• general dorms [ gryffindor ]

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰² How do you know someone is attracted to you? The warmth beneath the pads of your fingers as they linger over someone's skin, the lulled close of their eyes when you look at them, the ... breath that dances across your lips, the roseate tint of their cheeks. (Though, Jazzy can't quite pinpoint whether the pinkness on Emilia's skin is the result of their closeness or just the alcohol alone. Or maybe it's both.) Her voice is low as she hums, "You can't tell attraction, Emi. You just..." Her hand slowly reaches upward, and perhaps it's cliché of her, but Jazzy's lithe digits play slowly with a few fallen strands of hair over Emilia's eyes, taking the time to tuck them gently behind the older student's ear, a soft movement uncharacteristic of Jazzy. "... feel it."

She feels the warmth of Emilia's breath on her lips, and a strange feeling begins to bubble deep within Jazzy's stomach, at the very pit deep down inside her. Are these... nerves? Is Jasmine Yim feeling the bubble of excitement inside of her? She's kissed girls and boys alike, but every time is different. The moment Emilia murmurs her final permission, the slightest ghost of a smile graces Jazzy's lips before her fingers, which had previously been Emilia's hair just moments earlier, capture her chin gently to tilt the older's lip upward slightly.

At first the meeting of their lips is soft, a faint feather-like brush of skin. It's her first kiss; Jazzy will let her push forward at her own pace.

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：jasmine yim。⁰¹ Would she? The one boyfriend she did have /was/ quite the gentleman and never pushed her to do any "unsavory" things. Maybe if he hadn't been such a "wonderful" boy, Emilia would have been pressured into things that she had always viewed only married people completed. "Maybe...But how do you even know someone is attracted to you? I'm sure good boys like you too! Maybe you just aren't looking /hard enough/?" Emilia honestly had no idea what she was talking about especially when her airheadedness prevented her from noticing when others were looking at her or even liked her. However, it didn't prevent her from noticing just how hot the air started to feel around her. How drawn she seemed to be towards her younger friend.

"So...it could be more..." Emilia said it with awe, her voice light and airy as she thought about it. Her lips never touched anyone else's, yet Jazzy had so much experience all the while being younger. Then she noticed it. The way Jazzy's intense eyes watched her lips. She would have told herself that the alcohol had just made her think the other girl's gaze was exactly where she was internally fantasizing, but Jazzy's statement made it clear. Made Emilia's heart pound aggressively in her chest in excitement, caused her knees to pinch together as butterflies interestingly enough fluttered in her stomach.

Jazzy's warm breath brushed over the elder girl's lips. She smelled like alcohol and something sweet, something that made Emilia's lips part as if to taste it. "Okay." Her own voice was just as breathy, her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned in closer, her lips now a mere centimeter from the other's.

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰² “Sure,” she responds smoothly. “But I don’t exactly attract the wonderful type of guys. You might, though.” Boys liked girls like Emilia: she’s cute, adorable in a youthful sense, and more than kind enough to warrant an entrance to Hufflepuff. But the truth was, Emilia was so beautiful, in the way that Jazzy almost envied her. She was the type of daughter that her parents would have loved to raise in a pureblood household, but something made her think that Emilia was… yearning for much more adventure than she let on.

The heat rises in the room, and Jazzy knows it herself. “Mmm,” she hums thoughtfully with a knowing smile. “If we’re counting, but I’m not really. It’s probably around that number, more or less…” The giggle that emits from the older student makes Jazzy smile, though it’s not lost on her the way that Emilia’s tone loses all amusement at her question. “Kissing /is/ interesting.”

Jazzy’s own gaze, dark eyes outlined with sharp eyeliner, drop to Emilia’s lips. She can’t help it; it almost feels… gravitational, the way she leans closer to the Gryffindor as though she can’t pull away. Softly, her lips say breathily:

“I could show you… if you’d like.”

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：jasmine yim。⁰¹ Neatly manicured fingers pushed Emilia's hair behind her ear as she gave another nod. "I /guesss/ but still there are so many wonderful non-icky boys out there! Right?" She didn't put two-and-two together that the other found those "icky" men attractive, appealing to the physical eye. And that those same men were potentially who were after Jazzy. Emilia never had thought of the complexities of getting into relationships and seeking boys out before. "Uh? Huh, oh no. I just zone out a little bit, hehe." She forced the giggle to mask that she was questioning her life's view on love and being loved.

