icarus falls

⌠ LOGAN SHROYER, 23, CIS MALE, HE/HIM ⌡ welcome to  gallagher academy, RICHARD HUDSON! originally hailing from JONESBOROUGH, TENNESSEE, they were exposed to too much during the protest, and the academy is now in charge of their safe care. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of (primped blonde hair, white converse, letterman jacket, a warm and genuine smile). when it’s the (libra)’s birthday on 10/11/1996, on the bad nights they request their FRIED CHICKEN from the school’s chefs. looks like they’re safe in witness protection. ⌿ deanna, 24, she/her, est ⍀

“you know, that is a fair point,” she agreed, nodding her head with a continued smile on her face. her cheeks were starting to hurt, she was smiling so much. god, she missed him! “lou and jo plan to visit. lou’s boyfriend works for the same agency, so i’m hoping to see her often.” she doesn’t admit out loud how nervous she is about moving somewhere she knows no one. 

      HUDSON ONLY REMEMBERS JO FROM LYING TO THEM FOR A WHOLE SEMESTER, and doesn’t know who lou is, but he nods anyway. it’s safe to assume there both people important to her.   “ i’m sure you will. have you been to london before ?   what made you pick it ? ”

– “THANKS,” ALLIE SMILES CHEERFULLY, a bit relieved to have that secured. it’s possible that there’s no one in the world she trusts more than hudson, he’s the most reliable person that she’s ever known, and the feeling of safety she gets when he’s involved…it’s never gone away. she breathes easier. “ oh, um, ” her eyes wander the dance floor, as if they might land on him. they don’t. “ no, i’m not. and making a pact myself not to fall prey to old habits, so…please make sure i leave with you. ” a weak smile on her lips that basically says : don’t let me be weak enough to try and spend the night with him. “ you’re saying that beyonce’s a bigger deal than me, hudson ? ” allie jokes with mock offense. “ true, at least we can brag about this concert. ” 

“At least it’s under better circumstances,” Vida remarks with a light grin. Gallagher had gone on its own hellish journey all over again after the Georgetown kids’ departure, but she hopes their past year has been far better. “Beyonce’s definitely a first,” is a ll she offers with her with a glint in her eye, choosing to give him mystery rather than a proper answer. “Love it. The city, and my job, and my boyfriend, it’s like a whole new world,” Vida tells him earnestly, happily, then her eyes light up again. “Wait, no way! Congratulations, Hudson!” she beams, and notes that the upcoming anonymous scholarship check already in the mail can just as easily be a graduation gift. “Where are you headed?”

‘   girlboss.   ’ eight year old’s are so cool these days, and firmly believes that claire’s is the only store left doing the lord’s work in keeping kids humble. ‘   i really wanted to go, but i wasn’t allowed. so toxic.   ’ as if gallagher’s shortcomings are past fads, old gossip — a small boo-goo gesture accompanying her put on pout. she wants the america part of her world map to look like an unsolved murder case, fettered with a copious amount of red string by the time her summer’s over, she’d glad she can pin tennesee to it. ‘   oh … my — did they like, find the hudson river ? back in the olden days ?   ’

“that seems fitting for you,” she agreed, nodding her head in understanding. whatever he did, rowan believed he would be amazing at it. shrugging her shoulders, rowan smiled almost sheepishly. “the world needs a female bond, don’t you think?” she asked teasingly. “too bad i’m not actually british.” damn her american citizenship! “you’ll have to come visit me,” she tells him. 

      HE’S HEARD THAT BEFORE A LOT, so hudson can only smile and let out a laugh. it’s also not a secret to anyone who knows him that he wants to work with the peace corps one day.   “ isn’t gallagher all about training female bonds ? ”   he raises a brow inquisitively.   “ but fair enough. that’d be nice, i’d love to, ”   he says, honestly. hudson’s not sure he could swing the money for that anytime soon, but it’s nice to know he has another friend in london, after imogen.

as  she  receives  the  kiss  she  can  feel  her  eyes  want  to  water ,  starting  to ,  but  she’s  begging  herself  not  to  cry  right  now  and  will  look  up  at  the  ceiling  for  a  moment  or  two  to  prevent  it .  imogen  laughs  a  little ,  shaking  her  head .  “   no ,  i  think  she’s  sick  of  me  now .  um ,  i  think  so .  i  don’t  know ,  i  like  being  at  home  but …  i  think  it’s  probably  best  for  me  not  to  be .   ”  because  she’ll  never  leave  if  not ,  she’ll  just  become  a  hermit  forever !  “  oh ,  congratulations  !   i  wish  i  could  have  seen  you  in  your  little  cap  and  everything .  ”  she  smiles ,  teasingly ,  but  she  means  it  with  everything  she  knows  —  makes  her  regret  sitting  out  a  year .  eyes  widen  at  his  words ,  smile  growing .  “  hudson !  that  sounds  amazing !  i  can  so  see  you  doing  that  —  i  hope  you  get  to .  ”  she  nods ,  incredibly  eager  for  his  experience  though  she  has  no  doubt  he’d  be  accepted . 

“Hudson!” she grins, already moving to wrap him into a quick hug and peck on the cheek. “They let alum visit every now and then, you know. I could argue the stranger part is you being here,” Vida chuckles. “I’m great, working in London actually. What about you, how’s school going?”

