Where Myths Tread [RP]

[Winter]

Welcome to Cloud's Cross
"For as long as I can remember, there have been things about Cloud's Cross that just felt...off. I've never lived anywhere else--none of us have--but there are things that just don't add up.

"For one, things don't change here. It's overcast every day--thick gray clouds hide the sun. It rains sometimes, but it's never sunny. Our science textbooks showed more pictures of lovely blue sky than angry thunderheads, and I wondered why. We never caught sight of the moon, either. That aside, no one comes or goes--instead, Cloud's Cross is separated from the world by a single large brick wall, and for some reason that just doesn't seem right.

"Late one night in our younger years, I was helping my brother to the bathroom when we heard our parents talking. They were saying something about not knowing when we were ready, or something to that effect, and being worried about our powers... And sure, I've seen a person or two make plants grow, and water act strangely a time or two, but everyone here is good at their own thing, I've learned. That's normal, right? That's what we--my brother and I--thought, anyway.

"And then a few days ago, there was this accident. They were trying to do repairs on the schoolhouse when something fell. The schoolhouse--it's a two story building, and I haven't been able to get a proper story out of anyone, but I know whatever it was, everyone there was surprised when Beau Sanders caught it and managed to keep it from hurting anyone. It was a miracle, a few of them said, and everything was great.

"That was, until Beau didn't show up for school or soccer practice the next day. Or the next day. Or the day after that. And then didn't show up for garden duty--you get the picture, he was gone for a while. And in the days since, things have...changed. I don't know what it is exactly, but things feel different, like something is going to happen. It's been years since my brother and I overheard that conversation between our parents, and I've been wondering for years about why our little town is so different...

"Now's as good a time as ever. We're going to figure out what's going on, we're going to discover the truth." -Ava Clearwater

The apocalypse has come and gone, but not without people knowing it was coming. A small group of scientists working on environmental studies realized that a catastrophe on a massive scale was coming, and stopping it just wasn't humanly possible--all they could do was prepare. That was when one of the scientists mentioned a friend that had been doing some interesting work in channeling spirits that, oddly, seemed to be producing some unexpected results.

Upon meeting with this friend and discussing the situation, a plan was formed--they couldn't stop the apocalypse, but they could try to give the world the heroes and leaders it would need after. With further help, the scientists began seeking out artifacts thought to be connected with certain gods and attempting to use technologies developed by the friend to channel the gods into themselves. When this failed, they began to seek out those that might prove better able to channel the gods and goddesses. The best vessels, they determined, were children. As they began to seek out potential vessels, the group also began to use funding money to create an underground bunker that would eventually take the shape of an entire little town.

The problem in finding their vessels was that no one would take them seriously. The solution for their vessels came in the form of children no one would notice missing--sickly babies that weren't given long life expectancies, abandoned children, and other children who otherwise might not have made it long on the streets. It was through a combination of using the artifacts, the infants, and the technology that the scientists achieved their goal.

Well, kind of.

Because of the nature of the project, the scientists aren't entirely sure they got everything right. It's possible there were some slip ups along the way, possibly a wrong God(ess) here, potentially a human child there, that kind of thing, and not know, because the children didn't gain their powers immediately. These, they hoped would come in time. Until then they weren't to say a word to the children about their possible powers and future roles until the powers revealed themselves, simply raise the kids in as generic a setting as possible in such a way that they would be willing to step into their expected roles when the time came.

As the end drew near, so did the bunker town's completion, and the scientists and their assigned children moved in. Complex indoor field systems to encourage plant growth were set up, a handful of animals were brought in for food and companionship, the scientists finalized their roles in the new society, and the town was named "Cloud's Cross". The doors finally closed days before the Apocalypse started.

And the the wait began.

Now, fifteen years after the closing of the doors, the wait has started to end as the scientists slowly begin to realize that in most cases, their shot in the dark experiment worked. Slowly, the children they raised, now teenagers, are beginning to discover or reveal they have powers.

Only, now there is dissent in the ranks. Unsure if their plan will work, some scientists argue to stay holed up in the bunker, where those inside will be safe, others argue the children have a purpose, and others have hidden agendas. Unfortunately for them, as their charges' lives are turned upside down, they are beginning to form their own ideas and escape plans.

What You Need to Know
The Gods of Old for the most part, no longer exist due to a lack of believers, lack of education, and lack of their elements. Those that are still around are those who would thrive off of death and conflict of surviving mortals (outside of the bunker).
The World Outside will not be touched upon until much later, but the lack of optimism in several of Cloud's Cross' scientists is due to the fact go up to check on the world outside twice every year. Things don’t look too pretty.
Technology in Cloud's Cross is limited. They have a well cared for generator for electrical needs, a somewhat complex air filter system that few know how to keep in operation, a system of lights and mirrors form their “sun,” their plumbing could use some improvement, they carry walkie talkies in place of phones, and a handful of computers hooked up to a single database that gives the illusion of a wireless network where there isn't one. They have no internet access.
Animal and plant life in Cloud’s Cross are almost as limited as technology. There is one somewhat scrawny looking central field in the center of the town that has, strangely enough, improved over the years--it doesn’t quite look as hopeless as it used to, and the limited crops it bears, small assorted patches of once-common fruits and vegetables) are at least edible. Animal life is limited to a pair of cows, a small family of chickens, and a few cats and dogs. There might be a mouse or two, but they were not invited, and likely slipped in.
Despite popular belief, the children are not actually channeling their patron god(dess)’s spirits, but instead now possess the potential to tap into their patron god(dess)’s powers. It is entirely possible for a child with a still existing patron god(dess) to live at the same time as and have full access to the same powers as a living patron god(dess), but unless the child is connected to a particularly nasty god, this is highly unlikely due to reasons stated in section 1
Children gain their powers gradually and through performing actions/hanging around elements similar to those of their patron god(dess), they are likely to exhibit what appears to be a natural interest in things tied to their patron god(dess) at first. For instance, a child connected to Poseidon may initially find themselves very fond of water, and provided they continue to participate in water related actions, such as long baths, watering the plants/animals, and taking long swims in the town’s single and somewhat dirty pond. Eventually they would discover that they have minor control over the water they love so much, and playing with this power will slowly result in the strengthening of this power. Children who have discovered their powers before the RP’s start have likely done a good job at keeping this knowledge away from their parents and others, and in some children, their powers may appear in less apparent manners. Some children may also suffer from adverse reactions due to a lack of their element, but it may depend on the element and on the child.
Anything else you want to know? Go ahead and ask.

The Town Rules
All PXR rules apply, people...
1: Please avoid bunnying and godmodding
2: Let’s also avoid “invincible” characters. I know where dealing with potential gods here, but even they are gonna have to take a hit sometimes.
3: Please be active--if you’re going to be gone for an extended amount of time, try to notify someone in the RP beforehand
4:Be nice to everyone, guys
5: Keep posts PG-13 (on all fronts) and below, and limit use of profanity
6: Lastly, have fun!

Everyone Who Needs to Know This is Here...
Velocity
FedoraChar
Saraibre Ryu
Death's Spook
Xelxe Attis
marth141

[Winter]

Ava and Colin Clearwater
Athena and Hephaestus
Cloud's Cross, Sports Field

“GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!” The single word was a roar that reverberated in Ava Clearwater’s ears and chest even as she jogged off the field, where Colin was waiting on the team bench. With practiced ease, her twin grabbed the bottle sitting next to him and lobbed it at her.

“There are easier ways to score than running the ball an entire field length, you know?” he asked, his voice hoarse, his lips pulled into a madman’s grin. This was likely from the amount and intensity of cheering he was doing--he tended to go overboard when it came to sports events. Ava caught the bottle with just as much ease as her twin threw it, and took a few more steps before collapsing onto the bench and tipping the bottle back, sucking down its contents. When she finally came up for air, she gave her brother a lopsided smile.

“I saw an opportunity and ran for it. Their defense was wide open after getting the ball down that far,” she rasped before chugging down more water. Colin gave her a wicked grin in reply.

“You mean you planned it,” he teased, and his sister shrugged, though the smile never left her lips.

“Well planned or not, and I’m sure it was planned, that was a beautiful play, Avalon.” At the sound of a third voice, Ava stiffened and choked on the water she had been drinking, half of it spraying in a rather unladylike manner from her lips before she sat the bottle down hard on the bench and twisted around, raising an arm to protect the large young man she turned to face from her hacks and coughs. “Jeez, Ava,” Beau Sanders said, catching her shoulders before the young woman could tip off the bench. “Don’t kill yourself, it’s just me.”

“Where--” Ava wheezed, then paused to cough again before continuing, “where the heck have you been, Beau?!” she demanded, and a soft frown touched the young man’s lips. It was a rare sight--the blue-eyed blonde was usually all smiles, but something this time was off.

“...I...can’t…” he said slowly, and both Ava and Colin frowned in turn. Gently, Colin reached out and pulled Beau’s hands away from where they rested on Ava’s now sweat-dampened t-shirt, then tugged his sister slightly towards him. He didn't have much power, but he had enough to give a warning.

“Can’t what, Beau?” he asked aloud the question that hadn't left Ava’s mouth yet.

“Clearwater, back on the field!” the ref shouted, and Ava couldn't remember for the life of her in that moment which parent was playing referee today. Colin patted her shoulder before motioning for his twin to head back to the field. Ava’s frown deepened as she obediently headed back to the soccer game. Colin, mood soured, turned his attention back to Beau.

“What can't you do, Beau?” he repeated slowly. Anyone who hadn't noticed the air of the town getting more and more tense since the incident that had lead to Beau’s almost week long disappearance would have been a fool. Something had changed, and it was hard to ignore. A whistle blew, signaling the game was resuming, but all Colin’s enthusiasm was gone. “What are you hiding?” Colin asked, a bit more sharply this time.

“I can't tell you anything.” In the crowd of spectators, there were several cheers. Neither Colin nor Beau knew what team had the ball, and Beau looked away. “...I shouldn't have come,” he said softly, digging a hand into loose blond curls.

“Then why did you?”

“I wanted to see Ava play. I wanted to prove I wasn't gone for good… You’ll understand. Everyone will, soon enough.” The boy’s expression looked conflicted, and he began edging away. “I...should be getting back. I wasn't supposed to leave… They’ll be mad.” He looked up at Colin one last time and sighed. “I’m sure you won’t, but I...please consider telling Ava I’m sorry?”

Colin stared back at him for a moment before shrugging. “I can promise you exactly one thing, Beau,” the boy told him. The smile he offered now was bitter. “Nothing.”

The young man Colin and Ava had been friends with for as long as all three could remember looked as though the quiet young man with a bad leg had dropped no less than a two ton anvil on him as he turned and bolted away. Colin bit his lip as he turned back to the soccer game, his mind whirling.

Something was definitely up. Beau had never hidden anything from them before, but now… Now things were different. More different than they had been before. If they were going to be serious about figuring out what was up with Cloud’s Cross, now was the time.

Norman and Persephone
Hades and Persephone
Cloud's Cross, Schoolhouse Rooftop

“GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!” Even in the distance, the shout was still audible. At least, it was from here. That was why Norman liked the spot so much--you could hear a lot that went on in Cloud's Cross from the schoolhouse's rooftop. Learning where the service ladder was hidden and how to abuse this knowledge had taken the young man quite some time, but it had never failed to disappoint as a hiding spot in the years that had followed, of which there had been many. No one had ever caught him up here, which was a huge bonus in his book, though he'd contemplated asking Persephone about how to get access to the service tunnels, which would have made it infinitely more difficult to hunt him down.

It also would have sent the adults into panic mode, though he was smarter than to leave the bunker. Everything he'd been told about the outside suggested he'd have a better chance surviving inside than out, even with his so-called parents beating him down.

"Ava scored again," observed a gentle voice next to him, and Norman opened his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips. The woman sitting beside him was gorgeous, there was no denying that, but her attention was focused in the distance rather than on him.

"Of course she did--she's Ava. Didn't you say she felt like family?" Norman asked, pushing himself up on his elbows. The woman turned to face him and smiled, green eyes glittering.

"She reminds me a great deal of one of my cousins--one of the ones I liked, for the most part, though she could be a bit...well, she wasn't one whose bad side you wanted to get on. Ava doesn't quite strike me as being as vengeful as my--that's Beau Sanders." Norman frowned and pushed himself up further, a look of confusion spreading across his face.

"I thought you said Beau was on house arrest? I know he hasn't been in school or anywhere else lately..."

“He has been on house arrest. I checked this morning, and his parents still seemed convinced he needed to stay inside a bit longer,” the woman replied, frowning and leaning forward. “He’s speaking to Ava and Colin…”

“It’s starting, isn't it, Persephone?” Norman asked, and the woman turned to him, frowning as she felt Ava’s energy jolt--what was going on down there? “The parents are going to start looking to find out if it succeeded or failed… Well, really looking.” He was looking out towards the field now, his fingers digging into his jeans, a look of discomfort on his face. Slowly, she reached out a hand to place on top of one of his.

“It is, I think,” she told him, “but I’ll protect you. If you’d talk to the others, some of them would be able to protect you, too… They aren't like your parents, Norman. Not everyone here hides who they are like that.” With a frown, Norman tugged his hand from hers and shook his head.

“Hades was not everyone’s favorite God...in fact--”

“You aren't Hades.” He blinked, turning to look at the woman next to him. “You have Hades’ power, but you aren't him. You’re Norman. And the rest of these kids here, they are all themselves. They are not the deities whose power they possess...I think this is a new pantheon, not the reformation of an old one...so don't compare yourself to him…” Norman thought he heard a too-familiar note of pain in the woman’s voice. Mentally, he cursed himself--Hades had been Persephone’s husband. How could he-- “Don’t make yourself settle for less than you deserve because that’s how things used to be. That was back then, things aren't the same now.” Norman was surprised when Persephone reached up to pat his cheek, her beautiful green eyes conveying both sorrow and hope, wrapped up in words she had stopped herself from saying aloud.

And they never will be again.

[FedoraChar]

Shawn Armstrong
//Thor//
Cloud’s Cross, Sports Field

“GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!”

The crowd on one side of the field went wild (or perhaps that was all the star player’s brother?), but on the other end a particularly boisterous fan shouted her disapproval.

Shawn slumped back onto the bench in a huff, scowling at the team that was sheepishly returning to their positions. They looked remarkably like dogs running off with their tails between their legs. And right they should—they left their defense wide open. Ava Clearwater was able to run the entire length of the field and score a perfect goal. Again.

“You believe this?” she complained to her neighbor. “What is wrong with this team? Did they show up to play at all today or what?”

The blonde body-builder felt tempted to run out onto the field herself and take over herself. Running sports weren’t her forte, of course, but at least she could have put a little more effort into it. If anything, she could just start punching people. At least then things would be more interesting. Giving a frustrated grunt, she stood up again and started climbing over the benches.

“Hey, Shawn!” one of her friends loudly objected. “Where are you going?”

“This game is already over,” she declared. “I’m going to hit the gym. See you losers later.”

They exchanged looks and rolled their eyes. “Fine, get out of here, you nerd—we’ll meet up with you after the match, cool?”

“Cool,” she gave them a salute before thundering noisily the rest of the way down the bleachers.



Lydia McCormick
Demeter
Cloud’s Cross, Center Field

Half of the town might have been gone to the “big game”, but not Lydia—the game to her meant long hours of solitude within the Center Field, kneeling in the dirt as she tended to her tender crops. Today, she was thinning out the carrots, giving them room to grow into the big taproots she knew they could become. Of course, this left her feeling guilty over the small taproots she had to uproot. They might have their uses elsewhere, just not here.

Those that stayed in the ground, however, seemed to perk up as she passed over them, brushing their frilly leaves across her hands. Or so it seemed to her imagination. The redhead grinned as she looked over the plants, continuing to hum her bouncy melody. Right then, there was no place else she’d rather be, in a little world of her own. Why bother herself with the noisy affair going down in the stadium? All that yelling and chaos…

Plants were much simpler. And especially quieter. They lived at such a slow and easy-going pace. People could learn so much from them—or at least, that was what Lydia thought.

[marth141]

Catherine James
School Library

Catherine, was sitting quietly in the library at the school. Having just returned from a suspension from a recent fight, Catherine was beginning to think that it would be in her best interest to keep her nose clean, her head down, and keep out of getting in any more trouble. She’d always been fond of books, as of late, she has been more interested in Egyptian Mythology.
The library was rather impressive. Large shelves of numerous books stretched for a great distance in the library. Many of these books were quite old, leaving the library with very strict rules on the proper keeping and treatment of these books. The smell of paper and dust was heavily sweet to Catherine’s senses. The dim lighting in the library was probably the best part. A perfect place for anyone to shut in for a good book.
Catherine, had been reading about an Egyptian god by the name of Sobek. He was a crocodilian Lord of the Nile. As far as she understood, Egypt was a civilization from a long time before Catherine was born. They existed in a desert and the Nile River was the provider for all of their food and water. The Egyptians seemed rather concerned with the upkeep of this river. It was incredibly important to them.
She had spent around thirty minutes reading into the book before she decided she would set the book aside for another session and would make her way back outside. She didn’t want to miss any of the soccer playing that would be happening about this time. Soccer was one of Catherine’s favorite sports. There was someone on the team who Catherine would enjoy getting to know. Catherine was beginning to feel at a lack of friends since her last suspension. She could only figure that other people did not want to get in trouble with her.
It wasn’t quite her fault though. Another kid had been picking on someone else. She felt it was unfair for anyone to be being picked on and decided she would interject into the teasing. What ended up happening was more insults being slung, to the point where Catherine had had enough and pushed the other kid. A few back and forth pushes happened that ended in a few fists being swung and more than enough bruises for the two of them to be feeling hurt for the next few weeks. Catherine, was lucky enough to get most of the bruises in her abdomen, however, one unsightly bruise still remained on her cheek. Catherine left the library and moved toward the soccer field.

Catherine James
Cloud’s Cross, Sports Field

Catherine, stood idly by the soccer field. She was a fan of the sport but not much of a player. Among the things available to do in Cloud's Cross, watching the occasional soccer game was the closest to any action the town got. All the while, Catherine was quite happy being behind the fences and snacking down on a bag of chips. The loud call of, "Goal!" had rang through the field and yard.
Looking toward the goal area, Ava Clearwater, had scored. She was good at what she did and was definitely one of Catherine's favorite players. Though they've never talked, Catherine had always felt that it'd be possible they could be friends. If they ever actually spoke together. Catherine, reached back into her bag of chips only to find it empty. Looking sadly at the bag, Catherine crumpled it up and tossed it to the nearest trash bin.
Unfortunately she missed. Looking around, a bit embarrassed, Catherine sulked her way over to the trash bin to put the crumpled bag in the trash. She wondered to herself if whether or not talking to Ava would be a good idea. Catherine, always felt she was on a higher social ladder. She after all, played sports. Catherine, got in fights and was just returning from a suspension.
Taking a look up at the bleachers, she figured that finding a spot to sit and watch the game would be good. Ava, and a boy. The boy was blonde and to Catherine's knowledge, spent a lot of time with Ava. It wasn't her knowledge to keep up with any of the social circles around the school. Since he was an unknown to her, she decided she'd go and sit next to him.
Walking her way over, another boy had become involved. She felt a little worried to approach, but was already on her way over. She sat down next to the blonde boy nervously, her hands on her lap and starred out at the field as the game had begun to resume again.

[VeloJello]

Seraphine Eze
Sekhmet
Cloud’s Cross, Gymnasium

The sound of solid impacts tapped out a steady beat as Seraphine whaled on a punching bag. She was in the process of learning self-defense, something that both her father and mother had encouraged as an addition to her usual workout regimens.

Of course, they had also suggested that Seraphine join in with the soccer team, but she had no particular enjoyment for the sport. She could run decently, but she much prefered martial arts. With fighting and lifting, there were no obnoxious practice drills, tweeting whistles, or showboating; it was a good way to get her aggression out.

Although she usually came alone.

Lysander was sitting on the floor on the other end of the room, writing in a notebook. He played soccer, but he had feigned sick this game for some reason, and he kept getting cagey whenever Seraphine asked why. When he saw her looking over, he waved, and she decided to take a break herself.

“Working hard or hardly working?” she asked, looming over him and grinning for a second before she flopped down next to him.

“Oh, hush,” he grunted, passing her her water bottle. “We can’t all be superheroes, Sera. You’re some kind of mutant or chosen one, gotta be. Maybe an Amazon. A goddess -”

Seraphine shot him a wry look, “You think I’m a mutant?”

As soon as she said it, Seraphine knew that engaging the subject was a terrible idea. Anything that suggested that anything was out of the ordinary in Cloud’s Cross had been enough to set either of them off, lately - and Lysander took the bait, unwillingly though it had been placed.

“I think you’re something unusual, Sera,” he said. “Isn’t your resting body temperature like a hundred degrees or something?” When she nodded, he said, “That isn’t normal, I’ve read about it. By all logic you’re constantly running a fever, except that you’re completely healthy. And that’s not even getting into the fact that the one guy you punched last month had a burn mark where you hit him…”

“That in and of itself doesn’t count as getting into it?” Seraphine muttered. When Lysander looked indignant, Seraphine added, “Look, one’s probably a consequence of the other. I don’t know why I’m so doggone hot all the time, but if I am, that’s probably why that stupid punk got the burn. It’s pretty cut and dry from where I’m standing. Sitting,” she added before Lysander could make a smart quip.

He didn’t seem convinced, “Maybe, but you’ve got to admit that something feels off. That whole business with Beau Sanders is like the smoking gun here. He stops a building from falling over and then just… vanishes? All of the adults, even my moms, are walking on eggshells and won’t act like he exists. That’s why I phoned in on the game today,” he gave a wan smile. “All this stuff is making me really nervous. What if something bad happens again, and we need someone like Beau to intervene, but someone gets hurt or even dies because no one will tell us what’s going on?”

Seraphine took a moment to collect both her thoughts and emotions. Most of the time, Lysander’s paranoia didn’t bother her, but she was getting a little indignant at the idea that their parents - maybe even her own - were hiding fatal secrets from everyone. “Lysander, if something big and ominous was going on, we’d know about it. My parents, for one thing, would definitely -”

“I heard my mum talking to your dad yesterday.”

That stopped Seraphine cold. She’d known Lysander long enough to know that “mom” was the tall, excitable lady who worked in the agricultural department, while “mum” worked at the hospital alongside Seraphine’s father. “You’re serious?”

Lysander nodded, looking grim. “Completely. That's what set me off. I... I felt like I would hear something important if I went to go visit my mum, and I heard them on the end of a conversation - my mum asked your dad to watch out for you because something wasn’t going to last long. Your dad got really mad, but I could tell he wasn’t mad enough to start a fight over it. He just stalked off, didn’t say a word.”

Seraphine snorted, trying to let Lysander’s worries roll off her back. “Your moms are probably just concerned that we’re sleeping together or something.”

There was an awkward silence, one that not even Seraphine could manage to break with a joke. Finally, Lysander rose, his expression unreadable. “I’m just asking you to maybe think about taking this seriously,” he said. “I know I worry a lot, and part of me thinks it’s kind of stupid… but I’m positive that it’s for real this time.”

“You’re not stupid,” Seraphine said hotly.

Lysander still looked pensive, but he nodded. “Okay. Just… think about this, please?”

Seraphine sighed. She didn’t really want to think about it… but it was the least she could do. “Okay,” she said, rising. “I’m going back to work.”

Lysander nodded, looking relieved. “Thank you.” He then went back to writing as Seraphine walked away.

The impacts from the punching bag came just a little bit louder and a little bit faster than normal as Seraphine punched, but now it was worry rather than aggression that she vented.

[Xelxe Attis]

Reynaldo Sage Quercetum
Dionysus
Cloud's Cross, School hall
A whoosh of air and a loud crash echoed from the hallway as Reynaldo darted out of one of the few rooms. Where the hell was he!? Just as he had been getting to the juicy details of his love for the blond when the jerk just up and vanished. Pondering if his cologne smelled weird or there in his teeth, Rey reasoned that his brother couldn't possibly resist his charms. It was physically impossible when they where of the same blood.

“GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!”

Well that explained where Colin was. What a dedicated brother -- and sister, how he wished that his relationship could be as tight niche as theirs when it came to his Axura. Unfortunately for the ash haired youth there would have to be a cold cold day in hell when his brother finally decided to return his affections. As often as he tried to swoon the older with his feminine wiles or his attempted 'adorable' talk. Axura was a brick wall. If words where a weapon the blond would dodge them with simple sidesteps.

"hm.. I suppose I could always go check on things..." Reasoned Reynaldo to himself. That big lummox of a brother was rather difficult to track down when he didn't want to be found. Tip tap, click clack, his heals clicked loudly while he sauntered over to stand behind the bleechers, eyes fixating on Ava for a moment before something caught his eye.

"OH MY GOD, Welly welly well well. Colin, who's your dashing friend?" There was that silky tone that most had come to despise when it oozed from the long haired pretty boy's lips. Thank goodness this was an internalized comment or he was sure that Ava would have heard him-- no she would have heard him, then she would have chased him away with threats of random acts of violence. Hm.. he was cute sure.. but he still wanted a bite of either his brother or Collin. Be careful or you might end up signing your death warrant with his sister he warned himself while keeping silent in his 'hiding spot'.

Axura Sol Quercetum
Apollo
Cloud's Cross, Somewhere in the school field.

Birds were chirping, only they weren't. The sun was sunny and warm, only you know it wasn't. The wind sang softly through the trees, only there wasn't any wind.

Axura kept going over this while standing in the middle, somewhere in the fields near the schoolhouse. Surrounded by tall shrubbery the tall boy stared blankly off into the distance repeating his thoughts aloud as if some kind of meditative poetry. A true enigma to most of his fellow students.

There was no expression on his face save for the slight tug at his lips each time he spoke out a random verse or two from the class poetry books. It was like his own little concert and no one could interrupt, not even his annoying 'little' twin brother. He was only older by 40 minutes, but he acted far from childish like Reynaldo. If he wasn't already odd enough the blond had torn his school clothing, tying it off at one shoulder to resemble his favorite hamation.

"come ye flowers a new, let your petals fall to the ground, turning a beautiful hue, my sighs unbound. From my bosom I'll let out a coo, Hoping deep with bated breath that no one is around."Recited the blond to no one in a monotonous tone.

[FedoraChar]

Shawn Armstrong
//Thor//
Cloud’s Cross, Sports Field Winter

The sound of the crowd started fading as Shawn made her way from the stadium. Part of her would miss being surrounded by all the action, but honestly she had been itching to get away to the gym for quite a while. She’d catch up on everything later—although she was pretty certain she knew the outcome anyway. Clearwater was a menace at these games.

Apparently, Shawn wasn’t the only one who got frustrated with the game. The walkways surrounding the stadium were mostly empty, though she could spot one fellow fleeing the school property. He was moving pretty quickly, too—Shawn narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out who it could’ve been. In a small town like Cloud’s Cross, it wasn’t hard to learn everyone’s names.

Seeing people from the back, however… not so easy sometimes. But given some time, she realized who it was.

“Sanders?” she stopped. “No way!” She grinned, thinking that the kid had gone and totally disappeared. Everyone had been spreading weird rumors around the school, though Shawn didn’t give them much stock. It seemed more likely to her that he went to jail. Well, not that she knew him or anything—not like he’d be the sort, but still. It could happen.

“Hey, Sanders!” She called after him, starting to jog in his direction with the innocent intention of friendly conversation—maybe squash a few rumors, that sort of thing.



Lydia McCormick
Demeter
Cloud’s Cross, Center Field


Lydia stood, patting the dirt off her hands and looking at her work with a smile. The carrots looked much better. Even those that were plucked didn’t seem to CAR… ROT ALL (distant cackling from the author)

“Lydia?”

The young woman turned, finding her mother cutting Eunice her way through the field, a tight smile on her face.

“Hello, mother,” Lydia smiled, blissfully ignorant of the woman’s stiffness.

“Lydia, what are you doing out here?” Eunice asked, feigning gentleness. “I thought you’d be at the soccer game with everyone else.”

Shrugging, Lydia bent down to scoop up the leftover carrots. “You know me, mother, I’m not really in to sports. The carrot crop needed done so I thought I’d better come out and do them while I had the spare time.”

Eunice looked down at the crop. Noticing the frown on her face, Lydia anxiously said, “…Did I do something wrong…?”

Her mother shook out of her thoughts. “No, no—not at all, dear. I was… I just worry about you sometimes, that’s all.”

Lydia stood again, holding the carrots closer. “What do you mean…?”

Eunice fidgeted a little. “I… I just worry that you’re not getting… That you’re not getting enough social interaction, that’s it.”

Her daughter deflated a little, looking down at the dirt below her boots. “Oh…”

“…Lydia? Your father and I have been talking and, well… Maybe you should take a break from working in the fields for a while.”

The carrots fell from Lydia’s hands. “I should… what?” her voice cracked.

Eunice hurried forward, grabbing Lydia’s hands. “Just for a little while, dear. You’ve been so helpful around here… Wouldn’t you say it’s time for a small break? Maybe take the time to be more involved with school, make some new friends, just… get out for a while, you know?”

“I-I…” Lydia actually felt herself shaking. Her mother was asking this of her? Working in the field was more than just a hobby for her. She loved working in the soil, caring for the plants. What would she do without them? Maybe she was overreacting and yet… “I… I don’t understand.”

Her mother’s hands tightened around hers. “Trust me, dear, this is for your own good. You’ll understand someday. Your father and I can take care of things around here. Why don’t you go see how the game’s turning out? Go get the score for me?”

Lydia hates sports. She hated crowds and she hated all the noise. But right then… she didn’t want to be here. The way her mother was looking at her, the things she was saying… She wouldn’t mind being a thousand miles away from the field at that moment. Still, she tried to reign in her emotions. She had always believed and trusted in her parents. She genuinely felt that they had her best interests in mind; and when had they ever been wrong? This was a strange request, and yet…

Breathing in deeply, she finally responded, “…Yes, mother.”

[Saraibre Ryu]

Lux
Sports Field; Clouds Cross

There was another flip of the points board, thanks to Ava. Lux wasn't surprised, the other team was idiotic about letting her in so easily. He sighed and took a drink of water from his water bottle, Aunt Bellatrix sitting down a bit of a ways away from him. Town nurse had to attend all of these games, as the thought of someone losing a tooth or breaking something was just unacceptable. Lux was only hear by her request, though she did mention turning into a game of 'spot your peers weak side'. The guy's latest interest in swordplay was helping him keep his attention.

"Aaaaava making a brilliant pass right through the other team as if their defenses were made of wet paper bags-"

Then there was Fausto, the fast talking commentator who dove in and out of one accent to another. He drove Lux nuts but he was trying to zone him out as best he could, before his frustration spiked into something worse. You learned to try and get a handle on yourself after a girl breaks your nose.

"Looks like we're on a five minute time out while the coaches sort out the players."

If he would just slow down... Lux looked around at where the other players were going and for a moment he had to stare. Beau was talking-no, Beau was there. Where had he been? Why did he appear now? Lux wanted to get up and leave but he knew that would make a scene and he wasn't in the mood for embarrassing his Aunt. Uncle though was a different story. He kept sitting, Lux knew he'd find out the information somehow.



Angel ['Emily' the Cat]
Sports Field; Clouds Cross

Angel was at home, sleeping because she wasn't feeling well. Angel wasn't at the soccer game no. At least, that's what she convinced everyone as a lie that wasn't her was sleeping in her bed, acting out a bad cold. She could get away with bad cold before Bellatrix start getting worried, and she knew to use it in moderation. In truth, Angel was at the soccer game, but not as Angel the human. She was sneaking around as 'Emily' the highly elusive calico tabby that only Norman knew about. Hiding out under the rafters for listening purposes was much easier as a cat, size gave her an advantage and no one was going to be suspicious of one of the pest control cats. The only reason she had the name 'Emily' was because of Norman. She had visited him frequently after the one incident she couldn't handle being within twenty feet of his parents.

She was trying to listen to the chattering of the parents to see if she could get any information. Angel might have been a bit of a conspiracy theorist but when you had a radar for lies you had a hunger for the truth of what was really going on. Especially when you could turn into a cat. That definitely wasn't normal, and the only other person you confided in was the Village Idiot. At least he wasn't a liar, which was what made him highly tolerable... amongst other things she had to do with him.

'Emily' was hiding out in a nearby rafter when she spotted Beau. Beau had been gone for awhile and now he suddenly shows up? Angel leered at him from her position, well concealed of course. She snuck up closer to try and get a listen, but the only thing she caught was something about everyone understanding something. Why everyone, what did that define? That set off Angel's paranoia, but it didn't quite set off her lying alarm, which was something that she couldn't determine being the worst of two evils. No, she had to follow him, Lux could get in trouble on his own, he was good in public, especially since his Aunt was there.

Tailing him was going to be a bit of a task, as she could see someone trying to have a conversation with him. Luckily she had a couple of cars to duck underneath and some spare seating that wasn't used to hide behind. She needed to know.

[Winter]

Beau Sanders (NPC)
???
Cloud's Cross, Exiting the Sports Field FedoraChar

Well that could have gone better, Beau thought as he reached the outermost ring of bleachers. His hands trembled slightly, and he was starting to feel sick as he remembered the way Colin had pulled Ava away from him, the look of confusion and distrust on both of their faces. Oh yes, that could have gone far, far better.

He should have known better--he’d known the Clearwater twins since they were all in diapers. Heck, they might as well have been triplets, for all the time they spent together growing up, but that only made the fact he should have known better more apparent. He knew both had always been smarter, more curious than him. He knew they were almost always the first to ask questions when given the opportunity, and that both of them could spend hours poring over textbooks and other materials in the library when a certain subject caught their fancy. He should have known that when he decided to show up again that they would ask questions that he couldn’t give them the answers to.

Mentally, Beau kicked himself--how could he have been so stupid?

Of course, he already had the answer, and he’d given it to Colin. He couldn’t stay away from his friends, he couldn’t stay away from his team--he should have been out there on the soccer field with Ava today. Now instead, he was on house arrest.

He’d at least wanted to cheer her and the rest of the team on...and he’d wanted to prove he hadn’t disappeared. Only, now he’d dug himself into a hole that he wasn’t entirely sure he’d be able to dig himself back out of. At least, not without answers he’d promised not to give. His parents had insisted he not tell any of the other kids, and considering he was the only one who had been told thus far… Well, if he told anyone and word got to someone who was too loose-lipped… Beau cringed at the thought.

He’d calmed down enough to hurry back home again when he heard a somewhat familiar voice call out behind him. “Hey, Sanders!” He froze. A series of faces flashed before his eyes before he connected the voice to the right face, and Beau found himself torn between staying and lying his way out of whatever Shawn Armstrong had to ask and bolting. It wasn't as though the stocky bodybuilder of a girl excelled at running.

He, on the other hand, had been playing soccer just as long as Ava.

Then again, running might make things worse. He struggled for a few moments to force his usual lazy grin back onto his lips, and turned towards the girl.

“Hey, Armstrong,” he replied, glancing towards the exit again. “Was there something you needed?”

Ava and Colin Clearwater
Athena and Hephaestus
Cloud's Cross, Sports Field Saraibre Ryu marth141

The groove Ava had had before the match and throughout had all but vanished following her return to the field. Colin watched with worry as she allowed one of the kids on the opposing team to steal the ball from her, and groaned as another snuck past her on the field and made his way towards her team's goal. He looked up as another girl he only vaguely recognized joined him on the bench, but his attention was pulled away from her as the supporters of the opposing team cheered.

He looked up in time to see Ava visibly deflate, a look of frustration on her face. She shifted back into her usual position for the return kick, but it was obvious her mind was elsewhere, especially when she didn't move as the ball arced over the field. Much to Colin’s alarm, the ball was headed straight for her. Look up, Ava, he urged mentally, but the girl didn't move. Across the field, kids tried calling to her, but she remained frozen as the ball plunged dangerously close.

“Ava!” he shouted, shoving himself up and stumbling forward. Suddenly his sister returned to life, jolting and looking up.

Just in time for the soccer ball to connect with her face, and the girl crumpled.

Immediately, players across the field dropped to one knee, almost in unison with the collective gasp that seemed to weave through the stands. Before Colin knew what he was doing, he had grabbed his cane and was limping his way across the field as fast as he could go.

Ava, meanwhile, couldn't remember how she had ended up on the ground. Groaning, she rolled over and spat out her mouth guard, ignoring the frenzied questions she knew the ref would be asking her. Her face throbbed, and she caught whiff of a metallic scent before something warm and sticky began to roll down her lips to her chin.

Great, just great. She had a bloody nose.

“Ava?” She turned her attention to where she’d heard her twin’s voice, and grinned back at him. There was worry written all over the boy’s face, and it bothered her more than anything else--even the throb of her face.

“I’m fine, Col,” she told him before the ref snapped in front of her face, drawing her attention back to him.

“I don’t know where your head is, Clearwater, but go park it on the bench and stay there. I’m sending Bellatrix over.” Ava groaned again as Colin offered her a hand. That was the last thing she wanted--more attention. It wasn’t like she’d never gotten a bloodied nose from soccer before, there was really no need for the doctor to come look her over. Instead of taking her twin’s hand, she shoved herself up as the ref called for Bellatrix, waving the doctor towards the team bench Colin had been sitting on. Clearly displeased, Ava began making her way back to the bench with her brother in tow.

“You’re thinking too hard about Beau,” Colin murmured as soon as they were far enough away from the rest of the players. Ava frowned, glancing over at her twin, who wore a knowing look on his face edged with a bit of worry.

“I’m thinking about a lot of things, Col,” she replied softly, turning and dropping onto the bench with the grace of a newborn giraffe.

“Doing it on the soccer field isn’t exactly the best idea,” he told her as Ava reached over and grabbed the towel she know was hers, then began to wipe the blood off her face.


“Obviously, dear brother,” she fired back, keeping an eye out for the doctor.

Norman and Persephone
Hades and Persephone
Cloud's Cross, Schoolhouse Rooftop

“And it looks like Ava is out of the game, folks! The doc’s headed over to check on her now, but hopefully she’ll be okay--” The commentator had really picked up speaking speed in the last few minutes--from what Norman could actually process of Fausto’s speech, Ava had taken a ball to the face. That in itself was unusual, he’d seen Ava in action before numerous times--among his hiding places, he’d spent a great deal of time watching the sports field. It was one of the more active places in Cloud’s Cross, and when he found himself wanting to be more sociable, he ended up there...not that he’d interact with any of the kids he saw.

Sometimes he just preferred to be around more of the living than the dead, and wished he could bring himself to interact with them, could bring himself to trust them.

Well, at the very least, he had Persephone and the few animals inhabiting the bunker town. His personal favorite among the animals was a cat that seemed to return to him time and time again--a calico he’d named Emily. Next to him, Persephone sighed. “Well, it’s not life-threatening.”

“You can sense that from here?” he asked, tilting his head, allowing the thoughts that had come to mind to dissipate. Persephone nodded, though her eyes were focused on the field in the distance once more.

“Yeah--when you have ties to death, you learn to sense how close others come to it...among other things. It’s an ability you’ll develop soon enough, I’m sure,” the goddess replied, smiling a little. “Just as you’ll be able to send the dead on, step between the boundaries of worlds, and more... “ Norman found himself smiling a little as well--at the very least, being able to step between the boundaries of the world of the living and dead would come in handy, if only for the invisibility he knew it would provide. At least then he wouldn’t have to worry so much about hiding places.

Maybe then he’d try staying closer to people, try seeing who wasn’t putting on an act, who he could trust.

[FedoraChar]

Shawn Armstrong
//Thor//
Cloud’s Cross, Sport’s Field Winter

Shawn was not known to be the most observant person; she certainly didn’t notice the way the kid flinched when she called his name, and certainly didn’t notice the cagey way he glanced towards the exit. The body-builder simply smirked and crossed her arms, ready to make casual conversation. Nothing odd about that at all.

“Dude, where have you been?” she started. “No one’s seen you in forever. Folks were saying that you went to jail or died or something.”

She laughed, knowing how ludicrous the last bit sounded. As if something as big as a teenager dying wouldn’t get proper public attention. No one would have shut up about it for ages.

Jerking a thumb to the field behind her, she added, “Why aren’t you out there playing?”


Lydia McCormick
//Demeter//
Cloud’s Cross, School Field Xelxe Attis

Lydia wasn’t sure where she was going, only that she was putting one foot in front of the other. The poor girl wasn’t sure what to do with herself, without the crops to attend to. Perhaps some part of her thought of the ongoing soccer game, as she suddenly found herself in one of the school’s vacant fields.

She stopped, frowning. Why on earth was she here? She hated sports. And she certainly didn’t care for the crowds. Her mother wanted her to go see friends, sure, but… Certainly there were better places?

Lydia sighed and brought a hand to face. She had no idea where to go.

A sound met her ears—distinct from the distant cheering of the crowd, which seemed to have escalated recently. It sounded monotone, but deep and oddly comforting. Lydia listen for a moment, trying to pick up on the words. Who was speaking? And who were they speaking to?

Intrigued, she followed the sound until she came across a tiny patch of trees. There, sitting alone surrounded by the greenery, was a blonde boy. Eyes fixed on the distance, he appeared to be reciting poetry. Mesmerized by the recitation, Lydia stood and listened until the verse was over.

Rather timidly, she offered, “That was lovely.”

[Saraibre Ryu]

Lux and Bellatrix
Sport's Field; Clouds Cross
Winter

Lux almost saw the ball smack Ava in the face in slow motion. Aunt Bella was fidgeting with the coolers when she caught a last glimpse of it. Ball hitting Ava square in the face, and her on the ground. She was already packing up her first-aid kit and a couple of water bottles, sprinting down the field as her name was yelled across it by the coach. Lux sat down and tried not to listen to carefully to Fausto rattle on about what just happened. From all of the boy's observations, that wasn't like Ava. Spacing out in the middle of a game after being so focused? It was definitely strange, and he didn't have a doubt that it had something to do with Beau showing up.

Lux gulped down some water and sat quietly. He looked around and watched the other players while waiting to flip another number off either side of the point board. He was really hoping he could get some answers to this later tonight. At least he felt owed some answers as well.



"Alright move over, this is why I'm here, no crowding." Bellatrix shooed, making sure her dark, nearly black hair was tied back and out of the way. "Alright Ava you know the drill, lean forward, clean off, make sure noting is broken."

She opened up her first aid kit, seeing the bloody nose and hoping it wasn't broken. Taking a ball to the face varied in damage output. She poured some cold water over a cloth and rung it out just a bit, making sure it wasn't too soaked or too chilled. She gave it to Ava, knowing she was a capable enough young woman to wipe off her own blood and didn't need to be babied. Bellatrix was going to make sure that her nose wasn't broken, that the bleeding wasn't abnormal, and be on her way as usual. Ava would have been used to it by now.

"Nothing feels out of place or stings?" These were pretty standard questions that she could have been used to, as it was just standard procedure to ask them. "I haven't seen you take a ball like that in awhile Ava. Something up after your last performance?"

Bella was hoping she wasn't going to have to reaffirm the old 'you can tell me anything' policy again. It was true, and patient confidentiality was very much enforced, even against the parents. if a kid wanted something to be kept a secret, she kept it that way.

[Death's Spook]

Iskander Ingram
Odin
Cloud's Cross, Sports Field
ARPers: Winter Saraibre Ryu

Iskander was in a mood as particular as it was unpleasant.

He had already spent a considerable amount of mental energy on deducing that something was wrong with Cloud’s Cross, which was only further exacerbated by Beau Sanders’s mysterious herculean feat of strength and subsequent disappearance.

Iskander had actually been present when Beau lifted the hunk of building, and the fact that Iskander probably owed his life to Beau did nothing to lessen Iskander’s desire to hunt Beau down to a quiet area and charm or coerce Beau into talking.

It would also give me a plausible excuse to procrastinate talking to Ava. Can’t forget that that’s the other reason I’m in a bad mood.

Iskander felt he had good reason to avoid his best friend. Somehow, he felt revealing that he had withdrawn significantly from socializing after Beau’s strangeness because he was rigorously testing the hypothesis that he had supernatural powers caused by self inflicted injury was something that could cause Ava to feel certain very terrifying ways.

So in theory, he could have pursued Beau pushed off that conversation a bit further down the line. In fact, Iskander was about to do precisely that when he happened to look up.

Just in time to see Ava get smacked in the face with a soccer ball.

Iskander struggled for a second: did he go to question Beau, or did he help Ava?

He saw Ava’s nose begin to drip blood.

I hate being a good person, Iskander thought to himself as he began to walk towards his friend.

Iskander approached tentatively: the doctor was already evaluating Ava, and he wasn’t sure if either or both would object to his presence. As he got closer, he quietly asked, “May I please sit?”

The question meant two different things, in Iskander’s mind: it held its literal meaning as directed to Bellatrix, but it really meant, “How mad are you at me for not being available most of the time these past few weeks?” to Ava.

He sincerely hoped Ava wouldn’t send him away.

[Winter]

Beau Sanders (NPC)
???
Cloud's Cross, Exiting the Sports Field FedoraChar

“No one’s seen you in forever. Folks were saying that you went to jail or died or something.” At Shawn’s remark, Beau had to fight the urge to laugh--the rumors that spread through town, despite the fact it was small, were laughable at best. Of course, if they knew the truth… He snorted and shook his head.

“Oh please, Armstrong, you still believe we have a jail? You know just as well as everyone else that the worst anyone around here’s ever gotten is house arrest. Jail’s just a myth, and I died? I hardly think so. You shouldn’t believe everything you hear.” He let his familiar easy smile take over his lips.

Of course, then she asked about why he wasn’t playing. That was a lot harder to answer, but he tried.

“Speaking of house arrest, I’m in trouble with my parents--did badly on that last test, even with both of the Clearwater’s helping out. They grounded me pretty hard, and have been making me study at home the past few days...something about fewer distractions there or something. I’m actually not supposed to be out, but I had to check on the game… So, ah, if you don’t mind, I should get going…” He jerked a thumb towards the little cluster of houses that made up his neighborhood, and gave her an apologetic smile. “Hopefully I’ll be taking a make-up test soon, and they’ll stop being so adamant on keeping me locked up.”

Ava and Colin Clearwater
Athena and Hephaestus
Cloud's Cross, Sports Field Saraibre Ryu Death's Spook

"Alright Ava you know the drill, lean forward, clean off, make sure nothing is broken." Ava took the cloth and began cleaning up. She knew her nose wasn’t broken--she’d only managed it once before, and it had hurt far more than the sting left from the ball she had taken to the face. she could practically feel Colin’s worried eyes on her, but she shrugged it off.

“Nothing’s broken, Ms. Bellatrix,” she grumbled, her mind flashing back to Beau as the woman asked what might have prompted the incident. She glanced over to Colin, who glanced back at her, and she shrugged as she returned her attention to Bellatrix. “I was just...distracted. It’s weird, not having Beau here, too. It’s been awhile since he missed a game, and it’s weird without him.” Slowly she was starting to calm down, though her mind continued to spin in circles, generating questions for which she had no way to get answers.

And then a hulking figure approached the bench, but spoke quietly, as gentle as ever. “May I please sit?” Of course, lost in her thoughts as she was, Ava jolted, squeezing her nose and then hissing in pain. Colin made a sound of frustration, but he knew Ava could speak for herself and fight her own battles.

“Holy snot, Issy,” she muttered, leveling a weak glare at her friend that simply expressed displeasure over the sudden scare. She knew he had been avoiding her as of late, too, but she’d at least still seen him at school, not that it was long enough to get more than a polite “hello,” out of him. She didn’t have the energy at the moment to fight with him too, though, and Bellatrix was there anyway. Her questions as to why he’d suddenly stopped his regular visits to the Clearwater household after school would have to wait until a more opportune time. “Would it kill you to make a little more noise when you approach before you speak up? I don’t care, sit, sit. Or don’t. That works too, I guess.”

[Xelxe Attis]

Reynaldo Sage Quercetum
Dionysus
Cloud's Cross, Sports field or near by.
Finally after much diliberation, Rey decided he'd slip out from the shadows. He would have approached the entire group of friends in a heart beat in his usual cheery way. However a grimace was on his face when his gaze fell upon that GIANT. Why did it have to be him!? whyyyy? Megalaphobia be damned he wanted attention, but it was also overpowering his knees which quaked a bit violently.

"H-hey guys," He offered trying to keep himself at least a bit calm. To hell with it! he thought to himself he didn't care how awkward it'd seem saying hello and then bolting. Like a cheeta the boy was off toward, well wherever his legs would take him. Hair draping in the wind he charged caring little if he bumped into anyone at the moment.
"Curse this stupid fear..." he adjusted his glasses mid sprint,"I had at least several opertunities to make a move before that lumbering piece of meat appeared, yet I stalled.. waahhh... I wanted to spend time with Ava, sweet Colen, and possibly that friend of theirs.."

Axura Sol Quercetum
Apollo
Cloud's Cross, Somewhere in the school field. @ FedoraChar
"That was lovely."
Axura was as stiff as a statue even as he turned to look at the timid maiden. Someone had discovered a single safe haven of his. Staring into the women's eyes he let his ruby irises fallow her gaze ever so slowly to what he asumed was the object of admiriation. The trees foliage was possibly some of the greenest he had seen in Cloud's Cross,"Yes.. the leaves are lovely."

Completely the blond had missed the mark. Any onlooker was probobly smacking their foreheads at the ignorance. Sure this fair maid had complimented him on his poetry, but he sure as hell didn't know that.

After what seemed like an eternity he finally turned to adress her. He brushed passed with nery a word escaping that straight line he called a mouth as his shoulder gently bumped her to the side. He looked toward the school in deep throught,"I wonder if any of the rooms are empty?"

[VeloJello]

Lysander Martis
Prometheus
Cloud’s Cross, Gymnasium -> Side streets

((Decided that I needed to at least try to spread my characters out a bit; sorry for the mix-up before, Char. XD This post is nigh identical to the prior draft, minus everything about Lysander seeing Lydia))

The sound of Sera’s repeated hits on the punching bag formed a rhythmic backdrop to Lysander’s thoughts as he wrote down thoughts in his notebook. Usually, the notebook was something he kept with him in case he had a sudden spark of inspiration, or if he was just bored and wanted to write. Lately, however, he had been using it to keep track of some of the Cloud’s Cross oddities - chronicling everything he could about Beau Sanders, and adding notes about Sera and a few other kids he knew who had either been acting weirdly, or knew Beau well. So far he’d found no solid conclusions at all, but he found that writing down his thoughts helped him feel a lot less overwhelmed.

Just then, however, nothing was really helping. There was tension lodged deep in his chest, tension that spread through every muscle and made it impossible to sit without twitching. Seraphine wouldn’t take him seriously and didn’t want to hear a word against the adults. He didn’t know anyone else he could go to with this - before, he might have considered his moms, but he didn’t want either of them to know he’d eavesdropped on his mum. He didn’t know what to do, and looking at the clumsy words and phrases he’d scrawled down, he suddenly felt like there was too much of it all, and maybe he was just making mountains out of molehills like always anyway, and…

“I need to go,” Lysander announced suddenly, his voice coming out a lot squeakier than it was supposed to. “I’ll be out for a walk like usual after dinner if you want to talk tonight… see you tomorrow, otherwise.”

He could tell that Seraphine was thinking about saying something more, but she just nodded, her lips pursed with concern. “Okay,” she said, trying for a smile. “See you.”

As soon as Lysander got outside he began to feel a bit better. The gymnasium was good, familiar territory most of the time, but Seraphine’s rolling tension like was a thick malaise that filled the room. Between that and his own nerves, Lysander had been feeling strangled. Outside, however, there weren’t all those emotions bundled together. Everything felt more relaxed, more free. Slowly but surely, Lysander’s shallow breaths began to deepen.

The funny thing was, he was quite suddenly doing exactly what Seraphine had been wanting him to do - he wasn’t thinking about Beau Sanders or any part of the vague feeling of impending doom that shadowed over him. His thoughts were taking a very different direction.

“Your moms are probably just concerned that we’re sleeping together or something.” Seraphine’s words echoed in Lysander’s head. She had just meant it as a joke, Lysander was sure, but her tone had been so dismissive… For some reason, it bugged him a lot.

Well. Not “for some reason”. Lysander knew exactly why it bothered him, when he stopped to think about it for five seconds. Seraphine was strong - fierce, even - intelligent, beautiful, and his most staunch supporter besides his moms. As silly and juvenile as it was, he was smitten with a girl he’d been strictly just friends with for years.

Now that’d be a sign of the apocalypse, he thought, feeling a smile of weary amusement forming on his face. Lysander Martis, getting a date.

A flicker of motion caught Lysander’s eye. There was a loud “meow”, and then a big orange-and-white shorthair cat trotted out of an alleyway with its tail raised high.

“Hey, buddy,” said Lysander, bending down to the cat’s level. The great tomcat sniffed Lysander a few times, then plopped down on the sidewalk and meowed demandingly. “Sera’s not with me, but I can still give you a good scratch behind the ears, right?”

It was just as well; if Seraphine had actually been there, Oswald would have pretended that Lysander was completely nonexistent. For reasons that had never been entirely clear to either he or Seraphine, cats adored Sera, and Oswald in particular was the most affectionate of them. Lysander managed to get a few minutes’ worth of petting in before Oswald batted at his hand with a lazy paw and rose again, meowing plaintively.

Lysander let out a small sigh as he rose. “Sera’s not here,” he said again. “If you want her, you’re going to have to wait.”

However, Oswald followed when Lysander walked away. He sighed. Cats, no accounting for them. He wasn’t even particularly sure where he was going - he just sort of ambled through Cloud’s Cross, holding his notebook like a security blanket. It was kind of weird that he didn’t end up running into anyone, considering - while most people would probably still be in the stadium watching whatever was left of the soccer game, it seemed odd to him that he just happened not to see anyone at all, especially when he was just picking side streets at random. Not that he minded. In his frame of mind, talking to anyone but Sera would make him even more agitated - actually, talking to Sera would probably be even more tense after how he’d left.

[FedoraChar]

((@Velo s’all good, was going to hop on and say something earlier but didn’t get the time—but you got it so s’all good xD Also, sorry if this seems a bit rushed but like Velo I think I'd like to get my characters going a little here xD Move the story on a little bit, perhaps))

Shawn Armstrong
//Thor//
Cloud’s Cross, Sport’s Field Winter

Shawn bought into all of Beau’s words, even giving a bout of laughter at his jokes. “I know right? The crazy stuff that people come up with.”

At his explanation, she winced sympathetically. “Dang, Beau, your parents are as harsh all heck.” She waved, dismissing him. “Get out of here, then. But hey, I better see you at the next match, right?”

She grinned and punched him in the shoulder, a typical friendly guesture from her—but perhaps gentle only to a rock. “Good seeing ya.”

Without giving the guy any further thought, she continued on to the gym—eager to hit the sandbags.




Lydia McCormick
//Demeter//
Cloud’s Cross, School Field@Xelxe Attis

The boy’s answer came slowly. Like, very… very slowly. Lydia immediately wondered if she made the right choice in speaking to him. But his response was…

“Yes… the leaves are lovely.”

Lydia was naturally confused, but following his gaze to a nearby tree. Normal people probably would have corrected him—but this was Lydia. The plant nerd. Compliment a tree and she’d be all over it.

“Oh,” she said, brightening a little. “That’s a remarkably healthy Quercus alba—that is, white oak tree. You know, oaks have actually had a hard time growing here in Cloud’s Cross but perhaps at this angle and slope this one is getting…”

She stopped short, as the boy gently shouldered passed her without saying a word. Nothing.

Biting her lip, she wondered if she had scared him off. Most teenagers probably wouldn’t care for trees, of course. Still, she wanted to make at least a bit more effort at being sociable. Though honestly this kid seemed to have as much social tact as a dead log—not that she was one to judge, of course.

“U-um…” she skipped forward a little, jogging back up to his side. “Where you going? I was, um… I wasn’t really talking about the tree back there. I heard your poem, and…”

She trailed off, thinking he’d understand the rest of the context there.

[Saraibre Ryu]

Bellatrix and Lux
Sport's Field; Clouds Cross
Winter Death's Spook


"I know it isn't broken, Ava. However, on the off chance that there is a fracture, and I was wrong, I lose my job." Bellatrix gave a bit of a chuckle. "Frankly, I don't want to lose that. I like taking care of all you kids too much. Even if you all don't get along."

A certain someone's arrival did not go unnoticed, but seeing as Iskander was keen on sitting anyway, Bellatrix only motioned an affirmative response. She knew Iskander had his reasons and he certainly wasn't making a crowd, though that could be put up for debate. She offered Ava an unopened water bottle to drink, rather than use the one she had been having clean of blood. She leaned a bit closer, giving the wound a quick look before handing the girl something a little less damp to wipe off her face with.

"That might need a bandage to keep the canals open, as that is going to swell a little bit and we don't want any clotting." The doctor fidgeted in her bag for the appropriate tool she had just described. "I'll give you a few more minutes before we apply that. It's going to be a sensitive spot for awhile. At least it isn't anywhere near as bad as the time Lux got his nose broken."


Lux had an odd sensation that his aunt was talking about him. Not that he cared much, he was sure others spoke about him behind his back. That's what people did. He was having a hard enough time keeping attention to the game, flipping the proper point signs, and keeping hydrated. Lux looked exceptionally lazy doing it, taking advantage of the new foot rest while Bellatrix was not there to sit in it. He peered around the stands and took a head count of everyone there. He was sure that a couple certain families were not at the event, mostly a particular pair he couldn't see. He thought to himself, wondering where Angel was if that pair of people that drove her insane to be around were currently not nearby. He didn't quite understand why they drove her insane, but he wasn't going to question how Angel felt about it.

'Maybe I could get Aunt Bella to bring in that water enhancer stuff she's talked about before.' Water was turning into the taste of 'boring' for the teen.

A whistle jolted him out of his thoughts, telling him to flip the point sign once again. It was certainly, a very strange day so far.


Angel ['Emily' the Cat]
Clouds Cross; to the Back Alley's
Velocity Maybe if you wanna run into Angel as a cat I dunno

If Angel could wrinkle her face, she would have. Beau was being everything, but inconspicuous about his evasiveness on the topic of his disappearance. She had that tingling feeling again in her spine, though it was not nearly as bad as she had gotten it before. Shawn was a bit of a fool to immediately believe him, but... this was Shawn, she was the nice girl. Of course that is all anyone really knew of Angel, the nice girl with the ability to kick your ***. The only one who was going to give Lux the time of day. Luckily, Lux was the only one who didn't lie to her for any reason, and therefore the air was more comfortable around him.

As comfortable as having someone with little filter and no sense of keeping some things to himself was. For her sake, and the sake of keeping secrets, it was a good hing she had bothered. Angel did not want to find out what would happen if everyone else knew what they were up to at night. She had made sure that no one would ever find out.

Thinking back to Beau, who was now leaving Shawn, Angel thought there was no point in further tailing him. The boy was not going to confide into a stray, calico tabby and that was it. Left with more questions than answers, Angel scampered off into a back alley, knowing the chances of running into anyone there were a hundred to one. There was definitely something up, and there was going to be a late night visit to Lux's place to talk about it.

Looked like today was going to be a cat day. Time to liberate some cold cut meat from the deli.

[VeloJello]

Lysander Martis
Prometheus
Cloud’s Cross, Side streets
Saraibre Ryu

((Short post is short. Also, Seraphine still exists, I promise. I’ll probably bring her back next post))

As Lysander wandered, poring over his notes and concentrating on his breathing, he began to calm down a bit. Breathing exercises always helped him, and the fresh air felt nice, although it made him feel a little guilty since he should have been enjoying it from the soccer field with his team.

He sighed, forcing himself to concentrate on his notes. They weren’t going to kill him for missing a day, and he needed to calm down, not dwell on -

A loud yowl from Oswald derailed Lysander’s train of thought. The tomcat was trotting towards another cat, but Lysander didn’t recognize this one, and after spending time with Sera he was pretty sure he knew every cat in Cloud’s Cross. Oswald, for his part, was sniffing at the newcomer, but not getting too close - something was making him nervous. Between the strangeness of the cat and Oswald’s behavior, Lysander felt rather wary; the tom was usually pretty fearless, and was surprisingly social for a feline. “Hey, strange kitty,” he said gingerly as Oswald backed away a step, whiskers back and tail low. He held out a hand toward the calico, close enough for it to sniff if it wanted but far enough away that he could hopefully react quickly enough to pull away if the cat decided it was feeling murderous.

[FedoraChar]

Shawn Armstrong
//Thor//
Cloud’s Cross, Sport’s Field Velocity

Shawn left behind the sport’s field, ignorant to the events occurring beyond the bleachers, and unbothered by her short conversation with Beau. Her mind instead went through various workout plans for the gym. She’d love to hit the old sandbag for a good long while, maybe do some arm-lifting; she was getting close to breaking the school record for the women’s (and men’s) clean and jerk. Maybe today would be the day…

Bursting through the doors of the gym, she took a minute to appreciate the gym’s… unique scent. As was expected for the day of a big game, the place was nearly barren. However, Shawn could pick up a rhythmic thumping from the back; apparently, someone else thought it was a good day to hit the punching bag. Hardly deterred, Shawn ventured to the back where she found a young woman with short-cropped black hair whaling on the defenseless sandbag.

“’Eyyyy!” Shawn hollered a greeting, recognizing the bronzed girl as Seraphina Eze; she visited the gym as much as Shawn did, and Shawn considered her a friendly rival of sorts. “How’s it going, Eze?” She came up behind the punching bag in place.




Lydia McCormick
//Demeter//
Cloud’s Cross, School Field Velocity (maybe? IDK xD)

((OOC: Not sure if Xelxe’s going to post again, so I’m going to go ahead and free my character up))

Lydia felt extremely silly. This conversation seemed to be going nowhere, and this fellow seemed lost in his own thoughts. Sighing, she came to a stop and let the strange boy keep walking on. That was a bust… but where else could she go? She glanced back towards the soccer field and wondered, but eventually decided to head near the school—maybe take a walk around town or something.

She found her way to some side streets and wandered near the school. Eventually, she did run into some other people, who seemed to be leaving the game. Was it over, maybe? She thought about trying to talk to them, but couldn’t quite summon the courage. Eventually she took a side-road, finding herself alone again for a moment. Only briefly, however. A cat walked by her, seemingly occupied with something and didn’t even pause to give her a second glance. She followed the feline with her eyes, and saw it heading towards a boy walking around with another cat.



I am sooooo rusty right now pls forgive me xD