cerozer0

The Omega Project (superpower rp)

Seems cool, I'm interested

Haven (Open)

|G A T A
H A V E N|

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

Gata had gotten used to sleepless nights. Hot encloses, where sometimes the sky could peak through the holed roof, filled her mind with heavy white noise. Her eyes failed to close, too terrified of what could be waiting on the inside of her eyelids, and her mouth sucked in raspy breaths. Everything was either too loud or too quiet, and when she couldn't get comfortable she would rise up and continue reading. This routine has continued for many weeks now, even after she had arrived in Haven, even though Gata had silently hoped for all her worries to wash away after arriving into the safest place she had seen in awhile. But no, instead she stares at the rotting ceiling, hugging her journal to her chest as the snores of strangers surround her.

Those noises had since faded, though, as the sun rose and the songs of crows replaced the snores and sighs of sleeping bodies. The cracked windows reflected the colors of orange and pink and white against the rough wood floor, revealing shadows of passing clouds and blowing soft gusts of chilling wind across the room. Morning had finally come, and Gata blinked as people rose around her, ready for another day of preparation. Preparation for, yes, that's right, winter was coming. They didn't have much time left, it seemed.

Gata rose from her makeshift bedspread, rubbing the back of her head as she examined the now half-empty room with strained eyes. No one really around to view her tired face, good, she needed a few moments to perk up after all. Gata slapped her cheeks lightly, sighing loudly before rising to her feet, pulling on her worn boots before stepping off the bedspread and onto the splintered, wooden floor. She had finally arrived to Haven only a mere five days ago, and though they weren't exactly as welcoming as she hoped, they did take her in, and as long as she did her share of the work she would be allowed to stay. A simple trade, a good enough deal to keep Gata around and safe.

She stretched as the floor creaked below her, groaning quietly before glancing down at her current "sleeping" spot. It was quite simple, really, a thick winter coat saved her back from the harsh wood floor, and her canvas bag acted as both a pillow and a luggage. Beside that, her usual clothes were messily folded, ready for another day of being worn for too long. Gata ran a hand through her hair, blinking as the short strands curled around her forehead before pulling together her outfit slowly, as if to waste the day away. Gata silently thanked God for the outfit she had, it was probably the best thing in her possession at the moment. All the materials were thick and heavy and dull in color, perfect for camouflaging among the western landscape and warm to boot. It could probably keep her alive for a good while now. After wrapping the shawl around her shoulder, Gata once again glanced down at her messy bed area. Eh, might as well clean up.

She bent at the waist slightly, shoving her journal back into her old bag and folding the winter jacket until it was small enough to be unassuming. She slung her canvas bag over her shoulder, tucking the coat in wherever it could fit among the various books before heading out towards the main hall.

The house was silent, save for creaking footsteps that formed as her boots clicked against the rotting floor, and Gata found herself feeling a bit anxious about stepping outside again. She wasn't exactly the strongest nor most helpful to the Haven, sure she did well with things like look out or watching the younger kids, but she was in no way one for heavy lifting or building. She didn't have the slightest clue about how she would spend the upcoming days as the others prepped for winter. And then her ears caught the sounds of a conversation. A man and a girl, talking in tones that varied from loving to arguing, discussed the current food shortage problem. Now, scavenging! That was an excellent idea, and Gata could definitely help out with something like that. Before she could enter the den to agree with the idea, someone brushed passed, a young girl probably only a few years younger than herself. Her face read 'annoyed' and her entire posture gave away her disappointment. Poor kid. Gata turned slightly, peering back into the room curiously.

A somewhat familiar back came into a view, the back of an older man who often trudged around Haven with a grim look on his face. What was his name, Leo or something? Gata shrugged to herself before leaning against the door frame, her thin frame twisting slightly as a soft smile met her lips,

"Teenage angst, is it? You know, if you keep sheltering her she may rebel one of these days." Gata warned, images of her old friend from her high school years popping into her head. Poor guy, but it taught her that too much protection and sheltering made the heart grow curious. And reckless. There were lessons to be learned in moments of despair, it seemed. She shifted slightly at the thought, dark eyes wavering over the empty, light-dappled room quickly before once again focusing on Logan, head tilting ever so slightly as she awaited a response, hoping she appeared a cheery as she normally did.

