Dormer Academy

[pistolmouth]

"It's more like..." Evan paused, trying to think of a way to describe it so that he would understand. "Okay, so say you have a full glass of water or something, but you want to add more water to it. In order to do that, you have to empty out some of the water. That's how my memory works, you know? Except it takes out things I haven't used recently. " She took another bite of her pancakes, chewing thoughtfully, "So I'll remember names of people I see everyday, I'll remember you just fine, but in a few weeks, I won't be able to remember that we had this conversation, because I haven't needed it, so I'll just get rid of it to make room for something more important and it'll be like it never happened."


When he asked her for her name, she smiled weakly, "Right. It's Evan, and don't be too sorry, I'll have to have you remind me of stuff way more often than you'll need to ask for my name."


Evan's mouth curled downward into a frown as she listened to him, nodding occasionally to show that she was listening. She wasn't able to recall Katarina without significant effort, and was completely unable to summon her face, but she did remember him having a sister, and so she just went off of that. After all, the school was far from massive, and Evan would run into her eventually.


"I guess siblings can be rough sometimes, huh?" She took a drink from the bottle of juice on her tray , her leg bouncing absently as she toyed with the food on her plate. "But I'm sure that she'll be able to take care of herself to some extent, at least. Maybe you should talk to her about it, or something. Or even just tell her you're worried about her? I don't know." She smiled weakly at him, not sure how to proceed, "But either way, I hope you work things out with her."


Not knowing what else to say, Evan returned her attention to her pancakes. She got two bites in when it occurred to her that he might want to be alone, and she started a little. "Oh, and if you want to be alone or something, just let me know. It won't hurt my feelings."

 

[Macal Cord]

*Alex rubs the back of his head and looks at Sheena confused* What the hell? It was a joke, I thought that would be apparent with the whole fake suggestion box, I mean for god sakes I painted it pink and had a bunch of Liza's stickers all over it, I also suggested that morning classes start at noon, pizza should be one of the main food groups. And I'm not a pervert, I'm a bit twisted but not a pervert. And if I was one, I'm your pervert, now stop grabbing my hair woman, it takes time to get it just right. You know most girlfriends greet their boyfriend with a kiss or hug, not violence. So care to try that one again? *Firmly taking her in his arms pressing himself against her* Hello Sheena my one and only love, how was your day. *leaning in he kisses her, then leans back* See that wasn't so hard was it?


*Mac pats his wife on the butt and grins at her* But I want to meditate with you, so I can watch your chest go up and down when you take deep breathes..See I know what the problem is, you don't trust me not to mess with you when you're in your trance and you're probably right I would mess with you but it's not like I would draw stuff on your face...Ok I would totally draw stuff on your face but don't you want to have a deeper understanding of yourself and the universe? *He sighs* It's been a good long time since we've had some slow peaceful days...I hate the say it but I get the feeling it's not gonna last...It never last for us.

 

[Faith Eliza Cord]

"Hm, that's really strange...it must be annoying too, for you," Adrian said, thinking over what Evan's telling him with a slightly furrowed brow. "So you know who people are but not what they've done, basically. Unless they do it every day...wow. And I thought having a literally fiery temper was inconvenient."


He nods somewhat stiffly in response to her suggestion about Katarina, avoiding her eyes as he took a sip of milk. Like any of that would work. He could tell Kat all day long that he was worried about her, and had before. She might feel bad about it in the moment, but the second some guy told her she was pretty she would forget. And as for her being able to take care of herself? That was laughable. Adrian had taken care of her all their life, whether or not she thought she could, he would make sure that HE would.


But Evan couldn't know this about her, so he just shrugged rather than explain. "Yeah, maybe...no you can stay. So, how are you liking it here so far?"


**


Sheena sucker punches Alex in the side, still scowling, but then breaks into a smirking smile in reaction to his reaction to this. "Oh, I'm good now. Your kidney, maybe not so much."


She kisses him back then before replying to the rest of his statement. "Day kinda rocks so far. Izzy said I shot pretty good, and she cut her hair so now now one's gonna compare me to her anymore. I'm the girly one now, isn't that wild?"


**


"Pretty sure we've had this conversation before, and it always ends the same way, with you in pain," Faith grins, even as she slides an arm around Macal, walking with him in a leisurely fashion away from the Mochizuki headquarters. She briefly leans her head against his arm as she continues to talk with him, her eyes shifting to suss out any people they might encounter in the halls, so as to be able to see them coming if any PDA happens to develop.


