[theh0uset0ur]

𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅𝐅!

𝖎𝖓𝖉𝖎𝖗𝖆 𝖐𝖆𝖓𝖓𝖊𝖌𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖎: 𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓.

(﹙˓  ‍🎧  ˒﹚)          whoa,  did  you  just  hear  that  voice?  it's  so  recognizable  that  i  have  no  doubt  it's  indira kanneganti.  i  don't  really  know  much  about  them,  but  i  heard  they're  a  twenty-two  year  old  elementary education  major  in  their  second year  of  study.  people  say  that  they're  bubbly and empathetic,  but  rumor  has  it  that  they're  actually  forgetful and weak-willed,  so  i  guess  we'll  never  know  the  truth  unless  you  live  with  them  in  delta delta delta house.  if  you  ask  me,  i  think  i'd  describe  them  as  the party girl,  but  their  spotify  wrapped  should  say  more  about  them,  in  which  house tour by sabrina carpenter, f**k the dj by eli, and into the groove by madonna  are  amongst  their  most  played.  but  whatever,  i  wish  them  luck  on  their  endeavors  in  delta delta delta treasurer.  i  don't  know  how  they  have  time  for  all  of  that,  but  i  can't  wait  to  see  how  this  new  school  year  treats  them!    (  avantika vandanapu,  ciswoman and she/her,  lesbian  )      𝄞ˎˊ˗

GOOGLE DOCS | PINTEREST | MIXTAPE

[scgclden]

her eyes widened for a second as she saw the rum bottle slip slightly from indira's grasp, but once she was certain it was secured, goldie melted into the girl's embrace. being held in such a way was comforting. she smiled at the girl before her as she answered, "i think you could be anything you want. but you're so hot, and you have an amazin' body. like i would kill for your boobs. so yeah, you could definitely be a victoria secret angel. and they'd be so lucky to have you!" when indira's hands let her go, goldie stumbled for a moment before standing back up and finding her balance.

"never say that about yourself," goldie demanded, grasping indira's hand. because this was that serious. "you're so great. you should never doubt how hot you are. honestly, i put lil affirmations on my vanity and it really helps me when i'm gettin' ready to go out. you should try it." there were a few phrases written on her mirror, and anytime goldie was feeling a little down, she'd look at them and perk right up. "also, haven't you watched the VS fashion show? they never smize. they like laugh and have fun! so you'd fit right in."

she appreciated indira looking out for her. goldie tried to be better about pacing herself and drinking more water throughout the night, but she had a tendency to get too excited and just try to keep up with everyone around her. "whatever the doctor orders!" she said with a laugh, giggling along with the girl at the ass-pirin comment, even as they locked arms and goldie let her head rest on indira's shoulder. "thanks babe, i appreciate it. i think i'm staying over at shep's tonight, so it's actually his job to make me breakfast. ya know, like in love island? but if not i'll text you right away..." she took a big sip of water before saying, "i'm definitely gonna need to sleep in tomorrow."

[theh0uset0ur]

Indira took in every word Goldie was saying like it was gospel. "Goldie," she whispered, eyes suddenly glassy. "You're gonna make my mascara cry." Not to be confused with her crying, of course. She pressed one tender hand to her chest. "That's like, the nicest thing anybody's ever said about my boobs." When the blonde mentioned the affirmations that she kept on her vanity. "Wait, you're like, a literal genius. I'm so gonna make that my hangover project. Like... Indira, you have really symmetrical eyebrows."

When Goldie rested her head against Indira's shoulder, she leaned right back in, careful not to smack the poor girl with one of her ridiculously sized wings. "Aww, Shep's gonna make you breakfast," she swayed them back and forth a little bit, but not too much to jostle Goldie around too much and make her vom like a human lava lamp. "'I've got a text!'" She announced to nobody. "I've always wanted to say that."

"But I'm like so jell of you. If I wasn't totally munching on that box, he'd be like, top five hot guys in my head, I'm sure." Mostly because to her, male attractiveness was built on height and muscle, both of which Shepherd had a bit too much of. "I bet you could, like, climb him like a beanstalk." A gasp left her lips. "Stop. If you ever have babies, you could name one Jack. Get it? Because then it'd be Jack," she emphasized, her hand going from left to right. "And the beanstalk."

[oflos3rs]

   there was a particular kind of exhaustion that came with indira. not the kind that made him want to leave, exactly. just the kind that made him feel like he'd been dropped into the deep end of a pool and was expected to learn how to breathe underwater. four seconds. seven, apparently, if she practiced. he looked at her with the same flat expression he'd worn for most of the night. "i don't think you should practice being quiet." a pause. "i don't think it's going to work." then came the football demonstration again. slower this time. somehow worse. his eyes followed the movement of her arms with the same concentration he might have given someone attempting to disarm a bomb incorrectly. "you were holding it ⸻ technically." his gaze flicked toward her hands. "you'd probably fumble it." then she laughed. mason didn't.

   he was still trying to understand how the conversation had gotten from concussions to eating disorders and now, somehow, a missing gag reflex. his eyes narrowed slightly. "what?" it was the only response he could come up with. she continued. mason's expression slowly went blank. not his usual blank, this was something else. the kind of blankness that happened when his brain had simply decided there was no appropriate reaction available and shut the entire system down. he looked at the fingers she'd put into her mouth. then at her face. then back at her fingers. "you tried to make yourself throw up because other girls were doing it." it wasn't a question. he was repeating it because he needed to make sure he'd actually heard her correctly. a beat. "and now you're telling me this..." his brows lifted slightly. "and you don't have a gag reflex?" silence. mason stared at her. somewhere behind them, someone shouted loudly enough to make him glance toward the sound before his attention returned to her.

   "that's not crazy." a pause. "it's weird, but not crazy." he considered her for a second. "and if you were doing it because other girls were doing it, that's probably the part you should've been concerned about." his tone remained casual, matter-of-fact, like he was pointing out an obvious flaw in a football play. his gaze dropped briefly toward her hand. "also, you probably shouldn't put your fingers in your mouth after touching everything at this party. that's how you get sick." his eyes narrowed slightly. "and no." he paused. "i don't dislike you." he let that sit for a moment. then added, completely flat. "you're just a lot." his gaze shifted toward the crowd again. "all the time." and somehow, coming from mason, it wasn't quite the insult it should have been. "i'm not used to a lot."

