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@hazyhazel

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handofgloriesâ:
DATE:Â September 15th, 2018 LOCATION: the Seelie Court Gardens, outside Oleanderâs own little greenhouse
The eastern wall of her greenhouse had looked a little sparse, and so she had taken the time to tend to it, eager â for once â to get out of her tower, out of her library, both of which had become visual representations of what buzzed inside her mind with no real reprieve. Yellow roses bloomed up the side of the glass panes: Eurya had planted these, long ago. âShould I have brought pink ones instead?â sheâd said, and her river-green eyes were lit with mischief as she smiled, the glimmer of it making Oleander bold. âI would have hoped for red,â sheâd answered.Â
The flowers had smelled sweet, then.
Now, the roses were choking on themselves, blooms rotting from the inside out as they grew beyond their means. The scent was no longer just comforting, just familiar â now it was tainted with the stench of rot, the decay almost alluring.
With her gardening shears, she began to snip away at them, hoping to stem the tide.
The sound of quiet steps behind her made the Archfey pause in her work, Oleander turning to greet the newcomer.
âDid you bring your own shears? â Or are you here to steal from my garden?â Beyond the glass walls was her little operation â orderly rows of fragrant herbs and strange flowers, all of them used when she made her blend.
Oleanderâs garden was... a wonder. Hazel didnât actually know if it was private and she was trespassing, but sheâd caught a glimpse of a plant she didnât recognize when sheâd been walking and before she could really consider the potential consequences of her actions sheâd practically pressed her nose to the window to investigate. The summer court was always warm, but inside the greenhouse it was even hotter and more humid, she could feel it through the glass. Hazel loved it.Â
She didnât really know how real estate worked here, it might have been discussed in her education at Camp Forosnai but she hadnât been concerned about it then. Now she wondered what it would take to have her own greenhouse. There wasnât really room for such a thing in the city, but here...maybe.Â
Lost in thought, she didnât realize Oleander was actually at the greenhouse until it was too late to avoid her. âOh, no...I would never steal from someoneâs garden,â she promised. âI was just, uh, curious? I love plants.â It was an awkward explanation, but hopefully the older fey wouldnât mind that. She pointed to the plant that had drawn her attention in the first place and asked, âWhat is that? If I didnât know better, Iâd say it looked like silphium, but thatâs long extinct, isnât it?âÂ
briellemccaffreyâ:
âNope. No such thing as too much cheese. I vote yes on the nachos. The calamari is good too, though. If you like seafood.â It was the company Brielle craved more than the food, in truth. The more she, alone, tried to force some sort of progress in her life, the less it actually came. Bri would have guessed that the key to success was to simply not think about it so much, but sheâd been doing just that for years now. And life as she knew it had slowed down quite a bit in that time.
She sat back a little, napkin wrapped around the fingers of her left hand. Beneath the table, one leg crossed over the other. âI never thought about it like that. The cook thing, I mean. Taking work home with you. Damn. Guess itâs kind of like the people who work at Taco Bell for years and end up not being able to stomach tacos any more.â Playfully crinkling her nose at the thought, Brielle soon licked her lips. It was a bit different when it came to her own occupation, or at least it felt it. Her job at Maynooth had been a welcome addition to a life already rich with Irish culture - Bri viewed it more as an advantage than an actual job.
âDo you like the place you work, though?â The glass in front of her was cold to the touch but she didnât mind, raising it to her lips to sip through the plastic straw. âThat helps, right?â
Hazel sighed gently, shaking her head. âI have always really wanted to like seafood, but I just...donât. People go gaga over lobster and shrimp and I feel like Iâm supposed to do the same but Iâd rather have chicken or beef, to be honest.âÂ
When it came to cooking she loved to make just about anything, though baking was her favorite. But she always felt she did a better job when it was also something she enjoyed eating. It made sense, but was also frustratingly limiting. Maybe she ought to try to make herself enjoy seafood again. It had been a few years since sheâd tried. But not tonight. When the bartender brought her drink, she ordered the nachos.