"Yeah, no kidding. It's weird though. I don't really take the whole peace thing well. I'm waiting for it all to crash around on my head at once like usual."

 

[Macal Cord]

*Alex smiles at Sheena, playing with her long hair* Promise me you won't cut your hair, I rather like it long, of course it's up to you, just letting you know I think you're beautiful just like you are..that school girl uniform wouldn't hurt ya any. * He springs backwards to avoid getting hit again, his new found abilities come with a few new perks combined with the nano-suit he wearing he gets a little more agility and speed, still nothing compared to what Sheena can do but if he can surprise her with it he can get some space before he takes off running and laughing.* Come on Sheena you know you want to wear one just for me. *He reaches the tree line and after leaping into a tree he continues to jump from tree to tree.* You're gonna have to catch me to hit me..Or kiss me .


*Mac enjoys walking with Faith through the halls, it makes him proud how people see her now, she's come a long way since they've met and it has little to do with him. She's earned all that she's accomplished. Now she's the Head Mistress, hundreds of students futures will be shaped by her.* You're suppose to be the one to tell me I'm wrong that everything is fine, it will be ok that I shouldn't look for trouble in every situation. But I guess it's my turn to tell you all that so. Faith relax everything is fine nothing bad is gonna happen. *He smirks at her* You buying any of that? Cause I had a hard time holding a straight face saying it.

 

[Sorairo]

[in the woods]


Hey, don't you have class?


Wesley glanced at the black cat next to him, stretched out in a patch of sunny grass. I don't know. Probably.


Well, if you aren't going, you should scratch me behind the ears. The cat flicked its tail once, lazily, and fixed its green eyes on the boy, who was leaning against a nearby tree.


If there had been anyone listening to the conversation nearby, all they would have heard was a series of soft mews. But Wesley understood perfectly, and a tiny smile twitched on the corner of his mouth as he obliged.


Ahh, like that, yes. The cat's eyes were closed now, and he was purring softly. So, how many classes have you actually been to since you got here?


Wesley shrugged. He wasn't sure, but he thought he could probably count them on one hand. Mealtimes alone were more human interaction than he needed; the first time, he had thought he would go mad with panic. Now, he'd learned to be the first into the dining hall, grabbing his food as quickly as he can, and then retreating to the woods to eat it. The animals were quite happy with this arrangement.


Well, they're a waste of time, if you ask me, said the cat. Anyway, it's good to have someone intelligent to talk to here. All the mice know how to say is "please" and "no".


Wesley nodded absently. Mice did have a rather limited vocabulary. Of all the animals in the woods, he liked talking to the cats best. They were arrogant, yes, but they were definitely the most intelligent. The bears only knew threats; the birds were always tiresomely optimistic.


Suddenly, the black cat pricked his ears. Wesley saw the alert in his eyes, and as quickly as the cat vanished, he too stood up silently and concealed himself behind a tree. There was a person approaching--only a person could be this careless and make this much noise.


Be calm, Wesley told himself, heart pounding. Just wait for them to go away. You can't have a panic attack now. They'll send you away and you won't get to come to the woods anymore.


He held his breath, and waited.


[Hello, I'm new! Please let me know if I do anything stupid, I promise it's not on purpose.]

 

[Faith Eliza Cord]

Although Sheena isn't very concerned with doing more than the absolute minimal, and sometimes, according to Faith, considerably less, to care for her hair, she does like when Faith plays with it, and so she relaxes a little more when Alex runs his fingers through it. Despite how often she snipes at him, she does love him, and it's hard when he's so playful to genuinely be angry with him.


One more comment wipes the soft smile from her lips, however, and as he takes off, leaping tree to tree, she immediately cues into the game. It doesn't take very long with her Lycan speed to surpass him, and she blocks his path, then leaps forward to seize him around the waist, knocking him with her to the ground.


"You are spending, way, way too much time with my dad," she declared, giving an experiential tickle to his ribs before leaning forward to kiss him. As soon as she's kissed him, however, she pulls back. "You're such a freakin' guy, you know that?"


