Lasrever

—(••[ 𝕎𝕀𝕊ℍ𝔼𝔸𝕋𝔼ℝ ]••)—

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𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟛, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 / / ℂ𝕣𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕟 ℂ𝕦𝕝𝕡𝕒𝕖 𝟙 / / ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕟 𝕆𝕦𝕥𝕤𝕜𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕤 / / 𝟚𝟙𝟚𝟞

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As she finally tore off the noodle, Zoe grinned, tossing the end she still had a hold of aside - although she'd been startled into taking a few steps back as the thing came a little too close to blowing up in her face. While she was fully prepared to snap at Savannah, her attention was caught by the effect it had on the monster as she saw it falling to the floor, even if it wasn't quite out yet. Can't argue with results, I guess.

Of course, it hadn't escaped her notice that Aaron was quick to bail on them. She didn't have the time to watch where he went, though. She wasn't really in 'reasonable' mode right now, so it didn't even occur to her that he was too hurt to fight - but she had enough awareness to realise it was best she kept her distance once things were over, knowing she really didn't have the strength to avoid losing control at him. Either way, he hadn't made a good first impression.

She looked towards the plate, which was beginning to get back up from the floor, flailing its ruined noodle around in front of it. Darting forward, she tapped the edge of the 'plate' for a brief second, before retreating slightly. Now that she wasn't trying to tear anything off, there really wasn't any reason to stay closer to the creature than she needed to. She glanced over her shoulder, wary of the other monsters surrounding them, before deciding to stay at a safe distance.

While part of her wanted to suggest Savannah do the same, she wasn't sure exactly how the other girl's abilities would or wouldn't work - and besides, Zoe's mind was such a mess right now that she really didn't want to open her mouth. It was bad enough what she'd said to Aaron, and with Savannah being an 'X' like herself, it seemed a lot more likely she'd get angry, at least based on Zoe's own experience. She just didn't want to risk having the girl get herself hurt with a stupid decision. After all, she was only a kid - if it came to it, Zoe would rather have herself be the one taking the hits.

Curious to see if the plate counted as alive, she tried using her abilities on it - not focused, but affecting the whole thing as best as she could. If it was anything like a real plate, it'd be brittle enough that her ability would affect it pretty badly if it worked. If it did, it wouldn't take long for flaws to spread through the thing - given enough time, it'd probably snap on its own, but as it was it'd at least make it easier for someone else to break.

Part of her was hoping that wouldn't take too long, because somehow she doubted this particular spaghetti monster would exactly be her biggest fan right about now.

—(••[ 𝕎𝕀𝕊ℍ𝔼𝔸𝕋𝔼ℝ ]••)—

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𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟛, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 / / ℂ𝕣𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕟 ℂ𝕦𝕝𝕡𝕒𝕖 𝟙 / / ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕟 𝕆𝕦𝕥𝕤𝕜𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕤 / / 𝟚𝟙𝟚𝟝

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Just as she felt she was getting close to finishing the tentacle off, Zoe was batted away, and struggled to regain her balance as she stumbled backwards, the breath knocked out of her and anger flashing across her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she caught a glimpse of Aaron... biting it? What the hell was that meant to do? Answering her question, the thing let out a noise halfway between a roar and a scream, before revealing a mouth that looked more than capable of eating any one of them alive, along with its two buddies doing the same. Oh for the love of...

Zoe was quickly reaching the end of her patience both with the creatures and with Aaron. For now, she was happy to take it out on the noodle that had knocked her away after a look back at the two others confirmed they weren't needing her help right now. A quick glance between her black-lined arm and the wisps slowly rising from the spaghetti confirmed that her power was still taking effect, which hopefully meant she'd be actually able to tear it off if she tried again considering how close the noodle had felt to snapping earlier. About time, if you asked her! Invigorated, she started to move, lunging forward to grab the spaghetti.

She didn't realise it, but her enthusiasm at the prospect of tearing the thing apart was only partially her own, her stigma-driven bloodlust unconsciously bringing a slight smile to her face. While it would have been slightly disturbing anyway considering the situation, there was also a glint of murder in her eyes that meant it wouldn't have been surprising if Aaron thought she was about to attack him for a second.

She wasn't of course - her bloodlust was at least directed towards the enemy, although Zoe wasn't about to spare Aaron completely, eyes flashing with anger as she glared at him, practically snarling. "I've half a mind to let the damn thing have you!" As she spoke, she grabbed with one hand on either side of the part she was weakening and pulled as hard as she could to finally try and rip the spaghetti limb in two. Despite her words, she really didn't have it in her to leave anyone to die. Not that they needed to know that.

Pokémon: Start

@PlatinumSkink I'm going to give it a few days before I'm 100% sure, but right now I don't really feel into the idea of continuing. Stuff comes up sometimes and I accept that so it's nothing on you, but I don't think it'd be fair for anyone if I kept on with posts I didn't feel like putting effort into writing.

All the same, I hope it goes well, and I did have fun with it! Just lost my inspiration right now.

—(••[ 𝕎𝕀𝕊ℍ𝔼𝔸𝕋𝔼ℝ ]••)—

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𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟛, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 / / ℂ𝕣𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕟 ℂ𝕦𝕝𝕡𝕒𝕖 𝟙 / / ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕟 𝕆𝕦𝕥𝕤𝕜𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕤 / / 𝟚𝟙𝟚𝟙

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As they arrived at the battlefield, it took a second for her to take in what was going on. The display from the other Subnaturals had been impressive, but that didn't change the fact that her group had their own targets to take on. When she looked at their targets, Zoe did a double take. What the fuck? After a second look confirmed that they were being attacked by aggressive Italian food, she decided not to think too hard about it.

Seemed like Aaron had decided to take charge from the way he was ordering them around. While she wasn't the biggest fan of being told what to do, someone had to do it, and there wasn't enough time for everyone to sit around arguing over the role. Part of her was thankful someone had stepped up, so she just nodded as he sorted them into smaller teams, making sure to note who she was with. Shouting girl, and Chris, who was currently writhing around on the floor. Not a sight that filled her with confidence, but she just rolled her eyes.

While there hadn't really been any proof of his leadership skills, Aaron's strategy made sense to her from the powers she'd heard. From the sounds of it, the three in her group were probably the most straight-up offensive types, at least while they weren't sure if the enemy could cast anything, so putting them on plate duty was fair enough. Although she couldn't help but think that the guy was talking a lot. Still hadn't stopped, but her attention went elsewhere as he continued.

Saying that, she could probably only injure the meatball things right now as long as they were running around. Her abilities were too slow to be that useful unless she focused them, which worked fine when she knew where the vital organs were, but where the hell did meatballs keep their important bits? Did these things even have brains? Well, even if they did she didn't have a clue where to find them, so not exactly the ideal enemy. Even if they'd had a clear head or something, it'd be easier to target than this.

Nothing she could do about that, though, so she turned to her team-mate who wasn't currently flailing around on the floor. She smirked, considering Angélique's offered fist for a moment before nodding and meeting it with her own. "You got it. Name's Zoe, though. 'Breaks-stuff-down' girl's not got much of a ring to it."

After Angel offered some encouragement to the rest of the groups, Zoe just gave them a joking salute before turning to look at Chris's location. Hey, maybe it'd put them at ease a bit if not everyone was looking so worried. Knowing somebody else was confident normally helped other people feel the same or something like that, right? She was about to head off to her position when Aaron's speech was cut off with a thump and a snap.

And then everything went to hell.

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Aaron's speech had been cut off just as he seemed to be finishing up, as one of the creatures knocked him down and basically ran him over, along with Alexis who was out for the count... Which meant there was no-one in that group who could actually fight these things unless they started using magic. And if the things didn't? Two average humans, a blacked-out redhead and a cripple. Sounds like the start of a bad joke.

Then again, the plan said she was meant to stick with the singer girl, but as she glanced over and saw the two meatballs flailing around on their backs, it seemed to her like Angel was handling herself just fine even if she hadn't finished them off. Chris definitely wasn't in a state to fight yet, though. Seemed like whatever Zoe did, someone was getting screwed over.

While she would have spent longer thinking it through, her decision was made for her when one of the noodles wrapped around Aaron's torso. She wasn't about to sit by and let anyone get killed, even if he was only in this position 'cause he liked the sound of his own voice too much. Letting someone on her side get injured when she had a chance to protect them wasn't really her thing.

Who needs plans anyway?

She sprinted towards the creature that had a hold of Aaron, getting as firm a grip on it as she could and activating her powers. There wasn't time to try and destroy the whole thing, but she focused her ability into a small area just above where she'd grabbed, wisps of dust rising from it as black, vein-like lines started to appear on her arms. As she did, she felt a rush of adrenaline - her Stigma, of course, but that didn't change how exhilarating it was. For a few seconds everything else faded away, only the sudden realisation of what was happening bringing her to her senses.

Hissing through her teeth, she shook her head to try and clear her thoughts and then yelled to the two people still standing nearby. "Savannah, Allison, one of you go back up Angel! Hold these things off 'til Chris gets his shit together, alright?"

With that out of the way, she focused her attention on the creature again. Her ability wouldn't cut through it right away, but it wouldn't take long to weaken the thing's structure enough that she could rip off the part with a hold on Aaron. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of something that looked a bit like glitter... She doubted it was anything good, but wasn't about to let go, instead just shifting her position slightly to shield her eyes. Hopefully it wouldn't do too much damage - her clothes could probably stop some of it from hitting her anyway.

—(••[ 𝕎𝕀𝕊ℍ𝔼𝔸𝕋𝔼ℝ ]••)—

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𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟛, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 / / 𝕌𝕊𝔸ℝ𝕀𝕃ℕ 𝔼𝕒𝕤𝕥 / / ℂ𝕒𝕞𝕡𝕦𝕤 / / 𝟚𝟘𝟝𝟟

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Zoe hadn't been doing too much all day beyond wandering around the school grounds, or rather stalking around - she moved quickly, purposefully, focusing on her stride rather than where she was going. The scowl on her face dissuaded most people from talking to her, not that she would've given them the time of day anyway. She wasn't having a good time of it, and walking around seemed like the simplest way to try and distract herself from the urge to lash out at anyone who came close.

That violent release zone thing was starting to seem like a much more attractive prospect. She hadn't filled in a form yet - although she'd taken the time to complete the tests, which had pretty much gone alright. While she wasn't any kind of genius, there were a few classes that she'd admit to being kind of good at. Science, mostly. Never really liked biology, but when her abilities turned up she'd done some reading in the hopes that she'd know where to avoid if she didn't want to kill anyone when she went off the handle. Which, she reflected, had backfired spectacularly. Maybe if I hadn't, I wouldn't have-

Interrupting her thoughts, the alarm startled her slightly when it went off, if only because of the sheer amount of irritating noises that were going on at once. The one that annoyed her the most was the Director's voice, a woman who Zoe had decided she'd probably never like. At least she was able to listen to the announcement well enough, sighing as she stopped in her tracks. She thought the statements over as the cuff spoke. Menagerie, huh? Nice to know. Not really my problem, but nice to know.

As the thought crossed her mind, the bracelet started talking about new students. Which, if she wasn't wrong, included her. Something about it being a combat test, so the Director herself would be paying attention. Sure enough, it started naming teams, which made sense. Sending everyone new away in one group was probably overkill. Well then, I guess it is my problem. Wonder what we'll have to fight?

