Alice
"Mmh?"

A half-word, mostly-noise rumbled in Owen's throat. It got the message across well enough. It was hardly the time of night for eloquent replies to be bubbling up out of nowhere, if there even was one for him. 

Grabbing one last stubborn mugful of cocoa, the dishevelled but now-noticeably peaceful boy shuffled to the couch. Mél's attempt to take up the maximum amount of space possible flew under his sleep-deprived radar, and he sat a little closer than he would have if he had noticed; he liked people like her, who just *Said things*. Ares, arse though he was, was like that too- Finley as well, for that matter. Valio, though quieter than even him at this hour, was a similar comfort, radiating warmth from beneath the roughened exterior. They loosened the pressure merely by being there, a fascinating swirl of ..*Something*, something he was lacking, that he couldn't quite conjure up a word for. Mojo? Ehh. Watch the dinosaurs. 

A heavy red head sank deep into the back of the couch, breathing a heavy sigh of contentment. Stressed though he'd been, Owen looked already like he was one with the furniture, as though if one unzipped the old hoodie they would find not a kid but a pile of warm blankets beneath them; what simple, quiet joy.

The little pieces of human connection that he'd lost and craved over the years was coming back, bit by bit. The first slivers of normalcy in ages, and with quite possibly the strangest people he had ever met- how funny was that?
Kyle
Ares gave a low teasing grumble, playfully disappointed in Valio's lack of an answer. Guess she wasn't a big fan of small talk. He grabbed his mug after filling it so full it threatened to spill over the brim. The pot was nearly empty at this rate. Leaning down to sip the excess so it wouldn't get all over the floor, he turned his attention back to Fin. Giving a scoff in their direction, Ares' mind was pulled in a different direction. Mel suggesting the idea that they watch a movie.

"Yo! Sick! I'm so down." He called out from across the counter, his voice had a hint of excitement in it. Ares always liked movies. 

With very little care for his *Very* Full mug, he made his way over the couch. With quick fast confident steps he launched himself over the back cushions. Despite nearly landing on Owen, he managed to not spill a drop of his drink. *'Skill at its finest,'* He thought, a cocky smile pulling on his features. He made himself comfortable against the plush fabric of the couch, now shuffled slightly to give more space to the red head beside him. He rested his arms against the back of the couch, spreading himself out greedily. With an empty space to the other side him, Ares tilted his head back to take a sip of his hot chocolate, the same wonderful taste. 

After turning his attention to the TV in front of them, he realized how surprisingly fun this was. Leaning his head back over his shoulder towards Finley, he nodded. A signal to come and join him on the couch for the movie. Ares knew the view of the TV would be blocked from all the way over there. Or something like that, the boy couldn't exactly put a finger on why he felt the need to invite the other over. Tilting his head to the side, still turned over his shoulder, his gaze fell to Valio as well. 

"Oi, Blondie, Val come join us." He raised his hand up with a waving gesture. Ares' voice was confident and sure, like always. Same playful smile.
Kenya
Valio ignored the grumble to turn off the burner that was under the pot of hot chocolate. She wouldn't want the place the burn down when she just got here so. The pot was nearly empty and she assumed Owen and Ares would fist fight eachother over it. Melodie was suggesting they watch a movie, and not that Valio objected but it seemed Finley wasn't moving. She stared for a second her eye watching as they absently twirled a piece of their fine hair with their finger.

"Alright." Why is she constantly giving dry answers, this isn't how you make friends. She walked over to Finley grabbing them by the back of their shirt and hoisting them over her shoulder. If you're part of the group you might as well participate. 

She walks over to the couch finding there wasn't nearly enough room and decided to pick Owen up as well. Then she settled pulling Finley down to her side. A silent saying to get comfortable, they'll be here for a bit.

