Soliloquy
♥Hopeless Chromatic♥
A lot of the former frequenters of Avostoska had come for holiday visits. The Trio plus two had bunked overnight along with Ryuu and Missy, all dressed in matching flannel pajamas with Tyrian and Enya in tow. While only a few months old, one might have thought they'd sleep mostly, but little Enya insisted on her presence being known, babbling incoherently. That summoned some of the young children eager to help - while keeping those who were less fans of babies away.
Kaylee beamed to see their large family together again, the holidays always warming her heart during her favorite time of year. She would have been lying to say it didn't make her eager to continue their own little family, but also knew they'd agreed to let Fate run its course. If they'd have a few years of just being married and being able to spend all the time they wanted together in love, then so be it.
Mischief couldn't be missed with everyone in one place, however. A naughty little girl was caught trying to switch the name card off one of her presents for her younger brother. A stallion who'd learned long ago of her smooth moves caught on, an egg nog in one hand while he snatched the card back in the other. "No, Zasha. That one is for Sigvar. Yours is here," Gordon said firmly, even though she clearly knew.
"Da, but his is bigger, papa. I'll take his and he can have mine," his feisty daughter offered her own negotiations.
“Is mine, Zaza,” Sigvar pouted, his poked out lip reminding Amalia of his father.
“Come here, Deeta, you will like your gift,” Amalia said, plucking her daughter up onto her lap while her husband handled their son.
Other children were being wrestled too. The Santos boys were already climbing on top of one another for dominance. Molly had Colt in a playful headlock and Beretta was giggling as she held onto Micha from behind with her hands covering her father’s eyes. Not to mention the twins, Nia, the Cromwell children! Thankfully not everyone was having the same trouble! Sweet as could be, Theo and Willow’s little songs were pleasantly opening their gifts beside the equally calm De’Levigne girls and boy.
Charlotte happily rifled through the line-up of both sentimental value and gag gifts. For the family that could buy or make literally anything, these made the best kind of present. But, there were still some that had a fun function they couldn’t pass-up to give out. Ever the theatre and artistic type, Bellasiel got all of her friends, including her own fiancée, a special significant-other project.
“This one is gonna be fun,” Charlotte said, tapping on the box with a mattress-sized canvas rolled-up for easy transportation and three tubes of complimentary colored body paint. The duos got two.
“Oh yes,” Rennick said, shuffling off layers of paper. “We can do that tonight if you want.”
“New Years would be best,” Charlotte said as she got up. “A fun way to begin twenty-twenty-nine. We can hang it up in our room somewhere.”
“What is it?” Lyra asked, tilting her head. “What do you do with it?”
Charlotte blushed. “Ummm—Go ask mom and dad.”
While the curious twin left to do just that, Jasper and Jinpa were caught puzzling it out themselves. Those watching them had to chuckle at the realization spreading over their faces! The way Jasper blushed and looked away contrasted amusingly to Jinpa’s lingering interest. Charlotte could remember a certain brother who got on her case about being in love! Could this be her opportunity to give back what he served to her? Jasper didn’t spare Charlotte on Christmas last time!
“So, Jas,” Charlotte said, stretching out over Keagan and Rennick like a cat, “I hear you and Yasmine are getting a long.”
“Uh, yeah, she’s great,” Jasper said, avoiding eye contact.
“Have you gone on dates?” Charlotte asked.
Jasper pursed his lips, eyeing his sister from the side. “Yeah.”
“Did you kiss her?” Charlotte asked, narrowed eyes bright with amusement.
“It’s none of your business,” Jasper muttered.
“Oh you DID kiss her!” Charlotte said. “What was it you said about that kind of things? Oh yeah,” she made a playful face and said, “Eewwww, don’t be GROSS!”
Deciding he could spare to stand up for the young man who'd be his brother-in-law soon enough, Keagan offered a sympathetic look. "To be fair, actually kissing is a lot more appealing than how it sounds. Maybe he just finally found someone he could enjoy himself with."
"And she's going to be coming here this afternoon, right? With Ava and all your other friends?" Kaylee questioned from her pile of gifts. Cornflower eyes held questions of just what relationship was there between her brother, his ex, and his new girlfriend.
Seated close by and feeding Enya, Sophia seemed to read her mind. "Oh, they get along great. Jasper's also not the bane of the Sophomore girls, either. No more Ass-per Von Helsing since he's started behaving normally again."
“Ass-per?” Jasper blinked. “They called me that?”
Khaz, burping his son over his shoulder, held back a chuckle. “Trust me, that’s the kindest nickname they gave you.”
“You were not at all popular at first, li’l bro,” Charlotte found that hilarious! But she had to give him credit. “Good thing you straightened yourself out.”
It came as a wonder, since there was no way he could win back Ava now that Lucas was in the Halifax girl’s life. Sophia suspected there was a rumor going around that Jasper had liked Ivy. It could have explained it, but the curvy girl had been dating Peter. Whatever the reason, they were grateful.
“Jin too,” Serenity chuckled.
“Hey, everything that happened was a misunderstanding on my part that no one wanted to make me aware of,” Jinpa said in his defense of his foible with Kendal. “I’ve made my amends anyway.”
Yonten, who broke from a conversation with Wesley, Everest, and Cory to hear what was being said, chimed in, “Gotta hottie too, I hear, homie. That’s mah boy!”
"What you mean is the Pakshi men have great taste," Annabelle cackled delightfully. "Bet ya she's smart as a firecracker, too."
"I suppose we'll all find out soon enough. How long until your friends arrive?" Rosy asked, knowing it might be too easy to tease two teenage boys about their girlfriends!
Jasper got on that question quick. “Jin and I are gonna get them a little before noon, probbaly in a half hour, so they can use the spa and all that.”
It had been a courteous suggestion that all the girls agreed would be amazing. Kendal grew distress at that point that she wouldn’t be coming to the party. The guys, Lucas and Sean, would hang out with Jinpa and Jasper while the girls got ready for the party that evening.
“That’s sweet,” Hura said, setting down her phone to hand Sophia a baby wipe. “Will they be spending the night?”
“I hope so. I want to play some of the cool games I got with Caly,” Jinpa said.
“Yeah, and I want to show Yasmine around the castle,” Jasper said.
“Oh, is that all you’ll want to show her?” Charlotte wiggled her brows.
“Lottie!” Inara chuckled as she scolded her daughter for causing Jasper to turn as red as a cherry.
Escaping discipline with a laugh, Charlotte got up to gather some of her candies and thanked the staff to bring up her gifts. “Well, I’ll be going to my room to put these away. Then I’m gonna head down to the spa myself,” she looked at the other girls who were just as giggly about her tease to Jasper, “you all are welcome to come!”
