❝ oh the boy's a slag.

auden levi lachapelle; ❝ blue jeans, white shirt, walked into the room you know you made my eyes hurt. it was like james dean, for sure... bruise;

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❝ jaime.

“They’ll believe you, Levi. They will,” he said, with a tone of finality—as if it would actually come true if he said it. “I’ll stand by you, even if they won’t get it through their thick skulls.”

A promise sealed upon his lips, for something, someone, for him to shine the light of the truth upon what happened that day on Dumfries, since he knew that his friend, for all his joking bravado, had never even started the fire that consumed the whole academy, laying waste to acres upon acres of land, displacing them all to Wardlaw, then to America. The truth will set him free, and even with the resounding gossip, the cacophonous whispers upon the walls, he felt that everything would be alright, given enough time. And if not—well, the truth needed to be shown after all, and who better to preach it than Jaime? They would believe, whether his friend believed that or not: how hard would it be to make them believe?

“Two points, blanco,” he said, rolling his eyes as Levi slung his arm around him, “One. You are permanently stocked on cookies—you just have to politely ask for them, with the manners you can probably develop if you just try really hard.” He nudged him, a smirk replacing the wide grin that was on his face just moments before, weirdly proud of the zinger he delivered. ( Sidenote: who calls them zingers anymore?  ) “And second, I’m hurt that you even have to ask me, man. I’d go along with whatever crazy-ass thing you’ve got planned, even if it is for the sole purpose of me supervising whatever scheme you’ve concocted is. I’d even bring those cookies you like, if I were hypothetically even going to come.”

Expressing his emotions had never been a forte, especially in public settings. Perhaps if it had been the pair of them in a dorm room with the door locked, a bottle of vodka half empty switching between their hands, and a cheesy cartoon setting up background music, then Levi’s thoughts and words would align. At the moment, the thought what would I do without you urged to have itself float through the air, but instead he spoke, “At least Lake Placid is underwater. I can’t be blamed for burning this school down because you know some fucking freaky shit that I can’t do has gone down.”

That thought though, the words the pleaded to lace his phrase but were denied, were rooted in unwavering truth. He was not a religious man but one of the few prayers that reached his lips the single time he was dragged to church at the hands of Jaime was thanking whatever entity that was up there for Jaime. Realistically speaking Levi would probably be in some juvenile detention center years ago if he had not been kept in check by his best friend, and although he had difficulty relaying the message to his friend he would one day ensure it was sent.

“Trying really hard sounds like so much fucking work though,” he sighed, voice almost reaching the point of whining but never quite meeting the mark. “Fine, fine, let me try this out. Thank you for letting me steal a cupcake.” He was quick to scrunch his nose post ending his phrase, explaining his actions by saying, “Nah, I don’t like it. But I guess if you request it I will work on it...Maybe. Okay, probably.” A tiny smile spawned from genuine appreciation reached his lips, for a moment finding it rather adorable that his friend felt as though he needed supervision. If he were to be honest, he’d realize that Jaime was right. “See, I was planning on scoping out the scene tonight. Find possible entrances and the like and breaking in tomorrow. Your cookies would be appreciated...Please?”

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❝ aaron.

“right? i mean, even the winter is muggy. where is the snow? where is the ice. i’m having an existential crisis just thinking about it. but maybe you can take up knitting and stitch them all together, make a massive blanket that smells slightly of me and slightly of the bottom of my bed. because that’s where they’re staying.”

“i think you have to go to canada for that. i heard their weather is fucking rational and they actually have seasons and it’s not just hot. ah yes, it’ll be and all the old ladies in the old folk’s home, gossiping about the local scandal and knitting together our quilts. i’m sure no one would question my sanity and if so at least i’d have bertha and gertrude to comfort me.”

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❝ jax.

The bright-haired boy wasn’t who Jax thought he’d see first thing in the morning, and it took him a brief moment to put the face to the name. He’d tried very hard since he’d received the roster to memorize everyone’s names, especially the new students, but the merger had been so unexpected (for him, anyway) and quick that he still struggled. Just as he was struggling with the locations of the classes. 

