Thinking Outside the Box

[Revan Ashkevron]

Revan Ashkevron, better known as Spark, sat in the branches or 'her' tree, staring up at the night sky. She had a special pass from the school nurse that allowed her to be out of bed and roam the grounds at night. After her periodic insomnia had caused some of the other students to have severe nightmares, affecting their health, the nurse had sighed and given Spark the permission to be able to exhaust herself. As long as it didn't affect her performance in classes, and as long as she kept to herself and didn't get herself or others into trouble, she could roam most of the school areas after curfew. Her favorite haunts were the library and the tree on the edge of Pinehurst Forest.

Right now, Spark had come out here to escape the confines of a room that seemed way too small. At home, during this time of year, her parents would have taken her out to stay in the small cabin deep within the coastal redwoods. Many nights were spent sleeping under the stars, and even though Spark had spent the last three years at Silas Academy, she still had trouble sleeping indoors this time of year. So she would spend several hours out in her tree, then go to bed. Spark's calm contemplations of the night sky were interrupted as she sensed another presence approaching the tree. Curiously, she turned her gaze in the direction of the presence, and waited for the person to come into view.

[kiipcha]

Even though Anya had had her ability to fly for several years, she had only actually flown about four times. She was nervous about practicing her flying in front of others as she often messed up. And after almost injuring another student when she tried a landing, she had permission from the nurse to practice her flying at night. But for only one hour as she needed to be wide awake for classes.

Now as she soared in the night sky, the wind brushing under her grey wings, she felt safe from the staring gazes of classmates. She wasn't used to failing so often when she tried things, but when she did she preferred to do it alone. The flying part itself wasn't exactly the hardest thing to do, but she was god awful at landing. So it was with a nervous mind that she eyed the ground and prepared for a landing.

She angled her wings so that she lowered closer down to the ground. Anya slowed the speed of her beating wings but she could feel that she was still coming in too hot. In a last attempt to land without killing herself, Anya spread out her wings as far as she could in order to catch enough wind to slow herself down. But even as her feet touched the ground she knew that she was in for a rough landing and quickly retracted her wings back into her body so as to not damage them. Her body was flung forward and as she barrel rolled along the ground she lifted her arms to guard her head.

Anya finally stopped rolling and took in a few ragged breathes. She was in a little bit of shock and it took her a couple of seconds for her to remember that she was laying on the ground. The sixteen year old girl sat up and brushed her red hair away from her face and took a look at her surroundings. Not only had she failed at her landing but she landed about 20 feet off from where she had planned to land in the first place. Instead she found herself sitting next to a tall tree at the edge of Pinehurst Forest.

(ooc, sorry for kind of stealing the nurse idea as I didn't know how else to make it so she would be allowed outside at night)

[Revan Ashkevron]

Jul 11, 2011 21:59:16 GMT -5 @kiipcha said:

(ooc, sorry for kind of stealing the nurse idea as I didn't know how else to make it so she would be allowed outside at night)

{OOC: No problem. Guess there may be a few students roaming the grounds at night for various reasons.}

Spark watched the black and grey shape tumble out of the sky with slight surprise, her vision and other senses heightened by the proximity of another person. She vaguely recognized the other as one of the younger students; one whom she shared a Chemistry class with, Anya Something-or-other, she thought. She winced when the winged girl crashed into the ground and tumbled, but when she didn't move after sliding to a stop, concern flared in Spark's mind. The young empath leaped lightly out of the tree, landing in a crouch beside the crumpled form on the ground.

As the red-haired girl struggled to sit up, Spark eased an arm around her shoulders, careful of the wing retraction points, and helped prop the girl against the tree. "Hey there," she said softly, picking up only confusion and self-annoyance from the younger girl. Her abilities were useful in diagnosing some injuries, and dulling the pain from such, so she had been called to help in the infirmary a couple of times. But, as she didn't detect anything really wrong with the younger girl, Spark sat back and waited for her to pull herself together. "Anya, right? That was a rather rough landing. Are you alright?"

[kiipcha]

Anya jumped to her feet at the feeling of a hand on her shoulders. One thought throbbed inside her head; He's found me. He's found me. He's found me . . . Her wings fanned out with a woosh, her fourteen foot wingspan making her slender body look much more threatening. Her eyes narrowed with a sort of ferocity and she clenched her fists as she turned, expecting to see her greedy father back to take her to a life of painful medical testing.

Her eyes widened with shock, instead of glaring at her father her eyes met those of a girl, and just by looking at the strange markings on her face Anya could tell that she was a student. She let out a breath, her grey wings lowering at the same time. Anya unclenched her hands before speaking, "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else. And yeah I'm Anya." She was still a little shaken, but whether it was from the fall or the thought that her father had come back from her she didn't know.

Anya looked closer at the girl in front of her, and now that she was in a more clear state of mind she was able to recognize her as Revan from her chemistry class. "Don't worry I'm not hurt, I've fallen so many times that it doesn't seem to hurt much anymore." This was a lie, in fact it seemed that every time she failed at a landing the pain would hit her even harder than the last time. The memory of her previous failed attempts made Anya desperate to change the subject. "If you don't mind me asking Revan, what's your power?"

