❝ wilderness ❞

dani / 20 / animal vigilante soul of artemis.

[arevalodaniela-blog]

dera-mcclery:

It was rare for Dera to ever be able to put her full attention on somebody, but Dani was easy to get entranced in. There was something so luminous and bright about her, drawing Dera in until it seemed hard to look away. First of all she was stunningly gorgeous, but not just physically. It was a grace and beauty that existed inside and out, and became apparent the moment you met her. It made it simple for Dera to just listen, taking in her positive energy. It was infectious and she couldn’t help smiling as they talked. A giggle drew its way out of her throat, “You’re a braver woman than I.” The second part of what Dani said was way too true in a perfect way. Every time the two hung out it always seemed like Dani was either coming from or soon going to some activity, another thing that Dera loved about her. “Ooooooh yes! It is always the night that reveals that which we cannot during the day. I find the best bonding happens past two am and before six am. Some you cannot even see or feel during the day.” 

Dera has always been a creature of the night. At first it was because of the greater presence of spiritual activity, but later she grew to appreciate night life. Not just parties and other elicit activities, but also because of the looser way which people acted. She fixed herself tea without even having to think, already knowing where all the supplies was. While the water was boiling she turned back to Dani, “My talents are simultaneously limitless and finite, for I cannot kick a soccer ball by I do well with the inner workings of the mind and some of the body.” She then added, “And you’re one to talk. To know you is to know you are talented Dani.” A blush bloomed on her cheeks at the compliment, and she hurried to pour herself a cup of tea to distract from it. “Yes! I will take you up on that offer! I’ll harass you with homemade signs and then naturally the best food afterwards.“

“Brave,” she dismissed with a scoff. “Please. they’re the brave ones. Ask David. I throw a mean punch.” Before Daniela could have reminded Dera where things were kept, her friend was already pulling a chipped mug out of the cabinet and filling the kettle with water. Truthfully, Dani didn’t even drink tea. She’d come across the kettle in the first place at a rummage sale down her mother’s street. It had seemed like something Dera would like, provided how often she was in her apartment, and so it’d taken up cheerful residence on her counter. The blue matched Dera’s eyes. “Really? That’s a pretty big four hour window. Is it an aura or spiritual thing, or is it just a deliriously-tired thing?” 

As much as Daniela wanted to watch Dera make herself at home, her leg actually did kind of hurt, and she slid from the barstool indecisively to plop down on her sofa. “Limitless, finite, whatever. You’ve got a lot of them,” she noted. “Maybe I’ll just have to bully you to try out for the team next season in case you’re actually harboring a secret affinity for that too.” Dera’s compliments always had a way of sounding tremendously genuine, making them difficult to dismiss as she might usually might; deflecting her praise into the abyss seemed a waste. “Thanks. And you know you’re always welcome to stalk me at any time. I don’t mind, especially if food’s involved.” She idly stretched her arms over her head. “How was your day? Get any randos knocking on your door asking for free readings?”

[arevalodaniela-blog]

apolloarevalos:

There were moments that the twins were genuinely nice and sweet to each other. However, when it went on for too long, it just got uncomfortable. The only time it lasted was when they were worried, which was unpleasant, or drunk but that was more funny than sappy. So David learned how to diffuse the situation fairly well with an insignificant insult.

David huffed and rolled his eyes. It didn’t bother him that much that Daniela asked for an employee discount and free drinks, but the fact that she did it all the time, especially when he told her just how many drinks he got an hour did get on his nerves sometimes. Plus, it was something that he had to play up at this point, since they’ve been going back and forth about it for so long. “You’re so annoying. Do you even need a car?” He figured he’d skip over the bit about graduate school to avoid making Daniela upset again.

David sighed and shook his head, closing the tab again. “Yeah, kind of, it was supposed to illustrate more of, well, so they actually both love each other but one would rather not, and, I don’t know.” He frowned and shook his head, mood already turning. When his writing didn’t come perfectly together, he could be very melodramatic, which helped out the rest of his writing, but not his mood. “But yeah, the being afraid rather than in love, I really wanted to like, feel that.” He shrugged. “I don’t know,” he repeated. “You haven’t read enough poetry to know it’s not all pretentious.”

She shrugged. “Nope, not really. But I guess I don’t really need to spend my money on anything responsible right now. Except for new cleats - think I could justify those to Mom as a responsible purchase? Mine are going to shit after last season.” Already certain she was boring him considering her field hockey woes weren’t relatable, Dani nudged him. “Someday you’re going to have to be my finance guy because I can’t keep it all straight.”

