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Current I don't have a bio. I am also not included in anyone's bio. That I know of. *shrugs*
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8 yrs ago
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Thankfully Mila and the brute's attacks had succeeded, as the majority made it past with no extra damage upon them. What on earth had that attack been on Barney. Mila's mind was muddled with even more confusion but it didn't seem as if they'd have time to think on it. The longer they dallied the more likely another one of those things would come, so she ran. Mila ran like her life depended on it. Because it did. Never before had she run so much but this situation was different from most.

The next few moments seemed to blur together as she felt her legs being to burn, and her lungs felt like they may burst. When the enemies back-up had appeared and everyone scattered, Mila had simply picked a figure to race behind. To concerned with getting away she hadn't really noticed how split up the group had become. When the figure she had been following came to a stop and hid, Mila quickly hid herself as well. She avoided placing herself somewhere similar as him. Stop and go became a pattern for this group of runners and during the stops, Mila took her time to look around as well. She noticed a bit further ahead was Barney. At least she and the other guy weren't completely alone but she found it disheartening to not see the others.

Mila hoped that everyone was safe, including that woman who'd given the opportunity. Part of Mila wanted to help these people, but were they even real? Judge Pondwater looked somewhat like the real deal, but the guards certainly couldn't be called normal beings. These thoughts would soon be pushed down as the other two began moving again. Eventually, this loop ended and the three broke away towards a grand cathedral. A brief chill went up her spine but this place couldn't be as bad as the courthouse. Right?

Those answers would have to come later as behind them the loud sound signaled the searchlight's reawakening. Mila picked up the pace to join the other two when Barney began banging on the door. Worriedly looking from the beacon to Barney, Mila felt the need to continue running again only for the sound of the latch to freeze her in place. Mila quickly followed the other two inside, and despite still being stuck in this strange dreamlike world, she felt a little more at ease at least. With that came the drop in adrenaline flow and the reemergence of both old and new pain. Her legs which had been protesting the flight finally gave way forcing Mila to lean against a wall to avoid falling over.

She then clutched her arm as it felt like her forearm was on fire. There was a massive red welt on her arm and she quickly remembered the moments before the run had started. Mila was the slowest to start the getaway and her prize for the slow start was a strike from one of the wardens. The aforementioned adrenaline merely hid the pain, but now it was at the forefront of her attention. The young woman didn't even bother to look at their new surroundings but when the three were approached by the 'priest' Mila did her best to focus. If he ended up being just as dangerous as Judgewater then they'd have to be ready to run again.

Then came the mic drop. Two things that stunned Mila severely. There were two Barney's? How does that even make sense? Yes, twins are a thing, but judging from the look of the non saintly one, that's not what was happening here. The guy also had those similar yellow eyes along with freakishly cartoonish attire. The other thing that stunned her was what he said. All bondage? One look outside this door was enough to prove that a lie. Then, in his oh so selfless way, Saint Barney basically told them to heap praise and thanks on him. If he was truly selfless he wouldn't even want praise. Mila's head was spinning with questions and confusion looking between the two Barney's. She had no idea what any of this meant. Was he the same as this guy? Were Judgewater and the real Pondwater the same person? She doubted the real Pondwater sent actual people to kill his own students. But in all her confusion Mila knew one thing. They still weren't in the clear. Until they were out of this place, whatever it may be, they weren't going to find anywhere safe.

Who was she kidding though. Maybe the 'real' world wasn't safe either anymore. The lot of them had simply fallen to end up here. None of it made sense. But maybe it would if they could get out. "Yeah, sure, thanks for opening the door. It's not praiseworthy though. Maybe if you could help us get home, that'd be praiseworthy."




This whole experience was surreal. The speech by Judge-Pondwater nearly caused her to want to yell at him. Winners, losers, worthy, unworthy, innocent, and ... guilty. She began breathing a little irregularly. The last time she was in a courthouse, that was the word uttered that finally sent her down her path. She wanted to scream. She wanted to yell, but what good would that do? Even if this man didn't get angry by the outburst it likely wouldn't help their situation. The same thoughts must've been there, but maybe a little different, in her companions. As one of them had a full outburst, the others had more subtle words to express.