[theh0uset0ur]

Indira's smile didn't falter for even a second. In fact, it somehow got brighter as she spoke to him. "A lot?" She echoed. "That's actually like, one of my favorite numbers." Not a number. And she certainly didn't have a favorite one. "I don't really mind being a lot." One shoulder shrugged, the movement making the oversized feathers on her wings sway behind her. "I think everybody's a lot about something. Like, some people are a lot about sports, or horses!" Her nose wrinkled. "Horse girls are like..." She trailed off, making a tiny explosion motion with her hand. "I think you're a lot about thinking."

"You've got this face." She continued, gesturing vaguely toward him, attempting to imitate it by flattening her own expression into a face that looked considerably less intimidating and more like she had forgotten what emotions were. "Like, your brain is always doing taxes or something. Are you a finance bro?"

Then came his comment about touching everything at the party, and she froze. Very slowly, she looked at her own hand, then around the room, then at the sticky hardwood floors, then back to her fingers. "Oh no," she whispered, like someone had just revealed a deep, dark secret to her. Indira dramatically wiped her hand against her satin robe, nodding once as though she had solved the problem entirely. "There. All better."

For a moment, she studied him with complete sincerity before her brows pinched together again. "Wait..." A head tilt. "If your brain is always thinking, do you ever accidentally stay awake because you started wondering where your tongue is supposed to be in your mouth?" Indira became aware of her own tongue and began moving it around frantically. "Now I've thought about it, and I'll never be able to sleep!"

[scgclden]

goldie held up her hand at the inquiry about her drink. "brooks has it. and let him. i've had like... four beers tonight, and that's three to many. i need a break." maybe from here on out she'd only only drink like vodka cranberry's. something without all the bubbles. because being at a party and burping all night was not hot.

but unfortunately indira wouldn't take no for an answer and she passed something over to goldie. she looked at the contents of the cup, and the electric green color with a wince. somehow, that didn't look any better. "maybe i'll drink it in like... thirty minutes. but i should probably have water right now." especially since the room had started getting a little spinny one drink prior. watching indira take a sip of a bottle, she grimaced as the girl mentioned it was rum. she got really drunk on rum one night her freshman year and had not drank it since. but she didn't say that, instead she said, "you'd look hot as a pirate. that should be your costume next year." she let out a drunken sigh as she said, "you'd make an amazing victoria secret angel, by the way. like for real for real." indira had the boobs for it, unlike herself. "have you ever thought of modeling?"

[theh0uset0ur]

Indira's mouth fell open into a dramatic O shape. "Goldie." She reached out to cup the other girl's cheeks with both hands, nearly dropping the rum bottle in the process. She held it between two fingers, which was a talent only reserved for those of the feminine variety who had to spend years without their outfits having pockets and learning to hold multiple items in one hand at once. "You think I could be a VS angel?" Her voice had gone soft as if Goldie had just told her she won the lottery and what she intended to do with the money.

She had spent eighty-seven percent of getting ready staring at herself in the mirror, wondering if the wings looked too silly, if the robe looked weird, if the bra had maybe been too much. Then she had reminded herself that she looked totally hot. Confidence was like eighty percent of pretending anyway! "That is like, the nicest thing anyone has said to me all night!" She beamed. "I literally almost talked myself out of wearing it because I kept thinking, Indira, maybe everyone will look hotter than you, and then I was like," she pointed a finger at herself, now releasing herself from Goldie's cheeks. "And then I was like, Oh em gee, Indira, that's like so mean. Why would you say that to yourself?"

Goldie's suggestion about modeling, however, made her head tip so far to one side that it looked in genuine danger of getting stuck there for eternity. "Modeling? Oh, I don't know, I feel like I couldn't do the whole smizing and mysterious thing. Oh! Wait!" Indira gently took the jungle juice back out of the blonde's hands without any offense. "Doctor Indira says if the room's already doing the spinny-spin, we give her brain a little wawa and a nice Aspirin instead." A giggle. "Ass-pirin."

She looped her arm through Goldie's, smiling brightly. "And tomorrow if your head hurts, I'll bring you hashbrowns. Or pancakes. Or both! Greasy food always makes my hangovers better."

[duncsndonuts]

"Jungle jjuuuuiiice!" Duncan shouted over the words in a sing-song sort of voice, happy to take the solo cup concoction off of her hands. He had been here nearly two hours, and didn't feel even close to peak of party excellence. She was right. He felt like a bummy little bummer, but penthouses, and New Directioners? He was a little lost in the fray. "RUH RUH RUH!" The barking felt a little out of place outside of the Beta Rho house, but- YOLO. Duncan took a long drink of the lime green liquid, winced a little as the sour taste hit his salivary glances-- damn, he loved the burn. "Are you a pirate? Totally thought you were one of those, like... angel girls that walk around in their bikinis on TV. We had a party last time they did one of those fashion shows." And Beta Rho had probably made a little too much money off of the occasion... Duncan had liked the musical acts better, anyway.

"I could find you a chaser for that, Captain Jack," Duncan motioned toward the rum in her hand. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, he thought-- charming. "I think I saw some pink lemonade in the ice earlier."

[theh0uset0ur]

"Jungle juice!" Indira repeated it back immediately, pointing at Duncan with unmistakable excitement. "Gosh, I was so close. You're so smart, you know that?" She complimented. The barking caught her completely off guard; her eyes widened with a small but terrified smile, scanning the room for the source. "Do you have a dog? I love dogs!" She sounded rather hopeful about the prospect of a little pooch running around the penthouse.

"Actually, I love most things, except black licorice, but have you ever heard anyone say they like black licorice?" The thought drifted away just as quickly as it arrived, her attention snapping right back to Duncan as he tried to jungly juice. "See? Everybody makes that face." She held up her rum bottle in triumph. "I think alcohol is just secretly yucky." So, why was she still drinking it? The world would never know!

