♥ In The Name Of The Moon! ♥ Schoolkid RESULTS! PG 57!

[matisha]

IN THE NAME OF THE MOON! WRITING COMPETITION? SCHOOLKID COMP!

Name:Venice Malloroyx [Ven-is] [Mall-oh-rocks]

Nicknames: Veevee, (Roller Derby - Vengeful Venice)

Gender:Female

Age:20

School/Job: Sovereign Heights

Fav. Food: Cheeseburgers, fries, pasta (anything tinned or processed )

Hated Food:Mushrooms @_@ she hates them.

Hobbies:

Roller Derby Venice's first + quite possibly only love (aside from a few affairs here and there) in the entire universe! Having never fitted the stereotype of a girly girl Venice took to roller derby like a fish to water, and her life soon revolved around the sport, from 6am training sessions to all night session after winning a game, it was as they say her calling. Know as Vengeful Venice on the court she started life as a pivot, but moved over to the blocker position later on in her derby career. She is now the the leader and co-fonder of Deck'Em Dolls a new Roller derby group set up for girls 18 + (17 if you show a lot of heart). If you want to join she is more than happy to lend an ear, as long as you can take an elbow to your gullet (where ever that may be) she is willing to listen.

Spray Painting:When Venice isn't knee deep in mud or oil she is spending her 'free' time expressing herself through her 'art' -- well, if you can call it that. What started as a rebellious act to write rude words on school property soon became a beloved hobby and Venice's talent for using spray paint became apparent after a short while. Now she uses her skills to paint cars and her beloved quad bikes. Although she knows her skills may never be internationally recognised as artistic talent, it wont stop her from painting your new car with florescent green moon monsters over the bonnet....even if you didn't ask.

Quad biking: Next to her skates, quad biking is her other love affair, a gift bestowed to her via her late father. Not everybody loves this gift as much as Venice though, let alone the neighbours or the police (on occasion), her mother and siblings all have to put up with the grease and grime that stems from this hobby, including the 3am wake up calls of her driving back after an evenings "adventure" (see where the police come in?) - a good girl at heart, she just cant resit revving that engine whatever the time.]

Singing: The girl may be no good at it but if she isn't screaming out the latest hits to her friends she is humming her way through another repair job on her bike. She isn't terrible, just not professional standard (this is what she tells people before singing for them...and she is, she is truly terrible) and life would be quite boring to her if she couldn't sing, even normal everyday responses are in threat of having tuneless notes added to the end of them. To decide between all 4 of her favourite hobbies and to choose just one would be a cruel fate, there is nothing like riding your quad bike into the sunset shouting out the Greatest Abba songs while gaining inspiration for your next paint job or mocking a losing team with "another one bites the dust."

Virtues:

Confidence/Outgoing: Ever needed the Dutch courage of a few vodkas without the nasty after effect? Then just supply yourself a tall helping of Venice. If you ever needed someone to ask that cute guy for a date, or to buy those embarrassing beauty products from said cute guy at the checkout, then Venice is more than happy to do it for you. She's not a push over mind, she just has the confidence to do it, and when it comes to helping out friends she is more than happy too, if anything, the more embarrassing the more willing she is to do it!

Loyalty/Forgiveness: Since Venice isn't your average girl it is difficult for her to find people she can relate with, aka with her hobbies or her terrible sense of humour, the chance few have to have a strong backbone and a wit that can match her own before they get to see the funny, kind side that Venice has to offer. And loyalty and forgiveness are two of those traits that stand out when you are friends with the grease monkey. She will try and never let you down, and will always do her best to be there for you when you need her. And if your willing for a few months of playful banter at your expense, forgiveness may often be quick, and slightly painless.

Optimism: There is nothing that, you, her, or you mum cant do in this world without a little elbow grease and some hard work. Never say never is a motto she tries to live by and thusly things may not get completed but they are always attempted. Being near Venice when she is on one of her motivation highs can be catching and you find yourself believing the tosh she comes out with, but if it gets the job done then whose complaining?

Flaws:

Insensitive/Sarcastic Humour: "A unsuccessful defence mechanism to weed out the weak and have the strong like minded people by her side" a quote used to defy why Venice acts like she does. At the core, Venice is a kind and loyal person, but she uses her insensitive attitude as a defence ploy so that only those that can stand strong against her and who can give as good as they get can break through the barrier she has built up. She is not actively mean or spiteful, but she subconsciously doesn't want weak people to be carrying, she needs the support of others as much as she gives it to them and in her way this is her method of finding out those that will stand by her till the very end.

Her need to use sarcasm and sharp wit can be a relationship killer before one has begun though. In her mind she is funny, but unfortunately that's the problem, it is only her mind that finds her funny and when used with anger she can be spiteful and very hurtful without even trying. Venice has no concept of time, you can be her oldest friend, or the paper boy on his first day, but she will use her dry wit and dark humour on you in a instant and it can cut like a knife even if its intent was not for that purpose, she can often leave a nasty taste behind. Only knowing Venice and overcoming this defect can you see what she is really like, unfortunately it doesn't always work, most of the time she is just left with no one.

Chaotic: Venice is an un-organised, mess making machine. Her world is a chaotic whirlwind of grease, grime, mud and empty spray cans. To ask for assignments back will include a half thought of essay with coffee stain marks, fingerprints and what could be a design for the next Quad biking paintwork she is working on. Forget about time schedules, she will turn up, just 30 minutes later than what you said and to enter her garage is to enter a shrine of disorganised clutter and chaos. To Venice it is organised, even if it looks like nothing could survive let alone work in these conditions. But someone how she manages it. It just has a terrible chain reaction for everyone else having to live with her, or just be in the same area as her. To allow Venice in to you clean bedroom shows you have lost the plot or have nothing to live for, she will without out a doubt touch, break and then (try) to improve what was broken into something you no longer know how to work.

Impatient: Everything has to be done now, not tomorrow, not next week, now! and if not now, then never and its off to work on the next project. Something that Venice tends to live by. Her impatient nature can make her snap quite easily, if something isn't going her way she will let you know and with a few added profanities thrown in there too boot.

Nosey/Meddling: With Venice's confidence and 'can do' attitude its not surprising she can have one or two things to say about your life and the problems (or joys) that you have.

If you came to Venice with problems to solve she would be more than happy to help you, as long as your ok with have some badly timed jokes thrown in your direction and of course a few advice tips on how to solve said problem (like she would) - but this can be accepted. Its when you don't come to Venice with these problems that she feels you need her up most help - for if you cant come to her then it must be deadly serious.


PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Eyes: Almond shaped green eyes, laced with heavy dark make up

Hair: Short bobbed hair (to just under her ears) that is a deep black with a fringe cut in that resembles the 1950's/Rockabilly look

Face: Slightly angular pointed chin, and round cheeks with 'normal' sized ears.

Clothes: N/A

THE STORY ENTRY

Haha Words: 3000 XD

“Bollocks” Venice muttered as she followed the eye line of everyone else in the art room, paint brushes and pencils forgotten as the vibrating metal box on the wall dimmed down to a halt. It was ten to eleven, the day had hardly started, Venice had hardly woke up, and already there were terrorist afoot, in the vents, of all ********]

The headmasters voice had barely finished before the shrieks of students started to escalate into shouts as people drew cell phones from deep hidden places as others took the chance to grab back confiscated ones to call oblivious parents and friends. Others sat in eerie silence as they adsorbed the message just given to them, not quite sure if it was the truth, or a hangover illusion from the carnage the night before, Venice was going for the latter as her mouth still felt like a sandbox after last nights shenanigans. Sure she was hungover, and yes she really didn't need to have that shot at 3am found behind the sofa, but dammit she had an assignment to finish and she hadn't dragged herself out of bed this morning for vent loving terrorist munchers to stop that from happening.

Hyperventilating young adults sat listening to an overly distressed teacher who stood pointing out emergency exits on the ground map. Venice and her class mate stared as she stumbled over her words as she tried to keep the peace, the teacher almost revelling in this unwavering attention she was receiving from her students, why couldn't she get them to listen like this in a normal lesson? (ah of course, terrorist threats, she needed to remember that one for next time.)

A still painting Venice was trying to concentrate on both the teacher calling out names and her step away from passing this subject, her mind not truly on either important task but enough to be annoyed as her friend nudged her arm smudging her crisp lining. “Crap Venice...what are we going to do? Her friend muttered, as the sound of panic started to creep up in her voice. Venice rolled her eyes and waved a careless hand in front of her as if dismissing the problem. “Jenny, it will be fine!”

“But, but...terrorists? And...and we're being locked in, this is serious, like ultra serious!?” Again the girl shook her head in denial and picked up her pencil to continue the elaborated drawing before her. “Please, the pigs will be here any second, bang bang, kill kill, and its all over. Nothing too it, were not the first place this month to have -” hand quotes- “terrorist attacks, I was actually getting offended that we were the only school left to be attacked!” Grabbing the paints she continued with the image in front of her, a sun vomiting rainbows over dead rabbits to symbolise commitment....or was it politics? She couldn't remember.

Jenny stood up as if jolted by electricity, her movements knocking the paints over the table. “Oh ********, what about food? We have no food! And, and what about water? Oh gods this is serious, what if they blow us up? What if they torture us? Oh gods, oh gods, my mum will kill me!”

“JENNY! For gods sake control yourself woman!” Jumping up and grabbing a shoulder Venice stared deep into her panicking friends eyes, her other hand held erect as if she was to slap the poor girl. “Venice don't!” Jenny winced in fake fear, breathing out in exaggerated breaths Venice brought back her hand to the other shoulder and mocked the expression of holding back tears “Jenny...I have half a cheese sandwich in my bag, I was going to eat it but...but its yours, can you survive on that for the next half an hour?.....and if not, Ben over there is the fattest, I will kill him for you, is that what you want? Cause I'll do it...for you.” Rolling her eyes Jenny turned to the window as the helpers gingerly closed the shutters over the glass, trying her best to stifle a giggle at her friends remarks.

“Fine...I'll calm down, but next on the menu is you fat a**...” Venice grinned widely as she sat back down. “That's the spirit skinny, I couldn't eat you anyway, just look at your skin, it so dry and scaly...and your probably riddled with...aids...”

“Ha! Thank you so much for your kind words, I don't think I could get through this without you...and if you cant tell I am being sarcastic.” Venice pulled her work away from the trailing paint that was making its way towards her picture, flicking of erasure marks as she went. “Oh Jenny you burn me bad with your mad sarcasm skills and if I wasn't so...uh oh” Jenny twirled round to view a serious Venice. “What? Oh crap is you picture ruined?” Shaking her head she jumped up and began to pace towards the door, and then back again “s**t....oh s**t!”

“What? What happened? Are you ok....or god, you can sense a bomb or something cant you.” Venice shook her head as she squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her fist together as she started to hop about from foot to foot.

“Its much worse than that, I think...no...I know, I need to take a piss, like badly....r e a l badly.”

Staring at her friend as she danced the 'needapee' dance she cursed the second can of coke she had at break, swayed by her friends to try diet coke she had to buy full fat straight after to get the taste out of her mouth (after finishing the first one of course, she wasn't wasting money!)

“Big bollocks, what should I do? They have already barricaded us in! And if I remember correctly pissing yourself in public was frowned upon....or is it the new cool thing to do? Oh please tell me if its the new cool thing to do!”

“Sadly not Vee, cant you hold it?” Jenny said through a smile, her friends antics causing others around them to realise the lack of toilet facilities.

“Of course I cant, my kidneys are already shot to pieces with the amount I drink, if I hold it in I'll implode!....oh crap what should I do?” Jenny shrugged, and pointed to the large paint cans in the corner. “I dunno but from what I remember were nearly out of the pink so if you r e a l l y need to go, I would suggest to pee in that one.”

The D: face did come close to the horrible proposal that Venice was...actually considering, she needed to pee that bad. “Well at least come and shield me, some of these people are trying their best to get a look at the goods, I ain't giving it away for free that's for dam sure.” Hooking onto Jenny's sleeve she led the amused student across the class room to the paint cans and gingerly opened the pink that was lacking in product. “Hold your blazer out...and face the other way you pervert, you had your chance last weekend!”

“Ha! And you'll probably throw yourself at me this weekend too.” - “Please some people pay good money to see this sort of action, now start humming or something!" - “Haha are you really going to do it? That's so ******** gross Venice, your gross dude, g r o s s”

“Shut up I really need to go!!” Breathing in deeply Venice tried, elegantly, to pull the girl boxers from position while shielding herself at all time behind the tiny bulk of Jenny, her mind thinking of happy watery thoughts as she took one final look around and let loose.

“Miss Malloroyx!?” The teachers sudden appearance to the side of Venice made her jump, freeze and then slip of the paint can, her decency hidden by Jenny's immediate reaction to drop the blazer in case she was caught up in this gross crime, no love lost, Venice would get her later. The two students sat, and stood, staring at the teacher who, out of all this mornings events, was still able to bring a look of utter disgust and contempt on to her features. A world of pain echoed through Venice's head as she saw the colour of red blaze onto the teachers cheeks, she gently rocked to test the grounds around her and to not bring attention to it. "Score!" She hadn't got it on her, it was indeed still in the paint can for the whole world and this very angry teacher to see.

"Mis Malloroyx, you...you....disg- you dispica - in my class room of all places, In my PAINT CANS! YOU! YOU!" The teacher caught herself before her next words stumbled out, rubbing between her eyes as the creases darked with rage. Not bearing to look at them in case the voice in her head won and she believed she didn't need this job or the money and she was allowed to dunk the stupid girls head in the paint can, she breathed. "I am going to have to deal with you later Mis Malloroyx, if you cant see I have higher concerns than your weak bladder!" - "But-" "QUITE! I don't need excuses for what you just did, for god sake, your meant to be an adult! Just go...go and sit back at you table, you too Miss Fendall! You better be grateful this is a state of emergency or i would expel you on the spot! Now get out of my sight!"

Grabbing the items (minus the paint can) around them the two students shimmed over to their table, Venice kicked off her underwear and concealed it in her bag, her skirt now covering a multitude of sins. They both sat, staring at the table, not daring too look up, or even around them as they waited for something to happen. Venice made the first move and leaned, even so slightly, towards the head of Jenny, the movement minuscule to risk detection.

"Jenny, jenny....j e n n y" - "What!" - "I feel really bad" - "and so you should! you peed in public, in front of everyone! and you nearly got me expelled!!" - "No not about that!" - "Then what" - "am.....am" - "Spit it out! - Am kinda... am kinda not finished" - "with what?" - "You know what...I, I need to pee" - "What!? Your ******** joking" - "No, I still need to pee!" - "Oh F'-off Venice" - "Oh com'on, am not joking, i need to pee!" - "NO! hold it, I am not getting in trouble again for you, now shut up!!"

Silence came back in abundance as the two friends remained seated heads down. Jenny had almost zoned out as they class room waited with bated breath for the next set of instructions, it was almost tranquil, relaxing and - "pssst Ben....BEN! pass me the green paint can plessssee, i promise i wont kill you for substance if you do!.....Beeeeennnnn.......Beeeeennnnn.......?"

"....bollocks..."

[Eulie]

IN THE NAME OF THE MOON! WRITING COMPETITION? SCHOOLKID COMP!

Name: Millie West

Gender: Female

Age: 17

School: Crystal Academy

Fav. Food: Fresh organic garden salads

Hated Food: Dairy products (she’s lactose intolerant!), pork, beef, and chicken (she got food poisoning once and just can’t stomach them anymore!)

Hobbies:

Research -- Millie is a well of knowledge. She absorbs everything she can about every topic, particularly medical science. If her nose isn’t in her medical dictionary, you can bet you’ll find her at the library. At the very least, she’ll always have one tab of Wikipedia open when she’s on the computer!

Reading -- Millie loves nothing more than to lose herself in the perfect world of books. Fantasy stories have gallant heroes and radiant maidens. No one gets sick and no one is lonely. Millie imagines herself on their amazing journeys and, though she knows she could never pull it off, sometimes puts herself in the role of the hero.

Volunteering -- It makes Millie feel good to help others in need. She spends every Saturday volunteering at the hospital, visiting with the in-patients and assisting staff as much as possible. She takes comfort in her work at the hospital because it’s such a clean place, but also because she hears such wonderful stories from the patients. Some of the terminally ill patients have no one else to talk to and Millie feels like it’s her job to remember their stories so that these people will never be forgotten.

Tai Chi -- Tai Chi is good for the body and good for the soul. Millie needs a release for her stress and Tai Chi provides it. The calm movements, the meditation, all of it does wonders for her well-being. When Millie is in her Tai Chi class, she is completely in the moment. All of her worries melt away and she transforms into an entirely different, confident person.

Virtues:

Meticulous -- taking or showing extreme care about minute details; precise; thorough Millie takes the utmost care in completing any task she’s given. This is especially true for any situation where others are counting on her. Millie makes sure that group projects are absolutely perfect before handing them in and views every typo as a challenge. If you want something done properly, you can count on Millie.

Reliable -- capable of being depended on; worthy of trust If ever there’s a friend in need, Millie’s the one to turn to. She will always be there for you, no matter what. If Millie has promised you something, you can be guaranteed that she’ll pull through for you. She will never let you down.

Sincere -- free of deceit, hypocrisy, or falseness; earnest There is not a deceitful bone in this girl’s body. She never learned to be dishonest growing up and can see no reason to start now. Millie means every word she says and will never resort to sarcasm, which she believes is rude, not funny.

Generous -- liberal in giving or sharing; unselfish Millie gives fully of herself to those in need. She’ll gladly share her lunch if she notices someone going without. Through her volunteer work, Millie tries to give back to the community. Her family is fairly well off but she understands that not everyone lives that way. She’s a very compassionate soul.

Flaws:

Hypochondriac (weakness) -- Hypochondria is often characterized by fears that minor bodily symptoms may indicate a serious illness, constant self-examination and self-diagnosis, and a preoccupation with one's body. Millie is a hypochondriac. She does not have the OCD that often accompanies hypochondria and so does not partake in constant hand washing or avoiding those with illness. However, through the power of suggestion, Millie often “coincidently” comes down with the exact same illness shortly after exposure. Any small physiological symptom is indication of a greater underlying condition and Millie is more than willing to self-diagnose through WebMD, Wikipedia, or by reading her medical texts. She takes more sick days off from school than the average student and her grades are suffering for it.

Introverted -- Introverts have an inward focus and aren't usually the life of the party. They have a strong sense of self that can make them feel highly self-conscious around other people – making walking into a crowded room a little nerve-wracking. Introverts have a hard time being goofy in front of the camera and telling jokes to more than a couple of people at a time, but they can be extremely witty. Introverts process their emotions, thoughts, and observations internally. They can be social people, but reveal less about themselves than extroverts do. Introverts are more private, and less public. Introverts need time to think before responding to a situation, and develop their ideas by reflecting privately. Introverts' personality traits can be passionate, but not usually aggressive. Millie is a textbook introvert. She can come across as awkward in social situations and this can her make her dislikeable to some people. She keeps mostly to herself until she is comfortable with the people she is with to express her thoughts and opinions.

Stressed -- physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension Millie’s hypochondria and introversion contribute greatly to her everyday stress. To top it off, her generosity and meticulousness make school work that much more stressful. Millie has a difficult time coping with life as a student and it’s almost overwhelming. Without her Tai Chi, Millie would probably drown in it.

