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Mira's Gone. I'm Anna Now.

I wonder what situation would be good to force Anna and Jay to talk to each other. They're both pretty skittish right now lol

Mira's Gone. I'm Anna Now.

Living in an apartment complex just off campus, Jay didn’t have a long walk to the food hub. On clear days, he could almost see the large building where all the restaurants and fast-food joints were housed from his second-story window. It was pretty convenient whenever he and Zack forgot to stock up on groceries or got tired of eating ramen noodles, sandwiches, and microwaved nachos. The only drawbacks of eating campus food were the price of it and the lines of students that sometimes stretched for many yards.

Fortunately, there weren’t too many people at the hub that morning. Most of the early classes at the university started at eight o’clock, but Jay’s psychology class began at the unusual time of eight thirty. So, unless there were other students with later classes who happened to be craving a bagel between eight and eight thirty, he often got lucky and didn’t have to wait for a long time to get his breakfast.

Jay got in line at the bagel shop—there were only three people in front of him—and ordered his food when he reached the cashier. He stood off to the side to wait until his number was called. He had a number ending in sixty-nine this time, which was fun because the student workers would often shout it in ridiculous voices. College humor like that was yet another thing Jay loved about living in a place surrounded by men and women of his own age. He smiled to himself. The fall semester hadn’t been going on for very long, but he was already having a great time. If things kept up like this, his junior year would be his best one yet.

“Order number sixty-nine!”

“Sixty-nine! Come and get it!”

The students waiting for their food snickered at the tirade of raunchy jokes that ensued until Jay claimed his bagel. He found a seat at an empty table to eat while he causally scrolled through Facebook on his phone until it was almost time for his class to start. Once he was done eating, he got up again to toss out his trash and head to the behavioral sciences building. However, he didn’t get very far before he was stopped.

As Jay was passing by another food shop, he couldn’t help but notice a pretty blonde woman standing in wait for her order. Momentarily forgetting his class, he slowed to a stop, brown eyes fixed on her back. The internal war began. He wanted to go up to her and say something, but the memories of his past girlfriends glued his feet to the floor. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to get back into the world of dating yet. He didn’t even know what to say if he did approach her. So, when the woman turned and started walking towards him, he froze. His face flushed and his mind went blank.

Apparently, the girl didn’t intend to talk to him. In fact, she didn’t seem to even notice he was there. He took a step back as she almost collided with him—he was still too startled to think clearly enough to move out of her way—and looked up as the lights overhead flickered suddenly. That’s weird, he frowned. You’d think a school of this size would pay for better wiring…

“No, it’s my fault,” Jay said quickly when the blonde woman apologized to him. “I wasn’t paying attention—” he faltered as she moved to get past him, making a beeline for the door. Just as fast as their little encounter had happened, it was over. He blinked in confusion, staring at the ghost of where she had been. What a strange person, he thought as he finally recovered enough sense to head to his class—of which he was now late. I wonder why she seemed so afraid…

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Finally finished!

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Mira's Gone. I'm Anna Now.

Hunting Trio

Ben Fischer
21 y/o
Third year forestry major
Member of the army ROTC


Wyatt Mazur
22 y/o
Fourth year philosophy major


Lee Zhang
24 y/o
First year nursing graduate

Zack Caruso

Jay's roommate
20 y/o
Third year criminology major
Kicker for the university's football team

Mira's Gone. I'm Anna Now.

Finished! I'll get some CS's up for the minor characters I introduced :D

Mira's Gone. I'm Anna Now.

Bang.

The sound of the gunshot rang out in the forest, followed by a thump as the body hit the ground. Dark red blood pooled where bullet had rendered flesh. Heads turned with brows raised high. The shooter was unfazed. He lowered his rifle and lifted a hand to wipe the sweat that had beaded on his forehead. It was a bit of a warm morning, and he had been outside for quite a while, patiently stalking the prey that now lay dead in the grass. He relaxed his tense shoulders. The job was done.

“Nice work, Jay,” one of the other young men in the forest said, clapping him on the back. “That’s one steady hand you’ve got there. He was a big guy, but you took him down in one shot.”

Jay shrugged, “Just gotta know where to shoot, Ben.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” another man spoke up. “Knowing where to shoot and hitting your mark are two different things.” He turned to the unmoving body. “He went down so fast, I’ll bet he hardly felt a thing.”

“That was the point,” Jay said. “I’m not in this to be cruel.”

The other men chuckled, and Ben spoke up again, “You’ve got a big heart, huh? Now, help us get him out of here.”

“Sure thing.”