Haven (Open)

"I am merely seeking the truth, you see."

Name: Dani "Gata" Salazar
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Occupation: College Student; Forensics Major; Daycare Assistant

Skills
Gata had always dreamed of being a detective or a forensics scientist, ever since she was young. Books, countless open binders and pages, swarm her mind, with images of crime scenes and bodies plastered among the wordy parchments. She is extremely knowledgeable of the human body and seems to always catch if something is amiss with people around her. While she is no doctor, she is surely well versed in common first aid thanks to her ventures as a daycare assistant, and the one medical sciences class she took in high school. Gata is also in possession of some very keen eyes. Clues rarely fail to slip past her vision, and she always strives to find the truth, no matter the consequences. She is also skilled at caring for children, especially younger ones.

Growing up in a rather harsh Mexican city, Gata has always had to rely on her street smarts to survive. She took quite a few self defense courses in high school and college, and is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish with relative ease. To this day she still practices slef defense and yoga, making her extremely agile and quick. She loves people, and as such has some decent communication skills. Her way of talking, though normally sweet if she likes you, can easily be swapped, though, if the group is in need of an interrogation. Gata is sharp tongued and scary when she needs to be, and those who don't wish to be cut should stay on her good side.

Flaws
Gata, despite her usually clear and bright mind, is prone to bouts of depression and anxiety. The apocalypse has left her incredibly shaken, and often spends her night sleeplessly staring at the stars or her hands, wondering how she could continue from where she is at. She has extreme break downs in some cases, though she has started to try and control them as of recently. Though she has some self defense training, Gata is extremely poor with firearms and would much rather avoid conflict than actually dive head first into a fight.

Gata has a very intense fear of storms and water and is also unable to swim. A bad experience at the beach are the reason for these phobias. While she is not the weakest girl out there, Gata isn't as strong as she would like, relying more on speed and out thinking her problems than simply pushing through them. Though her mind goes into overdrive in stressful situations, she is easily distracted, and when things don't seem to want to go her way she can become overly stubborn and bratty.

Firearm proficiency: 1, Gata has had little to no experience with firearms.

Weapons:
- Iron-bladed shovel, extremely worn and slightly rusted from age.
- Pocket knife, the blade reads Gata, and looks as though it was poorly engraved years ago.

Equipment:
- A large, dirty canvas bag
- Dozens of old books and journals, some hers and some not.
- A metal canteen, almost empty
- Many pens. Maybe too many.
- A broken watch, normally seen on her left wrist.
- Various trinkets she either found interesting or pretty.
- Fold-able winter coat
- A bloody, wrinkled picture of a class full of students and teachers.

Apparel:
Fourth Outfit

Personality:
Dani "Gata" Salazar is always smiling around other people. She smiles in the worst of situations, and laughs lightly, trying to have other join her cheerfulness as to keep them from despairing. The worst thing to do in a dire situation is to lose hope, and Dani knows this. Hope is the only thing she has left to cling to, and she grasps it tightly, smiling all the way. She finds weakness in getting angry for no reason, or crying, and thus she bottles up her emotions, keeping up her cheery mask as the world burns. As one may guess, this often leads to Gata feeling very drained or stressed, though she never reveals or tired face to anyone. No one should burden her own anxiety but herself, after all. And so, she playfully teases those she is close to, tells light jokes and old stories, and just generally tries to keep everyone's spirits up. Gata often clings to her closer friends, having a strange interest in physical contact, and likes to think of herself as a very maternal character towards them.

As true to her old, student ways, Gata is extremely curious towards things she doesn't know. She thirsts for knowledge and truths, and can often be found studying the many journals or textbooks she manages to find. Gata also keeps quite a few observation journals herself, their pages filled with details of the apocalypse and the creatures that roam the empty streets. She is somewhat sly to those she doesn't entirely trust, and can sometimes come off as a bit stand off-ish and blunt to strangers if they don't interest/feel safe to her,. Due to her severe stress and depression, Gata is prone to episodes of insomnia, and can often be found writing or reading when she can't sleep. Though she has managed to keep her break downs under control recently, sometimes the stress can get to be too much for the woman, and she will simply "shut down", curling away into a far corner where hopefully no one would find her until she feels better.

