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 FP4/4...okay, that was not the reaction I was expecting! "I'm not undead, I swear!" I yelp with my hands going up in a "see, there's blood flowing there!" pose. "It...there was a...it's hard to explain here. I...if you trust me, we can meet after school, and uh..." I'm going to need to check the addresses on the key when I get a private moment. One in Norton, one in Honey Bee, right?
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Sep 24, 2016 07:05
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 FP: 4/4 "With all due respect," I say, "we don't really have any choice except to trust you, do we? Well... to trust each other. We've all got one hell of a secret, and that means we're in this together."
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Sep 24, 2016 07:25
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James Morganson FP 4/4 “Are you alright Sam?” I’m to distracted by the slip-up in front of me to notice Stefans disappearance but I hear the reactions from everyone else. I am fully there for his reappearance though. “After-school huh? Well we are all in the same class so that’s easy enough to arrange.”
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Sep 24, 2016 09:05
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Sam Whittaker FP: 4, Boost: Quick To Deny, Moderate Consequence: Awkward Tension "What? Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be fine?" Come on, I just tripped. It's not like I split my head open or anything. I just need to dust myself off and... Huh. Stefan just kind of popped back into existence. That's weird, even for me. "I'm probably not doing anything after school, so... sure?"
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Sep 25, 2016 02:38
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Christie Fairchild FP: 4 Hearing Stefan stutter, I can't help but feel a little bad as if we were putting him on the spot. Sheepishly, I clap him on the shoulder with a warm grin. "Don't worry, we're with you, to...whatever you want to show us after school."
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Sep 25, 2016 03:05
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Honey Bee Campus, Third Period With this fiasco out of the way, you manage to wrap things up just as the bell for third period begins. That would be...Biology. It's apparently using a classroom originally used for general 'science' classes, which is visible by the in-room sink and the counters for placing various apparatuses. Either way, you and your classmates pile in and pair off into groups of three per table. Sabrina has notably chosen the furthest possible position from Sam, and Flynn has chosen a spot in a back corner so that he can continue fiddling with his phone. A few minutes later, your teacher arrives.  "Hello class. I am Doctor William Cleaver, and I'll be your instructor this semester in the field of Biology. I'm going to make one thing very clear: I love teaching, I love science, and I love the scientific method as it pertains to performing a lab experiment. Unfortunately, due to complaints about sensitive material and 'psychiatric risks' involved in performing dissections, cross-sections and other such experiments, the likes of which which have zero scientific evidence backing said claims, there will be no lab experiments, no live or dead complex organism specimens to examine, nor anything more than microscope slides of single-celled organisms in this curriculum. Not officially, anyway."  "However, I believe that you all deserve a proper education and an opportunity to explore the depths of anatomy and physiology to learn as much as you can from it, regardless of what the soccer moms in the school board of directors think. To that end, I have taken both time and money out to prepare the lab experiments you should be able to perform and rented out this room for optional after-school biology workshops. Each one you attend will be worth one point towards your next exam grade. Considering we'll be meeting twice a week, that's an opportunity for up to 6 points added to your score before you even pick up your pencils. Speaking of which, it's time for you to do just that as we begin discussing chapter one: the basic building blocks of life." The lecture goes on, with Dr Cleaver giving a spirited explanation of evolution, single-celled organisms, and how each component of said organisms were an evolutionary adaptation that eventually lead all the way up the ladder to human beings. There's a short section where, to show off the basics of cell reproduction, while lacking in the actual microscope specimens at the moment, he produces home-made footage of the process at his own personal lab, which looks like something out of a sci-fi film. There's a bit of whispered gossip, though, as when his past self is introducing himself and what they'll be seeing, there's a few visible drops of blood on his labcoat, as well as a similar stain on a scalpel in the background. Other than that, however, the presentation goes off without incident, and he completes his lecture with a minute left before the bell, letting you loose early. Fourth period, Geology, is rather tame by comparison, and blows over mercifully quickly. The final bell rings, and the rush of students running out is staggering. Obviously, those from Norton intend to catch the train back home, and interested kids from Honey Bee want to abuse the free train ride system to check out the big city. You manage to escape the crossfire without any losses, at least, although the question remains of what to do now that school is over.