âCan you imagine not liking tacos? What a horrific way to live,â she teased. âI do like my job. I work in the kitchen at Oakenfold, the casino uptown. I wouldnât call it my dream job? But I enjoy it. Itâs never boring. I donât think I ever asked what it is you do, did I?âÂ
benji-daltonâ:
September was, and always had been, his absolute favourite time of year.Â
Firstly (and Gods, did he get enough flack for this from Tyler and Nicholas both but) it was ideal clothing whether. All of Benjiâs most preferred outfits (consisting of items that admittedly brought him joy and an irrefutable connection to his own trademark identity) were most appropriate in Autumn. Leather boots, scarves, long peacoats, vests⌠they were at home in the fall, as was he.Â
That and, yes, he was still an indisputable nerd. September was a time of new beginnings, in a way that January wasnât for him, but perhaps was for many. It signified fresh starts and supplies, new courses and clean slates. Unscathed agendas, perfect excuses to splurge on new pens. It represented one more year towards Benjiâs career, one more year of challenging exams and reasons to stay up at night studying.Â
And yes, he was aware that many of these things werenât reasons to celebrate for most people. But Benjamin Dalton was not âmost peopleâ.Â
Heâd just left his favourite bookstore, en route to finding himself a new messenger bag appropriate for the texts heâd be lugging around with him this year, when he collided with someone who was looking down at her phone.Â
He grinned a little at her statement. âI mean, that goes without saying,â it was a bit dry, but not delivered unkindly.  âHonestly, Iâm just relieved you werenât carrying anything hot.â Heâd be much less friendly had she ruined his favourite Thursday Boots. He gave her a quick once over. âYouâre looking festive.âÂ
Hazelâs cheeks blazed pink at his somewhat sarcastic response, but the words were softened by his smile. She too was glad she hadnât been carrying anything hot. A lot of her friends were clamoring for a pumpkin spice latte, but she wasnât actually a fan of most pumpkin dishes or drinks. She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked up at him, offering a sheepish smile.Â
âIâm so sorry, honestly, Iâm glad youâre alright,â she began. âBut, uh, yeah...festive...Or nerd-festive anyway. Iâm a fan. Obviously. I mean, I grew up on the books and...âÂ
Her voice trailed off on a shrug. He looked a little bit younger than her but she guessed heâd understand if he was a reader (or movie watcher.) Most kids of their generation had grown up with Harry Potter, they knew the stories and while not everyone was a fan like she was, they all probably knew someone who was. It was nerdy, yes, but not uncommon. Still, that didnât mean he wanted to stand on the street listening to her ramble about it.
âIâm Hazel Kavanagh. Hufflepuff.â She grinned, throwing in the house reference as if he couldnât read it on her shirt. âYou sure youâre alright? Can I buy you a hot beverage to make up for the one I could have spilled on you if Iâd been carrying one?âÂ
threeshadeblackâ:
âConsider it a gentlemenâs treat,â He laughed wondering if she knew just how far from the title he was. âIâm absolutely starving,â âI donât know about you but I could always go for something greasy,â Rubbing the back of his neck he took in her expression. âUh I mean where would you like to go?âÂ
At this point she felt better having input from him. âGreasy is fine,â she said, shrugging. âI mean... what kind of greasy? Are we talking like pizza grease or fried food grease or like...mexican greasy? Which is totally different but still a thing. Iâm honestly fine with anything, I just love food.â

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threeshadeblackâ:
Letting out a sigh he dug into his pockets for his wallet, silently rifling threw the folds and producing a few bills. âHere get yourself a new one,â Even if it wasnât his fault he hated being that asshole. Onyx was about to hand over the money when an idea struck him. âOr you can let me buy you an apology lunch,âÂ
He held the bills out of her armâs reach and gave her a cheeky smile. âI wonât take no for an answer.â
âOh, no. Thatâs not --â She started to protest the idea of him replacing the necklace. It really wasnât a big deal, just a cheap souvenir from the internet. He had nothing to apologize for since sheâd run into him and not the other way around. Hazel was absolutely not going to take money for the necklace. His second offer was slightly more palatable but still overkill for an incident that wasnât his fault, but he was looking so pleased with himself that Hazel felt like an even bigger jerk for refusing. âI...I can do lunch. But you really should let me pay. I ran into you.â
briellemccaffreyâ:
Though time (and alcohol, thanks to Patrick) had blurred Brielleâs memories of the night at Luna Park, Hazel had the kind of smiling face that was hard to forget. At the realisation of who she was, the invisible weight on Briâs shoulders lifted near instantly, encouraging her to lean forward a little. Their interaction that night had been short, but pleasant enough to leave her craving more of a connection. It was easier to keep up the happy act if she surrounded herself with those who played that part well.
