sup its octavia and yall have prolly seen this but i figured i'd just put this here ya know
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"I'm dying," Nikolai announced over a mug of coffee as Jericho came into the kitchen that morning.
He frowned and blinked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "You're wha?"
"I'm dying, Jericho," he repeated. "I'm physically about to explode into a thousand pieces."
Jericho sighed, resuming his path towards the coffee pot. "Haruhito send you another cute snapchat?"
"What? No, shut up," Nikolai snapped, ears going red. "Haruhito… you know what, it's not important. No, I mean Jinhai's coming back from his study abroad today."
"So?" Jericho asked, taking a sip of coffee and grunting in appreciation. "Jinhai's a good guy. We're all really glad to have him back."
"Yes, but–he's just so–," Nikolai made an unintelligible noise, unable to communicate exactly what he meant. "You know?"
"No, I don't," Jericho said, arching an eyebrow. "Jinhai's literally super nice and polite and smart."
"I know," Nikolai muttered sulkily. "I hate it."
"You're just jealous 'cause Haruhito really likes him," Jericho pointed out. "If that wasn't the case, you and Jinhai would get on awesome."
"You–I–," Nikolai sputtered, indignant. "That's not why! It's because Jinhai is just so…"
"God's sake, Niko," his roommate chided. "There's nothing wrong with Jinhai, face it. You're just jealous and petty as hell."
"We know this about me already," Nikolai grumbled. "But he and Haruhito always always get so… ugh. You'd get jealous too, if someone was all over the person you liked like that."
"No, I wouldn't," Jericho countered. "See, I would be secure in the fact that my partner loved me. But that's under the assumption I'd ever have a romantic partner."
"It doesn't matter anyway, since Haruhito and I aren't dating. We're just…"
"A buncha idiots is what you are," Jericho snickered. "Pining idiots."
"We don't pine," Nikolai sniped. "I pine and Haruhito just exists as a perfect oblivious human being."
"Yeah, yeah, heard it all before," Jericho said. "It's too early for this, anyway. Don't you have class soon?"
"Yes," Nikolai admitted reluctantly. "Intro to ethics."
"With Latreall?" Jericho asked, eyebrows raised. "Oh great. Thank god I'm not in your class. Hate to be in the middle of that."
"Latreall is a worthy opponent," Nikolai admitted. "I should get going."
He grabbed his bag and his laptop and began putting on his coat.
"Oh, by the way, Niko," Jericho remarked. "I think Eliza's having a party tonight since Jinhai's coming home."
"And we're going?" Nikolai asked, dismayed.
"C'mon, it's Eliza. And it's Jinhai," Jericho said. "Besides, if it's for Jinhai, you know who else will be there."
"I resent that," Nikolai snapped irritably, noticeably grumpier than he'd been before. "If you think that'll motivate me, you're an imbecile."
"Fine, but we're going tonight," Jericho replied, undeterred. "Friends show up for friends, and that's what we're going to do."
Nikolai slammed the door in response, stomping petulantly down the hall.
Groupchat: Icons of Illéa 2k18
coldhandscoldheart, showmeyourkitties, rancerancerevolution, queenofthescene, jerichoastingthrulife, whoselinusitanyway, add more+
queenofthescene changed the name to Jinhai Welcome Committee
coldhandscoldheart: oh great.
queenofthescene: That better not be sarcasm on your end niko
queenofthescene: Jinhai's coming home today and no one needs your sass
coldhandscoldheart: please, Elizabeth
coldhandscoldheart: I assure you, I'm being totally genuine
jerichoastingthrulife: just ignore him, he's super salty
whoselinusitanyway: Shocker
showmeyourkitties: wait why?
—
Message
coldhandscoldheart to jerichoastingthrulife
coldhandscoldheart: don't you fucking dare jericho
coldhandscoldheart: I stg
jerichoastingthrulife: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
coldhandscoldheart: JERICHO
—
Groupchat: Jinhai Welcome Committee
coldhandscoldheart, showmeyourkitties, rancerancerevolution, queenofthescene, jerichoastingthrulife, whoselinusitanyway, add more+
jerichoastingthrulife: I switched his coffee for decaf
jerichoastingthrulife: he's been like this all morning
rancerancerevolution: smh
rancerancerevolution: why would you make Niko's attitude problem even worse
coldhandscoldheart: excuse me
coldhandscoldheart: I'm a delight to be around
queenofthescene: is everyone coming to my party tonight?
rancerancerevolution: yep!
showmeyourkitties: yeah
whoselinusitanyway: of course
jerichoastingthrulife: Yeppers
queenofthescene: niko?
coldhandscoldheart: …
coldhandscoldheart: maybe
jerichoastingthrulife: yes he is. don't worry about it, Eliza, he'll be there.
coldhandscoldheart: no
rancerancerevolution: aw come on, niko. Its a party, not a funeral
queenofthescene: please?
