Archive World of Darkness: The Academy - Chapter 7: The Way They Were

Dawn OOC · August 23, 2010

Sean

Vanessa stood in front of him, dressed in furs. He’d seen her dressed like this before; she had loved to wear fur coats during the winter. He hadn’t seen her wear fur pants before though. He wondered where his sisters were but didn’t feel like asking. “Vena?” he asked, then wondered why he’d called her that.

“Shanna, my daughter, you must be careful,” Vena said. “I had to leave you, but you will be stronger for making your own way. Your anger is your strength.”

“I don’t-” Whatever he was going to say was lost as he woke up, staring at the ceiling of Cassandra’s room. As he puzzled over why he was in that room, and on a mattress on the floor, he heard the soft sounds of someone else breathing. He sat up and blinked at the sight of the woman sleeping on the bed. At the sight of her milk-pale skin, he remembered the events of the last night.

Ryan

“It’s a matter of being somewhere else,” the strange man said. His white pupils glinted in the dim light as he said, “That’s how I cross shadows. You just make yourself be somewhere else.”

“But… you can’t do that.” Ryan felt like he was a child saying no in the face of the unimaginable. “Reality doesn’t work that way.”

“And who has told you that?” Brahn replied. “Those who are invested in making you conform to the reality are comfortable with.”

“You sound like a nut. Like those guys that scream about how the US is hiding alien landings,” Ryan snorted.

“Yeah, but I’m right,” Brahn said with an uncharacteristic grin.

Ryan’s reply disappeared as he snapped awake, his brain suddenly realizing that he was in a strange place. He stared around the room before remembering that he was in Sean’s house, on Sean’s couch. Or Sean’s mom, or whatever.

Everett

He was running. Everett liked running – it was liberating and freeing. Normally, he enjoyed the way his feet pounded on the pavement, but this time, he couldn’t feel the ground through his soles. Instead, he felt nothing – just an endless glide forward at speeds he’d never managed before. He’d thought running was awesome. This was better.

The world moved by at a blur; he thought he might be flying. At that thought, he left the ground, traveling faster than a car, or even a plane. He grinned into the wind sheer, laughing at the wonder of this movement-

Waking up was like tripping and falling on his face; the sensation jarred him like a physical blow. Groggily, he stared around the room before recalling yesterday. Slowly, he sat up and rubbing his face, trying to wake up.

Tatiana di Jadzian · August 23, 2010

"I don't know... what I want anymore," Sean muttered under his breath as he ran a hand through his short, black hair. "That was a messed-up dream, but considering what yesterday was like..." The muscular young man flinched and scrabbled at his arm, yanking off the strap of the bra that had somehow hook around his elbow, then quietly stood up, trying not to disturb Swan, and began to get dressed.

It was probably some Freudian thing or whatever - Er, um, in desiring the love of my mother, I juxtaposed myself over one of my sisters, believing if I had been born a girl, I'd have earned the same respect and love as Cassandra and Savannah... or something. Oddly, that may have been the most encouraging thing Vanessa - Vena? - has ever said to me... I... I think I have to go find her.

Wearing just his shorts, Sean padded into the bathroom and turned on the tap. He let it run for a moment, testing the temperature with his fingers, then sprinkled his face and chest with cold water to help him wake up. He studied himself in the mirror as he quickly dried off with a hand towel. His bruises from the exploding sword had already faded to faint yellow and brown blotches, there were still twinges when he moved, but it wasn't anything he couldn't work through. If anything, his bruises were healing faster than he expected.

He pulled his shirt on over his muscular torso, the fabric still crusty with Swan's dark blood - but it was all he had here. At least, her blood didn't look like blood and might be mistaken for grease or oil instead. He re-entered the bedroom, then quickly averted his gaze from milky flesh as Swan finished buttoning up one of Savannah's shirts. But he was a teenaged boy and couldn't help but appreciate the firm, slender curves he had seen.

"You can turn around now, Sean," Swan said in her low, accented voice. Sean wasn't sure he if he was imagining the amusement in her voice as he turned around. Dressed in a pair of loose, black jeans and a grey-blue button-down shirt - though retaining her own boots in favour of the running shoes.

She looked good, somehow both more natural and more alien in the native - I guess that's the right term - clothing. She seemed mighty impressed with the zipper, sliding it up and down with a small smile. "You slept well, Swan?"

Swan looked up from the zipper. "Well enough. Some of my... dreams? Memories? Some of them were... disconcerting, but your presence helped calm me." She arched a raven brow at him. "What of you? You thrashed some in your sleep, I heard you."

Sean gave her a tight grin and a complicated shrug. "I had my own weird dreams too." He nodded at the door. "Ready to see if anyone else is up and ready to head back to Dalton? We'll grab some food on the way."

Swan nodded with determination, stepping up to Sean's side and following him out the room and downstairs.

Ryan Jackson · August 27, 2010

"Bullshit." Ryan looked around the dark guest room and rubbed his eyes, "'It's a matter of being somewhere else,'" he intoned, faking a passable Brahn. "My ass, if it were that easy I'd have never made it through a single class without popping off to somewhere more interesting."

Ryan realized he was talking to himself out loud and shook his head. He also realized that he could tell that Sean was awake and ..Hmm, Swan's kinda hot ... He rolled out of bed and dressed in the dark. Not like I need the lights on anymore, well except to see colors.

He located the bathroom and took care of the usual morning requirements before heading down to find out if the kitchen had anything worth while. The crisper had something round in it but go only knew if they were apples, peaches, tomatoes, or lemons. Likewise the bottles in the fridge were clear in his mind but thier contents were a mystery. "Well, I guess I still need my eyes after all," he mumbled as he yanked the door open and peered inside. "Tomatoes? Crap. Hmm, milk, OJ, water ... Oh! Score."

Ryan pulled a bottle of cranberry-grape juice out of the fridge and popped the cap off. The bottle, only about a quarter full, was tipped up and Ryan drank directly from the mouth. As he did so he reached back into the fridge and grabbed the eggs and a package of bacon and put them next to the stove. No searching was needed to find the pans, he'd known thier location easily enough. I could get used to this. Shortly he had bacon starting to fry up and was contemplating scrambled eggs or french toast.

Ravi FitzCoventry · August 28, 2010

Some distance from both Dalton and Sean's Pad, a few hours earlier...

There was a bend in the stream where the banks widened and formed a natural pool. In the gloom, with the mountain sky just beginnin to lighten in 'false dawn', the large panther that was Ravi FitzCoventry, heir to an Earldom (and, it transpired, heir to more than that) slunk down to the water tired, thirsty and bloody. The Beast had killed, fought, run, hunted and fed. It was worn out and satiated. Inside it, the consciousness of Ravi began to re-emerge from the red urges that had drowned him for an entire night.

The Beast dipped it's bloodstained muzzle to drink, lapping at the cool water thirstily for a long time before lifting its head. The water cleared...

...and the Beast was gazing into the face of a young Man with eyes as blazing green as it's own. His mouth and jaw were likewise stained with blood as he looked up out of the pool at the panther. Something passed between them, a conversation without words so much as impressions, sensations, and emotions.

"Who are you?" the Man asked.

"Your Other." the Beast replied, and with the words came knowledge: a welter of images and instincts. "We are as we should be now. Not Beast. Not Man. Both. Joined when Man was born. Caged for long time. Now free of cage. Now comes last step. To be fully free, we must be One mind, one body, two souls, two skins."

"Why?"

"To hunt. To kill. We are hunters. Prey on the weak, make them strong or make them nothing."

"I am not a hunter." But Ravi's tone was not so sure. He remembered his various conquests, the satisfaction of seduction, the mind-games he played with those that offended him. And more recently, he remembered Kurt snivelling and crying in pain. How good it had felt to reduce the crass little man to that.

"We are a hunter. We are a killer." the Beast's reply was calmly emphatic. "It is our purpose." Slowly, Ravi nodded, understanding. The craziness of the last few days made more sense now. He wasn't crazy: he just wasn't human. Not fully.

"Yes. Now you see." The Beast sounded tired. "Accept your soul's twin. Be free. Live clean. Be predator to the weak and the foe. Be hunter. Tolerate no threat to you or what it yours. Take prey. Be proud. You are Beast with Man's mind, Man with Beast's soul."

In the reflecting pool, Ravi nodded and reached a hand out tentatively. The panther dipped it's head, lowering it's face to the water's surface. Green eyes closed as it felt a ghostly touch on it's muzzle, and it sighed. "Free now. Both of us."

"Both of us." Ravi silently acknowledged, and felt himself merge into the panther. They mingled and flowed together, instinct and intellect blending together in a harmonious synergy: both Beast and Man, yet greater than either...

Shortly after dawn...

