Personify Me
Personify Me
☞☞☞☞ ______ ᾎʠᾆɭᾆѯϝᾆѯᾎϋѯȑ
the electric absorber
The same force that flows through every c i r c u i t
The j u i c e that's spent everytime you work it
Every life form is based on this s i m p l i c i t y
The soul that you have is E L E C T R I C I T Y
"You don't know the first thing about control, young lady! All you ever do is use up any energy you can get your greedy little hands on. Do you even understand how much money you cost this school? Every time you speed around the campus, sucking energy from our electrical units, you cost Elementi hundreds and hundreds of dollars! Our Electric bills are through the roof! And are you going to pay the school back? No. Of course not. You're just lucky the Dean protects you! Without her you'd be kneeling on the ground with a tooth brush in hand, working to pay off every cent you owe this school----"
The woman's face sort of jiggled with every word. The built up frustration causing the older woman's complexion to become a light shade of red. She was pissed. This time, Adalae Auer had crossed the line. But, to the older woman's dismay, Adalae didn't seem to give a rat's a**. The younger woman just stood there, her foot tapping impatiently. Static electricity built up on her fingertips with anticipation as she waited for the lecture to be over. The second it was, she would be out of there, off to the Front Courtyard. She could already imagine the thrill of speeding through the ground, maybe making a few Year One's scream in terror at the sudden flash of Electric Blue and Bleach Blonde passing before them. Their screams only added to Adalae's rush.
"Adalae! Adalae Fae Auer! Are you even listening?"
Adalae's blank expression answered the woman's questions. Her face was in a daze, eyes emotionless. Like a statue. It was either she had completely lost it, or was over-dramatizing a sense of boredom. She never listened. Especially in class. It was a miracle she passed any of her classes. The older woman had had enough. If only her parents would listen long enough to punish their child, but they were just as bad as their delinquent daughter, only with more control and less back talk. With the last of her anger, she tossed her hands into the air, turning her back on the young Elemental. "You kids today...going straight down the drain I tell you." She turned back around; ready to dismiss the girl she had held after class. The fourth time this week. But, unfortunately, the girl was already gone. The older woman sighed to herself; she should have known better to turn her back on an Absorber. Especially Adalae. That girl had no sense of patience...
The Electricity Building was a good 10 minute walk away from the Courtyard. But Adalae was there in 2.45 seconds flat. She knew this from the stop watch on her wrist, which she always used, no matter where she was headed. The short sprint had hardly drained her. She could feel the pulse of built up electricity in her veins, from which she had taken from the Dean's car battery earlier that morning. The Dean deserved it, of course. It was a little past 9 am, early, but already one class period had gone by. Only 2 weeks into the new school year, and Adalae was already in trouble with her Control teacher. And, since all Electricity Elementals had the same schedule, every single one of them had watched as the Teacher, Mrs. Ahlstrom had pulled her aside and asked her to stay after class. If Adalae actually cared, she might have been embarrassed. But she wasn't. Well, maybe a little.
Thanks to the Plant Manipulators, the courtyard was perfectly landscaped. Lush, Green, with flowers and trees everywhere. With the exception of a few burnt squares of grass, probably due to some Fire Elemental with a temper. Adalae took a quick seat on the grass, even though sitting down wasn't something she did very often. But, it was nice out, and she had at least 20 minutes before the Breakfast bell rang. Which was a sufficient amount of time to take a nap. A twenty minute nap was like a 12 hour long deep sleep for an Electric Elemental. With so much electric current running through her veins, it was hard to keep still long enough to close her eyes. She was an infamous insomniac.
"Alhstrom needs to chill." Adalae mumbled to herself quietly as she lay back on the grass, closing her eyes. Her voice was soft, and would possible shocked anyone who heard it. Normally the only time anyone heard her speak was when she was whizzing past them at 130 miles per hour. Her words always came out like a jumbled mess, hardly understandable to any of her peers. "That's what happens when they make a Manipulator a teacher. They're all up-tight and so-damn-boring."
There were a few clouds out, even though the Weather Man predicted it would be a clear day. The breeze was a bit rough today as well... I guess the Weather Man hasn't met the Air Elementals at the Elementi Academy yet. She let her mind slip, letting go of her rushed thoughts and any urge to sprint across the school grounds.
Personify Me
__________
This can't be healthy. To see so much blood and death in one lifetime.
Adrian laid on his back, eyes wide open for the past 48 hours. He hadn't slept since he heard the news. The Old Man was dead. The Leader of the Nightingales was murdered. Gone forever. And in his will, Adrian would be the new boss. Not the son he left behind, no, but the boy he took under his care fifteen years ago. The guilt was overwhelming. But that's not what he thought about now. The fact the his only father figure was dead hadn't hit him yet. He just laid there, emotionless. He hadn't cried. Just, in a state of shock as he waited for someone to wake him, but no one was coming. It was still early. Even though he had attempted to sleep hours ago, sleep did not come. Finally, he had grown tired of waiting. Adrian stood up, stretching slightly as though he had just awoken. The clanging of the chains on his jeans echoed throughout his apartment. It was small, hardly any furniture. He had no time for home decorating. He had money, sure, but he spent most of it on his Nicotine addiction, and the bottles of Bourbon that lined his kitchen counter.
Adrian had not bothered to change into something more comfortable. Instead, he still wore the jeans and boots from last night. No shirt though. Adrian never bothered to put one on, for the most part. Even in New York's frozen winter. Not that Adrian went out much anyways. An extreme paranoia of the city's skyscrapers left Adrian inside for most of his day. Except at night, during which he would go out from time to time for work. But now that he was the Boss, he could send others to do that for him... Adrian smirked at the idea. He would love to be a full time hermit.
The television was still on from last night. Sally Winster of Channel 9 news sat there smiling as she told stories of murder, rape, and a local dog show in Upstate NY. Adrian, grabbing a bottle of Bourbon, plopped himself on the couch. "Let's see if these morons caught on yet." They had. Two days after it happened, and they were just now talking about the incident. Of course it was highly confidential. All the news could really say is that two unidentified bodies were found in a boondocks warehouse. In all his mixed emotions, Adrian could not help at laugh at the media's stupidity. He easily popped off the bottles cork and took a long sip. He hadn't bothered with a glass. Again, he laughed as the news anchor went on to tell a story about the Township's largest oatmeal cookie. Before he could help it, his mind wandered from the gigantic baked good and the news woman's corny smile, to what had transpired in the last two days. Two days ago he had been made the Leader of the Nightingales. Peace negotiations had made a turn for the worse. The Ravens had changed their minds and attempted to destroy their enemies once and for all, ending in both their leader's deaths. The Old Man's Second Hand Man had survived, though wounded. He had little information though, but it was easily assumed that the Ravens had started the shooting. The Raven's second man had made it as well. Not that Adrian cared. They would all be dead in due time anyways. But his plans for revenge were not even close to being formulated. The thought of killing every single Raven in existence had yet to reach Adrian's blurry mind. Instead, he remembered the Old Man's face, and kind smile. Sure, he hadn't been the greatest human being in the world, but that didn't matter now. The Old Man lived in the gray his entire life, but he had still been a good person. Didn't taking a young Adrian off the streets count for anything against the Old Man's countless sins? It would surely buy him some brownie points with the big man upstairs, right? Though...Drug deals and Bootlegs can't get you very far in Heaven.
A quarter a bottle of Bourbon was gone.
Carefully, Adrian rested the bottle on the coffee table he had propped his feet on. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a loose cigarette and held it to his lips. As he lit it, he remembered what he had been watching. With a free hand, he changed the channel to a XM station, and closed his eyes. "This ******** sucks." He murmured as he let out a puff of smoke. Only a few days ago, he was an average Twenty something who made a living on the occasional gang job. Now he was a thriving gang's Leader. And in the middle of a war, to make things worse. Adrian wasn't even sure he was the leader type. A thief? Sure. Perhaps even a good shot? Yes. But a Leader?
