- Zodiac - [Inactive]

The sound was terrible. Adonna winced, holding a palm up to one ear as she tried to discern where the noise was coming from. The armor...? It sounded, well, hollow. But how could that be, wasn't there a body inside... No, that couldn't be... she thought as it slowly occurred to her. But would it be so far-fetched? No more than Hell Hounds and a world within dreams that could affect the body in real life. Could it really be... a bodyless piece of armor?


There was something within the metallic sounds, something human. But she couldn't make it out, not with the howling noise dominating it. It grew louder, the other sound, Adonna strained to listen to it.





"Can you understand me?"





Adonna nodded automatically upon hearing the voice within the metal screeching, the surprise on her face obvious. Was that him- no, wait, it? What was the right way to refer to just armor? Was her's a mistaken notion? "Yes, I can understand you," she assured the armor.
 
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|NIGHTMARE|


~Adonna's Dream~

​



The Zodiac was pleased to hear the Adonna could communicate with it. If you could say that a faceless apparition with made of armor could look "pleased." The Zodiac rose into the air some, crossing one leg and resting the other on top of it. Looking comfortable with his mid-air seating arrangement he began to explain himself. "My name is Ulysses. While I must be honest, that's simply just a pseudonym. I abandoned my true name long ago. Under that name, I was a weapon of Justice. A misused weapon. I did not know how to control my devices and caused mayhem in the wake of any evil. But Justice does not destroy as I once did. But you aren't here to listen to my sob story. You're here because I chose you. Forgive my unorthodox methods of communication. You'd only hear awful metal screeching and I'm certain that would put you off even more than my... Already haste-y approach. Which I also apologize for. I mistook you for an intruder upon my grounds, originally. The other Zodiacs seems to find my haven a tourist attraction, time to time." Ulysses was soft spoken and very mellow in contrast to his intense appearance and power. "But onto why you're here. I want you to be my host. I want you to be the kiln to my flame and wave a purifying swathe over this worlds immortality."
 
Adonna listened as the armor, Ulysses, spoke. Justice does not destroy as I once did… His words echoed in her head, a seed of respect subconsciously growing within her for this man- er, armor. “Don’t w- uhm… You haven’t done anything wrong,” she said in reply to his apology. Feeling a need to be polite, she tried to speak more formally than she was used to, making her sound a little stiff. “Purify…?” She hadn’t heard him wrong, his words were as clear as day. But, her? “I don’t think I coul… I mean, I would try, but…”


Wait… it was all starting to piece together. Other Zodiacs. Did that mean he himself was a… But that contradicted what was exchanged during her evening conversation, A Zodiac is a means which to protect oneself in the dream world. Unless… Host. It stitched itself together, not so much in a clear way, if Adonna was asked to explain it, she wouldn’t have been able to. No, it all came together to form of a gut feeling. The next words she spoke, she did while following the feeling. “If, uhm…” Adonna wasn’t quite a star with this ‘choosing your words carefully’ thing, “Could you, or, I mean, could I ask you to help me defend myself and others against H… against attackers in this world. And I would do my best to help purify…” though she couldn’t possibly think how she could do that, but perhaps he would let her know what she’d need to do, “this world as your… host…” The word felt strange in her mouth. Host.


 

|NIGHTMARE|


~Adonna's Dream~


END

​



Ulysses let out a hearty laugh. He felt Adonna would be bewildered by his proposition, but hearing her so tongue tied was humorous to the armored apparition. He figured Adonna would be able to keep herself leveled in this situation. Considering how well she's been able to defend herself against him. "At ease, human. I will indeed defend you. It's how I work. Think of me as an extention of yourself. A common cliche explaining a self defence medium, but that's literally what I am. I say this because those who can't see Zodiacs would only feel a blow crash into their jaw while you're meters away. Ahahaha! I was banished for my violence but my love for battle still boils strong." Ulysses let himself down and walked towards Adonna, his metal feet clanking on the marble floor. Once he approached her he placed his hand on her shoulder. "You saying you'd do your best is enough. This is all I need to ask of you. You may return to your own dreams now. I'll be with you in the human world assisting you where I feel you'd need my flaming hand." From Ulysses' hand, a blinding magenta light completely eclipsed Adonna's vision of everything else around her until it suddenly turned to the black of her closed eyes. Her pact with Ulysses was established.
 

| Arc 1 |


| Episode 6 |


"Tension"


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| Morning |


| Thursday |


Date: September 19, 2014

​



Rain fell from the skies ever since late last night. It went well along with the bittering cold it brought and the strong gusts of wind. The assault continued into the morning when the average teenager made their way to school, the only difference being the wind which had died down when the sun rose. Last night felt strange, not only for those who had the strange nightmares, but for anyone else who starved themselves of sleep. It was as if there was a odd feeling lingering in the air, like something big was going to happen.


For a while, Dominic had that feeling in his gut that told him to simply stay home. The rain was pattering against the window which threatened to soothe him back to sleep, but the counter-reacting feeling of urgency told him to get his ass to school. As he stepped out of the shower and brushed his teeth, the small box-TV in the corner of the room played.


