Monster Hearts IC: Making Friends

[Elanorin]

Sean's eyes lingered on Cassidy, as if trying to read what was going on in her mind by the look in her eyes. He couldn't say he knew her all that well but her reaction had been unexpected, he really hadn't seen that kind of lashing out coming from her. Perhaps he should have.

Almost unable to help himself his attention steered back to Iris as if drawn by an invisible magnet. He frowned for a moment at her not having answered him. He figured that was answer enough and he was not interested in public humiliations when he could spare them and let the subject drop like a lead balloon.

Once both Iris and Leon were out of Cassidy's immediate vicinity, Sean resumed his position at her side as they went on. Casually leaning in to whisper, "so... that was fun," he smiled, his voice entirely free of sarcasm. "Any reason why you didn't kick him to the floor?"

[Anarion]

"God this place is lame." She said, changing the subject.

Leon rubbed his arm around the shoulder and walked over towards Iris and away from Cassidy. He looked back her Cass for a sec. Nothing to say, he just looked at her, his eyes staring at her like you might at a homeless puppy that's tearing up a piece of cloth and doesn't even know what it's doing.

Then he turned away and was back with Iris. "Yeah, it sucks. Making big wax figures is pretty worthless. You think they've got any real props mixed in?"

[TheAmishPirate]

"Keep your hands to yourself, and it won't matter."

Nothing about Iris expression changed except for her eyes, which glittered in something like a smile. For Leon this probably wasn't anything special anymore, but for Cassidy, seeing actual emotions play on the dead girl's face must have been surprising. Could you have guessed that an approving look from her would be so... nice? Did it make you hungry? What would you do to see it again?

((Turning Cassidy On: 2d6+2 = 9))

Oh f*ck yes. Yes. Before Cassidy could stop herself her cracked and crumbling heart lapped up every drop of praise. It soothed, it sweetened, it didn't satisfy but it was good and she hadn't had good things in so long. She wanted more. She wanted more of whatever Iris was giving her-but Iris! Augh! The source of all her hurts! F*ck her, and f*ck all her ilk. Bunch of lousy, ungrateful bastards. The wax people were more real than them.

...but those eyes. There was something real there. She saw it. She felt it, and its absence stung deeply.

Hurt and relief, flowing from the same infuriating stream.

What was even going on anymore?!

"God this place is lame." She said, changing the subject.

As Iris and Leon walked on ahead, Cassidy whipped out her phone.

A few moments later, Iris got a text.

Cassidy> civil war in half an hour. come alone. tell no one.

Sean's eyes lingered on Cassidy, as if trying to read what was going on in her mind by the look in her eyes. He couldn't say he knew her all that well but her reaction had been unexpected, he really hadn't seen that kind of lashing out coming from her. Perhaps he should have.

Almost unable to help himself his attention steered back to Iris as if drawn by an invisible magnet. He frowned for a moment at her not having answered him. He figured that was answer enough and he was not interested in public humiliations when he could spare them and let the subject drop like a lead balloon.

Once both Iris and Leon were out of Cassidy's immediate vicinity, Sean resumed his position at her side as they went on. Casually leaning in to whisper, "so... that was fun," he smiled, his voice entirely free of sarcasm. "Any reason why you didn't kick him to the floor?"

"'Cause he's not even worth the effort." She grumbled. "If you haven't noticed, he's basically the worst person."

Leon rubbed his arm around the shoulder and walked over towards Iris and away from Cassidy. He looked back her Cass for a sec. Nothing to say, he just looked at her, his eyes staring at her like you might at a homeless puppy that's tearing up a piece of cloth and doesn't even know what it's doing.

Then he turned away and was back with Iris. "Yeah, it sucks. Making big wax figures is pretty worthless. You think they've got any real props mixed in?"

The actual answer: No, probably not. Anything real and worthwhile would have been stolen ages ago.

What Cassidy said: Absolutely nothing, you get to figure it out for yourself, brat.

[PhoeKun]

Almost unable to help himself his attention steered back to Iris as if drawn by an invisible magnet. He frowned for a moment at her not having answered him. He figured that was answer enough and he was not interested in public humiliations when he could spare them and let the subject drop like a lead balloon.

Which was a shame, because Iris' only crime (at the moment, anyway) was having a shortish attention span. If only he had the guts to push her on the subject he might even get somewhere. Too bad...

