Z O D I A C | Dawn of the Tarocchi

Status
Not open for further replies.
Hal began to daydream as the smoky student was about to introduce himself, drifting off into his own mind. He wasn't sure what was going through his mind, but it seemed... red. So zoned out was he that he wasn't even paying attention to his own mind, and something stirred within it without him knowing, showing not only red, but orange and yellow, smokey black and hot white. It almost came into his stream of consciousness when he suddenly snapped out of it, and was brought back to the astrology club. Camilla and Franz both had a strange look about them, somewhat dazed, but it seemed like Maggie was helpfully taking up the slack, responding to Gerhard and finishing up the club. They seemed close, which he supposed was helpful if they were both running the club.
"Thanks for this," he said to them both, "I'll see you at gym class, I guess."

After changing into sports kit, Hal made his way to the courtyard, taking stock of what was going on. It seemed like a few of them were already there... the very quiet girl on her phone, and the strong-looking guy who'd picked up the sign outside the club. Being on her phone probably meant that the girl didn't want to socialise, but the guy was just bouncing a basketball around in the corner, on his own. He figured that maybe the guy would appreciate some company.
Hal approached him, with a greeting of "hey there, you were at astrology club, right? I'm Hal." This was punctuated with an offer of his hand to be shook, and a welcoming smile.
 
  • Like
Reactions: IAmEnzo
[BCOLOR=transparent]The gym was crowded with students in gym uniforms. In her last school, as long as the girls had the power to distract the teacher, no one dressed up for gym. She always had a sinking suspicion about her former gym teacher. When Frey did decide to show up at school, she only stuck around for gym class. It was an easy A for her, just show up and play a few games and then leave. Frey didn’t like the idea of wearing sweaty clothes for the rest of the day, her clothes were already uncomfortable. Tucked away in a corner was the girls’ locker room, but it was locked from the outside. Frey pressed an ear up against the door and listened for the murmur of late girls.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She knocked on the door and waited for someone to open the door. The giggling and talking ceased, but no one came to Frey’s call. Taking a step back, she kicked the door twice. It was louder and would catch their attention. A split second later, the heavy metal door swung outward, crackling as it slammed into Frey’s face, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“H-..Holy shit! I’m so sorry!”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Immediately Frey covered her face as she felt humid air fill her nostrils. The feeling subsided as blood filled up and spilled on her hand, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Oh-..”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] The girl that slammed the door opened swallowed hard as she stared at Frey’s intimidating appearance, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“You’re bleeding, I’m so, so sorry!”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Frey tilted her head up to diminish the bleeding, but it reinforced the scary image of her tall stature and her tough-looking attitude. With her narrowed eyes, it appeared that she was straight on glaring at the girl. Frey used her free hand to swat her away so she could enter the joint bathroom in the locker room. Thankfully, she was able to reach the sink and turn the faucet on before spilling blood on her uniform. The girl nervously stood by her side with a paper towel. It seemed like she was conflicted about helping Frey to dab away the blood or to leave her alone and wait to help her out later. The taller girl hunched over the sink and splashed water over her face until her nose stopped bleeding, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Thank you.”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She grabbed the paper towel and quickly wiped her face. She rolled the paper towel into a ball and threw it in the trash. Frey walked away from the bathroom portion and headed towards an empty gym locker.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Wh-..what do you need?”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] The very short girl intertwined her fingers outwards as she shifted her weight to one leg to another, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Should I take you to the nurse?”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] The girl had an odd quirk of not looking at Frey directly in the eyes. The girl was pleasant to look at, she had a heart-shaped face and a smooth forehead. She had dark eyebrows and puffy lips with a strong jaw. Her coarse bright red hair was braided to the side, falling down her shoulder. She was already dressed for gym, in fact everyone in the locker room was dressed. They were all mingling around and playing on their phones one last time before placing it in their lockers. Frey looked down at the girl as she opened the empty locker and shoved her backpack in.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“You’re afraid of me?”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Her voice had a taunting edge to it, her eyes fluttered from the girl and to the locker, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“I’m not going to hurt you, so you can go leave for gym.”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Even as she dressed, the girl stayed and waited for Frey to finish up, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“What?” [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Frey shoved her foot into her shoe and held the other in her hand, untying it. She dropped it on the floor and shoved her other foot into the shoe.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“I’ll talk to the teacher, so you don’t need to play today.”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] The girl was acting antsy as she looked away from Frey, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Did I break your nose?”[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Frey closed the locker door and pressed a finger on the girl’s forehead. She shifted the girl’s head to look at her, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Look at it. When people are talking, look at them.”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She added a few words, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“No, it’s not broken. Let’s go, I want to play.”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] The taller girl pulled the rubber band holding her hair up, dropping her golden hair down.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“My name...it’s Abbie.”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She quickly walked ahead and opened the door for Frey, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“What’s your name?”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She watched as the taller girl walked through before joining her towards the gym.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“I’m pretty dead.”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Oh what?” [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Abbie giggled, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Same. Gym is so not my thing. I mean, I’m pretty good at catching and throwing...”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Abbie pretended to wind up and throw a ball. She used her entire arm and threw with her body, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“..But I hate running. Like, kill me now and have vultures eat me before I can ever try stepping onto that track we have.”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Uh-huh..”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Frey snatched her phone last second and was typing up what Abbie was saying, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“I’m Frey Soloviev.”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Oh cool, are you a foreign exchange student?”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Abbie tried to peer over over her to see what she was doing on the phone, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“I’m not so sure about how they feel about having phones..”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“I’m not a foreign excha-...”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She inhaled sharply and abandoned that topic, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“We’ll have to see and find out for ourselves, won’t we?”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Abbie twirled her braid and looked nervously from the floor and to the girl. She pushed open the gym doors and held one out for Frey to enter, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Oh...hey, we can choose what we want to play.”[/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]Soccer, volleyball, basketball...[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Frey scanned the room and tied her hair up with a high ponytail, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“What do you want to play?”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“I don’t really care.”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Abbie laughed and agreed, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Same! Oh my gosh, you would be great at basketball or volleyball..”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“I like...soccer, too.”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Of course you do…”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Abbie murmured under her breath, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“We can totally play all three or something..”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She rubbed her bangs and suddenly grabbed Frey’s hand, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Let’s get the newbies into a game!”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“What?”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Frey was thoroughly confused with her enthusiasm.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Or like, get people to play with us. One time I managed to get the entire class to play volleyball...We had to use all three courts for everyone to fit. Holy shit, everyone would get so angry if someone couldn’t get the ball...It’s the best!”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Whatever. I just want to play something.”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Oh, hah! Okay.”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Abbie seemed dejected by this notion. Frey picked up a volleyball and gestured to Abbie that she was going to throw it at her. The shorter girl created a platform with her arms and bent her knees as she waited for the volleyball. Frey threw the ball up in the air, she waited for the ball to be in her reach and jumped.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]With an open palm, she slammed the ball down and sent it flying towards Abbie. Somehow, Abbie foresaw the intended death sentence and dodged the ball by clumsily falling to the side. The ball traveled down the gym and landed on the bleaches, hitting Aimi from Astronomy club. Abbie scrambled up on her feet and ran towards Aimi to see if she was okay, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Oh my gosh, my friend-...Do you have a concussion or something?”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Frey glanced down at her hands and glanced around the gym, catching a few stares and worried glances. The volleyball rebounded from the bleachers allowing Frey to pick it up and carry it towards the group of girls forming around Aimi. She walked up to Aimi and dribbled the volleyball with one hand and the other typing up the conversations sparking around Aimi and Frey.[/BCOLOR]
 

bunny_emoji_72__kawaii___v4__by_jerikuto-d7n4whh.gif
|
Aimi Minako | Gym ---> Probably the E.R. |"C R I T I C A L H I T !" |
bunny_emoji_72__kawaii___v4__by_jerikuto-d7n4whh.gif

As the volleyball slammed into Aimi’s face, her phone flew dramatically out of her hand and clattered to the ground. If the scene were being recorded, it probably would’ve been in slow motion. Almost immediately after impact, a concerned crowd of girls huddled around the petite girl. “Oh my gosh, my friend-...Do you have a concussion or something?” Aimi shook her head rapidly, before becoming aware of the small dribble of blood coming from her nose. “A-ah, yeah..I’m.. I’m fine!” In the mass of concerned girls, one stood out; the tall, scary-looking blonde girl from the Astrology Club, standing over her. In one hand, she dribbled the very volleyball that struck her moments before. In the other, she was rapidly typing. Neither Aimi nor the girl said anything.

