JunkMail

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

Archie

---

Though he had only lived on the station for a short time now, Archie had very quickly memorized that station's layout. It wasn't exactly a big place, after all. For what it was, as a space station? Enormous, but as school and training grounds? He was surprised that they had managed to fit a Best Buy in here. Not that he was particularly tech savvy. If there was one thing that Archie was good at though, it was sniffing out the best places to eat around. While roaming the sidewalks and street of the station a few days ago a nostalgic heart had led him to a small local called Café Kina. It had very quickly become one of his favorite places to eat.

It was very similar to a Chinese dim sum atmosphere, and perhaps that's why he loved it so much. One look at the absolutely enormous list meant that there were always so many foods to try, which Archie supposed was a necessity given that there were relatively few options aboard, but the whole place felt friendly. You would seat yourself, upon entering, or join a table if you were alone as he had been in the days before. A waitress comes by to refill tea and offer little snacks and desserts, and while reaching across the table to steal a bite might be frowned upon elsewhere, it was the normal here. The entire place seemed more friendly, in that sense. He remembered what he had overheard someone say in one of his previous visits: Friends don't let other friends order too much. It wasn't just a group of people talking over a meal—it was sharing.

The door of the café suddenly opens, and a silvery bell above the frame jingles to announce the arrival of a new customer. Or, customers in Archie's case. The maitre d', a young Asian woman, smiles at him- immediately recognizing the young man's tanned face and unkempt hair. She wordlessly points towards a window booth, and Archie nods with a bright smile for her benefit.

Archie grabbed a seat without much thought, and another person- a young Caucasian man this time, brings a teapot and several porcelain cups as company, one filled with white tea for him and the others empty. Archie was a romantic, and it was for this reason that he had found this place. It reminded him of home in a way. He would spend a lot of time in the all you can eat buffets and while this was certainly not that, it was similar enough to have drawn him in. It's almost frustrating that the thought of home isn't as heartwarming or exciting as it used to be; instead, the mere thought of visiting that little island again make him painfully nervous, very different from how he had felt throughout his whole life up until a few weeks ago.

All the shock has worn off now, and, having regained a somewhat clearer mind, Archie notices that a cautious barrier has intruded into his heart and mind, ready to intervene. Perhaps that's what happened when you spent your entire life in one place and then were suddenly thrust into outer space, ruined the first day, and discovered a dead body. It was like being roused from an amnesic dream— Archie remembers why he he was here in the first place, why he had been moved away from his home. It had certainly ensured a fresh start to a new life, and when he looked around himself it was more and more clear that this was his new home. There was nothing left for him on Earth.

Curiously enough, the thought of home is often associated with the thought of family. Having lost so many people in his life due to a variety of reasons, Archie had become incredibly familiar with the phrases 'home is not a location, it's a feeling', and that 'friends are family that you choose.' He watched Lynn enter first, with Natalie and Keaton just behind her, and realizes in that moment that they're probably the closest he's got aboard. It was a simple thing, but it’s also a lovely thought.

Archie's gaze didn't waver from them until they are seated by him in the booth. He quickly snatches the teapot next to him and pours the steaming tea into an empty cup, sliding it over to Lynn- since she had sat down first. He had come to the realization that all of Lynn's movements since leaving the station had been stilted somewhat, marred by... nervousness? Caution? At least, more so than usual. The realization that this gang of misfits was all he had in the world (and off it) had taken from his own liquidity some. Well, at least this put them on equal footing. May takes a deep breath and gathers herself, inwardly scolding the heart now singing wildly in her chest, making itself known in the most obnoxious way possible.

"Thanks for uh, looking out for me." he says quietly, giving Lynn a small smile. "Again."

He's unsure of what to say after that, but thankfully another waitress drops some menus off for them. This is a good thing, because it made him feel less awkward and gave them something to focus on. He wanted so badly to earn this group's friendship, and he felt like he had been making great strides with Natalie, but Keaton and Lynn? Still mysterious And, if he did remember correctly from the first day, the one thing she and Archie indisputably shared was a love for food.

"How did your inter- what was the word, interview right? How did your interview go?" Archie said, intermittently looking up between Lynn, Natalie, and Keaton from his menu, offering the question to any the would like to answer.

---

@Typical@Silver Carrot@He Who Walks Behind

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

T H E P R O M I S E

---

“My name is Gennedy Hardin, head of The Promise security division, investigating the death of Doctor Arthur Coleman. I am speaking to miss Amelia Nelson on her relations to this incident.” the man said simply. It had been exactly what he had said to Lynn when he had interviewed her a few minutes ago. Well rehearsed and uncaring. He dragged his bored gaze to Amelia's. She was terrified, shaking like a leaf. “Please state your full name in confirmation.”

This was the first time Amelia had ever been in this situation. At lease, really in this situation. For all the grand standing she did for sticking it to the man, she had never been face to face with him. It was easier rebelling against some unknown, no faced entity. It was much, much harder maintaining the same resolve with him staring you down. She choked out what she had been instructed to do. "Amelia Nelson."

Gennedy grunted. “Today is October 19th, current time is 9:45 AM.”

Silence filled the room once more. Amelia shifted uncomfortably. Gennedy cleared his throat and began.

“Please tell me about the events leading up to the body’s discovery.”

Amelia gulped, but began reciting her story. She told him about how she had simply been out for the evening, and had met up with the group. She had not seen Archie disappear into the woods, but she had heard him scream. Her and the others had run after him to help him. Lynn looked like she had been ready to fight him again if she had needed to. Amelia wasn't sure how to feel about that. When they found the body, she had recognized it immediately. Gennedy had stopped her there.

"So you saw the body?" He questioned. Amelia stopped cold, realizing that she had incriminated herself. She did not know this man or how he handled situations like this. She nodded slowly, not taking her eyes off of his. He hummed. "Are you familiar with Arthur Coleman?"

"Who?"

"Arthur Coleman. The body."