"Hmm, that is quite tempting," Kaylee admitted, looking to her husband to see if he had other plans. They obviously were able to visit the spa whenever they might wish, but doing so with friends was even more appealing!
Jaxon smiled. “Go on,” he said, giving her back a rub. “I wanna catch up on the news with Wes anyway.”
They had good news about the conflict between the remaining Sydalsh cult. Over the last year a person on the inside had helped collapse every attempt on their part to reignite another wave of Dalshi warriors. No one knew who the mysterious persons were and it seemed like Wesely hinted it would be revealed soon. It would have to come after all the arrangements were made to safeguard this turncoat. That, and other details perked his attention.
"You girls go on ahead," Missy assisted as she accepted Tyrian into her lap with little protest from Tallulah. "I'm sure Elendia doesn't mind watching the grandbabies with me and we can even sweet talk Khaz into giving up a bit of daddy time, if needbe."
"There's plenty here to watch the babies," Willow insisted, her gaze on Missy. "Even grandmas and daddies are more than welcome to take breaks."
That made Ellie chuckle with amusement. "Yes, please. I think there's a few who need to quell their own baby fever before they're too tempted to look into reversing snips."
The sentiment was shared by a few of them. It would be hard to think of adding on more if they were surrounded by babies already. It was true especially for Alassiel who knew her children would be as easy as pie! Molly, who did her best not to peek in the future, knew not to tempt herself by doing so.
“We’ll see you guys later,” the girls said who were on their way to their rooms and then the spa.
Jasper and Jinpa eventually got themselves together, said they’d be back, and walked off with a pup trailing their heels without knowing it. Seth managed to go undetected even as they opened the portal. He sat back on his haunches, staring past the guys as the girls came walking in through to the castle.
Everyone who had been chatting excitedly at the Academy continued to do so once inside the castle. The girls each carried a dress bag while wearing semi-formal clothes that would at least get them to the spa. Those who were former guests felt welcomed immediately, while new comers felt a little bit out of place.
"Pretty extravagant," Caly commented, even greeted just by the simple architecture of the vaults. "Bit flashy for my taste, but I can dig it."
"It's beautiful," Yasmine breathed with delight, tempted to peek past and see what else they'd find though she did stop to greet Jasper sweetly with a peck on his check. Pulling away, she spotted a tuft of fur behind him. "Oh! A...dog? Or..."
Ava followed her gaze, standing between Ivy and Lucas, chuckling at the sight. "One of the werepups. Someone's a naughty boy, aren't you? I bet your mom is going to be looking for you!" She stooped to offer an extended hand toward the pup while still holding her dress.
Seth came cautiously, licking the air and keeping his belly low to the ground as he reached out to smell her hand. He immediately got comfortable, kissing her hand and whimpering as his whole body wobbled back and forth. This earned an awe from all the girls who carefully came up to pet the excited boy. He easily stole their attention from Jasper and Jinpa.
“He’s so sweet,” Ivy breathed. “Which one is he?”
“Seth,” Jinpa spoffed. “He’s the most curious, always running around the castle with Moira.
“You’re gonna have to go back, you know,” Jasper said to the pup.
“Mmm, mmm, mmm!” Seth whined.
Ava, who was giving his scruff a proper scratching, shared in his sentiment. "I know, buddy. But we'll see you again at dinner. Why don't you head back to your family and maybe we can play later?"
That only somewhat tempted him. Seth leaned into her scritch and peered up with puppy dog eyes to plead. Jasper, chuckling, had to reach down and pick up his cousin. The puppy whined as Jasper, Jinpa, and Lucas walked away with him. They promised to meet up with the girls in a couple of hours when they were done being pampered but the staff at the spa.
“Oh I miss seeing those little guys,” Ivy sighed, forgetting much of her troubles from just that one interaction.
They giggled over the werepups and talked about seeing the other three as they went down the right pathways to the spa. Yasmine and Caly were new to the extravagant wing that featured many popular and ancient techniques for beauty treatments. The methods used to prep and relax ranged from Wesern, Middle Eastern, Asian, and more. Even fusions were doable. All you had to do was ask.
“Hello,” Charlotte waved. She and the others happened to arrive right on time! Greeting the girls she knew well first, Charlotte moved on to the other two. “Welcome to Avostoska.”
Serenity smiled. “Good to see you.”
“Hi, I’m Bella,” the fair woman offered a hand to the girls she hadn’t met before.
"Wonderful," Yasmine beamed as she accepted for handshake and looked about to see what what offered. "What would you recommend?"
Caly, on the other hand seemed to know just what she wanted more than Ava! "I'll have a deep tissue massage for my shoulders and calves, pedicure, manicure, shampoo with blowout and a bikini wax, Bella babe," she made her desires known as she handed her dress off.
Ava looked over with surprise, brows perked. "I thought you hadn't been here before."
Smirking, Caly shrugged her shoulders. "I haven't. I just know what I want."
Stopping right behind Caly, tall and tattooed, Amalia had come with the other women who were just arriving. Her shadow turned their heads. “Is good,” she said, “woman should always know what she want.”
Amalia tossed her clothes and stepped forward with confidence that the staff would know which methods of relaxation she wanted, having been there before too many times to count. Annabelle, Inara, Ellie, and more followed.
Chuckling, Ivy gave her things over to the staff just like the other two. “I’d like the usual, Mini,” she said to a lady with big brown eyes, “but maybe a shorter set of nails this time.”
“Yes, dear girl, I’ll get on that,” Mini beamed, handling her and the other women as they came forward.
Alassiel, Willow, Natalia, Rosy, and the rest, even Granya, came shuffling into the spa that became busy with movement and the echo of voices in the rooms where they gathered for their preferred services. They happily melted into the routine.
Nearly drooling the moment she was laid down, Sophia did take note that she was near Ava and Willow. "So, how are things with Lucas?"
Only caught a little off guard by the question since it was coming from the Barodosas wife who was known to gossip, Ava answered around a low groan as her massage continued. "He's perfect, honestly. A sweetheart and funny. Considerate, too."
The older generation, very much caught up on everything, gingerly entered the conversation. "Those are all great qualities for a mat- ahem, a man," Willow corrected herself, not wanting to give any ideas that weren't really there. "And there's no hard feelings between you and Jasper?"
"Hmm, nope. None at all," Ava said with minimal thinking. "He's apologized, and even if it sucked when it ended, I found someone who makes me happier. That should be everyone's goal, I think."