It was the cold that woke him first. Not that he was cold as such, it was simply the fact that the morning breeze was blowing against dew-coated bare skin rather than warm fur. Ravi shivered reflexively, becoming aware next of mud against his cheek, and pushed himself up into a sitting position. He was laying on the bank in the crook of the stream, and the pale sky was fully light overhead through the trees. Ravi blinked sleepily and glanced around himself before slowly rising, expecting aches and pains from his exertions last night. The aches and pains didn't appear, and he blinked again in amazement as he looked down at himself. He was a little muddy, but not bloody. A quick stoop and a peer into the pool confirmed this, and Ravi dimly remembered grooming himself lazily before falling asleep. Well, that's something. At least I'm just as vain as a beast. Heh. A big cat: makes perfect sense. Wait a second... He thought about his family crest, glittering eyes widening in the reflection. 'Black Lions' indeed! Panthers, not lions. Father, I think we should talk. Ravi looked around himself again, eyes narrowing. Later, though. Right now I'm starkers, miles from Dalton, and... More flashes from the previous night hit him and he winced. ...and I think my welcome there is worn out.

The previous elation faded. He'd attacked Mari and Frida. He'd attacked some other girl while trying to eat the students' horses. He'd killed, both horses and a guard. He'd changed, possibly in front of witnesses. Going back there would be a really, really bad idea. But what other option is there? He considered for a moment. He didn't need money or shelter. He could run free, live off the land... No. No that wouldn't do. He was a man as well as a beast. More, he was a FitzCoventry. To run now would be to leave behind his pride, and quite frankly it would be better to be dead. Ravi took a deep breath of morning air and straightened up once more as he finished taking stock. First thing to do was to get back to Dalton, preferably unnoticed, and sneak back into his room, through the window if necessary. He sighed, looking up at the sky, then examined the thick pads on the soles of his feet. At least he didn't need shoes now.

Ravi started up the bank and, reaching the top, set off southeast, heading for the Academy with a steady loping stride that he felt certain he could keep up for awhile. Still, given the distance he had to cover, it would be close to noon before he got back. With luck, though, that would mean everyone would be at lunch.

SalmonMax · August 30, 2010

Red and blue lights splashed through the slats of the blinds over Ravi's windows as Renata and Mari let themselves in, Ravi's worldly possessions still in Mari's hands. The two girls were shaken by the events of the night, culminating in seeing the man-made-hamburger that was the remains of the security guard Ravi had attacked. Mari was silent as she came in, her eyes fixed on the whirling colors at the window. She sat on the bed, Ravi's bed, and stared at them as if lulled into a trance.

Renata padded after, watching Mari's face with the same faraway look. In her mind it was so easy. She'd sit down beside Mari, then reach up and with one hand stroke her cheek...turning her head so their eyes met. Mari would blush, confused, and try to look away, but Renata would stay with her, always leaning closer...and finally Mari would surrender, turning her head slightly and parting her lips just as they met Ren's.

"Are you okay?"

Renata snapped back to reality from a fantasy that was swiftly becoming rather...intense. Her face burned, but fortunately the light was still off. "What? Oh, yeah...I'm good. You?"

Mari managed a wide-eyed nod, barely bobbing her chin. The images behind her eyes were of giant panthers checking themselves in midair, and of men torn apart like fresh bread. "I think so. Can we turn on the light?"

She was so gorgeous, so innocent and open, that for a second Renata found herself actually starting to lean forward, moving to kiss her. She quickly turned the movement into a resigned nod and hauled herself up off the bed. She turned on the light, wincing a little at it...then, to hide her blush, she bought time with her back to Mari by opening up Ravi's closet and starting to riffle through the clothes inside.

"Damn, our boy's a dresser. Think he gets tips from Queer Eye?"

Tatiana di Jadzian · August 30, 2010

Opening the door, Sean and Swan were assaulted by the intoxicating aroma of bacon permeating the air. The extremely well-built young man grinned with pleased surprise. Someone must've gotten up early and started breakfast.

"Damn! I didn't even know we had any bacon left," Sean said as he began heading downstairs, lending Swan a hand in support, in case she needed it.

Swan tentatively sniffed at the air as she navigated the stairs herself, though she kept a hand on Sean's wrist as a precaution. She glanced at him with a questioning quirk to her fine brow. "Bai-konn?"

Sean suddenly paused halfway down the stairs, giving the Caramine female a horrified look, eyes the blue-grey of a summer storm wide. "You- you don't know what bacon is? Ham, pigs?" At Swan's nod, he shook his head with over-dramatic sadness. "You poor girl. The place you came from is even more terrible than I imagined. I thought you just had to deal with bloodthirsty, imperialistic conquerors." Getting an arm around her slender waist, Sean helped Swan quickly down the stairs. "C'mon, you'll love this stuff."

Even as they came barging through the kitchen door, Ryan was already beginning to address them, holding up a couple of eggs. "Morning Sean and Swan, you guys want scrambled eggs or french toast?" Noting the surprised look on the good-looking jock's face, he added, "You took care of dinner last night, dude. Thought the least I could do was manage breakfast."

"Oh! Hey, thanks, man. I'll go with-"

Sean found it a bit weird how Ryan called them by name before the door had even swung open, but shook it off, it wasn't a stretch to assume it was him, since it was his house - well, his mother's. Sean was about to sit down at the island, but stood back up as something occurred to him to help him make his decision on breakfast. He checked the pantry and found it sadly lacking in maple syrup.

"I'll go with the eggs, Ryan. French Toast without maple syrup, no thanks." Sean grabbed a pair of glasses, then moved over to the fridge and filled him and Swan glasses of orange juice. Ryan glanced at the milky-skinned woman, asking for her order in the tilt of his head and the crook of his grin.

"Whatever you prefer to make, it will be fine, I'm sure," she murmured, looking curiously at the opaque orange liquid Sean placed before her as he sat down on a stool next to her at island. She took a cautious sip of the acidic fruit juice while Sean drained half his glass.

"We have to head back to the school soon, guys," Sean mused. "But maybe we should call someone three before we head out, eh? They got to know what Brahn told us."

Atomicweasel · August 31, 2010

Mari watched nervously as Renata rifled through Ravi's suits and shirts and sweaters. She leaned forward, trying to get a better view of what Renata was messing with, fidgeted where she sat on Ravi's bed and then, at length, spoke up. "Renata...you shouldn't be doing that."

"Why not?" Renata asked unrepentantly, without turning around. "He's got nothing to be ashamed of. Ooo, silk. Snazzy."

"Because." Mari rubbed her temples. Her head felt like it was thrumming. "It's his stuff. You wouldn't like it if some boy was going through your panties and bras and going 'ooh, snazzy' at everything."

"Sounds kind of hot," Renata replied with an impish grin. "Sort of like the first two minutes of like, a porn movie or...OH!" She froze, then shoved all the hangars over to the side to get a better look into the closet down to the floor. "Porn! Let's find his porn stash!"

"No, please, let's not!" Mari begged, sitting on her hands and hunching her shoulders. "I feel really bad just about being in here."

"Come on, you like him right?" Renata asked as she moved a rack of shoes over to peek under it. "This'll give you a huge edge. You can learn his secret fantasies...find out what turns him on. Huh...nothing here." She turned around and gestured at Mari. "Get up and look under his mattress."

"No!" Mari insisted in a slightly panicked tone. "I mean, yes, I like him. But we're not looking under his mattress and I'm not learning his secret fantasies to get an edge. Can you just like..." Mari pointed helpfully at Ravi's desk chair. "sit down or something? We're not here to have fun messing with Ravi's stuff. We're here to find out what happened to him. Okay?"

Renata gave Mari a skeptical look. "He's not here. How are you going to find out what happened to him if he's not here? If only there was an eyewitness...someone who -saw- what happened to him...maybe someone in this very room." She leaned down and opened one of the drawers on Ravi's nightstand. "Oh, oh...what's this...aw...Maxim? Really? That's like...porn for guys who're too chickenshit to get porn." She dropped the slick magazine back into the drawer.

"Maybe you just think you saw something that you really didn't...cuz I mean, it was dark wasn't it? And I mean...sometimes when you're scared or--or...I dunno..." Mari trailed off hopelessly. "Look, I mean...we'll just wait here a while, okay? And when he comes back we can ask him about what you maybe saw or thought you saw and then we can see what he says and figure out, you know, why his keys and stuff...were there." Mari put her head into her hands. "Please God, let him be okay."

"Mari, this isn't like I saw a funny looking shadow and panicked," Renata said. "You saw the damn panther yourself. Right? Well, I saw Ravi change into it. It didn't happen -fast-, Mari. It took like...I dunno, a minute or so. And it looked like it hurt. It was disgusting." She sighed and sat down on the bed...then lied back onto the mattress to stare up at the ceiling. "You really like him?"

Mari rocked lightly back and forth for a few moments and then sprung off the bed and walked to the window. She pushed it open and peeked outside into the deep dark Colorado night. "There's a bunch of cops down on the quad." She informed Renata matter-of-factly, then spun around and exclaimed, "People don't turn into panthers! It just doesn't happen!" As serious as Mari's expression was, as stricken as she sounded, it was hard for Renata not to laugh. Mari's too-long hoodie sleeves flapped adorably when she waved her hands about. If she stamped her foot and crossed her arms she couldn't look any cuter.

"Normally I'd agree with you," Renata said with a shrug. "But the last couple of days, I've seen some pretty fucked up shit. That Pritchard lady's some kind of witch. She can make these things that look like people called 'golems,' but they're really just straw and wood. And she's after this weird looking alien girl named Swan that Sean's hiding at his place."

"What are you talking about!?" Mari wailed. "What Pritchard lady!?" Mari pressed her palms against her eyes and took several deep breaths. "There's no such thing as witches. There's no such thing as aliens. Unless you mean Mexicans. And there's no such thing as panther people. Or scarecrow people."

