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Zac Barnes

Nope, that never happened. Even though you remember it like it did.

0 · 856 views · located in Arcana Academy, California

a character in “The Arcana Academy”, originally authored by partially-stars, as played by RolePlayGateway

Description

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Full Name: Zac Matthew Barnes
Nicknames: Zacky, Zee
Age: 17
Birthdate: 30/5/95
Home Town: Born and Raised in the Golden City, otherwise known as San Francisco.
Sexuality: Hetrosexual, but openminded.

School: Arcana
Power: I can change, add and remove someone's memories. But if someone really, really wants to remember something or if it's a memory that shapes someone, I can't do anything to it. I unfortunately can't do anything to my own...
Likes: ~Playing Drums ~Playing Guitar ~Listening to Music ~Debating ~Joking ~Reading
Dislikes: ~Assholes ~Bitches ~Rap ~Country and Western ~Music without a meaning ~Mob Movies ~Horror Movies
Fears: Losing control of my mind and forgetting who I am.

Personality: At first, I appear to be the perfect student. I love to debate. I actually give a crap about my work. But when you get to know me, my other side becomes clear. You realise it's me doing it when the teacher forgets or thinks a deadline is a different day. I play drums and guitar mainly just to entertain myself, but I usually give the ol' drum kit a smash when I'm frustrated or angry. Which is more often than you would think. I try to forget my past and live in the present.

I suffer from pretty extreme mood swings due to my past. I was held captive once, had guns pointed at my head and been threatened God knows how many times. So sometimes, I can freak out. One little word can send me straight into a rage, where I shout and scream at you for no reason. It can cause me to freeze and close up just as easily. But the rage is much more easily triggered. It only lasts a few minutes, but during that time I tend to run out of the room and smash the hell out of my drums. I then usually return with my tail between my legs. It's extremely embarrassing if it happens in class. But if I do freak out in class, the teachers will usually understand if I don't come back and give Mo my work.

History: I was born right here in San Francisco. My mom left my dad when I was four. That's the only part of my history I have successfully forgotten. All I can remember is a lot of crying. I didn't understand because I was only four. My dad got fired from his job and turned to drugs to earn money. I was completely oblivious until I was ten. I thought he was a courier. He was, but not of the kind I thought.

When I was ten, I came down stairs one night to find my dad dealing. I didn't know what he was doing, but I knew it was bad. He sat me down the next day and told me exactly what he was doing, and why he was doing it. I stayed awake at night, worrying. I went to school the next day and fell asleep in class. I began to get bullied. My dad kept dealing. He tried to earn enough money to pull himself out, but he couldn't. Every time he tried to stop, someone would threaten him, and he had to keep dealing. It was a vicious circle, one I told myself I would never get pulled into.

When I was twelve, I made him forget that I needed to go to school. I was beginning to slip into depression,and couldn't face going to school any more. So I was allowed stay at home. Well, I wasn't allowed as such. But you get the point. I didn't want to burden him with the fact I could do this. So I done some research into people with powers like mine, and I discovered Arcana. I couldn't go for another few years, so I had plenty of time to figure out how I was going to tell my dad.

When I was fourteen, I saw him shot. A deal had went wrong, and the police had burst into the house. The guy he was dealing with grabbed him and put a gun to his head. The police officer pulled his trigger, and that's when the guy pulled his. I was sent to an emergency foster home. I contacted Arcana and asked to be enrolled. I was finally old enough, so I was accepted. I go back to the foster home every summer. My mom disappeared off the radar a few years ago. The police think she got in trouble with gangs. The foster home hasn't a clue about my power. I told them once, but they freaked. So I made them forget again.

Anything else? I'm determined never to stray to the dark side. I will not be swayed by any of the Noctrem students.

So begins...

Zac Barnes's Story

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Lulu Allen Character Portrait: Corentine Storm Quellen Character Portrait: Skylar Fiammetta Byrnes Character Portrait: Erin Hawthorne Character Portrait: Jackson Murphy Character Portrait: Drake Mauri Quellen
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This wasn't fun; this was torture. Not for the first time in her life, Ashleigh Fox felt like a puppet. She had no life, no soul, no emotions other than the ones that Drake Quellen was putting into her. He was pulling all the strings, controlling the conversation. The worst part for the blonde was that he knew his position all that well. She could tell by his smile that he was satisfied with the state he had her in. Dammit, why was she still here? The other side of the room was a much safer place. There were people that weren't trying to... she couldn't exactly explain what it was Drake was doing to her, all she knew that she didn't want to leave... but she didn't want to stay either.

Sky had earlier suggested that the pair dance. Dance?! Was this man serious?! Sky was all about taking risks, the blonde had deduced that much when she had met him, but that suggestion was just damm right stupid. Sure, she could dance and she was good at it. In fact, Dancing was the only thing Ashy actually had confidence at... helped by the teachers here. She had often been admired by Ms martin for her creative style of dancing and she had to admit, she was pretty damm good at it. However, two trains of thoughts crossed the blondes mind. The first; dancing now, with the hot male, was just going to make her look like a fool. Secondly, dancing with Drake in front of the rest of his fan club was boarding on a death sentence.

'Old habits die..' Her sentence was cut short by the disturbance at the end of the bar between Zac and Mo. For a few seconds, the blonde looked over Drakes shoulder to observe the scene. Mo was... different. It looked like she was drunk, which didn't make sense. Ashy knew that her friend rarely had any sort of alcohol, if at all... Odd. Mo had obviously said something to rile Zack up, because he shouted at her for a while, before stalking off out of the tent. '...hard' She finished her sentence to Drake, with a small sigh. It had been a long time since Zack had got angry and even though she knew she wouldn't be much of a match for him, the blonde decided she needed to see him.

She was about to make her excuses and leave Drake, setting herself free but the pair where then joined by.... an extremely drunk Erin. Knowing that she was close to Cor, Ashy looked round instinctively for any sign of the Ice queen. She was still talking to a man she didn't recognize. However, the blonde knew that if she was friends with cor, she soon would. Turning back to the situation in hand, Ashy found herself being presented a with a bottle of whiskey by the rather drunk woman in front of her. She gave a small smile at the girl; she wouldn't drink it, everyone in the situation knew it, well apparently not Erin. Then, her puppet master spoke, telling her that she should drink it otherwise Erin would get worse. Bastard. Ashy was a caring person, almost to extremes... She clutched the bottle closer to her. She did agree with Drake that the blonde shouldn't have anymore. Erin was also trying to... protect her? This concept was also extremely strange to the blonde. They'd barely spoken.

What happened next truely stunned the pure blonde. Drake, this guy who had so far been...well a player, turned nasty. Ashy watched in horror as he just grabbed a chunk of Erin's hair and spoke to her like... he owned her. What the hell was this man?!

She held onto Erin to keep her steady as the blonde walked towards her, and told her all about Drake. Even though the woman leaning into her was totally ruined, Somehow Ashy knew she was speaking the truth. 'Help me' She whispered. Why turn to this girl? They had barely spoken....but at that moment.. Ashy has never felt more scared. She watched as the blonde walked away to sit alone. Ashy thought of going to sit with her, to make sure she was alright. But first, the blonde needed to...confront? No she'd lose that argument... Question Drake. 'What the hell did you just do?!' Ashy asked, the shock from the past from moments coming through in her voice.

He's going to kill me.


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Jess been at the party for a while now. She had entered the party with Mo. who had then warned her not to get too drunk. She gave a small smile before retorting 'I'm a Noctrem student, we get drunk on a regular basis.' As her room mate walked away, the brunette had taken a while to survey the scene around her.

The party beautifully set out; Jack had done well. Of course he had, he was Irish, they always knew how to have a good time. St Patrick's Day was evidence enough of that. There was enough food on the tables to feed an army and, the idea of the bar insinuated that there was enough drink at the bar to get them all suitability merry. Maybe a little more than that for some. Jess smiled wryly, surveying the scene of people she vaguely knew. Drake was with Ashy. Poor girl, so naive, so sweet. He was just a bastard and everyone with a brain knew it. Further up the bar there was Cor standing with Mr Henderson; the man with the oxymoronic job in the world, considering how... detached he was and yet, he seemed to be having a quite intriguing conversation with Cor. Fitting really, the two were perfect for each other.

As the brunette looked further along the bar, she spotted her room mate again, this time with Zack. She saw the male get angry at Mo, who didn't seem quite right..Jessica watched the male stormed out of the tent, for a moment she was torn. She knew how angry Zack got and she wanted to make sure the poor boy didn't get hurt as he had done several times before, but she was also ever so aware of her room mates position. Thankfully, Ali had taken Mo under wing and the brunette decided that the situation didn't needed addressing anymore.

As the brunette went and ordered a Vodka and Lemonade from the bar, her first drink of the night, she reflected on her day. First, she'd been left by a woman that claimed to be her best friend, then she'd been completely bewitched by the sexy Irishman that was Jackson Murphy and finally she'd had Mo crawl in her mind and shown her some frankfully distressing images that the brunette was sure, if she was sober by the end of the night, she'd probably have nightmares about. Yup. she needed this drink. It was vital.

Then a sight caught Jess's eye; Killian Jackson sitting on his own. This a strange situation, not that in the sense that he was alone, but in the sense that Jay was nowhere to seen. Jess was baffled by this; Killian had changed so much in recent times, now he was alone? The brunette was curious. Grabbing her drink from the bar, she made her way over to the man with the cheeky grin. As she did so, she spotted Jackson by the buffet, with Lulu who looked... unlike herself. Not that it didn't suit her, of course, it just wasn't what the world normally saw of the blonde girl. She then cast on eyes on Jackson, who was looking incredibly smart tonight, she gave a small wave of greeting, giving a small smile as she remembering their flirting session earlier.

'Mr Jackson, you intrigue me' She told Killian, pulling up a chair and sitting next to him as she finally reached the table, 'You're sitting here, completely alone, why?' She added, in way of explanation.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Lulu Allen Character Portrait: Corentine Storm Quellen Character Portrait: Erin Hawthorne Character Portrait: Leonardo Marinos Character Portrait: Jackson Murphy Character Portrait: Drake Mauri Quellen
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#, as written by Mela
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Rebecca’s day had been a tad too weird for her liking. Generally all this moving around and insecurity was getting to her, nerves standing on end. She didn’t like it. The assembly earlier had been informal, and a tad worrying as well. As a woman who had been enrolled at first Arcana, then Noctrem, Rebecca had decent knowledge of the school differences, and she could just tell that this whole roommates-mess would be going south way too soon. Leo would’ve been better off changing them, but she supposed time was an issue too. She sighed, steadying the human sized punching ball she had been taking her frustrations out on, hugging it calmly. She’d gone down to the gym after the pop music from the student party going on had come to give her a headache. She wasn’t in a bad mood per se, but she was rather distracted and maybe a tad too pensive. She wasn’t the most social of people so instead of seeking out company, the female teacher had found her way down to her new favorite companion; the punching bag situated in the school gym. The only time she’d really ever find people to be around was Friday evenings.

