Gracelyn Rae Gracelyn cringed as she was surrounded by teens her own age. She hadn't expected they'd be gathered together so quickly, let alone drink tea and eat cookies. How many of them would pay her any attention at all? Well, if they didn't want to speak to her, then she wouldn't either. She'd gotten through life without friends, she could here too. She didn't need anybody. Plus, these people seemed too full of it, they probably thought they were better than her anyway. Behind her large sunglasses, Gracie eyed the teens one by one. Three guys and five girls, each with unique qualities and obviously talkative. Finally she studied the one who had invited her, a cheery woman who spoke of the apocalypse like the weather. Gracie clasped her hands tightly in her lap, pushing back the memories everyone deemed lies. Since going through such inner torment, she'd been forced to go to counseling. No one seemed to believe her, so she had said few words about how she really felt. The counselor hadn't cared for her feelings, only money, so she had thought why bother? The same with these. Why bother speaking with ones who would bring only hurt in the end? She knew it was bound to happen...it had happened too many times to count. She couldn't withstand another broken heart, another mocking insult; another day being a mindless follower. "Hey lady that owns this big house...I don't even know your name. I don't know any of your guy's names. Shouldn't we like, you know, get know each other before talking about doomsday and saving the world?" One of the girls piped up, the one wearing an interesting t-shirt. Gracelyn shrugged in her seat, hugging her arms closer. She'd talk when they made her.
"You stay out of our way and we'll stay out of yours." Just who they believe they were... Gangsters? Policeman?, some secret agency?. They barely qualified as failed attempts of thugs. A piece of stain in the society, yet meaningless as they seemed to be. "Yes... that's fine... So we don't have to met again, easy no?" Replied coldly the girl, still smiling. That frightening smile that seemed to carve deep inside one. She then walked away from them toward wherever the mistress was going with the class.
Angelo had finally come to realize that these people were Magisters. Though he didn't trust them at all and based on his interaction with the creepy girl he had every reason not to. He'd never actually met Magisters before though. He straightened his tie to help him think. He was praying they wouldn't ask what him what his affinity was......he didn't even know what that was. Though he assumed it had to do were ever these Magisters power came from. Angelo's nose crinkled he looked over at Nora. Angelo couldn't be around cats......NO!!! He was gonna....He had to old it back. The boy's face began to turn red as tried to hold in a sneeze. He had allerygy trouble with cats and various other animals. Though he refused to sneeze as he was supposed to be a badass and he'd never heard of a badass sneezing let alone from a cat. Bobby slipped away from his brother's side and went up to Gracie. He had been pouting (due to the fact he'd been rejected) for a bit but was now back on his feet as he approached the second girl he wanted to speak to. He basically slid up to her ad started to work his less then impressive magic. "Hey little mama. Would you like the chance to shower with a guy as good looking as me?" He asked. He was so caught up in the babes he only word affinity a few times. Bobby was the sort of kid who thought he could get away with things because of his money.
Nova Cartwright The Apocalypse . . . Nova shuddered as the thought of it filled her mind, and her fist clenched unconsciously. Nearby a trash can crumpled in on itself and with a loud BANG seemed to vanish, other than a tiny bead that dropped to the ground and rolled to her feet. Farrow meowed in distress as Nova swayed on her feet, feeling faint. Blinking back weakness, she tried to take a step forward, but the cat hissed and dug his claws into her shoulder. His paper-thin ears were flat against his head, and the hair on his body was standing up and making him look like a boa. "Sorry." she mumbled after leaning against the wall, shaking her head to clear it of such troublesome thoughts. They always caused her to lose it. Farrow purred, pressing his head to her jaw in an attempt to comfort her. Then she noticed one of the boys was obviously trying to hold back a sneeze, and the barest smile quirked her mouth before she covered it with her hand, stifling a laugh. Finally repressing her moment of "out of character", Nova managed to seat herself and let Farrow slide off of her and to the floor, his body rippling and folding like a scarf as he glided between the bars of her chair. Quirking his square head, the feline mrrowed at Nova, who kindly snapped her fingers and allowed her pet to levitate and fly around the room at waist height. His skinny legs could hardly hold up his weight for long, and Nova was used to the slight drain that levitation caused her. Farrow was only light as a scarf after all.
