Stuck In the Middle With You (Zac&Verill)

[Stella Pinyin]

She had to practice. That was what Naomi had said. If she didn't want Zac to realize that it was perhaps getting a bit harder to find her way around, she couldn't just hide in her room like some scared little rabbit.

Stella found it tempting though. She really did.

Still, when Naomi told her something was true in that certain, accented tone of hers, who was Stella to argue and so, because she knew that Zac liked Christmas and that they'd be leaving to go home for the holidays soon, she had made her way to the shops, and had gotten him something, and even managed to wrap it in bright red paper.

It wasn't a money packet though. She'd gotten him a scarf, because even if Zac had more clothes then anyone she'd ever met, ever, Stella thought that you could never really have enough scarves, and anyway, she didn't want him to get sick. Besides, while it was much safer for her to stick to block colours (stripes looked like someone had spilled something on it to her), the manner in which the white girl ran the fabric between her fingers had been professional, and she had gone through several options that really looked very similar, even to someone who wasn't 3/4s blind.

It was red wool, very fine. Red was lucky, even if white or black might have been a safer choice. And everyone needed luck, even Zac. The card had been rejected after she realised her handwriting was getting worse, and that Zac was as likely to understand mandarin characters as she was to be able to read hieroglyphics.

So, with the present tucked under one arm, Stella rapped on the dorm door with her cane. It was maybe a good chance to say goodbye as well, something Stella was not going to enjoy. It was strange, how every time the holidays rolled around it got that little bit harder to pack her things.

[Verill Mathias]

The following weeks after Zac's little exploit against him had left the schemer in a sour mood. Actually, that incident had really just been the back-breaking straw. He had been increasingly aggravated by the Brat Prince's antics, but thought better of it and swallowed his tongue to keep peace. As hard as it was to believe, that idiot was still an asset. But now - now he had to be taught a lesson. And what was a schemer to do, but to scheme? So there he was, sitting in the common room, staring. There was nothing in particular catching his eye. It was just his typical position while mulling over ideas, to stare off at nothing, barely sparing the time to even blink.

So far, he was drawing blanks in the 'Show that imbecile who he's trifling with' department. Most of the students here were already getting ready to head off for the holidays, which left the option of calling in aid a slim option. No, he would have to sully his own hands this time. How to do that without directly confronting Zac (as he was at least humble enough to know it would be the most one-sided fight in the history of Hammel) was the tricky part. It would have to be subtle, and once again leaving him to appear completely innocent of whatever he pulled. But it would still have to be severe enough to really make that idiot writhe...

Fate would grant him a blessing this day with a knock upon the door. Verill shook out of his trance, momentarily irritated that his train of thought had been so abruptly sent crashing. He would have to include whoever this Person from Porlock was on his 'Get revenge on for petty reasons' list. The junior classman got up, making sure to cover his dark mood with the usual warm, welcoming smile before he opened the door. He was greeted with a rather peculiar sight: Stella, of all people, standing there, a gift underarm. To be perfectly honest, Verill had no opinion of her. Unlike his roommate, he saw her as being perfectly useless. She was nearly blind (the cane being a clear indicator to how bad it was getting), with a nearly inconsequential power to compensate for it. Yet Zac, for whatever reason, had a clear infatuation for her. ... Wait. Oh, yes.

"Oh, hello Stella. I assume you're looking for Zac? I'm sorry to say that he isn't in right now..." For emphasis, he gave a quick once-over inside the room to see that it was indeed barren of any other residents. That was at least true, though he had no idea where the Brat Prince had run off to, and quite frankly didn't care. Before the glow worm could give the expected apology and bid farewell, the brunette quickly spoke in again. "But you know, I'm glad you're here. I've been meaning to get him a gift myself," he gestured towards the pretty little red box in her grasp, "but I don't know what to get him - not without him immediately throwing it in the garbage, anyway. Would you... care if I took you along with me to pick out something? Preferably now, while he's still away..." He gave his voice a tinge of begging to bring the plea home.

Yes, this would do. This would do just fine.

[Stella Pinyin]

"Oh," Stella murmured, smiling hesitantly, if regretfully. "That's ok. I will come back, yes?" The voices of all Zac's dorm mates were familiar to her, even if names were a bit of a stretch. This one was the least familiar, and not someone Zac had introduced her to properly.

Then again, it wasn't like Stella's wealthy friend actually did introduce her to people. They all just seemed to know who she was. It was, well, ah, nice that she didn't need to tell everyone her name.

Pale eyes widened slightly at Verill's request, and Stella couldn't keep the suprise out of her voice. "Ah, me? I'm not sure, that is... I do not think I am the best person to, I mean," Stella wasn't even sure that Zac would like her gift, and anyway, it was... different for her. It was a present that was supposed to bring him luck and keep him warm. It wouldn't make sense from someone else...