Why Fridays? Well, those were the days Donny would leave her at her aunt’s to stay the night. Said aunt would always be passed out on the couch, and since she had been old enough to stop herself from being lonely on Fridays, she always had. Just one of the many twitches her brain did due to her past. She watched the red punching bag for a little while, before taking a few steps back, her body falling into that familiar stance; feet positioned about shoulder-width apart, left foot in front of the other, and her hands up near the sides of her face. Then, movements quick and practiced, Rebecca began a series; jab cross, stomp kick, jab cross, roundhouse kick, spinning back kick, jab cross… and so forth. The blonde kept right on going, her ponytail swinging wildly with every move. The teacher’s outfit was starting to absorb the sweat caused by her kickboxing moves and she had already removed the jacket. It wasn’t even a complicated series, but Rebecca recognized that she was a bit out of practice.

That was the thing with kickboxing; it wasn’t something you just did. You had to keep in perfect shape to keep up, and during their stay in the motel, Rebecca’s options had been rather limited. She had taken a run every morning, but she hadn’t been able to get near a decent punching bag, and she small ones boxers usually used would not do for kickboxing. Getting back at it felt amazing. Finally, after another ten minutes of constant jabs and kicks, the blonde, breathing heavily now, stopped, steadying the bag once more, a satisfied grin on her face, her body shining with sweat. “That’ll have to do for tonight,” she mused aloud, patting the punching bag before moving to pick up her jacket and sports bag. Then she padded into the dressing room, quickly washing herself down before throwing on her bikini. She put her hair back up in its ponytail, picked up her things and made her way down to the indoor swimming pool; the one intended for academic usage. Mostly because that was the better one when it came to actual swimming instead of playing around.

Rebecca dropped her things by one of the chairs before taking a swan dive into the pool, her body soon moving in its usual swimming pattern, switching between butterfly, crawl, and backstroke. By now she was so used to her preferred form of exercise that her body had begun remembering the movements by itself, which meant her brain was completely relaxed as her legs and arms brought her back and forth between each far end of the pool. In the morning she figured her mind might finally be ready to do some actual work. Which would be an advantage considering the party going on. If she knew her students, and she did, she was going to have a lot of managing to do. Steven wasn’t going to be happy with her sending so many students his way, but hey, he could take that up with Leo or at least someone who actually cared.




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Drake merely took a sip of his whiskey before nodding slightly, his eyes capturing hers, when Ashy began talking, almost starting to lecture her. He didn’t say anything, but really he thought it amusing that the girl considering him and Erin more than friends. They were less than friends. That was the thing. She was a chick he fucked. Why did everyone think that meant he considered the girl a friend? Was that how it worked for everyone, because it didn’t seem that way to Drake. Then again, some were probably lying about the “friends” part. Hell, a lot of people did folks they didn’t even know. Was it then so wrong of him to fuck a girl he knew, but didn’t necessarily care about? Drake didn’t personally think so, but then again, his morality was oftentimes a tad fucked up. Anyway, Ashy trailed of easily enough, the outrage ebbing from her pretty eyes. Ah, sweet success. Sometimes people were a bit too predictable though. Especially little wallflowers like Ashleigh Fox. So easily manipulated by people who had even the slightest idea of what to do. This was child’s play to the male.

Slowly the look in her eyes changed, however, into something Drake recognized quite well. He couldn’t stop a seductive smirk from playing at his lips in response. So when Ashy asked him what he was doing to her, Drake chuckled easily, watching the familiar blush creep across her face. “Well,” he began, voice a seductive, dark purr, “that depends what you’re thinking of.” With that, he let his eyes do a tour of her body, just for effect, his smile growing once he reached her eyes again. At this point, the blonde dropped her gaze and Drake took the time to take a sip of his whiskey, feeling it glide its way down like silk. When the blonde looked back up, Drake smiled wryly. It was just too funny. She was going to check on Erin was she? Because Erin was her responsibility? That was bloody hilarious. “Well, you do need it,” Drake teased when Ashy asked him to wish her luck on handling his sister and Erin, especially if the two were going to be at odds now. Suddenly Drake felt happy to be in a different House.

Drake’s eyes had turned to watching the scene between Lulu and Jackson when he felt someone take his drink from his hand. Eyebrows raised, he turned his gaze to the thief; Ashy. Who… was actually taking a sip, probably mostly as a demonstrative gesture, because she sure didn’t look like she was enjoying it… considering the minimal sip she had taken. So when she commented, he laughed. He had to say the move surprised him a little, which only made it funnier. Of course on top of the fact that she looked like a stubborn child trying to take a stand with a parent because she wasn’t getting her way and wanted to be more “grown up”. “If that’s your point,” he countered easily, teasing her again, “you should probably drink the whole thing.” She quickly made her excuses after that and hurried away from him, more or less running off. He laughed again, not able to help himself. It was simply too precious. He watched her walk for a little bit before remembering Lulu and Jackson. The two had seemed quite tense for a bit there. Lulu looking uncomfortable, Jackson looking miserable. Now Lulu was leaving McKenna.

What the hell? Was everyone going to be miserable messes today? His sister, Erin, Jackson and Lulu, and he’d briefly noted Zac storming off, leaving a very drunk Mo. Well, Max was managing his sister, apparently, Ashy was going to try and deal with Erin, he could tell Alli was with Mo, but that was it. Jackson was off to himself and probably wanted to stay that way right now, and Lulu… well… he let his dark eyes follow her, and quickly gathered she was heading upstairs… with both Jack D and his rum. Someone wanted to get pissed, huh? She wasn’t getting drunk alone, he soon decided. He actually wanted her company back, and he was growing curious as to what had just happened. The male took his time drinking the rest of his whiskey, also giving Lulu the time to calm herself down a bit. Once he finished his drink a while later, Drake put a bit of money on the counter; tips for the bartender, but kept the glass as he followed Lulu’s path to the living quarters. He was counting on her being in her own room, which… probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do when you were drunk, considering how the place had splinters everywhere.

As he made his way to Lulu and Alli’s room, he thought things over. What did he even want with Lulu? With a bit of alcohol comfortably coursing through his blood, he felt his mind clearing somewhat. He knew he wanted Lulu’s company, he knew he wanted to treat her well make sure she didn’t get herself hurt. He also knew that he wanted to kiss her. Badly. Concluding on this, he gathered he was probably pretty into the girl. They were strange emotions that he wasn’t used to, but part of him liked the way it made him feel when he was with Lulu. He ran a hand through his hair just as he turned a corner, making Lulu visible. What was she doing on the floor outside her room? As he got closer yet, his pace picking up, he noticed her crying and surprisingly… it sent a stabbing jolt through his heart. Though that feeling too, was new, Drake knew what it meant; seeing Lulu like this wasn’t something he ever wanted to again. She had his rum practically glued to her lips too.

Instead of saying something though, Drake gently pried the alcohol from her hands when he reached her. He put the bottle and his glass down a little bit away from them and squatted down in front of her before he moved his hands up to brush the blonde hair out of her now moist face. “Lulu, what the hell are you doing?” He asked her, worry shining in his voice, his dark eyes taking on a considerable glint of concern too. He didn’t even care to cover it up; he just wanted the girl in front of him to feel better. Seeing her like this was also hurting him. He had no idea how to deal with any of this, but he was all she had right now, so he’d try. He was a piss poor excuse for a comfort, though, that much he knew, but maybe Lulu’s feeling for him would at least help him a little here. He moved both his thumbs up to wipe away her tears, looking into her eyes. “What happened?” The whole thing was disconcerting, because he had literally never cared when he had seen others crying. Never. Suddenly, just because it was Lulu, his heart was supposed to hurt with every beat?

If this was all there was to caring, why would anyone want it? Were people really slaves to their emotions this way?

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Katia Hunt Character Portrait: Christopher Russell Character Portrait: Zac Barnes Character Portrait: Emmeline Pearce
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Chris's feet suddenly began moving of their own accord. His grin momentarily slipped as he thought he was having some sort of seizure; but he soon realized that it was Katia's power and his grin appeared once again. "Wow. This really is something, isn't it?" He could feel the little part of his brain that contained his power kicking in. Despite not watching it happening, his brain was taking it all in. He looked at Katia and winked. "Looks like you'll only have to show me this once."

His feet quickly learned the simple repetitions and they simply moved of their own accord. He looked around and grinned as he noticed the amount of people watching. He leaned in and whispered into Katia's ear, "We're certainly getting a lot of attention."

He was perfectly aware that a lot of the looks they were getting were jealous looks. And he didn't care. Many of the students wanted to be dancers, and he had a brilliant partner. And there was probably a few jealous looks from guys, because, well, to be frank, Katia was hot. He was very aware of that, and he was more than a little smug about that. He knew he would be jealous if it was some other guy getting to do the tango with her.

Chris felt they were perfectly paired. The moves just felt so natural, despite the occasional alteration from Katia. As his body learnt the movements, he felt Katia having to control him less and less. And the more they danced, the more people watched. "They can learn a lot from us." He said, grinning. "Assuming they're not too drunk.”

They had the dance floor almost to themselves as people moved away to watch them dance. Chris grinned at all who watched, as if to say, "This is how you do it, my friends." He would have said it, but nobody except Katia could have heard him. As they finished, Chris couldn't help letting go of Katia's hand and cart wheeling across the dance floor. He then ran back over to Katia and took a bow. "We really should dance together more often." He said, laughing as he got caught up in the applause.

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Zac wiped his face as the tears streamed down. The music from the party was still pounding, and he thought he could hear applause. He clenched his hands and curled up tightly in a ball, trying to calm himself down. He didn't know why he was so afraid, or why he was so angry, or why he was crying. His heart was pounding, and he wanted to just... run somewhere where everything would be okay and where all the bad things would just leave him alone.

Running. They were chasing him, and now he could hear dogs barking. He wasn't looking where he was going, and he tripped and fell. He scrambled to his feet and continued to run, turning a corner. He skidded and almost ended up in the road. He was sure someone would notice a scrawny fourteen year old sprinting down the street being chased. But nobody did. They just looked the other way and pretended not to notice. Zac skidded down an avenue, hoping they wouldn't notice. He ducked behind a crate and tried to breathe quietly. But they found him.

