Multiple Settings 🇩‌🇪‌🇨‌🇦‌🇩‌🇪‌🇳‌🇨‌🇪‌ - 🇹‌🇭‌🇪‌ 🇸‌🇹‌🇴‌🇷‌🇾‌

[Uniko]

decadence

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the only thing harder than getting in, is staying alive in.

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  Seira Academy - Dormitory Wings

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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  April 18th, 2023
  08:15:10 AM

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
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  25°C, a pleasant early morning breeze with sunlight peeking through rotating cirrus clouds

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
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  attendance

  
  

  all student should be present.
  Cajetan Riazen
  Adagio Marie Roche
  Vivian Huang
  Yuze Zhang
  Kiran Devraj
  Alicia Herrera
  Darcy D' Arcangelo
  Aspyn Celine Dior Anderson
  Kahali Singh
  Coachel Bae Anderson
  Evan Byron
  Charlotte Marie Soren
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  mentions

  
  

  Uniko tyranna nyxievous temporarybliss Steve Jobs galaxsci Kovacs SavannahSmiles Aquarin Auda Lizy

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

tongue tied

grouplove

DAY ONE: a warm welcome

...

"Stephanie, it's 15 minutes past the hour, you were supposed to start the announcements at 8am."

The sound of a deeply aggravated sigh, and a phone being tossed onto a hardwood table permeated the air. The said girl, Stephanie rolled her eyes at the dark haired individual peeking into the office nervously. "Okay? And? No one is ever on time anyways, especially on the first day of class." She countered, popping the gum between her lips.

The headmasters assistant sighed, why did he have to be tasked with baby sitting these arrogant student council members? 'leaders of the new generation' his arse. He absolutely despised most of the delegates, despite being inadvertently one himself by association. He found them to be much worse than the players and it's combined.

"That may be, but you know the headmaster will be ups-" The raise of a hand ended his complaint.

"Alright, alright don't get your undies in a twist kid, now can you please leave so I can start the morning announcement." A fake syrupy tone layered into her voice, which he could tell was a sign he should leave before she throws the mic at him. Shaking his head, the assistant shut the door with a 'click', leaving the lazy student council announcer alone to start.

Stephanie stared at the closed door for a few moments longer, thinking of how much she hated her position she was in. But of course being the first daughter of a famous newscaster also meant that she was expected to follow in her mothers footsteps of journalism.

Sighing once more, the red head straightened up in her chair, and the switched on the mic, sending a signal to the operating room that she was about to begin the day's announcements.

"Going live in 3...2...1..." The red light was on. She cleared her throat, and the smile materialized on her face instantly.

"Good morning spring class of 2023! Whether you are returning, or this is your first year attending our prestigious university, we here at Seira Academy welcome you with warm embrace as you begin your wonderous journey here with us.

All students should have received their necessary materials and pamphlets prior to their first day to ensure a smooth, and informative transition for your first week of classes. Included in those materials was a map to help navigate you around our expansive campus, as well as where specific landmarks were such as the café, gymnasium, pool, dormitory halls and more. If for any reason you did not receive these materials, and need assistance with finding your classes and dorm, please head to the front office for further assistance.

In light of Seira's new start of the semester, we would also like bring attention a serious matter that occurred during the off semester in winter. Seira Academy unfortunately lost a bright, and intelligent student over winter break, and we plan to hold a vigil in honor of this student. Should you like to participate in the planning of this memorated event, please contact the student body council for more information. The event will be held Friday, April 21st at the fountain garden gazebo. We ask that everyone exercises respect, and empathy for one another during these emotional times. Counseling services are available from 8am-5pm located in West hall in room 804. As well as a 24/7 hotline will be available as well for those dealing with grief.

In other major news, and perhaps something that will perk us all up, is that uniforms are no longer mandatory at Seira Academy! Yes, you heard right. After a overwhelming amount of survey results on what students think would help them be more motivated during their time at school, a lot of you stated that being able to express your individuality more with the removal of uniforms was the number one idea. Well thanks to everyone submitting their surveys, and signing petitions, the board committee officially decided to remove the uniform mandate! Can we get a cheer for that!?

She took an impromptu pause for added effect, and surprisingly enough the sounds of what could be cheering came faintly from outside.

