chesshawkins

[chesshawkins]

❄ 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐒 — winter break

date — dec 23rd —dec 29th setting — richmond, virginia featuring — sage everett, caleb everett & dakota everett

chess and her cousin get picked up and driven back to richmond the afternoon after their last final, and spend the evening in richmond scrambling to find last minute christmas gifts

she tries to act grumpy on the actual holiday but ends up genuinely enjoying herself, even partaking in gingerbread house decorating ( although she will deny it if it gets brought up ). 

her aunt buys her a bunch of new records and new accessories for her record player, including a fancy new needle which she geeks out about to her cousin for ages

her cousin gets her some patches for her leather jacket

after christmas dinner, her uncle asks her to step into the garage, and gives her a brand new motorcycle, revealing that while she was away he sold her rusty old one

she’s sort of overwhelmed by how nice they’re being to her and spends some time in her room to try and get over it

of course, right after christmas is over, her aunt is on her about how she needs to focus on bootcamp, and she spends her last few days at home training and racing her cousin around the house

her aunt also briefly takes her shopping for an outfit for new years eve, which she doesn’t enjoy, but needed to do

on the 29th, she takes her bike back to school, opting to ride it back to roseville to test it out and letting her aunt and cousin drive back with her stuff.

@gallaghertasks​

[chesshawkins]

austinpark​:

“Stress,” Austin briefly explained the cause for why the hell he was up at this hour. Of course - in the true spirit of an eternal class clown - he’s hit with the urge to be dramatic in the hopes of lessening the tension. “One minute I’m tired, ready to hit the damn hay. Then I put my head to the pillow and it’s showtime. Suddenly I haven’t fuckin’ studied enough or there’s going to be some surprise question that I don’t know the answer to. Even after combing through study guides for hours.” An apologetic smile appeared at the end of his joking yet still truthful rant. “Sorry, totally got carried away there.”

      Dark eyebrows rise as he rants, but she can’t fault him — they sound entirely too similar like her reasons for never getting sleep at the right time. “No, you’re fine.” Chess offers a wry, sympathetic smile. “That’s pretty much what’s up with me, too. Well, minus the study guides for hours, thing. Hence—” She gestures to her books. “This.”

[chesshawkins]

estheralonsos​:

“I am rather jealous of the people who seem to be taking this in stride.” Esther doesn’t think she’s afraid of finals beyond any normal test anxiety, but it’s not lost on her that this feels like her first real test that she’s good enough to be here. “Oh, well that’s okay then,” she says, careful to keep judgment out of her tone, because she does think that’s okay, it just always surprises her when someone is undecided. “What classes are you taking, then?”

      “Oh, for sure — it’s intimidating. Like, how the hell are you so calm?” Chess rants, super psyched out at every person acting like they’re hardly bothered. “Yeah, I just — I’m not great at any one thing, you know?” She shrugs, suddenly self-conscious. “Uh, intro to driving, knife fighting, hand to hand, choosing your agency, and everyday objects and you. None of them have really stuck out to me, yet.”

[chesshawkins]

rainafms​:

     raina purses her lips together, mostly because it’s important to take breaks and a small part of it is for raina to not mom the girl sitting across from her. she nods as chess lists the classes, smiling slightly because the names of the courses are a bit out there. “oh, i took choosing your agency last fall!” she tells her before continuing. “but i’m afraid i’ll be of no help for intro to hand to hand. well, maybe in case you do get hurt. but please don’t actually. that won’t be any fun at all,” raina’s rambling, and she pauses before continuing because she is working on being not so long-winded. “anyways, i can definitely help with choosing your agency if you need.”

      While it’s not the class she’s currently hoping for, it’s a class she’ll be studying, so she nods. “Well, I’d appreciate any help, so... Thanks.” Chess purses her lips together in an awkward sort of smile, before an amused expression forms at the other’s babbling. “Yeah, I’ll try my best. I hate hospitals, anyway.” That’s incentive enough for her to try to stay healthy and uninjured. 

