“ alright it was a shit show. ” he confesses, arms coming to rest over his chest, form hovering in front of one of the kitchen’s windows. avery’s head tilts abysmally, curiosity piqued when she responds to him with a question. “ no, why ? ” as if to echo what she’d suggested, his stomach gives a quiet growl, his hand moving to pat at it with a small laugh. “ apparently i should eat though. what’s on your mind ? ” he wasn’t sure what he should come to expect from irina, she was a wild card in his eyes, and maybe that’s why he didn’t always seem to register her intent toward him. “ i hope it’s something that involves some form of eating - ” he begins, and perhaps there’s the smallest glint of a joke lingering in his eyes that she wouldn’t be too oblivious to miss. lips curl into a faint smile, thumb idly settling against his lip. “ but i’m up for whatever. ”
she arches a brow at the words shit show , a small snort passing from her lips , like it was her way of stating her approval for the description . when she hears the faint rumble of avery’s stomach irina’s lips curl up into a smile , satisfied things were already lining up with her plan . “ actually , i just brought up lunch as polite small talk , ” she teases , dark eyes feigning an apologetic look before she shakes her head . she moves backwards towards the fridge , stopping just short of it . “ up for whatever ? ” irina repeats , every eyelash bat playing on innocent , like she wasn’t about to ask him for an act of labor . “ ––––– even making lunch ? i could use a cooked meal you know , after that big stressful mess of a meeting . and i’m an excellent sous chef . ”
“oh… my god…” hani looks to somi, mouth gaped open. “you mean… he touched you?! like actually touched you????? you guys like, practically held hands!!!!” not true at all, but hani has never held hands with a boy, what does she know. “that’s so major. if i was there i totally would have gotten it all on video.” she groans at the reality of neither of them being in hana’s position. “i honestly don’t know if i can watch him work out again… i seriously might die somi… and i can’t die!! i have a really important final next week and if i die!!! i won’t be able to look at cute boys with you ever again!!!” hani seats herself in a chair. “imagine having wrinkles…. that literally terrifies me. i want to be a hag. like those oldies that look super young and fresh??? i don’t want to get wrinkles or have back problems!!!! i’m tall so i’ll have major joint pains!!! and joint pains are not fun!!!! being young and cute is fun!!!” hani does as she’s told. stacking a bunch of textbooks to use as a makeshift tripod. she rushes back to her seat as soon as she presses record, staring at her reflection in the mirror as she starts sectioning her hair. “junho is so muscly and toned… but not as muscly and toned as avery…. he’s a total hottie. AND he’s tall!!! he’s like so tall!! i have to look up which rarely happens!! a-and if i date him then we’d be like related or something!!!”
she mixes and mixes , then mixes some more , until the consistency was smooth and devoid of any lumps . “ we have a loooong way to go til hagdom . no need to worry about joint pain now , we should be focusing on the important stuff . like parties and cute boys . and cute boys at parties , ” somi sighs , a dreamy look on her face as she waits for hani to finish sectioning her hair . her daydreams are rudely interrupted when hani brings up her cousin , somi’s nose immediately scrunching up as the other goes on about how much of a hottie avery is . “ ew , hani ! ” she says , wishing she could cover her ears . “ you can’t talk about him like that in front of me ! seriously it makes me want to throw up , he’s like my brother ! it’s totally gross ! ” somi was overacting , as usual , although hearing hani fangirl over avery the way they did over junho did always feel weird . “ we’d only be related if you married him , ” she corrects , coating the brush with the bleach mixture and grabbing a section of hani’s hair with her gloved hand . “ ugh but that would be so awesome if we were actually family ... ” she admits , coating the section of hair with bleach from the bottom up before moving on . “ fine , if you wanna date him i won’t stop it . but you can’t tell me about the dirty stuff , like if you guys kiss , so that would suck ! it’d be no fun ! ” somi says as she continues to coat hani’s hair section by section , like her best friend dating her cousin is an actual possibility already and not just nonsense . “ if you guys got married we’d live next door to each other so we could hang out everyday . ”
avery thought irina a friend - aside from their house head ties, of course. part of him noticed she sometimes had a bit of an odd.. tension in his presence, but he always brushed it off as him overthinking an otherwise simple situation. he finds himself often in her company due to head work - as well as him and daphne dividing up their time with both the summer and winter heads as to keep a peace within the school walls. but beyond that, he held a respect for irina that went past simple surface friendship, so he finds himself knocking politely on the door frame of winter’s kitchens, a polite and gentle smile on his lips as he spots the person he’d been looking for.