However, it seemed Pondwater was most interested in the quiet response from the girl who seemed close to Mila's age. He soon used the triggering word again but Mila bit her tongue to avoid drawing attention to herself. When a guard was summoned to roughly grab regretted not saying anything but they were walking a fine line at this point. What was the snapping point? That answer would seemingly soon be answered as one of the guys added another tirade to the number. Mila felt a chill run up her spine at Pondwater's response which was soon followed by his gavel slamming upon the ground. The action caused her to jump letting out a slight yelp. Had they just gotten to the point which this judge would sentence them?

Her thought was soon confirmed but not in the way Mila expected. They were going to have to fight the guards who brought them here? How would that be even possible? They seemed to have inhuman levels of strength. Guaranteed, many things here seemed inhuman. She did have to admit that there was some desire to hurt them back just as they'd done to her. There were many times she'd wish to have the capability to lash out at the prison guards, but both then and now, there was no way it was possible. She was a tad stronger than her frame would lead to believe, but that didn't mean she'd stand a chance in a head-on fight. The situation soon got worse as the guards shed their facade revealing their 'true' forms.

The young woman watched on in horror as the creatures twisted and contorted into their disgusting forms. It was over. These things weren't human. They weren't even the animals they vaguely resembled. The beings were monsters. What chance did a small group of humans stand against monsters? But suddenly, something unexpected happened. Pondwater began acting as if in pain. Not long after their likely savior appeared. Mila was stunned. Who was this woman? Mila felt like she was supposed to recognize her but what was most striking was how she was dealing with the monsters. The woman told them to run, and that jogged Mila to quickly gather herself. Looking at the others she saw that they weren't in much of a state to run. The obvious issue was the brute on his back. Then there was some of their number fascinated by the battle. Worse was that, no matter how skilled, that woman wasn't going to be capable of handling all of them.

She didn't have anything that could be useful in a fight. Nothing around them would be all that helpful either. But soon she realized that maybe her jacket was useful. It was quality material and sturdy. She hated the idea of ruining her family's gift but dying here would be worse. As everyone prepared to run, Mila pulled off her jacket and began running towards one of the flamingo creatures blocking their way. She saw the brute launching himself off the phone guy to attack one of the Shaxes. Mila took his lead lurching towards the second, swinging her jacket to block the vision of the creature and hit it at the same time. She heard a slight rip as she blocked its path, following that up with a kick to try and topple it. Without looking, "Hurry!"


Location: Delbrook Festival
Interaction: The Czajkowski's: Scout(@Luft) and Ash(@TGM)
Date: First day of school



Micky let out a nervous chuckle at the notable correlation for his nickname. He had lost count of how many times people had mentioned it but in the long run it didn't bother him all that much. His own name and his enjoyment of old Mickey Mouse cartoons is indeed why he received that nickname. Before he could respond though, another person approached them. She looked somewhat familiar. But he was struggling to place her name. Geez, there were so many people at this school.

But yeah, Micky was in the same boat with wondering how weird this carnival was. He'd heard of schools doing first day events. Even his original high school had a pizza party for the Seniors but the carnival was another thing. "Yeah, a festival is a bit much. But hey, I'm not gonna turn down the fun." As Scout continued speaking, Micky felt he was getting close to remembering where her accent originated from. It did seem like she was avoiding talking with her accent so maybe avoid mentioning it.

At Scout's direction, Micky's attention is also brought to the festival grounds around them. There was certainly plenty to do. "Yeah, no point in letting the fun go ta waste. Have ya figured out if you're gonna join a club, team, or not? I think most of 'em have a booth somewhere." Looking to who he assumed was Ash by the way Scout addressed her, "Y'all seem ta know each other. Any suggestions?"

Once he finished talking, Micky felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Odd, he wasn't use to getting a message in the early morning. Briefly apologizing for the rudeness of the action, Micky checks his phone to see a message from Amanda. He lets out a grunt and chooses to think on his choice for now. The idea of having part in that choice feels a bit off to him. But almost absentmindedly he thinks to ask Scout and Ash what they think. "Do either of y'all like theater? Any plays or musicals you'd be interested in?"
boop




What were all of these people doing here? Had every last one of them followed these strange cracks in the ground? Some of them were easily recognizable, like Barney. Others were a faint memory in the back of her mind, like Harriette. The rest were complete blanks in her mind, like Vincent. Did they all have some connection with one another? Well, besides the fact that they seemed like the only ones who paid any mind towards the warm fissures.

