*

❝ i’ve jumped from higher places. ❞ (( @napboule​ ))

reina forgot about the nervewracking view downwards for a second as she chuckled at min-ji’s comment. “oh god, i don’t know whether that’s supposed to be reassuring.” holding on to the railing of the balcony behind her, she looked down once more only to rip her gaze from the ground again instantly. “shit, i really have to stop looking down or i’m never going to make this jump.” it really did seem like they were higher up with every look she dared downwards. one hand letting go of the railing, she held it out for the other girl to grab a hold of. “okay, i guess it’s time, together?” it definitely was time, judging from the noises coming from the hotel room behind them. the one reina might have just stolen a very nice watch and some other souvenirs from. “now or never, min.” 

-

“ is it not reassuring? i feel like it is. ” min-ji had practiced various forms of parkour enough times before to conclude that her levitation powers only somewhat worked a minority of the time. her mouth is getting a bit dry, gauging the distance between them and the ground, despite absent-mindedly nodding to reina’s sentiment about not looking down. “ together, ” she agrees, grabbing reina’s hand and giving it a squeeze. she takes a deep breath, hardly believing what they’re about to do but somehow feeling invincible. “ one, two . . . ” on three, she jumps, willing with all her might to get them to levitate a little, just enough to lessen the impact. she isn’t sure how much it works once they hit the ground, but she does know that she’ll definitely have some markings tomorrow as souvenir. with too much adrenaline coursing through her to really feel most of her pain at the moment, she immediately looks over to reina to see how she’s faring. 

“so you’ll do my bidding?” @napboule​

“UH…” HE DOESN’T EVEN KNOW what to answer. As their eyes meet, Damián dares a glance back at the door behind them– SURELY debating whether to walk right back. “No?” It’s more of a question than a defined statement, Araceli quite possibly being one of the only souls capable of making him feel… smaller, doubtful. 

-

“ that’s cute, dami. i was only asking to be polite. ” she had already decided the next person to walk through the door would perform this task for her, and though she would have preferred a more . . . obedient sibling, damián also worked, she supposed. she hands him four sealed envelopes, each with a name written on it in red cursive. “ i need you to hand-deliver those to each person for me within 48 hours. you don’t have to smile, but try not to look constipated when you do. ” 

@napboule​ inquired  ‘ i don’t know how to describe it … like , a different zone of time . no , that sounds stupid . a different clock land . ’ // min-ji & indiana

brown hues narrow at her sister in utter confusion, head tilting to the side before she opens her mouth with a poor attempt to respond. ❝ that is … ❞ a purse of her lips as she figures out how to wrap her head around min-ji’s words. ❝ are you talking about timezones ? ❞ that had to be it, or so she assumed, her own mind blanking at the thought of anything else that could possibly fit her description. ❝ also, wait, why are bringing up time ― i mean different clock lands ? are you thinking of travelling or something ? ❞

“ oh , thanks gods ! ” she smiles in relief , eyes scanning the underwhelming room as they didn’t seem to be the only ones who held the same sentiment. whoever had branded this a party clearly needed to take more than a couple of notes on what a party actually was. nose wrinkles in disgust at araceli’s mention of the song, a small grown leaving her lips. “if they play hotline bling one more time, i promise you, i’m turning their speakers into ice.” a smile rises on her lips though there’s nothing but destruction behind her eyes. “honestly? i have no idea but literally anything beats being stuck in here.”

-

           “RIGHT, RIGHT, because i’m really struggling in the financial department.” his voice dripped with sarcasm as he glanced up at where she was across the room, slipping his socks on while sitting on the edge of her bed. they had a rather long night out the night before, logging in maybe six hours in his end, he didn’t even know how much sleep she had gotten, “gods, save the motivational speech please…” he said while watching her get closer, fingers brushing through his messy black locks in a way that was comforting if only he didn’t catch that devilish gleam in her eyes, “i think i’ve proved at this point that i’m very capable.” dax commented back with a cock of his brow, head falling to the side with his own smirk, slipping his glasses on so he could collect the rest of his clothes.

-

“ you said it; no shame in it. ” although the majority of her words toward him tend to be digs, dax is one of her only friends, and there's a sort of fondness in her insults. the longer she stays on her feet, speaking, the less she feels like going back to bed. she's used to not getting much sleep most days due to football, classes, and whatnot, but it was annoying all the same — especially when self-imposed. “ oh? i thought you were begging for my words to be on a card a little bit ago. ” she removes her hands then, nearing the door to her room as he gathers the rest of his things. “ you’re alright, ” she concedes. “ don’t get too ahead of yourself. ”

she rolls her eyes at his remark, muttering out a soft ‘ ha ha ’ and the look on her face shows anything but amusement. ❝ who has a photoshoot at a party anyway ? but what kind of food are you making ? ❞ her question comes with the tilt of her head, though it’s surely piqued her interest. juniper hadn’t shown up to many parties with the eonia student body, primarily due to her willingness to avoid all thing demigod as often as possible. ❝ careful there, a promise like that could end up with barbecued javi on the menu. ❞

araceli promised him that they would leave after an hour, but gabriel isn’t so sure he believes it. rather reluctantly, he takes the drink she pours him, sighing as he knocks some of it back. “i’m plenty open-minded. just last week i considered going out after class.” he doesn’t look at his sister as he fiddles with the woven bracelets around his wrist, his usual technique of avoiding a topic he didn’t want to discuss. without saying a word, he takes another sip of his drink, pretending like araceli hadn’t said anything else.

