IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

[heliocentrist]

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

HOW THIS WORKS

• This takes place after the most recent exploration, after curfew.


• Anyone can post scenes here even if I made it for Neal and Atticus!


• Love you!

» Scenes: Just some scenes. Any scenes!

» OOC - Discussion

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SCENES

[heliocentrist]

Neal & Atticus

[heliocentrist]

Neal has everything lines up. Bread, cheese, butter. He doesn't need a lot. His back is to the door as he drops some butter into the skillet and listens to it sizzle. He hums tunelessly as he butters the bread, tired and yet too awake. He's expecting company.

Neal & Atticus

[harmreduction]

Atticus is quiet company. Even in the silence of the dormitory building after midnight, Neal seems to have not noticed his arrival, and he leans against the doorframe to watch him for a second. It hasn't been that long since they got back from the Shadow World, or since he's seen him. But it feels like a long time.

"Neal," he says after a moment, just loud enough to grab his attention.

Neal & Atticus

[heliocentrist]

Neal doesn't look up. He'd been hoping Atticus would show up, but now realizes it was no guarantee. The air feels heavy around him, and the smell of sizzling butter is only part of it.

"Atticus!" he replies, but focuses on preparing the fried food. He spins the dull knife in his hand just to catch Atticus' eye.

Marty & Liam

[unironickylorenfan]

Liam presses his phone and his face up against the stairwell window, blinking into the darkness. When he's spotted his target, faintly visible in the pale moonlight, he leans back, slides the phone across the glass and then adjusts the zoom until the tire swing is mostly visible in the distance.

Click. It's a horrible picture, but mostly recognizable. He immediately fires it off to Marty along with the words bet I can beat you there. With that sent, he shoves his phone into his pocket and heads down the stairs, confident that Marty will not be able to resist the dual sirens' calls of stupid competitions and breaking curfew.

Marty & Liam

[survivalof]

Marty has homework he could be doing. It's late, so he could be sleeping. Instead, he's at his desk, toying with an apple mahogany scented candle — scooping up hot wax and molding it between his fingers until it's too cool to be malleable, then dropping it back in again.

When his phone buzzes, he snatches it up. It only takes him a second to place the location, and a moment more to pull on a shirt, coat, and shoes and go dashing out of his room without a second thought to curfew.

Once he reaches the tire swing, of course Liam is already there waiting — he had a head start and has longer legs besides. "You win," he concedes." Still, he grins, panting in visible puffs of air in the cold night.

Marty & Liam

[unironickylorenfan]

Liam is already threaded through the tire, arms draped over the top, long legs jutting out straight, heels firmly planted to keep from turning. He ducks his head, hiding part of his face - but not his widening smile - behind his arms as Marty draws nearer.

"I cheated," he confesses, unrepentant, bending his knees to swing himself a little. "But you made good time."

He lifts his phone to snap a quick picture of Marty. It's too dark. It probably won't turn out, but he wants to capture that breathless grin, if he can.

Kyra & Marina & Sunny

[weewilywilkie]

Kyra cuts a strange figure, moving through the moonlit windows, cradling a small dog in her arms who she intermittently feeds bits of beef jerky in a bid to keep the angel quiet. (Stolen from Liam; she'll replace it.) She's distracted from her destination a few times, in favor of kissing Sunny's beautiful furry head.

She sneaks her way as far as the Swords common room door and pauses, texting Marina a simple "Here" that does not convey any of the nervous affection beating in her chest. Her heart already did funny things around Marina. This feels like that, only magnified by a million. All she can think about is how much she cares for her. How beautiful she is.

Kyra buries her face in Sunny's fur and inhales his warm dog smell to steady herself, before Marina can find her all worked up over nothing, already.
Shit.