When Duncan guessed that she was one of the angel girls that walk around in their bikinis on TV, Indira let out a delighted gasp. "I am! Not like, an actual one, of course." She wanted to clear up that confusion if it came to the forefront. "I love pink and I love lemonade. Let's go find it!" With her free hand, she grabbed his hand and starting dragging him towards the ice bucket.

"And if it's still gross, we can just keep mixing things until it eventually tastes like a Capri Sun. That would be so fun, like little experiments or something! We'll be like alcoholic scientists," beat. "Alcoholics doesn't sound right."

[loveyssun]

Lovey eyed the wings that looked like they were sprouting up from Indira's back, and wondered just how many unkind words her mother might have for a costume like hers. It was blasphemous, it was sacrilege, it was... definitely what Lovey wanted to do next year when her new favorite holiday rolled around.

"They're crooked." That was all Lovey said... but she made a mental note to do 10,000% more research on Victoria's Secret angels when she got home that night. And the Hadid sisters. The only one she could really name was Bella, and even that came from some dumb tiktok sound that had wormed its way into the lumps in her brain. Not knowing those kinds of things in front of Indira, of all people, felt inconsequential, but that kind of mistake in front of the girls at the sorority could be life or death. Maybe.

She almost pushed Indira away from her hard work, snapped at her for touching the costume she had sewn together piece by piece-- but Lovey cleared her throat; pushed her own attitude away in favor of the attention that Indira was granting her. Being compared to Megan Fox made her want to preen- the mention of whatever MGK was? Yet another thing to google. Didn't Indira ever rest on the pop culture references? Then again, wasn't it better for Lovey's research if she didn't?

"Thanks, I paid, like-" Lovey rolled her eyes around the lie like it was boring, spending money was just another one of those things, "Too much for it... What about you?"

She settled her focus back on Indira's costume and reached out to run the fabric of the little robe between her fingers. It wasn't real silk, she could tell-- her mother had always bought the real thing when it came time to make the Twins' Christmas dresses. She had felt it in her hands enough times before, felt the soft fabric of hand-me-downs against her skin. "Spirit Halloween?" It sounded like an insult, but somewhere deep down she was excited. Was it okay to like Halloween stores when you were pretty and popular?

[theh0uset0ur]

If there was something Indira loved more than hearing herself speak, it was the sisterhood that came with being a Tri-Delt. "Oh my god, they're crooked?" The words came out in a horrified squeak. Without another thought, she began twisting herself in impossible directions, one hand reaching behind her head while the other attempted to straighten a wing she couldn't see. The effort only succeeded in making the feathers wobble even more dramatically. "Don't look, I can fix it." She couldn't.

Eventually, she surrendered, deciding she would rather have crooked wings than look like a bird taking flight in that moment. "It's fine." A sigh. "Nobody's fully symmetrical." Her attention, as always, was quick to drift elsewhere, like when Lovey mentioned paying too much for her costume.

"I know! I kept putting things in my cart, and I was like, Indira, do you really need another pair of heels?" Beat. "Turns out the answer was yes." She glanced at her new shoes fondly before returning her attention to Lovey. Then her friend's fingers brushed against the satin robe, inquiring about the Spirit Halloween-ness of her costume. "Oh, no." She shook her head.

"I got it all on Amazon." Not like that was much of a step up. The Kanneganti's had money — enough to put Indira through school despite her less-than-stellar intelligence and enough to pay sorority fees. What Lovey may not have noticed about her more well-off sisters is that fast fashion was in. Not in a traditional sense, but when it came to every event where a new outfit or costume was needed, it was always cheaper to just Prime it overnight and move on. "The robe was like stupid cheap, though. Oh, and the bra was all my own. Love it when I can just reach into my closet and pull something out. That's like, always the best, right?"

[knowyouloveme]

Victoria is not used to people letting her comments roll of their backs or take her jabs as compliments. It's a little jarring for her and honestly, annoying. Which was funny because she was already a bit annoyed about the similarities between their costumes and Indira's almost sitcom-like energy.

Why can't Indira just be a little bit insulted by what Victoria said? Instead, the other angel has to pretend to have an off button. It really grinds Victoria's gears that she doesn't seem fazed by anything. "God, someone could call you a piece of shit and you would say thank you for saying that I was good enough to once be food or something like that." She shakes her head. She doesn't really need to get under Indira's skin because the girl has done nothing to deserve it but it just bothers her that she didn't get under her skin. "An expressive personality? That's one way to put it. I would go more with...hammy. Like you look like you'd poke your head around a wall to spy on someone and then giggle like a Disney Channel show."

The blonde is a bit taken aback by the drink being shoved in her hand. Most people are too intimidated by her and she liked it that way for the most part. It gave her power, something she had always craved. But with the drink shoved in her hand, it felt like Indira had the power. Nodding, Victoria took a sip of the drink. Not as bad as she was thinking. "Gonna need a lot of whatever this stuff is for all of this." She motions towards Indira.

She takes a swig of her drink, before raising an eyebrow at the fact that the brunette only just noticed that they were matching. "Nothing gets past you, huh?" Victoria asks. "I don't know about Heaven Resources. But maybe when the angels are bad they have to do a stint in hell? Like...uh, this one time, my mom made me go to public school for like a week after I was complaining about my school." She shudders thinking of the experience. "Worst week of my life. These bitches wore the tackiest shit I had ever seen."

[theh0uset0ur]

Indira was always well aware when somebody was trying to insult her or upset her. She may have been dumb, but she wasn't that dumb. Okay, maybe she was a little, but that didn't matter! What mattered was a certain expertise of years built on the idea that anything could be positive if you turned it that way. Victoria's comment earned nothing more than a thoughtful hum, and Indira's head tilted as she genuinely considered the hypothetical.

"I mean... I was food once. Like, before I was born. I think that's how it works." Well, she definitely wasn't a doctor, so how would she know? "So, I'd probably say thank you. And like, probably be a little smelly? But luckily showers exist, so I would like be tooootally fine." She gave Victoria a bright smile, clearly satisfied that she had contributed something meaningful to their conversation.