No. Not really.
He sighed and took another long drag. It didn't help that half the gang disliked him and his guts. They had always seen him as the Old Man's favorite. Not that they questioned his skills, just his uniqueness. They never saw what the Old Leader saw. Especially not the real Heir. The Old Man's son always hated him. Adrian could not blame him. But, out of the two, it had always been obvious that Adrian was the natural. Adrian had grown up on the streets, perfecting his skills, whereas the Heir had been so much more emotional, and lacking the talent. In some ways, he had let the Old Man down. Not that Adrian knew the boy very well. They avoided each other at all costs for most of their lives. "Surprised he hasn't stabbed me in the back yet." Adrian murmured to himself once again. He had no idea how the boy was handling his Father's death. Adrian hadn't felt ready to talk to anyone other than Bellona, who had been the one to give him the news. Only she knew where he kept the spare keys to his apartment. Regularly, she would just walk in, no matter the time of day. She had always been like that. For the past two days, she had kept Adrian company, both equally troubled by the loss.
- Naturally, Loni was now the Second Hand Man. Erm. Woman. She was Adrian's only confidant, even though they lived two completely different life styles. No matter though. Loni was the only one Adrian truly trusted. But right now, she was gone. Probably getting provisions... At that very thought, Adrian's stomach grumbled loudly. A liquid diet of Bourbon, and the occasional dose of Nicotine would not cut it. "Please be getting some food." Adrian whined out loud, holding his stomach in a fake sense of anguish. Quickly, he got up from the couch, putting out his cigarette on the coffee table's surface, and walked over to the small cramped kitchen. Bottles of Golden Brown Liquid. That is all he had. Other than a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese sitting at the very top of his kitchen shelf. Too much effort. Now even further depressed, Adrian slunk against the kitchen wall, and waited for Loni to save the day.
Personify Me
MC Frontalot, four empty cans of Full Throttle, and a taped version of the Syfy classic known as Mongolian Death Worm, could not keep Arthur Samuels' blood shot eyes open forever. The young man had attempted an all nighter, hoping to memorize every line of his new favorite movie, only to fall asleep in his computer chair around 4 am. Roughly seven hours later, he awoke with a start.
"Wha-...."
He looked immediately to the small TV in the corner of his room. Mongolian Death Worm was starting again, as it had done so many times during the night. With a groan, Art reached for the remote, turning the TV off completely. Apparently, it was no longer his favorite movie. Art stood up, pushing away the empty cans of Full Throttle that littered his floor. "Fletch?" Art yelled out, rubbing his eyes. Sleeping on a chair wasn't that great for your well-being. Art had done it for the last three nights. At first it had been due to an obsession over finals, where his roommate had been waking up to see Art face first in a text book, snoring. Last night, when he had finally had a chance to sleep soundly and without Finals Week stress, he let himself get obsessed with a low budget monster movie. That was Arthur. Always obsessed with something. And now, thanks to his behavior, his whole body ached. Especially his eyes. With blood shot eyes squinted, Art searched around his desk for his glasses. It was bad enough that he had sat in front of a TV screen all last night; but he had taken off his glasses well before that. "Fletch! You seen my glasses?" He cursed silently as he kneeled on the carpet, feeling around under the desk for them.
Instead of his glasses, he found a pencil, a half-eaten gummy bear, and an empty box of pocky GRAPHIC had given him last week. It was full then, of course. "God damnit! I can't see for s**t right now. FLETCH!" No response. In disappointment, Art walked to his bed, taking a seat at the edge. As he sat, there was a sickening crunch. He knew this sound. Every human being with glasses knew this awful sound. The sound of twisting metal and possibly even broken glass. "Oh no no no no." He got up, looking down in shame at his twisted glasses. Art covered his face in distress.
But it was summer! What would this sickly teenage boy need glasses for? Reading? HA. What kind of nerd reads during the summer......This nerd does. Arthur's plans of a nonstop Douglas Adams summer was ruined, or at least put of for a few days while he waited for a new pair. Immediately, he called his mother.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
"Hello? Mom?" There was silence, though he was certain someone was on the other line.
".....Arthur, darling. Can't you learn how to text? Honestly, hun, even your Father can do it, and you know how he is with phones. I don't know why you ref-"
"Mom. Listen. I need a new pair of glasses, by tomorr-" Was it mentioned that everyone cuts each other off in this family?
"Glasses? Arthur, I think it's time we get you contacts, or maybe even Lasik. Only poor people wear glasses." Art sighed. There was no talking to this woman, and if he let her go on, and continue her rant, he would soon be in his mother's drama territory, in which she begins to discuss all the happenings in California. Have you ever watched that show, Real Housewives of [Insert State Here]? Yeah. It is exactly like that. Yet tanner. If that is even possible. Art's mind wondered for only a second, and by the time he snapped out of it, his mother was talking about her pool boy. Something about his six-pack.....
"MOM! Seriously. Just a pair of glasses, please. Same frames I had before."
"Fine, fine hun. I will tell Jones. I have to get going anyways, I have a deep tissue massage in 5. Bye bye sugar! Get good grades!"
Click.
"I don't even think she knows it's summer..." Art sighed again, looking down at his poor broken glasses through blurry sore eyes. He picked them up gingerly, placing them on his desk. He couldn't bring himself to throw them out yet. If worse comes to worse, he would have to Harry Potter it up, tape and all. Still groggy, Art walked to the small bathroom that he shared with Fletch. For two guys, they kept it surprisingly clean, with only a dirty towel or two on the floor. He stared at himself in the mirror, trying to make out what he looked like despite his bad vision. 5'o Clock shadow? Check. Messy, just-woke-up hair? Check. Ink marks all over his hands and a line of pen ink down his cheek? Err...Check? Art began to wash the ink off, forgetting about the comic strip he had been working on the night before. It was nothing special, especially since the boy couldn't draw for the life of him. But he had mad stick figure skills, that no other could surpass. He had made the little comic strip in hopes to impress the fair GRAPHIC. It featured a small chibi Doctor Who being chased by the Hulk, all while little Japanese school girls followed with fangirl squeals.
Art returned to his desk to see he had only finished about four panels. He probably wouldn't finish it either, and even if he did, he would chicken out before actually giving it to her. Disappointed in himself once again, Art walked over to his small closet, pulling out a T-s**t depicting the Tardis crashing into a DeLorean, and threw it on. Picking up his wallet, Arthur walked out of his room and into the Dormitory hallway. He was out of Full Throttle, and chips. Food was the only reason Art ever left his dorm, and if he still planned on his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy extravaganza that night, he would have to be fully stocked.
With another groan, Art walked into the daylight, mumbling quotes under his breath in a purely non-social and entirely weird sort of way; "Life," He said aloud to himself, "loathe it or ignore it, you can't like it."
Personify Me
the shocker
She got the power in her hand,
To shock you like you won't believe.
With the v o l t a g e running through her skin
To shock you like you won't believe.
With the v o l t a g e running through her skin
Three years of Terrorism, and Elle Butler, along with her five accomplices, had never been caught by Human law enforcement. Sometimes their plans were foiled, yes, but no one ever pursued them afterwards. Even the Heroes, those silly little children that the city loved and cheered for, never caught one of the Terror 6. What kind of justice is this? Night after night, Elle thought about this. She knew that she was a bad person. She knew that in most cases, she would be facing the death sentence right now. But, like all things man-made, the law was flawed. Something or Somebody was keeping them from being locked up, or worse. She knew it.
