Daniel Ahn, from Laurel, a roleplay on RPG

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Nina Nikolayevna Romanov

Character Portrait: Guadalupe Solorzano-Cifuentes

0.00 INK

#2015-07-08 06:43:36, as written by Mac n Cheese

{ Monday, June 22nd || Laurel Summer Academy || Partly Cloudy }

Before the Summer semester there is always a long weekend for non yearlies to move out, and for students to move over to the summer dorms for the semester. The weekend starts on Wednesday and ends Tuesday the next week. The night before there is traditionally a bonfire dance, which is non-mandatory but popular, mostly because the food provided is delicious and staff are extremely willing to turn a blind eye during it. It is also common for students to ask dates to the bonfire dance, it being the common beginning of summer romances, both of the lasting and fling variety.

At the moment, it is quarter to noon. Most students have been awake since breakfast, although there are always those willing to forgo the meal in favor of sleeping past noon. Students are settled into their dorms, for the most part, and have picked the classes they will begin taking the next day.

xxx

In celebration of the beginning of Erin's final Summer Semester as a student of Laurel (as technically next year she will have graduated from the school come Summer Semester), the young woman is nowhere to be found. She was not in her room when her roommate woke up, was not at breakfast, and most certainly was not anywhere at all in the dorms. Of course, those who could not find her did not really know the young woman particularly well. Anyone who knows Erin knows precisely where she ought to be, and would have been surprised to find her in her room this morning. This is because every year (the celebration thing is merely a dumb excuse) she camps out the night before the bonfire. That is to say the young woman finds a nice spot in a thicket of trees just a bit off from the beach around the lake, pitches a modest little tent, and roasts smores and watches the stars. All of her friends have an open invitation to take part in this little tradition, though most come for the smores and leave back for their dorms around midnight or so to sleep in a comfortable bed. While there they might also set of sparklers with her and laugh and tell horror stories, for Erin loves nothing better than a cheesy, stereotypical fireside horror story. The midnight society is very much her ideal.

But that was last night, and now it is afternoon, and the young woman is only just waking up. She has a little set up over a little fire to try and cook eggs, which every single year are always runny and underdone but she claims are the most delicious and perfectly made eggs the world has ever seen. No one who has tasted them as denied this, at least not out loud, for the sake of playing along with her little annual game. Thus it will go this year as well, as the young woman stretches out her legs and arms, yawns in a particularly cat-like manner with her eyes scrunching shut and her nose wrinkling. She pokes her head out from the tent flap, as this is a very traditional sort of triangle little tent, to see that light is already dancing across the ground, filtered by the trees into generously illuminated patches. Erin smiles- she couldn't keep a straight face if she tried at the moment. This is always one of her very favorite times of the year, and has been since she started the tradition in seventh grade. Of course, back then she was often joined by- well, it hardly matters anymore. What matters is that she shrugs on her bathing suit and go off into the lake to wash off the night's sleep. It is going to be frigid, of course, it always seems to be. Glad with the thought, Erin darts out of her little cluster of trees and towards the lake.

xxx

Daniel Ahn has been awake since a little past dawn. Of course, he has been, because the boy often seems slightly more robot than man with his stoic expression and vague sense of distance from everyone else. Oh, he's something of an asshole, most everyone knows that by now, but in a way which seems more programmed than pathological, with his judgmental glances and calculating little smirk. His opinions seem like protocols, patterns inserted into his psyche, with how cleanly he sorts people. Friend, foe, or irrelevant: there is little space for compromise among these two categories in the eyes of Daniel Ahn.

That aside, there is of course a reason for him rising with the sun on a day in which oversleeping is an option many are more than happy to take. Every morning Daniel goes for a run. He does not strike anyone as the most athletic of individuals, and would never be caught at the gym pumping iron or on the basketball court playing 1v1. However, part of his criticalness must be pointed towards himself, and he expects some semblance of fitness of himself. Thus, the young man jogs nearly every morning, come rain and snow, more reliable than the US Postal Service. Daniel has always been inclined towards pattern and routine, after all. This is perhaps why he becomes so attached to a select group of people: they simply become part of his routine, albeit a part he becomes fiercely loyal to.

After his run, Daniel had naturally taken a shower and then eaten breakfast with a few other Influentials. Since then he has been quite content to sit on the back porch of one of the dorms (which are honestly just two large cabins) and read a book. It is Anna Karenina, which he has taken a disliking to but resolved to finish due to the principle of the thing. It is far too soap opera in his view, though he may not know enough of soap operas to fairly judge this. Daniel glances at his watch and flicks the page in the same clean movement. He'll likely be going to lunch soon enough.

xxx

For his part, Keevan is still dead to the world. He's never been much for early rising, and will likely sleep straight through lunch if no one intervenes and interrupts his nearly comatose state.

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-09 12:06:29, as written by Layla

XXX

Faster

XXX

Murderer

XXX

"If you look for perfection, you'll never be content,"

"Wise words for a dead man. Peasants shouldn't strive to be Kings. Perfection is solely reserved for the already perfect."

XXX

friends

Friend

XXX

moment

XXX

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-10 00:13:00, as written by Mac n Cheese

xxx

Daniel continues to lazily flick through the pages. Of course, while his flick may be lazy and his eyes half-lidded, the young man is never anything less than completely alert. The occasional passing cluster of students earn a scowling little glance, and the brief interruption of a buzzing fly is ended as he smacks it against the table in a single movement. Daniel is not one to waste his energy or time if he can help it, and this shows in the cold sort of efficiency with which he works. Of course there are brief moments of warmth, a genuine smile, an act of loyalty, but only a precious few may routinely witness these minor miracles. For the rest, his only smile is a smug sort of smirk, eyebrow raised and criticisms written across his bone structure. This is Daniel, after all, not some strange patron saint of idiots who is happy to tolerate people simply for the sake of 'politeness.' He does things only where they benefit him, directly or indirectly, and this calculating tendency is something that most of his classmates have come to understand by now. Still, those moments in which he attempts to be charming often come as such a surprise that they dazzle a classmate into going with what he wants, confused of what is going on the entire time. He much prefers it this way.

There are those friendly exceptions, of course. One of them walks softly up to him. Daniel has a talent for remembering footsteps of those who matter, and she happens to fit among the group, with quiet steps. Thus it comes of little surprise when the voice of Nina Romanov chimes in behind him, reading a line that he had been lingering on before the distraction of her entrance. And there is one of those smiles- small, but sincerely amused. The young man turns his head just enough so that she is visible in his peripheral. "Good morning, your highness," he greets her with fondness. Daniel has taken to teasing her with that nickname, for many of the school have come to see her as the Queen Bee, and him the one constantly whispering in her ear. They aren't entirely incorrect. Her lips graze his cheek and, naturally, Daniel is unfazed. This is their usual routine, after all.

He marks his book with a red piece of yarn that had been wrapped between his fingers and shuts it with a somewhat satisfying little thud. "Oh my, you'll have people talking about us Miss Romanov. Now no one will ever wed me," his humor has a peculiar degree of deadpan to it, with the very slightest fluctuations in pitch and tone here and there. The execution is flawless within his own little group, but to others might be considered somewhat dry. Luckily he gives very few damns as to what anyone outside of his ring thinks of him- and he knows all of those thoughts. There is a reason many falsely believe him to be the editor of the Breadbowl, and the fact that he seems to hear every whisper is certainly part of it. Not that he would ever publish the trash thrown at his own clique that is often seen on the blog.

"I suppose the very least you can do now is take me to lunch," he adds, standing up and placing the book into a small messenger bag. "Shall we?"

xxx

A voice, seemingly out of nowhere, practically has Erin five feet up in the air from the sudden shock of it. She twists around to see the source of it and smiles brightly. It's Aimee Hart, a classmate whose face she's known for a few years now but whom she has never been particularly close with. A few shared courses here and there, maybe one or two partner projects, these are the extent of their interactions. Still, she seems like a nice enough girl, and isn't one of the Influentials, so Erin shoots up a hand and waves back right before the girl turns and walks off. Her greeting had led Erin to believe that she was about to start a conversation, but apparently not. Perhaps this is for the best, as Erin wants to go on her swim before lunch hour is over, and thus has a somewhat limited window of time for anyone who isn't going to join her in the lake. The young woman gladly turns back around and runs into the lake, water splashing loudly on either side of her. Erin may be pretty, but grace has never been her strongsuit. The closest thing to it is the movement of her hands with tools and wiring, and not many agree with her in thinking building to be beautiful.

Before she gets very far at all, Erin notices a shadow is rushing towards the surface. She begins to move away a little, but perhaps not with the speed she ought to be using. Curiosity has always been a weakness of Erin's; she can't help but follow crumb trails, even when they lead down less than safe paths. She soon wishes she had moved away earlier though, as the shadowy figure turns out to be a person just as shady has his silhouette had been. Before her stands Sterling Walker, muscles flexing in the most show-boaty way possible. In an incredibly childish move, Erin wrinkles her nose slightly as if she has just smelt something foul. "Sorry, I didn't realize this spot was taken," she says, clearly not sorry. Sterling was once one of those who shared this tradition with her, he knew very well that this was her spot. All of the water, and he chose to bother her- Erin is certain of it.

He is an asshole, after all. One she made a huge mistake with last semester- one she'd rather not be reminded of by seeing him standing their shirtless, smirking. To think they had once been friends. Much had changed since he'd left and fucked everyone else over in the process.

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-14 06:28:10, as written by Layla

XXX

"I'm willing to share,"

XXX

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were avoiding me,"

"But your self-control isn't that great."

XXX

"Only if you're paying, Mr Ahn,"

XXX

enrages

XXX

Weak

If you can't be happy, no one can.

