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Post by charlotte on Aug 7, 2007 7:34:05 GMT 1
Running again. Charlotte ran, harder, faster, longer than she had ever done so before. It had been well over a month since she had been able to go running - it was a wonder she was still in well enough shape to run at her usual pace, and now here she was: running faster than she thought she could, for longer than she thought she could. Run run, as fast as you can ... So she did run. She ran until her muscles screamed at her and her lungs burned. She ran until the blood in her veins felt as though they had turned to acid and sweat beaded and flew from her body as the wind rushed by. Still though, she continued. Charlotte had considered that perhaps it was the anger and the confusion; the frustration, that was driving her. She was angry at herself for being constantly manipulated, as it were. She was sick of having been used and shown sour contempt. She was fed up with being attacked and playing the damsel in distress card: needing to be rescued over, over, and over again. But perhaps most of all she was angry with her own shortcomings in such matters; angry, too, that she was angry at herself and taking that anger out on what could have been a nice jog through the forests. She hated angst - most of all her own percieved angst. Charlotte had thought about calling Leon, asking him if he could come over so she could talk to him about it, but at the moment it felt that to do so would just be the damsel in distress card again. Right now she needed to work out the frustration and anger on her own - then perhaps she would call her boyfriend to talk about it if he wasn't too busy. Perhaps then she would - WHACK.So busy, caught up in her own thoughts, Charlotte had not seen the fallen bit of log, poking out from the mossy, overgrown trail. Her foot caught, and at the near-breakneck pace the junior had been running, she tripped cleanly, falling a few feet in the air before landing hard and rolling roughly. Luckily much of the trail had been covered in moss. "GOD!" She screamed aloud, wringing her hand in pain from having thrown it in front of her to break her fall. Somewhere in the woods a bird or two flew away - the anger and sheer rage in her voice enough to make animals in the near vicinity scramble away. Her words, as if cursing the very entity who's name she had uttered, hung in the air a moment. A moment that Charlotte took to stand, brushing herself off roughly and indignantly, and kicked the log as hard as she could. It splintered: a shower of wood and moss and dirt spraying in every direction from the kick. The log had not been completely moist and rotted, however: some had been as solid as the day it had fallen. Needless to say, though the splinters that sailed through the air were both heavily rotten and not, it had hurt. A lot. "SONOFABITCH!" she screamed out, directed more at the destroyed log than any particular person. She turned about, kicking the nearest tree; shaving the bark from the area kicked. A thought occured to her that perhaps it was best not to kick a tree with her leg being just recently healed. So instead, she punched it. The pain that followed, shooting up her arm as her knuckles connected with the bare trunk, was an intense, searing one; travelling all the way from her hand and along her arm. But the Junior did not yell. She did not scream out or cry. She grunted, her face a mask of rage, and she punched the tree once more. She cursed again, and took off running without a second glance - the world racing by as her lungs burned and her muscles ached. Charlotte would not stop for now though; not until she could no longer force her body to keep going. Was her anger misplaced, perhaps? Was it a wrong thing to want to stop any potential trends before they happened? The truth was, such thoughts held little to no wieght so far from bliss.
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Post by Kyukaku on Aug 7, 2007 8:45:39 GMT 1
Nothing was how it should be.
Kyukaku's life had seemed less like it took place in San Fransisco than Bizzarro World. School had become like prison-no, not quite. In prison one at least always knew where they stood, and Kyu really wished that was only speculation for him, though it was experience. Which brought him to a whole new meaning to his Bizzarro World; he was a normal teenage guy, though nothing normal ever came to him. Instead, he went to schools that were more like underground fighting rings-which that part he didn't necessarily mind. Though, the frequent run ins with a certain Trent Rydell wouldn't be said of the same.
He was the one who tried to kill him, over, and over, and over again. He framed him and sent him to prison, and even went so far to bury him alive. Yeah, he was a normal teenage guy living in a not quite normal environment. It was times like these that stressed him out, where if he was still in Varron he went to the woods for solitude. He hadn't been to the forest here very often at all really, so he felt now would be a good time to go for some solitude.