—
Message
showmeyourkitties to coldhandscoldheart
showmeyourkitties: why don't you want to go?
coldhandscoldheart: its complicated
showmeyourkitties: im not gonna pressure you
showmeyourkitties: of all people, i get it
showmeyourkitties: but I think it would be rlly cool if you were there?
showmeyourkitties: idk
—
Groupchat: Jinhai Welcome Committee
coldhandscoldheart, showmeyourkitties, rancerancerevolution, queenofthescene, jerichoastingthrulife, whoselinusitanyway, add more+
coldhandscoldheart: …fine
queenofthescene; Yes!
—
Message
coldhandscoldheart to jerichoastingthrulife
coldhandscoldheart sent (1) screenshot
coldhandscoldheart: dammit Jericho, he did it again
jerichoastingthrulife: lmao you idiot you're so whipped
Nikolai sighed and pocketed his phone as the professor entered the classroom.
"Alright guys, class is beginning! Phones and laptops away, please," Professor Webb said, setting down his bag and shedding his coat. "How is everyone this morning?"
Obviously enthused by the fact that it was seven thirty in the morning, a chorus of low grunts rumbled around the room. Nikolai counted one girl still napping on her desk and another with four empty coffee cups on her table.
"Good, good. If someone will please wake Miss Flores, we can begin," Professor Webb said amicably, nodding to a student close to the sleeping girl. "First, have all of you submitted your essays to me?"
Another vaguely positive grunt met him.
"Good. I'll be grading this weekend, so you should get it back on Tuesday or Wednesday," Professor Webb said. "Now that that's out of the way, let's do a quick scenario, just as a warmup."
He sat on the edge of his desk, rolling up his shirtsleeves. "So imagine there are two cars, one with five people in it, and one with just one person in it. They're heading on a collision course towards each other, and by some divine happenstance, you have the power to save one car. If you decide to do nothing, the instance will be wiped from your memory, if you act, you remember it. What do you do? Hands, everyone."
"You save the car with five people in it," one of the boys, Raphael, answers. "Obviously."
"Interesting," the professor said. "Why?"
"Then you maximize the amount of people you can save," Rafael said, with a 'duh' tone of voice.
"But if you don't save either of them, it's not technically your fault," Nikolai pointed out. "And you won't have to live with the guilt."
"But choosing not to act is a coward's choice," Latreall piped up, defiance in his voice.
Nikolai's brow knitted. Someone mumbled, "Oh no. here we go again."
"But what gives you the right to even make this choice," Nikolai countered. "Why should you be able to change fate?"
"If there's an opportunity to save even one life, you must intervene," Latreall said hotly. "For the greater good. Only a selfish coward chooses to back away from the choice because he's too weak to live with the guilt."
The jab was ill-disguised, and Nikolai's hackles rose.
"Only an arrogant, pretentious prick would believe he has the right to meddle in other people's affairs," Nikolai snapped coldly.
"Alright, simmer down, guys," Professor Webb. "Let me offer an alternate scenario. In Car A is those five strangers. In Car B is your mother. Which do you save now?"
"Car B," Latreall said at the same time Nikolai said, "Car A."
Their eyes met and Latrell seemed confused, his lips parting and brow furrowing. Nikolai realized his mistake.
"It's the greater good," Nikolai said briskly, trying to cover for his gaffe. "Of course I'll save the five. As Latreall would say, I'd be a selfish coward to choose my own priorities over five lives."
"What about if the person in Car B was your brother or sister?" Professor Webb asked.
This time there was no hesitation as both boys chorused, "Car B."
They locked gazes, and then slowly, Nikolai nodded to him, and he nodded back.
"Great warm up, guys," Professor Webb said, clapping his hands to signal the end of the exercise. "I'd love to see some participation from someone other than Latreall and Nikolai, but I hope you all were at least listening since this is an excellent segue into our next subject of study, The Greater Good. Take out the reading I had you do last night…"
Nikolai tuned the professor out as he got out the reading, his hands shaking a little. Damn, that had been close. Why had he said Car A? It was like writing Damaged Goods across his forehead in permanent marker.
He had to be more careful if he didn't want his dramatic background as the subject of this week's gossip. And he really couldn't afford that.
"Don't forget, guys," Professor Webb reminded them at the end of class. "You need to watch the video and take notes, as well as write a paragraph answering the question. I want deep thinking, guys, don't just rush through it."
Nikolai packed up his bag, already putting his earbuds in. He zipped up his bag and turned to leave, only to come face to face e with one Latreall Santana.
"Can I help you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Why did you say Car A?" He asked point-blank.
"I don't know, why are you wearing a sweater vest when you're under fifty?" Nikolai sniped. "Clearly you're not in a place to judge my decisions."
Latreall blinked, caught off guard. "What–? What's wrong with my–?" He seemed to catch himself and then shook himself back to the moment. "You're trying to distract me. Answer the question."
Nikolai squinted at him, unimpressed. "Um? No?"
"Why not?" Latreall asked, frowning. "Are you hiding something?"
"No," Nikolai said irritably. "I just don't like you and I don't have to. Now if you'll excuse me."
Latreall stepped in front of him, blocking him from leaving. "I'm just asking. It's just a bit concerning, is all."
"And I appreciate the concern," Nikolai said, who did not appreciate it at all. "But I'm going to be late for my next class. Goodbye Latreall."
In fact, it was his free block next, but Latreall didn't need to know that.
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