“That simple? Alright, bet, I’ll try it later and email her.” Probably to ask her who did she contact to get Beyoncé because Big Sutt what! That woman’s power… “No,” Harper answered. “There’s no need for us to thank them. They should be thanking us for not exposing them for the bullshit that happened last year and about this being a school for spies.” 

– “OH, THAT REMINDS ME!” like a cartoon lightbulb goes off above her head as she speaks, “ would you give imogen and i a ride back ? pretty sure the bus stops running. ” she flashes him her most endearing smile, hoping that he still can’t say no to her after all of these years. asking hudson to take her back is the safest thing she could do for herself anyway, because he’ll make sure she doesn’t leave with anyone else. “ true, though i do think beyonce has better security detail than i do. ” 

          ‘  it’s  never  too  late  ,   and  there’s  always  uber  .  ’   she’d  spare  a  few  extra  bucks  for  her  boyfriend  to  be  a  little  bit  more  comfortable  here  right  now  .   steph  wraps  her  arms  around  his  waist  ,   connect  their  hands  at  his  side  .    ‘  definitely  .   and  they  …  did  cassie  and  that  amelia  girl  good  with  the  memorial  .   i  know  cassie  would  have  liked  it  .  ’    and  she  chuckles  ,   scrunches  her  nose  up  at  him  .    ‘  i  think  i  might  back  out  on  that  -  though  getting  lost   (  and  naked  )  in  one  of  the  new  gardens  could  be  fun  .  ’   she  lets  go  of  his  hand  to  push  his  hair  away  from  his  face  .    ‘  don’t  worry  ,   i’m  here  to  protect  you  from  the  evil  government  and  their  evil  drugs  -  ’   she  teases   him  .  

“well, congratulations yourself!” she said, smacking him in the arm lightly. she pulled her hand back to push her hair behind her ear. “what’s next for you?” she found that she couldn’t stop smiling up at the other, so, so happy that he was here. she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed him until he was standing right in front of her. “i’m moving to london,” she told him, shrugging her shoulders as if it wasn’t a big deal. “do you remember cora heartfield? i don’t know if you met her while you were here. i’ll be working for her,” she explained.

       CHUCKLING LIGHTLY, hudson smiles down at her.   “ nothing set in stone yet, but i want to look up some volunteering opportunities with the peace corps. maybe go back to school in a year or two. ”   there’s certainly not a lack of options for him, which is both overwhelming and amazing.   “ london, really ? ”   he doesn’t bother to hide the surprise in his voice.   “ wow, congrats. so you’ll be the next bond ? ”   he teases.

She laughed lightly. “Oh yeah, it was all me. I sent Laura this elaborate ass PowerPoint on why she should get Beyoncé to perform at Gallagher. And for her to invite all of us back for it,” Harper said, joking obviously. “Come on, Lil’ Huddy, as if I had the time to do that. Plus, I don’t know the woman’s email.”

“it’s good to see you,” she insisted, emphasizing the last word. her hands dropped, and she placed them on the skirt of her gown. he looked good, and he seemed okay, and that was all that rowan had ever wanted for him. “i’m good,” she said, nodding her head. “graduating tomorrow. moving in a month. it’s all a little crazy, if we’re being honest.” rowan waved her hand, and gestured to him. “but what about you? tell me everything.” 

       “ I HEARD. CONGRATULATIONS, ”   he beams down at her.   “ i graduated a few weeks ago. enjoy it. hopefully your ceremony isn’t nearly as long as ours was. ”   what is a spy graduation even like, anyway ?   hudson almost doesn’t want to know.   “ where are you moving ?   or... can i not ask that ? ”   he hesitates, knowing how strict this spy thing is. it’s still amazing they’re allowed back in the building.   “ i went back to georgetown in the spring. i did a few online classes in the fall, but i’d been home with my parents. ” 

– “WHAT?” ALLIE DOESN’T KNOW VOLUME, so she gasps, drawing eyes from other students. she clasps her hands over her mouth quickly, eyes wide. “ i guess that shouldn’t be a surprise, but…i’ll watch your back if you watch mine, ” she takes the cup from his hands and finishes more than half of it in a singular sip. since when has anything good happened at a gallagher event, anyway ?   they were lucky to get out of here alive, maybe she should be having second thoughts about coming back, but she didn’t want to be left out when all her friends were going. “ the last time i felt this anxious is the last time i was here, so…it is sort of NOSTALGIC. ” she finishes her drink and passes the empty cup back to him with pinker cheeks than before. 

it's  hard  for  her  to  stop  her  own  smile  ,  eyes  creasing  as  she  pulls  him  into  a  tight  embrace  .  she  needs  this ,  and  she'll  hold  the  hug  a  little  longer  than  she  planned  to . “ i've  missed  you . "  imogen  says  quietly  before  pulling  away  ,  her  hands  finding  each  other  to  hold .  "  uh ,  it’s  good …  i've  been  working  with  my  mum  a  little . .  but ,  um ,  i'm  prepping  to  go  back  to  school  next  year  so  i've  been  doing  a  lot  of  catching  up ,  mostly .  "  in  a  lot  of  ways ,  not  just  academic .  "  how  have  you  been  ?  ”