Zoe glanced at her cuff as the teams finished being rattled off. Sure enough, a small green light blinked there to indicate her group. While she vaguely recognised the names, she'd never really taken time to introduce herself to any of them, much as she'd been tempted. Some of them seemed decent enough people, so she'd decided it wasn't worth the risk of getting close to them. Not that it mattered too much now - and hey, maybe being sent off to kill things together was a great way to meet new people!

"Get moving."

Apparently she'd been standing there for a little too long, as one of the soldiers approached her, weapon raised. Just once, she'd love to go somewhere without the threat of being filled with bullets. Rolling her eyes, she sighed. "Yeah, sure, I'm coming. Don't want you to miss out on a pat on the head from your owner - I mean, your boss."

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The soldier escorting Zoe apparently had enough self-control not to respond to any of her comments as they made their way to the trucks. As such, it hadn't taken too long for her to get there. She didn't know any of the people in her group too well, except that several of them had also been classed as the 'violent X' group, but that was fine with her. At the end of the day, who she was with wasn't the main issue for her. The idea of just being a weapon to the director and her buddies got under her skin, but despite that she still couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. Whatever they had to fight, seemed like she'd be free to let loose on it. That was a hell of a lot better than going for other people, and maybe it'd shut down that compulsion for a while.

In keeping with her usual attitude, Zoe didn't look bothered by the situation. Of course she was pretty nervous seeing as they had no idea what kind of things they'd be fighting, but that was overridden by the anticipation of the fight. Although she didn't realise it herself, there was a glimmer in her eyes that could only really be described as bloodlust, making her expression seem almost predatory. It wasn't often that she and her Stigma were in agreement, but if she really did have to go and show her stuff... Well, why not try and have fun with it? All she had to do was keep it together for one little truck ride.

Divided We Stand

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Location; Outside somewhere on campus → Eliana’s room → The Fear Fest bus
Interacting With; Each other _{@lovely complex@Lasrever}

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To anyone that didn’t know him well, the sight of Samuel Keats roaming around with a bundle of colorful fabrics would be more than a little unusual. The guy didn’t exactly give off the vibe of being a fashionista, and even though the Fear Fest was on, he was still a sophomore so it wasn’t even like he needed to set anything up. More than a few people looked at him with suspicion, assuming that he was up to something or other, that he had some kind of scheme in mind.

The truth, however, was something very different. Because today, Keats didn’t have time to pick a fight with anybody. Today, he couldn’t care less about his reputation, about Mayweathers or Delphinas or anything to do with any of it. Today, nothing was going to bring him down, because this was the one time of the year that he genuinely looked forward to. Not the summer break, not whatever winter holiday you happened to celebrate, not even his own birthday. No, the coming of the Fear Fest meant one thing. It was Halloween.

And Keats loved Halloween.

He made his own costume every year, had always been the first to set out candy back home, and you’d better believe he had the entire soundtrack of ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ committed to memory. To him, there wasn’t any competition - and the idea that someone could not like it was pretty much blasphemy.

So, as he made the journey back towards his room, he couldn’t help but notice one person whose lack of enthusiasm stood out. Eliana Lovelace herself was sitting on a nearby bench, looking gloomier than anyone had the right to be at this time of year. He thought it over for a second, before changing direction, and strolling over to stand behind the bench and dumping the fabrics he’d been holding onto the seat next to her. Resting on the back of the bench, he tapped her on the shoulder with a grin and spoke cheerfully. ”Why the long face? It’s Halloween, even you gotta be looking forward to it a little!”

Eliana glanced up at the overly enthusiastic boy and internally cringed at the amount of excitement emitting from him. This was not the Keats she was use to. Far from it. Someone was excited to get spooky. She had been holding her phone in her right hand thinking of the possible excuses to tell her mom so that she could receive a get out of jail for free card and not go to the Fear Fest. Yes, she already packed and everything was set in her bedroom but there was still time for her to be like, ‘hey mom, I could really use today to train’.

She hated Halloween.

This holiday itself glorifies death and people get a kick out of other’s tears and ultimately their fears. What was so great about that? Don’t get her started with the scantily clad costumes for women. It seems nowadays, Halloween was just another excuse for horny teenagers to get laid. But that is not the problem today. The problem is this event is being hosted by Delphinas and it just smells like an utter disaster waiting to happen. Lucas was going to be there and she was sure he was going to go out of his way to make her life miserable. He could try but at this point in time, his childish antics just bored her. She doubted anything he threw at her could beat the images in her own mind. Regardless of his sorry attempts to get her emotionally stirred, she was still not looking forward to this festival that would give her a chance to have fun. Fun was not an option when the Tournament was just around the corner and she doubted that anything about the Fear Festival would be fun.

The further the semester went, the more Eliana wished she was homeschooled. Her friendships were dwindling and if she truly got what she wanted, she would have peace, quiet, and complete solitude. Of course, this day was not one of those days and neither was tomorrow or the day after, or the rest of the school year for that matter.

God, today was going to suck.

“Oh Keats, this is just how my face naturally is. Can’t you see how excited I am? I’m literally jumping for joy.” Her tone was sarcastic and dull. She was not enthused and she doubted he would change her mood.

”To be fair, your face normally is like that when I’m around. Still, you really don’t like Halloween, huh?” he muttered, but wasn’t discouraged by the setback. So, she really wasn’t a fan of all this. Now to most people, that might have been a cue to leave her alone, but Keats took it as a challenge. After thinking for a second, he spoke again.

”Well, I guess that settles it. Change of plans.” he jumped over the back of the bench, taking a seat next to her. ”See, normally I’d leave you alone, but I get the feeling you’re gonna try and avoid the festivities. As an upstanding citizen, I can’t let anyone be left out like that. So, I’ve got an offer you can’t refuse.” Despite knowing that he was probably annoying her like nothing else, and that they hadn’t exactly been the best of buddies in the past - not to mention the arrogance that unintentionally came through everything he was saying - there was something about Keats’ tone that indicated it was coming from a sincere place.

”You’re going to Fear Fest. With me. Because no way in hell am I letting anyone skip this. Like it or not, you are going to have some fun and stop moping around for once.” Before Ellie could cut him off, he raised a hand. ”And if by the time it’s over I haven’t convinced you to start enjoying Halloween, then you can decide on a forfeit of your choosing. That way, at least you know you’ll get some kind of entertainment out of this, guaranteed.” Keats laughed. He was confident enough making that offer - it was mostly just to stop her trying to talk her way out of it. Still, by the expectant look he gave her, it was obvious the guy wasn’t about to take no for an answer.

Raising an eyebrow, Eliana kept silent and contemplated his terms. A forfeit of your choosing. Oh? Was Keats making this a game? With someone like her? Huh, who would’ve thought. If she didn’t enjoy herself, she’d get to… punish him. This was interesting. Intriguing, even. She already figured he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Would he be able to get her to have fun? If Keats, someone she wasn’t necessarily well acquainted with, gave her the time of her life - she’d be surprised. Glancing over at him, locking her green orbs with his blue, she surveyed his expression. There was a glint in her dangerous gaze. Those eyes that were the window to her overwhelming power. She knew better than to get close with others, especially after seeing Elijah with Gianna that one fine morning. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. But for a challenge? Maybe she could make an exception. It wasn’t like Keats had anything to do with the individuals of her past.

After this weekend, they will return back to not acknowledging the other’s existence. At least, that was Eliana’s plan. “It’s more effort to refuse, so you’re on. Don’t expect this to be easy.” She pocketed her phone in her backpack purse pouch before standing up and turning on her heel to face him, “Mr. Upstanding Citizen, how do I look? Because I am NOT wearing a costume.” Deep down, Eliana knew her fate, but she could hope he didn’t have any plans on getting her festive. The fact that she was going should be good enough for him! Right?

Looked like she took the bait, worked like a charm. At the costume comment, Keats just raised an eyebrow. ”That right? Looks like I really am in for a challenge.” He grinned as he stood up, pausing just long enough to give her some hope before shaking his head. ”But you don’t really get a choice about this. Step one of Halloween is a good costume. Don’t suppose you’ve got one lying around?”

After a second, he realised that was a stupid question. ”Right. How about any old clothes lying around? That, or I could make you one myself - I don’t think I need this much material just for my own. Not sure how good it’d be if I haven’t planned it out, though.”

He’d clearly decided that this was going to happen, and nothing was changing his mind. Costumes were non-negotiable. ”How about we check your room, see if there’s anything lying around we can make into a costume. That way it definitely fits, and I get an idea what you’re okay wearing.” Of course, if she was really uncomfortable with the idea, she could always refuse whatever he came up with - but Keats was definitely starting to look forward to this. The whole thing was kinda impulsive, he had to admit, but that was just how he operated.

With indifference in her stare, Eliana stood up, grabbed her things, and led the way, in complete and awkward silence for a brief moment or two. A sudden cold breeze passed her by, causing her to shiver slightly. Observing her surroundings, she noticed how excited everyone seemed. Talking to their friends, wearing costumes, some surrounded by the school newspaper…

“Oh did you read the newest article?” A small strawberry blonde girl gestured a couple of her friends to look at the paper in her hands.

“It looks like Lovelace is straying away from her good pal, Elijah.” A tall boy with a hoodie on, rolled his eyes at this new craze around campus.

“Don’t you mean Illeana and Isaiah?” The tiny girl with the paper looked up and dumbly blinked at him - not realizing that Dear Sophia articles were based on actual people.

“You know just as much as I do that they’re TOTALLY based off of--” He stared at her baffled. This was the third article within these past two weeks and she STILL didn’t catch onto the similarities? Both Eliana and Lucas were basically “household” names at Mayweather because of their infamous feud, which unfortunately has settled down a little, causing the fans to agonizingly wait for more. Elijah’s reputation started crawling out of the shadows once Dear Sophia started publishing her articles.

“Team Lucas! OR Luke… it’s really the same thing.” A new female with glasses, two braids, and jumper dress on, entered the conversation.

Eliana brought her attention to Keats and grimaced, “Remind me to burn on the school newspapers when I get the chance.”

Keats’ expression showed a flicker of annoyance as he glanced over at the students. He hated people like that - people who’d spread shit around behind people’s backs. Part of him wanted to ask how much of this went on, but it wasn’t like they were close. Knowing Eliana, it seemed to Keats that she’d probably just clam up. Too personal. So instead, he just sighed, sounding almost tired. ”Yeah. Don’t blame you.”

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In due time, Eliana found herself back in her room with Keats. Taking a deep breath in before opening the door, she unlocked it and gently nudged it open to see if the Cat was home.

Oh, thank god. She wasn’t.

Eliana’s ‘gift’ (the now turn up wedding dress) was on Sabrina’s bed, since it now became something she scratched every so often, if she didn’t find herself waking up right next to Eliana in cat form. “I guess there’s that?” She gestured to the expensive fabric lying on Sabrina’s bed, “There was a time it was in good condition… don’t worry. No one is getting married.”