The leader dragged him out and threw him to the ground. "You ruined my favourite shirt. Are you gonna pay for dry cleaning?" He kicked Zac in the stomach when he didn't reply. "ARE YOU?!" He yelled at the younger boy on the ground. Zac was shaking. "I can't afford to..." He muttered quietly. The leader kicked him again. "That's not my problem, is it? It's your own fault for getting put into care. But it's okay. I'll find a way to make you pay." Zac's fists balled up. He attempted to stand up, but the gang kicked him down. He caught one of them and dragged him to the ground and used him to propel himself up. He sprinted away, leaving the others in shock. However, they quickly recovered and followed him. When they caught him, they certainly made him pay.


Zac blinked and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. However, another flashback shocked him once again.

The smell of hospitals. Zac was sitting on a hard couch, drinking a glass of orange juice and eating a bar of chocolate. A doctor came in and sat beside him. "Listen to me, Zac." Zac's head shot up. "It's about my dad, isn't it? It's bad news, I know it." He hung his head in his hands. The doctor stared at the glass on the table. "I won't lie to you, Zac. We tried our best, but your dad bled out in surgery." Zac looked up at him. The doctor's eyes didn't move from the glass. "We couldn't contact your mother. We're going to have to send you to an emergency care home. It's a nice one, don't worry about it." Zac felt his rage begin to build. "You're telling me that it's nice after you've told me my father has died? I don't care what it's freaking like! I don't want to go, full stop!" He ran out of the room and found the bathrooms. He locked himself in and collapsed on the floor. The tears began to flow as the realization of what had occurred set in.

Zac curled up on the hard forest ground. It had suddenly set in exactly how alone he was. His mother had forgotten him, his dad was dead... He had nothing left. Nothing. He curled up in a tight ball and sobbed. He felt a hand on his shoulder but shrugged it off. "Go away. Just leave me alone. You can't do anything to help." He said, his voice thick with tears.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Erin Hawthorne Character Portrait: Drake Mauri Quellen Character Portrait: Zac Barnes Character Portrait: Ashleigh Fox
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A small smile crossed Ashleigh Fox's face when she saw Erin take a sip of the orange juice that she had just placed at the blonde's feet. At least things could only get more sober from now on. Ashy had an aversion to alcohol. She never stopped people drinking it; she had just choosen a while back that she wouldn't touch it. In her experience, alcohol only lead to bad things. The blonde mess that was sitting beside her for example. This was standard form of practice at parties for Ashy; looking after the drunkards when they couldn't look after themselves. It had often been a running joke between Zac, Mo and herself that sobering people up was the reason she had her power. To her friends credit, however, it only ever been Zac that had needed sobering up and that had only ever been once or twice in the several years the two of them had been attending Arcana. Ashy's thoughts wondered to her best friend. Where was he? He had seemed angry earlier.. She knew that he didn't like many people, espiecally her, seeing him like that. However, instead of protecting her, he was actually causing the blonde more distress. She was so worried about him.

To distract herself, Ashy turned back to Erin. She had been talking Drake, describing everything that she had felt when she was around that man. Erin felt it to. The words hit the innocent girl like a train. Just maybe, Erin could help her get out of this cycle of feeling completely helpless? Ashy sighed. That hope was false. If he made a girl as physically and, usually, emontionally strong as Erin feel this way, then what hope was there of either of them getting out Drake Quellen's clutchs.

There was a brief silence whilst Ashy choose her words, careful not to upset the blonde sitting beside her too much. Truth be told, Ashy was still a little afraid, but she wasn't willing to let this show. ' Erin,' She began, looking straight into the blonde's drunken eyes, 'you deserve so much better than him,' She said quietly,' You might not think that's true but I do. You see, the thing about being someone like me, you're able to sit and watch people. You can see who they really are.' She gave Erin a small smile. great now she's going to think you're a creepy A voice in her head said. Ashy looked back in her lap. She had made a fool of herself, she knew it. Now Erin was going to laugh at her for what she had said, well she may as well get her whole point across before the ridicule started. 'I guess what i'm trying to say is, if he want's to flaunt around with other women and can't see how you feel about him, then he doesn't need your time or attention.' This last statement made Ashy even nervous. She'd actually just advised Erin to walk away from Drake, why had she done that? Life was definitely going to go downhill from now onwards.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Lulu Allen Character Portrait: Corentine Storm Quellen Character Portrait: Skylar Fiammetta Byrnes Character Portrait: Erin Hawthorne Character Portrait: Leonardo Marinos Character Portrait: Jackson Murphy
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A correlation was slowly forming in Jessica's head; the longer she spoke to Jackson, the more relaxed he seemed to be becoming. It was clear that he was using their conversation to distract himself from.. something. Whatever had caused him to walk away from Lulu and Mckenna and then walk away from her. Unlike the other two girls though, Jessica hadn't left him alone. This struck her as odd, she barely spoken to Jackson before today and now she was carrying him home. He was drunk, she reasoned, he needed the company to stop himself hurting himself. That had to be the reason... right?

The brunette gave Jack a look when he made reference to the fact she had gotten smaller, 'I'm fun sized, don't you forget it' She told the Irishman, pointing a mocking finger in his face, 'besides, I could take you on any day.' She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, before bursting out into fits of giggles. The alcohol she had cosumed tonight had definitely taken it's toll on her. She was never this confrontational, at least not in a crazy-cat-lady way. She'd never hurt anyone, least of all the beautiful Irish man walking besides her. Jessica's laughter escalated when Jackson tried to justify him being able to walk home alone with the idea that he was Irish, ' Honey. there's a reason brands have to write Ireland in brackets after their logos, to remind you what country you're in.' She smiled up at Jack. He was extremely handsome, she couldn't deny that and he had such beautiful eyes; wise eyes.

When Jack thanked her for walking with him, Jessica tore her eyes from his face and smiled, 'That's quite alright, I was going to go soon anyway. Everyone seems to have left or be leaving. Doesn't surprise me really, there's far too many slut and man whores in this place and i'm just talking about the Noctrem people.' She gave a small smile as she spoke. Jessica had never really counted herself as a Noctrem student, she had never really fitted into that crowd. Then again, with her past, she knew that Mr Marino's would never have accepted her. The brunette's face fell slightly as she remembered the scene; a man attacking her and then ending up on the floor, his eyes having been burnt out; dead. The brunette blinked and shook herself, looking back up the male walking beside her, 'besides, I wasn't having you walk home alone after the episode I saw earlier and especially not after speaking to you...' She trailed off, hesitating before asking her next question, 'Jackson, how does a beautiful man like you end up walking away from a party looking so...broken? What happened?'

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Ashy could feel fear of Erin melting away as she spoke; despite the fact the blonde sitting next to her was a lot stronger than she was, it seemed that Drake did have the same effect on two of them, in a sense. Erin had been right with what she first had said though... if didn't have the time of day for a strong willed girl like her than what the hell was he was going to do to her. If he even paid her any attention again, that was. She had heard what Drake had said about Lulu, did she feel the same way about him as the two girls did? Drake obviously had a fan club. tte

She smiled when Erin took another sip of the orange juice, and then toasted it, saying that neither of them should have to deal with prick men. 'We both deserve better than that' She said quietly. Ashy was one of these people that saw the best in everyone, most of all people that allowed time to get to know to her (even if, like Erin, they were extremely drunk.) Erin might have been a complete bitch to her in the past, but eh, Ashy didn't think that this entirely her fault. She hung round with the Ice queen a lot, so she was probably influenced a little by that. Although, Ashy would never count on that and she most certainly wouldn't say that to Erin's face.

It was then that Ashleigh's thoughts were interrupted by a kiss on the cheek. How odd. She turned to see Sky and she smiled. Sky was a bad influence on her and she knew it. But he made her laugh, which was a lot more than certain other bad influences did. Sky didn't make her feel nervous or worthless like Drake did. So that to be a plus side. 'Sky, you're drunk,' She pointed out, as the male started to ramble about how much of a hot mess he was. He then sat down between the two blondes and flicked up his lighter. Was it really safe for him to be using his power when under the influence? The blonde shuffled away from slightly. As it happened it was perfectly safe, he sculpted a fish, which made the blonde smile, 'you are so cute.' She told Sky, nudging a little. She then watched as the two drunkards had a disjoined but nevertheless funny convesation before Erin got up, thanked Ashy and walked away. 'You're welcome' The blonde said quietly. She didn't know whether she needed to follow her or not, deciding it was best not to, in case the two of them bumped into Cor, Erin's best friend, yes that would be a bad move.

Ashy's thought's turned to her own best friend. Where was Zac? He had headed off in the direction of the forest quite a while ago and so far she hadn't seen him return. She was worried, so worried.

Quickly, the blonde stood up, 'Sky, I'm sorry but I need to find Zack we both know he'd hate me to be here alone with you...' She said quietly, before turning on her heal and heading for the woods. The absence of any light in the woods made an eerie and scary place to be, there was a slight part of Ashy that regretted coming here, she pushed it to the back of her mind, she had to find her friend, 'Zac' She called out, quickening her pace to almost a ran. She called out several times more, tree branches hitting her face as she did so. Finally, she heard something; something that disturbed her greatly, the sound of a man sobbing. Was that Zac? The strongest man that she knew? She followed the sound until eventually she found it's source. Her worst fears were confirmed, it was Zack, curled up in a ball, crying in pain. She placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off, telling her she couldn't help. The blonde then sat on the forest floor and pulled the male into her lap 'It's ok Zac it's me' She said soothingly.

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Character Portrait: Zac Barnes Character Portrait: Ashleigh Fox
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Zac didn't resist as someone pulled him into their lap. He was gone beyond caring. However, he froze as he heard Ashy's voice. He had always been strong for her, no matter what was happening in his head. He was always the one holding her, the one who dried her tears, the one who played her favourite song outside her dorm because she wouldn't let him in. She wasn't supposed to be holding him. He acted on his first instinct. "I bet I look like crap, don't I?" He said, trying to smile, even if it was only for Ashy's sake. He shifted so he wasn't on her lap any more, but she still had her arms around him.

He wiped his face and rested his head on Ashy's shoulder. "Before you ask, I'm not going to tell you." He said, staring at the tears on his hand. "I don't want you to worry about me. It's one of the things I just have to deal with. Tonight Morgan got drunk. I don't care how. She said a few things that struck a nerve, and I just lost it." He told her, sighing a little.

"Ashy, you know I'd do everything in my power to stop you ending up like me, right? You've saved me so many times, and that's never how it is in the stories. I need to save you sometimes as well."

Ashy had saved Zac more than he intended ever letting her know. He had turned up at Arcana not long after being put into care. He had been a scrawny, frightened kid with a battered suitcase and guitar. Everyone had stared at him. Whispers had followed him around the corridors, wondering why he had been late arriving at Arcana and hadn't arrived at the start of September with the rest of the kids. He had become depressed. He had considered self-harm on far too many occasions. He had contemplated doing more on more than one occasion. But then he had met Ashy, and all that had changed.

