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it told me much more than that. you’re on homework duty for a month if you know what’s best for you.           [girl woven into the fabric of reality by nary a will, certainly not her own. petals of one romy rose lie strewn about semblance of uncertain season. she’s been missing in action, orchestral sweet-lullaby swell to suffocation, tune turning leaden in own lithe lilt; sleeping in lectures, sleeping in commonrooms, sleeping in between conversations. positively paralyzed. vertiginous, narrowing scope of a reality cruel in its contrast. she, half conscious to the fact, although the damning whorl lied in wake.]             i just liked their company.           [she’ll readjust standing by means of tiptoed step. eyes blink in slowed motions, breathing halts. especially when aiman’s nearby.]            i don’t know what it is..   i’ve gotten worse. 

@beauzzz       hm.  did the flower tell you that? [a faint humorous tease,   the corner of his lips curled in a small familiar smile,    reaching out to take the flower from her.  fingers brushing hers, a brief touch. a hesitant glance, as he held the stem of the gardenia. brown hues meeting her gaze, with an appreciative glimpse adorned his eyes.]         thank you,   romy.  i’ll treasure it.  if it won’t die within a week.    [a beat.]   this is what you’ve been up to, huh?  

[a gardenia, in full—bloom.]            yeah.  look..   it likes you.           [faced his way. her eyes will meet his amidst vision hastily tuning itself sharper from an incoming blanket of sloth. she’ll brush it off, in a poor way unbecoming of the sleeping beauty’s daughter. knowing elementary tricks worked seldom with aiman around disorienting the systems with paralysis.]               you don’t treat a flower any differently than yourself. you get sun..   drink water..   talk..     easy.

[  luka’s eyes followed his,  narrowing at the guards.  he wished it was that easy,  why was it never that easy  ?  ]  right,  okay.  this will be fine.  [  he mumbled,  mainly to himself,  before grabbing his arm and leading him through the crowd.  he kept his head down and avoided eye contact until he reached the balcony door,  opening it wide enough for both to slip out.  ]  d’you think an ice slide would be too obvious  ?

@coIdeyes       right.  boring.   [he couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle,    brows furrowed as he followed his gaze towards the door.  noticing, the few guards standing by the main entrance,  they looked stern, attentive. keeping an eye on everyone at the party. their parents, chatting, being completely clueless.]     i don’t think..  the doors are a smart idea.     [he had a knack for sneaking,  being stealth.  it was something he’d learned.  it came almost naturally.]      so, let’s climb down.      you do have to lead the way.   

no clue,  something about peace between kingdoms,  probably.  [  luka tries to make himself smaller,  head down,  shoulders hunched.  he sighs,  glancing at the doors to the balcony and then the main entrance.  ]  wanna climb down or risk slipping through the doors  ? 

@wantedsolis      just my roommate.  

thats also what you said three days ago.    its tempting and all,     i get that.     well,   who are we talking about?     

@wantedsolis     i didn’t steal?  i stopped..  i’m a new person now.   all, i know.. is that he’s pissed right now.  

[    she didn’t tried to think further about it,  to overthink the situation.   a insecurity lingering in her head,    if he was hiding something?    if something was troubling him.   she couldn’t help but worry.    it was the empath inside of her. a blessing and a curse.     she just gave a nod, glossed lips forming in a small smile.      ]      ah okay.       well..   i missed you.     [    wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him into an soft, suffocating embrace.      kissing his cheeks, her touch as soft as a petal.      ]            you didn’t told me you were back.    

@poisonappIe      what?   /no/    i.. [a pause, he closed his locker.]    got um..  family stuff.  

@faeseen         none of your concern.   [brows furrowed,    he looked over at her.]      but,  i’m late. i can’t find the classroom.  

@redwoIfs      yeah but that takes all the fun, you know?   [his foolish signature smile tugged at his lips,   for a fleeting glance.]     you want me to carry that for you?    looks heavy.   

@beauzzz      [he just stood there,  watching..  morning caught in the sharp lines of his posture.  fingers flexing, as if he’s just arrived and might leave again just as easily.  he doesn’t acknowledge her dream, not even a glance toward it.   he just gave a small nod.]     you sleep easy.   [he said,  without judgment.  his tone was soft, almost in a whisper an observation set down and left untouched as he just stood there.]     it was okay..  [a half truth, half lie but it was brief and final.  brown eyes softened, a sigh left his lips.  he looked at her now, properly though the look doesn’t linger where it might have once.  his gaze moves like he’s inventorying her room, her included, as if something no longer matches what he remembered.  seeming clearly confused.]    romy..  [ a pause,  he corrects his footing, weight shifting back a fraction. distance carved out by habit.] we should talk about..  [he gestures vaguely between them, an imprecise motion that refuses to name anything outright. ]   i’ve been thinking. maybe  too much. and i don’t know when things started feeling assumed. [silence presses in, though he doesn’t rush to fill it. ]   i just need to understand whatever this is..    i mean,  you’re my friend. right? 

hm        ..?          —so soon?           [succumbing out of purgatorial reverie, vividness within confines of bedsheets swallowing her whole into the belly of the beast. though the reality she’s had to face isn’t such a hassle to gaze upon today. she’ll blink twice to make the lines of his face out: the scratch left of his chin from a fall last week and lower lip pouted out first thing in the morning. romy bids adieu to the lapse that was silence’s momentary demesne, intimating decoupling from the singular esse they have deliquesced into.]            ..          that’s weird..       i saw you in my dream.          [descanted by the simpering mouth, she—rose’s aria is hopelessly florid in the lowlight.]          we were out,  having some kind of picnic,  and we’d probably eaten a lot because we were laid out..  not doing anything else,  just looking at each other.             [as opposed to him, she’s occupied her post. glued to pillow, with sole hand dragged off to hang and sway toward the edge of bed in his stead.]            (      yawn,       )          didn’t sleep half bad..     and you?

@beauzzz      [a pause stretches, unhurried, warmth settled through him as the realization dawns, not sudden but gentle that they must’ve drifted off sometime in the night.  study books lie open like abandoned thoughts, papers strewn where sleep interrupted intention, notes folded, half forgotten.  a quiet evidence of trying.  he shifts,  propping himself onto his elbows the motion slow, as though waking too quickly might break something.  fingers drag over his face, rubbing the last sleep from his eyes. curls falling forward unchecked,  as he slowly came back to his senses.]    i think..  we didn’t make it very far. [he admitted,  voice low still caught between worlds as his gaze flickered over to the scattered pages before returning to her.  a faint huff of a smile.]     we must’ve fallen asleep halfway through,   it’s fine..  romy.     we still have two days.  [he cleared his throat,   straighten his back as he got up.  ignoring his body, and how tiresome he still was from last night.]     i have to get back,  i need..  to do some things.  

maybe it’s caused by your annoying face and irritating voice  ?  [  she tilts her head slightly,  eyes wide and innocent  ]  you should leave so we can find out. 

@mirrorshards       are you always this irritated?    or is that,    just a villain thing? 

think?  definitely.  [ despite the other his clumsiness,  he felt a slight concern how careless his friend was.]   you can’t just hang around on a rooftop, you know?    i think,  i got some bandage left here.   

@beastsrage       it’s nothing.     it will get over,   think i just sprained my arm.