Annabelle, a few stations away, was impressed. "That's a damn good way to think of it."
“Very mature,” Inara agreed. She sighed into a roll against her back. “I’m glad to hear things have worked out for you, Ava, and I’m happy to know Jas is improving. He won’t come to me about these things. Too embarrassed to talk about his romantic interests to his mother, I suppose.”
Inara, try as she might, couldn’t snag a moment to speak about these things with her son who would become pink and run away! It was so disheartening to know Jasper wasn’t doing well when it came to the opposite sex.
“At least he did come to Wesley,” Natalia pointed out.
“Yes, but I think by then he had begun turning a new leaf anyway,” Inara said, but gave a shrug and added, “which I guess you could argue is why he finally talked with one of us. Wes said Jas wanted to become his own realized man. Or something like that.” Out of respect, Inara didn’t pry into it further than what her son wanted to be known. “I wonder what had turned him around.”
Peeking over at Yasmine, Alassiel asked, “How is Jasper? As a boyfriend.”
Cheeks warming at the mere thought of him, Yasmine cleared her throat to respond. "He's been very attentive and considerate. He made sure all of us had something to wear for today's festivities," an offer she appreciate more for the fact he was being do thoughtful than just for a new dress! "He is a much better listener than I would have expected after all the stories I heard. But he's shown he's a hard worker and focused."
"But can he kiss?" Caly asked with an amused, deeper chuckle.
Kaylee felt her cheeks heating up. It was one thing to tease their brother, another to hear about this side of his adventures growing up! "You don't need to answer that Yasmine, if you don't want to."
Giggling, Yas shook her head. "It's fine, really. Jasper is a good kisser, in my opinion." Ava didn't disagree.
Caly on the other hand wasn't afraid to boast. "Not as good as Jinpa, I bet. I could chase those lips for hours."
Annabelles cackle traveled the space with ease. "I can tell you he gets that from my Bunny. Be careful with that wild spirit, girlie." They didn't need to have molotov cocktails at the Academy!
"Really? I would have thought Jinpa was pretty relaxed and laid back," Ava admitted.
"Oh, the Pakshi men are. That energy just comes out when the need it," Annabelle said with a smirk half hidden. As lovers and fighters!
"Oh, and the women are just spirited all the time?" Rosy asked, teasingly, thinking of the bundle of trouble Nia was.
"Damn right we are!"
Ellie chuckled as she moved on to begin her nails. "Blackthorn blood doesn't help at all, either."
Sigvar Blackthorne grinned at the remark, somewhere between the realm of Men and of the heavens. He and his fiery maiden, together again in eternity, couldn’t agree more. Proud is a dull word for the joy the long dead vampire had for his descendants. Nia and Jinpa would be certain to pass that along!
“Just wait and see what comes after adding another spicy bloodline,” Inara spoffed. She too moved from the massage table to have her hands and feet taken care of. “My hope is that Keagan will give Lottie grandchildren with a calm spirit.” Lord knew Rennick wouldn’t! “Jasper is quite spirited too—don’t take it the wrong way, Yasamine dear, but I wouldn’t be upset if something more between you two blossomed in the future. No pressure, of course. You have all your school years ahead.”
“Yes, be responsible,” Natalia said, and she gave Amalia a smirk.
“I told you, I did make sure,” Amalia insisted. It had been years since they found out that she was expecting Zasha. The Snake swore up and down she was vigilant about her pills.
“Mhm,” Natalia shrugged with an amused grin. She didn’t know or not, but it was funny to tease her cousin anyway. “Well, you girls are sure to be careful.”
Ivy blushed, thinking about what her friends had said a couple days ago, and how her cousin Kendal admitted she had taken a step that everyone seemed to expect of the teens of their age. She hadn’t spoken up about her own view on it. Truth be told, she found it both alluring and nerve racking! However, with what had happened, Ivy wondered if that door would be shut at this point.
The strawberry blonde’s mind wandered again. She tuned out of the talk without realizing it, going through the motions of being directed by the staff working at the spa.
"Oh yeah, no worry there," Caly wasn't ashamed to answer even in front of her boyfriends mother. "I have no intentions of having kids for years. Like several years." If ever! "There's way too much of the world I want to see."
Ava had followed shortly after behind Ivy, not missing his she had fallen quiet yet again. "I doubt any of us are thinking about kids right now. School is far too important." She took up a seat beside her friend, casually looking over colors of choice.
"Natalia is right though, make sure you're being careful. Alarms for birth control," Sophia offered her sage wisdom a handful of years older than them. She was very vigilant since Enya and would not be missing one if she could help it!
“I am the Queen of vigilance,” Charlotte boasted as she sat beside Kaylee. “I have only had one or two worries. That was when I was working too hard athletically and the other I had been eating too much of some fruit that delayed it. But the rest of the time it’s been like clockwork.”
“Isn’t Rennick still using Almaeri?” Alassiel asked, mildly curious.
“Yeah, but, I’m hoping he’ll be up to using mundie methods,” Charlotte said. He still hadn’t made it clear if he was willing to bind or not.
“Keep hope. He’ll come around,” Natalia said. She was quite happy about it herself. Amalia and the rest who had done the binding did as well.
The women went on with their roaming discussions and pampering. An hour or so later they were ready to walk out with their hair done, outfits on, and looking like a gathering of heartbreakers! Even Ivy perked up a little seeing how they had styled her curls up in a swirling bun that spilled a few spirals. No one lacked compliments between them and she was glad to know no one thought she wore something distasteful. Like Kendal said, some of them wore similarly.
“Ooo, I love this dress,” Charlotte grinned, taking a turn in front of the mirror.
"Keep up wearing things like that and you're going to end up pregnant, trust me Lottie," Ellie spoffed, all too familiar with unplanned pregnancies. She loved their not-so-Little John dearly and were more than fortunate that he was so well-behaved, but she wouldn't have minded putting off her child-rearing years a bit. As it was, once it got started they found no reason to stop!
Yasmine's cheeks were heating up for Charlotte at that point, tucking her dress hem down a little. Just in case! Caly on the other hand had no shame in showing off her toned legs and perfectly sculpted arms. No point in hiding all that work!
Kaylee had been comfortable enough to go with a perfectly-fit silk satin dress with a few tulle layers. It felt flowy enough for dancing without impeding her abilities to move. She looked up to see the mermaid style deep red dress her aunt was wearing. "Oh, Aunt Ellie, that looks amazing on you."
"Kaylee's right, gonna be hard to talk to Everest after dinner," Annabelle knowingly snorted.
