[M] Grip-Grop-Drae (IC)

[Etmoc]

"My mother was walking, at peace, yet agonized from thinking, and she said, she always told me, looking me in the eye, even though I could never see her own, she'd say,"


"'Everything is temporary, baby.' And she'd cry and cry and cry and hold me close and I'd stare over her or something, somewhere else, at something completely unrelated to what she was talking about. I'd just ignore her, and her body would be shaking, and I'd just be shaking with it, her hands crumpled around me.


And the leaves would be falling, orange and all crispy, and the wisps of light drown everything, until it's only us and the leaves, and then she'd steady herself 'til she was still enough to breathe and she'd place her lips by my ear, and whisper the strangest thing...


She'd say..."

---

OOC

---

⏯
Prologue
Starring...Kade Rivera

Brshhshh...

A lonesome man sat against the wood.

...Matthew Bedinger

His shirt was plaid, his figure stocky, and his jeans were a bit tight, but that was probably the breakfast.

...Violet Leontine

Allowing himself a grim chuckle, he patted his belly and shook his head, a flake or two of salt dropping into the sea.

...Alex Branwen

He's getting somewhere, though, he mulled over a scratch of his hairy beard, somewhere farther than I'd ever gone. And that's something, that's really somethin' to be.

The shore crashed against sand as the sound of the ocean waves purred in the background.

...Tala Black

Brrshhh..

...Silas Greylite

"Well," with a sigh and creaking plank under his toes, he lifted himself up, brushing down his trousers, "it's getting late and it's about time to get going." He paused, as if to give the darkening sky one more look, and look he did, with all his lash and brow as he went deep inside, into his innermost thoughts.

...Stella Lumine

Dear God, he prayed, suddenly, to the invisible man in the sky, please...watch over my son.

...and Rexen Vickers

"...Arbite!!"

A roar suddenly split the calm air, snapping the fisherman's attention upward. His eyes widened, and he stumbled backward at the sight above as he uttered 'amen' in a stifled breath.

In a swirling maelstrom the sky above him began to gather dark clouds and thunderous lightning, the winds blowing harshly as he flopped back to land with his fishing rod and supplies. The pier bobbed against the colliding waves, water like cold flames ready to consume all within view of the coast as the sky rumbled and, near-literally, began to open.

What in the hell of Grandad's belt is that?! cried the fisherman in his head, rendered lip-tight silent as the hurricane-like formation gradually spun more and more rapidly. As it did so, the light at its core, spherical and protruding, seemed to 'beat' and 'throb', as if the very heart of the living.

"Michael!" A man lingering by the entryway had dropped his bottle. "Holy fuck. Michael," he breathed, pushing himself off his trusty truck as Michael, the fisherman, ran past him to place the supplies into the truck. "That...you see that?"

"It's a nasty wind bugger, is what," Michael huffed as he wrapped the rod tight and then stuffed it into the bag. He felt his phone vibrate against his pocket. The wind blew his relatively short hair into his eyes as he felt for his pockets.

The man was shaking his head, pointing at the sky unconvinced. "That's not no hurricane, brother."

With another rumble the earth seemed to shake, causing the two men to fall against the truck for support. But it wasn't, in fact, the earth that was shaking -- it was the big blue atmosphere above them.

"Yams!"

"What?" replied the stubbled man, turning back to Michael.

"My wallet," the stocky fisherman shot back, "did I leave it here with you? It's not in the truck?"

"No sir," Yams declined after a quick recollection, "last time I checked you had it with ya!" Their voices were dwarfed over the gradually worsening gust as Michael tightened his eyes shut. Meanwhile, the phone in his pocket continued to vibrate.


To Mikey,
If you're reading this, remember that I always try to write ya, sometimes our stuff just gets lost in the rain, hehe!
It gets messy down here, but you'll always be on my mind. Don't worry, I'm safe and sound. And our little M's as healthy as ever...he kicked extra today. Think that mighta been for you?
Love, your one and only.


"Hey, hey Michael!" shouted Yams through cupped hands as the father dashed off. "Michael, it's a damn storm out there, you idiot!! Get back here!"

"It's not just my wallet, Yams," Michael shouted back with a wave. "Dina's photo! It's still in there!"

"Oh for fuck's sake," Yams' sigh smoothly taken by the wind, "Michael, you sentimental bastard."

He knew. It was just an old letter from decades ago. And he should have kept it somewhere more secure. He was always getting around to it.

But it was her last letter, he stumbled across the rising sand and pebbles, thickly collecting around his feet. Her last photo. And it was supposed to be my son's... parting...

Wind blew into his eyes, and then sediment, and then droplets of water, as lightning cracked above him once more, the swirling center of the sky becoming fiercer as the creaking pier sounded as fragile as a vase against iron knuckles. When, suddenly, the creaking noises became higher and higher until it felt as close to his ear as a gossiping whisper. But before he could realize it it was already too late.

Clunk!

With a sharp thud on the head, Michael had barely managed to rub his eyes open when the next second he was on the ground, face eating the sand.

My...my head. His ears were ringing, and his phone was vibrating again, as he tried to reach for his head unsuccessfully. His arms had problems moving. With a grimace he looked towards the ocean, and lay aghast at the sight. It was a whirling storm the likes of which he'd never seen in his near 60 years of living. The sky was filled with contorted shapes and thick, smoky formations while the water was a picture of catastrophe, holes sinking into the ocean for as far as he could tell through the blur of sand and debris around him being blown along. The tides were raging; and appeared to be growing with each crashing ripple.

Suddenly, he noticed something else, as soon as a hand gripped his shoulder and shook it hard.

"Michael, Michael it's me." Michael scraped his cheek against the sand to find Yams there next to him, holding flimsily on to an umbrella. He seemed to be going on about how stupid he were to run off, how lucky he was his old woman actually spent that hundred bucks on this specially sturdy umbrella he'd nearly fought against, and also about getting up and leaving, when Michael returned his gaze towards the ocean. Blinking again, he then confirmed he was in fact seeing what he thought he saw.

A body...a bright, glowing...body?

"Michael. Michael, hey, ya listening to me?" Yams patted his free cheek and pressed his fingers against his neck, when Michael pointed forward.

"B...bo...."

"What?" Yams shouted over the winds, the crackle of debris colliding against debris and terrain, along with the storm, drowning away their sentences. Then, he looked at the direction of Michael's outstretched finger.

His eyelids flew into his hairline as he nearly let the storm whisk away his umbrella. "What in the name of..."

At the shoreline was a man, or something like it, adorned in some strange full-body suit. Except, he was crawling towards them, and, by the doctor's prescription, if Yams' eyes weren't failing him, seemed covered in this unseemly, glaring white aura. Other colors seemed to sprinkle off as he dragged himself across the sand.

His lips seemed to be moving, like in a sort of chant. But his face was covered in grime and dirt and looked practically dead itself. A strange liquid dripped down his scalp. Everything about him looked distraught.

"Michael," Yams stammered, looking back at the old man, "I...just stay right here alright. I don't know if we can get that wallet but we're gonna try to get our safety in order first, alright? Just stay right here, I'll be back!"

After a slight nod from Michael, Yams darted towards the shore-stranded man, and, as well, the storm, while the other continued to crawl, throwing elbow after elbow against the oddly reacting sand, pushing on. His whispers suddenly seemed close, and disembodied, as if enunciated in a deep and hollow cave.

