sometimes shattered \\ open

[Ghost]

your eyes, they sparkled
that's all changed into lies that drop like acid rain

-------------------------------------------------------------

It was sunset. The clouds closest to the horizon were splatterpainted pumpkin orange, a shade lighter than the burning orb that steadily approached the dark treeline silhouette. Farther up, as the sky grew darker, the clouds became lighter and lighter tints of pink and gold. The colors were reflected over the vast and still surface of the lake located on the campus grounds.

The grass was approaching a dark hue, but was punctuated by a smallish, pale figure. The girl was lying on her back, savoring the extremely comfortable dusk air, watching the clouds slide quietly above her. She wore a pale blue blouse that barely covered her shoulders and full-length jeans. She had no shoes on, but that was okay. Her hair spread out in a fan underneath her head, and her delicate fingers stroked the artificial fur of her new toy.

It was a tiny kitten, who she’d named Tokala, a marmalade tabby with plush fur. It was softer than the girl’s own fingers, whose old scars and welts had only as of late begun to smooth over. But… That was okay. “You know, I wish you were real,” the girl whispered aloud, bringing the small toy’s fake ear up to her lips.

Ghost’s gray eyes glinted as she thought of Mom and Dad, who had sent her Tokala as a going-away present. And sure Ghost would miss them dearly. After all, she considered them her true parents. Sort of like how some hopeless romantic finally found their true love after years of botched relationships. Here at this great Academy, Ghost didn’t even know anyone. She didn’t have Mom and Dad to protect and help her through. Hence why she wished Tokala could suddenly spring to life, an adorable and playful kitten for her enjoyment.

An idea came for her, and Ghost’s hands cautiously began to vanish. It appeared as if Tokala was floating in mid-air, until the toy also began to disappear. Ghost grinned, felt like laughing. She made her toy visible again and clutched it close to her heart in a two-armed hug. Sure it was childish, but already Tokala felt like a best friend, a pet she could confide in and tell secrets to and hold tightly at night when the nightmares –

Nevermind. Ghost wasn’t going to have any nightmares here, no way.

She didn’t notice, at first, a person approaching…

Notes: Sorry, I’m going to have to say this is closed to only female characters for the time being. No male characters allowed.

[/font]

[Serenity Lykos]

Serenity, today wearing a pair of lose black jeans with a t-shirt sporting a pair of zombies chasing a guy with the words "Zombies Hate Fast Food." She was in a playful mood and you could tell by the spring in her step and little smile on her face that indicated she might be ready for something mischievous. As she walked across the grounds, Serenity saw the girl lying in the grass and turning, heading for her. She was all alone and Serenity was pretty sure she'd seen the girl before, probably walking across the grounds or in the hall, and she was pretty sure she never saw her with anyone.

Stopping next to her, Serenity watched the girl play with the little plush kitten, running her fingers over the fur and smiling as though this little stuffed animal was the only friend the girl had. Biting her lip, Serenity decided she would sit, maybe make friends with this girl. It wasn't as though she had a lot of friends of her own and hey, maybe together they'd attract a little more attention and get some more friends and before you knew it, people would like them a little more.

Sitting down beside her, Serenity cleared her throat softly. "Hey. I'm Serenity. Do you mid if I sit here?"

[Ghost]

your eyes, they sparkled
that's all changed into lies that drop like acid rain

-------------------------------------------------------------

Woah! There was a girl standing above her all of a sudden! Ghost had looked up and there she was, wearing jeans like her and a t-shirt totally unlike her blouse. The girl moved to sit down beside Ghost, and she seemed in a good mood. I've seen her somewhere, right? Ghost thought, thinking hard as the girl got situated. Maybe in the halls or something. After all, if she was on the grounds at sunset, she was most likely either a student or other resident, in which case it wasn't unlikely at all that Ghost hadn't seen her.

She cleared her throat gently and then introduced herself. "Hey. I'm Serenity. Do you mind if I sit here?" Serenity? That was a nice name. Ghost sat up and smiled. "I like that name. Nice to meet you, Serenity. You can call me Ghost." She grinned and winked, hoping that this girl wouldn't ask why she was called that. Other people at the Academy went by fake names too, right? Ghost wasn't just some nut case... right?

