∇ Spectræ ∴ Paranormal Pursuit ∇

[Prince]

You don't have to die to be a ghost...

[IC | OOC | Roleplay Theme]​

[spacer]"You think fear is your weapon, Specter," the ethereal being muttered after Frostfear attempted conjure his fears as illusions. Attempted being the key word. While Frostfear could normally make nightmares and abominations manifest themselves as his weapons and allies, the shade he was fighting now seemed immune. Immunity might be the wrong word. Could one be immune to fear? Absent of insecurities? Even the dead still had fear and doubt. Although it wasn't evident, this shade was doing something else. Something to stop Frostfear from using arguably his greatest ability. "But, you haven't seen the Ghost Zone," this new ghost added, "you have no idea what the dead really fear. You can't even begin to harness a power like yours if you can't understand the madness and chaos we come from."

Frostfear had very little time to contemplate what this shade said. It made sense, somewhat. Frostfear didn't even know what the 'Ghost Zone' was, let alone what it was like there. He only knew how his powers worked, and barely at that. This ghost, however, seemed to have pure and raw confidence and exuded it in his bold words and actions. Originally atop the tall buildings of uptown Amity Park, this shadowy figure darted from the black blotches of shadows on the walls to the inky darkness of the alleyways, moving far too fast for Frostfear to keep up. His agility was on a whole other level compared to the ghosts Frostfear had fought before and even dwarfed his own. This shade dodged the ethereal ice that Frostfear used with ease, and dodged into the darkness of the night only to turn firing black slashes of ecto-energy at Frostfear.

Frostfear conjured a wall of ice to easily block the slashes, then replied to the shade, "I think you're being a bit serious about this. You started attacking the signs, you almost got people hurt, you attacked me and you're acting like I picked the fight." This much was true. This ghost was destroying the bright, neon signs that lit up the skylines of Amity Park, causing debris to fall and subsequently injure innocent people. This shade even attacked Frostfear without a word.

"Specter, you don't even begin to understand your place. All you've done is handle the petty ghosts that linger in this world... nameless to the Ghost Zone. But me? ME!? I am Blackout. I survived the Ghost Zone, I traveled Limbo and I'm here for you. I'm even ahead of the curve. You see, it will be the privilege of the ignorant, like yourself, to provide power those that deserve it, like me. I got here first. You're my claim."

"Well, Blackout, is it? I'm not your claim," Frostfear replied, "and, I'd appreciate if you didn't call me ignorant. That's kind'a rude."

Blackout stayed hidden in the inky blackness, but his grunt of frustration was audible. His slanted red eyes were all that emanated from the darkness as he began to throw dozens and dozens of more slashes at the frozen shield made by Frostfear. Frostfear continued to thicken his frozen barrier, adding chunks of ice on it with quick blasts from his hands. The two fought for a period of time, mostly sculpting a large block of ice that kept Frostfear safe but did nothing to help him secure Blackout.

"Hiding in the dark is getting dull, Blackout," Frostfear said before he darted straight down into a building. By the time Blackout carved through the block of ice to see Frostfear was gone, he had emerged inside the dark alley and exploded his body with ice, encasing the entire area with his frozen wall. An advantage to this was that ghosts could not pass through his ice, so Blackout was forced out of the dark alley and into the dim-lit streets.

"Do you understand who I am? I am Blackout! Master of the Shadows! No ghost compares to me in the darkness!" Blackout shouted before he started slashing at the lights of the lamposts, darkening the area around him.

"Is that so?" Frostfear said. "We'll see," he said before he began blasting his icy projectiles at Blackout, whom easily dodged them with his consistently impressive speed. This time, however, Frostfear fired more and more and more of these little blasts, missing some intentionally and slowly covering the entire area in ice as Blackout dodged them and slowly got closer as he did.

"It's pointless," Blackout said, "You'll never hit me and if you did it wouldn't matter, but once I get to you, I'll tear you apar—

While it was true Blackout was getting closer, Frostfear pulled another card from his sleeve. He pushed out his hands and fired a blast of light made from his ecto-energy, making it hit the ice he shot everywhere. While at first it barely glowed, Frostfear smoothed it out with his fine control over the ice he had made and eventually made a large, green-lit arena of bright light that finally revealed Blackout. A fearsome ghost with no legs, a large ghostly tail and two claws for arms while the rest of his body was a misty smoke, Blackout wasn't without his own intimidating nature. Once the light was shone on him, he backed away and howled, covering his red-eyed face with his claws.

