complicated ((open))

It was nearing the end of Christmas break, and Eustace felt totally apathetic about the entire holiday season. Sure, she saw her entire family and received a few presents that were mainly clothes, to try and get her to wear some color, and some books regarding potions. She put the books with her stuff for school, but she left her new clothes in her closet to hopefully gather mothballs. With nothing better to do, Eustace found herself loitering in the mall; there were no rules against it, and it was better than sitting around at home. She tried to ignore the Celestina Warbeck that was blaring throughout the food court, but it didn't work. Instead, she groaned and flung one of her french fries away from the table.

Jace was taking every chance to get away from his family for break. He breached his parents floo network, and went to the Mountain’s Ridge to the galleria, and headed straight to the food court. He had some music blaring in his ears, and spotted a familiar face.

“Eustace!” he said with excitement.

@Eustace Potter

She smiled only slightly when Jace came by; well, it was better than dealing with that Tiffany Cartwright chick. That family always thought they were the shit, and she just didn't get it. Their wealth didn't mean anything as, unless they became vampires, they'd never be able to enjoy it for eternity.

"Hey, Jace," Eustace greeted with a small wave before taking a bite of one her french fries. "Celestina Warbeck sucks. She's more known for her divorces than her music."

@Jace Melkor

Jace plopped down across from Eustace and let out a smile. “I agree she sucks, I’d say Weird Sisters are so much better.” he said with a shrug. He went up to get some food and soon came back with a burger and fries, “How was break?” he asked hoping Eustace had a better one than Jace did due to want a boy over.

@Eustace Potter

"Weird Sisters are cheesy and posers. Do you ever see them dressed like that off-stage?" Eustace didn't get as much pleasure from music the way most people did; she often found celebrities in general to be contrived and irritating. "Break's break."

@Jace Melkor

The only thing Tovren liked to do, without the company of his friends, was shopping. Although he liked going to all the women's clothing shops, he also liked to spend a good amount of time in the men's. Now that all the season sales were on, he simply had to be there.

But now his bags were stacked up so tall on his hands they were almost resting vertically. He went to the food court to rest, but was disgusted when he stepped on some soggy french fry on the floor. Glaring at the nearest table, he saw his cousin. Urgh. She was also with some guy he recognised as being a quidditch player, but Tovy ignored him for the time being.

"If I damage these loafers because of you, you owe me two new pairs," he snapped with a sigh, and finally found a clean place to put all his bags down. "Where's that place that sells kelp juice?"

@Eustace Potter @Jace Melkor

Jace saw Eustace point about being posers a nod, “Yeah they are just some stupid brand that Hollywood wants them to follow.” he said with a chuckle. It was disgusting and he let out a groan when the dreaded sound of Tovren came. “Fuck off, Tovren. I’m sure Tiffany could buy you a new pair she gots loads of money.” he said with his arms crossed, but Tovren definitely knew how to make his fashion work.

“Kelp is asking for a eating disorder.” he said with a laugh. He didn’t like kelp, but Jace didn’t mind Tovren. He just didn’t like when he bullied people. “What do you want? Don’t you have your cronies?” he said with a raised eyebrow.

@Eustace Potter @Tovren Potter

Eustace raised an eyebrow seeing the results of her cousin's shopping spree; sometimes, she wondered if Tovren was worse than Stephanie when it came to that. Then she felt a strong sense of whiplash when Jace went straight to attacking her cousin just because he was being himself? What?

Slowly dipping a fry into her cup of ketchup, she sighed before stating monotonously, "He just likes kelp juice... You could always look around the food court, Tovy..." It wouldn't take that much effort to find the spot that sold it.''

"I'm not going to damage your loafers, Tovy."

@Tovren Potter @Jace Melkor

"I wasn't talking to you, was I? And FYI - I'm doing a cleanse, and it's not just beneficial for the body, it also helps with meditation and stuff. You know, centering the body and all that?"

He shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Maybe you could both benefit from it as well, like with the greasy hair thing? It could cleanse that as well."

He looked at Eustace pointedly. "Don't move. I'm getting a juice, and you're watching my bags, okay?"

And on that note, he marched off to get one.

@Jace Melkor @Eustace Potter

Jace rolled his eyes at Tovren response, what was with all the gays doing cleansing for this skin. “Am I the only gay guy who find cleanses, to be the most pointless things.” he said with a groan, it was so fucking annoying. “You know music is just as effective and not taking things too literal, but I suppose hanging with rich people does that.” he said with a shrug.

The male sighed, knew he was being a doochebag. “I showered this morning, you idiot. Maybe you should not use expensive hair supplies, did you like rob an entire Paris scent shop.” said Jace. He hated these kind of people, “What this about another Cartwright coming to this school?” asked Jace with an raised eyebrow.

An eye roll came at Tovren, and Jace gave Eustace a look. “Why he is so fucking pretentious?” asked Jace.

@Tovren Potter @Eustace Potter

"..."

While she simply rolled her eyes after hearing Tovren's command, Jace was having a rant for the entire food court to hear. Ugh. The very last thing she desired was everyone's attention. Eustace was feeling more annoyed than she already was, so she doused the fry in even more ketchup before flinging it at Jace.

@Tovren Potter @Jace Melkor

Tovren returned soon afterwards, looking annoyed and rather upset.

"They haven't got it! They offered me some tomato alternative and I'm just - urgh. Nothing is gluten free here, it's like I've gone back to the dark ages."

