The start of the semester wasn't all hanging posters and loafing about with mates. As a student leader and vital part of the freshman orientation team, Baby had a big day ahead of him come morning. There were young students to show around campus, wisdom to impress upon them as they started the first of four fantastic years at Grimsworth, and it was important that they be hopeful and positive about the whole thing before the school crushed it out of them by midterms. Baby liked to think his charm and his particular spin on the student handbook helped soften the blow of being away from home for the first time.
Abernathy Hall was a lot of things: loud, rickety, full of spiders, but the unused rooms had become their own source of entertainment. Baby was a social butterfly by nature, and he wasn't about to turn down a good party just because of some silly concept like responsibility. After all, it took a lot of alcohol to give him a hangover.
With his hands full of pamphlets for the morning, Baby crossed the campus back toward his dorm. There were still students milling about, some later arrivals dragging a trunk up the stairs, and some loitering just for the hell of it. Baby waved at the familiar faces as he walked, not yet having a chance to catch up with anyone in particular. It wasn't until he saw Persephone up ahead. They'd only gotten close in the last year or so, when they'd sat on the riverbank and he'd talked in circles about all of the things that made his heart ache.
This time, he wasn't so sad, wasn't so grumpy, and he wore a smile instead of a special-made flower crown. "Hey! How was your summer?" He greeted her like it wasn't already getting cold out. "Did you like my postcard?" As promised, he'd sent her one from Berlin while visiting his mom. Baby only hoped he'd gotten her address right.
Percy hadn't been entirely in this world—or it felt the next. Slipped away in the vestibules of her mind. She replayed the events prior to that day, which still made her queasy and unnerved. The first thing she did when the bird was settled in her bed, bandaged and resting. Placed in a spot where she made a mock neck of pillows and blanket. Plus, the occasional shiny thing her mother had given.
Crows like shiny things—right?
The first thing she did after all that. Happened to be dry reaching into the toilet bowl closest to her. Hands gripping porcelain and tears streaming down her cheeks. Bile bit and ate at the tender flesh of her oesophagus. Then, everything was mildly blank for the rest of the day—post clean up and changing of clothes in her room.
A hazy blur or self-autopilot.
It was until she heard a certain cheery voice, which pulled her away from the life event on repeat. Persephone looked up and smiled softly at Baby. "Hello, my Summer was okay. How was yours?" She asked with a soft voice. Though, her colour palette spoke a story that was several shade paler since they last saw each other. But, the mention of the postcard encouraged a little bit of pink of those sickly looking cheeks. "Yeah, I actually did. It was lovely, I'm so jealous." Her laugh was so soft and sincere. Green eyes, however… Were terribly sad with the laced truth of being jealous.
"How was Berlin?" Percy asked, turning on the spot she'd been sitting. Allowing a proper level of focus and open body language for their conversation.
The softness of Percy's voice always left Baby a little stricken. It was hard to believe that someone that sweet existed outside of fairy tales, but there she was, in the flesh—and looking several shades paler than usual. His brow furrowed in concern, but (as usual) she didn't let on that anything was truly amiss. Instead, she asked about his summer after confirming that she'd gotten his postcard. At least he'd been able to navigate the mail.
"It was great," he nodded. "I met some cool people, did some sight-seeing. That wall is huge, by the way! I've got a ton of pictures if you want to look sometime." The memories of his latest vacation, like so many others, were held in a battered shoebox and bound up with rubber bands. "Got to see my mom a few times, too, so that was…" he trailed off in a sigh, "normal." As much as he loved his parents, work often kept them at arm's length.
Not wanting to dwell on it, Baby shook his head. "Hey, are you headed to the party?" he asked, giving her arm a playful tap with the pamphlets. "Should be fun." His eyes sparkled with a mischief that said he'd talk her into going whether she wanted to or not.
Mother's and parental struggles were another common ground between them. Though Percy had an absent father figure, her mother would never tell her about him. Who he was or what he did. It made her wish sometimes, she was a little normal—that she had another parent. Someone she could run away to instead of being berated by her mother.
"I understand that… My mother, she, wasn't exactly the kindest over break." Their problems were different. But to some degree she felt Baby understood.
Rubbing the back of her head, Percy was quick to smooth down the messy strands afterwards. "You'll have to tell me stories of Berlin," she smiled. It excited her. Since she'd never been able to physically travel. Reading had been the only source of travel in her very controlled life.
Her brow knitted anxiously at the thought of a party—being surrounded by so many people. "I don't know—Baby, I feel like I'd suck the life out of the room. Something really weird happened today…" That was odd for her to even admit that to someone. But surely someone would find out about the crow in her bedroom. "I'm worried if Richie's there… He'll think I'm bothering him or a burden." Percy blushed, but purely out of her own bubbling shyness.
Her grey-green eyes looked at the pamphlets, then lifted to Baby's gaze. "Maybe for a little while?" She never really knew how to say 'no'.
Even though they hadn't been friends for very long, Baby liked to think that he knew Percy well. They bonded over their parental struggles; he sympathized with her shyness, helped her come out of her shell every now and then, and she showed him that it was still worth it to be kind. He cared for her like the sister he'd never had. So when she hesitated, toyed with her hair, Baby knew that instead of conceding, she wanted to say no and spend the night in her room. But that just didn't fly for him.
"So?" he asked, not understanding how or why Richie had become a factor. "If he's got a problem with it, then he's got a problem with me. Ignore him." For as lithe as he was, Baby would have gone down swinging for any of his friends, but he'd never hesitate when it came to Percy.
They got to walking again, heading toward Abernathy Hall, but Baby had to drop off his materials in his dorm first. "What happened?" he asked casually, circling back around to her earlier statement. "What was so weird?"
"I don't want to ignore a friend though—just worried that my uselessness bothered him." Percy degraded herself. She never saw herself as being okay or cutting herself some personal amount of slack. Her reaction was perfectly valid for sighting an eyeball, detached in a mauled crow's beak.