Still, he did seem to really want some help. "I would be happy to assist," the pale girl finally agreed, "But, I am not sure how much help I can be, if you want to go into Pilot Ridge, I, ah, I don't travel quickly."

Stella looked down at her own gift with a small frown; she'd need to try to get it into her pocket without creasing it. Or... "Could you, could you write a note for me to leave with this? For Zac, I mean."

[Verill Mathias]

Her hesitation gave him a moment of worry. If she refused and walked away, his chance would end before it even began. But his fretting was laid to rest when she gave in, and that earned her a relieved smile (though if she could actually see it wasn't any of his concern). "That's quite alright; I don't like to rush things anyway," he assured her. And truthfully, that worked all the better for him. The more time he had to pull this off, the better.

At her request the boy's smile only stretched further. "Of course! Go ahead and put it where you see fit." The scathing pun was actually accidental there, and Verill was mentally kicking himself as he went to fetch pen and paper. Before he returned to fill out Stella's note, he decided to write out his own first. So he sat at his desk, hastily scribbling away:

Zac,
Decided to take Stella out to the mall today. Don't wait up.
With Love, Verill

There now, that ought to get things started. This note tucked in his sleeve, the junior student came back, nodding to Stella. "Took a moment to find, sorry. I thought it would be better to put it in your own words. So, what would you like to say?" Whatever it is, make it quick. There was no telling when the Brat Prince would waltz in.

[Zachary LaRousse]

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Odd as it might be considering how the mimic normally acts to guys not JD or Robbie, Zac actually has quite the faith in Verill. While he doesn’t belong to the two dorks’ level yet, in Zac’s twisted hierarchy of people, the boy can be sure that he’s among the ‘top ranked’ when it comes to the people surrounding the pompous heir.

As far as the arrogant teen’s concerned, Verill’s never posed a threat to him. He wasn’t annoying or irritating, never said and/or did anything bad about him (or at least he couldn’t trace anything back to Verill) and even allows helps him get dirt on people by employing his rather powerful ability without even thinking twice about it. In the mimic’s eyes, it’s very much a mutualistic relationship they have (or ‘commensalistic’, since Verill doesn’t seem to be getting anything) and thus he doesn’t feel that he should be threatened about what Verill does.

Until he saw him being all shady around Stella.

He was just on his way back from returning a number of books from the library (overdue fines are nothing; they were taking too much space in his room, he says) when he saw the two talking. He wouldn’t have been bothered much, but he saw a glimpse of the boy’s smilesmirk as he gestured for the shy girl to come in and suddenly all types of alarm rang in the teen’s mind. I shouldn’t worry. It’s Verill after all, was the thought that he kept on telling himself, but for some reason it just did not work. So after a few minutes lying by the sides and trying to get a better grasp of what’s happening (mimicry allows him to have am altered version of the meta-enhanced hearing, but since he doesn’t really employ this facet of his power much, it was rather exhausting), the mimic strode in the room, trying to act like nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

“Oh hi Stella, didn’t expect to see you around here,” he said with a gleeful voice as he opened the room, “Why’re you here? And Verill? I didn’t know you two knew each other?”

He didn’t get anything concrete that should worry him really, but some of the animals inside him are stirring. And he’d a be fool not to listen to them.

Ooc:
Guys, I am so so sorry if this took too long. Zac muse for this thread has been extremely whiny and I apologize. I promise not to let him be like this again. So sorry. T_T.
- Jam

[Stella Pinyin]

(ooc: my turn to apologies. Sorry ts taken me so long guys)

Stella thought for a moment, then placed the wrapped gift down. "Just, ah, maybe 'I got you this for Christmas, and have a happy holiday." she said quietly, pressing her lips together slightly. There was more to say, of course. Things like 'its to make you lucky' and 'don't forget to wrap up if it's cold, even if you use your powers and get all hot, because that's how you get a cold' or even, 'and maybe you can call me,'.

But that wasn't something she wanted written down. Written words had more power, and were more... permanent.

"Ok, we can go now," she added, unfolding her cane in preparation for the trip into town. It was then that the door opened, and the pale girl started at Zac's voice. "Zac! We were, I mean, going to go shopping," she stumbled a little on what she saw as a white lie, but it made sense that Verill wouldn't want Zac to know he was going out to buy him a present.

"I was leaving a note," she added, and reached down to find the parcel she'd wrapped again and smiling. "It's for you, for Christmas. You do celebrate it, don't you?" Pale almost invisible eyebrows raised slightly. "But you can't open it until the 25th, I think. Is that right?"

Verill was, for the moment, and no offense meant to him, forgotten.