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[sup][color=slategray][b]Location: The Helmsley Boat Party[/b][/color][/sup][hr][hr][/center]
[indent][indent]A highschool boat party, what could be better? Sure, it was on a Tuesday night, which was far from ideal… and Val had to lie to her parents to attend this event, which she really didn’t like doing either. Lying to her parents, that is, not attending events. She was only fifteen and she really didn’t have any business being at a drunk fest at sea, but everyone else was going, and that meant her crush would most definitely be there too. Not to mention, it was a party [i]at sea[/i], which was Valerie’s favorite place to be.

As far as Val’s parents were concerned, she was having a sleepover at her good friend Mallory’s house, since they could stay up late with tomorrow being a late start day at school and all. It was the perfect alibi, especially because Mallory’s parents were cool and would cover for her if her parents called them. Said cool parents were also the ones that drove Mallory and Val to this party, and would be driving them back to their house afterwards to make sure the girls were safe and able to make it to school the next day. The Sheffields, Mallory’s rents, were liberal folk, the kind that believed that the best way to raise their children was to let them experience the world without censorship, to live and learn from the mistakes that they might make, which was why they trusted the girls to attend this fiesta. They were good girls, they could be trusted to make at least halfway decent decisions. 

Valerie’s decision making was currently lying in the bottom of one to many glasses of coke and vanilla vodka. That is to say, she probably couldn’t make a good decision to save her life at this point. Thanks to her heritage, Valerie was a lightweight, and right about now she would be rocking the so-called “asian flush” if not for her darker complexion. The amount of her intoxication could only be seen through her eyes, drunken swagger, and slurred speech. 

Drunk or not, Val was still doing her best to rock the dancefloor. The DJ was spinning a fly hip hop tune that she could shake what her momma gave her to. When the beat dropped, so did she, taking her toned backside down to the floor and twerking her way back up to a standing position. Val was wearing acid washed jean shorts over a back crop top bikini, which revealed her still-secret turquoise anchor [url=https://i.imgur.com/8LLk5P9.png]belly ring[/url], and the tassels of her bikini top swung around as she spun on the dancefloor. Valerie had started the night off a little bit chilly, but she had since worked up a sweat, as beads of it were now trailing down her back.

The best way to cool down would be to take to the water. As much as she loved the ocean, Val recognized her own inebriation enough to decide that jumping overboard wouldn’t be wise. Instead, she wandered off the dancefloor in search of the pool. She’d heard about there being a pool. A pool on a boat, what fun![/indent][/indent]

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[sup][color=slategray][b]Location: The Rothstein Residence[/b][/color][/sup][hr][hr][/center]
[indent][indent]The scent of rosemary and sage wafted throughout Dahlia’s bedroom. The girl sat at her writing desk along with a set of three lit cream-colored, unscented candles of different heights, as well as a carved incense tray depicting a circle of psychedelic-looking mushrooms meant to mimic faerie ring, at the center of which the source of the fragrant aroma was smoking.

On the desk before her, Dahlia was scrolling out notes on a tablet. Dahlia valued the art of handwriting, and preferred to write most of her essays, blog posts, and other assignments in this manner. The tablet translated her beautiful script handwriting into digital typeface document on her computer in real time using a wireless connection. Doll paused in her writing to reference the two open hardcover books on astrology to her left, tracing her index finger along the pages and nodding to herself as she read. She was still learning the star-based occult science, and she frequently sought out reference material to ensure that she was putting out the best and most accurate predictions that she was capable of. Dahlia Rothstein was nothing if not a respectable, studious witch.

After writing a few more lines in her project, Dahlia sat back in her office chair and studied the wall in front of her desk. On that wall, there was a screen that currently depicted last night’s starry sky. Dahlia flicked her wrist in the air and the screen switched to sky of the night before last. She pondered for a moment, contemplating the constellations, and then flicked her wrist again to go back to the previous night.

Wooden beads rattled as someone passed through her bedroom door, followed by a soft knock on the door frame. Dahlia looked up from her writing, a dark chestnut curl that had been tucked behind her right ear came loose as she did so. Upon seeing the guest in her hippie-style beaded doorway, she offered up a soft smile. [color=4E7764][b]“Hi papá,”[/b][/color] she greeted loud enough to be heard over the native-inspired flute music that was playing through the sound system in her room.

Judah scanned the area, taking in the full scene, before smiling at his oddball daughter. [color=7F9A65][b]“Going full Brujita tonight, huh?”[/b][/color] He remarked in a teasing tone.

Dahlia responded with a shrug and a grin. [color=4E7764][b]“Aren’t I always? ...what’s up?”[/b][/color]

Her father made his way over to her bed and sat down at the corner of it comfortably. [color=7F9A65][b]“I was just coming to see if you were home. I figured you might be hanging out with Brian since he’s back, Ryan said he was throwing some big party tonight. Why aren’t you there?”[/b][/color] Judah asked, tilting his head curiously.

[color=4E7764][b]“You knowww I don’t like parties, papá,”[/b][/color] Dahlia responded, spinning her rolling chair around so that he could see the way she rolled her eyes at the statement. Alcohol wasn’t her thing, and there was sure to be a lot of drinking at the impromptu Helmsley bash. If she wanted to hang out with her fellow wealthy weirdo and childhood friend, she could do so another time, under more preferable circumstances.

[color=7F9A65][b]“Yeah, yeah, I know… sometimes I question if you’re even my daughter.”[/b][/color] Judah said jokingly.

Doll crossed her arms saucily and smirked. [color=4E7764][b]“Maybe I’m the milkman’s, wouldn’t that serve you right?”[/b][/color]

Her father’s eyes narrowed as he considered the implication that Mia had slept with someone else to produce his beloved Brujita. Mia would [i]never[/i], she knew better, even if he didn’t follow his own demands for monogamy. [color=7F9A65][b]“We never had a milkman, you’re my little girl, for better or for worse.”[/b][/color] He stood up from his perch on Dahlia’s bed to go look over her shoulder. [color=7F9A65][b]“Whatcha working on?”[/b][/color]

[color=4E7764][b]“My first week of January’s horoscopes for the school newspaper. I have to turn them in to Trixie tomorrow afternoon.”[/b][/color] Dahlia explained as she rolled back around to face her desk once again.

[color=7F9A65][b]“Ahh… you sound busy. Too busy to join me for burgers and shakes at the Diner, then?”[/b][/color] Judah asked in a tone that very much sounded like a sleazy salesman to offer up a deal that she ‘absolutely could not refuse’.

Dahlia smiled wide, because that was a pretty decent offer. The Sunshine Diner had the [i]best[/i] non-dairy black raspberry shakes, and her father knew that they were her favorite She was also incredibly hungry after working for so long, brain power could really burn calories, so a burger sounded divine right then. [color=4E7764][b]“Never too busy for that, papá!”[/b][/color][/indent][/indent]