispered, wrapping his arm around her as his eyes brimmed with tears. He didn’t know why, but it was different talking to Ayla. He would never say any of this in front of family but with her, the words came so easily. At home, he worried that would be a burden if he told the truth about how he felt. It wasn’t like that with her. Her words were ones he had heard time and time again but when they were coming from her, he actually believed them. “I don’t know how.” He quietly responded when she told him he was allowed to live and to feel joy. He had been living in survival mode for the past six years and at this point, he wasn’t sure if he could turn it off.

---

A smile forced itself onto his face when she nudged him. “Wait, is that what the stuffed lamb is for?” He asked, his tone somewhere in between genuinely curious and feigning stupidity and he wasn’t even sure which one he actually was.

≪ °❈° ≫ ● ≪ °❈° ≫

@eunoia - Ayla

[Kristi]

[[[౨ৎmusique ౨ৎ )]

During the Hunt

There was this certain feeling that one gets from seeing something or someone
from their past, no it was not nostalgia–Amani did not want to reminisce of all their times spent holding hands, baking and corny nose kisses. She certainly did not want to think about how his lips have felt soft on her’s, how a simple call or text from him, could make the anger melt from her face nor how she liked that everyday he smelt like the fresh pastries he would bring her and she would place her head on his shoulder’s as they shared the pastries. Still, she can’t help but to think of it and it makes her tired. Why did no one tell her that to love would be to lose her mind? That love was a losing game?

No one tells anyone this, but love is tiring, it’s disgusting and there is no such thing as ‘love conquers all’–Whoever thinks that, Amani has concluded, is a fool. This is why Amani did not like to feel that often, she preferred the feeling of lust to love, you don’t get attached to people you lust over, because you find a new person to f*ck. Love was not like that, and she hated how much she still cared about people she once considered close, she hated that she was disappointed that he- Dominic, did not smell like pastries anymore, and she hated that she could not be indifferent to him. Why was it so hard, to truly be indifferent to someone? She could not be indifferent to Sellenova, Vincenzo nor Dominic whom she truly despised and she couldn’t understand. She wasn’t raised like this, she wasn’t raised so… weak and yet and yet… yet

“Follow you?” There was a certain appalled nature or perhaps it was disgust to her tone, and why would they not? For how could he think that she of all people would go chasing around like a little school girl someone like him- a traitor, a cheater. “Even if a gun were fucking pressed to my head, and the only way to live was to follow you, I’d take the bullet without hesitation.” she spat, her words biting and unrelenting. “I’ve been in this bloody school for years now, if anyone is following someone, it’s you,” The words spilled out like venom, each syllable dripping with the bitterness she’d swallowed for years. Amani hated herself for the tremor in her voice, for the way her heart raced despite the cold exterior she worked so hard to maintain. He didn’t deserve this reaction—this energy. Yet here she was, her emotions bubbling over, betraying her calculated indifference. She clenched her fists to ground herself, her nails biting into her palms. “Years, Dominic,” she continued, her voice lower now, but no less venomous. “Years since I found out—through your friends, my siblings—what a farce we were. And you thought—” She let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “You thought I’d come chasing after you? I may be a lot of things, but desperate isn’t one of them. Not desperate enough to waste a second more on someone like you.”

You’re one of my biggest regrets, she wanted to say, but she didn’t get the chance. Within the blink of an eye, Dominic stepped closer, his shadow stretching over her like an ominous omen.

Her chin lifted instinctively, her defiance sharp and unyielding. She wasn’t the fragile, naive girl he seemed to think she was. She wasn’t the girl who had once believed in the fantasy he’d spun around her. That girl was gone, buried beneath years of bitterness and pain.

Still, her traitorous heart had the audacity to skip a beat, a remnant of something she’d long since tried to kill. She hated that part of herself, hated how it lingered despite everything.
“Step back,” she said, her voice low, her tone laced with venom. She refused to let him see how his nearness affected her, how it made her skin crawl and her chest tighten all at once.

---

@idiot.exe

[eunoia]

★・・・・・・★ ⊱♥⊱ ★・・・・・・★

★・・・・・・★ ⊱♥⊱ ★・・・・・・★

“I’m not changing your mind, am I?” Ayla only felt slightly guilty about the smile on her lips, “nope.” She concluded, honestly completely on board with Tae next idea. “At least, take my sister with you.” She nodded, “oh, this’ll be a fun play date.”

