Leonardo Marinos's Story

Between the heavy, synthesized beat and at that particular line of Gotye's making, all five-feet-eight of Lauryn slid into well-rehearsed motion; a solitary figure dancing --as she had been for several hours now-- in Arcana's studio, choreographing the finish to a routine that she'd worked on for a few days. It had seemed like something that she had to do: to lose herself in what she knew best one last time, before having to deal with the sweeping tide of change that came with a whole new school of supernaturals. She wasn't stalling, really, but this was her way of coping whenever the world decided to be a troll ('Come on, roommates? We're practically asking for it.'). So, with a gut feeling saying none the wiser, Lauryn had paved her way down from her room at six in the morning; fully prepared to block out the rest of the world as she usually would, every so often. And this was where she stayed, past Mr. Marinos' first announcement when it blared above the booming cadence that was Somebody I Used To Love, dubstep remixed (where she almost tripped at the landing of a spin in surprise). Yeah, they didn't get assemblies often, although it probably was called for.


She'd wondered, once, how many people from both Arcana and Noctrem that this particular song applied --or would soon apply-- to. It wasn't hard to see all the drama that festered from just one month of sharing classes, much due to the fact that they were all incredibly wired hormonal teenagers. Both the lingering glances and growing animosity between kids seemed to be disasters just waiting to happen, and some relationships --herself included-- no doubt would make a spiderweb look simple. It was times like these that Lauryn appreciated how she was one of the few that wasn't exactly interested in anyone at the moment, and it was.. 'freeing, from the way I can see other people now.' Or more like indifferent, for lack of a better word. But the next year would be pretty damn entertaining, potential havoc and landmines or no. And who was she kidding? Bunking with a group of people who didn't give a shit about rules was beyond refreshing. (Although Lauryn probably wouldn't go for it so much if she were actually at the tail-end of anyone's wrath. But that's luck for you.)


As soon as Lauryn executed the last of her routine perfectly, in what was now the final run-through of it, a wide, brilliant smile stretched across her face; the way that only success ever caused. That, and how she literally bounced around a quarter of the dance studio, (because it's freaking gigantic) fist-pumping the air and unabashedly shouting a resounding "YES!" every few seconds for a little while; thankfully unheard behind a closed, sound-proofed door. But alas, L's celebratory happy dance was cut short right at that moment; when a familiar, albeit slightly annoyed voice dunked a figurative tub of ice-cold water over her head. And she froze. "All students to the Great Hall please, assembly beings in five minutes. A reminder than any absentees will result in punishment." 'Well, shit. Why do I keep forgetting that dancing gives me a horrible sense of time?'

It took no less than fifteen seconds for her to grab everything (which is basically just her phone/iPod, her set of keys, and a bottle of water) and run out of the studio in something short of an annoyed huff, speed-walking to the Great Hall from the second floor; weaving whatever masses while checking her phone and messages. Just to note, for anyone who might have seen Lauryn here --that she probably ignored for being preoccupied--, this kid was wearing a loose T-shirt, plus a pair of sweats; fresh from a morning of exercise. It was all relatively normal for those who knew her so, well, that's that. 'And... yep. Kali's texted. Noctrem and Arcana are rooming? I've joked about it, sure, but how did Marinos actually let this go?' And here, as convenient as it sounds, was where Lauryn just happened to pass the roommate list; and what she saw there.. she was actually okay with, unlike what the vast majority of students would've been. 'I'll probably have to find Cor later, to give her a key. But the Hall first.'

So, instead, she typed a quick text back to Kali as she made her way to the assembly:

I was dancing, no worries. Just saw the roomie list, I'm with Cor. We're cool, but fingers crossed I don't walk in on anything, y'know? How 'bout you?

It didn't take long, then, to make it to the assembly; thankfully before it started. And, from there to scanning the room and upon seeing Mo, Zac, and Alli, Lauryn grabbed a quick seat beside the last; giving them a wave and a smile as she settled down. 'Better to leave conversation for later, looks like the assembly's about to start..'

Landon hardly realized Scott had walked passed and even engaged in some sort of banter with the other two. It was probably better that way, he and Scott learned early on that a dirty look or an offhand comment could escalate into something fairly severe. His thoughts weren't focussed on his dislike for Scott, though. Instead, Landon worried about Theo and how he might go about an apology and what he might say.

“Hey, I'm sorry I hit on you and chased you all through town and junk. I didn't know your boyfriend died in that fire” That wouldn't work. Now it just seemed better to take Theo's advice and find someone else to chase after. They could just avoid each other for however long the Noctrem students were going to be here. He twirled the lollipop stick anxiously. That wouldn't work either, Landon already felt like an asshole and avoiding an apology would probably make it worse. Maybe it would be better to just wing it, then casually avoid him and bug someone else. It wouldn't be fun and it felt like he was admitting defeat, but it was cruel to annoy Theo the way he had.

The arm flung around his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts and back into the hallway. “Huh? Yeah I know,” he said with a halfhearted smile and shrug. He didn't have the slightest clue what Colby was talking about but he appreciated the consoling effort.

Seconds after Sky shouted down the hall after Scott, implying a much more delicate treatment than Landon would have given the lightning kid they were standing outside of Jay's room. It figured that Jay would lock Sky out, whatever. Breakfast would make up for all the miserable things this morning had thrown at them...or not. It would apparently have to wait. Landon watched Sky throw his things on the ground and take a couple of shots, he smirked and turned on his heels in the direction of the Great Hall. Just then he realized that he'd forgotten about Eriol and the room a simple Oh well would have to do for now. How much trouble could the prankster get into this early in the morning, anyway?

…..

In the assembly hall they sat three in a row, somewhere in the middle. Landon only half listened to the typical speech nonsense and even through the announcement of a new housing system. As Mr. Marinos further explained the house names, colors and how the points system would work Landon almost laughed. He was turning the school into Hogwarts and not seconds after he'd decided that's exactly what was happening Marinos made mention of the fabled school of witchcraft and wizardry.

The time for sorting didn't make anything better. By the time his name was read Landon was cursing incessantly in his head. Scott, Cor and at least one of her fearsome five or whatever were stuck with him and from the sound of it they'd be doing everything together. Sky was a bright spot in the group, Ardley, did he call it? Everyone else, he hardly knew at least Ashleigh was the captain or whatever, she was respectable anyway. Reaching over Colby, he gave the pyro and his new housemate a tap on the shoulder and a painfully false grin.

Eve Beatrix

"Room nineteen.."

She started to think as she roamed through the hallways. Usually she would find her way in a snap or two. It didn't take long until she did find it. But, she had been to Arcana a couple of times so, she was glad she wasn't too lost. Walking inside the okay sized room, she wondered about what her roommate was like. She didn't want any 'always happy and never angry' roommate, or she was sure to go crazy in the time she even spends a day with her.

Happiness was fine with her, she always guessed it was. Most of the time she would probably be angry and wouldn't give a care in the world about anyone. Maybe someone. She was not a mean person really and she wouldn't even dare to do anything to sabotage herself. Yes, she was the one that worried to much about herself. Most could see it, others got tired of it, and some would tell her to stop worrying all the time.

Sitting her stuff on any bed, she really didn't look around too much. Not knowing if her roommate was here before or not, she really didn't care at the moment. Fixing her top, she looked at the desk across from her roommates. Maybe she would decorate it later. Tucking some of her hair behind her ear, she didn't really know how to feel about this room at the moment. Not knowing if she hated it or liked it, but she knew she didn't love it.

Putting her bag beside her bed, she then walked out of the room and started walking down the hallway. Putting her hands in her pants back pockets, she could feel her phone as she walked down the hallways of Arcana. It seemed as if she was walking down a field of daisies, but really she was just walking down a nearly empty hallway. She sort of liked long walks, usually outside at night. This was acceptable too she guessed.

"All students to the Great Hall please, assembly beings in five minutes. A reminder than any absentees will result in punishment."

Barely hearing the announcement Leo gave over the intercom. Leo was a father figure to her and he's always encouraging to her. Even if he was the headmaster of Arcana. Noticing the voice, but not the message really. Why? Well, it wasn't that important to her, since she just caught only a few of the words. She would rather face consequences for whatever he was telling the students to do.

Hearing her phone starting to ring her favorite ringtone she already knew who it was she was debating if she wanted to just let it ring just to piss off the person who wanted to talk to her. In the end she decided to answer it anyway,"Hey Eriol. I'm just walking around. You?" She rested her hands on her hips and continued to walk down the hallway. Eriol, she sometimes hated him for his actions and other times he was alright. Kind of having her suspicions of what he is as a person, her boyfriend. But, she wouldn't question him to much, he was a person and people make mistakes.

The assembly was to the point. For that, Lulu had to give professor Marinos credit. That said, he was not the smiling relaxed man she spoke to in his office. She watched him talk with tension, his voice serious and nearly cutthroat. He didn’t want to take shit from anyone, whether it was about the rooming issues or those who didn’t attend. She winced as he concluded, listing those who weren’t present and the fact that they would be having detention with Cain for the following week. She sighed, reclining into her seat and looking over at Jackson with a sly smile. “If Cor has detention for a week, and thus so free time, do you think I’ll finally be able to sleep?” she wondered allowed, whispering her thoughts to her friend beside her incognito.

The longer they sat, the more the dull pace of her headache returned. Lulu was almost grateful to know that her power hangover was returning to her, if only because she didn’t want Jack to bear it. When the assembly concluded, the blond was still awake and content. “The day is ours! Carpe diem!” she giggled, pinching Jack’s arm beside her to get his attention. “I need to dump my bag off at my room. Meet you later to do something fun?” she asked, standing and sliding her duffel bag over her shoulder again.

As Lulu turned to the aisle she was instantly met with a dense crowd of students. Her eyes searched the faces, seeing a few familiar ones but largely strangers and younger kids. A few feet beyond she caught a glimpse of Drake. He was hard to miss given how tall he was. She smiled weakly and turned to enter the crowd.