Or maybe not?
There was an echoing shout of something shouting out the Lord's name in vain. It was something that sparked interest in the junior, causing him to head in the direction of the shout. As he came closer, he heard a resounding curse, followed by the sight of a girl punching the hell out of a tree. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be none other than Charlotte Anders, a loose friend of Kyu's though based more on their mutual relationships with Leon Loire opposed to direct interaction.
Confused and genuinely concerned, Kyukaku moved to intersect Charlotte as she sprinted off again. Moving in an diagnol line to meet her, Kyu was able to come into her path roughly ten feet before she would reach his position, hopefully startling her less than if he jumped out last second. If she was unable to stop at her high speed Kyu would reach out with both hands to the corresponding shoulder of Charlotte, gripping her tightly with his palms. He'd also pivot on his right foot, making a clockwise half turn to guide away Charlotte's momentum to keep the two from hurling to the ground.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Kyukaku started, doing his best for a calming tone. "I don't mean to tell you how to live your life Charlotte, but I really don't think beating the crap out of yourself is going to solve any of your problems. Are you okay?"
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Post by charlotte on Aug 8, 2007 9:36:52 GMT 1
Again, the anger and the speed of her run had cost her control of her senses and a more acute awareness of her surroundings. Not noticing the figure who appeared before her, it was Kyu's sudden hold that had saved her from careening into him. His hold on her shoulders pivoted them in a clockwise half turn - the sudden shift causing her foward momentum to cease as she stood before him a bit wobbly, unsure what had just happened.
Then, as his calming tone entered her ears, making her realize that this was none other than Kyukaku - an aquaintance she had met through Leon Loire - her immediate thoughts ran back to just before hitting the log, blissfully unaware, thinking about having to be 'rescued' constantly.
Being comforted by a loose friend definitely counted as being 'rescued'. Not to mention indulging in a little angst and self pity.
Oh how Charlotte hated angst.
"I was beating the crap out of a tree and a log!" she shouted - an unusally weak retort, but then, the Junior was usually cool enough about her emotions not to let them control her actions so fully. She jerked her shoulders to and fro roughly to dislodge Kyu's grip on them as she spoke, even going so far as to bring her hands up near the insides of his arms - near the elbow - and moving to slap his arms away swiftly.
"And NO I'm not okay!" she veritably screamed in his face.
A though occured to her - dimly in the back of her mind, as if some part of her was still analytical and in control; locked away in an encrypted folder to wait for the rage and frustration to pass so it could assert itself once more.
Aren't being a little overdramatic? You're just a teenager ... seventeen years old. Sure your mother is an alcholic, sure you've been manipulated and used, sure you've had a lot hit you all at once: is that really a cause of self-pity or wanting to be 'better'?
A hundred voices, and yet one, all at the same time delivered the thought in an instant; Charlotte never leaving reality as her brain relayed the message through her sense of reason in an effort to calm her, but the anger proved to potent at the moment.
The calming words of Kyukaku fell upon deaf ears as Charlotte half-sank, half-fell towards him and the ground simultaneously - her descent angled so that she would likely fall against his chest before she did so upon her knees on the ground - wracked sobs shaking her form, already tired from the strenuous exertion.
Her fists lashed out in a controlled - as controlled as they possibly could be, considering the circumstances - patter toward Kyu's chest and face as she cried, unable to reasonably tell why she was so upset. She certainly didn't want to attack him, and even moreso did not want to hurt him (though such an event seemed unlikely; the reasonable side of her sending a whispered word from it's place in the metaphorical filing cabinet), but try as she might, Charlotte somehow could not stop herself from raining blow after blow at him, struggling at any attempts he might make to subdue or calm her.
Her sobs, however, betrayed the fact that she really had no intention of fighting any possible comfort.
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Post by Kyukaku on Aug 8, 2007 21:37:06 GMT 1
Kyukaku furrowed his brow, Charlotte retorting with a statement that would have seemed rather funny, if not for the fact she seemed genuinely upset. She freed herself from his his grip, Kyukaku doing nothing to fight this action. He took a mental step backwards as Charlotte proceeded to yell at him, with what he knew to be displaced anger.