With the three settled onto the couch she let her mind wander, her head filling with images too vivid to speak aloud. The movie was just background noise but, she found a little comfort in this group. Maybe she could stay after all.
Teri
```I apologize for hogging this channel but here's fires content```

The rain landed softly on the window pane beside Finleys bed, light and chilled in the late-night air. April has been tempermental, swathes of warmer weather snatched up by winters spindly fingers.


They could imagine the last kisses of Persephone, clinging to her husband's hand as her mother tugged her towards spring, flowering trees smitten with the obnoxious turning tables of the wind and the sun.

A blanket lay draped over their legs, something forest green, thin, and utterly useless, borrowed from their sisters room once and never returned. One of their favorite classic pieces spun lazily on the record player across the room, some modern electric Victrola. Finley had discovered they could get it to start with a gentle press of a finger, even if it wasn't plugged in. Overall, it should have been a perfect night. Sleep should have come easy to them.

And earlier, it had. 

Flickering images of their burning school had shined behind their eyes, the screams of classmates as they clamored out of the building in a panic. The voices of their Newton's Cradle friends warped and folded into the dream, Melodies high scream cresting as smoke came up to their chest. 

They had sat up in bed with a gasp as the world began to crack into a thousand bits of deadly lit. Now, they lay on their back, listening to the music, their breath, and the rain.

The glow of their phone filled the room as a notification flickered across their lock screen. People chattering on the Intranet board again. Silas, maybe, or Margarita. They were both night owls.

They rolled over and plucked the cable out of the charging port, blinking at the glow in their face. *3:45*, read the time. They let out a long sigh through their nose. 

*I have class tomorrow,* They thought. And then, immediately afterwards, *Or, not.*

 *'hello.'*, they typed, receiving a reply a few moments later. A greeting of some sort, from someone or another.

 *'i can't sleep.'* 

The phone dropped from their hands, muffling the light once more. They tried to close their eyes
Kyle
The small sound of guitar strings being plucked echoed against the soft rain outside. Ares was sitting on the edge of his bed, his guitar resting in his lap. The finish was darker than night itself, and adorned with various stickers Ares had stolen over the years. It wasn't attached to any speakers, considering the late hours. For now, Ares was practicing the same riff he had been stuck on for the past few weeks. The cords increasing in speed as he progressed. 

He found himself dedicating hours to his instrument. When he wasn't in his dorm, he was outside. Petty theft, vandalism, trespassing were all on the table for the boy. He clearly acted on his own accord.

Something pulled himself out of his focus. His phone, resting precariously on the edge of his desk lit up with a dull blue light. Ares slid his fingers off of the strings and tossed his guitar onto his black bedsheets. The soft material cushioned the instrument, preventing damage. He lifted himself off of his bed and walked over to his desk, leaning over his phone. Surveying the notification on his screen, someone was awake. His eyes rose to the time, it *Was* Late. 

Reaching over, he picked up his cracked phone and held it in his hand. The dull throb of pain pulsed through his fingers. They had been cut and broken many times by his unforgiving strings, making them rough to the touch. Ares didn't care, he thought it made him look cool. Opening the notification and looking at the schools forum. It was Finley. Ares let his head fall back with a sigh before pulling it back forward. Pausing for a moment, an idea popped into his head. Maybe he could turn this this into something fun.

He started typing, *' cool, wanna do something dumb then blondie?'* The message read loud and clear in Ares' normal bastard personality. The boy let out a small scoff under a smirk, no way they'd take up his offer. His eyes fell on the time once more, It was almost 4am.
_ _

Ares looked over at his guitar. He didn't need sleep anyways. He set his phone down on his desk once more before returning to his bed.
Teri
Another notification. Finley picked up their phone again and read it.

Surprise flickered across Finley's face. Ares was a character of which they knew little - they knew his bravado, his ego, his arrogance - but Finley knew they did not know *Him.* But, then, he didn't know *Them* Either. So, then, why was he asking to see them?

A dare, surely. Some sort of challenge, posed by the boy who's very smile *Gleamed* Trouble. Not long ago, they'd all met in Valio's room. Although it had ended with Finley thrown over shoulder (not that they could truly complain), they'd found themself looking at him on and off at the *Dickwad* Across the room. Ares, simply put, sputtered with a sort of energy that Finley didn't quite match. Finley held themself up to be quiet, logical, put together - he seemed to have no such reservation.