Oh, why did it excite Emilia so when the younger girl leaned closer to her. She could almost feel the other girl's body heat radiate off of her...or was that Emilia's own. Even though she knew Jazzy's slight movement toward her was just to take the whiskey, her heartbeat seemed to be in her ears. She was curious about Jazzy's adventures with snogging. "S-so you've kissed about..." Emilia counted on her fingers, as if she could not do the simple maths in her head, "twelve people. Wow, you must be a professional kisser." Emilia giggled at her joke as the other took in more alcohol, only for it to be cut short with a soft choke. "C-curious?" She thought of lying, pretending that her eyes did not tilt down to look at the first year's full lips. But she was too curious. "Kissing sounds interesting."

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰² “Easier said than done,” quips back Jazzy quickly with a laugh that’s heavier on the snicker side than any remote chuckle. Of course, with her spunky attitude and unruly hair, Jazzy was more likely than not to attract men of the more difficult breed. Though as her laughter fades inevitably, it dawns upon her the heavy expression displayed across her drinking partner’s visage, as though Emilia were deep in thought regarding some unknown topic. Even with the bottle of Firewhisky in her reach, Emilia looked to be lost in her thoughts. Used to it at this point, Jazzy waved a hand in the half-blood’s field of vision. “Loud thoughts there, Emi?”

The stutter in Emilia’s voice almost makes her feel bad; she truly hadn’t asked her question with intents to embarrass her friend, or even make her feel like an inexperienced child, and perhaps she would have dropped the topic had her veins not been burning with the effect of the liquor beginning to seep into her subconscious. Heat begins to seek into her cheeks, a surefire sign the alcohol was beginning to take its sinister effect on the young Gryffindor—perhaps both of them, at this point. Leaning forward ever slightly, Jazzy takes the whiskey bottle but does not take another sip, only responding, “Yeah, I’ve had my fair share of kisses. I suppose it’s the same amount of girls as it is guys. Kissing isn’t really all that, unless your partner is good…” Now is the time that she tilts her head back, taking a swig of the alcohol, and when she returns to gazing at Emilia, her voice has lowered. Her next words, whether she knew it or not, could have a double meaning: “Why? Are you curious?”

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：jasmine yim。⁰¹ A tinkle of laughter couldn't help but tumble past the Gryffindor's rosy lips in response to the other's expression. "Oh Jazzy, stop going for the icky boys." It was easier said than done, most likely, but Emilia didn't know anything about that, and as the conversation continued, she realized something. She never did find someone she actually liked. Emilia had a habit of just talking and not looking at others, never fully taking in their handsome features and finding them attractive to her. Only did she do that with girls, but it was always to note on their makeup or clothing style. And even then, what did she like? She wasn't certain, as she didn't recall having feelings for Mason that were much different from anyone else. Has she liked anyone? Did she like boys? Did she like girls? Did she like either for that matter, was she destined to live a love in which she was to not enjoy the pleasures of romance? The thoughts that suddenly popped in her head caused her to take another heavy swig of the whiskey.

"No, never. I-I just thought that...it was for married people..." She knew Jazzy wasn't trying to make her feel bad, but she couldn't help but feel embarrassed over it. Emilia had a juvenile way of thinking, one that was developed from her sheltered life. But it was not that her mam and tad told her that it was something she couldn't do, it was something she just told herself, despite seeing couples snogging in the halls. "That's a lot of kissing..." She almost didn't catch Jazzy's insinuating she kisses girls as well, and when she did, for some reason her stomach did a flip. Suddenly, Emilia was hyperaware of the hand on her thigh, and her own on the others. "You kiss girls too? H-how many?" She wasn't all that surprised for some odd reason, was it because of Jazzy's typical demeanor, or the alcohol? Emilia couldn't put her finger on it, but she gave the other girl a squeeze before offering the whiskey to her.

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰² "Not all boys, no. But the boys I had the displeasure of dating? Yuck," she starts, making an exaggerated gagging face, complete with a finger pointing to her open mouth. That was the thing about Jazzy—she fell often, heartstrings intrigued by the vacant smile of a stranger in her direction. But when push came to shove, she was easily bored and could get over relationships fairly easily. It was a trademark Gryffindor trait of hers: she could never be kept for long. "Excitable?" It's true that Emilia was, quite the opposite of Jazzy who usually preferred to take things in a chill stride, but the playful smile the older gives her is enough to make her smile in response. "Maybe. But you'll find a guy that suits you. If boys are what you like," she adds at the end, watching Emilia take another sip of the whiskey.

