| |
Lightbringer
|
As Zephen checked his schedule for the year, his eyes widened when he caught sight of his extracurricular activity. Choir?! Out of all the things available, he got Choir? Seriously? Zephen sat up, his expression clearly troubled. He had never sang in his life, with the exception of the Birthday Song for his siblings birthdays. No, no, no. This wasn't good. Yet he couldn't just... not show up. The prince had been taught that tardiness was absolutely forbidden. It was like the sin of socializing because it showed people you were unreliable, and Zephen definitely didn't want that as his first impression. So very reluctantly, Zephen headed over to the music room. He swallowed nervously as the teacher came to greet him with a smile. The prince forced a smile in return, pretending as though he wasn't completely out of his depth. . As the vocal warm ups began, Zephen just stood there awkwardly, only actually pretending to try when the teacher looked his way. After that was done, the teacher had everyone sing part of a song the best they could. It was no doubt a test to see where everyone was at with their skill. When it came time for Zephen's turn, he couldn't help but stall. Eventually the teacher got annoyed with him and threatened to send him to the Principal's office if he continued to refused to participate. But even when the prince tried to do as he was told, his voice locked up because of his nerves, rendering him useless. And of course, he ended up getting sent to the office. There he got a lecture on the importance of following orders and the joy of learning something new before being sent back to his room. He also got a warning saying that if he did this again, he would get detention. And so the prince stomped back to his room, absolutely fuming. . He pulled out his phone and made a call to his family's personal lawyer, seriously ready to sue the school for "child abuse". "We're suing the school, Garrett." He huffed into the phone as soon as the lawyer picked up. "What? Your highness, are you crazy?! His Majesty will have both our heads if we make a scene! Please be rational about this. I'm sure-" He protested but Zephen cut him off. "I don't care! They treated me unfairly and I won't stand for it!" The arguing went on for a few solid minutes as the prince headed back to his room. When he got to the room, both Hollis and his roommate were already there, looking particularly sweaty. But Zephen ignored them, instead slamming the door behind him as he stormed over to his bed. "Fine! Have it your way. I don't even need your help, I'll just represent myself!" He practically yelled into the phone before hanging up and throwing his phone onto his bed. . (Sorry it's kind of short ><) |
|
|
| |
Darkseeker
|
Hollis had waited on the bench for what felt like an eternity—over an hour and a half—before the coach finally blew the whistle, signaling the end of the boys’ torture session. He trailed after Magnus, relieved that the other boys seemed to have entirely forgotten his existence. Thankfully, Hollis had managed to avoid the worst of the dreaded wind sprints and all without facing the wrath of the coach. His small victory kept a smug smile on his face, though he wisely avoided rubbing it in too much with Magnus, who’d actually done the work. Not that Magnus seemed to care. His easygoing nature had always been one of the reasons Hollis liked having him around. Magnus wasn’t the type to hold grudges, especially not over something as ridiculous as PE. Since Hollis had barely broken a sweat, he didn’t bother with the showers. He quickly changed back into his carefully selected outfit—a snug, pastel sweater with a high collar, slim trousers, and loafers that gleamed in the sunlight. He headed outside, finding a warm patch of sun to wait for Magnus. Flipping through his phone absentmindedly, Hollis scrolled every social media platform he could think of. He debated texting one of his exes—just to stir up a little drama, if only for the entertainment—but thought better of it. Instead, he turned his attention to the dandelions dotting the lawn. With delicate hands, he began threading the yellow blooms together, humming softly under his breath. The melody came naturally—a choral piece from last year, one of his favorites. By the time Magnus finally showed up, Hollis had fashioned the flowers into a delicate crown. Magnus, still damp from his shower, raised an eyebrow when he spotted it. “You’re really leaning into this whole ‘delicate flower’ thing, aren’t you?” Hollis grinned, swinging the crown around his fingers as he stood up. “It’s called