FOR : katherine russell ／ TAG : @katrussells ／ LOCATION : the corner
he knew the inevitable encounter with kat would happen, but it caught him off guard with its timing. the sting of their sudden breakup still lingered, though he had become skilled at concealing it. he understood why she had ended things, or at least he thought he did, which had kept him from seeking further explanations or reaching out to her all summer.
as he stood at the counter, debating whether to approach her after picking up his order, uncertainty gripped him. did she notice him too? after a moment of hesitation, he decided to take the chance. with a calm stride, he approached her. "hey, kat," he greeted, aiming for a confident tone. "how was your summer?" his smile was genuine, devoid of any bitterness or lingering hurt.
The blonde fanned off her mouth, though she’d be damned if it stopped her from taking another bite. The sudden sound of his voice made her freeze, just brief enough for it to not be obvious. Declan’s voice is one she knew well, but she’d been trying to keep her distance.
“I just couldn’t resist cheese grilled between two pieces of bread.” Her voice was playful as she tilted her head up to look at him. “I guess you could say I’m pretty persuasive.” Shrugging she offered him a small smile. “Oh — not at all, there’s plenty of room. What did you grab?”
declan noticed skylar's momentary pause before she glanced up at him. her playful reply and slight smile caught him off guard, easing his tension. "yeah, grilled cheese is hard to resist," he responded, mirroring her playful demeanor. "i went with something less adventurous—a burger and fries," he added with a chuckle, taking a seat across from her.
he debated briefly whether to broach the obvious topic between them but decided against it at the last moment, opting for casual conversation instead. "so, how was your summer?" he asked, aiming to keep things light. "do anything exciting?"
noah hesitated, not quite sure if she was welcome. she didn't necessarily see why not. they were friends, right? so maybe she was getting too in her head. she wished she'd stop doing that so much. she approached a little closer, wondering why she hadn't seen him as often lately. it only dawned on her then how much she'd missed spending time with him. maybe this was an opportunity to revive that.
"clear your head," she repeated, nodding. she could really relate to that, she'd come here for similar reasons. "it's a good place for that, isn't it?" she asked, looking out across the pond. she swallowed, letting a few beats pass before she mustered up the courage to ask, "so what's on your mind? something bothering you?" she hoped he still felt comfortable confiding in her.
declan felt a mix of conflicting emotions as noah approached, unsure how to respond to her presence but also inwardly relieved by her attempt to bridge the gap between them. he nodded in agreement with her observation about the pond, its serene atmosphere offering a temporary escape from his racing thoughts.
"yeah, it's peaceful here," he admitted quietly, grateful for the distraction noah provided from his swirling thoughts. her question caught him off guard, though he appreciated her concern. he hesitated, debating how much to reveal, before settling on a vague response."just… everything, i guess. new semester, old stuff," he said vaguely, not quite ready to dive into the deeper issues. despite the tension lingering between them, he found a small comfort in noah's presence. "what about you? or did you just come for the view?"
status: open [@gsustarters]
location: welcome home cookout
Another semester, there was always a weird adjustment to settle back into dorm life, but Skyler couldn’t help but feel relief as her shoes clicked against the familiar pavement. The amounts of course work that would soon flood her desk would be worth it, the blonde was free from the pair of eyes that judged every movement she made.
It wasn’t something she needed to worry about anymore, gone, the thought didn’t matter. Skyler looked around the welcoming set up at gsu and spotted that the line for food was nonexistent. Sure, she knew grilled cheese wasn’t typically served at a cookout, thankfully they were willing to make an exception.
Her stomach growled, almost as if on cue as the wrapped sandwich came into view. She took off with it to the nearest table and immediately tore open the packaging to take a bite. “Ouch. Hot” She began, exhaling while the warm cheese slightly burnt the roof of her mouth due to her impatience and swallowed. “Fuck.” The blonde continued before meeting someone’s gaze. “It just smelled too good.”
declan sat quietly at a nearby table, his gaze drifting absentmindedly across the campus grounds. although he'd returned to gsu several days ago, he still felt like he was readjusting. the semester break had hardly been restful, burdened as he was with unresolved tensions.
his eyes roamed the area until they settled on skyler. she sat alone, fully engrossed in her grilled cheese sandwich. a pang of emotion hit him as he watched her. confusion dominated his thoughts whenever he saw skyler lately; she had been avoiding him ever since, responding to his attempts to reconnect with polite but distant resistance.
