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| >> Campfire Creative >> Fiction >> Supernatural >> ID #1564558 |   |
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| [Introduction]
"Founded in 1735, those entering Acadia Prep may find the historical campus as charming as the students and faculty that reside within..." However, the clandestine goal of the school's program, kept hidden from the prying eyes of society, is the successful integration of vampires and werewolves with their ordinary human peers. In this regard, Acadia Preparatory Institute is a sanctuary to the masses of the supernatural who seek guidance and peace with the world of mankind.  All API Author positions have been filled. Sorry. API will not be accepting any more invites. All postings must be submitted within a time limit of two weeks.AUTHORS and CAST |
 trixyhobbitz  Hunter Hemming Werewolf Appearance 5’11”, he has dirty blond hair long enough to be pulled back into a short ponytail. He has brown eyes and a trim build and his wolf form is a large light brown and grey wolf. Personality As the newly presiding alpha for his pack, he expects to get his way and usually does. He’s generally laid back but quick to anger and slow to forgive. He’s open-minded about interacting with different species and would rather be playing around then study. While immature, he has the potential to be a leader, and a potential to be a vicious fighter if his position as alpha was ever questioned or if any of his friends were ever put into danger. Hometown A werewolf community buried in the Canadian forests. Yomi Rachel Capella Human Appearance Reaching just barely 5"2, Rachel puts her medium length red-brown hair up and out of the way. She has inquisitive light brown eyes and owns an often quirky knowing smile - this turns flat, however, whenever she's tired. Personality Naturally smart, and a flaming vegetarian, she doesn't try too hard to pass her classes. Actually, she sleeps through most of them, somehow soaking up the knowledge in her sleep. This, however, is an indication of her learning technique: listening, and a tape recorder is never too far from hand. She's a bit night owl, and although she likes people, she's slightly socially inept. Hometown Born in Texas on a cattle ranch, which explains her sympathetic tofu habit, but moved and went to school with Tori before attending the institute. ShadowPirate Victoria (Tori) Williams Human Appearance 5’5”, she has chestnut colored hair that reaches down passed her shoulder blades and hazel eyes. Personality Very down-to-earth, Tori just wants to make it through school with a passing grade. She wasn’t terribly excited about the idea of attending a boarding school but her parents decided that it would be better for her to settle down instead of constantly moving across the country since her father is in the military. She has no interest in drama or the paranormal, believing that there is a rational explanation for everything. Hometown Has lived throughout the U.S., including Texas where she went to school with Rachel for a year. S.h.e.p.a.r.d M.o.o.n Kenneth Čarnogurský Vampire Appearance 5’11; Kenneth’s has blue eyes and his hair is moderately long, and straight, but curls at the ends. Unable to endure the temperature of sunlight on his body, he is also unable to exercise outside, but his diet keeps his form fit. Personality Having chosen to endure a friendship with pack leader, Hunter, Kenneth is already a bit unorthodox for one of his kind who sparingly tolerate their werewolf counterparts. To his human classmates he is reserved, and cold to those who criticize his friendship with Hunter and Terra, however he has a surprisingly cheerful personality for a vampire. Hometown Kenneth was born and raised in Czechoslovakia. IrishMaki Terra Hemming Werewolf Appearance 5’7”; her straight sandy-blonde hair falls three inches past her shoulders, and her smooth features and picturesque figure make her ideal for receiving unnaturally high levels of attention from the opposite gender although her personality and more common expressions hardly compliment the rest of her. Personality Hyper most often and trusting of almost anyone, she is highly unladylike as she is the most likely of her kind to succumb to her doglike characteristics. Bubbly, overly loyal to her friends and brother, she is irrationally affectionate to even her most distant of acquaintances; one of her favorite hobbies being matchmaking. However, she isn’t as dumb as she might come off, sure she’s gullible, but she has her own agendas that are definitely to be taken seriously. Hometown A werewolf community buried in the Canadian forests. A|bertus Stephan R. Bellop Vampire Appearance Seemingly only 12 or 13 years of age, Stephan is relatively short at 5’4”, with dark black hair and eyes set in a somber, child-like face. Personality Quiet and composed, Stephan comes off as aloof, his serious demeanor in striking contrast to his youthful appearance. However, his solemn attitude masks a deep streak of wit and dry humor that speaks of a subdued affable nature. Hometown Vague in his origins, all that is known is that he has traveled extensively through Europe before arriving at API. ShadowPirate A gentle breeze blew in from the ocean, tossing Tori’s hair in her face as she walked down the paved entrance to her new school. She had just arrived to the island by the ferry, her heavy duffle thrown over her shoulder as she walked through the impressive halls of the Acadia Preparatory Institute towards the dormitory wing. Letting out a puff of air, Tori made her way passed the floor to ceiling windows that lined one side of the hallway, the other side periodically punctuated by numbered doors lit up from the patchy sunlight streaming in from across the way. 201, 202, 203…Well, at least she was getting closer. Adjusting the strap of her bag to try to keep it from digging into her shoulder, the teen continued walking. At least she was on the correct floor. Floor 2, as she had been told by a staff member downstairs, along with floor 4 were for the girls, while floors 1 and 3 were for the boys. It didn’t make much sense to alternate them but Tori figured that they must have had some sort of plan when they set the system up. Perhaps an attempt to break up some of the drama that undoubtedly ensued in a co-ed boarding school. Tori hadn’t been exactly thrilled at the idea of attending API when her parents announced that they had enrolled her for the next school year. The idea of being stuck in an old school building on an island only accessible by boat had seemed a little sketchy to say the least, but the Institute was apparently world famous for its high educational standards, its historical legacy, and its promotion of cultural interconnectedness. Whatever that meant. Her parents had insisted that she attend in order to be able to settle down, if only for a little while. While it was true that she was constantly changing schools and didn’t have many friends because of her father’s job with the military, Tori hadn’t really minded. Sure it would’ve been nice to be able to actually stay in once place long enough to get to know people, but she hadn’t complained. At least not enough to warrant such a strong reaction as being sent to boarding school. Lost in her thoughts, Tori almost missed it when she reached her door. Freezing midstep, she turned to room 221 and, suddenly feeling nervous, approached the door with caution. She could hear muffled voices coming from inside now that she was closer and had to wonder what sort of person her roommate was going to be. As an only child and having moved around so much, she hadn’t ever really been close to anyone before. There were only one or two cases Tori could even remember from her childhood when she considered someone her “best friend”. It wasn’t that she was socially awkward or anything, she had just never found herself in a situation where she had wanted a relationship like that; after all, it just made it harder to say that inevitable good-bye. Tori shook her thoughts off and reached for the handle. It’s not like she needed to be really close to her roommate. As long as she was bearable and not psycho or anything, it would be find. Apparently fate had it out for her. As soon as she opened the door, she was practically assaulted by a blur of smiles and blonde hair, Tori letting out a shout as she was physically pushed up against the door frame by an excited teenage girl. “Hi, my name’s Terra! You must be my new roommate! It’s so great that you’re finally here! I was beginning to wonder when you were going to come! Your name’s Victoria, right? I saw your name on the sheet when they told me where I was going to be staying this year when I signed in!” Tori blinked, her hazel eyes wide with shock as she tried, and failed to speak, “By the way, you’re new, huh? I don’t remember seeing you last year, and I’m pretty observant, so I think I would’ve noticed! Oh, that bag looks heavy! Here, let me put it on your bed for you!” Effortlessly, Terra pulled the weighty dufflebag off of Tori’s arm and ran it over to a bed that was pushed up against one of the walls of the room. The other side of the room was already decorated with all of Terra’s things, Tori unconsciously wincing at all the bright colors, particularly at all the various shades of pink. Before she could take in her own side of the room, Terra once again filled her field of vision as the girl invaded her personal space bubble, keeping Tori virtually pinned in the doorway as she tried to keep some distance between them. “I can already tell that we are going to get together really well! Your bag smells really good! In fact, I think you are going to fit in really well here, so don’t worry about that okay? Do you know anyone else who goes here?” Finally Terra paused, actually seeming to be interested in getting a response from Tori this time. “Er, no, you’re the first student I’ve seen so far. Call me Tori by the way, please, not Victoria…Is everyone else here like you--?” “Okay Tori! Everyone one else here is pretty nice, although some people are kinda grumpy sometimes. Is that bag all you brought?” Tori managed a small nod before Terra continued, “Wow, you sure pack light! I almost have all my things, but my brother said he’d bring up the rest of my stuff