Dutchess Sarah

The Safe Haven - Revival (Closed)

Hey guys!

sorry for my late reply, I've had a rough couple of weeks!
Just wanted to let you know I'm still in!

Sarah

The Safe Haven - Revival (Closed)

Sarah jumped off the bus the first chance she could. Overwhelmed by the sensations of the forest, she had no choice but to ignore her fellow campers, including the weird cat. She was still on the fence about that one, not quite convinced it was a cat, thought it put on a good show. For a moment her eyes fell on the lovely cabin that would be her temporary home. Sarah tried to smile, but the sensations took over before she could.
Inhaling deeply, Sarah walked over to the nearest tree and sat down against it. She closed her eyes and allowed the sensations of water and forest to pass through her. While doing this, she kept a close hold on her excitement. Breathe in - Breathe out The controlled breathing kept her heart rate somewhat under control as she slowly ajusted to the sensory overload.

After a couple of minutes she became aware of two things. First, the silence around her. She opened her eyes, blinking against the light, and realised that the rest of the group had moved towards the cabin. She shrugged and focussed on the second, more interesting thing. Sitting here, with her back against a tree, Sarah realised she could feel the tree's juices flowing within. This is new!
Sarah wasn't sure what this meant for her. On the one hand this was one more thing she could destroy if she wasn't careful. On the other hand, this was incredibly cool!!!

Sarah gave herself a couple more minutes to revel in the sensation. She closed her eyes again and rested her back and head against the tree. Huh, look at me, making friends with a tree. The thought made her giggle, yet it felt really right. It also instantly made her feel better, because she'd never hurt a friend. She got up, brushed herself off and started towards the cabin. Suddenly, she stopped, and turned back to the tree. She placed her right hand on the bark and said Thanks, buddy. I really needed that! She smiled to herself again and practically skipped back towards the cabin. She felt revigorated and happy and ready for anything.

The Safe Haven - Revival (Closed)

Sarah was super excited about this camp trip. She absolutely loved being outdoors, and though she would have infinitely preferred a trip to a coastal area Oh how I miss the sea. The wind, the birds, the crashing of the waves, the smell of salt in the air For the umpteenth time that morning, Sarah closed here eyes and took a few deep breaths. Her joy of going out and roughing it for a while was enough to tip her over the edge, and the memories of the sea and the water weren't helping her control herself. Breathe! Sarah reminded herself. Why oh why had they planned this camping experience so close to the holidays? She was already excited about going home and seeing the sea and her silly old lighthouse and her parents again.

Sarah sighed and looked around the bus, hoping this would distract her from her thoughts. No point in going over the edge or getting homesick now. She'd been doing great so far, loads better than she'd hoped. Living on the little lighthouse island had made her little family unusually close. Being her parents' only child had added to this bond of course, and Sarah had dreaded coming to school as much as she'd been excited about it. She'd definitely enjoyed her first term at Haven. It was great being around like-minded people, not having to hide your weirdness and learning how to control that which made her so different from others.
It had taken more time to get used to the relative silence of the forest, honestly. She'd had trouble sleeping for weeks because she found it difficult to nod off without the constant rushing of the waves all around her. It had taken time, but by now Sarah was almost as fond of the forest as she was of the sea. If she couldn't live near the coast, the forest was preferable to a big city or a desert scene. Way to distract yourself, Sarah! She rolled her eyes at herself and smiled.

Looking around the bus again, she recognized a few faces. Some of these students she had met before and had worked with in their various classes. She saw a couple of new faces as well and looked forward to the chance of making new friends. Her eyes rested for a moment on the black and white cat sitting in one of the seats. Was this a student? Or had someone brought a pet? She smiled to herself and let the bus carry her to her destination.

The Safe Haven - Revival (Closed)

She's up!