"I will get you, Specter... one little trick won't save you," he said while darting away. Frostfear had no idea the light would actually hurt Blackout; he assumed that the ghost drew power from it or manipulated it. In any case, Blackout was far too agile for Frostfear to catch, and at that Frostfear had no idea how to actually fight him. Without his ability to tap into the fears of the ghost, Frostfear felt he had no way to subdue him. The night was a failure with no ghosts captured for his father to study. Frostfear left the area an icy mess of broken class, lamps and lights when he returned home to his father.

This was an exciting night for the Specter... but hardly out of the ordinary.[/spacer]​

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

Waking up the next morning, Zayne stretched out like he normally did, feeling his back pop in several places. Instantly he was awake, casting his gaze in every direction to see what had gone wrong this time. He was still in a sense of terror over what had happened the previous night and now, every popping sound was setting him on edge, even if he had made it himself, especially if he had made it himself.

The previous night, he had been working on his homework just before being called down to dinner. While nothing particularly amazing had happened, it was when he returned that something had terrified him. It was a simple thing, a normal action that anyone could do and did. Looking at his papers scattered on his bed where he had been working, he had clapped his hands together saying, 'Alright, let's get back to work.' What happened next was something he had no understanding of. As soon as the sound had left his hands, there was a muted boom, all the intensity of a sonic boom but confined to the small area) and his papers went flying and the sounds of dozens of edges tearing could be heard. Where there had been a sort of orderly chaos, there was only a mess of torn and in some cases shredded paper. All he could do was look at the mess in shock. There was no explanation for what had just happened and, looking at the aftermath, he didn't want to know the explanation if one even existed.

His heart pounding in terror of the unknown, he slid out of bed and went into the bathroom. Though he didn't quite look it, his eyes open with dying fear, he felt like he hadn't had any sleep and the only thing keeping him up was the adrenaline surge just a few moments ago. With class around the corner though, there wasn't an opportunity to catch up on sleep and hope to rest. Struggling through his usual morning rituals, he pulled on some clothes and trudged downstairs with his bag to scrounge something to eat. In his mood, he wanted something easy so it was just toast with a bit a butter and jam but it would tide him over until lunch.

Both of his parents were bustling about getting ready for their days as well, though with far more gusto than Zayne. From the kitchen, he could see the living room television and on it, the news about the latest vandalism overnight. The screen flashed to show pictures of broken streetlamps, neon lights and glass scattered around the ground. This was happening far too often for his father's tastes which was why Zayne was waking up about thirty minutes earlier than he was used to. His father, Richard Sanborne, insisted that he drive Zayne to school with him rather than let his son walk there. It was typical parental overprotection but Zayne was also worried about things; the vandalism was increasing in severity it seemed and it could easily be a gang or such that recently moved into town. There wasn't anything suggest that, but for Zayne, it made the most sense that this sort of action would be taken by criminals of some sort or another.

The pictures were broken by the television being switched off, the bright lights turning dark instantly.

"C'mon son, time's wasting," his father's stern voice came from beside him.

Startled slightly, he looked up at his father's face and quickly looked back down. After what had happened last night, he was on edge and it showed, though his father had more important things on his mind than his son's fearful look - he was going to be giving tests back to several of his classes and that meant he would be under seige from dozens of questions and almost as many students groveling for a way to get their grades up.

Putting his dish into the dishwasher, he followed his father out to his truck and climbed in. Their ride was silent aside from the radio which was also talking about the latest vandalism, only they were supposing why or how. Some supposed it was misguided union activists, others, like Zayne and his father, thought it was criminal activity, still others thought that it could have been just a disgruntled citizen. Whatever the case may be, this last night had gotten a fair amount of attention more than a request for the cessation of the vandalism.

