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The buttery scent of cookies wafted through Sulli's studio apartment, countering the cool autumnal air in pleasant shades of honey. The apartment itself is just across from campus in an approved housing building, and although it's pretty small, it suits them just fine and relieves them from the stress of potentially having a roommate who's "uncomfortable" with them. Afternoon rays of light beam through the windows, hitting the floor and walls with glittering warmth. They're tempted to open a window for a little bit of that fresh Ireland air, but the warmth would quickly seep from the room, so it's better to not. Tucking the bottle of Irish whiskey safely back into their bag before placing it under the bed, Sulli brushes their hands off on their pants.

They know it's technically not against the rules to have alcohol in their dorm, but it still feels weird to have it sometimes. Sulli doesn't drink very often, and they haven't really drank in a long time, but after a little bit of research, and more than one recommendation from some of the more popular bakeries in the area, they discovered one of the most popular cookies in Ireland had a little whiskey in it.

Which is exactly what led them to making Triple Threat cookies. Granted, they did smell absolutely delicious. No wonder they were popular. They'd decided to make them before Club Lore met, just before, so they were still a little warm when they brought them back to campus.

Is this a stupid idea?

Maybe they would think it'd be childish. Sulli is perfectly aware that some of the club's members voted against letting them join. Otherwise, Adelaide would have delightfully told them that it was unanimous. Sulli didn't ask though – they didn't really want to know to be completely honest. It'd be better to just skip over that part and let it be. Eventually, they could get the others to come around.

Probably.

On the other hand, Sulli thinks it'll be okay if they don't get to go anymore after December, especially if they don't like them. It's optimistic to think that they could potentially convince an entire club of people to let them stay despite all reluctance to let them in in the first place. They'd like to imagine that they could let it go, and smooth waves of mindless guilt curl around their mind. In a way, they already coerced Adelaide into letting them come, but at the same time, all they really wanted to know was why they couldn't go in the first place.

That's fair of me to ask, isn't it?

Of course, now, they could barely ask any questions at all - at least not about why Sulli couldn't join in the first place. As curious as they were, a web of sickeningly heavy guilt had settled in his stomach, the spider spinning that silk crawling up their throat. They did want to join Club Lore, but also wanted real friends, not the kind where Addy might force her friends to be theirs.

Maybe that's why Sulli wanted to make a nice impression, and what better impression was there than to make people food upon the invitation to join? Not only was it a nice thank you, but hopefully it would serve as a half-decent ice-breaker too.

That was arguably one of the worst parts about going to a new space or environment, the initial awkwardness of first interactions. It would be easier with both Madden and Adelaide there, but it didn't make them any less nervous about it. It's not even that Sulli is necessarily awkward in social situations, it's the rising anxiety of knowing what's coming and still having no idea what to say.

There are the soft tones of vibration, signaling their timer is up, and Sulli's thoughts are pulled from the anxiety of attending Club Lore to the anxiety of assuring that these cookies turned out half as good as the recipe promised they would. They'd already burned the ginger cookies earlier this morning or half-burned them, so they had been much more careful with these. One batch had made it out, but the other pan had gone to shit. Of course, they wouldn't be mentioning the burning of the previous batch to the Club, it'd be better to just stick with the simple story of triple-threat cookies and that's all.

After pulling on an oven mitt, they removed the pan from the oven, setting it atop the stove and admiring the ginger-brown coloring the cookies had taken on completely. They really did look lovely, and the recommendation had been right - using quick oats rather than regular steel-cut oats made them much more delectable.

After a few minutes of cooling, Sulli began removing the cookies, glancing at their clock before placing the lid atop the container to hold the cookies in for their walk back to campus. It was fortunate it wasn't too far, it'd be a pain once the temperature dropped in the winter months. They pulled on their coat a moment later, being sure to turn off all the lights and lock the door behind them before putting on their headphones and selecting their music for their walk.

Trickling waves of anxiety washed up against their ribs, pulling their chest into a corset of twitterpation. Cookies wasn't a stupid idea, was it? The Club might find it silly or trivial or naive or childish to bring them. Sulli sighed, shaking their head absently as they tried to wish away the overwhelming stress over their head. They shouldn't be this nervous. It's not like they were walking to their execution. It was fun - this was supposed to be fun.