Curiosity got a deeper hold of her, pulling Mila towards the others to ask questions. That was soon not to be as she heard a strange cracking sound. Instinctively she prepared herself to move to possible safety but her attention was drawn to the cracks as they seemed to spread even more. That alone would have changed her course of action, but the odd light emanating from the ground put her in a state of confusion. Soon she felt her head begin to spin. Almost like her world was flipping upside down. Mila started to slump forward as everything went dark.




But in the very next moment, the young woman had fallen flat against the, well, it was the floor. However, something about it was different. The spinning of her head had completely stopped upon colliding with the floor though. When she realized she wasn't alone, Mila quickly got to her feet and observed the surroundings just like her supposed companions. Her mind was in such a tizzy at looking at their surroundings that she couldn't develop a proper thought about what she was seeing. As others panicked and some acted like things were not too out of the ordinary, Mila felt herself losing a grip on empty thoughts. The strange laugh from Harriette broke the young student out of her trance.

Her mind, which tended to lean towards the logical, quickly surmised that nothing she was seeing was fully real. She must be having one of those odd, lucid dreams. That would explain her awareness, along with the awe-inspiring that could only truly exist in the fantastical. But the question then came of the faces she saw. Dreams pulled from what a person has seen, and Mila was fairly certain she didn't recognize some of them. Especially the brute. They were also acting very oddly. Mila never had a lucid dream so maybe that's why the people here were acting somewhat realistic.

Maybe it was a weird part of her psyche trying to let all of her deep-seated emotions express themselves. The next question then was when she fell asleep. Maybe it was really if she had actually woken up. Yes, that had to be it. She was still asleep in that study room. Although the events leading from then to now had been so vivid. Then again, they were just as vivid as the scene around her. If this was a dream though, then why was she filled with so much dread? Pulling out her phone, she looked once again at the text. Oh, yeah. That's right. But wait, that happened just before she went to the dock so it wasn't real right?

But then where would she have gotten the idea that Jeremey and Oscar knew each other? These and many more questions ran through her mind but all would be left unanswered as Mila had to put her arm up to attempt blocking the bright spotlight. It didn't take long before the small group of people to be surrounded. Mila felt like her skin was crawling, both from the odd appearance of the guards and the fact that they were some sort of prison guards. A deep hatred started welling up from remembering those jerks from back then. If this was a dream she could not let herself trust these people. But what could she do about it?

Conditioning kicked in and Mila instantly became frightful but prepared to follow the orders given to them. Hands up, head down, forward march. Despite being certain this was a dream, she refused to cause a stir. Just follow the script, let this weird dream play out an- that hope of following the guard's words was suddenly dashed against the ground as she wasn't reacting quick enough to the guards' standards. One of them shoved her into another of the group sending them to the floor. Seemingly taking this as his clue, the brutish fella rushed forward knocking one of the guards into another and then bolting. Something in her wanted to run as well, but what point would there be in doing that?

Surely that brute wasn't some weird part of her subconscious. Running in this instance would be the worst choice. Especially with that eerie spotlight. Soon though something clicked in her mind. When she got sent to the floor it actually hurt. Studies showed that some people could indeed feel pain when dreaming, but Mila had never been one of them. This slight sting soon though was joined by the feeling that her hair would be ripped from her skull as one of the guards yanked her to her feet. Then came the words of the 'captain'. A mixture of fear and long since buried memories flooded Mila and she started to realize that somehow, someway this was real. Panic set in quickly. She couldn't go back to a place like that. The swift strike of the baton soon quelled her desire to run.

Quickly she yelled, "I'M COMPLIANT!" She then begged for them to stop their assault and stood on her feet ignoring the pain as best she could. After that, Mila followed the orders to a tee and was on cue. The prison guards she knew could be cruel, so keeping a low profile was best. Don't cause a stir. Her mind was running too frantic trying to piece it all together anyway. No time to formulate a plan.

But the scene around them as they walked to this 'courthouse' forced her to look. What was even going on here? It was like some surreal movie they were inside of. Then there were the extravagancies of the courthouse itself. Where on earth were they? The more and more she looked the more nothing really made sense. Then the 'judge' himself finally arrived. Almost like a caricature of the man, Mila vaguely recognized the president of BWU based on the images she remembers seeing. As if that wasn't enough to cause confusion, the man began speaking and his verbiage made almost as little sense as their surroundings.