Amelia's blood went cold. "I- yes? No? I dont know, I-" She said, stuttering her way through the sentence. She inhaled sharply, holding her breath in for a moment in an attempt to calm herself down. "I dont know him, but I saw him. After Archie turned, I ran." She explained, electing to leave out the detail that she had only done so to help Freaky D. "I ended up in a classroom and he was with a woman."

Gennedy raised an eyebrow at this. Amelia pursed her lips.

"No, no. I- listen, he was being tortured, I think."

"Tortured?"

"He looked hurt."

Gennedy's expression hardened. He leaned over the table and Amelia felt herself shrink into her chair. "And why didn't you report this?"

Amelia was at a loss for words.

Archie

---

"What are you waiting for, Boat Farmer? Let’s go.”

"Mmph!" Archie exclaimed, surprised suddenly by his nickname. He turned sharply in Lynn's direction, his edges of his lips curling upwards in a smile when he saw Lynn. "Oh, hey Lynn!" he said with his mouth full. He swallowed what was left of his donut and cleaning his hands off. He stood to greet his friend, and in his own mind he questioned that phrase. Friend. Did Lynn consider him a friend? He certainly considered her one. She seemed the type to be hardened, given her 'I eat nails with no milk' attitude and her scarred exterior. She reminded him of his brother some, but she was smarter than he had been. Less of a bully for the sake of it. Lynn was also nicer than his brother was, too. She had been the first on the scene when he turned on the first day and had stayed with him and made sure he hadn't turned again the night before. Every time he had been in a bad situation she had taken the initiative to help him. That's what friends did for each other, wasn't it?

Just as he stood, Cara's voice came on over the intercom.

"Mr. Anderson, Ms. Ellis, Ms. Holmes, Ms. Plasse, you are all free to go under Mr. Hardin's order."

Well, that simplified things. He looked down at the donut box and then over to Lynn again and grinned for her benefit. He was hungry, and it was early. Natalie walked in and had sat down, and Keaton shortly thereafter. They seemed to want to talk to one another some, and Archie wasn't about to butt into their conversation. He was hungry, they were freed, Natalie and Keaton were talking and he was curious, and he probably owed Lynn lunch for helping as much as she had. The triangle shape finally fell into the triangle hole for Archie.

"Hey, do you guys want to get something to eat?" he questioned. That would probably satisfy Lynn's desire to bounce, and his desire to eat and make sure Natalie and Keaton were okay. Plus, they could commune between themselves as to who said what. The thought that someone might have incriminated another didn't even cross Archie's mind. "There's a nice little breakfast place not far from here."

He didn't think about what had happened last time he had elected to take a walk with the group, but that didn't matter all that much in his mind. He left the building with nay a second thought, likely with the others not far behind. The little breakfast place only a minute or so's walk from the station, so getting himself seated took what felt like no time at all.

Today was going to be a good day, he decided. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

The Haunting of Crestwood Hollow - A Supernatural Coming of Age Story

doge time

The Haunting of Crestwood Hollow - A Supernatural Coming of Age Story

Oleander

---

There were stories upon stories about dogs being heroes. It was why he had taken this form.

A Golden Retriever pulls a baby from a burning house. A German Shepard taking a bullet for their handler. A Labrador calling neighbors when their owner has fallen and cant get up. A Dachshund standing up to bear to defend their home. Stories that were essentially modern legends singing of their feats of loyalty or sacrifice- Hachikō waited for his master for years at the train station. Balto transported the Diphtheria antitoxin six hundred miles through sleet and hail and snow to Nome. It was for this reason what he had assumed this state. A Familiar's job, their whole purpose, was to protect their masters. What better than man's best friend?

Some of his kin followed different philosophies than he did. He understood their choice, sometimes. Depending on their master's place in this world it would be appropriate to assume the form of a bear, or a lion. However, these creatures elicited fear in the societies they ventured into. They were met with resistance, and what good was strength if one could not apply it? Similarly, some preferred to be nimble, and oversee from above. Birds of all shapes and sizes, bats, insects... He could understand this philosophy as well. Being small made one hard to spot, and the power of flight? Being able to see for miles was a powerful warning system. As with the mighty beasts, though, it had its drawbacks. Namely the distance they had to maintain to play to such strengths. What good was an early warning if none were there to hear it?

Being a dog was an easy middle ground, Oleander felt. His methods and mentality were tried and true. He was an old familiar, with dozens of generations under his belt. His experience had lent itself to his shape, for there was no better state than a dog. People didn't question his appearance indoors or outdoors, or the fact that he followed his master wherever she went. That's just what dogs did. They were walked, and run regularly. They were loyal to their keepers and guardians of the hearth. All things considered, they were the familiars of the mundane world. It was a no brainer- the mundane world was the world they were trying to blend into, after all. There were some caveats though. He was a fairly sizable dog, so in some places it was more difficult to hide. There was not perfect solution to that without their disadvantages. There were also many places that did not allow mundane familiars- or 'pets' as they called them. This school was one of them.

The ever nearing date that Kayla had marked as 'first day of school' on her calendar had been approaching for some time now. He dreaded these days ever since the end of the industrial revolution, when education began to take hold. Pets were not allowed on school grounds, and his job became that much more difficult. Much like his master, he spent every moment waiting for their release, the weekends, the breaks, the long weekends, and the time designated to tend to fields that had been rebranded to summer vacation. It was not his job to judge his master for she had many redeeming qualities to her person, but she spent very little time ever tending the fields of the farm. Even less than any of his masters before her. He had mixed feelings on this. At least she was easier to track.