The Safe Haven - Revival (Closed)

Sarah James

Name: Sarah James

Age: 15

Gender: Female

Appearance:


Powers: Water
Sarah can control water, but only when she’s near a source. This means she knows when she’s near water, or the general direction she should look in, but she cannot trace the plumbing in the walls, so to speak.
Sarah has some control over her powers, and has even begun training herself. She cannot keep things up very long, and has problems focusing her attention. She also loses her shit when she gets angry.

Personality: Sarah is anything but shy. She is a rowdy girl who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. She doesn’t seek the spotlight, but somehow it usually finds her. Sarah is fun loving and intelligent. She uses humor as a shield, but once you get through this you’ll never find a more loyal friend.

Background: Sarah grew up in a lighthouse on a small island off the coast. She loved living near the sea, though it was an isolated area. She is an only child, and her parents home schooled her. Not because they were overprotective, but simply because it was easier than making the trip to the mainland every day. She was enrolled in the local High School as an online student, and most teachers were very accommodating.

The family found out about her powers the one time Sarah was really upset. Sarah was 12 and always stressed. Something about the sea made her restless, but her parents attributed it to puberty and tried to move on with normal life. Sarah wanted to move away from the water and its constant pull, wanted to go to school, but simultaneously feared the other children. During this stressful time, her father was in a serious accident, and Sarah did not know how to deal with her emotions. He was in the hospital, and she was on her little island. In a flurry of frustration, fear, feelings and tears, she blew up the plumbing. Water came pouring out of the walls, the shower and toilet were destroyed and during the long minutes it took her mother to shut off the main water supply, the house seemed to cry along with Sarah. Thankfully, her father recovered, and the cottage was rebuilt.
These days, there’s no running water in the house itself. Behind the cottage, there’s a small fenced off area with a structure in the centre. This structure houses the shower, toilet and laundry room. A small tunnel underground connects both buildings.

Sarah’s parents researched the whole thing online, and discovered that Sarah is one of many children who face similar challenges. This discovery did not change their love for their daughter, and the family remains close and loving.

After intensive training with her mother, Sarah now heads away from the house, towards the sea, when she loses control. She now understands her connection to the water, and the way it calls to her, and being near water calms her. And she can let go of her emotions and mess with the waters around the island without hurting anyone.
That’s why her parents built the “washhouse” on the other end of their property. Sarah spends most of her time studying for school, or working on controlling her powers and emotions. She has never lost control like that again, at least, not in the house…

Trying to guide and teach her daughter as best she could, Sarah’s mother spent hours and hours online, looking for ways to help her daughter. When the Safe Haven academy came up for the 6th time that day, she clicked the link and read with increasing awe. Later that night, after Sarah had gone to bed, she discussed things with Sarah’s father.
The next day, they suggested it to Sarah. The thought of leaving left her conflicted. Being around people and unseen water all the time scares her. But her wish to understand and control her powers more fully won out in the end, and here she might actually fit in.

The Safe Haven - Revival (Closed)

Can I just rejoin as I was? I have no idea where my character sheet went... lol

The "Goings On" at Upper Lake Institute

Ylva shook her head violently. Then, to clarify that she was actually trying to communicate, she took a deep breath and said I think I'm okay. I mean I'm not okay, but I'm okay here. I really really don't want to be alone right now. For a few moments, Ylva closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. She could feel her heart rate start to normalize and nodded to herself I'm not going to pass out or anything. I just... not knowing what to say or what to make of what had happened, Ylva didn't finish that sentence.

She felt hyper aware of all that was going on around her and suddenly remembered something saying something about screaming. I didn't hear anyone scream. Did you? I'm not sure what I heard. Or who. She looked around the group, not addressing anyone in particular. Gosh that was weird. It was almost like she was talking to herself.
Ylva hesitated. She was dying to share whatever-that-was with someone, but she'd only met these people just now. With no idea who to trust, and no desire to be the designated weirdo again, Ylva was hesitant.

