cooper harris.

     she grins widely at him with his offer — absolutely nothing beats a rich kid trying to piss off his parents by blowing their money. that’s the kind of energy summer wanted to be around, preferably while ordering some of the more overpriced drinks. “ fine by me — glad you chose to bless circa 1762 tonight rather than c.ling. god knows they won’t need it with their prices. ” she scoffs, taking a generous sip of the delicious free drink she just ordered herself. “ so, why are we mad at daddy today ? i’d love to fan those flames. ”

cooper ! 

the boy shrugged, finishing off his drink with an exaggerated sigh and his eyes twinkling mischeviously as they met summer’s.  ❛ does one really need a reason? truth be told, this is just my coping mechanism for the cruelties i see day to day. someone’s gotta pay, why not make it harris sr.? ❜ his shoulders rose and fell nonchalantly, clearly unbothered by the idea that draining his father’s money down the drain might not be the best coping mechanism. he wholeheartedly believed that there was justice in spreading wealth, even if it might be through less than ethical ways.  ❛ i’m aiding the economy. so daddy dearest hasn’t really done anything bad, but you should see what i get up to when i find out he’s crossed a line.   ❜

@mari-zuko​

STATUS: closed​ ​ LOCATION: illicit house party TIME: early evening but fashionably late

though he’d been a perfect little saint for the last couple of months, restraint wasn’t exactly one of coopers virtues. in fact, he was often the first to succumb to his desires and what he really wanted that evening was FUN. and what better opportunity for that than a party for one of his closest friends? gift in tow, cooper skimmed through the bustling party, expertly manneuvering his way through the crowd until he came face to face with the honoree herself.  ❛ well if it isn’t the birthday princess herself ! did i make it in time for the cake?  ❜  he started in jest, inviting her in for a warm hug with open arms. 

         his  expression  remained  relaxed  despite  the  parade  that  was  currently  wreaking  havoc  in  his  head   .   his  friend  had  always  been  pretty  damn  good  at  reading  his  mind   ,   so  harding  was  relatively  sure  he  had  a  front  row  seat  to  the  celebration   .   he  LOVED  when  someone  got  it  because  it  meant   ,   or  loosely  implied   ,   that  someone  understood  him  and  the  way  his  mind  worked   .   “   dumb  ass  optimist   ,   ”   he  replied   ,   offering  a  tired  sigh  as  if  to  say  ‘   don’t  say  i  didn’t  warn  ya   ’   .    he  had  to  keep  playing  his  part   ,   after  all   .   “   you’re  lookin’  pretty  perky  ,   so   …   what   ?   find  your  own  young  love   ?   or  is  it  just  my  smile  ?   ”

cooper !

@mrsscn​

as much as cooper would fervently deny that statement whenever he was sober, the truth was he could be pretty optimistic, as long his mindset was limited to romance. he didn’t believe in much else, but sell him a sob story focused on two star crossed lovers, and he’d bet on their success every time. probably because he hoped somehow somewhere it would work out, despite his own trackrecord highlighting just the opposite. just then though, cooper could anticipate defeat from his best friend’s tone alone, yet he clung to his nature in his inebriated state, focusing on his next statement rather than preemptively giving up.    ❛ it’s always your smile man, the only thing bright enough to light up this god forsaken room. i actually have NOT had luck tonight, i’ve actually run into my ex more times than a guy would care to admit and there seems to be a surprising lack of variety for a poor romantic in need. what about you? have you started pining away after some broad that told you to fuck off?   ❜  

It was too early in the evening for there to be a crowd, the low murmur of private conversations easy enough to ignore when Cooper’s voice cut through the cozy space. Monty glanced over with a smile, already headed in his direction as he lifted his glass in response – a freshly topped off beer. He’d be happy to let Cooper pick up his tab at the end of the night, though. “I love having rich friends,” he cooed dreamily, dropping onto the loveseat beside the occupied armchair. Too bad he wasn’t very good at keeping them. It was difficult to bite his tongue in the long-term, but he’d always found that was where he and Cooper could relate the most. Sipping from his glass, Monty set it on the coffee table before leaning back again, beginning to slouch low while his gaze scanned the bar. “Have a shitty time with the fam over break?” he asked, pointedly ignoring the much bigger shitty thing that’d happened to everyone. Give him a few more drinks and maybe he’d get there.

cooper !