artistry, Magnus. You wouldn’t understand.” They made their way back to the dorm rooms, the warm afternoon breeze coaxing Hollis’s mood into something lighter. His humming picked up again, the tune as wistful as his thoughts. He missed choir more than he cared to admit. The camaraderie, the music, the way everyone’s voices blended so seamlessly—it was the one thing he genuinely loved about school. When they reached the dorm, Hollis was momentarily hopeful that Magnus’s new roommate was off doing something else, leaving them to enjoy some peace and quiet. But no such luck. The boy was lying silently on his bed, looking utterly uninterested in the world around him. Hollis paused by the bed, tapping out a familiar rhythm from one of last year’s choir pieces. The sound echoed faintly in the quiet room, a reminder of what he’d rather be doing. After a moment, he sighed dramatically and threw himself onto Magnus’s bed, sprawling out as though he were about to faint from the sheer injustice of life. “I hate PE,” he announced, his voice muffled by the blanket he’d pulled over his face. “It needs to be outlawed immediately. It makes me want to...to just...I don’t even know. Cry, I guess.” Magnus chuckled, leaning against the desk as he toweled off his hair. “You’re so dramatic.” “I am not,” Hollis protested, peeking out from under the blanket. “I am suffering. You’d cry too if you had to wear those awful polyester shorts every day. They’re a crime against fashion. And don’t even get me started on the running. Who even invented running? Probably someone who hated beauty.” Magnus rolled his eyes, though his grin betrayed his amusement. “You’ll survive. Barely, but you will. And I *do* wear them on the daily, stupid. I'm in your class.” Hollis groaned, draping an arm over his eyes. “You don’t understand, Magnus. This is my villain origin story. One day, when I’m rich and famous, I’ll tell my biographer that it all started with forced wind sprints and an ugly uniform.” Magnus rolled his eyes, and nudged Hollis over so he could sit down on the bed and stretch out his legs. “And they’ll weep for me,” Hollis continued, his voice rising in mock passion. “They’ll say, ‘How could the world treat such a fragile, talented soul so cruelly?’ And I’ll say, ‘It all started with PE.’” Magnus laughed, shaking his head as he threw his towel into the corner. “You’re impossible, you know that?” “Thank you,” Hollis said with a satisfied smile, finally sitting up and placing the dandelion crown on his head. “Now, do something useful and fetch me snacks. My suffering demands sustenance.” With a roll of his eyes, Magnus slowly stood up. “You owe me,” he said, heading for the door. “I always do,” Hollis replied cheerfully, flopping back onto the bed. He couldn't believe how this day was turning out. |
|
|
| |
Lightbringer
|
The more Zephen thought about it as he sulked on his bed, the more he realized actually suing the school wasn't as good an idea as he originally thought. For one, Garrett had been right. His parents would definitely not be happy, and he wasn't about to go against them. For two, well... he didn't know the laws here all that well, but now that he was a bit calmer, it even sounded crazy to him. Child abuse? Really? They hadn't layed a finger on him. And he didn't have his princely benefits here, so it's not like he would get special treatment. Hearing Hollis talk about PE and running, though, sparked an idea. His sister Laurel loved running. But more than that, she was great at getting out of things and coming up with brilliant plans. So Zephen sent her a quick test, giving a short summary on Hollis and the situation. . A few minutes later, Laurel replied by asking for a picture of Hollis. With a quiet groan, Zephen carefully and quietly angled his phone towards the other boy, taking a quick picture. Luckily Hollis was none the wiser as the prince sent the picture to his sister. The princess first commented on how "beautiful" he was but Zephen ignored that part, scanning the rest of her message instead. His eyes lit up when he finished reading the plan. Although he didn't exactly love the idea, it was way better than doing Choir and embarrassing himself infront of others for the rest of the year. Besides, even if he could suffer through that, there was absolutely no way he was going to be singing infront of a crowd. . As Magnus left the room, Zephen jumped up, his eyes trained on Hollis. The prince opened his mouth to adress him, but quickly realized he still didn't actually know his name. Annoyed at himself, he pinched the bridge of his nose, not sure what to call the