What did I agree to?!

[The Headmistress]

Lillian took a deep breath while waiting in the simulation room hallway. Any moment now the selected students would be entering through the door, nervous of the events they would soon be facing. Each of them had been (slightly) informed on what they would be doing and what was expected of them. They were asked whether or not they agreed to the terms. Those who did not want to participate were allowed to leave. At the sound of a creaking door, Lillian looked up with a comforting smile upon her lips. “Welcome everyone! Nervous?” she asked pleasantly. It was a rhetorical question. Silas had never held an event like this before. It was the first of its kind! She hoped they would enjoy it…

The Headmistress peered around at the small, fidgety group of students. “I know some of you are not confident in using your ability. Some of you probably feel as if your power would be useless for this event. But I would like for you to remember that ever power is useful in its own way. This event was designed to display and demonstrate your capabilities using an “in the field” technique. By the time you finish, you may have found ways to use your abilities that might have never occurred to you before. Not only is this competition a way to keep everyone on their toes, but it is a way to learn about you and your power. Now without further ado, let’s place you into your room. I will go over the rules once everyone is situated.” Walking over to one of the many simulation rooms, the old woman turned around to address her crowd once more. “Ah, I forgot to remind you. The entire school will be watching. Make me proud.” Winking, Lillian opened the door, “Mr. Bailey, your room.”

The woman gave Rufus a radiant smile as he walked into the metallic tiled room. “You may stand wherever. Good luck.” The door swung shut with a bang. Lillian went to the next door placing each and every student until she stood alone in the hallway once more. Minutes later found her in the master control room. Several screens illuminated before her each containing one of the students. A microphone sat before her as she slid into her seat. Now she was addressing the rest of Silas Academy who sat in the specially prepared Great Hall fitted with many TV screens. Her face popped up on each screen. The noise in the hall went dead as everyone tuned in eager to know what this was all about.

“Good morning everyone and welcome to the first annual Silas Academy Capture the Flag!” Her voice echoed around the grounds from all speakers. Skeptically, most of the students looked at one another. This idea sounded lame. “Oh don’t worry. I promise it will be an exciting match. This is no ordinary Capture the Flag, you see. Allow me to explain. Several of your fellow students were randomly selected and placed into their own simulation room. The program, also randomly selected, will set each student at a starting point on the same simulated map. When the buzzer sounds they will have to work their way around the map to find the flag. Once you find the flag, you must put it into the flag holder on the mountain's shrine. Whoever puts the flag into the holder wins!”

Murmurs were whispered amongst the students. The event still had not caught their attention. Sighing, Lillian lightly shook her head, “Still not entertained I see. I guess students using their powers to battle, out-smart, and out-compete one another does not hold your interest.” That seemed to get some of their attention at least. “Enough explaining. Let me get to the rules so we can get this party started!” Students in the Great Hall groaned. Old people were not allowed to use such hip terminology.

“Here are some tips and guidelines that must be followed. Personal grudges are to be set aside for this match. Anyone found using this competition as a means to get back at their fellow students will be eliminated from the tournament. A group of referees will be watching you throughout the match. Remember that this is a simulation. Although the event may seem extremely realistic, you cannot be physically hurt. However that does not mean you should go around throwing huge rocks at people’s heads intending to give them a concussion or blasting everyone with great balls of fire.” Rolling her eyes, Lillian knew at least one of the students would probably try it. “The flag can be located anywhere within the map. You have been provided with a holographic wrist watch which will allow you to view the map. You have the ability to place an “X” onto areas where the flag is not located by taping that point on the hologram.”

Back in the control room Lillian began pressing various buttons to get the simulators running. It was almost time. “Use your powers to gain an advantage in the field. Be creative and most importantly have fun. A cash prize and school wide fame awaits the victor. Good luck everyone!” The Great Hall microphone was cut off, but Lillian could keep in touch with the individuals in the game if she needed to via a speaker in their watch. For a moment the TVs in the Great Hall flickered through the waiting, chosen students. “Run program 6246.” The computer sitting before her confirmed the action and a whirling sound began.

Each simulation room turned pure white while building up and transforming into the program’s design. Soon the students were standing in various areas on the same interactive map. Some were in a forestry setting. A couple of others found themselves surrounded by large ruined structures of what could have been a great civilization. An unfortunate couple found themselves dropped into the middle of a lake or river. “One last reminder, competitors: in addition to your fellow students, each area on the map holds a new and difficult challenge. You are not just competing against each other. Get ready. The match will begin when the buzzard sounds.”

Seconds ticked by. Buuuuuuuuuuuzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[/i] It had begun![/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[Rufus Lee Bailey]

Upon meeting up with the headmistress in her office regarding the event, Rufus knew exactly how to prepare; Skype his father. The current army helicopter pilot became so elated with his son's "mission" that he wrote up a strict training regiment for Rufus to follow. This included rigorous exercise and a new diet... not like Ruf even had the capability to gain weight anyway. Rufus himself loved the army; the training courses, their determination, and their message to protect the homeland. So of course he jumped at the chance to act out like one. His father's expectations were enthusiastically met and the pilot learned to turn a blind eye to Ruf's stories of falling asleep during class.

"Aye, nervous." But prepared, nervous and prepared. Rufus stood between two competitors and traced one of his many tattoos; a bird etched onto the back of his right hand. Despite his nerves, Ruf did not allow his usual friendly nature to waver as he greeted each of the students with a grin and a wave. Greetings put aside, the seventeen year old listened to Ms. Palmer's instructions. He never stopped tracing the tattoo.

Though his attempt to ease his nerves was failing, Rufus still cracked a smile upon the headmistress' mentioning of an "in the field" method. He clearly heard army mission. The teen also nearly laughed out loud at Lillian's previous words, "Some of you probably feel as if your power would be useless for this event. But I would like for you to remember that ever power is useful in its own way." ... Rufus could change to match his surroundings, he was not an element manipulator or some sort of winged boy. He was far from some sort of human battle weapon. Ironic really, since it was the army making him attend Silas in the first place. Whether Rufus had an amazing power or not, he still found himself fascinated with those of the other Silas students. It was strange to know this was an opportunity to focus on his own.