Aimi frowned slightly, before turning to the mob that had now formed around her. “I’m fine, really! A little bit of blood doesn’t bother me one bit.” She smiled cheerily and continued to do so until the other girls were gone, leaving Aimi and the astrology girl alone. Okay, Aimi. Say something! “U-uh.. So, you like sports?” Not that! “I-I mean..” She nervously tugged on her cardigan sleeves, which were now spotted with droplets of blood. “You..you’re.. In the club, right? And now.. We have gym together! Isn’t that, uh, odd?” And isn’t it also odd that you were the one to hit me with the ball?

Aimi sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. “Ah… I’m sorry, I’m being really awkward here!” She produced another nervous laugh before continuing, “I don’t think either of us got the chance to introduce ourselves in the club... I’m Aimi Minako and I joined this club to make friends!” She chuckled to herself, laughing at her own joke. “S-so, if I may ask.. what should I call the person who assaulted me with a volleyball?”
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: IAmEnzo
The echoes of basketballs, the screeching of shoes, the shouting of students and teachers, and the humid atmosphere contained in the gym was a combination that really wore people out. For the restless athletes who sat stationary during classes, it was their moment of peace. In this environment, some would even consider it play. For the other students, it was just another phase of school to survive.

After their daily practice of track, the Astrology duo set out to continue working for the club's benefit. Their agenda was to personally get to know the various members that showed up that morning with their area of operations being the gym. Right off the bat, the attention was drawn towards a singular student - a student who hadn't yet spoken to the club as a group. With her was another student in the same boat. On the other side of the gym was two of their male members, Hal and Jackson. Their surroundings were much more tame and casual compared to Aimi and Frey's.

"Don't worry Maggie, I'll handle those two. You can deal with the girls." Camilla gave the timid girl a pat on her shoulder before departing towards Hal and Jackson.

...

"Hal and Jackson, right?" Camilla asked as she closed in. "Mind if I join in? Are you about to play a game?"




By the time Maggie had gotten to the other two, the surrounding students began to disperse. A light shoulder tap against a passing student made her entrance awkward.

"Watch yourself, idiot."

"..My mistake-.."

...

“You..you’re.. In the club, right? And now.. We have gym together! Isn’t that, uh, odd?”

Watching from a few feet away, Maggie could clearly see that she wasn't the only skittish student around. It was as if she were watching herself from someone else's perspective. And then there was Frey, truly the type that seemed to be on an entirely different level than everyone else, judging by her posture alone. Maggie stood there awkwardly, awaiting a good opportunity to speak up and announce herself.

“Ah… I’m sorry, I’m being really awkward here!”

Invisible.

“I don’t think either of us got the chance to introduce ourselves in the club... I’m Aimi Minako and I joined this club to make friends! S-so, if I may ask.. what should I call the person who assaulted me with a volleyball?”

Rather than speak, Maggie glanced at the taller girl and waited for her response.
 
  • Love
Reactions: AiDee
Gerhard smiled at Maggie's response. He expected Camilla to respond to him like she did with Franz, but from a peek at her, it seemed she was still bothered about something. Then, the school bells rang.

("What? It's noon already...?")

It seemed Gerhard was a tad disoriented himself, as he didn't think it would be noon this soon. The time for introductions was over. Both Franz and Camilla left the club room like bats out of hell. The unintroduced left more leisurely in comparison, along with Gerhard.

Many students didn't take gym class seriously. Gerhard was not one of those students.

"Whew..."

Gerhard was feeling woozy, so he had gone to the restroom to wash his face and regain his composure. As he reentered the gymnasium, he noticed a conspicuous group of girls huddling around something. When they eventually dispersed, there were only two girls left, both familiar. No, it was three. The third girl, Maggie, was a bit off to the side of those two.

("Oh...?")

He hadn't noticed them before, but they were in the same gym period as he was. Before he consciously knew it, he was already walking towards them. However, he stopped before he took three steps, not because of his own will.

"Ugh!"

Gerhard was knocked down to the ground. He wasn't sure what hit him, but a basketball in his immediate vicinity gave him a good guess. Two guys were running towards him, both with concerned looks on their faces.

"Shit! Dude, you ok?"
"Ahhh, fuck! Man, what the fuck was up with that pass man?! We aren't playing dodgeball you tard!"
"Shut up! My bad, alright? Dude, can you stand?"

One of them extended a hand towards Gerhard; Gerhard stood up on his own as he looked over his body. Both of his elbows were scraped, slightly bleeding from the fall. The side of his head that got hit with the basketball seemed to be throbbing with pain.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

After he said that lie, the two youths breathed a sigh of relief. They picked up their ball and returned to playing.

("Fucking bastards.")

Gerhard cursed them in his mind, then sighed.

("It was just an honest mistake, right?")

Gerhard headed for the nurse's office, seeing two other familiar faces with Camilla as he left.

"She's not here..."

The nurse wasn't in her office, but it was left unlocked. Gerhard thought it a bit negligent, but seeing most of the adults here at Scentia, carelessness was the norm, not the exception. Gerhard shrugged his shoulders then searched for antiseptic and bandages for his elbows. He found them then used them.

"Ugh."

A wave of dizziness struck him as he finished. He thought to lie down in one of the beds here and headed for a random one.

"Oh."

Gerhard was mildly surprised as he pulled back the curtains for one of the beds. Lying on it was Franz, with a blindfold over his eyes. Gerhard wasn't sure if he was awake or not due to the blindfold, so he stood there until he could confirm it. If he was sleeping he would try to leave as quietly as possible.[/hr][/hr]
 
  • Like
Reactions: IAmEnzo
"hey there, you were at astrology club, right? I'm Hal."


Jackson caught the ball in one hand as a a voice interrupted his solo-dribble time. He hadn't expected to be interrupted by many, most people in his previous experience took one look at him and walked in the other direction. Hal though didn't seem to mind, which Jackson found a bit suprising. After giving a puzzled stare for a few seconds at the on comer, Jackson extended his free hand and gave a solid shake. Jackson almost forgot to keep his strength in check, and the teen found himself giving a strong shake that felt surprisingly strong even for someone of Jackson's size and seeming athletic ability.

"Hal and Jackson, right? Mind if I join in? Are you about to play a game?"


Suddenly, another person from the Astrology club had appeared. It took a second to remember what her name was since he had come in late for her announcement. Fortunately the teen had heard it in passing as everyone was leaving, and he was pretty sure this was Camilla. That said, Jackson was starting to doubt the effectiveness of his solodribble strategy, especially with all the attention it seemed to be pulling. Planning thing's was always supposed to be Iphie's thing anyways, although Jackson couldn't tell anyone what exactly Iphie was doing nowadays...the Tarrochi were probably doing something weird or another, and justifying it for some bullshit reason or another.

For now though, Jackson had to get his head in the game, literally. He hadn't really wanted to play, but getting close with his associates would be some good fun in the long run, and maybe he'd actually get to know them as people. Jackson wasn't sure if he wanted to let people get too close...after all, he was an ex-con fused with a supernatural monster long thought dead who's powers he didn't fully understand....exposing himself as a superhuman freak wouldn't do much to help anyone really.

"Uhh...I mean I guess we were? I've just kind of been dribbling by myself but we can always play a game or two of...something. It's kinda hard to play much basketball games with just 3 people, unless you don't mind 2 on 1's or some complex version of HORSE."

Jackson gave a shrug. Playing the nice guy was somewhat new to him, but it felt kind of nice. He would play whatever his club mates wanted. After all, if he kept his strength in check it couldn't be that hard to beat them, he was a tough guy after all, and plenty strong and fast without any sort of hollow influence, it might even be fun.

"So I mean, are we getting a group together? Or are we just going to go straight at it with us?"
 