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Sep 25, 2016 05:44
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Christie Fairchild FP: 4/4 As usual, I sat up at the front for third (and fourth) period. So Dr. Cleaver was our Biology teacher, huh? Made sense. His opening statements about no lab experiments had me disappointed at first, up until he mentioned the after-school workshops. Not only were we being given the opportunity for a more hands-on experience, but there was even extra credit being thrown in? Frankly, I couldn't see a reason to not go... except for the fact that today, I had promised Stefan I would go with him someplace after school. Well, I wasn't certain how long Stefan's meetup would take. Maybe there was time to do both? But I didn't want for us to miss the last train home. What to do, what to do... By the time Biology was over, the only thing I could think of was asking Stefan to wait until after the lab ended before going. But wasn't that rather rude on my end? Especially after telling him that "we're with you." Yet what else could I do? Feeling more than a little guilty, I found and spoke to Stefan before we left for fourth period. "Hey, Stefan? I, um, know that I said I'd follow you after school, but I really don't want to miss out on Dr. Cleaver's labs, so... would you mind not leaving until after it's over? You don't have to if you don't want to, of course! I'd totally understand." Asking made me feel even worse, but I was the jerk here for pretty much immediately backpedaling on what I had just promised, so I didn't exactly feel sorry for myself. Hopefully he wouldn't take it too badly...?
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Sep 26, 2016 04:15
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Sam Whittaker FP: 4, Boost: Quick To Deny, Moderate Consequence: Awkward Tension Wow. This guy is a piece of work. I wonder if he actually has a doctorate or just calls himself that? He seems like the type. Then again, if he was going to give himself a fake title he'd also give himself a better last name than Cleaver. Unless he wants to look like a serial killer? It'd explain why he hasn't cleaned off that blood. I wonder if he had to get these home movies approved by the faculty... --- "You're attending Cleaver's extra credit class? Huh. I might join you, if you're going to get Stefan to wait for you anyway. It'll help me avoid-" don't mention that don't mention that don't mention that "It'll let me kill some time, if we're waiting anyway."
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Sep 26, 2016 05:28
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FP: 4/4 "Well... I was thinking I might head there, too. I'll probably need the extra credit, and the more, the merrier, right?" That's only about half the story, I'll admit. The other half is that there's something strange about Dr. Cleaver, something the others have also caught on to -- not just the serial-killer-ness, but something else, some kind of odd feeling I can't quite articulate. I don't think he's actively one of us, or shares my Arcana, but he's closer than I feel comfortable with. The only way I'll figure this out is to get closer, and besides, if more than one of us are there, that's safer if something does happen, right?
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Sep 26, 2016 05:55
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FP4/4 You know...I actually like this Dr. Cleaver fellow. I don't think I can explain why, but seeing the cells and life and stuff is calming somehow. The rumors that his coat is bloodstained don't bother me--it's an old film and the colors are washed out, it's probably coffee or something. ---- When we finally get the chance to link up in front of the school stairwell, Christie, Sam and Laurel all say they want to see Dr. Cleaver's dissection. And I have to be honest, I'm also intrigued. And the Velvet Room advertised itself as a nightclub--it'll stay open late, right? "Uh, sure, if you want to we can see the lab. But after that I really, really want to show you all something. So, uh, what's the nightlife been like in Honey Bee?"
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Sep 26, 2016 06:42
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James Morganson FP 4/4 The biology teacher is a bit strange but compared to everything else that’s happened today, something that’s only a bit strange is down right normal. Plus, the idea of these labs sound interesting; one of the things that has always kept dad off my back is my relatively good grades. I’ve got a feeling that things are about to get hectic, so the chance to secure a few points and keep my grade up is something I can’t pass up. It seems other people are agreeing about attending the labs, if for different reasons. I’m surprised when Stefan asks about the nightlife; I didn’t think that was the sort of thing city kids would be interested in. “Oh there's loads about if you’re quiet and know where to look. Bats, Owls, Foxes, a couple Badger families clustered here and there, Hedgehogs, loads of insect species milling about. Hey, if you’re really interested, I could show you, and anyone else who wants to come, a couple of good places! We could make a day of it. Night of it, I mean.” I manage to slow myself down before I start listing every nocturnal animal it’s possible to find close to town. But I’m still pretty excited; I was worried the only thing I was going to have in common with everyone else was this Persona business!