from downstairs for me! Isn’t he the best?!” “Uh, sure?” Wondering if Terra’s brother was just as crazy as his sister, Tori took a small step back out toward the hall only to have her back meet with something solid. Sure that there had been an open doorway behind her only moments before, Tori spun around in surprise, her mouth falling open a little as she found herself face-to-face with a boy a few years older than her holding a cardboard box and eyeing her curiously. “Hunter!!” Tori let out another shout as Terra rushed passed her and through herself bodily at the newcomer. Unlike Tori’s reaction however, the young man rolled his eyes but easily caught the blonde girl with only one hand. “Hey Terra, here’s the rest of your things.” That was Terra’s brother?! Tori looked from sibling to sibling as they talked, Hunter shoving the box into his sister’s arms as the girl bounced around in excitement. Honestly, there was no way that girl could be related to the cool, calm, admittedly rather handsome guy standing in their doorway. Just as these thoughts came to her, Hunter’s brown eyes turned on her, the piercing gaze startling and almost…unsettling. The blush that had begun to spread across her cheeks died at the expression and she straightened up as he spoke, his hands crossing over his chest. “This your roommate?” Terra nodded, seemingly oblivious to Tori’s newfound discomfort, “That’s right! This is Tori!” Hunter stared at Tori a moment longer before giving a quick nod, Tori feeling that she had passed some sort of test. “Well, I’ll let the two of you settle down. Remember,” he turned his attention back to Terra, capturing the flighty girl’s full attention, “my room this year is 315. Only come if it’s an emergency, alright? You’ll weird my new roommate out…” “Okay!” Tori continued to watch Hunter until he left the room, his casual air returning as he stuck his hands in his pockets and strolled down the hall toward the stairs. Tori already had a feeling it was going to by an interesting, trying year. S.h.e.p.a.r.d M.o.o.n Unaware of Hunter’s approaching steps, Kenneth sat at his desk before an open window enjoying the same warm air that had accompanied Tori up the dirt path to the school from the ferry. Teasing his senses, he lifted his head to allow the pungent salt water scent of the Atlantic to penetrate his entire being. Finally, the summer break that had seemed so agonizingly long had come to an end, and now having returned, he felt the weight in his chest that had slowly enveloped it through the lonely months in the Czech Republic lift like laughter in the wind. Glancing to the last few boxes sitting on his bed left to unpack with a loathing eye, he settled on the plan that if Hunter had yet to find him by the time he had finished, hopefully before lunch he might rummage the third floor for his friend’s new room. Aside from his few evening ventures into the quant little village from which he lived, nestled on the southern edge of the republic, he had had little contact with anyone over the break. While his parents worked in the shop they owned in town during the day, only returning after the first star in the sky could poke through the clouds come night, he had spent most of his days of summer break alone, waiting impatiently for every sunset when he could enjoy the vivid shades of the evening from outside his parents 3 story cottage located near the heart of town. Enjoying the townspeople’s traditional costume leap to his eyes from the dullness of surrounding modern wear, he simply wandered the streets, slipping into the few shops still open, until he came to his parents shop. Turning his face from the window as his bedroom’s door opened, he had expected to see his roommate to be coming through until the smell of damp clay penetrated his room and played with the salty scent already in the air. “Hunter!” Kenneth rose form his chair excited as his werewolf friend closed his door knowing the vampire wasn’t about to hold back a tight European hug. By the time Hunter could take ht seat at his desk, Kenneth had already uttered ten questions: “How have you been!? How was your summer break? Mine was rather dull-” Hunter laughed at his friend’s excitement: “Jeezes, settle down. I came to see you to escape the drowning admiration of my sister.“ That was right, Hunter had mentioned his sister would be coming to the school last Spring. Like pinching a candle flame, Kenneth returned to his usual calm composure. “What was her name again, your sister?” he asked, walking to his bed to uncover the mattress of boxes; he had yet to find his bedding. Hunter swiveled in the chair back and forward slowly, “Her name’s Terra.” “She’s your step sister, right?” He asked, pulling his desk stuff from a box and passing everything to hunter who placed it all in a near heap on his desk. “Yes.” Kenneth noticed the small tweak in his tone and decided to change the topic: “Well? You haven’t told me about your summer break. How was summer in Canada?” Hunter began to flip through a small photo album Kenneth would be keeping on his desk. “Not much to say about it.” He paused, looking over a picture of Kenneth standing with a wiry-haired women and a taller man with a beard and mustache. Both Kenneth’s parents were as blond as their son, their eyes a shade duller, but the same intense blue. “My pack kept me busy most of the time, and I spent most of my break trying to avoid Terra. She kept hounding me about the school ever since I returned.” Kenneth felt out the edge of his cotton bedding in a box. Instantly his room erupted in the color red as the light coming through the window ricocheted off the dark red fabric and onto the room’s white walls. Hunter closed the album, that also happened to be red with a black trim: “Kenneth, why is nearly everything you brought red? It’s not a very subtle color.” Kenneth merely shook his head as he laid the bed sheet down. “Yeah, alright.” Hunter said reaching down and pulling something up from the floor at his feet. “Well, this isn’t red, but you can use it.” Kenneth reached over and picked up the umbrella Hunter had tossed on his bed before him. It was black and had a long silver colored handle. “What’s this?” “I remembered last year you couldn’t go outside in the daylight, so I bought this for you.” Kenneth looked the umbrella over with consideration. “You can just try it out once and hopefully it will work. I got the biggest one you could carry without looking ridiculous.” “Thanks. I will try it.” He set the devise down and returned to finish unpacking the rest of his bedding. “I’ll just be a little longer. But, after this let’s get lunch.” IrishMaki Terra quite literally shook with excitement. Her poor, slightly disheveled room mate on the other hand quite drained by having had her space violated multiple times with Terra’s giddy-too-close-gabbing. Now, since they were ‘formally’ acquainted, or whatever such a bizarre first meeting could be called, they sat opposite each other on the airy mattresses that would be their beds for the year. Where Terra was thrilled at the promise of their future friendship, Tori was vaguely pondering the chances she might have if she asked to change rooms. It wasn’t that she didn’t like this girl, she just didn’t have the most favorable impression. Fast-talking, blushing for no reasons amid long-running sentences, perhaps from lack of air; ‘Terra Hemming’ was just a tad too energetic. And by that Tori meant that if the girl started talking again about how ‘thrilled’ she was about everything, Tori might have just dropped dead from the mental drain. Honestly, this Terra had blabbered for a whole ten minutes with herself, although she probably hadn’t realized it.“So...” Tori said cautiously, afraid to re-engage the blonde but desperate to break the suddenly choking silence and excuse herself for a breath of air. “You want me to take you on a campus tour?” Terra interjected, unknowing that her room mate was lightly intimidated by her. “I took the tour myself this morning and you obviously just got here,” and she smiled so brightly Tori squinted before realizing that the girl’s smooth even face was not a light source. “Actually...” but before she could say she’d rather go it alone the girl was practically upon her again; the expectant tilt of her head similar to that of a dog: the perfect beggar. It made her hesitate, but not because it had changed her mind. “Great! Let’s go!” and when she wrapped her arms around Tori’s it was obvious: she didn’t have a choice. Although Tori wished she had to nerve to tell her to let go because Miss Hemming was a fairly pretty girl. She had long legs, vivid eyes, straight blonde hair, and a terribly ideal figure. All of which made Tori feel mannish. Not that she wasn’t the picture of female herself, she just wasn’t too aware of it and some how this ‘Terra’ wasn’t aware of herself either. Opening their door, Terra held her breath as if waiting for the first checkpoint on the tour to begin. In the meantime the soles of their shoes clicked softly on the wood hall floors, while parted doors of other rooms revealed unnamed peers unpacking or chit-chatting causally amongst themselves; both things that Tori could have been doing if she had not ended up with... well, the elated girl on her arm. When the stairwell came up, the breeze from the open main doors of the building swept the scent of fresh cut grass across them and the both accidentally sighed at how perfectly it blended with the sweet odors of the maple floors and picked flowers in the entryway. When they were just passing the doors, and sunlight flooded to their feet, Terra stopped dead in her tracks and released Tori’s arm. Relieved and crossing her arms to prevent reoccurrence, Tori waited a moment in blank intrigue as she caught a glimpse of Terra’s face. For having been round with joy from the second she came into sight, now her face was rather sharp; her eyes rolling to the back of her head as her lids gently closed and her head tipped back shortly with the breeze. For some reason the girl seemed very.... well it didn’t last for Tori to quite grasp it. In a moment Terra’s eyes opened and her head turned sharply to the left, her irises fixed on a distant spot. It was so tense that Tori began to feel uncomfortable. So much so that she didn’t even notice a Rachel Capella