[/b]

[Madeline Parker]

'Damn it, damn it, damn it!' Madeline Parker was carefully creeping across the academy grounds, careful to keep to the shadows. Curfew had passed long ago, the moon high in the sky as the sounds of midnight life hummed around her. Staying out so late had never been her intention. She always tried to be back by curfew, minimizing her chances of getting caught. But something had gone wrong with her latest setup and she'd had to wait until she was in the clear before sneaking out of the woods.

Unfortunately, now that meant that she had to safely make it back to her dorm room without arousing too much suspicion. Which meant that she had to figure out how to get past the two night owls standing under a tree. Stupid school with its stupid "special late night policy for special students." She huffed. Why some students got to be exceptions to the rules she did not care. Why they had to chose to use their free passes on the one night she was breaking curfew made her seethe. This was just her luck.

As quietly as she could, Maddie decided that the best course of action was to keep behind the tree they were standing under. No matter what they were directly in her path to the school. Hopefully she could manage to get a big enough berth that they would not notice her. For a while she seemed to be doing well. Her breath was held as she passed behind the tree and kept heading towards the girl's dormatory. Just a few more feet and she could run for it!

[Revan Ashkevron]

When Anya surged to her feet and snapped her wings wide, one of the grey feathered appendages smacked hard into Spark's chest and sent the young empath stumbling backwards. "Oof!" she grunted as she hit the ground.

Giving herself a shake, Spark got to her feet and waved Anya's apology away. "Don't worry about it," she said with a small smile. "It's probably my fault for startling you. I tend to forget that most of the other students don't know who's coming." She raised her eyebrows at Anya's lie about her falls not hurting, but didn't comment. "Call me Spark," she told the younger girl. "And I'm an empath. Speaking of which -" she turned to peer around the tree they were standing next to. "I know you're there, Maddie. You don't have to try and sneak past." The hypnotist's emotions shone like a beacon, and Spark could pick them up from half-way across campus. Ten feet away was no problem, in fact, this close, they were nearly blinding.

[kiipcha]

When Anya was told of Spark's abilities it brought along the question of how being an empath caused such strange markings along Spark's face. There was always the possibilty that the markings were makeup and that her unique eyes were contact lenses, but she couldn't find any reason as to why a mutant would want to stand out more than it already did. But before she could think more about it Spark pointed out Maddie's hiding spot. The winged girl pushed her thoughts aside for another time and walked over to where Spark was standing in order to see her elusive roommate.

Much to Anya's shock, her roommate was actually there, creeping around the side of the tree. What surprised her more was that Maddie didn't just walk into plain view instead of hiding, for although Anya was one to follow the rules strictly she had never told on anyone and didn't plan on doing so in the future, especially to someone she would be sharing a room with. She did find herself confused as to why Maddie was out at night in the first place but decided to leave it alone as Maddie's own business. "Hey Maddie," Her greeting was brief as she was busy brushing dirt and grass off of her clothes from her crash landing.

[Madeline Parker]

So close! And yet so far away... The sound of her name being called caused Maddie to trip, and before she could catch herself she was sprawled, face first, in the dirt. The evil root that was the cause of her downfall was painfully digging into her shin. Anger seeped from every pore in her body, fingers digging into the grass and pulling it up by the roots.

Slowly the older teen pushed herself up, actions a little too controlled as she got to her feet and brushed herself off. When finally she turned to face the two girls, she was glowering. Hands were placed on her hips, fisted, knuckles digging into her sides. Her eyes first crossly examined the girl she'd met the other day, and then fixed coldly on the roommate she'd barely taken the time to meet. Well wasn't this just perfect. She'd been caught by two people she actually knew, making any hope of escape near impossible. Her voice held a clear warning as she glanced over her shoulder towards the school, desperately trying to figure out how she was going to get out of this mess. "Speak of this to no one."

[Revan Ashkevron]

Spark flinched sharply as Maddie tripped and fell, but she knew better than to offer help. She flinched away even further as waves of anger slammed into her. She pulled her mental shields as tight as she could, and tried to keep from projecting. Had she been a little less ethical, she would have used her own abilities to calm the hypnotist. If I was a little less ethical, there would be a lot of things I would be willing to do that I'm not. Oh well.

Running hand through her hair, Spark shook her head at Maddie's command."Why would we? What would we gain by getting you in trouble? Aside from your wrath, that is." She raised an eyebrow, grinning slightly. "Your reputation for revenge against those who move or speak against you is well-known, and well-earned."

[kiipcha]

Anya winced as Maddie tripped and fell onto the ground. She couldn't help but murmur to herself, "Man, everyone's falling today." The winged girl then watched her roommate get to her feet, her angry feelings clearly displayed on her face. Before she could ask Maddie is she was okay she was interrupted by her angry demand. She listened to Spark as she promised to not tell anyone and watched her smile when she mentioned Maddie's temper. This came as a surprise to Anya as she had not yet heard of Maddie's knack for revenge.

