◤ ✕ ° › L'AVENIR !

when it came to situations like this, carmen would never allow herself to be a bystander; however, she had only just stumbled in as she caught the last attempt the man made before the woman told him to screw off, which caused her to grin but also meant her services were not needed. regardless, she followed the blonde to the bar, nestling in beside her as she ordered a drink before placing a gentle hand on the girl’s arm. “hey, i saw what went down back there and i wanted to let you know that i’m more than happy stick by you just so you’re not alone, should he try to make a pass again.” with a friendly smirk, she attempted to convey that she didn’t mean to intrude but was wiling to spend her evening with a stranger, if necessary. “but then again, you probably wouldn’t even need or want me around. you handled it great. i’m carmen, by the way.”

as he sat with his back pressed against the plushness of his couch, kit pondered over how blessed he was to have a friend like sera –– through ups and downs, through the bullshit childhood they had to experience, through all of it, she was his stronghold. holding back a chuckle, he looked over her, concern suddenly washing over his orbs as her speech progressed, compelling him to set down the console and direct all of his attention her way. “seres, even if that was true, you know i wouldn’t let anything happen to you...” he trailed off, teeth sinking into the bottom pillow of his lip as he reached out to grab her hand, giving it a squeeze before letting it fall. “and fuck your boyfriend. if it was up to me, you’d be single forever. happily. ‘cause, y’know, you’ll always have me.”

in relocating to kola, california  –– over five thousand miles from his homeland –– henry ( or stefan, as he was known then ) never imagined that he’d see HER again. struck cold, he blinked four or five times as he stared, hoping her eyes would connect with his, just to prove his intuition. after a moment, he became impatient, leaping from his seat outside the restaurant, suddenly deaf to the complaints of his friends as he sped into the street to catch her. “alina?” henry breathed as his hand found its way to her arm, gently begging her to look his way. “you’re alive... at least as far as i can tell you are,” he chimed with his signature boyish grin, chest seizing with emotion as it boiled beneath his skin, threatening to overflow. “i’ve missed you.”

everything she did was divine, that much was being made even more clear by his inebriated brain; so, in an attempt to mask his adoration, jasper did what he does best –– TALK. by the time she spoke, he was unaware of how long it had been since his ramblings began, but he couldn’t help but turn crimson nonetheless, lips curling into a bashful grin. “geez, i’m sorry brin, i didn’t mean to talk your head off,” he replied, hand raising to scratch the back of his neck sheepishly as he inched a bit closer to her on instinct. laughing, he shook his head with a shrug, gaze finally shifting from her face to above, looking for the words. “yeah, i guess i am. then again, i may have a habit of blabbering on and on regardless of what state i’m in.” by now, he was close enough to brush her shoulder with his as he reclined, mind still spinning from the subatnce he was quickly beginning to love. “but, we can just sit here if you want. this is all just so...” jasper’s stare found her once more, a flutter inspiring another beam to replace his often quizzical look. “beautiful.”

silence was something keegan welcome –– prayed for –– so as he considered where he should go to be as unbothered as possible, it didn’t take him long to settle on a quant café around the corner from his museum. however, when it was clear the seat he chose was unavailable, he couldn’t resist the embarrassed blush that began to dust his skin at the interaction. “oh, i-i’m sorry,” he stammered as he brought his books and papers back to his chest, turning to glance around the seats to find they all seemed to be occupied. “do you know when they will be back? i hate to intrude, i just needed to complete a few things before noon and i’ve had no luck finding a place.”

giddiness began to permeate her every cell at their encounter; aria always feared her interests were a bit too eccentric for most ( most would just call her ‘a geek, a nerd, a loser’ but she preferred to give it her own label ) so it was incredible to be approached by a stranger who obviously shared a deep love for video games and fantasy creatures. “oh, of course! i can tell you’ve put a lot of time into this, i’m really impressed!” upon hearing ‘spyro’ a hand flies to her chest as the other grips the edge of her table; ariadne couldn’t help it, when she was excited, her reactions went a bit overboard. “no way; i loved spyro as a kid! gosh, i would just sit in my room and play it for days. this sounds so awesome, you will have to let me know when you release it –– i’ll be the first in line at game stop, or online, or wherever!”

after years of hoping her sister would move on, rosalind realized it was time to surrender; if it was a dog evie wanted, a dog she should get. as she entered the shelter with her hands laced before her, she grinned immediately as a friendly employee greeted her as she strolled towards him. “good morning!” she returned, nodding her head. “well, my little sister has been begging for a dog for a long time now, so i figured i would surprise her with one today! can you think of any who really need a home, but are great with kids?”