Rufus clapped and rubbed his hands together, "An audience! How fantastic." Despite his enthusiasm, he was merely trying hard to ignore his increasing heartbeat. The anxious teenager switched from tracing the bird of ink to grasping his bracelet. Said bracelet was a piece of camouflage material, ripped from his dad's uniform to be precise, which Rufus tied around his wrist. His dad suggested he wear it for good luck. He also suggested Rufus pull on full army gear, but Rufus stopped it at the bracelet. Besides, he really didn't need any extra camouflage. Rufus tried to encourage himself by thinking he didn't need any special attire... though his thoughts wavered upon the slamming of the simulation door. He tied the bracelet a little tighter.

At Lillian's words, Ruf clasped the holographic watch onto a spot above his bracelet. His nerves eased ever so slightly upon having an extra security blanket. Currently he was wearing usual school attire, which also meant a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. The lighter would come in handy right? If not for strategy, maybe the combined resources of the cigarettes and lighter would calm him completely. He smiled at the thought and continued to listen to the rest of her instructions. At the same time, Rufus went over some of his father's advice prior to the game. Use your power to the best of your ability, even if the idea seems useless at the time. The seventeen year old placed a finger to his bottom lip and nodded. He resolved to use his power the second he entered the simulation. Seemed pretty useless, so according to his father it had to be the perfect time. The screen suddenly went white and Rufus felt the floor drop out beneath him.

The water quickly rushed above his head.. or what was visible of it. Rufus allowed his skin to match with the churning waters and sand below, though his clothes remained the same. Water filled his nostrils as he struggled to the surface. After a long moment of kicking and sputtering, the teen broke through the watery mirror and gasped for air. He swam over and latched onto a large tree root which dipped into the river. With a grunt he heaved himself upwards and clambered on top of the root, pressing his back against the trunk. He sat, skin invisible, and panted for nearly a minute. "She did that... on purpose." Rufus' extensive record of trouble making provided enough proof. However, he soon grinned at the thought of the headmistress having a sense of humor. Ruf liked that idea.

He continued to smile until he decided to search the contents of his pockets; a wet lighter and cigarettes. Also known as useless. Rufus groaned and pushed a few wet strands of hair away from his forehead. "She reeaaally did that on purpose." The teen shook his head and sighed before throwing the cigarettes into the river. They'd be no use. Though the lighter would be once it dried out, least that's what Rufus resolved to think. That problem dealt with.. sort of, the teenager stood up with one hand resting against the tree and surveyed his surroundings. The river stretched out before him, ever moving, while an extensive forest grew behind the teenager. "Hunger games much?" It was an easy decision on where to move first. But first, to deal with the wet clothing.

There was no good slugging his way through the forest in something both uncomfortable, and limiting. Rufus' power was contained to only his body. Eliminating this little barrier would probably give him a bigger advantage. Without another thought, off went the shirt. He looked towards the river and grinned, as if a hidden camera hovered inches in front of his face. Temporarily he allowed his tattoos to slide back in place, revealing his skin once more as he spoke. "For you my lovely headmistress, I keep my pants on." He snickered to himself and sat back down on the mass of tree roots, shirt still in hand. The teen continued to grin as he busied himself with ripping off the shirt sleeves. And what could this ridiculous boy be doing? Making a decoy.

WORDS! 1,041
TAGS! Everyone signed up for the thread
NOTES! None
CREDITS! Haze

[Alexandria Duvell]

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[atrb=background,http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m237/_Tsukiyo_/middlef3.png] Alex was never a stranger to confidence. Whether if it was in academia, using her powers, or making friends, Alex was always self-assured with her abilities and never had to suffer through anxiety like many others did and like she was now. As she passed through the doors and into the hallway in front of the simulation rooms, the tall brunette felt as if a horde of crabs were pinching and squeezing her gut. “Nervous” didn’t even begin to cover it. She greeted the Headmistress with the best smile she could muster and a wave as she went to stand next to the other students that were selected to participate in the competition. Her gaze fell upon a familiar face and lingered there for a moment, before she realized she was staring at Seth and forced herself to focus on the Headmistress. During the briefing with the Headmistress a few days past, Alex also saw who her opponents would be and wasn’t particularly concerned. But now, after having spent the past few days fretting over the ordeal and imagining several stressful scenarios, Alex felt as if she were being pitted against the Olympians of Mount Olympus. Could there be a more useless power for the competition than healing? At the moment, Alex couldn’t come up with anything. At least if she fell and scraped a knee she could heal herself and get right back into the game, she had that advantage over the others! Who was she kidding? That the whole school would be watching the entire competition was news to Alex. She grimaced when the Headmistress announced that bit of information, but she also knew that there would be no point in fighting it. As the students were ushered into their respective simulation rooms, Alex wished the others good luck with as much sincerity as she could before slumping off into the plain but bright room, frowning as the doors shut behind her. While the Headmistress explained what Alex already knew to the rest of the school, the healer tried to calm herself so she could figure out how to go about this. Her powers were completely useless, so she’d have to rely on her more basic abilities. Her intelligence and ingenuity could make up a bit for her lack of useful powers. And her fit condition from all her running and swimming would be useful if she ended up in rugged terrain. Just then, Alex realized that maybe her powers weren’t so useless after all. For Alex it was a small thing that she hardly noticed since she worked out by herself, but her body’s ability to heal itself also provided her with increased endurance. That helped to relieve at least some of her anxiety. Right now, Alex was wishing that she had devoted time to prepping and strategizing instead of fretting and wallowing. By the time Lillian had finished explaining the rules to the audience, Alex finally managed to gather most of her nerves and compose herself. She halfheartedly glanced down at the gadget on her wrist that was given to her earlier, but didn’t bother testing it out. What was the point? She was going to lose anyways. The seconds ticked by slow as ever as the Headmistress wished them luck and booted the program. The healer waited with her eyes closed as she stood in the center of the simulation room. Through her shut eyelids she could sense the room turning a bright white color, before darkening again. When she opened her eyes again, Alex found herself in an old growth forest with oaks and cedars and firs towering over her among many other tree species. She could see the sun overhead where it broke through the canopy and guessed that it was just a few hours before noon. “Have to start somewhere,” she said to herself as she started walking through the forest. After only a few minutes of weaving through the trees and wading through the brush and ferns, Alex realized that she was headed uphill. Maybe now would be a good time to make use of that spiffy gadget Lillian gave her. After pressing several buttons, Alex finally managed to get the holographic, interactive map to come up, a red dot marking her current location. Alex was currently amongst the foothills of a mountain. That would explain the incline. After studying the terrain around her current location, Alex decided that a trip to a stream up in the hills would be well worth the time. She’ll need water throughout the day and surely Lillian would have containers placed around rivers or streams. At least, she hoped so. The healer then set off in the direction of the stream, leaving her map open and occasionally glancing down at her wrist to make sure she was still headed in the right direction. Words: 808 Outift

