Alex did not appreciate his impersonations. Ava was fairly-silent about all this, just sort of taking it all in. Yeah, it was rough, being caught in the middle of this mess, having to take all their information from a talking bird. The only good thing about this was that Raven seemed to know what she was talking about, that she spoke with confidence of the things regarding thi world and its...inhabitants. There had been things they were quickly passing by, not gaining the attention of, that were [i]definitely[/i] not normal. Things like that made the normally ridiculous explanations, to Hakuro's mind, way more plausible. He was sure that all this and the dream were linked. He believed this because, let's just face it, he wasn't as logical a person as Alex, preferring sometimes the intuitive leap and to live with the consequences of being wrong than to stay secure in a world that only believed in readily-available evidence. That said, Alex also steered them onto another important point: Was anybody [i]else[/i] here? "There [i]might[/i] be, but the four of you are the ones I've spotted, lately." "How many others have you seen?" [color=ed1c24]"I'm not sure... I just know this isn't the first time. Remember, I've been thinking almost nothing but bird thoughts for a while. All the memories I've got are a bit jumbled."[/color] [color=00a651]"Then, how do you even know what you're telling us?"[/color] [color=ed1c24]"With nothing else to see but this horror show, how could I forget?"[/color] [color=00a651]"But you forgot the people?"[/color] [color=ed1c24]"You don't know how birds actually work, do you? Face recognition isn't exactly top priority. Gimme some time, maybe I can sift some things back into place. Right now, I'm mainly working on momentum here and I'm hoping it lasts."[/color] She already felt bad about Laurence. It didn't help to bring up other possible failings. She didn't [i]think[/i] there was anybody around, though... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Speaking of Laurence, he was still lost - of course - but on the plus side, he had avoided wide-open spaces in this peculiar farce of London, because he just didn't trust it... He hadn't even tried to call out, as something made him feel as though it would not end well if he did. There were no bearings, and the bird that he'd felt was trying to guide him was gone. He'd hesitated... That was the problem. He should've leapt at the tiny possibility that that bird was actually something he could rely upon. The whole ordeal left him in a terrible slump, almost depressed. That feeling lasted about three seconds, and then the creature lunged for him. He'd jumped out of the way, but it wwas only at the last second that he'd noticed something that was mantis, spider, and scorpion creeping up on him. It looked to be the size of a fully-groan mastiff, and that it could topple him like one, though the front claws were certainly the more menacing part of the thing. He backed away carefully, transfixed by not only the fact that it existed and was interested in possibly tearing his face off, but also by the mask that was the upper-half of a human skull, stretched out. The creature jumped at him, and he tried to do similar, only to trip back into a trashcan. [b][i][color=0072bc]Alright, at least I can use this![/color][/i][/b] Scything claws stabbed at him and met with a trashcan lid, jabbing into it or scratching against it. Laurence reached back for something to throw or to club at it with, but when he felt the distinct shape of a handle...he smiled and swing it forward with all his might. A [i]machete[/i] swing into one of the creature's claw-arms and cut into it! He had [i]no idea[/i] what that was doing there, but he was grateful, and even moreso when it seemed like the monster wanted to get the hell out and skittered up a wall. Laurence watched it go, feeling a little better now that he'd managed against something like that, not quite settling in that this was all crazy. However, the wake-up call was about to begin. The spider...hadn't been afraid of him. The spider had sensed something and decided to [i]leave[/i]. Like what? Like something further down the alleyway, something that seemed to form a puddle in the middle of the street - a [i]large[/i] puddle - and then grow into a mound...and then a sphere...and then a [i]floating[/i] sphere that shifted around like liquid...but seemed utterly solid at the same time. Laurence could hear a low moan from that direction. It was getting gradually louder, and overlapping with a dozen other voices, at no particular speed...except perhaps as it was getting closer... It was hovering towards him, and as it did, easily a dozen red eyes opened up, staring blankly and coldly right into his soul... That's when Laurence [i]ran[/i]. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This place was as creepy as creepy can be. All the figures were now gone, this whispering intensity seemed everywhere, and he was thoroughly lost. This neighborhood was like a ghost town, and he mighta' just seen the ghosts. Wait, no, that can't be right. There [i]must[/i] be people around In fact, when he shouted, there was an answer! "Over [i]here![/i] Over [i]heeere![/i]" Aha! A voice! It sounded like a young boy's...or a girl's. Hard to tell, before puberty, sometimes. The good news with that, though, was that it had a definite direction. It was down the street and coming from an alleyway to the left. The bad news is...Romani wasn't going to like the owner of the voice, if he followed it. It was not a young boy, and it was not a young girl... It was also not gender-fluid, neutral, or any other classification you care to mention. It was an IT, and IT was some kind of horrible reptile that seemed to grow out of the confines of its natural skin...and its teeth grow out of the normal confines of its mouth. And every time it opened its mouth, a mask that looked like [url=https://www.edvardmunch.org/images/paintings/the-scream.jpg]The Scream[/url] kept calling out. "Over [i]heeere![/i]" >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Of course, after his talk with Ashcroft, Mikhail couldn't have known that the acting principal of Evergreen Academy had one to his office specifically to pour himself a glass of something alcoholic so that he could properly boil his blood over having to deal with such people as him. No end of trouble, that's what he was. Himhail Chekhov did NOT belong here, causing the other students distress. He wanted him out...but he knew he'd never just be able to [i]make[/i] him leave, nor did he have anything to use against him to do it 'off the books'. This was so damn hard, sometimes... He wished these people would just shrivel up and die, or someone wise to their unwanted insolence and foolishness would just take them away and make them no longer his problem. What he didn't know was that while they would always be his problem, someone wise indeed was going to [i]deal[/i] with this. As Ashcroft continued to glower out the window and let his imaginings take him, a [i]thing[/i] would be happening elsewhere. Namely... [i]"Mikhail..."[/i] ...voices, calling out Mikhail's name. Familiar voices. [i]"We're all sorry, Mikhail. We want to help you..."[/i] Alex and Philip, sounded like. [i]"It's alright. I managed to convince them..."[/i] That was Merja... Where was it coming from? Outside, it seemed. Maybe a little off-campus... [i]"You guys are all in, then? That's great..."[/i] Hatto-san?! Had he...? Did they all believe him...? Was it alright...? It seemed like they wanted to meet out there to discuss things. thing is, though...if Mikhail started to follow the voices, he might not notice that his surroundings were beginning to change. The ground, the sky, the architecture, or that [i]after[/i] he had exited the school, there was now a high wooden fortress wall. By that time, though, they might've tricked him all the way through. They may've had the faces and the clothes and the voices...but they were not his friends. They were all a lie, luring him into their clutches, and once they were his...their superior would be pleased.