No more than a few feet from the door, one of the older students was holding the Great Hall doors open. He was chuckling to one of his friends, pointing at someone – or something? It wasn’t until Lulu drew closer that she noticed a smaller boy, likely twelve years old. He was lanky and his hair was short, blond and extremely curly. He looked supremely awkward, carrying himself with unease in the crowd. No person talked to him and he was staring at the floor instead of ahead of him. When the boy reached the doors, the older student released the one he was holding. The thick wood swung back faster than she would have anticipated.

Lulu’s eyes widened in surprise but quickly narrowed. She held her hands at her sides and kept focused, snapping her fingers idly, twice. The recoil from her power was nearly immediate. The nausea struck her hard but she looked ahead, watching as the young boy suddenly stopped, his foot stepping forward an extra two inches to catch the door with a kick. It swung back into the face of the elder who had opted to let it go intentionally. Quite brutally it hit his nose and he backed off with a low squeal. As Lulu walked back she noticed blood in his hands as he left to seek the school nurse. With a sigh of relief she looked over for the younger boy but he was nowhere to be seen. Crisis averted.

In the mix of the crowds Lulu suddenly felt dizzy. Her vision doubled momentarily and her sense of hearing made high pitches suddenly seem much sharper. Her pallor dropped two shades and the flush to her cheeks disappeared entirely. “Shit,” she murmured, bringing a hand to her lips as she felt her stomach flip unhappily, her nausea building. Even one small trip was enough to push her over the edge this morning.

Hurriedly she ran, her eyes desperately seeking the nearest washroom. "Don’t throw up. Don’t throw up. Not yet. Not in front of everyone,” she told herself in thought. Shoving aside a few boys, she threw herself in a men’s room as soon as she found it. “Hey! Get outta here!” one shouted, offended and throwing his arms in the air as she pushed past him and into a stall. She didn’t even lock the door, she merely let her knees buckle and let her stomach roll. While the nausea had her head swimming and the toilet before her swimming, all she could do was dry heave, her diaphragm working painfully. Her body shook as the muscle tensed and knotted. Her hands gripped the sides of the cool toilet to brace herself. It was practically her only solace, that and the fact that all the boys who had been in the bathroom had now exited, offended by her presence in their nearly sacred men's only place.

Scott Martin Andrews

“All students to the Great Hall please, assembly begins in five minutes. A reminder than any absentees will result in punishment."

His deep and authoritative voice had echoed through Scott‘s brain like it was an old message. Scott rouse quickly and wobbled on his feet. It felt like it was one of those horrible monday mornings where you didn't want to get up. He checked his watch he already missed the assembly. First day in Arcana and Scott already has a detention, great. Although there must be other’s who missed out on the assembly and a couple of names rang a bell.

Scott grabbed his phone and slipped it into his pocket, then he instantly stopped. After the assembly he was going to talk to her, Freya. He told her that himself. He was going to confess his feelings for her, find out if she felt the same and where they stood in this platonic relationship. Scott rushed to the end of the hall, where room 17 is located. The door was surprisingly unlocked, he was now only praying that it was Frey that was inside not Ashleigh. He surely didn’t want another sufficient awkward moment like before. He stroke good fortune, Frey was in her room.

“Frey?“ Scott said questionably while entering the room. She turned giving a cheery smile. There was something about him that was different when he was around her. He was happy, yes but there was something there. An inexpressible feeling he felt towards her. It jittered through his body right at that very moment.

“How was the assembly?” Scott asked. He was feeling dumber then ever from not going to the assembly, he only wondered what house he was in. As Frey began to talk Scott was in some wary trance, his thoughts began to rattle. She was just so god damn beautiful it was almost petrifying. He was lost in her great emerald green eyes and he was now thinking about another kiss. He just wanted to lean in and just kiss her again like he did earlier but maybe that would make things more complicated. Not even listening to a word she had said, three words were ready to burst out of Scott’s mouth.

“I love you” Once the words slipped away, he only worried. Never in a million years would he have thought that he would be saying that to any girl and for some strange reason he was getting almost mad. He knew nothing of how Frey felt and it almost felt upsetting.

“I need to know if you feel the same way I do.” His deep and restful voice had a different kind of a tone. He leaned in gradually, hoping that she would meet him half-way. He was dying just to kiss her, to throw this non-physical relationship in the garbage. He had never meant to love her. One thing he truly knew, knew it in the pit of his stomach, in the center of his bones, knew that Freya Mason was truly the one for him.

When Lora commented on her getting taller than him, Drake chuckled, raising an eyebrow at her. “Sure, Lor, on the 30th of February, second Thursday of the week.” He retorted playfully. The way she was standing on her tiptoes, made him shake his head with an amused smile, eyes sparkling with humor as he looked down at her. “You’re such a dwarf,” he then teased, messing her hair up a little. He’d always been way taller than her, and it wasn’t like that was changing at this point in their lives, but it was an old argument, really, having started back in Harrogate all those years ago, and it had just picked right up now that they were at Arcana together. If he had to be honest, he was glad Lora was at the Academy. He hadn’t realized he’d sort of missed her company a little. And now there was the added bonus of her very… womanly… appearances. Okay, she’d grown into one hot piece of a girl, and Drake had trouble not hitting on her, because he usually did. With women, he’d see something he liked, and he’d procure it somehow. But again, not with Lora. That was just a no-go.

He nodded a little absently when the young gypsy talked about Leo having his hands full, thinking again. Oh, he quite enjoyed his sister’s stunts and bitchy little ways, simply for the entertainment provided in that context, but he wasn’t about to let her fuck Lora up in the process. Sure, he usually sought out people she’d hate him being friends with, solely because it was fun bothering the blonde, but Lora had entered his life before that whole thing started, so she, if anyone, was off limits. He supposed he might have to shoot his baby sis a comment on that. He hadn’t said anything about Lulu and their issues, mostly because in some ways, Lulu brought it on herself, and he honestly considered it fair enough that his sister would strike back. He knew Cor had broken Lulu’s AC, but he didn’t get involved unless he had to, and so far things were harmless so he couldn’t say he cared much. Right now it was just a little amusing. Although, he wished Lulu would unsheathe the claws he knew she had. But then it would only get worse and… oh, who was he kidding? It’d be the show of the year.

Then she reassured him she’d be careful and he cast her a wry smile, “if I know you right, you’ll get yourself into trouble regardless. That is the definition of Loralei Evans, isn’t it?” He teased dryly as they reached his and Colby’s room. Twisting the door knob he found the door unlocked and opened, stepping inside. He took an introductionary, casual glance around the room, giving a slight nod of approval. This, he could live with. He dumped his bag on the bed that didn’t have custom sheets, guessing that was his, and went outside with Lora again just as Leo’s second announcement rang out and he chuckled. “He sounds rather grouchy, doesn’t he?” The shadow-manipulator commented, grinning with mischief and curiosity, which were usually one and the same with Drake. He couldn’t help it. Anything he could bother Marinos with, was just great in his book. “I guess we’d better go then, even if I do think time’s passed a little quickly.” He shook his head, closing the door behind him followed by him and Lora heading down to the assembly.

---

At the assembly Drake had been surprised to find himself house-captain of house Tyms, where he found both Lora and Lulu… and Jay. And well, honestly, the fact that he had Jade and Lulu in his house made his ‘job’ quite difficult, and frankly Drake didn’t work for anything unless it was his own amusement. There was nothing fun in playing police officer, so the odds of him being replaced soon were probably pretty grand. First the room mix-ups, and now this? Marinos was really falling off his horse, wasn’t he? But still, the fact that Ashy was captain of Cor, was extremely amusing, and that was at least something. Except he would’ve loved to be in that house just to see how that went down. Not that he wouldn’t hear the news and rumors, but being there in person was always better. If not, it was like hearing about a funny experience someone else had, where you’re all “that’s not funny?” and the person telling it, goes, “yeah, you probably should’ve been there.” Then why tell the story at all? Still, he was growing even more interested in how this year was going to go.

On his way out, still with Lora, Drake spotted Lulu. He couldn’t clearly see what she was doing in the throng of students, but he could tell it’d relieved her, whatever it was. He was just about to look elsewhere and focus on where he was going when she suddenly looked more than just a little ill. He frowned at the sliver of worry that ran through him. What had she been doing? Next he knew, the beautiful blonde was running out of the hall, heading south. He tensed, ready to follow at instinct, not even considering what that meant. Instead, he looked down at Lora. “I’ve gotta go, love. I’ll see you tonight, right?” He quickly said before heading in the direction Lulu had gone, not waiting to hear Lora’s answer. He knew she’d be there at Jackie’s party, so it wasn’t that important right now. This worry, however, was important. He worried so rarely, he was usually shocked when it happened. Usually he found things entertaining, but there was nothing fun about sickness. Especially not if something was seriously wrong with her.

Still, though, he couldn’t help a wry smile when he spotted her barging into the men’s restroom and he sped up, just catching the words “outta here” from the guy soon leaving the bathroom in a huff. Drake stepped to the side, allowing him to exit. There was now no one but he and Lulu in the bathroom and he stalked to the stall he’d seen her enter, quietly pushing the door open. He shook his head when he saw her and squatted down next to her. Drake then gathered her hair on her back, moving it out of her face gently, his fingers accidentally caressing her skin in the process. He could tell she wasn’t actually throwing up, but beads of sweat were forming on her face. He had no clue whatsoever what was wrong, and right now he didn’t care. He just, for some reason, didn’t think she should be alone with this. He put a cool hand on her heated forehead, looking down at her with worry in his eyes. He didn’t say anything, because really… what could he say? He didn’t want to crowd her right now, so he’d wait with the questions. Besides, she was pale as a ghost. What the hell had she been doing?

That’s when he frowned, recognizing this from his first year at Noctrem when he’d pushed himself too far, too many times in an attempt to get better control of his power, but it had never been this bad, and never this sudden either. He watched her more thoughtful now, pondering the possibilities in this situation, his mind going over several different alternatives. Of course it was a waste of cognitive functions since he could ask her in a bit, but old habits died hard. Why he was even there, didn’t cross his mind right now. However, it would have him wandering the halls of Arcana for hours and hours, because with that on his mind, he wouldn’t be able to relax and sleep. Nothing new about that. “Damn, Lulu,” he murmured softly, brushing stray strands of hair out of the way once more. Of course, he’d probably end up teasing her about this whole thing once he made sure she wasn’t dying or something equally insane, but right now he was just lost. He really didn’t have much experience with illnesses and such, so he was fumbling his way in the darkness, ironic though that was.