With a sigh as they parked, Zayne headed off for the side entrance while his father headed for the front to check his internal mailbox. This early, there were hardly any other students in the school, all of them in various states of wakefulness at the tables in the commons. Trudging up the stairs, he went up to the library and laid down on one of the couches among the rows of shelves, closing his eyes for a quick nap. Better here than the commons where busloads of students would be coming in and starting a riot.

 

[DANAsaur]

A maid with a breakfast cart went over to the bedroom's glass window and pulled open the soft, white curtains, letting in the blinding sunlight of the morning sun fill the room. "Young mistress, it's time for you to wake up" the maid said, slowly approaching her and nudging her shoulder.

Penelope slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the sudden brightness of her room and sat up, rubbing the sleepiness out of her system. She then swung her feet out of the bed, sitting up straight and letting her feet dangle as the maid dragged the cart in front of her.

"Good morning, miss. Today's breakfast is scones with fresh fruits, accompanied by Darjeeling tea" the maid informed while setting down her breakfast with trembling hands. She watched the maid's movement, her bluish grey eyes flickering with curiosity and mischief. She must be the new maid she thought to herself. Maybe a little fun won't hurt her she concluded.

Penelope changed a part of her hand into ghost form and picked up the tea cup. "Oops!" she giggled, watching the maid getting all flustered and quickly grabbing a cloth, wiping the tea off her night gown, the expensive tea cup now a hundred pieces on the floor. She let out another giggle, she just loves messing with the new maids, and their reactions are always priceless.

"Is today the start of my classes?" Penelope asked after her fit of giggles, the maid picking up the shattered pieces of china. "Yes, young mistress. I have informed the driver to bring the car around in half an hour. Do you want me to help you prepare?" the maid politely asked "I'll be fine. Please resume to your duties" Penelope ordered while standing up, grabbing a scone from the plate. She watched the maid curtsied and leave the room, dragging the cart along.

Walking into the bathroom, she passed on a large mirror and stared. Her long black hair was dishevelled from sleep and her gown soaked with the tea, she softly sighed and went to prepare for school.

"Good luck on your first day, miss" the maids chimed and bowed as she reached the end of the staircase. "Thank you" she said and flashed them her sweetest smile "Please take care of the manor while I'm gone" she ordered and went inside the car, her mind filled with scenarios on how the first day of school is going to be.

The drive was short and quiet, which in Penelope's opinion is perfect for her to sort out her thoughts. What if the other kids hate her? What if they think that she's weird or a brat? These thoughts keep on flooding her head, giving her a headache. Letting out a heavy sigh, she heard her driver mutter a quick good luck. "Well, here goes nothing" she muttered out loud and stepped out of the car, already gaining unwanted attention.

She briskly walked upstairs; her long black hair flowing behind her as glanced around, looking for her designated class. Finally finding her class, she sat down at the back and softly whispered "Please let me fit in."

 

[Karyra]

Ava rolled over on her bed, trying to block out the sun's silent campaign to blind her and remind her that she had to go back to class starting today. She'd been pretending to be sick to get out of dealing with her classmates for the last few days, but she had to go back some time. She didn't like it but she had to. People would get even more suspicious if she suddenly just dropped out of school. As it was, her family was already mildly concerned about the fact that she was avoiding her classmates and the fact that this change in behaviour came very suddenly. Sudden changes in behaviour, her father kept saying, meant something had happened.

Ava wished her father would stop psychoanalyzing her when she wanted to just be alone.

"Ava, breakfast!" her mother called from downstairs. Ava knew that her mother would soon be coming upstairs to check on her and making sure that Ava was well enough to go back to class. Her mother wouldn't touch Ava though, too many germs.

Ava shoved the blankets off her and stood to get dressed. However, once her right foot touched the ground it phased through the floor and caused her to fall forward onto her face. Ava pushed herself up and stared at the rebellious foot, forcing it to be solid again. Ava sighed and combed her fingers through her pink hair while she got dressed, trying to be ready to leave quickly. She didn't want her parents to see any accidents, which were coming more frequently now. It had started with her sometimes phasing her hand and not grabbing something but had evolved to any body part at any time. This was the reason Ava wore two shirts instead of one, in the hopes that she wouldn't have to deal with any unpleasantness that would come from her losing her shirt mid class.