Indira's mouth dropped into an O as Victoria described her peeking around corners like a Disney Channel character. Before she even realized what she was doing, Indira leaned her whole body behind the nearest hallway, leaving only the top half of her face (and wings) visible. "Oh em gee!" She started giggling. "I do do that!"

Indira's eyes then widened with fascination. "I actually love that better than HR. Because then, like, hell is angel detention, with fire, and I think I'd get a gnarly tan." She remarked. Then her attention was fully locked on Victoria's story about public school. "I went like," she started to count on her fingers. "Six or seven — oh! Six sevennnnn," she called out, doing the hand motion, completely losing her train of thought. "Wait," Indira started whispering, her hand grasping at Victoria's arm. "Did they wear... polyester?"

[oflos3rs]

   mason looked at her for a second. then, very deliberately, at the space beside him where she'd apparently decided silence was something she could physically try. his expression didn't change. "yes. ⸻ i was talking about you." there wasn't any cruelty in it. he didn't sound annoyed, either. if anything, there was something almost matter-of-fact about the admission, as if he couldn't understand why she'd asked when the answer had been obvious. brains kind of seem soupish... yeah, he was going to let that one go. his attention shifted toward the room again, watching people move through the haze of colored lights and cheap decorations. indira's voice had quieted, but the party itself hadn't. music still pulsed through the floor beneath his shoes, vibrating faintly through his bones. he glanced at her. "you lasted about four seconds." his gaze returned to the crowd. "i don't think that's silence." then she started talking about football. mason listened. mostly.

   the exaggerated throwing motion earned a brief narrowing of his eyes, followed by a slow blink. "that's not really how you throw a football." he paused. "or celebrate." it was probably the most he'd ever critiqued someone's pantomime in one conversation. then came the concussion question. something in him went still. but he shoved it to the side. his eyes settled on indira. "yes." he answered simply. a pause. "i've had one ⸻ or a couple." another pause. "it doesn't feel nice." his brow creased faintly. "it feels like this conversation." he let the words sit there for a second. then, after the smallest consideration, added: "but worse." his gaze moved back toward the party. "you've got the part where nothing makes sense." a beat. "just not the headache." his eyes flicked toward her again. "or the vomiting." then he looked away. "i don’t think you’d like it."

[theh0uset0ur]

Indira's face lit up immediately when Mason confirmed it. "I knew it." Said like it was a secret. Confidence would always get her far, she thought. "I almost made it longer." She spoke in regard to the little experiment in silence that she had certainly failed at. "Four seconds is like, actually kind of impressive for me." Always a chatterbox. The brain never shut off. "I think if I practiced superrrrr hard, I could get to seven." Ambitious.

"Was I at least holding the football?" She asked, a frown on her face, before miming the throw a second time, doing it slower this time. She was sure she heard Chariots of Fire in her mind as she did it. When he spoke about his own concussions, Indira made a surprised face, nodding along to every word. Concussions sounded... unpleasant, to say the least.

When he compared a concussion to their conversation, she couldn't help but laugh. "I feel like you don't like meeeeee." Indira sang out. Not that she minded; she knew she wasn't everyone's cup of tea. Unfortunately for the other party, she would keep going until they walked away. "The vomming part sounds so uncool. One time I tried to vom all the time because like all of the girls at my high school were doing it. Like," she paused to put two fingers in her mouth; not enough to throw up, but enough to get the point across.

"But like, I could just never do it. No gag reflex. Crazy, right? And all of the girls were like sooooooo jealous and said it would come in handy," beat, "Never has, though. Weird."

[xoxoclementines]

honestly, indira's dramatics really just feed clementine's heightened sense of everything. every single experience can be so big if you give it just enough. "soooooooo ew!" she agrees emphatically. she was honestly just completely disgusted. not that the audacity of men should ever really surprise her. "i'm pretty sure there are actual pirates but like ... not the pop culture ones. i think." she shrugs her shoulders. her knowledge of the history of piracy in the world is pretty limited.

"i know..." she does drink occasionally, but honestly when she has a session with her mother tomorrow, the last thing she needs is to put on anything less than a perfect face. "i'm totally boring but- but! i bring the energy-" and that she does. she's sociable enough without the liquor in her system. her ability to approach strangers the way she does proves it.

"no i absolutely agree- you're always going to be the hottest one at the party." that's obvious, the way clementine sees it. "you're actually stunning, and your boobs look perfect. i don't think anyone can tell you anything right now-" and who would? she's practically perfect.

[theh0uset0ur]

Clementine agreeing with Indira so enthusiastically was all the validation she needed. "I know, right?" She lamented. "Like... imagine minding your own business and then bam! Pirate." There was a solemn shake of her head. Whether pirates had actually existed remained a mystery, and she had no intention of solving that tonight. She was at a party! Why would she think at a party? ...Or any other time for that matter.

Her attention drifted back to Clementine, who was somehow managing to radiate enough energy to rival the entire party without a drink in her hand. Indira watched her for a moment before breaking into another bright smile. "You do bring the energy; it's like, so true." Another nod.

"You're like..." she trailed off, tapping her chin as she searched for the comparison. "Those little lights people leave up for Christmas like all year on their porch because they just like make everything happier." She beamed. "I don't think anyone can ever be sad around Christmas lights."

With another compliment thrown her way, Indira squealed. "No, stopppp! You're making me blush and I like worked really hard on this makeup." She fanned at herself dramatically, which only made one of her enormous wings bounce behind her. "I was honestly standing in front of the mirror for like... a million minutes." Then a realization delighted her all over again, reaching for Clementine's hand in hers, Indira's excitement bubbling over. "Oh my god. We should go compliment people! Like, what if that squid over there," her big eyes followed her eyesight to a squid posted up on a wall. "Like, what if he thinks he's not cute?"