❛ i’m not surprised you do love us, we’re an entertainingly fucked up mess with sporadic bouts of generosity. you can handle how obnoxious we are, which is commendable, so i figure you deserve a drink or six.    ❜ cooper welcomed the company with a short nod, a lazy smile stretched across his lips as he offered up a cigarette for the young man to take. he was used to idle conversation with his peers and surprisingly, he felt most at ease with people that he deemed honest enough to call out bullshit when they saw it. monty seemed to fit that bill.   ❛ eh, didn’t everyone? i’m not a fan of babysitting anyone over 40. was your experience much better?   ❜  

     “ well i never say no to a free drink. ” summer wasn’t sure, but she assumed it came from a wealthy prick. no son ever sits at a bar talking about his father and his hard earned cash in this slightly bitter and sarcastic of a tone without the father being loaded and not quite dad of the year. besides, no one would spend daddy’s money without a pang of guilt unless they were rich or an asshole. so either way, summer won’t feel too bad about it. “ — not a strawberry daiquiri though, too sweet and chunky. ” she was particular about her textures, okay ? she made her own order to the bartender that she already knew well — circa 1762 is where she spent most of her evenings. she originally considered taking a job there instead of frank’s on campus, but she didn’t want to make herself sick of her favorite bar. “ so what’s the occasion, coop ? generosity usually comes with a price at ogden. ” she’s always been skeptical. 

cooper !

 ❛ hey hey, let’s not judge the daiquiri too harshly, huh? she’s a sweet but effective potion and the chunks are delightful.  ❜ cooper teased lightly, emphatically taking a sip of his drink while simultaneously signalling the bartender to indicate whatever summer chose to drink was to be put on his tab.  ❛ i admire your skepticism, it’s always refreshing to know i’m not the only paranoid fuck out there. you’re in luck though, tonight i’m just looking for some passing company with the added benefit of pissing off my father if the tab runs high enough.  ❜ he answered, pearly whites shinning as he held up his glass in mock cheers. there was nothing that appeased him more than finding ways to torture his father à la distance.   ❛ so, you in?   ❜

Reina already needed to escape campus, she was feeling trapped and she had only been back for a few days. Classes hadn’t even started yet and she was already itching to find a way out. For tonight her escape would be Circa 1762, the aesthetic was something she had always enjoyed it reminded her of other dive bars she’s been to around the world.

Relaxing with her long island she was observing the few people who have decided to visit the establishment tonight. One of her favorite past times, people watching. She was intrigued by a couple over at the bar who were lovey dovey one minute but were now in a heated argument. They weren’t talking loud enough for Reina to overhear, much to her chagrin but they still held her attention so much so that she didn’t really notice Cooper coming over and sitting by her.

“Hmm?” She hummed, looking at the young man. Her lips curled into a smile and she leaned foward to take a cigarette from her friend. “You know cigarette’s are bad for you right?” A chuckle followed her question and she shook her head over so slightly with a small eye roll. “But if you’re father’s hard earned cash,” Reina raised a brow, “then how could I refuse?”

cooper !

historically, health had never been high on cooper’s list of priorities, especially when there was something much better to gain at it’s expense. whether it be bliss, escape or a hell of a story - coop was ready to sacrifice his lung, brain cells or bodily autonomy for their sake. but reina didn’t know all THAT much about him, she hadn’t been privy to the long nights and pounding headaches that followed a string of poorly made decisions. that thought alone made the boys grin widen, as he shook out another cigarette and let it dangle from his lips half hazardly as he dug through is pockets for his trusty lighter (that he’d purchased approximately two minutes ago)  ❛ oh REALLY? i had no idea.  ❜ he bit back in jest, shooting the girl a wink before taking a long drag of smoke and relishing in the sweet weightlessness the nicotine awarded. 

  ❛ i always pegged you as a smart woman. glad to see my intuiton hasn’t failed me. so... what brings you here on this fine evening?  ❜

ASHAMED. whywas he ashamed in himself ?why did his mind make up a thousand different reasons as to why he’d turn down a drink, rather than vocalize his sobriety ? why did he willingly visit bars and clubs, knowing full well he’d come into contact with the substance ? he was self-destructive by nature, that’s why he pushed himself closer and closer to the edge. people only really knew the richie that was drunk all the time — what if they didn’t like this version of him ?god, none of it made sense. icy hues lock to the drink in front of his old friend — current friend ? richie wasn’t sure what to call them anymore, given he just disappeared one day … just like greer. did anyone even notice he was gone too ? such a pointless and selfish thought to have. he’d kick himself over it for weeks. so, instead he did what he did best. he put on a show. ❝ i’m driving tonight and i can’t afford another strike on my license, ❞ he states with a shrug, as if it were a casual comment to make. he lowers himself into the spot across from cooper and instead extends his hand, briefly motioning to the cigarette between his lips. ❝ got another one of those though ? i’m all out … but if daddy harris is buying tonight, than count me in. ❞

cooper ! 

many were quick to say they didn’t believe in ghosts and quite frankly, as much as cooper bought into silly stories and the odd convoluted cover up, superstition wasn’t exactly a word one could use to describe the often disheveled young man. and yet, that night a ghost happened to stroll into his life and plop down into the seat in front of him with a request to bum a cigarette. thankfully, the effects of his drink hadn’t quite kicked in yet, despite the sugary contents, so his face remained tranquil, apathetic at best - though his palms were significantly damper, and his heart rate had increased as soon as he looked back at richie. ironically enough, that reaction wasn’t out of the norm when he was around his former friend, it just usually happened after ingesting a supplemental substance that set them on a significantly more eventful path.

a path cooper had clawed his way out of, with great effort.  