Ashy had been standing by herself as well, and Zac had just been so lonely. It had taken courage-everyone else just stared at him, waiting for him to leave. But she had talked back to him, and their friendship had begun there. There had never been anything romantic- at least, not on Zac's part. Their bond ran deeper, like they were supposed to be siblings, but had been separated by destiny. If it hadn't been for Ashy, chances were, Zac would be in a darker place. If he was even still around.

Zac hated seeing the concern on Ashy's face. He moved in closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He had never been lucky enough to have someone to hold him close as a kid. His father loved him, but he had never been the hugging type. His mom had never been around, full stop. Ashy had been one of the first people to give him a proper hug. He liked having the knowledge that someone cared enough to hold him that close.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Ashy. Honestly. You're one of the reasons Arcana feels like home." He sighed, smiling a little.

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Chris cracked a grin as he returned. "If I didn’t know better I’d say you can’t sit still for more than five minutes," Katia said. His eyes followed her as she leaned over to swipe his juice. He laughed. "Hey, for all you know, I could have ADHD. I don't think I do, and I certainly hope not. Imagine me trying to do paperwork for extra-curriculars! It'll be hard enough as it is." Chris did find it next to impossible to sit still. It had nearly driven him mad when he had been on crutches, hence why he had been dancing. He had soon regretted it, but had learned nothing.

"As for me, I never went to a school like this. I was in Venice as a teenager and I was working more than I was studying," she told him.. "I met Leo in New York about two years ago I guess? I was dancing in a production there, we hit it off." Chris nodded, but his grin widened. "Was Leo in the production too? I just had a mental image of him doing tap dance. That's just too funny." He laughed, trying to picture Leo doing tap. Did the school have a talent show? Chris stored that idea in his brain to be brought out and developed at a later time. "You’re an excellent teacher," She told him, raising the orange juice to the dancers. "It's probably because I had such an excellent teacher. It was a pleasure to pass it on to the next generation." He grinned at her. "I'd salute you, but you've taken my drink, so I can't. And I can't be bothered going to get a new one. Just imagine I have a drink in my hand." He made a saluting action with his hand, his grin closely resembling the Cheshire Cat's.

He wanted to get moving again so badly. He wanted to dance once again, but he didn't want to leave Katia by herself. And it didn't help that he felt awkward enough with her, let alone by himself. He'd probably trip over his own feet and dislocate something. Again. At least it wouldn't be happening on stage this time. Admittedly, it had been for a dress rehearsal, but it had still been mortifying.

He turned and grinned at Katia. "Anyway, any ideas for extra-curriculars? Dance, obviously, but anything else? I'm going to be expected to have some ideas by the end of the week, and at the moment, I have- roughly- nothing." He returned his gaze to the students. He was beginning to feel a little fidgety, but he had to try and hold out for a little longer-

Chris jumped to his feet. "Okay, I need to get a drink. I shall be back momentarily. Don't miss me too much." He went briefly to the bar and got himself another drink, before returning to his seat. "I'm starting to think that you were right about the ADHD. And I've got paperwork tomorrow." He said, mock groaning.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Corentine Storm Quellen Character Portrait: Skylar Fiammetta Byrnes Character Portrait: Jackson Murphy Character Portrait: Drake Mauri Quellen Character Portrait: Morgan Janssen Character Portrait: Zac Barnes
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Almost as soon as Ashleigh had made Zac aware of her presence, she regretted it. As soon as the reassuring words left the blondes mouth, she felt the male in her lap stiffen in response. This was so frustrating. Zac didn't want to hurt her, so he just buried his emotions inside himself whenever she came near... She wanted to help him and he was never going to let him do that properly. Ashy sighed. Men were confusing. 'Trust me not even the strangest sight I've seen tonight' She told the male, smiling down at him, reflecting back on the evening. Drakes...antics, Erin's friendliness? All of that was enough to make ones head explode. The truth was however, that with Zac, Ashy felt calm. She always had done since they met. He was a breathe of fresh air; a new perspective. Granted, they were silly together, but she had never once got angry at the male. It was true that he infuriated her when he hid things from her, but she'd learnt to live with it, as always.

'You do save me' She said quietly, resting her head on top of Zac's as he rested it on her shoulder, 'You just don't know it.' This was the truth. The thought of Zac and his disapproval of Sky had been enough to have the blonde walk away from the pyro, not just tonight, but other times before that. She ran her heads through her best friends hair, an action meant to sooth the recovering male on her shoulder; however it was equally calming for the blonde. She wboysanted to tell him about Drake, about how he made her feel inside and how much she hated it, but Ashy knew better than that. Zac had only just got out of one fit of rage; best not to start another one. Chances were, though she had never told him, Zac already knew. Ashy was rubbish at hiding things, she admitted it to herself, she doesn't feel comfortable talking about boys to a person she considered to be like a brother.

'Zac, that isn't true, you have other friends, not just me you silly donut.' Ashy stated, smiling down at Zac. She was trying to cheer him up a little, whatever Mo had said had hit him hard and she wanted to take his pain away from him; if making him laugh with crazy insults was the way forward, then so be it. 'You do i'm letting sleep alone tonight, right? Come stay at mine, we can watch crap movies, drink hot choco and reveal in the ice queens lair.' Ashy giggled to herself as she thought about her room mate. She was safe in the knowledge that Cor wouldn't be back tonight, or at least anytime soon. She was probably having sex with someone, if not several people by now, Ashy giggled again at the thought.

She jumped up, extending her hand out to Zac as he sat on floor, 'So what do you say? Gonna escort a lady home?' She asked him, a dazzling smile crossing her face.


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'I also don't like people making reference to my height, didn't stop you there though, did it?' Jessica Coleman raised an eyebrow at Jackson, before bursting into more fits in giggle. Damm, What was happening to her? They had only met today and yet she didn't feel awkward or strange walking home with him. It was like the two of had known each other for years. Not to mention, the guy walking alongside her was incredibly handsome; he was well build, had incredible hair and the most amazing eyes. It wasn't even the colour that stunned Jess the most, it was the story that they told. Yep, she was defiantly tipsy.

There had been a very slight pause before Jackson had answered her question; shit. She'd ruined it, that atomspheare that she had enjoyed so much had just been shattered, all because she was too nosey. The brunette could have kicked herself. Then, Jack pulled her close. Normally, Jessica would have got out of the males grasp and asked what the fuck he thought he was doing, however now was different. She didn't feel afraid being this close to Jack, which sent alarm bells ringing in the back of the brunette's head. Before she could listen to them or respond to Jack's comment about his evening; his lips were on hers. She took a sharp intake of breath, surprised by this move. Soon enough however, she relaxed into his kiss. Her hand, which had naturally fallen onto Jack's back after he had pulled her in, were now making it's way up wards, so that it rested just behind his shoulder blades, her thumb playing with the nape of neck.

It didn't feel strange kissing a man she'd only just met; Jessica didn't know whether it was the alcohol she had consumed, but it felt.... right. For once, Jess didn't try to analyse what was happening, her mind was filled with the man who was kissing her. Jackson Murphy; nothing else, just Jackson. After a while, Jessica broke the kiss but stayed close to him, staring into the beautiful eyes of the male that had just kissed her. He looked happier now at least. Had that been her influence? [i] You couldn't make anybody happy [i] that dark voice in her stated. Jessica decided to ignore it. Instead, she shook her head slightly and smiled at Jackson, 'You are an impossible man Jackson Murphy.' She stated, before wrapping both her hands around his neck and kissing him once more.

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Character Portrait: Zac Barnes Character Portrait: Ashleigh Fox
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Zac closed his eyes momentarily as Ashy began stroking his hair. However, he opened them as she said, "You do know I'm not letting you sleep alone tonight, right? Come stay at mine, we can watch crap movies, drink hot chocolate and reveal in the ice queen's lair." She jumped to her feet and held out a hand. Zac couldn't help but grin as a dazzling smile crossed Ashy's face. "So what do you say? Gonna escort a lady home?" He scrambled to his feet a little clumsily. "Well, if you are happy to have a silly donut escort you home, than it will be a pleasure to." He said, taking her arm.

Zac led Ashy back to the party. For some reason, many students were attempting to pull off gymnastic stunts and perform complex tango routines. He narrowly avoided getting kicked in the face by a stray foot and looked at Ashy, before bursting into laughter. "Only at Arcana. I don't suppose you know what triggered all of this? I'm hoping it's not LSD or anything similar. That really wouldn't help the hangovers in the morning, and they're going to be bad enough as it stands." He ducked to avoid a flying fist. "Maybe they're fighting invisible ninjas, and we're the only ones who don't know about them. Maybe the ninjas can only be defeated by awful dance and-" He straightened up as they cleared the dance floor. "-awful gymnastics. Jesus, I think it's a good thing we have some new PE teachers. Most people here genuinely cannot dance. And don't even get me started on gymnastics. The funny thing is, the people who actually can pull off acrobatic routines generally don't bother." He said, laughing a little as they entered the school.

Ashy's room was next door to Zac's, so it was relatively easy to find. "Just one brief moment, my dear, and I shall return." He told her, before heading into his room. He wanted just to sleep, but instead he dived under the bed and retrieved a stash of various chocolates. He grabbed a blanket from his bed and opened the door once again, before heading into Ashy's room. "I come bearing gifts." He said, grinning. He climbed onto the bed that looked like it belonged to Ashy. "I'm sincerely hoping this is your bed." He said, depositing the chocolate beside him and setting the blanket on his knees. "So, what's the first movie to be? Please, no soppy romances. I'll be asleep in five minutes if that's the case."

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Character Portrait: Zac Barnes Character Portrait: Eric Lee
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    The morning began like it always did: the cry of his phone, wailing, screaming, sobbing, bleeping... With a heavy groan, Eric turned over to grab his phone, which was on the floor, for some reason. He pressed the button with a bright green telephone engraved on it, and smashed it against his ear angrily. He was so tired of this ritual, and tired of the routine of it; even now, as he thought it, he knew he would be grateful for this daily phone call in a few minutes, would be sitting up smiling and chattering away with his favorite woman in the world.


    “Hi Mom,” he said with a yawn. His mother began jabbering in Korean, which made him chuckle and brought him to the edge of his bed, sitting up and shaking his head affectionately. “Sorry, Mom, I forgot you suck at English,” he teased in fluent Korean. He had learned quickly, and this ability always surprised his classmates. They would stare at him, poorly hiding their shock, and stutter about how he was... white. So how was he speaking Korean? It never failed to make him smirk.


    “I raised a cruel boy,” his mother began to say, ranting and speaking fast as old women often do. He could hear the ringing of pots and pans and the sound of rushing water. Of course, she was washing the dishes in the morning. She was a dutiful woman, who performed every responsibility and task perfectly. But at times, she did hold off on the chores until the very last moment. Eric had noticed her tendency to procrastination long ago. She was still rambling, talking about how mean Eric had gotten since he had left their family and how white people did not understand Korean culture, how Eric was becoming corrupted and more white by the day...