"Damn right. I'm overdue for some 'mommy time' and it won't be a silent night tonight, if I can help it," Ellie said as she adjusted the top of her dress to help accentuate her bust.
Rosy, wearing a sea foam colored dress of similar style felt her cheeks turn dark red. "Oh, Ellie! Lord, making me wonder if this is too showy..."
"Bless, you look just fine," Willow insisted, coming to comfort her sister who was not quite as bold as their in-laws could be! She too was wearing a deep burgundy piece that went for a classier taste. Her beloved husband didn't need a specific dress for her to catch his eye.
Amalia, slipping on her strap, said, “Is not showy at all, is okay.” She wore a short, tight black and silver dress.
“Yes, very tasteful,” Inara said, smoothing out the swirls on her skirt. Wesley had asked her to wear lace that covered enough not to shock, but revealed much of her skin. A bunching of chiffon that draped attractively around her, open at the front, was the only opaque part of the dress.
Lauri gave a twirl, watching the stars of her gown twinkle. “We all look incredible!”
“I think so,” Alassiel agreed, giving her full forest-green skirt a playful flounce.
Natalia let the diaphanous shall of her dark teal and black striped dress fall around her shoulders gracefully. “These gowns are comfortable too.”
“Yeah, which is nice,” Serenity said, running her hands down her dark blue fabric while Bellasiel came to help her finish.
“Pants are more comfortable,” Bellasiel said, lacing up her lover’s back. She wore a festive Christmas outfit that was both feminine and functional.
Granya had to agree, but she did like to dress up on occasion. Right then she wore a layered gray and white gown that reminded her of Cala lily flowers laid on top of one another. “This is still fun.”
“Definitely,” Elendia said. Even if they had no one to impress. She Hura wore a similar style of dress, one black and the other red.
“Ready to drop jaws, ya’ll?” Molly chose a pretty navy blue with silver that styled after the fall of broken mirror shards.
"We all have husbands-" Ellie began before Annabelle corrected her.
"Partners."
"Oh right, partners, that are about to drop far more than their draws. Stunning ladies, let's make an entrance," Ellie finished, earning prideful smiles and glowing faces all around.
"You girls go ahead on first," Missy ushered the youngest teens along. Nothing wrong with a few minutes of letting suspense build if the older generation was in the back.
Ivy trailed behind the ones who had boyfriends. Ava, Yasmine, and Caly headed them all off. It was a good thing too, because Ivy’s mind wandered again. Any time they passed a reflective surface or a mirror, she took a look at the womanly appearance of herself. A part of her really wanted Peter there to see it. Doubtless, he would blush and stammer—adorable, really—to be witness to her mature and alluring outfit, but mostly Ivy wanted to just share this night with him and the people she came to love. The memory of their recent interaction stole some of the shine from her eyes.
“Woo,” Jinpa grinned, seeing Caly walking in wearing the dress she picked out. He felt a stir he didn’t expect and his cheeks colored.
Jasper thought he saw double when Yasmine walked up to him. His big, genuine smile was as evident of his pleasure to see her as any words he could have said. He took her hand and gave it a kiss. “You look amazing.”
“Oh, Ava, it’s like you’re a vision from a dream,” Lucas murmured, giving her a kiss on her cheek.
Ivy took steps to the side as they older women came sweeping into the room to the awes and whistles of their men. Jaxon gave Kaylee a twirl and tug to him, Keagan and Rennick peppered Charlotte with kisses, Ryuu praised Missy’s glittering golden silhouette, Niklaus couldn’t keep his hands off of Emery’s hips, Theo practically sang of Willow’s beauty, Liam gave Granya a howl of approval, Micha went around boasting to whoever was within earshot of his beloved, and Wesley drew Inara in for a kiss worthy of the Lady of Avostoska. Alassiel, Natalia, Amalia, and the rest were no different, spending quite a while just simply melting into the arms of their devoted loves ones. Khaz, who held their babies in wait for his wives, did so too, when Hura and Elendia took Enya and Tyrian.
Andriy looked to Alassiel as if it were the first time his gaze fell on her that fateful night at the wedding. "З усіх вод світу моє море найкрасивіше [of all the waters on the world, my Sea is the most beautiful]," he praised her lovingly.
"My dear Lamb I've given you the sun, moon, and stars but I could never give you all that I long to." The protective Lion gave his beloved a slow spin so that the dress might spin slowly out and fan.
Joao kept a powerful yet gentle hold on his sweet maiden while he whispered sweet nothings to Natalia. "All good presents under the tree, but best gift is you each day."
Gordon had plenty he wanted to say to his lovely Serpent, but due to children present he tugged her close and lowered his voice. Everyone was reuinted and rejoiced with their beloved and families. Everest was even willing to abandon his beloved scotch to properly greet his wife! Soon the littles couldn't be distracted for long - little bellies were empty!
"Mama, Papa," Astrid tugged carefully on her mother's starry skirts. "Pouvons-nous manger maintenant? [May we eat now]"
Nia, mischievous as ever even in her cute Christmas dress came up and passed her cousin an orange, only after dropping one in her brother's pocket.
"Food? Where did you find food?" Young Oliver with his growing body had already searched the room and only found an empty table!
"Swiped it from the kitchens," the fiery spawn of dragon and bunny grinned victoriously. Her accomplices around the room were also nibbling on treats and snacks, odd lumps in their clothing where it'd been hiding were now noticed.
Chuckling at the sight, Lauri didn’t scold them this time. It was Christmas and, after all, dinner had been delayed far too long. So, the lamb picked up her little five-year-old Astrid and gave her a nuzzle.
“Oui, mon Bijou,” Lauri slipped her free arm into Oliver’s. “Come along children, dinner time!”
The littlest of them ran first. Granya and Liam’s litter were faster on all fours, so they dashed away to the long table with Solaris and Coda behind them. However, those two were only two years old. Aenon, a year older, caught up and surpassed them. Though a small triumph, he was still soon overtaken by the four year olds, save for Astrid who sat on Lauri’s hip—Renata and Rivver kept pace with their cousins Zacarias, Sigvar, and Aria, who were one year their senior. Even so, the spit-fire Nora, aged six-going-on-seven, along with Nell, Baretta, Dorian, and Sirius of her same birth year, managed to give them a good race ending in their arrival first. The rest of them, those that looked ahead at turning nine in the coming year, were not as interested in racing to the table this time around. Lilith, Nia, Lucius, Zasha, Colt, Melody, Des and Lyra, Rayne, Luna, and Olly were either talking amongst each other or mildly jogging. Kit and John picked up the tail end of the children taking their seats.