That all said, welcome to Seira everyone! We are super excited to begin the school year with fresh and familiar faces alike! As aforementioned in your First Day at Seira pamphlets that you all should have received, please begin to head to your respective dorms, unpack and familiarize yourself with your new dorm mate, if applicable! Please remember to remain respectful, and respect everyone's personal space. Don't forget, this is the person you will be sharing a space with for the remainder of the school year!

If you are unable to locate your dorm room assignment, please contact the front office.

Happy first day back! Your favorite student body council member, Stephanie signing off!"

A few seconds passed, and once the red light turned off, Stephanie slumped back into her high chair and blew air upwards, a couple silky red tresses falling over eyes as a result.

"Stupid idiots, no one even listens to this shit anyways-hah, and who the fuck cares about that bitch Holly Hanamura being dead, she was such a bitch anyways." Stephanie mumbled aloud, staring at the mosaic designed ceiling.

Just then the sound of heavy footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a loud bang causing Stephanie to leap up in surprise. Her frightened eyes though, became annoyed ones once she saw it was just the same assistant from earlier that barged in. Though this time he looked much more concerned than before.

"S-stephanie!" He shouted sounding completely out of breath as if he ran a marathon. Stephanie rolled her eyes and stood up. Her job here was done. She wanted to go smoke, she was sure one of the outliers would be around to grab one from near the fields.

"What? I did the stupid announcement, leave me alone you nark."

"B-but the mic was still ON!" He exclaimed pointing over at the desk. In the midst of retrieving her purse, Stephanie paused at that, before her hazel eyes turned wide as saucers and whipped her head back to the mic equipment, seeing that the 'MIC on' switch was still flipped up.

Stephanie inhaled sharply, her face red as blood.

"FUCK-"

A new sound of footsteps entered the room, and the two students both turned frightened faces to see none other than the headmaster of Seira Academy looming at the door.

"Stephanie Polanski, my office, immediately,"

Hello! This is the first IC post for Decadence. This section here will be a tldr for those who need a quick gist of what is happening at the moment in the storyline.

DAY ONE

It is the first day of school at Seira, all students should have received first day materials such as brochures, maps, dorm assignments and their class schedules in the mail prior to their first day. Those who did not should head to the front office. Otherwise, everyone should be either in their dorms by now and unpacking, meeting their dorm mate or at least on their way to their assigned hall/dorm room. Dorm assignments can be found in the discord under the dorm channel thread if you do not remember which room your character was assigned to. I will also list it here for everyone's(readers/lurkers included) convenience.

This part of the story will be short and simple as it is just a introductory phase for everyone to get to know their roommates! Should you like to traverse the campus instead(or even visit another persons dorm that you have no business being in...) feel free! This can essentially be considered a free roam episode.

DORM ROOM LAYOUT

Dorm rooms can be decorated however you like(as long as it remains within compliance of the academy of course~) as well as removal of furniture in place of your own is also allowed. And damage to the property of the dorm room is subject serious fines and penalties. The bathrooms and living room/kitchen are shared spaces.

If you have any questions, please be sure to ask them in the q&a section of the discord.

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Aquarin]

yuzé

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  dorm 'cerberus'
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
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If it went after Yuzé, break could've continued just for a few more months.

Don't get him wrong. Yuzé enjoyed being surrounded by talented people. Their endless passion for their craft fueled his own burning motivation. But, at the same time, that didn't mean he would willingly sign up for their eccentric personalities, which usually came as a set package. Some students didn't even have the drive to make up for their actions or were downright so unpleasant that nothing could redeem them.

A case in point was the overly sweet voice sounding through the speakers, welcoming new and returning people.

Stephanie was a repulsive person; evidenced by the few times Yuzé had the displeasure to share air with her. If she didn't come late to meetings, smelling like she went through a forest fire, disinterest and boredom would constantly radiate off of her. It didn't take a genius to see that she was only in the student council for the kicks and the title. The unpleasant kind of people.

As she started to narrate about the upcoming vigil, Yuzé transferred the last pieces of clothing from his now-empty suitcase over to the wardrobe. For a moment, he caught glimpses of a handful of black book covers lurking between the fabrics, but as he added the last cloth pile, Yuzé made sure they were completely covered.

Most of them were empty—courtesy of removing the entries of graduates and generally the outdated ones—but it didn't hurt to be careful. Especially with the possibility of having a noisy roommate sleeping right next to him.