The dreamer nodded in a faint show of sympathy when she bemoaned Marinos’ announcement. He had no illusions that the assembly was going to be uninteresting. Much though he did have respect for their immortal headmaster… well, the man had problems connecting with relatively normal people like them. That was his opinion, at least. He felt that way himself often. The things he cared about barely lined up with the interests of his peers, and when they did, it was only in the loosest sense. His penchant for horror cinema was the closest thing, and it was still very different from the appreciation that others had for it. He didn’t scare, he didn’t spook, and he certainly wasn’t squeamish (about anything besides fire-related injuries)- to him, it was more like research. No, inspiration was a better word for it. People knew the rules of horror movies. If he abided by those rules in the nightmares he engineered, they’d seem that much more dreamlike and therefore plausible.

He nodded again, this time when she confirmed their appointment. His brow furrowed slightly when she consulted her phone and then produced his room number and roommate. The information was public domain, of course. It was the fact that she’d thought to check, and that she’d announced it, that were somewhat troubling. He didn’t say anything, letting the dip of his chin suffice. They were heading the same way, but he waited a few moments, idly toying with the spoon and musing over the implications of this little run-in. When sufficient time had passed he packed up his things and rose smoothly to his feet. He bussed the empty cartons and trim remains of his breakfast to a garbage can and then set off for the auditorium.

---

He’d chosen to sit in the far back corner. He was still dressed for a run that he fully intended to go on as soon as the information spewing was over with. He relaxed back in his seat, kicking his feet up against the one in front of him, and waited. His eyes strayed a bit, here and there, but he didn’t bother with trying to interact with anyone. There wouldn’t be time, and he didn’t want to enter into any entanglements that might prevent him from escaping to his solitary exertions when all was said and done.

His eyebrows both lifted a half inch or so when Marinos described the house structure and competitions. Several thoughts jockeyed for primacy in terms of being processed, and the Hogwarts comparison ended up making it to the front of the line. Maybe this was a somewhat misguided effort for him to connect with them? To tap into a bit of popular culture? It was plausible. The next consideration was that he’d have another group of people to keep track of. A roommate was bad enough. He listened carefully as Leo went down the list. When Causton House was rattled off, he stopped listening and evaluated the classmates that he’d been saddled with. The psychic and the lust-inspirer would be annoying if only for their powers. Being in proximity to Amber… well, he’d have to see what to make of that after tonight. The others were by and large neutral in his estimation, and Elijah was someone who he actually favored the company of, slightly. It could be much worse, he finally decided. When they were dismissed, he made use of his strategic positioning to be one of the first ones out and into the hallway. As he walked, he got his phone ready and tucked his earbuds in so that he’d be ready, once he made his way out the front of the school, to break into his pre-run stretching.

He went quickly and methodically through the same series of stretches he always did, a process designed to loosen and limber up most of the major muscles in his body and particularly his legs. He’d be stuck there, doing that, for another few moments, but then he’d be off.

---

Colby brightened considerably when Landon seemed to cheer back up. He blinked and then laughed when he realized that Jay had locked the door (which took a few seconds, during which he stared at Sky, then the door, then back at Sky before the other boy explained). His laughter cut out when he figured out the most likely reason that the door was locked, though. Ew.

For just about the first time ever, he’d been a little dismayed to hear the dulcet tones of Leonardo Marinos. That meant he’d have to wait for breakfast, and he was already starving. He watched, blinking, as Sky took his double shot of tequila, straight from the bottle. Colby was no stranger to boozing it up, but 9 AM was a little early for him. He just grinned and shook his head, snagging the candy out of the Party Box and then setting it down beside Sky’s bag. ”I’m totally eating all your candy, bro,” he told Sky, still grinning. The idea of a tipsy Sky was very appealing. With food forestalled, his mind had wandered to other interesting things they might get up to after… or maybe during… the assembly.

---

Colby had taken the middle spot, smack between Sky and Landon. He was leaning against the former, his head nestled on Sky’s shoulder, and he’d kicked up his right leg to rest on Landon’s thigh. The sound of a wrapper being rapidly shucked occasionally came from where they were sitting- by the end of the assembly there’d be dozens of little pieces of plastic stuck in the now-half-empty bag of candy. He let his left hand swing down to rest on Sky’s leg, quite comfortable in spite of the strange way he was sprawled out across his best friends.

He shifted to sit up and actually pay attention when the dreamy Battle instructor started reading off who would be in houses with whom. The information exited his brain just as quickly as it entered; he was really just listening for his own name, trying to figure out who he’d be with. He perked up a bit at a few names (if anyone were paying attention, it would be the names of the guys he had or wanted to have sex with), but gave up by the end Causton house. His mind just wasn’t meant for this kind of exercise. Surely there’d be a list for him to snag at some point. When his name did finally come he’d gotten distracted by using his fingers to create a facsimile of the feeling of an eggshell being cracked on Sky’s knee, having slouched back to lean against him once more.

When Landon sort of loomed over him he reacted with awkward surprise. He’d been in a zone of sorts, just enjoying the feel of his fingers on Sky’s pants, and the sudden appearance of his other friend in the frame of his vision startled him. Landon just seemed to want Sky’s attention, though, so Colby poked Sky in the ribs and jerked a thumb Landon’s way, just to make sure that the message got through.

---

Cain had snuck into the light-booth just before the presentation began. He dropped himself down into the swivel chair behind the sound board and contemplated, briefly, the enjoyment he would derive from messing around with the controls while Leo spoke. Very little enjoyment, he decided. It would be a petty distraction, at best, and it would call attention to his presence.

He wasn’t privy to many of the goings on in Arcana, which bothered him quite a bit. He snorted when the man went on to describe a set-up for the student body straight out of J.K. Rowlings’ educational philosophy. If he was going to rip off teen fiction to run his school, why couldn’t he have picked The Hunger Games? That would have been vastly more interesting, and Cain could have supplied a list of twenty four students he would have enjoyed seeing fight to the death in less than thirty seconds. Assigning or detracting points from students did sound somewhat enjoyable, though. He only hoped Leo didn’t expect him to provide reasoning with his tallies. There were quite a few students who he planned on docking just for the way they dressed.

When the assembly was at its end, he lingered in the booth, swaying back and forth on the chair and waiting for the place to clear out. He had an inkling that Leo had decided on such harsh punitive measures for non-attendance simply to keep him busy for several hours each day, and the weekend. He intended to make it clear that matters of widespread and time-consuming detention assignations should be cleared by him prior to being implemented. He was the Detention Master, after all. Of course, the list of students he’d be babysitting for the rest of the week was mostly a rogue gallery of his favorites, so Leo’s plans had thoroughly backfired on all counts. Like usual.

When Spencer said that he was going, Beth said something along the lines of, "Alright lets go then," and grabbed his hand. Spencer's first reaction was to pull away, but he stopped himself. Instead he blushed a bright red. He didn't say a word, for once Spencer Jerem was speechless. This was the affect that girls had on him, and that was why he tried to keep his distance. They are a fate worse to him than alcohol, because that will leave his system in a few hours..love won't. "Love, it should be named a disease. It controls your mind and twists it," Spencer thought to himself. Beth then found them some seats and they both sat down.

Spencer looked around the room, it was decently crowded. Most of the students where there, except for a certain few. He heard Leo speak. He drowned on and on about the houses and how the roommates were permanent. Spencer sighed. Jackson and his parties, were apparently here to stay. As he heard his name announced in the house he was him. Beth was with him and so was Jackson. Spencer sighed once more. Beth was a distraction, and now was in all his classes, brilliant. As he tuned in to the rest of the names, he noticed there was no one that he disliked, and likewise. Beth was house captain? Spencer didn't envy her one bit. Ashy and Beth would probably good at it, but Ben and Drake? At least everyone know who the losing houses we're going to be. Drake maybe would be decent, but Ben was just a joke.

When the assembly finished Spencer looked at Beth and waited for her to say something. Truthfully he wanted to get away, but his mama taught him better. When he saw that she wasn't going to say something, Spencer decided that he should, instead of sitting there in awkward silence, say something. "Looks like we're going to be seeing lots of each other this year, and your house captain. I'm telling you now not to expect too much of me, other than sleeping," Spencer said trying to lighten the mood. He saw Beth's face when Leo said Jackson, although Beth probably didn't know it herself, it wasn't the happiest expression.

Morgan Janssen

"That will be all, everyone. Thank you." As Mr. Marinos finished and the students began to swarm out of the hall, Morgan grinned. She got to her feet. She was in the same house as Zac and she had a free day today. She was already trying to decide what to do. Alli would probably be in the dance studio showing off her gymnastic routine and Zac would probably be chilling with some music. She could always just chill out in her room with a good book and her iPod, but it was such a lovely day. It was a day to be outside, not to be trapped in her room.

She grinned as she decided exactly what she was going to do. She made her way up to her room and grabbed Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, her slightly better pair of headphones and shoved her phone in her pocket. Her iPod went in the opposite pocket and her headphones went around her neck. She made her way downstairs and went out into the glorious sunshine. She chose a spot by the tennis courts. It was warm, in direct sunlight and out of the way. She slid her headphones over her head and plugged the other end into her iPod. She pressed play and opened her book.
As Katniss and the rebels battled against the corrupt Capitol, Mo's mind was not on the fictional country of Panem. It was on her reality. At first she smiled. Her and Zac were both in Deakins. They had all their classes together. She had a cool roommate. There hadn't been any major fights yet, and the weather was gorgeous.

But then the darker side of things began to take over. Her dad had a new girlfriend. He still wasn't fully over Mo's mother, and he tended to go for girls like her. Mo missed her mother sometimes, when she didn't understand something or when nothing was going right for her. But she didn't want to replace her. Her mother was one of a kind, and none of her father's girlfriends could replace her. If Mo had to telepathically drive the woman insane, she would. If she wanted a step-mum, she had to be different. Preferably a nurse. Or, admittedly, a teacher.

