tourmvlines

[tourmvlines]

hwang ,   noah .

⧽ ⠀ ⠀ ── ⠀ ⠀ ⁽ ⠀ 🍓 ⠀ ⁾               𝙽𝙾𝙰𝙷'𝚂   𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙳   𝚃𝙸𝙻𝚃𝚂   𝙸𝙽   𝙼𝙾𝙲𝙺   𝙳𝙸𝚂𝙰𝙿𝙿𝙾𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃,   as   if   her   answer   falls   just   short   of   satisfactory.   he’s   quick   to   ‘tsk’   before   he   raises   a   hand   at   her   question.   he’s   alright,   noah’s   always   alright,   he’s   learned.   he   gives   her   a   look   as   he   straightens,   resting   his   hands   against   the   iron   instead   of   his   forearms.      ❛       do   i   look   not   alright?       ❜      he   jokes,   leaning   toward   her   before   he   leans   away,   gaze   pushed   out   to   the   green.      ❛       i’m   good,   just   hate   parties,   you   know?       ❜

          the art of deflection is one that sloane knows well, so she’ll allow noah his privacy for now. “well, if you’re asking me, you look quite dashing.” a breathy laugh escapes her lips. there’s always the feeling that it’s not quite her place to ask — but she’s the one who’s there right now, which means she also feels as if she has an obligation to make sure he’s alright. “yeah, they get old pretty fast — especially these ones. i mean, the heels are absolutely killer for one. and i always lose my date halfway through the night.”

[tourmvlines]

carter-harrington ,   amelia .

     she should feel right at home, amongst the expensive fabrics, the overly self-absorbed masked party-goers, the ice sculptures and the music. yet, amelia’s currently standing where she’s usually never found: a dark, solitary corner. for an instant, it almost feels like a personality switch has occurred between the twins, as the younger plays a drunken game of golf out on the green, and the eldest takes a pause and people-watches. ❝ so, tell me — dare … or dare ? ❞ she offers, as her once-private hiding space is invaded by another, ❝ i’d offer truth as an option, but i’m afraid masks help conceal the tell-tale signs of lies a little too easily. ❞ / ( & @opalsmedia· ! )

          the thing about sloane is that she enjoys a good party, always has, but she’s also always wanted to spend the whole time talking to the person sitting in their own corner. conversation has always been the most memorable part of a night like this. so of course, she finds herself walking towards the person in the corner — amelia, she thinks. “dare. obviously.” she answers, though truthfully, she would have chosen that option no matter what. “we might as well have some fun while we’re here, right?”

[tourmvlines]

rivera ,   eliot .

by this point of the night, eliot’s all flushed cheeks and freckles that can just about manage to be glimpsed behind his mask when he tilts his head just right. a happy kind of tipsy as he traipses over to the small smattering of people gathered at the bar. “mm… you know, growing up, i always thought these parties would be a little cooler than they usually are in reality,” he says, striking up conversation with the person next to him at the bar. the smallest of criticisms on their present company. “like… you could just waltz up to the bar and speak to an international super spy without even knowing it while waiting for your martini.“ there’s a glimmer of playfulness to be found in his eyes; the very same kind he gets when he has a particularly good idea. ( or what he perceives to be one ). “so, in the spirit of mystery and intrigue, i propose this.” eliot raises a hand, partly to flag down the bartender (and part just to punctuate his words).  “you tell me two lies about yourself and a truth. can be as big or as little as you want. makes the evening a bit more fun, don’t you think?” 

          sloane’s looking for a refill on her drink when eliot comes up next to her, easy conversation falling from his lips. she doesn’t know him well but he is mack’s best friend which means she already thinks the world of him. “hey, who's to say i’m not an international super spy?” she flashes a roguish smile at eliot’s direction before tilting her drink up to her lips. that is perhaps the only other entertaining aspect of these events: everyone is much more likely to let their guards down, sloane included. she cocks her head, shifting positions so she’s faced towards eliot as he speaks. “mystery and intrigue, huh? alright.” she stops to think for a second. “okay. i’ve had a song written about me, i’ve been arrested, and i met the president of the united states when i was seventeen years old.”

[tourmvlines]

grace decided to compile a scrapbook full of photos that she’s taken (and been given by others) to gift to the prodigies when they are accepted into the society. she has handwritten advice, stories, inside jokes, and little notes for each member. she is extremely excited to be able to give it to them and only a few prodigies know it exists. there’s a few opals she’s told about the project but she wants it to be a surprise for everyone in the family.