Then he turned away and was back with Iris. "Yeah, it sucks. Making big wax figures is pretty worthless. You think they've got any real props mixed in?"

"Everything here is donated," she said with a shrug and something like half a sigh, "So all it really takes is some putz who needs garage space and suddenly this museum is home to great great grandaddy's flintlock or whatever. Not that it matters. The next room over could be nothing but knives and dynamite and this place would still suck because nothing is going to happen here, ever."

Iris' phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and thumbed through it while she idly poked a statue of a Cosmonaut with his fist raised a US Army private, watching the way it wobbled on its foundations. She prodded harder, practically shoving it in flagrant violation of the sacred laws of the velvet rope, when suddenly and unceremoniously it tipped over and hit the staging behind it with a dull thud. And then... nothing. She rolled her eyes.

"Hey, listen. You've got somewhere else you want to be, yeah? Don't feel like you have to stick around on my account."

[Anarion]

"Hey, listen. You've got somewhere else you want to be, yeah? Don't feel like you have to stick around on my account."

"Heh, yeah, you got me. I'll be around later if you need anything. Try not to fall asleep of boredom."

Leon turned the corner and headed upstairs to meet Claire. He smiled a little to himself at how that had all gone. It felt good to know that Iris was backing him up, or he was backing her up maybe.

[Elanorin]

"'Cause he's not even worth the effort." She grumbled. "If you haven't noticed, he's basically the worst person."

"I'm starting to get some of that. Though I can't figure if he's really that bad or just trying to be. Or maybe just not realising it himself," Sean mused.

He watched Iris poke the spaceman and from some deep dark recess in his mind where Bad Ideas lived, one managed to wriggle free and take over his thoughts. Once Iris had turned away and started talking to Leon, Sean muttered a "Hang on," to Cassidy and sneaked in behind the plywood scenery and dragged the toppled cosmonaut with him in to a dark corner to steal its space suit and put it on.

She liked space men? He could do space man!

[Thanqol]

"Heh, yeah, you got me. I'll be around later if you need anything. Try not to fall asleep of boredom."

Leon turned the corner and headed upstairs to meet Claire. He smiled a little to himself at how that had all gone. It felt good to know that Iris was backing him up, or he was backing her up maybe.

The medieval section was centred around a marvellous tableau of King Arthur signing the Magna Carta. Juxtaposed was a shockingly informative plaque with some no-fooling legit historical details about the importance of the Magna Carta and its influence on the US constitution. There were voices all around, people just out of sight laughing and talking, muffled by the acoustics of concrete and plywood.

Clare was there, as requested. "Hey Leon," she said. "What's up?"

He watched Iris poke the spaceman and from some deep dark recess in his mind where Bad Ideas lived, one managed to wriggle free and take over his thoughts. Once Iris had turned away and started talking to Leon, Sean muttered a "Hang on," to Cassidy and sneaked in behind the plywood scenery and dragged the toppled cosmonaut with him in to a dark corner to steal its space suit and put it on.

She liked space men? He could do space man!

The space suit was like wearing a garbage bag with windows, but he got it on. And there was a certain degree of insane power that came with wearing an astronaut costume. What do you do?

[TheAmishPirate]

"I'm starting to get some of that. Though I can't figure if he's really that bad or just trying to be. Or maybe just not realising it himself," Sean mused.

He watched Iris poke the spaceman and from some deep dark recess in his mind where Bad Ideas lived, one managed to wriggle free and take over his thoughts. Once Iris had turned away and started talking to Leon, Sean muttered a "Hang on," to Cassidy and sneaked in behind the plywood scenery and dragged the toppled cosmonaut with him in to a dark corner to steal its space suit and put it on.

She liked space men? He could do space man!

"Does it matter?" Cassidy huffed. "At the end of the day, he's still a brat."

Cassidy hung back while Sean slipped off to goodness knows where. Debating whether to ditch now or ditch later, but Sean had proven to be not immediately terrible, and turns out that was a rare mark of quality these days. She could hang around a bit longer. Not near Iris, though.

