[Center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/12606d51-d406-43b2-9e02-ddd4234dbfc4.png[/img] [hr][/center] A restless wind blew across the courtyard, bring a refreshing coolness despite the heat of the mid-day sun. The cafeteria was crowded and noisy. A throng of students had formed disorganized queues around the various stalls selling food. The dull roar of idle chatter permeated the air and forced everyone to casually shout at one another. Nalini sat cross-legged at a small table by the window. She wasn't the biggest fan of people in general, but she somehow felt at home in the chaos. The rap tracks playing through her headphones helped drown out the noise too. Nalini was incognito today. She liked attention, but not all the time, and definitely not when a paper was due. With intentionally frizzed hair, thick glasses she didn't need, and no make up, she was dressed to unimpress. And, if someone got the bright idea to get too close while she was studying, she believed the ten pound cudgel in the shape of a textbook would persuade them otherwise. It had the weighty title "Cultural Anthropology". She hoped most people read it as "Run Away Quickly". She took a sip of her iced latte as she scanned the pages, scribbling notes every now and then. Almost thirty minutes had passed before anyone summoned the courage to bother her, even during the lunch rush. A short girl with purple shoulder-length hair that looked like it had been dipped in hot pink dye sat down at her table. Nalini looked up from her book and met the girl's eyes. They were bright and cheery and regarded her with mild terror. Nalini saw it, but said nothing and patiently waited to see if she would do anything else besides smile nervously. Everyone else had the good sense to strategically avoid her, so anyone crazy enough to walk through her imposing aura of "fuck off" deserved a little respect. They got more if their brain didn't melt in the first five minutes of talking to her. [Color=#ffe5ff]"I hope you don't mind."[/color] The girl spoke at a near shout to overcome the noise. [Color=#ffe5ff]"...There's nowhere else to sit. This place is so crowded."[/color] She said, adjusting her volume. [Color=#ffe5ff]"My name's Bobby. What's yours?"[/color] She made the kind of reflexive smile people use when they feel awkward and are trying to be polite. With a mix of calm intensity and subdued admiration, Nalini's expression did the talking for her. Her raised brows and heavy gaze silently posed questions like "Who are you and why are you sitting within 10 feet me?" and "How many hours did you spent on that perfect ombre fade? It looks immaculate." Nalini pulled out one of her ear phones, music blasting from the speaker, and spoke in a clear even tone that cut through the din, [Color=#dcd0ff]"Sorry. I didn't hear anything you said, but you're more than welcome to sit there, Bobby."[/color] She said with a genuine smile and promptly put her ear phone back in. Bobby's expression loosened with the effort of thought and her brows knitted together in confusion. Something didn't add up. [Color=#ffe5ff]"Wait...If you didn't... How did you... ?"[/color] Her questions piled together and died tragically as her train of thought derailed off a bridge and into a ravine. She eventually collected her thoughts from the wreckage. [Color=#ffe5ff]"If you didn't hear me at all, how did you know my name?"[/color] [Color=#dcd0ff]"Magic."[/color] Nalini said dismissively. [Color=#ffe5ff]"Riiight. [i]Magic[/i]."[/color] Her sarcasm was obvious. Bobby's pouting face sank into her palm as she prodded her salad tray with disinterest. She could faintly hear the deep bass notes from across the table. [i]Whatever she's listening to is really loud. Can she really hear me over that and the rest of the noise in here?[/i] [Color=#dcd0ff]"How about this?"[/color] Nalini began. [Color=#dcd0ff]"I'll make a deal with you. A fair trade. I'll tell you my secret, if you tell me one of yours."[/color] Nalini gave her an expectant look. [Color=#ffe5ff]"I don't even know your name."[/color] She countered. [Color=#dcd0ff]"Fair. It's Nalini, Nalini Nortman. My dad owns Ingonyama on 81st street in Manhattan. Y'know, the restaurant?"[/color] Bobby wore a blank expression; the name wasn't familiar. [Color=#ffe5ff]"Sorry, I don't know it."[/color] She admitted finally. [Color=#dcd0ff]"Nevermind that. Are you in?"[/color] Despite her best effort to hide it, the edges of Nalini's mouth curled into a grin. Bobby seemed to consider the offer for a moment, then clicked her tongue and sighed. [Color=#ffe5ff]"Fine...But will you promise not to laugh?"[/color] Nalini nodded. She took a baited breath as if she was preparing to jump off a cliff, then took the plunge. [Color=#ffe5ff]"I don't know about you, but in our high school they had this really stupid sexual orientation class. Sometimes they hand out pamphlets, but our teacher decided to hand out condoms too. Except she [i]stapled each one[/i] to pamphlet and then tried to lecture us about how to use them properly."[/color] Nalini was trying desperately to hold back her laughter, but a giggle snort came out her nose instead. Bobby continued, trying to ignore her. [Color=#ffe5ff]"I told her she just ruined all of the condoms here, and wasn't helping anybody. We got into a big fight about it. They sent me to the principal's office, and somehow I got suspended for day because my teacher was an idiot. It's the only time I was ever in trouble."[/color] Nalini hid her face with her textbook and started to shudder with mirth. Quietly restrained laughter leaked out against her will. [Color=#ffe5ff]"Your turn."[/color] She urged, mildly offended. Even as Bobby's cheeks reddened, she couldn't stop herself from laughing a bit too. Nalini slowly collected herself and choked back the giggling fits. [Color=#dcd0ff]"That was [i]priceless[/i]. Mine is nowhere near as good as that!"