  • Like
Reactions: IAmEnzo
[BCOLOR=transparent]Frey tucked a golden strand behind her ear with the hand that was dribbling the volleyball. The girl seemed to take her pain as serious as a joke. She had to stop for a moment to admire the reasoning that may have gone through her mind to keep other people from worrying about her. Aimi attempted small talk with Frey, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“U-uh.. So, you like sports? I-I mean..”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Luckily for her, Frey wasn't paying attention to witness the blunder it was for a conversation.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Watch yourself, idiot."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] The word idiot stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd of girls that were leaving. A negative word in a group of girls that intended to help Aimi just moments before. Frey stared down the person that was being rude to the other girl that stuck around for the discussion.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"..My mistake-.."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She murmured to the voice and stepped back into a closed square with Abbie and Aimi. Abbie sheepishly waved at the other two girls.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“You..you’re.. In the club, right? And now.. We have gym together! Isn’t that, uh, odd?”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] It was odd to Frey that the girl was trying to keep a conversation afloat. Frey blinked a bit as she raked her mind for anything that hinted at what she was talking about. When her mind failed her, Frey furiously scrolled through her phone, looking for a log that detailed the morning. She was talking about Astronomy club, it looked like the taller girl had snapped a few photos as well. Aimi was seemingly near the corner of the picture. As was Maggie, standing near the front of the room. Strangely enough, Frey didn't take solo pictures with everyone. Reading her own log, it seemed like they had ran out of time.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Ah… I’m sorry, I’m being really awkward here!”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Her voice cut into her thoughts, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“I don’t think either of us got the chance to introduce ourselves in the club... I’m Aimi Minako and I joined this club to make friends! S-so, if I may ask.. what should I call the person who assaulted me with a volleyball?”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Frey glanced at Maggie and raised a brow at her, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Do you let everyone treat you like that?”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She was referring to the person that called her an idiot just moments before. Frey opened her mouth to say more about the matter but Abbie quickly swooped in to interrupt her.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Oh my gosh! We have more things in common! I assaulted her with a door and she assaulted you with a volleyball!”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Abbie spoked up diligently and nervously laughed while locking eyes with Frey. The taller girl quickly ran her thumb over the phone’s screen and pulled up the camera feature. While Abbie’s eyes were on her, Frey was able to snap a picture of Abbie. She opened the details of the photo and renamed it to, “Abbie from gym”, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“D-..Did you just take a picture of me?”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Frey nodded and played with the volleyball absentmindedly while fiddling with her phone, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Anyways...I’m--”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Her name is Frey and mine is Abbie!”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Abbie butted in. Frey’s eyes flickered from the red-haired girl and her phone. She typed up the conversation as Abbie’s face heated up, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“O-oh, sorry! I’ll just...go over there…”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] The girl quickly shuffled her way out and picked up a basketball to play with.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Someone can walk all over you,”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Frey dropped the ball at her feet and raised her arms to stretch. She sensed that Maggie and Aimi were somewhat similar when it came to people, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Since we will be getting to know one another…”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] The taller girl watched as people in the background played sports, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Ask me for help if anyone troubles you.”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She kicked the volleyball towards the wall while typing out on her phone.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Frey quickly snapped a picture of Aimi and Maggie separately. She wrote their names in the details portion. Sighing a bit, she glanced over to Abbie and then at the other two girls, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Are we playing volleyball or basketball?”[/BCOLOR]
 
  • Love
Reactions: a touch of dread
[BCOLOR=transparent]“Do you let everyone treat you like that?”[/BCOLOR]

Maggie was caught off-guard by Frey's sudden acknowledgement. She had expected Frey to reply to Aimi, but instead the girl decided to question Maggie on her passive stance.

"Huh? N-no. She probably didn't mean all of that."

Maggie learned not to judge a book by it's cover. It was a trait of hers that actually helped turn Camilla into what she was now.


"..There she is again. Staring." said a nearby student as they took a break from running on track. On the other side of the gate were tall apartment buildings. Every now and then children would peer down onto the track to watch the students race after school. Their stares were innocent, however there was one pair of eyes that held anger in them. It was the 'creepy' girl. The one who would sit at the foot of the building and watch the tracks like a statue, with students or without.


"I think she's a hobo, actually." called another.

"Not going near her, then. I don't feel like being guilt-tripped for my money."

It wasn't until lunchtime that the homeless girl had her first visitor.

...

"Here you go."

A lunchtray was placed down beside the homeless girl as she was joined by a new face who sat down with her.

The homeless girl eyed the tray and the student with suspicion, then stared forward instinctively hugging her knees. "I don't care if you're a girl. I'm not doing any weird favors for you."

"Wh-what? No! It's free, I swear!"

The homeless girl gave the newcomer another once-over.

"You looked pretty lonely over here, so I thought I'd have lunch with you. My name's Maggie."

Though it was obvious one didn't trust the other, the protests of the girl's stomach ultimately made the decision to accept the extra lunch-tray. With the swiftness, the girl desperately mowed down the food on the tray. Maggie smiled and used that time to eat her own lunch. Eventually the two trays sat empty on the concrete ground.

"You shou-"

"-I'm not going to a shelter."

"N-no, that's not what I was going to suggest.. I was going to say that you should come to the school."

Black irises trailed over to Maggie.

"Are you an idiot? It's not that simple."

"I know that. My dad works at this school, and I know how to forge some false information for you to use."

The girl raised a brow.

"What's the catch?"

"There is none. I just believe that everyone deserves a chance."

The homeless girl scoffed in response and continued to stare at the tracks on the other side of the iron gates. With a heavy sigh, Maggie collected the two empty trays and rose to her feet. As she made her leave, the girl spoke up.

"Camilla."

The name froze Maggie in her tracks. "Huh?"

"My name is Camilla Ferrari."

Maggie cast a smile over her shoulder. "Right!"



"I believe everyone's got a nice side."

...

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Anyways...I’m--”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Her name is Frey and mine is Abbie!”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Maggie nodded with a smile. "Frey Soloviev. I know."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Abbie's presence didn't last long. Before proper introductions could be had, the energetic one ran off. Just like during their club meeting, Frey didn't seem all that interested in what was going on around her. It made Maggie think about what she truly wanted from the Astrology Club. Was it a simple reason like Gerhard's?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Someone can walk all over you. Since we will be getting to know one another, ask me for help if anyone troubles you.””[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Maggie smiled to herself, having found the elusive 'nice' side of Frey, although Maggie rarely pictured herself calling for help. Frey even managed to take a picture of the two while Maggie was smiling. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Are we playing volleyball or basketball?” [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I-I just wanted to ask the two of you why you chose the Astrology Club."[/BCOLOR]
 
  • Love
Reactions: AiDee
From the moment Franz drifted into the lull of sleep, he found himself gazing through the eyes of another. His new location was an unfamiliar operating room in which assistants and the surgeon were rapidly shuffling around the room in preparation for the surgery that was bound to happen. In the case of himself, his new body was seemingly situated towards one side of the room where he was sitting atop a metal table that held the equipment for the procedure. At first, his mind flashed a sense of worry that he was in the way; however, such thoughts were quickly dispelled by the ethereal properties his body demonstrated when a nurse reached right through his torso. As the surgery began, Franz couldn't help but wonder the identity of the patient, but with bodies crowding the operating table, there was little see apart from the blueish-green fabric which draped over the table. Instead, his mind wandered towards the realm of his own identity, yet without a mirror in the room, all he could manage was a simple view below the neckline. His body was clothed in a quality black suit, but the most striking feature was the pale, wrinkled skin that defined his hands.

Franz might have attempted a further examination of his own self; however, his actions were derailed by the sudden commotion which erupted within the room. Panicked orders were screamed by the surgeon while assistants ran through and about the room in a seemingly crazed fashion. Over time, the beeps representing the patient's heartbeat began to slow and continued until the sound of a flat line was all that was left to be heard. In time, heavy sighs exhaled from the surgeon who by this point had long given up. Gradually, the room began to slowly clear, yet from his own perspective, he felt an attraction to the table which held the recently deceased.

It was at this point that he found his body moving towards the corpse--gradually, slowly--eventually reaching the destination where his arm reached forward and drew back the drape which covered the small child laying on the table. A sense of familiarity fell on his mind as he gazed upon the auburn colored hair of the baby. Nonetheless, such feelings did not last as he found himself falling forward--towards the child--until everything faded to black. At least apart from the small inkling of light which poked through a small opening in his somewhat disheveled blindfolds.

A groan escaped his lips as he shoved aside the fabric and began lightly rubbing his eyes. The dream he had experienced was nothing new--A surgery followed by a death following by the falling experience that woke him up. The first few times, it woke him up whilst covered in sweat and heart racing; however, these days, it was nothing more than another irregularity that plagued his mind. Based on context, he had always assumed the dream involved a memory from his past; however, with so many elements that made little sense, there was little to be done other than hoping one day he could see past the fall.