Hazel Eyes by Sabrina Jordan thrummed against the base of their skull, perfectly accompanying the bright fall evening that was rapidly descending upon them. It was a nice song, and it soothed their deep-hearted anxiety somewhat.

Unsurprisingly, it didn't take long for Sulli to find the door to the downstairs part of the university, what some people might call the "basement", even though only half the floor was underground, with high-up windows near the ceiling to let natural light in. They paused at the door, hesitating before creaking it open.

Below, the stairs led down into a dark hallway, corroded with cornered rust along exposed pipes, and dim-lit bulbs of light. They clearly needed to be changed. It was oddly ominous, and out of sheer paranoia, Sulli removed their headphones, tucking them inside the bag along with the cookies as they made their way down the echoey steps.

God, why did they choose the creepiest meeting place on the planet??

Still, it wasn't in their rights to complain about it. After all, maybe it was a traditional thing - or this was the only place they could meet without a lot of interruption. Come to think of it, no one seemed to know where Club Lore met - so it must have been a well-kept secret.

To be honest, even if it wasn't, Sulli doubted many people would come down here on a volunteer basis.

There are multiple rooms down the hallway, but 06 is where Club Lore is usually held, at least, that's what Adelaide told them. There's a creeping feeling running down their spine, like something is watching them, following them, and it's all that Sulli can do but not turn around and walk right back up those stairs.

This feels like the beginning of a true crime documentary - either that or a horror movie.

Whatever the case, Sulli locates the room without too much difficulty and knocks. It's a solid wood door, at least that's what it looks like. And Sulli can't quite see what's written along the top of the solid arch above it, but it must be some kind of old Gaelic, or Latin maybe. Either way, it's unreadable to Sulli, especially in the dark where they can't permanently memorize the lettering, or scribble it down in their journal for later for a more thorough examination.

It's only a few more seconds before the door is opened, and Sulli is greeted by warm features, and soft eyes. Unfortunately, they don't look incredibly familiar so their heart swoops low into their stomach, but they offer a warm, hesitant smile otherwise. "Hi, I'm Sulli."

Eyes marked by heterochromia scan over them, before locking on their own once again. A gentle, genuine smile settles over their face in another moment, and they take a step back, "Kelsey- but Kel is fine too, you can come in Sulli. I'm the only one here right now, you're early."

"Oh." Sulli lets embarrassment settle deep in their chest instead, shaking their head slightly as they stepped into the room, "I'm sorry, I thought it started at 7-"

"It does." Kelsey laughs again, and the sound feels like it should be able to smooth over any kind of turbulence a person might face in their lifetime. "Most of the time though, at least here, people run a little late. Say ten minutes or so." He shook his head in mock disbelief, but the smile never really left their face. "I'm almost always here first. Once or twice Magnus has beaten me here, but that's only on the odd days."

"Oh," Sulli laughs a little that time too, "I'm always early too, It's just a force of habit."

"Same here, don't worry about it, the others will be here soon. Some of them just have classes that don't end until a little after six, those long labs, you know?" Sulii didn't know, but they nodded anyway to Kelsey's comments as he went about tidying up. "But with music production, I might have the occasional concert or practice I have to go to, but those are usually few and far between when they interfere with our meetings." There's a pause, and Kelsey sniffs, before turning to face Sulli completely, "Did you bake something?"

Sulli's face lights up almost immediately, nodding as they remove the container from their bag. "I did- I made cookies as a thank you, you know because I'm just- I'm really glad to be here." They paused "And I appreciate the opportunity to get to come, it was really nice of you all to allow it."

Kelsey's smile is almost sympathetic, but there's something else they can't quite place. "Adelaide was quite determined, but I can't say Madden didn't advocate for both of you too." He took a seat beside Sulli, "Now- out of pure curiosity, do I have to wait till everyone gets here to try one?" He sighed, dramatically almost, and Sulli had to bite back a short laugh. "Because they smell great, and I'd rather have one while they're still warm."

Before Sulli can answer, the door is thrown open, "Kells! Is Sulli here already-" Madden's gaze stops short upon seeing the person in question, and sighs, "Sulli, you should have told me you were headed over, I would have walked with you."

Sulli can't help their growing smile, waving him off, "It's not a big deal Madden, I didn't want to bother you if you were working."

Madden groaned, sitting down in the chair on the other side of Sulli. "I was just working on the project for Bryne" He shook his head, looking towards Kelsey, "Sulli's practically done already, and it's not even due till October."

