what's up deli boy

          gwen can’t say she completely understands what it’s like to be an idol, but she’s spent so much time with chase and the rest of the group to know that it isn’t nearly as glamorous as people seem to think. it’s so much hard work, such a large amount of sacrifice, gwen’s sometimes surprised there are so many of them. although, on the same card, if chase had decided he couldn’t handle it, they probably wouldn’t have ever met so… she won’t look into it too much, in his case.

‘ seriously! ’ the girl laughs as she carefully sits down on the ground, legs crossed on the edge. gwen watched all of it, from start to finish, and her smile could’ve outmatched the sun she was so happy for him. ‘ hey, i can’t take that much credit. ’ the girl scoffs playfully, reaching over to poke his forehead. ‘ you work really hard and it’s paying off. with all the slang and dialect those hosts use… this was honestly one of your best interviews. ’

he’s tempted to get closer, put his head on her thigh or something, but he soaked and it probably wouldn’t be very nice to get her all covered in water. “are you kidding? you can take most of the credit-- had it been anyone else teaching me, my korean wouldn’t be half as good. you’re the best teacher i’ve ever had,” he told her earnestly. “my hard work is just because you make me wanna work hard. you’re really good at being encouraging.”

          as she was making her way over here, there was one thought that trumped even the genuine worry she felt over him— what if this is weird? they aren’t strangers, they’ve hung out a few times in the same social circles but… is this too weird? his friends were more than encouraging, telling her he’d be happy to see a friendly face after that hit but holy shit is the sudden wave of anxiety real. it only grows, but before she can do anything to let it take over, he’s already saying hi.

twice! also, he looks flushed to hell, though she assumes that’s just common territory with this sport. ‘ sebastian, that’s hardly something for you to apologize over. ’ ellie adds with a laugh as she hesitantly steps into the room. hey, at least he didn’t tell her to get lost? that’s a pretty decent sign that this is okay. ‘ no offense but i think being pretty sweaty and gross just kinda comes from, y’know, playing a sport. especially something as aggressive as hockey. ’ he looks ridiculously attractive anyways, the bastard. sneakers carry her over to his side, her worry regrowing the closer she gets to him. brows pinch gently and a soft pout graces her lips, ‘ speaking of, are you okay? do you need anything? water, or ice, or… anything you want, honestly. ’

he was so happy to see her. he’d been frustrated about being pulled out of the game, and injured nonetheless, but just seeing ellie’s face brightened up his whole day. sure, he was still bummed, but something good was coming of this at least. when was the last time he’d actually spent time one on one with her? 

“Trust me.” She warns, lying her head on her desk.  She knew billie seemed, for the most part, confident in her ideas and abilities; and yanna would give her credit where it’s due. However there was just a strong feeling that was telling her that this was not the right move. “This isn’t about your job, you can hack, but you can’t feel things like I can. If you can find anyway that can do this better than me, then maybe I’ll listen. but Until that day i’m warning going in there is going to cause one hell of some trouble.”

“I can only hope that you’re not hear to cause mischief, devil.” She hums, grabbing the ends of her dress as she steps down from her altar and pulls out two chairs for them. “Perhaps one of them let you in–” Hwan lim wasn’t in charge of that, between Yanna and Baeri they were supposed to figure out who was on duty for it, but they were both still young and they probably forgot. The pair drove her crazy sometimes, she could swear on it. “What brings you here, Devil? Is their something you’re in need of that brought you to a little old witch like me? Or was it really just the magic?”

With Hera’s agreement, Cerebella’s frown was magically transformed into a cheeky grin. She wasn’t truly sure why, but it meant the world to her to earn the older girl’s approval. Cerebella lived to please and entertain, but it didn’t mean anything if it didn’t suit her needs. Fans were great and crowds were wonderful, but impressing important people was much more satisfying. And while Hera was indeed important, Cerebella viewed her as so much more than that.

“I’ll do better than my best.” She shot a wink in the other’s direction, not really knowing what it is she meant, but not caring enough to explain. Hera most likely knew Bella’s personality and habit of over-exaggerating by now. Anyone who met Cerebella for more than a few moments knew that she was dramatic and over the top, so she cared very little about filtering herself. “You definitely won’t regret it! In fact, you might even fall a little in love~ with me after seeing some of my new tricks.”

hera reached out idly, playing with a stray lock of cerebella’s hair before fondly tucking her behind bella’s ear, but there was something possessive about the gesture. it wasn’t careful or wandering, but rather hera claiming her territory. bella was hers-- that was what she’d decided. and no one was going to take her from the kingpin. 