Getting in and out of the school for Kayla was a song and dance Oleander had done many times before. Two-thousand-two-hundred-eighty-one times now, if his memory served correct. Since she had begun kindergarten twelve years ago. He was good at it, by this point. He knew exactly when to get in, and when to leave. He often simply hitched a ride in the back of the beaten truck that had been clinging to life for what he swore was almost as long as he had, and left the flatbed around half an hour after her classes began. It had no roof, but he never minded the sleet or the rain. She oftentimes lectured him half heartedly when he stole her class schedule and memorized it, but it was his own form of homework. The floor plan of the school had been more difficult to obtain, so he had settled to memorizing the floor plan through trial and error. He had long since learned which bathrooms were closest to which classes. Some were a bit further than others then he'd like, but Oleander knew that being physically next to her at all times was not realistic. However he would not give up. He would never give up. Protecting her was his duty. He would not fail.

Oleander had taken to bringing a small bag with a chessboard and the pieces with him to the school with him. It was a tad more difficult to get in, but it was worth the extra heartache, he felt. It passed the time. He had left the truck, and scaled the fence along the school, paced through the halls quickly, and locked himself in one of the men's bathroom stalls by using his mouth on the latch. He found that they were less likely to be used than those in the women's bathrooms. He played against himself often, but never became too distracted. He had to move often. With every bell he remained, moving only after the footsteps had ended and the doors had all shut to the restroom closest to his master. Kayla was always within earshot, and he would always be listening. Danger loomed darkest when suspicion was low. He would not allow a surprise attack. He would not fail.

Oleander's gaze rose to a window as a shadow passed and obscured the light. A great grey owl landed, on what was likely the roof of the building and gazed down at the dog. A small black cat joined it shortly, likely having scaled the building to join its companion. They were like him. He could tell by the way the light hit their eyes. His gaze shifted between the two of them, and the owl eyes off of him as well. The cat seemed dreary.

Tell me, little one, why do you want to be free?

The cat met his gaze and the owl shifted uncomfortably, finally averting her eyes.

You tell me.

The bell rings again, and the two are gone. He waits a while, and then moves himself. Duty calls. He finds himself in the last bathroom of the day, but the smell of a certain blood caught his attention. The fur on his back stands on end. Hunter, he thinks. His mind races, and then so does he. Oleander tears through the halls to Kayla's location- it's a room that he had not been to before. This worries him. He would not fail. He would not fail. He would not fail.

The husky skids to a halt, and readies himself to turn the door handle with his paws and defend her. To the death he would always defend her. But he stops- the scent is not strong enough to be a blood hunter. He rears and places his paws against the door and peers through the window. There she is, his Kayla. She is safe and sound, and he feels his body sag with relief at that. The coppery, iron scent in his nose directs him to an older man. He is not one of them. He will not harm her. Kayla's gaze shifts-ever attentive she is, when she hears his weight fall against the door. Her face breaks out into a grin and she marches to the door. Oleander pushes himself off just before she pulls the door open to let him in.

"Oleander!" She says, joy in her voice. He rushes her, but does not jump. He rubs along her legs as he circles her, marking her with his scent to ward off any would be attackers and to check her over for injuries. He would not fail her.

"What are you doing here?" She says as she kneels down and runs her hand down the back of his head and neck several times. He leans into her hand, welcoming the affection. "Sorry everyone!" she says, turning back to the others. They smell different than her, but similar all the same. They were like her. He would watch them, too, until their guardians returned. "He must've missed me. You know how huskies are. Probably should've expected this on the first day back." she laughs, and returns to her seat. He follows after her, sitting next to her diligently and quietly. It occurred to him that he'd have to acquire his chess set once again- he had left it in the bathroom when he had run to her. No matter, that could be replaced. He would not leave her side for something so trivial as his hobby.

For he would never fail her.

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

Archie, Radvi, and Griffin

---

Radvi sat across from Archie while Griffin remained standing nearby. Radvi’s hands were placed on the table, folded together. His attempt at looking non-imposing.

“Alright.” Radvi began, “Give me a rundown of what all happened last night. Leading up to when you found the body.”

Archie shifted uncomfortably in his seat. This was his first time ever being… interrogated. When he was brought into the station back home, they had skipped all of the formalities. “How far back do you mean? Ten minutes? An hour?”

“Whenever you first showed up in the general area. I assume it was to meet with Miss Ellis?”

“Oh, um.” Archie said, his ape brain acting up for a moment. “No, actually. I had just stopped by the hospital to visit Lynn. Lynn Holmes. I wanted to apologize to her after the cafeteria thing and helped her sneak out so we could go on a walk. We ran into the others by chance.” Archie seemed to relax some at this admission, as harmless as it was, but it seemed like he had more to say that he wasn’t mentioning. His arms were crossed, and he continually averted his eyes as he spoke. Either through embarrassment or something else entirely.

Standing in the corner of the interrogation room, leaning just slightly into said corner, Griffin watched the discussion carefully. His arms were crossed over his chest but hidden underneath they continued flexing, his dark blue eyes staring straight at Archie as if waiting for the young man to start losing it. Aside from the stare, it would be impossible to tell Griffin’s emotions, looking like a human gargoyle standing watch.

“Was Miss Holmes present when you found the body?” Radvi asked.

Archie visibly tensed at this. Her threat, while not aimed at him, rang in his mind once again. He had a feeling that they knew that Lynn had been present, she had been in the lobby after all, but the idea of saying anything and getting on her bad side? It twisted his stomach to think of what she would do if she found out. “No, she wasn’t.” He said, half lying. She wasn’t present when he found the body. He had been alone for that part.

Radvi noted Archie’s sense of unease. He turned his head, giving Griffin a quick look to see how he had gauged the expression. Griffin’s head had tilted, his arms no longer crossed and instead both hands hung near his sides, palms facing forward. When Archie settled himself the hands rested on top of his duty belt.. After that, Radvi turned back to Archie.

“Describe the moment you found the body. And the state it was in.”

Archie breathed in sharply at the request. It was essentially burnt into his mind at this point. “He- it. It was really messed up.” he began. “It was missing its fingernails. And a few fingers. Its right leg looked like it had been run over by a car or something. I’ve seen a broken femur from a car jack failing that looked just like that back home. His chest was collapsed in, too. Lots of cuts. He had been waterlogged for a little while. You saw it, you… you know what I’m talking about.”

