⌗ 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽_𝘂𝗽

⧽ two minutes of full-body cryotherapy and she's breathing frost like zombie viserion, fingers still stiff even after a spa attendant wraps her in a fluffy robe. before she's even fully thawed, they usher her into an overheated room filled with couches and floor pillows. it's almost aggressively cozy. people sit in pairs, pressed too close, clutching fancy teacups and avoiding eye contact like they've been randomly assigned to each other with no explanation of what comes next. yeah, cryo was definitely a mistake, she thinks, eyes narrowing as they scan the scene. did she seriously just freeze her soul off for… tea ? and ⸺ maybe, luciana should have guessed the "tea" in cryotherapy wasn't a typo, but alas ! she's done spiritual cleansings before, mostly ones involving tequila and bad decisions, sure, but this couldn't be much worse. she lifts a steaming cup, letting the warmth hit her palms, and joins another partnerless resident. “ so, ” tone of voice low and conspiratorial, “ is this where we start trauma-bonding and confess our deepest secrets so the universe can heal us ? ”

         (    ↻    )    teagan never really fully bought into the hype surrounding cryotherapy.  at least,  not when it first started trending and every fitness influencer was talking about how great and life changing it is for recovery.  she tends to avoid taking any influencer’s word at face value.  no offense to them or anything.  but she does find herself eventually trying out after looking into it.  which now brings her here at arconia’s spa.  she’s seated in an area that isn’t as crowded,  head resting against the backing as eyes remain shut.  she senses the presence of another person approaching her,  lips curling up into an amused grin when she hears luci’s voice.  “   trauma-bonding  ?  and here i thought we’d done enough of that on set,  luci.  ”  teagan’s tone is light,  teasing.  “  nothing brings two gals together like filming a murder scene.  ”

@arconiastarters

         (    ↻    )    sloane watches the match with such focus that she nearly misses elsa’s comment.  “  oh yeah that definitely will hurt.  a liver punch is enough to take anyone out.  contact sports definitely aren’t for everyone.  ”  her attention drifts back to the fight on the screen.  “  but i will say that was a clean punch they landed.  ”  she reaches for her drink,  and turns back to face elsa.  “  are you not a big fan of spectator sports  ?  or just never really got into them  ?  ”

serena’s face softens immediately, warmth settling in her expression as she reaches for one of the mugs. “thank you,” she says gently, wrapping her hands around it like it’s something grounding. “i actually… like it,” she admits with a small, sincere smile. “more than i thought i would. it’s overwhelming sometimes, sure, but there’s also something comforting about it. like you can disappear a little when you need to, and still feel surrounded.” she glances toward hayden, shaking her head lightly at the apology. “you don’t need to apologize at all. i kind of like the sounds in the morning—it makes the place feel lived in. and honestly,” her smile grows warmer, “it’s nice knowing someone else is up, starting their day.” she lifts her mug slightly, almost a toast. “i’m really glad i ended up here… and with you."

she sets her mug down on the coffee table and shifts in her seat so that she’s seated a bit more comfortably.  “  still,  i feel bad.  i know i’m probably not the best roommate given my schedule.  ”  it’s a consistent schedule.  it mostly consists of early mornings but she still tries her best to be considerate.  “  i’m super glad too.  i’m not a super big believer of fate and all that but it’s nice how things work out.  maybe it’s just the city’s little superpower,  y’know  ?  ”

"Did you eat? You know you need to eat before a workout." Atlas offered a slightly smushed banana from his backpack. "I have something really good planned for today's engine builder workout but you gotta be prepped for it." He grinned which should be seen as a threat in that context. An Atlas programmed workout? Specifically designed to increase their V02 max? It was probably against the Geneva conventions. "Or do you uh, want to chat? We can raincheck today." The words were set reluctantly but he did mean them.

         (    ↻    )    “  oh trust,  dude.  i know better than anyone how important it is to eat before a workout.  although,  i will say my preferred is eating at least half an hour before i start a workout.  but if i need a little sugar to get me through the rest of my workout,  nerds gummy clusters has been my go-to lately.  but that’s mainly for my distance runs or lift sessions.  ”  leave it to hayden to get excited about working out.  she’s all about finding ways to incorporate different workouts into her training regimen.  “  raincheck  ?  pfft,  please.  ”  she’ll lightly scoff.  “  you know i’d never bail.  if i did then you’ll know that something is seriously wrong.  so whatddya got planned for today  ?  somethin’ for the hyrox comin’ up  ?  ”

charlotte stepped forward with a bright smile, arms opening instinctively as she greeted hayden with a warm hug. “hey, it’s so good to see you,” she said, her voice soft but full of happiness. she pulled back just enough to look at her, eyes sparkling. “i'm so happy to see you, and i’m really glad we get to spend some time together—feels like it’s been way too long.”