Yuzé didn't need to open the year with a scandal or nasty rumours. After all, there were already enough other students willing to do exactly that.

Turning away from the closet, his eyes now scanned the blank walls and the almost empty desk. Only his laptop, decorated with a handful of cat stickers, and a small cactus on the table lightened up the cold space. It was a pity Yuzé couldn't bring most of his smaller houseplants from home, but he was certain that by the end of the week, the room would be filled with life anyway.

He pushed his suitcase below his bed as he tried to hear if Asypn had already arrived. Yuzé didn't see her when he first unlocked the doors to their dorm. Though that wasn't really surprising. Yuzé did try to arrive as quickly as possible before anyone else could. He wanted to salvage the last moments of relative peace before the next wave of headaches could start. But as the missing noises from outside indicated, she still seemed to not have entered the dorm.

Deciding to not let that distract him from finishing to put his belongings to their right place, Yuzé grabbed his toiletry bag and a towel before making his way to the sink. Just as he hung both objects with the help of self-adhesive hooks up, Yuzé vaguely heard the announcement finally coming to an end. "…favorite student body council member, Stephanie signing off!"

If that wasn't a time to roll one's eyes, he didn't know when else.

What Yuzé didn't expect, though, was what followed afterwards. Thoughts that were obviously not meant to be heard, and while her words themselves weren't a shock, they were still undeniably cruel.

A sigh escaped his lips as Yuzé continued to listen to the blunder play out before the speakers were finally turned off and silence reigned again.

Not even a day in…

Resisting the urge to slam his head against the wall, the delegate stared at himself through the mirror. Lips slightly pursed in annoyance.

It was safe to say that he wouldn't be seeing Stephanie around the council's room for a while anymore—if ever again. Unsurprisingly enough, Yuzé couldn't bring himself to feel saddened by that realisation.

At least one person less to worry about.

Welcome to the Circus

skittish

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[leviohsa]

mood :

Irritated

location :

Front Office

outfit :

mentions :

N/A

interactions :

Open!

Barbosa

;; Luna

Of all the places Luna assumed she would be today, the front office was certainly not one of them. The air in the front office was frigid and tinged with an air of panic as staff members frantically handled all the curveballs thrown their way. One of the curveballs being Luna Barbosa not having an assigned dorm on her first day.

"I am simply trying to understand why a tenured student has been looked over." Her voice was calm, but it was clear by the looks of the students around her that she was anything but. "Is there anywhere to set my belongings? I am in excruciating pain.." Her brows furrowed as she let out a wince, her left arm doing it's best to adjust her 'heavy' tote bag, her right holding onto the handle of her rolling luggage.

"I apologize Miss Barbosa, but I'm afraid you'll have to carry your belongings like the rest of us commonfolk. In the meantime, please take a seat while we organize your sleeping arrangements." The sarcastic tone from the secretary in front of her made Luna narrow her blue gaze,

"I find it interesting that you have time to make jokes, yet none at all to find me a suitable dorm." The line of students behind her grew longer, faces of indignation and irritated huffs could be heard behind the model. She paid them no mind as she continued, "I am not leaving this spot until I am accommodated." Her posture remained straight as she spoke, even with the collective groaning of protest that erupted behind her.

Luna didn't give a damn about the idiots behind her. She knew that if she gave in, she'd be stuck in the office waiting for potentially hours. The horror stories of those being thrown into a random dorm, possibly a third with hardly any space.. It was not an option. Absolutely not.

coded by reveriee.

 

[Auda]

scroll

The Regulars

Evan

mood

Tired/Nervous

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Outfit

location

Dorm

interactions

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By the pristine appearance of the dorm, it seemed that Evan was the first to arrive. He quickly went to his assigned room and took care of his belongings. He had more clothes this year than the previous one, all designer and probably costs more than what someone makes in a year. He didn’t deem it necessary, but once Evan informed his parents of his new roommate, they didn’t waste time to provide him with clothing and accessories. It was to give a ‘good impression’ or so his parents told him. Still, Evan shoved the clothes at the back of the closet. He understood why his parents were trying so hard. Luckily—or unluckily, depending on who you’re asking—Evan’s new roommate was someone of high prestige.