".. On the account of the murder cases, two more bodies have been found mangled just on the outskirts of the town. Unlike the previous cases, the police have a positive I.D on the two male and one female victims. An Annabelle Mayhem, local student at Armstrong High. The other two victims, Reese Treddle, and James Wilson, were also confirmed to be learning at Armstong High as transfer students..."


High school students, now?


Dominic rinsed his mouth and finished cleaning up before throwing on his school uniform and grabbing an umbrella before he left. During his walk, he was left to the subtle madness that was his own mind's thoughts. Ben had to be the first of the victims, yet so far he was the only one to survive. It had been a coupe days since the incident, and he wondered how his friend was doing at this point. No doubt reporters would be trying to wring answers out of him.


Looking up from the puddle-polluted ground, he noticed that the liveliness of the school hadn't been impacted by the recent murders. Not even rain seemed to scare everyone back into their beds, strangely enough. Instead, people spoke in high spirits of the school cook-out tomorrow. The rain was simply 'the darkest before the dawn' in the case of what was to come. From the weather report, the rain was to stop once the sun declined.


A school cook-out... I can do that.


It sounded like a fun activity - bring your family and friends to Armstrong's fields and enjoy Friday off in the sun. It was a much needed morale boost from the darkness that had snuck it's way over the town. For now, Dominic had to keep his mind set on school itself. Walking into the building, Dominic's locker was his first destination. It had occurred to him late that he had one - he could store all of his school things there without having to even carry a backpack to school. That felt too 'middle-school' anyway. All he could do while he waited for class to start was yawn and stare into his locker.
 
Here it was. The day she had been waiting for since forever ago has finally arrived. This was the day her parents released her, allowing her to attend school once more. God, she had missed it so much. The learning, the social interaction, the "home away from home" feel it had to it.. Everything was coming back to her as soon as she stepped through those front doors of the school. Artemis Lundgren, redheaded lass aged just over 18 years old, glanced down to her papers, trying to find all the different classes she would be attending. She had a map, yes, but the best way of getting to know a place was walking around and getting lost. That was a fact. School didn't start for a while, anyways.


As she walked around, she wondered what sort of people she might meet, and what sort of people she might get the chance to befriend. Er, rather, what sort of people might get the chance to befriend her. Yes, there was her slight superiority complex speaking up once more. She could never get it to shut up. Sure, she might think she was better than most people, but that didn't affect how she treated them. Artemis was by no means obnoxious. If anything, far too polite for the thoughts that really went on inside her head. She shook her head, clearing the rude thoughts of students she passed by and trying to keep a smile on her face. She truly had missed this.


It wasn't long before Artemis found herself in the gym, peeking her head in to see if any sports team was practicing. Oh, she could only hope. The gym seemed to be empty at this time, which she took as the perfect opportunity to play on the bleachers, something she always wanted to do. Her parents sheltered her far too much as a child, and she never got to experience most things a child might experience growing up. Of course, this also meant she didn't necessarily fully realize the consequences of most of her actions, as well. Which is why she only tried to act out when no one was around.


This time, skipping along the bleachers and trying to balance on them properly as she jumped down and up them was a bad idea. Of course, she slipped, falling right back down the bleachers with a loud THUD as soon as she hit the ground. She rubbed her head, sitting up with a groan. At least she hadn't made it up that far before falling.


"...Oww..."
 
Morning... But without sunrise. The world was overtaken by a brine pattered gloom. There's a certain darkness about today... And Damian was one of them. During last nights escapades, his mother came home to a dead husband and an indifferent son. Ambulances were called, and his mother spent the night in the hospital room with her abusive betrothed. Leaving Damian alone to the night. During the night, Damian reflected on what having Lance's powers could mean. He could easily end another persons life who dared crossed him at an instant. The unnatural cause of death could easily be played off as a heart attack or other sort of bodily failure. Damian could pull off his own string of murders and no one would be the wiser. No one... Damian was already sitting, huddled on his bed staring out at his soaked window. The world outside was washed out with the ripples of water slipping down his windowpane. As a means of getting the hang of Lance already, he kept his power awakened throughout the entire night. Sitting. Waiting for time to simply pass until it was his time to walk out the door. His mother and sister still wasn't home... It was 6:30am. Damian turned on his rump and slid off his bed. A dark afterimage followed him. Damian keeping Lance's hellish aura awakened did improve his hold on the power. As far as his physical body goes. He can move easier in the emanating murk. When he approached his door, Damian didn't even bother turning the knob himself. A tendril crept from his wrist, and turned the knob. Freeing him from his "prison." The more Damian got a handle over his power, the more pleasure he felt seeing his skill increase. A sinister grin spread across his face, as he waled out the door, a tail-like appendage shot from his tailbone end and latched around his bookbag and pulled it towards its master. Repeating the same with the front Door Damian left his finally quiet abode. Closing the door behind him regularly. As not to attract attention. "September 18th, 2014. 4:39pm. Enoch Barlows perished of heart failure. Nyehehehehe... Hahahahahaha! Oh God, that's brilliant. It's so good to know no one's going to f*ck with me now." Damian said, his grin widening and his aura intensifying for a brief moment before ceasing...


