something wicked this way comes. [open]

[emilie]

Emilie Vanderbilt was decidedly lost. She had gotten here not all that long ago, only days before the semester had started. She hadn't done much to explore the campus yet. A lot of her spare time was spent getting unpacked and decorating her room to fit her tastes. It had taken more time than she had wanted to spend getting all set up, but in a way she had been delaying. Emilie was nervous. She as starting college in a new school, an unfamiliar state, and with students like her who had a few extra talents. It was the last part that worried her most. In high school she had no rules governing her powers use. She had been able to use it and experiment with it however she wished. Now she was at a school that knew about it with other students that could possibly be wise to her ways; how much would she be able to get away with?

There would be time to dwell on that later though. First she had to try and figure out how to navigate the corridors. Her first class had started ten minutes ago and she still hadn't found the classroom. Such a great first impression to make, she was sure of it, being late on the first day. Lateness was not something she did. By nature Emilie was a punctual person, especially when it came to first impressions. The last thing she needed was everyone thinking ill of her on her first day. That particular opinion would develop later when she was more comfortable testing the boundaries.

Unfortunately, she seemed to be having trouble getting help. No one seemed to want to stop and assit the wide eyed beauty with dark hair and pale skin. In fact a younger student (probably no older than thirteen or fourteen) had scampered away out of her presence just on sight alone. A small part of Emilie was pleased by that reaction; it meant she held some power here already. It was the sort of mysterious, anonymous power she had thrived on all through middle and high school. It felt familiar, a welcomed feeling.

But, right now it was doing nothing to get her where she needed to be. It was hard to get directions from someone if the way she dressed and carried herself (proudly with a look of fierce determination) chased them all off. Which is why she'd decided to bully the next person she came across into helping her out. Maybe if she spoke before they could run she would finally be able to get to class. "You there! Excuse me, I need some help."

[Jacquelyn King]

A small crease between Jackie’s brows marked her foul mood as she strode through the halls with an air of dominance and confidence about her. After being subjected to Jackie’s terrorizing and belligerent nature for the six months that she’d been at Silas, the students new better than to so much as look at Jackie on days such as these. Restless the evening before, Jackie spent the night training in the gym, alone for a while before getting some practice in with her newest boy toy, Seth Turner. Her arms and legs were sore from her time with the heavy bag, and her ribs were bruised from the sparring match. Every breath agitated her aching sides and her muscles were tight from overuse, but neither of those were the cause of her darkened mood.

Toward the end of her fight with Seth, the power absorber lost control of his ability for just a moment, but the lapse in control was enough so that he completely absorbed Jackie’s power. But that wasn’t what had soured her mood either. In fact, she was elated when she discovered that she was free from her curse of having her ears talked off by ghosts, from seeing and feeling their constant presence. She reveled in the peace that she was deprived of for so many years. Until her power returned to her a few hours later while she soaked in an ice bath. Gared, a male student who had died at Silas decades ago, decided to drop in for a chat. On most days Jackie didn’t mind Gared, but his appearance was a reminder that even Seth couldn’t free her of her curse forever.

The students parted towards the edges of the hall when Jackie neared but carried on with their own business, not wanting to give her any reason to start tormenting them. People were easy for Jackie to deal with. All it took was a few daunting threats, or a well formed punch to the face for the really tenacious. But the dead were far more difficult. Even after Jackie coldly ordered Gared to leave, he continued to lounge around her bathroom, blabbing on about how he had been following her since about 3 in the morning when she left the gym, but that she had ignored him all the way up until then. As of yet, Jackie has been unable to get the ghost to shut up and leave her be. The medium hadn’t slept at all the night before; by the time she got out of her ice bath and showered, it was already time for her to get ready for class.

“You should lighten up some dearling, how many times do I have to tell you? That scowl does not become you.” The ghost strolled casually by her side, but she was the only one who could hear or see him. The medium’s lips formed a tight line as she tried to keep herself calm. Getting angry and violent with a ghost was utterly pointless. There was nothing she could do to shake free from Gared, she’d just have to try to ignore him again.

Jackie pulled up to her locker, deftly turning the combination lock before swinging it open with unnecessary force, letting the door clang noisily against the locker that was beside hers. She heard a soft “tsk” from Gared, but made no signs of acknowledging him. As she dug through her messy locker in search of some caffeine tablets, a girl’s voice called out to her, asking for help. The medium didn’t even spare a glance as she continued her search, desperate for something to help with her fatigue and get her through the day. Maybe she should just skip? Gared would probably leave if she slept, but then Jenkins would scold her for cutting class and wouldn’t let her get even a wink of sleep.

“Jackie she’s talking to you,” Gared pointed out as he leaned against the lockers, before adding in a sarcastic tone “I think she’s new, help her out Jackie, I know that warm and welcoming part of you is just dying to make itself known to the world.” A frustrated sigh echoed from within the confines of Jackie’s locker before she spat in a venomous tone, “Shut the hell up and get lost.” Although it was directed at Gared, Jackie was sure that the new girl would think she was talking to her since she was the only other person around. That is, the only other living person.

[emilie]

Well that didn't quite get the reaction she wanted. She could feel her blood boil as she tried to keep her annoyance at bay. Getting angry would be of no use right now. She could scream and yell all she wanted but it wouldn't get her to her class. So instead she stood where she was in the middle of the hall, glowering at the form of the girl who was ignoring her plea for assistance.

What on earth was the matter with this school? It was a learning institution, a place dedicated to helping students gain knowledge. Well, right now she needed to learn where her classroom was and thus far she had seemed to encounter the most useless heathens in this place. The students here were nothing but a bunch of no-nothing cowards. And now, finally, when she had managed to find someone willing to stay put for more than two minutes, she was being ignored!

It took a good deal of control to not release her power in a fit of agitation. Just because the girl was ignoring was no reason to make the stranger's stomach upset. At least, not yet. They always said third time was a charm and so far she'd only earned one strike. Still, she couldn't help pulling ever so slightly at the stomach acids that burned within the distant figure, intent to make her stomach flop once or twice before allowing it to settle back down.

Long, elegant strides carried her closer to the medium, lips about to part with another demand for help. Oblivious to the ghosts or the stranger's ability to interact with them, what happened next caught her off guard. She hadn't even said anything yet! Not beyond her initial outburst, at least, and that had been several minutes ago. Standing at full height (which frankly wasn't very tall at only five feet four inches), she stared down her unhelpful companion with cold fury. Now was not the time to try her patience. If she didn't find her class soon the janitor would be working overtime. Her voice was just as harsh as her glare. "I would be happy to do just that. As soon as you tell me where this classroom is."