Clumsy -- awkward in movement or action; without skill or grace A bull in a china shop? Yeah, that would be an apt description of Millie. She’s usually too preoccupied with her thoughts to pay attention to the exact dimensions of the doorframe or the location of her glass of water. Millie is always tripping on her own two feet and if glassware breaks in the science lab, you can bet it was in her care.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Eyes: Very pretty emerald eyes hidden under a pair of thick-rimmed glasses

Hair: Soft pink. Large curtain of hair held back from her face with a clip. A security blanket to hide under in uncomfortable situations.

Face: Somewhat narrow face with an angular jaw. Her cheeks have a natural flush.

THE STORY ENTRY

Millie felt the familiar twinge in her bladder that signified it was time to go. She was extremely prone to urinary tract infections, so any time she had to go to the washroom it was an emergency. She raised her hand and waited for the teacher to notice.

Unfortunately, the intercom chose that exact moment to crackle to life. The school was in lockdown. Again. The vice principal’s voice could her heard talking to someone in the background just before the message cut out. She mentioned something about the air vents. Oh god. Millie unconsciously took in a deep breath of air and glanced towards the grate.

“Alright class, you know the drill,” the teacher locked the door and closed the shades on the windows. “Yes Millie? You have a question?”

Startled, Millie glanced at her upraised hand. “I, ah, have to go to the washroom,” she croaked.

“Well, it will just have to wait until after the lockdown is all clear.”

Millie gulped. Any delay in voiding could be disastrous for her. She tried to distract herself from the nagging feeling in her bladder. She fidgeted with her pencil until it flew from her fingers and clattered to the ground with unnatural noise. A flush crept its way onto her face as every eye in the classroom turned towards the source of the noise.

Are the police here yet? She wondered. She snuck her fingers under the shade to peek outside. Oh god her bladder was full. Police. Think about the police. The quick peek she stole yielded no answer and she withdrew her fingers before the teacher noticed. She didn’t want to get into trouble. Then she would never be allowed to go to the washroom!

She wiggled in her seat, trying to relieve the pressure. The air vent. Something was in the vents. Millie breathed deeply again. Was there a strange scent in the air? Someone coughed and Millie could feel a slight tightness building in her chest. Her bladder twinged again.
“Please, is there any way I could go to the washroom? I really don’t feel well.” Millie was getting anxious.

“You never feel well,” someone blurted out. Millie’s blush returned.

“Could you wait a few more minutes?” The teacher asked. She knew Millie’s health was fragile, but a lockdown is a lockdown and procedure must be followed.

“I don’t think so!” Millie responded urgently. She was in full panic mode now. She could just imagine the bacteria creeping its way up her ureters, reproducing uninhibitedly in her kidneys. The twinge in her bladder was painful now.

Just then, sirens could be heard in the background. Millie knew that the lockdown would be cleared any minute now, but she still couldn’t wait. Once the panic took hold, there was nothing she could do to stop it. Despite the lockdown and despite the teacher’s warning call, Millie ran from the classroom. She made it to the washroom and instantly the panic and pain dissolved. Maybe she had averted crisis this time.

She meekly returned to the classroom. Just as she returned to her seat the intercom crackled back to life and announced the lockdown all clear. Millie glanced up at the air vents once more and coughed into her hand.

[Elyessi]

IN THE NAME OF THE MOON! WRITING COMPETITION? SCHOOLKID COMP!

Name: Saige Samide

Nicknames: Saigey or Say

Gender: Female

Age: 18

School/Job: Sovereign Heights

Fav. Food: Sweets, she has a horrible sweet tooth and loves to snack on anything that might give her a sugar rush

Hated Food: Green beans, for some reason the smell just makes her want to throw up

Hobbies:
Reading -- Though Saige has some trouble focusing on books that are assigned in many of her courses, when she is not doing her homework she can be seen with a new novel in her hand. Most of her favorite books, often in the fantasy genre, are ones that she can start reading and end up losing track of time. So, because of her passion, there are many times where she may be seen in a library or bookstore reading because she was too anxious to start the novel that she just checked out.

RPG Video Games -- When Saige is not reading, she can be seen playing video games. She grew up with an older brother who loved video games, and often was forced to learn the games to get along with him and his friends. As a result, she found the RPG genre and currently obsessed with the storyline and long hours almost as much as she loves her novels. This in turn, grew into being able to easily get along with boys who also enjoyed the video game genre after she stopped wanting to impress her older brother.

Running -- Saige runs at least once a day, mostly because she stopped playing sports a few years before, and learned the hard way that all the sweet things she east won't just work themselves off. So, she adapted to running to keep in shape and give herself and nice work out.

Virtues:
Need for Intellect -- To Saige, intelligence came easy to her as she was young and resulted in a love for cerebral challenges. But her concentration on any subject does not last more than a moment, often resulting in her quickly finishing a project to move on to three more. She really dislikes the labor involved with learning, but the result of the knowledge is something she enjoys and uses to push through all the hours of studying. She is quite good at seeing both sides of any situation, and to work it through piece by piece until a solution is found, though as a result takes a long time before she can make any decision. Because of her need to find knowledge but her lazy way of doing the work, Saige often loses herself in too many projects which she follows until they become difficult.

The Easy Virtues -- Saige finds it easy to be affectionate to the ones she cares about it, and often will be over-loving to all of her friends that she is close with. She also was raised to be a model citizen and hold a kind appearance, so she is naturally courteous, generous, and thoughtful to those around her. However, these virtues only go so far, as if they interrupt her own need for perfection, she will drop the act and simply leave the situation, and mostly it is unintentional. It is only those that really know her that may understand its a defense, and learn how to approach her when she is silently fuming in her own self-irritation.

Flaws:
Nervous/Anxious -- There is a reason why Saige has no nails left, and that's not just because she enjoys nibbling at her fingers. She grew up being very critical of herself, and because of some girl on girl bullying at her old school, that critical nature grew into a strong anxiousness. She always feels the need to perfect herself, be it in grades or in appearance, and often will become distracted in her own self-loathing.

In turn, this sense of anxiousness can cause a very frustrating result, so much that if Saige does not get something right or is rubbed the wrong way, she will just leave without finishing the job. Or, in turn, if she does stick around, she will become sloppy and do things quickly to get away and avoid the hardship. This does not affect her school work, but sometimes it does affect her relationships with people as well as some possible future circumstances.

Critical Superficiality -- Saige loves it when she looks good, and often will stare at herself in the mirror when her idea features begin to show. When people complement her, she will often blush and appear meek, but inside she will be glowing with happiness at the attention. However, because of her nervousness and anxiety, she often doesn't see much of her beauty, because she is too focused on her external flaws. So, she ends up focusing on how her nose is too big or the circles under her eyes despite when others continue to tell her it's not true.

A strong result of looking good both inside and out is that Saige will do anything, and I mean anything, to make herself look good. Often, because she also feels an obligation to not look like a b***h, she will use round about actions and words to make herself look the best. This could be in the form of putting down others for her own gain, blaming people who are not at fault for her own mistakes, or even using some sort of charm with words or appearance to wrap someone around her finger. Of course, if someone calls her out on these actions, she will laugh to hide her frustration or simply walk away ignoring the issue.


PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Eyes: Hooded eyes that have a color that is a mix of light blue and lavender with slightly longer lashes

Hair: A dark brown hair with slightly lighter highlights throughout the front area, her hair is somewhat curly but not too much so, and she usually has it pulled down at the nape of her neck and pulled to the side, with the curled end running over her shoulder and stopping slightly past her breast. Her bangs are also grown out.

Face: A somewhat round shaped face, with slight freckles dotting around the nose and cheeks, thought not too prominent

Clothes: N/A

THE STORY ENTRY
Few students were settled in the library, their forms scattered throughout the old, worn desks. Most were hunched over a pile of books, papers scattered and eyes frantically searching for the correct answer so they could complete their assignment. However, one such student held no worry at her table, her homework completed and set neatly in the bag the next seat over. Her eyes were skimming across a bound novel, the title and cover discarded for easy reading. The book sat in one hand, and her chin in the other, and to all others she appeared much like a statue, unmoving in the afternoon sunlight.

It was that result that the sound of the lock down alarm failed to break through the concentration she had in her book. Of course, she heard the buzzing of the alarm, but to her it sounded not much more than a fly, and she simply brushed her bangs away and continued to read.

"Saige!" A voice yelled out, a hand snapping to pull the girl's elbow away from the table. The book fell with a thump, the page lost and bright blavender eyes turning with an angry glare.

"Vene, what the hell was that for, I was reading!" A snarl escaped the girl's throat as she turned back to her book and scrambled to find the page, her fingers flipping through each on as her eyes skimmed the words. To her side, Vene let out another sigh before pulling the reader to her feet.

"Look, there's a Lock down...you need to get away from the windows...thank goodness I was here, or else you would have been stuck in your book and probably shattered by glass..."

"Lock down?" Saige asked, eyes widening for the first time and her mouth opened with a gasp, "Wait...the rules state that any lockdown must be announced on the loud speaker..."

"They did announce it..." Vene explained with a sigh, and Saige moved to grab her bag. Her eyes looked around the Library, and she quickly realized that all the students had moved to a more secluded area of the room and were hiding from...something. Flipping her hair to her shoulder with two fingers, she glanced to her friend who was currently walking away, before following with a silent frown.

"Wait!" Saige claimed suddenly, standing still in the light of the windows that lined the outer rim of the library, "Ve...I need to go to the bathroom..." She said with a grin, realizing quite suddenly she had been reading for way to long, and probably her appearance needed a check over too. Often, Saige would forget to go the bathroom and end up reading until the pain overtook her interest. Now, she realized it was almost to that point, and she quickly turned on her heel to walk to the door.

"Saige...you can't go ou-"

"I'll be fine, Ve...these things are always a test...and even when they are true, those Super Scouts usually take care of things...I'll be fine!" She said with a grin, before rushing faster to the door. The statistics of each battle supported her claim, and she really needed to make sure everything was okay with her appearance. It wouldn't do to make it to the news with her clothing a mess and her face too pale.

Beside, she was in Prep School now, and she could take care of herself.

So, as she opened the door, her eyes glancing at the short nails that were a result of her nail biting, she stepped out without really looking through the hallway. Her feet took the same path, walking past the wide windows of the school hallway, still distracted with how short her nails were.

So, as she ignored the windows, she didn't catch sight of the Youma that was looking back at her, or the hand that slowly moved back to break down the window. However, she did hear the loud crash, feel the glass that past by her skin and cheeks, and turned to catch sight of the monster that made way to her place. A scream left her lungs, before she pushed back against the wall and fell through the door that was behind her. Scrambling, she moved to close and lock the thing, before letting out a breath.

It was until she realized her book back was still outside, and another scream of frustration left her lips.

[stari_maga]

IN THE NAME OF THE MOON! WRITING COMPETITION? SCHOOLKID COMP!

Name: Erkia Soren

Nicknames: none

Gender: Female

Age: 16

School/Job: Crystal Academy

Fav. Food: Good pasta. Could have cheese sauce, butter sauce, with mushrooms, meat or veggies in it, as long as there aren't any tomatoes in it.

Hated Food: Anything with many tomatoes, especially pizza, which is greasy, awkwardly textured, and generally gross.

Hobbies:

- Customizing: It started out as doodling in the margins of her paper when she was little, and it grew to one of her favorite things to do. She became pretty good at drawing, but thought it was wasted on plain paper that you'd never look at again after you finished drawing. So she drew on more practical things. Unique wrapping paper was fun, then envelopes, then her favorite, T-shirts. Then it branched off into other things, like shoes and customizable plushies, jewelry boxes... if you can draw on it, she has. After that she started working on the quality of her art. Instead of complex designs, she drew simple landscapes and animals. She's no good at drawing people, though...

- Archery: When she was thirteen, her summer camp included a archery course. She was hooked! When she got back she begged her parents for her own bow, and of course they got it for her. She didn't necessarily practice a lot... every day she would go out and spend a minute or so shooting to help her unwind. When she went to Crystal Academy, it got harder to find time to shoot, but she still does whenever she gets a chance. She has natural talent, and practice has made her better. People say she should hunt, she'd be good at it, but she always politely refuses... she couldn't stand killing an animal.

- Fantasy: Erika doesn't mind the real world at all, but at times when the stress builds up too much, she has to escape. It doesn't really matter how. She's been hooked on video games since she was a little kid and could hardly play them, but now she is wonderful at them, better than most people, though she'll often lose at multiplayer because she's not used to it- she prefers playing on her own. It could also mean reading. She's a fast reader, and can easily grasp even the most complex of plots, so she pretty much inhales novels. This is nice, because English is easy for her. It's annoying, though, because she's already read most of the fantasy books in the library. She'll reread, of course, but she's always on the lookout for interesting books. She could always just write her own, though. Not stories as much, but poetry. Everyone says her poetry is really good... but that's more like a last resort.

Virtues:

- Organized: Erikia isn't the girl who loses her homework practically every day. She's practicality the opposite. She turns it in every day, neatly completed. She never forgets a pencil, she always has a lot of extras in case anyone needs one. She never picks up the wrong book to her class, all her books are color coded. Her pencils are organized by color, in rainbow order. Her drawings are neatly in their own folder, and nothing is mixed or messed up. If you let her, she'll probably organize yours. Every morning, she takes fifteen minutes to make sure everything is in perfect order. More than perfect order. It's not just physically she's organized physically, her thoughts are also very organized when she's concentrating ( which isn't all the time... but I'll get to that). She knows exactly what to say and when to say it. She has made a lot of adult friends this way. She always looks neat, almost like a commercial girl. However, her organization doesn't border OCD. She doesn't really care about her pencils being in the right order, she just feels like it would be more useful to have them like that so in case someone asks for one, they can quickly find their favorite color and move on, giving her more time to concentrate on life.

-Energetic: Erika is always the optimist who can find the bright side of things and make everyone happy. People call her 'bubbly' and 'hyper'. She takes 'hyper' as a compliment. Her presence will light up a funeral. She tends to laugh and smile a lot, and her way of doing it is very contagious. She's not exactly the life of a party, but it's hard to be depressed around her. Also, she also will do just about whatever you want her to do, and probably won't complain. Want your dog walked? Alright! Car washed? Sure. Decorations for the school dance? Um, no. She's busy. Yeah, she doesn't really have the problem of taking on more than she can handle, though. She's quite organized about her projects, as not to overexert herself.

-Intelligent: Erika's grades are considered remarkable. Straight A's, whenever she gets a B she feels disappointing. And she reads at a rate of 175 pages per hour... This is why her family is spending pretty much everything to send her to school. But her booksmartness isn't all. She catches onto things very quickly. How quickly? Once she reads a book three times, she can recite the first chapter to you. When she's playing sports, she watches the best athletes and copies what they do, very successfully, and will often make up her own strategies. Her creativity also goes a lot farther than just her doodling, she's good at figuring out a new way to do something. She's the one who finds the hidden shortcuts in math problems. She can find a new way to conquer emotional problems, also. She doesn't sympathize, she helps.

Flaws:

-What?: Organized describes Erika, it's true, but attentive doesn't. Though the two often do go hand in hand, they don't for Erika. She catches on to things quickly, so after awhile she gets really bored. Unless she really loves what she's doing, she has a painstakingly short attention span. In class, she's quite a dreamer, letting half of her mind pay attention to the content while the other half goes off to the world of her current daydream, only to get a rude awakening when she gets asked a question. It's not just in class when she loses concentration, if you don't interest Erika, you'll find her looking back at you as if dazed. This results in a lot of awkward situations for her.

-Short temper: Slow to a terrible anger... true for some people, but not Erika. She gets mad easily. It's pretty bad, too, not just a little "GRR, I HATE YOU!!!", that burns itself out pretty quickly, more like, "Hey, this is all I'm saying to you for today," for her friends, and she won't talk to them. All day. Maybe longer, if she really is ticked off with them. But why does she get ticked off so easily? What exactly presses her many buttons? Well, she doesn't really like it when people ask for her opinion then get mad at her for sharing it. Ex: "Hey, Erika, do you like my new haircut?" "Actually, I hate it." "What...? You're like, mean." *stomps off* "Well, you asked. So I guess you don't need my opinion for the rest of the day, stupid."

- Teacher's Pet: Erika is polite. Very polite, so she makes a good impression on most adults. To her friends, it just seems like a formal mask, or a way to bribe her good grades, but she is just scared of getting in trouble. And not grounding, she can live with that, the worst punishment for her is "I'm disappointed in you" followed closely by " I can't believe YOU would do something like this, Erika." Even a simple reprimand will get on her nerves for the rest of the month. So she doesn't do anything adults don't want her to. Even if it involved her friends getting hurt, she wouldn't do anything in case she might get in trouble. She pretty much lives for adults, so if more than one told her to kill herself, she just might. She would hurt herself. She believes adults are perfect, even though really they're sometimes wrong.

DO NOT MISS OUT THE ABOVE BECAUSE YOU'RE C&PING FROM YOUR QUEST OR WE WILL BE MAD

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Eyes: Oval, bluish violet, very intense.

Hair: Pretty short, to about her chin. It should frame her face really well, and her bangs should be parted but still stick out a bit, like she's growing then out. Think feathery and windswept... I don't have an exact idea, be creative. It should be light blonde, maybe with lighter ( offwhite ) streaks.

Face: Elongated, slightly heart shaped. Very pale skin. Possibly light makeup?


THE STORY ENTRY

In her normal class state, half out of it, Erikia looked up at the clock. Just a few more minutes until lunch. Good. She looked back down at her paper. Then she heard a rattle. What was that? She looked around. She wasn't the only person who had heard it.Probably just a rock caught in the vents, or even a draft. She listened as the intercom came on. Maybe it was more serious than she'd thought. There's something in the air vents, don't worry, stay calm, lock the doors, stay away from the windows, whatever. Oh. It wasn't the first time she'd heard this. But still, the teacher seemed a little worried, so shouldn't she? It had said to keep her cool, so she did.

The class went into a mild chaos of whispers and groans. But really, was it such a big deal? Something in the air vents... so? They locked down the room, locking the doors and drawing the curtains on the window. They all had to go sit crushed against each other in the corner farthest from the window and far enough from the door. Which wasn't very practical, really, because if it really was some maniac, which she doubted, and he came in and started shooting at them, it would just be harder to get out of the way. But she didn't complain, though some of the others where. The teacher had to be right. So she sat. They couldn't even talk, "he" might hear them. She looked at the clock.

Ten minutes had passed, and she still heard rattling. Had the police come? She hoped they would soon, because seriously, she had to go to the bathroom. yep. And as soon as the thought crossed her mind, it became about ten times worse. This was ten minutes later than usual, and it was starting to be what you'd call an "emergency". She walked up to the teacher. She had to go to the bathroom now? Really? Only the teacher's age kept her from snapping back. She'd just get in trouble. She gulped and nodded. The teacher sighed and gave her a hall pass. Erika thanked the teacher and left.

The hall was silent... Erika didn't like the way it felt. It wasn't a good, thinking silence, it was an alone silence. But she wasn't really thinking about that. She was thinking I have to pee, I have to pee, I really really have to pee. She heard footsteps coming, and automatically took another way. Even a few words before she showed her pass would haunt her for awhile. She reached the bathroom. Good. She was starting to... hurt. Yeah. It was 15 minutes now. She slipped into the bathroom emerged a minute later much happier looking. As she walked back to class, she stopped a moment at the main doors as she saw police cars coming up to the school. Then she ran back to class.

