𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑻 / 𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑶𝑩.

[ ✂ ]

          the sheer memory of that pet name brings forth an unfathomable wave of spite.   but he stays calm, stays focused.   ❝ i was under the ɪᴍᴘʀᴇssɪᴏɴ that you intended to avoid us the entire night … considering how long it took you to come over.   what changed? ❞   was it when he intertwined his fingers with misa’s own and tugged her along?   was it the somewhat protective hand on her lower back as he guided her through the crowd?   or was it the way his head dipped—hair falling to curtain his eyes, so only the most sᴜʙᴛʟᴇ smirk could be seen—to whisper sweet nothings into her ear?   whatever it was, something brought ethan here  &  that something is surely lurking beneath that damn smile.

                       ——— 

  [ ✂ ]

         she stays silent for the most part && lets nikolai talk, her own expression one of amusement with a pinch of 'yikes’ mixed into the pot. this was their fight now && as much as she would’ve loved to slip away under the cover of the SUFFOCATING tension in between the two, her curiousity ( && ethan’s arm)  keeps her in place.

                                                                                ( men are so DRAMATIC. )

     SEE ,  the issue with the whole situation derives from something he deems inherently out of his control ,  this possessiveness that stakes its claim as his eyes catch upon the two dates .

        (  the word date makes him 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤  )

    the truth serum does not affect his bodily functions ,  yet there’s no real attempt in keeping his concealed emotions just that ,  instead basking clear against his expressions .  the anger that rises inside him the moment nikolai goes to open his mouth ,  the hot flare of something unnamed crawling up his throat the longer he stands there .  misaka --  she he can deal with ,  even with how whenever her eyes fall upon his figure ,  he feels the beginning of an itch he’ll never be able to scratch ,  filled with a growing embarrassment he can’t seem to squash .  his usual attempts at being three steps ahead fall short whenever she’s involved ,  a fact that irks at him ,  even now .  the two together ,  however ,  is when he senses control slip from his hold .

        (  he wonders for a moment if her choice of date was intentional before shaking the thought .  )

    ❝  yes ,  well ,  i’m  sure  you know by now we’re dating ,  ❞  he stresses almost immediately ,  his free hand searching out for misaka’s hand ,  intertwining their fingers together with a quirk of the lips .  he brings the hand up to lay the ghost of a kiss amongst her knuckles ,  eyes narrowing into their own smiles as he practices affection into his gaze .  ❝   isn’t she just lovely  ?  ❞

        his eyes flash towards nikolai with the birth of short lived triumph in his gaze .  

    the catch becomes his actions are but the direct result of seeing the two engaged within an air of intimacy clear from the distance he was at ,  the way the other male slipped beside his date and touched her in ways that fooled the way ethan’s insides should work .  the provoked reaction from him begins to taste a lot like failure on his own end ,  from the insecurity that led to this very confrontation .  jealousy is the work of the devil ,  and for once he may concede nikolai yeun might be exactly that .  (  the question might better be why does the emotion strike him so ,  especially in this particular situation .  )

        ❝  two housemates on a date ,  how . . .  cute . ❞  the insincerity leans heavy near the end of his sentence , gaze bouncing between the two before setting on his girl .  ❝  if i didn’t know better ,  i’d think yeun here was trying to snatch you up ,  darling . ❞  he laughs ,  loud and cold ,  at the irony of nikolai’s big bad wolf costume to misaka’s red riding hood  --  it should be amusing .  ❝  funny thought , isn’t it  ?   ❞

    there’s a miniature pause ,  before he cocks his head to the side in thought . ❝  not that i’d put it past him . ❞  

he feels great—and maybe that’s cause for concern as it is. 

a couple of hours earlier, silas had placidly told himself that the party wasn’t going to be on his agenda for the night. he liked events like this, sure, and letting loose every once in a while never quite hurt anybody. that being said, he’s always been averse to seeing certain people, existing in the same space as them for too long. it hurts him, and maybe it hurts them too; and merlin, he’d hate to hurt anybody if he could avoid it. 

somehow, he ends up at the party though, donning an old costume he once wore with a should-be-stranger that used to occupy a bigger portion of his heart ( and he’ll blame it on the buzz tomorrow, but there’s a nagging voice at the back of his head that whispers, doesn’t he still? ). he’s a few drinks in now, feeling restless, feeling incredibly warm, and feeling all the more elated when a too-familiar face ambles into view. 