David’s shift in demeanor was hardly unfamiliar. She was well-versed in her brother’s moody, sulky side when his writing didn’t quite feel right. He’d spend hours and hours on a single line. Sometimes, she envied his patience — though she could be focused when she needed to be, her attention was far more productive when funneled into constantly shifting action rather than a Word document. “Well, see, there you go. I got the point right on the nose. I thought it was emotional. Fear, love. Those are pretty hefty feelings. Even that part about ‘gasping’ — it nearly sounds frantic, which is sort of how that unrequited love is supposed to be, right? Like you’ve got a lot to lose and it’s terrifying, but you can’t switch it off.” She rose her eyebrows. “True. Hey, I met Rhiannon in the cafe the other day and she mentioned she’s mentoring you or something? What’s that about?”

[arevalodaniela-blog]

rhiannonhebert:

“I know, I hired them. I’m just sorry I’m hearing about their short comings now instead of when something could actually be done about it.” She takes a sip from her tea as she pauses, giving the girl another chance to come up with an excuse before she opened her own mouth again. “Though they did seem to make it through the night without any outrageous problems or empty glasses thrown their way, so I’d say I’m happy with how the bartending turned out.” That’s about as much as she could say on the positive outcomes of the night, still reeling herself in from cleaning up everyone else’s selfish messes.  

She doesn’t bother to even think of an answer, a rehearsed one already on the tip of her tongue, though she nods first anyway –to give the illusion of it being a non-predictable question. “I do yeah, it’s super rewarding to be able to follow through with all these events –and they’re always for a good cause. The other presidency responsibilities are great too, like being able to connect with students on campus, interact with the faculty to make a better university for everyone.” She sounds like the job description on the school’s website she knows. “I will definitely let you know then –and I will get in touch with them. I used to volunteer there in high school, it’s a great establishment.” She shrugs, not exactly wanting to agree that Daniela had no idea what she was talking about when it came to literature. “It is, but it could be so much better if he had an understanding of subtext, allegory, and different types of poems.”

Daniela nearly jumped to her brother’s (and Tristan’s) defense. They hadn’t been shortcoming in the slightest, at least not in her opinion. But she got the impression that Rhiannon would deflate each and every excuse Dani offered. Provided how terribly the evening had ended, it seemed fair to assume she’d forget Dani had mentioned anything at all. “Right. I guess the worst of it wasn’t even at the bar, right? But for what it’s worth I heard a lot of people had fun anyway. The cheating thing is a big deal, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think it ruined the night for anyone by any means.” She finished brightly, wondering if saying so was helpful or condescending.

As she probably should have expected, Rhiannon offered a quick response. “Hey, I’m not the press or something. You’re allowed to say it’s a pain in the ass if it is,” she joked with a chuckle. “But that’s cool that you like it. I don’t know, I think a lot of the people who attend those sorts of things forget that it’s supposed to be about giving money to charity so it’s good that you do it for the right reasons.” Feeling a sudden urge to defend her brother, Daniela added, “And maybe so, though I know David runs the poetry club on campus and that’s a pretty big deal. I don’t think they’d let him do that if his writing was shitty, you know?”

[arevalodaniela-blog]

apolloarevalos:

David was pleased that his sister’s bad mood seemed to brighten, and he figured that now would be a good time to make fun of her. Things just sort of worked that way, like give and take. You give a compliment, and then you have to balance it by giving an insult. “Then I’d have to see your gross teeth even more.” It was a strange insult, and not a serious one, since his sister’s teeth were fine, but it worked. “I second it. I know your weakness now though.”

“I’m not losing any sleep over it. I’m just saying that if you try to get free drinks from me at the cafe, I might let you know that maybe you’d have money to actually pay for them if you’d actually cashed in those checks.” David couldn’t really talk. The only reason he even knew where the bonds were was because he lived with his mother. He was more responsible than some twenty year olds, but he didn’t get carried away. Too much. He laughed. “Yeah, I guess I do write about that super intense shit, but this one’s… It just feels weird? Like, okay, here.” He opened the tab and read;

“I don’t know when exactly my like turned to love, and that turned into a prepositional phrase, but it scares me to think that you don’t want to feel this way. You’re a faulty oxygen tank, giving me enough hope that I think I can make it to the surface, but then leave me gasping with thirty meters to go. I forgive you.”

He shrugged. “Is it too pretentious or fictional to convey actual emotion? I can’t tell.”