Also her father would probably ground her for a year if that happened. Ava tied her ribbon around her neck and did a quick check over her outfit. Pants in case she started floating again, two shirts, a jacket to cover up in case of her worst fear, and some sturdy shoes if someone tried to be snide about her absences today.

"Well, you're up early considering the last few days. Feeling better?" Ava's mother asked from the doorway.

"Yep. I'm gonna go eat breakfast then head to class." Ava said, grabbing her bag and walking to the kitchen.

Ava's mother watched her go, but didn't follow, "your father is going to drive you today. Try to behave and don't push him; I think he caught what you had."

That's unlikely, because it's hard to just catch weird mutant powers. Unless you're me apparently.

She ate breakfast quickly and sat in the car with her father in silence for ten minutes. For once he had nothing to say, which made Ava happy. He wasn't telling her what her behaviours meant or if she should do something with her life like trying to draw or maybe do drama again she had so much fun with them.

Once she arrived she made a beeline for her class and sat near the middle, which was strange because she always preferred the front, but if she could avoid being noticed for a while she would be fine with a few heads in her line of sight. She looked through her notes to refresh her memory of what had happened last in her class. She even made a few extra notes in the margins about the teacher or some memory trick to remind herself about the various bits and pieces of the homework that she'd had trouble understanding.

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

As was typical for Zayne, he stayed at the school for about an hour or so after his classes had ended in one of the band practice rooms. With his father a teacher at Casper High, it was easy to pull a string or two to let him in the room to practice. As long as he had been doing it, Mrs. Humphries, the band instructor, had gotten to the point of trusting him alone in the room. Some days he would bring one of his guitars and practice but with his father waking him up early, he usually wasn't in much of a state to remember one. As such, he was standing at one of the keyboards, several sheets of scrawled notes in front of him that he was playing from. It was a new song the band had been working on and Zayne had extra pressure put on him because they wanted to make it darker than they were used to, focusing more on the haunting sounds of the keyboard than the guitars.

Despite not being the singer for the group, the ravenette often found himself singing along with the music. He had offered on multiple occasions to sing for the group, even in addition to playing keys; he had that much coordination to do it. Unfortunately, they kept turning him down, in spite of recognizing his ability. He was already writing most of the songs so it made sense to him to pass on it for now. Of course this latest take was more inspired by his mood as of late. Strange things had been happening for awhile and there had always been a low-level sense of unease for him but after last night, he realized where it came from.

His mind hadn't been in his classes at all that day, uncomprehending of what was taught as his pencil scratched out small notes, both written and musical, on a sheet of paper in front of him. Something was happening to him and he wasn't sure what it was and the fear he had had wasn't of them necessarily but what he could do with them, or what they could do to him or without him. There had to be a way to deal with these... whatever-they-weres and keep them under control but he had no clue.

It was that which led him to be int he music room practicing. It was something that soothed him and kept his mind at ease.

 

[Karyra]

"You're leaving already, Ava?" a girl asked, watching Ava pack her bag and place her sheet music inside.

"Yeah, I've got homework to do," Ava lied, "and I'm just an understudy anyway. You really don't need me to stay that late." At least the last part wasn't a lie. While she'd gotten homework during her 'sickness', she had completed it pretty fast.

She waved farewell to the director and the others, and walked out of the theater. She wanted to go home, but at the same time she just wanted to be alone. So she decided to wander the halls for a while, trying to figure out what was happening. She could phase through objects now, sometimes willingly if she focused on it. Other times... she just found herself struggling to explain that she totally meant to take off her jacket. She was just really quick at it, so no one noticed when she did it. Thankfully her shirt hadn't fallen off, otherwise she'd have a lot to explain.

She could almost hear her father now, on why she had acted out like this. He wouldn't listen to what she had to say though, just drone on and on about how it was a cry for attention or whatever. She stopped to sit down and read her book for a while when she heard a keyboard and music coming from the music room. Usually by now the teacher had gone home and locked the doors. Who could possibly be in there?