Her thoughts gradually slightened in subject. She began to wonder when the next party would be held. They were usually fun, even for someone who didn't drink. Except for last time, but someone had spiked her drink once or twice. And then she had only been tipsy, not absolutely shit-faced. Some of the Noctrem students would probably drink all of the alcohol in San Francisco and the surrounding area between them. And then they would still complain that they hadn't had enough to drink.

But watching them the morning after would probably be hilarious. If they even appeared.


Zac stretched and dragged himself to his feet. He was in the same house as Mo, which was great. They would most likely be pairing up on projects if they were given the choice. And they didn't seem to have anyone too bad in their house, which was always a good thing. As he left the hall, he heard various students discussing a party. One of Jackson Murphy's, no doubt. They were usually fairly enjoyable. Mo, Alli and him stayed away from alcohol, and were able to remember every detail of the night before.

Well, most of the time. Last time, someone had kept slipping vodka into Mo's drink. She claimed she had only gotten tipsy, but Zac could vividly remember her with her arm slung around Colby, standing on a table singing her heart out. She had gotten a little more than tipsy, but she handled the hangover fairly well. Probably with three cups of coffee and a blueberry muffin before she even went to class. She had seemed unusually alert, admittedly. She was rarely that awake heading into History.

Mo headed upstairs, probably to grab some reading material to chill out in the sun. Zac had been planning on practising indoors, but one look at the glorious weather outside changed his mind. He instead grabbed his guitar from his room and shoved a few picks in his pocket.

The front lawn was covered in cigarette butts already, so he decided against it. The forest seemed the best choice. He grasped the neck of the guitar and held it in front of him to prevent smashing it against any trees.

It was a wonder his guitar had lasted this long, if he was honest. He had brought it when he was fourteen. It had been hauled to Arcana and back every year since, without a case, and had even called down the stairs once or twice. Okay, it was four times, but the last time didn't even count because his foster dad had caught it a few steps from the bottom. He'd changed all of the strings twice, and the bass string had been changed three times. It had cost him a fair bit, but he had gotten so much enjoyment out of it.

He found a secluded spot just inside the forest. Although he'd be screwed if there was a fire. The fire starter could be at Arcana right now, and if they decided to burn down Arcana, the fire could very easily spread to the forest. And as much as his guitar meant to him, if the forest was set alight, he was abandoning his guitar and getting the hell out of there.

His hand began to strum of it's own accord, and his fingers formed chords on the frets. He wasn't sure what song he was playing, but it sounded good.



Alli was ecstatic. She was in Ardley with Lauryn! She grinned at the girl beside her as she stood up. "Come on, let's go up to the dance studio!" She said, worming her way through the crowds. Lauryn probably wouldn't be able to keep up with her, because Alli was able to worm her way through people and around people. She stood on a chair and waved at Lauryn, before heading upstairs to the dance studio. When she arrived, she zipped off her hoodie and started a few warm-up stretches. She then made a running start and flipped across the floor. She landed in a handstand and somersaulted to her feet. She grinned and found a balance beam. Why dancers would need it, she had no clue. Unless Mr Marinos had intended it for gymnastic use. She dragged it out into the middle of the floor before clambered ungracefully onto it and standing upright. She took a few steps and went into a handstand. She turned three hundred and sixty degrees and walked on her hands to the end of the beam. Her arms shook but her balance remained strong. One advantage of her power meant it was extremely difficult for her to fall off and hit herself on the hard floor.

She flipped to her feet and dismounted as her phone vibrated in her hoodie pocket. She pulled it out. It was a text from her mother, and she opened it.

Allison, dear. There's a gymnastics competition being held next Saturday. It seems to be within your skill level, and it's only an hour away. Are you going to complete?

Alli resisted the temptation to throw the phone out of the window. Her mother insisted on calling her Allison. And every time there was a gymnastics competition, she received a text or a phone call about it.

Mom, I'll have to clear it with Mr Marinos first. Talk to you later.

She shoved her phone back into her pocket and scrambled back onto the beam. She flipped and somersaulted, trying to work off her anger. And when that didn't work, she returned to the floor. She'd completely forgotten about Lauryn. She turned on the music, and began to perform to that. Gotye's Somebody That I Used To Know began playing. It was a good song to perform to, lively without being too fast.

She was angry at her mother for pushing her. Her dexterity meant she could have taken up almost any sport. She would have loved to have taken up archery. But once her mother had saw that she had an aptitude for gymnastics, she hadn't been allowed take part in any other sport. It was gymnastics. There wasn't even an option of nothing. And every single time there was a competition, she was pushed to compete. If she didn't, it was, "Why aren't you competing? Are you injured? Why don't you want to compete?" If it was an Olympic trial, sure, she'd compete. But this was a small competition, probably full of novices. She didn't want to crush them before they even began.

She threw herself across the floor with increasing intensity. Her ankle began to complain, but she launched into a handstand. The blood rushing to her brain made it much harder to think.



Today began like any other day. Chris dragged himself out of bed and had a shower. He got dressed in his trademark outfit. Chris was always a snappy dresser. But possibly even more so today. Because today he was starting a new job in his old school, Arcana Academy. It was Chris's first real job. He had done a bit of modelling, but that hadn't worked out. Mainly because he kept being assaulted by teenage girls screaming his name.

He ate a decent breakfast of fruit, toast orange juice and a yogurt. He remembered the food at Arcana being good, but he really wasn't in the mood to eat in a canteen full of students. He washed the plate and put it away. His brother opened the door. "Oi, Chris!" He called. "Sup bro!" Chris replied. "I still can't believe you're letting me stay in your house for free!" Chris stood up and clapped his brother on his shoulder. "Yeah, but if I get broken into, you're paying the damages. Better go." Chris grabbed his suitcases and his car keys. He threw them into the back seat of his little red convertible and slammed the door. His brother was standing at the front door. "I can't believe your car has survived five years of mistreatment." He commented. Chris laughed and patted the car. "Yeah, it's pretty sturdy. Mind my house. It's the only one I've got, and if anything goes wrong, you're buying me another." His brother laughed. "Like you can't afford another one. See you... When will you be back?" Chris shrugged. "You'll know when I walk in."

He climbed into his car and started it up. He let down the hood as he drove out the gate. It was a gorgeous Californian day. The way to Arcana was imbedded in Chris's mind, and the car almost found it's way there by itself. Before he knew it, his red convertible was driving up the drive.

He found the rest of the teacher's cars and parked his. He let up the hood and decided to leave his cases until he had met with Mr Marin- No, Leo. He had to remember to call him Leo now. That was the weirdest part of having supernatural powers. Your headmaster wouldn't change the whole way through school, and when you went back to be a teacher, he'd still be exactly the same.

He went into the reception. It had been modernised a little in the five years he had been at college. He walked nervously up to the receptionist. She had changed as well. Jesus, was he even at the right school?

"Um, hey. I'm Chris Russell, I'm the new PE teacher here. Leo told me to meet him when I arrived." The receptionist nodded. "Take a seat. He'll be down shortly." Chris took a seat across from the receptionist. Students were coming and going, and, frankly, he felt a little uncomfortable.

'I will draw the house captains name from the hat; Ardley's house caption will be Ashleigh Fox.'
Ashy felt the colour evaporate from her face as Mr Marino's spoke the words at what seemed like a snails pace. House captain?! Where these people sure?! Surely picking names out of the hat wasn't really the best method to decided on positions of responsibility?! Ashy felt her breathing quicken, she needed to get out of here. Now.

The young girl basically jumped to her feet as soon as Mr Marino's had finished his speech. She needed time to think, space to breath. She barely heard Freya's apology as she went off to meet Scott. Probably for more kissing, Ashy thought darkly. She had a feeling this was going to something she was going to have to bare in mind when it came to Freya; her power. Making a mental note to knock before entering her own room, Ashy pushed through the crowd of people. She wasn't in the mood for talking, not yet. Not until she'd thought about her plan of action. Outside was where she needed to be, in the fresh air.

Through her daze of confusion, Ashy vaguely noted that the front lawn had already been littered with cigarette's. People were so ignorant. Ashy thought to herself; they'd only been here five minutes and they were already making the place look untidy. Ashy sighed and headed for the forest; she could hide in there, just for a little while. No one would find her there.

Ashy turned her attention back to the reason she was running; the fact she was house captain. Not only that, she had three of the rightly named Fearsome Five in her house. What's more, she was supposed to, what did the Headmaster say, Keep them in line?! Had this man ever met Cor Quellen?! Keeping her in line would be like trying to control a hurricane. Impossible. With her and her little buddies alongside her, there was no way in hell Ashy was going to enjoy being in class, let alone trying to Lead them.

Ashy tried to think of the postive's as she walked through the undergrowth, twigs snapping beneath her feet. She had Ali in her house, She tried to get inside your head a lot, but it was at least tolerable. Then there was Skye, she sensed there may be a few people that wouldn't be too happy about the young girl spending so much time with the pyro. Zac Barnes being one of them. She also had Laindon, he was a nice enough boy, Ashy decided. None of these positive thoughts were detracting her attention away from the anxiety she felt about having to keep Cor and the others in line. Ashy felt tears well in her eyes, there was no way she was going to do this; at least not for long. The young girl was scared, so scared.

That's when she heard it, the faint sound of a guitar being played. It was a beautiful sound and it was a nice distraction from the thoughts she'd just been having. She followed the sound, which led her to a clearing. Ashy stared across it to see the silhouette of a young man, stooped over a guitar. It took the young blonde a moment to realise it was Zac. He couldn't see her like this, all teary eyed and fretting...it was embarrassing to say the least. Ashy retraced herself back into the tree's. Suddenly she heard a twig snap behind her as she stepped on it. The sound rung across the clearing and was sure to catch Zac's attention. Oh no.