“Um – give me a second, I don’t know if they’ve switched any of the classrooms around because of, well, you guys, but,” He said, quickly opening his drawer and shuffling through the mess of papers inside. Once he found the newest version of the school map, he yanked it out and placed on the top of his desk, sliding it over towards Levi. “It should be down the hall, to your left.” Jax paused, before continuing with a laugh, “So you’re one of those fire people, huh?” 

Despite having being told time and time again who was what teacher and from what school they were associated with, he rarely was able to pick a face from the crowd unless they had originated from Dumfries. Even now he could barely delineate between Wardlaw and Lake Placid students unless he had the opportunity to hear the accent that warped their words, much less the faculty. People were not his strong suit on multiple accounts, only those his brain had deemed important characters staining his mind.

His form was patient as he waited for the teacher to whip out any sort of indicator for his classroom, feet stepping slowly towards the desk and a hand running through his hair. His eyes silently traced the map as the teacher had directed, only decided to allow his voice to bounce against the walls when the question was asked. He was rather surprised that not a larger comment was made since it was apparently a well-known fact that he was the arsonist who began the Dumfries fire. “I guess so. I don’t really believe them, I mean, I don’t really have past experiences lighting a fire with my bare hands but they wouldn’t listen to reason. What do you teach?”

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❝ jaime.

“Don’t fucking joke about that, LaChapelle. You didn’t do it,” he huffed, the Look™ earning a sharpened edge to it; he never did believe the slander that his friend of all people would even think of burning down an entire academy—it was literally impossible, and it was the only thing that he would fight anyone over. He was his best friend, and his heart knew that he never did do it; he would come to his defense time and time again, even if it was just them against the world, he would do it, without a second thought. At the risk of sounding the slightest bit sappy, ( which he definitely was  ) Jaime considered him as his number one friend, the Bonnie to his Clyde, ( wait, no ) the Elizabeth to his Mr. Darcy, ( no, wrong thing ) the Achilles to his Patroclus, ( perhaps that would suffice ) and it would always be them, two peas in a pod, until the sun burnt out.

Okay, rein it in, Villanueva. You don’t need this internal monologue on you.

“I’d give you another cupcake if you asked nicely, but you didn’t. Hence my threats of cookie shortages for you,” he retorted, his face trying to look the least bit challenging. Though, it melted off promptly as Levi smiled at him—smiling around him usually made him smile on his own, and he was his best friend. It was one of the mysteries of the universe, he supposed, how others’ smiles bled onto his own. “But apparently, I have soft spot for your dumb ass, so I might not do it if you promise to ask nicely from now on. You know I always deliver ‘em on time, tons of ‘em enough to give us diabetes on short notice. Just don’t mess with ‘em, blanco and we’ll be fine.” 

The laugh that escaped his lips was laced with awkwardness and discomfort, “Tell the rest of the school that for me, okay? The only people that believe me are you and the twelve little ones that follow me around.”  Oh, the twelve children at least five years his junior that seemed to worship him and view him as the epitome of protection and safety. Though he would claim to not be a man riddled with evil intentions, he certainly wasn’t the superhero they had sculpted him into being. He was good, often altruistic, but he was not kind nor paternal nor blessed with the ability to provide for their wellbeing with cautious hands. He was good, often altruistic, but he was not Jaime.He loved and adored them though he could never be the figure they viewed him as, telling them tales and advising what he’d predict Jaime would advise when questioned.

“By asking nicely, are you implying I have to say please? Such a gross word, honestly. Take what you want, do what you want, you’re only in trouble if you get caught. Correction, you’re only in trouble if you get caught by the wrong people.” And there was his reckless spirit, seeping through the cracks of a placid and sarcastic demeanor.  “Which reminds me, dear friend of mine,” he began, throwing an arm around Jaime’s shoulder, “We have yet to explore this school at night. Shall we schedule a break in?” His thoughts were quick to be redirected back to the cookies though, smile never failing to frame his lips even as he huffed, “Fine, I’ll ask nicely if that means I will be permanently stocked on cookies for the rest of my life.”