“ethan,” silas gasps out, lips curving into a bright smile. he feels conflicted, something deeper in his chest twisting in pain, trying to reel him back from the inevitable mistakes he’s bound to make when he’s relying on euphoria, drunk on it, really. instead, he laughs, taking one step back to take in the sight before him. “hey, wow, you’re right! it’s fate, huh? to think i’d accidentally end up matching with you of all people, right?” 

the phrase rolls off of his tongue awkwardly and silas almost flinches. the haze of alcohol reclaims him from the second of clarity he’d very nearly clung to and silas is back to smiling in an instant. he thinks, halfheartedly, that if this were a few years back, he’d be clinging to ethan’s side and wishing him the happiest of birthdays. 

“it’s really good seeing you,” he says quickly, almost nervously, before reaching out—body moving before the idea even processes in his mind—hand hovering half a centimeter from ethan’s. “your drink looks spooky. can i try it?”  

     *      MAYBE  IT  PAINS  HIM  A  LITTLE ,  seeing that smile again after what feels an eternity .  his heart leaps in his chest till it sits lodged in his throat at the sight ,  and he has to hold himself back from closing that space between them so the atmosphere feels as intimate as it had once upon a time ,  when shit wasn’t so confusing and lodged between excuses and wasted time .   

     ❛  yeah , fate ,  ❜  he repeats after him ,  eyes kept locked on silas’ in fear if he looks away ,  even for a second ,  the other will run off god knows where and leave him to pick up the pieces from a broken conversation alone .  (  he’s done it before ,  maybe he’s come to expect it  ) .  ❛  funny how it works .  ❜ 

         he tells himself  THIS IS SILAS ,  and that for him ,  he can be as patient as he’s needed to be ,  can stand the test of time to be forgiven for something he doesn’t yet know he’s done .  he can sit still and pretend everything is okay ,  that everything still makes sense even though they both know there’s been something present in the shadows that surround them for a while now ,  lurking and full of ugly that festers inside him every time he sees the other laughing and having fun with people that aren’t him .  for silas ...

     (  for silas ,  he’d give up the world  ) .

         he holds back the drink with an automatic smile ,  a touch of genuine amusement present as he comes to the realization that yes ,  he must’ve drank from an  orange  goblet ,  explaining away his behaviour at the moment .  how cute ,  he entertains the thought ,  ignoring the need to sigh away at the failed prospect of silas wanting to be here with him in the moment .  ❛  hmm ,  i don’t think it’s the best idea .  not sure they intended for people to mix the drinks ;  wouldn’t want you getting sick , now would we ?  ❜  

     but there’s a selfish voice at the back of his mind ,  growing louder and louder the harder he tries to ignore it ,  because isn’t this  an opportunity he should seize ?  isn’t this his chance to get the answers he’s been craving since that first day silas turned his head and walked in the opposite direction without so much as a nod of acknowledgement ,  leaving ethan behind to become a speck in his rearview mirror  ?

          besides ,  it’s not like ethan’s ever claimed to be a  𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓 .  which is why after a moment ,  he offers a simple shrug and an easy grin before extending the goblet back towards the other’s lingering hand .    ❛  but don’t let me stop you ,  honey .  promise i’ll take care of you . ❜

     *     IT’S  LIKE  A  CHANT ,  telling himself misaka can do what she wants and he has no right dictating who she hangs out with or not  --  even now as he comes to the daunting realization his current girlfriend and ex-boyfriend decided to match costume concepts and show up as dates .   it feels akin to a conspiracy , even though he's aware he hadn't bothered reaching out to the girl to see if she'd decide to grace the room with their presence ;  instead he'd absently deemed it  not her scene .  the plastic cup he’d been entertaining stays scrunched up in his hand ,  brow twitching as his eyes revert back to staring at the newly arrived  ‘ couple ’ ,  it’s like a countdown ticking down till he bursts .

          the way his throat clenches seeing the familiar costume ,  how he’s sure the smile currently present on the other’s face will fall once he strides into sight ,  with how nothing good can some of  silas and ethan  exchanging words while under some influence  --  they’re all arbitrary factors in ethan’s determined (re)conquest of silas’ heart ,  in worming himself back in till the other finally looks him in the eyes as they converse and remembers they’re supposed to be best friends ,  that ethan doesn’t fare well to being shut out .  

     ❛  glad to see you back to being my right hand man . ❜  the words dig at something left unsaid ,  a look in his eyes .  an easy grin slides onto his lips ,  and ethan cocks his head at silas’ attire with a satisfied nod .  ❛  freaky coincidence ,  ain’t it , sy ? ❜  (  @vvept  )

* ETHAN  @dauntfvl

COSTUME :  ARTHUR  from merlin , decked out looking like he’s in the signature mail armour , crown on his head , pendragon crest and all .  he’s worn the costume in the past , just a repeat .