One thing was for certain, Mila was terrified of this person. She didn't get the vibe that he was some unbiased, yet kindly judge. He reminded her more of those wretches at prison who acted like they owned the place. Acted all kind and understanding but only as long as you told them what they wanted to hear or did as they said. Thankfully, the first two who spoke up were answering this man's questions seriously. Hopefully, it would suffice, as she felt as much in the dark about those questions and wanted to know the answers herself.

Then the man who ran was dragged in. He looked beaten and bruised. Mila would be lying if she said she felt pity. It's common for the many to get punished for the mistakes of the few. Mila had grown a disdain for those who acted without care of consequences to others. She wanted to kick him, but that'd likely fall out of line with what the judge desired of them, and her foot was still in pain. As it seemed the others would be holding the man's attention, for now, Mila silently inched her way towards the ones who hadn't spoken up yet. In a hushed tone, "Is it just me, or does he look eerily like Pondwater?"


Location: Home -> Homeroom -> Shady Space Overlooking Lacrosse Field
Interaction: No One
Date: Whatever day the first day of school is



The final summer of Elysia's life as a high schooler was over. It was time to enter that final stretch. To say that her nerves were killing her would be quite the understatement. So, as per usual, the freshly minted Senior found herself curled up on a recliner with a sketchpad in hand. Furiously she put pencil to paper drawing an image of Juneau laying awkwardly on his back. Waiting for Adelinde to take him on his morning walk. The old 'pup' was letting low moans escaped him as he stared right at Elysia. This had been the typical summer morning routine but with school starting again, the usual would likely shift. "Elysia! Are you ready?"

The young artist hit a nearby bell twice indicating, Yes. "Did you eat breakfast yet?" At this Elysia sat still and then slumped a little in her seat. "I'll take that as a no." That's when Eliza walked in a bagel in hand. "This'll have to do if you don't wanna be late." Elysia then did a quick glance over her things. Pencils, check. Brand new moleskine sketchbook, check. Backpack containing even more supplies of such types, check. Elysia took the bagel and began partaking in her meager breakfast. As they left the house, Elysia subtlety tore the bagel in half and watched as Juneau gleefully took the gift.

The ride over was veritably quiet other than the sounds from outside the car. Eliza was the one to eventually break the silence, "How're you feeling about Senior year?" Elysia looked down to her phone, almost as if ready for the question. Her fingers moved with practiced precision and the phone's speakers piped up, "I think I'm ready. It shouldn't be to different from other years."

Eliza looked at her younger sister out of the corner of her eye, "Well, if you think you're ready so do I. Just make sure not to push yourself to hard." Elysia nodded her head. Everyone always thought she'd break at the slightest thing. Sometimes she even worried about that, but being at Delbrook was definitely more helpful than not. Especially with how kind most of the people she interacted with over the years had been. The rest of the drive was filled mostly with idle banter. But as she was dropped off, Elysia felt some of those old nerves well up again.

Thankfully, her homeroom teacher this year would be Miss Goldman. Someone who the majority of the school body agreed was among the best teachers here. Hopefully, the other students in the class would also be kind. She had not expected to be waiting in line to enter the classroom but when it came her turn Elysia signed a quick, Good morning.

Soon realizing how weird she may look doing that to anyone who didn't know, Elysia made a quick getaway with her head down. She quickly found her seat and pulled out her sketchbook to draw. Finally looking up as Miss Goldman began speaking, Elysia's eyes first noticed how many familiar faces were here. That brought some level of comfort to her. That lead onto the next thing she noticed. Well, next person. Her eyes landed on Scout who had an alarmingly familiar accent. Sure, she had never been to the Dakota's herself but she had extended family who lived there. Almost absentmindedly, Elysia began sketching Scout. She'd always had a bad habit of just drawing what caught her attention without realizing how it could be perceived. After realizing what she was doing, the girl quickly closed her book. No more sketching for now. It's not like they'd be in homeroom for long what with the assembly coming.

It was boring for the most part. Elysia did feel her eyes get a bit droopy but she refused to nap during the principal's speech. He had prepared it for them to hear so she'd give him the courtesy of listening. No matter how much she wanted to curl up and nap.