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Sep 26, 2016 09:03
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 Viola is sitting right in front during class, eager to soak up knowledge and hear about new things. Until Dr. Cleaver shows up and starts talking about cutting up dead animals, at which point she suddenly looks very pale, regretting her choice of seating right in the front. There's some relief when she hears it's voluntary but it only lasts until he puts on his home-video, at which point she goes right back to wide-eyed horror. As a result she only barely listens to his lecture about evolution and stuff and is glad when the class finally lets out. The Persona Crew seems to be gathering in the hall and she makes her way over, ready to share her feelings about this Dr. Cleaver when everyone seems to be talking about joining him for his extra-credit cabinet of horrors. "That sounds much nicer than... than cutting them open. Why'd you wanna see something from the inside if you can go look at them out in the wild where they belong? Are you guys really all going to stab dead animals with knives?"
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Sep 26, 2016 15:49
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[Monday, After School] Everyone (Except Viola) About half an hour after school lets out, Dr Cleaver unlocks the door to the classroom. On your return, he's got several microscopes set up, chained together by a power strip which itself is plugged into the wall outlets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FMbSaU06LM Dr Cleaver smiles when he sees the influx of students. The final count is...six, not counting himself. The five of you, and...it seems Sabrina is sticking around as well. He gives it about five minutes before shutting the door and approaching the desk again. "When I rented out these optical microscopes, I knew I was taking a significant hit. After all, with how students can be today, there was definitely a chance that no one would arrive, everyone either too busy with their own lives, squeamish, or, for lack of a better word, lazy, to take the initiative on their education. The fact that more than one person has shown up gives me a bit of hope for this generation. But enough sentimental talk, you came here to explore living organisms. Today, in line with the lecture, I've brought live specimens of every class of unicellular organism. Bacteria, Archaea, Protozoa, Algae and Fungi. They are already set up on the objective of each microscope station. All you need to do today is focus the image and observe." He then motions towards a snow-globe-sized cube on his desk, covered by a cloth. "I've also got a special sample to reveal once you've all gotten your fill of viewing microscopic life forms and their anatomy in motion. If you have any questions on how to operate the microscope or the contents of today's lecture, go right ahead. I'll be right here, going over some of the observations made from my home lab experiments. By all means, don't be afraid to ask questions." With that, he seats himself at his desk and begins producing files from a manilla envelope, attaching them to a clipboard and going over them, while taking a glance over at your progress every so often. Sabrina is a bit apprehensive about approaching the microscopes, but eventually does so once she can occupy one of the ones at the end of the row. Viola Opting out of spending time with Dr Cleaver, you have the time period to do an alternative activity. The city is your oyster. You could take a closer look at some of the buildings around the school, try to find Flynn, attempt to pet one of the wandering animals...Needless to say, there are many options available.
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Sep 26, 2016 19:29
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Sam Whittaker FP: 4, Boost: Quick To Deny, Moderate Consequence: Awkward Tension One reason. I had one reason to go here instead of literally anywhere else. And that doesn't matter, because Sabrina came here anyway. That's great. That is just- "Hey, Christie. Chris. Buddy. Let's talk." I slip behind him and put my hand on his shoulder, leaning in close so I'm (hopefully) not overheard. "It is entirely your fault that I'm here, you understand. That means that it will be entirely your fault if I have an incredibly awkward conversation." My fingernails dig into his shirt. "And trust me. I will blame you. Don't think I won't." And then my hand's off and I'm stepping back and I'm back to vague smiles and not really caring. "Anyway, I'm going to grab a microscope. Have fun." (I'm still not taking a seat close to Sabrina, though.)
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Sep 27, 2016 04:50
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FP: 4/4 Okay, so: take a look at the organisms and observe. That's not that hard, is it? I last used a microscope around... seventh grade or so, but it can't be all that hard to use, as long as I'm slow and careful with it. Little wheels and glass, you know? I grab a notebook for my bag and head for the microscope on the far left, figuring I'll work across the line as I go. Sketches can't possibly hurt, either. I'm not sure I have the vocabulary to add notes, but I do have some lecture notes to go off of, at least.