No way she was going to get all anxious about it though. The girl looked her age, and if they'd switch places, sure Ghost would wonder about the alias, but she wouldn't wanna delve too deep into a stranger's name. After all, Serenity wasn't too common of a name either. "And sure, you can sit here. Tokala won't mind," she said, glancing at the toy, "will you buddy?"

With a serious look on her face, she stared back up at Serenity. "After all, he's just a toy." She propped herself up on one arm and used the other to stroke the toy. "But really. What brings you out here? I mean, I personally like the open air and gorgeous sunset..." She trailed off pointedly, watching and waiting for Serenity's answer before she talked the stranger's ear off.

[/blockquote]

[Serenity Lykos]

Serenity smiled and stared off into the sky, enjoying the sunset and the cool breeze that blew against her face. "Ghost..." She looked over, smiling broader. "I like your name too." She looked her up and down, taking in her blond hair, pale eyes, and porcelain skin. "You look like a ghost a little with how pale you are all over." She looked down at the little cat, giggling softly. "I like you cat...Tokala?"

Leaning back on her hands, Serenity looked back out into the darkening sky. "I like the sunset too, and the fresh air. My room can get pretty stuffy sometimes and for some reason the breeze and the...you know nature feel out here makes me feel a little less lonely." She looked back over to Ghost. "What are you here for?" She asked, referred to her gifts.

[Ghost]

your eyes, they sparkled
that's all changed into lies that drop like acid rain

-------------------------------------------------------------

Serenity smiled, staring up at the ever-darkening sky. The sun had just hit the treeline, but the beautiful tints of the clouds didn't fade - if anything, they became brighter. Ghost smirked along with her. "Ghost..." the girl said, testing it out. She looked down at her, still smiling. "I like your name too." Ghost was about to thank her when her eyes were suddenly all over Ghost's body. Her smile faded as an uncomfortable feeling settled in her stomach. Was Serenity... checking her out or something?

No, no, that couldn't be it. Besides, who was she to judge? "You look like a ghost a little with how pale you are all over." Oh. So that was why. Though it was a little awkward, Ghost smiled anyways, forcing herself to ignore it. "I know, right? It's sort of ironic, actually..." She wondered if Serenity would be too shocked if Ghost just disappeared right then and there - not that she would, of course. That would be rude, not to mention frightening if she was in Serenity's position. It wasn't every day that the person you were talking to suddenly vanished... right?

But then the girl giggled. "I like your cat... Tokala?" she said, and seemed to be asking if that was the correct name. Ghost giggled, but didn't give more explanation. She didn't want to have to tell Serenity about her adoptive parents right now, and she didn't want to explain why she had adoptive parents even more. Thankfully Serenity went on to answer Ghost's other question. "I like the sunset, too, and the fresh air. My room can get pretty stuffy sometimes, and for some reason the breeze and the... you know, nature feel out here makes me feel a little less lonely."

Ghost was taken a bit aback at that statement. She stared out over the water, where the burning reflection of the sunset shimmered gently before her eyes. I totally know how you feel... she thought, but didn't voice her opinion. Good thing, too, or else she might have interrupted Serenity. "What are you here for?"

At first the question confused Ghost. Hadn't she just said why she was outside, watching the sunset? But, no, that wasn't it, Ghost realized as she looked over at Serenity. "You mean why am I at the Academy?" She gathered her thoughts for a moment and then smirked, hand idly scratching Tokala's soft back. "It actually has more to do with my name than my looks have; I'm a Chameleon, and I can Phase and Reject Gravity. If combine any two of those, or even all three of them, I'm pretty much like a ghost!"

She laughed, but didn't tell the girl that wasn't the main reason for her name change. No reason to tell a stranger that. "Though apparently it's pretty rare to have Gifts that correlate so well. But what about you? You're a Gifted, too, right?"

[/blockquote]

[Serenity Lykos]

Serenity chuckled, sitting up all the way and turning a little to look directly at Ghost. "That really is very interesting. I think you're probably right, I've never met anyone whose gifts meshed so nicely." She crossed her arms across her belly, leaning forward a little in the every deepening twilight so as to see her a little better.