[chesshawkins]

amandaxhill​:

“You know most scientific studies done on all nighters say that they really don’t produce any better results than if you had gone to better at a decent hour,” Mandy countered as she plopped back in her seat across from Chess. Part of her felt like she could fall asleep right then and there. “Plus sleep deprivation can cause memory loss, mood changes, and a low sex drive amongst other things so…”

      Chess crinkles her nose, never liking to be told she’s wrong about anything. “I just like that it’s quiet here in the middle of the night.” She defends, though the more Mandy lists things, she gets the unfortunate nagging feeling the other girl is right. “Okay, alright, I get it, Mom.” She sighs dramatically, shutting her laptop, though her words hold no malice. “Bed time.”

[chesshawkins]

lucefrs​:

‘   i can give you some pointers if you want.    ’ and she might even if the other says no, because this is the only class she can say she’s not doing half bad in. she can already feel the pride swelling, going to her head - it’s a good thing she’s practically failing everything else or she’d be an evil genius in the making, but not in the cool way like lex luthor, but more in the way where it’d make her super arrogant, like mark zuckerberg. she thinks there’s something there that jesse eisenberg’s played both, but she’ll think on that another time. ‘   lukewarm coffee makes me depressed. i’ve left half drunken iced coffee’s in my car overnight and it taunts me the next morning. and i’m like … i shouldn’t drink it. and then i do. and i go to pick up my friends and they ask you how you are and you just have to say that you’re fine and you not really fine but you just can’t get into it because they would never understand …   ’

      “That’d be great, actually.” Chess nods, willing to take all the help she can get, even in the subjects considered the ‘easiest’. Besides, it would definitely not hurt to spend a little extra time with her attractive, pixie-like classmate. Chess listens to the story, confused smile tugging at her lips the longer it continues and finally a laugh breaks out as she recognizes the meme. “You should get one of those yeti cup things. Keep your coffee cold forever, or whatever.”

[chesshawkins]

steebpark​:

there’s something slightly addictive about watching people get passionate about something, especially music. chess doesn’t say much but he can see it in her eyes. “ if tusk isn’t in your top songs, i’ll be disappointed. ” there’s a soft smile on his lips as he reaches over to turn on his speaker, a small raise of brows to suggest her to connect her phone to it. “ ah, if kind of blue can’t convert you, then i don’t know what can. ”

      “It... Isn’t, actually.” Chess grimaces, though ruins it by laughing slightly. “I’m pretty sure it was number 6 or something, though. Just nudged out of top five. Sorry to disappoint.” She tracks him turning on the speaker, a fuzzy warm feeling in her chest at the thought someone wants to hear her music. “Well then. ‘Kind of blue’?” She quotes, going to look it up to play it, wanting to show that she does value her roommates music taste. 

[chesshawkins]

jaimitchell​:

grief was a funny thing. death was the one thing with no remedy that existed in the world, and yet most deemed it natural, why did it him hurt so deeply in the now hollow on the left side of his chest? he had been sixteen last time he felt it, and he thought he wouldn’t get to feel it ever again, not until he was old enough that he could think of it as something that had to happen, but not in his mid twenties. not with the one he swore he would spend his life with. 

it was getting late, getting colder, and jai simply sat outside of the building, smoking one cigarette after the next one. he didn’t want to go back to his room. he couldn’t. it was forever full of memories, some great, but now carried the saddest ones: his love’s final words, his last look, the feeling of his lifeless body covering his until he was physically forced to leave him. jai sobbed, burying his face in between his knees, not noticing when someone had come closer.    || @gallagherstart​

      Chess was no stranger to loss — she’d been left enough times in her life to know the helpless feeling of being left on your own, of finding yourself alone and afraid. But she has barely any experience with death, with losing someone you genuinely cared about, for good, completely against your own volition.

      Which is why she’s panicking. She imagines all her emotions from when her parents left, worsened immeasurably, are what Jai is going through, and she can’t find him. Beginning to fear the worst, she finds herself practically running through the halls, just searching, until finally, finally, she spots him. And her heart shatters. 