Daniela rolled her eyes, not even bothering to grace David with a proper response. As most siblings did, they exchanged insults or nagged more often than they expressed sincere emotion, much less compliments. Still, it had meant a lot that David defended her to her mother, and she refrained from hooking him in the arm like she might have otherwise. 

“But why would I do that when I can get them for free instead? I’m probably supposed to use that money for something responsible anyway. Graduate school or a car or something.” Suddenly thoughtful, she wondered if she should actively look for those stupid savings bonds sometime soon. The expense of veterinary school was a serious obstacle she hadn’t the faintest idea how she was going to overcome without taking out thousands of dollars in loans.

If she were being honest, she didn’t care about poetry as much as she cared about David. It was only because of the latter that she ever made an effort to have literary opinions at all. “Hm.” She tapped her chin with her index finger. “Okay, so the gist is that someone loves someone else but they don’t feel the same way, right? The biggest thing I got from that is being afraid rather than actually being in love. Which isn’t a bad thing if that’s the point you were getting at. The metaphor’s a little pretentious but to be fair I think a lot of poetry is pretentious.” The last comment was intended as a slight joke. 

[arevalodaniela-blog]

apolloarevalos:

David rolled his eyes, but the smile stayed on his face. He wasn’t exactly tired of his mother and sister going back and forth like they did, but he did wish that they could just sit down and work out their differences and say what they actually meant instead of David having to act as each of their mouthpieces. Not that he could exactly complain about it to them. If he brought that up, they could bring up the fact that he was never really direct with anyone, and the only reason he didn’t fight with anyone was because he avoided conflict like it was the plague. “Nah, I fight way harder in your favour. Can’t let her talk about my twin that way.” He looked up from his computer to smile at Daniela. Even when it came to bickering with their mother, David always took his sister’s side. He normally took a stance in the middle, but he felt protective over her, even though she was the one who could snap him like a twig.

David clicked his tongue and swatted at her. “Fuck you. No matter how good I look naked, you could go blind from seeing your brother’s dick.” He let out a laugh. “God, I bet she’d try to put you on a leash now if she could. Also tell me that you don’t just throw those out, because you could totally cash those in for a quick buck.” He scrunched his nose and shrugged. “About, like, different relationships and feelings of love. I don’t think they’re bad, just… sort of, I can’t tell if they sound disingenuous or not, you know?”

Truthfully, Daniela was joking; she knew David understood her better than most, and no matter how annoying his candor could be it was typically what Dani needed to hear anyway. His sincerity was relatively unexpected. She too couldn’t help but smile, her minor irritation with their mother dissipating in the face of affection for her brother. “Thanks. You should say nice things like that to me more often.” It wasn’t too difficult to lift her spirits generally, but David always managed to do so with the most efficiency, and thus her shifted mood had her sitting up properly to face him, folding her legs pretzel-style. “And for the record, even hearing you say the word dick is honestly a little scarring so I vote we drop that subject.” 

She paused before continuing, thinking. “Um. Actually, I don’t think I threw them out but they’re either in my sock drawer, in that shoebox under my bed, or Mom has them stashed away somewhere which is honestly the best case scenario. Hope you don’t lose sleep over that.” David’s poetry typically revolved around highly-charged subjects; she was left unsurprised by the inspiration behind his current project. She knew so little about literature that her opinion probably didn’t matter, but she always offered it anyway. “Oh. I mean, you usually write about that stuff, right? Feelings and love and...whatever, that super intense stuff. You’re usually good at it. Bet if you stared at anything for more than a few hours it’d sound like mierda. But you’re welcome to do a dramatic reading and I’ll tell you if it’s actually shit or not.”

[arevalodaniela-blog]

rhiannonhebert:

“That’s great, thank you for lending a hand. You didn’t have to start finishing other people’s jobs you know. Next time let someone know, they can get those idiots fired.” She loathed it when people assumed they could relax at their job just because they were behind a bar. Though admittedly, she knew nothing about the position and unfairly grouped the entire profession together based on a few sour interactions. “I enjoyed it as long as everything as running smoothly yes. You don’t have much time to relax at events like that it’d more about preparing for any possible crisis.” 

“Great! I’ll let you know when I have things finalized, we’re still in the very early stages right now and trying to mop up the remains of the last one. Oh also if you have any charity suggestions I’d love to hear them. Normally I would ask a member of the GSSA but you seem competent, and their suggestions aren’t that great.” She nods, done with explaining her grievances again. “A little yes, I’m trying to explain his literary caliber. It’ll make him a much better writer if he reads more of others. And I am a great teacher.”