Ava tried to peer in through the small windows in the door only to find herself opening it and stumbling inside, knocking down a few stands as she tried to catch herself. She stood, attempting to regain any of her dignity as she could muster. Smiling sheepishly she said, "so uh, I liked your song."

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

As the music filled the air around him, Zayne lost himself in the ebb and flow of musical notes, the haunting strains of the keyboard carrying him. His eyes were closed and he was mouthing the words to the music, the soft rasp of air downed out by the keys. It was no wonder that he missed the head and eyes peering through the window of the door. The crash through the door brought his music to a crashing halt as he stared at the intruder for a few moments as she got up along with the stands she had knocked over.

His eyes carrying with them a tiredness, though this was only partially directed at the girl; most of it was from the jumps he had had all day at the slightest whoosh. Though they didn't exist yet, Zayne had the distinct feeling of dark circles under his eyes. He managed a smile at her compliment though, letting his palms rest on the sides of the keyboard since there was no way he was going to be able to continue just yet,

"Thanks. Though, it's not all my music. I write the lyrics for them, though I doubt you heard them. It calms me down especially after a tiring day."

 

[Karyra]

Ava finished with the music stands as the boy who had been playing began to talk about how it wasn't all his music it was someone else. "I wish I could write music, I can read it and sing it but I'm afraid writing is just out of the question," Ava said, rubbing the back of her head and moving closer to the boy with the keyboard. "Uh, who's 'them'? A group you play for? I'd like to know their name at least, so I could figure out where they play."

Ava moved around the room, lightly touching the instruments. She didn't try to move anything, but she did tap the xylophones with her fingers. The boy looked more tired than she was, and that was a feat considering she'd just been running across the stage. As she tapped the xylophones, her hand phased through them and she quickly hid it.

"I'm Ava, by the way, Ava Cho. What's your name?"

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

"Well the first would be the music, the second would be the band I play in, Revenant Force. Somewhere between symphonic metal, alternative and probably a touch of emo if you get down to it. I play keys for them."

It took a few moments for him to realize what she had said more than that.

"It's Zayne Sandborne. Yeah, just like that one History teacher; I'm his son. But you said you sing? We're actually looking for someone to sing for us."

He had completely missed that her hand had phased through the keyboard but her quick movements in trying to hide it drew his eyes. One eyebrow arched up in questioning but he thought nothing of it.

 

[Karyra]

Ava nodded at his description of his band, moving to see the paper and the keyboard that he was using. It seemed fairly simple and interesting. Maybe he'd just started on this piece, Ava wondered. There was a beat of silence before Zayne introduced himself as well. Ava listened and tried to remember which history teacher Mr. Sandbourne was. She'd had him before, so the name was familiar.

"I've had Mr. Sandbourne before, I liked his lessons. They were interesting," Ava said, finding a chair and taking it to sit down near the strange boy. She just had to keep calm and ignore the fact that she might phase through the chair and reveal the reason she'd been hiding in her room for the last few days in front of a complete stranger. Ava had to suppress her surprise when he offered to let her be lead singer for his band. "I can sing... but I'm afraid that the last time I sang in public I might have... fainted a little..."

Ava's face turned bright red at the memory. She'd been alone, singing in her room to no one in particular when her family and their friends came upstairs into her room to see what the noise was and waited there for a minute to listen to what she was singing. When she turned around to see the group she'd locked her knees and nearly hit her desk when she passed out. Her family never held it over her but it was still plenty embarassing. Why hadn't they said anything when they came into the room? Why hadn't they knocked?

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

"It's not like we haven't dealt with that before. Kaden had trouble playing on stage for several months because he wasn't used to playing in a group but he got used to it. You wouldn't think he was ever afraid to play looking at him now. Though, you'd be right to think he's really shy. He has a thing for Riley and I think she knows but she waiting for Kaden to come out and say it.

"But if you don't feel it, that's fine. Performing in front of people can be a terrifying thought. We've all had to deal with it, just some of us more than others. But if you keep working at it, you'll be fine. And if you faint the first few times, you'll have people there to catch you. We take care of our friends, ya know?"

"So what are you doing here so late?"