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❝ aaron.

“my mother sent me a box of stuff that would ‘remind me of home’. which is cool and all - but shit, all she sent me was jumpers. jumpers. in this heat? i’m going to have a heat stroke and probably die. and if i do die, i’m leaving you the rest of them. i hope you like sweating.”

“because it never gets cold in america, ever. it’s the heat of that texas place everywhere. i mean, i appreciate the thought of me in your will but i highly doubt they’d actually fit considering i have pasta noodles for arms and legs.”

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❝ jaime.

“Asshole,” he chided, leveling him with what he called a Look specifically  tailored to his best friend’s shenanigans, all of which he’d grown accustomed to over the years, for there was only so much that he did ( read: 75%  ) that warranted it. Next time, he would have to dodge quicker or hide them in a tupperware inside his bag, but this time, he had to play along with the game that Levi was starting—the Look never was a hundred percent serious at all times, after all. And he had eleven other cupcakes, all of which could be kept from Levi’s grasp with proper hiding and or treats to give to the little ones. 

Rolling his eyes at his best friend’s dramatics—also something he’s gotten used to by now, he gave him a light shove and gave a sigh. “Don’t play to my weaknesses, blanco. You’re getting three square meals a day and my cupcakes are off-limits until I say so,” he stated coolly, though a grin was starting to form on his face, “And I have home ec twice in a week man, so don’t even start. Didn’t you eat my cookies last week or something? I’ve got half a mind to make more of those and not give you any, you know.”

“Haven’t you heard the rumors? Careful to not offend me or I’ll burn your fucking house down,” he joked lightly, always one to paint himself as unmarked by the hues of irritation even when the rumors that circled his entity actually struck him as extremely vexing for once. There was reckless and then there was evil, the latter of which did not suit his personality. Fortunately, he had Jaime. Although incredibly cheesy, every woe imaginable could rattle his young body, but if he had his best friend, the typical expression fueled by love and vague annoyance warping his face, no one else mattered. Levi wasn’t one to be sentimental, so when sentiment managed to slither in its hold was strong.

“But, what if I wasn’t, shorty. Then you’d feel bad and would give me another cupcake. I know in an alternate universe I’m not, and I feel like alternate universe Levi would want me to have had that cupcake and possibly another one later.” Before continuing, a melodramatic sigh escaped his lips, “With your permission.” His eyes narrowed at the thought of being rejected access to any baked goods. “You wouldn’t dare. You know your cookies are my favorite.” Despite his words, a smile could never abstain from participating in his physiognomy for too long when he was near Jaime.

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❝ lukas.

It’s not that Lukas didn’t get along with people , he just didn’t actively try to get along with the newbies. Why did their problems have the become his problems? In his mind, by moving them into their school, they were only putting the Lake Placid kids in danger and he didn’t remember asking for that burden to be put on them. Now he was forced to hear accents whenever he turned a corner. What once was peaceful now gave him a headache. Huffing slightly, he crossed his arms over his chest before shrugging. “I don’t care what anyone says. I’m not sharing my video games. No one can turn my console on. No one can hold the controller but me. I don’t need it to get all - diseased filled because who knows what they might be carrying.”

Once again he found himself immersed in a group of unknown students with some sort of prejudice. Once again he found himself immersed in unknown hallways with unknown classrooms with unknown teachers with unknown textbooks. Certainly, Lake Placid was by far the best of the schools in its more liberal ways but the daunting task of readjusting to the third school this year was simply exhausting. For about the fourth time in the past few days, he was in the presence of someone with an accent that clashed with his own French and they were prattling off some annoying phrase. Instead of being offended and choosing the more sane route of interaction, he shrugged and fed into this other man’s worries. “Y’know, I hear sometimes those Brits carry mad cow disease. It’ll leave you completely immobile by the time of death. Can’t have that all over your precious PS4.” 