[White Trickster Rabbit]

IN THE NAME OF THE MOON! WRITING COMPETITION? SCHOOLKID COMP!

Name: Shiloh Morgan

Nicknames: Shi, Oh Morgan! (this was a bad nickname spawned from an old boyfriend)

Gender: Female

Age: 18

School/Job: Sovereign Heights

Fav. Food: Fried chicken, baked potatoes and salad of any kind.

Hated Food: Mushrooms (such gawdawful things, mushrooms), peppers of any kind, and seafood.

Hobbies: Star-gazing: Shiloh loves watching the stars, especially on clear nights with no clouds in the sky. She and her dad used to go just outside city-limits where there was no light pollution and watch the stars until she fell asleep. Just because she's older and not at home any more doesn't mean she can't still watch the stars, and it's become a way to shake off the stresses of the day and relax.

Collecting 'Stars': Being fascinated with stars has lead Shiloh to collecting star shaped things. This ranges from jewelery (earrings, pendents, etc.) to plushes, and even statuettes. If it is star shaped or has stars on it she gets it to add to her collection. While she had several pieces of jewelery there are three pieces she wears every day (aside from her multiple star-shaped earrings): a bracelet and matching anklet of silver with a star-shaped opal set in the center, as well as a necklace with a star-shaped locket pendant with a small opal crescent moon in the center of it.

Studying Genetics: With her mother suffering from PPP (postpartum psychosis), what caused her mother to try and kill her, Shiloh is afraid she may one day suffer from it too. She's afraid that she may do the same thing her mother did and is in no way looking foreword to having kids because of it (which is a shame because she likes the idea of being a mother). This disease, and it having no known cure at the time, has lead her into the field of genetics and biology as her major.

She wants to know more about what traits can be passed through the genes, the causes and the cures. And while she may eventually move into studying only PPP, at the moment all forms of genetics are in her scope. This one's for you mom.

DDR: A girl has to get some sort of exercise, right? Dance Dance Revolution has become that source of exercise for her after a friend introduced her to the game at a birthday party one year. Ever since she's spent free time at the arcade learning the game and eventually got her own mat for the house. She still has it and plays every night after dinner.

While she's not competitive, save maybe when going a round with her friends, she does always play to the best of her ability. How can one just play through with out having fun with the type of music it uses? But despite the fun she finds it easy to use as exercise, because it's something quick and simple she can do for twenty minutes a day in a life that keeps her busy between work and school.

Virtues:

Determined: Having grown up being deaf in one ear, life's been a bit of a challenge. But in no way does Shiloh let it get her down and she's always working twice as hard in order to keep up. She takes double the notes, always asks questions and will even stay after school to make sure she's understood the lesson properly. She stays with it until she's got it down and covered, and this attitude bleeds over into all aspects of her life, making her track record for finishing what she starts pretty damn good.

Sympathetic: Just because she's prideful and determined doesn't mean she doesn't care. In fact she quite readily is there for moral support and will do her best to be there in your time of need. But just because she understands what you're going through and, often, is willing to help doesn't mean she doesn't have standards.
For instance that puppy over there bit you and you decide to kick it in retaliation. Yea it sucks the puppy bit you but she stopped caring the minute you kicked it. Sorry dude, she has scruples. Her sympathetic nature ends when the person wanting sympathy does something mean, or stupid, that makes her think twice about showing them the sympathy needed.

Brave: Shiloh laughs in the face of danger, she's not afraid of anything! Well, okay, even a brave person fears things but Shiloh won't ever admit she fears anything (I'm pretty sure that's her pride talking). She's never afraid to try new things (time permitted), or do what's right (she does try to obey the letter of the law, but sometimes what's right and what's lawful don't always tend to be the same. Like punching in some one's face when they make fun of her friends, it's not lawful but she thinks it's fair.). She'll stand up for what she believes in, and for other people, with out a single hesitation and won't give up.

Flaws:

Proud: With determination comes pride (in a manner of speaking) and because of this proud manner in which she works, Shiloh will not ever ask for help. And no, she won't take your offered help either. She can do it on her own, will do it on her own or she'll die trying. Of course this has lead to a bit of a cocky attitude, and hurt feelings, because she can, and will, do it as her pride won't let her do otherwise.
Because of her pride Shiloh finds herself often refusing to ask for clarification when she mishears things when talking with others, and it has lead to - more often then naught - misunderstandings and hurt feelings from both parties.

Sensitive: She hates being reminded of having limited hearing, though life is a constant reminder. Worse is when the reminder comes in having to ask for clarification. When she has to ask for people to repeat themselves, or clarify something they said in conversation, Shiloh gets embarrassed big time. And often said embarrassment, when mixed with pride, leads her to refuse to ask for clarification of any sort.

That's not to say that her sensitivity is strictly limited hearing related. Shiloh tends to react first and think later on certain topics of discussions and often finds herself annoyed at even the smallest things. When she was younger she was easy to upset when ever her mother was mentioned, and even now that can be a sore spot. Topics of science vs. the bible really make her head spin and it's come to the point where she doesn't really talk about this topic with any one because she refuses to admit that science could be wrong (huzzah pride talking again!).

Foolhardy: Shiloh's aware that everything has consequences, but in her haste to get things done she often forgets about such things until it's too late. She tends to speak her mind with out thinking about what she's saying, which has caused feelings to get hurt, and refuses to admit when she's in the wrong more times then she'd care to admit.

This has also gotten her into trouble when trying new things, as she tends to get ahead of herself when she doesn't follow directions or read the manual. She's also gotten into a fair number of fights when defending people when her pride mixes with her bravery. She learned the hard way to keep fights off of school property so that detentions aren't thrown her way. Arguments are also known to happen when debates about one's beliefs tend to get out of hand, Shiloh hates admitting she's in the wrong.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Eyes: Cool grey in color, almond shaped and narrowed, tilted just slightly enough where she's been asked a few times if she's Asian.

Hair: Blue-black hair usually pulled into two small hair buns on either side and the rest of her hair left down, hitting her lower back.

Face: Heart-shaped, slender. With high cheekbones and a button nose.

Clothes: SH skirted school uniform

THE STORY ENTRY

Shifting in her seat, Shiloh Morgan had the sudden realization that she had forgotten something that morning. Something big, important... As a bit of wetness was suddenly felt against her panties, Shiloh's hand shot into the air with a sense of urgency. God damn time of the ******** month and she hadn't been paying one bit of attention to her calendar! Haley was going to kill her.

"Mr. Gordon!" she called when he didn't look up from his book, trying to get his attention.

At the sound of his name, Mr. Gordon lowered his book to look at her with an eyebrow raised. They were to be taking a test, why was she talking? "Yes, Miss Morgan?"

"Can I please be excused to the-!"

The intercom cut her off before she could finish, it crackling with a bit of static before a voice spoke up. "Attention students and faculty, the school is on lock down. I repeat the school is on lock down. We ask that all students remain from the windows, possibly the vents as well, there is something on the roof. Please stay in the class rooms, we'll announce when you are free to move around again, thank you."

"Bathroom..." she finished with a pitiful noise, head dropping to her desk. Of all the times for the school to go on lock down because of something or other. Not that it mattered any more, her needing to use the restroom, as the teacher was distracted with ushering students away from the windows.

Complete with cries of fear from some of the girls. It was one of the few times that Shiloh found herself glad her hearing was impaired because she was sure the shrieks would have been much more louder and annoying if she could hear them properly. Of course she did get to hear the second round of shrieks from the girl's under the vent, loathing the fact she sat next to them. Eying them balefully she stood to make her way to the teacher, who was sitting on his desk as he tried to calm students.

"Mr. Gordon, I really need to go to the bathroom. It's an emergency."

"I'm sorry, Shiloh but we're on lock down. I can't let you leave the room."

Her mouth flopped a bit, kind of like a gaping fish, as she became more aware of her need to go to the bathroom. "But it's an emergency."

"You said that all ready, I know that." He was making sure to talk towards her good ear so she could hear him, he didn't want to have to repeat himself. "And even if you were close to peeing yourself, I can't let you leave. It's dangerous."

Her eyebrow twitched, the need to get to the bathroom and take care of her issue making her a little crabby. Or that could be the PMS talking. She wasn't sure. Either way she was about ready to take out whatever it was just to get to the bathroom. "You don't understand-!"

"No, I think it's you who doesn't understand, Miss Morgan. The school is under lock down, there's something quite possibly on the roof and you are NOT going to the bathroom."

"But I'm bleeding!" she argued back, keeping her legs clenched tightly together. She could hear the students behind her making snide comments (some of them laughing even!) but she chose to ignore them. Or chose to ignore the comments she could hear anyway.

"Ew Morgan!" one of the boy's in the back called. "You don't tell people that!"

She turned to stare at him, a less then amused look in her grey eyes. She may not have been able to hear exactly what he said, but she knew him well enough it wasn't anything particularly nice. He was her ex after all. "You say something JT?"

"Sure did, babe~!"

"Mr. Atwell! Miss Morgan! That's enough." Mr. Gordon ground out, effectively cutting off anything the boy in the back could say.

"Yes sir," they replied in tandem, but only one of them looked sheepish. The teacher moved to say something in reply, probably a reprimand for their behaviours, but once again the loud speaker kicked in.

"We apologize for the inconvenience, the source of the lock down is gone. We return you back to your regularly scheduled classes."

Shiloh looked at the teacher with large, hopeful grey eyes and he sighed, waving her off. "Go. You have five minutes. If you're late I dock ten points from your test." He turned back to the class. "And the rest of you finish your tests!"

"Yes! Thank you Mr. Gordon!" Rushing back to her seat to grab something from her bag (she always carried feminine products with her), Shiloh was gone in a flash and racing for the bathrooms. She would have liked to say never again would she forget, but she'd be lying to herself. In all honesty though, she was glad the lock down had ended when it had, other wise she might have left anyway, consequences be damned.

And had she run into the cause of the lock down in the process? Well, like they said, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". Or on her period.

[Dark_Musashi]

Name: Mercedes Soledad Cuevas

Nicknames: Mercy

Age: 15

Birthday: March 12th

Sign: Pisces

Blood Type: O+

Fav. Food: cakes of all kinds. Spicy chicken.

Hated Food: cheese. Anything coffee-flavoured.

School: Crystal Academy

Hobbies:
Swimming – Which helps since she’s in the school’s swimming team. As a kid, she was deadly afraid of water, and she was pretty much forced to take swimming lessons to overcome her phobia. The day she discovered she couldn’t sink like a stone, everything went so much better and she gained a lot of agility once dropped in a pool. However, while she feels completely safe in a pool, she is wary of large natural bodies of water, and no talisman whatsoever can change that.

Drawing – Mercedes draws book characters, dragons, and an unhealthy amount of skeletons and more disturbing stuff as well, the latter of which is highly frowned upon by her family. So she draws more people and dragons. But frankly, she’s more talented for gothic themes. In the margins of her notes, one can occasionally find skulls, cute mythic creatures, and odd symbols.

Occult, horror stories, and symbols – So far, she’s made up a nice collection of horrible but cliché stories involving dead people who are still wandering in various buildings in the city. Her favourite tales are all about the hospital. When she’s not busy terrifying young and naïve souls with her made-up stuff, she collects protection symbols (with little to no research of the meaning behind them most of the time, often leading her to actually use negative symbols). Whenever she doesn’t feel at ease somewhere, she makes sure to bring or draw one of the many symbols she knows, and feels like at home again. Superstitions, anyone? Well, she dismisses other common superstitions (black cats, the number 13, etc) as bullshit in the worst cases, and as more positive symbols to add to her collection in the best. Also, she believes in psychic powers, curses, ghosts and parallel dimensions.


Gemstone: Amethyst

Virtues:
Imaginative – There’s not just one way to do things. Problems don’t have one, but a truckload solutions. Things aren’t made to be used in just one way. And so forth. She’s not just dreaming about fantasy worlds and stuff, she can also apply her imagination to realistic situations and bring it a new perspective.

Stubborn – Once she’s been assigned a goal, Mercedes doesn’t give up. No, really, she doesn’t. Whatever happen, and no matter how long it will take, she will achieve it. Eventually. Don’t get in her way, she’ll step over you(r dead body). She’s very patient, and when she seems to have forgotten about her projects… she actually hasn’t. Nope. At all. It’s just moved into the long-term future.

Observant – She may not look like it, but Mercedes is actually careful and attentive to her surroundings. Her large eyes scrutinize even the details in her area. This way, it’s hard to actually surprise her. Of course, the thing is her short-term memory is not exceptional; she won’t remember details after a minute unless they struck her. She’s also able to find patterns or special shapes in everyday things, which is a completely useless skill. Did you know that the city’s biggest libraries are located at the corners of an almost perfect pentagon? Blink and you’ll miss it!

Flaws:
Envious – This schoolgirl is a green-eyed monster who secretly envies you for knowing where you come from, for getting what you want, for having friends, for having talent, for having anything she doesn’t have. Her stare will pierce you if you complain about something you have that she doesn’t. Down there, she would like her friends’ life; it’s obviously better or more interesting than hers.

Superstitious – She feels naked without at least one talisman with her. She’s started getting interested in occult symbols after reading one novel too many, and has only been adding more cheap accessories to her collection. When it comes to protection symbols, quantity>quality. She can go as far as wearing a Christian cross, a satanic pentagram and pagan symbols at the same time. After all, at least one of them HAS to work. She severely tones it down at school, thankfully, which reduces the risk of offense (but it does make her anxious from time to time). Does she know their origin or meaning? Most of the time, nope. Confronted to such ignorance and inconsideration, any specialist can and WILL facepalm. (I know I would.)
If she doesn’t get to at least draw/wear a random symbol somewhere? Mercy is going to get anxious and terribly bitchy.

Affective dependence – She might not look like it, but it’s not a good idea to make friends with her. She will eventually pout when you show interest to anyone else, she will criticize your other friends without being prompted to, and invade every inch of your intimacy. The worst part? She does it out of “love” and won’t understand why you’d ever ask for a break of any length. Mercedes can even end up harassing or stalking you because she’s that clingy.
Weakness.

Monologuing – Mercedes likes to… err… talk to herself. Yes, even with people around. She tends to speak her mind out loud. It can be especially obnoxious when she says her opinion of you while you’re still there. “No, don’t worry, I don’t mind waiting. Damn, you’re so slow. I don’t have all day either.”
It can even apply to her plan of action if she’s not careful about it, in a typical villainy fashion. “That’s right, I am gonna jump in your way and tear your godamned starseed out like I did for that gal, c’mon, try and hit me, just do it already, it’s not like you had any better plan in mind anyway … I don’t think I should have said that out loud.”
In short? Mercedes comments her life a lot and has to refrain herself from saying things she nonetheless know they are inappropriate. Need a narrator during a battle? This is a job for Mercy!

DO NOT MISS OUT THE ABOVE BECAUSE YOU'RE C&PING FROM YOUR QUEST OR WE WILL BE MAD

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Eyes: large, pale pink eyes.

Hair: short, bowl-cut. Pale purple. See here: http://public5.tektek.org/img/av/1002/d03/1502/20d7641.png

Face: round and cheeky. Tan. Freckles.

THE STORY ENTRY

Quote:

The now familiar crackling of the intercom announced a lockdown five minutes before the end of the geography lesson. The teacher, Ms. Bawry, hurried to lock the door for everyone’s security. “We may as well end the lesson there. So, this is just like last time, but I will say it again in case anyone had missed it before: everyone please stay away from the windows and wait until an official announcement is made, and until then, nobody please get out” said the woman, prompting the students to leave their seats with a bow well-known hand gesture. “Which means that Kelly, Mary, Angela, Dahlia, Jun and Mercedes should really, really hurry and join their friends in the safety of the opposite wall. The one without windows.”
In that row of students, seated along the windows, Kelly and Angela were the first to spring off their chairs and run to the other side, obviously afraid the cause of the lockdown (that obviously involved terrorists) would spot them if they didn’t move at that exact instant; a few girls giggled in the rest of the classroom. The other ones took their time to follow them, betraying their jaded understanding of the situation.
Among them, Mercedes, who was clutching her pendant with a slightly shaking hand, one of the only accessory that she was permitted here. An ankh that seemed pretty simple, but in which was concentrated all of Mercy’s stress. Her face didn’t betray otherwise any other emotion: she was cold enough to be able to hide her anxiety – and not fear, as she was convinced that as long as she had at the very least one single talisman on her person, nothing bad would happen to her – and pretend she wasn't affected at all.

There was actually another problem, and this one was more urgent and betrayed by her shaking hand: her bladder was full, and she was counting on the hour to rush to the bathroom. Some other girls also giggled when she reached the group of students, as they always did. Mercy’s superstition was an almost endless source of distraction to the attentive and cruel ones. “Are you afraid, Mercy? Is the power of the pharaoh going to save you?” taunted Kelly.
Of course, Mercedes replied coldly and calmly. “No, I just have to go to the bathroom.”
More giggles ensued.
“I don’t think you will allow me to go to the bathroom right now” stated the purple-haired girl, as a matter of fact, and the teacher replied as it was directed towards her: “Of course not, Ms. Cuevas. It’s dangerous outside. And you’re not a little kid anymore; you will hold it for ten or fifteen more minutes.”
Well, that didn’t quite suit the girl, who had obviously drunk too much during breakfast. She fiddled with her pendant some more, while another girl tried to get the teacher to notice her in order to ask questions, and succeeded. “Just what is going on out there?” she asked out loud.
This was a rhetorical question, as always, and still, a classmate took it as an invitation to answer. “Well, terrorists, duh. Last Tuesday, I totally saw two of them vandalizing some poor man’s car. And then there was, like, ice and water everywhere! This is serious, they’re using cryogenic weapons, right, and I heard high pressure ice or was it water could really damage stuff, and this…”
One deadpan comment stopped the annoying flow of words pouring out of Angela’s mouth: “There is no such thing as cryogenic weapons, and you should really, really stop talking about liquids right now.”
Mercedes almost started the silly little dance that everybody who has ever had way too much pee in their organism knows well. But she didn’t. Her ankh endured more abuse instead. In a cringe, she added: “It’s because the school was built on haunted grounds that strange events happen, of course. We keep telling people not to make buildings on top of ancient Indian cemeteries, but do they listen? No, they never listen.”
The discussion was getting awkward. But at least, while Mercy could spout her ghost stories, she could forget about having to go to the bathroom (but she however still started a little dance). Some impressionable girls listened.
“Listen. Can you hear what’s in the air vents?” No answer. “There’s a clicking noise.”
“Hey, that’s right, there’s a noise.” A pause. “Oh my gosh, is it a ghost?”
“It’s either a poltergeist”, actually, in Mercy’s mind, a fancier term for “ghosts” and nothing more, “or a terrorist, or should I say, a poor innocent possessed by a spirit. Destiny City is chockfull of haunted places and bad energies, and I’m sure that’s what drives people to attack the population.”
Nervous faces stared towards the air vent. More made-up explanation followed, told by the pink-eyed girl in a cold way, as if it was the most evident thing in the world. The most stressed individuals in the classroom had jumped on the cliché story like flies on a steak. There was an invisible threat outside of a completely unknown nature; ghosts made a perfect scapegoat, as they were supposed to be invisible. Also, nothing explained better sudden outbursts of strange activities than angry ghosts (and they seemed to always be angry; which made sense, as death is hardly a nice event in one’s life). Mercedes was reduced to an embarrassed girl sitting on the cold floor. But she still kept on telling her story, which even comforted herself, and even brandished her ankh for emphasis. As another echo of a click made itself heard, one girl yelped very briefly, and another jumped.
“Ghosts don’t attack me, and they won’t attack me, because this ankh attracts life energies. See? If I weren’t there, it would already have entered the classroom. You…”

Ms Bawry stepped in, with a characteristic look on her face. “For the last time, Cuevas, will you quit telling fairytales to your friends? I will kindly ask you to stick to cold, scientific facts in my class” she said angrily. Then relief came under the form of the voice transmitted by the intercom, proclaiming the end of the lockdown, accompanied by the dying sound of a siren (which Mercy had not noticed at all until she snapped out of her ghost story). “I guess my class has officially ended now. Next time I catch you doing this, however, you can be sure I will have some words with you.”
A few seconds after she unlocked the door, before she even made it to her desk to collect her belonging, Mercedes dashed to the bathroom and reached it just in time. Fortunately, she never considered the potential haunting of toilets.