approaching them both from behind. “What is it?” Terra’s expression didn’t change, her voice lower and gruff as she turned darkly to reply, “Squirrel.” trixyhobbitz After Kenneth finished unpacking his boxes, he and Hunter hurried down to the lunch room. Hunter, at least, was starving. In general it took a lot to fill him up but he hadn’t eaten since they left their home in Canada. So he practically dragged Kenneth down to the cafeteria, making sure to stay out of the sunny courtyards to keep Kenneth more comfortable. Sometimes it was a bit of a trouble having a vampire as a best friend but Hunter tried his best to accommodate. They looked out for each other that way.The cafeteria was bustling by the time they got there. Most of the school’s students had already arrived and, like them, were hungry. Though classes didn’t start until tomorrow, everyone was encouraged to come a day or two early to reorientate themselves and settle back in. Hunter was thankful for the rest time before classes; he was already planning going out with Kenneth once the sun set. Just to explore the island. Sniff around, see if anything changed during the summer. After all, this was part of his territory. It wouldn’t be right not to do an initial check. He was roused from his thoughts as the smell of food hit his nose. Perking up, his eyes snapped over to the food line. They were serving meat for lunch. Eagerly, he hurried over to the line, not even paying attention to what Kenneth was doing at this point. The line was long though. Hunter bristled, fingers digging into the plastic tray after he had picked it up. He wanted food now, and he was not used to waiting in line. Kenneth watched as several of the students ahead of them in line suddenly looked back at them, namely at Hunter, who was bristling with irritation. Everyone who looked back were werewolves, and they quickly stepped out of line. Whether or not they were part of Hunter’s pack, proper werewolf conduct demanded wolves lower on the social ranking bow out to Hunter who was an alpha male. Their retreats shortened the lunch line somewhat but there were still vampires and humans who refused to move. And why should they? Vampires regularly held little but distain for werewolves and humans were perpetually ignorant. Seeing Hunter’s grip tighten even more on his tray, Kenneth leaned forward and put his hand on his shoulder. “Hey, relax.” Hunter turned toward him, tense body calming somewhat when he saw Kenneth’s firm expression. Instead, he frowned and looked down at his empty tray, trying not to think of how irritating the line was. Trying not to think about how hungry he was. Five minutes later and they were finally getting served. The staff of the school were all experts at distinguishing werewolves and vampires from humans. Hunter really wasn’t sure how they were all so sharp actually, considering that some of them were humans. It really was helpful though because instead of getting a normal sized vegetable portion, all werewolves like Hunter got extra meat to cater to their ideal high-protein diet. In this case, two hamburgers instead of one. Kenneth got a regular human meal, but at the end where they got their drinks was handed a special carton from behind the counter. It was animal blood, pig blood in fact, which Kenneth said was one of the closest substitutes for human blood. Hunter didn’t care much for the smell, what good was blood alone when there was no meat involved? But the availability of blood kept vampires behaved and sane, so it was necessary. Once they had their food, Hunter found them a table, sending some werewolves who had just finished their meal away from their table. “You know,” Kenneth murmured, “There are other free tables” “Ya, but this was closest. Besides, they were done eating.” Kenneth frowned, expression deepening when he noticed that Hunter wasn’t even looking at him anymore. Instead, the werewolf’s gaze was directed just over his shoulder. “What are you looking at anyway?” He turned as Hunter glanced briefly back at him. “The freshmen just get smaller and smaller, don’t they?” Sitting a few tables away was the youngest boy Kenneth had seen at the school. At first glance, he realized he was a vampire and turned back to Hunter after their gazes momentarily met. “They definitely do. I’m surprised they let him in so young. Well, he’s not young relative to you or a human, but he still looks –hey!” His eyes had landed on his tray just in time to see Hunter trying to sneak his hamburger off of his plate. Grabbing his fork, he stabbed at the other’s outstretched hand. “Are you a wolf or a pig?! Eat your own food!” Hunter snatched his hand back, pausing for a moment before he looked up at Kenneth again, eyes wide and begging his time. Kenneth snorted and shook his head. “That’s not going to work. It doesn’t even look cute when you do that, cut it out.” “Not cute? You must me joking. What’s not cute about this?” Grinning, Hunter stared up at him with wider eyes. “Don’t you want to give me foooood?” “No!” Kenneth snickered, laughing as his friend’s antics as Hunter continued to fail at begging. “Stop it, you just look stupid! There are other people in the room, you know!” “Food. Give me food…!” Hunter’s grin widened as Kenneth laughed harder, the vampire’s eyes closing as he tried to compose himself. He took the opportunity to launch himself forward, Kenneth’s hamburger in his sight. His fingers were just on the bun when his ears caught the sound of a too familiar bark. He abandoned the food as his head snapped up, coloring slightly when he saw a squirrel dash outside passed the open doorway of the cafeteria, followed by none other than Terra. Scrambling up to his feet, Hunter ran to the door, bristling with embarrassment when he saw his sister running down the hall. “Terra!” The booming bark stopped Terra in her tracks. The blond girl turned around slowly, eyes wide as Hunter growled. “Get over here, Terra.” As the girl slunk back to him, Hunter heard footsteps running up behind him. He looked to see Terra’s new roommate, Tori, and another girl, coming toward him. They were out of breath, apparently having chased Terra for a long while. His attention though, was on his sister, and he grabbed her arm as soon as she was within arm distance. Terra seemed to shrink in his grasp, silent as he said firmly. “Come on. You’re having lunch with me.” Terra blinked up at him, tears in the corner of her eyes. “What about my friends?” This time, Hunter took a good look at the other two girls. Both of them were certainly humans. The one whose name he didn’t know seemed slightly odd though; her gaze was knowing. It was slightly unsettling. Usually all of the human students went through their four years unaware that they shared their classes with werewolves or vampires… Hunter shook the feeling off and tilted his head to the side. “Sure. They can come. Grab some food then come right over to our table. Don’t get distracted.” Yomi Terra’s head wagged back and forth as she demolished what remained of the bits of meat on her plate. Even Hunter avoided direct eye contact with Terra’s carnivorous habits.Instead, he focused on the new girls and their introductions. Part of pack mentality meant that everyone knew everyone. “So, you’re Her roommate,” he spoke to Tori, but grimaced in Terra’s direction, “and you two are, friends?” “Yeah, we went to a high school together. Texas. Boy, it’s good to be out of there, isn’t it?” Tori elbowed Rachel, who gave out a low chuckle. “Yeah. Talk about meatheads. Did you know that beef is a 13 plus million dollar business in Texas? Kind of sick living in a place where so many animals are slaughtered. You can sort of feel it, you know?” “Uh, yeah.” Kenneth and Hunter shared a bemused look, then Hunter quickly snatched Terra’s plate away before she could lick the plate in not-so-ladylike drooling swirls. “No. Bad.” He half-slapped her hand away as she reached for it. “That's a strange way to treat your sister.” Rachel gave him an odd expression. He felt like once again he was showing her something he didn’t intend on letting her see. Then, with a shrug, she focused her attention elsewhere. “I think he’s listening to us.” She stared a little longer at the pale faced boy a couple tables down, who gave a quiet curling smile in response, then her head collapsed into her hands. “She gets tired sometimes,” was Tori’s explanation. Kenneth now was turned around staring at the boy, a little more aggressively than was needed, before the boy got up, looked him full in the face, then walked out of the cafeteria. “That was brazen.” Hunter let himself settle down, since on Kenneth’s cue, he would’ve been ready to fight, not that Kenneth exactly needed the help. “He meant us no disrespect.” Rachel’s muffled voice came up from the table. “He was just curious. Kinda makes sense.” Kenneth cast her a surprised look, then shrugged at Hunter. “I think she’s right.” “Wow. You guys are sort of uppity, aren’t you? It’s just a kid.” Tori pushed the rest of her plate to Terra, after Terra had sat there, of course, through the entire conversation in adverse concentration on it. “Wanna walk a bit Rachel? Kind of want to get my groundings first, and no offense or anything, but this afternoon has had a bit more excitement than I’m used to.” She specifically looked at Terra, who jumped up on cue. “Oh yeah! You want a guide! I’m good at that! I can be your guide! I can - “ ”Terra!” Hunter put her in her seat with just the singular tone of his voice. “But -“ she whined. “Stay!” She sighed, then started fanatically licking her new plate. “Uh, Thanks?” Tori glanced at them all with a feeling of general confusion and weirdness, then pulled Rachel from the table who got up to follow her out. “I don’t think we made a very good first impression on Terra’s new friends.” Kenneth said with a half-laugh. “I don’t think Terra made a very good first impression on Terra’s new friends. Terra!” He caught her attention just long enough to steal her new plate. “You’re here now. You have to start working on fitting in. It’s important. Not just to you, but to me too. Will you try to fit in better for me?” “Of course! Anything for you, big brother!!” “Great.” Kenneth patted Hunter on the back. “Good luck.” Tori gave a big sigh as she and Rachel walked around the school grounds. The