other boy. "You. Short shirt boy. You do makeup, right?" Once Hollis answered him, the prince smiled slightly, even if the other boy added a sarcastic comment. "Okay, good. Now, you want to get out of PE, correct? Are you okay with doing choir?" He paused a second to let Hollis answer before continuing on. "I have a solution, but I need your full cooperation. Can you do that?" . Zephen started pacing back and forth across the floor, his mind racing a mile a minute. "I don't know how long it'll take us to get everything ready, so we'll probably have to start quite early. We'll definitely be pressed for time, especially when we're getting used to it. But It's better than having to suffer in our prospective classes." He murmured, his mind now in "work mode". He turned to Hollis, a grin on his face. "Other than that, as long as you're makeup skills are decent, I think we might be able to pull it off." . Realizing he hadn't actually explained anything, Zephen quickly started explaining things in detail. "Apparently the school thought it would be humorous to put me in Choir. And I..." Zephen's voice dropped to a quiet whisper, "I can't sing." He quickly spoke up once more as he started to pace again. "My sister is awesome at getting out of things though, so I texted her. After I told her about you, she thinks that maybe we could trade places. All we would have to do was put on a little makeup so we would look more like eachother and then either wear a wig or put temporary hair dye in. Oh, and get some contacts, of course. But, like I said, it'll be inconvenient to do it every day for just one class, but I personally think it's worth it. So, are you with me?" Zephen asked, once again turning to Hollis, a completely serious expression on his face despite the craziness he was spewing. He extended his hand in invitation, waiting for Hollis to take it. |
|
|
| |
Darkseeker
|
Hollis stared at the boy opposite him, his dark lashes fluttering against his cheekbones as he blinked in stunned disbelief. He wasn’t often rendered speechless, but the sheer stupidity of what had just been said managed to do the impossible. He took a long, deliberate breath, gathering his thoughts before delivering his reply with precision. “First of all,” he began, his voice dripping with exaggerated patience, “you and your obsession with my crop tops—it’s getting a little weird, don’t you think? And, for the record, it’s Hollis. Hollis Halvorsen. Get it right, you absolute tosser.” His eyes narrowed, an uneasy spark in their depths. “And what kind of mushrooms are you eating, because honestly, I would like some. Clearly, they’ve got you seeing miracles. Sure, I might be excellent at making my lashes look longer and my eyes look bigger, but babes,” he said, gesturing dramatically with his ring-adorned fingers, “I can’t work actual magic. Also, not to be crass, but no wig in existence could replicate the perfection of these curls.” He reached up to his gleaming locks, letting one dark curl bounce against his fingers for emphasis. “And let’s be real—you look like a snowbank, and I’m...well, me. Not exactly a match in the complexion department.” He took another deep breath, clearly still trying to comprehend what had just transpired. “You *really* think someone wouldn’t notice? Our personalities are like night and day. What would the PE instructor think if I suddenly started acting like running was the next hot girl walk fad? And let’s not even get started on the singing. What are you going to do, magically sound like me? And, uh…” His voice dropped, his tone becoming both curious and cautious. “You’d also have to be...you know, more into men.” Hollis’s skepticism was palpable, but so was his amusement. He shook his head, a soft laugh escaping his lips. This was, without a doubt, the most ridiculous suggestion he’d ever heard. But then again, it was also the most entertaining thing that had happened all day. He tipped his head to the side, a dark curl falling sweetly across his forehead as his lips curved into a grin, a single dimple appearing in his cheek. “Your sister sounds like fun, though. A little more loose than you.” His tone was light and teasing now, completely shifting gears. “Can I have her number? I’m always in the market for new friends. And I'm sure she'd be down for shennanigans. I can just tell.” Without waiting for a response, he added, “My siblings drive me *completely* up the wall. Magnus gets to be my brother-adjacent by default, because honestly? He’s way less exhausting.” Hollis waved a hand dramatically, as if to underline just how burdensome his siblings could be. He sprawled back against Mangus's pillows, momentarily out of breath from his mini monologue, though the soft part of his lips made it clear that he was far from done. Hollis Halvorsen didn’t anything to make things interesting—he was his own entertainment. |