DATE :  no one in particular ,  costume match with silas (merlin)

DRANK :  black goblet ,  truth serum ,  unable to filter thoughts 

BEHAVIOUR :  blunt if asked questions ,  will try to avoid conversation if possible ,  seeking to take advantage of the situation from specific people / however he can altho he probably fails on the most part and succeeds in outing himself , best time to approach him to ask whatever’s on your mind / confrontations

NOTE  :  it’s his birthday , yay ig , birthday kisses let’s GO

* DANIEL  @salvativn

COSTUME :  SHREK 

DATE :  eric ,  matching costume with mija (fiona)

DRANK :  orange goblet ,  euphoria , unable to stand still 

          no verbal reaction ,  he simply brushes off the warning and continues about his night  –  plenty of time to realize the consequences of the ‘ innocent ’ drink as he interacts with other party participants .

*     ETHAN KUDOU  &   SILAS HAN :

                                                                  —           ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏx ᴋɴᴏᴡs ʜᴇʀ ᴋɪɴᴅ — thought not as BRAZEN as certain someones, misaka isn’t ignorant to the cruelty of young adults bored out of their minds, trapped in a dark, dank castle with little to no entertainment. nothing to keep their DULL minds occupied. the girl sighs at the fickleness of her peers, wondering if they had even come here to learn in the first place. still, she’ll play his game. nothing to risk or lose for her since it’s not like she’s had any image to protect since third year. she’ll let ethan have his fun, run circles around her && wear himself out. MAYBE she gets a little satisfaction from watching him struggle, but she’ll keep that to herself. ❝ yes?❞ she is unable to suppress the amusement in her voice. ❝ i did indeed  say i would be your GIRLFRIEND,❞ a sliver of embarrass does escape her. ❝ so what’s the issue?❞

     *      BIRDS  OF  A  FEATHER  FLOCK  TOGETHER  ,  and the short narrative highlighting the relationship between misaka anad ethan perhaps aligns linear in perspective ,  souls interlocked in a game with no set winner .  dauntless amusement hidden behind smiles and muted cruelty ,  there’s a slither of something there he hadn’t quite noticed at first glance ,  lingering in her passing gaze that irks a scarcely concealed flash of annoyance across groomed features .   (  perhaps for the first time ,  ethan realizes he might have underestimated his so-called new  𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐍𝐄𝐑  ) .   ❛  hmm , ❜  he voices eventually ,  eyes dancing across her face in open curiosity before he allows the easy smile to speak of sophisticated grace and  𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒍 .   ❛  the  ISSUE ,  lovebug ,  is we’ve yet to exchange words since the whole . . . confession went down . ❜  his smile strains a little at the selected word ,  taking a step forward in an attempt to convey intimacy  — to both her and onlookers .  ❛  just made me wonder whether the feeling had truly been . . . mutual . ❜ 

DRUNK.

『  CONTACT :  K 💢.

   INCOMING  ✉   。。。 』

☇  ya eevr tink☇  lifewoud bt easoer if i lboed yiuinstead☇  fucukkkk dude imn horny 

SUGGESTIVE.

『  CONTACT :  K 💢.

   INCOMING  ✉   。。。 』

☇  wanna go for a ride☇  and i don’t mean on a broom☇  if you catch my drift 🍆😜

HEARTBREAKING.

『  CONTACT :  K 💢.

   INCOMING  ✉   。。。 』

WASN’T SENT.

『  CONTACT :  lovebug.

     INCOMING  ✉   。。。 』

☇  it feels like you’re always laughing at me.   deleted !

HATEFUL.

『  CONTACT :  lovebug.

    INCOMING  ✉   。。。 』

WASN’T SENT. 

『  CONTACT :  irrelevant.

      INCOMING  ✉   。。。 』 

☇  things didn’t have to change.     deleted !☇  it’s not my fault, you know.   deleted !☇  i cared.   deleted !☇  even if you didn’t.   deleted !

LATE NIGHT.

『  CONTACT : irrelevant.

     INCOMING  ✉   。。。 』

☇  your owl’s been perched at my window for ten minutes. ☇  at least i think it’s yours? ☇  looks… emo.☇  it's literally just staring at me what the FUCK. ☇  MAKE IT STOP

  HEARTBREAKING. 

『  CONTACT : irrelevant.

     INCOMING  ✉   。。。 』