"Hey!" yelled Yams as he challenged the storm, carefully trying to keep a steady pace while also not being carried off by the wind or slung by a stray plank. "Hey!"

As Yams approached, his eyes squinted. The man seemed to be glowing brighter, and, dare he say it, the storm too seemed to grow stronger as Yams began feeling less and less steady. He placed a palm against his forehead, growing dizzy.

"Lily.... Gazudas... Evie... Cooper... Mika.... Ignatz... Liss..."

Yams finally ducked and landed on his knees by the man, placing a hefty hand on him then slinging him shakily over it. "C'mon, we gotta get outta here!" he yelled, wincing as the pain in his head began to intensify, and suddenly he was feeling...incredibly angry. And then sad, and then hungry, and then hopeless. His mind felt as if it was just hit by a truck, reeling. He suddenly remembered his old days as a child growing up in southern Kentucky. The day he raised his mother, slapping her wrist for every badmouthing.

Wait, that's not right...

He remembered the way the doors closed shut, and how blood would fill each room 'til him and his fellow boarders were swimming in it. How he hated his father, and his father's father, and the man before that. How he was always being eaten, and fried on the grill, how he wished to just fly away with his fellow brothers and sisters into the sky. Tired of being on a plate.

A plate. A plate.

Tired of being on a damn plate!!

No, that's... that's not right! Yams shook his face in distress, blood suddenly forming out of his pores. What... what's goin' on..?

As he held the man over his shoulder, he suddenly entered a different land, covered in green and lush vegetation. It appeared to be a forest.

Why, oh why, did the king sleep with his daughter?
Lonely as she was, covered in velvet, sleeping in tears against each pillow, she did not deserve such a burden...the burden of beauty...for she was but a girl. She only longed for a life with her own.
Cursed be the King!
It had begun in the fields of Marev, where the well grew dry, and she begged for Acili's forgiveness...of course they would give her none. Of course they saw no dignity in a Vinless.
Cursed be the gods!
Yes...cursed be the gods.
Kill the King! Kill the Peace!!
...yes! YES! YES! KILL! KILL! KILL!

A deep breath was knocked out of Yams as his eyes burned red. He nearly fell to his knees but continued trudging forward.

Towards what? He was no longer certain, as well as for what. It all seemed so distant now, and complicated, and pointless...and yet...he couldn't stop moving. Gritting his teeth, for his daughter, for the times on the plate, he proceeded.

"Lily.... Gazudas... Evie... Cooper... Mika.... Ignatz... Liss..." Suddenly, the man who he had been carrying against his side grew limper, his mouth releasing a rancid cough and his head weakly falling down as he addressed Yams directly. "These...names...do you have a good memory?"

Yams stared at the man, the wind blowing around them, as once again they were at the coast, the waves behind them suddenly casting a large shadow. Michael, barely conscious, sprawled across the sand, wind whipping across his person.

"Please...these names...remember them....

"Please...remember...

...them....

...please...

...don't let them...

...forget those names...."

And suddenly, the wind shrieked.

The ocean bellowed, as if enforced with an army of whales. The sky darkened into a near-ruby hue, spots of black forming upon the earth. And Yams turned, a sight one could only believe in fantasies.

The ocean had become a colossal mountain as it rose from sea level into the air. And from the tide approaching them, horrid formations seemed to bulge from behind the water, as if the water itself was solid and able to take shape. It was impossible to describe, at least for that split second. The formations seemed fleshly yet liquid, akin to humans, but twisted and tangled around each other and theirselves, and what looked like their faces seemed filled with sharp bones and swirling holes that looked to go on to no end.

"What..." Yams began as the giant tsunami descended upon them.

The other man then uttered something under his breath, as if it were a long and sharp blade entering the skin, and suddenly the air changed, and along with it, the very fabric of it -- like rubbing a saw against the wood, or watching a stone distort a pond. Like one sharp slap in matter's face.

"Hape-hope-shrae."

And just like that, the darkness in the sky dissipated, the holes upon the earth subsided, and blinding light enveloped the men as the tumultuous water transformed into an endless flurry of...

"Feathers?" Yams was able to exhale before falling into the embrace of a warm and gentle bosom.

There, there...
...there, there...

...things have only just begun.

___________

Meanwhile,
in the living room of an unkempt Prima City home,
where several teens were gathered together
pretending to study...

[Etmoc]

'Think of your closest friends as stars,' she said.

'Even if they're far away, or sometimes you don't seem to see them or know them,
Some nights they'll bright up the sky and you'll remember that they've always been there.'

...corny, right? When I said that I got a towel to the face.

But who knows? I don't. Not everything.

All I know is that I love this place. This city. These people. Even if it gets nasty.

But they say even stars die, and when they do they leave those big gaping holes. It's a bit funny when you think about it. Against the big vacuum of space we're always meant to feel so small and insignificant... but really, we're no different from those big 'ol balls of gas, hanging up there, for a whole world to see.

...I wonder, if that's what she meant by that...

________________________

Kade Rivera stared out the window, eyes bulging.

"The weatherman lied," he murmured to himself, eyes glimmering.

With a zip and a flush the dark brown haired young man broke into a random hum while he washed his hands. "There ain't no rest for the wicked..! Bum bum bum bum bum buuum!"

A banging came on the door that nearly caused Kade to slip. "Bro, you still constipated in there?"

Kathy. "No, sis, I'm just trying to...wade through all this...urine you left in here earlier, jeez, you should learn to aim next time, or call a lifeguard, 'cause this is a flash flood. Code Yellow!!"

"Okay okay," Kade could literally hear her roll her eyes, "anyway, the guys are waiting for ya. Oh, and I let them try some of my cookies, and you know what, I think they liked 'em!"

Silence on the other side.

"Bro, you alright?"

The faucet went off. Without much care she swung the door open to see Kade staring out the slit of a window they had plastered on the wall. He looked at her coming in, arms crossed. "It's a crazy rainstorm out there, Kathy. Make sure not to get caught in it on your way to Liz's."

The brown-haired middle schooler gave a reticent look, then waved it off. "No need to worry 'bout me! You just stop hogging the restroom, 'cause I think that apple cider's kicking in."

As Kade strolled down the hallway and down the staircase back to the first floor, he heard the chatter and snorting going down below. Someone had a song playing on the stereo system, too, at just the right volume, thankfully. Last time, Alex and Rex had the Bensons next door calling the cops. And then the cops were calling the Riveras. And then the Riveras took away Kade's stereo for the whole week, which forced him to buy another one with his lawnmowing money, to their resignation.

With a wrinkle he pulled out the roll of paper from his pocket and unfolded it, tapping his chin ceremoniously as he climbed down the steps.

The living room was spacious, as was the house itself -- two-floor and cozy and warmly lit. It was a mouse hole compared to Stella's crib, but it was anything but a dump.

The kitchen and dining room sat to the left of the front door while everybody was able to head straight to their favorite lounging spot ahead. There was a flat screen TV, two couches, and of course, the mess of miscellaneous thing-a-majigs Kade had lying about. A jar of cookies and another with jellybeans were situated on the middle table.

And gathered around, or even roaming about, were the usual gang.