It wasn't like Evan's previous roommate was a disaster. The boy—Evan tried to remember his name, Rupert? Robert? something with an R—was always outside the dorm or inside his room. The communal area was rarely used and their interaction didn't go further than the occasional greeting and pleasantries. It didn't bother him much, he’d even say that he preferred the arrangement. It gave Evan the space he needed after a tiring day. Maybe he would've put in more effort getting to know his roommate if Rupert came from a well-known family. While the Holmes were far from being a middle-class family, with them owning a couple of businesses from different industries, they were unfortunately only the standard in Seira Academy. Evan looked up Robert's family the moment he knew that the boy was going to be his roommate, and he had to scroll until the end of the page to see an article mention the boy's family. Overall, Robin was a nice guy that would live comfortably once he graduates, and unfortunately, not what Evan was looking for.

Every student in Seira Academy had some sort of reputation, but there were still those who are a cut above the rest, and the Andersons were one of them. To say that Evan was nervous was an understatement. He had the opportunity to mingle with socialites and such, thanks to his father’s influence, but they were never invited to the parties and events that really mattered. His family, too greedy for their own good, would stop at nothing to get the level of influence they think they deserved, and they didn’t have the opportunity to do so until now. With Coachel Anderson, rumored heir of his father’s company, was assigned to be his roommate. From what Evan had gathered from the rumors circulating around Coachel, the boy could be described as a narcissist. Charming, with an overinflated ego and a dash of self-entitlement. Evan realized that it was similar to how he would describe his mother, though maybe not the charming part.

Evan thought of how he’ll greet his roommate. Maybe he’ll sit on the couch nearest to the door and say a quick ‘Hello’ once Coachel enters, but that would imply that he has been waiting for the boy to arrive. He quickly scratched that idea. He then thought of staying in the bathroom and coincidentally coming out the moment Coachel walks in, but maybe meeting someone coming out of the bathroom wasn’t a good first impression.

God, what am I doing?

Ultimately, Evan decided to just go back to his room and lounge about. He figured they had an entire year to get to know each other. No point in rushing in and forcing a friendship.

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Steve Jobs]

COLLABORATIVE POST

???

a new foe has appeared...

Rubber soles glided across as a hooded figure walked along the side of a newly opened building.

Where the sun would have normally spoiled their position, the shade of the art wing kept them hidden from the staff. Slowly and quietly, they moved forward. Long nails scraped against brick while a quick text was sure to catch their victim’s attention. They were three, no two paces away from the tennis courts where a certain someone would be waiting. Tracking him was no hard task and if their assessment proved correct, ambushing wouldn’t be either.

While theories surrounding Holly Hanamura’s death kept most students on alert, the Players and the ITs believed themselves to be impenetrable. They were so accustomed to their family’s protection that they couldn’t possibly fall into death’s grip.

The absolute nerve.

They leapt forward in an instant, wrapping their elbows around Darcy’s neck and legs around his waist.

“Guess…” a feminine voice chirped, her grip tightening around his throat, “who~”

click to access

Kovacs

Darcy D'Arcangelo

"You didn't see shit, man. That point was mine."

"Mate, your foot was so over the bloody line, bloke blind as a bat could stand in my place and still see it."

"Oh, you and your foot faults. Fucking unbelievable. And yet, you still managed to—"

"Hit it—"

"Hit me. Left my collarbone fractured and bruised for weeks."

Terry, whose real name was Thomas, turned to the first-year tennis club member that had hung onto every word exchanged between the sophomores. "Case in point. Whatever you do, whatever Coach says, don't listen to him. I thought I could stand a chance against this fucker last year, too. He may be all smiles, but I'm telling you..."

"Oi, jackass," Darcy let out a good natured laugh, shoving Terry on the shoulder. "Don't scare 'em all off like that, it's only training after all. Save it for court."

"Right, right," Terry grinned weakly. "My bad. Speaking of which, we gotta figure out a time to book. Nine?"

"'Dunno," Darcy hummed, threw the ball in his hand up in the air and caught it. "Let's say around… tennish?"

Silence. The first year was the first to break a smile and a small laugh, while Terry rolled his eyes. "Painful."

"Hey, you know it! Just like m'serves."

Darcy turned and elbowed the first-year, whose name he would not bother learning. Just from this exchange alone, he knew they wouldn't last a day in practice as a prop, not like Terry could. "Good thing I swing better than I deliver puns."

The first year was eager and poised to answer back, but Darcy interrupted by starting to leave. He shook hands with Terry and made a beeline for his tennis bag lying on the floor, inches away from the court boundary.