Just as the adult men pulled out chairs for their beloveds, Jasper, Jinpa, and Lucas did the same. Sean, who had accompanied them to the Christmas event late, spotted Ivy scooting her chair out with mild trouble. They were bulky, even if comfortable.
“Here,” Sean said, giving the furniture a pull with one tug.
“Oh, thank you,” Ivy said, offering an appreciative smile before sitting down.
Sean, pleased, decided to take up the spot on the other side of Ivy while Ava sat to her left. A person with a keen eye could tell he was having trouble not allowing his eyes to drift to the strawberry-blondes Christmas splendor. But, Sean wasn’t the kind of guy to cross boundaries. So he kept his conversation and his manners polite.
Someone else had to deal with the struggle. Two, in fact. Charlotte held no jealousy, nor did she feel threatened seeing Keagan blushed when he caught sight of a certain cellist not too far from where they sat. In fact, it might have behooved Keagan not to have revealed his attraction to women with dark hair and pretty features! Charlotte was always up for a good tease. Did she need Keagan to hand her the salt-shaker? Or was it a ploy to force him to face his head in a certain direction? Just to playfully mess with him? Keagan would do well to be careful about his fiancée and what amused her!
It seemed the other young man plagued by the beauties around him found himself doing his best to avoid getting put in the same position as Keagan—Jasper seemed to not hear people past Ava’s right side, nor did he appear to have any interest in food down that way despite some of it being his favorites. In fact, even when Ivy directly asked Jasper a question about whether he decided on being Elite or not, he didn’t look her way at all. Not knowing what was up, Ivy could only make assumptions that it was too loud or something. However, he couldn’t hide very well once they finished eating.
“Come on, let’s dance,” Jasper insisted to Yasmine, eyes on her with his hand out. They had barely finished their desserts!
“Oh, uh, Jas—,” Ivy tried to get an answer once again.
“The night isn’t getting any younger,” Jasper playfully tempted Yasmine, cutting off the attempt in a casual way that assumed he hadn’t heard.
Sean watched Ivy’s shoulders slump a little as Jasper and Yasmine left the table at his urging. “It’s probably just loud in here,” he offered softly.
“Maybe,” Ivy said, turning to finish her cake. She’d have to test that theory!
“Uh, Ivy?” Sean glanced at her once he had cleared his plate and the others, including Lucas who took Ava to the dancefloor after Jinpa and Caly, went to enjoy the music, “would you like to dance?”
“Oh, that’s right, you didn’t bring anyone.” Ivy looked over between the pillars at the marble floor crowding with people every minute. Sean probably wanted to have fun too. Might as well be a friend and dance with him. “Alright, I don’t mind.”
Sean hadn’t quite meant it like that. As he helped Ivy up he said, “Well, true, I don’t have Kendal or anyone, but I also think that you’re a nice person and I thought I’d enjoy a dance with you since, well, I don’t have a date and Peter isn’t here.”
The truth of that deepened the dull ache in Ivy’s heart. She did her best to push it away. “Aw,” Ivy smiled gratefully. “That’s sweet, Sean.” She took his arm to allow him to bring her to the dance floor. “I think you’re nice too.”
After two dances Ivy needed a small break. Sean obliged, quite happy with the closeness and mild conversation he had with Ivy while they were on the dancefloor. However, he didn’t stand idle long. A little girl with hair the color of the sky came walking up with big, dark blue eyes and a small smile. Rayne asked Sean if he wanted to dance! That made him chuckle. How could he refuse?
Ivy drank some water as she enjoyed the sight of such a tiny girl being whisked away to music. It was then that she noticed the back of someone’s head looked all too familiar. Yasmine stood facing her direction, speaking with him, confirming who it had to be. With her free hand Ivy tapped the young man’s shoulder.
“Jas,” Ivy called him.
Turning around with wide eyes and a blush so deep Ivy suspected she had interrupted a private moment, Jasper swallowed and said, “What do you want?”
The abruptness of an odd phrase at a time like this surprised Ivy. She glanced around in brief concern before pressing both her hands to the cup she held and saying, “I was just trying to get an answer for a question I had before.” Jasper’s dark amber eyes raised higher than her head. Doing so prompted Ivy to wonder what he was looking at and so did the same while she asked, “Did you decide if you wanted to be Elite?”
“Uuuh, no,” Jasper said, and turned back around to face Yasmine again.
Unsure what was going on with that short and curt reply, but having too much on her mind, Ivy pursed her lips and turned on her heel, walking to the hidden alcove past Ava and Lucas who had just finished another wonderful dance—they were truly great together in the art of moving their bodies in sync with one another to music—where she stayed long enough for Sean to wonder what happened.
“Hey, do you know where Ivy went?” Sean asked Ava.
Knowing her friend and her tendencies to slip away when overwhelmed with social demands, Ava nodded but didn't release that information. "I'll go and check on her for you. Maybe she just needed a small break from all of this." A small gesture at the room bustling with people was enough for most to understand why escapes were needed! With promises to Lucas that she'd return shortly, Ava followed the familiar path to the hideaway corner that was refuge frequently for their more introverted companions. Knocking lightly on the wood with her head poked in, she gave Ivy her best smile. "Mind if I come in?" (edited)
Peering up, Ivy sniffed and nodded. She had kicked off her flats, laid out on the couch, and been resting her eyes. Now she scooted up a little to give Ava proper attention. She knew her friend wasn’t the type to hide from a party.
“What do you need?” Ivy asked softly, sure that she could do what she could for her.
"What I need is to find out just what's been bothering my friend," Ava replied gently, taking up a seat on just across from her with a concern-ridden face. "You've felt off and I want to know what's going on and if I can do anything for you."
Ivy’s resolve to keep stoic crumbled. She just wasn’t in the mood to keep up the ruse. “Peter and I broke up,” she frowned. “I didn’t want to sour anything for anyone with my attitude, especially since it’s Christmas, but I guess I didn’t do the best job.”
Heart breaking to see her so distressed, Ava scooted her way closer and immediately pulled her in for an embrace. She gave her head a mindful pat that wouldn't ruin the strawberry curls. "I'm so sorry Ivy, but you do not need to try and hide anything. You're completely allowed to have feelings and emotions and a break-up gives you both of those," she insisted, trying to find more ways she could help. "Do you want me to get you something else to drink? Or maybe we can sneak out of here and head back if you're not feeling like staying?"
“I was thinking I’d ride out my emotions here and then go back when I felt better,” Ivy said, pulling away to look at her. “I don’t want to take you away from the party…But, maybe you could listen to how it went down, you can let me know if I was being ridiculous or not. Because right now I can’t tell if I wasn’t right.”