Keats looked a little taken aback for a second - he was pretty sure this dress cost more than half his stuff put together, and that felt like an understatement. Guess it wasn’t that important to her, though, ‘cause that was basically permission for him to use the thing from what he could tell. He picked it up, and sure enough that was actually a wedding dress. For a second, he was about to question how and why this thing was in her room, but thought better of it. Whatever the reason, it probably wasn’t normal.

”Yeah, that should work, if you’re sure it’s okay to use.” he picked it up, looking it over. ”It’s pretty torn up, for sure, so that limits our options. Let’s see...” There was a pause while he thought through the possibilities. Normally, there were a few things he could offer, but this thing was so well-made that repairing it properly seemed like a no-go. After a second, his eyes lit up, and he looked at her with a smile. ”Tell me, Eliana, how do you feel about zombies?”

“I’m so prepared for the apocalypse. I’m just going to assume… you want me to put makeup on to look dead, so I’ll just do that now. I’m not here to disagree. I’ve already agreed with you this much, might as well keep the train moving.” The next thirty minutes were used with both of them getting ready (no, not in front of each other - get out of here) and then they were on their way toward the bus that would lead to the festivities.

The bus driver grabbed their belongings and put it away in the luggage compartment. Glancing up at Keats, her festival partner? Eliana gestured for him to lead the way inside, “Entertain me, Keats. Show me what Halloween is all about.”

—(••[ 𝕎𝕀𝕊ℍ𝔼𝔸𝕋𝔼ℝ ]••)—

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Zoe's stigma did not mix well with the shooting. She wasn't shocked or especially horrified, but seeing that kind of violence enacted right in front of her only made her own urges spike tenfold. If anyone was paying attention to her face in that moment, they might have seen something worryingly close to hunger cross her expression, indicating exactly the kind of effect her stigma was having. She found herself unconsciously taking a slight step towards the scene, a smile crossing her face briefly before an instinct of self-preservation brought her to her senses. Playing it off with a shrug, she pretended to look the carnage over in pretend shock until the director continued to speak.

What the Director said made it pretty clear their status around here. The idea of the cuffs reminded her of those shock collars some people got for dogs except, you know, people actually gave a shit about animal cruelty. And isn't that just depressing. Still, despite the overwhelming urge to try and kick the guy locking the thing onto her in the teeth, Zoe managed to keep her cool.

While some people might have expected her to protest again, she didn't say anything against the 'violent' classification, considering what she'd felt just a couple minutes before. Being locked up with someone else, shock cuffs or not, seemed like a really bad idea. She wasn't enough of an idiot to try and argue with it, any more than she was dumb enough to pick a fight when there was a gun pointed straight at her head.

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Once all of the 'good kids' had been split off to their own building, Zoe glanced around at the remaining people in the group. All of them had the same mark on their necks, of course. And, funnily enough, it seemed like they were all girls. There were comments she could have made, but it seemed too easy. "So, does this make us the problem children?" She asked the guard, disrespect clearly showing through in her voice. "Guess you guys got the fun job, looking after the crazies. You draw straws for this or something?"

Okay, so there might have been a bit of provocation there - but they'd have to be used to that by now. Besides, no way was Zoe getting out of the cuff. It wasn't like she could actually do anything, so backchat would be enough for now. She just wanted to make it perfectly clear that she respected these people about as much as they respected her. Fair was fair.

Despite keeping the same attitude towards the situation throughout the walk, she was quiet enough for the rest of it, and at least paid enough attention to realise that it was after curfew as she was shoved into her room. With one last glare at the soldier as the door closed, she turned and headed further into her room with a sigh. So, this was it. Her own little place in the asylum. She had to admit, it actually wasn't looking too bad. Not that the positives outweighed the constant surveillance and shock bracelet, but at least getting sleep in here would be bearable.

Looking over the desk, the stack of tests wasn't really welcome. Seriously? Not like she was a dumbass or anything, but this did not feel like the time. She looked over them briefly, but decided not to bother trying anything right away. There were a few days before they needed to be done anyway. The other stack was a bunch of information as well as those 'violent release zone' forms, which would probably be needed at some point unless she wanted to blow a fuse at someone. Speaking of blowing up, there was one hell of a noise coming from the floor above - clearly someone wasn't handling this too well.

At least she had her phone, which still seemed to be working fine. Next to it was a small wallet. She was curious to see if they'd taken anything out of it, but as she reached over she couldn't quite bring herself to look inside. Not like anything in there would be worth money, so why bother? Besides, it was where she normally kept her photographs, and looking at them wasn't something she felt prepared to do. A few other bits and pieces were there, but nothing she felt like paying any attention to yet.

There also wasn't a bathroom in her room, so that was fun. Seemed like all of that was communal. Eh, she could get a shower in the morning. Hopefully there'd be some kind of separation in there. It wasn't like she had confidence issues, but she preferred to at least have clothes on for first impressions. Nothing she could do about that either way. She'd have to figure that one out tomorrow. Right now, all she wanted to do was sleep. Maybe a bit of rest would do her some good.

—(••[ 𝕎𝕀𝕊ℍ𝔼𝔸𝕋𝔼ℝ ]••)—

If anyone's interested, I finally put together Zoe's first impressions/opinions thing in the character tab :D

—(••[ 𝕎𝕀𝕊ℍ𝔼𝔸𝕋𝔼ℝ ]••)—

Well, that had been an eventful trip to say the least. Of all the things Zoe had been expecting, being attacked by what seemed pretty likely to be a rogue Precursor wasn't one of them. As much as anything else, the concept was really irritating, especially since the guards apparently felt the need to be complete dicks about everything. She knew why, but that didn't make it any more fun to deal with, and she'd gotten progressively more irritated over the course of their journey. Seriously, couldn't we at least get to the school before people started trying to kill us? Was that too much to ask?

Zoe looked relaxed for the most part as Director Zhang entered the room. There was a lazy smile on her face, and she wasn't particularly tense, but her eyes darted around the room - not looking for an escape or anything stupid like that, but just trying to size up the other people in the room and figure out which of them might cause her trouble. It wasn't really top priority right now, though.

As she listened to the introduction, her face narrowed into a scowl. The concept that they had to be tagged right away was something that definitely wasn't about to make her shout out with joy. Plus, it was three in the fucking morning. Who wanted to deal with this at three in the morning? Nobody. It wasn't as though they'd asked to be attacked by those things. Listening to the reasoning behind everything, Zoe found herself unable to keep her mouth shut, which wasn't exactly a new thing for her, but her timing could have been better. "In case we try to escape? Oh, of course. Nothing makes me want to run free more than knowing there's a bunch of creatures out there that could kill me in two seconds flat." She turned to the guy without the cuffs, listening to his explanation. "But as long as we're being chained up for our own good, that's fine. Gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside, you know? I didn't think they cared."

Coming to the realisation that giving that much backtalk wasn't the smartest idea, Zoe thankfully cut herself off before she said anything else she might regret. In her defence, lashing out verbally was a lot better than the alternative here. Being confined so close to so many people didn't really help with her Stigma, and actually trying to hurt anyone would definitely get her killed. As it was, she kept the look of lazy confidence on her face, although internally she was sort of regretting her outburst. She'd always had trouble keeping a handle on her temper, but this wasn't exactly the time for her brand of openness, especially with the amount of soldiers around.

—(••[ 𝕎𝕀𝕊ℍ𝔼𝔸𝕋𝔼ℝ ]••)—

Zoe Fletcher - Aberration - Reassemble

ℕ 𝕒 𝕞 𝕖 :

Zoe Fletcher

𝔸 𝕘 𝕖 :

18

ℍ 𝕖 𝕚 𝕘 𝕙 𝕥 :

6'0"

𝕎 𝕖 𝕚 𝕘 𝕙 𝕥 :

150 lbs

𝔸 𝕡 𝕡 𝕖 𝕒 𝕣 𝕒 𝕟 𝕔 𝕖 :

headshot

Headshot by Ky-th

Fullbody

By densukii on Deviantart

Tall, lean and muscular, Zoe's appearance gives off what can only be described as a predatory vibe. She has the air and manner of someone used to fending to themselves, and an expression often firmly fixed into a confident smirk. There is an air of arrogance about her, not least because of the way she carries herself and her relaxed, lazy stride. She seems to have been in more than a few scraps, which is obvious if you take a closer look - small scars litter her body, and are especially visible on her knuckles. Her usual clothing is generally fairly muted and not designed to draw attention, though the rest of her appearance makes it pretty much impossible.

For the particularly observant, it's apparent that her arrogance isn't quite all that it seems. While she puts on an admirable front, rings under her eyes, ragged nails and the way her eyes dart around as though waiting for an attack all speak to the insecurity and self-loathing that she tries to hide. All in all, her appearance is that of someone confident on the surface, but to the exceptionally observant it may seem she's struggling to hold it together.

ℙ 𝕖 𝕣 𝕤 𝕠 𝕟 𝕒 𝕝 𝕚 𝕥 𝕪 :

Zoe is the kind of person that comes off as a born warrior or an arrogant bitch, depending on who you ask. An adrenaline junkie of the highest degree, if there's a fight going on then she'll do her best to be involved - and if there isn't, she'll more than likely make someone angry enough to start one. Despite her aggressive tendencies, she doesn't actively try to start fights despite often being involved. It just happens that a lot of people want to wipe the smirk off of her face, and that she's very easy to make angry. It's fair to say she's sadistic, volatile and easily provoked - something which has gotten far worse since she gained the 'X' on her throat.

Of course, like most people, she does have at least some redeeming qualities. For one, she's incredibly trustworthy, and will take a secret to the grave if she's trusted with it. She's also endlessly loyal (sometimes to the point of stupidity), and looks out for people weaker than herself as best she can - even if those people happen to hate her guts. Swift to become attached to anyone who sees past her attitude, it's almost strange how someone so starved of affection is so determined not to need or accept any help. She's honestly terrified of her own instability, but being called out on this is a real sore spot for her, and there's no doubt that anyone doing so will find themselves on the receiving end of an attempted assault.

While her harsh manner extends to friends as well as enemies, there is certainly a difference between the two. Towards people she dislikes, her remarks aim to be as cutting as possible, and she will make no secret of the fact that she hates someone's guts. Towards her friends, it's something closer to playing devil's advocate for whatever plans or concerns they may have rather than outright malice. She's perfectly willing to help people for what she sees as being their own good, whether they like it or not. Still, this doesn't tend to come off too well when her only way of tackling a problem seems to be charging at it head-on.

One thing that she hates is when people she trusts lie to or manipulate her without her knowledge. Like most of her hangups, it seems to be the result of some deeply ingrained self-loathing; the girl secretly considers herself a coward, a psychopath, and an utterly weak person. When she's particularly angry or upset, she has a habit of going incredibly quiet for a while before reacting, although her reactions will remain characteristically volatile. She has difficulty mustering the strength to keep control and master the urges brought on by her stigma, and it's a struggle she fails more often than not; to the point where she'll seriously hurt herself just to try and silence her fears and feel like she's in control.

ℍ 𝕚 𝕤 𝕥 𝕠 𝕣 𝕪 :

Zoe rushed into the hospital, a look in her eyes like a cornered animal. In her arms, there was a small body bundled in cloth, unmoving. Desperation filled her voice as she stood in the waiting room, the cross on her throat clear to see. "Help! Please, you have to-" her voice broke, taking on a horrified note. "I couldn't stop myself."

