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[Ayla]

[fieldbox=Hadlee, pink, solid]

Hadlee woke up with a start, her abodmen sore from holding in her sobs. She was happy that nobody heard her, as if they could. She stood up and realized she still hadnt eaten since breakfast, which even then she didnt eat. Hadlee gave Diem a little smile before he flew up into the vent, leaving a sickly green glow in his wake. She threw off her rumpled clothes and put on a new tank top that never seemed to fit right.

WIth a small sigh, she removed the blanket from her door, grabbed her mother's copy of Catcher in the Rye and made her way to the Dining Hall. For once, she was actually starving and needed something to eat. Doing all of those tricks and then running after a scared and sorrowful Wisp really worked up an appetite in the little Ram.

Walking into the Mess Hall, it was nearly deserted. Most were out roaming the halls, outside, or with their mentors. It was eerily quiet in the normally loud hall. Not that she minded.

Hadlee picked up her meal of oats and honey, her usual meal, and sat in the back in the hall like she usually did despite the hall being empty. She smiled a bit and spooned in the oats and honey into her mouth, opening the book she reread over a billion times, and continued to read her Mother's favorite paragraph over and over.

[/fieldbox]

 

[Gore]

U l y s s e s
​

There was a moment of silence in which Ulysses' expression started to fade, into one of concern. The sprite, to his surprise, seemed to tense up at his little joke. He didn't speak, but he did observe, and her body language was quite a worry to the Huldrekarl. Did I say something wrong? Apparently, he must have struck some kind of nerve, because the look she was giving him now felt like a cold hand had reached into his chest and was gripping his heart. His breath caught, not necessarily in a well-intended fashion. The pages of the little sprites' book started to sound shaky - was she trembling?

She must have been as the book suddenly dropped out of her hands and landed with a thud onto the floor, making him jump a little. His legs uncrossed and he positioned himself onto his feet, crouched now, as if preparing to stand at a moments' notice. He had no idea what had happened at first, but suddenly, it became clear as to why she reacted in such a way.

"I would never forget you!"

Oh no, he thought. That must have triggered something, because the look she gave him now was .. god. it affected him deeply, struck a chord quite strongly. His mouth was open just a sliver in a slight horror. He didn't mean it, he didn't.

" .. Hey. Hey, heyheyhey." The Huldrekarl was suddenly compelled to stand, and he did so immediately, taken aback by what had happened. He really didn't want her to start crying - not because it was awkward, but because that would break his heart, practically shatter it. He felt very guilty. "I-it's okay, I didn't mean that .. " He reached out and, despite every nerve in his body telling him that it might end badly somehow, he encircled her with his arms and pulled the little sprite into a hug - gentle, to his standards, but firm enough to show it wasn't an empty action. He knew what power he possessed. She was weightless because of her floating, and he realized that her hair was just as fluid and silky soft as he had imagined it to be - but he didn't let that distract him. He spoke to her quietly, his tone hushed being next to her ear, "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry - " He was as sincere as he could manage.

A moment passed before Ulysses realized what he was doing. He had hugged her without her permission. Why did it feel so natural though? He wouldn't have normally gone in to do something like that without figuring out the person's boundaries first - what they liked and didn't like, to appeal to them better so they could appeal to him better. It had felt so right to hug her, though, appropriate. Like he was .. supposed to, meant to? It was hard to word.

There was another moment after when he realized the weight of her words. I would never forget you. He .. didn't realize how much that actually meant to him. It was a feeling that budded in the back of his mind, secret from himself until later when he could think. He had to remember from then on to be very sensitive about talking about being forgotten, since it seemed to be a strong trigger for the sprite.

But a trigger to what, he wasn't sure. He decided not to question it for now and just focus on the issue at hand - calming Soona down from his mistake.

" .. I'm really sorry. I won't mention that again, I - I didn't mean to freak you out." Very slowly, he pulled the sprite back until he could see her face. "I never thought you'd forget me, really. I mean, I couldn't forget you either, ever." He hoped that saying that would be reassuring to her, but he found it to be pretty true. She was a unique person in lots of way. It'd be extremely difficult to forget that she existed. He offered her a timid smile, but a warm one, saying, "I never meant that, I promise. Okay?" He realized he still was .. well, technically holding her, and his cheeks suddenly flushed a light pink again. He slid his arms back until only his hands were rested on the sides of her upper arms, suddenly hoping he hadn't made her uncomfortable with his sudden display of affection.

" .. Are you okay?" It was an automatic question, but spoken in a soft voice. He didn't seem to realize how smooth his voice was, but he hoped it somehow could soothe her even without knowing.