At first, they didn't respond. They thought about tossing their phone to the side, rolling over, and letting the music lull them to sleep. After all, they did have class. But - for all his surface-level misgivings, Ares had a penchant for capturing their interest.

Something their sister liked to say flickered across their mind, something French. *Etre dans la galere*

They let their fingers fly across the keys, and hit send without another thought about it. In the gallery there were messes.

*Sounds good. I'm in 1245.*

Ares like to pull at their strings. It wouldn't surprise them if he merely wrote their response off, or didn't reply. He had a frightful habit of destructive or loud tendencies, and they were a bit worried the faculty wouldn't take kindly to another rocket endeavor at 4am. Plus, Valio wouldn't be there to strongarm their way out of it if something went wrong.

They were, in fact, having second thoughts. But the message was sent and the boy was interesting, so Finley sat up in bed, fingers falling towards the floor to deliberately search for their favorite Doc Martens, checking if their coat was still draped over the back of their desk chair. They reached across to their nightstand, pulling out a pair of circular, golden-framed glasses for reading, adjusting them on their nose so they could stop squinting everywhere. 



From there, it was only time to wait.
Kyle
As he stood in front of his bed, reaching down towards his guitar, he stopped. Another light flashed from behind him. Ares turned his head over his shoulder, confirming the fact he did indeed get a response. *That was fast.*

With a couple steps back towards his phone he stared at the notification. A dorm number and acceptance. Well that was interesting. Finley had accepted Ares' offer. Looking back over at his guitar, he pursed his lips. It could wait, might as well go bother the insomniac. He shoved his phone in his pocket without a response, and repeated the dorm number in his head multiple times. 

Ares looked painfully casual. He had a black T-shirt pulled over his broad muscular shoulders and dark grey nearly black sweatpants. He took a moment to put a hoodie on over his T-shirt and rolled up the sleeves. His mind was strangely empty. Maybe it was the slow stop of the rain outside, or the many hours he had spent slaving over his guitar. On his way over to his door he shoved his keycard haphazardly into his pocket. He grabbed his converse that rested messily by the door and pulled them over his feet, nearly falling over in the process. His shoes were black, the same as almost all of his clothes, and had sharpie doodles sprawled across the base. He ran his hand through his hair, messing it up to his normal scruff and opened his door.
_ _

Now out of his dorm, the cold chill of the hallway permeated his hoodie. It was a familiar chill now, but Ares was still far from adapted to the cold. He longed for the white-hot sandy beaches of Puerto Rico and California everyday he spent in this miserable cold town. At least spring was around the corner, all he could do was hope it was warmer. 

Ares jumped down the steps of the dorm, making his way down a floor, skipping two to three stairs with every movement. He was quick and took no time to slow down. With a few more doors and long hallways, he was standing in front of Finley's door. Took him a couple tries to solidify *Which* Door was theirs, but when he did he didn't hesitate. 

*Knock knock knock.* 

Three solid confident knocks rang through the dorm. Ares could hear the sound echo past the wood. He shoved his other hand into his pocket and looked back down the hallway. Surely no one else was awake, except Finley he figured. Finley was weird.
Teri
While Finley often prided themself on having the appearance of a well-kept ~~nerd~~ academic, at nearly 4am, that wasn't the idea. 

An ancient grey hoodie hung loosely over their frame, with gray and black plaid comfy pants dragging around their feet. Their wrists were bare of their favorite watches and bracelets, fine, blond hair shuddering in wisps around just barely above their shoulders. (Privately, they wanted to cut it again.) Their glasses rested on the top of their head, pushing their bangs to curl around their ears.

The knock at the door startled them from the buzzing quiet they'd settled back into. They slid off their bed, hitting the ground softly, and padded across the room, kicking a lone white sock under the bed. They knew precisely who it was, and made sure to close the closet door on the way over, trapping the laundry they needed to do inside. 