His signature tennis racket's highlights glowed neon blue in the fading morning light. It gave him a rush to see it, the newest edition of the Head TGT 334 series. Outfitted with the company's finest calfskin gripping and nearly 70 centimeters in length, Darcy felt like a kid on Christmas every time he played with it, or even just ran the specs through his head. Throat punctured with thirst, he bent down and fished out his hockey water bottle. Straightening, he began to drink, mind clearing on his next objective. Wait for a certain someone, because he'd figured she would make good company before classes were truly underway.

It was strange, came the thought. He didn't think he'd keep this one around this long. All logic stood against it, after all. She was part of Seira's lowest caste, the Outliers. She had a reputation that hinted at her being more well-suited at a psych ward rather than Seira's prestigious halls, and she dabbled in the sorts of things most of his team members, like Terry, found cringe-inducing. They wanted top models, the daughters of movie stars, girls like the late Holly Hanamura who needed thousands of dollars as cushions just to feel comfortable on their laps. What did he want?

Then all of a sudden, he felt it.

An unpredictable, split-second rush of air, closing in between shapely legs and arms that hooked themselves around his waist and neck. Darcy nearly lost his balance, careening forward and side stepping. It was a good ambush, a great one even. Feeling the strength of her grip beginning to tighten around his throat, Darcy raised his bottle. The nozzle pointed straight at her face, playfully threatening to ruin the make up he was sure she had on. She always spent a great deal of time and effort with that, and she was a whizz at it. Satisfaction swelled at the idea of ruining it, and so out came a strong stream of water, acting like bug repellant.

Darcy chuckled and turned to face Vivian, rubbing his throat. She might be annoyed now, but he didn't care. "You sure know how to say hello, huh, Viv? I s'ppose worse things have crawled up my back."

click to access

Steve Jobs

Vivian Huang

“Hey! That’s no way to greet your assassin!” Vivian yelped as she dropped back to her feet.

A year ago she’d have half a mind to slap him for daring to splash her, but instead she shook her hair at him with full force. A man like Darcy didn't listen to reason, preferring to deflect or dismiss anything thrown his way so what better way to communicate than a taste of his own medicine? Between the flying droplets and matted hair she could see a smile forming on his lips, one that made his actions just barely forgivable.

She planted a long kiss on his lips before her hand found his own.

Her thumb traced circles around Darcy’s palm, paying special attention to newly formed calluses. They were as much as comfort as they were a reflection of her own scars. Solder burns and paper cuts took the place of thickened skin while their love of comic books allowed them to meet somewhere in the middle. He was a fire among embers, one of the few dalliances that received more than a phone call and certainly the only one who managed to keep her on retainer.

It made the sixteen hour time difference between them and inconsistent texting all the more frustrating. Tennis this, tennis that, “it’s me nan’s ninetieth birthday.” It was all so boring (except for his nan who she was sure was a very nice person (which is to say the opposite of the man before her)). And she definitely wasn’t saying all of this because her father demanded that she work for him over winter break.

IT tech by day, drunk by the afternoon, and crossfaded by nightfall left her living like a Dollar Tree Jordan Belfort. The kickbacks were few and far between, gated by whoever’s parents were out of town. More depressingly, quite a few of her high school friends became homebodies over the course of the school year (seriously what was she supposed to do, play fucking Quiplash all night?).

No, she read books. She meditated. She learned to stop waking up the household every time she walked up and down the stairs.

All of that to return to the same person she met a year ago.

“I missed you, you know.”

click to access

Kovacs

Darcy D'Arcangelo

Unpredictable. That’s what she was.

“Right you are,” Darcy chuckled, raising a mock hand of defense against the barrage of raindrops. “Next time, I’ll just use the ball.”

The ball. Another playful threat. She’d take it as a joke, like they always did. He had barely a bloody hair width of time to score a glance across the gym before her lips made landfall on his, like a wayward ship finding port on shore. Except this shore was nothing but jagged rock; and for a moment, it considered puncturing through that reckless hull of hers, sharp enough to break skin and draw blood. It would hurt, but needless to say he found little reason to care. As good as it felt, the kiss was a rogue anvil on the seabed, dragging on for way too long. It needed to end, before the right and wrong people saw them both.