         (    ↻    )    “  hey,  you too  !  ”  hayden returns charlotte’s bright smile with one of her own.  she warmly embraces her friend.  “  ugh it seriously has been way too long.  ”  she nods in agreement.  unfortunately,  her busy training schedule leaves very little time to be able to spend time with her friends.  at least,  not without planning it out in advance.  but that’s just adulthood  !  “  but tell me,  what’s new with you  ?  workin’ on a new novel  ?  mine is the same old, same old.  eat,  sleep,  train.  do the occasional brand ambassador work.  ”

         (    ↻    )    lari is just bringing her drink up to take a sip when she hears a familiar voice.  turning,  she playfully smirks as she approaches harper from behind and watches her roommate try to convince the person across from them to sit down for a reading.  “  what if they’re scared about what the universe deals them  ?  ”  she asks,  finally making her presence known.  lari had never been a super big believer of such things but she would be lying if she said she didn’t entertain them.  “  you know how people get when the death card is pulled.  isn’t the misconception that people think it means literal death  ?  ”

there's never been much special about eliza's class, in fact, it's really just a place for people to go to keep themselves busy, give themselves a distraction. minus that, and a light workout, that's really what yoga's all about it. so, it's not surprising when she becomes peoples free therapists after class. maybe she's too observant, maybe she's too kind, but as she's cleaning up the leftover mats, she pauses. "hey, are you okay?"

         (    ↻    )    lari is the type of person who is simply a casual attendee when it comes to arconia’s yoga classes.  it was a good way to unwind and truthfully,  they could just shut off their brain.  at least for the hour which meant a lot considering they come home to five other roommates.  why they decided to room with five other people  ?  they’ll never know.  lari’s slowly rolling up their yoga mat,  deliberately taking their time when eliza asks them a question.  “  hmm  ?  ”  they glance up.  “  oh,  it’s nothing  !  just taking advantage of the peace and quiet before i return back to my apartment.  i live with five other people so there’s always something going on.  ”

“no,  no—don’t you gaslight me.”    eyes narrow playfully.    “i’ve seen stranger things.    this is how it starts.    first it’s coincidence,  then you’re shaving your head and i’m riding a bike for you and it’s us against the government.    we are so giving mileven right now.    be honest.    when i text you,  you feel it before you see it,  right?”    grin widens,  following her lead toward the seating area without being invited.    (he’s a human shadow,  specifically one that talks at 1.5x speed).    “i bet it’s why you take so long to reply sometimes.    you’re processing it,  our connection.    i respect it.”    presses the cup to his lips,  waving his free hand dismissively at her question.    “and yes,  obviously i know a guy.    several guys,  actually.    one of them definitely owns a pony.    like,  statistically—but since you don’t need it?    guess i’ll just repay you by being incredibly attractive in your general vicinity.    i’ll even allow one complimentary kiss.    one.    unless you want more kisses.    which is valid.    and encouraged,  actually.”

         (    ↻    )    they try their best to suppress the look of absolute bewilderment as romeo goes on.  how he comes up with such  …  creative analogies  ?  they’ll never know nor do they want to know.  unfortunately for emiko,  it’s simply far to late to escape romeo’s clutches.  he continues to ramble,  their eyes shift every so often.  not out of disinterest but rather  …  actually they’re not too sure.  general amusement  ?  a call for help  ?  looking into an imaginary camera like the office  ?  they’re far too nice to say it but they feel as though romeo is the type of person to talk just to hear himself talk.  whether they add to the conversation really doesn’t matter.  “  that’s really not necessary,  ”  they cut in with a polite smile.  at this point,  anything they say will fall upon deaf ears.  “  do you often go around asking people to kiss you  ?  sounds like a recipe for disaster that could get you in trouble one day.  ”

Miray shook her head as she stepped away from the waiter who had been explaining the appetizer in well-practiced detail. "They are indeed serving bubbles. Mignonette emulsion, meaning that even if I wanted to eat air, it's not vegetarian..." She said as her gaze roamed over the crowd in the hope that she would see someone with a normal hors d'oeuvre platter. "Remind me why we came to this expecting to eat?"