I know I'm not an expert on all that is Charlotte, but I've never seen her seem frustrated, let alone breaking down!
For a moment he was at a loss, Charlotte seemed to refuse accepting Kyu's very presence. For a moment, he doubted if he'd be any real help to her. Then with all the fury of a pouting girl, Charlotte seemed to collapse forward into Kyu's chest. His arms went out to catch her, holding her up which in his mind only pissed her off all the more as she began to rain down on him with small punches.
Then she began to cry.
Her fists made dull thuds against the pectoral muscles of Kyukaku, who crooked his head forward to look down at the girl. After meeting Charlotte and interacting with her from time to time, she never lost her cool. Not once. In fact, her whole mindset reminded him of Stern's, though he certainly hoped she plotted a whole lot less. Kyu would never of though he would see Charlotte break down, and now that he had, Kyu would do everything he could to calm her back down.
He moved his right arm around to the small of her back, pulling her into him even as she continued to hammer him with her fists. He'd hold her close to him, bringing his left hand around to the back of her head to rest it against his shoulder. He moved her gently, though still firmly to reaffirm that he was there. It was the same sort of feeling someone had when they hit something out of anger; it was the need of tangibility, the feeling to actually put your energy elsewhere to ease the pain.
"Hey, hey...it'll be alright." He whispered, attempting to reassure her of that fact as he held her within his arms.
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Post by charlotte on Aug 12, 2007 4:03:36 GMT 1
"I CAN'T!" she screamed through wracked sobs at Kyu - her statement a gloriously incoherant one when placed next to his reassuring comfort.
Charlotte did not struggle against him as he pulled her closer to him in what was, in simplest terms, an embrace between one friend and another - one who needed the help, and one who gave said help. As she drew close enough to have her head lay upon Kyukaku's shoulder, her fists ceased thier relentless pounding as the junior merely fell slack and limp in his arms, as if no longer able to support herself.
Whether he would hold her up or not, Charlotte continued to sob, though the reasons for her initial frustration and sadness had long since been lost upon her.
All that remained was the feeling.
So much at once, it seemed: the rage, the frustration, sadness and hopelessness and resentment; the stupidity of it, envy, wrath, pride; nothing but bliss and sickness of want and waste. It was a jumble, and Charlotte did nothing other than sob.
I might have been three hours - it may have been three seconds. And while in all actuality it was closer to half-an hour, the Junior didn't know how long she sobbed to Kyu. Or simply didn't care. And when it was done - when she had cried all that she could - she merely shivered, the raging rush of so much pent up emotion taking it's toll on her body so much to the point that he next words were barely a whisper.
"I got rescued again ..." she didn't speak in resentment - not anymore - but merely stated it as it were a fact, ready to hear Kyu and not struggle against his calming words now.
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Post by Kyukaku on Aug 16, 2007 6:46:26 GMT 1
(OOC: Not only is it late, but it's short too. I'm sorry Sarah ) The jumbled words that came out in a mixture of sobs was incoherent to Kyukaku, who didn't quite understand what Charlotte had tried to yell. Frankly, it didn't quite matter in his eyes. She was 'speaking' with pure emotion, meaning it likely had any real meaning rather than a way to vent. Kyukaku muttered in mild surprise as Charlotte''s body weight seemed to drop. Rather than letting her fall to the ground like a rag doll, Kyukaku hefted her up, holding the girl with relative ease as her sobs grew heavier. Time had passed, more than Kyukaku had realized. After the first few minutes, his mind began to wander. He didn't know what exactly was wrong with Charlotte. It could be school related, it could be family stress; hell, it could be something with Leon. What had flustered Charlotte could be any number of things, with no way for Kyu to tell at this point. Then with a shiver, she breathed what had to be the reasoning. "Rescued huh..." Kyu more repeated than asked, trailing off as he began to think. "Is that what you think always happens to you?"