“Yeah, I understand.” Radvi replied, in an almost sympathetic-sounding tone. “The body you found was Doctor Arthur Coleman. He was the school’s AP Biology teacher. He went missing about a week before last night, prior to the new students’ arrival. Did you have any prior affiliation with him before the events of last week?”

“I- I came aboard last week.” Archie said. “The cafeteria incident was my first day. Not exactly a good first impression.”

“I’m aware.” Radvi said, “Tell me what you did after you found the body.”

“I, uh. I screamed.” Archie said, cracking a miniscule smile in an attempt to lighten the mood somewhat. Seeing no change in either of the men’s faces, he quickly moved on. “The others came into the woods to make sure I was okay.”

“Others.” Radvi repeated the word. “Who else was there besides Miss Ellis?”

“Amelia, Keaton, Natalie, and Lynn all came.” he said. “I was a pretty good ways from the body at that point- Lynn was talking me down so I wouldn’t… you know.”

“You said before that Miss Holmes wasn’t present when you found Coleman.”

“Well, she wasn’t.” Archie explained. “I, uh, I went into the woods trying to find flowers for Natalie when I apologized to her and found him alone. I- I don’t even know if Lynn saw the body.”

“But she was made aware of the presence of the body.” Radvi replied, “You and Miss Ellis were the only ones at the scene when I arrived. Why did the other three in your group leave before then?”

Archie sighed at this. He cast a glance to Griffin, and then looked back at Radvi. “Did you ever run from the cops as a kid, sir?”

“This isn’t about me.” Radvi replied sternly.

“Well yeah, but-” Archie began, stumbling through his words. “Natalie called, and I was the one that found the body. So we stayed. I don’t know about the other three, or why they left. It was kinda like the cops showing up at a party. Even if you haven’t done anything wrong, you leave. They didn’t touch it, I’m not even sure if they saw it. When Nat told us she called Cara, they didn’t want to be guilty by association.”

Radvi leaned back in his chair. He sat for a moment, pondering. He gave Griffin another quick glance before proceeding to the next question.

“Did anyone else in the group express awareness of the body’s identity?”

“Amelia did.” Archie said, almost too quickly. “She kept saying ‘she’s after me, she’s after me’. I had no idea what she meant by that. She said that when she ran from me in the cafeteria, she ended up in an AP Bio room and saw uh, what was his name again?”

“Doctor Arthur Coleman.”

“Dr. Coleman and another woman. Amelia said that he was hurt, I think.”

Radvi turned back towards Griffin. “Hardin’s talking to Miss Nelson later.” He said, “He should be made aware of this.”

Throughout the interview Griffin had pieced together the story and the more Archie spoke the less likely Griffin thought he actually did anything to the Doctor, he was just a scared kid and so when Radvi turned to him, Griffin nodded. “I’ll stay here, make sure Archie continues feeling nice and relaxed if you want to go let him know.”

“We’re about done here anyway.” Radvi said, standing up from his seat, “Take him back to reception for now. We have to keep everyone here until we’ve run them all.” With that, he headed for the door and exited the chamber, leaving Griffin and Archie to each other.

Archie shifted uncomfortably, and stood up. He awkwardly met Griffin’s eyes and tried not to swallow. This dude looked tough as nails. Just like Lynn did, except he had a weapon. Now that he thought about it, so did Lynn, but something about this man made it feel like he was staring through Archie’s very soul. “So do I go on my- or do you walk me out?”

The sentence was broken, but he was nervous, damnit! This was not something he did on the regular. Upon closer inspection, Archie found that Griffin for all his tough looks, couldn’t have been much older than he was. If he was even older at all. The was simultaneously unnerving and disarming, and he was unsure how to feel about that.

Griffin stepped to the side to allow Radvi to leave the room and when the door clicked shut again, turned his eyes straight back to Archie. The sight however caused him to reconsider a few things. For one, Archie did not look anything like a threat, just a boy who was in over his head and in a location that he probably never expected to be in again. Griffin softened his piercing gaze a bit, and even visibly relaxed his form, though a hand was always out and ready for something to set the kid off.

”You can follow me Archie, this way.” He opened the door and gestured back the way they came and the closer the other young man got, the more details of Griffin’s own features would be visible. Griffin saw hesitation, and curiosity cross Archie’s face and couldn’t help but smirk at the reaction. ”This way.” He pointed down the corridor and started walking, making sure he didn’t make physical contact with Archie as that would be a trip the lizard boy wouldn’t forget in a hurry. ”Thank you for cooperating with us, I know it sucks to be targeted for something you have no control over. You did the right thing by helping us. I’m Officer Aparo by the way, but you can call me Griffin, or Griff if you prefer.”

Archie extended his hand to Griffin for him to shake. “Yeah, it’s-” Archie began, but trailed off. “Thanks.” He said simply, appreciating the man’s understanding. “I’m Archie, but I guess you already knew that one.”

Griffin stared at the offered hand for a moment, and had to mentally stop himself from laughing out loud. Instead he cleared his throat and smiled politely. ”You probably don’t want to make physical contact with me, one of the things about my nullification is that physical contact will drain you faster than anything. And you don’t want that, trust me.”

Archie looked down at his hand, and then back to Griffin, and then decided he had a wonderful idea. His shirt was long sleeved, and because it was still very temperate aboard the promise he had pushed the sleeves up over his forearms. With his offhand, he pulled his sleeve down over his hand, and offered it to Griffin once again with what was possibly the dumbest grin, thinking he was a genius. He had been ostracized for the most part by many people for the incident in the cafeteria, but he had somehow formed an uneasy friendship with the rest of the losers club. “One thing I’ve learned up here is that you can’t let powers hold you back.”