    “Mom, I am white,” Eric chuckled into the phone, running a hand through his bed hair. It was messier than usual, he noticed, while pondering just how freely he spoke when he was talking to the woman who had raised him. These conversations always enabled him to go deeper into the more ‘humane’ side of him, the part that laughed a lot and teased with abandon, at ease with socializing and conversing with others. That was the reason the phone call was so necessary; he was so used to it, he was afraid that without this banter, Eric would be a lifeless robot for the rest of the day, for the rest of his life. He relied on his mother even at the age of nineteen, even when he was across the country; the fact made him smile at how he pretended to be a man, but he was still a little boy inside.


    “I don’t care,” his mother scolded, clicking her tongue, “You are Korean, don’t you forget that, Eric.”


    “Mom, I’m... pretty sure I’m white.”


    “Why are you white?!” his mother demanded. Smiling, Eric thought-quoted, Oh my God, Karen, you can’t just ask people why they’re white. Okay, he had seen the movie; he was only reiterating his point about not being an actual man, now. But in his defense, it had been Rose’s favorite movie. Ah, Rose. The thought of her never failed to furrow his brow and dampen his spirits, ever the slightest bit.


    “Well, I just wanted to call and say I loved you,” his mother finished her rant, which Eric had conveniently ignored; she said the same thing every morning, after all. It was still comforting, though. His mother had a way of going smoothly from full-on-in-your-face to a kind sheep in a matter of seconds.


    Eric nodded his head as he replied, “Me too, Mom. Have a nice day.”


    “I’ve already started my day, you forgetful, lazy child!”


    And with those loving last words, the phone call was over, and Eric remembered just how tired he was. Yawning widely, he fell onto his pillow and closed his eyes... exactly two minutes before his alarm clock began to explode. This happened every morning, so why did he always try to sleep? Eric grunted, annoyed, and slammed his hand down on the ‘Snooze’ button. It was because of habit, of course; even his brain couldn’t stop the comfort of routine. His mind wasn’t as perfect as people seemed to think it to be. He got out of bed and stretched, flexing and rubbing the back of his head. Alright, his hair was fine... He didn’t care if it was messy one way or another; after all, there was no leading lady in his life right now. He had showered the night before, anyhow. He pulled on a white T-shirt and jeans, pulled on his running shoes, and started out the door for his daily run. “See you, dude,” he said to Zac without looking back, without knowing if he was awake or not. He did this every morning, on the days he had his first class open.


    The day was beautiful. Eric smiled in fondness as he began to jog.

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Character Portrait: Zac Barnes Character Portrait: Ashleigh Fox
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Locked in a dark room. He expected to feel his hands restrained behind him, but he was able to stand and walk around. This wasn't a flashback. A voice spoke behind him. "Zac Barnes." He whirled around. He couldn't see anything, only the darkness that filled the room. "This is just a dream." He told himself. "Is it, Zac? I should know, after all." A figure emerged. It was an evil reflection of Zac. They were almost exactly alike, but the mirror image was darker, handsomer, with a grin that sent shivers up Zac's spine. "Why are you scared? Are you scared of who you really are? Of what would happen if you embraced the images that haunt you?" Suddenly the image changed. Zac was now staring into a mirror. The darker image was reflected in it. Zac raised his hand to his face. The figure in the mirror done the same. He reached his hand out to the mirror. The figure done the same. When Zac's fingers touched the glass, the reflection smiled and drew a knife. Zac didn't have time to react as he hurled it towards him. As it hit Zac square in the chest, the mirror shattered.

Zac's eyes shot open. His heart was racing. He closed his eyes again and took three deep breaths. Memories of the night before began to return to him. He looked around the room and frowned for a moment before remembering where he was. He looked down at the sleeping blonde snuggled into him and smiled.

They had watched cheesy movies and drank hot chocolate. Ashy had fallen asleep halfway through the second movie and it had just finished when Zac had dropped off. It hadn't been a peaceful night's sleep. It had been plagued with nightmares all too similar to the one he had experienced just before waking. His heart began to race at the thought of it. Again, he closed his eyes. He mentally ran through his chords until his heart rate slowed. When he opened his eyes, he looked at Ashy's bedside clock. He sighed and gently shook the blonde awake. "C'mon, Ashy. Time to wake up."

He climbed out of bed and ran his fingers through his hair and stretched. "I really need to change my clothes. And drum. And have a shower. And possibly drum some more. I'll only be across the hall," He told her, smiling a little. "I'll see you in English, if not before then."

He slipped out of the room and across the hall into his own room. He slid into the seat at his drums. His roommate was nowhere to be seen, and even if he was around, he had to get used to the drumming. Zac began to smash into them. Ten minutes later he was smiling broadly. He headed into the shower. Once he came out, he changed into a plain white t-shirt and black jeans. Grabbing his guitar from the floor and a pick from his bedside locker, he began to strum random patterns.

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Character Portrait: Addison Lawler Character Portrait: Loren Hanna Craft Character Portrait: Zac Barnes
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    A beautiful - albeit messily made, at the moment - girl groaning to a cheerful greeting was, in Loren Craft's professional opinion, not what she had been hoping for in a roommate. Being a morning bird herself, she had crossed her fingers when she had heard of the arrangement, praying for someone who didn't mind getting up as early as she did. As naive as it sounded, the girlish fantasy of a roommate and a best friend in one still haunted her at the age of seventeen. Needless to say, Addison Lawler wasn't exactly the girl who would have fit Loren's picture of such a character, but no one could pin down the hopes of a Craft after they set their hearts on something. Ah, perhaps all will go well. Perhaps this Addison would surprise her; and this, of course, required Loren to be at her most likable stage, before she could even hope to venture off into deeper territories, to dive into what lay beyond the surface. So, she laughed quietly. She turned and sat on the edge of her own bed, respectfully turning her gaze towards Addison's feet as the model got up, scantily clad.

    "Must have been some party," Loren lightly joked, as Addison began to chatter about her old cat. She could hardly see what a cat had anything to do with anything at all, but she listened politely, nodding her head and even adding a believable, "Awww," at the mention of its name: Mouse. What an adorable, and a little ironic, name for a cat. Aren't cats supposed to eat mice...? Like Tom and Jerry...?

    "I hated that cat.. Thing was always sneaking around and lurking around me. That's creepy," Addison said, perfectly interrupting her thoughts. Oh, now she understood. Loren successfully kept the astonishment from her face as she nodded and grunted sympathetically, deciding to ignore the implication. She had no plans of invading the girl's mind. Maybe if she got Loren annoyed enough to do it for the sake of bothering Addison... or if there was something Loren was particularly curious about... But for the most part, there seemed to be very little to Addison Lawler. It was a terrible thought, to find someone lacking in anything that made a person interesting and worthy of friendship, but it was true, and Loren did not make it a habit of entertaining falsehoods. If she was going to really think this way of her, with little reason to even ponder such a preposterous idea, then she wasn't sure how things would work out. She hated being accused of being a sneak because of her power, and Loren quickly decided to watch out for Addison. She would have to remain on her toes around the girl. She just couldn't find herself liking her.

    Loren raised her eyebrows a little resentfully at Addison as she left to take a shower. It would be poor form to leave now, but no one would blame her for ditching the girl. Ah, but it was their first day as roommates... It just wouldn't do. She waited patiently, her eyes wandering about the room she now shared with Addison the New Terror. Observing her room, however, became boring fairly quickly. She pulled out her phone and began typing out a text to her beloved friend, Zac Barnes.

      To: Zac Barnes <3
      want a partner in smashing those drums, buddy? my roommate thinks I"m a stalker cat

    When Addison came out, Loren made sure she barely reacted, nodding coolly and once again diverting her gaze from Addison's body. As she did so, she wondered just what had happened at the party last night. Arcana Academy had had its own fair share of parties, but Noctrem was undoubtedly the uncontested victor in the party category. The students were bound to create more drama, throw more temper tantrums... get things going, making things happen. It was a trait Loren couldn't help but envy. Her life was, at the moment, a little bland. Not that she minded... well, she did mind, actually. A lot. But in time, Loren decided, it would spice up a little bit.

    "Are you done already?" Loren remarked, feigning admiration for how quickly Addison had gotten put together. In reality, she hadn't noticed a bit, but in the world she had been brought up in, the key to life was flattery and deference. People liked to be looked up to, after all; blowing up someone's ego could do wonders for your own social life, Loren had learned. She got up and grabbed her own backpack, plain but sufficient, and began to walk towards the door. At the last minute, she opened it for the girl, smiling graciously as she motioned for Addison to walk by first.

    "I don't know about you, but I'm famished," she declared. One last chance for a friendly conversation, and that would be it.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Lulu Allen Character Portrait: Skylar Fiammetta Byrnes Character Portrait: Jackson Murphy Character Portrait: Drake Mauri Quellen Character Portrait: Morgan Janssen Character Portrait: Zac Barnes
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Jessica sighed when she heard Mo's groggy, hungover voice from the bed opposite hers. She liked her roommate, she really did, but now was probably not the best time for the two of them to be in conversation; for fear of Jessica saying something she might regret. She turned around looking at the...extremely hungover mess that was Mo. She had got dressed. This was something that the brunette, who was still wearing Jackson Murphey's shirt, was still yet to achieve. She gave a sigh; she was going to have to give that back to him. The shame.

'Just your average morning at Noctrem,' She began sharply, 'I slept with a man I have barely spoken to, woke up with him pissed at me and then to top it all of, had a run with a basically naked Drake Quellen; isn't life just fabulous.' She finished sarcastically.

Sitting down on her bed, Jessica ran her fingers from her messy brunette. She hadn't even had time to talk to Jackson. But then again, what would she talk to him about. The incident with Drake and Lulu had, quite rightly, provoked a reaction out of him. Could she talk to him about that? Jessica remembered his reaction when she had asked him about the talk he had been having with Lulu the night before. He had been extremely closed off and that had been when he was intoxicated; what hope did anyone have of getting any sort of feeling out of him now? Jessica turned back to her roommate 'It's just one big mistake, Mo.' She muttered, before promptly getting changed into an outfit. Nothing too fancy, but to it showed that she meant buisness to anyone that questioned her; which would be everyone. God, today was going to be tough; she needed something to take her mind off of all this. She needed to have some fun. With that, the brunette promptly pulled her phone out of her pocket and start tapping a message;

To: Sky :D
We need to talk... or get drunk; whatever gets me out of this foul mood
From: Jess xxx


Smiling to herself, Jess tucked her phone back into her bag; Sky would know how to cheer her up. The two of them were extremely close and despite his apparent addiction to sex, the brunette couldn't fault the pyro. They had fun; just not too much fun.