XXX

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

XXX

"I'll get you another drink,"

"I know much that must've cost you."

poor

XXX

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-15 05:28:03, as written by Mac n Cheese

xxx

By the time that Keevan's mind finally decides it is time to greet the day, he has already wasted most of it. Even his Summer roommate, who has tendencies very similar to his own in terms of start times, has left by now. This is almost embarrassing to Keevan, rising later than Sterling. Almost is the key word of course, for Keevan is the sort of lad who seems to have very little in the way of shame and nearly as small a dose of self preservation. After all, no one properly worried about themselves would willingly lead a technically illegal online newspaper, one that has plenty of enemies among those who frequently find themselves in it's articles. That being said, Keevan suspects that many of the faculty know he is the source of the Breadbowl (which he plans of course to pass down to some lucky, gossip-loving yearly come the end of next year), and let it carry on because they find it a) amusing, and b) a harmless aspect of high school life. The gossip is going to happen anyway, after all, it might as well be reliable. And the Breadbowl is nothing if not that- Keevan is very keen on fact checking. It would be a discredit to himself were he to publish false rumors. He is an investigator as well as an editor. Of course, he can post unverified rumors if he reminds everyone that rumors are all they are confirmed to be.

It is this little project of his that he immediately turns to when he wakes up, opening up his laptop and checking any recent submissions. Of course it will be slow, as people are busy settling in, but without a doubt the Summer blog posts will be far more interesting than the normal semester ones. During the Summer, yearlies are let out to play, with significantly less supervision and significantly more little secret nooks to hide in their spare time, which they may spend however they please. A bunch of gifted, powerful, and wealthy teenagers lodging together for an entire Summer, many of them having long histories? Oh, Keevan simply adores Summer entries. Something about the heat works up people's emotions, and that makes for excellent stories.

He scans through the two or three he has, all just little tidbits of suspicious action, one with a photo as evidence. Unsurprisingly, they mostly speak about the Influentials. The Influentials who stay here for the Summer tend to be the ones with a bit more on their plates, after all; the happy ones are by now off on their private jets to vacation with mummy in Paris. This leaves behind the bastard children, black sheep, shady wealth sources, etc. It's beautiful, really. A writer could ask for no better source of character ideas than one of the most prestigious schools in the Northern Hemisphere.

The lunch options aren't too shabby either. Keevan is soon on his way to the lunchroom, laptop safely in his backpack. He is never without it, naturally.

To: Rebecca Sayre
How's Nina doing? Always a pleasure, love. Don't forget to keep in touch this summer.

He grins at his phone as the screen returns to black. Rebecca may be among the top of the social ladder, but he likes to think she is in his back pocket. Daniel Ahn isn't the only one with his ear to the floor at Laurel- far from it.

xxx

This isn't the time to start something, I should just go. Carr and Lane are probably at lunch anyway- Erin begins to realize the contradictory nature of choosing to confront Sterling in such a way, when what she really wants to do is avoid him, but too late. He is already moving towards her, and it feels as though turning to run away, which she is half inclined to do, would be admitting defeat. Stupid, stubborn Erin would never concede to the asshole who stole her first love, one of her best friends. She would never give him that satisfaction. Unfortunately, Erin doesn't realize that playing his game is doing just that. She is a clever girl, with hands that read blue prints like the palm lines of future generations, with a mind wiring for electricity and light and machines. When it comes to people, however, her programming tends to miss a few spots. It's a bit of error in the coding, and leaves her to often play right into the hands of others. Thus, like an indignant child, she scowls at the nearing boy.

His hands move towards her face, and by instinct of a dance played before she steps back. Her footwork is faulty, however, and lacks the necessary speed. Normally speaking, Erin loves to have her hair touched and play with. She is quite the adamant believer that most people do. Sterling is not a normal classmate, however, and his fingers fiddling with her hair gives her a shiver rather than a feeling of warmth. He radiates cold. Even as he releases her hair, it floats in the air as though pulled forward by a magnet. He is toying with his abilities, she knows. Abilities which have always infuriated her with their inability to be explained.

But of course Sterling knows this.

"I'd need to be drunk and stupid to want to seek out someone like you," she shoots back, reaching up to pull her hair back down. The sight of it makes her vaguely uncomfortable. His chuckle is all the worse. The foolishness of what she has said dawns on her too late. In an attempt for recovery, she attempts to play his game. The failure is likely pitiful.

"If only there were someone worth knowing behind that face of yours. Then our time wouldn't have been such a waste," The reference is clear, and perhaps dirty as well, but Erin has worked hard to avoid Sterling, and owes him no kindnesses for ruining the effort. I need to go.

xxx

"Oh, I wouldn't dream otherwise."

When people automatically look at Nina and Him, Daniel nearly smirks. However, the expression only half succeeds, giving him a somewhat menacing look with his mouth one fifth curled and his eyes glinting like a knife. There is good reason to believe someone may fall on him and cut themselves against the sharpened edge of his being. Luckily, most of his close friends wear gilded armor that protects them from such tragedy. Perhaps this is why her far prefers the company of the high, mighty, and guarded. They suit him much better, and he them, than anyone else possibly could.

To put on a show for the normal students, as he views them, Daniel leans over and whispers into Nina's ear, expression twisting into that smirk which had been denied entry by the gates of his mind earlier. "I don't suppose you're suddenly aching for dear old times," he murmurs, following her gaze. His words may have fell upon deaf ears, but as her walk directs itself towards Lane soon afterwards, there are those who look on with an anticipatory sort of horror. It seems that the sort who cover their eyes before a creature pops out in horror movies make up a fair percentage of the current diners in the hall. And with rather few people left, everybody is seated such that they may watch the scene unfold, from the seven year olds sitting in the corner with a monitor to the seniors who will be off come Summer's end.

Daniel does not follow her, but walks over to the Elite table, distinction made by the lack of diners at the three tables nearest to it, and the choice position near the large windows of the cafeteria. At this time of day, it is lit up by the sun, which glints against the diamond bracelets and platinum watches of those who sit there. It shines like power, reflecting in Daniel's eyes. The young man turns when he has reached the table to watch Nina. Just in time to see that flash of inconsistency across the face of the Queen. It is no surprise to him, but Daniel hopes no one else sees it- a Queen that wavers is one that falls to a mere Duchess, and Nina ought to know that. After all, someone had to be bumped back in line for the throne in order for her to ascend. Daniel has always edged the shadow beside the gilded chair, but her seating was more of a hot topic semesters ago.

She is the better for it. Daniel could not ask for a better woman to stand by. He has even briefly considered the lucrative option of, in some years time, making the partnership more permanent. But that would be a deal to be made another day, should no one more fitting be arranged.

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-15 07:25:08, as written by rubytuesday

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Monday, June 22nd | Laurel Summer Academy
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As she finished her meal, Anna took to looking around the cafeteria, examining the people that were soon to becomes her friends. Or her enemies. Although the former was naturally the more preferable option. She noted the different tables with a raised eyebrow. "Wow. It's like Mean Girls. Colin's eyes rose, a confused knot between his brows, "What?" Anna shrugged, "Oh, you know," Before quoting the famous chick flick in a clichéd 'rich bitch' tone, "'You got your freshmen, ROTC guys, preps, J.V. jocks, Asian nerds, Cool Asians, Varsity...'." At Colin's blank expression, her voice trailed off, and her girlish tone was replaced with a dumbfounded one, "Seriously? You haven't seen...? I guess rom-coms aren't your thing." "Am I that transparent?" Anna sighed, shrugging off her step-brother's sarcasm before explaining, "What I mean is there's a different clique at every table. Only in this case it's..." She glanced around the cafeteria again, pointing a finger at each table, "Geeks. Musicians. Basket cases. Drowning-in-cash-ies..." Colin's tone was laden with snark, "Wow. You've got us sussed." Anna ignored the falseness of his tone, instead smiling with pride and stretching in an arrogant, aren't-I-great? manner. "I know."

She flickered her eyes over to wear one of the 'drowning-in-cash-ies' had approached one of the 'musicians', and a frown crossed her face as the former spilled water over the latter's notes, malice clearly intended. "Hey. What the hell? Did you see that?" Colin gazed slid to the scene, his expression saying little, "Oh. Nina Romanov strikes again." "'Romanov'? Like, as in 'Anastasia'?" Anna replied, her curious tone joking, "Yeah." Anna's expression froze, and she looked back to the girl in disbelief, "No! Seriously?" "Seriously." "Woah..." For a second, Anna was spellbound, but then she shook away her amazement, and her frown returned, "But still. What a bitch." "Mmhm." Once again, Colin's interest was waning, and Anna peered over at him once more, "So... who are these other guys?" Colin sighed, and pointed lazily to the students as he named them. "The girl by Nina, that's Lane Blackwell. She's a 'Gifted'. Musical. Pleasant, I suppose. " As he ran through the students in monotone, Anna tried her best to keep the names tucked away for future reference, although Colin's personal style of narration wasn't making it any easier. "And that... is Daniel Ahn." Anna followed his gesture, and allowed her eyes to fall on the slender figure standing not so far away from Nina. "... Try to avoid getting on his bad side." "Hm? Why?" "Because he's the type to make you regret it." Colin's tone had shifted to something Anne couldn't quite put her finger on, and as she glanced to Colin, his expression had darkened. "Did... you get on his 'bad side'?" Colin's trance shattered, and his gaze broke away from the darkly dressed individual. As though a spell had broken, he returned to his calm and blunt state, "Yeah. I guess I did." "How?" Colin sighed, although his dispel of breath seemed weary rather than annoyed, "He just... never liked me." His gaze flickered, as if he'd fallen into a daydream, and murmured as an afterthought, "He was friends with Julian." Anna was taken aback by this new information, as well as the change in mood, and bit her lip. "Oh." She fell silent for a moment, before 'ahem'-ing awkwardly, and rising from her seat. "Well, I'll keep that advice in mind." She smiled nervously in an attempt to break the tension, "Come on, let's go." Colin sat in his chair, and nodded slightly, "Fine." Anna waited for him to get up, looking around the room with a curiosity now dredged by concern.