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Sep 27, 2016 05:16
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Christie Fairchild FP: 4/4 "Huh? Wait, Sam-" Before I had time to respond, Sam lets go of me and walks away. My fault? I glance over at Sabrina, off on her lonesome at the end. I guess I could understand why Sam would want to keep her distance after what happened, but... what was I supposed to do here? It's not like I knew her very well. Yet somehow, I got the sense that I really, really didn't want to let those two speak, for everyone's sake. Oh well, nothing to do but get to it. Having absolutely no idea what Sam expected of me, I take up a microscope beside Sabrina and say, "Hey, Sabrina, was it? Do you mind if I work here?"
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Sep 27, 2016 05:34
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FP4/4 "Thanks...I think?" I nod and set my bag down at one of the microscopes closest to the doctor's desk. I don't get why everybody's talking about bloodstains on his labcoat--I've been in enough hospitals to know what blood looks (and smells!) like, and that is not blood. More likely it's tea or coffee stains. I can't quite remember--how long did Dr. Cleaver say these things live again? Will they see the world change more than-- Eeeee, bad thoughts, think of something else! "So, uh, Dr. Cleaver, do you drink a lot of coffee on the job?" I blurt out.
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Sep 27, 2016 06:53
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James Morganson “Oh, er, how do I… Oh, never mind! Never mind I figured it out!” I say out loud to no one in particular. I was sort of worried I would be the only person in class that needed help with the microscope but after a few experimental wiggles everything sorted itself out. It was a serene experience looking down through the lenses, seeing the building blocks of well… everything. It was so intriguing I had to ask. "Dr. Cleaver, how much is it to rent or buy a microscope like this?" I ask, not bringing my eyes up from the Archaea specimen I had been observing, only to hear Stefan say something about coffee. "Coffee? Who's drinking Coffee in a lab? Is that even allowed?"
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Sep 27, 2016 11:47
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With everybody of her new friends off to hopefully not get sliced up themselves Viola heads off into town on her own. With nowhere in particular to be she takes her time to just kind of wander around and explore the little town around the school. She's got a vague idea that the shops she's seen are expecting something in exchange for what they're displaying in t he windows, even if she's not entirely certain what money is or why they want it. All she knows is she doesn't have it, but that's alright, she's happy just looking around for now to see what the town has to offer.
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Sep 27, 2016 15:49
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Biology Lab Dr Cleaver looks over at Stefan from his notes with a quizzical expression. "Coffee? I haven't had caffeine since I was a child. Not to mention I can't afford to risk damaging my equipment with a scalding-hot acid. Or any liquid, for that matter. Why do you ask?" He looks over at you for a moment and begins going back over his notes. Only a few seconds later, however, does he visibly twitch, look over at Stefan again, and then he forms a smile.  "Oh, I see what this is about. This is about the footage, isn't it? No, don't answer, I can see it on your face. Don't worry, I'm not mad. Yes, that is a bloodstain. More accurately, a viscera stain. A strange epidemic of 'exploding' toads was afoot in Germany when I was still earning my PhD, and I was doing my own contributions to the research. One of them indeed exploded, and I couldn't quite get that last bit of frog lung off my coat. Does that answer your question?" Meanwhile, Sabrina looks up, sees that it's just someone else, and adjusts her glasses with a small smile.  "Oh! Um, sure. You're Christie, right? The All-Smiles one? Sorry, it's all I really know you from...So! Um...A lot more people here than expected, huh? I wasn't really thinking there'd be...other people from Norton campus here. I don't really have anything better to do right now, so I stuck around. Plus I thought everyone else would've left on the train..." The Streets You keep stumbling along, looking for things of interest, when you notice, near the supermarket, a single little stone building located on the very edge of the big open space in front of it. The space covered in cars. Anyway, the location, near as you can tell, is pretty old, and boasts the name "Lucky 777" on top of it. Inside... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIoaQcx1haI Is a place with several machines on the walls, with card-based decorations and weird drawings of fruit. They have a slot for inserting coins, and seem to require one "dollar" in coins to operate. There's a single person behind an glass window with a small slot near the bottom of it. He appears to be in the middle of eating a donut when he notices you. He drops it soon after.  "Oh, uh, hey there. You lost? This is the Lucky 7. A gambling hall. Then again, if you're going around dressed like that you've probably got money to burn. So, what can I do for you?"