Sulli huffs another laugh, pulling at their fingers, "Don't be ridiculous, It's not like I'm finished, I'm just a little more than halfway."

Kelsey smiled empathetically, reaching over to pat Madden's shoulder, "I'm sure yours will turn out fine too- oh, did you see? Sulli made cookies."

"Yeah, they-"

Again, before Kelsey could even reach for one of the treats, the door opened once more, and two taller, intimidating men walked in. They were handsome, both of them were, although one looked like they were well on their way to scowling, while the other remained absently glancing around the room before dark eyes caught on Sulli.

The former, however, completely disregarded them, instead seeing the cookies and reaching over immediately to take one, taking a bite before pausing, "Wait a second Kells, did you make these?"

Kelsey frowned, only a little, just enough to show mild disappointment at its worst before motioning over beside them. "Sulli made them actually, as a gesture, isn't that nice?" He shook his head again, turning back to Sulli, "That's Yaşru and Julian."

Sulli had seen Yaş before, come to think of it, but typically surrounded by a cacophony of other people. Certainly not because of his approachable nature (not that Sulli knew enough to deduce whether they had one or not, but he looked intimidating enough where Sulli probably wouldn't approach him), but because he was pretty. No one could really deny that.

Yaşru's stare was piercing. Not in an empty kind of way, but an old soul kind of way. The way a god would look into a mortal to decide where they'd be placed in the afterlife. "Do these have whiskey in them?"

Sulli felt the heat creep up their face, not only because of the lingering, merciless gaze, but because they had tried to mention at least twice now that the cookies had a little shot of alcohol, and had failed both times. "Mhm." They nodded a little, unable to look away.

Yaş stared at them for another moment, before looking back at the cookies and taking two more before going to sit down. "They're good."

Kelsey, on the other hand, looked jokingly offended, "Sulli, you didn't tell me they had alcohol!" He immediately reached for them, handing one to Madden before taking a bite of his own, and humming contently. "They are good."

"They're Irish Triple Threat Cookies," Sulli nodded sheepishly, "I meant to tell you before anyone ate them."

Yaş had the decency to shrug after Julian shot him a half-scolding glare. After that, Julian looked to Sulli, picking up a cookie of his own, "It is a nice gesture." He sounds almost cold, but not quite removed entirely. They guess that Julian is probably one of the people who voted against them, but all that means is they need to try to be a little more relatable to him.

It's another moment before the door opens again, and Adelaide along with her roommate appear in the room. Addy immediately looks to Sulli, her face shifting into something almost unreadable before smiling a little. "Sulli, I would have walked you here so you didn't have to face Yaş all alone."

"I'm sorry, I'm literally right here." Madden looks to her, but his grin hasn't faded.

Addy blinks at him evenly, "Yes I know. You're pretty impossible to miss."

"That is rude, Adelaide. And I beat you here anyway."

Kelsey sighed again, looking to Sulli apologetically before leaning over to them, "Just ignore them, I don't know who Adelaide warned you about, but-"

"Oh, just someone named Magnus, I think."

"Aww, Addy, you were talking about me?" A smooth, charming voice cuts through each of them as another member, assumedly the last walks through, closing the door behind them. "How sweet."

"Shove it, Magnus."

So that's Magnus.

Sulli had heard plenty of stories, including some mild venting from Adelaide, about him. He is pretty, but as unfortunate as it is, lots of pretty people turn out to be assholes. They've seen Magnus maybe once in the library, but it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

Fire-lined eyes meet theirs, and his grin turns wicked, "Oh I know you."

Oh God, don't say it like that.

"Yeah, I do know you. From the library, remember?" Magnus' eyes are bright, and he's taking slow, methodical steps towards where Sulli is sitting. Their heart is bouncing in their chest, but it's not anything remotely affectionate.

It's fear.

"Let's see," Magnus must see the fear written all over their face, cause his eyes are glittering with amusement. "What happened again?"

"I almost spilled coffee on your textbook."

Magnus' grin widens, leaning over him, "You're scared of me."

"Yes." There's a beat of silence, a shockwave of surprise rolling through the room at the simple confession. But Sulli has never been someone to lie, especially about their feelings.

"Coward."