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-16 06:43:16, as written by Layla

XXX

"Keep it,"

XXX

This is a warning

Do not cross me.

XXX

Oh, but you did,

XXX

"Been checking out my face, Rin?"

"Man, I feel like man candy."

XXX

Lane.

Nina

XXX

rage

XXX

You never should've left.

XXX

"Nina,"

XXX

"You look..."

"Frustrated,"

"What's bothering you?"

XXX

"I'm looking at him,"

XXX

"There’re a lot of people who would be flattered that I should grace them with my presence, but I chose you.”

What are you doing, Nina? What happened to you to make you so cruel? So unrecognisable?

XXX

"What do you want?"

un

XXX

"The truth,"

XXX

"Pluto isn't actually a planet."

XXX

"Stop it, Nina. Stop this."

XXX

"You have no authority over me."

"You."

"Are nothing."

XXX

"You are a traitor to your friends,"

"You left, without so much as a postcard. You had no right to come back. You have no right to speak to me like you know me. You could never begin to fathom me when you can barely comprehend a 14 year old child. So wave your magic wand, Sterling."

"Because if you're God, I'm an atheist, and your magic will never save you from me."

XXX

Now

XXX

"You think because you can wave a few pieces of wood around and replicate some science experiments that you have power?"

"Wake up, Sterling."

"This is power."

XXX

"I hope you know she loved you,"

"We all did."

XXX

"And perhaps the greatest power you wield isn't your wealth or your status, but your capacity to destroy everyone you touch."

you're next.

XXX

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-16 10:29:56, as written by rubytuesday

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Monday, June 22nd | Laurel Summer Academy
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Colin mentally tried to shake the thick gloom that had begun to settle on his psyche, although even when he tried his hardest to act as per his usual, snarky self, he felt dappled by something grim. Perhaps thinking of Daniel just had that effect on him. No, actually it was more Daniel's friendship with Julian that he hated to be reminded of. The two had been close. Probably the closest thing Daniel had to a legitimate, healthy, platonic relationship. Daniel, with his dark grace, and his sharp expressions, had always made Colin feel wary. It didn't help that Daniel had never liked him. In fact, Daniel had rather strongly disliked him. Something about being Julian's sibling made Daniel opposed to him, be it out of jealousy or something else entirely, Colin hadn't a clue.

And it wasn't like he'd ever dare ask.

As he rose to pick up his plate, he saw Anna freeze slightly, before hearing a soft, "Shit. That's where I remember her from. "Hm? Who? Lane?" "Nina." "Oh? How?" "She's my bloody room mate." Colin's eyebrows rose, and although his mind fought with two emotions, the first being concern for his step-sister's welfare and the latter being amusement at her rotten luck, the latter wore out. "Well. Shall I call the undertaker now, or...?" "She smiled." Anna turned to him, her face contorted into a wince of dread, "I'm going to fucking die." "I don't suppose you have any funny stories, do you? I haven't known you all that long so your eulogy is going to be pretty emp-"

"Are you leaving already?" A bell-like voice interrupted him mid-taunt, and he glanced up. He didn't need to. He'd have recognised that voice, anywhere. "What time is it?" "Time to get a watch." Colin replied in distracted monotone, only for him to blink a couple of times as Mimi's lips pressed to the edge of his own. The brief moment of fluster was quickly smothered, and he turned to face the curly-haired girl. "Hello, I'm Mimi. Who are you?"Colin's eyes met Anna's, and with a heart-skipping moment, he noticed that she'd caught his second of weakness. However, she instead looked to Mimi, and smiled in her typically friendly manner. "Hi, I'm Anna. Colin's sister." "Step."Colin explained, shooting Anna a brief glance that she pretended not to notice. "I got blood on my dress. I don't know how to get it out. I might just leave it until I get changed for the party." "Why not?" Colin shrugged, before adding with a touch of sarcasm, "Gore is very 'in' this year."

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-17 05:46:03, as written by Mac n Cheese

xxx

The grin when he catches her trip up is infuriating because she herself had realized it entirely too late. At least she had the excuse of complete intoxication- his part in the affair she is convinced was motivated by general assholery .

"Man, I feel like man candy." Erin's eyebrows shoot up at the comment. He is every bit the same as he had been before leaving. The fact that he can go so unscathed by everything, at least to her eyes, is the sharpest of the pains. He floats above the difficulties of the mere mortals, it seems, sometimes literally. Erin has friends among the powerful, cherished friends, but people like Sterling, so cocky on top with their abilities, acting as if they are gods descended to earth, bother the girl. She may be confident, stubborn, impulsive, and careless at times, but at least she doesn't look down on people. Even in the case of Sterling, the wretch, she sees him eye to eye. She doubts this is mutual.

There is no time for a response before the sound of splashing interrupts Erin's less than sunny trail of thought. There is a flicker of something strained in Sterling's normally calm expression. Naturally, Erin's first thought goes to the queen of the school. She whips her head around, body tense, only to find that it is Lane who is running up to her. What little relief this gives her is tossed aside by a closer look at the state of her best friend.

"Erin. . .Nina ruined everything. . .my entire notepad. . ." Instantly Sterling is forgotten. Erin moves forward and shelters Lane in a hug. Before, Erin was somewhat irritated, somewhat bothered. Now, she is angry. This day has gotten off to a less than fantastic start, and Erin is less than pleased about it. She turns to glare at Sterling, newly recalled, but he is already leaving them. Good. Go face your damn creation, Victor, Erin returns her attention to the crumpled and hurting Lane.

"Fuck Nina. Come on, Lane. I feel like eating popcorn and watching a movie. Wanna waste the day with me?" She smiles, mostly genuinely, down at Lane. At least this, Sterling had not taken from her.

xxx

Briefly, Daniel is distracted from Nina's situation by someone who he has always despised: Colin. Most everyone knows that Daniel had been the best friend to his brother, and that he was probably the person that Daniel had been the closest to throughout his entire life. It was also a well known fact that Colin is not in Daniel's good graces. Many people assume it is just the fickle nature of his opinions, not realizing how incredibly possessive and jealous the young man becomes over those few who he befriends. Jealous enough to hate the brother of his best friend for having that privilege of brotherhood.

It is the face beside Colin, however, that hits him like a brick. Sam? even his internal voice is winded. Colin's brother may have been Julian to most everyone else, but Daniel knew him as Sam. And a face mirroring his sits at that table. In a few seconds he regroups, realizing that it can't be Sam, and it is more feminine besides. Still, it is only with the entrance of Sterling that Daniel fully returns to the situation at hand.

Automatically he moves closer to Nina, protective. His expression is little more than dark ice, coolly observing Sterling. Throughout the beginning of the exchange he is silent, calm. When Nina moves toward him, he instinctively presses back, his eyes never leaving Sterling. This is two parts a game: make Sterling feel pain such that he will never try to take Nina away, and genuine protective instinct towards one of those few whom he trusts.

He stands taller, looming like the grim reaper, death itself with fine bone structure and black eyes, as Sterling gives his final attack. Who can fall when darkness itself seems to side with them? So it may seem to the student body, unaware that anything but ice dwells behind Daniel's gaze. Sterling looks at him, warningly. Daniel merely smirks, as if confident it could never happen. He is useful, valuable, and more than anything, willing to sink far lower to keep his friends with him.

"I do believe I've lost my appetite."

xxx

While the gods spit acid at one another, the rest can only watch and hope that none of it trickles down into their eyes. They look away when appropriate but are always watching. People never really stop watching. And among those people, sits one young man looking positively awestruck. But his eyes glisten in a way that is just a bit strange, fitting in with a few other who have the same enraptured expression. There's is not the intrigue of watching, but rather the excitement of telling, of showing.

two hours later

The Breadbowl
The Summer will apparently carry on as it usually does- much more interestingly than the fall semester. Many have left but the power players, the screwed up, and the hopelessly confused remain in play. A beautiful beginning, titan vs. titan as the well known Miss Romanov faced Mr Walker in a confrontation that, to be honest, came as something of a relief to some of us. Better the time bomb go off than hold us in suspense forever.

Romanov held her own, with of course the support of her loyal "are-they-or-aren't-they" dog. I'm sure they'll be perfectly happy together in the future. Walker, on the other hand, stormed out. Both are rising seniors, so we only have so long to watch as this plays out. Of course the big question is, are molecules a match for money?

Speaking of matches, for the rest of us mere mortals the bonfire is tonight- I'm really more interested in seeing who dances with whom than dancing with someone myself. No doubt, I'll be there watching for you rascals to sneak off. I seem to remember that Romanov and Walker used to haunt the dance together. This is the first one since he's returned, and you know neither will be sitting out on round two of worldstar Orion. Let's set the tone to a dramatic summer, shall we?

xoxo,
The Breadbowl Staff

Every year on the day before Summer classes begin, a bonfire is held. Now, thanks to a pyrokinetic staff member the bonfire is able to be massive, without much risk of it toppling over and harming students (usually). It is held a little ways off from the dorms on the beach by the lake, and the main bonfire is often surrounded by smaller firepits with different food options at each one. There is always, without exception, some form of alcohol and some form of drugs available, and the teachers tend to turn a blind eye to it. After all, many of the students have families too powerful to persecute them, and the school grants a good amount of freedom besides.

Music is played throughout the night, sometime alternating between speakers and student run bands if they request to perform. Dancing around the bonfire is common, and usually the bonfire is kicked off by a partner dance that by now all of the Yearlies have learned, even if they don't ask or get asked to dance. There has been drama started over the dance before, but it really just depends on how seriously one takes it- often times friends will dance together, after all. But everyone looks forward to Breadbowl posts afterwards about which dances meant something, who made what mistake, who snuck away with whom, etc. Nothing is kept secret for long at Orion.

It is already dark out, with a full moon above and bright stars, the nearest city being too far away to outshine the night sky. Later on fireworks will be set off, and sparklers are resting all over the place for the amusement of students.