âI mean, you can never really go wrong with mozzarella sticks, but if you need to save money that badly, Iâd say save the eleven dollars and go make something magical back home. If thatâs your thing.â In all honesty, Brielle probably would have been better off saving money herself, but these days she craved a break from home more and more, much to her alarm. It didnât seem as though anyone had noticed the behaviour, though, which was definitely for the best. âHey, I know a killer burrito bowl recipe for when the bankâs running a little dry. I call it the budget burrito. It tastes better than it sounds.â
Suddenly aware of her oversharing, it was Briâs turn to smile sheepishly. âOr you could ignore everything I just said and spend the eleven dollars. Itâs really up to you, Hazel.â A pretty name, the kind that felt nice to say. She nudged her plate forward. âHere, have some if you want.â
âIâm always up for getting more recipes,â Hazel said, not finding the offer odd in the slightest. âIâm a cook so I tend to spend a lot of time tinkering in the kitchen. Which is another point in favor of ordering something here and giving myself a break. I mean, I love cooking, but itâs literally taking work home with me.âÂ
She ordered a drink when the bartender stopped by and glanced over a menu while she tried to decide what she wanted to do. Hazel didnât eat out often and she didnât need to be a miser with her money, just had to be smart. Besides, getting a chance to spend a bit more time with Brielle was worth spending a little bit of money. Theyâd barely spent any time together at Luna Park but Hazel had gotten the feeling that this was a girl she could really be friends with.Â
âWhat if I got nachos and we split both?â she offered. âOr is that too much cheese? I donât actually think thereâs such a thing as too much cheese but not everyone agrees with me.âÂ
ofrosetintsâ:
Kaitlin wouldnât have been surprised if everyone in the world could agree on wanting him to be happy. âYeah, he does.â Noting Hazelâs use of Forestâs fey name, Kaitlin realised that for the first time, she had too. But sheâd never dare do such a thing to his face. It felt odd, modifying her behaviour around her sisterâŚas if there was a gap between them. As if the distinction between fey and human mattered for them. Hazel - and Kevin - were the only ones it wasnât supposed to matter for. Suddenly pensive, Kaitlin turned to her. âDo you thinkâŚdo you think youâll ever get married like that? At Lugnasad?âÂ
Hazel had no idea that her use of Forestâs fey name would bother her sister. It wasnât that she preferred one name over the other, but she saw it sort of like choosing your pronouns -- heâd decided to rename himself Forest so thatâs what she called him. That, and she hadnât gotten to know Kevin. When heâd been a player she hadnât really been involved with any players other than Kaitlin. She assumed the contemplative look that crossed her sisterâs face was more due to the Lugnasad tradition than anything else.Â
âMe? No, probably not. Iâm not...important? enough for the court to want to nominate me. I donât mean that like it sounded, exactly, I just mean that most people donât really know me because of how much time I spend out in the city rather than in An SĂdalann. Ya know?â With someone who knew more about human traditions, she might compare it to being nominated for homecoming queen -- it seemed like something of a popularity contest.Â
huntsfeyâ:
Knox had been stuck in one of his concentrative trances, zoning out to his environment around him and anyone who had been near. Whenever he took on new information, he would get into one of these headspaces. To anyone else, it just looked as though he was a man on a mission. Fast-paced walking, vision concentrated on a single objective and hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket.Â
Heâd been digesting some information heâd conjured up about the fey when he decided it was indeed time for a coffee break, and instead of bothering with an uber or a taxi, he figured that the fresh air would do him the world of good. And aside from zoning out completely, he supposed that the fresh air was doing itâs exactly intended purpose. That was until he was quickly snapped into reality when a girl donned in everything Harry Potter collided with him.Â
He observed for a moment, giving the stranger a quick glancing up and down as she spoke. He was fine, this was New York, after all, people ran into one other all the time, though seldom was there ever an apology. âHmm? Oh, yes Iâm perfectly fine.â He was going to continue with his day, but he couldnât help but comment on her attire. âEven though Iâm more of a Slytherin kindaâ person, myself.â His teenage years were spent with a nose in a book at all times, and harry potter had been a favourite of his.Â