[izzy]

SHE COULD BE A JOAN OF ARC

Logan was yet to discover how she had managed to get herself into this situation, though it had been a much better outcome than the one she had been expecting when she was called into the headmistress office that morning, unsure of what might have happened to get her into that situation. Her usual apology speech had almost kicked in before the elder woman got to explain what the reason behind her summoning to the office was. If anything, the talk the two of them had rendered the nineteen year old even more confused than she was before, but nevertheless, she was glad she was out of trouble.

She was informed of what she was supposed to be doing (as if anyone could consider that being informed about something), and who the other selected students where. The female recognized a couple of the names from her classes, but she had yet to form any sort of relationship with them. So, she was pretty much alone in this (of course hoping her brother was also selected had gotten her nowhere). So yes, saying she was nervous would be an understatement.

After the briefing with Mrs. Palmer, Logan had all but run to her brother to explain the situation. The Headmistress hadn’t given her any reason as to why she had been selected for such a thing, her of all people. She was pretty much new to the school, why her? Not to mention her powers where not the most adequate to the task she’d be facing. Her brother had reassured her, telling her she’d be alright. After all, she could replicate their mother’s telekinesis and their father’s accelerated healing without many problems. Unless, of course, if you counted feeling like she had just ran a marathon after replicating said powers. Nevertheless, they might still come in handy, especially if she got hurt. Sure, she’d feel tired as hell afterwards, but at least she’d be safe.

Yeah, right, because she was usually that lucky.

Well, no one had forced her to accept this whole ordeal in the first place. So if she didn’t want to be there, she simply would have to say so. During the few days they had been given to prepare themselves, Logan had considered returning to the Headmistress and telling her she wasn’t that interested after all several times, but she always ended up deciding against it. Truth was, she was kind of curious as to what would happen. So, instead, she had done a bit of training, trying to prepare herself for whatever it was that would be expecting her. But mostly, she would rely on her ability to improvise.

After all, how hard could it be?

As she stood in front of the door that would lead to her room, Logan couldn’t help but wonder if it wouldn’t be best if she had just quitted. She tried her best to keep a composed face as the Headmistress talked. “But I would like for you to remember that ever power is useful in its own way.” She almost rolled her eyes at the elder woman’s words. Unless she was planning on allowing her to tag along with someone else, she doubted her powers would be of any use. But now it wasn’t the time to worry about it, as it was time to enter the room. And she did so just in time to hear that the whole school would be watching. Oh joy!

As she heard Mrs. Palmer go through the rules, Logan was glad to hear they weren’t supposed to get physically hurt. “Well, that’s a reassuring thought” she muttered to herself, rolling her eyes. At least she wouldn’t have to worry getting too tired for trying to heal herself. Hopefully. She glanced down at the futuristic looking watch she had been given, curious as to how the gadget might have been built.

She didn’t have much time to wonder about it though, as the room suddenly turned into a bright white color, forcing her to shut her eyes. When she felt the brightness die down from behind her eyelids, Logan opened her eyes, only to find herself in the middle of what had once been a civilization, but where now ruins. She had to give it to this school, they really had some awesome technology in their hands. Too bad they were deciding to use it to create their own rendition of The Hunger Games. Minus all the killing of, course.

Since she hadn’t planned ahead for what might happen (as she didn’t know what could happen anyway), Logan decided to play it safe for once and check the map first. Fumbling with the futuristic gadget attached to her wrist, the female managed to make the holographic map show up and studied it. “This would be so much easier if I knew how to read maps properly” It was hard to admit it, but it was the truth. Oh well, it was better than nothing.

She noticed there was a river near her location, and figured she would have to check that up eventually, as she would most likely end up needing water at some time or another. But for the time being, the female figured her time would be best used if she explored the ruins first, as there was no assurance she’d be able to locate them again after she located the river, and who knew what she might find amongst the ruins?

WORDS 911 TAGGED ALL THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS MADNESS NOTES WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THEM?

TEMPLATE BY WE WERE INFINITE ! OF CAUTIO 2.0

[Serinity Dawson]

Inside of her room Serinity sat atop her bed staring at the ceiling. Her right hand was extended palm facing upward. A ball of air landed into her palm before throwing it back up. Serinity alternated the density of the air bubble to toss it up then down into her hand. It was similar to throwing a baseball but a lot less dangerous. Ever since her private meeting with her grandmother, the blonde was furious beyond belief. Even Hewie knew to stay away for now. Unlike the other competitors, Lillian was just short of forcing Rini to participate in the stupid Capture the Flag simulation program. It was to “learn how to better control her powers while around others” -- as her grandmother put it. Serinity snarled and threw up the air ball causing it to dent the ceiling. A small shower of particles rained down.