It is now about ten or so minutes before the bonfire "officially" kicks off with the first dance, but most students have already arrived and are sitting about the fires. Predictably, some are already stumbling over their own tongues thanks to the weight alcohol puts on them. Thus, the best and brightest of their age group prove themselves to still be young after all.

"Let's set the tone to a dramatic summer, shall we?"

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-22 05:18:56, as written by Mac n Cheese

xxx

Daniel does not particularly enjoy the bonfires, but never misses a year. There is some enjoyment to be had in watching fools become greater imbeciles under the influence of the night sky and alcohol. To some degree he admires the amount of freedom the faculty are willing to give when it comes to Summer festivities such as this one, but on the other hand fears they merely reveal the truth of the institution: even those considered impossibly gifted, impossibly bright, or impossibly important, can make asses of themselves without little thought in regards to it.

Still, he is more inclined to get in just a bit more reading before leaving to attend the annual event, and for this reason arrives a bit late. It is the time he takes to press a ribbon into the page, to straighten his cuffs, to make sure the novel is placed in exactly the correct spot on his alphabetized shelf, which prevents him from being their to loom over Nina when she first arrives. These are the little details he regrets when he finally does arrive at the bonfire to see the flame hungrily licking the sky, mirroring the sudden cold fury in his eyes when he watches as Cameron, hardly worth his time and certainly not worth Nina's, wrenches her away from one of the duchesses. But he holds himself back- the queen must be given a chance to flex her muscles before a knight is justified in jumping in. Thus, he remains still, entire body tightened like a shadow waiting to expand and swallow the bonfire whole. His face is an unbreachable wall, but a single clench fist.

Cameron's arm springs forward. Daniel takes a quick step, still somewhat restrained.

Nina is forcefully pulled through the air. Daniel frowns. Cameron moves to finish his slur, and everything seems to go black.

Daniel is moving. His fist is hitting Cameron's nose. Cameron returns in kind, but Daniel seems unfazed, robotic. He has his arm around Cameron's throat, forcing him to the ground. Daniel may be a sleek darkness, but beneath his sleek exterior is a sort of carnal rage released in only these unique sorts of situations. The young man is already known to be feared for his ability to destroy with a handful of whispers in the right ear, but many do not realize the force he normally keeps locked and heavily guarded.

There are no teachers in sight. Cameron is only able to splutter, his ability to fight back weakened by a cocktail of air loss and alcohol. Many of the students started out cheering, but have since faded to grim silence, staring. Daniel does not notice them, instead seeing only Nina. He looks at her, waiting some indication that she is okay. It is the thumb of the emperor decideing a gladiator's fate. Whether Daniel would actually kill the man is difficult to say.

Without a doubt, there is dark rage in his eyes.

xxx

A few minutes prior to the Influentials' ordeal, Keevan sits at one of the smaller fires, jesting with friends about who is the most likely to end up with whom at the end of the night. Some of his friends beside him discussing asking people to dance in just a little bit when a few fireworks are shot up to indicate the first dance. They toss in bets and comments about the bigger players among the Yearlies, guessing some things will remain the same: year long couples, close friends, etc, who tend to dance with one another every year. "Think there will be any surprises this year?" Louis, a boy with curly red hair and freckles asks Keevan. He is known among friends to have a wicked instinct for these sort of things.

"Huh? Oh. Well, you never know," his response is vague and distracted, more important things being at hand. Literally in hand is his cell phone, a message already typed out to be sent. He seems to be pondering his decision to write it, but does not do so for long. With a lopsided sort of smile, half amused and half strangely hopeful, in his optimistically manipulative kind of way, he finally presses send. By the time he does this, all hell seems to have broken loose at the bigger bonfire.

Naturally, Keevan must excuse himself from the group in order to rush over and sneak a peak of what's going down around the bonfire dominated at least half by Influentials. They also manage to find the best spots long before the night begins, and save all of them such that every Influential has a choice seat. Luckily, most everyone else is content to sit around one of the smaller bonfires for the majority of the night.

Even Keevan cannot help but be shocked at the dark shadow that is Daniel Ahn as the young man darts forward to intervene in a situation clearly going south. The fact that no one else had acted by now is nearly sickening but unsurprising, given Nina's thumbtack reputation. Even Rebecca is off to the side, perhaps still somewhat surprised by the sudden cutting into her dance. Keevan moves to grab her attention, and eventually is able to make eye contact. He gestures for her to check her cell phone, and grins.

To: Rebecca
Ask me to dance with you during the bonfire dance. Take your mind off of the Influentials- and what you say behind their back.

Undeniable their is a tinge of blackmail in the text, though Keevan writes it off as being more of a friendly encouragement. How else would he ever get Rebecca to dance with him, after all? He may be an asshole, but he's one with some sort of affection, it seems. Not that she'd ever be clued in on that.

xxx

Erin is smiling, beaming really, and at least half of this is because Lane is smiling again. It is so heartbreaking to see Lane upset that when she becomes happy again, it sends her best friend over the moon. Erin would bend over backwards for her friend, after all. For now, it is enough to laugh and attempt to keep her hand steady at the same time, no small feat, as Lane holds a lighter up to her sparkler and attempts to light it. These are the little things which make Erin forget about Nina and Sterling and all of that drama, and just want to look at stars and build beautiful machines. These are the nights she adores most of all, fire illuminated the sky, still overshadowed by the radiance of the people around her.

Side by side with Lane, she rushes to draw out shapes that disappear as quickly as she can imagine them. She draws until the sparkler reaches its end, a faithful tool breathing its last breath. And they are off to find the successors of these noble weapons now retired, searching out the nearest table for more sparklers. Impulsive, perhaps a bit stupid, and given renewed optimism by the light of the fire and the stars, Erin takes a twisted Lemonade and lifts it in toast with Lane.

"C'mon, Lane- be my date to the dance? Unless you have someone in mind?" Erin is leading her friend to the main bonfire, eyebrows waggling, goofy smile in full swing. "I can play cupid, if so," unfortunately the offer is rather useless, because Erin, thanks likely to the fact that she isn't always the best at reading people, isn't the greatest of wingwomen.

"And we need to find Carr-" finally, Erin fades to silence as she reaches the bonfire, realizing that nothing is being spoken above a whisper. She dances along the edge of the crowd trying to get a peak of what's going on, but instead can only hear- Nina's name, along with Daniel and Cameron. What now? Erin wonders, suddenly very much thirsty for a few more swigs of her drink.

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-22 16:25:01, as written by lolamarie26

hex code=#361717

" Well that's quite alright, " She said to Anna. She laughed lightly and looked up at the sky, " To be beautiful and loved, even for the smallest of time is a gift. " Even with the smile she donned, torment and sadness flashed through her eyes. However, just like a shooting star, as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Ariel used to say that all the time. It always bothered Mimi because... well Ariel was beautiful. Not like generic beautiful, but really beautiful on the inside and out. Being around her had been like being around the sun. In the same way many say being around Mimi was like basking in the moon.

Ever observant Mimi witnessed the fight. She raised an eyebrow but made no comment. She did however find it amusing that the ice king melted for her cold queen. She simply tucked that away in her mind for later purposes. Beyond that she notices that romance seems to be flitting through the air. Romance might be the right word, lust maybe. Lust fueled by alcohol and the drugs that she disdained. She shook her head, deciding to not focus on that tonight. " I like England, but I like France much better. They have macaroons, I love macaroons. Colin," She said leaning her head on Anna's shoulder. She absently played with the twig as she talked, her bell like voice twinkling amidst the chaos around them. " Reminds me of a macaroon. They're cold and they look like they'd be hard. They're cute, but appear kind of boring in comparison to other french treats. However, with all that in mind I find myself unable too give up on the treats. Want to know why?" She said widening her eyes and raising her eyebrows. With a lazy smile she drawled, " Because, they are so delicious on the inside. "

After watching the celebration unfold Mimi quickly became bored and cold. Even with the summer air they were near water and a cool breeze was beginning to blow past them. " I'm cold, " she whined. Easing off of Anna's shoulder she sat upright and plucked the ponytail out of her hair. Making her mass of hair fall around her like heavy waves crashing on a beach. Her hair fell around her haphazardly but it was somehow comforting and blocked the wind from chilling her sensitive ears. She ran a hand through her hair, tossing her bangs to one side. With a raised eyebrow she slid over to Anna, then pronounced her "not warm enough", then back to Colin who, as men do, was radiating heat. " Good enough, " Again without even a warning she draped her arm around his midsection and leaned her body against him. " Why are boys so much warmer than girls? " She asked absentmindedly, " You're like freaking heaters. "

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-22 20:48:31, as written by piearty

Lucas was sitting and fretting over the matter of confronting Aimee about his secret when a wave of reverence and fear seemed to run through the crowd, and thus his mind. "The princess is here," some thought with excitement. Others referred to her as a Queen. Or a means to power, a beauty goddess, a snake poised to strike. Finally he caught a name, Nina. Through others' eyes it was plain to see she was beautiful, but given people's tendencies to distort things in their heads, he felt the need to see her for himself.

She was stunning, in more than one sense of the word. Confusing too--her eyes, her actions, they gave off an aura of cold calculation, of elitism, and almost, almost of some kind of evil (and clearly many, many people in the crowd had no trouble thinking of her in such a way). But her thoughts were...well, a fragmented mess, some part of her delighting in the glory, the attention, the fear; some part of her hating it; other parts wanting to scream, to cry, to dance, to laugh. Lucas bit his tongue sharply so as to retreat from her mind; the pain brought him, as much as it could, back to the bonfire and the night rather than other people's heads. He'd encountered minds like hers before. In his experience, the best thing was to stay far, far, far away from people like that, though he couldn't articulate why.

The crowd had been getting more intoxicated and stoned and beyond as the night wore on, and Lucas began to sway with nausea. Wonderful, I forgot about this. Yet another reason why he didn't like going to parties at all. This has been a failure of a night. I spilled a drink on a guy, made a girl find out my secret, made exactly 0 friends and had exactly no fun. He looked around at the hooting and hollering crowd, brow furrowed. I think it's time to leave.