"Of course. That's exactly what friends are for," Ava insisted, giving her a small pat as she settled in for just what happened.
Taking a tissue, Ivy cleaned her face as she explained. “Pete’s an only child in an upper class family. That’s all fine, but he normally got what he wanted without stepping out of his comfort zone. The friends he has look up to him, they have their little friend traditions, and he expects people to agree with him most of the time.”
Ivy told Ava that behind the scenes he would tell her that he was uncomfortable when he didn’t feel ‘heard’ by ‘her friends’.This was interpreted as not being the center of attention, which Peter denied. Then, when they would go party at the cottage, he felt like the etiquette of providing food and drink wasn’t properly followed. Ivy explained these were hangouts, not parties. They didn't need to bring food or drink all the time. Peter disagreed. He also complained about Jasper or Ava never offering him to play games. This was even after Ivy tried to say Peter liked to play games too, which he didn’t like because he thought they should just know to offer new people. As an only child he was the only one to ask, Ivy tried to reason, so maybe that’s why he thought that, but no, it wasn’t a universal truth.
“It felt like Peter had these expectations of how friends worked that, even if I explained it wasn’t the same for everyone, and that it wasn’t that deep, he just didn’t believe me,” she let out a sorrowful sigh that threatened to turn into a sob, “Then after Halloween we had a big fight about what happened that night. He said ‘your friends aren’t considerate’, to which I argued he had plenty of chances to do something else with me instead of watching horror movies. That didn’t go over well. He shut down talk about it and we just kind of were together until a couple days ago when I saw we were invited to Avostoska, he said he didn’t feel comfortable hanging around you guys. I asked why and it ended with him saying it’s him or you guys and I—I didn’t think that was right, so last night I told him I wasn’t going to cut friends just because he’s uncomfortable. So he said we’re done then, but…was I supposed to be a good girlfriend and stop seeing people for my boyfriend?” Ivy shook her head at the thought. “That didn’t sound right to me, but I miss all the good, sweet things about Peter, and now I don’t know.”
Ava had listened politely without interrupting, though her face showed that she didn't enjoy just what she was hearing. He had no right to demand she change herself just because he was demanding of attention. "No, you absolutely shouldn't have. He sound quite full of himself and it's not like none of us ever changed to fit in. He's asking the entire dynamic to change and that's not fair to everyone but especially to you." She grabbed an extra tissue and held it out to Ivy. "If you ask me, you did the right thing. I know it'll hurt for a bit, but an attitude like Peter's doesn't change and you'd only continue to grow agitated with him. There's a million sweet guys out there, you don't have to settle for one who's sweet sometimes and a butt the rest. Just need to do what I did and move on and maybe the next one will be better for you. Hell, it hurt but I'm so glad that things ended between Jasper and I."
The confirmation that she hadn’t acted irrationally did help improve Ivy’s mood. She smiled through dabbing her tears away, saying, “Lucas is great. I’m so happy to see how joyful he’s made you.” She made a face. “Jasper is acting strange again, though. I am pretty sure he ignored me at dinner and when I got the chance to ask him my question he wouldn’t look me in the eye. He kept staring over my head.”
"Staring over your head?" Ava's brows knitted in confusion. Avoiding eye contact was downright rude! You only ever did it if you were trying to be disrespectful or couldn't look them... Realization of just what was likely tugging at the young man from the crush that she'd kept as secret as she could (some things weren't possible!) shone on her face and Ava had to clear her throat. "Maybe he's having difficulties now that you're in this unique situation. This is a wardrobe he hasn't experienced your presence in, Ivy."
The implication slowly pieced together as Ivy tried to understand what the deal was with him. “You mean, you think he thinks I’m…” Her cheeks colored. “Oh my.” She felt a leap of embarrassment. “Oh no, what do I do? Should I avoid him too? I don’t want to make it uncomfortable for him or Yas—Oh, what will she think of me?!”
That actually made Ava giggle and shake her head. "Oh Ivy she won't think any less of you! I mean, you can't help who you find attractive. Even if they're married and you're engaged." Charlotte's teasing and the news of Keagan's crush had traveled. "Personally, I wouldn't avoid him. You don't apologize for being hot, that's ridiculous! He'll just have to learn to live with it."
The notion of being hot—never thought she’d hear that in her life—felt surreal to Ivy. She would have to trust Ava and the assumed evidence that she, indeed, was quite the attractive young lady. Despite the insecurities that whispered in her ear, Ivy smiled and nodded.
“I’ll go back to the party then,” Ivy said. She finished the last tissue and breathed out. “Thank you, Ava. I really appreciate you.”
Waving her hand to brush off the compliment even as she felt a wave of pink heat from pride, Ava rose to her feet. She extended a hand to assist Ivy to do the same. "And more people should appreciate you. Now then, let's go out there and enjoy our castle party! Maybe you can even snag Sean for another dance or two."
“Yeah, he’s a good dancer. And very nice,” Ivy said, happy to link arms and walk out a new woman with greater confidence.
The Great Common hadn’t slowed down. It could be argued the party increased in enthusiasm and spectacle. Joao was doing a signature dance with Natalia even with Jovan standing in the room. Following his lead, Jaxon took Kaylee out for a spin in a similar manner. Jinpa did try a spicier dance with Caly too, but they weren’t quite as experienced as the adults who knew better and were more in sync with each other.
It happened to be that Sean had declined dancing with any of the little girls who wanted to do the same for obvious reasons. He was standing nearby when the girls returned.
“Oh, hey,” Sean greeted them. “How are you feeling? You kinda vanished…”
“Yeah, sorry,” Ivy smiled sheepishly. “I just, uh, had to recover a bit.” It would come out anyway, so she said, “Peter and I broke up. Ava helped me through it.”
Sean seemed far less upset than expected. He forced a frown. “Aw, well, I’m sorry you’re going through a hard time. Pete was okay, but if he’s dumb enough to let you go, then maybe he’s not that great after all.”
“Oh, thank you,” Ivy blushed.
"That's what I was thinking," Ava had to agree, lingering by the two. She wasn't quite sure where Lucas had wandered off to and wanted to ensure Ivy was comfortable. "It's his loss, really. He's missing out on one heck of a party and an even better chick, if you ask me and - oh my." She'd stopped mid-sentence to fully take in some of the dancing that was happening. "Well now, that's quite the sight to come back in to."
Clearing his throat, Sean tucked his hands in his pocket and gave a nod at the dancers. “Yeah, they started gettin’ a little wild.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Lucas’ welcomed voice came at Ava’s side. When she turned to him he happily pulled her over. “Why don’t we give it a try?”