“ irina. ” avery hums, voice coming out warm and welcoming, a trait most associated to him being an autumn warlock, it’s essence one which brought forth memories of his season. “ i hope you’re doing alright today, i know the meeting was tense. ” he sighs, palm coming to rest on her shoulder as both a greeting and an act of comfort, before it gently slides to her shoulder blade and then falls away from her form. “ as always i wanted to offer you my help if you should need absolutely anything. ”
she’s leaning over the counter , scanning over a paper a first year winter witch had asked for help with . irina wasn’t usually one for tutoring , but after the ghoul incident she felt as if she owed the underclassmen , looking over a few papers here and there the least she could do . “ see how you just repeated yourself here ? even if the wording is different , if the point is the same it doesn’t need to be reiterated in the same paragraph unless the reiteration’s accompanied by new insight , ” she says , looking up when she hears a knock . at the sight of avery and his warm greeting she offers a nod of acknowledgement before glancing down at the first year who was staring at the autumn warlock like he was a celebrity . “ how about you go work on what we talked about today , hmm ? ” she suggests , watching as the young winter witch nods and scurries away before she looks at avery again . “ tense is a bit of an understatement , don’t you think ? it was a mess , admit it , ” irina sighs . the feeling of his hand on her shoulder is fleeting , and she knows better than to think anything of it . in all her attempts to seduce the autumn head ( as an effort to keep him close and on her side ) she’d failed miserably , the other always painfully unaware of her flirting , something irina couldn't decide was malicious or not . avery was either adorably clueless or a damn good liar , and she’s still not sure which option infuriates her less . “ like always , it’s appreciated , ” she says , giving him a small smile . and she meant it , even if she hasn’t let herself one-hundred percent trust his intentions . “ hmm , come to think of it , ” irina begins , the gears in her head turning . she turns around , her back against the counter , dark eyes looking up at his all lit up . “ there is something you can help me with . have you had lunch yet ? ”
hana lightly chuckles in response to irina’s complaint. it’s always the same. each time the seasons transition to the next, the students from the previous season grumble about their powers waning and their coven no longer being in charge on campus. “oh, it’s not so bad,” she smiles. “before you know it, it’ll be winter all over again – don’t you worry,” she assures optimistically, knowing fuelling irina’s annoyance won’t make her feel any better. she’s used to the wallowing from both ends. when summer turns to fall, junho complains, when summer turns to spring, irina complains.
it’s become emotionally and mentally taxing to be friends with them while being put unintentionally in the middle of their ongoing feud. yes, she’s dating junho, but it doesn’t mean she automatically sides with him, she has opinions and thoughts of her own. she wonders if things would be different if she was head of autumn house or if it would have made the relationship she has with irina and junho even worse than it is now. not like it’s that great to begin with, especially now. hana has been actively avoiding irina because of her envy. irina is everything she’s not. confident, a strong leader, opinionated and not a pushover. all qualities that are a base to make a great head of house. qualities hana lacks.
“class is class,” she shrugs, taking a drink out of her own coffee. and then she feels a pang of guilt. she owes her an explanation, but she’s not ready to share how she truly feels. “sorry, i know i’ve been really busy. i’ve been taking up all these new rituals and helping other students with assisting seances–” excuses were pouring out of her. an overcompensation for her overall lack of presence. “i miss you too,” she states. and she does. she misses their friendship and it’s no one, but her own fault for the changes that have been made.
“how are you? i heard the head of house meeting was dramatic.” something she didn’t want to talk about, but something she’s bound to hear from everyone else anyway. it’s the talk of the campus, it’s unavoidable. she has to come to terms that it’s okay and that she hasn’t failed. “i heard you and junho got into it a little bit…”
she lets out a snort at hana’s optimism , clearly not sharing the same mindset , but the statement is still a little bit reassuring . irina had always appreciated that about their friendship ––––– their differences hadn’t pushed them away from each other at all , instead providing her with a balance she hadn’t known she needed before meeting the autumn witch . she studies the other as the excuses pour out of her , the breathe irina exhales then just the tiniest bit more forceful , a way she’s learned to discreetly express her frustration over the years . it wasn’t that she didn’t believe hana was as busy as she said she was . she did , truly . her friend had always been the giving type , even when it proved detrimental to herself , sometimes especially so . irina had never understood it , she couldn’t , not when she’d been brought up to be the complete opposite . but she just didn’t think that’s why hana was avoiding her lately . something was off . whatever it was , though , the winter witch decided it could wait . here they were finally catching up , after all . when hana brings up the house meeting irina tenses up . she can’t tell if it’s because the reminder of the ridiculous fight she’d had with junho , or because she still feels awkward talking about house head matters with the other , as if somehow she was flaunting the fact that she’d gotten the position and hana hadn’t by doing so . still , it’s an opportunity to vent , and irina can justify it because she’s not the one who brought it up this time . “ dramatic ? try infuriating , ” she corrects , her eye roll hidden by the dark shades . “ your boyfriend tried to accuse winter house of unleashing that ghoul on ourselves in an attempt to slander summer house . it was quite the monologue . ” she takes another sip of her coffee , trying to drown out the bad taste even thinking about junho , let alone talking about him , leaves in her mouth . “ maybe you should take him to the nurse . they can check for brain damage . or , you know , a brain , ” irina says before cringing , realizing she’s said something cruel about hana’s boyfriend to her face again , something she’d been trying to stop doing so much . “ sorry . i didn’t mean that . okay yes i did , but i didn’t mean to say it out loud . love me anyways ? ” she asks , what she hopes is a convincing grin stretching her lips .
avery knows his cousin like the back of his hand, so when she begins to speak her well crafted white lies ( of which he is sure she is telling ), avery simply rolls his eyes and resists the urge to swat her again. “ somi, you are many things, but a good liar is not one. you doing homework ? on time ? i would like to see it. ” he scoffs. “ secondly - if you wanted the day off if this was indeed true, you would’ve cleared it with your head of house and not risked getting in trouble. which .. hm, let me go ask junho - i bet you have not. so that leaves us here. ”
for a moment his stern gaze softens though, a sigh falling from his lips as he sits aside her. “ you really need to try a bit harder, you know. if you don’t pass your classes, there’s only so much i can do for you. i want you to succeed. ” avery chastises, tugging a strand of her hair. “ not to mention you’re sort of my responsibility, so i can’t have you ruining my reputation. ” he teases, arm nudging her own.
although he was right in saying she was lying , somi can’t help but take some offense , fully believing that if she wanted to she could have been doing her homework on time . “ lying ? me ? pfft , i’m so not ! and if i was i’d be super good and you’d have no idea ! ” she states , crossing her arms over her chest like a kid . when avery mentions junho , however , her eyes light up , her mood instantly brightening . “ wow great idea . let’s go ask junho ! do you know where he is ? ” the younger girl probes , searching his expression for clues . when she hears him sigh his disappointed parent sigh somi frowns again , realizing they wouldn’t be going anywhere until he scolds her . “ ughh this is annoying , ” she whines , but there’s a part of her that’s grateful he cares so much , his presence in her life truly resembling the older sibling she never had . “ okay i’ll try harder . no more accidental naps ... ” she stresses , still not admitting to her own fabrication . “ ––––– and please , i’m only making your reputation way cooler and you know it , ” somi grins , nudging him back .
