#thread: sassa fiske

[morrisxn02]

✍︎ @sassa-fiske

Finally, he sees her alone. Hours after the game and he still hasn’t had the opportunity to ask her why she suddenly started acting strange after he walked out of the closet with Lincoln. Avoiding his gaze, keeping a distance, and whatnot. And he needed to talk to her. Not about this, specifically. Or rather, not initially. But now, about this too. Did she mind? If something had happened between the two of them? Did she think it might have? He walks to her stealthily, hoping she won’t notice him because he fears that if she does, she will walk out of the room. His fingers touch her shoulders from behind, subtly inviting her to turn around and face him. And, with intentional naiveté, he says to her once she does, “What’s going on?” As if he has no idea that it might have something to do with Lincoln, even though he’s pretty sure. “You look like something’s bothering you.”

[morrisxn02]

As the skin of her lips first touched against his, he closed his eyes instinctively. Something he had been anticipating.

A second elapsed.

Waves crashing in the back of his mind. Nothing happened.

She wanted him to do it. He wanted to do it.

In the dark, his hand touched her neck, holding her with the firmness of a boy giving his first kiss. Eager. Tense. And, finally, he pulled her in. Thumb tracing her cheekbone as they kissed, heartbeat speeding up a little.

When he pulled away, his face had a reminiscing print of a smile. It was a confirmation. A confirmation that they hadn’t changed. Not in the ways that were important, anyway. Which, ultimately, left him with even more questions than before, contradicting her wish of providing him with answers. But, at least, those were a better kind of question. Normal ones. Good ones, even.  

With his gaze attached to hers, he waited for her next move. Uncertain of where she wanted to go from there, but ready to follow.

Do you think we've changed much?

Sassa? Inevitably so. She had made herself change. Sanded down sharp edges and contorted herself into a new shape to be something closer to what was acceptable - to try to come off as something closer to what Greer would approve of. That Edward would approve of. Was it a sign that it hadn't worked, that he was asking? Or a sign that she had done it so well it had accomplished exactly what she had set out to?

She leaned into where his elbow touched her arm, gently pushing into him in response, gaze downwards before Sassa spoke. "No," she sad, her voice equally as quiet, before she turned back to him, her hand reaching out, her fingers lightly pressing against his jaw - just enough pressure to turn his face towards her. "Not much," she said, her eyes boring into his.

Sassa's hand relaxed, her fingers grazing against his cheek, tracing his jawline, the pad of her index finger brushing against his bottom lip. "Not in the ways that are important." The words were but a breath, spanning between them, closing the distance as Sassa lifted her chin up ever so slightly, her lips just brushing against his, tentative in her movements, leaving room for Edward to respond as he wanted to.

[ogdencollegerp]

THE WINTER BREAK TRIP

Thanks to THE SOCIAL BUTTERFLY's genoristy and continuing presence at the center of all social circles, all students who were close to THE GOLDEN GIRL (or at least appeared to be and maybe some mistakes) have been invited out to the Hamptons. It's the offseason - so whilst many people are jetting off to ski resorts or warm islands, the beaches are deserted, quiet, and covered in snow.

Perfect to celebrate the end of a year - and most importantly, honor Greer's life, of course.

See below the cut for the roommates everyone will have while on the trip !!!

IC DATE: DECEMBER 26TH - JANUARY 2ND

OOC DATE: AUGUST 25TH - ....TBD

PLEASE NOTE: Current threads do not have to be paused for the duration of the event, but any starters (both open��and closed) should take place during winter break. Please note there will be further plot/date markers from the main throughout the event, as IC it is taking place across a week. As always, feel free to DM the main with any questions or concerns !!!