 

[Karyra]

"No it's not that at all, it the audience aspect of it. I've sung with other people in choir but give me a solo and.... it's no good. I mean, I'd love to do it, but all those eyes watching me... staring..." Ava said, shifting in the chair uncomfortably. "It's... disconcerting. And besides, I've got other things to worry about besides just a little stage fright."

She couldn't let that last sentence linger too long so she answered his next question, "I'm here because of drama practice. We're doing Romeo and Juliet. Except it's a musical for some reason. It's kinda silly and stupid, but the cast picked it and is running with their bad decision. Before you ask, I'm the Nurse for Juliet. Just lines, no singing unfortunately. Or maybe fortunately, I don't know." Ava shrugged at the idea. She'd been wanted for Juliet, but with her latest problems and her stage fright, Juliet's balcony scene solo just wasn't in the cards.

"So, you could probably just practice at home, the real question is why are you here?"

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

Zayne nodded as Ava spoke. He could understand her trepidation better than either of them knew - he thought she was merely referencing her home life or normal teenage worries.

"Well, we'll see how it turns out. I usually go to watch at least one of the shows when we have a performance. But uhmmmm...."

He reached back and scratched the back of his head.

"Well, my dad's a bit protective with all the vandalism we've had lately. Normally, I walk here and back so I can sleep in some more but my dad wants to make sure I get here safe and get home safe so I'm riding with him. He's got to grade the tests he gave today so he's staying late to do it which means I get to practice in here."

 

[Karyra]

"Is it vandalism or just plain destruction, though? I hear the town is just plain wrecked and covered with ice by the police get there. I understand his caution too, my parents were tempted to keep me home for a while because they couldn't pick me up from school at the end of the day. It's silly of them though, if someone attacked me they'd probably be in over their heads," Ava smiled innocently. It was no secret that she was probably the toughest person at the school, but it wasn't something Ava took lightly. People needed her to protect them from other people who would hurt them.

Ava started to get up when heard the sound of boxes shuffling around. The door had been unlocked so it was possible that someone was in here as well, but she hadn't seen anyone when she'd walked around the room earlier. Also, she hadn't heard anyone come in either. As she looked at the corner of the room she saw the boxes there vibrate, then shake violently. Ava barely had time to process before the boxes started flying around the room erratically.

After a long and terrifying moment, a man appeared, clad in overalls and a beanie. He floated several feet above the ground and his skin was blue, and he was terrifying. He moved the boxes in the room around at high speeds, whipping them to and from with gleeful abandon. After a few more moments he spoke, his voice strangely high and somewhat nasally, "I am the Box Ghost! Fear me!"

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

"The ice just makes it strange though. Who knows what the cause is. There's enough speculation that it could have anyone afraid, especially parents. When you take something hard to explain and-"

His words were cut off by the sounds of boxes shuffling around. Had someone else snuck in with Ava? He knew that before she had come in, he was alone. Looking around, he caught sight of a group of boxes in the corner shuffling around before they started flying around. He blinked several times, as though trying to disillusion himself before he looked over at Ava.

"I don't suppose you're doing this? Cause that would be cool."

Before she had a chance to answer something - someone - floated up through the floor. He looked a bit frumpy, like some sort of warehouse worker from the mid-twentieth century if the photos in the myriad history textbooks at his house were any indication.

"And here I thought you had actual telekinesis. Just boxes? That's... kind of a crappy power... Are we supposed to... run? Or laugh?"

He looked over at Ava with a questioning look hoping that she might be ready to bolt, his sarcasm a natural teenage defense against this sort of thing.

 

[Karyra]

"No..." Ava replied uneasily, then followed it up with a more panicked, "I don't have any powers! What are you talking about, certainly that us, normal people don't have super powers or whatever... haha..."

The thought of making a response kept her from really processing that yes, there was ghost close by, and yes it was manipulating boxes as well as asking the two teenagers to fear him. Well she wasn't sticking around for one of those boxes to hit her, and despite Zayne's cool and sarcastic comment, one look at him and she could tell he wanted nothing more than to bolt from the room. Ava nodded and started running, dodging boxes as she went and managed to get to the door.