---

“I miss him, noona.” Ayla felt the weight of Tae’s sorrow seep into her own heart, a feeling she usually brushed aside. She wrapped her fingers tightly around her own arm, forcing herself to acknowledge the pain that she had so carefully buried all those years. “I know,” she finally responded, her voice barely above a whisper. It wasn’t the words she had rehearsed in her mind, but they were the only ones that felt honest at that moment.

She turned her gaze away from him, fighting the ache in her chest. She needed to be strong for Tae, to provide him with the comfort she wished she could have had all those years ago. But the memories of Alexander flared up like a flame igniting dry kindling—his laughter, his teasing, the way he’d always save her the last bite of dessert. The guilt gnawed at her insides—could she have done something to save him? She pushed that thought out of her mind.

“I think…”[/center] Ayla paused, choosing her words carefully. “I think it’s okay to hurt. It’s okay to miss them.” She glanced back at Tae, forcing herself to meet his sorrowful gaze. “Even if it never feels like it goes away, it’s a part of loving someone.” she felt the urge to pull him closer, to shield him from the world that had suddenly turned unbearably dark. She rubbed circles on his shoulder, the gesture small but her way of speaking volumes. “You’re not alone, Tae. I promise you, you’re not.”

“I don’t know how.” Ayla felt the ache in his voice, the vulnerability laid bare before her like a fragile piece of glass. She searched for the right words, knowing that she was treading on a path filled with uncertainty for both of them. “Start small,” she replied, feeling her own breath steadier as they talked more openly. “Do something that reminds you of him—something you both enjoyed. Maybe it’s listening to music you loved together or going to a place that was special to you. Every little memory can bring a bit of light back.”

“I…” Ayla hesitated, unsure of how much she wanted to share. But in the moment, she found solace in the connection they were forging. “It sounds silly, but sometimes I just sit and tell him—Alex, about my day, or how much I miss him. It gives me comfort, like he’s still listening.” Ayla definitely did that in the early days—when she was filled with rage. Did she miss the signs or had he just been a dumb teenager? That’s when her cynicism really had started. When she vowed one day she’d ask him, force the words from his cold decaying lips. She was a little worried this could set Tae back—maybe talking wasn’t the way he had to go but there was really only one way to see. Regardless, she’d be there the whole time.

---

Ayla couldn’t help but chuckle, feeling the laughter bubble up from a place she thought had been dormant for too long. “Of course! If I’m going to dress up, I might as well go all out. Plus, I need to represent for all the shepherdesses out there,” she replied, her voice taking on an exaggeratedly enthusiastic tone. “Plus, you’ll get to see my legendary dance moves that come out every fortnight or so,” She said, casually making it sound like Tae was going. She stood, dragging her basket over to them, speaking without missing a beat. “Ah, how I looove a good makeup pre game.”

★・★ @Caticorn | Tae ★・★

[Madilfill]

Renlin studied Mona’s costume for a moment, trying to figure out what she was supposed to be. It felt like something from a movie, but he wasn’t much of a movie person. He couldn’t focus on them long enough, they always felt too rigid, like someone else was dictating what he should see. Books were better. He liked readingg because it let him mske the story in his own head. Still, he wasn’t going to ask her about it. She was probably wondering about his costume, too, and he wasn’t in the mood to explain his choice.

As they walked outside, he pulled two cigarettes from his pack, realizing he was down to five. That wouldn’t last long. He’d have to restock soon, probably with Vinnie. They’d done that run hundred times, one of those small-town convenience stores. Renlin wasn’t picky about his smokes. He’d even rolled his own once, but they were awful, burning too fast and tasting like ash.

The brisk wind hit him as they found a tree, and he let it settle in his lungs for a moment before lighting her cigarette. Standing felt like too much work, so he dropped down, his back against the tree. One leg stretched out in front of him while the other bent at the knee, an elbow resting lazily on it. He handed Mona the now lit cigarette, watching as she hesitated for a moment.