 ❛ been there, paid the price. never new masseratis could bend that way,  ❜ cooper offered in jest, clearing his throat lightly as he recalled one of the many evenings his antics had landed him in more trouble than he could afford. thank god for daddy’s surname. he grunted in response, shaking a cigarette loose from the small cigarette case he kept tucked in the jetted pocket of his jacket.  ❛ i’m nothing if not well prepared. interesting to see you around, can’t say i’ve seen you around lately, but i guess we don’t frequent the same watering holes anymore? ❜

STATUS: open​ ​ LOCATION: circa 1762 TIME: early evening 

in the spirit of full transparency with himself, cooper had to come to terms with a fundemental truth about himself: he didn’t really care about what had happened to penny. it was probably a shitty thing to admit, but in his mind, it was far shittier to act like the loss was actually tearing him apart inside when he couldn’t give a rats ass about the girl when she was alive and well, much less then. what he did care about was the mystery surrounding the event, the dull whispers he picked up on in passing, the administrations desire to keep things moving, and most importantly, how this was all getting a little too much like his deep dives into reddit for his comfort. conspiracies were far more exciting when he could survey the evidence in his lair bedroom. 

so that evening, he decided to step away from his head, just momentarily. it hardly compared to the benders of days past, but as he leaned back into the plush pleather chair that creaked oh so slightly when burdened with this upper body weight, freshly lit cigarette dangling from his lips and a half gone strawberry daiquiri ready to be finished off, he could finally let out a sigh of much needed relief.  ❛ care for one? i’m feeling generous today, help me spend my fathers hard EARNED cash.  ❜

     alex groans quite dramatically, in an exaggerated manner, at the suggestion of going all the way over to the library… which is actually not as far as it seems to be in alex’s mind. “ fuck it, i’ll take the boot in the ass today. maybe one of my classmates will have sympathy for me before we start and toss one my way. ” they sit back on the bench they found themselves on next to cooper, observing the rest of the campus after their statement in a brief and quick scan before turning back to him. “ so first day back feels ? what’re you thinking ? ” they question, mostly because they were just desperate to search for a way to kill time before this class, and partly because they couldn’t get what happened during the winter break out of their mind. “ it’s a bit weird coming back after what was essentially a classmate being… well, you know. ”

cooper ! 

however unlikely cooper thought that scenario would be, he still nodded along for their benefit, if only to be encouraging.  ❛ you never know, somone could have found a soul over the break, anything is possible. ❜ he didn’t really have faith that anyone would actually be kind enough to offer up much help but that was just because he believed himself to be on some sort of moral high ground, for no apparent reason. with his inital question out of the way, cooper shoved away his bag half hazardly, musing over the first day back as he wrestled with how bizarre it all really was. it was easier to dissect a mystery, have an opinion, make a hypothesis... when you’re not at the center of it.  ❛ it’s odd, i’ll give you that much. mostly because no one seems to be talking about what actually happened, they’d rather focus on ‘how we move on’ or whatever bullshit. what about you, thoughts? ❜

“I wouldn’t be able to convince my mom of that,” Diego said, a weary expression crossing his face. He didn’t consider his parents to be over protective, in fact more often than not they let him do his own thing if he wanted to. He was an adult, after all. But the events had shaken his mother, and he couldn’t really blame her. “You’re probably right,” he said, though he looked displeased at the idea. “It seems cruel to spin the death, and the disappearance of two separate people into how students at Ogden will persevere through even the most difficult circumstances, though.” It felt a little sick that he could perfect hear the news about it now.

cooper ! 

he nodded, his face conveying nothing but understanding when the truth is, cooper had NO idea what his peer was currently experiencing. his parents could hardly care what he was up to, they barely bothered reading through the bulk of the emails that the administration had sent out and he knew the world would sooner freeze over before his mother took a minute out of her socia agenda to check in on him and his studies. the events that lead up to this very particular situation for the students at ogden hadn’t ruffled any feathers at home because the start of school term conveniently aligned with his parent’s favorite occasion: ‘coopers out of the picture extravaganza’. 

