Street Kids

(Joboz, Hood, it's fine, Hood I really liked your post actually.)


When Sheena begins to awaken in the morning, she is aware first of the feeling of something tickling her cheek, of soft blankets around her and a comfortable mattress beneath her- the first she has experienced in a considerable amount of time. She burrows unconsciously under the blankets more firmly, stretching out her limbs, and then stiffens, becoming more alert, when she bumps a warm body beside her. Disoriented, she quickly opens her eyes, trying to remember what exactly had happened the night before...she NEVER let anyone spend the night with her, after they got finished with...well, whatever...


She is relieved to see the top of May's head on the other pillow, to remember exactly where they were and what was going on, if not exactly in perfect sequence, and she sighs out loud in relief, rubbing one hand across slightly puffy eyes before sitting up all the way. She feel sore and stiff, and when she glances at the clock beside May's parents' bed, she is stunned to see that it is nearly noon, though the bright sunlight outside the window, streaming in through the blinds, should have informed her that it wasn't exactly early morning. Sheena can't remember ever sleeping this late or long in her life, and definitely not in the past several years. Sleeping in when you were a street kid wasn't exactly easy.


She starts to slip out of bed, glancing over at May again and finding herself smiling very slightly as she looked at her before making her way towards the bedroom door, realizing suddenly and finding herself a little self conscious of the fact that she was wearing borrowed pajamas. She can also not remember the last time she wore pajamas, and it seems somehow not herself.
 
Kira looked at Jason and then smiled at him. She took a few sips of the water. She looked at Jason, he was being so helpful. She set her head back on the wall and then closed her eyes her breathing at least calmer then before Hood had worked on her slightly. She listened to sounds around her. "Jason.....thank you." She said and then took another sip of her water.
 
Jason had deposited the wet towel in a stained laundry basket he'd found before returning to Kira, feeling happy he was being of use. Not happy that Kira'd been attacked by a demon, of course. That would have been silly.


"No problem, really," said Jason, sitting on a couch near the shifter, feeling much more awake now. "We've all got to help each other out, right?" He looked at a clock; it was still pretty early into the night. 1:00. He'd have to go back to bed eventually, and so should Kira. Sleep was important, he knew. Obviously.


He stifled a yawn. He was awake, for now, but not quite rested. "Do you, uh, need anything else?" he asked, sitting up on the couch. "if not, I think we'd both better get some sleep. It's only one o' clock."
 
Kira looked at him and then smiled. She smiled and then nodded. "You better get to bed then...I'll be fine, I really am tired." She said and then drank down the rest of the water coughing slightly. She closed her eyes and then moved her head and then sighed deeply. It still hurt.
 
Jason nodded, not saying anything else as he watched Kira down the rest of the water. It seemed impolite to speak while she was coughing, and afterwards, she closed her eyes anyways. Quietly, Jason reached forward and took the glass of water, before heading to the kitchen. He put it down in the sink, turned off the lights, and felt his way back to the hallway that his new room was in. It was a stark looking place, dirty but barren. It had a bed, a table, and a window, though. Good enough for him.


He debated upon updating his journal for a moment, but then just fell back onto his bed. Ah, he had time tomorrow.
 
Rhys moved in his sleep and he crashed onto the ground.


"Oomph."


He looked around forgetting for a moment where he was but then it all flooded back. The boy stood and yawned, stretching. He sat back down onto the couch he had rolled off of. He wasn't sure if anyone else was awake yet or not.
 
Kira rolled over, she heard a crash. She flinched her side killing her. She opened her eyes slightly and then sighed deeply rolling back over. She rubbed her eyes and then looked around. It was morning, she didn't care though she was tired. She closed her eyes but then she looked at the wound. It was ok.
 
Taking another glance back at May before reaching for the doorknob, Sheena opens the door as quietly as she can, making her way down the hallway and into the closest bathroom. Slipping inside, she does what's needed to make herself ready for the day before padding into the kitchen, stifling a yawn behind one hand. Her face in the bathroom mirror had been pale and tired, dark circles smudged beneath her eyes, and her hair was even more tangled than usual, but she didn't care and didn't do much of anything to correct this.