Jess then looked back up at Mo, 'Mo, what happened to you last night?' She asked. She had remembered her having a arugment with Zac, Zac storming off and Mo being dragged away but the master mind that was Alli Jackson. It seemed to the brunette that she wasn't the only one who had experienced some drama last night.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Lulu Allen Character Portrait: Loren Hanna Craft Character Portrait: Morgan Janssen Character Portrait: Zac Barnes Character Portrait: Jessica Coleman Character Portrait: Alli Jackson
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"Just your average morning at Noctrem. I slept with a man I have barely spoken to, woke up with him pissed at me and then to top it all of, had a run with a basically naked Drake Quellen; isn't life just fabulous?" Jess spoke with an edge to her voice that Mo vaguely recognized as sarcasm. Before Mo had decided on a smart retort, Jess was speaking again. "Mo, what happened to you last night?" Mo shrugged. "I vaguely remember orange juice. And... Oh shit. Vodka. Not a-freaking-gain." She groaned, doing a face plant into her pillow. "I never drink, so I get drunk easily. And I can never remember what I do. Shit, I could have done anything. Well, at least I woke up alone, fully dressed in my own bed." She looked helplessly at her roommate. "Were you with... Who were you with again? Were you in their room all night or can you help with my predicament?"

Just then, the full realization of what Jess had said kicked in. "Wait. You argued with Drake- naked?" She had a hard time not laughing as she got the mental image. "His roommate is Jackson, ri- Oh. That's who you were with, isn't it?" Morgan sat back, thinking it all through. She liked Jess, she genuinely did, but Jackson was like the big brother she'd never had. She knew last night had probably been nothing more than an alcohol induced fling. She knew that there was probably nothing to it, but she worried that there was something more and that Jackson would be left broken-hearted. Morgan didn't want to see that happen, and she couldn't help but think, "I'm not going to let it."

"So, anyway... What was your argument with Drake about?"" Morgan asked to fill the silence. Her natural curiosity emerged. Drake was forever flirting with Morgan, as he did with every female entered the room, but she couldn't help but like him. "And who did he bring back last night?" She pondered out loud. The gossip took her mind off of her hangover. Her stomach felt like it had been through five rounds with two champion boxers, both of which had a personal vengeance against it, and her head had begun to swim once again. She grabbed a bottle of water from her bedside table and took sips from it, trying to ease her headache. The paracetamol hadn't had much of an effect, it appeared. She rooted in her drawer for the packet she always kept there, just in case. She took another, swallowing it with her water. The water was a little stale, but it was better than nothing. Food probably would have helped, but her stomach twisted at the mere thought of food. She wanted nothing more than to just sleep away her hangover, but she also wanted to find out exactly what the hell had happened- both to herself and everyone else.

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Alli heard a beep behind her and swiveled to face her laptop. It had unfrozen and was back to it's regular working pace. "Huh. That's... Lucky." She grinned at her roommate. "Thanks." Her roommate sat back and began to explain her power.

"I can manipulate probability, make things more or less likely. My parents loved it when I made them a million dollars in one weekend rigging games within the casino. But I prefer to help people, beat the odds, avoid the bullies. It comes down to understanding chance, and when and where it applies. By the way, do you know where there are couches here at Arcana? I’m trying to figure out where I was last night and I was brought somewhere…with couches?" Alli frowned and thought. "Well, there are the house common rooms, the game room and then just the general common rooms upstairs. I don't think there's anywhere else. Any of them could be likely, if I'm honest. They'd all be empty when there's a party. And your power seems... interesting, to say the least. The most impressive thing I can do with mine is this." She removed her shoes and stepped into the middle of the floor. Performing a perfect handstand, she used her feet to pick up a ball from the foot of her bed and balanced it on her feet. "Not exactly the most exciting thing in the world, but they reward it at the Olympics. My parents have been trying to persuade me to go for them since I was six, for essentially anything involving aim or balance. It doesn't help that I've got a gymnast's stature. Essentially, I'm short." As she spoke, she lowered the ball back to the floor and got to her feet.

She shoved her feet back into her boots and laced them up again. "Anyway, enough about me and my big dreams. What do you do in your spare time? Besides irritate Quellen, that is," She spoke with a teasing glint in her eye. Anyone else would have thought through their words a little more carefully, but Alli was as blunt as a bag of wet mice. She saw no point in being fancy with her words, and if she wanted to wind someone up, she wasn't going to try and hide it.

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Zac put down his guitar as his phone vibrated beside his bed. He leaned over to pick it up, and a small smile crossed his lips as he saw who it was from.

want a partner in smashing those drums, buddy? my roommate thinks I'm a stalker cat
-Loren


He chuckled a little to himself as his fingers flew over the keyboard in reply.

Come on over, kitty. Meow. =^.^=
-Zac


Loren had been his friend for as long as he could remember. They had been friendly as children, but then Zac's own family drama had kicked off and they had grown apart. Finding her again at Arcana had just been... amazing. Their friendship had grown to new heights, and just over two years ago, Zac had realized that he... He was falling in love with her. And once he had realized that, he fell all the faster and all the harder. He adored all of her adorable little ways. If it was anyone else, he would hate them for being able to read his mind, but with Loren, it was just another thing to love. She was yet another person he couldn't burden with his past, but she knew something had happened to him. She knew more than a lot of people, mainly because she could get inside his head, and sometimes she read what he was thinking without him meaning to let her.

He looked around his room. It was relatively tidy, so he left it. His roommate didn't appear to be that untidy, which was a good thing. Not that Loren, or anyone else, for that matter, would care. He briefly checked his email on his phone. He then went onto YouTube and loaded Chris Kamrada's cover of "Kids" by Sleigh Bells. It was such an awesome video, and always got him in the mood for a decent drumming session. He cracked his knuckles and winced a little, shaking his hands. He then waited for Loren to arrive, tapping out a pattern on his knees.

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Character Portrait: Zac Barnes Character Portrait: Ashleigh Fox Character Portrait: Benjamin Hershkovitz
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Ben was wondering through the hallways of the dorm, not really knowing where he was going. Recently he'd come back from an extended visit to see his older sister, Cathleen. She begged him to visit since her husband, Jacob had been in a horrible accident and had to over go various surgeries during the past couple weeks. It was a bit difficult to see his older sister, so broken, but he had to deal with it and take care of his niece, Mollie. in battered old tee and worn out jeans, Ben tried to remember exactly where his room was, after all he left still in the first week of school. His shoes dragged themselves over the carpet as he reached his room, his roommate was nowhere to be seen. It seemed like he wasn't the only one who had left, since most of the familiar faces that he knew where no more, and there were many new people that he had no idea who the hell they were. Also the people who had stayed, most of them we're and are not his greatest fans. Sighing loudly, Ben's thoughts ran around in his head in the same speed that he usually talks, fast. While entering the key into the lock, opening the door, he heard a door open and he turned his head to see Zac exiting out of a room and enter his. Ben didn't think much of it, until he was well into his room.

"Ashy's room. That was Ashy's room," he thought to himself in absolute shock. "Why was he doing in Ashy's room so early in the morning? Probably to say good morning," he mumbled to himself trying to calm himself down, but his thoughts only gave him the opposite of comfort. "Did he sleep in there, after all he did look like he just woke up with those crumpled clothes." Ben tried to calm his thoughts, saying that it wasn't his business and all. Even playing on his guitar couldn't calm his thoughts. "Could it be that she forgot about me?" he thought. After all he didn't really stay in contact with anyone from school, even his best mate who also happened to disappear.

After pondering and worrying for another ten minutes, Ben decided that he must do something, and due to his state of mind that wasn't completely sane since it was filled with the constant worry of the last weeks and what he just saw and his mind jumbled up, it could be said that his idea's were not the brightest. Not like Ben was the brightest light bulb in the bunch, but even this was a new idiocy, even for him. Grabbing his guitar, he swung the case around his shoulder and went up to Ashy's door. Lucifer, who he had brought this time, was purring around his legs, trying to receive attention from the distracted red head. Realizing that he hadn't breathed the whole time since he saw Zac, Ben took a big breath and knocked three times on Ashy's dorm room.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Skylar Fiammetta Byrnes Character Portrait: Jackson Murphy Character Portrait: Morgan Janssen Character Portrait: Benjamin Sean Hershkovitz Character Portrait: Zac Barnes Character Portrait: Ashleigh Fox
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Ashy had been worrying; not an uncommon activity for the blonde. Today was the first day of her being house captain.. to a bunch of frankly scary people! Ashy rationalised herself; they weren't that scary, well at least not all of them. She had Zac, he'd be there for her,he'd make sure she didn't get hurt...wouldn't it? The blonde was disconcerted by the manner in which he had rushed off this morning, why leave so soon? Was something wrong? Had she upset him? Ashy started to fiddle with the skirt of her outfit she worried far too much about her close friends. It was going make her ill and she knew it.

She never used to be like this; when she was a child Ashleigh Fox was quite the show girl. She'd always been dancing round the living area to music that she heard in her head. Her nanny used to tell she'd be part of the Royal ballet one day.. Then some idiot had to ruin it all.

Ashleigh sighed as she remembered that moment; throwing the water at her fathers face and being outcast from her family from that moment on. Thats when the worrying had really started; when she couldn't see her brother anymore. Ashleigh absent-mindedly ran her fingers thought about how he was? She hoped he'd been loved by the family, unlike her; she also hoped he'd been allowed to become sucessful; unlike her. She'd tried to contact him several times since she'd been at Arcana, but had never had a reply. She suspected that her mother and father were hiding the letters from him.

Saying that, life hadn't been all that bad since she'd started at Arcana. She'd still been able to dance and she'd actually been praised for it, several times. It felt good to be told what you were good at for once. Plus, she'd met some really good friends here; Zac and Mo for example. Maybe she'd talk to Mo about Zac's weird behaviour this morning. Striding across the room, she walked into the bathroom, using the mirror to attach her hair clip. One thing that she'd kept from living with her family was the idea that image was everything; especially when it came to proving yourself.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Ashleigh's heart stopped. What if it was someone for Cor? What was she going to say? She didn't actually have the faintist idea where her room mate was...which was perhaps naive of her. Taking a deep breath she pulled open the door. What she saw on the other side of the door had given her a shock. A tall man with scruffy flaming red hair and a guitar strapped around upper body. 'Ben.' Ashy whispered quietly. He'd been gone for almost the whole day yesterday, leaving her in the woods, upset and hurt. He hadn't been at the party last night either, where the hell had he been?! 'Come in.' She told the man she loved quietly, closing the door behind her.

'Where have you been?'