[Nuxaz]

IN THE NAME OF THE MOON! WRITING COMPETITION? SCHOOLKID COMP!

Name: Chase Alexander Black

Nicknames: Ace

Gender: Male

Age: 18

School/Job: Meadowview

Fav. Food:Shrimp, general seafood, jello, and tea

Hated Food: Anything Bitter

Hobbies:

• Golfing - Golfing is in fact Chase’s favorite activity, he’ll play anytime and anywhere. One of his favorite things to do is to create abstract golf courses, especially on the way home. Often times his courses tread into property that is probably not a place he should go, such as areas under construction or private property but it's the thrill of being caught and yelled at that makes it so enjoyable to him.
  
  
• Playing Games - Chase is a gaming master, or so he thinks. His specialty is card games but he likes to think he's good at all kinds. Sports, besides golfing, are the exception to his 'masterness', he likes to think that he's decent at them but they definitely aren't something he the best at. Card games, board games and video games however are what he excels at. He’s very confident in his skills and prides himself on always winning. There is hardly a time when he loses because he will do whatever ever it takes to always come out on top even if it ultimately hurts him in the end.
  
  
• Pulling Pranks - Due to his rather, er, mischievous nature Chase often finds himself to play pranks on his friends, unsuspecting passerby's or even teachers or other adult in positions of authority. Occasionally he'll do simple prank like rigging a bucket of a water to fall upon whomever opens the door or put itching powder on classmates clothing when they in gym. Lately he's been going rather dangerous pranks such as rigging things to explode, not bomb-type explosions though where everything around you blows up in a big fire or whatever. It's more like a smoke bomb type of effect where when the loud 'pop' or 'boom' sounds the place is filled with smoke, allowing for quick getaway, shocked expressions and confusion. He has to be much more careful with these because if he gets caught he's almost guaranteed to not only face the principle, parents or angry adults but the police too and having a record with them is never a good thing, especially with all the 'terrorist' attacks going on.

Virtues:

• Charismatic -- For all the s**t he pulls he's surprisingly very likable. He's like a magnet that just attracts people to him. That is the reason that he tends to get out of trouble more often than he probably should. He's good at getting people riled up, especially if it's a topic that he's passion about. Swaying people to his side is what he does.
  
  
• Ambitious -- There has never been a better word to describe Chase. This is the reason he finds him cheating more often than he probably needs to, he just has to come out on top. He won't settle for second best, not unless there's a reason for him to lose, or he wants to. The reason for is this is not because his parents are pushing him, or he's in the shadows of a sibling, it because he needs to be the best, he can't settle for second place because if he's always on top then he never has a reason to feel inferior, something he isn't sure he could handle. If he isn't the best at something he will do whatever it takes to be the best even if it means lying, cheating or scheming to do so.
  
  
• Clever -- Chase is a smart cookie, even if his behavior doesn't show it, and his brains are what allow him to slack off a bit when it comes to school work. He's one of those kids who usually doesn't have to study for a test because he knows the information, and it allows him to BS essays and papers and still get a good grade. He's got a bit of a sharp tongue, insult him and he won't miss a beat insulting you back. It's not just his charisma that helps him get out of the sticky situations he causes, it's his intelligence and how he creates those pretty little stories of his without a second thought. His cleverness also helps him with his many pranks, if he couldn't figure out a way of doing something to optimize hilarity and a quick get away where would all the fun be? Unfortunately his love of procrastination dims how bright he really is.

Flaws:

• That Lying, Cheating Son of a... -- Chase has a bit of a problem, he simply cannot stand losing at anything for any reason. If you're playing a card game with him you better watch his hands, you never know where he's going to pull that extra card from, his sleeve or under the table. Don't let him deal the cards, he might be fast at it but there's always the chance he's rigging it in his favor. Chase also has a tendency to lie to get what he wants, especially if it helps him win.
  
  
• Conniving Little b*****d... -- He's one of those boys that gets that tingle in their stomach from doing something they shouldn't be doing, you know the kind of stuff that would get you in some serious trouble if you got caught. He's often found scheming, plotting ways to do things(like trashing a room) and pinning it on someone else as revenge because they ticked him off. Getting caught is only half the fun for him. The other half is putting the blame on someone else and getting away with it.
  
  
• Disregard for Safety -- He doesn't exactly think before he acts, he mostly focuses upon what kind of reaction he'll get after the event and as a result he often plunges headfirst into one of his schemes and pranks without considering the danger factor of the equation, which proves to be rather problematic especially now that he's playing with explosives. He doesn't exactly think about the aftermath or consequences that might result(like, "Oh hey this might hurt someone" or "lol hope I don't end up in the hospital this week" ) he only thinks about the way it makes him feel, or how fun it is. To him it's like getting high without the drug. He's constantly seeking a thrill and that often leaves him not caring about safety concerns or mental health. He doesn't really care what'll happen to the unsuspecting victim nor what'll happen to him as long as he doesn't break anything or die. Unfortunately his dangerous, and sometimes stupid behavior, has landed him more than just a couple of scratches or bruises. He's ended up with a sprained ankle, broken arm, and a dislocated shoulder once. Whoops.
  

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

He stands at approximately 5'10 and is rather lanky. He's slightly tanned from spending a lot of time outdoors.

Hair: He had black swoopy side bangs and his hair is cut rather short often spiked up in the middle, much like a fohawk with a pink stripe going down the middle and even feathering a little into his bangs. There are times when his hair is more shaggy as well, generally when wearing hats and on lazy days.

Eyes: His eyes are the color of gold and always have a mischievous glint to them.

Face: He's kinda got a longer than average face with a defined jawline and a slightly squared chin. It's oval shaped, he's freckle-free and his ears aren't big per-say they just stick out a little more than average.


THE STORY ENTRY
Chase was sitting at his desk with his feet propped up and his chair tilted back far enough that it was resting against the wall when the announcement made it’s way over the intercom. At first he brushed it off as just another boring announcement about a possible terrorist attack. It wasn’t new, the lockdown, but it was the little bit about something being in the vents that resulted in him falling forward, his feet hitting the ground and the items on his desk crashing to the ground.

Wait. What? No, no, no!

This couldn’t be happening, no, he couldn’t have the police snooping through the vents! Especially not the one that lead into the boys bathroom. s**t. Now Chase was a conniving little b*****d who just loved pulling pranks, and boy did he have one planned. He was preparing to either flood the boys bathroom, and blame it on someone else of course, or to set off a smoke bomb of sorts, maybe a stink bomb or something. But with the police snooping around the building, well it certainly couldn’t happen now.

What was the worse part about this situation for the boy? Well, he had stashed everything for his awesome(in his opinion) prank in the vents just above the boys bathroom and now...he was seriously in danger of being caught. ”Uhhh...I really, really have to go to the bathroom. Like now!” he suddenly exclaimed to his teacher standing up.

”Well you’ll just have to wait,” his teacher replied sharply. ”No one is allowed to leave this room until the lockdown is over.”

”Damnit,” he grumbled under his breath. His mind was racing and his heart was pounding. He really, really needed to get to the bathroom. His gold eyes swept across the room as he weighed possible options. He could a)try to discreetly sneak out the door, b)climb out the window(thank god he was on the first floor), or c)find a way into the vents and crawl through them hoping he wouldn’t be caught.

Now this was something he definitely needed to think about before he ultimately decided. Option A was rather boring and the door was bound to have been locked by now(he probably should’ve paid more attention.) Option B was promising but the biggest issue was getting back inside, plus it had the added possibility of being seen by cops, or some bystander and getting into even more trouble than he probably already was going to get into. So, by process of elimination, option C was clearly the best one, y’know ignoring the “YOU’RE GONNA GET CAUGHT” warning ringing through his head.

Turning to his friend sitting next to him he grinned, that mischievous twinkle in his eye glistening. ”Hey Jimmy,” he whispered pulling the boy in close. ”I need you and Sam to cover me, I really gotta go to the bathroom and it CAN’T wait,” he explained gesturing for his other friend to come in closer. ”So, I need one of you to distract the teacher, then I need the other one to cover me and help me get into the vents.” he explained with a serious nod.

”You’re crazy man, you heard them. There’s something in the vents!” Jimmy exclaimed shaking his head. ”Can’t you hold it?”

Chase sighed, sometimes he wondered if his friends even knew him or not. ”Of course I’m crazy, things wouldn’t be near as much fun if I wasn’t,” he retorted quickly. ”And no. No I can’t hold it. I have to get into the bathroom as soon as possible.” Why hadn’t they gotten the hint yet?

”Oh!” both boys exclaimed in unison. ”Okay but we’re not taking the blame this time,” Sam stated folding his arms over his chest.

”Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever,” Chase replied looking up at the ceiling to locate the nearest vent. It was on the left wall opposite the windows but right by the teachers desk. s**t. Of course it had to be in the worst place possible. He sighed running a hand through his slightly spiked hair. The only good thing about the location was that the teacher’s desk was just tall enough to allow him easy-ish access to the vent. ”Sam, Jimmy we need a like now,” he growled shoving his friends forward as he slowly inched his ways forward, away from them.

Jimmy sighed glancing at Sam before shrugging and heading towards their teacher as Sam moved towards the window. ”Hey, teach.” Jimmy called resting his elbow on the shoulder of the man. ”You really gotta see what Sam’s up to,” he stated a devious grin on his lips.

”What?” the man looked up only to see Sam with the window wide open and partially hanging out. How was that for a distraction? ”Samuel! Get away from that window, you heard the announcement! Samuel!” he scolded heading over in fury as a crowd began to gather. ”All of you back to your seats! Now!” He barked, his frustration growing as none of the students seemed to listen to him.

While all of this was going on Chase was busy working on unscrewing the screws of the vents, using the lid of a pen(it barely worked). Once he had successfully managed to get the cover off the vent he hissed at Jimmy, ”Hey! I need your help.”

The other boy groaned but hurried over. ”What?”

”First I need you to cheerleader boost me into the vent, I barely touch the ceiling, then I need you to put this,” he shook the vent cover, “back on the vent before the teacher notices.”

”Cheerleader what?”

”Boost, just hoist me up okay?” Chase growled. He was running out of time. The more he had to explain the less time he had to clean up his mess. ”Come on!” Begrudgingly Jimmy hobbled forward, climbed up on the desk(after clearing some stuff out of the way) and sat on his knees. Chase stared at him for a second confused before moving to step on the other boys back. ”I owe you,” he stated while the other boy grabbed his legs and stood up just a little bit giving Chase the boost he needed to pull himself up and into the vents. After a minute of struggling he had successfully wiggled his way in. Panting he laid still for a minute trying to remember the path of the vents(okay so this wasn’t his first time up in the vents).

He started crawling forward trying to be careful not to make too much noise. He couldn’t afford to get caught before he got anywhere, although he should’ve been more worried about what might already be lurking in the vents, he was too busy focusing on that “I CAN’T GET CAUGHT BY THE COPS” feeling.

It was reaching that point where he was pretty sure he had taken a wrong turn(damn those forks in the road) and he threw caution to the wind as his pace quickened, as much as it could in such a tight space, and he was making quite a bit of racket. Then...

Hoorah! He found the loosened vent to the boys bathroom along with all his little smoke and stink bomb little toys, along with a few others. Pushing them forward, past the vent cover he pushed down on it. After a good few minutes of struggling he managed to knock it off. Gathering his belongings he held them close as he closed his pushed himself out of the air vents. He fell forward barely pulling into himself landing on his back hard enough that it knocked the wind right out of him. Owwww. He was going to feel that tomorrow.

Suddenly he heard the bathroom door rattling and he began to panic. s**t. s**t. s**t! he mentally cursed throwing himself into a bathroom stall just as the door swung open. With his heart pounding he quickly threw all of his supplies into the toilet, cursing it’s lack of a cover(damn those public toilets!) and flushed in hopes that it would go down before anyone(the police) began checking the stalls.

”I heard the noise going this way,” he heard someone say as the toilet finished flushing and he pulled the stall door open. He feigned a look of confusion as he looked at the principal and the police that accompanied him. ”Chase! What are you doing out of class?”

”I was in the bathroom when the announcement came,” Chase responded trying to hide his nervousness. Instead of receiving a reply from the principal he was met with a gurgling from the stall behind him and water began to pool around his feet. ”Uh...”

Haha, looks like he was flooding the boys bathroom today. Whoops. So much for not getting caught.

[Sika-chan]

IN THE NAME OF THE MOON! WRITING COMPETITION? SCHOOLKID COMP!

Name: Kaleb Williams

Nicknames: Kay (used mostly by his younger sister)

Age: 19

Birthday: February 14th

Sign: Aquarius

Gemstone: Turquoise

Blood Type: A+

Fav. Food:
Spicy foods. Unfortunately his stomach would disagree, making him spend way more time in the bathroom than he would like to after 'enjoying' said favorite.

Hated Food:
Any food will do really, he's not a picky eater, and he'll try anything at least once.

School: Sovereign Heights

Hobbies:
-Violin - The largest consumer of Kaleb's free time, the almighty violin! Kaleb grew up listening mostly to classical music (due to his mother wanting her children to grow up in a relaxed environment) and because of this he always had an appreciation for string instruments. But his real love and obsession for the violin didn't really spark until he happened upon the song 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia." After hearing this 'masterpiece,' Kaleb became a bit obsessed with a self-image of himself being the best violinist to ever exist. Ever.

At first he took lessons with a private teacher, learning the basics and making baby steps toward more advanced music. As with any instrument, practice makes perfect, but practice was taking too long for Kaleb. He soon began to get frustrated with the process and was set to quit entirely, deeming it "impossible to do." He mentioned canceling his lessons to his parents, but before he could even finish his sentence his father interrupted him.

"That's just like you to quit the moment something gets hard. Excellence comes from hard work, boy. You'll never amount to anything the way you quit things, especially not that ridiculous violin. You're a failure."

His father's words stung Kaleb, but then again most things his father said to him did, but this was about him failing as a violinist. He vowed to prove the b*****d wrong this time, even if it killed him. He then proceeded to ask his private tutor for more lessons during the week and enrolled in band at his school. He had a renewed drive for the violin, no one had seen him put into so much into something before and stay with it.

-Knitting Kaleb doesn't exactly like knitting, but he doesn't hate it either. Knitting is more of a habit rather than a hobby, at least that's what he tells everyone. When he was younger, Kaleb's mother told him that knitting was an excellent way to exercise his fingers without having to play the violin.
Truth be told, his mother hadn't heard of it being a hand exercise, but she had heard it was a relaxing hobby. Lord knew Kaleb needed something relaxing to keep his mind off the violin whenever he would get pissed at it. But even more important, it was a quiet hobby, and as much as Kaleb's mother loved him and his love of the violin, she needed a break from the "rowdy" music that he tended to practice.
It was an easy enough hobby to learn, after a simple Internet search, a few 'how to' videos, and a quick run to a craft store for needles and some yarn, he was ready to go. Most of Kaleb's knitting 'projects' consist of scarves that his younger sister demanded that he make for her. Since it was a simple enough item to make, and it made her light up every time he finished something new for her, he was happy to make them for her. When he's not knitting scarves for his sister, he's usually knitting blankets for his mother, who donates them to the needy. He doesn't mind that his work is going to strangers, they need them and knitting them is something easy for him to do while he's sitting watching TV, or just hanging out with the family, ('The Family' being his mother and sister). Kaleb will never knit in front of his father, not wanting to give the b*****d something else to yell at him about.


Virtues:
-Sit Ubu sit, good dog -- When Kaleb was younger, he was a rambunctious and rowdy kid, causing problems and doing whatever he'd like in any rebellious kid nature. His father only took so much of this from Kaleb and eventually shipped him off to military boarding school, telling him he could go back to normal school when he "shaped up and started acting like a good son."
Because of this Kaleb now does as he is told and will do everything in his power to do so. He is obedient like a well-trained dog. You ask him to jump, he'll ask how high. The school did well.
However, this obedience is only shown toward people whom he sees as his 'master' or commander, usually people who are higher ranked than him. Whether it is by seniority or in actual ranking, he will obey them and their commands.
When faced with something he just doesn't want to do, it will usually take some prodding or an ultimatum to get Kaleb moving. However, there isn't much he won't do, except harm his mother or sister.

-The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate Kaleb runs on praise, again much like a dog would. He strives to be praised and is actually content with a "good job" or a head pat when he does something correct. He would like nothing more than to know that what he did made his 'master' happy instead of a physical reward.

-No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar -- Kaleb doesn't tell lies, but this isn't because he thinks that lying is wrong, quite the opposite actually. He avoids lying because he's not very good at it. He's tried to lie in the past but would either stumble over his words or would forget that he even lied in the first place. So instead of worrying over remembering his lies, he'd rather tell the truth and not have the hassle.

Flaws:
-Perverse/wrongheaded Kaleb is more likely and willing to do what is considered to not follow the social norm or right. When he was younger he would volunteer to play the robbers or whatever bad guy position was present in the games he played. He'd rather be the bad guy than the good guy.
A very light example would be to ignore the "stay off the grass" sign and not only stand on the grass, but kick up a few good clumps of sod for good measure.
However, being sent to military school kind of beat this rebellious nature out of him when he got older. Though he still has his tendencies of wanting to do the wrong thing, he will reluctantly choose the 'right' thing in order to keep his father off of his back. But the b*****d isn't around anymore, so the tendencies are getting stronger...

-You're such a mama's boy! Now being a mother's boy isn't really a bad thing, Kaleb respects his mother and will do as she says like a good son. However, his weakness would be the 'mom voice.' You know the voice, the one that still makes you jump when you're an adult. Kaleb can be a rowdy and even misbehaving boy, but if a woman uses the 'mother voice' on him, whether its his mom or not, he will stop dead in his tracks and obey, or at least pause in confusion. This can take him off guard and put him in a weakened position.

“In order to go on living one must try to escape the death involved in perfectionism.” Kaleb is never satisfied until all his work is done efficiently and flawlessly, and spends a lot of time checking, and even double-checking, to make sure that it is. Kaleb likes to blame this on being in the military school.
Because of this, Kaleb tends to be highly stressed and have the tendency to burn out when working too hard on one thing. His perfectionism is most recognizable when he plays his violin, or even talks about his violin, usually constantly nit picking his own skill until he frustrates (or even depresses) himself.
His perfectionism can also be seen in his class work. Although Kaleb is not exactly a dedicated student, but he does get frustrated when he gets grades lower than he expects to get. His standards aren't too high, he's happy with being a B student, but nothing below that. He also gets obsessive about projects, making sure that he goes beyond just the minimum requirement of the project to make sure he catches the teacher's eye on his work, earning him some well-deserved praise.