For a brief moment Kade looked up from his paper as he approached the group. Maybe it was just his imagination, but it seemed like it was getting rarer and rarer for them to have the chance to all hang out like this. All of them in their own way bound to the other, as they slapped each other and joked with each other and fed each dirty jellybeans. Kade nearly smiled, like he always nearly did, but swallowed it and down it went, somewhere between his heart and lungs -- probably by the sternum, somewhere, he'd lamely jest. He didn't always show it, those feelings. He didn't really want to, either. Best not to.

"Ok everyone, okay!" Kade bursted in, almost tripping on a misplaced barbell. "AGH my foot!!"

After collecting himself and reassuring the others he was alright, he continued, paper in hand. "Seriously, it's time to actually do some studying. I mean, that's what we set this up for! Right?" His cheer met a blank face or two as he straightened the sheet in his hand and found a spot by Stella. The two were particularly close -- it was Stella who'd first met Kade, and in a way the two were often together even outside of the other group, along with Tala and the occasional hopper or two.

The young, sweater-wrapped boy made himself comfortable as his eyes zoned into 'concentration mode'; though in this case it looked like only half an attempt.

"I know, it's only been a month and we're already getting tests like this!" He thrust his paper forward. "Mr. Polemac is a dangerous man," he nodded under his breath, referring to his history teacher. "He must be stopped."

After a look at his phone or two, putting in some random notes and replying to a text from a 'client' of his (whatever that meant), he returned to the assignment before him, blinking flatly. "Alright, guys, what do you think of this weird 'ol question?"

12. "Based on previous events in the records of human civilization, history has a tendency to repeat itself. Do you agree, and if so, how do you think this happens?"

a. Humans know of past events, yet continue to repeat themselves
b. Humans ignore past events, and continue to repeat themselves
c. Humans are destined to repeat themselves
d. It is evolution that repeats itself

When Kade finished reading it off, his brow was as scrunched as a stress toy. With a big sigh he slumped his shoulders and reached over for a cookie from the jar, placing it between his teeth. He mostly just needed something there -- staying still for too long made him antsy.

"Well, whatever the most of you think is right is the one I'll put down," he said in strained cookie-muffled fashion, as he made a slight grimace at one bite of the cookie, shrugged, then split it in half and offered the piece to anyone wanting it.

[Mr.Cynic]

It was still weird to him. Being back. Going to school. It was like ironically normal. Ironically normal, as in it felt normal, but it wasn’t really normal. Not many kids could got school saying they are wearing a piece of government fashion.

Kade had left the room to go take a piss, or whatever. While they were suppose to be studying. He still had an ass swamp of homework back at home. Rex sighed at the textbook. He was unsure if the others got it. Except he wasn’t the one to give them all his trade secrets.

He stuck his hand in the pocket of his leather jacket. It wasn’t actually his, it was his father’s. But he left it at their house, mom and his, and mom just threw it at him. But nowadays she looked at him like he was his father’s kid.

Sometimes that conversation when he came back replays in the back of his head. Like the sound of ticking clock. He hated it. He loved his mother, but sometimes it felt like she was a selfish bitch.

"You know how embarrassing this is for me?" his mother asked, pushing back one of her brunette bangs out of her eyes.

Rex shrugged.

"Sorry," Rex muttered quietly.

"You were gone for six months and I still have no clue what you were thinking," she pauses, "This isn't how I want my parenting to be reflected. That my kid goes to juvenile detention centers for six months and has to be monitored for four months."

"Right, sorry," Rex said quietly again.

"Rexen, I don't what to think of you right now," she gave him this apologetic look that remind him of a look she use to give his father after they argued, he hated it because this wasn't the same thing. It made him angry. It was selfish of her to make it about her.

"Sorry," he said again.

"You'll have to earn my trust again and your privileges," she told him.

"Wait! So I get out of hell on Earth and you're just going to take my things! Mom I was always grounded by the state," he explodes, "You can't....make my house a prison too!"

"Being punished by the government is not the same as being parented Rex," she snaps, "And don't take that tone with me. Don't you raise your voice at me."

"That's....." Rex pauses. She's looking at him. He's angry. His heart racing. He's balling his hand into a fist and flexing it freely open.

"Yes?" she ask him.

"Fuck you," he tells her.
"Excuse me,"

"Fuck you," he tells her again, it just comes out without a thought. He's just so frustrated he wanted to throw the lamp on the ground. Or shout at the top of his lungs.

"You will not talk to me like that," she huffs at him, "Our relationship only works when you want it to work Rexen. You chose to live in my house. At this house. With me. You didn't chose to live with your father. By his rules. These are my rules. You will have to learn respect before you earn your privileges back."

The whole entire conversation was stupid. Taking out a deck of smokes, he slid a dart out of the pack and held it by the filter in his mouth. Sticking the square back into his pocket, he took out his lighter. One of those stupid cheap ones you get at the gas station and they always make you pay a ridiculous amount of money for it.

Lighting it and inhaling, it was like magic when Kade appeared through his smoke cloud. Kade gave him a look, but Rex just ignored it. Pretended it meant nothing. It was a way to calm his nerves and he really could give an ass right now.

"I know, it's only been a month and we're already getting tests like this!" He thrust his paper forward. "Mr. Polemac is a dangerous man," he nodded under his breath, referring to his history teacher. "He must be stopped."

Rex looked up.

“Pretty sure no one would watch that shit show,” Rex clears his throat, takes a quick inhale, then exhales slowly, holding the smoke between his fingers letting ash clump at the end, “Next time on Ordinary High Schoolers, the History Teacher gives them a killer test. They opt for revenge. Slash his throat with a staple remover.” Rex tries his best with a TV narrator voice, but then coughs before flinging the ash off of satan’s asshole. Forgetting where he was, habit.

12. "Based on previous events in the records of human civilization, history has a tendency to repeat itself. Do you agree, and if so, how do you think this happens?"

a. Humans know of past events, yet continue to repeat themselves
b. Humans ignore past events, and continue to repeat themselves
c. Humans are destined to repeat themselves
d. It is evolution that repeats itself

"Well, whatever the most of you think is right is the one I'll put down," he said in strained cookie-muffled fashion, as he made a slight grimace at one bite of the cookie, shrugged, then split it in half and offered the piece to anyone wanting it.

Rex wondered if he should just fuck around with Kade and the others, then give them the answer. Or actually say something of noteworthy importance.

“Other,” Rex responses pretending to make a makeshift writing motion with his cigarette like it were a pen, “I’d argue the question and answer is to narrow and black and white. Because it doesn’t take in factor the limit of human knowledge. What if humans tend to repeat their own history or repeat the same mistakes because we don’t have the expanded knowledge to consider the long term outcomes. I’d argue that the past repeats itself, humans have a limited resource of knowledge and actual resources to think in the long term and repeat history. That’s not really evolution in play, not necessarily humans ignoring their history either. I’d fail this test because Polemac an idiot and so is this textbook.”

And there he through out his ace in the hole. Course the others would probably debate him. Tell him needed to follow the assignment. But, when had he ever followed the assignments?

[Liono]

Pitter-patter... Pitter-patter... Drip-drop-drip-drop...

"Hey, it's raining," Silas muttered to himself, lazily lolling his eyes towards the window.