"Well," she started voice straining. "I sorta have a pet crow now. After it flew into that Lonely Tree…" with a grimace she thought about the animal and the brown eyeball. "With an eyeball," she laughed awkwardly. More a cringe than an actual laugh.
"I sorta made a mess of myself," Percy admitted in a soft , withdrawn tone. "Vomited and got blood all over my clothes… and face." She fidgeted. Cracking her thumb nail mid fidget.
"You're not useless," Baby frowned before Percy could even explain the situation. After getting to know her the year before, he'd discovered that was down on herself more often than not, and while it was something that he could relate to, it wasn't something that he understood. He liked Percy, and he wanted her to like herself, too.
Regardless, he listened to that afternoon's calamity, his expression shifting rapidly from interest, to horror and disgust, and finally onto concern by the time she was finished. He didn't know where a crow had gotten an eyeball, but he had to assume—for his own sake—that it wasn't human, that it had come from some deer or other small animal. "Shit," he chuckled sympathetically in hopes of easing some of her embarrassment, "I would have puked too. But hey, you've got a pet now and that's pretty rad."
They'd reached the dorm by then and Baby swung the door open without checking to see if anyone was inside. Just because he had roommates didn't mean that he kept tabs on any of them. Without lingering, he tossed the pamphlets onto his bunk and turned back to Percy. "Did you name him?" he asked, referring to the bird before shuffling her back out the door. "And do I get to meet him?"
The party wasn't far off, just down the hall and a little ways past the bathrooms. He hoped Percy could relax a bit and have a good time.
A sinister smile painted her pale lips as a glass-shattering scream filled her ears. Candy dared to take another step forward, hell-bent on making her victims pee their pants.
"Why are you screaming?" she continued with the act, squinting her eyes a little. She couldn't see who her victims were due to the darkness though as her heavy footsteps made their way towards the duo, she realized who it was.
It was none other than her friends: Joan and Jasper.
Her sadistic side poked its ugly head. When was the last time she scared Jasper? Candy couldn't remember. She felt a little bad for Joan since the girl will be a victim of her pranks yet again.
Nevertheless, Candy shouldn't waste this opportunity.
She watched as the pair scurried into the door like a pair of scared rats. The platinum blonde female then hastened her steps. She was planning on touching any of the two, just to add to their fears. Though before she could, Jasper lost his balance.
"Oh my gosh!" Candy gasped. She was worried about her friends though remembering their reactions, she bit her lip. She tried hard to hide her laughter though she was failing miserably. She started laughing so hard that her sides were hurting.
"Ah~ I should have brought my camera." The girl exclaimed after her fit of giggles, wiping off the happy tears on her eyes. "Bet you two were scared shitless, huh?"
Shaken up. When he'd arrived back at school that morning, Ewan was more prepared than ever to perform the latest little song and dance requested by the Provider. He had every intention of following Luc to the tower, to greeting the other Founders and pretending that he liked any of them, and then sitting quietly until the meeting was over. It was unfortunate that he never made it. His attention span had gotten the better of him, snapped and obliterated when he saw a pair across the grounds slip into the woods. Ewan couldn't resist.
Their faces, much like their location, were a mystery to him. He'd lost the outsiders shortly after disappearing behind the trees. They were dense, old-growth birch with marred bark resembling eyes. On his own excursions, Ewan had always felt watched. The hairs on the back of his neck tended to stand up, his pulse raced, and too often he'd whip around in a fit, ready to catch someone before they caught him, only to find that he was all alone. It was much of the same that afternoon, but with an added twist. The trees played their tricks.
Lost didn't begin to cut it when, an hour after following those faceless students in, he couldn't find his way out. Getting to the meeting with the Provider became secondary to finding his way out, and it seemed that the further north he went, the more lost he became. The trees he saw were unfamiliar, and there was a sinister energy in the air. It buffeted through him like a harsh wind, made his mouth dry and a few times, Ewan could only scream. No one was there to help him, no one was looking for him.
It was dark by the time Ewan found his way back to campus. His clothes were disheveled, dirty from a fall and there was a cut across his pale cheek, thin and precise like the crack of a whip. It wasn't from a tree branch—he still didn't know what had gotten him. Part of him didn't want to find out. The only thing he cared about was putting some distance between himself and the woods. He told himself that he would conquer it another day, that he would come back with more than a slingshot and a lighter and that revenge would be sweet.
Abernathy Hall sat in the distance, and although not his place of residence that year, it was where he needed to be. The tower was dark when he approached, and Ewan doubted that the Provider would be waiting around for him. If there was a punishment in store, it wouldn't come that night. He lurched the heavy doors open and stepped into the dark halls. He could hear voices on the upper floors, poor boys and girls settling into their cramped scholarship rooms, possibly eager for the start of the new semester. Ewan couldn't say the same.
Slowly but surely, the full-body burst of adrenaline that had sustained him all afternoon was beginning to fade. Ewan could feel himself fading, calming and his frantic steps began to default back into his light, graceful walk, like a cat out for a stroll. He could hear footsteps behind him, voices that he didn't recognize, but the fear of snooping too soon kept him from his usual tricks. Instead, he stuck to the shadows and waited for them to pass.
"I know when you die," he said coolly. The fear in him demanded to be projected somewhere else.
A group of four boys stood in the corner, taking up a small slice of space for themselves.
One stood with a boombox tucked under his arm, digging in his pocket for one of the many tapes within, half-heartedly paying attention to the others in the group.
Another leaned casually against the wall, fiddling with a coin between his fingers. Now and then, he would look up just to meet the eyes of some random girl, his gaze lingering.
The redhead besides him couldn't look more relaxed. A halo of smoke enveloped him, the cigarette smell caustic against his faint cologne.
And the blonde stood with a hand stuffed into his pocket, while the other loosely held onto a bottle of beer. An unlit joint was tucked behind his ear, saving it for when the party started. As eyes scanned the room, a mischievous smirk tugged at his lips.
There was just one person missing.
"Eh, where is it…" Kota said to himself, brows furrowing as he struggled to find the tape he wanted. Meanwhile, Kellen grinned knowingly beside him, watching as the other boy grew more frustrated with each passing second.
