* SUMMER !

starry eyed: naively enthusiastic or idealistic; failing to recognize the practical realities of a situation.

[svmmerhart]

ninaxadler‌

“Poor Charlie Brown Christmas tree! And poor you. But getting your own place will be fun! It’ll be nice to be properly settled in somewhere.”

“I guess so. I haven’t really settled anywhere in over a year so it’ll be different, that’s for sure. But it can be good, I think. I just need to find a place first, and furniture.”

[svmmerhart]

cassandracresswell‌

“Do you need help getting the tree out of your hotel room? I wouldn’t mind lending a hand at all.” She offered with a smile. “Have you had a chance to start looking at apartments?”

“It’s honestly only like two feet tall and looks a lot more like a giant twig now, but you’re welcome to come watch the official tossing it in the garbage ceremony.” Summer laughed lightly before shaking her head. “Not yet.. I don’t really know where to start with any of it. I was in one place my whole life.”

[svmmerhart]

kittymxstrxno‌

“I think my apartment building has some vacancies! I know there’s one across the hall from me because I helped them move out.”

“Really? Maybe I’ll have to look into it. I’m not really good at.. all of this. I guess that’s why I’ve been in a hotel for so long.”

[svmmerhart]

dantemach‌

“Yes, we were, and now we’re talking about you. C’mon, get with the times!” Dante exclaimed with a furrowed eyebrow, a little endeared. Blink. Blink. This was hard for him to listen to. He crinkled his nose. Jaw dropped momentarily. Eyes scanned his surroundings to see if there anything off about it. No. This was real.  “So you’ve never gone para-gliding or rode an ATV or jumped off a plane or climbed a water tower just because why the fuck not?” He questioned like these things were completely normal.

Summer stared at him for a long moment, her jaw going somewhat slack, open in response to the slew of experiences he questioned her over. “Uh–” She started, blue eyes wide and confused as she tried to figure out if there was a right or wrong answer here. “No? I don’t think I ever really had a reason to...” She trailed, glancing around as she tried to think of something that would make this better. “I drank like a half a bottle of tequila at a graduation party once?”

[svmmerhart]

connorxhastings‌

Connor shifted slightly, his knee accidentally grazing hers, if he neglected to move it, well, that was something he wasn’t going to acknowledge. “I can handle angry gallery owners and overly rich socialites, but I don’t think I could handle irate parents. You are a much strong person than I am.” The question she spouted didn’t surprise him, he knew it was probably going to happen at some point or another, especially if either of them were going to be able to work through their respective traumas. He chewed on the inside of his bottom lip as he worked to formulate the words. “It’s definitely personal, but I don’t mind you asking. I don’t, I don’t know how much you know about my family, but years back, my parents and siblings were murdered… and the fog made me relive it. It almost killed me to go through that once, but to live it over again? It was almost unbearable and I had buried it once before, but now? It’s all I see when I close my eyes and I can’t go through it every single night. Now I just stay awake as long as I can until I’m so exhausted I don’t have time to dream.”

His fingers played with a stray thread on the blanket as his eyes searched hers, hoping his admission wouldn’t cause a change in whatever they had between them. Sighing quietly, he spoke, “That was intense, I’m sorry to dump that on you.”

Her smile faded for the moment, the conversation having taken an obvious turn to a more serious edge. An eternal optimist at heart, it was difficult for Summer to hear, and digest, the awful things that had happened. She desperately wanted to still view the world as a good place, that people were inherently good, but he spoke of the murder of his family, and with what she’d seen as well – she knew evil existed. Denying it grew too hard, and for someone like her, it was shattering in a way that made her question everything else she knew. Those thoughts were kept to herself though as she listened with care, being familiar with the concept of having to relive trauma through dreams. “Don’t –– don’t say you’re sorry when you haven’t done anything wrong.” Summer instinctively moved herself closer to take his hand in hers to offer whatever comfort she could provide. “What happened to your family is awful... and I know what it’s like when something horrible happens and you can’t get it out of your head.” She offered. Her lips pressed together, glancing down at the blanket before continuing. “I was at home when it happened – the bombs.” Summer started, she’d never kept that she was from Summerdale a secret, and the obvious implication that came with it. Everyone knew the town’s fate, but she’d never really spoken about her side of the story. “I remember I was practicing this routine in the living room, which would always drive my mom crazy. She came into the room, probably to tell me to stop and help her make dinner but then she got that look on her face, like she always did when she had a premonition. She must’ve saw it, because the next thing I knew she was yelling at me to go as bright as I could. I didn’t understand but I did it anyway, and then the bombs hit and she was just gone... everyone was.” Summer explained as her memory could recall the incident. Her free hand lifted with shimmering light. “When I’m life this... I guess I can handle high temperatures. I never knew that until everything was on fire. So that’s what I see.”