It had been a long one but they were finally released into the open world. For her part, Elysia had no idea what she wanted to do. Their were so many people walking around and she quickly lost sight of her classmates or anyone else she knew well for that matter. Panic wanted to bubble up within her but refusing to let that happen Elysia found herself a relatively quiet place in the shade. Feeling like no one would bother her there she pulled out her supplies once again and just began drawing the fairgrounds before her. Unless something changed she planned to sketch the day away.

x
x


Location: Home -> Homeroom -> In front of Scout
Interaction: Scout Czajkowski(@Luft)
Date: As above so below



The wind was in his hair as he soared through the sky. The bright sun glistening around him high above the clouds. A picturesque scene unfolded around Micky and he nearly broke into song. When suddenly, the ground quickly rushed up to him and Micky felt himself fall flat onto his bedroom floor after hearing the short blare of a horn. A pathetic groan escaped his lips as he heard his brother chuckling above him. "Micky, if you don't wanna wake up like that remember to set an alarm."

"Shut up. One day I'm gonna take that horn and use it against you."

"Sure you will. Hurry up and get a shower. Elle already fixed some breakfast. We'll likely be gone before you so don't forget anything." Oliver quickly let the room still chuckling to himself. Micky let out another groan as he slowly got up off the floor. Oh, how badly he wanted to go back to sleep. Why even go to school today? What were they even going to do? Not like any teachers would assign homework first day back from summer vacation. Right? Micky paused for a second thinking on that then grunted as he set about readying himself for the day. I nice hot shower, amazing breakfast, and a few gulps of coffee quickly brought the young man's energy levels to 100%. He nearly forgot to wear his baseball jersey, had it not been for a sticky note on the front door reminding him. He was ready for the day no matter how little he wanted to go.

One of the best parts of going to school for Micky had to be that it gave him an excuse to ride his bike. The journey wasn't to far, but he loved every second of it. Micky got a kick out of going fast and feeling the wind. There weren't to many opportunities to practice any tricks on the ride from home to school, but where they existed he tended to take them. As long as no one was to close to him when he did them. He really had no qualms if he messed up and hurt himself but if another got injured he'd feel way to guilty. Upon arriving at school, he was still in shock and awe of how cool this campus was. His old high school had nothing on this place. Sure it was still a little confusing and he might get lost at some point but it was still fun.

After attaching his bike securely to the bike rack with two locks, Micky took the long walk to finding his homeroom. He was happy to see so many familiar faces waiting in line. It was also pretty cool to have Miss Goldman despite the oddity of the start of her class. With an unsure, "Buenos, umm, diós? Wait, no Buenos dias? Umm, uh morning Miss Goldman. Sorry." He then quickly excused himself from that interaction, making his way to his seat before looking at anyone else.

All in all the day was going well so far. Homeroom sounded like it'd be fine. Not being able to eat would likely get to him later on but for the most part they had free reign. That would be nice. The morning assembly was extremely boring though. Any other day, Micky would be napping right along with some of his fellow classmates but the coffee he had earlier was keeping his energy up so he had to sit through the whole thing.

When they were finally released one could read the excitement on his face. But what would be first on the agenda? Hang out with some of his friends from the theater club or with his teammates from the baseball team? But as he looked around, Micky noticed some faces he didn't recognize at all. He was fairly good at remembering people so the idea that this was their first year was his initial thought. Wanting to be hospitable Micky decided he'd help them get the lay of the land. Well, maybe one of them. He didn't wanna be rude, but the other girl seemed just a tad intimidating. So, Micky approached the girl who had an accent he couldn't quite place. All he could tell was that she wasn't from around here. "Hey there. I'm Micky, pleasure to meetcha."

x
x


Interaction: Daniel Murphy(@Moro), Sawyer Lockwood,
Marco Costello(@LostDestiny), Maria Costello,
and Damien Lopez(@Vicier)
Location: Home -> Homeroom -> With her frands
Date: Same deal as the others



Different music blaring from three separate places, a mad dash and fight for the first use of the bathroom, and the eventual hammer of the law brought down by mamá Johnson was the start of the day for every first day of school in the Johnson home. Today, the start of Ruby's final year as a high schooler would be no different. Ruby had picked a perfect playlist for today with Eye of the Tiger being the headliner. She always had been a sucker for that genre of music no matter how old her siblings thought her taste was. At least it was far better than those pop songs that Dani liked. James tended to listen to very indie and niche stuff. Most of it sounded good. What wasn't good was the cacophony of noises competing to see which could be loudest.