The group of hunters gutted the dead elk and hauled its body onto the bed of a pickup truck. They drove back to a nearby cabin, where they skinned, cut, and bagged the meat, which was then put into a meat locker to cool, so it wouldn’t spoil. Jay sat with the rest of the men when their work was done, politely denying when they offered him a beer. “Thanks, but I’ve got class today.”

“Lightweight,” the hunter who offered him the drink rolled his eyes.

Jay just shook his head in response. In all honesty, he didn’t feel like drinking at five in the morning on a Tuesday, but these guys obviously had no qualms with it, so he decided to let it go. They were all peers at the same university—they had met at the school’s hunting and fishing club—but they spent so much time in the woods that it was easy for Jay to forget they were students too. He looked over his companions as they drank Heinekens and talked loudly with each other. Ben was a beefy guy with short-cropped, brown hair and a lot of tattoos; third year forestry major involved in the army ROTC program. Wyatt was lean and scruffy looking with wild eyes, almost as if he could be one of the animals they were hunting; fourth year philosophy major who had no idea what he was going to do after he got his degree. Lee was a bit smaller than the others, being of Chinese ethnicity, but he was the oldest among them at age twenty-four; first year graduate student with a degree in nursing. They were an odd group of guys without much in common, but their mutual affinity for hunting bonded them in friendship.

--

As the clock turned to six, they all piled into the truck to go back to the university. Jay, being the only one who didn’t have a beer, was naturally selected as their driver. The forest they were hunting in wasn’t too far from the college campus—as far as hunting grounds go, that is—so it only took them an hour to get back. They spent the time sharing stories of previous hunting trips: The time Lee killed a moose in Montana, but it got eaten by a bear before he could collect the meat; the time Wyatt forgot to wear his orange hunters’ vest and almost got shot by his friend; the time Jay and his brother, Jacob, stumbled upon a huge herd of bighorn sheep in Canada and brought back enough food to last their family for weeks… All in all, it was good fun, and the men were a bit disappointed to part ways when they arrived at the university.

Jay dropped the other three off at their respective apartments on-or-near campus, and then returned the truck to a parking garage near Ben’s place. It was Ben’s vehicle, so he had to leave it behind and walk back to his own apartment half a mile away. He didn’t mind the stroll though. It was early in the morning, so there weren’t many people outside to gawk at his bloodstained sleeves. Although, in the past he had been questioned by the campus police a few times for ‘suspicious behavior’ and had to explain to them that no, this was not human blood, and no, he was not a murderer. He chuckled softly at the memory.

Jay got home at about seven twenty. His roommate, Zack, was still asleep, so he was careful to move quietly as he stripped off his bloody clothes and got into the shower. He didn’t have class until half past eight, so he took advantage of the extra time and let the hot water wash over him for twenty minutes instead of his usual five. He would have stayed there even longer, but he heard a knock on the bathroom door, meaning Zack was awake.

“One sec!” Jay called in response. He shut off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist, then opened the door to let his roommate in. “All yours.”

“Thanks, man,” Zack said, bouncing from left foot to right. “I have to piss so bad.” He pushed past Jay to get into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

“Dude, you’ve gotta stop chugging water right before you go to bed,” Jay laughed.

“Shut up,” Zack said from the other side of the door. “I needed to pre-hydrate for football practice today. We’re doing suicides because coach Miller hates us.”

“Fair enough,” Jay admitted. He left Zack alone and finished getting ready for the day. He tossed his hunting clothes into a hamper and put on a plain red t-shirt and blue jeans. Even after he styled his hair and got his books together, there was still plenty of time before his class would start. He didn’t feel like sitting around in his apartment though, so he decided to go to the food hub of the college campus for some breakfast.

“I’m heading out,” Jay said to Zack on his way out. His roommate was cramming for a test he had forgotten to study for. Despite his glasses, he wasn’t a very studious guy.

“Mhm,” Zack grunted without looking up. It was clear that he wasn’t paying attention.

“The world is burning and the apocalypse has begun,” Jay said flatly.

“Mhm.”

“There are zombies climbing in through your window.”

“Mhm.”

Jay sighed in defeat, “Catch you later, Zack.” He shut the door and walked to the food hub, hoping the line for bagels wouldn’t be too long.

Mira's Gone. I'm Anna Now.

Sorry for taking so long to post! I had a some unnecessary drama going on irl that I had to deal with @.@ I'm working on my reply now!

Mira's Gone. I'm Anna Now.

Got most of my CS done. I'll have it finished either tonight or tomorrow, hopefully :)

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EDIT: My CS is now complete~ I'll get started on my first post tomorrow, because I'm tired now lol

Mira's Gone. I'm Anna Now.