A bit on the needy side.
For a guy who runs off of pleasing his superiors and doing things correctly and swiftly, telling him he did a good job is often sufficient. However, if he doesn't receive praise he will become antsy and start to pick at it, wondering what he did incorrectly as to displeased his 'master.' This usually leads to him being a bit on the needy side when trying to find out what he did wrong and trying to fix whatever it is that needs to be fixed.
DO NOT MISS OUT THE ABOVE BECAUSE YOU'RE C&PING FROM YOUR QUEST OR WE WILL BE MAD

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Eyes:
An eerie yellow, often compared to that of a wolf's in colour. Usually in a half-lidded state, looking utterly bored/uncaring about the situation he's in.

Body:
6 feet tall with an average build. He doesn't have time to work out, but he doesn't exactly laze around the house either. He has naturally tan skin, something his father 'gave' to him, with hardly any freckles or other markings.

Hair:
Straight, layered, black hair that hangs just below his shoulders. He also has dread extensions that he will put in a bit above the nape of his neck. The extensions consist of black and yellow dreads made from Synthetic hair.

Face:
Nothing too striking about his face or features. He's not ugly, but he's not outstandingly handsome either. Some girls would call him cute if they were to call him anything at all.

THE STORY ENTRY

Nothing else mattered right now. Not the fact that the school was on lockdown and there were probably terrorists about to bomb the building, or send out a deadly airborne virus through the air vents. No, that was the last thing on Kaleb’s mind. Sure he pondered the idea when the lockdown was first established, but it was nothing new. It wasn’t the first and it certainly wouldn’t be the last time his school was under some kind of threat. He actually didn’t mind it today, it gave him an excuse to stay longer and continue practicing his violin. Although one wouldn’t know since said violin was sitting in its case at the moment.

No, at that very moment none of that mattered, all that mattered now was that he had to pee, and soon or he was going to piss himself in front of his classmates.

When the lockdown had been put in place, Kaleb had been relieved. There was a performance coming up and he preferred practicing at school with the rest of his group rather than at home alone. But the lockdown was going on much longer than he had expected. He could have sworn he didn’t need to go earlier, but now he did, and as the minutes ticked by he had to go even more.

He had attempted to distract himself at first by continuing to play his violin, trying to put all his attention into his sheet music, and at first it worked. But this was only a temporary distraction, and he soon found himself setting his violin and bow in its case and staring at the clock while he tapped his foot. Any minute now, any minute the lockdown would be lifted and he could rush to the restroom.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

[********] he said under his breath, pushing himself into motion and making his way toward their band teacher, Mr. Anderson, stationed to watch over them at the front of the class. As he approached and opened his mouth to speak, the teacher interrupted him, angry eyes meeting his own anxious ones.

“ Mr. Williams, whatever the question may be, if it is associated with leaving this room, the answer is a firm no. “ Anderson arched a brow in question, as if waiting for an argument, pen tapping against the pile of paperwork he had been working on.

Kaleb closed his mouth with a snap, frowning in response.

“I’m assuming that’s exactly what you were going to ask me.”

“Well yes,” Kaleb muttered in response, his eyes darting to the door before flicking back to his teacher. “ I really need to use the restroom, Mr. Anderson.”

“I’m sorry Mr. Williams, I am under strict orders from authorities to not allow any students to leave this room.” Turning his attention back to the paperwork in front of him, Anderson shooed Caleb away with a flick of his hand. “So please seat yourself.”

Kaleb’s frown deepened, a huff escaping his lips as he turned from the teacher’s desk and made his way back to his seat. But instead of sitting back in it, he continued to walk past it, taking up post at the back of the room. Ignoring the odd looks he was getting from other students, he began to pace, hoping the constant movement would help him keep his mind off of needing to take a piss. The idea worked for a short while, more minutes ticking on by as he paced back and forth, but soon the pressure as back again, and with a vengeance.

“Shiiit,” his hissed under his breath, his eyes darting to the door once again, then back to Mr. Anderson. He wondered how quickly he could get out the door before Mr. Anderson could stop him. Then again there were people patrolling the halls, what if he ran into them?

Kaleb paced a few more times, slowly making his way closer to the door during his circuit, all the while keeping an eye on Mr. Anderson. After a few more paces he was only a quick run from the door, and Anderson was still concentrating on his paperwork, unaware of Kaleb’s new position or plan. Kaleb huffed in agitation, as he paused at the beginning of his pacing route away from the door, torn on what to do next. He didn’t want to disobey Mr. Anderson and didn’t want the hassle of the punishment that was sure to follow his actions. However, he didn’t exactly want to piss all over himself in class either.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

“******** it!” Kaleb started his pace again, but much quicker this time, making a mad dash to the door.

Anderson had enough time to look up and see Kaleb yanking the door open before he could even truly react. “Mr. Williams! I said-!”

“ I know what you said!” Kaleb interrupted as he paused at the door, doing his best not to start hopping in place. “Any other day I would sit and wait like a good student, but I got to ******** piss!”

Anderson blinked in surprise at Kaleb’s outburst, unable to really respond with just the right words. “Mr. Williams you’r-“

“Yea, yea! I’m in big trouble, I’ll take my punishment once I’ve finished.” And with that he was out the door and running down the hall as fast as he could manage, the sounds of other students laughing and Mr. Anderson calling for quiet fading behind him.

There was a small moment of panic as he realized what he had just done, plus the fact that he may just run into the ‘terrorists’ that caused this problem in the first place. But said panic was soon forgotten as his hand closed over the door handle to the bathroom, and a urinal was finally in his sight.

At that very moment he felt like he had never seen something so wonderful in his entire life.

Hallelujah!!

[SpaceSalt]

IN THE NAME OF THE MOON! WRITING COMPETITION? SCHOOLKID COMP!

Name: Marcus Webber

Nicknames: Only if someone’s lazy enough to shorten his name to Mar. He’s really not extraordinary enough for a creative nickname.

Gender: Male

Age: 17

School/Job: Meadowview High School- expelled. In transfer to Hillworth.
*This is because I originally planned him for Meadowview, however, given the actions I came up with for his prompt, I imagine he’d logically be expelled from any public school, and it looks like Hillworth would be his only alternative.

Fav. Food: Jalapeno steak cheddar onion pizza on thin crust with no sauce. Everything else is just ‘okay’.

Hated Food: Salmon, undressed rice, nougat, and a variety of other things.

Hobbies:
Off Roading - Marcus loves machines, he loves the mud, and he loves exploring. Ever since his grandfather first attempted to buy his love one fateful birthday with an ATV, he’s been totally taken with taking long trip out into the peace of nature, and promptly disturbing that peace by firing up his engines and taking off to explore it. This is a constant point of conflict with his mother, who has the typical motherly concerns of her son catching himself in an accident and becoming crippled, or getting lost on his solitary trips which any explorer will tell you isn’t recommended in the first place. At this point in time he is not allowed to touch the now outdated vehicle until he re-learns some basic safety rules. His mother has decreed it to rot until death in their garage, but he lovingly dotes on it and keeps it in top shape in his spare time, and occasionally sneaks off for a ride anyway.

Musical tracker, hunter, and trapper - Marcus has an odd taste in music. He’s pretty well versed in most genres but his favorites lie in the ska, swing, and rockabilly genres. He’s also pretty up to date on unknown bands and as a result, acquiring a musical library to his tastes requires lots of record store searching and hunting throughout underground holes in the wall. Pirating illegally is also an option, but he rarely goes that route. It has nothing to do with morality issues, or the sense of superiority from knowing all these hip, indie places to buy music (Which is still a present plus). It has to do with his tech savvy skills, or lack thereof. Even still, he’s liable to crack open a p2p program when he’s desperate, or craving new sounds while being grounded.

Daddy Daycare - Marcus cares a lot about his image, so this is an embarrassing one that would eternally dent his macho ego. It was a necessity when he couldn’t find official employment, and it evolved into something much more. Marcus is an excellent babysitter, and a favorite hire in his neighborhood. He’s all certified and qualified and it seems to be a talent, in an odd way. Though some families are hesitant to hire him thanks to his looks, he still gets a decent amount of business on referrals, especially when he clicks with the kids, which is the majority of the time. He has a talent for interacting on their level and making friends with his little ‘client’ while still maintaining a sense of “I’m in charge.” Which leaves happy kids, and happier parents when they come home to find their house clean and their munchkin sound asleep, having made their bed time. Marcus has a gift for dealing with kids, but it’s one he’d rather keep a secret. And he never takes on clients with older kids. This charisma he has with the younger members of his community seems to lose effect with anyone over age nine.

Virtues:
Family Oriented - Cliché, but true. Marcus’s family doesn’t have the greatest reputation. Some see him as a good for nothing punk, his little sister as a demon troublemaker, and his mom as a less then virtuous woman, stemming from the fact the lady’s never been married-- or been in a committed relationship for that matter-- but she has two children, fathered by two different men. This has never bothered Marcus; If anything it’s made him more accepting of other people regardless to how they measure up in society‘s view. He’s never been a whiny “Why doesn’t daddy live with us?” Kind of person. His mom has been the only, capable parent he’s ever needed and he greatly respects her for that. And he’ll break the nose of anyone who doesn’t, damn the consequences.
While his mom is overprotective in her own right, there are some instances where Marcus assumes the role of a parent. “Are you really going out dressed like that?” And “Just how much do you know about this boy?” Are questions frequently asked.
They tend to flip flop a lot, though. His mother is equally wary of any girls Marcus brings home, his dangerous hobby, and just him being out in the cold harsh world-- even if it’s only for a few hours. Her doting, overprotective nature has earned him the reputation of a momma’s boy for those who’ve seen it and lived to tell the tale. He doesn’t like the related teasing but really he is, just a little, a momma’s boy.

Munchkin Wrangler - As Marcus recently discovered this through his babysitting hobby; He is excellent with kids. They listen to him. He’s always likened dealing with younger kids to like dealing with wild animals-- show any weakness and you will be devoured without mercy. Though, one can’t be too much of a hard a** either, or avoid interaction, because that makes for unhappy kids who tell their parents unhappy things, and then you’re out of a client. Luckily, he’s always had a natural sense for balancing the two, and he gets along with seven year olds far better then most kids his age. Not that he’s a loner, but he really is more gifted with cartoon and snack cake driven kidlets then ‘his own kind’. Needless to say this aspect is very profitable. He doesn’t really love or like kids, but he doesn’t hate them either.

Natural calculater - Not necessarily in terms of math, Marcus is always instinctively calculating problems and outcomes at a glance. This has led to near gifted level test scores in his schooling, even though he’s really not at a ‘gifted’ level IQ (In some opinions.). This is also excellent in quick thinking situations, as he can weigh his options much faster, and doesn’t usually get bogged down with too many what-ifs if quick action is needed. This mostly supplements and enhances his other traits, both positively and negatively (But mostly positively as a strength, which is why it’s listed under virtues.)

Flaws:
Technically an idiot - Literally. He fails at technology which inhibits a lot of his day to day life. He can’t pirate music, or else he’ll end up with a virus on his computer. He can’t play computer games because he can never figure out the controls, putting him out of the loop on that topic and needing to track down some other way to waste his time. His grades on essays (when he does them) are usually lower then they could’ve been because he couldn’t adequately cite his source or find accurate information. He usually goes the old fashioned route, relying on libraries for his research and his CDs for his musical needs. His experience with mechanics helps in no way; The hardware structure of a computer is a complete mystery to him and software leaves him totally lost. He also can’t keep an MP3 player updated (again, he needs bulky CDs) and his cellphone’s features remain a mystery. He can open text messages, but he never sends them. He always calls back to respond, even for the smallest things. Though he’s not completely useless; He can still operate the basic functions of an email (Better hope you don’t need anything formatted and attached…) and instant messenger after some help from his little sister setting it up, who’s far more savvy then he is.

Hygine - Or lack thereof. Marcus tends to put off showers, leaving layers of grease and mud from his hobbies to stack up and honestly, sometimes he kind of smells. His hair is constantly floppy, and in desperate need of maintenance. He chose a style with buzzed sides, but he rarely remembers to get re-buzzed and trimmed before he looks like a shaggy mop, and unless he’s chasing a girl, he’s pretty passive about it. He honestly just doesn’t care. His sister is constantly devising ways to get him soaked or coax him into bathing, and the only reason his clothes are clean is because she does the laundry. Marcus would have to be forced to go nude before it occurred to him to do something like his laundry. The only time he’s motivated to clean the hell up is when he’s chasing after a girl and needs to dress to impress. Or, at least wash to impress. Otherwise it takes a few snide comments from friends to make him give a s**t and go wash his hair and brush his teeth.

Underachiever - Marcus’s calculating skills give him an academic advantage, which he squanders. He will only do the bare minimum to get by for the time being, which usually comes back and bites him in the a** later. Hes finally starting to see that, but he hasn‘t done much to correct the problem. Since he knew what a GPA was and how his schoolwork affected it, it’s been a steady 2.5, or lower if he’s ever thrown an unexpected curveball and doesn’t get a 100 like he always anticipates. Now it’s keeping him out of Sovereign Heights, which has got his mother worried he won’t make the cut for college and he’ll go on sustaining a mediocre to marginal life. Marcus is too focused on the here and now to give this much thought and continually keeps his underachiever habits strong, whether it’s skipping an assignment because he’ll pass the class if he aces the test or not bothering to make amends with a classmate because he doesn’t foresee them ever benefiting him in the immediate future. It harms him academically, socially, financially, health-wise, and many other ways that seem minor at first, but grow into much larger issues later.

It's a permanent habit now. He will never be ambitious, or able to give his full 100% except in very rare cases of intense motivation. Often times he causes problems because he didn't perceive something as necessary.

Edward Cullen, desparkled - Marcus can come off as the ideal bad boy that needs saving. He’s just so brooding and alone and he needs a special, perfect one of a kind girl that’s just SO SPECIAL she’s the only one who can unlock his flawless boyfriend potential.
No not really, no one’s really like that, but that’s what he’d like everyone to think. The reason why is it’s much easier to get a nice piece of a** this way and intimidate people from getting into too many fights with him(Because he's really not good, or experienced with fighting). That’s how he operates his high school social life. In reality, Marcus is a bright, happy guy with a few close friends that likes to have fun, whose only issue with school is his laziness, and listens to his mother a little more then a seventeen year old boy probably should, just, in the public eye of the high school social system, he’d like to be seen as the brooding punk with discipline issues.


PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Eyes: Marcus has moderately brown eyes, slightly angled and feminine. The sort that look much better on a girl then a boy.

Hair: Marcus’s hair is blue/black, but a warm, medium brown at the roots because he’s less then vigilant about keeping it dyed. It’s a styled mohwak, but the buzzed sizes of his head are a bit thicker then they should be, and in his natural, brown color. The longer strands at the top are left floppy and shaggy, as he no longer has the ambition to style it up (Though he will sometimes if he’s being teased, especially by his sister, who, in her ignorance to the 1980s, thinks a floppy mohawk is the same as a mullet.)

Face: Marcus has petite ears and a feminine face, pointed chin and rounded cheeks, again, giving him a naturally girlish look. But he tries to combat this with shaggy hair, and what faint five o’clock shadow his teenage boy self can muster; He doesn’t want to be a pretty boy. He has freckles that go over the bridge of his nose, but they’re faint, barely visible in the tan he’s gained from so much time walking around outside or on one of his offroading adventures, though it’s uneven, unintentional, and he also has awkward tan lines because of it.

Clothes: N/A. His school uniform.
Though outside school, Marcus is stuck with hand-me-downs from… his uncle. His hoodies are usually faded, browny shades of black with holes here and there and his shirts are plain, hole ridden, stained, or just… odd. However, his jeans are usually deteriorated and awesome, even though they got that way the old fashioned way; Years of use. No fancy pre-destroyed jeans for this kid.

THE STORY ENTRY

Marcus sat back in his chair, half watching the chemistry teacher write notes and equations on the board and half zoning out. He could hear her voice lecturing on the lesson but he wasn’t really processing what she was saying, just fiddling with his Meadowview uniform and fighting off sleep. He didn’t need a lecture, he could glean what he needed to get a passing grade on the taste from notes they already took, and he really wasn’t going to aim for anything higher then a 70. His lab partner was next to him, hurriedly taking notes in a panic that he might miss something important, making Marcus smirk a bit, keeping himself half conscious while he watched the end of the boy’s pencil twitch and jerk around rapidly.

He got along with his lab partner. Not so much at first when the teacher first paired them up. The other guy would hardly speak to him and act all shy and intimidated. He was a bit of a geek and an overachiever, while Marcus was the polar opposite. Once they realized there was more to the other then their class stereotypes though, they got along well enough, but Marcus still found it funny how his poor partner obsessed over his GPA and getting scholarships. Marcus himself didn’t care for such things; They took too much work and he sure as hell didn’t need them right now.

Finally, he just gave in, letting himself nod off into a light, dozing sleep. If the teacher called out his name and brought attention to him, he’d just deal with it, because a few moments nap was too tempting to him right now.

But he’d rather have the teacher wake him up then what came next. A loud noise precluded the intercom system being flicked on, making Marcus jump awake in a spastic fashion he was glad no one seemed to notice, and the principal’s voice rang out.

“Meadowview high is official on Lockdown. Teacher, please follow shelter in place procedure. All students in the halls are instructed to take shelter in the nearest classroom as soon as possible. Stay away from all doors and windows and wait for further instructions.”

“Great,” Marcus muttered, rolling his stiff shoulders and shifting so he was leaning forward on the table rather then back in his seat. “They couldn’t have done this drill in third period? I hate this class.”

“I-I’m not sure it’s a drill,” His lab partner said nervously, but Marcus waved it off.

His teacher was scuttling around, closing blinds and locking doors and counting her students before she relaxed a bit. “Well… I suppose we could spend our time in here taking tomorrow’s notes too,” She said with an unconfident smile as the students groaned.

Marcus just gave a bit of a snort and put his head down. He didn’t need tomorrow’s notes either, so he was hoping she’d be merciful on him and just let him sleep. But before he could doze off again, he sat up at a sudden realization. Man did he need a bathroom. Or at the very least a bottle and a moment of privacy. He clenched his teeth and shifted in his seat, trying to look as normal as possible while hoping against hope this drill would end soon.

And just like that his hope was dashed.

“Oh my god, there’s something on the roof!” One of the girls cried out, having gotten a text message from a friend who heard from another friend who was out in the hall when the lockdown was initiated and claimed to have heard one of the faculty members say it as they called the police.

“No cellphones!” The teacher blurted in a slight panic.
More students groaned, and some were more then reluctant to hand their phones over. “That’s a stupid lockdown rule. What if we’re forced to scatter out of the building while terrorists mercilessly hunt us down? Then how are we supposed to call our parents?” Marcus heard his lab partner mumble, making him look over at the other boy with a slightly disturbed look. Marcus had no problem handing over his phone. He doubted anyone would be calling him at such a time and he wasn’t really an avid text message typer or game player. “If we’re running for our lives from terrorists, the first thing you’d do is call your mom?” He asked with a superficial snort of disgust, though he inwardly wondered just how his own mom would know of his fate if such a thing happened.

