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X - Nicolas Harley
Cosgrove's, 12th Street
20.07.2012
"That will be 14 Dollars please. Also, it's fine, and it has. I think I've seen you before, I think during one of the events the school held, but I'm a little to old for you." She told him with a lightly laced sweet voice, but still stern.
Nick was completely astonished by her responce. He hoped that'd she would play along, but he could see her not talking a hint, or even just flat out turning him down, but this?
"Woah woah woah lady. I don't know what you are thinking, but I'm NOT a high school student. I'm twenty-four years old! How do I look like a teenager to you?" Nick tried to say it as calmly as possible, but to be frank her comment really pissed him off. How did she think he was just some teenager?
Nick grumbled to himself and took out his wallet, digging out a ten dollar bill and four one dollar bills and handing them to the girl. He looked over to see the tall girl hitting on another kid who looked close to her age. He had this..wierd *** looking thing on his arm, and he had white hair. Who the hell dyes their hair white? Assuming his hair IS dyed, but last time he checked, Nick couldn't recall anyone under the age of fifty with white hair, besides that actor named Steve Martin.
"Maybe one. I have a tournament in a little over an hour and I need to keep my head clear." A tourament? Nick assumed it had something to do with that wierd thing on the kid's arm. And he thought what HE did in high school was abnormal...
Nick couldn't believe his bad luck. First the girl at the counter mistakes him for a kid, SOMEHOW, and just dismisses him like a pest, and then the hot tall girl goes for the scrawny pasty kid with the tampon dispencer on his arm instead of him?
Nick took the box with the cupcakes he ordered in it, and yet, Nick didn't want to give up so easily. He looked back towards the girl at the counter. "Anyway, you have any plans for tonight?"
“Yeah, it was wonderful! Goes to show that you don't need huge assets to get people to like you," Carina said as she winked at the boys. “I mean money, of course.”
Diego did roll his eyes a bit and slightly blushed at the comment, but didn't catch wind of that.
“Oh yeah, I wonder if I should go get some cupcakes from her,” Carina said, half thinking aloud. “But I was kind of thinking of something else.” She waved at the clerk to get his attention. “Hey, I'm just getting this loaf for now, thanks.”
Leo giggled. "She's right you know," before he moved to answer Diego's question.
"Well, it won't be untill Monday evening. Mom doesn't want me having wild parties while she's away. And I don't intend to break that rule. To be honest though, I still don't really have anything planned yet, heh. I'll figure that out when it comes."
"Right. Well, I suppose just the usual things then I imagine. Music, people dancing somewhat alright, video games for those tired, snacks consisting of cheese, crackers, meat, fruits and pastries along with all sorts of punch," Diego said as he also shrugged his shoulders. "Hope no one tries to spike the punch or bring like tampered food," Diego said as he recalled an odd story his brother told him regarding an incident with his roommate's last family reunion.
"Well, bye everyone. See you all later!" With his free hand, held open the door for anyone that wanted to walk out.
Diego had been finishing his dessert when he was hugged by someone.
He smiled as he hugged May back. Where she was...
“Hey everyone," Krystal greeted as she next to him. Diego smiled as he placed May down before hugging Krystal. They were best friends and both 'goodie-two-shoes,' though Diego was the odd one out of the pair with his temper, his tendencies and so on.
"There you are. Hey Krystal, I invited Louise to spend some time with us to hang out today. Hope you don't mind," Diego said as he smiled to her before facing Louise.
XIV - Nodoka Hirano
Misty Springs, In Town
Friday 20th July, 2012
After School
Nodoka was quite pleased. Not only had they actually had a fresh watermelon at the market, but it was a nice plump one, big enough to be a little heavy. It could easily last a few days with just her and her grandparents eating from it.
"Are you sure you don't need any help with that?" the sales clerk asked again. He was a nice young man. A bit over concerned, but no one was perfect, as his grades this semester could attest to. Math was his weakness, if Nodoka remembered correctly. She usually did.
"That won't be necessary." Nodoka said. "I can manage it on my own." Her English was very good, she hardly had any accent at all when speaking. She gave herself a quick once over, making sure her hair, obi, sleeves, and such were all neat and level before pocketing her receipt and lifting the watermelon into her arms. It really was a bit heavy, but she could manage. Her college textbooks had been at least this heavy. Probably heavier. It was a bit of a walk, and a good bit of it was uphill... but still. She was a strong young lady. She could handle it.
"If you're sure... just don't drop it." the clerk said. "You can't return a smashed watermelon."
Nodoka simply nodded. "I don't intend to." And with that, she headed outside into the late afternoon air. It was a nice afternoon in Misty Springs. The sky was mostly clear, and the mountains made it nice and cool up here, even if it was the start of summer. It really was a watermelon sort of day Nodoka thought. She had made a good choice. She started on her way, and was just catching her stride, when a familiar voice spoke up beside her. Right beside her.
“I need you right now.” the voice said softly. He was close enough that Nodoka could feel his breath on her neck.
Without missing a beat, Nodoka simply sighed and stopped her forward progress. She turned around with a look on her face that suggested she'd be pointing a finger at him if she didn't have this watermelon to worry about. "Ah, Cesaire. I was wondering when you'd drop by."
Cesaire was one of her primary students under her tutoring service. The boy was bright enough, he was just a slacker. "How did your finals go?" Nodoka asked. But, with a sign, she continued without waiting for an answer. "Nevermind, if you're here than you've probably failed at least one of them." She gave him a curious glance. "They stuck you with a make up test didn't they?" She nodded, as though confirming her own statement. After enough time, she learned how to read people. It was just something she picked up on naturally.
"Alright, which subject is it?" she asked. "And I do hope you like watermelon because we're short on snacks and I'm not carrying this all the way to your place."
---
VIII - Rochelle Wattson
Misty Springs, The Streets
Friday 20th July, 2012
After School
Today was a good day. And there was still a good bit left! That was the best part!
Rochelle, or "Elly" as she told everyone to call her, headed down the street, an empty bright-red wagon trailing along behind her. She left her house this morning with a cart load of goodies to celebrate the start of summer. And she had gotten rid of them all! A few dozen cookies, a couple tarts, some muffins, even a pie. She liked to give out stuff for free, it was a public service after all, but some of the nice people had really wanted to pay for the treats. The lady who bought that pie even gave her a nice crisp $10 bill. And Elly knew that with ten dollars, you could buy enough ingredients to make several more pies. It was like a gift that kept on giving, that money would ensure that there were more pies for the next delivery.
Elly stopped at the corner, long enough to see the fancy red car go speeding by, before she turned down the next street. She needed to get home now, or her grandma would start to worry. It was getting late, and this little Girl Scout wasn't allowed to be out after the sun went to bed. That's what her daddy told her every time he stopped by. To not stay out in town when it was dark, to always listen to her granny, and to be a good girl until he came back. And Elly could do all of those things.
There was some shouting up ahead and some loud car horns and stuff, and Elly stopped to figure out what was going on. Someone was chasing that red car from a moment ago. And someone else was... on the ground? A soft thump sounded from behind her, and Elly turned back to see a small fluffy sheep had landed in her wagon's bed! Only... it wasn't a sheep. It was a stuffed sheep. A doll. A bit of stray fluff caught her eye, and Elly looked down to see that this little dolly was missing its foot!
"Oh my gosh, what happened to you little dolly?" Elly asked the sheep. "You've been injured! We'll need first aid, stat. But first we gotta find that leg."
She looked back at the girl on the ground, who seemed to be looking for something. And she had a bit of fluff in her hand. Fluff... missing foot... Connection! Elly dashed over, her wagon clattering loudly on the rough pavement. "Nurse! I need that leg! This lost little sheep's been injured!"
She drug the wagon right up to the little girl's side. She was dressed rather oddly, but Elly was the only one in town with a scout's uniform on after all. So who could judge one's crazy clothes? Maybe this girl was in some sort of special uniform as well?
"Quickly Nurse, this dolly is losing too much fluff." She pulled the wagon between her and the other girl, and produced a pocket sized sewing kit from one of the many pockets of her outfit. She strung the needle quickly, and set to work. After a moment, the little sheep was as good as new. Well, it had some pink stitches on its leg, but other than that.
Elly inspected her handiwork and presented the sheep back to the other girl. "This is your dolly right?" she asked. "Don't worry, she's good as new." She stood up and, with a look of complete seriousness on her face, boldly declared: "Today, I have earned my veterinarian's badge."
Before the waiter could react to Dani’s sudden demand, the guy he had been talking with stood up. He seemed calm and collected as he spoke, and now that he was standing Dani noticed he was quite tall. That was good, she liked tall people. They were the most fun to beat up. She listened to him bid his farewells to his little friend, her body tensing up as she did. Though neither her face nor composure gave it away, her entire body was readying itself for a fight in case the guy decided to get back at her for insulting his little buddy. She wasn't really looking for a fight this time, she was just hungry and wanted to grab a bite, but she wouldn't object to a brawl if one had happened across her.
Eventually he turned and started to walk towards Dani. Whether it was in order to leave or ignite a fight, she didn’t know, but she was ready for either case. He passed her, and Dani moved her hand just a tad, just enough to swat away whatever blow might be coming for her.
