[color=darkgray][indent][right][sup]TW: Domestic Violence[/sup][/right]
[i]They were arguing again. 

Aurora had been startled awake by their screaming. She didn’t know what time it was, but by the way the moon’s bright glow cast shadows on her wall, it was definitely the middle of the night. But, it shouldn’t have jarred her, as it was like clockwork at this point. God only knew what he was angry about this time. Sometimes, it seemed he just picked battles for the thrill of it. 

The redhead could hear Damon’s footsteps as he paced, heavy and sluggish in his work boots. The girl may have been young, only 9 years old, but she’d figured out how to pick up on the subtle cues. If he was still wearing his work boots at this hour, it meant that he was only just getting home, and he and his buddies had gone out drinking after his shift.

[color=#067A9D]“God, Sasha, don’t you realize how much I do for you? You’re so fucking ungrateful!”[/color] The timbre of his deep voice seemed to shake the walls, a crash of breaking glass and the fizz of the remaining beer that had been in the bottle made Aurora jump. She fumbled with the drawer of her nightstand, wincing at each loud sound that followed, and fished around in the dark until she found what her small hands sought. 

The simple MP3 player had been a gift for her 7th birthday. It didn’t have all of the fancy bells and whistles - the screen was small and it only had the standard functions - but it got the job done. She slipped each earbud into the correct ear with shaky hands, selecting the first song she could. It didn’t matter what she was listening to, she turned the volume up anyway. 

It was the only way to drown out the noise.[/i] 
[CENTER][COLOR=8ECDB7][sup]__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/COLOR][img]https://i.imgur.com/trGSdE7.gif[/img][/CENTER][indent][sub][COLOR=8ECDB7][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] [I]Myotis Dorm ➜ Southern Plateau[/I] - [I]Pacific Royal Campus[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=8ECDB7][b]Welcome Home #1.073:[/b][/COLOR] [I]The Scenic Route[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][center][COLOR=8ECDB7][SUP][sub]________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sub][/SUP][/COLOR][/center][indent][sub][color=8ECDB7][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR] [I] [color=fe650d]Lorcán[/color] [@Lord Wraith] and [color=tan]Haven[/color] [@Skai][/I][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=8ECDB7][b]Previously:[/b][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkGRAY][I]Life Preserver[/I][/color][/right][/SUP][/indent]
Aurora fiddled with the cable of her headphones as she leaned against the exterior of the Myotis dorm, listening to [url=https://open.spotify.com/track/1HMQmOWrkieKYWlFsjUP3D?si=e7c445d0e2f54642]music[/url] and patiently waiting for Lorcán. It hadn’t taken her very long to pull her belongings together; she’d only packed a small canvas tote with her essentials since unlike her fellow classmates, if she forgot something or needed anything additional, she’d be able to retrieve it with ease. Still, she brought everything she thought she needed for their trip to the Plateau.

The redhead checked the time on her phone - 15 minutes had come and gone, and the boy was still nowhere to be found. It wasn’t completely unheard of for Lorcán to run behind, but he’d normally at least text her to let her know he’d be late. So his tardiness, combined with the lack of notification, felt off. Maybe something happened? He [i]had[/i] been especially clumsy lately…

The thought was nipped in the bud as she looked up and saw him in the distance, and to her surprise, he was accompanied by his father. The two must have been talking, more likely than not about the school’s accreditations and the trainwreck of a ceremony. Aurora hoped that the conversation had brought Lorcán some more solace - she had thought she’d done a decent job of consoling him, but she very well knew she could only do so much. As they neared, his dad waved. [color=#ef5e49]“My fault he’s late, won’t happen again.”[/color] He called out to her. Aurora smiled, waving back, popping out an earbud to show that she had been listening before replying. She didn’t want him to think she was being rude, after all.

