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Post by RaineScarlet on Nov 13, 2009 14:20:10 GMT 8
She was tall, and her long stride carried her swiftly across the grounds. The weighty duffel bag slung across her back didn't seem to hinder her at all as she joined the straggling line of students snaking towards the dormitories. She didn't meet any of their eyes--a cursory glance was all she needed.
The air about the school unnerved her a bit. It was different from the way she could sometimes smell the rain coming, or the way the wind picked up before a storm. Still, she reasoned, a full scholarship at such an elite academy was more than she could ever ask for. Earlier investigations of the library and learning facilities had confirmed that fact. Already, every inch of the school had been memorized.
She paused before the sturdy double doors, and gathered her wits about her. Hello, my name is Kris Rosenfield. I am here for my room key. Thank you. Have a good day. She practiced mentally. Being around other humans was tiresome. Tiresome, but necessary.
The the receptionist bought her act, and soon, she was on her way up to the third floor. Room 303. The elevator was waiting for her, but she ignored it, opting for the stairs instead. Exercise was proven to heighten cerebral functions.
Halfway up the second floor, a flash of silver entered her peripheral vision, and she looked up with a start. A shorter person would have missed it. A jumpier person would have shied away from it. A slower person would have not reacted fast enough. But she was neither short, jumpy, nor slow, and so, though she was startled, her arm rose up towards the creature that she now identified as a bird, and she whistled sweetly. Just like those animal trainers in documentaries.
The creature circled once, seeming to regard her with curiosity, and, to her great relief, landed on her outstretched arm. Its silver plumage amazed her. Its eyes shone with strange intelligence.
"Lovely creature," she cooed, not wanted to startle the animal. "Where are you from?"
Even as she asked, she was constructing a map of possibilities in her mind. It wasn't a wild bird that had fluttered in--the doors and windows would prevent that. A pet, then? Strange for a dormitory to allow pets. There were, however, none of the usual signs of ownership--no collar about the claws, no clipped wings. Perhaps she would have to continue upstairs in order to find more.
For the moment, she took to stroking the creature--slowly advancing at first, and persisting when the animal showed no signs of resistance.
"I suppose you belong to someone, since there are no birds of your species in this area. Your owner must be agitated," She murmured, feeling a familiar sense of relaxation creep up on her. She was fond of animals. And children. Creatures who loved unconditionally, without discrimination.
"That's no good, you know. Even if you are upset, there is always someone worrying about you..."
Something metallic in her bag clinked, reminding her to continue up the stairs. She proceeded slowly.
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Post by theburntone on Nov 13, 2009 15:39:24 GMT 8
Alex was heading to the stairs when he felt the breath of wind above his head. He saw the bird that caused it settle the arm of a pretty girl.
The girl was kindly stroking the bird, whispering to it. Probably hers, since there was no way a wild bird was getting in here.
Time to say hi, I suppose.
"Is that your bird? It's kinda cute. By the way, I'm Alex. Alex Bai."
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Post by RaineScarlet on Nov 13, 2009 22:30:14 GMT 8
Kris tensed up, as a foreign voice called out to her. She assumed it was her, at least, seeing as how there were no other people in her area--at the moment. She had been too engrossed in talking to the silver bird to notice the movements of the other residents.
Clumsy, she berated herself. With a bit of hesitation, she glanced up from the creature on her arm and over at the young man once. Short. Asian. Dark hair. Glasses. Enough. Her gaze shifted to the wall. She disliked looking at other faces for too long--it increased the likelihood of witnessing an expression of disapproval--at her--, followed by an excuse to go somewhere else. The average human was intimidated by her.
"Kris Rosenfield," She answered out of necessity. "And no, this bird doesn't belong to me."
If you put any thought into it, then there is no possibility that this bird could be mine. It flew from behind you. I just got here. Further, I have neither cage nor tether. Good luck in logic class. She thought all this and said nothing. It would do her no good to make enemies on her first day.
"I hope to reunite this bird with its owner." She finished flawlessly. Her acting wasn't bad.
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kaisan
Human
Inspiration struck for critical damage.
Posts: 70
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Post by kaisan on Nov 14, 2009 0:51:53 GMT 8
Hitomi peered out from within the wall, careful not to let herself become visible. The girl with the bird caught her interest - this "Kris Rosenfield" sounds to be quite an interesting person to play around with.
Hitomi giggled. Looks like this won't be so boring after all...