Hazel blushed but grinned at the man sheâd accidentally run into, doing a quick check to make sure she hadnât spilled coffee on him, broken anything, or otherwise caused damage. When she got to his face her smile faltered and fell. Oh hell. New York was a massive city but at times it felt more like a small town in that you were constantly running into people you recognized.Â
This time it was Knox Bakshi.Â
She had a good memory for faces and would have remembered him even if sheâd just had Cotilan to go off of, but since then King Adare had shown the Seelie a photo of the man and essentially advised them that he was a potential threat. And she ran into him in the street. Where he proclaimed himself a Slytherin. Awesome. Tucking her hair behind her ear in an awkward gesture she hoped heâd attribute to embarrassment, she ducked her head. At least it was unlikely that heâd remember her - she wasnât exactly memorable among the crowd at Cotilan.Â
âAmbitious? Cunning? Not bad things to be,â she offered, deciding to keep the conversation on safe topics like fictional wizards. âUnless youâre going to tell me that Snape is your favorite character in which case I have somewhere I need to be. Urgently.âÂ
If I fits...

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threeshadeblackâ:
A light âoofâ escaped his mouth at the sudden head on collision. Onyx liked a joke just as well as the next guy, but he wasnât exactly in the mood for games. He yanked out his ear buds, spinning around to meet the stranger.Â
âHey watch i-â His cheeks flared with embarrassment as she sputtered out an apology. So it was only an accident huh. âUh yeah, Iâm dandy,â âBut your necklace is completely busted.â
Hazel winced at the tone at first but it quickly softened. Glancing up she recognized the person sheâd run into and blushed deeply. Onyx. A fellow Seelie and a coworker at the casino. Perfect. She had a feeling sheâd get teased about this, but there were worse fates. At least she wasnât getting yelled at in the street.Â
âSorry,â she repeated. Her hand went up to touch her necklace; the circle at the center used to spin but had apparently fallen out leaving just an empty triangle. âThatâs okay, I got it off etsy, it wasnât like it was super expensive or sentimental. Itâs my own fault for not watching where I was going.âÂ
vanfeysingâ:
âOverkill maybe but if itâs what your heart desires, who can really fault you?â He couldnât help but tease, the words flying off his tongue with ease. For the first time in weeks, some of the anxiety was off his shoulders. The mixture of fried food, annoyingly happy fair music and his previous ride on the cyclone had left him feeling happier than he had been in a while. Laughing with Brielle and Pat earlier had felt like old times before he had been burdened with doubt. He sighed dramatically, shaking his head. âAwful but unfortunately is a thing thatâs happened before. Of course, Iâve learned since then to not put my foot in my mouth but I still slip up every now and again.â
âSplitting might be a good idea considering if I eat any more fried food, my heart might actually give out but if weâre splitting food, I might as well give you my name. Iâm Emmet.â
âYou tell a lot of girls they look fruity?â she asked, grinning. âThat is a little strange, I have to admit. But I donât make it a habit of hitting strangers. Or anyone, usually. Itâs pretty rare, usually you have to do something awful like insult my family for me to do something like that.âÂ
Hazel extended her hand to shake his, pleased he was going to take her up on the offer. It was much more enjoyable to eat with someone than alone and she was always up for making new friends. âLovely to meet you, Emmet. Iâm Hazel.â She turned, finally ordering a funnel cake then looked back at him. âAre you here by yourself?âÂ
ofrosetintsâ:
Tough. Of all the words in the world, tough wasnât one Kaitlin had traditionally used to describe herself. Not in its most common form - anyway. She was soft in so many ways - a girl made to walk among clouds, to dream about wings and impossible magics. But she supposed weaker hearts would have shattered by now. Sometimes, tough didnât need to mean closed-off. It didnât need to mean cruel. It got to mean strong. Smile spreading across her cheeks, Kaitlin couldnât help but be glad for Hazelâs words. Not so long agoâŚshe had tried to interfereâŚit was a relief to know her sister had faith in her.