summoning courage, he took a deep breath and rose from his seat, deciding to approach her. "that's an interesting choice," he remarked, trying to mask his nervousness. "though i have to say, i'm surprised you managed to get one," he added, offering a tentative smile. "do you mind if i join you?"
for: open !! ( @gsustarters )
where: reflection pond
noah liked to venture down to the pond whenever she needed some time away from everything, but couldn't necessarily go too far for too long. it was nice to stare at the water, watching the world mirrored back to itself. it made things feel brand new when she felt stuck in one place, kind of like looking at things with her head hanging upside down off of the couch when she was a kid. she could already feel herself relaxing as she approached the water, but as she got closer, she realized someone else was already there. this wasn't strange by any means, she just hadn't been expecting it for some reason. she stayed quiet for a moment, watching the other briefly. she cleared her throat as she moved closer so as not to scare the other. "so, did you toss some quarters? what are you hoping to dream about? you can tell me, don't worry. i've been told i'm good luck," she joked.
declan was caught off guard by noah's approach. he had chosen the pond precisely because he thought he wouldn't run into anyone there, wanting a moment of solitude to gather his thoughts before the semester kicked into high gear. hearing noah's voice brought a mix of emotions—surprise, awkwardness, and a tinge of nostalgia for the times when they were close friends.
he turned to face her, trying to muster a half-smile that came out more as a grimace. "hey, noah," he replied, his voice subdued. her attempt at lightening the mood with a joke didn't quite land with him, though he appreciated the effort. "no quarters, just trying to clear my head, you know?" his gaze returned to the water, ripples distorting the reflection of the sky.
Another semester was beginning, and Leo was anxious to see the GSU once again filled to the brim with life. Other students were all moving into their dorms, reconnecting with old friends, finding their way around. It was nerve wracking.
He couldn't bear the idea of being asked how his summer was, having to give a generic answer.
"I was at an internship, I barely went outside."
Instead he tried to find himself a spot at The Corner, to lurk a little longer before facing his housing assignment. He ordered a coffee, though when his name was called and he was handed a smoothie. He looked at it for a long moment, too uncomfortable to correct the person who had made it.
Instead he turned to the person closest to him.
"This uh... this is not what I ordered... do you want this?"
declan glanced up from his phone, startled by the sudden offer. the guy standing in front of him, looking a bit lost and uncomfortable, was holding out a smoothie.
"it depends..." declan began, eyeing the smoothie warily. "what flavor is it? just making sure because i'm very allergic to mangoes and i'd really hate to die on the first day back." though, truth be told, the thought of not having to endure another year of his major didn't sound all that terrible.
"You know, I'm actually offended that they consider Cat Woman to be a bad movie. I loved this movie growing up. It was practically one of my favorites."
he halted abruptly upon hearing the statement, pausing a moment in expectation of a follow-up 'just kidding,' which never came. "that movie offended both cats and humans," he began with a disbelieving chuckle. "i'm intrigued to hear your other favorites. it'll help me determine if this is merely a guilty pleasure or if your taste in movies is genuinely questionable."
she hadn’t talked to anyone all summer, opting to isolate & ignore her texts or phone calls — it was easier that way. aj’s grief had peaked at the end of the spring semester, just around what would have been she + michael’s anniversary, if they had been together for another year. that was when she closed in on herself; doubled down on studying & was rarely seen practicing her volleyball skills at the recreation center.
she thought that if she hid, no one would ask her how she was or how her summer went. of course, when hiding in plain sight, that wasn’t an option. the feeling of somebody’s presence removes her from her reverie, brown hues coming in contact with the figure standing near her.
declan lingered near the end of the library aisle, observing aj deep in thought. it had been months since they last spoke, and her absence from volleyball practice hadn't gone unnoticed. after a moment's hesitation, he decided to approach her.
"hey, aj," he began softly, his voice breaking the heavy silence between them. declan shifted his weight, searching for the right words. "i've been wondering where you've been," he said gently. "you weren't at practice today." he paused, hoping his concern would come through clearly. "i know it’s none of my business,” declan continued, taking a cautious step closer, “but… are you okay?”
[ jacob elordi , cis man , he/him. ] ⸻ have you seen declan harcourt? yes, the twenty-four year old / senior that’s usually wandering around campus? they’re currently focused on history, so we’re sure they’ve been super busy with studying. according to rumors, they were michael’s former friend and he knew they are redacted. does it make sense considering they’re known for being charismatic trait as well as cynical trait? either way, the phantom is threatening to bring scary things to light, but let’s hope whatever they’re hiding stays in the dark.
