when: flashback
where: outside the tridium temples
who: @lucariche
It was all coming together — names, faces, and most of all, prices. Those that might bend their ear to beguilement from the shadows, and those that lingered too comfortably in the sun, afraid to gaze upon its temptation, afraid they might not return from its depths. He never much feared redemption slipping through his own fingers, or of stooping too deeply that he might forget the warm touch of dawn all together; where life blossomed beneath its caress, Jasper wilted, after all. It’ll only be a matter of time, he resolves, everyone has a God they will bow to — even those of the prestigious Round Table.
His steps echo against the walls of the temple; a declaration, an oath. Every inch of it would be in the palm of his wanting hand very soon — no inch unclaimed, no knee unbent. It would lose this sense of wonderment that captures him now, that still strangely pulls his gaze to the hollow of its ceilings, and the stretch of its grand marble. It would simply be as most things conquered became. Yet its beauty is evident, even more so in its absence, which ebbs when pierced by the sharp call of a ghost — a familiar one, shadowed by an even more familiar contempt.
His lips twitch.
He considers resisting, he considers running, but in the end it is incredulity that moves him. It is sheer skepticism that forces him to once again face Luca, and that white ivory of a smile that has haunted him long before he ever glanced upon its mockery.
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She was only six years old, but already she had stolen from three people successfully. That was something to be proud of, in Paola’s opinion. There had been a handful of failures along the way, but it was to be expected. Rome wasn’t built in a day, she told herself as she ran down a crowded road. It was a trick she wanted to try out: pretend to be any ordinary little girl playing with her friends, scouting for a target. Then she would return as a quiet, invisible spirit on the streets. No one would notice their bracelets and watches had slipped off their wrist until Paola was long gone.
It was still scary to go after adults, so Paola focused her attention on children; they were more distracted than most. Usually, their families were impossibly wealthy. Usually, they were impossibly naive, and even gullible when they caught Paola with a toy in her hand.
Paola liked to think she knew how to find the most gullible child; but more often than not, Paola ended up choosing the one who looked like the most fun. Like someone she might want to play with, or invite on her little lonesome adventures. Today, she chose one with bright eyes and a stretched-out grin on his lips.
With a wicked smile, Paola began casually walking by. She slipped her hand into his pocket and —
“Ow, hey!” Her wrist was caught in his hand, and she struggled to pull away. No one had acted out like this before. “Let me go, let me go!”
TAGGING → Jonah Ford, Katherine Rose, Gabe Duquesne, Nico Denecour, Nathaniel Winger, and mentions of Melanie Cruz.
TIME FRAME → June 2009; Graduation Day.
LOCATION → Staten Island, New York; James B. Conant High School.
GENERAL NOTES → [FLASHBACK] One time, Jonah Ford smiled at the sky and the sky smiled back.
As they continued their hurried steps down the steep sidewalk, Nico stresses the last word angrily into his phone before he slams it shut and stuffing it into his pocket, giving an almost apologic shrug to Jonah as the other man stared at him with confusion.
The sun was beating down immensely as the two young men jogged off the sidewalk and onto a patch of dirt supposedly for the baseball teams. Jonah could almost see it in the distance, staring at the bright red atmosphere circulating around the school bleachers, students, and teachers. It's Graduation Day, Jonah figured, but it also feels like a little something called freedom. With a certain ache in his chest, all he wants to do, now, is run away from this extremely foreign feeling.
But, that is, without saying his farewells to a certain band of students he likes to call his friends, ironically. His best friends. Weird.
"I'm pretty sure any meetings that require a delinquent and their parol officer is mandatory, Denecour," Jonah pointed out a bit too breathlessly, before quickening his steps to match Nico's. He never quite understood how he was much slower than Nico. It was probably from running away from all those police officers, that's how. Jonah snickered.
"Shut up, Ford. We're late to check in. How the fuck are we late to a check in?"
"We're only late because someone wanted to buy some fucking cigarettes right after I picked them up. Now, quit your complaining and walk faster, or will your damaged lungs not let you this far?"
"Ha, fucking, ha."
Jonah'll miss this. Oh, he knows he's going to miss this. He's going to miss the incredibly witty banter between him and Nico, because despite many's belief, Nico was his first friend. The first person that wasn't pretentious, the first person who wasn't a snob throwing money his way. He was the first person who wasn't like his parents. Sometimes, Jonah wondered, if this is what it feels like to be home.
His leather shoes make an unearthly sound which most likely meant he and Nico had just stepped in dogs' droppings, but the two men didn't stop to check as he finally slowed his steps--as well as Nico--as they, both, arrived underneath the giant archway labeled 'Congrats To The Class of 09!'. It was decorated flimsy and terrible--etchings of tape sticking out of the sides as streams of various colors that seemed to not even match the school colors. Jonah would've advised Nico to just screw his graduation gown and climb onto the archway to tear down the wrapping, only if the young men hadn't stopped to stare at three familiar faces wrapped in matching gowns and caps, walking their way.
"Where've you been?"
The two men and three students conjoined into a familiar circle that Jonah knows he's going to miss, as well. Jonah's ragged breath hadn't labored quite yet, as his hands fumbled to fix his gown and cap, flipping the seam from right to left. His arm was suddenly smacked by a petite hand, as four pairs of eyes stared down at him, waiting for an answer.