[COLOR=8ECDB7]“No problem, Mr. Roth- I mean, Aiden!”[/color] Try as she might, the formalities were a force of habit, even though Lorcán’s parents had told her many, [i]many[/i] times to refer to them by first name. She’d tried to unlearn it over the years, but some things didn’t change that easily. Lorcán’s father turned and departed, and as Lorcán approached her, Aurora took off her headphones fully, putting them away in her tote.  

[color=fe650d]“Hey lady dude, sorry that took so long, we should probably hustle.”[/color] He smiled, [color=fe650d]“But I think we should still take the scenic route, I can carry that bag for you if you want?”[/color]

Aurora smirked, removing her tote from her shoulder and passing it into his waiting, outstretched hand. [COLOR=8ECDB7]“Sure, thank you.”[/color] She inclined her head in the direction where his dad had walked. [COLOR=8ECDB7]“Everything okay?”[/color] 

[color=fe650d]"I definitely know you're about to think I've wiped out too many times but-"[/color] Lorcán started before explaining about his visit with Jonas, bringing Aurora up to speed on what had transpired in the short time that they were apart as they began their trek to the Plateau. The girl was shocked, to say the least, to hear this information. Sure, she could travel from place to place, but to travel across a timeline? It was fascinating, but also terrifying to know that this ability could possibly be replicated and the dangers associated with it. Part of her also recognized how lucky Lorcán was; she’d never tell him, but she found herself feeling slightly envious of the moment he had gotten to have with someone he’d cared so deeply about. Borrowed time that she’d probably never get to have. 

The boy had also shown her the stone-like object that Jonas had left him with, and went so far as to hand it to her, letting the girl examine it for herself. She also found it to be warm on her skin and somewhat reactive to her touch, its reflective and metallic sheen catching the light in such an interesting way. Aurora knew it wasn’t akin to anything she’d seen before, which made her wonder where or [i]when[/i] it was from and the meaning behind it.

The pair had taken their time as they made their way to the Plateau, simply enjoying each other's company. Conversation had always been easy between the two of them and silence was never awkward, always comforting; they could talk about anything or nothing at all. About an hour after they had set off on their walk, they arrived at the campground, and Tad was certainly [i]not[/i] pleased with how delayed they had been. 

[color=white]“Aurora! Lorcán! You two need to hurry it up, you’re last to arrive and we have a ton of work to get done. A tent has already been set up for the pair of you. Aurora, you’ll need to find Haven, the pair of you will be doing supply runs, Lorcán, you’re with Rory and Amma, you three will be cutting and placing structural components that Eden can use to wrap the hedge around and build the maze.”[/color] 

[COLOR=8ECDB7][i]Did she hear him correctly? A tent for the [b]pair[/b] of them?[/i][/color]

Guess that’s what they got for taking the scenic route. 

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to share with Lorcán- they were best friends, friends did things like this together all the time- but something about sharing the small space triggered Aurora’s fight or flight, especially when it came to her sleeping habits. What if she had a nightmare and woke up screaming like she had on some occasions? Or worse, crying? She knew he wouldn’t judge her, he’d comforted her so many nights on the beach, but sleeping in the same tent seemed oddly intimate. The redhead shook off her woes, turning to the boy. [COLOR=8ECDB7]“Looks like you’re stuck with me,”[/color] She laughed, trying to keep her tone light and casual, despite the rapid thumping of her heart that betrayed her mind, [COLOR=8ECDB7]“I’m going to go and find Haven, she’s probably wondering where I am and why I’m not helping her yet.”[/color] 

Aurora took a few steps towards the construction site before turning back to Lorcán with a half-smile, [COLOR=8ECDB7]“We'll talk later!”[/color] she promised warmly, walking away to begin the search for her winged friend. It didn't take long for the redhead to spot Haven amongst the organized chaos, and she didn't waste any time making her way over to her perch.

[color=tan]"Right on time as usual, Ror."[/color] Haven lilted as she approached, [color=tan]"You won't believe who asked me to bunk with him, and [i]how[/i] he asked."[/color]
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