Another groan sounded into the room as he opened his eyes to the blinding light of the afternoon day. Even though his eyes were still adjusting, he noticed a figure standing a short distance away from his bed, and as a result, he assumed it was the nurse checking up on him.

"I'm okay, Nurse. I'll probably return to class soon."

Nonetheless, things changed when his eyes fully adjusted and he realized that the "nurse" was in fact another student--one he had recently seen. Immediately, his face began to rapidly redden as he quickly buried himself into the covers while whispering another statement towards his unexpected visitor.

"U-Uh....How can I help you?
 
[September 1st, Afternoon / Scentia, Nurse's Office]

It was difficult to process what Franz said, since there was hardly any volume in his voice. Still, Gerhard managed to respond.

"Yeah, it seems like the nurse is out. I was just trying to find a bed to lay on, but found you instead. Sorry to disturb you."

Compared to Franz's frantic and meek behavior, Gerhard's demeanor was calm and casual.

("Do I have such a scary face? If he's normally like this, is it due to bullying...?")

Gerhard turned to leave, but then looked back at Franz.

"It's none of my business, but are you okay? From the way you acted before, did something frighten you?"
 
-- | Evening | --
[o]Monday[/o]

As the giant analog clock winded down, the gym activities had concluded their sessions and were beginning to pack up for the day. At a certain point, it was quite clear that more and more students were leaving and that the school was closing. This signaled the end of the competitive basketball game between Camilla, Hal, and Jackson with no clear winner decided. Fortunately, Camilla was able to understand the two better through their game and waved farewell to them.

After retrieving her uniform from the locker room, Camilla was already creating distance between the school and herself. Her once uplifting aura shifted to that of slight dread as she prepared herself to return to her usual spot in the alleyway. The interesting students she met made her wonder how her brother would have reacted to it. wary eyes turned up to the sky where an uncomfortably present full moon shined down from a black night sky.

IM2ai0T.jpg

That's right..

The moon reminded her of the strange phenomenon that occurred in their club. The words the infernal spoke: 'Imperfection', 'Imbalance'. It tugged at the back of her mind. Who was he? Was he spying on her? Not fitting in was the only understandable fact; She had rare abilities that many didn't. Perhaps that Aldricht kid knew something.

"Camilla!"

The call of her name echoed throughout the night air as Maggie flagged down and rejoined Camilla. Together, the two walked out of school property.

"There you are. I wanted to purpose something to you before you left."

"Hm?"

"Would you want to live with me?"

Camilla's eyes widened in surprise. "L-live with you? Aren't your parents super protective..?"

"I talked to them about it and they said it's fine until my older sister comes home."

The offer was comforting, but also concerning. What if that man came back? Various scenarios where the man on fire attacked Maggie and her family.

"I-I mean, I-.."

"Please, Camilla. It's not just about helping you. I.. just can't function well without my sister."

Camilla could already tell that Maggie was dependent on an older figure.

"I'm kind of pathetic. I have nobody to talk to in school, something about being a teacher's girl scares people away. I'm scatterbrained and I panic easily under pressure. There have only been two people that can negate that; my sister, and you."

A cheeky smile formed on Camilla's face. "That's not exactly something I tell other people! Besides, don't you want a place to stay?"

"Well that's complicated, but-.. I suppose I could stay with you for a while."

"Great! We'll study together, we'll hang out together, we'll share stories and secrets. In fact, I just shared a secret with you, so.."

Camilla peered at Maggie suspiciously. "So now you want me to tell you a secret?"

"Specifically about what happened at that club, yes!"

A heavy sigh escaped the older girl, knowing that Maggie wasn't going to let it go. "Did you know that art club student?"

"No no, it's not like that. Eugh, if you want to know so badly, you have to promise not to tell anyone."

"Who would I even tell?"

"Hmph. I'll tell you when we get to your house. Lead the way."
 
[September 1st, Late Afternoon / Scentia, Nurse's Office]

As Gerhard began to speak, Franz intently listened to his words; however, still embarrassed by the sudden intrusion, the youth remained partially hidden under the bed covers. Nonetheless, he still nodded in Gerhard’s direction as acknowledgement of the apology that was subsequently given. That being said, he had nothing to say himself, and as a result, he simply waited till his intruder turned to walk away. At that moment, a small sigh of relief escaped his lips only to be wasted as the student quickly returned with another inquiry.

I’m okay. I only have health issues.

Is what Franz intended to say; however, his attention was quickly diverted by a particular movement out of the corner of his eye. Immediately, a sense of panic fell upon his being as his body began violently shivering in response to what he saw. The shadow from before wasn’t a surprise in of itself--the crimson droplets dripping from its nails on the other hand was.

“L-Leave...N-Now...P-Please.”

Franz struggled to form his words; a reality that caused him to mentally curse at his own pathetic weakness. Sure, past shadows were nothing more than a nuisance that stalked him on a daily basis, yet something about the current scene brought a foreboding sense that he couldn’t ignore.

“L-Leave me be!
L-Leave the office...J-Just go!”

When Franz broke eye contact with him and looked at something else, Gerhard turned to follow his stare, but saw nothing of interest.

“...?”

He looked back and forth between Franz and whatever thing he was staring at. The wall? The cabinet? He had no idea. Franz’s words started off as an uncertain plea, but then got stronger in intensity. The meek Franz ended up shouting at him, which alarmed him.

(“So is he crazy like they say? What is-”)

Gerhard shook his head. He could worry and think about the cause later.

“Ummm, I’ll leave you then.”

Gerhard put the curtain on the bed back the way it was before he disturbed it, then headed out of the nurse’s office.

[Scentia, Hallway]

“What was that all about…?”

Gerhard realized he didn’t have the chance to lie down in a bed. The thought of turning back and resting in another bed was appealing. However, he did not want to take the chance of Franz attacking him in a crazed frenzy.

(“...He wouldn’t really do that, would he?”)

Gerhard sighed and rubbed the side of his head that got hit with a basketball and reluctantly headed back to the gymnasium.

[Scentia, Nurse’s Office → Home]

Franz watched Gerhard’s departure with lifeless eyes deadened from the exhaustion of dealing with his mental illness. Shadows were just that...Shadows--Any further expectations were nothing but the machinations of his insanity. Afterall, what was a hallucination going to do to a real, living human who didn’t suffer from the blight of seeing them.

With another set of curses spoken under his breath, Franz exhaled a heavy sigh as he threw the bed’s pillow in the direction of the shadow. Once again, the creature burst into a fit of maniacal laughter as the projectile simply passed through its body. Some time passed as the shadow continued to mock Franz’s existence; however, with the youth’s lack of reaction, it inevitably grew bored and vanished from the room.

“Why can’t I just be left alone!”

Franz’s cry came shortly after the shadow vanished--his tone of voice in a desperate plea while tears began to rapidly fall against his cheeks. It was at the same time, however, that the nurse had returned to her office and now found herself rushing to Franz’s bedside where she quickly made an inquiry with a worried expression on her face.

“Is everything alrig--...”

“JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!”

Without acknowledgement for her concern, Franz quickly flew off the bed and screaming his frustrations while sprinting out of the office and into the school hallway. There were still several periods left in the day; however, Franz was done--Too much had gone wrong for him to desire existing here any longer. With ignorance towards any calls by faculty or students, the youth soon was sprinting out of the school and onto the streets where he planned to make a one-way trip straight to his house and finally into his bed.

For Franz, the day was over.

[Scentia, Hallway]

The sound of fast footsteps coming closer caused Gerhard to stop drinking from a water fountain. He turned his head to see Franz sprint past him with a speed that seemed impossible with such a small stature.

(“Hopefully he doesn’t get hurt or hurt others with that recklessness.”)

Seeing that Franz abandoned the bed in the nurse’s office though, Gerhard once again changed his plans. He headed back to the nurse’s office.

[Scentia, Nurse's Office]

The first thing he noticed was the nurse’s troubled expression. She tried to hide it as she greeted Gerhard with a half-hearted smile.

“Oh hello. What is your issue?”

Gerhard looked around the room before answering. Nothing seemed out of place except for the bed that Franz laid in earlier.

(“Yep, still no sign of anything strange.”)

He looked at the nurse.

“I got hit by a basketball so I was just looking to lie down. I already treated the injuries on my elbows, sorry for using them without permission.”

With that, a look of understanding was evident on her face.