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It felt safe in Sky's arms. Jessica and the male had been friends since they started at Noctrem all those years ago. They always had great times together and Jess felt she could truly be herself around him, maybe it was because of his slightly camp air. She cracked a small smile at the thought, before pulling away from the male. 'Most people would think you'd smell like smoke, because you're fire man, but you don't.' She confirmed with him. Yup, she was definity going insane this morning.

'Your aunt must be a millionaire!' The brunette exclaimed. Going out to dinner with Sky sounded like the perfect idea to keep her mind off things... but there was a niggling thought at the back of her mind. If she skipped classes today, she wouldn't be able to defend herself agianist the rumors that would no doubt be circulating already. Her absence could also be seen as a sign of weakness. 'That all sounds great Sky, but I have a reputation to hold up today...' She told him quietly,' Walk with me?' She added, shuffling closer to the pyro and closing her bedroom door behind her. She needed to tell Sky what had happened last night. She felt like she owed him an explaination in person before he found out through a third person. Because the truth was, Sky and her were extremely close and she got the impression sometimes that he wanted more. he won't after you've told him what happened last night, she thought darkly to herself.

Sighing, the brunette took a peak over her shoulder, looking for any sign of the people she'd woken up this morning. She didn't want Jack to think she was some sort of slut. Hell, why did she care?! She'd only known the man five minutes. She needed to talk to him. Today. But... it would just be awkward and she knew it.

Turning back to Sky, she took a deep breath. 'Sky, you're not going to like this and i'm sorry for doing this to you... but I didn't something really stupid last night...' She paused, biting her lip to stop herself from crying.

'Sky I slept with Jackson last night.'

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Character Portrait: Addison Lawler Character Portrait: Zac Barnes
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    There was nothing so pleasant as holding the door open for someone you're beginning to dislike. Already, she was regretting her decision of kindness; this moment would decide everything, Loren knew. If she responded agreeably, then there was hope, and Loren would hold onto this scene as if it was proof of an Addison she could like. And if she didn't... Let's just say it would be a rough arrangement for the both of them. Because as nice as Loren was, she was itching to do some damage, just itching to find a target. After all, she rarely used her powers. It would, admittedly, take control of itself and invade another person's territory without her intending it too, but that was why she was here, after all. Well, she was here because Miss Amy brought her here. And because it was better than gambling and drinking and living shamefully. But mostly, she was here to actually learn, unlike some of the other students. Mostly from Noctrem, Loren suspected.

    She vaguely recalled the scene of what would become her redemption, and began to smile fondly. Miss Amy had saved her life. She was quite indebted to the woman, actually. As she pondered over the journey she'd taken, questioning whether she was ready for fun or not, her phone vibrated in her pocket, coming to life so loudly it emitted an almost tangible awkwardness. Oh, damn her phone. She smiled nervously and apologetically at Addison as she fumbled with her phone, and opened it.

      Come on over, kitty. Meow. =^.^=
      -Zac

    Immediately, Zac's voice played in her head, playfully saying the words he had texted. A smile sprang to her lips and Loren slid it back into her back pocket and glanced behind her, searching for Zac's door. There it was; all she needed to do was figure a way out of here. Maybe, she admitted to herself, I should have thought this through before I sent that text. After all, wasn't it expected, for Zac to respond in such a manner after she asked him if he wanted a partner? Ah, she was so silly. And now she had to get out of this room.

    "I have to run,"
    Loren admitted to Addison, not completely lying, "I'll probably see you at breakast though! Just later. But let's hang out sometime, okay?"
    The last question was rushed through, so eager was Loren to get the sentence off her lips. She didn't want to be around Addison, didn't want to be around someone who would be so rude to someone they barely knew, but... it was worth a try. A stab of guilt causing a sympathetic ringing in her chest made Loren uncomfortable, and she fled without waiting for Addison's response. She ran until she was directly in front of Zac's door, panting and trying to catch her breath before she walked in.

    Once she was calm, she opened the door and walked in as stealthily as she could. As soon as she took a step into the room, she raced forward as quietly as she could and threw her hands over his eyes. "Boo!" she said joyfully.

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Character Portrait: Lulu Allen Character Portrait: Loren Hanna Craft Character Portrait: Zac Barnes Character Portrait: Alli Jackson
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Zac was flicking through his iPod, looking for a song to play along to, when his vision suddenly went black. He stiffened and was considering attacking when Loren's voice reached his ears. "Boo!" He laughed with relief and pulled her hands from over his eyes. He enjoyed the brief moment of holding her hand, but he didn't make the moment awkward by holding onto it for too long. He dropped it and grinned, sliding out from his seat. "Let's get straight to the point. Why does your roommate think you're a stalker cat?" He asked, crossing the room to his closet. He opened it and pulled out his electric guitar and amp. "I wasn't sure if my roommate would approve," He explained, setting up. He checked his guitar was in tune and switched on the amp.

"So, what do you think of Dearly Departed by Young Guns? It's got a good drum beat and guitar rhythms. Which would you like to take?" He held out both the neck of the electric guitar and drumsticks. "Actually, I'll put it on, you can see which you prefer. He dropped the guitar and sticks onto the bed, sitting his iPod onto the small dock he had brought from home. He turned it on and the song started playing.

He turned and grinned at Loren. "Come on, then!" He started doing air guitar in time to the song, grinning the whole time. He looked up at her. "Come on, don't make me look like a fool!" He laughed, starting his headbanging again.

Loren was someone he could really be a fool with. Ashy was great fun, but she wasn't the type to join him in air guitar. He loved her to bits, but he sometimes felt like he couldn't fully let loose with her. Loren, however, was a completely different matter. He sometimes had trouble being serious when he was with her. Her presence was intoxicating, like alcohol or other drugs, and he sometimes worried that his love meant he was making a fool of himself.

The song finished and he flopped onto the bed, laughing to himself. "Head rush!" He said, grinning broadly. Suddenly Puppy Love by This Wild Love started playing. Zac couldn't help but think how appropriate it was for Loren and him. Especially the line, I'm a fuck up, but you swear I'm enough. He grinned at her for a moment, before picking up the drumsticks. "I'll take the drums. You can handle my electric guitar, right?" He teased, sliding back into his seat at the drum kit. He twirled his sticks and readied himself, flicking back to Dearly Departed. He raised an eyebrow, his eyes sparkling. "You ready?"

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“Now. I know this sounds stupid and I know we just met. But I can’t remember much about last night, like I said before. But I may have…involuntarily left clothing somewhere. And I’m not so sure where these lounges are…feel like helping me out? If you don't want to, I totally get it. I don't even know when my first class is." Alli grinned and clambered to her feet. "Sure, I'd love to help. And you're..." Alli thought back to the previous day's assembly. "Causton, right?" She checked the sheet that had all of the timetables on. "You've got English first thing, according to this. We'd better get looking. If you did leave any clothing there, you'd probably want to retrieve it before anyone sees it. Might raise a few eyebrows."

Alli opened the door and gestured for Lulu to go first. Her boots lent her a little height, but she was still a little shorter than the other girl. "I think the game room's nearest here. We'll try there first, then check the four common rooms." She did like helping other people. It was one of the qualities that made her a typical Arcana student. Although Alli always got the impression that, except for the fact that she irritated the hell out of most Noctrem students, she would have fitted right in at the other school. She always had that little burning desire for power. She wanted to be the best at everything she done, and while she wasn't necessarily bad, she would be willing to stop at nothing to gain that power.

(Sorry, Alli's post is a little short, but I done my best with what I had to work with. :3)

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Character Portrait: Loren Hanna Craft Character Portrait: Zac Barnes
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    The sound of his laughter was familiar and calming... as was expected for a friendship that had lasted as long as theirs. Loren smiled and joined in her own melodic chimes to his, her fingers brightening, sparks flying; every time she was around him, the air became charged with freedom. She didn't care about anything but the two of them and their friendship, whenever Zac was around. When he was around, everything clicked into place... the way friendship was meant to be. Sometimes, you meet friends, close friends, even best friends... but rarely do you meet a soulmate. Someone who brought the world into line again, and things like hunger didn't matter, because hope was real, and you found it in someone else's smile. It was so simple. And that was why Loren often avoided the question of "What if that's not the whole story?", because if she had to be honest, she would have to admit the truth: that this 'friendship' with Zac was threatening to take a very bold turn, for both of them. As cliche as it was, a friendship like theirs couldn't be sacrificed. If she could settle for teasing and the pretense of mere friendship, then Loren figured Zac could, too.

    Soulmate, or no soulmate, he was talking to her, and Loren shoved the quick analysis of the flying elation that occurred whenever Zac was around, redirecting her focus to him. "Let's get straight to the point. Why does your roommate think you're a stalker cat?" he teased as he began to walk towards the other end of the room, most likely to his closet, for whatever reason. For a second, Loren's heartbeat raced ahead of her mind. Is he going to change or something? Oh my God, is he going to take his shirt off? Can I turn around? Would that be weird? But of course, he wasn't; he opened the closet to reveal his electric guitar and its amp. In her quick and thick relief, Loren forgot to listen to his explanation, but it didn't matter. It was something about his roommate; perhaps he was having as much weirdness with him as she was having with Addison.

    Loren shrugged her shoulders and daintily fell into the seat Zac had been sitting on. She yawned and began to stretch, even letting a quick "Meow," come from her lips to mock the whole cat situation even further. "I don't know," she answered as Zac began to set his electric guitar up, "It may be my mind reading. She made a rather uncalled for comment about how I reminded her of her cat... and how she hated the thing for always snooping on her." She snorted and continued, while ignoring her embarrassment at snorting unintentionally in front of Zac, "You know I try to refrain from reading people's minds; I'm not that sort of girl. Besides," she shuddered shortly, "people think scary thoughts. I'd rather not get dive into that willingly."

    During her mild rant, Zac had been setting up efficiently, as he was used to doing. At the very end of her little speech, he turned on the amp and said, "So, what do you think of Dearly Departed by Young Guns? It's got a good drum beat and guitar rhythms. Which would you like to take?"

    "Young Guns? Is that a song your parents would want you listening to, because it sounds awfully-"

    "Actually," he continued, "I'll put it on, you can see which you prefer."

    She was about to open her mouth and continue with a lecture of her own, when he looked at her over his shoulder and gave her the grin that always left her silent. He had a knack for giving her that beaming smile when she was about to scold him; he must know how it affected her. Otherwise, he would never do it at such convenient times so consistently. But then again, Zac had a boyish, lucky charm about him that ended up doing things that got him exactly what he wanted... without even knowing it. She shook her head at him and pursed her lips in mock disapproval and he began playing his air guitar with such sudden childish abandon, Loren burst out in laughter. "Come on, then!" he beckoned, becoming more and more dramatic and intense with his air guitar as the seconds passed, the song blaring from his iPod dock, "Come on, don't make me look like a fool!"

