#st.starter

☾      ╱       she wasn’t completely angry as much as she was unfazed by the annual celebrations of the town’s discovery. for the visitors, it was a blast -- even for those who have been among the bucolic sights for a little bit longer,t he thrill of the hike still lingers in them; but for residents, it was just another day;a profitable one. her mother wanted her to be a guide -- tell those climbing up the hill he stories that have been passed in the phan house over decades, but in reality, via was only enjoying the impromptu day off that she has decided to give herself. “ can you low down ? ” amazing how she always ended up by his side -- when she was looking a mess, when her mood was at the worst. “ not all of us were blessed with long legs and endless energy to spend on stupid things like yourself. ”

     ━  RILEY  WASN’T  REALLY  SURE  HOW  WELL  they were handling the camping lifestyle ( putting up their tent had been a nightmare ), but what they did know was that it was really fun to see everyone gathered together like this. riley liked seeing their new family all interacting and having a ( hopefully ) good time. riley had been walking through the small campsite, and lit up when they saw griffin sitting outside his tent. “hello,” they chirped and decided against running up to the other, since griffin sometimes needed a smaller dose of their personality to start off with. “are you having a good time ?” they asked, moving back and forth on their feet, trying to mentally make griffin realise they wanted to sit down to talk. “i think this is so exciting. i’m just ...” they took a deep breath, wide smile still in place, “excited !”

☾      ╱       she staggered back -- amazed at her lack of endurance, at how hard she was breathing and how much she was sweating already. it was common knowledge that via hated exercises, but she was pretty much out of shape for someone who constantly rides her bike around town -- since its the only things she owns that can take her to places faster than her own two legs. still, her mouth was dry as she, reluctantly, leaned against the nearest rock. “ give me some water or shoot me. ” either would be good, even though the latter was going to take her home faster and she was slightly leaning  towards that. “ but yeah... don’t leave me here alone. ”

☾      ╱       she had the tendency to gravitate towards him -- bouncing back, returning to her starter point. it was a vicious cycle, at the end of the day -- still, the soft part of her heart craved the hidden boy in the folds of the millionaire man, the undeniable eagerness to be close to him, to have him listen to her even though she would never be sure if he truly believed her words or if she was a mere source of entertainment to him -- if her heart was a dented, faulty thing, we could say he was responsible for some of the marks on it. “ adian. ” her words were soft, peace quickening so she would fall beside him on their way up. “ there’s a twig on your hair... ” she didn’t know why she cared, or why she reached, with hesitant fingers, to remove it from there. “ let me just... ”

☾      ╱       he was one of the many that served their cold disbelief at her -- and, ut of politeness of unknown source, she would pick at it; even though her mother taught her not to play with what was served. aaron was a cold and hard reality, one that became comic after a long time of frustrations -- something that she had learned would never, ever change. “ my mom asked me to tell you she knew you’d need another shirt. ” she didn’t, really, but via had a feeling -- and she was advised not to ignore those feelings, even if she insisted in rolling her eyes at all of those wise words of her mother and aunts. “ maybe because you’re too sweaty, we all can feel it from miles away. ”

☾      ╱       orange tinged the sky, merging with the soft blue that summer in st. clementine always brought to its residents sight; the golden hour was always treasured, and the magic in that place enhanced that moment to celebrate along all of those who climbed up the hill to see that happen. she was sat on the grass, the picnic towel long forget alongside with what was left of the little she managed to pack -- via made sure to find herself a nice spot, the perks of being there every year for the past twenty of her twenties. a long shadow was cast over her, and she knew the own of it without even looking up “ they say if you hear the sun sizzling as it touches the sea, ” she spoke with caution and softness, a story that her mother whispered in her hear as she grew up, one that she believed -- like everything else. something that, deep down, she expected him not to laugh about it -- like everyone else. “ it will grant you any wish you make it to it. ”