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Sep 27, 2016 19:22
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The place looks exciting and interesting, not to say that Viola immediately loves the decor, even if it might be a bit garish. She wanders around, gawking at all the flashing lights and bright colors until the man in the glass box speaks up. "Ooh, I like it! Lucky Seven, you say? That's a good name! I'm afraid I don't have any money and even then burning it seems like it might be dangerous... Oh! Oh you mean for the machines? Is that how you make them go? That's too bad, because it seems like they're fun... Say, how does one go about acquiring a 'dollar'?"
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Sep 27, 2016 19:41
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The Lucky 7 He gives you a very unsure look. "You're serious? You've never heard of a slot machine before?" Quizzical, he away from the booth and into a door that...appears to, from the other end, just be wall with a barely-visible handle sticking out for the other end of the door. He approaches you with a roll of what look to be fanciful steel tokens. He inserts one into the machine. "You insert these into the machine. The more you put in, the higher your chance of winning. Until you put five in anyway." When he pulls the lever, the wheel-like things on the front start spinning rapidly! They continue for about five seconds, before they, in sequence, come to a sudden stop. In the middle, you see a cherry, a [BAR], and a lemon. It makes some kind of celebratory noise, and spits out two tokens. "Oh, hey, you won a dollar." He hands you the singular token. "Anyway, you just keep doing this until you think you've won enough and want to stop. Or until you run out of these. Whichever comes first. So...uh...I guess here you go. Your one free game on me I guess. My shift's almost up, anyway." He goes back through his wall door into the booth and simply resumes his lunch, assuming you'll squander your token and lose it immediately, lose interest, and leave.
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Sep 27, 2016 19:58
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James Morganson I know I shouldn’t but I have to. I’m just too morbidly fascinated by the various implications to even consider letting the questions go unasked. So I plough right ahead and drat the consequences. “Dr Cleaver. What on earth can cause an epidemic of Toad explosions? And if it was so long ago, why didn’t you get a new jacket after this one got so badly stained?”
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Sep 27, 2016 20:04
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Viola looks at the spinning wheels on the slot machine, almost entranced by it until the machines congratulatory noise shakes her out of it just in time to notice the meager winnings clatter into the tray. "Ooh, a Dollar! That means I can play some more, yes?" she asks, grabbing the token and turning it over in her hands as if she was inspecting some kind of curious artifact. By the time she looks back up the man has already wandered off back into his glass cage. He must be so excited to be working in a fascinating place such as this all day, even if he doesn't show it. She shrugs and flicks her token into the air with her thumb, laughing when it makes an amusing sound before snatching it out of the air. "This place is fun!" she decides and puts her singular token into the machine to make it spin and make noise again.
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Sep 27, 2016 20:06
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The Lucky 7 To the proprietor's surprise, you manage to keep regaining your one token. Despite the machines' (multiple, as you obviously get started spinning all of them at once) best efforts to remove any winnings from you after the inevitable small (and single large) shower of coins, you continue playing around with the machines and watching the reels for about an hour. Eventually, however, something vibrates in the proprietor's pockets, and he pulls out his phone. He looks at it, looks back over at you, then, from within the glass box, speaks up again. "...Hey, uh, you really like those things, huh? Well, sorry to say, but my shift here's up. I gotta leave for one of my other jobs. Someone wants a snow-cone. If you're gonna turn your tokens back into money, you gotta do that right now. I mean, you could keep playing, but all you'll get are tokens. But considering you threw the hundred-buck winnings back into the machine...Why are you here? Just for kicks or something?"
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Sep 27, 2016 20:38
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"Oh, I'm just waiting for my friends to finish dissecting frogs and this is fun! And I dunno what to do with these Dollars anyway. Isn't that why you're here? For the lights and the sounds? And also, what is a snow-cone and why do you have to bring someone one? Are they too hot and need to cool off? If so that's a very nice thing to do!"
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Sep 27, 2016 20:48
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Christie Fairchild FP: 4/4 (+1) All-Smiles one...? I mean, I smiled a lot, sure, but having that be used as part of my identity was something new. Well, no reason to be offended, I suppose, since she meant it as a compliment. I think? It was a little hard to tell, honestly. On the other side of the lab, I overhear the others as they start to talk about... "exploding toads?" Huh? I must have been mishearing them at this distance, because that sounded absolutely ridiculous. But I had to admit, I was awfully curious- no, no, had to focus. Came here to learn, after all, even if Sam also wanted me to keep Sabrina busy. I look through the microscope, occasionally drawing back to take notes, only partially taking in what Sabrina is saying. Something about... more people than she expected? She wasn't wrong there; most people wouldn't bother coming to something like this. Heck, if it wasn't for our meetup being delayed until later, I wasn't even sure how many of us would have shown up. That thought standing out to me as my mind was more intently concentrating on the lab, I offhandedly say without really thinking about it, "Well, I would have headed home with them, if it wasn't for this lab and the fact we're all meeting up with Stefan after this... not that I'm exactly sure where he plans on taking us." Compel: Single-Minded Diligence to put a(nother) foot in my mouth while focusing on the microscope.