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❝ lilliana.

“Wasting your days away, hm?” Her eyes flickered over him, humming softly. “You just contradicted yourself there, darling, but I’ll let it slide.” She looked at him straight on now. “Tell me honestly, though. Are you doing alright? Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Maybe waiting would be a better word, waiting for something to happen to this school and scrambling to find another campus. I, for one, would love to see all this magic shit go down in an American public high school,” he mused, forgetting to control his language around his superiors and not caring enough to apologize or correct himself, though later when alone he would probably find himself caring too much. "I mean, you could take me out of those fire classes but I’ve learned that’s not really an option, is it?”

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❝ jaime.

“Come on, paws off the pastries man, i was saving those!” An exasperated huff left him as he tried to evade his friend, mostly going after his sweets that he lovingly created himself in the pain and heat of home economics class. He didn’t mind that he was hungry; after all, he’d made enough treats on his own for him, the problem was that he never asked for any of them—though he had to get used to this thing from his best friend, but still. The principle of it all.

“I can’t believe I’m friends with someone who would take a cupcake from a defenseless man,” he complained, although less-than-seriously than he would have liked; exceptions had to be made for him after all. “Blanco, I can’t believe you’re playing to your white genes, man. I feel so betrayed.”

Of the few principles that guided Levi, one of the stranger ones was that whenever his Jaime stepped remotely near him with a tray full of anything that he cooked or baked or something of the sorts, he simply had to play the role of thief and snatch one of whatever that was balanced in his hands. Today, the unlucky pastry happened to be a cupcake so perfectly crafted. Post biting into the tiny snack, he laughed, asking, “Want it back? ‘m sure you would love to have 11 and a half cupcakes.” Once again the treat was brought to his lips and he was soon to correct, “11 and a quarter.”

“I’m calling bullshit on the defenseless,” he jested, cocking an eyebrow before the teasing demeanor crumbled into a wide grin. Unfortunately, the smile only had the lifespan of a minute for it was soon to find its ends at the hand of a facetious frown, dramatic in all respects. “Oh, but, Jaime! I’m simply a poor boy, a poor boy with no place to go and no cupcakes to eat. What if this is my last meal for the week? And here you are, shaming me. My own best friend denying me this delicacy, the horror.”

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❝ pepper.

Dusk. The sun, like a rotten satsuma was sinking below the treetops, leaving it’s tangerine streak across the cotton wool sky. Smoke curled around Persephone’s head, dousing her in fumes as she leaned back against the dated bricks of Wardlaw’s walls, swallowing the smoke, her fingers plucking ladders in her school tights. A stick of Malboro between her fingers and the sinking sensation that she was flirting with death was a familiar comfort to the siren of a girl, lungs blackened behind the sanctuary of the bike sheds. 

The sound of a voice behind her made her spring like a Jack-in-a-Box, Pepper’s usually collected exterior crumbling as she the cigarette slipped from her fingers, a face like thunder as she turned to the perpetrator. “ What the fuck! I thought you were the Dean! ” Her heart beat against her chest like a caged butterfly, irritation pulsating through her. “ You think it’s cute to sneak up on people like we’re in year four again? It’s not cute. Jesus. ”

There was a slight pause in his gait as day faded into evening. Levi stole a quick glance at the hues that played around across the stage of the planets before his gaze followed that of the sinking sun, head dropping towards his now moving feet and hands tucked into the pockets of his faded jeans. He wanted to be alone. So, so alone. Wanted to ignore the presence of all damn humans that drained him of spirit and soul, and with every inch forward a trail of his sanity followed behind him.