"I have verbal manipulation, which I'm pretty much done mastering, forcefield projection which I'm also pretty good at, and poison emission which I'm not the best at but I'm studying extra hard on." She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, then recrossed them over her stomach. "Does it seem weird to you that I'm 17 and haven't learned how to use my poison emission well yet?"

[Ghost]

your eyes, they sparkled
that's all changed into lies that drop like acid rain

-------------------------------------------------------------

The dark-haired girl laughed and turned to face Ghost nearly full-on. It was a little intimidating to tell the truth, but the pale girl didn't mind much. "That really is very interesting. I think you're probably right, I've never met whose Gifts meshed so nicely." She seemed happy about it, though Ghost was still a bit confused. Was it a compliment or not? No matter the intention, Ghost took it as a simply nice thing to say and she nodded. "Thanks," she said, but didn't continue.

Then Serenity crossed her arms. "I have Verbal Manipulation, which I'm pretty much done mastering," she started, and Ghost nodded her encouragement. She'd never met anyone with Verbal Manipulation, or maybe she just didn't think she did. Serenity wasn't trying to influence her now, right...? "...Forcefield Projection, which I'm pretty good at," she continued, and again Ghost didn't recognize the Gift. She hoped it was a useful one, but she honestly couldn't think of any reason to have a Gift like that. "...and Poison Emission which I'm not the best at but I'm studying extra hard on."

Poison Emission.

She really just said that. Serenity seemed only slightly disturbed by it, and after messing with her hair recrossed her arms. But Ghost had instinctively dug her fingernails into Tokala and the grass. Poison... she thought, her eyes staring at Serenity. Dark hair. Poison Emission. What if...? What if this girl...? Ghost pulled herself out of her trance and blinked, looking down at Tokala. Serenity continued talking. "Does it seem weird to you that I'm 17 and haven't learned how to use my Poison Emission well yet?"

Still recovering, Ghost shook her head slowly, and she spoke in a distant voice. "Oh... No. Not really." She blinked again, trying to get a grip and focus. Okay, it was just a coincidence. Nothing more. Serenity wasn't going to harm her. She wasn't going to hurt a total stranger who hadn't done her any harm, right? Ghost finally looked back up, but there was still a pit of fear growing in her gut. "I mean, I've only heard of adults having their Gifts mastered, and even then it takes, like, decades to be perfect at it. I'm seventeen and I'm really only at stage one of both Phasing and being a Chameleon."

She put on a somewhat fake smile to try and hide the clenching in her stomach. It got more sincere over time as she spoke, her unease fading. "Then again, I haven't known of my Gifts for more than a couple of years, and I don't practice them. So maybe it's my fault." She laughed genuinely, forcing herself not to think too hard about the coincidence involving the dark-haired girl beside her. "Then again, who knows? Maybe some peoples' Gifts evolve more quickly or more slowly than other peoples'. Maybe the Gifts themselves evolve at different rates."

She looked out at the lake again, her smile falling. Okay, she had to be honest with herself, and this new girl. "Though I have to admit, and no offense, really, but I don't really know how you would use Poison Emission as a useful Gift... Unless you wanted to hurt someone." She looked at Serenity with a sad, sorry glaze over her eyes. "You don't seem the type to want to hurt someone."

[/blockquote]

[Serenity Lykos]

"I mean, I've only heard of adults having their Gifts mastered, and even then it takes, like, decades to be perfect at it. I'm seventeen and I'm really only at stage one of both Phasing and being a Chameleon." Serenity nodded and sighed, tucking her arms under her knees and pulling her knees up. "I work really hard to master my gifts so that when I go to the university I will have complete control."

Serenity stared out over the water as she listened to Ghost. Yea it was a good thought that maybe powers developed at different rates, she never thought that maybe she wasn't behind, just that her poison wasn't developed all the way yet.