“Oh, I noticed some things were out of place-”
“I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about dear. I should be the one apologizing. I should have been here.”

She waved her hand as if it was no big deal, with a small smile on her face. Her expression soon turned serious though, as she asked Gerhard a question.

“Did you do anything to the boy who was here earlier?”

To Gerhard, her eyes seemed accusatory, but he understood her concern. So pretending as if he didn’t notice, he merely responded with as much truth as he could.

“No, I don’t think I did… Actually, I pulled the curtains of his bed earlier, but he didn’t seem bothered by that. It was by accident, of course. I could go into more detail, if you would like…?”

Her eyes remained on Gerhard for a bit longer, as if she was trying to look into his soul. Gerhard didn’t break eye contact though, and returned the gesture. In the end, it was the nurse who backed down first. She let out a sigh.

“I don’t think you’re lying.”

She let out another sigh and shook her head.

“Sorry dear. It’s fine. Go ahead and take a bed.”
“Yes.”

Gerhard went to a bed and took his rest.

[Evening / Scentia, Nurse's Office]

When Gerhard woke up, his school day was over.

(“Huh, the nurse didn’t wake me up?”)

He expected the nurse to wake him up, though he didn’t tell her to.

(“She might be feeling guilty about earlier…?”)

Whatever the reason was, he wished she would have woke him up. He sighed.

(“Now I’ll have to make up work…”)

He groaned as he got up from the bed. The prospect of make up work was not welcomed, but a reluctant inevitability. He lightly touched the side of his head that got hit by the basketball. It was still tender, but did not throb as much as before.

“Bastards.”

Gerhard left the nurse’s office.

[Scentia, Outside]

Gerhard was now heading home, after getting his backpack and changing his PE clothes from earlier. He looked up at the sky as he walked. It was a full moon, surrounded by darkness and cloudiness.

“...”

He didn’t feel anything in particular from the sight. It was just normal. Though the day so far was anything but. He met Franz, lost his sense of time, hurt by a basketball, yelled at by Franz, questioned by the nurse, and slept through the last few periods. To Gerhard, it was a pretty eventful day. His contemplation was disturbed a vibration in his pocket. He took out his phone, and looked at the screen to identify who was calling him. And it was only then that he noticed he had 5 missed calls, all from the same person.

“Hello mother… Yes, I’m sorry. I’m coming home right now. I got hit by a basketball and slept in the nurse’s office-I think I’m fine, don’t worry...”

Gerhard recounted the details of his day to his mom as he walked home.
 
  • Like
Reactions: IAmEnzo
[BCOLOR=transparent]
146730910024038
|
[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Aimi Minako[/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]|[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Gym[/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]|[/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]“Turn your flash off![/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]|
pixel_bunny_bullet_by_momoko_chu-d71j0kk.png
[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Do you let everyone treat you like that?”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Aimi’s nervous smile fled her face as she stammered, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“W-what?”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She followed the girl’s gaze over to the second-in-charge of the Astrology Club.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Huh. Small world. Er, gym class. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Huh? N-no. She probably didn't mean all of that.I believe everyone's got a nice side." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]That’s one way to look at it, I guess. Kind of delusional, but I mean..to each their own.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Suddenly, another girl appeared, and began rapidly speaking to Aimi, who had panic alarms going off in her head. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Oh my gosh! We have more things in common! I assaulted her with a door and she assaulted you with a volleyball!”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Aimi plastered an uncomfortable smile onto her face as the other girl started laughing. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Ah, this is weird and uncomfortable now. More so than before, at least. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Meanwhile, the aggressor/agressed ("What do you mean that's not a real word?") girl was messing around on her phone before the quiet click of a phone’s camera went off. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“D-..Did you just take a picture of me?” [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]The taller girl nodded, and Aimi shrank further into her sweater. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Just when I thought I couldn’t get more uncomfortable…[/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]“Anyways...I’m--”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Her name is Frey and mine is Abbie!”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Abbie blurted, cutting Frey off. The latter shot the red-head a cold look before returning to her phone, rapidly typing. [/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]"Frey Soloviev. I know." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Soloviev… that sounds European. Russia? Ukraine? Some other descendant of the Soviet Union, perhaps? That would certainly explain her appearance… and her personality, if she meets any of the Russian stereotypes I’ve heard.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As Aimi mindlessly continued along this thought process, Abbie wasn’t having the best social experience herself. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“O-oh, sorry! I’ll just...go over there…”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] The girl shuffled out of sight, and began playing with a basketball. By herself. Aimi frowned slightly, and thought about going over to talk to her. She would much rather hang around the hyperactive squirrel of a girl than someone who takes pictures of people for no apparent reason.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Someone can walk all over you,”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Frey’s low voice stood out among the general chatter of the people around them. The blonde girl dropped the volleyball before stretching.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] You know, at this point, I don’t know if she’s talking about me or Maggie...[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Since we will be getting to know one another…Ask me for help if anyone troubles you.”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] O-oh.. a protector? That’s...interesting.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] After her statement, Frey resumed her constant typing before taking pictures of Aimi and Maggie, like she did Abbie. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Aimi flinched at the noise of the camera, startled by the unwanted photography. Was this her thing? Maybe she sold, say, school girl porn on the internet. Did she shop this pictures? What kind of heinous purpose could these images serve? The petite girl shuddered, though she admitted she was probably overthinking it. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]...Probably.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Frey resumed speaking after taking her Potential Porn Pictures, directing a question at the three girls. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Are we playing volleyball or basketball?” [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Before she could protest, Maggie commented,[/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]"I-I just wanted to ask the two of you why you chose the Astrology Club."[/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]Oh, thank god. I’m so bad at sports.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Nodding at Maggie, Aimi spoke for the first time during this conversation between all four of the girls, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“I, uh, actually joined.. To make friends? I mean, stars and stuff are great,”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] she enthusiastically added, glancing over at Maggie, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“But, I, uh, don’t get out much, to say the least. So I figured joining a club would be a.. Good idea.. I guess..”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Aimi trailed off nervously. Was that a good enough reason? Aimi didn’t know, but she had a slight hunch that Maggie would understand the feeling. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Before any other conversation could be had, the other kids in the gym began packing their things. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“O-oh,” [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Aimi mumbled, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“I think...the school’s closing.”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She looked over at the other three girls before picking up her bag. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“It was nice to meet you three, officially! I look forward to seeing you guys in the club,[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]” she glanced at Maggie and Frey, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“And seeing you around school,”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] now addressing Abbie. As she started to leave, she turned around quickly before exclaiming, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Wait, my phone!” [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]The petite girl shuffled back quickly, grabbed the device that was still laying on the ground, and returning to the point from which she came. She stood there awkwardly for a moment before quickly saying, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Anyways, bye..!”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] and escaping off into the sunset, on her way home. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]
tumblr_inline_ndof41Q9GA1rujz3w.gif
|
EVENING |
tumblr_inline_ndof41Q9GA1rujz3w.gif
[/BCOLOR]
=[BCOLOR=transparent] Gym [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Dorm = サウンドトラック =[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Aimi walked slowly down the street towards the dorms, scrolling through her phone mindlessly, the screen’s light illuminating her face. A warning message popped up onto her phone’s screen;[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]WARNING: BATTERY PERCENTAGE IS AT CRITICAL LEVEL. PLUG YOUR DEVICE IN NOW. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She let out a huff of agitation before turning her phone’s screen off. The petite girl continued to walk in complete darkness, aside from the full moon above. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Man,[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] she thought. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]That thing is like a floodlight.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She sighed absentmindedly. At least it’s pretty. Another few minutes of this empty thinking continued, before Aimi began to reflect upon the events of the day. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Late to school, new club, hit in the face with a volleyball, talked to a potential child porn distributor.. Yeah, that’s a little more involved than normal.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Typically, Aimi sat silently as the other kids talked to their friends, or asked the teacher questions, blah blah blah. Not her, though. Too nervous to approach anyone, she would only talk to people if they talked to her. And, most of the time, they didn’t. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Aimi ran a hand through her mess of auburn hair, sighing. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Mm..what a great life, isn’t it?[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She looked up at the moon again. She had never really appreciated how pretty it really was. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Now that I’m in the astrology club, I suppose I should be taking more interest in you, shouldn’t I?[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] The petite girl laughed to herself as she approached her destination. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Ah, home.[/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]Finally.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] The girl pulled out her house key and unlocked the door, stepped inside, and dropped her bag onto the floor. Then, she hopped onto her bed, pulled out her laptop, then stopped. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Out of the corner of her eye, she could still see the moon hanging in the sky through her window, like one of those solar system mobiles that people put in their baby’s room. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Mm..”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] She frowned, then closed the laptop hesitantly. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“..Not tonight.”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] And with that, Aimi climbed into bed and positioned herself to that she could just barely see the sky. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Closing her eyes, she quietly murmured, [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]“Goodnight, moon,”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] and drifted off to sleep.[/BCOLOR]
 
  • Like
Reactions: IAmEnzo
Camilla observed her surroundings in awe. Maggie's living room was painted with a relaxing theme and the furniture was luxurious by her standards. Fuzzy carpet make it interesting to walk on as it was her first time seeing it. Eyes scanned the room and fell on a large rectangular screen that was much bigger than herself.