Silas was dressed in a purple polo for tonight's misadventures -- did people really think they were studying? -- and comfortable khaki shorts. A history test one month in, material taught by a didactic and a somewhat haughty teacher. He's definitely had better. With a short, "I'm going to study with a friend!", Silas ended up at Kade's house with the gang. It was nice, watching everyone joke and laugh at each other. Smiling was always a good thing.

He started to stroll back towards where the group was, instinctively humming a short melody. There was already a song playing on the nearby stereo, but he was always good at tuning other things out.

It was a lullaby, surrounded in a murky aura of sorrow. Slightly eerie tones phased through it every now and again, like being put to sleep by a doll come to life. Yet, despite the depressive atmosphere and sinister tune, there was a tiny piece of hope within it. A small light settled inside, a prayer towards the future...

Wait, he was studying for history class.

While waiting for Kade to come back from his bathroom break -- he's spending a really long time in there, jeez -- Silas took his spot next to Matt and Tala. Out of all of the gang, he's always liked these two the most; Tala was pretty and smart and was a great friend. Silas liked Matt for his enthusiasm for pictures, among other things.

"AGH my foot!"

A sharp yell pierced his swirling thoughts and snapped him back to real life. Yep, that sounded like Kade.

After some joking around about Mr. Polemac, during which Silas jokingly commented, "I'll hide his body," they finally got to a question and boy, was it a doozy.

---

12. "Based on previous events in the records of human civilization, history has a tendency to repeat itself. Do you agree, and if so, how do you think this happens?"

a. Humans know of past events, yet continue to repeat themselves
b. Humans ignore past events, and continue to repeat themselves
c. Humans are destined to repeat themselves
d. It is evolution that repeats itself

---

Wait, wasn't this an opinion question? There's a right answer?

Silas considered the question and Rex's subsequent answer. Well, might as well go with the answer that seems to make the most sense, right?

"I'd say... C, I guess," Silas shrugged noncommittally, "There's seven billion people on Earth, something's gonna happen eventually, you know?"

While he was aiming for a high grade, weird questions like these make him lose any motivation to answer. He's content enough with going along with what everyone else answered. Silas grabbed a cookie from the nearby jug and stuffed it in his mouth as an excuse for why he wouldn't be talking for the next few minutes or so. It would work, if he chewed slowly.

[Azazeal849]

"Hey, it's raining," Silas muttered to himself, lazily rolling his eyes towards the window.

Next to him, Matt followed his gaze and chewed his tongue.

"Maybe it'll stop before we have to head out."

Matt was a skinny youth, with pale skin that had browned off in the summer sun and curly brown hair that looked more like it had been dropped onto his head rather than grown out of it. Slouching comfortably on the end seat of the sofa, he was listening to the conversation with one ear while his nose stayed buried in his phone. Somewhere down the hall, Kade and his adoptive sister Kathy were loudly arguing about piss through the bathroom door. Matt had to grin quietly to himself, even if he struggled to imagine a similar conversation between himself and his own two younger sisters.

He turned back to his phone and continued swiping critically through the roll of photos he had been taking. There were a few he liked from yesterday, snapped in that little grunge cafe Violet liked when they had stopped for coffees after school. There was one of Stella and Tala, leaning together to touch foreheads as they smiled into the camera; one of Alex and Kade talking animatedly over their cups; and one of Violet frowning quietly at the street through the window. He had been vacillating over that last one - he liked the thoughtful look of the picture, though in the end he supposed he should delete it. All of his friends were used to him camera sniping, but Vi didn't like being photographed when she wasn't expecting it.

Of the group that had eventually become his close friends, Vi was probably the one Matt had known for the longest, having grown up in the same street and followed her lead through most of elementary and middle school. After what had happened a couple of years ago, he understood why she wanted her space.

He thumbed back to the photo and deleted it.

He was brought back to the moment by Kade loudly tripping over something on the floor, bringing chuckles from some and no doubt a barbed look from Vi. He grimaced briefly in sympathy, and reluctantly turned his attention back to the homework they were all supposed to be working on.

"I know, it's only been a month and we're already getting tests like this!" Kade thrust his paper forward. "Mr. Polemac is a dangerous man," he nodded under his breath, referring to his history teacher. "He must be stopped."

Matt leaned forward to scan the paper that Kade had thumped down in the middle of the floor. He twisted his mouth.

"I think he secretly wants to teach philosophy, not history."

"Pretty sure no one would watch that shit show,” Rex opined, and launched into a humourous and irreverent monologue.

Matt could only assume that Mr Polemac was, in his avant garde way, trying to get them to think about the Great Depression they'd been learning about this semester vis a vis the banking crash a few years ago. Inject a bit of modern relevance that would get the class thinking. Unfortunately, the combination of history and politics was not one Matt could easily find the will to go and study - certainly not outside the six hours every day he was already subjected to.

"I'd say... C, I guess," Silas shrugged noncommittally, "There's seven billion people on Earth, something's gonna happen eventually, you know?"

Matt glanced over, but didn't say anything. That sounded more like law of averages than being destined to him - and after all, what did destined have to do with history? Still, he wasn't sure enough of the reasoning to challenge Silas on the possible red herring. Especially when the latter was now keeping his mouth full by slowly chewing over a cookie, as if he didn't want to have to defend his point. Matt didn't want to make his friend feel stupid for no good reason.

Yeah, he rationalised, See what the other guys think first, at least.

"What d'you reckon?" he deferred to the rest of the group.

[Wanderess]

I hope mom brought Bear indoors, Tala thought worriedly as her stormy blue-grey eyes peered out the window. Picturing the poor Australian Shepherd all wet and moppy, sitting outside on their deck in the rain. She glanced down at her watch. She should be home right about now, so he's probably alright, she comforted herself.

She walked back to her spot next to Silas on the couch, and stuck her hands in the pockets of her high-waisted jean shorts that were slightly faded from wearing them too often. A little baggy but still comfortable and wearable, there weren't too many holes in them. She slipped her over-sized dark red and green flannel from out of the knot she had around her waist and back onto her bare shoulders, as the dark tank top she was wearing wasn't going to protect her very well from the rain. Past her long runner's legs, slightly tanned from the sun, were her favorite pair of beat up converse that she wore as a good luck charm whenever she went out on little misadventures with her friends, because, let's face it, there was bound to be more than "studying" with this group tonight.

She threw her body on the couch, making it spring a little and leaned her back against Silas. Tossing her bare legs over the armchair she lounged comfortably against her friend, knowing that the younger boy wouldn't be too surprised at Tala's ease-going comfort she wore around her friends and shifted herself on the couch to find a more comfortable position and eased into the couch and against Silas once she did find it.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out, tapping on the screen to wake it up.

1 new email- MorningSide College Offer

She swiped left at the message, revealing the 'Trash' option which she jumped to press right away.
Running her long fingers through her messy raven black hair, she sighed something long and deep. The thoughts of her future were becoming overbearing, with offers coming in left and right, it left her mind reeling with possibilities and slight anxiety. Sure she was happy about it all, but she didn't want to think too much about next year, wanting to live in the now with her friends.
Turning her attention back to the group, she chuckled when Kade made his way into the room, or rather tripped his way into the room and started their study session with a opinionated question.

Is there a right answer to this? she thought quizzically wondering if they'll get points for trying to answer the question or for choosing the correct answer to the question.

She turned her head to the side and looked at Rex's answer, her eyebrow's furrowing at his cop out.
Leave it to him to plow his own path. She expected nothing less, to be honest.

Silas did have a point with his choice of option C. But it didn't seem like the right one to her. Maybe it was because she didn't like the word destiny too much. The feeling that everything is planned out by some guy dressed in white sitting on a cloud didn't bode well with her. No, it's the feeling of powerlessness, she corrected her thoughts. The idea of destiny supported the belief that things are chosen for you and you don't really have a say in it. The idea that someone's pulling the strings behind the show that is your life. She didn't want to say this out loud of course, because she didn't want to shoot down her friends opinions.

She nodded at Matt's decision to wait before answering, knowing that it would help further his own opinion's strength.

"I'm gonna go with A," Tala's voice chimed in with slightly wavering confidence as as they seemed to be going around giving their opinions on the question. "I mean, people spend a lot of time, some their whole lives on studying historical events. We take into account the mistakes of the past to help build a better future, but sometimes we falter and end up repeating our mistakes." She wondered if that sufficed enough to be an answer, as she wasn't quite sure it reflected what she wanted to get across, wondering if it was a bit confusing to find her answer and reasoning in it. Then again the question itself was a bit confusing to her.

Rex had a point about the answers being limited.

[SerahAura]

A whack of the air could be heard in the music room of the Lumine household. "No! No! No!"

As the young girl with beautiful tamed hair was sitting upright in front of an instrument with white and black keys was now rubbing the top of her red knuckles.

"Miss. Stella! You have this all wrong! You may not shift! Do your finger positions again!" yelled a plump older woman with glasses who was standing beside her with a brownish ruler in her hand.

The girl named Stella just winced as she continued to rub her hands. "Mrs. Whitney.. I have already tried to do this passage as you wanted it. I just.. cannot do it your way.. if you can just.." She was cut off abruptly.

"No! That is just not the way! That is the improper way!" Mrs. Whitney was just shaking her head and released a sigh. "Fine. I will see what your way will entail. Now do that passage freely and I will listen and watch your positions. Sergei Prokofiev is supposed to be played with poise especially this song Toccota in D minor, Op. 11. Now go."

Stella resumed her position and began to play as her body swayed to and fro and her fingers did as they pleased as her eyes read note from note. She closed her eyes as now her brain already had this passage ingrained in her memory. As sweet music was being played a phone was ringing, but Stella was already too absorbed to even notice. As the butler came in and it read the name Kade he accepted the call, "Ah.. Yes. Sir Kane. What a pleasant surprise for you to have called. Yes yes. M'lady is just practicing as usual. I will let her know that you are waiting for her."

As the butler walked over with the phone in his hand he tapped onto the shoulder of the piano teacher and the music teacher tapped the girl. Stella jumped due to the sudden touch as she then smiled, "Oh why hello there Hector! Wait.. Mrs. Whitney.. did I do something wrong?"

Mrs. Whitney shook her head and sighed, "No you did not. You sounded quite marvelously. You showed the emotion of what Sergei would have felt.. but your positioning still could use a lot of work."

Stella nodded, "Duly noted Mrs. Whitney." She then turned her head over so she could look at the butler, "Hector what is it?"

Hector cleared his throat as he held the cellphone out to her, "Sir Kade is on the phone."

Stella's eyes widened and looked at her piano teacher, "Mrs. Whitney.. please?"

The plump woman just looked at her watch, "Fine. You deserve a break."

Stella then gingerly grabbed her expensive phone and ran over to the living space that her parents had provided her. Oddly enough, this living room was hers for there was another living room for guests and parties, and just for family, as well as just for her parents. Stella then closed the duo glass doors and instantly the windows tinted so that no one could look inside. Stella then sat with proper manners and held her phone to her ear, "Kade?"

"Hey Stella!" the male voice replied.

"Kade! Why are you calling? You normally send a text.. is everything okay?" asked Stella.

"Yeah...but you better hurry and get ready.. the storm is here." said Kade.

Stella looked behind her to see that the windows were indeed having water droplets drip against the pane like no tomorrow, "I still do not know why.. we cannot have the study group here.. I could have Jeremy go on over and pick everyone up.. you know that."

"It's better if we just have it here in my house. Anyways it's been a while since you been back at my place anyways yeah?"

Stella sighed, "Yes. Yes it has.. but.."

"No buts. You are coming still right?"

"Of course I am. Wait! Oh my crystals! Is it that time already?" Stella asked.

Kade chuckled, "No. It is still a bit early but feel free to come whenever your ready."

"Right. Okay. Let me finish up practice and then I will hurry on over."

"See you soon then Stella!" Kade said.

And with that the phone call ended and Stella stood up and straightened herself out before opening the door. She then walked back out and Hector was still in the music room with Mrs. Whitney. She took a deep breath and then let it out as she walked forward handing him her cellphone. "Hector please make Jeremy get the car ready.. and do charge my phone please. Oh.. and please make sure to pack my bag."

Hector nodded, "Yes M'lady. May I ask where you are going? Are you going to Sir Kade's house?"

Stella nodded, "Yes. I will be going over there to study.. and apparently so will everyone else."

Hector then bowed as he was exiting the room to get the things requested ready. Stella turned her attention to her teacher, "Mrs. Whitney..?"

Mrs. Whitney then shook her head, "I think that is enough practice for one day. We have already went over your harp playing as well as your violin, cello, and vocal...now being on the piano for the other hours are enough."

Stella then nodded, "Yes Mrs. Whitney..but is it not better if.." She got cut off yet again.

"Miss. Stella please prepare yourself for your outing. I will get my things and be on my way as well."

Stella nodded as she rose with poise and walked out of the music room. When she then was about to head upstairs a female voice asked with somewhat of a heavy accent that still till this day Stella could never figure out, "Lela?"

Stella looked behind her to see the head of the maids and smile as she ran and hugged her. "Monique!"

"Vhat is going on? Vhy you not practicing?"

Stella winced internally. Her grammar still needed work after all these years. "Monique. Mrs. Whitney let me finish early so I can go over to Kade's house to a study session."

Monique nodded, "Vell you know vhat? I vill help you get ready."

Stella shook her head, "No need Monique. Hector already got that covered. He already is charging my phone and packing my bag. All I have to do is retrieve it from my room."

Monique shook her head, "Tsk tsk tsk. You are going to his house in that outfit? Did I not raise you better?"

Stella looked at the apparel she was wearing: a beautiful white satin skirt and the length of it touched the floor, along with a beautiful sparkly white lace blouse and to top it off a quick pink hair bow. "What is wrong with this?

Monique then shook her head once again, "Tsk tsk tsk. You march to your room right now Missy."

Stella sighed and climbed the steps one by one. And then another set of stairs and then another and then another. Her room - floor - was on the fifth one. No one ever visited the fifth floor except occasionally her real birth parents to pull down the stairs to the attic and even then they did not even say hello to her because they would be too busy to even look away from their phones. Yes. They have multiple phones. As Stella pushed open a double white door with golden door knobs she was welcomed by the clean, vast, lonely room. She then turned to the right and continued to walk as she opened another door which was a white door with a pinkish gold door handle. She opened it and entered a room filled with clothing and shoes and accessories. "Monique.. what is so wrong with my outfit choice?"

Monique was closely behind and as she entered the walk-in closet she automatically poked the back of the girl. "No. It is raining! Vhat did I say about the rain? Never vear pure bright vhite! It vill get stained in seconds!" She then pointed to her skirt, "And vhat about your skirt hmm? It is touching the floor! If you go outside in the rain vith that skirt the rimming of it will stain!" Monique sighed and shook her head. As she looked through the sections upon sections of luxurious clothing. "Hmm.. how about you vear your uniform?"

Stella rolled her eyes, "Eww.. Monique. You know I hate wearing that uniform. I will only wear that uniform when I have to go to cram school next week."

Monique then sighed and gestured for the girl to get out of her apparel that she was wearing right now. Monique then chose a blouse that was a beautiful pastel baby blue with lots of sparkles and the collar of the blouse was rimmed with rhinestones and crystals. "Now this is better. Vear this blouse."

Stella took the blouse from Monique and handed her the white one she was wearing.

"And then for the bottom.. hmm.. no no no no.. I take it back. Take off that blouse. Ve are going to vear a dress."

Stella rolled her eyes and returned the blouse to her, "Monique.. I really do not have the time for this.."

Monique then nodded as she chose a violet dress that was floor length. "This is bright yet dark. You are still going to have to be careful on vearing it in the rain. But if it stains no problem. I got it."

Stella then nodded as she took the chosen dress and slowly slipped it on. As Monique helped her get zipped up from the back she mentioned, "Thank goddess that this dress can convert into a shorter one vhen needed ja?"

Stella smiled and giggled, "Yes of course!" She then walked over to the mirror that took up one wall and saw herself in a beautiful violet dress that was of course soft and silky to the touch and had intricate designing -gold- on it as well as a few diamonds here and there. The perks of having a famous fashion forward designer as your birth mother.

Stella then pointed to the accessory wall, "Monique grab that violet hair bow with the rhinestone on it please."

Monique went over and handed the requested item as Stella put it on. Stella then nodded and went over to the shoes section, "I am wearing...these." She picked up black pumps.

Monique was about to say something as she opened her mouth but decided otherwise. Stella then walked out of the walk-in closet and head over to her bed where everything was neatly set up for her to just pick up and leave. A knock could be heard on her bedroom door, "M'lady?"

"Hector! Very nicely done. You seemed to have done everything...but where is my cellphone?" Stella asked.

"M'lady your cellphone is all finished charging so I put it inside your bag already. As well as your portable charger and your battery case and of course your actual charging wire and the outlet cube that goes along with that. Also I have asked some maids to put in some of your make-up just in case you need to do touch ups."

Stella smiled and nodded in approval. "Very nice!" She then was looking past him, "Hey Hector? Where is the head of the butlers? Where is Zach?"

Hector nodded, "Ah. Mr. Zach is on his sick day today. He came down with something."

Stella frowned as Monique and Zach were like her mother and father, since her birth ones did not really pay any attention to her. "Oh.. then tell him to feel better."

As a ringtone was heard Stella went into her bag and got her phone out.

A text came in that said: Where are you? Are you coming? It is starting to rain hard. So you better hurry and be careful.

Stella smiled as the text came from Kade. She replied: Do not worry. I was having some fashion crisis..now all is solved. I will be coming soon. Is it okay if I stay over at your home for tonight? Or you coming over to mine?

"M'lady. Jeremy is waiting outside in the car. Please make haste." Hector said.

Stella nodded, "Alright then."

As Stella was walking down the stairs she was constantly checking her phone for the reply but nothing. Until one ding. And it was a text that read: Not another one of your blouse over dresses is it? Or is it pumps over heels? Boots over flats? Mary Janes over sandals?

Stella smirked she was actually impressed with the shoe types that Kade can name. I mean after all, he has known her for such a long time that...supposedly this was not strange whatsoever. She replied back: Well. Technically it was. Monique was annoyed that I was about to come over to your home wearing double pure whites. One white for the floor length white skirt and then the blouse. I am actually really impressed that you knew that many shoes.

She then noticed that he did not even give her an answer for the part of her hanging over his home or him hanging over hers.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As Stella got out of the car the window rolled down as Jeremy asked, "Miss. Will I need to stay and wait for you to come back out?"

Stella had her umbrella opened so that she does not get drenched. "I will text you. I do not know if I will be staying here or if Kade is coming over to us."

Jeremy then nodded, "Well I will not be far. Just message me right away and I will come pick you up Miss. And of course Sir Kade if he wishes to come along. Have a nice study session Miss!" And with that he rolled his window up and cruised away.

Stella sighed and adjusted her dress - converted - into a much shorter one so it would be easier for her to maneuver through the storm. The length of the dress was now at her ankles as she continued to walk to Kade's home she noticed nothing really changed here.

As she rang the door bell, a girl answered the door with a smile. "Stella! It's been awhile! How've you been?"

Stella smiled, "Hello Kathy! It indeed has been awhile. Oh please do come on over so we may have some tea together! And then we can do your makeover like the old times hmm?"

Kathy smiled and nodded excitedly, "Yeah! Yeah! I would love to do that! Maybe a slumber party! Yeah! Come on in!"

Stella nodded as she closed her umbrella and tapped on the outside welcome mat to get the excess water off as she also took off her rain parka, "Hmm.. Where is Kade? Is he upstairs?"

Kathy nodded as she took the umbrella, "Yeah. He is in his bedroom or in the bathroom. Feel free to feel at home. No one else came yet.. but they are going to be here shortly! I made cookies too! The cookies are on the table in the living room!"

Stella smiled as she held her rain parka and bag and walked over to the living room. She then sat on a rather comfortable leather chair that was more so in the corner. She then took out her phone and began to look things up on social media to pass the time.

As everyone gathered there was still someone missing, Kade. Oh how long does a boy need to do his business in the bathroom? She just minded her business and continued to be on her phone and occasionally text back messages to other fashion designers, or some other people. She then sometimes looked away from her phone only to use a nail buffer to buff her nails.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stella was in the zone of messaging people as her fingers were flying crazily against her touchscreen expensive smartphone until she heard a familiar voice, "AGH! My foot!" Stella would look up from her foot to see Kade trip over one of his miscellaneous things. Stella hid her smile and giggle as he came over to sit next to her. Kade and Stella has been through a lot together. Kade was the first person in this city that she has ever met, and his family has been like her family since day 1.

The dawning question was read aloud by Kade, 12. "Based on previous events in the records of human civilization, history has a tendency to repeat itself. Do you agree, and if so, how do you think this happens?"

a. Humans know of past events, yet continue to repeat themselves
b. Humans ignore past events, and continue to repeat themselves
c. Humans are destined to repeat themselves
d. It is evolution that repeats itself


No one was willing to say their answers out loud at first, but small mumbles could be heard throughout the gang.

First was Kade, "Well, whatever the most of you think is right is the one I'll put down," he said with a cookie in his mouth then split it in half and offered the piece to anyone wanting it.

Slowly did the other response come right after. “Other,” Rex responded pretending to make a makeshift writing motion with his cigarette like it were a pen, “I’d argue the question and answer is to narrow and black and white. Because it doesn’t take in factor the limit of human knowledge. What if humans tend to repeat their own history or repeat the same mistakes because we don’t have the expanded knowledge to consider the long term outcomes. I’d argue that the past repeats itself, humans have a limited resource of knowledge and actual resources to think in the long term and repeat history. That’s not really evolution in play, not necessarily humans ignoring their history either. I’d fail this test because Polemac an idiot and so is this textbook.”

When a joke came out of Kade's mouth another joke was made by Silas, "I'll hide his body."

Stella had no input to any of this. She just listened as others joked about their lunatic of a teacher Mr. Polemac.

Matt said, "I think he secretly wants to teach philosophy, not history."

"Pretty sure no one would watch that shit show,” Rex said. "What d'you reckon?" he deferred to the rest of the group.

"I'd say... C, I guess," Silas shrugged noncommittally, "There's seven billion people on Earth, something's gonna happen eventually, you know?"

Stella then opened her mouth to say something only to close it as she heard someone else say an answer.

"I'm gonna go with A." Said another female voice, Tala. "I mean, people spend a lot of time, some their whole lives on studying historical events. We take into account the mistakes of the past to help build a better future, but sometimes we falter and end up repeating our mistakes."

Stella then nodded. All of them made sense. She just had trouble wondering why a teacher would ask such an open ended question. She then looked at the paper that Kade had in his hand and then opened her bag to get a pencil out and just tap it on her chin in thought.

"This question is so open ended..." She then sighed, "My answer does not fit into any of the categories. I will have to choose other as well.. just like Rex." She then tapped her pencil on the arm of the leather chair she was sitting in, "Rex has a point. I concur with him; however, where I stray different is the fact that he said knowledge. We do not need knowledge in this. Yes, there is history and we learn it in classes..but have you ever thought about it this way? The history things that we learn in our history classes are so bias. We only learn it the way this country wants us to learn it and how to see that this country is the heaven of all countries." She then shook her head, "That is not right. In my opinion, humans will repeat themselves because we are just too stubborn and strong-headed about our own opinions to sometimes even think upon other perspectives."

Stella wanted to ask Kade about whether or not he was coming over or if she was allowed to stay, but she decided against it...for she was going to be the last one to leave his house anyways.

[Thelonewanderer]

(Alex Branwen)

The weather called for a storm later on in the afternoon, at least the app on Alex's phone had, and so he had left the house dressed for rain. Loose fitting cargo pants, plain red t-shirt, and his pair of running shoes, and a light windbreaker, just in case he was still running once the storm started to come in. It wasn't much, a simple run through the more crowded sections of downtown, trying to get a better run time through the urban jungle in order to get prepped for the informal race that the school's Parkour club was hosting. Sure it would make more sense to do it at the school, but nowhere near as varied in terms of obstacles. Still, he only had enough time for a few runs before he needed to head back to get ready to go to Kade's. Sure he could go right after his runs, but Alex didn't feel like killing his entire friend group via smell.

Once home and showered, Alex grabbed his guitar, packed into its case, and started to make his way to Kade's. Seeing the clouds start to darken, even more, Alex started to move a bit faster to not get caught in a downpour. The freerunning musician didn't succeed, as he now had to run as the rain started to pour. Making it to Kade's house in record time, if he kept track of that anyway, Alex was still soaked, thankfully his guitar was fine.

After drying off, Alex got settled into Kade's room, and switched between doing some actual studying for his math class, or strumming on his guitar. Once everyone trickled in, Alex put down the guitar, getting ready to somewhat study.

Once Kade came back into the room, almost tripping but otherwise fine and read off the question, Alex was going to answer, but some of the others beat him to the punch. After hearing what the others were saying, Alex found a spot to chime in.

"Gotta agree with Stella and Rex. It reads more like an essay prompt than a multiple choice question. Really glad I don't have that manic this semester. Though if I had to pick, I'd go with B. Some people's ability to forget is pretty impressive."

[Etmoc]

With a careful nod, Kade scrutinized his paper, trying to iron out the crinkles to no avail, music gently whirring in the background.

Humans... ignore... repeat... humans know... evolution... His thoughts mumbled underneath like a drama recital.

Ah, damn, he sighed in his head, a laughing Polemac rolling on the floor of his mind. No, it was probably his brain that needed ironing out. The issue wasn't his mental acuity. Then again, no one knew for sure. His mother sometimes said he should look into the possibility of ADD, or ADHD or something, and even though he'd squint at her, she was probably not wrong. One moment, he'd ace a pop quiz or PE test, and in the next get distracted by the two kids playing out the window and suddenly coming up with an idea for a sketch or remembering their names and then trying to find the latin root or --

Stella suddenly caught Kade's eye, offering a gentle smile. Kade smiled back, crossed his pupils and drew out his tongue. It didn't always work. This time, though, they broke into a slight fit of giggles. So ha, take that, Gary 'Party-Pooper' Dallas! Kade had to find that snotnose a sense of humor...

Settling down, Kade chewed his cookie, eyes drifting to a picture frame atop the fireplace that Matty had taken about a year ago, everyone in various states of silliness, and swallowed. Whatever the day, he was glad Stella was able to make it to the study. Her padded life didn't always make room for other things, simple things. But lord knew that didn't stop her. Kade felt the cookie slide through him as he coiled backward. But it wasn't just her, he remembered. Tala's athletics, Silas' music sessions... things take up space in lives, it was a fact to live with. But irrationally, Kade occasionally felt possessive, worried that one day it would build and all just be over. As if everyone would be at perfectly placed spots around the world designed to be inconvenient for meet-ups and hoedowns or whatever. And that wasn't even mentioning Rex. Though Kade and the others had mostly long since resigned the idea of resetting his life, they were always there when they thought it was getting low. He didn't know it, but Kade had checked up on him on the last day before his release, visiting his mother to see how things were coming along. She was nice about it, accepted his homemade brownies, offered him a drink. But Kade figured accepting brownies was a world away from accepting other, less graspable things.

As if on cue, a cloud of smoke drifted his way, and the young teen waved it off with his hand, brow scrunching, and shouted something at Rex who retorted back with a typically sharp tongue and some offensive remark regarding Kade's buttocks and tightness. Flustered, Kade thought of a lame comeback which half-made sense. This fired the group back up as they inevitably fell into another episode of back-and-forths and playful uproar for a while as the homework was once again forgotten and the rain continued to pour, and the doorbell suddenly rang.

______________________


"I got it!" came a voice from behind the door. There were footsteps, and hints of laughter in the background. The storm persisted anyway, not caring to wait, or 'hold up'.

Nevertheless, a patient tapping foot responded, making soft splashes against the concrete. And what a foot it was. Slender, not too big, not too small. Just right. You could fit it in many places, probably. You could kick with it. You could trip with it. (Of course, this foot had a shoe over it. It would be unwieldy walking the wet streets of Prima barefoot.) You could eat with it, if you curled your toes or something.

"Ah, take your time, take your time," murmured the visiting voice, outside the door, laying beyond the mundane walls of domestic upper middle-class life. "It's precious, after all." Suddenly, the owner of the voice turns and looks somewhere, away from everything, somehow, as if penetrating the very eyes on the dog who now stared back at him from underneath his doghouse. His face was as fair as a young model who twinkled his way out of his mother's womb and elicited warm sighs from the doctors, light-skinned in complexion with black hair that he had spiked decently up, donned in some school uniform, and...a fake moustache?

