Tyler

The Fucked-Up Kids [Hillan X Tyler]

Bellatrix Morgan

---

The past twenty-four hours had been decidedly slower in pace than her first meeting with Jason, but no less exciting. After they'd slain an age-old gorgon in the middle of New York City, the Venari had made Bellatrix an offer that caught her off-guard: did she want to accompany him on his next hunt?

She had fallen silent for a moment as she weighed up the proposition. It would certainly be a more comfortable existence than she had been used to as of late, but at what price? It was a dangerous line of work - ridiculously so - and it didn't seem that Jason was reaping too many rewards. In retrospect, Bellatrix reasoned that her decision was perhaps informed by the adrenaline that had still been flowing through her veins, or by the luxurious warmth that remained on her skin following her shower. Regardless of her reasoning, one thing was clear: she had said 'yes'.

They'd taken more time to recuperate from the battle, and Bellatrix had tended to Jason's ribs with a healthy amount of Arnica. There was little to be done for the man's broken ribs, but the cream would at least alleviate his bruising. Jason had volunteered to make the arrangements for their next trip, and whilst he went through the motions Bellatrix had decided to take a walk through the city. It had felt good to move at her own pace for a couple of hours, as she knew that travelling with Jason would likely strip her of this luxury.

Jason had acquired a rucksack for her; small, pouch-like, and in black leather, it was big enough for the few possessions Bella owned; the most notable of which was, of course, the Persite Relic. Looking back, she suspected that her possession of this object in particular was what caused the events that proceeded to unfold.

She'd been sat by the bay, looking out over water and watching the reflection of Lady Liberty dance in the tide. The sun on her face, the sea-breeze caressing her ebony locks. It was a moment of splendour that had been a long-time coming for the witch. But of course, nothing good lasts forever...

"The Relic is close," came a man's voice from several meters behind her, only just audible over the buzz of the city and the gentle lapping of waves against the shore. "According to the amulet, it ought to be right under our noses."

Trying to be as discreet as possible, Bellatrix looked over her shoulder and tried to get a glimpse of the speaker. He was easy to spot, stood in a group of five or six other men; a definite family resemblance betraying their shared blood, and matching leather armour further proving their unity. Another man spoke up, far less eloquent and authoritative than his brethren, whom Bella suspected was the leader.

"Kalum," he said, addressing the leader. "Can't you ramp up the accuracy on that thing? We'll never find the rock at this rate."

As he spoke Bellatrix made every effort to raise to her feet and slip away without being seen.

"Shut up, Mikael. Just keep an eye out for any suspicious..." As Kalum spoke, he locked eyes with Bella, whose panicked eyes gave her away instantly to the observant man. "Well, well," he chuckled, as Bellatrix had broke into a sprint. "Brothers! Don't let her get away!"

---

Bellatrix had been lucky, managing to elude her pursuers by integrating with the bustling city crowds. Her knowledge of magical artefacts informed her assumption that whatever they were using to trace her was somewhat primitive, and so her best bet was to hide in plain sight. After returning to the hotel, ensuring she had truly lost them, she recounted the events to Jason, who insisted they move before being found. He'd already gotten hold of two tickets for a jet bound for England, and now here they were: sat in a cafe at the airport, sipping on bad coffee as they waited for their gate to be called. The plane was on-time, and they were due to board in about twenty minutes.

"This coffee sucks," Bellatrix said with disdain as she looked down at her black beverage; of course, she'd been so paranoid since her confrontation with the mysterious men that her gaze only wavered for a second, before she was anxiously scanning the area for any sign of them. Jason looked bemused as he watched her fret, and she scowled at him.

"It's not funny, Jason," she spat, taking another reluctant sip of the Americano. "Those guys meant business. They were not playing. Who know who they were, or what they would have d--" Bellatrix' eyes widened as she broke mid-sentence, spotting a group of black-clad men enter the departure lounge.

"Fuck, Jason," she said, urgently but keeping her voice to a whisper. "That's them."

The Fucked-Up Kids [Hillan X Tyler]

Tale of two fucked-up kids, as they travel the world and battle Hellions with their magical powers, weaving themselves in and out of trouble. But the monsters are not the only ones being hunted, and danger is never far behind.