Another wave of urgency swept over his body, making him grit his teeth again while he tried his hardest not to make a face that announced his situation. Oh god, there was no way he was going to make it. Even if the police arrived right at this moment, dealt with whatever it was on the roof (Marcus was still holding out a sliver of hope it wasn’t terrorists in spite of his lab partner’s terrified theories) and undid the lockdown, he probably still wouldn’t make it to the bathroom.

But he was trying to be optimistic. Maybe he could escape the classroom. He quickly started devising a plan, thinking of the benefits and consequences. If he could convince his buddy here to distract the teacher for a moment, he could slip away and hopefully dodge any patrolling authority figures to make it to the nearest bathroom. Of course if he got caught he’d be in deep trouble, and worse, it could be dangerous depending on what was going on on the roof. But on the bright side he’d be that guy who ran off during a lockdown instead of that weird, quiet kid who wet his pants in the back of the classroom when he thought terrorists were attacking. He would never live that down. His image would be ruined! He’d have to transfer schools-- no wait… he’d have to move out of town!

The latter was just plain unacceptable.

“Psst… hey,” He said, leaning over, “You think you could keep her busy for a sec? I gotta-”
“No way!” The guy didn’t even give him a chance to finish. “Dude, it’s dangerous! You’ll get blown up!”
“I’ll get worse here,” Marcus hissed, his voice strained, trying to communicate how imperative his friend’s compliance was.

“Mr. Webber.” Hearing his name he sat up straight putting on a straight face as he looked at the woman at the front of the room.

“…Yeah, teach?”

“Is there a reason you’re harassing Mr. Ortiz?”

Marcus just shrugged it off, moving away from his lab partner to show he’d stop and the teacher sighed. Poor woman was a newbie when it came to high school kids so Marcus knew he could get away with certain things other teachers would pursue to a detention if he pulled it with them.

Now he was back to square one, and worse off then before, unsure of how much longer he could manage to hold it in. He was already having trouble sitting still and had to keep himself from making faces. A nearby girl giggled and he assumed it was at him, making his stomach knot at the fact someone had noticed.

He needed a solution, now. Brown eyes scanned the room, frantic and eager as he played out several unlikely scenarios in his head brought on what was available in the chemistry room.

Spotting something nearby, mounted to the back wall, a thought crept into his mind. He quickly dismissed it, but his desperation brought it back. That would definitely work, if he pulled off a decent enough acting job. He’d have to keep a straight face, and he’d be in deeper trouble then his plan of escaping would cause him. But it was also less dangerous and didn’t involve compromising a school lockdown with possible terrorists on the loose.

He was inwardly nervous, even having a slight shaking tremor to his fingers at the thought, but it was now or never, lest he be forever labeled ‘that kid who wet his pants’.

“Marcus Webber!” The teacher huffed when he got up, and strolled a few feet over, grabbing an empty chair and sliding it against the counter that lined the back of the room for experiments and cleaning up lab supplies.
“Hold on, teach, I got some business to conduct if ya know I’m sayin’,” He said, hoping he sounded more confident then he felt. He must’ve, by the collective gasping tone of his audience even before he actually unzipped his pants and took aim for the chemical wash sink.

His partner was to his left jaw gapped in astonishment before Marcus gave him a half lidded, unamused and scrutinizing expression. “I know it’s impressive but you should really avert your eyes. You might get too disappointed that I don’t swing that way.”

Humiliated, his partner flushed red and glanced away, making Marcus give a smug smirk to the wall he was faced with. That’ll learn him to not be a distraction when he needs one.

Shoulders square and head held high, he zipped his pants up and turned around to see classmates blushing and avoiding eye contact, and laughing at the entertainment of someone random exposing himself to the world without a care. Or seemingly without a care. Marcus had a bit more shame then he was letting on, but he had to seem like he totally didn’t care right now, or the whole thing would be ruined.

“M-mister Webber,” The teacher said, still not looking at him and blushing like mad. The tone of her voice was shaky, embarrassed, and angry, but there wasn’t much she could do. They were all stuck in this room. “W-wash your hands.”

Marcus gave an amused laugh he had to force, turning around and washing his hands like any normal day and sat down hands folded behind his head and feet boldly on the table.

Luckily, very few of his classmates seemed capable of making eye contact with him, which was good because he wasn’t sure he’d be able to make eye contact with them either.

Now he just had to seem calm until this lockdown was over, rather then show the dread welling up inside him.

He was so going to be expelled when this whole thing was over.
And then, he was certain, his mother would kill him and bury him in a shallow grave when she found out.

At the very least, he wouldn't be remembered as the kid who wet his pants. That pervert who did something unspeakable in class or that guy who cares so little what you think he'll do what he damn pleases, maybe.
Ironically a reputation he only obtained by being so worried about what others thought of him.

[Elyessi]

IN THE NAME OF THE MOON! WRITING COMPETITION? SCHOOLKID COMP!

Name: Vesper LaNoue

Nicknames: Ves (What he normally goes by), Scarface (by his tormentors)

Gender: Male

Age: 17

School/Job: Hillworth

Fav. Food: Anything Mexican with lots of cheese.

Hated Food: Oysters, or anything that tastes or looks like Oysters.

Hobbies:

Planting -- Ves loves plants, and enjoys planting around the community. Everything he has assisted in the past few years, mostly beginning from community service from a mistake he made in his past, he goes back to see how it is growing. It is fascinating to him to learn all about plants and the messages they give through their growth and appearance. He even keeps small, potted plants in his room before he is able to find a place to plant them.

Community Service -- Ves really likes to give back to the community, and will often do as much as he can in his spare time. This goes hand in hand with his planting, but he also picks up trash and visits children. Though, because of his sleep issue, he cannot do it as much as he would like.

Virtues:

Dedication to his Morals -- Ves is a firm believer in the golden rule, as well as karma, and so he really pushes himself to be polite to adults, and respect his peers. This belefe came from a mistake he made in his past, where he stole an item and had to go through Juvi. Through all of the counseling, and some productive means to produce his feelings, he found his calling and answers. Though the message might sometimes come out the wrong way, Ves doesn't want to be a bully or ruin his future by mistakes now, so he tries his hardest to keep on the right path.

Supports the Little Guy -- Ves is a firm believer of going against the crowd, and when some kid is being bullied, he will try his hardest to help that kid out. However, because he doesn't want to appear weak himself, he will often put himself in the line of fire with indirect means, moreso to just distract than to stand in front of the group on his own. So, all his assistance may look like an accident, but at least he is doing something for those around him.

Love For Nature -- Ves loves animals and nature, so much that he tries his hardest to give back. Where he can't relate to humans, he gets along fine with animals, and works his hardest to help them do well. He will attend trash pick-ups or help out at the humane society to give back to the world the best he can. As a result, he really knows how to deal with animals and read the messages nature might give.

Flaws:

Disinterest -- Ves really has a difficulty finding something interesting, and often will become attached for a short amount of time before growing bored with the game and moving on. This might be a result of his lack of sleep, or simply because he really doesn't care, but either way he tends to shut down during homework and 'playdates' and will usually move on to the next shiny thing.

Delayed Sleep-Phase Syndrome -- Because of the development of this sleep disorder early on, Ves has always had trouble sleeping at the 'proper times' during the day. He tends to grow tired because he never falls asleep until the early morning, and is forced to get up without getting enough sleep. This disruption in his schedule causes him to grow tired during the day and take naps at inconvenient times, mostly during class. Because he is too stubborn to admit it, most teachers and students don't realize this disorder, and just seem him as a lazy person who stays up late doing who knows what.

Unfortunately for him, since he can't adapt to a regular sleeping schedule, Ves never really knows when his body will 'shut down' to cover for the lack of sleep.

Lack of Faith In Others -- Because of bullying from others based on his scar, Ves really has lost faith in humanity. He puts up the indifferent front whenever someone comes near him, because he sees it as a test. If the person truly wanted to be friends, they might push through his wall, but until that point he hides in his shell to protect him from the peers that only poke fun. Often, this will blind him from people who really want to be friends, but get scared away by his cold glare.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Eyes: Moss green eyes that are always lidded because of lack of sleep, often with dark circles that made the color stand out even more.

Hair: Long, choppy, snow white hair that reaches down to his chin, and often is hidden under a tight skull cap, except when he is in school.

Face: He has a very slim face, with a strong jaw, and a particular thin scar that runs down the right side of his face from his temple all the way down to a dimple in his cheek. No one knows where it came from, but it really stands out on his face, especially when he decides not to shave for a few days.

Clothes: N/A

THE STORY ENTRY
The slam of the door brought attention to the entire classroom, as all the boys turned and some even stood to get a better view. One student shook his head, his white hair falling over his face as he rubbed his hands across his eyes. Vesper had almost passed out that time, as it was mid-afternoon, and had the interruption not occurred, he probably would have gotten another detention for sleeping in class.

"Men, leave your seats and move to this side of the classroom, it's a Lock Down. Come now, you know the drill, don't make me say it twice." The gruff voice of his teacher disrupted his musings, and he slowly stood up with a stretch of his back. With the rest of the class, he walked over to the far wall and slid to the ground, his head banging back and his eyes closing once more.

"Stay silent, if any of you move or talk, you will be serving detention. This is not a drill, so I don't want any wisecracks."

Ves' teacher had a gruff voice, a no-nonsense tone and a glare to match. Because of his sleep issue, he always fell asleep in this class, and that voice was not one he liked to listen to. Straightening his long legs, they slid across the hard floor before stopping, and he felt the whisper of his classmates drift away in his fatigue.

As they drifted away, the sensation of pressure in his lower torso picked up, so much that he placed a hand there. He realized, idly in his sleep, that he really needed to pee, though he knew he wouldn't get a chance anytime soon. So, he would just have to wait, sleep it out, and hope he could get up soon to deal with it...

"s**t!" A voice yelled in his ear, and he jumped up with a groan. All around him, his classmates were scrambling away from the wall, so Ves moved too and tried to see if someone had broke in. However, with one step, his foot slipped and he fell to the ground again, his hand falling into a warm puddle.

"LaNoue, did you wet yourself!"

"Way to go scarface"

"He peed himself in his sleep!"

The voices broke out into laughter as his teacher's large hand fell around his bicept. No flush crossed Ves' tired features, though his eyes were locked on the puddle and his body was finally registering the wet feeling of his pants. Pulled to his feet, he was shoved into the hallway as a teacher passed, yelling the all clear. Slowly, leaning against the wall with hooded eyes and a tired smile, Ves made his way to the bathroom. He would just have to think about this situation later, but for now, maybe he could pass out on the toilet seat.

[Appeal]

IN THE NAME OF THE MOON! WRITING COMPETITION? SCHOOLKID COMP!

Name: Adam Wood

Nicknames: -

Gender: M

Age: 17

Birthday: April 4

Sign: Aries

Blood Type: O-

School: Hillworth Grammar School
It was a miserable rainy morning when Adam was eight. His parents came to pick him up early because he wasn't feeling well and begged them to come get him. The rain was pretty bad, and an incoming car smashed into their vehicle. He survived the crash with a few minor cuts on his arms and one serious cut over the bridge of his nose, and his father with a broken arm but his mother was not as fortunate and did not make it out of the car alive. Ultimately, he blames himself for the death of his mother. Frankly, so does his father. This is the main factor why they don't get along so when a teacher at his school claimed Adam attacked him on multiple accounts his father agreed it was definitely in his nature to harm another human. Later that month, Adam was transferred to Hillworth Grammar School For Boys From Broken Homes.

Fav. Food: Curry Noodles

Hated Food: Potato Salad

Hobbies:

Observation -- He often can't bring himself to communicate properly with people so he'll often observe them. He can learn more about them and it often makes dealing with being around them easier. He finds it interesting to see how people react to certain things and actions. Who needs to watch birds when you can watch people? It's not creepy or anything.

Singing -- Adam really enjoys to sing, even if he's not very good at it. It was an activity his mother used to do with him when he was younger. She'd often sing him lullabies or take him to the park to listen to the birds and join them in song. You can unfortunately hear him singing very loudly in the shower, and often when he thinks he's alone.

Swordplay -- Nothing fancy, mostly stuff to pass by his time. He's very serious with it though, often practicing in the park with branches that have fallen from the trees.

Track and Field -- Adam's favourite and best school activity. He specializes in long distance running followed by javelin. Although allowing disciplinary problem students with a javelin probably isn't very safe?

Gemstone: Carbuncle

Virtues:

Diligence -- Once he starts something he won't stop until he finishes it. If one day he stops at the side of the road to assist a little girl in rescuing her kitty cat Mr. Snookums then he will stay there trying to get the cat until he finally does. After he rescues Mr. Snookums, he will stay until the girl has stopped crying and has left. That's how you do a good job!

Humility -- Adam is a very humble person. What he does he does because he can, not because he has to or has another reason to. He is modest of compliments and doesn't think he deserves them when he gets them. He doesn't need your thanks. He certainly doesn't deserve a woman's kindness and love, so don't you dare go trying to impose yourself on him thinking it'll change his mind!

Stamina -- Adam is able to keep up with the day's activities without undergoing fatigue. He's very good at Track, excelling in long distance events where stamina is vital. His stamina is highest in physical endurance, mental endurance is not as strong.

Thorough -- Goes hand in hand with Diligence. Adam goes into a situation fully prepared for all the risks and complications. If he has a report on Louis XVI then he'll be sure to know all those little details that make a report outstanding from his children's children's children to his great-great-great grandparents. If he's not, then he's more than willing to take on the consequences.

Flaws:

Compulsive Liar/Compulsive Denier -- Adam lies compulsively. Perhaps it is out of fear of people learning the truth or just to deny what happens. If you ask Adam about his parents he'll tell you that his mother and father are living happily at home. He writes letters on an alternative e-mail and mails them to himself, signing them "Love Mom & Dad". If a girl asks him out he'll compulsively tell her "Sorry, I have a girlfriend." and flee.

Empathetic -- Adam is late for a school presentation but a little girl is crying by the side of the road. He asks her what is wrong and so she tells him that her kitty cat Mr. Snookums is stuck in that tall tree right there. He then proceeds to take thirty minutes to finally get up the tree successfully and rescue the kitty cat. This means he not only fails his presentation but he also gets a week of detention for being so late.

Simple is Not so Simple -- Would you like your eggs soft, medium or hard? Would you like peanut butter or jam on your toast? Are you going to wear a blue shirt or red shirt? The simple things are always the hardest for Adam to decide. They have almost no meaning in anything but what if after he decides he finds out another would have been a better choice? He often takes longer than it should just to decide on something that would take another person half a second. There is no such thing as simple.

Withdrawn -- Adam fears the past will repeat itself and he will once again be the leading cause of harm to a person he cares about. To help prevent this Adam will be very distant, especially to women, so that he doesn't hurt them. He is afraid if he loves something that it will be once again taken away by his own hands. If he becomes too attached to a girl he tends to push himself away from them, or if that doesn't work, manipulate them into pushing him away.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Eyes: Amber, neutral.

Hair: Ivory, medium: bangs to one side, messy.

Face: Boyish, soft complexion: scar over the bridge of his nose.

THE STORY ENTRY
It was at just before lunch when the doors slammed shut at Hillworth Grammar School. Adam was sitting at the back of class, looking out the window when an announcement came over the public address system.

"Beep... beeep... beeeep... Hillworth Students... Lockdown... You know the drill. If you are in the hall, head back to class immediately. Do not leave the class room. Do not go near the windows. If you fail to comply you will be punished... I repeat..."

Most of the class was tuning out the PAS now and Adam wasn't any different. He practically had his face glued to the glass, staring out into the field. There wasn't anyone out there today though, which was a little weird. Usually there was someone out there skipping class or just physical education. But today? Nothing.

"Mr. Wood!" The teacher yelled. "Stop drooling over the window and get over here, now!"

Adam sighed, tearing himself away from the window, pushing out his chair from the desk and standing up. One more look out the window and he seen something strange run between two trees. He wiped his eyes and upon seeing nothing there, walked over to the other wall as directed. There was a lot of meaningless chatter. The lesson had been stopped, and with a "Adam, stay away from the window," the teacher left the classroom and went into the hallway.

Of course, with the teacher gone the classroom got a lot louder. Someone even threw a desk at another Hillworth student. Adam was about to wander over to the window when he turned around, hearing a splashing sound. Someone had stuffed water balloons into their backpack and had decided now would be a great time to start throwing them around.

This really reminded him how badly he had to go to the bathroom.

He dodged between water balloons and made it to the door. There was a teacher outside of it, who turned around, told him to stay in the classroom and then slammed the door on his face, completely ignoring Adam's desperate plea to be allowed in the bathroom. If the teacher thought this was going to stop him, he was sorely mistaken. Once Adam started something it was not in him to stop. And he had to go! He could go here in the room but... he really didn't want to be remembered as the boy who peed in the classroom because he was so scared of the lockdown. That's surely what would happen.

Adam thought of a new idea. If he couldn't get through the door, he'd go through the window. On second thought, he didn't really feel like being pushed and falling to his death. He settled for climbing into the vent. It was easier than he would have thought. No one was looking at him since he blended into the background so easily and all he had to do was climb up onto his desk which was against the back wall and climb up. So he did.

It was really dirty up there though, his uniform quickly became covered in dust and dirt. He'd sure have explaining to do to the teacher when he got back but right now all he could think about was how he was going to get to the bathroom. With that thought, the cover to the vent was pulled from under him and he dropped down onto the hallway floor with a loud ow. Not without a few whispers about a child causing the lockdown, all the teachers and a few police officers were staring at him with a look between anger and explain yourself, now. He had wide eyes though, complete and utter shock. When he thought about explaining to the teacher earlier, this was not how he intended it. Without much thought, Adam looked at his teacher and then burst out and said, "Argh! This is not the bathroom!"

His plan foiled, caught and ultimately blamed for something he didn't do yet again. Time to suck it up and accept the consequences.

[Syusaki]

IN THE NAME OF THE MOON! WRITING COMPETITION? SCHOOLKID COMP!

Name: Sydney Martin

Nicknames: n/a

Gender: Female

Age: 16

School/Job: Meadowview

Fav. Food: Sweets, fruits

Hated Food: Green vegetables

Hobbies: Decorating She may not be the best artist, but Sydney is good enough to decorate to her liking. Whenever she can, she doodles on her things, such as bags, folders, or binders. Her art is mainly abstract and highly elaborate, involving detailed swirls and lettering. Sydney’s not afraid to use different mediums to decorate with, using sharpies, gel pens, fabric, paper, and other items she can find and use. A favorite past time of hers is to take a plain shirt and cut, stylize it to her own tastes. She is always able to spot her possessions and clothes.

Skateboarding As a child, Sydney often hung out with her older brother, who happened to like skateboarding. It wasn’t long until she also picked up the hobby. Although the two are not as close anymore, she still loves skateboarding. Skateboarding is her main mode of transportation, especially to and from school. She can also often be seen around town or on campus after class practicing various tricks.

Wind chimes After many years of playing on the front yard of her house with her siblings, she has always listened to the gentle tinkling of wind chimes blowing in the wind. From then on, Sydney has always appreciated the soothing sounds of wind chimes and collects various kinds of wind chimes. Her highly-decorated room is decorated even more with numerous wind chimes hanging wherever Sydney can put them. They litter her ceiling, lamps, and other places where things can be hung.