BEDROOM 1:

Robin Morgan

Charlie Fletcher

Henrietta Astor

Sassa Fiske

BEDROOM 2:

Freddie Kolbeck

Milo Navarro

Cara Morrison

Logan Iyande

BEDROOM 3:

Monty Richler

Ollie Inoue

Minnie Lee

Lola Rhodes

BEDROOM 4:

Edward Morrison

Genevieve Upton-Crane

Mari Zuko

Natalia Vega

BEDROOM 5:

Nathaniel Shaw

Jesse Hart

Silja Spence

Anya Saetang

BEDROOM 6:

Parker Walsh

Rhiannon Falla

Jacqui Velazquez

[ogden-narrator]

For most of the students who were searching the rave desperately, they'd find no trace of G. As the minutes passed, the clock ticked away the chance to find whoever had sent the photo, their phones eventually chimed again with another set of messages that provided little info on who they had been looking for - other than they didn't find them.

@ironlvngs

g: looking for me ?? g: you're cold, cold, cold....

@ollieinoue, @anyaexe

g: nice try, but i'd expect more from you. g: considering both of your hobbies.

@sassa-fiske, @idaclarke

g: you'd think after i crashed your valentine's party, you two would be a bit smarter !!! g: the secrets you're desperate to cover up are just the start... g: so get ready to play with higher stakes, babes.

@aletheapierce, @cinnamonfm

g: remember when the investigator's office was broken into ?? g: here we were, all worried about what people would spill in the name of their so-called innocence. g: but everyone seemed to bite their tongues instead. g: guess you all know you're guilty.

@logiyande

g: please. you'll have to learn to be way more subtle than that if you're hoping to play this game g: maybe ask leaky about it sometime.... g: he picked up on my methods real quick, getting into the dean's office like that.

One student, who got a high vantage point, looking over the party so that even G couldn't miss them, got a reward...the slightest tidbit of info to reward their attempts.

@novadodson

g: you're smart, so i'll say it to you straight g: greer knew.

And then one pair, stumbled across where the picture had been taken. They would've found G - if G had been dumb enough to wait around. But, no...G was long gone. And all that was left was the tease of secrets that had brought them all there that night.

That G knew....and now some that they were about to know too.

@reinaazarolla

g: the effort is admirable. g: now, if only you had been a bit faster.... g: so so many people confided in greer. g: it was a good thing she could keep a secret - but you know just how good she was at that, don't you ?? g: me ?? not so much. g: so tell me, reina. which secret do you want me to spill ?? g: the person who dreamed up disappearing first ?? or the one who would never dare ??

@morrisxn02

g: the effort is admirable. g: now, if only you had been a bit faster.... g: so so many people confided in greer. g: it was a good thing she could keep a secret - but you know just how good she was at that, don't you ?? g: me ?? not so much. g: so tell me, edward. which secret do you want me to spill ?? g: one that involves greer nearly killing someone ?? or one where someone confided in her that they did ??

ooc: these texts are each directed at the individual character(s) tagged, but please continue to incorporate their reactions into the appropriate threads/paras - and if they received info (as vague as G is still being), feel free to have your muse share that !!! And for the muses who have a decision to make...please have them to do in either a thread or self para as well.

[morrisxn02]

✍︎ @sassa-fiske

The sight of a dying sun, reluctantly disappearing behind distant hills, distracted him from the bartender preparing his drinks. For a moment, Edward quietly watched as the skyline of downtown Ogden darkened and a cool autumn breeze began to blow on the leaves of trees and ruffle with his hair.

Sir. A voice broke him out of his daze. The bartender placed his and Sassa’s drinks on the counter. “Thank you.” He muttered before handing him a bill and picking up the glasses.

He took his time walking back to their table, eyes still gazing over the landscape that only C. Ling could offer. It seemed like the world slowed down a little when fall came around – especially in the Northeast, where the cold months could be unforgiving – and Edward very much appreciated this sensation that he got just by watching people go about their lives in a chilly evening, leaving work, running errands, doing groceries, and then going home. He couldn’t explain it, really. It was more a feeling than a rational line of thought. But it kept him very much hypnotized.

“Sorry I took so long. Bartender kept me waiting.” He lied as he reached their table, setting Sassa’s glass in front of her and taking the seat by her side. “Did you see they’re doing Barbenheimer on campus this week? We should go together again.”

