IMAGINARY FRIENDS ⋆

we are officially full! for now...any playable roles you would like to add in the future?

more psychic kids!	33.3%	[ 13 ]
we could play some of the spirits in the house?	43.6%	[ 17 ]
how about the teachers?	5.1%	[ 2 ]
outside people (i.e. friends, family, cops, etc)	5.1%	[ 2 ]
no more roles, it's fine like this.	12.8%	[ 5 ]
Total Votes:			[ 39 ]

[bultaoreune]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxlocation STAIRCASExxxcompany ERISxxxoutfit XOXO

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Monroe's attempts to clear his name of what was said about him had been understood, to which I nodded in agreement. I had learned a long time ago to take what Beckett said with a grain of salt, which I often wondered if kept on my person, would that ward him away? It did much for the malevolent spirits who tried to enter the house, so why did it do nothing to him? He was a demon who had entered my life to worsen my punishment, for when I'd finally begun to get some condolence and strength to resist, he arrived. He was my impending doom.

I knew Monroe would never hurt me, which was why I treasured him as much as I did. He treated me like an equal, tried to help me, and genuinely cared for me; the others in the house could feel the familial connection but none of them really embodied it like he did to me. If there was a place to feel safe in this place, it was with him. Aislinn was a great caregiver, that much was certain, but she had the tendency to play mommy which some of the time didn't sit well with me. I didn't need a mother role played in my life, and no matter how great it was to have a lot of the time, the voices would always tell me otherwise. And sometimes I would listen.

As Monroe moved to leave, my heart sank in my chest. Was he truly disappointed in me after all? My thoughts swirled around his face, and I only made myself feel worse. For a fleeting second I tried to convince myself that it was all in my head, that I was once again imagining things, but then the voices joined the conversation. You've upset him. He can't stand being around you any longer. You don't want him around, either. You're glad he's left. I was able to resist the latter orders, but the first words resonated in my mind and were repeated over and over again. You've upset him. You've upset him. You've upset him. It was stuck there, I couldn't escape it this time, so it sunk and I curled my toes so far within my boots that I nearly broke them. I had a habit of curling my toes in when I felt depressed or uncomfortable, and one time I actually had broken my left second toe. I literally had more strength in my little toes than I did in the rest of my forsaken, dirty body.

I didn't know what to say when I was left alone with Aislinn; I figured she already knew everything there was to know about how I was feeling, since she could read my aura and just know. It was terrifying to be so easily read, so I hardly liked talking about it. But I knew she saw everything. She could see my sadness that Monroe had left, my twisted attraction to Beckett, and my disappointment in myself. I wondered for a moment what color all of that would be, but I was not given much time to mull over the thought, as she too piped up and said something inaudible to my mind, although I did hear "yourself".

Suddenly, Leigh brushed past me and caught me off guard. I leaped to the side and clung to the railing of the staircase tightly, my eyes following her in tepid fear as she left with hardly a word I couldn't hear anyway. Aislinn left to follow, and that left me alone once again.

I didn't mind too much; solitude was a tricky thing to get in the Delphi House, unless you confined yourself to your room, but even then you couldn't lock the door. The staff wanted to prevent...erm, "accidents" as they called them, but everyone knew they were assaults and suicides and other tragedies that had befallen the previous tenants of the house who couldn't last the long run. I'd seen plenty of kids come and go in my three years, and had even left once myself, but returned upon realizing how helpless I had become. I needed to stay in the house to survive, for once I was out on my own, the world caved in around me and swallowed me whole. When I'd left I was prepared for anything, but came back in tatters and bruises. I didn't remember what happened, but I assumed it was for the best that I didn't.

I was about to get up and change into something a little less disgusting, but before I could even will myself off the stair, Eris showed up. The curly-haired demon had me by the throat at all times; I was under her subjugation, carrying out her every will as if she was a god and I was her faithful follower. She possessed my every thought and twisted it to fit her needs. Most of the time I feared for myself in her presence, but sometimes I didn't mind. A part of me craved being dominated, and although I tried very hard to suppress it, it always found a way of surfacing. As she spoke, I got the words "awful", "call", and "fight". It took me a brief moment of staring up at her (a welcome change, since she was way shorter than me and kind of an embarrassment to be following) to piece it together, but when I did, I hesitantly replied, "It wasn't a fight." No, it was the exact opposite. But I wouldn't tell her that.