But nothing came, nothing but words.
Tch, should’ve known he was a coward.
“You are lucky this town is all retire folks. Walking around like could attract the wrong sort of attention, you know.”
Dani allowed her hand to relax back down and chuckled. Oh, so he wanted to start shit verbally instead? Well that was all fine and dandy, she had nothing against a verbal fight either. Didn’t matter what the form or opponent, there was no fight she wouldn’t be able to win.
“Yeah, I really am in luck,” Dani laughed as he had passed her, not bothering to turn around. “You, on the other hand, are not. See, retired folk’re the only ones who’d ever look at you twice. The only ones you’re good enough for, no matter what your attire.” She turned around and shouted after him, not really sure if he could hear the last part: “Have fun with the grannies and remember, they were once young too!”
She didn’t really mind his appearance to tell you the truth, and she could definitely appreciate his build being toned, but hey. He started it. He shouldn’t have expected her to just be quiet and take it.
With that out of the way, Dani spun back around to see how her order was doing. The waiter guy seemed spaced out for a moment, but snapped back to reality soon enough to fetch her order. Huh. He didn’t try to start anything? Didn’t tell her not to shout in the café or anything, just fetched her order? She watched after him, mildly confused. What was up with that? Did he just try to keep his job being nice?
The cocky grin had faded from Dani’s face, leaving her standing still, confusion apparent in her face. He hadn’t even glared at her. She wasn’t used to people catering to her without complaints or her having to repeat herself a few times. But there the guy was, walking back from the counter with a plate in hand, sandwich on top.
"Your order, with plenty of cheese," he said quietly, placing the plate on the table next to Dani. And, before the girl could but blink, he continued: "Do you want anything else?"
Dani opened her mouth, but couldn’t really think of what to say. What could she say? Insult him for obeying? Still quiet and somewhat… spaced out, Dani wobbled over to her food, grabbed it and took a bite. Right. The situation wasn’t hopeless. If there wasn’t enough cheese in her sandwich, she could still start something. She could insult him then. She’d know what to do.
But as she bit down, she noticed they really hadn’t been stinky with the dairy goodness. The sandwich was delicious. Aaand the waiter-what’s-his-face was still waiting for her reply. Couldn’t he get the hint? Ugh. He should’ve just left after giving her the food. Nobody asked him to hang around.
“No.” She finally spat, well familiar with the word so it was easy enough to say. “No I… don’t need anything else. This is delicious. I- I mean, this’ll do , since it seems like you can’t… do better.” She looked away, trying to hide how flustered she was. “I mean, so, I think I can live with eating this. There’s bread and ham and cheese and everything I wanted so, so why would I want anything else? You must be slow, idiot!”
She chomped down on her bread as she kept facing the other way, trying to grasp at straws to find something to insult the man over. The slowness thing had been a good call, but what now? She’d need to do something really mean to make sure he didn’t think of her as a softie. Softies sucked.
And then, suddenly, she got an idea. Her face became bright again, and her grin returned as she turned.
“Yeah, this is good, I'll give you that! But it's nowhere near good enough for me to pay for it!” She rejoiced, pointing a finger. “So yeah, no money for you, bitch! Try again next time!”
Honestly, she had no idea what she was talking about anymore. Either way, she spun around on her heels and dashed to the door, laughing mischievously as she did, sandwich still in hand.
~
XII – Cesaire Moreau
Friday 20th July, 2012
Town
Afternoon
Cesaire straightened as the girl noted his presence, and, from their many tutoring sessions he knew to just stand still and be quiet until the girl had finished ‘reading’ him and gotten a hang of his situation. He didn’t have to wait for long before the girl had deducted he failed his finals and had a make up test coming up, either. The girl was good. Too bad she couldn’t read people in the afterlife, so it was a totally useless skill when it came down to it. But then, weren’t all skills?
"Alright, which subject is it?" She asked after a while, and Cesaire let show a very light, dryly amused smile. Oh, so she couldn’t read what subject it was? Seemed like her little mind reading skill needed some more fine tuning.
"And I do hope you like watermelon because we're short on snacks and I'm not carrying this all the way to your place."
It was then that Cesaire really started to pay proper attention to what was occupying both the girl’s hands. He cocked an eyebrow, eying the watery treat with suspicion.
“Watermelon?” Cesaire questioned, the tone of his voice raising only slightly at the question. “I’d be careful if I were you, that watermelon might just kill you.”
He leaned in and grabbed the fruit, having noted her comment about not being willing to carry it alone, but not without glaring at the fruit first. He straightened again, the watermelon hoisted up on one hand and his gaze fixed on the girl.
“There was a salmonella outbreak involving watermelons this year. Most of the victims were female. 50 dead. Quite the death toll for just eating fruit. Goes to show you never know what could kill you nowadays,” he informed her and paused as if to see if she’d give up on the snack upon hearing that. Didn’t seem so. Oh well, it’d be her funeral, not his. So, Cesaire tugged the fruit under one arm, sticking his other hand in his pocket as the two started to walk. Then, with his face unchanging, but his voice trailing off and becoming just a little bit eerie, Cesaire spoke up again.
“I could’ve killed you just now too, you know,” he began calmly, facing the way they were walking, not the girl beside him. “You wouldn’t have even noticed. You didn’t hear me approaching. And I do carry knives sometimes after all. Serrated and regular, for stabbing and for slashing. Not that I’d ever slash or stab someone. Probably. You never know. People can be unpredictable,” he nodded towards the watermelon, “Just like fruit.”
Just then he remembered her question still required an answer.
“History,” he stated. “I hate the subject. Hate reading about important dead people. No dead person is important. They’re dead. I won’t be important when I die, and neither will you. I don’t understand why I should care about the past. It’s already happened. Why should we care? And…” Cesaire looked around, a little lost. Everything looked so different during the day. “… Where was your house again?”
XVIII - Aika Ichigawa
Misty Springs, The Streets
07-20-12
Almost sun-set
"Oh my gosh, what happened to you little dolly?"
A voice in the distance. Aika tilted her head upward, towards... a street lamp. Her perception failed her. Focusing her vision a bit to the right, she noticed a rather tiny girl scout talking to her bright red wagon. Nothing about Dolly over there. "You've been injured! We'll need first aid, stat. But first we gotta find that leg." ... Or maybe so. Only then did Aika remember the black fluff in her hand. Well, it was black and full of white fluff, but the point's still pretty clear. She then caught sight of the petite girl scout looking at her rather inquisitively. Her gaze then focused on her hand, her face seeming as if her mind had connected some dots; or body parts.
"Nurse! I need that leg! This lost little sheep's been injured!"
"... Ah!"
Lost little sheep, huh? She had to have meant Dolly, seeing as there was no logical reason for this girl to be hauling around a small sheep in her wagon. Shouldn't that wagon have been filled with cookies, or pies, or other girl scout-ly things? Reflexively, she pulled her open hand towards her for what appeared to be no reason at all... until she realized Girl Scout-san's wagon was parked right in front of her. A bit confused, she reached out with her hand, the one holding Dolly's leg.
"Quickly Nurse, this dolly is losing too much fluff."
Girl Scout-san took Dolly's leg from her, then pulled out a mini sewing kit; which judging by her previous speech, most likely meant that she was going to make an effort to sew Dolly's leg back on. so Dolly was going to be safe. Aika sat down on her legs and let Girl Scout-san do her magic.
"M-hm? Well, I'm not the one who SUCK AT DRIVING HERE!" Right, Aika had completely forgotten about Senna in her search for a lost friend. Acceptable, since Senna's pretty much a sider character, but still.
... Aika decided to think about something else. A question, rather. Why exactly was a girl scout wandering about town? No, that wasn't the question she was looking for; Why was a LONE girl scout walking around town. Unlike Aika, if she was a girl with normal circumstances, she would have at least brought a friend or two along. Although, that might have been because there was no one in town who was her age. Nonetheless, Girl Scout-san seemed to get out often, judging by her tidy but slightly worn-out outfit and rather confident expression. As she was about to continue her thoughts-
Girl Scout-san thrust Dolly in front of her, the sheep's right leg bearing small pink stitches at the seam. Aika's face beamed with youth almost rivaling Girl Scout-san's.
"This is your dolly right?" she asked. "Don't worry, she's good as new." As Aika was going to mouth "Dolly says thank you~!", she noticed that Girl Scout-san had a rather serious, glorified expression on her face. Holding a fist in front of her, she boldly declared to the world,
"Today, I have earned my veterinarian's badge."
The twinkle in her eye showed no hint of sarcasm.
"Pffft...hahaha..." she felt like breaking into a laughter after the scene that just ensued. "Pfft, Dolly says thank you and stuff." Aika attempted to continue as she made Dolly nod profusely. "B-But still, isn't that a little over the... pfft. Haha-" A sentence turned into a giggle, and then-
Immediately, her face resorted to its sullen look. She clutched Dolly close to her chest, her nails digging deep into her other wrist. That was a close call; that was what her sigh seemed to say. What was she doing? If she kept going on like that, eventually "that" would've happened. Sad to say, "that" has happened a couple of times in the past, usually making for awkward situations; but at that time, she wasn't aware of her condition at all, so she could hardly be blamed.