So like a sudden, bitter flash Darcy bit down. At the last moment, he eased. It annoyed him to do it, but that way it would be easy enough to brush off as some surprise bit of rough-housing. Vivian drew back, finding comfort in his hand. Darcy took in a breath, taken by surprise at the soothing sensation. This was her unknowing countermove: that touch. Always made the cold inside crackle a little, knocked for six at the new wriggle room. It dawned on him that he was glad to have eased up at the last moment; those tennis handle calluses were a bitch.

I missed you, you know.

Her words were genuine enough. Darcy supposed he could think he had missed her too. Think, is the keyword. Squeezed into those little moments of peace scattered across the summer he spent back home, amidst constant tennis meets and attending his ol’ stepman’s country club; hikes and barbecues and catching up with old coaches and tennis mates. Then there was his nan’s ninetieth birthday—not that the nasty old bird showed it. Darcy smiled a little, remembering the reactions of the extended rellies when his present was called up. Some may call it kooky, others downright disturbing, but to Darcy it was merely a call-back to one of those things he and his nan used to do all the time: kill cane toads. Crush ‘em, bash ‘em, run a tire through ‘em, they did it all. The more creative, the funnier it was.

The same went for presents—unsurprisingly, his nan loved it. A VHS deluxe edition of her favourite documentary, 1988’s Cane Toads: An Unnatural History, signed by the cane-toad lord legend himself, Mark Lewis. Tucked right alongside it was a taxidermied cane toad dating back to the 30's, when they were first mistakenly brought over the pond. He figured a nice trick for the night table or the loo, or framed for the wall. He had his own copy of the tape, tucked somewhere in a box he had yet to unpack into his new dorm.

The train of thought slowed to a calculated stop. Darcy settled back on the vision of odd beauty in front of him. He didn’t used to think of her that way—think of her at all really—until that day in the comic book shop.

Nose-deep in Galactic Sentinel Princess/Ghosts of Guruman Crossover Issue #1, it was something about her hair. Both were surprised to even see each other there, but there was no denying it. He’d adored that comic as a kid, and as it turned out, so did she. So he bought the copy for her, and the coffee it took to get her talking. Then texting. Then… well. Unlike comics, what they shared had no real title, or label. Beyond proper friendship it was an unpublished piece of work, existing only in rumours and stolen kisses and root nights. Both their places on campus dictated that was what it had to be. But that didn’t mean he had to come unprepared.

“Know’s a funny word,” Darcy shrugged, keeping his smile. As usual it never quite reached his eyes, save for the slight crinkles that appeared around them, green as tree frogs. His hand left hers, caressing a stray strand of hair from her face, ticklish and tucked behind the ear.

“After classes. My dorm, or yours, or hell—out in the bush somewhere on campus. I’ll bring out one of me tapes, a real kooky one about toads. We can watch it. And I’ll show, you’ll show—just how much we’ve missed each other, hm?”

click to access

Steve Jobs

Vivian Huang

She pursed her lips for a few seconds, sucking away the lingering blood. It was an acquired taste, wrought by too many battles, a penchant for pain and morbid curiosity. Vivian hated it most of the time, preferring sweet to metallic and peace to violence, but one did not win wars through words alone.

Besides, wasn't she the one hunting him?

There seemed to be heavy contemplation in her voice as she let out an elongated "hmmmmmmmmm.” Despite leaning into his touch, her eyes seemed to be squinting past him as she weighed her options.

Of the many short-lived fascinations she had, reptiles and amphibians had been one of them. Playing a Grung in D&D, raising an axolotl into her room, and getting a new set of keycaps were only a few of the things she’d taken up in the last year so Darcy’s proposal wasn’t entirely random. She might have even said “yes” under more mundane circumstances.

But alas, they were not frogs she wanted.

"The toads are tempting but…I dunno. I was looking to do something more active y'know? Go out! Get some sun!" she said, gesturing to the steadily rising light. “The first day of class is always just professors going over the syllabus anyway. What’s a cut class here or there?”

Before he could answer, she grabbed his free hand with both of her own.

“Oh! What if we visit the next town over? I heard they opened up a retro game shop!” There was a pause as she leaned closer.

“Besides, I think a change of scenery could make our reunion a bit more interesting.”

click to access

Kovacs

Darcy D'Arcangelo

Darcy let his hand fall by the wayside. It was easy to pick out the projection, standing out like Christmas lights in sewer water.