​

Mentions: Momozono Yuuna​

 

[UnsightlyTEAstain]

It had been completely unanticipated and judging from the Forest Spirits startled gesture to catch the apple from his mouth, the feeling was mutual. There had been barely enough time to bite into the apple as it was unexpectedly pressed against Atlas' unopened lips. The small but distinguishable display of irritation had the young man scratching his head in bewilderment. It could have usually been settled as a mischievous act from the Fae-Ghoul but having spent quite sometime adjusting to his friends moods, Atlas was all too aware of the slightly bothered air that had rolled off of him as he had pulled away. Even though Jake had been irked by his bunny eared companion countless amount of times in the past, it was still one of the rare worry triggers for the latter who, for the most part, remains untroubled.

Pining after the reason would do nothing but trouble his roommate further as Atlas had come to learn. The urge to remain close by his side to try and subtly evaluate what was running through the others mind was strong however he remained steadily rooted in place. Apparently that had been a fairly wise decision as Atlas found Jake sprawled across the floor seconds later with Versie effectively holding him down by the hips. The visibly disheveled and highly shocked Fae before him had the Forest Spirit attempting to cover the amused grin spreading across his lips.

"Not at all Versie, in fact your timing was impeccable" He smiled, turning to the side to wave a good bye at his cat eared little sister. Atlas had half the mind to run after her since after all he was missing his class with Rayne as well. Then again he was sure that his fairly late night visits with his professor would make up for his absence for the time being. Wiping the teeth marked fruit against his sleeve, Atlas proceeded to roll the apple into Citlali's awaiting hands along with several drops of grapes as Jake had suggested.

@Wicked @Paint @Momozono Yuuna @Doc_Halladay

 

[Wicked]

​

He lay on his back, pinned down by Versie's weight and her limbs wrapped around his waist and torso, but Jake still tried his best to crawl backwards away with his arms on the floor, the transparent wings rapidly beating air but not helping his case. At best, it dragged him backwards few inches at time, his teeth bitten together and lips formed into a snarl that never quite made out when the dragon pretty much kept squeezing the air out of him. The earlier impact had already pretty much knocked all air out of him in advance, and his back was sending his brain pain signals. It was like he was suddenly in a middle of MMA wrestle hold, and Jake was about ready to tap out to surrender because he felt like his soul was about to depart into afterlife any second now. To others this might have seemed affectionate the way the blue haired girl was cuddling the Fae-Ghoul, and some might have even called him lucky to have such a beautiful curvy girl straddling him, but the said victim was finding this anything but good time. Her hands seemed to be everywhere, which made Jake squirm in discomfort, her touch feeling like it was leaving red hot fiery hand prints into his skin through his clothes, overstimulating his senses that left him dazed. In short, since Jake was not used to touching that much as he was not exactly the person you would see hugging people regularly, this kind of experience tended to be overwhelming. This was not exactly cuddling in his opinion, more like sexual harassment.

Hot and bothered and completely overstrung by nerves, Jake nearly jumped off his skin when Versie spoke into his shoulder, giving him pet names that were so sickeningly sweet that just hearing them was almost enough to give the boy cavities. Then a rumble of a purr, or a growl, shook her frame, the low vibrations shaking through also Jake's rib cage where her chest was pressed flush against him and she started rubbing her face against his exposed skin on his neck and... Wait, was she sniffing him?!

Jake's face seemed to change colors every few seconds, from bloodless pale into tomato red flush and to pale again. In the meanwhile, Momo and Atlas seemed to typically not to gather how critical the situation was and were just greeting Versie like it was all roses and daisies. It was kind of scary how easily they had gotten used to this kind of scenes over the years and just simply accepted them. Traitors. Easy for them to just smile over there, within safe distance while they were not molested by a goddamn dragon! Jake had never understood why Versie did not bother them the same way, he was sure both of them enjoyed cuddling much more than he ever would. Especially Atlas, he probably loved this kind of-- Was that twat grinning?

Then Versie suddenly lifted her head to look at Jake in the eyes, blocking his eye contact to Atlas effectively by occupying his field of vision completely, as she spoke the words that sounded more or less threatening. Three words from Jake; Too. Fucking. Close. What was with his peers today? Were everyone dead set on invading his personal bubble? His expression was set into a nervous discomfort, and it took everything from the half-breed not to break into cold sweat under the green eyed scrutiny, and he wheezed between labored breaths; "N-no! Of course I w-wasn't! Why would I ever try to, hnh, avoid you?" He hated it how she managed to make him stutter and stumble around his words so easily whenever she was doing things like these to him, but Jake could not help it when there was pressure around his hip area and even the slightest movement made him catch his breath. It was not funny. Especially when Jake was sure that she was doing it on purpose. Thankfully for him, his libido had always been somewhat lower than many other males his age, so he was able not to get too excited and brush it away on the most part. Had this been any other guy Versie would have been straddling, they would have had an embarrassing problem popping up within seconds. But it was also probably due to the lack of actual interest what also made him so uncomfortable and bothered, and feeling so very violated.