At the same time, in a split second, something else was dawning on her. She'd accepted going to this school because she'd had little choice, but the few brief conversations she'd heard and had suddenly came back to her and suddenly it hit her. We're all weirdo's here. She smiled and thought Maybe whoever brought us here, brought us here for that reason? We are all weird in some way? This gave her courage an unexpected boost and she just blurted out I never heard a single voice shouting. I heard a lot of voices, first at the same time, then jumbled. They were taunting, threatening, all talking at once. She looked around the room to gauge the reactions, then continued. Something weird about things having been set in motion and our being here won't make a difference. It was weird, scary weird, nails on chalkboard scary weird.

Ylva looked at the people around her. Her eyes passed over their worried faces. She continued So no, I'd rather not be alone right now. And I doubt I could sleep tonight anyway.

The "Goings On" at Upper Lake Institute

Ylva had a hard time responding to the questions around her. She registered the questions, but it took time for her to digest their meaning. Something felt different, but she could not put her finger on it. She wasn't even sure what the answer should be, either.
Am I okday? Physically, there was nothing wrong with her, and mentally... well she had no idea what just happened, but she didn't feel not okay either. She felt a little off, but that didn't seem to odd given the circumstances.

I think I'm okay. That was weird, though. None of you heard any of that?
Ylva was trying her best to control her voice, but she was clearly shaken, and it showed. She was still trying to make sense of what she'd heard.
Something that had been set in motion? Something that could not be stopped? Our presence futile, a nuisance? What the hell?
I have no idea what is going on, but none of this is good. She seemed unaware that she said this last part out loud.

She rubbed her temples and tried to quiet down her mind. She remembered an old trick her grandmother had taught her when her mind was spinning, and she took a few deep breaths. Trying to clear her mind, Ylva discarded all her conscious thoughts and focussed on her breathing. As soon as her mind quieted down, she felt it. A presence inside her thoughts, inside her mind. The same horrible sensation came over her, hairs on end, stomach churning. It was scratching, pulling, clawing. Trying to break out of whatever part of her mind it was in, trying to enter her conscious mind, trying to... As soon as Ylva started thinking again, the sensation faded. It was like one of those eye-floaters. The more you try to look at it, the more it glides from your vision.

Ylva realised she was breathing heavily again and concentrated on breathing quietly. The moment she stopped thinking about things, the scratching, clawing, pulling started again, and just as before it faded as she focussed on it. Breathing slowly, Ylva concentrated on the lyrics of a favourite song. The sensation faded away again. Was it her imagination or could she feel it looming in the background, waiting for a moment of weakness? For now she was strong enough to block it, to stop it. But for how long? And what would happen as she slept? Or daydreamed in class? This was creeping her out.

Ylva looked around the room, trying to avoid the gazes of the people around her and looking for something to focus her mind on. Suddenly she realised they were almost alone. Weren't there more people here earlier? Where'd everyone go?

The "Goings On" at Upper Lake Institute

interacting with: @bandcrsnatch @Ejected @Okonuki

Ylva was only vaguely aware of the new arrivals to their little group. She noticed Ziggy's aversion of one of them, and the other guy's blow up doll. She wanted to say something, but something was tugging away at her and she was quite incapable of ignoring it. This pulling was like nothing she'd ever felt before. Her usual pulls were soft, gentle, like someone was gently tapping her shoulder for attention before taking her by the hand and asking if they could show her something. She'd even managed to pull herself out of it once or twice by asking the something to come back in an hour or so because she was in the middle of an exam. It was also nothing like what had happened earlier today. There had been no pull, that had been more like stepping into a hole, or missing a step. A sudden shock, unexpected. This was clearly a pull and it was aggressive and very uncomfortable.

Looking down on her arms, Ylva became aware of two things. Both were equally disturbing. First of all there was her physical response to the pull. It was obvious that all the hairs on her arms, and the rest of her body now that she thought of it, were standing on end. She felt sick, feverish, and had goosebumps all over. The only thing that had ever made Ylva this physically uncomfortable was when a teacher had pulled her artificial nails across a chalkboard during a particularly exciting after school club meeting. The sensation had only lasted a few seconds, but this felt similar but so much stronger. A hundred nails pulled across a hundred chalkboards.