Their eyes doubled back over their room, their humble dwelling space. The entirety of their dresser top was covered by the record player, which marched on in an endless loop, spinning light violin music into the air. The nightstand and desk were both crowned in haphazard piles of books and stacks of notepads, pens paused mid-roll against the faux-wood surface. An annotated copy of Robert Frost sat turned page-down, a small line of textbooks stood guard over the desk. Clustered together, a huddle of burned down colorful candles sat on the windowsil, the lighter tucked somewhere else. 

On the wall, flags and posters crowded the stark white. One for France, the other for Canada (relatively small - they weren't that patriotic). A few band posters - the same sort of music they'd bonded with Owen and Ares over - and, above the bed, a painting of what appeared to be a beautiful countryside landscape. 

Their bed was a bit rumpled from them laying on top of it, but topped with a dark plaid comforter, the previously useless green throw, and a small array of neutral colored and square pillows. 

Overall - a solid reflection of Finley, in their near entirety. 

They took a deep breath, and turned the door handle. 

"Ares," Said Finley. "I didn't think you'd come so soon."
Kyle
Ares heard a shuffle from inside the room. A confirmation they hadn't passed out yet. The boy rocked back and forth on his heels on the other side of the door, waiting for Finley to show up. Maybe he could've taken the window route, but it would've been an inconvenience to get to the place he wanted to take Finn from there. The hallway would do, for now.

Within a few seconds, the door was opened and a very tired, casual frame stood in front of him. The often put together academic in a hoodie was quite a sight. Of course Ares knew Finley didn't fall asleep in a collared shirt, although he wouldn't put it past them, but it was still strange to see. 

Ares stood at a high contrast to Finley. Finley was normally put together, short, blonde, overall good. Ares was a mess, tall and muscular, tan and had dark hair, the two were as different as could be. Perhaps thats why Ares' was so interested in them. Ares knew little about the person standing in the door frame, but that didn't mean he couldn't drag them out at odd hours to join him on his chaotic adventures. It was more fun this way.

"Yeah mhm." Ares gave a smirk, and looked down at Finley. "Cmon lets go." 

Ares' voice was the same confident bursts, but a tired grumble coated itself over his words. He didn't quiet down, but clearly he hadn't talked in a while. He nodded his head in the direction he came, towards the stairwell. The dark haired boy had a plan, and one he was going to put into action.
_ _

Before leaving his post on the other side of the door. Ares took a second to peer over Finley's shoulder and into their room. It was just as neat and put together as they were. Organized and pristine, aesthetic to a fault and looked wonderful to exist in. Ares let out a low grumble, how did they keep up such a perfect room? He could never. Rolling his eyes back to the hallway he took a step in the direction, before tilting it back towards Fin.

"Or-" He drew out the syllable with a teasing tone. "Are ya havin' second thoughts?" Ares smirked, implying they weren't down for the adventure.
Teri
Finley carefully followed his gaze, over their shoulder and back to their room once more. For a moment, self-consciousness prickled in their belly, before Ares jest at their perceived intentions to stay behind, and rolled their eyes, stepping into a pair of weathered, dirty black and white Chucks.

They stuffed their phone into their hoodie pocket before stepping out and closing - and locking - the door behind them. 

"You sincerely must think I'm some sort of goodie two shoes," They said, kneeling to tie their laces. "I sincerely doubt anyone at this school is."

They stood up, looking at the boy and realizing they came just below his nose. It made them grumble with indignation.

"Whatever you're doing, Ares, I'm well enough up for it. The question is really if you're having second thoughts about me." 

They let something of their own smirk tug on their lips. Ares was fun, in that sense. The two of them never seemed to get along, a repertoire of snide comebacks and quick jabs of half hearted insults built up over days of texting. 

"Do you mind being seen with a *Nerd*, then?" They said, choosing a word he often landed on when describing them, gesturing down the hall. 

It occured to them they had no idea where Ares was taking them.

"Lead the way, *Petite bête."*

It occurred to them that they didn't mind.
Kyle
Ares ran his hands through his hair as he turned down the hallway. Breathing in, and out with the rise and fall of his hand. He adjusted his septum piercing quickly, before looking down at Fin. Impatience running circles in his brain.

 "Yeah sure. Whatever ya say." Ares was *Really* Convinced. His sarcastic tone made that *Totally* Clear. The boy let out a small laugh.

As soon as Finley had stood up, Ares was off. Confident strides carrying him through the hallway, he was relatively quick and made no effort to slow. He walked with his hands in his pockets and slouched back. He took no time to make sure Fin was following, if they couldn't keep up it wasn't his problem. Of course, he wasn't purposely trying to leave them behind.