[svmmerhart]

      “My hotel room is fining me for my now dying Charlie Brown Christmas tree that I had up. Something about allergens? It might be time to actually get my own place.”

[svmmerhart]

Merry Christmas! 

Emma X

[svmmerhart]

dantemach‌

Looking at her was almost like looking at himself back to when he was a young boy. Starry-eyed and eager to impress. He was entirely focused on his work that he never put himself out there. And now? That young boy was long gone. So he thought. He squinted his eyes upon hearing her words. “Fucking hell, woman,” Dante breathed out in response. “Do you know how attractive you are or…?” He questioned bemusedly. “There’s so much about life to marvel at. So fucking much. Allowing yourself to enjoy it makes it bearable.” There was a pause as he pondered on the question to ask her. “What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?”

His words brought her to a halt, quickly glancing around them as if to make sure that there wasn’t anyone else that’d shown up that he could have been speaking to. “Uh – wait, what?” She began, shock more than evident on her expression. “Weren’t we definitely talking about you a minute ago?” Summer had to wonder aloud, finding herself nervous at the shift in conversation. A majority of her life had been a sheltered one, making her unprepared for the conversation. “The craziest thing? I don’t – I don’t know. I never really left Summerdale until the bombings and before that I spent most of my time in the dance studio. I still had fun though? I went out with my friends, had a high school boyfriend, won prom queen – I just don’t think any of those things count as crazy?”

[svmmerhart]

 connorxhastings‌

He listened to Summer as she spoke, thankful she felt safe enough she could open up, even just a little. “You’ve got me now, as long as you’ll have me.” He pulled a throw blanket from the basket by his bed and spread it over his legs, offering some to Summer as he spoke, “I’ve got a problem with leaving my work for normal hours.” He paused before speaking again, “And I’ve just been having trouble sleeping thanks to the fog. I keep seeing the images in my head and it makes it hard to fall asleep, so I just answer work emails and watch Netflix.”

“I like the sound of that.” She admitted, scooting a bit closer to accept the offered blanket. The blonde found herself easily comfortable there, that he was company she could be honest in front of – something that hadn’t occurred often as she spent much of her time trying to encourage optimism in others. “Seems like a running theme.. with sleep and all. The only emails I get are from disgruntled parents that all thing their child should have more spotlight.” She tried to make light of the conversation, yet as she glanced down at the bag of chips, thoughts gnawed at her mind. Her attention turned back to Connor, expression softer than before. “Can I ask what you saw? With the fog? If it’s too personal, you don’t have to.”

[svmmerhart]

hollychevalier‌

“I’ve never heard you sing.” Holly tilted her head to one side as if thinking back to working with Summer. “But you’re a great dancer. Maybe we could get some of the kids, too– a cute little traveling Christmas recital might charm everyone in town. What do you think?”

“Absolutely!” Summer considered it a moment, thinking over which routines would be easiest for the kids to pick up on in a short amount of time. “We could do it to help get some attention towards the toy drive? I think they would love it. I have way too much time on my hands so I’m sure we can get something together.”

[svmmerhart]

connorxhastings‌

“I’m always in need of saving, Hart, I’m a damsel in distress.” His head quirked to the side as he watched her, curiosity piqued but happy she was here, whatever the reasoning was. “I like the element of surprise, it makes me feel all tingly inside.” At the mention of the fog, he nodded, understanding exactly what she meant, he was still dealing with the after effects, the sleepless nights not uncommon for him either. “No apology is ever needed for showing up at my window with food. Easily the quickest way to my heart is through my stomach.” He moved back to his bed, crossing his legs underneath him so there was room for her to sit across from him. “I’m happy to keep you company.”