[morrisxn02]

✍︎ @sassa-fiske

Sometimes, during practice, his eyes linger a little too long on the other court, where the doubles are playing. Something about her pulls him. Makes him want to look at her. There was much unsaid in these glances exchanged in silence – much that would never be said, too. But he makes a point of letting her know he is watching.

Edward does not let it hinder his focus, of course. Competitive as only a Morrison can be, nothing can ever distract him from the one and only true goal – victory. But he catches himself almost missing a ball or two every now and then, whenever their gazes meet.

When the coaches blow their whistles and the crowd starts to disperse, Edward goes in the opposite direction, to the court where Sassa is, her teammate and the other duo already on their way out. With a little nod, he indicates that he is coming to her, that she should stay behind. “It’s been a while since we last played.” He says as he reaches her, the other players already out of earshot. He throws a ball in the air and catches it before he hits the ground. Although both have their rackets, Edward’s words sound less objective in nature. A match doesn’t sound too bad, though, he will admit.

[elbienamado]

Bibi’s heart almost jumps out of his chest when the sharp complaint reaches his ears. He tries to skid out of the way but overcompensates for the sudden change in momentum and ends up falling onto his hand. Bibiano hisses in pain, realizing he skinned his palms and knees in his attempt to soften his fall. He hears his SAE brothers ask if he’s okay so he waves them off with a single smarting hand.

Twisting around to sit heavily on the floor, his gaze is pulled to the person he had nearly collided into. He stares up at Astrid Fiske in surprise, the adrenaline slowly waning out of his system. “Oh shit, Sassa, my bad! I was distracted and I didn’t see you, I’m so sorry,” Bibi utters in a flurry, registering how bad things could have turned out had they actually collided into each to each other.

“It’s a good thing you managed to get out of the say,” he tried to smile, but his mind was still caught up with the tone of her voice from moments ago. It had caught him so off guard. While it wasn’t like he hadn’t noticed that they had grown more and more apart over the years, he didn’t expect the vitriol.

“Is everything okay, Sass?” He asked from where he sat on the floor.

Sassa had no interest in trying to dunk people in the dunk tank at the carnival, glancing towards the line waiting in front of it with a roll of her eyes as she continued past the horde of frat boys making a scene. She may have been in a sorority, but she hardly found any of them to be worth her time. Even if they deserved to be taken down a few pegs, which she quickly realized the person exiting the tank was someone who certainly did. 

But she’d play the long game, not be fooled into believing that knocking them into some icey water was any sort of real revenge. 

She kept walking by, taking a large loop around to get to the booth she had planned on visiting, just passing the dunk tank as Bibi had apparently exited, the tall male nearly knocking her over in the process. Her upper lip curled up, the invisible feeling far too familiar, especially in the presence of someone like him. “Watch out,” she said in a low voice, daintily stepping out of his path so she wouldn’t get taken down. 

[morrisxn02]

ogden college (un)official class playlist ! available NOW at a therapist near you !

PART ONE: the student body

lacy by olivia rodrigo・henrietta astor

"oh, i care, i care, i care. like ribbons that you wear. my stomach's all in knots. you've got the one thing that i want..."

hurricane by halsey・reina azarolla

“i’m a wanderer, i’m a one-night-stand. don’t belong to no city, don’t belong to no man. i’m the violence in the pouring rain. i’m a hurricane.”

american teenager by ethel cain・ida clarke

“grew up under yellow lights on the street, putting too much faith in the make believe.”

this link is dead by deftones・lincoln crawford 

"pay attention! watch me close! as i decide which way i move"

february 15h by hobo johnson・nova dodson

"she went to columbia and i went to jail. i just wanted another apple when she really wanted yale. and that is the problem where all of this lies. i'm emotionally unstable. i'm a crazy fucking guy!"

crocodile tears by suzanna son・sassa fiske

"crocodile sitting all alone, painting nails the shade of pink to match princess peach's cheek. maybe they'll think i'm beautiful. maybe i can trick them."

perfect day by hoku・charlie fletcher 

“people say, they say that it’s just a phase. they tell me to act my age. well, i am.” 