With a raised eyebrow, and a confused look on his face, Griffin watched as Archie pulled down his sleeve and covered his hand. Griffin was still hesitant, having never actually tried to use his power through fabric before but shrugged, and clasped the offered hand. Nothing happened, and Griffin let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. ”Well you’re not drooling on the floor, so that’s a good sign.”

Archie beamed at this. “It’s nice to meet you, Griff.” he said, simply. “You’re on the clock, right? When do you get off? I’d like to introduce you to the others. They’re not as bad as they may seem.”

Griffin would be lying is he said he was ok in this moment. His entire life was spent hammering the idea that Para-humans were the enemy, that they were ruining the world and had to be controlled. But here was this guy, barely younger than Griffin himself asking him to come and hang out with him and others right after being interrogated. At the risk of looking stupid he collected himself and hesitantly nodded. ”Uh, sure.” he said, eyebrows crinkling forward and then back up. ”Thanks?” That was all he could think to say, and as they walked back into the reception area, Griffin left Archie and turned to go back down the hall, glancing back as he did, brows still furrowed in confusion.

---

Written with @SepticGentleman and @DayDreamz

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

Archie

---

The donut Archie had picked, glazed in chocolate goodness, had been far greater than he could have ever possibly thought. His legs quivered as the sugary goodness serenaded his taste buds and granted him satisfaction that he had never felt before.

He wolfed it down, unable to stop himself or show restraint. It was like the very beast inside of him had manifested in some primal, but human fashion.

Then, just as it came, the release had ended. Archie stared at his glaze covered hand, tears welling in his eyes as he realized that the donut was now gone, having been consumed far too fast when he could have relished the treat for longer. "The arrogance of man..." he said to himself, tears falling freely down his face now as he feverishly licked his fingers clean of every last morsel. His lips eliciting a wet pop with the completion of each digit.

The donut may be gone. But the memory? The memory was forever.

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

T h e P r o m i s e

---

Generally speaking, Gennedy had seen worse times here in the stars. A few years ago a few trouble makers tried some shoddy, knockoff fight club that had worked out poorly for them. A few months ago, someone contaminated the food. The hospitals were worse than the cleanup, honestly. These incidents had been few, and far between. He prided himself on how tight the operation was. Years of meticulous planning and experience even before his own ability had manifested had done him well in that sense.

Having such noteworthy events in such a short period of time, though? That was new. It annoyed him to no end because it made it all the more likely that some of the other heads would begin to stick their noses where they didn’t belong. He was the only parahuman among them, after all. He expected it, and relished the fact that he so often showed that he was just as qualified if not more so than they were to be in the position that he occupied in spite of their stigma. He was a smart man, though. He did not seek conflict- he had been raised to never start problems, but to always finish them.

Apprehending Ellis and Anderson had been easy enough. Part of him was thankful for that, given their abilities and in Ellis’ case, history. Anderson was no doubt a wildcard, but he was mostly predictable. When he wasn’t turned, he was fairly normal young man. Ellis was much more dangerous, given her history in Project Lion. Thankfully, they had been present at the scene and cooperative when they were brought to their solitary dwellings for the night, and then to the station the following morning.

The night had been long, frankly. They knew the general location and time, but no details could be ignored. Gennedy was far too strict, and far too thorough to miss anything if he could afford it. Given the cameras they had around the sidewalks, it had been pretty easy to see that Holmes, Nelson, and Plasse had been present as well. Plasse had been cooperative as soon as his security team had shown up at her dorm. She was quiet, but observant. Nelson and Holmes, though? Loud. The had not come quietly. Nelson was the easier of the two, being mostly cooperative once they had found her, but seemed to have very little respect for his agents. That pissed him off. Holmes? She hadn’t even answered the door. They had to track down the master keys and almost had to do things the hard(er) way to get her into the station. Upon finding out about the video evidence she had apparent yapped about how she was innocent and the body had no burn wounds. Her words had been valid, but were also free admission that she had been at the scene. Perhaps in the USA her officers would have told her that she had the right to remain silent, but this was not the USA, and parahumans had no such rights.

Gennedy checked his watch. It was 9AM, now. He had prepared a few questions to ask, but was otherwise looking forward to getting the ordeal over with so he could get himself a proper breakfast. He had employed the assistance of Radvi, one of his more capable and the one who had been first at the scene, and his protege- a young man who went by the name of Griffin Aparo, to help him finish the job quickly. They should all be arriving in the waiting room shortly. He or Radvi would go and get them at 9:30, when the questioning was set to begin.

Archie

---

All things considered, this was a far better experience than the first time Archie had been brought into a station. The last time he was brought into a station, he had been fresh out of a transformation. Scared, confused, naked, and bound. It had overall been a horrible experience and even now, despite how nicely he had been treated given how he had cooperated, it put him on edge.

He had been told that they had questions for him. No doubt for the others, too. He had been told that everyone involved would be brought in an spoken to individually. A part of him was glad he wasn't in this alone, but the other part of him worried for how Lynn would react to being brought in. Would she blame him, or worse yet- Natalie? Another part of him all together reasoned that it was valid, though. Amelia had said that she had seen the man before. She had seen him being tortured! The station needed to know about this, and might even offer them some degree of protection. It would be an ease of mind thing, if anything.

The others would be arriving soon. No doubt they'd want to know what the fuck had gone on and in a few of their cases, why they had been dragged to the station. Lynn's threat rung true in his head. If they ask you who else was here when you found the human cutting board, you think about what the cafeteria looked like when you walked out of the fucking freezer before you answer. You think real fuckin' hard.

He eyed the box of donuts that had been placed on the coffee table for what he could only assume was their arrival. It was equal parts unnerving and alarming that they had pieced everything together and prepared for them so fast. He reached out and grabbed a chocolate glazed since he hadn't had breakfast yet.

This was going to get interesting.

---

@SepticGentleman@He Who Walks Behind@Typical@Silver Carrot@Levinfist@DayDreamz

The Haunting of Crestwood Hollow - A Supernatural Coming of Age Story

Kayla

---

"What makes you think I know how to skate?"