      “It’s Chess.” She utters, hoping not to startle him when she touches him. She’s no good at bedside manner, at soothing comfort or polite words of encouragement. So she settles herself beside him, heart aching, and hesitantly wraps her small frame around him. “I’m so sorry.” Her words are barely audible, muttered into his shoulder.

[chesshawkins]

steebpark​:

a smile graces his lips. “ how long has fleetwood mac been at the top of your list? ” his has always been fairly consistent, so he’s pretty sure mr. joe hisaishi’s missing his 5th spot. “ oh nice, very rock n’ roll. ” couldn’t sound more lame if he tried, even makes a small 🤘 gesture with his hand. “ hey, there’s always next year. we’ll just have to keep playing music off your spotify. ” 

      “Oh, like... Years.” Chess waves a hand -- she really couldn’t list a specific amount of time, her Spotify account one of only things in her life that’s remained consistently for years. “Why thank you.” She snorts out a laugh at the gesture, rolling her eyes but her smile stays prevalent on her face. “Guess so.” She gives her roommate a look. “Who knows, maybe you’ll convert me.”

[chesshawkins]

ofspeedinglights​:

It’s been hectic, they had been climbing up the walls due to the nerves they felt. Boot camp and then finals. Once it was all done, they would get the chance to lean back and relax, to finally breathe. But until then they would just study, study and study some more. Medical training was their passion. Well except from singing and writing music. Not that they were all that comfortable singing in front of people but that didn’t make the love they felt for it any less powerful. But medical training, it just felt like home for them. So holding their books in their arms, they made their way towards the common room for some peace and quiet. Just to see Chess sitting there. “Oh hey” they let out and then tilted their head to the side.

      Chess recognizes Dana as they step more into the light -- one of the rare few cheerful people to seem to want to associate her, Dana remains an enigma to Chess. She can’t figure out what it is they want from her, because there’s no way they’re just overwhelmingly nice to her all the time for no reason. But until she figures it out, sometimes it’s nice just to have some positivity around her every so often. “Hey.” A beat. “Late night sesh as well?” She asks, then pauses to clarify. “Study sesh.” God, she wishes it was the ‘smoking’ kind. 

[chesshawkins]

lucefrs​:

‘   said every man slipping a condom into his wallet before he goes out for a coffee date with a girl he’s talked with for two days on tinder.   ’ she agrees, milling around chess’s space, a knee on the chair opposite her - not quite settling, akin to a fly that can’t be swatted. ‘   it’s just arts ‘n crafts class on ‘roids. diy pinterest moms would totally ace it.   ’ spanish is gonna be the one that get her, she should be spending far more time in la biblioteca than she has. ‘   weird right ?   ’

      Chess laughs at that, lips twisting into a smile as she surveys the other girl. She watches her nearly settle down, able to recognize that sense of flighty restlessness from her own days in New York. It makes her feel a little more comfortable. “Huh. Never thought of it like that. Guess you’re right.” She pauses, cocking her head. “So, like, have you tested this? What about lukewarm coffee?”

[chesshawkins]

rainafms​:

     raina figures that chess would want to spend some time on her own, but she hates to see people studying until the early morning hours. so instead, she takes a seat on one of the couches opposite the other. “have you been taking any breaks at least?” it doesn’t seem like chess is planning on stopping any time soon, so hopefully she has been taking some; otherwise she’d probably get burnt out. “i’m a fourth year, medical training.” raina answers, a small smile appearing. “what classes are you taking right now?”

      “Uh...” A moment popped up on Criminal Minds about four episodes ago that she wanted to rewatch, so she’d peeled her attention away from the work to watch it, before turning right back to typing. “Sure.” At the answer, Chess sighs, leaning back on the couch. “Darn. No dice, I guess.” A shrug. “Uh, Everyday Objects and You, Choosing Your Agency, and then Intro to Hand-to-Hand, Knife Fighting, and Driving.” A deep sigh.  “Those still sound crazy to say out loud.”