Versie moved her attention towards the audience and exchanged few words, loosening her death grip slightly, and Momo suddenly remembered that her class was about to start and started scurrying off. Jake reached his hand towards Momo's retreating figure, wheezing as his hand shook dramatically. "Avenge meeeee...!"

@Clear @Momozono Yuuna @Doc_Halladay @Paint​

 

[Greenrust]

Pollux had dropped off Aeo is the small clinic they had running at the tree. Being a collection of little monsters of all shapes and forms accidents were bound to happen. Many of them had a lot of power in their hands and not perfect control of it so accidents happened especially with the younger ones. As such the medical facility's here were quite decent and Pollux saw no need to watch over Aeo further and went back to his own den. His room was spartan, bare except for a bed and dresser with his few personal processions in them. He took off his pants to get ready to take a bath. 'I never got my shirt back' he thought idly as he finished stripping his cloth and started water for a hot bath.

While he had a human form hydra's were cold blooded so he enjoyed the heat and the sun. If he got cold enough it could kill him, one of the few obvious weaknesses of a hydra. He slid into the water gingerly, sighing in perfect contentment. He relaxed in the bath relaxing sore muscles while he thought about the events of the day. Amethyst, a strange girl by any regard. He wondered if she was doing alright in her own room now. And that ram Hadlee who refused to give him her name though Amethyst said it more then once. Was she scarred of what he was simply by instinct or was it something worse? He sighed, it seemed like talking to people brought new complications. He threw on a robe after his bath and walked outside to the dining hall to see Hadlee sitting by herself eating.

It had been awhile since he had eaten and while the bath had made him a bit sluggish and restful with its heat he wasn't ready to sleep yet so he went to go get food of his own. While his body could technically eat all vegetables it wouldn't be pleasant for him so most of the time he ate only meat and this was no exception. Leaving it quite rare as he liked it a bit bloody reminiscent from the days of hunting live kills with his father he added onions and salt to add flavor and moved back to the tables and decided to sit across from Hadlee. If asked he wouldn't have been able to tell someone why he did, perhaps just a whim, bit he sat and looked at her. "Hi." He said cutting a piece of his meat off with a fork and knife.

 

[Ayla]

[fieldbox=Hadlee, pink, solid]

​

Hadlee slammed her book closed out of fear, the hydra's entry startling her from her mantra of rereading. She swallowed her bit of oats and honey, the lump sticking in her throat. She washed down with a bit of her watered down milk, wiping her back with the back of her hand, never once taking her eyes off of the Hydra. Fear made her bones feel heavy, and the scars all over her body started to burn.

Hadlee nodded in acknowledgment torward the large humanoid reptile, all the while one of her hands was scratching at the base of one of her horns in fear. Why did he have to show up, out of all of the people in the orphange? Her cheeks burned and it made the situtation more awkward.

She offered him the best smile she could muster, despite only a small corner of her mouth tilting upwards. She started to spoon the rest of her meal into her mouth, trying not to act like she was trying to finish as soon as possible to get away from him. She had no intention of dining with the species that slaughtered her family.

[/fieldbox]

 

[Greenrust]

While his eyes had been on getting his food he had watched her threw the eye's of his hydras and could tell she was afraid. Afraid of him, but why? He knew he had never done anything to her but her fear was so pungent her could smell it so clearly. When she offered him the smallest of smiles he could tell it was forced and he didn't smile back and instead watched her face like he was searching for something.

He put down his fork on the table and now he was completely focused on her even as she began to eat faster. "Why are you afraid of me?" He suddenly asked before he even realized the words were out of his mouth. He was confused but it wasn't just that which drove him. She was related to Amethyst, her best friend and if he was gonna be around her more often as Amethysts friend then he needed to know where this intense fear come from.

After his question he just watched her shifting slightly in his seat while his hydra heads moved nervously behind him. He hadn't meant to ask the question just outright like that but it had just came out. Would she just leave? Or would she actually decide to answer him under the weight of his gaze. @Ayla

 

[Ayla]

[fieldbox=Hadlee, pink, solid]

Hadlee looked at him in fear. The question sounded more like a command. She nearly choked on her meal. Hadlee's body started to tremble, and her eyes burned with the telltale signs of tears. Her fingers tightened around her book, clutching it to her chest.