In emergency situations, Gata, through her aching head and beating heart, always tries to keep her eyes peeled for solutions and clues. Her ambitions to be a detective have never seemed to leave her mind, and with those wishes in mind she will always try to seek the truth,and the way to safety. Those who treat her badly, or those who threaten her or her friends will most likely catch a glimpse of "Interrogator Gata", the Gata with harsh eyes and cat-like grin. The Gata who's words cut like knives and who's hands seem to shake with a hidden rage. With that Gata in mind, do try to keep on her cheerful side. While she will never, ever take one's life without reason, it is best to be safe than sorry, right?

Backstory:
Dani Salazar was born and raised in Tamaulipas, Mexico, a sea side city that wasn't exactly known for having welcoming locals. Living in a small home with her useless mother, Luisa, and a tabby cat named Cielo, Dani hoped from a young age to escape the city and live in America, hopefully safe from the bullies that normally threaten her life. She also gained an interest in science and detective stories at a young age, which must be the key to her love for forensics in the future. While living in Tamaulipas, Dani often found herself getting sucked into local junior gangs by mistake, though not for the reasons you may think. They paid her, actually, to run errands and send messages, and though the jobs themselves may be somewhat fatal towards her life Dani never did like to turn down cash.

In high school, she started becoming a bit more defensive around other people, taking classes to ensure her safety all while studying twice as hard with a hope of getting into a decent college far, far away from this god awful town. Time passes, and she manages to secure a scholarship to New Mexico's State University. She waved goodbye to Mexico at the age eighteen, and hopes to never look back at that awful city behind her.

Las Cruces, the main campus at NMSU, was where she spent most her time. Dani studied her brains out, working twice as hard as students usually did, and was awarded with decent test scores and knowledge that filled her brain with bliss and her heart with pride. She found work at an old, homely day care, looking after darling children during her off days from school. The pay was great, and her co-workers were all so friendly and kind, it felt as though she had left all her worries behind in that damned city. It felt as though she was finally where she belonged.

And then everything crumpled around her. The panic started during her afternoon shift at the daycare. It happened quickly, too quickly even. She had failed to notice the thing that had staggered in, thinking it to be just one of her co-workers, but when it suddenly sprung onto a child all Hell broke loose. The door, they always left the front door open, that was the first thing Dani thought of, and her eyes traced the gleaming door way, watching in horror as two more of those things entered, attracted to the screams of the injured child beneath the first monster. She moved slowly, stunned by the sight of blood, and then quickly ran over to tear the odd being away from the first child, her breathing labored as she saw that the screams had stopped and the boy was still and quiet. Dead.

Her co-worker, a stout woman with curly hair and dark skin, started screaming at the children, telling them to get into the teacher's office, but even her cries are cut off by the second monster's teeth digging into her shoulder. Dani slowly pulled her eyes away from the dead child at her feet to stare at her co-worker, and then with sudden ambition she continued calling the children towards the office, guiding them around the carnage until the remaining seven toddlers and herself were safe behind a rattling door. She found herself unable to stand after that, her mind clouded with after images and her mouth a gap with empty air. The children were sobbing, screaming, just riling up the monsters outside the door, and Dani found herself unable to calm them. She was just. . . Useless.

Two hours later and the door wasn't about to hold anymore. Dani had managed to gain some control of herself, and after calming the children slightly she began leading them towards the very large windows to the east side of the room. The windows slid open with ease, and one by one Dani lifted the children over the sill and onto the green grass outside. The door shattered after the fourth child escaped, and Dani, feeling rushed, simply tucked the remaining children under her arms and booked it.

They didn't get far, who would have expected them too? Without a plan, or even the slightest idea off what the hell was happening, the group of children were picked off one by one. Ripped right from Dani's grasp, screaming in pain as the monster devoured them. By the time they reached any other non-zombie citizens, only Dani and two children were left. Scarred beyond belief and shaking like mad, Dani was thankful to see other breathing people, and the folks quickly took in the three remaining daycare attendees, giving them a safe place to stay for a few moments, water, and plans.

The family of four Dani had stumbled upon were all planning to head out of the city, far from the carnage that filled the streets. They all assumed that open fields would be safer than crowded towns, and after gathering up supplies and sharing names, the group of seven all crowded into a white mini-van and drove.