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Sep 28, 2016 02:43
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FP4/4 Oh crap, I shouldn't have said that out loud. At least he seems...bemused? I guess if people suggested I was killing people I'd be a little more put out. Uh, change the subject fast, Stefan! "Sounds...interesting. Is that kind of problem normal for you to take on, or do you usually have more...uh...sedate organisms to consider?"
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Sep 28, 2016 03:34
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FP: 4/4 I glance up from my fungus-sketching when the topic changes to exploding frogs. "Strange things happen sometimes. My dad used to bring home some weird stuff from work... uh, parks system. Stuff he'd find floating in the fountains. My brother Hunter used to collect roadkill stuff, wire up the skeletons, and some of them really didn't look like skeletons should look, you know?" I decide not to mention the part where Hunter got bored with it, gave all of his "models" but one to the thrift shop, and got into rock-tumbling instead. Or the fact that most of those "models" sold.
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Sep 28, 2016 04:30
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Sam Whittaker FP: 4, Boost: Quick To Deny, Moderate Consequence: Awkward Tension Doctor Cleaver is... Well, he's something. Maybe a mad scientist? He's the got the secret lab and mysterious stains for it. And the badly-explained past that could be made up entirely. But hey, if he's going to be some smug weirdo, that's no skin off my back. I just have him for one class and once this extra credit assignment's done I'm never going to have to see him more than that. All I need to do is keep staring through this microscope and... Did... Did Christie just say what I think he said? Because I'm pretty sure he just... ... Christie, you had one job. You had one single job and you hosed it up. And now I'm going to have to- No. Let's see how Sabrina reacts first. Then I can give him one shot. One single change to salvage this. Then we'll see if I have to bring this around, whether I want to or not. You better salvage this, Christie. For your sake.
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Sep 28, 2016 04:56
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Suspicious Lab https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UECPoxn_oe8 Hearing the new question, Dr Cleaver regains his more legitimate smile. "Morganson, right? To answer your question, the answer is an overpopulation problem. Too many toads propogating causing toads to end up underdeveloped in certain ways, and their natural predators circling around their habitat more often. The cause of the 'explosion'? A punctured lung. You see, a toad doesn't quite operate the same way we do. When a a lung is punctured by, say, a hawk, that air has to go somewhere. And as it turns out, a toad can build up enough pressure through it's labored breathing to cause it to simply burst open! Of course, at the time we had no idea, but when my test frog had decided to try eating one of my small needles, it went down the wrong pipe. Soon after, I got my needle back. And a whole lot more." He laughs a little. "As for why I didn't replace the labcoat? I'd kept telling myself 'today's the day I'm going to tape my teaching curriculum' and then choosing to wait until tomorrow. Not this time. You see, I originally wanted to try distance learning/online teaching, so making prerecorded lectures seemed like a good way to not only have a backlog of content, but the ability to potentially put it up for everyone to take advantage of. Unfortunately, putting them up live on social media voided my right to use them for virtual classrooms, due to their insistence on using a proprietary video-recording system. Why they insist on a screen capture software instead of uploading whatever compatible file format you can put it in is beyond me. Speaking of proprietary items, I never did answer your other question. I dropped about a thousand dollars to rent these microscopes for a year. Buying them would have cost about four thousand. Precision instruments are quite valuable, after all." "...Back to you, Stefan. Live and dead subjects are a common feature in my labs. None of them are, have been, or ever will be human. You're not the first to make that implication, or rather, you're not so much making that assertion, but it's the kind of question that leads to these kinds of rumors floating around. Rumors I know all too well. But that's a lecture for another day. If we can all agree to that, I think I can pass out the sign-in sheet and note down your efforts for the grade books now." ----------------------------------------------------  Sabrina, meanwhile, is a bit surprised at how forthcoming Christie is with this information. "O-oh. Well that sounds interesting. A secret meeting right before dark? Could be really cool! But I mean...I don't know if you'd really want me around for that, considering how much of a hurry some of you seemed to be to get me out of whatever was going on earlier. I'd probably just get in the way again..." Compelling Awkward Tension. You can't just sit and listen in on this, Sam. You've got to get rid of this nagging feeling and let out an opinion on this turn of events. Unknown Quantity fucked around with this message at 05:42 on Sep 28, 2016 |