The assembly hadn't gone too badly, Leo had decided. There had been no shout outs, no arguments, no detentions given, and no interruptions. Well, except from Cain's meddling, of course. He was going to have to talk to the man about that; talk to him about not belittling him in front of his students. They needed to respect him, to look up to him, and if Cain was going to mess around and make him look like a fool, then Leonardo wasn't going to have him hanging around here for much longer. He had offered up his home to the man, given him another job, and had allowed all of his students to follow him here, and this was how he re-payed him? He could obviously see why he had been the Head-Master at Noctrem.

After all of the students and teachers had left the vicinity of the Great Hall, Leo finally felt himself relaxing. His shoulders slumped down, and his hands fell into his pockets, and he turned around to look down at his beautiful girlfriend, before finding himself sitting on the chair next to her. He couldn't touch her; couldn't hold her hand, or push that little strand of hair out of her face, because they were sitting here in public. It hurt, not being able to touch her, or kiss her, but they were his rules, and he was going to obey them, much like everyone else. "What did you think? I didn't do too badly, right?" He smiled in her direction, his trade-mark crooked smile coming back to sit on his face.

"Crap!" Leo bolted up right, and looked over at his Amy, his eyes wide. "I was supposed to go and find Chris before the Assembly and let him sit in so he knew everything." He groaned, quickly standing up. "I'm gonna pop over to the main office and go and get him, wanna come?" Leo held out his hand for her, only to help her stand up, before then letting go once more. Then, he started speed walking at an alarming pace, making his way towards the main reception of his school. "Chris, so sorry I'm late." His voice was apologetic, his tone dripping with it. "We had an assembly, and there were Houses discussed, and schedules were given out, and everything just dragged on a bit."

---

Jackson hadn't been paying that much attention as to what was being said in the assembly. He would learn about it anyway from someone else, and had only really turned up just so that he wouldn't have to suffer a detention. He had sat there, leaning back in his chair, drifting in and out of his own little dream world, a feat which was slowly beginning to cover up the pain that he had taken from Lulu. Wait... day dreaming never usually did that. As he looked to his left, his friend was slowly starting to lose colour once more, obviously gaining her pain back - that was one of the down-sides of his power; he couldn't keep an emotion for that long, and only by concentrating to the extremes when he had passed out before was he almost able to make it disappear entirely.

Then, suddenly, at the end of the assembly, Lulu was up and out, obviously feeling a little worse for wear. He thought about following her, about going after the girl who was with him throughout the worst points in his life, and be there for her in return, but he decided against that when he saw Drake moving quickly in the direction that she had dashed. A small smile appeared on his face, his thoughts conflicting. He knew how much Lulu cared about, and wanted Drake, and so she would be happy to see that he would come to her rescue. On the other hand, Drake was a fiend, someone who couldn't stay with one women for more than a night, and he wouldn't like to see the two of them together in a relationship. He sighed softly, slowly standing up from his seat. He shouldn't dwell on that fact for so long; everything would work out in the end.

Jack made his way out of the hall, and then stopped. Where was he going? What was he supposed to be doing right now? He had heard something about there not being classes today, and they were supposed to help their roommates settle in properly. Oh yeah, roommates. He should probably head over and look at the list. So, that was what he did. "Spencer, eh?" He spoke to no-one in particular, his voice hushed and under his breath. "Well that could be fun." He got along with the scientist well enough, and he was sure that the two of them would be good roommates. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Jackson spotted his roommate, and decided to head over there, to see him and ask him a question.

On his journey, however, Jack noticed who Spencer was with. "Beth..." he whispered softly to himself, his stride slowly down. He hadn't seen her around the school yet; she had obviously hidden from him when he had been near her. He looked like an idiot, standing there with his mouth agape, staring in their direction, but that didn't stop him from beginning to walk once again, making his way over to them. Just don't look at her that much, Jackson. Just stand there, and be cool. But how could you be cool when you looked at someone, and all you saw was the eyes of your dead daughter?

"Hey, Spencer." Jack's voice was quiet as he came upon the two of them, and he didn't try to say hello to Beth as well. He wasn't sure if his mouth would even move near her any more, and his eyes kept flicking back down onto her, looking at her. "So... I-I was wondering, if we could party tonight? In the hall, maybe?" His question was directed at Spencer, although, his eyes were not.

He just couldn't stop looking at her.

Elijah was torn between feeling wary and glad when Bells had greeted him in return. He was happy to know that she knew him. She was an interesting girl, and even if she had such kind of… unpleasing personality, he could not help but get drawn to her. It might have been because she was cold and somewhat uncaring towards him and some of the people around her or it might also be because of her ability but Elijah really wanted to know her more. While he hated the way she treated others, disliked how much she always seemingly disregarded rules and regulations, and had the full knowledge of how she was the type of person that would find pleasure in hurting someone; all of this did not deter him. It was a bit shallow on his part, he supposed --since he technically wanted to know about her because of her pain inducement ability, but then for now, it was enough to warrant such fascination. She was like a piece of mystery. A modernistic work of art, one which he would be willing to solve (given the chance).

Elijah was certainly not a shy person. He could be quiet and reserved but he was not someone who would be hard to approach. He was open and accommodating and he could take time to listen and do nothing but simply listen to others when they share information about theirselves. He could even give some ideas and opinions if the one he was conversing with wanted some but he was content with just listening. It was because of this that it was laughable on how he could noticeably turn into a bumbling fool once he was in front of one Isabella Dorson. It seemed that whenever he was within a short distance from the girl, his brain would take an impromptu vacation and he would usually lose all the conversational phrases and words that he knew. Instead of being sociable, he would end up awkward and tense around Bells. It was pathetic and he would not be surprised if she would dislike him for acting this way in front of her.

Every now and then, he wondered. What would take him to take that courageous leap of faith and approach Bells? Just like he had always imagined in his mind. He had been trying to come up with scenarios. Those that he would do if he would meet her along the way to classes or any other place possible. Would his uncharacteristic stiffness and discomfort disappear? Or would he still stay as he had always been whenever he was in front of her presence: shy, awkward and mute-like? He walked behind them and continued to get lost in his thoughts. Though his concentration proved to be easily distracted by the brunette in front of him, not a moment later. He could not help but notice every now and then how she excluded an aura of confidence. Bells was a unique girl, someone that would never let others walk over her and he liked that about her.

The Irish lad was almost near the hall when he felt the phone in his pocket vibrate. Since he was fully aware of the time limit that Mr. Marinos had set for the start of the assembly, he decided to check on the new text message later. He entered the hall and looked around. He stopped on the side once he passed the entrance door and found the place occupied by most of the Arcana students along with some from Noctrem. Mr. Marinos was seated with Ms. Roerig in the front together with Mr. Vincent and the other teachers. He tried to smile at his favorite English teacher and walked further inside the great hall.

While he did, he took his time to study the others who have also attended this morning. Almost more than a half of the student population was present and he knew that this was because of Mr. Marino's recent announcement. He figured that they would know about their class schedules today from the way how the things were going. He found Izzy and Elle seated near the front row and approached them.

"Good morning", he greeted his closest friends as soon as he reached them. He took a seat besides Izzy and looked at the two. He cast them a beaming smile. " Did I miss a lot? Did you see the list?" He inquired, truly wanting to know more about his friends' roommates. He was distracted by Ben's arrival and because of that he did not have enough time to look for their new roommates. "My roommate is Ben Hershkovitz. How about you Elle and Izzy? I'm sorry I was unable to see the rest of the list, especially about your roommates. Excuse me for a while", he added. He remembered the text message and took out his phone. Once he saw that it was from Izzy, he thanked him and said, “Thank you for informing me about the assembly Izzy-“

He was about to add more but Mr. Marinos had already stood on the podium in front. He straightened in his seat and quietened down. He faced the stage and listened closely to the headmaster after sending a sheepish smile towards his friends.

------------~ After the assembly ~----------
When Mr. Marinos was done with the announcement, Elijah was once again conflicted with mixed feelings. To say the least, what had been tackled at the assembly, was unexpected. Aside from the strange rooming list this morning, there was another surprise after it. The headmaster had stated that there would be a housing system. Apparently, Elle and he, along with the other students like Theodore and Jess were placed in the Causton House. Not that he hated being grouped with the Noctrem students but it would be was rather odd with how they have seemingly wanted to make the students from the two schools interact. There was no school distinction of whether you were from Arcana nor Noctrem between groups and it made things interesting. He was wondering how things were going to be weeks from now.

Though It was a shame that Izzy was not sorted with them in the Causton house. It would have been more entertaining if he was with both Elle and Izzy when they try to compete during activities. Izzy was fun, he was a nice lad and his helpful acts had never failed to amaze Elijah. He was actually one of the very first people that he had grown close with on his early days here in Arcana.

Elle on the other hand, had a personality you wouldn’t expect from when you first see her. While she looked delicate and small because of her stature, Eleanor Carson was not a pushover. She was honest and open minded. Elle was caring and friendly. She would take an effort to listen to your stories and be just there whenever you needed someone to talk to. He had always seen her like those girls, that while strong, were ones that needed to be taken care off. Not in the sense that he would actually get suffocating but he had this urge to protect her away from harm even though he knew that she could take care of herself. She reminded him of his little sister and because of this, he could get protective of her sometimes. Elijah treasured his friendship with these two. He hoped that this new school system would not cause a drift between their small group. Competitions could be healthy but it could also be destructive. Izzy was and still a great friend and he wished that things would stay that way.

“Did you eat breakfast already? If you haven't, do you want to eat at the cafeteria?” He looked at them and asked. He stared at his wristwatch and noted the time. They had the day to themselves and he wanted to make the best use of it. “I was planning to ask Mr. Marinos to allow me to visit the orphanage and I wanted to invite you two.” He added and hopefully waited for their answer.