They survived well for the first few weeks, though good luck never seemed to last around Dani, and very soon she was all alone. The entire group had been slaughtered by bandits, bandits that simply wanted their car, and Dani barely escaped with her life. She took refuge in an abandoned cemetery, and wallowed in guilt and fear for what felt like millenniums. She wandered the rotting house that stood among the stone tablets, too terrified to move passed the gates of the cemetery, finding books and notebooks to fill her time, and eventually a buzzing radio. Whispers would sometimes emanate from the black box, speaking of survivors and a place called Haven. The name itself gave her a bit of hope, and that alone was enough to inspire her once again. Dani took whatever she could find from the cemetery house, and with new ambition set off towards Haven, hoping to find safety among other survivors, and sanity among living minds.

Other:
- "Gata" means 'Cat' in Spanish (feminine). Dani acquired this nickname in her teenage years from a close friend, who often related her to a "quick, sly kitty cat".
-She's bisexual as hell.

Haven (Open)

My vacation is over in two weeks, I've got a killer head ache, and I haven't rped in a little over a month. Seems like the perfect time to join a lovely advanced zombie game. I hope you guys are still open! And the CS probably has a few mistakes. I'll be tweaking it once my head stops killing me. Sorry for how messy it is!

Gata

"I am merely seeking the truth, you see."

Name: Dani "Gata" Salazar
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Occupation: College Student; Forensics Major; Daycare Assistant

Skills
Gata had always dreamed of being a detective or a forensics scientist, ever since she was young. Books, countless open binders and pages, swarm her mind, with images of crime scenes and bodies plastered among the wordy parchments. She is extremely knowledgeable of the human body and seems to always catch if something is amiss with people around her. While she is no doctor, she is surely well versed in common first aid thanks to her ventures as a daycare assistant, and the one medical sciences class she took in high school. Gata is also in possession of some very keen eyes. Clues rarely fail to slip past her vision, and she always strives to find the truth, no matter the consequences. She is also skilled at caring for children, especially younger ones.

Growing up in a rather harsh Mexican city, Gata has always had to rely on her street smarts to survive. She took quite a few self defense courses in high school and college, and is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish with relative ease. To this day she still practices slef defense and yoga, making her extremely agile and quick. She loves people, and as such has some decent communication skills. Her way of talking, though normally sweet if she likes you, can easily be swapped, though, if the group is in need of an interrogation. Gata is sharp tongued and scary when she needs to be, and those who don't wish to be cut should stay on her good side.

Flaws
Gata, despite her usually clear and bright mind, is prone to bouts of depression and anxiety. The apocalypse has left her incredibly shaken, and often spends her night sleeplessly staring at the stars or her hands, wondering how she could continue from where she is at. She has extreme break downs in some cases, though she has started to try and control them as of recently. Though she has some self defense training, Gata is extremely poor with firearms and would much rather avoid conflict than actually dive head first into a fight.

Gata has a very intense fear of storms and water and is also unable to swim. A bad experience at the beach are the reason for these phobias. While she is not the weakest girl out there, Gata isn't as strong as she would like, relying more on speed and out thinking her problems than simply pushing through them. Though her mind goes into overdrive in stressful situations, she is easily distracted, and when things don't seem to want to go her way she can become overly stubborn and bratty.

Firearm proficiency: 1, Gata has had little to no experience with firearms.

Weapons:
- Iron-bladed shovel, extremely worn and slightly rusted from age.
- Pocket knife, the blade reads Gata, and looks as though it was poorly engraved years ago.

Equipment:
- A large, dirty canvas bag
- Dozens of old books and journals, some hers and some not.
- A metal canteen, almost empty
- Many pens. Maybe too many.
- A broken watch, normally seen on her left wrist.
- Various trinkets she either found interesting or pretty.
- A bloody, wrinkled picture of a class full of students and teachers.