She decided to stop thinking again. Now looking a bit distant, she got up on her feet and realized that she was in fact slightly taller than Girl Scout-san. Aika decided to ingrain her face into her memory; since this seemed like a fairly small town, in contrast to, well, a lot of places she's traveled to, she thought it would be more convenient for her to remember every face she saw.
Chestnut brown hair, twin-tails, green eyes, light tan, kind of bony... One by one, she silently mouthed Girl Scout-san's physical attributes. Stumped on how to describe her outfit, she settled for "... girl scout." Combo-breaking her breathless word-mouthing, she ended with a rather somber, but definitely audible, "I thank you again." And with that, she made her way in the opposite direction, towards Senna yelling at the red car driving away ("DON'T YOU DRIVE AWAY FROM ME YOU MOTHER-").
She glanced behind her one last time to confirm Girl Scout-san's appearance. Luckily, she didn't fall asleep throughout that entire encounter. What luck.
"Ah, Aika! I gave that guy a real verbal pounding!" Senna scoffed as she clenched her fist, full of burning pride. "But, dammit, it's kind of late now... How about, I'll get something for your mom, but first, I'm going to escort you home. No sense in letting a little lady stay out this late."
"... Alright." Aika grasped Senna's arm with her free hand, and right after, still on the street, Aika fell forward, into Senna's back.
Misty Springs, Senna's House
Night
That was when her day ended. She later woke up in that same unfamiliar bed, assuming someone tucked her in. Of course, she was still wearing her outfit from today. She would have gone to change it, but she genuinely did start to feel drowsy. She soon fell asleep, Dolly in hand, the sheep plushie's zipper slightly undone.
XVI - Alistair Blake
Jasmine Cafe, 7th Street
20.7.2012
“Yeah, this is good, I'll give you that! But it's nowhere near good enough for me to pay for it!” She rejoiced, pointing a finger. “So yeah, no money for you, *****! Try again next time!”
Alistair only blinked as she left, taking the sandwich. He considered chasing her. "Irene? Want me to go after her?"
"No point," the woman replied. "She looks like the type who'd just beat the stuffing out of you. I'll call the sheriff, see if he can do something about it. Man hasn't got enough to do anyway." She glanced at the clock above her. "In any case, business'll be getting slow. I reckon I can handle it from now on. You go home, enjoy yourself."
"Thanks, Irene," he nodded, pulling off his apron and moving to hang it up. "I'll see you later."
IX-XVI
IX - Matthew Clark
Matthew's House
20.7.2012
Dressed in a shirt and boxers, Matt slipped into his bed. He reached out, retrieving a photograph from his bedside, holding it.
"Leah... goodnight," he whispered, slowly placing a kiss on the glass separating him from the photograph of his lost girlfriend. Then he moved the picture back to his bedside table, let his head fall to the pillow, and within a minute he knew only the quiet and solitude of sleep.
IX-XVI
XVI - Alistair Blake
?
?
He hung in a void of endless emptiness. Naked, he drifted, borne on the tide of dreams, floating from fantasy to fantasy. Distant lives, imagined loves, they all whirled past him. Until finally he came to rest, stood on a surface he couldn't see. He rose, suddenly finding himself wearing his usual outfit. Gazing into the void, he saw nothing. Only endlessness.
Then something fluttered past. It was a butterfly, deep blue, fluttering into the void. Something within compelled him to follow it, and he chased it into eternity. "Wait!" he called out.
The butterfly fluttered onwards, and as he chased it, suddenly the void under him broke. He fell screaming into eternity, and as darkness reached up to clutch at him, he saw a man in the void. Dressed in a rich velvet suit, his face covered by a white butterfly mask, and his eyes deep with timeless age. The man said nothing, simply smiling reassuringly as Alistair fell. And the reassurance was there as unspoken words: Do not worry. It will be okay.
Eternity flashed past in a fraction of a second, and then he was laid on a beach, sand pressing into him from below. Waves lapped at him from behind as he groaned and rose, opening his eyes to gaze out. The sand of the beach was a black color, like ash, and all across it, weapons were impaled into the ground. Swords, spears, axes, and even more exotic weapons adorned the sands. Beyond the eerie field of blades, a great citadel rose, ancient and ruined. Cast in white marble, stained gray by the clouds overhead, the citadel towered, endless spires and staircases, crowned by the greatest of all. And at the pinnacle of the greatest spire, a light shone, pure and white. Gazing at it, Alistair knew an awe and respect he had never known.
"Where... am I...?" he whispered. He gazed around, and from the mists clouding the beach, swathing the citadel, shadows began to emerge. Some were close, close enough to call out to, while others were further away, scattered across this strange shore.
"Hey!" he cried out. "I'm over here! Who are you?!"
(The 'getting to Avalon' sequence for everyone is much the same, void of dreams, butterfly, fall with Philemon smiling, and then waking up on the beach. We'll be divided into three or four rough groups scattered across the beach.)
I left the café quickly, chuckling as the girl replied. I had to admit, she was good at this. I sighed; not knowing anything about her meant I would need to find out who she was and all that stuff. I didn’t like not being able to blackmail annoying people…and that girl was annoying.
Not to far down the street, I purchased some groceries, and after that was done, I quickly headed home. After putting everything away, I settled down to watch TV until I fell asleep. Alex and Lola curled up behind my legs, and after about an hour, I started to drift off.
XV: Ian Blackwood:
?
?
I sighed, floating in the ether like soup that passed for dreams. As the latest twisted sequence came to an end, I suddenly found myself awake, and standing in the middle of nothing. Around me, as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but blackness, void, pick you poison. I frowned, confused, even more so by the fact I was wearing my normal clothing.
Something fluttered past me, and I spun, wary. Relaxing after I saw it was simply a butterfly, I followed the small insect, curious as to what it was doing here. I followed the small creature for what could have been hours, or only a second, when suddenly, whatever I was standing on, gave way, sending me toppling into the void.
I plunged downwards, fighting back a scream of horror, when suddenly I could see someone above, a figure outlined in the blackness. This person was wearing a suit, and his face was shrouded by a mask. However, I could make out a smile gracing this person’s features. A smile that carried a undercurrent of reassurance.
“What do you know that I don’t?” I murmured, “What do you know?” However before I could get answered, I found myself laying flat on my back on in sand.
I sat up slowly, taking in the sound of water lapping back and forth, like it did on the seaside, but that sound was distant.
I stood up, keeping to a crouch, just in case. I was inside of a cave, the walls of which were rough, and the only entrance was small, if you were lucky two people could fit through it at a time. The small bit of light available came in from this slit in the rocks I stood up completely, and looked around. I could see several others nearby, but I said nothing, waiting for them to approach me.
XI- Alyssa H. Lovelock
Cosgrove's, Twelveth Street
7/20/12
"Uh...Pina Colada! Pineapple ice cream! Um...Sex on the Beach?" Jennike started guessing, the last one looking like she did it one the whim. she gotten other guesses, but her most loyal customer was the closet. She sighed, and took them out. The were pink, a light one, but not Pepto Bismol colored. She kept on getting guesses of Cherry Blossem or Prime Rib. Something that was ticking her off severly.
"SERIOUSLY!? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!? OF COURSE THAT ISN'T IT, IT SMELLS LIKE THE DAMNED BEACH, DO WE HAVE THOSE THINGS, NO! SO OF COURSE SINCE YOU ALL FAILED HORRIBLE, I GET IT INSTEAD. ISn't that just wonderful? ISN'T IT!?"Alyssa said with a different tone of voice. She was ticked, badly, and felt like killing the closest person. She took one of the cupcakes, and licked it slowly, and she continued to eat it in a tormenting manner, and to make it worse, she took them into the back room, and what sounded like the garbage disposal in the kitchen was going off for a long time.
She came back out of the room, with out the cupcakes in her hands. She wiped her mouth with a frenzied motion, and everyone who knew this side instantly fled from the bakery. It was hard to make Alyssa this ticked off, and if you did, they would have hell to pay. She went to a peice of paper, and quickly scribbled down 'Sorry, but the Shop will be closed tomorrow~' on it, and hung it on the door. She then looked at everyone who was left, and slammed her fist down in disgust.
"Guava, the flavor was Guava. Sorry about that everyone, but do you mind if you can politely leave, I need some time... to collect myself..." She said with such force and dominence as she drew a kitchen knife, and went into the kitchen. She completally forgot about the man's offer, but by now he knew she wasn't one to fall for.
I don't want to be hurt again... I don't want to hurt anyone, but I just can't trust them, make friends with them. That's my true self, a cold,spiteful girl... I wish... I wish things were different... She threw the knife at a target, and went up the stairs in the kitchen. She walked past a hall, and went into an open door. She sobbed until she fell asleep, knowing one of her customers would lock the door.
Location:Unkown
Time: Unkown
Alyssa awoke in a field of blades, sand at her feet. She had a trail of tears running down her face, like someone had enjected to much Melancholy into her. She slumped against a Halberd, and continued to cry. She saw other people there, but thought they were an illusion. She just retreated into the darkest recesses in her mind, not wanting to be bothered.