the boy who blocked his own shot by brand new・jesse hart 

“a crown of gold, a heart harder than stone and it hurts to hold on, but it’s missed when it’s gone”

happy by marina・carmen hearst

"couldn't relax, couldn't sit back and let the sunlight in my lap. i sang a hymn to bring me peace and then came a melody."

too much by carlie rae jepsen・ollie inoue

"i live for the fire, and the rain, and the drama too, boy. and it feels like you never say what you want, and it feels like i can't get through, babe."

nina cried power by hozier and mavis staples・ mika ishii

“power has been cried by those stronger than me straight into the face that tells you to rattle your chains if you love being free. ah lord, and i could cry power!”

people watching by conan gray・logan iyande

“i’m only looking just to live through you vicariously. i’ve never really been in love, not seriously.”

summer child by conan gray・samantha jimenez 

"and you laugh and you dance in the wind, and you sway, and you hug and you kiss, but there's darkness behind those eyes."

savage daughter by sarah hester ross・ nixie linghui

“i am my mother’s savage daughter. the one who runs barefoot, cursing sharp stones. i am my mother’s savage daughter. i will not cut my hair. i will not lower my voice.”

mirrorball by taylor swift・roxie marsh

“hush. when no one is around, my dear, you’ find me on my tallest tiptoes, spinning in my highest heels, love. shinning just for you.”

don’t tell my mom by renée rapp・courtney mills

“so don’t tell my mom i’m falling apart. she hurts when i hurt. my scars are her scars. she’ll talk to her friends, impress all of them. at least in her mind, her daughter is fine.”

donttrustme by 3oh!3・cara morrison

“she's an actress, but she ain't got no need. she's got money from her parents and a trust fund back east."

halloween by novo amor・edward morrison 

“more and more with every accolade, i get carried with away with being carried away.”

i did something bad by taylor swift・greer morrison

"they're burning all the witches even if you aren't one. so light me up. go ahead and light me up."

autoestima by cupido, lola indigo and alizzz・ milo navarro

“my mother and my father gave me an extremely nice face. people don’t usually like pretty people like me.”

forsaken by paris paloma・alethea pierce

"i think i've done something to upset the stars again. the moon won't return my calls, but i deserve it. i deserve it all.”

strange overtones by david byrne, performed by whitney・lennon reed

"how long have i been missing? it's getting colder tonight. snowfall's reminiscing... i watched it melt before my eyes."

frankenstein by rina saywama・magnolia rhodes

"put me together, thread a needle so i'm like other people without all of the evil. i'm trying to be normal, but the trauma is immortal and none of this is your fault."

baseball by hippo campus・monty richler

“there goes that moonboy looking jungly with all his leaves a-growing.”

king by florence and the machine・anya saetang

"my empty halls echo with grand self-mythology. i am no mother, i am no bride. i am king."

stick season by noah kahan・nathaniel shaw 

“now i'm stuck between my anger and the blame that i can't face and the memories are something even smoking weed does not replace." 

liability by lorde・natalia vega

"she's so hard to please, but she's a forest fire. i do my best to meet her demands, play at romance, we slow dance in the living room, but all a stranger would see is one girl, swaying alone, stroking her cheek."

satanist by boygenius・jacqui velazquez 

“will you be a nihilist with me? if nothing matters, man, that’s a relief…”

you're on your own, kid by taylor swift・parker walsh

"there were pages turned with the bridges burned, everything you lose is a step you take. so make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it. you've got no reason to be afraid. you're on your own kid. yeah, you can face this..."

river by leon bridges・malik wright 

"as my sins flow down the jordan, oh, i wanna come near ya and give ya every part of me. but there's blood in my hands, and my lips aren't clean..."

tolerate it by taylor swift・mari zuko

“i made you my temple, my mural, my sky. now i’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life.”

[ogdencollegerp]

MAY 27TH, 2023

There were still a handful of hours left in the evening, when phones begin to buzz....

g: sick of playing my game yet ?? g: come to the commons, then, and this can all stop. g: and don't get caught. xx

What students didn't realize was that some of them their texts said to to go to the first floor, and some of their texts said to go to the top floor. No one was aware that they were all getting these texts, so they snuck their way from Tate Theatre's reception hall to the Commons, hoping no one saw them on their way. Because by this point, everyone knew that when it came to G...