Apparel:
Fourth Outfit

Personality:
Dani "Gata" Salazar is always smiling around other people. She smiles in the worst of situations, and laughs lightly, trying to have other join her cheerfulness as to keep them from despairing. The worst thing to do in a dire situation is to lose hope, and Dani knows this. Hope is the only thing she has left to cling to, and she grasps it tightly, smiling all the way. She finds weakness in getting angry for no reason, or crying, and thus she bottles up her emotions, keeping up her cheery mask as the world burns. As one may guess, this often leads to Gata feeling very drained or stressed, though she never reveals or tired face to anyone. No one should burden her own anxiety but herself, after all. And so, she playfully teases those she is close to, tells light jokes and old stories, and just generally tries to keep everyone's spirits up. Gata often clings to her closer friends, having a strange interest in physical contact, and likes to think of herself as a very maternal character towards them.

As true to her old, student ways, Gata is extremely curious towards things she doesn't know. She thirsts for knowledge and truths, and can often be found studying the many journals or textbooks she manages to find. Gata also keeps quite a few observation journals herself, their pages filled with details of the apocalypse and the creatures that roam the empty streets. She is somewhat sly to those she doesn't entirely trust, and can sometimes come off as a bit stand off-ish and blunt to strangers if they don't interest/feel safe to her,. Due to her severe stress and depression, Gata is prone to episodes of insomnia, and can often be found writing or reading when she can't sleep. Though she has managed to keep her break downs under control recently, sometimes the stress can get to be too much for the woman, and she will simply "shut down", curling away into a far corner where hopefully no one would find her until she feels better.

In emergency situations, Gata, through her aching head and beating heart, always tries to keep her eyes peeled for solutions and clues. Her ambitions to be a detective have never seemed to leave her mind, and with those wishes in mind she will always try to seek the truth,and the way to safety. Those who treat her badly, or those who threaten her or her friends will most likely catch a glimpse of "Interrogator Gata", the Gata with harsh eyes and cat-like grin. The Gata who's words cut like knives and who's hands seem to shake with a hidden rage. With that Gata in mind, do try to keep on her cheerful side. While she will never, ever take one's life without reason, it is best to be safe than sorry, right?

Backstory:
Dani Salazar was born and raised in Tamaulipas, Mexico, a sea side city that wasn't exactly known for having welcoming locals. Living in a small home with her useless mother, Luisa, and a tabby cat named Cielo, Dani hoped from a young age to escape the city and live in America, hopefully safe from the bullies that normally threaten her life. She also gained an interest in science and detective stories at a young age, which must be the key to her love for forensics in the future. While living in Tamaulipas, Dani often found herself getting sucked into local junior gangs by mistake, though not for the reasons you may think. They paid her, actually, to run errands and send messages, and though the jobs themselves may be somewhat fatal towards her life Dani never did like to turn down cash.

In high school, she started becoming a bit more defensive around other people, taking classes to ensure her safety all while studying twice as hard with a hope of getting into a decent college far, far away from this god awful town. Time passes, and she manages to secure a scholarship to New Mexico's State University. She waved goodbye to Mexico at the age eighteen, and hopes to never look back at that awful city behind her.

Las Cruces, the main campus at NMSU, was where she spent most her time. Dani studied her brains out, working twice as hard as students usually did, and was awarded with decent test scores and knowledge that filled her brain with bliss and her heart with pride. She found work at an old, homely day care, looking after darling children during her off days from school. The pay was great, and her co-workers were all so friendly and kind, it felt as though she had left all her worries behind in that damned city. It felt as though she was finally where she belonged.

And then everything crumpled around her. The panic started during her afternoon shift at the daycare. It happened quickly, too quickly even. She had failed to notice the thing that had staggered in, thinking it to be just one of her co-workers, but when it suddenly sprung onto a child all Hell broke loose. The door, they always left the front door open, that was the first thing Dani thought of, and her eyes traced the gleaming door way, watching in horror as two more of those things entered, attracted to the screams of the injured child beneath the first monster. She moved slowly, stunned by the sight of blood, and then quickly ran over to tear the odd being away from the first child, her breathing labored as she saw that the screams had stopped and the boy was still and quiet. Dead.

Her co-worker, a stout woman with curly hair and dark skin, started screaming at the children, telling them to get into the teacher's office, but even her cries are cut off by the second monster's teeth digging into her shoulder. Dani slowly pulled her eyes away from the dead child at her feet to stare at her co-worker, and then with sudden ambition she continued calling the children towards the office, guiding them around the carnage until the remaining seven toddlers and herself were safe behind a rattling door. She found herself unable to stand after that, her mind clouded with after images and her mouth a gap with empty air. The children were sobbing, screaming, just riling up the monsters outside the door, and Dani found herself unable to calm them. She was just. . . Useless.