Vivian Huang, went the superfluous, cruel little voice inside his head. Pale, sick, vitamin-D deficient vampire, always hiding behind all the gaudy cosmetics and cosplay. Halfway cryptid, halfway corpse. Get out of that fucking coffin and go out on a jog on your own time.

Darcy's mouth opened, closed. The instinct to hone in on the opponent's insecurity like ants onto their prey, tearing piece by piece until nothing was left, sometimes filled his head to the point of bursting. It was usually reserved for the court, as a certain Terry knew all too well and had so aptly put it earlier. What'd the guy say? 'He may be all smiles but...'

But inside, what a different story. Right now, as Vivian went on about craving sun and going out, the ball bounced idly to that silent, calculating rhythm. He felt the impulse writhe like a little ant in his ear.

Would her reaction be worth it? Say the words, get a rise out of her before noon classes, make up and out by dinnertime? Would he dare breathe life into all the fresh, new rumours he'd heard about her and she him, press those sweet buttons so soon after reuniting?

No, no, logic decided. The whiplash was too great; it'd wring the neck of their relationship far too soon. Never let a good thing go sour too fast.

Too soon and too fast, his left hand vied to join in on the bouncing, but no dice. Instead, to Darcy's surprise, it got caught between willowy fingers and palpable enthusiasm.

Skip class and visit the next town over, she'd said. A small lift graced the corner of his lips, interested at last. Hooking up and perusing a retro game shop, miles away from campus, with only the Game Boys and a comatose cashier for witness. As always when it came to Vivian, it was a bold idea. A great one even, if he played his cards right. Still, it did little to relieve the tension that remained taut in his right hand, encircling his lucky tennis ball.

Because in the next town over, there was a certain buyer. One that he was supposed to touch base with for quite a while now. The man was in the market for intact Staffordshire bull terriers, and was willing to pay heaps for Jackaby, Darcy's good ol' bully boy and most recent ace fighter. The buy could be set up right then and there...

Then it's off to some trashy little corner of Ecuador for Jacky, where there were no promises that the mutt would survive till summer against those desert dogs. The bonus catch was if he did, Darcy would win a tidy sum and get to be there for his final fight. If not and all was cut short, into video format it would go as fodder for dark web gore sites, just like all the others.

Of course, Vivi being by his side presented some element of risk. But even if she did have a mind to question it, he'd simply pass it off as the sad but necessary giving away of a pet into new ownership, which was far from the worst cock and bull Darcy had pulled off before. Squeeze out a few tears, some sad smiles, a distant look or two and off they go later, achievement unlocked: sympathy sex. Nothing brings two root rats, as they say back home, closer than a little bit of loss.

"Gah, all right. Why not?" Darcy nodded, feeling the satisfaction of hitting two birds with one stone, his face a sudden mirror of her own excitement. "Got Jackaby up in the new dorm anyhow, he'll be rapt for the chance to go out'n about. I'll make some calls too. Make sure there's nothing to miss while we're out. Tennis club meets don't happen 'till next week, but you know. Bloody coaches---the second there's a whiff to unofficially whip us back into shape early, the mongrels'll take it. We can meet back up at the cafeteria, head down to Varsity Courts parkade and take my car."

With a little flourish, Darcy's gym bag flew over his shoulder. The farewell squeeze of her hand was tender and nearly adoring, as if all earlier thought and temptation to crush her spirit were nothing but vanishing shadow, following him as he turned to make his way out of the gymnasium. A tanned, muscled-lean arm rose up and saluted, voice trailing behind. "Hope your new roommate's just as kooky as you are, Huang!"

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Steve Jobs

Vivian Huang

“The same to you Mista Dahcy,” she replied with the absolute worst of accents and the most exaggerated of bows.

Vivian watched the Aussie boy leave, pulling out a lighter and a cigarette. When it came to their excursions she rarely asked for much. An excuse to ditch class, good company, and some room for “spontaneity” were all she needed. Going out of town had been a compromise, born out of Darcy’s obvious discomfort with their mutual presence. Even he, for all of his boldness, didn’t appreciate the threats looming around the school.

An abandoned railway was far safer than the hallways of the chemistry building. Reaching for his hand in public posed a far greater risk than stealing one of his (many) dogs. A single polaroid could have them drowning in rumors.

But neither of them shied away from danger.

Vivian flicked her half-finished cigarette to the ground and gave the court a final twirl before heading to her dorm.