The smell of cigarette smoke caused his head to rise once again, shortly after realizing that the puffs of damaged air swirled around someone he was moments away from colliding into. He did not expect his simple “excuse me” to garner such a reaction, but he could mildly sympathize. A quiet man, he reserved to simply whipping out his own box of cigarettes and wordlessly replacing the one that toppled from between her fingers. “Calm down, the Dean won’t even care at this point.” He didn’t bother with an apology, for they always had left a peculiar taste in his mouth.

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❝ jax.

The empty classroom felt like home again, and Jax really did appreciate the quiet moments like these - he watched the leaves dance through the windows, the students rushing by, never-ending chit-chat in his ears. He only jumped when he thought he heard someone nearing him, turning his head quickly towards the noise. 

“I - oh. I think you might have the wrong room; I don’t think I have lessons scheduled until later today.” 

Be sure to become adequately comfortable with layout of the school. The only advice Levi would take, for he had learned in the previous transition to Wardlaw that if he had any hopes for escaping the unknown, eighth circle of the inferno known as boarding school, he’d have to first become accommodated with the landscape of the school. A curious boy too impulsive to assess his steppings, he found himself quickly approach the teacher with tattoos that seemed to dance around his form.

Upon being spoken to, Levi snapped out of the trance he found himself in and began to quickly craft a tale. “I’m looking for the fire magic room. Can you help?” Although he was not one to request help, he certainly was one to lie to manipulate himself out of awkward situations and lord knows that if he wanted a way out of any class it’d be that wretched one.

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❝ grey.

Grey turned, sizing up the bleach-blonde stranger a few feet away. A cigarette hung lazily from his lips and the smell of smoke hit her a moment later. Her lungs ached. She didn’t like to air her vices so publicly, but there’s something about seeing someone else have a cigarette that made her need one. She slid her pack from her back pocket and noticed that it matched his, storing that information for later. After lighting up and taking a long drag, she looked at him again.

“Oui,” she said with a smirk, “parce que garçons français ont une bien meilleure réputation que les britanniques.”

See, she could be friendly. Sort of.

Interaction with relatively new people wasn’t quite his strong suit, for Levi typically was a more reserved person that only partook in conversation when conversation knocked on his doorstep. He hadn’t learned how to maneuver around interaction with those who had not known him for years upon years, those who have learned to take him at face value and not further question his personality. Though, a wave of ease did wash over him as she revealed her own pack of cigarettes. Some twisted form of camaraderie, yes, but a form nonetheless.

Though his features did not showcase this, he was somewhat surprised to discover she was proficient in his native tongue, a half smile inching onto his lips, “Sarcasme. Bien noté.” He switched into his second language, French accent still overtly apparent, “Surprised to see a French speaker here. Don’t most of you Americans take Spanish?”

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❝ dante.

dante let out a sigh, his expression crumbling into something more resembling an apology. “i’m afraid not.” he carefully removed the slip of parchment from his desk, nonchalantly tucking it into an open drawer. “it seems like you and hecate are getting along well, though. it’s a special occasion; she normally turns tail and runs with strangers.” that was a lie, but it was one of his favorites. the damn cat loved anything with a pulse, so long as she could get attention, but it always made people feel special to hear the cat had taken a certain liking to them. “why don’t you and your new friend take a seat?” he pushed a finger through cedar-scented air and the chair on the other side of his desk scraped backwards a foot or two. “we can talk about your schedule. i’ve only heard a little from assistant dean brooks, but i’d like to hear from you what’s making you itch for some change.”

with the news of his inability to change being broken to him, his spirits fell as did his expression, though for only a moment prior to his body reminding himself that he had someone to be. thus, his typical unaffected composure wiped over his face, the words “bon sang” being muttered under his breath, the french phrase for “damn it.” as his legs once again lowered and he raised the cat into his arms,  a smile threatened to ripple onto his lips, but he pressed it away and he quietly shuffled to rest in the chair in front of dante. a more reserved man, levi felt very little need to respond to the comment about hecate, deciding instead to focus on the gorgeous kitten in his arms and be internally overjoyed that it was such a lovable creature. “i didn’t start the fire, mr. de luca, contrary to what most people and probably even you believe.” his view was solely on the cat pawing at his shirt while he spoke, later drawing it upward before he continued, “and if i’m put into fire magic classes it doesn’t really help the rumors. i’m not one to deny much, but i didn’t fuc-...i didn’t burn an entire school down.” now, had he not been requesting something from dante, perhaps he wouldn’t have halted from cursing.

