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   “oh, hey.” hina started, raising her eyebrows as she approached. “are you alright here alone?” she perched on the side, close but not too close, to give the other some difference. “is dancing not your thing? it used to not be my thing and then... well... yeah.” the professor had had a little too much but it didn’t really change her personality, she was just more likely to actually voice her thoughts (more likely than normal). “it;s been a tough time, i get it.”

     “matteo!” hina quickly approached the other, drink seemingly in hand and half full. “how are you enjoying yourself? i’m absolutely loving it, there’s so much to do and it’s a really, really, very much needed change!” the woman, slightly tipsy, was very enthusiastic about the event but she had to be. if she couldn’t even have fun at a party, she had truly lost her younger self. hina was an open person, one that liked to experiment with different environments - or at least she used to before feelings of inadequacy and worry had plagued her at the institute. when it came to being a professor, hina honoured the title as much as she could but she had taken everything far too personally. “are you enjoying herself?” she repeated, unknowingly.

          “this is just the best!” after complaining that she didn’t enjoy much anymore, this would be the perfect night for hina to re-set herself. she couldn’t recall the last time she had gone to a party. still, she would only have so much fun. tensions were still high and the woman had seen first hand how the tone of a day (or night) could turn into something fatal within a few moments. after seeing students and her colleagues trying to recover from the atrocities of june 1st, she wouldn’t let anything take her by surprise again. despite her emotional temperament, hina was a steady individual that could handle crisis in the moment when presented with it.

“it’s been a while since i actually danced. i don’t claim to be a good dancer, not had enough to drink yet, but it’s more about the energy exchange, right?” she bopped her head to the music and took a sip of her drink. “it just feels so good to get out and do something crazy. not that dancing is taking it to extremes but it’s definitely against the norm. are you having a good time?”

Sela’s smile stayed in it’s natural place, while her voice flowed smooth and cool as she echoed the other’s chuckle. With a nod she turned just enough so a gloved hand could lift a glass of champagne that’d already been pre-poured and offer it the kind looking woman. “Well then,” Sela starts with a pleased hitch, her smile turning a smidge smug. “Allow me to provide some context: The Gorgon’s Lair is a gallery that features sculptures from one artist, exclusively.” She gestures to the marble depiction of a terrified Adam, important bits covered by marble foliage seemingly carved with meticulous attention to detail. He’s her get-them-through-the-door attraction that’s been proving to be quite useful. “I am the gallery’s owner, featured artist, and Gorgon herself:” A pause, and Sela turns back with a wide, award-winning smile. “Medusa.”

         expressions aren’t his strong suit by any sense of the word, but humans are easier to read than some. than himself, even. at least as far as people are willing to look. that said, he picks up on the fact that she seems less upset. it’s not often that he can point out a moment where he’s helped someone, least of all with an improvement in their mood, and the idea has him glowing. it gives him something to cling to. something he can look at and consider when times are hard, when people refuse to tolerate his presence. “i’ve always liked water,” he says, bobbing his head in a nod. perhaps an obvious statement, although he doesn’t recognize that himself. “do you not?”

         bobbing his head in a nod, fins offers a noise of agreement. he has always preferred things to be damp rather than dry, but has found that difficult to manage throughout his life—particularly when it comes to the over world. there’s more water up here, but not in the air. people, it seems, prefer to keep that contained to smaller, manageable areas. “sure,” he adds, suppressing the urge to display a smile. “i was going to sit anyways. i don’t usually get to enjoy the rain like this.” not during the middle of the day, at any rate.

“i mean… my dad died. assassinated, to be specific. because, you know, over political stuff.” it’s probably the understatement of the year, and it’s probably even more inappropriate for him to say in that specific way—but what’s anyone gonna do about it? “yeah. keep on keepin’ on. and, well… sometimes people do just suck. plain and simple. but i don’t think that means—” and then it starts raining. river’s quick to pull his hoodie down to shield his wings, “—uh… ms. nakayama? is this you?”

         it’s a little disappointing, hearing that there are people that don’t like rain. understandable, of course—everyone is different!—but fins’ appreciation for water ( particularly rain ) is unmatched. “i prefer it when it’s rainy,” he says, voice soft. he doesn’t know if that’s what hina needs ( or wants ) to hear, but he offers the opinion nonetheless. “maybe some of them would be okay with it, too.”

Adam laughs, he finds her theatrics amusing, “Well, at least you’re being funny right now, Hina. You know what you need, you need to let loose, don’t you enjoy anything these days?”

         the explanation makes little sense to him. annoyed? students? the only thing that he can properly figure out is that he’s right that she’s responsible for the downpour—a good thing, in his mind. he’s missed the rain desperately. ever since his first experience with it, it’s difficult to get enough… a shower at the ring will suffice, but it’s not the same. he doesn’t like feeling closed in. “why would they get annoyed?” he asks, choosing to ask the less embarrassing ( he thinks ) question. the way she says it, everyone would know what students she might mean. feelings are more volatile.

“aw, c’mon, ms. nakayama. if i’m the one who has to tell someone to cheer up, then you’re kind of in dangerous territory,” chuckles river. “i’m fine, really. or, like, as fine as i’ll ever be given that everything kinda sucks. but you gotta keep on keepin’ on, right?”

“aw, c’mon, ms. nakayama. if i’m the one who has to tell someone to cheer up, then you’re kind of in dangerous territory,” chuckles river. “i’m fine, really. or, like, as fine as i’ll ever be given that everything kinda sucks. but you gotta keep on keepin’ on, right?”

“That is true.” The students had more expectations unlike the professors and staff. A lot of pressure and things that needed to be achieve… it was too much really. “Nor do I. They’re still the same people as before, just… with some edge to them.” And trauma.

he quirks a smile at her, “…i was joking, ms. nakayama. am i really that much of a bummer that everybody’s taking me so seriously? i’m not a flight risk or anything—literally,” he says, pointing at his bandaged wing with his lips.

“Oh, my.” Such an amazing and possibly powerful ability and yet this woman couldn’t control it. How embarrassing, she thought, though she gave the woman a look of understanding. “Is there always a cloud above you or just on days where you’re feeling down?”