𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 .

          hi  friends  !   i’m  sam,   i’m  27,   i  use  she/her  pronouns  and  currently  Exist™  in  est  !   i’m  so  so  so  excited  to  be  here  and  to  introduce  y’all  to  big  sexy  aka  super - nerd  himself  mister  jace  sullivan.   read  on  for  the  basics,   or  if  you’re  feelin’  really  spicey,   follow  the  source  link  to  a  google  doc  with  his  full  bio !   last  but  not  least,  please  like  this  or  give  me  a  shout  if  you’d  like  to  plot  !

disc.ord:  no thoughts head empty#3655

arah: that sounds fun, next informal ?

arah: you're not a villain to me

arah: i just meant

arah: because i'm palpatine ?

arah: you're not a villain, who said that to you ?

jace: we can drive into london, broaden the scope.

jace: i appreciate that, but you didn't see what an ass i made of myself in the prodigy chat tonight.

jace: are you kidding?

jace: you're not palpatine. for starters, your face doesn't look like a piece of wadded up chewing gum.

jace: no one. just kevin. i don't think he meant it in a bad way, it just . . . got me thinking.

arah: ew no ?????

arah: noah gives off short man energy

arah: and i only have sexual relations with men over six feet

arah: jason

arah: you are a good vader

jace: good. because you can do better.

jace: like, could throw a stone and hit a random pedestrian better.

jace: which was not a recommendation, by the way.

jace: why does everyone keep comparing me to villains?

jace: just because i don't let my heart use me as a leash doesn't mean i don't feel things.

arah: i would like my muffin buttered, jason.

arah: mcdonalds ?

arah: did you see cricket's tuxedo ?

jace: oh. okay, i understand.

jace: is that why you asked noah to be your date?

jace: you don't have to answer that.

alejandra: hi . it's alejandra. i know you might not want to talk , and that's okay.

alejandra: noah is a complete drunken asshat.

alejandra: and whilst i don't understand exactly why you're so upset , i don't need to , because your emotions are valid and you deserve to feel them .

alejandra: please let me know if there is any way or anything i can do to help .

jace: everything's fine.

jace is typing . . .

jace:

jace: thanks for asking.

arah: i want to have mac and cheese

jace: i don't know what to say to that.

jace: are you okay?

jace: i don't everything that happened tonight but i think i'm connecting the dots.

jace: i'm back on campus now but if you need a ride home, i can uber over. my car's there anyway.

VANESSA: obligatory check-in text

VANESSA: i understand you need space, but you could have muted the chat

VANESSA after a few seconds of the typing bubble: but you are coming back right?

jace: obligatory check-in response.

jace: jesus, vanessa - i left a group chat, i didn't commit mass murder. i'll be back once i cool off.

𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐫 / 𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚.

          THE NIGHT WAS just getting started, and rose was elated to be sharing the evening with hollis. being together, even if it wasn’t official yet, felt so easy. she was on cloud nine simply from exchanging simple glances with the garnet, or feeling his hand on the small of her back as he helped guide her through a crowd. it was exciting and easy and fun, and rose was happy. however, it was hard to miss chloe and jace, who looked like royalty among a sea of strathmore students. she hadn’t known much about the relationship between the two prodigies, but she was fond of them both, and as she approached jace when he had a moment alone, she could tell his goofy joyful grin matched her own. “ someone looks awfully comfortable holding hands with miss davies, ” rose teased with a hand on his shoulder, an easy smile on her lips. “ are you going to give me details or am i going to have to whip out the old photos of you ? ” ( @onyxinc​ )

          with  the  exception  of  a  sad  pr  stunt  that  was  over  long  before  it  began  and  a  half - dozen  appearances  with  a  strictly  platonic  evelyn  at  his  side,   jace  had  never  shown  up  to  any  sort  of  function  with  a  date   —   much  less  someone  he  intended  to  leave  with  at  the  end  of  the  night.   it  was  an  evening  of  firsts  all  around,   from  the  tailored  suit  on  his  back  to  the  theme  of  the  event  itself.   masquerade.   he  could  imagine  it  was  a  novel  idea  to  those  who  didn’t  shuffle  through  a  series  of  personas  just  to  make  it  through  the  day,   but  for  jace   .  .  .   well,   he’d  never  been  one  for  parties.   after  two  laps  of  the  ballroom,   he  excused  himself  to  find  drinks  just  as  pippa  sidled  up.   yes,   chloe  looked  stunning  in  her  frost - colored  gown,   but  did  she  have  to  be  so  loud  about  it ?   as  he  leans  against  the  bar  waiting  on  his  order,   a  wistful  smile  plays  upon  his  lips.   she  did  look  beautiful,   didn’t  she ?   and  she  was  all  his.