"Alright, well, I guess you know better than me," Renata replied testily. "You probably have it all figured out by now then."

"No, look--Renata." Mari let out a long frustrated sigh. "Just. I mean. Is that what you're going to tell the cops? 'Oh yeah, this weird alien girl is hiding in Sean's annex like Anne Frank and the evil witch Pritchard turned some straw into people and Ravi and Ms. Dorn turned into panthers and went around eating everyone.' Is that, I mean, seriously? Is that your story?"

"I'm not talking to the cops right now," Renata pointed out. "I'm talking to you. I'll lie my ass off to the cops."

"But..." Mari bit her tongue and shifted sideways to half sit, half lean, against the window sill. She shook her head and stared distantly into space. "None of that makes any sense."

"Yeah, I know," Renata agreed. "It really doesn't. I think Professor Dorn's the one to talk to. She turned into a panther too...and she didn't go all crazy when she did."

Mari glanced sidelong at Renata. "Do guys have diaries?" she asked after a long silence.

Very carefully, Renata hid her smile and in no way gave voice to her triumph. "Sometimes. Probably in his nightstand with the Maxim."

Mari slowly straightened up from the windowsill and padded over to the side of Ravi's bed. I can't believe I'm doing this she thought as she knelt by the nightstand and pushed aside the Maxim. She found a novel titled 'The Life of Pi' and beneath that, a small black leather-bound book tied closed with an elegant leather cord. It felt heavier in her hand than it ought to have. It felt heavy and hot and wrong. She pushed it back and put the novel on top of it and moved the Maxim again. "He doesn't have one." Mari said thickly. She was a terrible liar, and a blush spread quickly across her face.

"That's a shame," Renata commiserated blandly. "If he did, he probably wrote down all the things he likes about different girls...heck maybe even you."

Mari rubbed her hands together and then stuffed them into her hoodie pockets to still them. "Yeah. Probably." she quickly moved to the edge of the bed, sat next to Renata, and looked fixedly down at her scuffed up Adidas sneakers. "You know that strange girl?"

"Frida?"

"Is that her name? The one who was with you?"

"Yeah...she followed me. The painter chick. She's always spaced out." Renata looked up at Mari curiously. "What about her?"

"I came outside cuz I heard this awful sound. I think it might have been the panthers roaring. And then I saw you both just standing there in the quad...and so, like, at first I didn't even recognize you and I ran up and tried to pull that girl away and she was looking right at one of the panthers, the big one." Mari paused to take a breath. "And she was just staring at it...and she said. She said..." Mari's breath comes out raggedly. "She said, Ravi."

"She was right behind me," Renata answered quietly. "She probably saw it too." Renata pulled herself to sit up next to Mari and scooted over so their arms and shoulders touched. "When I saw it, I thought I was going crazy. I thought I'd GONE crazy."

Mari hung her head. It's wasn't until she lifted it again that Renata noticed the two shiny streaks that Mari's tears had traced down her cheeks. "I hate this. I wish I knew where he was. I wish I could help him."

"Hey..." Ren put her arm around Mari's shoulder and hugged her, hoping it might become something less innocent, but not pushing. "He ran off into the forest. He's a giant cat...and cats know how to take care of themselves. He'll show up tomorrow sometime, naked probably," she squeezed Mari again at that, "And wondering how the hell he got way out in the middle of nowhere last night."

"But the police and everyone will be looking for him." Mari said miserably. She was leaning into Renata, accepting the hug, her lithe little body wonderfully pliant and light. "There wasn't hardly anything left of that poor man!" Mari choked out. And then she turned her face into Renata's collar and sobbed with abandon. Like a child. Her small shoulders shaking under Renata's arm.

Renata twisted, keeping Mari in her arms, so that they were in a face to face, with Mari crying on her shoulder. Mari's body was warm and shapely and soft, and just touching her put Renata in a sort of trancelike state, where she was just cataloguing everything about this moment that was right. Against her will, she found herself wondering if this was what she'd felt like to Eve. Young and small and consumed by her own troubles...while Eve was older and cooler and seemed to know everything. Had she felt this tenderness for Renata? And if so...why? She shook her head, throwing the thoughts away. She was Renata. Mari was Mari. This was the present, not the past, and though she wanted much more than a hug...a hug would do. For now.

She hugged Mari until the girl had cried herself out, leaving Renata's shoulder wet with her tears. When Mari, worn out and emotionally exhausted, curled up on Ravi's bed with her face turned toward the window, Renata laid lengthwise behind her, propped up on one elbow. She watched Mari struggle to stay awake, saw her eyes flutter closed again and again. With her eyes closed, Mari looked like a perfect angel. Renata's throat felt tight, the room too warm.

"Renata?" Mari sounded more than half-asleep already.

"Yeah?"

"Will you just." Mari's voice drifted away and Renata thought she'd fallen asleep before the girl spoke again. "Can you just hold me for a bit?"

"Yeah." Renata slid her arm under Mari's neck and curled it around her, drawing Mari into a tight embrace. She waited, stiff and still, until Mari had relaxed into sleep. Until her breathing was slow and deep and measured. Her own eyes felt tired and heavy by the time Renata gave into the temptation of kissing Mari on the sweet nape of her neck. Mari hardly stirred at all and, encouraged, Renata snuggled closer, spooning up to Mari, pressing in with her hips. It felt wonderful and Renata had to fight the urge to reach under the hoodie for Mari's breast, to palm it in her hand and feel it, smooth and soft and warm. Instead she reached around Mari's waist and dared only push the hoodie's hem just high enough to run her thumb over Mari's midriff. She passed her thumb lightly back and forth, feeling the hard flat lines of Mari's abs through the little bit of baby fat that still clung to them. And then Renata sighed and closed her eyes and slept...

__________________

Height: 5'1", Weight: 102 lbs, Hair: Dark brown, Eyes: Hazel, Striking looks 4, Dexterity 4, Presence 4

Sylvia Dorn · August 31, 2010

The first light of dawn crept across the quad. It stole around and through the shadows, past the shades and curtains, and crept across Sylvia's empty bed.

No, not quite empty. Stretched out on the comforter were the shredded remains of what she'd worn the previous day, looking every bit as though they'd been scraped against the ground, bloodied and then ripped asunder from within.

"Which they were." Finally alone, with both campus security and the local police having given up questioning in favor of some small remnant of sleep, Sylvia dared to say the words. A steaming cup of tea in her hands and her knees drawn up against her chest within her bathrobe, she sat in her chair across from the bed, looking at her former clothing.

The police hadn't asked her about them. They didn't know about them. She'd barely gotten back to her room - still wrapped in a horse blanket - when a small patter of knocks at her door drew her attention. It wasn't the sort of sharp, heavy knocking the police would use, and quickly exchanging the blanket for her robe, she dared try the door a few inches. She could hear someone hurrying away down the hall, and a plastic Safeway bag tipped over into her doorway, a ragged scrap of bloodied cloth falling out. She'd hurriedly gathered it up and closed the door behind her, stashing it under her bed until the later visits by uniformed officers - asking the same questions in a dozen different ways until they finally gave up - were done. Only as the last of the whirling lights outside had been replaced by the first pink hints of daybreak had she dared pull out the bag and spread its contents upon her bed.

The shirt was a complete loss; it had once been white, and now the torn fabric was mottled pink and red and brown. The slacks were really no better, despite their darker colour; even if it wasn't for the bloodstains, the seams were split. But the pockets had yielded two items that were certainly keepers, and that would have been incredibly incriminating had they been found by the police: her keyring, chock-full of keys for House Lancaster, and her campus identification card.

Whoever had gathered this up and left it for her must have known. She'd changed in the quad, that much she knew and even half-remembered. She'd changed, against all sense and sanity, from a person into what she knew in her heart to be a panther. She'd become a monster amid the young people she'd taken to protect as her own; ears that had no right to hear anywhere near as well as they did had heard the whispers in the halls beyond her door even as the police searched for truth in vain. And one of those young people had in turn protected her, protected the monster in their midst.

Another series of shudders wracked her body, and she downed the tea in one long, desperate quest for the normality that had likely fled her life forever.

Ryan Jackson · August 31, 2010

Originally Posted By: Sean Cassidy

Sean checked the pantry and found it sadly lacking in maple syrup.

"I'll go with the eggs, Ryan. French Toast without maple syrup, no thanks." Sean grabbed a pair of glasses, then moved over to the fridge and filled him and Swan glasses of orange juice. Ryan glanced at the milky-skinned woman, asking for her order in the tilt of his head and the crook of his grin.

"Whatever you prefer to make, it will be fine, I'm sure," she murmured.

Ryan smirked to himself, "Really? Better check the fridge, second shelf down, all the way in the back behind the ..." Ryan couldn't tell from the shape what it was, "Behind the ham?"