Finally, Kellen held up the tape between his two fingers.
"Looking for this?" he taunted, jerking his hand away as soon as the other boy tried to seize it. Briefly, he gloated in smug self-satisfaction before handing the cassette back.
This was met with an angry glare from Kota who immediately inserted the tape into the boombox. When the music started playing, however, only confusion filled his expression. This wasn't 'U Can't Touch This'. It was one of those songs from that band Kellen liked so much.
"I swapped the tapes," Kellen said. "I wasn't about to let you play your shitty music."
"Dumb cunt."
"Not that you would know many 'cunts'."
"Yeah? Well I know plenty of dicks!" Kota said this loud enough to garner the stares of the people standing near them. Kellen burst into laughter.
Leo glanced over at Dakota with a playful grin. "Is that so?" He asked, chuckling to himself.
Dakota shot Leo a glare, one that clearly said 'shut up.'
"Speaking of dicks.."
Richie's voice was quiet in the silent interim.The redhead wasn't smiling, but he winked good-naturedly at Kellen.
"How much for the cigs? You never gave me a price."
"Oh right," Kellen buried his hand in his pocket and produced the packet of smokes he'd almost forgotten about. "A dollar twenty."
Kota awkwardly shifted, wanting to get away from his own comment. "Oh yeah, that's Richie… good old Richie, the ciggy guy."
"No shit, sherlock."
"There's a new one. Ciggy guy," Richie mused. "I've been called worse."
Leo quirked an eyebrow, peering at Richie as he took a sip from his beer. "Oh? Like what?" He asked, a smirk pulling on his lips.
"Cocksucker. Fag." The smoke petered from Richie's lips in a lazy haze, and he shrugged nonchalantly alongside the insulting titles. "Not very original, I'm afraid."
"How boring! I wish they'd come up with something new," Leo replied with a cheeky grin. "I was called a slobbering nob gobbler once. That one was pretty good," He chuckled, taking another sip from his beer.
"No fucking way." A fifth party interrupted their dick gobbling. Eight months of seperation, yet Kellen still recognized his voice.
It was Benji.
The last one smiled easy, sharp with his slicked back hair. He took a final drag before dropping the butt of his cigarette into a red solo cup. A couple jocks clapped his back while they passed behind him, but he ignored them - fixated on Kellen.
"Where the hell have you been? You twat."
"Inside your mom's twat, asshole." Kellen said, clapping his hand against Benji's before going for a fist bump.
"God, and you're still such a tool!" Benji couldn't help but laugh. Even if Kellen's sudden disappearance pissed him off, he was worried and happy to see him.
It was adolescence in its prime.
Grimsworth may have eked out an infamous reputation as being ostentatiously aged, but amidst the somber, antique decor, the swell of teens managed to infuse their surroundings with life. Laughter, playful banter, and smoke sifted about with reckless abandon. As the boys continued to engage one another, each verbal jab growing more and more wild than its predecessor, their gathering could be seen settling into a joyous, youthful pattern.
Supposedly there was some party going on in another section of Abernathy's abandoned hallways. A clandestine meeting of degenerates with cigarettes, alcohol, and music. It sounded like plenty of immature fun - for them.
Ordinarily Hunter would have tried to attend. He couldn't stomach too many parties; there was enough adolescent stupidity to fill his quota for the day in sports and class, and parties seemed to show the pinnacle of said moronic behavior. But it was good to be in the know about things. And you didn't get that way by shying away from all social functions. Fortunately for the partygoers - let's face it: Hunter wasn't exactly a welcome sight for some - he wasn't able to attend.
Duty called. He had his own clandestine meeting to attend.
They didn't really have a word for the secret room they'd found. Him, Emery, Sang - they knew it only as their own space. Somewhere they could talk without the prying ears and eyes of others.
The others were already there when Hunter finally emerged from the gloom. His eyes danced over their tense forms, noting Emery's pacing with nothing more than the slight crook of his brow. The scrawny prick was always anxious about something. His nervous tics had more or less become normal for Hunter, and he looked away from him in favor of staring down the redhead, a frown settling on his face. Sang was still an unknown factor to him. He hadn't seen much of her, and that worried him. How, or if she could fall into the plans he had remained to be seen.
He just hoped she would be more useful than Emery, because…
Yeah.
"Good that you're both here. Let's keep this short, then," Hunter began. His eyes darted between Sang and Emery evenly. "I've got some things to unpack about the rich brats who's parents run this town. They had a meeting earlier in the tower while the rest of you were dicking around, so I went to listen in. So…"
Despite his brutish demeanor, Hunter proved a reliable reporter. His attention to detail was uncanny; at length, he went into who had attended the meeting, the Provider and his wizened, decrepit appearance, and the old man's bizarre instructions.
"I still don't know how the fuck the Provider did what he did. He was like...ordering them to kill him, and when they wouldn't he sicced these damn worms on them from out of his sleeves and shit." Genuine bewilderment clouded Hunter's features, humanising him. "Two of the kids tried to get at him, but soon as they did, he released some kind of smoke from his body. And left. I wasn't able to get much else...except for the fact these 'meetings' tend to happen a lot. There's a chance we'll see this Provider again."
To anyone else, the story would sound like utter nonsense. A child's nightmare cloaked in a daydream. But he and Emery and Sang...well…
Let's just say they had done their dance with the supernatural. More than once.
The quarterback drew silent as fished around in his letterman jacket. As his fingers closed around the desired object, he turned to stare intently at his brother.
"Emery. Ever seen one of these things in the soil in your gardening club?"
And reaching forward, his fingers slowly unfurled, revealing the shriveled corpse of the biting worm.
It wasn't the first time, and surely, it wouldn't be the last, but the Provider's outbursts never failed to leave Dawn stricken. After making it out of the tower and finding her way back to her dorm, the Venture girl had spent the rest of the afternoon lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling and half paralyzed in fear. The wounds on her legs, now affixed with bandages, ached nearly as much as the put in her stomach; she'd tried to murder someone today. Through all of her training, all of the things she'd been shown, Dawn had always doubted that she had that kind of violence in her.