...Time has passed since Damian left home. The most odd thing about Damian this morning, besides his new found vengeful bloodlust, is the fact he didn't turn on any music. It was as if the rain was enough to suffice for something to ease his nerves. During this time, Damian began to think about how and when is using his powers at least acceptable. As far as Damian is concerned anyone who drove him to that point was liable for death in his book. Despite his crippling morals, Damian still knew that he wasn't a cold blooded murderer at heart. He felt he'd be more of a vigilante of sorts. Someone who's just a cruel hero perhaps? Who knows. Anyone he deems necessary to be killed, he feels he'll do it. Good enough for him to not feel wrong about it, and it's just one more deadbeat out of everyone's hair. "Win, win." Damian came up to school grounds, at this point his hoodie was soaked. The rim of his hood sagged over his face, heavy with water weight. When he threw open the double doors he flipped his hood off. Tossing droplets of water onto the waxed floor. Everyone appeared to be in high spirits today... Bizarre. Damian walked into the Gymnasium, his class didn't start for another while, so he had time to kill inside. He took a seat on one of the bleachers and awaited time to pass until his class began.
  • House Keys
 
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The sound of pitter patter could be heard knocking at the window of Alice's room. Rolling in her sleep, she fell onto the floor with a thump and groaned in pain,"What the hell?" She mumbled in anger and quickly got off the floor. She awoke looking around the room, the dream still fresh in her memories,"Tyrik..." She whispered the name softly.


A feeling of someone else watching her every move was near but Alice couldn't tell what it was. The dream she had felt so surreal as if she was alive; awake and open minded on what went on. The dream was a past now, getting up to get ready for the day.


Pulling her curtains open, she stared into the dark sky filled with no sunlight to welcome the day and smiled softly, the sound of the rain was a calming feeling for Alice and it was her favorite weather out of all besides the snow. Going over to her closet to put on her uniform, she grabbed her bag and pulled on her rain coat opening on her umbrella, she went out the door to spend her day in the rain.


Walking slower than usual, she took long routes to the school, not wanting to go in the school just yet, she wanted more time to spend in the "gloomy" weather. Her shoes splashing in the little pool of rain water and the wonderful calming music of the rain as it hit the ground warmed Alice's heart, making her mood lighten up than most days.


It seemed that today Alice would be quite elated today than normal and would be acting quite strangely but as long as she is like this, she won't be so scary. Finally getting to the school gates, she pulled down her umbrella and went into the school, saying her goodbyes to the rain. Heading over to her locker, she quickly unlocked the lock and pulled out the things she needed for the day.


Hearing some girls gossiping behind her, she eavesdropped in on their conversation,"Ugh, such a gloomy day. At least the cook out will be fun." One of the girls said,"I'm gonna bring my boyfriend, oh it's gonna be so much fun!" The other exclaimed cheerfully. The two girls soon left the hallways as Alice slammed her locker shut,"Cookout huh?" She thought.


She never knew there would be a cookout in the school and was quite surprised,"I'll ask the others about it later." Walking off to her next class. She sat in the back of the class near the window so she could hear the rain while the teacher speak of whatever they were learning,"What a lovely day." She mumbled softly to herself, staring out the grey world.
 
Roe set the breakfast she made for her family in the middle of the table. No one was up yet, but Roe was dressed and ready for a new day. Outside the soft sound of rain falling down was... strangely soothing. Roe loved it when it rained... everything seemed so much livelier after the rain stopped. Grabbing her umbrella, the dark haired girl stepped out of her apartment and walked down the street, humming slightly.


With all the puddles on the ground, her feet were entirely soaked by the time she reached the school gates. It was hard to believe that school had only started 4 days ago... so much had happened it seemed like an eternity. Roe shook out her umbrella and went into the class, her notebook neatly on her desk. Humming again, she fidgeted with her phone. She thought she had to work tonight, but she wasn't sure... she should call Kai... but... hastily, she shoved her phone back in her bag. It could wait until later.


Roe leaned back and looked out the window. Thinking about nothing in particular, Roe continued to hum ever so slightly.
 
Farra sat up quickly, panting and looking around frantically. "NO! No, stop...wait...what? Oh. School. That's right."


Dragging her self out of bed, she switched the TV on to the news.


".. On the account of the murder cases, two more bodies have been found mangled just on the outskirts of the town. Unlike the previous cases, the police have a positive I.D on the two male and one female victims. An Annabelle Mayhem, local student at Armstrong High. The other two victims, Reese Treddle, and James Wilson, were also confirmed to be learning at Armstong High as transfer students..."


Farra stopped. This wasn't her work! She laughed a little and a smile played on her face. Finally, she could have some FUN again! And, it would all be pinned on this guy! Brilliant! Suddenly filled with energy, she quickly got dressed and headed out the door, humming that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory song, 'I've got a golden ticket.'


Skipping along, Farra's eyes were wide with new purpose. She scanned everything, and a bright, floral sign caught her eye.


'ARMSTRONG HIGHSCHOOL'S ANNUAL COOKOUT! TOMORROW NIGHT IN THE COURTYARD!'


A cookout? Hm. "I'll ask if the others are going..." She said, continuing along to her next class.
 