Two hours later and the door wasn't about to hold anymore. Dani had managed to gain some control of herself, and after calming the children slightly she began leading them towards the very large windows to the east side of the room. The windows slid open with ease, and one by one Dani lifted the children over the sill and onto the green grass outside. The door shattered after the fourth child escaped, and Dani, feeling rushed, simply tucked the remaining children under her arms and booked it.

They didn't get far, who would have expected them too? Without a plan, or even the slightest idea off what the hell was happening, the group of children were picked off one by one. Ripped right from Dani's grasp, screaming in pain as the monster devoured them. By the time they reached any other non-zombie citizens, only Dani and two children were left. Scarred beyond belief and shaking like mad, Dani was thankful to see other breathing people, and the folks quickly took in the three remaining daycare attendees, giving them a safe place to stay for a few moments, water, and plans.

The family of four Dani had stumbled upon were all planning to head out of the city, far from the carnage that filled the streets. They all assumed that open fields would be safer than crowded towns, and after gathering up supplies and sharing names, the group of seven all crowded into a white mini-van and drove.

They survived well for the first few weeks, though good luck never seemed to last around Dani, and very soon she was all alone. The entire group had been slaughtered by bandits, bandits that simply wanted their car, and Dani barely escaped with her life. She took refuge in an abandoned cemetery, and wallowed in guilt and fear for what felt like millenniums. She wandered the rotting house that stood among the stone tablets, too terrified to move passed the gates of the cemetery, finding books and notebooks to fill her time, and eventually a buzzing radio. Whispers would sometimes emanate from the black box, speaking of survivors and a place called Haven. The name itself gave her a bit of hope, and that alone was enough to inspire her once again. Dani took whatever she could find from the cemetery house, and with new ambition set off towards Haven, hoping to find safety among other survivors, and sanity among living minds.

Other:
- "Gata" means 'Cat' in Spanish (feminine). Dani acquired this nickname in her teenage years from a close friend, who often related her to a "quick, sly kitty cat".

Shonen Punk! (Concept Thread and Interest Check)

I think this could be interesting. :)

Song of the Century // sci-fi action adventure

Sooo interested!

Northwood Academy

Aiden Carren, Amy Snow, and Luca Agnelli
3:30 PM; Northwood Library

Aiden walked carefully through the library, noticeably surprised by how crowded it was. Not just by the living, of course, but by the dead as well. Thank God all those pushy, weird spirits had returned, she was starting to feel some sort of withdrawal from not having anything to ignore, odd as it is. They were back now, and their numbers were growing with each step she took into the quiet library, most doing what they always seemed to do when she was around; try and get her attention. Already that lonely pit in her stomach was being filled with uncomfortable buzzing, and she could only thank those annoying ghosts who filled the void. Aiden felt a sigh escape her throat, and then she let her eyes raise to the ceiling, deep in thought. Why exactly did she return to this paranormal hot spot? Perhaps to check up on everything, to reassure her that everything was back to normal and everyone was fine, but she could have gone anywhere in this odd school to do that. Why here? Aiden mindlessly lowered her head, feet dragging her up the stairs to the second floor once more.

“Might as well look for something to read, since I’m here…” She muttered to herself, and maybe Diana, hands toying with the cross around her neck.

“Looking for something in particular?” A voice asked. Aiden jumped at the sudden question, head twisting around curiously before her eyes settled on a mousy-looking girl in between the shelves. “Sorry didn’t mean to startle you.” The girl said apologetically, and Aiden lowered her head in a quick greeting, waving her hands quickly as if to say ‘it’s fine, it’s fine’.

“No, no, it wasn’t you fault, really!” She exclaimed, blushing furiously, “I’m just a bit jumpy. Stressed, uh, fidgety. It’s my fault for not noticing you.” Aiden lowered her head again, as if to apologize for her daydreamy-ness. D stared at the stranger with wide eyes for a moment, head tilted in an almost unnatural way, and then she turned to hide behind Aiden, hands clenching the older girl’s arm with a cold, tight grip. Aiden made no show of the added weight to her left side, though, and instead she tilted her own head, eyebrows furrowed slightly, “but, uh, what did you say before?”