“And such a pretty damsel you are.” Summer teased, grateful that he was more amused at her late night arrival than upset, quickly putting her mind at ease. Running a hand through messy blonde hair, she sat herself at the edge of the bed and kicked off her shoes in order to bring her knees up to her chest. “Thanks – I appreciate it.” She spoke honestly, grabbing for a bag of chips. “I used to have these nights a lot... after Summerdale but before I came here but it was just me then, trying to figure out where to go so I didn’t really have anyone that’d be okay with me showing up outside their window in the middle of the night.” A shrug accompanied the small explanation. Truthfully, she didn’t talk about her home town much at all, to anyone. Everyone knew about the bombs and what it meant for all of the residents and survivors. “What has you still up?”

[svmmerhart]

dantemach‌

The surprisingly normal answer threw him for a slight loop. Dante wasn’t the type to do well with that; his preferences definitely leaned toward ridiculous and off the wall. “I am being honest, wouldn’t you say? They are fine as hell,” Dante replied with a casual shrug, scrolling through their pictures. “And they damn well know it too.”

Summer gave an honest shrug in response, considering the other side of it. “I’ve always gotten the impression that the people that know how attractive they are, are the ones that like to hear it even more.” A sincere innocence to her voice. “I mean, I’m probably not the one to go to for advice. I’ve had like one relationship ever and have never actually tried to uh – hook up before? But I do appreciate your courage to just jump in head first.”

[svmmerhart]

hollychevalier‌:

“Please say yes— I mean it’s going to take us a bit of time to practice it’s not like it’s going to happen right away and if you don’t want to sing you can just sway and pretend to sing. Let’s be real, my voice is going to carry everyone anyway.”

“I don’t know, I’ve always been more of a dancer than a singer. I mean, my mom did put me in lessons once when I was eight but.. “ She lingered off, truthfully her voice was decent enough but if given the option, she’d rather dance. “I would be very happy to dance in the background while you sing, though.”

[svmmerhart]

what is something that never fails to make you cry?

“The Lion King. Every time. Actually, most Disney movies if we’re being completely honest here. Someone always dies.”

[svmmerhart]

How do you vent your anger?

“I don’t know, I guess I don’t really get angry often? Everyone gets angry, so of course it happens... dancing, is really my best answer. It’s usually the best way I can express anything, I think.”

[svmmerhart]

connorxhastings‌

Connor was sprawled out on his bed, pajama clad legs crossed at the ankles as he scanned his emails from the laptop perched precariously on top of pillows placed over his thighs. He knew he should have saved the work emails for in the morning, but he couldn’t sleep and didn’t feel like just watching whatever was in his Netflix queue. It took a moment for him to register the sound of the taps on glass, but he found himself tearing his eyes away from the screen to locate the noise. Realizing it was coming from his window, he set his laptop down on the bed and pushed the pillows to the side before rolling onto the floor. It took him only a few steps before he was pulling back the curtain, eyebrows raising as he took in the sight of Summer. His lips split into a grin as he flipped the lock and pushed the window open, extending a hand to help her inside his room. “Does this make me Rapunzel? Should I have let down my hair for you to climb?”

A breath of relief quickly escaped her lips as Connor appeared in her view, confirmation that she was at the right window and not waking up some unsuspecting family member. “That depends – are you in need of saving?” She teased, her voice just above a whisper as she took his hand and climbed her way inside. As her feet hit the ground, her lips pressed together a quick moment as she realized she probably had to explain what exactly she was doing there. “In after thought, I realize I probably should’ve texted you first, like a normal person would – I just, after the fog at Halloween and now with the holidays going on now, I couldn’t sleep.” She rambled, suddenly remembering the snacks she brought to make up for showing up so late. “Oh, I brought food, too!” Summer offered with the bag, “Sorry, I know it’s late.”

[svmmerhart]

dantemach‌

“If you were coffee, you’d be espresso because damn… you so fine you bring sight to the blind,” Dante said with a mischievous gleam in his eye, quickly typing it out on his phone. “Would that work on you? ‘Cos this person I matched with, holy fuck, they’re beautiful and I want to get on that.”

Summer glanced over to the person as he spoke, lips pressing together in some mild concern. “Personally? I’m not really big on the pick up lines.” She admitted honestly, but decided to help regardless. “You could try just being honest, I mean, maybe leave out the getting on them part, but a lot of people don’t mind hearing that they’re beautiful.”