There was always something bigger at play.

PLEASE NOTE: As this is a continuation of the COMMENCEMENT WEEKEND EVENT, you still do not have to pause current threads, and you can still do starters preceeding this portion of the plot drop (as in at the DEAN'S RECEPTION or earlier in the evening of the COMMENCEMENT GALA). However, feel free to do as threads pertaining to this plot drop and your muses arriving at the Commons as you want - but take care not to pass it in the timeline by too much !!! And as always, DM the main with any questions or concerns !!! And finally, see below the cut for the lists of which students got sent to which floor -

FIRST FLOOR

g: come to the first floor of the commons, then, and this can all stop.

Eloise Abernathy

Henrietta Astor

Reina Azarolla

Jesse Hart

Logan Iyande

Samantha Jimenez

Nixie Linghui

Cara Morrison

Milo Navarro

Magnolia Rhodes

Monty Richler

Nathaniel Shaw

Jacqui Velazquez

Leaky Wright

Ronan Zeng

THE NEPO BABY

THE MISCREANT

THE BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

TOP FLOOR

g: come to the top floor of commons, then, and this can all stop.

Ida Clarke

Link Crawford

Nova Dodson

Sassa Fiske

Charlie Fletcher

Carmen Hearst

Ollie Inoue

Courtney Mills

Edward Morrison

Alethea Pierce

Ginger Quinn

Anya Saetang

Emma Thompson

Natalia Vega

Parker Walsh

Mari Zuko

THE COOL LOSER

THE BUSYBODY

[ogdencollegerp]

WELCOME TO BLANC MOUNTAINS CHALET RESORT 

With Ogden students arriving at the resort the day after Christmas, they’re bound to find plenty of activities to entertain themselves. The various sprawling ski-in and ski-out chalets have heated pools, jacuzzis, saunas, libraries, fireplaces, and more to entertain the 20 GUESTS they can host !!! The first week of the vacation is the midst of the holiday’s, the time between Christmas and New Years that’s sole purpose should be relaxing - and luckily, this is just the place to do that. If they can get along with their assigned roommate, that is....

Check out the #ogden winter break tag on the inspo blog, which will be continuing to update throughout the event, as well as referencing below the cut for roommates !!!

IC DATE: DECEMBER 26TH - DECEMBER 31ST

OOC DATE: FEBRUARY 19TH - FEBRUARY 27TH (give or take xx)

PLEASE NOTE: Current threads do not have to be paused for the duration of the event, but any starters (both open and closed) should currently be taking place during the first week of winter break. It IS required for a thread to take place between the assigned roommates during the event. Please ALSO note there will be further plot/date markers from the main throughout the event, as IC it is taking place across two weeks. As always, feel free to DM the main with any questions or concerns !!!

CHALET A

Mari Zuko & Charanya “Anya” Saetang

Jesse Hart & Nathaniel Shaw

Rhodes Morrison & Sloane Morrison

Lincoln “Link” Crawford & Claremont “Monty” Richler

Henrietta Astor & Alethea Pierce

plus ten npc students

CHALET B

Charlotte Fletcher & Astrid “Sassa” Fiske

Daxton Sulu & Benjamin Keplar-Turral

Courtney Mills & Milo Navarro

Rhiannon Falla & Natalia Vega

Diego Fuentes & Nadine Dwyer 

plus ten npc students

CHALET C

Parker Walsh & Pippa Morrison-Grant

Odysseus “Odie” Reza & Oliver “Ollie” Inoue

Malik “Leaky” Wright & Jacqui Velazquez

Lucia Olivo & Ida Clarke

Mason Reed & Inés Osorio

plus ten npc students

PS - don’t worry students, any faculty attending have a separate chalet !!!