"Long-ish hair, tan and you speak in a callow way," Autum stated bluntly, extending a finger with each point she made. Kayla blinked at her bluntness, deciding that it wasn't a necessarily bad quality to have.

"Callow? Is that one of those weird positions?"

"Callow. Immature, elementary, not fully developed," Autumn defined.

"So, basically, you were calling me stupid in a nice way?" Kayla questioned, turning to her acquaintance with a raised eyebrow. She watched with amusement as Autumn returned the gaze with no more than a raised eyebrow, raising her book up and turning the page.

Autumn shrugged. "More or less."

Kayla laughed, deciding that she liked her already. "Well, I gotta appreciate that honesty."

"Wow, 'appreciate'. Don't strain yourself now," Autumn remarked sarcastically. All Kayla could do was laugh, again.

"You might just be the most amusing person I've ever met, Autumn," Kayla told her unabashed.

"Glad to see someone thinks so," Autumn mumbled, looking away and quite obviously trying to avoid the conversation's continuance.

Kayla nudged her with her own shoulder. "Wow. Next time we hang out, we'll have to work on your confidence."

"I have confidence," Autumn disagreed, suddenly defensive. Kayla sent her a sidelong glance. "You don't even know me! You have no right to judge me like that."

Kayla shook her head. "Yeah, maybe I don't. But sometimes, a stranger's point-of-view can be one of the best things to go by," she said, then quite abruptly began to split off from their current path. They had parked, and of course Kayla couldn't help herself and had continued to follow Autumn towards the schoolyard. But now she seemed to be heading around the school. Autumn altered her path to keep up with the annoying young woman.

"Where are you going?" Autumn inquired.

"Used to my company already?" Kayla asked her with a smile, turning around as she walked backwards- never missing a beat in her step. Autumn looked back to the school's parking entrance, scowling. "It was a joke," Kayla said to her her, pushing her hair away from her face. "But, yeah, I some business at the front office. See you soon?"

"If it happens, it happens," Autumn said vaguely.

Kayla considered her words. "If it happens, it happens," she repeated. "Well, if I never see you again, you were a lovely person, Autumn."

Autumn sighed, electing not to respond to the loonie's words and turned slightly to split off herself. She made it maybe six steps before Kayla's voice nailed her feet to the floor. How did this girl have so much sway already?

"Wait," Kayla ordered, running up to her and smiling to soften the command. "I have to read you something."

"If it's another fortune—"

"You're catching on!" She grinned at her and pulled the stack of papers out of her pocket, humming to herself in a carefree manner and slipping a fortune out from underneath the rubber band. Autumn leaned forward to read it before her, and accidentally hit her forehead against Kayla's chest. She immediately took two steps back, and Kayla laughed at her, causing her deathly leer to come back. "'Patience is your alley at the moment. Don’t worry!'"

She dropped the fortune on the ground, just at their feet. Autumn cocked her head to the side. "Why do you keep finding me and giving me fortunes?"

Kayla shook her head. "Your lucky numbers are 5, 17 and 56. Do you really think I'd tell you that easily? No way, Jose. You're going to figure it out for yourself." Her eyes flickered to the left, and Autumn could almost see the lightbulb go off in Kayla's head as the woman scampered off.

What a strange girl.

---

With the dawn of a new school year came the dawn of new beginnings. Fresh blood flowed through Mather Memorial High as the seniors left for college, or jobs, or for their burning bright futures in deep alcoholism while the new baby faced freshman came in- talking about fortnite, alcohol, not having to line up when they go to lunch anymore, and other weird freshman shit. It was adorable.

Kayla had genuinely enjoyed Autumn's company this morning. Truth be told she was about to skip had she not run into the poor girl. Autumn looked so wound up that Kayla could put a piece of coal in her ass and pull out a diamond- assuming she could get the coal up there to begin with. She absentmindedly rubbed the silver band of her mother's wedding ring on her left hand with her thumb. She wore it on her middle finger because she obviously wasn't married, and thus it kept people from getting the wrong idea about her when she decided to flirt. No, truth was Kayla needed to distance herself from Autumn because she had a plan. The new school year meant that she had new opportunities to play some practical jokes- and she wasn't quite sure if Autumn was cool enough to not rat her out yet. Despite her earlier lapse in vernacular she was fairly clever. At least, clever enough to not incriminate herself so easily.

Kayla was already a few minutes late, and most people were in the halls catching up. All according to plan, Kayla mused. When she entered the front office building, the attendant was already in the process of giving her welcome back speech. “Welcome back, Mather Memorial Ravens! I hope you all aren’t having any trouble finding your room assignments! If you are, look for the Student Council members in the black and blue. They’ll be happy to assist in any way they can!”

Her eyes flashed to Kayla, and she raised a finger as if to signal 'one moment', then diverted her eyes back down to the piece of paper that she was reading her speech from. While she was distracted, Kayla stuffed her hand into her back pocket and produced a SD card. Acting quickly while she could, Kayla reached across the wall and swapped the SD card with her own. There were several sound files of the standard high school bell- but the last one? The last one was something special. Kayla didn't particularly care if they reviewed the tapes and she got caught for this. In fact, a small part of her wanted the school to know it was her. It wasn't like this one was destructive or defaced property, no. She would get a slap on the wrist if she got any punishment at all for this. What was the school going to do? Yell at the receptionist for being so inattentive? Send a letter home to the parents of the poor orphan girl?

By the time that the lady placed the phone down, Kayla's job was long since complete. Kayla flashed her a bright smile. "Hi Mrs. Munich! I'm just here to report a change of address. Uncle's house got renumbered..."