She told me to go outside so I immediately stood, the voices in my head pushing me along with her commands. As I did, Noah grazed by and spoke, but I heard none of what he said. My head was filled with kill her, make her suffer, burn her to ashes, and thoughts of scarily similar nature. I waved gently as he left, however, and turned back to Eris briefly. "I-I'm going to grab my guitar," I meekly informed her, before running up the stairs before she had a chance to protest. We were both only on the second floor so it wouldn't take me long to grab it, so I figured the faster I ran, the less bitter she would be.

My legs ached with each step I hopped, still regrettably achy from earlier. It wouldn't be long, I figured, before I could sit and relax and make it all better. I entered my room and looked around for my dark guitar case, but as I glimpsed my reflection in my mirror, I realized I would need to put something else on before the staff yelled at me. I tore off Monroe's shirt and grabbed the nearest sweater and pulled it on, ignoring everything else. I put on different shoes and when I was done, tied Monroe's shirt around my waist. Grabbing my case, I slung it over my shoulder and bolted from my room, stopping at the top of the stairs as Eris's room enticed me.

Go in, take something. Destroy the room. Get her in trouble.

No...she would punish me for that. I resisted only out of my fear of retaliation, and flew back down the stairs, nearly falling at the end as I met back with Eris, my breath ragged and chest heaving. "A-Alright...let's go." I waited for Eris to move, allowing her to take control of the both of us. I left everything to her, as always; the decisions were hers to make, and mine to oblige.
x
x
x

[Artemyes]

I looked up from my phone a moment after hearing the telltale click of the lighter being used. I raised a hand just as Leigh threw the lighter back, catching it nimbly and promptly stuffing it back into my pocket.

"Yeah," was my response to her quiet thanks. That was more or less the extent of our exchange of words, since again Leigh wasn't all that talkative and I wasn't really the type to push it. A second later I looked back to her though, having sworn I'd heard her say something else; pointless. That was what she'd called this attempt at a get-together. "...Exactly," I said, cracking the briefest of smirks before dropping my gaze back to my phone.

Silence filled the air after that, though not necessarily in a bad way. Leigh looked pretty occupied with whatever she was drawing in that sketchbook that seemed to be an attached accessory of hers, and art had never really been my thing so I wasn't all that curious. I was more interested in all this being over - patience was not one of my strong suits.

It was a bit chilly considering the time of day and all, but I'd gotten used to it hours ago. That being said though, for whatever reason, I felt a deeper chill pass through me. It wasn't something familiar, but at the same time, it wasn't unfamiliar either. At that very moment, I finally looked back up from some crappy video I didn't even know why I was watching, to see Leigh look in my direction. She didn't say a word, but she had begun to act rather strange in only a few short moments. She dropped everything, looking all of a sudden really bothered about something, though as far as I could tell there was nothing I could see.

I frowned, glancing behind me, only to see nothing out of the ordinary. As I turned back to demand Leigh tell me what the hell she was freaking out about though, she bolted for the house.

"...Well, that was ********] I muttered to myself, dropping my phone into the pocket of my sweater and getting slowly to my feet. Leigh's actions were just another point, another piece of evidence against the soundness of an idea like gathering a bunch of freaks together under one roof. Spirits murmured and wandered and whispered all over the place - I could hear one from some direction off to my left, but it wasn't a hostile one. If anything, it was murmuring some crude s**t, which might have been funny if it weren't for the fact that Leigh bolting and me not knowing the reason was doing a good job of stoking my temper. Another spirit milling around the backyard seemed eager to latch onto my irritation at the lack of things I knew, but I ignored it.