[Anarion]

The medieval section was centred around a marvellous tableau of King Arthur signing the Magna Carta. Juxtaposed was a shockingly informative plaque with some no-fooling legit historical details about the importance of the Magna Carta and its influence on the US constitution. There were voices all around, people just out of sight laughing and talking, muffled by the acoustics of concrete and plywood.

Clare was there, as requested. "Hey Leon," she said. "What's up?"

Leon snapped up King Arthur's pen as he worked his way up there and was twirling it expertly around his fingers as he ran into Claire. He had a broad smile on his face when he saw her, and there was a glow about him after that little incident with Iris and Cassidy. "Hi Claire" he said as he walked up to her. If he was still affected by the shoulder injury, he wasn't showing it as he took her hand and gently pulled her close to him, speaking softly so their voices wouldn't carry to the people nearby. "Has anyone told you how beautiful you are?" She could feel the warmth of his body pressed up to hers and a few strands of his hair tickled her ear as he leaned in to whisper. He gave her a quick kiss, just a fleeting brush on the neck and held on to her hand as he parted a bit so they could look each other in the eyes. Leon was still smiling, his eyes were dancing, and the pen in his other hand had never stopped moving as he'd come close to her.

[and of course, I'm rolling to turn her on. (2d6+3)[12]

[Elanorin]

Sean peeked out from behind the sparkly plywood rings of Jupiter, dressed as a Cosmonaut, and gave Cassidy a little space man wave, staying out of Iris' view. He was grinning a huge grin and his eyes were positively sparkling. It did not take a genius to figure that this was clearly a boyhood dream of some sort. With a wink to Cassidy he lifted up the helmet and put it on.

He waited until Iris' back was turned and then sneaked up behind her (as much as the space suit allowed him to anyway), then shut the sun visor and reached out to suddenly grab both her shoulders from behind.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?! Hey! Who turned out the lights?! Hey! Who turned out the lights?!"

[Thanqol]

Leon snapped up King Arthur's pen as he worked his way up there and was twirling it expertly around his fingers as he ran into Claire. He had a broad smile on his face when he saw her, and there was a glow about him after that little incident with Iris and Cassidy. "Hi Claire" he said as he walked up to her. If he was still affected by the shoulder injury, he wasn't showing it as he took her hand and gently pulled her close to him, speaking softly so their voices wouldn't carry to the people nearby. "Has anyone told you how beautiful you are?" She could feel the warmth of his body pressed up to hers and a few strands of his hair tickled her ear as he leaned in to whisper. He gave her a quick kiss, just a fleeting brush on the neck and held on to her hand as he parted a bit so they could look each other in the eyes. Leon was still smiling, his eyes were dancing, and the pen in his other hand had never stopped moving as he'd come close to her.

[and of course, I'm rolling to turn her on. [roll0]

"I - Leon," stammered Clare, utterly caught off guard - and to be fair she had just been kissed out of nowhere by a hot boy. "What are you -?"

[TheAmishPirate]

Sean peeked out from behind the sparkly plywood rings of Jupiter, dressed as a Cosmonaut, and gave Cassidy a little space man wave, staying out of Iris' view. He was grinning a huge grin and his eyes were positively sparkling. It did not take a genius to figure that this was clearly a boyhood dream of some sort. With a wink to Cassidy he lifted up the helmet and put it on.

He waited until Iris' back was turned and then sneaked up behind her (as much as the space suit allowed him to anyway), then shut the sun visor and reached out to suddenly grab both her shoulders from behind.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?! Hey! Who turned out the lights?! Hey! Who turned out the lights?!"

Cassidy did what any teenager worth their salt would do in this situation:

Stand back, whip out her phone, and start filming.

[Anarion]

"I - Leon," stammered Clare, utterly caught off guard - and to be fair she had just been kissed out of nowhere by a hot boy. "What are you -?"

"I said I'd make the meeting worth your while." Leon gave her a wink and took a step back to give her a little room to breathe. His smile was still broader than the Mississippi river. "I didn't think going over the historical facts of King Arthur would get the point across. You're a beautiful person and a beautiful soul, and I want to hang out with you. You game?"

[PhoeKun]

Sean peeked out from behind the sparkly plywood rings of Jupiter, dressed as a Cosmonaut, and gave Cassidy a little space man wave, staying out of Iris' view. He was grinning a huge grin and his eyes were positively sparkling. It did not take a genius to figure that this was clearly a boyhood dream of some sort. With a wink to Cassidy he lifted up the helmet and put it on.