Sitting bolt up the girl coughed and swatted away the pieces brushing them onto the floor. Her head drooped as her elbows supported themselves against her knees. She was beyond the vicious raging. Emptiness filled her now. Today was the day. In a couple of hours Rini along with the others would be stepping into the room to face the challenge. At this point she had no idea who she would be going up against. “Please, lord, don’t let it be Seth,” she groaned standing tall and stretching with a grimace. That would be all she needed now, to face that jerk especially seeing how their last meeting went.

A hand gently ran through her hair as the blonde paced the room. Gurgling in her stomach was just the distraction she needed. Food time! There was nothing in the kitchen. Of course. What other glorious things would go wrong today? Sighing heavily Serinity made the trek over to Silas Academy and walked into… a near empty Great Hall. “What the? Breakfast isn’t over for another hour! Why is no one here?”

The teacher sitting nearby overheard her comment and turned placing his book down, “I’m sorry miss. The Great Hall will be closing in 15 minutes. Breakfast stopped serving 10 minutes ago to prepare for the big event.” With that, he went back to his book. It was no skin off his back whether or not she ate.

Feeling ready to punch the next person to walk by, Serinity growled and was just about to kick a bench when someone placed a hand on her shoulder. “Serinity, control your anger.” Oh boy did she recognize that voice.

Spinning around with a sneer, Serinity spat, “Control my anger?! Control my anger?! I wouldn’t have to if you hadn’t—“

Lillian quickly cut her granddaughter off with a smack to the shoulder. “Hush.” The two locked eyes until Serinity finally shoved past the Headmistress and headed back to her dorm. “Serinity, I know you’re angry with me, but please, just listen.” Rini scoffed and made no effort to stop. Lillian made all efforts to follow. “I just want what is best for you. You know that. I feel this is a great opportunity to learn. Why are you so upset over this?”

Serinity finally stopped and turned to face her grandmother eyes icy cold. “Why am I mad?! Oh gee, I don’t know, maybe because you rigged the event so that I would have to participate. Maybe because you’re forcing me to do this so that I can learn to control my powers even though I took every single control class offered here at least three times! You don’t know what it’s like for me, grandmamma! Everyone laughs at me because they think I’m not capable of keeping myself in check or that I’m stupid! But I can and I’m not! I can control my powers! Slip ups are rarer now.” She was shaking with fury now on the brink of tears. There was the accustomed rumbling in the far distance.

Lillian looked off into that distance with a far expression. “I didn’t rig the contest, Rini. You were randomly chosen like everyone else. As for the other matter…” The old woman trailed off looking uncertain. It wasn’t that she didn’t doubt her granddaughter’s words; it was that she didn’t know how to fix the problem. Clearly, by Serinity’s actions and words, the dark matter had deep roots. This was not something that happened over night. This was something that had been stirring for years. Lillian suspected it began the moment Serinity stepped onto Silas grounds.

“Whatever, I don’t want to hear it.” Rini stepped away and was gone. Lillian didn’t follow.

Later that day found Serinity in a group of other students. She peered around studying them getting to know her “enemies.” Among them were some very familiar faces. “Alex! Hey!” Smiling for the first time that day the blonde stepped over to her roommate’s side. “Pretty surreal isn’t it?” Scanning the crowd revealed another familiar, or rather notorious, face. Seth. Pointedly, the girl refused to acknowledge him. As far as she was concerned, Seth didn’t exist at the moment. Alas, the throng was parted and sent to their separate rooms. So how exactly was this supposed to work out?

Lillian came onto the intercom causing Rini to roll her eyes. Her grandmother did like being dramatic. Instead of listening to the Headmistress’ ramblings while standing Rini opted to sit against the room’s wall waiting for this stupid thing to begin. Mrs. Palmer may be able to make her go through with this, but that didn’t mean she had to take it seriously. There was a whirling sound as the surrounding walls glowed bright forcing everyone to shut their eyes until the simulation had formed. Once it did, Serinity peered around. A monkey called out to its friends. The air was hot and humid. This was some kind of jungle.

The grey hoodie Rini wore now became obsolete. With this sticky air, there was no point in even keeping it either. Oh well it was better to come prepared rather than deal without. For the first time Serinity actually looked around at where she sat. Disconcertingly, the ground was two stories below. She was sitting on top of a very, very ancient structure that she guessed at one time had been a building. Now it was nothing more than crumbling ruins. It was an interesting starting point. “Time to make myself comfortable.” The jacket was taken off and discarded behind her. There was no sense in rushing about. No doubt the others were trying to figure out where to start first. Let them.

A couple of minutes passed in which Rini sat silently on the roof just swinging her legs back and forth. The view, at least, was stunning and enjoyable. Movement suddenly caught her eye. Only minutes into the competition and already she had come across one of the other competitors. Too bad they were all the way down there and she was all the way up here. Who was that anyhow? Without a noise the girl watched as Logan began making her way toward the river. Rini was content on just letting her pass without incident. However, that was not meant to happen.

Out of nowhere a flash of black appeared inches away from her face. Serinity screamed and scrambled backwards as the assailant attacked again. The raven’s claws were so close she could count its talons. Abruptly the roof dissolved sending the girl down two stories to land on a pile of dirt. “Son of a bitch!” Serinity cursed tensing with pain. Apparently she had landed on one of the roof’s fallen bricks. Rolling onto her side Rini grimaced. At the moment she was unable to move any further. Even thinking coherently was out of the question. What a great opening. No doubt the whole school was laughing at her misery now.