I took a breath, trying to siphon my own anger away. I stayed that way for a moment, before snapping out of whatever weird lethargy I'd fallen into. I glanced back at the bench where Leigh had been sitting only a few minutes before, catching sight of her sketchbook once more. Frown deepening, I stepped over to it, picking it up to see if it could possibly give me any clues on as to what had just happened. The page that it was on looked like the vague beginning of ... I didn't know. Some trees? I grunted, before flipping the book over. I was half prepared to just toss the book back onto the bench, thinking that Leigh would eventually come back for it. Instead, I did a double take, not sure I believed what I was seeing.

The first image I had seen might not have been finished enough to be discernible, but this second one sure as hell looked like a face. And though the sketch was still far from finished, mostly made up of light lines, I was pretty sure it looked familiar. After all, I had seen that face - my face plenty of times in the mirror before. It did look like me, didn't it? There was a darker, jagged line that stood out from the other lighter pencil marks, that looked as if it'd been made abruptly - as if she'd just jerked her drawing to a stop.

I flipped the book shut and dropped it back to the bench, before returning to my own seat. That was some artist s**t, wasn't it? Drawing people, though I couldn't say I liked the idea of it happening without me knowing.

I glanced over my shoulder, catching sight of Noah coming into the backyard with a cup of coffee in hand. "Hey,"" I greeted shortly, though if he heard me or not, I didn't know. I stretched my legs out, getting more and more impatient with this whole bonfire s**t. I had better things to do than sit around here. Like figuring out my powers, for one.

[Misses Indie]

in the land of gods and monsters, i was an angel

living in the garden of evil
screwed up, scared, doing anything that i needed
shining like a fiery beacon


no one's gonna take my soul away

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I stayed like that for awhile, even after my throat was raw from the scream, with my arms wrapped around
my legs, still crouching. I couldn't tell if it had made me feel any better, or worse. It was all pointless
anyways, nothing would make me feel better ever again. My eyes started to water slightly, but I tried to push
back the tears. Don't cry, don't cry. It'll think you're weak, it'll think it's winning, I told myself. It was
true, the darkness would see this as another victory over me, it will think that it's starting to break me.
And it wasn't. I'd never let it. Just as I was starting to pull myself together, there was the sound of footsteps
coming towards me. Slowly raising my head, Aislinn came into my view, and sat down in front of me.
Sweet Aislinn, always looking after others and never herself. It was easy to tell this was the case as well, she was
looking worse for wear, more than usual. Despite my attempts at assuring her I didn't need her help, she
still couldn't help but try with me. We sat there for a few minutes in silence, just looking at one another.
She was most likely trying to read my aura and decipher what was going on with me. But she didn't pry, or
push questions on me. All she did was take a pack of gum from her jacket and offer me a piece. A smile, genuine
smile reached my lips. "No.."I started roughly, but stopping as I realized my throat was more raw than I thought.
I cleared my throat and tried again. "No thank you Aislinn, I'm fine," I said, the small smile still on my face.

Not too long afterwards, more footsteps sounded behind me, and looking over my shoulder, my heart skipped
a small beat. Monroe! He must have heard me too, I thought to myself, feeling ashamed that so many people
were concerning themselves over me. Though if anyone in the house would, Monroe and Aislinn would be
the ones to do it. Keeping the same small smile on my face, I stood up and straightened out, brushing debris
off my pants. "I'm fine, thank you Monroe, there's no need to be worried. I'm going to head back now,
the bonfire will be starting soon," I said softly, trying to keep my tone upbeat. Looking back at Aislinn,
I attempted to smile a little more for her. "You should go get some rest you're going to wear
yourself too thin Aislinn. None of us would want that," I said, genuine concern in my voice. I made my
way back to the house, taking my time getting to the front door. Stopping in the entry way, a sudden thought hit me,
and I ran up the stairs to the third floor, entering my room and closing the door. Sitting on the edge of
my bed, I opened up the drawer on my bedside table, and took out a copy of "Paradise Lost" by John Milton.
I flipped to the middle, where the rest of the book was cut out, and inside laid a prescription pill bottle.
My anti-depressants. No one knew I had these, no one knew I was medicated, not even Monroe. The only person
who did was Marie, and that's because she had to be informed about everything regarding medication.
Taking it out, I stared at it for what seemed like forever. Did I remember to take them today?
I don't think I did. Maybe that's why the woods happened, I thought to myself, biting my lip trying
to remember. Shrugging, I figured doubling up on a dose couldn't hurt anything, so I unscrewed the top off and
shook one out and popped it in my mouth, and swallowed. It went down hard, and I gave a small grimace as I put
the top back on and placed it back in the book. Closing the cover, I looked at it for awhile, thinking of
the irony of it all, waiting for the meds to kick in. After a bit, I put the book back and headed once again to the back yard.