In the bit of time that she had spent with Maddie, all that she had uncovered about her before was that she had a bit of an angry disposition and was very organized. She liked how she was organized and figured that as long as she tried to stay out of her roommate's way she could keep away from Maddie's temper. But with the newfound knowledge of Maddie and her vengefulness Anya knew she might have to be even more careful about upsetting her roommate.

With the thought of Maddie using her wrath against her, Anya quickly promised to not tell anyone about Maddie's fall.

[Madeline Parker]

The mention of her reputation made her bristle, though weather it was with pleasure or annoyance was hard to tell. On one hand, Maddie was quite proud of the reputation she'd earned in her years at Silas. She was nothing less than famous in certain circles, and a chance to be in the spotlight was something she never passed up. But on the other hand, she did not need her roommate judging her solely by her reputation (at least not in her presence). While she didn't know what Anya had heard about her, most general opinion wasn't all that favorable. Because while she may of been famous, what she was famous for was her temper.

So the girl grit her teeth and glowered at "Spark" before turning her cold gaze on her roommate. "Well aren't you two a regular couple of geniuses." Sarcasm dripped from her tone, voice more a warning than anything else. While she had both of their words, she wasn't about to trust either girl further than she could throw them. Which is probably why she lingered a moment longer; she wanted to be one hundred percent sure neither one of them was about to cross her before she made her way back to the dorms.

[Revan Ashkevron]

Spark stiffened slightly under Maddie's glare, but she met the gaze squarely, her own eyes giving nothing away. She felt split as the hypnotist turned her glare to Anya. Half of her wanted to step in and shield the younger girl, but the other half knew better. If she tried to protect Anya, not only might the flyer take it the wrong way, but there was no doubt that Maddie would use it to her advantage. So Spark would have to wait and see how Anya would respond. At any rate, Spark's peaceful night was ruined. It would be a miracle if she could get a good night's sleep. Oh well, she thought. At least tomorrow is Saturday, so I don't have to be awake early.

[kiipcha]

Anya felt like shying away under Maddie's cold gaze but if Maddie really did have that kind of reputation then the last thing she wanted to show was that Maddie had her under her thumb. Instead merely held her gaze, not a mean gaze though, she simply kept eye contact. Anya started to wonder if Maddie even had any true friends. She had noticed that one boy following her around like a little lamb, but other than that everyone else seemed to be afraid of her. Anya made a goal for her to get to know Maddie a little better and hopefully become friends with her.

Her goal suddenly started to seem less possible. She frowned at Maddie's sarcastic comment but kept an optimistic look on things and decided that she was probably just a little cranky from the fall. Anya didn't blame her, she herself was still a little on edge knowing that someone had seen her fall from the sky.

She did however feel that she needed to say something to her older roommate. "No need to be angry at us Maddie. We already promised to not tell anyone." Although Anya was glad that her voice didn't falter, as the last thing she needed was for Maddie to see how nervous she was, she was still close to regretting talking back to her roommate. Now the winged girl waited, almost positive that Maddie was going to lose her cool. Or at least what was left of it.

[Madeline Parker]

Her roommate decided to speak, and naturally Maddie narrowed her eyes. Suspicion would have clouded her expression if it wasn't for all the false bravado. No need to be angry? The hypnotist actually snorted a laugh, smiling cruelly at the girls before her. Oh how simple fools could be!

Well then, she would just have to see how long little miss Anya could keep her bravery. Turning on her heel, Maddie stormed away from the pair without so much as a good bye (though her head did shake lightly back and forth in a negative as she thought to herself). Already her brain was calculating her next move. If she so much as heard a hint that Revan had spoken a word about this night, she would make the loner's life more miserable. And as for Anya... Smiling devilishly again, Maddie couldn't help but run over a number of plans in her head. Her roommate had unintentionally turned herself into a challenge, and Maddie was determined to break her spirit before the term was up.

Creeping along the edge of the building, her return to the dorm had no more hang ups. She easily slipped through the entry door and climbed the stairs to her floor, carefully avoiding the steps she knew creaked the loudest. After that, it was simply a matter of unlocking the door and going through her nightly routine. Behind her the door closed with a soft click, and she relocked it with ease. Maybe if she was lucky Anya would end up locked out for the night. With that final thought, Madeline Parker went to bed.

[Revan Ashkevron]

Spark flinched again as Maddie stormed off. "I hate to say it, Anya, but by befriending me, you might have killed any chance of befriending Maddie. As you probably noticed, the two of us don't get along all that well." The young empath sighed, her nerves tingling in the aftermath of Maddie's strong emotional tirade. She ran a hand through her hair, pulling the scrunchie out then putting it back in its tail.

A soft swishing noise made Revan turn. She held out her arms to catch the large cat that leaped at her. "What are you doing out here, Rinz?" she crooned to the silver-grey Maine Coon. She looked up at Anya with a smile. The cat's emerald eyes matched Revan's perfectly. "This is Rinzler," she said. "He's not supposed to be out here, but I've never been able to train him to stay put. He always comes looking for me when he thinks I've been away too long at night." Rinzler purred loudly as if in agreement and nuzzled Revan's face. The young empath sighed and scratched the cat's ears. She set the cat down and he twined himself around her legs.