"What? You don't like it?" He wiggles it with his fingers, carefully examining it. "Hey, just 'cause it looks cheap, it doesn't mean it's unreliable," he assures you.

The two girls beside him were trying to dry themselves off. "Liz, you're so soaked!" one of them cried. "Hello! Kathy?" the other part-called, part-despaired. The boy went on as if they said nothing.

Actually, yes, why don't I just... take over for a bit... ah, there we go. Nice and comfy.

Ah. What a world.

Standing here, as the rain pours over the city, it's something special.

You see -- yes, you, and you, and you (nice avatar, by the way) -- this is a really special city, if you ask me. Special buns in it.

By buns I mean people. And by people, of course, I'm talking about the fellows over there, inside this house.

A bolt of lightning ripped through the charred sky.

Me? I'm Mobius. But I'm nobody, really...just a boy. You know.

Oh, and this is my sister, Liz, and, uh, whoever that is.

"Hey!" A punch landed against Mobius' arm.

"OW!" he cried, rubbing it. He shot Liz a look. "What's gotten into you, you animal!"

"Uh, hello, this is Gen, you idiot," Liz rolled her eyes, "I told you that 4 times today already! And she's been my friend for, like, I don't know, forever already?"

"Oh my, that's Gen?" Mobius gave a closer look at the girl who just stared flatly back at him. "Oh. Oh wow, I profusely apologize. Didn't recognize you there, your... hair, really does look great in that style I think... is that, what is it, a bun or an updo, is there a distinction between the two, or am I horribly butchering these terms?" He muttered something about there being too many characters to keep track of when Gen just rolled her own eyes.

"Shut up, Mo," Gen flipped him off kindly, as the door opened, and Kathy appeared. They rushed quickly in and dried themselves off as Kathy offered the group a batch of cookies. "Sorry for the wait, guys, and the rainsto -- AH!" she yelped upon noticing Mobius, drawing back by instinct. "Oh, h-hey Mo, didn't know you were coming too."

Mobius looks at you, shrugging. "Was it the moustache?"

Liz basked in the warmth of the home as Kathy's cookie disintegrated into her mouth. "Yeah, he wanted to come along for 'the ride', whatever that meant," she said, as Kathy collected herself. "You alright?"

"Well yeah, duh," Kathy scoffed, then averting her eyes from Mobius, continued, "So are your parents outside?"

"Yeah, they're in the car."

"That new, nice-ass minivan, you mean," Gen winked as Liz brushed her aside.

"Yeah it's alright, I guess."

"Haha, always like you, Liz. Too bad Danielle couldn't come... again. Anyways, let's get going!"

With quick goodbyes to Kade and the others from Kathy and even the other two, they went out the door and pulled it shut. As they rushed tot he car, however, Mobius stayed behind. Perhaps they just forgot about him, or perhaps there was something more...special about his need to be here, in this -- nah, they probably just forgot about him.

"Grip-Grop-Drae is off to exciting beginnings, I think," Mobius laughed to himself as he took off his moustache, and casually turned an eye as it began transforming into a rooster. "Well, at least to you guys. Personally, I think it's a bit boring. Yes, the entire thing. From start to finish. Not to mention all the multiple choice stuff. All things that has been seen before, all things that have happened before. Ahh, and yet... He threw a stare across to the living room as he nonchalantly went up the stairs, out of sight. "These fellows are always another handful." Now a full, bawking rooster was in his hands as he stepped to the top of the staircase and stared up across the ceiling. "And now, here in an unsuspecting home, in the premises of Alex Branwen, and in the wake of a very quiet Violet, things will begin to unravel like s --"

"Uh, sorry to interrupt your monologue," came a barely distinct yell from Kade below. "But it's my house, not Alex's! I got the blue welcome mat with the little clover picture on it, I think his is green? And then there's the little plaque at the front that says Rivera, duh."

Mobius sighed. "Thank you, Kade... I'll... keep that in mind, and... well, now I just can't get in the mood anymore." He glumly stares at you as the rooster in his arms cries out again and suddenly the lights go out.

______________________


Hope Kathy'll be alright out there, Kade thought as he began sneakily cracking open the jar for another cookie, and was that a rooster? When suddenly, the music died and the lights all blacked out.

Kade jerked his head around. "The power?" he thought aloud. After giving a pat of reassurance to Stella he stood up and nearly stumbled on the same barbell from earlier. Scrounging for his phone he took it out and activated the flashlight app, and out came a light.

A couple laughs emerged from the group at the situation, while Kade smacked his forehead. "Dang, so much for homework," he said. "Though, this might just serve as a great excuse." He cleared his throat, eyes closed, finger pointed up. "Just, well, you know, as a thought, of course."

A beep came from his phone and he turned it around instinctively, only to shine the light into his eye. "AGH!" he briefly interjected, before turning it back around. "That max light setting is no joke," he chuckled awkwardly.

WARNING: Blackouts across southwest to southeast Prima. Authorities and local power companies aware of and currently investigating the situation.

Eyes scanning the informative headline quickly, Kade pressed his way back to the home screen and mulled to himself. So it looks like it wasn't just the house, but a chunk of the city. Huh. Wonder what could've been the cause of that...


WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO?

> Stay in with the group
> Go out with the group
> Go on your own

[Mr.Cynic]

Rex really had no way of describing the other kids in an intelligent matter, other than how he viewed them in the back of his mind. As in, if they were Xmen characters, or some kind of superhero what roles they would provide.

Matthew was so quiet, he was obviously the kid who never got enough screen time in the comic books or the shows , but then slowly gains confidence to rise up as the surprise villain. Where as Alex would always be the wild card, who always ended up destroying the fearless leaders plans because he was too impatient and hotheaded.

Whereas Stella, let’s face it she’d never be an Xmen. No comic book wants a rich priss as a superhero. The cultural marxist would have their grubby affirmative action hands wrapped around that right quick.

Tala was Storm, let’s face it she be Storm. Love the weather. Protect nature. And Silas be the one who would show up in a one time comic issue standalone and never be seen again.

Kade was no Xmen, he was a god damn Loony Toon fumbling in the dark. Tripping over this and that. And the others laughed like he was god damn entertainment. Rex never laughed, he just let his eyes get adjusted to the dark. Then Kade had to blast them with the light of his phone. Rex covered his eyes.

“It’s not that dark, we don’t need a light,” Rex paused, “Well maybe you do.”

Rex took a second to hear Kade talk about their homework. Like he cared much about it anyway. It wasn’t challenging. It was boring and teachers always put these arbitrary rules on homework. If you even challenged them on a held belief. They’d send you to detention without question. They’d said you were interrupting class time.

Like, say you were learning about pilgrims. And you added that the pilgrims systematically nearly wiped out all the Native Americans you’d get an answer like “that isn’t what the class subject is about Mr. Vickers.” But it was. It was entirely the subject.

Teachers should choke on their own curriculum. He wish he could shove his homework down their throats or something. It was boring to know all this extra information and no one acknowledged it. No one gave you a pat on the back for taking the time to do extra research it was bullshit.

Rex sighed. Stepping up.

“Who wants to explore the dark neighborhood?” Rex asked. Because it seemed stupid, very stupid to sit here in a house. With no heater. To stay sheltered from a storm that would make Kade’s house cold anyway. It was no longer a shelter. It was a cold cell.