After the bundle was taken from her, she knew what would happen if she stayed. Knew there was no way life would be the same. But despite that, her feet refused to move - and it wasn't long before they came to pick her up. She didn't resist, and soon enough found herself at USARILN East.

Things Left Unsaid

There's a lot I'd like to take back.

Sorry

I wasn't strong enough.

There are things I try not to think about, and you're one of them.

See, I didn't know about all this when I changed, you know? I didn't realise what it would be like having this mark on my throat, being one of the freaks. There's a reason I ran. A reason that I was trying to leave you behind. I thought you'd realise that, but... God, you had to come with me, didn't you. You always were the type of kid that played hero, that liked to think we'd both be okay forever if we just helped each other through.

It's funny really, you almost got me to think that too for a while. I think it's the first time I can remember bring happy in a really long while; those years when all of us were together. Complete pain in the ass, looking after you guys, but it was worth it. I mean sure, what we did wasn't exactly making an honest living, but it kept everyone fed. People like you that didn't have a place to turn. So I was okay with it, and so were all of you.

But I wanted to hurt. After I had the dream, I wanted to hurt them, and it kept getting worse. Even if I didn't show the mark, I'm pretty sure everyone could tell something was up. I tried to find an excuse to get away, and every time you'd stop me. Until I showed you, anyway. And you still chose me, you believed in me, and look where it fucking got you. I wish you hadn't tried so hard to protect me from myself. If you'd just told me to go, hadn't come after me... hell, even if you'd ratted me out to the others, none of this would've happened. I would've ended up dead, but that's still a possibility here. I don't blame you, but you tried to help me. You wouldn't let me leave alone. Even knowing what a liar I was, what a hypocrite, what a coward... you followed me.

You were the first person I helped. The first person I was actually able to save, for a while. Even when I went off the rails a little, you kept me grounded - Or tried to, anyhow. I kinda did my own thing a lot, but we both know I'm not great at listening. Point is, you were the closest thing I'd had to a brother in a long, long time. Hell, I hardly remember the 'real' one. Only memory I have there's that he died and I didn't. Know mom and dad would've preferred it the other way round.

Sometimes I think taking you in's the only good thing I ever did. And I even ruined that.

Never told you much about my family, huh? Then again, I don't know how they're doing now. Difference is, I don't really care to. Hope the whole house burned to the ground with them in it. As for you, I guess what happened is more personal. In its own way.

Point is, when I'm ready I think I'll try and find out if you're okay. I'm not yet. It's getting worse, you know. The feeling. So much worse. And I don't know if I'm strong enough to control it yet. The people I've met here, well, at least some of them seem to be pretty good ones. I like some of them, I really do. But I'm scared that I'll hurt them the same way I hurt you. I have now. So many times, again and again, and I can't stop it. I don't know how.

One day I promise I'll learn how things turned out. I found help as fast as I could, but with the state you were in I don't know if that's enough. Chances are you'll never see me again either way. I killed you. Saving you's the one good thing I ever did, and I killed you. Guess it was pretty naive of me to think anything else, to think that maybe there'd be one thing I didn't completely ruin. The others don't know what a coward I used to be, but that's fine. Because I know. And I'll make sure I pay for every last bit of it.

I miss you, buddy.

I saw you. I tried to end it and it wouldn't let me and it made me see you instead. How fucking delusional was I? There's no way anyone would have survived that.

Reflection

I couldn't say goodbye.

I was broken when you found me. Broken, but surviving; I guess I'm still that way, really. And you let me use it to secure some sort of future-- a future built on whatever we could claw away from everyone else. But it wasn't enough. The little things, the things where no-one got hurt, it wasn't enough to keep us all going. We both knew that, and it wore on you, I think; that's why I took up the burden. Started... well, started hurting people. Bad shit. Break-ins, muggings... nothing really big, but that shit scares people, and I had to hurt quite a few. Nothing that'd get us properly hunted down, and we'd move when it started to look a little unsafe. You just looked after the others while I was out.

Sometimes I'd ask if they were scared of me. You'd never answer, and I guess that was answer enough.

I'd already learned to embrace the pain, to keep going no matter how much it hurt. How to pretend I was untouchable, to do whatever it took to come out alive. But after taking us both in, being with you guys gave me a purpose. If only you'd known what I'd become, you'd have put me down as soon as you got the chance. There were times when I'd let myself hesitate, when I couldn't bring myself to finish what I'd started, and maybe if I'd listened to my conscience then I'd be better now. But I did it for you. All of that shit; knowing there were people relying on me, I could do it. And it gets easier, after a while. I can bury it now, bury it deep, and hope it never comes up again.

Don't think I buried it well enough, though. I'm still scared of them.

Now that I think about it, you used me. I let you remake me knowing you just wanted out, did whatever it took to make sure that I'd be okay, and eventually that you guys would be too. Hoped I could make sure they had a better time of all this than I did. I'd do most of it again if I got the chance. Sacrifice is all someone like me's good for.

Well, maybe. I don't know if I owe you or not, because you saved me. If it hadn't been for you, I think I'd be dead, but you taught me to survive - No, more than that, you taught me to live again. We found each other, and because of that, we were able to save other people too. I think about that sometimes. Lets me pretend there's something good inside me. Ha. Like I've ever even come close.

We were bad for each other in a way, but I suppose we needed each other too. Needed to remind each other that there was something alive left in all that we'd done, and I guess that's all it ever comes down to. An exchange, a transaction, always something to gain and even more to lose. Someone to understand. Never got as close as you wanted, but... I suppose I was scared of that. Caring just makes it hurt more when people turn on you, when you end up hurting them. But despite everything, I didn't run away.

You promised me that you'd look after them if I ever went anywhere, and I believe you did. You always kept your promises to me. Maybe you'll keep them alive too, and I really hope you do now that I'm not there anymore. Hey, maybe you saw my T.V spot! I'm alive, anyway, and you guys'll be safer without me around. I hope no-one's having to do the stuff I used to. Hope you're getting by without that; another me's the last thing the world needs.

Still wish you were here, too. That's probably the most fucked up part of all this, huh? You're the only person that really understood me, understood how far we had to go. You knew me, and these guys don't. Or they don't understand like you did. You didn't want to be what you were, so I took on that responsibility. This monster, though; when I give myself over, I'm capable of so much I wouldn't have thought. I could be ruthless before, but... trust me, that's an understatement now.

You'd understand, right? You'd know that it isn't really me, you'd understand why I have to let myself give in. It's like we did for the others, like it was back home; someone has to dirty their hands so everyone else can make it out okay. You were able to see that I only did these things because somebody had to, that I was trying to spare everyone, that I wanted to protect you. So you'd understand. I have to believe you would, that there's a reason I'm able to do these things. That it's necessary, and if it's necessary, I can live with that. Or I'll just have to lie to myself until I can. Tear myself apart until I'm in control.

So I can't say goodbye to you yet. Always frustrated you, but it's still true I'm not good at letting go. And I know I should have left a whole lot earlier - Maybe then none of you would have been hurt. Maybe if you'd been with me, I wouldn't have been able to screw it all up. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Not like I'm gonna find an answer any time soon.

Rotten

Should've killed you when I had the chance.

You're a real piece of work, aren't you?

Oh yeah, here we go. I almost forgot about you, didn't I? Should've remembered when I was writing to the others. Can't believe that I'd let myself forget about the person that's responsible for my fall in the first place. So, where do we begin?

How about the time you hid? Ran away knowing some some fucking sub was tearing your brother apart while he begged you for help. Mercy. Anything. There's nothing you could have done, huh. That's what you told yourself, but you've seen the devastation that you've left behind. It should have been you.

They were right to blame you for it. 'I'm just a kid', like that excuses it, like that excuses anything about your sad little excuse for a life. You were scared, the first time the knife sliced you open. Cruel and unusual, making you inflict the hurt on yourself. A nice little reminder that it was all your fault. Sobbing, but what could you do? You tried to wipe away the tears, but that only got salt in the wounds.

Get up. That was the rule. You always get up and keep fighting, because otherwise someone else gets hurt. That's what happens when you're weak. Pain. Cowardice. Pain and pain and more pain. I guess it's one of the truths of the universe. Everything always seems to revolve around it with you, around hurting and being hurt. It's not like that for everyone, and I think that hurt more. You can't lose yourself so easily when it's your heart that's hurting.

Oh, that's some poetic shit, right? By your standards, anyway; they're not exactly high.

It didn't break you, though. Or you don't think it did. Jagged at the edges, maybe, sharp, but strong. You didn't shatter. You don't resent it, and you don't cry over it anymore. Maybe because you took ownership of it, your tendency to tear things down.

But the water did, as it burned your lungs and took your strength away. It wasn't the pain that scared you, because it always hurt when you fucked up and made them angry. It was the helplessness, because even if the other ones hurt, they were your choice, you were in control. Or that's what you tell yourself, because it's easier to believe it was a choice you made than to accept you were nothing more than a child. Easier to believe that love is painful and terrifying and drowning than it is to believe no-one loved you at all. Easier to keep quiet because speaking up would never work.

How long will you pretend to be the master of your own destiny? That's why the stigma scares you so much, because it's fucking with that. Fucking with your control. Maybe you could deal with the things you'd done if you could choose to hate them. If you weren't being hijacked to think they're the best things in the world. If you asked for help, maybe things'd get better, but you don't want anyone to feel sorry for you. You'd rather be hated.

You once told your best friend why you love the smell of gasoline. And then you broke his nose because his pity pissed you off, even though you knew he was just trying to help.

And part of you still wants to let someone else help you, let the next group in, because you're so desperate for anyone to care. But you don't believe they will, because you don't think there's anything about you worth keeping alive. I know you're not afraid of dying. You welcome it, dashing into danger with outstretched arms. Hoping that one day, the axe will fall on your pasty little neck. You say you're not a liar? You lie to yourself every day.

You just want something, anything, to justify your sad little worldview. Maybe that's why you play the monster now, so you can tell yourself it was right what you did because maybe they were like you. I don't, I've always done what I had to No, you've been like that for a long time.

Do you remember her? Of course you do.

Do you remember how she looked, sleeping silently, believing she'd found somewhere safe at last? Trusting you, YOU when you said it'd be okay, you deceiving lying conniving pathetic monstrous murderous piece of shit bitch--

Remember how it looked when you put a bullet through her fucking skull? Hey, firecracker, that a happy memory for you? Come on, it's not like she didn't deserve it, right? Not like they didn't all deserve it because of everything they took from you. Freaks, monsters, murderers every last one of them and you couldn't let the world have one more.

Oh wait... that was nothing to do with them, was it? Killing your best friend. Killing her. For a fucking grudge against someone she'd never met, someone you never knew any more about than hearsay. Because they were all the same, right? No, they aren't, not even a little; but you are, you always were, you sick little freak.

You knew it was wrong then. Deep down, you knew that they weren't all together. How many others didn't deserve it, had never harmed a soul? A threat, a threat, a threat, forever and always. Threats couldn't be allowed to live. A mantra. And yet when you were a threat you didn't speak up, when you felt that pull you didn't speak up, because you just couldn't handle one more rejection, right?