“do you think something will happen today?” she sits down on the grass next to her friend, smoothing her skirt down carefully as she opens her bag, taking out a bag of chips and offering them to the other girl as if they were about to watch a movie. and it’s not exactly an oscar winning production, but if anything at all goes the way they planned then it’ll at least be entertaining. “we wait every single time but nothing really happens except that one time we saw tina thomas trying to flirt with that grad student and when that autumn witch sucker punched the winter witch.” celia cringes at the memory, taking a chip from the bag and eating it just to get the bad taste out of her mouth. not that she enjoys watching people fight, but she had always found the house competition to be unnecessary, and once in a while she likes to watch the drama unfold from her designated spot under the tree with somi. “but since the seasons are changing and all, it would be today if ever, right?”
♡ @celestines·
somi liked to consider herself an expert about a lot of things , and people watching was no different . in her mind it was an art to be mastered the same way fortune telling was ––––– and fine , maybe she did exert more of her energy on it then she did on her studies . but it was all justified to the girl , especially so when she got to witness something dramatic . opera glasses in one hand , somi reaches for the bag with her other , sighing as her companion expresses some doubt . “ celia , celia , ” she begins , her expert mode activated . “ have a little faith . it takes time and patience to witness something big . ” she crunches down on the chip , getting comfortable against the tree . when her friend brings up the changing of seasons somi grins . “ see , that’s the spirit ! things are already tense after the whole ghoul thing , like winter house didn’t already have reasons to be grumpy this time of year . there’s bound to be at least one public fight today , i feel it in the air . ” she says , spreading her arms out for dramatic flare , every word coming out of her mouth the deluded ramblings of a self proclaimed expert .
“model proportions? i’m so lanky! i-i want to be short and cute… cute boys like short cute girls! like nellie!” she sighs, staring off into the distance thinking about ahn junho. “i wonder what it would take for a hottie like junho to look at our direction… he’s like untouchable. hana is sooooo lucky…. she probably gets to touch his abs! like everyday!” hani would risk it all to be in hana’s position. to be granted the privilege and opportunity of touching junho’s abs at any given moment.
“yes, i am!” she chirps. “i’m wearing this tupac shirt i bought at urban outfitters like three years ago because everyone was wearing one and i wanted to fit in! i even watched straight outta compton to like, obtain some knowledge and to at least seem like i know what i’m talking about – but then i found out that movie isn’t even about tupac at all! i-it’s about that beats headphone guy! a-and the cop guy in 21 jump street that says korean jesus a lot! and i was like gee! this is so confusing! but my mind was – POOF! blown. and then i found out it wasn’t even nominated for the oscars and i thought that was SOOO bonkers–”
“of course i have my phone! where would i go without it! we should definitely film it. that’s not even a question. i want to have my hot girl glow up process to look back on and say when i’m sixty years old – wow, young me did that. y’know?”
she should be focusing on reassuring her best friend that guys were indeed into girls with model proportions , but the mention of junho makes her lose her focus . “ one time he high-fived me ... ” somi trails off , a far away look on her face as she recalls how good his hand felt touching hers , leaving out the bit where she’d latched onto him for a whole minute before he’d awkwardly pulled away . her cheeks redden as hani brings up his abs , the room suddenly ten degrees hotter . “ she’s the luckiest girl at this whole school . it’s so unfair ! we should totally skip class tomorrow and watch him workout again . maybe he’ll notice us because you dyed your hair . ” she was even more motivated to do a good job after talking about junho , confidently unpacking everything from their respective boxes . she hadn’t even realized hani had launched into another nonsensical speech before she hears the words korean jesus . “ uh , right ... bonkers , ” she says , nodding her head like she understood anything that just came out of the other girl’s mouth . “ whoa . imagine being sixty years old . one day we’re gonna be old ladies thinking about all the fun we had when we were young and pretty . that’s kind of insane , ” somi says , knowing that when the time came for her to be shriveled and wrinkled , hani would be right by her side . “ ugh , thank god , ” she announces , finding the plastic gloves she hadn’t forgotten to buy after all and slipping them on . “ okay set up the camera and start sectioning your hair into pieces , ” somi instructs , the article she’d read in preparation for this basically ingrained in her memory . there were no measurements about how much bleach powder and developer she needed , just that she had to add double the amount of the latter , so she does a little guesstimating as she pours both into the mixing bowl . “ i’m gonna mix this until my arms are as muscly as junho’s . ”
junho sits back with an air of smugness catered specially for irina, which he makes sure she’s aware of with a pointed side glance. it didn’t matter he was suffering a headache so severe he feared even daphne might lack a cure (though that did not stop him from guzzling down her enchanted brew). no, hungover or not, junho would always appear on top.