"That's our TV."

"It's so huge!!"

Camilla's amazement called fourth a response from deep within another room in the house.

"Maggie?"

"It's me, mom! I brought my friend Camilla!"

Several moments later, the woman whom Maggie addressed as her mother emerged from what seemed like the kitchen. The two traded smiles for the sake of politeness during their first meeting.

"So you want to stay with us, is that right?"

"If that's okay with you, ma'am."

"As long as you understand our house rules, you're welcome to nest here."

Camilla nodded out of acknowledgement. Soon after their brief chat, aromas began to fill the room from the kitchen and stir a reaction out of Camilla's stomach - a reaction that Maggie's mother, Jane, heard.

"I understand that the two of you may be tired from school and managing that new club of yours, but at least get a plate of food before you head to bed." Without any hesitation, the two ran off to satisfy their appetite.



A light switch quickly brought Maggie's room into view, and the timid girl was the first to dash in and present the abode in which they would be sharing for time untold. TV, smaller TV, posters of unfamiliar bands and video games. It was clear that Maggie took great care of her hermit quarters. Maggie then gave a quick tour on what was what, seeing as how it was Camilla's first time seeing many of the things people deemed common in homes.

"-This is my personal TV. It's not as good as the one downstairs but it can at least play youtube and netflix."

"Youtube and.. Netflix?"

"That's right! you've never experienced the internet! Part of me envies you."

Camilla's worried expression made Maggie chuckle before the gestured the statement as a joke with her hand.

"I heard the internet has some weird stuff on it."

"Weird people, yeah."

I wonder how bad it could be.

Their attention on the 'smaller tv' and the internet diverted Camilla from the elephant in the room. It wasn't until now that she actually noticed it however.

"Is that a bed on top of a bed?!"

Again, Camilla's reactions forced Maggie into a brief laughing fit.

"-Pfft, yes, sort of. It's called a bunk-bed. I used to share it with my older sister until she had to leave. You can have the bottom bed."

The next two hours was spent learning about the standards of living in such a house, like how one could learn about the entire world without leaving the comfort of their home. Half of that time was spent looking up things they really shouldn't have on the smaller TV, or 'computer'. The other half was time for Camilla to actually situate herself. A shower and a change of clothes were necessary. Luckily for her, most of the clothes Maggie's sister wore fit Camilla. When the initial excitement died down, it was time for Maggie to learn the truth about what Camilla was, or at least what she could do.

Sitting on the edge of her assigned bed, Camilla thought of a way to show Maggie her powers. "So tell me this big secret of yours. It's the first step to a strong bond."

Camilla glanced over at Maggie who sat at her computer desk listening attentively. Camilla opened her mouth to speak but the proper words to explain were lost. She huffed in frustration and tried again.

"I.. I'm special, I guess."

"..."

"Like, you know.." Camilla added hand gestures with the belief that it would help explain what she meant, but Maggie's concerned stare didn't change.

"I can do things that other people can't."

"How does that explain what happened the club?"

"I don't fully understand it myself, but because I have certain capabilities, I witnessed something very strange. That art club student.. He was possessed by some demon thing - I don't know. He threatened me and Franz, saying that we didn't belong, and that we were imbalances."

"..And I didn't see any of this..?"

"You were frozen or something. You didn't move, and neither did anyone else except the two of us and that thing. The room was on fire and I actually felt the heat from it all, like it was real."

"You know, that's probably why that Aldricht boy is like the way he is. I heard he's a prodigy, so many his special ability involves intelligence?"

Camilla shrugged, having no better argument on that matter.

"Who would have known that I would befriend a superhero-... let alone meet two in my life - plus a villain. I read comics, you know."

"I'm no superhero. I've never saved a single person in my life, nor have I cared about anyone that much."

Maggie frowned at those words.

"It's just that when you grow up alone and homeless, people tend to-"

"-Look at you in a negative way, I know. People are normally jerks towards the more unfortunate unless they've been in the same situation. My dad was part of a mine disposal unit in the Iraqi war, and a mistake took his left arm. Did you know that some students actually made fun of him, saying that he probably tripped on a mine like an idiot?"

Camilla actually knew who Maggie's dad was. A teacher in history with a bad sense of balance and frequent memory loss. She heard the students talk about how easy it was to cheat in his class because he would often forget he held tests.

"I at least know how messed up people can be."

"Enough about that. I'm curious to see what you can actually do."

Eyes perked up at the possible opportunity to display her power.

"Does it involve those secret tunnels?"

"No, here.."

Camilla grabbed Maggie's TV remote and beckoned her to the window while she opened it.

"What are you doing?"

"Just watch, okay? Try not to blink."

Once Camilla was sure Maggie was watching, she flung the remote high into the night sky, several dozens of feet above the ground. Maggie observed with baited breath as she suddenly felt a rush of air blast past her with a zooming noise. Instinctively, she turned to her side to see Camilla gone, and her room door wide open. The same zoom sound echoed outside, causing Maggie to look back towards the remo-

"It's gone-..?!"

The strong breeze returned coming from the opposite direction as last time. Turning around, Maggie saw the remote dangling playfully from Camilla's hands.

"How's that for a magic trick?"

"You-.. You have superspeed?!"

"Mhm!"

Camilla returned the remote to it's original location and grinned.

"That's.. so cool.. You're broken, you know that?"

"Broken? What do you mean?"

"Like, the potential you have-.. Camilla. You are amazing. That's how you were able to clean up the club before I got there today."

Camilla snickered to herself as she was bathed in praise.

"So does that mean you know something about the haunting of Snake Den Park?"

"The what of what what?"

"They call it the 'Haunting of Snake Den State park'. I'm actually surprised you haven't heard of it. It happened just outside of Providence's city limits recently. It was some sort of strange massacre. There are rumors that it was supernatural, kind of like bigfoot."

"..No, I haven't killed anyone."

"I know you haven't but there has to be a connection somehow.. I'll look it up tomorrow."

Later that night, it came time for the two to clock out for the night. With the lights off and Maggie already fast at sleep, Camilla was left to glance at the moon from the bottom part of the bunk bed.

An Astrology Club.. What was I thinking?

Before she knew it, Camilla was asleep.
 