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Post by charlotte on Aug 18, 2007 5:41:23 GMT 1
(OOC: You're forgiven Tyler ) "Isn't it?" Charlotte whispered again, sniffing back slightly as she did so. "I get threatened by an idiot poser, I get saved by a Pillar. I get attacked by the same idiot poser, I get rescued by Leon and the same Pillar." Ever so slowly, her whispered tone - words still caught in a half-sniffle or sob - began to grow increasingly bitter and angry. Though the level of her voice never raised, the shift in emotions would be plain as day. "And now, when I have a rotten-shitty day I have to cry and someone I really barely know has to be here to comfort me," she half-cursed, a few words coming out choked as the thought dredged up an old memory, once again, of the last time she had cried. Cooking canned soup. It was ridiculous to think of, but that only made her jerk spasmodically as she gave a dry heave - no tears left to cry. Charlotte gave another sniffle as she stood, her heart thumping from the exertion of her brutal run, then the time spent sobbing harder than she could remember sobbing. Emotions on the low-negative spectrum were the least displayed by the junior. Low-positive, high-positive, and high-negative were her usuals: bliss, contentment, and rage. Growing accustomed to her emotions over the past few months had been done, in part, by Leon and part by the seemingly vast experiences she had accumulated since coming to Hircine. More and more, being happy and showing that rather than anger, frustration, or cool sarcasm. But sadness had never been something she had been able to show. Everything else, yet sadness was a mystery to her; how to show it properly, when to show it, when to know when it was really justified. So she decided to tell Kyukaku that. "I ..." a dry heave, "... I don't know." Or not. "It's never balanced!" she managed to half-sob. "Too much of myself, or too much of being rescued ... you probably think I'm an idiot for thinking like that." The last remark was bitter, but it was spoken with a conviction that said she believed every word she had assumed about Kyu's take on her situation.
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Post by Kyukaku on Aug 19, 2007 0:06:44 GMT 1
As Charlotte spoke, responses formulated in Kyukaku's mind. Rather than speaking them out however, he remained silent. Kyu allowed Charlotte to finish, mentally plotting that during her monolgue, she would begin to work things out herself. Sometimes that all it took, putting a voice to your thoughts, no matter who the person you shared them with.
"Hardly."
Kyu's response was short, though still held the same gentle yet firm tone. "Let me tell you something. Back in Varron, I was just there for a few months tops at the time. I was the target of a serial murderer, and despite fighting back I was still almost killed. I was saved by your boyfriend, someone I had only met once at the time.
"Same people, different scenario: I'm at home, only to be targeted again. This time, I thought I handled it on my own. I got cut up pretty bad, but in the end I ended up putting him through a glass door. Turns out, I passed out from blood loss, and he came to before me. I'm a barely concious hostage, saved by you know who."
Kyukaku paused, taking a deep breath. He hesitated a moment, arguing with himself on whether or not to share the next parts, eventually deciding to go ahead, with a few cuts here and there.
"I was framed, the false crime sending me to jail after being beaten down by a friend I consider a brother: Dain Gavyns. Later, I get bailed out of there by someone who was always considered an enemy, despite the fact I got along with him fine. Fast forward to a few months ago, and I was buried alive, believe it or not. Your boy toy bailed me out of that too." Kyukaku took a long pause, allowing everything to sink in before continuing.
"And there's a point to my ramble. While I would rather not think of myself as a damsel, I can't deny that I haven't been able to always care for myself. Like you said, I've always been too much to myself, or too much in need of help. Thing is, its not always like that. That serial murderer is now dead, Dain and I are better than ever, and I can recall saving your boyfriend on more than one occassion myself."
Kyukaku moved his hands to Charlotte's shoulders, holding her at arms distance as he lowered his gaze to look directly into her eyes.
"Just like you. Despite what it may have looked like to anyone else, or even you Charlotte, you were the one who saved us the other day. Zeniro is a loose cannon, as I know from experience, and you were able to talk him down somehow.
"You're no damsel, Charlotte. You're one hell of a woman."
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Post by charlotte on Aug 21, 2007 0:23:35 GMT 1
"I've heard that before ..." Charlotte replied, managing a smile though she was sure it would end up looking more like a left over quiver from crying so hard.