To be proven wrong by her own hand...it was maddening.
A knock at the door stirred Dawn from her heavy thoughts. After making it out of the tower, Fey had disappeared, and she'd invited Luc over if the other girl wanted some company. It seemed that the other Abernathy didn't want to be alone either.
Dawn didn't bother to turn on a light before opening the door. Part of her wanted to stay in the dark forever, to hide her face and never have to look into her own eyes and see whatever she'd become that afternoon in the tower. She could still feel the broken chair leg in her hands, the edge jagged, and the way it bent against the Provider's back to snap between her fingers. It was just another unpleasant memory to hang onto; add it to the fucking box.
"Aw, babe. You look terrible."
Luc was one to talk. She stood in the doorway looking worse for wear. Luc squinted in one eye, her cheek more swollen than it was in the tower. Regardless, the Abernathy girl seemed to be in high spirits.
"Lock the door behind you," she greeted Luc with a sympathetic half-smile and beckoned the dark-haired girl fully into her bedroom. With a limp in her step, Dawn moved over to her bed and produced a cheap bottle of vodka, still half-full but hopefully enough to nurse their wounds. "How's your face?" she asked, pulling the silver cap from the bottle to hand it off to Luc for the first drink; that was the rule: the worse your wounds, the sooner you drink. Compared to Luc, a few worm bites weren't anything.
"It hurts like hell, but don't I look kind of cute? Sort of like a damsel in distress?" Luc's voice matched the pleasantry of her words but the scornfulness lingered. She would wear the gnarly bruising of her face as a fucking trophy. It was a reminder to herself of how terribly she failed. How terrible she felt - and how terrible The Provider and the whole fucking town was. The resentment towards her life gave Luc a reason to live. It moved her forward so that one day she could finally be free of it.
Though, the vodka was much needed.
"I've never known you to be a damsel," Dawn remarked in an attempt to downplay Luc's black eye, "but you're still very pretty."
A smile crept on Luc's face, and if you didn't know any better you would think she felt bashful. Taking three swigs, Luc tipped the bottle towards her sullen faced friend.
"Look, Dawn. I adore you." As Dawn reached to take the bottle, Luc snatched her arm like a viper. She held her gaze, reading into her with wide eerie eyes. Slowly, she released her grip and snaked her hand along her arm. She played with her hair, tucking it behind her ear before gently brushing her cheek. "But if it hurts you like this, don't bother." Her voice dropped down to a whisper. She stepped close, coiling her arms around her as if to cradle her. "You know I'll kill him."
She spoke as if it were an offering.
When the bottle came her way, Dawn reached for it but found her wrist caught in Luc's grasp. The air between them had suddenly turned rather serious, as if they could no longer avoid the elephant in the room, or further deny the chaos that surrounded their lives. Dawn held Luc's gaze, honey-brown and soft to steely-blue and wild, and she tensed slightly as the other girl's hand snaked up her arm. "You know I feel the same," she said quietly before relaxing into Luc's embrace.
Their relationship, much like the relationships that she had with the other founding children, was complicated, but there had always been something else between them. As Dawn's friendship with Feyre began to drift and splintered, Luc filled the void and there was a part of Dawn that was completely enamored with the other girl. There was another part, too, that believed Luc could solve all of their problems; if anyone had the determination to follow through, it was the youngest Abernathy.
"I don't believe he can die," Dawn confessed against Luc's shoulder as the conversation took an obvious turn toward the Provider. Her free arm slung low around Luc's waist and she closed her eyes before breathing an exhausted sigh. "It's another test. He's messing with us to see who wants to take his place and they'll end up like Avery." She paused for a moment and her grasp tightened. "I don't want that for you."
Truthfully, she worried for Luc. It was more than just the other girl's violent ambition, it was the way her brother, Ewan played into it and how overboard they went together. There was something off about him and his mere presence put Dawn on edge.
There was nothing she could do against the pull of gravity.
Joan yelped as Jasper toppled to the ground, effectively yanking her with him. The impact knocked the breath out of her lungs, eliciting a low oath from the frightened girl.
What the hell was that?!
Suddenly the ghost started… laughing. It wasn't the creepy kind of laughter Joan had been expecting either. It was more… girlish. More human. She squinted her eyes to see better in the darkness, though it wasn't the girl's appearance that gave things away. It was her voice.
She sounded familiar.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," Joan heaved a sigh as she pushed herself up from the ground, wiping her sweaty palms against her pants. Her heart was still hammering in her chest, though she made it seem as though she hadn't been frightened at all. "I knew there was something off. I just knew it."
Joan let out a weak laugh, shaking her head. "It's not fucking funny, damn it! God, Jasper, you're such a coward."
It took Jasper's mind a few moments to catch up with reality and the reality of the situation was Candy, pulling yet another prank. A damned successful one at that.
Jasper scowled up at her from the ground, giving Joan a small shove away from him trying to act like he hadn't been scared for his life just seconds ago. He rolled to his feet, giving Joan a playful shove away when she got his head. "Piss off, you're the one that screamed like a-" He cut himself off, staring at her a moment.
"Oh yeah...You are a girl," He snorted and scratched the back of his neck before shooting another glare at Candy. "You're going to regret that."
He gave his shirt a tug, giving a mock look of superiority. "For both of your information, I wasn't scared at all, that was all Joan," he said, lying terribly yet adding a dusting of total confidence to his voice.
Kota pulled a joint from his pocket, half listening to his friends as she looked around at the party goers. He put it up to his lips and lit it up, his beer hanging from his lower fingers, slipping dangerously.
Once his joint was lit, he slipped his lighter away and fixed his grip on his bottle. "You know…" He said to no one in particular. " Maybe I should lay off the weed…" He rolled the joint between his fingers, eying the glowing end.
"This place used to give me some trippy ass maze dreams."
He eyed it a moment longer before shrugging and returning it to his mouth for a drag. "Fuck it," He muttered on his next exhale.
