Welcome to Gaia! ::

This was a lot of information to take in, and Jordan had indeed been taking notes, in the quick, abbreviated style he'd gotten used to using; not quite shorthand, but probably incomprehensible to anyone who might peek at the card he was scribbling on. Including, apparently, his weapon. I can only read that because I can hear you thinking, Ferros said interestedly, the sense of him focused and attentive. Do you do this often?

Take notes? Jordan thought back. I was in college, so yes. All the time. For journalism, which means - meant - that I had to learn to be fast and accurate with it.

College? Journalism?

Jordan blinked, losing track of the question and answer session momentarily. You don't - later, okay? You're the one telling me to pay attention.

Ferros settled with a grumble, and Jordan refocused just in time to catch Marcus's question and Aria's answer. ... He glanced down at the ring that was Ferros. Apparently he'd gotten lucky. His weapon seemed amiable enough, if painfully curious and filled with questions.

Of course you got lucky. I chose you.

And an ego the size of San Francisco, Jordan mentally amended.

San Francisco?

Later, I said, Jordan groaned, and snagged another card on which to write down a list of items. Strange that the manifestations of human fear would take on the aspect of fake, cutesy ideas of Halloween. Or, on second thought, not so strange. The familiarity of concepts taught in childhood could be a basis for more abstracted fears, a framework for further horrors; he'd been disturbed to learn about the bloodier, scarier underlying myth-structures that were the base ideas for the cheerful and commercialized holiday figures.

He studied his list, frowning faintly. Simple wordplay, by the examples given ...

- Boy - Monster
- Girl - Witch
- Mother - Mummy
- Father - Deaddy?
- School - Ugliversity
- Computer - Com-boo-ter?
- Teacher - Creature
- Car - Hearse?
- Money - Boney
- Book - Boo-k

He had to pause partway through. This was hard to take seriously. Ferros snickering quietly in the back of his mind wasn't helping, either, and when he turned his attention towards the weapon, Ferros quieted instantly and attempted to project innocence, though the sense of stifled hilarity bubbled underneath. Thanks so much, Jordan grumbled. His mood wasn't helped by the knowledge that he was undeniably ignorant about this.

When he'd finished, she shoved the card across the table to join the pile of homework before stalking out. Research was in order. And perhaps a visit to the gym, or whatever passed for one, to deal constructively with some of the frustration.

Madison wrote her name atop her list and got up, placing the paper neatly on top of the others. This classwork, at least, was quite a bit easier than everything else they'd done so far... which, given how things had been before, was almost suspicious.

They had to be ready at any time...

Oh, yes, absolutely any time. We and our other Hunters were renowned for the speed of our responses, Kouki put in, and Madison got a sense of pride from the serpent-sword. There was no match for our swift prowess. So shall it be again, yes? You must be ready, yes?

"Yeah, sure," Madison mumbled out loud. She'd never been a quick riser in the mornings. Ugh. The girl poked at the muddy remains of the 'golem' with one toe - gingerly, so as not to dirty her awesome shoes. So this was what they had been. Or what their souls had been... wearing.

They could mess with souls. Ugh. That felt more like a monster's action than anything else. Eating acrylic nails in the back of the salon was kiddie stuff compared to that. Just like how all those puns were stupid kiddie stuff. Mad libs.

We ate many 'nails' once-

"Quiet," she said, sharply; she felt Kouki retreat, felt the vague sting of hurt. Well. She'd deal with that later. She walked out of the classrooms, heels clicking on the floor.

Jude had wandered into the classroom and listened to the lectures mostly not talking to anyone. Right now he couldn't quite handle conversations with other people since he was getting used to a new one that was chattering away in his mind. When it was suggested he should try to take notes he did so and even tried to make some additions of his own to the notes. Things that were at best a good guess on his part but he didn't let that deter him in his attempt to understand what his missions would sooner or later all entail.

There was a pause when there seemed to be an assignment of sort so he went about completing it as best as he could.

Food = ...Inedible Gruel

'Honessstly. If you aren't going to try...'
'I don't know what do you call food?'
'...Babiesss.'

Jude made a face as he shuddered but continued to write, refusing to change his note from gruel to small infants. If she was going to keep that up then he would ignore her entirely. He wasn't sure why she had such an obsession with eating small infants or if it was just to get under his skin. It wasn't like she could force him to eat infants so she could live vicariously through him...Right? Nah, it was a silly thought and thus he dismissed it as he put in his next guess.

Library = Libooary

There was no response from Yom. Jude was happy to just leave it at that, despite if it was wrong or not. If it was wrong then hopefully someone would correct him thinking it was a mispronunciation of words or something similar he'd probably be screwed otherwise.

Boy = ...Boy?

'No. We call them Boilsss.' She interrupted.
'...Wait. You called me a boy... First so...?'
'I call you what I want.' Yom quipped back happily unwilling to really share what she knew about anything.

Boy = ...Boy? Boil

'Really wish you'd help more. '
'I really wissshh you'd stop complaining.' Yom replied back smugly. Jude's lips pulled down into a frown and then he went onward with his next guess.

Girl = Ghouls

Something about an old Scooby Doo movie he'd watched as a child. Yom let out a pleased giggle. He assumed that it was a good sign because she didn't verbally mock him either and thus with no teasing to be had he scribbled down a new piece of 'vocabulary.

Newspaper = Oldspaper?

Mentally he prodded at Yom and he only got a small laugh and an uncertain sound as if her mind was a bit hazy on the subject. Whatever. Good enough.

Child = Bat Brat?

'Food.' A voice cheerfully corrected.
'No.'
'Yes!' Yom insisted.

Jude ignored Yom and went on to bigger and better things that didn't involve snacking on small crying wriggling things that needed their mothers.

Soft Drink = Frizzy Drink

There was no response from Yom this round, either her silence was taunting him or she just had no idea. Jude left it as is not willing to second guess himself for very much longer and he hated second guessing himself in the first place.

Dance = Mash

He didn't see why it wouldn't be. After all there was a song called the 'Monster Mash' because past references from his old life would totally apply to his 'job'. Yom let out a snort of amusement. Jude felt a bout of annoyance from her reaction as he retorted back at her in a snappish tone.

'If you aren't going to help then hush.'
'I am helping! Yom can't alwaysss hold your hand.'
'Just don't want to admit you forgot some things, hmm?'

Greeted with silence once again he resumed writing his notes once again.

CD Player = Creepee Player
Home = Tomb

The last two points weren't interrupted by a cheerful hissing voice. Probably because he'd upset her or something. The young man sighed as he closed his notebook and then moved to hand in his list so that he could move on with his life. Maybe go back to his room get more reading done or perhaps go for a walk so that he could stop getting lost everywhere he tried to get to whenever he was summoned. Ugh.

'Sorry Yom, but...'
'Hmmm? Oh I wasss remembering the tassste of sssmall child flesh.'
'...Seriously. Stop that.'

Hissing laughter answered his command after that Jude let his apology drop because she didn't seem upset by his retort and thus he didn't feel the need to actually apologize to her. Jude couldn't help but wonder why she felt the need to tease him in this way all it did was make him annoyed amongst other things. The young man moved off after he was sure his assignment was handed in.