Elle's insomnia did numbers on her health. Both mentally and physically. Her team was convinced that these side effects included paranoia, and the creation of conspiracy after conspiracy. One of the more plausible conspiracies included little Teleport's mother, and possibly Elle's own father. She believed the old woman had planned her twelve little apprentices to split up, creating a new age of Heroes and Villains. No one took it seriously. Why would a hero's mom want this to happen? Why would she want the Terror 6 to kill humans and destroy the city? Was it so her little Heroes could save the day and gain admiration?
Could a Mother be that twisted?
Elle shivered as the air vent rumbled to life above her head. She sat on the living room couch, watching early morning cartoons. The young woman hadn't slept in 4 days. It was normal for her to go days without any shut eye. She couldn't help it. Sleeping was physically impossible for her. How could one sleep with 100 volts of electricity running through their veins? Her eyes were always wide open. Her heart was always beating faster than everyone else's. Well.
Maybe not as fast as her brothers. He was at a different level all together. At her worst, Elle could go weeks without
sleep, having to use heavy doses of medication to knock herself out. After a while, a human body can't take it.
Even an abnormal body cannot last that long without rest. Last night, thankfully, she was low on her electric juice, and was able to at least sit still. She had been calm. Now, it being around 9 am, Elle felt weak. She was awake as always, but could not find the energy to move. So, she sat, watching a poor excuse for children's television.What happened to the classics. Like spongebob.
Elle sat completely still, making not a single sound. Her posture, as always, was perfect, but made her seem stiff, and rigid, as though she were fake. Others who saw her either thought she was a mannequin, or they just looked past her, as though she were invisible. Elle considered this her second gift. Her lack of sleep did awful things to her appearance, leaving her with a pale, almost gray skin tone, and bags under her eyes. Her hair was always a mess, mostly due to the static electricity that charged it every time she used her power. After years of trying to keep it suitable for public, Elle gave up, either letting it be the fizzed out mess that it wanted to be, or tying it up into a knotty bun. Only eighteen years old, and she looked like a Zombie. The cartoon changed, to something even less understandable than the one before. And for a second, there was no sound in the entire New York flat, except of someone's snores from the next room. Elle's rhythmic breathing was almost silent, a skill that she had perfected since she was a child. Even with an accelerated heart rate, Elle managed to control herself. Her brother never seemed to care about control. The boy didn't need it. It's easy to control super speed. Just don't run. Right? Elle didn't know for sure though, she couldn't possibly know if her twin brother had some sort of twisted inner struggle. She didn't expect him to have the capacity for one. The only things they shared were similar looks and a common case of insomnia.
Where is he anyways? Gingerly, Elle moved her head to the right, the first movement she had made in over 8 hours. As far as she knew, the living room was completely empty, other than herself. She would have heard his loud obnoxious a** if he were here, that's for sure. Even the sound he made as he sped past her was loud enough to notice. Like a soft whoosh. Maybe the older twin had tried to fall asleep? I pray he has more success than me. Elle turned back to the TV, eyes sore from hardly blinking. The others would be waking up soon, and slowly getting back into business mode. Today was fairly important, as important as terrorists attacks were. The boss lady had promised her team a nice subway bombing this week. Everyone was excited. Only problem was, as far as Elle knew, they didn't have a bomb. No one here was a bomb expert. Elle had a great education, her Father took care of that, but she had never gained any training in mechanics...or whatever bombs were. Neither had her brother. Knowing Evelyn, she probably had a plan up her sleeve. One more cunning than Elle could ever come up with.
As the time reached 9:30, Elle became anxious. Despite her fatigue, she got up from the couch, irritably walking in a circle around the Kitchen's island a few times. Why aren't they awake? She thought to herself angrily. Today is more important than dreams. A moment later, she sat back down, directly in the spot she had been sitting before. The couch's impressions fitting perfectly back to her body. Hastily, she changed the channel. Morning News. That would work. Not only would it distract her from the anxiety she was feeling, but it would also inform her on the city's doings. The news had always been more informative than it should be, as though they didn't think Villains watched TV, showing doting pictures of the Heroes. They were never full on pictures, only little glimpses of
teens running toward a fire or something. They never caught their faces. Those who looked to far into the manner were payed off. Or at least that's what Elle believed. Another little conspiracy of hers. She was convinced her father was still a part of the Teleport's mother's little group. Elle's eyebrows furrowed as she thought of her father's possible involvement, and watched the stupid Human news channel. Largest chocolate chip cookie does not count as news you imbeciles! She screamed in her mind bitterly, disgusted with what they were passing as a news story. Humans were so ridiculous.
Elle could not wait to make them extinct.
Personify Me
xxxx
HELENA KATE BERG
HECATE; GODDESS OF WITCHCRAFT, CROSSROADS, AND WILDERNESS
Adam Berg was currently scared shitless. A simple little prank had turned into something so strange he was not sure how to explain it to his Mother, who now looked down at him in confusion. "She did what, Adam? Your sister couldn't have possibly....." Tears filled in the younger boys eyes. "Mom! I swear! Why would I tell you I was messing with her laptop and get myself in trouble?" He wiped a tear away, sniffling a little as he spoke. "She came in and started to scream at me, then all the sudden the chair just like disappeared!"
"Chairs don't disappear, Adam. Are you sure she didn't just pull it from underneath you?" Adam shook his head furiously at his Mother's suggestion. He was sure it had disappeared. He fell right in place, with a loud thump. Apparently Helena had been scared as well, because all she could do is stand in place, wide-eyed at what she had done. She still stood up there in shock. "What...the ...hell..." She whispered to herself, no longer worried about her little brother or the trouble she had gotten herself into. Her Mother could do nothing to her that would be more frightening than realizing you're a complete freak. Helena had made a chair disappear. It was gone. Forever, for all she knew. And it had been a very very nice chair.
"HELENA! Can you please come down here?"
Helena's mind went back into focus. Quickly, she threw her laptop into her backpack, and made her way down the stairs. Her Mother stood there, arms crossed at the bottom. But her expression was surprising. Instead of anger, it was a look of worry. As Helena reached the bottom of the staircase, her Mother rested a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay Helena," No it's not. "Just tell me honestly. Did you do it?" Yes. With Voodoo magic. "No." Helena looked straight into her Mother's eyes. She wasn't lying exactly. She did not physically make the chair disappear from under her brother, sending the poor thing to some hellish void for lost chairs. It had been magic. Or maybe a Poltergeist. "Okay then. Go to school. I'll drive your brother. He doesn't really want to be around you right now..." Helena's Mother gave a small sigh, then gave Helena a quick hug and walked back into the Living Room. "Have fun today, hun."
Helena got out of her house as quickly as she could, not wanting to see any of them for at least 7 hours. She felt ashamed. Her family was nice, caring, normal. They didn't need a freak like her messing stuff up. Her beat up Chevy roared to life as she started it up, throwing her laptop bag into the empty seat next to her. The radio blared 90s alternative. Not that Helena cared much for it, but it was the only rock station in the county. It was this or Top 40. Helena picked Pearl Jam over Lady Gaga any day. "Ugh." Helena groaned, one hand hitting herself in the head while the other steered. "Why did I let him get me upset! I could have just told him to go, and it would have been fine." The shame set in. Disappointed that after all these years of trying to hold back her emotional outbursts she still didn't have it in her control. What if it had been her brother that had disappeared, rather than the chair? Helena cringed at the thought. The fear that she had of doing something awful, and no one could even say it was her. This morning, she feared herself far more than her brother did.
She turned into the school parking lot. As she got out, her head hung low still ashamed of what she had done. Slowly, she picked up her bag, and walked into the school. She had more than enough time to feel depressed this morning. There were still about 15 minutes before the bell rang, which was a small pocket of time she usually used for social purposes. Yet, this morning she wasn't sure she could fake any excitement for the day. But, as she walked down the hallway, passing locker after locker, she saw Merdes leaning against his. He looked a bit dazed. She wanted to just keep walking, but the last thing she wanted to do was offend one of the more popular guys in school. Especially since they were sort of friends. She had to at least say Hi.
