[COLOR=GRAY][CENTER][COLOR=8ECDB7][sup]____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/COLOR][img]https://i.imgur.com/trGSdE7.gif[/img][/CENTER][indent][sub][COLOR=8ECDB7][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] [I]The Beach[/I] - [I]Pacific Royal Campus[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=8ECDB7][b]Welcome Home #1.032:[/b][/COLOR] [I]Dreaming[/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], [color=D2b48c]Haven[/color] [@Skai] [/I][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=8ECDB7][b]Previously:[/b][/COLOR] [COLOR=GRAY][I]No Sunburn Required[/I][/color][/right][/SUP][/indent]
[indent]The air had cooled off significantly as the late summer day rolled into night. The evening breeze kissed Aurora’s skin and wove gently through her copper locks, rustling them ever so slightly back and forth. The campfire danced in the center of the encircled Team Blackjack, illuminating the surrounding sand in hues of red and orange. All was tranquil and serene as they sat together talking, Aurora simply trying to keep her eyes open long enough to participate in the conversation.

She was exhausted, practically fighting herself to stay awake and alert. A combination of spending nearly the full day out in the sun and the lack of sleep from the night before was definitely catching up with her and taking its toll. She had no desire to doze off in front of everyone, but the sound of the waves crashing against the surf and the crackling of the flames were a symphony to Aurora’s ears, lulling the redhead into a quiet calm. Not to mention, Lorcán’s presence directly beside her had the same relaxing effect. The familiar citrus and clove notes of his cologne seemed to wrap around her reassuringly, and his subtle underlying smoky scent never overpowered, but instead added a layer of warmth and security.

[color=fe650d]“Alright gentle-dudes and lady-brahs, where does everyone see themselves once they graduate?”[/color]

The brown haired boy was unintentionally opening a can of worms with his simple and straightforward query. Graduation was looming over the whole group and the clock was ticking, which begged the question, what was Aurora going to do next? The short answer was that she had no idea. The redhead found herself dissociating as she stared out at the ocean, having already spent hours pondering the very issue at hand over the previous summer months.

It’s not that she didn’t have aspirations; she loved being a psychology major and wanted to pursue something in the field, she just didn’t know exactly what yet. On the one hand, she thought she’d make a great psychotherapist one day; she could use her charismatic nature to support young Hyperhumans as they developed and tackled difficult situations, especially those who were in the system. Another part of her wanted to become a professor or teacher at PRCU, so she could teach future generations of Hyperhumans while conducting research of her own on the side. Either way, she just wanted to contribute positively to the quality of Hyperhuman life. What didn’t hurt was that both options would afford her the opportunity and give her cause to remain on Dundas Island. Something about going back out into the world worried her; Aurora craved consistency and stability and she feared she’d never find that anyplace else.

She was brought out of her thoughts by gentle fingers brushing against her ear, and she turned to meet Lorcán’s gaze. The contact might have been brief but the redhead found herself leaning into his touch. She gave him a sleepy smile, [COLOR=8ECDB7]“Thank you,”[/color] she replied softly, only loud enough for him to hear as he went on to tell everyone of his plans.

[color=D2b48c]"I'm hoping to volunteer for the U.S. Forest Service this summer, before I start my career."[/color] Haven’s voice carried into the circle as she joined the conversation, Rory not far behind her, [color=D2b48c]"It depends on how friendly they are with hypes, but there has to be at least one Ranger out there that will accept me."[/color] She shrugged, the comment having a more severe meaning than her demeanor reflected, [color=D2b48c]"If I go, feel free to visit me in the states, Lorcán. The American National Parks are gorgeous."[/color]

The comment hit deeper than the winged girl probably realized or intended, and Aurora couldn’t help but glance back at Lorcán to see his reaction at the promise of adventure. She knew quite well that he had intentions of traveling and seeing the world, everyone knew that by now, but the redhead still didn’t like to think about a not so distant future where he would no longer be around. She wanted the best for him, wanted him to be happy and hoped he’d fulfill his wanderlust dreams.

Selfishly though, she wanted him to stay.

Shaking off her unease, Aurora chimed in, [COLOR=8ECDB7]“I’m still trying to figure out my plan for after graduation. My guess is I’ll-”[/color] The redhead paused, lifting her hand to cover her mouth as she was overcome by the urge to yawn, though she had tried to hold it at bay. Her eyes watered slightly in response, and she wiped at them with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. [COLOR=8ECDB7]“Sorry. I was going to say that I’m guessing I’ll live in the Alumni Village for a while, at least until I figure out my next move, I’m in no rush.”[/color]

Aurora tried her best to pay attention as her teammates continued to divulge their life plans, but felt the heaviness of her tired eyes growing. She yawned again, and the next thing she knew, she found herself leaning to her left, resting her head on Lorcán’s shoulder and letting her eyelids flutter shut. She relaxed into the brown haired boy and a few moments later, the steady ride and fall of her chest indicated that she had drifted off, her breathing going slow and even.[/indent][/color]