Serenity looked over, noticing the sad look in the girl's eyes, or maybe it was more of an anxious look. "Though I have to admit, and no offense, really, but I don't really know how you would use Poison Emission as a useful Gift... Unless you wanted to hurt someone." Serenity bit her lip. She'd heard it before of course, a lot of people were bothered by the fact that she could leech poison from her body. Sighing, Serenity shrugged. "Well say you were out one day and you decided to take a shortcut through the alley. There's a man in there and as you start to go by him he grabs you, holds a knife to your throat..." She smiled a little and shrugged again. "If you have poison emission, you could use that to make him sick and let go of you. OTher situations like that are when it's useful."

Serenity reached over and touched Ghost's leg cautiously. "I'm not the type to hurt anyone."

[Ghost]

your eyes, they sparkled
that's all changed into lies that drop like acid rain

-------------------------------------------------------------

Ghost sighed mentally as she watched Serenity nod and curl herself into a ball. Was she making the girl uncomfortable? After all, anything resembling the fetal position was typically defensive. Ghost hadn't thought that she'd offended the girl... But when Serenity spoke, her anxiety melted away. "I work really hard to master my Gifts so that when I go to the University I will have complete control." Ghost nodded slowly in return, comprehending. But then she wondered if Serenity meant "control" was like "mastery".

And she thought of her own powers. If "control" was simply using it when you wanted and not having it accidentally leak, then of course Ghost had control. But... Even with her Chameleon, she was working on staying invisible while moving. Vanishing while standing still was as easy as catching a stationary fish with a broad net. Simple as that. But vanishing while moving was like trying to catch a small, speedy fish that wouldn't stop moving with a net just barely big around enough to snare it. It would have to be lined up in just the right way at the right time before the fish was caught.

In other words, it was just hard.

Ghost realized that, if Serenity was 17 and preparing for the University, then that meant Ghost was about to enter it too. It was kind of weird, because Ghost had only been there for a few months, and she had a feeling that Serenity had attended the Academy for several years prior. Did that mean Ghost wasn't going to be able to enter the University until she was as practiced with her Gifts as the girl beside her? She hoped not. That wouldn't be very fair...

Serenity bit her lip when Ghost voiced her opinion, and the pale girl frowned in response. This time, though, before she started worrying, she listened to what Serenity had to say. It almost helped. "Well, say you were out one day and you decided you would take a shortcut through the alley." Ghost nodded, sensing where this was going. "There's a man in there and as you start to go by him he grabs you, holds a knife to your throat..." Serenity trailed off, smiling. Ghost couldn't bring herself to smile, so she swallowed. It was totally probable here in the jungle of New York City. There were so many bad people lurking in the shadows... Not like large, masked, bulky men either.

More like men who were tall and skinny, with dark hair, with sallow faces, ravenous eyes, spidery hands...

"If you have Poison Emission," Serenity continued, and Ghost almost missed it, "you could use that to make him sick and let go of you. Other situations like that are when it's useful." Ghost sighed. She still didn't see why it was a necessary Gift. Phasing would be equally effective, if not more effective in escaping an attacker. That is, once you learned how to Phase through human beings. Just the idea was a little gross. But still better than being... poisoned like that...

Then Serenity touched Ghost's leg gently. It was a little strange, almost too intimate for just two strangers, but at the same time incredibly comforting. It reminded her of Mom, one of the first times they'd ever met, when Ghost had no reason or will to trust this strange red-head. And when Serenity spoke, the words were amazingly similar too. "I'm not the type to hurt anyone." ...Though in Mom's case, it was just "you", not just "anyone". Ghost felt a sudden, strange urge to cry. She stifled it easily.

And she smiled, hiding her other emotions. "Yeah, that makes sense. You're right. New York is pretty crazy. I didn't think you'd be one to purposefully harm someone, but self-defense is probably excusable." She didn't make a move to touch Serenity back, but she didn't remove the hand either. "And I guess having your other two Gifts would also be pretty useful, like for getting rid of an attacker. You said you were pretty proficient at them... So are the forcefields like big bubbles you can just put anywhere, or can you mold them to certain shapes?" She thought about how one could form a forcefield around their entire body to keep them safe, or even around their hands to keep them from burning when handling hot objects.