“Have you smoked before?” he asked, a crooked brow raised as he twirled his own cigarette between his fingers. “You’ll probably cough,” he added with a smirk, already predicting her reaction. His mind drifted to the first time he’d smoked, a stolen cigar at twelve, sneaking down to the dock during a summer he’d spent mostly alone. Well, except for his sister, who wouldn’t touch a cigarette if her life depended on it. He could still hear her voice, arms crossed and dripping with judgment: “It’s bad for your lungs. You’re going to die, and I’ll have to plan the funeral.”

When Mona asked how smoking would make her feel, he tilted his head, considering. “Well, it’s different for everyone. Takes a lot more for me to feel anything now, but you shouldn’t need much.” He took a slow drag before blowing the smoke up toward the sky. “It’s like…a little buzz of pleasure, you know what I mean?” His lips quirked into a half-smile as he thought about how fleeting that buzz wass for him these days. Yeah, those last five cigarettes definitely wouldn’t stretch far.

“Cold?” he asked, noticing the breeze. He didn’t have a jacket to offer, but he patted the ground beside him. “Come here. The tree’s great company. Very warm and inviting.” His smirk deepened as he tapped the bark lightly. “Five-star accommodations right here.”

Renlin lit his cigarette and brought it to his lips, taking a long, deliberate draw. He leaned his head back against the tree, letting the smoke curl from his mouth in a slow, lazy exhale. His eyes followed the smoke as it floated and faded into the night air.

“Isn’t it such a great night?” he said after a moment, his voice low but content. “Hell, all day has been. Might be my favorite all year so far.” He tilted his head slightly, glancing over at Mona with a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Don’t you think?”

The wind shifted, carrying the faint hum of the party inside. It was distant enough to feel separate, like they’d stepped out of time for a bit. He flicked the ash from his cigarette and gestured toward the sky. “Look at that,” he said, his tone light, as if they weren’t sitting outside a rowdy party but somewhere far more serene. “You don’t get nights like this every day. Lucky us.”

@raviola

[Madilfill]

Waste the Night

God. Her laugh. It was enough to send him to the moon. Not a forced laugh, a this was real. The way her jaw opened and she tried to cover it with her hand. He shook his head. No need to cover your face, he thought. He was melting away, right here in the middle of the dance floor, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

“Very bold, aren’t you?” she teased, her tone laced with amusement. A melted popsicle, that was how you could describe him right now.

She leaned in closer to speak, her breath warm against his skin, making him tilt his head down to her. As close as he could get. “Anything?” she asked, her voice smooth and playful.

“Do I even need to answer that?” he replied, his hands tightening on her hips. Not enough to hurt, just enough to show her what he meant without saying anything at all. He wanted her closerr than was even possible in this moment.

The way she moved against him, leaning into the rhythm of the music, made it worse. Or better. He didn’t know anymore. All he knew was that he was a puddle now, a mess of a man with no hope of recovery. The janitors would need to clean him up after the party. The Umbra boys would wonder where Renlin went and only find the spot on the floor where he melted. They’d probably need to put a plaque there, a memorial to honor him. Here lies Renlin, the boy who melted because of Thalia Orion-Eden Starling.

“No, getting you to reply to me is certainly not easy,” he shot back at her, his grin full of playful defiance. It was a grin that said, I’ve got you right where I want you.

When she pressed him further about what he had meant, he ignored her. He wasn’t about to ruin this moment. He didn’t want to over-explain or say something that would spook her. They didn’t need to talk about it. She knew how he felt, he was sure of it, and he knew it wouldn’t be reciprocated. That didn’t bother him right now. He didn’t need validation to stay happy in this moment. He could shove the thought to the back of his mind, push it to deal with later, when it would come clawing back as a nightmare. Right now, it didn’t matter.

She asked him something about coffee, and he stopped moving for a beat. He raised an eyebrow at her, a laugh bubbling out of him. “Hot. Always prefer it hot,” he answered, his voice light but his gaze heavy, locked on hers. For a moment, they were frozen there, caught in the intensity of it, until something, someone, in the corner of his eye broke his focus.

Behind her. Fuck.

“Come with me,” he said quickly, grabbing her hand. He didn’t wait for her reply, pulling her deeper into the chaos of the dance floor and then out toward the back hallway of Umbra. The noise dulled as they moved away from the main room, the music becoming a faint thrum behind them.

He didn’t want to tell her what he saw, or worse…who saw them. But was it really that bad? It shouldn’t matter r, right?