"Hey Merdes. You okay?" Helena stopped in front of him, looking up at him with her head tilted to the side. "You look kind of out of it. And you look all....sweaty." Helena's nose crinkled in disgust. As popular as he was, Merdes sure didn't seem to care about what he looked like. But the athletic were always like that. Somehow they still got girls, and boys in Merdes case, no matter how badly they dressed. Helena walked over to his side, leaning against the locker next to him. She watched as teenager after teenager passed, with their skinny jeans and stupid little normal lives. Her depressed mood was gone, and replaced by a bitter one. Why couldn't she just not make weird things happen? Is that too much to ask?
Personify Me
"[******** THIS s**t."
Just the words you would expect out of such a miscreant. Seth Andrews' tattoos just screamed 'I cuss like a sailor and drink like one too!' Any self respecting woman wouldn't stand within 3 feet of him. His messy black hair hadn't been washed in weeks, making him look like a homeless punk kid. He wasn't homeless though. At this very moment, Seth was actually standing in his apartment. His one bedroom, third story, empty ghetto apartment. Well. It had not been empty this morning. But, with the city all anarchist these days, except when Magneto's men decided to actually work, you couldn't leave your apartment door open for more than a second. "GOD DAMN TELEPORTIN' RATS." Don't feel sorry for him though. Seth never had much in his apartment. Two or three milk crates. An old futon mattress. A single lamp. Seth had lived in poverty. Someone had managed to actually find a reason to steal these things. Who in their right mind wants to steal two milk crates? "[******** STUPID a** TELEPORTIN' MONEYS." Seth threw his hands in the air, having enough of the bare apartment before him. He stomped out, slamming the door behind him. What use were door when Nightcrawlers and Kitty Pryde's walked around the city, going where ever they pleased.
As he made his way down four flights of stairs, Seth's cusses became less loud. Less violent. He would be fine. He had a roll of money in his pocket, and no where to go. But it was okay. Why, you ask? Because he had been planning to live this s**t hole anyways. Not today, no. But in the near future. It was time to leave this city. He knew where to go, how to get there, and what to say once he arrived. The sunlight blared down on him as he walked outside. He began to sweat, but it wasn't the weather that was getting him. One of his infamous fevers began to heat his forehead. A headache began to pulse on his temples.
"Ah, one more ride, baby." Seth walked toward his beat up car, admiring it's rusted pale teal paint job. Someone had keyed it during the night, but Seth tried his best to ignore it. He couldn't stand anymore of his stuff being damaged. Gingerly, he jumped into the car, not wanting it to fall apart before he even started the engine. This damn car had been in his possession for over six years. Shame it had been a piece of s**t car back then too. Hardly anyone had cars anymore though. 2019, and there was no such thing as traffic in New York City. Isn't that fantastic? All we had to do to fix the problem was kill of 98% of all the living humans in the city. Why hadn't they thought of that sooner? "Come on, baby. Jus' gotta get me over to good ol' Xaviers. Then you'd never hafta drive 'round 'gain." He eased the key into the car's ignition. His heart skipped a beat as he waited for the sound of the engine roaring to life. "Thank you Jesus." Religious words spilled out of his mouth before he could remember he was an Atheist. That's what a Southern upbringing did to a boy. You can't think faster than you can say, 'thank you god.'
With no more Radio, car rides were boring affairs. That's what happens when you kill off all the Humans. Sure there were some underground Mutant radio stations. But all they talked about were Liberal bullshit. 'Shed your Human names, Brothers!' and 'Don't forget to turn in any Humans you see!' "Bullshit." Seth mumbled angrily under his breath, passing block after block at a steady 75 mile per hour. Mutants on the streets turned to watch, not used to a lone car driving down the road. Some screamed threats, accusing him of being a Human. Mutants did that a lot these days. Worst insult there was. Seth ignored them. Which was easy to do at the speed he was going, but his fever stayed as strong as ever, if not more so. Sweat dripped down his face, but Seth chose to neglect it, thinking more about getting out of this god forsaken city, rather than the possibility of him blacking out at the wheel.
This neglection occurred often in Seth's life. He often burned down buildings, lit trees on fire, melted steering wheels...All in a single day. By now, he could have very well had complete control of his abilities, but quite frankly, Seth didn't really give a s**t. If thing lit on fire around him, what did he care? It didn't hurt him. Only thing it could do was kill a Human or two. Maybe a Mutant. He didn't know them, so he didn't care.
Within another mile of two he would be out of the city, on his way to the glorious Xavier mansion. He would find out if being there was the answer to his problems. They may need him over there. It sounded cocky. The X-men needing him. But that's what Seth was looking for. Someone. Something to need him. He had nothing now. No home. No family. And if they didn't need him, surely Magneto would not turn down another recruit? Seth was no Proximate, but he had a decent handle on his powers. He could take a Human down easy. Maybe even a fellow Mutant if he needed to. He could kill a Human. He could save a Human too. Seth did not feel passionately about Humans. The few he had cared for were long gone now. All he cared about now was himself. But today was his last try. His last try to make something of himself, maybe do something good, no matter who's idea of good that may be.
The last few City blocks passed by. At a mile away from the bridge, Seth spotted a face. A pretty face. Other than the dirt that adorned it, she was quite attractive. And despite his better judgement, Seth slowed the car down. You could blame it on the ever growing fever on his brow, or the sheer fact that he was male, but he called out to the young woman who sat on a bus bench on the sidewalk. "Hey babe. What're you doin' 'ere outside in this heat, huh?" He yelled over the roar of his engine, trying to look as suave as possible despite his fever. He assumed the girl was a Mutant. He had no reason to believe otherwise. He had no power sensing gift. "Want t'ride? I'm headin' out of town though...M'sure they'd be happy t' take you back when I get there." Yeah. It was creepy. But the thing about Mutant girls was they weren't very scared of strange men. They could handle themselves. One strange move, and Seth could be an eunick. So, he chanced it, smiling at the girl nicely as he could. He could use the company. Something to take the edge off of the blaring fever that plagued him at the moment. Steam began to hiss off of his forehead.
"So you comin' o' not?"
Personify Me
"Do you know how hard Hello Kitty is to come by these days, Jesse? It's like all the little Human kids brought all her merchandise with them to the grave!"
"Barry. I don't care. Give me the ******** cat." Heist stood there, arms crossed, her expression as serious as it had ever been. Hello Kitty was serious business. "And my name is Heist, not Jess. I told you guys, I'm not being called by that name anymore! Gramps said it was like a slave name y'know! You best be calling yourself something new soon too, 'cause Gramps isn't going to take you seriously with a name like Barry!" Heist giggled at the older man before her, pointing at him mockingly. "Barry! What a loser name. Your mom must have been one stupid Human!" The older man ignored her comments, trying his best to hold his temper back. As sad as this sounds, he was afraid of the little girl. She was more than just a brat. She was a powerful brat. In both mutant gift and connections. That 'Gramps' she spoke of was Magneto. The most powerful Mutant alive as far as these gutter rats knew. That was Heist's way of name dropping. The only reason the man was even talking to this little terror was because of their 'business deal'. If he promised to find her Hello Kitty anything, she would promise to report good things from his area of town. It was working out fairly well so far, if it wasn't for the girls loud mouth.