And then there was Ylva's emotional and mental response to it all. She suddenly felt hyper aware of all that was going on around her, as if she was watching the same images through a hundred pairs of eyes at the same time. The people around her seemed more vivid, more present than before, and she was painfully aware of every movement, every sound, every speck of dust in the air. She realised there were fewer people than before. Lilly? She watched people move, heard them talk, almost saw the words as they left their mouths. She was hyper aware of movement, expression, sound. And yet she was almost not a part of it all.

Simultaneously Ylva was overwhelmed by the knowledge of how pointless everything was. It so did not matter who liked who, who ate or drank what, who said what and least of all who did what. Nothing you do here matters. In the end, none of it has any bearing on anything. None of it matters. None of you matter. Why are you here anyway? Many voices, all talking at the same time, all conveying similar messages. Some sounded almost familiar, some were completely foreign to her, and since none of the others were responding to them, Ylva assumed they were all in her mind. It is done. It will be done. Nothing can stop it. Nothing can change it. You cannot change it. You may as well not be here. Why are you still here? In harmony now. The voices kept repeating the same messages. The voices got louder and louder, the sensation of nails across a chalkboard got stronger and stronger ... then, as suddenly as it had started, it all stopped and Ylva was thrown back into her own perception of reality. The whole thing had only taken a few seconds, but Ylva felt shaken to her core.

Moving slowly, as if she feared movement would bring the sensation back, Ylva reached for her beer and gulped the remaining half down. Then she looked around at the others, panic and fear still shining brightly in her eyes. What The Fuck?! She blurted out.
Not knowing what else to say or do, Ylva slumped back down in her seat and tried to make sense of it all. What will be done? What can't we change? What is going on here? And what the hell is this place doing to me? Am I the only one? Where are Lilly and the others? The questions tumbled over each other in her mind, and she could not answer a single one of them. It left her feeling small and confused. Slowly, the hairs on her arms settled down, the goosebumps faded. But the experience would stay with her for a long time.

The "Goings On" at Upper Lake Institute

interacting with: @bandcrsnatch @Ejected @Okonuki

No, I shaved a couple of pixies and glued the results to my head! Ylva rolled her eyes and sighed. She had thought she'd gotten over people commenting on her hair. She was probably still a little muddled from her little incident, and more insecure about meeting all these new people than she'd been willing to admit to herself. She sighed again and continued on a friendlier note. Yes, the hair is real. And yes, that is really my natural hair colour. Ylva shrugged and smiled. Just lucky, I guess. I'm a literature major by the way. I love to read, I write and am nuts about languages in general.

Ylva looked away, towards the brownies again. She felt better now that she had gotten some food and drink in her, and wondered whether she should just try one. Looking at the others, it didn't seem dangerous or anything. Zoning out a bit might just be what the doctor ordered. And none of the others appeared to be suffering uncomfortable visions of any kind. Ylva finished what little food was left on her plate while pondering her decision to just give it a try. When she was done eating her sweet selection, she snatched a quick slice of pizza. Apparently pot was good for your appetite, Julius had almost inhaled half of it by the looks of it.

Suddenly, Ylva felt the familiar pull she usually felt before zoning out. For a moment, she thought she heard a woman scream, but it was gone before she could focus on it. The faint pull faded quickly, and she wasn't expecting any issues. Nothing like the last one, anyway. But it did make up her mind about the whole brownie thing. She was not ready to let go of what little self control she had left today. Not right now, anyway. She grabbed a brownie, folded it into a napkin and tucked it safely into the small purse that alwasy dangled off of her right shoulder. I'll save one for later, if that's okay. I've always wanted to try one, but now is not the time.