You know now exactly how wrong it was, and you aren't even sorry. Not properly, not really. Sorry won't bring anyone back, won't take back your actions, won't fix a single goddamned thing. I suppose you've already done too much to get back.

How many people would you have killed if things had stayed the same? Why wouldn't you face it like she did?

Never mind that, there's no point in asking. It's not as if you kept count. After all, it was all written down. They'll have kept that old thing around, I'm guessing. They won't have forgotten you, for better or - oh, who are you kidding, it's definitely for worse. But how are you supposed to feel about that?

Guess you'd rather die than figure it out, huh.

You sickening little coward.

---

Choices (Zoe's voice post)
_{by theonlyexception}

---

𝕄 𝕒 𝕘 𝕚 𝕔 :

Reassemble

Allows her to decompose organic material on anyone within 2 metres of her body. The ability requires contact with a person to become active, but once she's made initial contact it can be controlled within a 45 meter radius of her. Her ability can now be spread from creature to creature like a virus, provided they make physical contact with each other within the radius. She can also change the speed of the ability's effects at will. The speed it can spread at from a point of contact has also doubled.

Victims outside the radius will spread their infection to other organic objects in physical contact with them. Each consecutive infection outside the radius will lessen the effects of her power, taking roughly 3 infections before her power loses its effects completely.

Her ability's effects can be sped up if she focuses them into one area, roughly the size of her hand. If she makes contact, the ability is almost instantaneous, like tearing through wet clay.

Initially all that her targets feel would be an unusual itch, but if they allow it to progress it will eventually become incredibly painful. The speed of her ability has increased dramatically over time, and she is limited to only affecting things she can see. No longer needs to see a target to affect it.

The ability's use is indicated by thick black lines appearing on her skin where she channels the power, black mist rising where she makes contact and black specks exuding from affected targets. Black veins now appear on Zoe’s infected victims.

Upgrade 1

When making direct contact with something, the decomposition proceeds incredibly quickly, taking only a few seconds - essentially reducing the contacted area to liquid. The more of her body is in contact, the wider the spread of the damage. In essence, if Zoe were to run her hands over a creature, it would leave a melted sludge where its surface skin was.

This ability's use is indicated by moving, tattoo-like lines appearing on her skin where she channels the power, and a black mist rising from whatever is affected.

Upgrade 2

Power effect radius increased to 15 metres. No longer needs to see target for ability to work.

Upgrade 3

Zoe's power can now work faster to the point where it's almost instant, like tearing through soft clay. The speed it can spread at from a point of contact has also doubled.

It can also now be spread from creature to creature under her control like a virus, provided they make contact with each other and stay within the radius, and the rate it works at can be changed at will.

The radius it can work in has increased to 30m.

The lines and mist generated by her power now appear much darker and thicker, and black specks now exude from any affected creatures.

As a result of the upgrade, her stigma has noticeably worsened.

Upgrade 4

Range increased to 45 metre radius.

Upgrade 5

No longer needs to make contact to start the effect, and can instead start it on anyone within 2 metres of her body.

Upgrade 6

Zoe’s infected victims will now spread their infection to other organic objects in physical contact with them when they are outside of her range. Each consecutive infection will lessen the effects of her power, taking roughly 3 infections before her power loses its effects completely.

Black veins appear on Zoe’s infected victims.

𝔻 𝕣 𝕖 𝕒 𝕞 :

The sun shines down on her face, standing in the middle of a remote village. Around her, ramshackle huts give way to homes of her own making, comfortable and safe. In the background, she can hear people laughing and imagine the smiles on their faces. They don't need to want for anything, to wish for anything, because she's created for them everything they need.

It's a paradise, but not one for her. She moves on, her job completed and another utopia created. Wherever she goes, she is celebrated for her actions, praised and loved. She's worth something, to so many people, but as she looks out upon the village as they celebrate without even noticing her departure, there's one thing that remains clear to her - she is completely alone.

ℕ 𝕚 𝕘 𝕙 𝕥 𝕞 𝕒 𝕣 𝕖 :

"You can protect them."

A whimper echoes through the narrow street. Wordless desperation, from a man who long since lost the ability to beg for mercy. She's never seen his face before, but she despises him - despises his kind, who act from nothing but selfishness and greed. Justice, for all that ever wronged her, all who ever sought to do no more than hurt. As she grips his face in her hands, she smiles, and moments later not an inch of flesh remains on his skull. The sight is, in a word, horrifying.

Letting go, behind him she sees the face of a child a few years younger than she is, smiling brightly and seemingly unaware of the bloodshed surrounding them.

"Is he gone?"

"I got rid of him."

As Zoe speaks, her eyes scan the ground behind them - a graveyard of mutilated, unburied corpses. Despite this, she speaks with grim certainty, a cold satisfaction. She has the power to ensure a perfect life, for her and the ones she cares about, to destroy anybody who would harm them. To ensure the happiness of everyone that matters.

"No one will ever hurt you again."

𝔸 𝕨 𝕒 𝕜 𝕖 𝕟 𝕚 𝕟 𝕘 :

Aberration

𝕊 𝕥 𝕚 𝕘 𝕞 𝕒 :

Zoe's stigma manifests itself in what is essentially a feeling of bloodlust, an urge to hurt and harm other people. An intense compulsion telling her that giving in would make her happy constantly demands she give in. The more she cares about someone, the more it makes her want to hurt them - and whenever she gives in to the compulsion, the memory replays again and again, accompanied by a rush of joy.

𝔸 𝕣 𝕞 𝕒 𝕞 𝕖 𝕟 𝕥 𝕤 :

xxx

𝕋 𝕙 𝕖 𝕞 𝕖 𝕊 𝕠 𝕟 𝕘 𝕤 :

(XYLØ - Afterlife)

(EDEN - Drugs)

Other songs of varying importance

(Imagine Dragons - Shots (Broiler Remix))

(Hellberg - The Girl)

(Natasha Blume - Black Sea)

(Razihel - Legends)

(Rogue ft. Laura Brehm - Dreams)

(Stephen - Crossfire)

(Krewella - Beggars)

(Chase and Status - All Goes Wrong)

(Foo Fighters - Stranger Things Have Happened)

(Mumford & Sons - Broken Crown)

First Impressions

"Wait, you seriously want to talk to me? And I haven't even broken a rule today! Isn't that a surprise. Have to say, I didn't know you guys were fans. So, was it my good looks or charm that won you over?"

"...Oh, you do this with everyone, huh? Well whatever, ask your questions then. I'm a busy girl. Things to do, people to see, you know? Don't want anyone thinking I'm not thrilled about being here."

"Backtalk? Wouldn't dream of it. Where do you want me to start?"

---

Lawrence

"The guy kind of... Well, he doesn't really lose his cool, does he? At least not that I remember seeing, even if I deserve it more than most. He's always calm and in control of himself, even dealing with all of our shit. Don't think I could do it, myself, even before my s- Uh, situation ended up like this."

"Well, being forced to go fight monsters isn't exactly good for a girl's stability, you know? I thought we were talking about Lawrence here - I'm sure there'll be time to talk about me later."

"Anyway, I'm almost jealous of him in a way. Being able to take everything in his stride and never really lose his head, it's something I could use a bit more of myself. Plus, he does the whole therapist routine, so people kind of trust him."

"I don't know if I'd rather be like that. Sometimes it seems like he doesn't feel much about anything."

---

Liliana

"If I'm being honest about this, Lily, Liliana, whatever you want to call her, is definitely a handful. I'm not really relaxed enough to just go with it whenever she does the whole personality swing thing, so I just try to stay out of it. It's tough to keep track of which one I'd end up dealing with."

"Yeah, yeah, it's not her fault. I don't blame her for it, that's not what I'm saying. Fact is, though, I've only got so much energy to deal with anyone and she goes a little past that limit. Doesn't mean I've got anything against the girl. Life here's bad enough for the rest of us, so it must suck to deal with her problems on top of that."

"Of course I'd work with her if I had to. Hell, she can heal, right? Well, sort of. I'd just be worried she'd flip at the wrong time and screw someone over."

"No, not deliberately. She doesn't seem like the type."

---

Emma

"Emma's the type who seems like she could make friends with anyone. Seems like she wants to, as well.
You know the drill, relaxed, friendly and considerate. The type almost no-one minds, and most people seem to like."

"It scares me."

"I'm sure she'll try and talk to me. Doesn't mean I have to go along with the conversation. Trust me, it's better for her - and I'll watch her back if it comes down to it. She's a good person, right? At least as far as I know."

"So it's better that she doesn't deal with someone like me, not directly. Being around people like that only makes it harder to stay in control I'm not hurting anyone that doesn't deserve it. Not again."

"No comment."

---

Grant

"He makes me look organised. Not that I'm the queen of productivity or anything, but I at least do something with myself. I think Grant'd be pretty happy just sitting in his room for the rest of his life. Seriously lazy."

"Yeah, it gets on my nerves a bit. Life's for people to go out and live, not just sit around doing nothing. Every day in this place could be our last - Don't give me that look, you know I'm right - so I think there's something to be said for making the most of our time."

"That's different. I have reasons for avoiding people. He just seems like he can't be bothered with anything, and acts like it's a chore whenever he goes outside. I don't think I've ever seen him looking fully awake."

"Well, if I had to think, he doesn't exactly seem to like authority, or is it being looked after? That's all I got. Only time I've seen him actually react to something with any kind of energy."

---

Chris

"Oh, where do I start with this one? The guy's got a stick the size of a telephone mast shoved directly up his ass. Seriously, he looks for a problem with everyone - I don't care if he likes me or not, but I am not the only one."

"Don't encourage me. I've got enough to say here, and it's all just as nice as that."

"Positives? Well, he's strong enough to be pretty helpful in a fight, I guess. I don't need to watch his back. Personality wise, at least he can keep his mouth shut sometimes. You know, seeing as if he never opened it again I'd be more than happy."

"Fine, I'll talk about something else. Let's see... From what I've seen of him, he seems to try and push people away a lot. Like he's scared of getting close or something."

"Yeah, kind of like me, but only if I was a little bitch. Feel free to tell him I said that."

---

Sander

"Out of everyone here, I honestly feel like I don't know him at all."

"Well, he's pretty closed off, and doesn't say much. Well, nothing even close to an opinion. Friendly, I guess, but it's all surface level. He pushes people away with that, but I don't know if it's deliberate or not."

"You're right, I guess all of us do."

"I don't think we'd really get along. At least not until I see him grow a backbone instead of just bowing to everything he's told with a 'Yes sir' and a 'Thank you ma'am'. Sometimes you have to push the boundaries, instead of just playing along."

"I probably shouldn't have said that to you, huh?"

---

Callan

"Callan is an interesting one. See, I really don't mind her personality. Honesty's something we need more of around here, and she gets to the point pretty well when she has to. Doesn't feel the need to be a constant ball of energy, either."

"You're right, she's a little lazy, but she doesn't just sit around all day and it doesn't seem to stop her getting things done alright. Tries to be a good person, from what I can tell. Like I said, I don't mind her."