[tourmvlines]

morrison ,   rose .

𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐲 ??? 𝐢𝐝𝐤 // 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝.

          THE AIR BETWEEN stayed tense, and rose knew she was to blame. she brought sloane into a society with their relationship rocky, and hasn’t provided much guidance since — too concerned with the investigation and poppy and to finally be given an opportunity to prove her place in the ranks of the opal society. she didn’t know how sloane felt — frankly, she was too afraid to find out, worried the answer would break rose’s heart. tonight, however, spending it with someone she felt so much for, surrounded by her family, rose felt a little braver. it’s that with which she stepped outside to stand next to sloane, gazing out onto the golf course from their view. “ it’s a lovely night, ” rose said, offering her a smile. “ and you look wonderful. are you having a nice time ? ” ( @tourmvlines· )

          the ball is fun until it isn’t, until she needs to step out and be alone for a little while. sloane’s looking out at the great expanse of land before her, feeling like she might run into the middle of it just so she can hear her heart beating in her ears instead of her own thoughts. her mask hangs loosely from her fingers, tired now of the anonymity, when she hears the doors behind her open then close. she looks back on her opal with a half-hearted smile. “thank you, so do you,” she replies. “sure. these things aren’t really my... scene or whatever, so —” sloane shrugs, “you know. what about you? come with hollis, haven’t you?” she’ll give anything to talk about anything other than herself. 

[tourmvlines]

hwang ,   noah .

𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬     ──     𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍    to    anyone.    @opalsmedia·

𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧     ──     outside.

⧽ ⠀ ⠀ ── ⠀ ⠀ ⁽ ⠀ 🍓 ⠀ ⁾               𝙲𝙾𝙻𝙳   𝙰𝙸𝚁   𝙸𝚂   𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙴,   a   gentle   reprieve   from   the   humidity   and   heat   of   the   crowded   club   behind   him.   his   arms   are   rested   against   an   old   iron-wrought   railing,   brows   brought   together   as   he   takes   a   final   sip   from   an   emptying   flask.   it’s   quickly   placed   back   into   the   inner   pocket   of   his   suit   jacket   at   the   sound   of   footsteps   approaching.   a   groan   befalls   his   lips,   he   tilts   his   head   back   to   look   at   the   offender,   an   uncharacteristic   grumpiness   written   into   usually   stoic   features.      ❛       ‘smells   like   shit   over   here,   wouldn’t   recommend   staying   around.       ❜      he   lies   loudly.      ❛       unless   you   come   bearing   drinks,   in   which   case,   the   smell   has   disappeared.       ❜

          with so many bodies in one room, it’s only natural that sloane would eventually look for any excuse to step out. the crisp air is sobering in a way that she welcomes, but she suspects that feeling will only last a second without her coat around her shoulders. she thinks she’s alone until she hears a groan and a voice she recognizes to be noah’s coming from further away. sloane looks down, her half-full drink in hand. “only my own — and already partly finished, i’m sorry to admit.” she comes up next to him and leans her back against the railing, facing the other way. “you alright?”

[tourmvlines]

palmer ,   georgia .

ft. sloane — @tourmvlines·

thanks to the opal society, george is no longer a stranger to upscale events like this one. she doesn’t even mind being at them anymore, especially now that she knows everyone a little better. but there’s always room for some vibe-checking, life-shattering moment to destroy her subtle semblance of happiness, whether it’s rejection, or classism, or an argument. sometimes it’s all three. george is feeling good about tonight, though, with sloane at her side—maybe she’s a little anxious about it, but it’s hard to feel nervous around her when they already know each other so well. george just wants.. a little bit more than that.

she’s looking for josie to tell her all about how well the night is going when she sees it. first, it’s the back of sloane’s head, and the silky, dark hair george loves to comb her fingers through. then, it hits her. sloane’s kissing someone, who isn’t her. it feels like her chest is swelling, as much as she wants to play things off like she always does, like she doesn’t give a crap, like nothing fazes her—she just stands there, letting the disappointment consume her. when the roots that have tied her feet to the ground finally ease up, she ducks into the bathroom, where there are at least three other girls crying. she isn’t going to cry. she doesn’t do that, especially not around strangers. and she’s definitely not going to cry because of sloane. she has no obligation to george. they’re friends, they decided to go together as friends, and maybe it was a little ridiculous to believe that it was bigger than that. george isn’t a stranger to making out with people at parties on a whim, and she knows sloane isn’t, either. but it still stings as she stares herself down in the mirror, reapplying her lip stick for the fifth time this evening.