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Sound of tiny footsteps. At first it was quiet, like a lone child running in circles. After a minute or two, the sounds multiplied. The children were now running in a large group. The sound intensified along with the wind coming from the West, howling like a wolf. The children would be in danger, the wolf would come and corner them at Hotaru's window. Colder air would fog out the deaths of the children. The rain fell by millions. Little beings would be terrorized by the drops falling from the clouds. Nothing would be able to escape. Metal left out carelessly would rust and soon break, dismay of the owner's wishes.


A low rumble was enough to wake Hotaru up. She jolted awake, falling on the floor. The response from the pain was delayed by a second. Hotaru gripped her head and groaned, as if rain and a head injury wasn't enough, she had school to attend. On the back of her mind a name remained imprinted, refusing to leave her, Marabel. Dreams work in a strange way, there are multiple layers and it all plays at once. At average one would dream over six dreams in one night. It's quite rare for one to fully remember a dream. If they do, usually Hotaru does, they could look up a dream dictionary and look up key terms to figure out what the dream meant.


Hotaru would have done this but school was only a mere hour away and it was raining. She could check it out later. Pulling herself together, Hotaru cleaned up her bed and picked up things around her room. Once her room was cleaned up, Hotaru headed straight for the bathroom. The rain was definitely going to ruin her mood. The girl drained out her bath from last night. Last night....


The ritual was officially starting. She has only till midnight before a spirit follows around her for life and in her dreams. Hotaru looked over her right shoulder, unfortunately nothing was behind her. Sighing deeply, Hotaru looked into mirror and examined her forehead. There was a small gash with dried blood. It seemed like it won't bleed anymore, but for safe measures Hotaru had put a bandage on it. Where did she get this wound? Holding her head, the bathroom lights flickered. She jumped a bit as a bolt of lightning was heard. She held her slightly shaking body and decided to go get ready.


Umbrella....umbrella.... Hotaru banged her head on the closet door. No umbrella.


Hotaru was soaked wet head from toe. Even though it was light rain, her fear of storms caused her to jump at every contact of water. Hotaru was now soaking wet, angry, and scared.
 
There are those times when you wake up early and realize you have at least 6 hours before you actually have to get up and do stuff but once you realize this you can’t go back to sleep, so by the time Nikky finally closed her eyes, it was an hour before her alarm went off. She forced herself to roll out of her bed despite her brain telling her she needed more sleep. laying on the floor for a few minutes she sighed, this was not a great start to a new school day. Sitting up she glanced outside the window to see it was raining as well, just great.


She had originally set her alarm to get to school early, so she still had a couple of minutes to nap before school started, still if she broke the pattern now she’d ruin her perfect attendance goal. She took a quick shower and rushed through the everyday motions. She grabbed her phone and headphones prepared to set out into the world, dancin’ to the tune of electro swing. The upbeat music always picked up her on a dreary day like this. She slung her tote bag onto her shoulder then headed out locking the door behind her.


Nikky walked outside to spot a girl whom she immediately recognized as Hotaru walking in the rain. It must’ve been fate. Nikky raised her umbrella so it protected both of them, she could sense that Hotaru wasn’t happy so she patted her on the shoulder in reassurance. Hotaru wasn’t much with words so Nikky had figured actions would get the job done. She smiled at the girl offering her ear bud.

Phone


Headphones


Totebag:


Notebook(s) x5


Pencils and pens x3
 
Adonna woke up curled by the cabinet under the sink, cold metal against her face, her limbs freezing. She rubbed the indent where the flat of the scissors had pressed against her cheek throughout the night, standing up groggily. For one blissful moment, her mind was a blank slate. Then slowly the memories of the dream world etched themselves into her consciousness. Ulysses... she looked around, as if expecting the armor to be somewhere in her room. She even checked the bathroom, though she felt awfully stupid for doing so. Maybe I'll only see him in the dream world... No, wait, if she recalled correctly, he had told her he'd be there with her in the real world. Think of me as an extension of yourself. Adonna shook her head, this was one of those supernatural spirit things that before she'd never have given a second thought to, because, well, she never thought it was real.


With that in the back of her mind, she threw open the curtains, grimacing at the greyness that met her. Not only was it cold, it was raining. Tell me I have an umbrella. Adonna didn't recall packing one, but there was no harm in rummaging through her bag. To her luck, there it was. Its bright purple color told her she was not the one who had packed it. I'll have to call Ma and thank her later, she thought... Oh, crap. She hadn't called her mom since school had started. But she didn't have the time now. Moving as fast as she could, the weather adding to her lethargy, she somehow got ready for the day and trudged her way to the school.




Smartphone


Wallet


Dorm Key


Backpack


Jacket


Umbrella


A Keen Hatred for the Day's Weather
 
Shun awoke to sound of raindrops softly pelting themselves against his window. Opening his eyes, Shun's perception was met with a darkness resulting from the stormy sky and the fact that his width of vision was partially obstructed by an unknown object upon his face. Placing his hand against the object, Shun recognized the outline of the mask which slowly began to draw forth the memories of the nightmare he had just endured. Shun's heart ached in response to the recollection of the past that Bastion had pulled from his darkest memories, but as he arose to sit alongside the edge of his bed, Shun remained confused by the smile which refused to fade from his face.