[shcwtunes]

"he's the character from a christmas story that kermit plays in the muppet version. have you never seen it? it's my favorite movie." and, though kermit wasn't exactly his favorite character -- too much of a goody-two shoes, in his opinion -- halloween was a chance to dress up as something entirely different from yourself. plus, he had a more fitting costume to change into later.

well that explained the wings. "okay, so... an angel in pajamas, then?" bear is still a little confused, but he'd seen plenty of costumes tonight that he didn't totally understand - and he wasn't sure he wanted an answer to most of them, anyway. "i'm just really good at hiding." not a lie. he'd had nannies quit over it as a child, because he'd frequently go missing on them in various, unsuspecting corners of his grandparents' home. before he can suggest proving it to her by offering a game of hide 'n seek, though, indira is touching him again - no, worse - tickling him.

he refuses to squirm, knowing that squirming only ever encourages the tickler to continue, and he's not about to let that happen. instead, he forces his body remain perfectly still, making a point of not reacting. "no. but i'm not ticklish, so i don't think that means anything. it probably just has something to do with the name, i don't know. bear's hibernate, right?" did that even make sense? probably not, considering his name wasn't even actually bear, but anything to get her to quit poking him before his body betrayed him and dared to make him squirm - or worse, laugh. "are you finished? hasn't anyone ever told you not to poke the bear?"

[theh0uset0ur]

Indira listened with complete sincerity, her eyebrows pinched together as Bear explained who Bob Cratchit was. The words Christmas, Kermit, and Muppets all floated into her brain at the same time before promptly colliding with one another. She stood there in thought, her lips forming into an 'O'. "I don't think I've seen that one," she admitted, sounding rather apologetic. "I've only seen... the one with the really mean old man and the like, tiny little ghost... maybe that was Casper."

The thought drifted away as quickly as it had arrived. "But if it's your favorite." Her smile returned. "I'll watch it." Whether she'd remember this part of their conversation tomorrow was an entirely different story. Maybe she'll remember to write it down. Bear's revised conclusion of her costume caused another ample gasp from her. Probably her fifteenth one of the night. "I guess Victoria's Secret is technically where people buy pajamas. Wait, have you like, never seen one of their shows before? Adriana Lima was like, a gay awakening for me. Oh my god, Bearykins, I'll watch the Muppets, and you can watch the Victoria's Angel fashion shows. What a fun trade-off!" Indira was still unsure of how her imaginary friend would watch media, but she wouldn't harp on it for long.

The poking, however, was much more important than the semantics of Bear's imaginary friend-ness. Indira continued to absentmindedly press one manicured finger against his arm while he spoke, watching his face with deep concentration. If he so much as twitched, she would know. She wasn't sure what she would know, but it would be something. "Oh no," her finger stopped poking. "Your imaginary nerves. They're hibernating." A pout.

"What do you feel? Or like, is it kind of like ghosts and I could go through you?" She stepped forward just enough paces to make an attempt at going through him, only to feel a bonk on her forehead against his. "Ow." She murmured, rubbing the spot and stepping back.

[socvereign]

luciana   barely   had   time   to   react   before   a   pair   of   fairy   wings   brushed   past   her,   making   her   instinctively   reach   out   to   steady   the   other   girl   before   she   knocked   into   someone   else.   injuries   where   not   on   her   to-do   list   and   coach   would   end   her   if   she   couldn't   perform   well   in   the   next   swimming   practice.  “   you're   okay,   no   real   harm   done   i   guess   ”   she   smiled.   she   glanced   down   at   the   cup   that   had   suddenly   appeared   in   her   hand,   then   back   up   at   indira   with   an   amused   look."    i   was   literally   about   to   go   grab   one.   "   she   gave   the   mystery   drink   a   suspicious   swirl   before   laughing   again   as   indira   took   a   massive   sip   from   the   bottle. "   and   yet   somehow   you   volunteered   as   tribute   first.”   watching   her   immediately   regret   it   earned   another   laugh.   “   you   know   ...   i   don't   think   pirates   usually   make   that   face   after   rum."   she   finally   took   a   careful   sip   from   her   own   cup,   scrunching   her   nose   for   only   a   second   before   shrugging.   "   if   i   wake   up   tomorrow   with   glitter   glued   to   my   face   or   somehow   end   up   on   someone's   instagram   story   singing   abba,   i'm   blaming   you.   "

[theh0uset0ur]

Indira let out the tiniest gasp as Luci caught her by the forearm, her own attention immediately dropping to the giant white wings extending from her back as though she needed to conduct a full damage assessment. Still good. "These things are honestly a bit of a hazard." She reached back to pat one of the wings affectionately, nearly smacking herself in the process. "I keep forgetting I'm like, six feet wider than I normally am."

Luciana's comment about volunteering as tribute earned another little gasp, and Indira held the bottle up triumphantly. "I did do that." She sounded rather impressed with herself. "That was actually like really brave of me." Naturally, she took another swig to celebrate. The result was exactly the same: nose scrunch, shoulders shivering.

"Oh em gee, I would like never let you face that alone. If we're embarrassing ourselves, we'd totally do it together." The promise came with complete sincerity on Indira's side. "Just if we do end up doing our best rendition — wow, that was a big word! Anyway! If we end up doing Waterloo and record it, you have to promise me you'll get my good side." Her cheek turned to the left. "Wait, no, this side." A turn to the right. "Wait, I can't remember which one it is."

