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 Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 7:21 pm
Riley nodded slightly at the idea, but her nod stopped halfway. Wait a minute. Seiji? Who is that? She followed Junko's gaze to the boat she was worrying over, and searched her memory. The only record she had of a Seiji was some unknown that Junko had been chatting to over Groanspring. Was this Seiji a member of their student body now? And if so, did Junko harbor feelings for him?
These were all questions that Riley felt were better asked in the privacy of their room. She would be sure to do so, once they had a bit of free time to spend together. When Riley caught a glimpse of Junko eyeing her sleeve, she released the possessive clutch she had retained on the ghoul's arm and patted her shoulder lightly. Go ahead. Text him. We'll talk later when we pick out a room together.
After all, Riley had others to connect with. Specifically, her focus for the moment rested on the dragon she didn't know, who had returned her casual greeting with a quiet one of his own. She reached out to touch his mind, being that it was the first time she would speak to him, and very gently responded.
Hello, to you as well. I'm afraid we've never had the pleasure of meeting. Since we will all be spending some time together on this boat, shall we rectify that? My name is Riley. Her long, clawed fingers reached out in gesture of a handshake. May I ask yours?
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:16 pm
The dragon stepped back, startled, staring in stunned silence, what had just happened? He had heard her speak, he was certain of it, but he had not seen her mouth move (wait, did she even have a mouth?). Was she in his head? She was telepathic? Wait, did that mean she could read his mind too?
He was sure he did not like that idea, although...the idea was intriguing. He supposed there must be advantages to speaking telepathically. Imagine, if the great scientific minds could speak that way, how quickly would discoveries be made and shared, maybe the secrets of the stars, of the universe, would finally be unlocked.
A step forward, he cautiously extended his own hand to meet hers.
"I'm Sheridan."
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:41 pm
Temes (aka Chuppi) practically had to run to make it to her boat, or so she thought, and the little monster soon found herself scrambling on board with only her Thermos in tow. She knew that she'd been allowed to bring things with her so long as it would fit in a small space but there was little that the Chupacabra actually needed to sustain herself - if she didn't have her blood to drink she would feed off FEAR the best she could or, if worse came to worse, she'd ask a more animal-like student if she could have a little bit of theirs to tide her over until they were able to restock or she could somehow manage to find a decent blood supply. Either way she'd actually taken a great pain to ensure that she didn't drink a single drop of blood from her Thermos before the trip actually started, seeing as she wanted to have a ready supply when things got tough. It didn't help that she was on a small boat and was already overly worried that she might break it with her weight - not to mention she was with pople she hardly knew.
By the time she'd arrived it looked like already so many of them had made deals with one another, leaving her out and in the cold, but that was okay - the monster wouldn't even have minded sleeping on the deck by herself. She honestly didn't want to cause anyone any sorts of trouble but with the current group she would be traveling with? Chuppi highly doubted that someone as insignificant as she would be wanted and noticed. Riley, she knew, was a demon who could control others with her mind - something that outright terrified her. She knew her from the track team and from other things as well but their social circles ran very, very far apart - it wouldn't be hard pressed to say that Chuppi was very much an outcast in that regard. The same could be said of Junko, whom Chuppi had only met once, and several other people she didn't know. Perhaps her only saving grace was the fact that Nukpana was on the ship and she knew him quite well from being members of the StuCon together.
Chuppi watched as the ghouls seemed to be sending text messages and just generally partnering up and she gave off a small sigh of nerves as she waddled more onto the boat deck and towards the group. She didn't want to interrupt their conversations because that would just be rude, but she was a little curious if there was at least one room left open.
"Um...pardone me.. . .?" The question was directed at anyone who felt like answering, since as she hadn't attempted to address anyone specifically.