Kyra & Marina & Sunny

[sarno]

A soft ding and a quick check of the phone. It's not difficult for Marina to slip past her sleeping roommates, but it still adds to the nervous excitement of a late night rendezvous. There's no shadow sickness necessary to get her skulking about and acting like an idiot where Kyra's concerned. She's been effortlessly under the other girl's spell for some time.

The low light of the girl's common room confirms that it's thankfully empty at this hour, but Marina wouldn't have been above chasing some freshmen off to bed. A more noble minded person - a proper Emperor - would have supported locking Kyra away in a tower until the shadow's effects had run their course. But both girls had flipped their arcane assignments on their heads, and Marina couldn't help but push back at good sense when the temptation was so appealing.

Opening the common room door feels like Christmas morning. But better. So many possibilities.

Finding Kyra indulging in parfum de pup isn't one of the possibilities Marina had imagined. It takes her a moment to recover - something about this unrestrained version of Kyra is completely Charming. "Kiki. Sunny." The latter greeting is considerably flatter. She'd known to expect Sunny, was trying hard to warm up to him for Kyra's sake, and yet he continued to be.. a dog. That Marina still found him wholly repellent was a good thing right now.

Kyra & Marina & Sunny

[weewilywilkie]

The trouble with this particular ailment is that it doesn't feel unnatural. The desires and attractions that play at the corners of her heart aren't strange ones. There's just no other half of her brain pushing back down on them. In a toxic way she won't examine right now, she really likes it. Around the right people. She is, now.

She blinks up at Marina opening the door like she'd just seen a star fall. Kyra's grip on Sunny tightens, and the dog wriggles around, so she puts him down, hoping he won't go too far. But she needs to stretch her hand out so Marina will take it. That seems like priority. "Hi." she breathes out, and it's really all she's capable of.

Gregory Serenades (Open++)

[de_leon]

It's late. He shouldn't be out and about. It's unlike Gregory -- unofficial spokesman of Sleepy Hygiene -- but tonight is too beautiful to be in bed. So, Gregory slips past his roommates and decides to walk the campus. Wearing a vest, he has one hand tucked behind his back and the other holds a top hat against his chest. As he flits about, he quietly starts to sing "God Only Knows." Caught up in the moment, Gregory closes his eyes, twirls, and accidentally bumps into someone.

Oops. He gives them a smile and coos, "God only knows what I'd be without you."

Gregory Serenades a Petulant Child

[dissentjabot]

"Probably dead," comes an ominous reply from a shapeless mass of blankets on the floor. Reluctantly, Cecilia lets her duvet hood fall from over her head to reveal a halo of staticy curls and squints up at the ill-starred boy. She had come to the stairwell to read in order to avoid freaking out her dormmates but now that the winds of fate have blown Gregory to her...

"Don't you ever worry about that?" She continues on without prompting, waving a tattered second-hand Andy Andrew's novel at him for emphasis. "Like, Russell catches mono and next thing you know you're ran through with a crystal spike."

Gregory Serenades a Petulant Child

[de_leon]

"Ceceeeelia!" Gregory draws out her name, delighted to have found his good friend. He sounds almost drunk. He certainly feels drunk (if he knew what that felt like, of course). Champagne drunk, to be specific.

"I'm not worried about that." He shakes his head and swats the air, as if physically dismissing the idea of death away. "Because I have friends who love me and will protect me and I'll do the exact same for them." He smiles, almost tearful at the beautiful idea. These are all things Gregory would say under normal conditions, only with much more composure. He puts a hand on Cecilia's shoulder and leans an inch closer. "You'll be fine, too."

This brings a single tear down his right cheek.

Flint & Scout

[empereurs]

Usually, Flint's evenings post-Exploration are spent relaxing on a couch with Scout, not fighting through the Shadow World; but he's not about to give up a tradition even if it's past curfew. He doubts anyone will hold it against him—there are others on the Coins floor, some sneaking out not-so-quietly at all. But this area of the common room is empty except for him and Scout, and the late hour takes on a quality of unrealness, like a dream.