Moments after waking, Ruby found herself trying to strongarm her way past her brother and sister to get into the one bathroom available to the children. She was by far the strongest but when it was two against one the odds were never in her favor. Except today of course, as the mother of the three waltzed up the stairs calmly but with an expression that meant they were most certainly in trouble.

They soon lined up against the wall as their mother told them off about causing such a ruckus. "How many times do I have to tell you three to keep it down. They make earbuds for a reason. Either way, if the three of you are going to fight over the bathroom then I'll just pick the order. Dani, you go first." The middle child gives a quiet giggle as she rushes to the bathroom. "It's only because your the slowest. Don't act like you won and pick up the pace. James you'll go second and Ruby you can use our bathroom. Your father has already left for work and I'll be working on breakfast and the other knucklehead's lunches."

"Thanks mamá." As she then rushed down the stairs, neglecting to relegate her music to earbuds. It didn't take the athlete all that long to get ready. She never really wore makeup unless forced to by Dani or her mamá. She grabbed her phone remembering she needed to send out a reminder.

@everyone Alright gang. Don't forget to wear your jerseys today. Gotta show Rising Tide Pride! The lacrosse team may be the stars of the school but let's take their spotlight this year. WHOSE WITH ME!
Roo


After sending a ping on the soccer teams Discord channel, Ruby watched as the activity surged. The captain loved seeing her team get into the spirit. Yeah, it was her team this year. She'd make sure they won the national championship this year. A quick ping from last years captain hardened Ruby's resolve.

@Roo You better. Leave a better impression than I did. If a team under me can get bronze then shoot for gold.
SuckaPunch


Ruby could not express in words how excited she was for this year to start. Not long after, she found herself chowing down on breakfast. It was a hearty meal as usual, and despite being reminded that the festivities would have food, Ruby didn't care. There's no way she'd miss out on a home cooked meal. She most certainly would be regretting that later but something of that nature would be future Ruby's problem.

The drive from the homestead to school wasn't all that long but it was filled with the usual bickering and antics of siblings who got along but only when they weren't trapped in confined spaces together. Thankfully, none of them shared any classes together. That likely would have been a disaster. Ruby was a tad worried for her less social siblings but they had enough friends to help them whenever she couldn't be around.

As per usual, the school was a flutter with activity. Hordes of people going this way and that. The obvious fresh meat getting dragged around not knowing where to go. Ruby knew this place well and with ease made her way through the crowds and forcing her way through the throng of students until she made it to her homeroom. Ruby would be lying if she said she was anything but ecstatic to have Miss Goldman as her teacher. Her expression would help to revel hw excited she was for this year. When the hammer dropped though that they would not be allowed to eat in homeroom that did sully her excitement a tad. But hey, small price to pay to have Goldman as a teacher.

The assembly was an utter bore. Ruby had fallen asleep a few times during the prolonged speech. It's not like she needed to hear any of it anyway. If anything important was said she knew she'd get a recap by either Dani or James so it was fine. But finally the main event had arrived. Sure they wouldn't get to spend all day out here having fun but there was no way she'd let this go to waste. First though she needed to do a little catch-up with her buds.

Being in the same class as them was going to be awesome. It didn't take long to track the gang down as they weren't that far. "I can't believe you'd skip breakfast, Damien. Hey, any specific recommendations from Brandon?"
I wouldn't know the best way to handle this. But I do know that in those scenarios, if the rp lasts long enough, there will be a good chance I will eventually have some sort of injury/issue applied to my character. I do it cause it's fun and forces me to think differently. It makes me have to write differently at times. I just find it fun to have obstacles for my characters to deal with.
Not done but I wanted her at least visible for now. Let y'all look at her while I work on my first post instead. Likely will change first image as it is a tad blurry.

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At least the woman, who Mila was close to putting a name to, wasn't going to get on her case about napping in a study room. Her classmate seemed more or less absorbed in his phone so she assumed it wouldn't bother him. She felt strange sitting there listening to the conversation of the two but sleep would claim her soon. When the woman addressed her, Mila absentmindedly responded, "You two are fine. I've gotten used to napping in loud places." The small bit of warmth from the crack in the table seemed to help in hastening her departure into sleep.



1:27 PM


The grumbling of her stomach, along with the muffled sounds of chatting, slowly drew Mila from her rest. Upon opening her eyes, Mila saw that the crack was slightly larger. Well, there goes the theory that she was sleep-deprived. Hearing the voices more clearly, Mila looked over to see a group of students studying. Barney and the woman seemed to be long gone. With a nervous wave to the other students, Mila checked her phone to realize her nap had nearly become full-blown sleep. She had been laying on this table long past lunch and her stomach was sure to let her know it wasn't happy.