Sean gave Ryan an odd look but pulled open the fridge and started rummaging about moving items to other shelves or putting them on the counter. Sure enough at the far back behind a foil and plastic wrapped lump was the familiar maple leaf shaped bottle. Sean pulled out the syrup and the other object, "Ham you say? How can you tell? And how did you-"

"How did I know it was there. It's complicated. And I guessed that it was a ham, hard to tell based on shape alone. Open it, if its ham we can double up on piggy goodness." Ryan cracked a half dozen eggs into a bowl added some milk and a little cinnamon and started to whisk them about. He seemed to have figured out where everything in the kitchen was. "Swan, can you get the bread out for me? It's in the large drawer by your feet." Sure enough Swan pulled a large loaf of artisan wheat bread out of the drawer and brought it over to Ryan.

"This ain't ham," Sean said. "I'm not sure what it was, but I think its only days away from learning to use fire. Thank god it doesn't stink." Sean re-wrapped the fuzzy whatsit and lobbed it into the trash bin in the corner of the kitchen.

Five minutes later the crisper sections of bacon had been removed from the griddle in favor of dredged bread that was now frying up in a mixture of the bacon fat and some butter. Ryan flipped the French Toast over and said, "Plates," as he pointed over his shoulder without looking.

Ravi FitzCoventry · August 31, 2010

Whilst Sean, Ryan and their fair guest were awakening and setting about a hearty breakfast, and Sylvia was making herself another cup of tea and gloomily pondering the insanity of her life, a naked young man was slinking through the undergrowth on the edge of the woods nearest to Lancaster House, tired and dirty yet curiously upbeat.

He'd made better time than he thought, Ravi knew. It couldn't be much past breakfast, hardly the lunchtime arrival he'd anticipated. Still, he'd better be careful. Morning time was- He ducked as a gaggle of girls hurried along the path ringing the building ahead, huddled together and talking quietly to each other. Invisible in his stillness twenty feet away, a silent Ravi listened as they each discussed their own theories of what happened last night, along with the rumors and snatches of information they'd heard from others.

Thinking over what he'd heard, Ravi waited until the group was out of sight and risked a short dash across the grass. His feet flew over the ground and, not for the first time, he exulted at his quickness, his stealth, at the senses that seemed to throw the whole world into a higher definition. He ghosted around the brick building, barefoot and not feeling the least discomfort. Some side-effect of his change, perhaps, but the soles of his feet were tough and supple now as though he'd never worn shoes. More, each footfall was sure and silent. He'd not stumbled or made a single misstep on the long jog back. The only fly in the ointment, so far as he could determine, was that he didn't seem able to shift shape of his own accord. He could feel the claws and fur there under his skin, but some connection was missing between visualising the change and actual transformation.

Crouching in the flowerbeds under his first-floor room now, the young shapeshifter's shining eyes narrowed as he regarded the open window above him. Someone had been in his room. Probably looking for him following the madness of last night. This... This could be a problem. His wallet, keys and phone had been on his belongings when he'd changed shape. To say that any half-witted investigator might find that suspicious was an understatement.

Swiftly reasoning, Ravi decided that he'd brazen it out if anyone asked him questions. After all, who in their right mind was going to haul him before a judge and jury and accuse him of turning into 400 lbs of carnivore, mauling a guard, and slaughtering horses. He grinned, white teeth flashing. No-one, that's who. Insanity might be a useful defence in courts of law, but not on the prosecution side of things. He dismissed the problem for later: right now he wanted a hot bath, a shave and some clean clothing. And swiftly, before anyone else came along.

Keeping low, he took a few steps away from the wall and aligned himself. Lean muscles bunched and tensed, then released their energy in an explosion of movement. A short dash, a leap, and Ravi was crouching on his window's outer ledge approximately 18 feet off the ground, balancing easily on the strip of stone a few inches wide. Grinning in exhilaration from triumph and the rush of how easy it had been, he quietly slipped in through the open window, only to freeze in place as soon as he turned away from the opening.

Asleep on his bed was Mari, chocolate hair strewn across his pillow and sweetly beautiful face in repose as she lay bundled up against the girl Ravi recalled from the soccer practice: Renata. The older girl's face was snugged up against the back of Mari's head and she was snoring lightly. Their scents were strong in here, by which Ravi figured that they must have been here awhile.

For a long moment he remained motionless, waiting to see if either would awaken from the slight noise he had made on his unconventional entrance...

z022 · August 31, 2010

Rosa had almost started getting used to sleeping alone in her room. She'd cried the first night after Lucia disappeared, torn between the fear that something horrible had happened to her best friend and the fear that Lucia had just abandoned her. The school nurse had given her some Benadryl to help her sleep, so she was justifiably fuzzy when she turned over to see not one, but two forms huddled on the twin-sized bed only a few feet from her own.

"Uh, wha-?" She blinked and sat up more, blinking the sleepiness from her eyes. "Lucia? Is that you?" her voice rose in hope.

One form moved on the bed, and then the other. Neither were under the covers and Rosa finally registered the strong smell of horse in the room. Lucia's head popped up over the shoulder of the other slender form, which in turn shifted to reveal a pretty young woman's face wrapped in a hay-flecked hoodie. Lucia put an arm around the other girl's waist to keep her from falling off the bed; Rosa blushed deeply at the gesture, her mind flashing to yuri mangas and the last "girls only" night where she and Lucia had watched a subbed version of the original Japanese release of Sailor Moon.

Lucia slipped off the bed and ran a hand through her bedraggled hair; if she noticed Rosa's blush, she didn't mention it. "Heya Rosa. Um, I would have said something last night, but....well, it was...kinda crazy, and Ahvia and I just sort of crashed once we got in the room. Ahvia, this is Rosa, the friend I told you about that's been like a sister to me. Rosa, this is Ahvia, she's an exchange student, but there was a mix-up or something with getting her a room so I offered for her to crash here until it got sorted out."

She smiled at Rose, still pulling bits of grass and hay out of her hair with practiced flicks. Two weeks of primarily wilderness travel would teach you skills like that. "Sorry about disappearing on you like that. The school totally messed up Ahvia's transfer here, and apparently no one here got my memo about going to help her through customs and try to untangle the mess Ms. Pritchard left her in."

Rosa blinked again a few more times. Something didn't quite add up there; several things didn't quite add up, but Lucia was back and that was enough for Rosa before her morning shower and coffee at the cafeteria. "Um, yeah. Everyone thought you'd just run away or something. Leave me a note next time, at least, please?"

Something flickered in Lucia's eyes, like an angry shadow quickly tucked away, and the cinnamin-skinned girl just nodded. "Sorry, again. 'Guess I just got carried away." She made a good attempt at looking abashed as she fished the last piece of straw out of her hair.

"Well, okay then. I'd call the shower first, but you both smell like you spent the night in the barn. Why don't we let our guest go first, and then get some coffee and bagels and you can tell me all about the last couple of days?"

Lucia nodded and grabbed several towels from her dresser, along with a green wrap for one of her formal dresses. After a quick exchange in a language Rosa couldn't place, the quiet "transfer student" slipped into the bathroom.

After three rounds of showers and questioning look from Rosa when Ahvia emerged with Lucia's wrap firmly secured on her head, the three made their way out of Juno and towards the cafeteria. Rosa's eyebrows shot up the police cars still on campus and the roped off area of the Quad. Lucia firmly directed the three of them towards the cafeteria and away from the investigators, "Coffee first, then we can talk."

SalmonMax · August 31, 2010

Renata wrinkled her nose in her sleep when Ravi's shadow passed over her eyes. She would have settled back down, but luck was not with the boy in the window. Mari chose that moment to stir as well, and her wriggling tipped Renata over into wakefulness. Her eyes opened, but she was focused on Mari at first and didn't see Ravi immediately. When Mari didn't wake up, she yawned and rolled onto her back.

And saw, looming over them like some nosferatu from a late-night movie jag, Ravi. Naked.

Her eyes shot wide open and she put a hand to her heart as she sputtered, "Jesus Christ!" Mari mumbled something and curled up more tightly, attracting Renata's eye for a second, then she looked back at Ravi...and grinned as the reality sank in.

She gestured with an arm, welcoming him to his own room. "Good morning to you too, bright-eyes," Renata whispered jovially. "Come on in. It must be casual Friday in Ravi-land."

Ravi FitzCoventry · August 31, 2010

For a short moment Ravi stared at Renata with eyes that gleamed in the morning light. Handsome features were frozen as the youth's mind raced, then he smiled back and gave her a short, courteous bow, obviously deciding to reflect her good-humoured greeting.

"Thank you kindly, Miss Hodges." he murmured softly as he straightened up, electing to be unselfconscious. After all, they were in his room, and he had nothing to be selfconscious about. He glanced down at himself and made a face: though he was unhurt from the trials he had undergone, his body was streaked in dirt and sweat from his long run home. He looked back at Renata from under thick lashes. "This is little more casual than I had planned, mind."

"Oh, you can call me Ren." the girl whispered airily, still grinning like a cat as she looked at him evaluatingly. "No need to be formal here. But you'll want to put something on before Mari wakes up and screams. Or melts. Or combusts. Or even all three."

"You make an excellent point." Ravi said as he silently padded (and how very appropriate that term seemed to Renata, watching the interplay of muscles as he moved) over to the bathroom and took a robe from the inside of the door. As he slipped it on he glanced at the still-sleeping Mari, the glimmer of his extraordinary eyes softening just a fraction as she stirred a little more. He looked at Renata. "I'm going to draw a bath. It's been a long trip home."