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:54 pm
LW was practically glued to the Pride demons side. This boat was already making her nervous. It was small. Crowded with all its occupants. Swayed in a way that the she-wolf wasn't sure about yet. And there were dangerous students on board. The only plus side to this boat was probably the fact that Red was their captain. Not that this did anything to qualm LW's unease. If anything, it worsened it. She hoped that Ren was doing alright. And Gabrian, Alessa, Jove. As far as she knew, Ren was the only one with fear of the water though. He'd be alright with Gabe. Right? RIGHT? Why couldn't she have been with one of those four? So many why questions right now. It had to be because she'd gotten up way too early. Her brain wasn't functioning properly yet.
A familiar voice slid into her mind and LW's tail curled around her legs as she glanced around until she found the purple demoness. Riley. Wait, what had she just said? Promised her dear one? "You...you spoke with Ren?" It was out before she really thought on it. Really, she disliked having to get up at Jack awful hours in the morning! Pausing and a faint stain appearing on her cheeks, LW quickly amended what she said. "I-I mean, Ren and Gabrian. They are on the same boat." Another pause as her tail twitched. "I just...thought you might have...seen both of them. Or, umm...something." Maybe she needed to stop talking. Yes. That was a smart idea.
Except it didn't work too well when she saw the ghoul that was hanging with Riley. Hey! She knew that ghoul! "Junko! Hi! You're on this boat with us too?" The she-wolf gave her a bright smile. Then another voice spoke up and LW turned her violet gaze on the little chupacabra that appeared. What was her name again? Actually, had the she-wolf ever learned it? She knew the monster from the track team try outs. "Hi there!" LW said as cheerfully as she could manage right now.
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:57 pm
Riley was getting used to the kind of reaction she usually got when she first spoke to someone. That moment of silence, the razor sharp edge of fear that bolted through their eyes for a moment before conscious thought calmed them into a more rational and curious reaction. She took Sheridan's hand regardless of this familiar reaction, and shook it firmly. It was the end result that mattered, not the initial response. Her eyes crinkled slightly, happy to see he'd taken her up on the handshake.
Lovely to meet you, Sheridan. Her smooth voice filtered through. My apologies for startling you. This is the only way I can communicate, however.
She gave him a very open once-over, before her brow furrowed just slightly. I must admit, I am very familiar with the dragon species, and yet your particular subclass is eluding me. Might I inquire as to what type of dragon you are? She was more familiar with some of the more elemental dragons, but Sheridan was a bit of a mystery. His scales reminded just slightly like a starry sky - perhaps he was no dragon at all, but a beast born of the constellations. She would certainly have egg on her face if she was wrong about him being a dragon.
Chuppi's hesitant voice caught Riley's attention, and she gave the chupacabra a friendly wave. Welcome aboard, Chuppi. Riley greeted her.
LW seemed to have digested Riley's greeting, as she suddenly cried out in response. It was not the response that Riley wanted to hear, however, and admittedly Riley's eyes slit paper thin for a moment. She took a deep, calming sigh, before forcing herself to relax.
Yes.. I meant Gabrian. Of course. Those last two words may have had just a tinge of sharpness to them. I spoke with him last on Groanspring. He worried over your safety, as those we love are wont to do. I assured him he had nothing to worry about. This was the extent of Riley's response to LW, as punctuated by the fact that she turned back to Sheridan to give the dragon her full attention.
She was just a touch unhappy, but it was hard to tell with her.
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 9:36 pm
Sheridan shook his head, hand falling to rest at his side once more.
"There's no need to apologize, it was simply unexpected."
Though now that he thought about it, he really should not have been surprised, how else was one without a mouth meant to speak? And it wasn't as if he hadn't heard about telepaths before (but if he caught her reading his mind there was going to be a very large plasma icicle on this ship!).
"I am a Cosmic dragon, though I have also heard us called Celestial."
There was a certain sense of pride when he spoke, his posture a little straighter, his wings held a little higher. It was not surprising she had never seen one of his kind before, few people ventured to the altitudes at which they dwelt and he was most certainly the first to enroll in Amityville Academy.
"It is a pleasure."
His gaze shifted, glancing at the other students, offering a silent greeting to each in turn. He was supposed to be making friends right?