Having been certain she’d sufficiently backtracked and avoided Rhiannon’s negative reaction to any degree, she found herself caught off-guard by her seemingly good-natured scolding. Yikes. The president was just as intense as she’d thought. Truthfully even if Tristan or David had been slacking at the bar, it wouldn’t have occurred to her to tattle. And she was suddenly very grateful she hadn’t been caught loitering at the ball. “Yeah, sure. I don’t think it was them slacking as much as being swamped by a bunch of people wanting drinks and stuff. My brother was one of the bartenders.” Somewhere, David was very unhappy he’d been namedropped without permission. 

“Do you like doing it? Organizing and being president and everything. It seems like a lot of work.” Now Daniela was just being curious, though she couldn’t have imagined Rhiannon offering anything except a pageant-ready answer. “Sure, you’ve probably got my e-mail somewhere. Oh! You should donate to the Mount Wells shelter sometime. I volunteer there a few times a week and they’re always scraping the bottom of the barrel for funds, honestly.” Suddenly amused, she wondered just how Rhiannon and David’s interactions tended to go. She’d have to text her brother about it later. “I’ll bet. I think his stuff is really good, though I’m not exactly the literary type, so I guess I’m not the best person to ask.”

[arevalodaniela-blog]

apolloarevalos:

David was happy and lucky that he didn’t get a bruise on his arm for that one. Maybe she was too tired to punch him. “Yeah, yeah, I know. She’s not worried so much as she misses you, which is dumb because she takes it out on you and stuff, but, yeah.” He shrugged. He felt as though he always understood his mother more than his sister did, but he also saw his sister’s side of the argument. He could understand why she was frustrated and why she felt as though she needed to move out. Honestly, he should probably consider moving out, since he was almost old enough to legally drink and almost completely dependent on his mother still. When he got too drunk, he had to stay in his sister’s dorm, and he’d never been with someone, but if he wanted to be, how embarrassing would it be to tell them that they had to go back to their apartment because his mom wouldn’t like them getting frisky upstairs.

“Maybe I want to be naked some day, but I’m constantly living in fear that you’re going to swing on in here, and you’ll go blind?” He grinned. David was honestly quite comfortable wearing clothes all the time, but he did like to push his sister’s buttons. “Oh, she definitely does, but what’s new? Remember when she recommended that leash in, like, kindergarten?” He looked back at his laptop and shrugged. “They let me do the whole poetry club-slash-night thing at work, but I have to set it up on the website, so I’m trying to teach myself how to make it look nice. I’m also working on about four poems but… they’re not working great.” He sighed and clicked out of a few of the tabs.

This particular dynamic was far from uncommon. Mrs. Arevalos wore Daniela’s nerves thin often, and vice versa. David had always been Mom’s chiquito. She’d feel bad making him be the referee so often if he didn’t seem to enjoy being the fair one. And annoyingly enough, she knew he was right. It had been an odd adjustment to the Arevalos house once Dani moved out, and she hypothesized her mother was still adjusting to it even years afterward. Her nosiness was well-intentioned. “You’re the worst person to complain to because all you ever do is sit there and be fair.” She pulled a sour face. “I hope you at least play the same card when she’s complaining about me, because I know she does.”

Since she didn’t have the energy to sit up properly and reach, she settled for sharply elbowing his leg in response to his hypothetical nudity. “You look that bad in the nude? No wonder you’re single.” The mention of the leash was a memory Dani had long forgotten, though now that he’d mentioned it the discussion came to mind clearly. Thankfully, Mrs. Arevalos had ignored her sister’s advice. “Shit, I’d forgotten. No wonder she only gives me savings bonds for Christmas. Trying to enforce responsibility or whatever.” Mildly interested in his website designing, she stretched her arms over her head and let out a yawn. “What are your poems about? Why do you think they’re bad? They probably aren’t.”

[arevalodaniela-blog]

dera-mcclery:

Dera was equally glad that she hadn’t, as somebody who normally only enjoyed conversing with her close friends, seemingly obnoxious strangers would be a little a lot. Incredulously Dera questioned, “How do you sleep?” It seemed like a horrendous situation, and without even thinking twice she offered up, “Well, my place is always open if you need a good night’s rest. Amanda is the best roommate of them all and won’t mind.” It was true that Amanda put up with way more than anybody should ever have to. Between Dera wandering around late at night to random, loud projects constantly being brought into the house. 