He kept moving, taking long strides down the dim hallway, her smaller frame keeping up with him, hand still in his. They reached a dark staircase that led to an area with classrooms, a place rarely used during parties. He stopped, leaning back against the wall with a deep exhale, his head tilting upward and eyes closing as he tried to steady his breathing.

So much for being a puddle. So much for staying happy in the moment. He had dragged them out of there in such a rush, his mind running faster than his legs. Now, here they were, and he had to figure out what to say next. For now, though, he focused on his breathing, letting it settle, as the quiet of the space wrapped around them.

@Kristi

[Caticorn]

≪ °❈° ≫ ● ≪ °❈° ≫

Tae furrowed his brow as Ayla described her plan as a ‘play date’, his expression reading ‘wtf is wrong with you?’. “Did you just use the words ‘fun’ and ‘play date’ to describe you waging war against my cousin?” He asked, not sure what else to make of that.

Ayla’s presence was one that Tae hadn’t known he needed. It was warm. Comforting. Understanding. She knew exactly what to say to him to dull the hurt. Her touch on his shoulder grounded him, stopping him from falling further into his thoughts. The promise that he wasn’t alone covered him like a soft blanket. Sometimes he wondered if his sister felt the same as he did but he never asked, fearing that he would be loading his problems onto her if she didn’t feel the same.

“I wrote letters to him after the accident." He responded after she told him to find something that reminded him of his brother, ending by telling him that she talks to her brother sometimes. “It was my dad’s idea. He thought it would give me something to do while I was recovering because it didn’t involve the side of my body that hurt. I only wrote a few. They just reminded me that he wasn’t here.” His voice broke at the end of his sentence.

“I guess I’m reminded of him when I play my guitar.” He told her, thinking out loud and looking over to his instrument again. “It belonged to him and he’s the one who taught me how to play. I don’t know, just knowing that he played the same instrument is comforting.”

“Okay, but if I’m going I need to smoke first. Preferably sooner rather than later.” He insisted as she dragged her basket of makeup towards them. If he was going to be in the same room as Renlin, he needed to have as much patience as possible. Which meant being in as little pain as possible. “There better not be any glitter in that basket.” He playfully threatened. He knew that if anything resembling glitter got on his bed, he’d be finding it for the rest of eternity and he did not want to deal with that.

≪ °❈° ≫ ● ≪ °❈° ≫

@eunoia - Ayla

[Kristi]

---

“No,” She smiled in a fond way when Renlin had asked if he had to answer that, “I suppose you don’t.” She said playfully as his hands tightening on her hips, though it had shocked her a little, she chose not to comment on it. For she knew what he was saying, or at least trying to say, he wanted her closer, closer than ever and Thalia didn’t know if she could do that, especially when she was so busy trying to run away and hide, and trying not to be found. But, for today, for this dance, she supposed she could give him the closure he needed.

And yet… when he had told her that he enjoyed being out in the open like this, dancing, bodies’ practically pressed against each other if it were not for their clothing and the little space they had left that Renlin was trying to close, and perhaps subconsciously , she was trying to close that gap too, feel him closer, like nights ago. But that would just lead to more trouble. So, she had told him that he thought everything was easy, implying what he should already know, that they were quite complicated and he had retorted, pointing out that getting her to reply to his texted and calls was not easy and Thalia flinched, looking like a deer caught in headlight, before a light blush colored her cheeks. “T-that, well…” She pursued her lips, not knowing what to say. “I never saw your texts or calls.” Bad lie… she knew. Obviously she had not seen texts nor calls when she had blocked him and only until recently, unblocked him.