At some point, in between soft silences and listening to Scout explain the complexities of knitting, Flint's head lands on Scout's shoulder, and he drifts off to sleep.

Flint & Scout

[star_boy]

Scout's not particularly tired himself, but the stillness of the hour and the slow release of stress from everyone returning in one piece means that he feels half-awake, and for once there's not much in his head. It's nice, to just sit and be, but the soft shutting of a door somewhere jars him back to reality before too long. Flint's soft, even breathing probably means he's asleep, and Scout knows he shouldn't let him stay that way. He'd be willing to sit here all night to avoid disturbing the other boy, but Flint will certainly wake up with a sore neck if he actually stays resting on his shoulder.

"Hey," he murmurs, too soft initially because a tiny part of him does just want to stay where they're at. "Hey, Flint."

Flint & Scout

[empereurs]

"Mmm." It's a couple of breaths before Flint stirs, and a couple more before he places where he is, and why. The occult shop in the shadow Haling Cove has been purified. His squad returned home and safe, and with any new scars, more or less. Scout's body is warm against his, solid and reassuring. For a second, he regrets letting himself wake up.

Flint pulls away, yawning. "Sorry. I was, uh. Listening, I swear."

Noah & Eli

[strikings]

Eli's roommates still aren't back. Not that Noah minds, but a glance at his watch tells him that it's well past curfew, and this movie is winding down its third act. His plan had been to politely leave as soon as Dustin returned to his room (well, not that politely), but his leader is nowhere to be seen. Curious.

"Eli," Noah whispers. They're lying together in Eli's bed, back to chest, so Noah's mouth brushes Eli's ear whenever he talks. The movie continues playing on the propped up iPad, both of the photogenic leads hurtling towards the kiss that will make all the misunderstandings worth it. "Are you still awake?"

Re: Noah & Eli

[pleaseloveme]

Eli fumbles for Noah's hand, then pulls it around him a little tighter. Despite his insistence that he could stay awake all night, lying here with Noah has lulled him into a blissful trance. He's been fighting sleep, though, both for the movie and because it would mean missing out on this. He's just so happy right here, right now. The feeling (and Noah) might be gone in the morning.

And that thought would have made him sad if he were capable of it right now. Instead he laughs, and sticks his face in the pillow to muffle himself. "Yeah, I'm totally wide awake," he claims. "I could run a marathon."

Noah & Eli

[strikings]

Noah laughs too, but more softly, not audible to anyone but Eli. "I'd like to see that," he teases, even though he can tell from the way Eli is holding his arm that they're not about to go anywhere.

It's strange, to see him so happy. The last time Eli had been so unguarded in Noah's company was months and months ago, before Noah broke his heart. It feels like a lie to enjoy this now, even though he knows Eli has been far from reluctant when it comes to their current arrangement.

"Is there anything else I can do to get you to sleep?" Noah smiles against his hair. "PG-13 only, of course."

Dustin & Lucy

[lucillefer]

Sirius was supposed to be bright, mid-February. That had been Lucy's excuse for going outside after midnight to try and look at the stars, other than a fragile, unspoken wish that Dustin might hold her against his chest as they spoke if she shivered prettily in front of him.

But it'd been very cold, and despite her best attempts Lucy had been unable to keep growing exhaustion out of her face. Their starlight tableau was lovely but short-lived, as these nighttime hours alone together tend to be.

Now Lucy and Dustin are wandering back to the safety of a familiar couch on the Coins floor. The journey has been quiet, apart from Lucy's occasional low whispering, and relatively touchless, apart from when she lets her fingers brush his as if it's an accident. (It isn't and it never is.)

But when a voice punctures the heavy silence, Lucy startles, and reaches reflexively for Dustin's hand. Someone has come into view in the distance, wandering along and singing to themselves. If she were alone she'd walk past as if daring a hello, but she's not, and that's supposed to be a secret.

Dustin & Lucy

[highercalling]

Dustin visibly jumps.