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Sep 28, 2016 05:35
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James Morganson Hmm, four thousand dollars for a microscope all my own? Well, it’s a bit outside of my monthly budget but I bet I could convince Dad with the whole schoolwork angle. I’m really glad I decided to come today; the subject is so interesting and while he’s a bit unorthodox Dr. Cleaver really brings it… alive for lack of a better word. It’s a shame he already has a full time job because he would be a lot better then some of the other, stuffier private tutors I’ve had over the years. Then again, a tutor just for biology seems a bit much, even if the subject is so interesting. I keep tooling around, looking at the various subjects that have been put up and waiting for Dr. Cleaver to move on with the "special sample" when I hear Christie open his mouth to Sabrina. My god, I don’t want to be mean to either of them but is he the Viola of Norton? I notice the look Sam is giving him and slowly sidle closer. I'm not quite sure what I plan to do but Sam looks like she's going to kill Christie, who doesn't look any the wiser. Oh I hope we don't end up kicked out over this.
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Sep 28, 2016 20:15
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Sam Whittaker FP: 5, Boost: Quick To Deny, Moderate Consequence: Awkward Tension Taking that compel. I'm not going to say anything. I'm not going to say anything. I'm not going to- "Hey! It's not that big a deal." drat it. But I already started talking, so I guess all I can do now is lean around Christie and keep talking. You know, to be polite. "You weren't in the way, it was just a private conversation and... Okay, that implies you were in the way but... Whatever. Just pretend I said something nice here." Do I look annoyed? Because I think I look annoyed. And am annoyed. Not at her, necessarily. Just, you know. In general.
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Sep 28, 2016 22:50
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FP4/4 "T...that's not what I meant at all!" I say, crossing my forearms in an "X", chuckling nervously. "I've seen lots of guys with stained white coats, and they were the complete opposite of killers!" You are seriously off your game, Stefan; way more than usual. I should've asked Igor if being marked by death came with any psychological changes. Quick, think of something else to say! "Heh, if your lab coat is kind of a souvenir, does that mean that thing under the sheet there is an exploded frog?"
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Sep 29, 2016 02:08
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Completely Normal Lab "No, but it is something that explodes as part of its natural life cycle. Thanks for reminding me." He goes back to his desk and produces another clipboard with a set of lines for you to write your names and ID numbers on, and then lifts the sheet from the cube. It is..what appears to be a miniature aquarium, with several green grape-sized objects on the bed of it.  "Valonia Ventricosa. Also known as bubble algae. One of the largest single-celled organisms in existence, and menace to aquarium-owners who unknowingly bring it in along with samples of actual ocean rocks. It's difficult to get rid of, as simply popping it allows it to spread further. Moreover, it carries a curious quality: the surface, relative to the seawater around it, has an unusual capacity for carrying and diffusing an electric charge. I find it fascinating. You're welcome to continue your observations until you feel it's time to leave. Either way, this was a good first session. I hope to see you around here again at this hour." *?!*  A familiar (or unfamiliar) ringing begins as you mentally envision a card. It begins speaking to you. "I am Thou. Thou art I. Thou hast established a new link with the Emperor Arcana. When thine fates are marked by the Emperor, thou shalt receive our blessing." Those of you who attended feel somewhat closer to Dr Cleaver now. ----------------------------------------------------- "Really? There wasn't a problem after all? Okay! So can I come along? I don't really have anywhere else to be right now." She's got a nervous but relieved laugh following that. "That is, if you all want, anyway. I'm not going to impose or anything. That'd be...well I'm not really good at that sort of thing." ---------------------------------------------------- The Lucky 7  He chuckles as he starts stepping out. "You legitimately don't know anything, do you? Did you fly in from a developing country or something? Don't answer that. As for why I'm here, I run this and several other places so I can make money off of whatever people buy, whether it's tokens, snow-cones, guns, whatever. People generally need money to live, and a lot more to keep what they've already got. Like these businesses I'm running. Speaking of business, running four things and running back and forth between them's a little tiring. I don't suppose you're interested in working part-time? Watching one of the places I work at for me while I'm gone. There's pay in it for ya."