He disappeared into the bathroom for a moment, and Renata could hear the sound of taps turning and water starting to run before Ravi came back out and moved to sit in his desk chair, turning it so that he could face the two girls, yet the bottom hem of his robe was politely angled away from the bed.

"So." Ravi said, head cocked to one side slightly as he returned Renata's stare. He smiled a little, inclining his head towards her. "How was your night?"

Sylvia Dorn · August 31, 2010

Another cup of tea had failed to bring a sense of normality. So had a third. Eventually, Sylvia gave up. Her heart wasn't going to calm, not with all that was happening, not with the threats that were present.

She dressed, and - almost as instinct - set out to prowl the halls of Lancaster, a house-mother watching after her charges.

The strangely enhanced sense of smell had been with her for weeks; now, it was joined by the other senses. Indeed, she pondered absently, now it finally made sense. A precursor to the change, a first aspect of... a curse? A birthright? An illness? Whatever this was, the ability to pick up on the faintest scents had come first. And she was using it now, as she checked upon the students.

Door by door, she stopped and listened, whiffing softly and almost tasting the faint scents that came from under the door. Some held only remnants, a hint at the resident's former presence. Of course, the cafeteria was open now, and some of the youths would be eating....

Her jaws ripped into the hapless guard, rending flesh from bone alongside the other great cat, taking what was hers.

Chills ran down her spine at the memory, and it was all she could do to shove the thought down. Sylvia's stomach rumbled, but not in revulsion; that too, she forced away, not wanting to know exactly what her subconscious considered "breakfast" anymore.

Eventually, her footsteps - quiet and careful, unheard by those within the rooms - found her way to stand in front of Ravi's door. Here, the scents were stronger, mingled... and there was a far too familiar hint of the predator within. Her eyes flared wide as did her nostrils, and it was all she could do to keep from ripping the door open right there and then. The tell-tale smells told her that Mari and Renata were in there - in that small room with what she knew now to be her fellow monster.

Only the absence of an accompanying coppery odor stayed her from a headlong charge. Then amid the sound of running water came Ravi's voice, asking someone how their night had been. Maybe... maybe he has found a way to control himself... like me. If I am truly in control of myself.

Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath, then knocked on the door.

Atomicweasel · August 31, 2010

Mari sat up with a start, suddenly and acutely wide-awake. She licked the gumminess from her lips and looked to the door, from where she’d heard the knock, not even noticing Ravi at first glance. It took her a moment to figure out where she was. In Ravi’s room. Sitting next to Renata on Ravi’s bed. It took her a moment more to see that Ravi was sitting right in front of her, one leg folded over the other, nonchalantly lounging in his chair...in nothing more than a bath-robe. That observation in turn triggered the realization that her hoodie had been shoved up to her ribs. Mari hastily pulled the hem back down over her waist. She wanted to bound across the room to Ravi and seize him in a hug. Squeeze him to her and not let go. Thank you, God. Thank you. He looked dirty, but unharmed. And at the moment, Mari was not inclined to speculate why Ravi’s hair was mussed and mud-streaked, why he stank of barn and wet grass and sweat and something else. He was sitting there like nothing in the world was wrong. He was okay. She didn’t want to think about the rest of it. Sunlight was streaming through the open window and at that moment, the mysterious and terrible happenings of the night before seemed so far away. Mari wished she could forget them altogether. But she could not.

Her voice came out in a squeak. “Ravi.”

__________________

Height: 5'1", Weight: 102 lbs, Hair: Dark brown, Eyes: Hazel, Striking looks 4, Dexterity 4, Presence 4

Tatiana di Jadzian · August 31, 2010

"I know where the plates are, Ryan," Sean said a bit exasperated, but he had been moving as soon as Ryan had pointed. Ryan had found the maple syrup - somehow - behind the mass of fuzzy-let's-call-it-meat.

He placed the plates on the counter next to the stove and after Ryan filled two of them, took them to the island for him and Swan. He poured himself a generous helping of syrup, making sure to get some on his bacon - a surprisingly good combination that very few in the Mars cafeteria were willing to try. He held the bottle of syrup over Swan's plate - who was poking at the bacon and french toast experimentally with a fork - and jiggled it a bit, asking her if she wanted some. That led into a having to explain that the syrup was sap from a tree - treeblood as she called - which turned out to be acceptable to her. It also turned out to be sweeter than she was used too.

The smell of breakfast cooking seemed to summon Everett and Jason as well, who stumbled in shortly after. Sean began pointing out the coffee-maker, and where the coffee and sugar was stored, Ryan pointing them out at the same time without even looking away from the pan. "Okay dude, how are you seeing through stuff like that?" A thought occurred to him and he carefully didn't glance at Swan. "Can you see through see clothing too?"

While everyone got their what they wanted for breakfast - of what he had, anyway - Sean dug into the bacon as he pulled out his cellphone, looking over his contact list, considering who to call. Finally he decided on Frida. Girl was certainly weird, but seemed to take the weirdness in stride better than most too. She'd make sure the others were informed about their visitor and what had he said while the rest of them were driving back to Dalton.

He held the phone in the crook his neck, waiting for it to start ringing as he stuffed another piece of french toast in his mouth. Frida, do I ever have something to tell you... But the call went directly to voice-mail. Okay, it was a freaky night, she probably just forgot to charge it, or got distracted drawing something. He left he a short message, mentioning their visitor and the Door and who Swan really was, asking her to call back, then called Ravi instead... and went instantly to voice-mail. He left him a shorter message, just saying there was more going on and to call back. That means... nothing. He could've been distracted by anything female. Despite wanting to stay among the students and uphold the student versus faculty separation, he tried Ms. Dorn's number.

And got voice-mail. His message to her was a sharp, call me back as soon as you get this.

"Okay, what the hell?!" Sean growled, glaring at his cellphone, then looking around the kitchen at the others. "No one's answerin' their cells. Either last night completely freaked everyone out and they forgot some as simple as chargin' their phone or somethin' else happened. Maybe Brahn did talk to them or somethin', I dunno, but I think we should head back real soon guys." Sean stuffed the rest of his bacon in his mouth then got up, threw his plate in the sink, then started for front door. "Finish quick guys," he said around a mouthful of bacony goodness, "I'm gonna pull the car up around front."

Click to reveal.. ( Damn you Frida)

Ravi FitzCoventry · September 1, 2010

"Good morning, Mari." Ravi smiled at her, his urbane manner a jarring contrast to uncharacteristically bedraggled appearance. His aquiline nose twitched very slightly and he raised a hand to the two girls. Half-turning his head to the door he raised his voice. "And good morning to you, Ms Dorn. Come on in and join the party." As Sylvia entered, closing the door behind her, Ravi smiled crookedly. "I'm afraid you'll have to take me as you find me today. I had a tad of a wild night."

Sylvia Dorn · September 1, 2010

With the door closed quietly behind her, Sylvia eyed the dashing young Brit - towel, dirt and all - in much the same way as a sheepdog eying a wolf in the fold. For a very long and awkward moment, words refused to come; instead, there was an urge - contained, but an urge nonetheless - to growl.

"Miss Palacios," she finally said, her glare never wavering from Ravi, "and Miss Hodges, there is a curfew with regard to overnight visits in rooms belonging to students of the opposite gender. This is your first and only warning regarding such. Now if you would be so kind as to excuse yourselves, I need to speak with Mr. FitzCoventry. Alone."

Ravi FitzCoventry · September 1, 2010

"I don't think so." The words were spoken languorously, almost a purr as Ravi stood and stretched. Mercifully(?) the robe stayed together, but a slice of surprisingly muscular chest was revealed over a hint of taut stomach. Ravi smiled affably as Sylvia glared at him, but in the shimmering green of his eyes there was no give at all. "Ms Palacios and Ms Hodges came here last night, while I was absent, because they were worried about me. They stayed for the same reason: because they know something of what has happened and wanted to see if I would return." He swept his eyes over the two girls and smiled gently before returning his glittering, unblinking stare to Sylvia.

"They are in no danger from me, and you, Ms Dorn, are being unfair in your treatment of these young ladies as errant children on a prank. I find that offensive." His voice hardened, having gained a indefinably deeper tone that seemed to come from his chest. His body was very still as his eyes continued to bore into Sylvia's. The air in the room took on a tense note. "In short, Ms Dorn, I rather think you are about to find the limits of your authority here."

Suddenly he relaxed, a pleasantly charming smile crossing his face. The oppressive air of angry menace in the room dissipated... almost. "But I'm sure your night has been just as trying as mine. And you are merely upset, and retreating to a comfortable position of authority to express yourself." His eyes remained on hers, empathy mixed with a faint challenge.

"Am I right?"

Click to reveal..

Sylvia Dorn · September 1, 2010

Those with sharp eyes could see the hackles literally raise on Sylvia's neck. Her nostrils flared ever so slightly, and eyes narrowed. There was the bare hint of a growl in her otherwise dangerously level voice when she spoke.

"Let me make something perfectly clear to you, Mr. FitzCoventry. So long as I am the House Mother for Lancaster - which admittedly may not be for much longer if Ms. Pritchard has her way - my authority here is not subject to your whims. There are things that I need to discuss with you in private, and I have asked these young ladies to leave so that I can do so. Is that entirely clear?"