She didn't mention or dwell on anything Kyu had said about his past; especially when it considered mention of a serial killer, deaths, or buried alive, though now with her mental faculties slowly returning, she made a note to perhaps "dig up" some facts on it. There: a pun. A dark pun and about a matter that was probably very serious in Kyukaku's memory, but it was an internal attempt at a joke nonetheless.
That feeling of bliss, she knew, would not return for a while yet, but at least the rage was ebbing away steadily and the sadness that had gripped her did also.
"I could have gone any way ... I had no idea if what I was doing was going cool the situation or make it worse and," she paused, her next words betraying two things:
One was a clear worry at the subject and at the current state of discussion and her feelings. The second was almost a clear cut broadcast that what she had originally professed as a simple crush on Leon might be, and in fact probably was, much more. Which in the end was the source of most of her worry.
"Leon was upset."
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Post by Seth Calloway on Aug 21, 2007 5:54:31 GMT 1
"He should be."
The words, while harsh, weren't spoken in a particularly hostile manner, instead coming forth in a matter-of-fact nature. Should the two look off to the side, they would see Seth standing there, his face having a self-satisfied smile as he watched the students. His hands remained in his pockets, a lit cigarette hanging out of the left side of his mouth at a jaunty angle, even as he contemplated what he'd just heard. It seemed both the male and the female had been through rough times, though from what had been spoken, the male had apparently had more physical difficulties. Yet, his attention remained on the female, the one who was needing the pick-me-up.
"Why do you think he got upset, hm? Would he have cared to the same extent if he didn't have feelings for you?"
The question was mainly meant to be rhetorical, though Seth would certainly listen if Charlotte chose to reply. The sophomore walked closer, taking care to stop well out of the two student's personal space. After all, he hadn't started speaking to them in order to become the bad guy. Quite the opposite, actually, he intended to give a small measure of assistance.
"If he truly cares, then he'll come around, sooner rather than later. After all, they say the first fight is the hardest, right?"
Seth gave his most charming smile, hoping to set off the fact that he was a complete stranger giving possibly unwanted input. At the moment, he was somewhat ignoring the male, though that was mainly due to the fact he was waiting for a response from the girl first.
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Post by Kyukaku on Aug 23, 2007 5:44:41 GMT 1
That's all?
Kyukaku kept to himself, showing no outward sign to upset Charlotte once again. It seemed rather outrageous that this was the stem of Charlotte's pain. Though, when one put into account that any details on that subject were unknown, it was much easier to grasp. Anything could of happened between the couple, and Kyu wasn't going to assume anything.
The next words surprised Kyukaku, in a way that probably would have made him jump if his nerves hadn't been forced to steel over in the past year. At first, the newcomer sounded harsh; then quickly brought more words forth that sounded much more reassuring.
Kyu remained silent as the other male spoke. For one, he wasn't being spoken to, and as a result he would have felt it impolite if he cut in instead. The male spoke with a lot of confidence, subconciously causing Kyu to think he knew Charlotte from another time, whether this was indeed the case or not. Instead of saying anything, whether it be in agreement or not, Kyukaku took a social step back, awaiting to see how Charlotte would react first. Maybe this Seth actually knew what was going on between the couple, whereas Kyukaku had no idea.
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Post by charlotte on Aug 23, 2007 7:01:33 GMT 1
"FUCKOFF!" Charlotte's head whipped around once the arrival had finished speaking, her eyes - tearstained - full of an unbridled sort of fury.
"I never said we're fighting now, only that he was upset. And even if he still was, maybe you should have stood there longer to learn that that isn't the ONLY thing going on right now!"
Her breath came in several ragged, angry gasps as her eyes shot back to Kyu, who had by then taken a step back. Her eyes lingered only a moment as a conscious recognition of his movement before snapping back to the new voice.
"Who are you, exactly?" she accused. "Just a concerned passerby? Or do you actually, honestly have an ulterior motive for the little pick-me-up?"