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2013_04/young-angelina-jolie-hairstyle-long-thick-natural-wave-brunette-1994.jpg.4ac4208215249dad8c1c98d1b8307ef8.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="214" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2013_04/young-angelina-jolie-hairstyle-long-thick-natural-wave-brunette-1994.jpg.4ac4208215249dad8c1c98d1b8307ef8.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


**


"Well, it is at the moment, anyway," Faith shrugged in response to Macal's somewhat teasing statement. "And if I look hard enough, I can find problems. I mean, Liza has a new pal, but that could mean that she's gonna corrupt her into being as wild and impossible to keep in one spot as she is. Her new pal looks like she's gonna be pretty awesome once I get her strength up, but she's also like a kid genius, so we might end up with a kid who's a combination of Alex and Liza, and I can't even imagine the chaos THAT could bring. That Adrian kid has already set a few rooms on fire getting pissed off, his sister Kitty-Kat Katarina is still walking around ready to sink her claws into anyone that smiles at her, and that Evan girl has a ready excuse of forgetting anything I tell her to do or don't do if she wants to create some chaos. We've got a ghost that can decide to walk in on us any time we're getting busy, an evil angel running around in another student's body, a kid that has every intention of murdering her the second I'm distracted, and Jirro and Izzy are acting weird whether or not they own up to it..."


She paused, chuckling, and shook her head. "Look hard enough? Hell, all I have to do is open my eyes and the potential for problems is everywhere. You know what, that kinda makes me feel better, actually. Everything's cool, then."


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2013_04/255637_1764817356642_1125380092_31595352_567531_n.jpg.1bf247381ce51f72efd1d6167f7b557e.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="213" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2013_04/255637_1764817356642_1125380092_31595352_567531_n.jpg.1bf247381ce51f72efd1d6167f7b557e.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>

 

[Ophelia Danvers]

Izzy feels herself being yanked into another room and lets out a small shout, offering Sheena an apologetic h shrug and a wave before focusing on what he husband tells her. She can feel her body go cold and fear flashes in her eyes when Jirro mentions HardTime.


"Wh-why...why didn't you tell me this before?" her hand touches the side of his face and she tilts her head up to stare into his eyes. "Jirro, you know I'm like the only person here who'd understand what you were going through...because I lived it too..." her voice is soft, and she sounds hurt even. "I'm your wife...do you have any idea how confusing your distance has been?" she shook her head and sighed, dropping her hand at her side.


"What do you need me to do?"


((I'll do Bucky on my next post))

 

[pistolmouth]

Evan finished her pancakes and sat back, a playful smirk tugging at her lips when he mentioned how annoying it must be. "I mean, it's been this way as far back as I can remember, so..." she laughed and shrugged to demonstrate that he shouldn't take it seriously.


"Besides, it has its perks, I guess. I mean, it includes muscle memory and stuff, so I can pull all sorts of cool stunts and learn gymnastics and everything if I wanted to. I can't even imagine having your ability. That has to take so much focus..." She shrugged and let out a breath, "Maybe we just get the abilities that suit us best, you know?"


She watched him carefully, noting his anxiety about his problem with Katarina, but is obviously not willing to discuss it. When Adrian asked how she liked the school, she shrugged and smiled weakly, "I like it. It's a lot less stress, not having to hide it. I mean, it's not like I'm a huge show off or anything, but it's cool to know that I don't have to hide it... if I did want to show off, or practice outside or something."


Evan paused here to take another drink of her juice, "And I really like Faith. I'd like to get to know everyone better, but I've mostly just been trying to get my feel of the campus as a whole."

 

[Jirro Mochizuki]

{Jirro frowns, he feels ashamed for being so distant to her when all he wants to do is be with her forever. He wraps himself around her burying his face nape of her neck, he scent is so sweet but lately he's been to disturbed to really enjoy holding his wife like this.} Of course I know you know what I've been through, serving under him, locked in my own mind while he made my body do his bidding, so much blood on my hands, so many lives destroyed but these are things I'm used to. What disturbs me Izabella is he just let me go, I don't understand why he would do that. Was he bored with playing with me like that or did he do something to me? Made me into some kind of ticking time bomb to explode and kill for him again?


{He steps back for her know what he's about to ask is something she'll resist with all her heart} Izabella, I need you to swear on our daughters that if he, that if I try to hurt you or our friends you will destroy me, run me through the heart with Esmeralda and then drain me so that my bloodline can continue in you and Mitsy. Do not resist me on this Izabella cause I rather be dead then let that bastard make me hurt you or our friends. Promise me this so that I can sleep at night, so that we can become close again. No don't promise swear on the blood of our daughters, so that I know you won't fail to carry through and do what must be done.