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Post by schrodinger on Nov 14, 2009 3:23:05 GMT 8
My, that's harsh. The boy's not too bright, to be sure, but that's no reason to lay into him like that, even if it's only in your mind. Having taken a few paces down the hallway, Venser was momentarily distracted from the pursuit of his wayward familiar by a snatch of conversation that he'd overheard. Well, technically he hadn't overheard it, being that he was well out of earshot of the people speaking, but he'd discerned their brainwaves from quite a distance away. There was a girl - just arrived - on the stairs, speaking to a boy, but she clearly had quite a lot more on her mind than she was saying. Several disparaging remarks about his epic epistemological failure, to say the least... but there was certainly more to it.
More to the point, she also had Guile on her finger. That certainly warranted further investigation.
As he moved towards the stairwell, more and more details became apparent to him, his telepathic senses sifting through the clamor of errant thoughts adrift in the dormitory to pinpoint exactly what he needed to know.
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Post by Carillus on Nov 14, 2009 11:20:57 GMT 8
It was nearing dusk. Soon the moon would be out.
Tonight is a waxing gibbous. In two days, the moon will be full.
She would have to take her pills soon. But soon was not for another two hours.
Padding softly out the door of her room, she took note of a small commotion going on in the stairwell. From what she could hear, it had involved a bird of some sort. And a newcomer called Kris Rosenfield.
A very European name. But not a particularly old one.
Even with her enhanced senses, she strained slightly to hear the finer aspects of the conversation. Perhaps she had to move closer.
She opened her mouth slightly, and uttered two words softly under her breath.
"Field Report."
Instantly, she recieved positional feedback from every person within the area. That was all it did - there was no indication of mental status, or though patterns. Just position.
A young man in front of her, down the hallway, approaching the staircase. That she could see well enough.
A lady in the room down from hers, on the bed. No doubt a newcomer adjusting to her new environment.
Another lad in 304, taking a shower.
The two in the stairwell, facing each other. An interesting situation.
A spirit observing the commotion.
Out the door of 313, a lady standing in the hall. Perhaps the lady was looking at her - Lucetia could not tell.
She moved her feet, and padded noiselessly after the young man down the hallway, the crushed pearl in her soft shoes glittering in the lengthening light. Stairwell conversations were always rather interesting events - particularly when it involved two members of different genders.
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kaisan
Human
Inspiration struck for critical damage.
Posts: 70
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Post by kaisan on Nov 14, 2009 13:23:39 GMT 8
Oh? There's more!
Hitomi looked up the stairwell, and noticed two more people moving in. She floated up to get a better look.
A casually dressed boy and a fancily dressed girl. She felt something odd about them, though. Maybe it was the clothes. Most people usually don't dress as fancily as that girl, but the boy's casual attire's normal...
Hmm~? Are they coming to join in on the conversation? This is getting better and better!
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Post by theburntone on Nov 14, 2009 15:39:51 GMT 8
Alex could sense the girl's hostility in the way she responded. He also noticed she was looking at the wall. Evidently, she didn't like being talked to.
Embarrassed, he was about to continue walking down the stairs when he felt someone's gaze on his back and turned around. A girl dressed in pure white, with a white bowler hat, was standing behind him.
Strange. Usually people don't notice me. Who's she?
Creepy.
"Erm, hi. I'm Alex Bai. What's your name, and how come you can see me? People rarely notice me unless I go right up to them."
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Post by Carillus on Nov 14, 2009 16:12:51 GMT 8
Lucetia was a little surprised at the sudden introduction. Just a little. She lost her composure slightly, but regained it as quickly as it had gone.
"My name is Lucetia Scarlet. Room 308. As for your question..." Lucetia mused slightly. She tilted her head, and looked him straight in the eye.
"I guess you could hardly call me a normal person."
Her gaze not leaving him, she brushed her hand against the wall. The apparition intending on hiding from everyone deserved a nice awakening.
"Come out from hiding and introduce yourself."
[[Bold Italic words denote Lucetia's power. Such words are directed and have to complied by.]]
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Post by RaineScarlet on Nov 14, 2009 16:18:54 GMT 8
Was I too harsh? I tried not to act like it. She hazarded a quick glance at the youth, and immediately wished that she hadn't. Those familiar expressions. Embarrassment. Rejection.
Her breathing quickened. Her fist, the one not holding the bird, clenched. And then she relaxed again, struggling for control. Take your negativity and shoot it out, like the shots of a bullet. Bang. Until you feel nothing. Bang.