It was so fulfilling to be with somebody whose laughter was accepting, and not directed at Dera. It wasn’t that she minded the ridicule, but there were times where having somebody like Dani was just what she needed. “I’d offer a massage, but I don’t know if that would help.” Learning the basics of being a masseuse was just part of her training for alternative methods of healing. By no means was she certified, but to understand the mind one must at least have a passing knowledge of the body. “And that makes sense. The heat is oppressive and I never consented.” Dera flung herself into a chair, allowing herself to sprawl until she was comfortable in it. “Oh, I can make myself tea. I brought my own leaves and everything.” As soon as she was down, she was back up moving with Dani towards the kitchen. For a moment she couldn’t figure out what Dani was referencing, then she remembered her outfit, “Oh, no. This is from a couple days ago, I just recent laundry. I was making Amanda a feel better sign after everything happened and it just sort of got out of hand.” The thought popped into her head that the next time Dani had a game, Dera would have to go to cheer her on with an ungodly large poster that was painted to the nines. “When is your next game? I’d like to go!”

Flicking on the sink, she filled her glass, drank most of it in a few large gulps, then refilled it again. Even as a light sleeper she’d learned to adjust to her boisterous neighbors; thankfully, the walls were rather thick and she could always retreat to the Arevalos home if something was terribly awry. She’d also been known to crash on Luna’s couch or Tristan’s (though the latter was more rare). Still, the offer was very kind and she felt a surge of affection for her friend. Dera was always a lovely hostess, beautifully disheveled in the morning and having all sorts of odd stories to tell. “I have earplugs and couches to squat on if it gets too noisy. You know me; I’m up most of the time anyway doing something.” Shutting off the faucet, she shot Dera a bright smile. “But I might take you up on that. Either way, a slumber party would be fun sometime.” Not usually the ‘slumber party’ type, she could imagine it would be fun with Dera.

She listened as Dera went on, eyes following her idly once she’d gotten up to fix herself tea. Of course she’d brought her own tea. Amused, she scooted herself out of Dera’s way, instead settling on the other side of her breakfast bar and sliding onto a stool. “Cállate. You’re a part-time masseuse too, and I’m only just finding out about it now? Why are you good at everything?” she teased. In all honesty, Dani was well accustomed to the consequences of such a high-intensity sport and the bruises that came with the territory. “Well, I think it looks nice. Intentional, actually. It suits you.” She brightened at Dera’s question. “Technically our season doesn’t start until August once MWU starts up again. You can totally come stalk me at practice sometime, though allegedly it’s not as exciting for people sitting in the stands. Sometimes David comes to wait for me and he claims he’s bored to tears.”

[arevalodaniela-blog]

rhiannonhebert:

“I see, well I hope that it wasn’t because people were trying to arrive in the middle of the festivities. That would be such a waste, of your time and mine.” Rhiannon really couldn’t remember having seen this girl before in her life. But hey –if she was being perfectly pleasant with some form of competency she had no reason to not use her. “It was gorgeous. Did you enjoy helping out? I can be sure to remember you for the next event I have planned if you want.” Rhiannon was always looking for people to throw out from under her wing. She was already trying to guide David’s poetry into something more than mediocre surely she could use his sister too. 

“Yes, there’s more to be done today than there was to set up for the event. In case you didn’t notice the mayor is furious by this whole thing, but it’ll all be dealt with soon. Do you spend a lot of time here?” 

“Oh! No, no, I don’t think so,” she assured Rhiannon brightly. “I was actually helping out the bar for a minute in the middle, getting ice and whatever, so that might’ve been why I missed the festivities.” At least that wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t worth mentioning that it was moreso about harassing her brother than being a good Samaritan. “Yeah! It was fun. My friend, Layla Dunn, she convinced me to go last year and volunteer to help out so I thought I’d do it again this year. Did you? It seemed like you were running all over the place.” 

As little as Deniala really cared about big fancy events thrown by the GSSA, it occurred to her that any ounce of volunteering — irrelevant or not — could help bulk up her graduate school application. “Sure, why not? I mean, my schedule’s shit most of the time between field hockey and the shelter, but I’m happy to lend a hand whenever if I’m free.” She pulled a sympathetic face at the mention of the mayor. “I didn’t, but I’d believe it. He seems a bit intense. I’m sure it’ll all blow over in a few days.” Nodding, she jerked a thumb in the direction of the bar. “Yup. Mostly to annoy David, but it’s a nice place to study too. Do you know him? David, I mean.”