The touch of Emilia's hand on her thigh is not lost on the dual-haired demoiselle, who leans forward in question. "... You've never kissed a boy?" Maybe it was stereotypical of her, but Jazzy had been led to believe that most, if not all, girls had the universal experience of sneaking through the Hogwarts halls to be pulled into an alleyway and kissed awkwardly before their sixth year, at the latest. But glancing at Emilia's rose-tinted cheeks, she purses her lips in thought. "Emilia, most people kiss before even dating." She says it not in a mocking way, as though targeting the girl for not yet having her first kiss, but in an incredulous way; perhaps she really was this sheltered. "Boys? Maybe... six?" Reciprocating the older Gryffindor's actions, she places a hand on the soft fabric of Emilia's thigh. "But I don't just kiss boys."

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：jasmine yim。⁰¹ Emilia's mouth opened as if to respond, however she had nothing to respond with. What was being "too woman"? She still couldn't quite understand, but instead of questioning again, she merely nodded her head and replaced her confused expression with a smile. "So...you were too independent for them. Is that how boys really think?" She never thought about it that way, but also she wasn't very certain if that also applied to her as the other girl suggested. Mason and Emilia never had conversations like that and everything just seemed so perfect until he broke it off. And Emilia always just assumed it was because he was moving onto university and was unable to give her the time that she had previously since their common room was no longer connected. "Maybe he couldn't handle how excitable I am?" She said with a playful smile.

Her lashes fluttered once more as she rubbed Jazzy's thigh to continue comforting her. "Kissing?" Her cheeks turned a tinge of pink and she leaned in to take the bottle of whiskey back from the younger, sipping it before delivering her confession. "But kissing is for married couples, right? I've never kissed a boy. Holding hands was nice, though." The closest thing she got as a kiss from a boy was one on the cheek from her old friend that seemed to disapparate into thin air one day. But it was a brotherly kiss, one she would share with her cousins. "How many boys have you kissed?"

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰² "Too woman," she repeats, as though the explanation were obvious. A nonchalant shrug becomes of her shoulders as she leans back, pursing her lips as she recalls her last few relationships which had faced violently unhappy ends, clearly. "Usually when a guy wanted to break it off, he'd say it was 'cause things weren't working out, we weren't a good pair, we should find someone with similar lifestyles, yadda yadda yadda." Jazzy rolls her eyes, taking a cautionary look over at Emilia. "But I just know it's cause they couldn't handle me. I'm too opinionated, too /much of a presence/ for them to handle. Could be the same for you," she ends with a small smile.

As Emilia reaches out to place a hand on Jazzy's thigh, her eyes flicker down at it before laughing softly. "Yeah, I know. Guys , anyways. We're /both/ too good for guys, but alas, we go back to them every time," she says, a dramatic end. "Only cause they're good kissers and I'm a for physical affection sometimes. You know?"

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：jasmine yim。⁰¹ Emilia always wished she had an explanation from the male. Maybe she would feel less sad about the whole thing. But she also didn't want to be sad, instead she wanted to be angry like Jazzy seemed to be for her sake. She chewed on her lower tier as she mulled it over before questioning the other girls' next statement. "Too woman? What do you mean by that?" If anything, Emilia believed, it was because she wasn't woman enough. He did break up with her just before he attended the university, while she was 3 years his younger. "I may just have been too immature," she said with a soft sigh. "Oh well, like you said boys are dumb!"

With Emilia's innocence, she was unable to decipher what Jazzy's emphasis on friends meant. She never did just assume others were having , someone would have to be very but about it, which nobody ever was. So far, those around Emilia always seemed to want to preserve her innocent mind. As she listened to Jazzy, formed into an o-shape and her hand reached out to rest on the younger girl's thigh as she tried to display comfort. "You're too good for whoever that was! Any guy should be happy to have you." Emilia said it with a huff, her eyebrows furrowed in anger for her friend.