At that moment, alarum bells went off in his head, making him flinch. He turned back to the congregation to see a boy, Daniel, knight to the princess, beating the shit out of another, Cameron. Daniel's thoughts were the cold instinct of a predator, wordless, ruthless, and Lucas made a mental note to avoid him too. Cameron's were similarly wordless but of quite an opposite nature. ??? What? I look away for 5 seconds and this happens?!

To the side, Nina was silently staring at--well it couldn't precisely be called a fight--at the beatdown, surprise in her eyes quickly being replaced by a creeping, icy glare. Her thoughts were tumultous but there was a darkness that Lucas caught in them that seemed all too familiar. A chill went down his spine.

Cameron's thoughts were weakening as his grip on consciousness did and a miniscule voice in Lucas' head shouted, Do something! And before he had time to second guess this, to refuse, his mouth opened and to Daniel, whose thoughts ran in 한국어, he shouted hoarsely, "그만해!"

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-23 16:35:47, as written by Layla

XXX

gross

XXX

Disgusting

Dirty. Used.

XXX

"Enough,"

XXX

Thank you,

XXX

"That's enough for today, class,"

"Hope you learned your lesson, Hillcock."

XXX

"Brave,"

"But ultimately unnecessary. It'll take more than a few punches to bring this guy down. His over-inflated sense of self-worth ensures his head remains afloat at all times."

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-24 06:10:40, as written by Mac n Cheese

xxx

His fist connects against skin, Cameron incapable of putting up a decent fight for very long at all. When the man before him finally gives up on defense, allowing his arms to hang limp and his face to be used as an object, a punching bag. Any reasonable person would have stopped at that point, seeing that there was no struggle. Daniel is normally a very reasonable man, cold and rational, but this does not appear to be the normal Daniel. This is the Hyde to his Jekyl, the blurred vision and red hot feeling that he normally is able to smother until not even embers remain. Perhaps Sam had been the only one to ever know how incredibly deeply Daniel is capable of feeling. His emotions are so repressed that then why are finally released, it is the starved lion let out of it's cage, desperate and unrestrained. It is perhaps for the best that he plans never to fall in love, for the depth of such an emotion would likely rip him out from the inside until he is reduced to a terribly jealous, overbearing person who covets and monopolizes all time and attention. He may be tall, sleek, and elegant, but Daniel is in this way very much a desperate child.

A desperate child in the body of a young man with strong hands and fast reflexes is a dangerous thing indeed. People around him whisper, half frightened half amused, but Daniel is incapable of processing it. At this moment, he is not thinking in words, but in actions and movements. This classmate of his had crossed a dangerous line in threatening one of the few people Daniel cared for. It is a sin the young man cannot forgive. So he attempts to tear the feeling of Nina's skin out of Cameron's mouth, blacken his eyes until they cannot look so hungrily at his Queen. No one should be allowed to so much as eat scraps from her table without her say so, let alone mentally consume the girl herself. It is disgusting. Filthy.

The movement of emotion returns him back to the violence, forgetting briefly his waiting for Nina's words. Strangely enough, it is not her voice which pauses him next. No, rather than the tinted-glass tones of Nina's public voice, it is someone from the crowd. The voice is male, shouted in such a way which seems to convey someone accustomed to far lower volumes. This alone is interesting, though Daniel is only barely beginning to process more complex aspects to the people around him once more. Instead, the stand out is something which hits him with a slight delay. The words were spoken in Korean, his native tongue, standing out among the English he has become accustomed to. His head tilts up slightly, allowing his eyes to search the crowd for the voice. In this brief passage of time, Nina puts her hand around his still curled fist, putting a more definite end to the display.

Her hands are warm, unexpectedly. Usually they are cooler, though it is perhaps a mix of the flame near them and the situation which causes this. Her lips brush past his forehead, a familiar meeting of skin, and he understands the message better than anyone else here might. There is a strange sort of expression across his face, irritation at his own lack of control, contentment that Nina is alright. He needs only to breathe, and then relaxes, returning to his feet with Nina's hand firmly grasped in his own, fingers intertwined as he breathes and regains his flawless composure. Her hand is shaking in his, prompting him to tighten his grip.

The Queen needs to be steel before all else, but a knight can provide some support. It is a role which he takes great pride in, above all but the Royal herself. It is in this more normalized state that he is finally brought to meet eyes with the young man who had shouted to him in Korean- an introvert based on appearance. Nina speaks, while Daniel merely surveys the unfamiliar face. Behind them, the fireworks shoot into the air and explode, crackling brightly against the night sky. The crowd disperses to take part in the tradition, some finding partners while others go off to sit in groups or alone. Daniel glances sideways at Nina- the Queen must attend such ceremonies, after all. The center spot will likely be left for us- her, all the same, he muses, correcting his mistake. The spot is there for the head of the school, he just happens to be her companion- it could be any one of her choosing, after all. No one her is worthy, of course- not even myself.

xxx

Erin hesitates briefly over the pause before Lane's response that she is perfectly free, but quickly dismisses it as her imagination. Little signs such as that may come across as blaring warning sign of something wrong to other people, but Erin is too quick to overlook them. This is perhaps because she herself is so inclined towards honesty, and is so blatant in her facial expressions, that she assumes others will be as well if they have something they want to tell her. Thus Erin is never the person to first discover secrets unless they are told to her- often she gets her information third hand, when it is known to most people and already slightly warped. It is a very good thing she does not hold a position requiring political skill, for she has zero.

Normally Lane tells her everything, making her all the more unsuspecting that her best friend is harboring any secrets or intense crushes that Erin doesn't know about. Why worry over something of that sort where there has been no precedent? Thus she grins and joins the linking of arms, not realizing that in reserving her friend as a dance party she is making all the more unlikely a much desired pairing. So much for a modern day cupid.

Another long drink of her twisted lemonade, and Erin looks over at Lane. The suggestion that they leave the situation and go to Carr and Aimee is incredibly reasonable. Still, as they walk over she can't help peeking back for glimpses of Nina's hair between people, of Daniel's hand in hers. Feeling sick, thanks in no part to the drink, Erin ducks her head slightly and follows with more focus. When they reach the pairing, she is smiling once more, recovered from the wave of discomfort. It is in no small part thanks to seeing Carr, whom she hasn't seen since the previous evening. And based on the smell and his loud whispering, the young man had been drinking. She grins and gives him a quick hug in greeting."Carr, my love. A fight, I guess? I don't know, not my business I guess," her expression gives away this untruth, her curiosity betraying her in a twist of her mouth. With slightly more force than necessary, she takes another drink. The world is gradually beginning to soften because of it, allowing her to think less. For this, Erin is grateful. She wants light and warmth from this evening, not discomfort or pain. Another drink. The world is softer still.

The fireworks in the air are a vision of color, flowers exploding into fantastical shapes, aided by a mix of powers and inventiveness. Their forms ought to be impossible, and normally this would frustrate Erin to some degree. Instead, she merely smiles at the sight, then looks to Lane. The music is beginning, heard over the chatter and booming pyrotechnic display.

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-24 16:17:19, as written by piearty

Lucas didn't know how loud his voice was, or if Daniel would even hear it, but as soon as the word was out of Lucas' mouth the delayed waves of refusal, fear, and now panic set in. You idiot, drawing attention to yourself from the two most prominent influential and terrifying people in the school on your very first day?! You're going to get yourself socially massacred...again...

But Daniel heard it, and paused, more perplexed than angry at Lucas's shout-- even in instinct-mode he analyzed the cry with a precision which creeped Lucas out, to be frank.

Nina snapped out of the trance she seemed to be in, though her thoughts were just as if not more confused, and stoppered Daniel's rage with a disturbing ease. Whether Daniel's roboticism or Nina's power over him had more to do with this, Lucas couldn't say.

Nina then started to approach - Nina, whose hands were trembling, whose heart was hammering, whose mind was lost in regret and fear and something not even Lucas could put a name to. Yet who, despite all this, spoke with an amused sarcasm, her brows quirked to just the right angle, looking as cold and elegant as frost on a windowpane.

Everything about her is a lie, Lucas realized. And worse, an incredibly familiar lie: affected sardonicism, distant apathy, a carefully constructed wall to hide an ugly pile of wreckage and debris. All of these things he understood far too well.

Lucas started to wonder if the Romanov princess was more like him, the lowly outcast, than possibly anyone else realized.

"Brave," she said to him, and a few more meaningless words to hide the significance of that description. She was staring intently at him now, and oh God, so was Daniel, and Lucas begin to blush nervously under their scrutiny despite himself. He managed to return Nina's gaze for a bit but soon enough had to avert his eyes, settling them awkwardly on her chin. He wanted to say something to her but Daniel was standing right there; plus, what Lucas was planning on saying he couldn't imagine Nina wanting anyone else to hear. Or possibly even herself to hear, for that matter.

He closed his eyes and mentally scanned the crowd for any Russian speakers aside from Nina. There was one guy it seemed, but he was out on the edge of the party, far from the scene.

Lucas opened his mouth to speak, but right then a thrill ran through the crowd and he realized that fireworks has started. Fireworks? Really? How pompous can this school get? And just my friggin luck too. People's thoughts, including Nina's and Daniels, turned to the dance that was apparently imminent and which Lucas wanted to stay far away from, so he had to say this quickly or not at all.

Boom! Pop! The fireworks crackled. At a pause which Lucas carefully measured by listening through other people's ears, he opened his eyes, looking straight at Nina, and spoke.

"Нина--" Pop! Bang! "Ты тоже смелый." Another bout of fireworks went off but Lucas still stood there, deliberating whether to say his next sentence. A brief silence. "Всё в порядке?"