"Yeah, there's a but. It's the whole Dreamcatcher thing. Call me a cynic, but I'm not exactly grateful for my powers - and I don't think I'm the only one. After all, they've done a hell of a lot more harm than good. So it really gets on my nerves when she goes all defensive."

"Besides, I was never really a fan of 'heroes'. At the end of the day, you can't rely on someone else saving the day."

"Just speaking from experience."

---

Kusari

"Her only purpose in life must be to piss me off. Doesn't she have anything better to do than run her mouth all the time?"

"I know she's like that with everyone. Doesn't change the fact that I can't stand dealing with her, and the way she speaks... It's not just the things she says, exactly, but how she delivers them. As though she really believes everything she says."

"There's honest. I'm honest. That's different from ragging on everyone's flaws, hitting them where it hurts all the time. Not everything has to be said out loud."

"I'm the first to admit it, but we all know I've got one hell of a short fuse. It doesn't mix well."

"Worst part is, I can't exactly teach her a lesson. What am I gonna do, punch her? She'd probably just laugh in my face."

---

Padma

"She always seemed like the type that'd work herself too hard to me."

"No, I appreciate a break now and then. You need to relax sometimes, or you burn yourself out a bit. Just means other people have to try and pick you back up."

"It makes you into a burden, you know?"

"Me? Nah, I'm strong enough to go it alone. I know how much I can take, alright? Just happens to be more than some of these guys can."

"Yeah, well, we never really spoke."

"No."

---

Marcus

"He's not a bad guy to be around, I guess. I guess we could do with more people willing to have a laugh around here."

"Yeah, I know I'm not the comedian of the century, but that's not the point."

"Point is, it's good to have people like that. You let everyone just sit around and mope all day, it's not long before they start giving up. It's not fun to watch."

"Of course there's a time and a place. But as long as he knows when to stop, we shouldn't have a problem."

"Never asked about them. Anything that gives you scars like that isn't gonna be a happy memory. As far as I'm concerned, he has a right to keep his secrets."

---

Zoe

"I thought we agreed this wasn't a therapy session."

"Fine. They'd do well to keep their distance from me, so I'm doing them a favour by acting out."

"It's not that I don't want friends, but - hell, you already know why. It's just easiest for everyone, means I won't do something I regret."

"Of course I care, asshole. But they have each other for that, right? Don't need a psycho like me hanging around them. Best thing I can do is protect everyone. Be the pillar, the one that doesn't need any help. I think I can be strong enough for that."

"Then I'll just have to get stronger."

Hazel

"Not meaning to be rude, she's majorly creepy. Never reacts to anything, doesn't understand how anything works. Calling whatever she's got going on a personality would be a stretch."

"No, the others aren't like that. There's a difference between being in control and that."

"She doesn't annoy me. Actually, if I think about it she's pretty polite to everyone. I just don't feel right whenever she's around. Something about her just unnerves me."

"Don't know. Maybe I'm just worried about what happens when you stop pumping drugs into her system. With how she comes off, I hope no-one else is around her if it happens."

"Am I being unfair? Sorry, but that's something I'd prefer not to find out."

---

Sienna

"She doesn't mean to, I think, but she gets on my nerves quickly. I can't talk to her for too long without getting annoyed."

"Silver spoon, right? Never really wanted for anything, so there's only so much she can understand. I know it's not deliberate when she says stuff, and I try my not to take it personally, but it isn't easy."

"Stuff like that kind of hits home. Not her fault."

"I can't say I've noticed anything strange about her. Really into books, but that fits with her power and all. She has seemed a bit erratic sometimes, but I figured that's just her personality. Is it?"

"Didn't think you'd tell me."

---

Angelique

"She can be a bit snappy, but I think that goes for a lot of us. Doesn't mean I won't get provoked, but I see where she's coming from in a way. If she could try not to direct it at me, it'd save everyone a headache."

"We're pretty alike, actually, from what I can tell. She doesn't seem to get into quite as much trouble as I do, but her abilities seem a bit easier to vent with than mine are. I mean, it's a lot easier to scream at a wall without hurting anyone."

"Okay, maybe she just handles her issues better than I do. I'm not exactly the world authority on healthy coping mechanisms."

"It doesn't bother me that much. Unless it's really loud and I'm trying to sleep or something. Then it definitely bothers me."

---

Allison

"Like I said before, I respect honesty. It's one of the few good qualities I can actually stick with, so I appreciate it in others."

"Saying that, she does mess with people a lot more than I'd like, and I'm pretty easy to get a rise out of. So that's not exactly fun. As long as it doesn't go too personal, I can take a joke, though."

"Oh. That. Yeah, she can be a bit... Uncontrolled? We'll go with that. I don't want to offend your sensitive ears."

"Eh, if what I've heard is true, our St- Our issues, are quite similar. Except where I want to hurt people, she wants to, uh, do something completely different to them. Apparently. It seems rude to actually ask her, true or not."

---

Savannah

"And people say I need to work on keeping my cool."

"I'm just saying, if ever a kid needed to chill the fuck out then it's her. Girl'd pick a fight with her own reflection if it looked at her wrong."

"Her attitude isn't my problem. As long as she doesn't direct it at me, because if she thinks she can get away with that she's got one hell of a life lesson coming up."

"I'm four years older and a hell of a lot bigger. I wouldn't need any powers for that one."

"Nah. I know I act up, but I'm not the type to actually go around and beat up kids, am I? I'd just frighten her a bit, before she picks a fight with someone that isn't so considerate."

---

Christmas

"This guy is kind of a wimp."

"Okay, he's a complete doormat. He looks terrified of everything, and he just straight-up takes whatever people decide they want to do to him. Won't retaliate, even when they deserve it, because he's just that much of a coward."

"I feel like I'd have to look out for him if someone was giving him trouble. At least I'll be able to fight back. Hope they get another healer if I get hurt helping him, though. I mean, I've got a strong stomach, but drinking blood straight from another person isn't on my bucket list."

"Fact is, I can't always watch out for him, and I'm not gonna follow him around like an overprotective mom. Sooner or later, he'll have to toughen up. If he doesn't..."

"This place'll break him."

---

Alexis

"She seems to think there's good in everyone. Which is an attitude I'm in two minds about."

"Well, it's as admirable as it is stupidly naive. Trying to make everyone get along is all very well, but some people are just never going to work that way."

"No, I'm not a fan now that you ask. She's a liability, to herself and anyone that has to work with her, and sooner or later something's gonna go very, very wrong."

"What I'm saying is that her 'we can all be friends' shtick is going to get her or someone else hurt while she tries to rearrange the man-eating monsters into a goddamn prayer circle or something."

"Then again, I suppose technically there would be something good in them when she gets eaten for her hippy bullshit."

"You're right. Sorry."

---

Aaron

"Seems a decent enough kid. My first impression was maybe he could stand to be a bit more alert, but I don't think he's too shy about speaking up. The opposite, if anything."

"We don't really talk that much."

"His attitude? Oh, you mean the 'forging ahead' thing. See, that's where we differ, and probably why we're not really buddies. It's easy enough for him to talk about letting go of the past, but some things aren't easy to just forget about."

"If he even starts with that stuff about it being a learning experience, I think I'll break his nose. Just so long as we're clear on that before I do it. I warned you guys, you can't blame me."

"No, I don't plan on actually doing it. That doesn't mean it won't happen."

---

Brent

"He's almost obsessive, to be honest. Everything's planned, it all has a purpose no matter what he's doing. Always working."

"I've just never seen someone put so much effort into anything without actually caring."

"That's just what it seems like. Like he's working hard and trying to win because it's what he's supposed to do. He thinks he's meant to be some kind of winner, I don't know. Thought you guys would have psychologists for that kind of questioning."

"Running away? Hiding something? Maybe, I guess. How about you go ask him that, instead of putting me through twenty questions on it? I'm sure he'll be much friendlier to you."

"Well, he seems that way. Always says hi and everything, you know? I can't say I mind the guy."

---

Ernest

"He's an example of what happens when we stop trying. Stop caring about anyone but ourselves. He's weak, and he's exactly what I don't want to be."

"The rest of us deal with our problems at least a little, but he doesn't even try. As far as I'm concerned, that makes him weak. Too weak to put anyone else first, no matter what's going on. I wouldn't trust him not to leave me to my fate if I was in trouble."

"I don't have a problem with a little selfishness. What I do have a problem with is when it hurts other people. Not just refusing to help, hurting. That's exactly what he does."

"No. If I ever became that weak... It'd mean I don't deserve anyone's help. Even if he won't help me when it comes down to it, I'm stronger than that."

---

Sophia

"You mean she's not mute?"

"Seriously, she's never said a word to me. Not one."

"No, that has to go past nervousness. There's a reason there, has to be. No-one is just that shy out of nowhere."

"I don't know how else to describe it. Because she doesn't really give off an antisocial vibe like some people in this place do. Really doesn't seem as though she hates us or anything..."

"It's more like she can't. Get the words out, I mean. While I'd like to try and help her with that, dealing with this kind of situation isn't exactly my strong point."

---

Gregory

"Clinical. That's the first thing that comes to mind. Precise. Knows what he wants to do when he wants to do it, and you can tell by how he acts all the time. Reasoning behind it all, you know?"

"No, he's not like them. They push every day, take every single one separately - he seems to think bigger than that. Or something."

"Yeah, he can annoy me. If you're gonna go about hitting people with confrontation about everything, don't be surprised and get all pissy when they retaliate. Maybe if it's so irritating, he should think before he speaks."

"I'm not great at taking my own advice, no. What's your point?"

"Well, I'm not about to start up his fan club or anything. If he doesn't go putting his foot in his mouth, I can tolerate him. I'm just not sure how likely that is."

---

"Just so we're clear, none of that gets back to them, alright? I have a reputation to uphold. Can't have them thinking I've gone soft or anything."

"What can I say, I'm a sweetheart. So, anything else? I do autographs. I was thinking of bringing out a line of t-shirts, maybe a novelty mug..."

"Yes, I'm joking. I don't love myself quite that much. Give it a couple of years, and I might get back to you, but right now I need my beauty sleep."

Current feelings towards others

Lawrence

He stopped me from getting myself killed. I shouldn't resent that as much as I do, but it's tough to be rational about any of this. It should make me feel better that someone gave enough of a damn to stop me getting myself hurt, but it doesn't. Maybe it's because I'm so terrible at looking after them in return. And I snapped again, too, after all he did to try and help me. Pretty tough to do for someone that's not worth helping, I guess.

Feels like I let him down, really.

---

Liliana

We haven't really spoken since DC, but I still like the girl. She's kinda weird, but the whole amnesia thing must be pretty tough to adjust to so I'll cut her some slack there. Plus it's always useful to have a healer around. All that being said, though... well, she did save me in La Plata. From permanently crippling myself, if nothing else. In other circumstances, I'd probably be a hell of a lot more grateful for that, and even now I appreciate how willing she was to go through that for someone she'd never even spoken to.

But I hope she doesn't save me twice.

---

Emma

Don't think she likes me, but the feeling's pretty mutual. That's probably for the best. Although I'd be more comfortable if her summons weren't immune to my powers. I mean, I could try to argue about what she said back at the lighthouse, but I know she's right. I'm hurting the others, I'm enjoying it, I don't even know how to do anything else... 'fucking psycho' seems like a pretty accurate description. Wonder how long it'll take before they figure out it's pointless even saying all that shit to me. It's not like they ever come up with anything I haven't realised for myself.