Then she laughed, thinking of how childish she must seem. "Sorry for all of the questions. I just like learning about new Gifts." She smiled a bit sheepishly, as if apologizing for her curiosity.

EDIT: wow. Sorry my posts keep getting longer and longer. I hope you don't mind too much... =P[/size][/blockquote]

[Serenity Lykos]

Serenity nodded, glad that Ghost understood her explanation but still sensing a little unease. She felt confused, not understanding why the girl was so uncomfortable. It was just a form of self defense, something a little more aggressive than Ghost's phasing, but not fatal at the level Serenity used it at.

Serenity pulled her hand away from Ghost and tucked it back under her knees with the other. The position was comfortable, and Serenity was comfortable here with this girl...maybe they would be friends after this! "My forcefields are kind of like bubbles I guess." She said in answer to her previous question. "I mean I think everyone's gifts are probably a little different but mine can only be used around myself to a certain distance. They originate inside me and just go out...like I guess I'm the bubble wand." She giggled.

"And I don't mind your questions you know. I don't mind talking about my Gifts, just like I hope you don't mind talking about your Gifts." She looked back out over the black waters considering it was a little too dark at this point to see the girl's face. "Soo...." She looked over at the girl for a moment, squinted, then looked back to the waters. "Tell me about Phasing. I don't understand how that one works. Do you feel cold or anything? Can you feel yourself walking through the walls or whatever or is it like air?"

She blushed a little, resting her chin on her knee. "Sorry for my questions too but the Phasing and the Chameleon...those are interesting. Can you see yourself when you're invisible?" Sighing, Serenity shook her head. "Sorry..." She mumbled again.

[Ghost]

your eyes, they sparkled
that's all changed into lies that drop like acid rain

-------------------------------------------------------------

The girl moved her hand away, and Ghost almost began to miss it. It had been a comforting gesture, and she really, really appreciated it. It was, of course, the first friendliness she'd experienced in weeks. When it disappeared, there was an empty feeling there, almost like a phantom pain. She ached to rub it and relieve the sensation, but she knew it might look like she was trying to rub the touch itself away, and she wasn't. So instead she shifted a little bit, not feeling quite whole.

She remembered Tokala and stroked him gently. It made her feel better as her fingers glided over the plush surface.

"My forcefield are kind of like bubbles, I guess," Serenity said, and her tone was relaxed and cheerful. Ghost blinked, wondering if Serenity was already trusting her. Did that happen? Ghost never trusted any strangers, no matter how much talk they shared, but maybe... Maybe it was just her. Maybe Serenity was just a trusting person? Either way, she continued. "I mean, I think everyone's gifts are probably a little different but mine can only be used around myself to a certain distance." Ghost nodded, listening intently, encouraging the dark-haired girl to continue. "They originate inside me and just go out... like I guess I'm the bubble wand."

Ghost laughed at the statement, then realized Serenity was doing the same thing and grinned. "And I don't mind your questions, you know," she added. Ghost actually didn't know, but she chose not to argue. "I don't mind talking about my Gifts, just like I hope you don't mind talking about your gifts." Ghost shook her head, smiling. Of course she wouldn't mind. Ghost prided herself on her Gifts - after all, she named herself after them, or at least after what they resembled. There was a moment of silence where neither seemed to know what to say, and Ghost followed her acquaintance's gaze out over the water. The sun was gone by now, and the calm surface of the lake had turned inky.

"So..." Serenity began, but trailed off to glance at Ghost and then away again. "Tell me about Phasing. I don't understand how that one works. Do you feel cold or anything? Can you feel yourself walking through the walls or whatever it is like air?" Ghost blinked, but before she could answer Serenity was asking more questions. Ghost didn't mind, however. Curiosity seemed to be a trait they both shared. Ghost watched the girl as she put her head on her knees and continued. "Sorry for my questions too, but the Phasing and Chameleon... Those are interesting. Can you see yourself when you're invisible?" Ghost could practically see Serenity's eagerness and grinned again, though Serenity seemed a bit bashful. "Sorry..."