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Interesting Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 11:30 pm
If he was perfectly honest, Nuk would have admitted (even to himself) that he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. And that was kind of putting it lightly. It had taken a good hour and a few texts from a few choice individuals (which, thanks to Riley, he now sorta knew how to check,) for him to remember that he was supposed to be somewhere, and that that somewhere was not as forgiving as class, considering that THIS somewhere was going to leave without him if he didn't get his a** in check. It took another hour after THAT for him to find the crumpled piece of paper that had his boat assignment on it, (in his Soul Stealer's mouth,) and quite a bit longer for him to piece the ripped and drool-covered paper back together with a little Snail-tape. By the time he had gotten to the marina, it looked as if quite a few boats were looking to press out already. Considering it seemed that boat four was the smallest of the boats, naturally he checked that one last. CLEARLY he was supposed to be on the BIGGEST boat, not the smallest.
By the time he had actually gotten on the boat, (he hadn't even brought any luggage,) Nuk was a very cranky skinwalker. Had he only known it was Red's boat, his spirits might have been lifted a bit. Or perhaps he would have run the other direction as fast as he could with his tail between his legs. It was hard to tell.
At any rate, it was actually the sight of Riley and Junko that lifted the sour expression from his face, his characteristic grin spreading across his features. Making a B-line for the purple, tentacled demon, he immediately folded his arms across her shoulders, resting his chin on one side to smirk sideways at her, clearly trying to harass her already. "Hells bells Riley, stop being so NICE -- you're giving us a bad name~" he teased, oblivious to the fact that her response would likely be a) more witty than his and/or b) leave him unable to reply.
Peering over Sheridan, the skinwalker tilted his head slightly, pausing before smirking broader. "Is she making you her new mount?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:00 am
Deacon had nearly slept in too late, given enough time to hastily stuff some clothes and other necessities into his bag and make a mad dash for the docks. While he wasn't too keen on another field trip, considering the train ordeal, the last thing Deacon wanted was to find out what those who didn't show up on time were subjected to for their tardiness. At least he'd remembered to leave plenty of food for his pets, at least he hoped it was enough, or else he'd come home to a literal 'eat or be eaten' scenario within his closet.
Fantastic, Deacon thought when he found the ship he was supposed to be boarding, which seemed to the demon to be the short-bus of boats. "You've gotta be kidding me..." He muttered to himself, slinging his bag over his shoulder more securely before heading toward it and up on deck.
Looking over the map he'd had shoved into his hand, Deacon seemed content to ignore the other students on board to go and put his bag in an unoccupied room. Attempts to socialize could happen later, Jack knew they'd be on this boat long enough.
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Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:39 am
Cosmic.. Riley repeated in a long, drawn out thought. That would explain why she had no record of a dragon that looked as he did. A new species, then. How delightful. You must tell me all about your kind then, when we have a spare moment. Jack knows we'll find plenty of them while we wait to arrive at our destination, I would wager. I am filled with intrigue at the prospect of getting to know about a race of dragons we have not yet heard of. As she slipped into her all too familiar role of information seeker, so too did her thoughts slip into the more familiar collective sense. Now was not the time to dive into the secrets of the cosmic dragons, however. Now was the time to get acquainted. Or, reacquainted, as the case may be.
As if on cue, Nuk draped himself over her like a pelt, offering her that wide grin. Her eyes narrowed playfully at the idea of being nice, but when Nuk turned to ask Sheridan - he didn't. He couldn't have. Those words didn't just come out of Nukpana's mouth.
Despite the tinge of dark purple that stained her cheeks, Riley's eyes tilted into crescents in lieu of a smile. This, of course, was more frightening than her vicious glare. She reached around to give Nukpana the same attention he gave her, with her arms around his shoulders. Only, they continued around, and rested against his chest. Two fingers plucked into his shirt, and she twisted his n****e. You're so right. I should stop being so nice.