If Ravi had hoped to cow Sylvia into submission, he was not to be rewarded this morning.

Click to reveal..

Atomicweasel · September 1, 2010

Mari looked from Ravi to Ms. Dorn and back again. She hardly even registered what her House Mother had said. At any other time her cheeks would have been burning and her ears ringing from the implications of those words. Mari hadn’t been at Dalton long, but she had been there long enough to know that one did not cross Sylvia Dorn. It was highly recommended that when Ms. Dorn told you to do something, you do it. Mari had heard more than one horror story of what happened to those who dared to disobey her. Almost invariably the stories ended in humiliation and tears. There was Nadia Pratt, who had made the mistake of calling Ms. Dorn a ‘fat old cow’ and had spent the next two weeks shoveling manure in the barn. For months after, no one had wanted to sit with her at lunch.

“Nothing is clear!” Mari exclaimed heatedly as she popped off the bed. She couldn’t understand how Ravi and Ms. Dorn. Posturing at each other and pretending like nothing had really happened. It made the blood rush angrily to her head. “Someone was killed by those panthers last night,” Mari said thickly, blinking back an urge to cry, “and I found your wallet and your keys out by...out by the body...or. Or what was left of it!” By now Mari was trembling. She couldn’t meet the green blaze of Ravi’s eyes, so she whirled on Sylvia instead. “Renata says she saw you—saw the both of you—turn into those panthers! Is that true?!” Mari demanded, then, before either of them could answer, she angrily added “How can you just stand there and pretend like everything is normal?” Had she been thinking clearly, Mari would’ve wondered what in God’s name she was doing taking to her feet and tilting her chin up defiantly and using such an accusatory tone with the dreaded Ms. Dorn, instead of simply scurrying out of Ravi’s room and counting her lucky stars that she’d gotten off with a warning and nothing more.

__________________

Height: 5'1", Weight: 102 lbs, Hair: Dark brown, Eyes: Hazel, Striking looks 4, Dexterity 4, Presence 4

SalmonMax · September 1, 2010

"One person was killed that we know of," Renata added darkly. "She's right though. Enough with the catfight and lets start actually -talking- to each other for a change."

Ryan Jackson · September 1, 2010

"I know where the plates are, Ryan," Sean said a bit exasperated.

Ryan laughed, "Yeah, well, you didn't even know you had maple syrup. It's not like I can read minds." He removed the last of the bacon to another plate and started to utilize the entire griddle for French toast.

After a little while Sean pressed, "Okay dude, how are you seeing through stuff like that? Can you see through see clothing too?"

Ryan laughed again and transitioned the next batch onto the griddle. "No, I ... hmm, how can I explain this? It's like radar I suppose. Or maybe like that thing bats do, you know sonar? Except that I don't really know the how of how it works, could be sound but I think it's probably something else.

"Anyways, it's like I can sense, not really see mind you, but sense where stuff is around me, but only the grossest physical features. Position, size, shape, speed if it's moving and I concentrate on it. I can't tell color at all. Textures are hard, only if it's pretty obvious from the shape, ya know? Anyway, I knew the syrup was in the fridge cause that's where my folks keep it and the bottle was all maple leaf-y." Ryan rather pointedly ignored the question about clothing.

"Finish quick guys," Sean said around a mouthful of bacony goodness, "I gonna pull the car up around front."

Ryan nodded and loaded the last couple of slices onto his plate and began to chow down with abandon shoving food into his gullet in a way that was odd only to those who'd never seen the wiry boy consume food before. Five minutes later he was bounding out the door, a plastic juice bottle in his hands. "I found this in your fridge," he declared as he scrambled into the car, "can't remember the last time I had apple juice."

Ravi FitzCoventry · September 1, 2010

Originally Posted By: SalmonMax

"One person was killed that we know of," Renata added darkly. "She's right though. Enough with the catfight and lets start actually -talking- to each other for a change."

"Which is what I was suggesting." Ravi said with quiet, offhand malice as he sauntered towards the bathroom door. "Someone present wanted to treat us all as her kittens, however. Mentioning no names." He rested one hand on the tie to his robe and looked at all three females.

"Now, before an outraged girl smelling of horse and with a dark look in her eye turns up and decides to push some more of my scant supply of buttons, I'm going to step into my bath." He strolled into the other room and the others could hear the taps being turned off as Ravi's voice floated out. "You three sort out who's staying, and I'll leave the door open so we can talk. But I would advise you, Ms Dorn, that my cooperation in the discussion you wish to have with me will be in direct proportion to the calming influence of my friends."

There was a splishing and a long, drawn out 'Ahhhh' sound as Ravi sighed in sensual contentment, followed by a 'tch' of dismay. "I think I'll need two baths after that bloody cross-country run. Oh well." Further splishing noises punctuated the stunned silence as all three, two girls and one woman, tried not to think about what was happening, or more specifically what was on show, in the bathroom.

SalmonMax · September 1, 2010

"Look," Renata said, trying to ground things before the Drama took over completely. "Bottom line is this...we know your secret, even if Mari doesn't completely believe it yet. We just want to know what the hell's going on."

Sylvia Dorn · September 1, 2010

Mari Palacios was not a student prone to outbursts. She was, in fact, the least likely student to launch into an impassioned yelling fit. So it was just that much more of a shock when she exploded in Sylvia's face. It was, in fact, almost anticlimactic when she revealed that the girls knew full well what had happened the previous night, or at least enough to make Sylvia's earlier request for privacy moot.

Sighing, the teacher closed her eyes, rubbed the bridge of her nose, ignored Ravi's comments and splashing as much as possible and hoped that some small shred of normality might be left to her by the end of this weekend.

"It's true, Miss Palacios. Last night, events happened that I am at a loss to explain, but your basic summation is correct as far as I can tell. By all accounts, including what I remember of the experience, Mr. FitzCoventry somehow changed into a rather large panther, followed moments later by myself. Whether this was another inexplicable act by Ms. Pritchard or something entirely else, I do not know."

She sighed again, then looked around for a place to sit. The chair recently vacated by Ravi was really the only convenient choice; regardless of it smelling far too much like him for comfort, she settled into it.

"To answer your question, Miss Hodges, the death toll of which I am aware includes the security guard and two horses at the stable. My memories, while a bit hazy around the edges, are complete enough where I know that to be the limit of my involvement, and only peripherally with the horses. I cannot," she added, casting a look at the open bathroom door, "speak to what may have occurred after Mr. FitzCoventry ran off from the stables."

Atomicweasel · September 1, 2010

Mari felt her legs go rubbery and quickly sat down on the edge of the bed, where she’d been comfortably curled up just minutes ago. The outrage drained right out of her, taking the flush of color from her face and leaving her looking car-sick. She had secretly hoped Ms. Dorn would furiously deny Renata’s story. She had prayed for ridicule and scorn and even punishment—anything that would set right the impossible happenings of last night. Ms. Dorn’s quiet acceptance shocked Mari into silence. She felt the room spinning around her and growing claustrophobically small all at once. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. She wanted to run screaming out the door. She wanted to slap Ms. Dorn in the face and howl “Death toll? Involvement? You killed a man and ate him!” most of him, anyway... How could she just stand there and talk about it like it had happened in a book or something, how could she make it sound like a reading comprehension test. the author’s main point is A) She saw some horses out of the corner of her eye, She has bad memory, C) She and Ravi were responsible for killing someone and Ravi may have killed others but she doesn’t know...

But all Mari could do was sit on the bed with her hands in her lap and wonder how Ms. Dorn could somehow be there looking just as prim and polished as Ms. Dorn looked every day since Mari had first laid eyes on her, and how Ravi could sit in a bath-tub splashing around like a little kid. Maybe they can’t control themselves... Mari thought, remembering the dream with Ravi, his talk of not wanting to hurt her. He might have sensed something, might have felt something stirring inside of him before it happened. He had been scared, Mari knew. But that didn’t explain why they were both so matter of fact about it now, why they shrugged it off when they should have been crushed under the guilt of it.

Mari’s big hazel eyes met Ms. Dorn’s green eyes, seeking answers the House Mother didn’t have. Might never have.

__________________

Height: 5'1", Weight: 102 lbs, Hair: Dark brown, Eyes: Hazel, Striking looks 4, Dexterity 4, Presence 4

SalmonMax · September 1, 2010

Renata felt her stomach twist. Dorn was talking like her father now. All bland, neutral terms that stripped emotion and controversy and humanity away from whatever he said. She wasn't letting that stand this time.

"So let me get this straight," she said in a low voice. "You and Ravi murdered a man last night, and ate him, and then went and killed and ate a couple of horses. Then you came back, and Ravi went off alone and did God knows what until he came back this morning."

She put a hand to her eyes. "Is this a full moon thing? Can we tell when it's going to happen? Because...I dunno, maybe we can get cages and hide them somewhere..."

Sylvia Dorn · September 1, 2010

Sylvia slumped slightly in the chair. She'd never looked quite so tired. She'd never felt quite so tired, either. And that weariness and perhaps a bit of residual shock were audible in her words.

"I don't know what made it happen, or if it will happen again." Yes, you do, something whispered from inside. She blanched, going pale and having to swallow before continuing. "No, scratch that. I think it will happen again. Whatever caused it, it's... part of me now." She'd known it at her core, known it since even before the change on some fundamental level, but actually saying it.... She shuddered, her breath shifting to a stutter.