Hazelâs faith was the sort that made the world a brighter place.
âI just fundamentally disagree with its sorting. Iâm not a Hufflepuff.â They had always felt like the spares, the left-behinds. No, if Kaitlin was going to entertain this world, it would be at the heart of its story, a Gryffindor, bold and beautiful and bright. Dangling the bag in her hand, Kaitlin opened it up, inviting her to peer inside. âIâm planning a surprise for Forest. To celebrate his wedding. Belatedly, I guess.â
Hazel crossed her arms and raised one eyebrow. She felt like she could write a dissertation on why the real heroes should were Hufflepuffs, but most of what she believed had already been said on the internet somewhere. âYou do know that Iâm a Hufflepuff, right?â she asked, pretending to be offended. The charade didnât last long though, her smile cracked through. âBut honestly, Hufflepuffs are tougher than they appear at first glance -- you really canât go by the movies.âÂ
She let the subject drop and looked into the bag Kaitlin showed her. âThatâs awesome! Forest deserves some happiness. I mean, I canât guarantee that he and Mari will be happy together but I hope so. The hopeless romantic in me wants them to be in love and live happily ever after.â
meme development: late night
cosmos: what's one thing you wish you could say to someone you are no longer friends with?
galaxies: what are three things you want to do before you die?
waxing: what is your proudest accomplishment?
waning: what is your biggest regret?
full moon: what type of person do you hope to be?
contemplation: if you could wake up one morning and everything in your life was perfect, what would that look like?
night light: who/what makes you feel safe?
ponder: what do you want to do with your life?
sunset: who is someone you thought would be in your life forever, but you no longer talk to?
midnight: are you a different person late at night than in the early morning?
candle light: are you an indecisive person?
reflection: have you ever changed something you liked about yourself to satisfy someone else?
sweet dreams: are you happy?
nightmare: what are you most afraid of?
constellations: who is someone you could talk to for hours and never stop?
reminder: who is someone you will never forget?
11-11: what's something you want, but feel like you will never have?
shooting star: who is someone you trust to help you make the right decisions?
earth: where do you feel most at home?
soothe: what's one thing that always makes you feel better when you're upset?
slumber: what's one thing that helps you fall asleep when it feels impossible?