“Oh, I was asking if you were looking for something in particular to read. I can help you find it maybe. I am Amy Snow by the way.” She held out her hand for Aiden to shake, and the red-haired girl quickly obliged, giving the hand a light shake. A faint, shy smile met her lips, but then she let curiosity claim her eyes. Amy was her name? That sounded a bit… Familiar. Though Aiden was certain she hadn’t met anyone named Amy until this very moment, there was a slight tug at her memory, and after a second of silently trying to recollect herself Aiden shrugged off the feeling and continued on.

“Nice to meet you, Amy. I’m Aiden, er, Aiden Carren.”

“It’s a pleasure.” Amy gave her a genuine smile. She picked up a red book from the stack that was on the cart next to her. For a few seconds she looked at the book before replacing it to pick up another and shelve it. Aiden watched the action curiously, thumbs twiddling without her really realizing it, and then she took a step closer, hands lowering to rest on the book-covered cart.

“Uh, would you like some help? I’m sure four hands are better than two for this job.” She asked with an otherwise emotionless voice, the faint smile on her lips growing at the sight of Amy’s genuine grin.

“Sure, do you know any of the Dewey Decimal system? If not I can give you a few hints.”

“I like to think I’m well-versed in it, I do often find myself among shelves like these when I need some info for a research paper.” Her hands shifted across the worn spine of a green book, and after she scanned the name and number situated on the binding she carefully placed it into the shelf, nodding once at her decision before setting forward to the next book, repeating the task over again. She let a rather stiff silence set in as the two worked, well, probably silent for Amy, seeing as Aiden was almost never gifted anytime for quiet. As she worked, Aiden could see the gray-scale spirits behind her, watching with terrified eyes.

She only drew her attention away from the bookcase at the sight of a somewhat familiar shadow. Luca turned the corner, silent as usual, and stared at the working girls with a blank face.

“Oh, you’ve found each other already. Neato.” The bottom of her skirt and her knees are covered in mud. “Aiden, yeah? This is Amy – my Amy, the one I was talking about. There’s about five others in the school. Amy, this is a new transfer student I met.”

“There’s three others counting the freshman.” Amy pauses to look at Aiden “I help set up the library check out records”

“O-Oh?” Aiden blinked once as Luca appeared, obviously a bit confused, but she very quickly got the jist of things as the two started conversing in a friendly manner. This was the ‘girl club’ Luca had mentioned, it seemed. She quickly shoved another ragged book back into the shelf before turning to face the two fully, curling a strand of hair around her finger, “you seem to be very involved with this library, huh?” Aiden then glanced at Luca, green eyes darkening, “anyway, since we’re all here, did you have a plan set for us or something?”

“Nope! Amy leads, I follow. That’s how it usually works.” A shrug.

“I just had these books to shelve and then I’m done here. You’re new here right? We can show you around a bit.” Amy suggests. Aiden perks up at the idea, a wider smile forming on her lips,

“That actually sounds like a great idea, if you don’t mind.” She shrugged sheepishly, reaching down to examine and put away another book. Diana gave the two a very hard stare, but then turned away, obviously somewhat content with the strangers dragging her clinging-buddy around. Aiden smirked slightly at the empty air beside her, then returned her gaze to the shelf, finishing up another few books. Amy, meanwhile, seemed to be having trouble with the red book again. Her eyes stared holes into the thick cover, and then scanned the shelves once or twice before replacing it on the cart. Aiden tilted her head at the mousy girl, then reached down to pick up the book, “what’s with this book? Can’t figure out where it goes?” She asked Amy.

“Huh, oh no I keep going to put it away out of habit, but I wanted to read it. It’s from another section actually.” Amy held out her hand for the book. *she seems perturbed by the book* “I just don’t want to forget to check it out, that’s why I haven’t put it in my bag.” She put the book on top of her bag in the bottom section of the cart. Aiden nodded slowly at her response, eyes connected with the cover of the book, and then quickly got to work on finishing up the remaining books. Once everything she squared away, Aiden took a step back, shaking her left shoulder slightly before turning towards the other two girls, eyes filled with excitement.