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❝ grey.

Arriving at campus is always such an ordeal. It’s not a day to face without headphones and a look that says, I can ignore you in five languages, don’t try me. She can already tell, it’s going to be a long year with all these new people in her territory.

“Is there any place on campus not crawling with British kids? This is ridiculous.”

Having already rounded the campus around three times, Levi had determined he could cross “campus overview” off his list of responsibilities he wasn’t ignoring. Rationally, he should have been setting up his dorm or meeting with his teachers or introducing himself to his new classmates or doing something that remotely imitated the further integration into his new setting. But, whenever the thought of doing this crossed his mind, it was quickly followed by another one: no.

Instead, he perched against one of the outdoor columns of Lake Placid and began to unbox one of the final two cigarettes in an old Malboro box. Not a decent multitasker, when the sigh of another entered his ears he halted his tracks. A smirked toyed with his lips, “Ah, jesuis français.” 

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❝ santi.

“how the fuck is that original? unless your apparent brain power comes at the price of your hearing and sense of awareness? really, i’m almost fucking shocked i was the first one who made a comment about what you did. everyone’s talking about the boy with the deep fried hair who set his boring ass human school ablaze to try and live a little. they don’t say it like that obviously, but you get the gist, don’t you?” there’s a flare of authenticity as the notes in his voice rise into a question, real boy curiosity lighting up a sparkle in his eyes.

“sarcasm,” levi spoke simply, his little patience draining quickly. he had listened to the lie time and time again. though, even if his patience had disappeared from his bloodstream placidity latched onto his blood cells far more tightly and thus he was able to maintain composure. “through with your fun? your uncreative insults are fucking depressing, find something new, please and thank you. perhaps you could try again next time? i’m sure you’ll think of something between now and then.” it was undoubtedly apparent simply how unaffected he appeared, having grown long tired of the silly game of pin the blame on the levi. admittedly, once his brain had a chance to process the scenario he’d find himself distraught that the number of people who didn’t believe him and that did not like him were piling higher and higher.

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lilliana.

She raised a brow, looking over at him. “Is that sarcasm I detect, Mr. LaChapelle?” She asked him, scanning him curiously. “You don’t have to mask it – you can be honest with me, you know.”

Hen feigned innocence, a hand drawing to his chest, “Me? Sarcastic? Never, Ms. Brooks. I am simply a student so willing to learn and spend my time in a classroom, wasting my days away. I’m offended that you’d think otherwise.”

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❝ santi.

‘man’ is a spark rattling up his spine and fizzling at the base of his brain, puncturing his thoughts with overbearing irritation. a razored glare meets bottle blond hair and long limbs. the journey his eyes take when they roll is entirely unnecessary, but the previously worn joviality is slipped back over his features shortly there after. “y’know i actually find this level of introspection completely out of character for a Dum Boy(™), especially one who enjoys both over frying their hair with chemicals and their school with — well, you used chemicals for wardlaw too, right?” 

his honest intentions were not to offend. levi’s rarely were. although he could not pinpoint the source of his offense, if he were able to he would be prompt to explain that it was simply a part of his common vernacular to refer to peers as “man” regardless of gender. he remained unflinching during the barrage of insults, perhaps because in his fabric of being uncaring nature overshadowed whatever reactionary fibers of his being still existed. though he listened and his eyes hung bored at the other person, thoughts were few and when it was blatant tat the words spoken actually garnered a reply, he lazy sighed, “wow, so i’m the boy on fire? original, original. at least we know you trust everything you hear.”