ABOVE / BELOW.

there’s a stillness to the night ---- the sort that might make others uncomfortable, but brings a considerable calm to jasper. he’s at ease as he follows the familiar path to a thicket at campus edge. the area’s not off limits by any means, but it isn’t the kind of place he’d expect anyone to be in the middle of the night either. that said, sunhee has a way of subverting all his expectations, so he’s not too surprised that it’s her he’s coming to fish out.

sunhee: [ there's a rustling of leaves on her end as she wraps her arm around the tree's trunk, and shuffling as she puts her phone up to her ear with the free arm. ] goooot it! okay! i am all upright. kind of. sort of? — ah, i made so many mistakes, jasie... how are you going to get me down? also, why are you awake? not that i am complaining. i am super, super grateful for that, actually.

celeste: hiii i miss you

celeste: when can we have dinner again?

celeste: i saw a recipe on tiktok i want to try

celeste: and i can't even send it to you because you don't have a smartphone!

jasper: Hii, Cel - I miss you too.

jasper: Are you free tonight or tomorrow night? I won't be working.

jasper: Oh? What is it? We can definitely try it.

sunhee: LEVEL?? HUH?? LIKE FLAT?? •﹏• should i plank... jasie i'm so scared what if i fall and DIE

sunhee: yes please 🥺 i miss your voice!!!!

jasper: Let me call now and explain, one second.

sunhee: HAHA! IT'S ME! I TRICKED YOU

sunhee: ... （；へ：）yes, is me. please hurry it is SO DARK!!! i am 100 feet from the beehive!!!

jasper: Tricked me?

jasper: Okay, I'll be there in just a bit. Stay still and level if you can.

meme !

jasper’s ask !

sunhee: JASPER!!! ( ⷪ ྊ ⷪ ) I REQUIRE ASSISTANCE

sunhee: YOU CAN REACH FOR THINGS IN HIGH PLACES?

sunhee: LIKE... SILLY GIRLS IN TREES??? MAYBE? HELP Ó╭╮Ò

jasper: Hey, how can I help?

jasper: Are you stuck in a tree, Sunhee?

jasper: If so, just let me know where to find you. I can get you down.

        HER ATTACHMENT TO JASPER was one that was a bit dangerous, something in her was deeply rooted in his presence and the instantly relief it brought that it was him here and not someone else, but at the same time it made her nervous to have him see her upset once more. shiloh liked jasper, maybe a bit too much, and the last thing she wanted was to look pathetic in front of him once more. so she let’s out a small breath before turning around to face him, collecting herself to the best of her ability as she hears what he brought her…or better yet, see’s it. a container with the top clear enough for her to see the cupcakes inside, making a gentle smile tug at her brims, “jas, you didn’t have to do that…” the blonde assured him, nibbling on the inside of her cheek, knowing he was only doing this to lift her spirits. for all that he knew, she was upset due to her losing her job at the theater, which in fairness…was sort of coming her way, but she couldn’t help it if the darkness in the theater offered perfect napping opportunities. nevertheless, jasper had no clue of the sorrows that were brought today, and she nodded slowly as her babydoll eyes finally ventured to find his if only for a moment, “but, thank you, you know i love cupcakes…it’s very sweet of you to think of me.” shiloh finally said, that same broken softness still lingering in her tone as she nervously shifted her weight between her sneaker clad feet.

jasper

by now, it’s common knowledge within the house that jazmine is regularly unexcited about housing duties. she can hardly cook, dislikes shopping, and hates cleaning up after others. she’s tempted to turn around and go back to where she had come from, but she knows that would only increase the chances of her getting paired with someone worse next time. although she’d rather not do these errands at all, jasper wasn’t the worst option by far, despite his tendency to be overly eager to participate in these activities. she nods at him in greeting as she passes him and heads straight to the door. “ yeah. let’s get this over with. ”

if it were anyone else, jasper might probe a bit into the lack of excitement. but, in what little about jazmine he readily knows, her dislike for this sort of thing has always been obvious. so, instead of feeling concerned by her less than enthusiastic greeting, he’s content, appreciative even, that she’s still willing to join him and falls in step behind her.

He stares at Jasper for a few seconds, his brain trying to decipher what in the world is a cobbler but thankfully Jasper explains it before he has to pretend he knows what he’s talking about because god forbids he asks. “Bottomless pie, sounds intriguing.” As long as it tastes good, Iker doesn’t mind whether it has a bottom or not. He does as he’s asked and goes to the sink to wash his hands, still in awe that he’s actually going to bake.

“Oh come on,” he starts, smiling at Jasper as he starts playing with a utensil. He’s a man on a mission and that mission is to find out what’s the deal with this kid and why Celeste likes him. “I mean for a son of Hecate, you are good looking.” He doesn’t mean that as an insult even if it comes that way, he knows it’s not his fault. “So, there’s not anyone you like?”

when everything is ready, jasper motions iker back towards the table. the utensil iker has in hand is similar to what they’ll need to start, but not quite perfect; so jasper opts to start the lesson there. “here,” he instructs, though his tone is incredibly casual, “we’re gonna start with some measuring -- got a cup and some spoons for you.” once they’re in iker’s hand, jasper turns back to the ingredients, pulling the ones they’ll start with forward.

it’s hard not to love sundays. there’s an inherently easy energy to them; a natural pace one can savor and lean into. growing up, the last day of the week was sacred for him, one of the only days his grandmother would have no ceremonies so the family could rest. and as he’s grown older, jasper’s tried to bring that habit into adulthood. not necessarily by resting all day, but certainly by doing things and being with people that help him find that comfortable frequency.  

it’s what’s brought him to axel’s side today, or rather what’s implored him to bring axel to his. his room is the messiest it’s been in a while, but not without reason. he’s inspired these days, fingers always seeming to itch for wood beneath them, and it’s led to a few projects going at once. at the moment, his focus is a panel of six runes, broad body hunched over it in earnest.