Be There, Be Square, Be Whatever [Open]

Danielle wanted to celebrate finally leaving Lupercal by throwing a huge "back to school"-esque party. It was originally just gonna be her and Beecher, since they were the two Lupos who were dorming at Beata, but then she got an idea. 'Let's get a bunch of people in here and act like real teenagers for once.' After a quick stop at the closest convenience store, she pressed her bracelet and brought up Esper, the Gifted Twitter. She typed in "Come to the Winter Commons or you'll be a huge rhombus" and hit send. She waited for it to send before closing her Unity Link and began prepping the Winter house's common area for people. And by "preparing," she just brought out some decently-sized Bluetooth speakers and connected her phone. She'd be using the 2053-equivalent of Spotify to at least keep people entertained. Danni then brought out some snacks, which included an entire bag of pretzels, some bags of chips of various flavors, and dips of all kinds. It was a party but only in the lamest sense of the word. She couldn't have been bothered to smuggle any alcohol onto the premises, but maybe someone else would bring some. Or maybe not and the prefects wouldn't shut it down immediately. She shrugged, turned on the tunes, and waited for people to arrive.

Beecher was ready. Having visited the day before, the white-haired student sniffed out the vodka that their clan drank on special occasions. He wouldn't be that stupid to not bring alcohol in--and as far as he knew there was nothing to celebrate. As such no one to miss it. With a wolf smile, the brother strolled in, putting down the two glass bottles on the table top.

"You can't throw a party without booze, Danni."

There was another Lupo in the Winter dorms. His unit was still as austere and barren as when he moved in, no posters or personal touches besides his books lined up neatly on the shelf. Evander kept the room spotless, and when he touched his Unity Link to the lock and crawled into his bed, there weren't any late night arguments or howls, or daggers hidden in his pillowcase. He wasn't evading his family, distance just made the heart grow fonder, that was all.

Lying in his bed, the Esper notification lighting up across his phone, he grimaced. A rhombus?

. . . . . .

Evander wasn't sure what he expected to see when he walked through the door, into the Winter commons. He should've known it'd be his brother double-fisting hard liquor.

He wasn't sure who showed up or not yet. He hadn't bothered to look that far into it, but he could hear the cheesy music pouring out from the thin, dorm walls. Normally, the young man would have browsed right past the Esper post. This time, however, he'd found himself way too hung up on it. A rhombus? How could someone be a rhombus? What did it mean? The more he thought about it, the close he felt himself giving in and - fuck it, why not go? What would one party hurt? It was in the Winter dorms for once, after all. Just a few minutes from his own room. He might as well check it out, right?

And yet, he lingered outside in the hall, a few feet from the doorway. A small, black pen flipped between his fingers, waiting until it was just warm enough to bring to his lips. He'd taken a small drag, holding in the hit long enough that there was hardly a wisp of smoke as he breathed a heavy sigh. Now, he could probably guess what you were thinking, with smoking being a bad habit and all that. It was one of the most well known secrets in the family, along with Esther's own cigarette habit and Elia thinking that nobody ever noticed her sneaking back into the house late, but unlike those two had an actual reason for it.

He often pitched fake arguments about it in his own head, driving questions like: Do you know how exhausting it is to feel what literally everyone else is feeling all the fucking time? It always hit him out of the blue too. Someone particularly stressed about that math test near him? Next thing you knew, there were tears on his own paper. He couldn't step a foot near the arena during a show, lest he feel the urge to rip someone a new one. You didn't even want to know the shit he put up with in the dorms late at night, when the prefects had retired for the night and all hell reigned.

If anything, his "bad habit" was only medicinal. He embraced the fog that clouded his head. It was freeing, he was left with his own mind and his own thoughts; it was like he could breath again. So long as he stayed away from any alcohol, he should have been a-okay.

But of course, the first thing he saw when he stepped inside - after the three or four Lupos that made up the room - was the two heavy bottles of alcohol slammed on the table. This school really never failed to disappoint, did it?

"I'm not too early to the party, am I?" He mused aloud at no one in particular, shoving his shit back into his pocket.

Danni sighed with relief. Thank fucking god it wasn't another of her siblings. She didn't just want this to be another Lupo gathering. "No no no, you're right on time." she said. "Well... you might be a bit early. But only because no one's showed up except my brothers." People better actually show up, otherwise this "party" would be a huge waste of her time. The blue-eyed girl looked to Beecher. "You didn't even bring any mixers you dingus. Who just drinks straight vodka anymore? And ceremonial vodka at that." she teased him.

Sketch stepped into the room behind the smoke cloud. He used his jacket sleeve to wipe across his nose, a silly attempt to distract himself from the smell. He had on his blue jeans and a t'shirt, covered by an over sized green jacket. He hadn't dressed to impress, but he sure as hell wasn't wearing rags. Sketch put his ink pen behind his ear and planted himself next to the other guest. "Early bird gets the worm they say." The artists eyes locking onto the vodka on the table. "I'd say a couple more people and we'll get this party started." He threw up a "rock on" symbol with his hand. God he knew how awkward he was, but he didn't know he'd be this bad. Well hopefully the strangers dorm he walked into won't be too bothered by his presence.

---

Scarlett had put on her party outfit. It consisted of ripped jeans and a tight fitting shirt, not one in particular, just one that was clean and maybe not on her floor? She had seen the Esper post and figured 'Why not?' So, here she was. A bottle of strawberry vodka in one hand and a bottle of tonic water in the other. She was in the winter dorm hallway, the base of the current song directing her to the correct dorm room. Scarlett stopped outside the bopping door, ran her hand through her hair once more and stood up straight. Her first Beata party, it was about to get good. Her hand rose to the door, a small knock indicating the life of the party was on the other side waiting to be let in.

Beecher scoffed, throwing his head to the side. "What kinda' pleb can't handle straight vodka?" He quipped, adjusting the drinks to make room for the alcohol. Blue eyes caught his brother standing to the side, a mixed expression on his face. A wolf-like grin crossed his features. "Awe! You showed. What a good 'few minutes older' brother!" Beecher, stuck a tongue out at Evander, not paying much mind to the other soul in the room, only giving him a wink and a cheers motion.

Blue eyes widened as a smoke cloud filled the air, doing his best to wave it away from the smoke detector. "Bitch, what--Don't do that inside idiot. You want to set these off?" As soon as it began to fade, Beecher stepped away, opening the window to let the smoke out. Then a moment later, a knock was barely heard over the music. Dancing along, the student grapevined his way to the door, spinning before throwing it wide open.

He paused, mouth partially open in an unsaid greeting. He knew this girl. He couldn't forget this girl. He'd be stupid to not remember her, not because she was cute, but she didn't see him immediately as a lupo. Which was nice. But, it was nice to see her again. The student broke out in a smile, tossing his head over his shoulder he shouted towards his siblings."See, Scarlett knows what she's doing. Vodka all the way." He turned his head back to her beckoning her inside. "Feeling better?" Beecher asked quieter, leading her toward where the drinks sat.