tylers-youngsâ:
He nodded, giving her outfit a lookover.  "Well, just from first glance, Iâd say you strike me as a very committed individual.â At least to Harry Potter, but he didnât clarify that out loud. He thought of Jason, who had been the closest thing heâd had to a brother. But even though theyâd been close, he would not have been the person Tyler would have gone to with his more nerdy interests - He was like a brother in a lot of ways, including that he was always looking  for something new to tease Tyler about. It had never particularly bothered him, but now it was something he actively hoped for. He held out a hand. "Everybody rambles sometimes,â He said, with a smile. âIâm Tyler.â
Hazel blushed, ducking her head and laughing at herself. âI mean, I wouldnât be opposed to doing it, but itâs a bit late in the day to start that. Probably more enjoyable to split it up over a few nights.â She shook his hand when he offered it. Making an idiot of herself wasnât so bad if it meant she got a new friend out of it and Tyler seemed nice. âPleased to meet you. I was going to make a nice running into you joke, but it felt a bit too on the nose,â she said with a grin.Â

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gortafairfieldâ:
âDepends on your definition of pretty,â Gorta said with a wink. After all, to perceive a voice as beautiful in that context was still by human standards. âI heard more than my fair share of ladies howling, I think the sound can be quite lovely.â Pushing just a little farther, Gorta continued just to see how far she could take it, âI mean, is it even fair to compete with all human forms? It doesnât seem fair when some are better at running than others, they didnât choose that body. By rights, it should be whatever way you run fastest, shouldnât it? Otherwise youâre just celebrating the miracle of your own birth compared to anotherâs.â
Her cheeks turned pink at the innuendo, but not as bright as they could have. âDidnât exactly choose your non-human form, either. Itâs all just a miracle of birth compared to someone elseâs,â she countered. âI can see both sides, but itâs just a rule? Maybe theyâll change it after this, let people sign up to compete in whichever form they choose. But...probably not. Tradition is kind of a big deal around here.â Her voice turned slightly teasing at the end. This wasnât a topic she was passionate about, she didnât mind conceding.Â
nickclasâ:
âIâve seen The Killers live so many times,â Nickel confessed. He could picture in his head the fog spilling off the stage, the bright red lights, the frontman and the back up singers in silhouette. Somewhere in New York City, a party was still going on. He tuned out of the music, which he hadnât noticed himself attuning to. In Hazelâs apartment, there was no blasting audio, just them. âItâs a fun show. One time, saw them at a festival ⌠Iâve seen Fall Out Boy, too, but not as much. Only once. Angst rock. Never really into MCR. Muse, though.â
 He could believe her when she said everyone. He could believe that she meant it. Nickel thought, thatâs her problem. He didnât truly mind making people happyâit wasnât like he went out of his way to be a disappointmentâbut it was either his choice or merely incidental to whatever amused him at the time. He didnât mind letting people down, that was all. It was a hard-earned kind of freedom. Being obliged felt like a trapâlike someone was using you against you. His human dad, especially, made a lot of noise about how much he had sacrificed to give Nick and Benji and their mother the life they lived now, but Nickel looked at him and saw the reality of that sacrifice, how the good senator had taken his family and given it forever to the whims of the court and the fey. Hazel was ensnared by her own sense of responsibility.Â
âThatâs gonna be hard to do,â Nickel said. How long had his eyes been closed? How long had he been gritting his teeth? How had he managed to get so angry? âEveryoneâs a lot of people ⌠Jesus, Iâm fucked upâyâknow, thanks for the mac, it was ⌠better than the casino, actually.â
âMCR isnât my favorite,â she agreed, âbut they were on the spotify playlist so I went with it. Muse would have been better. I saw Fall Out Boy, they were great.âÂ
Hazel thought Nick was going to let her comment about wanting to please everyone slide. He looked exhausted, it was possible he hadnât even heard. Thatâd be alright. It wasnât anything that needed to be discussed. There were a lot of reasons for her people-pleasing ways, some of them better than others, but she had a feeling Nick wouldnât really understand. There was something behind his tone when he did speak, something that made her eyes drop to the counter so she wouldnât have to meet his gaze. Yes, everyone was an awful lot of people, she was well aware.Â
âWell, everyone but Sean,â she teased, hoping to lighten things again. Her face brightened when he praised her macaroni, her mood lifting again with that simple compliment. âYou going to make it back to your place or do you want to crash on the couch? Might be a bit short for you, but youâre welcome to it.âÂ