He waited until Iris' back was turned and then sneaked up behind her (as much as the space suit allowed him to anyway), then shut the sun visor and reached out to suddenly grab both her shoulders from behind.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?! Hey! Who turned out the lights?! Hey! Who turned out the lights?!"

An ordinary girl would probably have shrieked in surprise or fright. A tough outcast girl with a chip on her shoulder and an image to maintain would probably have elbowed Sean in the stomach, then maybe apologized afterward depending on how big a bitch she actually was.

But both of those responses assume an intact fight-or-flight response, and Iris burned hers out some time ago. The funny thing about being dead is that it takes away your ability to care about your "life", and there's a shocking number of every day reactions that are tied to that. So when Sean put his hands on her shoulders, Iris responded by... standing there. With unnatural calm, she turned her head to look behind her and see what the f--k... and what she saw broke her. She doubled over with laughter, slipping out of Space Sean's grip and holding her sides as she nearly giggled herself to d-- well, you know.

"Ahahahaha, oh my god! Haha, ah, ha... you are such a dork!"

Well, there you go then. Talk about disasters. And yet, wasn't this sort of nice, in a perversely undignified sort of way? The ringing of her voice among the plywood halls? The way her movement shook her hair, how it bounced in the light? The sheer, unrestrained mirth in her voice? She was pretty like this, much prettier than the inhuman stiffness from a moment before. And he made that happen. Which was... good? Sort of? R-right?

((Turn On Sean: 2d6+2 = 9))

Still short on breath, Iris pulled out her phone and snapped a couple of quick pictures. Immediately, they went to Tina.

Tina: omg
Tina: this guy
Tina: is a gold mine

[Elanorin]

An ordinary girl would probably have shrieked in surprise or fright. A tough outcast girl with a chip on her shoulder and an image to maintain would probably have elbowed Sean in the stomach, then maybe apologized afterward depending on how big a bitch she actually was.

But both of those responses assume an intact fight-or-flight response, and Iris burned hers out some time ago. The funny thing about being dead is that it takes away your ability to care about your "life", and there's a shocking number of every day reactions that are tied to that. So when Sean put his hands on her shoulders, Iris responded by... standing there. With unnatural calm, she turned her head to look behind her and see what the f--k... and what she saw broke her. She doubled over with laughter, slipping out of Space Sean's grip and holding her sides as she nearly giggled herself to d-- well, you know.

"Ahahahaha, oh my god! Haha, ah, ha... you are such a dork!"

Well, there you go then. Talk about disasters. And yet, wasn't this sort of nice, in a perversely undignified sort of way? The ringing of her voice among the plywood halls? The way her movement shook her hair, how it bounced in the light? The sheer, unrestrained mirth in her voice? She was pretty like this, much prettier than the inhuman stiffness from a moment before. And he made that happen. Which was... good? Sort of? R-right?

((Turn On Sean: 2d6+2 = 9))

Still short on breath, Iris pulled out her phone and snapped a couple of quick pictures. Immediately, they went to Tina.

Tina: omg
Tina: this guy
Tina: is a gold mine

...not the reaction he'd been hoping for. Not even the reaction he had been kind of prepared to face had he been wrong, either. He'd obviously hoped for a delightfully high-pitched shriek followed by a brief chase ending up in a dark corner somewhere and, well, that was about as far as that plan had gone. Sean was optimistic but not stupid. He had been slightly prepared for being punched/kicked and had completely relied on the space suit providing him some protection from the worst of it.

Laughing? Laughing had not featured in his plans at all.

There was a slightly lost looking Cosmonaut stood in the middle of the Mars Landing room, staring at the giggling Iris and trying vaguely to pretend like he was laughing with her, stiffly glancing around at everyone watching (which was hard in a space suit and resulted in little shuffles of space boots to left and right on the concrete floor. Grains of sand could be heard rasping underfoot as if conspiring to accentuate the awkwardness of the moment.

But, despite the fact that he was much less an awesome scary person being devoured by Vashta Nerada and more a space clown complete with oversized shoes and gloves (though even now he was convinced the helmet still mitigated some of it, it was cool, space helmets could never not be cool), there was a silver lining to this unmitigated disaster. She was completely losing it with laughter for a little while and there was not a line on her face in those few moments that wasn't happy. She really was beautiful when she laughed. He found himself wishing she'd laugh more.