Virtues: It’s over 9000!!11!1! – Sydney likes to have fun and joke around whenever she can. She firmly believes that laughter is beneficial for the soul and always tries to get others to smile. At times it seems that she purposely acts childish to look silly and glean some giggles and laughs from others. Although she realizes that doing schoolwork and working hard is important, Sydney thinks that relaxation is good to have too. Don't get her wrong though. She knows to punctually complete her work and get down to her responsibilities, but she believes in having fun while working.

What’s this? Let me try! – Sydney likes to try doing new things or new foods. Although she has her long-time hobbies and favorite foods, she has an open mind and always wants to try something different for a change – even if it ends up not permanently becoming one of her absolute favorites. The usual pattern is that if she particularly likes the new thing, she will avidly stick with it for a month or so before devoting all her time to her usual activities. This also helps her be more open minded to the ideas and concepts of others. Homosexuality? S'all good! Goth? How neat. Cold-hearted? Sydney's not deterred.

Tough little girl – Sydney is the class clown and looking for laughs, never hesitating to make a fool of herself. She is used to being teased and made into a joke, she doesn't mind. In fact, she would be more than glad to follow along with the joke and possibly even take it further. Insults also don't faze her that greatly. It's true that she will sometimes be bothered by it, but Sydney tries to not let it get her down. She is also tough in the sense that she's not girly. Sydney isn't afraid to get down and dirty or pull out a punch or two.

Smarter than I appear – Most people believe that Sydney is a silly girl that doesn't pay attention in class, someone who isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. However, since she is an older sibling she knows to be responsible and on top of things. Sydney gets good grades in school; she's analytical when the time calls for it. Although it is not often one sees this aspect of her, Sydney will be something more than the "class joker" when the situation is dire.

Flaws: How pretty, mine! – A lot of things catch Sydney’s eyes, especially colorful or music-making objects. They immediately catch her attention and she will often drift towards the item with wide, fascinated eyes. If possible, she will also try to claim it for her own. If it's lying on the sidewalk, alright! If it's on a store shelf, she'll sadly walk away. This can also apply to actual people and Sydney will be somewhat possessive of them. Once she has claimed it, it’s difficult for someone to reclaim it if it was originally theirs. It is possible to take it back from her, though it requires much pestering, authority, or even bribery. Her childish refusals to return it often leads to her being treated more as a child and immature.

Can't stop moving – It's hard for Sydney to sit still for very long, she has to be doing something, even resorting to fidgeting or mindlessly shaking her legs and such. This makes her not-so-great at hiding, as her minute movements can give her away and irk others to no end. She also doesn't stay in one place for long. If you see her eagerly showing up at a cafe or doing a certain hobby, expect her to disappear in a month or two, though she may or may not return. Sydney knows her way around town because of this, but isn't familiar with the regulars or the fantastic things a store can offer. She'll nab down the basics of her new hobbies, but never be great at it. Sydney also excitedly enters a party loud and joking, but often silently exits, not to be noticed. This makes her easy to be forgotten and not as close with her peers.

Now you’re on my hit list – Sydney does not take kindly to those that do her or her beloved ones harm. If someone does something to anger her she will be secretly planning her revenge. However, humiliating her victim once or twice appeases her and she acts like that person had never irked her in the first place. The more serious crime someone commits against her or someone she cares for, the harder it is for Sydney to "forgive" them. Currently, there has yet to be a person that she is never willing to forgive.

You’re just going to leave me here? [WEAKNESS] – Sydney does not like to be left alone. While growing up she always had the company of her siblings so that she was never by herself. When left to her own devices in an empty room her first course of action is to seek any and all people within the vicinity. She fears of always being lonely and having to do everything by herself and is usually quite clingy after being alone for a long time.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Eyes: Sydney’s eyes are wide and almond-shaped. They are the exact shade of caramel and have flecks of dark brown.

Hair: Her hair is mainly rusty-red, the tips of her hair colored so that it quickly fades to orange. Sydney’s hair is layered and messy, the longest strands (which are her side bangs) ending at the nape of her neck.

Face: Despite Sydney’s somewhat childish personality, she has, overall, a mature look. Her face is heart-shaped and her nose small yet somewhat pointed. Usually, her hair hides her ears, but they are small. She has light peach skin and chestnut brown freckles that dot the bridge of her nose. Sydney also has a band aid on the bottom of her left cheek.

Clothes: Student, not applicable

THE STORY ENTRY

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock, goes the clock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Sydney mindlessly thought, a warm hand cupping her face as she intently peered at the monochromatic clock that hung above the whiteboard, innocently marking each passing second with its soft clicks. She impatiently sighed, fidgeting in her seat and restlessly moving her gaze about the silent classroom, save for the occasional scratching of pencil against paper. She pursed her lips and shamefully lowered her head to stare at the half-heartedly-completed sheet of paper before her.

Stupid teacher. Stupid quiz. Stupid teacher for giving the class a stupid pop quiz. She sulked, silently moaning and groaning her lack of preparation and that she would ultimately fail the quiz. Her head suddenly dropped and let her forehead slam against the hard surface of her desk, rousing startled shock from nearby classmates. Sydney drowned in self-pity, unaware of the announcement over the speakers. “There are two unidentified intruders on campus. The school is now in lockdown,” a muffled voice declared.

Metal clashed against metal as students scrambled to escape their desks and hastily pile together a barricade at the door and around them, as was rehearsed at the beginning of the year and multiple times since then.

A classmate roughly shook Sydney’s shoulder as they passed her. “Time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”

She grunted and lifted her head, cocking an eyebrow at the chaotic frenzy the classroom had become. “We’re in a Code Red?” inquired Sydney, slowly slithering out of her seat and pushing her desk toward the neat stack of tables that blocked the door. How many times had the school gone in lockdown? She had lost count, and frankly, was starting to not give a damn about these Code Reds.

Plopping behind the fence of desks, chairs, and backpacks, she pulled her legs to her chest, one ankle over the other. Sydney rested her chin between her two knees, loudly sighing. “Jesus Christ, is this the millionth time this year?” she complained.

“I know, right? It’s those darn terrorists’ fault!” answered Jane, a classmate.

“Terrorists? Right, terrorists definitely run around town in skirts and short shorts,” remarked Sydney, earning a chuckle from her classmate. Bored, Sydney fell backwards, sprawled across the carpet.

Jane laughed again. “Really! They’ve been causing highly-costly damage to public property and there are murders—“

“I gotta pee.”

“—each week. Pardon?”

Sydney sat up suddenly and stared at her with a dead-serious gaze. “I have to pee. Badly,” she reiterated.

Her classmate cast Sydney a blank look. “But we’re in lockdown, you can’t leave the classroom! Can’t you hold it in?”

“No,” Sydney curtly answered and jumped to her feet. “If I wait too long, I swear my bladder will explode and you’ll all be covered in my pee.”

Jane made a disgusted face. Nice imagery. Noticing her appalled look, Sydney simply shrugged and stepped towards the door. As the only person standing in the classroom, it wasn’t difficult to pick her out.

“Martin. What are you doing? Get back down!” the teacher hissed in a venomous tone.

She angled her head towards the teacher, her eyebrows furrowed. “I need to use—“ Cool hands wrapped around Sydney’s wrist and yanked her down, causing her to yelp and receive another scolding from the teacher. “Jane, I really gotta go!”

“B-But what if the terrorists are out there? I hear they’re in the vents and on the roof. They’re everywhere!” Jane replied in a hushed whisper.

Sydney curiously blinked and laughed. “Really? You think so? I’ll see it when I believe it,” she declared confidently and jerked her towards the door, grinning like the goofball she is. “Come, be the Robin to my Batman! To the Bat Cave A-K-A restroom! I don’t like being alone, you know.” She tacked on the last sentence in a muttering voice.

As the pair slipped through the poorly-made barricade and into the empty hallways, Jane had only one comment. “I think your bladder is affecting your sanity.”

“I’m going to ignore what you said because I have to go so bad.” Sydney chirped, a wide, relieved beam lighting up her freckled face as she glided down the linoleum floor. Finally, she could go at last!

Jane’s high-pitched voice crammed Sydney’s ears and she spazzed, stumbling forward. Dazed, she lightly spun her head while she clumsily reached up to cover her ringing eardrums. Crouching and muttering obscene language under her breath, she gritted her teeth and snapped her head towards Jane. “What’s your deal? See some creepy psycho killer, did you?” she barked.

The girl was quivering, her arms protectively close to her chest and legs bent inwards. “Th-There’s something in the vents!” Jane squeaked, pointing a shaking finger toward a nearby vent, which rattled as if to prove her point. “I-It’s a terrorist out to get us!” She scurried over to the kneeling Sydney like a squirrel running out of a car’s way.

“You make a lousy Robin, did you know that?” Sydney remarked in a disapproving tone. She waddled over to the vent, carelessly flicking the metal. “See? Nothing---Oh my God tentacle rape!” Black tendrils slithered between the slivers of the vent, crawling towards the two panicking students.

Keeping her caramel-brown eyes focused on the tentacles for any sudden movements, Sydney tightly gripped Jane’s wrist. “Ready, and . . . run for your life!” She took off, dashing down the hall and dragging a frightened Jane with her.

Their footsteps echoing behind them, neither girl looked back as they passed locked doors and fountains, soaring through the empty aisles of school.

“Ah!” Sydney’s grip on her classmate loosened as she took a sharp turn into a room. Her fingers slid away from Jane’s wrist and she happily slipped into the nearest stall, her gleeful voice bouncing off the tiled walls. “The restroom! Thank you thank you thank you thank you.”

“We just ran for our lives,” Jane said between deep breaths, “and you’re glad to have found the restroom?”

“Yes!”

[Tyia Clone]

IN THE NAME OF THE MOON! WRITING COMPETITION? SCHOOLKID COMP!

Name: Trey Sterling

Nicknames: Gray. Someone misheard her once when she introduced herself, and the nickname stuck.

Age: 17

Birthday: March 7

Sign: Pisces

Blood Type: AB

Fav. Food: Egg rolls. If you share them with her, Trey will be your friend forever. No joke.

Hated Food: Avacado. Trey avoids this like the plague; she finds it flavorless and greasy, and can not be convinced otherwise.

School: Crystal Academy

Hobbies:

Exercise- Trey likes to exercise, whether it’s running, pushups, pumping weights or some other physical activity, She’s got a pretty rigorous and detailed exercise schedule that she follows every day without fail.

Sports- Trey likes sports. A lot. It combines everything that she likes about exercising with the thrill of competing. She’ll play practically any game at any time if she has people to play with; though she’s partial to swimming, football, dodge ball and snowboarding. It’s a point of frustration to her that Crystals’ sports teams regularly lose when it comes to the ‘rougher’ sports.

Falconry- Teaching animals to kill other animals. And competing. Trey thoroughly enjoys this combination, and is an avid fan of falconry. She has a gyrfalcon named Murder of whom she is very fond, and whom she regularly enters into competitions. She has an aviary at home and practices with Murder every weekend.

Parkour/Free running- Trey considers this an art more than anything else, so she doesn’t schedule it in like she does exercise, but she does thoroughly enjoy it. Trey’s been free running since elementary school, and is rather gifted at the activity. She typically practices a little on the weekends, more for fun than anything else. It also pretty good for fleeing!of justice.

Gemstone: Aquamarine

PERSONALITY

Virtues:

‘A bear attacked me once…he’ll think twice before trying again,’ ~ Physically Fit- Trey is a big girl. A strong girl. The kind who looks like she could fight a bear and win. Harder, better, faster, stronger, Trey prides herself on her physical prowess; and while she’s far from invincible, it takes a good swing or two to bring her down.

‘Fear is a weakness. I have no weaknesses,’ ~Fearless- With a devil-may-care outlook on life, Trey is more fearless than courageous or brave. She does more than grab life by the horns; she wrestles it to the ground and ties its feet together in a rodeo knot. There are very few things that can make Trey flinch or falter, she’ll do things without hesitation that would give most people at least a few minutes pause. She’s not given to anxiety or stress about a situation, and instead plunges headfirst into things, but not to the point of being reckless; she’s fearless, not stupid or rash.

‘Cunning is wisdom without justice,’ ~Clever- Just because she’s strong doesn’t mean Trey is without a brain. She’s decidedly clever and witty, with a quick tongue and a quicker mind. She’s good at improvising and on-the-spot thinking, but also at interpreting situations and feelings.

‘I don’t start things. I finish them,’ ~ Hard Worker- Trey is a firm believer that once you start something, you should finish it. She does everything to the best of her ability, because there is no halfway with Trey. She wants to be the best at everything, and while that’s not possible, she sure as hell tries to make it so. Competitive in the good way, Trey works well in groups once the pecking order has been established, and will more than willingly pick up the slack generated by some of her lazier peers.


Flaws:

‘Good and evil are concepts, not truths. In fact, I’m quite sure they don’t exist,’ ~ Lack of Morals- Good and evil are ideals in Treys book, unobtainable ones at that. She will never take any action because she feels it is the ‘right’ thing to do, nor would she be averse to something because it is ‘wrong’.

‘Are you questioning my bad-assness? Have you seen my guns?!’ ~ Agressive- Trey asserts herself via intimidation. Unfortunately, she tends to go beyond the point of assertiveness to being downright aggressive, and isn’t afraid to push and shove a little to get her point across and make sure she’s noticed. When meeting people for the first time, she can be come across as hostile and testy, until she feels the pecking order has been established. If she feels she’s being challenged in any way or that her methods are being questioned, Trey can become particularly overbearing and be a downright snarky b***h and bully. Combined with her lack of morals, Trey’s aggression can become downright merciless and sadistic. This only applies to her peers, Trey doesn’t question authority. (See below)

‘Have I ever told you that I like that sweater? It matches your eyes,’ ~ Super Suck Up- Trey is a complete and total brownnoser when it comes to authority. She’ll do anything to ingratiate herself to them, even if it means demeaning herself, lying, or betraying her friends. Very much a teacher’s pet, Trey’s antics are most of the time incredibly obnoxious and sickening to watch/hear as she shamelessly sells herself to whatever authority figure happens to be around.

‘Let me put this as simply as possible. I. Do. Not. Like. You.’ ~ Emotionally Constipated- Trey may be strong, and she may be smart, but emotionally, she’s incredibly weak. She has very little self control and is prone to overindulgence and obsession. She’s not good at controlling her emotions, and can be incredibly childish at times i.e. she’s quite the accomplished tantrum thrower. She’s also prone to holding silly grudges and getting mad at people for things that were accidents, or things they didn’t even realize they did, like bump into her in the hall. She can be incredibly unreasonable, snarky and unfair, because she feels you’re being mean to her.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Eyes: A dark and brilliant ruby red with lengthy lashes.

Hair: Medium length, brilliantly rich seafoam, parted on the right side with multi-layered bangs on the right, a few loose strands in her face, and a few longer strands on the left. The rest is usually pulled up into a loose ponytail with a red kerchief.

Here’s an idea, but feel free to take artistic liberty/work with it as you will. Have fun 8D

Face: Trey has a very pale, heart shaped face with subtly curving cheeks and forehead, with a sharp nose and chin and no freckles. Her lips are thin and her favorite expression is an infuriatingly coy smirk; like she’s just waiting to spill a secret of yours. It should be noted that Trey absolutely despises wearing any sort of make-up. Too girly. Do not want.

THE STORY ENTRY

”entry”

Grinning like the Cheshire Cat himself, Trey was thoroughly enjoying herself. There was a new girl in class today, sitting not two seats over who Trey was making eyes at, much to the other girl’s embarrassment, if the rosy color of her blushing cheeks was any indication. But in the subtle way that the girl would glance back, the way she’d quickly turn away again, Trey know that she was enjoying it. This silent exchange had been going on the whole class period, and it had Trey very amused. So when the girl stood up and approached the teacher to ask her something in a whisper, Trey’s eyes were glued to her, up until the point that she slipped out of the classroom. Was she going to the bathroom?

It was at this point that Trey realized that she had to go to the bathroom as well; urgently, in fact. Perhaps she’d been too enraptured with the other girl to notice up until now. Unfortunately for Trey, the realization that her bladder was in need wasn’t the only thing that happened at that moment.

Attention students, attention teachers, this is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. The school is going into full lockdown; lock your doors, close the blinds and keep away from the windows until the authorities arrive. Let no one out of the class, I repeat, let no one out of the classrooms. An unidentified intruder has been spotted on the roof, and it is crucial that everyone remain safe. I repeat, this is not a drill, this is not a drill. St-

The message droned on as the alarm bell blazed in all of its unholy, obnoxious glory. Trey hated that sound. She HATED it. Did they find the most horrible, eardrum-grating sound in the world and decide to make it the school alarm? She swore under her breath. Like hell she was staying in class, she had to go to the bathroom!

She stood up out of her desk, and slinked between her classmates, until she was standing at the teacher’s desk, putting on her best ‘I’m a scared and anxious little girl’ face. ”Mrs. Petrich, please, I know the school’s on lockdown but I’m nervous and I really, really have to use the bathroom. Can I please go. Please.” she begged, wiggling back and forth in place, as if she might lose control of her bladder at any moment if she weren’t allowed to go. This of course was not true, but Mrs. Petrich was a very motherly sort of woman, and responded well to this sort of prompting.

”Oh you poor thing,” Mrs. Petrich crooned, ”I can take you to the bathroom, but you’ll have to be quick, okay?” she offered, smiling at Trey in a grandmotherly way.

Hm, that wouldn’t do. Trey didn’t just want to go to the bathroom, but she couldn’t get away with anything if Mrs. Petrich was waiting for her. ”Mrs. Petrich, I don’t think I can be quick. I’m uh,” at this part she paused, and whispered the next few words, ”I’m having lady problems,” she lied, feigning awkwardness.

”Oh. OH! I’m sorry Sweetie. Well, uhm, let’s see here…” Mrs. Petrich chewed her lip as she thought. ”I can take you to the bathroom Sweetie, but I’ll have to lock you in for your own safety, so I can come back to the class. I could come let you out as soon as the lockdown’s over, would that be okay?” she asked.

”Oh Mrs. Petrich that’d be great!” Trey beamed, as she cranked up the suck-up scale. ”You’re the best!”

Mrs. Petrich smiled and waved off the compliment with her hand, grabbed her key ring from her desk, and led Trey out of the classroom, telling the other girls to behave and stay safe while she was gone. It was a quick walk down the hallway, broken up by the sharp click clicking of Mrs. Petrich’s heels. When they reached the bathroom, Mrs. Petrich turned to Trey. ”I’ll come get you as soon as lockdown’s over,” she assured.

”Thank you Mrs. Petrich,” Trey said, as she slipped into the bathroom. She pressed her ear to the door and listened as Mrs. Petrich twisted the key in the door and the lock clicked, and then as the clicking of heels announced that Mrs. Petrich was leaving. Excellent. Trey looked around the bathroom, to see if the girl from earlier was in here. No? Too bad, Trey was kind of hoping they could make out.