Come to think of it, it was probably extremely stupid to be speaking in different languages like this. He began to panic a bit. If they ask, I'll...I'll just say that's my power. Yeah. Languages. That sounds good. He nervously waited for her response, and possibly, possibly a punch in the face.

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-25 06:09:11, as written by Mac n Cheese

xxx

Anthony is definitely tipsy at the very least. Erin had seen that he had a drink in his hand, and had guessed he might be buzzed, but the clumsiness of his tongue and a slight unevenness of foot when he stood to greet her makes it clear that her supposings were well-founded. Perhaps he felt it necessary in order to get through the night- Erin is pleasantly surprised he had elected to come at all, given how he rejected her urgings last year and the year before. So long as she is there to make sure he doesn't do anything too stupid -the irony of this thought lost on her warmed mind- Carr deserves a night of letting loose. So when he wraps his arm around hers and asks Lane if he can dance with Erin, the young woman easily joins in with an apologetic smile and a returned wrapping her arm around Anthony's, such that they are now linked. This close now, she can smell the alcohol on his breath. She is rather certain that he will be a warm fuzzy sort of drunk.

Erin finds Anthony adorable, in the way that she finds most of her friends to be absolutely delightful. The bashfulness as he asks to dance with her only adds to this. Her face lights up, matching the fire for luminescence with her beam. "It would be my very greatest honor," she responds, the last part of the sentence breaking with laughter as she follows Anthony towards the bonfire. She turns back and waves at Lane, mouthing a promise to dance with her later. Naturally, the girl is completely oblivious to the rather awkward situation she and Carr have left behind them.

His steps are careful, somewhat endearingly so, though Erin can't really criticize them- she herself is not exactly a graceful gazelle. Certainly, the girl has nimble hands, but her best dancing is that which is random, goofy, and certainly not meant to be taken seriously or mistaken as an attempt at elegance. Nina had always been the graceful one, while Erin jokingly twirled and spent hours trying to master the moonwalk. She is happy to just sway with her friend, making goofy faces and resisting the urge to bump into other couples like a bumper car.

"So, tell me. Am I suppose to believe you, missy, of all people, isn’t the least bit curious about that fight? It was a really bad fight, I saw it. Daniel Ahn was about to bash that guy’s head in." She ignores the question at first, leading Carr into a spin as the lead usually does the follow. It gives her time to assemble any proper response on the matter. That being said, factory made responses have never been the young woman's specialty. She makes the prototype, flawed and personal. Erin is easily hurt not because she is overly sensitive, but because she is easily taken hold of.

"Why should I care what Daniel and Nin- what Daniel and his kind are doing? Probably tormenting some poor innocent chap for scuffing his Prada shoes or something," She is beginning to become dizzy, despite the fact that they haven't really spun at all. Maybe it isn't the dancing doing it- the girl can normally twirl for days without getting sick. Her feigned apathy is transparent, almost pathetically so.

"Anyway, have anyone cute you want to talk to tonight? Now that you have the liquid confidence and an expert wingman?" It seems Erin has taken it into her mind tonight, probably due in some part to her drink, to help at least one friend have a summer romance. Too many 80s movies today might also have a portion of the blame.

xxx

Keevan struggles to keep his expression neutral as Rebecca nears him. This would be incredibly dangerous territory for anyone less gifted at keeping up a farce than the novelist himself. After all, to a writer the truth is more easily stated between lines. And she is not close enough to read the truths between the way his eyes crinkle when he grins. She won't be for a while- not according to his estimations, anyway. Still, when she offers him her hand, every bit a duchess, and offers him the honor of it, the young man cannot help but to let a peek of a smile out of the corner of his mouth. He takes it, and in play with the bit, brushes his lips past her knuckles, every bit the gentleman with his arm crossed over his torso accordingly. "Oh, the honor is all yours, good madam," he murmurs, before looking up at her and winking.

He hardly even minds as she leads him away from the light, to dance in some shady secluded corner. In fact, the gutsiness of it amuses him, though perhaps the fact that stealing away to a shadowed area is more scandalous than dancing in a lit one is lost on her. He's not certain what she's speaking on, in regards to stars and whatnot, but does not move his eyes from hers throughout the conversation. When she has paused once more, he laughs, "And you and I running off to a nice dark corner isn't? My my, miss Sayre, this goes beyond my modest hope of dancing with you," he says this jokingly, of course, but still is intensely aware of the warmth in her hands as she wraps them around his neck for the dance.

He doesn't know how much of what she does is for fear of him releasing her secrets, but suspects it is all of it. The young woman apparently has very little indication that she holds far more sway over him than he, with all of his secrets, does over her. Perhaps it is best that way- should she realize, she might not stand so close to him. It is through his manipulation and deception that he may stand here with her, after all. Perhaps she will not dance with him in the light, but all things considered it is most appropriate for them to remain obscured by the dark. It suits their relationship painfully well, a parallel not lost on a boy who has made his name in language and literature.

He does not make any movements towards her, content to banter and sway in the shadows, to be a chore she must get done in order to keep everything running smoothly.

What a sad little writer.

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-25 10:51:53, as written by Layla

XXX

Who are you, Daniel?

XXX

Is it possible

To save something that's already been lost?

XXX

You, too, are brave.

Are you alright?

XXX

Are you alright?

XXX

Are you alright?

Fine

XXX

Fool

Pathetic little girl. Love can never save you. But strength. Influence. That is power. Destroy or be destroyed.

XXX

"Вы должны быть более обеспокоены для себя, kотёнок."

You should be more concerned for yourself, kitten.

"держись подальше."

Stay away.

"Тыкотенок среди львов."

You're a kitten amongst lions.

XXX

"Let's not keep them waiting,"

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-25 19:33:16, as written by Mac n Cheese

xxx

Russian. Before, the young man had spoken Korean to Daniel, and now he switches over to what appears to be Russian in order to exchange private words with Nina. The corner of Daniel's mouth twitches slightly, a minute motion indicated the desire for his blank expression to turn into a frown at this small exclusion. He very much despises not knowing what is going on, and while the two before him speak in a language he does not know, that is inevitably the case. Perhaps I should take up studying Russian, he muses coolly, reading the conversation as best he can purely based on tone and facial expression between Lucas and Nina. Clearly the speaking of her mother tongue has some effect on Nina, although given that maybe one or two others in the school speak it, at least one being someone attending the school due to a prodigal ability for learning languages, this is not surprising. Even Daniel had been pulled out of his red haze at the sound of Korean, after all. The young man before them knows the power of languages, this much is clear. Daniel wonders the extent of his mastery- is he someone to be concerned about?

Of course, even the lion might be slightly concerned over the flies buzzing about his ear, but they do not affect him enough to prompt immediate action. This boy might be brave, certainly foolish, and have a knowledge of languages, but he still gives off the feeling of someone frightened and quiet, by the way his eyes avoid direct contact, and his shoulders seem to turn inward very slightly. Daniel stands at his full height, posture perfect, shoulders slightly loose. The tightness has faded such that he seems impossibly relaxed in comparison to just a few brief moments ago. Still, people look at Daniel, cold, level-headed, intelligent Daniel, with a new tinge added to their fear of him. Some look with admiration, impressed with his display of brutality and strength. For his part, Daniel is ashamed. He is so quick to mock those who must use physical force to accomplish their goals, and yet tonight was quick to do just that.

He's been so careful since Sam died. And one drunken idiot brought down his house of cards with a few slurred words and harsh movements. At least now his disgust towards Cameron is more collected.

Daniel does not know what it is Nina has said to the boy, but it seems to indicate that she is through with Jack, and ready to reascend the beanstalk. As her arms wrap around his neck, Daniel instinctively puts one around her waist. She may roll her hips against him, making those few stragglers whisper about her reputation, but Daniel shows no reaction to it other than a very slight twitch, or perhaps clench, of the jaw. He raises his eyebrow at her, cool but pleased at the return to normal from this disturbing break in pattern.

Reacting otherwise would imply he sees Nina sexually, which he would see as a debasement of her value. To him, she is above such carnal things- he is the animal in a cage, but she transcends all such things. The least human in a school where many students can casually fly or drift through walls, she is Nina. The Queen.

"If I may have the honor, Miss Romanov?" he takes her hand and guides her away from the strange boy who speaks multiple tongues. Naturally, Nina's place is preserved by an unspoken rule of etiquette. One arm around her waist, one holding her hand, Daniel begins the dance. Polar opposite to the pair just a few dancers down, Erin and Anthony, the two are the picture of grace and refinement. As in all things, Daniel knows well the steps he must take.

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-25 20:37:26, as written by piearty

TW: description of suicidal thoughts
Seriously, if you have a problem with this, don't read this post.
Post summary: Lucas is triggered by Nina's thoughts to have a slight anxiety attack and flashbacks to very dark times in his life, and then leaves the party.

After Lucas spoke, he seemed to hear his last sentence echoing, as Nina repeated it over and over in her mind.

It did not have the effect he would've liked it to have.

Lucas wasn't exactly sure how Nina would react when he broke into Russian-- he expected surprise, denial...a hopeful part of him had wished for the words to support her in some way, but knew that this was unlikely. He guessed mostly he was preparing for anger; disgust and agitation at having been seen through despite her flawless facade.

But instead of lashing out, Nina seemed to cave in, and Lucas was suddenly awash with emotions that he'd been trying so hard to avoid, that he was sick of already; dark, creeping, noxious things that seemed to drag him down into the depths of a place he desperately didn't want to return to.

As he was being dragged down, Nina seemed to want to be pulled up, wrenched high into the heavens by a rope of her own making. To rest, she thought, and as a reaction, Lucas' throat seemed to tighten as well. Oh no. Oh no, no no no no no--

There was a tightness, a panic rising in his chest. He thought back, quite involuntarily, to the many, many nights where it was painful to simply exist, and how much he had desperately wanted all this to stop, to end: the voices, the exhaustion, the loneliness, the hurt. To the careful, deliberating way he would turn the tiny bottle, labeled TRIPTAZINE, over and over in his hands before placing it gently back in his bathroom cabinet. To the times when he would thoughtfully stand on the edge of the subway platform, past the yellow line, before reluctantly retreating to the back wall at the sound of the train. And this, and so much more--

"You should be more concerned for yourself, kitten," Nina said, and Lucas looked up at her, startled. The color had drained from his face. "Stay away. You're a kitten amongst lions."