He was in the right mind to say something back, but she began to speak again, apparently feeling this whole exchange was taking too long. "COME ON OLD MAN." Heist began to tap her foot rapidly on the concrete. "Just show me what it is! I need to get back to work you know! Gramps will take it out on you if I don't get back soon." The man reached into his jacket, pulling out a stuffed Hello Kitty. It was small. A little dirty. But exactly what Heist was looking for. "OH THAT IS ADORABLE." Heist grabbed it, pushing it up against her cheek. "Good job Barry! I'll be sure to tell Gramps you all are doing just fine over here!" With that, Heist was gone, running back out of the Alley, doll in hand. She skipped like a little girl down the street. As she was. Jessica Conner was only 13 years old. She acted even younger than that. In a world where kids her age were either dead, or at Xaviers, it didn't hurt to over exaggerate her lack of years. It annoyed the hell out of everyone she knew, but it reminded them that kids her age still existed. There was no one even close to her age anywhere near Magneto's inner circle. Heist was the youngest Mutant on the payroll. And by payroll, they meant shelter, food, and the occasional toy or two.
Heist threw the doll into the small purse she carried on her shoulder. She didn't want to get the mysterious staining liquid that seeped from her hands on her new toy. As she skipped, Heist wiped the thin red liquid off on her jeans, adding another smear of red to the already stained jeans. Her clothes for known to be covered in the light red smears, causing people to fear her. They always thought it was blood. Like she had just finished her daily killing spree. Heist didn't mind the assumption. As she headed into one of the nicer areas of New Genosha, Heist ceased her skipping. She walked at a mild pace, making her way to where she was staying this week. The Brotherhood had made some nice arrangements for her. A 13 year old girl had her own apartment, in one of the nicest buildings in the City.
"Hello, hun, Are you looking for your parents?" A tall man peered down at her in front of the entrance to the Lobby. He smiled wide, and fake. Heist's expression was far from amused. "My parents are dead." What a buzz-kill. "Gramps told me I have a room here. For the week. He told me to show you this." She raised her palm, a few inches from the tall man's face. It was tinted permanently red, still dripping the power-stealing liquid as it always did. A drop fell, marking the concrete near the man's foot. He cringed. "Err." Quickly, he straightened up. "Yes, Ms. Conner. Please go ahead. I am sorry if I upset you." Heist ignored him, walking forward the moment he had back out of her face. "Yeah yeah. That's what they all say. Gramps'll be hearing about this. Mhmm." She mumbled to herself as she walked in the lobby, pressing the Up button for the elevator. She left a light red fingerprint on the button as she walked into the Elevator, doing the same with the '3' button inside.
The Elevator went upward, causing the young girl to feel a tad bit nauseous. The feeling of rushing up wasn't good on her nerves...or stomach. She breathed a sigh of relief as it stopped and the doors opened. She walked out of the confined space, breathing in and out loudly. Heist found her door and slid in the key, walking in cautiously. The moment she stepped in, she could hear a watery, splashing sound. "KELPIE!!" She ran to the bathroom, smiling wide at the sight of Kelpie overflowing the Apartments bathtub. He looked like a suicidal twenty-something, trying to drown himself in the bathtub. In other situations it would have been creepy to find a grown man in a little girl's apartment's bathtub. But this was normal. As normal as it could get for Heist. "HEY! YOU'RE MESSING UP MY NEW BATHROOM." She screamed, pointing at the water that spilled over the top of the tub, and onto the bathroom's blue tiles. Heist threw her pack on the bed behind her and started flailing her arms up and down, trying to get Kelpie's attention. He didn't listen to her very often, even if she was screaming at him, face to face.
"KELPIEEEEE GET OUT OF MY TUB OR I SWEAR TO GRAMPS I WILL PERSONALLY CAUSE A NATURAL DISASTER ALL OVER YOUR LAKE."
Personify Me
"Ils ont à rien me n'enseigner!"
French. Such a beautiful language, even when one uses it to complain about a school's lack of competence. A young brooding man threw his hands in the air with frustration as he rushed out of his morning class. He was nothing more than a blur of black as he left the classroom. The teacher refused time and time again to give him lessons involving hemokinesis. It annoyed him to no end, causing him to lash out at the older man. With a few harsh words, he could stand the class no more, and had left the second the bell rang. Pushing past other students as he did. "Il ne m'enseignera pas parce qu'il ne peut pas le faire se!" Students watched as he passed them. His foreign words continued aloud as he walked to the School's Front Courtyard. It wasn't a long walk, made shorter by the boy's fast pace.
"I do not need stupid water bending." Julien's angered state caused his French to conflict with his English. The accent seeped through, cutting at the words so they were barely understandable. He would have corrected them, if they hadn't been directed at him alone. He trudged along the grass, toward a tree to sit under. He carried a few text books with him, along with a small black backpack of sorts.
"L'eau n'est rien. Sang. Sang est loin plus puissant."
Julien sat below the tree. His head leaned back against the bark. The boy's long brown hair snagged on the bark, but he didn't care to fix it. "Why should I even bother with the lower techniques? I do not need them. Can I not rely on my natural talent alone?" He spoke bitterly to himself, annoyed at the school's need to make him a 'well-rounded' Water Manipulator. They did not want him to rely on his skill with blood. He knew why. He just didn't choose to accept it as fact. There had been others, before Julien, with a nack for Blood Manipulation. Those special few had been like him. They did not want to work with anything else. They became consumed by the fact that they could kill a man with a twitch of a finger. They went bad. But wouldn't you? Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Julien could not even train on his Hemokinesis without damaging himself or another living thing. So, his classes were aimed at his other abilities. His weakest part. Water.
Julien's attention drifted to the morning's dew that lay across the Courtyard's grass. With a raised finger, the droplets of water collected in the air, swirling around as his finger did, in a clockwise fashion. Three years ago he could not even do this. Water was nothing like Blood, for him. Blood was alive. He heard it everywhere. He heard it flow through every heart in the Main Building. He heard his peer's heartbeats quicken every time he passed. Julien knew what he did to people, especially the younger students. He knew that as much as they called him names behind his back, they feared him far greater. He especially disliked the vampiric nicknames.... But he chose to ignore them. It was better for their sake to just ignore the comments. Last thing he wanted was to accidentaly pull every drop of blood from their body just because he was called ... Nosferatu. Or something else ridiculous.
The small wisp of water continued to swirl around in the air, darting around the courtyard. The farther it went away from Julien, the harder time he had controlling it. Droplets began to drop off, slowly leaving Julien with nothing. "Baise!" He cursed at the water. His mood now poor again, Julien got up from his spot below the tree, wiping off the dew on his clothes with a flick of his finger. The water that had seeped into his clothes fell off immediately, leaving him dry once again.
It was too early for Breakfast. The fairly large Cafeteria did not open until 9:30 am. Exactly on time every morning. Julien could feel his empty stomach growl from beneath his clothes. He ate food like every other Human being, despite the feverent rumor that he sucked blood from the Freshman for nourishment. Julien couldn't lie though. He found that rumor amusing. He enjoyed the look Freshman gave when they saw him. Those who believed it looked as thought they would pee themselves in fear. If smiling wouldn't destroy his reputation, he would do so every time he saw a little Freshman cowering in fear. Not all freshman were so gullible though. Julien could not help but respect some of the Elementals. The Areias, for example. Those talented little Sand Manipulators. Julien couldn't help but respect their skill. Even the Electric Elementals. Those Absorbers did things even Julien could envy. "Vitesse super." He said to himself quietly, now leaning on the Cafeteria's outer wall casually.
He nodded at a teacher as she passed, as nonchalantly as possible. She didn't register it, apparently, and continued walking. Maybe a bit faster than before. Even his teachers wanted to avoid him...With a sigh, Julien slid down against the wall; eventually hitting the concrete below him. He sat again, with his feet out in front of him. A tripping hazard to say the least.
"God. Please turn time faster, yes? J'ai besoin de la nourriture."
translations;
- "They have nothing to teach me!"
"He will not teach me because he can't do it himself!"
"Water is nothing. Blood. Blood is far more powerful"
"********!"
"Super speed."
"...I need food."
Personify Me
"Tick."