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Outfit: [Click Here]
Credit: [Numb] - Linkin Park
Song played: [Click Here]

[Seth Turner]

.

so i go insane like i always do

AND I CALL YOUR NAME, SHES A LOT LIKE YOU

Everyone was either nervous or excited and it was becoming sickening to Seth. He stood in the very back, arms folded across his chest as he watched the proceedings with a blank expression. It wasn't exciting and it wasn't something to get nervous about. It was simply, nothing. To him at least. He leaned back against the wall, casting a careless glance around the room. Students chatted idly, some wringing their hands, others laughing to cover up their anxiety. Pathetic. It seemed today was going to be one of the days that everything ticked him off. The carefully blank expression flickered to one of surprise as his eyes locked with a certain Silas student. It returned just as quickly and he looked away from Alex pointedly. It was always the same whenever he saw her. Shock, as if it was surprising that she was here. She was a student, just like him and yet… He shook his head, better to focus on things less distracting. No, not distracting, confusing. That was a better word for it.

Rini was here to and it caused him to smirk. Plenty of chances to annoy her later though, as the Headmistress was informing them of the rules. He cost some of what she said before all the selected students were directed into individual rooms. Gritting his teeth, he kept his arms by his sides as the door slid shut and enclosed him in the glare of white. Trapped. An animalistic need flashed through him, to escape, to pound away at where he knew the door was. He didn't. Instead, with his usual stubbornness, he stayed perfectly still, eyes locked on the sheer blankness of the walls.

The idea of having a plan never crossed Seth's mind. He'd deal with whatever the simulation would throw at him. Planning and strategy could be left to the people who cared. Not that he was going to lose, by any means. He just didn't need hours of preparation to win. Though why the school had thought putting him into the competition was a good idea… well, Seth assumed they were just insane. Finally, the stoic mask broke and a grin spread across his lips. Fine by him. He was happy to beat the rest of his so called competition. It'd be fun, in its own way.

Of course, he heard the part about setting his personal vendettas aside. But the school really was stupid if they believed he was going to pay any heed to that rule. He'd do whatever the heck he liked, with or without their permission. Besides, getting kicked out of the competition wasn't exactly a big enough threat to stop him. And why shouldn't he? All was fair in a game like this. They couldn't get hurt anyway! So no worries, right?

He glanced down at the watch they had strapped to his wrist. It wasn't that big of a deal to have the map, though he guessed at some point it would be convenient. The already stark white of his rooms room began to build up to the point that he was forced to close his eyes, blocking out the glare. Then it was gone and just as he was about to open his eyes, he felt the water smack against his body. With a gasp his eyes shot open, his arms and legs already fighting against the current of the river. Swimming had never been a strong suit of his. The water tossed him along as he continued to flail. Nothing was working. With a grunt he kicked harder, but instead of getting closer to the shore he felt himself get sucked under.

His lungs began to burn. Not get hurt… right. Air. He just needed air. Sharp rocks jutted against his boots and then his legs before he was suddenly shoved back to the surface. His arms shot out and desperately searched for something to grab onto. A rock scraped against his hand and he reached for it. The force of the water pulled at him, but he stopped moving along with it. Groaning, he felt his muscles strain as he pulled himself from the water. For a second, he lay gasping on the muddied ground, legs still lying in the water.

Right then. Time to move on. He pushed himself to his feet, almost collapsing twice before managing to shakily stand. His clothes clung wet and uncomfortable to his skin. He peeled his shirt off and wiped his face with one hand, considering the area around him with a critical eye. More river or the forest. Fun. He glanced down at his wet shirt with a grimace. Finally, he decided to put it back on. Getting nicks and bruises from all the twigs and branches was not appealing at all. He tapped at the watch on his wrist for a moment, cursing when he couldn't figure out how to make the map show up. He pressed several more buttons and with a low hum sound it finally appeared. Just on the far left of the forest there appeared to be a mountain. Wouldn't it be like the academy to put the flag way up there…

After several more attempts he managed to get the map to disappear again, setting off towards the forest and eventually the mountain, casting several irritated glances down at the squelching of his shoes. Stupid river.

words // 000 // tagged // // outfit // here

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TEMPLATE BY: THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MIKEY ! @ CAUTION.

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[Walker Gregg]

❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂

Walker wasn't quite sure how he had ended up in this mess. It had been during his orientation, he knew that much, and he had sort of been ambushed...well, that's what it felt like, anyway. He supposed, in reality, it had all been fair and legitimate, and he probably wouldn't have complained, except for the surrounding circumstances...and Toby. Toby, who had caught some sort of flu and spent half the night alternating between whimpers and throwing up his own weight in past meals. Needless to say, Walker had not gotten the good night's sleep he probably should have had before this kind of event. On top of that, he had spent the morning stressed about finding someone he trusted to watch his sick son while he and Rufus - his default babysitter - played this stupid game.

Andi had been willing, though his enthusiasm had died somewhat when he saw the funny color and running nose of the three year old. It was too late to back out by then, though, and Walker had left his son curled up and mostly-asleep on a chair next to Andi in the cafeteria.

The general atmosphere of the hall outside the simulation rooms didn't really do a lot to help his nerves. He standing in the back, a few feet a way from a dark-haired boy who looked like he had a bad attitude, but who also looked like he might be the only person not nervous. That, or he was a very good actor. The boy was watching two girls Walker had never seen before, and he let his attention drift aimlessly across the crowd while he listened with half an ear to the Headmistress. He definitely fell under the "not confident" heading there, but he supposed she knew what she was talking about, so he made no more reaction than to shake his head slightly. He saw the headmistress direct Rufus into one of the rooms, and began to fidget with the watch he'd been given for this.

It wasn't until he had been placed in his own stark little room and the door had slid shut that he realized he was humming. He stopped immediately, and barely resisted glancing around to find if anyone had seen. It was an old nervous habit he had never managed to break - though not for lack of trying - and he was still a little embarrassed to have it. Fortunately, the headmistress began speaking and he was distracted by trying to listen to the rules. He didn't know anyone here well enough to worry about person grudges, and he couldn't control his power well enough to try and hurt someone, so he didn't think he'd have to many problems there. The watch, however, might cause a snag...there had been no instructions on how to use them, and he wasn't sure if just smashing buttons until something happened was acceptable. Of course, that didn't mean he wouldn't try, if it came down to it.