They've fallen into a sort of routine here, these nights — no two exactly the same and yet, some things always present. It comes by virtue of the hour: soft murmuring and little touches and the artificial isolation of two young people, entirely in their own world. For Dustin, it almost feels like they've been enveloped by an opaque bubble, within which there's no one but them and dead poets and stars; these meetings are still novel, but he's gotten used to this.

But now, a noise. Singing, actually. The bubble pops, and so, he jumps.

Dustin catches Lucy's hand as she reaches out to him and, just as instinctively, cuts a hard right, pulling them both through the first open doorway he sees and (hopefully) safely out of sight.

Dustin & Lucy

[lucillefer]

It's the laundry room: clean of scent, soulless and shiny of surfaces. The ceiling light is dim, flickers with a tiny fizz. Was someone just here?

No matter. No one is here now.

Lucy backs her way in, laughing a breathy, sneaky little laugh as if this were somehow on purpose. She pulls Dustin along by the hand until she collides with one of the machines, then releases him to draw herself up on top of it. Her feet dangle against the side in their beat-up boots, thighs cold against the edge. Fishnets are, apparently, just not a sensible choice for the bleak midwinter, and a giant sweater barely makes up for them. But it's like her to care for herself in half measures.

"Oh dear," Lucy intones drily. She leans back on her hands, gazing upward with a smirking mouth. "I think we're alone now."

Ces & Pearl

[thebadkind]

Just to be clear, it isn't a particularly sneaky trip down the stairwell connecting the Wands and Cups floors. The walk past the restrooms and through the common room doesn't involve a great deal of stealth either. It could, maybe, if Ces were to try. If she weren't wearing a bright pink hoodie and rainbow sleep shorts, humming to herself with her arms full of a messy bouquet of various silk flowers. But it isn't. And she is.

It's just that it's strange to worry - even if it isn't precisely worrying. Everyone's perfectly competent and Pearl is more competent than that. So it isn't exactly that. But it's something that was an awful lot like it a few hours ago. So Ces has something that could have been worry to work out of her limbs and also something to deliver. And she's going to deliver it. The timing doesn't much matter.

Or it might, if Pearl's sleeping. Which could have been something to think about before she got down here, her knuckle's rapping lightly on the door. But she didn't. And here she is.

Ces & Pearl

[opalescents]

Pearl doesn’t sleep easily after exploration. Not ever. She can still feel the battle in her muscles, and when she closes her eyes the closest calls dance behind them. She doesn’t call attention to it. No need. She’s fine, just reading, headphones on. Her eyes dart to her phone and journal every few moments, but she’s not really expecting anything. Everyone’s likely asleep, but sometimes they aren’t. If they aren’t, she wants to be there.

What she isn’t expecting comes in the form of a soft knock in a break between songs. Pearl tilts her head towards it and remembers there are (probably) other people actually sleeping here. She untangles long limbs from their blankets, and pads her way to the door. She opens it and lights up immediately. It’s maybe just a reflection from the small, fluorescent being gracing her doorstep.

“Oh hi,” Pearl says as quietly as she can, closing the door behind her. She doesn’t think it’s locked. She’s mostly wondering if Ces’s wealth of knowledge now includes psychic awareness. She wouldn’t be at all surprised. “I didn’t even order...” she surveys the offering with a tilted head, “midnight flowers??”

Ces & Pearl

[thebadkind]

"Hi."

The thing that maybe almost could be worry lets all of its tangled strings go, loose and languid and untroubled, when the door swings open and the person doing the swinging is exactly who Ces was hoping it would be. People could argue that it shouldn't be that simple, but it is. Pearl smiles at her like she's done something right and any little thing that could be doubt goes quiet.

"They would've been earlier flowers," she admits, and she could definitely take a step back now but she definitely doesn't, her fingers curled loosely around the 'stems.' "But I had to wait for the wire to come in."