Thankfully, the conversation had shifted, although into more confusing territory and she had arched her brow, parted her lips and asked him what he meant, knowing what he did not mean. He did not respond, and Thalia wanted to pry, but she knew that would be hypocritical and would mean she would also have to let him into her thoughts, and she wasn’t ready… ready to let anyone into her thoughts, so she let that Convo passed and they stirred into another Convo. He had told her he liked having her around, and she was slightly startled running a hand through her hair, ignoring how her hand got tangled in her curls. She wasn’t ready to admit that she liked having him around too. That she liked how he steadied her when she felt like she was spinning in too many directions at once. That she liked how he looked at her—not with expectation or scrutiny, but with something raw and unspoken, something she couldn’t name. She was better at everything else but this, so again, the conversation shifted per Thalia’s words, asking if he preferred iced or hot coffee. Strange, she knew, but look! In her defense, she did not know what else to say at that moment. Thankfully, he had answered and her lips curled into a small smile. “Me too… I never understood the appeal for iced coffee.” If someone was to offer her an iced coffee, or iced coffee was the only type of coffee around, Thalia would drink it, she wouldn’t mind but she certainly was not fond of it, at least compared to hot coffee. To her, hot coffee made her more relaxed, more connected to her environment, pendant and self. While iced coffee was iced coffee. A way better constipation reliever than hot coffee for her body.Her heart lurched as he grabbed her hand, the sudden urgency in his voice sending a jolt of panic through her . “Renlin—?” she started, but he didn’t wait. He pulled her through the tangle of bodies, the heat of the party fading with every step as they moved deeper into the school. The music dulled to a distant thrum, her breath coming quicker as she struggled to keep up with his long strides.

Something was wrong.

Fear coiled tight in her stomach. He wasn’t saying anything, wasn’t explaining, just moving like they were being chased. Maybe they were.

Her mind raced with possibilities, each one worse than the last. What if someone had seen them? What if—?

No. No, no, no.

Her chest tightened. The thought hit her like a physical blow, and her feet almost stumbled beneath her. What if it was Inessa?

By the time they reached the staircase, the quiet pressing in around them, her pulse was hammering against her ribs. Renlin leaned back against the wall, exhaling like he was trying to pull himself together, but she couldn’t. She wouldn’t until she knew.

She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper as she stared at him, wide-eyed. .“Was it—” Her breath caught in her throat before she forced the words out. .“Was it Inessa?”

---

@Madilfill

[raviola]

---

Vinnie Clone || After the hunt with Amani

---

She pushed him back, but his hand would not fall, it was frozen. He was frozen watching how he was still wrapped around her throat, and her palm was still rested on his chest, his heart pounding as they watched each other again. The energy between them felt tense, and it made him uneasy. For once in many years, someone pushed him and he did not know what to do. He could not retaliate physically, but even in a position where he had no choice but to decipher her mentally, it was impossible. She refused to tell him how she felt, and every guess he made was wrong. But he could not leave yet, he just had to think. What had changed since her moment of vulnerability? Did he make it up in his head as she looked at him as if she wanted to escape?
Amani pleaded to him, “Vincenzo,” and in that interval, his eyes were soft. He tried to understand her like cryptomancy, as if she were a letter written in latin where he could sound out some of the words.

But then he dropped his hands, and shut whatever had tried to open itself.

It was a mistake to try and talk to her again. Even if there was a chance for it to go well, it was one in a million, and that he wasn’t. He had just gotten confused.

“What the fuck do you want from me, Amani?" He raised his voice, and then realized there were still fingertips on the fabric of his shirt. He put her hand down, and hesitated as he let go of her wrist.
His voice settled a bit, but remained firm.
“So you can kiss my neck but not my lips? Am I supposed to be gentle? Because I know you don’t like that–” Vincenzo stopped himself. He heard his words echo and heard the reprimands of a lover, not a rival or friend. That was not his intention. It was not his intention to so often think about how beautiful she looked nor to want to save her. It was never his intention to love her yet he did nothing to prevent it. And when the friendship was gone, what remained?

“Just tell me what you want here, Amani, because I’m not getting it. And if you don’t have anything to say, then I have places to be right now,” he said, asking a question he could not answer in vice versa. Because if she asked, he could tell her he wanted to embarrass her, but it would be harder to explain why he dressed up as well. And it would be even worse explaining where he was supposed to be instead, and why he was missing it to be there.
During the pause, he realized how weak he sounded, and gave a weak attempt to show his teeth.
“They’re much better than standing here with a traitor,” Vinnie tried to sound angry, but the sigh he craved came out instead, revealing his crestfallenness.