The walls around him turned a sudden, blinding white and he threw an arm up to shield his face. It only lasted a moment, but it made him feel weirdly off-balance...almost like he was turning... Color returned to the world at about the same time he hit the first branches. He managed a small noise of surprise, and then he as lying draped across the inside of a bush, his hip and shoulder throbbing where they'd been stabbed. For a second he just lay there and enjoyed how the rest of his body didn't really hurt, and he hadn't actually died... (Though the headmistress had made it sound as if that were impossible here, anyway. Still, he wasn't going to complain.)

"This was a really, really bad idea." Walker finally managed to extract himself, making a second check of his injuries once he was upright. There was a scratch on his leg, and his hip was bleeding, but he had been right that there was nothing serious. And once he was sure of that, he felt relaxed enough to begin his "mashing watch buttons" plan until the map finally flickered to life. His little red dot was pretty deep in the forested area, and he could see a river over here, and a mountain over there. It took only a moment of debate before he closed the map and started toward the river. Sure, that was probably where everyone else was going, and it might not be much help (all things considered), but he felt more comfortable with that idea. Maybe he'd get himself worked up enough that the river would react...or maybe he'd run into someone on the way and end up being wrong anyway...He'd just have to wait and see for now.

❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂

and one man in his time plays many parts

note:Alrighty, I hope that's good enough. I'll get his picture later - I don't have time right now.
mood:Very tired.
tag:Lots of people!
credit:jacksome111@caution 2.0!
[/size]

[The Headmistress]

With the sound of the buzz, the program began. It started with a blinding flare of white before leveling out into a colorful vision of a forest. The program consisted of three areas. The first was the wooded forest. Most of the students had been transported there. It had one river rapidly flowing through the territory. The second area was the mountain and shrine. It just so happens to be a potentially dangerous area. Last but not least dangerous was the jungle territory and ruined city. A large pond could be located right in the center of this land. Those in that area would have to watch out for the animals and poisonous plants as they worked their way through.

The Headmistress’ camera came up on Rufus first as he struggled to the river’s shore. She watched with a little amusement as he threw away his wet cigarettes cursing her for doing this on purpose. As much as she wished to claim such fun, Lillian had very little to do with the contents of the program. Even she didn’t know all of the surprises the computer created. Rufus said that he would be keeping his pants on, just for her. Lillian chuckled, “Many thanks, Mr. Bailey,” she commented through his watch. As he worked on his decoy, there was a glitter of something hidden underneath a bush. The sun’s light glinted down on the silver metal of a D-link hook connected to a backpack. Inside Rufus would find one bottle of sunblock and insect repellant, a fleece jacket, a bottle of water, and a flashlight. He didn’t need anything else right?

By now the camera was flickering from competitor to competitor. It finally ended up on Alexandria. She, like several of the other students, was heading toward the river in hopes of following it to the flag. If she wasn’t attentive enough, Alex would trip over a small bag with a draw string closure. Inside she would find absolutely nothing of use to her. It was a small white First-Aid kit with a roll of gauze, four Band-Aids, two alcohol swabs, and a pair of Latex gloves. The program apparently had a sense of humor. To Walker went a noticeable bag of three water bottles. Who knows. Maybe the water manipulator needed it? The only other bag to be found by one of the students went to Seth. Unlike the other grounded bags, this one was hanging in a tree. If Seth didn’t watch out, he might run right into it face first. It was much like Rufus’ in that it had a fleece jacket, a water bottle, and a wraparound headlight. At the bottom he would also find a medium sized knife.

The students of Silas weren’t the only ones running around the simulation. Many forms of wildlife skittered here and there. In fact, one could even find both human and wildlife in the same area! This was the case for Walker. As the guy began making a B-line toward the water, there was a rustle in a nearby bush. The next moment Walker would be facing a much larger and heavier figure of a brown grizzly bear. Roaring at the guy, the bear stood on its hind legs and pawed at the air. What was that silver sparkle from around its neck? Bears didn’t wear necklaces.

[Rufus Lee Bailey]

The voice coming through Ruf's watch nearly startled him, having not expected any response at all. At the very most he thought he'd get a response from a student and blow his hiding place by mistake. Nonetheless, Ruf was happy to have heard from the headmistress instead of the others. "Erm.. you're welcome." This time his voice was hushed, so to not alert any of the other competitors. Rufus knew that any of the students coming across his decoy before he had cleared the area could ruin his plan. Of course he was mostly blending into his surroundings due to his power, but wearing pants could set things off if he wasn't careful. Damn the human necessity of clothing! Ruf looked back down at his nearly completed decoy and grinned. The black fabric was ripped into a triangle, and though some threads hung off it, the decoy was still fairly convincing for something handmade. The seventeen year old then tied it around the stick he had recently stripped free of bark before wedging it between two rocks near the river. His decoy was set.

With his trap ready, Rufus scooped a few handfuls of river water into his mouth and prepared to set off. He would have loved to scope out more of the river surroundings for sight of the actual flag, but he was just too close to his own decoy. In fact, there was still some evidence to destroy. Ruf trekked back up to his spot under the tree and picked up the scraps of black fabric. He tied them into a mass of rags and then moved to stuff them under a nearby bush. In the midst of his hiding, the teen's hand brushed against another sort of fabric different from that of his shirt. "Hmm?" He moved his hand back, pulling the backpack with it. Ruf grinned at his discovery and quickly shoveled through it, his happiness increasing with each finding. Three of the things were temporarily useless however; the insect repellant, sunblock, and jacket. If he was going to stay camouflaged, smelling of chemicals and layering his body in clothing was not going to serve him well. He kept the items tucked away in the backpack nonetheless.