Personal Characteristics
Name: Jay Gabel
Age: 21
Sex: Male
Birthplace: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, United States

Physical Characteristics
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 206lbs
Hair color: Dirty blonde
Eye color: Dark brown
Other: Right ribcage tattoo; Left shoulder tattoo; Left forearm tattoo

Health and Fitness
Addictions: None
Handicaps: Occasional pain in right knee from running
Proficiency: Great hand-eye coordination, reflexes, and stamina
Skills: Handguns and crossbows

Mental Characteristics
Known Languages: English, some French
Lures: New things; places, people, events, drinks, etc
Temperament: Sanguine
Personality: ESFP-A (Entertainer)

Social Characteristics
Emotional Stability: Relatively stable
Humor: Ingratiating laughter, Satire, Jokes
Reputation: Semi popular and well-liked by others

Philosophical Characteristics
Morality: Mostly black at white with some gray areas
Perception: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade

Spiritual Characteristics
Religion: Lutheran
Virtues: Kindness, liberality, diligence
Vices: Pride, impatience

Hidden Characteristics
Desires: To date a girl who isn’t shallow or trying to get something from him
Secrets: History of being used/led on by past girlfriends

Relations
Father: John Gabel (50)
Mother: Jacqueline Gabel (48; deceased)
Younger brother: Jacob Gabel (18)

Biography
Growing up in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Jay Gabel had always been something of a well-shaved mountain man. He spent his days fishing on the lake, hiking in the forest, and hunting in the mountains with his father. As an experienced policeman who believed in the importance of self-defense, John Gabel taught his son how to use weaponry at a young age. He was skilled with a bow at age ten, a crossbow at age thirteen, and a gun at age sixteen under his father’s tutelage. It had been a proud accomplishment for both of them.

Overall, Jay’s childhood had been adventurous, but also uneventful. His family got along well, Jay and his brother, Jacob, were both homeschooled. They hardly ever travelled, and Jay had never left the United States except for a few visits to Southern Canada, which was only a few hours north of his hometown. It was a simple life, but it was a good life, and that was all the Gabels cared about.

When the news came, none of them were prepared.

During an annual checkup, Jay’s mother’s doctor noticed a strange lump on her breast. Upon further testing, it was discovered that she had accelerated cancer. It had progressed so rapidly that her chance of recovering was almost zero percent, and she didn’t have much time left. The whole family was devastated, but none were more so than Jay’s father. Despite being married for almost thirty years, the two were still as in love as they had been on their wedding day. John couldn’t imagine being separated from his wife, so he spiraled into depression, drinking the days away to cope with the pain.

When Jay was 19 years old, just six months after his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, she passed away. John’s drinking grew worse, to the point where Jacob, who was still in high school, had to move in with their grandparents. Jay was just entering his freshman year of college. The upheaval of his life from Coeur d’Alene to the college dormitory, the loss of his mother, his father’s alcoholism, and the separation from his brother made for a difficult transition. But Jay had grown up to be a hardy man. After spending summer break in grieving, he forced himself to buck up and move on with his life. He refused to sit idly by and miss opportunities. This was when he got his third tattoo—a shark on his ribcage—as a symbol of proactively attacking his future.

Because of this decision, Jay’s first year of university was the most eventful year of his life. He joined the cross country team and a number of different clubs to keep himself busy. He also chose to major in criminology, hoping to get a job in the police force when he would eventually graduate. He kept up an active social life as well, joining a volunteer-oriented fraternity, going to parties on weekends, and making friends everywhere he went.

The only tough part about college was the dating scene. Jay learned quickly that most of it was shallow bullshit when he had his first college girlfriend. She had been a girl from a sorority that was close to his frat. They hit it off at a volunteer event—cleaning trash up around the town—and he worked up the courage to ask her out. Unfortunately, she wasn’t looking for the type of long term relationship he was hoping for. She strung him along for free dinners and rides until he realized he was being led on. Naturally, he broke things off with the girl right away, but the pain of the situation remained a scar afterwards.

Jay tried dating twice more since the incident, but unluckily for him, the same thing continued to happen. One other girl accepted his proposal for a relationship and used him for money, and the other just kept him on the hook as a backup plan while she pursued another man in his fraternity. It was discouraging to say the least. So, during his sophomore year of college, he swore off dating. Instead of going to parties on weekends, he went to a local shooting range to practice with his weaponry. He spent his weekdays focusing on his schoolwork and his distance running for the cross country team. It was a different experience, but it wasn’t a bad one.

Now, going into his third year of college, Jay has no plans. He began to miss the wildness and spontaneity of his first year towards the end of his second, so he decided to just see where life will take him as a junior. No more avoiding girls, no more avoiding frat parties. He would let himself be immersed in college life once again.

And he would be damned if it isn’t a good experience this time.