"I never have second thoughts *Perdedor*." He spoke, his voice loud enough to carry behind him. "As you can see I aint turning back." He held his hands out to his side for a moment before returning them to his pockets. Ares spoke with casualties, a Puerto Rican accent audible and laced between his words. 
_ _

He continued to walk through the halls and up the stairs, skipping two to three steps as he always did. Scaling the stairs in his place was no issue. All Ares could hope is that the night faculty wasn't on duty in this end of the building.

"Sure. No issue. Im doing charity work tonight." He turned his head over his shoulder at the top of the stairs, a cocky smile so wide it almost closed his eyes. A small cackle reverberating in his chest and down the stairs. 

"Were almost there. Hope you're good at climbing." 

Ares didn't know much about the physical attributes of Finley or what they were good at, but by their thin frame he could deduce they definitely didn't work out at the same extent Ares did. 

This would be fun.
Teri
For their shorter stance than Ares, Fin could keep up, quickly matching pace with him. Those long academia strides must be coming in handy, they supposed, even as they looked nothing how they'd usually prefer to be perceived as. 

Finley shot up the stairs beside Ares, hands jolting along in their hoodie pocket, a careful grip resting on their phone. If something fell between the slots of the stairwell, they doubt they'd ever hear the end from it from the boy - as they reached the landing, they scoffed.

"If this is charity work, I want my donations, *Tabernak*."

In their own voice, the vaguest hint of something French pulled on their words. Seemed they both had accents, however light. "I can climb well enough, thank you."

Years of ballet had given Finn a flexible, but sturdy grip - besides, they had to get onto the roof somehow. They loved being up there, going up to snoop around, poking their head into places they shouldn't be. They had a bundle of theories barely restrained by social conventions and instead spilled into their notebooks, erratic, loopy spirals and half-finished diagrams connected by quick arrows. From the moment they'd stepped over the campus threshold, they had their suspicions - however unfounded. And then there had been Annika and her sisters. They saw the angel girl in their dreams, once, ripping into the bloody carcass of a deer with her bare hands. The images had created a nauseating miasma that stilled their sleep schedule for days afterward.

They blew their hair from their face, settling their glasses back onto their nose to keep them from rustling off. "You're horrendously fast, you know. Are you in a hurry to get somewhere? Or just scared?"
Kyle
Ares was remarkably surprised by Finley's ability to keep up, although he'd never say a word about it. Teasing them was a lot more fun.

"You don't get anything my sincerest apologies." He shrugged, the same smile on his face. It wasn't friendly, it meant nothing but trouble. A furrowed brow paired with his many piercings made anyone assume he was a delinquent. Of course they weren't wrong, and Ares leaned very far into the image. But there was a hint of amusement behind his bastard expression.

Leading Finley through back hallways and eventually out a door, the crisp night air surrounded Ares in a burst of unwelcoming cold. The rain had stopped and the clouds had cleared. He shuddered, missing Puerto Rico more than ever. Memories of days spent running through the sun soaked streets with his siblings Safya and Caleb flashed in his mind. The colourful contrast of San Juan stood out against the freezing midnight black of Sweden. He couldn't help but miss his family, even a little. Ares shoved the thought out of his mind as quickly as it came. Now was not the time.

"Nah, I think you're just slow." A laugh left his lungs, a teasing snicker. 

He easily lifted himself up and over ledges, the lack of trouble was visible. Ares had a strong upper body, toned and muscular arms held him steady. If not for the night, his back muscles would be visible, pressed against and under the fabric of his hoodie. Ares took a lot of pride in his physique. 
_ _

The dark haired boy made his way ever so slightly ahead of Finley, and reached down his hand to help as a joke. Before pulling it back and laughing, continuing to scale the building.

It didn't take long for the two of them to successfully make it to the roof. A familiar place Ares had spent a lot of time exploring. If Finley paid attention they would see a few graffiti tags sprinkled across and around the area. Some in ink, others in paint, nothing too big and disruptive although thats what Ares was eventually aiming for. 

Ares slowed his pace now that they were outside. His eyes scanning across the vast sky. A pretty night for anyone else, too bad it was just him and Finley out here. 

What a waste, Ares sighed.
Teri