001. stats
full name. declan gregory harcourt (hayes)
age. twenty-four
date of birth. november 2nd, 1999
place of birth. los angeles, california
hometown: melbourne, australia
gender. cis - man
pronouns. he / him
sexual orientation. bisexual
major. history
extracurriculars. volleyball team, model un, debate club and the phoenix news editor
002. information
trigger warnings: abandonment, pregnancy mention
declan was born to a single mother who had moved to los angeles from australia in pursuit of stardom. he knew little about his biological father, as his mother always refused to discuss him, dismissing him as a nobody who didn't deserve them.
upon declan's birth, his mother realized she had to put her dreams on hold and grow up faster than she had imagined. despite the challenges, she never complained about the cards she’d been dealt. life in los angeles was expensive, and even with two jobs, she couldn't afford the rent. so, she decided to return to her hometown in australia.
eventually, his mom got a better job as a secretary, and when he was eleven years old, she married a dentist. his little sister arrived when he was twelve, and life improved significantly—though he had never really complained about his previous life.
declan did well academically and excelled in sports, particularly swimming and volleyball. he also starred in most of the school plays and was considered quite popular among his peers. after all, artistic talent ran in the family.
at fifteen, his life took a drastic turn when his biological father appeared one day after school. when the man intercepted him and bluntly declared he was his father, declan didn't believe him. later that day, his mother called him to the living room, and there he was again.
the story was a familiar one: a young, naive girl with dreams of becoming an actress meets a man who promises to make her a star. she falls in love, but he's only looking for an affair. she gets pregnant, and he's suddenly out of the picture because he's married. so, why was he here now?
the answer was simple and archaic: he wanted a son. he had been married and had two daughters, which apparently wasn't good enough for him because he wouldn't "leave the family's company in the hands of women."
declan disliked the man at first sight, and listening to him speak made him even more unlikable. he refused to acknowledge him as his father, thinking that would be the end of it.
he was wrong. his father was quite wealthy, coming from a family of politicians who had invested in the film industry, creating one of the biggest film studios in the world. the harcourt family was filthy rich.
it was no surprise when his father fought for custody. with the help of a lot of money, he won. declan was forced to leave australia and move back to los angeles, where his father believed he "belonged."
declan grew up resenting his father, longing for summers when he could visit his real family. under his father's guardianship, he was groomed to become the son his father desired. his last name was changed from hayes to harcourt, and he was transformed into someone who fit high society.
despite his resistance, declan found it hard not to be captivated by the lifestyle of the rich, especially when parts of it infuriated his father. by eighteen, he was well-known in the los angeles party scene, much to his father's dismay. the next year and a half was a blur of excesses he couldn't even begin to describe.
it all came to an end when he turned twenty and got into serious trouble. his father managed to get him out of it, but only with the promise that declan would behave. he enrolled him in university, chose a major for him, and since then, declan has been reluctantly following his father's orders.
002. personality
declan is fully immersed in the present moment, savoring all that life has to offer.
he is frequently preoccupied with quick gratification and often fails to plan ahead.
this can be very frustrating to others as it seems he doesn’t take anything seriously, though he does, but only when it’s time to.
declan relies a lot on luck and takes life as it is without complaints.
he is an extremely social person, gaining most of his energy from being around people he cherishes.
declan loves talking about everything and nothing, especially passionate about films, music, and books.
he enjoys the spotlight and is the kind of person who would try to revive a dying party.
normally a very chill person, he rarely gets upset but is extremely sensitive.
when he believes someone is questioning or criticizing him, he has a hard time viewing such criticism as constructive and often reacts with rage and bitterness.
aside from that, he is pretty conflict-averse and will try everything to avoid uncomfortable situations.
deep down he also carries a lot of rage and resentment towards his father.
003. headcanons
his middle name is a tribute to his mom's favorite actor: gregory peck.
speaks broken italian and this is because while his mother was at work he was babysat by their italian neighbor whom he used to call nonna.
for his seventh birthday, his mother gave him a guitar. he's very good at it but now rarely plays it.
loves movies and music from the 50's, 60's and 70's.
he has a terrible relationship with his biological father's family except with his grandfather, whom he loves and the only person who he trusts in that family.
majoring in history but he couldn't even tell you what year the declaration of independence was signed
he's minoring in film studies. the only thing he's disobeying his father as he thinks he's studying finance.
his father got him an accent coach so he would lose the australian accent, although when he gets too excited or upset it will come out.
favorite movie: double indemnity. when it comes to music he listens from sinatra to the rolling stones. although his favorite band is oasis.
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