He couldn't hold it back anymore and the sneeze was released right in Nova's direction. So much that his sunglasses fell off to reveal deep brown eyes. That went wide that he'd done something that would make him look weaker. In all the books he'd read occult detectives never sneezed. Angelo wasn't completely wrapped up in his ideas. He had other interests to but he just respected himself unlike Bobby. Sure Angelo liked video games, girls and all that but where would that get him in life? Nowhere. But being a badass monster hunter would not only make him a force to be reckoned with but wealthy like his father as well. He looked at Nova nervously as he had sneezed on her. He quickly tried to compose his pale face as he knew if any of the Magisters attacked him he'd die. "Sorry about that." He said his face becoming stoic again. Nailed it! I'm so good at acting. Angelo hated fighting partly because he couldn't. And he knew that some people could get upset about being sneezed on. So he apologized which he figured was his best bet. Angelo quickly started backing away.
Nova Cartwright Nova ducked when Angelo sneezed, effectively avoiding any... residue that may have landed on her. "Sorry about that." Nova couldn't help the mischievous grin that crossed her face in the moment before she stifled it. So he was allergic. Looked like she could have some fun even without her little brother around. Her heart squeezed in pain as she thought about him. Sick and always stuck in bed . . . no! Don't think about it! You need to be strong! "No problem." her fingers snapped and the table cleaned up as each drop that had been spattered over it rose up in levitation. Nova quickly directed the . . . well stuff away and it vanished under the door outside. She hadn't realized that she had acted out of character until the last second and her cheeks bloomed a delicate pink. A high-born aristocrat would have had a proper temper tantrum if she had gotten snot all over her! Oh well . . . Nova made a clicking noise and Farrow quickly drifted over, coiling up in her lap and out of range of Angelo's nose.
Gracelyn Rae Gracie got up from her seat, snagging a few cookies as she did. She bit into them while she followed after the other students. Like her arrival, she hadn't much of a choice. Mm, chocolate chip, her favorite. After all she'd been through, she deserved to indulge a bit. Her mom never let her have sugar anyway...Or caffeine. Actually her doctor had ordered her to do so, but he'd never know. For chocolate, she'd deal with her problems later. "Hey little mama. Would you like the chance to shower with a guy as good looking as me?" At the voice, Gracie jumped, crumbs spilling everywhere. She'd just crushed her last cookie flat. Perfect. Looking up in a shocked state, Gracie blinked. The suited guy couldn't be talking to her could he? No, he couldn't have, no one would ever say something like that to her. But as she watched his expression, her cheeks grew hot. She had to be certain that she'd heard correctly. "W-were y-you talking...to me?" Gracie said, brushing sticky crumbs off her fingertips.
"Who else am I talking to. So if you haven't lost it yet how about giving me that virginity of yours?" Bobby asked her grinning. Bobby wasn't a very polite boy but he had managed to convince himself he was a ladies man. He reached into his pockets and various balled up napkins came up and he pulled out a condom. "I know you already find me impressive. But besides being a cultist like you. I've actually met demons.....I know you just want me now." Unlike his brother Bobby was not yet aware that they these people weren't cultist.
"Hey lady that owns this big house...I don't even know your name. I don't know any of your guy's names. Shouldn't we like, you know, get know each other before talking about doomsday and saving the world?" "There will be plenty of time for socializing later," Teodorie replied, flapping her hand dimissively. Her sunny smile never wavered. "I'm going to show you our secret weapon..." Toedorie led them down a long wooden hall, lit by candles on side tables. The Twins, those creepy women with pale eyes, ghosted by them and into the tea parlour to take away their things. The schoolmistress stopped in front of a pair of sliding doors. She pushed them open and inside was a small, cramped library. It was taller than it was wide--the walls soared up to a ceiling that was so far up it was hidden in shadow. And the walls were lined with towering bookshelves, stacked with thick books with strange titles, like "Sciences Occultes" and "The Wind That Stole All The Children". Some of the books glowed and shimmered like light reflected on water, but when you looked directly at them they acted like regular books again. "We're in the Tower." Jubilee said it like a statement. She looked all around at the collection of magic texts and gave a light whistle. "I'm not a book person, but this is really impressive." Teodorie nodded smugly. "They are my prized