More people were starting to gather, as the bonfire was getting closer to starting. Alex was still there, now joined by
Noah, who was having a smoke. Walking back over the bench I was sitting at, I noticed my sketchpad had
been moved slightly. I frowned a bit, wondering if I was going crazy or not. But I was sure that I hadn't left it
how it was now. Looking around a bit, no one that was there had been when I left. Except Alex. My heart
leaped into my throat. If was the one who moved it, then surely... Oh please, please tell me he
didn't get curious and looked inside. Please tell me he didn't see. He's going to think I'm even more of
a freak if he did. Oh s**t, oh s**t, oh s**t. my mind went racing, and I almost started to hyperventilate.
Grabbing my sketchpad, I put it back into my bag, putting everything back on the bench. I needed a smoke,
I had to calm down.

Grabbing my pack out of my pocket, I took one out. Putting in between my lips, I remembered that my
lighter was still busted. But at least there were more people here now, so I could avoid any contact with
Alex. Walking over to Noah, I tried to smile around the cigarette still hanging from my lips. "Hey,
can I steal a light? Mine's busted," I mumbled around the cigarette. I knew he'd come through
for me, as we shared many a smokes together, mainly while I painted, and Noah...well, just kind of hung
around. He was easy going though, and let me have my space, so I never minded. He wasn't like Monroe,
but then again, no one really was. And that thought made me smile.

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[Semi Aquatic Mammal]

main color - #44bbcc secondary color - #77aa33

It takes a while but a smile, a genuine smile breaks out on Leigh's face when she realizes what I'm holding in my hand is a pack of gum. Her aura
brights just a little bit and I can't help but feel a sense of victory, which I probably need after my failed attempt to look after Darcy. She refuses my
offer with a little laugh and I smile too as I tuck the gum back into my pocket. "Worth a try," I say as I watch her aura flicker and change again.
She's calmer now, even a little amused although whatever upset and embarrassed her is still on the edge of her mind, as I watch. It's probably a little
strange for the others, how much time I spend watching them but I don't really care. A calm silence sits between us for a few more moments as
Leigh prepares herself to get up and return to the group. We should both probably be getting to the bonfire now, when I left the fire pit no one else
was there and there was a distinct lack of fire, but some time has passed since then.

I'm getting ready to stand and to encourage her to get up as well when Monroe arrives, whose becoming a bit of a mother hen himself. "Are you okay?"
he questions Leigh. Leigh says something in response but I'm not listening, I'm analyzing Monroe's aura, which is noticeably redder than the
last time I saw him, which was maybe ten minutes earlier. It's Beckett red for one, and I make a mental note to have words with the b*****d at some
point in the evening. But Monroe's aura is slightly purple too, an odd shade that takes me a moment or two to understand. It hits me after second:
he's crushing on Leigh. I push myself up to stand with Leigh and Monroe.

"You should go get some rest you're going to wear yourself too thin Aislinn. None of us would want that," says Leigh to me, genuinely
trying to be nice to me. I know her words are caring, friendly, and sweet, but they make me laugh. I don't sleep, I can't sleep, I won't sleep. Not
without some help, anyway. I wave her off, and say "Sure." Monroe also suggests moving back to the bonfire. I nod in agreement, and the group
sets off towards the house. I hang back a step or two, just to see if Monroe will walk with Leigh, but he doesn't, to my amusement.