---

@kristi Amani

---

[raviola]

⭒❃.✮:▹ a song ⭒❃.✮:▹

When Desdemona thought that the two of them would stay close to the building, a few feet away from the door, she was proven wrong. Her feet told her to stop, but she watched Ren keep walking, and let herself follow, resurfacing the anchor that almost held her down. She followed him through the sound of a transition, listening as speaker-blasted music and muted voices faded into leaves crunching, and branches rippling in the wind. For the first time in the months she had been at school, she felt something like return. Going to the garden was one thing, but to go back to the real forest was another. Mona had heard of other students going into the town nearby to explore, and she had been invited a couple of times, but she had never accepted the offer. She was meant to stay by Thalia’s side, but sometimes she did sit by her window, placing her hand on the glass. It made it easier to imagine her hands kissing the trees.

Now that she was back in the forest, she imagined what it would be like to be barefoot in the dirt again, under the sun. Every time she did it, it felt like her feet grew roots, like she was meant to stay there. It was a warm feeling that passed her by faintly, a moment of success as she tried to think in the midst of walking somewhere cold.

For a while, she found herself being able to look around, as there steps were slow. That was, until she heard the footsteps before her stop. She turned back to Renlin, and he had found a tree. The man was leaning back against it, taking a breath as he kicked up the back of his foot. There was still enough light from the dorm to see his dim silhouette. From that distance, he looked almost half as tall as the tree behind him. He was so tall. She found it a bit otherwordly. Even as a tall-ish girl herself, he was at least a head higher than her. It made him look a bit leaner now, and she finally noticed his jeans, as his wings had stolen the show before.

She stepped in front of him, crossing her arms awkwardly, holding back the momentum telling her she could do anything, but mostly asking her to fall on the ground, because she was so tired. She wasn’t sure what to do with herself, as she probably should not come closer as she kept trying to remind herself, but it was also quite chilly to stand so far and so bare. She never left parties to go smoke, much less with a boy, so she stood kind of frozen, waiting for some guidance as to what to do.

To Mona’s surprise, he brought out a second cigarette and lit it, handing it to her. Well, it was more like he put his hand out, and she hesitated and then took it, repositioning the thing in her hands because she wasn’t sure how to hold it at first. Having the cigarette in her hand made her sober up for a second. Nerves spread through her body like little branches.

“Have you smoked before?” He asked cockily with a brow raise.
No, she shook her head, to which he replied that she would likely cough. At that, she nodded. She was tempted to take a hit, but beforehand, she asked him how it was supposed to feel, thinking that perhaps guidance would make it make more sense.
“Well, it’s different for everyone. Takes a lot more for me to feel anything now, but you shouldn’t need much.” He took a slow drag before blowing the smoke up toward the sky. “It’s like…a little buzz of pleasure, you know what I mean?”

“Okay,” She nodded, and then took a breath from the cig. Instinctively, she held her breath when it hit her throat, feeling the obstruction to her pharynx. After a split second of that, she felt like her throat was burning, and she coughed out a puff of smoke, bit by bit. When it was out, she pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth, trying to swallow the extra pressure, and then it was gone. She took a long breath out, and then looked back up at Renlin with an embarrassed, drunken half-smile. She had been waiting for him to laugh. How embarrassing, Mona thought, but she didn’t know what to say. She assumed she would let him speak first, hopefully make her feel a bit better as her chest soothed the remnants of the burn.
Although her lungs were thoroughly disliking this experience, she was actually not minding it like she thought she would. Under the drum beat of drunkenness in her head, Desdemona felt surprisingly fine.

She pressed her lips together in a smile when he sat down on the ground, still against the tree, offering her somewhere warm to go. The feeling she got was very foreign, something like safety. She decided to listen to it, walking up next to him, and then pivoting, sliding down the tree before she realizing how much it was prickling her skin. “Ow,” she whispered under her breath, pulling herself a breath away from the tree, and then settling down onto the ground.

She pulled her knees up to her chest, and at last, the girl could lean her head back against the tree. She could only imagine how the bark would mess up her hair, but it didn’t matter if it turned into a birds nest. She would feel better somehow.
At this point on the ground, she found herself laughing at his jokes, telling her about how comfortable the ground was. But to her, those things he said applied very literally. This was where she wanted to be. Away.

Beside her, she could see the smoke cloud he blew into the air. The girl decided to take another hit with him, and as they probably both expected, she coughed again, but only once this time. She pressed the roof on her mouth again, and turned to face him as he spoke.