as she slips out of the bathroom and back into the masquerade madness, she knows all she wants to do is to ditch the celebrations and have a movie night with josie. but that’s unrealistic, and she doesn’t want to bring down anyone else’s night. so she turns to the bar instead. she’s half-way through her second drink when sloane appears at her side. “you disappeared for a while,” she says, but it sounds more like she’s blowing bubbles into her glass. “i thought maybe you weren’t coming back.” it comes out a little meaner than intended, but maybe it’s just the honest sentiment behind it. 

          there’s a learning curve when it comes to attending a strathmore ball. it takes hours to get ready first of all; and, no matter how overdressed sloane feels when she’s in her own room, she’s always going to feel severely underdressed by the time she steps into the venue. the first hour or so is always fun, but things can get boring fast unless she finds someone fun to keep her company. that had been her train of thought when she had suggested to george that they attend together. something along the lines of ‘no real date would be half as entertaining.’ she’d meant it, but they both have their own friends, other people who demand their attention. but she’s a college student in her twenties, so at some point, catching up with friends turns into making out with another girl at the edge of the room. 

it begins and ends quickly however. just a few moments of fun before they’re interrupted and part ways. she’s breathless and her lipstick probably needs retouching, but when she turns to locate the bathroom, she catches sight of george. her lipstick can wait. “hey.” sloane bumps george’s shoulder with her own once she reaches her. she makes a motion towards a bartender as she leans in toward george, trying to hear over the noise around them. “i couldn’t find you,” she explains, even though she can hear something simmering just below george’s words. “of course i’d come back. you’re my date, george.” she leans against george, bumping their shoulders again. “but i am sorry for abandoning you. here, i’ll make it up to you by being the greatest wingwoman for the rest of the night.”

[tourmvlines]

carter-harrington ,   hollis .

STATUS: closed, ft. @tourmvlines· ! LOCATION: the main entrance foyer thing !

                         THE NIGHT BECOMES A BLUR ––––– not because he’s been drinking, no ––––– it’s a far cry from the absolute haze of a memory that was fright night from the substances that had coursed through his body. no, it’s a blur for an entirely different reason ––––– the hours passe quickly in the company of someone whose smile alone makes time feel like a distant concept. and while his own date has left him to freshen up in the bathroom for a moment, he finds himself drawn back to the entranceway, not entirely sold on the idea of heading back into the main ballroom on his own. he thinks he catches a glimpse of a familiar face, a soft jawline and a pair of brown eyes that could only belong to their dear tourmaline prodigy. he approaches, one hesitant step at a time, knowing full-well the air between them has never exactly been clear. “ hey, sloane, wait up –––– ” he calls out, attempting to stop her and chat. maybe it’s not exactly the right time to try and make amends, but he’s been feeling in a rather emotional mood as of late. somehow, his feet simply drag himself toward her. “ are you –––– ” his words are interrupted by an uproar that comes from the ballroom, two pairs of couples whose voices are clearly raising decibels by the second. he recognizes one of them –––– paul, a good friend from one of his philosophy classes, and a face, far too familiar for his own liking. sloane’s friend, from first year –––– perhaps the reason he and sloane never exactly started off on the right foot. a glance over at sloane is the world’s quickest apology as he nods over at his other friend, trying to calm down the parties involved. 

          no matter how many of these events she goes to, sloane never gets used to all the balls and galas. it’s difficult to come in as someone who thrifted their prom dress both years in high school, but it’s a little easier now. with the help of the society, with mack, people who lend things to her when she needs them — and she always needs them. she lost george some time ago; they’re going as friends which means they have no obligation to one another so they are constantly losing and finding one another. so now, sloane is standing in the main foyer, people watching and nursing a drink that’s nearly finished. she tilts her head back, downing the rest of it before trying to make her way to another bar when she hears her name being called. “hey.” sloane turns and recognizes hollis, by voice not by appearance. she’s not quite sure what he wants from her. they’re something less than friends, that much has always been clear. she doesn’t hear the rest of his question however because something else calls their attention. there’s something funny and ironic about jackie being involved; jackie who is the reason the blood between her and hollis is so bad, who never knows when to back down from a fight even now, in the middle of a ball. sloane loves her fiercely but even she follows after hollis to mitigate the fight. “jack, what’s going on,” she asks, coming to her friend’s side. 