When the familiar voice echoed behind him Emery halted his pacing, stopping in his tracks as his body swiveled on his heels. He tensed, startled at the others' sudden appearance. Although they had met under these dubious circumstances plenty of times before, it still always made Emery uneasy. The topics discussed were heavy, and something he would much rather ignore.
As Hunter began describing everything he witnessed during the founding kids' meeting, the events that took place sounded too bizarre to believe. At least, under normal conditions, they would have. But Grimsworth was far from a normal school.
The information steadily flowed through his ears as Emery tucked it away for later, for a time when he could actually process the situation he found himself in. It had been this way since the whole thing started, mentally trying to block out anything outside of normal and live an ordinary life. But, that was only getting more and more difficult to do. All Emery knew, was whoever or whatever this Provider figure is, he hoped to never have to meet him.
Emery perked up when he heard his name, his large hazel eyes peering up at Hunter with a questioning look. As the other opened his hand, Emery recoiled and took a step back. "I..uh- well...It looks like a worm?" His voice wavered with uncertainty. "Th-there's lots of worms in the garden...it's good for the plants." The brunette glanced back up to Hunter with a pleading expression, hoping that Hunter would find his words helpful.
Candy smiled as she watched the two interact. It was entertaining to see them bicker though she had to admit, she felt a bit envious. Ah, what is wrong with me? Joan and Jasper had been friends way before she came to Grimsworth. There was nothing wrong with that!
Yet why does she felt isolated in times like these?
Shaking the thought aside, Candy let out a small laugh and focused on the conversation.
"Uh-huh," she replied to Jasper in a tone full of sarcasm, completely ignoring his words. She expects the black-haired male to soon pull a prank on her for revenge though she is confident that it wouldn't be tonight. Thus, she has nothing to worry about.
"Oh, sure. It was ALL Joan." Candy continued in a teasing voice. "She's the one who toppled on the ground and brought YOU down."
The silver-haired girl then looked at Joan, an apologetic smile on her face. She felt dejected that the girl got dragged into her pranks again. "I'm sorry. I swear, it wasn't my plan to scare you specifically! You know that... right?"
Unable to handle the awkwardness, Candy then began pushing the two of the room. "Anyway! Y'all are going to the party, right? You two should get going. I'm gonna stay here for a while to scare more people."
The party was already underway by the time Baby entered the fold with Percy by his side. After a long day spent unpacking (see: loafing around), he was ready to unwind, let loose and catch up with old friends. Giving a look around the room, he saw a fair share of familiar faces and some new ones mixed in as well; Grimsworth got new students every year, and Baby had never been shy about making new friends.
After grabbing himself a beer and offering one to Percy, Baby took a sip and leaned himself back against the wall. Normally, he would have been in the middle of things, right in the center flitting from one conversation to the next, but he didn't mind hanging back with Percy. He looked from her and rolled his head to the side, spotting Dakota with red eyes and a joint in hand. The smell was familiar, and brought him back to one of the first times he'd hung out with Percy.
It wasn't like Baby to just storm into conversations, not when he hadn't been addressed, but the mention of dreams—those maze dreams—caught his attention. Baby perked up and pushed himself away from the wall, "what'd you say?" he asked, though he'd heard clear enough. "I've had a few of those." The dreams that had been coming to him lately, the labyrinth of long, dark, never-ending hallways, were easy to write off as weird-lizard-brain-shit until it was a coincidental commonality.
"Probably just the weed…" he nodded to Dakota, though an uncomfortable knot of tension coiled in his stomach. "Better lay off, dude."
As Leo brought the bottle of beer to his lips, he swallowed down the bitter liquid as if it was water. The beer was cheap, containing hardly any alcohol. If he had to guess, it would take an entire pack just to get him buzzed. But, he supposed it was better than nothing. Or, at least better than being sober.
When he noticed Dakota lighting up his joint, Leo pulled the one from behind his ear. As he placed it between his smirking lips, he leaned towards the other. "Hey, can I get a light?" He asked, despite having a lighter in his own pocket. As he gazed at Dakota with a salacious expression, he silently enjoyed teasing the other.
While Dakota talked about quitting weed, Leo quirked an eyebrow at him. "That's crazy talk." He chuckled, unable to imagine why someone would want to do that to themselves. The thought of spending the school year stuck at Grimsworth sober sounded like an inhumane punishment. Though, as he mentioned his dreams of the mazes, Leo paused.
The blond hadn't noticed Baby until he heard the boy's friendly voice. As he turned, Leo listened silently to the other comment about his own similar dreams. It was eerie, and killed any buzz Leo had managed to get. "Eh, I wouldn't worry too much about it." Leo replied lightheartedly, trying to remain positive and calm the tense moment. "This place is pretty creepy. It's probably nothing, you just need some fun to unwind." Leo shrugged, writing off the commonality as nothing more than Grimsworths creepy atmosphere and overactive imaginations.
Aoife Sheridan had no plans to attend the party though she found herself bored. It was a Sunday afternoon she couldn't cope with, and she was feeling the terrible listlessness that starts to set in every time she finds herself alone in her room. She already had all the baths she can usefully have that day, stared hard at a paragraph in a book she will never actually read, and stared at the clock's hands that move sluggishly slow.
Thus, the redhead soon found herself walking around the halls of Abernathy. She was hoping that something or someone would help her ease her boredom. Though it seems she won't be bored for long.
A familiar mop of brown hair caught her eye.
"Cy, darling!" Aoife called, her voice so sweet it's almost sickening. "Are you headed to the party?"
Cyrus had been going to the party to forget—but the monsters lingered in these halls as well, it seemed. Stepping back when she heard that fake sincere voice. "Sh-er-i—dan," Rus stuttered in a frightened tone.
Taking the measured step back. Eyes blown wide. Lip quivering. About to scream when a hand clamped down over her mouth. Holding tight over, suffocating the scream against the calloused palms.
Harshly her head was brought back. Meeting the gaze of the other nightmare. Zeke Florence.
He was pale—and it made her look more beast than normal. Veins bursting from his brow, neck and shoulder. Zeke looked like an animal.
Out for blood.