Unfortunately a mountain of boxes started to rush towards the door as well, and Ava found herself moving out of the path of the boxes that smashed the wall beyond the door. They didn't leave enough room for anyone to climb out and the pair were effectively trapped. Ava tried to pry boxes off the pile but they were stuck fast. They needed something to knock the Box Ghost out of commission, and Ava couldn't help but wonder how she was going to fight a guy who could move through floors and fight with boxes like this guy did. At the very least her Kempo teacher didn't teach her how to hit a target that couldn't be hit conventionally.

"Well, the run for the hills plan didn't work... now what?"

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

In both his current predicament and state of mind, Zayne didn't notice the change in Ava's tone at his mention of her having powers. It was more an off-handing thing that sent a shiver down his own spine over the fact that he seemed to have his own as well. As soon as Ava began to bolt, he followed after her, forgetting about his work or his bag nearby - who needed that when there was a ghost attacking them? Of course, the ghost was ready for that as well though, manipulating a pile of boxes into their way against the door. Even if they were just boxes, the ghost probably had extra force behind them to prevent them from getting past them.

"Well, we've got two options. One, we stand here, shit ourselves over our imminent fate, and wait for the end... Or two, and I'm really, really going to regret this so please don't judge me.... I'm going to make a Hail Mary Pass."

He had no real idea what the hell he was doing; it had only happened once before, but desperate times called for desperate measures and if this wasn't a desperate move, what was? Stepping forward, he felt his hands tingling as if knowing what he was about to do. He was hesitant to, doubting if this was even going to work, if it all had just been a figment of his imagination last night. But right now, faced with what was probably death, or at the very least, something highly unpleasant, he was going to exhaust his options and this was the first thing he could think of that might actually do something.

"Fuck it," he said, pushing aside all the doubt as he brought his hands out and crashing together before him.

This time, with true intent behind it, there was a genuine force, almost visible in the shape of a stream of musical notes that, to Zayne, made no sense. It rushed towards the Box Ghost quicker than he thought possible, not at the speed of sound but it was reaching toward it. Unknown to him, his hair had developed streaks of white in the same sort of pattern you might see at a rave before fading, as did the colour of his eyes turn a bright white in both pupil and iris.

 

[Karyra]

"Please make the Hail Mary pass, I'd prefer not to die at the hand of something calling itself the Box Ghost," Ava said, dropping her previous attempts to pull the boxes off the pile next to her. It wasn't working, and frankly, she felt stupid for even trying.

Ava watched Zayne walk out to the ghost and clap his hands. For a second, she regretted letting him do whatever it was. Unless it was an exorcism prayer or something they weren't getting out of the situation anytime soon. However, she soon realized that she had been very wrong about what Zayne was about to do. The resounding 'clap' ended up blasting the ghost into the wall behind him and creating a huge amount of damage to the wall. At least all the boxes fell from where they'd been floating only seconds before.

Ava looked at Zayne only to see fading white streaks in his hair. Well, Ava thought, at least I'm not the only one with weird powers and odd things happening to them.

"So... what exactly was that?" Ava asked, equal parts dumbfounded and amazed. "And why can you do that?"

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

"I don't know, I didn't know I could but fuck it, let's get out of here!"

Zayne didn't really want to be asking questions of things like this until they were good and far away from the Box Ghost. Knowing what he did about sound, he guessed the Box Ghost may have been stunned for just a short while, but he wasn't about to find out.

"C'mon," he said, shoving boxes out of the way so they could get to the door.

He managed to get enough out of the way for them to have a path to and then open the door.

"Move it," he said. "Towards the front office."

 

[Karyra]

"Right, dumb questions later," she said as she threw a bunch of boxes out of the way, clearing the path enough for the two of them to escape, "escaping now."

Ava didn't wait for Zayne to finish whatever he said before booking it to the front office. She didn't know what his plan was, exactly, but right then she didn't care. She'd seen a literal ghost and then Zayne clapped and destroyed a wall and today was making less and less sense. She was only slightly out of breath when she reached it, but teachers were milling about, and Ava could only yell, "there's a ghost controlling boxes in the music room!"

The chorus of laughter the erupted at her outburst made Ava blush, even though she was telling the truth. What was going on and why was her world falling apart at the seams lately?

"No, I'm serious, please don't laugh!"