Cheeks flushed pink at the idea, but it was just enticing enough to push away any possible embarrassment. She glanced back over at Ivy for a final time. "You'll be alright here if we...?" Ava asked even as she had taken hold of one of Lucas' hands.
“Of course, go have fun,” Ivy urged. She gave Ava a small playful nudge.
“We’ll catch up later,” Lucas said, and tugged his sweetheart with him to the dancefloor where he made those pink cheeks red!
Giggling, Ivy watched them where she stood with Sean. “Ava’s a little shy here, but you can tell she’s just loving it.”
Sean observed the same. “I can see that,” he said, and looked back at Ivy. “Hey, I know it might be too soon, and maybe a little too forward, but…Would you want to go out with me? It’s fine if not. You just broke up with Pete and I know that can be rough.” He still liked Kendal, even if he had to stop the train before they wrecked. “So no pressure.”
The offer came as a bit of a surprise for Ivy. She hadn’t thought Sean liked her like that—to be fair, this was the same thought process she had for others too. Ivy decided she needed to stop thinking of herself in such a negative way. Obviously people did think well of her and she wasn’t a grotesque like some of those insecurities tried so hard to convince herself of; just as worthy of being desired as the conventionally attractive.
“The break-up was a long time coming. I don’t think it’s too soon,” Ivy said first, giving Sean a smile. In truth, she might have considered the fight about Halloween the night they drifted apart. “I’d love to see what may come of us, but…only if you promise we’ll still be friends. As soon as either of us thinks it’s not gonna work, we have to talk it out with the other. Okay?”
Beaming broadly, Sean said, “That’s fine with me!” He took Ivy’s hands in his. “Mind if we dance? We don’t need to do what they’re doing…if you don’t want to.”
Pink cheeked, Ivy swallowed. “Maybe not right away.”
“Alright,” Sean said, and guided her to the music far less provocatively than the others were doing.
The new couple did enough that the others had to wonder just what was going on here! Word soon spread that Ivy and Peter—best of luck to him; maybe he would see the error of his ways one day—had called it quits and that Sean took his shot and got nothin’ but net. Even if Jasper was glad for that, he still did his best not to look at Ivy. Denial didn’t mean he didn’t feel that attraction. Keagan could sympathize!
At the end of the night, after nearly everyone had left, the rest were offered to stay. Those who did were treated to hot baths and comfortable beds. They also shared their hopes to see each other again for another party. They had New Years, Serenity and Bellasiel’s wedding, and the January birthdays all coming up next month.
The young teens had decided a night of staying in a castle couldn't be turned down! After slipping into offered pajamas post-welcoming baths, the four gathered up in one of the rooms. They took courteous advantage of the staff and accepted popcorn and other snacks to munch on. Caly was seated cross-legged atop a pillow on the floor when conversation shifted to Ivy. "So...you and Sean now, huh?" Her dark brows wiggled about.
"Only if you want to talk about it," Ava was quick to come to her friends aid, although it was clear she'd been dying to ask the same question.
"I think I missed something," Yasmine admitted. "I heard you were with Peter but then you weren't? Sorry, Jas had me so busy most the night I hardly had a chance to speak with anyone else."
Ivy was glad to know Jasper wasn’t just only avoiding her. He was falling more in love with Yasmine; as he should.
Seeing the need for clarification, Ivy said, “Peter just…didn’t have practice stepping outside of his comfort for others. He is kinda set in his ways. He, um…asked me to choose between my friends and him.” She shrugged, offering a smile. “I made my choice.” No shame, though a little blushed, Ivy said, “And, well, as for Sean—I didn’t think he would, but he apparently had an interest, so I agreed we should go out.”
Unable to be contained, Ava let out a squeal of delight, only partially muted by a pillow she was face first in. Flipping her head back up she beamed, clearly entirely supporting this. "It's so great. Plus we already know that Sean gets along with the group well!"
"And you didn't think that dress was a good idea," Caly spoffed, downing a good swig of root beer. "I'd say you ditched Peter just in time."
"Agreed," Yasmine let her feet kick back and forth behind her while she lay on her stomach. "Were you guys going to try and come for New Years? Oh - or better yet what about Valentine's Day? Do you think Sean will want to go to the dance?"
Ivy felt just as giddy at the idea. “Oh I hope so! I’m looking forward to spending all of the coming events with him. Sean has a different kind of energy from Peter.” She pulled over a huge pillow and adjusted it under her side. “This feels electric, like white rapids, rather than a steady river.” She settled down her head, spilling rounded curls of strawberry all over. “What would you guys say your boyfriends are like?”
Ava smirked and was happy to go first. "Lucas is definitely rapids. He caught me off guard when he was willing to dance all risqué tonight. It was a pleasant addition to how sweet he's been."
Yasmine hummed in thought for a few moments before she added her own insight. "Jasper has been like an entire road trip. There's comfortable driving and then we pull over for our adventures together. It's always something new and I love being able to continue growing together and learning more about him."
Caly had to chuckle. "That's all cute. Being with Jinpa is running cross country, downhill. We just keep picking up speed but have this crazy balance together. I frickin' love it."
Ava giggled and shook her head. "Sounds scary and dangerous to me."
"Dangerous and I want more," Caly smirked back. "Like honestly, I really hope we end up going further soon."
“Aw, like across the sea?” Ivy asked, dreamily thinking of how that metaphor fit perfectly to the idea of going further.
"I mean, I was going to say in his pants, but sure," Caly shrugged her shoulders.
Cheeks red from how blunt the response was, Ava tried to pull back a bit. "But how do you know if Jin is best for your first time."
"I don't, really, but I also don't want to clutch my virginity to my chest for years like it's some sort of artifact. Someone has to be the first time, right? And I trust him with it."
There were many perspectives on the topic. Some felt little or no sentiment towards the physical mingling of two—or in some cases, three or more—bodies, such as Kazumi and Hye. To them it was like shaking hands. They would feel no difference if they hadn’t experienced the act.
Others viewed the bond in both a material and spiritual sense that warranted a certain reverence that naturally concluded in a covenant, by divine design. For people like Elijah and Annie, who were no less human and desired it, they were convinced by study that it wasn’t something they would give to anyone other than that person who would vow to be one with them.
Still, there were those who floated in the in-between. Similar to Caly, Lauri hoped to engage with someone she trusted and knew would make it a good time. Charlotte planned on experiencing it with someone she trusted as well. Now she has two. In a sense, the act was still special, just thoughtfully done. Khaz, at the young age of ten, satisfied his curiosity. His enjoyment was purely physical. It only became emotional when he met Sophia and Tallulah. These balanced on a beam that leaned either towards one or the other.