But still, there was a hollow bitterness.
She had grown too used to being disliked. She despised the human's tendency to reject people who were different--in other words, people like her. It made her stop trying hard at building relationships. Human intercourse included a delicate substance called trust. And she had long since thrown that away.
Kris, you fool. On the first day of arrival, too. You tried to be civil, but your thoughts ran away with you. You hurt the poor boy's feelings. I didn't mean to, the thoughts just came on their own. It's still your fault. She talked to herself like this. Her desire to reach out, and the part of her that guarded her feelings jealously often clashed in a mind-splitting cacophony.
She wanted to escape down the stairs at this very moment to shoot targets. It made her forget. When she was occupied, she could forget it. But she still had the bird to attend to. Ever dutiful, she wasn't about to leave it.
Snatches of a conversation broke through her tumultuous trance. More people. She felt a sense of entrapment. I'm not ready for this.
Oh how nice it was when everyone ignored her. It was cold, but far less tiresome than this.
((Sorry, it's 3 in the morning, I'm having a hard time getting my thoughts together. But I'd like to post before I sleep. Zzz. Hope y'all understand what's going on.))
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kaisan
Human
Inspiration struck for critical damage.
Posts: 70
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Post by kaisan on Nov 14, 2009 17:44:55 GMT 8
A hand approached the spot where Hitomi hid, followed by a voice.
"Come out from hiding and introduce yourself."
There was something about this voice. Very compelling. Or something. Hitomi didn't know. Moments later, she found herself standing on a vacant spot on the stairs, completely solid. And opaque.
Eh?! I thought I... but... It took a while for Hitomi to get a full understanding of where she was, and figure out the appropriate response to this situation.
"Ahaha~ I got found out. I'm Hitomi Takara, Room 312. Nice to meet you."
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Post by Phagetthree on Nov 14, 2009 18:00:46 GMT 8
Frederick approached the group of students there.
A tall girl with a small bird on her arm, a rather embarrassed looking Asian fellow, a student dressed in rather outlandish attire also heading into the stairwell, and two other beings.
Beings that tingled Frederick's senses.
Unliving ones...?
He slowed his pace a little.
But if they're students here, I doubt they'd be up to no good.
He tapped the shoulder of Mr Fashionable and inquired, "Hello, friend. May I know what is going on here?"
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Post by schrodinger on Nov 15, 2009 2:05:23 GMT 8
No, it is not that my attire is outlandish - it is simply that yours is homely and uninspired. Honestly.
Setting aside the strange notions about dress code that the plebeian prat had, Venser supposed that it would only be good manners to answer his query.
"In truth, m'friend Fred, I'm not all that clear about it myself. I was just about to head downstairs to find out. Interested in coming with?"
In truth, he knew a lot more than he was letting on, but it wasn't kosher to blow one's own trumpet so flagrantly, really. He'd only addressed Frederick by name way before the two had even met to instill a slight sense of mystery about himself, and to dispense with the dreadful bore of introductions.
On a more serious note, he believed that Frederick was misguided in his assumption that nobody around here had ill intentions of any kind. It was noteworthy that he'd been able to sense their unnatural natures from such a distance, but his judgment about their motivations was entirely too optimistic. It paid to be wary about these things.
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Post by Shirafune on Nov 15, 2009 22:54:43 GMT 8
[Meld is on]
Rika ambled slowly down the corridor. Sometimes, strolls gave her time to think, and no one ever took notice of her anyway. There was a quiet sense of ambience - the shafts of light stained the insides of the school dormitory structure a vivid amber. In her desolate loiter, she took in her surroundings; absorbed the enviroment.
As she moved along the building, familiarising herself with the important locations and unnecessary details, she bumped into a group of people.
"Bumped" wouldn't have been appropriate since she was the only party that was consciously aware of their presence, but something about them made her stop.
Every individual in that single group emanated a different sort of aura, maybe nature. Different backgrounds. Situation. Character. What made her wonder was how people that different could converge on a point of interest - to simply converse.
She decided to observe.
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Post by Carillus on Nov 16, 2009 23:19:38 GMT 8
Richard Flemingway, Vedeloitte P. Katyushka
"Um... Hi."
Richard had taken the lift. He had been looking forward to dropping his bag, and fully expected an empty hallway which he could walk down with his rather oversized carry-on luggage.