“We should hurry along, before we end up completely alone in those creepy halls!” She sang, voice noticeably cheerier than before. Around her, spirits shook, eyes wide and hands still. They seemed to be focused on the two girls rather than Aiden, but eventually they returned to to their odd habits, moaning and reaching in complete silence. Aiden only let her eyes wander for a moment, lips quickly drawn into a blank line, and then she forced her smile to return, hoping the two girls would ignore her perturbed expression.

Portwood Institute for Talented Youths (PITY)

Phoebe arrived on the scene a few seconds before the first bell, wobbling towards the group gathering on the field shyly while others arrived with steep confidence. Though she had spoken to at least one participate within the class, P.K found herself alone once the teacher arrived. That was fine, nothing out of the ordinary, though she felt a pang of worry as she glanced at somewhat familiar faces in the distance. The pit in her stomach only grew larger as the teacher suddenly barked an order, and after glancing around with confused eyes she followed the starting crowd, teeth clenched in annoyance as the one named Rick Wheatman went off on a rather loud ruling spree. She kept up a steady pace, memories of the pacer test from middle school flashing in her head, but P.K wasn't the strongest. Sure, her stamina was trained thanks to constantly loosing control of her abilities, but she was truly out of shape and was panting within two laps.

Luckily, she wasn't as bad off as Mason. That boy was wheezing within a few steps. She sucked in heavy breaths and watched curiously as the teach suddenly started berating him, and her eyebrows furrowed with dislike. One would call a man like that a bully, but of course you can't scare the mean out of a stupid adult like you could with teens. She slowed as Rick barked a new order, and with a now permanent glare plastered on her face she dropped down and began attempting some push ups. P.K instantly felt her arms struggle to lift her body, and she collapsed after only eight.

Stupid, this was first period, first day of school, and already her face was red with exhaustion and embarrassment. This stupid teacher... No, this stupid tyrant. He reminded her of a military drill sergeant, a cold-blooded asshole with more muscles than brain, and as P.K focused her rage she felt her body begin to heat up ever more. She was now visibly glowing out. Luckily, the teacher seemed more focused at yelling at another student, and after taking slow, heavy breaths she allowed her head to calm, and with a slight grunt she turned to look at where Rick was shouting.

The girl with snakes for hair was standing, looking visibly annoyed (and maybe a bit tired). Words were passed, though Phoebe couldn't hear most of them with the pulse pounding against her ear drums, and then the beautiful girl was walking out with her shoulders back. Rick stared after with his mouth a gap, probably preparing to shout 'detention' at the girl's back. P.K slowly rose up from the ground, running a reddened hand through her afro before sitting back on her heels, watching as the snake-haired girl wandered far beyond the sounds of Rick's berating speech.

"Ballsy..." She muttered, and then briefly considered following after her. The feeling passed like a breeze though, as suddenly she felt eyes on her kneeling form. Rick was glaring at her, mouth parted in a grimace, and he approached with smoke steaming from his ears. Of course, P.K's defiant glare didn't do anything to clam his rage.

"Fifty push ups, now, brat." He growled, bending at the waist slightly so the two were eye-to-eye. P.K already felt her blood boiling at this kind of authority, at this man who was supposed to be making her work harder. She was always like this, she would always do the opposite of what she was told. Phoebe wasn't impolite about it or mean, no, she did it in little ways. Dying her hair, not coming to class. Walking out. The thought entered her mind again, glowing much like her skin had started to, and then with a devious, almost unnatural smirk she rose up, glaring at the gray-haired man with a fiery gaze.

"Sorry, Sir. I've got someplace to be."

"And where exactly would that be, missy?" P.K sat back on her heels, head tilting into a pointed finger in a dramatic thinking pose, and then with a snap of her free hand she was enveloped in a flash of light. Rick, startled, took a step back and started blinking the afterimages from his eyes, and meanwhile Phoebe had quickly rushed past him, heading to where she had seen the snake-hair girl go,

"anywhere but here!" She shouted over her shoulder before skipping off the turf and after Lynn.

Portwood Institute for Talented Youths (PITY)

brewing up a post as we speak~

Wink Murder: Who Killed Mr. Jig?

Getting my wifi back today so if anyone would like to collab I'm open~