Okay, she'd called him a dork, that was... not ideal. But he'd made her smile, and what a smile it was when it beamed straight at you. It was quite an unexpected rush; it made his heart beat a little faster, his palms a little sweaty and his head buzzing. The second she started to recover he felt the need for another fix, but next time, next time she'd be laughing with him, not at him.

Oh hell there were phones out. Sean closed his eyes and cringed at just how badly he must have executed what he still oddly believed had been a great idea. Was it just Americans being difficult to scare?

With eyes still closed, Sean went for broke, hell, how much worse could it get?

"So... lunch?" He opened his eyes and managed a tiny hopeful smile, despite absolutely everything. At least he wouldn't go home kicking himself for not trying.

[Iris, take a string on Sean]

[Thanqol]

"I said I'd make the meeting worth your while." Leon gave her a wink and took a step back to give her a little room to breathe. His smile was still broader than the Mississippi river. "I didn't think going over the historical facts of King Arthur would get the point across. You're a beautiful person and a beautiful soul, and I want to hang out with you. You game?"

Given that she's in a relationship (and you know it), roll to persuade a NPC. Remember you can spend a string for +3.

[Anarion]

Given that she's in a relationship (and you know it), roll to persuade a NPC. Remember you can spend a string for +3.

[Manipulate roll, no string used yet. (2d6+3)[6]
[Oh hey. I will use that string to give the roll +3, so it's a 9.]

[TheAmishPirate]

Good thing Cassidy thought to start taking a video, because maybe she could watch it back later and figure out what the f*ck she was seeing here. See this? This was the sort of sh*t an actual crazy person did.

Cassidy laughed along, even as her smile faded and she zoomed in on Iris.

[Thanqol]

[Manipulate roll, no string used yet. [roll0]
[Oh hey. I will use that string to give the roll +3, so it's a 9.]

"Leon, you're really nice," said Claire, "but things are a bit complicated right now. I - I guess we can hang out, I just need to keep it a bit quiet until I can figure some things out."

[Anarion]

"Leon, you're really nice," said Claire, "but things are a bit complicated right now. I - I guess we can hang out, I just need to keep it a bit quiet until I can figure some things out."

[Actual question. Who's she in a relationship with? I thought Iris was just a fling, since she's dating Jefferson? Apologies if I totally missed something]

"Sure, we can make that work I think. Maybe I can come by the next drag race? It sounds so exciting and I, well, I want to figure you out, I wouldn't have placed the cheerleader with a heart of gold with all the motorheads, you know?"

[Thanqol]

[Actual question. Who's she in a relationship with? I thought Iris was just a fling, since she's dating Jefferson? Apologies if I totally missed something]

"Sure, we can make that work I think. Maybe I can come by the next drag race? It sounds so exciting and I, well, I want to figure you out, I wouldn't have placed the cheerleader with a heart of gold with all the motorheads, you know?"

There was from nearby a low, rumbling growling. It reminded Leon a lot of the wolf that had chased him a month before.

"Oh, well," Clare was blushing incredibly hard at this point, not noticing the sound. "Sure. I'll meet you there."

[PhoeKun]

"So... lunch?" He opened his eyes and managed a tiny hopeful smile, despite absolutely everything. At least he wouldn't go home kicking himself for not trying.

"Goodness, skipping school in the middle of a field trip on your first day? Were you going to wear the space suit out, too? You're pretty ballsy, haha."

Iris fiddled with her phone for a bit, apparently checking something. A minute or two later, Cassidy would get a text that simply said, "later, outside"

Then she smiled, "Sure!" and grabbed Sean around the arm to drag him off to where Tina was waiting.

[Anarion]

There was from nearby a low, rumbling growling. It reminded Leon a lot of the wolf that had chased him a month before.

"Oh, well," Clare was blushing incredibly hard at this point, not noticing the sound. "Sure. I'll meet you there."

Leon dropped the pen. Just for a quick second, when he heard the growl. He bent to pick it up and came back with it all in a quick flourish and smiled at Claire again. "Great, see you there. Maybe we can grab lunch together too, you know with a group. I'd like to get to know your friends too."