"Aoife, you weren't in your room when I came looking. Wondered if you were sniffing out someone." He commented, lifting his gaze to his partner in crime. A sickening cold smile tugging on his cheek. Normally slicked back hair fell around his brow and curled at his temple.
Surprise briefly flashed Aoife's eyes at Zeke's sudden appearance. She was not expecting to see him so soon though she is indeed thankful for his presence. If it wasn't for him, the girl's scream would fill the halls. Regaining her composure, she smiled.
"Zeke, darling. I didn't know you were looking for me." Her voice was teasing. Testing to uncover why the male sought her out. "If I am not mistaken, we haven't scheduled anything tonight. But it doesn't matter."
Aoife took a step forward towards the pair, her fingers tracing down on Cyrus' body. Although her hands are busy exploring the girl, her eyes never left Zeke. "I was planning on having a little bit of fun. Are you in?"
Her smile was sinister, dark, and alluring. Enough to tell that she was up to no good.
The grasp on Cyrus held firm enough that she couldn't get away. Even though the girl tried to shrink away from Aoife's touch. Body shivering and naturally tensing. A whimper escaped into the palm and it grasped at her cheeks a little tighter in warming, pinching her lips in the process.
"I never tell you or your birds. When I'm looking for you. Makes the hunt fun," he remarked teasingly. The smirk almost turned a note sultry. Amused by their little game and the captured hostage. "Not everything is scheduled. But, we must enjoy the little gems when they fall into our pockets."
Or were placed in them by their own sticky fingers. He thought, feeling the form shiver against him. Quite overtaken by it. Seeking pleasure in the form he knew almost as well as Aoife's.
Their masterpiece, her skin, had been their canvas. Once blank. Now marred with the essence of memory and literal burns. "We should find a room," he gestured to get out of the hall.
Seeing Zeke hold a girl who's fearing for her life was enough to make Aoife quiver. Why is it that she finds him incredibly charismatic every time they do something evil together? Not wasting any time, the redhead led them to an empty room.
It was a shame that Aoife didn't have any equipment with her though that only meant she had to be creative. The girl looked around the empty room, searching for something she could use until… her eyes gleamed in delight.
"Darling," Aoife purred, her eyes trained on Zeke's hips. "Could you please take off your belt so you could tie up our toy?"
As she waited for her partner to do her bidding, she then grabbed a broomstick that was haphazardly thrown on the floor. "I'm feeling incredibly bored tonight so why don't we start with something light such as beating her?"
Walking towards Cyrus, Aoife harshly grabbed the girl's face. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? After all, you're a bitch who likes to be in pain."
Door barred, Zeke pulled his belt free. Tugging free a scarf Cyrus had been wearing. Tying it between her lips. Following the instructions of his partner. Pulling the quivering figure up to give Aoife her full undivided attention. Hands tangled in the deep brunette locks, snagging every knot. Hand reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a switchblade.
thuds[/I] and thwacks he heard. Nicotine was one high. But this was another type of high.
He admired Aoife's form. It was stunning. Beautifully cruel.
God, what it made him want to do.
French exhaling the smoke, he trailed over to the other woman. Grasping the broomstick, leaning into Aoife's space. Smoke tendrils from his lips before he pulled her in. Savoring her taste.
His foot nudged Cyrus's body. Staring down at her fragile form. "The sight of what you've done, makes me want to make your skin a pretty shade of red, Fe." Zeke purred. Savouring the sight.
Squatting down to the broken girl on the ground. Staring off blankly into space that neither torturer inhabited.
Where was Cyrus? She didn't know—somewhere far away. Or locked away in her head. Each strike against her body makes her jerk. Her brain had yet to register the pain. Or the lucid sobs that left her.
Only the burning end of a cigarette bud pressed into her skin. Caused her to wake up from wherever her mind had dropped off. Cyrus instantly choked on her scream, looking at the burn just above her breast.
"Oops," Zeke smiled.
Aoife stopped her movements as she was pulled into a kiss, a loud moan escaping her. She hungrily kissed Zeke back, tasting the cigarette from his lips. She pulled him closer by grabbing his collar, the sound of the broom clacking against the floor ringing in her ears.
"Patience, darling." Aoife cooed after they pulled away from the kiss, her breathing ragged as she tried to catch her breath. The image Zeke planted on her brain was tempting though tonight wasn't the right time. "We're just getting started. Besides-" Focusing her eyes on Cyrus, Aoife grinned. "-I think you're neglecting our little toy. She needs some affection."
Aoife crouched down to kiss the fresh burn mark on Cyrus' skin before taking a firm bite. Seeing the girl squirm and cry in pain was euphoric. It gave her a certain high that no drug can match. She bit harder, only stopping when the taste of blood hit her tongue.
Cyrus stared at the pair with a mix of simmering hatred, pain, fear and anguish. She struggled against constraints when Aoife kissed that burn mark. Scored into her flesh by the twisted lover. Zeke's shoe on her abdomen pinned her in place. A grimace and cry left the Australian. Struggling against the seemingly locked jaw at her flesh.
Blood trickled down the fresh wound. Brown hair stuck to her cheeks. While matching eyes looked at Aoife. Snot and tears staining her cheeks. Breathing hoarse and rigid.
Seeing the hatred from Cyrus' eyes made Aoife squirm. Her legs rubbed against each other as she tried to create friction. She was tempted to burst right then and there though she held it in. It wouldn't be fun to do it alone. Besides, the redhead felt like she needed to please Cyrus as well. Give her a reward in some fucked up way.
"Darling," Aoife called to Zeke while grabbing Cyrus, spreading the girl's legs. "I'm contemplating if I should fuck her with my fingers or my mouth as a reward for being a good girl. Which one do you prefer?"
Zeke tilted his head to the side. Consider all the options. Then, smirking. "Why not both?" He proposed. Watching the girl give more life to her thrashing about. Denying them.
Sighing, the motion to stop her had been a lazy one. Pressing her down into the ground. Making quick work to help with the girl's pants.
"Doesn't this bring back memories? Give one of us all," Zeke mused mockingly. Reaching down to touch Cyrus. "We need to get you ready…" he chided, booping her nose coyly.