Opening May's fridge, she observes its contents, then takes out the milk, checking the date before setting it on the table and rummaging through her pantry for a box of cereal. She is looking through the cabinet drawers for bowls, thinking sleepily to herself that she hasn't noticed anyone else being awake yet, when something...or rather, someone, catches her eye.


There is a window just over the kitchen sink, giving a view to the house's front yard, and through it Sheena can see a person standing out in the center of the yard, staring up at the house with slightly narrowed eyes. From what she can see, the person is a girl, a little girl, from the looks of it, maybe eleven years old, twelve, with wavy dark hair and a serious expression. Sheena goes very still, staring out the window at the girl, who is at the moment not making a move either.


What the hell....


She pauses, then slowly walks to teh front door, leaving her cereal sitting on the kitchen table. Maybe it was a neighborhood kid, someone who knew May's father...maybe even one of his victims. Maybe it was a coincidence and she was just lost.


She knew she should just ignore the kid, leave it be. But there was a kid standing out in the yard, HER yard now, and the last thing Sheena wanted was for this to end up with the kid seeing something of them that she shouldn't and doing something they didn't need to deal with- like calling the police.
 
Jason sat on the edge of the bed, light now streaming through the window. The sun on his face had been what had awakened him.


February 12, 2012


'Morning.


I had to force myself awake today, this mattress is just so comfortable. Beds are heaven. I had a dream, too, but it was a good one. No spiders or anything this time. I was a shifter, like Kira and May. And it was awesome.





I'm not telling the whole truth, though. For the first part of the night, I was nightmareing about the guy I shot. My mind kept torturing me, playing the scene over and over again with little changes in between. I shot everybody, one by one, blew up the car, got killed, shot nonexistant people, was shot myself. All that good stuff. I eventually fell out of the bed, though, and went to get a glass of water. I met Hood in the hallway...





He went on to describe Hood's behavior, Kira's injury, and his dream in more detail. It was rather obvious he'd gone back to sleep in a good mood, having helped Kira out. The self-sufficient, running, battling shifter. He'd only gotten her a towel and a glass of water, but then again, how many people could say the same? He wondered what Michael from his school would say if he could see him now. Michael was probably famous by now, literary genius as he was; Jason had read a bit of his journal once, and had to stop to ask him what "collateral" meant. Then, only a few words later, "diminutive" and "wisteria." Mind, they had been in fourth grade at the time. He knew them now. He thought. Wisteria was a plant, right?


Jason opened his curtains wider, looking out at the front yard, before opening and peeking out of the bedroom door. He wanted to go see how Kira had fared overnight. And see if anyone knew what was wrong with Hood. And try to find that television remote that had been missing the day before. And get some breakfast. He was a growing boy! He needed his nutritious supplements.


He had shut the door lightly behind him and ventured into the living room when he saw some of the others. Rhys was awake. So was Kira, but she didn't really seem like she wanted to be. May and Sheena must have still been asleep.


"'Morning," Jason said to the two, only a little drowsily. He had been awake for a while. "Did you sleep good? 'Cus I slept like a rock. A very tired, lethargic rock that has narcolepsy. I think that's a word." He wandered past to the kitchen as he spoke. "Hey, Kira," he said, "is, uh, your side okay?" he turned to the shifter, walking backwards slightly as he continued towards the kitchen.


The towel he had given her the night before looked like it had seen some better days. He wondered if the washing machine room had any detergent in it; he hadn't seen any when he had passed through the day before. Maybe they'd have to buy some.


Living in a real house was so refreshing.
 
Kira looked at Jason and then smiled seeing the boy was up and moving. She slowly sat up and then pushed her hair out of her face sighing deeply. "I slept ok..." She said and then slowly out up. She jurked a bit and then sat back down. She touched her side a bit. It was very sore and looked to be a bit swollen. She side a bit and then looked at Jason. "As much as you would expect." She watched the boy slowly walk away. She smiled at him none the less.


"Jason...I'm afraid I must ask for your help..." She sighed deeply. "Please if it is a bother just say so but...I need to change the banage....think you can find me something? A few rags will be nice as well and anything that could wash it off. I'm sorry." She said and then sighed again. She hoped he wouldn't mind or think she was taking advange of him or anything.
 