((I will post for Eriol as soon as I can))

During the assembly, Amy let her eyes roam the grand hall, observing the students, trying to get an impression of the overall opinion on this entire ordeal. Leo had spent a lot of time in his office this past week, sorting everything out, which meant they hadn’t seen each other as much as she would have like, since spending several hours in your boss’ office at a time might call on some unwanted attention. She was quite aware that some already had their suspicions, which made the matter of publicity even more urgent. Better to tell people themselves, than to have rumours spreading, and considering the students they had just let in, it was probably going to happen sooner rather than later. With that thought, Amy’s gaze went from Amber, to Drake, to Theo… people from Noctrem she could imagine finding out about her and Leo. Sure, she didn’t think Theo was a bad kid, but she dreamt about Leo a lot of the time, although she supposed the most he could grasp from that, would be her infatuation with the gorgeous headmaster. Then again, who said Theo even had an interest in watching her or anyone’s dreams?

She instantly stored away those thoughts and her gaze moved on, now resting on the house captains being announced in turn. Her heart ached for poor Ashleigh, who was going to have a very tough time being captain in her house. She could almost see the poor girl turning paler by the second. She obviously hadn’t missed the fact that she had several of the most troublesome kids to deal with; Corentine Quellen, Erin Hawthorne, and Addison Lawler. Sure, they weren’t all bad people, but they were definitely more… wild, than average. To her knowledge, Sky and Scott weren’t the quietest of guys either, but she couldn’t recall them causing any severe troubles. However, that much could change. Then came Ben as captain of Causton , and well, Amy couldn’t really see that lasting long. He wasn’t exactly the most school-invested kind. Then came Bethany, and Amy felt a soft, unnoticeable sigh emit from her lips. That girl had to figure out herself and feel comfortable with that, able to take responsibility for her own life before she could start taking charge of anything else.

When Leo drew out Drake’s name for captain of Tyms, Amy’s eyes widened slightly, her gaze landing on said male. He looked more or less completely indifferent. Thinking about it, maybe Leo should have just decided on captains to make sure no disasters were chosen. The way it looked to her now, none of the captains were ideal. Her eyes hopped back to Leo, noticing his rigidity, the way his shoulders were shrugged back tensely, his usual smile abandoned in favour of an edgy line, his features drawn tight. Watching him, she felt glad they’d somewhat resolved their argument from earlier, because she couldn’t even imagine how he’d be feeling if he’d had problems with her to top off the day. What had she been thinking, even starting the argument this morning? She knew, yes, the dream, but she still felt like mentally kicking herself. She wondered what he was s nervous about, though. Her Leo was usually such a confident man, although she suspected a situation like this one would bring anyone to the edge.

Later, occupied by watching the throng of students and teachers leave the assembly, and especially seeing Lulu rush from the hall, Amy didn’t even notice the fact that Leo had turned towards her, or even sat beside her, so when he spoke, she almost jumped, her head snapping around, eyes wide in surprise before she registered the voice, followed by her eyes finding the most beautiful man she’d ever laid eyes on. Her lips curved into a smile filled with warmth at his question, and especially in reply to the vibrant smile he was casting her way. “Well, you definitely need to unwind some,” she said teasingly, a glint in her eye telling her precisely how she’d like to do that, before continuing, “but yes, you di-“ Before she could finish the sentence, Leo was cursing, the abrupt speed of his movements almost making her head spin. She blinked a couple of times, finally closing her mouth when he began explaining. Ah, yes, the new teacher. She remembered Leo talking a bit about a new teacher. He hadn’t told her much, and she hadn’t really asked. More pressing, Noctrem-related matters had been more important at the time.

“Ah,” she merely said in understanding before he was talking again. Leo hated being late, especially when others were depending on him, she knew that, so this wasn’t exactly helping him unwind, which she greatly disliked. Why hadn’t he told her he planned on getting Chris before the assembly? She would’ve reminded him, or at least gone to get the new teacher herself. When Leo extended a hand, inviting her to come with him, Amy bit her lip delicately, peering up at him through her dark lashes. “Yeah, sure,” she said, before eyeing his hand thoughtfully. Would it hurt her more to take it only to let it go moments later, or to not take it at all? Why did he have to do that? It’s not like she couldn’t get out of a chair herself. She sighed softly, taking his hand, feeling that same, familiar electricity, however, the sensation was brief due to the fact that Leo let go the second she was on her feet and she clenched her hand, savouring the brief contact, trying to quench the longing surging through her; the urge to hold him, kiss him, to run her hands through his hair. To see love and lust for her mixing in the gray pools that were his eyes, like last night.

When he began speed walking, Amy had to half run to keep up, but sensing his urgency, she didn’t complain like she most likely would’ve at another time. After all, it’s not like he didn’t know she had much shorter legs than he. And she did fall slightly behind, only catching up with him to hear the words, “-I’m late,” and those following. She took a deep breath to steady herself, curiously moving to the side so that she was no longer hidden behind Leo, and thereby able to see the new teacher. She took in all his features, her head cocking to the side slightly in thought. He looked familiar. Only when Leo finished speaking, did her eyes widen with realization. “Chris?” she breathed in disbelief, gaping at him. “That Chris?!” She blinked several times, then shooting an accusatory look Leo’s way, she almost squealed, “why didn’t you tell me?!” With that, a massive smile took over her features and she turned her gaze on her old friend again, the impulse to hug him causing her to rush forward and wrap her arms around him, somehow feeling like that alone would make him real.

She hadn’t seen Chris since leaving Arcana all those years ago, although they’d been pretty good friends. They just hadn’t kept in touch, truthfully, maybe because she’d, you know, gone to war and all, so she had only kept contact to her closest family. Thinking about it, their current lack of communication was probably her fault, but damn, was it good to see him again. “You look old,” she murmured playfully. She remembered teasing him about how much older than her he looked, despite the fact that she was actually the oldest of the two.

---

Drake almost chuckled at the blush coming onto Lulu’s cheeks, wondering in which direction her mind was taking her. Something told him it probably wasn’t entirely child-friendly, and the urge to tease her about it became nearly overwhelming. She was just so… susceptible, not that most women weren’t, but Lulu in particular could be very fun to play with, he realized. Why hadn’t he ever thought about that before? Well, if was definitely changing now. He wanted to see that red in her cheeks a lot more and he was going to strive to get it, because what Drake wanted, he procured for himself, and if there was one thing he could do, it was charm a woman out of her panties. But did he want to do that to Lulu? He mused it over. Why the hell did he ever give a shit? Normally he wouldn’t have given it a second thought, because it would be entertaining, but now he found himself wondering if she would be hurt when he left her after sleeping with her, considering if maybe he would be going too far. After all, she was a friend, one the few he actually had. Inwardly, Drake’s mind battled itself, but outwardly he maintained is usual, easy stance. It was something he’d taught himself to do quite well.

Soon, Lulu was rubbing her eyes as if trying to clear them, commenting on his slightly reprimanding words. A wry smile pulled at his lips, “ yes, that much it obvious,” he said teasingly. Yep, he was back. He wasn’t really worried anymore. She’d be fine, but… he still didn’t understand this odd need to help and take care of her. Shrugging it off, he guided the blonde on his arm out of the men’s toilets. When he noticed the three guys giving Lulu looks, he merely raised an eyebrow in their direction, as if saying, “got a problem? Take it up with me.” Drake might not be the violent type, or the kind of guy to go headfirst into trouble as such, but he wasn’t one you wanted to mess with, and his entire demeanor screamed as much when he wanted it to, which he did in this case. He relaxed a little once the guys scurried off; obviously deciding whatever they thought of Lulu wasn’t worth any actual trouble over. When Lulu spoke, Drake’s eyes found her once more and another sly smile came onto his face. “Showers, eh?” He teased, his eyes glinting with wicked thoughts. Then he just chuckled, shaking his head. “In your bathroom,” he then finally told her.

They both grew quiet then, Drake taking care to be entirely sure she wasn’t going to stumble and hit the floor with her nose while he could do anything to stop it. After all, the floors didn’t deserve that kind of violence, right? Oh, who am I kidding? He asked himself, inwardly sighing, I don’t actually want her to stumble. But again, that made him wonder why, because there was always at least slight entertainment in people falling over their own feet. And sure, he realized Lulu means something to him, but did that mean he had to go all protective super hero? Damn it, that really usually wasn’t his style. He’d begun growing irritated with himself when Lulu spoke again, and he completely disregarded earlier thought, a devious smirk curving his lips. “Help?” He murmured, his voice deep and seductive in itself as he looked down at her. “Could be arranged.” He deliberately let his eyes roam her body. How was he supposed to try and have morals when she kept tempting him like this? Women.

Her next words made him chuckle, wicked, dark brown eyes once more giving her body their undivided attention. He easily held on to her as she half stumbled, not even stopping in his track. He had a good hold on her, and she wouldn’t be hitting the floor. All she had to do was regain her balance, and as she did, her next words following, he grinned sinfully at her, his eyes intense, his entire demeanor completely in flirt-mode. Drake pulled them both to a stop only to skillfully turn them around and gently press her slight body up against the wall, both his arms winding around her waist now, so that his heat was completely enveloping her, even as his body trapped hers between it and the wall. He leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear as he murmured seductively, “now, what’s the fun in keeping our clothes on?” Of course, it wasn’t like Drake was actually going to have sex with her. Obviously, she wasn’t in a state capable of satisfying him properly anyways, but playing with her right now was extremely entertaining for some reason.

If he was going to fuck Lulu, it was going to be done right, and not in some stupid situation like this when she could barely walk by herself. Not that he was going to fuck her at all… right? Yep. Friend. He’d sort of told himself not to fuck the few people he considered friends, but in that case, he really needed to stop befriending hot girls who wanted him, because it was making his life damned complicated. Again, it wasn’t like Drake couldn’t resist and keep his dick in his pants, but he was starting to think he’d really rather not. Hell, maybe that was just because he hadn’t had sex in a while. What had it been? Two? Three? Weeks. Keeping your sex-life alive when he were rooming with Cor in some motel, proved to be harder than you’d think. Thinking about it, he felt pretty sure last time had been with Erin, because Cor actually left when it was her. He suspected it had something to do with the fact that Cor knew what kind of role Drake played in her best friend’s life.