I'm just useless, and why has my mind created this illusion? I can't do anything here, and no matter what, I feel like something bad is going to happen... She then felt a presence in her mind, but it soon faded away. What, what was that!? I must be imagining it, could I? THis place just seems to be a dream, all a dream. Soon I'll fade into my normal sleep, nightmares about that night, or sweet memories of my brother, or some concotion of cupcakes...
She soon wanted to get up, but couldn't. She grabbed the Halberd, and used it like a walking stick, walking towards one of the figures
"Hey! Do you know what's happening?" She asked, unaware of who it was. She knew she wouldn't get a responce, but maybe she would... She didn't know, and just leaned on the Halberd, the tears drying up.
XVIII - Aika Ichigawa
Senna's House, a comfy bed
Night-time [DREAM SEQUENCE]
At first, there was black. Just black. It had no corners, no edges, no restrictions. It was a sea of nothingness that stretched on infinitely. In the middle of it all... she stood there. I couldn't be guaranteed that where she was standing was the exact center of the nothingness. For all she knew, she could've been standing at the edge of the infinite, which is very possible in a dream. However, it would also be safe to say that this was what she considered her middle. Rather, her start.
Because she was surrounded by immense nothingness, it would've made no difference if she closed her eyes; she could see nothing. Yet, she could feel. she could feel herself closing her eyes. She could feel herself extending her left arm, devoid of a sheep plushie, in front of her. She couldn't hear a sound; rather, she could hear not a sound. There was nothing to hear, not just yet. And voicelessly, soundlessly, she waited.
It fell from above. Though her eyes were not openCountless white specks rained down from above the nothingness, where in turn, there was simply more nothingness. Snow? This snow, however, definitely couldn't be limited to just "nothing". For one, she could see it contrast with the empty void around her as it gently fluttered down, fluttering even more below her. Gently, she took a couple of steps forward, and managed to catch a snowflake with her fingertip. After meeting its imaginary gaze, its shade went down from a snow white to a charred black. This was not snow; it was most definitely ash.
She suddenly felt a sudden surge of warmth from all around her. When she opened her eyes, the nothingness was now filled with walls of crimson hell-fire. Flaming walls slowly encased her, proceeding to connect in a maze-like formation. This had nothing to do with her, seeing as four azure blue firewalls began to slowly box her in. She had to escape, fast, yet, no fear ran through her mind. As she tried to run to safety, she tripped on nothing and fell forward. This didn't stop her, and she continued crawling forward. She could no longer see anything that represented her; she was nothing more than a floating pair of imaginary eyes. She tried to cry out, and to her surprise, all that came out was an exasperated wail.
Finally, she stopped moving. There was nothing for her to care about anymore. Wordlessly, her "ears" full of the sound of the crisp hell-fire, she waited to die.
And she woke up.
The world of the Awake
Aika woke up in a cold sweat. Her pillow was damp with that exact same sweat. Slowly, she managed to sit up without falling asleep again. Propping herself against the bed-board, she motionlessly looked into a familiar mirror propped up in the corner of the room. GizELLE must have done some unpacking while she and Senna were out for a brief moment. Or maybe GizELLE slave-drove Senna from her bed. Since both seemed fairly logical, she simply ended up picking the second theory. Slowly but surely, she could almost make out herself in the mirror. Her eyes were a bit hazy, probably from wearing those green color contacts. When squinting her eyes and looking at the small dresser next to her, she noticed that there were no contact lens cases where there should've been. Unfortunately for her, she was stuck with her itchy green colour contacts.
"Dolly?"
She called out to her plushie for practically on reason at all. Dolly was "sleeping" up-side down, next to Aika's pillow. The sheep's arm felt slightly wet. seeing as they were the only two in the room, and, well, she had no one else to talk with, she picked up Dolly and placed her on her lap.
"Nnnn... Hey, Dolly... Guess what? I had that bad dream again. You know, the one with the scary fire?" She let out a rather loud yawn. This was her genuinely feeling tired, rather than because of her condition. "I couldn't escape, like usual. I just saw there and cried like a baby." All the while, she made Dolly react by tilting her arms and legs, making her seem attentive, but slightly... depressed. "At least it was just a dream... whatever it means." she clutched the lifeless plushie tightly, only to feel that dolly's zipper was almost completely undone. "Yeesh, this zipper's been a problem since this afternoon..." she pulled the zipper up and down to make sure it was functional. No problems there. " *yaaaaaawn* Um, I might as well..."
Fully unzipping dolly's zipper, Aika reached into her brown, fluffy stomach and pulled out a... wolf head? Now turning the poor sheep completely inside out, she zipped up the zipper for good, and Dolly the sheep was now Dolly the wolf. Aika played around with her wolf as she pretended it made sheep-like noises. It was a quirk Dolly had; when she was a sheep, she would bark like a wolf, and when she was a wolf, she would make a... sheep noise. With her head on her pillow once again, Aika threw Dolly the wolf up in the air and caught her. "Feel better? It's been a while since this side of you's been able to get a breath of fresh..."
Silence.
"... fresh... ai..." And she fell asleep. Again.
[DREAM SEQUENCE]
At first, there was black. Just black. It had no corners, no edges, no restrictions. It was a sea of nothingness that stretched on infinitely. In the middle of it all... she stood there. I couldn't be guaranteed that where she was standing was the exact center of the nothingness. For all she knew, she could've been standing at the edge of the infinite, which is very possible in a dream. However, it would also be safe to say that this was what she considered her middle. Rather, her start.
Because she was surrounded by immense nothingness, it would've made no difference if she closed her eyes; she could see nothing. Yet, she could feel. she could feel herself closing her eyes. She could feel herself extending her left arm, wolf plushie in hand, right in front of her.
... Wolf plushie? Aika opened her eyes just to make sure. Dolly the wolf was most definitely in her left hand. And soon after, a single insect landed on Dolly's nose, in a space where there should've been nothing except her and the new-found Dolly.
A single, azure butterfly.
"What the..." And what's more, she could even talk! Aika thought she was going to have the same dream again, but instead it just got weirder and weirder. "What could this symbolize, I wonder..." All too gently, the butterfly flew into the distant nothingness. Aika clutched Dolly to her chest as she suddenly felt the urge to chase after the butterfly. Step by step, she ran into the distant nothingness, chasing after the butterfly that didn't seem to get any closer.
Eventually, when it did get closer, she tripped on nothing and fell again. Would this turn out to be that dream after all? Answering her question, the empty void under her... despite not having a form, the empty void somehow gave away. Alice In wonderland-style, she fell down the metaphorical rabbit hole.
Falling. F a l l i n g . Falling without end, clutching only a single wolf plushie. F A L L I N G .
Until she saw him. Even though she was endlessly falling, he stood perfectly straight. Slowly, as she concentrated on this stranger, she began to notice that his image seemed to be blinking, as if we was constantly fading in and out of her sight.was this a distortion of vision on her part? Or...
"Worry not." a soothing voice called out to her. "All will be well... in due time..." Just as his image finally became clear, and she was able to make out a white tuxedo and a butterfly mask;
Group 4: Off-shore Island
Her face met some sand.
"Ghfffrbckghghgh-" Aika got up on her knees, coughing up the last bits of sand in her mouth. That wasn't exactly what she wanted to wake up to, but it woke her up just fine. what was weirder, she didn't wake up in her bed, but a pile of sand and rocks; and it hurt. Perhaps she was still dreaming after all? Whatever it was, she hoped that she wouldn't feel that pain in the morning.
Speaking of which, the sky where she was sitting was rather clear, fluffy clouds gently making their way forward. She grimaced; even though clouds moved forward, they didn't have any destination in store for them. She also noticed that;
"... Haha, these clouds kind of look like-" Dolly, was what she was about to say, but the adorable wolf plushie was not anywhere near her. After digging through the sand in search of her lost friend (getting her outfit even dirtier in the process), she found her next to the water, sitting on damp sand. Scooping up her friend like she was a baby, Aika then attempted to get rid of the sand from her fur.
"Ghhh, why won't this sand get out...!!" Finally giving up, she plopped down with her plushie and did a 180, in order to view the rest of the island. It really wasn't anything spectacular, just a small floating landmass. All that was in in sight was heaps of sand and rather sharp rocks. There was about a third of a yard of ocean separating her from the next coast, and even past that was;
She was breathless. She held Dolly just under he chin.
"Where... are we?" she then look down at the island. "And just what is this supopsed to sym-" Just as she was about to finish her sentence, she heard a loud thump in front of her, followed by the appearance of a mass.
"Hey Dolly, that mass on the ground looks almost human-shaped!"
"Baaa~." replied the wolf plushie. Not wanting to risk touching some sort of foreign life form, she kept her ground at the opposite coast and sort of gazed down at the clothed being.