Before he headed away from the river, Ruf began to rub dirt and grime all over the backpack in a lame attempt to keep it hidden. His tactic was slowly becoming harder to keep up as the minutes ticked by. Rufus knew that if he could stay properly hidden then he could prevent other students from following him as he searched for the flag, but the backpack was increasing his limitations. Covering it with dirt was the best way he could keep the fabric concealed, though even he wasn't thoroughly convinced. Ruf also rubbed dirt into the fabric of his jeans while he was at it. Though the attempt was adequate, Rufus wasn't going to waste any more time in covering the backpack or clothing when he could be looking for the flag. The boy pulled on the backpack and fumbled with the watch until he had promptly marked off the river on the map. There was no point in sticking around much longer, especially since a deafening roar had sounded off in the forest by the river. Rufus had taken off along the river's shore without hesitation. He knew well enough what a bear sounded like.

Ruf ran for as long as he could, his stamina well built from his father's training regiment. He'd passed over a mile and a half by the time he finally allowed himself to slow, gasping for breath. The boy unzipped his backpack and downed half his water bottle in seconds. Maybe he didn't need to run that far, but like hell he was about to take a chance with a bear. "Bear..." Ruf tapped the screen on his watch, as if he could reach the headmistress as easily as a phone call. He hissed. "You put a fucking bear in this game? What happened to not getting hurt? That better be Winnie the Pooh." His wrist flopped back down to his side as he continued to try and catch his breath. After a long minute of chest heaving and murmured curses, Rufus finally straightened his posture and glanced around. Though he still stood on the river's shore, the surroundings to his side had changed drastically. The trees were more sparse and rocks now littered the area. He took a step forward, squinting at a strange carving along one of the rocks. Ruf's mouth hung open at his discovery. Hadn't he seen the exact same carvings in some history book? Hieroglyphics or something? Maybe they weren't Egyptian, but the figures on the rock gave off an essence of something old and worn. His gaze drifted upward as it followed a lightly sloping hill. The rocks and boulders became more frequent the further his gaze lifted until he finally fixed his eyes on several old structures at the base of the hill; ruins.

"Holy..." Rufus stared up at the ruins in awe, and suddenly he knew where his next destination would be. The boy quickly checked around his current surroundings for a flag before taking some steps up the hill. Within minutes a problem quickly presented itself to the seventeen year old; his shadow. Though he remained practically invisible from the waist up, his shadow was betraying him to any passing individuals. The jeans and backpack didn't help either, but he could keep those fairly hidden by crouching in foliage. He'd be even more hidden if he had cut through the middle of the forest to get to the ruins. Rufus however, was not planning on saying hello to a bear any time soon. Instead, he moved from the wide open part of the hill to a fringe of trees running up it. A few bushes even lay scattered around some of the trees. Once Rufus dropped his backpack off his shoulder and started carrying it by his knee, the teen was by far more concealed. Now all he had to do was trek up this giant of a hill, and then poke through crumbly and dangerous ruins... should be easy!

WORDS! 1038
TAGS! Everyone
NOTES! None
CREDITS! Haze, lyrics by Panic! At The Disco

[evie1]

in a hellcat spangled cavern

when your judgement's on the run

when andie was invited to take part in a special challenge that involved her powers, she said no. there was no way that she was ever going to do anything that she was only given limited information about and part of that was using her powers. that was a frightening thought; she'd barely ever used her blood manipulation while she was at school, only when she absolutely had to. she often opted for private lessons so she didn't have to use them in front of other people. that meant that hardly any of the students knew about her so called 'gift', and she was glad of it. she wished that she didn't even know about it. so what if the challenge had other people taking part in it? no way. she didn't even know what to do with it. there wasn't a chance in hell that she was going to take part in this special challenge. no way.

that was until extra credit was mentioned.

the staff knew her weakness. she had been sloppy with her homework lately, and her straight 'A's were beginning to slip. and her smarts were the one thing that the young girl prided herself in! so, with great reluctance, andie accepted. with a couple of sighs.

the simulation room was bloody intimidating to her. she didn't understand how it worked, like, how was that even possible to do it? before silas, she'd never seen anything like it, except in the sci-fi movies. it was funny, before everything went wrong she'd actually admired the superhero pop culture. when she was a bit younger, she'd crushed pretty hard on the comic hero spider-man. but now, listening to the headmistress babble on about the rules and such, she wished the word 'superpower' never even existed.

then the audience was mentioned. oh god. oh god oh god oh god. this was a total nightmare, she even let out a little squeal - she hoped no one heard her. it was then that she started thinking strategically. she wouldn't use her power, she couldn't. she would not show it to anyone. besides, what use could blood manipulation be to a capture the flag game? unless someone started bleeding pretty badly, and that couldn't happen because didn't the headmistress mention something about no one being hurt? at least that was a plus. if someone needed a mouse to move against its own free will, they could simply pick it up and move it, and not use andie's creepy 'talents'. it would be easy. and if she was knocked out, well! it would be like a blessing. maybe she could just hide behind a rock or something until it all tided over. somewhere where the audience couldn't see her. yeah, sounds good.

the watch wrapped around her wrist, the young girl was suddenly sprung into an unfamiliar place, the floor dropping from underneath her and her squinting her eyes, her stomach churning, everything twisting around and she was dizzy and -
green!
everything was green around her. a lush forest, with ferns and fungi and flowers. this didn't really look like a death zone. she wandered tentatively towards a forest mushroom, orange and dotted with white. she poked it, it was soft and springy. she wondered if it was edible. it was then that she did hear a familiar sound, a bubbling of water, fast flowing water... a river? yes! a water source! that's score one for andie.

it was a further journey than she had originally expected. she assumed, she could hear it, it was only a few minutes away. nope. a half hour had passed when she finally caught sight of it, a monster of a thing, lapping against the shoreline. she stumbled down to its banks and cupped her hands, plunging them into its coolness. she drank from them and washed her face - it was a tad humid. she sat back and took in her surroundings. green from here to there. a bit of dirt brown along the banks of the river. then the colour of the sky and not much other than that. she looked along the banks and found something that had obviously washed up recently.