[oflos3rs]

   mason  stared  at  her  .  again  .  for  a  long  moment  .  like  he  was  trying  to  understand  how  one  person  could  possibly  have  that  many  thoughts  and  still  manage  to  say  all  of  them  out  loud  .  his  eyes  moved  over  her  face  as  she  spoke  ,  following  absolutely  none  of  the  logic  and  somehow  all  of  it  at  the  same  time  .  his  eyebrows  lifted  slightly  .  he  looked  away  .  then  back  .  "  i  don't  think  you  can  gentrify  a  cloud  .  but  i’m  sure  they  appreciate  the  concern  .  "  there  it  was  again  .  that  dry  ,  almost  invisible  humor  that  lived  somewhere  beneath  his  usual  stoicism  .  it  wasn't  enough  to  call  a  smile  .  mason  didn't  smile  easily  .  but  there  was  something  in  the  slight  twitch  of  his  mouth  that  suggested  he  was  ,  against  his  better  judgment  ,  entertained  . then  she  moved  on  .  of  course  she  did  .  the  moon  .  acne  .  panoxyl  .  vampires  .  bangs  .

   his  expression  grew  increasingly  blank  as  she  spoke  ,  though  his  attention  never  actually  left  her  .  he  had  no  idea  where  she  was  going  .  he  wasn't  even  sure  she  knew  .  but  there  was  something  strangely  compelling  about  watching  someone  whose  mind  seemed  to  operate  without  any  regard  for  linear  thought  .  mason's  own  mind  had  always  been  the  opposite  .  everything  had  a  place  .  everything  had  a  cause  .  every  decision  had  a  consequence  .  you  looked  away  at  the  wrong  moment  and  you  missed  something  .  you  missed  something  and  everything  changed  .  his  jaw  tightened  .  just  slightly  .  a  muscle  shifting  near  his  cheek  before  going  still  again  .  the  memory  came  without  permission  .  his  eyes  moving  toward  the  stands  .  againagainagain  .  empty  .  the  impact  .  the  ground  .

   his  fingers  curled  once  at  his  sides  before  relaxing  .  he  hadn't  realized  he'd  stopped  breathing  until  he  forced  himself  to  inhale  .  slowly  ,  quietly  .  then  she  asked  him  .  what  do  you  think  about  ?  mason's  eyes  settled  on  her  .  the  question  should  have  been  simple  .  it  wasn't  .  there  were  too  many  answers  .  most  of  them  weren't  things  he  wanted  to  explain  to  a  girl  dressed  like  a  fairy  who  had  just  spent  five  minutes  worrying  about  whether  clouds  were  emotionally  affected  by  urban  development  .  "  things  .  "  he  answered  .  a  pause  ,  his  expression  remained  completely  serious  .  "  mostly  .  "  he  could  practically  feel  the  inevitable  confusion  coming  .  so  he  elaborated  .  barely  .  "  football  .  "  his  eyes  shifted  briefly  toward  the  room  ,  toward  the  people  moving  around  them  .  "  whether  people  know  when  to  stop  talking  .  "  there  was  a  small  pause  .  "  usually  ,  they  don’t  .  "

[theh0uset0ur]

"Was that about me?" There wasn't the slightest hint of offense in her voice. If anything, she sounded almost delighted by his comment. "I usually don't know when to stop. My mom says it's because I spent the first four years of my life thinking in two languages, so now every thought gets scared it won't have a turn if it doesn't come out as soon as I think it." She considered the explanation for a beat, lips pursing thoughtfully. "I don't know if that's how brains work, though," beat. "Brains kind of seem soupish." Especially hers.

"But I don't really mind." She smiled, warm and uncomplicated. "I think silence can be nice, too. I mean, I've never really experienced it, but I imagine it'd be quite nice. Can I try it?" She asked, standing directly beside him, narrowly avoiding hitting him with one of her wings. The music booming within the house spilled into the little pocket of quiet she had created. Across the room, one of the fake cobwebs swayed beneath the air conditioning vent, and Indira found herself watching it with complete fascination.

"Oh!" Her attention bounced back to Mason, eyes widening. "I think about football sometimes. I don't really get the rules," unsurprisingly, "But I do like watching everyone run together, and I know there's the whole..." she trailed off, miming throwing a football and then lifted her arms up in cheer, contorting her face into celebration all without actually making a peep. "Have you ever had a concussion? I just feel like one would feel soooooo nice on the brain."

[starstm]

oliver blinked for just a second— he adored indira, but with the amount of alcohol that was currently in his system, it took him a second to adjust to her vibe. "do you mean jungle juice?" he asked, staring into the cup she just handed him with a disapproving grimace. there was absolutely no way he was drinking that "thanks, but i trust this even less than coach steele's master cleanse concoction, so i'm gonna pass." the drink is quickly placed on the nearest surface, before he holds out his golden prop cup to indira. "can i have some of that rum instead?" her enthusiasm is infectious, and it's already making oliver feel a little less frustrated about the whole situation with sully. "maybe you could go as a sexy pirate next year. you look stunning by the way. pink is totally your color! are you having a good time?"

[theh0uset0ur]

"Jungle! I knew it started with a juh," Indira pointed at him so enthusiastically she nearly poked him in the chest. She wore an absurdly proud look despite being completely wrong. While she was slightly perturbed by him not taking the jungle juice, she was quick to forget it when he held out his goblet. Immediately, the bottle tipped and rum spilled into his cup. A generous pour. Enough to stun a horse. "Whoops!"

Then, came his compliment, which made Indira practically swoon. "Stoppppp, I'm gonna blush!" She announced, her cheeks already reddening. She took in his costume to repay the compliment, but she was slightly stumped, unable to decide what he was. "I really like your..." she trailed off, trying to buy herself time. The goblet. The wiry crown. It was the draped sheet-like material on him that made her finally say, "Sexy Baby costume. Wait..." That didn't sound right, did it? "You're not a sexy baby, are you?"

[knowyouloveme]

Victoria loved Halloween as a kid, dressing up as someone else, getting into character. But once she reached high school and everything happened with her father, she was too old to trick or treat and her former friends were all throwing Halloween parties without her. Of course, she still managed to sneak in with a disguise so that no one would know it was her. The best part about Halloween is that no one questions when you're wearing a mask. But she wasn't there to mingle back in high school, she was there to get dirt. And maybe she was here to get the same thing too.

She decided to don an angel costume, maybe a little basic but she looked hot so who cares, really? She was looking around the room, scanning for any drama when she felt the brush of someone else's wing. She was a little peeved that she wasn't the only one dressed as an angel at the party, but at least Indira was a Victoria's Secret angel so Victoria wouldn't have to demand her to change.

"Has anyone ever told you that you should come with an off button? Geez." Victoria asks, shaking her head. She was used to being around people with a lot of energy, she was in a glee club but even she thought Indira was doing too much. Maybe she did need that drink after all. "I'll take a drink though. Couldn't hurt to make these men slightly more tolerable."