The name Hera rings a bell, but, then again, a lot of things seem to do that for Squigly lately. As much as she remained similar to her living self, it had turned out that dying had stolen some insignificant memories along with her life. She remembered the important things: her name, her role, her demise, and her resurrection. But little things like names and places were spotty at best. 

“It doesn’t sound like you think of this Hera person too fondly.” She can’t help but think that the person in question was a boss of some sort to the girl. It was either that, or a family member, but Squigly knew better that to being up familial things so early on in conversations. After all, her family had been a major part her biggest achievements and a key role in her most traumatic moment. “Is she someone close to you?”

“You’ll have to pay someone else.” Yanna began, closing her eyes as she rolled her amethyst stone inbetween her palm. “It may seem weird, but please trust my intuition. if you send anyone in there, they’ll be killed.” The girl knew gangs were no joke and whens he was hired she wasn’t really expecting this, but regardless she had a contract to complete. While Bae Ri may have been strong with fortune telling and Hwan Lim good with casting hexes and what not; aside from herbs Yanna had strong intuition and premonitions of the future. She knew, by the way her stomach twisted and turned at the idea, that walking into this would be dangerous. “If you let your pride get in the way it’ll kill you, you know?”

Jooni never considered herself tough. Perhaps in her youth she was somewhat fearsome, but June had always been more of a follower than a leader. Which was why it was ever so easy for Honey to lath her claws into the gullible little toad and manipulate her as well as she did. Jooni was smart and clever, but she wasn’t as terrifying as her other members and it was obvious. She was the odd one out, but it didn’t stop her from trying to impress all the time. Except in moments like this, where she knew she didn’t have a good chance. It was better not to initiate than to go into a fight you know you’ll lose.

“Seriously? That doesn’t sound tasty at all.” Jooni smirked and pulled the sucker out of her mouth, leisurely licking her lips before continuing. “Why don’t you eat eggs or rice like a normal person? I hear frog legs only taste like chicken, so what’s the point?”

Squigly couldn’t control the soft chuckle that fell from her chapped lips. It wasn’t every day that she was praised for being lively. Even when she had been alive, Sienna had always been a bit odd. Her life as a performer had kept her away from having any true friends and her family was all she had. Now, with her family gone and she being the only ‘survivor’, she was free to interact as she pleased. 

“You could have played along to help inflate my ego.” The joke came out bland and dusty just like her lungs, but Squigly hoped it came across at least a bit humorous. She was a singer, not a comedian, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that her jokes were sub-par. “People always think criminals and murderers are always witty. Some are actually quite stupid, so I’m not surprised.”

Cerebella’s shoulders sagged as the other replied. It was normally so easy to impress people. If it wasn’t her enthusiasm for entertainment or her beauty, it was always the big muscles atop her head. And yet Hera always seemed the hardest nut for her to crack. Cerebella could never tell what was going on inside that head of hers and it drove her insane. Wearing a pout, she crossed her arms over her chest. 

“I’m not sure.” It was an honest answer, even though Bella certainly had an idea of how many people were likely to show up. “It’s our first performance here in a while, so a lot of people might come watch, or it could be as death as a graveyard. If you’re worried about people, I could always hide you in my tent.” Shooting the older woman a wink, Cerebella hoped to sweet talk her into approval. “You could watch from the sidelines like a real groupie. I’ll give you a backstage pass and everything.”

cerabella wanted her-- hera could feel it. she wanted hera’s approval, and she wanted her favor too. and hera wasn’t a cruel woman, nor was she an android-- she felt similarly, and she’d give bella what she wanted. but it had to be on hera’s terms. she always had to be the one in control. surely bella knew that much by now?

“Normally, I would hate you for making such a stupid joke.”  Nadia’s eyes narrowed as she looked at the other girl. Who did she think she was to be making such good puns in the presence of Nadia Fortune? Two could play that game. “But we’re in a place of peace and serenity, so I’ll save the catfight for later.”