‘ now that, that’s a huge issue. ’ he nods to avery solemnly, appreciating the other’s value of his opinion. ‘ and for more reasons than you all might think. now, i know what it looks like better than anyone. these texts go missing and suddenly some snot-nosed winter first years are accusing my house of mischievous magic. ’ a drawn pause is taken as he takes his time to stare down irina yet again. ‘ but, doesn’t that seem a little too convenient? i mean, what business does a summer witch or warlock have at autumn house much less winter. they’d stick out like a sore thumb, no offense. furthermore, sneaking around like that? if a summer witch wanted something, they’d ask. stealing? that sounds like a winter witch. ’
he sets his cup down as he stands to pace the room as if deep in thought as if he hadn’t rehearsed this accusation all morning. ‘ which leads me to suspect that this ghoul situation in winter house… well, it wasn’t an attack at all. it was a setup. did any of you even see the ghoul that was allegedly in their dorms? avery? daphne? ’ he glances between the two, purposefully glazing over irina. ‘ just as i expected. this is nothing more than a failed attempt at defamation of character. and don’t worry, irina. i know you’re probably all torn up about the warm months ahead and i think that’s punishment enough for your house. ’
he sits back down in triumph, regardless of whether or not the other’s believe him, he at least believes himself. ‘ alright daphne, next topic. quickly… irina looks as if she’s about to burst. ’ @celestines·
not even ten minutes into the meeting and irina could feel a headache forming . she wonders what would happen if she poured herself a cup of daphne’s enchanted brew ––––– would she taste chamomile , or the burn of something stronger , like vodka ? if she was being honest , she’d prefer the latter . the cupcake she’d grabbed moments earlier remains untouched in front of her , more so an act of politeness for the spring witch than the actual desire to consume anything , stress relieving properties or not . she’s attentive as avery explains the missing texts , the entire ordeal with the ghoul that had been released into the winter dorms something irina was eager to be done with . not only did she view it as a complete waste of time , a stupid prank she knew could only be the product of summer houses’ complete lack of brain cells , but it had terrorized some of the first years . no matter what some might assume about the winter witch , she genuinely cares about her house , and so when junho begins his accusations irina can’t even pretend she’s not annoyed .
he’s blabbering on as if he’s christian bale delivering a monologue to an empty room , the sound of his own voice no doubt satisfaction enough . she doesn’t interrupt him once ( she never does ) and when he stares her down , she doesn’t look away , the daggers in her eyes doing what she wishes her hands could . she starts clapping before anyone else can reply , the smile stretching her lips as disingenuous as they come . “ bravo . if dueling doesn’t work out maybe you can try acting , ” she finally says , sitting up a little straighter in her seat . “ saying a summer witch or warlock has no business at autumn or winter house is a little antiquated , don’t you think ? for someone dating someone from another house you’re surprisingly close minded , junho . last i checked you had plenty of business at autumn house , and i’m sure the same can be said for many other summer witches and warlocks . it’s really not suspicious for anyone to be anywhere these days , which is exactly why it was possible for these conjuring spells to go missing in the first place . ” she pauses , taking a prolonged breath as if to calm herself for having to put up with such incompetence . “ —— a setup ? really ? i’m sure i don’t even have to explain to everyone else what a complete and frankly stupid waste of time that would be for any house to do to themselves . this entire poorly planned speech was all the character defamation you could ever need . ”
she directs her attention to avery then , scared that if she had to look at junho’s infuriating grin for even a second longer she’d chuck her cupcake at his face . “ what we should be talking about is making sure something like this doesn’t happen again . we can all learn from this , and we should all make the proper changes to ensure better security between the rotations of our librarians to protect spells or texts from falling into the wrong hands . ” her fingers move to smooth down the nonexistent wrinkles in her blouse , something irina does when she’s trying to relax herself after something ( or in this case someone ) riles her up . “ daphne , ” she says , expression apologetic . although everyone was used to the bickering between the summer and winter head by now , she always feels guilty for letting her disdain for junho bleed into house meetings so often . “ do you have any ideas on how we can prevent these petty pranks from getting worse ? maybe once house points are deducted from the culprit no one will be encouraged to do something like this again . ”
ALL SCHOLARLY AND ACADEMIC PLANS have been forgotten ( it was easy because jules had no plans originally anyway ). and she can’t help but snicker to herself as the librarian continues to shush the two girls and their obnoxious volume. ❛ i don’t even know why i come anymore honestly… how do people even work here ? y'all are crazy. ❜ right, because doing work at the library is such a ludicrous task. at least it is to jules, who can’t stand being in silence for too long. she begins shoving things into her backpack, not caring for any loose papers or disorganization as usual, when the librarian hushes her once more. this time it’s in response to the loud growl coming from juliet’s stomach. she places a hand on her belly and looks at her summer friend with pleading eyes. ❛ i’m starving, mi. can this 'something fun’ be going to the dining hall and getting lunch ? ❜
there was no real explanation for why her and juliet kept trying to have failed study attempts at the library . neither girl was the studious type , nor the silent type , and yet somi knew in her heart that they’d both be back to do it all over again . she lets out a laugh as the librarian looks offended at the sound of the other girl’s rumbling stomach , shoving the last of her things into her bag before getting up . “ absolutely , i'm starving too . must have been all the reading , ” she sighs , as if she actually did anything besides zone out , her hand dramatically grabbing at her stomach . somi loops her arm through juliet’s before forcing them both into a bow . “ goodbye nerds ! ” she proclaims once she’s upright again , the whole moment reminiscent of an actress bidding her less interesting co stars goodbye before accepting an award . not wanting to risk sticking around and facing the wrath of the fuming librarian , somi grabs a hold of juliet’s hand and starts running like their lives depend on it , which might be true . it’s only when they’re well outside the building that somi doubles over , out of breath . “ wow . being cool and rebellious is a serious workout . if the food is bad today i seriously might cry , jules , ” she warns before standing up again , smoothing her hair behind her ears .