[theh0uset0ur]

Indira pointed at herself with one perfectly manicured finger, thoroughly delighted that Victoria had apparently been talking about her. "Oh my gosh, me?" Her pointed finger turned into a touched hand against her heart. "Thank you," she beamed. While it was more than likely not a compliment, Indira took most comments to heart and could spin just about any of them in a positive light.

She turned her body just a little to show Victoria her wings. "Wouldn't it be so cute? Like, right here," she tapped in between her wings to the small of her back. "And you could just," she mimed flicking a switch off, "Boop! Off!" Indira turned her body back around to face Victoria again. "I've actually been told I have, like, a really expressive personality."

Without another thought, she shoved the cup into Victoria's hand with the enthusiasm of someone presenting the Nobel Peace Prize. "See? You already look happier!" She exclaimed. Everyone looked better with a drink in their hand. At least, in Indira's opinion. "I think the trick is pretending it tastes good." To demonstrate, she took another ambitious swig from the rum bottle. Her entire face instantly folded in on itself. "Eugh. Still pirate juice." A violent shiver traveled from her shoulders all the way down to her toes.

She coughed delicately into her hand as she finally noticed the blonde's costume. "Oh my bejesus!" Her eyes widened into perfect circles as she pointed between the two of them. "We match. Do you think people are gonna think we're sisters? Or maybe cute angel coworkers? I'm not sure how angels organize themselves. Like, do you think they have an HR department in heaven?"

[shcwtunes]

the first time bear realized that indira seemed to think he was a figment of her imagination was, admittedly, a little jarring -- before he realized he could work with this. frankly, it made him wish everyone thought the same; it'd make it a hell of a lot easier to just disappear for a bit, without having to give an explanation. so, though he didn't enable her - slightly concerning - delusions -- he didn't exactly deny them, either.

the hug catches him off guard - partially because he's not sure how she doesn't understand that he's not real if she can reach out and touch him - but he knows better by now than to try and figure out the logic behind this. for just a second, he nearly tells her where he can usually be found - the robotics lab - but, thankfully, he manages to keep his mouth shut, despite the liquor in his system's desire to make him start blabbing. indira was nice, he didn't hate being around her -- for short periods of time. infrequently. and a party was a far preferable location for a chat with her than when he was trying to get work done.

"that's what they said when--" i was born. whoops. another close one, he'd almost accidentally given away information about himself, and, though the alcohol seems to be the culprit of this problem -- it could also be the solution. if his mouth is busy drinking, it leaves less room for him to be talking, and, so, he's quick to fill up another cup, just mixing a few things together in hopes that it wouldn't turn out gross. ...it does, it's even worse than what indira had just given him, but at least it temporarily solves the problem of spilling too many beans.

"uh... not that i'm aware of. i think i've always been more of a scrooge than a marley, though." okay, there were more ghosts than the ones in the muppet christmas carol, he's aware, but it's the first frame of reference that comes to mind. "though, i guess tonight, technically i'm bob cratchit." he lifts up the kermit hood with a small smile, before tucking it under his arm again, wondering if there's somewhere in this place he can put it for safekeeping. "and you are... in your pajamas?" interesting costume choice. smarter than his own, though, maybe. a lot more breathable.

[theh0uset0ur]

There was one simple explanation for why Indira was able to physically touch Bear. Because it was all in her head, too! Duh! And why was it that whenever people mentioned Bear, like his sudden love triangle between Hollis and Abilene, did that make sense? Well, duh, his girlfriend was just as made up — a figment designed to particularly scare her into not wanting to go to hell, and Hollis just had a clear psychological problem. Which Indira was like, so not gonna judge him for!

"Who's Bob Cratchit? Does he go here?" Indira asked, looking behind her, unable to see much beyond her wings as she tried to look for the illustrious Bob. But her attention immediately shifted as he looked her over. "My..." she trailed off as she looked down at herself. A white bra that left little to the imagination. Her striped satin robe. Towering heels. Giant feathered wings that had already nearly taken out half of the partygoers. "...Pajamas?" Her head clicked to the side.

Indira gasped and reached up to grab his shoulders with the utmost concern. "Oh my god, being imaginary is affecting your eyesight. That's like, so sad. Do they have imaginary eye doctors in your world?" She gave him a sympathetic pout. "I'm an angel." That was one way of putting it.

Then, another thought caught up with her. "Wait," blink. "If you're not a ghost, then how do you keep disappearing? Do you burrow like a worm? Wait, hold on." Before he had any chance to answer her ever-revolving thoughts, another, much more important realization hit her. She removed her hands to poke at his arm, wiggling her finger back and forth.

"Does that tickle? Can you feel that?" She asked, her finger still going. Nobody let this girl get a hold of any of Marijoy's cupcakes.

[oflos3rs]

   for  a  moment  ,  mason  just  stared  at  her  .  though  ,  it  wasn’t  because  he  didn't  understand  what  she  was  saying  .  that  was  the  problem  .  he  understood  every  word  .  and  somehow  that  made  it  worse  .  the  hand  on  his  forearm  was  unexpected  .  not  unwelcome  ,  exactly  .  just  unfamiliar  .  people  didn't  usually  touch  him  when  they  were  trying  to  figure  him  out  .  usually  they  decided  he  was  too  much  effort  and  moved  on  to  someone  easier  .  indira  ,  apparently  ,  had  decided  he  was  a  puzzle  she  could  solve  with  enthusiasm  and  whatever  strange  logic  existed  exclusively  inside  her  head  .  his  eyes  dropped  briefly  to  where  her  hand  rested  against  him  .  then  back  to  her  face  .  the  silence  stretched  .  he  was  trying  to  decide  if  she  was  serious  .  she  was  .  of  course  she  was  .  his  expression  didn't  change  ,  though  one  eyebrow  lifted  slightly  at  the  demonstration  of  her  '  thinking  really  hard  '  face  .  "  impressive  .  "  a  pause  .  "  very  scientific  method  .  "  the  sarcasm  was  there  .  dry  and  flat  .  but  it  wasn't  cruel  ⸻  not  entirely  .  mason  had  never  been  good  at  being  gentle  .  it  always  came  out  sounding  like  an  insult  dressed  up  in  nicer  clothes  .