It takes a few moments for me to pick my way through the woods and back towards Delphi. I don't smell smoke, which isn't totally surprising
since there are a fair number of people in the house who probably shouldn't be in charge of lighting and handling fires. I slip through the house
and into the backyard where a few residents of the house have gathered already, including Alex, Noah and Leigh. I make a beeline for the fire pit
where my earlier work remains untouched. Pulling the matches from my pocket, I kneel down by the pit and spark up a match and then carefully
place it onto the kindling. I blow on the flame and watch it grow, spreading to the other leaves and dry grasses I had collected earlier. A few matches
are sacrificed for the good of the fire until I procure a reasonably sized flame that grows, taking hold on one of the logs.

I stand up, tucking the matches back into my pocket and dust off my legs and knees. I look around for a moment, searching to see if anyone
had brought out the food yet. My surveying says no, but I catch a glimpse of Monroe in the kitchen, and place my trust in him to procure the food.

Backing away from the fire a little, I take a seat on one of the benches around the fire and pull my jacket around me a bit more, the weather's
cooled a bit since I first came outdoors. It's quiet for a while, Noah and Leigh sharing a smoke, which I strongly disagree with but bite my
tongue about, and Alex standing about looking rather grumpy. I entertain myself by analyzing their auras to the fullest extent, something
I usually don't do. Typically, when I read, I just glance and take impressions of what I get. I start with Alex.

Alex's aura is faintly pinkish and surprisingly bright. He's bored, for one thing, uncomfortable with having to come to the bonfire and
socialize with the others. All of the newcomers share the same reluctance to socialize with the freaks in the Delphi house, but Alex's
determination to resist friendships and my guidance is particularly notable. I spend a millisecond looking at his picturesque arms before
moving onto Noah. Noah is purple, through and through. He's noticeably less grumpy than Alex, alternating between sipping on his
coffee and smoking, two things which I find detestable but once more shut my mouth about. Noah is a good friend, someone I spend
night with, just talking. He too suffers from insomnia, and it's always good to have a bit of company when you can't shut your
eyes, turn off your brain, and stop it from thinking about all of the information its collected that day. Leigh stands next to Noah. She
is considerably calmer than she was earlier to my relief. I'm not sure what drove her into the woods, but there's probably a reason
why she's doing her best to keep from socializing with Alex.

I scrunch my eyes shut for a moment and then turn my gaze to the burgeoning flames. I can't tell which burns more, the bright
lights of the fire or the overwhelming glow of all of the auras inside the house waiting to be read.

LONG LIVE MADBUM

[DUSKKTODAWNN]

I watch Monroe slip into a silent panic over my observation. I can't help but categorize Monroe as helpless, it did not require a genius to see the sort of special treatments he had dealt to Leigh. He is trying to construct himself by pretending he is calm, but I know better. I know him. I continue with long strides to the house, my lips pressed tight as I choose to only observe the interactions from house mate to house mate. I didn't fit in, I knew this much. I was different than them. They had spirits to be plagued with, I had demons. My posture remains straightened in an intimidating way, that really demonstrates how I tower over everyone else. I could have sworn that in the past few months I have shot up a few inches, I credit this to the knew "friend" I have made all those months ago. He is making me a better specimen of the darkness, or so I like to think.

My eyes flicker from Monroe and Leigh, a small grin creeps to my chapped lips as I run the tip of my tongue along the corner of my mouth, my lips twinge with stings as my tongue grazes over raw pieces of my mouth. My body cannot keep up with the new habit it has developed; lip licking. My hand still tightly dangles Bugs, who hangs helplessly at my side. As I listen to the awkwardness of their interaction flood the atmosphere, I look down to the creature. I can't help but look at this idiotic animal and relate it to everyone else in this stupid fu**ing house-- a lost cause. I begin to swing my arm around, feeling a fire ignite within me as the rabbit kicks its back legs. Ah, there you go, my friend. I thought you died of fright.

The wind punches through my hair, as I realize Monroe has finished his interaction with his secret love. My dark eyes flicker to her, as I examine her in a way that is meant to make her feel uncomfortable. I don't like how she draws Monroe's attention from my demands, I have a plan for Monroe. She will not deter him from what I have in store for him. I release a silent sneer to the others, as I make my way into the house. I follow Monroe silently, as I begin to ponder about what I was really doing here. I knew I would never be controlled, not even by myself. My new friend would always have some sort of control over me, after all, he owned my soul. My ears perk as they pick up Monroe's high pitched voice, it is a distinctive voice. It is full of eagerness and hesitation.