The rest of the day went by uneventfully. She eventually made her way to the auditorium, and say through some shitty acting job that was way late to the party when it came to her, went to class, and now found herself seated in what the school called the 'Social Conscience program'. Now, Kayla was no stranger to honors, AP, and dual enrollment classes. Autumn's terrified expression when she rolled into her AP Calc class was not something she'd soon forget. No, Kayla took this class particular because it offered the same GPA bonus and had no published syllabus and was the first class of it's kind and was being held by a new teacher. If that wasn't the unholy trifecta of easy then Kayla didn't know what was. New teachers and new classes were easy on their own. Two at once? Cake.

The class was, in short, about self discovery. It was kinda flamboyant in description but Kayla was not one to complain. The teacher seemed chill enough, asking to be referred to as Jonas as opposed to his last name. This was a first for her, but a nice change of pace regardless. She also got a passcard that gave her an all access pass to this room. Kayla smiled evilly at this, the gears in her head already turning with this new information. She absentmindedly fiddled with her father's ring when Jonas opened the floor to them all. Kayla, being herself, was the first to stand. She didn't bother raising her hand. She swaggered to the front of the class, and surveyed all of her peers. She recognized a few- namely Aiden, whom she winked at. He probably had some inkling of what was to come.

"Hello everyone!" She proclaimed. "My name is Kayla Foster. I am a twin, yes I'm the evil one. This is the second introduction I've made today. My dog is broken. I have a lot more in common with Batman than the average person." She tilter her head toward's Jonas' direction and gave him a smile. "One question for the teacher, though? Which of the brothers are you?"

She took a seat, figuring that she could get his answer sitting down and open the floor for the next person. This class was flying, and the final bell was just around the corner.

This was gonna be sweet.

The Haunting of Crestwood Hollow - A Supernatural Coming of Age Story

<Snipped quote by Fallenreaper>

*wiggles around in limbo till Wraith wakes up*

@The Elvenqueen

uwu

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

@Junkmail@SepticGentleman Here's my CS!

Griffin Aparo

Griffin

_______________________________________________ Griffin Leonardo Aparo _______________________________________________ March 21st | 19 | Caucasian _______________________________________________ Single | ♂ | Heterosexual _______________________________________________ High School Graduate | Student _______________________________________________ Physical Profile ___________________________________ [+] //Basics: • Height | 6'0" • Weight | 189lbs, please • Build | Long, Lean, Toned, Wiry • Hair Colour | Black • Eye Colour | Dark Blue Miscellaneous Items ___________________________________ [+] //Every Day Carry: • Stun Baton | Standard issue for security forces upon The Promise, this baton was granted with a scowl from the quartermaster who grumbled about wasting supplies on green boys.

A p p e a r a n c e D e t a i l s When first glancing at Griffin most people seem to double-take or at least nonchalantly look back to get another look at him. And while he could be considered good looking it's his eyes that stand out beyond anything else. He had blue eyes, truly blue, sickeningly prince charming blue but it was darker, and when contrasted with his black hair tended to turn heads. The rest of his facial features form perfectly to his strong jaw and square-shaped bone structure. Beyond his face, his skin is a pale cream color, and while it can tan a bit if exposed to enough sunlight, having the time to just 'tan' has never been available to the young man. His arms have sparse hair but sinew can be seen even when just casually moving to show that the young man is quite wiry. Most of the time he can be found wearing a long sleeve black dress shirt underneath a black tailored sports coat. Reflective sunglasses will usually cover his eyes, and a watch rests on his right wrist. When on duty he's found in a pristine uniform, his baton rested at his left side for easy access.

_{P e r s o n a l i t y}

Griffin is an enigma, as he carefully hides most of his emotions underneath a mask of charm and smiles. He takes the rich kid stereotype seriously having been raised not only with the expectations of the British Nobility but also the Italian means that Griffin is the picture-perfect heir to a powerful family. Clean and disciplined his section of the dorm is normally pristine and everything is organized nicely in closets or dressers. His appearance is the same, wearing collared dress shirts and sports coats.

He's articulate, charming, and calm when dealing with superiors, politicians, and family. He also shows himself to be a model student whenever he can. But, all of that's not the real Griffin, underneath that mask is a Cold, calculating individual who has known nothing but a drive to be perfect from his parents. Mistakes were and are punished harshly and as such Griffin is a perfectionist. He's abrupt to those he considers unequal, amoral, very purist, highly critical, a bit arrogant, devious, scheming, sly, and calculative. All in all, he's a survivor, always on the lookout for someone trying to take advantage of him or walk over him because of his age. He's never known true friendship and for that, he adapts to his surroundings.

Despite all of these things going against him, Griffin does have some redeeming qualities, his Italian/British heritage giving him decent looks, his constant exercise making him rather athletic, he's adaptable to the various situation, and is quite loyal despite his rugged exterior. He's a mountain you have to climb up before seeing the good points but should someone scale that mountain Korbin could make a very good friend.

_{C h a r a c t e r S y n o p s i s}

The Aparo Family

The Aparo's come from a long Italian line of bankers. They headquartered in the Northern territory and became political idealists some four generations in. They have had their share of government officials but never gained much traction. The family was forced out during the first World War and moved themselves and their business to England where they were forced to start anew. Instead of returning to baking, however, the 'new' patriarch of the family named Giovanni used the wealth and prestige of their bank still in Italy and formed a new business. It was a simple thing in nature, guarding property and people but during the war, many families were left without fathers, brothers, uncles, and grandfathers. Even the woman was sent to do various tasks. That was were the Civilian Defense Company or CDEF came in. The Company would protect homes, children, and community buildings.

The business boomed, and as the war ended the CDEF began shifting to private security, working with Law Enforcement to protect government officials and community leaders. Slowly the Aparo family began gaining political favor, and after protecting a Duke from an assassination attempt Giovanni was Knighted and granted lands on the Duke's property.

During World War II, many of the men in the company were pressed into service and forced the CDEF to open a new company which was strictly for the private sector which also went to America and began hunting down Draft Evaders. They made a name for themselves with the brutality and efficiency with which they handled cases and rarely had collateral damage. In fact, they were so successful in America they were asked to stay even after the war to assist the FBI in hunting criminals.