[arevalodaniela-blog]

dera-mcclery:

The days since the pageant had seemed like a whirlwind in so many ways. Between comforting Amanda, breaking into private property with Thea, and officially meeting Denna a lot had happened in two days. A little bit of time with the light that was Dani would be a welcome break from everything else. It often felt like so many of her relations were one sided, i.e. Dera helping others, with very few people asking about her. Dani asked, and that little act mattered more than Dera could ever be eloquent enough to say. Her overalls were still covered in paint from making Amanda’s banner a couple days ago, but Dera fancied herself cute in them, so wear them she shall. Bits and pieces of hair kept slipping out of her bun, and she made very little effort to tuck them away. This is why she wanted to cut her hair. Maybe she could get Dani to cut it? She was going to ask Amanda but after what happened Dera just wanted to be there for her friend. 

She knocked once, then twice, on Dani’s door with no answer. Knowing that she wasn’t the type to blow a person off, Dera just happily settled down in front of the door as stared at a spider building a web in the corner of the hallway. It was one of those spiders that was all spindly, barely even seeable except for two little bead eyes. Loud footsteps notified Dera of the woman’s arrival, and she pulled herself up off the ground. Dani was a lovely vision, with still wet hair from the shower. It was impossible to stop the soft smile that slipped onto her face at the sight, “We don’t start rotting away until twenty-four, so don’t worry about me Dani. I have a couple more years before that starts.” Without hesitating she dutifully followed Dani into her apartment, immediately feeling at home in the whirlwind of color. “How did practice go? Did you score any….” She took a moment to think what field hockey scored. Regular hockey had goals, at least she was pretty sure, so she settled on it, “goals?” 

Daniela had rounded the corner just in time to catch Dera pulling herself to her feet, and she felt a pang of guilt. Yes, Dani could be flakey at times, but she rarely bailed on friends like Dera. At least she didn’t appear bothered; she looked as she always did, serene and happy to see Dani. The overalls were a new touch. Dani didn’t recognize them. “I’m just glad you didn’t run into any of my neighbors. The ones on the left are frat brothers who are basically nocturnal but yell everything, and I’m pretty sure the couple on the right is having really pissed off sex at least twice a week.” 

She dropped her gym bag on the floor to the right of the door. Thankfully, it was much cooler inside than it was out thanks to the AC thrumming happily in the living room. Somewhere Mrs. Arevalos was scolding her for practically throwing her electric bill out the window. Her attention returning to Dera, her hesitancy was clear and provoked a loud laugh. “It was good. Yeah, just one goal. We ended with a scrimmage game. Fell weird on my leg, though. It’ll hurt like a bitch tomorrow morning. Everyone gets a bit sloppy toward the end when it’s hot like this.” Setting her keys on her kitchen counter with a clatter, she turned to her cabinet to get a glass for water. “Want anything? I mean, you know you can help yourself, but you know. And I like the overalls, by the way. Were you painting today?”

[arevalodaniela-blog]

apolloarevalos:

David looked up from his laptop when his sister entered his room. “Hey, stranger.” He knew that the little comment could push his sister just over the edge, especially since he’s heard snippets of their argument and could still hear their mother sighing dramatically to herself when Daniela had opened the door, but he thought that if he couldn’t poke at least a bit of fun, what was the point in having a sister to annoy anyway? 

“You know, I could’ve been naked in here, you really should knock.” He made that comment almost every time his sister came into his room without knocking, and there were only a few times that she caught him either with a towel on or in his underwear. When you grow up with a sister and mother who don’t bother knocking, you sort of make sure that you’re never naked. “Don’t worry,” he said, still sensing his sister’s sour mood. “She’ll call Tia Gabriela and complain and then be fine enough to make you food to bring back to the dorm.”

Her backpack fell to the ground next to his bed with a thump, the sound oddly satisfying given her minor irritation. “Har har, very funny. She just saw me last weekend and I texted her, like, three times the other day telling her I was still alive. And I know she asks you about me every time you come home, so she gets updates on my life all the time whether I like it or not. She’s so dramatic.” Pulling a face, she nudged off her shoes and flopped backward onto his bed so that she was lying on her back, looking at the ceiling. 

The comment regarding her brother’s nudity made her snort. “Please. How many times have I barged in here? And I’ve never seen you naked.” Daniela’s habits were irreversible; she’d been plowing into David’s room uninvited since they’d first gotten their own bedrooms at 8 years old. “At this point, Tia’s going to think I’m some kind of ruffian.” She glanced over at her brother. “What’re you working on?”