Settling down, he freed himself from his pants and stroked the throbbing erection. Now, beading with precum from their "tender" activities.
Aoife giggled at Zeke. She loved how her partner teased the poor girl. If only it's just the two of them, she had already jumped at him and fucked him senseless.
Focusing her attention on Cyrus, Aoife began working. She harshly shoved two fingers deep inside the girl. It was hot. Tight. The redhead almost cooed in glee. "Would you look at that?" The redhead teased, moving her fingers in and out while her lips sucked her cute little bud. "Bet you missed this, haven't you?"
Wet sounds filled the room as Aoife continued, her left hand making its way on her own panties to rub her folds, overstimulating herself. "Fuck," she groaned, throwing her head back out of pleasure. Her eyes then found Zeke, watching him. She matched each movement with his strokes though as seconds passed, the redhead felt like it's not enough.
"Zeke," Aoife whined, wriggling her hips.
Cyrus bit into the gag in her mouth. Trying to ignore the sensation. Aoife's fingers and tongue. Made her writhe in discomfort and disgust. Tears stained her cheeks. Face reddened from holding her breath and struggling against the binds. Veins bulged from her throat and brow, as she tried to keep everything muffled.
She hated how her body knew Aoife's touch, had been touched enough to start reacting. Body slackened and constricted against touch. Strangled cries were made in disgust for her body reacting against her.
"It appears both of you have missed each other," Zeke remarked in a sinister tone. Touching himself and brushing his knuckle against the back of Cyrus's cheek.
Zeke rose, shifting to the other girl. "Beg for it," he purred in her ear. Admiring the sight of Cyrus beneath them both. Then, his eyes slowly panned towards Aoife. Admiring her desperation for him, something more than fingers. "Beg for what you want, Aoife." He said looking down at his prize and their pet. Thumb brushing down her flesh and admiring her.
Aoife whimpered and bit her lip hard. Both of them knew that she hates begging! It made her feel weak. Vulnerable. And oh so turned on. Desperation was evident in her eyes as she removed herself from Cryus so she could stand next to Zeke.
She grabbed his hand, letting his fingers caress her inner core. "Oh, darling." Aoife let out a sweet moan as she felt his digits move. She guided his every movement, leaning her head on his shoulder to brace herself. She needed him. And she needed him now. "Just fuck me. Please."
Zeke hooked that digit deep, finding the spot that made her weak for him. There for only a moment, ghosted a somewhat sincere smile. "Hop on then," he gestured to the firm cock in his other hand. "My greedy lover." He whispered into her red locks. The words are only soft for her. Tender caresses to the world of bad they'd just done, to the girl laying indecent on the floor by them.
A startling surprise when Cyrus managed to move. Body wriggling away like a worm. Damned fucking worms, he thought. Hand moving from his cock and reaching for the girl's ankle. Pulling her back with a rough jerk. Not caring if he hurt her.
"I'll fuck you from behind, you deal with her." Zeke demanded. Feeling the spike of his anger high in his blood. Working on pulling his pants down enough to not have them stained by sex. He waited for Aoife to move, then his fingers from within her slipped free. Pushing her panties to the side and pushing his cock into her. Little preparation needed for the fiery vixen, she liked it rough. Plus, she had already been so wet. "Then, when I feel it." He leant over Aoife, ever the dominating presence. Whispering filth in her ear.
"I want you to hold her down, while I finish." Zeke tore his gaze away from the beautiful red locks. Kissing them when he peered at Cyrus. Watching the girl struggle. He throbbed at the sight. "I'll dirty that little cunt of yours, then use her as my little cum dump." Cyrus kicked his wrist for the remark, causing him to hiss. Tightening his hold on the pathetic girl's ankle, moving his hips fluidly into the warmth of his lover. Groaning at the constricting tightness.
"Almost wish we bought your toy along," he commented. His smile is arrogant and lazy.
Amused by the very struggles put up. The budding blossom of bruises across slightly tanned skin.
Aoife could feel her partner's anger with each thrust. It felt so good, so rough! Her knees felt weak as Zeke thrusted ruthlessly. Waves of pleasure traveled throughout her body as she heard her lover's grunt and tiny groans. Everything about the situation sent shivers running down her spine. She could feel herself getting closer: the pressure on her stomach getting unbearable.
"Hah-" Aoife moaned, spurred by his filthy words. She found her hands holding Cyrus' shoulders tightly, pinning her down. She could clearly see the girl's disgusted and angry reaction which spurred her even more.
She met her lover's thrusts with her hips while her fingers invaded Cyrus once again. There's no way she's going to let the poor thing suffer! It would only be kind of Aoife to let the girl feel pleasure as well. Thus, she curled her fingers to find the sweet spot, smiling wickedly when she felt her pulse and tighten.
It didn't take long for Aoife to become undone. Her face contorted out of pleasure as her whole body quivered, her muscles tightening up. A low sweet moan escaped her while whole body throbbed. She looked at Zeke through hazy eyes, a miniscule smile on her face before leaning in to give him a kiss.
"Look at you coming undone at the slightest thing," Zeke commented looking at Aoife's nearly stupid euphoria state. A smile tugging on his cheek. It stroked his ego, managing to have her attain such a height in pleasure with him. In truth, he wasn't long from being far gone himself. So, efficiently he moved onto Cyrus. The girl was no better than a lifeless doll at that point. It didn't give him much enjoyment at all.
Still… He used her all the same.
Cyrus couldn't fight it. So, her mind pushed her out of body. Elsewhere, somewhere that the heat of her body could be compared to Summer. Spike of perspiration merely came from the scornful heat of that season, not the fact her body was so close to others. Burns had come by forgetting sunscreen, not cigarettes. Laughter was drowned out. In moments like these, Cyrus couldn't hear anything. Maybe, a little bit of white noise or something like that.
There was the weight of another body on her. All she saw was the dark ceiling above her and felt the cold flooring on her. Then, she was just alone. Blinking back into existence. Not entirely sure on how much time had passed.