  • Love
Reactions: AiDee
[BCOLOR=transparent]Walk Home Shenanigans [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]with @Kal [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Jackson found himself thinking quietly as he meandered outside the school gates. The basketball game was nice, and he had found himself making something close to friends with Camilla and Hal? They seemed like nice enough people anyway. The question really became of how were they connected to this, if at all? There had to be some reason Trinity thought there were reason for him to be here...gathering information is what he needed to do right? Hopefully things would be calm...but he couldn’t be sure.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]In his concentration, Jackson wasn’t paying much attention to the sidewalk in front of him, and the thug crashed into a certain girl at full speed.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“PshEEEEH!” Versai sounded out as she sent flying forward. The floor rose up to greet her- because where was its hug, huh?!- and she tucked inwards, turning around and letting her upper, side hit the ground, only for a fraction of a moment before she used the momentum to send herself rolling forward. Feeling the momentum slow, she rolled onto her feet, kneeling so that her knees were just barely off the ground. “Phew!” Then she grinned.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Did you see that?” she asked suddenly, turning right around and facing… up… up… a little higher. “Oh [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]man[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] are you freakishly tall. Hmph! Wasn’t satisfied with being perfectly average like the rest of us…” She patted him on the shoulder, “Kidding, kidding! You okay? You don’t look hurt…” she said, scanning him. [/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]It took Jackson a few seconds to ponder what the girl he bumped into was saying. He had bumped into her and sent her slightly flying, and while her recovery had been impressive Jackson couldn't quite understand why she wasn't angry. That said he wasn't about to complain.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Yeah, I'm fine. How about you? That wqs a...nice recovery there, that'd for sure.” [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Versai smiled, this guy was friendly! “Thanks!”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Jackson took another second to study the girl, and blinked in realization. “hey, you were at the club meeting today right? Astrology? Your uh...Versao right? [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She nodded, “Close enough; Versai!”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“I've had a crazy day, so sorry for bumping into you like that. Are YOU okay?”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“A-okay, from toes to my nose~ And hey, you don’t even fret! No harm, no foul, as they say. You even got me the chance to try my roll outside of a mat,” she said with a small tap on her own nose. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Jackson rose a brow. This girl...Versai, well she was certainly interesting, that much was for sure. “So...your a gymnist of sorts then? That’s the only mat I can really think of. What brings you to the Astrology club? Isn’t there some big thing for you in gym?” [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Versai laughed. “Me? Gymnist? [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Psshhhhh[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]!” She perked up, thinking about Astrology club. “Because I love everything Sun signs and then some! Why’d you join? You don’t seem like a, you know, kinda guy who’s into all that jazz.”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Who...me? It’s uh...a long story.” Jackson chuckled sardonically. Meanwhile inside his head he was racing to get any sort of feasable reason. Why DID he join? Besides orders...his own interest had always paled compared to that of his sister…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Wait a tick, that might just work![/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Well, It’s less me and more of a thing for my little sister, she’s a huge fan of stars and the sun, all the shinies really.” Jackson chuckled, remembering how it was like to tease his sister for her 4 year old nickname for stars. “So I’m joining for her really, trying to see what it’s like, maybe I’ll find it interesting too. Besides…” Jackson shrugged helplessly. “I’m uh...I’m kinda new here, and it’s always good to meet some friends right?”[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]
[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Uh-oh. Wait a minute. Versai chewed over the words he said, now this was a problem… “Friend… buddy… homie,” she raised herself on her tip-toes and slung her arm over his shoulder like a really short mob-man, “Since I’ve decided I already like ya, I think it’d be all sorts of wrong not to point out… Do you know the difference between [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]astronomy [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]and [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]astrology[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]?” [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Jackson blinked, were they that different? He had always slung the names together as if they were the same thing. At least Versai was friendly enough. As a response, he started with a small shake of his head. “Not really no, then again It’ll probably be fine, sometimes I think she just likes updates on what I’m doing out here...although now that you mention it, I’ll probably get teased a bit.” The thuggish teen let out a laugh.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“I guess my reason is a bit more...personal. There’s gotta be some reason things are the way they are right? This club seems pretty cool in figuring that out.” Jackson paused, a question forming in his mind. “I gotta ask though. You said you were greatful for the chance to do a flip without a mat, but your not a gymnist...so where the heck are you using a mat?”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Versai beamed. In just a few minutes, she’d learned that this scary looking dude had a softness, and a great deal of depth to him. Feeling happy about humanity in general, she opened her mouth to say something, and ask him his star sign, but his question distracted that right out of her! “Well, you can’t practice any practice moves on concrete, right? You shouldav seen how I tried to throw myself to learn to roll. My dad said it looked like someone had lifted and chucked me forward.” She snorted, “What can I say, it’s all-in or nothing!” [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Brimming with energy, she swished her hair, and poked Jackson’s arm. “You look like you get work done, yourself!”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Jackson shrugged. “A little bit yeah, I’m not the smartest guy around but I can do a pretty okay job of lifting weights. Still…” Jackson was just a little puzzled about what exactly this girl meant. “So you have moves then, so...are you in karate or kung fu or something?” Versai was...puzzling to say the least. Jackson then glanced down at his phone, and bit his bottom lip.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Ah crap...I might be late at this rate. Hey Versai, which way do you live? Can we walk and talk?”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Sure! I’m going this way anyway,” she stated, following beside the tall teen. “Nah, not any of that stuff, but actually, there might be some of that stuff too…” she pondered, her own mind jumping from one thought to another. “Hey! That’s what I was gonna ask earlier! What’s your Zodiac sign?”[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]“My zodiac sign?” Jackson asked. He hadn’t really considered it before, and zodiac signs had never really been something he had time to figure out when he was with his gang or even back before things had gotten tough. Jackson pondered. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“That’s connected to your birthday right? Mine’s on December 3rd. What does that make me?”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Versai clasped her hands together. She loved doing this. “December 3rd… winter month… beginning half… so… Sagittarius!” She hummed a note, “I would have totally pegged you as a Taurus; I wonder if you have more earth planets in your chart!” She pondered a moment, and then faced towards him again, “But that’s good! You’re fire, I’m air, we’re bound to get along! Look, we’re doing it already!”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Fire and air? Okaay then.” Jackson shrugged. “As for earth planets in my chart, I have...no idea what that means.” Jackson turned his gaze forwards. “I’m a bit out of the loop on the whole...planet, thing. You probably could figure that out? I know a bit more about Tarot, but trust me when I say that’s not something I’ve grown fond of.” Jackson shook his head, clearing his thoughts of the others, and wondering just what the tarrochi and their court had planned. “That’s a...whole other thing though, long story really.”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]~~~[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]After about ten more minutes of small talk and chatting, the pair came across Jackson’s apartment. “This is my stop.” He announced with a grandiose wave of his arms at the somewhat middle class building. “So looks like this is where we part ways for the night. You far out from here?”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]“Uh,,,” For the first time on their little trip, Versai was momentarily stumped. “Waaaait... “ she said after a moment. “Jackson, my friend, are you playing a trick on me?”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Jackson looked back to her, a puzzled look on his face. “Uh...nope?” He held up his keys to the building, and started moving towards the door. “Why? There some kind of punchline here I dont’ get?”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She studied his face for a second, before her own lips started doing the wave. “Oh man,” she giggled, lips furling up, “Seriously!” She made an arm gesture, “Cuz I live right there!”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Jackson let out a few puzzles blinks. “Wait...really?” He chuckled low. “That’s crazy. What’re the odds of that right? Which room are you in? We might even be on the same floor.”[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Versai shook her head, grinning ear to ear, “No way, no way. 241?” she said, watching for his reaction out the corner of her eye.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Jackson couldn't’ help but grin, this girl was interesting, but in a good way. “240 myself...what the hell are the odds of that right?” He laughed. “Well, I got the door.” He said as he unlocked the main entrance. “So after you? I could sleep for a week myself...we should go get some rest.”[/BCOLOR]



After that, the two teens split up, and went into their respective housing.
 
Hal was glad he'd had a chance to get to know Jackson and Camilla a bit more, they seemed alright. Not to mention, they could play basketball pretty damn well. Camilla was really, really fast, and Jackson could throw that ball way harder than Hal ever could, not to mention being still pretty speedy. Hal only just managed to keep up with the two, ending up with all three of them being about even in score, though Hall could tell that he was the only one that was really tired out of the three - had they even been trying? Or were they both just super fit?
Deciding to drop the idea, Hal made his way to the changing rooms to get back into his normal clothes, and went on his way back to the flat.

Today had passed quickly, he realised as he was walking home. He'd gone through astrology club and a gym class, but it felt like nothing, though he was still a little tired out from the basketball. He supposed that first days of anything were always like that, always a little hectic. All the little bits of weirdness were swept under a metaphorical rug, put to the back of his mind as he stopped thinking about them, turning his attention to the street ahead of him. He could see a fair distance ahead of him there were two people, one a pretty tall guy and another, shorter girl... wait, was that Jackson? Plus the girl with him looked like... was she at the astrology club? Funny coincidence, he thought, but he decided not to pursue it any further, they seemed to be well into a conversation of their own and wouldn't want to interrupt.
This wasn't the only coincidence for Hal today, though, as he saw them walk into the apartment building right next to his. That might be convenient, he thought to himself as he entered through the lobby door, heading up to his apartment to end the day.
 
  • Like
Reactions: IAmEnzo
-- | NIGHTMARE | --
[O]???[/o]


The dank air was almost impossible to see though. A dark red mist coated the seemingly vast area. Motionless uniformed bodies hung from large hooks dug into their backs. The bodies were many, if not all of the students and teachers from Scentia. That included those from the Astrology Club as well. Every member hung silently. Large double doors swung open and in came a slithering sound. Through the fog was a heavyset woman deformed from head to toe. Her body was coated in black slime that feasted off of her body.