So she can call me whatever she likes - one more insult's hardly gonna make a difference at this point.

---

Grant

...

---

Chris

I tried. I tried to get some kind of reason, and all he did was cry about how trying to talk out his problems was pointless. I mean, I'm not the most patient at the best of times, but holy shit he's a petulant fucking baby. And he actually seems to think he's frightening as well, which is almost funny because he's so completely pathetic it's unbelievable. He doesn't even try to face up to people, he just acts like it's all everyone else's fault, crying and whining.

Well he can cry me a fucking river. At least I've had reasons for snapping that aren't just 'teach that shit not to fuck with me' - it's the most insecure middle-schooler bullshit I've ever heard. And apparently whatever happened in Ground Zero was even more trivial than that? You know what, I take it back - it's not just 'almost funny', it's hilariously pathetic. There's a part of me that's weak like that, and I think that's what pisses me off most of all.

To put it simply: I can't stand this little bitch.

---

Sander

Holy shit, that was embarrassing. If ever I wanted to erase a memory--

How drunk was I? I mean, he was pretty cool to me, considering the way I acted back there, but you'd think I'd have noticed sooner. And I appreciate that he didn't, uh, go along with it. But I don't know him, and I'm more than happy to keep it that way. Considering Emma's going out with Marcus, and Ernie is Ernie (ugh), poor old Sander was the only option, in the wrong place at the wrong time. As for why I was looking for any of that?

...Old habits die hard, I guess.

---

Callan

I don't get it. Even after she explained, I don't get why she's bothering to talk when I've done so much to fuck her and her friends over. But she seemed... sincere. And she's still naive, still wants to see some better way in things, still the opposite of who I am. It's probably genuine on her part. But she thought I was a murderer, that it wouldn't even bother me to kill her, and hell - she's partly right. I won't hesitate if it really does come to that. So I don't get why she won't just ignore me. She's seen the worst parts of who I am.

And she's so wrong about the things she said. I'm anything but strong. I'm so weak I almost killed someone because I can't get over shit from so fucking long ago. But I didn't tell her that, maybe because I don't want anyone to know I'm weak. Maybe because I want to believe there's something worthwhile left in me.

I just don't get why it hurts so much when people think I might be worth helping.

---

Kusari

I'm sorry.

I warned her. I told her, not all of my Stigma, but some. That's why I told her, as a warning. Because I wanted her to stay out of my way, because I didn't want this to happen-- and I knew it would, that it was coming one way or another after what happened in the cellar. And I don't have any right to be, but there's a part of me that's pissed at her too. She - I don't know, she plays with people. Pushes their buttons and pulls their strings and keeps on asking questions, but like hell does she take the answers into account. Like hell does she listen to a warning.

And in my case, it was one push too fucking far. Because I don't know how to do anything else. Because I can't get past who I used to be, how things used to be, because I'm so terrified of ever being that weak again. If it hadn't been for the water, maybe it would have been fine, can't know now. I thought I was getting better, but what happened... showed me I can't afford to let my guard down. That I'll never be a safe person to have around.

I'm sorry for how weak I turned out to be.

---

Padma

I didn't know her. I never will.

---

Marcus

Could've probably gone about that better, but I think I... kind of fixed things? Not as well as I could have, and I definitely screwed it up, but something's better than nothing. The whole thing, the lighthouse and that half-assed apology, all seems like more evidence that I'm kinda shitty. Still, he said he planned on protecting people, and I think I believe that. If I'm only able to hurt people, it's good to think there's someone trying to keep them alive - god knows I can't manage to do that. That seems to extend to me, too, even after everything. He wasn't willing to say he'd walk away, and I don't know how to feel about that.

We might not see eye-to-eye, but it's good to know where he stands if nothing else.

---

Zoe

I can't do this anymore. I can't keep seeing them dead, liking it, living with the weight of everything I've done - what the fuck's wrong with me? I just can't seem to treat people right, to actually act like a normal fucking person for once in my life, and every time I try it's like things just don't come together. Maybe I'm just not able to be kind. There's something broken, some crossed wire in my head. Keep on lashing out, hurting people... and then I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but I know sorry doesn't fix anything. I know better than anyone that sorry doesn't fix anything.

But it's like I can't stop, like I don't know how to stop. No matter how much I hurt, how much pain I go through, how many conversations I go into with good intentions, I can't make anything right. And I've tried, tried so fucking hard, and it just doesn't work. Because I'm a coward, deep down, a scared little girl that doesn't know how to let go of the past. How to forgive it - like I deserve any forgiveness. I hurt so many people and I think I'm gonna hurt more and I'm so scared.

To tell the truth, part of me's jealous of the others. Because I really wish I wasn't like this, you know? But hurting's the only thing I ever got from anyone, right up until I was strong enough to break out on my own. To protect people, to shield them, to be the person they can rely on and knows what to do. The rest of me's still there, but I'm so scared to let anyone in. I don't want to admit how pathetic I really am. So I keep on faking it while I feel myself falling apart.

Fuck, I just want this to be over.

---

Hazel

Okay, honestly, she's fucking weird. I'm not gonna talk about the fight, because I've not really got room to judge anyone there, but just going off of the way she acts? Almost completely emotionless, just makes a judgement based on whatever logic is going on in her brain. It doesn't even seem like she doesn't care, it's more like she doesn't understand. Like whatever that collar does to her's stopped her from knowing how to, uh, 'people'. It's screwed up.

---

Siena

Part of me's worried at how unworried she is by me. There's stuff in that conversation that I think most people would've questioned, would have confronted me about-- but she didn't. Hell, I almost get the feeling that she wanted a shot at questioning the guy I captured for herself; not the same way I wanted it, I don't think, but... I don't know. There's something dangerous about her, and I'm not sure whether to try and encourage or discourage it. In the end, that doesn't seem like a choice for me to make.

I trust her, though, despite everything. I trust her and she's smart enough to think things through better than I can. Most of the time, anyway. That's why I looked for her in the first place, why I told her about everything, why I asked her for help. From what I can tell, she kept it quiet like I asked. Doesn't seem to be scared of me either, which helps with some things, but I can't keep from wondering how long that'll last. And I can't help feeling maybe it'd be safer if she was.

---

Angelique

I didn't mean for things to go this way. Maybe there's more I could have done to stop what happened, maybe not; but there's so much more I could have done afterwards. So many decisions I could've made a little smarter, done a little better. And now, intentional or not, I've put everyone's lives on the line for her. Used to wonder what I was capable of doing for the sake of a friend, and it turns out it's a lot worse than most decent people would. Throwing everyone back into hell for the sake of my personal goals.

And even knowing what I'm about to put everyone through... to get a friend back alive, I'd make the same choice a thousand times.

---

Allison

She's so wrong about me it's unbelievable. I saw how upset she was about all this, how desperate she is to believe Angel's alive - and I just stood there without saying a word. What a good friend, right? Heartless bitch, more like. Still, she'll figure it out soon enough; I'm going to tell them everything, after all. It's probably better that she sees I'm terrible anyway and maybe this time'll be enough for her to really figure it out. So it's probably selfish that I can't stop worrying about that. Funny, though. I decided not to tell her because I didn't want her running off to get killed, and then I went and got us all signed up for the chopping block. Accidentally, but the end result matters a whole lot more than the intentions.

Least things'll be easier for her without me once she realises what a hypocrite I am.

---

Savannah

I'm surprised everyone gives that much of a shit about her. People die. If everyone's sitting around blaming themselves, they're just wasting their time - at least, they are if they're not doing anything to fix it. Make sure it doesn't happen again.

...Guess I'm one to talk about repeating mistakes, though.

---

Christmas

Wonder if he was okay, after the fight. Physically, I mean. The kid doesn't seem mentally okay anyway, but even then it was strange. Something was with them out there, him and Ernie - They wouldn't tell me anything, and I doubt he'd talk to me properly if I tried to ask. After all, he saw me being... Me, I guess. Don't know how to describe it. In any case, he didn't speak up - But I think I'd have to rip his ear off before he would. I should've done a better job of looking after him, though. Should've been the one taking the knife. Lucky he didn't get killed.

---

Alexis

'It didn't have to happen'. I've thought that phrase way too many times since that first fight. Cracked skull, right? First dead person I saw here - not the goriest I've ever come across, but not great. Still, I didn't know her, and that's probably for the best.

Doesn't mean the memory's not clear as day.

---

Aaron

Fracture, huh? At least, that's my best guess. Didn't tell us 'cause they didn't wanna freak us out - although I'm guessing they lost him somehow. Not like they took more than one of us from the island. Part of me's disappointed I didn't get to see whatever happened to him. That's kind of fucked up, isn't it?

Whatever they did with him, I'll make sure he's the only one.

---

Brent

He shouldn't have dragged the rest of them into it. It's not his fault what I did, but I don't appreciate being overridden. When I tell someone I have my limits, I fucking mean it - if he'd just listened and taken the damn shot, Allison and I could've destroyed the slime before anything else went wrong. It all worked out okay this time, but if he tries that shit again then I'm telling him to go fuck himself. Sure, it's good that he stopped me before I did anything serious, but still, none of it had to happen in the first place.

When it comes to what's going on in my head, he doesn't know nearly as much as he thinks he does. But then, he's an arbiter. I don't know why I expected anything more.

---

Ernest

I think I'm starting to not mind Ernie, which is strange. We're not friends, and we definitely don't hang out, but I don't feel all that hostile towards the guy. Although I don't think we see eye-to-eye on the whole cleaning issue - this week's probably not made the best impression with his neat freak tendencies. For what it's worth, though, I tried to give him advice. Just 'cause I'm not some kind of genius, doesn't mean I can't try and say something smart occasionally.

Don't know how much he'll have taken on board, though. Still don't think he's all that brave when you get down to it - seems kinda worried that I'll bust him for the whole thing with David, even after I said I'd take the heat. Not my style, though. I prefer not to break my word. Hopefully I helped the guy figure out what he was worried about - at least a little.

And hey, at least I got free cake out of it.

---

Sophia

...

---

Gregory

Dead. Just like the others, dead because the Amigos were too strong for us. I don't care enough to bother grieving for him - grieving's kind of a sick experience for me anyway nowadays. I try not to reflect on stuff like that, better to just bury it like all the rest. As for all the ways he could have died... I try not to think about that, too. If only that meant I always succeeded.

---

Familiar nightmares (Zoe's Stigma)

This is me, right?
I hate it so much, I'm so scared...
And I still want it so much more than words can say.

---

Lawrence

He was pretty close when he stopped me from running, wasn't he? Everyone was so panicked, so distracted, they might not have even noticed it starting, if his insides were slowly reduced and melted away - and then they would have, wouldn't they? They'd have screamed and panicked and fought, but they wouldn't have been fast enough. I know they wouldn't have been fast enough, because I can hear how he'd scream.

Feel the pain as I'm knocked down by any number of powers, as blood rushes and spills across the floor from gaping wounds that are just too much to heal quickly enough, and it's only seconds but it feels like forever doesn't it? Or maybe, maybe I just want it to be forever, maybe that's what I want things to be. Pain and bliss, agony and ecstasy, mixed and bubbling and burning me away. Sometimes I start on the others too, they're so close, so many, so tightly packed--

More voices join his in the screaming, an indistinct choir of agony.