Maybe he should exert some kind of revenge on his sister. Manipulation was a gift of his, and he could definitely use Jay in some way, but then… would using Jay be a bit too cruel? He and Cor didn’t really try to make each other miserable. Sure, they bickered like cat and dog, and they most definitely had a lot of differences, but they were still family and in some incredibly fucked up way, they did care about each other. Despite the fact that living with her had been hell. Good luck to Lauryn, was all he could say.

Morgan Janssen

Morgan's eyes opened as Panic! At The Disco's Intermission started to play on her iPod. The dance music woke her up and sharpened her senses. Voices came from another part of the forest. As she clambered to her feet, the one lyric of the song played in her ears.

Ladies and gentlemen, due to circumstances beyond our control, we are unable to continue our broadcast of dance music. We shall continue now with our piano interlude.

The piano almost put her back to sleep, so she slipped her iPod out of her pocket and skipped onto the next song.

She paints her fingers with a close precision...

She wasn't quite sure what to do next. Swimming seemed like a good idea, but she couldn't be assed to have to go up to her room and change. Gym also seemed like a good idea, but again, she wasn't really dressed appropriately. Lauryn and Alli would be hogging the dance studio. She grabbed her book from the ground and started to head back inside.

He starts to notice empty bottles of gin...

The grounds seemed to be infected with Noctrem. Already the day seemed... darker, even though the sun was shining as bright as ever. The lawn was littered with cigarette butts, and the stentch of tobacco hung in the air. Something needed to be done about the smoking. But nothing probably would be done, because the detention master also smoked. He wouldn't book anyone for smoking, especially not his very own students.

And takes a moment to assess the sins she’s paid for..

Mo appreciated the generosity that Mr Marinos had shown towards the Noctrem students. But she sometimes wondered if it had been a good idea. On a practical level, there was much more of a strain on resources. And they caused so much stress to the other students.

She was at the main entrance at this point, and headed upstairs to her room. Sliding her iPod from her pocket, she set it on it's docking station. Selecting Paramore's Hello Cold World, she pressed play and began to sing.

I feel happy, I feel sad
I feel like running through the walls...

Zac Barnes

The motion of strumming just felt natural. Once, he would have had to concentrate on the pattern, the chords and the timing. Now everything came together like it was completely natural. His fingers started to play Linkin Park's Leave Out All The Rest. It was a song he could kind of identify with. He could relate with wanting to leave only good memories behind and for everyone to forget the bad. But, of course, Zac could make that happen.

Suddenly a twig snapped behind Zac. His strumming hand stopped abruptly. His hand tightened on the neck of the guitar. He looked over his shoulder and grinned. He left his guitar on the ground and scrambled to his feet. "Ashy!" He said, hugging her. "How's my little prefect? I don't care what-" Zac frowned at her. She definitely wasn't happy. His mind whizzed back to the assembly. And he suddenly remembered why she was so upset. "Oh, yeah. You've got several of the Fearless Five in your house. Aw, sweetie, don't worry. You can get them in trouble and I'll make them forget. Or I've got a decent supply of cymbals." Even though I'm saving them for Sky. He hugged her again and went back to his guitar. "Come on. Music makes everyone feel better. Any requests?" His fingers tapped the frets, while the fingers holding his pick tapped it against the body of the guitar.

Ashy and him had bonded almost instantly. He was always the one who stood up for her. He was the one who she went to when she needed to talk. And she was the one who stood up for him. When he shouted and screamed at someone and they jeered him, she would defend him. She was clueless of the horrors that haunted him, but Zac liked it that way. Especially now with Cor and her cronies in Ashy's house. She didn't need to be worrying about what had happened when Zac was ten or twelve.

"Dad?" A twelve year old Zac came down stairs with a notebook clutched in his hand. Jon Barnes looked up at his son. He had a bloodied nose and was scared. "Not now, son." Zac looked at the clock. "But it's gone ten. I have to have this maths homework in first thing tomorrow." Suddenly a man burst in. He was as skinny as hell, but looked dangerous. "If you don't get out now, you won't ever hand in that homework." He warned, a sinister grin crossing his face. Zac turned and ran upstairs. But even from his room, he could hear the man beating his father.

"OW!" Zac's pick had snapped in his hand, splintering. "Shit, that hurt." He said, picking the shards from his various scratches. "Serves me right for using slim picks." He sincerely hoped that Ashy hadn't responded during his flashback as he rooted in his pocket for another pick. His hand was bleeding, but not that heavily. Picks didn't usually splinter, but that particular one had been cheap. Still, the blood might get all over his strings. So he found a tissue and wrapped it around his hand and smiled at Ashy. "Sorry. Guitarist problems."

Chris Russell

The awkwardness didn't lessen as Chris sat there. Students stared at him as they passed. Some seemed to vaguely recognise him. He ran his fingers through his hair nervously. It was starting to get long again. While it was now dark, where as it had been blonde when he had modelled, it still made him slightly more recognisable. He smiled with relief when he saw the Headmaster approaching. He stood, eager to get away. "Chris, so sorry I'm late. We had an assembly, and there were Houses discussed, and schedules were given out, and everything just dragged on a bit." Leo said apologetically. He was about to reply when he was attacked by the pretty brunette who had accompanied him. It suddenly dawned on Chris who she was as he awkwardly returned the hug. "Amy?" He said, stepping away to get a better look at her. His face broke into a grin and he gave her a proper hug. "You haven't changed one bit! How long are you here? How are you?" He asked, ecstatic. His mind was buzzing with a million questions, but those three were the first out of his mouth.

"You look old." She murmured. He grinned. "At least I can get into bars without ID." He joked. "But, seriously Amy, the amount of crap I have been through since I left Arcana is unbelieveable. That's probably why I look so old. And the hair doesn't help either." He grinned. He then remembered the headmaster. "Sorry, Leo. I'm sure you can remember us here at Arcana together. So, am I going to get a spy style briefing? Or will it be more like an assembly?" His smile never slid off of his face as he spoke.

Amy and Chris had been inseperable for their time together at Arcana. They had been in the same year, and had been in all of the same classes. They had teased each other mercilessly but had always been there for each other. There had never, ever been anything romantic between them. Well, Chris had a crush on her for the first three months of their first year together, but he had quickly gotten over that. She had comforted him after a nasty breakup in his final year.

His phone started playing. "Just for the record, the weather today, is slightly sarcastic with a good chance of A..." He snatched it out of his pocket. "Sorry. I thought it was turned off." He checked out the text. "Oh, God. It's from my brother, he's minding my house." He said, paling.

Any good looking single teachers? Male or female. ;)

His brother was the biggest bisexual flirt Chris knew. He felt like slapping him. "False alarm." He grinned uneasily at Leo and Amy.

Piss off.

Chris quickly sent off that text and turned off his phone. "Right, so. My mission." God, that was embarrassing.

Ben was pissed. Him? House Captain? Leo can go fuck himself. There was no way in hell that he would be able to do this. Ashy would be amazing at being a house captian, but with Cor in her house, Ben felt really sorry for her. People would listen to Drake, and Beth seemed completely fine with the fact. Only he was the fucked up one of the captains, of course his house was going to loose in everything. When he heard who was in his house, Ben was seriously not pleased. His best friend, Eriol wasn't there, but Eriol's girlfriend, Yvette, was. Ben pretty much hated her and it was mostly out of jelaousy. He thought that ever since she came into his buddy's life, Ben was second best. Maybe he'll use his new position to make her life hell. She wasn't fit for Eriol, no self confidence, what kind of person is like that? Eriol was going to get the best, if Ben had anything to say about it, maybe he could even sabatoge the relationship between Eriol and Yvette being the captain. On the other hand, there was no way in hell that he would be able to be responsible, hell he can't even get his own lazy ass to class let alone other people. Luckly, no one truely hated him, but niether were his good friend either.

When the assembly was over Ben rushed outside. Neither did he want to see his "house mates" nor did he want to be near people. Period. Quickly he rushed to his room, but it took him a while, after all his sense of direction isn't the best. Finally he got back to his room and opened the door with the key around his neck that Elijah had given to him earlier. On the floor next to the door, was his duffel bag, exactly were he left it. Although he did see a fairly large pakage on the empty side of the room, his side he assumed, amd thruth behold there on the mailing address was his name in his sister's cursive hand writing. Quickly he tore open the package and found a note. Inside it said,

Dear Benjamin,
I hope you are ajusting at Arcana. This is the place where I think you truly belong. I've sent you all the items that you've asked. I guess you we're pretty lucky that you were planning to visit and already sent your items beforehand. I've also brought your guitar. Tell me when I can bring up Lucifer, he misses you.
Lots of Love,
Cathleen, Jacob, and Mollie.

P.S. I've added a picture of Mollie since you haven't see her in a while and she's grown so big now.

Ben looked at the picture of his niece. Her little red riglets covered the four year old's head. She was grinning and the sun really brought out her freckles. Inside the box, was most of his things, minus a few things here and there that were lost in the fire. Next to the package was his guitar. Man how he missed her. This was what he needed right now, after hearing the terrible news at the assembly. Music was his therapy. Ben didn't even care to put his stuff away, all he did was grab his guitar and walk outside towards a clearing. There he saw Ashy and he was about to call out to her, but then he saw her with Zac. He didn't have a problem with him at all, but he was jelaous. Even though he knew that Ashy and Zac we're just good friends, but he couldn't help himself. He stated to walk away but the ripe leaves on the ground couldn't help but crunch. Ben just hoped that it wouldn't give him away. As much as he wanted to be with Ashy, there was always Zac. Ben wanted to go find a place to play his feelings out, like the teenage boy that he was.

(I know this is really really sort and I'm sorry for that. But, I've barely slept since the Game friday night and my brains sort of fried and I'm at a loss for inspiration. Again, sorry. I just wanted to get something up.)

Leo stood back as Amy lurched forward, throwing herself into Chris' arms in a tight embrace. He crossed his arms over his chest, allowing the two to rekindle an old friendship. In reality, the male was holding back - he wasn't too happy with the way that Amy had throw herself at the male like that, and he actually wanted to lean forward and pull her away from Chris, taking her back into his own arms, and holding her there for his own selfish keeping. He wanted to show Chris that Amy was his, that he wasn't allowed to hold her like that again, but of course, he couldn't. He couldn't show that he was in a relationship with another member of the faculty; not in front of someone who might challenge him in that department anyway.