Ivy wasn’t spiritual, but she did consider such an intimate ordeal something she wanted to share with mutual care. She wasn’t Kazumi or Hye, but nor was she Elijah or Annie. That didn’t mean the thought wouldn’t color her cheeks!
“Oh my, well…” Ivy cleared her throat. “If it happens, I hope it goes well.” She was, admittedly, amused at herself and the other two. Playful, she teased the others. Girls at sleepovers did it all the time! “And you guys? Ava, did you want those rapids to toss your kayak? Or Yas, do you hope Jas will stop at a hotel on that road trip?”
Cheeks were definitely pink but Ava nodded. "I wouldn't object if we got a little wet and dove in," she felt her grin turn sheepish.
"We've barely even looked at an exit for one," Yasmine said honestly. They'd had a small bit of roaming hands, but nothing too wild. "I wouldn't see why not. He seems mature enough now that I wouldn't regret it. No offense, Ava."
Ava brushed the apology off. "Oh no, you hands down got the better end of the deal and I'm happy you did since it gave us a chance to become friends." Though a possibility for the future, however slim. Could someday the crush he had confessed to ever have an opportunity to blossom? Or would it just be forever that.
“Yes, I think this worked out well. Jas really, really likes you Yasmine,” Ivy said, sitting up a little straighter. “He told me the troubles he went through are worth it, if it means he got to date you.” She gave Yasmine a small, playful wiggle of her brows. “I bet he’d like to stop by a hotel.”
"I'm pretty sure that'd what most guys want," Caly commented as she tossed popcorn up to catch it in her mouth.
"Most, probably. Too bad Kendal isn't here to weigh in on this," Ava remarked before immediately deciding it was likely better she wasn't so their talk didn't become gossip their first day back at school!
"I'm sure when the time comes we'll have a pit stop," Yasmine decided about possible intimate advancements. "Do you think I should wait for him to bring it up?"
“Oo, that’s a tough one,” Ivy said, curling a finger around her loose hair. She hummed in thought. “I think…drop heavy hints. Then, pick a time when you think you might want to go through with it to silently suggest it. If you can, try to do it before Jin and Caly do. This is because if Jin does it first, then Jas might overthink it. He’ll wonder if Yasmine will think he’s not serious and slow, or he might panic that he might make you feel he’s going too fast. Jinpa, on the other hand, wouldn't go through that mental roller coaster if it was reversed.” She emphasized with a finger up. “This is only a guess. Don't quote me.”
That earned two pairs of perked brows from around the room. "Wow. That's quite the analysis you have of the two of them," Yasmine complimented. "Although I suppose it does make sense from what I know of the two of them. Think you can keep it in your pants until I'm ready, Cal?"
A long groan of disapproval left her, Caly dropping back with all the theatrics. "Ughh, you're not going to take forever are you? Or can we at least fool around a bit in the middle? Maybe some good old fashion teasing?" A mischievious smile spread across her face and some might have sworn you could see horns peeking through her colorful ombre.
Chuckling, Ivy said, “I mean, I don’t know what that would entail, but it actually could work for the situation. If Jinpa boasts to Jasper about anything, then Jas might test those boundaries. It could even mean Yas doesn’t have to be the one to bring it up.” She added, “Just don’t do too much all at once. Occasional spice will feel organic and coax that out.” Again, it was a guess. Though, Ivy liked to think she studied them enough to have insight.
"Sounds like I'm good then," Caly's smirk widened. She reached for her phone and tugged her the collar of her shirt down with one hand. Digging her elbows into her sides, she pressed her slowly growing bosom closer together before they all heard a click of her camera.
"Did you just - " Ava didn't even get to finish her question.
"Heck yes I did. Gotta put these girls to good work." Caly went to work on sending the image to Jinpa with a suggestive message of 'one more last minute Christmas gift'.
Shaking her head and giggling, Yasmine turned back to Ivy. "So, what about you? I know you and Sean are 5 minutes old, but is that something you think you might get to together?"
Heart beating a little loudly, Ivy fiddled with her curls to seem casual, even if the color of her cheeks gave her away. “Oh, um, I hadn’t actually thought I would be in this position,” she said, and felt her body warm as the realization was settling in that she definitely was now! Ivy considered the idea seriously as she mentally listed the qualities she would want from the person she with whom she laid. “Sean is kind, smart…strong,” Ivy murmured, finding it hard not to feel giddy, or to stop a shy smile from spreading. “Yes, I think so. If we do get along and I feel comfortable.”
"And he's not bad looking," Caly added on in his favor, setting her phone down. "Not my type, but still fun to look at shirtless."
"You saw him shirtless?" Yasmine's jaw dropped a bit.
Caly shrugged her shoulders. "Sure. You hang out by the practice fields you get to see the guys get shirtless a lot." Just then her phone went off and she sat up, expecting a response from Jinpa. Her brows knitted to see the screen. "Oh...hmm, well that's interesting."
Assuming it wasn't Jinpa based on her reaction, Ava leaned over curiously. "What is?"
"Apparently Stacey got a message from Aubree who got one from Vivian who-"
"What is it?" Ava demanded.
"This," Caly held up an image. It was a bit blurry likely taken from shaking hands, but it showed a scene of holiday lights and two figures admiring one display in particular.
"Is that...Professor Macleod and Professor Strom?" Yasmine's eyes were squinted as far as she possibly could. "What's the big deal about that? They're just looking at lights together."
"Yeah .Together," Caly stressed, tapping the screen twice. "There was some rumors and suspicion going around but this is the first picture I've seen!"
“Oh, professor tea?” Ivy got up to look. She hadn’t been around a lot of them aside from Lauri and Oliver, but she heard almost everything from people around heer. “Is this like a Lucinda and Titus thing?” Clearly going on, but undeclared. “Or Laylon and Taliesin?” A popular ship that students could only hope to see happen one day. A picture snapped here or there did nothing to confirm nor deny. “Oh, or are they a Marek and Margo?” A brief fling that didn’t go where some students wanted. “Just please don’t say it’s like Coach and Runa.” An odd ship that made no sense to Ivy. Thankfully, and hopefully, it isn’t a reality.
"I mean would you go look at Christmas lights with a fling?" Caly spoffed at the idea.
"True, I really hope they're legit a thing," Ava sighed dreamily. "Even if that means Professor Hunk Cake can't be on the menu anymore. I'll take that sacrifice so that he can have a beautiful love story."