[ironlvngs]

the look that link had on his face had dropped, going from smug and relaxed as she smoothed his collar for him, to confusion and furrowed brows as his grin faded when she said the word boyfriend. a fucking boyfriend? "i'm sorry, what? what boyfriend?" he immediately begins to question with disgust in his tone as she steps back, and the moment she turned her heel to walk away from him, link knew that she had given him that little piece of information at the end on purpose. had she known what that would do to him? did link even know he'd have that reaction to hearing sassa fiske uttering out the word boyfriend to link and it was some other guy and not him? after all, he had a boyfriend of his own, but that was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment. they knew that from now on, sassa and whoever idiot she's dating would occupy their mind more than anyone else could — and she knew that just as well.

end of thread.

Sassa didn't answer Link, not fully, just letting a small tinkle of laughter slip from her lips as she leaned back to better look up at him, his arm around her waist resulting in her arching backwards, her body pressing into his even as she put on the appearance of leaning away. "Do you?" she asked, the question musical in response as she refused to offer him anything but another question, purposefully being difficult as she refused to give him any sort of answer, amusement briefly flickering across her lips.

She could dance around his prying as easily as she could dance around the actual floor, though the song coming to a close saved her from both, Sassa pulling out of Link's grasp as soon as she could. "Now if you'll excuse me," she said, reaching up to smooth their collar, as if out of kindness after their dance. "I should really go find my boyfriend," she purred, dropping that as she took a step back, eyes meeting Link's with an innocent flutter of eyelashes.

[ogdencollegerp]

GREER MORRISON’S BIRTHDAY EVENT has now begun !!!

Everyone should’ve received a little surprise in their inbox by now, so below the read more are some more details ....

These threads can be done as open starters, if they’re applicable, or if they’re a more one-on-one dare, feel free to plot it out with someone and do it as a closed thread. However, some key reminders for these threads: although the majority do not specify who the dare should target, try to choose someone out of your character’s comfort zone, who they do not already have large plots with (if possible, depending on the dare), and that you do not frequently thread with as it is. Also, do not double dip on dares wherever possible - meaning if your character is focused on one character, that character’s dare in return should not focus on your muse.

Feel free to start your threads pertaining to your dare whenever over the course of the week, but to help contextualize the chaos, keep below timeline of the order characters received them in mind: 

nathaniel shaw

booker “ace” wells

nikki shi

leaky wright

sassa fiske

jacqui velazquez & gabe monroe

lara cruz

monty richler

kit kallberg

parker walsh

diego fuentes

natalia vega

quinn morrison

link crawford & ollie inoue

samantha jiminez

mitchell morrison

jesse hart & courtney mills

henrietta astor

avery zhao

dulce salvador

milo navarro

alethea pierce

parisa davani

mari zuko

bowie hayes

kj hyuk & carew d’mello

If you have any questions or concerns, as always, feel free to dm the main !!!

[morrisxn02]

Inside jokes. Whispers behind other people’s backs. Comments made with the sole purpose of provoking her laughter. The gently faster heartbeat. The electric rush of a brush of her fingers against his arm. A touch that lasted a little too long. The possibility of something.

Was that what she meant? Their old days.

Yes, he missed them too.

Too late to go back to them now, wasn’t it? Now she was with someone. Now his head was all over the place. All he ever thought about was his sister. His torn-apart family. His wasted youth. Still, he tried to emulate the feeling… That day at the tennis court. Or whenever they had the time to watch a film on their own. Or when he trash-talked her boyfriend to her face just for the thrill of feeling that maybe she did not like him.

But was it really the same thing? Or was he reaching for a hologram of something he couldn’t touch anymore?

He scooted a little closer to her. Elbow touching her arm. It wasn’t a flare. But he felt a spark. Something about what she said unlocked a door to a place in his mind he had been unable to access for a long time. Our old days. Not the old days. “Do you think we’ve changed much?” He whispered. Not meaning the obvious, individualistic sense – we as Edward and Sassa, separately –  in which they had unquestionably changed. But the complex we that translated their amorphous relationship.