possessions. And this one is the granddaddy of them all..." She was referring to the carved Gothic podium in the middle of the room. On top of it was a heavy book with precious gems and stones set into the cover. It's title was written in faded gold letters that were too faint to read. Teodorie stepped up to it and opened it to a random page--the contents were scrawled in bright silver ink on rough-edge purple vellum. It was stunning. "This is the Queericle," Teodorie announced throwing back her chin in a dramatic pose. "Inside are listed all the prophecies made by my ancestress, the Witch of Endor. It is written in Aramaic, but who doesn't know Aramaic?" She laughed out loud. Jubilee gave the other students a look that said, This lady is crazy. Then she said aloud, "Uh, Ms Teodorie, don't you think it would make more sense to put it in a vault, or something...?" "Why in the world would I ever do that?" Teodorie blinked. "What a silly suggestion." Her eyes slowly fell to the pages of the book and she started reading it--and then she glanced up as if she had forgotten she wasn't alone. "Anyway...I should let you all go to sleep now..." But then she looked back down at the book and started reading again. "We will be taking you to your beds now," said a chilly, emotionless voice--two voices actually, speaking in perfect unison. It was the Twins standing in the entranceway to the Tower. They were identical in every way, they even turned around at the same time and walked at the same exact pace... A moment later, the Twins had taken them up the grand stairs. Their "dorm" was in the attic, a room as wide as the house with twelve four-poster beds lining each wall. A single window faced the front of the house, which was a dismal view--a gray sky, mangy gray shrubbery and black twisted trees. Teodorie's great-uncle must not have cared about his garden that much--or did it die when he died? The Twins left them there and said in their creepy ice-cold voices, "Do not worry about food, as long as you are in this house you will never get hungry" and then they were gone.
Tori "Please tell me I'm not the only one thinking our headmistress isn't all there." Tori said with a hint of worry. "A book of supposed prophecies as our secret weapon? Two hags with freaky ghost voices? A house that keeps you from being hungry? I like food! And what's the point of cookies if you arn't hungry?" Tori plopped down on a nearby bed with a "hmmph" though she was sure to make sure her toes still touched the floor so that she could "see." Tori rested her chin in her hands, an annoyed scowl on her face. "And I thought this place was supposed to be cool." She wrinkled her nose, "But it just smells like old things." She felt the vibrations of guys in the room as well. "We're sharing a room with the guys!? This is worse than a co-ed boarding-school!" She exclaimed throwing her hands in the air. Tori ripped a blanket off the bed and laid it on the floor before sitting on it. She'd slept on the floor all her life. Not enough vibrations made it through a mattress to suit her. "Well, whatever. Like I said earlier...we should probably get to know eachother if we're gonna be spending, heaven knows how long, with eachother. So yeah, I'm Tori."
Jubilee Bop, bop, bop. Jubilee was bouncing a tennis ball against the wall as she lay in her bed. In reponse to Tori's introduction, she paused for a moment to speak. "Tori, I'm Jubilee," she said in her slightly masculine voice. "If you can't tell, I'm the tall jock, but with boobs." She chuckled at her own joke and went back to her game. Then she stopped for a second time. "Wait...if you're blind, how do you see?" She frowned, as if things she didn't understand made her irritated.
Gracelyn Rae Gracelyn was still at a loss for words concerning the suited guy approaching her. He couldn't have been serious, it had to have been a joke. A cruel, sick joke like all the rest she'd endured. Yep, that was it and the exact reason she didn't want to associate herself with people...or friends. And now the weirdness of old prophecies, secrets, and creepy women who spoke in creepy voices only added to her list of why she didn't want to be here. Plus she had to sleep next to these other teens, in the dark. At the thought, her breath caught in her chest and she averted her eyes. Gradually her blood pressure rose, eventually getting to the point where she could feel her own heart pumping. Faster and faster it went, sending a tingling sensation through her wrists. Darn glucose had struck again. Her thoughts from the day played over in her mind as her panic increased. The doubt, the fear, the worry,...all hit her at once. Breathe, Gracie, breathe, she told herself. But the air in the room felt overwhelmingly humid, constricting as the attack grew. With a loud thump, she sat on the nearest bed, bringing her knees to her chest. She heard voices, but didn't pay attention. She only focused on breathing. "Yeah Mom, this is all just...so much fun..." she muttered.