she crawled over to it - she couldn't be assed getting up, and discovered that -
oh my god, cigarettes!?
"is this one of the things you're encouraging, headmistress?" she said out loud, and tsked... and pocketed a couple of cigarettes, just in case a giant bear came along asking for them. she chuckled at the thought,

until a giant bear did come along.
"fuck!" she swore under her breath, then louder as the bear caught sight of her from twenty metres away. she chanted the word, scrambling to her feet and moving backwards, trying not to cause any sudden movements as the mass of fur picked up its speed.
"oh my god just TAKE THEM! TAKE THEM!" she shouted in a panicked voice, throwing drowned cigarette after cigarette at the bear, until she started running. she heard its roar as it plummeted towards her, its speed greater than her own. she winced, knowing what she had to do. stopping suddenly, she turned around, looked it in the eye and all of a sudden, the bear's legs gave way and it went tumbling into the river. she hoped no one noticed her hand movements, or at least thought they were a gesture of panic. she only had the time, energy and skill to just stop the movement in one of the bear's paws, causing it to trip. just in case someone did see, she quickly said, "that was lucky!" the young girl ran again, this time fixating her mind on one destination - she saw hills. did bears live in hills? she certainly hoped not.

and you're acting like a stranger

words: 942 tagged: mr. bear notes: rufusss she's coming for you! outfit: click!

cause you thought it looked like fun

[Alexandria Duvell]

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[atrb=background,http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m237/_Tsukiyo_/middlef3.png] “It’s been an hour and forty minutes since the game started and Alex set off towards the river. And yet there is no sign of a river and Alex is very very thirsty.” Breathing heavily from hiking up and down the ridges of the mountain’s foothills, Alex spoke into her wristwatch, updating the students and teachers back at Silas who might have been rooting for her. She started the little updates about a half hour into the game and updated any time something interesting happened. So far, the only interesting thing was that Alex became very very thirsty. Frustrated, Alex opened up the map on the wristwatch once again to try to see how far she had gone from her starting point. “Well it would have been helpful if I had marked my starting point.” As Alex continued to walk through the forest, she simultaneously studied the map and determined that the river was just over the next ridge and that she would end up lower downstream than she had intended to go. While she tried to close the map, Alex’s foot caught on a hard object on the forest floor and she let out a short shriek as she nearly face planted, until she awkwardly caught herself on a nearby tree. Her embarrassment was short lived as she caught sight of the small, drawstring bag. “I found something!” She said in excitement as she quickly scooped up the bag, hoping that there was a water canister or a flashlight or food! When she reached her hand in and drew out none other than a first aid kit, Alex frowned and threw the item on the ground in frustration. “Never mind. Alex has found nothing of value.” On second thought, Alex bent down and opened the box, just in case there was actually something else inside and that the box was just a ruse. Not with her luck. The healer looked at the few items with a frown, but grudgingly closed the first aid kit and put it back into the drawstring bag before slinging it over her shoulder. Maybe she could be crafty and use them for something besides their actual purpose. The next ten minutes were spent hiking up the last ridge, and by the time Alex descended on the other side and reached the river, her throat seemed to stick as if she tried to drink a bottle of glue. Dark blue rushing waters could be seen from the occasional break in the trees and the sound of all that water made Alex move faster and faster until she broke through the tree line and ended up standing on a rocky riverbank. About fifty meters downstream, several slippery boulders protruded from the water and spanned the width of the river, and Alex contemplated crossing the river there. On the side of the river she was on, the bank was shallow and rocky, but the other side looked more treacherous. It would be pretty horrible if she slipped and fell into the water. As she thought on that, the healer could have sworn that she heard a distant sound coming from upstream, but shrugged after she heard no more sounds. Alex moved to the water’s edge and drank several mouthfuls with her cupped hands. After splashing some water on her face, she pulled out her first aid kit and drew out the two latex gloves and rinsed the powder off of them in the river. She then filled the gloves with water, much like one would do with water balloons. They didn’t hold much, but once they were filled she tied off the openings to the gloves and placed them inside her bag with the rest of the items from the first aid kit. Just as she was about to stand up and head downstream, a curious figure floated down the river toward her, and she couldn’t help but stare. It wasn’t until the object was twenty feet upstream from her that she realized that it was a bear. She sat frozen as the bear floated right by her, paddling towards the shallower bank and headed straight for the fallen tree and boulders. Speechless, she slowly got to her feet and began heading upstream instead of downstream as she had earlier planned. There was no way Alex was getting anywhere near that bear. She was sprinting up without even realizing it, and when she looked back she could see a large brown shape pulling itself to shore. Bears run faster than people, bears run faster than people, bears run faster than people. Running alongside the river and in clear view of the bear seemed like a bad idea and Alex quickly darted into the woods. There could be more bears! Why are there bears?! Panic set in and Alex ran as fast as she could, praying that the bear wouldn’t follow her trail. After several minutes, Alex slowed to jog. She’d been running up an incline and hadn’t even realized it. Coming down off of the adrenaline rush, Alex began to pay closer attention to her current surroundings again. The forest looked the same no matter where she was. But when she looked to the ground, she thought she saw a pair of foot prints. After checking the soles of her shoes and confirming that they weren’t her own tracks, Alex set off after them. The idea of being around people appealed to Alex, especially if there were bears in the area. If it was the flag they wanted they could have it, she just wanted people to tag along with until the end of the game. As Alex followed the footsteps, she began speaking to the audience again. Somehow it brought her comfort. “So, Alex just had a close brush with a bear and has since decided that it is in her best interest to find other players, even if it means giving up the flag.” After several minutes of following the tracks, Alex heard a rustling sound in the brush ahead and immediately her thoughts went to the bear. But then she saw what may have been the back of a person’s head and immediately called out to them, “Heyyy! Hey wait up! There’s a bear!” Whoever the person was, they couldn’t just ignore the part about the bear, even though Alex wasn’t entirely sure if the bear was actually stalking her or not. Word Count: 1068 Outift Notes: The person there at the end can be anyone, whoever wants to respond, go for it