Now spanning two countries the Aparo name was not one unknown in the political landscape. The family grew in both power and in number and were slowly becoming 'the' Private Security name in the world. Fast forward to the moment Para-humanity was noticed and it was found that many within the primary Aparo family had an ability to 'nullify' these powers. Research was performed and the CDEF which had been renamed to Aparo Security Forces or ASF was found to be able to go toe to toe with these Para-Humans and were contracted by entire countries to help them curb the population of renegade or rebel Paras.

The ASF rose from one of the best private security firms to an armed Mercenary group and Private Army which took in more and more money. In the political scheme, the Aparo family was elevated to parliament seats in Britain.

Griffin Aparo is the son of CEO, Nullifier, and Bounty Hunter Arthur Aparo and his wife Phoebe Aparo. He was born into a world that had been rocked by numerous wars with humans that had powers, humans that were shunned and ostracized by 'normal' people. But instead of fear, disgust, and shame that came with other parents that found that their child had these powers, Griffin was celebrated and paraded as the next Aparo to boast the gift. He became the heir of the Aparo name and from his second day being born was worth more than many small countries.

Some would think that being born into such a family meant that he would have an easy ride, that he would be spoiled and want for nothing. Well, those people would be wrong. Griffin was thrown into 'training' the moment he turned four years old. He was sent tutors and specialists whose job it was to turn him into a deadly weapon. He was trained in martial arts, boxing, wrestling, and weapons four days out of seven. Two were spent with school work, and one was spent learning the skills he'd need to be an heir that the family needed.

This routine continued for his entire pre-teen, and teenage life and while physically he became a machine that could shoot, wield martial weapons, and held four black-belts in various martial arts he was a sunken mess of inner emotions. The only human interaction he had were with strict instructors and fun was simply a word that never existed. He has known only strict structures for his entire life.

Naturally, this made him a natural at following orders and when he was sixteen he was sent out into the world alongside a hit squad. The ASF separated its units into three distinct groups, Subjugation, Elimination, and Liquidation. Griffin, as someone still learning was sent as the Subjugator and was taught in a combat environment how to utilize his powers to subdue and completely nullify a hostile Parahumans abilities. After the target was Subjugated the Elimination team inserted themselves, cleared the area, and depending on if the target was wanted dead or alive would execute the required action. And then finally, the Liquidators. They were the best of the best and were sent to quite simply, eliminate a high-value target(s) through any means possible, regardless of collateral damage. They were walking executioners and many had abilities of their own, finding that they were treated better and fairer than their own communities.

Griffin, however, was only getting started on his journey. After his fill of watching combat from close up, he was to be sent to the orbiting station called 'The Promise' to serve on the Security team while also continuing his schooling. It was a move to get him used to various environments and see how he would fare on his 'own' instead of the close confines of a stifling family and certain schedule. To no one but himself, he has admitted that it would be time to see just how people act and is taking it with an open mind.

_{A b i l i t i e s & S k i l l s}

_//Abilities:

Superhuman Ability | Nullification

Griffin boasts the ability to 'drain' the power of other Meta-humans to weaken them and make them normal. This manifests in three different ways. His most common form is that of a head nod or by extending a hand. The physical act sends out an invisible force that when directed at a Meta-human will quickly drain their power using it to fuel the action. This allows Griffin to basically use a Meta-humans own power to Nullify. There are some limitations to this. The target must be in visual range for this ability to work and even then the range seems to max out at around 30 feet or half that if he's nullifying three people at once. In addition to this, he has to remain focused and if he's interrupted the nullification ends.

The second manifestation of the power consists of a simple 'charged' area of effect field. It's similar to the first only that it requires either multiple Meta-humans or his own personal power. The result is a field that negates all powers of those within it. Naturally this leaves Griffin completely at the mercy of anyone defending him and he's unable to fight back, otherwise, the field will fall. In addition, if he's using his own power to perform the field he can and will pass out if he pushes the field to far. He has so far been able to push the field 15 feet and is constantly training himself to push it further.

The third manifestation is physical contact. If Griffin is able to touch another Meta-human he is able to completely and totally drain their power rapidly and has been known to leave a feeling of lethargy, and the taste of metal in the mouths of victims. This manifestation is the most powerful but also requires the most risk as he must commit to getting up close and personal. Some researchers believe it's possible to continuously drain someone's power with his manifestation but no further experimentation has been done on the Aparo heir.

Limitation(s) | Added into each power manifestation.

Weakness(es) | For most if not all of the manifestations, Griffin must focus which means he must be protected. If he's taken by surprise he is an easy take-down. And when he's taken down he's taken down hard, as he has no powers other than his nullification. After that, he's just a regular human, albeit with some serious combat skills. His mentality is also a weakness, as he is only just now escaping the cold hand of his family and will be sure to crack as he develops his own morality. Finally, any injury he sustains can severely hamper his ability to fight someone if it came to martial combat, he is very much reliant on his power in a Meta fight but relies on his other skills if fighting a non-Meta.

_//Skills:

Martial Arts | Griffin has been trained since he was five years old in a variety of martial arts. At the current moment, he is a ninth dan in Taekwondo, a Chángquán Kung Fu master, and an E5 Krav Maga user. He incorporates other Martial Arts when needed but has found the three to be best suited for himself.
Weapons | While hand to hand is Griffin's better fighting style, he has been trained in the usage of all firearms, knives, swords, spears, staffs, and improvisation weaponry.
Security Systems/Hacking | While not able to do much outside of training, Griffin was able to familiarize himself with the security systems that surrounded him. He also found he had a talent for computers and spent many hours at night working on hacking skills to get a view of the outside world that his parents couldn't detect.

_{O T H E R}

None!

---

@Daydreamz

Accepted milord

Feel free to toss em in the CS at your leisure. Looking forward to reading him!