The doors had opened to a large gaggle of people crowding around the stairway.
"I assume you people are my new neighbours, then? Good day. Name's Flemingway. Richard Flemingway, but many call me Ricky. I'm from Gillian, down off to the east of Osea. Hobby's inventing." He raised his cap to the small audience. "Nice to meet you. Could I pass? Honestly, this bag's killing me."
Behind him, another person stepped out - this time, a girl with her hair in two long tails.
"Vedeloitte. I'm from Tolstok, Warasia. If you people don't mind, I really need to get to my room to check on my books. Ricky, please get your bag out of my face."
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Post by theburntone on Nov 16, 2009 23:43:37 GMT 8
Dekara Senri
Walking down the stairs, Dekara noticed quite a bunch of people standing in the stairway. She could have split past them, but for the fact she couldn't see the bottom of the steps for all the people standing in her way.
Jeez, these people don't have any common sense! Standin' there, right in the middle of the freakin' stairway, blockin' every single person who tries to walk down?
"Just a question, guys. You know you're blockin' the way, no? So you wanna go down, go down. You wanna go up, go up. You wanna hang around, hang around THE SIDE! Don't stand there blocking the freakin' stairway!"
For dramatic effect, she tossed her hands in the air in a show of exasperation.
Alex Bai
Alex looked at the person shouting down the top of the steps.
Hey, it's another girl.
"Hey, it's another girl."
Alex paused.
"Did I just say that? Damn. Anyway, miss, what's your name?"
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Post by theburntone on Nov 16, 2009 23:54:48 GMT 8
Constantine Ward
Constantine noticed a bunch of people standing in his way. He also noticed Dekara shouting at them.
"This is definitely not good," he muttered to himself. He waved his hand, and little black discs formed around his feet. He lifted himself into the air, and landed next to Dekara.
"Try not to get yourself into too much trouble, Dee."
With that, he patted her on the shoulder and walked off to his room, his bags encrusted in black and floating behind him.
Portal
Portal stepped out of the lift, right behind Vedeloitte and Ricky.
Lifts were annoying things. They opened, and they closed, but you could only go in fixed directions. And they were small, like boxes! What was up with that?
WHATS THAT ON THE STAIRCASE OOH PEOPLEPEOPLEPEOPLEPEOPLEPEOPLE!!!!!!!
Completely forgetting her annoyance at the boxes apparently called "lifts", Portal ran right up to the girl dressed all in white, with sparkly booties, and squeezed her in a tight hug.
"HELLOHELLOHELLOHELLOHELLO~! I LOVE YOU! PEOPLE! PEOPLEPEOPLEPEOPLE!!!!!"
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Post by Phagetthree on Nov 17, 2009 0:51:39 GMT 8
He thought he heard a little condescending tone in his voice, but he brushed it aside.
"I see, let us proceed, then."
Stepping slightly before of Mr Fashionable, he started walking while asking.
"Oh, and may I know your name?"
The commotion at the stairwell was getting louder and louder, it could probably be heard a block away.
They should consider dispersing before the headmaster comes...
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Post by schrodinger on Nov 17, 2009 1:13:51 GMT 8
Ugh - it's noisy. Too many people, too much meaningless meandering.
Raising a hand to his forehead, he stopped to massage his temples, trying to clear the chaff of their thoughts from his mind. The sudden increase in the number of people in the vicinity was overloading him with information, not all of it relevant or savory. This close to them, it was almost as if they were right next to him, talking about every single thing that crossed their minds.
With an effort, he blocked out everything but what he needed to know, pushing the deafening din into the distance, until it receded into a mild whispering that was hardly audible. He leaned against a wall, slightly drained from the exertion.
"Sorry, I'm feeling a little light-headed... go ahead without me. My name's Venser Savoir, don't worry about yours, I know it already."
Whilst resting against the wall, he reached out to Guile, calling to it across the bond they shared as master and familiar.
Guile, to me. This place is far too crowded for us.
Quite a distance away, perched on Kris's finger, Guile heard his command and complied immediately, flying up the stairwell towards him.
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Post by Phagetthree on Nov 17, 2009 1:21:01 GMT 8
"Oh, well nice to meet you, Venser."
He stepped into the doorway at the stairwell had a look.
Some guy flying on black material.
MORE people.
"Oh, hell. I think I'll go back too."
Since when were there so many girls anyway?
Jogging back into his room and shutting the door, Frederick set out to polishing his armaments.