 

[Ophelia Danvers]

((Okay: primal things: your signature pic has me DYING!!!! I love it lol!))


Izabella's golden eyes go wide as the shift to black and she steps away from her husband angrily, her hands shaking violently at her sides, forming fists at his request. "Wh-what? No! NO!" A growl escapes her and she shakes her head frantically, her nails digging into her palms so deep that tiny cresent moons of blood have formed there.


"There's no f****** way....you can't ask me to kill you...no...I couldn't...I won't..."


Deep down, she knows that it's a noble request, and one that she should honor despite hating it, but the thought of having to put down Jirro, her husband, her whole reason for living...


Swallowing hard, Izzy shakes her head again, the blackness in her eyes not fading in the slightest as she stares up at her husband. In a split instant, the fear in them is replaced with anger, almost crazed.


"Why don't we just kill the b*****d already? Get it over with? Find out if he still has his claws in you, and cut him off completely...we could do it you know...start at his weakness, that Cambridge b****...drain him of everything...why don't we just kill him?"


She wasn't sure how Macal would feel about thus, and knew it was close to impossible without his help. "There has to be someway...maybe turn him human,..is that even possible? Gods die all the time don't they? Don't they?"

-----------------------------------------


Bucky couldn't help it, but he found himself thinking about Kat for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon. Even though he tried to fight it, the minute his mind started to wander back to their kiss a smirk would appear across his features and he had to avoid anyone at that moment to save himself from embarrassment.


'Get it together mate...' he ordered himself as he wandered down the halls of the main campus building. He wasn't sure when her last class was, or when it got out, but he figured if he paced the halls enough, he might bump into the girl and he could continue getting to know her. Talking, that's what he wanted to do. To talk to her and nothing else.


He wanted it that way, he felt it'd be best. At least for now. It'd be the more gentleman thing of him to do, rather then...


Growling, he threw his head back and tried to fight away the image of her looking up at him, clutching his chin in her perfect little hand, the way she had leaned up and...


No. No more kissing...she was a student here. A child compared to himself...he needed to respect that.


Nodding to himself, Bucky turned midstep and headed off in the direction of her scent. It stood out to him much more then the others and he found his way to her classroom, waiting outside until it was over. As th4e students started to come out, he drew himself up, and practiced what he would say to her in his head. How they needed to start out as friends, how he wanted to get to know her more, better. See where things could go from there...


Suddenly she was there, standing right in front of him, and all thoughts ceased, disappearing just as quickly as he had been coming up with them.


"Katarina!" He loved the way her name sounded. "Um, hello..." Bucky felt himself smirking again and silently cursed himself for it. Without even thinking, he leaned down and gently kissed her cheek, pulling away quickly before she had the chance to move her head and took her books from her, holding them at his side.


"H-how, how was class?"

((omigosh!!! It moves *happy dances and swoons* God I love that man's little half smirk ))

 

[Faith Eliza Cord]

Focus...exactly what Adrian lacked when he was angry. Exactly what his powers required, and what he was still struggling to obtain. To be able to have Evan's ability, and basically be able to do whatever she wanted, even if only for a short time, was something he envied and preferred.


"It kind of sucks though," he told her. "I mean, yet, it's neat, shooting out fire from my hands or whatever...but it's dangerous. I have to keep myself held back all the time, when the least little thing pisses me off. I could really hurt someone." He paused, then, lowering both voice and eyes, added, "I have hurt someone."


He couldn't go one day without thinking about Alice, without knowing that his anger, his lack of control, had killed her. His sister, an innocent bystander, the one who would least deserve such a fate. He could not forgive or excuse himself for it regardless of the circumstances, and if he could bind or take away his powers, make sure they never hurt someone again, he would. He was trying now to make sure they would not go beyond his control, but it was always a rough process.


Trying to focus again on Evan, pushing those darker memories from his mind, he responds to her, "Yeah, I know what you mean. Not having to hide...and Faith does seem cool enough. Her husband's my adviser- Macal? I think Kat has Faith as hers, she talks about her a lot. I think she likes her too."


He pauses, then says carefully, "Maybe you can show me sometime. Some of the stuff you can do."


**


Katarina had gone to class, though with less enthusiasm then usual. It was difficult for her to focus with her thoughts constantly shifting back to Bas. Remembering his touch, his kiss, the way he had looked at her, the sound of his voice almost purring her name, she can barely sit still or keep from smiling, even when Faith makes a comment about it and calls her Kitty Kat the Space Cadet. Even this, which usually might have bothered her almost to the point of tears in her eagerness to please Faith, was shrugged off today with her excitement.