Ghost only laughed. It was genuine, not mocking. A happy laugh, not a sardonic one. "It really is okay. I'm not much better." She winked and went on to answer. She leaned forward so she didn't have to prop herself up and then set Tokala on her shoulder. "First of all, no, I can't see myself when I'm invisible. See?" She held up her hand and the whole arm melted away, though her sleeve remained. Ghost used to be surprised at the odd sight of an "empty" sleeve retaining the shape of a shoulder. "Oh. Oops. I guess you can't see through my eyes, but I can't see my arm either."

She giggled and returned her arm to normal. "I can still feel it though. Even when I'm Phasing I can feel myself... But it's a little different." She struggled with the right words and looked up to the navy blue sky, as if it had text scrawling across it. "I can feel temperatures, but they're sort of toned down. Like if I wanted to Phase through a wall, I can feel that it's sort of cold, but it's not freezing or whatever. And I can feel the texture of whatever material it was made out of, but at the same time it's just sort of... there. I'm not actually touching it." She ran a hand through the grass, Phasing through it. It wasn't cold or warm, so it simply felt like a gentle breeze, with each individual blade of grass like a slightly grainy draft running through her fingers.

This time, it was odd to see the dark pointy tips jabbing through her hand. "The thing is," she continued, "I can't become solid until I'm surrounded by air. Maybe water. I don't know. It's hard to describe." She looked back at Serenity, her smile gone. Her expression wasn't unfriendly, but it was almost apologetic. "Sorry. If you're confused, trust me: it's just as difficult for me to try to explain. I just wish I could give you more details... But I guess it's like describing how you breathe. I know what to do to do it, but... Telling someone else how is just weird."

She looked back at the grass, her hand fully solid and depressing the fragile leaves. She sighed, not knowing what else to say. Tokala perched heavily atop her, and she felt weighed down.

[/font][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Serenity Lykos]

"Wow..." Serenity leaned forward, looking at the way the grass slid through her hand as if it weren't even there. It was odd, seeing the grass stick through her hand, and thinking that if she went completely invisible and could fade through things like that then she really was a ghost. She looked up at Ghost, eyes a little wide. "I've never seen anything like that before." She smiled broadly.

"I won't show you any of my powers because none of them are really very visible or non harmful..."

She turned her face to the sky. "It has gotten really dark. Wanna keep sitting out here or go somewhere else?"

[Ghost]

your eyes, they sparkled
that's all changed into lies that drop like acid rain

-------------------------------------------------------------

wow. I feel bad. I really am sorry for being gone so long. Hopefully I should be able to manage my time better at this point and get back into posting.

Thankfully, Serenity seemed captivated, and it lifted Ghost's spirits. The girl was leaning forward and murmuring her amazement, and Ghost smirked. Thank Jesus Serenity didn't ask her how. That in itself made Ghost feel loads better. "Wow... I've never seen anything like that before." Her words made Ghost think, randomly, If I went invisible you definitely wouldn't see it! But then she laughed, appreciating the friendly grin Serenity wore and making fun of how totally not funny her thought was.

"Thanks, I think," she giggled. "It's not too impressive compared to other Gifts, I guess. Like, it would be totally cool to stop time or move stuff with your head or whatever." She blinked, glancing at Tokala. She thought there was some rumor that a Gift exists where you could make non-living things move. Was that like... necrokinesis? Necromacy, that's what it was. But maybe that was just fairy tale stuff. Not that faeries didn't exist or anything. No offense.

Serenity was talking again, explaining about her Gifts. "I won't show you any of my powers because none of them are really very visible or non harmful." Ghost smiled and chuckled, giving the appearance of mock gratefulness, except inside she was desperately holding back a shudder. "Whew!" she sighed jokingly. "That's a relief. Wouldn't want you telling me to, like, jump in the lake or something. Tokala would get wet." She winked, but knew she wouldn't be able to keep up the facade much longer if the topic was still the same.

Thankfully, Serenity didn't seem to linger on the topic. She looked skyward, and Ghost followed her gaze. The massive ceiling above was slowly opening up into darkness as the last few rays of sunset began fading from the clouds. "It has gotten really dark. Wanna keep sitting out here or go somewhere else?" Ghost looked back down at her new acquaintance, and was suddenly hit with an intense emotion. She was grateful, she was so happy from the human contact that she almost couldn't hold it in. She bit her tongue to keep from laughing aloud (or perhaps crying) and shrugged.