(OOC: Terribly sorry for the long post. '^_^ I get carried away sometimes. To the next person to arrive on the island, you'll probably feel a pair of eyes staing you down from the opposite coast. XDD)
After Alyssa lashed out at the patrons of her bakery for their guesses Drake had found himself with quite a bit more time to get to his tournament than he had expected. While he did wish he could have stayed there longer to chat with Janna more, he understood how moody she could get and had made a mental note to stop by sometime tomorrow to see if she wanted anyone to help with the bakery. He had managed to make it into the quarterfinals of the tournament, which would begin tomorrow, so perhaps he could visit afterwards. He would be lying if he tried to deny that he was concerned for her.
Drake shook his head and returned his focus to the project before him. He had been working off-and-on for the past two months on a messenger bag that he could use at school and in future tournaments. The bag itself was khaki with a frayed look to the edges of the front flap. He had most of the basic construction finished, but he still needed to do the embroidery and put on the shoulder strap. Drake heaved a sigh as he set down his little project and decided to call it a night and get ready for bed.
???
All around Drake there was nothingness. He seemed to be standing there on some invisible, nonexistent platform at the heart of the void. Or was he teetering on it's edge? Drake couldn't tell and part of him was afraid to know. He took a brief pause to look around at everything, including himself. He was surprised to see that he was dressed, not in his pajamas, but in a pair of dark green board shorts with a light blue tribal pattern and a lighter blue v-neck. The more surprising aspect of his wardrobe, however, was the fact that he had his messenger bag slung across his body! It appeared as if it had been completed already, but Drake knew it was still a work in progress. The main flap had been embroidered with a slightly stylized rendition of the face of Amazoness Tiger. Another shocking bit was that he had his Amazoness Tiger plushie in the bag along side his journal and a pen. He pulled the journal out and saw something land on it that he hadn't noticed was there. A single blue butterfly. As the butterfly flew off Drake ran after it, but soon the "floor" beneath him shattered and he found himself falling through the void.
As Drake fell he saw a strange figure. He was clad in a white tuxedo and wore a butterfly mask. He could see the figure smile and point to his journal. Drake was stunned to see a simple message written neatly in velvet-blue ink, "Worry not. All will be well... in due time..." The next thing he knew everything went dark.
Avalon- Group 4
Drake slowly came to in the soft comfort of a sandy, black beach. He sat up and looked around. Indeed, he was on a small Island a few yards away from another, equally black, shoreline. As he looked closer he could see various weapons dotting the sands of the island and the shoreline across the water. The only sign of life he could see was the faint figure of another person on the opposite side of the small island. He looked around and found his journal lying open a few feet in front of him. He stood up and walked over to pick it up, he looked again to see that he was closer to the girl and could clearly see that she was staring at him for some reason. He wasn't sure what she wanted, or why she was staring so he meekly said, "He-hello?"
I- Diego Vendrix
Diego's House, Arcangrove Way
20.07.12 - Friday Evening
Diego had yawned as he slipped into his pajamas. It had been a long and fun day. He talked a bit more before he and Krystal left for home. They walked and talked, though Diego stopped by the nearby toy store. Wanting to give a token of appreciation for his new friend. He is aware of Louise's fondness for sheep, having drawn a sheep for her when they first met and noticing her pleased reaction.
The day went by as Diego had waited for Krystal to arrive before they went to the bakery. Since Louise didn't really know where Diego lived, they promised to meet at her bakery so they could all walk home. Once they met, Diego gave her the gift.
A sheep plushie.
She seemed really happy with it, Diego figured.
The trio just spent some times talking and playing a few boardgames that Diego had. The one they had the most fun with was the one called Munchkin. Overall it was a lot of fun. In the end, they said their goodbyes and walked home, getting ready for their days of summer vacation.
Diego had yawned before he felt oddly sleeply and went to sleep on his bed.
I- Diego Vendrix
The ??? Void
Timelessness
Diego looked around of the infinite void. Nude, he gazed into the orbs containing visions of dreams and fantasies as he saw all the possiblities: Distant lives, imagined loves, all sorts of adventures. Until finally he came to rest, stood on a surface he couldn't see. He then stood up as he found himself in his outfit and gazed into the boundless emptiness.
Then something fluttered past. It was a deep blue butterfly. Diego was compelled to chase it as it seemed to be the only thing here.
The butterfly fluttered onwards, and as he chased it, suddenly the void under him broke. Diego began screaming as the maw of the void devoured him. As he fell, he saw a man in the void. Dressed in a rich velvet suit, his face covered by a white butterfly mask, and his eyes deep with timeless age. The man said nothing, simply smiling reassuringly. Silently, he seemed to say: Do not worry. It will be okay.
I- Diego Vendrix
Group III- Field of Blades
The Witching Hour
Diego woke up as he saw himself in a field. However, the field was filled with all sorts of blades. Diego shook his head as he took some moments to take in the surroundings. He took a deep breath and exhaled as he felt relaxed. Realizing something may be up, he decided to get one of the weapons. In front of him was a beautifully crafted claymore. Something about it called to him. He picked it up and realized there was a scabbard of it nearby. After a little while, he managed to have it on him as he walked to one of the figures that was also walking toward him.
It was Alyssa.
She then asked if he knew what was going on. He ran to catch up to her. His smile became a frown when he saw her. Her eyes were red and her body language seemed tense.
"Hey Alyssa, it's Diego. Sorry, I don't know what is going on, but I have a gut feeling there is more than the two of us involved..." Diego said as he looked at her. He placed his hand on her shoulder.
His eyes were filled with concern.
"You all right?" Diego asked her. She was his friend and despite her peppy demeanor and her temper, she had this strange kind of vulnerability to her.
XIII. Jannike Mortensen
Mortensen Residence
20.07.12 - Night
Jannike undid her blonde hair from her ponytail, shaking her head as she did, her hair falling to its full length at her hips. She thought she was going to be right, but Alyssa just had to have one of her episodes. Jannike knew that this was typical of Alyssa, having bought cupcakes from Cosgrove's since she tasted her first one. Lashing out at everyone for getting a flavor wrong, however? It seemed rather petty to her. But then, that was Alyssa, who seemed to swing between overly enthusiastic to angry at times. Jannike wanted to know what exactly it was that made Alyssa that way. Somehow, cupcakes were too shallow a matter to lash out about, it had to be something else. It just had to. Love life? Bed life? Another problem?
"Hey, boy." She said, grinning when she saw Lupus, her white Northern Inuit, approaching her side as she undressed for bed. The dog nuzzled her, prompting the teenager to reach down and pat his head. She then headed to her bed, not bothering to put on anything. Crawling into her soft black satin sheets, she laid her head on her pillow, Lupus curling up on the floor to the left of her bed.
"Damn, I need another drink..." She mumbled as she sat up, eyeing the Jack Daniel's on her nightstand. Grabbing it, she felt that it had warmed up. She shook her head as she looked at it. She was too comfortable to get up and put it in her mini fridge and she did not want to bother, the drink was still going to be there tomorrow anyhow.
"Fine, maybe tomorrow..." She mumbled as she laid back down. This time however, she closed her eyes.
???
Jannike's eyes were open, and she was dressed in her normal clothes again. Around herself however, all she saw was black...nothingness around her. She blinked once, twice. She thought she was hallucinating, but no...the same blackness around her, as if she was in a void. However, she wasn't falling. She was somehow suspended in midair...or was she?
Definitely not that beer... She thought as she shook her head again. A fluttering blue shape flew past her eyes, a spot of color in the darkness. Jannike looked at it and saw that it was a butterfly. She looked at it as it flew past. Somehow, she felt the urge to follow it, see where it was going. She put her foot forward, surprised to see that the nothingness felt like firm ground under her feet. Jannike followed the butterfly. However, just after what seemed like a short distance, the darkness gave way beneath her. Jannike gave a gasp of surprise...she was falling. As she looked up, she noticed a faint outline of a man in a suit and a butterfly-shaped mask, giving her a mysterious smile. Suddenly, everything around her changed in the blink of an eye.
Avalon: Beach
Jannike found herself lying on a sandy beach, a different scene from the void she was in about a second ago. Sitting up, she saw that the sand was a dark, ash color and the sea stretched out in front of her, not so far away. Getting up, she brushed her clothes, seeing several weapons lying in the sand. Before she could take in the rest of her surroundings however, she heard a voice call out.
"Hey! I'm over here! Who are you?!" It...or rather, he, called. Jannike turned to where the voice came from and saw a dark-haired boy with green eyes...rather good-looking in a mysterious way. She wasn't alone after all...there were others, too? She looked over at him as she moved towards him.
"I'm not alone, huh? How'd we get here anyway? My name's Jannike...or Janna if you'd like. And you are?" She said, introducing herself as she smiled. She noticed that large structure that looked like a castle rose from behind the shore, and from what she could see from afar, even more people...so it seemed.
XVII - Louise Henrietta DuBois
Misty Springs, Sunrise Bakery
20.07.12 - Friday Afternoon
Though she had spoken with a smile and good intentions, the girl seemed more stunned than anything at the comment, merely stuttering out an "Oh, um... thank you..." and leaving it at that. Apparently Louise had a very poor hand at American humor and complements. Something to work at, she supposed.