"What?" Jonah asked incredulously, rubbing his arm, and showing his feign of hurt. "I got us here on time, didn't I?"
"Just be happy Gabe checked you both in, or you'd feel the wrath of Principal Higgins. And, I don't think he's particularly fond of seeing Nico in his office on the last day of school, you know?"
He isn't quite sure why they all laughed at Nathan's statement, because it's true; Nico has been in that room more times than they could all count. It was a statement, not a joke. So, Jonah isn't quite sure why they're all laughing.
Then, they're all smiling at each other, now. Gabe, standing across from him, looking like the complete Texas man he is; country boots underneath his gown and full-blown smile, left arm wrapped around Katherine, possessively. He supposes he'll miss Katherine, too, the optimistic one of the bunch, and the only girl. He'll miss the way his own heart will ache at the sight of the two love birds, Gabe and Katherine, joining hands and singing songs while Nico, Nathan, and himself would throw bread crumbs and tell them to go home. He'll miss Nathan, too, surprisingly. Looking like the charming and slightly snobby man he's quite used to, Jonah isn't that surprise when Nathan revealed into wearing his leatherman jacket underneath his gown. Typical jock, yeah. But, he was their jock as how Nico's their delinquent. Jonah just hopes they understand his concept, too.
But, now, this would be the last time they'll see each other. Last time they stand on the same field, see each other's faces, breathe the same air. Jonah feels a slight ache in his heart and sting in his eyes.
And then, Katherine's pulling him into a hug.
He stiffens at first, because why the hell was he hugged first? He shares a look with Gabe over her shoulder, as the other man gave him a lopsided smile and shrug. It's your last day, what exactly can you do? So, Jonah doesn't know why his arms reach up and hug her back; wrapping her waist tightly in his arms before he feels her smile against his chest.
"Thank you, for today," Katherine mumbles into his gown so soft, Jonah probably wouldn't have heard her if he wasn't paying attention.
"For what?"
"For coming."
Her words were sharp and cut him through his chest, as he's also pretty sure that he skipped a breath of two before she finally managed to pull back. Jonah gave her a smile, something small and warm and genuine, because no human can not deny Katherine Rose--and she smiles back.
"I can't believe it," Katherine continues in her casual optimistic attitude as if she didn't just touch his heart five seconds ago, slinking back in her usual spot to stand next to Gabe. Her smile became brighter, blonde hair bouncing, as she look a look at every single guy he stood in their circle. Jonah couldn't help but cock his head and shrug with a small grin, all the guys with him stifling their chuckles. "We're actually all here! We are all here, together! Nathaniel Winger, are you crying?"
Jonah's head snaps to the left as everyone's eyes follow his, showing their one and only jock trying to laugh his way out of obvious tear stains on his cheeks.
"It's our last corral before you, guys, go off to college--"
"Before we go off to college!" Katherine smacks his arm, just as she did to Jonah not ten minutes earlier.
"I...kind of, sort of missed the deadline," Nico pops in, looking sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck. Jonah snorts at that. "You know, while drinking all of my mother's alcohol."
"Well, the perks of being the child of wealthy parents; we can go anywhere we want to go!" And, Jonah's heart sort of hurts, again, as the thought of Melanie crossed his mind. "We can choose our own roommates--we can get a qua-triple room!"
Gabe and Nico laughs as Jonah's bad mood perks back right on up, rolling his eyes and smirking before looking out at the piles of chairs and bleachers laid upon the school's grounds. He takes a moment, before turning and zooming into the conversation, once again, as Nathan smiles and replies with, "I'm happy we're all here."
That was obviously the right answer before Katherine squeals loudly, bright smile never seemed to be removed, as she looks at all of them before declaring something that sounded almost like, "Group hug!"
Jonah pulls a face, because he always pulls a face, and shakes his head once he feels the hands of Nico and Gabe pulling him in. They're men, Jonah scrutinized, and they're willing to hug because 5'6" blonde girl told them to. What has his life come to, honestly?
"I don't--I don't hug," Jonah protests with a shake of head before giving into the nonsense and hugging back. His words were ultimately drowned by the sea of four teenagers laughing and smiling, and this, Jonah noted, was why he didn't run away.
"Welcome parents, family, and friends; what a beautiful day for graduation. Thank you for joining us, today, at this special day, as we celebrate our graduates..."
Jonah zones out into the five minutes of Principal Higgins' speech, not even bothering to keep up with a retched words that he could hear on a television show, most likely. He's sweating in his gown, uncomfortable with the closeness of others in front and behind him, and he thinks he's standing on fucking dog droppings, once again. Jonah knows it's classic things that should get him fuming with anger, that it should get his fists closed tightly and his jaw clenched, but he...doesn't.
Instead, he looks around and catches Nico's eyes as the other man is caught squirming in his gown in front of Gabe. Nico, who grins and shoots him a thumbs up as if he were going on stage first, and not Nico. Nico, who he's not afraid to chuckle and nod to from across the field.
So, when Jonah breaks their eye contact to look up at the bright afternoon sky, he smiles.