She held up her mask again and Daniel swept her away to dance. Luckily, Daniel had drawn the conclusion that Lucas' power was over languages by himself, but that was not Lucas' focus right now. He turned away from the dance, the people, and the bonfire's light, resisting the urge to bolt. He walked slowly across campus to the dorms and entered his room. Silence. Everything was silence. But though others' people's voices in his head were gone for now, he couldn't get rid of his own, whispering insidiously. He laid in bed, staring at the ceiling.

Stay away, she had warned him.

He was more than happy to oblige.

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-26 13:47:35, as written by Layla

XXX
XXX

XXX

Why would he want you?

XXX

Shut up,

XXX

"Daniel,"

Untouchable. Fleeting.

XXX

~~a friend~~

XXX

"Daniel,"

"See me."

XXX

Anthony Carraway. 16. Powerful.

XXX

Christine Garner. 16. Powerful.

XXX

Something else. Anything else.

XXX

"He knew my name,"

"The boy who spoke Korean."

"Suppose it isn't unusual."

"Should I be flattered?"

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-07-30 07:26:30, as written by Mac n Cheese

xxx

Throughout the dance, the Queen continues to press herself against the knight, a sort of chess in which pieces are clung to rather than taken. Daniel has always been rather good at chess, with his unending patience and levelheaded intelligence. It is a matter of strategy, of foresight, of never taking too long or too short of a time to play just a little glimmer of one's hand. This dance is, to put it bluntly, nothing like any game of chess that Daniel has played before. His jaw tightens, his eyes shift slightly away, looking into Nina's eyes only when they are completely composed. To say that he is beginning to feel confused by her flirtation, escalating beyond the normal banter he so enjoys, is an an understatement. The normal back and forth has become so routine, so reflexive, that a divergence threatens to disturb his balance. Of course, this is Daniel, one must remembers, and no amount of vertigo will knock him off of his feet after the little mishap earlier. He has bound the doors will every tool in his arsenal, and checked the bolts twice simply for some peace of mind. Daniel takes Nina's new game as a test, and is determined not to fail it by becoming one of those idiots who surround the two. He is calm, collected, and apparently unfazed by the way her hips graze against his.

Her breath is against his neck. She plays a timid hand, Monroe in her innocent seduction. By no means a Kennedy, Daniel will not allow himself to be taken in. He will not fail this test, for he is above such things. How else could he properly be her right arm in all things? Besides, this feigned look of timidity is one which Daniel dismisses readily, it not corresponding with the Nina that he has come to be so devoted to. The new Sam. So he studies her shoulder, face now against his neck, and keeps his hands an appropriate distance above her hips. Daniel Ahn, after all, is every bit the gentleman, a knight whose battles are fought under the rules of court etiquette. Forward two, left one. He guides her around the light, reflected in her eyes as she now looks at him once more. There is a strange, unnerving desperation in the Queen's voice when she speaks. Daniel does not understand it. He is so clever, so insightful, and yet so painfully unobservant. Preset boundaries can be so difficult to break, and he has always been one to play within the rules.

"See me."

Only as you are, Nina, he thinks, the words cryptic in meaning even to the young man himself. Ironic, as he knows nowhere near as much about the depth of her mind as he believes. But at least Daniel is aware of something swimming leagues beneath the surface, occasionally sending ripples across the water like a fault line prepared to separate and consume all in its path. He is concerned of the day on which the earthquakes will begin, but is confident that he will be able to hold onto the cracks until his fingers are bloody from it. "I want to."

The meanings are tragically misconstrued between the Queen and her dog.

"Are the stars flattered when astronomers try to claim them with names? I should think not, Miss Romanov," he is now looking directly at her- while she looks beyond his shoulder. The two are incapable of looking at the same time, it should seem. Perhaps there lies part of the problem. The song ends. He takes her hand and bows languidly, lips brushing against her knuckles.

xxx

Erin is glad for Carr's compliance in dropping the subject, knowing that he does it not out of lack of personal curiosity but in the interest of her comfort. Carr has sensitivity in bounds where Erin often seems to lack it completely, and it is for this reason that she depends so greatly on his friendship. Erin depends rather greatly on all of her friends, in fact, though she does manage some level of independence. She is too open to them, someone more cynical might say, too vulnerable to any secret blades hidden between their pages. Luckily, Erin refuses to listen to such cynicism, even when it has proven true in the past. She grins and twirls, deciding that the lightheadedness is entirely the good kind, and that any inclinations that it might be nausea or discomfort are pure rubbish. Right now, her desire is simply to dance and have fun with the friend before her, who so rarely comes out to things like this with her.

A friend who is apparently made uncomfortable by her prodding question. Perhaps it is partially the alcohol or proximity to the fire, but Carr's face flushes quickly upon her offer to help out as a wingwoman. The question was half in jest, but there is some thought that perhaps if he is willing to come to the bonfire and dance and laugh, he will be willing to take a step forward towards someone as well. More than anything, Erin would like for Carr to expand his horizons and befriend new people. She sincerely worries about him, as one would a younger brother, wondering how he will fare when separated from the people whom he has been around for the entirety of his life. She worries the same thing in regards to herself.

Distracted by the spins, Erin laughs and practically topples on top of him thanks to a mix of dizziness and alcohol. Having fun with Carr is far to easy, the young woman dreads being without him once she goes off to college. How will she succeed without her curly-haired and dimpled-cheeked teddy bear? Not very well, she fears. So she must enjoy his presence while she can. "Not you. You're small. . .and silly." Erin is struck by the impulse to trap Carr in a bear hug when he says this, but is prevented by the fact that he has already wrapped his arms around her in the sort of position that is reminiscent of a middle school dance. Erin smiles and nuzzles into his shoulder. With Carr, she is safe. No drama, no fear, no tension. He may seem to be the more anxious one, may seem to require more care, but much of the time it is in fact the reverse that is true. There is a brief lapse of silence, but Erin doesn't notice it. She is content in the arms of a friend.

As Carr does speak once more, the song comes to an end. "You… How about you? You shouldn’t waste your good looks on me and Lane, you know?" Erin frowns slightly at the thought that anything she does should be 'wasted' on Carr and Lane, two of her favorite people in the world. That they are willing to be around her is a gift. Still, the frown curves up in a smile of sorts.

"Oh, you know me. I only ever want to use people for their cuddling abilities," not entirely untrue, as Erin is known for her love of cuddling. Still, she has been one to enjoy a few flings, though nothing ever seems to last for one reason or another. "I'm starved. Let's grab a snack."

xxx

The proximity of Becca's lips to his skin is not lost on Keevan as she laughs and encourages that rumors be interesting if they are going to exist. Of course, she is not immune to the tendency of rumors about the Influential girls to be somewhat more slanted in a sexual direction. As far as the other two groups are concerned, the members of the Influential are constantly messing around with each other, probably using protection made from silk and hand stitched in Italy. Keevan certainly knows this- as the master of whispers to the common people, there is not a rumor, true or false, that has not passed by his ear at least several times over. It is to him to determine which ones hold grains of truth within them. He doesn't know about Nina, but is rather certain that those spread about Becca's are false. If they were true, he would have noticed some sort of hints indicating it, her sneaking off with people, something.

Not to say that he is constantly watching her, of course. But Keevan would probably have noticed eventually.

She pulls away from his neck to study Keevan, briefly, making him feel squeamish and inferior under her scrutinizing gaze. It does not show, of course. He raises an eyebrow in response, a lazy sort of half smile across his frightfully pale face. "If you take a picture it'll last longer," he quips, disappointed with his own lack of originality. Perhaps she had been too distracted to respond, or too uninterested, for soon Becca's head is resting warm against his neck. The space between their bodies is lessening, and it is a good thing her eyes are closed because his neck is beginning to flush slightly. Even if they were open, hopefully the shadows would have hidden the visible reaction to her presence from view. He likes the feeling of her resting in the curve of his neck. It feels natural. Unfortunately, it is over too soon that she raises her head and speaks, with some severity, on the topic of the fight, which will naturally be in the Onion tomorrow morning.

"Even my saint-like heart is not so forgiving, Rebecca. He brings shame to me and all the other teenage dirtbags out there. Now, I believe my five minutes are up- you can return to your perch, love. I hope to see some more stories by the end of the night," he gives her hand a quick squeeze, but is the first to walk away.

Time Skip- it is now 11pm, around an hour and a half after the first dance. Any faculty who may have been there to supervise have returned to their own homes in the nearby town or on campus, leaving the party to rage on. Collab posts are encouraged, and ideally we will have a mention of each character unless the writer states otherwise in the ooc. Thank you!

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-08-02 16:43:07, as written by Mac n Cheese

Time Skip It is no around 1am, and people are beginning to leave the bonfire. A few might linger a bit longer, but they have broken off into groups speaking in hushed voices around one fire or another. Many people will now be making decisions to return to their dorms by themselves or with another person. Regardless, if the people are important enough, it will be in the Breadbowl the next day, so no one needs fear that they have missed anything interesting.

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-08-05 05:24:14, as written by Mac n Cheese

People coalesce like pools of ink dispersing through water. Scattering. Tangling. Clarity giving way to murkiness. Nina floats like a stream of glitter through their depths, winding through but never dissolving into the mass. The wind sinks its fingers through her hair as she spins, head tossed back in laughter. It is the sound of sirens and breaking glass.