there were few people who had access to her private space , and fewer still who had access to her private self . even before irina made it to head of winter house she’d lived her life inside a carefully crafted illusion . it was a habit that had been ingrained in her practically since birth , so strong sometimes irina wondered if her parents had passed it down to her genetically , if maybe she’d inherited it the same way she had inherited her dark hair and eyes . her room at the academy had never been a safe place to unwind until her fourth year began , and she might have found it ironic that the year she’s finally granted a place that’s solely her own is the same year she’s sharing her bed almost every night if she wasn’t so fond of who she was sharing it with . the image of cecil kwon sprawled out on her bed like a cat isn’t a new one , but still irina lets her gaze linger on the way his dark hair curls against her pillowcase , on the way she can make out his form even beneath the cover of her bed sheets . “ you know , this is definitely an abuse of power , ” she teases , positioning herself on his lap , her hands resting against his chest . “ ––––– do you feel a little emasculated ? be honest . ” the smile cutting across her features is a playful one , another rare sight , as is the way her eyes are lit up . her fingers move to brush a lock of hair from his forehead , and it strikes her then ( the way it usually does in his company ) just how intimate she’d actually let herself get around cece . most of the time it worries her , but she doesn’t dwell on that now , not when he’s exactly the stress reliever she needed after the tense first house head meeting of the season .
it was a beautiful day out , and it seemed like most students at arcane were making the most of it sprawled outdoors around campus drinking in the sunshine . irina is less than pleased as she takes a long sip from her iced coffee , dark eyes narrowed underneath the designer sunglasses she’s notoriously known for sporting anytime the temperature is warm enough you don’t need to carry around a jacket . “ i hate this time of year , ” she sighs , watching as a couple of first years run past giggling , wishing she could share their enthusiasm . “ it’s like pms but it lasts all month . ” irina turns her attention back to hana , wanting to focus on her friend who’s been nothing but elusive ever since the school year started . the two girls had gone from movie nights at each other’s dorms to barely being able to meet up for coffee . as busy as their last year at the academy could be , it was starting to seem a little off to irina how she could balance classes and being house head and still have time to hang out , but the autumn witch could barely reply to a text message let alone meet up these days . she wondered if maybe the other was just too busy with junho ( a thought that made her physically sick ) , or if maybe there was something else going on , which is exactly why she’d suggested they get coffee and catch up . “ ––––– how’s class ? ” she asks , stirring the metal straw around her reusable coffee cup . and then , because they’re friends , and because it’s true , she gives herself permission to be a little more vulnerable . “ i’ve kinda been missing you lately , han . ”
THERE’S A TEST IN HER intro to necromancy class that juliet most definitely should be studying for, but she’s much too busy doodling on scrap paper to even crack open a textbook. the fact that she continues to go to the library with expectations of getting work done is the funniest part of it all. ❛ ugh, ❜ the witch groans in dissatisfaction, which earns a hard glare from the librarian and an apologetic smile in return. she leans over to the friend beside her, trying to speak with an 'inside voice’. ❛ dude, this studying crap is totally killing my vibe. can we stop pretending to be scholarly and do something else, please ? ❜ @celestines·
somi’s been staring at her notes for what felt like an hour , but realistically couldn’t have been more than five minutes , the words all blending into an illegible mess as she zones out . it’s her friends groan that brings her out of la la land , head snapping up from the pages of her notebook with the same excitement as a someone coming up for fresh air after a prolonged amount of time underwater might have . “ oh my god yes , ” she answers , maybe a little too loud for such a quiet setting , the librarian giving her a stern shush which somi only replies to by sticking out her tongue once the older lady turns away . “ i think i can physically feel my brain melting we need stimulation ! ” she exclaims , a shush of her own following her words , lining up perfect with the librarian’s who was no doubt on her last straw of patience with the pair . “ we’ll study tomorrow . let’s go do something fun , ” she says , shoving her things back into her bag , the excitement to get out of there preventing her from being graceful about it .
hani groans at the thought of pancake whacking her with her ears. the pain was insufferable ( complete exaggeration ) last time. hani had to wear a helmet for days after that incident, out of fear she’d get whacked again. “i can’t wear a helmet again… i really can’t!” she whines. “i-i-i’m getting my hair done and i have to show it off!” an instant change of mood once somi assures her she has the materials on hand. “not everything…” she sighs, pouting again. “you didn’t remember to clean the crumbs…” looking up at her cautiously. “okay, i know i didn’t either, but that’s besides the point.” she nudges her playfully. “cuter than nellie?!” she gasps. “i-i-i don’t know about that…” she smiles bashfully, nudging somi again. “nellie is just so small and so cute and so princess like. a-a-a-and i look like such a peasant! if you look up peasantry in the dictionary, it’s literally me!” hani squeals, clapping as she jumps up and down at the thought of a boyfriend. “you don’t need to change your hair… you’re like the prettiest person i know!!!! you’re like the prettiest person at this school!!!” she expresses sincerely. “okay, okay – let’s go!!! i can’t wait any longer!!!!”