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Post by theburntone on Nov 17, 2009 1:45:34 GMT 8
Dekara Senri
Who the freakin' hell is this guy? Kinda wimpy, if you ask me.
"Look, shrimp. I don't have time for you. Same goes for all you other people. You want my name, it's Dekara Senri. Now CLEAR THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY SO I CAN SEE THE BOTTOM OF THE STEPS!"
Alex Bai
"NOBODY CALLS ME SHRIMP!"
Alex never did like being called short. Especially not by a girl.
A subtle "poof" and a flash of light later, he was still standing there, as a girl.
"Alex, what'd you do now?!"
"Nothing, Alexa."
"I hope you remember your spells. Because if I get another bruise... Unlike you, I can tell when you're gonna swap over. So I have time to get ready. And I can make you very, very--"
"Alright, alright, I get it!"
"As I was saying, NOBODY CALLS ME A SHRIMP!"
Alex stomped back up the stairs, back to his room to sulk. That was certainly embarrassing. And like this, he tended to draw attention.
"I hope you're happy, Dekara. You have your space."
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Post by Carillus on Nov 17, 2009 11:14:54 GMT 8
Lucetia was very annoyed.
Part of it was getting unexpectedly jumped from behind by a girl she didn't even know. But most of it was due to two large, squishy things that were now pressing against the small of her back.
She duly noted her own sheer cliffs. It did not help her mood.
No. She could not stand for this kind of harrassment. Unintentional or otherwise. Not from someone one-tenth her age. The girl had to be removed.
Lucetia twisted, grabbed the girl by her arm, pulled her off...
...then threw her seven metres down the corridor.
"Ah." Lucetia watched as the hapless girl soared in an arc across the hallway - straight at Venser.
This might be slightly problematic.
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Post by schrodinger on Nov 17, 2009 13:12:27 GMT 8
We have incoming.
His head clearer, Venser became aware of a figure hurtling towards him through the air, set on a direct collision course with him. He couldn't have that.
Guile!
His familiar, whilst in mid-flight, coincidentally just above the human projectile headed for him, assumed the form of a large, shaggy dog, and plummeted to the ground, pinning the airborne menace firmly beneath it. Having intercepted the threat, it bounded off the unfortunate missile and headed towards Venser.
He knelt down and patted Guile on the head, then bade it return to its prior form, a bird - it was much more incognito that way. Placing it upon his shoulder, he paused a moment to reflect upon the possible courses of action that might be pursued at this juncture. He could return to his room, certainly - that would make things a lot simpler, and eliminate the need to deal with the strange being who'd been launched towards him. Or he could stick around and demand an explanation, as the absurdity of having someone launched at him defied all faculties of reasoning, and he was positively boggled as to how such a turn of events came about.
Decisions, decisions.
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Post by RaineScarlet on Nov 17, 2009 14:15:00 GMT 8
The bird took flight. Kris blocked out the rest of the crowd that had somehow formed and followed the creature with her eyes. It seemed to have a purpose as it shot back up the stairs. She thought of those dog whistles that people blew to attract dogs. Something like that?
But there were too many people. She took a shaky breath and was about to make a break for her room when one of the shorter girls dressed prettily in white suddenly turned all violent. Then several things happened that should not have been possible. The busty girl who had been hugging the little-girl-in-white flew impossibly far. The bird, which Kris has still been following in the corner of her eye, changed--shifted--morphed--like a strange sci-fi movie--to knock the flying girl down. Then changed back into a bird.
Her breath caught and stopped.
I'm dreaming, right? Right. I thought something was strange about this campus. The atmosphere felt different. If it's a dream, then everything is fine. The moment of rejection with that boy never happened. I'll wake up soon.
She waited. Nothing happened. She pinched herself, hard, staring at the bird. Glancing over at the little girl and the gray haired boy with the bird. Staring at the bird again. She increased the force of the pinch until she was sure that it would leave a bruise.
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Post by Shirafune on Nov 17, 2009 17:26:34 GMT 8
Rika found all of this vaguely amusing in the least.
The cause of the commotion came from pure randomness; strangers being overly friendly or very much aloof. The way she was. But yet again, Rika preferred to be part of the background conducting her own silent monologue.
She doubted that anyone would approach her anyway.
She continued to stare on at the strange course of events; a transforming familiar that took the form of different animals; the girl in white that had strength like that of Chuck Norris'.
Her delusions seemed materialised.
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