Perhaps like Bastion, its time for me to leave my past in the past.





Pulling the mask off his face, Shun began to inspect its entirety looking for the mechanism that held it snug against his face. Unable to find a source, Shun simply shrugged as he concluded anything could be possible after all he had experienced the past few dreams. Rather, he refocused his curiosity toward the memory of the live action stories Bastion had shown him through his ability to manifest memories in 3D form.


The fact that I retained his mask means our pact was successful. Does that mean I can use his abilities then?


Remembering how Bastion had manifested a brush out of thin air, Shun figured if he had truly undertaken his Zodiac's abilities then he could do the same. Replacing the mask upon his face, Shun closed his eyes as he pictured the image of the brush from his dream appearing in the open right palm he had extended forward. Excitement welled up within him as the feeling of an object appeared in his hand, and an overjoyed smile overtook his expression upon opening his eyes to see the very brush manifested before him.


Shun recalled Bastion painting his memories on the air itself; however, because he figured any surface would suffice, Shun quickly prepared a canvas to test his new found talent upon. Unlike the air which would serve as a temporary holder of his memory, Shun figured painting upon the canvas would allow him to revisit the memory at any time he desired. Once again closing his eyes, Shun attempted to carefully picture every detail of his dream before placing the brush upon the canvas, and reopening his eyes to gaze upon the paint which would soon create the scene on its own. The final product displayed a representation of Bastion playing the piano and existing within the architectural hall of fine arts.


Excited and satisfied, Shun closed his eyes once more to attempt a painting of the first dream; however, the sound of his phone's alarm broke his concentration and brought his focus to the start of class which would occur within an hour.


Although disappointed by the lack of available time, Shun concluded that it was for the best, as he remembered his promise to provide answers to Adonna. Deciding to save the first dream for a meeting with his friend, Shun rushed off to take a shower where several more conclusions would occur during its duration.


If I can create paintings of my memories, then doesn't that mean I can basically document our dreams? Even then I wonder if its possible to paint the memories of others. If it is, then that would make understanding this world all the more easier..





By the time Shun finished his morning preparations, he would find himself running behind schedule and without the time to search for an umbrella. Grabbing a coat that he assumed to be somewhat waterproof, Shun quickly threw it over his self and departed for class. As he ran along the path toward the academy, excitement was flowing throughout his veins in anticipation for his meeting with Adonna, but the eventual realization of the classes to come quickly deflated his mood as he resorted to depressed sighs in between strides of his run.

  • iPhone
  • wallet
  • backpack
    Mask
  • Manifested paintbrush
  • art supplies
  • school supplies
 
Clark had woken up earlier than usual. He always felt more refreshed when waking up without the assistance of his alarm clock. Clark carried out his usual morning routine and realised halfway through it that the whole of his right cheek was marked from the keys on his laptop. He rubbed his cheek as if the marks would quickly disappear, unsurprisingly they didn't. He looked at the time on his clock and noticed there was plenty of time before class started. Maybe the marks would disappear by then. If not he was about to be getting a lot of confused looks in class. After getting ready Clark walked out of his dorm with his umbrella in hand and walked out into the cold rainy weather. He never was a fan of the rain.


Eventually Clark made it to class with a minimal amount of water on him. He couldn't say the same for some students who had to walk in it with nothing to shelter themselves with. It was amazing how fast some people could run when they didn't want get wet from the rain. He shook his umbrella and placed it next to his bag under his desk. Clark noticed a student looking at him as he sat down. When Clark looked back his head snapped back to the front of the class. Clark touched his right cheek. The marks were still there. He sighed as he sat through the boring lecture. It really went well with the gloomy weather.

Cellphone


Wallet ($20)


Map of town and school


Student ID


Backpack


Dorm key


Pen and pencils[


Umbrella
 
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This morning was going by considerably slowly in comparison to other mornings. Today was going to be a long day and Damian could feel it. While sitting on the bleachers, his thoughts was shutting time and the world around him out. There was so much on his mind, so much he wanted to tell Dominic and ask him about. Today was truly going to be an eventful day for this young man. Damian huffed out, exhaling all of the growing negativity that was stirring in his mind. He figured the best way to abide his time was with some mindless indulgence. He turned his torso to reach into his left pocket for his 3DS, but before he could something caught his eye. A young girl, sprawled out clumsily on the bleachers... She seemed hurt. At least that's what her facial expression translated to Damian. She looked pained. It doesn't help that her position made her appear almost stuck. Damian felt some sympathy for the girl but he also didn't really know how to approach her since he's never seen her. Is she new? It wouldn't be safe to make that assumption, as Damian's only been present for what is 3 school days now, and he himself is new as well. If she's new then maybe this won't be as bad a hell as he's expecting it to be. He pushed himself up and carefully approached the girl trying his best not to fall himself. Damian stopped when there was a 1ft's distance between the two. "Mmmrph.." Damian held out his hand, offering to help the woman up. He didn't say anything, as his throat got all choked up by his own painful shyness.
 