To Sheridan, even as she tortured Nukpana, she offered an apologetic glance. Please excuse him. We haven't had him fixed yet.
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Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 4:38 am
Riley sounded a bit more surprised by the mention of Seiji than she expected she would, blinking up at her as a hot blush rushed to her cheeks. It wasn't that she was embarrassed, she just wasn't used to being asked about a boil, especially not one she had feelings for or was dating. Junko? Dating? Unheard of! "My boilfriend." She answered with a shy little smile, still blushing as she searched around for her phone. Riley had given her 'permission' to text him, giving her a nod as she said they'd talk later. Wait. Talk about what? About Seiji? Oh, Jack. That was going to be a new one. Nonetheless, Junko managed to get to her phone without actually letting go of her friend and scrolled through her contacts until she found Seiji's, pursing her lips a moment. What should she even say? The boat he was on was given another look, and then she realized she had her message. New Text Message to: Seiji Be safe! Don't die on that thing! <3 He would see the humor in it, right? Being a ghost and all. Obviously he couldn't die if he was already dead! Junko thought it was clever. Suddenly there was a shiny dragon approaching them that Junko had never seen before, having not heard Riley greet him she thought he was just randomly approaching them. "U-um, hello." Oh! It seemed almost everyone was here now! She even heard Chuppi trying to pipe in, interrupting any attempt she was going to make at introducing herself. Junko tucked her phone in her obi for now and gave the small ghoul a wave. "Chuppi! Hi!" And then LW called her name and she gave her a wave as well. "Mhm! It's nice to see you again, LW! How're you doin--" Junko suddenly tensed up beside Riley with a look on her face that clearly said 'DAMNIT!' Nukpana was here. Junko glanced back toward him as he draped on Riley and teased her. She didn't completely despise him anymore but..he was still really annoying in a protective annoying older brother sort of way. She wasn't used to that kind of treatment. Wait, what was that about mounts? She didn't get it. She squeaked as Riley suddenly reached into Nuk's shirt, shying away from the boil while still not letting go of Riley's arm. She caught a glimpse of Deacon hightailing (Ha, get it? Hightailing? Because he has a tail? ...Shut up that's witty) inside, trying to wave to him in greeting but he was already gone. That was weird! Every other time she'd seen him he seemed so...pleasant. Did he not like this boat ride idea either? Oops.
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Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 4:42 am
Sarias stood her ground as she watched the others make their way onto the boat, separating into pairs and making last ditch attempts to contact loved ones before the long journey. She hoped there would be a few deaths to welcome them home, she doubted skelephone signals could travel over the more harsh waves out there. She could only hope.
She caught the last second of Riley wave and grinned back. The memory of their last encounter revving up her tendrils to a frenzy "Shhs, behave! no fun on this trip." she whispered to them as they flailed in protest and then settled back to swim at her feet. She was trying her best not to look at LW cowering behind the demon she had partnered with like a lost pathetic puppy. Just thinking of her being so pitiful made her clench her fists in rage. "Useless! How can anyone lower their standards to such a wretched - whew...calm down!" she scolded as she turned away from the offending sight of her, lowering eyes onto the small chupacabra she grimaced for a moment and then battered it away with a flutter of her long eyelashes.
"Monster...are you...another ghoul?" She couldn't tell with all that meat on its bones. "If you are then...i think you have the pleasure of being partnered with me....dont speak unless spoken to and I will choose first for the beds, understand monster?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 7:18 am
A nod, the light of curiosity in his own eyes.
"And perhaps you could tell me more about your kind."
Though still cautious, he was certainly intrigued, about many things. How on earth did she speak that way? Well, maybe he could learn something on this trip after all. But it seemed questions would have to wait until later for another had joined the conversation.
"What?"
Sheridan blinked, confused at Nuk's words. Mount? What was he talking about? How did mountains have anything do with what they were--oh. It was not until several moments after Riley had mentioned having Nuk 'fixed' that it dawned on him. They were talking about...
"N-no! Absolutely not!"