The girl called Toni complained... Why did she complained? Did she had the right to do it? A perfect stranger is offering to her knowledge, shelter and an exchange on her life. Yet she complained. A pair of hours before was her life different? Well, is not as if this were to be a big change. Is better to take this event, as just a class trip to some famous college. Dahlia betted that after a couple of days, her life would return to how it used to be... Boring, dull, without meaning, filled with pain... an empty pain without a basis. The girl called Tori continued to complain like some big retarded princess. Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up SHUTUPSHUTUOSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP Die, die, die, die, drop dead now, become a silent body!!! "Uuuum, are you ok Tori?" asked Dahlia at the girl, with the obviously fake smile. Yet also unnable to be denied
Jubilee Jubilee sat up in her bed and the sound of Dahlia's voice. There was something wrong with it. "Girl, I think the question is are YOU okay?" Jubilee had a faint smile on her face, but her eyebrows were raised speculatively. As she watched Dahlia closely, she caught sight of the other girl, Gracelyn, a couple beds over. She looked miserable. "Hey guys, I think you all need to cheer up. Like seriously...this isn't prison or anything. Most of you came here willingly, am I right? So shouldn't we all make the best of it?" She paused, bouncing her ball in one hand absentmindedly. Then she grinned ominously. "Do you guys...want to explore the house?"
"Girl, I think the question is are YOU okay?" .... Dahlia stood silent for just ten seconds that seemed to be minutes... She replied with a soft voice.. "Why wouldn't I be OK?... I haven't said anything..." Her features mimicked exactly those of a person without any issues when normally answering a question like this with this answer.... Not even a small mistake. Yet still felt out of place, as if it weren't part of this world. Scary, weird, eeriee. "My name is Dahlia, Dahlia Brefthorn..." said with an smile while offering her hand as a greeting
Both Bobby and Angelo glared at the twins as they left and both silently prayed that they weren't born like that. Bobby was of course saddened but not surprised that none of the girls would sleep with him. "Man these chicks don't put out." He said looking at Angelo A scowl would of formed on Angelo's face if he'd have let it. "No shit Sherlock. Remember this isn't some get away we are to see what this place is all about and so far I don't trust anyone. I don't think there part of a cult but something fishy has to be happening." He whispered Since Bobby didn't have any girls around to hit on he was forced to listen to his brother ramble about the case. Bobby had no interest in the supernatural and would often (or as he is now) just not listen. Which is probably why he did the most physical labor of the two. Angelo was of course annoyed for the reason his brother even came on these cases but he was the older one so he tolerated it. Despite incredibly annoying having a brother who humped everything was completely unsanitary. The two noticed all the girls speaking as they talked quietly among themselves. Angelo of course was taking notes as he was an investigator.
"Wait...if you're blind, how do you see?" Jubilee asked. "I'm like a bat, you know. I can feel the vibrations in the ground then...I can see where things are and their basic shape." "Uuuum, are you ok Tori?" A girl with an oddly unemotional voice asked. "Yeah!" She replied cheerfully. "Why wouldn't I be?" "Girl, I think the question is are YOU okay?" "Why wouldn't I be OK?... I haven't said anything..." "Your words might have not, but your voice says it all." Tori cocked her head. "It's like...you have no emotion...at all." "Do you guys...want to explore the house?" Jubilee asked. "Heck yes!" She exclaimed jumping to her feet. "Anyone else wanna explore the creepy haunted house?" She stuck out a tongue teasingly.
"Your words might have not, but your voice says it all." Tori cocked her head. "It's like...you have no emotion...at all." No emotions at all?.... that's a way too light to see it.... well never mind "Hahahahahhahahaha" She then exploded in laughter...seeming out of place... "Do you guys...want to explore the house?" "Of course... I would love to!!" exclaimed Dahlia. With a tone that reflected animosity. It seemed as if she mechanically activated a software called "emotions" as soon as Tori pointed it. The same feeling one would get if a dog silently stares to you a couple of minutes, and then without reason, it begin to bark loudly.
"You're gonna suggest we follow them aren't you?" Bobby asked frowning. Angelo nodded. "Of course. But remember stay at least 4 paces behind them. We have to looked as uninteresting as possible." He said silently. He was hoping these girls would lead him to some clues he could use to prove that the school was up to no good and then finally make his dad proud. Bobby groaned. Well at least he got to stare at what they were following.
Jubilee Jubilee clapped her hands and then rubbed them together, like an evil mastermind. "Then it is settled!" Her grin widened into a huge smile and she sprang into action. She ran to the door and listened quietly for almost a full minute. Then she tried the doorknob--it turned and the door opened silently. "Let's g--" Before Jubilee could even finish her sentence, they heard a loud noise. Bang! Bang! And then silence. Jubilee adopted that same squished up face she got whenever something unexplainable happened. "What the heck was that?!", she exclaimed, forgetting momentarily that the Twins might hear her and come running.