[arevalodaniela-blog]

arevalos home | june 15th | 3:47pm | @apolloarevalos​

Provided how rarely homesickness struck Daniela, she flitted in and out of her childhood home sporadically, often without preemptive notice. She had always been less sensitive and nostalgic than her brother; in fact, it was her pressing urge to ‘get out’ that had partially motivated her decision to move to MWU, even if commuting was certainly a feasible option. A life without her mother looking over her shoulder had seemed vastly appealing. There were moments when she felt the distance benefited the relationship between herself and Mrs. Arevalos — when they saw one another less often, there was inevitably less friction and more time spent getting along.

Ironically, the distance was the source of Daniela’s brief bickering with her mother in the kitchen. You didn’t call me this week. I barely know what you’re up to anymore. Why can’t you be more like your brother? Though the spat was more of an irritable disagreement than a fight, it’d left Daniela in a sour mood, enough so to immediately head up the stairs to find David. “Mom’s annoying,” she declared as she slipped into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Not needing an invitation, she plopped herself unceremoniously onto his quilted bedspread. “Hi, by the way.”

[arevalodaniela-blog]

daniela’s apartment | june 13th | 6:01pm | @dera-mcclery​

It had been a long, annoying, and sweaty day; without fail, the most grueling field hockey practices tended to fall on blisteringly hot summer afternoons. It was a blessing that practice was tacked onto the tail end of her schedule. No matter how much she genuinely looked forward to running laps on field just on the outskirts of MWU’s campus, being sore was a bitch. And it was only after leaving the locker room, freshly-showered and bag slung over her shoulder, that her phone pinged from her pocket as a friendly reminder that she was meant to meet her friend at her apartment fifteen minutes ago.

Oops. Speed-walking could only get Daniela so far, and she was still nearly half an hour late by the time she’d ran up the steps and caught a glimpse of Dera waiting outside of her apartment door. “Shit. Sorry, Dera,” she apologized profusely, fumbling for a minute to get her keys out of her bag. “Practice ran late and I kind of forgot we were supposed to study. Not that your time isn’t vitally important, of course, but I seriously reeked about half an hour ago so you should probably be really glad I was late after all.” Jiggling her key in the lock and unlocking the door, she shot Dera a bright smile. “You haven’t been rotting away out here too long, have you?” Swinging the door open, she stepped into her mismatched, brightly-colored apartment, expecting Dera to follow her in without needing an invitation. 

[arevalodaniela-blog]

rhiannonhebert:

“Yes?” Rhiannon shoots her gaze up from her open binder, head resting in her right hand as she attempts to get at least some work done throughout this day. She’d already taken the morning off from heading to school and getting anything done there so that she could work with Mr. Bailey to clean up the mess that’d been caused the night before. Now she was already behind in her studies, hardly closer to getting the mayor to reel in from the disaster. He was beyond paranoid, though she was sure she could talk him down, it would take time to achieve that feat. Something she did not have time for today. 

Forced by giving attention to the girl Rhiannon has to listen to her little opinion on her event, on the town’s well being, on how everything was just a huge waste of time. At least she knows that every impressed aristocrat would disagree, as well as the charity that earned thousands of dollars. “Naia Guerrero won, something she definitely deserved now that you bring it up. Did you really attend at all? Or were you just to pay any attention to the whole selling point of the event?” Granted she was not paying much attention herself as to what the girl before her is saying and ends in asking answered questions. But she’s committed to faking comradery “Yes of course I remember. How are you?”

“Thanks.” She takes the phone from her hand immediately.

Even as Daniela obediently returned Rhiannon’s phone, the screen lit up, another notification adding to a pre-existing list. Dani considered herself busy; she wondered if someone like Rhiannon could put that to shame. Then again, given the so-called disastrous events that had just transpired, she supposed the GSSA president would be the one to sweep up the mess. “Oh,” she acknowledged, not unkindly. Her knowledge of Naia Guerrero only extended to knowing she was friends with Elena. “No, I did, but by the time the pageant came around I guess I was busy or something. But I heard it was gorgeous.” Truthfully, Dani hadn’t cared in the slightest about the pageant, though saying that aloud would probably come off as rude. “I’m fine. Just loitering around, harassing my brother. He works here. How are you? I guess you’re probably busy fixing whatever happened last night, right?” 

[arevalodaniela-blog]

rhiannonhebert:

asphodel cafe  // june 11th // 10:00am // open

She’s been running around since seven in the morning, meeting again with Mr. Bailey to discuss her event’s downfalls. How security should be updated, the ballots supervised at all times, he even suggested screening the contestants for possible cheaters (she figured that was wholly unnecessary). Though to Rhiannon’s credit, Mr. Bailey did commend her for her problem-solving efforts, her fault, not picked up in the slightest. She could feel her skin crawling as the end of the night rolled over in her mind, even now as she eyes at a table by the window with an extremely large cup of tea. 