|
|
| |
Lightbringer
|
Zephen couldn't help but be a little embarrassed when Hollis mentioned an "obsession". It's not his fault that those crop tops were the most memorable thing about the other boy. And anyways, who did Hollis think he was talking to? A prince would never continously think about something so inappropriate... Definitely not. "It's not my fault you didn't give me your name sooner." Zephen huffed, getting defensive, his previous excitement fading. "And I don't know what "tosser" means but I don't like it. So don't call me that again." He added, crossing his arms with a frown. . As Hollis started to shoot down his idea, Zephen winced, knowing all the points he listed were totally valid. He had some excellent points, sure... but Laurel had never steered him wrong before! ...Well, except for that one time... and that other time... oh, and that time on Christmas... Zephen took a deep breath, clearing his mind. No. This plan just had to work somehow. No way in hell was he going to sing just because some teacher wanted him to. . Just as Zephen was coming up with his defense plan, Hollis completely changed gears. His eyes widened visibly, shock playing across his features. "No freaking way. You can't-" The prince cut himself off, realizing Hollis only meant friendship. Of course he did. He wasn't in to girls. Zephen had never been more thankful for that fact. But still, it was a hard pass. "It's still a no, though." He muttered almost to himself, as if Hollis would understand what he had been thinking. "Just no." . A small smile parted the prince's lips, however, as he related to Hollis about annoying siblings. "This is the one thing I agree with you on. My youngest sibling is always in my hair. If I do something even slightly off, he's always right there, ready to tell mom and dad." He admits with a wave of his hand. "He acts as if I'm not superior to him in every way." He adds with a huff, already glaring at the wall as he thought about it. "But of course, we always have to play nice for the-" Zephen cut himself off, mentally scolding himself. Why was he even opening up to this infuriating boy in the first place?! And had he really been about to basically expose himself by saying "cameras"? What normal family would have to play nice for the cameras? Clearing his throat, he continued, "For the family." . Zephen shook his head, clearing all the thoughts away until all that was left were the important ones. "Back to the matter at hand, can't you just sound more like me? That's what voice actors do, right? Why can't you? As for the running thing, I can pretend to be... not good at it. And also, I would just be you for PE. Why would I need to like men? You don't go around flirting with every boy you see, right? I'll just... act like you for the class and you'll do the same. It shouldn't be too hard." He flashed a sarcastic smile, deciding to get back at Hollis for calling him a name earlier. "It's would be pretty easy to pretend to be you. All I have to do is be dramatically annoying." |
|
|
| |
Darkseeker
|
Hollis’s irritation was steadily growing, his usually vibrant energy now simmering with exasperation. He crossed his arms, his lavender sweater bunching slightly at the elbows as he leaned back, giving Zephen a look that screamed *you’re impossible*. “I’m not a voice actor, though,” he said curtly, his tone sharp enough to cut through any further argument. He pursed his lips, their fullness forming into a near pout as his fingers toyed with the hem of his sweater. “Nobody looks precisely the way I do,” he continued, with an air of exasperated finality. “I’m *fucking gorgeous*. Your hair is all wrong, anyway. Even if you dyed it, it wouldn’t work—mine’s curly, and you can’t fake curls like these.” He gestured toward his dark, unruly curls for emphasis. “And another thing, you’d have to *fully paint* your body my color every day. Imagine how obnoxious that would be. Plus, I’d have to do my makeup *twice a day*—once for me and once for you. That sounds like a logistical nightmare, and darling, believe me, I’m not here for that kind of stress.” His voice softened slightly, though it was tinged with frustration. “Yes, I want to do choir. But not at the expense of turning my entire life into a performance art piece. Just... let it go, okay? It's not going to change.” The comment about him