"I suppose then I must sue for mishandling of funds, then, *Oui?"*

Unbeknownst to Ares, Finley took this route fairly frequently. They wondered why they hadn't seen him up here before, even just once, in passing, and then shrugged off the thought. For better or worse, they and Ares ran in the same circle now. They assumed they'd see him soon enough. 

*Unfortunately.*

Being in Sweden, in particular, this far out into the grandiose of nowhere, had given Finley a deeper appreciation for the stars. Back home in Vancouver, their mother had often gripped, usually in her bitter, crisp French, that there simply were not enough stars in the sky. She would comb back Finley's hair when they were a child and tell them stories of rural France, where their grandparents lived, where the sky was speckled with a million glowing dots and the air smelled like baking bread, thin, narrow buildings topped with black shingles dotting the streets, vineyards bursting with sweet grapes, ancient châteaus standing high and proud. While it was nothing like Sweden, sometimes, on the rooftop at night, Finley could almost pretend. 

"It reminds me of Canada, almost," They said aloud, startling themself from their silence. Clouds coiled from where they'd spoken. They blinked, embarrassed, turning their gaze away from Ares and towards the sky once more. "I, ah - I'm from there."

*Not that you'd care,* They thought. 

It hit them then how little they knew about the night's companion. They glanced over at him once more, to see his gaze fallen on graffitti tags decorating the area. They wondered if he'd left them there.

"What about you?" Finley asked. If they were going to be on the roof, may as well not sit in silence. "Where are you from?"
Kyle
Ares found a good place, lifted himself up on a concrete ledge and made himself comfortable. The rough surface against his fingers made them sting. He winced a little as he hoisted himself up, but nothing loud. Sitting against the cold material of the roof startled him for only a second. The sky was very visible from the place he sat. His head tilted upwards, only falling down to Finley when they spoke. 

"Canada? *Sick*. Ive never been there." 

His tone fell the slightest bit genuine, Ares definitely wasn't faking his intrigue. Conversation was conversation, he thrived in such conditions. 

The sky hung heavy above them. The vast endless sky splattered with stars, going farther than Ares could comprehend. He knew nothing about the constellations or the stories the sky held, he only knew it was tantalizing. The sky held its arms open for him, an endless companion. Ares had fond memories with the sky. The many sunrises he watched fall across Puerto Rican waters, the many fields he ran through under bright blue afternoons decorated with fluffy clouds. How many sunrises he watched paint the buildings of California with Safya and Caleb. 

Now here, sitting under the stars with someone he barely knew, he could only feel the same fondness. Ares decided not to mention the nostalgia and familiarity he felt. Not with Finley anyways. The joking insults and back and forth bickering was a lot more fun. 

"Oh, Im Puerto Rican but I lived in California before here."

His tone was sure, confident and loud. It never changed. He seemed unfazed by the past silence, interrupting it no issue. He leaned back slightly against the concrete, nodding slightly at Finley. 

A gesture that could only be interpreted as an invitation to join him up on the ledge. 

"Jesus shawty, whatcha scared i'm gonna bite?" He paused. "Justified." Ares laughed a little, less of a teasing tone ever so slightly audible under the sound. 

"The stars are a lot more clear up here yknow."
Teri
"You don't scare me," Finley replied, the same hint of teasing in their own voice. They sat beside him - close, but not too close - a small chuckle leaving their lips. 

"California, huh?" They asked. They glanced at him from the side, picking at a lose pebble as their legs dangled over the ledge. "I've heard it's beautiful. Warmer there than here, I'll bet - but we're both from the west coast then. I'm a Vancouverite, but my mom and sister were both born in France."

The information spilled out between them, and Finley bit their tongue. They stayed quiet for another moment, before Ares spoke again. 

They looked up at the stars, expression softening under the moons gentle silvery light. It gave the whole night an ethereal quality to it, like something from a dream, the first hints of dawn barely a breath from life. 

"They are, aren't they?" Said Finley.

Something in their tone, even, had been softened by it. Perhaps a reverence for the universe, perhaps an acute awareness of their infinitesimal place within it, perhaps neither, perhaps both. 

"You can pick out Orion from this spot," They continued. "Up there."
A finger pointed up towards a collection of stars, a head craned back, a fluttering of blond hair creeping past boney shoulders.

"And there - Ursa Major and Minor. Lyra is tucked there as well, if you squint. See?"