          a  hand  grazes  his  shoulder  and  he  flinches  like  a  kid  with  his  hand  in  the  cookie  jar.   rose   —   thank  god.   of  all  the  people  to  potentially  catch  him  in  a  moment  of  giddiness,   he  was  glad  it  was  her.   “   save  the  blackmail  material  for  another  time.   i’ll  tell  you  anything  you  want  to  know.   ”    jace  values  his  privacy  almost  as  much  as  his  iphone,   but  a  grim  reminder  of  the  last  time  they  spoke  claws  at  the  nape  of  his  neck.   if  he  could  swap  that  image  of  him   (   battered  and  broken,   hanging  on  by  a  thread   )   for  that  of  his  best  self,   the  self  he  was  with  chloe;   he  certainly  wasn’t  going  to  pass  up  the  chance.   “   it  looks  good  on  you,   by  the  way   —   happy.   i’m  no  detective,   but  it’s  written  all  over  your  face.   ”

𝒸𝓁𝑜𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒻𝑜𝓇 @onyxinc​

the annual masquerade brings with it the start of the festive season. and he’s been spending the first part of the evening getting into the christmas spirit. or, as it’s also known, candy cane flavoured gin.  “i really don’t understand why they only market babybel to kids. just because i’m an ‘adult’ now doesn’t mean i suddenly want to… stuff my face with an entire cheese wheel.” he looks forlornly at the cubed piece of cheese in his hand, as if it’s lacking the signature red shell that coats it.“and they’re so bloody cute. it’s like… they wear these little red tuxedos and honestly… if i’m being really honest… it feels a little… risqué when you strip them off.” he shifts his elbow on the small table he’s been propped against, only stopping in his movement to look at the large tower of champagne behind him — as if noticing it for the first time. “sorry…” for what it’s worth, he looks incredibly apologetic for the tangent he’s gone on … despite the fact it’s obscured behind his mask.  “were you looking to get at the champagne?” 

          with  a  scholar’s  eye,   he  finds  himself  sizing  up  the  champagne  tower  with  morbid  interest.   perhaps  it’s  his  own  natural  skepticism  to  blame,   but  he’s  astounded  by  the  level  of  faith  put  in  the  hands  of  his  peers,   most  of  whom  had  likely  been  pre - gaming  since  noon.   surely  a  calligraphed  note  urging  partygoers  to  take  from  the  top  would’ve  been  worth  the  aesthetic  sacrifice,   but  whoever  assembled  the  admittedly  impressive  dreamscape  must  have  ranked  fashion  over  function.   jace  could  only  hope  he’d  be  far  from  the  splash  zone  when  the  tower  inevitably  met  its  jenga - esque  demise.   a  stranger’s  voice  draws  him  from  his  trance  and  his  features  warm,   but  the  shame  dissipates  when  he  realizes  it’s  not  a  stranger  at  all.   the  inky  teal  stitching  of  his  jacket,   the  wisps  of  sandy  hair  peeking  out  from  beneath  an  ornate  mask   —   and,   of  course,   the  painfully  polite  way  in  which  eliot  rivera  offers  his  apologies.   “   don’t  be   —   i  feel  the  same  way  about  string  cheese.   there’s  something  kind  of  vulgar  about  peeling  it  apart.   like  i  should  be  offering  to  buy  it  dinner  first.   ”   as  if  on  cue,   his  stomach  gives  an  unceremonious  growl  and  he  makes  quick  work  of  silencing  it  with  a  speared  hunk  of  gouda.   “   not  that  i’m  complaining,   but  shouldn’t  you  be  saving  the  dairy - related  anecdotes  for  your  date ?   or  am  i  just  the  guinea  pig ?   ”

richie: hey!

richie: i have a question

richie: is there a reason we cant print more money willy nilly??

richie: or do we just not want to?? as a society??

richie: bc i feel like

richie: money isnt real?? right

richie: so i should be able to make it at the library with my little printer funds card?

jace: oh, hey richie.

jace: are you having fun tonight?

jace: huh.

jace: that's a good question.

jace:

jace: i could put you in touch with my econ prof, if you like. i'm sure he'd have a legit answer for you.

                        𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑺 𝑾𝑬𝑬𝑲 𝑰𝑵 𝑭𝑨𝑺𝑯𝑰𝑶𝑵   .  .  . 

               𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐁𝐔𝐓!

noah: passive and inconsistent doesn't equate to carelessness – what you may view as passivity and inconsistency i've always viewed as survival.

noah: i think we both know that arah is more than capable of handling anything that comes across her life. if i'm negative energy, she'll do exactly what she needs to do with me.

noah: i'm not looking for an apology and i don't expect one.

jace: i said it's hard to imagine you caring, not that you don't care. i've read enough thinkpieces to recognize a defense mechanism when i see it.

jace: but i digress - i don't care about your coping strategies. i simply ask that whatever inner turmoil you're going through, to leave arah out of it.

jace: not to mention i was under the impression you were interested in josie, so why you'd choose to attend the ball with someone else is beyond me.

chloe: it's okay. you don't need to apologize. i [ she takes pause, getting irritated herself ] i definitely get it. i don't trust noah either and the sort of access he's had to the opals from the start of all this, what with his access to the manor pool whenever he wants ... it just makes me wonder about him.

chloe: of course, you prat. you'll look very pretty on my arm, how could i say no?

jace: i am . . . relieved you feel that way. [ a weight's been lifted off his chest - you can hear it in his voice ] yeah, i've always had my doubts about him, but lately he's become more and more unpredictable. i don't abide people who can say one thing and do the other.