         (    ↻    )    “  oh no  !  ”  they frown in earnest.  “  i’m so sorry,  i didn’t realize.  i could’ve sworn the event post said there’d be vegetarian and vegan options.  ”  emiko lets out a small huff as their gaze darts around to find something that their friend can eat.  their eyes brighten for a moment.  “  i think i see someone walking around with a tray of cucumber hummus bites.  i know it’s not much and honestly,  not sure why we came to this expecting to eat.  we never expect to come to these things to eat.  ”  they lead them over to the waiter.  “  also,  i was thinking we just grab some food after this since the stuff here is kind of a bust.  thoughts  ?  ”

DYLAN HAS ALWAYS LOVED IT when emiko feels the liberty to talk freely to her,  so when they start rambling,  she just shifts in her seat,  grabs her cup of coffee with both hands,  and pays attention,  a raucous laugh falling from her lips at the end of her friend’s short story.     “ wow,  ten years ago ?  that is …  a lot of time, ”     dylan comments,  shifting again—they are starting to feel restless already.   they take a sip from their drink before continuing.     “ now i get why people are panicking because of this weather, ”     she laughs,  more demurely this time.     “ i used to face weather like this all the time in chicago,  it was …  so normal … ”     the musing is deep for a moment,  their eyes lost somewhere behind emiko,  yet they manage to come back from it quickly.     “ but i never thought i’d found something similar here in new york.   i hope that youtuber is okay,  though.   did you manage to see them snowboarding or something ?  like,  did they get the video up,  at least ? ”

         (    ↻    )    emiko really likes dylan and feels lucky that they ended up as her roommate.  while they differ personality wise,  it’s not enough to stop them from forming a friendship.  “  it is a lot of time now that you mention it,  ”  light laughter expels past her lips.  she shifts in her seat before taking a sip of her drink,  listening intently to dylan.  at the pause,  they wait for them to continue.  “  the most i got in washington was rain.  and a little bit of snow.  but i’m also from a town that’s an hour away from seattle so not much going on at all there other than gloomy weather year round  !  ”  there’s a faraway look in emiko’s eyes as all thoughts start to wander back to her hometown.  namely her sister and her mother.  she didn’t want to leave them behind but there were times that she couldn’t help but wonder.  “  i missed out on seeing it but i do remember seeing clips of the video they uploaded  !  looked to me that they were all right.  at least some people can find the fun in a snow day.  ”

sabrina lets out a soft, approving hum, fingers tightening slightly around her cup. “exactly,” she says, voice easy, a small smile tugging at her lips. “coffee’s for enjoying, not for proving you can handle a heart attack in a mug.” she leans back a little, relaxed. “i get needing the boost sometimes, sure, but there’s a difference between fueling yourself and just… showing off. same goes for tea, matcha, anything delicate really. it’s about the taste, the warmth, the ritual—not just the kick.”

         (    ↻    )    “  i’ll never understand it.  endangering one’s body like that should not be a badge of honor.  i remember in college,  there’d be people who brag about pulling all nighters,  ”  emiko shakes their head.  “  i do agree that there’s a difference between fueling yourself and showing off.  i used to be that way  ––  not about the showing off part  !  just the fueling yourself part.  that’s how i used to fuel caffeine but now i kinda just enjoy it for the ritual.  it’s nice,  y’know  ?  ”

serena lets out a soft laugh as emiko loops her arm through hers, the gesture immediately putting her at ease. “food sounds perfect,” she says warmly. “i don’t think i realized how hungry i was until you said it.” as they move through the lounge, she glances over at emiko, eyes brightening at the mention of dessert. “dessert after food feels… correct,” she adds, a little playful. “like the proper way to end a night.” she shakes her head gently. “i haven’t been to serendipity’s yet, but i’ve heard enough about it to be very convinced. i’m absolutely on board—especially if it means something sweet and a little indulgent.” her smile turns soft again. “thank you for rescuing me, by the way. this already feels so much better.”

as the lobby door swings open,  emiko momentarily basks in the waft of cold air that hits them.  “  oh it’s no problem  !  those events can be a bit much sometimes.  ”  they smile reassuringly at the redhead.  “  but onto food,  i think you’ll really enjoy serendipity’s.  i’m not gonna lie,  the first time i went,  i got super overwhelmed.  but i will say their frozen hot chocolate is so worth it.  actually  ––  ”  emiko pauses,  pondering.  “  if you don’t mind a change in plans,  we could just eat at serendipity’s instead of the diner around the corner,  ”  they offer.  “  they don’t just do dessert.  but if you prefer the diner and then dessert,  i’m also okay with that.  ”

margot glanced toward the window, watching the snow thicken as if it were following a schedule only it understood. “california ruins people that way,” they said calmly, not unkind. “sun every day gives you unrealistic expectations. new york at least tells you exactly what it is.” they shifted slightly on the couch, composed as ever, hands folded in her lap. “besides,” they added after a moment, eyes returning to sloane, “a blizzard is honest. it shuts everything down, exposes who’s prepared and who isn’t. i find it… clarifying.” a faint smile touched their lips. “perfect weather is overrated. adversity is far more efficient.”