I clear my throat and mutter a drawn out response, "This animal is all I have for amusement in this God-for-saken place." I can feel rage swell within me, and I could swear my eyes begin to burn. My vision begins to blur and swirl about, as traces of red begin to flood my view. You want to have some fun? The voice scratches into my head, and I feel myself surrendering. I look to my reflection that peers at me from the glass of one of the windows. I can hardly recognize myself, my dark chestnut eyes are now a hue of red. It's starting. My free hand begins to twitch, as the veins begin to pop out of my arms and hands. It's time to be immortal, and I deserve to feel like God.

"Fool." My voice is deeper, and is radiates through my chest. I do not directly look to Monroe, but I motion my free hand towards him. A laugh pushes through me that is more sinister than mocking, "I have better things to do with the night than unravel your unrequited love. The fire burns and I have other plans to burn." I watch him run inside, and I begin to lick my lips again. My breathing increases, as I release a giggle under my breath now and then. I feel high, higher than anyone else here. I have the bidding of the devil to do. I raise the rabbit up to my face, as I begin to walk away from the house and back into the woods.

I talk gibberish to the animal, and at this point I am not even sure what I am saying to it. The rabbit is calm, and it remains still. It is like I have coaxed it into a hypnotized manner and it does not mind that I am yanking it around by it's skin. I have flooded this creatures fears completely, and I have thwarted them. I switch in between bushes, carrying on a incoherent conversation with a wild animal in the shadows of the trees. I don't need anyone in that house. I do not need Eris, my nose cringes at the thought of her. Eris thinks she is the queen of the Delphi house. She has ran her reign for far too long, little does she know her reign is coming to an end.

She is weak, drunk on a power that is built solely on her aggressive personality. I am different, I am flooded with darkness. It was only a matter of time before I got her alone and showed her who the Big Bad Wolf really is. She will never look at me the same. My thoughts switch to Noah, and I smile. Noah came to me in regards of heeling a wound. Foolish boy, he did not take my abilities seriously but after the "accidental" outcome of the healing, he has an idea of what I am capable of. When it came to Leigh and Alex, I had no justification to feel negatively of them, I just did. I didn't have a reason to dislike them. I just decided I didn't like them. Ais thought she was my new mother, and I really hated that. She was not in charge of me.

Monroe was a different kind of hatred. He wanted so badly to get into my head, to see how I viewed things. He wanted to be friends. I chortle at the though of it. I do not want to be friends with him, I just want to make his life miserable for my own amusement. I needed him to do my bidding, on the other hand, he didn't make me feel so isolated from the others. I wince at the idea of actually liking him as a human being. "This simply won't do." I hiss, as I pin my back against a tree trunk.

Then there was Darcy, I couldn't say I honestly hated her, I loathed her. I loathed the way she flooded the room with her scent whenever she was near me. I hated how she looked at me in a way that made me feel human again. I couldn't stand how she said my name, or how innocent I perceived her to be. My thoughts transition to the darkness of her, and I begin to feel a hunger that only she could feed. My mind replays the scene from that night, when she released her inner animal on me. I crave to see her like that again, I need to feel the heat from her again. "F***." I drop the rabbit on the ground, for I know Darcy would never forgive me if I did anything to this animal.

The rabbit flops around in the bushes for a moment, before it sits up and looks to me. It won't run away, it remains staring at me. I feel my eyebrow shoot up, as I feel puzzled. Why isn't it running away? We both stare at each other for a moment, and I realize that it isn't just a rabbit anymore. My little friend has temporarily taken refuge within the small mammal. My face contorts into a smile, as I clap my hands in glee. "This is going to be fun."


OOC: I am on my phone. My laptop is having issues turning on, so I am getting it fixed right now. I will fix the layout when I get home.