Crestwood Hollow

What are people thinking about for the outcome of this? Honestly this has broken the barrier on a lot of hidden stuff about the world our characters inhabit.

@Roman

I have a feeling that Jonas might have a few tricks up his sleeves.

For Aiden specifically, no matter how much evidence stacks up against him, he'll lie through his teeth to deny it. He plans on moving across country after this year of school is over, so he doesn't so much care about what his schoolmates think of him as much as the legal complications he might find himself in should the police learn of his talents.

Crestwood Hollow

Things are getting good, I want progress!

@FantasyChic

Likewise! I'm excited not only to see how the rest of the night plays out, but also how that then translates across into our Social Conscience classes. Both in terms of how the class is taught, and how the students dynamic shifts.

I think we have two or three characters to hear from before Wraith progresses, but I know he's keen for us to lead ourselves some, as well as getting more posts-per-cycle. So if anyone wants to link up with Aiden before the next cycle, feel free to take the lead and I'll respond accordingly. (I'm doing much better now, but still have a week and a half off work, so I'm hoping to make the most of it.)

Crestwood Hollow

@tyler if your post was of bad quality, then I don't even know how bad mine would be then. Besides, health comes first. Feel better soon!

@Dusksong

@Tyler For real, if that was you at your worst I have a LOT of work to do to improve myself...

@FantasyChic

Sorry I didn't reply to these before. Thanks a lot. I think it's natural to be hyper-aware of problems in our own work. It's a lot easier to see good in the work of others than it is in your own! For what it's worth I always look forward to reading posts from the two of you.

Crestwood Hollow

Finally got a post in. Sorry if I jumped the gun or went overboard, but I was having fun writing for the first time in a while, so I rolled with it. Will edit if you'd rather we hold off- just let me know.

Crestwood Hollow

A I D E N M c K E N N A

---

^{The night of the dance, Mather Memorial High School}

To Aiden's relief, it would seem that Mr. Lehrer had little intention of making his evening any more difficult, as the teacher barely batted an eyelid. Aiden loosened up some, if only for a second, before another party-goer emerged from the gymnasium and greeted the three men grouped around the back exit. Aiden sighed under his breath, as it seemed his plan of maintaining a low-profile was swiftly slipping away, and trying to hold it together was like watching sand slide through his fingers. To make matters worse, the individual was none other than Winter Carlyle; one of the most popular girls in school. They'd been aware of each other for some years now, though Aiden didn't remember them ever having a conversation, and whilst she'd always been fairly non-aggressive - pleasant, even - Aiden was no idiot. He knew all about her breed, and it would take a lot more than a pearly-white smile to convince him that she was any different from that plastic-fantastic brigade she affiliated herself with. Nevertheless, he offered her a wordless nod in acknowledgement of her gesture, if only to stay on the sweet side of Mr. Lehrer.

It would seem that Elroy had taken ill, to which Aiden had to resist scoffing. It was always safe to assume the punch had been tainted after the first half-hour or so at one of these affairs, no doubt by some low-life like Sebastian, should his track record be taken into consideration. Mr. Lehrer was in the middle of asking Aiden to escort Elroy to the nurse when the evening's festivities took a nosedive.

It took them all by surprise, as the blood-curdling howl sounded out into the night. It was the very same noise he'd been spooked by earlier; but this time, from within the gymnasium itself. It was typical of Aiden's luck that the place he ran to for safety would place him in greater danger. The group peered back into the venue in time to observe a hideous, wolf-like beast bursting out the bathroom door, dispelling any ill-founded hope that this was some sort of practical joke. There was simply no costumer or make-up artist skilled enough to produce something this terrifyingly real, and as Aiden looked on in wide-eyed horror he found himself feeling silly for ever being scared by the movies. It seemed to take a few seconds for the reality of the situation to sink in, with everyone seemingly frozen solid. And then there were the screams.

Lehrer roared at the students to flee, launching the pale Elroy in Aiden's direction. Aiden had never been able to boast any upper-body strength, and paused expectantly as he waited for Winter to help him support Elroy's weight; but the burden was not eased. Looking around frantically, he soon discovered that the girl had vanished into thin air; as if by magic, she was gone. Typical, he cursed to himself as he realised that he had been foolish to ever expect the girl's supposed good nature to ever apply itself in a situation of need.