And fuck, it's the best sound in the world.

---

Liliana

I wonder, sometimes, what would happen if I made her watch. One of the others, someone she considers a friend - after all, she's pretty eager to take on injuries for herself, from what I've seen. So how far does that push, how much can I make her take before she loses it? An interesting question... tantalising, even. It wouldn't even have to kill her at the end of the day. It's about reaching the edge, not pushing anyone over it.

And it would be useful to know how much she's willing to endure. With or without a little encouragement.

---

Emma

She's right about me. I don't think she realises just how right, but that makes the thought of proving it all the more satisfying. Pretty difficult to stay all high-and-mighty when you're slowly melting away. Piece by piece - taking it slowly. But honestly, I wouldn't stick around for this one. Not because I wouldn't want to watch her slowly fall apart, but because it's more satisfying to let the effect work on its own, feel the rush continue even when I'm gone.

To show her that she isn't even worth my time.

---

Grant

...

---

Chris

He transforms, doesn't he? And when it fades, he seems to be healed, whole once he's back as a person. That just presents... so many possibilities for me. Take off his wings, his legs... and I could go so far, so far until he was forced to change back for his own safety. Split open his skin, leave it to peel off section by section, burn out his eyes, melt his gums and watch his teeth fall into his own mouth, reduce him until he was completely helpless and keep going until he's nothing.

And even after all that, I have him to deal with. The human. So pathetic, so self-important, so utterly fucking childish. If he wants to cry, that means I can give him something to really scream over. He's so desperate to hold onto his suffering, to pretend that he's somehow special in all of this, and it's beautiful to show him how very wrong that is. Everyone has a breaking point. I take it slow once he can't run. Once his bones are rotted away and his limbs lie limp and useless, I take it so, so slowly. But I don't kill him, no. I don't kill him for a long time.

Not until I get to hear him beg.

---

Sander

I don't know much about him, really. It limits my imagination in an irritating way, stops the images from having any kind of personal touch - but I don't think I could take my time for this one either way. After all, he's invincible after a while. So I'd make it fast, make it simple, and above all else quick. The moment he let his guard down, It'd be quick. Removing everything I could reach, and then once he was nothing but the most vital parts of himself...

I guess then it's off with his head.

---

Callan

Trusting. Naive. So very breakable. Forgiveness? I know how forgiveness ends, how it always ends, but maybe she doesn't and that's okay! No better way to learn than being part of a demonstration, after all. Practical. She thinks I can beat this, that I'm strong enough to do that--

No no I'm not at all, am I, not even close to it. Falling further, falling faster... but there'd be no better way to prove her wrong. I'm not even breaking a promise if I hurt her enough beforehand, that's the beauty of it. Because I'm sure that thing will come out, try to tear me to shreds or strike me down, and then I'm only doing what she asked me to. Fulfilling a duty, showing her just how strong I can be. Or maybe it's showing her just how weak I really am.

Of course, that's less fun. But if I hurt her enough, fuck her up enough, maybe she'll have to struggle with her control just like I do. No escape, no respite, no relaxation-- fighting it every single day. Then she'll know what a lost cause it is trying to help me.

---

Kusari

It's a memory now, isn't it? I can still remember every part of that moment, but it's almost unreal at the same time. The terror that caused it seems dull and muted, and in comparison her pain is bright and fucking delicious as every nerve burns away and regrows and burns again. And there's something real about it, utterly real, none of the strangeness that comes with the others-- the pleasure of the whole thing is almost visceral by comparison.

The kind of high that people spend their whole lives chasing. I don't know how many times I've seen it since I got back. But it's always just so good. So unbelievably good. Haven't seen her since that happened, don't think I want to, because I know I'll want that feeling again. I'm trying to describe it but it's beyond words, into the depths of something primal and rabid and animal instead. Kill her. Kill her, and then bring her back just so I can do it again. I tell myself it's disgusting, utterly inhuman; hell, I've been sick a couple of times when I come back to myself once the whole thing's done.

But no matter how hard I try I can't stop myself from wanting.

---

Marcus

Wouldn't promise not to save me, wouldn't promise to walk away. It's not something I think I can understand, but that's fine, right? Just means I have to make sure it's impossible. The scenario's the same as before, tendons snapped and ligaments melted away so he can't run anywhere. So he has to struggle to move anywhere, desperately fighting and unable to stand. Except now he can't help anyone either, can't help me, can't decide that I have to make it out alive.

I normally die in these ones, one way or another. Hurting him feels good, but that doesn't. Not as much, anyway.

---

Zoe

More and more. Temptation after temptation. How can I put that into words? How could I ever explain why things are this way? How I'm so scared, so disgusted, so horrified - and how you still can't resist that self-indulgent bliss? It's easy to think I should just get it over with and tell them, there's nothing stopping me. Tell them I fantasise about tearing them to shreds, tell them I've enjoyed everything I've done to such a sick extent.

That I've never been some strong warrior, some determined hero, some suffering soldier-- fucking look at what I've turned into. I'm a monster. A freak. A subnatural. A psychopath that gets off on her own diseased fucking rampages. The most pathetic specimen that anyone's ever shit out onto this broken little excuse for a planet, whose only claim to fame is ruining the life of everyone she ever came across.

Isn't it selfish of me to even want help? Or is it more selfish to hold back from that because I'm scared of what they'll think when they learn how deep that sickness goes? I don't know if I can face them knowing how depraved and disgusting I really am. And even if I'm ever brave enough, I know there's nothing they could ever do to help.

Besides, it's not like I've never lashed out before. Maybe some of this is just me.

---

Hazel

I wonder what it would take to make her react like a person. To break through whatever robotic fucking haze she's got going on and make her do something human and feral. This one's odd - I don't know if she'd understand what was happening when I plucked out her eyes or made her hands disintegrate into nothingness, and that makes the whole thing lose its appeal.

It's better when they know what's happening, what I'm doing, who's doing it. It's personal, not clinical and detached like she is. That's just boring. It's easy enough to ignore this one, because the pain just wouldn't stick out like it does with the others.

---

Siena

Unpredictable, that's what I said. And I'm starting to think she's dangerous too. There's a mask there, a disguise, even if I didn't realise it before. There are... so many things that could lie under that, and I want to know. So I reach up, and I tear away the surface, pulling the skin from her face. There's a kind of resistance, a stickiness as I try to tear it away, and the resistance makes it feel so real; the stench of blood and rot hitting me in a single moment.

There are layers to work through, layers upon layers of skin and muscle and eventually I reach bone. She's dead by then of course, but I don't stop, don't stop peeling everything away until there's only dust left. Until there's nothing left of whatever mask she's been hiding behind, and I see what remains. But there's nothing, and I'm sorry, and I just can't help but laugh. Whatever she's hiding, whatever isn't there for me to see... none of it's going to be left once I'm done. Who knows, maybe I'll even get to see what that danger was.

---

Angelique

She's my friend. The singer, and so fond of making speeches, of trying to speak up, of trusting in me when it's all just bullshit. Every time she's there, every time she's helpful, I imagine it. When she smiles, I imagine digging my hands into her throat - slowly, oh-so-slowly, once her vocal chords are destroyed. There's a look on her face, fury, betrayal, but she's helpless. Helpless against everything I'm doing.

It's her lungs that do it. Slowly, precisely, ripping away the inside, ever-so careful because I wouldn't want to do it too fast. She wants to scream, but it doesn't do anything, and that's when I let her go. Blood bubbling up in her throat, spilling from her mouth, as she spasms and flails and chokes. There's so much pain, I can feel it in the air, with every nerve, with every fibre of my being and it's indescribable. It's... incredible.

Then I blink, and she's sitting next to me again without a care in the world. Believing I can change.

And all I want to do is vomit.

---

Allison

So forgiving, isn't she? Naive. An easy opportunity. Still, without my powers, I couldn't hurt her the way I would the rest. Not rotting, not melting, nothing that easy and effortless. But I'm stronger than her, so it's be a simple matter. The moment she tries to reach out, I knock her down, pinning her - then I grab her arm, force it to bend as far as it can and then further still until the joints tear and bones shatter.

The feeling itself isn't remarkable on its own, even if it's so satisfying to feel everything finally give. It's the sound that makes it, as tendons snap and bones crunch. A very particular sound, a mixture of a crack, loud and painful as bone breaks and shifts and grinds, and a pop as everything comes out of place - then the agony hits, fractions of a second after, and the screaming replaces it. Music. And it continues, adding to the symphony as it reaches new heights with every snap and pop and break.

She passes out, eventually, and I stamp her face into the concrete until she never wakes up again. Dead, dead without even knowing a thing about Angel's fate. Or sometimes I tell her, and she dies struggling with that hope, desperate to see her just one last time. It's tragic either way. And really fucking cruel of me.

Wonder how forgiving she'd be if she knew about that.

---

Christmas

...

---

Brent

He thinks he knows, thinks he understands even a little of this, of me. So arrogant, so fucking arrogant. No, he doesn't understand the complete and utter loss of control and the bliss that comes with it-- he never could. It was naive to think he'd ever get how far this feeling goes, but we're nothing alike. This one isn't as precise as the others, isn't as methodical.

It's an animal thing, tearing off chunks and pieces and tossing them aside carelessly. Sometimes he'll die quickly, sometimes he'll live a while, but I don't pay any attention to it. It doesn't matter how much he suffers, even if every rip and tear sends shivers down my spine; what matters is that I'm not in control, that he sees how different we truly are. No thoughts, no decisions, as I let myself be a spectator in his grisly demise.

I don't even bother to wash the blood from my hands.

---

Ernest

Still thinking about David... it's a shared experience, the first time I really got to have some fun with someone around here. Fond memories, on my part, and when it's Ernie's turn on the chopping block I bring them all back full-force. There's nothing too complicated about the first parts, a thumb drawn down the face, an ear torn free and tossed aside. It's fun seeing how he reacts to all the blood, the uncleanliness of it all as I smear it across his face.

We put out his eyes, too, as I remember it. I'm guessing bleach doesn't work on his durability, but my powers are a good compromise, a thumb dragged across agonisingly slowly until he's completely and utterly blind. 'Course, I'm not cleaning any of this up - it's more fun to let him panic from being covered in his own blood, considering all the clean-freak shit. Even more fun to watch him try and keep it together through all of it.

There's no need for him to worry, though; I'll keep his secrets once he's finished, if nothing else.

---

Sophia

...

---

Others

They're only memories, once they die. Beautiful, horrifying memories of broken bone and spattered viscera, but my imagination doesn't add much to it. Merciful, right? Ha. Might sound that way, but like hell it is - because the memories feel so much better than anything else ever could. I can't explain this to anyone, not properly, not really showing what's happening in my head.

How do you tell someone that their dead friends are your goddamn fantasy material? Even if I don't have a choice about what I feel, what I see-- they already think I'm sick enough. Maybe they want to know, some of them, what drives me to do the things I do, but...

I can't help but think that it's better that they don't. But I'm starting to wish I could tell them anyway.