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| Afternoon |


| Thursday |


Date: September 19, 2014

​



Dominic was seated and ready for class merely 5 minutes before it was to begin. He couldn't help but feel the strange atmosphere in the classroom as more and more students arrived, looking soaked. Was it the weather? The rain had it's ways of settling the mood for different occasions, perhaps nature worked it's magic in the strange ways that it did, and he was paying the price for it.


"Today we've got a returning member. The fourth-year classes were too full, so they had to move him down here. Please give our returning veteran a welcome back from the hospital."


Huh?


Dominic's attention sparked to life when he heard the word 'hospital'. Quickly, he looked up to see Ben waving at his new classmates with a smile. Dominic had to fight himself to stay in his own seat, the excitement of seeing an old friend alive and well jump-started his mood again. He's fine, and not a scratch on him. Thank goodness.





~~~




​



The classes passed just as they always did, except for the worrying fact that there was a history test coming. With all the stress and worry, Dominic hadn't been able to properly focus on things such as history. Math was his biggest concern. For now, he only yearned to catch up with Ben.


In the halls, Dominic approached Ben with a slight nudge to the shoulder. "Benjamin, how's the stomach? Is hospital food as bad as they say?" "Hmm, nothing's as bad as what any rumor says. All of that is just speculation at this point." Ben kept his tone low and his demeanor was to the point. When he was done, Ben closed his locker and looked at Dominic with a minor smile.





"How are things?"


"What, with life? It's fine now, I mean.."


"I mean with your new friends."


Dominic's smile dropped to a frown. He had a feeling deep down in his gut that it would come to this. Silence fell between the two with Ben's blank stare and Dominic's less-than-happy expression.


"I'm just messing with you, geez."


"O-oh, I knew that, gahaha~"
 
Ukime was tired after helping Derek with his sisters. She walked into the classroom with her side back pack hanging off her shoulder, ready for her to tilt her body so it could just fall. She had a basket ball in her hand that she would twirl about every time she yawned. Finding her seat in the back she tilted her self and dropped her bag near the chair. She had let the ball slip from her hands and bounce against the wooden floor and onto her bag. Sliding into her chair she let her head slam down against the desk as she closed her eyes. Her hands hung off the desk as her nails flicked the rim of it out of annoyance.


"What a drag...when is school over again. I was supposed to count this down wasn't I. We have practice today but just like every other day they probably won't be there...the gist of the team. What a laid back school this surly is, should have chosen the security club or something."
 
No good. No matter how she wiggled and tried to push herself up, Artemis was stuck. Lucky for her, a boy appeared out of nowhere to be her knight in dark shining armor. ...Or at least, that was the sort of vibes she got from him. Not really the typical shining armor, but the dark kind that most types who are said to be villains but actually end up being good wear. She blushed a bit, looking down out of embarrassment as she took his hand and helped herself up.


"E-Er.. Th-Thank you.." She mumbled. This was just lovely. She fell on her first day and now she had a headache, plus this guy probably saw all of it. How embarrassing. She didn't even know what else to say now. Maybe she could run off, especially since class was starting soo-


Artemis glanced at her watch quickly. "Oh no. Class. I'm late!! I-I'm sorry! Thank you again!" Perfect excuse, sure. But now she really was freaking out. She ran straight to the place she thought her class would be, barging through the doors and stopping suddenly. Wait. Was this the right classroom? Oh well, she thought as she quickly sat down. Hopefully it was.
 
The day went by quickly... A lot quicker than expected. All the better to Damian, he sort of wanted to get today over with. He was feeling a little bitter and a little worry-some. He wanted to see if his mother and sister had returned home from the hospital. He knew that his stepfathers passing would be a little hectic for his mother, as she'd be obligated to attend a funeral and be gone again for a few days. Damian let out a long sigh as he slowly sauntered down the hallway towards his locker. He felt that man was not even deserving of a funeral... He almost wanted to spit on the ground to get this disgusting taste he was having all of a sudden out of his mouth. When he finally reached his locker he turned on his heel and quickly opened it up as if it was second nature. It helped that his combination didn't require any real effort at all. While he was sorting out his belongings he decided to give himself an overview of his day: He helped a new girl from her predicament, he felt he passed his Literature quiz, he got most of his homework done in study hall, he had to resign himself from club as no one else joined making him the only present member, no one really bugged him, and for some reason... He felt like he was being watched. Of course he'd be watched in class but this felt different. Like someone was eyeing him throughout the day.





~




​



A few feet from Boone's office door, a very distinctive figure came a'walking. He wore a fancy looking gray longcoat with matching dress pants and dark brown dress shoes. A student, who was called to Boone's office, walked through the doors with a disappointed look on her face. The man observed the student and scoffed. Finding her trouble slightly amusing. "Boone had a troublemaker? Damn, how poorly disciplined are these students?" Before the door closed, he blocked it with the tip of it's foot. The door was kept cracked before being thrown back open with his foot. As he popped his wavy haired head through the doorway he had a very cocky grin on his face. He reclined on the door frame, arms crossed. He sized up his old friend, seeing that he gained some weight. "Ayo, Boone! You let yourself go some. Is that stress weight I see?" Appearing from space itself, Ulysses floated behind the man. He could only be seen by Boone and his other companions waiting in the office. He kept his silence for the time being, awaiting another Zodiac to reveal himself.
 