Unfortunately, she definitely wouldn't have the time to get an actual meal in. Mila gathered her things and began making her way to her apartment. Thankfully, her last class of the day was near the end. Mila at least wanted to have the appropriate textbook for that class. There was also the need to grab the paper for her English class.

The trek home was much less stressful than it had been earlier in the morning when she had to rush to campus. Entering her apartment, Mila really wanted to just lay back down on the couch but responsibilities would deny her desires. She quickly got her paper printing and put together a sandwich so she wouldn't be running fully on empty. There was a note on her coffee maker reminding her of her rushed morning. She hadn't even drunk the coffee she made this morning but at least Garcia seemed to have enjoyed the drink. Mila was about to head back to campus when her phone began ringing.

Without looking at the caller ID she answered instantly regretting that decision. "Hey, Mila. How've you been?" Mila had to fight the sigh that wanted to escape her lips. "I'm good, Leon. Just classes and work."

"Are you sure? I know you want time to yourself but you're always free to come home for help?"

"I said I'm fine. Look, I'm sorry I didn't come home for Thanksgiving. I was just tired from working." There was an uncomfortable pause from the siblings. A sigh came through the phone followed by, "Alright, just make sure to visit home soon. Everyone wants to see you again. We're even having a movie night Saturday. You could've picked the movie we watched if you came home last weekend. I have to get back to work. See you Saturday." Mila tried to cut him off but her brother ended the call to put a strong point on the message. "Fine! Home on Saturday. Whatever." The young woman let out a groan. She then felt tears threatening to fall. Ignoring her own thoughts Mila ate her sandwich, grabbed her paper, and rushed out the door.



3:50 PM


Her final class of the day, Media Law and Ethics, was finally over and she was done for the day. She was thankfully able to get her paper in a few minutes before her English professor's office hours ran out. The awkwardness of today wasn't quite over though as Mila hurried to extricate herself from the classroom. All throughout the hour, she caught a few glimpses from Ricky, a coworker, and caught the vibe he had something to tell her.

But as today had shown to her, luck would not be on her side. Ricky easily kept pace with her and not too far outside of the building he was able to reach out and grab a hold of her. "Let me go Ricky. We agreed not to talk at school." The man took a look around and then gently guided Mila off to the side. In a hushed whisper, "I know. I'm sorry. But Oscar said he was going to contact you soon and I wanted to warn you." Mila kept a near-perfect poker face up as she looked at Ricky, but a slight ting of worry was there.

"Do you know what he wanted?"

"No, well- Uh, no. He just sounded kind of mad. I don't think he was mad at you. But that really doesn't mean much."

"Does it have anything to do with the job?" At that question, Ricky started to visibly sweat a bit. Mila crossed her arms and stared down at the man who was much taller than her. "Okay, I'll tell ya. But first, I did a bit of digging. Apparently, he's done a bit of work for the guy. Many times. He actually went to talk to Jeremy, which is when he came home very pissed."

Mila's calm facade was entirely gone now. She began pacing trying to understand what she had just been told. What did all of that even mean? Those two already knew each other? "Did he say anything else? Are they friends or something?" Ricky shook his head, and lightly put a hand on Mila's shoulder. "I doubt they're friends. Oscar just tends to keep in contact with clients. I doubt he told Jeremy anything about you since you've been paying on time. He might ask for more though. That's probably why he is gonna call you."

"He knows I barely have enough to pay him as is."

"He might try to pressure you to -"

"I KNOW, Ricky. *sigh* Thanks for the warning, but can you please go. I need to think." Mila then sat with her back against the building. The young man in front of her began leaving but then turned, "Uhm, please don't tell Oscar I talked to you. He'd beat the crap out of me." After a few moments of silence, Ricky took the hint and walked off.

Mila sat there for a bit with the occasional passerby giving her an odd look. It didn't take very long before her phone buzzed. Regretfully she pulled it from her pocket to see a text from a blocked number.