"It honestly doesn't really matter to me. Though, I figure at least going indoors would be nice. It's getting dark and chilly." She was being honest, too. As the sunlight faded, so did the heat, and Ghost was already feeling the coolness wrap around her, replacing her once-comfortable state with one of goosebumps and cold feet. She wrapped her arms around each other and rubbed vigorously. It didn't help. She smirked, thinking of something. "Besides, there's probably vampires around here." She winked, and then snatched Tokala from his resting place on her shoulder. "Got anyplace in mind?"

[/font][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Serenity Lykos]

Serenity shook her head, standing up and brushing her pants off. She looked around, trying to think of somewhere to go that wouldn't be too crowded. Maybe they should just go back to the dorms and go to one of their rooms, but she felt that might be too intimate considering Ghost already felt awkward as it was. She scrunched her forehead, thinking.

Shaking her head, Serenity looked back down to Ghost. "I don't really care either, just I think it would be a little intimate to go to each other's rooms. You already feel like you're uncomfortable." She shrugged. "You probably don't talk to a lot of people and neither do I so I completely understand."

She held her hand down to help Ghost get to her feet. Serenity's feet were a bit asleep and she figured Ghost's might be too.

[Ghost]

your eyes, they sparkled
that's all changed into lies that drop like acid rain

-------------------------------------------------------------

Serenity stood up, brushing herself off. She seemed to be thinking so Ghost didn't disturb her. Instead, she thought of her own ideas. Maybe they could get a coffee, except what if Serenity didn't react well to caffeine? What if she went all hyper and then couldn't sleep that night? She'd totally blame it on me, Ghost thought, scratching between Tokala's ears. Especially if she was up all night. I know I would. Okay, so maybe coffee wasn't a great idea. It was just so warm and Ghost would be pretty damn chilly by the time they got inside of anywhere...

The dark-haired girl spoke up and Ghost looked up at her intently. "I don't really care either, just I think it would be a little intimate to go to each other's rooms. You already feel like you're uncomfortable." Ghost blinked, confused. "Uh, actually, I'm all right." Then she laughed. "But I know what you mean. We don't have to go to anyone's rooms."

She continued, "You probably don't talk to a lot of people, and neither do I so I completely understand," and Ghost nodded in agreement. Serenity gestured with a hand and Ghost took it. As she rose to a shaky stand and pain shot down into her sleepy feet she spoke. "Yeah. I haven't been here for very long, so I haven't been able to really talk to anyone, you know?" She sighed, and bent over briefly to massage her calves with her free hand, while the other grabbed the toy cat around his neck. She stood again, and stared into the darkening sky. For a moment she had a freakish feeling of falling, and the night seemed to open up before her and swallow her like a massive black whirlpool.

She looked at Serenity, who hadn't continued speaking. What did that mean? My turn, Ghost answered to herself. "Well we should at least go inside." She looked down at her feet and wiggled her toes in the grass. It was bittersweet: for one thing, they were just getting feeling back and she wanted to return circulation; but on the other hand, they were cold and she didn't particularly feel like getting frostbite on her feet. Okay, so it wasn't quite that cold, she had to admit.

But what if it ended up being that cold? Maybe she could just Phase or something until she was indoors. She mentally shrugged but then started walking towards the main building. "You can come with me if you want, but I understand if you just want to head up to the dorms. I think I'm gonna get some coffee." She knew it wasn't a very good invitation, but she didn't really know how else to say it.

Then she looked over at Serenity, subtly assessing her true stature. They were approximately the same height, though Serenity was probably a bit taller. Ghost wasn't checking her out or anything, but she definitely noticed the fuller, healthier figure that Serenity displayed. For a moment she was jealous. It was strange, because most girls as slim as Ghost only wanted to get smaller, not fuller. But Ghost would much rather look like she could hold her own instead of looking like some cowardly damsel in distress. She brushed the thoughts away, trying not to look too depressed.

[/font][/blockquote][/blockquote]