She can hardly believe that someone like Bucky would like her. It's luck beyond anything she could have hoped for, and all she wants is to find him after class, soon as possible.


But maybe he'll think she's too clingy. Maybe he doesn't want to see her. What if he wants space?


The questions occur, but in the end Katarina pushes doubts aside and goes to search for him. When she comes across him at last and watches his face melt into a smile, and he comes forward to kiss her, her fears disappear, and she kisses him back on the jaw, smiling back.


"Hi. It was okay. Uh, were you helping Izzy?"


(Is that Bucky actor, Iz? Also, anyone who wants to be among the first to be impacted by demon, inbox me)

 

[Ophelia Danvers]

((the moving gif? yeah, that's Joseph Morgan ))

 

[Serenity_Black]

Nick smiled some, raising Donnie when Liza's bear tagged him, she watched for a second as Liza took off running and then followed behind her with Donnie, "Get back here!" She called as she followed behind her, Nick wasn't very fast without using her abilities, though she did continue to try to catch her, she did enjoy the game.


After playing for a while Nick headed off to her class, making sure that she was there a little early, she wanted to be able to do a good job in school, even in the subjects that weren't fighting or using abilities. She sat with Donnie in her lap, listening to everything that was said and committing it to memory as well as writing. Once class was over she wandered off, wanting to look around for a while.


Ezra had decided that wandering again would be a good idea, so he left the school to wander around the grounds, he smiled a little, enjoying being outside, though after a while he sighed. This place was nice, and it was good to know that he would be seen here, but he did miss his family, the life he had before all of this. He had been completely normal, and finding out that ghosts did exist and that he was now one was something that he hadn't expected, and he hadn't really wanted to find out. But at least he was seen, that was much better than not being seen, so he decided he would make the best of it.

 

[pistolmouth]

(( @Izabella Mochizuki: thanks, I giggle a little when I see it too! Spanky from The Little Rascals is my spirit animal ))


Evan chewed at her lip as she watched the emotions flit across his face, but he didn't appear as though he wanted to talk about it, at least not just then. Also, she felt a little bit like she had already pried way too much into his life and thoughts for being someone that she had really only started having a real conversation with.


She smiled sympathetically when he mentioned how difficult it was for him, not necessarily being able to understand completely what he was saying, but still knowing that it had to have been more trouble than it was worth. Evan's features fell when he admits to hurting someone though, and she bites down on her lip, not quite sure how to proceed.


"Adrian..." Evan began quietly, "I don't... I mean, I don't really know what to say, but... you're here to get help. I'm sure you'll learn to control it eventually, you know? Maybe one day you won't need to be so in control all the time, where you'll have it figured out, I mean."


Her smile returned gradually as he talked about his own adviser and the fact that she and his sister shared one. She had just finished off her juice when Adrian said something about her showing him what she could do and she brightened a little bit, "Sure! I mean, if you want to, that'd be cool."

 

[Faith Eliza Cord]

Liza being Liza, she isn't too gracious about being fair and letting other people win when it's so clear to her that she has superior running abilities. She dodges in and out of Nick's reach, often coming tantalizingly close and shouting to her before darting off again, giggling wildly the whole time. When Nick finally states that they should go to class, Liza is disappointed but agrees readily enough.


"Okay. That was fun. We oughtta do it again. 'Cause I think we are friends now. Maybe even best friends probably. Except my bear is my number one best friend and Mini-Batman is my friend and Zeus and Tyrant and I gotta lot of other friends like Greeny Big Horns and Big Teeth Sharp Tail and Pinky Sparkle Tail but I think you're my best friend too."


She gives Nick a sudden hug before darting off, messy pigtails flying, towards her class, which she is of course borderline late too even when she teleports halfway. When class is over, she immediately roams about looking for someone else to play with, aka "follow and bother," and is pleased when she sees Bucky, who she knows is Izzy's relative somehow and therefore hers as well, at least in her mind. He is kissing a girl that Liza knows her mama calls Kitty, and so she runs up to them hollering her hello with a beaming smile.


"Hi! Are you two in love? 'Cause that's what you do when you're in love and married and stuff. Are you old enough, Kitty? 'Cause my mama said I'm too young and so it's bad. 'Cause she saw me with Gabe one time and he killed one of my friends after."