The women hummed a catchy song as she traversed through the hanging bodies without a care in the world. Reaching a table full of various kitchen and surgical tools, the deformed woman retrieved a large kitchen knife and sunk it's steel into a random unconscious body's leg.

"Empty."

She chose another body close to the previous one.

"Empty." She declared once more in a raspy tone.

The attention turned towards a familiar body. Jackson's.

Black slime in the form of a snake wrapped around the boy's body as if it were examining him. The snake's flickering tongue and hissing noise would have no doubt woken Jackson up.

"Different.. Exciting.."

The giant black snake protruding from the woman's 'arm' kept it's grip on Jackson's body as it lifted him off of the hook.

"You are tonight's course." The old woman stated as she began to take Jackson away through the double doors and into the mist beyond. With the slightest commotion, the Astrology club members would have been brought to the verge of waking up to the situation.



 
  • Love
Reactions: AiDee
The sound of a hissing snake and a sharp pain in his arm were the two things that Jackson woke up to. The hollow-fused thug was groggy, but even he knew what was happening again...if vaguely. This whole hellscape had to be some kind of new...whatever the fuck the tarrochi had done. The semantics weren't important at the moment. As Jackson was being carried away, the various bodies of his friends hanging off meat hooks set a disturbing image in his head. Whatever hell kinda dream this one was...it was a lot more gruesome than the puzzle garden of those weird ass twins...

Jackson blinked to regain his focus. He didn't have much time. If he let the weird monster woman escape from the room with him intact, who knew what was in store? He had to escape...but at the same time he had to buy time to free the others, breaking free now was just putting them in danger...Jackson's shoulder wound began to heal, and he grimaced slightly. Why wasn't Iphie here? She always had the plan...he was just the muscle. Quick! Before the doors...


Wait a second, the doors!


Just before Jackson and the snake-woman came to the doors, Jackson twisted free of her grip. Delivering a savage kick to her as he fell to the ground. The kick had enough force to push her out the room, and as she was still surprised, Jackson slammed the doors in her face before turning around and bolting. Jackson then grabbed the tool of surgical equipment and put it in front of the door as something akin to a ramshackle barricade. He knew it probably wouldn't hold long in this twisted landscape, but it was all he had. Before darting away to the others, Jackson grabbed a pair of knives, he couldn't really use them...but the others might.

Knowing time was of the essence, Jackson ran towards the club members on the hooks. They were the only ones waking up...that meant whatever the hell was causing this had to be targeting them, or maybe the supernatural world had the cruelest sense of humour. Running up to Hal, Jackson pulled him up and off the meathook, taking a second to make sure he was...somewhat okay. After that, he ran to Camilla and pulled her off as well. As he did so, he gave each wounded teen one of the knives.

"Listen, I know this is going to sound crazy, but this isn't just a dream okay? We have to work together to get out of this. I picked you two up first because you seemed the strongest of the others after basketball. On the other side of that door is a monster that's going to be pretty pissed off that her meal just slipped away from her. I don't know how much time I can buy...but I'll do my best. You guys need to start freeing the others alright?"

Jackson turned his back to the others, cracking his knuckles as he waited for the door to swing open. He called out to the others as he waited for the hollow to come back.

"I don't know what's going on myself...but I think we have to fight for our lives here, numbers are going to be important." Jackson then started yelling. "Everyone! Wake up! Please!"

As he uttered the words, the last of his wound had all but vanished, and Jackson had regenerated.
 
  • Like
Reactions: IAmEnzo
Camilla's slumbering state was washed away by her awakening senses. Darkness. Pain. The only two things she could notice straight away without much thought. A throbbing pain nagged at her back while her sight blurred for the longest. In fact, anyone who was completely new to the realm they resided in would have been opening their eyes for the very first time within their second body; their limbo counterpart.

The blurred outlines of other people were just barely being made out. Everyone was hanging from the ceilings, motionless while they swayed to whatever rouge wind came by. A moving figure handed a small bladed weapon to Camilla, which simply fell out of her hands unintentionally. As she looked at her hand, Camilla realized the true sluggish nature of her own body. It was the same movements one would make if they had slept in one position for over a dozen hours.

"Listen, I know this is going to sound crazy, but this isn't just a dream okay? We have to work together to get out of this. I picked you two up first because you seemed the strongest of the others after basketball. On the other side of that door is a monster that's going to be pretty pissed off that her meal just slipped away from her. I don't know how much time I can buy...but I'll do my best. You guys need to start freeing the others alright?"

So loud..

Jackson's shouts pained her eardrums almost as badly as the gaping wound in her back. Migraines could easily form with a few loud noises. Glancing around, Camilla was finally able to identify those around her. Each and every single one of those bodies were wearing school uniforms - either student based or teacher based. The girl wanted to question why, but the fog in her brain had yet to clear.

Versai..

Gerhard..

Hal..

Aimi..

Frey..

Franz..

Maggie..

Save for Hal, the names that passed through her mind were hung on meat hooks attached to a ceiling conveyor belt of some kind. The hooks followed several tracks leading god knows where. Were they dead? Upon focusing closer on not only the club members, but the surrounding students; there was a faint rise and fall of their chests. They were alive, although trapped in a dreamlike stasis.

For the first time, Camilla rose up in her unknowingly new body. With her familiar spark coming back to life, she faced Jackson with her resolve. "..Understood."

Though her first steps were poorly coordinated, Camilla made her way around the dangling bodies to lift up her fellow club members, who also seemed to be on the brink of awakening.

First Aimi, she seemed to be the lightest.

Then Gerhard.

Frey.

Maggie was the last, and Camilla's limit for her upper body strength. She knelt down, holding the barely conscious Maggie in her arms.

If this truly isn't a dream, should I really wake her up?

A loud, angry slam to the other side of the double doors alerted the group to the old lady's furious presence.

"If yOU will nOt come Easily, my DarLIngs will FORCE you!"

Whatever 'darlings' the female voice referred to must have been certainly eager. What started as one loud bang on the door transitioned into smaller but repetitive bangings that hinted that there was more than one creature on the other side. The double doors began to bend and shake with protest.

"I don't know what's going on myself...but I think we have to fight for our lives here, numbers are going to be important. Everyone! Wake up! Please!"

"It's not going to hold.." Camilla called out as she set down Maggie and retrieved the knife Jackson had given her earlier.
 
Last edited:
At first, all Hal could feel was something on his back, tugging up towards his head. It began to hurt as he came closer to consciousness, until he could feel the meat hook digging into his back, and he began to wake up gradually, his eyes fluttering open as he groaned in pain.
The pain increased tenfold as Jackson pulled him up and off the hook, and he could feel the metal scraping against exposed muscle and bone, excruciatingly slow. He cried out in pain, until finally he was put down on the ground, where he summarily collapsed to his knees, panting, his right hand instinctively going to the hole now between his shoulders, just to the right of his spine. He could feel it there, yet already the pain was numbing, and he could still move his shoulders and back without much more pain from the wound.
As Jackson talked, he slowly stood up, looking at his surroundings. He did so slowly as his limbs were all stiff, and his eyes were blurred, like waking from a long sleep. Stretching out his arms, legs and neck as best he could, he looked around as his eyes gradually adjusted and his vision sharpened back to normal. What Jackson was saying though, it didn't make sense, did it? He had the feeling that this was a dream, he remembered falling asleep... but he'd never felt pain in a dream before, nothing nearly so vivid. His groggy mind decided to just believe the guy, and he picked up the knife from next to him, where Jackson had put it. He didn't exactly have any experience using one of these, least of all to fight off a monster, but it was better than just his fists.
"Numbers are going to be important." Jackson said, and Hal realised that other people from the astrology club were here. He still wasn't processing all of this fast enough to freak out, so he ran over to Versai, setting down the knife before lifting her and then Franz from their hooks, apologising as he knew that it would be excruciatingly painful, and quickly repeated what Jackson had said, perhaps with a little less conviction as he wasn't quite sure of it himself.
Retrieving the knife from where he'd placed it, Hal looked around, and saw where Camilla and Jackson were standing near, a door which was being smashed against both its hinges and the surgical tool propped up to prevent it from opening. He didn't know which one of those would give first, but he knew that one would eventually.
Turning to the only other two yet awake, he asked them, "What's on the other side of that door? Can we fight it?"
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.