If the dragon could have blushed he certainly would have, maybe he did, starry hide seeming to glow a little brighter, tail twitching nervously. Oh god, he was going to go bury himself in his book now, or he would have had he actually been carrying his book instead of it being stuffed inside his bag.
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Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:09 am
She was not liking this. Not at all. Her tail flicked about behind her in a nervous and slightly irritated manner. The gentle swaying from the water was even more nerve-racking, though she didn't feel seasick or anything like that. No it was just the reminder of how small of a space they were all going to be stuck on as soon as their boat began to set sail. If she made it off of here in one piece, the she-wolf would be very surprised.
Of course Riley had meant Gabe. Why wouldn't she mean him? LW still felt her cheeks were slightly warm. She hadn't meant to step on any toes already! But she just...couldn't help but think of her best friend. And in fairness, she had been worrying about him when she was spoken to.
"T-thank you, Riley. I appreciate it." She managed to get out in a quiet voice. The demoness seemed to be a little unhappy and LW felt bad. What a great way to start this trip, right?
Violet eyes turned back towards Junko when she responded and LW returned the smile and a little wave. She was about to respond but the look on Junko's face made her pause and follow the other ghouls eyes to see...a boil. A boil she didn't know. But she had seen this one around before. In fact, she remembered him from...an event...and hadn't she warned herself to be wary around that one? Trouble maker or something like that? Her eyes widened as she watched how Riley seemed to interact with him. Yep. Great way for their boat to get started. They were all going to be lucky to survive this trip.
Another chill slid down her spine at the familiar earthy and crisp scent of ghost. LW cringed a little and looked everywhere but where the scent was coming from. A strong pang of yearning to be on another boat hit her. Jackdamnit! Maybe she should just go crawl into whatever bunk she and Carry were sharing and stay in there? Yeah, and prove that Sarias is right. That I'm nothing but a weak little runt. LW sighed heavily and shifted her gaze to the floor for now.
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Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:34 am
Carry was suddenly incredibly happy she didn't get seasick. Plus she had a bunkmate already! Excellent. No bunking with someone she didn't know, who probably didn't shower or use deodorant, someone who was hairy (not furry, don't worry, LW) and disgusting and ugh. So Carry was quite happy about all of this. Having a werewolf glued to your side could be very helpful, she decided, and patting the girl on the head before the wolf wandered off. "No use standing around..." Pride decided, stepping up to the edge of the boat. She looked down and around it, determined to find out exactly how small the vessel was.
Wait... was that graffiti? On the side of the boat?
This sparkly Trick or Treater girl certainly was thorough!
Carthusia kept an eye out for the ghost LW disliked immensely, but also wanted to find out if she could catch a few fish. Or maybe a gull. Carry didn't have any qualms about catching her own dinner, especially since a five-star cruise this was not. But without Amethyst, Pride was at a loss as to where to start first. Hmm. Perhaps construct a fishing pole? Professor Red did say they would have to work while on the boat. Lovely.
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Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 10:14 am
Garrett was fashionably tardy, having been tossed up on what to bring and what not to bring. He needed enough room to bring stuff home, of course. The greed demon was quite pleased to see the boat they were on was the smallest of the fleet, it looked fairly sturdy at least. Some of the others he saw were fairly... questionable, in his opinion. Besides, this one looked like it could get away with quick maneuvers and such in case they got in trouble. Smaller was more likely to be agile and quick. Unlike the other students, he found this arrangement quite the perk. He could do without the graffiti on the side of the ship though.... What was up with that anyway?
Boarding the boat, he glanced at those already gathered. Seemed like most, if not all where already here. He quietly stepped up to the group, lopsided smirk exposing a fang over his lip, and crossed his arms over his chest. Tossing a sly wink to the ghouls and a head nod to the boils, he waited his turn before tossing his name into the fray. "Ahoy! Name's Garrett. Fine day for sailing, ain't it?" His brown eyes flashed mischievously. This was going to be an interesting field trip indeed.
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