Charlotte took a step toward him in a manner that could only be construed as threatening; animalistic. The worst negative emotions she had ever felt were in sharp fluctuation. Mood swings and intense outbursts of all sorts were likely to continue for some time: several years of introversion fed through the frustration of recent events and spiked with the stimulant of personal self-loathing.
Her mind did a double take, however, as she reprocessed the stranger's words, accentuated by the smile. A split second was all it took for her to reconsider his words as well as her own.
Then Charlotte's shoulders slumped as she wobbled slightly, breaking off eye contact.
"... sorry ..." she mumbled, and shot a brief over-the-shoulder glance at Kyu.
"I've ... been thinking a lot lately," she said ambiguously, though implying such thoughts had led her to her current state.
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Post by Seth Calloway on Aug 23, 2007 19:19:26 GMT 1
Seth's eyes widened at the sudden burst of emotion, the sudden mood swing from being somewhat calm to such a rage catching him off guard. He was beginning to ponder whether or not he'd made a mistake when the girl began to calm down, softly apologizing, though the sophomore would not be so presumptuous as to assume it automatically be directed towards him. Still, Seth's emotional armor was not so fragile as to be shaken by such anger. The pause in conversation was enough for him to take a drag from his cigarette, blowing the smoke out the side of his mouth as he flicked the ashes onto the ground, clutching the tobacco between his index and middle fingers on his right hand.
"Seth Calloway. And while it may not have been outright concern that made me stop, let me assure you that I have no intention of pulling the wool over either of your eyes, or your friend there. I'm simply curious."
It was an old trick Seth had learned long ago, one that had helped him fool even the most accurate judges of character. By never actually lying and asking for small tidbits of information, Seth was able to come across as completely genuine, often arising little to no suspiscion over the sorts of conversations he had. He glanced over to the other boy, taking note of the lack of words spoken from him, likely in some part to be him analyzing the situation. If this was indeed the case, then Seth would need to be careful.
"I was curious as to what sort of problems, or thoughts in this case I suppose, would drive someone to such frustration. It's not every day that you see someone launching into a rampage on defenseless trees, you know."
Idly, Seth realized that while he had given his name, he had not in turn asked for theirs. It would probably have been shot down quickly, given the tense situation, but still, he would wait for an opportunity to ask. After all, it never hurt to put a name to the faces he would remember.
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Post by Kyukaku on Aug 23, 2007 22:53:11 GMT 1
Whoa.
Whoever thought that women's mood swings was nothing but a stereotype, had obviously not been present for Charlotte's breakdown. Her mood had taken a relapse, going back to rage and once again settling on calm with a hint of depression. Since she didn't seem to know Seth after all, Kyukaku took a step forward again, bringing himself to Charlotte's side after she shot a glance over her shoulder.
Kyu brought his left hand up and gave Charlotte a quick reassuring rub inbetween her shoulderblades, before dropping his arm back to his side as he brought his attention fully to the new comer. He had introduced himself, and even though he hadn't asked for their names in return, Kyukaku felt inclined to do so as he extended his right hand for a handshake.
"I'm Tyler, though everyone seems to call me Kyu."
He purposefully didn't introduce Charlotte, as if she wanted to give her name he felt she would do so on her own. Kyu wanted to add more, possibly explain the situation some more. However, he held his tongue past the introduction. Really, it wasn't his own business what Charlotte's problems were, let alone Seth's. Charlotte had opened up to Kyukaku, but that was her choice. If she wanted to do so with this one, it would be her choice once again.
(OOC: Eh. Crappy post.)