[tourmvlines]

──   𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐨  :    𝐺𝑂𝐿𝐷𝐸𝑁 𝑅𝐼𝑁𝐺𝑆 .

prompt:  tell us about your character’s fashion sense !

i.  sloane gravitates towards earth tones and neutrals for most of her basics since they can be worn with anything and are a little more versatile. she likes being able to wear things that she can wear in any season just because she’s always had a pretty sparse wardrobe from when she used to move around as a kid. also they’re just easier to layer with since the colors don’t clash or anything like that so she just finds that going for more neutral tones with her basics makes them more wearable. 

ii.  with that said, she’s also the type of person who likes a good statement piece so cool patterns, bright socks, that type of thing. she likes cool graphic t-shirts. for some reason, i have two pictures in the edit of sweater vests and like, honestly, yeah, sloane likes a good sweater vest! a lot of her clothes have been from thrift stores just because she’s never been super wealthy, but she also sort of prefers it anyway and most of her favorite things to wear have been things that she’s thrifted over the years. 

iii.  shoes are sort of a different issue just because nice shoes are a little more expensive. sloane usually buys off-brand shoes just because she refuses to spend much more than $50 on a nice pair of shoes. honestly, one of her greatest accomplishments in life was finding her doc martens at a savers in chicago. they fit like a glove and everything and she literally wears them all the time. if not her docs, she reaches for her beaters. she likes converse but she did buy a pair of off-brand cdgs because she likes the little heart.

iv.  sloane love love loves jewelry. she doesn’t buy super nice jewelry because she switches them out so often but she prefers silver jewelry for the most part. she’s got three piercings in both ears, and a cartilage piercing in her left ear so she switches out her earrings fairly frequently. she also digs the mismatched earrings vibe. her favorite pair is a pair that her mom, pepper, used to own. it’s one of the few things of her mothers’ she still owns and she tends to save them for special occasions. other than earrings she also likes anklets and necklaces and rings. she just loves jewelry bro. sloane also has a nose piercing, but she prefers a stud over a nose ring. 

[tourmvlines]

almost famous, 2000, directed by cameron crowe

[tourmvlines]

[tourmvlines]

in my defence it was a bit i was doing your honor

[tourmvlines]

davies ,   chloe .

      “  yes  —  well,  we’re  not  american,  now  are  we.  ”  she  says  with  a  bit  of  disdain.  quickly,  she  realizes  her  fault  —  sloane  is  american.  “  i  meant,  our  society  is  not  american  —  not  us  as  individuals.  this  is  an  exclusive  group,  not  some  gathering  meant  solely  for  the  purpose  of  alcohol  consumption.  ”  she’s  seen  the  movies  (  against  her  will  )  about  what  goes  on  on  american  college  campuses.  “  we’re  held  to  a  different  standard  than  that.  i  don’t  consider  ourselves  lucky  that  we  haven’t  endured  that,  because  we  never  would.  we’re  in  a  different  league.  ”

          “well, i am,” she corrects chloe with a neutral tone, despite taking offense to the statement. she’s not in the business of explaining herself to people so she allows it to pass. “the society is for networking, no? the fraternities are meant for networking as well. that same friend got an internship at google through her fraternity. we’re just networking on steroids,” sloane explains in an absentminded tone. she doesn’t expect to change chloe’s mind about this. “it’s like that other saying. work hard, play hard.”

[tourmvlines]

aydin ,   josephine .

          ❝  touché.  we  both  know  i  can’t  recreate  such  niche  personalities  by  myself,  but  the  bad  pick  -  up  lines  on  the  other  hand,  ❞     her  voice  trails  off  with  a  laugh  as  the  music  swells  again.  at  these  point,  they’d  probably  heard  every  line  in  the  book,  so  reciting  them  to  each  other  was  never  out  of  the  question.  and  she’d  take  any  opportunity  to  leave  the  confines  of  her  room  these  days.     ❝  strong  fun  i  can  do,  ❞     flagging  down  the  bartender,  josie  puts  in  their  drink  order  before  offering  a  cheeky  smile.     ❝  last  time  we  were  here  all  night,  i  had  to  listen  to  a  guy  talk  about  the  cat  at  his  mom’s  house  and  how  it  perches  like  a  bird,  so  i’ll  pass  this  time.  ❞     josie  offered  an  amused  scoff.     ❝  as  if  you  could  get  rid  of  me  that  easily.  though  i  imagine  george  or  mack  would  perform  admirably  in  my  place.  ❞     with  a  nod  of  thanks,  she  takes  the  two  glasses  from  the  bartender,  though  head  turns  to  find  the  source  of  sloane’s  attention.  she  was  quite  fond  of  the  game  herself.  glass  extended,  she  nods  thoughtfully.     ❝  looks  like  he  got  in  a  pissin’  match  with  his  mum  and  she  kicked  ‘im  to  the  curb  for  the  night,  what  d’ya  reckon  ?  still  lives  with  his  mum  type  ?  ❞