Several marble-sized spheres hit the ground with a 'ping' sound. They rolled down the sidewalk behind the girl who had dropped them. She continued to walk casually, as though she were only taking a mid-day stroll."Tick." She whispered to herself; the enthusiasm evident in her voice. A student walked behind her, at first not noticing what she was doing. Suddenly, the boy yelled as he slipped on one of the lethal 'marbles.' He fell to the concrete on his a**, cussing aloud at the marble he tripped on. Boom Boom only laughed, loud enough for everyone around her to hear. With that, the boy looked up. She continued her fit of laughter as she watched him struggle to get back up. "What the hell! You're like twenty something! You act like a kid!" He screamed pointing at her in rage.
"Tick." Boom Boom spoke louder this time. She wanted to give the boy fair warning, but he didn't seem to put two and two together. They never did. Three other marbles arrived at his feet, where he still sat on his butt. Boom Boom laughed harder, her hand covering her mouth. She loved teasing the students. The best part was the face they made when they realized what was laying at their feet.
"Marbles? That's all you do? Throw marbles?" Tabitha laughed louder
"BOOM!!" Tabitha yelled, pointing her finger at the boy's feet. The moment she said it, four marble-sized bombs detonated at the boys feet. He screamed, shooting up into the air. "Boo! A flyer!" The bombs weren't all that strong. They were mostly made for pranks. The sound they made were loud enough to scare a sleeping kid in class, or freak out the students on campus. They were nothing stronger than firecrackers. The boy had flown away, screaming cusses at Boom Boom as he left. She returned the favor with a waving middle finger, and then returned back to her walk. Boom Boom was bored today at Xaviers'. While the other's trained all day, Tabitha could usually be seen in the Kitchen. Eating chips. Or playing a prank on the students who had stayed around this summer. But, even those things got boring over time. Right now she was walking around aimlessly, looking for entertainment. Those few students that were still on campus knew better than to go near Boom Boom. She was a bully, and they did not want to be her prey. As she walked around the front of the school, students scattered, walking away from her as quickly as they could. Some flied away, other's teleported. One even dug a hole and burrowed himself in it. Ugh, whatever. I didn't want to look at you either, mole-boy. Boom Boom, feeling neglected, walked in the opposite direction, back towards the school. Near the main building's front entrance, she saw a Limo. And a X-23.
"Ergh. I shouldn't even bother.." Tabitha thought to herself, deciding whether she should go over and give into her curious nature, or just keep moving. "I'm sure there's still some perfectly good Root Beer in the Kitchen..." Despite her attempts to persuade herself with food, she continued to walk toward the car, and X-23. She didn't even like Laura. The girl was so boring. 'I was a clone baby and no one loves me' blah blah blah Tabitha was sure Laura didn't like her company either. But, she couldn't let Laura have all the fun. She wanted to know who the mystery guest was too. Boom Boom strode over, her hands ready to form a time bomb if necessary. Observing the Limo, the bomb would have to be a nice sized one....at least a basketball...X-23 could handle that creepy Limo driver, right?
"Eyyyy, Laura. What's this here?" Laura was pretty silent though, as always. She didn't expect the girl to answer. Tabitha stared at the Driver for a while. He was the worst. Those silent but deadly types. Boom Boom wanted nothing to do with it. But, seeing as he was just sitting there, not really threatening anyone, Tabitha was convinced this was just a Brotherhood member, checking in on the school. When Magneto got suspicious his little goodwill ambassadors started to come out of the woodwork, try to have some civil talks with Psylocke. Today it seemed Magneto has sent someone pretty important. Who drove in Limos these days? Seriously. Between the driver and X-23, Boom Boom was feeling a bit out of place. Awkwardly, she took a seat on the concrete, resting her head on her propped up hand. Whoever was inside would have to come out eventually. Boom Boom could wait if she had to.
Personify Me
- "No! Listen! I said three lollipop, half a bag of those chocolate things.." Heist anxiously smudged her finger against the glass case, leaving red finger prints behind. "... oh and like five of those chocolate covered strawberries!" The man behind the counter quickly gathered up her order, just wanting the young girl to stop messing up his front counter with her red liquid...stuff. You would think that among her own kind, this would be normal. But a little girl oozing out red fluid would never be normal. Some of the families that had been sitting inside were beginning to leave. Apparently, they noticed the group of Brotherhood members gathering up inside. Finally, the man behind the counter handed Heist her candy. "Oh, and it's on the house, right?" Heist smiled sweetly, dragging another line of red down the man's glass candy case. Before Heist could get her answer, a loud crashing sound came from behind her. Heist jumped in place, causing more red liquid to come from her palms. She turned around quickly, thinking someone had attacked the Candy Store. "Wha -" She starred at the now broken TV, then to Kelpie, who looked calm as ever.
"Erm. Sorry 'bout that Mr. Candy Dude." Heist shrugged, taking the candy from the counter and walking back to her seat. Some new people had shown up. Hellion, for one. He was. Meh. Boring. Heist could care less about the ex X-men guy, and his little gal pal who was no where to be found at the moment. Then Cyanide showed up. Grrrr Heist shot her a glare as she spoke. She thinks she's so cool... "Think about how a lot of us are actually getting things done, and others are. . . . Well. . . . Buying candy" Heist went red, embarrassed by the older girl words. But, she let the feeling go quickly. "Fine! No Lollipop for you!" Heist gave a little hmph! sound, and took her seat across from Kelpie. She looked at him, almost concerned about his outburst. It wasn't like him to be violent. At least not towards TV sets... But those feelings passed soon too. Her ears perked up at the sound of an address. As much as she disliked Cyanide, the girl was good at what she did. Way better than Heist ever was. "So, who wants to suggest the plan of action?"
Heist's mind raced, wanting to prove herself, no matter her lack of years. She knew she could do something. Bunch of squishy Humans, maybe an X-men or two. They didn't know about Heist. They had no idea that a 13 year old girl worked for Magneto as a Human Killer. She could easily just walk in there...
"This young kid does have a plan!" Heist stood up, as though she were about to give some motivational speech. She pointed at Cyanide, excitedly. "Me! I can do it!" She wasn't making all too much sense. Heist was so caught up with her master plan, she forgot to actually explain the damn thing to everyone. Silly Heist. A minute or so passed with Heist just staying in that position, waiting for someone to catch on. They didn't. Finally, she realized there were no Telepaths in this little group. "OH." She jumped up as she realized this, smiling cheerfully. "I mean! Send me in! Those blood bags won't even question helping me! I'll just go in as a little helpless Human child and then....then..." Heist thought for a moment, looking down at the table. "OH! Send Morph with me! YES. We can be two little Human kids. Related. Something like that! Worse comes to worse, I just take his power quick, and we can fight them off until you guys catch up. Or something...Yeah..." Heist took a quick breath, "SURPRISE ATTACK!!" She yelled victoriously. Heist then took her seat, slightly twitching from the sudden burst of adrenaline she just felt. Nervously, she opened up her bag of candy and popped two pieces of chocolate into her mouth. Yeah. Sugar will help calm down that Adrenaline rush. Good thinking.
Personify Me
Sooraya Qadir shuddered as she felt her body take the impact of the punch. Her attacker's hand sunk into her stomach and was held there. Slowly, the sand within her sucked him in, pulling his arm in farther and farther. He screamed in pain. It stung at his skin, stripping the flesh, overtaking his entire body. Blood began to stain the front of Sooraya's abaya. She murmured a Muslim prayer as the mans body sunk deeper into her, finally leaving nothing behind but a skeleton and dead silence. Once her prayer had finished, she returned herself to a more stable state, and continued walking toward the two others that had run. Or at least she thought they had until she heard a crunching sound directly left of her. Invisible? Dust turned her head quickly, focusing on the trash can to her left, then to a piece of paper on the ground. It didn't move as the breeze came through the alley. Someone was standing on it.