she chooses to ignore the helmet comment , fearful that any interaction with the idea on her end would only encourage hani’s dramatics . when the other girl mentions how somi forgot to clean up the crumbs , however , somi narrows her eyes , giving her friend a short-lived cautionary glance that’s morphed into a grin as soon as the other playfully nudges her . “ a peasant ? hani you look nothing like a peasant ! peasants don’t have model proportions and you totally do . remember when i was fortune telling for that human lady at the mall and she gave us a business card ? she said you had great knees ! i don’t think people tell that to peasants , so , ” somi shrugs , nudging her best friend back . when the other girl starts squealing and jumping , somi can’t help but stand up and join her , grabbing hani’s hands as they both jump . “ oh my god i’m not the prettiest girl in school ! if i was then junho would be giving me love letters everyday and he’s totally not . ” somi sighs , but she wraps an arm around her best friend’s shoulder regardless , giving her a squeeze before picking up the plastic bag . “ okay , let’s start operation hair dye . i hope i remembered to get gloves ... it’s gonna look like i killed someone if my hands are full of hair dye . hey are you wearing something you don’t mind getting dirty ? ” she asks , making her way into their shared bathroom with all the supplies . “ wait , bring your phone . we can’t start until we have the perfect background music or else it’s bad luck . do you think we should film this ? for when we’re famous ? —— oh ! and for memories . ”
he’d always been there to look out for somi, an obligation given they were both family, and the fact that she might as well be his little sister without the official title. however he did have a responsibility to see to it that she behaved in school, so when he hears from a summer friend that his cousin isn’t in her assigned classes - he makes it his prerogative to find out where she was, and rectify her absence. tucking in his sweater into his jeans and adjusting the glasses on his face, he steps out of his room and prepares himself for the day ahead.
he starts in the easier places - all the summer spots, hoping to find her, to no avail. after an hour or so of searching, he finally finds her, currently snoozing away in a remote corner of a hall he didn’t even think to look through originally. letting out a sigh, hand ( currently holding some of his mail he’d picked up on the way ), reaches out and bonks her on the head with the deliveries. “ wake up. this is not intro to regeneration, is it, somi ? ” avery questions, eyes narrowing in the familiar disapproving authority figure way he’d mastered by now.
she's in the middle of a peaceful slumber , daydreams about her house head in a particularly sweaty duel turning into actual dreams , but she’s not so kindly awoken before she gets to the good bit . “ what the ––––– ” somi mumbles , blinking the sleep from her eyes , fully intending to curse out whoever it was that ruined this for her . but when her vision finally focuses , she realizes the disapproving stare is her cousin’s , a groan slipping past her lips . “ ughhh , how did you find me this time ? ” the younger girl whines as she slumps back against the wall , all the trouble she’d gone through to find a new napping spot he didn’t know about spoiled . now she’d have to find a new new spot ! she tries to sit up a little straighter , prepping herself to plead her case , something avery was no doubt more than tired of hearing by now . “ okay , i know this looks bad , ” somi begins , smoothing out her hair like it makes whatever story she’s about to spin more believable . “ the truth is i barely slept last night because i was doing homework . ” a lie . she’d spent the whole night snacking in bed and gossiping with hani about what might have went down at the house meeting , but avery didn’t need to know that . “ i didn’t mean to skip class ... i just wanted to take a little nap and lost track of time , you know ? ”
as the chill of winter gives away to warmer weather , there’s always an acute sense of dread that weighs heavy on irina’s shoulders , one not even the blossoming of the most beautiful flower can ease . she feels a bit like something defrosting ––––– parts of herself that once seemed solid melting away into uncertainty as a season she is no longer in power in approaches . it’s not just the loss of control the winter witch isn’t looking forward to , but the smug faces of those who delight in seeing her stripped down . still , she works hard to keep her true emotions concealed , everything from the clothes she's wearing to the polite curve of her lips giving off the illusion that she’s exactly the confident leader her house needed her to be . it wasn’t like the meeting was all bad , either . making it this far means she’d successfully led through the winter months without the mark of any major disaster , and while her mother would throw a fit if she knew irina felt this way , she didn’t mind passing the baton of meeting facilitator over to the spring head as much as she would have had someone other than daphne been in charge of spring house .
the meeting hall is much to large for just the four of them . she always found it a bit comical they were granted so much space , but the effect such a grand room has isn’t completely lost on irina , the atmosphere always making her feel important even in the spring dormitory and even as her power fades . “ are we ready ? ” she asks , dark gaze sweeping over the rest of the house heads one by one , her eyes spending the least time on junho because she can feel his signature ( and beyond irritating ) smirk from miles away . instead irina focuses her attention on daphne , the cordial smile she offers the other girl laced with a warmth that’s actually authentic , something even avery has yet to be on the receiving end of .
“s-somi!” hani pants as she rushes over to her best friend. “have you seen pepper? we got into a really BIG fight because i told her we didn’t eat on our beds last night, but then she asked where all the crumbs came from and i said they were from her! and obviously i was lying and i’m such a bad liar! and then i said okay it was me! and she stormed off too fast i couldn’t catch her… this is all so bonkers!” she sighs dramatically, shoulders slouching in defeat.
“anyway… did you bring the bleach? you didn’t forget that you promised to do my hair right!? i want to look SOOO cute. as cute as nellie! or-or-or like, spicy, you know! maybe i’ll finally get a boyfriend when they see how fun i am from changing up my hair color!”