❛ tell me about it. it’s sick & twisted but hey, i wouldn’t put it past them. money talks yanno, and who’s got more money than the sick fucks paying the tuition - though seems like your family’s decent, so i would count your lot out of that generalization. ❜ he shrugged, offering the latter sentiment out of sympathy for diego. while it was easy for cooper to come to terms with people being evil, it seemed like his acquaintance had a harder time with it. ❛ all i’m saying is, it’s important to read between the lines right now. which is bullshit, but it is what it is. ❜ 

      his  gaze  remained  steady   ,   nothing  but  a  hint  of  disappointment  etched  into  the  aristocratic  curves  of  his  face   .   had  he  taught  his  friend  nothing   ?    cooper  was  a  grown  ass  man   ,   and  harding   ,   his  equal   ,   but  the  young  morrison  was  seconds  away  from  slapping  his  ass  and  sending  the  brunette  to  his  room   .   “  buddy  .   ”   the  word  was  accompanied  with  a  tilt  of  his  head   .   most  people  would  have  no  idea  what  the  look  he  was  offering  the  boy  meant   ;   however   ,    cooper  knew  him  well  enough  that  he  SHOULD  have  gotten  the  message   :   i  was  fucking  with  you   .   the  game  is  rigged   .   change  your  bet   .    “   takin’  the  easy  way  out   ,  huh   ?   fair  enough   .   ”

cooper ! 

had it been any other day, any other circumstance, any other party... cooper might have been quick to follow harding’s ruse. he was quite insightful.... most days, when sobriety was on his side. but a couple drinks in, the poor kid couldn’t count on his sharp mind, a trait that had gotten him in trouble a couple of times over. but HEY, he got there in the end, it just took one sharp look from his dashing almost sibling and a few seconds of wavering back and forth before a roaring laugh stumbled past his lips. he’d be the first to laugh at his stupidity.  ❛ ACTUALLY ... ever the romantic, i’ve changed my mind ol’ pal. he’ll lock it in, gotta believe he’s missing his stay at the heart break hotel tonight.  ❜ he nodded solemnly, firmly slapping harding’s arm in silent thanks for the assist. ❛ ah, young love, amiright? ❜

— 𝙊𝙋𝙀𝙉 𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙍𝙏𝙀𝙍.

when & where: first day back on campus, wherever works 

     “ hey ! happy new semester. ” fuck was the first word that roamed through his head as soon as that left his lips — considering what happened, that probably wasn’t a very good way to greet another ogden student on their first day back. it was anything but.  “ uhm…— you got an extra pencil or something ? my professor for my art seminar said he would personally put his foot in my ass if i continued to forget to bring a pencil to every class with me in the next semester, and i’ve got my first class back in about an hour. ” he flashes an annoying smile, one that says guess who forgot his pencil again ? it wasn’t his fault. it was good enough for him that he even remembered what time his classes were ( thank you smart phones ).  

cooper !

cooper had to sympathize with the guy, knowing full well he’d make the same mistake at some point within the next week or two and fumble out an apology that would never quite seem sincere enough. it was for this precise reason that the young man decided to have mercy and dig through his half empty bag on the off chance that he had in fact packed a pencil before he stepped out of his room that morning. unluckily for them both, he hadn’t had the forsight to actually prepare for school because, quite frankly, there was very little chance he’d actually manage to focus on his class when he’d much rather spend his time speaking with his classmates to figure out what the hell everyone know about what had happened on that fateful evening. ❛  sorry, no dice. i’m sure if you’re desperate you could run over to the library, rumor has it they’ve got spares. i think. seems like the kind of place you could find supplies. ❜ 

Open Starter Location: The Commons Time: early in the week while students are still arriving

His parents had seemed hesitant about him going back to Ogden, asking him multiple times whether he really wanted to, or just felt obligated. Diego thought he just felt obligated, they weren’t wrong, but it was hard to explain why he felt it would be worse to not go back. He couldn’t just let something like this go. Apparently not everybody felt the same way. “Does the campus already feel smaller to you?” He asked, while he sat at one of the tables in the commons, eyes clearly not on the book he’d chosen to pretend to read over the week long forced break they’d been given. “My mom says she doubts even half of the students will be back this year. I really wouldn’t blame them.”

cooper ! 

under any circumstances, returning to campus and starting school back up again wasn’t exactly ideal. in fact, cooper was an expert at evading many of his responsabilities and school would usually be at the top of his list of things to avoid but, with everything that had transpired before the break and leading up to their return, the morbid sense of curiosity begged to be addressed, thus landing him on campus earlier than he’d ever cared to be there. ❛ eh, feels about as small as it always has. ❜  he shrugged, eyes scanning the room for any other familiar faces. it was slim pickings but hey , they still had a couple of days ahead of the start of term. surely more people would be filling the halls in no time. ❛ sure , i guess it makes sense why some people wouldn’t come back. half though? i dunno. they’ll spin some story before they ever let that happen. ❜