The two said no more to each other, Louise returning to her cleaning work and Leo toting his sisters away as soon as he had been helped. The three were swiftly replaced by another of Diego's friends, a distinctive girl by the name of Krystal. Distinctive, in this case, meaning that her hair happened to be a snowy white color by some astounding turn of luck, despite her lacking the pale eyes which marked albinoism. In any case, she seemed by all appearances to be good-natured and highly affectionate, particularly toward Diego. She heard the two briefly discussing her inclusion in the evening's activity, and so Louise gave Krystal a quick smile, tip of the head and a wave in between sweeps. She knew Krystal only a bit less well than Diego, but she was easy enough to get along with that the two were on a solid path to friendship.
As the day went on, Diego and Krystal inevitably cleared out of the shop, and with the students of the town on to more youthful activities than hanging around in a bread shop, business returned to its usual crawl. If she was to be at all honest, Louise couldn't complain. A few familiar faces at the beginning to get her energy up, an easy pace throughout the day, and friends to go spend her time with afterwards. What was there to be improved? The being-with-friends bit, apparently, seeing as when Diego and Krystal showed up, they were carrying with them the most adorable thing - a plush sheep doll! It had apparently been a nigh-spontaneous gift from Diego, and she had given him an equally spontaneous hug, saving a slightly smaller one for Krystal. Set in high spirits, most of the rest of the night had been a fun round of silly board games and idle chatter, the kind of thing that seemed the most relaxing after the end of their school year.
Because of her meeting with Diego and Krystal, Louise didn't arrive home until late that evening. Having already explained the evening's plan to her parents after her shift had ended, Louise gave a quick hello before disappearing into her room. Dropping her school bag at the foot of her desk, she threw off the bow ribbon from her uniform, kicked off her shoes, and flopped down onto her bed, still smiling and hugging the yet-unnamed sheep. Today had been a good day, albeit a tiring one... how late was it, even? Louise flicked her eyes from her simple bookshelf to the single scratch in the lavender wall paint to the alarm clock on her desk nearby. 23:41, or so it claimed. Just short of midnight - about now she would usually either be reading or just going to sleep. Louise rolled back over and drew a pale blue nightshirt from her dresser and began changing. As tempting as it sounded, the next chapter of Kanon would have to wait a bit longer. Right now, she would only doze off in the midst of it.
...
Maybe just a few pages.
?????
Unknown Time
Dark. It was terribly, overwhelmingly dark. Not as if someone had shut out the lights, but as if there was no light in the first place. Whether there might be something hiding in the darkness, or if this world was truly empty, it was impossible to know.
All she could do was keep moving forward.
That was how to get through anything, really. Lost in some foreign world, a strange and dark place, you just keep on walking. Eventually you'll find something that makes sense, and you can build from there, and then things weren't so scary. That's how it usually went, anyway.
But not here. Whether she had been walking for the hour that it seemed or it had been only minutes, she was getting nowhere. Even in this infinite, empty span with no landmarks to speak of (and no one to speak of them with), she could still get the distinct feeling that she was going nowhere. Wandering, traveling without a possible destination. Trapped in the open. Not the faintest indication of escape. Feeling the futility of her actions, she turned sharply and ran in another direction entirely.
As her gaze swept around, it suddenly became that the void was not so empty. There was, in the same space as her, a man. She could hardly tell if he was near or far, but she ran toward him as a lifeline, even as the man began to stroll away. Sprinting now, she called out to him.
"Attendez-vous!"
The man stopped and turned around, just close enough now for her to make out his features. A lush velvet suit, long walnut hair, and a face hidden behind a butterfly mask. A complete unknown - he gave the air of wisdom attained through age, yet at the same time seemed eternally young. His mask caught in a smile, the man simply looked toward her and said a few words of assurance in a supple, calming tone:
"Fear not, young one. For the greatest power lies within...."
At these words, the legs gave out beneath her. Whatever floor had been holding her up in this void was now gone, sending her toppling downward. Helpless, she threw her arms out in front of her, to no avail. There was no bottom to her plunge. She would only keep going.
Tumbling... falling...
Strange Cavern
Unknown Time
The next thing Louise became aware of was the sand in her mouth.
Immediately, she threw herself into a sitting position and spit it out, brushing even more from her face and front. From that empty place to... a beach? No, it seemed a bit dark and cold for that, especially if she was still dreaming. Louise snapped her attention around, taking a quick inventory of her surroundings. She had ended up in a small cave, not very deep and very near a beach, going by the sandy floor and the sound of the pulsing waves that she could hear even from where she was. She could spot the cave mouth from here - less than two meters wide, and with two barriers of rock revolving about it, as if by some strange magic. But that was impossible... a dream, then? Yet she was in her nightshirt and shorts, and thinking clearly, and there were a scant few others around her, just as barely conscious as she was. Using an old trick, she pinched herself in the arm. It smarted a bit and turned pinkish. No overreaction, but she still definitely felt it. So this was real? Had she been kidnapped in the night and dropped off in some strange cove? And to what end?
"Qu'est-ce que ce lieu?"
She looked around again, this time at the four others with her. There were four including herself, among them two boys, one tall and athletic and the other ghastly thin, and a tidy Asian girl. She definitely recognized the girls from school, though she could not quite put a name to her, and the other two seemed similarly familiar. And the other one there was... Leo? Yes, it was definitely him. So, other students had been taken with her... but why would someone just leave them at a beach? For that matter, how had they all slept through their own kidnapping, especially given where they were. A beach, of all places - Misty Springs was in the mountains, quite some distance from the sea. What was the meaning of this? And she was still baffled by the stone, moving by its own accord near the entrance. It seemed far too elaborate to be set up in a largely-abandoned cove.
Still on her knees, Louise turned to the others. Though they seemed as confused as she was, she still had to ask - "Quelle est- what is this cave?" Then, bringing herself to her feet, she continued to eye the cave mouth. As strange as this place was, they had no idea what lay outside. Was it even safe to leave? Or were their captors right outside? Either way, she did not feel it save to leave alone, hesitating with one hand against the rock wall.
In response to Alistair's cry, a girl emerged from the mists, blonde-haired, with blue-gray eyes, attractive in a pale sort of way. He felt a stab of relief, at least he wasn't surrounded by enemies.
"I'm not alone, huh? How'd we get here anyway? My name's Jannike...or Janna if you'd like. And you are?" she asked.
"Alistair... Alistair Blake," he said. "As for how we got here... no idea. I was chasing a butterfly... there was this man there smiling at me... and then I was just here." He paused, gazing around. His hand fell to one of the weapons stuck in the sand, a sword, with intricate patterns running across the blade. He looked more closely, taking in the intricate coils of rose plants patterned onto the sword. Somehow it felt reassuring to hold the weapon at the ready, with the way it fit snugly into his grip. He had never so much as touched a sword before and yet somehow he knew this weapon, as though it were a part of him.
"I guess we should see about those other people," he said softly, gripping the sword's hilt tightly. "See if they're as friendly as you are." He smiled slightly to Jannike. "You should probably find a sword or something, in case they're not." But beyond the problem of the silhouettes in the mist, he couldn't help but glance up at the monolithic citadel crowning the island. Who lived there? What was this place to begin with? And if whoever lived on this strange place found them... would they receive help and a warm welcome, or just a cold sword through the chest?
IX-XVI
IX - Matthew Clark
Field of Blades, ?
?
He groaned, eyes opening, and he stared into ashen sand. With a groan, Matt rose, gazing out over the dark land. He stood in what seemed to be a desert of dark, volcanic and, with various weapons stabbed into the ground, swords, spears, axes and more. Nearby were three people, a young man of Hispanic origin, a white-haired girl, and an older woman with copper-colored hair.
"Hey," Matt called out. "Who are you? What... what is this place? How did we get here?" He was trying to figure it out himself already, but this place just didn't conform to anything he knew. Was it Hades? The greyness... the darkness... and yet there were no shades of the dead. He dredged through every mythical underworld and otherworld he knew, and found nothing. Sheol, Gehenna, Hel, the Duat... no matter how many he thought of, nothing seemed to fit.
The wind blew soundlessly all of a sudden, and the mist began to clear. From the mists it appeared, a cold blue light, and Matt watched awestruck as they emerged, towers and spires. The citadel rose from the mist, bone white, cast in an icy blue by the radiance emanating from that highest tower. And yet for all its majesty, the place seemed dead. There were no voices, no bustling crowds, no people at all. Just what was this place?
III – Krystal Storm Misty Springs, Krystal’s House 7-20-12 Evening
“…And so, after Prince Jason slayed the mighty dragon at last, he rescued Princess Mia and they all lived happily ever after. The end.” Krystal finished, closing the worn book on her lap as she sat upon the bed. She glanced down at the young girl lying still beside her on the mattress. Breathing softly, May’s eyes were closed; face peaceful in sleep as she hugged a stuffed teddy bear in a tight embrace.
Taking that as a sign that she could now leave, Krystal tucked May securely under the covers before kissing her on the forehead. “Night, sweetie.” She whispered, sweeping the girl’s bangs to the side and turning off the lamp on the nearby nightstand. Then she silently left the room, pausing only to close the door behind her.