    His laugh and enthusiasm and that terrible headbanging of his was infectious. With a little squeal of her own, Loren got to her feet beside him and grabbed the closest item, which happened to be a drumstick. She began lip-syncing into it, mouthing the words as accurately as she could. When she figured out the chorus, she burst into actual song, tilting her head back and belting out without giving a single thought to how her voice actually sounded. "I wanna be the last thing that you see," she sang to Zac, swaying her hips and turning to him, beckoning for him to come over with her hand, "Be my dearly departed." The two were making an absolute fool of themselves, but at the moment, Loren didn't really care. She never did, when Zac was around. With him, it was always about the fun. It was always about being happy. It was always about the two of them, being happy together.

    He flopped onto the bed once the song ended, laughing. Loren joined him on the bed and in laughter, the last burst coming out in a contented sigh. "Head rush!" he exclaimed as the next song began playing. Now this song was familiar. Her brother Adam had played this a couple of times before, in another life from long ago. She hummed along and watched Zac pick up the drumsticks, one of them still warm from her own sweaty palm gripping onto it. Oops, Loren thought, a little embarrassed at how tired she was after their little concert. She always had too much fun around him; her forehead was already slightly damp from her jumping and dancing, and she had just showered. But it was worth it, to see him smile and allow her to play his electric guitar. She worshiped the thing. She wanted to name it, actually, but had never asked Zac specifically. It was his, after all.

    She nodded gravely and took the electric guitar and began fumbling around with the chords until she found the right ones. "I'm readier than you are," she teased, exaggerating as she tossed her hair over her shoulder.

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Character Portrait: Loren Hanna Craft Character Portrait: Christopher Russell Character Portrait: Zac Barnes
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Zac raised an eyebrow at Loren's reply, still grinning. "Oh yeah? We'll see how long that lasts," He replied, twirling his drumstick in one hand as he pressed play with the other. The drums broke in straight away, and so did he. He couldn't help but start singing along, projecting his voice over his drumming. We watched Loren play along, her fingers sliding up and down the frets as easily as his own.

Drumming came to him so easily now, he didn't have to think about it anymore. He just lost himself in the music for those few minutes. He didn't care what anyone thought of him. He didn't think about what had happened to him, or what would happen to him. He simply focused on the music playing and the drum patterns he created. It was his one escape, his greatest passion. Guitar was the only thing that came close, and even that didn't offer the escapism that drumming did. It was the one time that he could forget the dark shadows that whispered in the back of his mind. It was worth the pain that sometimes came when he overdone it. It was worth his parents' reminders that he could very well screw up his back. Hell, the school had a healer. She could surely fix him up if anything went wrong.

He fueled all of his energy into the drumming, not being afraid to overdo it. As the music finished, he added one final improvised drum pattern, before throwing his hands, still gripping the drumsticks, into the air in triumph. He burst into laughter for no particular reason. Drumming just gave him an endorphin rush like no other. Chocolate, sugar, exhaustion, laughter- nothing could compare. He glanced up at Loren and the laughter just got worse.

The uncontrollable laughter reminded him of the time the doctor had prescribed him sleeping pills a few weeks after arriving at his current foster home. The nightmares had been strong, often happening several times a night. As a result, he had been left exhausted during the day. The doctor thought that sleeping pills and anti-depression medication would help. Neither had worked. When he took the sleeping pill at night, he had found himself trapped in the realm of nightmares, unable to escape them. The anti-depression meds hadn't exactly worked either. He had suffered exhaustion and paranoia, exactly as he had before taking them. However, a few hours later, he had suffered an endorphin rush and had been laughing without stop for fifteen minutes, before being hyperactive for hours after. The doctor had suggested keeping up the course of meds, hoping that the effect would start to kick in when his body was used to the drugs. The sleeping pills continued to lock him in the nightmaares, and while the laughing fit had been a once off, the hyperactivity had continued until the doctor had taken him off of the drugs. He still had a container of sleeping pills in his bedside locker for extreme insomnia.

Once he had recovered, he grinned at Loren. "Readier than me, eh? Not possible when it comes to drumming." He winked at her, still grinning, a little out of breath. "I don't need drugs or alcohol. Give me two drumsticks and I'm happy," He remarked, tapping out a few patterns on the drum set in front of him.

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Chris glared at his alarm clock. His hand reached out to slap it a few times. He still wasn't a morning person. His hand fished around on his bedside table, looking for a timetable. He eventually found it and held it over his face, seeing when his classes were. He only had one class today, and that wasn't until 12:15. Chris scanned his timetable, delighted to find that he had no classes on Friday.

He climbed out of bed, crossing the room to his bathroom. He showered, before heading back to his wardrobe. He stared at it for a moment or two, before deciding on an outfit. He wanted to get outside, and check out the sports facilities, see if they had improved or changed anything since his time, even if it was only five years ago. As he was lacing up his Converse, he stared at his hands. They bore no trace of the cuts from the day before, even though there should have been scarring. He needed to talk to Amy, badly. He needed to thank her. He needed to find out what was wrong with her.

He shook off the dark thoughts beginning to impose on his good mood and headed downstairs. He was hungry, and stopped briefly in the canteen to grab something to eat. There was a blonde head on the table a little distance away, but Chris decided not to interfere. While he ate, he observed the students- but carefully. He thought he would look a fool if he had his sunglasses on inside, but he was still careful not to be recognized. That would make things awkward. Once he was finished, he dropped the bowl back up to the servers and headed outside.

It was still early, but boy, it got bright quickly. Chris pulled on his aviators as he passed the pool, not wanting to be blinded by the reflection of the sun on the water. There wasn't many people outside at this time. Despite his reluctance to get up, Chris liked being outside early. The air was still clean and pure, not yet tainted by cigarette smoke. In Cali, it got bright early, without getting too hot. It was the perfect time just for a walk. Chris grinned as he strolled, enjoying himself.

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Character Portrait: Loren Hanna Craft Character Portrait: Zac Barnes
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    A long time ago, Loren had played the harp. Her mother had insisted on her being an expert at something, and thought being a skilled musician was ladylike, admirable, and proper. She had asked to learn the guitar; instead, she got a harp teacher, piano lessons, and a vocal teacher. It had been miserable. Though the instruments were beautiful and her voice became trained and superb, she found no freedom in it. She began to associate pianos, harps, and even singing as performances, because of the many times her mother asked her to play when and only when guests were over. "Loren, darling," she'd say during a party, "please, do sit and play piano for us." Or, "Loren, Mrs. Cove said she'd love to hear your singing voice." The harp was brought out on the most special occasions, to show off the Craft daughter's incredible skill at an instrument not only difficult, but also rarely played. She associated the instruments with a stiff formality that she had grown up with, and had grown to hate.

    But the electric guitar... now there was an instrument. Guitar solos and amazing sound, no one watching for a mistake, no one watching for the tiniest slip up to judge her family by. Loren could let herself go with the instrument she had wanted to play from the very beginning. She began to hum as she experimented, playing with new rhythms. She knew Zac didn't care; he let her be her own person, let her explore the boundaries and decide on what she wanted herself. It was one of the reasons she considered him her very best friend. She glanced at Zac, found him watching her, and smiled at him impishly. She found him most attractive when he was drumming, which wasn't surprising; who didn't love a man when he is most passionate? But Zac looked like a different person when he had two sticks in his hand. She could physically see him loosening up, and the two were so close that she could sense when he was about to improvise, when he was about to experiment, when he was about to calm down or play with the dynamics. She had learned his patterns, and wondered if he knew her own.

    The song ended as quickly as it began. Or at least, that was how Loren felt. She always felt that way after playing, always wanted more time with the music. This jam session with Zac was one of her most treasured times; they bonded the most here, connected in a way that most people wouldn't understand. They could enter heaven with a single note, and the two of them had a deep understanding of each other in this area. Zac began to laugh wildly, his sounds of mirth increasing in volume when the two made eye contact. Loren shook her head at him, grinning in spite of herself. He was so crazy, especially after he got to bash on his drums. It was almost childlike, and it made her feel a little motherly towards him. Seeing him so carefree made her want to protect him and keep him that way.

    But the thing was, he didn't let her in. It upset her sometimes, thinking about the things she didn't know completely about him. She knew him well enough to know that there was something murky in his past, but he had never brought it up, and she cared about him too much to ask. Why didn't he let her in? But these thoughts would only bring her down, and when she was with Zac, she didn't want to be down. He would find out immediately, pester her until she told him why, and that would bring on a spew of problems... especially since it was him that was making her upset. So she started laughing too, setting aside the contemplation for a later time, when she was alone. His drumming at the end had been impressive, and it was enough to make her swell in pride. Her best friend was talented, a genius; how could she not be happy?

    "Readier than me, eh?" Zac said. She loved it when he was like this, all teasing and playful. It made her feel comfortable.

    "Of course," Loren replied, mocking arrogance and flipping her hair back.

    "Not possible when it comes to drumming." He winked then, and Loren giggled. It had always amused her, how winking came so naturally to him. She had grown up in a strict household, and hardly anyone she knew ever winked. Adam had tried, once, but told her that it felt weird and foreign. They were grown up prim and proper, always restricted and refined. So winking was too casual, too silly, too normal for the Craft family and the society they were deeply embedded in. Every time she saw someone wink, she felt a little weird and awkward. It had taken a few years before she got used to winking, recognized that it was only her upbringing that made it seem strange, that it was normal and fun and playful. But it didn't change anything about the way it made her feel.

    "Well, in drumming, yes," Loren admitted, her body beginning to move with the beat he began to play, "but in everything else?" She leveled her gaze, raising an eyebrow at him while smiling fondly at him. He was right; he was always happiest with his two drumsticks. She wondered just how social he would be if it was possible to drum every second of the day. In the beginning of their friendship, when she first realized just how passionate he was about drumming, Loren had thought it cute. Imagine the girl he would love with a depth that surpassed his love of drumming; it was adorable to think about. Sometimes, she looked at Zac and saw a whole love story played out with a sweet girl, cute and simple and adorable, charming enough to draw him away from drums for a whole week and win his heart over.

    She never wanted to see him give up drumming, but sometimes, when she watched him acting like this, Loren thought of how lucky the person who could keep him away from the kit was. It would be the easiest way to see how much Zac cared for you, if you could keep Zac away from the drums. But she supposed anyone who loved Zac just as deeply wouldn't dare stop his drumming. The rhythm was a part of Zac, and it couldn't be changed. Ever.

    "Well then, we're going to have to ditch the next party and camp out in here, drumming away!" Loren announced, beginning to play a little tune with the electric guitar to match Zac's beat. She was content right here, playing an instrument, a few feet away from Zac but still in the same room with him, connecting in a way that touch couldn't dream to supply. That was the beauty of music: bonding.