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Post by charlotte on Aug 26, 2007 23:04:54 GMT 1
(OOC: I'm really sorry for the three-day absence, and the really short-ness ) Throwing another, albeit breif, look to Kyu after his own introduction, Charlotte turned to Seth Calloway and conveniently forgot to offer her own name as she spoke. "Not every day, no," she trailed off, her somber look transforming into a sombre glare, then a plain suspicious glare. It was very clear that her emotions were still pulling and driving her: sending her normal thought processes on overdrive and flooding any usual reservations. She took another step toward Seth, but making sure to maintain a large enough distance between them, not masking her intent as she studied him: facial features, appearance, body language, stance, attire. Being approched by him had not been the same as being approached by Tyler Scott in the slightest. While Kyu had been a friendly aquaintence and Charlotte trusted him through Leon, Seth - the newcomer - was a total stranger. Or was he? Seth Calloway. Perhaps she had heard something in the usual whispers; somewhere amongst talks of the Watchers, Ein Gilsin, Darren, or Odin Reeves. Or perhaps it was just a name she was recalling due to her heightened state of sensitivity. Likely the latter. "So what is it you want, really?" She voice had no pretenses that she still believed Seth had some ulterior motive other than a simple curiosity. She spent much of her formative years near ulterior motives and dealings after all; some of that was bound to rub off during such a state.
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Post by Seth Calloway on Aug 27, 2007 4:05:38 GMT 1
(My posts aren't anything special either, no worries.)
A courteous nod was made in Kyukaku's direction, acknowledging his introduction once it was made, though going no further than that. Since Tyler hadn't made any further effort to continue their conversation, Seth wouldn't do so either at the moment, as it seemed he had more pressing concerns to deal with.
The girl stepped closer, openly studying Seth with her gaze, while the sophomore continued to meet her calculating eyes with an even expression. It wasn't quite impassive, as it was simply returning the favor, Seth attempting to understand the female in front of him as well as he could before continuing to ask questions. It seemed, however, that the older student wanted to get to the point, something Seth could understand and respect.
"I was hoping to learn more about Hircine, actually, as well as some of the people in it. I've heard offhand comments of Stern Mason, as well as of the Watchers, but to be honest, I don't know much else about them other than the names."
Another small puff of smoke escaped the side of Seth's mouth, directed away from those in front of him in an effort to be courteous. He wasn't sure whether the two were still hostile towards him, but nevertheless, he wouldn't take any chances.
"I transferred in not that long ago, and haven't had much time to get the lay of the land, so to speak. And it never helps to know people, like Tyler and... what was your name, again?"
Once again, the ball was in the girl's court, to see whether she'd risk being outright rude and deny Seth her name.
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Post by charlotte on Aug 29, 2007 23:58:35 GMT 1
She took a deep breath, studying his actions again as she did so; unable to find that suspicious ulterior motive that she had been searching for.
"Charlotte," she said simply, though conveniently forgetting to mention her last name. While not as common name as some, Charlotte was not uncommon enough for her to be easily picked out of a crowd. However, against her paranoid judgement, she continued: offering Seth her last name as well.
"Charlotte Anders."
Suffice to say the true ulterior motive she had been searching for in Seth Calloway seemed nonexistant - the one he had confessed to was hardly a cause for alarm, so her paranoia began to wind itself down. The constant fluctuating stream of emotions that had been coursing through her, too, was calming, having run most of its course.
A person wanting to know about the school was nothing to be uptight about; after all, she had once been in a similar position, though she had not been actively searching for information - wanting to be an active part of the school community, only a functioning one.
"So what do you want to know?"
She felt her nerves return to her; mind taking control of her body and senses as the raw emotion, now spent in her system, began ebbing away. Control was coming back - albiet slowly, but back nonetheless.
Back in middle school she had tried a cigarette or two; the few people she had managed to befriend were smokers, and though she looked upon the habit with open disdain, she raised an eyebrow. It hadn't killed her lungs, the few she had ever had - she was still a far better runner than most anyone she knew - and in the three years since she had ever had one, there had been no cravings for any. Nevertheless, Charlotte felt like one now, strangely. Just one. Likely it had been because of all the crying.
"You have another one of those?" she nodded her head in the direction of Seth's cigarette.
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Post by Kyukaku on Aug 30, 2007 21:45:16 GMT 1
(OOC: This is the result of you forcing me to reply despite writer's block.)
Unlike Charlotte, Kyukaku had absolutely no recollection of the name Seth Calloway. Despite the name being used quite often within the schools these days, Kyu had been very preoccupied, barely making it to his classes lately as it was. Despite the lack of his own suspicions, there was no denying that there was a certain tension in the air. Something was indeed wrong here, but with the lack of evidence to what that something was, Kyu brushed it off, watching as the conversation began.