Would this one kill her? Did they send her to finish off what they started? She wished Amethyst was here, or Aeo. They would talk for her. She wouldnt talk to his Hydra. Didnt want to. Couldnt do it. Hadlee lowered her head between her shoulders and shook her head frantically, her eyes pinching shut to stop the tears from falling.

Through her closed eyes she could see the images again, passing against her closed eyelids like a horror movie on replay. It hurt to watch them. She could hear the screams, the laughter of the killers. It sounded like air being released from a small tire, or a balloon. It was horrible. Hadlee whimpered.

Her mother always said it was rude to leave in the middle of a conversation, but was this an exception? Could she up and leave without hurting the Hydra' s feelings? No. That species couldnt possibly have feelings. They were cold blooded creatures who killed without feeling anything. No sorrow as they drained the life from people's eyes.

She wished so hard that Amethyst would burst through the door in her black and purple dress, so Hadlee could braid her hair like she promised and save her from the intense galre of the horrible looking Reptile. Instead, Hadlee just looked down at the ground, her shoulders hunched.

[/fieldbox]

 

[Greenrust]

If he had been surprised before he was beyond shocked when it seemed like she was about to cry. That more then anything else sent him reeling as he blinked at her hesitantly as her shoulder hunched as she obviously tried to fight back tears. He didn't think he did anything wrong, what had he done?

He looked at her obviously surprised by her near tears. "Woah hey, im sorry i didnt mean to make you cry." He may have been a hydra but he had a very human look of confusion and concern as he looked at her. "Im sorry... Im not very good at talking to people yet, i dont talk to many people."

He slid away from her, he wanted to help her but if she truly feared him that much then could he do anything to help at all. Being around him would only make it worse unless she could get over that fear or whatever it was. He wondered what had happened in her past to instill this kind of emotional response to him. "Im sorry, if you want me to go i will." He didn't even grab him meat as he stood and backed up. "Im sorry, i didnt mean to hurt you." He said with an expression similar to a kicked puppy, how could a simple discussion turn out like this. He turned and started walking away.

@Ayla

 

[Ayla]

[fieldbox=Hadlee, pink, solid]

​

Hadlee swallowed the lump in her throat and looked up through her light pink bangs. The Hydra was walking away. Everything sounded muted, like she was underwater, but he looked hurt. The snakes behind his head were still, but the emotion behind their eyes seemed almost... Human.

She felt a pang of regret. Maybe it was okay. It wasnt specifically him that killed everything she knew, but the fear was rooted in the fact that everytime she looked at the reptile, she was there, holding her baby brother as he bled out on her hands.

She staggered and stood up, knocking down the chair she was sitting in. It rattled and made a louder noise than she wanted. She didnt bother picking up the chair when she shuffled quickly over to the Hydra, tapping on his shoulder. She didnt look at him as she pointed to her scars, and then back at him. She hoped he understood her.

[/fieldbox]

@Greenrust

 

[DANAsaur]

Amethyst White
​

Amethyst heard the cry stopped and she slowly leaned away from the closet. Creaking sounds was heard as the two heavy doors opened, revealing a gorgon wearing a sunglasses, her cheeks stained with tears. Amethyst was surprised that it was Dana. Why would she be hiding here? especially in a closet crying?

Amethyst walked inside the closet and sat beside her, her flame flickering wildly. She and Dana have never really talked before, they simply just greeted each other with hi and hellos and then go back to whatever they were doing. She was feeling a bit awkward about the situation but she just cannot leave the girl alone and crying, who knows what she might do? Ugh, I'm starting to become like Aeo she thought to herself

"Hey, Dana" she greeted mumbling and twiddling with her fingers "what are you doing here? and why are you crying?" she asked, her voice full of concern and worry. The two of them might not be the best of friends but she was still concerned for the gorgon's well being. She's a part of her family. For her, everyone in the orphanage is her family and no one can replace them, ever.

She heard her stomach rumble and growl, her cheeks becoming red in the instant. "I..uhm.. how about we talk about this in the dining room?" she suggested, smiling sheepishly and gently grabbing the gorgon's hand, leading the way to their destination. "I'm sure there's nothing that food can't solve~" she beamed happily, trying to lighten the mood of the crying snake lady.

​

@Polystical ​

 

[Greenrust]

As Pollux was walking away when he heard a bang and that made him pause in his stride but before he could turn she tabbed his shoulder and he turned fully to look at her. It seemed like she had gotten up quickly and knocked over her chair and chased after him. His eyes widened in surprise though she couldn't see that with his eyes down.