Once reaching the dark confines of her bedroom, Krystal slid under the covers, eyes unblinking as she stared at the invisible ceiling above her to reflect on the events of the day. It had gone pretty well she figured. Despite the fact she had been a bit late getting to the bakery, Diego hadn’t seemed to mind at all, if anything he seemed happy, even unexpectedly giving her a hug once she arrived. It had been a…surprise to say the least.
She couldn’t help but blush as she recalled that long moment. Her stomach had fluttered at the sensation of his arms around her and she couldn’t help but remember how he had smelled. It had been a fruity scent which she could only identify as being that of fresh oranges, or even tangerines. He had been so warm, so sturdy that Krystal had felt a brief tang of loss once he pulled back…
For a reason she couldn’t seem to fathom, that bothered her.
But why exactly? It never once happened before. Diego was normally quite friendly anyway, so it shouldn’t have surprised her so much when he suddenly hugged her..right? Krystal had known him for almost the two years since she had moved to Misty Springs with her family and once meeting him as a new student in the hallways of the high school, it hadn’t taken long for them to become friends. After that encounter they had begun to hang out pretty frequently, helping each other with homework, playing video games, even taking walks. As reserved as she was at times, she knew he had become her best friend.
So why was she even feeling this way?
Feeling a headache coming on, Krystal shook her head, refusing to think about it anymore. Diego was simply being his regular self, and that was that.
Other than that brief moment in the bakery, the rest of the day went by fast. Krystal had helped May pick out something to eat, and afterwards Diego had asked her if Louise could tag along with them to his house. Being nice as usual, she had said yes. When they had all arrived at his house, they passed most of the time talking and playing a few board games that even kept May entertained for a while. Krystal enjoyed it as much as the others did and was glad to be a part of it. She hadn’t gotten to talk to Louise much before, so it was nice to get to know her a little better. The trio all agreed that they should get together again sometime during the summer.
Krystal yawned, feeling her eyes suddenly grow heavy. She curled up on her side, drifting off the moment she closed her eyes…
???
All around Krystal there was nothing, No color. No shapes. No voices. Just…nothing. The silence was almost palpable. Everywhere she looked there was never-ending darkness, a void expanding in all directions. She was wearing her normal clothes, and although she couldn’t see it, there was something solid beneath her feet.
Where am I? She thought, looking around, feeling as blind as a bat. Is this a dream?
Something blue fluttered past her vision. Turning her head sharply, she braced herself for whatever it might be, but visibly relaxed once she realized that it was just a butterfly. A insect that was a beacon in the darkness. Having a mind of their own, Krystal felt her legs follow the creature down an unseen path.
Then the floor shattered beneath her, and suddenly, she was falling.
A scream threatened to erupt from Krystal’s lips as the darkness devoured her. Blindly her hands searched for something to solid grab onto, but there was nothing but air touching her fingertips. She was about to close her eyes, imagining something happy as she fell through eternity, until she looked above her.
From the darkness itself came the faint outline of a man dressed in a suit and butterfly mask. He smiled, saying nothing, but the action seemed to silently say: Relax, child. All will be well. Trust me.
Krystal hadn’t even managed to blink before everything went dark.
III – Krystal Storm Group III- Field of Blades The Witching Hour
Upon coming to Krystal suddenly found herself lying in sand. She stood up rather clumsily, running a hand through white tresses as she glanced at her surroundings. All around her the ground was made up of ashen colored sand and rock, with all sorts of medieval weapons stabbing deep into the earth. It was a total desert...
She frowned. What was this place?
Deciding to look around further, she took a random direction to start walking, her feet making crunching noises in the sand. Within moments she noticed what looked like three other people, but being unable to distinguish their features she carefully made her way to the one which was nearby. Upon further inspection she saw that it was a young man that looked to be in his early twenties, looking into the horizon…
“Um…hello…sir?” Krystal said tentatively, now about a yard away from the man. When he didn’t respond, she followed his gaze….and gasped. “What…what on earth…?”
XIX & V Leonardo Silverstone & Lillian Silverstone
Silverstone Residence
July 20th 2012 9:30 PM
"Hey Lil, what'cha doin'?" Leo asked as he leaned over his sister's shoulder while she sat at a computer, typing at a rapid pace.
"Finalizing my plans for world domination." Lilly deadpanned. "Now, go away before I have one of the many robot armies under my control kill you when I achieve it."
Leo just ignored her comment, and looked at what was on the screen. "Who's Mon1010?"
"A guy I RP with, does it really matter?"
"You don't know who this Mon1010 person is. For all you know, he could be some kind of pedophile, looking for victims."
"I bet his older brother is saying the same thing about me right now... Seriously, not everyone on the internet is a pedophile, I can attest to that."
Leo tilted his head slightly, and sighed. "I don't get why you can be friendly to your internet friends, but not make real ones."
"Not all of us are like you. Dealing with people online is easier for me than dealing with them in real life. It's just hard to explain. Why does this concern you so much?"
He put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm just worried about you, that's all... Anyway, I'mma start getting ready for bed. Don't forget, mom want's you in bed by 10."
Lilly took her eyes off the monitor to glare at her brother. "I'll be fine don't worry." Then returned to what she was doing. "Good night."
"Night!"
--- Leo Silverstone
Leo's room, 10 PM
Leo had changed into his pajamas, which basically consisted of nothing more than a pair of red boxers. He stretched out his arms, and yawned loudly. It had been a busy day, and he was ready for it to be Saturday already. He just needed one last thing. He pulled a old, fluffy, brown plush bear from one of his shelves. He had the thing since he was a little kid, and he went to sleep with it every night. He didn't necessarily need it to sleep, but he liked having something to cuddle. "Hey Teddy! How was your day?" Leo asked the stuffed animal. Of course, he knew it wasn't going to answer. He just nodded and said, "Good to know!" Then he went into bed, bear cuddled in his arms, pulled the sheets over himself, and went to sleep.
--- ?
?
The next thing Leo knew, he was surrounded by black. It wasn't dark, because he could still see himself, there was just, nothing. Somehow, he was dressed in his usual outfit.
Eh? was his only thought as he took everything in, not really sure what to make of it. Then, a butterfly made out of blue light fluttered passed him. Seeing as it was the only thing here, he was compelled to follow it. Hopefully, it would lead to some type of answer about what was happening. "Wait, come back! What's going on here?!" After chasing the butterfly for a quick moment, the ground beneath him seemed to give way, and he fell through, falling into nothingness. For a quick minute, he saw the image of a man in a suit with a blue butterfly mask smiling at him. Then, everything faded.
Strange Beach
???
When Leo opened his eyes again, he saw that everything changed completely. He stood up, dusted the sand that was on him, and took a look at his surroundings. He looked to be in some type of cave, with sand in it. He could also hear the sound of ocean waves from where he was, that probably meant there was a beach nearby. Upon coming to that realization, Leo pumped his fist in the air. "Yes!" he shouted. One thing he didn't like about Misty Springs, was the lack of a Beach. He missed that about Miami, beaches were everywhere. He didn't know what was going on right now, or if this was even real, he was going to take advantage of this. He ran towards the cave's exit, or... at least, tried to. He was stopped by two barriers of rock revolving around the mouth of the cave, as if by magic. He really didn't want to get hit by a flying boulder. "Hm...this has got to be a dream." he thought."And because I know that this is a dream, I should be able to control it, which means I can sprout wings and fly!" He waited for a few seconds, but no such thing happened. "Darn!"
Something else caught his attention, there were other people in the cave with him. A couple of them he recognized, there was Louise, who he recognized from the bakery, and he knew through Diego. She looked paniced. Then there was Nadoka, whom he had seen tutoring other students at school. He didn't know that well himself, but Lilly sometimes spoke of her. There were also two other guys that Leo wasn't quite familiar with. He wodered why exactly he'd be dreaming about them, and he was starting to suspect this was more than a mere dream. He figured he may as well talk to someone, standing around here thinking wasn't going to accomplish anything.
"Alright, does anyone know what's happening here? I thought this might be a dream, but things seem way too real..."
"Alistair... Alistair Blake. As for how we got here... no idea. I was chasing a butterfly... there was this man there smiling at me... and then I was just here." The boy replied. Jannike tried to suppress a smirk.
Hot name for such a hot guy, huh? Yeeeaaah.
"I guess we should see about those other people. See if they're as friendly as you are. You should probably find a sword or something, in case they're not." He continued, grinning slightly. Jannike took one glance at the sword Alistair just picked up. Its blade was dark, with a pattern engraved on the blade, though it was too dark to really tell what it was. She looked around the beach at the scattered weapons. Swords, bows, spears...all kinds of them. One of them caught her eye however. It was a dark metal scythe, not so far from where she was. Its handle was long and sleek and its dark blade had a wicked curve, its lower edge colored a very dark violet in contrast to the black of everything else. A skull decorated the part where the handle and the blade met, and a few black chains hung from there.
Jannike walked over to it and picked it up, holding it in her hands. It was as tall as she was, but she somehow felt comfortable holding the scythe. Like it was just made for her. She liked it, she definitely liked it a lot. She then headed back to Alistair.