Slowly, Charlotte began to return to the usual self that Kyukaku was familiar with. She was once again becomming rather blunt and straight forward. Seth however, didn't seem phased at all by this. He merely carried on as usual. Charlotte nodded for a cigarette, bringing a small frown to Kyu's face. It was always someone's own choice to smoke, but it was something Kyu had always dissaproved of. With everything that could go wrong in this world, why poison yourself?
Kyu snapped his attention back towards the actual situation at hand, which is what exactly Seth wanted to know. Come to think of it, it was a rarity for a new student to come up randomly to other students, especially ones that looked like were dealing with an emotional crisis. Even the more outgoing ones usually showed some uneasiness when approaching new people in a new school. The fact that Seth wasn't uneasy, began to make Kyu just that.
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Post by Seth Calloway on Sept 2, 2007 21:10:07 GMT 1
(Sorry, I've been busy like everyone else, it seems.)
The corners of Seth's mouth raised ever so slightly, hardly able to contain his amusement as Charlotte introduced herself. He'd half-expected her to continue withholding her name, but instead, it seemed she knew how to play the game as well. It was a welcome change from most, as it was no fun playing if you were the only one who knew the rules. Pleased as he was, he didn't spare a second thought in withdrawing a second cigarette from his pocket, holding the filter between his index and middle fingers while clutching the lighter in the remaining ones. In a rather nonchalant manner, he extended his left hand, palm upwards, for Charlotte to take the cigarette and light it herself.
"Well, I suppose the best place to start would be with the students. From what I understand, Hircine used to follow the Pillar system, but now there's the new security group. Supposedly, Stern Mason is the reason for this change."
The students were the key to what was to come, though that was no real surprise to anyone, no doubt. The Watchers, however, had made things considerably easier, a universal scapegoat to blame. All that was left was to find out more about Seth's target group, and what they responded to positively.
"What he did, how he did it, why.... these are the things that interest me. If I am to do anything about the current administration, I'd prefer to know what it was formed from.'
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Post by charlotte on Sept 2, 2007 21:42:39 GMT 1
Charlotte didn't notice the frown, taking the cigarette lightly between her own index and middle fingers, placing it between her lips and flicking the lighter breifly. A small drag as the flame lit the the tip, and she handed the lighter back to Seth - now extinguished.
She exhaled smoke, plucking the cigarette from her lips with her index finger and thumb; one arm crossing her chest to hold her upper arm - the one that held the cigarette - as she relaxed her hips and stood easily.
"What he did, how he did it, why.... these are the things that interest me. If I am to do anything about the current administration, I'd prefer to know what it was formed from."
Charlotte took another light drag from the cigarette, but in retrospect, decided it was not the best course of action after running at a breakneck pace for so long, then sobbing for an equally great length of time. No break for her lungs.
She offered a cough - a small one, but with an almost nostalgic slight smile that broadcasted the cough had less to do with her system being unused to it, and more for another factor.
"There was a reason I never took this up as a habit," she said lightly, once Seth had finished his question. Charlotte held up the cigarette thoughtfully before she took another puff, seeming determined to finish it, but certainly in no hurry to do so.
"Not addictive like I thought, and certainly not appealing like I thought." Regardless, she shrugged.
"I'll tell you what you want to know, but before I answer, I'll raise you one myself:
"You said you were intending to do something about the current administration. Are you with a group of-like minded individuals?"
Now Charlotte was clearly fishing. The name Seth Calloway was somehow familiar to her, though she still had no idea as to where she had heard it, or why it should seem familiar at all. A gang leader perhaps? An up-and-coming fighter who had been proving himself amongst Hircine's elite? Her question had been a simple one, and a yes or no would be acceptable to her; but it had been worded intentionally as so.
She scanned her peripherals for Kyu, wanting him to stay nearer: both for support - her emotional control was still at a significantly lessened state - and she preferred to talk with strangers in the woods with a person she called a friend nearby.
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