She pointed at her scars then at him and a moment he was confused. Was she accusing him for her scars? Then he remembered her immediate fear when she saw him, before they even knew each other like she recongized him, or rather reconigized what he was. "A hydra did this to you?" He said in a sad tone but not sounding really surprised, instead there was a hint of anger but obviously not directed at her. He knew some hydra's hunted setient prey. All hydras ate meat and some cared little whether it was setient or not. He didn't agree and that would be enough to disquiet him but this was not hunting, this was torture.

"What kind of sick being tortures someone like this." He said even as his heads moved behind her to inspect her scars more throughly. They went slow and seemed gentle and seemed to be very quiet compared to their playful snips and hisses at each other. To someone looking from the outside it may look like they were creating a protective circle around her. For a young girl like this, he didn't want to think about a hydra might have done to her if she was in someone like thats clutches. "Im sorry.. I can't speak for my race but this isnt right, to do to anyone..." He said with subdued anger at the hydras who did this worried she may think it was directed at her as he looked at her with sad yet comforting look.

@Ayla

 

[Ayla]

[fieldbox=Hadlee, pink, solid]

​

Hadlee looked up at the Hydra. He actually understood her. She wished she could explain the whole story, but there was no way to. She just couldnt open her mouth and speak.

She breathed in a large lungful of air and stepped forward, extending her arms to hug the giant reptile. His chest was broad, and was hard to get her arms around, but she managed. Hadlee could hear his strong heartbeat in his chest, which reminded her that he was just like her in the inside. He wasnt a killer. He was like her. Despite her ounce of courage to hug the beast, she couldnt muster enough strength to stop her body from shaking. Her brain was confused, going haywire. The fear of so many things happening made her nerves set aflame. She couldnt stop shaking even if she wanted to.

Stepping back, she lowered her head and took his hand, leading him back to the table they were sitting at only moments ago. Hadlee fixed her chair and pointed to the one across from her, where he was originally sitting. She looked at her copy of the book she held and held it out to him. This book was something she treasured. It was the last thing her mother gave her before she died. It was the last part of her family she had left. She wanted him to hold it, then maybe he could get a sense of what it meant. The heavy story behind such a lightweight bundle of paper wrapped in leather.

[/fieldbox]

@Greenrust

 

[Greenrust]

He let out a small gasp of surprise as she suddenly hugged him. She was shaking though he wasent surprised, he was surprised she found the courage to do so. For a moment his hands laid useless at his side before he suddenly remembered to think instead of concentrating on the sound of her rapidly beating heart. He knew a bit about her species, his father during their many years together when he was young taught him about Satyrs and mentioned them as an off shoot. She was so small and fragile compared to him, when he imagined one of his race turning their great power against her it sickened him.

As she hugged him his arms wrapped around her in a tight but gentle hug. Pollux's arms had great strength and should could feel that as she rested n his powerful arms but he held that back in subdued strength and his hands were gentle and kind. She may not be able to stop herself from shaking but he offered what comfort he could to the small ram.

When she stepped back he didn't stop her and he allowed himself to be led to the table and sat once the chairs were fixed. He looked at her wondering if she was gonna say something but instead she held out a book to him, the one she had been reading before. He took it looking at the book with a bit of confusion. It was one he read before, Catcher in the Rye. He open the book to the inside cover, trying to see if there was anything special about his copy or was it simply a peace offering, he also checked the back cover and discretely looked at some of the inside pages.

@Ayla

 

[Paint]

V E R S I E
"Obviously, I've had great success in being an idiot."
​

Why was someone this pathetic? He twisted and writhed, attempted jostles only making her feel as if she were in a rodeo with a wild horse trying to fling her off. The phrase "Ride em' hard" came to mind and the dragon's mouth twitched, an insulting grin overcoming the thought before it lead down to a deeper trail of thought and the ever possible slip of the tongue. To keep herself steady, Versie placed her hand on Jake's chest, bunching up a handful of his shirt into a closed fist and yanked him closer to her. But beneath tightened knuckles, his breathing hitched and she swore his heart would pound right out of his rib cage and onto the floor. It boggled her to no end, it annoyed her to no end, but it became a game in the end. The dragon would hunt down the Fae-Ghoul and attack him with suffocating hugs and fond words until he seemed ready to pass out in her arms or he miraculously managed to get away and the game would begin again the next day. Yet, she couldn't place her finger on why he was so desperate to stay away from her or even why she cared so much on what he did.

Studying his ever changing expressions of horror, discomfort, and maybe embarrassment, Versie sighed inwardly. How could someone so pathetic be so impossibly adorable to tease? However, she stopped short from leaning any closer to the squirming boy when Momo began to leave and Jake cried out. Avenge? The fuck did he mean by avenge? Last time she checked he was still alive and breathing, but if he really wanted something to avenge, damn it to hell she would give it to him! With a growing snarl, a thick clouds of black smoke pushed itself past the corners of her mouth and her whole body tensed. Versie was on the verge of shaking him into unconsciousness when she once again had to ask herself -- why? She suddenly let go of the Fae-Ghoul hands risen into the air in defense as she came to an uncomfortable answer; boredom. It was the only excuse she could come up with that made sense. This watered down country side was making her go insane and this was her way of claiming any sanity.

"You shit wad! How can you just waltz into someone's lap and start jumping around as if you own it?" Groaning, Versie looked over her shoulder to Ducan, who was only now catching up. His eyes were blazing, looking between both Versie and Jake while his tail flipped back in forth, fur bristling. "Get. Off. Attention. Whore." The dragon's face moved through confusion to a full blast set of choking, that led to a stammered mess of snorts and bubbled explanation. "I Choke. !! It!! Snort. -- I swear!! H-He ... He was asking for it!" She scampered off Jake, letting go of his shirt and pushing herself away from him with such force that she tumbled back, and in a havoc of desperation she started brushing her hair from her face and hiding burning cheeks as she attempted to rub away the heavy blush as if it were a bothersome stain. This damn cat from the pits of hell, she should have killed him years ago! In a last endeavor to save her pride she pointed an accusing finger at Jake, but the only thing she was able to suck out was 'fault' through all her mutterings. The dragon felt close to tears, not from even being called out, but because her lungs felt like they would collapse in all her gasping breaths and shuddering hacks. How did this get so twisted?!

Addressed To: @Wicked ; @Clear ​

 

[Ayla]

[fieldbox=Hadlee, pink, solid]

Hadlee reached over and flipped to the front over, where it had a larger picture of her. Only, it wasnt Hadlee. It was her mother who looked nearly like her. She had the same colored hair, only longer. Her horns were more straight than curved, and were ridged instead of smooth. Under the picture, it read, "AnnaBelle"
Hadlee didnt remember her last name. Her mother never wrote it down.

With a smile, she gently took the book back and spooned more of the honey and oats into her mouth. Hadlee tried to ignore the smell of the meat from his tray. It was raw and smelled like metal and blood, two smells she was all too familiar with. The whip marks on her back started to burn, but she did her best to ignore it.

Hadlee noticed that more people were beginning to file into the dining hall. She wished Amethyst and Aeo were here. She wanted to know if they were both okay after what happened earlier in the day. She wondered if Kreskes would get them back for cutting class early.

[/fieldbox]

@Greenrust

 

[Jakers]

Aeo awoke silently, blinking twice, pausing, and then closing his eyes to emit a high-pitched yawn. Was he laying on a bed...? To be precise, he recognised the white walls of the place as the sick bay. As if a lightbulb appeared above his head, Aeo remembered why he was here... although his ears retreated back a little when the last thing he remembered was seeing a huge pile of puke. Not a great last thought, but on the bright side, Amethyst must have been fine - she would've been in the sick ward otherwise. Regardless, Aeo figured he had the hydra to thank for bringing him here... and the little ram, Hadlee, was surprisingly brave. The scars... Aeo barely saw them... but...

...Just another weird day to add to the collection... ah... is that the time already...?! Aeo vaulted to his feet, alarmed by how long he'd been out.

Oh... Kreskes is going to be mad at me and now he's going to send me to the alter dimension in his top hat... or blow me up with his mind or something! Aeo panicked in his mind, biting his fingernails nervously. It couldn't be helped, and Aeo was sure he'd have to face the consequences of being the victim of a dirty trick by Kreskes tomorrow.

"Aeo? Are you quite alr-"

"Um - yes...! I mean - thank you...! I mean..." Aeo stopped, thinking long and hard for a few moments whilst the nurse watched him blankly. After a few more moments of pondering, Aeo finally settled on another "Thank you!" before heading out the door, the little bell dingling as it swung open.

Hands in his pockets as he walked down the corridors, Aeo's mind seemed to be in struggling thought about what happened earlier. Everyone must have been okay, as he was the only one who woke up in the sick bay thanks to Nollux. Perhaps the hydra wasn't so intimidating after all... he'd shown quite a caring side, in fact. Aeo felt a little guilty for making wrong first impressions.

Even with Aeo's almost nonexistent metabolism, he was actually feeling the need to eat something for once. Although the exhaustion from shifting had worn off by now, it still took a surprising amount of energy. He figured he should eat something, and so he began on his great journey to the dining hall, smiling at some of the other various orphans who waved to him as he walked past.

Suddenly, as if a huge trombone had been played in his ear, Aeo's ears recoiled at the sound of the 'S-Word'.

Did somebody just... did somebody just say... sh... shaa... shhii.... shiiii...?!

Aeo was so strangely nervous when it came to swearing, mostly because he'd accidentally said a bad word when he was younger. He could still taste the soap.

Hearing another bad word and staggering as if shot a second time, even though he wasn't fully sure what a whore was, Aeo took a deep breath and peeked around the corner. He needed to get to the dining hall, even if it meant getting through the older kids' and their naughty words. Yes, he was in his early teens, and still considered them 'naughty words'. Perhaps he'd have a heart attack if someone dropped the F bomb.

Aeo was about to turn straight back around from fear when he saw a bunch of the older kids around - not only that, but Versie, one of the scariest girls in the school in Aeo's opinion (perhaps rivalled by Blissful Bloom after calling her small) and a grounded Jake were there too. Aeo had only heard rumours, but apparently Jake could look extremely scary at times. This was enough to make Aeo afraid, even if it was only rumours. Atlas and Ducan were around too though... which was somewhat of a comfort... they were some of the older kids Aeo didn't feel so frightened around...

Aeo seemed surprised however when Versie appeared to look... troubled... before her breathing became troubled. He didn't know what had happened with Jake seemingly crumpled on the floor, but Aeo only assumed the worst. All sorts of over-dramatic theories came into Aeo's head before he finally mustered up the courage to step forward; he'd need to walk down this corridor anyway unless he wanted to take the stupidly long route...

"...D-did Jake get hurt...?" Aeo began, slowly taking terrified steps towards the small group of older kids as if approaching a pack of sleeping tigers.

"And... V-V-Ve... Versie?" Aeo barely managed to finish the name without squeaking, "Are you okay...? You don't look too good... s-should I get the nurse?" Aeo asked, barely managing to complete his sentence before taking a deep breath, and swallowing. He was regretting his decision already.

A part of him wanted to rush on past this scene in fear... but it just didn't seem like he should just walk past when people looked like they needed help... even if Aeo felt fearful for his life right now. Talking to older kids, especially some of the tougher ones, was a more terrifying ordeal to him than most people.

 

[UnsightlyTEAstain]

The resolve to remain completely unaffected was slipping as a small chuckle unwittingly escaped after Jake's exaggerated display. The roughhousing between Versie and the Fae-Ghoul had become such a regular occurrence now a days that Atlas was more less used to it. Of course he always made sure things didn't get too far out of hand with all the horseplay going on. Taking special care to comfort his childhood friend who for the most part was on the receiving end of their rowdiness. He was just about to attempt to separate the two before the near-by bookshelves could be affected when Versie suddenly straightened up. She looked over shoulder at what appeared to be a cat slinking through the library doorway. Atlas immediately recognized the feline as the dragon's companion, often seeing the two traversing the halls together. The ability to speak to animals may have eluded the 'Forest Spirit' but it was easy to see that the cat was angry by the way its whiskers quivered and its eyes turned into slits. And its anger was unexpectedly directed towards Versie. For what exactly, Atlas had no clue.

There was no time to contemplate or even attempt to guess however as a puff smoke wafted across his sensitive nose. Followed by more and more as Versie appeared to choke on the dense fumes. Resisting his own urge to cough, Atlas quickly cut through the coiling fog and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Versie, breath out" He instructed in a surprisingly firm voice. She needed to expel the smoke if clean air was going to go anywhere near her lungs again. The smoke was already starting to cause tiny tears to form on the edges of his vision as it stung his eyes. He was vaguely aware that Aeo had stepped into the room but all his attention was focused on the girl before him. If she couldn't recover soon maybe he could try the Heimlich. A technique that he had read before in one of the orphanages medical books.

Meanwhile...

"Whoa, okay am I missing something?"

Kreskes looked up from his novel and addressed the vampire hovering beside him. Before he could even ask, Marshall pointed to the open window, indicating the way he had come from. The caretaker grinned in approval before answering his student's question.

"Nothing that the children won't be able to handle"

"Haah...hey isn't that one choking?" Marshall exclaimed, furrowing his brow in slight interest but otherwise made no move to involve himself.

"I'm sure they have everything under control"

"Wow, either you believe in your students a crud ton or you're just a lazy bum"

Kreskes only chuckled in response but his golden eyes were fixed on the situation before him.

 

[Greenrust]

At first he thought the picture was of Hadlee herself. Hadlee and the girl in the picture looked very similar but as he looked at it there were small differences. Her hair was shorter for one. He looked at the picture for a moment before it stuck him who the girl in the picture was. This was Hadlee's mother, and if she was showing him this then...

A wave a fury rolled over him. He had forgotten that many people weren't here by choice like he was. Many were abandoned or had their parents killed and hers had been killed by hydras who abused her as a slave... No wonder she was afraid of him, his race had done this. He spit out a curse so creatively vile it would have even made Kerkses raise an eyebrow and made Esme scramble for the soup to wash out his mouth. Both heads released a sound that was half a hiss, half a snarl in shared fury before he calmed and looked at Hadlee sheepishly. He didn't need to make her more afraid of him. "Sorry." He said quietly. He wasn't so hungry anymore. He just hoped she hadn't had to see her family's body's eaten in front of her, most hydras wouldn't have wasted good meat.

He pushed the meat away from him and looked at Hadlee. "I'm not like them." He said looking at her with kind but sad eyes. The eyes of someone who had seen suffering and felt her pain acutely. "Its wrong what they did to you, it shouldn't happen to anyone." He said leaning back slightly in his chair.

@Ayla

 

[Wicked]

Obviously Jake had meant it as a joke. Well, half joke, seeing as he did usually feel like dying whenever Versie did this for several reasons; she was inhumanely strong and almost twice his weight, which was a bad combo for a boy who was only about ninety pounds of skinny flesh and hollowed out bones. It was not like he was very strong either, so that pretty much left sarcasm as his only defense. Also, getting treated like a rag doll and humiliated in public with her unwanted displays of undying affection tended to leave him jittery after being molested and his pride tattered. What Versie got out of this had always been a mystery to him, and had she been little less rough on him it would have made her appear maybe less intimidating... and Jake could have maybe even enjoyed the attention just as much as any teenage boy did when a girl was all over them. But as far as this went, it was too overwhelming, too confusing, too much. It made him just want his personal space and maybe a shadowy corner to crawl to where he could hiss and spit from like an angry cat.

But apparently whatever he had just said had been a wrong move, because some nasty looking smoke started pushing out from the corners of the dragon's mouth, and the look in her eyes pretty much signaled that Jake was about to regret all of his life decisions very soon. But just when Jake had already thought about several things that he should have done before he died, such as eat that breakfast he had missed out on, against all the odds Versie suddenly let go of his shirt and threw her hands up in the air like somebody would have suddenly pointed an invisible gun at her. It actually surprised Jake so much that he forgot struggling for a moment there, just leaning back on his elbows on the floor and staring up at her, eyebrows lifted in utter bafflement. A heartbeat later another voice pitched in, making both Jake and Versie snap their gazes towards it, though the girl let out a groan. Jake however had never been as happy to see his furry savior, the voice far deeper, darker and richer than you could have imagined the speech of the feline sound, making the audio and visual curiously mismatched. Ducan was even more crude with his choice of wording than Jake ever was, and it was only seconds later that he had managed to get Versie off the half-breed boy with words alone. Had he not caught Ducan washing his privates with his tongue in the past, Jake would have probably held the Ghost Cat in higher respect.

Then when the accusation was thrown at the Fae-Ghoul's face, Jake could only give Versie the stalest face he could muster. He? Asking for it? Girl, please. And then she started muttering that it was his fault. Jake just beckoned his hand at Versie's general direction and simply stated; "Unbelieveable." All the while the dragon was apparently choking on her own smoke. Good. Let her suffer.

Atlas was quickly at Versie's side, trying to help her out. In the meanwhile the Shapeshifter Aeo had made his entrance, asking with a stutter if everything was alright and if he or Versie were hurt. Jake let out a deep sigh, and got up, dusting his pants before moving his sharp amber gaze at the pink haired younger boy and answered all sardonic. "Oh, I was just technically raped, but it's alright. 'S all cool. Interracial intercourse is theoretically my thing anyway, you know, being a half and all."

Leaning down to pick up the apple that had dropped from his hand in the scuffle, Jake straightened up again and inspected it for dirt. Simply deciding to ignore the part that had already been bitten, he just shrugged and sank his teeth through the green skin on the other side. The Fae-Ghoul had never been that picky with his food, which at times appeared as a bit disgusting habit. He felt fine again, being able relatively quickly recover every time like nothing pretty much would have just happened. Glancing at Versie and Atlas while munching on the fruit, Jake wondered if dragons choking on their own smoke was an usual occurrence. And if so, what if you happened to be a dragon with an asthma?



@Clear @Paint @Jakers