Mr. Lehrer seemed to be on some sort of suicide mission, as he rolled up his sleeves and darted back inside. Aiden could have sworn that the tattoos on the teacher's arms had been illuminated, casting off some eerie glow in the dark of the night. Of course, it had to be a trick of the moon, but Aiden had little interest in sticking around to find out as, with Elroy's arm over his shoulder, he began to haul the boy towards the woodland - and not without a great deal of difficulty, either.

He had not covered much ground before another howl called out of the woods, and Aiden was certain he could see large figured moving in the distance. He wasted little time in turning back around, and dragging Elroy back into the school. By this point, though the boy's eyes were open, he was essentially unconscious, and Aiden couldn't elicit any sort of response from him. Crouching down behind a low wall, he pulled Elroy's body down the corridor and into the girl's changing room.

Propping Elroy up in the showers, he turned on the water in hope of the cold water bringing some life into his burden, but it was no good. There was a series of loud crashing from the main gymnasium, and the screaming escalated. Aiden swore beneath his breath, slapping Elroy on the cheek. It was funny, almost; Aiden had always found Elroy rather attractive, watching his openly gay relationship from afar - and with the greenest of eyes. Here they were, in total privacy and with Elroy soaking wet... Had Aiden not been so stressed, his mind would have been in a totally different place altogether. But as it stood, the evidence of his panic was all too clear: despite the cold water running over Elroy's face, there was an angry red handprint that would surely sting with heat should he have been conscious. Aiden sighed... It was another reminder of his imposed isolation, forbidden even to touch another for fear of harming them. Another scream, and a growl, broke his self-pitying train of thought, as he remembered that sometimes the only way to protect innocent people was to harm those whom threatened them. To fight fire with fire.

He zipped his XXL hoodie up as far as it would go, and pulled the hood down over his forehead. It was all instinctive, his primal side burning within him as it made his decisions. His shirt was pulled up over his nose in a makeshift disguise that he wasn't entirely sure would effectively mask his identity, but it was all he had. He at least had the benefit of only been seen by a handful of people that evening... He knew that he was putting his safety on the line; that if he survived all this, he was potentially sacrificing his right to a normal life. Once people knew you were different, you were fair game. But he'd climb that mountain when it came to it. If it came to it.

He breathed in deep, shooting a final glance at Elroy to double-check he was effectively hidden, and then burst out of the changing room.

He pulled himself over the low-wall, leaping straight down into the gymnasium. Before him, most of the students had been herded into the centre of the room by what was now a small army of the werewolf creatures. This made Aiden's arrival all the more apparent, and the beasts seemed instantly aware of him. While their humanoid forms may have suggested otherwise, the eyes that were locked on Aiden told him very much that these creatures were animals; and they were thirsty for blood. It was but a second, though it felt like an age, before one of the beasts bounded towards him; fast, heavy and snarling.

Aiden didn't think; and instinct took over him in the same way he was certain these monsters were ruled by their own primal urge. He closed his eyes tight, the image of the beast hurtling towards him burned into his brain as he lunged both hands forward, releasing a jet of flame that engulfed his predator. The werewolf let out a pained noise unlike anything he had ever heard, but Aiden maintained the searing heat that was flowing from his palms, as the animalistic scream gave way to silence and the smell of burnt meat. Aiden knowingly lowered his arms to his side; exhausted from his stunt as he tried to control his breathing.

Human screams broke the silence, and Aiden was afraid to open his eyes.

Crestwood Hollow

<Snipped quote by Tyler>

You can control Elroy, it's not a big deal one way or the other.

@Lord Wraith

I remember reading a couple messages on Skype about Elroy, and I don't wanna tread on your toes. I'll leave him somewhere for you to pick up when you need him.

Crestwood Hollow

Ooo, dis gon b gud. Are you wanting me to control Elroy, or wait for a collab? I'm staying with my parents for a couple weeks now, so don't have Skype.

The Mavericks | Neo-Genesis

Sorry about not being in touch. I've been recovering from surgery and honestly was under the impression this was on hiatus for some reason. I hammered out a post for a different RP yesterday and I really wasn't happy with the result, so it's probably for the best that Maxine remains incapacitated for a little while. I'm thankful you didn't eject her entirely because when I'm a little better I still want to be part of this. The slow pace works for me.