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The Hermit and the Butterfly: Part 2




​



"Momma, I finished my painting!"


Shun breathlessly stumbled into his mother's room with an overjoyed smile upon his face as he offered her the watercolor painting in his hands. As expected from a child, the artwork was hardly a masterpiece, but there was no denying the potential that the youth held in his hand. His mother's smile was warm and welcoming as she took hold of his treasure, but her actions that followed contradicted the misleading feelings she displayed.


"This is the value of your painting."


Her voice, like her smile, was warm and endearing as she hovered the painting over the lit candle standing upon the nearby nightstand. Placing the rapidly fading paper into an ashtray, Shun's mother waited until it had been entirely reduced to ashes before displaying the painting's new form before his eyes.


"Ashes."


Pausing to pick up her child and placing him on her lap, Shun's mother began ruffling his hair before continuing with her lecture.


"Shun, you are the heir to the Takumi name. Our name is one that holds immense value, and it exists in such a way for a reason. Each member of our family strives to obtain that which has value rather than that which is worthless. As a child, I understand such ideals fail to hold meaning for now, but it is in your best interest that we push you to become the best. For a child your age, knowledge should hold the highest interest for you to obtain."


Shun's mother gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before patting his back as a sign that it was time to go wisely make use of your time.


Never once would tears come to Shun's eyes, as he gave his mother a quick bow and departed from her room. The child would simply return to his room and re-immerse himself in the studies he had taken a break from to paint.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

​



Shun awoke with a sigh as he began to forcefully massage his head in an attempt to dispel the headache he had woken too. Shun's mood was bitter and his heart ached in response to the usual dream which would revisit an unwanted memory from his past. Raising his head off the desk, Shun stumbled backwards out of his chair upon noticing the pink haired girl sitting in a chair directly in front of his desk.


"Good afternoon and sorry, I didn't mean to startle you!"


Rushing to his fallen self, Ashlei quickly offered her hand to help him up.


"You never showed up to today's club meeting, so I thought I would try and find you for answers. I just so happened to pass by this classroom and notice you sound asleep, so I thought I would just wait for you to wake up."


"I figured my presence wouldn't have been too welcomed in the club. From what I heard, the members don't seem to like me much after yesterday."


Ashlei burst into a fit of laughter as she gave him a sharp slap against his shoulder before reaching down to grab and offer the bag which Shun had started to move for.


"Doesn't matter, you are a member of the club so your welcome any time. Besides you hold a lot more talent that anyone else there. Hell, with a push in the right direction, I could see yourself actually getting somewhere with your art."


Shun's expression turned cold as he quickly accepted his bag and averted his gaze from the bubbly individual standing before him.


"That might be the case, but I still lack the interest to sit down and paint every day. I only joined the club because Nietzsche forced me to. I'll show up once and a while so I have attendance, but apart from that I could ca..."


CRACK


The sound of Ashlei's slap echoed throughout the room as she gazed upon Shun with tears welling in her eyes and a look of fury replacing the cheery expression she had held just before.


"You're no different than me...no your worse. I'll let Nietzsche know you have no interest in our club."





With her outburst, Ashlei quickly departed from the room leaving Shun to fall back into his chair with a sigh as he began to slowly rub the side of his face. Outside of the classroom, the sound of Shun's fist hitting his desk would be heard echoing down the hall, but even as the afternoon passed by, no one would emerge from the room. Rather, Shun would continue to sit in thought all while watching the gradual reddening of the sky as the sun began to set in the not far off horizon.
 

-->


| Afternoon |


| Thursday |


Date: September 19, 2014

​



After sending yet another troubled student away with faulty advice, Boone reclined back in his seat with a sigh. Ever since the argument with his son, worry had been on his mind. Red wasn't just the type to sit back and let soemthing happen. He was the one who set things into motion, and this period of silence nearly drove the Headmaster mad with worry.





"Ayo, Boone! You let yourself go some. Is that stress weight I see?"




​



Boone's eyes opened with a new purpose, a name escaping him that he knew all too well in the past. "Angelo." He spun his chair around to face his old opponent fully. "..And Ulysses. I see the years haven't dampened your spirits." Boone pushed his glasses up to his face and continued. "Stress weight wouldn't be far off, and if you're expecting Kenshi, the connection was severed for a better purpose."





-




​



So far, nothing paranormal has happened.


Len took mental notes like there was a recorder in his head. Ever since Damian had entered, Len had kept a close eye on him. It was necessary for scouting purposes, and for the well-being of the students themselves. If Damian was as dangerous as Kenshi explained, everyone was in danger, and the threat had to be eliminated.
 
The rain poured heavily and Farra was soaked. "WHY ME," she moaned. Classes had ended, so she had headed back to her dorm. "THIS DAY CAN'T GET ANY WORSE." She had received detention with her science teacher for not completing the reading, and had heaps upon heaps of homework to finish. "The only thing I might have to look forward to is the cookout, and that will most likely be crap. Oh, well. Best go ask my..um..friends...if they're going," she muttered.