So not to startle the invisible man, Dust turned back, slowly pulling sand from her body, into a pile in her hand. The grains twisted like a small cyclone in her palm as she continued to walk out of the alley. From the corner of her eye, she watched the man become visible again, believing he was safe. She snapped her head and arm back, throwing the sand in her hand like a whip towards him, ready to slice the man in half. It would be a quick death, maybe not even require one of her prayers. But, before the sand caught its victim, electricity surged through Dust's body. For a moment, she felt the pain, something she hadn't felt in years. She closed her eyes, focusing on her power rather than the electricity. Her body separated from itself, into nothing more than a cloud of sand. In this form, her body just evaded the bolts of electricity that was being poured into her. Sooraya looked up at the girl above. From her hands, blue electricity shot down. It reminded Sooraya of an old friend...She mentally shook her head to clear her thoughts. In this form she was able to catch the breeze, flying up the toward the girl above her and leaving the invisible man to himself below. She floated easily to the roof where the girl stood. She was nothing more than a sandstorm in this state, her body whipping around her. Slowly, she formed her face, yet it was still nothing more than indented sand, like she was a sculpture on the beach. "You could have left him. You could have lived." She watched the girl walk backwards, scared for her life. Dust's expression looked almost sorrowful; sorry that she would have to take a woman's life. She didn't like to kill one of her own. But this was Magneto's orders...
Dust closed her eyes in shame as the sand extended from her body toward the girl. "No!" The girl screamed in agony as the sand wrapped around her throat, squeezing until her life had completely faded. Dust could hear as the man below ran across the cement, out to the street. She couldn't kill him on the street. Everyone would see. Magneto would not like that. Dust flew with the breeze out to the very edge of the alley, solidifying the moment she touched the ground. As she caught her balance, she grabbed a small bag she had left on the sidewalk, and walked quickly onto the street, following the man who was getting away. He was running, but she couldn't do the same for fear of catching attention. With a sigh, she let him go. She reached into her bag, pulling out a cell phone that she kept purely for business. "One got away." She spoke into the phone quietly as she passed by loiterers on the street. She wasn't in a very nice area of the city right now. Actually, this wasn't even her sector to control. It was Magneto's favorite's sector. Apparently the little girl didn't keep very good control of it, and Dust was sent to clean up the drug dealers in the area. There were rumors that the little girl took bribes...something about a love for a ...Hello Kitty. Whatever that was, Dust did not know. "He had invisibility." Dust whispered, answering the voice on the other end, "Yes. I know. But, he went onto the street. I could not chase him..." Dust paused, turning down another street, toward the nicer area of town.
"Candy Store? They're all there? Yes. I will go there right now." Dust closed the phone, and walked a little faster than before. Apparently, she was late for a meeting. Hellion hadn't even told her. But, it was understandable. She was supposed to be busy, he couldn't know that she had finished early. The breeze pulled at her abaya as she walked toward the small Candy store. But, she appeared to be a street over, and ended up being a few steps from the back of the store. Before she reached the store's back lot, a dog's bark went off like an alarm. Dust's eyes squinted behind her niqāb, trying to make out where the dog could be. A few more steps, and she saw the black and white of his fur. The blue eyes. Then she saw his owner. Dust stood there for a moment, eyes wide as she stared at the young man who was obviously spying... Human? Her eyes went wider, but she kept still. She didn't want to startle the poor thing, like he were a rare doe. Why would he just be outside like that? In the open? He should have known better... but he was armed well enough. He could at least take on one Mutant. Not a Proximate. No. Dust could kill him and his dog within a moment. Though, her self assurance may have been a little too high. The dog kept barking. She looked at the beast, pleading with her eyes for him to stop. It would bring attention to the Human. The Mutants in the shop would hear. They would be dead...
Yet, Dust did not speak a single word. She continued to stare, waiting for the Human man to run and get away. She had no orders to kill him. No one had told her to kill a Human man behind the candy shop. If he got away fast enough, she would be able to let him get away and enter the store as if nothing happened. Run, you moron.
Personify Me
- Where am I? Great Hall.
How am I? Cranky. Exhausted. Just give me some food. Please.
What am I doing? Trying to eat.
"Mrtyorma amrtam gamaya..." Nisha Arundhati Bhattacharya spoke quietly into her hands, which were held palm to palm as she prayed. Her prayers differed from the average Hindi worshipper though. Her family's religion derived from the earliest concepts of Hinduism. Her idea of God's were primal. They were warriors, not meditating scholars. But nonetheless, the Wizards of Punjab considered themselve Hindu, just as the Muggles did. Just, they were a far better kind of Hindu. As she finished her prayers, Nisha stood from where she had been kneeling, and walked away from her bedside silently. The other Slytherin girls slept, but Nisha woke up long before them. The sun still hadn't made it over the horizon, not that there were any real windows. The Slytherin Common room was far below ground level, directly below the Lake. It was cold, and would have been completely dark if not for the bewitched 'windows' in the Dormitory. Instead, right now the windows gave off moonlight, but that would be changing shortly.
Robes in hand, she stepped quietly into the girl's bathroom. She changed, brushed her hair, and applied more makeup than a sixteen year old girl should be allowed. Nisha walked back to her bed. She slipped on bracelet after bracelet over her wrist, letting them lightly clank together as they collected on her arm. As she walked out of the dormitory, and into the common room, she winced as the cold stone touched her feet. "Oh!" She jumped back into the dorm, grabbing her shoes, that were more like slippers. It was far too early for her to do much of anything, but with everyone asleep, this was the best moment to practice. She pulled her wand out of her robes quickly, flicking it at the fire just to practice her wand movements. Despite her lack of incantation, the fire jump each time she flicked the wand. Nisha smiled to herself, and took a seat on one of the common room's many couches.
Nisha eyed the fire. She was in the right mind to use the Flame-Freeze charm that she had learned last week in Charms class. The words were on the tip of her tongue when she caught sight of a small spider crawling across the stone floor. Her smile widened. Charms practice. Pft. Not when I can practice something darker. "Immobulus!" She whispered to her wand, yet her voice still echoed in the silent stone common room. The spider fell still, frozen in place. "Accio!" It appeared at her feet, still motionless. "Ah, you will be my test subject. You should be honored." She looked down at the pitiful thing. With no one awake, Nisha had no problem performing her next trick.
"Crucio!" This time she spoke aloud, but still quiet enough to not awake anyone behind the dormitory doors. The spider twitched in pain for a solid minute before it's small body gave up, slumping on the stone floor. "Took longer than I would have liked. But, it is no Avada Kedavra..." She slumped back against the chair again, waving her wand aimlessly. Her eyes glazed over as she looked up at the Common Room's low stone ceiling. Any other House would feel anxious, knowing that they slept under the Hogwart's lake, but Nisha felt at ease here. She breather in the cold, musky air, happy to be alone in the silence of the early morning. When she closed her eyes, she thought of her home. It was completely the opposite in India, but she liked it all the same. Her four older sisters were now all married, off to accomplished and powerful Pureblood Wizards. They even had children. Nisha couldn't imagine living as they did. They didn't know half the spells Nisha did. All they did in Punjab was cook, clean and take care of the house, popping out babies from time to time. She thanked her Father every day for teaching her more than that. If he hadn't, she would have been married by now, possibly even pregnant with her first child. Nisha shuddered. She feared that life more than anything. More than she feared Owls.
Nisha never wrote her sisters. She hardly knew them, or her many nieces and nephews. But, she did write her Father, along with the additional word to her Mother. She wasn't very close to her Mother though, mostly because her Mother feared her, so she only sent the occasional 'Hello Mom, I'm sorry you regret ever having me.' letter. Impatiently, Nisha tapped her fingers on the couch's arm, hoping time would turn faster. The sun slowly moving up, and Nisha was sure the other students would be awaking shortly. Not wanting to see the other students, or have them question why she was awake so early, Nisha got up from her seat, and walked out of the Common Room.