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Sep 29, 2016 05:41
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"Why does everybody keep asking me that? Oh, wait, probably cause it's true, huh... So money is what you exchange for stuff? Like these tokens? And whatever snow-cones are?" she nods thoughtfully. "And you want to give me money for sitting in that booth, spending time here and meeting people as they come in? That sounds great! Then I can use money to find out what all this stuff is people exchange for it. Win-win!"
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Sep 29, 2016 05:52
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The Lucky 7 "Good answer. I'll discuss hours and pay with you tomorrow. If I'm not here when you stop by, just wait. I'll be there shortly. Oh, and I guess if I'm gonna employ you I should introduce myself. Name's Guy, and you're the first interesting person I've met in quite a while. Looking forward to doing business with you." *?!*  A familiar ringing begins as you mentally envision a card. It begins speaking to you. "I am Thou. Thou art I. Thou hast established a new link with the Fortune Arcana. When thine fates are marked by the Wheel of Fortune, thou shalt receive our blessing." When you return to seeing normal things, he's stepped out of the place and is stepping into his car, about to take off.
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Sep 29, 2016 06:04
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Christie Fairchild FP: 5/4 I stood there in a daze as an unexpected ringing fills my mind. Emperor Arcana? What did that even mean? I mean, it presumably must have had something to do with these cards we all had. Wait, no, not all of us. As far as we knew, at least, Dr. Cleaver didn't have one, and neither did Sabrina- That's about when I realize exactly what I had just said, in a far too late flash of insight. At least it explained why Sam had suddenly decided to come over and start talking around me. If looks could kill though, I'd be dead ten times over, judging by how annoyed she looked. With good reason, admittedly. So...now what? I couldn't just take back what I said after all. Well, I technically could, but I'd feel terrible for doing so. Yet I got the sense that whatever it was Stefan wanted to show us was something he wanted to keep between us six. What to do, what to do, what to do? Trying to mask the fact that I had no idea what to do, I throw out, "Well, um, I don't know about imposing exactly, but honestly it's probably not going to be that interesting. It, it's pretty quiet out here compared to Norton, you know? We asked James about the nightlife here, and the first thing he thought of was actual nightlife! Like insects and bats and all that. I mean, if that still sounds fun to you..." Yeah, I seriously had no idea where to go from there with that tangent. I awkwardly turn and smile at Sam, shooting her my best non-verbal expression of "Sorry I'm an idiot but please help me here." TheFireMagi fucked around with this message at 05:15 on Sep 30, 2016 |
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Sep 29, 2016 20:54
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James Morganson Alright, Biology is officially the best class and Biology workshops are the best way to spend an afternoon. The “Bubble Algae” is just to cool to leave unharassed and only the creepy “Thou art I” speech brings me out of my observation. If Flynn was the Devil at the time, then Dr. Cleaver must be the Emperor. I look quickly around the room and see that most of the other members of the group also heard the voice. The only two that don’t appear to have noticed are Christie, who looks like a deer caught in headlights and Sam, who looks ready to seriously harm him. That is an improvement over how she was looking at Christie earlier though. And then he name drops me and I start sidling further away from the trio. I don’t mean to be cruel Christie, but I already tried dealing with Sabrina and it didn’t work out so well. I don’t like the odd’s of us getting outing of this situation without severely insulting Sabrina and I spare a look to Stefan and Laurel to see if they might have any ideas.
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Sep 29, 2016 23:51
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| # ? Apr 28, 2024 09:57 |
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FP: 4/4 I've been distracted by the bubble algae -- it's pretty, and it's weird, and also it seems to be what flipped the switch in my (our?) understanding, so that's worth a look -- but I overhear the semi-frantic conversation and step towards the others. This Sabrina girl's from Norton, isn't she? Maybe that's a way to dissuade her. "Well, I mean... don't you have to catch the train? Won't your folks worry if you're not back?" She seems like the kind of kid who'd have folks who'd worry. That might work.
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Sep 30, 2016 04:39
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