She'd moved away from Daniel after their first and only dance, saying nothing in response to the poetry that slipped through lips that have always been slow to smile. Beautiful words. But that's all they were and all they might ever be. Beautiful words from a beautiful man who spins gold from straw, truth from deceit. She is a puppeteer that has never laid eyes upon her own stage. What does she know of Daniel Ahn but the sheen of his armour and the glint of his sword? Who will she find when she lifts the helmet from him? It is his nature to know all secrets and Nina has too many to risk.

Her civilians calls for her demise. "Shots, shots, shots!" they chant. To my head or my chest? she muses. Nina grins, devouring the row of tequila shots as if she's drinking water. The alcohol fills the cavern in her chest like molten lava.

Colors blur, rippling into a swirl of movement as her body sways. A hand on her hip. Lips pressed against her neck. The warmth and cold of meaningless companionship. They tug and push until she's standing at the edge of the lake, the music a distant echo. Her head throbs to the bass and her body sways to the melody. She hums under her breath and tips her head back. The stars sway and her body decides it's been too long since its last collapse. She lets herself fall back.

It is for the royalty to revel and make merry, to put on a show in which gilded elegance merges with a chaotic sort of fun and creates the image of a court of careless fae, such that others may watch and wonder how they can be so drunk and still look so good. It is for the Royalty to dance and sing on an evening so fine as this one, to bask in a moon so full that it mirrors their own radiance.

It is not for Daniel. Daniel, who so treasures the firm grasp he has on his mind, whose greatest strength his his constant (or near constant) clarity, refuses to take part in alcohol. He will remain sober throughout their solemnity. One or two, emboldened by liquid courage, stumble up and offer him a drink, or chide him for being a 'party pooper,' but all are sent away with a raised eyebrow and a slight raise of a cup that holds nothing more toxic than a few ounces of soda. Even this is something he usually ignores, soda, knowing them to be bad for you. Perhaps this is as loose as Daniel is willing to let himself become.

The Queen, however, is far more willing to celebrate. Under the influence of drinks and an encouraging crowd she takes one shot after another. Daniel does not consider it his place to stop her, but all the same hates to see her taking orders from people and losing hold of the normal sharpness of her mind.

He is briefly distracted by another person, encouraging him to take another drink. When he has brushed them away, he notices with a brief moment of panic that Nina has vanished. Several questions direct him closer to the lake. Please don't be thinking of a swim, he is rushing towards the lake. He has lost before to the influence of alcohol and drugs, and for not the first time tonight Daniel's heart is racing with the thought of it happening again.

But she is there, swaying in the moonlight as if to challenge Diana herself to a battle of beauty. His heartbeat shudders and calms, panic passing as his pace slows and he walks towards her, all traces of panic sliding off of him as rain off an umbrella. And then she falls.

Daniel lurches forward to catch her, goddess fallen.

For a moment he merely stands there, adjusting such that she is held bridal style in his arms. The weight to her is bizarre, making her more corporeal, rather than just the usual brief touch and kiss on the cheek. More human. He does not like it.

The sound of a firecracker, probably brought by one of the students, reminds Daniel of his whereabouts. He is by the lake, by the fire, by the dorms. He needs to get Nina back to her room. Without much thought he knows to avoid the fire, knows to avoid letting people say Nina passed out. As far as they are concerned she is capable of getting raving drunk and then disappearing with the moon, her eternal drinking buddy.

But Nina's door is locked and Daniel doesn't have a key. For a moment he stands there, boy interrupted. Of course there is really only the one solution- and luckily Daniel's roommate is nonexistent due to some pulled strings. He shifts her weight over to one arm, and walks over to his own room, managing to unlock the door and enter. It is dark, leaving the two of them to be one shadow molded together until his eyes adjust. He finds the concept interesting, but cannot grasp why.

He stretches her out on his bed and pulls over the blankets, previously having been tucked in with military precision. A cup of water by her bed, an alarm set for classes the next day. Daniel makes accommodations as befits his position: he takes the chair by her side, and makes do.

Time skip
It is now 8am. During the Summertime, classes do not begin until 9:30 am, so students can sleep in a bit and still have time for breakfast. Due to the nature of the summer session, one much like a summer camp, classes are as scheduled:

-Elective (Shop Class (Works both with cars and carpentry), Choir, Orchestra, Band, Art, Theater, Speech & Debate, Computer Science, Creative Writing, Political Science, Guest Lecture, Marketing)
- Physical Period (Archery, Swimming, Canoeing, Gymnastics, Self Defense/MMA, Basketball, Soccer, Jogging, Dance) [Basically a free period, students must sign into the class they are taking]
- Lunch
- Elective (One of Listed)

Each segment is one hour long, such that the school day begins at 9:30 and ends at 1:30

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-08-06 17:55:37, as written by Layla

XXX

Daniel

XXX

his

XXX

"Sleep well, Miss Romanov?"

XXX

to

XXX

little

XXX

"Fine, thank you,"

"I mean, I slept well. Thanks. For asking, I mean. And you know..."

"All this."

XXX

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Nothing bruised but my dignity,"

XXX

"Well, I should... Get to class. Before I'm late. You should, too, so you're not late for your modelling gig,"

Oh God, someone have mercy on the world and shoot me.

"Haha. Just kidding! Got you there, didn't I, Daniel? I mean, not that you couldn't model if you wanted to. You have the face, the jawline, the six pack. Like a fashion model. For Abercombie. I mean, you're toned, I guess. Which is nice. For yourself. Others? Is there an other? You probably work out."

Shut up shut up shut up.

"We should... We should work out some time. Together. I mean, not that I'm saying you need to and I'm not staring at you or anything, We just don't- Oh for God's sake."

XXX

Speak of the devil.

XXX

"Good morning, Nikola,"

XXX

"It was until you appeared,"

XXX

"You say the sweetest things sometimes."

XXX

"Someone has to counterbalance your bitterness.""

XXX

"Mmm, you should be careful, sweetheart. Diabetes is a real possibility,"

XXX

"Disease seems a happy alternative to your company."

XXX

"Where's your pet, Nikola?" A muscle feathers at her forehead. [color=#408080]"Ah, my apologies. Your dog has a name. Daniel, was it?"

XXX

"He's more human than you or anyone could hope to be. But think what you will, at least he knows loyalty."

XXX

"Hey, I respect the man. Prior to yesterday, I thought him the blandest person alive. He really proved everyone wrong."

XXX

"Or maybe you're all just damn blind,"

XXX

"My, my, did I touch a sore nerve? Unrequited love is such a pain."

XXX

"You're absurd,"

XXX

"No witty comeback, love? Did I hit the nail on the head?"

XXX

"Evidently not,"

"Since I don't see a nail lodged in your hollow skull."

XXX

"Ouch. you wound me.""

XXX

"If only,"

Setting

Laurea, New York

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2015-08-06 21:05:29, as written by piearty

Lucas'd fallen asleep quickly after he parted ways with Aimee since it was so silent except for her mind, which he could deal with. It was a couple hours of dreamless bliss before the rest of the people in the hall slowly filtered in, loud thoughts, drunken thoughts, buzzing in his ears in lieu of actual sound.

Two girls, Lane and Erin, laughing, the occasional alarm of pain in their heads as they tripped down the hall.

Daniel and Nina's minds in close proximity (not much of a surprise), Daniel's a-whir and Nina's a fuzzy darkness (a bit more alarming). Lucas found himself holding his breath, feeling a bit afraid, a bit skeeved out, when the two entered Daniel's room together-- but nothing happened other than Daniel falling asleep at a distance from her, like a robot being shut off.

The last person in the hall, Keevan, drifting in at near 3AM, gossip about people Lucas neither knew nor cared about flitting in his mind.
At that point Lucas decided to no longer attempt sleep.

From then on Lucas laid awake, staring at but not really seeing the ceiling. Like he was strapped to a chair with his eyes pried open, he was subjected to people's turbulent dreams, their disturbing nightmares. Somehow this is worse-- because of the higher number of people around him-- and better than-- because of the thicker walls muting everything substantially-- my shit apartment back home, he mused.

He tried to think of other things (though it was like attempting to do so in an IMAX) and a voice, a memory, floated up in his mind. You’re going to be okay. I can feel it. Aimee had said that last night, hadn't she? After Lucas'd quit with that 'wall' thing? He wallowed in negative feelings about that for a bit, about failing, about giving up, but a small part of him couldn't help but be impressed that he'd kept trying for that long. How did he...? Aimee. She kept saying I could do it. He found her belief in him a bit stupid, to be honest. She knew so much about him now, knew his mistakes, his fears, his failures, yet was convinced that he was worth something. That he'd "be okay" despite his miserable life. Misguided, but sort of admirable, he supposed. Maybe...maybe they could be friends.

After an agonizing amount of time, other people started to wake up. Muted thoughts and voices replaced the incoherent images around him. Probably a normal time to eat breakfast now, right? He got up, slipped back into his familiar hoodie, worn jeans, and ratty sneakers, and headed to the dining hall.

When he entered, he was hit with a wave of anger from different directions. He stopped short, looking around in confusion. On one end of the dining area were Nina and a silver-haired guy, Sterling, who's mind Lucas recognized as that of the other Russian speaker from the party. They were spitting insults at each other like cats. Lucas got a vibe from the ease at which they mocked each other that this happened a lot, and he had already decided to avoid Nina from here on out, so he paid them no mind.

On the other end of the hall was Aimee, leaning over the girl, Lane and glaring with a ferocity that Lucas never would've imagined possible from her. Her emotions were a roiling mix of fear, hurt, and anger, but only the anger showed. It was a bit unnerving to see in comparison to the soft-spoken girl from last night, who rocked on her heels and bit her lip when she was nervous and smiled at him gently, telling him to try again. Now she was all pain and rage, hurt at some betrayal. He couldn't read exactly what it was from over here but he was curious, and worried.

He began to walk towards the scene.

Daniel Ahn

0 · 481 views · located in Laurea, New York

a character in “Laurel”, as played by Mac n Cheese

Description

So begins...

Daniel Ahn's Story

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