sky was becoming that grey color just before it turned black. There were sounds of waves and rocks in the distance, and some laughter, but it all felt strange to her, which said something because she moved a lot. In the first couple of moments they were free like this, she fought down a prickling urge to catch Rachel up in a big bear hug - something she had never really done in her life - but then she realized this sudden abundance of sentimentality was probably due to the overwhelming sense that she had just escaped something close to an atom bomb. “My god, my roommate is...” Rachel chuckled, “I know. Squirrel!” “Ah! I would laugh but my wounds are still fresh. What’s your roommate like?” They turned a corner and were able to see the tips of the trees that surrounded most of campus lit up in dying sunlight. The air was a kind of golden grey here, and although it was cold, it was beautiful. The campus lights looked weak and small, like they were trying to hold off the dark. “Mine is....more sane than yours.” She grinned fiendishly up at Tori. “Everyone’s is!” “Yeah, well, I don’t think you’re going to be able to get another one. I heard one of the girls complaining that her roommate tried to bite her and the admin.’s still wouldn’t let her swap. Something against policy here.” “Well, that’s just stupid.” “I guess you could leave if you really wanted to.” Rachel gave her a quick furtive glance then relaxed at the look on her face. “Yeah. I don’t think so. I might be here longer than I’ve ever been any place.” Rachel knew about Tori’s military family and their constant moving. “Sorry.” Tori shrugged. “It’s good, in a way, you know, I’ve seen a lot more than most kids my age.” Rachel nodded. Then she looked off abstractedly and smiled. “Let’s go talk to him.” “Who?” They turned another corner. Tori squinted out onto the lawn that edged their walkway and ended at the trees. She sensed movement. Then she saw the boy from the cafeteria. He was walking nonchalantly from the lawn towards them. He obviously hadn’t seen them yet, since his head was down and his shoulders had the relaxed demeanor of comfortable aloneness. Tori turned to Rachel. “You know, no matter how many times you may explain, I really have no idea how you do that!” A|bertus Rachel only smiled good-humoredly as Tori considered the mysterious nature of her friend. Together they watched as the boy slowly walked across the lawn, a lone figure with hands in pockets and a sense of quietude upon him.“Come on,” Rachel urged again pleasantly, “Let’s go meet him.” Following her lead, Tori walked in step with Rachel, apprehensive. Glancing sideways, Tori caught a glimpse of her bold friend’s face; her usual soft peaceful smile and comfy disposition intact. But she also caught something else, something she had become well acquainted with during the short time she had known Rachel: a certain spark in her eyes, a spark Tori recognized instantly. Her friend was smitten with profound curiosity. Tori sighed imperceptibly. For as long as she had known her, Rachel had reliably proven herself the most curious person Tori had ever met in her constant travels. In honesty, it was one of the things that endeared Rachel to her; the memories of mini-adventures and mishaps together tickled her mind. But, there also were the times where Rachel’s whimsical temperament got the best of her in the most inconvenient times. Walking towards the boy from lunch, another oddity among oddities, Tori couldn’t help thinking this might be one of those times. Their pale shadows treading out in front of them in the glow of the buildings behind, they waited for the boy to notice their approach. As they came closer, the boy looked up slowly, his eyes moving from the shadows at his feet to their owners. His hands still in his pockets, he greeted them. “Good evening.” His voice was soft, yet his tone struck Tori as rather formal, not what she’d expected of a kid who, now that she was up close, couldn’t have been more than twelve or thirteen. “Good evening,” Rachel returned agreeably. “We saw you at lunch, so we thought we should say hello.” Rachel smiled again, her attempt at friendliness thinly beginning to let her inner curiosity shine through. “I’m Rachel, and this is Tori, we’re both new to the school this year. How ‘bout you?” The boy nodded curtly. “Stephan Bellop, a first year student recently introduced to this institution as well.” Pausing, he followed, “A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” and made a small gracious movement halfway between an inclination and a bow. Rachel, in good humor, responded politely, “Likewise.” Tori shifted uncomfortably next to her friend, already eager for them to be on their way again. She had realized that while he might appear only twelve or so, he carried himself with an air of composure and self-confidence she was definitely not accustomed to seeing in any kid his age, let alone her own. Standing in front of him felt like talking to an adult stranger; it was just unsettling. However, Rachel, now doubly intrigued, seemed not to share her doubt, instead continuing, “So where are you from Stephan? How are you liking API so far?” “The Institute leaves a pleasant impression,” Stephan responded patiently. “Until I arrived here, I journeyed among the European lands. The voyage across has been…” He trailed off for a moment, allowing himself a small smile, “Welcome.” “Hmm…” Rachel murmured, her eyes glittering inquisitively, “That’s good to hear. What part of Europe were you living in though?” “I relocated often.” “Really? So you moved around a lot? Y’know, Tori here is kinda like that; she’s spent quite a while moving from place to place growing up too.” Finding Rachel suddenly turning towards her, Tori could only add, “Uhh… yeah. That’s right.” Stephan nodded his appreciation and met Tori’s gaze with a penetrating stare. She froze, and suddenly felt a wave of prickly sensations run up and down her neck as goosebumps spread out over her arms. Trying her hand at acting, Tori matched a sudden cough with a quick elbow jab at Rachel’s side in a desperate attempt to signal emergency escape maneuvers. The secret message system, however, proved insufficient to overcome the force of Rachel’s now exponentially growing interest in the curious boy with the dark, somber eyes and civil tongue. She seemed completely unaware of the poking pain in her ribs, lost in a signature Rachel trance. Exasperated, Tori gave in to defeat and helplessly stood by as Rachel and Stephan Bellop continued what she could only hope would be a brief conversation. Rachel herself felt somewhat guilty. She was well aware of Tori’s growing unease beside her. However, she reckoned it had been some time since she had met such an… odd fellow. On any other given day, she was characteristically more of a stand-offish individual, content to do her people watching from the sidelines. But today, she found her interest piqued by something she recognized as especially unique. But how so -- aside from evident eccentricities -- she was unsure. “Well, Stephan, it’s been nice meeting you.” “And you as well, Ms. Rachel and Ms. Tori.” “Since we’re all new to the school here, if you ever need a hand with something, just let us know. It’s good to have somebody to fall back on in a new place just in case right?” Rachel smiled reassuringly. “Indeed,” Stephan nodded. Surprised and pleased by her accomplice apparently coming around at last to the pain-encoded communication, Tori stifled a sigh of relief. Finally, the escape she’d sought after lunch was imminent. Thoughts of the inviting mattress in her room danced in her head. She winced, though, as a hectic flash of pink and blonde and smiling teeth seared through her fantasy. “Roommates,” she grumbled. Coming back to reality, she discovered another comic scene awaiting her. Stephan Bellop was once again giving a cordial bow, one arm folded in front and the other behind him like a nobleman. For all she knew, he could be one. Tori rolled her eyes, exasperated once again. “Good evening, Ms. Rachel. Ms. Tori,” Stephan said as he bowed to each of them in turn. Rachel, bemused it seemed, gave a small curtsy in acknowledgment. “Good evening, Mr. Bellop.” Unwittingly, Tori began rolling her eyes again before delivering a hasty goodbye, when a shout nearby jolted her. Tori spun around confusedly, but there was no one else on the lawn with the three of them. A soft thump sounded beside her, and as she looked down, she found Rachel crumpled in the grass at her feet, motionless. Tori cried out in alarm, falling quickly beside her friend. She grabbed Rachel by the arms and flipped her over on her back. Her auburn hair had come loose and was tangled over her face. Brushing it aside, Tori saw that the usual carefree expression that belonged there had vanished, replaced by a tight, anxious face Tori didn’t recognize. The eyes were wide with shock, but there seemed to be no life in them, no spark present. Feeling for a pulse from her friend, Tori panicked, her own heart beat in her ears her chest her hands making it impossible to concentrate, to find what she was looking for. Frantic, she suddenly broke her stare off her limp friend to glare up at Stephan, rage burning in her eyes. “What the hell did you do to her, you psycho?!” Stephan stood, frozen in place where he had been saying his goodbyes only a moment before, his face sheet white and blank but for a deep furrow in his brow. His hand hovered in the air before him, hesitantly reaching out, his eyes fixated on the form in the grass. His breathing, Tori could hear, was ragged. He was in complete shock. She was on her own. She took a deep breath. “Come on Victoria,” she thought to herself, “Get it together! Just like dad taught you, calm and under control. C’mon, you know how to do this! Settle down!” Her heart still racing uncontrollably, but her focus restored, Tori knelt over her friend and checked her breathing. For an anguishing moment, there was only interminable stillness; but then a breath came, slow, shallow. But there. Hope springing up, Tori checked Rachel’s pulse again; and this time found it, shaky and slow, yet growing gradually. Her friend wasn’t gone yet. Adrenaline still pumping in her veins, Tori panted out her tension, trying to think clearly, trying to figure out what to do