   his  gaze  shifted  away  again  ,  scanning  the  room  out  of  habit  .  exits  .  people  .  movement  .  anything  that  needed  attention  .  anything  that  wasn't  the  memory  still  lingering  beneath  his  skin  .  "  i  don't  think  that's  what  happened  .  "  deflection . he  said  it  simply  .  his  fingers  brushed  against  the  edge  of  his  sleeve  where  her  hand  had  been  ,  more  out  of  habit  than  anything  else  .  "  i  wasn't  thinking  hard  .  "  he  didn't  elaborate  .  he  rarely  did  .  he  wasn’t  trying  to  be  mysterious  .  he  hated  when  people  did  that  .  he  just  didn't  see  the  point  in  handing  pieces  of  himself  to  people  who  didn't  know  what  to  do  with  them  .  then  she  was  talking  about  clouds  .  naturally  .  the  conversation  had  taken  a  turn  so  aggressively  sharp  it  almost  gave  him  whiplash  .  from  his  birth  father  abandoning  him  at  the  one  moment  he'd  needed  him  most  to  whether  clouds  had  feelings  .  somehow  ,  with  indira  ,  those  things  existed  on  the  same  level  .  his  mouth  twitched  .  not  a  smile  .  barely  even  the  beginning  of  one  .  but  something  close  enough  that  if  someone  knew  him  well  enough  ,  they  might  have  noticed  .

   "  no  .  "  he  answered  immediately  .  then  ,  after  a  second  :  "  i  don't  think  clouds  care  what  people  say  .  "  his  eyes  followed  the  direction  she'd  pointed  ,  though  there  was  no  way  he  could  actually  see  the  sky  through  the  house  and  the  decorations  and  the  ridiculous  amount  of  fake  cobwebs  hanging  everywhere  .  "  and  no  .  "  another  pause  .  "  i  don't  want  to  live  on  a  cloud  .  "  he  looked  back  at  her  .  "  that’s  their  house  ⸻  wouldn’t  want  to  intrude  .  "  his  gaze  lingered  for  a  second  ,  studying  her  like  she  was  some  kind  of  strange  phenomenon  he'd  accidentally  stumbled  into  .  "  you  actually  think  about  this  stuff  ?  "  it  wasn't  judgmental  .  if  anything  ,  it  was  genuine  confusion  .  because  mason's  thoughts  were  usually  filled  with  things  he  could  fix  .  injuries  .  plays  .  mistakes  .  things  that  had  a  right  answer  if  he  worked  hard  enough  .  clouds  didn't  .  and  apparently  ,  neither  did  indira  .

[theh0uset0ur]

Puppy's breath. Bunnies. Strawberry margaritas. That was what Indira thought about. Usually at the same time. Her parents would probably call it undiagnosed ADHD of some kind. Others would just describe it as simply Indira. "They do have a house," Indira looked positively stricken by it, her hand flying to her chest again. "I can't believe I almost gentrified clouds." She stood there in horrified silence for five whole seconds before letting out the smallest sigh of relief. "I'm really glad you stopped me." Whether he was joking or not never once crossed her peabrain.

Her brows pinched together as she considered his questions with the utmost seriousness, lips pursed so tightly they almost disappeared completely. "Well, if they hang out over my head all day, I feel like it's just a little rude not to wonder how they're doing." It was perhaps the most coherent sentence she had spoken all evening.

"I think about a lot of things, though!" She beamed, smiling to herself. "Like, where does the moon go during the daytime? Does it, like, get super embarrassed? Because personally, if I had to live with craters on my face? I would totally be trying to hide the entire day away. Not that, like, acne is embarrassing by any means. Hashtag adult acne doesn't define you, hashtag all faces are beautiful, but it is a shame the moon doesn't have PanOxyl up there," she took a beat to catch her breath. "Or," her eyes lit up, "If vampires can't see themselves in mirrors, how do they know if their bangs look good?"

"Oh!" Her attention snapped back to him, suddenly realizing how much talking space she was occupying. "What do you think about?"

[shcwtunes]

"if this was a beetlejuice situation, you would have just unleashed, like, a giant butt on us." bear points out indira's repetition, and, with wide eyes, he watches as rhys passes by in that very moment, and he's a little too drunk to keep himself from wondering if that was actually just a coincidence or not.

though he'd only just finished off a drink, he accepts the cup from her anyway and takes a sip, really leaning into his one night a year of letting loose. like the purge, except... acting like a normal person. "this is disgusting. how much sugar did they dump in this?" he grimaces, and then immediately takes another, long sip, before handing the cup back over so he can remove the kermit head off his own, sweaty one. "phew. okay. better. i was roasting under there."

[theh0uset0ur]

Indira gasped, her whole face lighting up with genuine delight as Bear removed the Kermit head and she was able to fully realize who was near. Of course he would come to her in her time of partying needs! While she wasn't sure why her mind had conjured an imaginary friend that behaved like Bear, she wasn't sure. If she had her choice, she'd make her imaginary best friend Paris Hilton or Ghandi, maybe, but the brain worked in mysterious ways!

"Beeeeearrrrr!" She beamed, wrapping her arms around him. "I haven't seen you in like... forever!" When Bear handed the cup back to her, she took a drink of it for herself. It was sugary. Even too sugary for Indira's taste, but she knew underneath the sugar, there had to be a concoction of liquors, so she kept taking small sips here and there. "I never know when you're gonna pop back into existence. Sometimes I'll be sitting around thinking 'I wonder what Bear's doing' and usually I think you'll like, show up, but then you don't. And then, two weeks later, boom! You're here! It's a Christmas miracle!" Her face contorted into confusion. That wasn't right. "No! Halloween miracle!"

Then, she let out a gasp, placing both hands around her mouth in shock, her cup clattering to the ground. At least it was empty now! "Wait, are you a ghost?"