"Gunfire... two shots. Maybe there is a fight somewhere.." replied Dahlia. Not surprised at all by the events. She answered as if she were wanting to be asked about that. No more likely wanting to answer to that.
Angelo hit the floor taking Bobby down with him. Despite the way he tried to carry himself, Angelo didn't do well in scary situations. Which is why was soon as he heard the two shots or whatever they were he hit the floor. By force of habit he covered his brother's head. Bobby though was shaken at all. In fact he was pissed Angelo had tackled him. "Hey get the hell off me!" The younger brother shouted as he started punching Angelo in the stomach. Angelo face actually still tried to remain calm though his eyes were filled with pain from the punches. "OOOF! St...stop I'm trying to save you!" He shouted loud enough for everyone to hear. Though it was sort of hard to miss them as they were wrestling on the floor.
Miri: Shield or Short? Miri had been trailing behind the others, mostly unseen. She had learned ages ago that stillness, patience imbued one with a cloak of sorts. Those around her milled and groused. Tori was doing what came so easily to her, forging connections. A red haired girl was further down, intent on keeping others at a distance. With the proposition she had received from the crude mannered brothers she didn't blame her. She didn't know quite what to make of the tall girl with the tennis ball, who looked to have the makings of a trickster. Something of an alpha personality. The seemingly emotionless girl, Dahlia...Miri shivered. A dense vaporous shroud began forming around her defensively as she plopped down on the trunk abutting the foot of her bed. Her Affinity always coursed more powerfully when her emotions began to rise. Fear of the unknown, anger with her father...And grief. The last burned brightest of all. Miri scowled through the rapidly gathering mist at the empty eyed girl. There was no will, no fire...Just cold and that terrified her more than anything. Suddenly she was grateful for the hot, empty ache in her chest. Even if her world was in turmoil, she at least still felt it. The pain was real, meaning she was still alive. Alone in a crowd, she knew she couldn't give into the fear. She just had to wait, watch... "Do you guys...want to explore the house?" Jubilee asked. "Heck yes!" She exclaimed jumping to her feet. "Anyone else wanna explore the creepy haunted house?" She stuck out a tongue teasingly. "Of course... I would love to!!" exclaimed Dahlia. With a tone that reflected animosity. Her heart rate jacked up, thundering like a summer storm in her ears. What the heck is going on? A wisp of snow traced her pale cheek, sending the few loose curls haloed about her elfin face dancing. Her shield talent was manifesting with a vengeance for no apparent reason. Snow in the middle of summer. Miri knew she needed to get herself under control. "Let's g--" Before Jubilee could even finish her sentence, they heard a loud noise. Bang! Bang! Miri's shroud hardened into a dense mass of glacial ice around her as she landed on the floor next to her bed. She felt a warm trickle coursing down the side of her face. The metallic sting of iron tainted the air, painted across her tongue. She couldn't pull in a breath because of her bloody nose. Panic pressed tight against her chest as she fought to breath through her mouth. She dug desperately at the pocket of her sundress, trying to reach the large square of linen she kept stashed there. Blood pooled on the floor near her head as she pulled the handkerchief out of her pocket and pressed it to her face. Voices mumbled and shouted about her. She ignored them, determined to fight down the panic and maintain consciousness. There was a lot of blood. Instinctively she released the threads of her shield. The wall of ice disappeared in a veil of fog and humidity. The copious flow from Miri's nose eased. Crimson ribbons stained her cheeks and chin as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Carefully she drew her knees to her chest and pressed her forehead against them. The handkerchief, she still held pressed tight against her nose. The cool firmest of the wall served as a prop for her shoulders. Silently she gave thanks that she had been allotted the bed furthest from the door on the far side of the room. The corner and the wall were her nearest neighbors. She fit right in, completely invisible when she sat on the floor. She couldn't see over the top of the mattress, while the bulk of her stacked trunks provided additional cover. She leaned her head back against the wall and let the world stop spinning.
Nova Cartwright Nova didn't even flinch when the two explosions went off. Somehow she had never been one to startle easilly. "Quit it you two." she growled at the two brothers, flicking her hand and placing Crush on the both of them. They were immediately flattened to the floor and unable to move, as an invisible weight descended over everyone in the hall. "I'm going to see what's going on." she said quietly, using Lift to hover and float silently to the bend in the corridor. Farrow was bristling, but remained silent as his amber eyes scanned for any unwelcome guests nearby.