She means one of her stuffed "friends," a teddy bear, specifically, but she doesn't exactly make this clear. Nor does she make clear that Gabe was seven years old.


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2013_04/547451_4865715837166_1898131451_n.jpg.296c75d78334bc06887730296e2f3240.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="278" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2013_04/547451_4865715837166_1898131451_n.jpg.296c75d78334bc06887730296e2f3240.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


**


Evan looks pretty happy that he has asked her to show him some of her skills, Adrian notices. When she smiles like that, he notices again that she is pretty, and he wonders how old she is. Seventeen, maybe?


She's easy to talk to, easier than his own sister is sometimes. She is funny, in her own way, and holds a conversation well, without the awkward starts and stops that Katarina sometimes does. She looks him in the eye and seems to think no less of him, even after what he's told her.


He likes her. Maybe not like THAT...at least...well, not yet, anyway. It wasn't like he shouldn't, she was another student and she was somewhere near his own age, unlike Katarina's latest choice.


"That would be good," he replied, nodding, and gave her a real, albeit brief smiled. "I'd like to see that."

 

[Macal Cord]

*Alex smirks at Sheena, in his mind he let her catch him but that's a delusion of course. He grabs her wrist and flips her onto her back pinning her down.* Normally saying I'm like Macal is a compliment but please don't say that before you kiss me again, that's kind of gross, you know that you're father is on your mind just as you kiss me. I prefer to think when you kiss me you're only thinking about me ok? *He smiles at her then kisses her, it doesn't occur to him that someone else is in the forest but as soon as he senses him the stands up, extending his hand to Sheena as he looks around.* Hello is someone there? It's not nice to spy on people. *Ironic since he is a spy in his day job* Come on out whoever you are, we don't bite...Well she does but only if she's pissed off.


*Stick returns after briefly meeting his wife for tea, sadly her duties keep her from joining him at the academy. He pops in watching watching Liza from a distance, it always amuses him that she can not age past 5, yet there are times she has wisdom and compassion beyond her years, something he saw in her Grandfather and her father, forever striving to make everyone around happy and protected, after a few minutes he coughs making his presence known.*


(post for Mac next)

 

[pistolmouth]

Evan nodded, "Is there anything in particular you'd want to see? I mean, I'm kind of limited what i can find online and in how-to books right now since Faith hasn't really gotten me started on any serious combat training. We're still trying to figure out how to get around the memory thing so I don't, like, forget everything they teach me and just completely waste all of the time they've spent teaching me stuff."


She stopped, realizing that she'd been rambling and lets out a nervous laugh. Not only was the memory thing an issue, apparently, but also her tendency to ramble, something she had been doing quite a bit of recently, it would seem.


"What about you? What kind of stuff do they have you doing in training? Anything super badass yet?"

 

[Faith Eliza Cord]

(again guys, who wants to be demon-raged?)


"Hm," Adrian muses as he finishes his last bite. He had while talking to Evan become absorbed in the conversation enough to temporarily forget he was eating, and he starts it up again pretty rapidly, making up for lost time in a few minutes and swiping at the syrup that drips over his lip as he thinks. "Why doesn't she just have you do the exact same thing every day for a while? Would you remember it then? Maybe you can suggest it to her."


Swallowing the last of his drink, he looks back at her over the glass, realizing with some surprise that he is genuinely enjoying talking to her. Adrian is so used to keeping apart from other kids, from hiding everything about himself and Katarina that could potentially get them in trouble, that he barely even knew, until now, what a normal conversation could be like, without having to watch himself so carefully.


"Well, learning to fight...Izzy's teaching us guns, and Faith's trying to get me to sort of focus the fire when I'm so pissed I can't hold it back, like, so no one can get hurt. If I can't keep it out, at least I can decide where it goes, you know?"


**


Sheena lets Alex flip her, wrapping an arm around his neck and kissing him again, arching into him as she says against his mouth, still laughing, "I totally let you do that, you know. You really think I'd let you get me down if I didn't want to be?"


She kisses him a second time, longer, deeper, but when Alex stands, addressing something she neither heard coming nor smelled, she jumps up with him, somewhat alarmed. Her hearing and sense of smell is good enough that she always not only knows someone is near, but generally who precisely is as well, unless she is very distracted. But it is a ghost, which explains her lack of sensing it, or at least what she assumes to be a ghost, who is watching her, and she, rather like Faith, jumps back, startled.