next, trying to figure out what had happened. Rachel had been curtsying ridiculously, Tori had looked away as she rolled her eyes, and then… Rachel had just collapsed. Just like that. But why? Rachel would definitely never try to fake something like this ever, and from what Tori could tell, there was nothing fake about what had happened. But had that Stephan kid done something? Tori glanced up at him, and saw he was still nearly frozen in place, only his face regaining some its composure. But his eyes remained steadfast on Rachel. Tori wasn’t sure. The next step for now, however, was getting help. Tori had done what she could for the moment, but Rachel needed proper medical care. Addressing Stephan, Tori said, “We need to get the paramedics or the school medical staff out here. I know you’re freaked out, but I need you to go get help.” Tori wasn’t even certain he could hear her, but she wasn’t about to leave Rachel alone with this guy or move Rachel unnecessarily. “Can you do that?” Stephan, however, did respond. Finally rousing out of his stupor, he very slowly shook his head. “No.” Tori bristled. “No? What do you mean, no?” He shook his head again, this time more vigorously. “No, no medical attention. We need to get Ms. Rachel to privacy. A room.” “What?! No, she needs proper care right now.” “I understand your concern, but that would be quite rash of you.” “Like hell it would!” Stephan paused uneasily. “It is not what Rachel wants.” Tori sat stupefied. “What?” Suddenly, from the grass beside her, Rachel spoke raspily, “Tori… it’s ok… please… listen to him.” Tori gasped in shock and pounced upon her friend, checking her face and eyes and pulse and breathing all over again while breathlessly uttering a hundred questions at once. Rachel, overwhelmed but regaining strength, coughed and slowly sat up with Tori’s help. Finally, she managed a smile; and with that, Tori proceeded to deliver upon her a great bear hug worthy of amending for her hesitation before. As Rachel began coughing again, Tori retreated, wiping stray tears away. “You’re my only friend now. And I thought I’d lost you for a moment there. Gawd… you scared me.” Rachel smiled again and said, “I’m still here, Tori. I’m… sorry.” Sighing, Tori began regaining her senses. Shaking her head, she said, “We need to get you to the infirmary building or something.” Rachel shook her head reluctantly. “No, I… can’t let you do that.” “But why not? That makes no sense.” Tori looked suspiciously first from Rachel then to Stephan who was standing awkwardly apart from them, his back turned. “I’ll… explain it once we get inside. I’m…” Rachel swallowed, and when she spoke again it was with another face Tori thought unfamiliar: worry. “…sorry.” -----=====+=====----- With Stephan’s silent assistance, Tori managed to help Rachel climb the three flights of stairs to Rachel’s room on the fourth floor. Upon their arrival, he bowed once more, and left without another word. Uneasily, Tori watched him go. “Is it okay to let him leave like that?” Secretly, she still had her doubts about what happened on the lawn and what role the strange boy had played in it all. Rachel nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine. I think we can trust him.” Tori wasn’t as sure, but she didn’t protest; her main concern lay with her friend. They had the room to themselves, Rachel’s roommate apparently still out socializing like much of the rest of the students. Rachel sighed, finally resting easily on her mattress, a mug of fresh brewed green tea nestled in her lap. On the way up the stairs, she had regained her strength little by little, so that now she was talking and breathing again naturally, her warm countenance peacefully restored. She could, however, have gone for a nap. But she knew first things came first. Looking at Tori, an anxious face still peering comfortingly at her, Rachel realized that despite her recent adventure, she was going to have find even greater strength to do what she was about to do now. Tori might have been a close friend had things not gone so wrong, a good confidant and supportive hand around campus that Rachel would have cherished and welcomed dearly; but after today Rachel knew things would never be that simple and easy again, for her or for Tori. Reluctantly, she acknowledged that she could still choose to do nothing, that with just smile and a comforting word Tori would be put at ease. It was still an option. But not an honest one. Not one that Rachel could accept as she looked at her concerned friend, a person whose fears and trials she knew better than most. And one whom she had placed in danger. Inadvertently, but still: for that, Rachel felt a deep sense of shame and guilt. And this was the only way she could think of to amend that. Tori, for her part, watched with concern the internal dialogue of her friend. Since fifteen minutes ago when they’d been out on the lawn, she had been able to feel her feet gradually plant themselves back on the ground where -- in her opinion -- they belonged. Now she waited, patiently. Stable once more, she determined grimly that she wasn’t leaving until Rachel had said her piece and finally rested. Or even talk notwithstanding, just resting. Tori may not have liked the feeling of being caught in the peculiar drama Rachel was reflecting upon, but it was of little import to her compared with the fragile state of her friend’s health. Finally, sighing once again, Rachel looked up into Tori’s eyes and said, “Tori, I have a secret. And I’ve decided I need to tell you about it.” Tori fidgeted. She had never taken very well to the idea of secrets; even between friends, they only tended to get everyone tangled up in lies and confusion. Drama gave her a headache. But Rachel was different; Tori trusted her. So she let her continue. “Just now, when I passed out all of a sudden… see, it was my fault.” Rachel bit her lip anxiously. “I made a mistake. I did something foolish I shouldn’t have done, and, well… now I think it’s put you in danger.” She looked down shamefully. “I’m so sorry.” Tori watched her uneasily. “For what? What did you do?” She snorted, “If anything, that Bellop seems a lot more suspicious right now than you do. I mean, I don’t know what his deal is, but I’m thinking that I’m definitely going to go have a talk with that creepy kid and--“ “No!” Rachel exclaimed. Then looking down hurriedly again, she sighed, “I mean, no… he didn’t mean for any of it to happen, it was all my doing--“ “So he was involved, wasn’t he! That little creep, I swear I’ll--“ “Stop, Tori, wait. You don’t understand, he couldn’t have meant for anything to happen you see, and well…” Her voice trailed off. “I don’t get it,” Tori said shaking her head as if to clear it, “Why are you defending him then? Please, Rachel, what’s this all about? I can’t keep dealing with all this mystery.” Tori looked straight at her friend, searching for understanding. Rachel raised her head and returned her look. They stared at one another for a moment more like that, each trying to comprehend the other, until Rachel finally sighed and looked away. She took a moment to compose herself, looked back up into Tori’s eyes calmly, and took a deep, slow breath before speaking. “Tori, my secret is that… I’m a witch.” It was Tori’s turn this time to look away. She felt her cheeks burn, a mixture of shock, anger, and humiliation swelling within her. What kind of bizarre lie was that? Where had this suddenly come from? With a surge of rage, she saw it all, what was happening, the joke of her time here becoming clear as the pieces fell into place. Her feelings were being used for entertainment. Lied to and tricked, ridiculed secretly, made the joke of by everyone; it was a role she knew all too well: the continual new kid in school, the easy target. Why was she being toyed with like this? Tori felt herself begin to shake uncontrollably in frustration. Did she really seem that pathetic? And by the only person here she thought a friend? It just seemed all too cruel. Who else was in on her humiliation? Stephan, of course, she thought bitterly. And probably Terra too, laughing now with her brother and his friend about the idiot roommate of hers. Laughing, and laughing. It just wasn’t fair, none of it. Pushing herself up, Tori turned quickly to leave, tears stinging her eyes, trying to keep her composure in defiance to her tormentors. But suddenly a hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her in place. She turned and found Rachel staring after her in frank concern. “I’m… I’m sorry, Tori--“ “Sorry?” Tori croaked, “Why would you do this to me?” Rachel’s face relaxed then, and with calm assurance she implored, “Please, Tori, this isn’t easy for me to tell you, I’ve never revealed it to anyone before. I… know it isn’t easy to understand, but, well, this is who I am…” Rachel’s expression faded into pain, and suddenly Tori hated herself. Hated herself for doubting the gentlest, sweetest friend she had made in any of the countless schools she had drifted through over all the years of her life. Rachel would never be able to do what those others had to her, to purposefully lie to her and humiliate her. In fact, Tori thought bitterly, she wouldn’t be surprised if Rachel had never told a lie her whole life. And so now, regardless of the ludicrousness of her statement, Tori would listen faithfully to what her friend had to say. Sitting down in front of Rachel, Tori could only say gruffly, “Now I’m the sorry one. I… I guess I just don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me.” Rachel nodded placidly. “I don’t blame you. Perhaps,” she continued, “I should start by just telling you about myself. My real self.” The tea in Rachel’s hand was refilled from the brewing pot on her hot plate, and after a long sip, she began. ShadowPirate Tori stared up at the ceiling of her dormitory room with a blank expression that didn’t match the chaotic thoughts crashing around her head. Laying on her bed, with the dwindling daylight floating through the window, she tried to sort everything out in her mind. For the passed two hours she had sat up with Rachael in the other girl’s room and listened to what her old friend had to say. Truth be told, the whole day had been so weird that by that point, Tori had only half-way been paying attention, still worried above all else