Adelaide steps forward, but not before Sulli responds again. "I'm not running from you though, am I?" Fighting to keep their breathing about as even as possible, and reassuring themselves that surely none of the other members would just let Magnus hurt them, they clasp their hands together. "I'm scared of a lot of things, Magnus, for you to be on that list isn't that impressive."

His face contorts after a moment, "Excuse me?"

Then Yaş is there as if in the blink of an eye, shoving him back. "Stop tormenting our newest member, Mags." Then held up a cookie in Magnus' face, "They brought a peace offering - whiskey cookies."

Sulli thinks about correcting him, but decides against it, letting out a short exhale and a nervous laugh. Magnus grumbles something but accepts the cookie with some whispered comment that makes Yaşru's face contort into another angry scowl.

Another voice, soft and overtly feminine appears beside him, "Oh! Madden was right, you are cute" Sulli looks up just in time to see Adelaides' roommate, Cassie if they remember correctly, smiling down at them.

Cute.

Their head snaps towards Madden, who just winks back at Sulli, "I'm not a liar, so you better not be about to call me one."

Sulli feels their cheeks heat slightly, and Kelsey gently pats their shoulder, "Don't worry Sulli, you'll get used to it."

Yaş sighs deeply, "Sulli, I'm expecting these cookies every week."

"He's kidding." Adelaide shakes her head, sending a glare back towards Yaş, who winks right back at her instead, going back to the cookie in his hand. She returns her gaze, softening as she does, back to Sulli. "I'm just glad you're here."

Are you?

The thought dwindles, and Sulli's eyes wander the room, watching Julian setting up a chessboard. He looks up a moment later, eyes again locking on Sulli, and eyes whirring with dark Charisma. "Sulli."

It's barely a request, but Sulli knows what he's asking, they all must know what he's asking. Adelaide pats his arm, turning back to talk to Cassie as they get up, going over to the opposing chair where Julian is sitting, finishing up the board.

"You play?"

"Yes." They used to a lot, although recently they haven't had many people to play with - so they'll do it on their computer, or using some online system to do it.

"Good." Julian's response is short and quipped, and it's clear there are still some major reservations he has. Sulli can't fault him for having doubts, not really. It's up to them to change his mind though, or at least make it tolerable to have them here. Sulli can do that, can't they?

Still, something feels strange. They can't quite place it, not really, but something feels strange about this entire situation. It's odd, and a little bit unsettling if they're being completely honest.

Why do you meet in the basement, room 06?

What did you mean when you said I couldn't join?

Why is there no club president or council?

Why are there only seven of you?

Why did you hide this from me?

"Your move."

Sulli blinks up, registering the words before offering a small smile, and instead turning to the board. Sulli won't ask any of them. At least, not right now. The best answers come only with patience, and while it might come as a surprise to most people, Sulli has a lot of that.

Someone once told Sulli that they're much like an ambush predator. Lying in wait, patient and steady, and studying their prey until the very last moment before they pounce. They still aren't sure if they should take it as a compliment or as an insult.

Either way, Sulli has questions, and they'll wait for as long as it takes to find the answers without asking anything at all.

───────────────

WYN

fourth chapter!!

again, coping mechanism currently ^^" I was feeling particularly frustrated today after my mother bought my sister-in-law (the one who commented on my weight) Ugg boots, nice ones, and she complained about them in front of her. As she was opening the present. Needless to say, I was very irritated <3

But! ty for your kind words about my puppy (and about me) <3

I hope you're all having a delightful holiday season, and if you would like to, comment on a happy memory here from this holiday season! It doesn't have to be holiday-related at all if you'd rather not, just something that happened this winter that made you smile <3

one of mine from this year is when I asked my (now) girlfriend to be my girlfriend! she came out this week to her family, and told them about me, so although we have to spend the break apart, I'm very proud of her, and I'm ecstatic to have a girlfriend

A collection of well wishes from Wyn (on top of the long chapter, I do apologize)

- I hope your charger works at every single angle
- I hope you get one of those nice naps where you wake up with lines on your skin from whatever you were sleeping on
- I hope you never get one of those small little pebbles stuck in your shoe that feels impossible to get out
- I hope the unreachable part of your back never itches
- I hope all of your high-fives go perfectly
- I hope your favorite podcast covers your favorite topic
- I hope you get the perfect shower temperature every time you get in

I love you all so much <3
Happy Holidays!