When she moved again, her hand went to the slick between her legs. And Cyrus bent to one side and vomited. Grabbing her clothes, she hurried to put her clothes back on. Body shaking. One by one, she worked on the buttons to her shirt. Feeling that uncomfortable feeling settling in her pants.
People would notice her if she didn't go to the party. Too many people would notice that matter. Jasper… He would notice.
He'd missed dinner. It was his own fault really, he'd arrived later than he'd planned and had been up in his room unpacking rather than going down for dinner. He would rather be organised and not have to worry about it later. Besides, he could eat a big breakfast tomorrow.
Ash placed the last of his books onto the neat pile on his desk. He was all too aware that the clean, orderly pile likely wouldn't last for too long since things had a tendency to become chaotic when he worked. For now it was perfect.
Rubbing the back of his neck as he scanned the room, making sure everything was in order. When he glanced outside his eyes widened a little at the darkening sky. He searched his pockets in a rush, an almost panicked look on his face. He hadn't realised how much time had passed.
He still had an hour…
He breathed a quick sigh of relief, ripping his jacket off his bed and dashed out of his room to meet Elise. He was in such a rush he didn't even bother to grab his umbrella.
He should have gone sooner!
He stumbled slightly as he exited Abernathy hall, his jacket half on and half tangled as he ran for the statue in the middle of the school grounds, fat droplets of water wetting his hair.
All this talk about mazes triggered memories Kellen had long forgotten. A deep, unsettling feeling suddenly overcame him. The fact that they shared the exact same dream was not just strange, it was downright creepy.
"I don't know about that," Kellen's voice was a quiet and somber interjection after Leo's lighthearted comment. Eyes downcast, he rubbed his fingers ruminatively against the coin he'd been holding. "I've had dreams like that, too. Endless staircases, secret doors..."
He stifled a shudder, glancing up to see if anyone found familiarity in his words.
"I always got this... nagging feeling like I was meant to be searching for something."
Sanguine had no issue returning Hunter's look, her lips quirked to a rather displeased scowl as she seemed to concentrate all her current frustration at the other. Regardless of her ire, she listened patiently to the information he recounted, gaze lifted to the ceiling as she spun idly on the chair, its decrepit form squeaking quietly with the movement. The Provider sounded like trouble - a factor they knew so little about was a problem in their supposed schemes. After all, how could you factor in someone, or something, that you had no idea about. The logistics of it all had her sighing in exasperation, spinning the chair one more time till she stopped it with the heel of her boot to face the others.
Her attention pulled directly to Hunter, Emery and the worm like creature, the red-head hopped up from her spot and headed closer to get a better look. It was, well weird, to say the least. Brows furrowed, Sanguine couldn't help but reach out to poke at the corpse before scoffing, "Well, that is just disgusting." She mumbled, though rather glad it was worms of all things and not spiders - those fuckers after all, were a nightmare given life and that was coming from her.
"So there is some creepy old fucker who has a death wish and can shoot worms?" She parroted, disbelief faint in her tone, "I'd feel bad for the creep for being stuck with this but I don't -" With her interest satisfied, Sanguine headed back to her chair, seemingly amused with her ability to spin herself upon it till her vision span, "-Question though, what the fuck do we do about this Provider geezer? I mean we know there's a literal dude with worm powers lurking around and he seems to be quite a handful."
Elise was excited and that excitement was turned to her studies. She had been pacing around her room for the last few hours trying to drain the burst of energy she seemed to experience but nothing had worked. At least, until she stuck her head into one of her new textbooks for class - the content at least had provided her with a clear and focused distraction till she could see Ash. It had been to long, though Elise would argue any time was too long, since she had seen him and due to his late arrival, they had planned to meet up in the courtyard shortly. Luckily, the slow patter of rain beginning to pour against her window caught her attention before she could lose anymore time to her book.
Reaching out, Elise grabbed a nearby bookmark to place neatly into the book as she hurried off her bed. For her own safety, Elise had claimed a bottom bunk - she would probably fall off a top bunk on a regular basis after all. Placing the book once again under her bed, she went hunting for her umbrella in the mass of her bags. "Found it-" Her cheer was cut off when she banged her arm against the bed frame with a muffled yelp. Used to it or not - it was a pain, literally, how many clumsy moments she had! However, it was not the time to focus on that!
With the soft purple polka-dot umbrella in hand, Elise was out the door and almost flying down the steps to the buildings entrance. The blonde only stopped to open her umbrella with a rather large grin, before she continued in her rush to the courtyard. Reaching the looming, old statue, Elise couldn't help but pause to stare, curiously, for a moment till he arrived. She really wanted to know more about it!
Smiling, Elise could help but wave happily, "Ash! I've missed you!" Her grip on the umbrella weakened as she reached out to wrap the other in a hug. "How are you? I really did miss you - Have you unpacked already? How is your new room? Did you get nice roommates?" She rambled, trying faintly to keep the umbrella securely above them both.
"Hey!" Joan gave Jasper another one-handed shove, albeit this time she targeted his arm. "What's that supposed to mean?!"
Of course, the comment was nothing new to a tomboy like Joan. She had heard it many times before. Despite this, however, the comments still affected her, even if the frequency had softened the blow somewhat. Now, it was less a punch in the gut, and more just a pinch in the arm. Still, it would be a lie to say it didn't make her feel insecure.
As usual, however, she hid her feelings behind a tough mask. Joan simply rolled her eyes, parodying Jasper's next words with obvious mockery.
Then, suddenly, Candy turned to her and apologized. It was so unexpected that Joan didn't know what to say for a good few seconds. Vaguely realizing she was running out of time to respond, she simply shrugged out of panic.
She regretted it immediately.
Shrug? Really? That was all she could think to do? God, she was so stupid. Candy was probably going to hate her now, if she didn't already. Jesus. What a fucking idiot.
It was too late to make any amends. The conversation had already moved on by the time Joan could think of a good follow-up, and Candy seemed intent on staying put.
"Come on," Joan muttered to Jasper as she began to move, still thinking of the billion and one ways she could have responded to the apology.