The first person she thought to ask was Hotaru. She seemed to be the most welcoming and kind of the rest, and Farra liked her the best. She also had this vibe to her..a dark vibe. Farra could tell she was into that kind of stuff. Maybe, if they got close enough, Farra could tell Hotaru her..um...hobby..


No. She had to keep that a closely guarded secret. Farra scolded herself; Letting her guard down? That isn't Farra-ish. 'Get your head in the game,' she thought. Shaking her head, Farra headed off to look for Hotaru, or anyone else, for that matter.


(yay for shitposts!)
 
Damian shut his locker trying to block off his paranoia, despite it being correct. He started to make his exit, thinking about what Dominic told him earlier today.




"Hey, Damian! I wanted to catch you before Study Hall. It hasn't crossed my mind until today but I've got this sweet spot that I sometimes hang out at to get a clear head. You've been looking a little... Dead today. So I think I oughta' show you. You remember that big park? Two blocks down the schools campus?" Damian nodded. "Yeah.. Are we going there?" Dominic shook his head. "No, it's on the south-east end. There's a large statue of the man who founded the park and still keeps it funded today. It's behind there. If you go passed the statue there will be what looks like an old shrine. It's known but no one ever goes to it anymore because of the park being the big attraction. The shrine is ruined, just a pile of old marble now but the grass still grows and it's preserved so it's still a nice spot. I'll show the others on another day but we haven't actually hung out as bros. So I figure we should do it today." Damian grinned. Not only was this a new spot to relax at, but this gives Damian a perfect opportunity to explain all that's been happening regarding his powers. "Sure, Dom'. I'll be there after-school. I'll wait for you there if I'm early."


He was already out the doors, following what Dominic had told him to do. Damian saw the park in view along with the large statue prodding up from the south end of the park. It was just as gaudy as Damian expected. A man, hands on his hips, staring up into the sky as if he has some sort of vision. It didn't really make Damian impressed with the man but the park was admittedly nice. When no one was paying any attention, Damian walked around the statue and continued forward. There was a large collection of trees surrounding him at this point kept alive to preserve park beauty. Though this only made it harder to navigate as it was really cloudy and rainy today. But by some luck, there was a ray of gray light, signaling the sight of the old shrine. The trees grew around the area, leaving the ruined shrine some light to bask in. "So this is it..." Damian said, staring in awe.





~




​



"Oh? So Kenshi finally moved on?" Ulysses had floated into the office. His concern about who Kenshi's new host wasn't obviously seen, but he was curious. "Well, Uly had left me alone for a while. Which is a first. So I guess he's done with me too... After two and a half decades. It's almost tear jerking." Ulysses had reclined in one of Boone's chairs lining up against the wall. "Well... It was a hard decision, but it's time someone new received my sign. I'm still your stalwart companion to this day, Angelo." Angelo chuckled. "Nice to know you have my back still. You armor-clad softie." Ulysses hummed. Angelo had also taken a seat across from his Zodiac, crossing his legs. "So... What's been going on Boone? I've been hearing a lot of reports about murders in the city? That isn't normal for a nice town like Brookfield. Any abnormal sh*t going on?" Angelo asked, expressing some concern in his tone.


 
Hotaru blinked a bit. She was in a classroom, yet had no recollections of the entire day. A slate positioned perfectly on her desk with a marker at the side. She hadn't used it at all today. Nikky helped her out in the morning and she was certainly grateful of her generosity, she had to thank her properly. Hotaru blankly looked over to the front of the classroom. Everything seemed slow and tedious, like it was mocking her. She looked over to her right shoulder.


The lady with one eye and black wires for hair was at the corner of her eyes. She would slowly be coming closer to her. Hotaru winced, she learned nothing in class and a raging spirit was out to get her. Come on....clock go faster.... Hotaru bit the insides of her cheek waiting in anticipation. She had to go to an isolated area for the distance of the spirit to get further away. A peer of hers wasn't quite careful, for he had bumped the back of her head causing Hotaru to draw blood in her mouth from biting her cheek.


Hotaru snapped back to reality, she was in an empty classroom, even the teacher had left her alone to her thoughts. She quickly stood up and glanced at the right side of the classroom. She quickly caught a glimpse of the lady, without hesitation the girl ran out of the classroom. She needed to get as much distance away from the ghost.


In an empty hallway, Hotaru held her beating heart and sat against the wall. A sharp taste, like metal of some sort, Hotaru instinctively twirled her finger instead of swallowing the liquid down her throat. The liquid swirled in her mouth without her help, the blood was forming a ball leaving only her saliva in her mouth. The ball of blood seemed to harden, it was the size of a small marble. Hotaru looked downward, the ball fell out of her mouth and rolled on the ground. Hotaru shivered a bit, picking it up. She threw it up and caught it a couple of times to adjust to the weight of ball.


Holding it close to her eye she looked back at the empty hallway. Winding up, she threw it at the wall. The ball sped towards the opposite wall, but before contact, Hotaru had caused the ball to disperse in air. Upon closer examination, the blood was still there, but in smaller amounts. Hotaru grinned, Marabel said she was able to control blood, does this mean she could as well?


She sneezed. Someone must be talking about her, someone far away.

Slate


Markers


Backpack


Hatred for rain and thunder


Mouth full of liquid that taste like blood, but isn't.
 
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