“oh wow,” ariadne exhaled as she leaned in closer, jaw hanging slightly as she took in the sight with adoration blossoming on her visage. she always loved dragons. “i think that looks incredible! i really loved the shading here and i think you completely nailed the head, i know dragons can be hard to capture! this is just... phenomenal. thank you so much for asking me –– this made my day! what is the game going to be about?” she inquired, gaze trailing up to the stranger’s face as she beamed, orbs twinkling with delight.

despite the fact that it was summer, ariadne was already drowning in cousework –– that she created for herself, of course. as senior year was approaching, so were her three theses, inspiring the girl to camp at a café and immerse herself in finding a pithy title for her project on metal embrittlement. when a voice reaches her ear without a bud, aria couldn’t help but jump a bit, tossing the plugs down onto her phone as she brushed some hair from her eyes, gaze scanning for the voice. “oh, but of course. ask me anything,” she offered back with a smile, hoping she didn’t embarrass herself too much –– socialization wasn’t her biggest strong-suit, after all. 

any outsider who knew of her predicament would think isla MAD to return to a place that held so much history for her –– after all, she had been considered missing for over ten years. regardless, the girl was bored and the rush of potentially being found was far too invigorating to resist; at least, that’s what she told herself before she recognized a head of blond tresses which framed a visage to which she had been quite accustomed in her youth. within moments she was cursing her decision to stumble into that place; the quarters were so limited that it was only a matter of time before her half-sister returned her stare. whether or not hadley would recognize her was totally up to fate, but as she smothered her lips with a firm hand, isla figured it was about time for her fortune to change.

“look, i was wrong... you make me feel like i’m exactly where i’m meant to be. i just.. i don’t know, you’re, like, too good,” niall stammered, suddenly aware of night’s focused gaze ( which was fair, he couldn’t get back into their good graces so easily ). clearing his throat, he offered her palm a tight squeeze as he sighed, shaking his head. this was torture. having to articulate his feelings left him muddled; he’d much rather express to her how he felt, be it in caresses, kisses, adventures –– he’d do it all, the desperation urging him to give everything to salvage this. “can i take you out tonight? i see you already ate,” he chuckled with mischevious eyes, gesturing to the bag that helped alarm him of her arrival in her free hand. “but, let’s do something –– anything –– if you want to. let me make this up to you. i miss you like crazy.” testing his luck, he dipped down to press his forehead to hers, fingers trembling as they explored the nape of her neck while his lids fluttered shut, relishing the moment of closeness. “you make me so happy, phe,” niall breathed, praying she wouldn’t push him away like he deserved.

it took a lot of effort being someone that you’re not; all of siobhan’s life, she was content to hang in the shadows, isolated and taciturn. but now, with the pressure of filling in big shoes that she claimed to own over a year ago, she found herself lost in the haze of her twin’s lifestyle. many big changes impaced her life following the accident –– after all, the real siobhan always swore she’d go blonde upon entering college. still, as she pushed past the door leading her away from the crowd, vaughn only enjoyed a moment of a breath before realizing that she was intruding. meek nature revealing itself, she immediately covered her face and spun on her heel, hoping to save the other from the embarrassment she too felt. “oh gosh, i am so sorry!” the brunette stammered, turning back only when the other addressed her. “it’s totally fine, don’t worry? a-are you okay? wait, sorry, that’s inappropriate. i’ll just.. leave you alone,” siobhan muttered, visage crimson as she dipped her head.

"well, it’s not really my life alone, more like the life all humanity and –– well –– anything bound by time,” cambria began, a hollow sigh of exasperation passing her lips as her lilac-sparkled tips dug into the flesh of her arms as she clenched them against her chest. the petite could be called many things, however patient was not one of them, especially when faced with such a negative aura. with a quirk of her bow, she steps a hair closer to the other, humming as she advanced. “is that why you seem so tense? i really do think meditation, like i was talking about, would work some wonders.”

“hey, we both know you’re not wrong. plus, if i get the alarm clock, maybe she can even teach me spanish !! no but seriously, i wish. the ladies just don’t come knocking down my door like they used to... well, actually that’s incorrect. nothing has changed. no ladies then and no ladies now,” he rambled, brows narrowed as he watched the other, movements just seconds behind as he mimicked, slipping through the cracks to catch the beer as it was offered, vaulting from ethan’s clutches. “’s a bit early, isn’t it?” jasper teased before popping off the cap and stealing a long chug. “because i’m an absolute joy to be around, maybe? because i light up your life with inadequacy and well-timed puns? or, most likely, because we both know you can’t really get rid of me.” with one hand buried in his front pocket, jasper preoccupied himself with the beer –– it had been some time since he shared a drink with his buddy and he wanted to savor it. “it’s kind of sad how believable the scenario is, right? but hey, don’t say that! i’m the world’s best wingman. by the way, let me know when you’re ready to go out to town, i’ll do a lovely job of buttering the ladies up, scaring them almost immediately, and then leading them into your strong, capable arms,” jasper jested, only half-kidding. that is, most likely, exactly how an outing of the two would end up. “well, those words sure do tempt curiosity. pray tell, what is this news?”