Was this jealousy that he was feeling? If so, Leo didn't like it, and he never wanted to feel it again. Jealousy was a brand new feeling for the immortal male, something he had never felt before, as he had never allowed himself to grow as close to someone as he had with Amy. Leo stood there awkwardly as his girlfriend spoke with her old friend, feeling like a third wheel in that moment. The first moment that he had, Leo cleared his throat, loud enough to interrupt their conversation. Once he was sure that there was going to be no more words between the two of them, he stepped forward, nodding to the male.

"Maybe you should go and settle yourself into your new room, Chris. And, no phones on in school hours, please. It sends a bad message to the students." Leo's voice was hard, and authoritative, but only Amy would be able to realize why. "It's on the second floor, through the teacher's hall and room seven. Here's your key." He spoke, pulling out the silver key from his pocket, tossing it in the direction of the male. "On that note, I must steal Amy here for a moment, as we have to discuss some school matters. Please, excuse us."

---

Erin was pissed. No, more than pissed. She was angry. Her blood was boiling underneath her skin, and she was beginning to shake with rage. How dare Keirol act like that around her? How dare he not acknowledge her, as if she wasn't even there. He hadn't wrapped his arms around her, the way that she had with him, or spoken to her since he had entered the room. So, she had stormed out of the room. If he had wanted to follow her, he could have, but there was no sign of him now. She was stalking through the hallways of the school, wondering what the hell she was supposed to do now. She had ignored the calls of assembly, not arriving to the event, due to the fact that she probably would have killed someone if she had had to sit there, listening to the irritating voice of Leonardo Marinos.

The girl could barely breath, as she made her way through the winding hallways of the school, not caring who she barged into, or what she moved out of the way. All she knew was that she had to get out of the confinements of the school, to escape into the forest that held her calming place, her tranquil hill where she would sit when she was feeling like this. Erin didn't see who she was walking into, her eyes were clouded with that horrible haze of red that began to take her over before she turned completely feral.

She did however, notice one of the people that she pushed past. His scent was intoxicating, his voice deep and sensual, almost calming in itself as she pushed past him. However, Drake was busy, and had a girl in his arms. She had briefly registered the girl to be Lulu, the one girl who were actually wriggling her way into the depths of Drake's heart, a girl that she hated to the core. Drake was the only person who was able to calm her down properly when she was in this sort of mood, when all she could see was red. But right now, she just wanted to escape. Escape to that one place where she knew she couldn't hurt anyone, and instead could exact her rage on the nature around her.

Quickly, Erin made her way out of the school, and expertly navigated her way throughout the forest. She was trying to push all thoughts of Keirol out of her mind, trying to ignore all of the anger that was coursing through her body, but to no prevail. She couldn't believe how angry the guy had made her, how close she was to hurting him at the moment in time. It was scaring her, feeling like this, which was why she was running away. Running away to her quiet spot, where she could calm down without harming anyone.

Amy was a little confused at first, having hugged Chris. He seemed unsure of what to do. She frowned, drawing back to look up at him, bemused expression in place. He stepped back simultaneously, finally having said her name and she blinked up at him, waiting for everything to sink in on his side of things as well. As her old friend looked her over, she wondered briefly if maybe he blamed her for not taking to him at all after leaving Arcana, but the doubt fled as soon as he grinned and swept her into another hug. She couldn’t help the small giggle escaping her lips. She was just so happy to see him; it felt incredible, because just as she did, she realized how much she’d really missed him. How much he’d been missing in her life, and how amazing it could be now that he was back in it. She’d missed their friendship. “Haven’t changed one bit?” She teased, grinning, “now, I know that’s a lie.” Then she shook her head, still smiling brightly up at him. “As for how long I’m here, I don’t have an expiration date, so I’m thinking for as long as it makes me happy.” With that, she dared a glance at Leo, not able to keep her eyes off of him.

However, that short glance also meant she noticed the way he was practically glaring at Chris. What was up with that? He’d been perfectly polite and friendly minutes earlier. She shook out of it, smiling at Chris. “How about you? Oh, and I’m fine.” She laughed softly, “in fact, I’m great.” She squeezed him once more, resting her head against his shoulder briefly while she murmured her observation about his appearances. Then she let go of him, just having realized why Leo would be looking more or less murderous just then. He didn’t like her hugging Chris? Leo was jealous? Why? He didn’t glower at Vince when she hugged him, so how was Chris any different? She did feel her stomach fluttering a little in excitement, though, some unknown part of her loving his possessiveness. So… male. And so hers. Thinking about it, maybe she was slightly happy that Leo didn’t get close to other women. That meant there was no reason for her to be jealous, because she imagined she’d be just as bad as Leo.

When Chris replied to her comment, she laughed. “Yeah, with a pensioner discount too.” She bit back, teasing glint in her eyes. She’d deal with Leo and his issues later. Because they were completely unfounded and she did not like it… at all. Nope, not one bit. Okay, maybe it was a little hot. But then, lately it seemed she found everything about him hot. Lately? Year right. More like always. She cocked her head slightly when he told her he’d been through a lot, wondering what he was talking about. She smiled up at him. “We’ll catch up soon, okay? And you can tell me all about everything.” She turned slightly to look at Leo when Chris spoke to him, and when the man didn’t reply, Amy shook her head, sending Chris a soft smile. “I’ll help you out with the information bit later, honey. And the-“ She was interrupted when sound emanated from Chris’ phone, and gathered her hands in front of her, only nodding slightly when he made comments. Leo was going to be a pain to deal with, she could tell, so Chris accidentally breaking the rules, was going to be a slight issue. Oh, if he was going to take out that jealousy on Chris, he was getting a piece of her mind.

Once Chris has finished texting, Amy was about to say something when Leo interrupted and she inwardly sighed, already knowing this was not going to be a very friendly conversation anymore. And she was right. As Leo spoke, a very clear dismissal of Chris, Amy almost wanted to scowl right back at him, for his tone, and for his treatment of Chris in all. Way to make the new teacher feel welcome. She turned fully towards him, the look in her eyes clearly saying, “really, Leo? Really?” She crossed her arms over her middle, raising an eyebrow when Leo more or less ordered her to go with him. There was no question in it whatsoever, and it hadn’t even been directed at her. He was going to order her around now? She took a deep breath, calming herself so that Chris wouldn’t notice her irritation. Fortunately she had her back to him, which made things easier. She would apologize to him on behalf of Leo later, or make the proud Spartan do it himself. Just earlier they’d had a discussion, and now they were going to again? Amy sighed, rubbing her right temple with a couple of fingers before shaking her head. “Right, medicine,” she finally murmured, playing along.

She glanced behind her at Chris, giving him a soft, warm smile. “I’ll see you later, okay? I’ll come by your quarters.” Then, without another word, Amy took the lead, headed towards Leo’s office. It was among the few places that were sound proof and she felt like screaming at him tonight. Then she’d probably give over her body while taking his, because god help her, she was just as turned on as she was infuriated. Which only served to agitate her further. Why did she find his jealousy to damned arousing? She was only supposed to be angry with him at his way of handling it, not want to throw herself at him all the while. Infuriating man, she thought to herself as the sound of her heels echoed around the halls.

Ashy smiled at Zac as he talked about bleeding to death 'Oh stop being so melodramatic' She told the male, rolling her eyes and swatting his arm, 'you'll be fine the cuts not that deep.' She chuckled, looking down at the males finger. She did care about Zac, a lot, but she saw the male more as a brother than anything else. Zac was one of her oldest friends, in fact the first time they'd met had been on the very first day of Arcana. Ashy had been scared to death and he'd come bounding up to her, all charm and smiles, and introduced himself to her. There friendship had stayed pretty much solid ever since.

She rolled her eyes again when Zac told her owed a memory wipe. 'You don't owe me anything, stupid. Besides, you know i'm not a fan of your.....jiggery pokery.' She said, gesturing at Zac's head and general torso area. The blonde had no problem with anybody's powers in general, she just didn't like any of them really being used on her, although she knew it was more than likely that people like Jack, who could control emotions, had used his power on her at the odd party or two, to make her a bit more....fun? That man was like her own personal alochol, Ashy decided with a small smile.

Ashy gave a small giggle when Zac told her the song could be appropriate to the situation that she was currently facing. 'I don't want them dead Zac,' She chuckled, 'I just want them to disappear for a while....' She said looking down at hands which were now placed in her lap. The fear that had washed over the young blonde when she had been she was going to be 'in charge' of Cor and her chums was still there, but she was a lot more clear headed about the situation now, she didn't know whether it was being outside or with Zac but she knew exactly what she had to do. She was going to give it a try because, it was, for all intents and purposes, a great opportunity. Although she didn't really agree with the way Mr Marino's had picked the captains, she was a great believer in fate. Maybe the oppurtunity would do her some good. Besides, Arcana had become her home and she had come to trust the staff here. She was sure if she had that bad a problem, she could go and talk to one of them.

Suddenly, Ashy heard a crackling of leaves behind her. She spun round quickly to see the retreating back of another figure she recognised. Ben. Now Ben was an entirely story that made no sense whatsoever. He was from Noctrem, so the blonde had only him for little over a month. Yet, she felt like she'd knew him years. They had clicked almost instantly and there was just this... spark between them that neither of them had ever talked about but both knew existed, but why? Ashy supposed they were both to scared to ruin what they already had.

The sound of the long grass being moved draw Ashy's attention away from the confusing mess that was Ben to a girl that was striding purposely across the forest. Ashy recognised as Erin, one of the girls from her house. She looked pissed, Ashy decided now was not the best time to introduced herself as house captain.

'Jesus christ, it's like Piccadilly Cirus round here, wait here.' She told Zac, following in the direction of the retreating Ben. When she got closer, she called out the boy's name, when he didn't respond, she put herself into a jog and stopped herself her infront of him.

'Hey, what's up, huh?' She asking the Auburn headed male, placing a reassuring hand on his arm, concern etching her face.