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰² As Emilia takes another swig of the bottle, Jazzy notes the slight flutter of her long eyelashes, a feature that the latter had always been jealous of. Beautiful eyes, long and luscious lashes. Tilting her head in confusion, she furrows her eyebrows at Emilia’s response. “He did that to you? Well damn, screw him. And all boys, for that sake. Unless there’s actually a good one, somewhere.” Picking at her nails, she concludes, “I’m sure it’s not cause he didn’t like you anymore. He probably just realized you were too woman for him.”

A slight shrug of her shoulders answers Emilia’s question. “I’ve been /friends/ with a lot of guys. A few girls too,” she responds honestly. Her state of ual attraction was not a secret, though it wasn’t heavily known by the general public as Jazzy preferred to keep her private life under wraps, unlike her very public shenanigans. “I just got broken up with over the summer though, so I’m not planning on being friends with any guys for a while.”

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：jasmine yim。⁰¹ "Boy are dumb," Emilia agreed with a gentle nod. Her eyelids fluttered closed and she took another swig of the alcohol before holding it out to Jazzy once more. With the realization that the next question was directed at her specifically, Emilia's eyes widened for a brief moment before she stood her head. "No, not really. The one boy I dated just broke up and never spoke to me again one day. I don't know why he did...I wonder if he just didn't like me anymore." Emilia always wondered why her ex had done that, although she was unaware that her kind innocence made him feel that she was too good for him. Instead she blamed her obliviousness.

"No boys now. I had a couple of male friends before but I guess they decided to transfer schools?" She was completely oblivious to anyone looking at her. Emilia was always the type to believe someone spoke to her to be her friend and nothing more. In otherwords, she was painfully unaware of any flirting directed towards her. "What kind of boys have you been friends with?" Emilia asked, her head tilting curiously as she waited for her friend to respond.

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰² Jazzy watches with honest curiosity as the older girl downs a rather large gulp of the liquor, having not expected her to take her alcohol so well. Her answer doesn’t fail to surprise her, though; she would have already imagined, her knowledge solely coming from depictions in muggle films where the girls did each others’ nails and gossiped about their status with boys. As for boys… Jazzy had done her fair amount of dating /and/ sleeping around, but the past few months had been rather uneventful.

If anything, she was still reeling from a failed summer fling and boys, or relationships in general, were the last thing on her mind. “Up to you,” she says, though perhaps the younger does little to cover up the disdain on her face. “Boys are kinda dumb, but I guess. Any boys in your life, Emi?” With these words, she gives a small smirk in the direction of the older Gryffindor gal. Emilia was quite pretty, and feminine, too. The opposite of Jazzy. Despite her innocuous exterior, Jazzy can imagine there must be boys all over Emilia.

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：jasmine yim。⁰¹ Drinking wasn't something new to Emilia, nor was it something she would back down from. If anything, the girl thoroughly enjoyed it when she could and loved the light feeling she got from doing so. Of course, it was difficult for her to get to such a state, having inherited her tad's tolerance for alcohol. While most of the girls were either drunk or had retired for the night from the drinking, Emilia's cheeks were merely flushed from the buzz.

Her fingers reached out to take the bottle from the split-dyed haired girl before her, pausing for a moment to ponder the other's question. "Mmm, I haven't really had many either. But last year the girls just talked about boys and how far they'd gone." She wasn't quite certain as to what "how far" meant, as she had always been a rather sheltered and innocent girl. The Gryffinfor took a deep drink of the whiskey, her nose scrunched and her eyes watered from the burn. "Do you wanna talk about boys, Jazzy?"

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：emilia seong。⁰² Firewhisky burns a trail down Jazzy’s throat as she downs another shot of the cursed liquor, an acquired taste that she had long grown accustomed to after sneaking it onto campus as a primary Hogwarts student. Now that she’s of age and technically allowed to carry such alcoholic substances into campus, it’s not quite as fun. Even still, that doesn’t stop Jazzy’s inexorable rebellious spirit from downing a shot or two before her begrudgingly slow Transfiguration class. But for now, her bottle of Firewhisky came out only toward the latter half of the annual Gryffindor girls sleepover, when most of the girls had retired to their beds. (Most importantly, Jazzy’s cousin Ruby who could possibly report back to her parents about the former’s increased drinking).

Wiping a few drops that had fallen from the corner lips, her eyebrows furrow together at the burn. “So.” She starts after a moment, looking at her sole partner for the rest of the night—the rest of the girls had given up so early, she scoffs. Passing over the bottle, she continues, “I’ve never really been to a sleepover. What do … girls really do at these things?”