"WHOA, who died and why are you just hanging around watching us instead of, like...going where dead people go?"


**


Katarina gasps when Liza pops up in front of her, her cheeks flaming brightly, and she pulls away from Bucky slightly as she looks down, mortified. She knows who the little girl is, of course, and all she can think in the moment is what she would tell her mother later about what she'd seen. What was Faith going to say?


"H-hi Liza," she stammered, not answering any of her questions, and praying Bucky had already forgotten them. What must he think of this now?


And then Stick was showing up as well, and Katarina gasped again as she turned to face him, even more embarrassed. Liza simply turned and waved.


"Hi! They were kissing," she announced to him. "I sawed them. Are you gonna hit them with a stick now?"

 

[Macal Cord]

*Stick looks at Liza confused* Why on this green earth do you think I'm interested in to dumbasses kissing child? So no I'm not going to hit them. *He vanishes and appears behind her tapping her on the top of the head with his staff.* It's very rude Princess to spy on people, especially when they are doing things they know they shouldn't be doing. *Patting her on top of the head* I'm more interested in your training, your footing is all wrong, you have no leverage and you waste far to much energy, one day you're going to be off balance and exhausted then Little Princess you shall fall on that cute little face of yours.

 

[pistolmouth]

Evan mulled over Adrian's suggestion thoughtfully and shrugged, "I kept a diary before I got here and they've got me started on doing a video thing every day talking about what I did and what I learned and everything. Doing the same thing every day might work, though. I'll have to talk to Faith about it and see what she has to say."


She listened to him recount the kind of training he's had to do and nodded to show that, at least to the best of her abilities, she understood what he was saying. "How is that working? Focusing it, I mean? That's gotta make you feel a little bit better about it, right? At least once you get the hang of it, anyway?"

 

[Faith Eliza Cord]

Katarina flushed even more brilliantly hearing the conversation between Liza and Stick, her gaze directed at the ground, shoulders slumped inward. She hadn't even been kissing Bas, not really. On the cheek and jaw wasn't kissing, and still this old man she only knew by sight was calling her a dumbass. It was not a name she was unused to, having heard worse for most of her life, but to be called a dumbass here, by a guy she doesn't even know, is surprisingly dispiriting.


For her part, Liza is also displeased. She glares up at Stick with her arms crossed as she ducks out of his reach, protesting. "Hey! I was not neither spying. I walked right up and said hi. They could see me. So that's not spying. Plus also you just hit me again and I wasn't even being bad, I was coming to find you! You're being so mean to me Mr. Stick. Plus also my feet are good feet, they got pink sparkly shoes with sticky straps on them, and I don't even know what lev-idge is but I think it's okay probably. Plus also I do not neither fall on my face. Unless I have shoes with laces and I can't tie them yet so then if I'm running I fall sometimes. But I'm not wearing those now."


Getting over her pouting pretty quickly, she tugs at the hem of his shirt. "Can we go play with wind now?"


**


"Oh, so like an auditory learning...that's neat," Adrian told her, nodding. He himself would never dare keep a diary of any kind, not because he really thought anyone would read it or even be interested, but because if on the off chance that they did, he would hate people to know just how dark and angry his thoughts sometimes got. Especially Katarina. How badly would it hurt her to know what he thought about her sometimes, even her, who he would love and protect over anyone else?


"It's going okay, I guess," he said in response to Evan's question about his focusing. "I just have to try not to feel anything. Which is sort of hard sometimes...but yeah, they say I'm getting better."


Standing, he nods towards her empty plate. "I guess...we could hang out again sometime. If you remember," he said with a little smile. "Show me your best tricks, and I'll show you...well, it's probably best I don't show you, actually."

 

[Ophelia Danvers]

((wow, I got so lost...))


Bucky actually found himself blushing, unable to answer Kat's question on his whereabouts before they were interrupted by the Cord girl. He was even more embarrassed when she announced their actions to the older gentleman that he had not yet met.


"Perhaps now is not a good time..." he turned and arched an eyebrow, questionably at Katarina and offered her a small apologetic smirk.

 

[Serenity_Black]

Nick wandered until she found a nice quiet spot, then she sat Donnie down, and sat down beside him, closing her eyes, she slowly emptied her mind of thought, allowing herself to slip into a meditative state. She needed to practice this, it was something she hadn't been doing since she came here, and before that she would allow herself to meditate so she wouldn't realize how hungry she was when she was alone and having trouble finding food. Now she could get back to doing this just to clear her mind, she knew that the easier she could clear her mind the faster she would be able to react to things around her, she remembered being told once that fighting was done best when you didn't have too many thoughts clouding up your mind, and fighting was something that she wanted to learn. So she sat there, meditating and letting her mind be empty.