“Isn’t it such a great night?” he said after a moment, his voice low but content. “Hell, all day has been. Might be my favorite all year so far.” He tilted his head slightly, glancing over at Mona with a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Don’t you think?”
"It is,* she smiled bitterly. The memories from earlier came back in flashes, but she did not feel the sting, not now, when she was so inebriated. Finally, she realized the nicotine had worked, and the weight of her head and chest felt suddenly lighter. Her memories folded into a dark blue kaleidoscope. Blue like the sky she was watching before her. Then she blinked, and just like that she could send the memories away.

“It’s a great night.” She chuckled, albeit at nothing, as a symbol of how she felt.
“You won the scavenger hunt,” a smile creeped on the side of her mouth.
“How does it feel to be a winner!?” She laughed again, looking at him and then smiling. “It’s pretty cool we were both on the winning team.”

@Madilfill Renlin

[eunoia]

★・・・・・・★ ⊱♥⊱ ★・・・・・・★

★・・・・・・★ ⊱♥⊱ ★・・・・・・★

“I only wrote a few. They just reminded me that he wasn’t here.” His voice was the outward projection of her heart. Ayla also felt her throat tighten, but she only cleared her throat—this wasn’t her first rodeo. “And that’s okay, Tae. We—people, process so completely differently and that’s maybe why no one has found the secret to grief. I-I can’t tell you how to feel, or even move forward. I can only tell you what’s worked for me. But, from what I’ve gathered… you’ve taken the training wheels off your bike already, Tae. Even if you fall, scrape your knee occasionally,” although her brows were bent empathically, a smile tugged on her lips. “You’ve come so, so beautifully far, Tae. And that’s amazing, and worth celebrating, even if we know we’ll always a feel a sort of… joy and grief, they co-occur.”

Aylas smile had softened as she listen to him. She created synthetic memories of young Tae and forever Isaac, sitting together, Isaac putting the guitar in his arms. Teaching him to cradle the neck, his fingers over Taes teaching him cords. How they’d laugh about the indents on Tae’s hands, the calluses on Isaac’s. She locked this deep in her heart, to never see the new light in her little brothers eyes. “I don’t know, just knowing that he played the same instrument is comforting.” “One day can you play for me?” she blurted.

---

“Dongsaeng! You smoke?” Ayla squealed, eyes wide, dropping the basket to turn and look at him. Miraculously not spilling any glitter. She blinked, realizing she should reel it in. Mostly, not big sister Tae and lose the chance to learn new stuff about him… like him smoking. Probably asparagus… Mary Jane…420…bud…. Pot… sigh weed. Marijuana! She bent down the pick up her heavy basket—totally not an excuse to hide her face while she reeled it back in. Quietly—breathe in, breathe out. Okay, she got it out of her system. With one big swing Ayla put her basket on Taes bed. “You could soooo use some glitter in your room.” she put her finger on her chin, turning around in slow circles pretending to be an interior designer.

★・★ @Caticorn | Tae …. I’m soooo sorry about the wait Cati!! ★・★

[Caticorn]

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Healing wasn’t a competition. Tae knew that and yet, he couldn’t help but compare himself to his parents and sister. It had always felt like they had been able to return to ‘normal’, whatever that meant, much sooner than he had. But maybe Ayla had a point. He had made progress, whether he recognized it or not but he needed to hear that from someone who was not his parents or sister. “Thank you, noona.” He lightly squeezed her as he spoke, hoping it would emphasize how he felt.

“Wait, haven’t I?” He responded when she asked if he would play for her one day. He then stopped to think about whether or not she had heard him play, thinking she must have but now doubting himself. “Anyways, of course I’ll play for you. Not today though. I don’t have enough energy left for that today.” He added, not wanting to get her hopes up but putting the offer out there.

Tae stopped at started at Ayla for a second after her outburst. “Oh. You’ve seriously never noticed.” He said after he felt his moment had lapsed. “I’ve been doing it for the past six years. It’s medicinal, I promise. My mom didn’t want me relying on pain medication after the accident, but I still needed something so this was the compromise.” He explained, leaving out the fact that he also had some for not medicinal purposes. There was pause before Ayla picked up her basket, placing it on top of his bed without a second thought, causing Tae to let out an exasperated sigh. “I think I can do without it actually.” He responded playfully when she said his room could use some glitter, looking around as if she was debating where to put it.

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@eunoia - Ayla