~~𝕀𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕘𝕠 ℙ𝕆𝕍~~

I had gotten to my dorm at about half 7, hair dripping from the storm that still raged on outside, drained from the day but ready to study for another few hours. I unclipped the cloak letting it fall to the floor before shoving it in my wardrobe and replacing it with a black hoodie, the sleeves of which were almost dip-dyed with purple and blue, white stars patterning it, like my hoodie was dipped into the night sky.

The wind and rain thrashed against the window as I slid into my desk chair, I flipped open the spiral bound notebook I kept on my desk and logged into my laptop, ready to get as much studying done in the next few hours as time permitted. The study candle beside my desk, advertised for about two hours, was going better than I had expected. Not only did it save my brain from dying from too much studying, but it stopped my grades from dying from too little. Win-win!

I jotted down notes as fast as I could, vibrant post-it notes and stickers, highlighters and diagrams filling the page, connected with lines like constellations made of my own insane notes. The candle had only fallen half-way down, but the candle flickered as though its burning life is falling to an end already.

My phone pinged, jumping me out of my daze of proto-stars and nebulae. I picked it up, glancing half-heartedly at the notification. My brain hadn't quite processed it - the thoughts of how a star is born still bouncing about in my mind – so when I picked my phone up again I almost threw it across the room when I saw the message.

Sylvester Window
i'm outside, open up
sent 08:29 pm

Jumping up from the chair, I threw myself towards the door and flung it open, staring at the red tips and black roots of my best friend, torso clad in a baggy black shirt, the phrase "We Kill Giants" written on it in chipping red vinyl, along with an equally chipped drawing of a giant being slain by a group of three.

"How much sleep you planning on getting tonight?" They asked, eyes wide and smile positively insane as they pushed themselves into the room, flinging their tote bag down onto the bed, following it down carefully as not to spill any of the coffee in their mug. 

I smiled, taking my seat again and crossing my leg so my ankle rested just before my knee. "Not a lot. What you got due in?" I folded my arms as I leaned over to look at the binder and spiral-bound notebook Sylvie had taken out of the bag. The notebook was covered in stickers, majority of the sea-green cover being obscured by the mass of snails, hearts, and clocks that they'd stuck on. The binder was similarly covered in adhesive merch, along with their laptop.

"English literature. I forgot to do prof Wright's essay and it's due tomorrow." They chuckled nervously, flipping open the computer.

I sighed inwardly; we had three weeks to finish this essay and of course Sylvie left it to the last minute, I wouldn't expect anything more from them, the crazy so-and-so. "You're insane, I hope you know that."

Sylver chuckled, smile wide and cocky, but honest and strong. It could have been me that caused that emotion, or it could have been the interaction with that cute history student from earlier. It was almost haunting, whatever it was, like the ghost of something I'd seen earlier today, but I was probably just scared by the fact I had got them to chuckle. It's a rare and beautiful phenomenon, like a rainbow in a storm.

Just as their smile faded slightly, my phone buzzed again.

Tsuki (Chaos Incarnate)
Your window is looking very breakable if you don't open this door right at this very moment, Digo.
sent 08:34 pm

I jumped up, running across the fluffy blue carpeted floor – a gift from my brother; it has HD 1897 33b on it, that's the planet that rains diamonds sideways – and flinging the purple painted door open to Tsuki's wild smile. Their wild, light brown hair looked drenched, most likely due to the storm, still raging outside. Honestly, if I could blame it on Arlo, I would, but he would shrug that it wasn't him.  

"Oh, sup!" Sylvie waved, taking a sip from their travel mug. The bitter liquid sloshed around the cup as they tilted it upward, the pride flag of colours glinting in the blueish-purple glow that constantly filled my dorm room. "Why're you here?" 

Tsuki sat next to Sylvie, pulling out their laptop and logging on, crossing it's legs on the sheets. "Animation professor set an analysis of an animated show of our choosing and, considering you two are incredibly insane about this show, I chose Voltron. Partially to piss you off while I write an analysis." Abyss shrugged, putting one earbud in and looking down at their work. 

I glanced up at Sylvie, catching a hint of something in those cold grey eyes, but it went away too fast for me to pick up on what it was. "Are any of us gonna get any work done tonight?" I said as I looked around the room, at Tsuki with it's laptop perched on their knees, fingers flying as fast as I'd ever seen them, at Sylvie glancing from the source material (a book called The Society For Soulless Girls) to their laptop as they analysed the language in it, to my desk, notes on how a star is born still open, staring unseeingly at the ceiling, who knows if they'll ever be graced with the vision of what they are about. 

Who knows?