"I... I saw the guard moving in on Ravi." The mere fact that she referred to one of her students by first name showed just how wrong the entire situation had become. "He was on the ground, screaming, and the guard just kept moving in, and all I could think was that he was hurting him and..." She swallowed hard again. "...and I changed. I didn't control it, and it hurt, but I changed. And when I did, I still had the thought of one of mine at risk. And... instinct took over."

Another series of shudders went through her, the façade of Ms. Sylvia Dorn fallen away. "As for the horses, they were down when I got there. You'll have to ask Ravi why he killed them; I don't know."

SalmonMax · September 1, 2010

"You need help," Renata said flatly. "So does Ravi. There's only one person on campus that we can be sure knows something about what's going on. She'll be able to tell us what's happening, and maybe even how to stop it."

"Pritchard."

Ravi FitzCoventry · September 1, 2010

"Who's Pritchard?" Mari asked, a puzzled look on her beautiful tear-stained face. Before anyone could explain, Ravi spoke up.

"Pritchard is bad news." came the offhand reply. "Not wishing to speak for Ms Dorn, but all I can relate is that *I* didn't eat the guard. I did, however, attack him." Ravi's voice had that peculiar bathroom quality as he spoke from next door, but Mari and Ren could still hear the faint regret in his voice as it dropped. "It wasn't intentional. In fact, I wish it hadn't happened."

"Perhaps I should start from the beginning. I received a text last night from Frida, who had been cornered by Pritchard and asked me to come and help. There was something wrong with the guard, by the way. His eyes were blank. Perhaps Pritchard's doing? Anyway... I came upon the scene and there was something very wrong with how Pritchard was speaking and acting. As though she were going to do something to Frida." Though none could see it, Ravi's eyes were distant as he gazed at the ceiling of his bathroom. "I felt scared and outraged, as though it was something really terrible. So I jumped in, literally."

"I tackled the guard and sent him into Pritchard, knocking them both down. I told Frida to run to you, Ms Dorn. And then..." he paused. "Then it gets a little fuzzy. I could feel something inside me and behind me at the same time. A beast from dreams I've been having for the last week or two. Pritchard was attempting to assert her authority, screaming something to the tune of 'What do you think you're doing', and something inside me snapped."

"There was pain." Ravi's voice was quiet, sombre now as he remembered. "Horrible pain. All through me, every nerve and fiber. I... I was feeling my bones break themselves and reshape, my muscles and tendons twist inside me. And the Beast was in my head, driving my body through it's rebirth." There was a long silence as the white-faced, stricken Mari, the curious Renata and Ms Dorn, who keenly recalled her own pain, waited for him to continue.

"After that everything was like I was drunk, really drunk. Like a part of me was freer than I have ever been. I remember the guard attacking me mindlessly, and I killed him. Sylvia joined in, doubtless driven by her protective instincts. The man didn't stand a chance." There was more splashing. "Then I remember you, Mari. You were screaming, you looked so scared... You were tugging at Frida, trying to save her. Somehow through the Beast's haze I recognised you both and stopped myself." A heart-wrenching tone entered the velvety voice. "I'm sorry Mari. I'm sorry for scaring you and almost... Well, I'm just glad I was able to check myself."

"After that... I remember running, hungry. Really hungry. I think the Change might have something to do with that. Or perhaps the forced nature of it causing stress." A deep sigh, followed by: "So yes, I, or rather the Beast I had become, made a beeline for the nearest non-twolegged food source. I went blood mad, like a fox in a henhouse. Fear has a very unique smell, and it seems to bring out the worst in me. And then, a girl appeared, the same one that was causing the shadows earlier. She wanted to take away my kill for some reason the Beast didn't understand. Again, I checked myself from simply ripping her limb from limb. I didn't want to kill anyone, just to eat. But these encounters, these internal struggles were draining the essence of my individuality. I was in increasing danger of completely losing any influence over the Beast. So I ran again, off into the night."

"You can only imagine it." his voice took on a reflective quality. "I was free to run and hunt, miles from Dalton or any other human dwelling. I remember a buck deer, and the chase, and the feeling of a full belly. And then..."

There was a splashing sound and the noise of water draining away, and Ravi's face appeared in the doorway, clean wet hair descending to his shoulders, as he was obviously towelling himself down behind the door.

"And then I woke up at dawn on the banks of a stream, human again and clean, as though I had groomed myself. And miles from here. I made my way home, which was no picnic I might add..." He pulled his head back, there were sounds of cloth rustling, then he walked out wearing his bathrobe and towelling his hair. "And here I am."

Tatiana di Jadzian · September 1, 2010

"I found this in your fridge," Ryan declared as he scrambled into the car, "can't remember the last time I had apple juice."

"Glad you took the rest of it then, not sure when we'll be back," Sean shouted at him over a thick shoulder as he locked the door. Hearing the deadbolt slide home with a heavy Kthunk, Sean hustled back to the car idling on the circular drive and opened the passenger door for Swan, instinctive with deeply ingrained habits, then ran around the shiny black Lexus and slid in behind the wheel.

Sean revved the engine and glanced in the review mirror. The back seat was a little cramped, with three of them back there - Everett wasn't small and Ryan had those stork legs - but Swan was still ailing and he wanted her to have the comfort of the bucket seat in front. He grinned wryly, Vanessa - Vena, I guess - would have had a fit, seeing Ryan sipping apple juice from the plastic bottle, Jason drinking coffee from an open Thermos he must've found, and Everett inhaling a sandwich made from toast, bacon, and piece of french toast in between. Screw it, she should've stayed then.

"Buckle-up guys," Sean insisted, but he pressed down on the gas without waiting for them to reply. Tires squealed as he turned onto the main street with too much speed - Okay, the Lexus kicks the shit out of my Wrangler - Swan placing a hand on his muscular shoulder to steady herself against the force, the gate making a soft grinding noise behind them as it rolled close.

The glossy finish of the obsidian luxury car gleaming silver and gold under the early morning sunlight as they sped through the still streets of Saturday morning Denver. Everyone probably just forget plugging their phones in after dealing with the weirdness last night. Still, our night was more eventful with that Brahn... guy showing up and dropping his bomb and I still remembered...

"Dude, you have a car - a corvette, I think - yeah, it's a 'Vette, coming up quick behind you," Ryan offered, interrupting Sean's ruminations.

"Dammit, Ryan! No backseat driving," Sean growled, glancing in the rearview mirror - not used to the LCD display on the dash - and frowning. Tail-gating motherfucker. If he hadn't been in a rush, he'd have slowed down to the actual speed limit on the city streets. Tough shit, asshole, I'm speeding enough.

Sylvia Dorn · September 2, 2010

Sylvia listened to her fellow were-cat's description of events largely without commentary. There were a great many similarities there to her own experience, more than she wanted to admit - even to herself - and things she wanted to discuss with him, but that was for a later date.

Some secrets need keeping. Where the thought came from, she wasn't sure, but she knew in a place deeper than her heart that it was true: some things should simply not be talked about with others.

On one point however she did comment. "He's right about Pritchard," she said wearily. "This is a woman who attacked Swan and who then dismissed security guards by turning them into sticks and straw. She was trying to do something to Frida Ricci, and then to Ravi. That's not a role-model for 'helpful sage'; that's a role-model for 'Wicked Witch of the Rockies'. Whatever it is that is happening to us, I know from a gut level on up that that woman is not on our side."

SalmonMax · September 2, 2010

"She didn't turn them into sticks and straw," Renata insisted. "They were already made from that. You were there when that Swan girl explained golems, didn't you listen?"

She shook her head. "I'm not saying Pritchard's our best friend. I'm just saying that right now, ignorance seems a lot more dangerous than her."

z022 · September 2, 2010

The three girls entered the sparsely populated cafeteria; last night had been a strange night for most everyone and the Dalton student body wasn't particularly well known for making it to Saturday breakfast anyways. The few co-eds there did, however, manage to make whispering a deafening sound as Lucia and her companions made their way to the buffet tables.

"....heard she went nuts last night or something..."

"Well, she did run away...."

"...why she came back? I heard she got into some sort of fight with Ms. Dorn..."

"...told me that Ms. Dorn and Fitz-something, that English transfer, got like mauled or something last night..."

"...wonder who that girl is? Is she Muslim or something?"

Lucia ignored them, as she usually did when a juicy new rumor hit the grist of the Dalton social circles about her. Ahvia's eyes flicked around the room, trying to catch what was being said and trying even harder to understand it. After filling their plates with fruits, bagels, and cream cheese, and grabbing the obligatory cup of coffee with all attendant sugars and creams, the three made their way to an empty table. For a moment silence reigned as the three dug into their breakfast. Ahvia made a face at the coffee once she tried it and went to get herself a cup of juice instead.

Rosa leaned in once the quiet girl was away from the table, "So, seriously, what's going on? Where's she from? The Middle East? And why would you be sent to go pick her up? Isn't that something the faculty would do?" Rosa glanced around the whispering room, "And what the hell happened last night?"