Looking out through the peephole, still watching the young girl outside the house, Sheena hesitates a few more moments, then opens the door. As the girl looks up in apparent surprise, squinting and shading her eyes with her hand to block the sunlight, Sheena remains in the doorway, her fingers gripped around the frame as she stares at her, not speaking.


Most 11, 12, 13, whatever year old kids, if you stared them down, would look away soon, and this kid was no exception. But the girl looked back soon, and then, took a step forward, biting her lip.


"Um....hey," the girl said, her voice small, tentative, but something about the tone had Sheena's attention. In those two words, Sheena thought she heard need...maybe even barely concealed desperation.


She couldn't really get that much out of two words, could she?


"Don't you need to be getting ready for school or something?" Sheena said to her pointedly, not moving from the doorway, but the girl looked around fast when she said that, as if the word help some sort of alarming meaning, or she didn't want someone else to hear. She took a few steps closer so she now stood in the middle of the yard rather than on the sidewalk. When she looked around again, then inched forward until she was a few feet away from the beginning of the houses's porch, Sheena continued to stare at her, but now her brow was slightly furrowed. What was up with this kid?


Now that the girl was closer, Sheena thought she was probably a little older than she originally thought- closer to twelve or thirteen, maybe, than eleven, judged on her height, though she was still thin and childish enough in form that it looked like puberty had barely started to knock on her door. The girl wore no makeup, her clothes were unremarkable other than the fact that they looked wrinkled, slightly dirty, and slept in, as if she had worn them for a couple of days. She did have a backpack, one that looked brand new, as if she had indeed recently used it for the books it was intended for.


The more Sheena looked at her, the more she began to think that she knew exactly what this girl was. A brand new runaway, fresh on the streets, with absolutely no clue what she was doing. Some little girl from a wealthy home, or at least wealthy enough to get her a brand of backpack Sheena had definitely never seen in Wal Mart, deciding to run away for the fun and defiance of it...the kind of kid that had no idea about the real world.


But then again...Sheena hesitated, still watching, and already began to second guess her initial dismissal. Something about the girl's face, the darkness and desperation stark and obvious in her eyes...well, she might be new to the streets, and she might be clueless, and she might even be rich...formerly, anyway...but that didn't mean she didn't come from hell of some kind.


Still...when the hell were all these new kids going to stop following them and finding them from every corner of the earth?


"What do you want here?" she asked the girl, and the girl bit her lip again before she spoke.


"I don't...I was just..." the girl looked away briefly, seeming to not know what words to use. "I was just looking, at your house, and I was...I was tired, and I thought....I'll just...keep going. I'm sorry."


She turned, with slow reluctance in her movements, and took a step, then another away, seeming to dread every movement. Sheena watched, frowning...then, before she could stop herself, called out.


"You ran away, didn't you?"


The girl stilled, then spun on her heels, her eyes wide as she shook her head, even as she began to trip over her own words, both denying and confirming.


"No! I mean, it wasn't, that's not what- I'm not, I was just- don't tell anyone! I'll just go, and...don't tell anyone, please! You don't understand, I had to! You don't...you don't understand."


Sheena looked at the girl's pleading, miserable expression, her slumped shoulders, the new backpack a contrast to her dirty clothes, and struggled internally...then she sighed.


"I understand a hell of a lot more than you think....look....come here a second. Not going to hurt you or call the cops or anything else...just...come here, okay?"


As the girl began her slow ascent up the steps, Sheena said slowly, "I'm...Sheena. What's your name?"


"Caroline," the girl said quietly, and inside, she was smiling.


View attachment 3466 View attachment 3467
 
"No, no, it's fine," said Jason, surprised slightly. "I'm glad to help!" He turned and entered the kitchen, running over to where the rags had been the day before. Something to wash it off with; He took some water in a jug he found, as well as the cleanest towel, before going quickly back to the shifter. "Here you go," he said. "It's no problem, really; I mean, we're all living in the same house here, and, uh, if you really wanted to rank how useful we all are, we know who'd be on the bottom." Jason, unable to help much farther than giving her the supplies, backed up once more.
 
Kira started working on her wound. "You are more useful then you think Jason. If anything I'm on the bottom right now. I can't shift to well which means untill this wound gets better I won't be much without my guys which right now doesn't have a good look in this group." she said with a sigh. "I could use a knife but with this injury short rang attacking would be bad. I will slow down the group and right now feeling pretty miserable." she smiles though as she cleans the wound. "I also am a danger with that demon after me and I has been proven that I am a target and if others get in the way they...." she sighed again wrapping up the wound. "Well I don't think anyone would protest me leaving at this point."
 
As Sheena motions for the girl- Caroline- to follow her, she waits, scanning her briefly, then sighs before moving aside in the doorway, nodding for her to follow.


"You hungry? Look...I'm not saying you can STAY, or anything," she added quickly. "Just...well...we'll see. Or whatever."


As she motions for the girl again to follow her into the kitchen, she is surprised to see that the formerly unoccupied room is now accompanied by both Jason and Kira, and that Kira, clearly, is injured. Having not known of Kira's injury from the night before, since she had already been asleep when it occurred, her eyes widen, and she moves apart from Caroline quickly, coming to stand beside her with concern lighting her eyes.


"Kira, what the hell, what did you do to yourself? How bad is that?"


As Caroline stands awkwardly in the doorway of the kitchen, Sheena does not yet introduce her, focused on Kira. Caroline's eyes also widen as she looks at Kira's leg, uneasy.
 
Before he knew it, the creature was within a block of the house. His new mind was awash with thoughts of what he'd missed, how long he had been away and just how the others would react to whatever it was he had become. Slipping around the back end of the block, he strayed from the sunlight and moved through the shadows.


His trip had been an eventful one, taking much longer than the run from the house had taken. In this form, there was no hiding behind the guise of humanity; the creature would have to learn quickly how to blend in and stay unnoticed. He'd found, though, that the freedom of shifting his shape still existed and had expanded greatly! Giving a near-silent chuckle at this thought, he began to approach the back door. Taking a look around to make sure there were no prying eyes upon him, he moved up the steps.


Before knocking, the creature stood at the door for a long moment, taking no action as he gathered his thoughts. Would the others flee from him now? He was no longer like them... no longer any kind of human. Would they attack? The thought made his eyes widen for just a moment. Shaking them away and steeling himself, the creature twisted his black, oily hand into a fist and rapped loudly on the door, sending three loud knocks echoing through the home.
 
Kira looked at Sheena and then sighed. "My demon stalker came to visit. Thanks to Hood it's not as bad as it was." she said and then sided gently touching her injured side. She sighed deeply and then looked at the girl behind Sheena. She blinked and then looked at Sheena. "Um..." she was about to say something when she heard a knocking on the door. She blinked and then slowly walked to the back door. Having no idea of the creepy being behind it she decided to look out the door window first. She was completely shocked and slowly backed away from the door. She dashed out of the sight of the door window and then looked at sheena. "Um....something is at the door and I mean THING!" she pictures it in her mind before remembering that hood sometimes looked similar to what was outside. When he helpped with her wound. Yes it was like that. What if it was another one looking for a host? She swallowed and then slowly leaned towards the door once again. "Hood?" she asked quietly hoping he could hear her through the door but here was much uncertainty in her voice.
 
(Sorry for the absent-ness guys, had some stuff going on but I should be able to post more often now)





May blinked open her eyes lazily, then bolted upright. Where was she? Was she in another clients house? She never stayed over, she always left as soon as she could. She couldn't have slept in, could she? What if they were still there---Her panicked thoughts were cut off as she took in her surroundings. Mum's room. She was in Mum's room. She blinked for a moment, a thought crossing her head, were those past few years just a bad dream? Was she safe and sound? Would Mummy come through the door any moment now and smile at her, ask her if she wanted a hot chocolate? She shook her head as she looked down at her larger, older hands and longer body. No. She was still 17 year old May. She clambered out of bed and ran her hands through her wavy brown hair.


Her feet had just touched the bottom step when three knocks echoed from the front door, who would be knocking? Her eyes widened, did her Father actually have friends? Were they knocking to check if he was ok? She slowly made her way to the door, she barely even noticed Kira - she was so tired - and then pulled it open, she blinked. A simple blink. Infront of her eyes stood, not a man, not a woman, but an oily, shadow like form. She blinked again. "Uh." Her eyes showed no sign of fear or shock, just confusion. Why was a shadow knocking on the door? She had no question of how such a thing was even impossible - what with her being a shape-shifter, able to change into any form she wished - she believed almost everything was possible. She could probably even change into the form infront of her right now if she tried hard enough. "Hello?" She frowned now, recognizing the black, oily substance the form was made of, wait..was this Hood? Her eyes seemed to clear slightly and understanding filled them, she wasn't going to ask if it was Hood though, incase it wasn't; that would be silly. She glanced at Kira and Sheena, then back to the form.
 
Jason thought about what Kira had said. "Uh. Well, I guess so..." Wounds could be rather incapacitating. Now that he thought of it, his head didn't feel so good either. Stupid table.


Mulling over this, he had gone back to the kitchen to get a drink. Or a snack. Or breakfast. He had a banana when he came back out, peeling it swiftly; he stopped when he noticed Sheena standing with another girl near the doorway. Jason's eyebrows quirked; she looked about his age.


"Uh," he said, "Hello, Sheena. Who's this? Because, uh, we're sort of out of beds. Not that I mind new people. New people are, uh...."


He trailed off as a knock came at the door. After a moment, May had come out from a hallway- well, it looked like everyone but Hood was gathered- and the door was opened.


Jason stared open-mouthed at the figure outside the door, banana forgotten. "Uh," he said, at a complete loss of words. What was that thing? It was like an embodied shadow! Or, maybe some sort of demon that oozed pitch! How the crap had all these supernatural thing existed without the humans realizing? "Uh, um," he stuttered, "If- if you want my soul, I've, uh, left it elsewhere. You'll, uh, have- have to pardon me if I have to get it." God, what was that thing?


He suddenly felt that it was very awkward that he was holding a banana. He set it down very softly on a coffee table, without looking away from the door.
 
Rhys was mostly silent as Jason and Kira talked but he was worried about Kira. It seemed that she was injured. That could not be good. Rhys hated being injured. It was a pain to deal with and it slowed him down. It also left him vulnerable. Still being here with others Kira was probably safer than he was alone on the streets. Of course she was still injured after all. So maybe not.


Rhys opened his mouth to speak as Sheena entered the room with a girl. She looked young and he didn't see her from before. Was she new like him or someone who had just returned. But before he could ask something knocked at the door. Rhys stumbled away clearly frightened by it.
 
As Rhys and May join the others in the living room, Sheena looks up at Jason, sighing and shrugging as she glances back at Caroline. The girl is looking at the others with interest, though not straying from the kitchen doorway to come forward or introduce herself, apparently shy. In reality, though, Caroline is looking between Jason and Rhys, trying to guess which one is the boy that "Jenny" is so upset with.


Looking back at Kira, Sheena eyes her wound with continued concern as she answers Jason.


"This is...Caroline? Look, I know we're out of beds, but there's nothing saying she's STAYING here, I was just gonna talk to her-"


As the knocking sounds at the door, Sheena jumps slightly, and so does Caroline, her eyes widening. Sheena nudges Caroline out of the way so she can follow the others towards the now open doorway. Seeing the...misty, shadowy....there was no better word than thing for the creature on the doorway, Sheena stiffens, her heart beginning to pound. It does not occur to her at first that it might be Hood, but when Kira speaks his name, the possibility clicks in her mind. Yes...this very well could be Hood...now...


Taking a step forward, Sheena has again forgotten Caroline, but Caroline has certainly not forgotten any of them. Coming up behind them, the younger girl stands on her toes, attempting to see all around them to what held their interest in the doorway. As she finally catches sight of Hood, her mouth opens, her face slowly drains of all color, and she stumbles backward, staring, her heart leaping to her throat, blood rushing to her head with her shock and fear. This combined with her weariness causes her knees to buckle suddenly, and she falls, not quite fainting, but close, before she can say a word.


She might know that "special" people are out there, but that doesn't mean she's prepared to see any. At least not like this.
 