After satisfying her bladder, Trey moved on to her real objective. Figuring out what was going on. She stood on top of the toilet and reached up to the ceiling. With a slight push of her hand, the ceiling tile lifted, as Trey knew it would; she was no stranger to this sort of thing. She climbed onto one of the dividers separating the bathroom stalls, and perched precariously, easily pulled herself up into the ceiling, sliding the tile back into place. With the bathroom door locked, she knew she wouldn’t be disturbed until the lockdown was over; and if any of the previous lockdowns were an indication, she probably had hours. She started a slow crawl, careful to place her weight on the metal ceiling supports rather than the tiles, as she knew those would give underneath her if she placed too much weight on any one of them. Something was on the roof? She was determined to find out what; she’d be damned if she had to sit through any more boring lockdowns where they didn’t tell her what was happening. She tried to stay as quiet as possible, but there was one instance where she coughed, and from below she heard the shriek of terrified girls in their classroom. Poor things probably thought she was a monster in the ceiling.

”Twenty four, twenty five, tw-“ she counted the tiles quietly, and after she’d reached fifty-six, she knew that she was over the cafeteria. Perfect. She displaced a tile and dropped down with a ‘thud’ into the empty kitchen, dragging a chair over so she could stand on it and quickly replace the tile. Piece o’ cake. Feeling pretty good that she’d managed to get here all by herself with no one the wiser, she grabbed the chair and sauntered over to the opening to the air duct. The cover was a littler harder to get off, and she ended up having to rifle through the kitchen drawers to find a knife to jimmy the screws loose, but eventually the cover succumbed to her will, and with a good bit of effort she was able to pull herself up and into the vent. From here she knew it was a short crawl, and then she would be at the roof.

It wasn’t comfortable, the metal was cold under her hands and it was rather cramped, but she was able to squeeze through until she found the vent on the roof. She pressed her face to the slats, to see if she could spy anything. At first she didn’t notice anything, but then there was movement and OHMYGODWTFWAS THAT?! There was some kind of blob monster on the roof, bubbling and hissing and writhing. Trey quickly withdrew from the opening, though stared at the grate as if any moment the monster might burst through it, and she’d have to fight it off.

A blob, really? That was what the police were worried about? F*ck blobs, they didn’t have any teeth or appendages or anything remotely scary. Why, after the initial shock wore off, she decided she could take care of it herself. She scooted back to the opening, and tried to push it open. No luck. She twisted around so her back was against and pushed as hard as she could. The grate groaned under the stress, but it didn’t pop off. It was nailed from the outside, and there was no way she could get out.

”F*** this sh**!” Trey swore, getting mad and kicking one of the air duct walls in protest. Stupid grate, stupid nails, stupid blob. It was lucky she couldn’t get to it, or she’d, err…beat it up…and stuff. After all, what could a blob do? It was in a foul mood that she scrunched herself up and turned around, starting the slow crawl back to the bathroom. Next time. Next time she would bring a screwdriver, and next time that blob monster wouldn’t be so lucky.

[Pyry]

IN THE NAME OF THE MOON! WRITING COMPETITION? SCHOOLKID COMP!

Name: Philomel Selyck

Nicknames: Phil as a wee child. Nothing anymore.

Gender: Female

Age: 15

School/Job: Meadowview

Fav. Food: A nice big cheeseburger. Cheeseburgers are very substantial. It's hard to forget what you've eaten when you have something like a cheeseburger.

Hated Food: Lobster. It's far too complicated. Philomel will eat lobster, but all the shelling involved makes dinner feel like science lab. Science lab is fine. It's just not dinner.

Hobbies:

Putting little things in little boxes -- Philomel enjoys organizing her things. It's like meditation. Uncluttering her room helps her unclutter her mind. Clean space, clear mind. This hobby of hers makes office supply stores completely irresistible. Aisles and aisles of specially designed boxes, you know. One of her special places is a little hole-in-the-wall with dusty boxes of Rolodexes on shelves far above her head and tools that are old enough that she can't begin to figure out what they had been for before they became irrelevant. One day she will meet someone who understands the magic of office supply stores, and this person will become her best friend in the history of ever. Philomel keeps her living space pretty neat and tidy. Messy spaces don't bother her, but they do distract her from doing the things she needs to do. Clutter is something Philomel visits and often loves, but it is still never something she lives in.

Shakespeare -- Philomel's parents named her with Shakespeare in mind-- "philomel" being a poetic name for the nightingale that Shakespeare used in some of his works. Ever since she learned this, Philomel has had a certain fondness for Shakespeare, and she keeps a collection of some of his works on her shelves. Even when she was young and couldn't understand what the words meant, she knew it was supposed to be beautiful. Philomel knew Shakespeare was considered one of the best writers ever by everyone, so knowing her parents gave her such a special name made her feel incredibly loved. A little silly, yes, but still very special and loved. These days, Philomel understands her name as being further proof that her mother is amazing and cultured. Her embarrassing and uncultured father couldn't possibly have had anything to do with her cultured and respectable name.

Video Games (RPGs) -- You wouldn't think it to look at her, but Philomel gets a little thrill out of fictional characters calling her a legendary hero while she is, in reality, actually curled up on the couch. Her mother likes to call it her father's influence, so Philomel now stops to talk to every single NPC like her mother would do instead of avoiding most of them in pursuit of the final boss and other important things. Philomel doesn't hate her father, but she loves and admires her mother way too much to accept being compared to him. Philomel likes games like Chrono Trigger, which has a strong story and a character she loves and admires deeply. Tactical games, like Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics, don't impress her very much, even if she can take her time on them. Philomel doesn't play video games to carefully plan detailed attacks. She plays video games for the thrill of being heroic and stuff. Philomel would, of course, insist otherwise, but that's because she puts a lot of effort into trying to be who she thinks her mother's daughter should be.

Reading -- No matter when Philomel puts down a book, the story will be exactly what it was when she put it down. The stories move at her own pace. Unfortunately, the library doesn't lend out books at Philomel's pace. She stopped taking books out because her constant overdue fines made her feel guilty and ashamed about her speed, and that is really pretty unforgivable. She likes being slow, you see. She doesn't much like the wisdom of her lifestyle thrown into doubt. Philomel ends up rereading the books she has instead, but she doesn't mind that much. She's always happy revisiting old friends. Philomel enjoys fables most of all, since not only are they rewarding to read over and over again, but she loves the typical uncluttered narrative and the moral lesson. Fables have that timeless quality Philomel sees in her mother and wants badly to have herself. Fairy tales are often timeless, but they can really be quite complex when you think about them. Fables try to mean just one thing.

Virtues:

Strong Work Ethic -- Philomel likes to keep herself busy. Her list of things to do is infinitely long, and she's always willing to make additions to it. Her list is not kept out of a need for approval, just a strong dislike of having nothing to do. Idleness is a very lonely feeling. Philomel wants to feel that she is continually working towards being who she wants to be.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race -- Philomel approaches tasks slowly and methodically, taking her time to enjoy working and the moment in general. She doesn't appear to be working very hard most of the time, so it's very easy for most people to take her less than seriously. Philomel doesn't mind, though. She's not looking for approval from most people. She just wants to be left in peace to do whatever she's doing. Not looking for approval from her peers, however, does not mean she is free to speak her mind-- angering people is kind of not what she's about.

Confident -- Philomel does not believe her slow pace to be any sort of problem. She is productive. She is capable. She is accomplished. Her peers who rush to finish things before they even know what they're doing? Not so much. Philomel takes her cue from her mother, who is patient, unhurried, amazing, and endlessly capable. Philomel's mother has always been the image Philomel envisioned when she thought about what kind of woman she wanted to grow up to be, so it doesn't matter to her that she isn't the most intelligent or gifted student. As long as Philomel follows her mother's example, she knows she's on the right path. Philomel doesn't need to win awards to know what she should be doing.

Flaws:

Don't Argue With the Mugger -- Philomel wants people who interrupt her happy working time to shut up and let her return to doing what makes her happiest. In her daily life, Philomel avoids arguments and displays of anger, keeping up social appearances just enough to be a complete social non-entity, but she can't avoid confrontations entirely. Since nodding and agreeing is often the fastest way to shut someone up, Philomel tends to employ this technique frequently. Getting into an argument ruins Philomel's sense of inner calm and prolongs the interruption, so she tends to go to great lengths to appease people who are bothering her. Philomel will agree with a lot of things she would be otherwise unwilling to agree to if she's under enough stress, and she's responsible enough that she can be trusted to stick to her word when she gives it. She's not totally unable to break her word, but doing so undermines her self-confidence and self-respect, so she doesn't make a habit of it.

Progress is our most important product -- Philomel doesn't do work for the final product. The process of working, and her ability to get joy out of it, is what she's proud of. It'd be great if Philomel got a very good grade on her homework, but she's not incredibly academically talented. If she concentrated on the result of her work, she'd lose her satisfaction. Philomel doesn't go out of her way to be sloppy, because that is dishonest to the spirit of the thing, but she doesn't have much of a problem with wrong answers, and her grades show it-- she gets an A for effort, but that can only get you so far.

Careless Under Pressure -- Philomel hates being rushed more than anything. There is no joy for her if a time limit cannot be bent, unless the time limit was long enough for her to begin with. If held to a time limit she considers unreasonable, she will be sloppy and take shortcuts. She will leave things incomplete. Even if the work wouldn't be good to begin with, it will certainly be worse if she's unhappy and frustrated. If she is being held to a time limit she's uncomfortable with, Philomel assumes it would be okay if the final product turns out to be a steaming pile of crap.

Poor Team Player -- Philomel does things her own way, and she's rather unwilling to do them any other way. She has built her life to avoid situations that frustrate her as much as possible, but it is simply impossible to avoid such situations entirely. When Philomel does end up in a frustrating situation, she won't yell. She won't assert herself or her ideas, either. It's not her style to snap in that way, and just agreeing to what others suggest to get the uncomfortable stuff over with tends to result in sacrificing most of the work to her partner. And given the choice between giving up everything and taking on huge amounts of work, Philomel would greatly prefer the latter. She can take her time if she's alone.

DO NOT MISS OUT THE ABOVE BECAUSE YOU'RE C&PING FROM YOUR QUEST OR WE WILL BE MAD

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Eyes: Dark blue.

Hair: Desaturated light brown, a bit above or below shoulder-length, thin. Not voluminous or curly. Simple.

Face: Fairly soft with a well-defined chin. Narrowish face, but still kind of round. Or something.

THE STORY ENTRY

Lockdown or no lockdown, Philomel was always doing her work. Despite the fuss the announcement of a lockdown caused, she barely seemed to notice that anything was out of the ordinary. Maybe nothing really was with all the terrorist activity going on lately, but teenagers need only the barest of excuses to raise a fuss and a panic, and Philomel's classmates were taking full advantage of the situation.

"Hey, Philomel," said a voice behind her. Philomel finished writing the word she was writing before turning around to answer. They had been cooped up far too long. Philomel was almost ready to start on today's homework.

"What do you need?" Philomel asked politely. She could spare a moment. Several moments, even. They had time.

"Do you think there's a bomb? I think there's a bomb," Philomel's classmate said. Philomel thought for a moment before shaking her head no.

"We'd be evacuated if there was a bomb," she said, and she knew what she said was true the moment she said it. A bomb would be unusual. Meadowview abandoning its students to die would be incredibly unusual. Terrorists, unfortunately, had become usual, and Philomel's life was always reliably usual. But her classmate's face fell. She was clearly disappointed that this lockdown had to have the usual causes. A bomb would've been so exciting. When Philomel turned around to do her work again, the same voice piped up again, intent on making this usual lockdown into something unusual.

"Hey Philomel," the classmate interrupted. "Do you have any duct tape? I want to duct tape the windows." Philomel turned around before finishing her sentence this time. Her classmate's interruptions combined with the excited tittering of the rest of the class was beginning to give her a headache. "So we'll be protected from broken glass when the bomb goes off, you know?"

Philomel didn't carry duct tape. She never carried duct tape. Carrying duct tape meant you were prepared for the unusual, and Philomel knew the unusual rarely happened. But she wasn't going to say no, because she knew what this classmate would say to that. Hey Philomel, do you know someone who does, followed by the puppy-eyed help me find out who does, Philomel. So Philomel said that there should be some in the supply closet near the bathrooms, which was always left unlocked after a custodian's mistake had imprisoned a student teacher in the room over a four-day weekend years ago. Or so they said. Philomel didn't care if the story was true or not. The supply closet was never locked, and that was the important part.

Philomel's classmate (what was her name? Philomel didn't quite remember) looked excited at this revelation. "Near the bathroom, huh? Have you gone to the bathroom yet? I have, but I can make up something about being on my period and needing to change my tampon or something, but--"

Philomel interrupted. That was slightly unusual. "I'll do it," she said. Students weren't supposed to take from the supply closet, but Philomel wanted to be left alone, and she knew this would do it. She didn't like asking to go to the bathroom during a lockdown, but she was willing to make that sacrifice, too. Philomel did have to pee, since the lockdown was unusually long, but she'd been trying to ignore the urge. It was good she had been doing it, too. She hadn't yet used up her one simple solution to the problem of her classmate, and her classmate was visibly relieved, since she had claimed to be on her period the week before to get out of a pop quiz.

"I owe you one, Philomel," she said. "I really do. Whenever you need a favor, hit me up." Philomel knew her classmate was hoping she'd never use the favor, but she answered with a nod anyway before turning around in her seat to finish the sentence she had been writing. She didn't want to leave it completely unfinished.

Philomel raised her hand and waited patiently to be noticed. She really had to pee, actually, but that was no reason to embarrass herself by calling her question out like being under lockdown made her unable to follow the rules of the classroom. And when she was finally called on, she obtained a roll of duct tape as promised, even though the lockdown had already ended and it wasn't needed anymore. Philomel was reliably slow, and that was sometimes irritating to the people around her. But she was reliable. That was the most important thing.

[Guine]

IN THE NAME OF THE MOON! WRITING COMPETITION? SCHOOLKID COMP!

Name: Ronin Gallo

Nicknames: Ri

Gender: Male

Age: 15

School/Job: Hillworth Grammar School

Fav. Food: Vanilla ice cream, Green beans, Fresh fruit, and any kind of Grain-based food

Hated Food: Meats, especially red meat, but he’s not a vegetarian. He just hates the taste. He’ll eat meat if he has to.

Hobbies: He really doesn’t have many hobbies. He likes drawing, but rarely does. He would play sports if he could stand the people. Video games bore him. Television seems too monotonous. If anything, his hobby is to be outside, by himself, and not think about anything.

Virtues:
Just: Perhaps it’s because he doesn’t think things through, or perhaps his “bravery” is really just “foolishness” or “carelessness.” Either way, Ronin isn’t afraid to stand up to people for what he believes is right. While he hates being around people, what he hates more is people being picked on. Despite his claim of not caring about anything or anyone, he will do whatever possible to defend the person being hurt, even if it risks his own safety.

Honest: Ronin won’t tell a lie, even in situations where lying is the social norm, such as “white lies”. Sometimes he’s “honest” just to get a rise out of people, but other times he ends up saying things that hurt people he doesn’t mean to hurt, therefore getting him into even more trouble.

Wonderment: Something he would rather keep to himself, he has a great appreciation for nature. The world amazes him and he would rather spend his time outside instead of doing pointless things indoors.

Flaws:
Hypocrisy: He has a bad habit of saying one thing and then doing the complete opposite. The things he dislikes other people for just happens to be what he does, sometimes.

Impatient: He would rather not have anything to do with people and ends up losing his patience around them, especially around people he doesn’t like, which doesn’t leave exception for very many. Because of his impatience, he can be brash, rude, and insensitive, earning him very little points on the “friendliness” meter.

Defiance: Being defiant is Ronin’s greatest weakness. It’s not because it makes him an “individual”, but because he doesn’t trust other people. If someone tells or asks him to do something, he will automatically think them to be out to harm him, even if they were sincerely trying to help. He refuses to accept help from others, and while this could be a virtue in some cases, Ronin usually pushes it to the extreme, purposefully going out of his way to resist doing what people tell him to do. His defiant attitude ends up pushing people away from him, which only makes him distrust them more. It’s a vicious circle that seems impossible for him to escape from… not that he wants to…

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Eyes: Ronin has tuscan red-brown eyes with sectoral heterochromia in his left eye. In layman’s terms, his left eye is half red-brown and half light grey. It’s just one more thing that makes him stand out, one more thing to be picked on for, and one more reason to hate people. He’s also not the “bright-eyed and innocent” type. His eyes match his expression, which is usually a scowl or a sneer.

Hair: As if being born with strangely colored eyes was bad enough, he has a decently sized birthmark over his left eye where his hair is completely deprived of pigment, leaving it white/light grey, as well as his left eyebrow being the same light color. The rest of his hair is the same tuscan red-brown of his eyes. As for style, it looks as though he has a permanent cow-lick up the back of his head because his hair stands up at odd angles, almost like a rooster’s comb.

Face: He has started loosing his baby fat in his face so that it is more oval than round in shape. He has no freckles and his nose and ears are normal size and has tanned skin from being outside all the time. He does seem to have a permanent frown or scowl, though.

Clothes: Just his school uniform… though he would have it unbuttoned at the top… and try to ditch the sweater vest if he could… Ties make him want to strangle himself… At least he keeps himself decently clean for being outside all the time…

THE STORY ENTRY
A binder laid open on the desk, but there wasn’t a single note taken from the teacher’s lecture. In fact, there was nothing on the page, just as there had been nothing on any of the pages for any of his classes. Ronin rested his cheek heavily against his hand, mismatched eyes staring longingly out the window. Anything would be better than listening to Mr. Meiser’s droning about dead people.

“Mr. Gallo, would you like to tell the class what Louis the sixteenth was best known for?”

Speak of the devil… Ronin felt his eye twitch as he was called out, the boys around him snickering like little girls. “No, actually…” Louis XVI, King of France during the French Revolution… The poor b*****d got his head chopped off. Probably not what Mr. Meiser wanted to hear, anyway.

He could tell that his teacher was about to make a remark about his attitude, or even give him detention, but was interrupted by a buzzing from the overhead, and then the vice-principal’s deep voice. “We are experiencing a code blue right now. Teachers, please follow standard procedure. We will keep you updated.”

Ronin could hear the other boys groaning, a noise of disappointment he participated in, as well. It was the last class of the day and he would have much liked to get out. Damn. He glanced over to watch Mr. Meiser move over to the door to lock it, placing a blue card from his desk into the tiny window, before turning to kick whoever was by the windows out of their seats, shutting the blinds and locking the windows, as well. The same thing had happened the previous month… and the month before… and several times before that as well.

Sure, there were rumors about what was happening, but did he care? Not really. He would just prefer to be allowed outside when the bell rang. The last time this happened, they were stuck inside for two hours after school was supposed to be let out. But what was even worse than all that… he could feel his bladder filling… Talk about bad timing.

He glanced up from his desk again, watching for a few moments as his teacher started passing out busy work to do while the “situation” was taken care of, before standing and moving towards the door.

“Where do you think you’re going, Mr. Gallo?” he heard his teacher ask, letting out a sigh of annoyance as he looked over his shoulder. “I have to take a piss,” he grumbled, reaching the knob and turning, only to be reminded that it was locked with a key. Damn again.

“Sit back down, please.”

Ronin’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration, knowing he wasn’t going to be allowed to leave the classroom until everything was taken care of…

Fine.

The teen turned away from the door, but instead of going back to his seat, he moved to Mr. Meiser’s desk, where he unzipped his fly to relieve himself on his teacher’s chair. Sure, he was going to get hell for it, but it wasn’t as though anyone cared. He certainly didn’t.