[warwick avenue b]

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YOU WANNA KNOW HOW I KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU
YOU WANNA KNOW IF IT'S SOMETHING SPECIAL
YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, SOMEHOW I HEAR YOU SAY
IT CAN'T BE TRUE, IT'S AS THOUGH YOU'RE READING ME



"Have you heard from them?" I questioned Marie when I finally got the alone time with her. I was afraid of her answer but I needed to know. She looked at me with tell-tell eyes and I frowned. "No, not recently, honey." She said and placed her hand on my shoulder. I accepted her physical contact. She was definitely like a mother I never had the privilege of having. I reach over and grab the Hershey bars, graham crackers, and marshmallows. I also grabbed a case of Coke. I could imagine the dehydration that would be felt tonight. "I feel like one of the kids on television," I said with a voice full of regret. I never got to experience the little things. I was too busy practicing my dominion over people. But Marie knew that. Instead of speaking once more, I gave her a soft smile before departing outside where everyone else seemed to be gathering. My eyes immediately shifted to Noah and Leigh. It's impossible for me not to be a bit jealous when it came to Leigh. "She probably likes tough guys." I think before I walk besides Aislinn. I smile at her as I kneel beside her and place the items on a small table next to the fire. I noticed her faint distaste for the flickering red of the fire and smirked before sitting down beside her.

"What do you see?" I question, "My aura, what do you see?" I clarified. I sat there wanting my glow to appear vastly different from that of which I knew I maintained whenever I was around Beckett. I wasn't the same when I was with him. I just wanted her to know that. For Leigh to know that. For Darcy, specifically Darcy, to know that I wasn't the bad guy Beckett tried to force me out to be. But I digressed and switched the conversation after her answer, "Is it hard being around so many people and so many bright lights?" I asked as I kick off some dirt from my shoe. "I used to have a problem with so much thinking back when I was in elementary school and couldn't control how many minds I accessed." I said, licking my lips, "I can control it now but can you control what you see?" I questioned once more. Aislinn's gift had always struck me as beautiful. I felt it was the complete reason for her motherly behavior. She knew off the bat when someone was feeling different by the color they emitted. It was noninvasive and I knew it could work so well in the long run. I envied her. I wished I could know what Leigh and Darcy were feeling without having to pry into their life. It would come in handy especially with Leigh.

As I looked around and at the trees, I felt Beckett's dominion for some reason. I felt he was doing something entirely evil and I frowned. "Why can't I get through to him." I thought, "Am I changing?" I knew the answer but chose to remain oblivious for reasons I chose not to even think about.

"This feels all too campy." I joked with a smile at Aislinn. "Guys, we're starting the bonding time." I said with a smirk as I looked around at mostly everyone who was clinging to cigarettes. It was a disgusting habit, that I wished I had never even picked up. I couldn't help but connect my eyes to Leigh. I wondered if she thought be as much as I thought about her. Absentmindedly, my hands went to the chocolate. I was hungry and I knew the sugary goodness would satisfy me for the time being - or up until I decided to go and raid the kitchen.

I had the faint feeling that Beckett would appear before us all with the rabbit skinned and on a stick, ready to roast it. I don't know why this thought pleased me so much. It would have made me happy to see it all occur but I knew it would spark some anger and some disgust and I would have to fake it. I would have to pretend. "At least you're good at that."

I took out a few pieces of chocolate before I put the package back on the table. I chewed them and looked around the fire as the world around us all became darker and darker. I liked the blue, purple, and black shades the sky was taking. I wondered if that's how Aislinn felt about Aura's and if they were beautiful to her. I looked back around at everyone and couldn't help but let my eyes find Leigh. I thought about how beautiful she looked with the red lights flickering against her complexion.

"Let her burn!" The spirit was back and this time I could see him. He was seemingly standing in the fire and I looked around to see if anyone could perceive him but it turned out to be only me - well I hoped. I couldn't react like I would if I was in my bedroom. Or alone. Or anywhere else but here. I looked away from the spirit but he got closer her. I took a deep breath, exhaling my fear and hoping to just appear annoyed. I could make out a grin before he disappeared once again. I looked around me a bit frantically before I took another sigh.