Lucia hesitated, which told Rosa that whatever was going on, it wasn't good news. And something was definitely going on. Lucia had been her friend since the cinnamon-skinned girl transfered in during second year, they were like sisters. But Lucia had always been more the "older sister", trying to protect Rosa even when others were going for her own throat. Figuratively, of course. So, when Lucia was quiet for a long moment, Rosa began to worry.

"It's...a long story. And a lot of it isn't...well...the other people involved should have a say in someone talking about them." Lucia's dark eyes were sincere, "Hopefully we can all get together today and try to figure out what's been going on since the Social. I'll....I'll ask them, and then I'll tell you what I can. I...I don't want to pull you into something..."

"...that could get me hurt? Lu, you're my best friend. If you're caught up in something, I want to be-"

Rosa's sentence cut off as Ahvia sat back down at their table, a selection of juice glasses in front of her. She looked between the two girls, noting the tension but again electing not to say anything directly. That was the consensus for all three of them for the next ten minutes or so as they ate.

Atomicweasel · September 2, 2010

“Well...” Mari trailed off, then slowly stood up from the bed. She swiped her hoodie sleeve across her eyes and then pushed her hands into her pockets and walked over to the window Ravi had clambered through not so long ago. How different everything might have been if he hadn’t. If he had just come in through the door, clean and presentable, Mari would have believed any excuse he might have given her. Instead he had come in through the window, wild and filthy like an animal, and now he had spilled his awful truth. The little dream she had built for herself of a happy romance with Ravi was quickly crumbling like a house of cards in a stiff breeze. She imagined herself in confessional, asking her priest if were-creatures had souls, but what about a were-panther, Father? and almost started giggling hysterically. Then she reminded herself that at least one man was dead and any urge to giggle flew out the window alongside her girlish fantasy.

“I guess I got my answers.” Mari said in a small voice. Except she had more questions than she had answers. What did this Pritchard woman want with Ravi and Frida—and why had Frida turned to Ravi for help? How well did they know each other? Who was Swan and how did she figure into everything? Wasn’t the golem a monster from a Jewish fairy-tale about the ghetto?

Mari turned her back to the window and leaned into the frame, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. “So. What now? I mean...are you going to tell the police?” Mari was watching Ravi. Why couldn’t he just be what he appeared to be? Why did she have to fall for the boy who turned into a panther and ate people?

__________________

Height: 5'1", Weight: 102 lbs, Hair: Dark brown, Eyes: Hazel, Striking looks 4, Dexterity 4, Presence 4

Ravi FitzCoventry · September 2, 2010

Ravi stopped drying his hair, letting the damp towel hang around his shoulders as he met Mari's gaze. The morning light from the window behind the girl caused the brilliant green of his eyes to shimmer eerily, and the girl repressed a shiver. Fear. she mentally reminded herself. He can smell it. Or is that just when he's a... a panther? Ravi shook his head after gazing at her for a long moment.

"And tell the police what? That I can change into a giant panther? That last night was my first time and I lost control, killed a man and two horses, wounded several more horses, and nearly killed three Dalton students?" Ravi's tone wasn't cruel or mocking, but it had a somehow terrible matter-of-factness to it as he paced towards her, running hands through his damp hair and tossing it back from his face as he continued. "That after that stunning debut, I ran off into the woods, chased down a deer, and ate it raw." He stopped a few feet from Mari, his beautiful features saddening as he saw how she looked at him. He looked as though he were going to say something else for a moment, but then finished his original train of thought.

"Perhaps after that I can tell them that I ran all the way home naked without ripping my feet to ribbons, leaped up to my window ledge and slipped in like a cat, Mari." He regarded her a moment more, a faint pain in his eyes as he absorbed the impact his words were having. His lips twisted wryly as he added bitingly "And then tell them to arrest me, perhaps? Maybe if they believe me they'll call Animal Control and have me put to sleep. Or, if I'm 'lucky' they'll put me in a cage forever so that scientists and doctors can prod me."

Slowly he half-turned away from Mari, his eyes on hers. "It'd be better if you made a silver bullet and blew my brains out with it than put me in a cage." He finished the turn and headed over to his closet. "I know that's what I'd prefer, at least."

Tatiana di Jadzian · September 2, 2010

Instead of the universe being its usual perverse self and making the ride back to Dalton agonizingly long, since they really wanted to get there, the drive passed by with the speed of a good television program. They blinked and the hour, commercials (billboards) and all, seemed to last about five minutes.

They made it back to campus with half the morning left them. Pulling into the student parking lot, Sean slowed the car to a crawl, eyes widening at the sight of police tape sectioning off a part of the Quad and the police cruiser parked next to the Steel Centerpiece. The Lexus just barely rolled to a stop in a parking space facing the Quad, and into half of the adjacent one.

"What the fuck is going on?" Sean wondered, peering over the wheel at the Quad.

"I'm not sure. It might have nothing to do... with anything that is happening," Jason pondered. "But I intend to find out. I'm going to see what's being said in the faculty lounge."

"Wait-" Sean began, but Jason was already out of the car, heading towards the Admin Building and the Faculty Lounge. "Damn." His knuckles cracked as his hands tightened on the wheel. "Okay guys, I think we should head to Lancaster first. Frida, Ravi, and Ms. Dorn all have their rooms there. Agreed?"

"Agreed." "Yeah, dude, agreed."

"Okay, then. I'll go check on Frida, you guys see if you can find Ravi and Ms. Dorn, eh?" He went to open the door, but noticed Swan growing tense in the seat next to him, her arms around her torso. Sean leaned towards her, concern on his face. "Swan, what's wrong? If Pritchard is still around, I won't let her get to you."

"No... no it is not that..." Swan nodded towards the men and women hovering around the crime scene, several in police blues, a pair in longcoats and casual suits, aware of something in the way they carried themselves. The solid orbs of her eyes focused directly on them beneath lowered, sable brows. "Those there, they are the Guard? Watchmen?"

"Wha- The police?" Sean guessed, at first a little confused by her terminology. "I guess you can call them that. Don't worry about them. We won't cut across the Quad, and if they do ask us anything, just tell them we weren't here. Which we were."

"Sean." Something in her voice made the muscular teen turn from studying the cops. He found himself staring directly into eyes of solid black in a face of creamy white.

"Oh! Right. Uh..." Sean glanced quickly around the car, looking for something, anything to deal with this obvious, yet overlooked, complications. Nothing in the glovebox... ah! He pulled down the sunvisor and a pair of stylish mirrorshades tumbled into his lap. "Perfect."

He handed them to Swan, who looked down at them curiously, unsure how they would help. "Here, let me." Sean took them back, then placed them over her eyes. "Hides your eyes, and looks good to boot. Now, let's go."

They all slid out of the Lexus, Sean pressing every button on the fob before figuring out how to lock it and set the alarm system. The lot of them set out around the far side of the dormitories for Lancaster, forcing themselves to stay at a nonchalant pace. Reaching Lancaster, Sean headed down the hall for Frida's room, Swan's presence actually a boon in the Girls' Wing.

Despite wanting to hammer on the door, Sean controlled himself and settled for the rapid patter of 'Shave and a Haircut'. After a long moment with no answer, he tried again. When there was still no answer, he began considering whether to meet up with Ryan and Everett again, or go searching for Frida.

Where could she be? He thoughts flashed back to the sketches Frida had made of his mother and sisters and those women in furs that reminded him of them. Art room maybe? He saw a cute redhead pass him in the hall, who gave him an appraising look and a small smile, and suddenly something else occurred to him. Blaize! Shit! She's not involved with... this, whatever it is, but there are those cops outside...

While debating where to head next - Art Room, Blaize's Room, Ravi's Room, or Ms. Dorn's Room - Sean pulled out his cellphone and called Blaize, hoping she was alright, and maybe even knowing what had happened in the Quad. Swan stayed close to his side, keeping her head down, despite the mirrorshades hiding the oddity of her eyes.

Sylvia Dorn · September 3, 2010

"And once again," Sylvia chimed in, "Mr. FitzCoventry is correct. I'm afraid that the authorities wouldn't believe the truth if we told it, and that the consequences would be extremely grim if they did. No offense, but I'd prefer not to be dissected."

She sighed again, then pulled herself up out of Ravi's chair. Weary or not, the move was smooth and graceful and came with surprising ease even to her. Maybe there's benefits to this nightmare after all.

"So, all things considered, I think that we need to keep the truth of this matter to a rather small little group. Lucia Blake is aware of the situation in part. Sean Cassidy and those who stayed at his house are, while not directly aware of this, certainly know that some very significantly inexplicable things are happening; after all, Swan is with them. And by your accounts, Frida Ricci saw us change. It's a rather large group to keep a secret, but there really isn't much more choice. There is much more happening here than just this business of Ravi and I."

SalmonMax · September 3, 2010

When Ravi started his March of Doom towards Mari, Renata noticed and tried to scoot over to put herself between them...moving just a bit too late to succeed. Instead she was off to one side, watching Ravi like a hawk. When he walked away, Renata was quick to replace him at Mari's side.

She looked at Sylvia and shook her head.

"You're both missing the point. You two are dangerous, don't you get it? I'm not talking about calling the police, but we have to figure out some way of making sure you don't kill more people!"

Archive World of Darkness: The Academy - Chapter 7: The Way They Were

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment