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       #Post#: 6--------------------------------------------------
       School Courtyard
       By: Mascii Date: January 25, 2013, 12:53 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Despite being a common place for meet-ups and out-door games,
       the school courtyard seems just as neglected and melancholic as
       the rest of the school. It gives off a very claustrophobic
       feeling, with a few scraggly trees and stone walls surrounding.
       However, it is often quite peaceful and secluded, which may be
       what you prefer.
       #Post#: 7--------------------------------------------------
       Re: School Courtyard
       By: Mascii Date: January 25, 2013, 1:03 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote]
       Erin Spencer
       Some things were nice about the Academy. Nothing could make her
       actually enjoy school for being school, but she had to give it
       to them— this was a better place than any other she’d been to.
       You didn’t have to eat lunch in a tiny, overcrowded cafeteria,
       where you were uncomfortably close to those two kids over there
       tossing punches at one another. It seemed really small, but the
       ability to just leave the buildings and sit outside, under the
       warm sun and breathe in deep the unfiltered air… it made Erin
       feel so much more free.
       And she would take advantage of that little bit of freedom every
       chance she got. She walked over to a tree that made for
       particularly good picnic spot. Plus, Yukito had already claimed
       it today, apparently. This was not a bad thing.
       “Yukito!” She called, still several feet away, and gave a wave
       with her free hand. It didn’t take her long to cross the patch
       of green between herself and her tree, and she didn’t hesitate
       to plop down next to the guy who was just as quiet as Erin was
       loud. She gave him a smile. “How’s it goin’?” She didn’t hardly
       take a breath before plowing on: “You know, I heard the ‘great
       powers that be’ finally decided to let us have an official
       dance.” Her eyes brightened at the prospect, even though she was
       pretty sure Yukito wouldn’t share her enthusiasm. “They’re
       calling it a ‘harvest festival’ or something ‘cause it’s
       supposed to be around Halloween, and you know what that means?
       It’s like the entire school’ll be having a party on my
       birthday!” She leaned back against the tree, closing her eyes
       since her head was tilted towards the sun. Her feet were
       stretched out in front of her, moving to a rhythm only she could
       hear. “Ah! How perfect is that?” Erin looked over at him. “What
       do you think you’ll go as?”[/quote]
       [quote]
       Yukito Maki
       “Yukito!” He looked up when his name was called, nodding as Erin
       made her way over to sit behind him. She gave him a smile, and
       he silently shifted over to give her plenty of room, pulling his
       crumpled up paper bag with him. After she was situated, he drew
       his knees back up to his chest, his book balanced atop, skimming
       the pages casually, half-listening to her.
       “How’s it goin’? You know, I heard the ‘great powers that be’
       finally decided to let us have an official dance. They’re
       calling it a ‘harvest festival’ or something ‘cause it’s
       supposed to be around Halloween, and you know what that means?
       It’s like the entire school’ll be having a party on my birthday!
       Ah! How perfect is that?” Erin looked over at him. “What do you
       think you’ll go as?”
       In reply, he gave a shrug, “I don’t know. I’m not one for big
       parties.” Not looking up from his book, he turned another page.
       Erin was always so energetic.. He’d chosen this spot because it
       was more out in the open and the air was not as thick. Most of
       the students still chose to eat in the dining area, despite
       having alternatives, so it was much quieter unless Erin joined
       him. But even then, he didn’t mind her. She was talkative, but
       she never seemed to mind the fact that he didn’t try to match
       her chatter with his own.[/quote]
       [quote]
       Erin Spencer
       Yukito gave a little shrug. Had he shifted away from her? She
       frowned a little. I don’t smell weird, do I?
       “I don’t know. I’m not one for big parties.” He kept reading.
       Part of Erin felt like he was giving her the cold shoulder, and
       it was souring her mood. But a bigger part argued that Yukito
       was always this way, so it’s not like it was anything different.
       It’s just how he was. Isn’t that what made him himself? And if
       she was going to like him for who he was, she’d need to learn to
       accept what looked like a cold shoulder.
       So she smiled again. “I’ve already decided I’m going as a zombie
       bride. You know, like that movie The Corpse Bride? I’ve already
       started the costume design. We got an old wedding dress from a
       second hand store and we took it into the backyard and charred
       pieces of it— on purpose! Oh—!” She gasped as an idea popped in
       her head. He might think about going if he didn’t have to bother
       with a costume design, so…. “You know what? You’ve already got a
       great start to a costume. Like, what if you came as a vampire,
       or a dark angel? We could incorporate your wings, and of course,
       nothing would be permanent. Don’t wanna damage the goods.” She
       giggled, rolling her eyes a bit. “What’d’ya think?” Erin leaned
       forward a bit to meet his eyes, which seemed to focus more on
       the book in his hand than anything else.
       “You know… it’s lunch break. You don’t have to keep doing school
       right now.”[/quote]
       [quote]
       Yukito Maki
       “I’ve already decided I’m going as a zombie bride. You know,
       like that movie The Corpse Bride? I’ve already started the
       costume design. We got an old wedding dress from a second hand
       store and we took it into the backyard and charred pieces of it—
       on purpose! Oh—!” She let out an excited gasp, almost making him
       jump a little from its suddenness, even though he should be
       completely used to it by now. “You know what? You’ve already got
       a great start to a costume. Like, what if you came as a vampire,
       or a dark angel? We could incorporate your wings, and of course,
       nothing would be permanent. Don’t wanna damage the goods.” She
       giggled, rolling her eyes a bit. “What’d’ya think?” She leaned
       forward into his line of vision, and he looked up and sent her
       an arched eyebrow and a crooked smirk.
       “An interesting idea…” He doubted that Hal would even allow the
       idea of a costume which included him keeping his wings out for
       an entire party, but it would have been pretty cool.
       “You know… it’s lunch break. You don’t have to keep doing school
       right now.”
       “It’s not for school,” he explained, holding it up so she could
       see the title - Tesla: Man Out Of Time. ”It’s just a favorite of
       mine, is all.” He covered his mouth with one hand as he let out
       a yawn he couldn’t suppress, then replaced his bookmark in
       between the pages. He got the feeling the book was irritating
       her, so he set it down on his other side, finally looking up at
       her.[/quote]
       [quote]
       Erin Spencer
       Talking about her costume idea, Erin found herself gushing about
       it more than she probably should. Finally, she brought herself
       to a halt. It would probably be a good idea to see if Yukito
       even thought it was remotely awesome.
       “An interesting idea…” Well, interesting was better than
       nothing. Though he was harder to read than most were for her….
       Her lips turned down a bit. Why did people have to be so hard to
       read? Why did he have to be the hardest of all to read? She let
       it drop, leaning forward to see what was keeping his attention
       so riveted.
       “You know… it’s lunch break. You don’t have to keep doing school
       right now.”
       “It’s not for school,” he explained, and lifted the book for
       Erin to see its cover. She muttered the title to herself as she
       read it.”Tesla: Man Out Of Time. You like reading biographies
       for fun?” As soon as the words left her mouth, Erin realized
       they could sound like she was mocking him. I didn’t mean for it
       to sound like that. I just wanted to ask a question. She could
       have kicked herself.
       ”It’s just a favorite of mine, is all.” Yukito set the book
       aside, finally giving her his attention. And despite her
       momentary irritation with herself, that act alone made her
       smile. Which made her think— Yukito’s expression hadn’t changed
       an ounce since she’d seen him. Her own smile fell a bit, concern
       taking over. “Are you all right? You seem kinda… I dunno, off
       today.”[/quote]
       [quote]
       Yukito Maki
       He could see the befuddled look on her face as she mumbled the
       title aloud, ”Tesla: Man Out Of Time. You like reading
       biographies for fun?”
       He shrugged. ”It’s just a favorite of mine, is all.” It wasn’t
       like biographies were his favorite genre - was it anybody’s? -
       but it was still an interesting book. Realizing that by focusing
       on the book instead of Erin he was being rude, however, Yukito
       decided to lay it aside and turn his attention to her.
       She sent him a smile, but it faltered quickly. He imagined it
       was her frustration with his own social ineptness. “Are you all
       right? You seem kinda… I dunno, off today.”
       Yukito shrugged again. “I don’t know. I guess I just haven’t
       been sleeping all that well, lately.”
       He turned to face ahead, staring blankly off into the distance
       for a moment as though he had spotted that elusive white rabbit
       that would lead him to answers to questions he couldn’t put into
       words. Yukito hugged his knees to his chest more tightly. “It’s
       hard to sleep when you can’t breathe.” He rested his forehead
       against his knees, letting out a sigh. If he wasn’t careful,
       Erin would make it too easy to tell everything to, he knew. He
       turned his face toward her and sent her a sad little smile. “But
       that’s nothing new, so it’s not a huge deal. I’m just
       tired.”[/quote]
       [quote]
       Erin Spencer
       “Are you all right? You seem kinda… I dunno, off today.”
       Yukito shrugged again. “I don’t know. I guess I just haven’t
       been sleeping all that well, lately.”
       Erin frowned at that. She knew it wasn’t because he was choosing
       to stay up. People who did that on purpose— like her— were mor
       than willing to fess up to their night-owly ways. Yukito wasn’t
       giving off the vibe of a proud night-owl.
       He pulled into himself more. It made her want to reach over and
       take his hand in hers, to try to let him know it was okay—
       whatever he was feeling or experiencing. That he could talk to
       her. If he wanted.
       But she couldn’t do that. He kept moving away from her. So, that
       would be a stupid move.
       “It’s hard to sleep when you can’t breathe.” Her eyes widened at
       that comment, and she might have let a little gasp slip at the
       mental image of a non-breathing Yukito.
       Yukito looked up at her and gave her the tiniest of smiles. The
       kind that made you feel blue on the inside. “But that’s nothing
       new, so it’s not a huge deal. I’m just tired.”
       “Just because it’s happened before doesn’t mean you should keep
       putting up with it,” she said frankly, eyebrows furrowed in
       seriousness. “Are you still having nightmares?” The urge to
       reach out and grab his hand wouldn’t leave her alone. She wanted
       to comfort him so badly. But he made it very clear that she
       wasn’t invited into his personal space. Even so, she kept
       sneaking looks at his hands, thinking of what they might feel
       like in hers.
       And just as quickly, she stopped herself. He was talking to her
       about something important. If she couldn’t reach over and
       comfort him, Erin should at least listen. It was important. “I
       won’t tell anyone about them if you wanna share. Promise.” She
       gave him a little smile, equal to his own, almost. “Maybe
       they’ll let up a bit if you get ‘em off your chest, you
       know?”[/quote]
       [quote]
       Yukito Maki
       Yukito looked up at her and gave her the tiniest of smiles. He
       hadn’t said it to make her feel sorry for him or to worry about
       him, but he could see it in her eyes. “But that’s nothing new,
       so it’s not a huge deal. I’m just tired.”
       “Just because it’s happened before doesn’t mean you should keep
       putting up with it,” she said frankly, eyebrows furrowed in
       seriousness. He had to turn away from her, then. Her big,
       expressive brown eyes were saying too much, and he didn’t want
       to see pity reflected in them. He was tired, not dying. It was
       bothersome, not worth complaining about.  “Are you still having
       nightmares?”
       He didn’t answer her, his chin pressed into his knees as he
       stared off again, trying to mentally keep tucked in to himself.
       “I won’t tell anyone about them if you wanna share. Promise.”
       He looked over at her again. She gave him a smile, a sad little
       one that didn’t seem much like Erin’s smiles at all. He liked
       how nothing dampened her spirits, and he hadn’t meant to ruin
       that. He became choked up, then, on the words that wanted to
       tumble out. But instead of taking flight, he swallowed them
       down, and tried to give her a more realistic smile. “Oh, I know
       that, Erin,” he said in a matter-of-fact way. That wasn’t in
       question. Ever. “It’s just that there’s no point in dwelling on
       something you can’t control.”
       “Maybe they’ll let up a bit if you get ‘em off your chest, you
       know?”
       To this he gave a noncommittal shrug. She wasn’t going to give
       up so easily. He let out a sigh, leaning back into the tree. His
       hand fell to his side, and he plucked a few blades of grass
       absentmindedly, frowning as he thought. He spoke slowly, each
       “It’s still the same thing. I’m sitting in my bed, underneath my
       window. The lights are all off, except for the hallway light.
       And there’s someone standing in the doorway. It’s a man I know,
       only I don’t know who. I just know I’m frightened, and I keep
       screaming at him, but I can’t move. I scream the same thing
       until my throat won’t allow me to scream anymore. And he just
       stands there.. watching me… Until I finally can only whisper…
       ‘Sawaranaide, sawaranaide.’ And he takes a step toward me.. Just
       when he reached the bed, just when his hand starts to reach out,
       I always wake up.”
       As he had spoken he hadn’t met Erin’s eyes once, preferring to
       stare transfixedly at the blade of grass he was slowly crumpling
       between his fingertips. When he finished, he pressed his lips
       together tightly, waiting her reply but not yet prepared to see
       her expression. He hadn’t directly told Erin yet about the
       Japanese - he hadn’t even told Reese, really. But he knew that
       they all knew. He had slipped into it too many times when he was
       tired or irritable, and no one had bothered to ask.
       “It means ‘Don’t touch me, don’t touch me’. I get the feeling
       more and more each day that I don’t really want to know what the
       dreams mean. That maybe I should just ignore them and pretend
       they never happened. That’s what my dad seems to want me to do.”
       He paused, pursing his lips as he considered, then nodded,
       “Yeah…it might be best, actually…”[/quote]
       [quote]
       Erin Spencer
       He looked over at her again. “Oh, I know that, Erin,” he told
       her. “It’s just that there’s no point in dwelling on something
       you can’t control.”
       It was pretty clear they had way different ways for dealing with
       stuff that was bothering them. But, Erin thought, hers was the
       way he needed now. Since his way wasn’t working. “Maybe they’ll
       let up a bit if you get ‘em off your chest, you know?”
       He shrugged at that, then was quiet for a bit. Erin bit the
       inside of her cheek just enough to remind herself not to say
       anything just yet. He was thinking. Then, Yukito slowly let out,
       “It’s still the same thing. I’m sitting in my bed, underneath my
       window. The lights are all off, except for the hallway light.
       And there’s someone standing in the doorway. It’s a man I know,
       only I don’t know who. I just know I’m frightened, and I keep
       screaming at him, but I can’t move. I scream the same thing
       until my throat won’t allow me to scream anymore. And he just
       stands there.. watching me… Until I finally can only whisper…
       ‘Sawaranaide, sawaranaide.’ And he takes a step toward me.. Just
       when he reached the bed, just when his hand starts to reach out,
       I always wake up.”
       The description formed pictures in Erin’s head, making her
       expression shift along with the unsettling feeling the image
       gave her. He had to see that in his head on a regular basis?
       Yuck… No wonder he wasn’t sleeping well. “Yeah, I don’t think
       I’d sleep well with that, either. I don’t know what a sawa…thing
       is, though.”
       “It means ‘Don’t touch me, don’t touch me’. I get the feeling
       more and more each day that I don’t really want to know what the
       dreams mean. That maybe I should just ignore them and pretend
       they never happened. That’s what my dad seems to want me to do.”
       Yukito nodded, as if confirming his own words. “Yeah…it might be
       best, actually…”
       “No,” Erin put in, unable to keep her smile back. “It’s really
       not. Yukito, think about it. How many problems have been solved
       by ignoring them and pretending they never happened? That’s how
       everyone tried to fix both world wars, and both times they
       became world wars. So obviously, that doesn’t work.” Absently,
       she tucked loose hair behind her ear. “It sounds like there’s
       something you’re just scared of, though. A lot of times our
       dreams that seem really awful have pretty simple meanings… like
       the one where you dream your teeth fall out? You’re probably
       just scared of looking weird to other people or being judged by
       them. So…” She shrugged. “At least you know you’re not alone
       with it. I think it’s pretty common, you know? But if you want,
       my dad might be able to help you have them less. It’s kinda his
       thing,” she laughed a bit— here she was, trying to promote her
       dad. It was weird. And funny. But mostly weird. “Stuff inside
       the head.”[/quote]
       #Post#: 8--------------------------------------------------
       Re: School Courtyard
       By: Mascii Date: January 25, 2013, 1:13 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Yukito Maki
       “I get the feeling more and more each day that I don’t really
       want to know what the dreams mean. That maybe I should just
       ignore them and pretend they never happened. That’s what my dad
       seems to want me to do.” Yukito considered a moment, then nodded
       in agreement to his own statement. He wished he could just
       forget the dreams. It would be so much easier that way. “Yeah…it
       might be best, actually…”
       “No,” Erin put in, smiling. He found it odd, finding himself
       studying her expression and searching for its subtleties while
       she spoke. “It’s really not. Yukito, think about it. How many
       problems have been solved by ignoring them and pretending they
       never happened? That’s how everyone tried to fix both world
       wars, and both times they became world wars. So obviously, that
       doesn’t work.” Absently, she tucked loose hair behind her ear.
       He wasn’t so sure about that - it seemed counter-productive to
       drag others down with his own problem. True, it felt better when
       he was able to talk about it on the rare occasion. But how often
       did things that felt good turn out to be the wrong thing?
       “It sounds like there’s something you’re just scared of, though.
       A lot of times our dreams that seem really awful have pretty
       simple meanings… like the one where you dream your teeth fall
       out? You’re probably just scared of looking weird to other
       people or being judged by them. So…” She shrugged. “At least you
       know you’re not alone with it. I think it’s pretty common, you
       know? But if you want, my dad might be able to help you have
       them less. It’s kinda his thing,” Erin gave a bit of a laugh,
       then, probably realizing how she sounded. It was a different
       side of Erin, now. She was still the same, bubbly girl, but here
       was a tone of sobriety behind her words. She was genuinely
       worried about him, and reaching out with advice. “Stuff inside
       the head.”
       He continued to watch her, wishing it was as simple as talking
       to a doctor about his feelings. He wanted to tell Erin
       everything. The things he was afraid of each time he went home,
       the things he was afraid the dream really meant, and the things
       he was afraid would turn into the reality that was his life. He
       was caught in an intricate web of secrets, suspicions and
       anxieties, and his stomach twisted into tight little knots as he
       watched her huge brown eyes, innocently looking back at him. He
       wished for her innocence. To go back to a time he wasn’t afraid.
       “Thank you for listening,” he said suddenly, his voice sounding
       way too loud for the way he felt, as if they had just pushed
       past his lips like a barrier to the unknown. His hand reached
       out across the grass until his fingertips touched hers briefly,
       his palms feeling heated as though by some unseen force.
       Yukito realized then that he’d been full-on staring at her, and
       his immediate reaction was to look away, his gaze dropping once
       more until his bangs fell into his eyes, stinging them and
       making his vision blurry. ”No offense to you, Erin,” he said
       slowly, trying to keep his tone even. “But I already see enough
       of doctors to last me a lifetime…” He hesitated a moment, then
       leapt to his feet and away from her, brushing off his jeans and
       trying to maintain a somewhat casual posture, as though he
       wasn’t suddenly shaking uncontrollably. He hoped it wasn’t
       noticeable. “I should go,” his declared in a rushed tone,
       heading off at a brisk pace that bordered on a sprint.
       *Yukito is finished here! But let me know if you wanted me to
       make one more post before he left, and I can edit! ^_^ *
       #Post#: 99--------------------------------------------------
       Re: School Courtyard
       By: MissM Date: March 20, 2013, 1:36 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Zinnia Natter
       While she didn't appreciate how surrounded the courtyard was, it
       was one of her favorite places. Here, she could be herself, and
       not have to feel even the small amount of claustrophobia she had
       come to associate with the classrooms. With the natural lighting
       and design of the rooms, sure, they didn't feel like cages. But
       there was still a remnant of her old habits leftover from her
       time spent in the hospital.
       "I should really see a psychiatrist...." she murmured.  And she
       wanted to. But she also didn't want anyone else knowing what her
       problems were, at least not those who could have their files
       'stolen' by higher ups...
       Approaching footsteps jolted her our of her reverie and back
       into the present. She watched the tunnel leading to the
       courtyard, waiting to see who it was.
       #Post#: 110--------------------------------------------------
       Re: School Courtyard
       By: Mascii Date: March 22, 2013, 3:15 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Reese Middleton
       He wandered into the courtyard humming to himself. It had been a
       long morning, and a test day, so many students were walking
       around like zombies. The nice thing was that there was more free
       time for Reese, since he liked to test quickly and be done with
       things. It was hard to be in a room full of stressed out
       students, all their nervousness buzzing through his head and
       giving him a migraine. What you need, Reese McCartney, he said
       to himself, Is a well-deserved nap. Due to the still precarious
       and still often misunderstood workings of his Enhancement, only
       a limited amount of painkillers was allotted to him, despite how
       often the headaches came. Reese found naps a lovely release. He
       sometimes even brought a jacket with him on warm days, just to
       make sure he had a ready pillow to use.
       Reese was just entering the courtyards, which was guaranteed to
       be a quiet place to snooze, when he noticed the place was
       occupied. A girl was there, wearing long sleeves despite the
       warm day, and with her hair hiding part of her face. Reese
       tossed his jacket over one shoulder, dangling it from his
       fingertips. "Hey there," he said, sending the girl a little
       mock-salute with his free hand. "What's up?"
       His original intention was to just greet the girl and then move
       over to take his nap. He even went so far as to flop onto a
       nearby bench, situating his jacket in such a way as to form his
       makeshift pillow. But something in her made him continuously
       glance her way. "Most kids don't seem pretty glum at times," he
       quietly murmured aloud, "But you take the cake in glumness
       today. Something happen?" He took care not to make too much eye
       contact - it made people nervous, and clam up. Reese noticed
       this happened even with his friend Yukito. Even if Yukito wanted
       to talk, too much eye contact, too much pressure, and they
       started to imagine that everyone was just judging them, and that
       it wasn't worth talking about. So Reese busied himself preparing
       for his nap, hoping to get rid of his headache, and hoping that
       the girl's cloud of funk wouldn't linger in the air too long. It
       would make it hard for him to sleep.
       #Post#: 132--------------------------------------------------
       Re: School Courtyard
       By: MissM Date: March 31, 2013, 5:55 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Zinnia Natter
       It was a guy, walking quietly but with confidence. She scooted
       over a couple benches to give him room to sit without having to
       squish up close to her. Most people preferred a bit of space.
       Although she kind of wanted to talk to him, too....
       "Hey there." He greeted her with a quick salute. "What's up?"
       "Uhm. Just enjoying the fresh air." She smiled briefly, but as
       soon as he turned away, as if to take a nap, her smile slipped
       off her face. Company always made her more conscious of the fact
       that she really needed help, or at least needed to catch up with
       the 'pop' culture. Being out of touch with it for so long... Not
       that she'd been in touch with it before her operations, being
       11, but she really felt disconnected these days.
       Sighing, she lay back with her face to the sun to take a short
       nap. She was done with tests for the day, so she had more free
       time than she knew what to do with. But she couldn't get to
       sleep, and the guy was still glancing at her every so often.
       "Yes?"
       "Most kids don't seem pretty glum at times," he quietly murmured
       aloud, "But you take the cake in glumness today. Something
       happen?"
       She hesitated, wanting to tell him, but at the same time wary of
       telling a stranger. But then she shrugged slightly. What the
       hell, she thought to herself. What harm can it do?
       "Well, not as such. I'm just a bit stuck in the past, that's
       all." Not a bad start. "If I'm bothering you, I can leave." She
       didn't want to leave, but more than that, she hated bothering
       others.
       #Post#: 138--------------------------------------------------
       Re: School Courtyard
       By: Mascii Date: March 31, 2013, 8:03 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Reese Middleton
       The girl seemed to have the same idea he had - free afternoons
       were perfect for hiding away and taking a nap. He wasn't sure if
       he could sleep with someone else nearby, though. She seemed a
       little off, unnatural in this element. What exactly that
       'element' was, he wasn't quite sure how to explain. But he could
       tell she seemed about to say something, but was nervous about
       saying it. So he decided to take the initiative and start the
       conversation. After all, there would be time to take a nap
       later, and he could always take a real nap at home. His family
       was bound to be out shopping, and if they weren't, he could
       always go to his 'base' - the shed out behind his house that his
       parents allowed him to take over and make his own hide-away.
       But before he could say something, the girl noticed him noticing
       her. "Yes?"
       "Most kids don't seem pretty glum at times," he quietly murmured
       aloud, "But you take the cake in glumness today. Something
       happen?"
       He almost felt her pause, choosing her words with all the care
       of someone carrying an egg on the end of a spoon. "Well, not as
       such. I'm just a bit stuck in the past, that's all." Reese
       smiled at that. He knew the feeling. "If I'm bothering you, I
       can leave."
       "No, no...not at all." he insisted, waving his hands in a
       dismissive gesture to let her know it was alright. He sprawled
       out on the bench, his hands tucked behind his head as he looked
       over at the girl. "The past can be a big black hole of feelings,
       can't it? Feels like you can't crawl out of it. Have you ever
       seen that movie, The Ring? It's kinda like that, I think. Kind
       of gross, but the main girl got stuck in a well, and tried to
       crawl out of it. We can just try to crawl out of the well
       forever, it feels like. Well..." he smiled, "I hope you aren't
       stuck in a well. You can always ask for help, you know. It's
       much easier, when you have someone on top rooting for you."
       #Post#: 140--------------------------------------------------
       Re: School Courtyard
       By: MissM Date: March 31, 2013, 8:20 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Zinnia Natter
       "No, no...not at all." he insisted, waving her protest away like
       so much air, looking over at her as he became more comfortable.
       "The past can be a big black hole of feelings, can't it? Feels
       like you can't crawl out of it. Have you ever seen that movie,
       The Ring? It's kinda like that, I think. Kind of gross, but the
       main girl got stuck in a well, and tried to crawl out of it. We
       can just try to crawl out of the well forever, it feels like.
       Well..." he smiled, "I hope you aren't stuck in a well. You can
       always ask for help, you know. It's much easier, when you have
       someone on top rooting for you."
       Zinnia listened, wishing more and more she could pour out all
       her hesitance and just talk. But she had had too many walls up
       for too long, and was too unfamiliar with this guy. Although he
       seemed to be utterly sincere about her not bothering him, and he
       really did seem to want her to talk about it, to get it off her
       chest. Maybe if she got to know him better...
       "Well... I.... it's complicated. I..." she sighed, and looked
       away, unable to figure out where to start. "I just suck at
       talking about it, I guess." She gave up there, frustrated. She
       obviously wasn't ready to talk about it, with anyone. She needed
       a friend, first,  and was too lonely to ask for one. Hesitantly,
       she added, "What's your name, anyway?"
       #Post#: 152--------------------------------------------------
       Re: School Courtyard
       By: Mascii Date: April 2, 2013, 1:28 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Reese Middleton
       "Well... I.... it's complicated. I..." she sighed, and looked
       away. "I just suck at talking about it, I guess." Reese felt her
       uneasiness. She felt like she was going to clam up on him if he
       pushed even just a little bit, so he'd decided to back off.
       However, there was an air about her, like she wanted someone to
       talk to, badly. He wondered if she wanted it badly enough to
       open up to him.
       "That's cool with me," he said, nonchalantly. "Everyone sucks at
       talking about their feelings, of course. But it's not like
       you're paying me to listen to you. How much you talk or don't
       talk is entirely up to you." He sent her a playful smirk and a
       shrug, leaving it up to her interpretation.
       Hesitantly, she added, "What's your name, anyway?"
       "I'm Reese," he said, holding out his hand to her. As a rule,
       Reese rarely shook hands with new acquaintances. With a few of
       his friends - and a couple of his enemies, even - Reese had
       taken to taking hold of their hand as a sort of character
       profiling. In an instant, he knew their regular heart rate, and
       could gauge the vague sensations he received by being near to
       that person. It was almost like getting someone's blood type or
       astrological sign - it wasn't a sure-fire way to understand
       them, but it gave him a hint. "I've been here a few years now,
       so it feels like all this Enhancement and emotional trauma stuff
       is second-nature. Ah, well. It makes you wonder how much we
       actually control about where our lives go, doesn't it?" He
       stretched his arms above his head, letting out a little grunt as
       the muscles in his back stretched. "Boy, it's too pretty a day
       to have tests, isn't it? Seems a shame. My friends are all still
       taking their tests inside, though Yukito should be done soon..."
       He sent her a curious look, then gave a nod as if answering a
       silent question he had put to himself. "Hey, you know how to
       play cards?" He pulled out a deck from his pocket, the cardboard
       cover frayed and torn, and let out a laugh. "I know, in a day of
       technology, it seems kinda stupid, huh? But there you go. I'm a
       bit of an old-fashioned kind of guy, I guess. How ironic."
       #Post#: 153--------------------------------------------------
       Re: School Courtyard
       By: MissM Date: April 2, 2013, 9:08 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Zinnia Natter
       "Well... I.... it's complicated. I..." she sighed, and looked
       away. "I just suck at talking about it, I guess."
       "That's cool with me," he said, nonchalantly. "Everyone sucks at
       talking about their feelings, of course. But it's not like
       you're paying me to listen to you. How much you talk or don't
       talk is entirely up to you."
       Hesitantly, she added, "What's your name, anyway?"
       "I'm Reese," he said, holding out his hand to her. She shook it,
       relaxing when she felt his warm but firm grip. Somebody who
       knows what they're doing, for once. I like that, she thought. A
       small smile crept up onto her face.
       "I've been here a few years now, so it feels like all this
       Enhancement and emotional trauma stuff is second-nature. Ah,
       well. It makes you wonder how much we actually control about
       where our lives go, doesn't it?" There was a short pause. "Boy,
       it's too pretty a day to have tests, isn't it? Seems a shame. My
       friends are all still taking their tests inside, though Yukito
       should be done soon... Hey, you know how to play cards?"
       He pulled out a deck from his pocket, the cardboard cover frayed
       and torn, and Zinnia's eyes widened. How long had it been since
       she had played a simple game of cards? She cautiously moved
       closer, not knowing why she was so tense again. She consciously
       worked to relax--it was only a game of cards. Nothing life
       threatening. She still couldn't say anything, though, so she
       nodded.
       "I know, in a day of technology, it seems kinda stupid, huh? But
       there you go. I'm a bit of an old-fashioned kind of guy, I
       guess. How ironic."
       "It's always good to be able to entertain yourself without the
       use of a computer or electronic gizmo. A dead battery can't take
       it away from you then." Zinnia spoke without much thought, and
       was surprised that she managed a full sentence without stumbling
       over her own tongue. The only problem with strangers, she
       thought, is that I can never speak properly the first few times
       I meet them. Although Reese isn't so bad.
       "What game are we playing?"
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