not flirting with every boy he saw still lingered unpleasantly in his mind. Of course he didn’t—he wasn’t that one-dimensional. He pulled a small clip from the pocket of his jeans and used it to pin back a particularly unruly curl that had been tickling his forehead. Rising from his seat with a practiced grace, Hollis stepped toward Magnus’s mirror, his annoyance slipping into meticulous concentration as he began fixing his makeup. With a few deft strokes, he reapplied mascara, the dark pigment lifting his already dramatic lashes to perfection. Finally, he uncapped a sheer lip gloss, gliding it smoothly over his lips until they gleamed like polished glass. Hollis took a long moment to admire himself, pleased with the general aura he was giving off. He turned halfway back to Zephen, his expression now icy and flippant, his words laced with a delicate but deliberate frost. “You can always petition the headmaster to change your schedule,” he said, voice crisp and matter-of-fact. “He probably won’t, but hey, there’s always the possibility. Worth a shot, right?” Pausing briefly, he raised a hand, as if to add an afterthought, his tone shifting to something more detached. “Oh, and by the way, we’re not allowed to have phones on us all the time. You get one hour—from seven to eight PM. If you don’t turn your phone in soon, you’ll get detention. And your sister will probably be pissed that you didn't give me her number.” His gaze flickered back to the mirror, dismissing the conversation entirely as he tilted his head, inspecting his reflection. With a final swipe of gloss to perfect the sheen, Hollis’s expression softened ever so slightly, but his posture made it clear: the discussion was over. |
|
|
| |
Lightbringer
|
Zephen didn't like the way Hollis was looking at him, so he just glared back. Yet his bravado faded as the other boy continued to give him reasons on why it wouldn't work. He dropped his gaze to the floor, knowing Hollis was right, even if he didn't want to admit it. Plus, his tone sounded alot like Zephen's father's voice whenever he was mad, just higher pitched and not as loud. It made the prince think twice about arguing. Luckily Hollis didn't use this tone all the time, otherwise Zephen would be all but wrapped around his finger. The prince gritted his teeth in annoyance, wracking his brain for a secondary idea. He didn't want to give up. He really didn't. But he knew he couldn't win every battle, especially when he was at a disadvantage here. Still, he needed some way to keep himself from being the laughing stock of the school. . Zephen glanced up, watching as Hollis went over to the mirror and fixed his makeup. It was still disgusting in the prince's eyes, but the way the other boy's face slipped into one of complete concentration as he reapplied the makeup reminded him of the way he looked whenever he trained. It was kind of... fascinating. Zephen found himself staring, watching with rapt attention. Laurel wore makeup occasionally, but he never payed much attention to it. So seeing it being done infront of him was... slightly interesting... but mostly disgusting, of course, since Hollis was a boy. Zephen quickly looked away, trying to pretend as if he hadn't just been staring as Hollis turned to him with an icy expression. . Zephen's eyes widened, a shocked expression on his face. He skipped over the fact that he could ask the headmaster for a change and instead focused on the phone part. "Wait, what? Seriously? No one ever told me this." He crossed his arms over his chest with a somewhat exaggerated sigh as his head fell back to look at the ceiling. "I really thought I would actually get to use my phone regularly like normal people do. I guess I can never escape from phone limitations." Ignoring Hollis's stance, the prince continued to talk to him as he sat down on his bed. Because only he decided when conversations were over, obviously. "I'm still not giving you her number, though, time slot or not. She's twenty two, not some teenager that can hang out with you." He said, crossing his leg over the other gracefully, his posture prince-perfect. . Just as Zephen was about to say something eles to annoy Hollis, his phone went off. Without thinking, he quickly answered, accidentally hitting the speaker button in the process. Within seconds, Lauren's voice filled the room, loud and obnoxious. "Did that gorgeous little friend of yours drop dead laughing yet? I can't believe you actually bought that idea! I didn't know you could be so stupid. For all your accomplishments, you can be so dense sometimes." Laurel said, barely holding back her