         (    ↻    )    “  you won’t get any complaints from me.  i’m from chicago.  freezing cold winters are the norm.  ”  sloane’s gaze also travels towards the window.  with the snow sticking,  it’s only a matter of time before they’re really in the thick of it.  she refocuses her attention on margot.  “  y’know,  has anyone ever told you that you’re a very pensive person  ?  ”  tone is said in jest but it doesn’t make it any less true.  as direct as margot is,  any conversation she’s had with them has always felt like a philosophical debate.  it’s not terrible.  just different.

Anna Sawai - src

DYLAN CHUCKLES AT SLOANE'S ANSWER.   it’s so laid-back,  so simple and relaxed,  she can’t help but not only feel amused by it,  but also relaxed herself.     “ do you really think we’ll be back on our feet so soon ? ”     they can’t help but feel a bit skeptical about it,  especially because they’re unfamiliar with new york’s weather,  something that they don’t quite like because they’ve never enjoyed being out of the loop about things.     “ i mean,  yeah,  you’re right,  but … it’s new york this time,  and i’ve never been here,  i don’t know how the weather works !  and to be honest,  that makes me a bit …  uncomfortable,  i feel like i’ll be trapped inside for days,  and you well know i don’t like that at all. ”     dylan sighs,  takes a sip from their drink,  and scratches behind the ears of the cat in their lap.     “ what about you ?  what are your plans for this damn weather ? ”

         (    ↻    )    “  i mean  …  ”  sloane starts,  blowing out a breath of air.  “  we have to,  right  ?  ”  if there’s one thing she’s learned about being in this city,  it’s that it’s fast paced.  even the weather can’t keep new york’s residents at bay.  it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.  and living in both new york and los angeles does nothing more than prove how drastically different both environments are.  “  but i get it.  it’s a different energy and vibe here.  the weather feels familiar yet different.  i don’t know how to explain it,  ”  she muses,  nodding in understanding.  “  i get you.  we both like being out and about.  it’s just inherent to who we are.  c'est la vie,  y’know  ?  ”  sloane’s gaze wanders as she absentmindedly pets the cat on her lap.  “  but beats me.  maybe i’ll finally catch up on some house chores that i keep pushing back.  and some of the other boring chores like laundry.  i will never take for granted having an in-room washer dryer unit again.  i don’t like that this weather is forcing us to slow down,  but it feels like we need it.  or am i crazy for thinking that  ?  ”

the reply that comes from sloane does manage to pull remi’s attention away from the parade.   the woman seems to have a lot of information,  and remi can’t help but feel deeply interested in it.   in a second,  they’re full of questions,  and even when their eyes stray from her to appreciate the parade from time to time,  it’s clear they’re interested and want to know more.   so they ask,  unashamed,  eager.     “ what do you mean scare the evil spirits away ? ”     it might sound ignorant,  but they were never afraid of it  —  it was natural not to know things,  and they knew the only way to lose your ignorance was to ask,  to learn somehow.     “ i’m sorry,  but i know very little about all of this. ”     they apologize nonetheless,  their eyes lighting up at the mention of the food they didn’t know was available in the parade.     “ what ?  is there food here ?  what kind of food and where can i find it ? ”     they ask excitedly.   if there was food,  it must be chinese or korean or even vietnamese,  that much they knew,  and they were already dying to try it.

         (    ↻    )    sloane grins at remi when they ask.  “  no worries  !  happy to explain some of it.  i don’t claim to know all of it,  this is just stuff i’ve been told when i was a kid. it’s tradition based off old folklore about protection,  good fortune,  the start of a new and safe year.  it’s said that all the spirits that would guard our houses would leave to report their observations and during this time,  evil spirits are allowed to roam the earth.  so a lot of the traditions and decorations are meant to scare them off and protect us.  so things like apricot trees are a symbol of protection.  loud noises like,  ”  sloane pauses to gesture towards the firecrackers.  “  are used to scare away or at the very least ward off these evil spirits.  ”  she appreciates their openness to learning.  and truthfully,  sloane loves to see this holiday celebrated.  at remi’s mention of food,  sloane lets out a light hum.  “  that depends,  are you a picky eater  ?  i’m assuming not but it never hurts to ask  !  there’s honestly a lot.  depends what you want.  i think that there’s a stall that sells panfried sticky ricecakes.  ”