After he'd knocked there was nothing for a moment, before the smallest glimpse of a face appeared in the door's window. As quickly as it had come, it vanished, followed by muffled words of shock. Tilting his head, the creature's eyes raised in a questioning manner.


Another voice came, more clear as if the speaker was against the door. His name was called by the shaking voice of... Kira? Before he could manage a response, another face shown through the window. White eyes blinked as it studied him. Another face, more muffled words. He began to get confused, mind wondering just how long they would gape at him.


Finally, he spoke, new deep voice pushing through the door toward them. "Yes. It is Hood," he stated plainly, leaning forward to touch the door's handle lightly. The weight of it was surprising in his hand. "May I come in? I understand this may not be what was expected upon my return. However, I have questions, and answers for your own inquiries. If I could--"





His words cut short as he noticed another form through the glass; one that recoiled in terror at his new form. Feeling a tinge of guilt, the creature backed away, releasing the doorknob as he went. Perhaps this was a poor idea. Maybe he should not have come back. Eyes widening at the thought, he stood waiting for a moment, seeing just how this would play out.
 
Kira looked at all of them and then looked back out. She blinked and then looked out again, she was scared but she took a deep breath. She looked at her injury. "Hood....I thought you needed a host?" She asked through the door. "I'm sorry Hood we are all a bit shocked....I could....come...out there if you wish." She said, he couldn't see fear on her face but her hands were shaking. She couldn't let him in, but she could go out to investicate. She closed her eyes trying to calm herself.
 
(Uh, May did open the door by the way, never mind....)


May smiled lightly, she thought it was Hood. Without even asking anyone else - it was her house afterall, right? - she swung the door open, her eyes silently grazing over Hood's form with no show of fear or shock. She did however smile at him, then her eyes narrowed, "Wait one second, Hood told us to ask him a question when he got here." She shrugged, "I'm pretty sure it's you, because of the whole shadowy stuff." She glanced back at the others, wow did they look shaken. She frowned as she noticed a new face, a young girl, she brushed it off for now, she would ask in a moment who she was. She looked back to Hood, "So, what is the answer you were supposed to give us?" She asked with her eyes focused on Hood's odd little ones, "You can whisper it to me, since it's personal and all." She leant forward a bit so that he could whisper in her ear. She guessed Sheena didn't want everyone behind her to know Sheena's real name. Was it surprising that she showed no fear? Oh well, she couldn't explain it, but she simply wasn't scared of his new form, he was still the same Hood who had travelled with them, looked after them and protected them.


--- Merged Double Post ---


(P.S If Hood actually does need a new host, he could have Devin's body, since I'm not really sure what to do with Devin anymore, I was planning to maybe send him away, but he could be used as Hood's host.)
 
It was at May's reminder that Sheena remembered there was in fact supposed to be a code, so they would know for sure that Hood was who he appeared to be. Nodding, she stepped closer to May, wanting to overhear him in his reply. As she steps forward though her eyes catch sight of Caroline on the floor out of her peripheral view, and she glances back at her, speaking to her hesitantly.


"Uh...Caroline? You all right?"


Caroline, still staring at the form at the doorway, very slightly nods her head, but makes no move to stand. Her eyes roam to each of the other teenagers in the room, judging them from the best she can guess of their physical forms. Kira looks fit for a girl, and tough...Jason looks no older or tougher than she herself. May, she is unsure about, the girl doesn't look physically strong, but there is something about her face and eyes that makes Caroline think she's maybe in Kira's category. Rhys and Sheena she immediately dismisses as too frail looking to be of any actual use, if this...thing were to attack. But then, they all seem to think of it as familiar....


Of course, she doesn't think of anyone by their names, not knowing any of them yet.


(we were discussing Hood talking to Caroline and saying he would use her father...idk, we need to figure that out)
 
Kira managed to stop shaking and then took a deep breath watching Hood. She touched her side injury and then touched a hidden knife she had just Incase it wasn't Hood. She was being nice so she gave a smile to Hood. She looked back at the girl and then offered her hand to help the girl stand. She waited fo the girl to take it but kept an eye on Hood and the others.
 
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