***


Ezra had just been wandering, pretty good and lost in his own thoughts, not even noticing where he was, or who was around him, when someone suddenly spoke to him, accusing him of being a spy, he blinked and tilted his head. "Oh! I'm sorry, I wasn't even paying attention to where I was, much less what you two were doing. Did I miss anything interesting?" he asked with a smile, he wasn't trying to sound mean, just curious, wondering what it was that he had been supposedly spying on.


He looked at Sheena as she jumped back, having a look on her face very like Faith had on her's when she first met him. "I guess I'll have to get used to that reaction..." he mumbled to himself with a frown. Then he shrugged some and smiled again, "Ezra Defrank, is my name. I died six months ago, drunk driver ran me over. I wasn't hanging around watching you, as I said, I was lost in thought. As for why I'm here... I just didn't go into the light, decided that I should stay here instead, didn't want to move on, wasn't done with my life. Any of those explanations work, but it all boils down to 'here I am, and here I stay' I guess." he said with a nod, he was probably offering more information than they expected, but he was at least able to talk to them.

 

[Jirro Mochizuki]

(Jirro is in a perfect mindset for an attack from your demon)


{Jirro stomped his foot down, his own eyes darken for a moment but then he catches himself and they return to normal} Izabella, I don't want to die but if it came down to me hurting you or someone else we love, you have to do this for me. It can only be you do you understand me, if you truly love me you will promise me that if it has to be done it will be you! Izabella I love you beyond all comprehension and I want only to spend eternity with you but if I become a danger to you or the others either you will take my life or I will take my own.


{She mentions dealing with HardTime once and for all.} How would we do that? Macal has fought him countless times and he always comes back. If Macal can't defeat him for good how can we? As powerful as I am I'm no god and if you remember the last time we encountered him we were in his grips for over a year, hence our current situation.


{He steps back and leans against the wall} I don't think I want to inform Macal of my current situation just yet, knowing him he'll go off in a rage to face HardTime and that may make my situation worst. We should speak to Faith first and perhaps Sensi Stick he is HardTime's father. {He pushes all the wall and wraps himself around Izabella} I'm sorry for putting your through this, I promise I'm not giving up, I'm not ready to die so somehow we will fight this.

 

[Faith Eliza Cord]

"Uh, you could say that," Sheena said with her eyebrows raised, one hand up in the air almost like she is expecting to have to hit him or else defend herself. As Ezra continues to talk to her, she looks at her hand, then lowers it, a little embarrassed, and steps slightly in front of Alex, as though with intent to protect him if necessary, or maybe to simply block him from view. "So, you're a ghost then. Weird."


Considering what he's told her, she looks at Alex, seeing what he thinks, then back at Ezra as she says aloud, "REALLY weird. See, I died one time too...actually, twice, really. No, three times...whoa, I'm almost as bad as Buffy!"


She snickers, then realizing that there is no possible way Ezra could understand her, tried to explain. "Well the first time around was when I got turned into a vampire, so I died, like as a human. But then Faith staked me so I died as a vampire. I didn't get to be a ghost either time and I didn't see a light or anything, it was just like nothing. But then I came back like I am now, and now I get to try my hand at being half Lycan, only turns out I was that all along even before, I just didn't know it because I had to wait until I was eighteen to get the powers it comes with. But then they had to kill me for like a couple of minutes so get this evil goddess b**** to stop possessing me, but they brought me back with the CPR thing or something like that. So yeah, that was there times and I never got the ghost choice. Which was good for me 'cause I'd kinda rather be alive."


**


"Yeah...uh...I think I sh-should go," Katarina stammered, unable to meet anyone's eyes. Pulling even further away from Bucky, she starts to back off, even as Liza calls after her.


"You don't gotta be scared, Kitty! Mr. Stick said he isn't gonna hit you!"


Turning back to Stick, she huffed at him again. "You scared her now. See, you shouldn't oughtta be mean like that, it scares people even if it don't hurt."


(Ok, so I've had an Evan and a Jirro offer, anyone else want to be among first batch? Remember it should build up rather than start out hugely explosive right away)