"So are we supposed to sing camp songs or something," I asked to everyone as I chewed on the chocolate. I wanted to just attack the marshmallows but I chose not to. "I never went to camp so I don't know how bonfires are supposed to go." I reached out and grabbed a coke from the case. "Any ideas?" I asked with my eyes shifting from either Leigh or Aislinn.

ooc: this was bad but i wanted to post so this wouldn't die. don't hate me.

[Semi Aquatic Mammal]

main color - #44bbcc secondary color - #77aa33

Thankfully, Monroe emerges with the food rather quickly. He places them down beside me, and then, to my surprise, he takes the seat next to me.
I would've pegged him for going over to Leigh, but his aura soon tells me he's a little nervous, a little anxious, but generally happy with himself, something
that is always nice to see. I do not take joy from seeing the people around me falling to bits, although sometimes I suspect some of the other residents
in the house think I do because of my tendencies to try and fix everyone else's problems. His next question catches me rather off-guard, legitimately
surprising me.

"What do you see?" he asks. "My aura, what do you see?" I raise an eyebrow. The question makes me more uncomfortable than it should, probably.
People never ask about my powers. I get the feeling sometimes, especially when the others talk about their powers, that some of the other residents
at delphi don't really understand my power, don't really see it as a force because my power is always on, always working. It's not physical, something
only I can see. I decide to be gentle with Monroe, because even as he speaks his aura flickers a little; he's nervous about my answer. "Everyone has
their own signature color," I say. "Yours is a baby blue. It flickers and changes all of the time, but your own personal color always stays with
you, unless something horrible has happened." Monroe's mind flickers to red, and then purple briefly, he's probably thinking about Leigh and Beckett.

Monroe pries deeper.

"Is it hard being around so many people and so many bright lights?" he asks. "I used to have a problem with so much thinking back when
I was in elementary school and couldn't control how many minds I accessed. I can control it now but can you control what you see?" Poor,
deluded Monroe. He thinks too highly of what I see. I smile weakly him, his aura searing my eyes. Then I shake my head in response to his questions. "No,
I see everyone's auras all of the time, there is no turning it off." I struggle for a moment to describe the sensation in a way that he might understand.
Not everyone has their eyes burned everywhere they look. "It's a little bit like when you look at the sun during broad daylight, except that burning
feeling is there all of the time, and everyone around you is bright like the surface of the sun." That was probably too dark for the bonfire, I'm the
mother hen of the house, I'm supposed to be helping the others in the house, not telling sob stories of my powers. I'm stronger than that, stronger than the
others. Thankfully, Monroe changes the subject of the conversation once more, the sweet guy that he is. Monroe and Leigh would make a good couple, I decide.
I resolve to start pushing them together ever-so-slightly, like a game.

"This feels all too campy." he jokes, smiling at me. I laugh a little, and say, "I never went to camp, I wouldn't know. Does running away from home
at fourteen count?" Monroe launches into making himself some food with the chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows he brought out a few minutes
prior. I let him take the lead. I impale a marshmallow on a stick beside the fire pit, and stick it over the fire to roast. The fire is roaring now, I'm pretty happy
with my fire-starting ability. I watch the marshmallow roast and darken over the fire for a little bit, before withdrawing the stick and building myself a s'more.
I've only ever had them a few times, but anytime marshmallow is involved that dish is guaranteed to be good. I sit back to munch for a little while. I track
Monroe's eyes over to Leigh once, a union which I am becoming more of a fan of by the moment. It's not often pleasant things like two people falling in love
happens at delphi. In all my five years in the house, I've seen awful things, twisted people and lost souls but not a happy, healthy and loving relationship between
two residents. It's a nice change.

"So are we supposed to sing camp songs or something?" Monroe asks, breaking my train of thought. I shake my head at him again. We're certainly not
the group to sing. "I'm not sure many of us are singers," I say. "But these s'mores are pretty damn good, I say, and then take another bite out of the
one in my hand. I look around again. Much of the group is still missing. I look back to the house, but can't manage to make our their auras through the windows.
"I think the real question is, where is everyone else?"

LONG LIVE MADBUM BUT HOW GOOD WAS MY CROPPING IN THIS POST GUIZE OH s**t