The long stone hallway was cold and dark, occasionally lit by a torch attached to the wall. Nisha walked quickly, not enjoying the darkness in the area of the dungeon. When she reached the staircase that led to the ground floor, she smiled to herself. People were just now waking up, and she would be first to the Great Hall. But sadly, it did not turn out this way. Nisha was far too new to this school to escape it's mazes so easily. Instead of on the Ground Floor, Nisha found herself in a strange part of the Castle. A floor she had never seen before, lined with numerous doors. "Kuttiya!" Nisha swore in Hindi aloud, cursing her luck. She had been sure those stairs would take her to the ground floor, but the school never stayed still! Maybe it was still on...Night Mode? From a Window beside her, a real window, she could see the sun now coming up. The light hurt her eyes, which had been so accustomed to the low light in the Dungeon. As she covered her eyes, the Castle seemed to rumble. She cursed again as the stair cases burst to life, moving around aimlessly. "Damn!" She ran back to the staircase she had just walked on, but it was too late. She was officially lost.
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Half an Hour Later.
Half an Hour Later.
Nisha walked around, hoping to find the Great Hall sometime before the end of the day. She felt as though she had been looking for hours. Food... Just then, a group of first years walker past her. Their trivial chatter made Nisha'a head hurt, but she caught the word 'sausage' and turned around immediately, following at a safe distance. Oh, if only my house mates could see me now. Following first years to the Great Hall. I have shamed my Father. Nisha sighed as she walked, focusing on the first years steps, rather than her self-disappointment. In a few lovely minutes, she would have a nice breakfast, and forget all about her morning's adventure. Everything would be fine. But, Nisha could not let go of her crankiness. Even the sight and smell of the Great Hall could not hold her back from pushing the First Years out of her way, and onto the stone floor. "Move imbeciles." She hissed as she made her way into the hall. She stomped over to the Slytherin table and took her seat, starring down bitterly at the toast. How much longer would it take for her to understand this school? If Father knew how hard it was for her to adapt, he would be so disappointed. The Bhattacharya's were one of the powerful families of India, and their only daughter could not even find her way to Breakfast in the morning. She brought her palms together, and leaned her forehead against them, despite the glares from the other students.
"Brahmaarpanam Brahma Havir
Brahmaagnau Brahmanaa Hutam
Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam
Brahma Karma Samaadhinaha"
Brahmaagnau Brahmanaa Hutam
Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam
Brahma Karma Samaadhinaha"
She said her grace, and looked up to the food in front of her. Gingerly, she began to pile her plate, hoping the good food would make up for the day's bad start.
translations;
- "Lead me from death to immortality."
"b***h!"
Personify Me
An eight hour flight from Paris to New York City, along with the crippling effects of jet lag due to the large time difference, then followed by an hour and a half limo ride to Elementi Academy, did not do much good for Julien Pirouet's already deteriorating mental health. The young man's eyes were bloodshot as he stepped out of the limo. He was exhausted, and only hoped to get in his room before anyone dared start up a conversation with him. Instead of asking the limo driver to get his bags politely, Julien only pointed harshly toward the car's trunk. His expression was spiteful, but he couldn't blame the poor American driver for his awful state. He blamed his parents for that one. Oh yes. Despite the fact the Pirouet's had multiple flats in New York City, poor Julien had been located in Paris the whole summer, along with his Mother and her sister. As beautiful as Paris was, it could not makeup for Julien's dreadful company those past months. His mother was nothing more then a country girl with a taste for extravagance and critical observations. Her sister was just as bad. Their only difference being, one was rich, and the other worked on her husband's farm. But, nonetheless, all of Julien's cousins were gifted Ice Manipulators. At one time, he had been below them, despite their poverty.
As the driver rushed to get the bags, Julien rested his hand over his exhausted eyes. They were so sore, he felt he could sleep right where he stood. "Sir, if you could direct me to your room...?" Julien shook his head, shaking away images of his cousin's teasing him for his lack of talent. Idiots. Now they won't even come near me. Hate shot across Julien's eyes for only a moment. "Yes." Julien nodded tiredly. "Just this way." He turned sharply in place, and began to walk onto the campus, the Driver following behind slowly, carrying more weight than he possibly could. Julien's eyes skimmed over the school's front courtyard. Students who had arrived earlier were already lounging around the yard, like this were some sort of nature-loving hippie convention. Well, except for the few fire Elementals that saw fit to start their year with a brush fire or two.
Ah good old Elementi. Julien would have smiled if not for the irritation he felt form his jet lag. He tried his best to walk as quickly as possible, before anyone noticed him. It was hard being the only Blood Manipulator at the school. The younger students feared him. The older students mocked him behind his back, but would not dare do so to his face. The Teacher had nothing to teach him, except control and some water manipulation basics he failed to grasp. Now, in his fourth year, Julien decided it was time to let his shortcomings in Water go, and purely focus on Blood. There had been Blood Manipulators before him. Surely they had written something down? Something to make him stronger. Anything? Until then, he would have to put up with the school's silly Control Classes, and the American governments prodding interest in his school life. Ever since the beginning of the summer, they had been pestering him about work in America, and a possible career in their Military. If only knew how little Julien cared for this country. Why the hell would he fight for it?
Stupid American people and their silly little government. Like they could ever convince me to stay here after next year. Julien laughed aloud, scaring two Air Elementals that had been walking in front of him. He walked quickly still, passing the tall Air Elemental building that loomed over him. "How much farther, Sir?" He could hear the Driver's gasps for air behind him, but ignored the man's question anyway. From where they were, Julien could see the outline of his own Element's Dorm. It wasn't nearly as tall as the other Element's Dorm Buildings, but it made up for that in size. The two floors stretched around the lake in a 'U-like' fashion. It was painted a calming teal color, that didn't suit Julien in the least. He felt comforted for only a moment. The feeling was soon replaced by annoyance due to the sound of his Driver falling behind him, dropping Julien's bags. "Imbecile!" Julien lashed as he turned around. He could hear the driver's heart beat, as if his ear were right to the man's chest. The blood pumped through his Vascular System, much faster than it should. Julien had worked the middle aged man too hard. "Ugh! Fine. I will carry them. <You pathetic excuse for a Human>" Julien hissed his last words in French. He should have known better than to trust an American Human with his things.
Angrily, he walked over to the fallen Driver, placing a hand on the mans chest. He forced the man system to slow down, something that wasn't very healthy to do often, but would at least help the man for now. As he did this, he noted the Driver's high cholesterol, but didn't bother to warn the man of his poor dietary habits. The Driver's heartbeat returned to a normal rate, and the man nodded in thanks. "<Is America so awful that I must carry my own bags? I am reduced to middle class in this country.>" Julien grabbed his bags and walked toward his Dorm Building, trying his best to seem strong despite his own troubles with the suitcases' weight. He left the Driver behind.
The air felt damp and clingy as Julien entered the building. The building was kept clean, sure. But there was always a Water Elemental causing a flood in their Dorm Room. Or a Ice Elemental freezing doors shut as a trick. Julien couldn't do either of those things. But no one bothered him anyways. He reached into his pocket for his paper that had his Dorm Room number and class schedule. Drop of water plopped on his head as he walked down the hall. "<Morons. Can't keep this place dry for even a few hours.>" Noise came from the floor above. The sound of a first year screaming for 'them' to let him out. Another frozen door.
"Nine. Nine. Nine." His eyes skimmed over each door. "Six......Seven.....Eight...." As he reached his room, Julien sighed in relief. He opened it and threw his bags down immediately on the floor. The room was perfectly to his liking. Plain. Clean. Mostly empty except for a bed, desk and dresser. Leaving his bags on the floor, and the door wide open, Julien fell onto his bed face first and closed his eyes for the first time in over 15 hours.