"You know what? Same fucking thing happened to me too, handsome. Did the man wear a suit and a mask? I'm sure as hell that was the kind of man I saw. As for them, we'll find out soon enough if those peeps are perfectly nice or assholes." She said to him as she looked over at the silhouettes again, unable to see their faces as they were rather distant.
"Besides, if in case they're assholes, we have these. Though I must say based on my hunch...perhaps it's a 50-50 chance so far." She continued, motioning to the weapons they held with her free hand.
In the end, dinner was great and she'd gotten supplies for banana splits: bananas (even though some were at home), vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, maraschino cherries, hot fudge sauce, and (after checking with her Mom) sugar sprinkles. Not only did it make for a good dessert tonight, but it gave supplies for good snacks later on in the week. Thinking ahead was the way to go. Plus, ice cream was awesome. So the day got better again.
But only for a little while. “Carina, I heard back from your father,” her Mom said when night had fallen and things got quiet. “He is going to come here to Misty Springs to visit with you for a couple of weeks.”
That... she had mixed feelings about seeing her father in person, a hopeful flutter of happiness and a solid smack of dread. “Is he?” she said, quieter than usual. “When?”
“He didn't tell me a date, but I think sometime soon,” she said. Then she came up and squeezed her arm. “Don't let him push you into being someone you're not. Only you can decide on who you are.”
She sighed. “Thanks, Mom. I hope I can make him see things my way.”
“He's always been so self-righteous, even before he got religion into his head.” Her mother shook her head “I certainly hope he's not going to try reuniting with me. I don't mind him trying to connect with you now, but if it makes you unhappy, then I'll cut him off again.”
“We'll give him a chance,” Carina agreed.
But ever since her father had first called three months back, he'd been causing her to doubt things. For one thing, Carina hadn't been born a girl. But she had made up her mind years ago that she identified herself better as a girl and that's who she was, no matter what biology said. She had been so certain about it too. However, she'd also always wished her father was around. She didn't know why her parents were separated, except that she knew they'd never been married.
Then he came back and insisted that it was wrong for her to be acting as a girl. Anyone else she might have been able to deal with. But he wasn't bullying or condemning her for it. He just seemed to be genuinely concerned about her well-being, saying that she shouldn't go against what was natural for her. While she had thought being a girl was natural, the way her father put it made her doubt that.
What would her life had been like if he'd been around instead, and she'd been living as a boy? She had wondered about the first part of that for a long time. Now the second part had her wondering about even more. Was Carina who she really was?
???
She'd gone into an uneasy sleep, but in her dreams found herself walking around a lavish flower garden. It was the kind of place one would expect to find at a fantasy castle: sparkling fountains and streams with elegant fish, lush exotic flowers filling their air with their beautiful scents, jeweled statues, silver and gold benches, a large full moon shimmering overhead. While she wasn't sure what brought on this dream (or how she knew it was a dream), it was a welcome relaxing moment.
Leaning over the edge of one of the fountains, she thought of not thinking and just feeling this dream... and she noticed something about her reflection. Puzzled, she brushed her brown hair aside and leaned over closer. Then she patted her chest.
“I have boobs!” she said, shocked for a moment. Then she grinned. “Well it's not like they're much, barely even an A-cup. And I think I still have boy parts down... yeah. Well, I'll take what I can get. It's a dream after all.” Carina laughed and checked over the outfit she was wearing.
Since she liked fashion (if unusual styles for this part of the world), she didn't have any particular outfit that she felt was most like her. But if there was a signature look for her, then this would make a marvelous one. It was so... girly, and cute! She had a white frilled top that had a low neckline and a bottom hem that ended before her ribcage did; both sleeves were slim down to her elbows, but then one ended there in a dark pink ribbon trim with rosettes while the other became loose down to her wrist, where it had the same trim. A larger red ribbon rosette was attached to the center of the top. To finish it off, she had a white mini-skirt with more of that dark rose pink trim, a flower headband with poppies and roses, a belt that had a large cluster of pink, red, and white flowers (which nicely hid signs of masculinity), and matching knee-high boots.
“Man, if I had the body to wear this, I would,” she said. “Might need to work on my sewing skills to make this sometime. Or at least a version I could wear.”
She went to glance in the fountain again to hopefully remember this, but in the way of dreams it had disappeared. So had the entire garden. Now, she was standing in utter blackness, nothing about her. When she took a step, there wasn't even a sound.
“Aw, where'd that garden go?” Carina asked, turning and looking around. She caught a glimpse of blue flitting about. Coming closer to it, she saw that it was a butterfly. Butterflies liked flowers and it might be able to smell out the garden. So she continued walking up to it. “Oh Mr. Butterfly!” she called in a sing-song voice. “Where'd the garden go?”
It kept on flying and she soon found herself running to catch up to it. Was it some sort of supersonic butterfly? Hey, it was a dream and anything was possible. Including going straight from running in one direction to falling in that direction. It was a dream, after all. Just so long as she didn't end up falling out of bed (she was too old for that).
Then there was a moment where she caught sight of a man, dressed in a dark violet suit and a butterfly-like mask. He smiled and seemed to be standing there, keeping up with her even though she was falling. Keep your hopes up, and don't worry. It will all turn out for the best.
-+-
Sea shore
The next thing Carina knew, she was on a sandy beach. Something had clamped onto her left arm. A sword was stuck into the sand next to here and familiar white mists hung in the air. The sound of ocean waves sounded nearby. Ocean? She sat up and saw dark waves lapping up on the pale sands of the beach the dream had led her to. While it was pretty, it wasn't the same as the romantic moonlit garden.
Looking at her arm, she found that a round shield had attached itself to her for some reason. While it did nicely latch onto the arm with the short sleeve, it was an odd contrast to her outfit. It was plain gray metal shield, nothing feminine about it. Possibly practical if she got into a fight. But, why fight?
She heard someone call out into the mist, and someone else answered. The first was Alistair, a fellow student at school that she recognized more for being a nice waiter at the cafe. The second was Jenna, another senior who was said to frequent the lone bar in town, and who had gotten kicked out of prom for sneaking alcohol in. Like her Mom said, at that kind of event, somebody would try something silly like spiking the punch. Thankfully the school officials weren't going to allow that. They seemed cautious here, wondering who else was around and what that man with the butterfly mask was up to.
But, why worry? It was a dream and the worst that could happen was a nightmare. And those could be waken up from. Besides, it wasn't like in the waking world, Carina got a free chance to be a girl physically, even if only halfway. The thought of that, and their caution, and the inexplicable shield, it all caused her to giggle. She flopped back onto the sand. “Take a sword?” she thought aloud. “Oh dear. I dunno why you two decided to show up in my dreams, but chill out. What could happen? It's not like some freakish monsters are going to come out of the ocean there, intent on stealing our hearts or something.” Then she laughed at the idea.
XI- Alyssa H. Lovelock
Third Group- Blade Beach
Time: Unkown
"Hey Alyssa, it's Diego. Sorry, I don't know what is going on, but I have a gut feeling there is more than the two of us involved..." Diego turned, and then looked at her. He placed his hand on her shoulder. He was a good friend of her brothers, so she remembers him well
His eyes were filled with concern.
"You all right?" Diego asked her. He seemed to be concerned about her, maybe because of how she was just after what happened.
She was about to respond as he mist cleared, and a citadel emerged, she just looked there, shocked. She quickly shook her head and threw the halberd aside, which landed about a good ten feet away from her. She then looked towards the sky, and she softened her voice
"I'm fine, just fine... This place, I hear... Requiems, like this place is an Eldricth Location.... The soft lull that will cast us astray, I'm oblivious..." She told him as she saw a young, white-haired girl talking to a guy who was staring out into the distance. She walked over to them, as she regained her stature. She felt like she needed to protect them, she felt harm was coming.
"Everyone, stay close, I have a feeling something bad will happen!" She yelled as she went to pick a sword up. She then looked around, watching guard of her 'children.'
It's that same feeling I had as when I walked into that place that day... Something bad will happen, but I can protect them, I wont let innocents die at my hands... No matter the cost! I might be a cripple of the girl I was, but that doesn't mean... I haven't lost this feeling to protect them, like I did for my brother when he was still alive... And I fear that we might not leave this place alive, but who knows, maybe we will...
I was startled out of my thoughts by someone saying something in a language I thought was French. I turned, taking in the other people in the cave for a moment.
I didn’t recognize any of them, something that didn’t surprise me. All of them looked to be high school aged, and seeing as how I graduated already, and I tried to avoid everyone in the town. Of course that raised the question of what this place was, and if these people were from town. However, I had a feeling this was not a dream or some such, especially with that stuff right before hand.
"Alright, does anyone know what's happening here? I thought this might be a dream, but things seem way too real..." One of the other people asked. I paused, before standing up, and moving over get a better look at the guy who had spoken.
“Well, I would say we are in a cave somewhere, and near a beach. Beyond that….no bloody clue.” I replied, sarcastically. “Considering everything, I highly doubt we are dreaming.” With a shrug, I looked around the cave. Bored I examined the others. Only one of them really caught my attention. Still, I wasn’t in a talking mood, so I didn’t say anything beyond waiting for the guy I had snarked at to respond to my remark. He didn’t look like to the type to really do anything about it, sadly.