-

“ the keyword there is considered. you either do, or you don’t, ” she shrugs, her gaze shifting away from him as she works on her own drink. she frowns at the lack of eye contact when she looks back at him. she sighs softly when she follows his line of sight, realizing that her approach may have been too aggressive. “ i mean, it’s fine — like, whatever. the past is in the past, and people need to mind their own business, anyway. ” she wants to outright ask what the issue is, but she’d already done a lot of pushing just getting him to the party. “ think we’ll run into many of your friends tonight? i’ll be nice. ”

head tilts upward as hazel gaze meets his , there’s a mischievous smile that curves on pink stained lips. she pretends to ponder the question for a moment before giving a light shrug. “half the campus?” she suggests, laughing as she recalls the memory of the fake engagement. she’d been one of the culprits of posting that onto her own stories. the mess of that night easily going down as one of her favorite parties. “things getting out of hand isn’t my fault ― just an occupational hazard,” she says innocently. fingers trail playfully along his chest as she shakes her head. “maybe,” she smirks, “but what are politics without a good scandal? i’m just trying to set you up on the right track for when you start your term.”

claustrophobia was beginning to EAT AWAY inside of her, the walls were seemingly grower closer and there was a high-pitched ringing of WHITE NOISE echoing in her ears. both hands raise to cover her ears, the sound becoming deafening as she stood still, and alone, in this room. despite what was happening, she could just about hear him and nods in response silently. a GENTLE grip against his shirt, following close behind but her eyes remain fixed on the floor. NEVER did she think she’d follow him anywhere but she was desperate to get out. as the two step outside, her hand drops from the middle of his back and she strolls into the centre of the balcony, the wind returning her to her senses. inhaling deeply, she nods. “perfect, thank you.” unsure how to approach a conversation, she fell silent. 

                  “YOU’RE NOT BEIN’ STUPID, knock it off…” he assured her, a bit of pain pinging in him chest even hearing her talk about herself like that, and he keeps a gentle hold on her hands as his gaze flickers over her face. one minute they were having a great time, and then she disappeared, he wasn’t sure what had changed but it didn’t matter. she was his best friend, and there was no where else he would rather be right now. “ray, i’m not goin’ anywhere. you’re sort of stuck with me, remember?” teddy joked, but his tone remained soft, a reminder of their promise from way back when. “if you’re leavin’, so am i, so let’s ditch this party. it was kind of lame anyways, we can go to the diner and get a milkshake or somethin’…” he explained, standing up straight and pulling her up with him, hands on her shoulders as he looked her in the eye, “i don’t know what happened, you don’t have to tell me but, there isn’t anyone in that party that is near as amazing as you. so if the coolest person i know is leaving the party, so am i.”

-

a part of her still feels ridiculous despite his kind words, but she keeps it to herself this time as she tentatively nods in response. she usually tries not to let stuff like this bother her too much, knowing she couldn’t completely change the way she was, but every so often, the number of embarrassing interactions contributed to a build-up of frustration. “ you got the short end of the stick on that one. ” it’s meant to be a joke, but the truth behind the statement makes it come out less lighthearted than intended. “ just kidding, ” she amends after an odd beat, knowing it wasn’t the wisest joke to try to make considering the conversation they were currently having. “ you don’t have to, ” she gets ready to protest, not wanting to intrude on the fun, but she softens once she looks up again and sees the sincerity in his eyes. it helps alleviate the nagging voice in her head that’s telling her how pitiful she’s acting, and it manages a small smile. “ but thank you. ” starting to feel uncomfortable with the direct attention and wanting to lighten the mood, she breaks eye contact in favor of searching for the exit. “ i think a milkshake and fries will be a lot better than whatever they have going on in that communal bowl. it’s almost frightening. ”

                ROLLING HIS EYES, he sat up now, blanket pooling in his lap as he rolled his head side to side to stretch out a bit. dax was far more a fan of being in her room than his own, his sisters rarely even got a glimpse into his personal space, “ha, very funny, i swear you should take up a career in comedy.” the boy muttered once more, breathing out a sigh of relief that it was ten, although it was clear she had been up for a while. rubbing the back of his neck, he leaned over to grab his clothes and slip on what he needed to so he could get on his feet, “i don’t know how you have the energy to go to the gym but, fine i can manage a gym session…maybe jogging on a treadmill will wake me up.” 

✰

“ sure. one of us has to make some money here, so i’m glad my charming personality’s got it covered. ” she has to resist the urge to climb back into the bed, almost angry that she's getting up for the day, despite it being mostly by choice. “ i don’t want to be up right up now, but it’s now or never and all that bullshit. ” she reaches over to comb her fingers through his hair, pushing it back and out of his face. it could be mistaken for a more intimate moment as she pauses, if not for the smug look making its way onto her features as she delivers her next few words. “ it’s cool if you can’t do it. i’ll only judge a little. ”

@napboule​ asked… “ come on. you deserve a night off. forget about everything, just for tonight… ”  javier/nell

time had flown by since she picked up her textbook almost FIVE HOURS AGO, a collection of scrumpled notes dotted around her and a stack of books which reached above her head only seemed to GROW. his voice was the last one she wanted to hear, and expected to… “i have a test in three days, javier.” she mentioned, a somewhat stressed expression displayed as a frantic hand ran through her lengthening brown locks. usually, she’d ignore him but she could still feel his intense gaze on her and it was beginning to make her SWEAT. “can i help you?” she asked, finally lifting her head then CRACKING her neck to relieve the built-up tension. 

♠

“ great. another reason to say you need a break, ” he emphasizes, unreservedly observing her. she seems more tense than usual, and the state of her work area seems like a recess is long overdue. while he could relate to the frantic stress of studying for an upcoming exam, he couldn’t in good conscience leave her to ( most likely ) do this for the rest of the night when she still had a couple more days to go. “ won’t be as satisfying to whoop you if you burn yourself out before your next test, ” he responds, a hint of mischief in his tone as he tries to appeal to her competitive nature. “ c’mon — when was the last time you ate something? ”