[/color] She removed both of her earphones and let out some of her pent up excitement in a sigh. [Color=#dcd0ff]"Phew...Well, the tl;dr version is my dad and I used to watch people in the restaurant and make up stories about what they were actually talking about. But when I was kid, he started going deaf in one ear and soon he'll be deaf in the other. So our game started to include lip reading as well. Like those guys over there are..."[/color] Nalini eyed a group of guys three tables behind Bobby. After a long pause, she grimaced. [Color=#dcd0ff]"They're debating who they would bang, kill, or marry between you, me, and the girl behind me. Trust me, you don't know want to know what they said."[/color] Bobby turned and shot them a look of disapproval. [Color=#ffe5ff]"What a bunch of assholes."[/color] She stared back at her meal tray and huffed irritably [Color=#ffe5ff]"You know what... I've lost my appetite."[/color] [Color=#dcd0ff]"Me too."[/color] There was no food on her side of the table Bobby laughed and shook her head. [Color=#ffe5ff]"You're ridiculous."[/color] [Color=#dcd0ff]"And you're way more interesting than you look."[/color] Nalini said with smirk. [Color=#ffe5ff]"What's that supposed to mean?"[/color] She said acting hurt. [Color=#dcd0ff]"Trust me, it's a compliment. By my estimate, you've got more than half a brain, probably a whole one, which is a hundred percent more than what most people have. That's like a two hundred percent difference."[/color] Nalini could barely hold her stoic expression without cracking a smile. Bobby face warmed and she fell into a pile of giggles and laughter. [Color=#ffe5ff]"Your math is so far from being right, I'm not even sure it's wrong."[/color] Nalini shook her head knowingly, wry amusement widened her grin. Her phone chirped and displayed the time. She sighed and began packing her things, [Color=#dcd0ff]"I gotta go. If you don't want to be leered at by the dickless poachers over there, then walk with me to my next class. You can even lecture me on math or how exactly you dyed your hair so damn perfectly."[/color] Bobby looked at her with an incredulous smile, and then slowly nodded. [Color=#ffe5ff]"You're so strange. Fun, but strange."[/color] [Color=#dcd0ff]"Better than being dull."[/color] Nalini countered with a matter-of-fact tone. [Color=#dcd0ff]"Anyway, let's get out of here."[/color] It was a brief walk to the science building, but the two girls took the long way around just so they could have more time to talk. Their conversation was colorful and filled with laughter. Nalini's freshman year in college had been a harsh one until now, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad, if she had someone like Bobby as a friend. They were both walking through the hallways when the world went dark. [Center][H3][s] | : [/s][[b]○[/b]][s] : | [/s][/h3][/center] Nalini stirred in her sleep. Everything was hot, too hot, like she was lying in an oven. Tears of agony wet her lashes as the pain singed her nerves. The sheets clung to her damp skin uncomfortably. She tried clawing them off, but couldn’t. Her limbs wouldn’t respond, trapping her inside a body that wouldn’t move. Hazy visions raced through her mind. There was shouting and screaming, distant and faint, which echoed and faded into a noisy oblivion. Hot colors burst in her eyes and gave way to a roiling fog of red hues. Memories erupted one after another. Some she recognized, some she didn’t. But the one that always haunted her were the eyes filled with mortal terror looking back at her, pleading for help. It was Bobby. Her face was pale and haggard. A writhing liquid, black and foul, seeped from her eyes and mouth as she drew in short, ragged breaths. Words formed on her lips, but the memory was murky and always ended with deafening silence. [Center][H3][s] | : [/s][[b]○[/b]][s] : | [/s][/h3][/center] Nalini knew she was in a hospital before she ever opened her eyes. The acrid scent of rubbing alcohol and musty bedding had been accosting her since she regained her senses. Just smelling the rubbing alcohol made her thirsty. She craved it, and it made her feel awful, strange. She struggled to open her eyes and was surprised to see a bizarre relief of ultra-blue hues dancing on the walls. It was dark outside the window, yet the paint still glowed. It revealed messy hand prints and old splatter stains, bright against the violet background. The flowers on the windowsill seemed to be from a distant alien world. Neon crimson and intense violet petals rimmed a collection of delicate stalks painted with moonlight. Even in the dark, everything was awash with vibrant colour. It was a bewildering sight. Something was wrong. Her pulse began to quicken; panic accelerated it. Dread settled in as she struggled to sit up, barely noticing the plastic tubes hanging from her. It wasn't just the colors in the night that worried her. A terrible thirst haunted her. Her throat felt unbearably dry. A water bottle was left on a tray nearby. She reached for it, groaning with effort, and started chugging it. Even after she polished off the bottle… Nothing. A mild scent drew her gaze to cabinet a several feet distant. Thirst tightened her chest and closed her throat. She had no idea what it was inside, but she knew she needed it. The loud thumping in her ears drowned out the sound of her own thoughts. She padded from the bed to cabinet. Her attention fell upon a bottle of rubbing alcohol and, next to it, iodine. Acting on instinct she reached for them, one after another, and began drinking them to the last. The rough taste scoured her tongue. Nalini's stomach lurched and twisted in disapproval. It felt like molten metal was churning inside her, but the pounding headache and her racing pulse both began to subside. The shock of realization froze her thoughts even as the strange craving faded. [Color=#dcd0ff]"What the fuck am I doing… What's wrong with me?"[/color]