—— jung somi / @celestines·
she was reading the side of the box dye she’d bought with hani the last time they snuck off the island when she’s interrupted by her best friend , who was speaking a million miles per minute like usual . “ i knew i was forgetting something this morning . i thought it was just my homework but it was cleaning the beds so pepper didn’t catch us , ” somi groans , wondering how long pepper was going to be mad at them this time . “ i bet she’s off telling pancake everything and she’s gonna come back and whack us with her ears while we’re trying to sleep again . ” when hani mentions the bleach , hani pulls it out of the shopping bag haphazardly thrown across her desk . “ of course i didn’t forget . i remember everything always , ” she states , not even aware of how contradicting her statement is to the one that came before it . “ you’ll look even cuter than nellie and just in time for the first party this season , ” somi reassures , fully confident in her skills after successfully coloring a strip of her own hair last summer . “ it’s all here . see ? bleach , honey mist auburn , even conditioner , ” she lists off the purchases , giving her best friend a big smile . “ if you get a boyfriend after this then i’m changing my hair , too . ”
have you seen IRINA MOON around campus ? i hear they’re a FOURTH YEAR , WINTER witch with a specialty in ENCHANTMENTS . i almost never see them without their ERMINE . if they ever want to be a ENCHANTER someday they should ease up on being SUPERCILIOUS & MANIPULATIVE . at least you can say they’re CAPTIVATING & SEDULOUS , too .
━ ˙ ˖ ☆ QUICK STATS !
full name : irina sophia moon .
nickname(s) : rina , ice princess .
zodiac : capricorn sun , scorpio moon ( click ! )
sexuality : bisexual .
alignment : lawful neutral .
pinterest : ( tba ! )
━ ˙ ˖ ☆ BACKSTORY !
hailing from a long line of winter witches & warlocks , irina was born into a family that seemed to fit every stereotype of their coven : cold , calculating , and striving for more power than they had . her parents were well off , and although they were not elite , they were prominent enough to exist side by side that world anyway . almost important , but not important enough . almost at the top , but not quite there . while most people might find it ridiculous anyone could have so much and still be unsatisfied , it never stopped irina’s parents from their desperate ambitions .
she would be her family’s only daughter , as well as the last born moon child . irina was aware of the differences in how she was being raised versus the way her brothers were being raised right away . while her father payed close attention to his sons , irina was cast off to the side into the awaiting embrace of her mother , but she wouldn’t find affection there either . for her brothers , freedom was a luxury , and while they were raised studious it was obvious to irina that they had it easier than her . when they’d come home late and tipsy after a long night of what they always referred to as “ networking ” ( which a young irina quickly discovered meant partying ) she’d still be awake at the dining table triple checking her homework .
while she took to books easy , what she felt challenged by were the lessons her mother put her through . she raised irina to believe a woman must be smart and worldly , and so irina learned to play the violin . her mother , who always had a certain fascination obsession with the winter high warlock , truly believed in the importance of upholding tradition . she was willing to go to any length to preserve the coven , even further than irina’s own father would , and she’d use emotional manipulation to get her there . while the woman thought her sons would have no trouble rising the ranks , she worried about irina , often pressuring the young girl to be wise and marry well .
in the years her older brothers were away at the academy of arcane arts irina would learn her most valuable lesson of all . underneath every rule and tradition there is hypocrisy , and nothing is ever truly what it appears to be . she’d believed in her parents and the way she’d been raised , wholeheartedly believed and endured it all , never questioning them once until the night she catches her father locking lips with a summer witch in what they must have assumed was a private corner of a high profile charity event . she never spoke a word about it to anyone , but things were never the same after that .
every time her parents scoffed at the other covens , she thought about that party . every time her mother tried to control her friendships or relationships , she thought about the irony of her father’s infidelity . while her older brothers went on to become a successful duelist and council officer respectfully , irina was counting down the days til she finally got to escape to the academy . her life so far had been reminiscent of a porcelain doll’s , eighteen years trying not to fall right off the highest shelf . she’d become exactly who her parent’s needed her to be , something irina once wanted more than anything in the whole world , but all she felt was empty .
when she arrived at arcane as a freshman , she already had huge footsteps to fill . her brothers , who had excelled not only academically but also socially , had achieved just about everything — except becoming head of winter house . one of them came close their 3rd year making it as prefect , only to lose head of house the next year . irina quickly became obsessed with the idea of making it to house head and she knew it would take more than being smart or proficient in magic to get her there , but she also knew if anyone could do it it was her . she’d been raised to chase powerful positions , to study , to be charming , and to find the right connections . like most in the winter house her ability to read people was something she had mastered , and ultimately it’s how she finally got her wish her fourth year at the academy when she got the house leadership position .
━ ˙ ˖ ☆ PERSONALITY + TIDBITS !
in true capricorn nature , irina is very ambitious . while she used to strive to be the best at everything she does to get a sliver of her parent’s approval , she’s recently made the discovery it’s much more satisfying for her to work hard and prove to herself she can be so much more than just a pawn in whatever game the winter coven seems to be playing . she’s a perfectionist that’s constantly on the borderline of obsession , which means while she has high standards for everyone around her , the most unrealistic expectations are the ones she sets for herself .
she is ridiculously charming for someone who , at first glance , appears to be icy and distant . pleasant at all times , but especially in times of conflict , which is exactly what makes her a good house leader . has the uncanny ability to read people disturbingly well , which she does use to her advantage ( even when she doesn’t mean to </3 ) . irina has a habit of making people feel important when she talks to them , like there’s not a single person in the world she’d rather be in conversation with ( exactly like this quote ) . plays a lot on the ambition and the ego of winter witches when leading the house and the shiny promise of being the best because she's never known anything else /: surprisingly though , she’s not as strict as the other house heads probably believe her to be , something only winter witches and warlocks would know ( and keep to themselves if they're smart ) .
