* / 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 shipwreck 𝐎𝐅 life .

“i…honestly have no idea what you’re talking about,” cassie admits, brows furrowed and head cocked to the side as she stares at the other. it’s not the first time she’s been confused by something seemingly mundane and it likely won’t be the last, but at least she’s mostly gotten over the feeling of embarrassment that comes from asking questions.

❝    were     you     even     listening     to     me?     ❞     he     rolled     his     eyes     and     shook     his     head     slightly     although     the     tiniest     smirk     was     present     on     his     lips.      ❝    i     didn’t     see     you     at     the     party,     or     were     you     just     hiding     from     me?     ❞

“ that would be a good conclusion, i think. ” lucy answered anyway, nodding. her head tilted to the side, pretending to consider what the higher ups would actually think if they took to the vents to escape a party. she glanced at him curiously. though he seemed amused by her quip, he seemed so… serious. that usually hell to her. still, lucy smiled at him. “ well, i’d give a pretty large guess that while we’d get points for creativity, they’d be pretty pissed we’d be crawling around in their air vents.”

❝     i    mean,     that’s    only    if    we    get    caught.    ❞    his    expression    didn’t    have    a    hint    of    cheeriness    although    his    tone    did    suggest    some    sort    of        light    playfulness.    he    wasn’t    the    biggest    class    clown    around    but    he    did    understand    humor,    he    just    had    poor    execution    skills    in    that    department.     ❝    i    got    stopped    by    agent    wasp    for    trying    to    go    smoke    a    cigarette    so    i    think    we’re    on    high    lock    down.     ❞

——— at this, michaela just shrugs. “ well, between the rest of the party activities ‘eating’ seems to be the most popular, barely beating ‘trying to study instead.’ turns out, i picked bad odds. ” it’s all followed by a sigh that she attempts to keep quiet. how the academy ever thought this would be a good idea, she’d never know. “ you know, this is about socializing. ”

❝     i     don’t     know     if     you’ve     noticed     this,     agent     wasp,     but     i     don’t     usually     tend     to     fall     into     the     same     category     as     everyone     else.     ❞     he     remarked     somewhat     cockily,     the     corner     of     his     lips     twitched     up     in     a     tiny     smirk.      ❝     it’s     mandatory     to     be     here     but     it     isn’t     mandatory     to     talk     to     anyone.     ❞

she returned his smile, shaking her head as she turned towards him. “ i’m not too fond of mandatory social events either. ” really, she wasn’t fond of huge social events in general, but that was moderately irrelevant. at least he looked mildly friendly - he didn’t look like he was ready to punch her or anyone else out like some caged animal. “ it’s just a few hours, at least, i hope it’s only a few hours. otherwise i’d be desperate enough to escape through the ventilation system.”

❝    does    anybody     ever    enjoy     anything    when    it’s    forced?    ❞    he asked    rhetorically    knowing     full    well    that     he    wasn’t    the    only     one    who    felt    that    way.     internally,    he    chuckled    at    her     interest     in     climbing     through     the    vents     like     a    true    spy     although     his    face     remained     serious.      ❝    you     think     they’d    reprimand    us     for     that,    or     praise     us    for    our    stealth?    ❞

“I have glitter in my pocket,” Naomi announced, pulling the pot from her overly tight jeans with only a small delay. “Want some? Everything looks better when you’re sparkling. It’ll really put you in the party mood, you know?” she paused, waiting expectantly for their response. 

he     eyed    the    container    of    glitter    skeptically    and    inched    away     from    her    ever    so    slightly.    ❝    i    swear    to    god,    i    will    not    hesitate    to    punch    you    if    you    put    any    of    that    shit    on    me.    ❞    he    said    completely    deadpan.

——— “ going somewhere? ” she tips her head to the side, smile genuine if not a touch apologetic as she rounds up behind them in her heels. she can’t exactly tell what their intention is, but she wants people to have fun in some way, even if it wasn’t her party. “ i know there’s nothing more exciting than a mandatory social but it is mandatory. i don’t wanna have to drag you back in. ” she then shrugs, steps slightly ahead and gestures back to the main room. “ plus, don’t think the academy will spring for better food for us any time soon, i’m just saying. ”

mason     had     stood     around     in     the     mess     hall     for     as     long     as     he     could     handle     and     desperately     needed     a     cigarette.     he     was     just     about     to     make     it     to     the     door     when     he     was     stopped     by     michaela.     ❝     where     else     am     i     going     to     smoke?     indoors?      i     don’t     give     a     shit     about     the     food.     ❞

forced and mandatory social interaction that she couldn’t get out of?  this was literally her worst nightmare. lucy was awkward enough on her own, and especially since she was one of the cadets from the north american group that this was all for it made her want to curl into a hole and never come out. but this… well, her only comfort was that at least she looked nice. or thought she looked nice. her red hair was swept into a braid and she bothered to change out of her training clothes into real nicer jeans and top. still, she stationed herself near the corner of the room, hands clasped tightly around a cup of punch as she tried to look friendly… approachable even. it wasn’t working, or so she saw when she made awkward eye contact with some. her stomach churned and she tried to smile sheepishly at them. “hey. you look just thrilled to be here.” lucy said.

he     was     dressed     in     a     pair     of     dark     slacks     with     a     navy     blue     t-shirt     and     his     black     bomber     jacket,     that     was     the     most     dressed     up     mason     would     ever     get     in     his     entire     life.     he     got     himself     a     glass     of     punch     and     sipped     it     graciously     before     moving     to     stand     against     the     wall,     lucy     being     only     a     couple     of     feet     away.     he     was     able     to     hear     her     over     the     music     and     gave     her     a     tight     lipped     smile     in     response.     ❝    yeah,     well     ‘     mandatory     ’     isn’t     exactly     my     thing.    ❞