“No, I don’t have anything to comment about Miss Mount Wells. The decision was made lawfully, and you should be congratulating her right this second.” She stops, realizing the other may have said something else. “Sorry –what did you say?”

Many of Daniela’s spare afternoons were spent nursing a textbook in the corner of the Asphodel. Once her brother had landed his position as a barista, the new study spot was a no-brainer; he almost always extended his employee discount to her under the table, free refills included if she nagged him enough. Now that it was summer, her excuses for loitering in the cafe were less about coursework and moreso out of boredom. 

It was entirely coincidental that Daniela happened to look up from her conversation with David just as Rhiannon walked into the cafe. As little personal interaction as she’d had with the GSSA president, she had a way of commanding the attention of a room; shoulders squared, eyes tired, she looked very much like the sort of person who didn’t want to be bothered as she ordered her tea. The entirety of the event scandal had only properly reached Daniela’s ears that morning via Layla and it appeared as though the consequences were chipping away at the meticulously-curated persona Rhiannon had created, though she couldn’t put her finger on what it was exactly that seemed off. Dera must be rubbing off on her. 

The inconveniently loud whistle of the espresso machine obscured the clatter of Rhiannon’s cell phone, and if it were not for Daniela being uncharacteristically nosy and witnessing it fall to the floor, she too would have missed it. Waving at David vaguely, she hopped down from her seat at the bar and approached Rhiannon’s table with purpose, pausing only to snag her compromised possession from the tile. “Hi, Rhiannon?” she prompted — before Daniela could finish her sentence or remember that Rhiannon would likely not recognize her from the gala night, the other girl was already unloading a snippy reply. Blinking, it took Daniela a minute to recover. “Oh, um...sorry, I’ll be honest, I don’t even remember who won Miss Wells to begin with. I totally don’t care.” Realizing how rude that sounded, she instantly backpedaled. “Not that it wasn’t important or serious or anything. And I heard it was a bit of a mess later on. Sorry you had to deal with all of it. I’m Dani - I was greeting people at the door, I don’t know if you remember me. I was coming over because you dropped your phone.” She extended her hand, offering it to her. 

[seychelle-gabriel]

[arevalodaniela-blog]

‘apolloarevalos:

David scoffed. “Well, if you get a concussion, then I’ll just tell you that I did compliment you all the time, since you won’t remember anyway.” He tapped on his forehead a couple of times to ‘knock on wood’ and just smiled at her. “You better not get hit on the head now, I’ll be a wreck.” He was mostly joking, but not entirely. It wasn’t as though he’d blame himself entirely for her injury, but he would feel rather bad about joking about it.

In all honesty, David had sprung at the opportunity to get ice from the freezer. He didn’t mind chatting with people and mixing them drinks, engaging in friendly conversation and whatnot, but he’d already been doing that all day, and now that people were gathering in crowds for the contest, he felt the need to be by himself, if just for a moment. “I never said I wasn’t happy to see you. I guess I’d just be happier if I saw you doing your job,” he joked. “Bar’s pretty good, basically what I’ve been doing all day except with alcohol instead of caffeine,” he said as he led them to the back, tugging at the freezer handle when they got to the storeroom. “Oh, you’re right. Tristan’s gotten an earful, and me and mom will likely be screaming more when I get home.”

“Touché.” She laughed, probably too loudly for someone who was meant to be discretely ducking into the back room as they wove through the milling guests. “And I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try extra hard not to die next season. The team would probably kill me again, just because running auditions for replacements is a nightmare.” In contrast to her brother, she joked about her demise nonchalantly. 

The storeroom was as Daniela had expected: dim, quiet, and a bit creepy. David’s silhouette glowed in the light of the freezer as he tugged open the door. The faintest wisp of cool air actually felt refreshing; she could understand why her brother might have intentionally retreated here. “Har har. I haven’t gotten my ass kicked for neglecting my duties yet, have I? Besides, I’ve been doing plenty of ‘welcoming’ or whatever. I’m taking it really seriously.” The image of Mrs. Arevalos waiting up for David to come home was simultaneously familiar and an experience Daniela didn’t miss since having moved to campus. “’Well-versed in handling beverages’. You can ask Mom to add that to your resume for you when you get home.”