          “what was the one someone used on you just the other day?” sloane pauses, trying to search her memory. “oh!” she clears her throat for dramatic effect. “do you like raisins? how do you feel about a date?” it’s hard to keep a straight face with a line like that so she bursts into a fit of giggles. “sort of clever, but perhaps the delivery needed some work.” she laughs again when josie brings up cat guy. she’d gone to the bathroom for just a second and when she had returned, josie was being held hostage by someone who’s only personality trait was his mom’s cat. “we should’ve asked to meet the cat,” she teases as she takes her drink from josie before taking a tentative sip. it’s strong, just as she requested, but in a way that she enjoys. “perhaps,” she nods, referencing george and mack as josie’s replacements, “but you would be missed quite dearly.” sloane hums, regarding their target for a few more moments. “definitely. i mean, even just the way he’s dressed makes me think she gets his clothes prepared for him the day before. poor guy.”

[tourmvlines]

di parma ,   ginevra .

                    𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐑𝐀  𝐈𝐒  𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐃  𝐓𝐎  𝐏𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆  away  ,  voluntarily  ,  instinctually  .  she  knows  loneliness  far  better  than  company  ,  and  falls  into  silence  quicker  than  conversation  .  this  is  what  she  knows  ───  to  either  be  alone  or  partly  hidden  .  never  completely  present  or  exposed  ,  always  a  dark  side  turned  away  so  light  cannot  hit  it  and  reveal  the  cracks  that  form  spiderwebs  across  the  ice  she  is  made  of  ,  the  very  weaknesses  she  is  hellbent  on  keeping  hidden  .  still  ,  ginevra  likes  to  believe  that  good  intentions  seep  into  her  actions  ,  enough  for  those  familiar  with  her  to  know  that  she  is  loyal  to  them  .  that  she  cares  for  them  as  though  they  were  her  family  ───  because  they  are  .  so  sloane’s  question  catches  her  off  guard  .  it  leaves  her  so  stunned  that  ginevra  falters  for  a  moment  ,  a  frown  forming  on  her  features  as  she  is  left  to  wonder  how  many  prodigies  doubt  her  .  for  what  may  very  well  be  the  first  time  ,  ginevra  wonders  if  the  secrecy  that  she  wears  like  armor  is  rather  a  weapon  ,  one  that  has  harmed  the  very  people  she  tries  to  protect  .  do  they  truly  believe  she  doesn’t  care  ?  as  they  walk  ,  her  eyes  scan  around  their  surroundings  ───  they  find  no  one  other  than  the  tourmaline  ,  so  ginevra  dares  to  be  honest  .  ❝  i  am  not  trying  to  convince  you  of  anything  ,  sloane  .  all  i  am  trying  to  do  is  to  keep  you  safe  .  just  as  i  am  trying  to  keep  everyone  safe  ,  precisely  because  i  care  .  i  do  not  need  all  of  you  to  believe  me  when  i  say  that  …  i  suppose  i  just  wish  you  did  .  ❞  her  frown  dissipates  then  ,  expression  returning  to  neutral  composure  as  she  shrugs  ,  as  though  her  words  had  fallen  easily  rather  than  tasting  like  a  confession  .  ❝  do  what  you  will  with  that  information  .  ❞

          it was perhaps too much of an assumption for her to make. sloane’s never been good at biting her tongue. a thought that forms in her head is spoken aloud in the next second. she doesn’t mean to offend but her intention is irrelevant. she looks over at ginevra, at the frown on her face, and wants to apologize. she’d meant it to be a kind of comfort — that ginevra could breathe easier around her, that there was no need to be as much of a leader, some figure of authority, in this moment at the very least. she sees now that her words were double-edged. when gin finally speaks, sloane is surprised by what she says. she is well-aware of poppy’s disappearance and the ways in which it has toppled the peace of the society, but she’s never felt any sense of impending doom. some naive part of sloane has always believed that she is untouchable by these things. isn’t there only so much tragedy that can plague a life? “i understand,” she finally says, but there’s something else. “i just don’t know how you think you can manage it on your own. you’re only one person, ginevra.”