Leon subtly quickened his pace along with Claire, hoping to move towards where other people were in the exhibits.

[Elanorin]

"Goodness, skipping school in the middle of a field trip on your first day? Were you going to wear the space suit out, too? You're pretty ballsy, haha."

Iris fiddled with her phone for a bit, apparently checking something. A minute or two later, Cassidy would get a text that simply said, "later, outside"

Then she smiled, "Sure!" and grabbed Sean around the arm to drag him off to where Tina was waiting.

Sean hadn't planned on wearing the space suit to lunch but if that made him 'ballsy' in Iris' eyes then hell yes. He politely looked away as she checked her phone and busied himself with taking the space helmet off at least or he'd suffocate before long. He didn't need much dragging however and followed quite happily to wherever Iris led him off to, throwing Cassidy a grin that showed that he was quite pleased with himself. Should they happen to pass Leon he'd offer him the same.

"I'll let you pick the place," he said, clearly in a very good mood, "since I'm new here, and all. Besides, you seem to have good taste," he added, taking the opportunity to let his eyes roam over her once more.

[Thanqol]

Sean and Iris turned a corner just in time to see Leon and Clare running towards them -

Whoosh!

A dark black shadow, all fur and muscle, passed by and Clare was just gone - leaving behind only a fragment of a scream.

There was a smashed hole in the cheap plywood wall, and a splatter of blood on the ground - what do you do?

[TheAmishPirate]

Cassidy hit 'Play' on the video again. Sean tiptoes in with a crappy outfit, Sean grabs Iris, Iris laughs, Sean asks Iris out, Iris drags Sean off in delight, Sean flashes a grin to the camera, empty room, empty room, phone buzzes, empty room.

End.

No clearer this time either. Thoughts still circled around her head, just as she blindly circled through the terrible exhibits. Sean makes a d*mn fool of himself pulling a prank on the most popular girl in school, and he earns a date. She fights a literal demon from hell, and what does she get? Scorn. Hate. Abandoned. Sean's the new hotness, and she's a punching bag. Step right up, boys and girls! Free hits! Take your free hits here! If she fights back, hit harder. She deserves it. With a bitter snarl she thrust her phone back into her pocket.

And felt a small bottle.

The lithium. She'd meant to throw it in her backpack. In all the chaos this morning, she must've forgotten. Unconsciously, her fingers tightened on the hard plastic. They all thought something was wrong with her. That's all the therapy was. Tell the old fart how you feel and he'll tell you why you're broken. Give you pills to 'fix' you. Make you fall in line. Carpet-bomb that troublesome personality and leave behind a perfect student. A dull, brainless drone, never fighting for anything, never talking back, never thinking or feeling anything too offensive, never stepping out of line, never getting called out for anything, never getting picked on, never fearing anything, never feeling truly alone...

Cassidy looked up, seeing herself in a fake antique mirror. Tears flowed down the girl's face.

A roaring filled her ears as she swung for the glass.

*CRASH*

Now she couldn't see the crying girl anymore. Now, she saw sharp eyebrows and long lashes, brilliant teeth and fair skin. She saw tangles of frazzled hair hiding her face. She saw white-clenched knuckles running red with blood. She saw a jagged, empty hole over her heart.

Why?

Why didn't they love her?

Why wasn't she good enough?

[Rolling to Gaze into the Abyss: (2d6-1)[8]

[Cassidy is already Drained, so we'll take confusing and alarming visions.]

[Elanorin]

Sean and Iris turned a corner just in time to see Leon and Clare running towards them -

Whoosh!

A dark black shadow, all fur and muscle, passed by and Clare was just gone - leaving behind only a fragment of a scream.

There was a smashed hole in the cheap plywood wall, and a splatter of blood on the ground - what do you do?

Sean's heart sank. Not now! He was sorely tempted to turn his back and leave but he was extremely aware of Iris on his arm, the school hero. Odds were it wouldn't go down well with her to run away hiding when something like this happened right in front of your nose.

"You better get in to cover," Sean said in his best hero voice before he firmly untangled his arm from Iris' hold and ran through the hole in the plywood and after the creature whateveritwas as fast as he could. This was one of the few moments when wearing a space suit was not an advantage.