"I know you don't expect me to. But...I wish for you, I did," Sassa said, tipping her head to rest her temple against her knees, taking the moment to watch Eddie for a few breaths. Silence fell between them, Sassa's eyes tracing his features, her longing for him curved around every line. She couldn't claim to know where his thoughts were, and as such, she didn't break the silence, instead pretending that she did have answers, that she had something to stay that could repair the gaps from where they used to be.

Did Sassa miss the old times? God, no. Not in the slightest. Growing up, she had never managed to quite fit correctly. She was sharp elbows and a sharper tongue, chasing validation with a desperation that only drove it further away. She had been miserable, her desire to be popular and smart and successful and liked and envied nearly tangible as she chased it with a visibility that never surrounded the girls who managed such things effortlessly. As she had grown up, she had learned - she had sanded down her rough edges, she had gotten better at masking the sheer amount of effort she put in every second of every day to be who she wanted to be, who she needed to be. 

And yet, sitting there on the beach next to Edward, she found that for a moment she did miss the old times. She missed who she was before she had learned it wasn't right, she missed the ability to interact without layers upon layers of trying and filtering and analyzing and rehearsing. 

What Sassa didn't miss was Greer - the way she managed to get in between them, the way she ruined any chance for this, for them, to work out. She couldn't possibly tell Edward that, though. Instead, Sassa just let out a sigh, finally looking away from him and letting her eyes scan out over the shoreline again, unfocused as she gazed out towards the horizon. "In a way," she murmured. "I miss our old days."

[morrisxn02]

A light rush of electricity courses from his arm to his chest as he feels her fingers brush below his elbow. A smile flirts at the edges of his lips. For a second, he forgets that she looked very much annoyed just a few minutes earlier. For a second, he wants to touch her waist, pull her close, and lean in… But he doesn’t. Something behind her eyes. I’ll always send you a rose. Even if we’ve changed. Was that her? Saying she would always know him, regardless of what happened? If so, he wants to believe that he can reciprocate. “Well,” He takes one step closer to her, trying to make himself audible over the music, and leans against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. “It didn’t seem like everything was okay back there… Was it the texts? Or… Something else…?”

Ever since that stupid game, Sassa had been thinking about the sight of Link and Edward disappearing behind that door together. She absolutely hated it, not wanting them alone for a single moment, unease chasing up and down her spine every time she thought about it.

And something else that she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to examine.

When she felt a slight brush of fingers across her shoulders that evening, Sassa jumped slightly, not the type to get snuck up on. She turned to glance over her shoulder, her eyes meeting Edward's, to her dismay. And to her...excitement, the sight of him with Link flashing before her eyes again.

Granted, there was a lot more that could be - that should be - on her mind. That valentine, for one. The text from new years, for another. The past year and a half.

But she was certainly mostly focused on the two of them, jealous at the possibility they had had a better time playing that stupid game together than she had had with Diego or Ollie. Sassa offered Eddie a tight smile, the inner corners of her eyebrows tilting up. "Nothing's bothering me," she said, lightly reaching out and brushing her fingers down his forearm. "Besides, you know. The normal." Or not so normal, depending on how they were supposed to look at everything happening on this campus. "You're so sweet to ask, though."

[morrisxn02]

With a faint smile, he assured her that he knew what she had meant. Eyes glinting playfully as though to say I’m kidding, before the softness of his features rolled away with the tide. “None of this is your fault.” He murmured; voice almost muffled by the waves. “I don’t expect you to have answers.” But he didn’t want to talk about Greer. Or G. Or Ida, or Penny, or Sam, or any of this bullshit. Maybe he just wanted to be there, with Sassa, like the old times. Except, now, he didn’t have to worry about Greer walking out and, somehow, making things awkward (either by sitting between them and ruining the mood, or shooting Sassa that strange, intimidating look).

Staring at the endless, sandy drapes that extended far beyond his eyes’ reach, Edward was surprised by a memory that came to him. The summer of the year he turned 14. The first time he realized how beautiful Astrid Fiske was.