while most of her relationships , per request of her mother , are more business transactions than they are anything based on real emotional vulnerability , irina has made exceptions . even with people she should only care about because of status she’s finding it harder and harder to act like her feelings and vulnerable side don’t exist . she’s terrified to share those parts of herself with just anyone , only trusting a select few to really know her , the rest of the world only seeing a carefully crafted projection of herself .
honestly ... she’s kinda on the verge of losing it JSDBWJBDJW very nina in black swan there’s plenty of female histeria to go around ! but she's trying her best to hold it all together and stay responsible while coping with the fact that her entire childhood was some bullshit and with the fact that while she might actually have zero interest in upholding traditions spread by hypocritical witches and warlocks in positions of power , playing the game all the way to the top is the only way she sees herself ever having true freedom ):
she’s rarely cruel on purpose . most of the time when she hurts someone it’s because they became collateral while she's trying to achieve a certain goal . definitely wants to be genuinely nice to people as opposed to fake politician nice , she just kinda feels like a fraud doing it , like it’s impossible for her to actually be genuine when she’s pretending everyday of her life .
has a super complicated relationship with house rivalries since she’s questioning everything her parents taught her . summer house makes it hard for her to change her opinions , however , when they’re constantly getting on her nerves even if they don’t mean to </3 generally speaking she’s on the best terms and at her friendliest with winter and autumn house , and is much more likely to trust and befriend people from those houses , but she will never outright discriminate against someone from spring or summer house ( unless they’ve earned it ) .
she specializes in enchantments ! and she’s really good at it ! she’d never admit it , but her dream job isn’t actually being an enchanter , but a professional violinist . she’s in orchestra club as a coping mechanism for the fact that she’ll never have her dream ):
her familiar is an ermine named jasper , who is way more high strung than irina could ever dream of being . looks very cute and approachable but he is deadly ... winter house has probably learned to beware when he’s roaming the halls unless irina is by his side 😔
has a huge phobia of being in love , partly because she was raised to believe it didn’t exist , partly because she wants it so bad she’s afraid of what will happen if she ever gets it . irina also avoids real relationships in general and often uses the married to her studies excuse to avoid getting into one because she knows her parents would want to manipulate it /: any relationship she has is casual OR it’s fake and she will 100% ruin anything that seems like it’s going some place real
has a wilder side she saves for special occasions , like more important parties . values her control so it’s rare to see irina inebriated , although there are famous ( albeit few ) tales of all her scandalous actions while under the influence .
she just really needs a hug 🥺 maybe a lobotomy too if she ever wants to be happy for real 😳
━ ˙ ˖ ☆ WANTED CONNECTIONS ! ( all open to all genders )
people she’s befriended because she wants something from them ! maybe it’s status , or information , or something else entirely . maybe they’re using her at the same time , or maybe they have no idea . i think it would also be interesting to have a friendship that started out as fake but morphed into something real and irina feels super guilty about it ):
winter witches or warlocks who get in trouble a lot ( like break curfew , etc . ) that she has to deal with . maybe she ends up being an unintentional mom friend to them , or maybe they get on her nerves and she makes sure they know it . it would be kinda sexy to have a winter witch or warlock that starts breaking rules on purpose just to mess with irina or spend time with her
hookups ! yes , meaningless ( unless ? ) sex with people is how she copes with all the stress she’s under 😔 . i’d love some past hookups that ended for whatever reason ( like maybe one of them or both of them was starting to catch feelings so irina snuffed it out like a candle or maybe they ended it ) , hookups that were huge mistakes and she’s doing her best to forget they even happened ( mayhaps with a summer witch or warlock ) , and current hookups ! there’s always room to make it messy , or to keep it fun and casual 🥺
a confidant , someone who really truly knows her and is there for her in ways most people could never be , and in return she’s there for them . it would be interesting if they don’t actually hang out and do normal friend things , so it’s a little weird and awkward when they do despite knowing so much about each other .
a summer witch or wizard who could be the child of the summer witch her father is having an affair with ! bonus points if they don’t know it yet so there can be future drama & extra bonus points if somehow them and irina end up getting along despite all odds only to have whatever blossoming relationship ruined by the realization ...
younger witches or warlocks who look up to her 🥺 she wants to be an inspiration and she would definitely try her best to be a good one . maybe even a winter witch she’s low key training to become house head after she graduates !
someone to bring out her softer side & show her that it’s better for her not to keep her emotions bottled up . someone who inspires her to be better and more selfless even though she’s not selfish on purpose /:
an enemy or two ! people who actually get to see her angry side and her dirty not poised side for whatever reason .
maybe someone irina helps to be more confident or ambitious . since she was raised with a me first mentality ( that she’s had to keep in check as head of winter house ) she’s good at helping people who constantly put other people’s wants and needs before their own .
perhaps some childhood or family friends that would know irina’s family kinda sucks ): maybe they were close as kids and drifted apart as they grew up , but it’s weird and kinda sad because they still know a lot about each other !
a bad influence 😈 whether or not they’re trying to get irina to loosen up with malicious or not malicious intentions , they’re the only one capable of melting down her walls bit by bit , quicker the more she internalizes all her struggles . someone she has real fun with who puts a stop to all her overthinking and gets her to live in the moment !
THIS ONE IS EVEN LONGER IM SO SORRY 😭😭😭 i have rambling bitch disease and it’s fatal ! once again if u wanna plot u can find me on discord @ glo lovecore ʕ´• ᴥ•̥`ʔ#8172 but if discord isn’t ur thing we can 100% plot through im’s , i’m just gonna be slower to respond through tumblr i won’t lie 🥺 give this a like and i’ll message u ( or u can message me first hehe ) and tysm for reading this novel of an intro ...