[tourmvlines]

mckinley ,   mack .

      it wasn’t every day mack got freedom in the hospital’s kitchen. typically, he was there to help complete a predetermined menu, but for once, there were more than enough staff members, and mack is able to make whatever dessert he wants. it’s one of the most fulfilling shifts he’s put in, and he’s eager to share his happiness. placing the prettiest one on a plate, he drapes a napkin over the top, careful not to damage any his hard work and heads off to find sloane. “aye! jennings!” he calls out the second he catches sight of his fellow volunteer. after closing the distance between them, he drops to one knee before her and pulls the napkin away from the plate, revealing a cupcake. a cupcake that’s perfect as far as mack is concerned; the fudge-like cake has a chocolate ganache and chopped strawberry center and a piped tower of chocolate buttercream icing, decorated with a bouquet of small pink fondant flowers. “i hope you’re not allergic to anything in this, but if are, at least we’re in a hospital.” 

          she’s just about finished with her shift at the hospital, waving goodbye to the nurses for the day when mack’s voice is heard from the other end of the hall. she turns, mid-sentence, shaking her head when he stops in front of her and drops to his knee. “well, if you’re asking, i do.” she smiles teasingly, taking the plate from him. it’s funny how different her relationship with mack is as compared to her initial impression of him. maybe she’s not as good at reading people as she thinks. “i expected more from you, mack. it’s quite irresponsible of you to make me something without accounting for any of my dietary restrictions. how is it that they keep letting you volunteer here?” her teasing is half-hearted. she’s more preoccupied with peeling the cupcake liner away and taking a bite. it’s a good cupcake. not that she expected anything less. she’s never understood why he’s studying business when it’s clear he should be pursuing this instead. “have you just finished? we can walk out together.”

[tourmvlines]

di parma ,   ginevra .

                   𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐑𝐀  𝐂𝐀𝐍  𝐒𝐄𝐄  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐄𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐒  of  her  silence  ,  the  subtle  shift  in  demeanor  hidden  behind  the  shake  of  a  head  ───  ordinary  gestures  are  not  exempt  from  her  calculating  and  analytic  gaze  ,  ginevra  keeps  watching  sloane  all  the  same  until  the  other  concedes  to  her  request  .  under  any  other  circumstance  ,  ginevra  would  not  even  have  offered  ───  yet  under  any  other  circumstance  ,  the  motives  behind  her  actions  would  not  carry  the  same  weight  survival  and  protection  do  .  there’s  a  hint  of  a  smile  offered  to  sloane  as  wordless  thank  you  ,  something  gentle  hidden  within  an  icy  exterior  as  sloane  explains  herself  even  when  there  is  no  need  to  do  so  .  ❝  oh  ,  it  is  not  a  bother  at  all  .  come  on  ,  then  .  let’s  walk  ,  ❞  she  says  ,  taking  a  step  forwards  in  the  direction  sloane  had  been  previously  heading  in  ,  falling  briefly  silent  at  the  question  .  ❝  i  had  things  to  do  .  ❞  no  more  explanation  is  deemed  necessary  by  ginevra  ,  who  is  quicker  to  hide  than  to  reveal  ───  even  when  what  lays  hidden  is  as  unremarkable  as  an  evening  of  studying  in  the  east  library  .

          her question is given a cryptic answer but sloane won’t push for any more than that. regrettably, they were more prodigy and opal than they were friends and what ginevra chooses to hide isn’t her business. the conversation hits a lull once more, and sloane is still thinking, trying to impress but not overwhelm, trying to hold back from making another ill-timed joke. “you don’t have to convince me, you know.” sloane finally offers, rubbing her hands up and down her arms as she crosses them. “that you care about the prodigies and stuff,” she clarifies after a beat. it’s the type of statement that’s dangerously close to crossing a line but more than anything, that’s what this feels like. others in her circlet are not quite as forgiving with ginevra and she’s certainly been part of that crowd as well — but her intent has never been under scrutiny for sloane. ginevra cares, she is sure about that now even if she knows nothing else.