Her chauffeur was dropping her off at a party at someone from their high school's house, just a few blocks from where they were sitting now. Eddie was hanging out with Parker on the porch. And, as she walked out of the car, and the sun glinted off her skin, and the warm breeze perfectly disheveled her curls, she took out her Tiffany’s sunglasses to reveal her beautiful set of big, brown eyes. And that was enough to make his heart beat a little faster.

He couldn't tell what had changed – if it was because that was the first time he had seen her without her school uniform, or if he had just grown a little too fond of her without realizing... But, for the rest of that summer, he couldn't stop thinking about her.

Looking at her now, eight years later, he could still see remnants of the features that had made him so awe-struck that July afternoon. The eyes. The dimples. The sly air of her smirk… He smiled again. A lighter, softer smile. And his eyes glinted again, too. Not with playfulness, this time, though. But with a certain fascination. Some things never changed.

“Can I ask you something? Do you miss the old times?” He asked, finally breaking the silence.

Sassa glanced over at Eddie, eyes meeting his in silence, just looking at him for a moment before he began to speak again. She knew how he felt about his sister, knew how close they had been - while with others, she may push back against this all, demean Greer in subtle and underlying ways, she knew it wouldn’t work with Edward. He had already chosen Greer over her once, after all.  Sassa looked forward, watching the waves come in for a few moments. "No," she answered emphatically, but still gentle in her response. "I meant when we were younger," Sassa said, feeling the weight of Eddie turning to look at her, unable to not notice him, even in the periphery of her gaze. She didn't look towards him, instead basking in the moment of his eyes on her for a moment. "When we...when it was less complicated," she continued, finally turning her head, her chin tucking in towards her shoulder as their eyes met. She let a few waves crash, the only sound between them before she spoke again, voice soft. "I wish I had answers for you."

[morrisxn02]

The edges of her lips balance slyness and confidence like no one else can. She knows what he is doing, and she makes no effort to hide it. And he is so glad to see that there is still something there, that she hadn’t entirely bestowed her affection on her new boy-toy, that his own mouth mirrors her smile before he even realizes what he is doing.

“What? Me?” He shoots her a look of faux confusion. A hand in his chest for emphasis and all. “No. Not at all, I’d love it if he could join us this time.” If his words were liquid, they would be so corrosive they would’ve burned a hole right through the table. “I would love to hear what he thinks about Greta Gerwig’s portrayal of Gen-Z feminism.” He must have a lot to say from all the frat-bro roundtable podcasts he listens to. Or so Eddie assumes. He has never bothered to ask him what kind of media he enjoys, so he just thinks the worst. “Or his general thoughts about the life and work of Robert Oppenheimer. I’m sure he’s got lots of insights.” Okay, maybe this is a bit too far, he realizes. He just got caught up on the hate train.

With puppy-dog eyes, he assures her, “I’m kidding.” He isn’t. “I just thought we should do it just the two of us, you know? Like we did in the summer…” A 5-hour long double feature – first Barbie, then Oppenheimer–, followed by a Q&A with Christopher Nolan. “I guess it’s fine if he reeeeaaally wants to tag along…” It isn’t. “I just think it’s going to be more fun if it’s just us.”

A curl of Sassa's lips mirrored the one that flashed across Eddie's face, less out of any true amusement and more out of her enjoyment at being included, at a quip lobbied in her direction, for her amusement. She shrugged, her drink lifted to her lips as she took a slow sip, a smile still playing around the corners of her lips. "Perhaps that's more of a suggestion for some of the film classes," she agreed. Subway Surfers necessary or not, she was already tired of the think pieces that were entirely missing the point of either movie, or people misunderstanding why they had become such a phenomenon as it was. Better to keep those discussion to other people who would get it.

The next words only cause Sassa's smile to widen, her head angling towards one shoulder. "Do you not want him to?" she crooned, eyes widening with her put upon innocence, the expression the exact opposite of Sassa's machinations to get a boyfriend in the first place. She was hardly even interested in him, more intrigued by the concept of an accessory that made her look better, wanting someone to confirm that she was wanted - and the side affect of the jealousy that she was fairly certain was behind Edward's question was only an added bonus.