[chesshawkins]

magsrome​:

“oh, good.” she simply replied, making a beeline to the machine with her pink mug, a binder tucked under her arm. as mags proceeded to get coffee with one hand, she turned to the other. even if the other seemed busy - as anyone else might be, understandably - the need for social interaction drew her in. “which class is that for?”

      Chess’ eyebrows raise, the other’s generally perky demeanour immediately unsettling her. No one needs to be that cheery and organized at 3 am. No one. “Uh, Everyday Objects and You.” A beat. “And yeah, I know it’s a practical class.”

[chesshawkins]

austinpark​:

Now, Austin is no stranger to early morning study sessions. Hell, he’s hosted plenty of them over the years - both for himself and for friends - yet he’s also full of knowledge about the adverse effects of pulling all nighters in order to study. Gallagher was chock full of rough coursework and while he had faith that it would pay off, his dad friend nature was telling him to look after people. Especially around finals season. He mouthed his thanks as he moved to grab himself some coffee followed by a quick check to see if anymore would need to be made once he got a cup.

“Burning the midnight oil?” The polite question rolled right out as he took a seat nearby, tone soft so as to hopefully not disturb Chess too much. “Or the three in the morning oil,” he attempted a joke once he caught a glance at the actual time.

      Chess glances up, surprising herself at her own disappointment when it seems like the intruder is just going to grab coffee and leave. When he moves to sit down, she pauses her show and removes her earbuds in order to be polite. “Something like that.” She mutters, before a laugh escapes her lips at the dumb joke. “What’s your excuse?” She turns her attention towards him fully.

[chesshawkins]

bencvolence​:

      𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎  𝚜𝚑𝚎  𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚜  coffee  now  and  again  ,  it’s  become  more  of  a  habit  rather  than  of  necessity  .  just  when  she  plans  to  continue  up  the  stairs  ,  she  ventures  further  into  the  common  area  when  chess  asks  another  question  .  “  unfortunately  i  haven’t  .  it’s  an  intro  class  i’m  planning  to  take  next  semester  .  ”  but  that  might  change  if  she  doesn’t  get  approval  from  her  counselor  to  take  six  classes  .  “  isn’t  that  the  macgyver  class  ?  i’ve  always  thought  it  would  be  more  physical  than  conceptual  .  ”

      “It... Is.” Chess shrugs. She has no concept of what the appropriate way to study any of these classes is, considering her quick google on ‘how to study at college’ was all break-taking methods and aesthetically-pleasing pictures of notes. “I’m just being thorough, I guess.” She’s doing a lot of guessing these days. “I guess I’m just out of my depth.” 

[chesshawkins]

tingzhao​:

“You did not,” Ting assures lightly, trying not to be too earnest about it. She’s observant enough that she’s started to notice her sincerity does not always land with people, that it can be overwhelming, and she doesn’t feel quite right keeping it to herself, but she can at least test the waters more. “I think so, yes. Of course, I do not particularly know exactly what to expect. But I can try my hardest, certainly.”

      Chess appreciates the assurance, but she takes it as a polite gesture and doesn’t really believe the other. A dark eyebrow raises at the sincere optimism, always genuinely baffled by people who don’t automatically assume the worst. “That’s a good outlook to have.” It sounds like something her aunt would say. “You a first year?”

[chesshawkins]

parkerbrandt​:

That was what he thought anyway. It was why his note taking had intricate systems that could easily adapt and twist based on his teacher’s style. Just like debating… Which he probably should have done, but business was basically the same thing. He could have guessed that, but he didn’t want to be rude. “How’d you end up here then?”

      His question makes her pause -- she could give him the long winding history of it all, or the palettable version she chooses for strangers ( which involves significantly less crime-committing or jail time ), but instead, she settles on a middle ground. Somehow, she kind of likes this guy. “My aunt’s some kind of recruitment agent or something.” It has a formal title, Chess just can’t remember it. “And she helped me get out of a tough spot and got me in here.” She genuinely means to tell him more, but her instincts kick in and it comes out more tame.