He held out his hands before sitting down dramatically.

"Are fries gluten free?"

What was gluten anyway?

He was eyeing up Eustace's fries now.

"How would you know about her cousin coming back?" he asked Jace suspiciously. He was no insider. What the hell?

@Eustace Potter @Jace Melkor

A chuckle came when Eustace flung a fry, Jace laughed and took one of his and flung it. “Payback.” he laughed.

Then Tovren came back and asked how he knew. “My brother used to like that Cartwright, so odviously I know she is coming back, and she’s probably going to be in my house.” he shrugged.

“Maybe she’s a good one. Tiffany is the devil.” he shrugged.

@Eustace Potter  @Tovren Potter

She didn't flinch when the fry went back towards her. If anything, it made her blank expression droop. "That's not payback." Ugh. Jace was better than some of the other people at Ilvermorny, but he was just as irritating much of the time.

"Potatoes are a starch, Tovy."

It was more bearable to entertain her cousin's bandwagon hopping when it came to health fads; at least it didn't involve getting an entire food court to look in her direction.

"I don't know which Cartwright you're talking about, and I don't care."

Eustace glanced down at her fries wondering why they didn't just let her loiter alone.

@Tovren Potter @Jace Melkor

"Oh yeah..." If he was doing this cleanse, he really ought to practice self restraint!

While (sort of) listening to the Quidditch boy, he rustled through his bags distractedly and went and sat next to Eustace once he had something in his hands. "Hold still," he told her, "I need your complexion for contrast." He started whirling a silky, brightly patterned scarf around her neck while glancing across at Jace and pursing his lips.

"Why're you throwing so much shade towards Tiff? She's really nice," he said, tying the scarf in a bow and positioning it to the side of her neck. "Her cousin isn't as pretty as her, but she's still like an eight or something." Making slight adjustments to the scarf, he drew back and took a look at his handy work.

A smile crossed his face as he looked at Eustace.

"That is so your colour. I told you about wearing too much black, it washes you out, girl."

@Eustace Potter @Jace Melkor

Jace didn’t get the idea anyway about fashion despite his very trashy vibes, but he supposed he wasn’t your usual gay. He sat there just rolling his eyes at Tovren, but if Jace was honest he worshipped his clothes more then anything. He had to say Tovren had a lot of good fashion choices, but Jace liked his own clothes a lot.

“Tiffany isn’t nice. She treats everyone like they are nothing.” sighs Jace, it reminded him a lot of his dad. When Tovren said that her cousin wasn’t pretty, “Do you even know what her cousin looks like?” he said with a bit of an eyebrow raised. None of them saw Emerald since she was like seven or eight, and now they were teens. “Maybe she got pretty or something, but I do know my brother’s womanizer behavior is because of her leaving.” he sighed. Ryker was terrible when it came to girls, and Jace felt like the polar opposite of him.

He continued to eat his fries, “I know you don’t care, Eustace.” he said taking a long sip of his coke.

@Tovren Potter @Eustace Potter

Why can't anybody at her table shut up about the Cartwrights? Nobody would care about them if they didn't get rich or do whatever centuries ago. The last thing Ilvermorny needed was another snooty Cartwright who thought they ruled the school.

When Tovren began putting a scarf around her, she flinched only to begrudgingly let him use her as a mannequin. She crossed her arms at first only to grab another fry, drown it in the ketchup, and press it against her cousin's forehead. "I told you I don't need color!"

"I didn't know your name was Captain Obvious, Jace!"

Everybody was getting on her damn nerves today!

@Tovren Potter @Jace Melkor

"She doesn't treat me like I'm nothing."

He was so going to bitch about this stupid guy to Tiffany via crystal once he got home. Apparently he was gay, he'd mentioned that before, but he seemed to be one of those anti-effeminate, self-loathing gays who was attracted to bears or something.

Getting a fry pressed into his forehead, he took up a napkin and wiped it off quickly. "Gross!" Those fries were going everywhere but her mouth. "That's the last time I'm nice to you. I was going to give you that one as a present? Urgh." He whipped it back off her neck and stuffed it back in his bags.

Then he looked back at Jace. "I've seen photos of her on Tiff's crystal? If you're that interested I'll share, if you go and get me one of those tomato cleanse drinks."

@Jace Melkor @Eustace Potter

Jace kept quiet as he continued to eat his fries, because he didn’t feel like fighting with anyone right now. He finally got to his burger as he listened to Tovron talk about how he saw photos of the new Cartwright on Tiffany’s Crystal.

“Wow didn’t know you spent hours looking at photo after photo.” he said, and when he was given the order to go and fetch tomato juice, Jace rolled his eyes, and got up too get the tomato juice.

After about ten minutes, he came back with the tomato juice. He handed it to Tovren, and let out a sigh. “Are you happy now?” he asked hoping he was.

@Eustace Potter @Tovren Potter

"I wouldn't have worn that fucking scarf, Tovy."

Nobody ever bought clothes to her taste simply because her wardrobe lacked color! Why couldn't her relatives have gifted all of them to Steph and call it a day? She'd actually like that choice of scarf!

Pulling out her audire, she put her headphones on without actually listening to any music so they, hopefully, wouldn't try to talk to her.

@Tovren Potter @Jace Melkor

A beefy dude was walking through the food court with a slushie before dumping it on @Jace Melkor and running off.