Hello Mila. No need to fret but we need to have a chat. For unforeseen reasons, money isn't gonna suffice anymore. Come by whenever or during your next shift so we can talk. Eric will let you in.
Unknown Number


Mila brought her hands to her face. What was she getting herself into? Was it even worth it at this point? There was no way she'd get him to tell the truth. She was just digging her hole deeper now. The young woman slowly stood up and in a short flash of anger mixed with fear, Mila kicked over a nearby trashcan. With sudden clarity after her release of frustration, Mila looked up to see the few bystanders staring at her awkwardly. Looking at what she'd done, Mila quickly became flustered and began trying to clean the paltry mess. She soon paused upon lifting the trashcan to see another one of those odd cracks on the ground. This one, however, was much larger than the others.

Almost as soon as she saw it, the crack began spreading. Almost as if stretching out after a deep slumber. She looked at the people around her but none of them seemed to pay any mind to the crack forming. She didn't know why but she felt a desire to follow the growing fissure. Forgetting the mess behind her, Mila darted off in the direction of the pattern in the ground. She wasn't running for all too long, but it was enough that she was a tad short-breathed. The crack, which was giving off such a strange warmth, had lead her to the waterfront. Following it to the end she found herself just outside of a gazebo at the end of a pier.

As she climbed the stairs, Mila was surprised to see Barney there. She was confused to see another figure sitting near an odd collection of the cracks possibly filming them. Not really sure what was going on, or why she had even come here, Mila watched the two from the stairs trying to decide what to do.




With a rough start to her day, Mila hoped that things would take a change for the better. However, fate could care less what someone wanted, and often it chose certain individuals to beat down upon. The lackluster performance on her math test would certainly not be the end of her day, as the next class came soon after. This time it was English. Not that difficult of a subject. Mila was used to writing papers of various formats. The problem came in the same way it had for the math class. An essay was due today and Mila had left hers at her apartment. Thankfully, the professor gave her until the end of the school day to get the paper to her office.

Two classes in which she wasn't fully prepared didn't seem to be enough though. The very next class was for public speaking. The instructor for this class was known to be difficult. Nothing was allowed late, and the door was locked once classed started. Mila sat in her seat dreading the possibility that her name would be called to give her speech today. The young woman knew her content well, but she didn't have her PowerPoint which the professor put a lot of stock in. Watching the clock tick by, Mila started to feel that at least one of her classes would still have a high grade. However, with five minutes left, the instructor decided to call on one more student before their time was done. "Mila Ford, your turn."

With a sigh, Mila hung her head. Of course, she'd not get out of this that easy. Walking to the front of the class she just hoped the lack of materials wouldn't tank her grade. "I don't have a PowerPoint, but I am ready to give my speech." The click of the professor's red pen seemed to ring in her ears, but she continued on at the prompting of the professor. Her speech went well for all intents and purposes. If she had the required visual aid, Mila would fully bet on receiving a 100 on the assignment. She knew though that a lack of anything was seen as a lack of responsibility to this teacher. After making it back to her seat, the class was promptly let out. Mila looked back at the clock and two things jumped out at her.

As her nerves from today's mistake ate away at her, it seemed this caused her to go just a bit under time for the presentation. The second thing which caught her attention was an odd-looking crack across the face of the clock. Mila looked around the class but no one seemed to notice. Even the professor who was looking at the clock said nothing. She began to approach the man only for him to shoo her away. "Ms. Ford, I will not be taking any late hand-ins. The next class starts soon so I need you to go. If you have something to discuss with me, come find me during office hours."

With an exasperated sigh, Mila left taking another look at the clock over her shoulder. Wierd. Maybe she had just not noticed it during the class, or, what was more likely, her tired mind was simply seeing things. At the very least, she had a few hours before her next class. Mila would be able to go home and be prepared for the rest of the day. For now, though, she really needed to find somewhere to rest. Her addled brain from a lack of sleep was making her see things. Wandering the halls she found a study room which was mostly vacant. There was a familiar figure laying his head down on one of the tables and a woman Mila vaguely recognized. Mila walked in just as the woman finished addressing the man who might have been sleeping. It seems Mila wouldn't be the only one coming to this room to relax. Politely waving to the woman and the guy who she now recognized as Barney, Mila made her way to a table a bit away from the other two. "I hope the two of you don't mind if I take a nap over here."

Upon sitting down she noticed another weird crack in the table where she sat. It was small, barely noticeable. Mila put her hand on the crack to feel how oddly warm it was. She really must have been sleep-deprived. In an effort not to be rude, though, Mila looked at the other two waiting for their responses before taking a nap.
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