laughter. "Like, have you even seen yourself? Your skin tones are completely different. Not to mention you'll never be able to replicate his curls." She said, before she couldn't hold it in anymore and started laughing. Zephen could picture rolling on her bed, kicking her feet as she laughed. . Zephen's anger bubbled to the surface again, mad at his sister for teasing him. "Not funny, Laurel. You know I can't sing for anything. I swear, as soon as we get home you're going to be dead meat." "Heh, if you even make it back home, that is. At this rate I'm afraid you might melt from all this exposure." Laurel shot back, her voice as playful as ever. "If you're really worried about me, help me get out of this class!" Zephen huffed, a tinge of desperation coloring his tone, not bothering to switch his phone off of speaker mode. "Hmm, well, I obviously don't know the whole situation, but maybe if you beg on your knees you could get the model boy to teach you? It'll be a start, atleast, so you don't completely embarrass yourself in class." She started hesitantly, before a smile appeared on her face. "Actually, yeah, you really should do it. Send me a picture, I want to see the oh so great Zephen beg for mercy. Oh, and make sure to have a pouty face. It won't work otherwise." . Zephen rolled his eyes, anger radiating off him in wave as Laurel continued to laugh hysterically on the other end of the phone. And yet, he couldn't exactly deny that it wasn't a good idea. Especially if he couldn't get the headmaster to change his extracurricular. He glanced up at Hollis, trying to gauge his reaction before going through with it. |
|
|
| |
Darkseeker
|
Hollis had initially intended to make a graceful exit from the increasingly tedious atmosphere of the room. Zephen’s phone ringing provided a perfect excuse, but the practicalities of leaving without drawing unnecessary attention were less appealing. Instead, he opted for retreating to the attached bathroom, an unspoken gesture to grant the other boy some semblance of privacy. Or, at least, that had been his intention. To his growing annoyance, Zephen immediately put the call on speakerphone. *Seriously?* Hollis thought, rolling his eyes as the sound of a tinny, slightly distorted voice echoed through the room. It was almost comical how blatantly the boy invited eavesdropping, though Hollis wasn’t in the mood for it. He turned on the sink, rinsing off the faintest smudge of mascara from his fingertips, his reflection offering a sympathetic look of weariness. The thought of collapsing onto Magnus’s bed for a much-needed nap danced tantalizingly in his mind. Just the idea of burrowing into the soft duvet, closing his eyes, and shutting out the world was enough to soothe some of his lingering irritation. But then he heard the voice on the phone mention something about *the plan.* He stilled for a moment, a flicker of curiosity sparking despite himself. Then the realization hit—it was likely Zephen’s sister, the same one who’d been the presenter of their earlier, exasperating conversation. With a soft sigh, he reached for the bathroom door and gently pulled it shut. Hollis wasn’t above indulging in a little gossip; in fact, he was usually the first to lean into the juiciest bits of drama. But not this time. Not when it involved someone like Zephen, who grated on every one of his nerves. Their earlier exchange still churned in his chest—Zephen’s dismissiveness, his inability to accept Hollis for who he was, his apparent disdain for anything that didn’t align with his narrow worldview. Hollis didn’t care that Zephen didn’t like him. He didn’t need the other boy’s approval; he had plenty of friends, people who adored him for his flamboyance, his confidence, his unapologetic sense of self. But when someone dismissed his very existence—his identity, his choices—Hollis couldn’t let that slide. It wasn’t about being liked; it was about being respected, or at the very least, tolerated. Finally, the muffled conversation seemed to draw to a close. The tinny voice faded, replaced by the blessed quiet of the room. Hollis pushed open the bathroom door and stepped back into the dorm, his gaze immediately scanning for Magnus. “What *is* taking Magnus so long?” he muttered to no one in particular, his frustration bubbling up again. “I need some sustenance before I sleep.” He flopped dramatically onto the nearest bed, his dark curls falling across his forehead as he sighed deeply. It was as much a performance as it was genuine exhaustion, but either way, Hollis was done with this day—and Zephen—for the moment. |
|
|
Spring 
Day 
Light Rain