about her friend’s health. Passing out like that for however short a period was not healthy, supernatural stuff aside…And thinking about all that supernatural stuff that had come out of Rachael’s mouth…it wasn’t actually true, right? Tori knew that the other teen had a large and somewhat fanciful imagination, although if she really believed everything that she had said her imagination was bridging on the delusional. I mean, vampires and werewolves? Did she seriously believe that Tori was going to believe that? Sure, Tori had accepted the whole witch thing after only a few minutes of pondering. After all, Rachael wasn’t really a “witch” witch...as she had explained, she just practiced Wicca, which was what made her a witch. It’s not like she was in to summoning demons or worshipping the devil or anything…so no big deal right? Tori was relatively open-minded. She could accept that. Then came the vampire and werewolf nonsense. What did she look like, a five year old? Who really believed in that stuff nowadays anyway? Besides Rachael… Thinking back on their conversation, she couldn’t blame herself for being, well, skeptical might be an understatement… Taking another small sip of her tea, Rachael looked back up at her with a strange look in her eyes, “I know that what I’m about to say will sound really weird and I don’t want you to think that I’m, well, crazy or something.” Tori shook her head, having gotten over her earlier shock, “No way, I won’t think that. Besides, it can’t be any weirder than what already happened!” The look Rachael gave her suggested otherwise but the other girl merely shook her head softly and set her tea cup down on her bedside table. “This school…It’s not exactly a normal school. Not all the students are normal anyway.” “Yeah, I noticed!” Tori’s attempt at light humor seemed to go unrecognized as Rachael continued, her eyes getting a far away look to them as she became thoughtful. Tori could tell that she was being very careful with her words, “I’m, well, I suppose that you could say I am sensitive to the emotions of those around me, their auras if you will.” Tori couldn’t help but interrupt here, “What? Are you saying you’re psychic or something?” “No, no, I wouldn’t say psychic. I can’t read minds or see the dead or anything like that but I can sense people’s energies. Their energies can tell you a lot about the person though; their personality, their emotions, their past.” Rachael fell silent for a moment, as if unsure how to continue, and Tori felt the need to fill the silence, “So, can you read my energy?” At the question, a small, happy smile slipped across Rachael’s lips, “Yes. You’re…a very grounded, bright person!” Tori blinked and before she could think more about it, Rachael had moved on, “The reason I brought up my ability in the first place is that it was what made me realize just how different some of the other students are…” “What do you mean? Are they psychos or something?” “No. They just, they aren’t human. I think that there are vampires and werewolves at this school…” Tori rolled over and sighed into her pillow. She couldn’t even remember how she had reacted to the news, but the expression on her face must’ve been something else…After all that mystical mumbo-jumbo Rachael had been talking about it, for a minute Tori was almost ready to believe her. But the idea was just…it was ridiculous! Things like that didn’t exist! Sure she had listened to fairy tales and all that as a kid but she had been brought up in a very reason-based household. She had just about convinced herself that she was going to have to figure out a way to get Rachael to a psychologists without offending the girl when the door to her dorm room flew open and Terra bounced into the room. Talk about psychotic… The excitable blonde girl was instantly at her side, “Hi Tori! Did you have a good day! Sorry I got distracted, I really wanted to spend some time with you before school gets started!” Tori sighed, “I’m sure there’ll still be time for that. After all, classes don’t start until the day after tomorrow…” Stupid school having them come a few days early to “adjust”. “Oh, you’re right! Hey, how about we go into town tomorrow then! I’ll show you around the shops and stuff, it will be great! We should go because we’re not going to get the chance to go again until next weekend! How about it, want to come? Your friend can come too if she wants, the more the merrier, right?” Ugh…Tori just didn’t have the energy right now to deal with this…”Sure, whatever…” If anyone at this school wasn’t human it was definitely Terra…well, and that weird kid who had been with them when Rachael fainted that afternoon. He seemed like a real piece of work. Just then, a thought struck her and she rolled back over so that she could watch Terra’s face, “Hey Terra?” She immediately had the other girl’s full attention, “What do you think about vampires and werewolves and all that stuff? Do you believe in any of it?” Maybe she was just being over-critical of Rachael’s beliefs. Maybe thinking that vampires and werewolves existed was a more common trait than she thought. Terra however had gone stiff at Tori’s question, an almost nervous expression passing through her eyes as she looked towards the door, then the window, at the door again, then finally back at Tori, “Uh…ha, um, vampires? Why?” Raising an eyebrow at the girl’s odd behavior, Tori shrugged, “I dunno, just curious. Someone,” she decided to leave Rachael’s name out of the conversation for the other’s sake, “just asked me about it recently and I wanted to know what you believed in it.” “Oh! Ha ha!” Letting out a small laugh, Terra’s face brightened again, “Okay then! Yeah, I guess so! I mean, it’d be pretty funny if I didn’t! Werewolves are way better though! Remember that, okay?” “Uh, okay…” Great, so maybe she was the strange one for not thinking that werewolves and vampires were real. Then again, maybe Terra wasn’t the best person to ask for a second opinion. She was going to have to find someone else to ask if she wanted a more, reliable answer… Terra’s voice broke through her thoughts again, “Are you going to come down to dinner? I heard they’re serving pot roast today!” Letting out a soft grimace, Tori grabbed her pillow and put it over her head, “No thanks…I think I’m getting a migraine…” And it was the truth; everything that had happened was becoming way too much for her mind to take in at once. She had only been here for a few days and she was already getting this much of a headache, what was the rest of the year going to be like? S.h.e.p.a.r.d M.o.o.n “Come on, I don’t need your scent on all my stuff!” Kenneth said, prying his pillow from Hunters two-arm grasp. Raising an arm to block an attack that never came, the werewolf smiled as Kenneth tossed the pillow back at his headboard where Hunter rolled back and snatched it up in his arms like it was some sort of dog toy. Taking a seat at his desk, Kenneth almost thought he could see an invisible tail waging as his friend began to chew on his pillowcase again. (This was why he had packed an extra pillow this semester-which now, hidden in a box under his bed, kept the vampire from throttling his canine friend.) He held a sigh and opened his computer, making a face at his reflection until the screen turned on. At least, once hearing the hum, Hunter dropped the pillow, losing interest in it. “Hey, Let’s go outside.” Kenneth spun around in his chair, directing Hunters gaze to the window with a hand and dropped expression: “It’s a bit sunny outside.” “Use the umbrella I got you.” Kenneth glanced over at the black umbrella with hesitation: “…I don’t know…what about the reflected sunlight-” “You have to at least try it out.” He held in an even deeper sigh now. This werewolf was always pushing him. Always testing his patience and comfort-almost trying to get him to act more like a werewolf. Of course, he had to admit, the werewolf, who loved nothing more than spending his daylight hours (and hours after curfew) in the forest did in fact spend most of his day inside with him when the sun was out, even if he was complaining about it, or trying to coerce him outside. He supposed that was why he and Hunter had remained friends; both of them had at least some abnormal amount of patience or tolerance that allowed them to endure the other. “…fine. But,” He lowered his gaze to meet Hunters broad grin, “We don’t stay out in the sun too long, and If I say I need to go back, you let me.” “Fine.” Hunter rose with a leap in his step. “Now, Grab your umbrella, and let’s go.” They walked through the hall with pretentious air. That was how Hunter liked it. Kenneth on the other hand, didn’t care much for the constant hostility between werewolves, or for their hierarchies. While Kenneth returned the various glares from vampires as he jogged to keep up with Hunter’s long stride Hunter stared down every werewolf in eyeshot. “Come on, behave.” Kenneth whispered. “Quit terrorizing the new students.” He could sense the confusion radiating from the human students as Hunters smug presence swept by them. .” Coming to the double doors that lead out to the island campus, Hunter continued out without losing pace. Kenneth couldn’t help but feel ridiculous opening up the black umbrella before following after. “Come on, slowly.” He called out, stepping out into the sunlight with a little hesitation. “See. You’re fine.” Hunter called back, leading them over the lawn towards the forest. “Yeah, well, I wont be able to do very much being stuck under this.” He said bitterly, glaring down at his feet, pacing across the lawn, just within the confines of the umbrellas shadow. Already he was feeling a bit overwhelmed at the suns radiance. “That’s why we’re going into the woods. You won’t need the umbrella in the shade.” They delved into the trees until the canopy was dense enough to allow only a few streams of sunlight through. Kenneth, by now had already dropped his umbrella down at his side, and was using it to poke things as they walked. He liked the woods, and seeing it in daylight was nice, although being colorblind, except for the color red (which was why most of everything in his room was at least some shade of red), did tend to delude the fascination that Hunter seemed to have with it. As he watched Hunter pick up pace, his excitement escalating with the sensation of freedom the scent of tree bark and pine needles gave him, Kenneth wondered how he’d like the forests in the Czech Republic, although he didn’t know how the Canadian alpha would fare against the German clans that dominated the rural territories. Most were so fierce that if they did not live in the most inhospitable of places, they were cunning enough, and patient, to coexist in a village until they could press out the humans until none were left. In fact, they were so territorial, that over the centuries, they had driven the vampires from the solitude of any forest forcing them to hide within the human villages and cities. Hunter was lucky, in some ways. To be born on the American continent away from the hostility that was inherited in Europe. “Alright. So what do you want to do?” Kenneth finally said as he noticed the werewolf come to a halt before a large patch of sunlight. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m due for a run, or some practice.” Kenneth placed the umbrella down. Hunter was always training. Preparing for fights. While mostly unlike European clans, he was fascinated to see what characteristic seemed to be hereditary. While he could count that most American werewolf clans had little interest in vampires, they were still vicious amongst one another. He guessed violence was just unavoidable. “Alright, which? I’m up to either. “ Hunter spun around, “How about practice!” But Kenneth was already gone. Lowering his gaze, Hunter sprang in a random direction, listening for any difference to the sound in the wind while counting 1…2…3-! Kenneth reappeared behind him and on his right side with his hand outstretched to tag him. Hunter leaped away instinctively, and taking advantage of the vampires moments recuperating from his 3 seconds of invisible speed, he took off. Hunter loved to play tag. Dodging trees at break neck speed, Hunter relished the pulse that ignited his limbs. He configured his ears to his pace, keeping himself to a pattern for each step and breath. When he did hear a soft step out of place, he dropped down to change direction, using a tree to spin around and shield him from Kenneth again, and then stuck to an area where the trees were so young they were still crowding, competing for the forest floor, knowing the vampire had burst into his invisible speed again. Swinging around the young saplings, he counted to 3 again, only getting to 2. This time, Kenneth appeared in front of him, deterred by the sapling in between them. Hunter let out a startled laugh, and began weaving backwards, keeping the vampire in sight. He blinked for just a moment, and found Kenneth at him. Before he could react, the vampire tagged him, and their roles reversed. IrishMaki From above, the two resembled birds weaving around each other in the sky; the patches of yellow on the green beneath them, like white in the blue above. Terra’s head tilted as the branches below her temporarily took them from her sight, and when she spied her brother’s hand connect to the side of Kenneth’s shoulder, she, who had forgotten that they were blissfully unaware of her presence, let out an excited bark. Heads shooting upward, their eyes connected with the intense stare of a lean, but still impressively large, sandy blonde dog crouched on one of the bigger branches. Terra let out a small bark ‘hallo,’ and their postures relaxed when they recognized her. Where most wolves were stalkers of prey from the ground, Terra’s genetics made her lighter, more agile, and she took a different approach to most things. “Why don’t you come down?” Kenneth offered, since their meeting in the cafeteria he had become quite familiar with this dog/wolf/girl. They got along rather perfectly—their senses of humor were clock cogs. Shifting in her place, Terra let out a small whine to which Hunter replied with, “we talked about that, you can’t just transform in front of people like that,” she whined again, “I don’t care if it’s easier to come down human, you can’t just run around naked all the time,” Kenneth, remembering a moment a few days ago, covered his eyes in case of recurrence. Another dog-whimper and Hunter grumbled, “I don’t care if you left your clothes all the way back at the docks,” there was a boisterous bark and Hunter caved, “fine, just this once, but I mean it, just this once.” When Kenneth opened his eyes the lanky girl was just placing her bare feet on the ground; sporting Hunter’s over-shirt as a makeshift sundress. “Heya,” she beamed at them, “great day right? All the rabbits are out.” Her face was lit; her fingernails had blood dried beneath them. “Good to hear,” Hunter smirked, generally good at hiding the amusement he got from his half-sister, but letting it slide on account of the fact that the game of tag had ended in his victory. “You aren’t with your roommate,” he then noted. Kenneth felt a twinge of guilt for her: throughout the last few days all she did was talk about how excited she was to make friends with her roommate, but from her stories, both he and Hunter could tell it was in the danger zone of being entirely one-sided. Her intentions were too innocent and too earnest for her own good. Terra seemed oblivious to their intense watching of her, instead she paced over to Kenneth, took his arm, kissed his cheek (she kissed everybody’s cheek—it was her thing), and answered, “she said she had to go somewhere top-secret, and told me not to tell anybody,” pausing she gave Kenneth a flat look, blinked twice, and then looked horrified, “don’t tell anyone I told you guys that.” “Naturally,” said Hunter almost darkly. Yes, his sis was a little… well, a lot to handle sometimes, but it was obvious the girl was being slighted. He had hoped that this school would have been different for her; she had been alienated in her life enough as it was. Frowning, he didn’t like to think about it, it was one thing that rendered him powerless; he couldn’t protect her from what she was. Patches of sunlight lit her face as they began to walk along, and she sacrificed her tanned skin to ensure the vampire’s pale remained in shadow. They talked about a lot of things, mainly classes, Terra had so many questions, and the two guys felt wise being able to answer them. Talking fast, when she laughed and her smile widened to let her white teeth catch the sun, it was hard to remember the little girl listening to the others speak, just loud enough for her to hear, about the ‘half-breed.’ “Well,” she said as the hour let on, “say, you guy’s don’t have plans for Saturday do you?! I’m taking Tori and Rachel to the city! Steak House for dinner!” The two guys exchanged a look, “we’re game.” They were thinking the same thing: ‘Terra + City + No Supervision?’ they didn’t want to ponder the possible outcomes. “That’s great!” and she kissed Kenneth, leapt over, kissed Hunter, spun twice and her form warped and she was suddenly a great dog shaking off the shirt with a rapidly wagging tail. Barking twice, she hopped like a puppy in front of them and then took off into the forest. The trunks of trees and leaves of brush became a giant blur as her paws thundered against the dirt. When she reached the other side of the island, she slowed her strides to a trot, but didn’t stop to take in the ferries in the distance, the specks of fisherman boats along the docks of the opposite shore. Her clothes were tossed in a pile on the sand, just beside the dock. It wasn’t a dock in use; it looked ancient, the wood worn away by tides, not a soul insight, just those boats on distant water, little dots that ensured her to be a dot to them, in turn. Feeling a light breeze ruffle through her fur, she closed her eyes, inhaled deeply for the sake of this place, and then dug her snout into the bottom of her dress. In moments she was human, flattening the kinks in her dress with her palms and sitting down on the cool sand to the melody of her humming. trixyhobbitz After their training bout, the rest of the day passed with Kenneth playing his computer games and Hunter tossing restlessly on the vampire’s bed. Hunter preferred to be outside at all times; he hated reading, hated computers, hated enclosed spaces. But still, he knew he couldn’t expect Kenneth to be outside in the sun for too long and so suffered through their time in Kenneth’s room. The next day was Wednesday and their first day of classes, they would only have three days until the weekend. Hunter could settle with that even with his limited attention span. Waking up early, however, was just barely tolerable. At the quiet sound of his alarm, his eyes snapped open and he sat up in his bed. Across the room, his roommate was still fast asleep. Indifferent, Hunter ran a hand through his hair as he yawned then blearily grabbed for his hair tie next to the alarm. Pulling his shoulder-length hair into a loose ponytail he then slowly got out of bed, still waking up as all of his senses came into focus. Since he was going to have to think critically today, he was going to need a big breakfast. He considered going to get Kenneth before he went down to the cafeteria then shook his head. Kenneth could come down when he wanted to. He was hungry. He made his way down to the cafeteria after hap-hazardly throwing on his uniform, buttoning up his white dress shirt just before he grabbed his meal tray. Without Kenneth there, breakfast started out quietly with him at his own table. One thing about being alpha was that no one approached you unless it was an emergency, a challenge, or if they were invited. Which meant that, at seven in the morning, even though there were other werewolves in the room, he ate alone. Half an hour later though he heard someone come up behind him and, recognizing the scent, turned around with a smirk. “It’s about time you got here.” Kenneth rolled his eyes, looking grumpier than usual as he dropped his tray onto the table. “I really don’t like the first day of school.” “Tell me about it.” Hunter sighed lightly as he picked up a piece of bacon. “I still don’t know why we have to go through four years of this. I mean, four years? I already have a job, and I know everything I need to for that.” Frowning, he turned to Kenneth. “What class do we have first anyway?” “Math, I think, but I haven’t looked at the schedule in a while.” Hunter groaned, dropping his head in his hands. Math wasn’t his strong point, especially now that they were getting into more than just multiplying and dividing. Suddenly, a shriek echoed from the far side of the room. “Big brother, what’s wrong?!” That was the only warning he had. A second later, a heavy weight slammed into his back as Terra grabbed his arm. “Why is your head down? Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Are you still sleepy?” Hunter sighed then grabbed her around the waist with his free hand and dragged her onto his lap. “I’m fine. Be quiet, you’re giving me a headache.” Terra immediately shut her mouth, blinking down at him with her pretty blue eyes before she smiled, her voice much more quiet this time as she spoke up again. “I’m happy, I thought something was wrong.” “I know.” He sighed again then gave her a pat on the back, a signal for her to get off his lap. “Go get food. We can talk when you get back.” His little sister nodded then sprang away toward the meal line. As she left, Kenneth shook his head, his voice low. “I don’t envy her teachers.” “I think that they know,” Hunter paused for a moment, frowning lightly. “I think they know what she is. That she’s different from the rest of us. I’m sure they’ll be fine. Besides, she should calm down by mid-day after having walked to and from morning classes. And she should calm down a bit by the end of the week anyway once she’s used to this place a little more.” “Let’s hope so.” Kenneth poked a little at his eggs before he suddenly frowned. “Wait a minute. Isn’t the full moon in less than two weeks or something?” “It’s next Friday. Why?” “Now I’m going to have to deal with her but just as soon as that’s going to end I’m going to have to deal with you.” Hunter sat up a little straighter. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “You know how you get during the full moon. Snap at me like last time we had a full moon together and I will go off on my own that day. I mean it.” “You never mean it.” “I do this time.” “What are you guys talking about?” Both boys looked up as the third voice interrupted their rising argument to find Terra smiling over them, bouncing a little on her heels as she supported her food tray. Hunter was the first to break the tension. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” “Okay! Oh yeah, hey, can my friends sit here too?” Hunter glanced around Terra to see Tori and Rachel awkwardly holding their food trays, looking as if they were a little embarrassed but had no where else to sit. Shrugging, he gave a quick nod. “Sure, why not?” “Yay! You’re the best, big brother!” Hunter nodded, waiting until all of the girls had sat down before asking them, “What class do you have first?” Terra was too busy eating to answer, engrossed in shoveling down everything as quickly as possible. Noting this, Tori tilted her head to the side in thought. Because all of the girls were in the same year, they, like Hunter and Kenneth, all went to the same classes, except for the one block of free choice, where they were allowed to pick an elective to go to. That’s the only place that Hunter and Kenneth’s schedules differed because Hunter had been resolute in taking PE, which, because it was outside, was not an option for vampires. “I think that we have Biology first. Right, Rachel?” The other girl nodded. Though she looked sleepy still, she managed to answer coherently enough. “That’s right.” Frowning, Kenneth set his fork down onto his plate. “I think that might be in the building closest to the beach.” “It is.” Hunter nodded in agreement. “I remember because they always bring in fish and stuff from the bay that we had to look at. Give yourself some time to get down there though. And Terra…Terra!” The girl’s head shot up when he raised his voice. Her cheeks had a few crumbs on them as she swallowed a mouthful of food. “Yes?” “Be gentle with the teachers, okay? Be quiet unless they call on you and don’t run around too much. Stay in your seat the whole time.” Terra pouted but nodded. “All right.” “Good. And you two look after her.” Having been given no room to argue, Rachel and Tori could only nod. “Okay. Come on, Kenneth, let’s head out. You girls better get moving too if you want to make it to class on time!” Yomi Sitting in class so long was uninspiring. As much as Rachel tried to settle herself into normalcy, taking notes and listening with unbiased attentiveness, she always managed to find the people around her more interesting. Or a thought. Thoughts were a constant nagging companion. Never, ever, could she shut this off. Bright, intelligent, she was often called, once her teachers gave up trying to catch her off-guard, asking her questions which she answered with pert correctness, then slackening enthusiasm. In the end, however, the truth was that she was tired.All the time. It was wearing, knowing things, and having no one to share it with. How cliche to say she was carrying a load on her shoulders, but she was. And a drive. The drive to know things was in her all the time. She couldn’t escape it, even as she sought that unaffected tranquility. This tug and pull was what made her drop, as she did now, her head into her hands. Closing her eyes for a moment, trying to focus on nothing, left her feeling empty and annoyed. The teacher was droning on about molecular transformations through genetics. Rachel’s mind flipped through all the pages she knew of this, ran out on other tangents. The only place she could find quiet was in sleep. So, on occasion, a trusty old recorder would appear, so as to not miss an entire lesson, and the paper fine dreams would come. She did this now. Flipping it on to record with one hand, head nestling itself back onto the desk, arm draped lazily around it. The desk smelled like rust. Blood. For a moment she saw a face, but then she forcefully pushed it away. ‘Leave me alone!’ She thought. Tired. The endlessness of knowing was drilling her, and occasionally, like now, she wanted no more of it. To be completely ignorant! And to not want more! She often wondered how this would be; like white noise. How peaceful. How she wanted to be lost in it. But couldn’t. What a terrible curse. Her parents had called it something different, of course, being the supportive people that they were, but they had always been normal. Normal lives, normal concerns. Their words of comfort, as much as it hurt her to admit, were never consolation. They couldn’t possibly understand. And these thoughts were selfishness. Frustration now seized her. There was good she could do. There were people at this school, she sensed, who had more troubles than her. She could, because she understood, perhaps console them. Or do more. There was something strange brewing here, like a presence. Now her mind switched to it. Something was coming and she couldn’t quite pinpoint it. “Rachel Capella?” She heard the inevitable tone of authority. Her head mopped itself up. “Yes?” The young teacher’s smile was an ebbing smug one. Tori, she now sensed beside her, shook her head. “In evolution, what does the cell theory state?” It was a trick. They were different concepts. All part of biology, but different concepts. “Evolution is the outcome of favorable variation, which is an outcome of favorable mutation. The cell theory suggests that the cell is the fundamental unit of life, which is important when it comes to life, and perhaps, genetics, the creation of them, but does not immediately connect with evolution, conceptually-wise. At least, that we know of.” The little ‘wow’ mark in the professors forehead set a strange smile on Rachel’s face. Well, perhaps it wasn’t all bad knowing things. The reactions were consistent, but this teacher recovered more quickly than usual, a thing like inquiry settling in his blue eyes. Of course, this teacher was used to unusualness. Rachel had the first uncomfortable feeling of being judged. “Oooo. You’re smart!” Terra, on her other side, was obviously having trouble staying seated. Before Rachel’s name had been called, she had been staring out the window, something like drool on the side of her mouth, staring down a bird. The tricksy Tori had conveniently put Rachel between herself and Terra. Rachel knew that, as much as Tori was relaxed and owned a sort of bohemian opinion on life, she was still a natural sceptic and usually unsettled by strange occurrences. Terra was definitely a strange occurrence, not to mention her own secret. But Tori, once she had decided on it, was taking it all very well, considering. Before Rachel knew the teacher had moved on, and that it was safe to rest her head again, she took in Tori’s profile, then Terra’s. Tori was composed. Hands resting lackadaisically in her lap, legs pushed forward under the desk, hazel eyes marking the movement of the teacher. On occasion, she would write something of interest down, but otherwise, she just listened, or stared up at the wall, thinking. Calm and occupied like this, Rachel saw the rational nature in her appearance. Her mind was turning over topics, computing. She was so collected and sure like this. It was comfort for Rachel. Someone you could lean on. But then she turned to Terra. There was an electricity about her. Just looking at her, Rachel could smell sun, grass, and sky. Always moving, always flinching from one moment to the next. She was flight, and entirely living in the moment. This sort of natural ambiguity towards past and future made Rachel a little jealous. Terra was the type of girl who appeared to carry no concerns. No worries. But, as Rachel reached a little deeper, she saw the mask of it and suddenly felt a spark of caring and concern. This girl was more than she seemed. As if Terra felt her gaze, she flicked to attention, marking Rachel with a crazed, slightly crooked smile. Rachel returned it, genuine this time. It felt good. Later, when Rachel spent a moment thinking back to the class, the teacher’s look came back to her. She wondered what classification she’d been given. If there was an actual term for her, in this school of oddities, or, as she often felt she was, still in the box checked ‘other’. © Copyright 2009 trixyhobbitz, Yomi, ShadowPirate, S.h.e.p.a.r.d M.o.o.n, IrishMaki, A|bertus, (known as GROUP). All rights reserved. GROUP has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work. |
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