[Thanqol]

Now she couldn't see the crying girl anymore. Now, she saw sharp eyebrows and long lashes, brilliant teeth and fair skin. She saw tangles of frazzled hair hiding her face. She saw white-clenched knuckles running red with blood. She saw a jagged, empty hole over her heart.

Why?

Why didn't they love her?

Why wasn't she good enough?

[Rolling to Gaze into the Abyss: [roll0]

[Cassidy is already Drained, so we'll take confusing and alarming visions.]

You know what's f*cked up? You actually had something that made you special. Something that was inside you all along, f*cking you up in the head and making you strong in the arms. You've always known it's there, deep down in your gut, telling you that you were better - so why think? Your special little monster only knew how to be strong so that was all it told you. And you listened to it and your mind atrophied, making you simple. Making you dumb. It's been starving your brain to death.

And now you're not special any more. The stupid monster in your gut is actually really happy. It can smell that there are other dumb monsters just like it around here. And it wants to find them, and run, and fight, and f*ck, and never think another thought so long as it shall live. The Cassidy who lives upstairs in the head is just an annoying distraction and it can't wait 'till she's gone for good.

Sean's heart sank. Not now! He was sorely tempted to turn his back and leave but he was extremely aware of Iris on his arm, the school hero. Odds were it wouldn't go down well with her to run away hiding when something like this happened right in front of your nose.

"You better get in to cover," Sean said in his best hero voice before he firmly untangled his arm from Iris' hold and ran through the hole in the plywood and after the creature whateveritwas as fast as he could. This was one of the few moments when wearing a space suit was not an advantage.

So you run around the corner and smack bang right into the big fat gut of Hugh Booth, plus his hangers on. He grabs you and shoves you to the floor hard.

"Oh that's it new kid," said Hugh, rolling up his sleeves, "it's time for your student orientation beating. I had a feeling you were a nerd."

Behind Hugh he could just see the vanishing flicker of that monster as its tail raced behind the raised plywood.

[Anarion]

Leon tried to pick himself up. He was a little shaky and his hands shook as he dusted himself off. This wasn't the first time he had seen a wolf like that but, before it had come at him directly and slowly, like it wanted him to know what was happening and be scared. This was just, he and Clare were there and suddenly he was down and she was...was gone. Iris was the only one there.

"Fuck." That one word had everything in it. The fear of a regular human who didn't want to die, the anger at being taken by surprise, the even greater anger that was lurking in Leon at having his plans ruined by some goddamn, freaking jerkass wolf that thought it could barge in here and kill whoever it wanted.

Leon looked over at Iris, gestured for her to follow, and started after Sean.

[TheAmishPirate]

You know what's f*cked up? You actually had something that made you special. Something that was inside you all along, f*cking you up in the head and making you strong in the arms. You've always known it's there, deep down in your gut, telling you that you were better - so why think? Your special little monster only knew how to be strong so that was all it told you. And you listened to it and your mind atrophied, making you simple. Making you dumb. It's been starving your brain to death.

And now you're not special any more. The stupid monster in your gut is actually really happy. It can smell that there are other dumb monsters just like it around here. And it wants to find them, and run, and fight, and f*ck, and never think another thought so long as it shall live. The Cassidy who lives upstairs in the head is just an annoying distraction and it can't wait 'till she's gone for good.

Until she's gone for good?!

All her tears burned up as her empty heart filled with a white-hot fire. But not the raging firestorm of teenage frustration. Neither was it the devouring inferno of purposeless hate, nor the brimstone of her passionate wrath. No, this burned sharp on her heart and mind. Focused her eyes. Pushed back the clouds, and set her heart pumping like a dynamo. Resolve, stemming from one, unassailable truth:

She didn't know who she was, but she knew she wasn't the wolf's b*tch.

She had an enemy.

And she.

Wouldn't.

Lose.

Cassidy bit on her sleeve and tore off a strip of cloth. Wrapping it around her bleeding knuckles, she screamed a vow of rock and defiance in the depths of her soul.

I won't crawl on my knees for you
I won't believe the lies that hide the truth
I won't sweat one more drop for you!

She tied the bandage tight, and clenched her fist to the shattered mirror.

'Cause we are the rust upon your gears
We are the insect in your ears
We crawl
We crawl
We crawl

She heard a faint scream, and thundered after it.

ALL OVER YOU!